Sunday, February 24, 2008

Thank goodness for 4-day weekends

My world has been turned upside down since this semester began. Mostly because of my work with the Daily Egyptian, the student newspaper of SIU.

I'm starting to get a hang of balancing school and work, but I'll admit that it's tough because working at the DE is almost like having a full-time job. Maybe I'm too dedicated to the cause (because I'm always thinking about my next story) or maybe covering men's and women's swimming, track and field, tennis and golf might be considered quite a handful for a first job.

So when I realized we'd have a four-day weekend because C-Dale was "iced out" and that I wouldn't have a story in the newspaper 'til Tuesday, I just thought that I'd let loose for the first time this semester.

So basically I spent my Friday doing another fantasy baseball draft and getting Cubs bleacher tickets and my Friday night getting wasted. There was a lot of people I got to see this weekend that I hadn't seen in a while and that was cool.

I spent my Saturday afternoon watching SIU stomp Nevada during ESPNU's O'Reilly Auto Parts BracketBuster Saturday and that rocked watching SIU defeat a team with a projected second round pick who was averaging 20-something points per game and a 7-footer that is a projected first round pick in 2009.

Long story short, SIU guard Tyrone Green shut down Nevada's Marcelus Kemp and Randal Falker made UNR big-man JaVale McGee look like Patrick O'Bryant.

Unless there is a gigantic snowstorm that hits SIU overnight, it will be back to work for me and the rest of the student body in Carbondale.

Hey, life has to resume sometime.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Live from the MVC Swimming & Diving Championships

2:42 PM In a move that might lead me into future endeavors, I've decided to 'live blog' day three of the MVC Swimming & Diving Championships. As most of you may know, I cover men's & women's swimming and diving for the Daily Egyptian at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

I've never 'live blogged' before, and something like this may inspire me to spawn a SIU-only sports blog. I've dabbled with a focused blog before, but the since-deleted Cubs blog failed because school and work got in the way. But when school, work and something I love come together, it might come together in a very awesome way.

Finals starts at 4 p.m.

Background:

SIU is going for its second consecutive MVC Championship, and is currently in second place with 519.5 points. Missouri State starts the day with 591 points. I talked to Coach Rick Walker last night, and he reminded me that this isn't unchartered water for the Salukis (pun intended). SIU entered the final day of the meet behind MSU last year and came back to win the whole darned thing.

Here's hoping the Salukis can do it again.

3:02 PM

Current Standings:

  1. Missouri State University- 591
  2. Southern Illinois University- 519.5
  3. Illinois State University- 461.5
  4. University of Northern Iowa- 240
  5. University of Evansville- 209
3:46 PM

Currently, they're honoring the seniors. One of the things I love about college sports is honoring the seniors. Four years of the balancing act that is being a student-athlete is impressive and each member deserves to be honored.

3:58 PM

The National Anthem has just been sung and the meet will soon be underway. Sidenote: I love SIU's pre-game jig is great. The only way to describe it is fun to watch. The one thing I do know is that it's done in a bunch of different languages and that in itself makes it cool!

4:26 PM

MSU's Matana Wellman wins the 1650 yard freestyle with an un-official time of 1726.17. SIU's Karin Mullendore finishes 7 with 18:17.01.

4:32 PM SCOREBOARD UPDATE

MSU- 672
SIU- 531.5
ISU- 490.5
UNI- 254
UE- 228

4:40 PM

SIU junior Kelly Dvorak wins the 200-yd backstroke with a time of 2:02.28. Dani Quarry finishes 6th with a time of 2:08.44.

4:49 PM SCOREBOARD UPDATE

MSU- 717
SIU- 570.5
ISU- 516.5
UNI- 280
UE- 247

4:54 PM

SIU sophomore Therese Mattsson won the 100-yard freestyle, with teammates Isabel Madeira, Tovah Gasparovich and Emily Duerringer finishing in third, fourth and sixth place respectively.

5:02 PM SCOREBOARD UPDATE

MSU- 746
SIU- 627.5
ISU- 554.5
UNI- 293
UE- 265

And the question is: where can SIU get 118.5 points? Only time will tell.

