Bleacher Report - Articles by Jerry Burnes

Why the Bears Should Fire Lovie Smith and Co.

Jerry Burnes — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:02:47 -0500

It's time for the Chicago Bears and head coach Lovie Smith to part ways. But not because of the struggles of the Bears thus far in 2009, but to save the career of superstar quarterback Jay Cutler.

Lovie should be demoted to defensive coordinator and the entire offensive coaching staff, Ron Turner included should be sent packing for greener (or lesser expectations) pastures.

These moves, should take effect immediately so the Bears can begin to reassemble a staff for the 2010 season, lead by new head coach Mike Shanahan.

In his many years at Denver, Shanahan was a successful drafter and developer of young talent. His running backs, no matter who it was, could rush for 1,000 yards. His offensive lines could block for the run and the pass.

More importantly, his offensive scheme could produce points and is one Cutler found his best success with. Shanahan's drafting skills allowed him to take receivers such as Brandon Marshall and the "undersized" Hester-like receiver named Eddie Royal.

A high-profile, successful coach would allow the McCaskeys, if they so choose to spend money, to bring in quality free agents and rookie draft picks. Something Smith and Jerry Angelo have failed at miserably.

Under Shanahan, the Bears could more easily develop Matt Forte into the premier back he was expected to be this season. The offensive line, which has been set back another five years by Angelo, could be properly be rebuilt and receivers could be vastly developed like Royal was.

If the "football scientist" is correct and Cutler's decision making is equally as bad as in Denver last season when he threw for 4,526 yards, 25 TDs and 18 INTs, then something changed in 2009. If it wasn't Cutler, then it was the system, the receivers, the coaches, and his other surrounding players.

Let's bring in the system and the coach that Cutler found success with.

***NOTE: The linked article is an ESPN Insider article. The excerpt, from KC Joyner, is pasted below:

"Cutler has never finished a season with a bad decision rate below 4.6 percent, and the 4.6 percent mark was still the worst in the league in 2008. Bad decisions are when a QB makes a mistake with the ball that leads to a turnover or a near turnover (e.g. staring at receivers, forcing passes into coverage, etc.) and Cutler made a ton of them in Denver. To put it another way, in his Broncos career, one of out 20 passes he put up were bad decisions. Cutler's performance should not come as a shock to Chicago's management."

The Win-Win-Win BCS Playoff System: A Victory for Teams, Fans and the BCS

Jerry Burnes — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:36:06 -0500

What a purely awful college football season this has been. For everything that is sacred in college football, where is the parody!?

At the end of this season everyone will win; the BCS teams raking in $17 million and the BCS itself making millions in ticket sales, merchandise, and T.V. contracts.

Everyone wins but the fans, who will continue to watch a bowl season that will mirror the regular season. No excitement, no major upsets and what appears to be the SEC (again) versus the Big 12 in the title game.

Even the Ohio State-Michigan game this year, meant little outside the realm of the rival schools. Rivalry Week featured the No. 1 and No. 2 teams (Florida and Alabama) facing FCS teams and slaughtering them.

As ESPN's Ivan Maisel points out, the season was over-hyped.

What happened to college football over the past 10 years that ruined the drama that we once knew?

In the wake of the this weak and uneventful season, colleague Ben Gross and myself have worked throughout the season on a fair system to all parties.

The system, is a 32-team playoff system designed to eliminate conference ties, BCS lobbying for at-large spots and maximize fan interest throughout the postseason, not just in the final week.

In our minds, if designed correctly, the BCS could transition into a playoff system and not lose the revenue, while the teams and fans get more of a fair shake in the deal.

Fans would get the thrill they have been craving for a tournament battle for the crystal ball. All teams, not just two, will have a legit shot to play in the big game no matter the conference. Take Boise State for example. The Broncos are on the verge of two straight undefeated regular seasons and still might not be in a BCS bowl. A playoff would give them a chance to win it all, without voter bias and computer rankings.

The BCS's winning part would be more money and revenue flowing through the system. Which is all the suits in the BCS care about after all, isn't it?

In the coming installments, I will unveil our plan to successfully convert the current BCS into a playoff system using basic common sense and business tactics. The 2008 season will be used as the model season for this system.

The plan comes in following steps:

Step 1) Making the playoff cut, seeding, and determining matchups.

Step 2) Location of games by round and BCS site rotation.

Step 3) Configuring T.V. contracts and a look at ratings.

Step 4) Ticketing and Attendance.

Step 5) A round-by-round payout system.

Step 6) A look at the 2009 Bracket.

If you happen to miss any installments, please check my profile page. For headline restrictions reasons, the installments will be named: BCS Playoff Part One, Part Two, etc.

Is the Big Ten Headed for Bowl Game Disaster Again?

Jerry Burnes — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:56:56 -0500

Bowl Season used to bring joy to the Big Ten. Now it brings a bottle of Jack Daniel's to make fans forget the pain and agony of the used-to-be powerhouse conference and its futility in the postseason. It seems like a long time since Ohio State won the National Championship in 2002. Since then the Buckeyes (2003, 2005) and Penn State (2005) are the only Big Ten Schools to win a BCS Bowl. Last year Iowa's 31-10 win over South Carolina in the Outback Bowl marked the only Big Ten victory in the postseason. Outside of that, No. 10 Ohio State lost to No. 3 Texas 24-21 in the Fiesta Bowl. No. 8 Penn State lost to No. 5 USC 38-24 in the Rose Bowl. No. 18 Michigan State lost to No. 15 Georgia 24-12 in the Capitol One Bowl. Kansas defeated Minnesota 42-21 (Insight Bowl), No. 23 Northwestern lost 30-23 to No. 21 Missouri (Alamo Bowl) and Wisconsin lost 42-13 to Florida State (Champs Sports Bowl). It can't get any worse this year, can it? Let's take a look at where the Big Ten sits in current CBS Sports bowl projections and how they might fare.

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MAC Title Still in Reach for Northern Illinois Huskies

Jerry Burnes — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:37:01 -0500

When the 2009 season began, the Northern Illinois Huskies were projected to finish third in the Mid-American West behind Western and Central Michigan.

Now 10 games into the season, the Huskies (7-3, 5-1 MAC) will be no worse than the No. 2 team in the MAC West. With a win Saturday over Ohio in Athens, NIU will head into its game at Central Michigan with a trip to Detroit hanging in the balance.

The Huskies did what they needed to do these past four games with wins over Miami (OH), Akron, Eastern Michigan and Ball State. Those teams entered the Huskies' four-game stretch with a 1-25 record and enter this next week 4-37. Any losses would have been devastating for a MAC team fighting for a bowl.

But masked in the impressive season NIU is putting up is the disappointing one Western Michigan has. The Broncos have struggled on defense and on the offensive line. Star quarterback Tim Hiller hasn't had nearly the time to throw that was evident against NIU. Their record (5-6, 4-3) lingers as shocking.

NIU has waded through an injury to quarterback Chandler Harnish. How? With the run game that starred in the three games Harnish did not play, but struggled some against Ball State.

Redshirt junior Chad Spann has been, without doubt, the Huskies' Most Valuable Player. He has 16 rushing touchdowns, tied for fourth in the nation, and has 17 total scores. He also has 830 yards and will look to become the first Huskie under Jerry Kill to rush for 1,000 yards.

The Huskies will have their hands full with Ohio (7-3, 5-1) before heading to Central Michigan (8-2, 6-0) and All-World quarterback Dan LeFevour. The win over Ball State has all but clinched a bowl game for the second straight season. A win over Ohio makes NIU the No. 3 team in the entire MAC.

A win over Ohio sets up a MAC West title battle with CMU for a chance at NIU's first conference title since 1983. That season, Bill Mallory led the Huskies to the California Bowl. NIU's last appearance in Detroit was in 2005 when they were upset by Akron on a last-second Hail Mary to Domenik Hixon.

History is in the hands of the Huskies. They control their own fate. It would not be a good time to have a lapse and put the MAC title out of reach before getting a shot at LeFevour.

What If The Oakland Raiders Drafted Adrian Peterson In 2007?

Jerry Burnes — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:08:39 -0400

In 2007, the Oakland Raiders forever altered the history of the franchise. With the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

They passed on future Pro Bowlers Joe Thomas, Patrick Willis and, of course, Adrian Peterson.

The Raiders needed a quarterback, but they also needed a running back. As we have seen the past three season, Peterson is a one-of-a-kind NFL talent.

By drafting Peterson, the Raiders could have salvaged their franchise for the present time and for years to come. By drafting Russell, Oakland now has $30 million guaranteed to the quarterback. With his stats and lack of progression, he is an untradable commodity.

If the Raiders decide to give up on Russell, they will either have to draft another quaterback to develop or convince a rare free agent talent to sign up.

Along with failing on drafting a Pro Bowl running back, the Raiders' 2007 pick led to another faulty pick in 2008. With the No. 4 pick that season, Oakland selected Arkansas Running Back Darren McFadden, often compared to Peterson coming out of college.

McFadden has yet to show his true potential, but not entirely because of his own doing. A mediocre offensive line combined with a lame duck passing attack has left little room for the back to run.

Russell's ability does not strike fear into defenses and allows them to focus on McFadden, who also shares a lot of time with Michael Bush and Justin Fargas. The first part of his career is all but ruined in a Raider uniform.

By simply adding Peterson, the Raiders theoretically could have improved their draft position—for argument's sake, let's say early-teens. Even if the Silver and Black stayed at No. 4 they would have been in a great position to trade down and draft Joe Flacco.

Flacco started and won as a rookie, and this year we've seen he can put some numbers. In just two seasons, Flacco's stats and progression have surpassed that of Russell. His intangibles alone are miles ahead.

This leads me to the 2009 draft, which the Raiders' selection with the No. 7 pick left many stunned. Oakland selected Maryland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, projected in the 20s.

Again, theoretically, the Raiders would have improved their draft position. The Broncos had a terrible run defense, and San Diego couldn't defend the pass. Oakland could have challenged for the AFC West.

