Ferentz signs new deal, gets private plane for recruiting

Kirk Ferentz signed a new contract extension with the Iowa Hawkeyes through 2015. According to the Des Moines Register, the money hasn't changed, but Ferentz has one new benefit added to the deal.

This new contract gives Kirk access to a private jet for recruiting and personal use, a jet that he can use for up to 35 hours annually.

“He’s earned that opportunity,” athletic director Gary Barta said. "Access to a plane provides a form of compensation that recognizes the extreme time demands placed on him throughout the year."

The DM Register also cites a 2006 USA Today article that said Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, Virginia's Al Groh, and Ohio State's Jim Tressel all have access to a private jet in the contracts as well.

Ferentz, who led the Hawks to an Outback Bowl victory last season against South Carolina, will earn an annual salary of $3.02 million

For more info...
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090720/SPORTS020502/90720012

What do former Cubs pitcher Matt Clement and Kenny Powers have in common?

Former pitcher Matt Clement had a major league career he could be proud of. A nine year major league career, consisting of 87 career victories and an All-Star game appearance in 2005. However, injuries cut the 34-year-old's career short, forcing him to retire in April 2009, although he hadn't appeared in a Major League game since 2006.

So what is the former 14 game winner with the Cubs doing now?

Fans of the HBO show Eastbound & Down will appreciate this. He's taking the Kenny Powers approach to career building.

This past June, Clement was hired to coach high school basketball at his alma mater, Butler High School in Pennsylvania. It's not quite teaching P.E. in North Carolina, but it's certainly a step down. I mean, a former major league pitcher coaching basketball?

Clement seems much more enthusiastic about the opportunity than Powers was.

"I'm very excited and honored to get this opportunity, and I don't take this responsibility lightly," Clement told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Still no word on whether Clement is going to sell his old memorabilia out of the back of his car and attempt to regain the affection of his high school sweetheart, who is now engaged to the Principal.

Iowa Basketball signs son of former Hawkeye Legend

Earlier this month, Todd Lickliter picked up a committment for the 2010 recruiting class. He is the son of a former Hawkeye great, in fact, his father is the all-time leader scorer in school history.

I'm referring to Roy Marble. Marble, who played from 1986-1989, scored 2,116 points and led the Hawks to a Elite 8 and Sweet 16 appearance.

His son, Roy Marble Jr., a 6'5", 175-pound shooting guard, committed to Iowa on July 2nd . The Southfield, Michigan native averaged 22 points and 9 rebounds during his junior season. According to Rivals.com, Marble hd also received offers from Dayton and Providence.

"Even if he hadn't gone to Iowa, I probably would have still picked them," he said in the Des Moines Register. "As far as him being the career scoring leader, that's a challenge. But it was more of a worry to my parents than to me. I'll do whatever needs to be done. I'm not saying I'm going to break his records. I'm just going to play to the best of my abilities."

Here's what ESPN has to say about Marble Jr.

"Roy is a solid wing guard with a lot of potential. He has been improving a great deal this summer. He is good (not great) in almost all facets of the game. Marble is a solid shooter with range to 20 feet. He is able to create his own shot some but I would not call that a strength at this point. He is good at the "catch and shoot" and when he gets to the rim he has solid athleticism that allows him to finish above the basket. Roy is long and thin and has a tremendous upside. He should be a good long term get for the Hawkeyes."

Dear Marty Havlat,....Shut Up!

During his tenure with the Hawks, I was a huge fan of Marty Havlat. He was a great player in his three years with the Hawks and was an integral part of the playoff run this past year.

But really Marty, it's time to shut the hell up. For those who don't know, Havlat was a free agent this offseason, the Hawks elected not to re-sign him, signing ex-Red Wing Marian Hossa instead. Havlat has since signed with the Minnesota Wild.

The former Hawks winger, like many other celebrities and athletes, has become more or less obsessed with twitter. He has found it to be the perfect medium to rip the Hawks organization. Here is just a little taste of what he has said...

July 1st: "Excited to be in Minny where I was welcomed and appreciated by management. The real story about what happened in Chicago to come out."

July 1st: "There's something to be said for loyalty and honor."

July 14th: "As I said before, I didn't leave Chicago, it left me."

He then went on to tell the Canadian TSN.com that Hawks President John McDonough fired former GM Dale Tallon because McDonough was jealous that Tallon was receiving all the credit for turning the Hawks from a last place team to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

It's time for Havlat to move on and stop being bitter about his breakup with the Hawks. He is a part of the Minnesota Wild now, and that should be his focus. There was no way that the Blackhawks were going to re-sign him, he was an oft-injured player and Marian Hossa is clearly a better player than him.

I'm going to leave readers with one of my favorite shots of the 2009 NHL Playoffs. This is how I'm going to remember Marty Havlat.

Boise Hawks promotion, like economy, struggles

This past May, I wrote a story about how the economy is affecting Minor League Baseball. The primary promotion that I covered was the Boise Hawks "economy night." The Hawks are giving away 400 tickets for free to anyone that shows up to the park with an unemployment stub in hand.

"The economy night certainly had a lot of buzz," Hawks GM Todd Rahr said. "But it didn't pan out so well the first night."

On the first "economy night" of the season, only 80 of the 400 tickets were used. "I'm somewhat concerned that presenting your unemployment stub may be embarrassing to some people."

Rahr wants unemployed fans to see this promotion as a way to give back. "I really wish people would look at this as a pure promotion that has no other motives than to allow people to have a night out on the Hawks"

As the economy night promotion struggles, so do the Hawks. The team is currently 9-16, eight games out of first place in their league.

WOW...It's been a long time

Hey everyone,

Been a while since you've heard from me, I've been super busy working as an intern @ ESPN Radio in Chicago. But do not fear, I am going to start writing some more blog posts since the summer is beginning to wind down and its almost time to head back to school...Stay tuned...

Hawkeye Hoopsters Vacationing in Europe

The Iowa basketball team will get some much-needed extra practice this summer as they travel to Italy and Greece for a 10-day overseas trip. The Hawks will play four exhibition games, one in Rome and three in Greece, playing against older, more experienced professional teams. The Hawks will also be able to have 10 full team practices.

Every four years, the NCAA allows men's and women's teams to travel overseas and compete.

"We know we're going against professionals," Devan Bawinkel said on Hawkeyesports.com. "We've got to improve ourselves to get to that level. I think we can compete with them."

One Quick Note...Championship Rings Sold

Just wanted to give readers an update on one of my previous blog posts. Bankrupt former Bull Randy Brown had his three championship rings sold at West Auctions this past Thursday. The winning bidder was "RingKing" with a bid of $53,333. The starting bid was $19,000 but the auctioneers said the the rings were worth at least $40,000.

