The Legend of Hester

This past week Devin Hester set the record for most kickoff and punt returns. The greatest thing about it was that the kickoff before he almost ran it back and everyone was like wow he almost broke the record right there. Then the Vikings got the ball back and had to punt and then Hester broke the record. He had a great day. He only got kicked to twice and both of those runbacks were terrific. One of them was a touchdown and the other was almost a touchdown. That is just the ending of the story the beginning is much better.
Devin Hester came into the league during one of the best years the Bears have had since 1985. He actually was someone who helped the team achieve that greatness. During the "They are who we thought they were" game he was a major factor in the slick win. The whole year he was a great player and helped the team. He set the record for most returns by a rookie with no problem and then set the record for anyone in a single season. He ran back the opening kickoff of the super bowl, even though it didn't help the Bears a lot because they lost. Then he had his second year and he was slowed down because people realized they shouldn't kick to him. He still had a lot of returns, but not as many. The year after that he was taken off of the kickoff return and moved to receiver. He only returned punts after that, but he remained fantastic even though a lot of teams didn't kick to him. The year after that is this year. In a game against the Redskins Lovie threw in the surprise of him back at kickoff. He ran that one back a long way. Now Lovie has two players who return, making it almost impossible to anticipate what you are facing until the play actually starts. This probably helps Hester a little because it will catch everyone off guard. He is a factor again this year.
This year is looking a lot like the 2006 season. We are winning games and winning because of our defense and special teams. In 2006 a lot of our touchdowns and reasons why we were great was because of Hester and this year we are winning games thanks to him again. He is a major part of our team that we would be lost without. He is probably the greatest return man of all time. Usually a return man has a couple good years and then everyone figures him out and he is a goner. I don't think anyone has really figured Hester out. He just always returns well. I don't know why, but something about him makes it seem like he is superman and nobody can beat him. I don't think you can get any better than Hester. He is the Michael Jordan of returning. He came along, changed the game. He is huge for the team and is clutch. The greatest thing about Michael Jordan is that nobody will ever match what he done. The same goes for Devin Hester what he does and what he has done will never be matched. He should definitely be a Hall of Famer.

White Sox Offseason Pickups

The White Sox have made a few really good offseason additions and keeping of people. The first thing is that they kept A.J Pierzynski (no idea how to spell that). He has been a leader of this team for years. He is one reason why our pitching moves so fast. He knows how to call a game well. Sometimes we get mad at him and those are the times where we put in Ramon Castro. But, when we need him he will be there and he will play well.
The next is that we signed Adam Dunn. During the end of last years trade deadline we were looking at him seriously, but we never ended up getting him. The fans were upset because we needed a full time DH. Now we have one because we decided to just sign him this offseason. So I guess it is true that if Kenny really wants someone he will get him. I think he will be a great addition to the team. We need that power in our lineup. Our try to become like all speed last year was a fail and we will have to face the fact that we are a power team. Adam Dunn will help us get that power along with the next guy I am going to talk about.
Paul Konerko resigned with the White Sox this offseason. This is the thing that made me the happiest. He is my favorite player and he is a major leader on this team. If he left, our team would probably fall apart for at least one year. Without him we are lost. We have no leader. Paulie was not only a leader on the field but also in the clubhouse. He is a much needed player. With him still there I think we can still call it the White Sox. Without him they are just not the same team. He is their identity. Their Derek Jeter if you will. We need him and without him you lose fans and you end up losing some games.
The final thing is something that just came up. Jesse Crain one the of the top relievers in the Twins bullpen is reportedly going to sign with the WhiteSox having just lost Bobby Jenks and having a week bullpen last year, this will be a good addition. The best part is that it is us adding a good reliever and the Twins losing one. Hopefully him and Sale (if sale is still in the bullpen) will make this a really good bullpen.
So, overall the White Sox are major winners in this offseason. I'm glad that Kenny realized we needed to make a lot of changes so that this team is a winner next year and we make it back to the playoffs. The people in Chicago really need one good team for once. Just kidding because the Hawks, Bulls, and Bears are good. I meant to say that people in Chicago really need one good baseball team for once. I know the White Sox have done their part by winning the world series, but the other team isn't doing their part so we have to take theirs also. (sorry but I just had to do it cubs)

Bears

Another blog about the Bears is coming your way. I'm sure if you are one of the people who reads this blog and isn't a Chicago sports fan you are getting tired of me talk about the Bears or the Bulls or the Blackhawks, but frankly thats what I have the most knowledge on. As I am writing this I am thinking that I should probably be doing a White Sox offseason moves and stuff blog, but I have already started this so I will have to write twice today. I guess this bad day is going to get worse. I'm just kidding when I write it relaxes me so this is good. On to the Bears instead of my psychiatric needs.
This week they play the Vikings. The last time we played them it was at home in better weather than we will be facing. It was our statement game before our real statement game. We won and it was the first game where Jay Cutler started to play smart. Playing the Vikings last time was our engine starter and hopefully this time it will be the same. We need a comeback from that New England loss, if we win and the Packers hopefully lose the division will be almost put away. We need to win this game and have a strong finish to the season. We will make the playoffs, I have no doubt. We need to make the playoffs in a strong way and have momentum behind us so we can win the first game and then just continue to be on a playoff roll. I'm not asking for a Super Bowl win but winning at least one playoff game would be nice.
So, winning this game is important to both winning the division and when we do win the division hopefully it will help us win a game in the playoffs. No matter what team we face they are going to be good and it will be hard to beat them, but we are a good team with a good defense as long as they show up. We are a good team so lets show it and prove to people that we can win, but just like the Patriots losing to the Browns we had a bad week. All teams do.

Least Favorite players

First of all I'm going to sound like a girl when I say this one thing that I hate about both of them. That is they both look like hobos. If they didn't play pro sports and you saw them on the street you might feel the need to pull out some spare change and hand it to them. That's just ridiculous. Okay now that the stupid reason is off my chest, here are some good reasons.
I'm going to start with Brady. Since the day he won a super bowl everyone has thought that he is this great quarterback. Then he got hurt and Matt Kassel took the team to the playoffs. Didn't this strike us as odd that a guy who didn't even play in college did well with that team? Apparently we were too awestruck with his fantastic looks of which he has none. He isn't that great. The reason he is good is because he gets good protection and he throws the short pass well and works his way down the field. He also has good receivers. You put him with the guys starting for the Colts this past week and there is no way he would have done as well as Peyton Manning did. I frankly remember the Colts being in the super bowl last year and not the Patriots. Now that this year the Colts are down everyone is going back to worshiping the patriots? The professional anylists are bandwagon jumpers? Well, yes its true they will go with the guy who is winning games they pay no attention to anything else. Tom Brady SUCKS. Face it. You may hate me now and never read a blog post of mine again, but thats what I believe.
Now onto Pau Gasol at the moment I don't really hate him because I haven't watched him this whole year. I don't think I really have any good reason other than he looks gross and that just makes me want to hurl. I don't like hurling while I'm watching basketball games and maybe that's why I don't like him.

