Look, I realize it's been the better part of 9 months since I last posted on "Notes From The Pressbox". Of this, I need no reminder, but I do apologize. Since taking over Jim Killian's duties during the morning hours here at WGCY, my attention to sports has been severely altered. I'll definitely try to update a little more frequently in the future.
With that said, I'm back and ready to talk a little pigskin. My Cubs have been out of the National League playoff picture since, oh...Opening Day. Just a terrible season overall. And so, football became my focus about two months ago. That and hot weather have made me look forward to the fall this summer more than I can ever remember. Perhaps it's the success enjoyed by the GCMS Falcons and head coach Mike Allen last year when they came within one "w" of playing for the state championship. What a fun time that was. One I'm sure Falcon fans won't forget anytime soon. The good news is, this year's Falcons are going to once again be a player in the HOIC. Sure, there's no doubt they'll miss the senior leadership and spectacular play of graduates Stephan Birt and Michael Romshek. Those two young men left a pretty large footprint on the field on North Sangamon the past few years. Inevitably though, Coach Allen will find himself in the same position as he has in year's past, looking for kids from other classes to fill those roles. I have no doubt he will.
I'm also pumped about the Chicago Bears. Not that I believe they'll be playing in Dallas for the Lombardi Trophy in February. Just excited because they're back. That's it. The NFL season is an absolute blast. It truly has supplanted baseball as "America's Game". One game a week. Not 5 or 6 like baseball. EVERY game means something. Only in Major League Baseball can you have a rotten first month and still recover to make the postseason. Not the case in the NFL. It gives a guy something to look forward to every week. I usually am not a big fan of Sunday's. I've always found them a little boring. And you know what's next.....Monday. Blah. But it's different in September, October, November, and December. The NFL changes that mindset for me.
Time in the garage with friends talking Fantasy Football, all while enjoying a few cocktails while a cool breeze rolls in from the south. I get excited just thinking about it. So anyways, just a few random thoughts about the transition from summer to fall, baseball to football. I can only guess the rest of you pigskin fans feel the same way. Excited about the return of football? Let me know your favorite part in the comment section below. Good to be back. Go Falcons!!! Go Bears!!!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Are We Having Fun Yet Falcon Fans?
As you can probably deduce for yourself, I sometimes struggle in finding a topic to blog about. My Cubs were basically done in May, the Bears are woefully under performing, and Jim Cotter covers the Illini for our little station, so the choices are kind of few and far between. I guess we could talk about the GCMS football Falcons couldn't we? YOU BET YOUR LIFE WE CAN!!!
To borrow a phrase from former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, "How 'bout them Falcons?" This has been quite the ride Falcon nation. To look across the field this past Saturday in Kewanee and see hundreds upon hundreds of GCMS fans dressed up in all their red and black garb was honestly quite the site. In fact, if you haven't visited our local sports page and perused all the pictures on wgcyradio.com yet, take a minute to do so. In my best estimate, I would venture to say that the Falcons may have had more supporters on the road than the home team did. It just goes to show you how strongly our community backs our youngster's. And let's be honest, this is rare territory for a Gibson City football team.
The 1998 Falcons under then Head Coach Vic Jennings reached the quarter-final round, but unfortunately fell to a pretty good Stillman Valley team and future Illini lineman Bucky Babcock. But you get the feeling that this version .2009 of the Falcons are different. It's as if Mike Allen's boys don't know they aren't supposed to get this far. Never before have I seen a more mature, confident bunch of teenage boys. Lauded for their professionalism, their class, and thier superior play, football fans may one day be speaking of the '09 team as old timer's now do about the vaunted 1957 Greyhounds.
We're (and I use that pronoun because I believe "we're" all in this together) only one victory away from playing at Memorial Stadium. Yup, should GCMS defeat the #1 team in the state this Saturday in Morrison, Falcon fans might be able to give a whole new meaning to the term "Black Friday" the day after Thanksgiving in Champaign-Urbana. I understand that will be the theme this weekend on the road against the Mustangs. That the Falcons want a "blackout" at Morrison. All GCMS fans are encouraged to dress in black. And how fitting is that? It's like a black storm is headed your way opponents.
