Bleacher Report - Articles by Tony Bishop

2009 Chicago Bears Preview (Part Two): Final Draft/Free Angency Analysis

Tony Bishop — Tue, 12 May 2009 22:38:43 -0400

The Trade

Let's get this Jay Cutler business out of the way.

Yes, the Chicago Bears gave up an arm and a leg to get him.

Yes, Cutler has a reputation to be whiny and a little self-centered.

No, it wasn't a bad trade. Let me explain:

Every Bears fan remembers where they were the moment they found out about the infamous Jay Cutler trade.

Personally, I was at work and received a text message that got me kicked out of my weekly department meeting. My friend almost punched me because he didn't believe me when I told him.

Matt Stafford and Mark Sanchez were the first quarterbacks taken in the draft (1st and 5th overall, respectively). Can you or can anyone guarantee that one of them will become franchise quarterbacks?

No, you can't. Where's Brady Quinn? Matt Leinart? Vince Young? Alex Smith?

Not that those players won't become franchise quarterbacks and there have been just as many contemporary draft picks that have become franchise quarterbacks. Stafford and Sanchez just aren't guarantees.

Cutler is a guarantee. That guarantee is worth the first and the third alone. The 2010 first round pick is what separated the Bears from the other suitors therefore making it a necessary evil.

Now add in the fact that Chicago hasn't had a true franchise quarterback in perhaps a half-century.

The trade is, and will be, worth it.

The Not-so-free Agents

Overshadowed by the Cutler trade was a very solid list of free agent acquisitions.

With holes due to age, injury and cuts, the offensive line is one position that needed major addressing.

The Bears also released Rex Grossman before the trade occurred and signed Brett Basanez to fill his spot. There's not much to report on Basanez other than the fact that I felt he was a solid college quarterback and will in all likelyhood be a journeyman backup in the NFL.

Orlando Pace and Frank Omiyale immediately make the offensive tackle position one to watch in training camp. Sophomore Chris Williams and incumbent Fred Miller will be pushed hard by the two very good pick ups by the Bears.

Just today, GM Jerry Angelo made yet another brilliant move by signing TE/FB Michael Gaines. Known for his blocking, Gaines can play on the end of the line or in the backfield and possesses good enough hands that one or two dump passes a game can keep opposing defenses honest.

I'm also going to throw in coaching changes to this department. Technically they aren't "free agents" but they are key acquisitions that can be the difference between missing the playoffs and making the playoffs (a jump the Bears are hoping to make).

First off is the big one, the hiring of former Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli the new defensive line and assistant head coach. This was the best coaching hire in the entirety of the NFL. His tenure as the D-Line coach at Tampa Bay under Tony Dungy has some tremendous accolades including the developments of Warren Sapp and Simeon Rice.

Former defensive coordinator Bob Babich was stripped of that title but remained with the team only as the linebackers coach. Babich was widely considered to be a disappointing play caller and those duties have been taken over by head coach Lovie Smith.

Defensive backs coach Steve Wilks was released after three seasons and replaced by Jon Hoke who filled the same position for seven seasons with the Houston Texans.

Every single addition in this section is an upgrade on its respective position whether it be a player or a coach. Jerry Angelo did his homework on this one.

The Rookies

The Bears didn't make their first pick of the 2009 NFL Draft until the second day after trading away their second round pick for two later picks.

Despite a fairly boring Saturday in April for Bears fans, the second day led those same fans searching the Internet to find out who their favorite team just drafted. Let's start with the ones you really need to know.

Jarron Gilbert is listed as a defensive end but will most likely end up as a tackle either rotating with, or stealing the starting position of, Dusty Dvoracek along side Tommie Harris. He's the athletic freak (as evidenced by The Pool Jump) who can get to the quarterback but still plug running holes.

Going out of order, wide receivers Juaquim Iglesias, Derek Kinder and Johnny Knox are a little surprising. I like the pick of Iglesias (a sharp route runner with very good hands), but I'm not sure Chicago's wide receiver woes will be helped by late-round and average athletes.

Defensive end Henry Melton is my pick to be the guy no one remembers drafting, but in a good way. He was lost in the aftermath of Gilbert and Iglesias, but I think he'll see a lot of playing time, especially in the second and fourth quarters to keep the line fresh. He's not flashy like Gilbert, but he's a very solid defender.

My vote for the biggest steal of the Bears draft is DJ Moore. A lot of draft experts had him anywhere in the late second to early fourth. Apparently his height was more of a concern that anticipated and he dropped to the Bears in the fifth. I think he'll develop just as Danieal Manning and fill in on package defenses and special teams.

Safety Al Afalava and guard Lance Louis are small time draft picks who have a lot of work to do to get on the field. They were solid players on their respective teams but I just don't see much of an impact from them.

Overall, if you take out the Cutler trade, I like this draft. It's a filler draft. It gives the team added depth at key positions but perhaps other than Gilbert there aren't any play-makers to keep an eye out.

The Grades

I give an A for the Cutler trade, an A+ for the off season acquisitions and a B- for the draft. Just about everything the Bears did improved the team, so on paper they deserve a solid B+/A- for the entire off-season.

Jerry Angelo has started the season off quite well for the Bears.

2009 Chicago Bears Preview (Part One): You Gotta Have Heart

Tony Bishop — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:56:29 -0400

I was asked to give one good reason why the Chicago Bears can't win the NFC North Division this year. My answer was simple.

It's not the lack of wide receivers. It's not the aging offensive line.

It's the defense.

The Bears used to be in the discussion for best defense the past few seasons, but last year they were 21st in the league in yards per game and 16th in points per game.

What's unbelievable is that those rankings are for the fifth best rushing defense in 2008. That's for a team that is usually far more pesky on quarterbacks than on running backs.

So what happened?

No health. The Chicago defensive backfield was a turn-style of young players and free agents.

No pressure. The Bears didn't have a single player with more than six sacks. Safety Kevin Payne had more sacks than Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs combined...with one.

No heart. Did you watch that defense?

Week 2: Up 17-6 late in the third quarter against Carolina. Lost 20-17.

Week 3: Up 24-14 in the fourth quarter against Tampa. Lost 27-24 in OT.

Week 6: Ball on their own 43 yard line with 11 seconds remaining, Atlanta completed a wide open 26-yard pass to give them a game-winning field goal opportunity.

Week 17: A win would have eventually secured a Wild Card selection for the playoffs, but instead lost a 10 point lead by giving up 21 straight points.

That is not inspired defense. With the game on the line. The playoffs at stake.

Top defenses should beg for those opportunities. Winning half of those games would have put the Bears a game ahead of the division champion Vikings.

I did not see that attitude in the 2008 Bears defense. For Chicago to win the division, or even make the playoffs as a Wild Card team, they must approach those games with that attitude.

To steal a line from Damn Yankees, "You gotta have heart. All you really need is heart."

Why Bud Selig Must Step Down for Baseball To Move On

Tony Bishop — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:55:05 -0500

Sometimes the commissioner of Major League Baseball needs to make radical decisions. One of those times is here for the current commish, Bud Selig.

When Selig took office as the acting commissioner in 1992, he was looked on almost as a progressive. Someone who was going to take baseball to greater heights as the new millennium approached.

It started out great, too.

Although Selig couldn't avoid the 1994 strike, nor the cancellation of that season's World Series, he did provide a lot of innovation that are now looked upon as fantastic moves.

He helped introduce the wild card.

He started interleague play, which might not be perfect but is definitely fan-friendly.

Despite the embarrassment of the 2002 All-Star Game which ended in an 11th-inning tie (and ironically in Selig's home city of Milwaukee,) he re-energized the midseason classic by declaring that the winning team would host the World Series for that same season.

Unfortunately, none of that will be used to define Selig's reign as the commissioner.

Instead it will be defined by steroids, Barry Bonds, the Mitchell Report, and now, Alex Rodriguez.

I was in high school in 1998 when it all began.

A huge Cubs fan and Cardinals hater, the home run race between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire was arguably the most exhilarating experience as a fan. I was watching every day to see if my Sammy was going to hit another home run.

