Big Announcement

I promised you all a big announcement coming at the end of the week, so here goes.

My roommates and I have decided to start a daily website where we can share our thoughts and opinions on the world of sports. The name of the website is JV Backups, a title that accurately represents our athletic skill levels, while also including some sports feel. To be honest, we came up with that title while we were all absolutely trashed.

The contributors to the site will be myself, and then the rest of my roommates: Sev, Mike, Len and Doze. I hope we can provide some humorous background, while also giving you something to keep refreshing during the work week.

We're looking to make this a serious thing, so you can actually expect much more attention being thrown to this website instead of A Lean Night, which was quite frankly run very lazily.

I hope you guys can make the switch, or at least give us a shot. We are hoping to get the site up off the ground level, so any comments you can make would be much appreciated. Again the website is www.jvbackups.com. No blogspot this time, how about that?

Today's song is a semi-cliche pick, but it's so damn good I don't care. "Break on Through," by The Doors.

Wish me luck on the new website, and I hope to see you there and commenting frequently.

Beer Winner & End of Summer

Folks, it took long enough, but I had to try some of the beers again. The Beer of the Week winner for this summer goes to Jack Whacker's Wheat Ale. It is a great summer beer and it all came down to the ability for this beer to put me in great spirits. Or maybe it was because I was already 11 deep before having it again. Either way, Jack Whacker's really rocked. I highly recommend it, and although it is a bit pricey for you Busch Light loving wahoos, it's worth it. The taste is fantastic, and it doesn't leave you with a full stomach.

This marks my final night back home in the region, as tomorrow I head out for Bloomington to start my final year. I am almost nervous that it can't live up to the great summer I have had, but needless to say I am excited to go back. Last night was the absolute perfect ending to this summer, as Scott's sister Sarah got married. It was truly a joyous event, and everyone was so happy to be there. In turn, we repaid this with heavy drinking that lead to some of the best dancing of our time. Everyone looked great, everyone was happy, and as a result, everyone had the time of their lives. Congrats to Sarah and Varun, and I hope they have a happy marriage. If the reception is any symbol, this is going to be a great future for these two. I wish them the best.

A side note to be added, I guarantee I have never looked as good as I did last night. Decked out in the Mendoza special (his suit, tie, etc.), I went on to give love to all. Great time.

I can't speak enough about the Cubs play right now. Granted, I blew up after Friday's bullpen implosion, but the Cubs have now won 8 series in a row. Simply remarkable and the first time that has been done since 1937. In addition, as our record stands now at 80-50, we are 30 games over .500, the highest mark since our 1984 season ended at 31 games over .500. This team is rolling and I truly hope we can stay on this rush for the rest of the season. Keep it going Cubbies.

My record this season is 8-4, 7-4 at home. I am headed to Cincinnati in a few weekends to see the Cubs play again, and hopefully I can catch another game down the stretch. Last year I caught 20 games...this year appears may end up closer to 15. All due to me being down at school for an extra six weeks. Nice decision.

The song of the night is going to go to a song I requested last night. I'll take Joe Cocker's version because it's my favorite. Here she goes, "With A Little Help From My Friends." To top it off, it's his performance at Woodstock, just awesome. Enjoy it, it sums up my entire summer.

P.S. A big announcement is coming from this blog in the following week. Keep tuned in to find out; there may just be a big decision about my future.

Final Beers of the Week: Three Floyd's Alpha King Pale Ale & Great White

The final entries into the Beer of the Week battle come in two completely different tastes. First, Munster, Indiana's Three Floyd's Alpha King Pale Ale reminds me directly of Week 1's Mad Anthony. This is most definitely due to both being pale ales. However, Three Floyd's entry provides a very full flavored taste. Fans of a more hoppy taste will love this ale, and the light brown color makes the pour very smooth. Alpha King Pale Ale gets 3 out of 5 stars.

The second beer being reviewed today is Great White. Great White is brewed by Lost Coast Brewery in California, who definitely provides the beer with its' citrus summer flavor. The beer pours out in a light golden brown color, absolutely beautiful. The taste resembles something you would get out of a light beer, while still providing a very good taste. I sincerely enjoy the flavor, and would definitely recommend this if you plan on drinking all night. Great White gets 4 out of 5 stars, and definitely reminds me of a light calorie Blue Moon.

You may have noticed a re-design of the website today. My good friend and roommate Mike Cochran decided to play around with it, due to our craving to dive deeper into the blogging world. Our current plans are to start a new website before September 2, and to make this site much more focused. Hopefully, this can give us a solid start to a possible career in journalism or reporting.

The Cubs are flat out rolling, and our sweep of yesterday's doubleheader gives us seven straight road games won. Unfortunately, the Brewers have recovered from what may have appeared as a dagger to the heart, their four game home sweep vs. the Cubs. They have now reeled off eight straight wins and kept within three and a half games of the Cubs. It should be a blast down the stretch.

Tomorrow wraps up my final day at Bekan Insurance Group, and in all honestly I am really going to miss the people here. For four years I have had a great time working here, and tomorrow it will all be wrapped up. To all of you, thanks for helping me grow up. From a shy, clean cut kid, to the long-haired wish he was a rebel, back to the semi-older person I am now, you all have actually had a big impact on my life. Thanks a lot.

Today's song "I Want You," by Third Eye Blind. It really is an awesome song, from an even better album, their self-titled debut. The video is kind of creepy, I can't figure out why it is focused on this girl the entire time. Either way, hope you enjoy, and I'll see you soon to give you a wrap up on the winner of the Summer Beer of the Week.

Beer of the Week: Pilsner Urquell

Today's beer comes from the Czech Republic, which may be the only good thing to ever come out of this country. Pilsner Urquell is actually a pretty damn good beer. The green bottle immediately brings visions of Heineken or Beck's. The taste also resembles these beers (although much more similar to Beck's), a slightly bitter hoppy taste that manages to still be very enjoyable. Overall, I give Bruce a pat on the back, and give Pilsner Urquell with a 4 out of 5 stars. Check it out at a liquor store near you.

To keep you posted, we only have one week left in our Beer of the Week contest, as my summer work will be ending. Our beers in the running for tops of the year are Jack Whacker's Wheat Ale, Keo, Shocktop, Bad Elmer's Porter and today's beer Pilsner Urquell. A few of them didn't make the cut. Our summer winner will be announced in two weeks.

In other notes, I bought a harmonica last week for some God-forsaken reason. Well, this led my brother and me to learn "Heart of Gold" by Neil Young, which we shredded. I just learned how to play last night, and we recorded our version last night. I have to say, it wasn't half bad for a first time out. It'll be fun to see where I can take my newfound musical talent to.

Song of the day has to be Neil Young's "Heart of Gold," just because I learned it yesterday. Real cool song. Can you imagine being in the crowd here, the first time he's ever played it live? Wow!

Beer of the Week: Keo

Well folks, today we have a lot more than just beer to talk about. Trade Deadline action, Cub dominance in Milwaukee, and maybe a little music as well. However, we'll start with the Greek made Keo.

Keo is brewed on the island of Cyprus, Greece and has 4.5% alcohol. Keo has a very crisp taste, and when served ice cold is unbelievably refreshing. It was recommended by one MoPete, and it lived up to the hype. He first tried it at GreekFest in Merrillville and brought it in this week. Very good call. Keo is slightly reminscent of Heineken, in the sense of imported lagers but doesn't have the same skunky taste as some imports. Overall I give Keo 4 stars out of 5, but that could possibly be pushed up to 4.5 if you are very thirsty (like me today). Go out and grab yourself a six pack.

The MLB Trade Deadline passed at 3 CST today, and there was a huge late splash made by the Red Sox, Dodgers and Pirates. As I'm sure you will all read the Pirates sent Jason Bay to the Red Sox, ManRam went to the Dodgers, and the Pirates got 4 minor leaguers. Good pull for all.

The Red Sox managed to rid themselves of their problem child, and in the process pick up a legitimate middle of the order hitter in the process. The Dodgers got themselves the big bat they needed to solidify the middle of their order. And to boot, the Pirates got themselves a cornerstone player in 3B Andy Laroche, a good young OF Brandon Moss, RHP Craig Hansen and another minor leaguer. This results in at least five years of a solid 3B and RF, to go along with a possible future closer. Not a bad return for any of them.

The Cubs were absolutely dominant in Milwaukee this week, thrilling fans and writers alike. This writer attended last night's game in Milwaukee, and after the four hour car ride, had a show put on for him. The Cubs completed the sweep today, giving them a 5 game lead on their toughest opponent. Keep it rolling boys.

That's all for today. I saw a quite hilarious movie the other night in Step Brothers. I'll write a review of that and The Dark Knight sometime in the next week. Hope you all have a good weekend, I have a scramble golf outing tomorrow. Maybe I'll hit 'em straight.

Song of the day - "Time to Pretend" by MGMT. Such a cool electric sound, I can't get enough of it. Listen up.

Duel Beers of the Week: Shock Top & Wild Blue

Two polar opposites show up in this week's Beer of the Week column.

Our first one is Shock Top Belgian White, which quite frankly tastes to me like Blue Moon with an orange already squeezed into it. Honestly, I can't give you a more detailed analysis unless you've tasted Blue Moon. Additionally, since I enjoy Blue Moon, Shocktop is right up my alley. The light orange finish to the crisp brew is very refreshing and worth a purchase. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The second beer this week is Wild Blue (Blueberry Lager). At 8% alcohol and the fruitiest female taste I've had in quite some time, there is no way I can give this a positive review. The beer got some rave reviews from the ladies in the building, but most men in the office did not enjoy. When poured into a glass, the "beer" appeared to be more of a wine with its' purple-red color. If you are not a beer fan, you may enjoy this, but in my case I must give Wild Blue a 2 out of 5 stars.

For what it's worth, both of these beers are brewed by Anheuser-Busch. Interesting.

