Chicago & Illini Sports

2007-10-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

Chicago Bears, reasons for hope, reasons for despair.

Veteran quarterback Brian Griese is the main reason for optimism. He may show some rust at times. But he is an accurate, crafty qb who can develop a good short- and medium-range passing game, the kind of game that can use up a lot of time.

The Bears finally unleashed rookie Greg Olsen. Now it’s time to do the same with Devin Hester. Think of what Hester could do if he were thrown the kind of slant passes over the middle that Brett Favre was throwing against the Bears.

The Bears also could improve their offense if Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe handled the running until the Bears reached the red zone of their opponents. Then bring in Cedric Benson for the heavy lifting and scoring. The Bears are now realizing they should have kept Thomas Jones instead of Benson.

The main area of concern is the hapless offensive line. They are old and slow. They are poor at pass protection. They have trouble opening up running lanes.

Otherwise, they’re great!

So look for a lot of Bear games with victories in the 21-10 range.

2007-10-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

Our final emotion for the 2007 season of the Chicago Cubs?

Embarrassment. What happened to the booming bats? It's a puzzlement.

Overall, however, there was a lot of good stuff, including a division title. And with a few upgrades, the team should be in a good position for next season’s race to the World Series.

The key players will be back: Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Theriot, Mark DeRosa, Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Carlos Marmol, and Bob Howry.

Having Geovany Soto from the start should make a big difference. Pitchers who could contribute more include Rich Hill, Sean Marshall, Kevin Hart, Kerry Wood, and Ryan Dempster. We’d like to see Marmol and Dempster switch roles.

Filling the holes. The Cubs need upgrades in the bullpen. Say goodbye to Will Ohman and Scott Eyre. Look for free agent left-handers. Whoever they find can’t be worse than Ohman and Eyre.

In the starting rotation, get rid of Jason Marquis. The Cubs could get breakout years from Hill and Marshall. Spend the money and get one of the best free agent starters available.

Center field and right field are the main problems. Cliff Floyd is injury prone, Jacque Jones is inconsistent, Matt Murton and Angel Pagan are not power hitters, and Felix Pie is questionable. Sign the best free agent center fielder in case Pie can’t hack it. Switch DeRosa to right and give minor leaguer “jewel” Eric Patterson a try at second base—or try Patterson in center or right. In the least promising scenario, play Pagan in center and Murton in right.

With these changes, the Cubs should be the best team in the National League. Imagine how exciting it would be to celebrate two milestones in 2008—the 100th anniversary of the Cubs’s last World Series win and a World Series victory that will launch a new era of Cubbie greatness.

2007-10-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Cubs, otherwise known as the Cardiac Cubs, will win the series against Arizona in four games.
They will split the two games in the desert and triumph in both games over the weekend in Wrigley Field.

Pandemonium is being held on ice until Sunday.

The Cubs will win for four reasons.

First, the Diamondbacks are a young team and will fold under the pressure.

Second, Lou Piniella is the better manager.

Third, the hungry, er starving, Cub fans will scare the bejabbers out of the Diamondbacks.

Fourth, the Cubs are a team of destiny.

Destiny always wins.

Go Cubs, go!

2007-09-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

Ten reasons why the Chicago Cubs played so well this year:

1) John McDonough used his authority as president of the team to open the treasury.

2) General manager Jim Hendry made excellent use of the treasury in his choices of new players and…

3) Lou Piniella, one of the new hires, showed everyone how a good manager handles a team and plays the game.

4) Alfonso Soriano became one of the most exciting Cubs—and probably the richest—even though he scared you to death
with his hopping style of catching fly balls.

5) Aramis Ramirez had a career year in both batting and fielding, and became the team’s best clutch hitter.

6) Derrek Lee found his mojo in September.

7) Ted Lilly became a stellar starter.

8) Carlos Marmol became a star.

9) Bob Howry and Ryan Dempster were outstanding mopup men.

10) Kerry Wood silenced all of us doubters.

2007-09-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Bears’s decision to start Brian Griese is long overdue.

However, it does not address the main problem.

The main problem is bigger than Rex Grossman.

The main problem is the increasing inability of the offensive line to provide consistent pass protection to the quarterback.

The current team will be fortunate to win half its games. Ouch!

2007-09-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Cubs, like most of us, are creatures of habit.

And that’s good. You can get so much done during Cub games if you know how to watch or to listen to them.

Why? Because the Cubs regularly do all their scoring in only three innings—the first, eighth, and ninth.
Knowing this pattern has many advantages. That is, you don’t have to waste a lot of time and can still catch all the Cubs’s action.

For example, the other night I stopped watching after the first inning (the Cubs scored four runs in the inning) and returned to a book I was reading. About 90 minutes later, I went back to the game and watched the Cubs score three more runs in the eighth and ninth and win again. So I saw another good Cub game and finished my book. Was that a great evening or what?

Of course, you can do lots of other things as well. Like watching one to three of your favorite sitcoms. Or answering your emails, listening to music, or making your lunch for the next day. Courtesy of the Cubs, you can multitask like crazy and still enjoy the best parts of the ballgame.

Well, it’s time to get back to the game. Think the Cubs are still winning?

2007-09-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

Keep those snatchers coming!

As in victories snatched from the jaws of defeat. Like the Chicago Cubs’s 7-6 win over the Reds yesterday. The Cubs were losing 6-4 in the ninth. But they wiped out the deficit when Aramis Ramirez tied the game with a two-on triple, and Mark DeRosa won it with an infield single.

Snatchers since the All-Star game break:

June 25 beat Rockies 10-9 on Soriano single.
June 29 beat Brewers 6-5 on Ramirez homer.
July 16 beat Giants 3-2 on Ramirez double.
Aug. 21 beat Giants 5-1 on Kendall 2-run single.
Sept. 2 beat Astros 6-5 on Lee 2-run homer.
Sept. 17 beat Reds 7-6 on DeRosa single.

2007-09-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for Chicago Cubs broadcaster Ron Santo.

Santo is a former star third baseman of the Cubs. He’s now, as all Cub fans know, the radio partner of Pat Hughes.
Hughes does a pretty good job of trying to present a balanced, objective broadcast. Santo, on the other hand, does not even try to be objective. He is what we call in the reporting biz a homer.

Santo bleeds Cubbie blue. We like that. Because Santo suffers all the slings and arrows sent the Cubs’s way. So we don’t have to feel terrible. Santo does it for us.

“Oh man oh man” is one of Santo’s frequent laments after a play that goes against Cub fortunes. We feel bad, too. But not as deeply as Santo, who may be the father of all moaners. It’s as if Santo feels our pain and siphons it over to his shoulders.
He’s like a magnet for our emotions. No fan can match the intensity of his pain. No fan can equal the depth of his disgust and disappointment.

Which relieves us of the need to reflect on the results of a bad turn of events for the Cubs. Santo will do it for us and do it better. So most Cub fans, unlike Santo, can even get a good night’s sleep after a Cub loss.

Thank you, Ron.

2007-09-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

Felix Pie (last name pronounced like the letters "P-A")

Lyrics by Alan Reifman

(May be sung to the tune of "Felix the Cat," Winston Sharples)

Felix Pie,

In center-field, can he stay?

He runs so fast,

He's sure to catch,

Anything hit his way,

He's a Cubbies' defensive mainstay,

Felix Pie,

The prospect from the D.R.*,

His hits are few,

What can he do?

He rarely belts the ball far,

Can his offense, reach MLB par?

2007-09-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's 7-4 Chicago Cubs loss to the Dodgers, based on a ninth inning comebacker, was a reverse snatcher. Also known as a heartbreaker.

2007-09-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

Add another snatcher to the list!

As in victories snatched from the jaws of defeat. Like the Chicago Cubs’s 6-5 win over the Houston Astros today. The Cubs were losing 5-1 in the fifth. But they wiped out a 5-4 deficit in the eighth inning when Derrek Lee smacked a two-run homer.

Snatchers:

June 25 beat Rockies 10-9 on Soriano single
June 29 beat Brewers 6-5 on Ramirez homer
July 16 beat Giants 3-2 on Ramirez double.
Aug. 21 beat Giants 5-1 on Kendall 2-run single.
Sept. 2 beat Astros 6-5 on Lee 2-run homer.

2007-08-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, so that’s the way it’s going to be.

The Chicago Cubs are a bunch of singles hitters. C’mon, admit it. And the sooner the better if the Cubs are going to win this World Series thing.

Because then manager Lou Piniella can make some key lineup changes and play small ball, which has produced some exciting games.

The lineup changes? Let Derrek Lee bat second; Aramis Ramirez, third; Cliff Floyd, cleanup; and Ryan Theriot fifth.

Other good ideas? Don’t wait for home runs. They’re not coming this year. Try to steal bases no matter which “slugger” is batting. Call for bunts every time after a Cub reaches first base with no outs.

It’s pretty clear that the division race is a three-horse race and that the Cubs won’t clinch it until the last week. Once the playoffs begin, Sean Marshall goes to the already strong bullpen. Cub pitching should make the difference.

Cubs win the division by a nose over the Cardinals and go on to triumph in the World Series.

It’s gonna happen!

2007-08-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for some Illinois football?

If you’re a pessimist, you probably think Illinois will finish 3-9, with wins over Western Illinois, Ball State, and Northwestern.

If you’re an optimist, you probably see a 6-6 finish, with wins over Western, Syracuse, Indiana, Ball State, Minnesota, and Northwestern.

If you’re a surrealist, you probably see at least a 9-3 finish, with wins over Missouri, Western, Syracuse, Indiana, Penn State, Michigan, Ball State, Minnesota, and Northwestern.

We’re in with the sure realist crowd.

2007-08-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

Oh my! Another snatcher!

As in victories snatched from the jaws of defeat. Like the Chicago Cubs’s 5-1 comebacker over the San Francisco Giants yesterday.

If a game ever looked like a sure loss, it was this game. Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum had limited the Cubs to a couple of hits through eight innings and was sailing along smoothly while throwing 95 mile an hour fastballs and protecting a 1-0 Giants lead going into the ninth inning.

But then:
Ryan The Riot led off the inning with a double,
Jacque Jones singled,
Derrek Lee singled in a run,
Aramis Ramirez walked,
Cliff Floyd singled in two runs, and
Jason Kendall singled in two runs. Bam! Over! It was a snatcher.

