tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51614053469671011122024-03-13T14:47:07.370-05:00Wait Til Next Century!Dedicated to the great teams of Chicago and beyondRobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-15554452290631345562012-10-10T11:35:00.000-05:002012-10-10T11:35:05.907-05:00Remembering Alex Karras (1935-2012)Alex Karras died this morning after battling kidney failure at the age of 77.<br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8_RKPGS2vwM" width="420"></iframe><br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-13402047118170232832012-10-04T16:53:00.001-05:002012-10-04T16:53:14.058-05:00Ready 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 <a href="http://waittilnextcentury.blogspot.com/2008/05/its-all-about-marketing.html" target="_blank">some fun ones</a> in recent years, and anything that promotes and remembers that sports are supposed to be fun and games is almost always a good thing.<br />
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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.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8MxnAICbWBU" width="560"></iframe>Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-8442228834521115492012-09-28T11:20:00.000-05:002012-09-28T11:22:25.162-05:00Save a couchOver 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 <a href="http://www.bloguin.com/crystalballrun/2012-articles/september/video-west-virginia-student-government-warns-don-t-burn-couches.html" target="_blank">Crystal Ball Run</a>, 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.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rlc4-8FeR24" width="560"></iframe><br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-31660884365932951292012-09-25T12:03:00.001-05:002012-09-25T12:03:44.651-05:00What if other professions had replacements?For those not in the know, the Packers, simply put, <a href="http://www.gifbin.com/f/981690" target="_blank">got robbed</a> last night.<br />
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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 <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=320924026" target="_blank">14-12 win</a>, with the NFL upholding the call in <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000066164/article/nfl-supports-decision-to-not-overturn-seahawks-touchdown" target="_blank">a statement</a> issued this morning.<br />
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To show they at least have a sense of humor about it, <a href="http://www.nbc26.com/" target="_blank">WGBA-TV</a>, NBC 26 in Green Bay brought out their "replacement weather guy" to do the weather forecast this morning.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/w4rP_KZnvaA" width="560"></iframe><br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-13970923900413697872012-09-24T04:00:00.000-05:002012-09-24T04:00:04.237-05:00Bears win, but work needs to be done<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oEEoqDfDU69TXUVZHfecLTMjByQuCbW3DH2AXKoVZf-lj3nSSdisyTGJ0rvhNa10l7_EMEIkiSXUZ7N-QT4xDTbJtdHUiiFFLKQZPbGA8ILw_zpx2glqEYJZQCLcSMYWBXxsr-2SpT8U/s1600/Bears-Rams+9-23-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oEEoqDfDU69TXUVZHfecLTMjByQuCbW3DH2AXKoVZf-lj3nSSdisyTGJ0rvhNa10l7_EMEIkiSXUZ7N-QT4xDTbJtdHUiiFFLKQZPbGA8ILw_zpx2glqEYJZQCLcSMYWBXxsr-2SpT8U/s320/Bears-Rams+9-23-12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: AP/Pantagraph</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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:<br />
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<strong>The good: </strong>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).<br />
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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.<br />
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<strong>The bad: </strong>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 <a href="http://www.csnchicago.com/football-chicago-bears/bears-talk/Lewis-Has-the-Mike-Martz-offense-returne?blockID=778131&feedID=10330&awid=7598320582274745852-914" target="_blank">Kip Lewis</a> 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.<br />
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<strong>The ugly: </strong>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.<br />
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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.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-41391909909974719432012-09-21T09:24:00.002-05:002012-09-21T09:24:21.268-05:00Cutler attacks hypocritical<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxJwvv90A3RC0Vnbc-pHglnR18zAGvX6T_0FMa7JXrmqJ6XLS3q1hyphenhyphen65RUtcnGSmnRvX-e24SaKkz4RPMn1gfndJjs0mqqOYq28AGjtdcr5bM8UHpBGbsH2MG-O7MDoN1Q-5gHFtHe8V-/s1600/jay-cutler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxJwvv90A3RC0Vnbc-pHglnR18zAGvX6T_0FMa7JXrmqJ6XLS3q1hyphenhyphen65RUtcnGSmnRvX-e24SaKkz4RPMn1gfndJjs0mqqOYq28AGjtdcr5bM8UHpBGbsH2MG-O7MDoN1Q-5gHFtHe8V-/s320/jay-cutler.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
The attacks on Bears QB Jay Cutler during the last week have been interesting at best and hypocritical at worst. <br />
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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.<br />
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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 <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/jay-cutler-chicago-bears-qb-will-never-be-the-superstar-he-thinks-he-is-091812" target="_blank">consider Cutler the latest of the bad QBs</a> the Bears have had since Sid Luckman, adding that Cutler will never be the superstar he thinks he is.<br />
