The "Legends" and the "Leaders"

One of the hot topics in college football this week is the newly released Big Ten logo and football divisions . With the addition of Nebraska next year, the Big Ten will now have 12 teams (confusing, right?), which forced the conference to restructure to two six-team divisions with a football conference championship. Most Big Ten fans were happy with the addition of Nebraska while not diluting the brand of the Big Ten in the process.

Many Big Ten fans were not thrilled with the conference after the two football divisions were named "Legends" and "Leaders." A Chicago Tribune survey in today's paper revealed that 94% of fans disliked/disapproved of the name changes. I'm not a huge fan of the division names either, or the logo for that matter. But I think there are more important things, such as the actual competitions.

The Big Ten Conference is convinced that fans will eventually get used to the division names. I'm honestly not to bothered by "Legends" and "Leaders," I think its more important to have the right divisions set up, based on competitive balance and traditional rivalries, as opposed to geography, which would have made the conference names easier to decide. More important than the silly division names is the fact that divisions will be competitive, and the Big Ten will be stronger going into 2011.

Light Reading

I'm one book away from starting to read my copy of "Death to the BCS," a book against the traditional post-season in college football written by Dan Wetzel, Jeff Passan, and Josh Peter. Once I finish reading the book, I will put up a book review and go into what I believe is right and wrong about the book's points and in depth on my views into a college football playoff.

All-Big Ten Picks

The Big Ten Conference released its list of All-Big Ten Football Teams for 2010 today. As a Northwestern fan, I was pretty happy with the lists, one of which is generated by Big Ten Coaches, and one by Big 10 media members. Quarterback Dan Persa was named to the first team by the coaches, and the second team by the media, which is a testament to how well he played before his Achilles' Tendon injury. Persa may have a chance to win the Chicago Tribune Silver Football, a prestigious award given to the Big Ten MVP. Jeremy Ebert, NU's leading receiver also received a first-team selection from the media.

Overall, the selections for Northwestern and the Big Ten as a whole were very fair. What surprised me the most was the fact that Denard Robinson was named Offensive Player of the Year by the league's coaches yet was not a first-or second team selection by the league's coaches.

More TCU News

After my post yesterday about how the schedules of TCU and Boise State were criticized by Ohio State's Gordon Gee, Texas Christian University made the news again today. In a press conference, this afternoon TCU announced it had accepted an invitation to join the Big East Conference, which is a great move for both TCU and the Big East.

One of the most interesting aspects of this decision is the distance Big East teams will have to travel to Dallas and vice versa. Over the past 5, years the conference has expanded its profile to include schools like DePaul in Chicago, and Marquette in Milwaukee, and now the Big East will have a profile in a huge media market (Dallas-Forth Worth). TCU adds instant credibility to a football conference which has struggled immensely this season. For TCU, the move allows them to join a conference with a tie-in to a BCS bowl game

While TCU and the Big East had been in talks for a while, there were issues over whether TCU would join as a football-only member (and play all their other sports in another conference) or join the league as a full member. All 20 TCU sports teams will be a part of the Big East. With the addition of TCU, there will be 9 football-playing schools and 17 for basketball.

"Little Sisters of the Poor"

In an interview with the AP this past Wednesday, Ohio State President Gordon Gee implied that Boise State (prior to the Nevada loss) and TCU did not deserve a chance to play for the BCS National Championship. In his words, Gee stated that Ohio State and other power-conference schools play tough schools and not "the Little Sisters of the Poor" on their schedules.

Many people defended Gee's comments as simply admitting the viewpoint of the fans who believe a non-automatic qualifier should be left out of the BCS Championship. However, Gee is not an Ohio State fan, he is the school's president, and it just looks really bad that Ohio State is picking on the non-automatic qualifiers. As Dan Wetzel points out, Gee is likely defending the BCS, which favors teams like Ohio State over teams like Boise and TCU.

My viewpoint is that an undefeated non-automatic qualifier deserves a chance at the BCS national championship or in the future if their is a playoff. If TCU doesn't play in the national championship, there is no way you can say that Oregon or Auburn (the top 2 teams in the country) would automatically beat TCU. I'm looking forward to next weekend of college football. If Auburn or Oregon loses, it will open the door for TCU to appear in the national championship and be able to prove that it can beat anyone. If not, TCU is projected to go to the Rose Bowl where they can go head-to-head against a team like Wisconsin

Team of the Week: Chaminade Basketball

This week i witnessed one of the more impressive team performances I've seen in college sports in a while, from the Division II Chaminade University Silverswords of Hawaii basketball team. Most people know Chaminade as the host school of the Maui Invitational, a eight team tournament which usually involves several of NCAA's elite teams. Chaminade is usually the only Division II team and entering this year's tournament they had just won 5 games in the 25 year history of the 3-game tournament.

Chaminade's all time record in the Maui invitational reflects the huge difference between Division I and Division II basketball. Think about it like this: There's about 360 Division I college basketball teams which offer 12 scholarships per school, which means there is usually a significant drop-off in talent between the two levels.

Apparently Chaminade didn't receive that memo. In the first of the Silversword's three games, Chaminade played Michigan State down to the wire, losing by just eight points. May I remind you that Michigan State was the #2 team in the country, and a popular pick to win this year's NCAA Division I Championship. Yet Chaminade, led by 5"6 inch point guard Steven Bennett and center Mamadou Diarra were able to keep the game that close.

Chaminade managed to win its third game against the Oklahoma Sooners, 68-64. While Oklahoma is not a basketball powerhouse, they are still a high profile team, and the Silverswords clearly asserted themselves as the better team. As the ESPN analyst mentioned, both Bennett and Diarra are Division I-talent and were good enough to start for the Sooners.

Prior to their win against Oklahoma, the last time Chaminade won was in 2007, against Princeton. At the conclusion, Bennett was named to the All-Tournament Team, an honor shared with some of college basketball's elite players. The last time a Chaminade player made the All-Tournament team was in 2000.

Overall, a very impressive effort and I'm looking forward to see how Chaminade handles its schedule this season

Blog Housekeeping Issues: One Year Later

Just about a year ago, I started my own blog, The Friedman Focus, mostly as a diversion from writing my senior thesis and as a way to write about my thoughts and opinions on certain issues. When I started the blog, I chose not to limit my blogging to a particular subject. Over the course of the past year, I've blogged about a lot of issues, from school politics to shopping to local news. However, I have decided to take the blog in a new direction. For those of you who know me personally, one of the things I am most passionate about is college sports, which is one of the things I feel that I can write about with ease.

This past weekend, at my grandmother's 75th birthday party, I ran into my cousin Lee, who has started her own blog, College Foodie Finds, where she blogs about healthy eating choices geared towards college students (check it out, I recommend it). In talking about blogging, Lee pointed out how she writes a blog post once or twice a day. After thinking about the mission of my blog, I've decided to just focus on college sports instead of focusing on broad topics. I'm going to try to post a news or opinion topic about college sports daily. Also, you may have noticed the new design of the blog.

On to year two!

Inside the Cam Newton Allegations

About a week and a half, I was prepared to write a blog post celebrating Auburn's star quarterback Cam Newton, the Heisman Trophy frontrunner, for passing up a question on the possibility of skipping his senior season to enter the NFL Draft. Newton declared that it would be "selfish" to think about individual awards or the NFL in a season where Auburn is contending for a national championship. The fact that the best player in college football would so candidly reject a question about the NFL seemed refreshing compared to recent actions of Brett Favre and Randy Moss.

Only a few days later, both ESPN and The New York Times reported of a story that last year as a junior college player, Newton was being shopped around to various colleges by a middle man. In the past week, their has been several alleged reports which would not render Newton ineligible, but would damage his credibility in the eyes of Heisman voters. The latest report, from ESPN last night, alleges that Newton decided on Auburn from tons of scholarship offers, because the money "was too much" to pass up. Alleged reports have indicated that Newton or his father set up a "pay-to-play" plan in which Newton would have been paid by boosters to attend Auburn. For the most part, Auburn has neither confirmed or denied any or the reports and the school has simply stressed the fact that Newton remains eligible to play.

