Remembering Alex Karras (1935-2012)

Alex Karras died this morning after battling kidney failure at the age of 77.

Karras was a star defensive tackle at the University of Iowa before spending his 12-year career terrorizing offenses for the Detroit Lions. It was a career with four All-Pro seasons and a missed 1963 season after he was suspended by then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle for gambling. The missed year was not enough to knock him off the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade Team for the 1960s.

For those of a younger vintage, however, Karras was better known for his acting. He was the dad on TV's "Webster" during the 1980s and other television series. However, his most memorable role, at least in this writer's opinion, was that Mongo in Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles," which featured this memorable scene.

Ready for college hoops season?

In the widening world of sports media, we here at Wait Til Next Century are always on the lookout for creative ways to promote teams. The White Sox, among others have had some fun ones in recent years, and anything that promotes and remembers that sports are supposed to be fun and games is almost always a good thing.

Fast forward to this year, and this creative spot for the Marquette University men's basketball team featuring junior Jamil Wilson that is designed to gear us up for the upcoming season, with practice beginning in just a couple of weeks.

Save a couch

Over the years, it has become a bit of a tradition for West Virginia University football fans to burn a couch after a big win or a particularly tough loss. According to the college football blog Crystal Ball Run, the punishment for such an act has jumped from a $1,000 fine and a misdemeanor conviction to a felony punishable by up to three years in prison. With that in mind, the student government at West Virginia has come out with this public service announcement reminding all of us to not burn our couches.

What if other professions had replacements?

For those not in the know, the Packers, simply put, got robbed last night.

While NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's experiment (what else can we call it?) in using replacement officials while he locks out the regular ones over a dispute of $3 million in pension pay, the replacement refs continue to go from bad to worse. While this site, being the Chicago sports site that it is, is no fan of that team from up north in Wisconsin (and the loss helped put the Bears back into first place in the NFC North), the Packers were hosed by the refs on that last second "touchdown" by WR Golden Tate from QB Russell Wilson, giving the Seahawks an improbable 14-12 win, with the NFL upholding the call in a statement issued this morning.

To show they at least have a sense of humor about it, WGBA-TV, NBC 26 in Green Bay brought out their "replacement weather guy" to do the weather forecast this morning.

Bears win, but work needs to be done

Source: AP/Pantagraph

Yep, the Bears managed to pull out the 23-6 win over the Rams Sunday at Soldier Field. Obvious to anyone who watched the game, it was ugly in spots, pretty good in others. Let's examine:

The good: That defense, left for dead after the debacle in Green Bay last week, came out in style, holding Sam Bradford, Steven Jackson and the rest of that St. Louis offense to two field goals and only 160 total yards on offense. There was also that brilliant pick-six in the fourth quarter by safety Major Wright off the deflection by teammate Tim Jennings that pretty much sealed the game, and Bradford spent much of the game running for his life, getting sacked four times. Yes, it had what in any other circumstance could be deemed a stupid personal foul penalty on Julius Peppers, but it could be deemed a questionable call by the replacement refs who seem to be getting worse every week (more on them in a moment).

We also had RB Michael Bush, who picked up 55 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries as he filled in for Matt Forte, who sat out with an ankle sprain. No, he's not Forte, but he did the job much more admirably than last year's backup, Marion Barber, whose performance against Denver in December stills haunts this writer. He's a keeper, to say the least.

The bad: That offense. Yes, QB Jay Cutler put up a decent performance, putting up 183 yards passing with only one INT. And yes, he was sacked only twice. But, as Comcast Chicago Kip Lewis put it, it appears that Mike Martz is back coaching the offense. WR Brandon Marshall, who was so dangerous in Week One against the Colts, had five catches, but it looked like he was hardly an option for Cutler most of the game.

The ugly: The officiating by the replacement refs seems to be getting worse every week. The worst example was, outside of that personal foul penalty on Peppers, which hardly looked like anything (despite Fox announcers Jim Nantz's and John Lynch's agreement with them), was after Cutler threw what turned into his lone INT to Rams CB Cortland Finnegan in the first quarter. With some question as to whether Finnegan fumbled at the end of his return, the Bears could have snapped the ball and let play resume. But the refs dawdled on making any call whatsoever before finally allowing Rams coach Jeff Fisher to throw the challenge flag. Granted, the replay allowed the refs to make the correct call, but it took way too much time. We can't get the regular officials back soon enough.