So sit back and enjoy ladies and gentleman, this run is not yet over. There's still business to attend to according to the guys. Michael Romshek, Stephan Birt, the Seneca brothers, Ross Perkins, Cody Gaessar and the rest of this senior class want to play ball where the big boys do. Could it be that the best football of 2009 to be played at Memorial Stadium won't be by guys named Juice or Arrelious, but kids like Alex Kemmer and J.J. Gardner? I don't see why not.
To borrow a phrase from former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, "How 'bout them Falcons?" This has been quite the ride Falcon nation. To look across the field this past Saturday in Kewanee and see hundreds upon hundreds of GCMS fans dressed up in all their red and black garb was honestly quite the site. In fact, if you haven't visited our local sports page and perused all the pictures on wgcyradio.com yet, take a minute to do so. In my best estimate, I would venture to say that the Falcons may have had more supporters on the road than the home team did. It just goes to show you how strongly our community backs our youngster's. And let's be honest, this is rare territory for a Gibson City football team.
The 1998 Falcons under then Head Coach Vic Jennings reached the quarter-final round, but unfortunately fell to a pretty good Stillman Valley team and future Illini lineman Bucky Babcock. But you get the feeling that this version .2009 of the Falcons are different. It's as if Mike Allen's boys don't know they aren't supposed to get this far. Never before have I seen a more mature, confident bunch of teenage boys. Lauded for their professionalism, their class, and thier superior play, football fans may one day be speaking of the '09 team as old timer's now do about the vaunted 1957 Greyhounds.
We're (and I use that pronoun because I believe "we're" all in this together) only one victory away from playing at Memorial Stadium. Yup, should GCMS defeat the #1 team in the state this Saturday in Morrison, Falcon fans might be able to give a whole new meaning to the term "Black Friday" the day after Thanksgiving in Champaign-Urbana. I understand that will be the theme this weekend on the road against the Mustangs. That the Falcons want a "blackout" at Morrison. All GCMS fans are encouraged to dress in black. And how fitting is that? It's like a black storm is headed your way opponents.
So sit back and enjoy ladies and gentleman, this run is not yet over. There's still business to attend to according to the guys. Michael Romshek, Stephan Birt, the Seneca brothers, Ross Perkins, Cody Gaessar and the rest of this senior class want to play ball where the big boys do. Could it be that the best football of 2009 to be played at Memorial Stadium won't be by guys named Juice or Arrelious, but kids like Alex Kemmer and J.J. Gardner? I don't see why not.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The NFL, Sunday's, and Unhappy Spouses...
Gentlemen!!! Start your remotes!!! Wives, uh.....see you in March. Now I just know I've set myself up for trouble with that statement, but guys, is there anything untrue about it? Let's be honest here, we don't completely ignore our better halves from September through February. We're still willing to take out the garbage, mow the yard, take you to the occasional "chick flick." But on Sundays please, please, please, just leave us alone. That's right, the National Football League returns in all it's glory this weekend. Actually, there's a game on Thursday night between the defending champion Steelers and Titans. That's kind of an appetizer if you will.
Sunday is where it's at though. I've blogged on this before. The typical NFL Sunday, for most of us anyway, begins with checking the our fantasy football lineup for the first of what could possibly be about 15 times before Noon. Who's hurt? Who's starting? Inquiring minds want to know. Next, get any chores or errands done by no later than 11:00. I mean after all, a guy's got to get his mind right doesn't he? Sure he does.
Ladies, this is in no way a knock against you when we say we probably would like to be left the hell alone for about 10 hours. From Noon sharp until 10 that night, we might as well be another fancy throw pillow on the couch. Isn't it an American man's God-given right to sit in his Lay-Z-Boy, drink about 20 cocktails, drill a whole bag of chips, and flip between the Patriots and Vikings game if he wants? I say yes. Please don't use this against us ladies, it's born into most of us along with breathing and blinking. Kind of involuntary when it gets down to it.
So if you feel the need to talk on the phone with your mother about God knows what for 45 minutes, need to check your Facebook page, or ask our opinion on the colors your thinking of painting the dining room, move to another room or wait until Monday. Oh wait....there's a game Monday night. Better make it Tuesday.
Sunday is where it's at though. I've blogged on this before. The typical NFL Sunday, for most of us anyway, begins with checking the our fantasy football lineup for the first of what could possibly be about 15 times before Noon. Who's hurt? Who's starting? Inquiring minds want to know. Next, get any chores or errands done by no later than 11:00. I mean after all, a guy's got to get his mind right doesn't he? Sure he does.