If that happened they could have taken Bey at a more sensible position, lets say mid-to-late-teens, early-20s. That would have also put them in prime position to draft either Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, Hakeem Nicks or Kenny Britt, all first round receivers finding success thus far.

If their position did not improve, Michael Crabtree was still available.

Either would have also left them in a position to fourth round pick Louis Murphy, who has had far better stats than Bey at this point in the season.

Instead the Raiders went with Russell.

And aside from a few plays here and there, he has been a Ryan Leaf-esque bust. His lack of production has hurt McFadden's career, and even if Bey was a Top 10 pick, does Russell have what it takes to get him the ball and show off his potential?

The answer we're getting to that question right now is "No."

The answer is wearing No. 28 in Minnesota.

Northern Illinois Huskies: Stick To The Run Game To Win

Jerry Burnes — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:55:05 -0400

I've been preaching this in my columns all season long: To win the Huskies have to play their game.

And that game, the NIU game, is on the ground, running the football.

While many of us leftover Joe Novak Era guys remember the glory days of Michael Turner or Garrett Wolfe, the offense has progressed under Jerry Kill to a certain extent. I'll take Chandler Harnish under center over Phil Horvath and Dan Nicholson any day.

Kill has converted the Huskie offense to more of a spread offense. However, this isn't the West Coast Offense. Against Toledo NIU found success with Me'co Brown (22 carries for 96 yards), but touchdown machine Chad Spann found only six carries for 28 yards (4.7 ypc). Harnish ran the ball nine times for 42 yards with two touchdowns, Brown adding the other score.

The Huskies have had such a success this season hammering home the "bolt" and "jolt" combination of Brown and Spann this season. Why stop now?

Against Western Michigan on Homecoming, Spann had 22 carries for 132 yards and three scores. Brown had 15 for 92 yards. Harnish threw only 15 times, he had 24 tosses against Toledo, resulting in one interception, 15 completions, and 157 yards.

With the run game going on all cylinders there is no reason for Harnish to throw over 20 times. Add up the total plays run and he was put in charge 33 times. While Harnish is an excellent upcoming quarterback, Brown and Spann have proven to be the playmakers in 2009. They combined for just 29 touches (28 rushes, one reception) against Toledo.

When the Huskies hit Oxford and Miami-OH this weekend, that run game needs to harken back to its three wins. When NIU's running duo gets more looks than Harnish the Huskies are 3-0. When Harnish gets more looks, they are 0-3. One argument could be that NIU was down by large margins but have lost all three games by 12 combined points.

To better illustrate my argument, here's a nice table. It shows the number of carries, yards and touchdowns a game for Brown and Spann, along with the number of total touches, total yards and total scores for Harnish.

The NIU run-pass comparison chart can be found here.

You can see in the Wisconsin loss Harnish had 37 touches, while Brown and Spann combined for 20. In the Idaho loss it was Harnish 36, Spann and Brown 16. Finally against Toledo Harnish had 33 plays to the duo's 28. On the other hand the duo had a 22-20 play advantage against Western Illinois, 44-37 against Purdue and 37-21 against Western Michigan—all wins.

The stats are right there in front of you. If the Huskies want to win games and have a shot for the MAC title, make the other team stop your bread and butter. Which is and always has been the run game. No offense to Harnish, but this team goes as the run game goes. He's just the compliment.

So let's bring that run game from both Westerns and Purdue to Oxford and see if the winless RedHawks have an answer for it.

Northern Illinois Huskies: No More Excuses

Jerry Burnes — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:51:36 -0400

No more excuses. It's time to play football now.

Here comes the most crucial stretch of football for the Northern Illinois Huskies. At a point in the season when NIU could have been looking at a 4-2 record, it's currently at 3-3.

The next four games for the Huskies will tell us how this season will end: A trip to Oxford, Ohio, this weekend, followed by three home games versus Akron, Eastern Michigan, and Ball State.

Combined record of those four opponents: 1-25.

If the Huskies don't come away with four wins here, kiss an at-large bowl bid goodbye. There is no way a 6-6 Mid-American Conference team with one or more losses to some of the worst teams in the NCAA will get lucky like last year.

Adding to that, NIU travels to Ohio 5-2 (3-0, MAC) and Central Michigan (6-1, 4-0) to wrap up the season. With only one conference loss to date, it is plausible that the Huskies could by vying for trip to Detroit if they win these next four and hit the road strong against the top two MAC teams at the end.

After hammering preseason MAC West No. 2 Western Michigan 38-3, it was wondered aloud if the Broncos were overrated. WMU responded by pounding Toledo 58-26 while the Huskies floundered another game in the Glass Bowl.

They haven't beat the Rockets in Toledo since 2005, led by Garrett Wolfe. Their last win prior to that was 33 years earlier in 1972.

That's been the story of NIU football's recent history. It drops the ball on great opportunities. With the way this year's schedule lined up, the Huskies had legitimate chance of heading into the Central Michigan game 9-2, also undefeated in the MAC, possibly playing for that trip to Detroit.

But the bright lights, bad play-calling, and mediocre coaching got the best of NIU. Instead, it has no room for error this season. No more Idaho games, no more Toledo games. No more coming off a big win and looking unprepared, outplayed, and just clueless.

I'll give this to Joe Novak's teams: They were never outplayed, even during a 2-10 season in 2007.

It may be time for Jerry Kill to wake up and realize this is FBS Football, not Division I-AA. There is no playoff. Every game matters more than the last.

It's time to shut up and play. Time to stop losing games that you should be winning.

It's time to focus on this game, not the last game.

Because if these Huskies don't, that 1-25 record is going to start looking a little better.

[Photo courtesy of NIU Media Relations]

What Happened to Northern Illinois University's Olympic Involvement?

Jerry Burnes — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:23:24 -0400

It was all in place, NIU would host preliminary soccer rounds at Huskie Stadium for the 2016 Olympics if (or when) Chicago grabs the bid. With under 12 hours before the winning bid is announced for the Oylmpics, the intergovernmental agreement between NIU and the City of Chicago has been lost in translation.

What happened to NIU's involvement, nobody knows. In March, according to Northern Star reporter Ben Gross, he spoke with NIU Athletic Director Jeff Compher on this very agreement when discussing the new strategic plan. Compher was not aware of the March 2007 agreement detailed in the above link that was in place during the Jim Phillips era.

A reliable source told me today that Eddie Williams, executive VP chief of operations, finance and facilities at NIU, said everything was still in place for the preliminary soccer rounds to come to NIU. That source also told me that NIU Sports Information Director Donna Turner denied there was plan and that Williams backtracked when called again on the issue.

So what happened?

The plan was for Chicago to pay for new turf on Huskie Stadium, build the needed facilities that included the Olympic Village and soccer facility. For NIU, this would all be done for free.

Seeing how NIU replaced the turf and the NCAA made them build the track and soccer complex, Chicago would be upgrading these. The stadium would need new turf by 2016 and the soccer complex would get new turf, or they'd build a whole new one for further accommodation.

Further more, NIU already has Northern View which could act as part of an Olympic Village, in which Chicago would also pay for the upgrades and additional housing units. Hello, more student housing?

Combine that with the giant dust collecting Convocation Center, the Yordon Center and with Chicago flipping the bill, why not get that indoor practice facility built for free?

Now, whether Chicago gets the bid or not, its time for NIU to open up to what happened. With Chicago picking up the tab NIU has no reason to back out if it already hasn't.

Not to mention the immeasurable positive impact this would have on the communities of DeKalb, Sycamore and NIU. Phillips recognized this impact when this agreement was made. So did Steve Simmons in regards to the positive impact on the soccer programs. An impact that goes far beyond what he already built.

Did NIU get everything it wanted out of the deal without having to host anything or did the Olympic plan simply leave with Phillips to Northwestern, which I'm sure was already integral in Chicago's plan.

Even still, the agreement was signed with NIU, not with Phillips personally.

Maybe NIU is still in the works, figuring out details. Or maybe Chicago is leaving them in the dark and NIU has just assumed they're not involved. It's possible.

Or did the current NIU administration, as we have seen a lot in its reign already, drop the ball and let this one fall through the cracks?

If so it made a very, very big mistake for the future of NIU and DeKalb.

Chicago 2016 or not, it's time for answers.

Northern Illinois Huskies Need to Stay Humble After Purdue Win

Jerry Burnes — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:13:16 -0400

Some games define teams and the future of a program.

Take Boise State. After beating Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, the Broncos were a legitimate BCS buster.

On the other hand, take Ohio State. After losing in the National Championship game to Florida that same year, the Buckeyes have struggled against top-ranked opponents.

For Northern Illinois, it has been a while since a defining victory, and certainly a solid 28-21 win over Purdue, in Lafayette, qualifies. It was the first win over a Big Ten opponent since 1988, pushing the Huskies' record against the conference to 2-32-1. It's their first win over a BCS conference team since a 24-16 victory over Iowa State in 2003.

But how defining of a victory is this just three games into the 2009 season?

In 2003 the Huskies took down the Cyclones, No. 21 Alabama, and No. 15 Maryland. They finished 10-2 with losses to No. 23 Bowling Green and Toledo.

Without finishing the season strong, this Huskies team dilutes all meaning from this game aside from another win next to the lopsided loss column against the Big Ten.

NIU needs to stay focused on the fact that there are nine games to go. It can't settle. Actually, it's time to get humble. Like Central Michigan, the Huskies now have a target painted on their backs. The Mid-American Conference will be gunning for them, and it will be more important than in the past to not overlook opponents.

It starts this weekend versus perennial whipping boy Idaho.

Going 10-2 might be asking a lot, but certainly the expectations have risen. The predicted 7-5 team, third in the MAC West, will now be held to higher standards, and it will up to them and only them to meet those.

Teams in the MAC have a bad habit of losing games to each other. Potential BCS buster Ball State lost in the MAC title game to Buffalo last season. Central Michigan has clearly been the class of the conference for years but also tends to fall off the tracks here and there.

So what is fair to expect from NIU now?

Certainly a 7-5 season after this win cannot be considered a complete success, though it will be one game better than 2008. Tough games with Toledo, Western Michigan, and Central Michigan lie ahead.

