Lights, Camera, Action

Saturday afternoons are the perfect opportunities to catch some great movies on television and today has been no different. While flipping through the channels, I got glimpses of Jurassic Park III, Jaws, Blow, and the ND and Navy football game. Ok, the last one isn't a movie but it might as well be for as many times as they scan the Navy student section. There could not be a stadium filled with better looking men. But even those fellas in uniforms couldn't contain my itchy finger from changing the channel. I eventually ended up on Major League and have concluded that there needs to be a movie involving the Cubs. I don't have a story line, but that can be thought of later. We should probably focus on actors before anything.



I'm not going to run through the entire team but I'll just give you an idea about the kind of actors I'm thinking should be in the movie. To start off, for Piniella, I was thinking along the lines of Jack Nicholson. He's got that charm and yet could have the same fury that Lou brings to the field. Now, Mike Fontenot is going to be played by none other than Owen Wilson. Similar hair, the much loved nose, and of course that boyish, charming personality. Matt Dameon should play Ryan Theriot. Did you see him in The Bourne Ultimatum? Then you know why he should be in this movie. For my first choice to play Derrek Lee, I would choose Denzel Washington. But then I was thinking, would he be able to play baseball or give the illusion that he can? Washington is probably the most hardcore actor in terms of characters he's played, so he could undoubtedly handle this role. But for safety's sake, we'll go with a backup...Taye Diggs. And how about Benjamin Bratt to play Aramis Ramirez? Silent but deadly.



So, I've got the actors. Now we just need to think of a plot. I'll leave that to the skilled writers that will be hired. Maybe we can get writers from hits such as The Lion King, Field of Dreams, and Billy Madison. All three movies have a great story with adventure and a sense of accomplishment at the end. If we get writers from all three films, I think we could create some magic on the big screen.

If Major League can become such a great movie than surely a movie about the Chicago Cubs can do just as well. Everyone likes a story about an underdog and heck, maybe it will help them win. No one thought Boston would win the World Series when they started making Fever Pitch and look what happened. This movie needs to be realized. And maybe in a couple of years, I'll be watching Saturday afternoon flicks and come across a classic about the Cubs and remember that on such a Saturday, the movie began with one girl's dream.

It could happen.

A Pretty Inexpensive Free Agency for the White Sox

The Chicago White Sox claimed that they would like to have a competitive team through the free agency for the 2008 season. Well lucky for them, this is a inexpensive decision due to their poor 2007 season.

According to ChicagoSports.com, two free agent center-fielders, Torii Hunter and Aaron Rowand, who are on the Sox list, were classified as Type A free agents this past week. This is good for the Sox because they are in need of a center-fielder. If the White Sox decide to sign either of these players, it will result in them only losing a second-round pick because they finished with one of the 15 worst seasons in 2007 (although we really don’t like to be reminded of it.) Whereas, if we finished with one of the top 15 records, we would have lost a first-round pick. And in case you were wondering, in the 2008 draft, the White Sox will have eight overall selection.

The Sox are still facing their dilemma with what they should do with Juan Uribe. They will need to decide by next Wednesday whether or not they are going to pick up Juan Uribe’s $5 million option.

We are just getting our feet wet.... a little

Another week has gone by and the Chicago White Sox have yet to really test the free agency market. Although, they have recently decided to decline their option on Darin Erstad, who was the White Sox first baseman and outfielder this past 2007 season. And if you remember, he was the guy that the Sox picked up in the off-season who was SUPPOSE TO give them depth in the outfield and infield. He was also also SUPPOSE TO help the Sox with the top of their batting order. I think that it was a good choice to get rid of Erstad and here is why:

This past season he did not really play many games for the White Sox. He was hurt for about half of the season. When he did have a chance to come back into the lineup, he would either re-injure something or injure a new body part. And as for batting, I don’t think that he really ever found his swing. I don’t think he was exactly what the White Sox thought they were getting. But so far he is the only player that the White Sox have decided to release.


Everyone is now probably wondering what the Sox will want to do with their start third baseman Joe Crede. He had his 2007 season cut short because of a serious back injury, which actually resulted in him getting a season ending back surgery. He is entering the final year of his contract and no one really knows what the White Sox are going to do with him. His 2007 season replacement was Josh Fields. It would be an understatement to say that Fields had a good season, he actually had an outstanding rookie season and brought a lot to the team both offensively and defensively. The White Sox have been waiting for their chance to bring Fields into the big leagues. Granted, he had sort of a slow start, but by the end of the season, he was one of the White Sox power hitters.

So this is where the White Sox are in a little bit of a dilemma. What should they do with Crede and Fields and who deserves third base? They have two really good player and essentially only one spot to put them. There has been talk about possibly converting Fields into an outfielder, but there is no definite answer as of right now.