The Cubs are in a bit of trouble folks, only 1 game up on the Brewers with 4 games up in Milwaukee starting Monday. Yikes, we'll see where we can go from here.

That's all for today. Hopefully I can get into the lab again to post something else this week, but if not, I'll see you next week. Song of the day - "Free," by Donavon Frankenreiter. Real easy going song that reminds me of the summer. Have a good night and pray for the parlay.

Beer of the Week: Jack Whacker Wheat Ale

Hey hey! We have an early favorite for best beer of the summer. Tommyknocker's Jack Whacker Wheat Ale has a great taste with a lemony finish. Located in Idaho Springs, Colorado, Tommyknocker has a stable of beers to taste, although Jack Whacker Wheat Ale has been a 2000 North American Brewers Association Gold Medalist. Jack Whacker has a very smooth taste, and good flavoring that leave you with a packed finish. I finished this beer in about five minutes and didn't even realize it.

This beer is right up your alley if you enjoy some flavor in your beer, and luckily for me I do. My best comparison would be something from Leinenkugel, the flavor brewers. This beer gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from yours truly. Try it at your local liquor store.

Well, the days off from baseball have been killing me. I've rented movies, tapped into a few books, even written a few stories, but nothing can get me going like baseball does. I am patiently waiting for tomorrow to come so I can watch my Cubs again.

Going into the second half I obviously love where we are, and lots of things could help this half be even better. The main thing will be getting back a healthy Alfonso Soriano, whom I have bashed before. This will give Edmonds and Fukudome more time off in the outfield, saving them for the stretch run. Kosuke's struggles have become present lately, and some time off scattered throughout August and September could be very big for us.

Being 4.5 games up on the Cards, and 5 over the Brewers will be big for us. We play 10 more games against St. Louis and 9 more against Milwaukee, so these standings can change fast. I know it has been said before, but a hot start to the 2nd half could give us a huge boost in making the playoffs. Our road play will be important in doing so.

I've been listening to Coldplay's new album religiously over the past week or so, after Sev left it in my car this past weekend. I'm addicted, and my new favorite song on the album is "Lost!" Great tune. My past weekend was so ridiculous that I have written a story about it, maybe I'll get around to posting it on here sometime. But for now, it's far too inappropriate to post on here.

The song of the day comes from Bruce Carey. His choice, "Baba O'Riley" off of the Who's Next album. Maybe the Who's most popular song, I'm sure you all know this one. Enjoy.

Beer of the Week: Two Hearted Ale

The bottle has a very plain wrap around it, and with a big mouth bass in the middle one can see where the brewer is from. All in all, Three Hearts Ale did not do it for me. A pale ale, the beer was much more bitter than a previous ale examined, Mad Anthony, and left that same aftertaste in the taster's mouth for a good period of time afterwards. Many in the office did support Mr. Cruise's choice today, however, there were several who also disliked it. I guess it's just one of those love-hate relationships. Personally, I give the beer 2 stars out of 5, but others said it was the best since they had Boddington a few weeks back.

Onto more important things; I made my journey back to Wrigley last night, seeing a nice Cubs win on a beautiful night. In addition, Z looked absolutely lights out, giving up just a hit and a run with no walks over eight wonderful innings.

My trade predictions and hopefuls didn't last long. Just about 12 hours after my post, Jim Hendry had confirmed the deal to bring Rich Harden to the Cubs. This is the same guy I was a bit worried about getting, only for his durability. As I say that now, my pick Erik Bedard just went to the DL. See, what do I know anyways.

It's a short one today because I was busy at work watching the Cubs, who just got routed. So, song of the day for you all would come from Mr. Bruce Carey trying to stump me. "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," from Edie Brickell & the Bohemians doing a Bob Dylan song. It's off the Born on the 4th of July soundtrack. Have a good night all.

So Now What?

Although it was probably always a long shot that the Cubs would trade for reigning AL Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia, now their chances at doing so are over. With his move to the Brewers last night, the Cubs are in a more pressing position than ever to make a deal. The Brewers are picking up steam and are now only 3.5 games back of the Cubs, so the scare is coming back a bit.

It has been stated quite often that the Cubs need to upgrade their staff at the top, particularly if they plan on making any kind of impact down the stretch run and into October. To put things into perspective, the Cubs have one #1 starter, a possible #2 in Ryan Dempster (but more likely a #3, due to his lack of consistency away from Wrigley Field), a #3 in Ted Lilly and that's about it. Jason Marquis is as good to me as a rotting corpse, and while the Sean Marshall/Sean Gallagher 5 spot has future implications that interest me, I shutter at the thought of them pitching in a possible playoff series. So, to no further avail, who can we go after to shore up the front of our rotation?

In my opinion there are only a few names that can even possibly help our cause. We'll hear rumors of B-Level pitchers in the next few months, but they would do nothing but help mend the back end of the rotation, something that I'm confident we can do from the inside.

1. A.J. Burnett - Burnett was quoted saying that he wouldn't mind seeing a trade to Chicago. However, with his high profile arm also come problems. How could a guy with a high 90s fastball, devastating curveball, and an arsenal of other offspeed stuff have a career record of 77-74 with a 3.97 ERA and only be 8-8 with a 4.97 ERA this year? His consistency has killed the Blue Jays and fantasy owners everywhere, throwing two shutouts just a week ago, and following it up with five innings of eight run ball in his next start. Is he capable of pitching in a big time situation down the stretch? Is this the guy the Cubs really want to put their faith in? Also factor in that Burnett has an opt out clause in his contract at the end of the year. It could be just a two month rental for us. I say no.

2. Randy Wolf - A free agent signing in each of the past two years, the Cubs targeted him two years ago before he signed with the Dodgers. He reportedly has a good relationship with Jim Hendry, even explaining to him why he took less money to stay on the West Coast. With the Padres struggling, he could be a target. His record in the past two years leaves us to question if an acquisition really would be worth it though. He is only 5-8 with a 4.59 ERA, and his addition would add in another soft tossing lefty into the rotation. I say no.

3. Rich Harden - The Cubs have seen this kind of player before. A devastating talent that when healthy is a top five pitcher in the league, but that isn't quite as often as you would like. See Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, etc. This year has been no different. The 26-year old Harden is 5-1 with a 2.34 ERA, but that has come in only 13 starts due to another trip to the DL earlier in the season. Lifetime, Harden is 36-19 with a 3.42 ERA - always flashing that priceless talent. A's GM Billy Beane knows that he probably never will get full value for his oft-injured star, so prying him loose will more than likely prove to be extremely difficult. He is the biggest question mark of this market, and even more so due to the extraordinary fashion that the A's are playing right now, only four games out of the AL Wild Card in a so-called "rebuilding" season. My personal take is to stay away, because an acquisition could prove to be too costly even if he is to be had. You can't count on him to be in the rotation down the stretch, and Beane will want much more than can be given up. I say no.

4. Erik Bedard - Ah, the memories. The Cubs tried to pry him away from the O's just a few years back. The offer on the table was Mark Prior and a prospect for Miguel Tejada and Bedard. I'd gladly add to that offer now, just to get any value for the Gutless Wonder. Since then Bedard went on to have a fabulous 2007, and again the Cubs went after him this past offseason. However, he went to the Mariners in a huge package that landed the O's two lower tier prospects, a top AL closer (George Sherrill), a star pitching prospect (Chris Tillman) and their current CF and outfielder of the future (Adam Jones). However, with Bill Bavasi now out as GM in Seattle, new management is willing to sell off parts. Could Bedard be a piece? While he has struggled a bit this year (6-4 with a 3.67 ERA), he is a high power arm that went 13-5 with a 3.17 ERA and 221 K's in 182 innings. Personally, I've thought his struggles have been overblown, and even though he complained of tightness in his shoulder, it appears to be a day to day thing. If the Cubs could pry Bedard away from the Mariners with a package of prospects (something they NEED, considering their complete disregard for wins this year...and that package sent to Baltimore), this could be the ideal situation. in their prime, front of the rotation pitchers (possibly a #1) that are under contract for another year don't just grow on trees. If the Cubs are confident that the 29-year old Bedard is still that same guy they pursued for the past few years, then this is the best time to get their hands on him. I say go for it. Even though a Cubs front office source said this week that Sean Gallagher is almost untradeable, I think a deal could be made here. Throw Sean Gallagher, last year's #4 overall pick Josh Vitters, and top pitching prospect Jose Ceda together and I think you will get the Mariners attention. While the Cubs system isn't as strong as others, this offer could raise some eyebrows. All I'm asking is to make a deal, and this is the best impact move we can make. Go get him.

So there you have it, it isn't all bad. The Cubs have options, although only one can really pack the punch that is necessary to make a run in 2008. Do what you got to do boys, this year has the makings of something special.

Quick note, Rich Hill has supposedly changed his delivery down in Mesa, and after his disastrous start down there last week, his side session under a new delivery went great. Hopefully this is all he needed. It's not often I feel terribly bad for professional athletes, but when someone loses it all in this quick of a time span, it gets to me. I felt terrible for Rick Ankiel, look what that got me. He's got the chance to be an All-Star outfielder now.

By the way, I saw an awesome CSNY cover band the other night. Marrakesh Express is a predominantly Northwest Indiana band, with one of their members, Daryl Grady, coming from great Crown Point band Salamander Drake. Hopefully I'll see more of those guys in the near future. Anyway, the song of the day comes from Mr. Neil Young, however this live version has the great harmonies of CSNY. The joys of Youtube. Here is "Down by the River," courtesy of CSNY, written by Neil Young. Have fun with it, and see you all soon.

