Weekend Diversion: Night Of The Ponies
Pedway, First Store Open At Block 37
Around Town
Around Town
Red-Light Cameras Not So Special?
Soriano Earns Contract
Alfonso Soriano finally earned his big money contract by belting three home runs Saturday night as the Cubs ended a six-game losing streak and beat the Reds 14-9. Soriano's five RBIs were the difference, though Mark DeRosa continued his career year with his 20th home run, Jason Marquis helped his own cause with a solo shot, and Derek Lee had three RBIs. Marquis pitched a good seven and 1/3 innings to get the win, giving up only two runs before the bullpen gave up seven over the final one and 2/3 innings to make it interesting. The win helped the Cubs maintain their four-game lead over the Brewers.
Thome Powers Sox Over Angels
Thanks to some extra-inning heroics from Jim Thome, the White Sox topped the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, California, USA, North America, Earth, Milky Way 7-6 in fifteen innings. The home run, Thome's 30th of the year, also moved him past Mickey Mantle in 14th-place all-time with 537 homers. This was AFTER rallies in the seventh and ninth innings kept the Sox alive. Ehren Wassermann, who pitched the last third of the 15th inning, got the win for the Sox, who also extended their AL Central lead over the Twins to two games. Huzzah!
Juice Does It All For Illinois
QB Juice Williams ran for 174 yards and two touchdowns and then threw for 124 for more yards (and another touchdown) as Illinois eased past Eastern Illinois, 47-21. Eight receivers caught passes for Illinois, though the Illini turned the ball over five times, something that won't help against stiffer competition.
Northwestern Edges Duke
The Wildcats made things interesting against Duke but ultimately found their way past the Blue Devils, winning 24-20 to advance to 2-0 on the year. Duke dominated time-of-possession 2-to-1, and Duke QB Thad Lewis threw for 256 yards but it was the Northwestern ground attack that helped the Wildcats: Tyrell Sutton gained 66 yards and two touchdowns and Omar Conteh added another TD to lead the Wildcats to victory.
NIU Falls To W. Michigan
Northern Illinois racked up 439 yards of total offense Saturday but it wasn't enough as they lost to Western Michigan 29-26 and fell to 0-2 on the year. Nine different receivers caught passes for NIU as QBs Dan Nicholson and Chandler Harnish combined for 297 yards passing but WMU's Brandon West ran for 175 yards and QB Tim Hiller threw three TDs for the Broncos.
Notre Dame Tops Mighty San Diego State
Notre Dame scored 2 TDs in the fourth quarter to edge the powerhouse that is San Diego State, 21-13. With apologies to L. Stolpman, whoop-ee-dee-doo.
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Really Chicagoist?
Your "Arts & Entertainment" writer is covering the sports today?
I'll fully accept the actual "SPORTSWRITER" zinging Notre Dame.
But, hey!...Capote!! Why don't you reveiw the latest Art Gallery Opening and leave the sportswriting to the people who KNOW what a Nickel Defense is.
Maybe Mike Ditka could write about the latest Broadway Shows this week.
Go Irish!!!
:-)
Oh, Irishman1, you silly bean. I may be an "A&E" writer for the site, but that doesn't mean I don't know the difference between the nickel and the dime defense is. I'm quite the sports fanatic. Born & Raised SEC and New Orleans Saints fan. As in I've stuck with Auburn University for 29 years (explaining my bitterness) and the Saints for just as long (YOU try living through the Aaron Brooks Era) and have spent more money than I can ever count supporting both teams. Not to mention playing baseball from age 5 through my sophomore year of high school (including playing for my high school team). So while I'm not officially the "sportswriter" don't be so quick to shoot off a "zing" of your own just because I don't share the same love affair for the Irish that the national sports media does.
To quote every underage girl who has appeared on the Maury Povich show: "YOU DON'T KNOW ME!"
VIVA LA SEC!
Marcus...fair enough.
VIVA LA SEC: funny!
To quote every underage girl who has appeared on the Maury Povich show: "YOU DON'T KNOW ME!"...even FUNNIER!
Feel free to join me at the Blue Bayou for every Saints game this year. I'll be the guy that looks like an A&E writer...but wearing a Brees or Hebert jersey.
Did You Know: Opposing quarterbacks had a better completion percentage against the Saints' Jason David than they did throwing to an open receiver?
Did You Know: Of the 3 undefeated NCAA Div I (Or Div. I-FBS) in 2004 (Auburn, USC, Oklahoma), Auburn had the toughest schedule, including defeating 4 top 10 teams at the time of the game (incl. then #3 LSU and then #5 Georgia) and was ranked lower than those teams 3 of those 4 times?
Boston sports fan pre-2004 have nothing on the sports bitterness I harbor.
Marcus,
If you haven't already, check out cajunboyinthecity's blog. He's from New Orleans and a HUGE Saints fan.