Thanksgiving and the Bears

First of all I want to say Happy Thanksgiving because I won't be posting a blog when it actually is thanksgiving, tomorrow, in case you are calendar deficient. I am also going to preview the Bears game this sunday. It will be a tough game and no doubt it will be very close. So lets get at it. (very interesting wording)
Lets start with the bad thing for the Bears, the offense. Cutler has been playing well recently. He is playing smart and making really good decisions. Yet, he might crack because they are playing a tough team. Cutler is a very unique player in that he needs confidence or he throws interceptions, but if he has too much confidence he will make a mistake. He needs to find that perfect balance in order to be good. And for parts of the game against the Vikings and Dolphins he found that balance and that is why he played really good at those times. Forte and Taylor have become a bit of a dynamic duo and together have built a pretty good running game. We have built a pretty good offense as long as everyone plays as well as they can. This doesn't have to be our weak-point but so far this year it has.
Now the good thing the Bears defense. They have been really good this year. They played really well on thursday against the Dolphins. Peppers was a beast with 3 sacks and the defense had 6 sacks overall. That may have been because the Dolphins offensive line isn't the best, but the Bears pressure is still very good. We have had many interceptions in the past two weeks also, I'm too lazy to look up the stats, but I know they are good. They will be playing a very explosive player in Vick, so lets get into that.
The eagles offense will be hard to face. Vick has had a great season so far after missing three of the games. He had a great game two weeks ago and there is a chance that he could have another game like that. Like I said before our defense is good, but no matter what you do with your defense he will attack it a different way. The thing that makes Vick really good is that if your defense tries to stop him from running he will throw really well and if you try to stop him from throwing he will run on you. He is a great player and he is back. The Bears can stop him if they don't try to necessarily stop one aspect but try to stop both.
The eagles defense is a defense that I don't really know anything about. I know they are a pretty good defense. I don't know if they are good enough to get Cutler off his really good track, but they will make it tough. They might make it tough for forte and taylor to run the ball well, I'm not sure. This is the thing that I will need to pay attention to the most when I watch the game and this could make or break the game.
After looking at all this I'm going to be a homer and say the Bears win. But, if they give up the game they will lose. They could easily lose this game. The eagles are a good team and if we don't take them seriously they will beat the pants off of us. With a win this week people might take the Bears seriously for the first time this year. Bear Down.

Price vs. Hernandez

The winner of the Cy Young was announced and it was Felix Hernandez who won. He had a great season with good stats in both strikeouts and ERA. He was unlucky that he was on a bad team and did not get a lot of wins. This is the second year in a row that a Cy Young winner has been chosen without even looking at wins. Last year it was Zack Greinke and his great ERA. Felix was just plain dominant this year. In years past the wins have counted almost more than anything else. Now there has been a sudden change. I'm going to compare the top two pitchers in this race. Price finished second and a lot thought that he should have been first.
David Price
David Price had a lot of wins this year, and that is what everyone paid attention to. But, there was more to his great season this year. Even with wins excluded David Price was dominant this year. He pitched a lot of good games, and had a good team behind him. Some people say that its harder to pitch when you know that your offense won't back you up anyway. To be a good pitcher you have to be able to stay focused on what you are doing and each pitch. Anything that distracts you is tough. David Price didn't have much distracting him this year. He had a good team and they liked him and the manager and pitching coach liked him. He had it all. He was in the media, he was the starting all-star game pitcher and everyone kept saying that he would win the cy young at this point in the year. He didn't win it and some Rays fans are upset. He just didn't lead in any of the major categories. He had a lot of wins and pitched well. To be the Cy young winner you have to pitch great and that brings us to the next subject of this blog.
Felix Hernandez
As I was writing this blog I received a couple tweets about which one they thought was better. Everyone kept saying that king felix deserved to win. I believe them, because like I said it is harder to pitch with a bad team. They expect you to be a leader. Every time you pitch they expect you to go a lot of innings. Hernandez had the most innings pitched this year and he had the best ERA. Even though the managers and players and everyone on the team were pressuring him he pulled through. He definitely deserved to win this Cy Young. He was the best pitcher this year. It is good to see that the people that vote on these things have the common sense to say that it was the best and most dominant pitcher that should win this award. Felix Hernandez was definitely the pitcher who was the best at those areas. That is why he won and I agree and I applaud the voters for choosing him.

The Bears Season at a glance

The Bears season has been very interesting. From week 1 there has been controversy and disappointment and yet a win. That first game sort of outlined the season. Really weird and sloppy and the Bears not playing good or playing a good team and yet getting a win. I have a lot to say about this team and the way they have been playing. We don't deserve to have a record even close to what we have right now.
First, the offense. I'm starting with this because I think this is what needs the most work. Our defense hasn't been playing as well as in years past, but its still the stronger part of our team along with our special teams. The offense has been just plain awful this year. The offensive line hasn't been able to block any outside blitzes the whole year. They have given up so many sacks that Jay Cutler can't go through a play without being afraid for his life. So now Cutler has no confidence and you think our offensive line sucks with the pass protection, do you really think that Matt Forte is going to survive? I don't think we should blame everything on the offensive line this year, because they aren't the only ones bringing down this offense. Cutler has made his own mistakes not due to the offensive line. He still throws too many interceptions and has held onto the ball too long. He has to have the awareness of knowing when he can or cannot hold the ball or when he just has to throw it away. He tries to make every play perfect and work out exactly like the play wants it to. He needs to know when the play just isn't going to work, and throw the ball out or scrap something, but don't throw an interception. I have nothing bad to say about the running game this year. When we can't throw the ball which is often against certain teams they have stepped it up. Forte has been having another good season, so we don't need to worry about him and when Chester Taylor goes in and gives it his best and gains some pretty good yardage. Our receivers have done very well this year when they actually get the ball because Cutler usually doesn't have time. They have done very well and if the offensive line gave a little more time they would be having historic seasons. The offense as a whole has to take the blow for this last comment, though. The third down conversions are just awful. They played like 26 third downs in row without getting one. Some games I just hope they actually convert one third down. Why is this that they just can't close on third down? I don't know honestly and if someone out there reading this knows please email or tweet me. That is a mystery to me.
Now the defense. I don't really have any beefs with them. Urlacher is back and is playing like he used to before he was out all of last year. Briggs got hurt, though and that has really hurt us. The way we stop the run is the great combination of Briggs and Urlacher they are both two of the league's best linebackers and they are on the Bears. The cornerbacks have done well as usual, and safeties mostly doing well. Between the defense and the special teams they have kept this team alive. They are the reason that we have the record we do. I remember in one game the special teams had more points than the offense. That should never happen. I want to applaud the defense and what Lovie Smith and the defensive coordinator have done with it. The tampa 2 has its mistakes and we see that, but we really know how to run it and that is what makes our defense special. I guess this answers my question of why do we have such an average schedule when we are a basically awful team. The answer is that our defense and special teams cause turnovers and score points. This is on wacky season for the Bears.

Daylights Savings

CLOCKS SHOULD NEVER BE CHANGED!!!!!!!! Sometimes you get more sleep sometimes less, and I can never figure out which is which. In the fall you are like yes. finally i get 1 extra hour of sleep without having to go into work late or anything like that. And then in the spring when you have been at work basically everyday since your Christmas vacation you find out that you get 1 hour less of sleep and you are like. WHAT THE HECK?? Why am I getting less sleep just because some president thought that was a fantastic idea. Well there should be no changing of the clocks because it offsets anyway in six months. If you don't like this topic at all you can thank @CubFanMom on twitter for the help. If you love the idea you should definitely follow her because well I'm pretty sure she might be a good person.

Scary Situations in the NFL

Since it is Halloween I thought that I would write about something related to that. I am going to do the scary situations for certain teams right now in the NFL. There are about 3 teams that are having a very scary year and I will go over each of them, so here we go.
Chargers
This is probably one of the most talked about blowups of the year. We knew the Bengals might not work out and the other team was unexpected, too. They have a great quarterback who is an awesome leader, but their offense needs those key receivers like Vincent Jackson who held out and now can't play until week 12. Gates can't carry the team and be the only receiver available and he is a tight end. Their defense has been lacking. I haven't heard anything of Shawn Merriman this year. This year just started bad with that loss to the Chiefs and just continued to go downhill they have comeback a little because they are now 3-5. Still a very scary situation in San Diego.
Bengals
This is the team that we kind of expected to win and kind of expected to lose. With T.O and Ochocinco on that team, we didn't think they would have much chemisty, which they actually do. The whole team except for Palmer and Shipley is a bunch of convicts that nobody else wanted. Did we really think they were going to have a successful season? I guess some people did, because they are surprised at how bad the Bengals are playing they are 2-5 and everybody thought they would be 5-2 or a little worse. This is quite the scary situation for anybody in Cincinnati that likes the Bengals.
Cowboys
This is the team a lot of people thought would do really good things this year. They thought they had a great offense and a defense that could keep them in games. Now we see them at 1-5 and just beating themselves every single game. They can't win because they commit too many penalties. I think they would be a great team if they had better coaching. Their one weakpoint? Wade Phillips I just hate him as a coach and think he sucks. They should fire him. I don't know why they haven't already. This is a team that could do great things. I think the one thing people forgot about when they ranked this team at the beginning of the year. They forgot that their coach is terrible and that penalties can lose games for teams. All these penalties put the Cowboys in a scary situation.