Beer of the Week: Grolsch

Holland's finest was brought into the office today by one, Laurie Massi. Her lighter taste in beer made me expect a more common flavor, one that is seen in beers like Miller Lite or Coors Light. However, Grolsch packs a punch. The lager left a very skunky taste in my mouth, one that I am not fully accustomed to. Flavoring during the drink was quite good, but the aftertaste was bitter, and as previously mentioned, skunky. The coolest thing about the beer was the bottle, which had a cool cork-like top. Although it wasn't up my alley, the lager was enjoyed by several at the office. I'll give Grolsch 3 stars out of 5.

On a good note, I've golfed the last two days straight and have played my best of the year. Monday, I shot an 86 at Sandy Pines and followed it up with a 92 or 93 (drunk, can't remember) at the Red and Gray Courses at White Hawk. The 86 could have been a 78 with my putting the following day; I was lights out putting yesterday.

The work week is now over for me, tonight I may end up facing Papa Absinthe. Pray for me. The song of the day is "Heart of Gold" from Neil Young, who won't be with Crosby Stills & Nash when I go see them in a few weeks. God I wish he was. Anyway, this is the first time he played this famous one in front of a crowd. Can you imagine that?

Have a great 4th all. Eat, drink, and be merry.

Beer of the Week: Bad Elmer's Porter

Well, this is a great way to start off the Beer of the Week series - a beer straight from my 2nd home, Bloomington, Indiana. Located there is Upland Brewery, makers of Bad Elmer's Porter. The label calls it "Nature's idea of beer;" I'm not sure I could agree more.

Bad Elmer's Porter has a rich, slightly bitter taste to it. Full of flavor, Upland's treat leaves a dark chocolate flavor in this taster's mouth, which is honestly something I've never had in a beer. The beer is not as thick as I first thought, but due to the high flavor content it still packs a nice punch to the pallet. I give Bad Elmer's Porter 4 out of 5 stars.

Now, this isn't the first eclectic beer I've had this week. Last week there were a few leftovers of Mad Anthony that I tapped into. Mad Anthony had a very sharp, biting taste, but in the end was refreshing. Or, it could have been that I was dehydrated and just needed a drink. I give Mad Anthony a 3 out of 5 stars.

This is my first week back at the office this summer, and as expected it's still a pretty damn good way to pass the day. Today's song is "Sun's Gonna Rise," by Citizen Cope, who quite frankly looks like a hobo. I love the beat, his voice rocks, and he's a very talented musician. Hope you enjoy.

Smooth Crosstown Sweep

I've made it a point not to attend any of the Crosstown Series games for the past 8 years or so. I've been there a couple times and always determined that the fans on both sides were complete jerks. It's just not a real fun experience.

However, I would have really liked to be there for tonight's sweep. It was our 14th win in a row at home and a huge rebound after we got swept down in Tampa. Now, don't get me wrong, Tampa is a very talented team, but I've come to expect more out of a 1st place team. I'm glad they answered the call again at home and extended the home streak.

It's always fun to see a complete game, but I thought Lou handled it perfectly. He gave Demp a shot, and it just so happened that all those balls put in play landed for a couple more hits. No big, Howry cleaned up the mess and we sent the South Siders home easy. The real test will be to show up down south next weekend. I'm really looking forward to seeing how they can compete in their own city, albeit on the road.

The road record has become something of a mystery to me. If this were a normal franchise, with fans that didn't travel across the country to see the team play, then I'd understand. But, with so many Cub fans going along on road trips, it's interesting to me why there is such a differential in the home/road splits. Regardless, they are only 4 under .500 on the road, so it's not a pressing concern yet. We'll have to revisit this if there is a continued struggle.

My dad got surgery on his tonsils and uvula on Thursday and I wanted to take this space to wish him the best return. His first two days were real rough back home, but today he had a good hop in his step, which was nice for everyone. It really makes it easier to take care of someone when they are cooperative. I hope that answers the questions that many of you guys have asked. Thanks for looking out for him. Uncle Mark will be back up and running in no time; make sure you grab him a beer the next time you see him out.

My buddies went to Vegas this weekend and had a blast, even though they got cleaned out. I'm getting the feeling that I may be in the same situation when I head out there this December. But again, I can't wait. It should be a blast.

Well, I'm exhausted so I'll wrap this up. Hope everyone is doing well, I'll be up at Wrigley Tuesday night so hopefully I can see the win streak at home continue. If they lose, you may want to put it on me, even though I am the same guy who cut the long hair away and over the next 18 games we were 15-3. I'll continue to say it wasn't a coincidence.

Song of the night, "Where Did Our Love Go?" by The Supremes back when Diana Ross wasn't crazy. Don't read into it any. I'm just in a Motown mood. Go Cubs, let's keep up the home win streak Tuesday night!

Back Home

I'm back after a somewhat long absence. So here are some thoughts for you from my terribly run web page.

I finished school and came back home for summer, but not before having a few great times back in Bloomington. Two of my roommates came back down for the Back Door Slam concert at the Bluebird and Davy Knowles rocked the house...I couldn't have asked for better. After the show we got his autograph and bought into the freight train that is marketing. Translation, I dropped a few bills on some Back Door Slam stuff.

Anyway, the Finals are over. To my surprise the Celtics finished the Lakers off handily. While I'm not real happy about the situation, it's always cool to see teams that haven't won before take home a title.

Back to Bloomington stories. Nick and Sev came down for the concert and ended up taking me home a couple days later. However, they managed to get me hammered drunk the night before my Macroeconomics final. I needed a 43% to pass the class; I did so, although I'm not completely sure how it happened after I put up a 12/40 on the practice exam. Just about as surprising, I ended with a B in the class and an A in my journalism class. I guess my writing may be getting a bit better. Who woulda thought?

Coldplay's new album came out today. I'm still in love with their first two songs they released, and I'm anxious to see how the album grows on me. In addition, Death Cab for Cutie had their album come out not too long ago, and as I have fully dove into it, I love it. I think the key song on the album is "Cath." Great opening guitar riff that transitions into a great rhythm throughout. Ben Gibbard is amazing on vocals in the song, he always seems to pour himself into every song, as cliche as that sounds.

While I was away and alone in Bloomington, I got around to reading a few books. It just reminded me that reading is really good, and when you actually get around to putting yourself into a story it's kinda cool. Like I said, just some thoughts from the beginning of the summer.

To make a few of you laugh, I shot a 110 the other day in the biggest breakdown of golf history. Palmira Golf Course in St. John ate me up and I think I had over 44 putts. I really mean it when I say it was the worst round of my life. Now while I wasn't happy with the 92 I shot two days later, it still relieved me that I was not in fact the worst golfer on the planet.

My buddies are going to Vegas this weekend, and good luck to them. It's only about six months until I get out there myself. I can't wait.

The Cubs tough road trip here is making me angry. While we took 2 out of 3 against the Jays, the Rays have had their own thoughts for us, giving us fits down in the Trop. In addition, our ace and only way we have any shot in the playoffs may be injured. Pray he's okay.

As of today, I am jobless. This may change in the near future, but I forgot how fun it was to have absolutely no worries (Immediate apologies to everyone finding their guns to come after me).

New addition to the blog. Starting next Thursday, two of the office boys, Mo Pete and CP will be writing their weekly takes on beers they try. Now, this won't be reviews on Keystone Light or other fine beverages that I enjoy in Bloomington. These are beers like Boddington and other high class beers. Because I know nothing about them, I will allow my companions to put in their two cents about them. And hey, maybe we'll end up enjoying a $6 bottle of beer. Everyone's a winner.

That's all for tonight. I have to hit the PS3. It's almost like a job at this point.

Comeback

What a game. Unbelievable. And I actually stuck through it.

We were down 9-1, I was complaining about how I missed my class for a blowout, and then it happened. Slowly but surely, a couple hits strung together. A home run here or there. All of a sudden its 9-4 going into the 7th. I am thinking what the hell, the Rockies pen has been weak.

And it was. The bottom of the 7th came after a horrendous rendition of the Stretch by the Hawks greats that was about 7 seconds too fast. In addition, I'm quite sure Bobby Hull had NO idea what he was talking about. Referring to the great Cubs teams of the 60s? Umm, they never made the playoffs during those stretches. Saying he wanted a 9th inning stretch? This guy had to be high. Anyway, the hit parade came. Edmonds hit a huge two-run double after a Blanco dinger and we were down 1. Then "The Pulse" came up and launched a 2 run wind-aided jack. Awesome.

Marmol was filthy as usual, and Wood was shaky as usual. But they got the job done, that's all that matters. A nine run comeback. WOW. 5 game win streak, 4 of those wins of the comeback variety. Amazing.

Meanwhile, the Lakeshow moved on after a great Kobe performance. 17 4th quarter points. In addition, that shot he hit at the elbow of the free-throw line fading away over Tim Duncan was just unconscious. I was in pure awe. Great show.

I say the Celts lose tonight and head to another Game 7. It's gotta happen, they hate road games. Even though they did win one in the series, I can't see another coming.

Alright, neighbors just swung on by to play some Xbox 360 on the big screen. And they are bringing the system. Sweet.

Song of the day - "Go Cubs Go." It had to happen today, great win Cubbies.

Another Sweep

Hey all, its been awhile. It just so happens that our last time together has something in common with an instance that happened tonight; the Cubs again swept a top NL West team. This time it was the Dodgers, and they did it in extraordinary fashion. Two late comeback wins at home, right on the heels of two late blown wins on the road. I know it's still a small sample size, but I think we know two things. The Cubs are very good at home, obviously. And two, the Cubs don't have the same energy on the road. Several times in the Houston series, I would see several Cub players swinging at first pitches and falling into the ruts that Soriano has created for us (By the way, I do not want to talk about his dropped ball that sent us to extra innings).

So, I don't want to bore you all with Cubs talk; I'll move onto music talk. Recently I saw Dickey Betts, the great guitarist of the Allman Brothers, with his band Great Southern. Real good show, they rocked out the whole place, I really enjoyed. Best of all, Back Door Slam is now only a few days away, on the 10th.