Newton's lofty performance this season, coupled with the fact that he is still eligible to play, has left him as the favorite to win the Heisman. Newton's on-field performance is clearly deserving of the award, however, it would be hard for me to consider him a Heisman winner if the allegations turn out true. Many sportswriters, including Sports Illustrated's Michael Rosenberg acknowledge that "pay to play" plans and under the table payments have been a dirty staple in college football history, and for that it would be a mistake to victimize Newton. In some ways, yes, it is wrong to single out Newton. However, it is a greater mistake to look the other way and allow these under the table payments to continue. You cannot justify something in 2010, based on an issue that has been largely ignored.

"Because its always been this way," simply isn't a good enough answer anymore. More than ever, there is scrutiny inside college sports. With budgets of tens of millions of dollars, College Athletic Departments are being held accountable like corporations. Just like corporations have a moral responsibility, so do athletic departments and their representatives (coaches, staff, and players). It is time for the appropriate parties to live up to that responsibility.

Persa's Return to Penn State

Growing up in Pennsylvania, Northwestern's Dan Persa cheered on the Penn State football team. Both his mother and older sister are Penn State alums, and Persa too, hoped he would draw recruiting interest from the Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions as a star high school quarterback in PA. Despite a productive career, one in which he became the first player in Pennsylvania to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in a single season, Persa barely drew any notice from Paterno and his staff. Apparently Persa was overlooked, because he was perceived as too small to play for Penn State. Instead, Persa opted to play at Northwestern, where he has emerged as one of the country's best quarterbacks, and a legitimate candidate for the Big Ten MVP
. Persa has completed 74.4 percent of his passes (2nd in the nation) and ranks in the top ten in total offense.

Tomorrow, Persa will return home to lead Northwestern against Penn State in State College, PA. The game will be intriguing, not only because of Persa's return, but the fact that Joe Paterno is seeking his 400th coaching win. This is a huge milestone, only two other coaches have won 400 games, and may never happen again. College football coaches simply have too much pressure, from the media, large contracts, alumni, boosters, and university officials, to last as long as the ageless Paterno, Penn State's coach since 1966. Most college football writers believe that, at best, seeing 400 again is extremely unlikely. Because of the rarity of this feat, the game will be broadcast nationally on ABC or ESPN2 at 2:30 CT. Paterno has admitted he regrets not recruiting Persa. For Persa, this is the game to show his State University what he is made of.

The game should be a close one, and hopefully the Wildcats can delay Paterno's milestone for the next week. Either way, it will be compelling.

Northwestern at Penn State
State College, PA
2:30 CT/3:30 ET
TV: ABC (Midwest), ESPN2 (Outer Markets)

Pat Quinn Projected for Governor

According to ABC 7 Chicago's 10 PM News, The Assoicated Press has projected Pat Quinn as the winner of the close race between the incumbent and Republican Bill Brady. The AP reported that the outcome of the Governor's race in Illinois is too insurmountable for Brady to overcome Quinn's lead. As of 10:10 pm, the Chicago Tribune Election Center Quinn had an 18,000 vote lead over Brady. While there are still some ballots left to be counted, it doesn't appear that there are enough to make a difference. Quinn hasn't made a formal announcement, and is apparently waiting for Brady to concede. Expect some announcement tomorrow.

Decision Points

George W. Bush's new memoir Decision Points will debut on November 9th and from the two reports I have seen on it, the book portrays Bush largely as a sympathetic figure, seeking to build a good legacy after leaving Washington with extremely poor ratings. One excerpt, from CNN, reveals that Kanye West created the worst moment of Bush's presidency when the rapper declared that Bush was racist following Hurricane Katrina.

Another excerpt,from the New York Times' The Caucus Blog , mentions how the book reveals that Bush considered removing Dick Cheney as his Vice President on the 2004 Election Ticket...Right and I guess the book will also say that going to Iraq wasn't the best decision in the end?

The book should be somewhat interesting/revealing. Its 497 pages, according to the New York Times' Book Review , so its not light reading. With that said, I don't think I'll be buying a copy.

Election 2010: Good and Bad

As the last of the absentee votes trickle in, its time to mark the close of the midterm elections. Obviously, the fact that Republicans took control of the House will be the legacy of the 2010 Election. Regardless of political affiliation, there are some good and bad things about what happened on November 2nd:

1. No more political commercials (for now). Any TV viewer apathetic to politics has to be relieved that the Elections are over. I can't remember a political cycle with campaign commercials as vicious as what I've witnessed in the Chicago market over the past several months. Of course, none of the commercials actually inform the viewer of their platform and who they are. Instead, politicians take the chance to rip the other candidate. The days of seeing two of these, every commercial break, are over until the 2012 campaigns begin.

2. New leadership. For Democrats, this is probably not a day you'll look back on with fondness. However, a change might be what is needed to jump start the country. Having a new wave of politicians in office may help strengthen the country in the long run, like what happened in the late 1990s.

3. With that in mind, one of the bad things about politics: Sore losers. For the past two years, there has been a lot of Republican resentment from the 2008 elections and that resentment probably will turn blue. I hope that Democrats do not spend the next two years pissed off. Even though I am a Democrat, I am supporting whoever is in office the next two years. At this time, Congress can't really afford not to be effective. America really needs to do the best it can with whoever is in office.

4. Political interest. I think one of the positive things about this election is how many people were interested and involved in the election. For a mid-term election, the turnout was really great. Among people my age, I felt that, there was just as much interest as the 2008 elections, which is a good sign.

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What were you thinking, Bradley?

Bradley decided to name its new arena the Renaissance Coliseum. I think its a really tacky name. Here's a letter I'm writing to Bradley and it pretty much says what I think about the naming:


Dear Bradley University,


I was shocked to find out that the new on-campus arena was named the “Renaissance Coliseum.” The online news release on the BU website gave no indication as to why the university chose the name Renaissance Coliseum, a name that I feel is extremely ill-suited for the arena. Without a doubt, the new facility is an impressive structure and the university should be commended for it. However, naming it the Renaissance Coliseum presents many flaws.

First and foremost, choosing a name simply to flaunt a building misrepresents the ideals that are taught at Bradley, namely modesty. As Shakespeare said “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Likewise, the new facility would be associated with excellence, no matter what it is named. After all, the signature building on Bradley’s campus is simply referred to as Bradley Hall, not “The Magnificent Castle of Learning.” Also, no student is going to constantly say the name “Renaissance Coliseum” in conversation, as in “I’m going to have to pick up tickets at the Renaissance Coliseum,” “I’m passing by the Renaissance Coliseum.” The name is going to be shortened to “The Ren” which doesn’t indicate any sort of prestige.

Secondly, the name Renaissance Coliseum does nothing as far as preserving the history of BU. There would be nothing wrong in naming the facility the Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse, which was a huge branding aspect of the university. When you have a great name for an arena, you should keep it. When the New York Yankees built a new stadium, they only name on their mind was Yankee Stadium. The name Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse evokes some of the great moments of BU history, while the Renaissance Coliseum evokes confusion as to why the facility was named that.

Even if the university was set on another name, there were many good choices available. The arena could have been a way to honor one of the many people who have made a great contribution to the university or Bradley Athletics. Everything at Bradley has a named attached to it, except the arena. The Smith Career Center, Cullom-Davis Library, even the new practice court is named after Mitchell Anderson. But no name could be given to the new arena? Were naming rights available for a generous donor?


In writing this letter, I hope one of two things can be accomplished. I hope sometime in the near future, the facility can be renamed to honor someone who has made a significant contribution to the university or Bradley Athletics. I can think of no better person than Coach Joe Stowell, a BU player, coach, administrator, and broadcaster associated with BU for the past 60 + years. If the school does not want to name the facility after a person, I hope BU will allow corporations to bid for the naming rights, allowing the school to generate revenue. Perhaps Caterpillar would have some interest.


Sincerely,

Aaron Friedman

In Case you Missed It: First Half Recap

For the most part, the college football season has crossed the halfway point (many, but not all teams have played 6 of their 12 games so far). I know a lot of people probably don't follow college football as closely as I do, so I'm making a first-half recap of the college football season.

Here are the big things that have happened so far: the transformation of the Pac-10, decline of major powers, and a cloudy national championship picture.

