Sunday, December 31, 2006

DCS Sportsman of the Year 2006: Tiger Woods

DaChicagoSports editorial team didn’t need much debate to settle on the 2006 Sportsman of the Year, despite the stellar season of tennis great Roger Federer. Hands down the accolade goes to Tiger Woods. Perhaps Federer himself stated it best when he mentioned recently that he gets nervous in the presence of Tiger Woods.

Tiger not only won two majors in ’06 with seeming ease, he had a dramatic season that included all of the highs and lows that a superstar athlete could experience in a single year. Does anyone need to be reminded of the Tiger’s ’06 season on the PGA Tour: After winning a couple of early tournaments, he only managed 3rd at the Masters despite his father’s rapidly declining health. Despite a lackluster for Tiger performance, he finished only three strokes behind Phil, which doesn’t say much for the doughy meltdown artist. Had Tiger reinvented his swing one too many times? Was he past his prime? Following his father’s death came an unprecedented 9 weeks off from the Tour. Then, the unthinkable missed cut at the U.S. Open. What were Nike, TAG, Buick and a half dozen other sponsors paying for anyway?

The answer came with a splintering 2-iron at the Open Championship. Tiger kept the driver in the bag on a course that looked like something that many weekend duffers wouldn’t be happy paying $35 to play on. Could Phil be the new king of the majors? Would Sergio finally be able to fulfill his promise? No and no, but on the other hand Tiger proved to be more accurate from 200 yards out with a deadly 4-iron in his hand than Sergio was with a comfy wedge from 110. It was not just the execution, but the strategy that made our heads shake in disbelief. Tiger was it at again.

Thus began a winning streak with such ferocity and drive that it still has not been broken going into the 2007 season. The Chicago connection was fully consummated not only by his comeback tournament finishing a close 2nd at the Western at Cog Hill where Tiger has been a fixture since the beginning of the career, but finally at the much hyped PGA Championship at Medinah where Tiger simply dominated the scene. Neither Phil nor Ogilvy or rising stars Villegas or Donald even came close to touching Woods while he reverted back to his booming driver and sharp shooting on the greens, pouring in putts from the most unlikely locations with a casual ease.

By the end of the year, it was a given that Tiger would just keep winning, and that feeling of inevitability coupled with invincibility is a deadly combination. It seems appropriate that DCS’ Sportsman of the Year for 2006 plays a sport that the New York Times world affairs columnist and author of the best selling “The World is Flat”, Thomas Friedman calls America’s newest favorite pastime. Golf is a sport that is not only be viewed by millions of fans but is played every week by those same fans who go out and try to be like Tiger. This year, Chicagoans got a chance to be a part of history by witnessing the man who might just be more than DCS Sportsman of the Year (despite the obvious prestige that goes with that honor), but might also be one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Nine Bowl Games of Note





Starting at 10AM on New Year's Day, there are 9 bowl games to keep your eyes on over the next few days. Here are my prognostications:


1. Nebraska 24, Auburn 20 (Late TD toss by Zac Taylor)


2. Tennessee 23, Penn St 10 (Sorry Joe Pa)


3. Arkansas 30, Wisconsin 20 (Stellar QB-RB tandem for the Hogs)


4. West Virginia 30, Georgia Tech 24 (Ditto for the Mountaineers)


5. Michigan 30, USC 28 (Last second field goal by "two-cuts of Prime Rib at Lawry's" Rivas)


6. Oklahoma 28, Boise St 10 (Adrian Peterson will be #2 pick by the Lions SOB SOB)


7. Louisville 40, Wake Forest 21 (Brian Brohm will be a good NFL QB)


8. LSU 35, ND 30 (Have fun with the Raiders Mr. Quinn)


9. Ohio State 38, Florida 31 (Big Game under the Lights for Heisman Winner Troy Smith)


Yes, I am extremely ticked off at my hometown Lions for blowing the #1 pick in the draft by defeating the Cowboys today. %$*(#&^#_%^&^$$#!!$ (censored for vulgarity)

Bears vs. Packers- No Meaning, Endless Dribble


With the Giants winning yesterday, this game has no meaning. Don't buy into the mass media b.s. of its importance for the Bears to play well going into the playoffs. If they don't have their act together by now, its way too late.

We will have to endlessly suffer Madden expounding about Favre's greatness and that this may be his last game. Lets settle this now, Favre will play again and for a long time. Most of these guys play until they can no longer, and Favre clearly can. This is just another of the meaningless games today. And I'll watch them all.

DCS Sportsman of the Year

Stay tuned for our first ever Sportsman of the Year. One of our new staff members, breakfast ball, will be covering this exciting honor for DCS.

Deng he's good!


The Bulls have just torn off a run in December that would be the envy of any team; 11-3. They are meshing well as a team after headbandgate and the confidence is clearly building. The emerging star in this run has been Luol Deng.

He's not quite Chet the Jet yet, but his fluidity and ease at scoring is becoming hard to deny, even for Skiles. Though Skiles claimed "he may never have anonther game like last night is his career". Thanks for the encouragement coach! Deng went 15-19 for 32 pts. More than his numbers was the ease with which he dominated- bum hand and all. Lets hope Skiles will start to unleash him more often.


This team reminds me so much of a very talented college team where the coach insists on corraling the talent simply to show he's the coach. Remember the North Carolina teams with Jordan coming off the bench when he clearly dominated in practices. There was also the Duke team with Maggatte coming off the bench when he always had the most talent on the court. This brings us to the Gordan situation again. This guy always dominates the game when he is in. He is among the league leaders in pts per min. Skiles insists on bringing him off the bench even with Hinrich's injury. Skiles says he doesn't want to disrupt the chemistry.

Skiles doesn't have the talent to be a championship coach, he can get them deep into the playoffs, but his control issues won't allow the Bulls to win it all. This is the NBA not college, keep controlling talented players like Deng and Gordon, and they won't be here to control much longer. Lebron said it best last night about Gordon "he would be a starter on 30 other teams, no doubt".

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Week 17 Picks


The last weekend of the NFL season is upon us and DCS has the following picks for your wagering pleasure.

Cowboys by 10 over Lions
Eagles by 8 over Falcons
Giants by 2 over Redskins
Bears by 5 over Packers

Big Ten Basketball


As we enter another exciting Big Ten Basketball season, here are my 6 Teams ready for the March Madness and 5 teams searching for either more skill or more cohesion:


Dancin-

1. Wisconsin-Alando Tucker (could be as good as Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant at next level)


2. Ohio St-Greg Oden (thanks for the rule change NBA!)


3. Michigan State-Tom Izzo (top three coach in NCAA)


4. Indiana-DJ White (new coach-new era)


5. Illinois-Bruce Weber (who are these guys?)


6. Purdue-Carl Landry (another NBA flyer)


__________________________________________________

Stumblin-

7. Michigan-Tommy Amaker (late season fade-please fire this schmuck!)


8. Iowa-Adam Haluska (Steve Alford should move on after this season)


9. Northwestern-Tim Doyle (improving every year under Carmody)


10. Penn State-4 starters return-deep and dangerous


11. Minnesota-Coach quit already-might win 3 games in Big Ten if lucky



Top 4 teams in April:

1. Florida
2. Wisconsin
3. Pittsburgh
4. Cinderella (Butler/Wichita St)

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Rage against the Merriman



Yesterday Jason Taylor made some very important comments about Shawn "Tainted Sample" Merriman. Taylor believes, as everyone should, that Shawn Merriman is a cheater and should not be afforded any awards or honors. In fact, I think the NFL should reexamine its penalties for cheaters so they cannot be given any awards that year.

"You really shouldn't be able to fail a test like that and play in this league, to begin with," Taylor stated fairly. "To make the Pro Bowl and all the other awards, I think you're walking a fine line of sending the wrong message."

Merriman, if you remember, tried to float the flimsy 'tainted sample' excuse for his positive test. Where is the healthy dose of jouranlistic skepticism that should accompany this ridiculous excuse? ESPN, Fox, NBC, all ate up this and have never followed up.