Other recent snatchers:

June 25 Cubs beat Rockies 10-9 on Soriano single
June 29 Cubs beat Brewers 6-5 on Ramirez homer
July 16 Cubs beat Giants 3-2 on Ramirez double.

2007-08-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Cubs may stumble here and there, but it’s still gonna happen.

The Brewers are in meltdown mode and have lost their best pitcher, Ben Sheets.

The Cardinals are a threat, but the Cubs have their number this year.

The Cubs have three quality starters and three quality relievers, and their rivals don’t.

It’s weird, but the Cubs at times appear to be a one-man team. That is, one player gets hot and seemingly carries the whole team for a while and then another player takes the lead, and so on.

So far, the team has benefited from separate hot streaks by Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Zambrano, Aramis Ramirez, Mike Fontenot, and Jacque Jones.

That leaves September for Ryan Theriot and Derrek Lee for October.

Sounds like a plan to us.

2007-08-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

Why does Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith have a double standard when it comes to quarterbacks?
Smith has always argued that he wants competition. But apparently not at the qb position.

We figured that he might have given Brian Griese some encouragement after yesterday’s 27-24 exhibition victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Once again, the crafty veteran Griese clearly outplayed the struggling Rex Grossman. Griese again looked poised and threw crisp, accurate passes. Grossman looked flustered and seemed to lack focus. Griese is consistent. And Rex isn’t. But Smith gave no indication that Griese had challenged Grossman for the starting job.

Some other observations:

Was anyone else bothered by the unbearable babble of the ESPN broadcasters?

Dusty Dvoracek looks like an upgrade over Tank Johnson.

The game was played at a fast, intense pace. Can Tommie Harris’s repaired knee take the stress?

Still no pass rush. Peyton Manning had tons of time to throw. Where were Alex Brown and Adawale Ogunleye?

Nice plays by the Bear Mannings—Danieal (great kickoff return) and Ricky (good strip of a ball). Smith should give Ricky a chance to return a kick. He might be pleasantly surprised.

Looks like the conversion of Devin Hester to wide receiver is going to pay off big.

Other possible weakness besides the lack of a consistent pass rush:
Pass protection for Rex was admittedly lacking. Is the age of the offensive linemen starting to show?

2007-08-14T18:31:00.001-07:00

New/old red flag for the Chicago Cubs:

Derrek Lee’s lack of a major contribution. Ouch!

C’mon Derrek, get back to where you belong.

2007-08-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Bears briefly revealed parts of their new offensive arsenal in beating Houston 20-19 last week.

As expected, wide receiver Devin Hester sparkled on a couple of plays, and that was a night for him. Similarly, Bernard Berrian, Mark Bradley, and Greg Olsen got showcased for a little while. An impressive start.

Two nagging thoughts at this time:

The starting offensive line was unimpressive. This is disturbing, considering it’s a group of battle-tested veterans. It is crucial that the line gives the Bear quarterbacks time to throw. If it does, this team should average 30 point a game.

Back to the future. How come the starting quarterback looked like the No.3 quarterback? It’s still early, you say. But didn’t Rex look immobile?

We just can’t help it, but didn’t Brian Griese look the best of the three? Here we go again!

2007-08-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

Every Chicago Bears fan talks about the return off Tommie Harris and Mike Brown from injuries. And rightly so.

But don’t forget about Mark Bradley. Bradley now seems fully recovered from injuries that have limited his participation. Bradley is a speedster who makes acrobatic catches. Paired with Bernard Berrian, Bradley will form part of a dynamic duo that will drive defenses batty. Don’t be surprised if Bradley beats out Muhsin Muhammad as a starter.

Other players in the high-powered passing attack include Devin Hester and Rashied Davis, as well as Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark. Have the Bears ever assembled as good a receiving corps as this one? Don’t think so.

One consequence of this arsenal is that Cedric Benson may be used mostly in the red zone. At other times, he probably will be used to block defenders trying to reach Rex Grossman. Start working on your blocking techniques, Cedric.

Another improvement of the team that lost to the Colts in the Super Bowl is the upgrading of the defensive line. You have to believe that Darwin Walker and Tommie Harris, with a developing Dusty Dvoracek, represent a definite plus over the 2006-07 interior. Another upgrade will be Alex Brown beating out Adewale Ogunleye and pairing with Mark Anderson at defensive end.

And then there’s the well-kept secret about the running back corps. Sure everyone knows about Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe. But we’d like to see the Bears unleash a defensive player who has shown flashes of brilliance running back interceptions: Ricky Manning Jr. This guy is a fabulous runner who may have greater skills on offense than on defense. Ron Turner, develop some running plays for Ricky, please. Or at the least, let the guy return some punts or kickoffs.

Rex Grossman riding shotgun. What a great idea.

Anyone see any weaknesses in this team? We don't.

2007-08-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

Time ran out on Chicago Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry as the main trading deadline expired yesterday.

Hendry unwisely chose to stand pat.

Now what do the Cubs do in their traditionally futile quest for the big prize?

First, and foremost, recognize that they’ve got a heck of a ballclub and a terrific manager.

Keep the swagger. Expect to win most of their remaining games.

Other things to do list:

Forget about the Mike Fontenot experiment. Install Mark DeRosa at second and keep him there.

Forget about platooning Cliff Floyd and Angel Pagan in right. Right now, they each have only four home runs. Give the job to Pagan fulltime.

Forget about the Jacque Jones in center field experiment. Call up Felix Pie from Iowa and give him center for the duration. A winning team is always solid defensively up the middle.

Keep your fingers, eyes, and toes crossed that:

Kerry Wood can pitch effectively again.
Carlos Marmol becomes a star.
Derrek Lee finds a power supply.
Carlos Zambrano keeps his gas tank full.
The Riot continues to develop as another Ryne Sandberg.

Is all this too much to ask?

Final suggestion: Shoot for the division title. The other playoff door, the wild card entrance, is going to be clogged by at least five other teams.

2007-07-30T09:38:00.001-07:00

One question many Chicago Bears fans have about new defensive coordinator Bob Babich:

How much will the defense change with you taking over as coordinator for Ron Rivera ?

Says Babich, “We’re different, but there’s a system. The system has been in place. Within the system we’ve made little tweaks here and there. But overall all the concepts are basically the same. We just need to get better at the things that we’ve done in the past and the tweaks that we’ve made to be a better defense.”

Sure clears up that question!

2007-07-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

C’mon, Jim Hendry, pull the trigger.

Make one or two more deals that will accelerate the Chicago Cubs’s rendezvous with destiny in 2007.

You’re on the clock.

Time is running out.

Tomorrow is the trading deadline, the last, best chance to address the team’s remaining weaknesses.

The main weaknesses are lack of a consistent starting five and lack of a consistent power hitter in right field.

And, oddly, the solutions are right in front of your nose, Jim. The White Sox are willing to trade several of their starters. In addition, how would slugging Jermaine Dye look in right field at Wrigley?

The Cubs probably will win the World Series with just some internal tweaking.

But why make Cub fans sweat it out?

C’mon, Jim, pull the trigger.

2007-07-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

Last October, we made the following observations about the Chicago Bears:

"Obviously, the Bears are loaded with exceptional talent. Here are the five players who will have the most impact on the team’s fortunes the rest of the year.

1. Linebacker Brian Urlacher, the heart and soul of the defense. He was only the soul before Mike Brown’s season-ending injury. But he seems to know how to will victory. His absence would hurt the Bears the most even though linebacker is one of the team’s strengths.

2. Defensive tackle Tommie Harris, a beast against the run and enemy quarterbacks. No one fires up the line like Harris, who has set a goal of at least 10 sacks (he’s got five already).

3. Linebacker Lance Briggs, who covers the part of the field that Urlacher doesn’t. Terrorizes both running backs and quarterbacks.

4. Wide receiver Bernard Berrian, who gives the Bears the big play passcatcher that every successful team needs. As John Madden has said of Berrian, when he’s even, he’s leavin’. Berrian is a burner who opens the field for the entire passing game.

5. Center Olin Kreutz, the heart of the offense. Even without wiggling his fingers, Kreutz consistently opens holes for the running backs and offers maximum protection to quarterback Rex Grossman.

If any of these players suffers a serious injury, kiss the team’s chances for advancement in the playoffs goodbye."

As it turned out, the Bears lost Harris. They got to the Super Bowl, but without Harris, could not handle the offensive line of the Indianapolis Colts and lost. In addition, the Colts had Rex Grossman on the run all game and pretty much shut down the powerful Bear offense.

Today, we foresee some changes in the five most indispensable players for 2007-08:

1. Urlacher—still The Man
2. Harris—still The Man-lite
3. Robbie Gould—don’t even think of losing this guy
4. Devin Hester—will force every opponent to revise its defense
5. Kreutz—still the key to the O-line

The Bears favored to win the next Super Bowl? It’ll happen. Though history says no.

Smartest offseason move by 2007-08 Bears:

Drafting Greg Olsen?

No.

Re-signing Lance Briggs?

No.

Trading Thomas Jones?

No.

Acquiring Adam Archuleta?

No.

Retaining Brian Griese?

No.

Developing plays for Grossman in the shotgun position?

Right on! It will give him more time to see the field and that will make the passing game lethal.

2007-07-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

As baseball heads toward the July 31 trading deadline, most Chicago Cub observers feel the Cubs can stand pat or rely on their minor leaguers.

Bad ideas.

The Cubs still need tweaking.

Good moves in this direction with the recall of outfielder Matt Murton and reliever Rocky Cherry. Cliff Floyd probably will not make it through the season, and Alfonso Soriano will require rest during the August heat and September push.

One puzzling question is why the Cubs have not brought up Felix Pie, who again is leading AAA Iowa with a batting average in the .370’s. Are the Cubs planning a blockbuster deal for him?

The tweaking needs to be done in the pitching staff. Scott Eyre and Will Ohman are unreliable relievers, and Jason Marquis, Sean Marshall, and Rich Hill are still inconsistent starters.

It would be a mistake to pin any hope on Kerry Wood returning to his best form. His career will probably end soon. What a sad day that will be. Wade Miller might return, but he won’t fill the bill either.

