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Should Illinois be Ranked Higher?

By all accounts, this season has been a giant surprise for Illinois basketball. After a 13-18 record last season and the loss of two of their "best" players, hopes were not high for Illinois. Then they won 13 of their first 14 games and everyone thought this team might be decent.

Now we are certain that this is a good team, that can combine fantastic defense of the past few seasons with a more balanced, efficient offense. In fact, the Illini sit in second place in the Big Ten with 21 wins against 5 losses. This is great for Illinois fans; so great that they may be overlooking something fans are typically very wary of: a lack of respect.

A lot of the teams ahead of the Illini are very good, and it's hard to argue for one over the other, but a couple things stand out when you take a look at the top 25. First, Illinois has one more loss than Missouri, yet the Illini beat the Tigers earlier in the year at a neutral site by 16 points. Mizzou also stacks their resume with losses to Kansas State and Nebraska. Nebraska!

The second problem I have is that Michigan State is ranked so damn far ahead of the Illini. They're number five! Michigan State is a good team, probably the best in the Big Ten, but they aren't top five good if Illinois is out of the top 15. We're talking about a team that lost by 22 to Maryland, lost by...wait for it...35 to North Carolina in Detroit, and lost to Penn State and Northwestern at home. They beat two Big 12 teams that are both ranked below Missouri, and aside from the two terrible losses have been solid in conference play, including a six point win in East Lansing against the Illini.

Illinois' schedule is not as tough as Michigan State's according to RPI numbers, but a close loss to Clemson and a win over Missouri look as good as anything on MSU's out of conference resume.

I'm not saying Illinois is better than Michigan State, and I wouldn't dare put out my own version of the top 25 because somehow I've become a cynical college basketball fan that thinks there are only a few good teams in the country, but all of this information leads me to the conclusion that either Michigan State and Missouri are severely overrated, or because they have exceeded the "experts'" expectations, Illinois has become the victim of a blatant lack of respect.

Dwight Howard Plays Pranks On Other All-Stars and Rookies

Apparently this is 2:30 am the morning the night before the all-star game. Howard orders food for Duncan, knocks on Rose's door and runs away, orders more food for Chauncey, and then starts screwing around on a security guard's walkie talkie. Even if you don't think hes all that funny, you have to admit he seems like a fun guy. What a goofball. Here's the video (via NESW):

Lou Hints Soriano May Not Lead Off, Cubs Fans Thank Their Respective Gods

Lou Pinella seems like an intelligent man to most of us. Though he is a bit stubborn at times, he clearly has an understanding of the game of baseball. While not exactly a sabermetrician, he does not make retarded Dusty Baker-esque comments like "we don't want to draw a lot of walks, it clogs up the basepaths."

Even though he seems to understand baseball, there are still a few questionable moves he has made. Foremost among those was his insistence that Soriano lead off. It appears that he is finally starting to budge on that one:

Cubs manager Lou Piniella has stuck by Alfonso Soriano as his leadoff man the last two seasons but on Monday said he may drop the left fielder down in the order. Piniella said he talked to Soriano at the Cubs Convention about it. One reason for the switch is that Soriano doesn't run as much as he used to.

I will just ignore that comment about how he doesn't run like he used to (running is overrated and in fact can be detrimental to the team if the success rate is not very high, it is also almost completely irrelevant to the effectiveness of a leadoff man). While he is not a terrible leadoff man, his numbers are clearly not conducive to getting on base, the most important thing from a leadoff man. It's not that he is bad at it, he actually had a .344 OBP last season. The thing is that he has a high slugging percentage at .532 which makes him far better suited to the 3, 4, 5, or even 6 spot in the lineup. On top of that, there are 7 everyday players that have a higher OBP than Soriano: Johnson, Lee, Soto, Ramirez, Theriot, Fontenot and...the player everyone loves to hate...Fukudome! Yes all 7 of those players had better OBPs. I don't hate Soriano, but I do hate him in the leadoff spot. Hit him 5th or 6th and have a Theriot, Fontenot, Johnson, or, dare I say it, Kosuke, lead off. Make it happen Lou.

And yes, I'm just as excited as you that baseball is almost here.

The White Sox are Getting Creepy

President Barack Obama will be in the Phoenix area this week and a Chicago sports franchise has taken notice. Did the Bulls ask him to put in a good word to help get Amare to Chicago? Do the Cubs want him to hit in the leadoff spot? Come on now, we know this is going to be about those creepy Obama-stalking White Sox, who invited Obama to check out their new training facility. Hard to pass that up!

I get that Obama is a White Sox fan and that's fine; cool for the White Sox even. However, the Sox are starting to look like the girlfriend of the NBA star that just got into the league. She doesn't realize her man is busy now, and frankly isn't paying as much attention. I'm not saying Obama doesn't care about the White Sox anymore, that's his team, just quit inviting him everywhere.

First it was to come and throw out the first pitch on opening day. That's a great idea, but it seems like every couple of weeks I'm reading that the offer still stands. You don't say? Don't stop reminding. Now they want him to tour the new training facility. Unless Ozzie is interrogating suspected terrorists there, it's hard to imagine any interest.

A rant against the White Sox here might be a little premature, but with four or five announcements since the election, it might be time to scale back on the public invitations. It's nice to show him you're still interested, but left unchecked this ends with Kenny Williams calling the White House switchboard and hanging up before making a scene on a public tour.

**Update: Now the Cubs are getting in on the act. Seriously Chicago teams, enough President stalking, he doesn't want to visit your shitty winter homes!

Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, And Other Big Men Rumored To Be On Their Way To Chicago

I'm having trouble keeping up with the rumors, so bear with me. By the time you read this it will probably be old news, but here is a roundup of the latest that is out there right now about the Bulls trade rumors:

• Everyone knows about Amare Stoudemire. The deal that most news outlets are reporting has the Bulls shipping out Gooden's expiring deal, Tyrus Thomas, and another player, possibly Noah, Thabo or both. Picks would also be involved in this deal. This deal was a fact until about 24 hours ago, when people started reporting that the deal was basically dead, because the Suns were taking Amare off the table. That seems like something of a negotiating ploy by Kerr to try to get more for Stoudemire, but it's possible that the coaching switch has changed the mindset of the Phoenix management.
  


• Just last night, a new wrinkle was thrown into a possible Amare deal. Apparently there is a three-way trade being discussed that would send Amare to Toronto, Bosh to Chicago, and a bevy of young players and picks to Phoenix. I'm not sure why Phoenix would be more interested in this than just the straight up swap with the Bulls. It seems like they would be getting back similar pieces. Maybe the Suns just want to help out their friend and old GM Colangelo?
  


• Some sources are reporting that the Bulls have made an offer for either Chris Kaman or Marcus Camby. It is unclear whether this is a deal that might happen with the Amare deal or instead of the deal. It is also unknown what the Bulls were offering.
  


• And of course, what would a report on Bulls trades be without the latest Sam Smith nonsense. I love this one. Apparently he believes the Jazz have interest in Kirk Hinrich and would send Boozer to the Bulls to get him. I know they are trying to get something in return for Boozer before his contract expires, but I just don't see how Hinrich pairs well with Deron.

I love all these deals. I think the Bosh one is most appealing, but I like Amare a lot. Pairing any of these big men with Rose for the foreseeable future sounds like a wet dream. Only two more days of the trade rumors, try to keep up.

Qualified Links

• Jeff Garcia is a free agent now. Could the Bears be a candidate for his services?
• A couple of sources "close to the situation" in Phoenix say that it looks like Amare is staying put.
• Jesse "The Body" Ventura wants Bud Selig to be indicted, similar to Vince McMahon, for his role in the steroid problem in baseball. I'd settle for fired.
• Brewers fans drop the knowledge.
• Number One goes down again in college basketball as DeJuan Blair thoroughly outplayed Thabeet in Pitt's 76-68 win.
• The Illini jump to #18/16 in the polls. Big game tonight as Michigan State travels to Purdue.
• Will Buehrle retire after the 2011 season? He's considering it; but why are we? It's a little premature.
• I was going to post this yesterday, but I finally found the video of Tim Floyd going nuts on Sunday night. It was an awful call.
  

What Does Your Game Say--New Jordan Commercial

This new Michael Jordan commercial is amazing. Enjoy (via Docksquad):

Was Derrick Rose Even Trying?

It sure didn't look like it took much effort on Rose's part to win the skills challenge. He is on another level when it comes to speed, strength and athleticism. His dunk at the end is monstrous. Sign that kid up for the dunk contest!

Frazier Leads Illini to Second Straight Road Win

After being lauded as a defensive stopper, Chester Frazier slipped into the role of offensive hero for a little while Sunday, as Illinois held off Indiana in Bloomington for a 65-52 win.

Illinois streaked to a 21 point lead in the first half, but saw Indiana claw back to within six with just over six minutes remaining. While Illinois' offense slipped into a "road mode" that is easily identifiable by a lot of passing around the perimeter and taking buzzer-beaters against the shot clock, Chester Frazier was gearing up for a run. Frazier hit a huge three to put Illinois up nine, then made a layup with about two minutes left to make it a 12 point Illini advantage.

Frazier finished the game with nine points, seven rebounds and seven assists; not a bad offensive night for a defensive guy. Mike Davis had another double-double with 16 and 10, and Tisdale chipped in with 16 of his own.

Illinois moves to within a game and a half of Michigan State for the conference lead and the Spartans travel to Purdue on Tuesday. The Illini will play host to Penn State Wednesday, a game that looks tougher every time Penn State plays, then travel to Ohio State Sunday.

I know of no one that could have told me with a straight face that Illinois would be 21-5 right now. It has truly been a remarkable season for the Illini and the goal now has to be to build momentum and secure a top four seed for the NCAA tournament.

Chicago Baseball Teams Have Weak Farm Systems

For the Sox, who are in a rebuilding year, this might be very disturbing. For the Cubs, who are playing for right now, this is not as bad, but still unsettling. The Cubs and Sox have a combined 5 players in the Baseball Prospectus Top 100 Prospects. Combined. Ouch. Here's the list:

#28--Gordan Beckham (SS) Chicago White Sox
#34--Josh Vitters (3B) Chicago Cubs
#74--Aaron Poreda (LHP) Chicago White Sox
#85--Jeff Samardijza (RHP) Chicago Cubs
#99--Brandon Allen (1B) Chicago White Sox

I don't get how this works. Does Samardijza still count as a prospect? I guess he would need a full season in the Majors to be ineligible for this list. Without him the Cubs have only 1 player in the Top 100. One. They better win soon, because the future may not be so bright.

Paxson's Bulls Legacy

While it remains unclear when or even if Paxson will be stepping down as GM this year, it has become obvious that he will probably not be GM past this season. Many Chicagoans have turned on him in recent years, but I have maintained that he was given some difficult circumstances. That being said, he clearly hasn't been a great GM, I just don't believe he was the worst. Over at Luol's Dong, they took a look at what Paxson has done. I agree with their analysis for the most part, but let's take a look at all the major moves he made in chronological order and give my own little analysis.

• Signed 38-year old Scottie Pippen (Summer 2003)--Much fanfare but lacked any real impact.
  


• Traded Jalen Rose for Antonio Davis (Late 2003)--A good move, selfish players under the old guard had to be shipped out. Though Davis was not extremely effective on the court, he was a great locker room presence that would be necessary with all the young impressionable players Pax would later bring in.
  


• Fired Bill Cartwright/Hired Scott Skiles (Late 2003/Early 2004)--This was one of his best moves as GM. The players were tuning out Cartwright and Skiles would lead the team to its first playoff berths in years.
  


• 2004 Draft Class (Summer 2004)--This was hailed as one of the best drafts ever (though perhaps that verdict came in before all the facts had been heard). Gordon, Deng, Nocioni and Duhon all were drafted by Paxson, and all contributed to various degrees.
  


• Traded Curry and Davis for Sweetney, Tim Thomas, and draft picks (Fall 2005)--The picks would later turn into Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. This trade inspired the famous Bulls blog "Thank You Isaiah" for the perception that Pax had completely fleeced the Knicks GM.
  


• Drafted Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha (Summer 2006)--While LaMarcus Aldridge (whom Pax traded to get TT) has been very good offensively, TT is a better rebounder and defender and it is still unclear whether this was a good move. If Pax can somehow convince the Suns to take TT for Amare, then it will make the pick look like a huge success.
  


• Signed Ben Wallace (Summer 2006)--Paxson's first (and only) big free agent signing was a complete bust. Wallace was over the hill and his contract continues to tax the team's salary cap situation to this day.
  


• Didn't trade for Pau (Early 2007)--Was it really possible that this trade was even offered? And if so was it really Pax who wouldn't pull the trigger, or did Reinsdorf not allow Pax to deal Deng for Pau? No one will ever know.
  


• Drafted Joakim Noah (Summer 2007)--A decent pick at the spot he was drafting. The second year player is showing signs of life, but it is too early to tell.
  


• Fired Scott Skiles (Late 2007)--It had to be done. The team was completely tuning him out and the defensive intensity that had identified the Bulls under Skiles was all but gone.
  


• Traded Ben Wallace For Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden (Early 2008)--This was a move that traded one team cancer (Wallace) for another (Hughes). The fact that he got Gooden out of the deal makes it a winner, but none of this would have been necessary if he hadn't flopped on the Wallace signing.
  


• Drafted Derrick Rose (Summer 2008)--Though there was never much doubt that Pax would take Rose over Beasely, so far it appears it was a win-win situation, as both rookies are playing well. Although they are both good, Rose appears to have the potential to be one of the premiere point guards in the league.
  


• Hired Vinny Del Negro (Summer 2008)--Really? Vinny Del Negro? I'm still shocked by this hire and Vinny has done nothing to prove he has what it takes to coach at this level (or any level). It's hard to blame this one on Pax though. He wanted to hire D'Antoni but Reinsdorf purposely tanked the deal leaving Pax scrambling for a 2nd or 3rd choice.

Beyond the Ben Wallace signing, the above resume doesn't look all that bad. The problems weren't the moves he made, but the ones he didn't. Whether Pau, Kobe, and KG were ever really on the table is irrelevant. The bottom line is that at some point in the last 5 years, with all the young talent Pax had assembled, there were numerous trades he could have made. He fell so in love with his picks that he was never able to pull the trigger on anything. He has one more big move to make (or not make) before the deadline this week. Will he finally come through and make a good move, or will he sit on his hands again? We'll find out soon enough.