Also forgotten was the trial balloon that Merriman floated that he would sue the company of the supplements to clear his good name. I believe he also stated he would use this opportunity to become a role model for kids. Please, Shawn. Why don't you feed hungry kids with your new found faith in humanity as well? Not only is Merriman a cheater, but a bold faced liar!!

What confounds me is that these bogus statements were heaped upon us scantly five weeks ago and no one is following up. Has our attention span lapsed so severly that we no longer have even this limited recall? Why is Roger Goodell not said anything about this cheater?

Can you imagine the outrage if this happened in the MLB? Not only would the sports press not leave this alone, but the mainstream news organizations would also be covering it. Why is there such an incalcualbe double standard for the NFL?

MLB steroid tests are in the news again this week, and I'm sure there will be wall to wall coverage. I realize that for so long the sports press was complicit with MLB, in fact DCS discussed that recently, so now everyone is skeptical about allegations in MLB. Unfortunately, the NFL has this false perception that it is the cleaner league. Let me tell you, it isn't. Untold of numbers of players must be using HGH, which is untested, in the NFL.

I'm all for cleaning up MLB, I just don't understand why the NFL gets such a free pass. It is by far the most popular sports league in American with television revenues this year only of over $3 billion. Isn't about time that the rest of were as angry as Jason Taylor and started demanding more from the NFL? At mimimum let's not reward those who cheat. Can't we at least have that Mr. Goodell?

Bud, Bonds and Balls



More big time trouble for the MLB. The very first round of drug testing in 2003 was to be confidential; hence all players willingly gave samples without fear of penalty exposure. After three years of wrangling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that investigators can use the names and urine samples of about 100 players that tested positive in 2003.

Here's the sequence of events;
1.)the player is promised confidentiality and gives a sample.
2.)instead of destroying samples and records, the IRS raids the labs and seizes the goods.
3.)more than 5% of the MLB tested positive resulting in the now "drug testing program".
4.) the feds are now using this evidence to bolster ongoing investigations or other creative persecution-prosecution techniques.

We all know the big names, Bonds, Sheff, Giambi, but there are 100 total. That means a hell of a lot of other big names tested positive. What is Bud going to do now.

The morality of steroids aside, i must agree with the players on this one. This is the reason the union didn't want testing in the first place, they felt it would overstep and lead to other gateway drugs. The players were given their word that the tests were confidential, but now they are not. The union was correct, why negotiate with people like this.

Here's where things get really interesting, most expect this to further the Bonds perjury case, right? Wrong, if Bonds was tested in 2003, he was already with BALCO and Arnold of U of I. They were in the business of creating undetectable juice. This means that a revelation of the Bonds test would be negative and actually prove his "innocence". Could this steroid mess get any more fucked up?

Like everyone else, i'm so sick of this steroids mess and MLB. It's time for Bud to do a mea culpa? "I, we, everyone fucked up, we'll admit it and lets just move on". Do what you want with the records because no one is going to believe them in 20 years anyway. By not takcling the issue head on, Bud is digging the biggest ditch on Earth. How will he ever get out from under this? He won't, not until he leaves in 08.

The bottom line is that this is a scandal, and like all scandals we yearn for more 'juicey' details. The details in this one involve the names-the proof positive. No non-denial denials in this one, if you test positive creativity won't work. No "tainted sample" Merriman's here. Baseball, fans, and media are piling on right now. So what names will the samples reveal. I look most forward not to the muscle heads, but to which pitchers names pop up. Clemens, Petite, etc? They don't look like juicers, but they recover at an astounding rate.

Bud, Mitchell and the owners haven't done anything so far-simply hoped the problem will go away. This may be the event that finally forces their hand.

Quote of last Week and this week!



Canadian Steve Nash on the punch thrown by Melo last week, "typical NBA fight, throw a punch and run away. In hockey your own team would have beat you up for that." And these guys are supposed to by the boyz in the hood.

Update, Melo is taking boxing lessons this week. "I think it will really help me with my conditioning." More like help you to look less like a fool!

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Gerald Ford 1913-2006: President, Baller, Golfer, Stud



President Ford- A man out of time, but what an athlete. Unlike our current Prez who never played any organized sports, but fancies himself an athlete, Gerarld Ford was a stud! A three-time all American at Michigan and is ranked by golf digest as the 3rd best Presidential golfer.

Ford played both offensive and defensive lineman for Michigan from 1933-1937. He was named MVP of the team in 1936. He was drafted by Green Bay, but chose law school at Yale. Photos reveal he packed a hell of physique for the day.

For Presidents the true athletic measuring stick is Golf. Here Ford excelled, by playing almost daily as a congressman and trying to keep the same pace while president. His handicap was a reported 5. What a swing! This puts him behind only Kennedy(1) and Ike(2)-not bad company. While the rest of the world honors President Ford for his role in American Politics, DCS remembers President Ford the Athlete!

Oddly Rambles on about the Bears


I think the important point to be taken from this post is that Da Bears were happy to get the Lions game done with and happy to get the win, no matter how close it came to being a defeat rite at the end. Not for the first time this season the Bears cling onto a game they could have lost 75 different ways. However, as a sign of improvement as the season has gone on, the games they "cling onto" now are games in which they are clearly the better team and usually have the lead for most of the game. They are winning in the end, and this is a good sign. Their inability to put down these clearly inferior teams is troubling. However, I can imagine, well, 75 different ways in which the Bears can get into the Superbowl and one in which they can wn in all.

It seems that no team, including Da Bears, has been a clearly dominate force the entire season. The Bears were 'The Team' for awhile, but that passed. No team in the supposedly superior AFC has been 100% the entire season. Given the uneven state of competition in the NFC and homefield advantage, the Bears have at least a good chance of making a run for the Championship game. Then, the Bears may do what they have to do to win that game, versus whoever. It may be a stripped ball fumble recovery, a kickoff return, a missed field goal, or even a Devin Hester interception or fumble return (just imagine !!) -- or even something more that we can't even imagine yet -- I'm getting the feeling that these Bears may be able to do it.

The example of this winning complexion in the Bears can be seen in the last play of the game. Again, Bears winning and clearly the better, even dominate team, the whole game. Last play of the game: time runs out with a Lions pass into the end zone that had their reciever held onto it, would have beaten the Bears. The Lions reciever should have had it. Hester was right behind the reciever, apparently having blown the coverage. But when I look at the replays, I can't shake the feeling that Hester, in the end, had hung long enough and had applied just enough attention to the reciever to create the conditions for the miss. Even Hesters "Beatles-like" reputation as a returner may have preyed on the recievers mind. Hester was beaten for a touchdown pass in his signature game a few Monday nites ago in St. Louis. The Ram reciever who scored was picked up on mic on the sidelines saying to the effect of "Did you see who I beat? It was the rookie, Hester. #23." Note: Hester scord the first of his two return TD's on the ensuing kickoff.

Sometimes teams are dominate and are clearly the best and prove it on the field. Sometimes teams are dominate and are clearly the best but can't do it on the field. The Bears may be just good enough to apply some of their magic dust right through to the end.

Lets go Bears !


Rambles on about the game


As Jackson has noted in these pages before, the Bears defense has that permable look about it. In the end, as noted above, it was a "bend not break" game, but again against a team they should have put away early they allow the game to be decided at the end. Too scarey.


Griese got some nice playing time, and used it well. The offense moved under him. Rex also had a good game. In retrospect, I am glad Lovey mad the rite decision to play Grossman and stick with him after the last Vikings game. I called for Lovie to play Griese a portion of the next game v. St. Louis, which turned out to be one of Rex's better games. By sticking with him the entire game, Lovie is really telling Grossman that the Bears need him to win. Lets hope he responds.

The blocking went well most of the time.

Gould is great. Unnoticed was his 4-4 field goals and continued solid kicking.

Hester has not had a great return in 2 games!! What the hell !!? Where have all the good time gone ?

