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!!!

Gotta Love the Friday Night Lights!!

Hey sports fans!!(football fans in particular) Is there a more exciting time of year than right now? The NFL is a week deep, the college and high school football seasons are in full swing, and even the pee-wee's are running up and down the gridiron. It truly is a lot of fun to bundle up with a sweatshirt, maybe a pair of gloves, and that old blanket at a good ol' fashioned football game....wherever it may be.
Sure, the NFL and college football are great. In my opinion, they both feature the greatest athletes in the world. Where else can you find a 6' 5" 350 lb. lineman run a 4.9 40? There's nothing like a Saturday at Memorial Stadium, or a Sunday gathered around the tube with friends watching the Bears or Packers. But for my money, you get to see the game in it's purest form on Friday night at your local high school field. You can argue that there are kids out there playing for a scholarship(nothing wrong with that by the way)but for the most part, they're there because they love to play. No shoe contracts are on the line, no bonuses available if your tailback reaches 1,000 yards. Just pure, unadulterated love of the game.
As we reach the third week already of the 2008 high school football season, I encourage you to spend a Friday evening taking one in. It's cheap entertainment for the whole family. You could do a lot worse than becoming part of the "community party" that goes on each and every week during the fall. I know here in Gibson City as well as in Melvin and Sibley, the entire towns have gotten involved. Whether it's their support of the booster club, a sponsorship for our broadcasts here on WGCY, spending money for an ad in the program, or offering breakfast for half off on Saturday mornings to the players, it's nice to see the local merchants get behind our kids. And I'm confident it's the same way in other small towns all over our country.
It really does become a source of city pride to see your kids go out, and win or lose, give their best effort. We've been extremely fortunate here at GCMS to have quite a successful run in the past 5-6 years. Coach Mike Allen and his staff have done an absolutely tremendous job at resurrecting football on the north end of town. They'd tell you about all the hard work and sacrifice by the student-athletes that have ultimately led to the winning ways. Coach Allen would probably express that first and foremost, the support of the community and it's citizens are just as integral.
So when you get off work Friday night, finish dinner, and get the kids settled in after another school day, why not load up the family mini-van and take in a game in Downs, LeRoy, Fairbury, Paxton, Gibson City, or one of the other small hamlets in Central Illinois? Become part of something special....I think you'll enjoy it.

"Thanks a lot Ozzie...."

Here we are just three weeks away from the annual mid-season classic a.k.a. the All-Star game, it's mid-June, and the Cubs, Cards, and White Sox are all very much in contention. Currently, the Cubs sit in first place in the National League Central division, 4.5 games ahead of the second place Cardinals. The North-Sider's have the best record in baseball, are 32-8 at Wrigley Field, and have won 14 straight at the Friendly Confines. And all of this without leading home run hitter Alfonso Soriano and ace pitcher Carlos Zambrano. So yeah, life is good if you're a Cubbie fan.
So why oh why are so many Cubs fans like myself a little upset right now? The bane of our existence looks a lot like a former shortstop who played about ten miles to the south of Wrigleyville....and his name? It's Ozzie Guillen. What. A. Classless. Piece. Of. Trash. There, I said it. What a classless organization for that matter. From GM Ken Williams, to young lefty hurler John Danks. They clearly showed that the "little brother syndrome" they've been diagnosed with year after year has obviously flared up.
Look, we all know Wrigley Field is old....really old. It was built in 1914. So there are some uncomfortable amenities that one has to endure in order to enjoy a day out at the old ballpark, we've all known this for a long time. It's nothing new. There aren't enough bathrooms, the seats are small, the food really isn't anything superb, there's no where to park, and the underbelly looks like something out of "I Am Legend." But it's also a baseball mecca, a fabulous place to watch hardball. From the ivy, to the rooftops, the bleachers, neighborhood watering holes, and day baseball, there's no park more picturesque or as fun to watch a game in. So why did "The Blizzard of Oz, as one Chicago newspaper columnist so aptly named him, feel the need to open his big trap up? Why did John Danks feel the need to say the place "smells like urine?" Monkey see, monkey do I say.
When outspoken GM Ken Williams told a Sun-Times reporter a week ago that he'd have to be very hard up to take a job with the Cubs, and felt compelled to say "happy anniversary" to Cubs fans regarding a certain drought at Clark and Addision...he basically set the tone for the weekend.
Guillen and Danks took it and ran with it from there. Again, NO class from the south-side. Seriously, what's the deal with the Napoleon complex the White Sox suffer from? After 100 years in Chicago, they still haven't come to grips with the fact that no matter how many World Series titles they win, no matter how new their stadium is, no matter how big a loud-mouth their field general is, the will never, never, never be the number one team in the Windy City. Is it fair? Maybe not. Is it reality? You betcha.
And what's the best way to shut the opposition up? You can try and retort with your wittiest comment. You can get in a battle of words through the media. Or you can go out and sweep their sorry butts on the field of play. Uncle Lou didn't respond. Jim Hendry didn't respond, and young Eric Patterson only responded with five hits in two games. Aramis Ramirez let his bat do the talking, clubbing four homer's and knocking in eight runs. Does bulletin board material exist in baseball? Not sure if it works like it does in basketball and on the gridiron. It might. Ask the White Sox.