Qualified Links

• Chicago's landmark ordinance may be in trouble, and the results of the battle may affect Wrigley Field.
• See you later Mike Brown. The way the market works these days, I'm sure someone will take a flyer on him. The Bears lose a leader, but he just couldn't seem to stay healthy.
• Is Tyrus Thomas really playing that much better lately? TYI thinks not, and makes a convincing argument for getting Amare.
  
• Moneyball has finally made it's way to basketball, and it's very interesting to see how it's being used by guys like Shane Battier.
• Did I forget to mention the All-Star game? Probably because I fell asleep halfway through. The West won I guess.
  
• Illinois rolls Indiana. They made a little run in the second half, but this IU team is clearly still light years away from competing in the Big Ten.
  
• Lou likes Sean Marshall as the leader right now in the 5th starter competition.
• Derrick Rose dominated the skills challenge on Saturday night. God-willing we have our first all-star in over a decade next year.
• Is John Tait going to retire? The Bears O-line is such a disaster.
  
• Skeets ranks the dunks from the dunk contest on Saturday. While Robinson's kryptonite dunk over Howard was the best overall dunk, the best actual dunk (theatrics aside) was Howard's off the side of the backboard dunk. GMTR thinks Robinson is overrated as a dunker in general.
  
• A great story about Jay Mariotti being a complete douchebag at NBA All-Star weekend.
  

Something to get you Ready for the Dunk Contest

Top ten slam dunk contest moments. This is a hell of a video, but obviously it's all up for interpretation. NQTC is giving best dunk contest show to Wilkins and Jordan in '88, while I've unilaterally decided that Vince in 2000 was the best set of dunks individually. A couple other moments that didn't make the cut that I liked were the Amare off the backboard, off Steve Nash's head, and the slam, as well as AI to the new AI from behind the hoop. Who tops it tonight?

Zambrano Spent Winter Starring In Cheap Porno

This picture is real. Apparently Z has decided to go the moustache route. I couldn't be more pleased. Bruce Miles confirms it, in case you still can't believe this awesomeness is true.

Hard Proof That Umpires Are Blind

Are you one of those people that gets frustrated with umpires when you're watching a Major League baseball game and starts yelling "Are you blind, ump?" Well the question may have been rhetorical at the time, but it appears there may be some proof that umpires really are blind. This picture comes from the LA Times Blog:


Yeah, that's braille. But let's not make a big deal out of this, ok? It's just so that all the blind umps make sure they go in the right doors.

Your Weekend Viewing Guide

With no great matchups in college basketball this weekend, it was shaping up to be a pretty slow couple days in sports. Until I remembered the NBA All-Star Game was this weekend! But then I remembered how much that sucked too. But then I remembered the dunk contest, three-point contest, and skills challenge! But then I remembered it's Valentine's Day so I won't get to watch them. Dammnit. At least I can think about that unreal 'Nique windmill as I'm wasting money on flowers and chocolate.



Saturday:

11:00 AM [NCAAB] Georgetown at Syracuse - ESPN
12:00 PM [NCAAB] UCLA at Arizona - CBS
12:30 PM [NCAAB] Minnesota at Penn St. - BTN
2:30 PM [NCAAB] Kansas at Kansas State - ABC
3:00 PM [NCAAB] Purdue at Iowa - BTN
3:00 PM [NCAAB] Cincinnati at Pitt - ESPN
4:00 PM [NCAAB] Memphis at S. Miss - CBS
*4:00 PM [NBA] Inside The NBA with H-O-R-S-E (G-E-I-C-O) - TNT
*7:00 PM [LIFE] Valentine's Day - Don't forget to set your DVR!
*7:00 PM [NBA] Dunk Contest, Skills Challenge, 3-Point Shootout - TNT
*7:30 PM [NHL] Stars at Blackhawks - WGN

Sunday:

*12:00 PM [NCAAB] Illinois at Indiana - CBS
1:00 PM [NCAAB] Michigan at Northwestern - BTN
7:00 PM [NBA] NBA Allstar Game - TNT

Chester Frazier Does Magic

It's true. It's so magical and mysterious you don't even know it's happening during the game. You can see Frazier the whole time and you can see the poor soul he is guarding, but it's all an illusion. It's like LOST without that feeling that it's being written by a drunk guy making up a story. Chester Frazier actually makes an opponent's best player disappear.

Joe College from the Daily Herald relayed a story in which he overheard NBA scouts talking about Illinois' senior point guard. Obviously, the scouts weren't raving about Frazier's scoring ability or his jump shot. They actually were all agreeing that the test for whether a player can make it in the NBA is if he can score on Chester Frazier.

Of late, Big Ten players aren't exactly making the cut, or passing the Chester Test. Here's a rundown of recent victims:

• E'Twaun Moore (Purdue): 6 pts, 2-9 fg.
• Trevon Hughes (Wisconsin): 0 pts, 0-7 fg and 13 pts, 5-13 fg.
• Evan Turner (Ohio State): 4 pts, 2-7 fg.
• Kalin Lucas (Mich. State): 10 pts, 3-13 fg.

All four of those guys would surprise no one if they made 1st team All Big Ten. Turner's four point night against Illinois was his only single-digit performance since the first game of the entire season, and he is averaging about 23 points per game in his five outings since Frazier shut him down.

We praise McCamey for his scoring, Meacham for his shooting, and Tisdale for his pure awesomeness, but Frazier is at best a "look who also played well" when it comes to a game recap. He gets his four rebounds and five assists, with at most one turnover and we give him the golf applause. It's time for more Frazier love. The guy is invaluable to Illinois.

And as Joe College points out, he absolutely deserves to be the Big Ten Defensive POY. If not, at least he has a future playing one-on-one at some NBA scouting combine; or, you know, that magic thing.

Obama Is A Bulls Fan Suckas

Fantasy Baseball Preview - 2B

Because of the shortage of time between now and opening day, we at NQTC decided to roll with a position by position preview as opposed to going team by team. 2B preview is up today - look for the 3B preview on Tuesday. And just so we're clear - this is not a list of the top seven guys at the position but rather seven guys I felt like writing about - that's just how I roll.




1. Chase Utley 2B Phillies - Far away the best offensive 2B in baseball, Utley is somewhat of a ? this season, as no one is really sure when he will be able to return from off-season hip surgery. The three time All Star has been saying that he might be ready by opening day if he is able to avoid any setbacks, but a late April/mid May return is more likely. Even with Utley missing a month of ABs, the case can be made for him to be the first 2B selected off the board - in 2007 when he played in only 132 games, he still put up a line of 104 R, 22 HR, 103 RBI, 9 SB, and a .332 AVG.



2. Ian Kinsler 2B Rangers - If Kinsler doesn't get hurt last season, there's a good chance he finishes the year in the top 10 overall players in fantasy. At 26, he's just now hitting his prime and as long he can stay healthy, should be one of a top performer in baseball for years to come. He plays in a great ballpark and is surrounded by plenty of mashers in the lineup, and while Texas most likely won't contend in the AL West due to their lack of pitching, they should have no issue scoring runs. The only knock on Kinsler is that he has never played more than 130 games in a season, and he also seemed to wear down after the All Star break. If he can find a way to stay healthy and stay productive throughout the season, a 30 HR 30 SB season is definitely possible.



3. Dustin Pedroia 2B Red Sox - The 2008 AL MVP is on the rise in fantasy drafts, and rightly so. With a line of 118 R, 17 HR, 83 RBI, 20 SB and a .326 average, Pedroia is without a doubt a five tool guy - providing significant production in all five standard categories. The only question being asked about Boston's newest sensation is whether or not he can do it again, and considering that his average draft position on mockdraftcentral.com is 25, most people seem to think that he can. It scares me a little to use a late 2nd/early 3rd round pick on someone coming off a career year, as I really don't think that there is any room for improvement in his numbers, but even if he comes close to matching his stat line from last season, he should still be able to back up his draft position.


4. Brandon Phillips 2B Reds - If there was any way for Phillips to boost his average back up to even the .276 mark he hit in 2006, you would be looking at a fantasy goldmine at 2B. His .262 lifetime average is the only thing holding Phillips back from being considered one of the top all around fantasy players in the game. Hitting cleanup, he doesn't score as many runs as other SB thieves do, but should provide you with about 25 HR and 80-85 RBI, and when you add the 25-30 SBs - that ain't half bad. Again, his average could hurt you, but as long as you're not expecting anything over .265, you shouldn't be disappointed with his overall production.



5. Dan Uggla 2B Marlins - Mr. Thuggla is a three category beast , averaging 100+ Runs, 30 HR and 90 RBI over the past three seasons. Like Phillips, Uggla's average will hurt you, but owners will have no problem looking past that as long as the NL All Star 2B continues to rake. Personally, I don't want anything to do with Uggla, as his 1st half/2nd half splits in 2008 were pretty horrendous, and unless you can send him off to another owner after the break, I would be quite concerned that a repeat performance might be in store.



6. Alexei Ramirez 2B White Sox - The Cuban Missile was a fantasy monster last season, putting up a line of 65 R, 21 HR, 77 RBI, 13 SB, and a .290 avg in only 136 games. However, when you take a closer look at his numbers, he only walked 18 times in 480 AB, meaning it would be almost impossible for him to maintain his .290 average unless he significantly improved his BB rate. Depending on where he bats in the lineup, Ramirez should be able to match all of his other numbers from 2008, but I wouldn't be looking for any large jumps in his HR or RBI totals.



7. Jose Lopez 2B Mariners - SLEEPER ALERT. Lopez had a phenomenal year at the plate last season, posting a line of 80 R, 17 HR, 89 RBI, 6 SB, and a .297 average. At 25, there's still plenty of room for improvement, and considering that Lopez isn't getting selected until the latter half of most drafts, he could be a major steal in 2009. In 2007, Lopez had a great first half of the season but struggled mightily after the All Star break. After finally putting together a productive full season in 2008 though, it looks like Lopez may be climbing the fantasy charts. If you miss out on the top 2B early in the draft, the once highly touted prospect should definitely be on your radar.

The Brewers Know How To Appeal To Their Fan Base: All-White Bobblehead Dolls

The Brewers have published their 2009 promotional schedule and over at Home Run Derby they decided to take a look at what the bobblehead giveaways. Let's just say the players that are being honored with bobbleheads share a common characteristic with every Brewers fan (including our very own Real Stadiums Have Roofs). They are all white. Even the sausage race contestant selected was Western European, they couldn't even give Chorizo a break? Ouch:

• May 3 - Ryan Braun


• May 31 - Trevor Hoffman


• Jun 28 - Jason Kendall


• Aug 30 - Jeff Suppan


• Jul 26 - Bratwurst (Racing Sausage!!)


• Sep 20 - Doug Melvin, Brewers GM

Really? Jeff Suppan? Jason Kendall? Don't they have Prince Fielder? And what kind of franchise gives a bobblehead doll for their GM? I don't know about you, but I haven't many kids walking around in Doug Melvin jerseys. Boom roasted.

Breaking News: John Paxson Resigns as GM of the Bulls

John Paxson will be resigning as the Bulls GM effective immediately following the Thursday trade deadline. Peter Vescey broke the news this morning. What does this mean for the Bulls? Amare trades? (Thanks to PK for the tip)

Obviously more on this story as it develops...

***UPDATE: Don't forget who reported the story. As pointed out by Matt at BBTH, Vescey has made some outrageous claims in the past that have proven untrue. That being said, it does make some sense and could very well be true.

***UPDATE on the UPDATE: Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who was quoted on Sports Center as saying:

"Pete Vecsey is not a credible enough source to comment on. Two weeks ago he had John being fired, now he has him resigning."

Hmmm...

Illini Come Back to Beat Wildcats

It looked like another one of those road games for Illinois. They had played so well at home recently and it seemed like they just needed one road win to cement their place near the top of the Big Ten. Last night it was more bricklaying than cementing against Northwestern.

With 5:25 to go, the Illini trailed 57-43 marking their largest deficit of the entire game. About 5:22 later, Illinois had a one point lead marking their largest, and only, lead of the night. During those five-plus minutes the Illini must have blacked out, then imagined themselves back in Assembly Hall because it was solid offense and better defense that led the Illini back. Oh, and Trent Meacham.

Meacham had 12 of his 15 points in the last five minutes, including a three with about a minute to go, followed by a layup about 20 seconds later to make it a one point game. As if the offensive revolution wasn't enough for Meacham, he also caused a turnover on Northwestern's next possession, giving the Illini the ball with 14 seconds remaining.

Demetri McCamey was the hero when he banked in the game winner with 2.9 seconds left. Actually, he was heroic long before that, as he finished the night with a game-high 21 points. Chester Frazier was also great for the Illini, posting eight assists and seven rebounds, with only one turnover.

That makes it 20 wins for the Illini with six games left. They will be at Indiana Sunday, then back to Assembly Hall next Wednesday against Penn State. With Big Ten leader Michigan State playing Purdue and Wisconsin in their next two, this is a good chance for Illinois to gain some ground.

Qualified Links--Pitchers And Catchers Report Edition

• Is it finally the "next year" Cubs fans are always talking about? The journey starts today.
  
• Bulls blow the game in spectacular fashion against the Heat last night. As my friend NQTC reader Adam pointed out, where was Rose on that last inbounds play? And why was an ice-cold Thabo inbounding the ball?
  
• Illinois comes back in spectacular fashion to beat Northwestern in Evanston. Meacham looked amazing down the stretch.
  
• Griffey's short-lived stay on the South Side gets closure as he returns to the Mariners.
• In defense of Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. Even though I would rather have Amare, I do like these guys.
  
• If you live in Chicago (which most of our readers do), this is not going to be very uplifting: Forbes listed us as the most miserable city in America. Ouch.
• So was Joaquin Phoenix on drugs when he did Letterman Wednesday night? It sure seems like it.
• Oh that pick McDyess set on Rose the other night? The Bulls are asking the league to review it. It might have been dirty, but McNice? Seems unlikely.
  
• Ok, so Portland is apparently out of the Amare running. That's good for the Bulls, considering their package was definitely the best out of the ones that I have heard offered.
• A team is down 5 with 12 seconds and makes an intentional foul. Then the team that was behind wins by 6. This is not a joke (well it sort of is, but it really happened).