In my opinion, I think they should give the spot to Joe Crede. I think that all around, he is a better player than Fields. He is a great hitter and probably one of the best defensive third baseman in the league.
I think that Fields’s downfall would be his batting average. Yes he is a good power hitter, but he does not have a consistently good batting average. And like I said above, Fields is a good defensive player, but I think that Crede is better than him on that aspect.
However, you have to take into consideration that this is the first year that Fields played in the big leagues. So in my opinion, I think that the White Sox should keep Crede and either figure out a way to convert Fields into a position that they need (possibly a center fielder) or they need to trade him.

So this pretty much raps up another disappointing week for the White Sox and the trading industry. Hopefully next week the Sox will make a move that is a little more exciting and will give us some insight into what the 2008 season might be like.

Bye Week

The Bears have the bye this week, which they should use to prepare themselves for the rest of the season. Here's my list of what the Bears need to do to improve:

1. Get Orton ready to start. Griese looked good at first, but last game he looked like Grossman on a bad day. Although he didn't fumble any snaps, he still threw four interceptions. Some people are still thinking playoffs, and our best chance for that is to put Orton in at QB.

2. Heal Urlacher. He has been having some sort of strange back pain, but he is playing through it. He needs to get some relief and start playing to a level he's capable of.

3. Revive the Defense. Adam Archuleta is a terrible safety. He needs to go. Something is wrong with the defense; they aren't playing like they should be. I don't know how to fix it, but then again I don't get paid to fix it either.

4. Find a way to involve Hester in the offense that in some way that isn't a trick play. He would make a better running back than Benson. Benson is ass-awful and he needs traded after this year, although I doubt they could get anything for him.

Exchange Uribe for A-Rod?

Once the World Series was over, the White Sox needed to decide what they wanted to do with Juan Uribe along with a few others (Darin Erstad and Mike Myers). An option could be A-Rod? Yes, Alex Rodriguez is a third baseman, but according to the LA Times, A-Rod’s agent Scott Boras is trying to market him as not only a third baseman but also as a shortstop. Well we know that we aren’t going to get rid of Crede or Fields, so what about Uribe? Uribe has made his fair share of mess-ups this season, but he has 20+ homeruns and didn’t completely suck. So this could be a possibility. The fact that he was a Gold Glove shortstop in 2002 is a definite plus. They question is however, are we willing to pay for Alex Rodriquez? I mean the guy is going for about $30 million a year. Anyone would want A-Rod, but teams like the White Sox and the Cubs are especially attracted to him because of his shortstop capabilities.

It is sort of unlikely that the White Sox will sign A-Rod, mainly because of the financial situation. But according to the LA Times, some baseball sources stated that the Angels are currently the front-runners. So there are many possibilities to where A-Rod might play next. We just know that he wants to get away from the Yankees. We’ll just have to wait and see to find out how everything will play out.

Chicago has a lake. Why not get a Laker to go with it?

Have you heard the one about how Kobe Bryant wants to be traded? Oh...you have. Then this won't be news for you, unless you're a Chicago Bulls' fan. The only difference is that now the Lakers are willing to let him go so Kobe would no longer be a distraction to the team, as well as the Lakers organization. Kobe has mentioned that his team of choice is the Chicago Bulls, due to their rising talent. Kobe also realizes that the Bulls are based upon teamwork and role playing, but they are still missing that one final piece. Kobe figures he is that Jordan-esque player that can bring some glory back to Chicago.

John Paxson has been willing to listen to the different trade offers, but none of them sound good at the moment. These rumors range from giving up Deng, Gordon, Noah, and Thomas, to Gordon, Hinrich, and Wallace, to Gordon, Hinrich, and Nocioni. Basically, Ben Gordon was involved in every trade aspect. The Bulls organization is having trouble do not want to give up Luol Deng, since he is the Bulls most consistent player and shows the biggest upside of the baby Bulls.

BullsCentral.com listed 5 reasons why Kobe will not go to the Chicago Bulls. Some reasons are that Jerry Buss doesn't want to let Kobe go and how Scott Skiles has limitations as a coach. With the deadline for Deng's and Gordon's contract deadlines coming up, this only adds more pressure to the Bulls organization. Deng and Gordon were the Bulls' two leading scorers last season and for Chicago and for Chicago to lose one of them would be a major loss.

Another trade rumor that came up was that there would be a third team involved. One team that was willing to get in on the trade action would be the Sacramento Kings, who are willing to give up Ron Artest and try to pick up a point guard, such as Hinrich or Gordon, to replace the injured Mike Bibby. In this trade, Sacremento would acquire a Bulls' guard. Sacremento would acquire Ron Artest and possible Ben Wallace. And then of course Chicago would get Kobe.

I know that this whole Kobe Bryant trade drama has been on and off for I don't even know how long, but this is the closest that Chicago has been to getting Kobe. He may not play the same team ball Chicago does, but the fact of the matter is that Kobe is the best player in the NBA, hands down. On the Lakers opening night game, Kobe dropped 45 points, 18 of which came in the 4th quarter, in a loss against the Houston Rockets.