The Bears get an extra day before they travel to Arlington to take on the Cowboys on Monday Night Football. That offensive line will have to be at the top of its game against a Dallas defense that held Josh Freeman and the Buccaneers to only 166 yards of offense Sunday.

Cutler attacks hypocritical

The attacks on Bears QB Jay Cutler during the last week have been interesting at best and hypocritical at worst.

For those not in the know, Cutler stunk it up last Thursday as he threw four interceptions and had a quarterback rating lower than Congress' approval rating as the Bears lost 23-10 in Green Bay. He also was sacked seven times and had a well-publicized altercation with his left tackle, J'Marcus Webb, shouting at him before pushing him aside as they returned to the sideline.

It was that altercation with Webb that got much of the attention, with pundits on both sides of the issue weighing in. Greg Couch at Fox Sports was perhaps the worst of the bunch, saying it was time to consider Cutler the latest of the bad QBs the Bears have had since Sid Luckman, adding that Cutler will never be the superstar he thinks he is.

Really? Just a few days before that mess in Green Bay, seemingly everyone was praising Cutler and the Bears' offense for being explosive as they led the way to a 41-21 win over the Colts in the season opener. Cutler threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns, including one to new/old teammate Brandon Marshall, who had his own breakout game with 119 yards receiving and a touchdown.

Now, we see the latest in the "what have you done for me lately" mentality in this country as he has a bad game. Wasn't we just saying he was a great QB, the best the Bears have had since Luckman? What happened to that?

Yes, we have his performance against the Packers, a game that he could have truly made a statement in with a good performance. And yes, we are wondering about him after he said on his radio show that he was "proud of his performance" last week. However, let's look at that a little more closely.

We have those seven sacks. That's the main problem with that offensive line that the Bears have that can at times be truly offensive. Anytime we see a quarterback sacked seven times, including 3.5 by Packers LB Clay Matthews in a performance that had the NFL Network guys joking that they hoped he wouldn't sack them on the sidelines, it's never a good thing. So for Cutler to yell at his tackle for not protecting him, at the guy that was charged with keeping Matthews off of him, it was justifiable. In addition, Cutler rarely threw to his big money man, Brandon Marshall, who had only two catches for 24 yards.

Plus, Colin Cowherd of ESPN had a good take on this on both his radio show and "SportsNation" in that it's mainly an image issue with Cutler. Despite his radio show (and maybe his radio show is an attempt to fix this), Cutler hasn't been the most personable guy around. Cowherd compared Cutler with Tim Tebow, who despite lackluster performances in wins and his now backup status to Mark Sanchez in New York has a great public image. Cutler, on the other hand, has been seen as standoff-ish and not a personable guy. Should that matter? Of course not.

Not does that make Cutler an elite quarterback? Considering he has yet to win anything of significance, let's play the wait and see game on this.

Now this Sunday he has a chance to redeem himself in front of a friendly Soldier Field crowd against the Rams, the NFL's equivalent of the cupcake team major college teams feast on early in the season. If he can come back with a great performance, you can be certain we'll all be singing Cutler's praises again all of next week, until the next game.

Jay Cutler apathetic?

Source: Smokinjaycutler.tumblr.com

Somebody out there has a twisted sense of humor, playing off Bears QB Jay Cutler's yelling and shoving of teammate and J'Marcus Webb last week against the Packers. We bring you "Smokin' Jay Cutler," showing Cutler in his, um, Photoshopped finest.

We'll have more on Cutler and the rest of the Bears soon.

Thank God it's almost over...

Source: NBC Sports

It's been a miserable year, at least if you're a Cubs fan.

Going in, we all knew it would be bad. Many of the stars from the last 10 years such as Aramis Ramirez, Derrek Lee, Carlos Zambrano, Sammy Sosa are long gone, either retired or shipped off to other destinations. The division winning years  of 2007 and 2008, not to mention the 2003 season where where the Cubs were an Alex Gonzalez error and five outs away from their first World Series since 1945, are distant memories.

No, with the new regime of Theo Epstein and company, it was going to be a rebuilding year, and no promises were made. Sure, we still have Alfonso Soriano roaming left field at Wrigley Field, but he never lived up to the promises of the 8-year, $126 million contract he signed before the 2007 season that has him making $18 million a year now through 2014. That fact alone scared off any trade prospects unwilling to take on even part of that salary, even with him having 29 HR and 101 RBIs following Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Reds.