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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. <br />
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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?<br />
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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 "<a href="http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/jay_cutler_proud_of_performance_vs_green_bay_packers/11758327" target="_blank">proud of his performance</a>" last week. However, let's look at that a little more closely.<br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-3144580757164281332012-09-19T15:42:00.001-05:002012-09-19T15:42:44.813-05:00Jay Cutler apathetic?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SD1_SZnpstbdUA8OgoGXkPxfkeJ6fciFfwxGU6LeLRlCtBLcEzTyiMceODKVtIUnwYQx_DOgzNIJ6ba0QrVdHmP3IMAoRVgiW9NZuLmObEZScLOfTgyrRCkFwWBhG-ehVehp_EKsT0RW/s1600/jay+cutler+smoking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SD1_SZnpstbdUA8OgoGXkPxfkeJ6fciFfwxGU6LeLRlCtBLcEzTyiMceODKVtIUnwYQx_DOgzNIJ6ba0QrVdHmP3IMAoRVgiW9NZuLmObEZScLOfTgyrRCkFwWBhG-ehVehp_EKsT0RW/s320/jay+cutler+smoking.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Smokinjaycutler.tumblr.com</td></tr>
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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 "<a href="http://smokinjaycutler.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Smokin' Jay Cutler</a>," showing Cutler in his, um, Photoshopped finest.<br />
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We'll have more on Cutler and the rest of the Bears soon.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-71315788317425867202012-09-19T05:00:00.000-05:002012-09-19T05:00:05.149-05:00Thank God it's almost over...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspHTUE__jcnD6ftHJGQssg8P59VtYhLjoQGX4IqnU9QcHRaJHXUaKO108l09_Rnt9yLjCYx29uegLM8rTHlvcKbcxeaqOWmf_5cpNePeVxhwD2uc0AwKNu7sCmixBLtZ21jzNh1riRxwN/s1600/empty-wrigley-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspHTUE__jcnD6ftHJGQssg8P59VtYhLjoQGX4IqnU9QcHRaJHXUaKO108l09_Rnt9yLjCYx29uegLM8rTHlvcKbcxeaqOWmf_5cpNePeVxhwD2uc0AwKNu7sCmixBLtZ21jzNh1riRxwN/s320/empty-wrigley-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: NBC Sports</td></tr>
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It's been a miserable year, at least if you're a Cubs fan.<br />
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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.<br />
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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 <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/recap?gameId=320918116&teams=cincinnati-reds-vs-chicago-cubs&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank">3-1 loss to the Reds</a>.<br />
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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 <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-0919-bits-cubs-reds-chicago--20120919,0,849409.story" target="_blank">the Chicago Tribune</a>. 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).<br />
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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.<br />
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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.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-77040627246343192472012-09-18T13:58:00.001-05:002012-09-18T13:58:51.710-05:00Remembering Steve Sabol (1942-2012)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rbRgopdne8CuG6fQ9XJU5NrUfuPpeQ47wVGoyNHUg2l4M4YMWS0zy4hOwc8MIED231h5VWj9MFE1ibzJ23NTszKUkVH6U4lwdi1ROqVHGYOUnlhFfTUha3f3GapXSmZ91MoIsILJb7_o/s1600/steve+sabol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rbRgopdne8CuG6fQ9XJU5NrUfuPpeQ47wVGoyNHUg2l4M4YMWS0zy4hOwc8MIED231h5VWj9MFE1ibzJ23NTszKUkVH6U4lwdi1ROqVHGYOUnlhFfTUha3f3GapXSmZ91MoIsILJb7_o/s320/steve+sabol.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: DailyInterview.net</td></tr>
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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<a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000063643/article/steve-sabol-president-of-nfl-films-dies" target="_blank"> died this morning of brain cancer</a>. He was 69 years old.<br />
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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.<br />
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Simply put, Steve Sabol will be missed.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-77283596835957742982012-09-12T21:37:00.000-05:002012-09-12T21:37:13.361-05:00Another 'This is SportsCenter' winnerFor 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 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8az6m8qgYeI" target="_blank">Y2K parody</a> featuring Charley Steiner the leading contender for the best one of the bunch).<br />