That home run battle gave a shot in the arm (pun intended) to Major League Baseball, which hadn't yet recovered from the strike.

Attendance was either awful or mediocre, depending on what city you lived in. Television ratings were way down, and the sport had lost the fans' trust and love.

The Sosa-McGwire race filled the stadiums again, but it wasn't just them.

Ken Griffey Jr. and Greg Vaughn both hit over 50 home runs. Albert Belle hit 49 and Jose Canseco had 46.

Balls were flying out of the parks and we loved it. We ate it up.

Personally, I was too young to ask "Why?"

I was just happy that my favorite sport as a kid was alive and well again. I don't think I was alone.

Now I'm ashamed of myself for being so naive and again, I don't think I'm alone.

We're all guilty of this. Every one of us who cheered for Sosa, McGwire, Bonds, or Canseco. Apparently even you A-Rod fans.

We're all just like Selig. We wanted the sport to get better and we got it.

We didn't want to know why, we didn't care. What we didn't know didn't hurt us.

Now, the hypocrites inside of us want justice. We found out what the Soylent Green was made of and now we're outraged.

I feel sorry for Mr. Selig, I really do. He got blindsided too, but not by steroids. By us.

We needed a scapegoat for our own indiscretions of naivety, and who better than the guy in charge?

We keep talking about moving on, and we want to know when the end is in sight. Bud Selig is the only person that can give us the necessary closure.

The Mitchell Report needs to be set on fire. Congress needs to stick to politics, especially in these terrible times. And we need to stop getting test results from the past.

Who cares what happened in 1998 or 2002 or 2005?

I want to make sure that my son grows up loving the same game I did. It's time to stop talking about the past and start talking about the future.

Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig have had a long enough relationship, and its time for baseball to move on.

It's time to get our own Roger Goodell, who will cut his own paycheck to set an example.

Bud Selig and his tenure as commissioner will forever be tarnished with a syringe.

It's for that very reason that he will only fail in his attempts to clean up the sport. It's time for a new era in baseball.

It's time for a steroid-free game.

It's time for Bud to prove to us that he loves the game of baseball. By walking away and letting someone else take up the reigns.

Separating the Big East Fat: How Tournament Seeding Will Shake Out

Tony Bishop — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:59:41 -0500

We all know the big guns of the Big East.

Monday night's clash between Connecticut (12-2) and Pittsburgh (11-2) ended up going Pitt's way, while Marquette (10-2) and Louisville (10-2) are right at their heels.

Pittsburgh definitely proved to be the team to beat with a huge road victory over a top-ranked UConn squad.

As I'm sure you've heard by now, the Big East reformatted its tournament schedule to include all 16 teams. Now the top four seeds get a double bye, while the next four seeds get a single bye. Teams 9-16 play in the first round.

While the aforementioned teams have a strong grip on the double bye, there is a ton of competition for fourth through 12th in the league.

So starting from the bottom going up, here's a breakdown of how the Big East is shaking up going into the last third of conference play.

Bottom Feeders

These four teams will be the visiting squads in the first round of the tournament.

DePaul is an unheard of 0-13 for the season in the Big East. For a program as storied as it is, this is a downright travesty and is frankly bad for the league.

Just slightly ahead of them is Rutgers at 1-11. Normally known for their stingy defense (especially at home), the Knights have allowed a much higher 72 ppg than in previous years. Their lone victory came against lowly DePaul.

On a mediocre step higher sit two teams who are really trying to figure themselves out in the league. Saint John's (3-10) and South Florida (3-9) are average teams in a far above average league.

Both are very young, but both have marquee wins. Saint John's upset a top-10 ranked Notre Dame team earlier in the year, while South Florida took out a top-10 Marquette squad.

Holding on to Hope

Georgetown (4-8) has thus far edged out Notre Dame for most disappointing Big East team ever. OK, maybe not ever, but you get the point. Despite a road victory against UConn in the first game of conference play, the Hoyas find themselves squarely in no-man's land.

Barely north of Georgetown is Seton Hall (5-7) who really only has wins over the bottom feeders and, of course, the Hoyas.

I don't see either of these teams getting hot enough to sneak into the top half of the league, but technically it's still possible.

A Roll of the Dice

Notre Dame (5-7) probably should be in the previous category based on their record. The Irish losses, however, have come to five ranked opponents, St. John's, and a Cincinnati team that is fighting for the bye themselves.

Eight of their last 10 games have been against ranked squads, so I guess you could say that the last six games should be easy since they only see two ranked teams. However, three of the next four are going to be tough road contests.

The Irish need to go 4-2 down the stretch just to have a shot at the bye.

A slightly easier road lies ahead for West Virginia (6-6). After Wednesday night's home game against Notre Dame, the Mountaineers face tough contests against only Cincinnati (away) and Louisville (home).

While West Virginia only plays two teams that are ahead of them in the standings, Notre Dame can control their own destiny a little better with four games against higher teams in the conference.

The Mountaineers will need to go at least 5-1, including a victory over the Irish, to get a good shot at the bye.

Control Yourself

Cincinnati and Syracuse are currently seventh and eighth with 7-6 conference records. The two teams face each other in a little over a week, and the loser could get knocked out of the bye round.

The Bearcats have two tough home games against Louisville and West Virginia before that big road game against the Orange. The final two games are must-wins against bottom feeders.

Cincy will need at least three victories, including Syracuse, to feel comfortable.

The Orange, on the other hand, have it just as difficult.

Their schedule features a home game against Villanova and an away game against St. John's before the Cincy game, followed by a home game against Rutgers and a road game against Marquette.

It's going to be tough to go 3-2 in that stretch if they give up one of the key home match-ups against 'Nova or Cincy. Those are virtual must-wins.

Don't Get Comfortable

Providence (8-5) has by far the toughest final stretch out of the eight teams vying for the bye round: at Louisville, followed by home games against Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, then two more road games against Rutgers and Villanova.

Absolutely none of these games are gimmes, although Rutgers is close.

Going 3-2 to finish the season should be enough as long as one of those victories is against Notre Dame. Losing to the Irish could give up a valuable tiebreaker.

The Road is Clear

Villanova (8-4) can all but coast to the finish line. Despite a few tough games (@ Syr, vs. GU, @ ND, and vs. Prov), I don't see them losing enough games to drop four spots into the lower half of the conference.

'Nova would probably have to lose at least four games for that to happen.

On the other hand, the Wildcats might still be eyeing a double bye. Although this is tough, it's very possible.

Unfortunately, they don't have any remaining games against the teams ahead of them and only hold the tiebreaker against Pittsburgh. If one of those top teams falls hard, look for Villanova to sneak in.

But that's a big "if."

How It Plays Out and Why

Double bye: UConn, Pitt, Louisville, Marquette

Single bye: Villanova, Syracuse, West Virginia, Notre Dame

Final Eight: Cincinnati, Providence, Georgetown, Seton Hall, St. John's, South Florida, Rutgers, DePaul

I see Notre Dame and West Virginia getting hot against a mediocre schedule, while Cincinnati and Providence lose a couple bad games. Anything can happen in the Big East, and it almost makes my predictions ignorant, but that's the point, isn't it?

Ode to the Man-Crush: A Single Fan's Valentine's Day

Tony Bishop — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 14:17:49 -0500

Today is Valentine's Day, and I'm single.

Thankfully, it's on a Saturday this year so I can enjoy some nice college basketball and then snuggle up to the the Blackhawks-Stars game at my local watering hole.

So instead of honoring some girl with useless candies and flowers and groveling, I've decided to give some homage to the men in my life: My man-crushes.

I know every one of you guys out there have your own rules for man-crushes. Maybe they're a star on your local team or a guy in some other city that you just can't get out of your head.

Some of them are at the top of their sport like Luke Harangody, who is currently in the running for the Naismith award and uses his elbows and shoulders more than anyone since Alonzo Mourning.

Michael Jordan, whose trademark tongue gave every kid in the Midwest a raw lower lip from over-imitation.

