superdad

The schedule makers for the 2008 Thanksgiving Day lineup need to be replaced. We are no longer living in the nineties where Dallas and Detroit had better teams than what they have now.

Yesterday, there was three games and all three games were blow outs. All three of the games were over even before your food coma settled in from your turkey dinner. It was very disappointing that a tradition like NFL Thanksgiving Football has sunk to a new low.

I will say the NFL network at least tried to save the day with a more competitive game with the lineup of the Eagles and the Cardinals. However the game did not go the way I am sure the network wanted as the game was also out of hand early on and ended in a Philly pasting of the Cardinals.

There is no doubt that the whole Dallas Detroit thing on Thanksgiving is out dated and needs to be changed up. Now I am sure Dallas fans would be upset at that but Detroit fans are ready for the bleeding to stop. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell needs to step up and make changes if he wants Thanksgiving Football to get better in the future.

For now we have to see the same two teams in which one has some life, however another team that has not won a playoff game this new millennium. The tradition of Thanksgiving Football is important but how is the NFL going to bring new fans to watch on this day if they see the same thing year after year. Maybe that kid in Carolina wants to see his Panthers on Thanksgiving for once or even that girl who loves her chance to see the Buffalo Bills play on Thanksgiving.

In the future why not take the previous two teams that were in the Super Bowl and put them on during Thanksgiving. A rematch between the Giants and the Patriots would have drawn more fans than all three games yesterday put together. That is coming from someone that lives in the midwest. I love my midwest football but I would rather watch a quality game than, Detroit getting flattened every year. No offense to the Detroit Lions, but I am sure their fans are tired as well.

As we approach Thanksgiving another Holiday is upon us. I really enjoy this Holiday and I am not sure why?

Must be being around family and eating some great food. When I was younger Thanksgiving was just that darn Holiday between Halloween and Christmas.

When you get older you begin to be more thankful for everything especially when you have more responsibilities, bigger families and more great friends.

In the morning we are energized to get that bird tasting right and if done correctly can be the best meal you had in about a year. One year my family was not doing well financially and that year Thanksgiving came right at the best time. Times were rough but we still had the chane to go be with family and enjoy a tremendous meal. Thanksgiving allows us to escape our regular schedules and just sit back and relax. Unless you are hosting then God Bless you as well becuase as someone who has done a Turkey dinner before it takes a lot of work and a lot of love. If you have never hosted then I recommend doing it once because it does make you feel good after everyone has enjoyed the feast that you prepared.

The holiday might not be fun for the kids but I know as an adult I can not wait for that Turkey. Lastly, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that has peeked at this blog because it does mean a lot to me. My writing might not be the greatest but I do appreciate all the comments it helps me be a better writer for the future.

And thank you Mr and Mrs.Turkey for your sacrifice you provide for us every year. You guys make the day and the day would be incomplete without you.  Happy Thanksgiving!

After getting run out of town the last two night against the Portland Trailblazers and Los Angelas Lakers the Bulls need to start making some calls around the league.

This Bullls team is loaded with guards and small forwards and no big men that can defend the paint. If I were playing the Bulls I would just keep driving the ball in the paint all night long. Even if you do miss you’ll probably going to get the offensive rebound as the Bulls rebounding is also dreadful.

Joakin Noah is alright and has ability but he need’s help as Gooden and Aaron Gray are bad and help in no way on the defensive glass. They are simply out maned in the middle and last night was a prime example.

Now there this is no excuse for an offense that looks to shoot jump shots most of the time. All I see is Derrick Rose coming up the floor he passes it, it gets passed back to him then to another guy then he may shoot a fifteen footer and rebound is taken and a fast break the other way goes for two on the other end. That is a nutshell of the Bulls offense this year. Rose is good but he need more around him to succeed.