I predicted a 20-13 NIU win over Purdue in the preseason and still handed out a 7-5 record. Why? Purdue is far from the class of the Big Ten, and the Big Ten is far from the class of the BCS. But now, even my expectations have risen to a 9-3 or 8-4 season.

Beating Purdue won't be a program-defining victory as those in 2003, but it will certainly have the chance to be a win that defines this 2009 team and its place in the MAC.

Buyer beware though—it's only Week Four. A lot of football is left to be played.

Week 1: A Tough Week for the MAC

Jerry Burnes — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:25:32 -0400

Overview: The MAC had a tough go around in Week 1, going 3-10 overall and 0-4 versus the Big Ten. Winners were Buffalo, Bowling Green and Kent State; all MAC East teams. The three wins were not terribly impressive, however, it was good to see teams like Temple and Ohio in competitive games, especially Ohio versus Connecticut. Wisconsin beat themselves more in the second half than NIU did, but a 28-20 loss still looks good for the conference.

The High Point: Bowling Green trouncing Troy 31-14. Troy is a tough opponent traditionally and usually makes bowl games with no problem. The game was close, 14-14 heading into the fourth quarter, until the Falcons tacked on 17 points. One of the potential stud MAC quarterbacks Tyler Sheehan was 32-for-44 passing for 339 yards and two scores. He did throw one pick. Freddie Barnes grabbed 15 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Willie Geter posted 49 yards on nine carries. Great win for BGSU to start of their season.

The Low Point: Ball State losing to North Texas 20-10. For this, let's compare last year's records: Ball State was 12-2, North Texas, 1-11. Redshirt freshman Kelly Page was as advertised when he ran with the ball (7-53) but was 15-for-34 throwing for just 140 yards, no scores and one interception. MiQuale Lewis carried the ball 15 times for 103 yards and a touchdown. The defense was the biggest letdown, as it allowed 296 rushing yards and 216 passing yards (Ball State had 169 and 140 respectively). The Cardinals really missed their opportunities. North Texas had nine penalties for 81 yards compared to 4-30. Turnovers were even but NT held the ball for over 37 minutes.

By The Numbers: 30. That's how many points were put up by the top four of the top five offenses in the MAC this week. Central Michigan scored six against Arizona, Western Michigan scored seven on Michigan, Ball State scored 10 and Akron scored seven on Penn State. I didn't have high scoring thoughts for the Zips but thought Ball State would roll, the Chips to score at 20 (lost 19-6) and Tim Hiller to get in a shootout in Ann Arbor. Hiller has the best excuse, his team has no defense so he was throwing a lot (38 times). He also apparently doesn't have an offensive line to stop Brandon Graham.

Biggest Hole To Fill: Northern Illinois had the top-ranked MAC defense last year and second most improved defense next to Navy in 2008. What helped the Huskies do that was a consistent pass rush of either Larry English, or the guy benefiting from the double teaming of Larry English. Against Wisconsin, the Huskies had no pass rush. In this case, hardly any of a pass defense. I thought I'd be more worried about Dan LeFevour's mediocre 18-for-31, 108 but once he hits MAC play he'll be back in form. NIU needs to address this quickly especially with Purdue (52 points against Toledo), Tim Hiller and Toledo's passing attack on the horizon before the mid-point of the season.

Making A Statement: The MAC East showed up to play. Temple lost via last second field goal to Villanova, Bowling Green won decisively, Kent State shutout Coastal Carolina (as they should have), Buffalo won, Ohio played close and Akron faced a title contender, so we'll let them off. The West faced tougher opponents but will be marred by Miami-OH's 42-0 loss to Kentucky, Ball State's shame, a lack of offense from its stud quarterbacks and a disappointing debut for Ron English. The West should be thankful Wisconsin broke down, as that game was on its way to ugly after a 28-6 score after three quarters.

This Week: Things don't look too much better in Week Two. It starts with a favorable matchup for Toledo against Colorado at the Glass Bowl. They have a chance to win. NIU should rout Western Illinois. Eastern Michigan draws Northwestern, Central takes on Michigan State, Western heads to Indiana and Akron duels with Morgan State, which might be comparable to a high school team after seeing Penn State. Ball State has New Hampshire and Ohio draws North Texas in two games with huge question marks after they was BSU and NT played last week. Now it gets ugly: Buffalo draws Pittsburgh but are at home so they can prove something here. Kent State travels to Boston College. Bowling Green takes on No. 25 Missouri who routed Illinois. Finally, Miami (Ohio) travels to No. 12 Boise State on the Smurf Turf.

Prediction Time: Toledo falls to Colorado; NIU wins big; EMU falls; Central loses again, Western beat Indiana; Akron rolls; Ball State wins; Ohio wins; Buffalo loses; Kent State loses pretty bad; Bowling Green runs out of gas and falls hard; and Miami take a whipping.

Week's Record: 5-7

Predicting the 2009 Season for the NIU Huskies

Jerry Burnes — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:32:35 -0400

Larry English is gone from the NIU defensive end position. How much will that hurt the Huskies in 2009? Will Chandler Harnish continue his development? And can the Huskies improve from a 6-7 season and make another bowl game? Head coach Jerry Kill will have to answer those questions here in 2009, which shapes up as a moderate schedule for the Huskies. Lets dig a little deeper into it.

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Questions in NIU's Running Game: Justin Anderson Is the Answer

Jerry Burnes — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:32:07 -0400

If Northern Illinois head football coach Jerry Kill wants consistency at running back, look no further than the veteran of the group, Justin Anderson.

As a sophomore, Anderson exploded onto the scene for the Huskies in place of the injured Montell Clanton. In 10 starts, he rushed for 1,245 yards, eight touchdowns, and averaged 103.8 yards per game.

Those numbers were in the Joe Novak era. Anderson was the ninth-straight back under Novak to rush for 1,000 yards.

No offense to coach Kill, but if Novak felt Anderson was the next 1,000 yard rusher with two more seasons to shine, then he was probably right.

In 2008, Anderson picked up just 209 yards in just two starts. Freshman quarterback Chandler Harnish led the team in rushing with 539 yards.

Last year was last year, now it's time to make things right. The Huskies have a tradition of running backs, and Anderson is next in line. Me'co Brown had a productive freshman year, and Chad Spann filled in nicely but Kill's running backs have a Tennessee Titans-like combo to it.

Let Anderson pick up the bulk in his senior season and use the small, fast, and shifty Brown as the change-of-pace back. With this tandem, the Huskies can have a consistent running game. They don't have to rely on a pair of sophomores, one being the quarterback and the other being Brown.

Great running backs have been a part of NIU football, dating back to LeShon Johnson, Thomas Hammock, A.J. Harris, Michael Turner, and Anderson's predecessor, Garrett Wolfe.

It would be a shame if the Huskies' new offensive system does not promote the qualities that brought NIU success.

While I think Brown can be the No. 1 guy someday, now is not his time. Anderson, who has a true running back skill set, is the main back. His yards per carry average (4.4) doesn't tell the story. The more carries Anderson sees, the more success he finds.

Unlike Brown, he's not a one-touch home run threat. Instead, he pounds the ball up the middle and, without warning, breaks off the big run. As Wolfe did at NIU, Anderson almost always picks up positive yards.

While I understand a change of regime brings a change of systems, why argue with a system that produced four outright or Co-MAC West championships, two bowl games, and three legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates at running back?

Maybe it's just me, but why fix what isn't broken?

[Photo by Jerry Burnes]

Mike Korcek and NIU's Dirty Little Secret

Jerry Burnes — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:12:25 -0400

Northern Illinois University has a secret. A deep, dark secret.

See, after over 40 years as a member of the NIU family, former Sports Information Director Emeritus Mike Korcek was not renewed by the athletic department.

That's not the secret. The secret is why.

NIU deputy athletics director for external affairs Glen Krupica made the choice to not retain Korcek, telling the DeKalb Daily Chronicle that the position had "run its course."

"Now that three years have past, the Hall of Fame display is up and intact, and Mike had done a tremendous amount for years on that," Krupica said. "Since we have that project done, the department felt the position was not needed anymore."

Now, Glen, enlighten Huskie Nation with the real reason Korcek's tenure is over. Certainly, a part-time position is not costing the university that much money. Korcek's knowledge of NIU is needed for alumni events, the hall of fame, and all that. It simply cannot be "absorbed."

The direction NIU's athletic department has gone over the past few years has not been a good one.

In his tenure at NIU, Korcek spent 22 years as Sports Information Director and over 30 in the department. He attended school at NIU and left only to join the Army, where he received an honorable discharge.

He led the Heisman Trophy campaigns for LeShon Johnson and Michael "The Burner" Turner. Johnson finished sixth in 1993, on a 4-7 team, with no TV games or Internet to promote on. Korcek also led his staff to over 50 CoSIDA awards, including Best in Nation. During the 2003 season the NIU football team went 10-2 with no bowl game appearance. Thanks in large parts to Korcek's efforts, they were a victory away from a Sports Illustrated feature.

He is as close to legendary status as one can get in the industry.

So now Krupica and Athletic Director Jeff Compher have some questions to answer. How can Krupica, a former basketball manager and someone moved up the ranks with Korcek's help, get rid of the walking NIU encyclopedia?

A small FBS school such as NIU cannot afford to lose a person such as Korcek. This is especially the case when current SID Donna Turner was giving media incorrect information on NIU's bowl record in the Independence Bowl press box. For the record, entering the bowl, they were 2-1, not 1-2.

Is this move a clash of political ideologies coming to a head or is it an "out with the old" move by NIU?

Either way, the Huskies made a terrible decision that lit up the message boards and incited alumni all across the country. Korcek was connected to many boosters, many sponsors, and he has a legacy rooted deeply inside the current foundation of NIU athletics.

This move could come back to hurt them.

When I spoke to Korcek on the situation he said he had only hoped to help out his alma mater in this capacity and would have done the work for free if asked in a professional matter.

That was not the case.