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Recently, they scored another winner, this time with football analyst John Clayton.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/USHZZ5bwASU" width="560"></iframe><br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-12385796206063058402012-09-05T04:00:00.000-05:002012-09-05T04:00:05.806-05:00Iowa fans party in ChicagoIowa 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 <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/site/newspaper/sports/ct-spt-0902-niu-iowa-football--20120902,0,5800344.story" target="_blank">an 18-17 win</a> over the Huskies, taking a 24-ounce beer bong in her fan before being driven off. (Thanks to SI.com's <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/extramustard/hotclicks/09/04/nfl-player-prop-bets-erika-medina/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_bf1_a3" target="_blank">Hot Clicks</a> for the link.)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BbSsK9UHB2Y" width="560"></iframe><br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-89092498244694350852012-09-04T11:03:00.001-05:002012-09-04T11:03:55.628-05:00Is Brian Urlacher ready?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTfy4mDRkZXI3NISvpv5lMfxfsOUP0ImSv7LXZ04ei976Py7Vs2d0kqJixHc2QJjJeE1X1I3w7UMXBmfwJNEBn6rb9NIg32xDn1psMb6-or6prs6GiIorCCN-H4Pe0mcij5-xyqlqpCPL/s1600/brian-urlacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTfy4mDRkZXI3NISvpv5lMfxfsOUP0ImSv7LXZ04ei976Py7Vs2d0kqJixHc2QJjJeE1X1I3w7UMXBmfwJNEBn6rb9NIg32xDn1psMb6-or6prs6GiIorCCN-H4Pe0mcij5-xyqlqpCPL/s320/brian-urlacher.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Sports Grind Entertainment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"It's nobody's business."<br />
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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.<br />
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Let's start with that speculation: Despite the argument of the Sun-Times' <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/sports/telander/14703613-452/cutting-brian-urlacher-a-real-option-for-bears.html" target="_blank">Rick Telander</a> 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-9527472343750076902012-08-31T11:10:00.000-05:002012-08-31T11:10:17.163-05:00The Bruce Lee bobblehead has no fear...This might arguably be the best promotion of the baseball season.<br />
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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.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="224" src="http://mlb.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=24328653&width=400&height=224&property=mlb" width="400">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe><br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-37540131130964399582012-08-24T12:15:00.001-05:002012-08-24T12:16:45.610-05:00Break 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 <a href="http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t428" target="_blank">Greenville (NC) Drive</a>, a Single A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox in the South Atlantic League.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?index=1&list=UU3UxJWrUACd2Hk4dMAQKOyw&hl=en_US" width="560"></iframe><br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-20970774213278161122012-08-07T14:36:00.000-05:002012-08-07T14:36:08.112-05:00Houston, 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:<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="254" src="http://mlb.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?width=400&height=254&content_id=23688849&property=mlb" width="400">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe>Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-74195494360949891162012-08-02T10:35:00.001-05:002012-08-02T10:35:16.555-05:00Three 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<a href="http://www.news-journalonline.com/sports/baseball/daytona-cubs/2012/08/02/cubs-win-4th-straight.html" target="_blank"> last night</a> at the Cubs' minor league affiliate in Daytona Beach, Fla.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hS0GrJoBBzs" width="420"></iframe>Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-59423547971435409872012-07-31T10:27:00.001-05:002012-07-31T10:33:56.754-05:00Zambrano vs. Dempster<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0k3RbiorPT9b9cQK425ZabSUFssLrorMVrSsHf48W9RqXUBSnpaPKp8TQ3ynygxcMirPQRKWs9HcqGYoF6q3Exl_z38kDgl-ReLkWE_qG4XnFpBvTQe2T4cRWWg2c-FQ8fDpDSY27o4s_/s1600/Ryan+Dempster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0k3RbiorPT9b9cQK425ZabSUFssLrorMVrSsHf48W9RqXUBSnpaPKp8TQ3ynygxcMirPQRKWs9HcqGYoF6q3Exl_z38kDgl-ReLkWE_qG4XnFpBvTQe2T4cRWWg2c-FQ8fDpDSY27o4s_/s200/Ryan+Dempster.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Dempster</td></tr>
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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. <br />
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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, <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-0731-cubs-pirates-chicago--20120731,0,6781039.story" target="_blank">all for prospects</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCx1NO_5jsdCxZFpwI1LPIVxvl5X0ckd-F5UyNmWGit8zefVMauNN0OrybYdbNhPOPhO9SFDe_6X6PfAYCB7R24yqhlDiOsBgiEMuqJSqWfmBC2EuFqd5kzautVK3_L8mtiaTvpDcofAy/s1600/Carlos+Zambrano.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCx1NO_5jsdCxZFpwI1LPIVxvl5X0ckd-F5UyNmWGit8zefVMauNN0OrybYdbNhPOPhO9SFDe_6X6PfAYCB7R24yqhlDiOsBgiEMuqJSqWfmBC2EuFqd5kzautVK3_L8mtiaTvpDcofAy/s200/Carlos+Zambrano.bmp" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carlos Zambrano</td></tr>
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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 <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8215894/miami-marlins-moving-carlos-zambrano-bullpen" target="_blank">demotion to the bullpen</a>.<br />
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So here's the question: Who was the better pitcher for the Cubs: Ryan Dempster or Carlos Zambrano? Cast your votes now.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-68044258699520011652012-07-31T05:00:00.000-05:002012-07-31T05:00:05.724-05:00Cubs vs. Sox showdownDuring what has been a long, torturous season for the Cubs, there have been few bright spots. <br />