World Series Preview

I want to start off saying that this World Series should be a very interesting one. Both the Rangers and the Giants have really good starting pitching. We all know that pitching is the key to winning in the postseason and most importantly the World Series. Both these teams also had pretty good bullpens during the regular season, but during the postseason neither has really shined. This is probably the one weak-point for each team. The offense of each team is totally different. The Rangers have a lot of good hitters and every guy in the lineup can hit. The Giants are more of a scrappy offense. They take what they can get. If they get some runs off stolen bases or wild pitches that is how they win.
Alright for the rest of this post I will take the Series game by game with what I think will happen and then review each team. First I want to say that I think this game will go only 6 games and I will reveal who wins later in the post.
Game 1
Yes, I admit that the game has already started, but I swear i predicted the game first I just didn't get a chance to finish this blog before then. I'm thinking this might be one of the best games of the series. You have two of the best pitchers in the league going up against each other so it is bound to be good. Both offenses will definitely play up to their potential. So I think this game will be close, but because Cliff Lee is such a beast and is probably going to pass up Pettite for the best postseason pitcher ever. With that advantage in this game I'm going to pick the Rangers.
Game 2
This is another good pitching matchup both Cain and Wilson have proved to be impressive this year. I think the Giants will be a little shocked from probably losing the night before and they will play much better in this game. I'm thinking that Cain will be lights out in this game and the Giants will tie the series with a win.
Game 3
In this game pitching will be important once again. Colby Lewis has really proved himself in this postseason. He has beat the yankees twice during these playoffs. If he can handle that lineup I think he can match up with this Giants lineup. this will be the last win that the Rangers win. They will be lucky to win this one and just won't end up living up to the way they play in the first and third games.
Game 4
This game will be the alright pitchers, not really well known but the offense will shine to the average person watching. So because I think the Giants have a more effective offense they will win this game. I think they have more fight in them. They want it a little more. I'm not saying the Rangers don't want it because they do a lot. I just think the Giants will prevail and win this game. They, in my opinion, are now tied 2-2. From here the Giants won't look back.
Game 5
This will be Lee and Lincecum again. I think this time Lincecum will come back more improved. I'm not saying that Lee won't have a good game, because he will. I just think the rest of the Giants will back up Lincecum better and they win this game. They are now up 3-2 and they don't want to have a game 7 just like in the NLCS. They made sure there was not a game 7.
Game 6
This game will have good pitching. But, with a lot on the line I think the Giants will step up and win this game. They don't want to deal with the pressure of having a game 7. They are going to win this game. They may not win by a large margin but they will win this game. I can almost guaruntee it. So, the Giants win in 6.

Team Previews

Rangers
This team has a really good offense. Every guy in the lineup can step up and get an RBI or get on base or score a run. They all play hard. When you walk what you think is their best player the next guy in the lineup gets a huge hit and they score a run. They also have a great rotation. All 4 guys they are using in this postseason are good pitchers. All of them can win the game each time against this team and already have against the Yankees. Their bullpen is their weakness so far in the postseason and probably might continue to do so. They are still a good team with a lot of heart and if they prove me wrong and win this series they deserve it.
Giants
This team also has very good starting pitching. Their first two pitchers both are very good. They can win a game anytime and pitch very well. Their offense is scrappy which can be very good during the postseason. They have a bit of a stronger bullpen than the Rangers. So I think they are going to prevail to win. They might not necessarily be the better team, but I think in this series they will win.

This Year's MLB Playoffs

You might see the title of this post and think, why is there a post about the MLB playoffs in the middle of a series. Not at the end or the beginning of the playoffs or even at the end or beginning of a series. Well the reason I am writing this right now is because I feel that now is the best time to predict who will win each series and to talk about a lot of things that have happened so far and what I think will happen later on in this year's playoffs. The other reason is because I really didn't have anything else to write about. So lets get started.
Giants vs. Phillies
Coming into this series I liked both teams. I would have rather saw Atlanta be here, but I liked the Giants. I thought the Giants weren't good enough to stand up to this Philly team, but they proved me wrong. Throughout the whole series I had the Phillies as favorites and still do. I doubt whether or not that will actually happen, but the Phillies still have a chance and the next two games are at home. Both these teams are very good and will put up a strong fight whether they are playing the yankees or the Rangers. I'm still sticking with my guns and picking the Phillies, but the Giants might come along and ruin my whole day. And if they do, I think I would be fine with it.
Yankees vs. Rangers
First thing I'm going to say about this is that I am a Yankee hater. Just because I don't like the Yankees doesn't mean I don't think they are a good team and they will compete every single game, but I think the Rangers have the right weapons that will hurt the Yankees. They have the one pitcher that can actually handle the very strong Yankees line up. If the Rangers want to win they will need to have him go more than he did the last time in which he only went 6 innings. The Rangers don't have a great bullpen. But, if they can score off the Yankees pretty good in the first few innings and they won't have to face rivera in a win or not situation they will win tonight. No disrespect to the Yankees and how good of a team they are, but this year isn't the year, last year was. This year they won't win it all.

One final thought. I think the National League this year is very strong. Both the teams left in the American League just don't match up to the teams in the NL. So I think no matter what American team and no matter what National team. The National team will win series.

Contender or Pretender?

In this blog I will look at the surprising records this season and declare them either a real contender or a pretender.
Chiefs
They are 3-2 and started off 3-0. Yes, they have just recently taken a tumble of two losses in a roll. I still think they are good enough to be included in the discussion of surprisingly good seasons so far. So do I think they are a contender or a pretender? Well, I'll tell you I think they can be a contender, but at the moment they are a pretender. If you look at the teams they have beaten, like the Chargers. In week 1 we thought that was a great feat. Now we know that the Chargers aren't who we thought they were. So for now I think the Chiefs are pretenders, but if they improve their defense they can be a real contender.
Steelers
I know you may be saying that this isn't surprising because they are a good team, but I qualify it as surprising because they did it without their leader Big Ben. They did it with a quarterback that probably on any other team couldn't do shit. Now that they have Big Ben back and he has already given them a win, I think they are contenders. The most important factor in their possible success was how they would do without their quarterback there. They proved that their defense is still supreme and they can win even without their guy. So they are definitely a contender and I wouldn't be surprised if they win the super bowl.
Buccaneers
They are 3-2 this year and started off 3-0 just like the Chiefs. But one thing that isn't like the Chiefs. I don't think this team has any chance to be a contender. To me, they are a total pretender. I won't be surprised if they are this year's Denver Broncos. I thought because the Chiefs have bits that are good they could become a contender, but the Bucs don't have really anything good for them. I think they have one thing on their side and that is luck. If they end up winning the super bowl, well I don't think anyone saw that coming and that probably just won't happen.
Bears
The Bears are 4-2 this season which is very surprising seeing that they didn't even win a game in the preseason. Just recently the Bears lost to the Seattle Seahawks and really couldn't do much at all on offense. I jumped on the bandwagon as a Bears fan and was happy that we were contenders this year in such a tough division, but now I'm afraid we are going to take a giant fall coming up. I think we are pretenders. It hurts me to say that, but its the truth and sometimes the truth hurts.