USC is no longer the big dog in the Pac-10. After a demoralizing off-season, the Trojans have lost two consecutive conference games and have not resembled the dominant teams of the 2000s. In their demise, Oregon and Stanford are among the conferences two best teams. Oregon is a lot of college football reporters' picks to make it into the national championship. Led by LaMichael James, the Ducks feature flashy uniforms and an explosive offensive that can put points on the toughest defenses. Stanford, who suffered a loss to Oregon already, has also impressed early in the season. Don't discount Oregon State, who is 2-0 in the Pac-10.

USC is not the only traditional power going through tough times. Penn State just lost to Illinois and is 3-3. Texas has already lost to UCLA and Oklahoma. Florida already has two losses. Notre Dame is also 3-3 and has shown any form of dominance. Unlike last season where Texas and Alabama were in the driver's seat for most of the 2009 college football season, no two teams have emerged as clear-cut favorites to make it to the BCS National Championship Game

There are now just 13 unbeaten teams left in college football. 4 of the 13 are from non-BCS conferences, Utah, Nevada, Boise State, and TCU. #21 Nevada is ranked for the first time in a half-century, and its offensive formation, The Pistol, has gained national attention. Meanwhile, Boise State, the preseason Cinderella story, took care of Virgina Tech and Oregon State during their first two games of the season, and most likely will cruise through their schedule until meeting Nevada on November 26th. I also think Boise will be tested during a November 6th game against Hawai'i.


One of the biggest upsets of the season happened last weekend, as South Carolina defeated #1 Alabama, ending a 19 game winning streak. Up until this past weekend, Alabama was seen as practically a shoe-in for the national championship. The Crimson Tide still have National Championship hopes, though they still have a tough schedule ahead and face a pair of currently undefeated teams in LSU and Auburn later in the season.

In its final season in the Big 12, Nebraska too, is a national championship contender. Last Thursday against Kansas State, freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez (nicknamed T-Magic), ran for 241 yards, and has emerged as a Heisman candidate. I watched the game, and Martinez is an absolute stud. The 'Huskers could meet #6 Oklahoma in the Big 12 Conference Championship, which could determine one of the 2 teams to play in the national championship.

Next year, Nebraska will be in the Big Ten, where Michigan State (after beating Michigan) and Ohio State look to contend for the Big Ten title and an national championship appearance. MSU and OSU will not play each other, which further complicates the national championship picture In the two other BCS conferences, the ACC and Big East, no teams are really having that great of a season.

The initial BCS standings, which play a large factor in determining the national championship, come out on October 17th, and there is still plenty of football left to deciding who will make it to the national championships.


Aaron's Midseason Heisman

1. LaMichael James, Oregon
2. Kellen Moore, Boise State
3. Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
4. Denard Robinson, Michigan
5. Andrew Luck, Stanford

Breast Cancer Support should be more than just a status

In a departure from my usual sports posts, I would like to use my blog to focus on something actually important: breast cancer. If you haven't been living under a rock, you must be aware that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. The color pink appears in everything from NFL games to yogurt tops, and lately, through Facebook.

Probably like most guys, I was confused when my female friends on Facebook began posting "I like it on (fill in the blank location)." I then learned the status updates were for breast cancer awareness and the location is simply the place where you leave your purse.

Breast Cancer is a brutal and vicious disease that affects tens of thousands of women (and men) in a given year. Most of the time, any awareness for cancer is a good thing. Using the power and influence of Facebook to promote breast cancer awareness is great idea. As the piece in the Canadian National Post states, is the "I like it on __________" campaign, really helping to promote breast cancer awareness and fundraising?

I don't really see how saying where your purse is, directly impacts breast cancer awareness and research. I think its a catchy way to market breast cancer awareness, but there are flaws to it. Breast cancer awareness also involve fundraising, and include both men and women. The fact that men do not carry purses and thus cannot participate in the "I like it on _______" campaign, risks alienating men who can be afflicted by this disease and who can actively donate to the Susan G. Komen foundation and other breast cancer awareness groups.

Seeing the "I like it on_________" statuses has inspired me to make a small donation to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and I hope other people do the same. If you already donate to breast cancer, you should be commended. Encourage your family and friends about why its important to donate and how critical research is to finding a cure. If you have not donated, even a donation of $1 or $5 would make a difference. If you really care about making a statement, you should do something to contribute to a cause you believe in.

A donation of any size matters more than letting friends know where you keep your purse.

College Bowl Trouble?

According to this this ESPN.com article, the NCAA might have trouble finding enough winning teams to place into bowl games. Over the past college football season, the number of bowl games was increased from 33 to 35, meaning that 70 teams are placed into bowl games at the end of the season. With the amount of FCS (Div. I-AA) teams who have upset FBS Schools, there is speculation that there will not be enough teams to fill all the spots.

Before a losing team gets selected, the FCS should get a chance or two (possibly the FCS national champion or runner up) to play in a bowl game which cannot be filled by the NCAA

Week 1 in Review

College football got off to a great start this past weekend, and this upcoming weekend looks even better with Miami-Ohio State, Florida State-Oklahoma, and Alabama-Penn State.

I was happy to see that Boise State- Virginia Tech on Monday night was such a great game. I feel like more football fans, and sports fans in general, watched it because there was no Monday Night Football. I felt like it was a great showcase for college football and I'm glad the game was so competitive.

As far as my predictions. I went 10-1. Ok, so a lot of the games were predicatable. I did not expect Michigan to have such an impressive showing over a respectable Connecticut team. Michigan-Notre Dame should be a great game this weekend, pitting two programs trying to revive themselves.

Oregon won their game 72-0 without star tailback LaMichael James. Holy Smoke! The Ducks and their dangerous offense travel to Tennesse this week.

I was happy with the Northwestern win, but at the same time I expected more from the run game. I hope they can really put the petal to the floor this weekend against FCS opponent Illinois State.
I was cheering for Hawaii to beat USC at home, and it could have definitely happened. The Warriors scored 36 points and were a few plays of pulling in even with USC, who won 49-36. USC, despite its off-season of turmoil, is still ranked, and can with the AP National Championship with an undefeated season. Still 36 points to Hawaii? USC plays Virginia this week, and it will be interesting to see if last week's defensive performance becomes the norm or the exception.

My Big Ten Preview & Prediction

College Football starts tonight at 6:30 CT, which means I only have a few hours to make a relevant preview and prediction of the Big Ten football season. I think the Big Ten enters 2010 with a stronger reputation then it usually has during the preseason. Prior to the 2009-10 college football bowl season, the Big Ten's bowl struggles (especially in BCS games) led prognosticators to downgrade the conference during the following season. However with Iowa and Ohio State winning the Orange and Rose Bowls, I think the Big Ten has gained back a lot of the respect it has lost. Many believe Ohio State, which starts the season ranked 2nd, can ultimately win the BCS National Championship. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor, the Rose Bowl MVP, and the fact that Ohio State has won the past 5 Big Ten titles are perhaps the two biggest reasons why Ohio State is touted so highly. However, Iowa and Wisconsin are also worthy enough to be considered as a preseason favorite.

If Ohio State wins the conference, it will have earned it. The Buckeyes have to travel to both Iowa and Wisconsin. Ivan Maisel of ESPN believes Iowa will win the Big Ten because it hosts Ohio State and Wisconsin. The Big Ten should be a very competitive season and there are a lot of interesting stories. Besides the aforementioned schools, Penn State and the ageless Joe Paterno will be starting its first true freshman at quarterback, Michigan trys to improve amidst ongoing NCAA investigations, Michigan State trying to improve its standing in the conference, etc.