That is why the Bulls better make a move early or you can kiss this season goodbye. We already lost Kirk Heinrich for awhile and we brought in Lindsey Hunter, but how much miles in the tank does he have left. The Bulls failed again in the off season to get a big presence in the middle of the floor and now they should pay the price of getting someone better.  I did agree with the Derick Rose draft choice but they did not address their inside game and that is what is killing them. Trade one of these guards or forwards and get a darn big man that can deter people away form the paint. No, I am not saying Ben Wallace was the answer, but someone that can score as well inside to present a threat in the paint. Everyone in the league will continue to let the Bulls take out side shots all day long because they know they only rely on that one phase for them to be successful.

Tonight could be a big night for Greg Oden and the Portland Trailblazers. After the Bulls fell to the Lakers last night the west coast tour continues tonight. The Chicago Bulls have been dreadful on the west coast and they better be ready for the Blazers.

Brandon Roy will do most of the offensive assault and Greg Oden will most likely dominate inside. The Bulls interior defense has been bad letting big men all over the league score inside including Pau Gasol last night with another over thirty point performance.

The key for victory will be Greg Oden as he comes off a 22 point performance. The Bulls just need to play better defense because their offense has been respectable as Loug Deng, Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon have led the attack as of late.

The Bulls at 5 and 6 and the Blazers 6 and 5 this game will be close but the Blazers may have enough inside to give the Bulls problems. This would be a good win for the Bulls but based on their past history on the west coast, they just find ways to loose out there.

Who do you got in Chicago right now? If you had to put money on one of these teams making the playoffs and making noise who would it be? Here is my overwhelming choice and why.

No! It is not the Chicago Bears they are just not good enough and if they played the New York Giants right now in the NFC championship they would have have no shot and get blown out worse than the beat down from the Green Bay Packers last week. The Bears are a big mess going in the wrong direction and the only hope we got lies on the arms of two back up quarterbacks and a rookie running back.

Although things are looking better with the Chicago Bulls who might of picked a quality and potential star in Derrick Rose, I still say no to them. This team is a year away from competing with the like’s of Boston and L.A. and not the Clippers. I just do not see the Bulls making a deep run in the playoffs, they might make it there, but as of right now, not good enough for a championship.

That’s right the Chicago Blackhawks will make a run and be the best winter sports team in Chicago this year. After a slow start the Blackhawks have awakened and are rising atop the Western Conference standings. Not saying it will be easy but the Hawks do have a lot of young talented forwards and defense men that are a threat to score. The Blackhawks could still use a big thumper that can take on the rest of the goons of the NHL but as for right now they are the pick to go the furthest and make the most noise as a contender and not a pretender.

In summary, make sure you do not forget about our sometimes forgotten Blackhawks who at one time in Chicago was the hottest ticket in town to catch during the winter. This team has made drastic changes and are looking to re create a hockey franchise that will be the new talk around the NHL for years to come.

What Happened? This is not we all thought, Kyle Orton comes back and we get smashed. If Kyle was not ready, should he had been in there, the timing was off in the offense and the defense just plain stunk.

The defense has been dreadful and has been the weakest part of the Chicago Bears this whole year. They can not get off the field on third downs, they do not apply enough pressure and they just are bad. This defense is relatively healthy and it is still this bad and no, Bob Sanders does not play for the Bears.

After Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs signed those big deals last year they have done nothing to inspire or defend their other teammates. Sure they have both had glimmers of good play but their overall defense is terrible. I thought good players and leaders help others be better. Not in the case with Bears. These are the veterans and captains of the defense and they look just as clueless as the younger guys.

Now it does not help if you cannot score on offense any touchdowns but the offense has played alright seeing that this group was hardly given a shot in the beginning of the year. Matt Forte has been the lone bright spot on offense, although for this game, I will give them a pass. There needs to be a lot of improvement if the Bears are even thinking they can beat Minnesota next week.

All day Adrian Peterson might be the next to make the Bears D look like swiss cheese. It will be interesting if this group just packs it in at 5 and 5 because of the inconsistent play. When the offense looks decent, the defense is terrible, when the special teams looks bad the offense is bad as well. This year all three phases of the game for the Bears have been inconsistent. If there is any hope they still play in the NFC North and anything is possible with a three way tie. My money is not leaning toward the Bears at this time.