So the Cubs need to trade for another reliable veteran pitcher and another dependable reliever.

Time is running out.

2007-07-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

No doubt about it! These ain’t your father’s Chicago Cubs.

The charge to the top continued yesterday with the impressive 6-2 win over the Diamondbacks. There’s no stopping the Cubs now. They will take over the division lead within about a week.

The Cubs are the most sizzling team in baseball, winning eight of their last 10 games. And the last three victories came without Derrek Lee in the lineup.

What’s so Un-Cublike?

They’re winning the one-run games.

They’re getting contributions from everyone in the lineup.

They have a manager who knows what he’s doing. Da blog must think long and hard before offering more advice (at least two minutes now).

The starters are going deep into each game.

Bob Howry and Carlos Marmol have reinvigorated the bullpen and can challenge as legitimate closers.

But most of all, it comes down to two things that are usually alien to Cubbie culture:

They’ve learned to play small ball.

They’ve learned the FUNdamentals of the game.

We love the small-ball game, winning on clutch singles and doubles and not relying on the home run to bail them out.

What a blast to see well-placed bunts, daring squeeze plays, outfielders throwing out runners at the plate, pitchers getting hits, pitchers stealing bases, runners taking the extra base.

What a thrill to watch that great defensive infield make one spectacular play after another. We knew Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee were great, but how about Ryan Theriot, Mark DeRosa (man, were we wrong about this offseason acquisition), and Mighty Mouse Mike Fontenot?

And how hot is Aramis Ramirez? In basketball lingo, we’d say he’s on fire.

It’s gonna happen.

2007-07-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

If the Illinois hoopsters get any two or three among Scott Suggs, Darius Miller, Verdell Jones, or Matt Roth, they’ll be okay.

In addition, we hear there’s a second-grader in a Chicago Public League school who can shoot the lights out of the gym. Quick, make him an offer. And promise him a new iPod.

Don’t worry that he now stands only 3 foot 9 inches. He’s projected to reach 7-0 by the time he gets to Illinois.

2007-07-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

Call me Ishmael, or anything else. But call yesterday’s 3-2 Chicago Cubs’s comebacker over the SF Giants a…snatcher.

As in victories snatched from the lair of inevitable loss.

In fact, let’s start a list of the 2007 snatchers:

June 25 beat Rockies 10-9 on Soriano single
June 29 beat Brewers 6-5 on Ramirez homer
July 16 beat Giants 3-2 on Ramirez double

It’s gonna happen!

2007-07-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Cubs have got it, finally.

Fans can now officially acknowledge that the Chicago Cubs have got some swagger, or was it swiggle? Or swaggle? You know, the mysterious baseball mojo that manager Sweet Lou Piniella was trying describe in the spring. He said all good teams have it.

Piniella always looked bewildered as he tried to define this elusive feature. He would frown and scratch his head. Finally, he would say, ”When you’ve got it, you’ll know it.”

Well, the Cubs have got it. No doubt about it.

You can tell by the way they keep snatching victories from the jaws of defeat.

And now fans have begun to feel the agony of every loss.

And the ecstasy of every win.

Man, this swagger stuff is powerful. It’s even got us checking our calendars. Just to be sure we’re clear on Wednesday, October 24.

That’s when the Cubs begin play in the World Series.

2007-07-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

College basketball and football recruiting can drive you nuts.

The coaches must deal with teenagers who get this one chance to bask in the glory of their high school achievements and compare offers from various colleges and universities.

Once they’ve signed the official offer, they become part of “the program.” And the coaches take control of their lives. If the youths have talent, they can rise to prominence and earn big bucks on a higher level. If not, they can disappear from the radar screen and go back home after a few years of invisibility.

So now, the offers have been extended, and Illini basketball coach Bruce Weber and football coach Ron Zook nervously wait. We don’t know how this waiting is affecting the coaches.

But it’s killing us fans.

Why can’t these kids make up their minds, we wonder. How tough can it be choosing from among Florida, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Kansas, and Illinois? Okay, that can be a hard choice. However, not too many recruits get offers from all these schools.

So c’mon, prepsters, make it fast and make it simple. Pick Illinois today.

On behalf of our rumbling stomachs, we thank you.

2007-07-16T09:28:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Bulls got their man.

He’s big, agile, and can score.

He will fit in smoothly with Luol Deng and Ben Wallace.

He may even pair off better with Tyrus Thomas.

Granted, he doesn’t have a great jump shot. But he doesn’t need one because, like Thomas, he plays above the rim.

Just get the ball above the basket and watch this wizard work.

Welcome the wild dunk back to the Bulls’s arsenal.

We’re talking about, of course, Mr. All Arms, Legs, and Hair--Joakim Noah.

Noah’s a 7-0 energizer bunny. He’s gonna run, block, and jump out of the gym with a nonstop motor.

He’s the missing piece to the team that’s going all the way next season.

2007-07-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

More good news for Illini hoop fans.

Richard Semrau will finally see some action. The success of Semrau and Trent Meacham on the summer tour could go a long way toward predicting how good the team will be in 2007.

Don’t fret over the recruiting lethargy. There isn’t that much difference in the skill levels of the top 20 or so players. We smell a surprise recruit by Bruce and the boys. Should be hearing soon.

2007-07-12T17:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, the Chicago Cubs, thanks to an uncharacteristically torrid June and the emergence of mighty mouse Mike Fontenot, find themselves in an unusual place: contention.

For a Central Division championship? A league title? The, gasp, World Series?

All the above are still on the table.

But contention is not certification. There are numerous weak spots that could turn a victory train into a train wreck. Let’s examine some areas where tweaking is needed, not necessarily in order of need.

Ask Derrek Lee to try Fontenot’s bat. Early in the season, Lee was batting around .375. Okay, we didn’t expect that to continue. But the Cubs are carrying Lee, rather than the other way around. Lee’s average has dropped to about .330, and the guy just isn’t getting many clutch hits, let alone home runs.

A turn-around in the second half by Lee is critical.

The catcher position needs an upgrade. The Cubs cannot continue to win with players who are just about hitting their weights.

Don’t give up on Felix Pie. His defensive skills and speed will win as many or more games than his elusive batting skills. If he ever develops those skills, watch out Cub foes.

We don’t like platooning, but it seems to be working with Cliff Floyd and Angel Pagan. Don’t trade Pagan. He looks like a rising star.

Get another starter for the rotation. How about Mark Buehrle?

Move Rich Hill and his sweeping curve to the relief corps.

Get rid of Will Ohman and Scott Eyre.

Make Sweet Lou Piniella kick more dirt.

Is this asking too much?

2007-07-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

Our Chicago and Illini Sports made its debut into the blog world a year ago on July 4. Its goal was to provide a wide range of opinion and offbeat reports dealing with the Bears, Bulls, Cubs, and Illini basketball and football.

We attempted to enter at least two posts every day, including weekends and holidays. We recall that we missed making any posts on only one day. We made only one post once. So we think the record will show a large, diverse range of information in the target areas.

What we learned about our teams and our blog:

There’s no limit to the possible areas of comment with these teams, which generally become richly stewed in every manner of controversy you can imagine. And they all tug at your emotions in one way or another, from the worst—the last-place finishes of the Cubs and Illini gridders—to the best—the Bears’s loss in the Super Bowl.

Also receiving considerable attention were college recruiting and the pro football and basketball drafts. We’re amazed at how many posts reported on these three frustrating areas. In the college field, common threads were bashing basketball coach Bruce Weber on recruiting and salivating with joy over the same area with football coach Ron Zook.

And then there was Sweet Lou Piniella. He didn’t say much. But he sure did a lot as he attempted to reconfigure the Cubs into a winner.

About our blog—it takes a lot of time. It’s fun. But it takes A Lot of time.

So effective tomorrow, we will make fewer posts. Same areas of concentration. Same insightful opinions. Same TLC. Just not on a daily basis.

Da Blog

2007-07-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Bulls’s first-round draft pick allows us to revisit a hairy issue.

Unless you’re an ostrich, every Bulls fan has seen the long, flowing hair style of Joakim Noah.

Noah has deflected critics by vowing to modify his hair style to suit team policies. Regardless of the way Noah wears his hair, there is one team policy that should be eliminated.

Make Big Ben happy and let him wear a headband.

2007-07-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

It started to come together for the Chicago Cubs about three weeks ago, when manager Lou Piniella began to kick some…dirt…and got the heave-ho.

Afterwards, Alfonso Soriano found his batting mojo

Carlos Zambrano found his pitching groove

Mike Fontenot was called up and helped carry the team by hitting about .400 in June

The Cubs snatched victories from the jaws of defeat on June 25 and 29

Mark DeRosa did everything very well

Ryan Theriot became an invaluable rotating infielder

Carlos Marmol and Bob Howry became consistent stoppers

The 3-1 victory over Washington July 3 put the Cubs two games over .500 for the first time this season

Hey! This season might be fun.

2007-07-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

For better or worse, baseball allows only four teams per league into its playoff system—three division winners and the team with the remaining best record.

So each team has two chances to get into the playoffs.

This means the Chicago Cubs have their work cut out for them. If the playoffs were to start today, the Cubs would be watching them on TV.

The division leaders and their winning percentages are as follows: Milwaukee (.580), New York and San Diego (both .575). The wild card would be Los Angeles (.561).

The other teams ahead of the Cubs (.500) are Arizona (.554), Atlanta (.524), and Philadelphia (.512).

Cubs, there’s work to be done. Remember that rendezvous with destiny thing.

2007-07-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we reprinted a strong defense of the recruiting success of Illini basketball coach Bruce Weber.

But in a real sense, the article was more a testament to Weber’s coaching than to his recruiting. No one can complain about Weber’s winning percentages. And he’s done it with few players ranked in the top 10 nationally, and in many cases, players not even ranked at the top of recruits in Illinois.

Still, we understand the angst when a DeAndre Liggins shuns Weber’s appeals. We’ve seen it before, with Shaun Livingston, Shannon Brown, Sherron Collins, Julian Wright, Jon Scheyer, and Derrick Rose.

Maybe Weber will turn around his string of failures with the top talent by landing Shumpert and Dunigan. Maybe he won’t.

