Today's Links

• Five reasons fantasy football is evil. Some crappy comedian talks about it or something. Roid Ree made me post this. It's ok.
• Ted Lilly takes a no-no into the 7th. Wow. The Cubs flipped the switch back on. Now let's just throw the switch out and not touch it anymore.
• I almost forgot the Bears lost. Dammnit. Here's some post-game quotes from players and coaches.
• Sox swept the doubleheader! They are turning it on at just the right time. Too bad they blew the game yesterday.
• White Sox clean out Crede's locker? Apparently Boras pissed them off and he isn't going to be playing any more games for the White Sox.
  

Zambrano's No-Hitter On Video

As most people know, I was at the game last night. My friend Scotty was there with me and he taped the last pitch and the ensuing insanity. It's a night Cubs fans will never forget. Here's the video:

Finally Y-ousted

Real Stadiums Have Roofs is chiming in today with his take on the firing of Ned Yost and other Milwaukee Brewers news. Nothing posted in this space reflects my opinions in any way. Go Cubs!

Former Batting Champion's Cousin To Lead Brewers

The roar you heard from Milwaukee today was not the sound of the droves of Cubs fans cheering on the most overrated and overpriced team in the nicest ballpark on Earth (miller) . Instead, that roar was in response to the only decent news Brewers fans have had in two weeks. In a move that should be surprising only in that it came 385 days too late, the axe finally fell on Brewers manager Ned Yost.

After going 20-7 in August and starting September with a 5 ½ game lead in the wild card, Yost who just so happens to share three letters of his last name with ‘lost,’ flubbed and tinkered with lineups and relievers until the Brewers’ miserable 3-11 start to September completely erased their sizeable wild card lead. This September debacle comes on the heels of a similar collapse last year, when the Brewers blew an 8 ½ game division lead and finished two games in back of the Cubs.

While there is plenty of blame to be passed around, see e.g., Ben Sheets and his injury which is seemingly obvious to everyone but him and Yost, Hall’s and Weeks’ inability to hit and field, Doug Melvin inking Jeff Suppan’s fat contract, Craig Counsell’s roster spot, and mostly Prince Fielder’s failure to maintain a decent weight or field his position resulting in losing Gallardo for the season as well as the former MVP’s inability to hit with men in scoring position, as the manager of a young and indisputably talented team that folded down the stretch in what could be two consecutive seasons, Yost deserves the lion share of the blame. Whether it was leaving relievers in too long, pitching Brian Shouse against Pat Burrell, pitching Gagne at all, promoting Craig Counsell from batboy to everyday player, or batting the best hitter in the league in the five hole, Yost often refuses to put his team in the best position to win games and that becomes especially apparent when they need wins the most.

The only non-bright spot from Yost’s firing is that he didn’t take Doug Melvin with him. Whether this move is enough for the Brewers to turn their September around and make the playoffs remains to be seen, the firing does, however, virtually guarantee six wins against the Cubs down the stretch and makes the Crew National League front-runners for years to come.

Big Ten Week Three Wrap-up

Let's be honest, the Big Ten has not been exciting so far this season. Due to depression-induced alcohol consumption following Michigan's loss to Notre Dame, I didn't even watch the "Collosus of Columbo" or whatever it was called on Saturday night. Usually I would scold myself for such a miscue. Turns out I made a pretty good choice. From what I read (the score), USC completely dominated the Bucks, prompting many to question the strength of the Big Ten again. Thanks Ohio State.

Well, I predicted Michigan to get a "wildly humiliating" win. Half right isn't that bad. Michigan turned the ball over six times, only one of which was caused by Notre Dame. Michigan out-played, out-coached, and out-gained Notre Dame in all aspects of the game, except the category of not handing the other team a victory it did not deserve.

I also called Purdue - Oregon a good game flying under the radar, and I actually thought Purdue would pull the upset. The Boilermakers came close, blowing a two TD lead and losing in double overtime.

Honestly, I didn't see any other Big Ten games this weekend, but they didn't look very convincing. Wisconsin did get a big win in their toughest non-conference game against Fresno State, 13-10. Woo! Illinois squeaked past Louisiana-Lafayette 20-17, MSU shut out Florida Atlantic 17-0, and Iowa beat Iowa State 17-5. Penn State, Minnesota, and Northwestern won convincingly against teams I'm convinced suck.

Overall, let's all be thankful the conference games start soon, as it seems the only championship a Big Ten team needs to worry about this season will be a conference title.

A Fitting Politically Correct Salute To Mexico By The South Side Good Guys

This photo was sent from Matt via the Trib. Classy.

