Super Bowl Results: List of Super Bowl Winners and Losers By Year

January 25, 2009 By 8 Comments
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Super Bowl Results | List of Super Bowl Winners and LosersEarlier today, we gave you a detailed table of the teams with the most Super Bowl wins in history, and the teams with the most losses. In this post, we take you year-by-year through the history of Super Bowl results with a list of Super Bowl winners and losers by year.

As I was creating this table of Super Bowl results, there were a couple of things that stood out; things I knew, but didn’t necessarily realize right off the top of my head.




  1. Minnesota and Denver have both lost 4 Super Bowls. We always think about the Buffalo Bills as the biggest losers in history, because they lost four in a row; but Minnesota and Denver have struggled as well. At least Denver got a few after losing four in a row.
  2. The Super Bowl has been dominated by about half of the teams in the NFL, with a bunch of other teams (that Atlantas, San Diegos, Cincinnatis, etc) fighting for table scraps.
  3. If there is a Super Bowl that doesn’t include Pittsburgh or Dallas, it’s a suprise. Goodness. Counting this year, the two teams will have combined for 15 appearances and 11 titles (if Pittsburgh beats Arizona.)

Anyway, here is the table of Super Bowl results, with a list of Super Bowl winners and losers by year

Super Bowl Results: All-Time List of Super Bowl Winners and Losers

SB# Year City Winner Loser Score
Super Bowl 1 1967 Los Angeles Green Bay Packers Kansas City Chiefs 35-10
Super Bowl 2 1968 Miami Green Bay Packers Oakland Raiders 33-14
Super Bowl 3 1969 Miami New York Jets Baltimore Colts 16-7
Super Bowl 4 1970 New Orleans Kansas City Chiefs Minnesota Vikings 23-7
Super Bowl 5 1971 Miami Baltimore Colts Dallas Cowboys 16-13
Super Bowl 6 1972 New Orleans Dallas Cowboys Miami Dolphins 24-3
Super Bowl 7 1973 Los Angeles Miami Dolphins Washington Redskins 14-7
Super Bowl 8 1974 Houston Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings 24-7
Super Bowl 9 1975 New Orleans Pittsburgh Steelers Minnesota Vikings 16-6
Super Bowl 10 1976 Miami Pittsburgh Steelers Dallas Cowboys 21-17
Super Bowl 11 1977 Pasadena Oakland Raiders Minnesota Vikings 32-14
Super Bowl 12 1978 New Orleans Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos 27-10
Super Bowl 13 1979 Miami Pittsburgh Steelers Dallas Cowboys 35-31
Super Bowl 14 1980 Pasadena Pittsburgh Steelers Los Angeles Rams 31-19
Super Bowl 15 1981 New Orleans Oakland Raiders Philadelphia Ealges 27-10
Super Bowl 16 1982 Pontiac, MI San Francisco 49ers Cincinnati Bengals 26-21
Super Bowl 17 1983 Pasadena Washington Redskins Miami Dolphins 27-17
Super Bowl 18 1984 Tampa Los Angeles Raiders Washington Redskins 38-9
Super Bowl 19 1985 Stanford, CA San Francisco 49ers Miami Dolphins 38-16
Super Bowl 20 1986 New Orleans Chicago Bears New England Patriots 46-10
Super Bowl 21 1987 Pasadena New York Giants Denver Broncos 39-20
Super Bowl 22 1988 San Diego Washington Redskins Denver Broncos 42-10
Super Bowl 23 1989 Miami San Francisco 49ers Cincinnati Bengals 20-16
Super Bowl 24 1990 New orleans San Francisco 49ers Denver Broncos 55-10
Super Bowl 25 1991 Tampa New York Giants Buffalo Bills 20-19
Super Bowl 26 1992 Minneapolis Washington Redskins Buffalo Bills 37-24
Super Bowl 27 1993 Pasadena Dallas Cowboys Buffalo Bills 52-17
Super Bowl 28 1994 Atlanta Dallas Cowboys Buffalo Bills 30-13
Super Bowl 29 1995 Miami San Francisco 49ers San Diego Chargers 49-26
Super Bowl 30 1996 Tempe Dallas Cowboys Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17
Super Bowl 31 1997 New Orleans Green Bay Packers New England Patriots 25-21
Super Bowl 32 1998 San Diego Denver Broncos Green Bay Packers 31-24
Super Bowl 33 1999 Miami Denver Broncos Atlanta Falcons 34-19
Super Bowl 34 2000 Atlanta St. Louis Rams Tennessee Titans 23-16
Super Bowl 35 2001 Tampa Baltimore Ravens New York Giants 34-7
Super Bowl 36 2002 New Orleans New England Patriots St. Louis Rams 20-17
Super Bowl 37 2003 San Diego Tampa Bay Buccaneers Oakland Raiders 48-21
Super Bowl 38 2004 Houston New England Patriots Carolina Panthers 32-29
Super Bowl 39 2005 Jacksonville New England Patriots Philadelphia Eagles 24-21
Super Bowl 40 2006 Detroit Pittsburgh Steelers Seattle Seahawks 21-10
Super Bowl 41 2007 Miami Indianapolis Colts Chicago Bears 29-17
Super Bowl 42 2008 Glendale, AZ New York Giants New England Patriots 17-14
Super Bowl 43 2009 Tampa Pittsburgh Steelers Arizona Cardinals 27-23
Super Bowl 44 2010 Miami New Orleans Saints Indianapolis Colts 31-17
Super Bowl 45 2011 Arlington, TX      
Super Bowl 46 2012 Indianapolis      


Filed Under: NFL Tagged With: NFL, super bowl

2009 NFL Draft Order

January 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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2009 NFL Draft Order | NFL Draft Order Rules and Tie-BreakersWaking up on the Sunday before the Super Bowl always feels weird.

Throughout the season and playoffs you get so used to waking up with the anticipation of great football to watch later that afternoon. On the Sunday before the Super Bowl, however…nothing.

But at least we still have the anticipation of the Super Bowl to hold onto. After next weekend, another great NFL season is over and the long offseason wait begins.

The highlight of the offseason, of course, is the NFL Draft. We have to wait until April for the NFL Draft, but we can take a look ahead right now with the 2009 NFL Draft Order. The Lions and Eagles both have two first round picks, while the Cowboys and Panthers do not have a first round pick.

(Follow the link to see the complete list of underclassmen leaving college early for the NFL Draft.)

And now, a quick rundown of the 2009 NFL Draft Order:




2009 NFL Draft 1st Round Order

Pick Team Record
1 Detroit Lions 0-16
2 St. Louis Rams 2-14
3 Kansas City Chiefs 2-14
4 Seattle Seahawks 4-12
5 Cleveland Browns 4-12
6 Cincinnati Bengals 4-11-1
7 Oakland Raiders 5-11
8 Jacksonville Jaguars 5-11
9 Green Bay Packers 6-10
10 San Francisco 49ers 7-9
11 Buffalo Bills 7-9
12 Denver Broncos 8-8
13 Washington Redskins 8-8
14 New Orleans Saints 8-8
15 Houston Texans 8-8
16 San Diego Chargers 8-8
17 New York Jets 9-7
18 Denver Broncos (from Chicago) 8-8
19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-7
20 Detroit Lions (from Dallas) 0-16
21 Philadelphia Eagles 9-6-1
22 Minnesota Vikings 10-6
23 New England Patriots 11-5
24 Atlanta Falcons 11-5
25 Miami Dolphins 11-5
26 Baltimore Ravens 11-5
27 Indianapolis Colts 12-4
28 Buffalo Bills (from Philadelphia Eagles, originally from Carolina) 9-6-1
29 New York Giants 12-4
30 Tennessee Titans 13-3
31* Arizona Cardinals 9-7
32* Pittsburgh Steelers 12-4

* – Picks 31 and 32 of the 2009 NFL Draft Order will be determined by the Super Bowl.

