Marquette and the NBA

So it turns out I didn't have enough to do to keep me busy until 3:55 when I leave tonight, so here is my other post. I apologize for the shortness and poor quality of the last one, hopefully I do better with this one.

I watched the Marquette/Memphis game last night and thought I would see a good game. Unfortunately what I saw was what the Marquette program will be for the foreseeable future. It was a team which never looked like they were playing together, committed 25 turnovers, and just waited for Diener to do something in a 78-68 loss. The bad thing is that the game wasn't even that close for much of the game. Players were passing up open shots just so they could give the ball back to Diener and watch him try and create a shot. What happened last night is sadly what fans of the ...ahem... Golden Eagles will see all season. Sophomore Dameon Mason and Freshamn Ryan Amoroso showed some signs of life, but the team just played so poorly there didn't seem to be anything to get excited about.

With Marquette so dependant on Diener and Steve Novak (who combined for just 22 points last night) teams will continue to force other players to beat them. As we saw last night, this is not a good situation for the Golden Eagles. I can't wait to see Diener try and dribble for 30 minutes against the defenses of Cincinnati and Louisville. That's pretty much what the offense seemed to be last night, let him dribble and then try and do something when the shot clock gets under 10. How many conference games do you think Marquette can win, 5, maybe? Diener could have a good season if he can get through all of the elbows and cheap shots, but he won't lead the Golden Eagles very to any post season success.

The only good thing about the game is I watched the second half at my favorite hometown watering hole, The Brazenhead Pub. Great music, great beer (nothing domestic on tap, save for micro-brews), good food, and great people. If you're ever in West Bend, WI, pay a visit to this wonderful establishment.

Getting back to the column, I sat and watched Marquette try and come back in the game. They at least made it interesting enough for us to keep watching until the final two minutes when we turned our attention to the NBA game du jour, Cavaliers at Lakers.

This game was to feature one player who was supposed to supplant Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player ever (Kobe Bryant) and the player who probably will replace Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player ever (LeBron James). Even though two of the best players in the sport were playing each other, I just couldn't get excited for this game. I don't know if it was the constant suckitude (am I the first writer to use that word?) of the Bucks since the 2001 playoffs or what, but the NBA doesn't appeal to me anymore.

It's kind of like Friends (yes, I watched Friends) after Rachel had a kid and her and Joey tried to hook up, the show just wasn't as good, had its moments of watchability, but the ending was predictable. The Bucks have not been very good since that season. Sure they have had some moments which make you think this team has potential, but then they remember they are the Bucks and lose 3 or 4 straight. The ending is predictable, either they are a lottery team or a one-round-and-out playoff team. Thing is I don't even care that much about the Bucks to begin with.

When Jordan was in the league and Kemp was with the Sonics, Malone and Stockton had the Jazz rolling, and the Shaq was coming into his own, I was a huge NBA fan. I watched every game that was on TV. Now I just don't. The league over the past few years has just gone into a lull of no defense and one-on-one basketball. There is no team play anymore. The Pistons played as a team last year, but many people aren't excited about the NBA's version of the Ravens winning the title. We want offense, we want players we can get excited about, and not because of what crazy thing they might do during the game, but because of what plays they may make during the game.

I didn't even know LeBron and Kobe were playing each other last night until one of the patrons at Brazenhead asked for the channel to be changed. I was more excited about the game after Kobe went out because I could see what kind of a team this was without that cancer. What happened? The Lakers won. This season has seen a resurgance in the kind of basketball which made the league so popular in the 80's. We have players to get excited about (Wade, Amare, and LeBron) and teams running up and down the floor, playing together (Seattle and Phoenix).

The NBA is experiencing the kind of resurgence Dr. Dre's career enjoyed after he signed Eminem. Consider Wade, Amare, and LeBron the Eminem to the NBA's Dr. Dre, without the lawsuits, abrasive lyrics, and hatred from old white men. Hopefully, these three core players will lead the NBA back to being one of the sports I watch all the time. Bill Simmons says he is one of only 20 die hard NBA fans left; but who knows, maybe by the end of the year the Association will have 21.