Bensen had some nice runs. Welcome is his putting down the shoulder and smashing his way to yards.
I love the instant replay. A call went against the Bears in the 3d Quarter, but I was happy the replay worked. Its good for the game, despite the delays inherent in using the system.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Black Sox Faction

Some baseball fans are beginning to view Sox GM Kenny Williams in the same vein as Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf. He was the former Iraq news minister of information during the early days of Second Iraq-U.S. War who kept insisting that everything was fine for the Iraqi government and reports of the barbarians storming the gates of Baghdad was a lie. When news of the Brandon McCarthy trade spread, Sox fans had to wonder "Wait : We won 90 games last year, had a decent team, and we're really looking forward to the playoffs this year. Why are we forming up the rotation for the 2009 season?? Are we to believe that everything is GREAT ?!? Though it may make business sense to some, the Sox and us fans have got to feel that with this championship quality team should not have to wait 'till next....................three years.
McCarthy, only 23 years old, has a bright future in front of him. And make no doubt about it, he was already accomplished. Although he wasn't on the World Series roster in '05, he was a very valuable member of the team in making it to the post season. A late season spot starter, he put his name into baseball history (more importantly White Sox history), by going 3-2 and having a 4.02 E.R.A. He went 7-1 with a 1.88 E.R.A. between AAA and the Sox to close the season. He showed his class this year by taking a bullpen position (4-7 / 4.68) @ a time where most thought he would start the season in the rotation.
The Sox picked up these prospects :
John Danks (pitches L /21 y.o./ 6'1''/ 200 lb), a power pitcher(90-94 mph) with a nice curve and change up. He is the dude Sox management wanted most of all. To quote the Sox web site"... Danks, was the Rangers first-round selection (ninth overall) in the 2003 draft. He is ranked by Baseball America as the No. 1 Prospect in the Rangers organization and was tabbed by the same publication as their No. 2 Prospect following both the 2004 and 2005 seasons." he split last season in AA and AAA, 9-9 with a 4.24 E.R.A.
Nick Masset (R/24/6'4''/191), another inexperienced power pitcher (95-6 mph), texas's eightth best prospect, who is currently playing in Mexico's winter league.
Jacob Rasner. (20 y.o.) Another unproven prospect for the rotation who spent lst year in A Ball.
Make no doubt about it : the Sox already have the Arms in the stating rotation to have one of the better staffs in the majors. Buehrle, Contreras, Vasquez, and Garland @ the top means that the Sox still have major resources this coming season. Perhaps this wealth in the roataion means that the '2009 Gamble' is well worth the gamble. As a Sox fan, I have learned to wait on Williams' moves. Yes, there is the Todd Ritchie trade from some years back, but more recently he was able to confound fans by acquiring '05 Champion Podsednik for Carlos Lee, get '05 Champion Freddy Garcia in the first place for 'Catcher of the Future' Miguel Olivio (and Jeremy Reed, who looks like a good prospect),letting Magglio Ordonez go and pick up Jermaine Dye, and his post '05 Championship move by acquiring Jim Thome. There will be clunkers, but Williams is one of the best GM's in sports, escpecially with the Reinsdorphian salary restraints he has to work with. But this restructering comes with the feel of "Everything is all right for this '07 team. We will be winning. We will win 90+ games again. Our staff has never been better."
These are harsh word to any Sox fan, or indeed to any lover of professional sports. Modern day Sox fans have had to live with the etrenal shame of 1997's "White Flags Trade", in which the Sox traded two top starters and the #1 reliever for six Giant prospects with White Sox hovering just outside of first place by 3 1/2 games= ON JULY 31st . Every July 31st since I look @ the standings and think "What fans with their team only 3 1/2 out would get mad if the season was declared over on this day?" If the Sox were 3 1/2 out with four to play I would be trying to figure out how they can make it to first, not alone 60 games left. The rades of Freddy Garcia and Brandon McCarthy are starting to get the feel of that trades logic : Salary dumps for prospects that will come through in 3 years time.
So, with the Sox a 90 win team and seemingly needing a little tweaking, the management has started to reallt dismantle the championship team. Talk of that feared Championship Rotation is starting to turn to the rotation of the future, with such names as a Gavin and a Gio, a Matt and a Mike, and Sisco, Phillips, and Lance taking precedence over this year chances. Yes, we trust Williams. Yes, it may be a good time to look to the future without totally raking the team. But Sox fans, burned in 1997, do not want to look to the furure when we don't have to. We want trades and parades for this year: '09 is too far away in the context of this 90 win team. We don't want Minister of Information Williams insisting, like his basketball counterpart after the destruction of the SuperBulls in 1998, that everything is safe for Sox fans. We've been burned before, and don't want it again. We liked '05's '72 virgins in paradise', and would like to taste it again this year.

Monday, December 25, 2006

Happy Holidays!

DCS is on vacation, but will return in full force before the New Years bowls. DCS would also like to announce that we have surpassed 1000 page views. Thanks to all of our dedicated readers!

Friday, December 22, 2006

They're Baack!


Yeah, I know, they lost to the Knicks tonight, but the Bulls are on a tear. What's the difference between now and earlier this month- Big Ben. He has started playing like he cares or has something to prove.

After headbandgate, someone or something lit a fire under Wallace's ass. He is definitely a temperamental player as seen many times in Detroit, but we'll live with it if he plays to his potential. He has almost doubled his pts per game in the last 12 games. According to Sam Smith, Wallace continually complains to ex-teammates that he hates Skiles and doesn't want to be here. Clearly Wallace was called out by Skiles in private and he must respond under the burden of the contract.

Deng continues to develop well and Gordon continues to dominate opponents. Will he ever be ready to start? Though they have been playing the CBA like East, they have occasionally beat a decent team like the Lakers.

Its still wait and see, but they should definitely finish near the top of the division. Its lapses like tonight against the troubled Knicks that shakes the faithful.

Aside from Detroit, Washington is playing amazing ball in the East. Is this the same Wizards team and where the hell has this version of Gilbert Arenas been? They just ended the Sun's streak in Phoenix!

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

State of the NBA


Well, here we are only two months into the season and Herr Stern is up to his double chin headaches. Even he must be wondering if his 12 mil a year is enough to put up with these "professionals". The NBA has seen fights, suspensions, huge trades, ballgate, garment control, poor attendance and a just lot of crap play.

I've got to start with the Denver-N.Y. fight and suspension. How is it when baseball players clear dugouts, go into stands and throw at each others heads its almost seen as funny. Giancreco will often end the local sports with it. In hockey we demand fights as the price of admission. A no fight game makes one feel cheated. But get a group of inner city blacks making huge bucks start fighting and the phrase "out of control" is usually employed. Hard fouls are part of the game. Wilt would routinely kick ass and was never even thrown out of a game. Stern's obsession with controling young black men is in order for the rich white customers to not feel threatened. The Herr was in a jam in this one. Melo was clearly the aggressor with the cheap shot. But Stern needs Melo-he is one of the key players in the future of the league. In fact the NBA did a lot to help the Melo image with his addition on Team USA and marketing. Stern needs Denver to make the playoffs to feature Melo. 15 games cuts it close.

The A.I. trade was a desparation move. Two 30 pt scorers will not work in this age. Way too many strong personalities on this team. Melo, Al and don't forget Kenyon. Al has the most to prove. Will his legacy be years of declining Philly teams or a serious run with Denver. Al will look for redemption with his play until his rebellious attitude takes over. He didn't get along with Larry Brown and won't with Karl. With all Al's talent he sat idle for 10 days. He was picked up because of the Melo suspension to keep them in contention.

Don't give me "at least Stern decided to listen to the players in bringing back the old ball back" shit. It was clearly his idea to make this assinine move in the first place. Only he has the juice to make such a serious move. Has he ever played ball? This takes into question bright this guy really is. You can change a lot of things, but the ball? The players would have been more outspoken, but alas they would have been suspended.

More Herr Stern fascism. Garment control! Watched a Miami and somebody game last week and saw Shaq looking like fool in a suit. More attempts to control the brothers and take the "ghetto" out of their look. Appear white-safe. Stern completely misses the boat. Yuppies find street cred vicariously through these ballplayers. They're not going to go to the south side to find it. They can absorb the NBA lifestyle and absorb it. No longer says the Herr.