And a quick rundown of how the NFL Draft Order is determined:

  • The Super Bowl winner drafts last, while the Super Bowl runner-up drafts second to last.
  • Team are placed in the NFL Draft Order from worst winning percentage to best.
  • The playoffs are used as a tie-breaker for teams with the same winning percentage. Teams that do not make the playoffs pick before teams that do.
  • Strength of schedule is the next tie-breaker.
  • Divisional and conference records are the next tie-breakers.
  • The final tie-breaker is a coin toss.

Filed Under: Featured Column, NFL Tagged With: NFL, nfl draft

Chicago Cubs: 2009 Spring Training Non-Roster Invitee Breakdown – Hitters

January 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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Chicago Cubs 2009 Non-Roster Invitee HittersYesterday, I wrote about the 2009 Non-Roster Invitee pitchers and today I am concluding with the position players, categorized as either suspect or prospect.

Here is the list of NRI hitters:

C Mark Johnson
C Welington Castillo
C Steve Clevenger
SS Darwin Barney
SS Andres Blanco
SS/3B Erick Almonte
2B/SS Luis Rivas
2B/3B Bobby Scales
OF Doug Deeds
OF Jason Dubois
OF So Taguchi

C-Mark Johnson-The 33-year old former 1st round pick of the Chicago White Sox. He is a suspect that is likely competing for a spot at Iowa’s AAA roster alongside Tony Richie if Koyie Hill ends up as Soto’s back-up. Johnson won’t hit for average or power as he lacks bat speed, as one of the best eyes in the minors, decent arm strength, and pitchers generally like pitching to him.

C-Welington Castillo-Definite prospect. Baseball America has him ranked #5 in their 2009 Baseball Handbook (which is always a must buy for any baseball fan) and it appears he made strides offensively since last seen at Peoria. With that said, I’m not as sold on him even though it was two years ago. He does have a strong arm, but I wasn’t impressed with his footwork as his pop time to 2B was league average around 1.95 seconds from home to 2B and did not show good mobility behind the plate, appearing to get lazy at times. Offensively, he showed fair bat speed and an ability to hit to all fields. I doubt he’ll ever be a hitter that will hit for a high average or much power, his ceiling is that of a starting major league catcher, but I think he is more likely to end up in the Henry Blanco mold of back-up catchers.

C-Steve Clevenger-Prospect. Right now, he is behind Castillo as the 2nd best C in the organization. Depending on whether or not you consider Sam Fuld a prospect, Clevenger has the best approach and eye of any Cubs minor leaguer and his ability to improve defensively will determine whether or not he can continue his climb through the minors. He swings a level bat with great contact spraying the ball to all fields and lacks power. If he progresses defensively, he can become an everyday catcher or he might mold into a Tyler Houston type of role with the ability to both C and play the infield as a reserve.

SS-Darwin Barney-Prospect. A 4th round pick out of Oregon St., Darwin Barney reminds of Ryan Theriot in some ways. I don’t think he has the bat of Theriot but is very similar as far as having tools to carry him through the minors without any of them standing out much. Barney’s best tool is his hands as he fields the ball extremely clean with fair range and average to slightly below average arm strength.  He is extremely instinctive in the field. Offensively, he struggles to center the ball and will not hit for power, this will likely put him as a projected utility player brought in for defensive purposes. As a baserunner, he has average running speed and good instincts on the basepaths. I wasn’t a fan of the drafting of Theriot out of LSU in 2001 as a 3rd round pick and I was wrong.  Hopefully I will be wrong about Barney as well given that 4th round picks shouldn’t be used on marginal players.

SS-Andres Blanco-Suspect. Blanco is a 24 year old SS who spent his first 7 years with KC after being singed as a free agent by the Cubs last year. One of the more spectacular fielding shortstops around with a strong arm and good range, his ability to field is overshadowed by his bat. Offensively, there’s not much there as he’s not physically strong enough to generate any bat speed or center the ball. I don’t see him beating out Matt Camp or Matt Matulia at Iowa for the SS spot.

SS-Erick Almonte-Suspect. Soon to be 31-year old SS has spent the majority of his career with the Yankees and played with Detroit at AAA last year. He shows decent pull power, won’t hit for a high average, has decent hands and arm strength. Like Ronny Cedeno, he will get careless on routine plays.

2B/SS-Luis Rivas-Suspect. Former top prospect of the Twins who, as a career major league back-up, has amassed well over 2000 major league ABs. His best year was probably in 2001 when hit .266/.319/.362 and stole over 30 bases. He is a plus defender in all areas (arm, hands, and range) but at the plate he doesn’t for power since he isn’t particularly strong and will strike out too often for someone who doesn’t drive the ball.

2B/3B-Bobby Scales-Suspect. 31-year old 2B/3B who played at Iowa last year and hit .320 with 15HRs. Scales is one of the guys that you always root for, one of the nicer guys in all of baseball, and he is someone that hasn’t had that call-up yet. He is undersized with good hands, not a strong arm with decent range, generates power his good bat speed, and an average runner. Personally, I know the odds of him making the 25 man roster aren’t very good and that he’ll likely go to Iowa and fight for a roster spot, but he’s the one that I am hoping makes the biggest impression down in Mesa.

OF-Doug Deeds-Suspect-26 year old RF who has a nice short compact stroke from the left side, who doesn’t generate enough power to play at the corners at the major league level. Defensively, he has a strong and accurate arm with good instincts but is a slightly below average runner.

OF-Jason Dubois-Former Cubs prospect who has bounced around a few times since leaving the Cubs. One of the stronger guys in the game who when he centers the ball will send it a long ways. He is built like a Mack truck at 6’5” 230LBs of mostly muscle and with that strength comes the flaws in his game. Mechanically, his swing is long and rigid and he lacks the speed, range, and mobility of a decent OF’er despite the strong arm. Dubois is likely to return to Iowa to destroy the thin Pacific Coast League air.

OF-So Taguchi-39 yo. former Cardinal, and Phillies OF’er who is unlikely to beat out Gathright for that 5th OF’er and more likely in Mesa being a confidant for Fukudome. Fundamentally sound CF’er who can hit lefties at a decent clip, won’t hit for power or draw many BBs.


Filed Under: Featured Column, MLB, Uncategorized Tagged With: chicago cubs, spring training 2009

Browns Banter: Mangini Paints Over Browns Legend Mural While We Await Official Word on Kokinis

January 24, 2009 By 4 Comments
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Browns Banter: Mangini Paints Over Browns Legend MuralCleveland Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini allegedly conspired to deface a depiction of the Browns proud tradition by ordering a mural of Hall of Famers painted over, thus driving a stake through the heart of true Browns fans.

The mural, located inside the team practice facility in Berea, featured Browns members voted into the Football Hall of Fame in Canton including: running backs Jim Brown, Leroy Kelley and Marion Motley; quarterback Otto Graham; and wide receivers Ozzie Newsome, Paul Warfield and” Glue Fingers” Dante Lavelli, who died earlier this week at the age of 85.