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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.<br />
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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 <a href="http://waittilnextcentury.blogspot.com/2012/07/whats-in-ivy-at-wrigley-field.html" target="_blank">shilling State Farm Insurance</a> 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. <br />
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Round 1 appeared in April at the beginning of the season.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A63XjuA8u3U" width="560"></iframe>
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Round 2, which premiered in May, had Robinson quizzing Offerman on how far he would go to end the Cubs' World Series drought.<br />
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Round 3, appearing for the first time a week or so, ago, have an ultimate staredown.<br />
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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.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-30843633150701761582012-07-26T21:48:00.001-05:002012-07-26T21:52:39.438-05:0050 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."
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="254" src="http://mlb.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?width=400&height=254&content_id=23358021&property=mlb" width="400"><p><p>Your browser does not support iframes.</p></p></iframe>Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-30362636502455652042012-07-19T04:00:00.000-05:002012-07-19T15:27:10.817-05:00What'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.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ghITg_eq8Zo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-516586386496687032011-11-21T09:41:00.001-06:002011-11-21T10:03:55.309-06:00Winning can still happen"Tough break"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7mxn5FNAn_VPiCEkAOgz5bBatTvv7i2xAoh-2aUEqMCPx933A82U_JEKo4dM8jFw-M4wRjf3dBOTy5dhAykzOvmLWFFE_tcSk7y40irN8G5MZkQIqngAimHEJXRTpmMsDvH7OO9U_4Na/s1600/cutler4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7mxn5FNAn_VPiCEkAOgz5bBatTvv7i2xAoh-2aUEqMCPx933A82U_JEKo4dM8jFw-M4wRjf3dBOTy5dhAykzOvmLWFFE_tcSk7y40irN8G5MZkQIqngAimHEJXRTpmMsDvH7OO9U_4Na/s1600/cutler4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: NBCSports.com</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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That was the headline in both the Tribune and the Sun-Times this morning with <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-smith-confirms-cutler-thumb-fracture-unsure-on-status-20111121,0,6817938.story">news</a> that Bears QB Jay Cutler is likely out the rest of the regular season with a broken thumb on his throwing hand after breaking it making a tackle on an interception in the fourth quarter. It puts a damper on a season that has seen the Bears win their last five games and pull into likely the fifth seed in the playoffs as a wild card.<br />
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It kills the good mood Bears fans were in following the team' 31-20 win over the Chargers yesterday at Soldier Field. Cutler looked sharp in completing 18 of 32 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. He also managed to avoid getting sacked for only the second time in 30 games, according to ESPN.<br />
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But it was one of his few mistakes that did him, likely for the next six to eight weeks.<br />
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With the Bears driving, Cutler threw a pass meant for WR Johnny Knox, who slipped on the Soldier Field turf, that was picked off by Chargers DB Antoine Cason, who returned it 64 yards before he was knocked out of bounds. Cutler gave chase and caught up to Cason, but was knocked down by LB Donald Butler. However, the hustle allowed RB Matt Forte to knock Cason out of bounds, and the Chargers subsequently were not able to score.<br />
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That in itself was possibly the good news out of this mess, in that Cutler continued to rid people of that notion that he is not a tough quarterback as his hustle did enough to slow Cason to allow Forte to catch him. Add to the fact that Cutler finished the game with that thumb injury and he is doing plenty to erase doubts that have followed him following last year's NFC championship game when he was knocked out with a knee injury.<br />
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The Bears also still have hope for the final six games of the year as they enter them with a 7-3 record.<br />
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One, despite backup QB Caleb Hanie's relative inexperience, his major experience came from the pressure cooker that was that NFC title game, in which he completed 13 of 20 for 153 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. However, save for the two picks, and Hanie almost pulled off the impossible and got the Bears to the Super Bowl.<br />
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Two, the Bears have a favorable schedule. Yes, they have a tough road game this upcoming Sunday at an improving Oakland Raiders, and they still have to visit an undefeated Green Bay on Christmas night. But the other four games are very winnable (home games against Kansas City and Seattle, road games at Denver and Minnesota). If they win four of those games and even split them, they're likely in the playoffs.<br />
