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281,774 people think The Nasty Boys are geniuses (since June, 2007).
Spring is such a great season. Baseball starts, hockey and NBA go away, warm temperatures come, and ESPN starts to show college softball. Now, I’m not here to promote women playing sports of any kind, but I am here to promote hot chicks on TV. It is my contention that chicks who play softball are smokin’ hot, specially the ones from Arizona. I shall now give you the visual evidence.
Jenny Finch- played for Arizona
Taryne Mowatt- played for Arizona
For more information feel free to visit the University of Arizona Women’s Softball webpage.
The Cubs are going for their 10,000 win today (Wednesday, April 23) against the Colorado Rockies. It is nice to talk about such a historic franchise and NOT talk about a record having to do with losing. There is only 1 other team to reach this historic mark, the New York/San Fran Giants. This begs the question: “How can a team that hasn’t won a championship in 100 years and hasn’t even seen the World Series since the ’40s possibly have more wins than a team like the Yankees who have 25 championships?”
The answer is that I have no idea, but it is pretty amazing.
Question: What do Jeff Bagwell, Adam Morrison, and Jason Isringhausen have in common?
Answer: They have all responded to my heckling with either obscenities or immaturity.
Let me first say that I pride myself on dogging the opposing team in an attempt to help the team I’m rooting for win. With the exception of Caesar Izturis and Ryan Dumpster last year, I tend not to heckler any sports team from Chicago except for the White Sox. In my heckling I try to keep it clean from curse words but get as personal as possible.
Now I shall set the mood. I’m sitting a few rows back on the first base side at Wrigley Field. Jeff Bagwell was the first baseman for the Astros, and wouldn’t toss the game ball to the kids sitting in the stands. This annoyed me for some reason so I started out simply questioning. “Hey Bagwell, why don’t you throw the kids the ball?” Since he wasn’t responding or throwing the kids the ball I figured what the hell, I’ll answer my own question. “Hey Bagwell, What? You need the balls? How bout you send your wife over so she can experience a real man for once.” After that, whenever he would enter or leave the dugout, myself and some of the fans around me would call him “Ball-less Bagwell.” We also referenced his ridiculous batting stance implying that he likes to spread open his rear end for men. He proceeded to give me the finger and eventually hit a home run and pointed at me. Mission somewhat accomplished, but desired effect (him playing poorly) unattained.
A few years after this, my friend got 3rd row Bulls tickets and took me to the game because he wanted to see me in action and didn’t mind getting thrown out of the game. The Bulls played the Charlotte Bobcats, so the scorn was directed at Adam Morrison. I decided against starting it off gentle and attacked full force. I called him a cry baby because of what he did during the final four, I commented on his “dirty sanchez” facial hair and asked if his boyfriend gave him it, I let everything fly. During the half time shoot around he started coming in my direction and another team mate had to hold him back. He sat the entire third quarter (I like to claim it was because his coach saw what happened with me). We had called my friend’s dad at this point and told him to watch because of what transpired between Morrison and I. While his team was shooting free throws, Morrison is on tv making “fat” hand gestures at me and yelling at me. I swear to God, get a video of the first Bulls v. Bobcats game in 2006 and you will see for yourself. The mission this time was accomplished as Adam Morrison went 1-12 shooting and the Bulls won by about 40 points.
Finally, last year I was sitting in the bleachers at Wrigley a few rows back with my brother in-law. We had been drinking and it was a warm summer day when the Cubs were playing the rival Cardinals. This time the object of my scorn was anyone and everyone. The person who responded was Jason Isringhausen. I mentioned about how he blows more saves then his wife blows other men, and things similar to that nature. Isringhausen went nuts. He started yelling at me. eventually calling me a “fat faggot.” Hundreds of people are witnesses to this bigoted language. At this point the Manager, Tony LaRussa, ran out of the dugout and sent Isringhausen to the other side of the field to move him away from me. Mission once again accomplished as the Cubbies went on to win the game.