Others are role players on your favorite teams such as Steve Kerr, who gave me the form to shoot threes in the driveway and ping pong balls into Solo cups. He also gave us one of the greatest victory speeches at Chicago's Grant Park in 1999.

Or perhaps Cubs utility man Mark DeRosa, who epitomized the phrase "team player." It helps that he wasn't all that bad on the eyes, either.

That's uhh...what all the girls say anyway.

My personal favorite was Mike Anello of Notre Dame's football squad. The second coming of Rudy was an unbelievable example of heart and determination finding success, albeit only on special teams.

We also develop man-crushes on guys like Kyle Farnsworth for his form tackle on Paul Wilson, or Nolan Ryan for giving Robin Ventura the business.

Dale Earnhardt was a man-crush not because of his driving skills, but his driving styles.

I don't care why you love your sports stars. I don't care if they're really good or really funny or even good looking.

Put down that box of chalky candy hearts with "Luv U" written on them and raise your beer.

"Here's to you, my Man-Crush. I love you."

Why The Chicago Cubs Will Not Win The 2009 World Series

Tony Bishop — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:05:54 -0500

A few days ago I received an e-mail written by Rory from B/R asking for a top ten of reasons that this is the Cubs year (again). I put together a few drafts of different styles and whatnot but nothing seemed right and I just realized why.

The Chicago Cubs aren't going to win the World Series.

I'm as optimistic as any other Cubs fan out there, but quite frankly, I don't like the way this team is put together. Instead of ten reasons the Cubs will win this year, I came up with a bunch of reasons that they won't.

I don't understand why GM Jim Hendry got rid of Mark DeRosa in favor of Aaron Miles.

I don't know why the Cubs have 37 mediocre pitchers fighting for the 11 bullpen slots not taken up by Carlos Marmol.

Time will tell if trading away Rich Hill (for a player to be named later) and Michael Wuertz (for a couple of minor leaguers) is going to pay off. I still like Wuertz and if Hill gets out of his own head, he's going to be a very good pitcher.

I don't know why Milton Bradley is the left-handed bat they've been looking for when Micah Hoffpauir proved last year that he can hang with the big boys.

Speaking of Bradley, I've got $20 that Carlos Zambrano punches him in the dugout before the All-Star break.

I'm "OK" with the Joey Gathright signing. They're not paying him much and I guess he's a threat to steal bases if he doesn't get hurt first.

I didn't understand how he lasted this long in the Cubs organization, but I'm glad that Jason Marquis is gone. I'm just mad that the best they could get back was Luis Vizcaino who is in his sixth city in as many years (and for good reason).

I don't know why Ronny Cedeno is now in Seattle or why he was used to get a less-than-average Aaron Heilman.

This is the first year that every time Hendry made a move, my jaw dropped.. and not in a good way. Generally I've loved his ability to make good deals and get good players but he's taken a step back.

This year I expect the Cubs to be worse than last year. This year I think they fight desperately for a wild-card berth.

For the first time in a long time, my expectations for the Cubs are lower than the year before.

And knowing the Cubs, they will prove me wrong and win it anyway.

Notre Dame's Bubble Popped by Vicious Big East Schedule Once Again

Tony Bishop — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:35:08 -0500

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was punished in the afterlife by having to push a large boulder up a steep hill. Every time he came close to cresting the hill, the boulder would tumble all the way again.

Watching Notre Dame's current basketball campaign can be likened to watching Sisyphus's impossible task.

I can't help but wonder if this disgusting stretch of ten games that includes eight ranked teams, and Cincinnati who is no push over by any means, has eliminated Irish chances of making the NCAA tournament.

A team that was lauded as a top contender for the Big East crown, had Naismith award hopeful Luke Harangody and had senior sharpshooter Kyle McAlarney roving outside the arc is going through a seven game losing streak.

A team that comfortably fit in the top ten for the entirety of the 2008 half of the season is now 12-10.

A team that defeated Texas and never gave up against North Carolina got to January and now has a 3-7 record in the Big East—which includes a loss to St. John's.

A team that had a twenty-game home Big East winning streak has now lost two in a row, albeit both to top-ten teams.

Now, that same team (which still has at least four games against ranked opponents remaining) will be struggling to make the NCAA tournament.

Notre Dame's originally mediocre RPI has now plummeted to devastation numbers.

They have two quality wins (Texas and Georgetown) but with as many chances as they've had against top 25 competition the selection committee would have liked to see more wins.

Or at least competitive games.

Notre Dame's offense has been either all-Harangody or all-nothing.

They've had scoring chances and they're getting off good clean, shots but the buckets aren't falling for the Irish.

On defense Notre Dame might as well watch Family Guy reruns. Their ability to shut down—well, anybody—is non-existent.

Now the Irish are on the outside looking in. Notre Dame fans won't have a home team to put in the Final Four for their office pools.

Now it looks like the Irish are going to try and make two post-season trips to Madison Square Garden.

Connecticut-Georgetown: Really, Really Big Monday Opens Big East Season

Tony Bishop — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:28:38 -0500

Tonight, Connecticut and Georgetown open up Big East conference play with a prime-time showdown on ESPN2 in Hartford.

UConn (11-0) is almost as unanimous at number two as North Carolina is unanimous at the top.

Center Hasheem Thabeet is starting to polish his skills as a player instead of being just a big body in the middle. It was obvious last year that his abilities were still raw, but the questions about his development have been answered positively for Huskie fans.

Guards Jerome Dyson and AJ Price are arguably the best back court in America, let alone the conference. Neither wows you with their ability to score but they are very disciplined as both average over 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratios.

Number eight Georgetown (9-1) has only one blemish, a bad loss to an average Tennessee team in a Big East/SEC showdown late November. As they say, though, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

In fact, other than a 79-70 overtime defeat of then #15 Memphis, the Hoyas averaged more than a 32-point margin of victory in their next five wins.

Forward DeJuan Summers joined Thabeet and Price on the preseason All-Big East team and he hasn't disappointed thus far. His match up against Jeff Adrien (All-Big East honorable mention) is the best one on the floor in my opinion, but the announcers will probably focus on this next player more.

Conference preseason co-Rookie of the Year Greg Monroe will be pitted against Thabeet. And I'm sure will draw the most television focus. Monroe takes the place of Roy Hibbert (pictured against Thabeet), another in the long line of fantastic Georgetown centers.

This game begins an insanely difficult start to the conference season for Georgetown.

They play at home against Pittsburgh on Saturday and then out to South Bend for another Monday night showdown against Notre Dame. Three top ten games in seven days. Wow.

Although because of college football's bowl season, this match up isn't technically a Big Monday telecast, but it sure does look like it.

With Gonzaga's string of losses and Notre Dame taking their place in the top ten of the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, there are now four—count 'em four—Big East teams represented.

The Georgetown-Notre Dame game technically kicks off ESPN's Big Monday schedule, followed by the Irish heading to Louisville for another top 20 match up.

Notre Dame Racist for Allowing Michael Haywood to Leave

Tony Bishop — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:51:45 -0500

(Ok, too many people refuse to read the "Humor" tag in the title bar... so I'm inserting a disclaimer that this article is facetious. If you don't know what "facetious" means, don't read this article. Thank you.)

Notre Dame continued its trend of racism by allowing its offensive coordinator to interview for multiple head coaching jobs, ultimately resulting in Mike Haywood being named the new head coach of Miami (Ohio) University.

As a young white male, even I am appalled at the blatant hatred Notre Dame seems to have for African-American coaches; I can only imagine the outrage of John Saunders or Jason Whitlock right now.

So now Corwin Brown, Notre Dame's defensive coordinator, and Bernie Parmalee, the Tight Ends coach, are the lone black coaches for the Irish, and let's be honest: it's only a matter of time before Corwin gets shoved out the door for his first head coaching job as well.

Weis Needs More Time

Tony Bishop — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:01:00 -0500

We used to be a school with 10-year coaches.

We used to be a school that allowed its coaches to develop a program and not just a team.

We're no longer that school.

