Garret Hartley being canonized in New Orleans

The NFC Championship for a moment seemed destined to be decided by the right boot of Minnesota Vikings place kicker Ryan Longwell. The broadcast kept cutting to the 35-year-old former Green Bay Packers kicker warming up as his teammates were moving the ball into field goal range with the score tied 28-28 with the New Orleans Saints in the final moments of the fourth quarter. 

This is what Longwell worked all year for: the chance to kick the game-winning field goal that would send his team to the Super Bowl. Former Packers team mate and living legend Brett Farve had gotten the Vikings down the field to where Longwell would have to kick a 50+ yarder to win the game. Not ideal conditions for Longwell, but he had done it before with his career long being 54 yards. Time was running down and head coach Brad Childress wanted to see if he could get a few more yards to make the kick a little easier. Longwell waited on the sidelines preparing himself for what would be one of the most important kicks of his career.

The trouble is that Longwell never got the chance. The next play Brett Farve rolled out to his right and rifled the football across his body spiraling into the arms of Saints’ defensive back Tracy Porter. On the other sideline 23-year-old Garret Hartley celebrated with his team mates at their team’s good fortune. The Saints had won a number of games this season in odd fashion and Farve’s folly only furthered the idea that they were a team of destiny.

Cajun luck continued to the joy of the 70,000 Saints fans in the Superdome as New Orleans won the coin toss giving them the ball first in overtime. Hartley began taking his warm up kicks as QB Drew Brees (a Farve-like folk legend in the making in New Orleans) led the offense onto the field. The young kicker had called his father the night before the game in the middle of the night to tell him he just had a feeling he would kick the game-winning field goal from 40 yards away on the right hash mark. Hartley was only two yards off. The Saints strung together a few passes aided by a crucial pass interference call against the Vikings setting up the Texas-born kicker for a 42 yard kick to win the game.

The New Orleans Saints had never been to a Super Bowl in their 43 year existence as Hartley lined up for the kick. The entire city hung in the balance as long snapper Jason Kyle snapped the ball back to holder Mark Brunell with the young kicker waiting to strike. Brunell set the snap down perfectly and just as Hartley envisioned the night before he drilled the pigskin right through the goal posts sending the Big Easy into ecstasy. Hartley will forever be remembered for that kick and beloved in New Orleans while Longwell will always wonder about the kick he never got to take. So goes the life of a NFL placekicker.

By Sean Heffernan

The 2009 season wasn't pretty for Chicago Bears fans, but it's never to early to look forward to next year. The Jay Cutler trade made this season one of the most anticipated in history of the Bears organization which made the poor play on the field even harder to watch for the Solider Field faithful. For the Bears to avoid repeating the mistakes of 2009 they must make changes. Here's my two cents on what the big stories are for next season in the Windy City.

1. The Future of Lovie Smith

Lovie Smith will return next year as the head coach of the Chicago Bears having finished the season with two victories against Minnesota and Detroit for an overall record 7-9 in 2009. Since their 2006 Super Bowl appearance, the Bears have missed the playoffs three years in a row under Smith and have a under .500 winning percentage. Lovie’s saving grace is that the Bears owe Smith $11 million over the next two years. The McCaskey's fired Dave Wannstedt and Dick Jauron with one year left on their contracts, but insiders doubted they would let Smith walk away with that big of a check. Smith announced in a press conference Tuesday afternoon that he would not be the defensive coordinator in '10 in addition to being the head coach as was the case this season.  
 
2. Heads Fall at Halas Hall

Offensive Coordinator Ron Turner along with five other assistant coaches were not as fortunate as Lovie on Tuesday afternoon as they will not be returning to sidelines of Soldier Field next year. Turner had been under fire all season as the Bears' offense struggled both on the ground and in the air for most of the season. The additional assistant coached let go included Pep Hamilton (quarterbacks), Harry Hiestand (line) and Rob Boras (tight ends), and assistants Luke Butkus and Charles London.