Black Rob's Soccer Talk

Our resident soccer expert, Black Rob, weighs in on last night's USA-Mexico soccer. Had I not received this story from him, I probably wouldn't have even known there was a game. Here it is:

Some quick thoughts from last night’s 2-0 USA victory over Mexico:

1. This is probably the most important point of all. The USA is better than Mexico. If it wasn’t for Mexico’s ridiculous home field advantage, this would be beyond argument. I think it’s important for all US soccer fans to accept this, so that our reaction after a game like last night isn’t overwhelming joy, but contentment alongside even-handed criticism. We’re the best team in CONCACAF and should expect to beat Mexico now, home or away.
2. That being said, Sven Goran Eriksson should be fired. Some of his decisions yesterday were questionable at best. Oswaldo Sanchez starting in the net (That 2^nd goal was shit)? Pulling Dos Santos when he was clearly the most dangerous player Mexico had? I’d be shocked if he makes it to the weekend.
3. Michael Bradley has pretty much locked up his position in the US midfield for the next 8 years. He gets better with every appearance and last night he was a beast. Two goals, but more impressive is how he dominated the midfield with his smarts and some hardass tackles. There were times when Mexico just looked over matched by him alone. Bravo.
4. Donovan is our best player, like it or not, but Dempsey is our most creative. We’ve got to find a way to get him the ball in more dangerous positions. I would suggest the on-the-rise “Christmas Tree” formation, but this leads me to my next point…
5. The outside back trials (left-back in particular) are still ongoing. Our outside backs are not skilled enough to play the “attacking wing-back “ role that is so popular these days. They’re not terrible, and I was admittedly impressed by Hejduk last night, but more often than not our attack would grind to a halt when the ball landed at the feet of Hejduk or Pearce. Why not just give our midfield/wingers more offensive freedom?
6. All these criticisms aside, it was an overall good performance by the boys in white. We showed that we can build up play through the midfield, we’re still great from set pieces, and we have two solid centerbacks (one or two blunders aside). We’re good, I think people are still getting used to that. Oh, and lay off Brian Ching. Everyone clamors for Altidore to take over his starting role, but Ching plays the targetman role very well…better than Altidore does…for now.

Illinois at Northwestern Tonight

The Illini will travel to Evanston tonight to take on Northwestern. The Wildcats are 11-2 at home this year and the oddsmakers are predicting a close game.

I would say the Illini are playing their best basketball of the season coming off their beat-down of Purdue last week, but it hasn't been that kind of season for Illinois. Every time they look like they are playing great, they go out and shoot 28% on the road and lose. Since the beginning of January, the Illini have won every home game and lost every road game. That will need to change if the Illini hope to catch the Spartans for the Big Ten Championship.

Hustle and defense have been key in home wins for Illinois, two things that should translate well to road games. They're catching the Wildcats at the right time though, as Northwestern will be looking to end a four game losing streak* that has included mostly blowouts.

The key for Illinois tonight will be to control the boards and keep Kevin Coble under wraps. In Northwestern's upset wins it has been Coble who has led the charge.

The game starts at 8:00 PM and it's on ESPN2.

*It's bogus fact day on NQTC. I suspect I was thinking of a three game home losing streak to Illinois, but who the hell knows.

Jim Hendry Got Fleeced By Milton Bradley (UPDATE: Or Maybe He Didn't)

NQTC reader Ethan pointed out to me this morning that perhaps the Bradley signing was a bit premature in light of the recent contracts that have been given out. In the last week, Adam Dunn signed for 2 years and $10 million dollars, while Abreu signed for 1 year and $5 million dollars. Early in the free agent period, however, Hendry signed Bradley to a 3 year deal for $30 million dollars!! Is he that much better than those other two, or did Hendry just misjudge the market? It seems pretty apparent that he did.

Looking at the career numbers of the 3 outfielders, they are very similar in terms of production:

Adam Dunn--- AVG: .247 OBP: .381 SLG: .518
Bobby Abreu--- AVG: .300 OBP: .405 SLG: .498
Milton Bradley--- AVG: .280 OBP: .370 SLG: .457

If anything, those players have far better career numbers than Bradley. That doesn't even take injuries or age into account either. Abreu is 34, but that hardly matters in terms of his contract since it is only 1 year and not a long-term commitment. Adam Dunn is actually 29, a year younger than Bradley at 30. Both Dunn and Abreu have been considerably healthier during their careers than the fragile Bradley as well.

I'm not trying to say that Bradley will be bad or that he was a bad acquisition. It just seems that with all the salary jockeying the Cubs have been doing, this deal to Bradley is unnecessarily expensive. Hendry clearly misjudged the market for free agent outfielders. It is easy to say that in hindsight, the market was way lower than Hendry had thought. But looking at all the factors, there were a bunch of decent quality outfielders available and not a lot of teams out there looking. Is the difference between Bradley's actual contract and what the market would have afforded him today what handcuffed Hendry on the Peavy deal? We will never know, but right now it looks like our ne'er do wrong GM may have made a bad miscalculation.

***UPDATE: A few things have been brought to my attention in the last couple hours since making this post. Thanks to NQTC reader Gavin, who pointed out a few things in the comments and a few things to me directly. Looks like I was wrong about Hendry being fleeced:

Phillies signed Raul Ibanez - 3 years, $31.5 million on 12/19/08.

Tampa Bay singed Pat Burrell - 2 years, $16 million on 01/08/09.

The Cubs signed Bradley officially on 01/27/09. So it's not as if they went completely out of the range for outfielder's this offseason. It doesn't appear that there were that many high-level OF's out there this off-season but once these guys were signed before Bradley, I'm surprised the Cubs didn't try to play Bradley, Dunn and Abreu off each other to at least make Bradley think they could go elsewhere to get a left handed bat.

Also, it appears that the Dunn deal was actually for 2 years and $20 million dollars. This is what I get for doubting Hendry.

It's nice to have a Backup

It hasn't been the ideal situation in net for the Hawks this season. Don't get me wrong, things are going fine, you just don't want to be paying two goaltenders like they're starters is all. I guess it's not such a bad thing though when one of those high paid goalies gets hurt. That's what happened toward the end of the Hawks game last night against Atlanta when Nikolai Khabibulin suffered an undisclosed injury.

I was just about to write a post about how Khabibulin has turned into the every day starter, and for good reason. It's not clear yet how serious the injury is, but Khabibulin is considered day-to-day. Chicago has called up Antti Niemi from Rockford to fill in as Huet's backup for a while.

Niemi will be up tomorrow night when the Hawks conclude their eight game road trip in St. Louis. Huet will start and should be pretty rested for the extra responsibilities. Khabibulin had started four of the last five games, including the last three.

Huet and the Blackhawks still have a lot of work to do without Khabibulin even though the road trip is ending. Five of the next seven are still away from the United Center. Without the Huet signing though, this stretch would be a hell of a lot scarier. Maybe with Toews and Sharp scoring last night the stars will get back to putting the puck in the net.

Whoa! No One Told Me They Don't Call Traveling in The NBA!?

What makes the NBA so great is that so many athletic amazing things can be done within the rules of the game. This video has nothing to do with any of that. Apparently Corey Maggette, a well-liked and selfless player (ha!), traveled 6 times in one play in a Warriors-Hawks game a few weeks ago. The NBA, where referees swallowing their whistles happens. Here is the video via Truehoop:



Gotta love the "blatant frustration foul" at the end.

NCAA Wants to be Less Fun

It's that time of the year again: NCAA Rules Committee time. On the docket this year, among other things, is a suggestion to crack down on celebrations. A proposal floated by Oregon's Mike Bellotti would enforce celebrations by individuals before they score from the spot of the foul, taking away points if they do in fact get in the end zone.

Normally, rule changes take place after an outcry against a rule during the season. In this case, Bellotti wants to enforce and expand a rule that actually came under fire during the season. When Washington's Jake Locker scored what looked to be the game-tying touchdown and flipped the ball in celebration, the Huskies were penalized and ended up missing the extra point. There are so many problems with this rule that I have to start with a reason it makes sense.

To some extent it makes sense not to allow a touchdown when someone celebrates by taunting or high stepping before they get in the end zone. After all, the play isn't over when the penalty takes place. It's the only offensive penalty that takes place during the play that allows a touchdown to stand that I can think of.

Still, it's ridiculous. You're really going to take points away for celebrations? If a ref makes a mistake the team will lose a touchdown instead of having to kick a longer extra point or kicking off from their own 20?

Another problem is the potential game changing nature of this rule. When do most of the excessive celebrations take place? That's right, the end of the game in close games. So a kid gets caught up in the moment and dives into the end zone and now he cost his team the game. Please no, NCAA.

Wait, Mariotti Didn't Disable Comments On His Fanhouse Column? Sweet.

I managed to forget Jay Mariotti existed, to the point of completely forgetting to put him on my "People I Hate" list. Unfortunately he is still writing and StevieY directed my attention to his latest post. After clicking the link, I immediately went to see if comments were still enabled. After reading the comments on his first post, I assumed they would be disabled. To my surprise delight, they were not. As a precursor to these great comments, his story was some nonsense about how Obama has to take a harder stance against steroids or else Mariotti will start crying or something. Here's the comments that made me laugh the hardest:

jmy5686@yahoo.com said...
Stop being so self-righteous and acting as though your life is crumbling right before you because A-Rod or Bonds took steroids. You sound like you go to sleep a night, crying on your pillow because some athlete wanted to gain an edge. Honestly, I wish there was a steroid that would enable you to write a good column for a change.

meeus said...
Mariotti, you are SUCH a loser!!! Ronnie "woo woo" Wickers is more qualified to cover baseball than you!!!

chilco said...
OBAMA IS LAUGHING at MARIOTTI AS HE FIRES UP ANOTHER KOOL CIGARETTE. HE STOCKS THEM BY THE CARTON IN THE WHITEHOUSE PANTRY.

koos458 said...
Mariotti is a utterly useless piece of self-promoting crap.

jonathan said...
You couldn't make it as a journalist and your blogging days should be numbered too. All you ever write is nonsense.

Feel free to post your own comments on his story. Be careful though, I think he survives on hair gel and hate mail.

The NBA: Where John Paxson Being A Retarded GM Happens

This little satire of the Where Amazing Happens commercials was made for the Bulls over a year ago. I posted it a few months ago, but it still holds true to this day. As the deadline approaches, we'll see if we can add "Where Not Getting Amare Happens" to the list. Don't watch this if you a) like John Paxson; or b) being reminded of how shitty he has been pisses you off.

Qualified Links

• Hawks rebound from a bad loss Sunday to beat Atlanta 3-1. Toews and Sharp each had a power play goal.
• Mel Kiper talks Bears draft. I'm glad this is in print, because I can't listen to the guy anymore.
• The U.S. shuts out Mexico in the first game of the final round of World Cup Qualifying. U-S-A, U-S-A!
• Tracy McGrady might really be hurt this time. This awful layup attempt is proof.
• Roberto Alomar has AIDS? I guess it's time to call all the women he has slept with...and umpires he has spit on.
• North Carolina runs away with the game at Duke last night. Hansbrough finishes his career 4 for 4 at Cameron Indoor. Mike Patrick and Vitale are still crying.
• Melo crossed over Vince the other night pretty bad, and Chris Webber and Gary Payton loved it.
• Bob Knight says that Gatorade is a performance enhancing drug. Bonus: it doesn't even shrink your balls!

Movin' On Up

NQTC can now be found at a brand new address: http://www.notqualifiedtocomment.com/. We're still part of Blogger, but now we have our own URL minus the ".blogspot" and you can find us there (here?). For the life of me I can't figure out how the Internet works, but Stormin' Norman took a course from Al Gore or something and got us situated.

If you love typing the word blogspot, don't worry. You can still get to NQTC from the old address. We also have new email addresses that you can send your hate mail to. No more sending us your glamour shots though, okay real stadiums have roofs?

If you think the new address means better content, think again. It's still going to be a steady diet of whatever the hell we do now. I guess this is also a good time to say thanks for reading. We're having a lot of fun running this show and as long as you guys hang around we'll continue writing.

It's February, that means Brett Favre must be Retiring

Who wants Favre now? After one season with the Jets, Brett Favre has retired again, informing the Jets today that he would not return.

Favre, in an email to ESPN's Ed Werder said that he feels okay that he is ending his career with the Jets and not the Packers. I'm sure he's okay with the money the Jets gave him to play one season, too. Plus, what's he doing emailing Ed Werder about a Jets story? Where's Rachel Nichols? Favre to the Cowboys?

Who knows where Favre goes from here. It obviously wouldn't shock anyone if he came back again, but I'm not sure a whole lot of people really care. Maybe he'll just focus on his acting career for those Wrangler commercials. You know, the one where he leads that guy a little too far so he has to dive in the mud to make the catch. What a dick.

Anyway, there's your obligatory Favre retirement post. You'll have to wait until next year for another.

Fantasy Baseball Preview - 1B

Because of the shortage of time between now and opening day, we at NQTC decided to roll with a position by position preview as opposed to going team by team. Hope you enjoy, and please - no more Rich Hill/Felix Pie jokes....

1B preview is up first. Just so you know, this is not a list of the top seven guys at the position but rather seven guys I felt like writing about. Look for the 2B preview on Friday....


1. Albert Pujols 1B Cardinals - What can I tell you about the St. Louis 1B that you don't already know. He is flat out the best offensive 1B in baseball - the guy has never scored less than 99 runs, hit less than 32 HR, drove in less than 103 RBI, and hit lower than .314 in a season. Unlike last year where there was some speculation that he would be shutdown mid season because of his elbow, Pujols will be completely healthy come opening day after having off season surgery to resolve the issue. If you want to nitpick, the only knock on El Hombre is the lack of support surrounding him in the lineup, but people have been saying that for years and it's clearly never impacted his numbers.

2. Ryan Howard 1B Philies - The former MVP has averaged over 50 HRs the past three seasons, and there is no reason to believe he won't continue that trend in 2009. He has also led the majors in RBI two out of the past three seasons, and in 2007 when he finished 4th, he had 136 - not too shabby at all. Howard's draft position varies somewhat depending on your draft strategy and league type. In roto leagues, I personally would not take him until the latter half of the 1st round/early 2nd round as you don't want to target someone who is going to literally kill you in a category (avg). In H2H leagues though, he could be considered a top 5 pick.