Hurricane Zambrano Decimates Houston

Considering the actual devastation of Hurricane Ike I know the title of this post is pretty classless, but I don't care. I was at the game last night. It was history. Amazing. I don't even know where to begin breaking it down. I'm just going to list some notes from the game:

1) Zambrano was dominant. There wasn't a moment where we thought he was going to blow it. The only two plays that were a bit tight were D-Lee's leaping grab and DeRosa's running catch. I haven't watched the highlights, but it just felt like everything was a groundout or strikeout. Not many balls out of the infield.

2) That being said, there was a tension throughout the field starting around the 6th inning and extending until the last pitch.

3) I went with three other guys. Our attendance guesses on the ride up? 8,000, 12,500, 14,000, 17,000. The real attendance? 23,000+. All Cubs fans. I mean completely Cubbie blue from end to end. There were a few Brewer fans there and literally a handful of Astros fans. It was a greater percentage of Cubs fans than I see at most home games! Unreal support for Z.

4) I don't know how this Astros team is hot. I literally have not heard of about half their lineup.

5) Miller Park is a great place to see a ballgame. I've been there before but I don't remember it being this awesome. I guess I didn't see a no-no last time though. Anyways, when the roof is closed the whole place smells like a bakery. The brats and dogs are amazing. If you get the nachos, be sure to get the nachos supreme. The sweetened nuts were amazing too (insert gay nuts joke here).

6) When Zambrano struck out in the middle innings, he almost broke the bat over his leg, but then stopped himself. We were thinking that this was the meltdown, but Big Z remained focused and didn't let his emotions take over. It makes you wonder how many of these he could have had if he stayed focus and how his game will improve as he continues to mature.

7) My voice is gone and I'm 'hungover' from the experience still. This is the first no-hitter by a Cub since Milt Pappas threw one in 1972. I just want to use this forum to tell my dad: We all know the story about you seeing Kenny Holzmann's no-hitter in 1969. You always talk about it and remind us of the unlikelihood of us ever seeing a no-no. Well I saw one pops! It was fucking sweet.

8) The ticket to the game itself (which I'm framing) is really funny. It's a Miller Park ticket with the Brewers logo on it and it says Cubs vs. Astros.

9) Soriano's leadoff homerun was great. It was a no-doubter and set the tone for the magical night.

10) Yes StevieY19, I still think it is magical season. It's not a joke, I'm serious.

One of my friends who was there videotaped the last pitch and the ensuing celebration. I will be posting that video as soon as I get it. Congratulations to Zambrano on his first no-no. May there be many more to come. Go Cubs.

CUBS MAGIC NUMBER: 7

Here's a copy of the scorecard from Bleed Cubbie Blue:

Today's Links--No-Hitter Edition

• Top ten free agent quarterbacks we should try out. Personally I don't have a problem with Orton, but this list is kind of funny.
• Granderson's take on the race for the AL Central: Sox have power, Twins have spunk
• Did you hear Carlos threw a no-hitter?
• The Bears blew it. I predicted 20-13 Bears and it was 17-13 late, but the Bears could not hang on. Dammnit.
• Hilarious sports team names. The Fighting Artichokes don't exactly strike fear into opponents hearts. (Get the pun there? Artichoke hearts?)
• Coach Zook has a gameplan for the Big Ten schedule.
• K-Rod breaks Bobby Thigpen's saves record. Problem is, K-Rod doesn't know who Bobby Thigpen is.
  

Weekend Video Fun

The video is long, but trust me it gets funny. Somewhere around 4:30 they start to get fancy and around 7-7:30 things get a little crazy.

Gordon To Miami Heat For Shawn Marion Almost a Done Deal?

Whoa! Apparently the Heat and Bulls have been talking for a few weeks and it appears that a deal may already be in place. The only thing that seems to be holding it up is Ben Gordon's contract demands which the Heat, like the Bulls, refuse to pay:

The Bulls and Heat have actually agreed on a few trade scenarios, however there is only one thing that is holding up a deal, Ben Gordon. The Heat do not want to pay Gordon what he is asking for and are hoping he will change his stance and accept what many would call a “fair” deal. Until Gordon agrees on a lesser deal the Bulls/Gordon stalemate will continue.

The guys at DaBullz think this deal is going to happen, it's only a matter of time. My understanding is the Shawn Marion and Ben Gordon are the major pieces in the trade. The lineup would look something like this:

PG: Hinrich/Rose
SG: Hughes/Sefolosha
SF:Deng/Nocioni/Marion
PF:Marion/Gooden/TT
C:Noah/Gooden

Seems like this clogs us even further at the F position to me, but I like it for numerous reasons. Marion's defense, we can push the ball more with a guy like him, keeps Nocioni out of the 4 spot, gives Rose a legit star to work alongside, etc. The only problem is that this buries TT even farther down the bench, which is something that has hampered his development since day 1. Also, while not being Ben Gordon's number 1 fan, I have maintained that Rose needs a shooter to kick the ball out to. Someone who can knock down the open shot. As appetizing as Deng/Thabo/Kirk/Noce sound, I think BG is definitely the best shooter. I guess we will see what happens.