As a second-generation Browns fan, I’m glad I was not ordered to smack a paint brush over the face of Jim Brown. I could not have done it.

“I guess Coach Mangini just didn’t like the way the wall looked,” said Patrick McMannamon, beat reporter for the Akron Beacon-Journal, who wrote about the whitewash for ohio.com. On Friday, McMannamon told Tony Rizzo, host of “The Really Big Show”, WKNR AM-850 that he noticed the new paint job earlier this week.

There must be a reasonable explanation, Rizzo opined. (Besides Mangini showing a latent interest in interior decorating, that is.)

A media source close to the Browns organization confirmed it.

Mangini feels the Browns are not living up to its tradition and wants to start anew, the source said.
Since “coming back” in 1999, the Browns have lacked its own unique identity. Browns gear and clothing are embossed with the Brownie sprite logo reminiscent of its heyday in the 1950s and ‘60s, to the Kardiac Kids moniker orchestrated by quarterback Brian Sipe in 1980 to the “Big Dawg” mascot inspired by defensive linebackers such as Frank Minnifield and Hanford Dixon in the late 1980s to early ‘90s in the Bernie Kosar era.

The solid orange helmet – the only lid in the NFL minus a team logo – has been the most outward symbol of the no-frills, just-football philosophy since the Browns joined the NFL in 1950.
The Browns have struggled with its wardrobe, from the traditional all-white uniforms at home and the brown jerseys away, to the garish orange jerseys and the god-awful skin-tight black pants, abandoned after wearing only once in 2007 after a loss. (It looks as if the Browns donated those black tights to the Baltimore Ravens, who had quite a run in those pants before getting tripped up by Pittsburgh in the AFC cBrowns Owner Randy Lernerhampionship game, Jan. 17.)

Local sportswriters and broadcasters have been critical of Browns owner Randy Lerner for failing to establish a Browns culture from the top down. Lerner, an oft-absent owner who inherited the team from his father, Al Lerner, is a successful businessman with offices in New York and a pad in London to keep his eye on his Aston-Villa futbol club.

Some say Lerner should be in Berea, sleeves rolled up and nose in college rosters. But Lerner is no Jerry Jones. He hires the head coach and general manager – then hands over the reins.

While Mangini has begun to erase the old, he is also setting the stage for a new era under Brady Quinn who holds the fate of Mangini and the Browns in his hands. Let’s hope Quinn will play better than Mangini’s last quarterback for the New York Jets — Brett Farve, who ended a promising season in injury and interceptions.
I
f not, Mangini could be out of the door, Quinn on the trading block and Browns fans facing yet another cold and grey winter.

Kokinis, MIA?

While the Cleveland media has promised the announcement of George Kokinis as general manager, as of Friday afterGeorge Kokinis - Browns GMnoon no word had come from the Browns. Kokinis, a personal friend of Mangini’s, has already been spotted in Berea, hanging out with Eric at the Browns headquarters, despite still being formally employed by the Baltimore Ratbirds.

After Pittsburgh beat Baltimore in last week’s AFC championship game, (stop gloating, Mr. MNRC), Kokinis wasted little time cleaning out his desk and heading to Cleveland, according to The Plain Dealer’s Tony Gross.

Mangini added five assistants, four of whom were also on the New York Jets staff for three years. The new hires are Bryan Cox (defensive line), Jerome Henderson (defensive backs), Andy Dickerson (defensive quality control) and Rick Lyle (assistant strength and conditioning).

The fifth coach, quarterbacks coach Carl Smith, actually first showed to coach the quarterbacks under former Head Coach Butch Davis from 2001-03. Smith left the Browns in 2004 to join Pete Carroll’s powerhouse at Southern California as quarterbacks coach. The past two seasons Smith was offensive coordinator at Jacksonville.

“These men are outstanding teachers and their energy and expertise will have an immediate impact on our team,” Mangini said in a press release.

Cox, a 12-year NFL linebacker, joined Mangini’s Jets in 2006, while Henderson, who played eight years in the NFL as a defensive back, joined the Jets in 2006 as director of player development, and moved into coaching the following year.

Dickerson began with New England in 2004 and then followed Mangini to the Jets in ’06.

Lyle, one of coach Bill Belichick’s favorite players with three teams (Cleveland, Jets and New England), also followed Mangini to New York in ’06, according to The Plaind Dealer. He doubled as the team’s nutrition coordinator.

These additions raised to eight the number of assistants hired by Mangini. He previously named his coordinators, Brian Daboll (offense), Rob Ryan (defense) and Brad Seely (special teams).

Vacancies remain at linebacker, offensive line, receiver, running back, tight end and perhaps a few more quality control positions.

No word yet whether Mangini has called for more painters.


Filed Under: Featured Column, NFL Tagged With: Cleveland Browns, eric mangini, randy lerner

LOTD: Randy Lerner and Dante Lavelli on Opposite Ends of Cleveland Browns Spectrum

January 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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Randy LernerBusy day at work today, so I will have to make this a quick one, but I really wanted to direct your attention towards one of the best Cleveland Brown sites out there: ClevelandFrowns.com. They posted a great article yesterday that details the contrasts between current Browns owner Randy Lerner and former Browns WR Dante Lavelli, who recently passed away.

Here is the intro, which perfectly encapsulates how many Browns fans feel right now:

Today we offer a juxtaposition of three bits of Browns-related news that might result in something of an emotional roller coaster ride for folks who care about the team. We start with complete helplessness, move on to depression, then wistful remembrance, to hope, before returning to the depths where Browns fans have grown accustomed to dwelling.

An excerpt, from the section about Lerner, which itself includes an excerpt from an interview Lerner gave recently (in italics):

“Are the football teams really satisfying him creatively, I wonder? ‘That’s a good question,’ he says with an expression that suggests the internal answer is another screaming and heartfelt ‘NO!’ [NO F*CKING SH*T!!! F*CKF*CKF*CK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!] It might actually be an excellent moment to send him a begging letter.” [YES! YOU SEND ONE TOO! PLEASE HELP US GET OUR BROWNS BACK FROM THIS GUY! F**************************************CK!!!!]

Now, an excerpt from the section about Lavelli:

Lavelli exemplified the greatness that the Browns once represented, and his memory provides a stark reminder of how far this franchise has fallen in the custody of the Lerner family.

And now, we send you theie way. Head over to ClevelandFrowns.com and read the full article. Sure, it may make you even more depressed to be a Browns fan — or it will give you pleasure if you are a Steelers or Ravens fan — but we might as well not hide from the truth: the Browns are an organization in complete disarray and it definitely starts at the top.