All in all, I think Chicago would benefit tremendously if they acquired Kobe, even if it means the loss of Ben Gordon. I doubt that any of these trade rumors will happen, but I guarantee these rumors will come up many times in the future. Until then, the Bulls will be just fine without Kobe. Chicago will continue to play the same team basketball that they have played these few years, and they will continue to get better with or without a true star player.

Here are some of the few Kobe Bryant highlights.

The 30 Million Dollar Man

As the World Series wrapped up, many baseball players and fans are now looking towards the off season and the transactions that are sure to make a difference. For the Cubs, there is one man that everyone is wondering whether or not will join the team. A-Rod is known to want to play for his former manager, Lou Piniella, but the likelihood of him joining the team is not that great. Basically, it comes down to money. The Cubs spent $300 million last season acquiring various players and it would be unwise to make another big purchase. Rodriguez costs $30 million a year. THIRTY MILLION! At this point, unless there is a price reduction, it is doubtful that A-Rod will be playing for the Cubs next season. As upsetting as this might be to fans, it's not the end of the world.

I am satisfied with Aramis Ramirez playing at third base. If A-Rod came, where would he go? He played exceptionally well for the Cubs and if anyone deserves a spot on the team, it's him. So is it Alex Rodriguez or Aramis Ramirez? If A-Rod came, it would undoubtedly help the team out but would it bring too much media attention? Would everyone be happy with this purchase?

As rumors are spread and Rodriguez continues to look around at other teams, all fans can do is wait. It might work out for the Cubs and Piniella may get to manage a former player. But again, is it wise for the Cubs to make any major purchases with the $300 spending spree that took place last year? It's not like the team doesn't have the money but the real issue is whether or not they should be spending that money on one person. I think this comes down to Ramirez being a perfect fit for the Cubs and A-Rod being too much of a distraction, for the most part. I suppose we'll see how these events unfold and how much money the Cubs are willing to spend on one player soon enough.

Pizza Hut is for Winners

Remember after your big Little League Championship when you, your teammates, and the adults would gather at Pizza Hut to celebrate? The evening would be filled with toasts, too much pizza, and random items (salt, bread sticks, straw wrappers) being placed in drinks. There was nothing better than this celebratory dinner and the tradition continued throughout your sporting career. Heck, my sister, who is a senior in high school, just won volleyball sectionals last week and where did everyone go after the big win? Pizza Hut. So where, I wonder, did Boston go to celebrate their World Series win?

Surely they didn't gather their families and head to the local pizza place. Did they just do a lot of yelling, champagne opening, and slapping of the butt in the locker room and call it a night? Or could they have ditched their wives and all made their way downtown to a popular bar? I hope they didn't just shower and go home. That's anticlimactic. This is the World Series! We need some serious celebrating to go on after a team sweeps another team in the World Series.

How will we ever know how professional teams celebrate? And how cool would it be if you were enjoying your team's victory in a pub and in walked in your favorite players? I'm telling you, go to a Pizza Hut. Maybe they'll still remember the Little League games with the all-you-can-eat pizza buffet and want to relive it. Sports and pizza are often seen together but Pizza Hut and Victory go hand in hand with no chance of ever separating.

Think about it. If you lost a game, what did you eat? Stuff from the night before, cereal, or anything you can round up from your refrigerator. I'd say close to never did your parents take you for pizza when you lost. "You obviously didn't play hard enough to eat Pizza Hut so why should we indulge you?" is what your (and my) parents were thinking. And I guess it makes sense. If Boston players didn't remember those tearful nights of losing and not getting to eat pizza, they might have never swept Colorado. But they kept those memories of victory fresh in their minds and look what happened...World Champions.

So don't tell me that you don't like pizza. And don't go further to tell me you don't care for Pizza Hut because all I will infer is that you don't like winning. Will I call you a loser? No. You would have already done that yourself.

It Hurts

Griese Chicken Report: His performance this week may be enough to get the quarterback controversy started again, but this time it will involve Kyle Orton. He threw for 4 interceptions today, and only one touchdown. He went from NFC Player of the Week last week to playing like Sexy Rexy this week.

The Good: Pissed Off at Da' Bears Blog was right that getting Olsen involved in the offense is good. Otherwise there wasn't a whole lot of good to be found. The defense held Detroit to 16 points which is a lot better than their first meeting where they let them score 34 points in the 4th quarter which was enough for an NFL record.

The Bad: The offense has looked terrible for almost this entire season. Benson has looked awful. He ran for a meager 50 yards and had a 3.8 yard average. The Bears aren't being able to force turnovers this season, which was one of their biggest keys to success last year. They're also having a hard time getting Hester involved in the offense, which could be the spark the offense needs.

The Ugly: The Bears are 0-3 following a victory, meaning they don't have any back to back wins this season.