Because of the hastiness (necessary or not, I don't care) of the firings of Bob Davie and Ty Willingham, Charlie isn't being given the chance to find this school's new identity.

This isn't a one year problem. This is a five year problem or a 10 year problem.

It's like the government. President-elect Barak Obama isn't going to fix the economy in one congressional session. It takes years of dedication to one plan before that plan.

It's like baking a cake. Charlie has the ingredients. He's mixing them together, trying to get the combinations just right. But if you try to eat it before he's finished, the cake is going to taste awful.

Now I'm not guaranteeing that Charlie is a gourmet chef. I'm not saying he's going to win seven National Championships.

But don't we owe to him and to ourselves to taste the final product?

I know we got our cakes burned by two coaches in a row. I know we expected more from Charlie than he's given us so far. It's hard, but we need patience.

I'm definitely against firing Charlie right now. I really believe it will be counterproductive for what we hope to see in our stadium.

Firing Charlie nullifies all of the talent he has built up in the last four years and potentially sets us back all the way to Willingham's last year.

Remember last year when we were 3-9? I do. I remember most of us being happy with a 6-6 or 7-5 record. I remember most of us asking mostly for improvement, not ridiculous success.

Before going out and putting a "For Sale" sign on Charlie's lawn...remember how we were improving at the beginning of the year. The team showed it can improve and play quite well. Give them a chance to improve on that.

Give them a chance to gain a Notre Dame identity.

Notre Dame-Texas: Irish Win a Resume Builder

Tony Bishop — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:23:00 -0500

NOT MY FREAKING BLOG.. WHO IS WRITING UNDER THIS NAME????

The Opposite of Love for Notre Dame Football

Tony Bishop — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 12:07:00 -0500

Article not written by the real Tony Bishop.

Notre Dame-Syracuse: Cheers, Tears, and a Game for the Ages

Tony Bishop — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:17:00 -0500

College football home finales (Senior Day) are usually a downer for everyone with the exception of, well, most of the seniors.

It often marks the end of organized football for some; the beginning of the end for many coaches (and sometimes an entire staff).

From both a player and fan perspective, it lacks the hope and promise of the home opener played just three months prior, as the now over-used phrase “you are what you are” applies to most teams after 10 contests are in the books.

Home finales have produced a mixed bag for the Irish in the BGI era. Notre Dame is 18-9 since 1981 with about a 95 percent chance of producing a 19th victory this Saturday vs. rudderless Syracuse.

Charlie Weis has contributed a 3-0 mark, as his squads have buried three of the country’s worst programs (Syracuse, Army, and Duke, with another hapless Syracuse team on the horizon).

Former coach Tyrone Willingham was 2-1 in finales, guiding the 9-1 and eighth-ranked Irish over Rutgers 42-0 in 2002; beating an unusually poor BYU team in 2003, 33-14; and then losing a sloppy heartbreaker to the Pittsburgh Panthers and the potty-mouthed, unorthodox QB Tyler Palko, 41-38 in 2004.

ABC’s Bob Davie fared well vs. solid opponents in home finales, first besting a West Virginia squad led by future pro RB Amos Zereoue and future pro QB Marc Bulger, (but not yet under the guidance of future ex-Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez) in 1997.

The following season, Davie guided the 8-1 and 10^th ranked Irish to a wild 39-36 win over a poorly coached but extremely talented LSU squad led by one of the nation’s best players, future New England Patriots RB Kevin Faulk (for more on the unfortunate ending in this contest, click here).

Davie split the ’99 and ’00 home finales with Boston College (the former being the infamous “torn turf” game involving the always classy Eagles) and then finished the 2001 home slate on a high note, downing Navy 34-16, just two weeks prior to his dismissal.

Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz faced the most difficult slate, finishing 7-4 vs. this gauntlet of opponents:

1986: A 24-19 defeat to No. 3 and eventual National Champion Penn State

1987: Ranked No. 7, the 7-1 Irish handed No. 10 Alabama a 37-6 Midwest beat down

1988: Ranked No. 1, a 21-3 win over a scrappy, but depleted Penn State team

1989: Ranked No. 1, the Irish won their 22nd in a row with a 59-6 destruction of death-penalty ravaged SMU

1990: Ranked No. 1 for the second time that season, the Irish lost a 14-0 first quarter lead, falling to unranked Penn State, 24-21

1991: Ranked No. 5, the Irish blew a 31-7 lead to No. 13 Tennessee. I covered this debacle in a pre-season blog, but if you still yearn for more about the game Volunteer fans refer to as The Miracle in South Bend, click here. Actually, even if you don’t want to know more about that game, it is WELL WORTH your time to click that link and scroll down.

1992: The Snow Bowl. No. 8 Notre Dame 17, #22 Penn State 16. More on that game in a forthcoming highlight video.

1993: No. 1 ND suffered the most crushing defeat in the history of organized sports. No data available.

1994: The unranked Irish outlasted Air Force, 42-30.

1995: No. 8 ND 35, Navy 17.

1996: Holtz, who announced his retirement earlier that week, guided the 10th-ranked Irish to a 62-0 victory over Rutgers and was carried off the field.

Gerry Faust finished with a 2-3 mark, beating unranked Georgia Tech 35-3 in 1981 and unranked Penn State 44-7 in 1984.

Faust dropped decisions to No. 5 Penn State, 24-14 in 1982 (the Irish were ranked No. 13 at the time); to unranked Air Force 23-22; and to No. 17 LSU in 1985, 10-7, as part of his final three-game losing streak.

Random Senior Day Observations

The Heartbreakers:

1. 1993

2. 1990 #18 PSU 24, #1 Notre Dame 21

3. 1986 #3 Penn State (and eventual National Champion) 24, Notre Dame 19

4. 1991 and the aforementioned Miracle. Hey look, the same link!

5. 2004 Pitt, Palko, jump balls, non-calls, and “FUDGE” (only he didn’t say “fudge”) exclaimed loudly on NBC.

Most Exciting Victories:

1. 1992 Snow Bowl, Notre Dame 17, Penn State 16

2. 1998 #10 Notre Dame 39, LSU 36

3. 1987 #7 Notre Dame 37, #10 Alabama 6 (ND then lost its last three games to finish the season…but won 23 straight over the next two)

4. 1997 vs. West Virginia and an inexplicable frenzied storming of the field with a win over the 7-4 Mountaineers.

5. Hopefully not Saturday

The Coldest:

1986 vs. #3-ranked Penn State

The Day the Music Died:

1993

Elation

1992

Anger

1990

Shock

1991

Confusion

2004, 1999

Apathy

2001

For Diehards

2007

And as you might expect, I have video of the best moments and plays to be posted tonight. No tears included...

Notre Dame Men and Women Make a Statement on Opening Weekend

Tony Bishop — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:17:02 -0500

While most sports fans were watching their fantasy teams and maybe an NFL game this Sunday, Notre Dame basketball fans were given an early dose of how good this season might be. November 16th was the much anticipated start for both the men's and women's Irish basketball squads and neither team disappointed.

Women's coach Muffet McGraw had her 14th-ranked team well-prepared in a rare top-25 opener against the 34th-ranked Lady Tigers of LSU in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic held in Baton Rouge.

A tight game for the first half turned into a mini-rout as the Irish opened the second half with a 14-4 run, guided by guard Ashley Barlow's 10 points. Although LSU fought back and came within three points midway through the second half, the Irish scored ten straight points and coasted the rest of the way to the final whistle, winning 62-53.

Barlow's ability to hit jumpers from beyond the men's three-point line was the emotional spark that jolted the Irish offense, but one of the unspoken players of the game has to be sophomore Devereaux Peters with her ability to be...well...everywhere on the court.

The victory also marks the first time that the women have defeated an SEC school on their home court.

Later that night, coach Mike Brey's team enjoyed a more traditional season opener against a much weaker USC-Upstate at the Joyce Center in South Bend.

Led by Big East Preseason Player of the Year Luke Harangody's double-double (30 pts. and 14 rebs.), the ninth ranked Irish easily polished off the Spartans 94-58.