LOTD: Cleveland Frowns: Randy Lerner and Dante Lavelli (1923-2009): A Study in Contrasts, In Orange and Brown

And now some more links for you on a beautiful Friday morning here in sunny Dallas, Texas. (And while I do not wish for weather in the teens, it is January — it shouldn’t be 70 degrees outside. I am nothing if not a true Midwesterner. Where is the chill in the air? I have t admit I kinda miss it…)

What is front office end game for the Browns? — (Orange & Brown Report)

Michael Curry going with small ball in Detroit — (Hardcore Detroit Fan)

Recent Browns Lay-offs blamed on the economy — (WFNY)

Pretty sweet double alley-oop in a basketball game — (Black Sports Online)…and for the record, I don’t think you’d ever see similar video on White Sports Online, if such a site existed. Just saying…

Forbes 2009 Most Valuable Franchises breakdown — (The World According to MoonDog)

Chaos ensues in the Big Ten — (Off the Tracks)


Filed Under: Featured Column, NFL Tagged With: Cleveland Browns, links, randy lerner

Chicago Cubs: Breaking Down the 2009 Spring Training Non-Roster Invitee List: Part I – Pitchers

January 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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Chicago Cubs 2009 Spring Training Non-Roster InviteesEach year the Cubs will invite 20 or so players that are not included on the 40 man roster who will participate in Spring Training with the Major leaguers, the Cubs also conduct a minor league as well at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ. I will break these down these NRIs into prospect and suspect categories as well as the possibility of them making the 25 man roster out of camp.

Here is the complete list of the Chicago Cubs non-roster invitees to Spring Training 2009:

LHP Ed Campusano
RHP Andrew Cashner
RHP Esmailin Caridad
RHP Angel Castro
RHP Chad Fox
RHP Ken Kadokura
LHP J.R. Mathes
RHP Rocky Roquet
LHP Matt Smith
LHP Jason Waddell
LHP Bill White

C Mark Johnson
C Welington Castillo
C Steve Clevenger
SS Darwin Barney
SS Andres Blanco
SS/3B Erick Almonte
2B/SS Luis Rivas
2B/3B Bobby Scales
OF Doug Deeds
OF Jason Dubois
OF So Taguchi

Today, I will break down the pitchers:

LHP Ed Campusano- Definitely a prospect. Projects as a lefty specialist at the ML level, throws a low 90s FB with tail as well as a sharp 81-84 MPH slider and a show me change-up. Was taken as a Rule 5 pick by Milwaukee in 2006 and was immediately traded to Detroit and was returned to the Cubs. Campusano missed all of 2007 with Tommy John Surgery and spent 2008 rehabbing from that and like most coming off of TJS suffered with his control. I expect him to do well as Lou Piniella has already taken a liking to him as a future lefty specialist and I suspect that he has a chance to pitch this September when the rosters expand (assuming he starts at AA and recovers fully from the Tommy John Surgery).

RHP Andrew Cashner-Obvious prospect. Throughout the Winter I will have a feature called Prospect Corner and I will highlight prospects within the Cubs’ farm system and I will highlight as far as stuff, ceiling, starter or reliever, etc. Obviously with Cashner being a 1st round pick in the 2008 draft, he has a ML above average ceiling. Showcasing him with the major leaguers will likely be more for the Cubs coaching staff to see what they have in him. I do expect him to start at Peoria.

RHP-Esmailin Caridad-A 24-year old Latin American prospect who has an interesting story as far as his path to the Cubs minor league system. He was originally signed to play in a Japanese academy as well as various industrial leagues as a teenager and spent his final year (2007) playing in the Japanese Central League on the same roster as Kosuku Fukudome with Hiroshima Carp. The Cubs or Caridad’s agent/advisor found a loophole in the contract allowing to him to sign with a major league team and the Cubs with Hendry/Flieta have seen him pitch in the Domincan Republic and signed him for $175K, or 5th round money. He features a low 90s FB with probably the best curveball/change-up combo in the organization. I will highlight him in my prospect corner as well at a future date because he is in my top 20 prospects overall.

RHP-Angel Castro This is one of my favorite under the radar moves the Cubs did this past off-season. Angel Castro was drafted by the Tigers in ’06 in the 13th round. Physically, he is short and stocky for a pitcher at 5’11” 210 LBs. The Major League Scouting Bureau gave him a 53 on their OFP scale, which in draft terms meant he could’ve gone rounds 4-6, but he was drafted as a 23-year old, which hurt his stock as well as his size. He is said to have a FB that touches 95 with sub-par breaking stuff. I consider him a prospect more than a suspect because if he doesn’t make the 25 man roster, I expect to be at AA in the bullpen for the Smokies.

RHP-Chad Fox- The first of the suspects so far. I have a great deal respect for someone who has put the time and effort to go through the rehab as well as everyday weight strengthening, etc., but he’ll be 39 in September, and has throw all of 23IP since the 2003 season. When he was healthy he had an outstanding FB/slider combo, but with his stressful delivery and the toll it has taken on his arm, his stuff isn’t the same and I can’t imagine taking an assignment to Iowa at 38, if they offer him one.

LHP-Ken Kadokura-Signed him out the Japan who was released by Yomiuri Giants. He is a 35-year old lefty with a mid to upper 80s FB, slider, splitter and an occasional curve ball. Has suffered through some back problems in recent years and unlikely to break camp with the Cubs. Definite suspect.

LHP-JR Mathes-Drafted by the Cubs out of Western Michigan in the 16th round in 2004. The good sized lefty features a cutter as well as a sinker in the mid to upper 80s, serviceable change-up, and a below average breaking ball. As a 28-year old, he has probably run out of chances to make an impression and without a plus pitch, this might be his last chance. Another suspect.

RHP-Rocky Roquet-Signed as an undrafted FA (5th year senior) out of Cal Poly, he has progressed nicely through the Cubs organization. He should start out at AAA unless he is able to catch the eye of Piniella with a remote shot of making the 25 man roster. I say remote because he is very similar to Wuertz with an above FB and slider combo with inconsistent control. He’s still a prospect, but being 26, time is running out on that label.

LHP-Matt Smith-I’m unclear what his stuff is now after having Tommy John Surgery, but before that he was a lefty specialist with ML average FB (88-92) and a plus curve. Given that he has gone through the major injury as well as turning in July, he is most likely a suspect that might be given a shot in Iowa’s bullpen this year.

LHP-Jason Waddell-I like this acquisition among the lefties they have brought in to fill the lefty specialist role. I would say that he is the most likely to impress. He has the best sliders of the NRIs and throughout his minor league career has been extremely tough on the lefties. He’s a suspect given that he is 27 years old, but he is my sleeper of the pitcher NRIs.

LHP-Bill White-The other sleeper of the pitchers NRIs, it should be a good battle between him and Waddell as far as who is most likely to impress since it is an either/or type of scenario. Like Waddell he has a very good slider, but has the better FB of the two. Still a suspect given that is he 30 years old and in his two stints at the Ml level has failed to show good control.


Filed Under: MLB Tagged With: chicago cubs, spring training 2009

Tom Ricketts – New Chicago Cubs Owner, Finance Executive, Delusional Bleacher Bum

January 23, 2009 By 5 Comments
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Tom Ricketts is New Cubs OwnerThe Chicago Cubs have finally found an owner.

After spurning $1 billion-plus overtures from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, the the Tribune Company has decided to sell the Cubs, Wrigley Field, and a 25% interest in a regional sports network for somewhere in the neighborhood of $900 to a group headed by Tom Ricketts. Thrown into the deal for free was a lifetime supply of heartache of frustration for Rickets and his family.

Tom Ricketts’ father J. Joe Ricketts founded TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. Tom Ricketts currently is the chief executive at InCapital LLC. He is also, as any good Cubs fan should be, delusional:

“My family and I are Cubs fans,” Ricketts said in a statement Thursday night. “We share the goal of Cubs fans everywhere to win a World Series and build the consistent championship tradition that the fans deserve.”