Finally, attendance is just a hair over 18k. This is the lowest since 1992. Many reasons including dilutive talent, poor play and poorly manufactured superstars. There are way too many teams that simply don't belong- Charlotte, Toronto, Memphis etc. They can't compete and they don't have the fan base. Stars drive the league and nobody has truly stepped in for Mike, Larry and Magic. Lebron, Kobe and Melo are great, but each has a flaw. In addition, the influx of foreign players has hurt the U.S. marketing. No one can relate to these guys. Kids at the park don't pretend that they are Nowitzki.

The NBA has reached parity- the West is great and the East sucks. Not one team at .500 in the Atlantic. What a joke! Doesn't matter anyway because everyone makes the playoffs. I feel the NBA has peaked for now Stern must go back to the basics. Let players be themselves and "stars" will be born. Manufacturing creations will backfire on Stern- that's why A.I. is the NBA's lifeline to the streets; he doesn't listen to authority.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Bears Wrap


Good News- Bears clinch home field: Bad News -Defense confirms its ordinary.

Just when this game was a near blowout, the Bucs turned around and tied the game. The comeback was orchestraded by a benchwarmer with a backyard arm against what was a feared defense. The Bears party line is we're 12-2 and have home field throughout the playoffs. The reality is they can't even pounce on the weak in the weakest conference. The myth of invincibility of the D is long gone. Haven't heard many comparisons to the "46" lately.

Rex played another good game within himself and the system. It was great to see the tight ends involved. The split of Jones and Bensen continues to be effective and a good game plan. Call Gale Sayers; tell him Devin Hester got lost.

The glaring issue remains the defense. In the first half with the offense clicking, the defense was kept off the field and thereby effective. With the offensive difficulty in the second half the defense broke quite easily. They have given up 58pts in two games. Remember, this Bucs offense isn't the Chargers, its more like St. Rita. They are baaad! Yet they rolled up on the Bears D like a swat team rolls up on Tank Johnson.

Even on the surface behind closed doors the Bears brass has to be worried. First it was an offense that couldn't score and gave away pts. Now you have a defense that can't stop second rate teams and may lose Tank tomorrow. Lovie just keeps reminding us with that 12-2 crap. 12-2 against who Lov? I've said it before but once again "one and done"- the Bears are doing they're best make it come true.

Tank Johnson: Vigilante Justice


There seems to be a very hasty rush to judgment to throw Tank Johnson off the team. In fact, recent reports have Judge Dredd, err, I mean Jerry Angelo throwing Tank off the team on Monday. I think this might set a very dangerous precedent. While I do concede that Tank has used poor judgment, he has after all only committed a misdemeanor weapons charge. This should not be enough to release him. Secondly, the fact that his friend was murdered at a swanky River North club should have no bearing, no pun intended, on his dismissal.

To be honest, Ricky Manning Jr.'s assault charge was far more serious than anything Tank has done. Jerry Angelo's claims that he has high character guys didn't apply there. Is Jerry going to dismiss everyone who has a misdemeanor? I don't think so. Jerry really needs to be consistent and let the justice system take care of this.

Finally, why jeopardize an already depleted defense that has just given up over 30 points to the worst offensive team in the NFL. I'm not advocating accepting anyone on the team in order to win , but I also don't believe this Bears team should pretend like they are holier than though. If the Bears can put together a successful playoff run and win the Super Bowl, no one will remember or care about Tank's problems. If however, the Bears claim the moral high ground and they go down in the playoffs, no one will salute them for their foolish decision. Jerry, let the courts do their job and leave Tank on the team. Your fans will thank you.

Friday, December 15, 2006

NFL Week 14 Picks


Here we go again rolling the dice. DCS did pretty well last week aside from the unforseeable upsets of N.E. and Indy.

Bears 15 over Bucs

Jets 1 over Viks

Ravens 10 over Browns

N.E. 14 over Houston

Miami 3 over Bills

Saints 11 over Redskins

Tenn 1 over Jax

Giants 6 over Philly

Det 1 over G.B.

Arizona 1 over Denver

S.D. 7 over K.C.

St. Louis 1 over Oak

Cincy 1 over Indy

You'll notice several upsets this week as has been the trend.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Tank: Still In The Hood


Tank Johnson, nosegaurd for the Bears, was arrested today on six counts of gun possession. Oh, he also forgot to get a permit. Apparently he thought someone was going to come up on him in his mansion in Gurnee. If anyone is stuck on stupid this fool is. He is still on probation for felony gun possession in 2005 and was arrested for fighting a cop last year.

This was no ordinary bust, the Feds had been watching his house for one month; they also found 2.5 onces of dope which he claims is his girlfriends. Tank had hadguns, sawed off shotguns and a military m-16. Why the Feds were watching him is not yet clear.

Aside from his possible loss to the Bears, the larger issue is what lengths the team has to go to in order to keep these guys out of trouble. I have no issue with guns, booze and brawling, but perhaps these activities should be done individually. Remember last year when the FBI let the O-line use its private gun range, after which they went out drinking and Kreutz and Miller thought multiple contusions and sutures would be a great way to end the night.

The Tank will surely be suspended by the league and with the additional loss of Harris, the Defense will continue to struggle against decent teams. The background on this episode hasn't yet played out, but be sure Johnson is going to get tanked.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Week 14 NFL Power Rankings


This week was a tough one to explain in the NFL. Three top teams suffered convincing losses to weaker opponents: Indy, Seattle and New England. DCS thinks these were more momentary lapses than trends. The Ravens move up 6 spots and the Bengals 5. Rex recovers, but the Bears defense falters and the Saints and Chargers continue to look more impressive each week. This week also has the no NFC teams in the top 6. The AFC championship will really be the Super Bowl this year.

1.) San Diego - Another impressive performance from the leagues best team(1)
2.) Baltimore - Ravens right the ship and move up 6 spots (8)
3.) Indy - Beat down by Jacksonville, but still one of the best (3)
4.) New England- Brady's Bunch looked Lost, but still a good team (4)
5.) Cincy- Could be this years Steelers (11)
6.) Jacksonville- Del Rio should petition the league to wear the suit all the time (9)
7.) N.O. - Dree Bees looks like an MVP (7)
8.) DaBears -Injuries to defense has some worried (8)
9.) Dallas - Tough loss at home, Romo coming back to Earth (2)
10.) Seattle - Embarrassing loss to Arizona, but still division winner(5)
11.) NYG- Weak NFC where 1-4 in last five games make you a playoff contender(14)
12.) N.Y.J.- Bad loss to Bills, but easy schedule helps keep hope alive(10)
13.) Philly- Garcia is showing he can be a solid backup (13)
14.) Atlanta- All it takes is one win in the NFC (17)
15.) Tennessee - Maybe DCS was wrong about Young (15)
15.) Denver - Culter will have growing pains, but what happened to defense? (15)
16.) K.C.- Wasted opportunity (16)
17.) Minn- Still on bubble at 6-7 (19)
18.) Carolina- Season fading fast for last years Bears nemesis (18)

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Bears Wrap


Finally, the Grossman wait is over. He played conservatively and within the system. He must have had an ass-chewing because he seems to have gotten the message. Well the Bears won big, but a closer analysis reveals that their weak schedule has been very deceptive. They played a hapless Rams team that was beaten by the Bears MVP Devin Hester. Here's a quick recap by positions and a 1-10 rating.

Quarterback(7) Grossman avoided the mistakes that have made him the lead story in the sportsworld. Though he had several bad passes which were tipped or dropped, he played solidly within the system. This is the way he should play!

Running backs(8) Jones and Benson are a great 1-2 punch and Peterson was resurrected for several great runs. The competition between Jones and Benson appears to be helping both. Bensen still seemed to be sulking following Hesterts 2nd td-what a team player.

Receivers(8) Muhammad played great possesion receiver and the Barrien run was great for Rex. Several dropped balls by the tight ends.

o-line(8) great pass protection and run blocking. Only drawback was several unusual penalties.

Defense(4) The myth of the invincible Defense has been put in the grave and fully buried. They allowed 27pts by a has been Rams offense. They were burned on the ground continuously and Bulger was able to pass all day even though his receivers did their best to drop balls. If they can't stop the Rams imagine a playoff game against the Saints. How much do they miss Harris ? More likely they just aren't that great, they simply dominate weak teams.