Notre Dame was firing on all cylinders, shooting 50% from the floor and 47% from behind the arc, led by Luke Zeller (4 of 6). Even Harangody sunk his only attempt for three points.

The men won't know for sure how they stack up against true competition for another week when they travel to the Maui Invitational, but they proved that the offense is there and even showed signs of phenomenal man-to-man defense.

The women must be happy to have traveled down south and get a huge resume builder to start off the season before returning home to a much more favorable schedule.

Add the wins by the football team to grant them bowl eligibility, a weekend sweep for the hockey team, and the advancement of the No. 1 women's soccer team to the sweet sixteen and it's safe to say that it was a good weekend to be Irish.

Notre Dame Football Shedding Its Skin Painfully

Tony Bishop — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:14:03 -0500

We Notre Dame fans really need to start rethinking our goals. Our expectations are growing faster than our abilities as a team.

All of the talk lately is a bunch of bull. This is 2008. A time when parity rules almost all sports and it’s extremely difficult to win a national title at a premier program, let alone a mid-tier conference school.

"Can Charlie Weis bring a national championship back to Notre Dame?"

"Is this what you expected from Charlie Weis in year four?"

Stop fooling yourselves.

After this season it will be over 20 years since Notre Dame's last championship. We've had two, maybe three, chances at national titles since the 1988 run, and those came during the Lou Holtz era.

Let me fill you in on a little secret: This isn't your grand pappy's Notre Dame anymore. We're no longer built to succeed, year-in and year-out, at top 10 levels. We're on the right path, but we're not there yet.

We're undefeated against losing teams and we're winless against winning teams. We are what we are, folks. We're a .500 football team.

But that's where we should be. This team was ridiculously low on top talent and it takes time to get that back.

It is unfair to Charlie, or any head coach for that matter, for us to say "national championship or bust." It's illogical and it's ignorant. This team was not built for a championship and it will take several more years. Now add parity into the mix.

Look at USC. It's arguably the most talent-stacked program in the nation, and even it loses a game almost every year. Last year, LSU won the title with two losses because the rest of the nation beat each other up.

Expecting 12-0, year-in and year-out, isn't fair to Notre Dame and isn't fair to you. You'll get ulcers if you wait for seasons like that.

Now this school has lived in the past for so long it doesn't (or at least didn't) realize that the game of football has passed it by. Weis is trying to catch up. The players are trying to catch up. The fans are complaining that it isn't happening fast enough. It's like taking a student who can barely read and giving him the SAT, then sending him to his room when he gets a 300.

I understand the team isn't playing up to our expectations, but maybe that isn't Weis', Jimmy Clausen's, or Brian Smith's fault. Maybe it's our fault. Maybe our expectations are so unrealistic that we're blinded by our own ambitions.

It appears this team has hit a brick wall. All of the improvement we saw at the beginning of the year has completely stalled and it’s quite obvious. But maybe right now, at this time, it's the best we can be. Perhaps it's like a snake that has grown out of its skin but can't quite shake off its molt.

Right now we're shedding our own analogous skin, and it hurts. It's frustrating because we're so close, yet so far away. It hurts watching us lose close games to good teams, but until we get this skin off our back we'll never make it.

Maybe Charlie Weis isn't the right coach to give us a championship, but he is the perfect coach to give this team the makeover it so desperately needed. It's frustrating, but I look at the future and I see us growing into a full-blown title contender. For now, I'm okay with that.

Ty Willingham Gives Washington and Notre Dame Fans Closure

Tony Bishop — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:12:45 -0400

Today, Tyrone Willingham and the Washington Huskies have announced that they will be going separate directions at the end of the season.

Willingham was in the middle of potentially the worst season for any coach and team. The season has spanned seven losses to date, getting blown out by oppositions and referees alike.

It has been speculation for over a year that Willingham could get fired at any moment but until today, nothing concrete came from the administration.

As an Irish fan I have to say "I told you so" to well...everyone.

Was Notre Dame racist for firing Ty after three years of his five year contract? Only if Willingham is racist for resigning after three and a half years of his five year contract with UW. How's that for hypocritical? I wonder what John Saunders will have to say about this?

So now its done. Notre Dame should be off the hook for that firing. Washington can finally start looking for new coaches who can win more than their golf handicap. Willingham can probably get another cushy job at mediocre team who likes ethics more than wins.

Goodbye, Ty. Goodbye (hopefully) for good. I'm sick of seeing that smug face regardless of wins, losses or hilarity.

Washington fans...I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to go through what we went through. Five years from now, you'll realize just how bad that hire was. I was right once, you'll see that I'm right again. I'm sorry...and good luck.

Update: It has since come to my attention that Willingham did not choose this fate. When asked today if it was his decision he said "no" and that it was not in his nature to quit.

I guess that just means Washington is racist now, too.

Breaking Down Big East Basketball

Tony Bishop — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:54:36 -0400

After last week's 2008-09 media day for the Big East Men's Basketball season, it seemed fitting to start making predictions and previews.

Big East basketball is similar to the SEC in football, because there's never a true favorite and the battles are timeless. What's better than watching Syracuse and UConn duking it out with zone defenses and premier guard play? How about a classic Notre Dame-Georgetown four-overtime thriller that only gets there because of the dreaded four-point play? What about Georgetown, one of the nations top scoring teams, traveling to Rutgers and squeezing out a healthy 58-46 victory?

The Big East is the best basketball conference, bar none, and here is a short preview of the season to come.

Preseason Awards

Player of the Year: You have to start with Luke Harangody of Notre Dame. He won the award as a sophomore last year and is still fine-tuning his game. He was recently given the pre-season award by the league and I really have no way to argue this. Very few people have the chance to compete with his numbers. Last year he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in only 30 minutes per game. Good luck to the competition.

Coach of the Year: Mike Brey of Notre Dame has won this award two years in a row and I find it hard to believe it'll happen a third time. I'm going out on a limb and giving it to first year coach at Marquette, Buzz Williams. Williams is inheriting a very talented, veteran group and his tenure under Tom Crean is invaluable. Look for Marquette to hit 5th or 6th in the league, and that should be enough to propel a rookie coach to receive an award. Bob Huggins is in the same boat if he can improve a solid WVU team. Other than that, I think John Thompson III could get mention if Georgetown can get back to the top, but only the top, of the Big East.

Who's on top?

It's pretty well understood around the conference that it can be broken down into three categories: generic teams, tournament teams and national contenders. This is the first year that all 16 teams will be invited to Madison Square Garden for the Big East Championship with ranks 9-16 playing on Tuesday in 2 sets of double-headers.

The Generic Teams

Rutgers and South Florida are annual bottom-feeders in the Big East but neither team are pushovers. Rutgers (16) is potentially the second hardest place to play behind Notre Dame and that's only because their product isn't as good. That place rocks when the Knights are on defense. Rutgers extends the game, makes you slow down and look for a shot and it's not uncommon to win with a low 60s score. Unfortunately they usually have a score in the 40s or 50s.

South Florida (15) is the red-headed step child of the conference. Brought in because of the football team, this basketball squad is trying to play catch up. They aren't awful, but they just aren't as talented as the big boys. Two of their three wins came against Rutgers last year and that's the only reason I have them ranked above Rutgers this year.

The DePaul Blue Demons (14) are very young. Only two seniors and one junior lead this young squad against a veteran competition. In a couple years this team might finally get a bye in the Big East tournament, but I feel like it will struggle to the tune of four or five wins in the conference this season.

St. John's (13) is in the same boat as DePaul with only three upperclassmen, but they also only have one freshman. With a team full of sophomores we should see improvement to the tune of around six conference wins this season. This is a traditional powerhouse that is trying to rebuild its huge fall in the last ten years. I predict that they'll be back in the top five with UConn and Georgetown again in a few more years.

Cincinatti (12) is going to have a slight fall this season. The Bearcats lost four of their top five scorers last year and now Deonta Vaughn will have to run that team like Kobe Bryant to stay afloat. They'll make some noise later in the season but I don't see them making a run for a title any time soon.