And they, like Rodney Dangerfield, wonder why they "can't get no respect."

Ahhh, the Memories...

Hey everyone! My apologies for a lack of updates to "Notes From The Pressbox." Really no excuses, just had a tough time thinking of something relevant to ramble on about as far as sports are concerned. So I thought I'd ask for your thoughts or favorite recollections of sports. Whether it be baseball, football, racing, basketball, tennis, golf, etc....what memory brings a smile to your face whenever you think about it?

It could be a game you attended, played in, watched on TV, whatever. Just write a little diddy and let us know about it in the comment section provided below. As for mine, it's a tie between watching my beloved Bulls and MJ in the 90's win year after year after year. As a fan of Chicago sports, all the success on the court by the Bulls wasn't really something I was too accustomed to. Right up there, it's got to be the 2003 Major League playoffs with my Cubbies. Now I know what you're thinking, only a Cubs fan would have a fond memory of LOSING, but despite the end result, that was a fun, fun time to be a Cubs fan. Hey, it was uncharted territory, again, something I'm not too accustomed to as a Cubs backer.

Again, a comment section is provided below, let us know about your favorite sports memory. Thanks again for reading.

Hope Springs Eternal?

I know it's been a while since I posted a new entry into "Notes From The Pressbox," and I apologize. Now that the high school winter sports seasons has concluded, my focus basically boils down to one thing and one thing only.....MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL!!!! The Chicago Cubs to be exact. But believe you me, I do my fair share of homework and reading on those "other two teams." I think we all know whom I'm talking about.

Pretty simple this month, here's what I want from you. Your honest to goodness, straight up, no b.s., OBJECTIVE opinion on how the White Sox, Cardinals, and Cubs will fare in 2008. Here's how I see it.

2008 Chicago White Sox - I honestly see the red-headed stepchild of Chicago baseball having a solid, if not spectacular season. I know, I know, they play in the AL Central which houses two pretty darn good teams in Detroit and Cleveland. At the end of the day, Detroit is just too stacked with talent to not win the division. Think about their lineup for a moment, Miguel Cabrera, Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez, Curtis Granderson, Edgar Renteria, Ivan Rodriguez, Carlos Guillen, and former AL Batting Champ Placido Polanco. Yeah, it's that good. However, I can definitely see the Sox possibly competing with Cleveland for the second spot in the division, and maybe, just maybe the AL Wild Card. The lineup will have to score runs, and I mean a LOT of runs to compete with the big boppers in Detroit and Cleveland, but a lineup with a rejuvenated Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Nick Swisher, and Orlando Cabrera can and should put up a few crooked numbers. The big question is the back end of the rotation with newbies like Gavin Floyd and John Danks. If those two are serviceable at best with the trio of Beuhrle, Contreras, and Vazquez....then look out. The South-Side bullpen is a giant question mark at best right now. Closer Bobby Jenks is one of the best in the business, and GM Kenny Williams threw decent money at veteran relievers Octavio Dotel and Scott Linebrink this offseason. Both have the "stuff" to get consistent outs, but they've been shaky at best this spring. The 2008 Sox have "sleeper" written all over them.

2008 St. Louis Cardinals - As a life-long Cubs fan, nothing would please me more than to see the Cardinals lose about 95 games and finish behind perennial NL Central doormat Pittsburgh in the standings. But I don't see it happening. Now I sure don't have a "feeling" about the Cards the way I do about the White Sox. But I don't believe they'll be nearly as bad as some of the national hardball experts expect them to be. Granted, they're depending a lot on the young guys and some beat up pitchers to keep them in contention, but any squad managed by Tony LaRussa and featuring Albert Pujols will always be dangerous. At the end of the day though, I don't see St. Louis finishing any higher than fourth in the division. They just lost way too much talent and didn't do much to replace it. Troy Glaus could be a nice addition, but like the exiting Scott Rolen, he's hurt....and I do mean hurt a lot. Cesar Izturis is an absolute turd at SS who couldn't hit his way out of McMillan Field in Gibson City. Adam Kennedy or Aaron Miles at second? Yuck. Why they don't put the youngster Ludwick there is beyond me. To me, Rick Ankiel is still a bit of a mystery. He hit a ton when recalled late last year, then tailed off once Major League pitchers figured him out in the early fall. He'll either be a monster, or a duplicate of St. Louis' other outfielder Chris Duncan. A home run or a strikeout. Pitching-wise, any staff with Todd Wellemeyer and Matt Clement in it isn't one to write home about. Reyes lost 100 games last season, and Chris Carpenter won't be back anytime soon from Tommy John surgery. Mark Mulder almost seems like a forgotten man by now. On a much more positive note, newly minted staff-ace Adam Wainwright has the goods to be one of the top pitchers in the Senior Circuit...and he'll get nothing but better. But still, this is the St. Louis Cardinals, and I think that at the end of the day, they will still show up and play competitive baseball, at least until super prospect Colby Rasmus is called up at mid-season.

