Notes From The Pressbox

Jeans, Sweatshirts, Orange Leaves, and Football!!!

2010-08-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

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!!!

Are We Having Fun Yet Falcon Fans?

2009-11-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

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.

The NFL, Sunday's, and Unhappy Spouses...

2009-09-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

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.

Sammy, Big Mac, Barroids, and.....the HOF????

2009-06-24T05:48:00.000-07:00

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!!

One Month Down....Five to Go!!!!

2009-05-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

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!!

The "TOURNEY" Returns!!!!

2009-01-16T08:22:00.000-08:00

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.

The Lions and Thanksgiving.....Enough is Enough??

2008-11-28T05:32:00.000-08:00

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!!

2008-09-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

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...."

2008-06-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-05-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-03-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-02-11T06:50:00.000-08:00

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.....

2008-01-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

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.

"All I want for Christmas...."

2007-11-27T07:59:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, you know, time to max out those credit cards, hang the lights....hang the lights again after three sets inexplicably quit working, keep the cat out of the tree, etc. Of course, it's Christmas time, a time when little kids' wishes come true. A time when "I got it, I got it!" can be heard for miles on Christmas morning. It's tough to get older and still enjoy the holiday season nearly as much as we did when our biggest concern this time of year was whether or not we would make it to December 25 th without spontaneously combusting from anticipation and excitement.
It usually wasn't too difficult a task to sit down and write down a "wish list" for mom, dad, relatives, and of course the big guy...Santa Claus!! I mean, a kid could sit down with the Toys R Us flier or J.C. Penney Wish Book and jot down say, 30-40 different items of desire. Didn't always mean we got em' all, but darn it, we tried. Now, as I find myself approaching the big 3-0 sooner rather than later, it gets tough to give out good ideas for prospective gift giver's. I still play video games like a 12 year-old jacked up on Mountain Dew, and I love official jerseys, whether they be Cubs, Bears, throwback, etc. But man, that stuff is expensive, and at 28 years old and married, not exactly the Webster's definition of "practical." So I thought I'd write up a fantasy sports wish list this year. You know, a dreamer's fantasy tucked neatly within the world of sports. Here goes....

1. A Chicago Cubs World Series title. Yeah, I know, I might as well ask for a dinner date with Pamela Anderson.
2. Brett Favre retirement. It's insanely tough to dislike this guy. He has absolutely murdered my beloved Bears for the past 15 seasons, and he plays for the communist regime that is the Green Bay Packers, but you've got to admire the dude's talent, desire, work ethic, and toughness. He's one of the all-time best. I just wish he'd hang it up and head back down to Mississippi to film additional Wrangler Jeans commercials.
3. Michael Jordan's return to the Chicago Bulls organization. No, I don't want #23 to put his Air Jordan's back on and try and rescue the floundering Baby Bulls. Everyone gets too old....but he never should have been let go by the evil Jerry's. It should have been a major priority for Mr. Reinsdorf to get the savior of the city involved with the Bulls in one capacity or another when he quit for the final time in 2003. Minority owner, GM, whatever...Michael Jordan should never be seen in another NBA arena rooting for anybody other than Da Bulls, let alone the Charlotte Bobcats.
4. Wil Ohman for Albert Pujols. Think the Redbirds would fall for that one?
5. Midwest blue chip recruits gobbled up by Bruce Weber. Anybody else having as hard a time as I am watching Derek Rose and Eric Gordon put up 25 a night in another state? They would have looked really nice playing in January at Assembly Hall.
6. A Chicago Cubs World Series title...wait, I already said that.

That's all I got, pretty straight forward and to the point I think. I don't think any of those requests are unreasonable...Santa, if you want to pack along a right fielder and a starting pitcher with that World Series trophy in your sleigh, I won't be mad.

Leave your sports fantasy wish list demands below in the comment section. Have a good time with this. I'd love to see what you're pining for this Christmas. Have a good holiday everyone!!

Should We Do This?