Blackhawks Season Preview

Yes, I know it seems weird to be writing a blog post about the preview of a season that has already started. Well, there are two reasons why I am doing this. The first is that I just plain didn't have time to write a blog earlier this week about the start of the season before it actually started. And the second reason is because I thought I would do something a little different for my season preview. I will give my idea on how good the Blackhawks will do, but I want to talk about the pressure on these young guys and the expectations in Chicago. So first, my outlook on the season.
Even though we were forced to get rid of a lot of our good players we kept the core five. Yes, we got rid of our goalie which isn't a smart idea, but we got possibly a better goalie and he is more of a veteran. A lot of fans keep saying how good Niemi is. That's because all they remember is the playoffs. During the playoffs, he was great. But during the regular season, he wasn't that great he was our weak point. So now I think we have a good team, its not better, but I don't think it is much worse. Looking at the two games we have played it looks like we aren't very good, but both games were close and its only the beginning of the season. So I think the team will do very well this year. They are definitely a playoff team, and when you get there you never know what will happen. So I can't really make an accurate prediction other than that they will make the playoffs.
Most fans in Chicago if they are reading this are saying just making the playoffs isn't good enough. We have to do better than last year. You may think that is impossible, but it is possible. We could do better we can lose less games in the playoffs. We have a team that is built for the playoffs, but when you get there you never know who is going to win. The Capitals are a good team that got knocked out in the first round, so don't make high expectations. Remember Jonathon Toews is only 22 years old. When you put too much pressure on a young person like that they may explode. I know you are probably thinking now, Toews can handle pressure very well and I agree. I'm just saying to be careful. But the Blackhawks expectations for the year couldn't be higher.

Pictures

Hey people out there reading this, I was really bored so I thought I would post a bunch of the pictures that i think are funny or look cool. there are about 2 or 3. but enjoy only 1 is actually taken by me.

well....i cant find any. so just that picture. will post more ASAP wen i find them. u cn find the pictures im trying to put up on twit pic. here is the link
http://twitpic.com/photos/the_chicago_fan

Daa Bears

Since I am from Chicago and love the city and love the Bears I thought since they are having such a great season I would write a blog about them and only them. So if you don't like it, too bad.

The first reason the Bears are having a good season for the first time since they went to the Super Bowl is because Jay Cutler has improved a lot and actually has a good offensive coordinator. He has more touchdowns and less interceptions. He isn't just throwing the ball up anymore. He is also getting a little more protection. Last year, he couldn't get out of trouble for his life. This year if the offensive line fails to stop the defense like normal, he has the feet quickness to get out of trouble anyway. He is just improved overall. The rest of their offense is improved also. Forte isn't injured like he was last year and Olsen has really stepped up so far this year. We all knew Johnny Knox would be our best receiver and has proven that still. Aromashadou has proved that he is a threat also. I think the combination of both Mike Martz a real offensive coordinator and the fact that all the guys on our offense are a year older and more mature has made us much improved on that side of the ball.

Not only has our offense been improved from last year, but our defense has gotten better. Just the presence of Urlacher back with the team makes us better. He may not get in on every play or be the savior every time, but having him there just helps confidence with the rest of the team. The addition of Julius Peppers brings some fear into our line, even when Tommie Harris isn't there. For a long time he was one of our few weapons now we have a huge weapon in Peppers and you could see that on Monday. He was all over the field making plays. Briggs has stepped it up in the past few years. I think that he is good friends with Urlacher but deep inside wants to be better than him so bad that he has made it happen. Right now I think Briggs is better, yes Urlacher is just back from an injury but I think Briggs plays with more heart and intensity than Urlacher and that's pretty dang hard to do.

Overall I think the Bears have played way beyond their potential. They were expected to be terrible and maybe even finish below the terrible Lions. Now we are one of three undefeated teams left, and the leader of the NFC North and NFC. The Monsters of the Midway are back and if you don't watch out they will eat you alive.

Surpises so far in This Year's NFL Season

This season has been far from what I have expected for sure, and possibly different from what other people were expecting. There have been upsets, surprising losses, injuries, and suspensions. This NFL season is just getting started, but already there is tons to talk about.
Major Surprises
The first thing will be the Colts. They have not played their week 2 game yet, but last week they lost to the Texans. This surprised some, but did not surprise others. It surprised me a little bit. I knew Houston was going to go out their and give it all they had so they had a chance to win their division this year, but I didn't think they would beat the great Colts team. Moving on to the Colts though, last week they couldn't establish the run. They couldn't keep defensive linemen away from Manning, and their defense was just plain awful. That doesn't sound like a superbowl bound team to me. I look foolish now for saying they would go 16-0. They will probably go 10-6.
That is just one of the surprises with a major Quarterback. Brett Favre has been stinking it up. Today he threw three interceptions, and lost again. Now the Vikings who were supposed to be so good are 0-2. Brett Favre means well and wants his team to win, but i think they could do better without him.
My Bears have been a surprise so far this season. I realize its only week 2 and its hard to tell anything from the wins and losses. We only barely beat the Lions and the Cowboys handed the game to us. But, I think we have something here. We now have a real offensive coordinator and Jay Cutler is doing way better. Matt Forte is healthy and he is a major weapon. Their defense is almost back to its original amount of swagger like in 2006.
Quickies. Surprises in a sentence
The Jets lost their first game, but came this week ready to play and beat the Partiots.
The Steelers are 2-0 without Big Ben, but Dixon got hurt and Leftwich is out too.
The Chiefs beat the Chargers on monday night and won again this week, giving them their first 2-0 start since 2006.

AFC South Predictions

Texans
The first thing I want to say is that I feel bad for this team. They are a really good team with a really good quarterback that have to play in the same division as the really good Colts. I think if you put them in any other division on the AFC they will win that division. Matt Shaub always has great numbers, but they are overshadowed. They have a really good receiver in Andre Johnson. With that combo alone you can win a lot of games. They are just an all around pretty good team. They play well and win games, the one problem is that they have to play the Colts twice. And last year that was crazy because the Colts were basically undefeated other than the super bowl and that other crazy game. So maybe this is the year they rise up and beat the Colts. I don't really believe that but, it would be kind of cool to see. So I think they go 10-6, which is a pretty good record. I don't think they can beat the Colts with that record, but maybe playoffs.
Colts
First thing I want to say about this team, I think they will either have just as good or better year than they did last year and that is saying a lot because they lost one game because they didn't want to tire out their players, and lost in the super bowl. They have the smartest QB of all time in Peyton Manning. When you have him controlling your offense you know you are going to win games. He needs to learn how to finish. He should have won that super bowl, but made a huge mistake at the end. So I think he will learn from the mistake that he made and the coaches will learn from the mistake they made in sitting them. And I sound crazy right now but I think they go 16-0. (no I'm not on drugs)
Jaguars
This is a good team, but they are in a very tough division. They have a quarterback that I don't think anyone knows what he is going to do. He had one breakout season and since has not performed well. Maybe its because he doesn't have as much of a team around him as before, but he needs to have another breakout season if they want to make the playoffs. The AFC has a lot of good teams that have chances to be good but not good enough to win their division. So the wild card will be a tough battle. I don't think the Jaguars can keep up with that, but I might be wrong. I think if Gerrard wants to prove himself that he is still a franchise quarterback he has to do it this year. So if he does that they will do well, but I don' think he will, so I say they go 6-10.
Titans
Another good team in a very tough division. Whenever you have an explosive back like Chris Johnson you are going to have the chance to win games. Then you add that Vince Young is playing like he did when he was a rookie, so this is a very productive offense. Then you look at their defense. Its nothing special, but it is better than most team's. Overall an average team that is going to fight to make the playoffs. I'm not sure how good their chances are to actually make the playoffs but they are going to give it everything they have. So I think they have a very productive year. Their offense will carry them, but the defense will still have part in their winning or losing of games. With all this in mind I think they go 9-7.