That has led to the Cubs not being able to draw 3 million fans to Wrigley Field for the first time since 2003, according to the Chicago Tribune. Besides a dreadful 58-90 mark with 13 games left (nine of them at home) that in a normal year would have left them in last place (see the Houston Astros, who won't even be around to beat up on as they move to the AL West), the Cubs kept the third highest average ticket price in the majors at $46.30, behind the Red Sox ($53.38) and the Yankees ($51.55).

Will things improve in 2013? The Cubs' youth movement showed some signs of life. 1B Anthony Rizzo, called up mid-season from AAA Iowa, has hit nearly for a nearly .300 average and 14 HR in just 73 games. SS Starlin Castro kept up his hot career, hitting about .280 after leading the NL in hits (207) last year. The rise earned him his big contract last month as he signed a 7-year, $60 million extension. And his double play partner, 2B Darwin Barney, has been consistent as well.

Is Epstein the genius everyone says he is? It's a game of wait and see as year 104 since the 1908 World Series champs ends without another title.

Remembering Steve Sabol (1942-2012)

Source: DailyInterview.net

As somebody who grew up on NFL Films and still likes watching them today, it was sad news when it was announced that its president Steve Sabol had died this morning of brain cancer. He was 69 years old.

The work of Sabol, who took over as president of NFL Films in 1985, included greatly helping to expand the game of football to a new generation after starting out at the company as a camera operator. He continued the tradition of the Football Follies, including several starring comedian Jonathan Winters. Over the course of 50 years, he kept the film and video record of the league as it grew into the behemoth it is today.

Simply put, Steve Sabol will be missed.

Another 'This is SportsCenter' winner

For however many years they've been doing the spots (at least since the days of Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann), ESPN's "This is SportsCenter" spots have consistently been among the funniest commercials on television (with the Y2K parody featuring Charley Steiner the leading contender for the best one of the bunch).

Recently, they scored another winner, this time with football analyst John Clayton.

Iowa fans party in Chicago

Iowa football fans have a reputation for being hard partiers, and they brought that rep with them to Chicago this past weekend for the Hawkeyes' game against Northern Illinois at Soldier Field. A grandmother-type woman partied hard against the Hawks squeaked out an 18-17 win over the Huskies, taking a 24-ounce beer bong in her fan before being driven off. (Thanks to SI.com's Hot Clicks for the link.)

Is Brian Urlacher ready?

Source: Sports Grind Entertainment

"It's nobody's business."

That was the response of Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher to a question on ESPN Radio 1000 's Waddle and Silvy this morning in response to whether he had secret surgery on his knee in Germany during the offseason. The knee has been a source of constant problems for the 12-year veteran during this training camp, even causing speculation that he is washed up and the Bears need to replace him.

Let's start with that speculation: Despite the argument of the Sun-Times' Rick Telander that the Bears could have cut him before Sunday's season opener against the Colts, he needs to hang around, even if he isn't the same guy he was five years ago. He still plays hard. He is still the leader of a highly ranked defense, and he still contributes in much of the same way he has in the same tradition of great Bears middle linebackers going from Bill George to Dick Butkus to Mike Singletary.

He has been cleared to play by the Bears' medical staff. Even if he was blowing smoke on Waddle and Silvy by saying the sunburn he got the other day while out boating hurts more than his knee, he still knows his body better than anyone out there. There is a certain amount of trust one has to give a player to know when to say to when.

Plus, despite the good play of Nick Roach in his absence and the coverage of Lance Briggs, Urlacher still provides that spark that powers the Bears' defense. No Urlacher, and the Bears start falling even more than they did at the end of last season.

That said, the Bears' brain trust should perhaps bring Urlacher along a little slowly to start the season. If the Bears wind up blowing out the hapless Colts Sunday at Soldier Field, then he should be the first player to leave the game early. This will keep him fresh and ready for the big games, including the Thursday nighter in Green Bay on September 13.

The Bruce Lee bobblehead has no fear...

This might arguably be the best promotion of the baseball season.

Courtesy of the San Francisco Giants, it will be Bruce Lee Tribute Night this upcoming Tuesday for their game against the Diamondbacks at AT&T Park.