The reason I’m telling you these stories? This Saturday I possess 2 tickets to the Phillies v. Cubs game here in the grotesque city of brotherly hatred. These tickets are row 1 directly behind left fielder Pat Burrell. I hope to have a story about what transpires from the game on Sunday or Monday. If anyone has any knowledge of something Burrell has done, please post it as a comment so I can make sure he hears about it Saturday evening as my Cubbies beat up on the Phils. I leave you with a Bud Light commercial which they wrote about me (not really but it damn well could have been).
Another season of Cubs baseball begins today (March 31), and maybe this year the Cubs will end their century long drought and finally win a Championship. Here’s to hoping.
Prediction: 89 wins and a Central Division Championship. End up losing to Mets in the NLCS in 5 games.
After asking Mutombo if the Rockets will win it all…
^”no no no no no no no…”
There has been a lot of talk recently about Houston’s hot streak which ended Tuesday night in embarrassing fashion to the Celtic’s. After losing by 20 points to end the second longest win streak in NBA history I am left with only 1 question… Who cares? So what if they won 22 games in a row, it wont mean anything when they lose in the first round of the playoffs like they do every year they make it. I am reminded of only a few months ago when all the talk was about the Patriots amazing streak and how they were unbeatable, and I’m sure if Tiger was playing at the time they all would have tried to compare it to that. Well, we all know how that story ended and do you hear anyone talking about the amazing Patriot’s streak of 18 in a row?
My point? That if the Rockets don’t win the big games and end up as champions, then this streak goes down as absolutely meaningless. If anything it proves that the Rockets, and specifically Tracy McGrady, can’t win in the playoffs. A few months from now when Houston loses in the first round (because they wont get the bye), everyone can talk about how right I was and how the Rockets aren’t really that good of a basketball team. The most troubling thing is that Houston point guard Rafer Alston said “Our names will be mentioned there with Hall of Fame people.” How jaded can you be? 1. I’ve never even heard of Rafer Alston, and 2. A lot of people who come in second place for a streak and then fail to win any kind of championship are in the same discussion as Hall of Famers… oh wait, that MAKES NO SENSE. This streak will only be remembered when the next brilliant team makes a huge streak, and you know what they will say? “This streak is comparable to the 2008 Houston Rockets, only unlike that team, this one will probably win the NBA Championship.
This is starting to become a popular theme for a lot of my posts. The theme being that Rex Grossman is a terrible quarterback whowill be unable to lead a veteran team to a Superbowl ring. I know this because, after sitting on the sidelines with injuries his first few years, he entered 2006 with high hopes of being a superstar on the field and after 5 great games to start off the season he tanked at EPIC proportions. Then last season he was benched for Brian Griese and eventually Kyle Orton after being injured upon his return.
His contract was up after the season and I, like everyone else in Bears Nation, expected our Monsters of the Midway to severe ties with this horrific football display and pick up a new QB anyway possible. I personally wanted the team to take the “Vince Papali” approach and hold open tryouts to everyone in Chicago. I’m sure in a city that large there had to be a any number of people who can do better then a 0 and a 1.3 QB rating. I mean even the punter had a better QB rating in one game after throwing an incomplete pass. Apparently 0 for 1 nets you around a 30 QB rating.
Getting to my point, I was happy to be rid of this “player” once and for all when the most bizarre thing in the history of the Bears organization occurred: They actually resigned him.
I have to repeat that to myself several times a day as I can hardly believe it. I’ve heard of some questionable moves, but this one takes the cake for making completely no sense at all. Jerry Angelo is a good GM, but if he thinks that Bears fans, particularly this one, is going to put up with this he is sadly mistaken.
It was 10 years ago, Feb 18, 1998 that the beloved Cubs’ announcer Harry Caray passed away due to brain damage following cardiac arrest. Many people around the league and Cub fans especially have their favorite Harry Caray moment. Whether it be Will Farrel playing him on Saturday Night Live, The Budweiser and Bud Light commercials, or the seventh inning stretch, there are certain things which will forever remind us of the man with those big glasses. To some Harry Caray might have been a big joke or an embarrassment, but being a kid at the time; to me Harry was a hero. A recognizable voice coming out of the radio to broadcast the lovable losers on warm summer days. His stories, his enthusiasm, and his love of baseball is the reason I still watch baseball and the Cubs. With a hot dog and an ice cold Budweiser, I say this proudly “Holy Cow! Cubs win! Cubs win!”