It was always my understanding that when you take a new job or start a new project, a good practice is to set attainable goals, not put them so far out of reach as to be impossible. After 100 years of abject failure, I would think that realism and pragmatism would be more useful than the typical pipe dream spouting of bringing a World Series to the North Side.

According to ESPN.com, there is a faction of Cubs fans who, while optimistic about Ricketts, would have liked to see Mark Cuban become the owner. The quote is below, and I promise that her name is not a typo — there is actually a Cubs fan named Hope.

“If it’s true that this Tom Ricketts is a real fan, then it should be a good move, but I really wish it had been [Dallas Mavericks owner] Mark Cuban. He was passionate about it, and he really wants them to win,” said Cubs fan Hope Bertram of Chicago.

Apparently, Tom Ricketts has proudly been a suffering loser his entire lifTom Ricketts - New Cubs Ownere. He grew up watching Cubs games on WGN and lived in an apartment above a bar across the street from Wrigley. He also met his wife in the bleachers at Wrigley Field. I don’t want to insult a man’s wife, so I’ll just leave that one alone.

Anyway, on behalf of White Sox fans everywhere, I’d like to welcome Tom Ricketts to the Chicago baseball family. While you and the Cubbies are busy being loved for sucking up on the North Side, we’ll be polishing our 2005 trophy and working on another.

Good luck Tom. You’ll need it.

What do you think?

Will the Chicago Cubs win a World Series under the leadership of Tom Ricketts?

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Filed Under: Featured Column, MLB Tagged With: chicago cubs, tom ricketts

College Basketball TV Schedule and Point Spreads: January 22-28

January 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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College Basketball TV Schedule - Point Spreads | January 22-28The college basketball season is kicking into high gear as we get into the heart of conference play. With the NFL down to its final game, college football over, and baseball still a couple of months away from meaningful games, college basketball takes center stage over the next two months.

As we did during the college football season, we will now start bringing you weekly updates of the college basketball TV schedule, complete with point spread listings for the games that will be on TV. The spreads don’t go up until the night before/day of the games, so we’ll update this post each morning with the spreads. If we’re a little late though, and you want to see if the spreads are up, head on over to our friends at DocSports for the latest and most up-to-date College Basketball odds. You can also get their College Basketball Picks if you are so inclined. (You know my thoughts on the matter: sports are way too unpredictable for me to ever think I could effectively make money betting on them; and I love watching them enough to not need money on the line. But if that’s your thing, we’ll throw some resources your way to help out.)






As for the schedule, I want to give a big shout-out to the guys over at CollegeHoopsNet.com. It is definitely one of the most comprehensive college basketball sites on the net, and a great stop for the latest news and notes from around the nation.

Lots of interesting games this week, and many that will have a huge impact on the top of the conference standings. Purdue-Minnesota, Baylor-Oklahoma, Notre Dame-UCONN, Syracuse-Louisville, Duke-Wake Forest, just to name a few.

Without further adieu, the college basketball TV schedule and point spreads for January 22-28 is below. Have a great week watching college basketball.

College Basketball TV Schedule and Point Spreads | January 22-28

Date Game Time TV Point Spread
Thu. 1/22 Seton Hall vs Providence 7:00 ESPNU Prov. -1.5
Thu. 1/22 Purdue vs Minnesota 7:00 ESPN/ESPN2 Purdue -1.5
Thu. 1/22 Saint Louis v Temple 8:00 CBS CSN Temple -12.5
Thu. 1/22 St. John's v Cincinnati 9:00 ESPNU St. John's -1.5
Thu. 1/22 UCLA v Washington State 9:00 FSN UCLA -5.5
Thu. 1/22 Saint Mary's v San Diego 9:00 ESPN2 St. Mary's -4.5
Thu. 1/22 USC v Washington 11:00 FSN Wash. -6.5
Thu. 1/22 Portland v Loyola Marymount 11:00 ESPNU Portland -10.5
         
Fri. 1/23 Canisius v Marist 8:00 ESPNU  
Fri. 1/23 Cleveland St. v Youngstown St. 9:00 ESPNU  
Fri. 1/23 San Francisco v Santa Clara 11:00 ESPNU  
         
Sat. 1/24 South Florida v Villanova 12:00 Big East Network  
Sat. 1/24 Maryland v Duke 12:00 ESPN  
Sat. 1/24 Auburn v Arkansas 1:00 Raycom  
Sat. 1/24 Kansas v Iowa State 1:00 ESPN  
Sat. 1/24 Marquette v DePaul 2:00 ESPN2  
Sat. 1/24 American v Holy Cross 2:00 ESPNU  
Sat. 1/24 NC St. v Boston College 2:00 Raycom  
Sat. 1/24 Kentucky v Alabama 3:00 Raycom  
Sat. 1/24 Memphis v Tennessee 3:30 CBS  
Sat. 1/24 Baylor v Oklahoma 4:00 ESPNU  
Sat. 1/24 Wisconsin v Illinois 4:00 ESPN  
Sat. 1/24 UCLA v Washington 4:00 FSN  
Sat. 1/24 Utah v UNLV 4:00 Versus  
Sat. 1/24 East Carolina v SMU 5:00 CBS CSN  
Sat. 1/24 Charlotte v Temple 6:00 ESPNU  
Sat. 1/24 Iowa v Penn State 6:00 Big Ten Network  
Sat. 1/24 Western Kentucky v Denver 6:00 FSN  
Sat. 1/24 Colorado St. v Wyoming 6:00 The Mtn.  
Sat. 1/24 Mississippi St. v Georgia 6:00 ESPN2  
Sat. 1/24 Notre Dame v UCONN 7:00 ESPN  
Sat. 1/24 Xavier v LSU 8:00 ESPN2  
Sat. 1/24 Texas A&M v Texas 8:00 ESPNU  
Sat. 1/24 Northwestern v Michigan 8:00 Big Ten Network  
Sat. 1/24 Ole Miss v South Carolina 8:00 FSN  
Sat. 1/24 San Diego St. v BYU 9:00 The Mtn.  
Sat. 1/24 UC Santa Barbara v Pacific 10:00 ESPNU  
Sat. 1/24 UC Riverside v Long Beach St. 10:00 FSN Prime  
         
Sun. 1/25 Syracuse v Louisville 12:00 Big East Network Syr -1.5
Sun. 1/25 Minnesota v Indiana 12:00 Big Ten Network Minn -8.5
Sun. 1/25 Navy v Army 12:00 ESPNU  
Sun. 1/25 Florida v Vanderbilt 1:30 CBS UF -1.5
Sun. 1/25 Northern Colorado v Montana 2:00 ESPN GP Mon. -4.5
Sun. 1/25 Michigan State v Ohio State 3:45 CBS MSU -3.5
Sun. 1/25 Virginia Tech v Miami (FL) 5:30 FSN UM -6.5
Sun. 1/25 Northern Iowa v Missouri St. 7:00 ESPNU M St. -1.5
Sun. 1/25 Georgia Tech v Clemson 7:45 FSN Clem -12.5
         
Mon. 1/26 Prairie View A&M v Arkansas-PB 6:30 ESPNU  
Mon. 1/26 Notre Dame v Marquette 7:00 ESPN  
Mon. 1/26 Oklahoma v Oklahoma State 9:00 ESPN  
         
Tue. 1/27 Kentucky v Ole Miss 7:00 ESPN  
Tue. 1/27 Miami (FL) v NC State 7:00 ESPNU  
Tue. 1/27 Boston College v Maryland 7:30 ESPN2  
Tue. 1/27 Air Force v Wyoming 8:00 The Mtn.  
Tue. 1/27 Purdue v Wisconsin 9:00 ESPN  
Tue. 1/27 BYU v Utah 10:00 The Mtn.  
         