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Three, the Bears' formula for success centers on a good running game and a good defense. The defense looked a little shaky at times Sunday against the Chargers, with San Diego WR Vincent Jackson torching a defense ranked just above Green Bay and New England in pass defense for 165 yards and one touchdown on seven catches, but they have come through when it counts. Plus, for Forte in a year where he's trying to prove that he is worthy of a big contract, now is the time to put up or shut up, when the team needs him the most.<br />
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It can happen.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-17157316550912640692011-11-17T15:20:00.001-06:002011-11-17T15:42:37.378-06:00Who's the new Cubs manager?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKTA_nMYb4U2Zv27zgxuUjp_AAl1sudsKaRYtMhjMeN5PCo6mbiDKqgZhvMLx3-cRpVtmJ34MsNLmeYnM6yefogvpayVxYoRV8nidpf3gP1yTbMJfrjArxx_9iRCaTB0S02_8_WaJ3DGw/s1600/dale-sveum.p1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKTA_nMYb4U2Zv27zgxuUjp_AAl1sudsKaRYtMhjMeN5PCo6mbiDKqgZhvMLx3-cRpVtmJ34MsNLmeYnM6yefogvpayVxYoRV8nidpf3gP1yTbMJfrjArxx_9iRCaTB0S02_8_WaJ3DGw/s320/dale-sveum.p1.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Sports Illustrated</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Former Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox coach Dale Sveum will be named the new manager of the Chicago Cubs Friday morning, the <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-cubs-settle-on-sveum-20111117,0,7796597.story">Chicago Tribune reported</a> Thursday.<br />
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That ends a three-week search following the firing of Mike Quade after a disappointing 71-91 season in 2011, and is the latest Red Sox-related hiring by new team president Theo Epstein.<br />
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But who is Dale Sveum? A 12-year major league veteran who played for the Brewers among other teams, he has recently spent the last several years as the third-base coach for the Red Sox and the hitting coach for the Brewers. This followed a short, two-week stint as the Brewers' interim manager when they fired Ned Yost shortly before the end of the 2008 season, yet Sveum led Milwaukee to the playoffs. Staying on as hitting coach, <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/baseball/mlb/11/17/cubs.sveum.ap/index.html?sct=hp_t2_a9">he helped</a> Brewers players such as Prince Fielder and others lead the league with 185 home runs as they won the NL Central title.<br />
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However, can he manage? He beat out Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin, Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux, and Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr., all of whom interviewed for the job but none of whom has managed in the big leagues before. Former Red Sox skipper Terry Francona discussed the job with Epstein before deciding to take 2012 off after spending the last eight years in the pressure cooker that is Fenway Park, where he won two World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. But, as SI.com notes, he believes in advanced statistical analysis, something that Epstein and company have a strong belief in.<br />
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Sveum will have his hands full in turning around a club that slipped to 20 games below .500 just three years after winning its second straight NL Central title. He may get back pitcher Carlos Zambrano, whom Epstein said <a href="http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7236368/theo-epstein-give-carlos-zambrano-chance-earn-way-back-chicago-cubs">will be given</a> a good chance to return to Chicago after a tumultuous 2011 season that for him ended on Aug. 12 due to behavior issues. He will lose third baseman <a href="http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7235842/aramis-ramirez-back-chicago-cubs">Aramis Ramirez</a>, though. <br />
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On the plus side, Sveum's connections to Milwaukee could be enough to bring hotshot Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder to Wrigley Field. The Tribune reports that the Cubs are not likely to meet his salary demands, but the two sides are at least talking. Plus, there's always a chance they could snatch top pitcher <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-10457657">Mark Buehrle</a> away from the crosstown White Sox, though he is 33 years old and could potentially lose more of his 85-mph fastball during the course of any long-term deal.<br />
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Either way, the management of the Cubs appears to be set, and it's time to start focusing on who will actually take the field April 5 against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-75240831286021513922011-11-16T12:39:00.001-06:002011-11-16T13:08:48.530-06:00Review: "The Book of Basketball" by Bill Simmons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS2Fgc9wbcI1aWr3Skr55Zy8xp3jK9AFkWw4GJnRxHP9LO3iXQ3ovvw5ZzVKc51WRuzNr_CvOEkEqXwch-VXYjvOLrFhW4cH51ekrq8wRpyoUKFzDMCvGWgU8JrVlQKoWbwtsEDCT0U3s/s1600/book-of-basketball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS2Fgc9wbcI1aWr3Skr55Zy8xp3jK9AFkWw4GJnRxHP9LO3iXQ3ovvw5ZzVKc51WRuzNr_CvOEkEqXwch-VXYjvOLrFhW4cH51ekrq8wRpyoUKFzDMCvGWgU8JrVlQKoWbwtsEDCT0U3s/s320/book-of-basketball.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
"The Book of Basketball" by the Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, can be described as many things. Long. Thorough. Self-involved. A valentine to the sport of basketball and particularly, the Boston Celtics.<br />