But we can be assured that the players he does recruit will continue to provide exciting, winning basketball.

2007-07-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

Insightful critique of much maligned Illini hoops coach Bruce Weber by online reviewer IstillLikeHarv:

Just how good is Weber's recruiting, anyway?

Some on this board take it as TRUTH that Weber is not a good recruiter, but how much factual basis is there for this belief? Let's take a look at Weber's recruiting and let's see how much has been actually DECIDED yet.

2004: Pruitt - He's got a reasonable shot at being first team All-Big ten at center, and with improvement like previous years, maybe being drafted in the NBA. Is this a failure in recruiting?

2004: Brock - Last year, as a redshirt SOPHOMORE, he showed dramatic improvement. Does he have any talent? Absolutely. How much will he develop in the next two years? No one knows yet. With two years left to play, is this a failure in recruiting???

2005: Frazier - All Big-Ten defensive team as a sophomore. And he did that playing injured all year. Yes he needs to improve, but are you telling me Drew Neitzel was much better as a sophomore? I'm not saying Chet will be as good as Drew, but I am saying he had a better sophomore year, and he did it while he was injured. Can't we let the kid play his last two years before we bury him? Again, All Big-Ten defensive team as a sophomore; is this a failure in recruiting?

2005: Jamar - Led the nation in three-point shooting percentage for major colleges as a freshman. Serious injuries and then total disaster off-court as a sophomore. Is there any reason to believe Jamar will never be a great shooter again at Illinois or elsewhere (in which case his scholarship is available again). As far as basketball ability, is this a failure in recruiting?

2005: CJ - He hasn't shown much in basketball yet as a red-shirt sophomore, but he is more than likely going to go to football, where he was a very highly regarded recruit (Zook and every other team in the SEC wanted him). Sure, it's an odd case, but his scholarship will likely be available and his football future is unknown. He still has an opportunity to shine in football, and he wants to keep playing B-Ball as well. Let's let him play three more years before the post-mortem.

2006: Carlwell - top 50 RSCI recruit because of his potential. Terrible accident 3/4 of the way through his freshman year ended his first season. Is this a bad recruit??? Can't we at least give the kid his next three years? Sure he needs to develop, but who's to say he won't end up in the NBA some day? You certainly can't fault Weber for recruiting him. Best big man in Illinois that year.

2006: Semrau - Had one double-double game before he went down with a major injury-illness. He's 6' 10" at 230 lbs with a 30+ inch vertical, and he can shoot. Do we let him play his four remaining years, or shall we just pillory him now? Are you sure this is a bad recruit??? Please explain.

2007: If you're not excited about DMac, then you're not an Illini fan. It's really that simple. As for Watkins, Tisdale, Cole, Alexander, and the kid whose name I forget, well, do we really need to let them play four years (two for Flight) before we decide they're no good? Just how patient are we supposed to be anyway?

The myth of Weber's poor recruiting is just that, a myth. If just Semrau had not been injured last year...we lost to VT by two points. With just a healthy Semrau, could we have beaten VT? Could we have beaten SIU and made the Sweet Sixteen and kept our longest in the nation 25-win streak alive? Obviously we'll never know. But it was a lot closer call than many Weber-bashers would like to admit.

Of the twelve scholarship players in four years Weber has recruited, how many were bad recruits? The only senior is Pruitt this year, and I'd say he wasn't too bad all in all. Yeah, CJ is an odd situation, but I want to wait three years before I decide whether he was a flop (if he is a flop, you have to tell him, not me ). For all the rest, there's not one who hasn't shown a lot of promise (or potential for the 2007 kids), so let's let them finish their careers (at least two more years in every case) before we pronounce judgment.

Let's see how good the Illini are on the court in 2007 and 2008 before we pass judgment on whether Weber can win with his recruits. Actually, Randle is still a Self recruit, so if he does well in 2007, we definitely have to wait for 2008 to see if Weber can win with his recruits. I still say he can and will. OK, DMac and me say he can and will.

2007-07-01T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Cubs on the move.

Cubs beat Brewers 5-1 and take two of three in the series; 6 1/2 games back

8 wins in last nine games

8-5 record against the first-place Brewers

17-11 record in June. No June swoon this season. Instead, a June zoom

Overall record at July 1, 2007—40-40

Last year at this time—29-50

New bullpen pitchers shaping up—Howry, 7th inning; Marmol, 8th; Dempster, 9th.

Still need: a little tweaking in the bullpen.

And a weeklong Milwaukee slump.

2007-06-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

Chicago Cubs fans, forget June 30, 2007. Eat a gallon of ice cream and two slices of cheesecake tonight. Tomorrow’s conclusion of the current series will be the biggest game of the year so far.

2007-06-30T14:20:00.001-07:00

How to end the blues over the Chicago Bulls’s first-round pick, Joakim Noah.

It’s simple.

Watch Noah run.

Watch Noah jump.

Watch Noah block.

2007-06-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

Chicago Cubs fans, remember these Wowies

June 25, 2007 Cubs vs. Rockies

1st
M Holliday singled to center, K Matsui scored.
1
0

1st
M DeRosa singled to left, D Lee scored, A Ramirez to second.
1
1

1st
A Pagan homered to left, A Ramirez and M DeRosa scored.
1
4

3rd
M DeRosa grounded out to third, M Fontenot scored, A Ramirez to second.
1
5

5th
M DeRosa grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, M Fontenot scored, D Lee out at second.
1
6

6th
R Spilborghs singled to right, G Atkins and B Hawpe scored, Y Torrealba to third.
3
6

6th
M Fontenot singled to center, R Theriot scored.
3
7

8th
M Fontenot doubled to left, R Theriot scored.
3
8

9th
T Helton doubled to deep left, K Matsui scored, M Holliday to third.
4
8

9th
G Atkins singled to left, M Holliday scored, T Helton to third.
5
8

9th
B Hawpe singled to right, T Helton scored, G Atkins to second.
6
8

9th
T Tulowitzki homered to center, G Atkins and B Hawpe scored.
9
8

9th
A Soriano singled to right center, J Jones and K Hill scored
9
10

June 29, 2007 Cubs vs. Brewers

1st
B Hall singled to right, J Hardy scored, R Braun to third, P Fielder to second.
1
0

1st
J Estrada hit sacrifice fly to right, R Braun scored.
2
0

1st
K Mench homered to right, P Fielder and B Hall scored.
5
0

4th
C Floyd grounded out to first, D Lee scored, A Ramirez to third.
5
1

4th
A Ramirez scored on Y Gallardo's wild pitch.
5
2

7th
M Fontenot singled to left, F Pie scored, A Pagan to second.
5
3

9th
D Lee hit sacrifice fly to right, A Soriano scored.
5
4

9th
A Ramirez homered to left, M Fontenot scored.
5
6

Only one word can describe them.

Unbelievable!

2007-06-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

Wow! many Chicago Bulls fans have reacted rather strongly to the team’s first-round pick yesterday, 6-11-7-1 Joakim Noah.

They don’t like his hair style.

They don’t like his wisecracks.

They don’t like his game.

Picky, picky, picky.

In Paxson we trust.

How long will it take Noah to win fan respect? Probably 10 to 20 minutes of his first game.

2007-06-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

With no early monster trades, the 2007 NBA Draft followed threads of most gurus.

The Chicago Bulls selected 6-11, 230 Joakim Noah of NCAA champion Florida with the ninth pick of the first round.

We like the choice. Last year, he was slated to go second in the draft but went back to school for another NCAA championship run.

Not the offensive force the team was seeking, Noah is a force on defense. He’s a top shot blocker and rebounder and has a nonstop motor running the court. He’s also a forceful dunker who will be fun to watch, especially when he’s flying down the court with his clone, Tyrus Thomas.

Now who does Noah remind you of? Bill Russell? Or Tyson Chandler?

Actually, another Dennis Rodman would be just fine.

2007-06-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

The surge is working.

The Chicago Cubs’s current rush to judgment has got fans excited.

The Cubs will take six straight wins into the gladiators arena at Wrigley against the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers tomorrow. We’ve been waiting for the Brewers to hit a cold spot, but they continue to sizzle, along with the Cubs.

So, the Cubs still sit 7 ½ games back and hope to continue their run.

Unfortunately, the Cubs enter this crucial three-game series with several concerns. One is that Derrek Lee isn’t getting many clutch hits. Another is that closer Ryan Dempster, who has pitched very well, is on the DL. Perhaps the top concern is that the guys in the pen seem to be good for only one or two outs—and then they collapse. This condition has turned manager Lou Piniella into a chessmaster. In recent series, he’s made the right moves.

Can he keep it up against the Cubs’s toughest opponent in the North Siders’s most important series so far?

Why not?

2007-06-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

Things we noticed about the Chicago Cubs recently:

They’re playing great, but can’t seem to pick up much ground on Milwaukee.

Alfonso Soriano continues to sparkle. Think he’s got the swagger manager Lou Piniella is looking for?

What’s happened to Derrek Lee’s clutch hitting? Maybe the suspension is coming at the right time.

The fielding by everyone, including the pitchers, has been sensational.

Looks like the position players are finally set. Barring injuries, it’s Bowen at catcher; Lee at first; DeRosa, Fontenot, Theriot, and Soriano at second; Theriot and DeRosa at short; Ramirez and DeRosa at third; Soriano in left, Pie in center, and Floyd and Pagan in right.

No need for further upgrades there. Izturis and Jones are expendable.

It’s that unpredictable and volatile bullpen that’s the scary part.

2007-06-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

The NBA Draft begins tomorrow.

The team most likely to make trades the day of the draft is Atlanta, which has the third and 11th picks in the first round.

We suggest the Chicago Bulls trade up to get the third pick, who could be just what the doctor ordered: low-post scorer, power forward Al Horford of NCAA champion Florida.

Horford, a 6-10, 244-pounder, stole the limelight last season from his more well-known teammate Joakim Noah.

The difference between the two was that Noah did not significantly develop his offensive skills. But Horford did, and would seem to be the scorer the Bulls need. (Although Noah is still a defensive beast and is ready to play NBA defense.)

So, to get Horford, the Bulls should offer any or all of the following: the 9th pick, Andres Nocioni, Viktor Khyrapa, and Thabo Sefolosha.