Bowden Thriving in Triple-A

Back in 2005, when I was just a sophomore at Waubonsie Valley High School, everyone looked up to the stud pitcher on the varsity squad. His name was Michael Bowden, and everyone knew he was going to make it big.

Bowden hasn't disappointed.

Bowden, 22, is one of the younger pitchers in the AAA level, but he's been nothing short of dominant thus far. He has a record of 2-1, but that doesn't tell the whole story. He is leading all of Triple-A in earned run average with a 0.86 ERA. In his last outing, Bowden worked 8 innings of three-hit ball, striking out seven, but earned the no decision because the game went extra-innings.

"Michael has the ability to make it tough on people to put the barrel to the ball," Pawtucket Manager Ron Johnson said in the Providence Journal. "That’s what I saw last year, and that’s what I’m seeing this year. Plus, he competes like crazy. When he’s on the mound, I always feel like my chest sticks out a little bit further. I’m not taking anything away from the other guys, but he’s the kind of guy who stands out when he’s got the ball."

Here are his stats so far this year at Triple-A Pawtucket...

W L ERA G IP H R ER BB K AVG.
2 1 0.86 7 42 19 5 4 16 28 .136


But Bowden has also proven he can pitch at the Major League level as well.

Last season, he was called up to the Big Leagues to make a spot start against the Chicago White Sox, a prime-time Sunday night game on ESPN. Bowden worked 5 innings, allowing 2 runs but earned the victory. This year he was called up for a day to make a relief appearance in another prime time Sunday night game. This time against the hated-rival Yankees. Bowden once again did not disappoint. He threw 2 innings of no-hit ball, striking out Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano in the process.

Career Minor Leaguer Makes the Most of Major Opportunity

It took Bobby Scales 11 years and 1013 minor league games before he got his chance to shine in the Big Leagues, but the 31-year-old "rookie" is making the most of it.

Scales has spent time in the Padres, Phillies, Red Sox and Cubs organizations, playing in places like Idaho Falls, Fort Wayne, Scranton, and Des Moines. He's played the past two seasons with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs and is a career .285 hitter in the minors with 65 homers and 425 RBI's.

But on May 5, Scales finally got his chance, the journeyman infielder got the call-up to the Big Leagues. And it didn't take Scales long to make an impact with the Chicago Cubs. He has reached base in all five games since being called up by the Cubs on May 5. He has six hits in 14 at-bats.

Last night, Scales added another major milestone to his big league career. He led off the 7th inning as a pinch hitter and sent the first pitch his saw from Edwin Moreno into the right-field bleachers. Scales sprinted around the bases as if he was trying to leg out a double.

"Even in the Minor Leagues when I hit home runs, there's no point in showing anybody up," Scales said to Cubs.com. "You hit it and it went over the fence, and that's enough. Hit all four bases and get off the field."

Initially, Scales was called up to replace the injured Carlos Zambrano, and it was thought that he was only going to be up in the Majors for a couple days. But since Joey Gathright was traded for Ryan Freel and Aramis Ramirez was placed on the disabled list with a dislocated shoulder, his timetable could be a little bit longer.

"It may sound hokey, but I knew, deep down in the depths of my soul, I could play this game," Scales told the Chicago Tribune.

Minor League Baseball Still a Hit

Cubs Farm Teams face difficult economy, continue to help fans more than ever

When the Boise Hawks begin their Minor League Baseball season against the Tri-City Dust Devils on June 22, hundreds of Idaho fans are expected to be lined up for “Economy Night,” holding unemployment stubs instead of ticket stubs.

“We are giving away 400 bleacher seats for free to anyone who shows an unemployment check stub on game day,” said Todd Rahr, president and general manager of the Hawks, Single-A affiliate for the Chicago Cubs. “You can get up to four tickets for free, no questions asked.”

Although Minor League Baseball has always been labeled as affordable family fun, many teams have cut back on their budgets due to declining ticket sales and lack of corporate support. But some teams feel the poor economy is going to help their business because families will be traveling less. No matter the opinion, the economy isn’t stopping these organizations from pulling out all the stops when it comes to promotions to make games even more affordable for the common fan.

“I’m sure our clubs are watching their pennies more than ever,” said John Cook, senior vice president of business operations for Minor League Baseball. “Sponsorships as a whole are down.”

The minor league teams in the Chicago Cubs organization are all facing some sort of economic problems, but the goal of low-cost family entertainment remains the same. “We want to make sure we put value into every game for the fans.” said Rocky Vonachen, president of the Single-A Peoria Chiefs.

Despite economic hard times, the mission statement remains the same for the Single-A team in Daytona, Fla., as well. “We certainly have our own economic issues to deal with – but our vision and approach remains unchanged,” said Daytona Cubs general manager Bill Papierniak. “We’ve made the conscience choice to not use the economic struggles as a crutch in our daily operation.”

In Kodak, Tenn., the Double-A affiliate, expects to lose revenue due to cautious businesses in the area. “We do anticipate weakness in company outings and corporate season tickets,” said Doug Kirchhofer, president of the Tennessee Smokies. “We will lose revenue but some will be made up by an increase in walk-up ticket sales.”

After seeing a 33 percent increase in season tickets and group sales in 2008, the Boise Hawks expect a major drop in ticket sales this season because of the economy. “Our advanced ticket sales will be down as much as 25 percent, but we anticipate our walk-up sales will be up” said Rahr. “We will just have to take a break-even year as opposed to a healthy profit.”

The Hawks had revenue of $1.65 million and expenses of about $1.43 million in 2008, but in 2009 the revenue is expected to be $1.25 million and expenses of around $1.2 million. “This really is about the minimum we can run the team on and not sacrifice a lot of service and comfort for the fans,” said Rahr. “We cut much of our ‘fluff’ budget. In the past, fans who purchased a group ticket would receive a Hawks cap, the front office decided to cut this promotion, saving about $17,000.”

As a result of the economic downturn, some minor league teams have been forced to change their financial plans. “We have cut some areas of our budget,” Kirchhoffer said. “But not in those areas that are direct revenue generators.” Along with cuts in Tennessee, the Boise Hawks and Iowa Cubs have cut some of their budget as well.

Sam Bernabe, president and general manager of the Triple-A affiliate Iowa Cubs, refused to refer to any financial changes as budget cuts, but did acknowledge that there was some “belt tightening” within the I-Cubs organization.

While some minor league teams are having difficulty filling the seats on game days, other teams see the poor economy as a positive for their business.

“I think Minor League Baseball is at an advantage in an economy like we have right now,” said Bernabe. “People don’t travel as much and look for more local value in the markets they live in.”
“More people are going to rely on their regional entertainment,” said Peoria Chiefs President Rocky Vonachen. “It can still be a great year for the Peoria Chiefs and all of Minor League Baseball.”