2008 Chicago Cubs - Now you know as well as I do that could write a thesis on the Cubs, but I'll spare you the extra reading time. Honestly, objectively, here's what I see transpiring on the North Side in 2008. A division title, perhaps a divisional round playoff victory, and a butt-whooping in the NLCS. I like the lineup a lot, there's a lot of potential there. But is it a World Series caliber lineup? Nope...not even close. Brian Roberts would have been a step in the right direction, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. The "Big Three" of Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Alfonso Soriano is a potential murderer's row in the heart of the lineup, but unfortunately, it's surrounded by question marks on either side. They're identified by the names Fukudome, Theriot, Pie, Soto, and to a lesser degree, DeRosa. A table setter like Roberts would have enabled Lou Piniella to put Fukudome at the second spot (where he belongs) and Soriano down in the lineup where his power could be put to better use. Soto and Pie have all the potential in the world, but then again so did Corey Patterson. The staff is solid at best. I see Carlos Zambrano having a Cy Young type of campaign, but after that, it's a crap-shoot. The one bright spot should be the bullpen. It appears Lou Piniella is attempting to put together a modern day version of the "Nasty Boys" with Kerry Wood, Carlos Marmol, and Bob Howry. I gotta leave it right there. If Hendry is able to pull off a move before Opening Day, or at mid-season, then yeah, maybe they finally get to the Fall Classic. Unless that happens, I see a very good, but far from great season in Wrigleyville.

So that's it. That's the way I see it in 2008 for the area favorites. Remember, be OBJECTIVE, and let me know how you see the 2008 MLB campaign shaking out. No matter how you look at it, it's wonderful to have America's Pastime back and rearin' to go!!!! Leave your comments below, and maybe we'll read them on the 7:30 AM report of sports Monday thru Friday. Thanks for participating!!

The Best of the Worst...

Here we are, it's early February and the sports world is about as dull as possibly can be....at least if you're a fan of Illinois, the Bulls, or are not a fan of NASCAR. The NFL season is officially over, which despite the Bears being incredibly average, is still fun to watch even when your team is playing golf instead of football. So what is there to do except stare out the window at the snow and wish it was spring? Reflect, nap, followed by more reflecting. So here is what crossed my mind recently when Mr. Sunshine himself Bob Knight quit coaching at Texas Tech. Besides Knight, who else has become incredibly easy to despise, dare I say loathe in the world of sports? Here is my top 5, in no particular order.

1. Bobby Knight - Yeah Knight lovers, I know, Bob has won more games than any coach in Division 1 Men's College Basketball history. Knight collected three National Titles while at Indiana. His 1976 team is the last to go undefeated for an entire season. Finally, his players graduate...and at a pretty impressive rate. All admiral feats/accomplishments. There's no denying it. It doesn't change the fact that the man is an insufferable ass, bully, intimidator, etc. who has spent the majority of his tenure at Army/Indiana/Texas Tech treating the "rest of us" like gum on the bottom of his shoe. The media deserves it sometimes, brash 18 year old kids deserve it sometimes, officials deserve it sometimes, heck...even his own son felt the wrath of Knight on a few occassions on the Indiana bench. We all blow up. But to constantly berate and bully his players, not to mention the occassional choke job(Neil Reed anyone?) is NOT an admirable trait. Dean Smith won his share of games, as did John Wooden at UCLA, and it was done with won trait Bobby never had or never will have....class. I for one hope "The General" goes away and stays there.

2. Barry Bonds - He is a tremendous baseball player, maybe the greatest ever. He is the all-time home run king. He's won 7 MVP awards. We all know his bio. We also know he is a cheater and not a very good dude. Barry Lamar Bonds has been his own worst enemy both in Pittsburgh and in San Francisco. There's no great mystery as to why a guy who still managed to hit 28 homeruns in only 340 at-bats in 2007 can't find a job. No one wants the baggage or attitude/surliness that comes packaged with #25.