Seton Hall (11) is talented and slightly more veteran than some of these other teams, but they've been forced to hold walk-on tryouts this November. They don't have the depth to beat the better teams but should have the talent to get seven wins.

Providence (10) was a disappointment last year and I'm not sure they'll get much better this year. The team didn't have the cohesiveness that a good Big East team needs to have and unless they found something this off-season, I don't see this year being any better for Friar fans.

Tournament Teams

Now we get to the big boys like Villanova (9). The magic of the 2006-07 campaign has completely worn off for the Wildcats now, and they've fallen to the middle of the pack where they belong. Look for upsets this season but they're susceptible to bad losses as well.

Look out for Syracuse (8). Love him or hate him, Jim Boeheim is one of the best coaches in all of college basketball and they're just one year away from getting back on top in the Big East. His vaunted zone-trap defense is scary good and can completely ruin even the best of scoring offenses.

Marquette (7) will probably fall after the loss of coach Tom Crean to Indiana, but the talent in its back-court will take over and probably get them back to the NCAA tournament. The tandem of McNeal and James is as good a 1-2 punch as you'll find in the nation.

Georgetown (6) lost too much talent last year to win the regular season title again. I love what coach Thompson III is doing with that team but losing Roy Hibbert, Jonathan Wallace and Patrick Ewing Jr. will hurt hard.

West Virginia (5) is only going to get better with another year under uber-recruiter Bob Huggins. Adding Huggins to an already established Big East squad is about as scary as Phil Jackson taking over North Carolina. He's a fantastic coach with good talent right now.

National Contenders

Louisville (4) enjoyed an unexpected run late last year to propel them near the top of the standings and they return four of their starters. They were the most successful Big East team in the NCAA tournament last year and Rick Pitino will undoubtedly have them hungry for more.

I never thought I'd see Notre Dame (3) on this list, and they could be even higher. Losing only one starter from last year, this team is poised to make one heck of a run through, well, anybody. Preseason games against Ohio St. and Indiana, with potential match-ups against Texas and North Carolina, could provide this veteran team with lots of early experience that could give them a fast start in the conference. This is a team that needs to prove it can play in any tournament with early exits almost every year.

A huge disappointment last year, Pittsburgh (2) looks to regain its grip near or at the top of the conference. Proving that last season wasn't the real Panther team, they became the first seventh seed to win a Big East Championship that required them to win four games in four days. This is a very deep squad who always plays with a chip on its shoulder and after an early exit in the NCAA tournament last year this could be a very scary team.

Jim Calhoun has yet another front-runner at Connecticut (1). Winning in the Big East is not only traditional for the Huskies, it's expected. This year is no different with the return of A.J. Price and Jeff Adrian, along with Hasheem Thabeet, who was probably the rawest talent in the league last year. With another off-season to hone his skills, Thabeet could progress enough to challenge Harangody for the POY award, and to help UConn challenge the nation in the NCAA tournament

Wrapping It Up

I can't wait for this basketball season, not only in the Big East, but all over the NCAA landscape.

NFL Announces New Flags for 2009 Season

Tony Bishop — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:09:32 -0400

In a startling press conference Monday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced plans for a new flag system for the players to be put into effect starting next pre-season.

Last week, Pittsburgh Steeler defensive back Troy Polamalu made comments regarding the fines doled out to Hines Ward for several "unnecessarily rough" hits.

According to ESPN.com, Polamalu stated, "Regarding the evolution of football, it's becoming more and more flag football, two-hand touch."

"We've really lost the essence of what real American football is about. I think it's probably all about money. They're not really concerned about safety," he added.

During yesterday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Ward blocked Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers, breaking his jaw. Rivers' teammate and heir apparent, Brandon Johnson, was quoted as saying, "No flag came out because it wasn't a quarterback. If he was a quarterback, then they definitely would have thrown (a) flag."

Many Bengals players were calling for league action as this is the third straight week of controversial hits involving Ward.

On Monday they got it, Goodell, who decided to hold the press conference in a pink suit, announced that he is "sick and tired of Mr. Ward's hits."

He went on to address Polamalu: "Troy, if you have a problem with the way I run this league, then get in line behind Adam Jones."

Obviously irritated, he continued, "and as for Brandon Johnson, you're right. That should have been penalized because there is no logical reason for Mr. Ward to abuse a linebacker or a quarterback or any of his colleagues.

"Therefore, the owners and I have decided that flag-football is the only way to keep our players safe. The quarterbacks are our future as a league and as a community and we must protect our future."

When reached, Keith Rivers refused to open his mouth to give a comment.

Polamalu and Ward began signing blank checks when delivered the news.

"We plan on making this year count," was all Ward would say. Polamalu merely chanted in Samoan.

Charlie Weis: Is He the Right Coach for Notre Dame?

Tony Bishop — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:09:11 -0400

For Charlie Weis, or not for Charlie Weis?—that is the question. For Weis is the answer.

I wrote after the Michigan game that Weis had finally figured out the college game. He hasn't perfected it, but after the glaring problems last year I don't expect that quite yet.

I don't even know if I'm completely behind Weis yet, but the anti-Weis camps that have built their fires on the outskirts of campus have pushed me over the line in his favor. I guess you'd call me anti-anti-Weis. Here's why:

("For Weis or Not For Weis, That is the Question" found at BlueandGold.com)

Notre Dame-Purdue: Two Wrongs DO Make a Right

Tony Bishop — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:48:05 -0400

I'm undecided upon whether the Irish winning in spite of themselves is a good thing.

Two glaring problems with this offense were completely overcome this past weekend due to amazing play by Tate and Floyd. I leave out Grimes because he isn't flashy and just goes out and plays the game.

So what are the problems? Here's one: Mike Haywood.

More at BlueandGold.com

Notre Dame Playing Roller Coaster Football in 2008

Tony Bishop — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:12:53 -0400

It is what it is, folks. We're just going to have to adjust to the fact that this team can't play top quality football every week quite yet.

But that's not the problem with Notre Dame football and its fans.

When the Irish are good...we call them great and we give the head coach an extension.

When they're bad...we call them the worst team ever and try to fire the coach.

But this year they're both. Or neither. I'm not sure which.

San Diego was a win, but a bad one. After Michigan we were back and planning on a battle of the unbeatens in the Coliseum. Michigan State, however, pulled us back to the ground, and they ran all over us.

That's called a roller coaster.

Notre Dame-Michigan.. On Second Thought..

Tony Bishop — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:27:39 -0400

Let me first say one thing.

Last week I ranted about the whole "Crank me up" thing going on. This week, on second thought, I'm in love with it. Maybe its a little corny for a bunch of upper-class Notre Dame students to be chanting the name of a rap song, but the defense loved it. Hell, the whole team fed off of the newly created momentum starter.

On Saturday, I got cranked up big time.

For the second straight week, my opinions of the game have changed within 24 hours. Last week, I couldn't wait to criticize our team until I slept it off. This week I wanted to come on here and call the Irish the greatest team we've had in over a decade.

Today I think differently. I know I ripped on John Saunders as much as the next guy for his comments about Notre Dame getting six gift turnovers from Michigan..but didn't we?

Read On...

ESPN, MLB Ruin Carlos Zambrano's No-Hitter

Tony Bishop — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 05:27:18 -0400

The Chicago Cubs' baseball game against the Houston Astros on Sunday night, which was moved to Milwaukee due to Hurricane Ike, ended up being about as historical as it gets.

Carlos Zambrano, the Cubs' starting pitcher, threw a no-hitter, the first for a Cub since 1972. Luckily, WGN was broadcasting the game, so the whole nation was going to get to see this performance, right?

Wrong.

Due to ESPN's agreement with Major League Baseball, no other game can be broadcast nationally at the same time as its Sunday Night Baseball. Therefore, unless you paid for every Fox Sports channel and watched the game via Houston's regional broadcast, or you lived in Chicago and watched WGN's local broadcast, you were out of luck.