Special Teams(10) Devin Hester won the game! This guy is incredible! He made up for an exposed defense. Why in the world did the Rams keep kicking to him, i don't get it. Any future opponent should avoid kicking to Hester at all cost. This is the only way to nuetralize him.

The Bears should win the remaining 3 games and will get a pass in the first round, but they are clearly not as good as their record indicates. Though Rex played well, when will he try to be Namath again. Someone seems to always bail Rex out, whether it be the D or Hester. This won't do in the playoffs, everyone has to bring it. One and done will wipe out the entire season like a dream.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Cubs coming out of long hibernation


It seems like we have come along away from the April 5th 2004 Sports Illustrated cover for the 2004 baseball season. That cover featured Kerry Wood with the now unbelievable words, "Hell Freezes Over The Cubs will Win the World Series" Since that time, the strongest part of the Cubs, the starting pitching, has greatly dissapointed, been constantly injured and is now rebuilt with youngsters and middle of the road pitchers.

In addition to the pitching, add a new manager and wholesale lineup changes and the 2007 Cubs are really a different species than the 2004 team that held so much promise but dissapointed so much. Kerry Wood, our cover boy, is now relegated to the bullpen. Frankly, I think this is a very good move that highlights his strengths and minimize his weeknesses. Mark Prior, in Lou Pinella's own words is a 'Wildcard'. What that means I don't know, but I do know that latest reports are that he is not throwing. This basically means he won't be ready for spring training. What has happened to Mark Prior is one of the great mysteries of the 21st century Cubs, but at least no one is relying on him. The other wildcard is Wade Miller. Maybe these wildcards will be pocket Aces, let's hope so.

Of course Big Z is still here and he will be counted on more than ever. With Maddux gone, the Marmols, Marshalls and Hills will have to develop on their own. If last year was good for anything, at least these pitchers got some valuable experience. There has been a lot of hand wringing on sports radio about Jason Marquis horrible second half last year. But he made 30 starts, is only 26 and has been really good in the past. Add this to the the perceived advantage Ted Lilly should have coming from a stronger American League the Cubs are looking much better. Don't forget, the Astros lost Andy Petite, will probably lose Clemens and the Cardinals pitching is all over the place.

Will all these changes add up to a winner in 2007? Still too early to tell, but we do know the Cubs have done the most to improve themselves in a week NL Central and have definitely addressed their weaknesses. This may not be 'the year' but it should be a very goood one. For a change.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Picks of the Week


A few picks to help to maintain interest in what may be less than stellar match-ups.

Baltimore + 2.5 @ KC
Atlanta -3 @ TB
Minn + 1.5 @ Det
Tenn -1 @Houston
NYJ - 4 @ Carolina
Dallas + 7 NO
NYJ +3.5 Buff
Indy -1 @ Jax
Philly -1 @ Wash
Oak + 11 @ Cincy
NE -3 @ Miami
SF -3.5 GB
Seattle - 3 @ Arizona
SD -7.5 Denven
STL +7 Bears

Week 13 NFL Power Rankings


Plenty of jockeying for postion as the AFC continues to flex hard as the NFC falls into a boring stretch of parity. Is this what they were hoping to achieve? The NFC boasts only 4 teams with winning records! From this point on in the season, we'll only rate playoff eligible teams. So here we go.

1.) San Diego-L.T. and company can play in front or behind; they just find ways to win.(3)
2.) Dallas-Won big game, Parcells making all of the right moves.(6)
3.) Indy- Momentary lapse or reality check.(1)
4.) New England- Poor start against Detroit, finished strong.(4)
5.) Seattle- Coming on very strong, big win in Denver.(10)
6.) Chicago- Fantastic team, but Rex dilemma.(5)
7.) N.O. -Reggie Bush taking over-looking like O.J. back in the day.(9)
8.) Baltimore- Very poor loss.(2)
9.) Jacksonville- Still in the hunt.(12)
10.) N.Y.J.- Keep hanging on to hopes.(14)
11.) Cincy- Wins big against Ravens.(11)
12.) Tennessee- Finally starting to click.(18)
13.) Philly- Technically very much alive.(22)
14.) NYG- Played their best game, but came up short against dominate Cowboys.(14)
15.) Denver-How far can they go with Cutler.(8)
16.) K.C.- Will Herm Edwards blow it or blow it?(7)
17.)Atlanta- Vick needs to go to the CFL.(19)
18.) Carolina- One of 4 NFC teams @.500 still eligible for wild card(16)
19.) Minn- should have won Bears game.(17)
20.) San Fran- started out too poorly.(20)
21.)ST. Louis- Can beat Bears on Monday night.(21)

"Time enough at last" or LAST TIME !!! ENOUGH !!!


So what in the hell are we supposed to do ?? We've been waiting so long for Rex Grossman to be healthy, and this season we have finally gotten our wish. No question, Rex has had the 'Luckman Look' enough times this season to give us Bears fans hope that we really got a . But at other times, it's 'Hey, I can't believe we got that Saskatchewan Roughriders guy !!!' (Hey hey Henry Burris).
I've written before in this blog that Rex's problem is one of inexperience. Da Bears have a nice running game. The recieving corps is great. I've been pretty happy with the lines protection, though there have been some breakdowns. The defense looks rock solid (and can even be considered an offensive threat..., though mind, i'm not saying they are, you know, an '85 type offensive threat deal......or am I, on that particular account?). The special teams (despite some shit headed moments, like "Get the hell away from bouncing punts !! Raise your voice !! Remember the context of the game !! PAY ATTENTION !!!" ).
But it is so obvious that Rex ( starting in what, his 16th NFL game?) has gotta have more game time experience before we really have our Florida Quaterback. But the question is this : How much more experience can we afford to give him this year? Da Bears are 10-2, have homefield advantage in the 1st round and look to get it, if they advance, in the 2d round. Methinks Rex the Rookie can do just about anything in the seasons last few regular season games without hurting the team ( I say 14-2). People are excited about this team. Not '85 excited, but excited enough to want to believe. The defense is special. Devin Hester is a danger to score every return. The kicking game seems capable of 65yd punts and hitting 100% every placement. It's there, I do believe, to at least get Da Bears into their 12th NFL championship game (Chicago's 14th, including the Cardnials)
But last years disaster in the 1st round seems a chillingly clear possibility. Very very easily we could witness last years results, never mind '86 or '87 or '01's ousters. If Da Bears are serious about garnering their 10th NFL title, somethings gotta happen. I'm good with Rex the Rookie playing the rest of the year as Da Starter. He is capable of Luckman like leadership, say to the tune of 41-0 at halftime. But Brian Griese has gotta play more in the run up games to the playoffs. If Rex the Rookies continues his erratic play, I say go for it. The Bears have a TEAM. They CAN do it. But to win a Superbowl, basically you gotta be 'running on all cylinders.' Griese was signed for a reason, although the main point of his signing was to make sure that a QB was in place if/when Rex the Hospital case made his return. But Griese was signed to guide a good team far into the season in case Rex goes down. Too many times Rex the Rookie has looked like his Saskatchewan Roughriders/Bear predecessor. Remember : Kyle Orton led (???) Da Bears last year to a 10-2 record before Rex came back, all the while looking totally inept. I understand that our Florida Quaterback has a bright future, and we don't want to hurt his confidence.
BUT:
Do we really have to hope that the defense and special teams can outscore opponents in the playoffs ? With Rex, to quote Jay Z, we can "Expect Everything". But do we dare hope for Everything?

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Two months of Hockey 2006-2007

WAKE UP ALL YOU HOCKEY FANS!!!!

I know the Blackhawks are bad, but they just hired Denis Savard for the balance of this season and all of next season. They do have a top five sweater and are an original six team. Of note, Bill Wirtz is quite possibly the second worst owner in professional sports after William Clay Ford of the NFL Lions.