3. Miguel Cabrera 1B Tigers - After getting off to a horrible start in his first season with Detorit, Big Mig was still able to put up a line of 85 R, 37 HR, 127 RBI, and a .292 average thanks to a monster 2nd half. Seems like the four time all star has been around forever, but he's actually only 25, and as sick as it is, his best years are surely ahead of him. He put up career highs in HR and RBI last season, and it would not be surprising to see these totals increase again in 2009. Cabrera is without a doubt a first round pick this season - his ADP on Mockdraftcentral.com is 7.3, which seems about right, but if hes 3B eligible in your league, I could see reaching for him as high as fourth or fifth overall.

4. Adrian Gonzalez 1B Padres - Since 2006, his totals in runs, HRs, and RBIs have gone up every year, and while I don't know if we'll see that happen again this season, I would surely take last years 103 R, 36 HR, 119 RBI, and .279 average. Gonzalez usually gets taken in the late 3rd/early 4th rounds of drafts - since January 31st on MDC, he has been taken as high as 21 and as late as 50. It really depends on your personal preference with Gonzo, but he has been raking in the WBC, and at the age of 27, is in the prime of his career.

5. Prince Fielder 1B Brewers - Similar to Miguel Cabrera, Fielder got off to a horrendous start in 2008, hitting only four HRs in each of the first two months of the season. I'm not really sure what to expect out of Fielder this year - if you take a look at his stats over the past three seasons, his 2006 and 2008 seasons look a lot alike, where his 50-HR 2007 clearly stands out and at this point should be considered somewhat of a fluke. Fielder is still young (he turns 25 in May) so he still has plenty of room for improvement, but his K rate was slightly up and his BB rate slightly down - two signs that don't point to a turnaround in production. I would project Fielder for similar numbers to last season, with a few more HRs and RBI.



6. Joey Votto 1B Reds - The 25 year old Votto might be a couple of years away from showing his true potential, but should still put up solid fantasy stats in 2009. He put up a line of 69 R, 24 HR, 84 RBI, 7 SB, and a .297 average last season , and considering that he started off sharing time at 1B with Scott Hatteberg and got most of his AB hitting 7th, that line is fairly impressive. He will most likely be hitting 3rd for Cinci this year behind Willy Taveras and Jay Bruce. Taveras had an OBP of .308 last season, and Bruce was not much better at .314, so a lot of Votto's value depends on how the speedy Willy T and potential-oozing Bruce produce in front of him.



7. Derek Lee 1B Cubs - There is not a whole lot of upside that comes with drafting Lee in 2009, as he seems to be way past his prime. After crushing 46 HRs in 2005, Lee hit 22 HRs in 2007 and 20 in 2008, so you should look for that 20 or so HR trend to continue this season, a total that isn't very sexy when compared with the other studly 1B. While he may be lacking potential for a monster season, Lee is extremely safe and reliable - in addition to those 20 or so HRs, you can definitely expect 85-90 Runs and 85-90 RBI, in addition to an average around .30o. Lee's average draft position on MDC is 73rd overall, and I can't really see taking him before then.

Blagojevich Gets Lucrative Job Offer To Play Baseball

Blago doesn't have much to do these days, outside of preparing for his impending criminal trial of course. Well that fact hasn't been lost among prospective employers. Apparently the Joliet Jackhammers, a minor league team, have offered him a spot on the roster:

Blagojevich may not have much of a baseball pedigree, but he did play high school basketball and participated in a pair of fights after training as a Golden Gloves boxer. And he is supposed to be a die-hard Cubs fan, despite allegations he tried to hijack the Tribune company into firing some editorial writers in exchange for help in selling Wrigley Field.

"We figured with his vast knowledge and love for the game he would be a great addition to the team," said Kelly Sufka, JackHammers executive vice president and general manager, in a press release about the PR stunt. "Wally Backman, manager and former Major League player, will do what he can to get him as many at-bats as possible, but he may have to work hard in spring training to find himself a regular spot in the lineup."

The JackHammers obviously see the value in getting Blago on their roster and are ready to offer him a few incentives to come on board, starting with a Rod Blagojevich bobble-hair night, where 1,000 bobble-hairs (the hair instead of the head will bob) will be given away, and the ex-governor will throw out a first pitch. It marks the first time in team history a rookie has been offered a promotional item in his likeness.

The team also plans on having special "golden" seats available for purchase.

Will the good times never end for Blagojevich? There's no way he actually takes this offer, but how funny would it be? I would definitely go see him play.

Cubs Fans Frustrated With Offseason Can Take Solace In Cardinals' Significantly Worse Offseason

I don't know if you've been paying attention, but the Cardinals' offseason has been poor at best. They have done very little to improve and their pitching staff looks very thin. For some reason Cardinals GM John Mozeliak thought it would be a good idea to do an online chat where he answered questions from some very irate fans. Enjoy their misery:

dixie2003: Mr. Mozeliak, I would like to know how you were able to make a competitive offer to Brian Fuentes, then sign Royce Ring on the cheap? How do you go from a top tier free agent then sign a guy with an over 8 era? Is there any chance of signing a player that any other team would actually want?

John Mozeliak: Interesting question, and the answer is supply and demand. Yes we did try to sign Fuentes, but with him out of the market we simply just don’t over pay for some else. We allocate resources when we feel the player is worth the investment. Not to get to detailed on this topic but I feel it is a nice place to address how we make decisions. First we look at the player performance, then scouting reports, then enter the risk factors, and then finally place a dollar value and length we feel comfortable with. I know it is not always popular, but there is a logic to our process.

I Hate Bill Dewitt!!: Mo,
Please describe what it’s like living in your little land of make believe where you honestly believe that Cardinal fans should be excited about this team. If you wouldn’t mind, go into details, about how in MO’s world people are celebrating are three horrible new lefty relievers, and the signing of our awesome new .213 hitting shortstop.

John Mozeliak: First I rather live in my world then yours…it is sunny out today??? No you’re right it is 30 something degrees, my girl friend dumped me, and my car won’t start.
First, it is not we stink (unless you ask yourself these questions in the mirror) and we make decisions based on scouts, stats, and other information. If we thought Greene was going to hit .213 we would not, I repeat, not make the deal.
Go back to your world and I hope by mid summer you’re ready to come out for air.

I Hate Bill Dewitt!!: Hey Johnny-

After this are you going to go into the yahoo teen chat room, and talk about designer clothes, and playing spin the bottle. GO DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE LOSER!!!! Other G.M’s are working on deals, don’t you get it!!

John Mozeliak: Clever, and with that I will sign off big guy. STLtoday - Discussions - Cards Live.

Boom roasted. (Even Real Stadiums Have Roofs has to admit that was a good "boom roasted") At least we have Hendry working for us. I still trust he will make the right moves. Royce Ring? Really?

Who's This #24 Guy on The Bulls?

On a night where Johnny Red Kerr was honored for his career, the Bulls came through with a great victory. As I've said in earlier posts, this team has no identity. For stretches they play like a team that can be a legitimate playoff team, and then other times its like they don't even understand the basic concepts of team defense. After winning 5 of their last 8 (7 of which were on the road), this team is starting to look like that playoff team again.

One thing is different this time from the previous stretches of great play. Amid swirling trade rumors, Tyrus Thomas has exploded in the last 10 games or so. Not just exploded, but he looks like he can keep this up. He is averaging 15.6 pts and 9.8 rebs in his last 8 games. Do you think you know where this is going? Do you think I'm going to have second thoughts about dealing him to the Suns for Amare?

Are you crazy? Even if this little explosion by TT keeps up, his fg% during that time has been 47%. An excellent fg% perhaps, but for a big man it is just average. Either one of two things happens now, he continues to shoot that jump shot and miss it pretty regularly, keeping his fg% below what would be expected from an elite big man OR he stops shooting it and raises his fg% to maybe 54-55% but averages only about 12 points a game. I don't see how either option makes him as valuable as Amare. Amare is young, averages about 20 pts and 10 rebs for his career, and most importantly makes most of the shots he takes.

The truth is I'm thrilled that Tyrus is playing well right now. If something finally clicked for him, it's win-win for the Bulls. Either we keep him and he is a much improved player, or we deal him (please do the right thing Pax?!) and get THE Amare Stoudemire in return. Worst case scenario is it doesn't work out with Amare somehow and he walks in 2010, leaving us about $15 million in cap room for that magical free agent summer.

Qualified Links

• Bulls win on some last second heroics by Ben Gordon. Is it just me, or do the Pistons just not scare anyone anymore?
• The All-Time Movie Baseball Team. How is Hobbs not hitting 3rd?
  
• Elton John and Billy Joel are playing at Wrigley Field this summer. Tickets aren't that expensive and I'm all for it, but didn't it mess up the grass last year when the Police played?
• The NBA picked the three people to be in the All-Star HORSE game: Joe Johnson, OJ Mayo and Kevin Durant.
• Charles Barkley is returning to the studio after the break. Props to Ernie and Kenny, but its not the same without Chuck.
  
• All we have heard about are Housh and Boldin at WR, but what are the other options out there for the Bears?
• The Wade story is getting better and better. First the STD thing, now sex and drug parties? It's almost like he's a typical NBA star.
• Looks like Marmol and Gregg will be competing for the closer job this spring.
  
• A nice tribute to Johnny "Red" Kerr. Last night's tribute was also great. Red is a wonderful guy and has been there for us through the years, good times and bad. Even Obama seems to think so.
  
• With the new A-Rod steroid allegations, maybe we should re-examine some of the record books. For instance, give Mr. Cub his shortstop single-season home run record back.

Nocioni Plays Pig in Wild Pig Hunt

I'm not sure what to say about this, so I'll just put the quote:

Forward Andres Nocioni chose an unusual off-day activity when the Bulls had some free time in Dallas this week. Nocioni joined strength and conditioning coach Erik Helland for a wild pig hunt in a rural town outside of Dallas. The pair reportedly rode mules, accompanied by several guides and pit bulls. Nocioni owns a large ranch in his native Argentina and spends his summers hunting, fishing and riding horses. Nocioni said he enjoyed the hunt and apparently bagged some wild pigs, because he ended up with plenty of meat to bring home.

It's too good to be true. The question is was he the hunter or the pig? Sources have not confirmed the answer to this crucial question.

Boom roasted.

PECOTA Projects 2009 Cubs to Win 96 Games; Still Can't Determine Who Will Win Short Series

If you read any Cubs blogs, then you may have already heard this news since it seems like we are the last ones to report it. Apparently PECOTA, an advanced system used by sabremetricians to determine an individual player's contribution to wins based on certain advanced metrics (I think? This stuff is usually way over my head), is used in the aggregate to determine the amount of wins each team will have.

Well using PECOTA, Baseball Prospectus has determined that the Cubs will win the Central by 13 games:

Central	W	L	RS	RA
Chicago Cubs	96	66	871	749
Milwaukee Brewers	83	79	823	807
St. Louis Cardinals	80	82	779	796
Cincinnati Reds	79	83	783	796
Houston Astros	67	95	712	850
Pittsburgh Pirates	65	97	720	885

Well...we saw what all this hoopla and high hopes did for us last year. I'm not saying that 96 wins isn't nice, but isn't there something that can project wins in a series? I mean come on nerds, you've been studying the statistics and math of baseball for the past 30 years! I think it's time to figure this one out. Sorry, I just find it hard to get excited about all these Vegas odds and PECOTA projections when all I really want is a goddamn ring.

So Who's Really Left?

The not-so-surprising revelation that A-Rod took performance enhancing drugs for a few years, along with the information that upwards of 100 other players tested positive in 2003 brings up many issues and questions, but I just want to focus on one. Are there any pure home-run hitters left out there that are above suspicion of steroid use?

I'm writing this without doing any research and I'm just using memory and common sense, so let me know who I have missed in the comments. I have no idea who is above suspicion anymore. I think for a while, A-Rod got a pass. Then came Canseco's comments and what seemed like a shifting of public perception about baseball players and steroids in general.

So here are some names to think about: Pujols, Ortiz, Thome, Howard, Morneau, Andruw Jones, and Griffey. These are some of the better home run hitters of the last ten years; are any of them really above suspicion? A lot of these guys, most notably the first four, have typically avoided too much scrutiny because they have always been huge. Thome in particular just has that country strong look, while Pujols was a big guy putting up big numbers consistently.

Griffey seems to be the one that would surprise people the most in the group. His body has obviously gone through physical changes, but how much is simply aging? Plus, Griffey has been hurt an awful lot during his career and has had trouble coming back from those, something not typical of PED users.

Then you have another group of guys who don't look the part of a steroid user: Soriano, Utley, Luis Gonzalez, and Torii Hunter. What about these guys though? A-Rod seemed to fool people with a slow progression from slender to roided, could these guys be doing the same?

The ramifications of this era are yet to be seen. What will be the effect on the record books? Public perception? We'll see, but for now I think it's safe to say that after A-Rod and especially if this 2003 list is released in its entirety, no one will be immune from speculation the shadow of doubt will be cast over all players. Even you David Eckstein! Just kidding. But maybe.

Boom, Roasted. Bulls Edition

Yesterday, Stormin' Norman came up with the idea of roasting the Bulls, Michael Scott style. For those of you that haven't seen the episode of The Office following the Super Bowl, the idea is completely stolen from this:



So in that spirit, I shall roast the Bulls, all in good fun of course. Without further delay, here we go, starting with Norman's original roasting of Vinny (he couldn't do the rest because he likes the Bulls too much):

Vinny Del Negro, your entire offense is based off an episode of Joanie Loves Chachi you saw one time. Boom, roasted. Larry Hughes, Vinny's only good moments always result in a "DNP-CD" next to your name in the box score. Boom, roasted.

Joakim Noah, the only thing uglier than your game, is your face. Boom, roasted. Drew Gooden, you're the only bald guy ever to have bad hair. And you're uglier than Noah. Boom, roasted.

Luol Deng, Duke sucks. Boom, roasted. Thabo Sefolosha, I spend more time trying to spell your name than you spend on the court; you suck. Boom, roasted.

Ben Gordon, even Don Nelson thinks you shoot too much. Boom, roasted.