Affordability has always been one of the major reasons sports fans are attracted to Minor League Baseball. “We are proud of our ability to serve our fans with reasonable pricing and great value in difficult economic times,” said Minor League Baseball President Pat O’Conner in a March 9 press release.

The average cost of an adult ticket ranges from $7.40 for Triple-A teams down to $6.96 for Single-A teams, according to a recent study of 160 Minor League Baseball teams. The overall average cost for a family of four is $54.54, which includes tickets, four hot dogs, two sodas, two beers, parking and a program. Last season, the average price of just one Major League Baseball ticket was $25.40.

Although minor league games are much more affordable than major league games, that doesn’t stop the minor league front offices from creating numerous promotions and discounts to get even more fans in the bleachers.

The Peoria Chiefs are offering 10 tickets to their luxury suites and an all-you-can-eat menu for $265. “Typically, renting the suite costs $500, and that doesn’t include food or drinks,” Vonachen said. Along with the suite discount, the Chiefs are also offering all-you-can-eat hot dogs and peanuts every Wednesday night and kids eat free on Sundays. “We ran these promotions with some success last year and with the economy as it is we are running them all season this year,” said Ralph Converse, Chiefs general manager. “We also have 13 fireworks nights scheduled and historically this promotion always draws the largest crowds.”

The Iowa Cubs added five dates to its home schedule known as “Dollar Days” when tickets, popcorn, soda and pretzels cost only $1 each. “We feel like we are affordable without having to do any more than those five days,” said Bernabe.

Both the Boise Hawks and the Tennessee Smokies have $1 hot dog night. Along with that, the Hawks also have half-price beverage night and a four for $34 deal. “Families get four tickets, four hot dogs, and four Pepsi products for $34, a $61 retail value,” Rahr said.

Although the Hawks season doesn’t start for another six weeks, the excitement for “Economy Night” is building. “This is a great community promotion,” Rahr said. “The buzz about it has been there and we have heard nothing but positives.”

On June 22 and every Monday home game thereafter, hundreds of fans will be lining up outside Memorial Stadium in Boise with unemployment stubs in hand, looking to forget about their troubles and worries for just a couple of hours and enjoy the great American pastime.

“Mission number one is to help out our fellow man and give them an opportunity to enjoy a night during what is going to be a tough summer for them,” Rahr said.

“Mission number two is to entertain the hell out of them so that when they are on their feet they remember the good times and our efforts to help them out.”

Top 10 Minor League Baseball Team Names

It doesn't matter if your a baseball fan, Minor League Baseball is entertainment for everyone. I can't think of a single time that I haven't enjoyed myself at a Minor League game. I thought it would be fun to have my Top 10 Minor League Team names, enjoy! And stay tuned for a story about how the economy is affecting the Minor Leagues later in the week.
(team logos received from http://www.sportslogos.net/index.php)

10. Albuquerque Isotopes

9. Lakeland Flying Tigers

8. Charlotte Stone Crabs

7. Greensboro Grasshoppers

6. Savannah Sand Gnats

5. Fort Wayne Tin Caps

4. Wilmington Blue Rocks

3. Modesto Nuts

2. Casper Ghosts

1. Montgomery Biscuits

Hawkeye Basketball adds another Player

Iowa basketball needs all the help they can get, and they have added another name to the roster. Coach Lickliter added 6'3" guard Nick Neari as a walk-on.

Neari earned 1st Team All-Conference honors playing for St. Charles North High School in Illinois. He averaged 14.3 points per game and took his team to the Sectional Finals for the first time in school history. He was named player of the year by the Press-Republican (a Chicago newspaper)

Neari had offers to play at some D-II and D-III schools, but a major factor that played into his decision to come to Iowa was the Hawkeyes signing of guard Cully Payne, who has been best friends with Neari since elementary school.

Neari at least appears to be a pretty good athlete, he was the starting QB on the football team his junior year and split time between QB and wide receiver his senior year.

Heres what Suburban Life Publications had to say about Neari: "The 2009 Press-Republican Player of the Year was more well-rounded than stats alone can tell. His court vision enabled him to find creases in the defense and get to the rim, but also let him find narrow passing lanes. He could finish an array of ways at the rim, yet his range extended well beyond the three-point line. His quick hands and aforementioned vision made him a formidable defender, able to strip the ball away or read passes and cut in for the clean steal."

For More Info...
http://scottdo.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/iowa-hoops-walk-on-has-strong-stats-character/

Former Bull Selling Championship Rings

Chicago Bulls fans will remember "Downtown" Randy Brown as a solid bench player during the Bulls three-peat from 1995-1998. Brown spent 12 years in the NBA, five of them with the Bulls. He was one of the few players from the Bulls championship teams to stay after the departure of Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman. Although Brown averaged only 5.3 points per game during his career with the Bulls, he was a favorite amongst the fans. He retired in 2003.

But the former Bull has fallen on hard times.

On April 23, Brown was fired from his position as assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings, along with three other assistants and interim coach Kenny Natt.

Brown then declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy and was forced to auction his three championship rings. The bidding will begin online from May 19-21, starting at $19,000 for the three ring set. West Auctions, the business in charge of sellling the rings, said that just the jewels and metals alone make the rings worth $40k, which doesn't include collector's value. They anticipate the bidding on the rings to reach $75k or more.

I can't help but feel sorry for the guy. These Bulls teams were a huge part of my childhood and helped me to become the huge sports fan that I am today. I know that people will say that he was a professional athlete and that he should have invested his money better, but I still can't help but feel sorry for him. I hope some of his former teammates will be able to help him out during this difficult time.

Four Hawkeyes Drafted, Four Signed as Undrafted Free Agents, Zero Cyclones drafted!

After dominating on the field on Saturdays, four Hawkeyes will have the opportunity to see what its like to play on Sunday. Here are the Hawks that were taken and the ones that signed with teams after the draft as free agents...

-Running back Shonn Green was taken in the 3rd Round (#65 overall) by the NY Jets

-Cornerback Bradley Fletcher was drafted right after Greene in the 3rd Round (#66 overall) by the St. Louis Rams

-Offensive Lineman Seth Olsen heard his name called in the 4th round (#132 overall) by the Denver Broncos

-Brandon Myers became the 14th Tight End taken in this years draft, drafted in the 6th round(#202 overall) by the Oakland Raiders

Hawks Not Drafted but signed by teams as Undrafted free agents
-Mitch King signed with the Tennessee Titans
-Rob Bruggeman signed with Tampa Bay Bucs
-Matt Kroul signed with the NY Jets
-Andy Brodell signed with Green Bay Packers

I'm also happy to report that not a single Iowa State Cyclone had their named called on draft day, while at least one player was drafted from Abilene Christian, Furman, McNeese State, Monmouth, Nichols State, Norfolk State, St. Paul's College, Stephen F. Austin, Stillman, Weber State, West Texas A&M, Western Illinois, Western Ontario, and William & Mary.