Cubs Might Play in Milwaukee Tomorrow

I don't know when tickets would go on sale or how much they would be, but apparently the Cubs-Astros series may be played in Milwaukee tomorrow and Monday. Doubleheader tomorrow would be fun. Let's do this road trip.


***UPDATE: Tickets on sale!! Cubs v. Astros 6:05 CT. Buy tickets here. I'll be there with some people, so let me know if you're going and come by and say hi. Go Cubs!!

Grab Bag of Bears News, Thoughts, Previews and Recaps

The Bears had a huge win last week against Indy. After amassing a huge following of doubters throughout the preseason, the Bears showed the country why they are still a team to be feared on Sunday night. The keys to the win were numerous, but personally I believe that Babich was the difference. If you all remember last year Babich took over and decided to completely abandon the blitz. He argued that our front four was so dominant that they could get pressure on the opposing quarterback without any help from blitzing linebackers or DBs. While I do have faith in our front four, injuries and perhaps down years contributed to the inability of last year's team to really disrupt opposing offenses the way they had in the magical season of 2006. Well Babich appears to have left that non-blitzing strategy in the dust this season. He didn't let anyone see too much of it in the preseason, where he only blitzed minimally. This made it a complete surprise to see the blitz coming from everywhere on Sunday night. This defense depends on creating turnovers, but what quarterback will create a turnover without being rushed or pressured or even sacked? If they can sit back in the pocket all day, they are less likely to be hurried into a mistake that will cause a turnover. It all starts with pressuring the quarterback, and that is what Babich finally realized this year.



Which brings me to this week's game. The Panthers have given us all kinds of trouble in the past. When Delhomme has had time to make good throws, he's torched us. The difference is that his number 1 target, Steve Smith, is suspended for the game. If our defense can continue its harassment of the quarterback this week, Delhomme could be in a lot of trouble without his favorite target. We all know Coach Fox loves to run the ball, and the Bears were able to completely stuff the run against Indy. If they force Delhomme to drop back and throw like they did to Peyton, it's going to be a long day for the Panthers. What concerns me is the Panthers run defense, which is actually pretty good as well. I think this game is going to be a very physical, grind it out kind of game, which seems to favor the Bears a bit. If I was making the defensive gameplan, I would put Vasher and Tillman out in single coverage on what's left of the Panthers receivers and just stack everyone else in the box. If Babich agrees with me, we could see a lot of Cover 1 tomorrow. Anyways, the Bears should win this in a close one.



Quick Notes:

• Watch out for this Dante Rosario at TE for the Panthers. If Briggs is slowed down or even out with that ankle problem this guy could tear us up across the middle
• We need Matt Forte to pound the ball and the o-line to give him holes
• Look for both defenses to stack it up against the run and force the qbs to air it out. Orton needs to be careful not to make mistakes against a decent Carolina secondary
• Chris Harris, former Bear, will be looking for revenge. Watch out, he hits hard.
• Josh Beekman, rookie left guard, looked very good last week. The o-line needs to protect Orton, and Beekman will be a key to that.

Brian Urlacher's take on the Panthers: He thinks if the offense can get a lot of 3rd and shorts, they will be in good shape. He also offers a lot of other interesting thoughts on the Panthers.


Injury Report for this week:
BEARS:
Probable-->Vasher-shoulder; Hester-foot
Questionable-->T. Harris-ankle; Tait-groin; Briggs-ankle
Out-->C. Williams-back

PANTHERS:
Questionable-->Diggs-shoulder; Gamble-upper arm; Robinson-knee; Rosario-foot
Doubtful-->Wharton-knee
Out-->Carter-knee
Retarded and Angry-->Steve Smith

Stormin Norman's Prediction: Bears 20-Panthers 13

GO BEARS!