Wed. 1/28 Michigan v Ohio State 6:30 BTN OSU -4.5
Wed. 1/28 Villanova v Pittsburgh 7:00 ESPNU Pitt -3.5
Wed. 1/28 Duke v Wake Forest 7:00 ESPN Duke -1.5
Wed. 1/28 Kansas v Nebraska 7:30 ESPN2 KU -4.5
Wed. 1/28 Cincinnati v Georgetown 7:30 ESPN360 GT -5.5
Wed. 1/28 Georgia v Florida 8:00 Raycom UF -16.5
Wed. 1/28 LSU v Tennessee 8:00 Raycom Tenn -7.5
Wed. 1/27 Indiana v Northwestern 8:30 BTN NW -13.5
Wed. 1/28 Texas Tech v Texas A&M 9:00 ESPNU TAM -8.5
Wed. 1/28 North Carolina v Florida St. 9:00 Raycom UNC -12.5
Wed. 1/28 Colorado St. v New Mexico 9:30 The Mtn. UNM -17.5
Wed. 1/28 TCU v San Diego St. 10:00 CBS CSN SDSU -12.5
         
  *CBS CSN - CBS College Sports Network      
  *ESPN GP - ESPN GamePlan      


Filed Under: CBB, Featured Column Tagged With: CBB, college basketball spreads, college basketball tv

Chicago Cubs: Looking Ahead to 2009 Part II – Players Who Will Regress

January 21, 2009 By 3 Comments
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Chicago Cubs 2009 OutlookYesterday, I wrote about where I expect the Cubs to finish in 2009 as well as a player-by-player analysis of which players I expect to improve over last year. Today, I will conclude with which players I expect to remain similar as well as which players I expect to regress.

Players I expect to remain constant:

Derrek Lee: Age is starting to become a factor, his prime years are just wrapping up and he has likely carved a niche as a .285/.370/.480 type of hitter for the next few years.

Aramis Ramirez: Just a model of consistency as over the last 5 years his OPS+ has been 138, 135, 126, 129, and 128. He has clearly established himself as the Cubs best offensive weapon and likely the best player on the team. The Cubs would be wise to hit him over an inferior Lee. I think we’ll see a .290/.370/.530 type of year for about the next 3 years.

Ted Lilly: Despite having mentioned Zambrano’s projected win total in yesterday’s post, I’m not big on using that as a primary gauge of a pitcher’s success, and I don’t think Lilly’s outstanding W-L record of last year is a necessarily representative of his pitching. There were some definite encouraging signs as the season progressed. His velocity improved as the season wore on, his cutter to RH’ers developed nicely, and on occasion his change shows signs of being a plus pitch. Given how well he has done the first two years with the Cubs, I expect similar production and hopefully the progress of his cutter as well incorporating the Rothschild slider more. will lead him to greater results.

Carlos Marmol: Despite losing the feel for his FB and slider at times last year, he was obviously outstanding given that he allowed 40 hits in 87+IP and that he struck out over 30 more men than he has allowed on base in those 87 IP. Lou Piniella has to be very aware of monitoring his usage. As I mentioned before, I’m not confident with the pen and this will put further usage on the obvious best reliever on the staff.

Wuertz: I expect a similar type of year from Wuertz. Wuertz has marginal command on both his FB and his slider and if there is one trait not to have with Piniella, it is a reliever that walks hitters. With that said, Wuertz still has a 65 slider and a good FB that will benefit off the effectiveness of that slider.

Reed Johnson: Johnson and Edmonds were Hendry’s best moves last year. While it was not surprising that Edmonds was on the market given how poorly he started in SD (shoulder surgery that off-season), it was a shock that Toronto would non-tender Johnson. His numbers last year were not extremely different from his career numbers and if Piniella sets up Johnson in a platoon with Fukudome against LH’ers, he will be able to produce like he did last year and become that valuable asset to assist the fragile starting OF’ers.

Players that I expect to regress:

Ryan Theriot: He continued to surprise me even though I expected him falter and kept waiting for him to do so. As he did in ’07, he did fatigue as the season progressed and became more of an offensive liability as the season wore on, but his improved eye at the plate over ’07 kept him as a high OBP despite the loss of bat speed once he fatigued. Every year I wonder why teams pitch him away, yet they do. I know why Hendry and Piniella have stressed LH’ed balance in the lineup, because as we seen with LA and AZ, teams with solid command pitchers can toy with the RH’ed Cubs hitters, especially Ramirez, Lee, and of course Soriano, by going away, then FB in on the hands, and then get them out away.

With Theriot, teams have to do the opposite by using the outside breaking ball to setup the FB on the inner-half, which Theriot can struggle at time to muscle into RF. I still expect teams to employ this strategy and retire him more frequently. I am expecting Theriot to hit .290/.370/.350 next year. This makes him still worth starting, however I do feel he would be ideal in a LaRussa type of batting order hitting 9th in-front of the top of the order.

Ryan Fontenot: I think he is going to be capable of being a starting 2B next year, and I am rooting for him to beat Aaron Miles who I will highlight later. However, there is no chance that Fontenot will come close to his numbers of last year, which based on OPS were higher than Ramirez, Lee, Soriano, Soto, etc. I project him to hit .280/.350/.420 in a platoon type of role with Miles.

Ryan Dempster: He earned the recognition as the ace of the staff last year as well as the 1st start of the NLDS vs. the Dodgers. One of the leaders in batting average against for a starter, Dempster only allowed 14HRs in 206.7IP, and displayed the best control of his life (minus the NLDS). That was Dempster’s 1st year starting since playing for the Reds and then undergoing arm surgery and his 140 IP increase of innings from ’07 to ’08 should be worth following this year. What we saw last year from Dempster was his ceiling and what we will likely see from him next year will be greater inconsistency with his command and likely the regression from a #1 starter to more likely a 2/3 starter which is where his talent and suspect control dictates where he should end up. Barring injury, I still expect Dempster to match the monetary value of his control with his production.

Chicago Cubs - Geovanny SotoGeovany Soto: I had Soto as the team MVP as much for his leadership and game calling skills as his outstanding offensive production. I’m hoping I am wrong about him regressing, as I’d love to see a repeat, but as the season wore on, whether it was fatigue or the league adjusting, he failed to adjust. Soto had started to pull off the ball, instead of going gap to gap, which is what has made him a much better hitter than his pre-’07 minor league numbers would indicate. Also, his strength and conditioning program appears to not only have gotten him in better shape, but generated a quicker bat than when I last saw him at Low-A. I’m probably being overly skeptical as far as expecting a regression, as he’ll still be an All-Star with plus offense, plus makeup, and average defensive tools for years to come. I expect Soto to hit .275-.280/.355-.360./.490-.495 next year.


Filed Under: MLB, Uncategorized Tagged With: aramis ramirez, chicago cubs, derrek lee, geovanny soto, MLB

George Kokinis Headed to NY to Meet With Randy Lerner – GM Agreement Expected

January 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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George Kokinis Expected to Become Browns GM TodayPro Football Talk is reporting today that George Kokinis is headed to New York to meet with Browns owner Randy Lerner. Once there, it is expected that Kokinis will reach an agreement to become the next GM of the Cleveland Browns, joining new head coach Eric Mangini atop a new chain of power in Berea.