If this deal isn’t made, the Bulls should draft, in this order, Noah, Jason Smith, Thaddeus Young, or Acie Law.

Also, we noticed that All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups might be available. Get him, please, and pair him with Ben Gordon. Even if it costs Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni, and Thabo Sefolosha.

2007-06-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

Notable comments on the 2007 Illini football team from Sporting News magazine:

Finish in Big Ten: 6-6, 8th

Bowl: Insight

National rank: 57

Most dangerous scrambler in conference: Juice Williams

Hardest-hitting linebacker in conference: J Leman

Newcomers in conference to watch: Arrelious Benn

Hey! Notice the magic word “bowl?”

2007-06-26T18:32:00.001-07:00

Two more days until the NBA draft.

General manager John Paxson of the Chicago Bulls:

On the possibility of acquiring Kobe Bryant:  “Those things are so out there that it’s not worth commenting on. There’s nothing going on, that’s just the reality of it.”

Bummer!

2007-06-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight’s game between the Chicago Cubs and the Colorado Rockies was…

Ron Santo called it “devastating” when the Rockies scored six runs in the top of the ninth to wipe out an 8-3 Cub lead and go up 9-8.

In the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, the mother of all miracles occurred. Alfonso Soriano singled in two runs, and the Cubs won 10-9.

Santo called it “unbelievable.’’ And he was right.

Now what does this all mean? That destiny thing? We’ll see.

2007-06-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

Three more days until the NBA draft.

The trade talks seem to be sizzling, and so players drafted may be switching teams rapidly.

What about the Chicago Bulls? Our guess is that general manager John Paxson wants to trade or package the ninth pick for a current NBA player. The Bulls seemingly need only a consistent low-post scorer to be a serious contender, and there is probably nobody in the draft that looks ready to go from the start. Paxson doesn’t want to spend another year training a new player.

Other teams are in the same position, while still others are willing to go the developmental route for a few years.

Which means nothing will be as it seems with the first-round picks. They’ll probably be flying all over the place before the smoke clears. And the smoke may not clear until the free-agency stuff gets sorted out in the following few weeks.

So if you’re depending on a crystal ball, don’t. It won’t work this year.

Best bet for the Bulls? Pick whomever they consider the best player available. And good luck.

2007-06-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

The NBA draft, starting Thursday.

Meet Nick Fazekas

Fazekas has great height for a power forward at 6-11 combined with average athletic ability. He runs the court fairly well for a big man, and will score points in transition due to his high basketball IQ and how hard he usually plays.

His offensive game is what makes him a special prospect at the next level, having quite a complete package of polished offensive skills; being able to score from both inside and out.

At first some might consider him strictly a perimeter oriented big man due to his extremely thin build; however, he has improved his low post scoring and arsenal to the point that he can be quite dangerous down low as well. He knows how to get low and establish good post position to make up for his lack of bulk; and has a very quick release that makes it hard for slower big men to block his shot. Fazekas has a knack for finding open space around the hoop, and is always moving to get open in the post and rarely stands still if he isn’t able to do so.

In terms of consistency, ever since Fazekas was a freshman at Nevada when they made that famous NCAA tournament run, he has always showed the ability to score the basketball. He has been very consistent on offense and has developed into a regular 20 point per game scorer over the past two seasons.

An aspect of his offensive game that is quite unique is his ability to tip in shots when jumping in the air. Unlike some players who go to dunk these type of rebounds in, Fazekas gets offensive rebounds to fall softly off his fingertips. He is remarkably skilled at using a variety of finger rolls or set shots when close to the basket. That ability effectively demonstrates his overall hand eye coordination and basketball IQ. Even though he is not a great ball handler, he can create shots off short dribbles and is comfortable with the ball in his hands even when pressured.

Fazekas also has the ability to step away from the basket and hit jump-shots. He has a very good looking jump-shot and is not above using the glass every now and then either. Considering how fundamentally sound his jump-shot looks, one would think his shooting percentage would be better. Nonetheless, he has great touch shooting the basketball. His jump shots are quick and very effective. He shoots the ball on his fingertips and it shows in the rotation he gets.

In terms of post scoring, what makes Fazekas an effective post player at the college level is the fact that he has a variety of different moves he uses. He has a very fine jump-hook shot with either hand out to about 12 feet, and uses his thin frame to slither his way around the post and gain position. The jump-hook shot is his go-to move offensively; he executes it quickly and fluidly and gets a very high release point on it which makes it difficult to block. It’s obvious he has worked long and hard to perfect this move to the point that it’s become automatic.

Fazekas also has a very effective turnaround jump-shot that adds to his arsenal down low. When post defenders try to get physical with him, it does not always affect his game, as he is surprisingly effective finishing after contact. Fundamentally, he is well-schooled; keeping the ball above his shoulders in the post and always putting himself in a triple threat position on the perimeter. He knows how to get his shot off in difficult situations, and shows quick decision making when doing so. He gives his defender very little time to make up his mind how he wants to guard him.

On top of that, Fazekas can also pass the ball very effectively. He is wonderful at using the bounce pass, and can also find cutters effectively from either the post or the perimeter. He is also skilled at passing out of double teams. When pressured, he does not get flustered because he is quick when passing the basketball and accurate. He is generally a very intelligent player with an excellent feel for the game.

Fazekas is also a solid rebounder at the college level despite being so skinny; mostly thanks to his height, excellent hands and long arms. He is a sneaky rebounder, using his footwork to get around a box out, or just anticipating better than the opponent and getting to the basketball before they do. Fazekas is not above hitting the floor either; as he will dive for loose balls and sacrifice his body.

The big question about Fazekas, and the reason that he might be kept out of the 1st round is his physical strength. Even though he puts up great numbers, they are usually against weaker competition. He is not the ideal physical specimen most teams look for in a power forward. Because of that he might have trouble against superior athletes at that position.

His lack of athleticism is also an issue. Fazekas is just an average leaper at the college level, and noticeably lacks quickness. He runs the floor fairly awkwardly as well. Defensively, this lack of strength and footspeed is a major concern. Laterally, his feet are likely not quick enough to stay in front of perimeter oriented power forwards, while in the post it’s hard to see him matching up very well with bruising back to the basket types. Fazekas is already an average defender at best, so one has to question what to expect out of him at the next level.

The ironic part about Fazekas’s ability to shoot the basketball is the fact that while his jumper looks excellent, his shooting percentages from the 3-point line have gone down since his freshman year. As a freshman he was truly a perimeter big man that could really hit 3-point shots. However, as defenses have paid closer attention to him, his 3-point shooting has gone down.

Even though his arsenal of post moves is quite developed, he might have trouble against players that are almost always going to be strong than him. Will he still be able to get off the same type of shots he did in college at the next level, and will he be able to adapt his game to a different type of defender? He will also have to learn how to get post position against players that will physically not let him set up and get the ball freely.

2007-06-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

Can a sweep of the Chicago White Sox by the Chicago Cubs, climaxed by today’s 3-0 win at the Cell, be important?

Probably not.

But the next seven days will be. The Cubs collide with the Colorado Rockies and the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers are 9-2 in their last 11 games and have kept the Cubs at arms length (now 7 ½ games).

So, a disastrous week, and the Cubs could be history. Here’s where we find out whether the Cubs are likely to have a rendezvous with destiny or just destined for a sub-.500 finish.

Man, this is heavy stuff.

On a lighter note, then, does Mike Fontenot remind anyone else of Glenn Beckert?

2007-06-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Illini football recruiting for 2008 got a big, big boost (6-6, 313-pounds) when offensive tackle Graham Pocic accepted coach Ron Zook’s offer yesterday.

The commitment was monumental to Illinois, which beat out Wisconsin, Michigan, and Florida for the Lemont (Ill.) Township player’s services.

Scout.com's recruiting rankings list Pocic among the five 4-star football players in Illinois. The others are Steve Filer, LB Mount Carmel; Jason Ford, RB Belleville; Garrett Goebel, DT Montini Catholic; and Mile Leshoure, RB Champaign.

What we especially like is Pocic’s reasons for selecting Illinois over its more high-profile rivals.

“Some of my finalists were very negative about the other schools I was looking at and only pointing out what was bad about the other schools to me. That really turned me off quickly because the Illinois staff always told me that all of the schools I had offers from brought something great to the table. They just told me what was good about their school and stuck to the positive side of things which really helped.

“Relationships with the coaching staff also played a big role. Coach (Curt) Mallory had been recruiting me since last year and then both Coach (Ron) Zook and Coach (Eric) Wolford did a great job with me this year. All of the coaches were very down to Earth and they interact with their players off the football field as well as on it. They care about your life away from football too and that shows what they are all about.

“The opportunity to play early, how close they were to home and the fact that Illinois is a program on the rise also played a big part. They have brought in two great recruiting classes in a row and are on the way to having another great one this year. I am going to do my best to help the staff recruit guys like Garrett Goebel and Tyler Sands.”--Scout.com.

Couldn’t you just read his views over and over and over? Hope other recruits do.

2007-06-23T17:28:00.000-07:00

Five days to go until the NBA draft.

Any Kobe sightings in Chicago?

2007-06-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

If we coulda given Sweet Lou Piniella of the Chicago Cubs a hug today, we would have.

That’s because the brainy Cub manager called for a suicide squeeze play in the ninth inning, and Ryan Theriot executed it perfectly. Theriot’s bunt allowed Angel Pagan to easily score the Cubs’s second run and gave the North Siders a 2-1 win over the South Siders.

Now we know something about spring training: the Cubs learned at least one of the fundamentals.

The Cubs pulling off a successful suicide squeeze! Never thought we’d see that.

2007-06-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

Back up the truck. They’re doomed!

Of course, we mean the lowly Chicago White Sox, who dropped another game to the lowly Chicago Cubs today, 2-1 at the Cell.

It’s over for the bewitched South Siders.

And if the Cubs sweep the three-game series, Sox fans may start wearing bags over their heads to protect their identities.

And if the Cubs go south via the upcoming series against the Rockies and Brewers, their goal for the season changes from making the playoffs to finishing at.500.

Then Cub fans who attend games may also wear the spooky disguises.

2007-06-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

Six days to go until the NBA draft.

Who is 6-6, 200 G/F Nick Young?