3. The Detroit Pistons - No, of course I'm not talking about the current club. I speak of the late 80's early 90's band of a-holes who played basketball like they should have had a helmet and shoulder pads on. Fine, they won back-to-back titles in 89 and 90. They had a Hall of Fame coach and point guard. But what they did at the end of the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals when the Jordan-led Bulls finally beat them after years of struggles was and still is one of the more classless displays of bad sportsmanship I've ever seen. If you recall, Isiah, Laimbeer, Rodman, and Dumars decided that they'd rather walk off the floor BEFORE the game ended and avoid shaking hands with their arch-rivals. Nice example Bad Boys.

4. The 1972 Miami Dolphins - Is it fun to hate this group of aging buttheads or what? Led by the always delightful Mercury Morris and Larry Zsonka, they get together and toast the first loss of the season by the last undefeated team in the NFL every season. Fine guys, we get it, you were 17-0 in 72. You won the Super Bowl. Great accomplishment, there's no denying it. But delighting in the misfortune of another team/fan base? Nice...real nice. Morris went as far to say that they were "still the greatest" after New England's upset loss to New York in the Super Bowl. Sorry pal, on top of being an upstanding guy who was once indicted for cocaine trafficing, you're also delusional. I know it's not 100% fair to compare contrasting era's in sports. It really isn't. But if you don't believe New England, or the 1985 Bears would have kicked your rear-end up and down the field...well, you've been drinking too much of the bubbly.

5. Ty Cobb - Is any explanation needed? Watch Ron Shelton's very underrated bio-flick "Cobb" sometime and the evidence is more than circumstantial. It's very likely that Cobb murdered a man, was known as womanizer who was, on more than one occasion accused of rape, and the creme de la creme, slid spikes up into the bag. Oh yeah, he was nuts too. Watch the movie, read his bio on the web, whatever, you'll be amazed at what the "Georgia Peach" got away with. What a guy.

Honorable Mention

Terrell Owens
Randy Moss
OJ Simpson
Charles Barkley
Bob Huggins
Woody Hayes
Rae Carruth

So that's all I got. I could go on, but frankly, it puts me in a bad mood just to think about these fella's. Give me your list. Do you disagree with some of my selections? Would you care any other fun adjectives to describe Knight, Bonds, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Pistons, or Ty Cobb? Feel free to add on.

The Winter Sports Blahs.....

I'm back. Contrary to popular belief, I did not take an extended winter vacation abroad and forget about "Notes from the Pressbox." I think my lack of enthusiasm for posting a new entry definitely reflects my general attitude towards sports and the season we're mired in currently. My beloved Bears tanked this year coming off of a Super Bowl season, the Bulls seem to have forgotten that they were supposed to be in the NBA Finals this year and probably won't make the playoffs. And the Illini basketball season seems a lost cause in early January, which is never a good sign.

So what gets me excited right now? Baseball. I know what you're thinking, baseball is another two months away. You're right, Spring Training games won't get underway until early March, with the regular season still a distant light at the end of the long, cold, winter sports tunnel in April. But hey!! Pitchers and catchers report in about 5 weeks!! Man, I am desperate aren't I?

For someone that was raised and has lived their entire life in Illinois, you'd think I wouldn't be so cantankerous towards winter weather. But I am. I hate to use the word "hate", but I really do feel nothing but general disgust for cold weather, wind chill factors, and snow. Add that into an equation with bad winter sports, and the end result is nothing but a bad, sullen attitude. I can see why many of the senior members of society head south to the warmer climates come November/December. Can't say that I blame them. I mean honestly, what is exciting about January, February, and March in Illinois? I'm going to go on a mini-rant now. It's cold, there's nothing to do, nothing to look forward to...other than warmer temperatures which seem an ocean away. After Christmas, I'd prefer to just dig a hole somewhere and go into cryogenic sleep for three months and pop my head out with the rest of nature when the tulips start to spring up. I know, I sound soft. Maybe I am. But the best part of winter being done, is that baseball is back.

Now you'd think that being a Cub fan, I would almost dread another season of lackluster play on the North Side, but you'd be wrong. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing better than coming home after work, opening the window by my recliner, popping a top or two on a social sparkler, and turning on Chicago Cubs baseball. It can't get here soon enough. It was a little different last year this time with the Bears heading to Miami, the Bulls competing in the NBA, and the thought of Lou Piniella and Alfonso Soriano coming to the Windy City. But man oh man, this winter is a tough one. I need a hug. What's that you say? There's only 50 days, or 72,000 minutes, or if you really want to break it down, 4,320,000 seconds until the first Spring Training game? Come knock on my hole and let me know when it's here.