whitesoxfan101

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jan 3, 2009 -> 10:34 PM) I'm sure that in the great football discussion that takes place across the nation, Peyton Manning will be blamed for the Colts' inability to stop Sproles, as he is always blamed for everything when the Colts lose in the playoffs. Well Manning should take some blame for last night, he didn't have a great game and San Diego dropped at least 3 interceptions to boot. The Chargers, between the dropped picks, Sproles fumble at the 2, the horrible interception by Rivers, and the nap they took on the long TD, really blew a boatload of chances to win that game comfortably. The fact that they won despite all of those mistakes just shows how talented they are though, and really how shocking it is they started 4-8 this year. The Chargers punter should get some props too though, the Chargers don't overcome all of their gaffes if he doesn't have the game of his life and put Indianapolis on a long field all night. It was as entertaining a game as I saw all season.

The one good thing about them losing is we didn't have to see any of those stupid ass "W" flags after the game. Even the red hot, resurgent Blackhawks can't win at the home of the biggest, most pathetic losers in the history of worldwide sports.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 2, 2009 -> 07:39 PM) They wont get close. That record wont be broke in any of our life times. I really believe that. It amazes me that there are Bulls fans who still worry about that record falling when teams get off to hot starts. That record will never fall in my opinion. Even during a season like this, which is PERFECTLY set up for somebody like Cleveland, Boston, or the Lakers to make a run at it, I would bet the ranch that none of them even make it to 70-12.

QUOTE (rangercal @ Jan 3, 2009 -> 12:11 AM) I hope the media makes a big deal of the Utah situation so it could create more pressure to get rid of the BCS. The BCS isn't going anywhere unless you kill off some of the conference commissioners. As for tonight, Andre Smith being out absolutely killed Alabama, much more than I thought it would. But Utah was just WAY WAY better than Alabama tonight, and they exposed Alabama the way that SEC teams usually expose their opponents, with defensive line speed. Andre Smith in my opinion should be the #1 pick in the NFL Draft, but Utah had 8 sacks and only allowed about 200 yards of total offense, while throwing for about 350 yards and 31 points. I think Utah is just better than Alabama, even had Andre Smith played. The final score tonight really was deceptively close, plus both of Alabama's touchdowns were set up by stupid ass Utah mistakes. The SEC has been very strange this bowl season. I still think the league was definitely way down by it's lofty standards, but I am baffled by Alabama losing (let alone being dominated) and just as baffled by LSU and Ole Miss winning (and both winning in dominating fashion to boot).

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 3, 2009 -> 01:11 AM) I'm going to jump in here and just say: ISU has played absolutely NOBODY and that can't be argued. But it also can't be argued that they have one of the best back courts in the nation. I honestly don't know how good they are yet but Champ and Osiris are that good. They'd be able to play with a lot of teams. Agreed on the backcourt, but any legit frontcourt would absolutely eat them alive, and that includes Tisdale and Davis even though they are still young and a bit on the thin side.

QUOTE (Brian @ Dec 30, 2008 -> 09:49 PM) I have family down in southern Illinois, grew up there for part of my life, went to SIU. It's hilarious when people think that southern IL is the same as Georgia and Alabama, when it's not. I don't get it. Well I didn't mean it's like the deep south, if I posted or implied that it's my bad (haven't slept much the last few days). I just mean it's distinctly different than the rest of Illinois, and has a somewhat southern feel to it in all aspects. I spent a few days in the deep south this week, I know that's a way different place than Carbondale/Marion is, but at the same time that part of the state is just a lot different than the rest of Illinois. I'm not saying that's a bad thing either, I've always had a good time whenever in Carbondale.

Also, although this comment is random and out of place, I shall make it now since I just saw some of the comments earlier in the thread (I was traveling the last few days and haven't been online). Illinois would beat Illinois State by 15 points, not sure how somebody would conclude Illinois State wins that game. The Redbirds currently have a slightly better record because they haven't played anybody, whereas Illinois has a few decent wins, a really good one tonight, and a tough home loss to an undefeated and ranked Clemson game in a ballgame where Illinois played horrific defense and still had a chance to tie/win the game. Davis and Tisdale would both have double doubles in such a theoretical matchup (Davis only shows up for "important" games, and playing an undefeated team would be good enough for him), and do as they wished.

QUOTE (The Critic @ Dec 30, 2008 -> 08:38 PM) Eh, it's the law of averages. They're going to have a stinker every once in a while. I just want them to break the shutout. Yep, you beat me to the punch. I posted the same thing (they are due for a stinker) about the Sharks when they were red hot only to get blown out in Detroit recently. And if you are due for a stinker, Detroit can pounce on such an opportunity. Hopefully the Hawks get them back on New Years.

Carbondale just does not feel like it's in Illinois at all. That's not a negative comment about it, but between the 5 and a half hours or so it is away from I-88 and the appearance of it to a degree and the weather and the feel of the town even, it just feels like it's part of the south (although geographically, it pretty much is). I have REALLY enjoyed my time whenever I was there, but it just seems like a different world despite being in the same state. Makes me realize how big Illinois is. I think I would love living there actually though, except for the fact it seems so damn isolated. Other than Marion, nothing at all is that nearby it seems like.

That is the best game I've seen Bruce Weber coach in years, can't even name a specific example of the last game he coached that well. Lots of mistakes down the stretch, and Purdue helped make it possible with all of those missed free throws, but still A HUGE win for Illinois. Any win they can get is huge with their schedule early on in Big 10 play, it's pretty damn tough, and obviously any road win in league play (especially the Big 10) is enormous. QUOTE (fathom @ Dec 30, 2008 -> 07:56 PM) Deleted it, as I've realized it's just not worth arguing with Illinois fans about refs. You're better than that fathom. I had no problem with the free throw disparity, Illinois should not shoot a lot of free throws because they have face up bigs and guards that don't penetrate, and Purdue is a rough and tumble team that will shoot free throws. This game also had some horrible calls, but those calls went both ways as they often do in a Big 10 game because the refs are a joke in that conference. I think overall, to say this game was called in favor of either team is just not accurate.