Lovie Smith has will have the job this off season of hiring coordinators for both sides of the ball and filling in the assistant positions now left vacant. The incredibly unpopular Jerry Angelo will be retained for next year despite the public's call for his head. The Bears' GM was the talk of the town at the beginning of the season for his trade that brought Jay Cutler to town, but became a punching bag for pundits after most of his off season moves performed poorly in '09.

3. Can Cutler Carole the Curse of the Quarterback?

Jay Cutler was not quite the quarterback messiah fans had hoped he'd be when news first broke that  the Bears had acquired the former Denver Bronco. His season can be basically summed up in his stats: 27 TD, 26 INT.  Some of those interceptions you can credit to miscommunication with a young, inexperienced wide receiver core or the constant pressure he felt behind a poor offensive line, but you have to wonder how many more games the Bears would've won had Cutler made been better decisions with the ball. 

The lack of a running game didn't help Cutler and getting Matt Forte back on track next season could really take a lot off of the quarterback's shoulders. The Bears next offensive coordinator will have to find a way to reinforce the running game. The Bears would benefit from bringing in another running back to help carry the load on the ground as most successful teams in the NFL now utilize two to three running backs in their offensive packages.
 
4. A New Hope at Wide Receiver

On a positive note, one of the biggest worries before this past season was over the wide receiver position that lacked a true go-to-guy. As the season progressed, Johnny Knox became a deep threat for Cutler with his blazing speed and knack for making the big play. Devin Hester and former Vanderbilt teammate of Cutler's Earl Bennett both averaged 13.3 yards a catch as the Bears' leading position receivers.

 In the final few games of the season Devin Aromashodu showed signs of being a great target for Cutler next season catching four touchdowns. Aromashodu didn't see the field until week 10 which makes you wonder why Lovie & Co. didn't give this kid a shot earlier in the year.  The receiving core could benefit by adding an experienced player in the off season, but the wide out position is not on the top of Jerry Angelo's "To Do" list this coming off season.
 
5. Success Starts With the Big Boys
 
The difference in Jay Cutler's tremendous form the last two games of the season compared to the horrid stretch of ten games where the Bears only won twice could be credited to the fact that against the Vikings and Lions he didn't spend most of the game running for his life. Needless to say the offensive line is a position the Bears need to improve upon  in 2010 if they want to make a run at the playoffs. Future Hall of Famer Orlando Pace was an utter flop in Chicago at left tackle and looked very much like a guy who had played one too many years in the NFL.  

Chris Williams struggled most the year in his first season as a starter, but showed some potential the final few games of the year. Williams kept arguably the NFL's best pass rusher in Jared Allen at bay on Monday Night football when the Bears pulled off a riveting overtime victory over the NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings. Williams along with veteran center Olin Kreutz should return to the lineup next season, but Pace and free agent signing Frank Omiyale need to be replaced for next season.  To do so the Bears may need to be creative with their limited draft picks or in free agency, but something has to be done.

On the other side of the ball a number of reserve players got valuable experience with all the injuries the Bears' defense racked up this year.  Brian Urlacher should be back for next year barring any more complications with his wrist injury that saw the six-time pro bowler miss almost all of 2009. Urlacher has always flourished when he's had two skilled defensive tackles to keep off opposing linemen from obstructing his path allowing him to use his speed and instinct to get to the ball.

This will be the first off season that Tommie Harris will not undergo surgery in three years and with hard work in off season he hopefully will return to his 2006 form. Harris' numbers were down this season and  he didn't endear himself to fans  when he was thrown out of a game against the Arizona Cardinals for punching an opposing player in the face. Anthony Adams had two six tackle performances in the final four games of the year, but was far from the dominant force the Bears need in the middle of the line. The Bears should look to add at least one more defensive tackle to compete for the job next year.

What do you think about Lovie Smith staying in Chicago for at least one more year? Where do the Bears need to improve the most? Share your thoughts below!