Tyrus Thomas, your vertical leap is higher than your I.Q. and neither seems to help your game. Boom, roasted.

Lindsey Hunter, you can't call it a jump shot if you're too old to jump. Boom, roasted. Aaron Gray, your vertical leap makes Hunter look like Lebron. Boom, roasted.

Cedric Griffin Simmons, who are you? Boom, roasted. Michael Ruffin, you haven't even put on a uniform yet, but you look terrible every game. Boom, roasted.

Nocioni, you're Argentinian just like Manu, but the only thing your career shares with Ginobli is a tendency toward flopping. Boom, roasted.

Kirk Hinrich, the closest you've ever come to greatness is when you injured D-Wade by grabbing his wrist. Boom, roasted.

John Paxson, people may get you and Steve Kerr confused as players, but somehow you've made that idiot look like a genius GM. Boom, roasted.

Derrick Rose, with the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select....Boom, roasted.

Amare to Bulls Is Starting To Look Like a Real Possibility

This is going to drive StevieY19 crazy, since he believes that the Suns would be crazy to do any deal for what he terms "a pile of Bulls garbage", but according to www.rumorpress.net (not the most reliable, but they have been right about a lot of things in the past):

As we all know, the Bulls and Suns have had lengthy discussions about a possible trade that would send All Star big man Amare Stoudemire to Chicago. The Bulls are very much in the running to land Stoudemire, as GM John Paxson is willing to package just about any deal with mutliple players involved to get him, except for Derrick Rose of course. One scenario that is very possible and has been discussed the most would be a deal that would send Drew Gooden, Tyus Thomas, Thabo Sefoloshia and a 1st round pick to the Suns in exchange for Stoudemire. However, Steve Kerr would like Joakim Noah added to the deal as well. Phoenix will continue to talk with other teams to see if they can either find a better deal, or wait and see if the Bulls will add Noah to the trade. The Bulls want Stoudemire so much, that adding Noah may just happen. Even then, the ball will still be in the Suns court as they have multiple teams to work with and several deals to weigh out, the highest bidder will win.

What do you think, StevieY19? Should the Bulls just throw in Noah now? I'm not saying they shouldn't, but where does that leave our frontcourt? Could we go out and get a capable back-up now? If this deal happened with Noah involved, would that mean Gray would start the rest of the year and Noce would back up Amare? It's still worth it, but we would need some kind of plan to back those guys up. I'm not trying to see Noce getting 25 minutes at the 4/5 position. Just do it Pax.

Also I'm not seeing how this resolves any of our bad contract issues. Pax would still have to turn around and deal Hinrich, Hughes, and/or Nocioni to get us far enough under the cap to hope to resign Amare, keep Ben Gordon, or go out and get some pieces to make up for the loss of all those bodies.

Projected Lineup If The Trade Went Down:

PG: Rose, Hinrich
SG: Gordon, Hinrich
SF: Deng, Nocioni
PF: Stoudemire, Nocioni
C: Gray, Stoudemire, Nocioni

I'll take it.

Today's Links

• Busted Coverage has the 20 best signs ever to appear on College Gameday. Plenty of good stuff there.
• Upon further review of further review...maybe Lebron should get that triple-double at MSG after all.
• Indiana's Devan Dumes throws elbows to the junk, gets suspended indefinitely. Somehow Indiana manages to get worse.
• Lil' Wayne will be on Around the Horn today. I'm not sure if this makes the show more or less watchable.
• If that crazy Bulls-Suns trade is okay with Phoenix, do Bulls fans trust Paxson to pull the trigger? If he doesn't someone will surely shoot his career right in the head.
• Lane Kiffin has to apologize again, this time to a high school. It won't be long until he is insulting your family.
• Looks like there will be some protesting going on tomorrow against Chicago's Olympics bid. Whatever gets you out of work I guess.
  

What Do You Think Guitar Hero Was Thinking When They Hired A Rapist, A Steroid User, A Pothead, and A Skater To Promote Their Game?

You are looking at the Dream Team of advertising. From left to right: a pothead, some guy in a helmet, a rapist, and a steroid-user. (Thanks to Jeff for pointing out this hilarious "coincidence").

Frustrated With Team's Defense, Del Negro Takes Matters Into Own Hands...Again

I propose a word called "Del Negro" to be used in basketball the same way that "Bush League" is used in baseball: To describe an amateur, unsportsmanlike play. Vinny did this once already against the Knicks earlier this year. Here he goes again with his patented "Scream Defense". Maybe if he screamed at his own players in practice to play defense, he wouldn't have to yell at Jason Kidd as much.

Vegas Thinks The NL Central Is Pretty Shitty...Except The Cubs Of Course

Sportsbook.com has posted their odds for teams to win the 2009 MLB World Series (via Wrigleyville23). The Cubs are 7:1 to win the Series in 2009, second only to the Yankees who are at 5:2 (The A-Rod allegations may affect that, though who knows). Notably, however, is the rest of the NL Central's odds to win:

Chicago Cubs 7:1
Cincinnati Reds 50:1
Houston Astros 40:1
Milwaukee Brewers 35:1
Pittsburgh Pirates 200:1
St. Louis Cardinals 30:1

Weak, weak division. The odds are obviously constantly changing, but it doesn't look like there will be anyone to beat the Cubs in the NL Central, outside of themselves of course.

Illini Shut Down Boilermakers

In a dominating performance fitting from a top 25 team, Illinois used a stifling defense to run away with the game in the second half.

Mike Davis had a great game for Illinois with a double-double made up of 14 points and 16 rebounds. The game was sealed when Illinois went on a 23-6 run late in the second, a stretch in which Purdue made just one field goal. The Boilers were once again without preseason Big Ten POY Robbie Hummel. Why do they even name a preseason POY? And now...guessing!

Anyway, the win keeps Illinois within two games of Michigan State in the Big Ten standings and with three games the Illini should win coming up, they could get even closer to MSU before the two teams meet March 1st.

This is the first real statement game for the Illini since entering the top 25 a few weeks ago. They had some good wins, and some bad losses, but a blowout of Purdue even without Hummel is a very good looking win.

Next up for the Illini is a date at Northwestern Thursday night, followed by another road game at Indiana, and then Penn State at Assembly Hall where the Illini have a ten game winning streak going.

A Chicago Fan Can Only Dream...Peavy, Stoudemire, Boldin

His Jesusness Shuttlesworthness comes out of blogging retirement to write this post about how Chicago Sports may be on the cusp of 3 championships. Seriously, I received this message from him as a precursor to the post: "I was just upset about some haters I heard last night that werent willing to do anything we could for Amare, Boldin, and Peavy. We could be at the beginning of a historic transformation in Chicago sports history, a chance to change everything for the better."

We’ve seen wild trade rumors and stingy front offices (ahem, the Bears, ahem) in Chicago for too long. However, speaking as a true sucker, I’d be willing to excuse a recent past full of poor risk management, regrettable drafting, and too many generally unfathomable personnel decisions… if over the course of the next couple of weeks, Jim Hendry, John Paxson, and Jerry Angelo can muster up our capable dollar and some inspiring courage to acquire Jake Peavy, Amare Stoudemire, and Anquan Boldin. I would call this my thesis. A fairly provocative if, then. Now, before you begin to criticize such a conclusion, let me present to you some premises. Lead by the Bulls’ approaching trade deadline (Feb. 19), the big three Windy City franchises (sorry Sox fans) have a chance to turn all their fortunes around…in a hurry.

First, the Bears. The most common, erroneous, and frustrating counterargument to chasing Boldin- “he’s a hothead…a baby...a poison.” Fall back ignorance. Before the 07-08 season, the offense voted him captain. Fitz loves him. So you don’t know shit. What we do know, however, is undeniable. Quickest player in NFL history to 400 receptions. Most receptions in the first 25 games of an NFL career. Perennial YAC leader. Among the best blocking wideouts in the league. Why not? Why not take a chance on Boldin? It’s not like we can get much worse than what we’ve got, right? Well, let’s agree wide receiver is a draft priority- at the least. So would you be opposed to giving up a 1^st and 3^rd round draft pick, with Earl Bennett packaged? Of course not. How could you? Marcus Robinson was our last league-leading wideout (wow, that’s embarrassing) and we haven’t had great success in that department of the draft since (ex. David Terrell, Mark Bradley, Bobby Wade, David Terrell, and so on…) Let’s chase Boldin! After all, he’s got 2 years left on his contract and he is only getting paid half a million dollars more annually than fucking Marty Booker! Boldin has a chance to be one of the league’s best, if you don’t already consider him in that echelon. At age 28, he’s got a lot of career left and you know he’s been yearning to show what he can be as a No. 1 target.

Next, the Cubs. This might be the most obvious. Here’s a resume to ease the uncertainty: Youngest pitcher to win the ERA title since Dwight Gooden, captain for Team USA at the WBC, the pitching triple crown winner in 2007 (one of only 8 in history), unanimous CY Young winner in the same year, and so on… In my not qualified to comment opinion, the best NL pitcher, second only to Johan Santana. Look at the numbers! How can you fight that? Padres GM Kevin Towers has even said he needs to trade Peavy before the spring. Without much doubt, the Chicago Cubs rotation would be the league’s best heading into the 2009 campaign. Imagine. Peavy takes the ball from Zambrano. Harden on the bump after Peavy. Dempster every 4^th game. You’d have to at least project dominance. And if it comes to this, wouldn’t you swap Dempster with Peavy in the blink of an eye?

Finally, our beloved Bulls- only days from the trade deadline. Everyone has been talking about this. Suns management has been hinting towards it. Chad Ford has been skewing, overhyping, and plotting it. The best part- it all makes perfect sense for us. The Bulls have all the pieces. Two expiring contracts with Gooden and Ced Simmons, Steve Kerr’s wet dream in the form of Kirk Hinrich, and the deceiving upside of an athlete (Tyrus) and a game-changing defender (Thabo). Paxson needs to be ready and willing to deal all of these pieces. Moreover, he can’t fall into old patterns by stubbornly protecting Deng and even Gordon.

I love dreaming. And while the above hype might forever remain a dream, it is our job as fans to get worked up about it. I ask you to angrily reject the alternative future. Envision us without Boldin- trying to establish a title competitor with an Orton-Lloyd headliner. Envision us without Amare- more of the same frontcourt disaster. Envision us without Peavy- a pitching gem short from an expectedly competitive NL Central title and an inexplicably squandered chance at the most prolific assembly of talented right-handers in the modern era of baseball.

Let’s band together. Yell at our neighbors. Donate facebook statuses. Overhype as much as possible. Then when it’s all lurking on the horizon, close our eyes. And if we wake up to a dream deferred…its management's head! We’ll have already lost Paxson’s balls.

Qualified Links

• The Illini don't seem to have much trouble with the Boilermakers. Big win on Sunday to hopefully keep Illinois in the Top 25.
  
• Briggs helped out in the NFC's Pro Bowl victory. Unfortunately no one cares except the 5 guys at StevieY19's 6th Annual Pro Bowl Blowout Bash.
• Only 18 of 50 states have Major League baseball teams. What and where would the teams be if they existed in the other 32 states? Well some guy came up with all the team names and logos.
  
• Maybe losing Mark DeRosa won't be that bad. I'm not sure if this logic holds up statistically, and it definitely doesn't hold up in my heart. But maybe we are all overreacting...
  
• Is Ron Turner going to be the new Pitt football coach? I wouldn't mind, Lovie can call the offensive and defensive plays.
• Remember that time Kyle Farnsworth beat the shit out of Paul Wilson and started that massive brawl with the Reds? That is one nasty spear by Farnsy.
  
• The Bulls lost a tough one in OT to Dallas Saturday night, but all in all the road trip was a success.
  
• Greg Olsen is really good. How good? Maybe one of the best tight ends in league if we get him a good wide receiver to take some of the attention away from him.
• Remember Jordan's 55 point game at the garden? Here's a reminder.
  

Patrick Kane Discovers Secret To Hockey Success (And Other Things He Found In His Nose)

I stumbled on this picture on facebook this morning. It appears Kane was taking in a Bulls game a few weeks ago. And yes, that is his finger way up his nose. He wasn't picking it though, I'm sure he was just itching his brain.



If I knew anything about hockey I'm sure I could make some witty joke about penalty kills and boogers, but alas, I know nothing. It's a good thing nose-picking on its own is pretty funny.

We Aren't Ignoring The Amare-to-the-Bulls Rumors

I am just trying not to get caught up in it until I hear something substantive. Like a confirmed source saying that Paxson and Kerr have been talking. Until then, don't forget Garnett, Pau, Kobe, Marion, Wade, and the countless others we were in trade talks for. Or just go play with the ESPN Trade Machine and start a rumor all your own!

Oh who am I kidding, I have been totally caught up in it. I even made the salaries work:

Seriously, it's obvious that we want this trade. Pairing Amare with Rose would be awesome, that goes without saying. More about this as the story develops.

If You Hook A-Rod Up With Steroids, He Will Probably Hit On Your Wife (And Other Things Canseco Wasn't Lying About)

It's old news that Canseco claimed when he hung out with A-Rod back in the day, Rodriguez asked him to hook up a steroid supplier. According to Canseco, even after he helped his good buddy Alex get steroids, A-Rod still hit on Jose's wife and called her all the time.

Well it turns out the first part may have been true (maybe the second part too, but that's neither here nor there). Reports have just surfaced that the secret steroid testing done in 2003 to decide if there was a problem with steroids in the MLB that would require testing showed that A-Rod tested positive for 'roids. Not much of a "secret" test I guess, but here's the story:

According to a report by Sports Illustrated, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2003, when he was with the Texas Rangers and won the AL home run title and MVP award.

According to the report, which was posted Saturday morning on SI.com, sources told the publication that Rodriguez was on a list of 104 players who tested positive that year, when Major League Baseball conducted tests to see if mandatory random drug testing was needed.

In 2003, there were no penalties for a positive result.

Here is the real question: Canseco is mostly branded a liar by every media outlet there is, mainstream or blogosphere. But what has he said that has been proven false compared to what has been proven true? I'm not saying he's Mother Theresa, but maybe he's telling the truth in those annoying tell-all books he writes...