Like me, a guy who lives less than an hour away from the Skyway, who found out about Zambrano's no-hitter via a text message from someone in Chicago that thought I was watching the game (because I hate missing the games).

Instead, I was watching Pittsburgh laugh at Cleveland's offense on Sunday Night Football. Awesome.

I hear that ESPN did broadcast the ninth inning of the Cubs-Astros game to show the no-hitter, but, unless you were watching ESPN already, how would you know?

I've never hated ESPN like a lot of people west of New York City do, but this is an outrage.

A game that got moved because of a natural disaster couldn't be seen by 95 percent of the country. A game that normally would have been available to 100 percent of the country. That's pathetic.

ESPN and MLB should be ashamed that they ruined a night of baseball for fans all over the country, and that was before I knew there was a no-hitter.

Why I Will Not Worry: A Chicago Cubs Fan's Refusal To Fall Into Old Habits

Tony Bishop — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:48:29 -0400

The second half the season hasn't worked out quite as we planned has it?

Dropping three of the first four out of the gates hurts. Both the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers are now just two games behind us. Our offense looks more like the Seattle Mariners than the Cubbies we knew just two months ago.

Other than that nine run outburst in the finale against Houston on Sunday, the best offense in baseball was held to just two runs in three games. Awesome.

Both the Brewers and Cardinals swept their opponents over the weekend. Fantastic.

Kerry Wood might be hurt again. So it begins.

That's what we've been bred to say at this point in the season. "Here we go again" and "Well, it was fun while it lasted." That's what we Cubs fans do in July isn't it?

What does Cubs stand for? Completely Useless By September, right?

No.

Not this year.

I'm done expecting the worst. I'm done waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm done wallowing in misery.

This year is different. I refuse to let that dark grey cloud ruin my bright summer months for the umpteenth time in my life.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking I'm crazy. You're thinking I'm a typical drunk Cubs fan who's just babbling on.

No, this time I'm serious. This time I have reason to believe.

Every team goes through slumps throughout the season, that's why you play 162 games. It allows even the best teams to struggle and come out on top. It's like a really good whiskey: distilled twice (sometimes three times, if you're lucky) to get the finest product.

But I digress. Why is this year different? That's the important question.

Well let me tell you: It just is.

I can't explain it other than I haven't seen a Cubs quite like this one. The team in 2003 was fun, but not good (definitely not championship good anyway). That team had Prior and Wood and let's be honest, not much else.

This team has Zambrano and Dempster... and now Harden. And Lilly. And every other week Marquis. That's pretty solid. Marquis should be at least a fourth starter for most teams.

Five years ago the Cubs had an average offense that drastically outdid itself most of the time. Moises Alou is not a premier hitter, no matter how much he pretended back then.

This team, on the other hand, has five premier hitters, and that's only because DeRosa is having a good year. And the bench? Oh, the bench. Ward and Fontenot? Yes please.

But that's not all. It's not just players. It's the coaches, too. Piniella has one of the best staffs in all of baseball, and they all believe in this team. That belief has carried over to the players themselves, and likewise, the fans.

The ORGANIZATION believes. 2003 was a heck of a party, and that's how everyone treated it. It was never about the World Series (although we pretended after we lost), it was always about the Cubbie Bear and Murphy's.

It started last year, you know. We didn't realize it but it did. The change happened when we started playing "Go Cubs Go" every chance we got. It happened when we watched the San Diego Padres beat the Brewers to clinch the Central Division.

Even then we didn't expect a championship, but we expected more than just a party. Did you notice that? When every hat in the bar got thrown when Lily threw his glove? You remember it now, don't you? We were upset. Not because it was another year to be added on the sign hanging over Sheffield.

No, we were upset because we expected to win that Series. We definitely didn't expect to get swept.

No one talked about The Curse last year, at least not in this area. No freak occurrence last year, just a bad series. We just didn't hit.

This year the expectations are higher, and they're not absurd. Top-to-bottom, this is by far the best team in the National League. You know it, I know it, and that kid in New York knows it.

That's why it's a slump. It happens. I expected it to happen, but you know what? When push comes to shove? Milwaukee and St. Louis still have to beat us.

I know they're only two games behind right now, but we still have 19 games against both of them. St. Louis hasn't even visited Wrigley this year yet, you know, where the Cubs are virtually unbeatable?

So relax Cubs Nation, times will change and so shall our fortunes.

Oh, and Kerry Wood's injury is just a blister, not a torn ligament.

Breathe.

That's it. I can already hear you feeling better.

Brewers Trade For Ray Durham; Will Cubs Fans Start To Worry?

Tony Bishop — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:19:35 -0400

The Milwaukee Brewers reportedly traded for San Francisco second baseman, Ray Durham.

Durham is a scary piece of the puzzle in a Brewers uniform. His numbers are down a bit this year as he's been fighting pesky injuries virtually all season, but he still led the Giants in batting average and now he's moving to a much stronger offensive team.

This won't be a long term deal with Durham. He'll be gone next season, but will the damage be done?

The Brewers have made yet another statement that they are sick of being second class in the NL Central and they want to win.

Although he's a great addition on paper, bringing veteran leadership and a solid bat to the Brewers young and inconsistent line-up, I'm not sure his injuries will allow him to drastically change their long-term fortunes.

With the recent struggles of the Chicago Cubs offense, a lot of fans are going to start worrying here in the next month. Luckily the two match up shortly and the answers will be on the field, and not just in the blogs.

My prediction? Wild Card guarantee. I don't think they can pass the Chicago Cubs with this addition, but I do think they'll definitely beat out the Cardinals for second place in the Central (which I think we all can agree will be good enough for the Wild Card).

So, perhaps it will come down to a mid-October meeting in the NLCS, but either way, the Brewers might just be making their first playoff appearance in 24 years.

Dominic DiAngi Released From Hospital After Foul Ball Injury at Wrigley Field

Tony Bishop — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:56:19 -0400

The danger of sitting close to the field in baseball has never been more prevalent than on a Thursday afternoon in Chicago.

On the back of your ticket to most sporting events (and especially in baseball), you'll find a disclaimer saying that the team is not responsible for injuries resulted from foul balls or any other equipment that happens to end up in the seats.

Well, just over a week ago, during a day game against the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly was at the plate. He hit a screaming foul ball that went into the third row near third base.

Sitting in that seat was Dominic DiAngi, a seven-year-old boy attending his first baseball game.

The ball careened off his head, and Dominic was immediately knocked unconscious.

Once he reached the hospital, the doctors decided to medically induce a coma in order to regulate his breathing.

Before knowing exactly what the prognosis would be, Lilly and Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee visited him on Saturday, two days after the incident. They took with them multiple pieces of Cubs memorabilia and souvenirs signed by Lilly and his teammates.

On Tuesday, Dominic left the hospital. He's smiling now. Doctors say he should have no lasting complications from the fractured skull and swelling of the brain.

All's well that ends well, right?

I have a serious problem with this story. I'm mad because the story isn't being told. Sports is so full of problems right now with the referee scandal in the NBA, steroids in MLB, EPO ruining the Tour de France.

Yes, this is a sad story, but it also shows the good in people and in sports.

Remember that foul ball? Another fan found that ball and got it to Dominic's father. During his stay in the hospital, he refused to let go of it. Lilly and Lee didn't have to visit him, but they did. No one told them to.

His father told us he "lives, eats and breathes baseball." Even though a baseball almost ended all three of those for Dominic, because of the visit and the foul ball and possibly even the care package sent by the Cubs, this kid will come back.

So the next time you complain about hearing a Brett Favre or Barry Bonds story, think about the tale of Dominic DiAngi.

Yankees, Phillies Among MLB Teams Making Big Moves Thursday

Tony Bishop — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:41:19 -0400

Thursday's league-wide day off wasn't a boring one for those paying attention.

The New York Yankees got a much needed bat in Richie Sexson for Jim Edmonds type numbers. For less than $400,000 the Yankees get the recently released former Mariner.

He was one of the first big contracts given out by Seattle a few years ago, and never really felt at home. His numbers have been falling and his haters have been getting louder in the past year or so.