Above is snap shot taken of other snap shots given by Brian McNamee on Capital Hill today as evidence. Below is an exclusive shot of Clemens ACTUALLY shooting a needle of steroids into Derek Jeter during their passionate pre-game sex romp. I swear to you that the photo is completely unaltered. The needle “appears” to be cheaply added in without the use of photoshop; however, the needle was only enlarged and given a white background to show detail. I will stake my journalistic credibility on the authenticity of the photo.
P.S. The photo at the top is actually genuine, however there lacks any evidence directly linking the beer cans, needles, and blood stained gauze to Clemens. However, the fact that Clemens was born in Dayton, OH (which is known for its drug use) can not and should not be overlooked.
In the days of baseball cheating, scandals, and cutting corners, no one has provided more class to the game then former Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg. For those of you who don’t know, a Hall of Famer, Ryno has complied some of the best numbers ever seen at second base. To go along with his 10 consecutive All Star appearances and his 9 consecutive Gold Gloves, Ryno has posted a MLB 2nd baseman record .989 lifetime fielding percentage.
It is more then just numbers for Ryno, which are amazing, but about the man he was and the Cubs legend which he became. Sandberg drew national attention on June 23, 1984 in what would become known as the “Sandberg Game.” During the nationally telecast game, the Cubs were down 8-9 in the bottom of the ninth to their rival St. Louis Cardinals. The premier closer was on the mound, HOF Bruce Sutter who saved 45 different games in 1984, but this was of little relevance when Ryno belted a solo shot into the left field bleachers to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Then in the 10th, the Cardinals scored 2 more runs and it looked all but over for the loveable losers. However, in the tenth lightning struck twice as Ryno belted a 2 run homer deeper into the left field bleachers to tie the game again. The Cubs would go on to win it in the 11th and Ryno would go on to be loved by Cubs’ fans forever.
Ryno was simply the greatest offensive and defensive second basemen ever to grace the hallowed grounds of Wrigley Field. He did it without taking steroids and cutting corners. He did it with class, hard-work, and with respect. Young kids should listen to Ryno’s HOF induction speech and take these words to heart, “Make a great play, act like you’ve done it before, get a big hit, look for the third base coach and get ready to run the bases, hit a home run, put your head down, drop the bat, run around the bases, because the name on the front is a lot more important than the name on the back. That’s respect.”
For those of you who don’t know I attended The University of Dayton with the one and only Charlie Hustle. If you haven’t been watching college basketball this year, the University of Dayton men’s basketball team currently sits at 20 on the AP poll after beating both a ranked Louisville and Pitt teams to amass a brilliant 12-1 record. They have a challenge awaiting them next week as they take on the University of Rhode Island which is number 1 in their division at 14-1. Admittedly, I don’t really keep up with Dayton basketball very much, but I’m happy to see our boys doing well.
I have awakened from my drunken slumber and have made my return to TNB. This weekend we will see the return of KYLE ORTON, a quarterback who has complied a nice record by simply taking the snap and not really beating himself, allowing the Bears defense and special teams to win games. Let us review the troubled history of the Bears QB Carousel, starting with 1983… the year I was born.
Jim McMahon: Probably the second best quarterback ever to suit up in a Bears uniform after Sid Luckman. The Punky QB was somewhat injury prone but did lead the Bears to the promised land in 1985. McMahon is the only Bears quarterback to be selected to the Pro Bowl in recent memory, which says a lot about the people to come after him. DRAFTED:1982 (Round 1). STARTED: 1982-1988. TRADED: 1989
Steve Fuller: Picked up by the Bears from the L.A. Rams to sub in for the often injured McMahon. He was a decent back up behind McMahon, but then again with Walter Payton at running back I could be a decent back up. PICKED UP:1984. STARTED: 1984-1986. RELEASED: 1987.