Looking Back at Some of My Favorite Former Cubs: Glenallen Hill

When I look back at some of the Chicago Cubs rosters during my childhood, I can't help but remember Glenallen Hill. Glenallen Hill played for seven different teams during his 12 year Major League career. He had two stints with the Cubs, one from 1993-1994 and then another from 1998-2000. His best season with the Cubs was in 1999, when he belted 20 home runs and drove in 55 runs in 99 games.

But he will always be remembered for the monstrous home run he hit at Wrigley on May 11, 2000. I vividly recall watching this game and was in complete shock by how quickly the ball jumped off of his bat. On that faithful day, Glenallen Hill became the only player to ever hit a ball onto the rooftops across the street from the left field wall.






It was later revealed that Glenallen Hill was mentioned in the Mitchell Report for allegedly using HGH during the 2000 season. Hill apologized, saying that he is "dedicated to helping others avoid repeating [his] mistakes." I will always fondly remember Glenallen Hill when I think of former Cubs of my childhood.

Other interesting facts about Glenallen Hill:

*He suffers from arachnophobia and fell through a glass table after having a nightmare about spiders (see my strange baseball injuries post)

*He currently serves at the 1st base coach for the Colorado Rockies. He was also the first 1st base coach to wear a helmet out in the field, in honor of Minor League coach Mike Coolbaugh, who was killed by a line drive

*He won a World Series Ring with the Yankees in 2000 after being traded by the Cubs midway through the season

*According to Wikipedia, while Hill was a member of the Cleveland Indians, he committed a “phantom steal” of second. This occurred during a game against the Detroit Tigers which was interrupted by a prolonged disturbance in the outfield. When play resumed, no one noticed that Hill had moved from first to second.

*Glenallen Hill holds the distinction of being the first ever National League player to serve as a DH during a regular season game. On June 12, 1997 he was the Designated Hitter when the Giants played the Rangers

*Hill belted 186 homers in his career, 59 of them while with the Cubs

Hawkeye News and Notes

Iowa Football News

-The Hawkeyes will play a home game under the lights next season. The homecoming battle against the Michigan Wolverines will be played under the lights of Kinnick Stadium at 7 p.m. and televised by either ABC or ESPN

-Jewel Hampton is at the top of the depth chart at Running Back thus far during spring practice, but the surprise is former third-string Quarterback Marvin McNutt. McNutt, who moved over to wide receiver at the end of last season, is the #1 receiver on the depth chart, bumping Derell Johnson-Koulianos to #2. "Marvin has really had a good spring," Offensive Coordinator Ken O' Keefe told the Daily Iowan.


-Radio broadcaster and former Hawkeye great Ed Podolak is back from alcohol rehab and will be back in the radio booth calling Hawkeye games next Fall


-The 2009 NFL Draft is April 25 & 26 and quite a few Hawkeyes have the chance to get their named called on Draft day...

Shonn Greene: ESPN and Scouts Inc rank him as the 5th best Running Back in the draft
Rob Bruggeman & Seth Olsen: ESPN and Scouts Inc rank them as the 9th best Center and 23rd best Tackle in the Draft
Mitch King: ranked the 14th best Defensive End in the Draft
Bradley Fletcher: ranked the 33rd best Cornerback in the Draft


Iowa Basketball News

-The Hawkeye basketball team received another verbal commitment, no not from MJ's son, but from Schaumburg (IL) point guard Cully Payne. The 6 foot 1 inch, 180 pound point guard averaged 22 points a game in a senior season that was cut short 16 games into the season due to a stress fracture in his back. Payne signed a letter of intent to play for Alabama, but the Crimson Tide released him from that commitment after the firing of then Head Coach Mark Gottfried.

-Speaking of MJ's son....Sorry Hawkeye fans, he verbally committed to play for the University of Central Florida next season.

First Installment of "Get to Know Your Sports"

There are tons of sports played all around that world that Americans know very little about. I thought it would be interesting to examine some of different kinds of sports that are played around the world in what I like to call "Get to Know Your Sports"

Todays Installment: Hurling

Hurling is an Irish sport similar to field hockey, some consider it to be the world's fastest field team sport. It has been an Irish pastime for at least 2,000 years. There are 15 players (or "Hurlers") on each team, each player has a wooden stick (called a Hurley Stick), the object of the game is to score goals, using the hurley stick to hit the ball (called a sliotar).

The interesting part is that scoring is kind of a mix of soccer and football. There are two types of goalposts. There is a crossbar, similar to football, and if a player hits the ball over the crossbar, their team receives 1 point. However, you can also score under the crossbar. Like soccer, there is a goalie protecting the crossbar, and if a player gets the ball past the goalie and under the crossbar, their team receives 3 points.

Here is the catch about moving around the with ball. The ball can be caught in the hand and carried for not more than three steps, struck in the air, or struck on the ground with the hurley stick. It can be slapped with an open hand for short-range passing. You are allowed to carry the ball for more than three steps, but the players has to bounce or balance the ball on the end of the stick.

Kilkenny seems to be the New York Yankees of Hurling, winning 31 All-Ireland Senior Championships in 54 appearances

Check out this video to get an even better idea of how Hurling is played
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luQ2Vxez2V4

Strange Baseball Injuries

I was watching a Cubs game a week or so ago and Cubs announcers Bob Brenly and Len Kasper were talking about recently released Cubs pitcher Chad Gaudin and how he never recovered from an injury last season. What was that injury you ask? He slipped off of a curb and hit his back on a dumpster.

That got me to thinking about the strangest baseball injuries. I've compiled a list of my personal favorites. Enjoy!

-Tigers Joel Zumaya suffered inflamation in his forearm and wrist from playing too much Guitar Hero

-In 2005, Colorado Rockies shortstop Clint Barmes injured his shoulder after falling down a flight of stairs while carrying his groceries.

-In 2004, former Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa pulled a muscle in his back after a violent sneeze

-Former Cubs outfielder Glenallen Hill, who has arachnophobia, fell out of his bed and onto a glass table while having a nightmare about spiders

-Former Cub outfielder Felix Pie missed some time during spring training last year with a twisted testicle

-More former Cubs...Former Cubs pitcher Kyle Farnsworth sprained his knee after taking out his frustrations on an electric fan in the Cubs clubhouse

-Pitcher Steve Sparks dislocated his shoulder while attempting to tear a phonebook in half

-Astros outfielder Hunter Pence walked through a sliding glass door last season during spring training. Pence and a friend were in his hot tub in Florida, Pence left the tub to go inside and use the bathroom. Thinking the door was open, he walked right through the glass door. He suffered several cuts on his hands and knees

-And then there is Jose Cardenal, he came up with several "injuries" and excuses for not being able to play...
1) One day in 1974, he said he couldn't play because his eyelid was stuck shut and he was unable to blink
2) Two years earlier, he said he couldn't play because the crickets outside his hotel room kept him up all night
3) He allegedly sat out three games because he couldn't find pants that were tight enough for him

Its Been A While...Chicago Bears Notes and a great new website you should check out

It's been a while since I've posted anything to the blog, I've been pretty busy. There are a couple of things I'd like to talk about...