AFC North Predictions

Ravens
I think they have a really good quarterback, but some people doubt what he can do later in the season and possibly in the postseason. I knew from the first time I saw him that he was going to be a major NFL player. Now he has proven that. The Ravens also have a really good running back in Ray Rice. I think he will have his major breakout season this year. So this year they will have an improved offense and will score enough touchdowns to win games. They have always had a dominant defense, so I don't think they need to worry about that. So when you look at the big picture they have a good chance to have a really good season. I think they might win either 9 games or 10 games. They can win 11 games if they are lucky, but I'm not sure that is likely to happen. So 10-6.
Bengals
They made a big move that a lot of people thought would be a mistake. They signed T.O when they already have the other ego thriving receiver in Chad Ochocinco. A lot of people thought they would clash. But, they are friends and they understand each other and realize that what the media thinks they are is totally different from what they really are. Carson Palmer has always been one of those quarterbacks that's not elite, but he still is a good quarterback and better than most in the NFL. They have a good cornerback pairing and altogether a good defense. So they will have a good season this year. I'm not sure if they will make the playoffs, but they will be contending against the Ravens like they were last year. So I think they go 8-8 or maybe 9-7.
Browns
This is a team that has been laughed at the past few years. My uncle is from cleveland and he loves the Browns and one year he was cheering for them to lose so that they could get the first pick in the draft. People in cleveland are just in pain right now. And I don't think the Browns season is going to help them. Jake Delhomme probably won't have a good season, and they don't have a great defense. The one guy they do have is Josh Cribbs. He can't carry their whole team to win this very tough division. They aren't going to make the playoffs this year. But I do think they are headed the right direction. They now have Colt McCoy who might turn out to be a good franchise quarterback after Delhomme fails. And like I said they have Cribbs and after that all they need is to build the defense. So I think they go either 6-10 or maybe 7-9.
Steelers
Ben Rothlesberger (I have no idea how to spell it) got his suspension shortened and that means he will be back week 4. So this team needs to be without its leader for only 4 weeks. So they still have a chance to win this division even though there are two other teams that can win this division. The Steelers still have a tough defense that will lead this team until Big Ben is back. So when he comes back they will win more games. So I think they still have a good year and possibly win this division. And if they don't win I think they might take the wild card, so I think they have a great chance to get to the playoffs. In the end, I think they go either 10-6 and maybe 11-5 if they win a couple of those games without Big Ben.

AFC West Predictions

Broncos
This team has a bit of a problem at quarterback. But its not the usual problem that they don't have a good quarterback. I think they have 3 quarterbacks who are in that average area as a QB so now they have to decide who they are going to go with. Orton had a plenty good season last year, but that was with Brandon Marshall. Now he is gone. And he has taken a shot because Josh McDaniels basically staked his career on another QB. That helps out Tebow, but even if they end up starting Orton he has taken a shot and probably won't play as good cause they don't have Marshall. He was their guy last year and now he is gone. The QB has become the most important position lately and I just don't think this team has that quarterback. They have good ones, but not great. They go 7-9.
Chiefs
They think they are good because they have Matt Kassel, but the truth is that just like Brady Kassel was good with the Patriots because they have a good rest of the team. Now that he is with the Chiefs he hasn't really been on the radar. They also think they are going to be good because they have Thomas Jones. I personally have experienced the ups and downs of Thomas Jones when he was playing for the Bears. There were seasons when I thought he was one of the best in the league and other times when I wished he was off our team. I think the whole negative vibe that is kind of hanging around the Chiefs organization will probably end bad for Jones. So I think they go 6-10.
Raiders
Everyone laughs when you even talk about the Raiders and their chances. But I think they have a much better season this year. (Yes, I know the totally crazy Al Michaels has compared both Russel and Campbell to Plunkett but I think Campbell might work)It is obvious that they have a better leader or just quarterback period this year. So that might lead to more wins. They still don't have a playoff caliber team, but they will get more wins. Last year they went 5-11. I think the addition of Campbell and the getting rid of Russel will add on about 2 wins. So that means in my mind they go 7-9. But I sound crazy saying that.
Chargers
Easy favorite to win this division. They have always had a good team that just couldn't get it done in the postseason. I just always think back to that 14-2 year that they didn't even get to the AFC championship game. I think this year could be the year that they have a not so good regular season and maybe succeed in the postseason. They really don't need to win more than 8 or 9 games to win this division. But that shouldn't be in their mind that they are going to easily win this division. They should go out to every game like they are fighting for the division and I think that will lead to good things. I think they might go somewhere around 10-6 maybe 11-5 if they get V. Jackson back.

(this is by far the easiest division for any team to be in. If a team has a even season they still might win. It would be kind of funny to see a team without a winning record win their division, while there are possibly 3 teams in the NFC north who can win it.)

AFC East Predictions

Bills
They have a bunch of problems. This is the team that isn't very good, but people don't talk about. Like the Raiders everyone says they are bad. But nobody even talks about good or bad things about the Bills. I think they have a pretty good team. They have a big question mark at quarterback as to who it will be. Could be either Fitzpatrick or Edwards or even Brohm. So that leading position right now doesn't have a definite player there. That is probably their biggest question. But a very important question is will they be better or worse without T.O? I'm not sure. He was one of their only good receiver, so even though he is a bit of a distraction he still was their number one receiver. So with all this said I think they have a bad year. I think they are lucky if they get 6-10.
Dolphins
This is a team that only 3 years ago only had one win. Now they are a team that is a contender. They are in one of the best leagues there is, but they still have a chance to win. They have Chad Henne who has been very good in the last 2 years. I think he will be improved this year. And this year could be his breakout year. I would like to see that even though he went to Michigan. They also have a good running back. They don't have the surprise of the wildcat anymore, so its not as effective. So they need to find the next thing that will surprise everyone. If they can stay creative in their game they can be very good. I think they go either 8-8 or possibly 9-7. Good but not great.
Patriots
This is a very good team. They are very talented and have one of the most respected quarterbacks in the league. They have really good receivers. They have Randy Moss who works together great with Brady. They have welker who is one of the best slot receivers in the league right now. They probably have one of the most talented teams in the league right now. They are past that "prime" year where they almost went undefeated. They still have a good team though. So I think they are going to have a great year. Their record will show how talented they are and so I think they go 11-5 if not that I think 10-6.

NFC South Predictions

Falcons
The Falcons have a really good quarterback. He was very good as a rookie, really really good in his second year. I expect this year will be much better. He has good receivers and one of the best Tight Ends to play the game. So I think with his team equipped like it is and the fact that each year he gets better, they will have a really good offense. They have an average defense, but with the offense they have I think it won't matter that their defense is not the best. They have something to fight for because they should have made the playoffs last year but they didn't and they should be shooting for that this year. But they have to take it one game at a time in order to do that. I think they end up with a record of somewhere around 10-6 maybe one win less.
Panthers
This year will be better than last year. Jake Delhomme had his worst season by far. They traded him. They got Matt Moore who is a good quarterback and they have a good rookie in Jimmy Clausen. From what I saw in the preseason I think he will be a very good quarterback, but I'm not sure how much he will actually play this year. I think the more he plays the better the team will be. Its not that I don't think Moore isn't good I just think that Clausen has done very well. So because they have a new quarterback and they already had a good team. So I think they go 8-8 if they are lucky.
Buccaneers
This team had a bad start last year. They got their first win against a very good packers team. So i think they have the potential to win games. They just need the motivation to win these games. They are a good team with a few faults. I havn't really payed much attention to this team, so I don't have much to say about this team. My prediction is probably going to be wrong, but thats expected every once and a while. Even from me. So I think they end up going somwhere around 7-9 maybe or 6-10. Still not sure.