Rusty Lisch: Sucked big time. He started only 1 game against the Packers and was so terrible that Ditka had to sign Greg Landry from the retirement home to play the final game of the season. SIGNED: 1984. STARTED: 1984. RELEASED:1985
Greg Landry: Threw 3 picks in his 1 game as a Bear, but he won, beating the Lions to finish off the season. SIGNED: 1984. STARTED: 1984. RETIRED: 1984.
Mike Tomczak: Many of TNB fans might remember this choad who came out of OSU. He was signed as an undrafted free agent and played mostly back up behind a slew of different quarterbacks. He is best known for warming up Jim Harbaugh’s nutsack before Jim took the field. SIGNED: 1985. STARTED: 1986-1990. PUT TO TRASH BIN: 1991.
Doug Flutie: Apparently he didn’t eat his Flutie flakes before playing for the Bears. Ditka started him 1 game against the Washington Redskins… which he lost. It is good to know that his final play in the NFL was when he drop-kicked an extra point. What a loser. TRADED FOR: 1986. STARTED: 1986. TRADED: 1987.
What do you say to your team when you are winning 72-0 with 30 seconds left in the FIRST quarter of a football game? How about telling your players to fall down at the 5 yard line so they can set up the FG? How about that they are not going to pass?
All of which was said and done.
The Redmen from rural Kansas were playing in the high school state playoffs against Plainefield High School. They were 2-3 in the air with a touchdown pass, and they kicked a field goal 1st and goal from the 5. In the first quarter they had recovered 6 turnover (1 interception for a touchdown and 5 fumble recoveries). They only ran 15 plays in the quarter - which meant that they scored touchdowns on almost half the plays they ran - and converted all 9 of the 2 point attempts. They took out their offensive starters half way through the first quarter and their defensive starters at the end of the first half. This led to people questioning whether or not the starters were actually getting enough playing time to prepare for next weeks game. I kid you not, people actually asked the coach that question.
This might sound improbable, but their whole season is improbable. The Smith Center Redmen have yet to punt all year, they have yet to allow a touchdown all year, and their average margin of victory is 71-0 - which makes their total season score 640-0. If that wasn’t enough the school is currently on a 50 game win streak, which means they haven’t lost in something like 8 years.
My point? I don’t really have one. Maybe they should get stiffer competition? Who knows, because any team that can put up 72 points on another in 1 quarter shouldn’t be playing each other.
The Cincinnati Reds signed manager Dusty Baker to a three year deal this weekend, which will extend their history of pathetic managers to 1 trillion. Dusty Baker almost single handedly ran the Cubs organization into the ground by overusing players, and over pitching young pitchers, which would lead them to career threatening and life altering injuries. This coupled with one of the worst managing ordeals in post season history makes me wonder: “Why take Dusty Baker out of the T.V. booth and back into a dugout?”
Mark my words, young Reds pitchers such as Homer Bailey will have arm and shoulder problems their entire career directly due to overuse from Dusty Baker. I just don’t see this acquisition helping a young team like the Reds at all. Dusty will only be an overpaid, overhyped manager which will end up being ran out of town by Reds fans all over Southern Ohio.
I got some advice for you: “Save your money and go get someone who will end the Reds’ draught and not continue this plight…”
Well it is playoff baseball in Chicago, and the Cubs are back to their old ways of failing to execute and, in turn, losing a close ball game to the Arizona D-Bags. I was listening to 670 The Score and WGN 720 (two talk radio stations in Chicago) and was getting very frustrated by people calling in and complaining about Lou Piniella and Carlos Marmol.
Now you can’t point the finger at both of these people. There was no reason for Lou to take out Carlos Zambrano at the end of the 6th with only 85 pitches thrown. He was rolling over the D-Bags and that likely could have continued; but Marmol had a bad game giving up 2 runs in the 7th. I have a feeling that if Marmol played like he did all season, no one would have questioned Lou’s call.