-Until next time...

Still a Man

Last night posed a difficult question to me, do I watch Duke/N.C. State, or The O.C.? Well it didn't take very long for me to remember I am a man and decide to watch the basketball game primarily and check in on The O.C. occasionally. I know this is even a little too much to do when watching a sporting event given the opportunity to miss plays, but as all men know, we have a sixth sense about the exact moment when to turn the channel. Needless to say I didn't miss a play and saw some justification to my ranking Duke ahead of Oklahoma State this week.

The game between N.C. State and Duke was a great opportunity for me to assess my number five team in the country. The Blue Devils were playing a quality opponent in a building where they have had tough games and were still without Shavlik Randolph (although he hasn't exactly been a stud this year). All Duke did was overcome a halftime deficit and defeat the Wolfpack 86-74 and improve their record to 12-0. With the new ACC this was the only meeting for the two teams and Duke got the better of it with help from some inexperienced players.

Lee Melchionni and freshman DeMarcus Nelson played very well and combined for 22 points to propel the Blue Devils to the victory. Not only did Duke win, but they looked better than they have looked all season to me. I will say that Duke being number five did have something to do with them being my favorite team (even though I tried to say it didn't). If Oklahoma State was my favorite team, they might be number five, but after Duke's performance last night, I can't take them out of the rankings just yet. When they only get 8 points from J.J. Redick and can still win at N.C. State, they have something good going on.

Even though I was only able to watch the second half (I was reffing basketball last night), the team still impressed me. If Sheldon Williams keeps playing at this level and doesn't get into foul trouble the lack of depth for the Duke team won't matter.

Sorry this post is so short, but I actually have things to do today before I ref again tonight. By the way, if you have any questions regarding a call or a rule in basketball, feel free to ask, and I will answer to the best of my ability (or at least what the WIAA has taught me). In the meantime, look for another post from me either later tonight or tomorrow morning. Oh yeah, so how smooth is Sandy Cohen?


-Until next time...

"I Have Something to Prove"

Since I just made up a theory two days ago, I figure I should write a little more about it. Basically this theory was created just so I could justify the Cubs keeping Sosa, and then I started thinking about it more and figured many other players could fit into a category like this, so the Javy Vazquez reference was created and the theory had new life. All I needed to do then was find a test figure where the theory could work and who better than Michael Jordan to prove me right. The only thing left is for me to find examples of this theory working in other sports (don't worry I will).

The theory is this; a player will have a great statistical season if he or she feels their respective team has given up on them, the fans who once cheered are booing and expect more of the player, and/or teammates have turned on the player and aren't defending him or her anymore. Any other reason could be included which causes the player to think, "Hey I really have something to prove to myself, the team, the fans, et al". For example if Jason Giambi plays baseball again, he is a perfect fit for the theory. He not only has something to prove to whichever team he is playing for, but to the fans, and himself after the illness and the steroids. Expect him to have a great year wherever and whenever he plays again.

Now that I have explained the theory to the best of my ability, I will tell you how great the Cubs will be in 2005 based solely on the large number of players who fall under my theory.


Corey Patterson- CF

• He needs to prove to Baker and Cubs fans he can lead off for an entire season and be a consistent top of the order batter. He also needs to prove to himself he is not thinking about the injury at all and is completely over it. He should also have a chip on his shoulder and say, "Hey, I am a good enough hitter and outfielder to make up for not pursuing Beltran harder. Don't worry fans, it's covered."