After Nick Swisher had his worst major league season you would think this guy might not be worth much as far as trade goes. However the New York Yankees found value and traded utility bench player Wilson Betimet and two Yankee pitcher prospects for Nick Swisher.

Swish was a instant fan favorite on the southside from day one with his goofy persona and hard nose type of play. Although when you bat .219 for a year as a switch hitter and played most of the second half off the bench you become disposable.

In return for what we did give up, I like the return as Kenny Williams has shown the last couple years of finding good young talent. Much like picking up Calos Quentin in last off season who received the Silver Slugger Award just recently and if he stayed healthy had a shot at the MVP award despite his injury in the last months of the season. As well as finding runner up to AL Rookie of the Year, Alexi Ramirez.

Wilson Betimet might not be an instant starter but is another player who can play both outfield and infield. Most likely playing more third than anywhere else. Williams and Guillen seem to like these type of players that are versatile in more than one position.

The real steal might be that the White Sox were able to strengthen their young pitching. The Yankees are known over the years for developing young pitchers who are then traded to other teams. You never know with prospects you could make or break but, with Williams track record you got to have high hopes.

Lastly it will be a what if question now whether Swisher might have a comeback year in the pinstripes? Most players like Nick Swisher who averaged .300 and with high on base percentage do not repeat poor years in consecutive years. However, Swisher is now is the highest demanding city in baseball and if he does not produce he will find another seat on the bench. Sox fans will miss Swish but it might be good for everyone if he moves on and get’s another fresh start. People like Nick Swisher are needed in this game and make the game unique for all of the characteristics and antics each player brings to Major League Baseball.  We will miss the Dirty Thirty and best wishes to him in New York.

On Tuesday night the Chicago Bulls gave the undefeated Atlanta Hawks a fight but another loss in the young season. The Bulls have faced many of the playoff teams from last year’s post season and are still not quite an elite team in the Eastern Conference. Expectations were not extraordinarily high after a dismal 2007-2008 season but with the changes made over the off season there should be more positives than so far.

The Bulls offense has been good as the team has scored 100 points in two games so far however on defense the team has allowed opponents more than 100 in three of the eight games played.

The main issue the Bulls have faced in the early season is one of their best defensive players Kirk Heinrick, who also has played more freely since Derrick Rose arrived, is out for the next three months with injury. Heinrick one of the veteran players will be missed as he was the Bulls best defensive guard, putting more pressure on the rest of the guards.

Another issue with this team is that the Bulls look soft inside and have been getting killed by the big men they face. Al Horford from the Hawks, Dwight Howard from the Magic and LeBron James have all had big nights against the over matched Bulls. Almost every night another big man is having a big night against the soft interior defense.

If the Bulls are going to recover from the early troubles of the young season they have to play better defense and rebound better on both ends. As well playing smoother on offense which seems to falter and rely too much on Derrick Rose at times. The guy will be good but if we rush him into being the play maker, that is not what he did at Memphis so well. At the Memphis Tigers Rose played his best ball when he got all of his teammates involved, which may have had better talent than the Bulls.

That is a funny thing if you think about it, because you got players on this Bulls team that have been on playoff rosters as well as former national champion winner and contenders. The talent is there, it just has not developed into consecutive wins as of yet.

The real pressure is on new coach Vinny Del Negro who still is looking for some kind of identity with the 2008-9 team. The Bulls will be alright they just got to start playing better defense, because the Bulls play well off turnovers.

Last point will Tyrus Thomas and Joakin Noah please show up? These guy are coming in this season with more experience and are still struggling to find consistency. Thomas looks lost on offense and Noah has not been the defensive presence the Bulls thought they were getting from the national champion Florida Gators from 2 years ago.

The Tennessee Titans stayed undefeated yesterday and the Chicago Bears are now dropped into a tie with the emerging Minnesota Vikings. Although the Bears team and the fans should feel that they should of had that win yesterday.

When your opponent only rushes for less than 10 yards for the majority of the game you feel like you got cheated. The answer to all of this was the one and only Rex Grossman.