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 by Sean Heffernan

Prior to the Bears kicking off to the Packers last night there was a sense of optimism in Chicago about their football team that hadn’t been alive since the days of the ’85 Bears. By remarkable circumstances the Bears’ GM, Jerry Angelo, had scooped up disgruntled Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos. After years of wallowing at the shaky arms of terrible to mediocre quarterbacks for decades, Bears faithful now had a star thrower to lead their team to greatness.

Expectations for the 2009 season grew with each day drawing nearer where to September 13^th where at Lambeau Field the “Cutler Era” would begin against their dreaded rival to the north. As Robbie Gould kicked off into the Green Bay night, Chicago Bears fans collectively breathed a sigh of relief as the most anticipated season in the history of the 90-year-old organization had finally begun.

That sigh was about all the relief Bears fans got last night.

 No one could have dreamed of a worse start to the season. Jay Cutler looked anything, but the savior Bears fans have hoped he’d be this year, throwing a career high four interceptions. To be frank, Cutler looked like a Bears quarterback: confused, pressured, panicky, and frustrated. Cutler, who’s known for his risk taking, got off to a terrible start in the first quarter rolling out and throwing across his body straight to Packers safety, Nick Collins, who then returned the ball 31 yards.  

It was evident all night that the Bears’ receivers were not on the same page with Cutler. Cutler did connect with Devin Hester a number of times for good gains including a 36-yard touchdown pass, but the rest of the receiving core looked lost most of the game. Earl Bennett caught only 7 of the 14 balls Cutler threw to him. Tight end Desmond Clark struggled finishing his routes, leading to one of Cutler’s interceptions. Clark also dropped a touchdown in the second quarter that would have been a easy catch had he not broken off his route early. Cutler went on to throw two more interceptions both of which involved miscommunications with rookie wide out Johnny Knox.

In the face of Cutler’s terrible debut in a Bears uniform, the most devastating part of last night’s game manifested itself today, as the Bears announced that middle linebacker Brian Urlacher was out for the season after hurting his wrist in the first series of the second half against the Packers. No doubt the Bears’ defense will miss their leader who was poised to have great year after recovering from back and neck ailments that had plagued him in previous years.

To add further harm to injury starting outside linebacker, Pisa Tinoisamoa, injured his right knee in the first quarter only a few snaps into his 2009 season. Tinosamoa is currently day to day with a sprained PCL, but hasn’t been ruled out for next Sunday’s home game against the Pittsburg Steelers.

The Packers’ defensive line made the Bears’ offensive line look pitiful. Newly signed guard Frank Omiyale got manhandled throughout most of the game. Even with Cutler under center, the Packers were forced the Bears to beat them on the pass and in the end the Bears failed miserably. Offensive Coordinator, Ron Turner, didn’t do Cutler any favors.  

In the fourth quarter the Bears were threatening to go in for six on the Packers’ five yard line, but three bad play calls forced the Bears to settle for a field goal. Turner called two straight running plays into a defense that had bottled up Matt Forte the entire game. In Forte’s defense, he had little chance to get in the end zone as the Bears’ formation on first and second down lacked any real passing threats.

Why run two predictable running plays when the other team has been shutting down your running game consistently up to that point? On third down Turner called a roll out pass for Cutler where his only option was Greg Olsen who was covered by a mess of Packers. The Bears had to settle for three points and went on to lose the game.

Had the Bears scored a touchdown they most likely would have won in spite of of Cutler’s interceptions and Urlacher’s injury. Another strike against the Bears coaching was Lovie Smith’s two missed penalty challenges that left them with two timeouts they could have used on the final drive had Cutler not thrown his final interception on the first play.

The Bears’ 2009 season opener was nothing short of a disaster. For the Bears to have any chance of winning the division this year some unheralded players are going to have to step up. The Bears’ inexperienced receiving core is going to have to get on the same page with their star quarterback while the defense copes with the loss of their captain.

