Sosa feels mistreated

Sosa told a Dominican Republic newspaper that he felt insulted by being moved to the sixth spot in the lineup. Sosa said, "I'm a cleanup hitter or third because I've earned that right with almost 600 career home runs." Sosa also said, "I'm going to play at least another five or six seasons, hitting 35 home runs a year," he said. "That would allow me to finish my career with 700 home runs." I'm not sure what planet Sosa is on right now but let's hope he stays there and doesn't make an appearance at Wrigley again unless it's with the opposing team.

Purdue loses third straight game

Purdue looked pathetic against the Northwestern Mildcats today losing 13-10. Kirsch replaced a struggling Orton in the second half but the Boilers still couldn't score anymore points against the "tough" Northwestern defense. Orton said he came out because of a hip flexor but Tiller said it also had to do with his poor play. Orton fumbled once and was also intercepted. The Boilers are now 5-3 and 2-3 in Big Ten play. It is amusing how three weeks ago we were thinking BCS bowl and now we are just hoping Purdue can get one more win and become bowl eligible.

Fantasy Football Update Week 7

X-15 went 1-1 this week, winning in the keeper league and losing in the re-draft league. X-15 is now 7-0 in the keeper league and 4-3 in the re-draft league.

Cubs let two players go

The Cubs declined the options for Alou and Grudz today. The Cubs want to get a younger, cheaper outfielder to replace Alou. Hopefully they will bring back fan-favorite Todd Walker to replace Grudz.

Some Bears receive flu shot despite shortage

Earlier today a story broke claiming that about half of the players on the Bears received a flu shot. Later in the day, A Bears official said that only two players received the shot because they have asthma. The remaining doses were sent back to the distributor. Michael Haynes declined the vaccination because he did not feel he needed one as bad as other people out there. A local health offical descirbed the use of the vaccinations as "regretful." The Bears may end up with one of the worst records in the NFL, but at least they won't get the flu.

Fantasy Football Update Week 6

X-15 went 2-0 this week. I am now 6-0 one game ahead of the 5-1 South Park Cows in the keeper league. X-15 had a come from behind victory over the Posse. The final score was 105.5 to 98.57. A huge game from Daunte Culpepper (43.65) on Sunday night put me over the top.

X-15 won by a score of 97.69 - 72.31 in the re-draft league. Both C-Mart (18.55) and Reuben Droughns (15.00) had big days. X-15 is now 4-2 and in 2nd place behind 6-0 BigSchmuck2.

Bears lose again

Jonathan Quinn looked pathetic today as the Bears lost a close one 13-10. Quinn completed only 10 passes for 65 yards and one INT. After the game, Lovie Smith mentioned that the coaching staff will give Craig Krenzel and Chad Hutchinson a hard look this week in practice. The Bears only touchdown came on Jerry Azumah's 70 yard return on an interception. The Bears are now 1-4. Let's hope the Dolphins can pull out a few wins so the Bears can get the first pick because I don't see anymore W's in the Bears' future.

Boilers lose a heartbreaker 20-17

Purdue somehow found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory today. With a 17-14 lead and 2:36 remaining, Orton fumbled away the game. Orton lunged for a first down on third and short and coughed up the ball to Scott Starks who ran it in for a touchdown. Purdue blocked the extra point and had a chance to tie the game up at 20-20 but Ben Jones missed a 42 yard field goal with only seconds remaining. I don't want to hear anyone mention Orton's name in the same sentence as the Heisman ever again. Heisman winners don't fumble the ball with the game on the line. I don't even want to hear his name in the same sentence as Drew Brees. Brees found a way to win the big games. I was at the Ohio State and Michigan games Brees' senior when we pulled the win out late in the game. Orton may have good stats but he does not have the intestinal fortitude to win the big game. Purdue is now 5-1 and Wisconsin climbs to 7-0.

Todd McShay on Purdue

Here's what Todd McShay had to say at Purdue's chances tomorrow against Wisconsin.

Ben (Madison, WI)
Do you think the Badgers have a good shot at beating Purdue tomorrow, or will Kyle Orton and the outstanding Purdue offense be too much for the Wisconsin D?

TODD MCSHAY - Scouts, Inc.
I've got to go with Purdue in this one. Playing at home helps, but in all reality I just don't see Wisconsin being able to keep up offensively. Stocco played well last week and RB Davis will have a solid game on the ground, but they just don't have the offensive balance to keep up with Orton and the Purdue offense. Wisconsin's defense is tough up front and their secondary has playmakers like Leonhard and Starks, but Orton will neutralize the pass rush with his ability to get rid of the ball so quickly and Purdue has enough depth at WR to spread Wisconsin's defense out in order to create some favorable one-on-one's away from Leonhard and Starks.