The upcoming games with Detroit, imo, will go a long way in determining if this team is going to be a #4 seed that has home ice in the first round and a shot at getting to the 2nd round, or if they are a legit threat to beat out Detroit in the division and contest with them and San Jose to win the west.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Dec 26, 2008 -> 11:37 PM) I think Zoom said it best when he essentially characterized Orlando as the Bulls + Dwight Howard. I don't agree with that for one reason. If you just gave the Magic Derrick Rose, they would have a legit shot against Boston and Cleveland, something they don't have now in the postseason IMO.

If the Magic had a legit stud (or even just a really good player) in the backcourt or on the wing, I think they would be the best team in the East. They are that close, but without that, I can't see them beating Boston or Cleveland in a 7 game series.

I am very nervous about this 3rd period. The Hawks have dominated so far, I think they have something in the range of a 30-10 shot advantage, but only lead 2-1 at the end of the 2nd period. The Hawks have 2 minutes of power play, including about a minute of two man advantage, to start the 3rd and should get at least 1 goal out of it. I fear the consequences if they don't, because as well as the Hawks are playing, Philly is playing very well as well and it's always dangerous to let a hot team stay close in a game when you are really outplaying them by a mile.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Dec 26, 2008 -> 08:39 PM) Not really. Joe has been injured the past two years with the same injury. He's not injury prone, he has just taken bad advice from his agent. Call him stupid, but it's not nearly the same situation. Brown has been injured numerous times in the past and I believe this is the first time in a while he has even played 15 games. Mike Brown has been hurt more than Crede, but to say Joe Crede "is not injury prone" is really stretching it.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Dec 26, 2008 -> 10:28 AM) Yep made for some good watching indeed. Dwight's 2 putback dunks in the 2nd quarter were just silly. Hopefully we're started to be taken a little bit more seriously at contenders now. I think everybody knows Orlando is clearly the 3rd best team in the East right now, which is respect enough because the East is the better conference thusfar this season. The problem is Boston and Cleveland (especially Boston) are put on a different level than everybody else, including even Orlando.

There are a lot of things I worry about with this team, but John Danks isn't one of them. He's young, he's left handed, he has great stuff, and best of all perhaps, he has that indescribable "it" that great athletes tend to have. I have no concern he'll handle the pressure to "prove it again" in 2009 quite well. Doesn't get much more pressure packed than a 1 game playoff, and he pitched the best game of his life under those circumstances.

Magic lead 61-31 at halftime in Orlando against the Hornets. DBAHO is having a good time watching this somewhere in Jersey.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Dec 25, 2008 -> 11:09 AM) Golden Tate is a badass... How did we ever let him get out of the state? Tate and Floyd are legit I will say that much. I'm just not sold on Clausen even despite his great numbers last night. He was just doing what he's done everytime I've ever seen him last night, chucking it up for grabs a la Rex Grossman. But last night, it was working out for him, like it did a few times for Rex. Didn't see anything earth breaking or different last night from the Irish, of course I was VERY wrong about that game so I could be very wrong about the future of that team.

ND still sucks, and I have no idea what Hawaii was doing this evening. As for the names on the jerseys, I've never seen that by Notre Dame. Wonder when the last time they did that was.

The defense on this team as a whole is just a joke. Usually, the guards are hidden to a degree by the fact that the Bulls get killed inside (Drew Gooden might be the worst interior defender in the NBA when he's not injured), but tonight Rodney Stuckey got his chance and showed that the backcourt of this team really can't guard either. VDN, if nothing else, is a hire I'm already starting to question because he clearly does not hold his team accountable in regards to playing defense, and that is not good. This team doesn't have enough firepower to win 110-105 on a regular basis.

If the Bears make the playoffs, there is a 99 percent chance they will lose within the first two rounds. However, the whole point of making it in a spot like this is that once in a lifetime run that sometimes comes out of nowhere.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Dec 23, 2008 -> 09:32 PM) You play defense against Mizzou and you win. You can't set-up the press if you can't score. Mizzou is a very similar team to Clemson (although Clemson overall is a bit better, but they are similar). Illinois didn't shoot the ball as well tonight as the Clemson game, but the turnovers were kept under better control and the defense was improved. Seems they learned something in that game, and that Clemson loss STILL bugs me because Illinois should not lose at home when they are decent to good as they are this year, but hopefully it will continue to be something they use as a teaching tool.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 23, 2008 -> 09:16 PM) The Vikings are alright at best, yet absolutely destroyed the Cardinals, who have a pretty great offense, in Arizona a couple weeks back. I don't know about anybody else, but that makes perfect sense to me. Well just because the Vikings destroyed Arizona at Arizona with their backup QB in for most of the game doesn't mean anything about the NFC North vs. NFC West "debate". What kind of logic would taking something out of a matchup like that be?

QUOTE (DrunkBomber @ Dec 23, 2008 -> 09:12 PM) I was hoping someone would chime in on this. I think the NFC West is the worst by far but I think the AFC West is pretty brutal as well. The NFC North looks worse because of the Lions but the Bears/Vikes and even Pack on occasions are all legitimate teams. I still think the Pack is the most talented team in the North, but McCarthy is just a horrendous coach. His magic has aided in most of their losses (they have many close losses), and if you gave them even an adequate coach, they could very well be in first place right now. Their defense has had some major injuries though, I will admit that. Rogers has been a much better QB than Favre this year though, which makes the Packers fall even more baffling.