NFC East Predictions

Cowboys
This team is one of those teams that a lot of people are thinking could be very good. They have a good quarterback who finally won a postseason game last year in Tony Romo. Miles Austin broke out last year and could have either a year just as good or better. I don't think he will get any worse. There is a lot of pressure, but I think he can handle it. If he just plays football the best he can, he will do really well. I think Roy Williams will have a good year this year and I think Dez Bryant comes in and becomes a really good receiver also. So with a good QB and receivers that's a good offense, then you add Marion Barber and Felix Jones. Two running backs who are very good at what they do. They are used in different situations, but that's what makes this work. They also have a very good defense. So when you put together all that positive energy and that much talent you have a good team. I think they go somewhere around 12-4 or maybe 11-5.
Giants
This team is on a low year. They have had pretty good teams in the few years past, but this year I just don't think they have it. Eli Manning has had a few good seasons, but last year he didn't do very well and doesn't look good in the preseason this year. He is there one leader, and he isn't doing that great. When they won their super bowl they had a legit good team. They didn't have a better team than the Patriots, but they had a good team. A lot of their good players have left or have not done as good lately. That means this team is down. I want to believe that Manning will get better and end up being great like Peyton, but I just don't think that really happens. At best I think the Giants get a record of maybe 8-8 if they are lucky. probably 7-9.
Eagles
The Eagles traded away the Quarterback they have trusted to lead their team for years. Now they have a new QB with Kevin Kolb. He has looked pretty good in the preseason, but I still think trading McNabb was very stupid. They have a really good receiving core and I'm not sure that Kolb can take advantage of that like McNabb did. They still have a good defense. So they still have a good team, they just don't have the same offense that they did last year. Because they are missing these certain parts of their team I think they are missing that they really need. The most important one is that they don't have any leaders on their team. I think because they are missing so much they won't have a very good season. I think they go 6-10 maybe 7-9.
Redskins
This wasn't a very good team last year. But this year they have added McNabb who is a good leader and also a good quarterback. Haynesworth has caused some problems in their locker room this year, but I think they are going to be improved this year. This team that they have built up by trading and grabbing will be better than last years, but I really don't have anything else to say about them. They will be better but the additions they have made only add 1 or 2 wins. So that means I think they go around 5-11 this year.

NFC West Predictions

Cardinals
The Cardinals have a lot of issues this year. The last few years they have had a veteran quarterback in Kurt Warner. Now he is gone and they have a huge whole to fill that he left. When he came in it was perfect timing. Leinart wasn't playing as well as he was supposed to and then Warner came in and for some reason they didn't fell like trying to fix Leinart while they had a veteran quarterback who could help with them on the team. Now they have to choose between Leinart and Anderson. Leinart hasn't been playing as well, but he is a first-round draft pick and don't want him to end up like JaMarcus Russel. Then again Anderson has been playing as hard as he can and has been doing it well to get this starting job and he deserves it. Now they have a decision to make and this could effect how well the team does. I think that they go 6-10 this season.
49ers
This team has a coach that can carry this team to 9-7. But, if the team doesn't play well together and just play well they won't get near that mark. Alex Smith still hasn't had that breakout season he was expected to have about 3 years ago. If he doesn't have that season this year, I think its time to move on. So, because of that, I think that they won't have a good season. When you have a QB that the only reason you are keeping him is that he is the only one you have and you feel like giving him one more chance, he still might not perform. You have to be confident with your leader. I don't think the 49ers are confident with Alex Smith this year and that will cause them to lose certain games. So I think they go 7-9 because they have a good defense that will keep them in games against bad defenses. Without that defense they go 4-12.
Seahawks
When I think about the Seahawks I think back to one moment. When they were in the super bowl and a huge touchdown was called wrongly. Big Ben kinda stuck out the ball cause he knew he wasn't in. That basically means the Seahawks would have won the super bowl a few years ago. Now they are a team that is apparently bad. And I think to myself; where did they go wrong? I think this year will be much better than last years five win season. Hasselback will be better than last year and Pete Carrol is a pretty good coach. With the right leadership this team could be very good. I think they have good leadership this year. I'm not sure if they are a playoff team, but I think I have to pick one team in this division to win. This team could be the team to win this division this year. They need to make a lot of improvements this year, but if they do all the right things this off season they can be a very good team. I would like to see this team win, because then people won't think Pete Carrol jumped at the first time to get out of USC. They might think he is justified. so I think they go 10-6.
Rams
I feel bad that I'm going to have to say what I'm about to say about this team. And Rams fans are going to be disappointed but I'm about 100% sure in this one thing. Sam Bradford will get sacked a lot because the Rams have a terrible offensive line. Then, because Bradford always falls on his shoulder he will get hurt. He will end up being a mediocre quarterback in the league. I'm not saying he is going to end up like Russel, but I think that he won't be that great quarterback he is expected to be. Everyone is thinking that because they have Bradford now they are going to win a bunch of games and be a good team. This worked for the Lions, but they don't have a quarterback that gets injured all the time. So I think the Rams are not going to win with this pick. Overall I think they end up winning somewhere between 3 and 4 games if they are lucky. Sorry Rams fans.

NFC North predictions

Packers
I think that the Packers are going to have a good season. Last year they had a good regular season but got surprised in the first round of the playoffs. This made people think that they were just an average team that happened to make it to the playoffs and isn't a really good team. But, in truth, they are one of the premier teams in the league. Just because they play in the same division as Brett Favre and the Vikings who are supposed to be really good. That makes them less under the radar than they should be. I think they will have a really good year this year. Aaron Rodgers has turned into a really good QB and they have Ryan Grant who is a great running back. They also have a really good defense which will help them give the ball back to their offense which can score easily. I think that if the Vikings bust this year the Packers will win the division, but if the Vikings have the year they expect to have the Packers might have to settle for the Wild Card this year.
Lions
The laughing stock of the NFL will actually have a somewhat good year this year. Matthew Stafford has proven to be a good leader and NFL quarterback. They have a pretty good defense with the rookie Suh. So they do have a well rounded team with a good leader at quarterback. But this team has so much negative energy following them that it might be hard to have a winning season. I don't think they will have won this year, but they might get to even. There is almost no way they get to the playoffs. There are too many teams that are good in the NFC and in this division period for the Lions to get to the playoffs. But maybe next year they might have a chance to win the wild card. I still think that a super bowl is 5 or more years away. But this team is moving in the right direction. So I think that they will go either 7-9 or 8-8. If they get to a winning season, I will be surprised.
Bears
This team is the one that I am going to talk about the most. They are my favorite team so I do no more about them and I know what I expect them to do and what I really think they can do. They do have a quarterback who is supposed to be good in Jay Cutler. They do have a running back who had a bad year last year, but a good rookie year. Now they have a different Offensive coordinator. I think that all these pieces put together will make a better team than expected. The defense won't be as good as it has been recently, but it will still be a good defense. With a good defense like this and an offense that might play much better than last year, this team could get more wins than anybody thinks this team is capable of. I'm not sure if its enough to beat out the Vikings or Packers, because they are going to be good teams. But I do think they are going to have a winning season. I'm thinking somewhere around 9-7 maybe 10-6 if we're lucky.

Strasburg

Well I'm talking about Strasburg for 2 reasons. The first is that I have nothing else to write about, but I want to write. The other reason, is that I'm a little confused on the plan on how they were going to play and not play him as much as the same pitching coach did with Kerry Wood (which basically killed his career).
When Strasburg has his first start the things that really needed to be talked about were covered by the pure hype of how good this kid was supposed to be. So nobody asked if they were going to keep him with low pitch counts and if they were going to not have him on a regular rotation. They were just happy to have him pitching this season and as soon as he started pitching.
Now he is on the DL for the second time. Different injuries, but this isn't looking good. If you are a Nationals fan, or just love the game and like the talent that Strasburg has, that is not a good thing. The thing that confuses me is the fact that they were trying to monitor him so that he didn't end up getting injured. So obviously they are not doing their job very well if this is is second trip to the DL. I really feel bad for this pitching coach, though, because if Strasburg does end up failing because he overworked his arm, this guy will be blamed for ruining 2 pitches who had great talent and who could have become really great pitchers.
In the end, I think that pitchers usually end up being better if they are unknown. That way the hype and the overworking and possibly some phantom pain ends up hurting and then you develop a real injury. So this guy who has had all the hype in the world and was the number one pick might have more people getting on his back if he keeps getting hurt.