However, it is the small things where the Cubs didn’t execute which lost us the game. It is getting back-to-back leadoff doubles by your 8 and 9 spot hitters and not having the pitcher or the lead off man bunt the runner over to third. I don’t care if the last time up the pitcher got a double, or if Soriano is a power hitter, wth no outs and a man on second you have to move that runner to third; especially when you are down by a run and your pitcher is at the plate. It seems almost ridiculous that you even let Carlos Zambrano swing away in that situation. Then it was twice where Ramirez and D-Lee decided to swing at 2 of the worst pitches of the night to strike out and both balls got by the catcher. Instead of hustling and running down to first and probably getting on base, they throw a hissy fit at themselves at the plate and then have no chance of making it.
Oh, and by the way, your top 3 hitters (Soriano, Lee, and Ramirez) can’t go a combined 1-13 either. Lets try to execute in tonight’s game because it is a must win.
This is a new idea which I feel could actually help the Bears offense a great deal… I’ll call it the Faux Punt. We simply line Devin Hester 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage, hike the ball to Griese, and then have him lob it back to D.H .as if it were a punt or kick return. I have a feeling that it would be alot more productive over our current offense which is called the interception-punt (throwing the ball downfield to the other team instead of to our team which in a way acts as a short punt).
In all seriousness, why do teams even bother kicking the ball to Devin Hester? It has been shown that you have a better chance to score with our offense on the field than we do, so why not just give it to us on the 40 and wait for our offense to throw you a touchdown pass.
Take our most recent loss to the Lions. Our offense had a total 303 yards, which was our highest production of the season. Devin Hester had around 314 return yards and a touchdown (this could have been higher but the Lions made 2 shoe-string leg tackles which prevented Hester from putting a few more points on the board). In Week 2 against the Chiefs after shooing away a few pigeons, Hester ran it back 73 yards untouched for the score. The fact is that Bears fans get excited whenever he is on the field because there is a definite possibility of him running it back for a touchdown. Never have I ever experienced sitting on the edge of my seat for every punt and kickoff return, while going to get beer and nacho refills while our offense is on the field.
I show this video for several reasons: 1. It has my favorite announcer Jeff Joniak calling all the returns from last season. 2. You can see that Devin Hester does it all whether it be breaking tackles like in the Minnesota game, great cuts like in the Arizona game, and pure speed like both the ones in St. Louis. And 3. After the first one the Bears announcers were somewhat surprised, but by the last couple you have the other announcer giggling in the background while Joniak before the ball is even snapped questions why you would kick to him.
Playoffs and Marlins and Bartman, oh my! The Chicago Cubs are back in the playoff race, ahead of the Brewers by 2 going into tonight tonight as the Cubs lost and the Brewers won big, and I can’t take this anymore. Of all the teams in all the leagues, why do we have to play the Marlins? The same team that, in 2003, ended up nudging out my beloved Cubs who were only 5 outs away from the World Series. The memories (or lack their of because I got pretty f*cking wasted after the game to try to block it all out) are too much for Cub fans to bear.
Aisle 4, Row 8, Seat 114: The seat down the third baseline that changed the history of Cubs baseball like the previous 90 odd years that the boys in blue didn’t win. Then it was a botched double play ball by Alex Gonzalez (who had one of the best feilding percentages in the league). Then it turned into an eight-run 8th inning and the Cubs lost 8-3. No fear though because our hero Wood was pitching the next day at home, and Wood and Prior had not lost back to back home games all year. They might have stolen game 6, but we had game 7.
The rest, as they say, is history:
On a related note: If the Cubs don’t make the playoffs and the Reds are the team that spoils that for us, I may not be able to write for this weblog anymore.
Rex Grossman’s passer rating in first 3 games: 45.2
Robbie Gould’s passer rating in first 3 games: 39.6
Thats right, after Robbie Gould went 0-1 last night in a fake field goal attempt, his passer rating is almost equal to Rex Grossman’s who is rocking it with 6 interceptions and only 1 touchdown pass (on a trick tackle eligible play from the 1 yard line).
