Yes, I am back. I realize it has been a very long time since my last post so I figured I'd delight you with some of my thoughts. By now baseball season is in full swing, the NFL Draft is over, and the Bulls are searching for a new head coach. Let's not waste anymore time, and let's go Four Phases:
Baseball season's under way- The first month is over, and teams are starting to file in their expected places. The bad teams are losing, the good teams are winning, and the mediocre teams are playing mediocre. As the title reads I'm talking about all Chicago teams today, and seeing as the White Sox can't seem to win a game anymore, we'll talk about the Cubs. Over the weekend the Cubs lost two of three to the hated Cardinals. As a Cubs fan I would like to tip my cap to the Cardinals for beating both a pitcher who was sent down to the minors in the middle of the game(Rich Hill), and a pitcher who has had two good outings all year(Jason Marquis). Congrats, I hope you enjoy winning, because here's a reality check Cards fans, they are not going to keep it up. The team has absolutely no depth, and their pitching staff is not built to last a 162 game season. I hope you enjoy your time on top, because it'll be over before you know it. One subject I want to touch on real quick because it's becoming a big topic in Chicago is Alfonso Soriano. All I have to say about Alfonso Soriano is that they paid the guy $136 mil. to bat lead-off, and that is where he should stay. Now Lou just needs to figure out 2-8, end of story.
What a mess!- As a life-long Bears fan this tough for me to say, but the Bears are a mess, and I don't see them getting back to 05-06 form anytime soon. I think it's obvious now that they got rid of the wrong running back last year. That became evident after the "special" running back Cedric Benson was arrested over the weekend. As much as I love Kyle Orton, he is not a legitimate answer at QB, and neither is Rex Grossman. I'm sorry to the Bears fans reading this that don't like hearing this stuff, but it's true, the Bears are on track to have an awful 2008 and beyond. You can't just let your two leading receivers go and think you're going to be alright, it doesn't work that way. People need to start realizing that Jerry Angelo is running this team into the ground. Although I've only been a Bears fan for about 16 years or as long as I can remember, I can not think of a Bears team that is worse than the one they have thrown together right now. This is a horrible time to be a Chicago Bears fan and I do not like it one bit.
Coach needed, must be able to, well, coach- It has basically become that simple for the Bulls. All they need is a coach who can coach the game of basketball. I would love to see them get Mike D'Antoni but would hate to see them get Avery Johnson. Enough of that, the Bulls are just as good as the Bears right now.
This week marks a special anniversary for the Cubs- Yes, this week ten years ago a young Kerry Wood did the unthinkable, he pitched a complete game and did not get hurt! Okay, so that's a joke, but it's also true at the same time. No, this week ten years ago a young, healthy Kerry Wood threw a one-hitter against the Astros. Oh yeah, he also struck out a few guys while at it, twenty to be exact. Here's video proof in case you don't believe me:
Monday, May 5, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
What's on my mind
If you can't already tell from the giant marquis at the top of the page, or my profile picture in which I am wearing a Cubs shirt, I am all about the Chicago sports scene. I have many things on my mind about each of the five major teams(yes, even the White Sox) that I will go about spilling out to you thy reader on this blog of mine. If you actually read this here blog, or even happen to just stumble upon this page, please be so kind as to leave a comment. Now, let's get past all the introductions and sarcasm crap and get to what's important here:
Cubs- We're still two weeks away from opening day and Lou Piniella is already working on his third line-up. Only this time I think he got it right. Alfonso Soriano will finally be out of the lead-off spot, hitting second while Ryan Theriot moves up to hit first. This in itself is a brilliant move by the Cubs second year manager. Let me remind you that it was just two springs ago when Soriano refused to play left field for the Nationals, only to reluctantly accept the position in mid-spring, then went on to have a 40-40 season. The next switch Lou made to the line-up was moving Japanese out fielder Kosuke Fukudome down to the fifth spot, putting Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez back in there natural 3-4 spots. So if you were to look at the Cubs line-up now, and if this stays for opening day, it will look like this:
1. Ryan Theriot
2. Alfonso Soriano
3. Derrek Lee
4. Aramis Ramirez
5. Kosuke Fukudome
6. Mark DeRosa
7. Geovanny Soto
8. Felix Pie
9. Pitcher
With that kind of line-up I have just one thing to say: Good luck to the rest of the NL Central!