Your Weekend Viewing Guide

Everyone knows that the second week in February is the mecca of sports viewing, what with the Pro Bowl and a golf tournament, or something. Seriously though, there is some great college basketball this weekend and if South Florida's win over Marquette tells us anything, it's that anything can happen. Here's what to watch...can't miss games are marked with a *. Don't miss them or Joakim Noah will haunt you in your sleep. (All times Central)

Saturday:

12:00 PM [NCAAB] Notre Dame at UCLA- CBS
1:00 PM [NCAAB] Pitt at DePaul- Well, it's not on, but it's happening.
3:00 PM [NCAAB] Indiana at Michigan St.- ESPN
5:00 PM [NCAAB] Michigan at UConn- ESPN
5:00 PM [NCAAB] Northwestern at Iowa- BTN
5:00 PM [NCAAB] Coll. of Charleston at Davidson (Curry!)- ESPN2
7:00 PM [NCAAB] Minnesota at Ohio St.- BTN
7:30 PM [NBA] Chicago at Dallas- CSN
8:00 PM [NCAAB] Memphis at Gonzaga- ESPN*
9:00 PM [NHL] Chicago at Vancouver- WGN

Sunday:

11:30 AM [NHL] Detroit at Pittsburgh- NBC
12:00 PM [NCAAB] Purdue at Illinois- CBS*
12:00 PM [NBA] San Antonio at Boston- ABC
2:00 PM [NCAAB] Wisconsin at Penn State- BTN
2:30 PM [NBA] LA Lakers at Cleveland- ABC*
3:30 PM [NFL] Pro Bowl- NBC
7:00 PM [NBA] Phoenix at Detroit- ESPN

NBA League Officials Get Bored, Review Every Play of LeBron's Triple-Double

Remember the other day when Kobe dropped 61 at the Garden and set the record and everyone was like "That was f#$%ing awesome?" And then a few nights later LeBron came to New York and was like "I don't care about that, I just want to win," but everyone knew that was bullshit. Then he went and recorded a triple-double and it was like "Wow, LeBron and Kobe are awesome, who's better?" And the whole thing was just really sweet and fun for everyone? Yeah well forget everything past Kobe's 61.

The league has decided to review the game and ruled that one of the rebounds should have been credited to Ben Wallace inside the minute mark in the 4th quarter. (Thanks to Mikey for the tip)



I know, it clearly was Ben Wallace's rebound, but are they serious? Do they have nothing better to do then review whether a rebound is credited to one person or another? Why can't basketball just be fun. Lets hear from the Sternbot:

Sternbot (in robot voice): Basketball is a game of rules, we must adhere to them for the integrity of the game.

Ok I made that quote up, but seriously, why couldn't they just leave well enough alone?

Oh Canada!

The Blackhawks are loving our neighbors to the North right now. After a 5-2 win against the Flames last night, the Hawks have a chance to sweep the Canadian portion of the road trip with a game at Vancouver tomorrow.

As much as the Hawks are liking Canada, they like being on the road just as much. They're now 4-1 on the road trip and are guaranteed to come out of the eight game stretch with at least a .500 record.

Andrew Ladd had a huge night back in the arena where he spent two years playing for the Flames. Ladd had a goal and two assists, including a helper on Adam Burish's game-winner midway through the second.

The teams played to a 2-2 tie until Burish netted the go-ahead goal. Matt Walker also had a big night for the road team, with three assists. I didn't catch much of the game, but it's nice to see that the Hawks beat a good team on the road with no scoring from the stars. Burish, Ladd, Brouwer, Fraser, and Bolland had the goals.

This team continues to show that it can win in a lot of different ways, and that it should be feared in the playoffs. Sometimes it's special teams that gets it done, sometimes star power, and tonight it was neither really, though the Hawks were great on the penalty kill as the Flames were 0-5.

The win completes a season sweep of the Flames. Let's see if the Hawks can sweep the Canada invasion tomorrow night at 9 PM.

Fantasy Baseball Preview - Baltimore Orioles

Due to popular demand, The Bad Guy is back for the 2009 MLB season (cue my entrance music). I'll be bringing you a fantasy relevant preview for every team, starting with the AL and finishing up with the NL. Each preview will feature studs, sleepers, busts and all kinds of other information that is sure to give you a (Razor's) edge up on the competition.


First up - The Baltimore Orioles.


While the Orioles don't really bring much to the table in terms of contending for a World Series title, they do feature a bunch of guys that are fantasy relevant. OF Nick Markakis and 2B Brian Roberts are both fantasy studs that are sure to be taken in the 3rd or 4th round of your drafts. Veteran 1B Aubrey Huff finished with a monster line last season - 96 R, 32 HR, 108 RBI, 4 SB, and a .304 average but still doesn't get much love from fantasy owners. C Matt Wieters is the talk of the fantasy town, even though there's a good chance he won't be on the opening day roster. SP Jeremy Guthrie is the only Baltimore pitcher worth talking about, and even he really wont be able to help you out all that much.



OF Nick Markakis has become a name fantasy owners have grown accustomed to over the past couple of years, especially after his breakout 2007 season - 97 R, 23 HR, 112 RBI, 18 SB, and .300 average. He was drafted real early last season, but was considered somewhat of a disappointment after hitting three less homers, 25 less RBI, and stealing eight less bases then he did the previous season. However, after seeing his BB totals go up again for a 3rd straight season (43 in '06, 61 in '07 and 99 in '08) , Markakis seems ready to finally take his game to the next level. The 18 steals might not be there, but if he can snag 10 bases again while scoring 100 runs, hitting 25-28 HR, and getting back up to 100 RBI, all while hitting .300 +, there should be plenty of happy Markakis owners at the end of the season.




2B Brian Roberts is a name Cubs fans are familiar with, as he was heavily rumored to be coming over to the North side last season before talks fell through. If you take a look at his stats over the past three seasons, you'll see that the 5'9'' speedster is as consistent as they come - You know you're getting 100+ runs, 10 HRs, 55 RBI, 40-50 steals, and a .290+ average. There is still a chance that Roberts is traded before opening day, as he and the Orioles have had a hard time agreeing to terms on the four year deal that the 2B covets. If anything, a trade to another ballclub would only increase Roberts' value.



We at NQTC witnessed many miraculous comebacks in 2008 - Britney Spears, New Kids on the Block, Kurt Warner - but there was no greater comeback then the comeback of 1B Aubrey Huff. The former stud put up some sick numbers back in 2003 and 2004 when he was with Tampa Bay, but was a complete afterthought from 2005-2007. However in 2008, Huff was back to his old 90 run, 30 HR, 100 RBI, .300+ average ways. At 32, he still has plenty left in the tank and because he isn't fantasy sexy, Huff tends to drop real late in drafts. If you miss out on the big names early on, you could do a lot worse then to take a chance on tough Aubrey Huff.



C Matt Wieters is the sleeper of all sleepers - there isn't one fantasy site out there that has yet to write about this guy. Wieters is not expected to be up in the bigs by opening day, but should be called up by mid-June at the latest, and if his minor league stats are any indication, should be raking at the next level in no time. The catcher position is fairly deep this year, so you shouldn't reach for him over the big names (unless you're in a keeper league). According to RotoAuthority.com, Wieters is currently being drafted in the 11th round of drafts, which is more or less where you want to target him.




SP Jeremy Guthrie doesn't really deserve this paragraph, but the O's pitching staff is so weak that he's simply all there is to talk about. Guthrie is decent in terms of ERA and Whip, but he doesn't get wins and he doesn't strike anyone out. I really wouldn't target him until real late, if it all, in your drafts - I'm talking like the 23rd/24th round in 12 team leagues. The O's bullpen is also a mess - I highly doubt any one player gets more then 10-15 saves on this team. When all is said and done, I would highly recommend staying away from any Baltimore pitcher on draft day.


Next up on Wednesday - The Boston Red Sox....

I Hope Jason Terry Got Him Some Ankle Insurance

Deron crosses Terry over in the filthiest way in this video from the Mavs-Jazz game last night. Just filthy.

Boom Shaka-La-Ka; Part 2

We began this quest yesterday by determining who the teams in the Eastern Conference would be in NBA Jam if it existed today. Here is part 2 of our discussion: The Western Conference.


Golden State Warriors: Jackson and Ellis
This team is garbage. Both are fast, but neither is a great 3 point shooter and neither defends for shit.

LA Clippers: Davis and Camby
Baron knocking down the 3s and explosive speed next to Camby's dominant defensive ability. Scotty claims he could take anyone with this team.

LA Lakers: Bryant and Gasol
This team is excellent. Obviously Kobe would be one of the better players in this game. Pau can block shots and is a decent shooter as well. Not the best team, but definitely one of the elite.

Phoenix Suns: Nash and Stoudemire
This team would be dominant. Nash could hit any 3s and Stoudemire can dunk and defend with decent shooting ability. This team is similar to the Utah Jazz of the original game (mostly because Nash is white). Like Stockton from that game, Nash would be easily pushed around. This would still be a very good team.

Sacramento Kings: Martin and Miller
This team would not be great. Although on paper they seem to have the big man/small man combo, unfortunately for the Kings both those players suck.

Dallas Mavericks: Kidd and Nowitzki
Kidd is a terrible NBA Jam player. He can't shoot 3s, not a good dunker, not great speed, and average defense. Dirk would make up for this with his 3 point shooting ability a little, but overall this team is not that good. If this were NBA Jam 2005, this team would be a decent squad. Too bad.

Houston Rockets: McGrady and Yao
These two complement each other very well. McGrady can shoot the 3 and make some spectacular dunks, while Yao would be a good rebounding defensive player that can dunk pretty well. How many goaltendings a game do you think you could get with Yao if it was all you were trying to do? A lot I bet.

Memphis Grizzlies: Gay and Mayo
This team would be fun to play with. Both are fast and Mayo can shoot very well. Gay would dunk everything. That being said, they would be pushed around and not be able to stop anyone. This is a mediocre team just because of their speed and dunking ability.

New Orleans Hornets: Paul and West
Perhaps Chandler would be a better fit with Paul, but West was an all-star and would probably be the one in the game. Paul might be the fastest player in the game. He would rack up the steals. He's a good enough shooter and can dunk. He is just too small so he would be pushed around a bit. West would be average across the board. This team is another mediocre squad.

San Antonio Spurs: Parker and Duncan
Parker would be fast and can shoot decently. Duncan would be a defensive presence and a good dunker. What's missing? 3 pointers. Still a pretty good team with Duncan though.

Denver Nuggets: Billups and Anthony
This team can shoot. This is like the Golden State Warriors in the original game. Also, Billups defense might be just good enough to overcome the lack of size on this team. They are not a top tier team, but would be a force to be reckoned with.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Jefferson and Foye
All you need to know about this team is that we had to decide between Mike Miller, Randy Foye and Rashard McCants for who to put next to Jefferson. Gross.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Durant and Green
This team might be worse than the Wolves, but at least Durant would be fun to play with. I guess.

Portland Trailblazers: Roy and Oden
Even though Aldridge is playing better than Oden right now, Oden is the #1 pick. This team would be an average team. Roy is an average 3 point shooter, both have average speed, both are average dunkers. Oden would be a good defender but that is about it.

Utah Jazz: Williams and Boozer
This would be a good team. Boozer would be a good dunker and shooter. Deron can shoot the 3 and defend. The advantage he would have over other guards is his strength, which would keep him from being pushed around.

So who plays in our NBA Jam Championship? My pick would be the Lakers vs. Magic. Magic would win unless the Lakers made some kind of last second full court shot that only exists in the world of NBA Jam.

Here's a little video to remind you of a sick assist from Scott Skiles to Nick Anderson that ends in a backboard-shattering slam:

Qualified Links (Today's Links)

• The Hawks win again. Maybe I should be watching them more during the sports wasteland known as "February".
• Illinois continues its cold play against Wisconsin. It's never easy to win in Madison but this one would have been big.
• It looks like there is going to be a movie made about the book Moneyball and Brad Pitt is going to be starring as Billy Beane. Score one for sabremetrics!
• Elton Brand is being shut down for the season with shoulder problems. Will he ever be the force that he once was? Regardless of the injuries I think Chicago fans will always regret trading him for Chandler.
• Dusty Baker wants to recreate the Chicago Cubs he coached a few years back in Cincinnati. Today's acquisitions? Daryle Ward and Jacque Jones.
• BDL is going to do a 2 on 2 tournament of NBA teams, sort of like an NBA Jam. Hey that was my idea! Well we all know Skeets will do it better than me anyways.
• Looks like Gordon is a little put off by the fact he wasn't selected for the 3 point contest.
  

Tyrus Thomas Gets Slammed By His Hometown Newspaper

The Bulls got their 4th win in 5 games last night against the Hornets. It was a dominant performance by the whole team against a Chris Paul-less New Orleans squad. No big surprises in the win, but there was a little bit of interesting news about Tyrus Thomas from his hometown media, The Times-Picayune:

Former LSU standout Tyrus Thomas, an NBA washout in every imaginable way since being taken by the Trail Blazers with the No. 4 overall pick in 2006 and traded to Chicago, had 10 points, six rebounds and two steals in the first quarter, after which the Hornets trailed 31-20.

This was clearly meant as more of a shot at how bad New Orleans played then how shitty Thomas's career has been, but it is still funny nonetheless. Washout is a nice word for what Thomas has been, I hope he can turn it around (or get traded).

Hey Clemson, Thanks!

Clemson's huge beatdown of Duke last night was very, very fun to watch. Duke looked lost from the start and the Tigers did not let up. I particularly liked Coach K's line changes in the second half. I didn't understand that at all; if two groups of five guys are both getting killed, then why not mix it up a bit? Cuz Trevor Booker freaked you out in the first half, that's why!

Illinois Brings in Solid Class

Some stayed true to their commitments, at least one other fled for Wisconsin, and one even switched allegiances from Ohio State to Illinois. When the dust settled, Illinois came out of National Signing Day with a pretty good class.

Rivals rated the Illinois recruiting class at 32. Other Big Ten schools that came in ahead of Illinois were Ohio State at 3, Michigan at 7, Michigan State at 16, and Penn State at 25. The Illini ended up with seven four-star recruits, eight three-stars and five two-stars for their total of 20 new members of the Fighting Illini.