Young is a throwback player who really understands how to employ the mid-range jumper … Ball handling ability is above average … Will use a number of spins, hesitation moves and crossovers to gain separation for his pull-up jumper … When he moves without the ball he shows solid ability to work off screens and convert catch and shoot plays … Creative player who makes even the most difficult shots look easy … Has three-point range on his jump shot … Not a bad finisher when he drives to the basket … Has a good set of physical tools to be a competent defender on the next level with long arms, size and decent athleticism … Possesses a solid understanding of the game and is very fundamentally sound … Post up skills are advanced as he welcomes the opportunity to shoot his turnaround jumper … Defensively when motivated Young can be a real force playing the passing lanes for easy steals … Fearless player with a great deal of confidence in his ability … An above average rebounder for his position thanks to his long arms …

Goes through periods in the game where he will settle for the jumper instead of driving to the basket and drawing fouls … Doesn’t get to the line as much as he should because of this … Doesn’t always maintain a high level of intensity on defense … Some questions have been raised as to weather he has the killer instinct and toughness to consistently compete … He isn’t a mind blowing athlete, but above average … Has a bad habit of standing around at times instead of moving without the ball … When guarded by a great athlete Young lacks the explosive first step needed to get full separation from his defender … Could stand to work on adding more upper body strength to his frame as he doesn’t always finish after contact … While he has three-point range he can go through periods of inconsistency … Defensively he has a bad habit of reaching for steals instead of concentrating on his footwork … Often Young can get himself into foul trouble.

2007-06-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

Chicago Cubs we might get to like—Mike Fontenot, he looks like a pesky hitter and slick fielder who can play on the major league level; Rob Bowen, we were impressed with the way he was picking up throws in the dirt today by Carlos Zambrano.

And what a great stop-the-bleeding 5-1 victory by Zambrano! Especially following the 1-0 game he lost recently. Isn’t it time to upgrade his contract and get that issue out of the way? If Zambrano keeps pitching the way he has recently, he’ll ask for Roger Clemens money.

Wonder if Jason Marquis liked getting in baseball’s record book? No matter. He served up Sammy Sosa’s 600th homer, and baseball won’t let him forget it.

So far, it’s a June swoon for Marquis and Ted Lilly. Hope they find their former winning ways soon. With the Rockies and Brewers coming into Wrigley, the Cubs’s season could be on the line.

Will it be same old, same old by July 4th? Wait till next year.

2007-06-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

Seven days to go until the NBA draft.

And there’s no consensus pick in the names being thrown out by the numerous online fans of the Chicago Bulls.

But if fans do agree on one thing, it’s that there is no one, or two, or three players the LA Lakers would take for disgruntled Kobe Bryant.

Okay, we agree. Now let’s go to Option B.

And deal for Kevin Garnett.

2007-06-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

Red flag area.

The Chicago Cubs could be entering rough waters in the next two weeks. The streaky Milwaukee Brewers are starting to pull away in the division. The Cubs are close to falling behind by double digits. That’s a no-no.

General Manager Jim Hendry has sounded like the Cubs would be predators in the search for talent from losing teams this summer.

But now they look more like the prey.

The Cubs limp into the Cell tomorrow for a crucial three-game series with the slumping Chicago White Sox.
The Cubs desperately need a sweep.Carlos Zambrano will pitch, and it may be the most important game he throws all year.

Maybe the Cubs and Sox could even do some dealing. Jermaine Dye and Mark Buehrle would look good in Cub uniforms. The Sox should covet some of the young Cub talent, plus Jacque Jones.

Felix Pie was moved from second in the order to eighth. Bad, bad move.

Newly acquired catcher Rob Bowen looked good in his Cub debut. The catcher thing just might work out.

2007-06-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

Michael Barrett, the Chicago Cub catcher involved in several issues over the past two years, has been traded to the San Diego Padres for catcher Rob Bowen.

The Cubs argued that these issues, including a fight with franchise-type pitcher Carlos Zambrano, suggested that Barrett’s departure was good for him and the Cubs.

Maybe. But we doubt it.

Barrett was a competitor, the kind you want on your club. He was a good hitter and handler of pitchers. So what if he was only an average defensive catcher. How many top defensive catchers are there?

Barrett has a promising future.

Too bad it won’t be with the Cubs.

2007-06-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

Sammy, Sammy, Sammy.

Once the Chicago Cubs’s fan favorite, you now thrill the fans of the Texas Rangers and will surely join the legends of baseball who have slugged at least 600 home runs.

But will your achievement require an asterisk in the records book noting allegations of cheating? Because, er, you know, that steroids issue.

You insist you never used illegal substances when you were rocketing balls into and over the Wrigley bleachers.

But there’s that cloud of doubt that lingers.

What to believe?

The asterisk record or the clean record?

We’ll stick with the old standard: innocent until proven guilty.

So, congratulations for your accomplishment, and thanks for the memories.

2007-06-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Bulls’s online home page is seeking assistant general managers to help GM John Paxson prior to the NBA draft June 28.

For the college kids, the fans favor drafting big guys Joakim Noah, Spencer Hawes, or Yi Jianlian. Other fans are willing to package the pick in a trade for NBA players who could include Pau Gasol, Shawn Marion, or Jermaine O’Neal.

Can’t argue with any of these plans.

But we still favor a do-anything approach to get Kobe.

2007-06-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

Main results of the recent melee between the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres:

Cubs—First baseman Derrek Lee suspended for five games.

Padres—Starting pitcher Chris Young suspended for five games.

Significance: Lee misses five games. Young misses one start.

What are we missing here?

2007-06-18T18:21:00.001-07:00

Tommie, Tommie, Tommie.

Don’t you know that there are certain topics you can kid around with, and others that you can’t?

Apparently not.

Chicago Bears joker Tommie Harris kept recommending that the Bears get his buddy Donovan McNabb to play quarterback for them. And he kept saying it to the press. Again and again. As if he were serious.

So the press pressed the news button, and all heck broke loose.

That’s why you don’t joke about religion, politics, or Rex Grossman.

2007-06-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

Kobe Bryant to the Bulls—Part 2

The debate about Kobe leaving the LA Lakers in a trade has been the talk of basketball.

Yesterday, we came down on the side of those who want to make a deal and bring Kobe to Chicago.

Surprising to us, however, the majority of Bulls fans weighing in online are against it. Their main argument is that the current Bulls are so close to becoming a championship-caliber team it would be a shame to break them up, even for a superstar like Kobe. It’s a plausible argument.

Our view is that you need a superstar, plus a good supporting cast. Like in Michael’s time.

The Bulls have the supporting cast but lack the superstar.

So we’re willing to see the Bulls torn apart--and this is what it will take--to get the superstar and start developing the supporting cast from among Tyrus Thomas, Thabo Stefolsha, Ben Wallace, and an athletic draft choice, like Mike Conley Jr. or Thaddeus Young.

But what are the chances of a deal bringing Kobe here?

Maybe five percent. Maybe.

2007-06-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

Breathe easier, Illlini hoop fans.

He’s coming back to school.

That is, Illini center Shaun Pruitt reportedly has withdrawn from the NBA draft June 28.

We are surprised, as we’ve said before, at the lack of interest. But now Pruitt can focus on achieving another goal—wining the Big 10 MVP award.

As Pruitt goes, so goes Illinois.

And it could be pretty far.

2007-06-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

Kobe Bryant to the Bulls?

The key Bull in such a deal would have to be Luol Deng. The deal would probably include Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni, and Kirk Hinrich.

Do it!

At age 29, Kobe the superstar is coming into his prime. Gordon proved to be stoppable in the playoffs. Hinrich is a good reserve at best. Nocioni would be a tough loss. Deng is obviously a comer, but Kobe is here and now.

The Bulls lineup after such a deal would be:
Kobe—shooting guard
Chris Duhon—point guard (or Mike Conley Jr. ,draft option)
Ben Wallace—center
Tyrus Thomas—power forward
Thaddeus Young—shooting forward (draft option) or Thabo Sefolosha

Works for us.

2007-06-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

Here’s another review of potential Chicago Bulls’s picks in the first round of the NBA draft June 28.

Mike Conley point guard 6-1, 180

An ultra-quick lefty point guard with a solid feel for running a team … His ability to get by opposing guards and into the paint is on the elite level … Very cerebral, shows excellent decision making ability, especially considering his age … His near 3/1 assist to turnover ratio is outstanding for a freshman pg … A great passer with excellent vision … Understands how to feed the post well, and can hit post players with excellent dishes off the dribble drive … At 6-1, he has average size for the point guard position, but has good length in his arms allowing him to play bigger … Above average athletically, his father (Mike Conley Sr.) is a world class track athlete, and the apple did not fall far from the tree … Defensively he plays the passing lanes well and his great foot speed allows him to be an excellent on ball defender … Thrives in the open floor, using his great speed to push the basketball … Has a nice assortment of midrange runners and shots in the paint going towards the rim … His dribble penetration is very difficult to contain as his first step and ball handling ability are tremendous.

The biggest knock against him is his age and level of experience entering the league at the point guard position. Many feel the development at the point guard position is much more difficult at the NBA level than in college. His outside shooting is still a major question mark. He has solid form and can hit shots from the perimeter, but must gain better consistency and add range … Shot just 30% from college 3, but did show some improvement at the end of the year … Besides his tremendous NCAA tourney performance, he's somewhat unproven offensively ...

Notes: He’s got the qualities to become an excellent NBA point guard, but entering after just his freshman year means he will likely take some time to reach his full potential, making him a riskier pick.

2007-06-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Cubs lost another heartbreaker today, 1-0 to the weak-hitting San Diego Padres at Wrigley.

Carlos Zambrano pitched another gem, allowing only two hits and taking a no-hitter into the eighth. Unfortunately, one of those hits was a home run.

But Cub fans can’t be too disappointed.

As we said yesterday, the keys to success in baseball are pitching, pitching, and pitching.
And the Cubs seem to have it.

Oh yeah. There was a bench-clearing melee, and Derrek Lee got the thumb for fighting. Supposedly, Lee got plunked because the Padres didn’t like Alfonso Soriano standing at home plate yesterday gleefully watching his home run ball clear the bleachers.

We don’t get it. Every sport features some kind of celebration marking a score.