Marcus,
Before last season, a children's hopsital in Indy was named after Peyton Manning. The running joke among Colts fans was that they should have renamed the burn unit after Jason David...
Don't scehdule Lousisiana Monroe, Lousiana State & the Citadel in the same season and you win the national championship coming out of the SEC as an undefeated team. Its as simple as that.
OU had two cupcakes Houston and Bowling Green.
USC had no one as easy as those 5 teams.
Auburn did not get gypped they gypped themselves. Period.
As for Soriano finally earning his big contract, had he not earned it the first time he hit 3 homers in one game?
Actually, Thunderbelly, LA-Monroe and The Citadel were last minute fill-ins for Southern Miss and Georgia Tech, who, while not top-notch nonconference competition, were still at least equal to the BYU-Colorado State pair that USC had scheduled for that year. But GT and USM both withdrew their games with Auburn leaving those dates open and Auburn scrambling to fill the void. Thus, the Citadel. So the "They gypped themselves" claim is...well, wrong. They didn't gyp themselves. Two nonconference opponents, who had scheduled those games far in advance, backed out and left them high-and-dry.
Auburn actually went to both Michigan and Notre Dame to schedule a home-and-home and both of those teams said no.
As for Soriano, he could have 3 more 3HR games this season and MAYBE then he'll come close to earning the money of his contract. It would just about equal the games he's blown because of stranding runners on base or those egregious errors of his out in left field.
When did the back out occur? Thats unfortunate, and I was unaware.
However the fact remains with those 3 teams on the schedule you don't deserve the national championship. If your early schedule had taken place, then there is definitely an arguement. As is there is none.
As for Soriano, I did not mean to imply that he had earned his contract, rather that him doing something amazing that he has already done once doesnt make the difference.
Thunder - you're right. The sched. hurt 'em, even with the toughness of the SEC. But i think statistically (i.e., the BCS rank, there sched was still tougher than OU and maybe tougher than USC, though thats the SEC-sched right there). USM pulled out right before the season, if I remember right, leaving them scrambling to fill in the Citadel. And GT had pulled out a year or two before. AU and GT played @ GT in '03 (when AU was preseason #5 and played USC and GT to start the season) but then GT pulled out of the game @ Auburn. ACC bastards.
Of course, I think they've learned their lesson. Though it doesn't look as impressive after this weekend, they've added a home-and-home with West Virginia (which starts this year) and one with Clemson and maybe another one with Syracuse? Heh.
On Soriano, I think the fact that his 5 RBIs were the difference in the game is what caught my attention. He's a streaky performer, it seems. And the errors in LF...ugh. Unconscionable. I, for one, wonder why they didn't convert him back to 2nd. That's where he played with the Yankees/Rangers, correct?
His arm is too good to put him back in the infield. He is always in the league leaders in assists. Also by keeping him in left field it helps to keep power numbers in a traditionally power number position. Who else would we put in left? I mean DeRosa has been an adequate outfielder, but I would prefer to keep him at second if possible. The thing about Soriano's errors/mental lapses is that they always seem to come at crucial times. I really don't think he has that many more errors than the average outfielder does, they just are all at the wrong time.
As for Auburn's new schedule it is a tremendous improvement (the exact opposite of what the domers are doing). Anytime you schedule a BCS conference team for you nonconference schedule its good for you. Always better than a non BCS or I-AA (I forget the new name) even if that team is in a down year.
I for one would like a playoff system, but if the BCS is here to stay I think a new wrinkle needs to be added: You must play a BCS conference team on the road in your nonconference schedule to be considered for a BCS bowl game. That would help take some of the chickensh*tedness out of the whole scheduling aspect of college football.
The BCS system is here to stay unfortunately. There will never be a playoff; the NCAA worries too much about lost revenue. Nevermind that they added that 12th game instead of exploring a playoff anyway....yeesh.
What are your thoughts on a mandatory nonconference road game vs a BCS opponent to ensure BCS eligbility.
totally agree on that. USC-Ohio State loser could still wind up in the Title game. I think if you implemented that rule, you'd see a lot more early blockbuster games like USC-Texas, which would save us from this past weekend's lackluster match-ups. PLus, a team that loses isn't penalized.
The only problem would be how many LSU-Duke, Oklahoma-Vanderbilt, or USC-Iowa State games would you have to sit through as teams used that loophole? Still, I think it would work well.
Those games would still be better than Oklahoma vsChattanooga or Cincinnati or LSU vs Troy or north texas. You really cant lump USC in the same category as most programs, they stick to mainly power conference teams, like this year they have Ohio State, Virginia and Notre Dame (I know the dome is down for awhile now butr its still a respectable booking).
Just an idea to mix it up a bit. Something needs to be done to tweak the BCS a touch.