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One thing you can't say about it, is it's boring. Sure, it's nearly 700 pages long (at least the hardcover version of it). It's filled with stats (and more stats). But if basketball stories, arguments about basketball and pop culture references are your thing, then Simmons does the job in his second book (following "Now I Can Die in Peace" about the 2004 Red Sox winning the World Series).<br />
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Let me give the good news about "The Book of Basketball" and the bad news.<br />
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First the good news:<br />
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It is loaded with stories about players going all back to the early 1950s, the early days of the NBA. It goes into detail about the experiences of players (such as how racism affected black players of that era like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson) and thoughts on what drove players. He includes several of his own experiences, including attending Celtics games with his father while growing up in the 1970s and sitting at a table next to a retired Michael Jordan and his entourage in Las Vegas (a great story). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYN38pUWyTgS8iL5SDEDMaHcdvAbc0yZyGTH9MtTFJLdnPkB2v_0VNp0rblaZ8Lk5f003iNErWChdMTat2orcCew8iNjN0kHgPaI3iQHCQkJCQX5SotH2TMp2h1DCTxipCG4NK0ilRLXDZ/s1600/simmons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYN38pUWyTgS8iL5SDEDMaHcdvAbc0yZyGTH9MtTFJLdnPkB2v_0VNp0rblaZ8Lk5f003iNErWChdMTat2orcCew8iNjN0kHgPaI3iQHCQkJCQX5SotH2TMp2h1DCTxipCG4NK0ilRLXDZ/s200/simmons.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
He also goes into great detail with his arguments on who he considers to be the 96 greatest NBA players of all time (The Pyramid, which covers nearly 400 pages of the book), and provides a great argument for nearly every one of them (not to be a spoiler, but he was smart enough to realize Michael Jordan was the greatest player in NBA history and let his love affair with Celtics great Larry Bird color his opinion).<br />
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There are also the footnotes, which is almost as good reading as the regular book. Some of them are pop culture references in which he compares players and teams to movie and television characters, others just aside stories. Most are fairly entertaining. <br />
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Then there's the bad news:<br />
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First, there's the length. Nearly 700 pages is long, too long. It took me nearly six weeks to get through it (Hey, I do have a life outside of this blog and reading, after all). Some of the book could be considered filler, such as much of his arguments for his choices for the great 96 (Eventually you just go, "Ok, Bill, you made your point.").<br />
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Then there's the editing. Scattered throughout the footnotes thoughts from his editor (whom he called "Grumpy Old Editor") whom Simmons allowed to provide his quick thoughts on different points (often showcasing a homerism for his favorite team, the New York Knicks). However, there were several errors throughout the manuscript that should have been caught, including one reference to Pistons great Isiah Thomas' comment that if Larry Bird had been black, he would have been just another good player (at one point, the book said Thomas said if Bird had been white). Another error/typo said Clyde Drexler played for the Pistons when he went up against Jordan and the Bulls in the 1992 NBA Finals (Drexler played for the Portland Trail Blazers). If "Grumpy Old Editor" had paid more attention to the editing rather than chiming in on the Knicks, these things likely would have been caught.<br />
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Finally, and not spoil a point, in his chapter on the greatest NBA teams of all time, he inexplicably listed the 1996 Bulls (owners of the record-breaking 72-10 record and a fourth NBA title in six seasons, starting another three-peat run) as the second-best team of all time behind the 1986 Boston Celtics. Yeah, the 1986 Celtics were great, and had some great players (Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Bill Walton, etc.), but they don't match up with the owners of the team with the best record in NBA history, one that began with a 41-3 run to start the year. This was the example of his homerism showing (but then again, maybe that was the point of the section, to continue that argument of what was the best team in NBA history, and maybe this is MY homerism showing).<br />
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Overall, a good effort on Simmons' part. It has been said that a writer should write on what they know and what they love, and it is clear that Simmons did just that in "The Book of Basketball." Plus, with the news that the start of the 2011-12 NBA season has been pushed back to at least December 15 thanks to the continuing lockout, this may be the closest we get to NBA basketball outside of rebroadcasts of classic games for a while.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-73913489590271114102011-11-10T03:00:00.000-06:002011-11-10T03:00:04.823-06:00Paterno reputation tarnished by scandal<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqLbyBCIZm19vAiCsUAdHHSMaTq7Zb8qgyLKhKM2Pq63wa2ZzfuHP8i8EIgyK2QnVjyhj7kfYo61eVACN4Mc4NfepX71nbDl4_TH1WrPTMb3bZuBKyvJ0xW5HhicU0MYG3tVOFhh3vbnm/s1600/coach-joe-paterno-picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqLbyBCIZm19vAiCsUAdHHSMaTq7Zb8qgyLKhKM2Pq63wa2ZzfuHP8i8EIgyK2QnVjyhj7kfYo61eVACN4Mc4NfepX71nbDl4_TH1WrPTMb3bZuBKyvJ0xW5HhicU0MYG3tVOFhh3vbnm/s320/coach-joe-paterno-picture.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: AP</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Last night, long-time Penn State football coach <a href="http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7214380/joe-paterno-president-graham-spanier-penn-state">Joe Paterno was fired</a> amidst allegations that one of his former assistant coaches sexually