But that doesn’t call for a kind of retaliation that can end a player’s career.

2007-06-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

Reflecting the weather, the Chicago Cubs are sizzling, with a 4-1 record on the homestand (which is sizzling for the Cubs).
Today’s 4-1 win over the San Diego Padres was notable on several fronts.

Ted Lilly’s work was superlative.
Mike Fontenot continues to silence those who preferred the Cubs bring up Eric Patterson.
Derrek Lee: four hits! On the comeback trail.
Mark DeRosa, an octopus at third.
Ryan Dempster: looking good with 15 saves.
Alfonso Soriano: if he doesn’t make it in baseball, he should try golf.
Ryan Theriot: not too shabby at short since his regular position is… er, we forgot, he has no regular position.

Stats to study:

The Padres are next to last in the majors in hitting (.244)
The Cubs are ninth at .269
The Padres are first in the majors in pitching ERA 2.97
The Cubs are eighth at 3.83
The Cubs and Padres are tied for fifth in the majors in fielding at .986 (the Rockies are first at .990)

So what does it all mean? Pitching is the name of the game.

2007-06-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Sporting News Top 99 for 2008 has the following Illinois players,
all undecided

26 Mike Dunigan
37 DeAndre Liggins
38 Iman Shumpert
81 Matt Humphrey
96 Jeremiah Kelly
98 Josh Crittle

2007-06-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

A newspaper story about trading Chris Duhon of the Chicago Bulls is a real nonstarter. Who cares about Duhon?

His presence just doesn’t matter to the future of the Bulls.

Now throw in the names of Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich, and you’ve got plenty to ponder. We can easily see Hinrich leaving as part of a trade, but what’s he worth? He’s reached the top of his skill development, and those skills don’t rank him in the top echelon of NBA guards. He’s useful, however, coming off the bench.

Gordon’s value? Substantially higher than Hinrich’s. Might be best to return him to the sixth man-fourth quarter roles. But he’s a definite asset. Keep him aboard.

The Bulls could get lucky in the draft and get to pick from among such impact players as Acie Law, Thaddeus Young, and Joakim Noah.

But we still think the free-agency pool offers the Bulls the best way to keep improving.

2007-06-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

Whew!

Nary a syllable about Illini hoopster Shaun Pruitt leaving school for the upcoming NBA draft. The deadline for withdrawing from the draft is Monday, and we haven’t seen Pruitt’s name on any mock draft.

We admit we thought he’d get some nibbles. But, hey, the NBA’s loss is Illinois’s gain.

Can’t see the Illini doing anything next year without him. We hope the fans will give him a big welcome back.

2007-06-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

Whatever it takes.

So what if the Chicago Cubs now have a jumper as well as a hopper—and don’t forget the sand kicker.

The latest Cub to display an odd sort of exuberance on the field is Carlos Zambrano, who celebrated some good pitching yesterday by jumping up and down to the amazement of players and fans.

We loved it.

In fact, Carlos should show other Cubs how to do it. And then when the Cubs come off the field each inning, they should all get together and exit the field like a conga line.

And take the field doing the bunny hop!

2007-06-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

Yet another in a series of reviews of possible draft choices of the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls pick ninth in the first round of the NBA draft June 28:

Jason Smith 7-0 240 power forward

Shows solid mobility, able to run the court with no problems … Active player who constantly works the blocks to get open … Has developed into an above average rebounder … Underrated post passer who does a good job of recognizing double teams and reacting to them … Fundamentally sound player with few bad habits … Does a good job of keeping the ball high and not putting it on the floor after receiving the ball … For his size Smith is an adequate ball handler … Once Smith gets position in the post he makes his body wide giving his guards a bigger target … Great post footwork, and moves with good fluidity … Offensively he has range out to 18 feet when facing the basket … Excels at taking advantage of size mismatches … Back to the basket skills are still developing but have improved greatly … Owns a nice turnaround jumper in the post … Mobility allows him to be a sufficient help defender … Shows good touch around the basket where he is a solid finisher … Better athlete than he's given credit for as he is more than capable of getting off the floor quickly … Does a great job of creating contact and getting to the free throw line …

Back to the basket moves have greatly improved but are still very much a work in progress … Needs to continue to add more upper body strength … Struggles to establish position against physical defenders as he can easily get pushed off the blocks … Rebounding has improved greatly this year but he needs to focus on boxing out better … Doesn’t always finish strong after absorbing contact … Above average shot blocker in college but likely will not be as fortunate in the NBA … Will need to upgrade his foot speed while adding weight, which could be a challenge … Athletic opponents tend to frustrate him defensively on the perimeter … Needs to take care of the ball better when making offensive moves … Lacks the killer instinct to consistently dominate games.

2007-06-12T18:02:00.000-07:00

Another in a series of reviews of possible draft choices of the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls pick ninth in the first round of the NBA draft June 28:

Thaddeus Young 6-8 217 small forward

Elite level athlete ... Extremely fluid and explosive ... Blessed with incredible gifts ... Prototypical small forward ... Has the advantage of being left handed, making him tougher to defend ... Has great length for a wing player ... Strong competitor ... Outside shooting and shot off the dribble have shown solid improvement ... Foot speed and length make him a terrific pressure defender ... Triggers the press defense well with his speed and quickness ... Great attitude, hard worker. Excels in the classroom with a 4.0 GPA ... His potential is incredible, but he still needs to gain confidence in his abilities and body strength ...

Still a bit inconsistent shooting the ball from outside, but showing vast improvement ... Skills are still raw ... Ball handling can be sloppy at times ... Needs to add a great deal of weight, right now he can get pushed around inside. Another 20 pounds of muscle will make him a lot stronger on the glass and finishing in traffic.

2007-06-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Chicago White Sox have been on the down escalator recently.
They started the day nine games behind Central Division-leading Cleveland.

You know things are going bad when you compare Sox and Chicago Cub stats:

Record—Cubs, 28-34 (.452); Sox, 27-33 (.450)
Games behind—Cubs, 5 ½; Sox, 9.
Batting—Cubs, .265; Sox, .232.
RBI’s—Cubs, 273; Sox, 225.
Home runs—Cubs, 61; Sox, 59.
ERA—Cubs, 3.97; Sox, 4.48.
Most frustrated manager: Tie, Ozzie Guillen, Lou Piniella

“Everybody in baseball is probably surprised how they haven’t hit.” –Frequently heard statement about…
both teams these days.

Go figure!

2007-06-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

A possible choice of the Chicago Bulls, picking ninth in the first round of the NBA draft June 28:

Spencer Hawes, 6-11, 250

Hawes is very long and has very good hands. He runs the floor very well for his size. His ball-handling is fantastic, especially in the open court, as he played a lot of guard before his reaching his full height. Hawes is very smooth on the court, and has a great, soft touch around the basket. He possesses good shooting form, and has range out to three-point distance, but is only consistent to about 18 feet.

He is very fundamentally sound, with excellent footwork in the post. He will immediately be one of the best passing big men in the country, whether it’s out of the post, double team, in the open court, or on the perimeter. He is a decent shot-blocker, but does position himself well on defense.

Definitely needs to bulk up more for life in the paint. He needs to develop alternate post moves. He lacks great quickness. He will occasionally settle for taking outside shots instead of attacking from the post. His rebounding skills could be improved. Spencer is not an amazing athlete and has trouble with smaller quicker opponents. He could improve his overall defense.

2007-06-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Cubs blew a two-run lead in the eighth inning yesterday, falling 5-4 to the Atlanta Braves.

Aterward, we heard these famous last words from Cubs manager Lou Piniella:

“We were in position to win the game. We battled hard and just came up short.”

We know what happened, Lou. We want to know why?

How often are we going to hear that the Cubs came up “short”?

In many ways, short is good. But not in baseball.

2007-06-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

The 2007 Chicago Cubs are looking like the White Sox at the end of the 2006 regular season. The Detroit Tigers went into a funk at the end of the year and seemed to be giving the Sox, day after day, the opportunity to overtake them.

But the Sox refused the offers, and the rest is history.

The same thing could be happening to the Cubs.

Like Detroit, the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers are playng uninspired ball. But the suddenly resurgent Cubs can’t make much headway.

This is not good. And one player stands out for his lack of production: Derrek Lee. Lee went 1-17 in the series against the Atlanta Braves. His batting average has drooped recently from a league-leading .380’s range to a current average near .325.
We don’t even want to think of the repercussion of a prolonged slump for the usually reliable slugger.

Remember 2006 without Lee? Ouch!

2007-06-10T14:29:00.000-07:00

If the reported Illini football roster is accurate, it’s great news for both the gridders and the hoopsters.

The football roster lists a new 6-8, 260-pound tight end, C.J. Jackson, who apparently has switched from basketball to football.
That’s good because he didn’t seem to have a basketball future. He had been a highly rated football recruit in Georgia, but took Bruce Weber’s offer of a basketball scholarship.

Shifting over to football, he gives Ron Zook another quality big man at tight end.

And that frees up a basketball scholarship.

And that helps Weber widen his recruiting base.

And everybody’s happy!

2007-06-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

Alfonso Soriano has started to earn his $136 million deal from the Chicago Cubs.

And just in time.

Only a few days ago, the Cubs looked like they were ready to drop anchor on the season. Players were fighting among themselves, and manager Lou Piniella got ejected from a game, as well as being suspended.

Then Soriano got sore.

At the Cubs? Nah. At the voters who dropped him from third place to fourth place in the All-Star Game balloting among the National League outfielders.

Bad idea for the voters. Soriano’s been on a rampage the last few days, climaxing, you’d think, with a three-homer and four-hit game in a 9-1 victory yesterday over the Atlanta Braves.

Anything we could do to get the voters to drop Soriano to the fifth slot in the race among outfielders? Or the sixth?

2007-06-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

In case you’re not counting, it’s 83 days (Saturday, September 4) until the Illini football team opens what many observers expect to be the most exciting season in years.