Before I go into my predictions, I'll list the "must-see" games worth keeping an eye on:

*Sept. 11- Miami (FL) at Ohio State
*Sept. 18- Iowa at Arizona
*Sept. 18- Notre Dame at Michigan State
*Oct. 2- Penn State at Iowa
*Oct. 9- Michigan State at Michigan
*Oct. 16- Ohio State at Wisconsin
*Oct. 23-Wisconsin at Iowa
*Nov. 13- Iowa at Northwestern--in my dreams, Northwestern is 9-0 at this point
*Nov. 20- Ohio State at Iowa
*Nov. 27- Indiana at Purdue

Predictions

1. Ohio State (12-0 overall ,8-0 in the Big Ten)
2. Wisconsin (11-1, 7-1)
3. Iowa (11-1, 7-1)
4. Michigan State (9-3, 6-2)
5. Northwestern (9-3, 5-3)
6. Penn State (8-4, 4-4)
7. Purdue (7-5, 4-4)
8. Michigan (6-6, 3-5)
9. Indiana (5-7, 3-5)
10. Minnesota (4-8, 2-6)
11. Illinois (3-9, 1-7)

Coach of the Year: Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Offensive Player of the Year: John Clay, Wisconsin
Defensive Player of the Year: Adrian Clayborne, Iowa


Week 1 Picks

> Towson @ IND - INDIANA
> Marshall @ OSU - OSU
> W Mich @ MSU - MSU
> E Ill @ Iowa - Iowa
> Ill @ Mizz - Mizzou
> UConn @ Mich - UCONN
> Pur @ Notre Dame - PURDUE
> Wis @ UNLV- WIS
> NU @ Vandy - NU

Big Ten Divisions

The division of the Big Ten for Football starting in 2011 was announced tonight on the Big Ten Network. However, it was broken first earlier today by ESPN. com's Andy Katz.
Katz reported earlier in the day that the divisions would consist as follows:

Division X: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota.
Division O: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois.

The division were confirmed later on the Big Ten Network special. The Big Ten plans also included protected rivalries, which will give every school a protected rivalry game (between division X and division O) that will occur every year. Ohio State and Michigan, are one of the protected rivalries, which will allow the many trophy games between Big Ten schools to continue. It is important to remember that the Big Ten divisions apply only to football, and not every sport.

I think the biggest news revealed on the Big Ten Network specials was the fact that Ohio State and Michigan will meet (in their protected crossover), during the final week of the college football season, as they have traditionally met. Many believed that "The Game" would be moved to somewhere in the middle of the season, and were upset about the Big Ten breaking the tradition that Ohio State and Michigan would meet in the last week. The tradition was saved, which means it holds the possibility that Ohio State and Michigan could possibly play two games in a row if they win there individual divisions.

I think the Big Ten did a good job with the divisions. Its important to preserve tradition to a degree and I think through the protected rivalries, the Big Ten will save a majority of the trophies games (Little Brown Jug, Floyd of Rosdayle, etc.). The divisions are very even, in terms of both traditional powers and the up-and-comers in the league. As the Daily Herald's Lindsey Willhite points out the teams in the two divisions have the same combined record since 1993.

Also, I think its important to split the two biggest brands of the conference, Michigan and Ohio State, into separate divisions. Michigan probably will be successful, maybe not for the next few years, but will eventually re-emerge as a conference power. Since Michigan and Ohio State will play every year anyway, does it really matter if they are in different divisions? I could have done without "The Game" on the final weekend, you can't cater to the wishes of every single team, but overall the Big Ten made a clean split in making divisions. Most traditional rivalries were able to be saved. I was worried that the division split would dilute the Big Ten brand and destroy some of the traditions, but they really did a great job. Everything can't be saved, but overall, the brand and tradition of the Big Ten has been preserved.

As a Northwestern fan, I'm excited for Division X or whatever it will be called eventually. I think the division is really competitive and even. You can argue that Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue are among the there worst teams so 2011 and 2012 should set up pretty well for Ohio State. For each team, I think the season will be a little tougher, and it will force the lower teams to step up.

For the record, the divisions are unnamed for now, however, the Big Ten will not change its name despite the increasing number of teams.

Northwestern Links

ESPN.com Big Ten Blogger Adam Rittenberg today blogs about Northwestern's attendance problems despite its ability to field a competitive team. Last season, Northwestern finished 83rd nationally in average attendance at just 24,190 per game, even though the team won 8 games this year. NU's struggle to draw fans motivated me to write a blog post ten days ago about why you should go to a NU game this season. So far it seems, NU has made a valiant effort to improve its marketing, hiring former Chicago Rush exec Mike Polisky and launching the school's first large scale sales and marketing campaigns. Northwestern's poor attendance has been a point of mockery for other Big Ten fans to laugh at, so I hope the campaign goes well. Season ticket sales are up, in part to NU's game at Wrigley Field, but I think they have to wait and see what the actual attendance is like, regardless of how many tickets they sell. Hopefully people didn't just buy season tickets for the NU-UofI game and are planning to discard the rest

Big Ten Conference Divisions for 2011, should be announced sometime in September, and for now it looks like the Northwestern-Illinois rivalry will be protected , according to the Tribune's Teddy Greenstein. As far as the conference divisions are concerned, I hope that Michigan and Ohio State are separated in order to have them meet in the Big Ten Championship, like Alabama and Florida do in the SEC. I also hope that they split up Penn State and Nebraska, so there is a good competitive balance. Whatever happens, playing in a stronger Big Ten conference can only benefit Northwestern.

Also, Northwestern has new uniforms. Click here to see the new and old uniforms.

Allstate Wrigleyville Classic

Today, it was announced that the Northwestern/Illinois football game scheduled for November 20th at Wrigley Field will be sponsored by Allstate and called the Allstate Wrigleyville Classic. NU also unveiled the logo for the game, which is a purple mock-up of the classic stadium's marquee.

The Northwestern/Illinois game will be the first football game at Wrigley Field in 40 years (The Bears played at the Friendly Confines for an extended period). I'm pretty sure I'm going to be there on November 20th. The only way to get a ticket for NU-Illinois is through season tickets, so I'm contemplating a season ticket purchase. I can't wait to see the set up. I know recently officials have given clearance for the use of rooftop seating on the gameday. The Allstate Wrigleyville Classic definitely promises to be a classic game in a great environment.

Also as the press release noted, Northwestern football is going through its most successful stretch in school history.

Northwestern opens the 2010 season on Saturday, Sept. 4 in Nashville, Tenn., vs. Vanderbilt (6:30 p.m. CT).

News in Skokie

Since I'm back in Skokie for the time being, I'm going to try to blog more about some of the things going on around here...

The Backlot Bash, a 3 day event considered one of Skokie's signature events, is this weekend from Friday the 27th through Sunday. The Backlot Bash will feature free live music on the main stage, a carnival, silent movies at the Skokie Theatre, a classic car show, food vendors and a beer tent, a 5K run, bingo and a sidewalk sale. The Rocky Horror picture show will also be playing on Saturday Night.
Full details can be viewed at The Backlot Bash website.

High School Football starts tomorrow, with Niles West traveling to Vernon Hills and Niles North playing at Elk Grove, both games start at 7:30

Niles West Football Schedule

Niles North Football Schedule


Oakton Community College will begin teaching Hindi and Urdu, though it should not come as a surprise.

It looks like a Kosher Italian restaurant is about to come to Skokie.

Ke$ha/Rihanna at the UC

I've been a little sports-heavy with my posts lately so I'm going to try to get some more non-sports articles into my blog.

Last night at the United Center was a Rihanna concert, opened by Kesha. The Chicago Tribune gave it a good review, 4 out of 5 stars. The Tribune called Rihanna "impressive" during her 90 minute performance. You can click here for pictures.

Northwestern Practice at Great Lakes

Northwestern football practiced yesterday at the Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago. The Naval Station, is the US Navy's Training Headquarters and 50,000 recruits pass through it annually. Great Lakes also has a lot of college football history , and was even considered a powerhouse when it played college football from the 1910s to the 1940s. Part of the reason Northwestern was at Great Lakes, was to promote their Sept. 11th home opener against Illinois State, which is also "Heroes Day," but Pat Fitzgerald also took his team there to connect with the tradition at Great Lakes. Great move for NU.

Derrick Rose makes Team USA for Worlds

As expected,Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose made the final roster for the USA team at the 2010 World Championships that will take place in Turkey starting on the 28th. The defending Olympic gold medalists, the United States has not won the World Championships since 1994, and are not the runaway favorites that they were in Bejing. The Team USA roster simply doesn't feature the starpower lineup that the 2008 Olympic team featured with the likes of LeBron James and Co. The starting lineup in Turkey might look like this: Guards Rose and Chauncey Billips, Forwards Andre Igudola and Kevin Durant, and Lamar Odom at the Center position. Those are all pretty good players, but not necessarily on par with some of the past Team USAs.

On Sunday, Team USA struggled to beat Spain in a warmup , narrowly winning 86-85. Team USA has one more exhibition, against Greece tomorrow, before the World Championships begin on August 28th.

