I’ll Tell You This: JRod was Wrong, Belichick Still a Sore Loser, and the Cubs Finally Get it Right in Suspending Milton Bradley

[Editor's note: Each week, Big MB's regales us with his post entitled I'll Tell You This, in which he tells us...whatever it is he wants to tell us. This week, he will no doubt be gloating that his Colts grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat last night in Miami -- proving him right and me wrong. In fact, maybe I just shouldn't even post this and blame it on an "internal server error"...?

Tempting, but nah. It's my fault for betting against the great Peyton Manning. Gloat away Big MB.]

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Here are my top 5 stories for this week kids. Hope you enjoy!!

1. JRod was WRONG! Colts win to go 2-0.

In what was a great Monday Night Football game, the Colts emerged victorious after poor clock management by the Dolphins was sealed by a last second interception in the end zone by the Colts that secured a 27-23 victory in Miami.

An 80-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Clark from Peyton Manning on the first play of the game would only be outdone by a screen pass that second-year man Pierre Garcon would take to the house to give the Colts their 27-23 lead.

Miami did look very impressive in their Wildcat offense, accumulating over 200 yards on the ground.

I’ll Tell You This: Folks as promised, for those of you who caught last week’s podcast with JRod and myself, I am happy to say:

JROD WAS WRONG!!!!

However, I will also say Indy got lucky this week. Miami dominated on the ground on both sides of the ball, and held the Colts to under 15 minutes of total time of possession.

The Colts have improved to 2-0, but still have much to work on. The run game must improve, and the defense must improve on all fronts if this team wants to become a true Super Bowl contender.

Oh, and I kept my promise from the podcast. Jerod received a call from yours truly, gloating over the Colts victory.

2. J-E-T-S…..Jets, Jets, Jets!!!

The Jets backed up the smack they had talked in the week leading up to their match-up with the mighty Patriots by keeping New England out of the end zone and allowing only 9 points from the NFL “juggernaut”.

After the game Jets’ rookie QB Mark Sanchez offered a respectful handshake to Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick, but Belichick shrugged Sanchez off.

The Patriots fell to 1-1.

I’ll Tell You This: In all my years of watching football, I have never been a Jets fan, but I found myself rooting for the Jets as if they were my very own Colts.

Belichick once again proved that he has absolutely no sportsmanship. While he is one of the best winners in the NFL, he is obviously one of the worst losers in sports.

Here’s where I complain.

The Patriots should be 0-2, if it were not for that idiot kick returner for Buffalo (who in the best interest of his home not getting vandalized again, will remain unnamed). Had he just taken a knee instead of trying to be the hero, the Bills win the game.

The Patriots have now been exposed. They are not the team to beat this year and they are sore losers. They are overrated.

3. The Cubs Got It Right….Finally!!!

The Chicago Cubs suspended MLB bad-boy Milton Bradley for the remainder of the season this weekend for bad mouthing the organization and its fans.

Bradley was on record with a local Illinois newspaper as saying “You understand why they haven’t won in 100 years here” in reference to being scratched from the lineup.

I’ll Tell You This: Finally, some exciting news for Cubs fans.

Hopefully Bradley has played his last game in a Cubs uniform.

He has been nothing but a trash-talking, embarrassing, overrated, loud mouthed, disappointment to the Cubs and their fans.  His head is so big that one may think that his ego is on steroids.

And to think, the Cubs let Mark DeRosa go for the chance to snag Bradley. Maybe that’s why they haven’t won in 100 years. Who knows. There’s always next year.

4. Thunder and Lighting

The first two weeks of this young NFL season have been the most exciting start to a season that I can remember.

Headlining Week 2 were two outstanding performances by two different running backs.

Although it was in a losing effort, from the get-go Chris Johnson put on a clinic against the young Houston Texans. Johnson had two long TD runs, including a 91-yard run on 3rd and 11, as well as a long touchdown reception.

The thunder came from what may be the dark horse of the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers. Frank Gore busted out back-to-back 80-yard touchdown runs and netted over 200 yards on the ground in the 49ers’ manhandling of division rival Seattle.

I’ll Tell You This: This has already been one hell of a season.

Honorable mentions for big games this week also go to Andre Johnson and Matt Shaub of the Texans, Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark of the Colts, Philip Rivers of the Chargers, and Ray Lewis of the Ravens for his big 4th down play that secured a win for Baltimore.

I hope this continues. This season has already been so fun to watch. It almost makes me want to go out and spend the $300.00 for NFL Sunday Ticket. Almost.

5. The MSF Weekly NFL Podcast

Hosted by MSF writers Jerod Morris and yours truly, Myles Berry, MSF takes a weekly look at the NFL.

The podcast debuted this past Friday in AJ Kaufman’s preview of Monday Night Football and is also available on iTunes.

Features include: The Monday Night Argument, Myles and Jerod’s NFL Locks against the spread, and the general banter that comes when these two butt heads on the mic.