5:14 PM

SIU senior Julie Ju picks up a victory in the women's 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:15.99. Teammates Marcela Teixeira and Keli Kramer finished in third and seventh places respectively.

Blogger's Note: I guess now would be a good time to note that all times posted here are unofficial.

5:21 PM SCOREBOARD UPDATE


MSU- 780
SIU- 675.5
ISU- 603.5
UNI- 309
UE- 272

5:31

SIU swimmers Lisa Jaquez and Abby Blank finished in third and fifth places respectively in the 200-yard butterfly. Unfortunately for the Salukis, MSU's Breanna Hollar picked up the top spot with a time of 2:06.04. The Bears are inching towards the MVC title with only two events remaining.

5:38 SCOREBOARD UPDATE

MSU- 840
SIU 714.5
ISU- 633.5
UNI- 316
UE- 291

Whispers of SIU being mathematically eliminated sadden me. I'm not sure SIU can make up 125.5 points in two events. If that is the case, congrats to MSU. Time for diving, that means time for an extended break.

6:27 UPDATE

We're back and we're live from Carbondale. The Salukis are down 125.5 points heading into the women's 400-yard freestyle relay. It's not over, but it's over enough to crown MSU as the champions.

SIU's 400 yard freestyle relay team finishes the meet on a strong note, finishing first with an unofficial time of 3:27.06.

6:42 FINAL SCOREBOARD UPDATE

MSU- 942
SIU- 774.5
ISU- 715.5
UNI- 346
UE- 335

Those are your official scores. Congrats to the Missouri State Bears--2008 State Farm/Missouri Valley Conference Champions in Women's Swimming & Diving.

That's it, for now. Goodnight, from Carbondale!

Friday, February 15, 2008

The Obligatory Valentine’s Day Post II

Since I am a journalism major, I guess it would only be right that I write a little post-game blog after Valentine’s Day. So here goes nothing:

First, I’d like to send my best wishes to Northern Illinois University. I know NIU was on my “enemies list” after hiring former SIU head coach Jerry Kill, but all jokes aside, my thoughts are with those that attend school in Some lunatic opened fire, wounding students and had me (and many of my friends and colleagues) worried about NIU. It’s sad that things like this continue to happen anywhere, let alone college campuses.

Next, I’d like to say V-Day went without much glitz or glamour. I didn’t do anything special, I didn’t even get a chance to eat my Fannie May chocolates that I got from my mother. The last two years, V-Day has just come-and-gone without much fanfare and I have not minded one bit!

I’d also like to take this opportunity to say that I hope that everyone had a happy V-Day! No matter if you hate it or love it, I hope that you have good days everyday—no matter what “holiday” is or is not taking place.

The majority of this blog now turns its attention to my Valentine, Erin Andrews.

Erin Andrews is almost perfect. I say almost because her only flaw is that she is a fan of the Green Bay Packers, but I can get over that (that coming from the guy who has fallen in love with girls who were Cardinals and White Sox fans.) Seriously, there’s something sexy about a girl who not only knows her sports, but can break it down and look good while doing so.

Anyway, I bring it up because of a newsworthy interview EA does with some Philadelphia sports talk radio station. Blogsite Awful Announcing has the perfect headline and some intriguing notes:

  • “I’m sure the next hot blonde is going to walk in the door and take my job.” I guess that’s the nature of the beast, but EA is kidding herself if she doesn’t think she is the Gold Standard of sideline reporters
  • A Michigan State student asked Andrews to leave the outgoing message on his cell phone. Another too little, too late idea after EA has left C’dale. Can you imagine my voicemail saying “Hey, this is Erin Andrews. Luis is busy right now, he’ll get back to you as soon as he can. Thanks for calling, bye…” I’d call my own phone just to hear her voice lol.
  • “I’m absolutely dating…but I’m not exclusively dating.” YES! YES! YES! That means there’s just an off chance that on V-Day Erin was thinking “I wonder how that kid from Carbondale is enjoying his Valentine’s Day?” If you must know, I spent my day wishing EA was here with me.
  • David Wright is a “good friend.” There’s one less guy to consider as competition. Take it from me, any time a girl says a guy is just a “good friend”, it means he’s the kind of guy that stays up late with her chatting about her life aspirations, how her day at work was and how crappy her exes are. Trust me, being a “good friend” is the kiss of death because no matter how perfect you are for her you’re just not good enough!
  • “I’m looking for a guy that it’s okay that I’m on the road.” I’m OK that you’re on the road as long as you’re OK that I’m a 21-year-old college student who is turning into a stat junkie that spends too much time on Deadspin, The Big Lead, Awful Announcing and SalukiTalk.