Lou Asks Cubs Fans Not To Panic, Cubs Fans Ask Lou To Stop Losing

Cubs fans all over are getting a little nervous. We've been through too many of these and we want this one to end differently. We want it so bad that we are starting to hit the panic button after a two-week slump. Well Lou thinks we should just chill out:

''I think the people in Chicago get really high and then they get really low,'' Piniella said. ''It's a long season. There are a lot of ups and downs. We've had mostly ups, and we've had a little downer. But it's to be expected. I never thought coming into the season that this team here was a team that would win 100 ballgames. And if we stayed on that [early] pace, that's what we would have won...Look, there is no need for panic, I can tell you that. We got into this funk when we lost our two starting pitchers [Harden and Carlos Zambrano]. I've said along that this club here is pitching first, defense second and timely hitting third. We've got to pitch here. And for the most part, we have. But as we lost those pitchers, our offense cooled.''

But what about the heart-wrenching late-inning meltdowns Lou? And the almost-meltdowns (Woody has looked shaky at best in the recent wins) Well Lou has something else to say:

'We got ourselves in a little rut hitting,'' he said. ''We didn't score many runs, and we lost a few ballgames. If it's gonna happen, do it now as opposed to later. Obviously, you would want to be 8-2 in the last 10 as opposed to 2-8, but what are you gonna do? Basically, there is nothing to panic about. We've just got to close the deal.''

Don't you tell me not to panic Mr. Pinella! 2-8 in the last ten is kind of a big deal. It's definitely not good, I can promise you that. Straighten shit out!

Weekend Quick Hits

Hey everyone. I was swamped at work yesterday and didn't get to read or post anything really. I'm literally reading everything from yesterday and this morning and I'm just going to throw a long list of links at you. Feel free to take a look if you're bored or whatever. I know there's minor league football today, which captivates our friend StevieY19, but for the rest of us on this rainy Saturday:

• A list of 7 athletes who called their shots. It's ok I guess, but Lloyd Lee asked me to post it, and we all submit to the will of the Asian one.
• Z's start pushed back to Sunday because of Ike. He says his arm is feeling better.
• Sox game rained out last night. Doubleheader today.
• What's wrong with Derrek Lee? His OPS in August was .787 and is only .692 this month. The Cubs are going to need him down the stretch, especially with Lou stubbornly insisting he continue to hit in the 3 hole.
• Sox win coin flip for home field in the event of a one game playoff with Minnesota.
• A good by-the-numbers analysis of the 1984 draft. I sure as hell wouldn't take that skinny kid from North Carolina. He can't even make a jumper! Lets just say they don't think passing on MJ was a good call.
• Bulls-Spurs trade? This site makes a decent argument for it.
  
• If you are looking for something to blame for the O-line's problems (they were pretty good Sunday if you ask me) Luol's Dong thinks John St. Clair should be thrown under the bus.
  
• Our friends over at Cuban and the Cubs are furious after reports that Cuban is only in the bidding for the Cubs to drive up the price for his "buddy" Sam Zell. Deadspin is calling it a blog war. Don't be mad guys, Chi-ball is unreliable anyways.
• I guess that's the end for Joe Crede as a White Sox player. He will always be my pick to click in my heart though.
• The Sun-Times thinks the Sox need 10 wins to make the playoffs. I think it's even less than that, but either way they are going to be limping in against some tough competition if they do make it.

Today's Links--Back on Track Edition

• Some sort of crappy Cubs 100 years garbage on ESPN. Some of the interviews are ok I guess.
• Ok this is nitpicking, but remember when the Cubs were winning without giving me indigestion? Oh well, at least they won.
  
• Zambrano is on schedule to start tomorrow. He needs to get in a rhythm down the stretch here. (**UPDATE: Without games on Friday and Saturday due to Ike, how will the rotation be stacked up?)
  
• Wow. A convincing majority of Bulls fans don't think the organization will start Derrick Rose. I don't know if they should, but how often does a number 1 pick not start?
• Ogunleye named NFL defensive player of the week award for week 1. Sweet.
• Sox lose. What a shitty time to run into the Blue Jays.
  
• Since everyone either hates and/or is sick of Jay Mariotti, I'll keep this in the links and not give it its own post. Apparently Mariotti is going to be writing for the Tribune within the week. Fuck Mariotti. Your move Ozzie. Apparently there is some rumbling that Sam Zell is behind this move.
  
• British people piss me off a lot. For instance, now some bloke is claiming baseball started in England instead of America. Hogwash!
  

Sox Fans Infatuation With Paulie Finally Makes Sense

As anyone who reads this site knows, I'm a north sider through and through. I don't hate the Sox, I just think of them as some sort of small market team that somehow weaseled its way into my city. That being said, I have never felt strongly about Paul Konerko. Until this year, I generally liked to call him "half-man, half-a-season" for his tendency to have one great half season every year. He always seemed like a good enough guy personally, and someone who works hard. As my friend Andrew would say, "he's a ballplayer" (a player that goes out everyday and gives 100% no matter the situation, sort of like a grinder). Regardless of all that, I never understood south siders' patience with the guy until he got hurt:

"If this happened in April or May, you might wait until there was no pain," Konerko said Wednesday after an MRI confirmed a sprain of the medial collateral ligament of his right knee. "But I'll just wait until it can function. And if there's some pain, that's fine. It's that time of year when you have to get back in there. We're fighting for a spot in the playoffs. But it has to be able to function."