Also, Coldplay's new album Viva la Vida comes out on June 17. Pretty stoked for that. I guess that's how you guys know I'm gay...hope you caught the reference. Anyway, they have a couple singles off of it out already: "Violet Hill" and the title track, "Viva la Vida". I like both; "Viva la Vida" is in a new iPod commercial, just for reference.

NBA Playoff time. Looks like the Lakers will move on. Real good performance the other night in San Antonio. And I don't care what anyone says about the last play, because those types of plays even out throughout a game or series. For example, Fisher's shot with 7 seconds left drew iron, but the Lakers did not get a new shot clock, and thus had to put up Kobe's fadeaway doo-doo shot.

I watched Game 5 in the East tonight, and I really think the Celts will pull this out. I mean, they have to don't they? All year they've been hyped to win; I just think if they failed at this point it would have to be a severe meltdown. I can't see the Celts letting down the fans if they go back home, and vice versa...those fans are strong.

That will give us a good old '80s battle - Celtics/Lakers. I wasn't even born for more than half of them and I'm excited. I'll take the Lakeshow.

Ok, that's all for tonight. Short and sweet, school has been a complete bitch lately. But, my writing class is pretty cool. Maybe we'll see the effects on here eventually.

Song of the night has got to come off of the new Coldplay album since I hyped it so much. Let's go with "Violet Hill," off the new album and "Politik," off of A Rush of Blood to the Head. Hope you enjoy, the latter is probably my favorite of theirs.

Sweeeeeeeep!!!

Sweep away your pain, folks. Those enigmatic Cubbies did it again, this time against the best team in the league. The bullpen was fantastic (with the exception of Chad Fox), and the late game, clutch hitting could not have been better. Daryle Ward comes up with two huge pinch hits in the last two games. Alfonso Soriano plays great, which is a fantastic change. How I love in to the wind homers from Reed Johnson, you just can't beat it. Carlos Marmol is still untouchable. But the big news is Woody getting things done this weekend. Whether it is warm or cold weather, everyone is working together when we are at home.

Which brings me to my next point, home-court advantage in the NBA Playoffs. Nothing is more important at this point. The only team to win on the road was the Pistons, who surprisingly were without Mr. Billups. Shows how little I know. Anyway, big time home wins by the Cavs in Game 3, who just embarrassed the Celtics when they are not home. Very strange. The other series-tying wins came from the Spurs and Jazz, to make both of those Western Conference series exciting. Those are going to be some exciting finishers. I'll still stick with Hornets-Lakers in the West, and Celtics-Pistons in the East. Seems too easy in the East, but the West is very intriguing.

Short post tonight, I just finished all my homework and had to share my excitement about being back in 1st place in the Central. Seven more games left on the homestand, let's wear 'em out boys.

First song of the night, "I Feel Home," by O.A.R. This one really makes me feel good, and I just so happen to miss home so I thought I would put it up for the night. The song in general isn't fantastic, but it has some sentimental value. Plus the night before my roommate left for summer, he played this song for us. Let's just say that what ensued was the gayest thing that has happened this year.

Song two, we'll make it a lean cut, since that is how we do things here at A Lean Night. "Helplessly Hoping" by my boys, Crosby, Stills & Nash. Great harmonies, it's really just a beautiful tune. When you add in the fact that they are going to be in both Chicago and South Bend in July, I could not be happier. I am fully prepared to see them. Enjoy these and have a lean night.

97.1 The Drive

Hey, how about a twofer weekend of posts?

I haven't had a chance to write lately with summer classes starting, but now that I am fully alone at my place you should get a few more. I really wanted to talk about the NBA Playoffs and the 2nd round action going on, along with some Cub thoughts. The title is just me missing being home, and my favorite radio station (along with 93.1 WXRT). If you know The Drive, then you probably also know that the guy's voice, who speaks on the commercials, is the coolest in the country. I wish I could have him narrate this post. Onward!

Celtics - Cavs
This series has been a pure disappointment to me so far. LeBron forgot how to face tough defenses. The rest of the Cavs (not including Big Z) have been absolutely terrible. This is how the Celtics should have played in the first round. However, I guess they somewhat did when they were at home, which is where games 1 and 2 were. We will really have to watch their progress on the road at the Q in Cleveland. Game 3 tonight, Celts lead 2-0.

Pistons - Magic
I'll tell you something that could have a huge impact on this series: Chauncey Billups' hamstring. If he is not healthy, then there goes your biggest advantage against the very small point guard crew of Jameer Nelson and Carlos Arroyo. So far the series has gone as planned, but seriously, if Chauncey can't be 100% then the Pistons may be in serious trouble. Dwight Howard is doing his best Superman impression, and they have no way to stop him. They can send Theo Ratliff at him, but it seems to me that Superman enjoys that little challenge. I am personally excited to see if Rashard Lewis can ever match what he did Wednesday night. If he can, that is another huge push in Orlando's favor. Game 4 tonight, Pistons lead 2-1.

Lakers - Jazz
We have two monsters at their home courts going at it. The Lakers are one of the four teams that beat the Jazz at home this year, and they will have another chance to do so tomorrow at 3:30 EST. Make sure you tune into this one. Carlos Boozer looks as if he has finally risen to play in this series, posting numbers of 27 points and 20 rebounds in last night's Jazz victory. Let's see Kobe go out tomorrow and put up 40 and let these Lakers jump on his back. Game 4 tomorrow, Lakers lead 2-1.

Hornets - Spurs
How fun is this series? Easily my favorite of the second round. You have the best point guard in the game(Paul), matched only by another unbelievably talented one(Parker). You have the best power forward in the game(Duncan), matched only by a young star that the press loves to call underrated (West). You have a top 5 shooting guard in the league (Ginobili) and to match the other side has a dead-eye shooter (Peja). When you add in great defensive play from Bowen and Thomas for the Spurs, and Chandler and the rest of the Hornets, you have yourself a fantastic series. All three games have gone to the home squads, and Game 4 will be just as exciting tomorrow. I am definitely looking forward to a Kobe-Paul battle in the West Semis, so I am hoping for the Hornets to pull one out in San Antonio tomorrow. Game 4 tomorrow, Hornets lead 2-1.

To change gears, the Cubs had a great game played yesterday. One early misstep from Ted Lilly was repaid by his bat in the 5th inning, and then his complete shutdown performance from then on led us to victory. Such a well-played game, it was honestly a treat to watch. We have the great surprise Ryan Dempster going today against young Max Scherzer for the D-Backs. The finale will be Zambrano and Randy Johnson going at it. For those of you who don't remember, Randy Johnson is 72-0 with a 0.68 ERA lifetime against the Cubs. Pretty scary even if these are completely falsified numbers. While this is not the Unit of the '90s, he still puts fear in the Cub hitters. Hopefully we can take this series from the best team in the league so far.

To keep bringing good news, Back Door Slam is in Bloomington just a month from today at the famed Bluebird. I highly recommend seeing them for all of you who enjoyed my post about them a few weeks ago. I have plenty of room to stay down here. So if you happen to make the trip, give me a call and we'll hook up before the show.

That conveniently leads me into the song of the day. And since it happens to be 72 and sunny here today, I am in fantastic spirits. Let's go with two songs today. Number one comes from the Steve Miller Band and their fantastic "Living in the U.S.A." This song just calls you to have a cheeseburger. Song two is going to have to be from the greatest guitarist of all time, Jimi Hendrix. One of my favorites by him, this is "Little Wing." Also along with this song is a real cool slide show of some Jimi moments. Enjoy, and have a great weekend.

Derby Thoughts & More

Wow, it has been a busy week. I got back from the Kentucky Derby on Sunday absolutely exhausted. I have never seen a party like that in my life. 70,000 really drunk people on the infield just having a blast. It was a great time. There were also some questionable decisions made on the trip which made it all the better. Sleeping in a car in an alley of a bad Louisville neighborhood, there is nothing like it. And although I did not participate in this one, several of my friends took a cab ride with a man who worked at a movie theater. The stories that ensued from that journey may have been the best I have ever heard.

The Cubs are sliding, and this series starting in about 20 minutes will be one of the biggest of the early season. We replay last year's NLDS this weekend against the Diamondbacks, and the only good thing is that we miss Brandon Webb in the rotation. He just so happens to be 8-0 so far. Yikes. Anyway, the D-Backs have been baseball's best team thus far, so a series victory could boost us greatly to start our 10 game homestand.

Apparently I am in the mood to disappoint you all, because I have to cut this post short again. I have my journalism class starting in about a half hour, which means two things. One, I have to make another short post, which just so happens to be my first in over a week. And two, I have to Tivo the Cubs game so I can watch when I get out. It should be a good weekend, even though Bloomington in the summer is quite lonely.

Today's song comes from a very good recent album put out by Spoon. The album is called Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, extremely creative these boys. But in all reality, this is full of very good songs. The cut for today is "The Underdog." Hey, what the hell, here is a second song from the album, "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb." A couple real cool songs courtesy of the boys from Austin, Texas, home of a great music scene. I hope you enjoy; this seems to be a good way to sum up my mood right now.

In a Rush

This is not really a full post, since I have an exam in about an hour. Good news is that I am done after that. More good news is that Barack Obama is going to speak at Assembly Hall tonight and I will be in attendance. Thought I would share that with everyone, I am quite stoked.

The Cubs bullpen looked awful last night, really depressing game to watch. Hopefully Demp can get us back on track tonight; I would hate to lose 4 of the first 5 games of the year to the Brewers.

The Suns are done, as are the Mavs and Nuggets. The Rockets are the only team fighting back in the West so far, and they still have to go back to Utah in Game 6. So, as of now the 2nd round match-ups are L.A. vs. the soon to be known winner of Utah/Houston, and the real treat of San Antonio and New Orleans going at it. I can not wait for that series.