That's the new story inside the NIU athletic department. No respect for the past, no respect for tradition. It's all about the money, the fame, and the glory.

All of which NIU will not find as a 6-7 Mid-American Conference team.

Richard Gasquet's Life-Changing Kiss and the Lessons That Can Be Learned

Jerry Burnes — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:45:42 -0400

Richard Gasquet kissed a girl, and the International Tennis Federation didn't like it.

The kiss, according to Gasquet, caused him to inadvertently consume cocaine which led to a positive test and a two-year ITF ban in March at the Sony Ericsson Open.

Almost five months later, a three-lawyer tribunal with the ITF concluded that Gasquet did in fact consume the cocaine from the kiss, ending his ban.

Now, the sports world has heard some classic excuses for failing a drug test. Manny Ramirez has his fertility drugs; Floyd Landis's elevated testosterone levels were "normal;" and the list goes on.

But who would have thought one of these excuses could be true?

Gasquet's case is unique, very unique. The tribunal said the amount of cocaine in his system was no more than a grain of salt.

Was this very potent cocaine, or are the drug tests that good?

Hard to judge, but it makes me wonder, are some of these athletes' excuses plausible?

Certainly Ramirez wouldn't mind an investigation into his excuse, and can an inquiry determine whether Landis is a doper or just imbalanced?

I don't have the answer. I'm not a scientist, only a journalist.

What concerns me is the lack of research and insight into some of these other positive tests. I'm not trying to say everybody who fails a test with an excuse is in the right, but anything can happen.

Drug testing in sports has come a long way and have produced, in my mind, great results thus far. I'm not naive enough to think all athletes are cleaning up and not finding other roads to PEDs and recreational drugs, but I believe more are clean today than 10 years ago.

The system will always need refinement. Maybe, just maybe, there's some validity to these excuses, and it might be time for these sport industries to look into these complaints.

As Gasquet has proved, tests are not 100-percent accurate.

Sometimes, human research and asking questions prevail over a computer. So, if we can prove the technology right or wrong, what's a little more work?

I mean, sometimes people are wrong, and sometimes technology fails or works too well. There needs to be a fine line between human error, computer error, and an error in assumptions.

Chandler Harnish, DeMarcus Grady Bring Experience to Young NIU QB Spot

Jerry Burnes — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:14:19 -0400

Last season was the start of a new era in NIU football. An unknown entity named Chandler Harnish stepped into the starting role at quarterback in the Huskies first game versus Minnesota. The redshirt freshman threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns.

As Harnish entered MAC play, the mystery of a new quarterback led to 1,528 yards, eight touchdowns, nine interceptions and also a team-leading 539 rushing yards.

Heading into the 2009 season, Harnish is no longer a mystery. Neither is his redshirt sophomore comrade, DeMarcus Grady, who also saw starts last year due to injuries to Harnish and senior Dan Nicholson. The in-game experience has helped increase the learning curve for both QBs.

“Coming into spring ball, one thing I really noticed was I’m able to focus on the small things,” Harnish said. “Last year, I was trying to learn an offense, trying to learn the big picture, but now this year, I pretty much understand what we’re trying to do and we’re able to build on that and do a lot of different things with wide receivers and backs, so its going a lot better.”

This season leaves second-year head coach Jerry Kill with two experienced quarterbacks and also redshirt freshman Brandon Rogers to enter as a backup. The Huskies will also have a different look to the receiving corps., as Matt Simon, Britt Davis and Marcus Perez have all graduated, leaving Nathan Palmer, Marcus Lewis and Landon Cox to take over.

As Kill pointed out, this year’s receivers all have in-game experience.

“The good thing is all the kids that we have played last year and they’ve got a lot of experience in there,” Kill said. “We’re not near as deep as we were a year ago, therefore these kids are getting more reps. In some ways not having as much depth, as long as we can stay healthy, our timing is a little bit better and things of nature.”

Even though Harnish stands out as the Huskies’ likely starter, both he and Grady recognize that competition is always a part of the game, especially if one guy isn’t getting the job done.

“Competition is always a great thing as far as the quarterback position because if you mess up and the other guy does well, then you need to come back the next play and have a good play to rebuttal what he is doing,” Harnish said. “The fact that they’re understanding what we’re doing, we’re able to bounce ideas off each other and get a picture of what we’re doing and it helps us all develop as quarterbacks.”

Grady also recognizes the competition factor, but said the quarterbacks are reliant on each other.

“There’s always competition, we’re always trying to get better but at the same time we need each other,” Grady said. “We both have a good relationship going and we help each other. So there’s a bit of a competition but at the same time we need each other, so we’re going to work with each other to try and improve.”

Grady, who has been often labeled as the "running quarterback," is working hard in practice to try and shed that label. He said he’s been working on footwork, throwing the ball and developing a base. Grady commented that he feels as if he is far ahead of where he was last year.

As Grady looks to improve on mechanics he also looks to improve on diminishing turnovers, something both Kill and Harnish look to reduce.

“One of the things we started off saying right at the beginning of spring ball was we need to limit our interceptions and I think that comes with just being able to read different coverages and play consistent football,” Harnish said. “There’s nothing special about it, there’s no special type of ingredient that we need to do but we need to be consistent and just understand what we’re trying to do as an offense.”

[Photo By Jerry Burnes]

What If Albert Pujols Sets The Home Run Records?

Jerry Burnes — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:51:36 -0400

Albert Pujols is good; almost as good as winning a million bucks.

But is he good enough to make baseball forget the dark times it has been through the better half of this decade?

That seems to be the million-dollar question. If Pujols sets the home run records, season or career, does he take a rightful seat on the throne as Home Run King?

We've seen this story before. A slugger blazes a pace with long balls, he denies using steroids or any other performance-enhancing drugs, and because baseball is desperate for a role model, we believe.

Pujols has denied use, just as Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, and Sammy Sosa have done in the past. The numbers support Pujols, who has only hit 40+ home runs in a season four times. His career high is 49, set in 2006. His lowest career batting average was .314 in 2002, his second season in the league.

He has 762 career walks to just 540 strikeouts, evidence of his superior vision and Tony Gwynn-like patience. Comparatively, Pujols has 29 multi-home run games in St. Louis in 1,322 games. Mark McGwire previously held that record with 28 in just 545 games in St. Louis.

One can't help but think, this looks too familiar. If Albert keeps up his scorching pace and hits 74 or 62 home runs this season, how are we supposed to react?

When or if Pujols places No. 62 over the wall, do we celebrate and call him the true Home Run King or wait until he blasts No. 74? Critics will say that Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in the age before steroids and PEDs. Supporters will say Pujols has been surrounded by nothing.

No allegations, no positive tests, just accolades.

Pujols has cemented himself as one of greatest power hitters of this generation. He could go down as the best power hitter of today ahead of Ken Griffey Jr. and possibly the best ever. He just needs to keep his body clean.

At age 29, in just his ninth season, with 350 career home runs as of July 8, there is no ceiling for what Pujols can do. And if Pujols does it the way Maris and Babe Ruth did, with no cheating allegations, truths or anything like that, than he should go down as the rightful Home Run King.

Maybe there was some significance to that May 21 home run off the Cubs' Sean Marshall. Statistically it was unimportant, his 14th home run of the season, the 333rd of his career.

Yet when the mammoth home run ball smacked the "I" in the Big Mac Land sign in left field, putting its lights out, Pujols may have marked the end of an era. May it have been the end of the steroid era among baseball's young sluggers?

Only time will tell.

Sammy Sosa Should Be Honored by Cubs—Just Not Yet

Jerry Burnes — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:46:48 -0400

Former Cubs right fielder Sammy Sosa announced he will retire and await his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Confident words for someone so closely linked to the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Considering how the voting has gone for Mark McGwire, it doesn't look good for Sosa, or Barry Bonds, or Roger Clemens, or...well, you get the picture.

As for his former team, the Cubs already said goodbye to one pinstripe legend this season when Greg Maddux retired. His number was retired in May.

The question of what to do with Sosa in Wrigleyville has become a water-cooler topic since the slugger's announcement. Current Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee told the Chicago Tribune he thinks Sosa should be honored by the Cubs, citing the fact that none of the allegations have been proven. Cubs fans can think back to his last stint with the Cubs in 2004 when he exited the season finale early and was soon after traded to Baltimore for Mike Fontenot and Jerry Hairston Jr.

Needless to say, Sosa didn't leave Chicago on a good note. He eventually landed in Texas in 2007 after sitting out 2006 and hit his 600th home run off of the Cubs' Jason Marquis. Sosa has yet to be signed by a team in 2009.

In some respects, I agree with Lee that Sosa should be honored by the Cubs, but as Lee said, it won't be while he is in Chicago. That's how it should be, too. No offense to Lee, but he won't be in Chicago long enough to see Sosa honored the way he should be. Right now, there's still too much animosity between Sosa, the fans, the organization, and baseball itself over the steroid allegations, the corked bat (yes, still) and the way he left Chicago.

Look at the players the Cubs have honored: Billy Williams, Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg, Maddux, and Fergie Jenkins. Like them, Sosa defined the organization when he played in Wrigley. He had a cult following in the right field bleachers and played a big role in the 1998 Wild Card appearance and the 2003 NLCS run. He is the only MLB player to have three 60-home run seasons and has the most home runs in franchise history. Don't forget how many butts Sosa put in the seats at Wrigley Field—a ton.

He certainly deserves recognition from the Cubs. I'm not fully on board with retiring his number...ever. I feel as if Sosa, steroids aside, left a tainted legacy in Chicago upon his departure. Fans didn't love Sammy the way San Francisco loved Bonds when he was not resigned. The love-hate relationship between the faithful and slugger went way south.

But maybe, in another few years or so, the Cubs can invite Sosa to Wrigley for Opening Day. Call it Sammy Sosa day, give out a commemorative something, have a little pregame ceremony, throw out the first pitch, sing the seventh inning stretch—the works. Just don't disgrace the flag poles of Wrigley Field with the No. 21. Maybe put a logo on the right-field entrance to the batting cages with a silhouette of Sosa that commemorates his years in Chicago like the Giants did for Bonds's 756th home run.