Love that Theriot-esque spirit. Good luck Paulie.

Your Big Ten Weekend Outlook

If last week was boring as hell in Big Ten, this week is well, not that. At the top of the entertainment value totem pole is what ESPN has so cleverly dubbed the "Clash at the Coliseum." ESPN loves to name things. Judgment Week, Rivalry Week, Red Sox Fortnight; ESPN babies all. Despite the shitty name, this is the game of the season so far and may be the best of the year.

Ohio State is getting eleven points last I knew, and that was before Chris (your name's not Beanie) Wells was listed as doubtful to play. The Buckeyes looked horrible last weekend against Ohio, but this is the one they've been gearing up for, so don't be surprised if it's a little closer than everyone is thinking. Ha, not really, USC by fourteen.

The Michigan - Notre Dame match-up should be quite the pillow fight this season, with both teams struggling early on. The Irish limped to a win against one of the five worst teams in Division I last week with the benefit of a couple of Irishy calls and Michigan is toying with the idea of the forward pass. The youngsters have looked good though, and I think Michigan's D-Line kills Jimmah Clausen and his new strange hair on the way to a wildly humiliating win. McGuffie!!!

Wisconsin travels to the San Fernando Valley (not sure if that's where it is) to take on Fresno State Saturday. Evridge broke out a bit last week when the Badgers fell behind early to Marshall, which bodes well for them this week as they'll need a balanced attack to beat the Bulldogs and their sweet coach with a fu-manchu. Wisconsin wins.

Oregon and Purdue is a good game flying under the radar, Iowa and Iowa State play for some stupid trophy, and Michigan State should be on upset alert against Florida Atlantic. Yeah, I said it. Illinois, Minnesota, Penn State, and Northwestern all play teams ranging from extreme suckitude to something a lot worse than that.

Fearless Theriot Meets His Match--Hurricane Ike

If you haven't heard, some kind of tropical storm is set to hit Houston right around when the Cubs open up their weekend series there. Apparently the game Friday may be moved from 7pm to 1pm. If you were going down there, you might be a little nervous, but you're human. You wouldn't expect DeRosa-punching, no-nonsense, grinder Ryan Theriot to be scared, would you? Well think again:

"I don't want to go," Ryan Theriot said. "I understand why the Astros want the games there. They're in the wild-card [race] and playing well. But [if] that storm does turn and they evacuate the city, then what do you do? Now we're stuck. You hop on a bus and go where?

"Take a bus from Houston to Chicago? I just don't know what the outcome will be, and [hurricanes are] so hard to predict. When you have no power or no cabs to get anything to eat and you're just stuck, that's no fun for anybody. … I'd hate to get stuck."

I mean, I guess it is a hurricane, right? He's still a badass.


***UPDATE: Friday and Saturday's games have now been postponed to a later date.

Ted Lilly Will Lay The Smack Down On Any Molina's in His Way

Ted Lilly wrecks Molina in this clip from last night's game. The best part is when Tony LaRussa looks like he's going to cry about it. Boo-hoo LaRussa.

Today's Links--Fantasy Football Question Edition

• Sox win and regain 1st place for a short moment. Someone needs to break up those Blue Jays though.
  
• Why is this hot, hot, hot chick dissing the women of the Big Ten?
  
• I almost threw up when Woody gave up the homer to Ludwick. At least the Cubbies won. They needed it bad. Thanks Ted Lilly.
• Was that Felix Pie getting ABs? I guess so.
• Remember when Brian Griese started for the Bears? That was pretty sweet, I guess. He's starting in the NFL again by the way.
  
• Luols Dong gives props to Matt Forte. Love that kid. Great attitude.
• As usual Top Ten Chicago Sports brings us a controversial list of something. I like this one: Top Ten Sports Myths in Chicago. I only disagree with 2: Kenny Williams is an average GM and Soriano is definitely overpaid. Fonzy is still valuable, but overpaid.
• Should I trade Tom Brady for Felix Jones in my keeper league? (I have a bigger need at wr than rb) What other guys could I get for him?
  

Real Bears Attack Peyton Manning

I found this picture on Toptensports.com. I don't know where they got it or how they made it, and I don't care because I love it. Didn't think those giant, speedy grizzlies were going to get that close, did you Peyton? Sweet.