All jokes aside, Erin Andrews rocks and I hope she finds happiness with whoever (especially if that whoever is me).

I’d like to end the Post-V-Day blog with a shout out to those who are deserving of one. So Happy Valentine’s Day to:

  • My family: Mom, Roy, Titi, Mama, Kristin, Jessica and everyone near and far I didn’t mention. I hope you enjoyed your V-Day.
  • My friends: I’d name you all, but if I forgot to name one of you then I’d probably end up in trouble—so I’ll cover you all with a blanket by saying “Happy V-Day to y’all!”
  • Erin Andrews: see above!
  • SIU basketball: Despite your 13-12 overall record, the SIU Arena is still my favorite non-alcohol serving place in Carbondale! Go Dawgs!
  • and finally, my true love: the Chicago Cubs. If there’s anyone who needs a hug, it’s a team that hasn’t won the big one in 100 years. I often say that being a Cubs fan is like being in a tortured relationship, but if my significant other didn’t bring me the big one, they probably wouldn’t be my significant other for long (and you can take that in any context you’d like).

Goodnight, from Carbondale!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

2008 Chicago Cubs Preview: Spring Training Edition

I’ve come to the realization that previews aren’t always accurate, especially ones written before Spring Training even starts. Since projections made this early can be thrown out the window because of a trade or an injury or the meteoric rise of a hot prospect, what’s the point of making one?

So I’ve decided to make my Chicago Cubs 2008 preview a two part series. An initial look at the team begins with this issue, by breaking the team down position-by-position and looking at the team as constructed right now. Then, before Opening Day, I would look and have a more accurate preview—of course having looking at what happened during Spring Training would be beneficial to making a more accurate projection.

So, without further to do, my 2008 Cubs preview, Spring Training Edition.

The Cubs strength is with their corner infielders. The anchor of the infield defense is first baseman Derrek Lee. His combination of range, athletic ability and baseball IQ are part of the reason he is a three-time Gold Glove winner. Offensively, 2007 was a down year for Lee posting only 22 home runs and 82 RBIs, despite posting a .317 batting average and .400 on-base percentage.

Even though Chicago sports journalists report the contrary, Aramis Ramirez is improving on the defensive end, in fact, Ramirez might be the best defensive third baseman in the Central Division or—dare I say—the entire National League. Offensively, Ramirez is a game changer even though he only hit 26 HRs and 101 RBIs. From 2004-06, Ramirez averaged over 30 HRs and 100 RBIs and was one of the Cubs best hitters.

As for the middle infield, the Cubs have a couple of question marks—and for different reasons. Ryan Theriot enters 2008 as the Cubs starting shortstop after posting a .266/.326/.346 line in his first full season. His hustle and versatility are two things he has going in his favor, but the jury is still out on if he can be a productive everyday shortstop.

For now, Mark DeRosa enters the 2008 season as the Cubs everyday second baseman, even though 47% of his starts came at positions other than second base. “DeRo” posted a .307 batting average and an .848 OPS as a second baseman and proved to be the Super-Utility man that Cubs fans thought they were getting when he signed in Chicago. He might return to that role full-time in 2008 if the Cubs acquire another second baseman.

The trio of Alfonso Soriano, Felix Pie and Japanese import Kosuke Fukudome provide manager Lou Piniella with the athletic outfield he has been craving. Soriano enters his second year with the Cubs and should be in a more focused mindset since he won’t have to acclimate himself to a new team or a new position. Fukudome is the left-handed hitting, high-OBP outfielder the Cubs desperately needed to add to their outfield. His career .397 OBP should translate well to the major leagues. As for Pie, Cubs fans would feel better about him if the line-up 1 through 7 was stronger. Unfortunately, it isn’t. Pie’s redeeming quality is his stellar defense.