NFL Final Four

In this blog I will explain what I think will happen to each of the four teams that were left at the end of the playoffs last year. this should be interesting because all four of these teams are expected to do well again this year.
Jets
The Jets have already been expected to be really good this year. But, can you remember back to why they got to the AFC Championship game. If the Colts hadn't decided to give up on the perfect season, they would have lost that game and ended up probably not going to the playoffs. But, the Colts decided that they would save their players for the playoffs. Then the Jets go into the playoffs and get onto a roll and get lucky that they get to play the Colts in the AFC championship game. Then the Colts beat them like they are expected to. So the Jets really just got hot at the right time and ended up being lucky that the Colts gave up. Now I'm not saying they aren't a good team. This year I think they have everything they need. Sanchez was too young last year to be a great QB. This year they have one of the best defenses in the league. Now Sanchez has a whole year under his belt. They have added a couple really good receivers and LT. Now I think they can be a good team. But, the thing that will still carry the team is the defense. And the main person in that defense is Darrel Revis. And right now he is not with the team, so they won't have as good a defense, which in turn will out them not having as good a year. I also think that the fans and media members have put too much pressure on them just because they made it last year. Now they have to deal with being one of the favorite teams in the AFC East and in the AFC period. That might mean that the pressure could get to them and they don't have nearly as good a year as expected.
Vikings
The Vikings were not just lucky to get to the NFC Championship. They definitely deserved getting there. Brett Favre had probably the best season of his career. He threw for touchdowns and yards. And he also threw the least amount of interceptions in one year in his career. It was unfortunate that they had to run into the Saints and a defense that just ripped Brett Favre to shreds. That game almost made Brett Favre not come back this year. Now Favre is back. He will make his first start in their preseason game this weekend. It will be interesting to see if that ankle bothers him more when he is actually in the game, or if it won't be too much of a problem. Now that Brett Favre is back, many Vikings fans are hoping that they will go back to the NFC Championship game, or at least get to the playoffs and win their division. I think this is a reasonable expectation. I think myself that they will get to the playoffs and win their division. I don't like to say that because the Bears are in that division, but its true. Some people are saying that because they got to the NFC Championship, but lost that will put them down and they won't have just as good a year as they did last year. There is no way that Brett Favre will be able to match or do better than what he did last year. So this team might not be as good. Peterson seems to be fumbling more and more as the years pass by in the NFL. So this team might not be as much of super bowl contenders, but they still have a chance. So in the end I think they will get to the playoffs and lose in the first game.
Colts
The Colts have one thing going for them. And that one thing is Peyton Manning. The smartest QB to ever play. He knows the game so well. He is a great controller and is the perfect leader for this veteran team. They have a great receiving core that has been with manning for years and good running to set off the defense. Last year it was upsetting that they lost in the Super Bowl. I and most people expected them to win. And it was a close one. The most surprising thing was that Manning threw an interception to lose the game. Manning is the one guy who you wouldn't expect to make the mistake. And yet he was the guy who did it. I think this team will want to make up for that this year. They will have another great season like they did last year, but I think this year they might get it done. I think they have a good chance to win the super bowl. And I hope they do, Manning deserves to have two super bowl rings. And I think he will get that second one this year. As long as its not against the Bears again.
Saints
The Saints worry me. They have most of the same players that won the super bowl, which is good. They have a great QB in Drew Brees, but he is going to get injured. He might not necessarily miss games, but he will get injured. He is on the cover of Madden, so something will happen to him. And that has to be in the back of Saints fans minds. That has got to in sue major paranoia into many people close to the Saints. I do think that this is a good team, but I don't think that they will win the super bowl again. I don't they will make it back to the NFC Championship game. Even though most of the players say that winning the super bowl and that it will be hard to get back and to win again isn't in their mind before they take the field, it really is, because no matter what they say they will always think about that. I think that because of this they might not have the season that their fans expect. I went to New Orleans recently. And it was Saints Mania. Now all those fans who finally had hope, because the saints finally won a super bowl, are going to be disappointed. I think they will win their division, but I don' think they make it past the first round.

So this may be a season that is not expected for these four teams, but we are going to have to wait and see. The preseason will tell us nothing. When we get to around week 10, then we will know if these predictions are correct or if they are totally wrong and all four of these teams are insanely good.

Whitesox

The whitesox are 4 games back right now. That sounds like a problem from the moment it comes out of your mouth. So, I thought that I would blog about what the Whitesox have been doing good and what they have been doing bad. I will also comment on why I think the Whitesox still have a chance to win this division.
First the bad things the Whitesox are doing. There are some obvious things going on that are bad. Such as bad bullpen, average starting pitching, and failure to bring home men in scoring position. Those are the things that you notice everyday you watch a Whitesox game. There are some things under the surface that I have noticed and perhaps you have noticed. One of them is that everybody near the Whitesox thinks that Greg Walker is a fantastic hitting coach. The truth is he isn't that great. Why do you think our offense can't bring home guys in scoring position? It isn't just because they aren't good baseball players. You see guys who come into our team, who are supposed to be good, but end up playing terrible. They must be used to a hitting coach that will teach them and help them with what they need. Then you also see guys leave from our team and go on to be really good hitters. Maybe its because they get to a new team and a new hitting coach and that coach actually helps the player hit and he becomes a better hitter.
Now the good part. I like this part. Their offense has been better than the beginning of the season. They are actually hitting a little well. They might not bring home the guys they should, but they do hit home runs. The home runs bring home not only the guys on base, but the batter himself. This can produce more runs, but our offense shouldn't be based on hardball alone. Our pitching has also been improved since that beginning slump we had. Glavin Floyd has been the pitcher of the month, Danks has been very successful lately. Buerhle and Peavy are both aces (even though Peavy is out now). Freddy Garcia has been a good 5th man. And since the edition of Edwin Jackson he has been very successful. In each of his games, he has had a good pitching performance. He may not have won, but he still pitched well.
Finally, the reasons why I think they still have a chance to win this division. I think they can win this division because they have that Whitesox swagger that I have always loved. I find it hard to let myself believe that the season is over at any time. But this year I kind of had reason for hope. I didn't really believe that the Whitesox could go to Target field and sweep the Twins. I did think that they would eventually take first place. This may not be true. But, if they ever do get into first place and end up at least 2 games above the Twins, I don't think they will ever look back on not being in first place. I'm not sure if they can get to first place. If they get back to that team that went 25-5 in 30 games they will definitely get first place at a point and win this division. I would like the Whitesox to go on one final 11 game winning streak. That would make it 3 times they have won so many games in a row. The Twins will have to lose eventually.

random blog

If that video doesnt pop up click the link. but this is exactly what not to be if you want to be a sports guy. So learn from example. (i had nothin 2 write about 2day)

yess. a brawl in baseball.

If you know me at all you know that a big reason I like watching hockey is the fights. Yes, I like the excitement of the game of hockey too, but fighting is really the best part. So last night with some tension about playing for first place the Cardinals and the Reds got into a fight. Apparently the fight started when a Reds player said "hi" to Yadier Molina. That triggered something in Molina and so he got into the guys face and benches cleared. The funniest part of this fight to me was afterwords when Chris Carpenter complained about the Reds player spiking him in the back. He said it was unprofessional. How can you be professional during a fight? Punching. Yes that is totally professional. That was definitely my favorite part. Another good part was when Molina came up after the brawl and hit a home run. It was just him saying. EAT THAT. and I love that. Another good part. Only the two managers were kicked out. Really? What they needed to make sure that their players didn't fight so its their fault. I don't even think they were really in the fight that much. So this was a pretty funny brawl. But is it good for the team and for the sport? I think it is a good thing for the team, because it shows the Cardinals aren't going to back down. They will fight to win this division. (no pun intended) If it is good for the sport, I'm not sure. But if I were a Cardinals or Reds fan I would want to see these games now because its a rivalry now. Even if I'm not a fan of either. I want to see these games because something might break out. It is good for revenue. I just love fights and last night's was priceless.

HE is back in action.