Herbstreit on the Boilers

"They are 5-0 for the first time since '45. It is virtually impossible to tell you where they fit in until we know the outcome of the next two weeks. If they can somehow beat Wisconsin and Michigan, they are not only on their way to a Big Ten championship, but they become a serious player for a national championship bid. I'll go on record and say these next two weeks are the biggest two weeks in the history of Purdue football."

New shoes!

My new shoes that I ordered from Eastbay came today!

When you should call in sick

Need some help deciding whether or not you should go to work when you are feeling under the weather? Check out this article. The article states that people who have the common cold are not very productive. Their lost productivity accounts for up to 60% of employer health costs, which is more than if they would've stayed home.

A jem from Beano Cook

"The only rivalry more one-sided than the Red Sox and Yankees is France and Germany."

Fantasy Football Update Week 5

X-15 went 1-1 again this week. I remained undefeated in the keeper league by crushing "the team that Kenny destroyed" by a score of 124.44 to 40.81. High scorers were: Daunte Culpepper (47.34), Chris Brown (20.6), Randy Moss (16.5), and Javon Walker (13.95). Keep in mind that Priest Holmes had the week off. My record is now 5-0.

X-15 lost a close one in the re-draft league by a score of 67.74 to 68.07. Low scores from DeShaun Foster, Moe Williams, Curtis Martin, and L Coles contributed to the loss. My record is now 3-2.

Newegg Update

They were prompt in sending me a replacement case for the one that was broken in shipping, however, it did take a couple phone calls and over a week to get reimbursed for the shipping costs to send back the damaged case. To make things worse, my replacement case had a bad power supply. I called them once again and they are going to refund my money and let me keep the case. I just ordered parts for another computer from Newegg, but I bought the case from TigerDirect. I ordered the exact same Gigabyte motherboard and AMD Athlon processor because they worked well in the computer I just built.

Orton chats on ESPN.com

Kyle Orton will be chatting in The Show Thursday at 2:30 ET.

Purdue jumps 5 spots

The Boilers jumped five spots to fifth in the nation. They play #12 Wisconsin at home on Saturday. If ESPN knows what they are doing, College GameDay will be at West Lafayette for the game.

Boilers move to 5-0

The Boilermakers overcame two Kyle Orton interceptions and beat the Nittany Lions 20-13 in Happy Valley today. Orton had decent numbers going 24-35 for 275 yards and one TD, but also threw his first two interceptions of the season. Stubblefield captured the Big Ten career receptions record in the first quarter on his third catch of the game. Purdue is now 5-0 and play Wisconsin at home next Saturday.

USA Gymnastics not happy with Abercrombie & Fitch

USA Gymnastics president Bob Colarossi wants A&F to stop selling its latest t-shirt that says "L is for loser" next to a picture of a gymnast on the rings. I think the shirt is funny, I wish I could afford to buy it before they take it off the shelves. A&F was forced to take Mark's shirt out of stores in 2002 because some people didn't think the slogan "Wong Brothers Laundry Service - Two Wongs Can Make it White," next to two Asian gentlemen was funny either.

Prior wants apology from Sosa

Mark Prior told The Score (670 AM) that if Sosa returns next season that he should apologize for showing up late and leaving the final game of the season game early. Prior said, "I personally feel like everybody does need an apology because that's not a team move."

Tenth anniversary DVD of The Shawshank Redemption released

A special edition DVD of The Shawshank Redemption was released on Tuesday. According to a poll on IMDB.com, Shawshank currently ranks 3rd in the top 250 best movies of all time. Those of you who have never seen this movie should be ashamed and lashed 3 times with a leather strap.

Public defender gets slashed by client

I'm glad I am not this guy's lawyer.

The Boilers are gaining fans

Purdue is gaining popularity with the fans. After they destroyed Notre Dame on Saturday, they were mobbed by fans and autograph seekers outside Notre Dame Stadium. All of the national attention has prompted Purdue to have security escorts to and from games. Read more about the hype surrounding Purdue here.

Purdue gets some love in the Morning Quickie

Look at what Daily Quickie writer Dan Shanoff had to say about Purdue today in the Show...“By the way, my preseason pick to win the national title was Purdue, which I will remind all of you of for the next two months, as Purdue runs the table behind Heisman lock Kyle Orton.”