I’ll Tell You This: Make sure you check out this week’s upcoming podcast, in which Jerod will feast on a big helping of crow from the Monday Night game.

[Editor's Note: I will feast on nothing.]

Another exciting week of I’ll Tell You This is in the books kids! Stay tuned for this week’s podcast. We’ll see you next week!

BigMB on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mylesb3269

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* – Milton Bradley photo credit: Fantasy Haven

Cubs Hopes are Slim, But Not Gone

Things are looking very dull for the Chicago Cubs and their playoff hopes. The lovable losers are 9 games behind the Cardinals in the NL Central Division, and that number doesn’t seem to want to decrease. The Cardinals are playing very strong, and they just seem to win whenever the Cubs do.

Lou Piniella told reporters to blame him for this dismal season, and while you usually do blame the manager for a bad season, you can hardly blame Lou for the Cubs’ problems this season.

The only problem I have with the job Lou has done this year is his inability to build up chemistry between the players. I don’t see any between the Cubs players. They look like a bunch of strangers out on the field. Without good chemistry between players, teams often lack that go-to spirit that is needed to win ballgames. The locker room just doesn’t seem to be a happy and laid-back locker room, which has hurt the Cubs all season long.

After telling reporters that he thought fans were racist, Milton Bradley has be on a tear. While there might be some racist fans, most of the fans are angry at him because he has failed to meet expectations, not because he is black. And fans should be angry with him. He has failed to meet any expectations. And I mean FAILED. He is batting a dismal .167 with runners in scoring position. That is unacceptable in baseball. If you wan to make fans and managers happy, you need to produce with runners on 2nd and 3rd.

Another problem player is Carlos Zambrano. When he said he wasn’t trying his hardest, I was infuriated. The Cubs pay this guy loads of money and he isn’t even trying? That is the worst possible stunt a baseball player can pull. I would axe him in a minute. No wonder his numbers are bad this year. He wasn’t even trying! I am sorry if I sound harsh, but that is unacceptable for any pro athlete to just give it half-assed effort. You can’t do that to a team that is paying you to be their #1 starter. Just a really dumb thing to do.

Despite these issues, while you can say the Cubs are out of the division race, they still have an outside chance at the Wild Card. The Cubs are a manageable 5.5 games behind Colorado, with three other teams (S.F., Atlanta, Florida) ahead of the Cubs as well. This is their only light at the end of the tunnel. The Cubs have one month to get it in gear and win games.

Though it is perhaps unlikely, 5.5 games is still a manageable number to overcome. We’ve seen it done before during the last month of a baseball season. It’s just a question of how much to do they want it?

Milton Bradley Back to Hitting, Cubs Back to Winning? Not So Fast

The Cubs looked to be getting well after the All Star break. Winning four games in a row was one shy of the season high of five straight games won.  Don’t get too carried away with the thought of the Cubs having a totally different second half though. The Cubs were playing the worst team in baseball, the Washington Nationals, who are currently on their way to posting the worst record by any baseball team.

Remember when Milton Bradley said “You can mark it down, I’m gonna be hitting for the rest of the year,” just over a week ago? Well, that has not happened. Since the All Start break Bradley has batted a miserable 2-12 with four strikeouts. But don’t worry Cub’s fans! Lou Pinella said he will personally help Bradley.

You could give this guy all the help in the world, and somehow he will not hit.

At some point you have to admit that a player is having a bad, no, a terrible year. Players don’t always have a great year, but Bradley having a terrible year isn’t the worst part. It’s the money he is getting for putting up bad numbers.

While Cub fans are still not happy about Bradley’s performance so far, they have now something else to be mad about.

The Cubs visited Philadelphia and boy did they get murdered by the hottest team in baseball. The Phillies won the game last night 10-1. The game was a one-sided game the whole way. Raul Ibanez started the mayhem in the first inning with a 2-out, 3-run home run off of Ted Lily (who would go 4 innings giving up 7 earned runs on 8 hits), and the beating never stopped.

This series is a chance for the Cubs to prove they can beat good teams, but most importantly, win games and get back on track towards winning the division for the 3rd straight year. So far the Cubs look like fools, but they have two more games to bounce back form such a beating.

It’s pretty funny and sad that a team that is playing mediocre still has a chance to win the division. As of Monday the Cubs are only 2 games behind the 2006 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs need a lot of refining, but it doesn’t seem like they are making any moves before the trade deadline comes and goes. Their overspending on players that are not producing may have forced the Cubs into a corner where they can’t make any big move.

Despite their up and down play the season isn’t over, and no team in the Central Division has run away with the division, so the Cubs still have a good chance of defending their title. It may sound easy and right at their fingertips, but it will still be a long second half of the season for the Cubs, their fans, and their staff.

* – Milton Bradley photo credit: Straight Pinkie

For the Cubs, This is Definitely Not “The Year”

Just when you think the Cubs’ season can’t get any worse, it did.