The real surprising and exciting thing to come out of the East has been the fantastic play of the Hawks. I am very excited for this series, even though I am about 95% sure there is no way the Celtics lose. It is still really cool to see a young team step up and not be scared of the big, bad Celts any longer.

So, that's it for today. My hardest final is coming up, and I still have to cram a bit more. Enjoy this one, it's from a band called Cream, I'm sure most of you know who they are. The song, "Badge." Real cool twist on the great jam from the supergroup. My favorite Cream song being done in a more upbeat way, can't beat a good Clapton riff. And it's live, ooh baby. Adios.

Mixed Bag

Well so much for me being worried about the Mets series. The Cubs rolled, dominating the NL favorites and outscoring them by a total of 15-2 in the series. Not too shabby, and that marks 5 wins in a row, 8 of 9 and 13 of their last 16 games won. I can't remember this hot of a start since I've been alive, and technically I'm correct. This is the Cubs best start since 1975. Also, in a strange coincidence, since I cut my hair the Cubs record is 13-3. Hmm.

Last night's NBA games were semi-disappointing, although Chris Paul again made up for it with gusto. His 32 points, 17 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals on 10-16 shooting once again proved that he is the best point guard in the world. Jason Kidd, it's looking more and more like it's time to hang them up and stop embarrassing yourself. The kid is running circles around you. The Mavs look really troubled as this series heads back to Big D. By the way, can everyone who reads this tell I have some strange man love for Chris Paul? Just thought it was worth mentioning.

As for the Spurs-Suns action, it definitely let me down. There was so much hype around this series, how it could turn out to be one of the best 1st round series of all time. I guess there's still time, and Game 1 was unforgettable, but last night was really owned by the Spurs. Gregg Popovich went into halftime with his team down 7 and must have given all the players a little smack because they came out on fire, and in an unstoppable shutdown mode, outscoring the Suns 27-11 in the 3rd quarter. In addition, Mike D'Antoni decided that Boris Diaw was going to be his big time clutch player last night, and he repeatedly failed down the stretch. I know he has a smaller player on him, but come on, I can't remember the last time he played well. Also, Amare Stoudamire's great first half must have allowed him a free pass on repeatedly taking 18 foot jumpers instead of taking the ball to the basket. I have no idea what happened to the Suns in the 2nd half, but it definitely was not pretty.

I only have until next Tuesday and I'm done with school. However, this does not stop me from procrastinating to new levels. I have a huge project due tomorrow that has, to this point, been left untouched. The project is to package a part of myself in a creative way and then deliver it to my professor. Sounds interesting, except I have absolutely zero ideas. Crunch time is coming. As for next week, I only have three finals; and when one of them consists of Rock & Roll in the '60s, I am pretty set. Should not be too rough.

I spent my Monday night (pre-Cubs game) at the driving range learning a few things. It is always a good idea to hit the range after several brews. After you work out your hook/slice drunk, you have no idea what you did to fix it and are in the exact same place as you were before the range. I would tell you more but I'm afraid Google will hunt me down and ban me from writing on this fantastic blog.

Finally, I am planning out my Vegas trip which will be this upcoming December. Should give me a good amount of time to build a bankroll that I can piss away in a total of 22 minutes. With the planning, I have been wondering where at I want to stay. If any of you have any good ideas, please leave them in the comments. I really can not wait, it will be my first venture out to the Mecca of Sin and I have definitely waited long enough to unleash my gambling addiction on the city.

So being in a great mood this morning, I'll give you a couple good jams to start everyone off. This first one comes from one of the great American bands of all time, The Band. Robbie Robertson and the gang put this one out on the fantastic album Music for Big Pink. The song, "The Weight." This is really an awesome clip of one of their live shows in 1970, at the height of their success. Good times all around. Song two comes from a nice band from South Wales that has been around for a couple years now. I've always loved this song, enough that I went out and bought the album a few years back. The band is Funeral For A Friend, and this song is called "History." Really good piece of songwriting, and the translation to the performance is excellent. Also, the clip is 7 minutes long, but the song is only about 4 minutes, so you do not have to wait around for the extra few minutes. I sincerely hope you enjoy these lean cuts, and have a great day.

Dominant Cub Thoughts

Look, I know it's early. I know they've played no one to this point but Milwaukee and Philadelphia, and in those games they are 2-4. But the Cubs are playing dominant baseball against teams they need to beat. Period. There's no way getting around it. They have already swept the Pirates twice and taken 2 of 3 from both the Reds and Astros. Those are Central Division teams they are beating up on, which can only help our cause. They have won 6 of 7 games, and honestly look like the '27 Yankees when facing the Pirates. Time will only tell how many other teams look like those Bombers when they face the lowly Buccos.

I want to jump to conclusions. Why can't that ever work? Why can't we just go through this season playing like we are now and cruise to a Central Division title. I suppose it's because Cub fans can never have anything easy. We have to earn it. So here's to us destroying bad teams all year long. If we can just follow that game plan, then losing to teams with winning records will definitely not hurt us as bad. And it is statements like that that keep Tim McCarver in business. State the obvious, you can't go wrong.

On the flip side of the coin, we start a series with the Mets tomorrow, a short one albeit. The important thing in this series is to make our presence felt. Last year, Ryan Dempster made a living blowing 9th inning leads to this team. Hopefully this year's closer can hold those leads and let the W flag fly above Wrigley. To play devil's advocate on my last tangent, winning games against teams with winning records is the hallmark of good baseball teams. If the Cubs continue along their early season path against top teams, us Cub fans are in for a long disappointing ride.

If you want to know what's going to happen, though, I can't tell you. No one can, and that's the best part of sports. And in particular baseball; where else can you watch your team play everyday to determine your fate in October. I would give nothing up to live through a winning baseball season, everything bad seems to fall by the wayside. So here's to continued dominance. Go Cubs!

Song of the day, "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight," by The Postal Service. Strange electronic sound with cool lyrics and a nice tune. By the way on the NBA front, Kobe got mad and dominated the 4th quarter , Pau was awesome all game and the Lakers rolled. But the big surprise was Detroit not showing up at home and dropping Game 1 to the 76ers. That series just jumped on my radar. 'Til next time, we've got Cubs-Mets on ESPN Monday night and both Spurs-Suns and Hornets-Mavs on Tuesday night on TNT. I love spring.

Association Round 1 Action

The NBA Playoffs are back, and they are certainly alive and well. Saturday's quadruple header provided us with some amazing moments and definitely some new insights. However, due to inclement conditions my personal knowledge of the later games may be diminished. Regardless, we begin.

First, Lebron and his gang of flukies against the Wiz and Agent Zero's comeback. Lebron threw his body around, got in a few battles, and came out alive up 1-0. We'll see if he continues to get 4 steps on half of his drives to the basket throughout the series. The big thing here, however, was Gilbert Arenas stepping up and making his return. I was one who definitely thought he was not yet ready to come back, but his 1st half performance said otherwise, 14 points on 4-4 from 3 point land, not too shabby. Looking forward to seeing if Lebron can continue to carry his "role players."

Our second game deserves a column of its' own. Absolutely fantastic theater for a 1st round playoff game. I was absolutely enthralled. Spurs and Suns, rematch of last year's great playoff series. This one without Tim Donaghy involved. It was already being hyped as the best 1st round matchup and I will say after game 1 that it already lived up to the hype. For those of you who may have been outdoors all day, it was a double overtime battle that the Spurs tied twice with threes to send into extra periods (one by Finley, one by Tim Duncan). That's correct, Tim Duncan, his first three pointer of the year. Then in the second overtime, Steve Nash hit a fall away three from the corner to tie. If it weren't for Manu Ginobili's driving layup for the win, it's like this game would have lasted another 3 hours. The coolest part about games like this is the people you watch the game with. In my case I watched with a big Suns fan, 3 people who were railing me all game for cheering for the Spurs, and another who just wanted a great game. Well, we all got what we wanted, except for the Suns fan, but even he had to enjoy the thrilling nature of clutch shots being hit to tie games.

The third game was home to my favorite team in these playoffs, the Hornets. I have to admit, I jumped on this bandwagon this year. But unlike others, it was at the beginning of the season when I was riding them to a streak of 8 straight winning parlays. When money is coming in, it's hard not to cheer for the team that has been your horse. On top of this, my strange man love for Chris Paul has come out and gave me a sleeper team to watch in the West. As you all know, the Hornets had a gigantic season, roping in a 2 seed in the wild West. So, with all this love, I'd obviously take the Hornets over the Mavs in Round 1, right? Wrong, but I have the right to change my mind. As good as Paul is, I expected the experience of Dirk's Mavs to overcome the best point guard in the world. What I didn't expect was Avery Johnson not throwing everything he had against Paul. Paul repeatedly ran down the court yelling, "He can't guard me!" in regards to future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd. He was completely correct, and Avery didn't do anything to stop it. Paul finished with 35, 10 assists and 3 steals, and confirmed to me that he is one of the most unbelievable players in the Association.

Game 4, what can I say? I was rediculously drunk at this point, struggling to stay awake and watch. But I made it and here are some notes. T-Mac, you choked. Loved the early play in this game from you, but the lack of impact late led to the game getting away from the Rockets. Deron Williams, I've always disliked you, leading back to this game in 2005. It so happened to be just a year and a half after another tragedy in my life, so I can't get over it. Anyway Deron Williams played great, with 20 and 10 assists. But, the real step up player was Andrei Kirilenko. Old AK-47 put up 21 on 8-12 shooting, and played excellent defense to shut the Rockets down late. By the way, how many shots does Bobby Jackson have to put up for Rick Adelman to realize that this is not a 2001 Lakers-Kings showdown. I mean 3-15 from the field, honestly? I have no more.