At this early point, here’s how the Illini might go (ranked from most winnable to least winnable):

1. Western Illinois-Home-Game 2  Zook should get to see everyone

2. Ball State-Home-Game 9
 3. Northwestern-Home-Game 12  Payback game

4. Syracuse-Away-Game 3  A win here gets Illini on the map

5. Indiana-Away-Game 4  The Illini beast comes out

6. Minnesota-Away-Game 10 
7. Penn State-Home-Game 5 
8. Missouri-Neutral-Game 1
A loss here would be unthinkable

9. Wisconsin-Home-Game 6 
10. Michigan-Home-Game 8
A win here attracts major bowl 
11. Iowa-Away-Game 7 
12. OSU-Away-Game 11  A win here excites recruits

2007-06-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

Many Illini basketball fans, including us, are wondering what’s taking the prep blue chippers so long to make their verbal commitments. All the top players in every state have received offers from the schools recruiting them, and many have made unofficial and official visits.

One of these highly rated preps ignited a round of controversy recently when he said it was now up to the coaches to “sell their programs.” He implied that the coaches were all viewed favorably, and so the players are looking for something more.

What blather!

Nothing is the same. The coaches differ in the style of play they prefer, and in how successful they are. And the educational programs vary widely, in case anyone is actually interested in them.

We see two reasons for the delays.

First, these kids are like rock stars. They love all the attention and enjoy seeing schools compete for their “services.”

Second, the main thing they want from the coaches are commitments for playing time.

Unfortunately, many of them are stupid enough to believe they can get such a commitment from a top coach. And they’re willing to wait until they bring around some coaches who are under great pressure to sign up the best homegrown talent.

How would you like to have Illini coach Bruce Weber’s job right now, as he waits for the top prepsters in his talent-laden state to make up their minds?

That is, the ones who have minds at all.

2007-06-08T14:57:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Cubs are getting to be fun again—that is, in an exciting way.

Or ways:

The Cubs won a one-run game yesterday—2-1 against the Atlanta Braves. Yep, they really did.

One of their prize young pitchers, Rich Hill, looked like the old Carlos Zambrano while recording 11 K’s and limiting the Braves to three hits in eight innings. Yep, he really did.

Alfonso Soriano, back at leadoff, is on fire. Finally!

The franchise’s current jewel in the crown, Felix Pie, is batting higher than Mr. Clutch, Ryan Theriot. Yep, he really is.

Hey! Hey! Let’s play two today!

2007-06-07T18:22:00.000-07:00

With the June 28 NBA draft fast approaching, teams are bringing in prospects for in-house workouts.

Why is this necessary? We assume scouts have been watching whole seasons’s worth of games.

Anyway, the Chicago Bulls, who have the ninth pick in the first round, have begun their reviews, too.

The big surprise of the players called in is a small guy named Acie Law, a point guard from Texas A&M. That is, small by pro standards—6-4, 186 pounds.

Here’re some comments from observers:

Law has wonderful body control and the ability to shift gears and change directions almost instantaneously reacting to what defenses throw at him, not being afraid to thread the needle with a lightning quick bounce pass on the drive and dish or take matters into his own hands when the situation calls for it.

His offensive game inside the arc is amazingly complete, starting with his excellent mid-range game pulling up on a dime off the dribble with a nifty fadeaway using the glass and continuing with his patented floater that he sinks smoothly with either his left or right hand. His 3-point shot has improved by leaps and bounds this season despite his awkward shooting mechanics—getting virtually no lift on his jumper (a far cry from his mid-range shot), shooting the ball flat with an odd sidespin and his left elbow flailing out and sporting a fairly slow release as well. It goes in for him regardless at a great clip, 45% on the season--which is all that matters--and much higher than that in the clutch.

Seems worth a look.

2007-06-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Cubs chose a high school third baseman known for his hitting in today’s MLB draft.

His name is Josh Vitters. He’s got big stats as you would expect.

The analysts at Baseball America like him a lot, so that’s good enough for us.

But since he’s not going to replace Aramis Ramirez in the near future—or ever—don’t get too excited.

However, if you want to be optimistic, think of another star prep infielder who actually succeeded with the Cubs—Shawon Dunston. Drafted in 1982, came up to the Cubs in 1985, played with them to 1997, and retired after 18 seasons.

Ah! Those were the good old/bad old days.

2007-06-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Bears signed another wide receiver, Timon Marshall of the Arena Football League.

Guess they’re not confident about that position. The other guys there now are:

David Ball
Bernard Berrian
Mark Bradley
Rashied Davis
Mike Hass
Devin Hester
James Drisan
Muhsin Muhammad
Brandon Rideau

Good luck, Timon.

And if you can’t make it in football, the Chicago Cubs are looking for a steady right fielder.

2007-06-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

Five reasons to like the Chicago Cubs now:

1 Carlos Zambrano looks like El Toro of 2006.

2 Sean Marshall has locked up the fifth starter slot in the rotation.

3 Felix Pie appears ready to fulfill his promise.

4 They’ve gained confidence by winning the series against first-place Milwaukee.

5 Alfonso Soriano is looking more like the $136 Million Man than the $36 Man.

2007-06-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

Major League Baseball holds its 2007 draft on Thursday and Friday.

The draft is like a cricket match. It goes 50 rounds.

The Chicago Cubs have the third pick in the first round. Big deal. Maybe he’ll make it up to the Big Show in five or six years.

Or, more likely, he won’t.

2007-06-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

A visitor reports on Illini basketball recruiting:

According to Scout.com, Illinois has five blue chip basketball prepsters graduating after next season. The two five star players are Michael Dunigan and Iman Shumpert. The four star players are Matthew Humphrey, Verdell Jones, and DeAndre Liggins. That would be a top 10 recruiting class without leaving the state. If Weber can sign Dunigan and any two of the others he
will be a hero.

Dunigan, Humphrey, and Jones look like the best bets.

Keep plugging, Bruce. You can do it.

2007-06-04T19:01:00.001-07:00

Chicago Bear defensive tackle Tank Johnson got the official word today for his violations of NFL policies: Suspension of the first eight regular season games, or the first six if he becomes a model citizen and takes counseling. Johnson can participate in individual workouts while he’s suspended.

Johnson said he’s confident it will be a six-game penalty. The games would be home games against Kansas City, Dallas, and Minnesota and road games against San Diego, Detroit, and Green Bay.

So who will be in better shape at the completion of the suspension period, Johnson or the Bears?

We’d bet on Johnson.

2007-06-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella’s meltdown the other day was funny.

But it also got pretty ugly. While most fans thought it was a hoot, the reality was scary.

The ex-Sweet Lou is no longer a spring chicken, and yet there he was, spilling his guts over a disputed call in a baseball game.

And the fans cheered him on to, what? A heart attack or stroke before their eyes? We could see Piniella’s veins from our TV in the suburbs, and we don’t have HD. It was awful.

We saw the enemy, and it was partly us—the sports media. We’ve been egging on Piniella to go into one of his infamous rants ever since we figured that approach was the only one left to use in shaking up his pathetic team.

And so he did it. For us. For general manager Jim Hendry. For the team. For the fans.

Piniella thinks he’s got shoulders big enough to carry all the problems of his players. But he doesn’t. We hope he gets the message.

2007-06-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

New Chicago Bears who bear watching as promising wide receivers include Drisan James and David Ball.

James signed on as an undrafted free agent and has impressed coaches with his hands, speed and run-after-the-catch ability during offseason workouts.

“He’s a smooth athlete,” said offensive coordinator Ron Turner. “He runs good routes, has really good hands and has good quickness. I’m not really surprised because you watch his college tape and I don’t know how he wasn’t drafted. I had a good grade on him. He’s a good player.”

Ball is the most prolific scorer in NCAA Division 1-AA history. He not only shattered NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's career record of 50 touchdown receptions (Mississippi Valley State, 1981-84), but he also tied Rice's all-time Division 1-AA mark of gaining at least 100 yards receiving in 23 contests.

The Atlantic Ten Conference's career record holder with 304 receptions, he just missed in passing another of Rice's national records, as Ball gained 4,685 yards, 8 shy of Rice's total of 4,693. He has caught at least one touchdown pass in 28 games, one short of the Division 1-AA all-time record of 29 by Eric Kimble of Eastern Washington (2002-05).

A two-sport star at New Hampshire, Ball also performed on the track team as a high jumper.

Remember those names.

2007-06-03T17:58:00.000-07:00

We all knew it was coming, just not when.

It came yesterday in the eighth inning at Wrigley Field: Chicago Cubs manager Mount Lou Piniella finally blew his top.
It was classic Piniella as he disputed an umpire’s call at third base that went against the Cubs.
Pow! Out came the verbal tongue-lashing.

Plop! Down came the cap.

Swish! The kicking sand over the ump’s pants.

Bang! The cap-kicking.

Piniella got the umpire’s attention as they went belly to belly. And he also drew wide approval from the fans during his tirade. They loved it. For it was an outlet for their frustration, too, as the Cubs were mired in a five-game losing streak headed for six.

Piniella, of course, was ejected. And he was suspended for today’s game.

To support their fiery commander, the Cubs won the series finale against the Atlanta Braves today 10-1. Do you see the outline for a new Cubs strategy?

And Piniella got a cleaning bill from the umps. But it was worth it!

2007-06-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

Fighting Illini Day at Wrigley Field.

It was a match made in heaven.

Head football coach Ron Zook’s doormat Illini and manager Lou Piniella’s fighting Chicago Cubs.

Losers as far as the eye could see.

The Cubs are trying to improve on their last-place finish in the Central Division. The Illini gridders have the same objective in the Big Ten.

The Cubs have made little or no progress lately, with six straight losses and two intrasquad fights.

The Illini have a few more months before they introduce their latest product.

Like the Cubs, the Illini will start the season with high hopes.

Oops! Did we have to say, like the Cubs?

2007-06-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

2007-06-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said he might open the team’s coffers to help the Cubs challenge for the division lead.

But he might have to do it to keep the Cubs from descending to last place.

Or, he might consider other options, like backing up the truck. It’s clear now that, for the position players, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez must stay as the core players.

Other keepers should include Ryan Theriot, Cesar Izturis, and Mark DeRosa as a reserve.

The problem players, who don’t produce consistently, are Alfonso Soriano, Jacque Jones, and, er, everyone else.

At some point soon, someone close to team purchaser Sam Zell might point out that the team’s value is eroding at warp speed. Then Hendry won’t get to make any more decisions.

He’ll get the ax.