I highlighted some of the major players yesterday, and things went pretty much as planned. The Illini got their Ohio State defection, most of the other commitments stayed around, and they lost one to Wisconsin. Justin Green switched his commitment from OSU to Illinois yesterday and signed with the Illini. The highly touted cornerback might have gone with Illinois because they offered him a chance to play running back also.

Receiver Kraig Appleton wasn't so taken with the Illini. After commiting to Illinois three separate times, the East St. Louis prospect decided to go to Wisconsin. However, the Illini did manage to keep Terry Hawthorne from switching his commitment to Oklahoma.

Long story short, it was a great class with some names you'll be hearing a lot in the near future. QB Nathan Scheelaase, DT Lendell Buckner, DE Michael Buchanan, RB Bud Golden, and some of those gentlemen mentioned above. You have to wonder what kind of role J Leman's patriotism played in the recruiting process.

First Pearl Harbor and Now This?!

A friend of mine that is the ultimate complainer recently started bitching about how he hates Nintendo Wii so I told him to write about it. His letter was hilarious so I decided to post it. For some reason he wants his handle to be Michael Fucking Kibort. Here it is:

An Open Letter From Michael Fucking Kibort

2-5-2009
St. Louis Park, MN

Being a plus-sized guy isn't always that bad. I mean there are the obvious downsides: airplane seating, pants shopping, days at the beach, etc. Playing sports was fun when I was younger; I played everything but hockey and football (I'm a jew, our mothers won't allow physical contact of any kind). I remember I could play all day, never losing a bit of energy.......then college happened. Now I labor getting into my car to go to the gym. I get tired just TALKING about sports. Among all these negatives, I did have my one sanctuary. MADDEN. WHAT A CONCEPT! A place where even the most morbid could pretend to be athletic. No one to judge, laugh, or sneer while you run the PA Fade and just ever so slightly tap the Y button to get some air under the long ball. You catch it in stride for an 80 yarder and celebrate as if your fat ass actually did the running. It's the single greatest moment in sports. Yes, the video game will forever be my place to shine as an athlete.

And then it happened. I saw the first commercial and my heart just sank to the bottom of my size 13 triple wide sneakers. An "interactive" video game system where you actually go through the motions of playing the games? Watching the ads was like seeing The Exorcist for the first time. I was terrified. People literally STANDING while playing video games. Swinging the controller like a real tennis racquet. Jumping up and down, smiling, laughing, eating baked chips and vegetables. It was like that episode of bizarro Seinfeld. What the fuck was HAPPENING!? I managed to avoid this mutant excuse for a gaming system until my asshole roommate bought one. It was like some foreigner had moved in and taken over the apartment. The Wii was my worst fucking nightmare. No more sitting, eating, and drinking while playing. Now we actually had to move the coffee table to play games......"THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE PRETEND!!" But my cries fell on deaf ears. Before I knew it, I was engaged in a tennis battle with my roommate, Aaron. You should've seen this clown. He was standing next to me dressed like Richie Fucking Tennenbaum with a headband and hotpants.....bouncing around like i was about to actually hit a tennis ball at him. The next thing I remember, I was sweating my ass off in a losing effort. It was like being in a public place trying to play tennis! I started hearing laughs and boos from thousands of spectators. I started to get dizzy and had to lay down. It was official.....my inferiority had finally made its way into my sanctuary. I wrote letters to the Higher-Ups at Nintendo, but never heard anything back. I suppose terror cells don't have a complaint department either.

"To whom it may concern,
If I wanted to play sports, I would go fucking play sports!!!!
-Michael"

Needless to say I don't reside in that hell-hole anymore. I have since bought a house with a ps3 and have slowly regained confidence through NCAA 2K8 and NBA 2K9. My couch has my ass imprint in my favorite seat, and I haven't seen that little white monster in months. I will never forget that day the Japanese dropped another bomb on America. I'm just curious if Ben Affleck is interested in THIS movie. Hopefully they won't drag it out 3 and a half hours like the last disaster.

Angrily yours,

MFK

T.J. Houshmandzadeh Open To Play For Bears, Likes The Sex Cannon

T.J. Houshmazilli was on the Waddle and Sylvie radio show on ESPN1000 yesterday morning and he seemed interested in playing for the Bears. Here are some of the highlights:

On whether or not he is interested in "the offer" that Tom Waddle made to him about possibly coming to the city of Chicago and playing for the Bears:

"Yeah, they have to be interested first. If you worked in the front office, or you were a tight end, we could really talk, but I don't know how much that's going to do for me to say I'm interested or I'm not interested."

On what his gut feeling is regarding whether or not Chicago would be a good "landing spot" for him:

"No, I don't know. You know what's funny, man? Y'all probably going to laugh at me when I tell you this; I kind of like Rex Grossman."

His comments after Waddle and Silvy reiterate that Grossman isn't going to be with the Bears this upcoming season:

"No, but I'm saying… I always watched on T.V. how they give Rex Grossman a hard time. I don't know why. He takes chances, but when those chances pay off, nobody talks about them."

He also had some other interesting comments. His love of Grossman is hilarious, but in all seriousness he may be a good fit for the Bears. Although he has spent much of his career as a slot receiver and an inside guy, isn't that what the Bears really need? We haven't had a good possession receiver since Marty Booker had that 100 catch season a few years back. Hester can already stretch the field a bit. Obviously Housh would be a huge step up from anyone in our receiving corps currently. Let's hope Angelo can make this happen.

Boom Shaka-La-Ka Part 1

If you grew up in the 1990s, then you probably remember a game called NBA Jam. Remember? Who am I kidding? You loved that game, and so did I. So the question today is: What would the teams be like now if there was an NBA Jam 2009 Edition? Before we get started, there are some ground rules. First off, we will be doing it like the original arcade edition, which means only two players per team with no subs. Also, we will be taking into account not just who is best, but who would probably be in the game for other reasons (marketing, etc.). We will do the Eastern Conference today and the Western Conference tomorrow.

Just to recap what made up the best squads, the teams that were traditionally best were the ones that combined a big man who could defend and block shots and a 3-point shooter who could get steals. The four player rating categories were speed, 3 point shooting, dunking, and defense. With some help from my buddy Scotty, here are your 2009 Eastern Conference NBA Jam teams (Current for today's roster, not taking into account any injuries):

Boston Celtics: Pierce and Garnett
This would be a great team. Garnett is the dominant dunking and defensive player who can also hit the occasional 3. Pierce can score from anywhere on the court.

New Jersey Nets: Jianlian and Carter
I know I know, it should be Devin Harris instead of Yi. But those Asians love their video games and you would have to think they wouldn't pass on the opportunity to sell more games. This team is fun because Carter's dunking ability, but probably not that great a team. What's the bigger market, Jersey or China? Enough said.

New York Knicks: Harrington and Lee
Just like in real life, this team makes me want to vomit. Oh and they would suck. Knicks fans are holding out for NBA Jam 2k10 with Lebron James and Stephon Curry.

Philadelphia 76ers: Iguodala and Brand
This team would be average. Brand can defend the paint and block shots. Iggy's dunking ability is through the roof, but without the ability to consistently hit 3s, this team is not one of the elite.

Toronto Raptors: Bargnani and Bosh
This reminds us of the Charlotte Hornets from the original game. Two big men that are decent in all categories. That being said, they are the poor man's Hornets, since Bargnani is no Larry Johnson. Also, how much defense would this team play? About as much as the Raptors do in real life.

Chicago Bulls: Rose and Deng
This might be the worst team in the game. Neither can shoot 3s, neither can defend the paint well. They both have decent speed and dunking, but that isn't enough. Sound familiar?

Cleveland Cavaliers: Ilgauskas and James
This would be an elite team. Neither one would be knocked down easily. Both players can shoot and defend. You have to assume Lebron would have almost perfect scores in most categories. This team would be tough to beat. This would be one of those teams where you try to have Lebron take every shot.

Detroit Pistons: Iverson and Wallace
Sheed would take care of business. He is a big man that can shoot the 3 and block shots. AI would be all speed, but he would get pushed around much like Stockton did in the original game. This could work, but not a top-tier team.

Indiana Pacers: Murphy and Granger
Is there a slower team in the game? No need to explain this one, but it would be bad.

Milwaukee Bucks: Redd and Bogut
This was a tough one. We could have gone with Jefferson over Bogut, but the traditional big man/small man combo won out here. This team would not be great, but with Redd shooting the lights out, they would make it interesting.

Atlanta Hawks: Johnson and Smith
This would be a very tough team to beat. This team would have speed, shooting, defense and dunking. Is there anything else? No? No one would want to play against the Hawks.

Charlotte Bobcats: Okafor and Wallace
This team is actually far better than you would expect from the Bobcats. They still wouldn't be good, however. The lack of 3 point shooting in this game is almost impossible to overcome.

Miami Heat: Wade and Marion
You would think that without a big man or a pure shooter that this team would struggle, but you would be wrong. This team would be fast, strong and a great power-dunking team. Don't underestimate them.

Orlando Magic: Lewis and Howard
There is an argument to be made that Lewis, Turkoglu or Nelson could all be paired up with Howard. We went with Lewis because of his lights out 3 point shooting. Howard would dominate the paint defensively and be able to dunk from anywhere inside the 3-point line. This team is definitely one of the best.

Washington Wizards: Arenas and Jamison
Are you in the mood to shoot half court shots the whole game? Then this is your team. They wouldn't be able to defend anyone, but they would be fun to play with.

Remember this:

Today's Links

• Oh, please no! Does the Basanez signing mean the Sex Cannon Era has ended in Chicago?
  
• Bulls beat Hornets sans Chris Paul 107-93. That's four out of five for Chicago...break em up!
• Some Big Ten recruiting notes the day after National Signing Day.
• Some are wondering: does Michael Phelps' insane lung capacity allow him to take monster bong hits?
• NQTC came in 11th out of 21 teams in the HHR Cup for the NFL fantasy playoffs. It was our first year and it takes a while to implement our system!
• Michigan State pounded Minnesota last night. They're dominant again. Wildcats won too; take that Chicago State.
• Which is more impressive, Kobe's 61 in MSG or Lebron's 52 with a side of triple-double? The Browns can't wait to get this guy.
• What if all NBA players played for their local teams? The Wizards would be fun to watch, that's what.

The Real Issue is what you were Doing with his 6-year-old Urine in the First Place

Big news yesterday was that a 2003 urine sample from Barry Bonds has tested positive for steroids. The positive sample will likely play a huge role in his ongoing trial for perjury. I wonder if those guys that said it was negative five years ago are in trouble too.

Seriously though, this urine is six years old. What's it doing be retested now? I don't even want to know what my urine would test positive for after six years. You leave the wrong shit out in your kitchen and it smells awful after a day!

Another thing: I'd like to know who tested this sample. I'd bet money it wasn't the lab's top dog. Think about it, testing a six year old urine sample seems like a job for the new guy, right? Then he passes it off to the janitor.

Apparently the evidence was retested and was sealed, but today the judge is expected to...wait for it...break the seal and hear arguments on the admissibility of the tests. I get the feeling that not many people care that much about this trial anymore, but there is nothing like a good stale pee story to rejuvenate interest in Barry Bonds. Stay tuned for a Pedro Gomez report.

Why Is This Happening To Me?

This video is the funniest thing I have seen in a while. This kid is on his way home from the dentist and he is clearly on a lot of drugs. Enjoy (Thanks to Matt for the video):

Hawks Outshoot, Outscore Oilers

The Blackhawks started the Canadian portion of their road trip with a win last night against the Edmonton Oilers. Falling behind 1-0 in the first, the Hawks rallied for two in the second and an insurance tally in the third to win 3-1.

Cam Barker and Dave Bolland provided the scoring in the second period with long blasts. Barker's came on the power play about three minutes into the second and Bolland scored his with about four minutes left. On Bolland's goal, Matt Walker made a great play to retain possession for the Hawks and Bolland displayed great patience faking twice, then unloading a bullet into the net.

The Hawks had some anxious moments in the third period while holding onto a one goal advantage. Outshooting the Oilers 32-13 after two periods, it was still only a one goal lead and when you don't take advantage of chances on the road, the game usually ends in an unfavorable fashion. Even with a couple good Edmonton chances, the dominance continued through the final period and the Hawks ended up with a 20 shot advantage. We know Canadians can take some shots, but enough was enough.

Cristobal Huet was in goal for Chicago and the only goal he let in looked like it was straight out of a Jordan-Bird commercial. From behind the net the puck bounced off what seemed like 10 things, then somehow went off Huet's brain-case and into the net. Other than the Globetrotter action, Huet was great. I always hear how hard it is to not face a lot of shots, and though I understand the principle that it's hard to stay alert, I also find that when you face less shots, you typically let in less goals, so I don't know how much I agree with all those announcers. But if they're right, he had a hell of a game.

Now it's on to Calgary Thursday night and to Vancouver this weekend.

NBA All-Star Game to Have Game of H-O-R-S-E

YES!!! Finally my dream for all-star weekend has come true. The NBA D-league has had HORSE at their all-star game for a few years now and I always felt that it would be awesome to watch NBA superstars making trick shots. The NBA has finally decided to have their own game of HORSE. Here is what the court they will be using looks like:



Apparently there are a couple new rules to go along with the traditional rules of HORSE: 1) Players will have 24 seconds to create/mimic shots; and 2) No dunks allowed. Get excited. I know I am. To leave you with a little taste of what this would have looked like in the late 80s/early 90s, here's a video:

It's Signing Day

Here's a subject we don't get into that much on NQTC: NCAA football recruiting. Today is like Christmas for those of us who spend way too much time paying attention to where a 17 or 18 year old kid is going to college. Hey, at least Chris Hansen isn't paying us a visit.

Anyway, today is National Signing Day for high school seniors to officially decide where they are playing college football next season. I could spend a lot of time rambling about recruiting classes, but I'll just let you know about some players that have already given verbal commitments to the Illini and will sign today and then we'll look at some guys who haven't decided yet, but are keeping Illinois in mind as they make decisions this morning or this afternoon.

So far, the 2009 class for the Illini consists of 20 commits. Rivals.com, one of the major recruiting services, ranks recruits on a scale of one to five stars. The top 33 recruits this year are five-stars, so you have to be pretty damn special to get that distinction. The Illini have commitments from six four-stars and eight three-stars, with the remaining six recruits coming in as two stars. Of course as with any prognosticating, there are surprises; like Steve Slaton, who was barely a three-star in 2005, or Kevin Grady, who was a five-star recruit that same year.