Sammy Sosa- RF

• I already explained this one two days ago and even if I didn't, you all probably know how he fits. He needs to prove to Baker, the fans, management, the media, and his teammates he is a team player and can still produce great numbers after having two off years. He doesn't need to blast 60 homers and drive in 150 runs to have a great season. More consistency at the plate about 45 home runs and 135 driven in would be huge for this team. One main area of concern with Sosa is cutting down on the strike outs and becoming more patient at the plate. If he can cut down on the strike outs (especially in clutch situations) he will get on base more and drive in more runs. He also needs to prove he can still play at a high level because essentially this is a contract year for him. Either the Cubs pick up his option and pay him $18 million in 2006 or buy his contract out and he signs a lucrative 2 or 3 year contract with another team (read Yankees). With 2005 seemingly being a contract year, Sosa falls under the rare "double theory year" blanket and should put up monster numbers.

Nomar Garciaparra- SS

• The amazing things about the Cubs is they have more than one player under the "double theory year". Garciaparra took the one year $8 million deal to specifically prove to everyone he can remain healthy for an entire year, play over 150 games, and be the Nomar of 1998-2002. Remember when he was considered the best shortstop in baseball? He isn't that far removed from this coveted status. Although I can obviously see he is not as good as he was 5 years ago, he can still be an elite player. Think about it; the former best shortstop in baseball playing in a contract year in which he has to prove to everyone he is still a valuable player, are you kidding me? Does anyone expect him not to hit at least 35 home runs, drive in 120, and hit at least .325? Think about Nomar's career like Al Pacino's. Pacino was Michael Corleone, Frank Serpico, and Tony Montana, three of the greatest characters in American movie history. Then he took roles in movies "Revolution", "The Godfather III" (which never happened), and the classic "Gigli". He needed to prove to critics and his fans that he was still the actor who gave us so many memorable roles over the years. He came back in 2003 after "Gigli" and moved the country with his stirring performance as Roy Marcus Cohn in "Angels in America". Nomar needs to give us his Roy Marcus Cohn performance this year.

Todd Walker- 2nd Base

• Walker is in this position for only one reason; he needs to prove letting Grudzielanek go was the best thing for the team as he is more than capable of being a reliable everyday defender and hitter. I see 17 home runs, a .310 average, and right around 65 rbi.

Kerry Wood and Mark Prior- Starting Pitchers

• These guys both have to prove they can make 35 starts in a season and be the pitchers we have hoped each would be for the past two years. All of the talent is there, we just need to finally see the results together. If both of these pitchers stay healthy enough to make 90% of their scheduled starts, the Cubs could have two top five Cy Young candidates (throw in Carlos Zambrano and it could be three in the top 6). For Prior, he needs to prove his ability to stay healthy more than Wood, and let us all know he is fully recovered from the achilies injury. If he plays a full year; 22-7, 2.07, 227 K's. Wood has made it through complete seasons and needs to let everyone see he no longer blames himself for the NLCS defeat of 2003. His stats in a full 2005; 21-5, 2.32, 264 K's.

With all of these players having "Something to Prove" years, as well as a few "Double Theory" years, not to mention Third baseman Aramis Ramirez is in a contract year and the Cubs are looking good. If they sign Magglio Ordonez (as they should) they will have another player in a "Something to Prove" year and possibly a contract year. When the Cubs sign him I will look into my crystal ball and tell you how he will do in 2005.

-Until next time...

Why We Are Here

This was the first column I wrote for the UW-L Racquet almost two years ago. Most of the items discussed in this column still apply today and some don't. I will post the column in its original form and then write the few changes I would make to have it apply today. I know it is weak of me to reprint a column I wrote for something else, but fear not, this is just something to get all of you by until I post a new column later on this afternoon. Until then, enjoy.


The other day I was sitting in my room watching TV. I wasn’t really paying attention to what was on, and my mind started wandering.

I started pondering the question, “Why are we here?” Well, here’s what I came up with:

We’re here to watch Michael Jordan lace his shoes up for the last time and hope he gives us a chill once more, to root for the Cubs every April and say, “Wait until next year” every June.

Most of us are here to hate the Yankees, Duke, the Red Wings, Vikings, and NASCAR.

We’re here to hope Brett stays one more season so we can watch him do something we will never see again.

To watch an American win France’s national event for a 5th and 6th straight time before he lets anyone else even have a chance.