Something simple. Something that means something but won't be missed too much when the Cubs move out of Wrigley or put another Under Armour advertisement over it. Just like Sosa's career, it could mean something until the novelty wore off.

Jay Cutler Still Looking For No. 1 Target

Jerry Burnes — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:59:32 -0400

Jay Cutler is still searching for his Brandon Marshall replacement in Chicago.

Cutler, who the Bears acquired from the Denver Broncos via trade on April 2, is entering a system which saw its running back become its leading receiver a year ago.

Last season Devin Hester led the Bears in yards (665), running back Matt Forte in receptions (64), and Greg Olsen in touchdowns (5). Bears wide receivers caught just nine touchdown passes last season, with Hester grabbing the most with three.

While the Bears made a major upgrade at signal caller, the need for a No. 1 target is still a pressing issue. The Cutler-Marshall combo connected for 104 receptions, 1,265 yards, and six touchdowns in 2008. Cutler's No. 2 man Eddie Royal, who matches Hester physically, grabbed 91 receptions for 980 yards and five touchdowns.

A quarterback can only be as good as his offensive line and receiving corps. If the Bears are unable to improve Hester very quickly the Cutler experiment will come under scrutiny.

The young No. 1 receiver, Anquan Boldin, is not available since the Bears used their draft picks on Cutler. Some time could be bought by chasing after Marvin Harrison. The aging Harrison can mentor the young Chicago squad and help mold Hester, Earl Bennett, and Juaquin Iglesias into a valuable and effective receiving corps.

While Chicago looks for a true No. 1, Cutler will have to work with what he has. The Bears don't have the worst corps in the league but it certainly needs some work.

Improving at quarterback is one step forward, but for Cutler to find maximum success in the Windy City, he needs to find another Marshall to throw to.

Larry English Stays Steady On The Road to The NFL

Jerry Burnes — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:06:20 -0400

When Larry English first watched the game of football, he didn’t fully understand the game. He picked up the concept but never realized that the men more than twice his size at the time were wearing pads.

Safe to say that every one of English’s 31.5 career sack victims are glad they wear pads in football.

“As a kid watching games on TV, I never knew they wore pads,” English said. “I always thought they were just really big guys playing football. Since then I always wanted to play football.”

English said he started playing football in the fourth grade and has missed one season ever since. In sixth grade he was sidelined for the season after breaking his shoulder in summer camp.

Now, that same kid who never knew football required pads has turned into one of the scariest sights for MAC quarterbacks. English is the two-time Vern Smith Award winner for the MAC Most Valuable Player and entering the 2008 season, was the NCAA active leader in sacks, the same stat line that placed him atop the all-time sack list at NIU.

All the stats and accolades, however, don’t make their way into English’s head. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound defensive end seems humbled by the position he’s in.

“It’s been fun, that’s the biggest thing,” he said. “I’m blessed to be in this position. Not too many people get the chance to be in this spot.”

That spot has English heading to the NFL. What team is still to be determined but he’s projected to be a first-day draft pick by many experts.

“Sometimes you can’t help it [listening to the experts] but I really try not to spend my time seeing what people are saying about me,” English said. “In some cases it’s out of my hands so I just try not to stress myself out with it too much.”

On his road to the draft, English has still been in contact with his old NIU coach Joe Novak and still keeps in touch with his old teammates. He’s been in the NFL Scouting Combine with the best players in college football.

“Anytime you get to be around that kind of talent, it’s fun,” he said. “I thought I did OK. I could have done better.”

If English goes as the experts predict, he will be the highest draft pick in NIU history. Higher than NFL MVP candidate Michael Turner, higher than Super-Bowl starter Ryan Diem and higher than NIU’s all-time leading rusher Garrett Wolfe -- an accomplishment that would be an honor for English.

“It would mean a lot and it would be [an] honor,” he said. “Especially with the caliber of players to come out of NIU and into the NFL.”

This article is courtesty of the Northern Star. (http://www.northernstar.info/article/6962/) For more on NIU sports, please visit www.northernstar.info/sports.

Top 10 Busts of the 2008 NFL Season

Jerry Burnes — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:33:01 -0500

So many expectations linger throughout an NFL season and so many fail to live up to them. The following are the top 10 players in the 2008 NFL season to fall short, some very short, of their expectations for the season. "Busts" are defined as players who have failed succeed this season after high expectations or great 2007 seasons. They are also defined as players with great drop offs from one season to the next that have impacted their team.

Begin Slideshow

Is Writing For Bleacher Report Unethical For Paid Sports Journalists?

Jerry Burnes — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 03:43:35 -0400

I've recently hit a small crossroads in life that directly involves my contributions here on Bleacher Report.

In a matter of about 10 months, I will be out of school and searching for a coveted job, whether it be in sports or another aspect of news writing. But the newspaper industry is dying right before our eyes. This raises the question: is it right for me and other soon-to-be professional journalists to give the news and opinions away for free?

The Internet is cruel mistress to the print form of journalism. Let's face it, it is the future of this industry. It's faster, more efficient, more diverse, and in some cases easier to access, unless you like to read the newspaper on the subway.

Although a site like Bleacher Report allows me to write whatever I want, when I want, it is still very easy to gain access to press conferences, practices, and coaches. This allows the unpaid writers on this site to give you the same information and stories that the professional, paid writers can give you.

Though many professional sites, like our partner Fox Sports, view us a "community," the quality of writing seen on this site, for the most part, is just as good as what they produce. Not saying everyone's articles and stories would make a major newspaper's sports section, but a good amount would give an editor a headache deciding.

One problem newspapers have is space consideration. More space equals spending more money. More money spent means the more Chicago Tribune owner Sam Zell may try to sell (other than the Cubs and the historic Tribune Tower). Before you know it, he'll try to sell his own writers.

On the other hand, the Internet allows endless space. Therefore, someone can write all their little heart desires and the Internet will not say, "We cut your story for space," or "We held your story until Wednesday because we didn't have enough room."

All of this dawned on me as my return to the Northern Star at Northern Illinois University nears. If I wanted to, I could go to the football games, get quotes from coach Jerry Kill's post-game news conferences, and write the NIU Huskies' football stories for this site and be able to go more in depth than the Star would allow.

Would this violate my journalism ethics though?

The Star is a free newspaper, but it still costs money to print. They are currently tight on budget, and quite frankly, getting paid per inch doesn't pay much there.

So I'm already giving the news for free, but at least there I'm getting paid for it. So technically they aren't giving it away, I guess.

But as newspapers continue to struggle and cut jobs, I can't help but feel like I'm contributing to its fall, Like I have helped harden the cement shoes.

Bleacher Report has been good to me, but it's not my job. If I land a sports writing gig with say, the Chicago Sun-Times right out of school, I will probably have to stop doing this, as not to put my job in jeopardy. It'll be a choice made solely on my ethics.

A choice I have been leaning towards all summer, as the words "writer" and "newspaper" fail to come up on Career Builder once again.

I'm not knocking Bleacher Report for its contribution to the sports writing world. I'm just saying that I'm beginning to feel like a scab producing all these stories for a non-paying outlet while looking for a job within a paying outlet.

I have finally reached a point of conflict in my career. For the first time in my seven years of news and sports writing, my ethics come in play and leave me contemplating what is the right and ethical decision to make concerning my future in writing.

Is it no big deal to give these stories for free? Or as a journalist, is it unethical for me to do for free, what myself and other writers have gotten paid for in the past and in the future?

Chicago Cubs' Top 10 of the Past Century: No. 7, Ernie Banks' Back-to-Back MVPs

Jerry Burnes — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:48:55 -0400

There's a reason why Ernie Banks is nicknamed "Mr. Cub."

Not only did Banks spend his entire 19-year career within the Friendly Confines; he did so while being an outstanding hitter, all-around player, and one the hardest-working players in baseball history.

In the 1958 and 1959 seasons, Banks won back-to-back MVP awards, something that was never done by Cub before, and has yet to be repeated.

In 1958, Banks hit .313, with a career high 47 home runs and 129 RBI. He also set career highs with 193 hits and 119 runs scored.

Banks led the league that season in home runs, RBI, at-bats, game played, total bases, slugging percentage, and was sixth in batting average and second in runs scored.

At age 27, Banks beat out Giants legend Willie Mays for the MVP with 16 first place votes versus three for Mays.

That season, the Cubs were 72-82, fifth in the National League, which had only eight teams.

Banks returned in 1959 with similar success. His average dipped to .304, but he still managed 45 home runs, and a career high 143 RBI. He had 179 hits and just 97 runs scored, but raised his on-base percentage from .366 to .374.

Banks also improved his fielding percentage from .960 to .985, but did not win a Gold Glove. His first and only Gold Glove was won in 1960, with a .977 fielding percentage.

That season, Banks led the NL in RBI, games played, and intentional walks. He was second in home runs and slugging, eight in runs scored, and 10th in batting average.

The Cubs improved their record that season to 74-80, but still finished fifth in the NL.

Despite his team's record, and trailing in all major MVP categories, Banks beat Eddie Matthews out for the award by a 10-5 first-place vote, and 232-189 total point count.

Matthews played in Milwaukee, and they finished second in the NL that season.

In both seasons, Banks was the starting shortstop on the All-Star team. He went on to make 14 All-Star teams in total.

It was Banks' desire to play the game that makes him one of the most beloved Cubs of all-time. He loved the game so much that he became known for his catch phrase, "Let's Play Two."

On opening day, 2008, the Cubs unveiled a statue honoring Banks, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.

Mr. Cub is without doubt one of the greatest, if not the single greatest, player in Chicago Cubs history. Banks was the mark of loyalty to a team even, through losing times.

His back-to-back MVPs have been done since he did so, but Banks remains the only Cub to achieve this feat.

Banks' hard work and great play have forever made him a fan favorite of the Cubbie faithful. And this achievement shows only a fraction of the player that Ernie Banks was.

He carried the Cubs many times throughout his career, especially through the '58-'59 seasons, which is more evident by the fact he won the MVP on a losing team, twice.

