By Jim Coffman

What we need is a preseason checklist: 1. Make fun of Bears offense in general. 2. Make fun of Jay Cutler’s interceptions in particular. 3. Make fun of Bears defense in general. 3. Make fun of Bear defender . . . nah, let’s make it “Make fun of Brett Favre.” On second thought, I think we’ll have to make that, “Make fun of the people who have been making fun of Brett Favre.”
Then again in this space, we always look for reasons for optimism – especially before the games start. And there is one gigantic reason for Bears fans to have a shiny, happy feeling when looking forward to fall Sundays: Julius Peppers. It is already clear that the defensive end the Bears signed for gigantic dollars in the offseason isn’t just good enough to pile up sacks, he’s good enough to enable multiple teammates to pile up sacks.
If he can stay healthy, he will force opponents to game plan for him in particular. And the Bears haven’t had a defender like that since Brian Urlacher was at his sideline-to-sideline best earlier this decade.
Peppers’ abilities might even enable the Bears to overcome their unbelievable unwillingness yet again to make a significant upgrade at safety. More on that later in the inevitable slide back toward pessimism.

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Posted on August 9, 2010

By Andrew Reilly

So here we go.
The Twins sit one game back in the loss column but tied with the Sox in the win column.
Mark Kotsay is still the designated hitter despite repeatedly showing he can’t hit, his contributions moving closer and closer to winning this year’s Grindy McGrinderstad award for Outstanding Achievement By An Inexplicably Overused And Overvalued Veteran Who Plays The Game The Right Way Except When It Comes To Hitting And Fielding.
Bobby Jenks is probably still the closer, even if he’s hurt and can’t close games and even while J.J. Putz is pitching like a 2007 version of J.J. Putz or, even better, a 2006 version of Bobby Jenks that didn’t worry so much about proving he could pitch with “finesse” and “control” but rather came in and brutalized the enemy with air-scorching fastballs and curveballs that actually curved.

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Posted on August 8, 2010

By Thomas Chambers

It wouldn’t be the end of the world. Really.
The cessation of Thoroughbred horse racing in my life would certainly be a void, but I can report is hasn’t happened – yet.
But after a confrontation with that very possibility in the past two weeks, I can say for sure the game will never be the same to me again.
It’s an abusive relationship, that of the racing industry toward its lifeblood, the horseplayer. Rather than get its house in order, the oldest sport in America relentlessly inflicts pain upon its customers, sometimes sharp and cutting, sometimes dull and fatiguing. Whatever, they’re pushing the perceptive fans away.

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Posted on August 6, 2010

By Dan O’Shea

It was looking pretty quiet leading up to the MLB trading deadline until a flurry of deals occurred in the final hours. There was nothing huge, which means Prince Fielder, Adam Dunn, American League home run leader Jose Bautista, Manny Ramirez and Carlos Lee all stayed where they were. Lee’s Houston mates Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman probably were the biggest newsmakers.
So, how will all the moves play in the fantasy baseball world? Here’s a look at several players with fantasy value who changed addresses, and which direction their value is headed:

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Posted on August 4, 2010

By Jim Coffman

I wonder if the White Sox and their fans were starting to worry when they couldn’t even draw 30,000 for Friday’s game with the A’s.
Fortunately, 35,000-plus and 32,000-plus showed up for Saturday and Sunday, respectively, or Jerry Reinsdorf may have started slashing payroll, given his history of such threats.
Still, people, get your butts to the park. Not only is this a good team with a chance at greatness but it is a good team with a chance at greatness that needs you and your energy to beat the Minnesotans. Did you notice what happened this last week? That was when the White Sox won six of seven and lost ground in the standings to the Twinkies (winners of eight in a row).

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Posted on August 2, 2010

By Andrew Reilly

So this is the way trading season ends; not with a bang, but with a reclamation project pitcher no one believes the Sox ever really wanted in the first place.
Not that anyone’s saying the team has finished all its wheeling and dealing (last year’s waiver acquisition of Alex Rios should have proven once and for all that July acquisitions aren’t the only acquisitions) but it’s hard to see how a team which had pinned its hopes on its starting pitching can consider itself improved when the back end of the rotation just fell from an inexpensive rookie with high upside to an overpaid veteran with terrible numbers to his name.
There may be things we can’t see here, but with any luck this is more a case of there being things we don’t know.

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Posted on August 2, 2010

By Marty Gangler

Doesn’t it feel good to come clean?
To finally admit it?
To stop the charade?
The Cubs finally admitted it to themselves, to their fans and, well, to anyone else who is paying attention: They suck.
They aren’t lighting candles in church or rubbing their “lucky bat” to go on a big winning streak; they have finally told you “Look, we aren’t going to win this year. We tried to pretend for a long time but even we couldn’t keep up this level of pretending – and as you may know, that is saying something because we have been pretending to you for your entire life. We pretend to have a chance every season, we pretend that this next prospect is going to be the savior, we pretend to care about you, but most of all we pretend that we know what we are doing. We are done pretending this season, we f’d up and really have to look at ourselves in the mirror.”
Yep, they finally told you that they are out of it. And I couldn’t be happier.

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Posted on August 2, 2010

By Dan O’Shea

Me neither.
I still have a few weeks until my fantasy football drafts and, frankly, I will need every minute to decide who I like as my top 10 picks for the coming season.
To be honest, I am having a hard time deciding on my No. 1 player ranking, let alone the other nine.
For the first time in years, the top pick isn’t a clear-cut choice.
Some people like Chris Johnson, coming off huge year, while others still like perennial favorite Adrian Peterson, despite his fumble troubles and lingering questions about how often his team will pass. And, we can’t forget about Maurice Jones-Drew. Every league has a fantasy team owner that believes MJD should go No. 1 every year.
That said, here’s how I would draft the top 10 if I had every pick:

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Posted on July 28, 2010

By The Beachwood Vs. Affairs Desk

Compare and contrast.
Marlon: All-Star.
Robert: Dead star.
Robert: Was old as dirt.
Marlon: Gets uniform dirty.
Robert: Played in Washington as a senator.
Marlon: Played in Washington as a National, who were preceded by the Senators.

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Posted on July 27, 2010

By Jim Coffman

I took in the Cubs-Cards on Sunday night from my preferred perch in the upper deck reserved. If you drew a line from third to first and on up into the stands and then the balcony, I’m on it once it crosses the aisle and heads into the 500 sections. From my seats I can get to the men’s room and back in plenty of time between innings to not miss a batter. There are hot dogs and chips and PBR at the stand across the ramp from the toilet (and behind our seats). I drink better beer when I go to bars these days, but at the game Old Style or Bud will do. Or, every once in a while, I’ll decide to go back there and have Pabst Blue Ribbon for old time’s sake.
In between innings, we watch the people promenade between our seats and upper-deck boxes, and that show is often better than the ballgame. It gets a little annoying in the bottom of the seventh or at various times in big games when there are big surges to the washroom and folks are still out in the aisle obstructing our view when play resumes. But the area almost always clears quickly.

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Posted on July 26, 2010