It's not 100% official, but I think this is a nice pickup, especially since this contract for the Yankees is like me buying a new car for five bucks.

I do not, however, think that it gets them into the playoffs. The Yankees need to get healthier.. well.. everywhere, and I feel like they need another big pitcher before they will be much of a long-term threat.

Thousands of miles southwest of New York, a familiar face returns to the desert. Tony Clark comes back to Arizona after what was only a few months away from his old teammates in San Diego.

Traded back to the Diamondbacks, who desperately need that veteran bat to come off the bench, the Padres will receive an excellent young pitcher (Evan Scribner).

Although this may help solidify Arizona's playoff chances in the ridiculously pathetic NL West, there's one trade today that I think should be talked about on the same level as Rich Harden and CC Sabathia.

What is Billy Bean doing in Oakland? What does he know that we don't know? We seem to ask these questions every year and he hasn't disappointed us this year either.

Two weeks ago we found out that he traded pitchers Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin to Chicago, and today he sent starter Joe Blanton to Philadelphia for three prospects.

Blanton has had a rough year this year but has always given up a few runs a game. His major plus side, however, is that he can go seven or eight innings almost constantly.

Philly has been begging for a guy like that to not only give them that solid third or fourth starter, but also to give the bullpen more rest.

To me, this trade stands out as one of those classic "new scenery" trades. I see Blanton getting back to his form of last year, where he went 14-10 and will help the Phillies win the NL East.

NL Central Race, Rays Among Top Stories Heading Into the Second Half

Tony Bishop — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:13:04 -0400

The second half of the 2008 Major League Baseball season starts Thursday and there are tons of stories out there worth following and here's a few of the best.

NL Central Race

The Chicago Cubs are tied for the best record in baseball, but the rest of the season is no cakewalk. With 19 games against the Milwaukee Brewers (nine) and St. Louis Cardinals (10), much of the division will be played out on the field (only five games left between the Cards and Brewers, all at Busch Stadium).

The Cubs definitely control their own destiny and will have the chance to distance themselves from their top competition.

The addition of CC Sabathia to the Brewers put enough pressure on the Cubs to get Harden and Sabathia hasn't disappointed (2-0, 2.40 ERA). By the way, Harden pitched 5.1 scoreless innings with ten strikeouts just before the break.

The Cardinals haven't made any moves, and it doesn't appear likely that they will. So far, their under-appreciated starting staff is playing fantastic baseball and Ryan Franklin has helped bring the bullpen back up.

My guess is that the Cubs will still win the division, probably about 7-10 days before the end of the season, with the second place team making the playoffs as a wildcard.

Tampa Bay Rays

Who says you need $100 million to be in a divisional race? The Rays are making fools of the Yankees' and Red Sox' payrolls with what should be considered the greatest story in baseball right now.

Perennial bottom-dwellers who have an absurd amount of youth, talent, and Troy Percival. The pitching has been sick at home, sporting a 2.82 ERA at Tropicana. Percival is 1-0 with 19 out of 21 saves and has been the leader and heart of the young starters.

Evan Longoria has made prophets out of those who called out his potential. Not only does he sport a pretty good bat, he's also one of the best defensive third basemen I've ever seen.

The Rays play Boston and New York six times each (three home, three away) all in the last month, and if they can keep up with the traditional powerhouses, it could make for an extremely exciting September.

Triple Crown

Baseball and horse racing have both teased America plenty in recent years regarding their respective Triple Crown potential, and this year is no different. Although we already know that the ponies couldn't deliver, both leagues have a solid Triple Crown threat.

Josh Hamilton's only downfall right now is his batting average. Currently he's at .310 and in ninth in the AL. In home runs, he's tied for third at 21 with the leader at 23 (so not a huge gap to make up) and in RBI he's dominating the AL at 95 (25 better that Quentin of Chicago).

In the National League, Lance Berkman has a .347 average and is in third behind Chipper Jones at .376 (Pujols is in second at .350). Berkman has fallen six behind Ryan Howard in home runs, but a few hot weeks can change that (this is probably his roughest category at this point). In RBI he's 11 behind Howard with 73, but RBI can easily change in the course of two months.

Essentially, I don't see either guy getting it and Berkman probably has the only legitimate shot. Power numbers are easy to improve, but your batting average is very hard to get up to the leaders.

NL West

There's not much good coming out of the west coast these days and the only reason I'm bringing this up is because I really want to see if the winner is below .500 at the end of the season. Either way, with an almost guaranteed trip to the league's best home team (Cubs) in the playoffs, the West division is pretty much dead now.

Rich Harden To the Chicago Cubs Is a Bigger Bargain Than You Think

Tony Bishop — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:39:41 -0400

Rich Harden hasn't thrown a full season in the big leagues.

The Cubs gave up too much for a health risk.

These are just a couple of the complaints brought up after the semi-blockbuster trade between the Cubs and the Athletics earlier this month that sent Harden and Chad Gaudin to Chicago for Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, Eric Patterson, and Josh Donaldson.

We'll get to the health issues first.

Gaudin was brought in as a potential starter in the bullpen. The trade had a built-in component for insurance reasons, in case Harden gets sent to the disabled list again. And lets be honest, even without Sean Gallagher, lefty Sean Marshall seemed to be more major-league ready right now; and the Cubs are thinking about "this year" not "next year".

I have complete faith in Marshall and Gaudin to get us through the season without too much trouble.

On the other hand, if Harden stays healthy, the Cubs have arguably the best rotation in all of baseball.

Jason Marquis would be a third starter on half of the teams in baseball, but on the Cubs, he's fifth. Ted Lilly, who's having a down year after last season's fantastic campaign is the fourth starter. Carlos Zambrano is still the ace, as he's the heart and soul of this team.

Ryan Dempster is probably having one of the most pleasantly surprising seasons in the entire league after a rough stint as the closer last year.

Going into the playoffs (and I think it's safe to assume as much nowadays), the Cubs will take Zambrano, Harden, and Dempster into the first round's short series.

That's sick good.

If an injury occurs to Harden, it would likely be Zambrano, Dempster, and Lilly. In both of those situations, I think it's safe to say that Marshall will be in the bullpen, regardless.

So essentially, the Cubs gave up nothing on the pitching front in this trade, when we get to October. Gallagher wouldn't start anyway, so his loss won't be felt during baseball's second season.

But what about the other three guys? The really promising ones?

Ok, Matt Murton is definitely major-league ready. Eric Patterson isn't far behind. So where do they play?

Murton is a left fielder that "can" play right. Is he supposed to start ahead of All-Stars Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome? And by the way, utility man Mark DeRosa has proven he can play pretty much anywhere except center field, and that's only because the Cubs haven't had to ask yet.

So Murton is stuck behind two starting outfielders with several years locked into their contracts. No huge loss there.

Eric Patterson is probably only one year away from making the big leagues on most teams, but the Cubs still have faith in annual Rookie of the Year candidate Felix Pie, and with Reed Johnson and the uber-bargain Jim Edmonds rotating in center field (Fukudome has also excelled out there).

I just don't see anywhere for Patterson to play. He's developing into a solid second baseman, but the Cubs are set with DeRosa and the crafty Mike Fontenot, as well as shortstops Ryan Theriot and Ronny Cedeno.

All of these guys are signed to multi-year deals, so no huge loss there, either.

Josh Donaldson is still very young and has potential, but still needs a couple years to work his way up. The A's were looking for a young catcher, and they got a good one by all accounts, but Donaldson was going to be stuck as a backup for the Cubs behind (probable) Rookie of the Year, and starting All-Star catcher Geovany Soto.

From the sound of it, the Cubs want Soto to be a mainstay in Cubbie Blue for a long time.

So this time, there is virtually no loss for the Cubs.

Maybe it will all work out wrong, though, and the Cubs made the wrong decisions. We don't know, and we won't find out for several years.

But again, the Cubs don't care about 2012 yet. They care about this year.

The Chicago Cubs front office is telling the world this one simple phrase: "Next year is here."