We’re here to have one game winning opportunity and fail, to cheer for the underdog every March, even though we don’t know where Creighton is or what a Saluki is.

We’re here to watch a 65 yard Hail Mary get tipped and caught in the end zone for the win.

We’re here to watch on Sundays in the summer and wait for Tiger to hit a shot like only Tiger can, and watch Phil choke like only Phil can.

To watch football on Sundays in the fall and wait for FOX and CBS to update the other games so we know how our fantasy team is doing.

We’re here to finally realize that what we did in sports in high school only matters to ourselves, to watch the Trailblazers fade every April, to pass judgment on players we don’t even know just based on what we see on Sportscenter.

We’re here to witness the joy on Serena’s face as she overpowers everyone else, and witness the defeat on Venus’ face as she overpowers everyone but Serena.

To see Barry break Hank’s record, to see Kobe and T-Mac go head to head like Larry and Magic, and to lose at least $100 on a game.

We’re here to quietly watch the heroes we had as children get old, out of their prime, give us one more moment of magic, and then retire. To celebrate when a team we haven’t cheered for all year wins the Super Bowl.

We’re here to watch “The Red River Shootout”, Duke/UNC in basketball, Boston/New York in anything, Gonzaga/Pepperdine in basketball, and Michigan/Ohio State in football.

We’re here for 7 overtimes, a 2nd string quarterback beating the number one team in the nation, a 20 K game, a reliever come in and blow two straight World Series games, 4th and 20 in the fourth quarter and they’re going for it, game 7, a 15 foot double breaker for the Master’s, bottom 9- 2 out- perfect game, the Final Four.

We’re here for all of this, but above all; to remember it and get that feeling we had back when we saw it all for the first time.



There it is. I would obviously forget the Jordan reference as well as Phil choking, Tiger's shots, and Serena and Venus. Here is what I would add today for those sections...

We are here to watch a young man mature and see if he will eventually replace Michael Jordan as the best basketball player ever. To watch in the summer as Phil gets cheered like no one else and Tiger trys to regain his shot and dominate again like no one else. We're here to see Serena and Venus take their defeats and come back to beat the young Russians and dominate the rest of the women's tour again, and to watch LeBron and Carmelo go head to head like Bird and Magic.

That's what I would write now, and may not even write anything about the Williams sisters. It's the Sharapova era now, let's all bask in it. Like I said, this is just to tide all of you over until this afternoon.

-Until next time...

College Hoops

It may be a little stupid for me to reveal my top five teams at this point in the season considering Kansas has so many injuries and UNC has a tough week of games against Georgia Tech and fellow top five member Wake Forest. My one caveat to this list is I believe the ACC is the best conference in the country without doubt. Sure, the Big XII has Kansas which is in the top five and a serious top five contender in Oklahoma State, which is a battle tested team in every sense of the word but they can't hold up to the ACC. The Big XII is close though with Texas playing very well and Oklahoma is flying under the radar. Don't forget about the Sooners, they are well coached and could surprise people this season, like they did in an impressive home victory over UCONN. The Big Ten has one serious Final Four contender in Illinois and one dark horse in Michigan State, and the SEC and Big East just aren't consistent enough to challenge the Big XII or ACC. No other conferences impress me at all so none of their teams will be discussed until further notice. Okay, enough, onto the list.

5). Duke University Blue Devils- (11-0)

Let me first start by stating this ranking has nothing to do with Duke being my favorite team. It has more to do with the fact they play in the best conference in the country and Oklahoma State doesn't. Even though conference season has just started, Duke gets the nod. They haven't played as well as other Duke teams in recent memory but are still undefeated, so until that changes, they are number 5. I do think Oklahoma State has looked a little better than Duke has (I haven't been impressed with Duke at all this year) but again, Duke is unbeaten.