Best three teams:

  1. Anaheim Ducks. Now that they dropped the "Mighty" from their name, they have suddenly become the best team in hockey. Jean-Sebastien Giguere (JSG) is a wall in goal. Teemu Selanne and Chris Pronger are two of the top five players in the game.
  2. San Jose Sharks. Patrick Marleau is not a household name but a great centerman. Watch the number one defensive club in hockey roll out two goalies splitting time evenly. The Finnish Nabokov and the Russian Toskala get along and share the duties. Two goals against per game will get this team far into the playoffs.
  3. Buffalo Sabres. This team has the most goals with Chris Drury and Daniel Briere scoring at will. I can't find very many good teams in the Eastern Conference. The 16 teams are very average across the board. Buffalo's hot start gives them the nod at the first turn.

Worst three teams:

  1. St Louis Blues. Bad power play. Bad team. Thanks very much for blowing that 3-0 lead to Detroit this evening.
  2. Columbus Blue Jackets. No fan base. Weak everywhere. Sergei Fedorov.
  3. Phoenix Coyotes. Who said Wayne Gretzky could transition from player to coach? Why does he want the job in the first place? Curtis Joseph is a sieve. This retread goalie needs to hang up his skates.

Canadian uprising:

Since the year-long strike season of 2004-2005, the playing field has evened out. The financial picture in the NHL is decent again. The six Canadian teams are all playing well. If the season ended today, 5 of the 6 would qualify for the playoffs with the 6th team only a point out of the mix. I think the weak American dollar is really helping the Canadian team owners.

Top to bottom:

  1. Edmonton-2006 Cup Finalist
  2. Ottawa-Joey Korvo is from Oak Park, IL
  3. Montreal-Saku Koivu Cancer Survivor
  4. Calgary-Tanguay and Iginla
  5. Toronto-Best Sweater in the Game!
  6. Vancouver-Sedin Twins

Next NHL report in January. Go Wings!

COLD STEEL ON ICE

The Baker Report -v- the Williams Report



On Wednesday, news of tremendous importance swept through the news world. Most of the world was awaiting news of the report from the Iraq Study Group about 'the way forward' for the United States in Iraq. The other major news; albeit of less importance to the world at large but just as importance in its own context - was the trade of Freddy Garcia from the Sox to The Phillies for......................um....................who are our newest Sox players ?

Everyone knew that something was going to happen with the Sox rotation, but this was stunning. The rumors, started by Williams, that Brandon McCarthy was going to start next year in the minors was obviously ridiculous. The only question was who was going to go to fine tune the team, and what was Chicago going to get in return. It transpires that we will find out what we got in return next decade.

There is no question that the Sox are dealing from strength when it comes to that most important of baseball factors, pitching. To contrast strengths, the Chicago Cubs also made a move yesterday by signing Ted Lilly ($40 million/4 years). My guess is he will become the #2 pitcher in the staff (depending on the return of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood) after their super starter, Carlos Zambrano. But the reality is is that he would have been a fine #7 starter on the Sox staff as of Tuesday night. However, with a team on the cusp of returning to the World Series, it might have made sense to, well, trade some prospects for established players !?!?

There's no question that Williams has pulled off some great signings and trades in the past, the Todd Ritchie experience not being one of them. I do have faith in his works (heh heh), 2005 being the greatest of all works. But there just has to be something else going on with this trade. As it stands right now, the 90 win Sox have just salary dumped one of the better pitchers in the game for two prospects. And yes, these prospects might very well come up giant in '09 or'10, but what about 2007?

Was the Garcia Dump just a precursor to more trades in the near future? Say, how much are the Yankees willing to pay on A-Rods contract ? What about the Sox's supposed needs, a center fielder and back up catching ? Now that James Baker et al are done with Iraq, perhaps we can have them form a Sox Study Group to find a way forward in this off season.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Big Z Could Be Ultimate beneficiary


Just a thought; with the exorbitant spending we are seeing in MLB, Carlos Zambrano may become the highest paid pitcher in baseball. Zambrano is arguably the best pitcher in the National league and avoided arbitration this year by having the Cubs pay him 6.5 mil.

Pitching is at a severe premium in baseball. With aging 2 tier pitchers such as Jason Schmidt reportedly being offered 12mil a year, Zambrano is in an enviable position. Zambrano will be 26 after next season and has never had even a remotely serious pitching injury. Assuming Big Z puts up anything close to his usually amazing season, he will be the number one target of the 2007 off season.

Contractually, he has almost snuck under the radar because he is so young. With the Cubs recent spending spree, they will definitely be in the hunt, but the N.Y's and the Boston's will try to out do each other. If the precedent being spent is the Japanese guy, Zambrano's patience will definitely come to fruition. In a bidding war, Zambrano may command 15-18 mil a year!

Lets hope Zambrano stays healthy, has a great season, and remains a Cub.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Ten Postseason Bowls to Watch




Mark your calendars for an exciting bowl season! (All times are CST Chicago)


1. Poinsettia (NIU v TCU) Tuesday, December 19 at 7PM. Great running backs. Preview for NFL Draft. Pick TCU to win but not cover the 13.

2. Las Vegas (Oregon v BYU) Thursday, December 21 at 7PM. BYU's QB is tremendous. Wrong team favored here. BYU plus 5. (Offensive coordinator at Oregon is Gary Crowton who formerly was OC at BYU and a local team named the Bears under Jauron.)

3. Hawaii (Arizona State v Hawaii) Sunday, December 24 at 7PM. 80+ points in this shootout. Hawaii has 79 touchdowns in 13 games, over 6 per game. ASU coach canned at end of season. Hawaii minus 8.

4. Insight (Minnesota v Texas Tech) Friday, December 29 at 6:30PM. Wrong team favored again. Texas Tech plus 7.

5. Gator (Georgia Tech v West Virginia) Monday, January 1 at noon. West Virginia has the best QB-RB combo in football with White and Slaton. Reggie Ball at Georgia Tech is simply horrendous, the most inaccurate passer I have ever seen. WVU to cover the 7.

6. Rose (USC v Michigan) Monday, January 1 at 4PM. Michigan to win getting the point and the AP #1 nod. Better QB, better RB, better D-Line.

7. Fiesta (Oklahoma v Boise State) Monday, January 1 at 7PM. Oklahoma to win but not cover. Boise States's QB is special.

8. Orange (Wake Forest v Louisville) Tuesday, January 2 at 7PM. Louisville by 30 current line is 10. Weak Forest can't hang with Brian Brohm, Louisville's QB and top ten NFL draft choice when he decides to play on Sunday.

9. Sugar (LSU v ND) Wednesday, January 3 at 7PM. ND to lose but cover in a low scoring game. I hope Quinn doesn't get hurt by LSU's defense. I want him to be #1 NFL pick of the Lions.

10. BCS (Ohio State v Florida) Monday, January 8 at 7PM. Ohio State to win but not cover.

Top three games for entertainment and excitement will be Hawaii, Rose and Sugar.

Go Blue!!!!

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Losing Lions 23-69 Over Past 6 Years = 25% Winning


True quotes from three of the 2-10 Lions. I can't make this stuff up.

"We had our chance to win," Lions running back Kevin Jones said, "but at the end of the game, we gave it away."

"I though we did an excellent job of overcoming adversity, but I let them down," John Kitna said. "I can't feel any worse."

"Look, we're 2-10. It's a good 2-10," Roy Williams said, "but we always figure out a way to lose."

For those who keep score, the Lions backup QB, Josh McCown, has been converted to a wideout due to the Lions thin depth at the WR position. This is the same team with three top ten picks in four years at WR. McCown caught two Kitna passes for 15 yards today and now has one more catch and eight more receiving yards than poor Mike Williams, ex-USC all-world tub of lard.

It's now between Oakland and Detroit for #1 NFL draft pick. Can I get some action on this in Vegas anyone?

Michigan split vote


Here is my scenario:

Florida destroys Ohio State
Michigan kills USC

Split national title Florida in BCS and Michigan with AP vote.

I believe Michigan did not deserve to play Ohio State simply because they didn't win their own conference title. There should be that provision in the rules.

Hoping for Gators and Wolverines in the end....

Full disclosure-I attended and graduated from Michigan.

Enjoy the bowling!

