I don’t know if you noticed, but the Big Ten lost a few important non-conference games last week. In this week’s Big Ten football picks I’ll be looking at each team, evaluating what’s working and what clearly isn’t. Well, as clearly as anything can be evaluated after just two weeks. To the games!
Pickin’ On the Big Ten, Week 2: The Something Strange Is Always Les Miles
September 3, 2014 By 918 Comments
Big Ten football didn’t have too many shocks last week. There were only two real surprises, one pleasant (Rutgers’ win over Washington State) and one unpleasant but probably not all that surprising (Northwestern’s loss to Cal, which is the fault of everybody but Pat Fitzgerald, to hear him tell it). What’s in store for week two? Click through and see how I’m calling the games this week.
Unlike Josh Shaw, Joe Delaney and Shannon Smith are Real Heroes
August 29, 2014 By 114 Comments
Hero and liar have become four-letter words thrown out far too often. In less than 48 hours USC football player Josh Shaw became both after making up a story of jumping off a second-floor balcony to save his seven-year-old nephew from drowning as a cover-up for something else that resulted in two high-ankle sprains.
Pickin’ On the Big Ten, Week 1: Appalachian State and Other Disasters
August 28, 2014 By 1,873 Comments
Week One of the 2014 Big Ten football season is here. I’ve already given you my picks for the three early games this upcoming week, but what about the games that are being played when they’re supposed to be, on Saturday? Click on, pilgrim; I’ve got some picks for you.
Pickin’ On the Big Ten, Week 1: Weird Non-Saturday Games
August 26, 2014 By 755 Comments
The 2014 Big Ten football season is finally here, and like everyone else, I too am ready to pretend I actually know a thing or two about Rutgers and Maryland football now. There is room in my brain since I have already forgotten which teams were in the Leaders division and which were in the Legends. I may never forget that’s what the two divisions were called.
10 bold predictions for the 2014 college football season
August 21, 2014 By 1,746 Comments
With just a few days until the opening kickoff of a new college football season, it’s time to think about what will happen in 2014. Most experts have made conference predictions, listed Heisman Trophy favorites and made College Football Playoff predictions for this year. While those may be some of the more interesting conversations, there are still a few other areas of the sport to discuss and predict.
The 2014 Fantasy Football “Do Not Draft” List
August 13, 2014 By 1,167 Comments
Fantasy Football leagues aren’t necessarily won on draft day, but they certainly can be lost.
It’s not always who you pick for your roster, but also about who you’re able to avoid. Whether or not you want to avoid them altogether or decide simply not worth the value they may be pegged at, you’ll be better off if you can keep these names off your roster.
Here are the top 10 players you should completely avoid while drafting this season.
Robin Williams: A Sports Tribute
August 11, 2014 By 1,476 Comments
Legendary comedian and actor Robin Williams died Monday as a result of an apparent suicide at the age of 63. While his publicist didn’t confirm the reports of his death being a suicide, she did state that he had recently been “battling severe depression.”
Mid-Major Spotlight: Jon Coffman and the IPFW Mastodons
August 5, 2014 By 362 Comments
Ever since making the move from Division II to Division I back in 2001, the IPFW Mastodons have been making steady progress as a program. Now, with Jon Coffman at the helm, the Mastodons are hoping they can break through and get to the first NCAA Tournament in program history.
Who has baseball’s best starting rotation after trade deadline?
July 31, 2014 By 2,399 Comments
Baseball’s 2014 trade deadline has come and gone and several top-line starting pitchers have swapped uniforms. The MLB arms race has gotten intense and now four teams have what have to be considered far and away the best starting rotations in baseball. The question is: who has the best collection of starting pitchers after the deadline?
Down on the Farm: Battle of the Sioux (at the Falls)
July 30, 2014 By 2,259 Comments
With the Independent and Minor League Baseball regular seasons a month from closing, and the Northwoods League schedule roughly a week away from conclusion, we’ve hit the proverbial dog days of baseball across the Heartland. Few locales was this more evident than a steamy night in eastern South Dakota when two last place teams separated by just 85 miles did battle.
Breaking down the wide open NL MVP race
July 29, 2014 By 1,049 Comments
For the first three months of the MLB season, it looked like Troy Tulowitzki was going to run away with the 2014 National League MVP award. The Rockies shortstop was leading the league in batting average (.340), slugging percentage (.432), on-base percentage (.603) and OPS (1.035), in addition to ranking first in WAR (5.6) and third in home runs (21) just a few weeks ago. But a few developments in the last few weeks have paved the way for what could very well be a wide-open NL MVP race as we head towards the stretch run.
Down on the Farm: Montgomery Exudes Southern Charm
July 23, 2014 By 982 Comments
I enjoyed my May visit to Birmingham’s Regions Field so much that upon a July return to Alabama, I headed 90 miles south to check out Southern League rival Montgomery’s yard. Capitalizing on unseasonably pleasant weather with temps in the low 80s didn’t bother this northerner either.
Down on the Farm: The Other Mayo Facility in Rochester
July 21, 2014 By 1,049 Comments
A recent visit to southeast Minnesota wrapped up six days and 3,000 miles on the road during a pleasantly mild late July.
Mayo Field is the fourth and likely final Northwoods League I’ll visit and review this summer, marking six total going back to 2013.
2014 Milwaukee Brewers: Top 10 Wins of the First Half
July 18, 2014 By 553 Comments
The first half of the 2014 season has been quite eventful for the Milwaukee Brewers, as they’ve done everything from scoring three runs on a wild pitch to literally hitting the cover off of a baseball. Through it all, they’ve been one of the biggest surprises in the MLB, boasting a 53-43 record and a one-game lead in the NL Central entering the All-Star break.