So, after 11 hours of basketball, 1 thriller, 10 too many beers and tons of food later what have we learned? Two things, I would kill to see Spurs-Suns Round 2, and all day drinking often results in more fun than being sober all day. Just a thought, give it a shot again sometime soon.

So I've got to give you a song of the day, and it will be..."Your Time Has Come" by Audioslave. I'll be honest, I just turned my iTunes on and this song was the last one playing, God only knows how it got on here. However, it's a fire-you-up tune and sometimes we all need to get a bit juiced. One final note, the Cubbies are 11-6 and riding over crappy teams. So 'til next time, catch Playoff fever or a smooth D Lee jack.

Back From the Dead Vol. 1

The title says it all, I've been gone forever. I'll probably go on a hiatus at some other point during my time on this site. So, like I said, the title says it all.

Lots of things have happened since then. The Cubs are 7-5. I went to Opening Day. I saw Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds in a free concert at Assembly Hall. Little 5 came and went. I acquired strep throat. I shot a 57 through 9 holes in my first golf round of the year, and the next day I shot 42. That was just messed up. But probably the most important thing I found was randomly discovered. The band Back Door Slam and their 20 year old guitarist Davy Knowles.

My roommate runs into my room and tells me to turn on Jimmy Kimmel immediately, he was randomly watching. We proceed to see a little white kid from Isle of Man, England singing in a deep black man's blues voice and shredding a guitar in every perfect way possible. This led to a night of Youtube searches on him and the band. I was immediately hooked. So, I email my dad right away since he is a blues nut and tell him to check it out. He is immediately hooked. He emails his friends that are blues fans and they are immediately hooked. So, I'm thinking, if all these people love them, what about people who aren't blues fans. And I go off and tell some of them, and they love it. And now I'm thinking to myself, Back Door Slam is going to be huge. If it's not them, then it's going to be Davy Knowles, because the kid is absolutely amazing. Just tremendous. Their website's opening page has various quotes from critics who have seen them. Some of the quotes are, "I heard the spirit of Jimi Hendrix...it was a group called Back Door Slam." Or, "A guitar god in training." Other people have recognized, now it's time for the rest of the world to do so.

So, in tradition with tonight's post. Here's the kid shredding a couple great covers, and the last one is his own.

"Red House"
"Almost Cut My Hair"
"Come Home"

Hopefully you all like these, real good musical talent here.

MLB Opening Day

Today is the day, well kind of, I haven't gone to bed yet but we are past midnight. In about 9 hours I'll head up to Wrigley Field for the Cubs opener vs. the Milwaukee Brewers. I've been to the last few Opening Days, but there is honestly nothing like it. The pure electricity in the building of all the fans knowing they have a clean slate to work with this year is unbelievable. I just hope this can be a year for my Cubbies to go further than last year's successes.

On to other things, my Angels pick does not look so hot after the whole Escobar season ending injury and Lackey being out for an unknown period of time. I still think they will make the playoffs, but they are going to need one or more of their young pitchers to step up and fill the role of these pitchers as long as they are out.

Four #1 seeds in the Final Four. At least that will end speculation of who the best teams have been all season. That is going to be a fun weekend for basketball.

Shoutout to IU baseball. Their opening weekend series in the Big 10 got them a split. Those 2 wins are 1 more than they had on the road all of last year. They have some serious talent this year and look to be much better than the previous years.

Going to see Modest Mouse and R.E.M. in concert June 6 up in Chicago. Absolutely can't wait, due to my love for Isaac Brock and Modest Mouse. Phenomenal band. Not to mention I get to see R.E.M. on top of it. Can't wait.

Little 5 week coming up down at IU. It starts April 6 and the race is on Saturday the 12th. Greatest. College. Weekend. Ever. Not sure that I'll be coherent to write during that week BUT, I am sure I will, and I am sure you'll enjoy some of the stories.

That's all for tonight. Got to get some rest. Adrenaline is really rushing through my veins for this Opener tomorrow. Hopefully I'll bring back a win. How about we take the song of the night from Modest Mouse tonight. We'll take "Ocean Breathes Salty." This song was picked at my brother's request. It happens to be his favorite. While it's not my personal favorite, it is very easy to listen to. If you do happen to like the song and want to hear more Mouse, leave me a message and I can turn you on to much more of their music.

One more note...

GO CUBBIES!!!

MLB Picks

Ok, for the sport that I follow more closely than any other. For the record, these picks are compiled using both PECOTA and ZiPS projections along with the most prominent factor, my instincts. For each team I'll project my win total for the team, and at the end I'll put in a playoff bracket. I'll also supply my Cy Young, MVP and Rookie of the Year Award winners as well.

AL West
Los Angeles Angels 91
Seattle 87
Texas 72
Oakland 67

AL Central
Detroit 94
Cleveland 92
White Sox 82
Minnesota 80
Kansas City 68

AL East
Boston 95
Toronto 89
Yankees 88
Tampa Bay 82
Baltimore 57

NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers 89
Arizona 88
Colorado 86
San Diego 85
San Francisco 61

NL Central
Cubs 90
Milwaukee 87
Cincinatti 80
Houston 78
St. Louis 71
Pittsburgh 64

NL East
Mets 93
Philadelphia 88
Atlanta 87
Washington 71
Florida 70

NL
Dodgers over Mets
Cubs over Diamondbacks

Dodgers over Cubs

AL
Red Sox over Indians
Angels over Tigers

Angels over Red Sox

Non Homer Pick - Angels over Dodgers
Homer Pick - Cubs over Angels

NL MVP - David Wright
NL Cy Young - Johan Satnana
NL Rookie of the Year - Kosuke Fukudome

AL MVP - Miguel Cabrera
AL Cy Young - Roy Halladay
AL Rookie of the Year - Phil Hughes

As you can see, my Cubs bias comes out in my homer picks, but without those picks I really believe that the Angels will be huge this year. I am trying to stay away from Red Sox nation, I picked them last year. I really think that LAA will be good this year, and I am also a fan of the Dodgers in the NL. The deep pitching staffs of both these teams will be key.

However, I am in love with this year's Cubs team, and I really believe they will have a huge impact on the upcoming playoffs. As everyone knows, the playoffs are quite the crapshoot, many top teams struggle even after having great regular seasons. This year should prove to be no different. Anyway, those are my picks. We will see how they turn out.

Song of the night - "Swing Life Away" by Rise Against. One of my all time favorites. Hope you approve.

Collection of the Week's Experiences

Well it was a rough week; disappointing losses from my two college teams for early exits out of the NCAA Tournament. On the plus side, we are only 8 days from Opening Day for my Cubbies, and actually only 2 days away from the season opener in Japan between the Red Sox and A's. So, knowing that, my season picks will be out tomorrow night, and then you all can rip them to shreds. I know I forgot to tell you all my Final Four picks, I apologize. I had North Carolina, Kansas, Stanford and UCLA. Three 1 seeds is real bold, I know. Anyway, I had Kansas over UCLA, but my brackets are so screwed up that it does not really matter anymore.

This week is going to be a little jam packed for me, I have a couple tests and a good amount of homework and projects to work on, so writing will probably be tough again. But next Monday I'll be up at Wrigley celebrating the start of the season. I am all geared up, just waiting on the games. Hopefully I can write a piece on my Opening Day experience this year.

In blog news, I got another suggestion from one of my readers who told me that I should put the links to all my songs in one area, including the ones from early on that I did not link. I will work on this sometime this week, making them available on the sidebar hopefully so you can easily access them. Also, one of my roommates has been wanting to write in my blog, so sometime in the near future you can expect a guest blog entrance. From what I have read so far it's about the world changing around us. On top of that he was the valedictorian of our high school class, so I would recommend reading it, it should be good.

Well, I am off to the IU baseball game on this Easter Sunday, then I'll end up at Church. I couldn't make it home due to a test tomorrow, which really sucks, but I guess this is kind of what happens when you grow up a bit. So enjoy your families and friends today. I'll see you tomorrow for MLB season picks. Song of the day - "Hands of Time" by Groove Armada. Real cool and smooth song, hope you like it.

Serious Gusto From Our Next Prez

Last night's blog was written completely trashed. Honestly, I'm surprised it came together in a decent fashion, for I did not know what I had written about this morning. Happy St. Patrick's Day to me.

Anyway, the only thing I have to say about tonight is in regards to Barack Obama's speech on race today. It's already being hailed as one of the most important things ever said on the topic...and it was spoken before 11 am today. "A More Perfect Union," was precisely Obama's aim, and it is likely that this speech could provide him with a primary victory. As for my opinions on it, I think you already know. He really covered in depth how we have overlooked race in solving all of our country's problems throughout all of time. When someone comes out and says something like this, it really gives me hope that things could change for the better. Then again, I know that other people are going to look at this and say the opposite thing, that he is defending himself and just saving his ass on what his pastor said. Oh well, guess that is just part of life. Everyone has differing opinions.

Sorry I can't make this longer, but it's quite late and with early class tomorrow I have got to get some sleep. Baseball season predictions coming next week. Song of the night - "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder. Oh, and it just so happens to be the big man's campaign song as well.

The Greatest

Zona in, IU robbed at an 8 seed, Tiger absolutely unconscious. Those three statements basically summed up my Sunday; an absolutely unreal finish from the greatest golfer of all time (right after I was done arguing to my brother why I watched him...great vindication), my favorite team getting in the tournament (which was really nerve racking), and the place that I go getting owned in the seeding. Oh well, that's about all I can say about all of that, except for Tiger.

Tiger was absolutely incredible at the closing 18th in Orlando. It honestly makes me wonder if anyone in the past could ever compete with him, and if anyone in the future ever will, too. I mean honestly, look at the man, 32 years old, all of those 64 wins and 13 majors. He's going to pass the Golden Bear soon enough in Majors and he'll most definitely reach Sam Snead's total record of 82 PGA Tour wins by the end of his run. It's truly a blessing to be able to watch greatness in front of your eyes, and I personally am glad that I have followed him quite closely since his '97 Masters domination. It's almost the same as hearing from my Dad about watching Walter Payton or Michael Jordan throughout their whole careers; he always said that he wished I would have been able to see them all the way though.