abused at least eight boys.</div>
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Paterno’s ouster as coach comes amidst a house-cleaning at
Penn State that also claimed the job of the university’s president, Graham
Spanier, who also was fired yesterday, and athletic director Tim Curley, who
resigned last week. Curley also has been charged with perjury in an alleged
university-wide cover-up of the allegations that Jerry Sandusky, who was Penn
State’s defensive coordinator from 1977 to 1999, molested at least eight boys
who came through his organization for at-risk boys, <a href="http://www.thesecondmile.org/welcome.php">The Second Mile</a>, between 1994
and 2009. One of the alleged incidents allegedly took place in the football
team locker room, and was allegedly witnessed by a staff member, according to
reports.</div>
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Needless to say, this tarnishes the great record of Paterno,
who we were just celebrating on Oct. 29 when he notched his 409th career win
with a 10-7 victory over Illinois. Paterno and Penn State football are
virtually synonymous, with “JoePa” having been a coach at the school since 1950
and its head coach since 1966. He had a great record and an even greater
reputation, maintaining a clean program free of NCAA violations that came to
haunt other big-time college football programs throughout his tenure.</div>
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However, Paterno, 84, needed to go as this scandal grew.
While he has yet to be charged with any criminal wrong-doing in the case, what
he knew and when he knew it casts a huge shadow over his legacy. According to
reports, he told Curley about an alleged incident in the Penn State locker room
in 2002, but then did nothing else.</div>
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That in itself could possibly be defended if he was
confident that that Curley or some higher-up would do something about it, like
call the police. However, he apparently let it lie, and that cannot be allowed
to stand, as the head of the program.</div>
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Sadly, Paterno also was more concerned about helping Penn
State University than the alleged victims. In a <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5geHgkACMhvf8Su2BjGRzqHr2jHHA?docId=1988a3fec0424e21a81a15c868ce7956">statement</a> released Wednesday on
his retirement before the news broke that he was fired, he called the scandal a
“tragedy” and “one of the great sorrows of my life,” adding he wished he had
done more. </div>
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However, the end of the statement was more telling to me and others:</div>
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“My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and
staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will
spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.”</div>
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It's a sad end to a career tarnished by a story that continues to get sadder as it grows.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161405346967101112.post-56486496432406235732011-11-09T03:00:00.000-06:002012-07-26T22:36:08.209-05:0010 notable basketball movies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddjhj1XS3MJ9dLWFxZuBKM2bbp_bnC7j1OolcczXnoFRebkhQAO9fqk8D-sMhRN4IqgWuqUlDj1LhJPBQbFEA5cmKI-NgUunQ4GG551u9qtdw8cc4KwO5lFmCjqiwXkl4KGmqhA1nvQX0/s1600/nba-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddjhj1XS3MJ9dLWFxZuBKM2bbp_bnC7j1OolcczXnoFRebkhQAO9fqk8D-sMhRN4IqgWuqUlDj1LhJPBQbFEA5cmKI-NgUunQ4GG551u9qtdw8cc4KwO5lFmCjqiwXkl4KGmqhA1nvQX0/s200/nba-logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Today, we should find out whether NBA players will accept or reject a proposal from owners on splitting revenue roughly 50-50. At this time, it is seemingly more and more likely that the players will reject this, with Commissioner David Stern likely canceling more games past the start of December to at least 2012 (and possibly beyond).<br />
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That will leave us with three options for getting our basketball fix this winter: college hoops (not a horrible option), watching old NBA games on NBA TV and ESPN Classic, or watching movies on basketball.<br />
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While there are not as many good basketball movies (as a matter of fact, this list will include some bad ones, in this writer's humble opinion), we do have a few we can look at. Please note this: I know there will be a few good omissions such as "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njLUPZr4DeU">He Got Game</a>" and "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziT9MlQjDjM&feature=related">Finding Forrester</a>." mainly because I have yet to see them (They are on my movie bucket list). But these are films I can say something about.<br />