Break out the tissues...

Videos of reunions of returning soldiers and their loved ones always are something special to see. This is one of the latest, featuring a soldier returning home from Afghanistan and providing a surprise for his mother, courtesy of the Greenville (NC) Drive, a Single A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox in the South Atlantic League.

Houston, we have a problem...

With the Cubs in rebuilding mode for at least this year and most likely through at least 2014, we here at Wait Til Next Century say we are going to miss the Houston Astros when Houston moves to the American League West next season. The 'Stros have stunk just enough to keep a very bad Cubs team (currently riding a six-game losing streak, which is one of many such streaks this year) out of last place. Last night, they provided yet another example of how bad things have been at Minute Maid Park:

Three Blind Mice...

Here's something you don't see every day: the DJ at a ballpark getting ejected from a game by the umpire.  This happened last night at the Cubs' minor league affiliate in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Zambrano vs. Dempster

Ryan Dempster

With the Major League Baseball trade deadline upon us at 3 p.m. CDT today, we likely will see Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster heading out of Chicago, likely to the Dodgers.

Dempster has been good for a woeful Cubs team, going 5-5 in 16 starts (mainly because of little run support), but holding a 2.25 ERA, including a 33-inning scoreless streak earlier this month. Since becoming a starter in 2008, he has been consistently steady for an unsteady Cubs team, including winning 17 games in 2008 and 15 in 2010. However, he likely is out of Chicago, joining Geovany Soto, who went to the Rangers last night, and Reed Johnson and Paul Maholm going to the Braves, all for prospects.

Carlos Zambrano

Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000 Radio this morning had an interesting question as they discussed Dempster's likely departure, and that is who was the better pitcher for the Cubs, Dempster or Carlos Zambrano.

Zambrano was pretty good during his 10 years at the Friendly Confines, winning 125 games before being traded to the Marlins after last season. He was known for his bouts of awesomeness, including a no-hitter against the Astros Sept. 14, 2008, in a game moved to Milwaukee's Miller Park due to Hurricane Ike hitting Houston. He won 16 games in 2004 and 2006 and 18 games for the NL Central title-winning Cubs in 2008. He also had a good bat for a pitcher.

However, he was also known for his temper and bouts of immaturity. He was suspended in 2010 after he had a tirade against then-teammate Derrek Lee, and last year, he was pretty much booted off the team in September after yet another meltdown. He was traded to the Marlins and equally fiery manager Ozzie Guillen, but that has not translated to success, going 5-9 so far this season. That has led to a demotion to the bullpen.

So here's the question: Who was the better pitcher for the Cubs: Ryan Dempster or Carlos Zambrano? Cast your votes now.

Cubs vs. Sox showdown

During what has been a long, torturous season for the Cubs, there have been few bright spots.

Sure, we saw Ryan Dempster have a 33-inning scoreless streak this past month. The Cubs also had a stretch where they won 15 of 20 games around the All Star break, a brief tease of respectability that ended with a sweep at the hands of the Cardinals last weekend by a combined score of 23-1, including a 12-0 loss last Saturday that saw the Cardinals score a team record 12 runs in the seventh inning.

Beyond that, the only bright spots, besides the promises from Theo Epstein for a brighter future, have been in commercials. We featured ex-Cubs Kerry Wood and Andre Dawson shilling State Farm Insurance recently. But there also have been these great spots by New Era with actor and Cubs fan Nick Offerman of "Parks and Recreation" and fellow actor and White Sox fan Craig Robinson ("The Office") squaring off.

Round 1 appeared in April at the beginning of the season.




Round 2, which premiered in May, had Robinson quizzing Offerman on how far he would go to end the Cubs' World Series drought.



Round 3, appearing for the first time a week or so, ago, have an ultimate staredown.




Unfortunately for the Cubs, the Sox got the better of them in the overall series, taking four of the six games they played, including sweeping the three at Wrigley Field in May. So continues the long season.

50 Shades of Nationals Grey...

Relief pitchers are notorious for being a little, shall we say, odd. A few members of the Washington Nationals' bullpen continued that tradition, reading the bestselling novel, "50 Shades of Grey."

What's in the ivy at Wrigley Field?

Wait Til Next Century returns with one of the few highlights of this long Cubs season, Kerry Wood and a surprise guest in this State Farm commercial.