Geovany Soto will now be on the DL due to a left oblique strain he suffered during batting practice Wednesday. Soto will be the 13th person that the Cubs have had to put on the DL this season. There are now questions about who will be the backup to Koyie Hill, who started Friday and will start most of the games while Soto is out.

Jake Fox is currently the backup, but Lou said they are looking outside the organization to add depth at the position.. Mark Johnson is the catcher in Iowa that has Major League experience, but he is on the DL so that doesn’t seem like a logical answer. Steve Clevenger is another catcher, but he is new to the job after being converted from shortstop. Chris Robinson, who they got from Detroit and is currently in Iowa, looks like to be the most logical internal answer.

The Cubs’ season has been nothing but disappointment, and they can’t seem to get away from injuries. A day after activating Aramis Ramirez, Reed Johnson, and Angel Guzman off the DL, the Cubs had to put Ryan Dempster on the 15-day DL due to a broken toe. Believe it or not, the Cubs are not totally out of the division race. Before Friday the Cubs stand just 3.5 games out of first place. Even though the Cubs are not out of it, there is no “This is the Year” feeling.

Lou Pinella said that there is really nothing you can do about injuries, and while that is true, players can still be careful what they do. The Cubs might not win the World Series this year, but this year is not a total loss. This a learning year for the Cubs and their management. The Cubs should learn from the Milton Bradley signing. Never sign a player who is not a proven player. Bradley has never played the whole season, he has had only one good year, and he has had problems with previous players and coaches.

What the Cubs have never had was a great farm system. Very rarely do the Cubs have a rising star. The only one I can think of is Randy Wells. Most of their first round draft picks have been busts (like Prior due to injury, or like Felix Pie due to lack of production), or they have never made it to the big leagues. With all these problems the Cubs need an overhaul. The only way to get better is to trade away some guys, and recruit potential All Stars. They need to stay away from players that get hurt. (Rich Harden and Bradley come to mind.)

Another huge problem are the fans. One year when Dusty Baker was managing the team the Cubs were playing the last home stand, were 20 game out of first, and they still managed to get 40,000 to show up. Even worse was when the Cubs came back to win the game in the 9th, the fans went insane like they were playing in the World Series. Cubs fans seem to be living in there own little baseball world. If no fans showed up maybe the team would do something different, but no matter how bad the Cubs do they always sell out at Wrigley.

Until things change, the Cubs will continue to go nowhere in the next few years.

* – Lou Piniella photo credit: AP Photo/Paul Connors via Sports Maven

More Cubbie Blues: White Sox Win Series as Milton Bradley and Sweet Lou Feud

This weekend was another one filled with more Cubbie blues.  Not only did the Chicago White Sox take the second and third games of the three-game Windy City weekend set, but Milton Bradley proved that he is just as loose a cannon as ever.

Lou Piniella told Milton Bradley to go home after Bradley threw his helmet and went after the cooler. Bradley was mad that he flew out in the 6th inning in the first game against the White Sox. Piniella told him to take off his uniform, and the two had an exchange of words in the tunnel leading to the clubhouse.

There was no sign of Bradley getting taken out of the lineup or having to deal with any consequences. Jim Hendry promised that it would never happen again. Bradley has already been suspended once this year for arguing with umpire Larry Vanover over a called strike.

Piniella has apologized for calling Bradley a “piece of expletive”. Bradley accepted the apology, and is glad that the incident is over with. Piniella told him the team can’t deal with his antics, and one day Bradley will hurt someone or himself.

Bradley is not new to getting in scuffs with mangers, umpires, and players. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in 2007 after manger Bud Black spun him to keep him away from umpire Mike Winters. Bradley was suspended twice in the 2004 season. He got a 4-game suspension for throwing balls onto the field after he got ejected. He was also suspended 5 games the same year for slamming water bottles at the feet of a fan after someone in the stands threw it on the field. He also criticized Jeff Kent, saying that Kent was not able to play with black players.

Bradley has been a big flop this year after the Cubs signed him in the offseason for $30 million dollars. Bradley has had one decent year in his career, and his trouble with umpires, mangers, and players always gets in the way of his playing. He has only been a nuisance to teams. It shows when you see that he has been with 7 different teams in 9 years. Teams have shown that they will not deal with him.

So why did the Cubs sign him? Who knows, but let me say it was a bad choice. Bradley is hitting .236 with 5 homeruns and 16 RBIs. His lack of defense has also shown. He sometimes can’t remember how many outs there are, as shown when he threw the ball into the crowd after he caught a fly ball. He thought that catch ended the inning, but it was only the 2nd out.

The Cubs don’t need stuff like this happening when they are already two games under .500, and 3.5 games out of first place. The Cubs need to get back on track if they want any chance to make it to the playoffs.

* – Milton Bradley photo credit: Chicago Sun-Times via Houston Chronicle/AP