First of all, some good news for me. I will be interning at ESPN Radio 1000 in Chicago this summer. I'm so excited to learn from the best of the best when it comes to sports.

Bear-ly any Legitimate Receivers

I realized I haven't posted anything about the Chicago Bears getting Jay Cutler. First and foremost, I like this trade alot. Cutler is a great QB that can definitely do alot of things that Kyle Orton cannot do.

That being said, this trade means absolutely nothing if the Bears don't follow it up by getting a legitimate big name receiver. The way the receiving corp has been the past couple years, I can't help but agree with Musin Muhammad's assertions that Chicago is where wide receivers go to die. Jay Cutler will be no better than Kyle Orton if he has to throw to group of receivers the bears currently have. If Ron Turner is going to have Cutler do the same things Orton did as QB (ie dump it off to Matt Forte, constantly throw the the Tight Ends), we might as well have kept Orton and never made this trade.
Here are the Bears receivers on the current roster and their career stats.

Rashied Davis: 74 receptions for 913 yards and 4 touchdowns in 4 NFL Seasons. A decent receiver but certainly not a #1 guy.
Devin Hester: 71 receptions for 964 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2 seasons as a wide receiver. Hester continues to improve as a receiver and is probably the best receiver on the team right now. However, his impact as a kick returner has greatly declined since becoming a receiver.
Earl Bennett: A great college receiver at Vanderbilt (236 receptions and 20 TD's), but Bennett has no catches in his rookie season with the Bears. Recently, he told the media that he didn't learn the playbook until Week 7.
Devin Aromashodu: 7 receptions for 96 yards with the Colts last year in his first NFL season
John Broussard: 4 receptions for 126 yards and 1 touchdown with the Jaguars last year in his only NFL season
Brandon Rideau: Played in only 2 games for the Bears last year, accumulating no statistics

Needless to say, the Bears receiving corp is inexperienced at best. Honestly, they are awful, simple as that. Newly signed lineman Orlando Pace is trying to persuade Torry Holt to come to the Bears.

Check out a great new site devoted to Chicago Sports

Lastly, there is a great new website for Chicago sports fans, it will be the best site out there. It just started yesterday. The newly created ESPNChicago.com offers a daily "Chicago SportsCenter" video report as well as columnists covering the Windy City's major sports teams. Columnists on the site include ESPN.com writers Gene Wojciechowski, Scoop Jackson, Wayne Drehs, and Jon Greenberg, as well as Chicago baseball beat reporter Bruce Levine and ESPN Radio's own Jeff Dickerson and Tom Waddle, among others. I've been checking out the site all morning and it is going to be great, I plan on checking it every day to get my daily Chicago sports news.
This is the first website launched by ESPN devoted to a single city or region.

It's Finally Here: Opening Day / Fantasy Baseball

Opening day has arrived. The excitement of real games being played and Baseball Tonight on ESPN. The one day where the slate is wiped clean and every team is on an equal playing field, everyone is 0-0 and everyone has a chance. This is an extremely exciting day and I can't wait to just sit and watch baseball again.

Opening day also marks the beginning of the fantasy baseball season. My team has a good mix of young and old, I like my chances at winning the league. Here's what my roster looks like...

Starting Lineup
C: Chris Ianetta
1B: Jason Giambi
2B: Ian Kinsler
3B: Alex Gordon
SS: Ryan Theriot
OF: Carlos Beltran
OF: Josh Hamilton
OF: Jason Bay

Bench:
OF Jay Bruce
OF Cameron Maybin
OF/INF Carlos Guillen
SS Nomar Garciaparra

Starting Pitchers:
Ryan Dempster
Roy Oswalt
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Mark Buerhle
Gavin Floyd
Randy Johnson
Yovani Gallardo

Relievers:
Jose Valverde
Kevin Gregg

LET THE SEASON BEGIN!
GO CUBS GO!

Cubs Notes: less than a week 'til Opening Day!

We are only a couple of short days away from the start of the 2009 baseball season. Heres some final Cubs notes before opening day.


-For those that don't know, Kevin Gregg was named the closer over Carlos Marmol


-The roster currently stands at 28 players, meaning three players will not make the team. I'm happy to report that Paul Bako was given his release, meaning that Koyie Hill made the team as the backup catcher. Great job Koyie!


-What is really interesting is who those three players are going to be. I've got it narrowed down to the following pitchers...



Jeff Samardzija: Jeff has had a rough spring (8.16 ERA in 14.1 innings), he would probably benefit by being sent to AAA-Iowa.



Chad Fox: Fox has had a good spring, but is coming off an arm injury, so he will also probably start in AAA or stay in extended spring training to continue to strengthen his arm.



David Patton: The real surprise of the spring. The Cubs rule 5 pick has been flat-out phenomenal (0.73 ERA in 12.1 innings). Accoring to baseballreference.com, Patton has never pitched about A-ball, but he looks like a seasoned veteran out on the mound this spring. The way he has performed this spring, he deserves a spot on this team



Angel Guzman: It seems to me that Angel Guzman has been the Cubs top pitching prospect for about 15 years. Guzman has a 8.71 ERA this spring in 10.1 innings.



My Picks: Samardzija and Patton make the team, Guzman and Fox get re-assigned to minor league camp. However, that still leaves one person who won't make the team. I'm not really sure who the odd man out is going to be there. Patton is the guy that I have no doubt will be in a Cubs uniform when they break camp in a couple days.

My Top 10 Weirdest College and High School Mascots

After writing about nothing but Hawkeye basketball this past week, I thought I'd switch it up and do something fun. I have compiled my top 10 list of the weirdest college and high school mascots. If you find my list to not be comprehensive enough (I know it isn't, there are plenty more weird names out there) comment about any other strange team names you find. Enjoy!

10. University of California-Irvine Anteaters

*Their fans call themselves 'Eater Nation

9. Marvelwood Pterodactyls (Kent, Connecticut)

*Bonus points to cheerleaders who can actually spell their mascot's name

8. Poka Dots (Poka, Kentucky)

7. Watersmeet Nimrods (Watersmeet, Michigan)

*A Nimrod is actually a name for an expert hunter, who knew?