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So here are the top 10 notable movies, from worst to first (with Honorable mention to "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHuq1QDXqqc">Bad As I Wanna Be: The Dennis Rodman Story</a>"):<br />
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<b>10. Space Jam (1996)</b><br />
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What to say about a film starring my favorite basketball player of all time in Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny and friends, all childhood heroes of mine?<br />
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Basically, looking back on it, too sweet. WAY too sweet. The whole flick was in essence an act of worship for Jordan. It starts off with him playing baseball for the minor league Birmingham Barons, with the crowds adoring him and a team assistant (Wayne Knight) waiting on him hand and foot like the good little suck-up he is. But then he is sucked into a game in the cartoon to save Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and friends from aliens who want to enslave them. As if that isn't enough, and not to give the ending, the game plays a role in his deciding to give up the baseball career and return to the NBA and the Chicago Bulls. Yeah right.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xFwXDN3sI8g" width="560"></iframe>
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<b>9. Teen Wolf (1985)</b><br />
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Premise: Geek is hated in school, then turns into a werewolf. Now the hairiest students in school, he becomes the big man on campus, starring on the basketball team. The end is even more improbable.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fbIerQkXm_k" width="560"></iframe>
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<b>8. Glory Road (2006)</b><br />
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The story of Texas Western University (now University of Texas-El Paso) basketball coach Don Haskins who started the first all-black line-up against an all-white Kentucky team and wins the 1966 NCAA title. Good info, but drags in place.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fvsICT_HLfY" width="560"></iframe>
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<b>7. White Men Can't Jump (1992)</b><br />
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Starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson at the height of their careers, this is a generational icon mainly because of the title.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g4aNy-3n1GU" width="420"></iframe>
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<b>6. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979)</b><br />
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One word for this flick featuring Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Afros. Cool afros.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yVdbYX3MtlY" width="420"></iframe>
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<b>5. Blue Chips (1994)</b><br />
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Nick Nolte shines in this story of a major college basketball coach who gets tangled up in a recruiting scandal as the pressure to win at all costs mounts. Features Shaquille O'Neal stretching his thespian skills (aw, who am I kidding?) along with other notable players.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/U4c5Ch6CDcs" width="420"></iframe>
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<b>4. Eddie (1996)</b><br />
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Whoopi Goldberg makes this movie along with former NBA players John Salley and Malik Sealy about a mega-Knicks fan becoming their coach. While entertaining, it is hard to look past the ultimate improbability (as in never going to happen) of a) a fan coming down from the stands to become the head coach of an NBA team, and b) the Knicks EVER being allowed to even to think about leaving New York for a smaller market like St. Louis.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/488ZxKscbbA" width="420"></iframe>
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<b>3. Above the Rim (1994)</b><br />
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I went into this one thinking it was going to be the same thing we had been seeing in terms of these gangbanger movies in that era (see "Boyz N The Hood," "Menace II Society), especially with rapper Tupac Shakur as one of the stars. However, this was way better than I thought, with Duane Martin as a high school basketball star in the projects of Chicago torn between two brothers, one a drug dealer and the one a former basketball player who is now a security guard.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/etBTX4vdTiQ" width="420"></iframe>
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<b>2. Coach Carter (2005)</b><br />
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Samuel L. Jackson is fantastic in the true story of high school basketball coach Ken Carter, who made news in 1999 when he benched his entire team (undefeated at the time) for not doing well in the classroom. <br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nOFhHEepF4s" width="560"></iframe>
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<b>1. Hoosiers (1986)</b><br />
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It was a toss-up between "Coach Carter" and "Hoosiers" for the number one slot. "Hoosiers" gets it only for longevity and the emotional impact that it has left on a generation of basketball fans.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8F4LFZ6SlPQ" width="560"></iframe>Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040340076834125517noreply@blogger.com0