BTW-Carolina will beat the pulp out of Garcia's Eagles on MNF.

One and Done With Rex


Rex just put on one of the most astonishing performances by a starting QB that I can ever remember- 6/19 for 34yds and 3 int. This equates to an unhead of passer rating of 1.3! The Bears are winning in spite of Rex-is he a double agent. Rex has an uncanny ability to negate an incredible defense. What, exactly, is Rex bringing to the offense that the pariah Kyle Orten didn't bring last year.

The positives today were many- defense, special teams and Benson. DCS called for a greater role for Benson this week, and he didn't disappoint. He exploded for a 24 yrd TD on a critical 4th and 1. Hester conrtinues to shine on special teams and the defense is soley responsible for at least 7 of the 10 Bears wins.

Remember that there are three jobs on the line if the Bears are put out in their first game of the playoffs this year. Rex, Jones and Lovie himself. To wait to long to insert Griese would handicap the entire team. He needs to be put in immediately to get quality reps before the playoffs. How bad can Griese be, worse than Rex's performance today- very difficult to achieve. The more touches Benson gets the better he is. If Jones were judged on the 5-7 rushes that Lovie usually blesses Benson with, his numbers would be just as sad. Enough of the blocking talk-Jones doesn't block like Payton, he blocks like most backs do-when they get in a defenders way.

Its all up to Lovie, his contract runs through this season. Angie didn't want to renew it last off-season-maybe circumstances will allow him not to renew it at all. The Bears have the talent to go all of the way, but a QB who looks like he's employed by the other team won't cut. Greise may not be the answer, but he is the only option. The fans are screaming for a change-are you listening Lovie?

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Kia Oro !

I was reminded of the '70's NFL icon Billie 'White Shoes' Johnson recently while reading a New York Times article by George Vecsey last Thursday. It concerned the New Zealand national rugby team being banned from performing a ritual pre game danse in Wales recently. Perhaps you have seen the danse on tv somewhere, because it has been show through the years. If you haven't, imagine : 73, 000 fans in the stadium, and on the field is 20 or so 250-300 lb blokes doing a Pacific Islander war danse - yells, grunts, and violent body movements designed originally to intimidate enemies before going to war (Do see the superlative film "Whale Rider" for a taste of the ritual. And yes, I know 'Whale Rider' is a 'chick flick' = see it anyway. Vecsey suggests that many of the 73, 000 in Wales were there in some part to take in the pre-game ritual as well as the match. And it is spectacular, even to this essentially non- rugby following sports fan.
Which brings me back to 'White Shoes'. Again, if you are of the age to remember him, he was a wide receiver who specialized in returning kicks- and he was good (think Devin Hester). @ the end of any successful touch down return, he'd celebrate by doing his rubber legs danse. It was so arresting, so bizzare, and so different from anything around @ the time, it was just great to watch. Now, I can't remember if he ever scored against Da Bears (i'm sure he didn't, @ least on a return), and I'm sure I hated him @ the time if he did, but anytime he scored it was a time of joy for my frenz and I : "Did you see it? What a return !! Did you see the celebration ?". Playing street football in Marquette Park, any kick return we did wouldn't be complete without a 'White Shoes' danse.
Now-a-days, of course, we have all sorts of rules against this. One of my favourite sporting memories of growing up, that once a season explosion from 'White Shoes', would , I'm sure, be verboten in todays game. Other celebrations, such as T. Owens 'Sharpie' incident and the 'Fun Bunch' from the 80's Redskins, are all not allowed. And what about Mark Gastineau's 'sack danse' ? I know I'm probably in the minority, but I just think these celebrations are fantastic. Soccer, for example, has a great tradition of celebrations that has largely not been legislated against, and to watching the celebrations can be as fun as watching the goal.
I think that we really should embrace these celebrations as a part of what makes sports fun. I'm not advocating any sort of direct taunting: these displays can be deeply nauseating. And the celebrations must not take up a large amount of time. But let the fun roll. It is a game. As long as the two strictures above are adhered to, let it go. Joy in humans is something we should celebrate, not legislate.

NFL Week 13 Picks


Here are the DCS picks for the key games against the spread.

Vikings +9 over Bears

Dallas -3 over Giants

Tennessee -7.5 over Colts

Lock of the Week

Pats -13.5 over Lions

We'll review these games on Monday.

Friday, December 01, 2006

Big Ben the Buster!


After being called out all week long over headbandgate and overall Chandler type play, Wallace was a no show against New Orleans. You would think that after all the negative attention placed upon him during the week, Wallace would take it out against Chandler-the player he replaced.

His numbers were brutal- 4rbs and 1pt. Chandler had 18rbs and 2pts. Luckily, the Bulls were able to fend off a charging N.O. team in spite of Wallace not trying. So here's what we have, the Bulls traded Chandler because he couldn't score and obtained Wallace for 64 mil who also can't score and now can't even rebound. We are now fortunate enough to have 4 more years of this type of defining play to look forward to.

Big Mac, Arnold, and the Complicit


We have now reached what will become the final chapter of the steroid era. As Mark Mcgwire becomes eligible for the MLB hall of fame, we now have a referendum of what steroids has and will mean to baseball. To me this is a clear cut decision, I will vote for Mcgwire to enter the MLB hall of fame based on his devastating numbers. We vote on his playing career, not on his refusal to answer some self-serving congressman.

There are many ways to slice and dice this topic, so this is the first step in declaring my vote for Big Mac. Did he use pharmaceutical assistance- of course he did, he admited so with the andro. Were prescription anabolic steroids used as well-hell yes!. Was all of this allowed under the then MLB rules-Yes. That's the bottom line, he used whatever was available and allowed under the then MLB rules to dominate! He was never once caught cheating like the Corky Cub.

First a basic precursor, there exist many over the counter supplements that will give you steroid like growth and power. These are referred to as pro-hormones. These were banned by the FDA in 2004. Why would one not simply take these instead of steroids? Because they are in fact more dangerous than actual steroids.

As Arnold was winning the fifth of his Mr. Olympia titles, Barbara Walters would ask him if he used steroids because of his obvious size. He would constantly respond, "yes, i do, under the supervision of a doctor". Who around MLB didn't notice the explosion in the size of players in the mid to late nineties as the number of homers took off.? Where were the public questions being asked of steroid use?

The complicity involves players, managers, owners, and worst of all the media. The same media that will vote to keep Mac out of the hall was the media that turned him into a white, apple pie, baseball God! The writers that declare that he will never enter the hall knew that he was using for years. The rumors had been there since the Bash Brothers. Players did the juice and didn't cross the line, managers turned a blind eye, and owners just continued to count the cash.

Critics always claim Arnold won because he used the gear, but everyone had access to the same juice. Mcgwire had pharmacuetical aid, no doubt, but everyone also had access. Remember, Mac was pre BALCO and its secret potions.

All this aside, the numbers speak for themselves. 583 career homers, 4yrs of 50hr or more, 49 hr as a rook, and 1 gold glove. But the number that puts him in without doubt is the 70hr breaking Maris's record! This was the most hollowed record in baseball, 60 had only been broken once in 70 years. Breaking this ensured Mcgwire's entry into the Hall of fame-or so we thought.

Roud 68 Twelve-tide of Chicago Sports


On the twelfth day of Da Chicago Sports Blog, my sports friend sent to me
Twelve Bulls a-Bitching
Eleven Bears Self-Abasing
Ten Beers a-Brewing
Nine Overpaid Cubs
Eight Blackhawk Fans in the Stands
Seven Single-Malt Scotches
Six Scott Boras White Sox a-Fleeing
Five Steaks at Ditkas
Four Ben Wallace Ouches
Three BCS-Worthy Teams
Two Turtle Doves
and a Viking in a Bear Tree.

