whitesoxfan101

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Oct 9, 2008 -> 10:32 PM) IMO- the East is better then the West, top to bottom. Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Orlando, Toronto, Miami, Atlanta, and Cleveland are all good or great teams. I'll take Los Angeles, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Utah, Phoenix, Denver, Portland, and Golden State over that group. Easily. Actually, I think Portland will be in the playoffs over Golden State and Denver, and I wonder how Phoenix will do without D'Antoni, but the West is the loaded and superior conference, as always. But the East is getting closer and better.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 9, 2008 -> 10:26 PM) Frankly, unless there's a hell of a lot of improvement in the bottom half of the east...this team should be embarassed if they miss the playoffs again, even if all they do is play their all-kiddie lineup. With that number of top 10 picks, including a #1 pick.... Well with a rookie point guard, a rookie coach, a VERY small team, and a likely improved east (although how much it has improved is up for debate), this team will have it's share of problems. It will also probably be a bottom half (5-8 seed) playoff team, but I agree that there is no excuse for this team to not at least make the postseason.

Both of you Brian's have to keep in mind this was the first preseason game. Funk is brand new to television, Rose has never played an NBA game, and Del Negro has never coached an NBA game in any capacity. Combine that with the fact they were playing a veteran Dallas team that is excited to have Avery Johnson gone, and tonight's poor performance is no surprise. If the Bulls look like they did in the first half tonight in preseason game #8 (and if Funk sounds like he did tonight), they it's time to worry, but tonight is no big deal. Everybody is just going to have to be patient with this team in all regards, it will take them a little while to figure everything out. In that respect, it might be another poor start like you'd often see in the Skiles days, but I think this will be a playoff team at the end of the day.

QUOTE (whitesoxmanager @ Oct 6, 2008 -> 11:59 AM) exactly how many dozens are we talking about here? i am very interested to find this out.... I would guess I've been to about a full season worth of home games in my life at this point, so probably somewhere in the 80's. I guess that would be more like several dozen rather than dozens and dozens, but that's semantics.

I'm absolutely shocked that the Angels won last night. They have a shot in this series now though, although they did wear out their pitching staff last night. But just to win a game against Boston is huge for them even beyond staying alive (maybe they'll be over the mental hump now), especially when Beckett pitched for Boston and the Angels were able to overcome a lot of mistakes.

He deserves to be booed. I am about as conservative a person as you'll find in regards to booing people on your own team (I think I've booed at a Sox game two, MAYBE three times in my life and i've been to dozens and dozens of games), but Javy has earned it.

That Jenks curveball to end the game was as nasty a pitch as you'll ever see. Very well played victory, let's keep it going tomorrow!

Bears doing what they should today. I still have no idea how good the Bears are, but they've been in all their games, are alone in first place, and play in a pathetic division. They are in pretty good shape to make a run at the divisional championship, which is more than I could have ever expected from them this year.

This is going to be a great series in my opinion. Should be fun to watch.

QUOTE (zimne piwo @ Oct 5, 2008 -> 03:37 AM) IIRC they complained about the NLCS in 1984 being only a "best of five", especially because the NLCS and ALCS then became "best of seven" the following year. Cubs fans spent YEARS complaining that the 1984 team would have had home field, but didn't because Wrigley Field didn't have lights. It was always hysterical because it proved just how dumb those people are, but it seems since 2003 that they have finally realized the rules then were home field was alternated between the divisions and it was just the west's turn that season.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Oct 5, 2008 -> 12:50 AM) You know what really sucks? The regular season no longer matters, AT ALL. How can a Cubs fan take any pleasure in a regular season win? So what if they win 95-100 games next year? It means absolutely nothing at all because once that first playoff game roles around you start to see a whole new side of the Cubs. I don't even know how these people can go on being Cubs fans, there is absolutely NO pleasure in it anymore. I know, isn't that FANTASTIC?? I was thinking about just what you said and that's the funniest part of this, the Cubs fans can never trust what they see in the regular season anymore. I (among others, you probably said it too Kalapse) pointed out that the regular season means nothing once October comes, now Cubs fans painfully realize that. And the scary part for them is, their window is closing. They have no leadoff hitter, than have an albatross LF with a horrible contract that is aging and can't hit good pitching. Their pitching saw several people have career years, as did their lineup (which is getting older fast); years that can't be repeated. Now, the NL Central is probably going to be bad next year as the Cardinals will again be mediocre, the Brewers will be solid but not great, and the Astros likely the same. But the Cubs championship window is getting closer and closer to shutting, and it could shut outright at any moment.

QUOTE (fathom @ Oct 5, 2008 -> 12:15 AM) That was awesome. Broxton was absolutely filthy. This Dodgers team, if they spent their money better, could be amazing. They are on fire, they might make the World Series this year regardless of who they play next round. They look like the team that got hot at the right time.