Ladies, this is in no way a knock against you when we say we probably would like to be left the hell alone for about 10 hours. From Noon sharp until 10 that night, we might as well be another fancy throw pillow on the couch. Isn't it an American man's God-given right to sit in his Lay-Z-Boy, drink about 20 cocktails, drill a whole bag of chips, and flip between the Patriots and Vikings game if he wants? I say yes. Please don't use this against us ladies, it's born into most of us along with breathing and blinking. Kind of involuntary when it gets down to it.
So if you feel the need to talk on the phone with your mother about God knows what for 45 minutes, need to check your Facebook page, or ask our opinion on the colors your thinking of painting the dining room, move to another room or wait until Monday. Oh wait....there's a game Monday night. Better make it Tuesday.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sammy, Big Mac, Barroids, and.....the HOF????
So here we sit, 11 years after the great "Home Run Race" of 1998 between the Cardinals' Mark McGwire and the Cubs' Sammy Sosa. Many said they rescued baseball. We saw the two muscle-bound sluggers on the cover of Sports Illustrated, named "Sportsmen of the Year." We all bought into it too, didn't we?? Come on, admit it. You were as captivated as the next guy as to when the next 400 foot missile would land in the bleachers at Wrigley, or the grassy knoll in center field at the old Busch Stadium. And that's okay.
But knowing what we do now, and that's a lot but still probably not everything, what are your feelings on guys like Sosa, McGwire, Bonds, Palmeiro, Rodriguez(both Alex and Ivan), Ramirez, and Sheffield being inducted into baseball immortality with a plaque in Cooperstown? Some claim that the Hall of Fame should introduce a "steroids wing" that gives said players their just due for the accomplishments, but notes that they did indeed play under suspicion in the "steroid era."
I tend to lean the other way. Cheating is cheating, even if it wasn't technically illegal when most of the dirty work was done. These guys shouldn't sniff the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. But then we run into a quandary. What about Barry Bonds? He took steroids, or the cream, or the clear, or flax seed oil, or B-12 shots, or whatever the drug of the week was at the local gym.....but was Barry Bonds a Hall of Fame player BEFORE his head swelled and temper flared a little more frequently than usual? That's kind of a tough one.
Please give us your opinion. It seems to be the story that won't go away, but no one seems to have the right answer. Care to give your two cents? Please leave your comments in the section provided below. As always, thanks for reading!!
But knowing what we do now, and that's a lot but still probably not everything, what are your feelings on guys like Sosa, McGwire, Bonds, Palmeiro, Rodriguez(both Alex and Ivan), Ramirez, and Sheffield being inducted into baseball immortality with a plaque in Cooperstown? Some claim that the Hall of Fame should introduce a "steroids wing" that gives said players their just due for the accomplishments, but notes that they did indeed play under suspicion in the "steroid era."
I tend to lean the other way. Cheating is cheating, even if it wasn't technically illegal when most of the dirty work was done. These guys shouldn't sniff the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. But then we run into a quandary. What about Barry Bonds? He took steroids, or the cream, or the clear, or flax seed oil, or B-12 shots, or whatever the drug of the week was at the local gym.....but was Barry Bonds a Hall of Fame player BEFORE his head swelled and temper flared a little more frequently than usual? That's kind of a tough one.
Please give us your opinion. It seems to be the story that won't go away, but no one seems to have the right answer. Care to give your two cents? Please leave your comments in the section provided below. As always, thanks for reading!!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
One Month Down....Five to Go!!!!
Well baseball fans, the month of April is in our rear view mirror, and we have some surprises regarding the "Holy Trinity" of baseball favorites in this neck of the woods. The St. Louis Cardinals, predicted by many baseball "experts" to finish anywhere from second to fifth in the head-scratching NL Central are on top of the mountain in first place, while the darling of the division the past two seasons, the Chicago Cubs are finally starting to play respectable ball after a tough start.
As for the White Sox, meh. They're right where we thought they might be. As former Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green so eloquently put it two years ago, "The White Sox, er Bears, are who we thought they were!!!" Up and down starting pitching, and an aging lineup that isn't getting much from the youngsters on the roster currently has the Second City's second team floundering around the .500 mark.