If the Bears can defeat a good team in the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers next week we might be singing a totally different song a week from now, but after last night’s debacle I doubt any Bears fan will be in the mood for a song soon.  

What do you think? Can the Bears rebound next week? Share your thoughts below.

Jay Cutler looked the part Saturday night against the Giants 

by Sean Heffernan

No matter how downtrodden Chicagoans get over the struggling economy or potholed filled streets one change in the cityscape that should lift its citizen's spirits is the fact that the Chicago Bears actually have a quarterback.  This weekend I rented Madden 10 from Blockbuster and felt very weird playing with Jay Cutler under center having the ability to rocket the ball all over the field with a Bears QB. I think I've played every version of the Madden video game franchise (I'm cool I know)  throwing countless interceptions with  Jim Miller, Cade McNown,  Kyle Orton, and of course Rex Grossman. Not that you can judge how Orton will turn out from the XBox or Playstation 3, but it is a sign of the changing times in Chicago. ...

After a skittish preseason opener against Buffalo in which Cutler threw an interception, the former Denver QB looked his former Pro Bowl self last Saturday night against the New York Giants going 8 for 13 for 121 yards with a touchdown pass to tight end Desmond Clark in tow. The Bears scored on all three of Cutler's series defeating the Giants 17-3. Cutler connected well with former Vanderbilt teammate Earl Bennett who could develop into the Bears' number one receiver. Devin Hester broke behind the Giants secondary on down field pass, but Cutler just overthrew the Bears' play-maker. Once Cutler and Hester get on the same page the offense could utilize the partnership as a serious deep threat.

Bears fans have long awaited the day when opposing defensive backs were on their heels for once. When the Cutler signing was announced their was a lot of talk about the Bears last franchise quarterback: Sid Luckman. Sid hung up his spikes in 1950. It only took the Bears 58 years to replace Luckman (who was famous for running the T-Formation).

 In reality, the trade for Cutler doesn't ensure automatic success for the "Monsters of the Midway" as the team's success will largely depend upon head coach Lovie Smith reinvigorating a defense that is coming off a poor season in 2008. The question of Cutler's options at the wide receiver position also needs answering as running back Matt Forte was the team's leading receiver last year.

The Bears very well might dissapoint this year, but at least for once fans cannot point to the organization's inability to feature a star quarterback as a reason for their failure. WithCutler arrives a new hope in Chicago. Any optimism in these tough times is a good thing. In Chicago, the Cubs are on pace to break their fans' hearts for the 100th year in a row, the Bulls are far from recovering the glory of the "Jordan Years", and the Blackhawks haven't lifted the Stanley Cup since the Eisenhower administration, but if the Bears can actually get a quarterback what can't happen? 

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by Sean Heffernan

The on again off again saga of Brett Farve is entering yet another chapter as the 39-year-old quarterback is set to sign with the Minnesota Vikings pending a physical. The former Green Bay Packers QB is rumored to sign a 10-12 million dollar contract today with the Vikings. Three weeks ago Vikings head coach Brad Childress told the press that Farve was going to stay retired. However, last night two unnamed players leaked rumors to the media that the Vikings were expecting Farve to join the team soon. Today, Farve and his wife flew to Minnesota to meet with team officials. Farve's return to the NFC North seems inevitable at this point, but what does this mean to Bears fans? ...

If Farve's arm is healthy enough to actually play this year the NFC North will become one of the most watched divisions this year in the NFL. The Bears have their first franchise quarterback in modern history in Jay Cutler. The Vikings welcoming the Brett Farve circus to the Twin Cities won't help division rivals the Packers who are still struggling to expel the ghosts of #4 still lingering around Green Bay.