The FIBA World Championships are structured similar to the soccer World Cup. There are 24 countries divided into 4 groups of 6 teams, with a preliminary round and a knockout stage. In the preliminary round, each team plays games against the other five teams in their group. The USA in Group B will play Brazil, Croatia, Tunisia, Slovenia, and Iran. The top 4 in each group move on to the knockout stage, which is like the "Sweet 16."

It looks like the USA, despite their inexperience should easily make it into Knockout Stage, but from there who knows. Obviously the close win against Spain, proves their vulnerability. Winning the World Championships, would make a strong statement of USA Basketball, especially since the caliber of Team USA's squad is not the best that it could field.

Follow the 2010 World Championships via the FIBA America's Website

Jim Caple's "Baseball in my Backyard" Series

Seattle-based ESPN writer Jim Caple has completed a five-part series of articles about different levels of baseball "in his backyard." The series "Baseball in my Backyard" illustrates the tremendous differences between various levels of baseball, from the luxuries present in Major League Baseball to the struggles present in independent ball. If you are a baseball fan, or simply interested in the lifestyle of professional baseball players, Caple's series really shows how becoming a major league is truly and unglamorous road.

There are 5 articles, and each article has the link to the rest. I'll link my two favorite articles:

One Last Chance: profiles the Victoria team in the Golden Baseball League, an independent baseball league.

Life of Luxury in the Majors: profiles the Seattle Mariners Clubhouse

Lou Pinella Raising the Standard

Before the Cubs game on Sunday, the Cubs and Lou Pinella announced annouced he was stepping down at the end of Sunday's game after 23 years as a manager and 1835 wins. Previously on July 20, Pinella had announced that 2010 would be his final season as a major league manager and had intended to stay in his position for the remainder of the season. However, with his mother's declining health Lou was unable to remain with the team past this weekend.

Effective Monday, Cubs 3rd base coach Mike Quade, a former manager for the Cubs Triple-A team, will take over as manager for the rest of 2010. Presumably, the Cubs will decide on their next manager following the conclusion of the World Series. The Cubs next manager will not be Alan Trammell, who GM Jim Hendry ruled out as a candidate to become the Cubs next manager. Much attention has been given to the prospect of Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg becoming the team's next manager.

I think Lou Pinella's term as the Cubs manager should be thought of in high regard. Of course, the Cubs season hasn't gone the way anyone would have imagined, Pinella had no control over the player's contracts and respective performances. Overall, as the Cubs' boss, Pinella was compiled a 316-393 record with the club over three-plus seasons. He guided the team to the National League Central title in his first and second years in 2007-08, and the Cubs posted the best record in the NL in '08 at 97-64. After the 2008 season, Pinella was named manager of the year. Most significantly, I believe, is the fact that Pinella is the first Cubs manager in 100 years to lead the team to consecutive postseason appearances.

Lou Pinella's legacy on the Cubs organization is that he has elevated the standard of success that Cub fans expect. While he didn't lead the team to a championship, Pinella has I think because of Pinella's efforts, Cubs fans consider the playoffs as a basic benchmark of the team's performance. Pinella came into the organization and changed the team's culture. Unfortunately, Pinella did not have a great deal of success and the Cubs lost to the Braves on his final day. Nevertheless, the team has struggled and Sandberg, or whoever gets the job next year, has a lot of work to do.

I also think the Cubs did the right thing in not using the rest of the season to let Sandberg show what he can do. Sandberg would not have a fair advantage because there is little to play for this season. If he was called to manage and the team preformed poorly, it would simply not make him look good/prepared as a major league manager.

Thank Goodness for the Pirates...

Because the Cubs are an absolute train wreck this season. Their loss to the Braves yesterday, marked their eight straight loss at Wrigley Field (The Unfriendly Confines), and dropped the team to a record of 50-73. Although the Cubs are 21.5 games behind the division-leading Cincinnati Reds, they are not in last place. The perennial losers, the Pittsburgh Pirates stand at 40-82 after losing last night.

The Pirates' loss last night assured them of their 18th consecutive losing season, extending the longest losing streak in American pro sports history. However, this season is one of the Pirates worst. They are nearly on pace to break the single season loss record and have 4 pitchers who have lost 10 or more games. In comparison, the Cubs' Randy Wells is the only pitcher on the team with 10 or more losses. To really put the Pirates last two decades in perspective, consider this:

-During their 18 season losing streak:
-The Pirates have never been 7 games above .500 in any point.
-In the same time span, the Pittsburgh Steelers who play 1/10 of the games as the Pirates, have achieved that mark 4 times

Thanks to the Pirates, it seems unlikely that the Cubs will finish in last place. However, it still remains possible that the Cubs will lose 100 games.

At 50-73, there are 38 games remaining. If my math is right, the Cubs will lose 100 games if they go worse then 11-27. The Cubs in August are 4-14, and 2-8 in their last ten, so 100 remains very possible.

Yikes!

Why you should go to an NU game

The first full Saturday of College Football is only two weeks away! Like many other Cubs fans, I am eagerly awaiting a diversion for the train wreck that is the Cubs in 2010. College Football in my opinion is the best spectator sport, because of the passion that fans have, and everyone should make it to at least one college football game at one point. Obviously as a Northwestern fan, I'm a little biased as to where that game should be. However if your busy in two weeks, that's not a problem as Northwestern will not be playing in Evanston. September 4th is also the opener for Northwestern against Vanderbilt in Nashville, but their home opener against Illinois State occurs a week later. Here are some reasons that a Northwestern Football game is worth the price of admission and your time.

1. Northwestern is a good team. The Wildcats have won 17 games over the past two seasons and have made two straight appearances in bowl games. Northwestern is simply a very competitive team (and that's not always been the case). NU has never made bowl games in three consecutive appearances and has a very good chance of doing so this season.

2. Northwestern is Chicago's Big Ten team. If you want to see Big Ten Football and you live in the Chicago area, Northwestern is the closest school to go watch Big Ten Football.

3. Tickets are affordable and easy to get. Unlike the Chicago Bears, its relatively easy to purchase NU tickets and there are plenty of good seats still available. Additionally, you won't break the bank purchasing Northwestern tickets, which start out at $15 for some games.

4. Ryan Field, Northwestern's stadium is not nearly as intimidating as other college football venues, if this is your first game. Ryan Field seats about 47,000, which may seem like a lot, but Michigan Stadium seats 109,000. Ryan Field is definitely a great stepping stone to trips to some of college football's most hallowed grounds.

5. It's fun

Click here for tickets

North Shore Mosquito Spraying: Tonight (8/17) and Tomorrow Night

If you live in the North Shore, tonight and tomorrow night, the North Shore Mosquito Abatement Department might be spraying in your area, so make sure to close your windows if you don't want the chemical spray residue entering your house.

The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District
has Scheduled targeted adulticiding operations in portions of
Glenview, Northfield, Wilmette & Winnetka:
for Tuesday August 17th, 2010 between the hours of
8:00pm-2:00am
WEATHER PERMITTING.....

AND Evanston, Skokie, Niles, and Morton Grove on Wednesday August 18th, 2010 between the hours of
8:00PM-2:00AM,
WEATHER PERMITTING.....

Click here for more info

Looking to Travel?

If anyone is looking to travel, JetBlue Airlines is offering a one month passes for $499 and $699, which will allow travelers to go on unlimited flights for the duration of a month.

Baseball Bits

Back from vacation...

Bobby Thomson, who hit one of the most famous home runs in baseball history, passed away Monday night. In 1951, Thomson hit a home run, deemed the "The Shot Heard Round The World," which helped the New York Giants defeat their arch rival Brooklyn Dodgers and go to the World Series.

Bryce Harper, the top overall pick by the Washington Nationals in the 2010 MLB Draft, agreed on to a contract with the team just minutes before the signing deadline. Harper is somewhat like baseball's LeBron James, who he was compared to in a Sports Illustrated article last year. He is just 17 years old, and skipped his final two years of high school to get a GED and play baseball at a community college.

New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez is likely out for the season, as a result of a thumb injury that occurred during his domestic altercation. Sports Illustrated's Michael McCann writes about the possibility of the Mets' being able to void Rodriguez's contract.