2007-10-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

Should another poor, unfortunate, young soul be exposed to a debilitating, painful, heart-wrenching disease without his consent? A life of disappointment, sadness, and frustration awaits young Jack Willoby. Jack is my new nephew. Born to my sister Ashley and her husband Jimmy the first week of October, the little guy wasn't fully cooked when he first saw the light of day. You see, Jack wasn't due until darn near Christmas. So yeah, he's kind of starting out life behind the eight ball already. Don't worry, he's progressing nicely. Gaining weight by the day, gradually growing bigger and stronger. He'll soon leave his little incubator, be brought home, and fawned over endlessly. He'll be loved, raised right, and be given every advantage a lot of children around the world aren't privy too. But he's already behind in the count you see, 0-1. He took a called strike low and away the day he was born, because, unbeknownst to him, he'll be a fan of the Chicago Cubs.
Now I already know what you're going to say..."Why expose such an innocent, pure, being to this illness?" Honestly, I really don't have that good of an answer for you. Many are the day when I asked my dad why he didn't pick the Cardinals or Yankees, or Red Sox, or...."anybody but the Cubs!!!" I was born into it, my dad was born into it, and I imagine my grandfather was also born into it. Some families pass on a genetic predisposition to heart disease, diabetes, or male-pattern baldness....the McCullough's pass on Cubdom.
Now realistically, being a Cub fan never ended any one's life prematurely like a serious illness has countless times, although a few North-Sider's would argue that their lives we're shorted about 5 years every June. I just wonder if this is the right thing to do? Should a young boy have the right to choose? Let me think a minute.........naw. If we have to endure a seven month hardship every spring, summer, and fall, then buddy, so do you.
So yeah, I can imagine a day 10 years from now when little Jack is wearing his first Cubs hat, sitting next to his dad, uncle, grandpa, great-grandpa, and others watching a rare Cubs post-season appearance where the good guys drop another one in dramatic fashion, looks up at us all, and asks, "Why did you guys pick the Cubs?" We'll look back at him with a smile, maybe a tear included, and say, "Kid, the same reason you picked em."

My How Things Have Changed!

2007-09-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

What the heck is going on in the NFL? Yeah, the Patriots are still head and shoulders better than everyone else, in fact, they're probably the best sports dynasty since the Bulls of the 90's, but what has happened to potential SuperBowl contenders in Chicago and New Orleans? And just as sure as the Bears and Saints have fallen apart early, teams like Green Bay and Dallas have emerged as teams to be reckoned with.
Such is life in the National Football League. Blink, and you'll miss a chance to see a long-term winning streak by your favorite squad. Witness the Saints or Bears. Gone is Thomas Jones, and BAM!!! the Monsters of the Midway all of a sudden aren't so darn ferocious. The honeymoon period in New Orleans ends after the excitement of a return to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, and BAM!!! the Saints are getting smoked by the Bucs and Titans. It's unbelievable how short your window in the NFL to compete really can be. It slams quite quickly. Let's face it, it's an extremely violent game, and players get hurt. (See Mike Brown, Dusty Davoracek, Tommie Harris, Deuce McCallister.) With injuries and a stringent salary cap, a contender can become a pretender awfully darn fast.
On the flip side, you've got teams like the Packers and Cowboys. Brett Favre looks like a 25 year-old kid again who's having the time of his life in 2007. Tony Romo and a happy(temporarily) Terrell Owens have made America's Team, well, America's Team once more. It can happen in an instant. Stay healthy, get good play, have a few rookies step up, and all of a sudden you find yourself back in contention.
Since early February, all of seven months, the Bears went from SuperBowl XLI to the toilet bowl in the NFC North. More so than any other sport, pro football can rip your heart out in an instant. And with only 16 regular season games, you can be out of it a month in. It's not like baseball, where a bad week, shoot, a bad month can be rectified two months later when there's still 100 games left to play. So my advice is this, if your team is winning, and staying healthy...appreciate it for all it's worth. You just never know when the party can end. Will the Bears bounce back? Perhaps. Can the Saints find the magic from 2006? Perhaps. Should the Packers make reservations to SuperBowl XLII? Perhaps. That's the point, in two weeks, Green Bay could fall apart, and Brian Griese could be a cult figure in the Windy City.