Should Bears fans fear the purple now that they have Farve? The simple answer is yes. The scary thing is that the number one thing holding the Vikings back last season was the lack of stability at quarterback. The "Williams Wall" of Kevin Williams and Pat Williams along with all pro Jared Allen anchored the NFL's best run defense. Adrian Peterson is the best young running back in the league and has had a number of monster games against the Bears already in his short career. If Farve can keep from throwing interceptions the Vikings' offense can put up some serious numbers. Last year teams were able to focus on shutting down Peterson and make the Vikings' beat them with the pass. Who remembers Gus Frerotte's 99 yard pass to former Bear Bernard Berrian last season?

The question marks remain the same for the Bears: Will Jay Cutler live up to the hype or did the Broncos do the right thing releasing their franchise QB? Can the Bears rediscover their defensive form after a disappointing 2008? Who will step up and be Cutler's go to receiver? If the Bears can answer these questions they will have a chance to contend for the NFC North division title. Like Cutler, Farve brings more attention to the division, but doesn't force the Bears to rethink their keys to success. Anyways, it looks like Jay Cutler won't be the most speculated quarterback in the NFC North this year.

by Chris Cwik

The Cubs are in first place, the White Sox just added Jake Peavy, and baseball is all the rage in Chicago. However, no player made a bigger impact in Chicago this year than Jay Cutler. So, I decided, what better way to spend a Sunday than to head down to Bourbonnais and take in Chicago Bears Training Camp? Armed with nothing but a camera, I had to see what all the fuss was about at Camp Cutler. ...

The Positives
Jay Cutler - The QB was everything that you would expect. On one of his first passes of the day, he rifled a slant to Devin Hester. He displayed a really strong arm and a knack for looking off the defensive backs all day.

Devin Hester - Hester looked great.  He ran his routes pretty well, and he didn't drop a pass all practice. One of the most promising signs was the chemistry he had already developed with Cutler. Hester and Cutler connected 3-4 times during 7 on 7 drills. Cutler also connected with Hester on a deep bomb pretty ealry on in practice. It was one of the prettiest deep passes I have ever seen, Hester didn't even have to break stride.

Earl Bennett - Cutler's favorite target in college showed why the Bears drafted him in the 3rd round last year. He, like Hester, didn't drop a pass the entire practice. Bennett's biggest highlight came when he beat press coverage from Nathan Vasher and hauled in a deep pass from Cutler. This was probably the best play of the day.

The Play Calling - In the early drills, the Bears seemed to be toying with some new formations. On the third huddle of the day, the Bears came out in the Wildcat with Cutler split out wide. This drew both laughs and applause from the fans. On another play, they called a direct snap to Forte who handed off to Kevin Jones. They also called a reverse to Hester in which Cutler was the lead blocker. I'm all for the Offense getting a little creative, just please don't get Hester killed.

The Negatives
The Rookie Wideouts - Both Johnny Knox and Juaquin Iglesias were yelled at early on for being out of position on certain plays. However, both also showed some flashes during practice as well. Iglesias rebounded by performing pretty well in 7 on 7s, and Knox showed some great speed. All in all, it was an up and down day for the two rookies. 

The Defense - Maybe the Offense was just that good today, but the D wasn't totally up to speed yet. This was especially evident when the D was in the Cover 2. Cutler and Caleb Hanie consistently found players in the seams and connected with some nice passes. As the day went on, however, the QBs did have to check down more often and the D seemed to be cracking down.

Lance Briggs - I don't know what was up with Briggs today, but he must have been a little dinged. He didn't take part in any of the drills today, however, he was fully suited up. This is probably a minor issue, but the Bears need a healthy Briggs come the pre-season.

Random Notes
-Rashied Davies made a great move on Daniel Manning in 1 on 1s and then proceeded to drop the pass. Afterward, Davies did 10 push-ups to make up for his gaffe.
-Caleb Hanie looked pretty good in his back-up role. He seemed to have a good understanding of the offense and showed some promise today. He told one of the rookie wideouts that they weren't lined up properly and made sure they were in the right place before the ball was snapped.
-Charles TIllman was unable to practice as he continues to recover from back surgery. He was at practice sporting a floppy hat and hanging out with the other Defensive Backs.
-Nathan Vasher and Earl Bennett were also seen fielding some punts. Perhaps the Bears will have a few options at Punt Returner this year?
-Rod Marinelli had the D-line looking aggressive. Even though the linemen were on pretty far away from where I was standing, you could hear the linemen yelling as they went through their drills.