For those of you who want to see Duke off the list, you may not have to wait long as they play at N.C. State tomorrow and host Virginia on Sunday. Both of these games will be tough tests for the Blue Devils. N.C. State has always been a tough place for them to play and this is a game N.C. State looks forward to more than most others during the season. Keep a close eye on these games as Duke may go down in both. Until Shavlik Randolph plays like the forward everyone expects him to be, the thin Blue Devils have nothing more than an outside shot at reaching St. Louis, or even the Elite Eight.

4). Wake Forest University Demon Deacons- (13-1)

Since the blow-out loss at Illinois, Wake has played like the title contenders they were supposed to be at the beginning of the season. Chris Paul has recovered nicely from a poor performance against the Illini and has the offense running very smoothly. Wake Forest has a great chance to move up on the list as they play host to UNC this Saturday. Not only will this game be a matchup of two of the top teams in the country, it is also a battle of two of the top point guards in college basketball as Raymond Felton (UNC) battles sophmore sensation Paul.

I fully expect both of these teams to be in St. Louis at the end of the year and we will see very early if either or both will likely get there. This should be a great game so make sure you find a TV to watch this one. The only reason Wake isn't ahead of UNC is I just don't think they play as well as UNC does. Wake has a chance to prove me wrong early in the season and as a Duke fan I say, prove me wrong, please.

3). The University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill Tar Heels- (13-1)

Granted they have the same record as number 4 Wake Forest, and instead of losing to Illinois like Wake did, they lost to Santa Clara, UNC is still a better team right now. Again their season opened with a loss in Santa Clara, but like Stephen A. Smith would say, HOWEVA the Heels were without standout point guard Raymond Felton. He is like the Ryan Atwood of the Tar Heels. He just completes the team, makes the whole experience better, doesn't let any drama big or small disturb the team. Like Ryan does to the Cohens, Felton helps the Tar Heels keep their composure and get through tough times.

This team is very talented, has a great coach, and barring a major injury should waltz to St. Louis. The only thing holding them back could possibly be the Martin Scorsese of college basketball, Roy Williams. They have both had some great hits over the years (Scorsese with Casino, Goodfellas, and Gangs of New York, and Williams with those mid-90's teams and the teams of his last three years at Kansas) but neither can ever seem to get over the hump and claim the big prize. My guess is these two events will happen in the same year. Luckily for Williams, the Oscars occur first.

North Carolina will be able to show me if they deserve to move up after a tough week of basketball. First is the game tonight at home against top five contender Georgia Tech, and then of course the matchup with Wake on Saturday. After destroying Maryland 109-75 over the weekend, UNC has proven they are ready for conference play. Not only that, but this team will make noise all season. We may not be able to hear again until after the games in St. Louis.

2). The Kansas University Jayhawks- (11-0)

Following an impressive road win at Kentucky on Sunday, it was tough for me not to put Kansas number one. The thing keeping them back is the injuries. Sure, they have done a nice job playing through the injury to Wayne Simien, but how many more players can they lose and count on Bill Self to coach them through? Don't get me wrong, Self is a wonderful coach and has proven that in his two short years at Kansas, but no team can lose key players and make waves in the tournament.

With senior leaders Keith Langford (probable for tonight's game against Iowa State), Aaron Miles, and Simien (when healthy), this team could Rock, Chalk, and Jayhawk all the way to the Final Four. They have the experience and talent to get there, all they need is the health. With games coming up this week on the road against Iowa State and Colorado, the Jayhawks should be able to survive in spite of the injuries. Again very difficult for me not to put Kansas number one, but the team which is there definitely deserves it.

1). The University of Illinois Champagne-Urbana Fighting Illini- (16-0)

16-0 already? Yes they are. They deserve to be the number one team in the country because of the impressive victories they have had all season long. Let's start with destroying another team in the top five, Wake Forest. Wake was ranked number one in the country and plays in the best conference in the country and got killed by Illinois. The Illini have a great point guard in Dee Brown, an outstanding shooting guard in Deron Williams, and a solid big man in James Augustine. They should run through the Big Ten and be primed for the NCAA tourney by the time it rolls around.