Joe Crede and modern baseball economics


Remember long ago, when Joe Crede was the up and coming youngster who was projected to develop into the third base star for the White Sox? Robin Ventura, the grandslam hitting and Gold Glove winning team leader and mainstay @ third base, was gonna have to go. And why? Because Sox ownership was not going to pay Ventura top salary in his upcoming free agency year. The Sox had put a lot of time into Ventura, and he had developed into a total plus for the team. However, even though Crede was not yet ready to play in the bigs, Ventura was set loose. He went on to star in the N.L. (near MVP in 2000), play in the World Series with 2000 Mets), and approach Lou Gehrigs all time record for grandslams in a career (my favourite : the walk off that beat ex-Sox Goose Gossage and the Rangers in 1991).
Now, however, we seem to find ourselves in the exact same position. Crede has blossemed into the player that we hoped he would:a clutch and consistent hitter, a fielder always mentioned in the Gold Glove discussions, and a World Series star that who was one of the leaders of the 2005 Sox. But for several years, Sox fans have realised that Josh fields, the new 'up and coming youngster' would almost certainly replace Crede when his contract was up. And that means now.
Crede has been mentioned in several trade rumours, most notably with the Yankees and Angels. The trade roumours have been interesting. Freddy Garcia, who had a pretty good 2006, has been linked with both trades. The Yankee rumour has A Rod coming to Chicago, where he could resume his Gold Glove regular position of shortstop and Fields starting @ third. The Angel trade has E. Santanna replacing Garcia in the rotation and Chone Figgens playing a varitey of positions and using his speed on the basepaths. If Kenny Williams, the Sox G.M. feels these trades will make the Sox a better team, it's hard to argue with his overall success (despite the occasional Ritchie of trades=then again, would Josh Fogg really be in the Sox rotation now a days ??). If it makes baseball sense, yes do it.
However, if another 'White Flag' sale (however different that that deeply horrifying incident in 1997- the second worst/most disgraceful happening in baseball history after the 1919 Black Sox = jeeze, @ least the Sox hold the top two spots in SOME lists!!) is in the makings, please let it pass. Have Sox management noticed that success means even more attendence and tv ratings for the Sox ? Have they noticed that the increased coverage translates into interest from the marginal types who aren't normally baseball fans and made the Sox into the most compelling sports story in town these last two years? These marginal types can name every Sox Champion of 2005, like they can name the Super Bears and the Bulls of the 1990's. And yes, they may know the name Fields in five years. But cut loose productive team leaders who really do not have to go will mean disaster for the team in the future. Its fun to see 35,000 people @ comisky evey game, like the early and mid 90's. Lets keep it that way.

More trouble for the South Siders


Well, if anythings says, "We give up." it's resigning sorry ass Scott Podsednik. The details of which can be found here. In this article, Williams claims the high cost of free agents for the reason of resigning Peter Pan. Add this to the unreasonable decision by Williams that he will never negotiate with any Scott Boras client and so is thinking of sending Crede, one of the Sox' best players, packing and we are coming to understand just what Sox fans can expect from the brain trust. Even though the league is awash is cash, and Sox attendance has never been higher, Williams and crew are going to start crying poverty on the South Side. This is shaping up to be a very long season for the Sox indeed.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Rant and Rave

Headbandgate continues to pick up steam. The racial component has now entered the drama. Remember Rodman- well the Bulls let him wear,do, and dress any way he wanted. Then came Eddie Robinson, Jalen Rose and Artest. They wore headbands in unconventional ways- around their necks and at angles. The bottom line being played up is that if you are "punk" like Rodman ie. white, its ok. If you are "ghetto" ie. black, then its a no, no. Lebron is now supporting Wallace. This is just getting interesting.

The Hawks hired a new coach- I can't remember his name, but i thought he already was the coach. More on this later.

What does it take to get lead attorney for T.O., Michael Irvin off of the air. He has at least 3 cocaine busts that I can recall and then there is his latest flap. Insinuating that Romo has black blood in him through his g.g.g. grandmother "grabbing a stud from the stable". And they canned Harold Reynolds. Though many of Irvin's peers equal his lack of insight, I can't understand why ESPN puts up with him. Send him back to Tom Arnold.

The Sox continue to deny trades they are not making. They have done next to nothing at the winter meetings. Primo(Williams) still seems very angry and Secundi(Oz) is amazingly quiet. The talk is that another playoffless season will be Secundis last. Chief apologist Hawk should also go, he is worse than a domer homer.

The Bears are in need of a bold move-no not Griese for Rex, not yet at least. Its time to let Ced the great get a chance to start. Jones is adequate, but given an equal number of carries Ced can explode! He hits the line hard everytime and is extremely quick for his size. Given 20+ carries, he will definitely break at least 2. He should be in the same position as Rex, but he can't shut up. He is the prized pick of both Angie and Lovie-like Rex, who has their undying Lovie. Ced would have the same except for his mouth, which he can't seem to stop. Jones is a journeyman back who works hard and had little competition. Given the quality line and number of carries Jones has, his numbers are expected. Remember how easily and publicly management turned on Jones when he didn't show for mini camp. Ced is the future, even if only he believes it.

The Cubs continue to talk of spending the lottery loot...and we can't wait!

NFL Power Rankings Week 12

There was plenty of reality based feedback for many playoff aspiring franchises. The game of the week starring the Bears and Pats lived up to billing and resulted in quite a bit of reshuffling. As all of the teams vie to move up the ladder in the DCS power rankings, some simply must be told the season is over.

This Week /Last Week
1.)Colts-By virtue of record only.(3)
2.)Ravens-Looking like the Bears want to.(6)
3.)Chargers-Scare by the Raiders/Merriman back.(1)
4.)Patriots-Overcame mistakes to beat Bears.(4)
5.)Bears-To Rex or not to Rex.(2)
6.)Cowboys-Looking better every week.(9)
7.)Chiefs-Won must have vs. Broncos.(13)
8.)Broncos-Dangerous game to switch to Cutler now.(5)
9.)Saints-Best of weaker part of NFC.(16)
10.)Seahawks-Perhaps we underestimated Alexanders return(15)
11.)Bengals-Palmer looking sharper every week.(10)
12.)Jaguars-Not great, but in the hunt.(8)
13.)Dolphins-Why didn't they do this earlier?(18)
14.)Jets-Can you say Mangini?(11)
15.)panthers-Wild card bound.(7)
16.)Bills-Now fighting to stay out of last place.(22)
17.)Titans-Either they are getting better or Giants much worse.(23)
18.)Giants-Not all Mannings are created equal.(14)
19.)Falcons-Giving it away.(19)
20.)49ers-Finish strong and wait for next year.(12.)
21.)Vikings-Still in wild card picture.(25)
22.)Eagles-Mcnabb may not return for season opener-next year!(17)
23.)Rams-Pathetic, but still in it.(27)
24.)Packers-Favre should hang it up.(25)
25.)Steelers-Start to finish-Disaster!(20)
26.)Redskins-Gibbs magic long gone.(26)
27.)Browns-Still going south fast.(21)
28.)Raiders-Still fighting for something or someone.(30)
29.)Bucs-Get rid of Gruden(29)
30.)Texans-I miss Pastorini.(28)
31.)Cards-Green must go somewhere, anywhere.(31)
32.)Lions-Fire Millen-Please.(32)

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Bears Postgame

A sloppy nine turnover game results in the Bears picking up their second loss of the season. Lovie's answer, "We are a good football team. Our record is 9-2." I have to admit, I'm starting to tire of Lovie's attitude. I like my coaches to be angry after a victory, not making excuses after a loss. Even after Rex gave the game away, Lovie firmly stated in his post game interview that his 23.6 quarterback rating is untouchable and he is the quarterback. I'm not sure that Rex should be replaced, but why isn't his job performance based like everyone else's? He further states that they are 9-2, as if that solves everything. The 9-2 record, is frankly, not meaning as much these days. The point has be getting to a Super Bowl, not having a good regular season. I think Lovie is taking his eyes off the prize. Rex is definitely not a Championship caliber quarterback. If Lovie is happy with a first or second round playoff loss, he is wasting all the talent on the defense. In fact, the offense has a lot of talent now as well. Rex needs to be reined in. Put the Kyle Orton game plan back in. Understand your quarterback's weaknesses, adjust to them, or replace him. All the goodwill you built up with your good regular season record will evaporate instantly if you lose in the first round because you couldn't control your gunslinging quarterback.