Miss a previous installment of the Top 10? Check them out:

No. 10, Ryne Sandberg's 1990 Season

No. 9, Fergie Jenkins' 1971 Cy Young

No. 8, The 500-Home-Run Club

Chicago Cubs' Top 10 of the Past Century: No. 8, The 500-Home-Run Club

Jerry Burnes — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:01:12 -0400

In an era of baseball that has produced astronomical home-run numbers, the 500-home-run mark is still a great milestone, and an almost guaranteed ticket to the Hall of Fame.

With that said, the Chicago Cubs are one of a select few clubs in major-league history to boast two members of the 500-home-run club.

Only the Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, Orioles, and Cubs have had multiple players hit 500 home runs. And only the Yanks, Sox, Giants, and Cubs have had multiple players hit a total of 500 home runs while with their club.

Both of the Cubs' members have at least 500 home runs in a Cubs uniform. Sammy Sosa hit 545 of his career 609 homers in Chicago, and Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, slugged all 512 of his career home runs with the Cubs.

Mel Ott, Mike Schmidt, Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams are the only members of the 500-home-run club, other than Banks, to make reach the milestone with only one team.

With free agency now in play, it is rare to see a player stick with one team his entire career, or to hit 500 home runs with just one team. Currently, only Albert Pujols (303 home runs) stands close to achieving the 500-home-run milestone with the just one team, the St. Louis Cardinals.

What makes this achievement a little more remarkable is the era of baseball that Banks and Sosa hit their 500 home runs.

Banks played through the '50s and '60s, in what is now considered the "Dead Ball Era." Home runs were not the spectacles that were highly publicized by the media.

On the other hand, Sosa played through the strike, the "Juiced Ball Era," and the post-strike "Steroid Era" of baseball. He was involved in the great 1998 home-run race which, depending on whom you ask, launched baseball to new heights after the 1994 players' strike.

Of the Hall of Fame eligible players in the 500-home-run club, only Mark McGwire has not been elected. Rafael Palmerio will be up in about three years, but will not be favored to enter the Hall soon because of a positive steroid test.

If voters can look past Sosa's alleged use of steroids, he will certainly be a Cooperstown lock, and he will join Banks, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, and Ryne Sandberg as the modern-day Cubs in the Hall of Fame.

By hitting 500 home runs, and hitting 500 total with the Cubs, Banks and Sosa put the already storied franchise of the Chicago Cubs in more rare air. The Cubs are in an elite group among the 500-homer club, while Banks and Sosa find themselves in the same club with the likes of Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, and Hank Aaron.

500 home runs is a true mark of power now, just as it was back in the day. It's a credit to the Cubs and the individual players for this great achievement.

Other players may hit more home runs than Banks and Sosa, but their names will not be erased from the baseball record books. Both achieved their milestone home runs in different eras of baseball and in different ways.

Banks did it through consistent hitting and being a true all-around player, while Sosa blasted his way through the late '90s, assaulting the home-run record book.

Either way, both Banks and Sosa have reached one of the biggest home-run milestones in baseball history and have joined some of the best home-run hitters in the process.

Miss one of the Top 10? Check them out here:

No. 10, Ryne Sandberg's 1990 Season

No. 9, Fergie Jenkins' 1971 Cy Young

No. 7 is now in!

Jerry Angelo Era Should End With Devin Hester's Holdout

Jerry Burnes — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:51:48 -0400

Tommie Harris, Lance Briggs, Robbie Gould, Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton, Rashied Davis, Alex Brown, Desmond Clark, and Brian Urlacher.

What do they all have in common?

They are the members of the Bears that have recently received new contracts.

Devin Hester has yet to see his new contract, and now he's a training camp holdout.

"You should pay me like I’m one-of-a-kind," Hester told the Chicago Tribune. "It's like dating a girl. When you find somebody who is real special, you’re going to do whatever it takes to keep her."

Hester is without doubt the most electrifying player on the Bears roster. Now the Bears have a chance to expand his role past return specialist to a starting wide receiver and give him more of a chance to shine. Too bad Jerry Angelo does not want to pay him for what he brings to the Bears.

Should we count the number of times Hester has bailed the Bears out of a loss?

I'll just leave it at the game against the Arizona Cardinals in 2006 when Hester returned a punt to help lead the Bears over the Cards.

Hester is now another statistic in the Jerry Angelo Era that has been nothing short of cheap and stingy when resigning players.

Briggs was a near hold out last season, Urlacher this season, and now Hester has followed through.

Even if the Bears lock up Hester soon, which they should, it's time for the Jerry Angelo Era to end in Chicago.

"We thought Devin was going to be here," Angelo said after Wednesday's practice. "We've been negotiating with Devin for a while and we are continually negotiating with him as well. So I really don’t know why he isn’t here today."

It's not that hard to figure out why Hester is not in camp.

He's an impact player even though he has not shown his full potential at receiver. He has shown enough and done enough for the team to insure himself a lengthy contract.

He has only two years left on his original four-year $2.61 million deal.

That's not the Angelo way though.

He would rather keep a player as cheap as possible, no matter how unhappy they are, and no matter how much they threaten to not play.

Sadly enough, Angelo even admitted after practice to not taking Hester's holdout threats seriously.

"He floated it out there, but I didn’t really take it serious because as I said we are still talking, we’re still in the process, there’s no closure," Angelo said. "Usually when you say, ‘Hey, it’s over, take it or leave it, we’re out of money,’ you might get a reaction like that. But as you’re continuing on in negotiations as we have been, it is surprising."

Angelo's reign in Chicago has produced nothing thus far. No Super Bowl rings, one Super Bowl disappointment, and a boatload of unhappy players.

Too often Angelo has let the good players get away. Marty Booker in his prime was a Bear, but Angelo didn't retain him. Same with Bobby Engram, and same with Thomas Jones who also wanted a new contract before Angelo traded him.

If the Bears want to find the Super Bowl again, they need to cut the dead weight at general manager. If they hang onto Angelo, he will cost them big one of these days.

Hester was the player on the Bears who most deserved an extension. What he brings to the Bears is irreplaceable. He has not been injured, he's switched positions in an attempt to better himself, he's not sounded off in the media about his team's performance.

He proved he was in it for the team when he showed up for workouts, but as any player will tell you, sometimes you have to look out for yourself.

Hester is doing that now.

It's Angelo's job to do what's best for the team, and what's best for the Bears now is to put Hester on the field and give him a shot at earning a starting spot.

No matter what happens to Hester though, it's time for Angelo to go.

He has been a detriment to this team's morale and in some cases it's performance. He has not kept the best players in the Windy City or given them what they deserve to keep them happy.

Angelo has produced consistently bad draft choices throughout his tenure, and even worse free agent signings.

Angelo says there is no order in who gets a new contract and when. But tell me this. What have Orton, Grossman, and Davis done to earn a new deal before Hester?

Fact is Angelo should have had Briggs resigned last season, and Urlacher and Hester locked up long before now.

The Bears are not the Patriots, they cannot lose a key player and simply plug someone in to succeed. Someone needs to give Jerry Angelo that memo.

Hester was the lone bright spot in the Bears' disappointing 2007 season. It's time for the Bears to pay up.

Devin Hester is their franchise and their future, and Jerry Angelo needs to become a simple footnote in Chicago Bears history.

Chicago Cubs' Top 10 of the Past Century: No. 9, Fergie Jenkins' 1971 Cy Young

Jerry Burnes — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 05:51:29 -0400

Fergie Jenkins pieced together one of the finest pitching seasons by a Chicago Cub to date in 1971, earning him his first career Cy Young Award.

Jenkins rolled off 24 wins that season, his career high as a Cub, in what was his fifth straight season winning 20 or more games.

He started 39 games in 1971 and completed a career high 30 with 325 innings pitched.

To add to an already amazing stat line for the season, Jenkins walked just 37 batters, as opposed to 263 strikeouts. The only other year Jenkins had less walks was in 1977 with Boston, but he pitched only 28 games that season.

Fergie's three shutouts that season helped him compile a 2.77 ERA and a 1.049 WHIP.

During the 1971 season, Jenkins led the National League in wins, games started, complete games, innings pitched, and was second in strikeouts to Tom Seaver.

After finishing second in 1967, and third in 1970, in the Cy Young voting, Jenkins finally won his first Cy Young in 1971. He was also named The Sporting News' NL Pitcher of the Year and was seventh in MVP voting.

Jenkins beat out Seaver with 17 first place votes.

Since the 1971 season, only Rick Sutcliffe has been able to produce a season that was arguably better than Fergie's. Sutcliffe went 16-1 with a sub-three ERA in the 1984 season in just 20 starts.

Greg Maddux won 20 games during his 1992 Cy Young campaign and compiled a 2.18 ERA, but like Sutcliffe, failed to match the complete dominance by Jenkins in '71.

When comparing Jenkins' season to modern-day pitchers, it's easy to say the Fergie would be able walk away with a Cy Young in 2008. No longer do pitchers throw 30 complete games (10 is almost a stretch) or pitch over 300 innings.

In the past few years alone, 20-game winners have been hard to find, thanks to a new emphasis on hitting. A 20-game winner would also be hard to find now on a team like the Cubs in 1971, who finished third in their division.

Pitching has a taken a backseat to hitting now. But even in 1971, when it was not rare to see pitchers put up great numbers, Ferguson Jenkins put up outstanding numbers.

Although it can be argued that better pitching seasons have occurred in a Cubs uniform, it is without doubt that Jenkins pitched one of, if not the, best season ever by a Cubs pitcher.

Did you miss a previous part of the Chicago Cubs' Top 10 Of The Past Century? Check them out here.

No. 10 Ryne Sandberg's 1990 Season

Chicago Cubs' Top 10 Of The Past Century: No. 10, Ryne Sandberg's 1990 Season

Jerry Burnes — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:32:24 -0400

The Chicago Cubs have been one of the most successful franchises in baseball history, especially if you don't count the current 100 year championship drought.

Wrigley Field and the Cubs have played host to milestone wins, record breaking players, and outstanding achievements.