The ultimate wild card in the everyday line-up is catcher Geovany Soto, who provided the Cubs with their only home run of the post season. Soto is a solid defensive catcher who could move up to the 6 th spot in the order if he hits like he did at Triple-A. Backing him up is defensive specialist Henry Blanco, who might be one foul tip away from calling it a career.

The Cubs starting rotation is solid, but not spectacular. Starters 1 through 3 will have to carry the load if the Cubs want to repeat as NL Central champs. Carlos Zambrano will have to get off to a better start and keep his emotions in check, Ted Lilly will have to continue to be the pitcher that went 9-1 after Cubs losses and Rich Hill will need to find a way to go deeper in games. Jason Marquis, Ryan Dempster, Jon Lieber, Sean Marshall, Sean Gallagher and Kevin Hart will fight for the final two spots of the rotation and whoever loses out might end up traded before Opening Day.

Power arms in the bullpen have me convinced that the ‘pen is the stronger half of the Cubs pitching staff. Right-handers Bobby Howry, Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood will compete for the closers role, and whoever doesn’t make the cut will be used as shut down set-up men—so it seems like a no-lose situation for the Cubs. The addition of hard-throwers Jose Ascanio and Tim Lahey give the Cubs additional depth.

The Cubs bench may not seem deep, but what they don’t have in players, they have in versatility. DeRosa can play each of the infield positions and both corner outfield spots, Theriot can play the middle infield spots and right field, and Matt Murton and Daryle Ward are players that can play both corner outfield positions, too. The wild card on the bench is Sam Fuld. The fan favorite known for his hustle and grit was the Arizona Fall League MVP and could end up as the Cubs everyday center fielder.

Of all the intangibles, the one that will stand out the most is the ongoing storyline of the 100-year drought. That story will be told in many different ways, by different sports writers and columnists and probably in different languages. It will be up to each man and woman up and down that organization to keep the players focused. Remember, you can’t be held accountable for what happened (or what hasn’t happened) for the last 100 years.



Note: This was originally posted by me on ArmchairGM.com

The Obligatory Valentine's Day Post

As much as I want to ignore Valentine's Day, I just can't. I'll stay away from the typical bashing of the "holiday" by not referencing it as a "Hallmark holiday" or "Single's Awareness Day" or any of those clever and witty sayings. I have my own Valentine's Day reflection.

Feb. 14, 2008 marks the 10-year anniversary of one of the saddest four-day periods of my young life.

Chicago Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray, who took his wife Dutchie out to dinner on V-Day, collapsed at a restaurant and would die four days later.

Caray was an icon on both sides of Chicago, but in St. Louis as well--that's quite a trifecta to be able to have icon status for three sets of different fandoms. But not only was he a Chicago icon, he was my idol.

Personally, I credit Caray and analyst Steve Stone for teaching me all I needed to know about baseball and life. "Stoney" would provide in-depth baseball analysis "for all you little leaguers at home", while Caray would give classic play-by-play calls with a dash of random commentary about cute blondes and Budweiser.

Before I wanted to become the next great sports journalist, I wanted to be the next Harry Caray.

I'll always remember the time I met him with my mother at the Cubs Convention as he stood by the elevators. I told him I wanted to be just like him when I grew up and he told me "You'll make it, kid" and he gave me an autograph I will always cherish.

And even though the Cubs have had some decent broadcasters since the death of the man I knew as "Uncle Harry", watching a Cubs game hasn't been the same.

I hope those of you that enjoy V-Day go out and have a rockin' good time. I'll try to do so myself, just because I know Harry would want me to.

NOTE: Harry lives on, being the inspiration on my main quote: “Booze, broads, and bullshit. If you got all that, what else do you need?”

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

SIU downs Drake, ends Bulldogs' bid for Valley perfection

Somewhere in Miami, the ’72 Dolphins are popping champagne. Oops, wrong sport. Let’s try that again.

Wednesday night’s game against Drake can be summed up in just four words: Not In Our House!

Drake guard Leonard Houston had a chance to tie the game with a last-second three, but the shot misfired, giving SIU the 65-62 upset victory over the No. 14 Bulldogs.