Everybody knows it by now, but I thought I would blog about it because there is nothing else to talk about. Strasburg is going to make his first start since late july and I can't wait. Part of me wants to see him do really well, but the other part wants to see him get a little sore and stay out. They should have him on a special rotation, which is not every 5 games but every 7. It might screw up their rotation, but they aren't going to win anything anyway and that way they are still playing him, but he isn't being over-worked to where he would hurt that shoulder again. Its a very smart plan, which is why I think they probably won't do it. I will be watching baseball tonight or something, though to see how he does. I do want him to succeed I just don't want him to blow his shoulder or elbow out in his first 3 seasons. I want to see Stephen Strasburg play until he is as old as Brett Favre. This kid has the potential to become AMAZING. But, if they overwork him, even though they think they aren't he will end up like Kerry Wood. The same pitching coach ruining both of them, he would become an outcast in baseball. As long as they slowly progress him into a normal pitching schedule he will be fine, they shouldn't rush him just because they want to make more money. The money will come when they see him possibly pitching complete games and every 5 days without him getting injured. The time for the Nationals is coming, its just not here yet, so they shouldn't try to rush it. It will come. I think he will get a no decision, but the Natinoals will lose and he will have 7 strikeouts. I will probably be wrong.

A great pitching performance

Normally when you see that some pitcher one-hit another team, you think that pitcher had a really good game, but not enough to be recognized. Yesterday was different. Brandon Morrow was lights out the whole game. The one hit that he gave up would have been the last out and it barely made it past the second basemen. He threw 17 strikeouts. (if he had gotten a no-hitter it would have been 16)If you think that this game wasn't one of the top or the top pitching performance of the year, you are crazy. Yes, there have been many no-hitters and perfect games. But, sometimes a no-hitter isn't lights out pitching. Like in the case of edwin jackson. It just happened that a pitcher had a great performance and it got ruined. If he had gotten a no-hitter it would be my number one pitching performance of the year. Instead, its my number 3. But, to me number 3 is always the best deep inside. Then, you hear some people saying that aaron hill might have made an error and not have that been a hit. I think I have figured out why people are saying this. They thought this was a great performance and they think it deserves a no-hitter, so they blame it on aaron hill not quite getting there and say it should be an error. I don't think it was an error, but it would have been cool to see. I guess he was just unlucky that hill didn't get there on time and that they got a certain official scorekeeper that wasn't going to make that an error just to preserve the no-hitter.

Trades

First I want to talk about the trades that have already happened. Like the Oswalt, Haren, and Jackson trades. Then I will talk about potential ones.
Okay first Dan Haren. I think that the Angels had to make a move because if they didn't everybody would think they were crazy. So they made a move and got a good pitcher. The person I thought was the best pitcher on the market this year. Then he got hurt. He will not miss any starts, but it just seemed fitting with the way the whole angels season is going. I thought that trade was very smart.
Then, the trade that Philly did to get Roy Oswalt. They pushed so hard for this pitcher. He isn't even, in my opinion, the best pitcher on the market this year. They could have done better, but they could have done worse. I think that Roy Oswalt and the fact that they went out and got somebody will help this team get to the playoffs. I don't think that they will win their division, but I think they will win the wild card.
Edwin Jackson is the trade that I am really confused about. First, why trade a pitcher for a pitcher that both are in the major leagues and about even. Then, your only going to have this pitcher for this year because next year Jake Peavy will be back. So you are spending more money now on this guy for only one year where he might not make a big difference.
Other smaller deals were like Tejada moving from the Orioles.

Now onto the trades that might or might not happen, but have not happened yet.
First, Adam Dunn. He has been the guy that people have been talking about. Everybody keeps saying that he is going to move no matter what. Where to is the big question. The favorite was the White Sox, but they bowed out. Now it could be the Yankees or the Rays. We all know that the Nationals want to trade him. The fact is that they want someone who is a really good prospect. That is why I think he will go to the Yankees, because the Rays aren't going to give up their prospects. Prospects is how they get better, not trading.
Then, there is talk about Lance Berkman possibly moving to the White Sox. There is one problem, getting Lance away from Houston is going to be hard. He loves playing there and doesn't want to leave. This makes sense and might be a huge difference maker for the white sox if they can get him. I'm about 20% sure that this trade will happen.
There was also talk about another Astros player leaving. This is Brett Meyers, but he won't be moving.

Tebow.

If there was one thing that Tim Tebow wanted the most out of his rookie season was that he didn't miss a day of practice. That happened and I think Tebow was very upset about that. Because he was so upset he made sure that deal happened today. He wasn't going to miss another day. If people think that he has changed or something because he is pro and now he is holding out, that is not true. It is hard to make contracts and for both sides to agree on everything in it. It's not just what it sounds like. We are going to give you this much money over this many years and sign. That's not the only thing involved. There are many other technical things. Even Tebow understood there was this but he was pretty upset about how long it was taking to work it out. To add to the problem Josh McDaniels lashed out at him a little, saying that when you miss even one day of practice there is so many things that you miss learning. He said that as a young quarterback new to the system he needs to be at every practice. Basically he is blaming Tebow. This isn't Tebow's fault. You're telling me that you think that Tim Tebow didn't do everything he could to get out on that field for the first practice. He wanted that so bad. Now he doesn't have it so don't yell at him he is already upset. Now you might be saying well he signed today anyway so it doesn't matter anymore. Tim Tebow is a guy with great confidence and has leadership and everything else that it takes to be a quarterback. There is one thing that he lacks. He needs to work on mechanics. He is going to work as hard as he can work his arm without it falling off. He wants to be an NFL quarterback so bad it hurts, so let him do that. Yes, he missed practice he was still working out at home and working on his throwing motion. Even when Tebow might miss a practice, trust me he is still practicing, because he knows that he has so much more to work on. That is why Tebow is going to be a good quarterback and that is why people just seem to like him. He is one of the most like-able guys there is because he has so much respect for everybody and all he wants to do is play and improve. You better believe that he will be carrying somebody's shoulder pads when he reports tomorrow and not complaining.

Strasburg out.

Almost everyone that pays any attention to sports or baseball knows that Stephen Strasburg is out for 15 days on the DL. He has an inflamed shoulder. That is not the big news. He is only going to be out for about three starts. Or is he? People are speculating whether or not they should just sit him for the rest of the year. They were already worried about innings and him getting injured. I understand that if he is injured now putting him back in too early could just ruin the rest of his career. But, the Nationals are desperate. Their ratings were up, when Strasburg pitched at home they sold tickets. Everybody wanted to see him. Their organization was on the rise finally, then you take away the reason and you are the same low team you were before. Ya, it may be wrong that people only go to Nationals games because he is pitching, but wouldn't you. They are doing whatever that can to bring people in. Strasburg is the savior of this team. If you don't let him pitch at all the rest of the year you are going to have a lot of mad people because they were going to go to Washington and see a Nationals game because they are on the rise and now Strasburg is out. They are the bottom again. I'm not saying that in 15 days to the date he should start. I'm saying maybe the last 2 weeks you give him a couple starts to make sure the shoulder is still okay. Just don't take him out for the rest of the season.

Ocho and T.O together?

Prepare for one of the most entertaining seasons. Now that the Bengals have two of the most interesting and entertaining receivers in the game, they will be very exciting and entertaining. Not only are they entertaining, but they are still elite receivers. T.O is old but he still has game for one more season. Ocho is also an elite receiver. When they are together they can either make a great tandem or they will fight and give Palmer a ton of problems. I already feel bad for Palmer that he has to just play or even be on the same team as both Ocho and T.O but then if they were fighting and both getting mad at Palmer this next season might be hell for him. While everybody else is hating on the team I think that it might work. They both think that they are the best, so when you do that and they are both excited to play with each other maybe T.O will finally mature this year and this team might work. T.O texted Ocho last night saying that he went to the Bengals for one reason. He is going to go all the way. I don't really think that will happen, but I do think that they will make the playoffs. This team is good even without T.O and I think that he will really help this team. The fact that there are so many haters out there will help this team a lot. They feed off the attention and so when they get all this attention they will be a very good pair and will want to prove everybody wrong. I'm getting most of this information because I watched Chad's ustream last night. He was so excited when T.O signed that when he screamed it almost broke my speakers. That is how I know what T.O texted to chad. When both players are this excited about playing together it is probably going to work. Batman and Robin.