6. Dunn School Earwigs (Los Olivos, California)

5. University of California-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs

4. University of Arkansas-Monicello Boll Weevils

*A Boll Weevil is a beetle that eats cotton

3. Freeport Pretzels (Freeport, Illinois)

*What could be more intimidating than a giant salted pretzel

2. Tarpon Springs Spongers (Tarpon Springs, Florida)

*A sponger is simply a person who collects sponges


Drumroll Please....

#1. Hoopeston Cornjerkers

*People who pulled corn straight from the stalk before there was machinery to do it for them were called cornjerkers.

*Ohio State basketball coach Thad Matta is a graduate of Hoopeston high school, proud to be a cornjerker.

Prospect Profile: Hawks offer scholarship to MJ's Son

Could there be a light at the end of the tunnel? A bright spot that could help the Hawk fans move forward and forget about these transfers?

How about the possibility of Michael Jordan in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

According to numerous sources, including rivals.com and The Des Moines Register, the Iowa basketball program has offered a scholarship to Michael Jordan's son Marcus.

Marcus Jordan, 6'2" shooting guard from Illinois, recently led Whitney Young Dolphins to the 4A State Championship, scoring 19 points in both the semi-final and state title games. Rivals.com rates him as a three-star recruit. Since winning the Illinois state championship, many schools have began to show interest in "Heir Jordan." Other Division I schools pursuing Jordan include Arizona State, Butler, Oklahoma, Miami, and Illinois, among others.

Here is Scouts Inc.'s evaluation: Jordan plays with maximum effort and intensity, ranking as a very good-glue guy, giving his team a boost in a number of categories on the court. He has very good athleticism, leaping ability, and quickness which allow him to excel in the open court, attacking the rim in transition. His hops helps him to finish in traffic when he gets to the rim and he has good body control and strength , which allows him to take contact at the rim, adjust in the air and still finish. Jordan, a lefty, can finish at the rim with just as easily with his right as he does with his left. He has a low release point on his jumper and would become a more consistent shooter from the perimeter if he releases the ball higher, an Achilles heel from Jordan at this point. His strength allows him to defend bigger players in the paint as well as battle for rebounds in traffic. Jordan also does a good job of playing passing lanes for steals. He passes the ball very well and sometimes plays as a point guard due to his ability to find open teammates. Jordan battles on every possession and does not take plays off.

Who knows, it could be a long shot. But at this point, any chance is a good chance, no matter how small.

My "Throw a Coach Under the Bus Award" goes to...Dan Bohall

Could things get any more disheartening with the Iowa basketball program? While reading the Des Moines Register online today, I came across an article by Sean Keeler in which former Hawkeye Dan Bohall decided it was time to put his two cents worth into the basketball situation.

Bohall played in 19 games last season, averaging 2.8 points per game before being suspended for public intoxication. Bohall left the team last April. Though Bohall left the team, he still attends Iowa and has remained friends with some of the players on the team.

In the article, Bohall blamed Lickliter's "mid-major" style of play and his inability to relate to players as the reason for the recent departures.

"The Big Ten is not the Horizon League," Bohall said. "It's not a mid-major school. You're playing against athletic (teams)."

Bohall also questioned Lickliter's ability to relate to his players. "He's impersonal with players," Bohall said. "He's not a real open person. Obviously, not everybody feels that way. I never had a sit-down conversation with him or never really talked with him until I got into trouble ... it was just — not a real comfortable place."

I'm all about honesty and trust, and I must admit, my trust in Coach Lickliter is thinning, but this a low blow by Bohall. Way to kick a Coach when he's down, real classy.

There could be a bright spot on the way, however, Hawk fans. According to Rivals.Com, Iowa offered a scholarship to a certain prospect from Illinois with legendary basketball roots. Read my post above to get the player profile.

More Hawks Fly from Nest: Peterson, Palmer join list of Hawkeye transfers

Iowa men's basketball coach Todd Lickliter held a press conference Friday afternoon, confirming the rumors that have been surrounding the basketball team this week.

Lickliter confirmed that Jermain Davis, Jake Kelly, Jeff Peterson, and David Palmer will be leaving the team and transferring to other schools.

Peterson played in 25 games this season before suffering hamstring injury. Peterson averaged 10.6 points and 4.2 assists per game. Palmer played in 19 games this season, averaging 4.1 points and 2 rebounds per game.

According to Lickliter, three of the players (Peterson, Davis, and Palmer) wanted to transfer to a school where they would receive more playing time and play a more "prominent role." He expressed his full support to Jake Kelly, who appears to be transferring to Indiana State to be closer to his family. Kelly's mother was tragically killed in a plane crash last year.

Despite four players transferring, Lickliter was optimistic about the state of the program. "We’re on the right track," he said, "Sometimes it’s a little dark before the dawn. We’re going to get through. We’re going to move forward."

But it's hard for fans to be optimistic after two consecutive losing seasons (28-36 over the past two years) and dealing with five players transferring over the past two years. Only seven players will be returning the the team next season: Matt Gatens, Devan Bawinkel, Anthony Tucker, Andrew Brommer, Aaron Fuller, John Lickliter, and Jarryd Cole. Plus written committments from Eric May and Brennan Cougill, and a verbal from Devon Archie.

"I'm very excited about the future," Lickliter said. Iowa AD Gary Barta was also in attendance at the press conference, giving Coach Lickliter his vote of confidence.

By the Numbers: Here's what the Hawks are losing statistically...

Kelly: 11.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists

Peterson: 10.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists

Davis: 4.5 points, 3 rebounds, 1.6 assists

Palmer: 4.1 points, 2 rebounds

*For those bad at math that's about 31 points, 10 rebounds, ad 9 assists per game. Not to mention the 7 points and 5.7 rebounds that Cyrus Tate provided.

Hawkeye's Downward Spiral Continues...

Things are going from bad to worse for Todd Lickliter and the Iowa basketball program as more Hawks appear to be flying away from the nest. It appears that the Hawkeye's best player is going to transfer.

All indications show that guard Jake Kelly is going to transfer to Indiana State. "It really means a lot to me that all the hawkeye fans are being understanding," Kelly wrote on his facebook page, "I won't forget how passionate the fans are here and I will always be proud to have worn the Iowa uniform." Kelly led the Hawks in scoring this season with 11.6 points per game.

According to KCRG-TV Cedar Rapids, sources close to Jeff Peterson are saying that he is strongly considering transferring to Missouri State. And David Palmer is considering graduating early and leaving the team, as well.

Will They Stay or Will They Go? Rumors Swirling around Hawkeye Basketball Team

What is going on with the Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team?

The message boards were going wild today as the rumors regarding Hawkeye players transferring began to heat up.

Junior guard Jermain Davis, who played in all but two games this season, has decided to transfer to Division II Minnesota State in Mankato. Davis, who averaged 4.5 points and 3 rebounds per game, expressed unhappiness with the Hawkeye program, complaining about not knowing his role on the team and about Iowa's slow-paced offense.