A deal between George Kokinis and the Browns has been expected for some time now. He has reportedly been to Cleveland and according to one site I read (I don’t remember where, probably PFT) if Kokinis is not hired as GM, he is going to have an awful lot of inside information to take back to the Browns’ division rival the Ravens.

Of course, one thing holding up Kokinis joining the Browns was the Ravens deep playoff run. Now that the Ravens have gracefully bowed out of the playoffs, nothing is standing between the Browns and George Kokinis moving forward in the “ManKok” era of Cleveland Browns football.

Another interesting note: At the Orange & Browns Report rumor mill today, there is an interesting item regarding the chain of events that led to Eric Mangini interviewing with Randy Lerner and the Browns. There has apparently been some rumored speculation that Lerner extended Mangini and interview as a favor to Mangini’s agent and father-in-law, Ron Shapiro. Head over to the OBR to read more. (And by the way, for my PSA to all Browns fans today: my suggestion is to buy the premium OBR access. You don’t need it to read the post I just linked to, but their premium stuff is well worth the nominal charge and you won’t regret it.)


Filed Under: NFL Tagged With: Cleveland Browns, eric mangini, george kokinis, randy lerner

LOTD: Dani Rotstein – Incredible Filmmaker; Dedicated DolFan; Jubilant, Jumping Jew

January 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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Dani Rotstein

Dani Rotstein - Incredible FilmmakerWe’re going to expand our horizons in today’s Link of the Day boys and girls — all the way to India, where official Friend of Midwest Sports Fans Dani Rotstein just spent some time.

As he always does after his great adventures (he’s been to Turkey, Guatemala, London, and Argentina, among others), Dani has documented the experience with a kick-ass music video.

Here is the latest musicumentary from Dani Rotstein, who I guarantee is cooler than you and your best friend put together. Seriously. It would not be a stretch to say that he is the coolest Jew since Jesus. Well…maybe. But I’m saying it anyway.

Enjoy:

The actual LOTD today is Dani’s YouTube page. Not only does it include this musicumentary from his trip to India, but all of his other amazing videos as well. Go there and check them out. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wish you were Dani, and you’ll consider offering him money to be your friend. He’s that cool. (I offered him $25, but he said I was a turncoat for becoming a Browns fan and rebuffed me.)

LOTD: Dani Rotstein Musicumentary Index at YouTube

Before we move on to other links, I feel the need to tie this back into sports. Luckily, one of Dani’s videos does exactly that. In fact, you may remember Dani from his starring role one day on NFL Countdown with Chris Berman the last time the Super Bowl was in Miami: 2007.

Here is Dani’s description of the backstory:

ESPN was shooting right outside my apt on South Beach so I got my cousin to turn it on and look out for me. What he wasn’t expecting was for me to have a sign that said “$1.25″ which is a personal joke related to an Adam Sandler skit between my cousin and me. Then I thought what the hell and started dancing.

And here is the video:

——————–

And now, onto other links for your clicking pleasure:

HHR is having a Super Bowl Contest. You should participate. Go. Now. — (Hugging Harold Reynolds)

Wayne Huizenga loves selling fish — (Josh Q. Public)

The TrueHoop Network launches for NBA fans — (TrueHoop)

Was Braylon Edwards allowed to play basketball? – (WFNY)

LeBrown Dreams of Cleveland — (Cleveland Frowns)

Wasn’t David Palmer really the first black president? — (Sparty and Friends)

Phil Savage’s final report card — (Cursed Cleveland)

Who Would Win A Pick Up Game Between The NBA On ESPN Crew and The NBA On TNT Crew? — (No Guts, No Glory)

That’s all for now. Be back later. Have a great Wednesday everyone.


Filed Under: Featured Column Tagged With: dani rotstein, links

2009 Pro Bowl Preview: Schedule, Rosters, Spreads

January 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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2009 Pro Bowl - TV Schedule - Pro Bowl Rosters - Point SpreadI’m not sure that I have ever watched the Pro Bowl.

Oh sure, I’ve had it on in the background while doing other things, or aimlessly stumbled upon it while meandering through the channels. But like many NFL fans, I have always found the Pro Bowl to be pretty anti-climactic. There is nothing riding on the game, it is a week after the Super Bowl, and I’m not a gambler. I realize it is supposed to be the best of the best playing against eachother — but we all know that these players have too much on the line in such a physical sport to truly be going all out in a game that is essentially meaningless.

Still, the Pro Bowl is a “big” event. And I’m sure plenty of money will be wagered by people who want to manufacture some sort of rooting interest. Thus, as we always do for every NFL game, we get you up to speed with the TV schedule and point spread for the game:


2009 Pro Bowl

  • February 8, 2009
  • TV Schedule: 4:30 ET on NBC
  • Announcers: Not sure — I will try to find out
  • Location: Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Point Spread: TBA
  • Over-Under: TBA

Also of note is that this will be the last Pro Bowl, at least in the near term, that will be played in Hawaii and staged after the Super Bowl. Beginning in 2010 the game will be played the week before the Super Bowl in the Super Bowl host city. No word what will take place in 2011 and beyond.

Anyway, the only other pertinent information for this year’s Pro Bowl are the rosters. Here they are:

NFC Pro Bowl Roster

NFC Starters:

QB: Kurt Warner
RB: Adrian Peterson
FB: Mike Sellers
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin
TE: Jason Witten
T: Jordan Gross, Walter Jones
G: Steve Hutchinson, Chris Snee
C: Andre Gurode

DE: Julius Peppers, Justin Tuck
DT: Kevin Williams, Jay Ratliff
OLB: DeMarcus Ware, Lance Briggs
ILB: Patrick Willis
CB: Charles Woodson, Antoine Winfield
FS: Nick Collins
SS: Adrian Wilson

P: Jeff Feagles
K: John Carney
KR: Clifton Smith
ST: Sean Morey

Reserves:

QB: Drew Brees, Eli Manning
RB: Michael Turner, Clinton Portis
WR: Steve Smith, Roddy White
TE: Chris Cooley
T: Chris Samuels, Flozell Adams, Jammal Brown
G: Leonard Davis, Davin Joseph
C: Shaun O’Hara
DE: Jared Allen
DT: Pat Williams
OLB: Derrick Brooks, Julian Peterson
ILB: Jon Beason
CB: Asante Samuel, Ronde Barber, Al Harris
FS: Brian Dawkins


AFC Pro Bowl Roster

Starters

QB: Peyton Manning
RB: Thomas Jones
FB: Le’Ron McClain
WR: Andre Johnson, Brandon Marshall
TE: Tony Gonzalez
T: Joe Thomas, Jason Peters
G: Alan Faneca, Kris Dielman
C: Kevin Mawae

DE: Mario Williams, Dwight Freeney
DT: Albert Haynesworth, Kris Jenkins
OLB: James Harrison, Joey Porter
ILB: Ray Lewis
CB: Nnamdi Asomugha, Cortland Finnegan
FS: Ed Reed
SS: Troy Polamalu

P: Shane Lechler
K: Stephen Gostowski
KR: Leon Washington
ST: Brendon Ayanbadejo

Reserves

QB: Brett Favre, Jay Cutler, Kerry Collins
RB: Chris Johnson, Ronnie Brown
WR: Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker
TE: Antonio Gates
T: Michael Roos, Jake Long
G: Brian Waters
C: Nick Mangold, Casey Wiegmann

DE: Robert Mathis
DT: Shuan Rogers
OLB: Terrell Suggs
ILB: James Farrior
CB: Darrelle Revins
SS: Chris Hope

Pro Bowl rosters courtesy of NFL.com. Feel free to hop on over there as it gets closer to game time to see who is in or out due to injury.