It is hard to blame the loss all on one guy, but Grossman did not play very well. The first drive was nice but when you cannot convert key third and fourth downs the rest of the game the blame should fall on the quarterback.

Now give credit to the Titans they kept the Bears back in their own end for a good part the game. However is that the responsibility of the quarterback to get your team out of hole. Rex Grossman is the number two quarterback and you know why.

The Bears defense had some issues stopping Kerry Collins and the pass but the overall message from yesterday’s game was one quarterback led their team to a win and the other lead them to a loss. It might be unfair and unjust to blame Rex when he only has limited time playing but, this guy has been in a lot more important games than this one and he literally fumbled this one away as what Rex has done.

Rex Grossman will not be the cure if Kyle Orton cannot play next week. Grossman’s resume is out there and you know this guy is just not good enough. Plus when Grossman is not exactly a fan favorite and this guy you know will not be here next year why not change up the mood and put in the third string. That might be a tall order for Caleb Hanie but Grossman has worn out his welcome with the fans and you know it has an affect on him. How many times did he look up at the fans during that game yesterday, he just cannot handle the pressure anymore he just is what exactly he has been ever since being drafted in the first round.

One last thing with Rex and this may still sound like I am beating up this guy when the Bears just got beat by a undefeated team. However Rex Grossman talked all week like he was out to prove something that this might be his last game and this may be the only opportunity for him for success this year. Once again all the talk and the hype was for none he was that same guy that has been taking the field since putting a Bears jersey on his back. The jury is out and Grossman is out and change is needed for us to escape the bad memories that he keeps bring back to Chicago fans. The last time I saw Bears fans hating on one quarterback for this long was probably when Jim Harbaugh was quarterback. His career was actually better off when he left the Bears and Grossman might be better off as well to start fresh somewhere else. Lovie Smith just say no to Rex and let us all move on, we do not want another season put in jeopardy because Rex Grossman is the quarterback.

Perhaps this year’s biggest surprise in the midwest is the rise of the Ball State Cardinal. Yesterday they hosted Norhtern Illinois on ESPN and showed the country that more people need to be talking about them. They were ranked 16 going into the game and now they are itching closer to a major bowl game after winning big against the Huskies.

You might not know many of the players or coaches but this team plays well. They have a young quarterback who can whip the ball all over the field, a defense that can pressure your quarterback and just an overall complete team. Unfortunately for Ball State they do play in the MAC which is one of the worst conferences ranked nationally.

For the first time since the 1960’s Ball State is undefeated at 9 and 0 and even defeated a Big Ten opponent this year in Indiana. Not since the arrival of Bonzi Wells in the NBA or even David Letterman the great late night talk show host , both alumni of Ball State, have they seen such a successful and great season from the football team.

It brings on the question again why we need to see a playoff in College Football? President Obama brought this up during a interview with Chris Berman during halftime last Monday Night Football and people in Muncie Indiana should be crying out for one as well. Who knows if this team can actually compete with the likes of a Texas Tech, but even that sounds weird when Texas Tech is not a major player until this year.

The Red Raiders are getting all the spotlight because the Big Twelve is so strong this year. Even Penn State from the Big Ten who is undefeated might not even play in the championship game because a computer thinks based on numbers and prior disasters from Ohio State in championship games and not pure effort on the field.

The bottom line is the bottom line once again in College Football. Universities want the most bucks you can get from these bowls and that is why we are stuck in this problem. Proponents of the BCS system claim that every week of college football is like a playoff but isn’t that the same in College Basketball, despite them having a longer regular season and still puts together a 64 team tournament afterwards. There are enough quality programs in College football to do the same but Universities authorities just like old crabby stuck in the mud presidents are living in the dark ages of sports. Every major sport in America has changed because of the times and really all of the parody in the professional leagues have made those sports even better.

For now we only can dream again with Ball State who will most likely go undefeated but not even get into a major BCS bowl game. Twenty years from now no one will remember this team besides the people involved and these Cardinals because a computer and a shaky polling system thought they were not good enough for the national spotlight. It is not the first time and certainly will not be the last until this problem is fixed in College Football.