Bears- The Bears are looking once again at signing Chris Brown. No, not the rapper, the runningback, and yes, there is a runningback named Chris Brown. He had one good year with the Titans and rode the bench the past few seasons. Sure he's a Chicago-area native, but so was Cliff Floyd, and Cubs fans know how great that turned out. This news comes just days after the team signed wide "receiver" Brandon Lloyd, and I put "receiver" in quotes because he hasn't been doing much "receiving" lately. First of all it's bad enough that they signed a guy who's known to have alligator arms, and is another Washington fall-out. Just like Adam Archuleta a year ago, Lloyd was only signed because he used to play under a Bears coach. Archuleta played under Lovie Smith with the Rams, and Brandon Lloyd played under Offensive Coordinator Ron Turner while at Illinois. What's that supposed to mean really? A bad receiver played under a bad coach? Sounds reliable. Then, immediately after he was signed, the guy starts saying how the Bears told him that Rex Grossman will be the starting QB next year. I don't understand what makes him so special that the coaches would tell him that before telling say, Rex Grossman, or any other member of the Bears.
Bulls- Hey look! They won a game! They are now only a half-game out of being absolutely humiliated in the playoffs! Moving on.
Blackhawks- With only 12 games left on the season, they are on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs. Let's look on the bright side though, did anyone out there who actually likes hockey and the 'Hawks think they'd be even close to making the playoffs with 12 games left? Yeah, neither did I.
White Sox- It appears as though Joe Crede and Josh Fields are in a battle for third base. Let's see, go with the guy who's experienced and could win a Gold Glove, or go with the guy who has a contradictory last name? Hmmm.. boy that sure is a tough one. Meanwhile in San Francisco, former Sox outfielder and stunt man Aaron Rowand is trying to persuade Giants brass to make a deal for Crede. I'll tell you this now Kenny Williams, you get rid of Crede and you might as well kiss your season goodbye. Because with the Tigers and the Indians in the same division, you may find yourself in the same position as last year, fighting the Royals just to stay out of last place.
That's all for me today. Once again, some comments to confirm that atleast someone reads this would be much appreciated.
Cubs- We're still two weeks away from opening day and Lou Piniella is already working on his third line-up. Only this time I think he got it right. Alfonso Soriano will finally be out of the lead-off spot, hitting second while Ryan Theriot moves up to hit first. This in itself is a brilliant move by the Cubs second year manager. Let me remind you that it was just two springs ago when Soriano refused to play left field for the Nationals, only to reluctantly accept the position in mid-spring, then went on to have a 40-40 season. The next switch Lou made to the line-up was moving Japanese out fielder Kosuke Fukudome down to the fifth spot, putting Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez back in there natural 3-4 spots. So if you were to look at the Cubs line-up now, and if this stays for opening day, it will look like this:
1. Ryan Theriot
2. Alfonso Soriano
3. Derrek Lee
4. Aramis Ramirez
5. Kosuke Fukudome
6. Mark DeRosa
7. Geovanny Soto
8. Felix Pie
9. Pitcher
With that kind of line-up I have just one thing to say: Good luck to the rest of the NL Central!
Bears- The Bears are looking once again at signing Chris Brown. No, not the rapper, the runningback, and yes, there is a runningback named Chris Brown. He had one good year with the Titans and rode the bench the past few seasons. Sure he's a Chicago-area native, but so was Cliff Floyd, and Cubs fans know how great that turned out. This news comes just days after the team signed wide "receiver" Brandon Lloyd, and I put "receiver" in quotes because he hasn't been doing much "receiving" lately. First of all it's bad enough that they signed a guy who's known to have alligator arms, and is another Washington fall-out. Just like Adam Archuleta a year ago, Lloyd was only signed because he used to play under a Bears coach. Archuleta played under Lovie Smith with the Rams, and Brandon Lloyd played under Offensive Coordinator Ron Turner while at Illinois. What's that supposed to mean really? A bad receiver played under a bad coach? Sounds reliable. Then, immediately after he was signed, the guy starts saying how the Bears told him that Rex Grossman will be the starting QB next year. I don't understand what makes him so special that the coaches would tell him that before telling say, Rex Grossman, or any other member of the Bears.
Bulls- Hey look! They won a game! They are now only a half-game out of being absolutely humiliated in the playoffs! Moving on.
Blackhawks- With only 12 games left on the season, they are on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs. Let's look on the bright side though, did anyone out there who actually likes hockey and the 'Hawks think they'd be even close to making the playoffs with 12 games left? Yeah, neither did I.