This series of articles counts down the 10 greatest accomplishments and achievements by the Chicago Cubs since their last World Series victory.

No. 10: Ryne Sandberg's 1990 Season

Ryne Sandberg was coming off of what could be considered his best year to date in 1989 when he hit .290 with 30 home runs and 76 RBI.

But it was Ryno's season in 1990 that ended up topping them all, even outdoing his MVP season of 1984.

In 1990 Sandberg crushed 40 home runs and drove in 100. He was two home runs shy of tying Davey Johnson and Rogers Hornsby's record for home runs by a second baseman in a season with 42.

Along with his impressive power numbers, Sandberg hit .306 with a .354 OBP, and had 25 stolen bases.

That year Sandberg led the National League in home runs (40), total bases (344), and runs (116). He was second in slugging percentage (.559) behind Barry Bonds (.565), second in extra-base hits (73) behind Bobby Bonilla (78), and third in the NL in hits (188) behind Lenny Dykstra and Brett Butler (192).

Sandberg also won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove during the 1990 season, compiling a .989 fielding percentage behind just eight errors.

Despite his outstanding season, Sandberg only finished fourth in MVP voting to eventual winner Bonds. He earned zero first place votes despite the fact that he only trailed Bonds in OPS and stolen bases.

Bonilla and Darryl Strawberry also finished ahead of Sandberg,

He trailed Bonilla and Strawberry in none of the major MVP stat categories.

Sandberg recorded these numbers on a Chicago team that finished 77-85, fourth place in the NL East. Meanwhile Bonds and Bonilla helped lead the Pirates to a 95-67 record to win the NL East.

Although Sandberg's 1990 campaign did not produce another MVP, it did set a new standard for second basemen. Sandberg possessed a rare combination of speed, power, and fielding that led him to nine career Gold Gloves.

His season also does not match those of teammate Sammy Sosa in the late 1990's, but his numbers from 1990 can still transfer over to the present day as MVP caliber stats, especially for a second baseman.

After the 1990 season, Sandberg was not able to reach the 30 home run plateau again, hitting 26 in 1991 and 25 in 1996. He reached the 100 RBI mark only once more in 1991, when he also won his ninth and final Gold Glove.

Even though he never produced the same numbers that he did in 1990, that season for Ryne Sandberg will go down as one of the best seasons in Chicago Cubs history and his illustrious, Hall-of-Fame career.

No. 9 is now in, check it out!

Brian Urlacher Gives Chicago Bears More Bang for Their Buck

Jerry Burnes — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:06:52 -0400

The Chicago Bears will start training camp this week with a happy middle linebacker.

The Bears have reportedly given star linebacker Brian Urlacher a contract extension on his already existing four-year, $25 million contract.

Urlacher's new deal, according to ESPN, will extend him into 2012, and he will make $7.5 million for that year. He also has the option to make $500,000 through a workout bonus in 2012.

Also included in the deal is a $6 million signing bonus and a $1 million raise in each of the next four seasons.

The deal has him making close to $9 million per year and places him as one of the highest paid defenders in the league.

Urlacher and the Bears have been at odds over his contract all offseason. Since he had four years left, the Bears were not obligated to take a second look at his contract.

Chicago's star defenseman missed some voluntary team workouts but no mandatory meetings during the squabble.

Urlacher is without a doubt the centerpiece of the Bears' defense that re-signed fellow defensive stars Lance Briggs and Tommie Harris this summer.

In 2007, Urlacher recorded 123 tackles, with five sacks, five interceptions, and one defensive touchdown, despite lingering back and neck injuries.

He started all 16 games in the season.

The View From Seat 113: Josh Hamilton, A Real-Life Superhero

Jerry Burnes — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:41:19 -0400

Josh Hamilton has power.

That was evidenced by his record 28 first-round home runs in the Home Run Derby on Monday night.

On the biggest stage in baseball, Yankee Stadium, Hamilton raised himself to superhero status by letting the baseball world see his amazing story flourish in front of our eyes.

But Hamilton possesses a type of power that can't be earned in the weight room or on the baseball.

He has willpower.

For those who don't know the story, Hamilton was the first overall pick of the then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999. He performed well in the minor leagues, and his parents even quit their jobs to watch him play on the heels of his $3.96-million signing bonus.

In 2001, though, Hamilton began experimenting with, and abusing, drugs, and he entered his first rehab stint at age 20.

He played 56 games in 2002 with the Bakersfield Blaze, hitting .303 with nine home runs and 44 RBI. Injuries cut his season short.

In the spring of 2003, he was assigned to minor-league camp after consistently showing up late in Spring Training. He took the rest of the year off for personal reasons.

Hamilton then started failing drug tests and was suspended by Major League Baseball prior to the 2004 season. He was allowed to play again on July 2, 2006, but was never placed on Tampa's 40-man roster. They lost him to the Chicago Cubs in the Rule-Five Draft, and sold him to the Reds shortly after.

Hamilton made the Reds in 2007 and played in 90 games. He hit .292 with 19 home runs and 47 RBI. After the season, he was traded to the Texas Rangers, where he's had a breakout season.

At the break, Hamilton is hitting at a torrid pace with a .310 average, 21 home runs, and 95 RBI, making him an AL MVP frontrunner.

The superhero legend is coming to life.

Hamilton did not participate in baseball activities from the end of 2002 to 2006. He was in and out of rehab, occasionally visiting batting cages.

"I prayed to be spared another day of guilt and depression and addiction," Hamilton told ESPN's Tim Keown in 2007. "I couldn't continue living the life of a crack addict, and I couldn't stop, either. It was a horrible downward spiral that I had to pull out of, or die."

Hamilton used his willpower to put himself back in baseball.

It was up to him to determine his life's path. He could either get clean and return to baseball, or let five-tool talent go to waste and likely remain a drug addict.

Hamilton decided it was time to get clean and start hitting.

He credits his wife Katie, grandmother Mary Holt, and God for his comeback.

"How am I here? I can only shrug and say, 'It's a God thing,' It's the only possible explanation," Hamilton told Keown. "My wife, Katie, told me this day would come. At my lowest point, about three years ago, when I was wasting away to skin and bones and listening to nobody, she told me I'd be back playing baseball someday. She had no reason to believe in me."

Hamilton now relays his message not only through his success on the baseball field, but through his own experience as a drug addict.

He frequently answers a message board where troubled kids can ask him questions and talk to him about their experience, and his. He has talked to parents after games about their children. He speaks at schools, church events, and rehab institutes and tells his story, hoping he can do for others what others did for him.

Hamilton still battles his addiction and demons. He keeps a friend with him when he goes out at night, saying he doesn't trust himself still. But, in his mind, with his savior at his side, his demons stand no chance.

Monday night's Home Run Derby was an example.

Hamilton revealed during All-Star week that he had a dream about being in the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium. This was before anyone knew there would be a Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium.

That dream came true.

Hamilton wowed the crowd with towering home runs and a record-breaking performance of power.

It's the other kind of power that has made Josh Hamilton the story to follow in baseball this year. The power to avoid his demons and addiction and stay on track.

It's the power that was on full display in New York, for the whole world to see. A power that has humbled Hamilton to a point where his story is beyond baseball to him.

It's about his 26 tattoos, it's about recovery, it's about a life nearly wasted, it's about religion, and it's about his family.

"Baseball is third in my life right now, behind my relationship with God and my family," Hamilton told Keown. "Without the first two, baseball isn't even in the picture.

Believe me, I know."

Hamilton is now the hero to Marlins minor-league pitcher Jeff Allison, who looked to Hamilton for inspiration to get back into baseball.

Allison, also a former first-round pick trying to finish his battle with drug addiction, made the Single-A Florida State League All-Star game this year.

"Josh Hamilton made it. I can make it," Allison told Steve Buckley of The Boston Herald.

It's that kind of talk that puts Josh Hamilton above being just a baseball player.

It's that kind of talk that makes Josh Hamilton a superhero.

The View From Seat 113: Baseball's First-Half Observations

Jerry Burnes — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:21:17 -0400

The first half of the baseball season is over, and there have been a lot of things I've noticed in this half.

Some include the monster seasons guys are putting up, while other include the subtle differences that often go unnoticed by all.

So here are some the observations that I have made in the first half of the Major League Baseball season.