Filed Under: NFL Tagged With: NFL, pro bowl

On Inauguration Night, Barack Obama Asks Troops: White Sox or Cubs?

January 20, 2009 By 3 Comments
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Barack Obama Asks Troops: White Sox or Cubs?I’ve been watching coverage of Barack Obama’s inauguration ever since I got home this afternoon. Replays of his stirring inauguration speech, the balls being held in his honor across Washington D.C., and some very loving dancing between President Obama and his wife Michelle.

This highlight of the night for this White Sox fan, however, was President Obama asking U.S. troops from Illinois Army National Guard 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Unit where their true allegiances lie: White Sox or Cubs?

President Obama’s questioning occured during his stop at the Commander-in-Chief Ball. The troops went one-by-one introducing themselves and President Obama asked them “White Sox or Cubs?” And one-by-one, to no Chicago sports fans’ surprise and to the dismay of our new President and official First White Sox fan, “Cubs” was the answer.

Not until the fifth or sixth person, a young lady, did we hear “White Sox” answered.

For White Sox fans, the moment was a great reminder that we share an affinity for the South Siders with our new President. It was also a reminder that absolutely nothing can defeat the ridiculous love affair that Chicago, and foolish baseball fans nationwide, have with the lovable losers. For goodness sakes, what more do you need to give up on being a Cubs fandom? You have no chance at a World Series crown, your team is renowned for being one of the losingest franchises in American sports, and even your own President is a White Sox fan.

Come on people. Seriously.

Barack Obama Asks Troops on Inauguration Night: White Sox or Cubs?As we usher in this new era of change, maybe one of the changes can be an end to the ridiculous nationwide love affair with the Cubs. As I have always maintained, sucking — and being annually either terrible or choke artisits — should not be a criteria for idolatry. As we move into a new era of accountability and pragmatism, ushered in by Barack Obama, maybe baseball fans will begin to hold the Cubs accountable for 100 years of ineptitude.

Okay, so maybe not. But guess what Cubs fans? The White Sox have the better team right now, we have a World Series title this century, and now we have the most powerful man in the world as our biggest fan.

As Matt Damon famously said in Good Will Hunting: “How ya like them apples?”

(Update: Just found video over at The Huffington Post)


Filed Under: Featured Column, MLB Tagged With: barack obama, chicago cubs, Chicago White Sox

Cleveland Needlessly Panics After Lakers Loss – No Trades Necessary, Just Health

January 20, 2009 By 1 Comment
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00s-cavs-logo

Cleveland CavaliersIn Cleveland, the sports talk radio airwaves were filled with doom, gloom, and trade talk all day Tuesday in reaction to the Cavaliers loss to the Lakers on Monday.

Everybody was chiming in with what they think the Cavaliers ‘need’. The Cavs need to get longer….the Cavs need to add depth up front…the Cavs need to add one more piece — I agree all that would help, but this is not what the Cavaliers “need”.

What the Cavaliers need is to get healthy…just relax and get healthy.

With Delonte West and Zydrunas Ilgauskas healthy, and the Cavaliers at full strength, I would bet my foreclosed house that there isn’t a team in the NBA that could beat the Cavs (4) out of (7) times come playoff time. But right now they’re not healthy. And on Monday, the Lakers exposed their lack of depth up front…errr…their lack of a 7’3″ starting center in uniform.

If Ilguaskas plays on Monday the Cavaliers are more competitive up front. If Delonte West played Monday, Mo Williams would have gotten more open looks. But they didn’t play, and the Cavaliers lost. They don’t need new players, they just need healthy ones. Brad Miller, Mike Miller, Johnny Salmons, and Marcus Camby would all have been as effective as Z and Delonte Monday night if they were hurt too.

So let’s just sit back and let these guys get healthy, let the team get to full strength, and relax. If there is a move to be made, Ferry will make it. Give the guy a little credit, he did trade Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, and Damon Jones in one calendar year.


Filed Under: Featured Column, NBA, Uncategorized Tagged With: Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA

Twins Seeking Eric Gagne And Brandon Lyon

January 20, 2009 By 1 Comment
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gagne

Minnesota Twins Interested in RP Eric GagneThe Minnesota Twins may be looking into acquiring either Brandon Lyon or Eric Gagne as soon as this week.

The Twins have been on the hunt for 8th inning setup man this offseason, and signing either of these players to a short term deal should be a welcomed upgrade to the pen. Both are Twins-type signings: past their prime players that management hopes can return to previous form.

But are they really any better than what we already have (Boof Bonser)?

Let’s break down the stats:
Boof Bonser: WHIP: 1.48, Opponents BA: .333, Opponents Slug: .443
Brandon Lyon: WHIP: 1.48, Opponents BA: .335, Opponents Slug: .458
Eric Gagne: WHIP: 1.46, Opponents BA: .335, Opponents Slug: .494

Clearly, Boof does in fact have a slight statistical edge on Lyon and Gagne and all three have been suspect to giving up the long ball rather consistently. However, adding someone who has the upside of either Lyon or Gagne certainly is a plus. Gagne at one point was the top reliever in baseball and actually finished last season up rather well. Lyon also performed exceptionally well as a setup man in 2007, but was shaken in 2008 when given the closing role, something he would not be asked to do with Minnesota.

A move of this nature would be welcomed at this point. It gives the Minnesota fan base new life and shows that management didn’t completely have a stagnant offseason. Both Lyon and Gagne wouldn’t hurt in a short term deal. If they pan out, we have a lethal 1-2 late inning punch combination with Joe Nathan. If they don’t, we could look to deal them at midseason or just eat their contract. Who knows if another Pat Neshek is brewing down on the farm and in worst case Boof isn’t that bad of a replacement.

Jason Kubel - Minnesota TwinsIn other news, the Twins finally inked a two year deal with Jason Kubel this afternoon. This is a great signing that was due to happen. Kubel is entering the prime of his career and nothing indicates that his stats should falter from previous seasons.

The Chicago White Sox added Bartolo Colon this week. He hasn’t had a good season since 2005 and shouldn’t be too much of a factor as he will be battling for a spot in the rotation, but nonetheless he has good potential and if he finds his form, would be dangerous. This is another upside type of signing at little to no cost.

The White Sox also avoided arbitration with closer Bobby Jenks today signing him to a $5.6m extension.

The Colorado Rockies appear not to be extending their contract on Garrett Atkins. The Twins were formerly in talks with the Rockies about acquiring the third basemen and it now seems fairly apparent that they don’t want him. Atkins may not be the strongest candidate as our third base replacement, but he would nonetheless be an upgrade as long as he didn’t cost an arm and a leg.

TwinsFest kicks off this Friday! Look for updates from the action after the weekend.


Filed Under: Featured Column, MLB Tagged With: Chicago White Sox, hot stove, minnesota twins, mlb rumors, TwinsFest 2009
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