The only thing which could stop the Illini this season other than injuries is an unforeseen upset by an inspired team in conference play. Look to a January 25 visit to Wisconsin to face the Badgers and the longest current home winning streak in the country. It is now at 37 and would be 38 in two weeks if they beat Michigan State. The other game the Illini need to look out for is February 1st date at Michigan State. Pass these two tests and we will all know the Illini are for real.

Illinois hosts Penn State tonight and plays at Northwestern on Saturday. I expect both of these games to be about as challenging as Illinois' run to the Final Four.

Watch out for Oklahoma State, Texas, Georgia Tech, and possibly even Syracuse (although that's a long shot)

-Until next time...

Rambling like School Girls

• If Randy Moss figures out that his team can win if he takes the attention off them so they can focus on the game
  (as he did Wild Card weekend), watch out, this is a dangerous team.
• Who would be favored USC or the 49ers?
• When will people realize that coaches shouldn’t be General Managers.
• Where is Ron Wolf?
• Is the seat next to Mia available during the Cubs games?
• Do people forget how good Nomar was?
• Has Kirk Hinrich ever seen the sun?
• Even though at this point in his career it appears he will one day be the Best. Basketball Player. Ever. I still wish LeBron would have spent a year in college.
• Another thing about LeBron, is can you imagine seeing him play in High School? Go to a local High School game
  when a player people think is really good is playing and imagine him playing against LeBron two years ago when James was a senior in High School. Does anyone else have nightmares when thinking about how good he was in High School?
• We all know about how players have great statistical seasons when they are in contract years. In the spirit of the same phenomenon, shouldn’t there be an expectation for monster seasons in a “I have something to prove” sense? Think about Jordan in ’95-’96, his first full season back. All he did was average 30.4 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.2 steals per game while leading his team to the best single-season record in NBA history at 72-10, and another NBA Championship and Finals MVP award. This is just one example but don’t you think it applies to at least two baseball players this season? Javy Vazquez was dumped by the Yankees so they could get 41 year old Randy Johnson. Does anyone else think Vazquez won’t win at least 18 games this season just to show the Yankees they should have kept him at 27, instead of going for a player 14 years his elder with a bad back? He would win at least 20 games if he was in the AL, because his wins would have an added impact on the Yankees. The other player of course is Sosa. He should have an outstanding year because of the trade talk, fans turning on him, Baker ratting him out, and people doubting his ability. Doesn’t he say, “screw all of that” and prove to everyone that he can still hit .320, drive in 120, and hit 50 home runs. Added to the fact this is in effect a contract year for him, either the Cubs pick up his option for 2006, or they buyout his contract and he signs for $20 million a year with the Yankees, and he puts up at least those aforementioned numbers.
• If Sosa’s records get an asterick (*) because of steroids will his contract get an asterick?
• How long till Pedro corrupts Beltran?
• Will they please still chant Whose Your Daddy?
• Will Mark Cuban buy this blog?
• Name 4 Brewers.
• What will happen if the Yanks don’t win this year?
• Does Mike Piazza like it when they add more men to the roster?
• What happened to Aaron bleeping Boone after the knee injury?
• Is ‘Lil John related to ‘Lil Wayne, ‘Lil Flip, ‘Lil Troy, or ‘Lil Scrappy?
• Ron Santo deserves the Hall of Fame (this needs to be an article).
• Every player in all sports should have to take out his cornrows and wear the afro.
• Does anybody own endzonedance.com?
• Do chicks still dig the long ball?
• Does anyone else think facemasks will become the new headbands for grade school kids now that LeBron is wearing one?
• Sadly, there will never be a playoff in college football, this is something I have finally come to realize.
• With all of the talking heads on ESPN, FOX, and CBS telling us how bad the NFC is compared to the AFC, am I the only one who thinks an NFC team will win the Super Bowl. Obviously it is a long shot, the talent is greater in the AFC, but I just think with popular opinion being with the AFC, I think the NFC representative will go out and
  have something to prove. My “something to prove theory” will be put to an early test, during the Super Bowl.
• If the Cubs staff stays healthy all season and pitches like we have been told they would the past two seasons, how many teams will score more than 3 runs against them?
• Was it just me, or was Mary Ann Kate (The Real Gilligan’s Island) the hottest woman in reality television history?
• Firemikesherman.com undoubtedly has reached a record in hits over the past week.
• I wish we could buy stock in things like; Dick Vitale will tell us at least 83 times this season how good the ACC is,
  “AMERICA, ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!” and Digger Phelps inexplicably telling us Notre Dame has a shot to be a good team and preaches about them like they are a final four team.
• How long will it be until ESPN has its own network for poker? And when will poker go back underground and become cool again for not being cool? Is anyone else sick of this?
• Is there a sports equivalent to “Andy Dufrense crawled to freedom through five-hundred yards of s*#^ smelling
  foulness I can't even imagine, or maybe I just don't want too”? Someone please help me with this.