I can already hear the excuses coming in today’s media about how last night the Bears didn’t play well anywhere (which is true), and about all the dropped balls (which is also true), but Rex Grossman doesn’t give the Bears a chance to win ball games which is the major problem.
Not yet convinced? Well how about the fact that Rex has thrown the same amount of touchdown passes to the opposing teams as he had to his own team. Or maybe it is that he only has 500 yards throwing the ball to our team and he has 100 yards throwing the ball to the other team. He has thrown 6 interceptions and only 1 touchdown.
People who have completed more or equal to Rex Grossman’s touchdowns who aren’t starting quarterbacks: Kyle Boller, Kurt Warner, J.T. O’Sullivan, Kellen Clemens. You probably have never even heard of the last 2, ’cause I sure as shit haven’t.
It’s time for Rex’s “gunslinger” approach to be benched in favor of Griese’s “I promise not to turn the ball over as much as Rex” approach. I can pinpoint the exact moment when I knew it was time to replace Rex. It was New Year’s Eve of last year and the Bears dropped a meaning less game to the Packers (if any game against the Packer’s is meaningless). After the game he said, “Ya’, I felt like I was goin’ to play for a half, it was the last game, IT WAS NEW YEAR’S EVE. There are so many other factors so I didn’t really concentrate.” It is unbelieveable that a starting quarterback would feel that way let alone admit it to the media. Enough with the excuses, enough with the turnovers, enough with Rex Grossman.
Here are a few picks of who to start and sit this week for fantasy football.
START: QB: Carson Palmer.
START: RB: Rudi Johnson
START: WR: Chad Johnson, T.J. Housmanwhatever, Tab Perry
START: Defense - Bengals
SIT: Anyone you have playing ahead of these guys in your fantasy lineup.
The Bengals might have looked shaky offensively in their first start, but look for a rebound against cellar dweller Cleveland Clowns. If you want to win big points in your fantasy league this year and look like a genius, start anyone, and I mean anyone playing the Cleveland Clowns. Let’s say the Clowns decided to play a pick up game at a high school near you. You should start that high school quarterback in your fantasy team.
The best part about this advice is that it works EVERY week. Come Week 3, if the Browns don’t beat the Raiders, I think we could have a season go 0-16. Looking at the schedule, winless is a definate possibility.
This runs right into my lock of the week: Cincinnati -6.5 against the Clowns. If sports betting is your thing then you should probably put up a second mortgage on your house to have more money to bet on this game.
^Made the NY Times top 10 books not to waste time on
Everyone and their mothers will be talking about how Michigan can lose to a Division-1 AA team followed by an unranked Oregon team. It is easy to pick on Michigan because, well, they are terrible. But almost lost in this discussion is how pathetic Notre Dame has looked and how abysmal their offense has been.
In case you haven’t been following Notre Dame, they have also started the Season 0-2 losing to better teams then Michigan’s losses (Georgia Tech and Penn State). What people need to look at is the numbers that ND is putting up behind “offensive genius” and “quarterback trainer” Chuck Weiss.
The biggest stat is the fact that after two games Notre Dame has yet to score an offensive touchdown, and if it weren’t for special teams plays they probably would have been shut out this week against Penn State. Which would have meant they would have received their worse loss in years, minus last week. This week the Fighting (to save face) Irish had only 9 first downs, 14 penalties, 144 passing yards, and NO RUSHING YARDS! That’s right, they ran the ball, but they were stopped for a loss so many times that it became 0 yards.
When you combine this with last weeks numbers you get 22 first downs, 274 passing yards, and -8 rushing yards. In case you were wondering, that was a minus sign in front of the 8. Even funnier is that you thought 0 rushing yards was terrible, but it was an improvement from the week before.
If Notre Dame and Michigan were smart they would march down to both these overpaid coaches and say that come half time of the next game, if they don’t score a Touchdown they will be fired before the second half. The best part about that is Michigan and Notre Dame play each other next week. So they could both be fired at the same time.
My predicition: 0-0 going into overtime and they call it a tie after 8 hours of neither team being able to score any points.