For the non-sports fan at college

For non-sports fans at college (or who went to college), the money universities allocate towards their athletic departments can easily seem unjustifiable or wrong. While some students go to Kansas for basketball games at Allen Fieldhouse and Ohio State for football in the Horseshoe, athletics have little to do with many prospective students college choices. Especially at small schools, which may not even field a football team, athletic experiences can be hard to justify to students who don't care about sports.

At many colleges, the basketball or football coach may be the highest paid employee, which in an academic institution may seem unjust for those whose choice of education had little or nothing to do with sports. Click the links for contracts of Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber, and Kansas basketball coach Bill Self, courtesy of USA Today. In short, college basketball and football (the two sports that make universities the most money) get paid a lot and it comes across as unfair to some. I know this first-hand from an argument that ensued during one of my classes at Bradley (Basketball coach Jim Les is the school's highest paid employee, including President Glasser).

Especially during tough economic times, as ESPN.com's Dana O'Neil points out, it can be hard to justify the merits of college sports. One of the biggest reasons coaches are paid so much is because of success on the playing field can improve the perception of a college like few other things. O'Neil's article mentions how Northern Iowa's run in the NCAA Tournament helped dramatically increase both awareness and contributions to the school. During their NCAA tournament run, Northern Iowa experienced a 1,577 % increase in online store sales and a 30 % increase in admissions calls.

For the non-sports fan, the attention given to college sports teams can be overwhelming and obnoxious. Yes, its true their are more important things than sports that should never be forgotten at a college. The academic mission of a university should always remain a priority, but their is certainly a place for sports. Sports have the potential to help every aspect of a university. At smaller schools and private schools, like Northern Iowa and Bradley, sports success benefits at a greater degree than your typical state school. Simply put, more people nationally are aware of Bradley when the basketball or soccer teams have success on a national stage.

For the non-sports fan, I'm not saying you should run out and by season tickets or follow every game, but just to simply recognize that sports can elevate the profile of your university.

Mark Prior back in Baseball

Former Cubs All-Star pitcher Mark Prior has signed and made his debut with the independent league Orange County Flyers. He last pitched in the majors in 2006 and spent last season in the San Diego Padres minor league system. I wonder how much he has left in the tank. I'm sure Prior will get an invite to some major league team's spring training in 2011.

Movie about Indian Pitchers in the works

In a twist on Slumdog Millionaire, there is a movie in the works about two Indian minor-league pitchers who grew up poor in Lucknow, India and finished first and second in a reality TV show called "Million Dollar Arm." Before the reality TV show, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel had never touched a baseball, but went on to sign contracts with the Pittsburgh Pirates, becoming the first Indian players to sign baseball contacts in the US . Singh and Patel are currently withBrandenton in the Gulf Coast League.

As indicated in the article the movie script has almost finished being written and the movie should be done next year. I can't wait to see it.

More links on Singh and Patel:

-Visit their blog, The Million Dollar Arm Blog

Rinku Singh's baseball stats

Dinesh Patel baseball stats

Technology Update

-Today, Amazon slashed the price of the Kindle to $139 hoping it can compete with its latest challenger, the iPad.

-I read today in the New York Times, that New Meadowlands Stadium, the new home of the New York Giants and Jets, have created an smartphone app that will allow fans to see video replays, updated statistics and live video from other games, but it will only work inside of the stadium. I think this is really cool.

Follow up from Monday

Following up on the blog post I made about Jeremiah Masoli and college football being shameless , today it was confirmed that Masoli is in fact headed to the University of Mississipi for grad school, which will make him eligible to play for one season for the Ole Miss football team. The interesting part about Ole Miss taking on Masoli, is that it is the second time coach Huston Nutt has added a play with a suspect past. Wonder how it will turn out.

Masoli's old team, the University of Oregon, has been picked by the media to defend its Pac-10 title in a preseason poll.

Sports Shorts

-Sad day for Northwestern basketball. Last night it was announced that Northwestern star Kevin Coble is giving up his final year of basketball eligibility and will not play in the upcoming 2010-11 college basketball season. Its a pretty rare decision for a player of Coble's talent level to insist on not playing rather than simply taking graduate classes to maintain eligibility. Northwestern still has a pretty good core group of players coming back and I still think they have a good chance to make it the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

There have now been 5 no-hitters (including the 2 perfect games) pitched in baseball this season. Did you know that the average attendance of the 5 perfect games is around 21,000, and well below the league average?

-With the MLB trade deadline approaching, Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly may have pitched his last game as a Cub.

-I just saw a Chicago Tribune article from last Friday, offering suggesting that the Big Ten should have its Football championship in one location, which of course will start next year when Nebraska joins the Big 10 (which will include 12 schools). Of course, there are many viable options for hosting the Big Ten Football Championship Game around the Midwest. However, I definitely agree with the article and think it would be better to have the game in one location, than to rotate sites. The Big Ten Basketball tournament, is always in Indianapolis, and I think geographically, it would make sense to also have the football game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

BP CEO to Step Down, Recieve Huge Pension

The posts I've made today center around people I think are scumbags. Today, it was announced that BP CEO Tony Hayward is going to step down from the company's top job in October 1st and will be offered a post at the company's TNK-BP joint venture in Russia. Even before the announcement, it seemed pretty sure that Mr. Hayward wouldn't have a line a people wishing him good luck in his future endeavors. More people will not like him now, as set to receive a pension of around £600,000 a year from BP after he steps down, reported by BBC business editor Robert Peston. Really, dude/sir/@$$hole, you need more money?? This definitely won't help save his image .Ever.

College Football can be Shamless

In May, I blogged about some of the troubles at the University of Oregon, including the rap sheet of UO's quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and their attempts to clean up their athletic program. Masoli, who was kicked off of the Ducks' football team on June 9th after his 2nd arrest in 6 months, is now being courted by Mississippi . By the way, Masoli's arrests were for burglary and marijuana possession. It seems crazy that Mississippi coach Huston Nutt would be willing to add a felon to his program. Jeremiah Masoli represents one of my pet peeves in college football: that a felons sometimes get countless chances.

For those who don't like college football, there is probably the same or greater ratio of players with a long rap sheets in the NFL, so this problem isn't just limited to the college game.

USC Deserves What It Gets

In the latest non-football related news about USC Football, USC head coach Lane Kiffin has been sued by the Tennessee Titans for luring away a Titans assistant football coach to become the USC offensive coordinator. The Titans' issue is with Kiffin's approach and professionalism. Kiffin is already disliked in the state of Tennessee for leaving his post as the head coach of UT to take the USC job after 1 season.

The USC job became vacant after Pete Carroll cowardly left USC in the midst of NCAA investigations centering around his star running back Reggie Bush. The NCAA came down hard on USC, and I think it was the right thing to do. Not everyone agrees though. None of the players on the USC football team played with Bush, and for the freshman and sophomores on the team, Bush might not have even been an influence. Unfortunately, the NCAA can't punish former head coaches because Carroll is the one who deserves it.

Caroll has gotten out from the accusations pretty clean. Just a few weeks ago, he was all over the various ESPN platforms to promote his new book "Win Forever," and somehow has emerged as a motivational rock star. A great column by CBS', Gregg Doyel highlights what kind of person Carroll really is . He's a scumbag and a coward who gets away with breaking rules and ruining reputations. In a lot of ways, he's just like BP CEO Tony Hayward; they are both able to walk away from their problems while others suffer the consequences. While Pete Carroll was not responsible for a national catastrophe like Hayward, he did affect the lives of his players, fans, and alumni of USC. My guess is that if Heyward published a book about his rise to the boardroom, it would not sell.



Kiffin is just as bad as Carroll, and is not just vilified in Tennessee, but around the country. This season, Kiffin will have an athletic director who appears to be serious about taking USC in a new direction. In the meantime, I'm sure many fans, myself included will be rooting for USC's downfall. As a Northwestern fan, it makes me appreciate the fact that NU coach Pat Fitzgerald does things the right way.

Monday tidbits

-In November, Proposition 19 in California will decide if the state should legalize marijuana products/activity. Relating to Proposition 19, the New York Times has an online archive of coverage, as well as an article about the divided attitudes towards Proposition 19. Proposition 19 is supported by a wide range of public officials, the California NCAAP, the Drug Policy Alliance, and the American Federation of teachers.