White Sox- It appears as though Joe Crede and Josh Fields are in a battle for third base. Let's see, go with the guy who's experienced and could win a Gold Glove, or go with the guy who has a contradictory last name? Hmmm.. boy that sure is a tough one. Meanwhile in San Francisco, former Sox outfielder and stunt man Aaron Rowand is trying to persuade Giants brass to make a deal for Crede. I'll tell you this now Kenny Williams, you get rid of Crede and you might as well kiss your season goodbye. Because with the Tigers and the Indians in the same division, you may find yourself in the same position as last year, fighting the Royals just to stay out of last place.
That's all for me today. Once again, some comments to confirm that atleast someone reads this would be much appreciated.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Add this guy to the list!
I know it's been over a week since I last updated my blog, but lucky for me, I don't think many people actually know this blog exists. Either way, I am back with a short entry today featuring three great videos. If you're having a tough time at work or just having a bad day, just think about how bad of a day these guys must have had.
It has appeared that someone has gone to the level of the elites when it comes to coaching tirades. Here for you to enjoy is the newest member of my Coaching Tirades Hall of Fame. To get into this Hall of Fame you must take the tirade to a level that most men dare not go. You will see no, "You play to win the game!" or "Don't talk about playoffs!" stuff here. To get into this Hall you must incorporate yelling at the top of your lungs for no good reason, the use of curse words, and bonus points if you throw and/or pound various objects.
In case you were wondering who is already in my Coaching Tirades Hall of Fame, I have those videos for you right now:
Best one ever?- This video is of former Cubs' Manager Lee Elia going crazy after a game. The way he slides a swear word into just about every sentence is incredible.
I wouldn't go after this guy, he's 40- Ahh yes, good ol' Mike Gundy. The most recent inductee into the Hall. What makes this video even better is that the player that he's talking about, ended up transferring after the season.
Who does he think he is?- After a collapse against the Bears on Monday Night Football, Arizona Cardinals coach Denny Green goes crazy. And I loved every second of it!
The newest member of the Coaching Tirade's Hall of Fame- Never, in my wildest dreams, would I have imagined putting a college women's basketball coach in my Hall of Fame, but this guy earned it. Creative entrance, great use of the yelling, nearly a perfect 10, could've used some more swearing. Either way, I give you the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines women's basketball team, that guy! Congratulations!
I want to throw a quick shout out to Eric Gray of EA Sports GameShow for inspiring me to share with you my Coaching Tirade's Hall of Fame.
It has appeared that someone has gone to the level of the elites when it comes to coaching tirades. Here for you to enjoy is the newest member of my Coaching Tirades Hall of Fame. To get into this Hall of Fame you must take the tirade to a level that most men dare not go. You will see no, "You play to win the game!" or "Don't talk about playoffs!" stuff here. To get into this Hall you must incorporate yelling at the top of your lungs for no good reason, the use of curse words, and bonus points if you throw and/or pound various objects.
In case you were wondering who is already in my Coaching Tirades Hall of Fame, I have those videos for you right now:
Best one ever?- This video is of former Cubs' Manager Lee Elia going crazy after a game. The way he slides a swear word into just about every sentence is incredible.
I wouldn't go after this guy, he's 40- Ahh yes, good ol' Mike Gundy. The most recent inductee into the Hall. What makes this video even better is that the player that he's talking about, ended up transferring after the season.
Who does he think he is?- After a collapse against the Bears on Monday Night Football, Arizona Cardinals coach Denny Green goes crazy. And I loved every second of it!
The newest member of the Coaching Tirade's Hall of Fame- Never, in my wildest dreams, would I have imagined putting a college women's basketball coach in my Hall of Fame, but this guy earned it. Creative entrance, great use of the yelling, nearly a perfect 10, could've used some more swearing. Either way, I give you the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines women's basketball team, that guy! Congratulations!
I want to throw a quick shout out to Eric Gray of EA Sports GameShow for inspiring me to share with you my Coaching Tirade's Hall of Fame.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Thursday's Thoughts
Another part of my blog that's named after the day of the week, so yeah, I'm real creative. Either way I just typed in the title with the first thing that came to mind so I could get to what is on my mind for today.
A huge sigh of relief from Bulls fans- In my first entry I talked about the trades that have been made in the NBA. I also mentioned that as a Bulls fan I wanted to know when they would make their steal. I went on to say that it makes no sense that Ben Wallace is still on the team. Well, ladies and gentleman, I am proud to announce, BEN WALLACE IS FINALLY GONE!!!!! John Paxson finally got rid of the $60 million mistake. Today Paxson made the trade that was long overdue by sending Wallace, Joe Smith and a future second-round pick(who really needs a second-round pick anyway?) to Cleveland for Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, and two guys nobody really cares about. Whether or not this helps the Bulls will probably be questioned by some fans, but my take is that no Ben Wallace is a major improvement. The coach-killing, slow-running, poor shooting, locker room cancer is gone! This just made my day! Good luck working with this guy LeBron, you're going to need it.