When growing up on the North side of Chicago three things are certain: death, taxes, and the Cubs will lose. Not only will they lose (we haven’t won the World Series since 1908… hell, we haven’t even seen the World Series since 1945), but they will find ways to TANK come the end of the season.
Take 1969 for instance. On September 2nd of that year they defeated the Reds to have a league leading record of 84-52-1. At that very moment the decided to try losing instead of winning and posted an eight game losing streak. This went to 1-11, then to 6-15, and ended the season with a record of 92-70-1. This might not sound terrible to you non-baseball fans (actually it probably sounds terrible to everyone) but here is something to put things into perspective. On September 2nd of 1969, the New York Mets had a record of 77-55. This put us around 7 games ahead of the Mets (give or take a few because my math skills are terrible). At the end of the season (which was 1 month later, as in exactly 30 days from that point) the Mets finished with a record of 100-62. THE CUBS GAVE UP 15 GAMES IN 1 MONTH. To further put things in to perspective, if that happened in the National League Central this year, the Astros or Pirates could over take the Cubs and win the division by about five games.
This year you might see very little difference because right now the Cubs have the best team in the National League Central, but lack certain skills to close the division. The Cubs lack charisma and hustle. Today’s game is a prime example of both things not being present. It is the small things that win ball games like running around the bases, hustling to make plays, and putting forth your best effort which will win these games down the stretch. The worst of these players is Alfonso Soriano. Soriano has gotten by only on his skill and not on his hustle or will to win.
Last night against the Brewers was a prime example. The Cubs scored their only run on a Ramirez sacrifice fly which scored Carlos Zambrano. Soriano decided to walk to third and stroll in while getting tagged out on a great throw from right field. He didn’t hustle, he didn’t slide, he slowly strolled into third after the tag was applied. Luckily for the Cubs the umpire made a bad call and Soriano was safe. This is simply the latest in a series of being picked off, missed outfield fly balls, and complete lack of heart and hustle from our “star” left fielder. Don’t get me wrong now, he is a talented ball player…probably one of the best in the league… but his lack of effort is hurting the ball club and could lead to them falling in the final stretch here.
I should now go on record by stating that I still think the Cubs are going to win the division. It should be noted though that if the Cubs can find a way to lose alot of games in the stretch they probably will
You look at the car above and you cry because it was a Lamborghini. Fighting back tears you read the story of Lance Briggs, ‘Da Bears’ Pro-Bowl linebacker who was involved in this one-car accident. You learn that it was found abandoned at 3:15 in the morning on the Edens (a highway north of Chicago) by the State Patrol. There was no driver in the car at the time, the wreck was not reported, and there were apparently no injuries. One might start to think that a star driving his car and running it into a lightpole at 3:15 AM, and then leaving the scene of an accident, would involve alcohol, but according to head coach Lovie Smith who was asked about alcohol’s involvement by a reporter:
“Now, how did we get to that part?” Smith asked. “We have a one-car accident and now alcohol is involved? I think that’s stretching a little bit to go that far.”
OF COURSE THERE WAS ALCOHOL INVOLVED! I add 2 and 2 and come out with 4… but apparently Lovie Smith comes up with 5 and then questions how I came to 4.
Here in a “The Nasty Boys’” EXCLUSIVE video as we have Lance Briggs (the one in black) being helped to his car by 2 other gentlemen.
Of course he was drunk Lovie, and there is no other reason to think otherwise. Luckily for Bears fans, and humanity really, he didn’t hurt anyone and made it home in enough time so he wouldn’t get caught and suspended.
Also, Briggs was at practice Monday morning bright and early, before being arrested with 2 misdemeanors for leaving the scene of an accident and failing to report an accident within 30 minutes. F*ck man, I don’t even want to go to class or work early in the morning after drinking let alone after wrecking a car at 3:15 in the morning; Briggs should be commended for making it in on time. (Not really but a little sarcasm in what could have been a scary situation couldn’t hurt.)