-Harry Caray's restaurant in Chicago is offering a $50,000 award for whoever has the puck that Patrick Kane scored to win the Stanley Cup.

-Forever 21 has announced the launch of a maternity line seen as a controversial move in a few states.

-Video of the day: A grandma in Florida skydiving on her 90th birthday .

Transformers 3 in Chicago

For the past few days, filming for the movie Transformers 3 has taken place in Chicago. Filming runs through the end of the month in downtown Chicago and a Chicago Tribune blog covers details of the filming on-goings.

Saturday Random topics

Hope everyone is having a great Saturday. Here are some random links of information:

As result of a food study, the five second rule has been called into question,Clemson University food scientist Paul Dawson found that salmonella and other dangerous bacteria can remain alive up to four weeks on dry surfaces -- like floors -- and can be instantly transferred to dropped food>. However, I still think I'll follow the five second rule, obviously I'll go "zero second rule" if its something really nasty. I feel like you can get more bacteria from touching a sink in a public bathroom or shaking hands with someone. Anyways,here's a YouTube Video of Dawson demonstrating the perils of the 5 second rule.

On the island of Corsica (its part of France, near Italy), Paris Hilton got caught with some marijuana, but released without charges...Luck of being a celebrity?

Here is a Metromix sideshow of "cheap places to eat in Chicago"

In sports today,

The Bulls signed Ronnie Brewer yesterday, the third player from last season's Utah Jazz roster to sign with the team. However, free agent Brad Miller has signed with the Rockets. The Bulls are still looking for a backup center and a backup guard.

Also, a bunch of Notre Dame athletes, including the son of Joe Montana were arrested at a party.

Cool All-Star Game Stats

During the All-Star Game, the broadcasters mentioned some pretty cool stats about some of the All-Stars:

Before the Game, the AL was unbeaten in 13 straight All-Star Games, including 7 straight wins.

David Price: youngest All-Star starting pitcher since Doc Gooden
Albert Pujols: on pace to be the first player to have 10 years straight of .300, 30 HR and 100 RBI
Ryan Howard: His 215 home runs since 2006 are the most in baseball
David Wright: last year (.307, 10 HR, 72 RBI), this year (.314, 14 HR, 65 RBI)
Ryan Braun: 1st Brewer to start 3 All-Star games in a row
Vladimir Guerrero: Most HR and RBI for anyone who switched teams with, has 11 seasons of .300 BA and 25 RBIs
Joe Mauer: 3 time batting champion, batting 7th in the AL lineup
Andre Eithier: Never played center field in the big leagues (started in the All-Star game)
Robinson Cano: 990 Hits since his debut leads Major League Second Baseman
Andy Pettitte: 103 games over .500
Josh Johnson: has won 31 of his last 40 decisions
Derek Jeter: through 36 years and 72 days, has more hits than Pete Rose (all-time hits leader)
Roy Halladay: 51 complete games since 2003, by far the most in baseball since then
David Ortiz: 292 HR as a DH, most in baseball history for a DH
Ian Kinsler: .398 career hitter at Angel Stadium

All Star Game thoughts

*I liked how FOX opened with the Steinbrenner tribute. It was a very good piece and shows that they were able to adapt on the fly with the news of George Steinbrenner's passing today.
*The player introductions are one of my favorite parts of the All-Star game and their were huge cheers for the Angels two players, Jered Weaver and Torri Hunter, as well as their manager. Red Sox and Yankees players received lots of boos. One Yankee All-star, Mariano Rivera was not in attendance even though he wasn't planning to pitch, but should've been there.
*Ichiro got a ton of applause as did former Angel Vladimir Guerrero
*As Cliff Lee was introduced, I thought of how it's probably the first time a lot of people have seen him in a Rangers uniform since his trade from the Mariners.
*I hadn't heard of Glee's Amber Riley (I don't watch the show) but she did a good job singing.
*The AL lineup was stacked; Joe Mauer (3x batting champ) batting 7th, Cano batting 8th!
*Derek Jeter's recorded introduction from the late Bob. Sheppard was awesome.
*Did I mention there's great pitching.

Being a Movie Extra in Chicago

While looking for jobs yesterday, my Mom gave me the idea of being a movie extra, as sort of a part-time, fun thing to do. I'd love to be a movie extra once; I hear the pay is good and you get to be in a movie, which would be pretty cool. So I looked into it a little more.

While Chicago isn't necessarily the first city you think of when it comes to movie production, more movies are produced in Chicago than you think. As this eHow article mentions, Chicago has a bustling and vibrant film community. As the "How to Be a Movie Extra in Chicago" article mentions, the Chicago Film Office is a great resource for finding movies filming or filmed in the city, casting calls, and a list of upcoming filmings. The Chicago Film Office also has a list of famous movies made in Chicago.

If you are interested in becoming a movie extra, Craigslist's tv/video/film section is a good place to keep looking for job posts, as well as the Chicago Film Office.

My First Sports Satire Article

My first sports satire article for jockism.com was approved and published. Check it out: MLB Forced to Stock All-Star Game rosters with Futures Game Players

Baseball gets political

The 2011 MLB All-Star Game will still be held as planned in Phoenix next year, which is not the most popular decision in the baseball community. This is not necessarily new; when the immigration law was first enacted, there was dismay about Phoenix as the All-Star location and pressure for MLB to move the All-Star Game. However, nothing happened. In mid-May, commissioner Bud Selig announced that the game would stay in Phoenix.

However, with the on-going 2010 All-Star Game, the 2011 ASG in Phoenix has been revisited. Some of the Hispanic-born have drawn notice to Arizona's immigration law and are hesitant to participate in the 2011 ASG, if selected. In a report today, Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Yovanni Gallardo vowed to boycott an Arizona All-Star game. Other players such as Joakim Soria and Jose Valverde would also support a Latino boycott.

In other news today, Selig received 100,000 petitions to move the games from Phoenix. There has been increased media coverage about the possibility of moving out the All-Star Game. The Washington Post called for Selig to take a stand against bigotry and intolerance. The article also mentions the fact that nearly a third of major leaguers are Hispanic born. The politicization of the 2011 All-Star Game was also part of Amy Nelson's ESPN's Outside the Lines story today focusing on the civil rights aspects of Arizona's Immigration Law.

The extent of the law or if it gets overturned, would help build momentum for a boycott or suppress the notion all together. I'm not sure if the All-Star Game should be moved from Phoenix just because of the law or not. Every National League team (half the teams in baseball) play at least one series in Phoenix, so latin players are constantly playing baseball there with nothing changed yet. However, the law hasn't taken effect yet, either so it is hard to tell how things will change.

Arizona's Immigration Law (SB 1070) can be read here.

New Part Time Job!

While looking for jobs, I went on Craiglist and saw the perfect job description for me. They were looking for a Writer for a Google News Sports Satire site , and I thought it would be a perfect way to have a cool part-time job where I write about sports with a funny twist to it.

I sent my resume and a writing sample in an email, and within minutes, I received a reply. They said that they liked my blog and thought it would be a good match. So I am now a writer for jockism.com. I have submitted my first article for approval, so I hope it gets published. I will post a link to the article if it goes through :)

Baseball All-Star Game tidbits

With the start of the All-Star break at the conclusion of yesterday's games, the All-Star rosters have basically been determined. I blogged last week about how the rosters have increased to 34 players in each league and yet their were still players deserving to go. As it turns out, the total number of All-Stars this year is 82, an unbelievable amount. The rosters had to be finalized yesterday because any pitcher who pitched on Sunday would be ineligible for the All-Star game, necessitating a replacement.

In other news, the Home Run Derby is scheduled for 8 PM ET tonight on ESPN and ESPN3.com.

Great Red Sox Column

If your a Red Sox fan or even a baseball fan in general, be sure to check out Jeff Passan's column aboutDaniel Nava and Darnell McDonald, two outfielders who have made their way into the Red Sox starting line-up, despite long-odds against them.

MLB All-Star Game Selections

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July holiday weekend.

Over the weekend, the Major League Baseball
All-Star teams were announced. This year, the selection of the All-Stars was probably more scrutinized then most years because of the question surrounding whether rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg should make the All-Star team despite having only made six starts before the rosters came out on July 3rd. Here are the rosters, of which Strasburg was left out of the National League team. While some believe that MLB should have displayed its biggest phenom to a national audience, Philles manager Charlie Manuel (the manager of the NL All-Star team) justified his decision not to include Strasburg. Manuel did the right thing, I believe. There is simply too much great pitching in the National League, to leave out a veteran who has pitched 3 times as much as Strasburg. While there is still the possibility that Strasburg can be selected as an injury replacement, I hope more deserving pitchers get selected.