Centerfielder needed, must be able to run, catch, and hit- Cubs manager Lou Piniella said Wednesday that Felix Pie and Sam Fuld will be competing for the Cubs centerfield job. Basically it's a guy who is fast, has a cannon for an arm, and a delicious last name vs. the all or nothing guy that nobody's really heard anything about. One we know can't hit, the other we haven't really seen. Although we know that both can play some D. In Pie's first game as a big leaguer he threw out the potential game-winning run at the plate. Later in the season, a September call-up was sent into left with nobody knowing who he was, only to make an incredible catch while crashing into the bricks and ivy. This all brings me to one question: can we petition the commish to let us have a DH for our centerfielder?
Video of the Day- What happens when Eli gets drunk. Enjoy!
A huge sigh of relief from Bulls fans- In my first entry I talked about the trades that have been made in the NBA. I also mentioned that as a Bulls fan I wanted to know when they would make their steal. I went on to say that it makes no sense that Ben Wallace is still on the team. Well, ladies and gentleman, I am proud to announce, BEN WALLACE IS FINALLY GONE!!!!! John Paxson finally got rid of the $60 million mistake. Today Paxson made the trade that was long overdue by sending Wallace, Joe Smith and a future second-round pick(who really needs a second-round pick anyway?) to Cleveland for Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, and two guys nobody really cares about. Whether or not this helps the Bulls will probably be questioned by some fans, but my take is that no Ben Wallace is a major improvement. The coach-killing, slow-running, poor shooting, locker room cancer is gone! This just made my day! Good luck working with this guy LeBron, you're going to need it.
Centerfielder needed, must be able to run, catch, and hit- Cubs manager Lou Piniella said Wednesday that Felix Pie and Sam Fuld will be competing for the Cubs centerfield job. Basically it's a guy who is fast, has a cannon for an arm, and a delicious last name vs. the all or nothing guy that nobody's really heard anything about. One we know can't hit, the other we haven't really seen. Although we know that both can play some D. In Pie's first game as a big leaguer he threw out the potential game-winning run at the plate. Later in the season, a September call-up was sent into left with nobody knowing who he was, only to make an incredible catch while crashing into the bricks and ivy. This all brings me to one question: can we petition the commish to let us have a DH for our centerfielder?
Video of the Day- What happens when Eli gets drunk. Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The Tuesday Ten: Sideline Reporters
Every Tuesday I will be bringing you a different top ten list so to speak. This week I pick on the people who every fan loves to hate, the sideline reporters. Whether you find these good or bad, these are my top ten sideline reporter incidents.
10. Nicole Richie- Their should be a rule in broadcasting that you should never interview someone who's done next to nothing to be known as a celebrity. This video just proves that. Although I get a kick out of the guys reaction.
9. Steve Nash- Two things I don't get about this video. One, what causes Steve Nash to pull this guys handkerchief out and blow his nose with it. And two, why does Craih Sager just keep going with the interview like nothing happened, after Nash stuffed the handkerchief back in his pocket. Either way, it's still funny.
8. Paul "Bear" Bryant- A clip that goes unnoticed. One of the best examples of a coach blowing off a sideline reporter.
7. Andrea Kraemer- We all know that Tom Brady gets the attention of the ladies. But Kraemer lets him and America know that he got her attention.
6. Jim Knox- Proof that sideline reporters are idiots and a waste of money. But at the same time they are enjoyable to laugh at.
5. Shaq- Now we start getting into the good stuff, and what better than cussing on live TV?
4. Stephon Marbury- Not to be outdone, Marbury kicks it up a notch.
3. Jim Spanarkel- I know what you're thinking, who? But it doesn't matter. This guy provides us all with good quality entertainment.
2. Mike Tyson- This guy has something wrong with him. But I don't care. It because of his messed up brain that we get great videos like this.
1. Joe Namath- The greatest drunk rambling ever. Nobody will ever top Broadway Joe. Please, enjoy:
10. Nicole Richie- Their should be a rule in broadcasting that you should never interview someone who's done next to nothing to be known as a celebrity. This video just proves that. Although I get a kick out of the guys reaction.
9. Steve Nash- Two things I don't get about this video. One, what causes Steve Nash to pull this guys handkerchief out and blow his nose with it. And two, why does Craih Sager just keep going with the interview like nothing happened, after Nash stuffed the handkerchief back in his pocket. Either way, it's still funny.