So my question to you, Mr. Baseball fan, is how do you think the Cards, Cubbies, and Pale Hose will play over the next five months? Can the Cards keep it up? Will the Cubs eventually kick it into high gear and take the divison for a third consecutive season? Will Ozzie Guillen's head explode? The answers to these age old mysteries and more lie deep within your own internal baseball "expert." Let myself and WGCY listeners know your OBJECTIVE feelings in the comment section provided below, and we'll discuss them on the morning sports report at 7:30 weekdays. Thanks for reading!!
As for the White Sox, meh. They're right where we thought they might be. As former Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green so eloquently put it two years ago, "The White Sox, er Bears, are who we thought they were!!!" Up and down starting pitching, and an aging lineup that isn't getting much from the youngsters on the roster currently has the Second City's second team floundering around the .500 mark.
So my question to you, Mr. Baseball fan, is how do you think the Cards, Cubbies, and Pale Hose will play over the next five months? Can the Cards keep it up? Will the Cubs eventually kick it into high gear and take the divison for a third consecutive season? Will Ozzie Guillen's head explode? The answers to these age old mysteries and more lie deep within your own internal baseball "expert." Let myself and WGCY listeners know your OBJECTIVE feelings in the comment section provided below, and we'll discuss them on the morning sports report at 7:30 weekdays. Thanks for reading!!
Friday, January 16, 2009
The "TOURNEY" Returns!!!!
It's mid-January prep basketball fans, and in these here parts, that means just one thing and one thing only.....it's McLean County Tournament time!!!! Yes indeed, one of the longest running high school basketball tourney's in the state, and you gotta think the country, is back and ready for another fun run of hoops action beginning Saturday the 17th. There's some controversy as to whether or not the tourney has been re-named as the "Heart of Illinois Conference/McLean County Tournament," or if it's still just the "McLean County Tournament." Ask any old-timer or WGCY announcer from the rural Colfax area, and you'll get a resounding answer in quick fashion.
In case you didn't know, this is the 99th edition of the tournament in one shape or another. Yes, it seems as if Dr. Naismith himself could have attended the inaugural event, it's been around that long. There's been a great number of different schools, under one name or another, through the years that have taken part in the hoops extravaganza. In this year's edition, there are a total of 26 teams taking to the hard court. All 13 schools from the Heart of Illinois Conference will send both their boy's and girl's teams. To some of the tourney traditionalists, I'm sure it's a little disheartening to see it become, in effect, the H.O.I.C. Tournament. Only Ridgeview, LeRoy, Tri-Valley, Heyworth, and Blue Ridge high schools are located in McLean Co.
Representatives from Champaign, Ford, Woodford, and Livingston counties all will take part this season.
My question to you, the basketball junky is this, "What great memories of the McLean County Tournament do you possess?" Or, "What does this McLean County Tournament mean to you?" Leave your thoughts in the comment section provided below. We'll read them this Saturday or next Saturday, the 24th on our "Speaking of Sports" program at 9:06.
In case you didn't know, this is the 99th edition of the tournament in one shape or another. Yes, it seems as if Dr. Naismith himself could have attended the inaugural event, it's been around that long. There's been a great number of different schools, under one name or another, through the years that have taken part in the hoops extravaganza. In this year's edition, there are a total of 26 teams taking to the hard court. All 13 schools from the Heart of Illinois Conference will send both their boy's and girl's teams. To some of the tourney traditionalists, I'm sure it's a little disheartening to see it become, in effect, the H.O.I.C. Tournament. Only Ridgeview, LeRoy, Tri-Valley, Heyworth, and Blue Ridge high schools are located in McLean Co.
Representatives from Champaign, Ford, Woodford, and Livingston counties all will take part this season.
My question to you, the basketball junky is this, "What great memories of the McLean County Tournament do you possess?" Or, "What does this McLean County Tournament mean to you?" Leave your thoughts in the comment section provided below. We'll read them this Saturday or next Saturday, the 24th on our "Speaking of Sports" program at 9:06.
Friday, November 28, 2008
The Lions and Thanksgiving.....Enough is Enough??
More of a question here today rather than random thoughts. The Detroit Lions, one of the more inept and pathetic professional sports franchise's there is......enough is enough of watching them on Thanksgiving? I know how I feel about it. Let me know how you feel. Should the NFL pick another team to take Detroit's place on Turkey Day, rotate the spot every year between all 30 teams, or leave it as is? Leave your comments below. Happy Holidays!!!
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