LOL!!! "100 years and counting" -Pat Hughes That's all that really needs to be said. The Cubs radio announcer said it for us.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Oct 4, 2008 -> 11:51 PM) Game Season 101 Not yet, especially if Saito comes in.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Oct 4, 2008 -> 11:37 PM) True. Kiper says middle-3rd to early-4th. Yes, he was from St. John/Schererville/Dyer. Yes, 48. Awesome kid. Went with his parents to Central Florida where he picked one off for a TD. Went to Bowling Green when they were ranked 11th or something, and they lost, which was tough. Also went to the Toledo game in DeKalb his senior year which decided either the Motor City Bowl or some other crappy one and they lost, so that was bad, too. Yeah Kiper's English guess sounds about right. As for Ray, yeah his junior year was 2003, the magical 10-2 season where NIU beat Maryland, Iowa State, and won at Alabama, but were somehow effed out of a bowl and it sounds like his senior year was 2004. I wasn't at NIU yet (high school days) but I followed the team even then, so I remember it. The 2003 teams only 2 losses were at Bowling Green and Toledo, and I believe BG and the Rockets were ranked at the time of the games (the MAC West was just unreal that year). As for 2004, I was at the Toledo game. Had NIU won, they would have made the MAC Title game and they built I believe a 17-3 lead before losing 31-17. That game is infamous because Garrett Wolfe missed it to to an altercation at a bar, and the offense just couldn't move without him around. The UCF game was the game where NIU needed a field goal as time ran out to win, remember that too. NIU went on and won the now defunct Silicon Valley Bowl that year over DeMarcus Ware and the Troy Trojans. Can't remember NIU's record that season, but I do remember basically every home game that year sold out.

QUOTE (rangercal @ Oct 4, 2008 -> 11:05 PM) Yeah. Part of me says "NO MERCY!" But, another part of me feels a little bad for my brother , friends,family and other cub fans who have been cool with me. The blowhard cub fans can cry themselves to sleep every night until next year. Yeah, I make fun of the dumbass Cub fans a lot, but the people like my best friend who are actual baseball fans that like the Cubs, I usually just try and be as nice to him as possible. I know he feels bad, he knows I hate the Cubs, no need to rub it in.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Oct 4, 2008 -> 10:58 PM) See, thats sad. I have friends that are just as big as baseball fans as I am, and grew up Cub fans. I dislike a lot about the Cubs, and hope to see them fall here, but I know how much joy I got from seeing "my team" win the world series, and at some point every die hard should experience it. I have a conflict here. I have friends that are Cub fans, including perhaps my best friend, and I know how happy it would make them to see the Cubs win. But I simply could never grasp them winning the World Series, even with as happy as it would make some people I do care about. It would just be an unbearable event overall.

I'll never feel sorry for their fans. Being a Cub fan is just asking for pain, sadness, and punishment, and it's their own damn fault for being that stupid.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Oct 4, 2008 -> 10:40 PM) You honestly need to relax. Despite Tennessee being awful this year, NIU (a medicore team) went there, an SEC school at night, and almost pulled one out. If I were you, I'd be proud as hell of the Huskies. Since you're a big fan, how's Larry English doing this year? With the Bears lack of pass rush from their DEs this year, I'd love to have him in the 3rd or 4th round. Side note: My friend played for NIU and he was the captain of the defense (I believe 2005 or 2006 was his last year)- his name was Ray Smith and he was a safety. Ha I am perfectly relaxed, trust me my posts ALWAYS make me look more angry than I am. I am proud of the, they gave Tennessee a great game on the road with a half game of 2nd string quarterback and a half game of 3rd string quarterback. They play hard, it's just frusterating to see your team lose a lot of close games. As for English, he had 2 and a half sacks and a forced fumble tonight. He's right on pace for a typical Larry English season, although I have NO IDEA where he'll be drafted to be honest with you. And yes, I remember Ray Smith. He was a very solid safety who hit hard. Wore #48 I believe, and he is from NW Indiana right? We had quite a few good players from NW Indiana in those days and he was one of them.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Oct 4, 2008 -> 10:31 PM) Iowa State is so close to 5-0 its not even funny. 3 losses by 17 points combined. We had the fat man on the ropes today. If nothing else, we're getting there. Feel your pain man, our 3 losses are by 11 points combined and we're close to being 5-0 with 4 of the 5 games having been on the road. We're getting close here at NIU too though.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Oct 4, 2008 -> 10:38 PM) Kuroda sits they asses down 1-2-3. This is unbelievable. How does a team just forget how to play baseball after being so good all year? Because they are the Cubs. It's what they do.

Both teams should have 2 or 3 more runs then they currently do. The question is which team will take advantage.

I am surprised/impressed that the Buckeyes won at Camp Randall. I still think they are out of the national championship hunt (although whether or not that is fair could certainly be debated), but they are clearly in the thick of the BCS hunt along with Penn State right now.

NIU loses 13-9 at Tennessee. This team is very frusterating, it could easily be argued they outplayed all 5 of their opponents so far, and they are 2-3 with 2 blowout wins and 3 close losses. The Huskies were once again without their starting QB tonight and the backup was injured in the 2nd quarter to never return, but the Huskies still could have certainly won this game had they taken advantage of their opportunites. If Harnish (our starter) had played, we probably win anyways, but we have nobody to blame but ourselves because we could have won anyways had we done what we should have. Coach Kill has us heading in the right direction and we'll be a very good program in the near future, but it sucks right now.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Oct 4, 2008 -> 01:16 PM) I think Detroit seems like the most obvious, but I could also see Cleveland making a dumb push to get him. But ya, I have been saying Detroit for a while now. Off topic, but Cleveland scares me in 2009. I am not afraid of Detroit at the moment because their lineup is old and their pitching is bad, but Cleveland seems like a candidate to bounce back next season in a big way.