That’s it for this edition.

Gaddis also contributed to this post

-Til next time…

Nate on Matt

Matt is a Cubs freak and also loves the Bears as well as Bulls games on WGN. His first word was Jody as in former Chicago Cubs catcher, Jody Davis. Obviously, his loyalty to the Cubs will never be questioned. After living with the man in college, I have had the privelage of seeing his extensive knowledge of all things sport be put into full use. Once the throbbing brain begins to process information, watch out, it could be a while until he stops spitting out stats or names. You will from time to time see me call him Gaddis, as it is his last name and that's what we called him in college and still do today.

For those of you who will want to hear about all of the Chicago Sports teams, Gaddis is your man. I will be writing some things about the Cubs, but Matt will be the resident "expert" on the Bears and Bulls.

He likes women who know and can talk sports as well as current events, running half marathons, working out, The West Wing, ESPN, HGTV, Food Network, Oxygen, and Lifetime. He has an extensive collection of shoelaces; only eats fresh food, has a 42 inch vertical, runs the 40 in 4.5 seconds, loves to listen to women tell him about their day, buy things for them, do anything they want, and ask for nothing in return.

Some of the preceding may have been embellished by me, but I'm sure he won't mind, as his post on me is coming soon. Gaddis will no doubt have some great postings on the site and you will enjoy reading him, I promise.

-Until next time...

Nate on Nate

Considering I just wrote a post about the Cubs, I figure I should tell all of you out there a little bit about myself. I graduated college in 2004 where I wrote a weekly sports column for two years. This covered mostly national sports stories and was a great outlet for me. In order to continue my desire to be a sports writer, my old roomate (you've met him, he's Matt) decided we should do this blog. For all of those Cubs haters out there who won't want a site entirely devoted to the Cubs, don't worry, it won't be entirely about the Cubs, but there will be quite a few postings about the team. Hopefully you will find enough interesting things to read and those will keep you interested in the site while you let us rant and rave about the Cubs.

I will tell you my favorite sport is college football, with college basketball a close second. After this is the NFL and MLB. I also enjoy college volleyball and many other sports such as fishing and golf. You will read my thoughts on everyone of these sports and what is going on with them at some point or another in the future.

We will discuss my favorite teams in the future as well as they are Duke basketball, the Yankees, Alabama football, and the Cubs. Many people have weighed in on my favorite teams, but that's what they are.

Forgive me already if I rehash some of my old columns from my college writing days and post them on this site. I will not post all of them; just the ones which are well written, and either are still relevant or can be with a little retooling. I guess that's all I have to say about myself right now. I will cover all areas of sport, but will write a lot about what I love; and don't worry I don't have a job, so I will have plenty of time to post.

-Til next time...

Cubs in 2005

With only 52 short days left until the Cubs play their first spring training game, many questions still remain. These include; did the Cubs do the right thing in not going after free agent darling Carlos Beltran, will Sosa in 2005 be closer to Sosa of 1998-2003, will the starting rotation stay healthy enough to live up to the expectations, who will play left field, and will Wrigley last another season? Well, I'm not going to pretend like I have the answers to all or any of these questions, but you will at least get to read what I think about each of the situations facing the Cubs in 2005.