Going on with greatness, the more you think about it, how often have you actually seen someone or something that could not be duplicated for such a long period of time? I have often said that we will see basketball players that will be more talented and some even more driven than Michael Jordan, but will they ever be regarded that way? Everyone is so quick to say that Kobe or Lebron is the next Jordan, but will they actually ever give them that credit if they reach that level? I am pretty confident that Lebron will end up with better stats and possibly even more titles than Jordan's 6, but in the end, so many people are obsessed with what MJ did, that I do not think Lebron James will be regarded as the better player. And you know what, even if I do disagree with them, I guess that is fine, as long as those same people realize that what they are seeing is truly different than anything Michael or any other player could ever do.

Now in the end for me, it all comes back to Tiger. I guess that is because he is the legend that I grew up with. I am sure it's different for everyone, but it is always someone who you felt like you could associate with best. I know when I get old, that Tiger Woods will start and end all conversations about who the most amazing athlete I ever saw was. Call me shallow for ending it there, but there is something you need to know. The most impressionable years in someone's life are through the teenage years, and with me being just out of those years, the man who has most impacted my sports life has been Mr. Woods. I can only hope that he keeps up the amazing streak he is in the process of as we all speak.

So, in the end of this long bothersome blog, I know I can always count on Tiger to show me something I have never seen before. And I guess all I can wish for all of you is the same ability to see something that truly blows you away, and makes you remember why we have all of these competitions in the first place.


Song of today - "Intervention" by The Arcade Fire. This is a song that I can say that I honestly really enjoy. I am not sure how to really put it into words, I love it so much. Maybe I am nuts, maybe this band is actually tremendous. I guess it's up to you and the rest of the world.

Break's Over...Maybe Even More?

So as the title clearly states, my week of pure lounging has come to a close. It was a well timed week off, but I am glad to be getting back to school. Some things just seem natural at this point...maybe I can squeeze a couple more years out of my dad for this whole college thing. With the 0% chance that I acquire free cash from my dad to keep hanging out in school, I guess that means I will be moving on to bigger and worse things. I should mention that I am doing everything I can to prolong my stay, so maybe one of these days something will come to fruition.

The second part of my post is a bit depressing. I have been a big University of Arizona basketball fan ever since I was little, for I grew up watching Damon Stoudamire split double teams and take my dad's alma mater to the Final Four. Ever since then I have loved them, and Mr. Stoudamire has found better things to do with his time. This time of year is one where I usually put all my hopes into one basket and pray for a National title. However, this year is a bit different. Arizona's season has been flat out awful; dealing with injuries, inconsistent play, players who can not make layups, and ones with IQ levels that have never been approached by college students. So when a team is built to last like these hard fighting Cats it really takes away from my enjoyment of March Madness. I'll still fill out my brackets and root on Arizona and the quickly fading Indiana Hoosiers, but the dreams of both of those teams have been flushed down the drain for different reasons.

And since no one likes to end things on a down note, let's talk music. Bruce Springsteen is in Indianapolis this coming Thursday, and I can not for the life of me think of a better way to spend that night. The Boss is known for putting on tremendously long and unbelievable shows, and I am quite sure that I would like to be in attendance. So, if I can muster up the good $100+ for nosebleed seats, I promise to write you a nice long post on the New Jersey boy. This also means that tonight's tune is going to come from the song I am listening to now, "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)." I hope you enjoy, this is probably my favorite Bruce song of all time, and one of these days I am going to unleash to you my all my favorites...just not tonight.

Cubs Opening Day in 15 days!!!

Good Clean Fun

I want to devote this post to a few movies I saw recently, Juno and Donnie Darko. Now Juno has only been out since the holiday season, but Donnie Darko has been out for several years and I just now got around to seeing it.

First, I'll talk about Juno. I thought it was completely hilarious. If there is a 16 year old girl who talks like Juno McGuff, I would really like to meet her and see if she is like Juno. Everything she said and did was hilarious. While the movie has its down parts, the storyline and way everything is handled is exceptional. Many people won't like the idea of teenage pregnancy at all, but if you can get by the sarcastic nature of the film, it is very enjoyable. I laughed nearly throughout and ended up feeling good about life after the film. I guess that's one thing you can ask for out of a movie. It is not all that often that I honestly feel really good after a movie, which is why this movie succeeded in my eyes.

Second, Donnie Darko. I actually just saw this movie tonight with a few of my friends. I wasn't sure what to expect, as I've heard several people tell me different feelings about the movie. I was in for a psychological joy ride. The movie really did its best to screw with my mind in every way possible. Several things in the movie represented other people or symbols, which I won't get into in case you have not seen the film. Tremendous storytelling, the movie really took me to a different state of mind. I guess that is another thing you can ask for out of a movie. And as a note, when the movie is finished and you've analyzed in your head everything that has just happened for the last 90+ minutes, you realize that you have just seen something that is truly worth watching. An extremely well written piece of work, and also the reason I am haunted and wide awake right now at 4 am.

Check out both films if you haven't seen them yet. Two very different movies that I think many people would enjoy in different ways.

My final note of the night also revolves around the night I had tonight. To begin, I saw my grandparents that I have not seen in quite some time and honestly enjoyed my time with them. I had my laughs, some good memories and came out feeling lots better about seeing them. After that I saw a friend that I had not seen in at least 6 months or so. His life may be headed in a different direction than mine, but it's still nice to know that we can still hammer out a few good laughs and have a good time. I also realized that I am the most inconsistent bowler in the country while alongside a couple of my great friends. Then I watched Donnie Darko and put my night into somewhat of a theoretical debate. I couldn't have asked for much more, great times often come from the strangest of areas.

I got a recommendation to start linking the songs I post in my blog, so I guess that isn't too hard, I will start doing that. Makes it much easier for all of you to hear what is going into my thoughts. So, in the spirit of Donnie Darko, my song choice for the time being has to be "Mad World" by Gary Jules. Enjoy!

Sleep Deprivation

I can not for the life of me find out why I'm still awake. However, since I am just thought I'd pass along some thoughts.

First off, I have 30 HD channels at home. And I love Giada and her weekend getaways (if you understand this, please tell me, she's beautiful).

Second, I'm going to the Blackhawks game tomorrow and I'm really fired up. Live hockey is so awesome.

Third, Erin Andrews in HD is absolutely stunning. If you haven't noticed I love HDTV.

Fourth, since this is going absolutely nowhere, I thought I'd mention that I am on pace to gain 6 pounds over break. I'm still not sure how this happens, I just eat everything in sight when I'm home. Just had leftover chicken for no reason about an hour ago.

Fifth, and finally, we lost an hour tonight, and thus I am going to be punished tomorrow. Can't wait for a week of absolutely nothing.

Oh, and real quick. I forgot how much the song "Radiate" by averagesuperstar meant to me. Unsigned band + awesome song + best Captain Morgan commercial ever (pizza delivery one) + terrible circumstances = a song that I'll always enjoy. You can listen here . Okay, that's all for my fruity ass.

Love

B

Hillary Won't Die

As I sit in my room watching CNN coverage for the 7th straight hour, contemplating to myself how it's possible that I can't read 3 chapters for a class during that time, Texas' primary voting has finally finished. Hillary finally won, taking 3 of 4 states tonight, although there is a Texas caucus that is going on now.

I really thought it may have been tonight that would put her under, I was real wrong. The looks of this is that it is definitely coming down to an August Convention that is going to be unreal drama. The superdelegates are going to end up deciding this, and both Hillary and Barack are going to push them for why they should be the Democratic representative. For the first time in awhile I'm kind of worried that Barack is going to find some trouble. I'm not sure why, but I just am not interested in seeing either Hillary or John McCain as our next president. Guess I'm drinking the Obama Kool-Aid.

Anyway, it's going to be a long night, thought I'd take my mind off of studying a bit more. Tune to check in on, "Box of Rain" by Grateful Dead off of the American Beauty album. Great tune, great band. I may actually get some flak for taking this song over their others, but it's just so good that I can't help it.

What Perfect Weather Does to Me

This week is an absolute killer right before Spring Break, so there probably won't be another post in the near future. This one is even a cop-out in itself, but I'm swamped until Thursday. Between the school work I'm just gearing up for Opening Day at the end of the month. Hopefully I'll be in the bleachers for that one vs. the Brew. Maybe it's the optimist in me but I'm really feeling like we're going to have a great year. Really expecting great things out of our big guys.

On the other side of things, both of the college hoops teams I follow lost tough ones yesterday. IU getting absolutely destroyed up at Michigan State. Who would have thought that they'd mail in a game that would have given them at least a split of the Big Ten title. Very telling for future big games they have to get up for. As for Arizona, what a tough loss. Bad last possession, but we'll move on...hopefully they can do enough to get in the tournament. I don't want that 23 straight season streak to be broken.

Yesterday was the nicest day of the year. And probably in turn was my favorite day so far of 2008. I mean, can you really beat sitting outside all day, getting your arm loose and tossing bags around while sipping a few brews. It was a good enough day to just lie in the grass and look at the clouds, as soft as that may sound it happened. Cook a good meal out of the grill on top of that and you've got a perfect day. Finish off with a nightcap out on the porch with Van Morrison playing. I don't know if you can beat it.

Well, that's all I've got for today, so til my next poorly written post, go about your daily lives and maybe listen to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon with the lights off...or something wild like that. Also, I guess I'll make it a thing to make a song recommendation per post. So today's has got to be "Romeo and Juliet" by Dire Straits. Not really sure why, it's just come on my iTunes a few times lately and I dig it. You and me babe, how 'bout it.

