By Mike Luce

The Ball State Hoosieroons*, also known as the Cardinals, eked out a win over the the South Florida Bulls last Saturday thanks to a spectacular catch in the end zone by Willie Snead and suddenly, at 3-1, our friends from Indiana look like bowl contenders.
So, too, do our friends from Minnesota, who, under the tutelage of former Northern Illinois Huskie coach Jerry Kill, are 4-0 entering Big Ten play against Iowa on Saturday in the annual battle for the pig trophy known as the Floyd of Rosedale.

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Posted on September 28, 2012

By Emory Hunt

Keys for the Bears:
* For the defense: Keep Romo in the box, tackle-to-tackle.
* For the offense: As always, protect Cutler.

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Posted on September 28, 2012

By Carl Mohrbacher

Hearing James Laurinaitis’s name called by the Fox broadcast last week got me thinking.
No, not about the fact that he’s the son of the Road Warrior Animal or that his fifth favorite bible verse is (are?) Psalm 51 “all 19 verses.”
It got me thinking about other names that sound like serious health issues. As such, here are the top five ailments named after NFL players.

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Posted on September 27, 2012

By Dan O’Shea

If you were able to draft Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady as your fantasy quarterback this year – or any year, really – you probably thought you were guaranteed fantasy success with at least one position.
However, for a variety of reasons, neither of these superstars has delivered a dominant performance through the first three weeks of the season – and let’s be clear, if a QB can’t deliver 20-point fantasy performances week in and week out, there is no reason to draft him in the first round.
Which QBs are doing better than Rodgers and Brady? Here’s a short, incomplete list:

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Posted on September 26, 2012

By Steve Rhodes

Please, no more Kerry Wood.
I mean, haven’t we appreciated him enough? In fact, I don’t think there’s a more overappreciated Cub in franchise history. And that includes Ron Santo.
At least if he acts as a roving minor league pitching instructor he wouldn’t be hanging around Wrigley.
But wouldn’t giving him that job just be a return to the Kubs Kulture that Theo is trying to break? I’m sure Wood has a few tidbits of advice to offer, but he never struck me – nor anyone else, as far as I know – as a student of the game.

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Posted on September 25, 2012

By Jim Coffman

The Bears didn’t just pile up sacks during their 23-6 victory over the Rams yesterday; they piled up big sacks, ones that resulted in 10-plus yards lost. The evidence is growing that the team’s pass rush is more dangerous than a crew of replacement refs.
It started early. The Rams put together a little bit of a drive the first time they had the ball. The team from St. Louis actually traveled a yard past midfield for a play. But then Amobi Okoye used a power rush to break through the line and sacked Sam Bradford for a loss of 13 big yards, forcing a punt. Okoye is the veteran tackle whom the Bears released last off-season. But when other options on the interior of the line didn’t work out, they brought Okoye back.
Reunited and it feels so good.

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Posted on September 24, 2012

By Tom Latourette

Originally posted on November 23, 2009.
This list just keeps getting lamer.

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Posted on September 24, 2012

By Roger Wallenstein

Although it was hidden in the lower right hand corner of the front page, the icon with the top hat and cane and the number 14 nailed me right in the forehead last Tuesday morning. How could the Sun-Times do this?!?
Far more lethal than the dreaded lead-off walk, the Magic Number should be strictly reserved for teams like the Reds or Giants, the two newly-crowned National League division winners. We’re talking about comfortable – how about double digits? – leads. Posting a Magic Number for the White Sox is folly.

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Posted on September 24, 2012

By Emory Hunt

Fewer deep routes, Mr. Tice. More screen passes, please. Get rid of the ball quicker, Jay.

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Posted on September 23, 2012

By Mike Luce

Lawyers representing the child abuse victims in the Jerry Sandusky case told the AP last week that “there is a window of opportunity, which is closing” for the school to engage in a settlement agreement. The longer PSU delays, the more likely it seems the case will end in court. If so, “the sky’s the limit on what the recovery could be” according to lawyer Ben Andreozzi, who has five clients involved in the case including one who testified in the Sandusky trial.
In a town hall forum on Wednesday of this week, President Rodney Erickson announced that acting athletic director David Joyner would remain in his post until Erickson steps down in June 2013 or 2014.
Joyner attended Penn State in the early 1970s, where he earned All-American honors in football under head coach Joe Paterno. Joyner served on the Penn State board of trustees from 2000 until his appointment as interim athletic director in November 2011 after former AD Tim Curley was placed on administrative leave at the outset of the Sandusky accusations.
All of which begs the question, if university officials hope to dismantle the cult of personality that grew around Paterno, why appoint an insider as athletic director?

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Posted on September 21, 2012