First of all with Carlos Beltran, I do think it was good the Cubs did not sign him. While I was one of the very first people to begin praying for Beltran to become a Cub this offseason, I believe Jim Hendry did a wonderful job sitting on the sidelines and watching the proceedings with interest, but not blind ambition. Beltran could have been affordable had it not been for his coming out playoff party. After Beltran batted .435 with 8 home runs, 14 RBI, had a slugging percentage of 1.022, and an OPS of 1.557 in 12 games against the Braves and Cardinals, uber agent Scott Boras could see nothing but dollar signs and priced just about every team in the league out of the Beltran bidding. Beltran had a great post season, one to remember for years, but you have to wonder if he can continue to put up these kinds of numbers for an entire season (which is almost impossible) or if he could even do this in another post season. His career stats are nice, but are not near the kind of numbers he put up in the 2004 post season. He has batted .284 and has struck out almost 100 times a season for his career. The other numbers aren't exactly stellar either. His batting average after he joined the Astros in July was a mediocre .258, his second lowest average in his career.

Having looked at all of these stats, the fact remains Beltran is an outstanding talent, a switch hitter with power, speed, a glove, and a good arm. He is only 27 and is entering the "prime" of his career, and is a player any team would love to have. However, I do think the Cubs made a good decision in not giving him $119 million for seven years like the Mets did. Sure, Beltran had great games on the North Side, but the Cubs simply could not afford to pay him this much money, nor should they have tried. Beltran knew how well he played in Wrigley and this is all Hendry should have told him. Plus, the core players the Cubs have like Patterson, Ramirez (who is due a huge payoff at the end of this season), and Barrett, not to mention the starting rotation, should have been enough to make Carlos want to play there. I think $65-75 million for 5 years would have been sufficient enough for the Cubs to persuade Beltran to come to Chicago. Granted, this isn't much less than the Mets gave him, but the extra two years is huge. What if he gets hurt and never gets back to his ability? The Mets are stuck with a huge contract for a broken-down player.

Another issue is the large market the Mets play in. Obviously the largest market in the world. After having played in small markets, Kansas City and Houston, you have to wonder is Beltran will be able to handle the media and still be able to perform at a high level. One thing going for him in New York is the fact Pedro Martinez will probably be looked to as more of the "savior" of the Mets. Had Beltran signed with the smaller market Cubs, he not only would have been expected to produce the amazing numbers he did this past post season again, he would have been expected to have those numbers all season, lead the Cubs to the playoffs, and to a World Series title. Not only this, but he would have had the added pressure of probably replacing the latest "Mr. Cub" in Sammy Sosa. This may have been too much pressure for Beltran and ultimately probably would have led to his being unhappy in Chicago.

Again, I feel Hendry did a great job assessing the Beltran situation. The only thing he has to do now is find a left fielder and not trade for Cliff Floyd. While the Cubs need left handed power, Floyd would not be the answer. The fact is the guy is hurt too much (he's only played over 121 games 3 times in his career) and wouldn't be a good fit in Chicago. Hendry needs to get Mags to come over from the South Side, which is something Ordonez has said he would like. The only problem is with this mysterious injury he was stricken with this past season. If somehow the Cubs could work a one year see-if-you're-healthy deal with Mags, it could prove very worth while. The problem with this is Ordonez's agent is also Scott Boras who always wants a lot of years and a lot of money for his players. Hopefully he will understand that Ordonez has been hurt and needs to prove himself again and wait for a big contract after the 2005 season. The Cubs cannot be contenders with Jason Dubois, Jose Macias, and Todd Hollandsworth platooning in left field. This is the biggest area of concern for Hendry. Without a solid left fielder, the Cubs aren't going to have to worry about blowing any saves because they won't have too many leads to protect.

That's about it for this post, the rest of the situations will be dealt with in the coming days. But for now, here's my 2005 Cubs prediction (subject to change at each posting) 87-75.