Herbstreit on Orton

This is taken from Kirk's chat today on the Show.


Tom (Bordentown, NJ)
Do you think that Purdue has to run the table in the Big Ten for Orton to get consideration for the heisman?

KIRK HERBSTREIT
No, they don't have to run the table. This week on our ESPN.com Heisman Watch, we had Orton ranked No. 1, well ahead of Matt Leinart of USC (it's amazing what big game against ND can still do for you) Realistically, he has to compete for a Big Ten title and get to 9-10 wins to have a chance of winning it. I think he has just as good an opportunity as anyone in the country for consideration. Purdue plays Wisconsin, Michigan and OSU all at home. The only issue with Purdue is can their defense hold up for the whole season? Their offense is going to score every week.

Use some common sense

Was this article really necessary? Who would buy these items used?

Melanoma awareness day

Seven years in the sun at the golf course exposed me to all kinds of UV rays. Luckily I took care of my skin, or I could have ended up with Melanoma. Go here to learn more and also take the sun safety quiz.

Love the new channel

Comcast SportsNet Chicago hit the air waves on October 1st. Read the description of what will be on. I just got done watching Chicago Tribune Live with Dan Jiggetts. It is channel 37 for all you Comcast subscribers. All you other losers who don't have Comcast are missing out on the great entertainment. The main thing you non-Comcast people should worry about is the Cubs games. Comcast SportsNet will be showing the Cubs games instead of Fox SportsNet. I did read that the satellite companies are negotiating a deal to pick up this great channel.

Ricky done smoking weed?

An NFL spokesman said that Ricky sent a letter to the NFL asking for a hearing to clarify his eligibility to play again. Even if he did want to play again this season he's facing a 4 game suspension and probably more because he filed retirement papers and coming back within a year is a violation of league policy. However, he's on X-15's keeper roster so I hope he comes back.

Fantasy Football Update Week 4

X-15 went 1-1 this week. In the keeper league, X-15 won BigSchmuck by a score of 89.25 to 59.48. Big days by Priest Holmes, DeShaun Foster, and Terrell Owens provided the victory for 4-0 X-15. BigSchmuck falls to 2-2 and X-15 is the only team in the league with a perfect record.

In the re-draft league, X-15 was narrowly defeated by BigSchmuck2 by a score of 95.82 to 90.82. Disappointing days from Ryan Longwell (1.00), Jake Delhomme (8.97), and Laveraneus Coles (4.10) contributed to the loss. The score of 90.82 would have bested any other opponent. X-15 falls to 3-1, while BigSchmuck2 remains undefeated at 4-0.

Michael Bennett goes under the knife

Michael Bennett had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Monday to repair a torn meniscus and will be sidelined at least two more games. The injury occurred during practice on Thursday. Head coach Mike Tice said that Bennett could play next week if they needed him but they will give him an extra week off. This injury magnifies the importance of Chris Brown joining the X-15 squad.

I would like to take this time to congratulate the Iron Toothpicks on a complete domination of the Posse this week in the Nappanee Keeper League. The Posse was talking trash all week, but the Picks were the ones who talked the talk and walked the walk.

X-15 pulls off a blockbuster

X-15 agreed to a huge trade with the Ruminators early this morning. X-15 sends All-Pro QB Peyton Manning to the Ruminators in exchange for Chris Brown (RB-Ten), Reggie Williams (WR-Jax) and the Ruminators first pick in next year's rookie draft. Coming into week 4, Brown was the NFL's leading rusher. X-15 is rumored to have passed on a deal that would've sent Manning and DeShaun Foster plus a 2nd round pick to Oh Ummm...? in exchange for Matt Hasselbeck, Corey Dillon, and a first round pick. Neither side would confirm this rumor.

Chip Caray leaves Cubs

Chip Caray announced yesterday that he will be joining his dad and the Braves broadcast crew next year. Steve Stone said he would like to come back but is uncertain he will be asked back because of the situation between him and the players.

Boilers are movin' on up

The Boilermakers jumped five spots in both polls to #10 after the 41-16 drubbing of the Irish yesterday. The Boilers play at Penn State this Saturday.

Bears lose to the Eagles

The Bears lost an ugly game to the Eagles 19-9. Jonathan Quinn starting for the injured Rex Grossman was 26/43 for 215 yds and 1 touchdown. Thomas Jones rushed for 32 yards on 13 carries. The Bears fall to 1-3 while the Eagles move to 4-0.