The victory kept Drake from celebrating a share of the MVC regular season title, for now. Allow me to paraphrase SIU broadcaster Mike Reis, who said it best in the post-game show: “If anyone’s going to clinch a title at the SIU Arena, it’s gonna be the guys in the white.” The victory also kept the Salukis undefeated at home, and improved their record to 60-1 at the SIU Arena against MVC foes in the past seven years.

Player of the Game: Senior forward Randal Falker, who led the Salukis with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

THREE UP:

  • Fans at the SIU Arena. Despite crappy road conditions, frigid temperatures and a .500 team, Saluki fans came out and acted like they were out in full force, despite an estimated crowd of 5,700 people—and the sixth man acted like it was in front of a national televised audience, to boot. Kudos to the Dawg Pound, though I do take exception to chanting “Overrated!” with less than three seconds left—those fans obviously missed how the SIU-Butler game ended.
  • Bench play. The key to SIU’s victory was its bench play. Joshua Bone, who has started a majority of the games for the Salukis this year, came off the bench to score 9 points. When Bone’s shot is falling, it forces defenses to stretch, which either gives Falker more operating room in the post—or Bone more room to shoot behind-the-arc.
  • Falker dominates the offensive glass. There’s no way good ol’ #14 gets a double-double without his seven offensive rebounds. Teams that grab offensive boards win games, it’s as simple as that. Crashing the offensive glass allows teams to get second chance points, while also keeping the ball away from the opposition. Remember, you can’t win if you don’t score…and they can’t score if you have the ball!
THREE DOWN:
  • Referees. Yeah, they were bad. I’ve come to the realization that the MVC will never get quality refs unless it combines with the Big 10, making a super-duper conference like the Big East. All jokes aside, it’s hard enough to get quality ref’s because of A) the pay [or lack thereof] B) the job itself [really, who wants a job where you spend two hours getting your life threatened and sexuality second guessed by a bunch of college kids?] or C) the travel schedule [think about it, these guys probably have to go by bus or on their own across the Midwest—and that doesn’t sound like fun in the winter months]. Still, there was no reason to call SIU broadcaster Mike Reis for a blocking foul when Drake forward Jonathan Cox went diving onto the broadcast table (Kudos! to Salukitalk for that nugget).
  • “Overrated” chant. I’ve got two problems with that chant. Problem #1: It came waaay too early. I wish fans would realize that “it ain’t over, ‘til it’s over!” Problem #2: Drake’s good, really good. Realize the fact that the Bulldogs are a quality team deserving of that #14 ranking, but they ran into a team that plays like a pre-season top-25 team at home—and the game happened to be in Carbondale, Ill. tonight.
  • Points off turnovers. Even though SIU won where it really matters—in the final score—but it’s hard to ignore Drake’s 20 points off TO’s, especially when SIU only scored 12. SIU had too many turnovers, and that could have easily cost them the game. But understand, the Salukis are operating with only one true point guard. I’m still waiting for Dion Coopwood to be freed by Coach Lowery. He’s not a star, but damn it, he’s a true point guard and if he can give me five quality minutes of feeding the post, then I’d be happier than with Bone—a pure shooting guard—playing out of position, running the point.

EXTRA POINTS:

  • While Matt Shaw’s free-throw gave the Salukis the three-point lead it would end up holding on to, one could argue SIU doesn’t win the game without Tyrone Green’s surprising three-pointer. “Greenie” isn’t much of a shooter, but he’s in there to play defense and to provide energy. What he gives you on the offensive end is pure bonus.
  • With SIU’s win and Creighton’s loss to Evansville, the Dawgs are back in a tie for third-place with four conference games remaining. One of those games is against second-place Illinois State.
  • The Salukis will look to pick up their second road win of the year Saturday as they hit the road against Wichita State. SIU beat the Shockers 63-52 Jan. 19 in a game that should have been a laugher.

‘Til then, goodnight from Carbondale!

An Open Letter to Saluki Nation

Next in the "Open Letter" series, a message to Saluki Nation.

Dear Saluki Nation:

A simple request from one of your own for tonight's basketball game: Be there. Be loud. Be Proud.