Many of you who aren’t fans of the greatest team to grace professional sports (’DA BEARS’), then you might have never heard of George Halas because he probably retired and died before many people reading this were even born. It is hard to gather all of the thoughts of such a great man and write them into a single article, but here I will try.
The fact is that one could write more volumes than the Britannica on each season he was an owner, player, and coach. His contribution to both the Bears, and the NFL, is vast and calling him one of the greatest people in football history is acceptable.
His record alone (324-152-32 ) is enough to enshrine him in the pantheon of the greatest. His 40 years of coaching with only 6 losing seasons is enough. His 6 NFL Championships is enough. He was MVP of the Rose Bowl in 1919, he invented the T-formation, he led the Bears to the most one-sided victory in NFL history (beat the Washington Redskins 73-0 in the 1940 Championship game), and he returned a fumble 98 yards in 1923, which was a record that would stand until 1975.
Halas was a player and/or a coach from 1920-1967, retiring very briefly several times, and was an owner for over 63 years. He was integral in forming the league during this time, when he was one of the people who met in 1920 to change the American Football League to the NFL. Halas is enshrined in Canton, Ohio and his number 7 is retired by the Bears. Since 1984 the initials GSH have appeared on the sleeves of Bear uniforms in honor of Papa Bear (seen below).
And the last ‘tid bit’ of information: Halas played 12 games as an outfielder of the Yankees before suffering a hip injury. He was replaced by this guy named Ruth…
Below is a video of this guy watching Rex Grossman play in his second preseason game on Monday Night Football. I’m not sure if it was after his interception or one of his three fumbles (1 lost) in only a quarter worth of “work.” It is going to be a long season for Bears’ fans (some ‘not safe for work’ language):
Since I was born in 1983 I have seen some of the biggest draft blunders in sports history. Here are the Top 5:
5. Minnesota Vikings (2003- NFL Draft): After having months to prepare for the draft and 15 minutes time during the draft, Minnesota failed to pick in the allotted time and watched Jacksonville and Carolina run to the podium to pick before Minnesota had a chance. This might be higher on the list if either of the teams who “stole the pick” had drafted someone who would make the pro-bowl, but the only team which picked a pro-bowler was the Vikings (Kevin Williams)
4. Sam Bowie (1984-NBA Draft): Drafted second by Portland after Olajuwon in 1984, it seemed like a logical choice at the time for the Trailblazers who drafted Hall of Famer Clyde “The Glyde” Drexler the year before. Even though Bowie’s career wasn’t completely atrocious, passing up the greatest player ever to play the game (Michael Jordan) is inexcusable.
3. Tony Mandarich (1989-NFL Draft): Drafted with the second pick in the NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers was USC star Tony Mandarich. Supposedly the best offensive lineman ever to enter the draft, Mandarich held out until the last week before the NFL season to make more money before his 3 years of sub par performances and constant attitude issues. This pick is bad enough by itself, but the fact that the Packers passed up future stars such as Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, Derrick Thomas, Eric Metcalf, Steve Atwater, and Andre Rison make this pick reprehensible
2. Lawrence Phillips (1996- NFL Draft): Probably one of the greatest running backs ever to play the game, Phillips decided instead to constantly have legal troubles (a la Pacman Jones) which lead to him currently facing 20 years in jail for multiple domestic violence suits from several different females dating back to college when he dragged his ex-girlfriend down a flight of stairs by her hair for cheating on him. It is somewhat irrelevant that T.O., Ray Lewis, Mushin Muhhamed, Joe Horn, Teddy Bruschi, Marvin Harrison, and so many others were drafted after him.
1. Ryan Leaf (1998-NFL Draft) : We all know the story. The Colts take Peyton Manning, the Chargers take Ryan Leaf. The rest is history
Honorable Mention: 2001 NFL Draft the Falcons trade the Chargers to draft Michael Vick 1st and the Chargers take LaDanian Tomlinson 5th.
Matt
Charlie Hustle
Condo
Doc Hancock
Bob Swerski
Vega
Jenny Finch- played for Arizona
Taryne Mowatt- played for Arizona