While this is the only player that has officially confirmed he is transferring, there are rumors of at least three other Hawkeyes who are considering changing schools.

Jake Kelly, who earlier this month denied rumors that he is considering transferring, appears to be reconsidering. "I'm here and this is where I'm gonna be," Kelly said back on March 9. However, in a phone interview with Hawkeyenation.com's Rob Howe, Kelly neither confirmed nor denied possibly transferring. "I'd really rather not talk about it right now," Kelly said in his interview with Howe. This would be a serious blow to the Hawkeyes, Kelly led the team in scoring with 11.6 points per game and really established himself as the team leader late in the season.

Other message board rumors included point guard Jeff Pederson and center David Palmer also considering a change of scenery.

As if things couldn't get any worse, the Hawks also lost one of their recruits today, Marshalltown forward Chanse Creekmur (class of 2010), who verbally committed to the Hawks last August, informed Coach Lickliter he has rescinded his commitment. Creekmur averaged 18.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this past season for Marshalltown.

I can handle it if just Davis is transferring, but if all of these transfers really do happen, I think some action needs to be taken. There is obviously something going on behind the scenes in Todd Lickliter's program, and if all these guys end up transferring, he has to be put on the hot seat. Its unacceptable to have this many guys considering to transfer.

I have been a supporter of Lickliter from the beginning, through thick and thin. But the Iowa basketball program is in a downward spiral, simple as that, it is in shambles. The fan base is weak enough as it is: attendance is down, and will be down even lower if Kelly and the others decide to transfer.

I have such a strong passion for sports, more that most people, but after hearing this news, I'm seriously considering not being a season-ticket holder next season.

Message for Coach Lickliter: DO SOMETHING...If you don't do something soon it might be time to start looking through the classified ads for another job.

Baseball during March Madness?! Cubs News: Marshall, Koskie, Koyie Hill watch

Yes, despite March Madness dominating the news in the sports world, Spring Training continues...

Just a couple of tidbits regarding the Cubs...

-Sean Marshall was officially named the #5 Starter. "Marshall came in here as the front-runner for the fifth spot," Piniella told Cubs.com, "and he's done nothing to lead me to believe he's going to lose that spot." Marshall is 2-0 with a 0.63 ERA in 14.1 innings this spring.

-Koyie Hill continues to excel this spring, hitting .394 with 1 home run and 6 RBI's. Cubs.com's Carrie Muskat recently wrote an article about Hill's freak accident and return to baseball. For more information about that, check out my past post about Hill and the following website.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jspymd=20090319&content_id=4029538&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

-Third baseman Corey Koskie left the game today against Seattle after feeling ill. Koskie has not played in the Majors since July 2007 after suffering a concussion while running down a fly ball with the Brewers. The Cubs offered him a minor league contract this spring, thinking that he could be the backup third baseman. Lou Piniella said they would be very careful about the health of Koskie. Cubs.com reported that Piniella said Koskie had some problems when he dove for one of the ground balls in the first inning, but wasn't specific.

-The Cubs spring roster is down to 43 players: 20 pitchers, 4 catchers, 10 infielders, and 9 outfielders.

NCAA Tourney Picks

Here they are...the winning picks in all of my NCAA tournament pools...As the tournament continues I will bold the games I have picked correctly.

Midwest Region
Louisville over Morehead St
Ohio St over Siena
Utah over Arizona
Wake Forest over Cleveland St
West Virginia over Dayton
Kansas over North Dakota St.
USC over Boston College
Michigan St. over Robert Morris

West Region
UConn over Chattanooga
Texas A&M over BYU
Purdue over Northern Iowa
Washington over Mississippi St
Utah St over Marquette
Mizzou over Cornell
Maryland over California
Memphis over Cal St. Northridge

East Region
Pittsburgh over East Tennessee St
Tennessee over Oklahoma St
Florida St over Wisconsin
Xavier over Portland St
UCLA over VCU
Villanova over American
Minnesota over Texas
Duke over Binghamton

South Region
North Carolina over Radford
Butler over LSU
Illinois over Western Kentucky
Gonzaga over Akron
Temple over Arizona St
Syracuse over Stephen F. Austin
Michigan over Clemson
Oklahoma over Morgan St.

SECOND ROUND
Louisville over Ohio St
Wake Forest over Utah
Kansas over West Virginia
USC over Michigan St

UConn over Texas A&M
Purdue over Washington
Mizzou over Utah St.
Memphis over Maryland

Pitt over Tennessee
Florida St over Xavier
Villanova over UCLA
Duke over Minnesota

North Carolina over Butler
Illinois over Gonzaga
Syracuse over Temple
Oklahoma over Michigan

SWEET SIXTEEN
Louisville over Wake Forest
Kansas over USC
UConn over Purdue
Memphis over Mizzou
Pitt over Florida St
Villanova over Duke
North Carolina over Illinois
Oklahoma over Syracuse

ELITE 8
Louisville over Kansas
UConn over Memphis
Villanova over Pitt
North Carolina over Oklahoma

FINAL FOUR
UConn over Louisville
North Carolina over Villanova

CHAMPIONSHIP
North Caronlia over UConn

Too Much March Madness???

On the eve of March Madness, I began to think about how much is too much. I was flipping through the channels tonight and came across Houston vs. Oregon State, a first-round game in the College Basketball Invitational.

For those who do not know, this is the second year of the College Basketball Invitational, another postseason tournament that is put on by the Gazelle Group.

Just when you thought the College Basketball Invitational was too much, a fourth postseason tournament was added this season, the CollegeInsider.com Postseason tournament.

Don't get me wrong, I love March Madness just as much as the next guy. But the NCAA tournament and the NIT is more than enough Madness for me. By adding 2 extra postseason tournaments, the NCAA is turning March Madness into March Mediocrity.

Of the 343 teams in Division I College Basketball, 129 now qualify for a postseason tournament. That is nearly 38% of Division I teams. Qualifying for a postseason tournament like the NCAA or the NIT is a reward for a great season, but adding these extra tournaments are a complete joke.

Here are the teams that are in the CBI and CollegeInsider.com tournaments.
-Teams in CBI...
Boise State, Buffalo, Charleston, Green Bay, Houston, Nevada, Northeastern, Oregon State, Richmond, St. Johns, Stanford, Troy, UTEP, Vermont, Wichita State, and Wyoming

-Teams in CollegeInsider.com
Austin Peay, Belmont, Bradley, The Citadel, Drake, Evansville, Idaho, James Madison, Kent State, Liberty, Mount Saint Marys, Oakland, Old Dominion, Pacific, Portland, and Rider

Oregon State finished the regular season with a 13-17 record, St. Johns was 16-17. Are you telling me that teams with losing records deserve to play in the postseason?! Give me a break.