The Salukis host MVC leader Drake tonight at the SIU Arena in a pivotal match-up. While it might look like the Salukis have nothing to play for, that assumption would be wrong. Beating Drake, the No. 14 team in the country, would keep Drake from clinching a part of the MVC regular season title on our home court and keep our undefeated record against conference opponents in tact.

I believe that home court advantage is one of the key aspects in college basketball and being supportive of your team can really pick up the spirits of a team struggling to stay afloat and be competitive with a record hovering around .500.

So Saluki fans, I know the weather is tough--but get out there and support your Salukis! You might get a chance to play a role in something special.

Sincerely,

LuDo

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Snowed In!

For the first time since 1984, weather has closed down Southern Illinois University. Yes, that means we've got a Snow Day in Carbondale! I'm pretty sure we never had a snow day while I was a student in the Chicago Public Schools system, so I'll enjoy it thoroughly.

And by "enjoy it thoroughly", I mean I will trap myself in my apartment and stay out of the snow and cold. But that's not all that bad, it gives me time to catch up on my blog, acquire new music, clean my room (NOT!) and start writing a skeleton of my Thursday article which will preview the women's swimming MVC Championships which are going to be held Feb. 14-16 at the SIU Rec Center.

Well, at least that means I'll be busy on Valentine's Day. Ahhh, good ol' V-Day! It deserves a post of its own and will likely get it because there is nothing I like more than a good ol' fashioned blog bitching about Valentine's Day. Don't worry, I'll have something up my sleeve.

While it's freezing up here, I'm imagining warmer temps out in Arizona where the Cubs will be kicking off Spring Training in just a few days. Manager Lou Piniella is in his second year with the Cubs and will try to take another crack at ending the longest championship drought in Major League Baseball.

Hmmm, it seems as if a Cubs preview deserves a post of its own. I know I've been promising one for a while, but it will get done.

As for the SIU men's basketball team, yuck! They just can't win on the road and that just means it's a mental thing. 9-2 at the friendly confines of the SIU Arena, but only 1-9 on the road. Even if SIU is 4-5 on the road, they would be 16-8 and looking like a much better team.

12-12 is a looong fall from a team that was only a few buckets away from knocking off the Kansas Jayhawks in the Sweet 16 round a year ago. I knew the Dawgs would miss Jamaal Tatum and Tony Young, but without one of the most dynamic backcourt duos in SIU history, the Salukis look lost--especially on the road.

That takes us to a little bit of a preview of Wednesday's game (weather permitting, of course) against the No. 14 Drake Bulldogs. Drake, who was picked to finish 9th in the MVC according to the pre-season poll, is the class of the MVC this year and has shocked the college hoops world by winning 21 straight games.

That means it is up to SIU to A) stop the streak and B) not allow Drake to clinch anything at the SIU Areana.

Me thinks that topic deserves a post of its own too. Guess what, it will!

That's all for now, sorry for not keeping up, life is busy (to say the least). I'll leave you with some quality linkage:

And finally the two "must see" links of the day:
Quotable:

I never thought I'd pull a quality quote from a site dedicated to the profiles of hot chicks on facebook, but alas:
Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get the chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.”
Here's the link, enjoy yourselves a pretty girl today.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

SIU beats Indiana State, bad weather

Even though it looked like Indiana State would benefit from a short weather delay, taking a half-time lead, but SIU would respond with a dominating second half to win 80-69.

The Salukis picked up the tempo in the second half, scoring 47 points in the process.

The Salukis were led by senior forward Randal Falker's 20 points and 15 rebounds and junior guard Byran Mullins' 22 points and 5 assists.

THREE UP:

  • Senior leadership. Seniors Randal Falker, Matt Shaw and Tyrone Green combined to score 42 of SIU's 80 points. Green did his damage coming off the bench attacking the basket and hitting five of six free-throw attempts.
  • Not having to rely on the three. The most impressive stat from Tuesday night was SIU's 50% shooting from beyond the arc. The Salukis made 5-of-10 three-point opportunities, a vast improvement from the 6-for-24 they shot in the loss at Northern Iowa.
  • Bench production. "Greenie" as Coach Lowery affectionately calls him scored 11 of SIU's 17 bench points, but the Salukis bench put forth a quality effort in Tuesday night's win.
THREE DOWN:

  • Joshua Bone's production. Joshua Bone is slumping. Even though he played well in the first half of the Northern Iowa game, Bone struggled in the win over Indiana State. Bone scored 1 point (which came on a made free-throw) in 24 minutes. JB needs to be productive, because when he's on, his outside shot can stretch defenses to where Falker gets more down low opportunities.
  • Free throw shooting. SIU needs to hit the freebies, end of story. An 11 point win is nice, but if SIU hits its free-throws, this game would have been a laugher.
  • Weather delays. I might have been the only one who noticed ISU's mini-run that came after the weather delay concluded, but if you were paying attention, you would have noticed the Sycamores grab momentum from that point until half-time.
Notes:

  • The combination of SIU's win over Indiana State and Illinois State's loss to Drake, the Salukis move into a two-way tie for third place and stands only one game back of second place.
  • The Salukis and Sycamores have combined for a grand total of 2 MVC road wins, ouch!
SIU gets a chance to separate itself from Creighton in the standings if they can pull of the win Sunday in Omaha.

Monday, February 4, 2008

SIU Bracketbusted, Dumb Reporters & Super Bowl Hangover

Let's start off with something that doesn't involve the biggest upset ever.

SIU is back on BracketBusters
. The Salukis will host the Nevada Wolfpack in this year's BracketBuster match-up. Last year, SIU was the top draw of the made-for-TV match-ups when the Salukis visited the Butler Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are back in the top spot again hosting SIU rival and MVC leader Drake.

The real story of SIU's match-up is the return game to Reno. Personally, I'm going to start saving now and hope the return game takes place during Thanksgiving Break or Winter Break. I wonder how many of my fellow reporters can I keep in my hotel room in the MGM Grand in nearby Las Vegas.

On BracketBuster weekend, SIU will need to find a way to stop two 7-footers, and senior guard Marcelus Kemp. It could be the last hurrah for the Salukis.

Quality Linkage:

This will be a new segment of this blog. I'll provide links of things I find "newsworthy." Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?

State of the Blog: 2008

State of the Blog: 2008

Inspired by President Bush’s “State of the Union” address, I now present to you the inaugural State of the Blog.

Today is a new day…well, yes and no. A “new day” began Jan. 15, 2008 when I made my debut as a sports reporter for The Daily Egyptian. It was a day that was four years in the making. It was a day that I thought would never come, but now that it’s here, I’m cherishing every moment. Even though I am only covering swimming and track (and soon tennis), it is the jumpstart I’ve needed for years.

So what does that moment have to do with the future of this blog? A lot, actually. Notice that blogging has become less frequent in the last month, mostly because if I’m too busy with newspaper stuff and school stuff to think about the Cubs or even my personal life.

Crazy, I know. But that’s going to change (among other things).

First, take note that I’m not moving the site. I’ve done that before and really don’t feel like doing it again (though maybe I should for another fresh start). OK, I’m not going to do that. Instead, I’ll be making changes to this blog.

First, I’m changing the layout of this blog. I’ll be experimenting with color schemes, fonts, etc. I’m also going to expand the content of this blog. Granted, that was the idea in the first place…but really, let’s put this into perspective. I’ll be posting thoughts on the following: SIU athletics, life as a sports reporter, presidential candidates, Chicago sports, my favorite athletes, music, movies, hot girls, blogs I like, life as a college student, and more. The key is the “and more” part.

Actually the key is how these things will be presented. You will no longer get long, drawn out blogs (much like this one). Instead, you’ll get shorter material that gets you straight to the point. For example, check out my recent recaps of Saluki basketball. It consists of a paragraph recap of the game, three highlights, three lowlights, three “notes” (which are usually stats) and who SIU will be playing next.

I’ll be keeping it simple in 2008.

As for rants, they’ll be saved for special occasions—like when Ryan Dempster gives up five runs in the first inning of his first start and I’m ready to run him out of town. Or when some girl breaks my heart (hey, it’s happened before so it’s bound to happen in 2008). Actually, most of my recent rants have been answered by my cousin, so no need to post them here.