Songs Stuck in My Head

Well, the title gives it away, here are some songs I've been liking a lot lately.

Pete Yorn - Splendid Isolation. This one is actually a cover of the late, great Warren Zevon's song. I just happen to like Yorn's version more.

The Beatles - Money (That's What I Want). Wow, happens to be another cover, and again, the Beatles version is catchy as ever.

Cassino - New Jerusalem. Shout out here to an unsigned band that I believe is one of the best in today's world. I absolutely love them, and turns out they are 2 of the remnants of what used to be Northstar...although they aren't huge on talking about them.

Sam & Dave - Hold On, I'm Coming. Little old school funk/soul action for the Memphis '60s-'70s era.

Third Eye Blind - How's It Gonna Be. I saw them in concert, they were delicious. This song is my favorite from them...although there's several other close calls.

Paul Simon - Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes. Off the great Graceland album. This one's my favorite. By the way, I love Paul Simon. What a cool guy, I wish I knew him personally.

James Taylor - Mexico. So many good ones from JT but this one sticks in my head for weeks after I hear it. I honestly hum it in my sleep.

The Postal Service - The District Sleeps Alone Tonight. I kept seeing the UPS commercial that uses their song Such Great Heights, and then I turned my iTunes on and this was the first song that came on...such a good one.

Steve Goodman - A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request. Just because baseball season is right around the corner. God Bless this man.

There's a diverse number of songs in there, I'm halfway impressed with myself. Maybe check these out if you get bored. I really like them all, but then again my musical tastes have been called terrible by people who I thought knew nothing.

Quick note, I got ripped into by one of my three readers recently. He said, "We're old, all we're looking for is something every other day at least. You're awful at this." Well, thanks, and here you go. I figure you won't enjoy this.

Lean Nights and Great Jams

Let's face it, I have to be the worst regular blog poster in 11 surrounding states, but here's a little something for you about my last couple weeks.

Starting off with big events, I journeyed to Wabash University for a concert of a band that I've liked since the first time I heard them, Third Eye Blind. Now, I was skeptical because they haven't put out a decent new song in about 8 years, but I still gave it a shot. Their self-titled album was so good that it could easily be recognized as one of the best of the '90s. My hope for the concert was that they would play a lot of their old stuff. Well they did not disappoint. Steven Jenkins came out rocking with Never Let You Go, off of the Blue album. They went on to play all their hits, played a 4 song encore and had me in a drunken daze of wonder and sweat. At one point the hair was flying around spraying perspiration around like I just got out of a pool. You can only imagine what I looked like at the end of the show. Let's just say I didn't appeal to many females.

After the show, Scott and Nick decided to stay with me at Wabash and have a great time with all our high school buddies from back in the day. The night was fantastic and I can't wait to do it again. And in all honesty, I have got to say that of the concerts I've been to, this ranked at least in the top 2 or 3 (discussion for another day), and possibly the best of all time. Absolutely great show, I can't say enough about it.

Anyway, onward to more recent events, especially the political race. Those of you who know me closely know that I've never been one to pay attention to current events or political news closely. That is until now, I don't know what's gotten into me but I really can't pull myself away. If you don't know, I have become a big fan of Barack Obama has to say. For some reason he really resonates with me and I enjoy hearing him talk. He has some great things to say.

I know it's been awhile because I haven't even written about Super Tuesday. Scott and I decided to follow the coverage in the classiest way we knew how...drinking 40's of Mickey's Malt Liquor. Always a fine decision, and we would continue to pay for it the next day. Like I'm honestly ever going to grow up, even with political talk there's the presence of cheap liquor from Compton. Back to real events, on that night he lost a couple of the big states but won across the country, and to this point its still the last time that he lost. Barack has won 10 straight primaries and actually looks like he is now the favorite to become the Democratic representative for the Presidency. All I can say to this is Bravo, he has done a great job gaining faith of the American people, and I hope he can take his great words into the White House and give us the change that we can believe in. To continue taking his words, yes we can.

For those of you not interested in my political interest BS, we move on. The NBA trade deadline just passed and as many of you know, I am a huge supporter of the Association. I thought there were some HUGE deals that went down, really a lot bigger than the previous few years. I guess I'll give you my opinion on the trades.

• Lakers acquire Pau Gasol for just about nothing. Anytime you can gain a 27 year old All-Star center for some expiring contracts and bad attitudes, I am going to say that you made a dominant trade. I really think that when Andrew Bynum gets back to game shape this is a Championship caliber team.

• Suns acquire Shaq for Shawn Marion and a horrendous contract. This trade is getting ripped on a lot since a lot of people don't think Shaq can run and gun with the Suns in the desert. Well, I tend to agree with them, I really don't think this is the move that is going to help them win a title down in Phoenix. The fit to me just isn't there. However, I will say that Shaq is going to be rejuvenated and I never would like to bet against a team that runs on Diesel fuel. I can't wait to see a Kobe Shaq meeting in the playoffs. Please make this happen.

• Of course, we've also got the big one that happened yesterday; the three-team deal sending the Cavs, Bulls and Sonics some new players. I think Big Ben and Z can be formidable down low, and then a 2nd line of Joe Smith and Andy Varaejo isn't too shabby either. I really like the deal for that reason first off. Second, you get the underrated Delonte West to run the point for you, I like it. Third, another gunner added in Wally World. I like this move. But also I like it from the Bulls standpoint. I've just got the feeling that Larry Hughes is going to thrive in Chicago. Definitely not living up to the contract he got, but if this guy gets to control the ball in the offense, he's going to make a positive impact. On top of that, the Bulls got a solid post scorer in Drew Gooden and can open up some more time for Ty Thomas' high flying act and Joakim Noah's hustle hour. Good deal all around.

• Hornets add bench depth. Solid trade, opens up a spot for Jannero Pargo with the departure of Livewire Bobby Jackson, and adds Bonzi Wells. That is the biggest part, Bonzi's ability to take smaller guards in the post is only going to add to Chris Paul droppin' a few more dimes a game.

• I also liked the addition of Kurt Thomas to the Spurs, giving them some bench depth. And rumor is they'll get Brent Barry back through waivers so it's even bigger.

Let me just say that I'm ready for the Playoffs to begin, and I absolutely can't wait for the action that it's going to bring this spring and summer.

One final note, on one of my favorite times of the year. Pitchers and Catchers reporting to Spring Training. I can not wait for the start of the season. I really like the makeup of my favorite team, although I think they could use some help at SS, but we'll see where it goes. You'll have my season projections by the end of Spring Training, don't worry.

And to close, let's toss out a tune that appeals to me in so many ways - Almost Cut My Hair by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young off of the Deja Vu album. Such a great song written by David Crosby about his hippie lifestyle among other things. I just felt like I owed it to someone to post that note. Check it out.

Random Cub Thoughts and Such

Hey all,

I realize I have been absolutely awful at updating my blog lately. With the semester starting, work has been piling up a bit. And to think that I was the one that used to always get mad at the people who didn't update their blog because of work or school.

Anyway, I've had a lot of thoughts lately about the Cubs, just gearing up and getting ready for Opening Day. And while that's on topic, pitchers and catchers report to camp in 22 days now, on Valentine's Day. Since the Cubs Convention just passed, I thought I'd leave you with a few thoughts.

1. I don't think any big deal is going to be worked out, even with rumors still flying about acquiring Eric Bedard and Brian Roberts.

2. If any deal is made, it'll be to acquire a right-handed hitting outfielder (lots of people have been saying Marlon Byrd from the Rangers). With that acquisition, it basically moves Felix Pie into a platoon, which I honestly do not like. If he's your top prospect, you have got to let him prove himself, he has done everything he can in the minors. Now is his time.

3. The rotation is going to look like this: Zambrano, Lilly, Hill, Marquis, Lieber. Ryan Dempster, you'll get your shot at some point in the season. Same goes to you, Sean Marshall and Sean Gallagher. Seriously thinking that Rich Hill is going to have a real big year. Also, I really like Sean Gallagher, I think he can make a big impact on the team this year. I won't bother speculating with the lineup because Lou has posted his "If the season started today" lineup that can be found on Cubs.com, and the fact that it will change about 100 times over the course of the season.

4. As much as I love the way Ryan Theriot plays, if he does not start the season well, I realllllllly want to see Ronny Cedeno get a shot. He's a former high ranked prospect, and when the pressure was on last September he only went out and had tons of successful at bats for the big league squad, hitting .391 with an 1.113 OPS, albeit in limited at bats. Another guy with nothing left to prove in the minors. Plus, I don't mean to be mean, but Ryan Theriot is just not the starting shortstop on a championship team unless he makes some serious improvements on his game.

5. I love Geovany Soto. Period, this guy makes great contact with the ball, not to mention his ability to throw baserunners out at a rate that we haven't seen since Vietnam.

6. I realize there is no place on this team for Matt Murton, but don't sell low on him Jim. This guy is very talented and if put on the right team would make a perfect #2 hitter in an order. The guy flat out gets on base, and the power will develop to make him a 20 HR guy. The only way I really see him getting a lot of reps is with an injury or severe slump out of Pie, moving Fukudome to cover Center, or (gulp) an injury to Soriano.

7. I honestly like this team. Last year I picked them to closely miss the playoffs and I was almost right, but they gave me a great run and I couldn't have been happier in the regular season. This year I fully expect them to increase in wins...if that will be enough to win the division is still up in the air. You'll get those predictions sometime during Spring Training.

Well, now that I've wrote more words tonight than in the past 3 weeks, I'll wrap it up. But in the meantime, if you have the ability to go out and listen to a newish album, go out and listen to Cassadaga by Bright Eyes. Granted it's new in the terms of past 9 months. But upon re-listening again, I'm more blown away now than ever. Key song is definitely Four Winds.

Oh, one more note, go see Cloverfield. Real cool movie...and then get into the whole viral advertising they have online. Enjoy!