This leads me to my other thoughts about the selection of the MLB All-Stars:

1.Even though the All-Star rosters have increased to 34, there are still many deserving players left out...

2. such as Cincinati's Joey Votto. Votto is a candidate for the Final Man on the NL Roster and you can vote for him here. He is leading the National League in OBP (On base % plus slugging %), and is easily the biggest snub of the all-star picks. So far he is leading the Final Man competition. I hope he gets it, he deserves it...

3. as does Jered Weaver of the Angels, who is leading the American League in strikeouts, but did not get selected to the dismay of teammates and his manager Mike Scioscia. I think it is weird that the Angels, who are hosting the All-Star Game only have one representative. Teams who are hosting the All-Star Game should have mulitiple representatives if they are deserving such as Weaver...

4. but naturally, every team has to have one representative, which I think is the right thing to do as long as players on bad teams have had seasons worthy of All-Star consideration. For the most part, the players who are their teams' sole representatives were selected by their peers to the All-Star teams and were good enough to be considered an All-Star.

5. The most baffling pick of the All-Star teams was Atlanta's Omar Infante, a pretty good utility player but certainly not an All-Star. He's a decent player, but doesn't even have enough at bats to qualify as a statistical leader. Futher reason to vote for Joey Votto.

NBA Free Agency: Why College Basketball is better

Today, is the first official day of NBA Free Agency and also the day where the NBA's biggest stars (LeBron, D'Wayne Wade, etc.) can officially begin their negotiations with NBA teams. The hype is incomparable to any free agent class in any sport. Even though no body has official sign, which would be actual news, coverage of the free agent process is all over shown ESPN. One of the reasons why I'm not the biggest NBA fan, is because it is such a star-driven league. For any team that LeBron joins(if he leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron is all of the sudden bigger than the franchise. The NBA teams are so dependent on their superstars that without them, they lose instant credibility. Remember the Bulls when MJ left? No one cared about them anymore. The NBA is even more picky; you can't just have a star, but one that appeals to a global audience and controls the destiny of the league. At least with college basketball, people can root for a team year in and year out.

Blagojevich is crazy

I know the post title isn't a newly discovered phenomenon, but further evidence of Rod Blagojevich's insanity can be found from his spending records from the IRS . According to the IRS, Blagojevich spent more money on high-end suits than on the mortgage of his home. Over the course of the time he was governor, Blagojevich and his wife spent $400,000 on clothes.

Blagojevich is in the middle of his trial and is being charged in 24 counts with misusing his powers as governor to extort campaign contributions from those seeking legislation, appointments or other favors. More information on his trial can be found at the Chicago Tribune Blagojevich Archive or the Tribune's Chronology of the Investigation

McDonald's Menu Swap: Big 'N Tasty out, Oatmeal in

A Chicago Tribune article posted today, describes how McDonald's is changing their menu . The main change is that they are taking out the Big N'Tasty (which failed to compete with Burger King's Whoppper and are now planning to offer oatmeal as a breakfast option...

Wait, McDonald's and oatmeal/healthy eating in the same sentence? Crazy, huh? My mom always made me eat oatmeal when I was little and I thought it was the grossest thing in the world. But it makes sense. It seems like every mega-chain restaurant (i.e. Subway, Starbucks) are offering breakfast sandwiches, so the Sausage McMuffin is losing its edge. The test runs of the oatmeal, which will be apparently sold for $1.99, have been successful. Who knows, maybe McDonald's and Oatmeal can be like Wendy's and Chili?

It makes me wonder if McDonald's cares about their customers health or if it is just about making a profit and gaining a competitive edge on Burger King, Subway, and Starbucks. I'm not knocking McDonald's. For what it is, it has a great business model: fast, cheap food. McDonald's will never, ever be a bastion of health, so is it worth it to spend all the time developing healthy food items like oatmeal for the health-conscious people who probably don't go near McDonald's. It will be interesting to see how successful oatmeal will be on the McDonald's menu

So this is what happens in Senate...

In Senate, the conformation hearing for Elena Kagan, Obama's appointee for the Supreme Court opening is taking place. You would think this would be a serious process, after all, Kagan (if approved) could influence our country's judicial system for the next decade. However, one of the questions asked to Kagan today by Senator Amy Klobuchar was Team Edward or Team Jacob? in reference to the Twilight films. Kagan declined the question, in part because she had not seen the film and probably because it is irrelevant to how she would rule as a justice. Really, a US Senator asking about Twilight?
In the senator's defense, Kagan kind of set the tone for this seemingly loose confirmation hearing. Yesterday, Kagan made a joke after being asked where she was on Christmas, the day of an attempted bombing attempt on board a plain. In response, she said "Like all Jews, I was probably at Chinese restaurant." I guess its good that she has a sense of humor, but shouldn't she and the senators be taking this a little more seriously?

Larry King is stepping down!

Today, it was announced on CNN's website that Larry King is hanging up the suspenders. The TV icon is planning to step down as the host of Larry King Live sometime this fall. Though his most recent news has come from the tabloids from his divorce filing and reconciliation with his 8th wife, Larry King's show had become the longest running show with the same host and the same time slot. The article indicates that King desired to leave on his own terms. Nevertheless, King had a remarkable career and was the guy to be interviewed by. Besides his TV fame, King was in 20 movies, and also the author of a best-selling autobiography, "My Remarkable Journey."

Olympic History Books/ My Summer Reading

Lately, I've been reading a lot about Olympic History, and I am currently reading "Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics" by Jeremy Schaap, the ESPN reporter. I am about halfway through and I would highly recommend it. The Nazi Olympics, held in Berlin in 1936, are particularly fascinating as they are probably the prime example about how politics are very much so a part of sports. While Schaap's book focuses mostly about Jesse Owens' experience, it does go into detail about the Nazi planning of the games.



This is probably a shot in the dark, but if you are interested in this subject, David Clay Large's "Nazi Games: The Olympics of 1936" is also a good read. It is more focused on the both the Summer and Winter Olympics of 1936 (Germany won the rights to both Olympics that year).

Another great book about Olympic History is David Mariniss' "Rome 1960," perhaps the first truly modern Olympics. It was the first Olympics with TV and faced the struggle between amateurism and professional athletes. Many all-time great athletes competed in these games. From the American team alone: track greats Rafer Johnson and Wilma Rudolph, NBA legends Oscar Robertson and Jerry West, and future heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. Rome 1960: The Summer Olympics That Stirred the World

Bradley vs. Duke

In a Peoria Journal Star article published yesterday, it was announced that the Bradley Basketball will play at Duke in the upcoming 2010-11 basketball season. The defending champion,Duke beat Butler last April to win the 2010 NCAA Tournament, andthis match certainly won't be easy. According to a more extended article, Duke and Bradley meet previously in 1951, when Bradley was one of the best basketball teams in the country. The tables have turned, and while Bradley has not been awful the past few years, they certainly have not achieved the national prominence they had when they made the Sweet 16 in 2006.

When it comes to scheduling, many schools believe that it is smart to schedule easier opponents, which may guarantee more wins. However, in the past few years, teams have been criticized and even potentially left out of the NCAA tournament field because their strength of schedule was not good enough.

I think that it is great and gutsy that Bradley scheduled this game against Duke. Duke, with a long winning streak against non-conference opponents, will be heavily favored. However, Bradley is challenging itself and will get good exposure from throwing itself out there. By playing such a quality team like Duke early in the season, Bradley will be able to measure its team against one of the best in the country. Their are a lot of players coming back, including Andrew Warren, Sam Maniscalco, and Taylor Brown, and Bradley has the potential to once re-emerge as a MVC power.

I'm back!

I've officially graduated Bradley University, and spent the past few weeks recovering from ACL Surgery (I tore my ACL in February playing basketball), and now I'm going to try to blog more often. Since graduation and the surgery on June 3rd, I've been looking for a grown-up job and when ever I need a break from tedious job searches, I will definitely make sure to blog.