So what can you (the reader) look forward to in 2008? How about the following:

· Previewing the 2008 Chicago Cubs

  • · SIU sports coverage (beyond basketball)
  • · Politics (You know we get to pick a new leader in Nov., right?)
  • · Music (Good songs, bad songs, album reviews, etc.)
  • · Movies (I don’t go to the movies much, so we’ll see how that works out)
  • · Other blogs (I’m going to be linking a lot more to my favorite blogs—for it is their work that is inspiring me to do this.)
  • · More You Tube video (You can’t go wrong with cool videos)

And more. 2008 is gonna be special, whether you like it or not!

Sunday, February 3, 2008

I didn't think 18-1 would be so disappointing.

The New York Giants just did the unthinkable. The New England Patriots are perfect no more and the only thing I can say is un-freaking-believable!

As Mr. Stat of the Day, I have to acknowledge the many stats that went out the window a few moments ago. Tom Brady undefeated in the Super Bowl. Not anymore. Bill Belichick never losing after a bye week. That’s over with. The last four teams to win the coin toss lost the Super Bowl. Not anymore. The AFC had won the last four Super Bowls. The key word there is had.

And to think, Brady and Belichick did all that work to blow out the crap out of teams and when it came down to it they pulled the biggest choke job in the history of sports. It begs the question, what the heck happened?

Where they distracted by Brady’s boot? SpyGate II? Randy Moss’ off-the-field allegations? Seriously, this was the Patriots to win and be immortal, and they failed.

While ESPN will spend from now until the NFL Draft picking apart every aspect of this game, I can do that by using a few bullet points.

· The Patriots couldn’t stop the Giants on 3rd down.

· Bill Belichick choosing to go for it on 4th and 13 instead of going for a 49-yard field goal cost the Pats there. (I think if Vinatieri is still on the Pats he’s out there kicking).

· The Pats couldn’t stop the Giants front four.

· The Giants outplayed the Pats. Plain and simple.

You know who I feel good for? Brandon Jacobs, that’s who! The Southern Illinois product who was stuck as a third-string running back behind two top-5 picks at Auburn (Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams). Good ol’ #27 spent some time behind Tiki Barber and in his first year as a starter, he put up a 1,000-yard season and won a Super Bowl. While Eli Manning won Super Bowl MVP, he couldn’t have done it without Jacobs’ first-down plunge on 4th and 1.

You know who I don’t feel bad for? Tiki Barber, that’s who! Barber basically quit on his teammates for an early start as a broadcaster. He threw his coach and quarterback under the bus as he walked out the door. And now, his dream has been fulfilled by his teammates. And Tiki gets none of it!

Don’t cry Bostonians, it’s gonna be alright. You still have the World Series champs. You still have the best team in the NBA. But you lost to New York twice this week. You lost Johan Santana to the Mets, and now you lost the biggest game of your lives to the Giants. I guess you were foolish for trying to patent 19-0, huh?

Somewhere there are old men in Miami poppin’ champagne and Mercury Morris is making a new rap. Somewhere in New York, Jets fans are confused. Somewhere there’s a Giants blogger writing the headline: ‘Cheaters Never Prosper’. And somewhere in Boston, I’m sure you can hear a pin drop.

New York 17 New England 14

Un-freaking-believable!

What kind of blogger am I?

With changes on the horizon, I would be remiss if I didn’t offer a Super Bowl prediction and an endorsement of a presidential candidate.

Like I said: the times, they are a-changin’!

With the Super Bowl only hours away, I’m pledging my fandom for one day only to the New England Patriots. As a student at Southern Illinois University, I got to see New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs run over and past opponents and I have supported him ever since. However, the Pats are too good and I just do not think Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will lose the biggest game of the year after going undefeated.

As for presidency, I’m running a split ticket. I believe that Barack Obama is the kind of candidate that can bring change to a government that needs change. I don’t care if he’s black, white, pink, purple…Obama is the type of candidate who can rebuild George W. Bush’s mess.

On the Republican side of things, I’m supporting John McCain. I’ve come to learn that you can’t vote straight ticket because sometimes there are candidates in other parties that represent your views. McCain is the type of candidate with the military experience that the future president will need to get out of the military conflicts the country is currently going through.

Change is coming soon.