Cubs finish the season with a win

Maddux got his 16th victory of the year over his old team, the Braves. Alou, Grudz, and Dubois all homered for the Cubs. Jason Dubois played in place of Sosa, who didn't make it to the clubhouse until 70 minutes before the first pitch. I have a feeling we've seen the last of Sosa in a Cub uniform. The Cubs finish the season 89-73 (one game better than last year).

Purdue rolls over Notre Dame

Today the Boilers emasculated the "Fighting" Irish by a score of 41-16. Heisman hopeful Kyle Orton threw for 385 yards and 4 touchdowns. Purdue is now 4-0 while Notre Dame drops to 3-2.

Free iPods

If someone asks you to sign up for a free offer so that they can get a free iPod, make sure to use an email address other than your main one. I signed up for a friend and used an email account that I don't care about. I get 10-15 junk emails a day now. Before I signed up I didn't get any.

Cubs Collapse Continues

The Cubs were defeated 5-4 today by the Braves. Their record is 88-72. Only two games left.

Today on The Show I asked Jerry Crasnick (MLB Insider) if he thought Sosa and Alou would be back next year. He said, "Ryan, I see Sosa back, and Alou not. His constant whining this year became a distraction, and they have to start getting younger and better defensively."

In the midst of the collapse, the feud between Steve Stone and certain players is reaching a boiling point. Below is a Chicago Tribune article about comments Stone made after the game on Thursday. Steve has been privately fuming about Dusty letting Kent Mercker berate him on the team charter and at the team hotel after the game on August 27th. During that game, Mercker called the press box to complain because he felt Stone was being to critical. Read it here first, I think it's time for Dusty to hit the road. Look at his record, he can't win the big games. If I had to choose between Stone on TV or Dusty in the dugout, I'd take Stone hands down. Here's my short list of who needs to be gone next year: Dusty, Alou, Mercker, Borowski, and Clement.


By Paul Sullivan
Tribune staff reporter

September 30, 2004, 11:05 PM CDT

Cubs broadcaster Steve Stone lambasted the Cubs in an interview with WGN-AM radio after Thursday's 12-inning loss, painting the club as chronic complainers.

Stone told interviewers David Kaplan and Tom Waddle that the Cubs reminded him of a Jack Nicholson line from the film, "A Few Good Men."

"You want the truth? You can't handle the truth," Stone said. "Let me tell you something, guys, the truth of this situation is [this is] an extremely talented bunch of guys who want to look at all directions except where they should really look, and kind of make excuses for what happened.

"At the end of the day, boys, you don't tell me how rough the water is, you bring in the ship. The best eight [teams] go on, the other teams go home. This team should have won the wild-card [playoff berth] by six, seven games. No doubt about it. They have the talent to do that. They're life-and-death right now."

Stone said the "defining moment" of the Cubs' collapse was their 15-7 loss to Houston on Aug. 27 at Wrigley Field when they could have extended their wild-card lead over the Astros to eight games. That game featured a confrontation between Michael Barrett and Roy Oswalt. It also included the press box phone call from Kent Mercker to complain about Stone and Chip Caray and Mercker's taunting of umpire C.B. Bucknor that netted him a suspension.

"The one game that defined this season, that allowed a team that was dead to get back in was one of the days that started a lot of problems for my partner and I, one of the best partners in the game," Stone said. "That is the Roy Oswalt game, when Kent Mercker hit him in the sixth inning. That illuminated the Houston Astros.

"They were left for dead. The Cubs beat them the first game in a three-game series, they knocked Kerry Wood out in the fifth inning, they hit four home runs [off Wood], Oswalt pitched eight innings on a day the heat factor being 95 degrees. They won 15-7, took the next two games against the Cubs.

"Instead of being buried, they got back in the race. And guess what? They're up by one game now. The Cubs had a chance to put their foot on their throat, and good teams do that. When you have a chance to eliminate a team, you don't take a personal vendetta out until that team is dead. Kill them, then you have plenty of time for personal vendettas. The Cubs didn't do that and it's coming back to haunt them."

Stone also predicted the Cubs would make some "blockbuster" moves this off-season, implying some trades would be directly tied to the team's ongoing battles with the broadcasters.
Copyright © 2004, The Chicago Tribune

Wild Card Standings - 9/30

Team    Games Back  Record

Astros       -      89-70

Giants       -      89-70

Cubs         1      88-71