Those are my news and notes from practice today. Overall, the team looked pretty good. The Offense is coming together pretty quickly. The main players seem to be on the same page. The D could use a bit of work, but it is pretty hard to judge the Defense when they aren't allowed to hit. All in all, it looks like this team, and Jay Cutler, is the real deal. If the Offense continues to play at this level, the Bears could be playing late into the Winter.

How will the Monsters of the Midway fair in 2009? Share your thoughts below!

"Leave the man alone. And leave me alone. And let it go...let...it...go." - The Rick

I find that much of the mainstream media places equal blame on anyone who slips up, whether they say the wrong thing or kill their ex-wife - as long as it leads to scandal. Do Fox News and CNN have you all bent out of shape and confused? Not sure who you should hate and who should get a free pass? Wild Bill is here to clear all that up with a brand new feature I like to call "LEAVE 'EM ALONE / TAKE YER SHOTS"

LEAVE 'EM ALONE

Derrick Rose
Ever toss up a gang sign in a pic trying to be cool or ironic? People probably laughed, snapped the pic and you got on with your life. Thousands of frat boys and overweight suburban white girls are photographed everyday tossing up signs they don't understand - and nobody bats an eyelash. But when a black guy from the south side does it, he must be in a gang right? Never mind that the kid was a COLLEGE STUDENT or that he's considered a leader by his teammates on AND off the court. Young black man plus urban upbringing plus gang sign must mean gang affiliation right? Wrong it means a 19 year old kid was mugging for his buddy's camera. Why can't we leave it at that and avoid as much hypocrisy as possible?

David Letterman
Dude made a joke - and a pretty damn funny one at that - about a legal adult female and her slutty Alaskan escapades. He was clearly referring to the 18 year old - you know the one who's known for getting knocked up? - and this is clearly some misguided attempt for the right to make some kind of "statement" about family values. You want family values? How about teaching your teenage daughter to keep it in her pants until college?

Jon
Please. If you were married to that succubus, you'd cheat too - all the time. I'm not a big proponent of cheating, but John gets a free pass. That chick is drunk with power and completely off the deep end. Let the man live his life.

Artie Lange
I don't know what friggin wizard over at HBO thought it would be a good idea to bring Artie on for Joe Buck's first ever "I suck worse than Costas" talk show, but thank God someone did. That was just about the funniest damn thing I've seen in a while. Lange said everything we always think about Buck when we suffer through Saturday Baseball on Fox. Hats off you big sweaty, drunken guido!

TAKE YER SHOTS

OJ
Who could forget "the chase"? 15 years ago today. You, your TV set, a white Ford Bronco, a huge stretch of SoCal freeway and of course AC.

What the HELL was THAT all about? The circus that ensued was unlike anything we'd ever seen and you know what? I don't care if he's innocent or guilty (although probably guilty) - take your shots people, 'cuz fuck OJ. He beat the shit out of women, he stole shit and he probably killed two innocent people. It's a good thing he's in jail.

Kate
This bitch is crazy - really. the goddamned devil incarnate. I'm not just talking about the way she shows no affection to her kids or husband on that ridiculous excuse for a show (which by the way I totally don't watch). I'm talking about the fact that she exploits the shit out of her kids and would probably sell one to a pimp in Thailand if she thought it would help her get a moisturizer endorsement. Oh yeah - and sow she's supposedly hitting the kids and denying them water? I smell spinoff: "Jon and Kate Plus Sweat Shop Labor" anyone?