Talent can't hurt though and Ron Zook has some more of it coming in this year. Juice Williams won't be around forever (no, it's true) and Zook addressed some depth issues at quarterback with a four-star signal caller in Nathan Scheelhaase from Kansas City. He is rated the 7th best dual-threat QB in the nation and held offers from Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Mizzou, among others.

Lendell Buckner is a four-star defensive tackle that definitely has the size to play in the Big Ten. The 6-3, 341 pounder doesn't squeeze easily into most places, but will fit nicely as a nose tackle in the Illini D. The Illini will also welcome Bud Golden, a four-star running back from Ohio. It's always good to add one of the top ten players in the state of Ohio. Leon Hill, a teammate of Buckner's from Chicago Leo, will also come aboard as a four-star offensive lineman.

Despite having a solid class, signing day will not be without drama for the Illini. A couple of receivers that have given verbals to Illinois may be looking elsewhere. Terry Hawthorne and Kraig Appleton, both four-star receivers from East St. Louis, IL, will be deciding today. At 9AM, we should know whether Hawthorne will be with the Illini or will head to Oklahoma, and whether Appleton goes to Wisconsin or Illinois, in a very turbulent recruitment process.

Another one that could go the Illini's way is an Ohio State commit, running back Justin Green. Illinois has come on strong as of late for the four-star and it could pay off. Michael Buchanon will make another decision between Big Ten teams, as the four-star DE is down to Illinois and Purdue.

Finally, a long-shot for the Illini will come with JeRon Stokes, a four-star WR that had been rumored to be deciding between Michigan and Illinois, despite giving a verbal commitment to Tennessee previously. Now it looks like the Vols will retain the services of the standout receiver.

The festivities get started early today and we'll be following along and will have an update this afternoon for all you fellow stalkers.

Oh My God, I Just Took A Huge Link Dump (Today's Links)

• Lions fans really REALLY hate Matt Millen. Holding up "Fire Matt Millen" signs is one thing, but this is entirely different.
• Bears sign ex-Northwestern QB Basanez to 2-year deal. Really? What exactly does this do?
• The Bulls didn't look terrible, but they did lose to the Rockets to snap their road-winning streak at 3 games.
  
• Some crazy statistics for Bulls players during January. It gave me a headache, but maybe someone out there can explain them to me.
• Bud Selig makes a lot of money. Not that he shouldn't, but more than 99% of Major League players? That seems like a bit much. (Thanks to Gavin for the tip)
  
• Some sort of crazy wrestling video with AJ Pierzynski (sp?).
• Apparently the Cubs just have way too many short white guys to be a championship-caliber team.
• Big Ten basketball is physical? Get out of here! That many flagrant fouls in that short a time is a little much, though.
• The Peavy rumors live!
• The late Bob Hayes was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. His "sister" gave a speech at the press conference, but here's the catch: She is faking that she's his sister. Wow. (Thanks to Gavin for this link too; maybe he should just do the freaking links)
  

Kobe Bryant Will Tear Off Your Head And Devour Your Soul...Just Kidding, But 61 Points at The Garden Ain't Bad

Kobe Bryant is no Jordan, but in case you didn't hear about it, he dropped a nasty 61 points on the Knicks last night. Curious about the stat line? Well here it is:

61 pts...19/31 fgs...20/20 fts...3/6 3fgs...0 rebs (odd?)...3 assts...1 blk.

Based on his shot chart, it looks like he scored from pretty much every spot on the court.

That point total eclipses MJ's record 55 points by an opposing player at the Garden. It also passes the all-time high by any player in the Garden set by Bernard King (60 pts). The most stunning statistic in my opinion is 20/20 from the free throw line. Talk about efficient. You think he can pick up the slack while Bynum is out? Seems like it.

News Flash: Rose Sole Positive On Otherwise Terrible Bulls Team

I know this has been said over and over again, but Derrick Rose is really the only thing that the Bulls have going for them. Matt Moore over at Hardwood Paroxysm summed it up perfectly last week:

I hated the Bulls pick of Rose, even though I felt he was the best player in the draft. I thought he would get muddled with the Bulls guards and have to progress too quickly. He’s worlds above every player on that team. The style on offense is flashing and brutal. He’s active and focused on defense, never frantic, never lost. He’s certain with his movement, slick with this adjustments, and there’s not a piece of his game I haven’t seen from him. Hustle, rebounding, touch, power, speed, quickness, anticipation.

I wonder what he’s going to be like when he’s got a real coach.

Well said, though as my friend Ethan said to me today, if the Bulls win games, Del Negro isn't going anywhere. God is he bad.

Moving On

That was a great end to the NFL season on Sunday, but now it's time to deal with the fact that the NFL season is over and won't be back until the end of summer. Don't fret sports fan, there is plenty to keep us busy and make us forget about the gridiron for a while.

If you're a pro sports guy or gal, you have the NBA and NHL to keep you entertained. I'm no expert on the NBA, but it seems like a great time to be a basketball fan with Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando playing so well in the East and the Spurs looking to get back to the finals despite the Lakers' dominance in the West. Can the Cavs get the one seed to secure home court advantage through the playoffs? And how long will that win streak at home last? The NHL is just as intriguing. It's a great year for the Original Six, as Boston, New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Montreal should make the playoffs.

If you're more of a college sports person, then it's all about college basketball from here on out. Things look pretty good for you folks too. It seems like there is a new number one team every week, and while most years that would indicate some weakness at the top, I'm not sure that's the case this year. UConn, Duke, North Carolina, Pitt, Wake, and Oklahoma all have legitimate shots at winning it all this year. You have great players like Hansbrough, Curry, Griffin, and Thabeet to watch as well. Plus, if you don't have another reason to watch, you can always tune in just to study up for tournament time.

Of course there are other sports that can keep you busy as well. Plenty of tennis, golf, and college hockey is coming up and it's not a bad idea to catch some of that.

Finally, for those of you that just can't get enough, it's time to make like a Lions fan in Week 4 and start looking at those mock drafts. Who is your team going to take? Who should go first overall? There are plenty of idiots like us out there who like to tell you what is going to happen, so read up and be prepared when draft day comes in April.

Oh, and don't forget the Pro Bowl. Nah, screw the Pro Bowl.

Easy Schedule in 2009 Answer to Bears Woes?

The Bears schedule for the upcoming 2009 season was released a while ago, but with the end of the playoffs, ESPN has done some research on the NFL schedule. Although the Bears play 9 playoff teams, they have the easiest schedule in the league according to 2008 winning percentages. Their schedule is at .414.

The only problem with this is that playing the Lions twice really drags down that opponents' winning percentage. 9 playoff teams? That seems tough. While this analysis of the schedule is intriguing, it seems very deceptive to me. Either way our schedule won't matter too much if Angelo and Lovie don't do something meaningful to shake things up at Halas Hall this offseason.

Today's Links

• Simeon Rice is contemplating a comeback. Could the Bears be his destination? Would that be a good thing?
• The Cubs trade Wuertz and Rich Hill; Hendry says they are ready to go to camp, but will keep options open. Neat.
• Detroit is still a little sore over Matt Millen, and it showed on Sunday.
• So did your Super Bowl party suck? At least you didn't get peed on like Matt Cassel.
• Some Super Bowl viewers in Arizona were subjected to a little porn during the Super Bowl. After some of those commercials, it was the least they could do.
• Michael Phelps is sorry for smoking pot. Well, he is really sorry for getting caught, but whatever. Who cares.
• Kobe drops 61 points on the Knicks. However, if you adjust for Knicks inflation, it's only like 33.

Hey, that Game did not Suck

In a time where the media hype machine demands great championship games to meet expectations, the Steelers and Cardinals did not disappoint last night. Sure, the first half was a little slow at times, but the betting, drinking games, and commercials (Doritos!) helped out with that.

Then came James Harrison's interception at the end of the first half. I'm not so sure that Hines Ward is faster than Harrison by the way. With his rumbling run-back filled with Steelers running into Harrison slowing him down, Cardinals on the sideline slowing Fitzgerald's attempt to run down Harrison, and a few blocks in the back thrown in. Calling it a momentum swing doesn't do it justice. The Cards were going in to tie or take the lead going into the half and the Defensive MVP of the league, known for his ability to get to the quarterback, changed it with one drop into coverage.

So the underdog Cards were done, right? Not with Kurt Warner, savior of franchises and not-so-attractive women, at the helm. Arizona went blow for blow with the Steelers the rest of the way and in a fourth quarter marred only by the officials, had victory in their sights after a huge play by Fitzgerald. Then Big Ben leads a fantastic drive finding Santonio Holmes for enough catches and yardage on that one drive to keep TO happy for an entire game. The capper is a perfect pass and an unbelievable catch for the winning score.

However, the great Super Bowl had a less than great finish. It seemed fitting that the game would end with the Steelers' defense making a big play, as they had done all season long. We all saw Woodley make the play, and I think most thought it was a fumble at first glance, but after the replay it looked like there was a good argument to be made that Warner still had the ball as his arm was going forward.

I don't have a huge problem with the result, but the game deserved a better, more equitable finish. To not even review the play is inexcusable by the officials and the NFL. Had the play been reversed, the Steelers likely still win, but they do it with no doubt and then these last few paragraphs could be used to describe how sweet the Steelers are. Again, if the play is reversed the Cards would have the ball around the 30 yard line (there was a 15 yard penalty on the Steelers) with one shot at the end zone. Besides being more exciting, either this or the game ending with an upheld review achieves the best result.

Still, the Steelers are sweet and the Cardinals played some outstanding football during their playoff run. I'm just happy the game lived up to the hype.

That's a Little More Like It

Down three at halftime with only 22 points, it looked like it might be another long afternoon for the Illini. The win moves Illinois to 18-4 and made it nine straight wins at Assembly Hall.

Mike Tisdale led the way for Illinois with 18 points and helped Illinois dominate the glass by 13 rebounds, just one game after getting owned by Minnesota in the rebounding department. Dominique Keller continued his strong play with 12 points off the bench.

So it's on to Wisconsin this week, where the Badgers will look to get back on track and Illinois will try to solve some road woes. A win at the Kohl Center would go a long way into securing a good seed for the tourney.

It's hard to say whether this is a good time to play Wisconsin or not. Will they be focused on snapping their six game skid, or will the spiral into Indiana territory continue?

Also, with Michigan State losing at home to Penn State Sunday, the regular season conference title is suddenly looking to be up for grabs. With a home game against the Spartans late in the season and a relatively favorable (knock knock) schedule the rest of the way, the Illini could very well sneak into a Big Ten Championship.

Identity Crisis: Bulls Don't Know Who They Are

Did you see the Chicago Bulls win the last 3 games? I thought I did, but then I realized that those might not have been the Bulls. What about the team that lost 5 straight just a week ago? This team cannot seem to find it's identity. For weeks at a time, it looks like this team cannot cover anyone, the big men can't defend the paint, Luol Deng can't get in the flow of the offense, and Vinny seems confused at best. Then all of a sudden, nobody can score on them, they block double digit shots in a game, they get easy dunks and layups all over the place, and Vinny seems confused at best. (Maybe Vinny isn't confused, but I sure am confused by how he "coaches").

The problem is twofold. Not only does this team look different every night, but Vinny goes with different lineups and schemes so there is no way to really tell what's working. For instance, he went with Thabo for long stretches against the Suns, and yet Rose was noticeably absent for most of the 4th quarter with a sore foot. Was one of those things why the Bulls played well? It's different rotations and "strategies" every night, so there is no way to tell.

There is no reason to be all negative, though. Some things are clearly clicking. Hinrich is starting to get comfortable on the court after missing much of the first half of the season. Tyrus and Noah are looking much more active on the glass and in transition. I think Noah finally realized if he hustles a little and sprints out on the fast break, Rose will find him for the easy basket. About time he figured that one out.

Most importantly the re-emergence of Luol Deng has been wonderful to watch. He is clearly in a rhythm right now. Ever since coming back from his brief stint on the IR, he has finally found his shots within the flow of the offense. I don't think anyone had completely turned on Deng yet, but I know my frustrations with him were starting to boil up after the 6 year-$71 million deal he signed.

All in all the Bulls have played well so far on this trip (besides that terrible loss to Minnesota). With the next three games @HOU, @NO, and @DAL, they have a tough stretch, and things don't get much easier after that. With this team we are looking for improvement and signs of great things to come, so if they can steal one win in the next three and play good basketball even if they lose, there's a lot of reason to be positive about this Bulls team.

Assuming it's this Bulls team that comes to play. I hope it's not that other, shitty Bulls team. If it's the shitty one, I'm going to bed early.

Today's Links--Super Bowl Edition

• The Super Bowl was great. There have been some good games in the last 10 years, and Kurt Warner and Ben Roethlisberger have both been a part of half of them. Steelers win by the way, if you missed it.
  
• Northwestern wins a wild one over Wisconsin, and Penn State beats Michigan State in East Lansing. I love the Big Ten in conference play. (Thanks to Gavin for emailing me this link with the message "Wildcat fever...Catch it!!!")
  
• I am being completely serious when I say the Bulls just had their first 3-game winning streak this year and it came on the road. I wouldn't believe me either the way they've played recently. Do you think it had to do with Reinsdorf's bitching?
  
• How is Richard Dent not in the Hall of Fame. He was the best defensive lineman on the best defense in NFL history. This may be as big a rip off as Santo not being in the Hall.
• A sweet picture of MJ escaping Chicago in his Ferrari Testarosa sometime in the 1990s.
  
• The funeral for Eddy Curry's baby mamma and their kids was held this weekend. Apparently at some point Eddy asked the Knicks for an $8 million dollar advance on his paycheck. This guy has some problems.
  
• A Chicago Olympic update.
• Apparently Pujols wants Manny to come to the Cardinals. Seems pretty unlikely.

The Hard-Hitters In The NFL Today Are Nothing Compared To This Guy

In honor of the Super Bowl, here is a little Chicago Football history for you. My father insisted I watch this clip of Dick Butkus highlights and I reluctantly agreed. They are awesome. The hits are almost as crazy as the stories his friends and foes tell about him. I heard he used to practice tackling on fire hydrants. Just saying.