Don't bet against it.

Are You a Fantasy Football Addict?

2007-09-05T07:39:00.000-07:00

It's September, high school football, as well as the collegiate ranks are both underway, and we ready ourselves this week for the kick-off of another NFL campaign. We've slowly become a football nation, and along with icing down our beverages, pressing our favorite jersey, and flying our team's flag outside in the autumn air, a great deal of us also head to our computer early Sunday morning and ready our fantasy football roster for the week. One of the biggest obsessions regarding pro football today would most certainly be fantasy football.

We all know the drill by now...you study your cheat sheets, do your homework, buy your magazines, and watch your TV specials so that on draft day, you've got the inside track on all your buddies. You know the sleepers to grab, which reciever should flurish in a new system, and what QB has an injured shoulder. So then you draft.....and you couldn't feel worse about your squad....or do you? A buddy and I share a couple teams in two leagues every year (this year we're entered in just one league), and have a ball with it. Thank God for DirecTV...and God bless the "Sunday Ticket". While my wife Casey already begins to dread the long Sunday's of cheering and curse words, the boys and I can't wait. It can make for a long day. I thought I'd give you a run down of a typical "Fantasy Football Sunday" at the McCullough household as we settle into the easy chair and couch around the big screen for a pigskin marathon that can last anywhere between 6 and 10 hours.

1- Rise at the crack of 10:00 AM and read the injury reports, grab about a half hour of ESPN's NFL Countdown...and confer with my Co-GM on who we should start at reciever that day.

2- Try to look as busy as possible from 11:00 until about 11:30 without actually doing anything while the wife's look of disgust and disdain for the institution that is pro football gradually builds.

3- 11:45...The boys arrive. The fridge is loaded...the wife retires to the bedroom with the dog. Perhaps we'll begin slowly with a Bloody Mary, after all, it is Sunday. One more look of disgust and resentment creep over her normally cheerful face as the door slowly closes. The boys give me "the look"....you know the one fella's. It's the one where they're glad they're not you. Anywhere between 2 to 6 of us gather around the TV and begin flipping ferociously between the Giants/Jaguars game and the Tampa Bay/Bengals match-up. Normally games we'd care less about, suddenly have the utmost importance.

4 - Now comes the tricky part, half of us would like to view a good portion of the Bears game, while the rest desire more of the Packers. We've reached a cordial agreement, if one of the local favorites falls down by more than 14, said team will only get the occasional "flip-back" to check for any semblance of a comeback.

5 - By the end of the 3rd Quarter of the noon game...let's say about 2:15-2:20 you generally have a pretty good idea of how your team is doing and how your afternoon will turn out.

4 - Time to grab some food. Casey will come out of the bedroom, ask if the games are almost over, I'll say no....we've still got the 3:15 game to get to, she'll roll her eyes, another look of disgust, and the door slams a little harder to the bedroom.

5 - Prepare for the 3:15 game...we'll be excited if we're in good shape after the noon games, or we'll wonder why in the hell we drafted Trent Green as our back-up if we're down in points.

6 - By about 5:00, a general consensus is agreed upon as to whether or not we're going to stick it out for the Sunday night game. If we're close, and have someone significant playing, it's a no-brainer. If we're down and have no shot at it, time to close up shop and call it a week.

7 - 8:30-9:00 The headache begins to set in. Whether or not this is due to a bad day on the field, or by financially supporting the Anheuser-Busch Company out, we're still not quite sure.

8 - 10:30 The day is over...perhaps we have someone going Monday night, maybe not. One last check of the league message board for any witty one-liner's or waiver wire deals is completed. Retire for the night, attempt to get a good night kiss...denied. Luckily, for Casey, there is only 15 weeks left. See you next Sunday!!!!!!!!

So tell me about your Fantasy Football Sunday. Are you typically in trouble with your signifcant other by Sunday night? Let's talk some football. Leave a comment in the section provided below. Thanks again for reading.