8. Paul "Bear" Bryant- A clip that goes unnoticed. One of the best examples of a coach blowing off a sideline reporter.
7. Andrea Kraemer- We all know that Tom Brady gets the attention of the ladies. But Kraemer lets him and America know that he got her attention.
6. Jim Knox- Proof that sideline reporters are idiots and a waste of money. But at the same time they are enjoyable to laugh at.
5. Shaq- Now we start getting into the good stuff, and what better than cussing on live TV?
4. Stephon Marbury- Not to be outdone, Marbury kicks it up a notch.
3. Jim Spanarkel- I know what you're thinking, who? But it doesn't matter. This guy provides us all with good quality entertainment.
2. Mike Tyson- This guy has something wrong with him. But I don't care. It because of his messed up brain that we get great videos like this.
1. Joe Namath- The greatest drunk rambling ever. Nobody will ever top Broadway Joe. Please, enjoy:
Monday, February 18, 2008
Four Phases: NBA Trades, Spygate, Spring Training, and a special tribute
My name is Steven Jennings. I have started this blog to share my thoughts on various sports topics. I will mostly be doing what I like to call "Four Phases." It's a spin-off of the football term "Three Phases" which include Offense, Defense, and Special Teams. What I will be doing is picking four topics to write about. So I hope you enjoy, let's go Four Phases:
NBA Trades- First it's Pau Gasol to the Lakers. Then it's Shaq for Shawn Marion. Now two more trades have been made. The Atlanta Hawks have traded Anthony Johnson, Shelden Williams, Tyronn Lue, Lorenzen Wright and a second-round pick to the Kings for Mike Bibby. Next the Mavs finish off the trade to get Jason Kidd. As a Bulls fan I'm left questioning, "when are the Bulls gonna make a steal?" All these top players are being dealt for next to nothing, yet Ben Wallace is still wasting space on the Bulls roster. There is something seriously wrong with that.
Spygate- Why do we care so much? Ok, let's say the Patriots did tape the Rams walk-through to see what kind of defensive schemes they would be running. Great, so they knew the part that every team knew. Every team knew about the Rams defense. It was the Rams offense that everyone was trying to figure out. Not to mention that in today's sports where coaches and coordinaters come and go, everybody knows everybody's plays. Even if you know the plays, it comes down to execution. The Patriots beat the Rams on a last minute field goal. You'd think that if they knew what the Rams were doing the game wouldn't even be close. I say it's time to put Spygate to bed, it's over, they got caught spying on the Jets, end of story, let's move on.
Hey baseball is back!- Yes, finally pitchers, catchers, and the majority of position players have arrived! The pitchers are pitching, the catchers are catching, and the batters are batting. Good old baseball. But the important thing is that the jokes and pranks are in full force. I would like to thank Brett Myers for taking a break from beating his wife to give us this piece of comedic genius:
Holy Cow it's been Ten Years- Legendary Broadcaster Harry Caray passed away ten years ago today. So I give you this:
NBA Trades- First it's Pau Gasol to the Lakers. Then it's Shaq for Shawn Marion. Now two more trades have been made. The Atlanta Hawks have traded Anthony Johnson, Shelden Williams, Tyronn Lue, Lorenzen Wright and a second-round pick to the Kings for Mike Bibby. Next the Mavs finish off the trade to get Jason Kidd. As a Bulls fan I'm left questioning, "when are the Bulls gonna make a steal?" All these top players are being dealt for next to nothing, yet Ben Wallace is still wasting space on the Bulls roster. There is something seriously wrong with that.
Spygate- Why do we care so much? Ok, let's say the Patriots did tape the Rams walk-through to see what kind of defensive schemes they would be running. Great, so they knew the part that every team knew. Every team knew about the Rams defense. It was the Rams offense that everyone was trying to figure out. Not to mention that in today's sports where coaches and coordinaters come and go, everybody knows everybody's plays. Even if you know the plays, it comes down to execution. The Patriots beat the Rams on a last minute field goal. You'd think that if they knew what the Rams were doing the game wouldn't even be close. I say it's time to put Spygate to bed, it's over, they got caught spying on the Jets, end of story, let's move on.
Hey baseball is back!- Yes, finally pitchers, catchers, and the majority of position players have arrived! The pitchers are pitching, the catchers are catching, and the batters are batting. Good old baseball. But the important thing is that the jokes and pranks are in full force. I would like to thank Brett Myers for taking a break from beating his wife to give us this piece of comedic genius:
Holy Cow it's been Ten Years- Legendary Broadcaster Harry Caray passed away ten years ago today. So I give you this:
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