Sammy Sosa
Take your shots. Go ahead take 'em. We knew. We all knew. We've known for a while and we let it slide 'cuz Sammy and his 'roids saved baseball in the summer of '98. As a Cubs fan, he was my hero and could do no wrong, but I started to lose faith with the whole corked bat incident and just about gave up on Sammy when he bailed on the Cubbies. The final straw was when he all of a sudden forgot how to speak English in front of Congress. So yeah, we knew. But now it's official, so take your shots.

Joe Buck
I've just never been so goddamn happy to see someone fail. That's really all I've got. So do like Artie and take your shots. Real quick - is Buck the single most humorless person on the face of the earth? We should have seen this coming when he freaked out because Randy Moss DIDN'T show his ass to the crowd in Greenbay, but really, I've never seen anyone look as uncomfortable as he did when Lange was ripping into him. Lange hated on Irvin and his cowboys and you know what? Mike got the joke! Laughed his ass off and even added a few snipes about "white on white crime". This is why, despite his many flaws America loves Michael Irvin and pretty much everyone hates Joe Buck.

-Wild Bill

Sorry Dwight.

So yeah...nobody told us that part of the deal with having a website was that you have to know, write on it regularly. Admittedly, we've been about as productive as a GM plant the past few days. But in a nutsehell, here's what you missed:

The Lakers now lead 3-1 in the NBA finals after their second OT win in four games.

You gotta feel for the Magic. Homeboys can't finish. Both overtime losses shouldn't even have made it to OT as they blew leads late in both games AND choked in the waning seconds of regulation when they had opportunities to regain the lead and put the game away - twice. Kobe still complains too much and Howard can't hit a free throw to save his life. But how about D. Fisher?!?! OMAGOD!!!! Dude could be the next big shot Bob. His late in regulation 3 poiner, followed by a clutch 3 in overtime did more than anything else to twist the knife in Orlando's back. As much as I hate to admit it, I'll be very surprised if this series makes its way back to the City of the Angels. The Magic are simply outgunned.

Playmakers at 'Bama are in a whole heap of trouble for getting free textbooks.

My personal feelings about Nick Saban and the integrity of any program he's a part of aside - we're missing the point here. These guys weren't getting free clothes, or cars or hookers or blow - they were given free text books. You know - to learn? Like you do in college. Can't we just chalk this one up to "perks of being a student-athlete" and be happy they even wanted text books. I didn't play college sports. Learning was the whole reason I was there - and there were semesters where I didn't have a single text book. Also - let's cut the shit and call this what it is. These guys make millions of dollars for the school every year. We can pay their tuition, but not for their text books? They can take a free x-box from a bowl committee, but not from a booster? They can get free shoes from Nike, but not from an agent? Let's lighten up on the hypocrisy and stop forcing these kids to live in a "take this, not that" environment. Do you remember college? You were 19, poor as hell and far from home. You would have taken just about anything for free.

Getting off the Soapbox...

Game of the Stanley Cup Finals is tonight at 8 on NBC for the 5 of you who care.

I'm predicting a close game, possibly an overtime or two, but barring a Marc-Andre Fleury miracle, Detroit's experience and depth will win out.

Apparently Ronaldo is playing for Madrid now.

I have no idea what any of this means, but Sean said it was important. I guess Real Madrid is going around being the Red Sox to ManU's Yankees - flexing their checkbook in an effort to be top dog - Ahhhh Capitalism.

Chicago baseball teams are disappointing.

I'm not sure what's acceptable down on 35th St. but here on the North Side, .500 ball isn't OK. The Cubbies trail The Brew Crew by 2.5 games while the ChiSox are a whopping 5.5 back of the Tigers.

Let's see, what else?

Meth in Nascar...no big shock there. Rednecks + Speed = Meth. Right?

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/news/story?id=4245969

Vick cut by Falcons...Canada is in for a treat.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4253231

Manny says the wrong thing...Again.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4249022

Mickelson to play in next two PGA events before family vacation and begininning of wife's treatment. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Mickelson family.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4248964

We'll keep writing. You keep reading. Ready? Break!

-Wild Bill