One more monster month for Josh Hamilton could have him on pace for 200 RBI. Although unlikely, Hamilton has 95 driven in at the break, along with 21 home runs. I wouldn't consider him a triple crown contender anymore, but he does have a reasonable gripe to win the A.L. Most Valuable Player.
Sticking with the Rangers, they are proving how important pitching is. The Rangers are by far the best offense in baseball, but find themselves 7.5 games behind the Angels in the A.L. West. Vicente Padilla and Kevin Millwood cannot be the two aces on this staff if they want to win. C.J. Wilson is a solid closer for them though.
Evan Longoria is worth the hype. He has really helped put the Rays in a position to make the playoffs. Although he's the favorite to win Rookie of the Year, I think David Murphy (above) is having an underrated season. Murphy is hitting .276 with 13 home runs and 60 RBI. Longoria's numbers are better, but Murphy is worth a look .
Barry Bonds is a good fit for Tampa Bay. They can throw some money at him, and Tampa isn't exactly a traditional baseball place. In other words, they have a lot of newer fans tuning into the game that would likely look past the steroids and perjury. If anything, good or bad, Bonds will put more fans in the seats of Tropicana Field. He'll also be a player the young guys on the Rays can learn from.
Derek Jeter's intangibles are what make him not overrated. Jeter does have an overrated glove and is not an overwhelmingly great hitter. But it's what he brings to the Yankees and to the field everyday that makes him so great. Jeter has that never-say-die attitude that essentially helped the Yanks climb back into the race last season. Four World Series rings and the fact he was named captain speak to that. Jeter has everything that can't be taught, like instincts. Just remember, "the Flip."
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim might just be the best team in baseball. They are my personal favorite to make the World Series from the American League. No disrespect to the Chicago Cubs, but the Angels have a better rotation with John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Jered Weaver, and the surprising Joe Saunders. K-Rod is far better closer than Wood, and the Angels' potential on offense is scary. The Cubs are still my National League favorite, but they will have their work cut for them if they see the Angels.
The Chicago White Sox are the most underrated first-place team. Sure they let the Twins right back into the race, and the struggles by the Tigers and Indians have made them the dark horse. But the White Sox are overall a good team, and were last season, too. Kenny Williams improved the bullpen vastly with Octavio Dotel and Scott Linebrink, while Alexei Ramirez can also have his name thrown into the Rookie of the Year race. Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye are killing the ball, and Joe Crede is back. They have done all this with Paul Konerko hitting terribly, too.
Jay Bruce is becoming overrated, almost to folk-tale level. Bruce will be good, there's no doubt about it. But when people start talking about him being a perennial 50 home run hitter, now you're crossing the line a bit. When you talk perennial 50 home run hitters, you're talking Alex Rodriguez-type of good. Bruce will not be that good of a power hitter. I still see him as a perennial All-Star, and a huge cornerstone to the Reds franchise for years to come.
Ken Griffey Jr. stands a very good chance of not leaving Cincy this trade deadline. The Reds have calmed talks about him leaving and are having trouble shopping Adam Dunn and Aaron Harang. It's very likely the Reds are asking too much for Griffey. It wouldn't be the first time they couldn't pull the trigger on a deal for that reason.
Mark Prior was rumored at the start of the season that he could see time by June. It's mid-July now. Prior will not see any action this year, or any worthwhile action at least. The Padres are in a perfect position to use him if he is healthy, seeing they are 10 games behind Arizona. If Greg Maddux and Randy Wolf are shipped out, he stands a better chance though.
I'm still waiting for the elbow of Albert Pujols to give out. Seeing how this season is going very swimmingly for the Cubs and Brewers, I'm thinking it'll give out in late-August, early-September—playoff run time.
Milton Bradley is having a huge year, but Coco Crisp still holds the crown and sash for best name in baseball. Thankfully for him, performance does not factor into that decision.
The Tampa Bay Rays sound much, much better than the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Their jerseys look a whole lot better now, too. Way to be a performance and fashion surprise.
Home runs are down so far this season. Don't credit the Mitchell Report though. Just look at your pitchers for this number. 14 starting pitchers have an ERA of 3.00 or lower, including Justin Duchscherer's 1.82 ERA at the break. Even pitchers with less than spectacular records are getting into the act: Jake Peavy (7-5, 2.47), Shawn Marcum (5-4, 2.65), John Danks (7-4, 2.67), Dan Haren (8-5, 2.72), Johan Santana (8-7, 2.84), Felix Hernandez (6-6, 2.95) and Jair Jurrjens (9-4, 3.00).
Let's face it, steroid crackdowns may have helped, but the pitching quality has caught up to the hitters.

Hopefully the second half of this season goes as well as the first half did. I'll be looking forward to how many of these observations and quasi-predictions hold true throughout the season.

The View From Seat 113: Chicago Cubs May Have One More Move Up Their Sleeve

Jerry Burnes — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:16:21 -0400

If baseball is like poker, then the Brewers went all in, and the Cubs called.

Something now tells me the Cubs might just have an ace in the hole and are ready to raise the bet.

When Jim Hendry pulled the trigger on the Rich Harden deal, he did so in a very non-Hendry-like fashion.

Call the trade a pressure decision to match the Brewers, call it a risk, call it what you will. No matter what you call it, the Cubs have a better rotation with Harden than they did with Sean Gallagher.

Now, with a little over two weeks left before the trade deadline, and the Cubs looking to put more room between themselves and the rest of the division, Hendry is playing the chips.

Kevin Hart was recently called up by the club. He is 2-1 with a 6.62 ERA in the bigs this season, and was 2-1 with a 3.35 ERA in Triple-A Iowa. Hart's past 14 innings have yielded only four runs.

Sean Marshall has also been seeing a good amount of playing time. He pitched two relief innings in Saturday's win over the Giants, and recorded a pair of good starts against the White Sox and Cardinals.

One can look at these two players and say they are simply up because of performance. One can also say that Hendry is showcasing two of his young, available, and experienced arms.

When I first saw the Harden trade details, I was surprised to see Marshall not headed to Oakland. He's marketable when deadline time rolls around.

Marshall is a big lefty with good stuff, he has experience starting and working out of the bullpen at the Major League level, and he is young and looking for an opportunity.

I believe I would be ignorant if I said the Cubs were not looking at moving Micah Hoffpauir. Hoffpauir has good upside, but with Derrek Lee currently manning first base and righty killer Daryle Ward as his backup, it's unlikely there's really a spot for Hoffpauir in the near future.

Hendry could also be looking for any takers for Felix Pie, who has failed to produce in the majors, and now he has even failed to produce in Triple-A. Pie is hitting .268 with six home runs, 30 RBI, and six stolen bags.

He hit .362 in 2007 with the I-Cubs. After hitting only .222 there, Pie was sent to Mesa, Ariz., for an MRI on his hand on June 23. Assuming they also put Pie with a rookie league hitting instructor, he's been raising his average quickly ever since.

An interesting prospect who could garner some trade talk is outfielder Jason Dubois. In 41 games with the Iowa Cubs this season, he has clubbed 17 home runs, 35 RBI, along with a .342 average and a .451 on base percentage.

On July 10, Dubois hit three home runs in a 5-2 victory.

The question is, if Hendry is looking to add another piece to the puzzle, who is it going to be?

Chicago will still be in the market for a center fielder. Jim Edmonds will not be around forever and Reed Johnson is not a consistent enough hitter. As mentioned, Pie is not the answer.

I've heard early rumblings that the Cubs are interested in Freddy Lewis Jr. of San Francisco.

Lewis is young but would be a downgrade from Johnson in the hitting department, and if anyone saw the Washington catch, we all know Reed is no slouch on defense.

The free agent market in center field doesn't look good either. The list involves former Cubs Jacque Jones and Corey Patterson, and current Cub Edmonds. Only Patterson and Rocco Baldelli are under the age of 30.

Mike Cameron is there, but he has a club option on him. He'll likely be kept by the Brewers, since Tony Gwynn Jr. is not progressing too quickly.

Pitching is something any team could always use, especially during a stretch playoff run.

Obviously, with the acquisition of Harden, the Cubs won't be looking at A.J. Burnett anymore.

Ted Lilly is on for two more seasons. Carlos Zambrano is locked up and it's unlikely Ryan Dempster will leave Chicago after this season due to free agency.

Reports have Rich Hill back on track, throwing strikes consistently. Apparently they tweaked his mechanics to rid him of the backwards lean he had with his shoulders.

On that news, a lefthanded pitcher is unlikely, so no Randy Wolf.

Greg Maddux is on the market again, but his no trade clause and age will likely scare the Cubs off.

After the implosion of Carlos Marmol on Saturday, the Cubs will be very smart to look for bullpen help, especially with the unknown of Kerry Wood's arm.

Jon Rauch is available from Washington and he's been hot this season. According to the Nats' website, they will likely ask for top prospects or young, Major League ready players.

Enter Marshall and Hart. It would be a shame to let two more young arms go, but Rauch is only 29. He's also proven he can handle the pressures of closing a game if Wood's arm finally melts down.

Marshall would finally get a shot at the rotation in Washington with this move and Hart could find himself as a bullpen guy in the bigs.

Financially, Rauch would come cheap: $1.2 million this season, $2 million next season, and a $2.9 million club option for 2010.

Rauch has 17 saves, a 2.91 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP so far this season.

The only real obstacles on this trade are Washington asking too much, or another serious contender like Boston outbidding Hendry.

So in case that deal doesn't go through, the Cubs can always turn to Colorado, who has Brian Fuentes on the block.

Fuentes is 33 and is a free agent next season. He wants to stay a closer so Chicago might not be the best suitor. Then again, he doesn't have a no-trade clause.

He saved 31 games in 2005, 30 in 2006, and 20 last season. He stepped into the closer role after Manny Corpas imploded and has recorded 14 saves this season with a 3.50 ERA, and 1.22 WHIP.

Since it's unlikely we will see Jason Marquis headed out of Chicago anytime soon, the Cubs have a five-man rotation set for the run.

I don't envision them trading for another starter unless Harden breaks down between now and July 31.

Either way, Marquis is still a Cub, for better or worse.

There is one insurance policy though, and it isn't Sean Marshall.

Reports have said the Cubs tried out free agent pitcher Freddy Garcia in Arizona earlier this month. Garcia will likely not be ready until late August, and that might be giving him a quick comeback.

But look at what the Cubs will gain with him.

Garcia has playoff experience, he won a World Series with the White Sox in 2005. He was an All-Star in 2001 and 2002 with Seattle. In his nine years in the league his has failed to win 12 games just twice. He was 1-5 last year but was set back due to a leg injury that required surgery.

Last season, along with a 12-14 record in 2002, are his only two losing seasons. His last two full seasons were 14-8 in 2005 and 17-9 in 2006, both as a member of the Chicago White Sox.

Garcia will come at no cost to the Cubs on the player end of the deal. Money will be the issue with him. If Garcia will come cheap to a contender, especially one willing to wait for him, the Cubs will be a top contender for him, considering they have no need for him now.

Bullpen work may also shy Garcia away, but he is a veteran, and sometimes a World Series ring is worth it. Since he's somewhat of a liability a short term contract will likely be best for both sides, even if the Cubs pro-rate him for just this season.

Either way, if the Cubs can get "Fast Freddy" cheap and for the bullpen, he's definitely worth the risk. Garcia is one of those guys, like Edmonds, who can only help this team by getting him.

Outside of Garcia, there really isn't any free agent pitchers worth going after (I highly doubt Jeff Weaver can recall the magic again). But there are some good potential deals that the Cubs can make.

If Hendry has the move to make, look for him to pull the trigger. He's committed to winning and improving a team that is on the road to October already.

Who knows, Hendry's next move could be the one that helps the Cubs end their 100 years of World Series impotence.