I half expected to find the Iowa Hawkeyes in the field of the CBI or CollegeInsider tournament, that's just sad. But hey, who doesn't want to see The Citadel take on Old Dominion...

At this rate, anyone can start a postseason tournament. Be on the lookout for the IowaChicagoSports.Blogspot.com Postseason Invitational coming up in 2010.

Coralville Council Finds “Way” to Honor Hall-of-Fame Coach

CORALVILLE, Iowa – Tailgaters traveling along First Avenue in Coralville on the way to Kinnick Stadium next Fall will see a brand new sign honoring a Hawkeye legend.

The announcement was made at the Coralville City Council meeting Tuesday night, where Mayor Jim Fausett officially proclaimed First Avenue between Interstate 80 and Highway 6 in Coralville to be co-named “Hayden Fry Way.” The official proclamation was presented to University of Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta.

“Coach Fry traveled along this road to go to work for more than 20 years,” Fausett said, “It is also the most heavily traveled stretch of road in Johnson County.”

Many other cities have recognized legendary coaches in this way, and that was exactly how the idea came about to honor Coach Fry. The origin of the idea to co-name First Avenue came from council member Tom Gill. Gill has a daughter attending Kansas State University. While driving through Kansas, he noticed an entire highway named after Kansas State head football coach and former Fry assistant Bill Snyder.

“I thought to myself, if the state of Kansas can name a highway in honor of Bill Snyder,” Gill said, “The least we can do is name a street after Hayden Fry.”

Fry, 80, coached the Hawkeyes from 1979-1998, and is the winningest coach in Iowa football history. Fry compiled 143 wins during his tenure, including three Rose Bowl appearances and six Bowl victories. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. But he was more than just a football coach to the citizens of the Iowa City and Coralville communities.

“Coach Fry was always preaching and teaching,” said council member Henry Herwig, “He came here with a can-do attitude and had a very positive impact on the community.”

Mayor Fausett echoed Herwig’s praise. “Coach Fry made a great impact on the economic development of our community,” Fausett said, “He brought many tourists to the area which greatly helped many businesses, especially the hotel industry. He instilled a winning tradition and taught us that you can do anything if you want it bad enough.”

The name change will be officially unveiled at a ceremony next fall during Labor Day weekend, the same weekend in which the Hawkeye football team will kick off the 2009 season at Kinnick Stadium against Northern Iowa. The Hall-of-Fame coach will be in attendance to accept the honor.

“Coach Fry is very excited,” Gary Barta said to the Council after accepting the proclamation, “No one better represents this community than Hayden Fry.”

In conjunction with the ceremony, the City of Coralville will also be holding the first-annual “Fry Fest.” The festival will include a concert and pep rally at the Iowa River Landing, as well as a Hawkeye tradeshow at the Coralville Marriott Hotel for Hawkeye retailers, licensees, and other related groups.

“Fry Fest should definitely add some spice and pizazz to the opening game weekend,” said Herwig, “We’re very excited about it.”

Nearly a Losing Hand: Cubs Catcher Perseveres

Koyie Hill looks like any other Major League Baseball player. The veteran Catcher has spent parts of 5 seasons in the Big Leagues, the last two seasons with the Cubs. With the backup Catcher spot on the line this Spring, Hill is looking to earn a full-time spot on the Cubs roster. But Koyie Hill is just thankful that he can still grip a baseball after accidentally cutting off three of his fingers in 2007.

The accident occurred on October 16, 2007 at Hill's home in Kansas. He was making a window frame with a table saw and severed three fingers and his thumb on his throwing hand. Hill was rushed to the hospital, where Doctors re-attached all four digits. "They had me hold a ball in my left hand to see where my ring finger was placed, so when they sewed my finger back on, it was fixed in that position," Hill said in an interview last September, "I guess you could say [my hand] was built for baseball now." Despite being told that he probably would never play again by the Cubs team doctors, Hill was determined to get back on the field. "In the back of my mind, I always knew that if I got the opportunity to play...I just knew I was going to be able to do it," Hill said.

After going through extensive rehab, Hill was back on the field for the AAA Iowa Cubs in time for the 2008 season. "I've been lucky to be able to even play," said Hill, "I never had a doubt I'd play again, but I didn't know what limitations I'd have with my hand and what I'd be allowed to do."

Hill struggled through the cold months of April, saying that he felt like he had "frozen carrotts for fingers." But Hill found his stride as the season progressed, hitting .275 with 17 home runs and 64 RBI for AAA Iowa last season and earning a call up to the Big Leagues in September.

Hill, who turned 30 today, was invited to Cubs spring camp to compete for the backup catcher job with veteran Paul Bako. So far this Spring, Koyie is hitting .357 with two doubles and two RBI's.

Due to the constant pain in his right hand, Hill will more than likely have at least two of his fingers removed when his playing days are over. But he isn't ready to call it a career just yet.

"It's going to hurt sitting on the bench, it's going to hurt hitting," he said, "so I might as well play."

For More Info: http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080901&content_id=3401843&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

Big Ten Tournament Bracket / Predictions

Now that the regular season is over, the Big Ten tourney bracket is set and ready for predictions....heres how I see the Big 10 Tourney shaping up

1st Round
#9 Northwestern over #8 Minnesota
#10 Iowa over #7 Michigan
#6 Penn St over #11 Indiana

2nd Round
#1 Michigan State over #9 Northwestern
#5 Ohio St over #4 Wisconsin
#2 Illinois over #10 Iowa
#3 Purdue over #6 Penn St

Semi-Finals
#5 Ohio St over #1 Michigan St
#3 Purdue over #2 Illinois

Finals
#5 Ohio St over #3 Purdue

That means that Michigan St, Ohio St, Illinois, Purdue, Penn St, Wisconsin, and I still think Michigan (despite a letdown to the Hawkeyes) will get into the Big Dance

Ramblings: WBC, Big Dance, Bill Carmody, Cubs

-Well my prediction of the Dominican Republic winning it all could be in jeopardy, seeing as they lost to Sidney Ponson and the Netherlands yesterday. The Netherlands...really?

-3 teams punched their tickets to the Big Dance yesterday: Radford, East Tennessee State, and Morehead State. The Missouri Valley Conference will crown their champion today, either Northern Iowa or Illinois State. Both will more than likely make the tourney

-Projecting how many Big Ten teams will make the tournament is a tough question. I see 7 teams making it out of the Big Ten, but some experts are projecting as many as 8.

Michigan State, Purdue, and Illinois are definitely in. Michigan is probably in after beating the Goph's yesterday. Wisconsin is also probably because of their RPI and Strength of Schedule. Desite losing to the Hawkeyes yesterday, Penn St should have their ticket punched to the big dance as well.

The 7th team depends on a couple of things

-If Ohio State beats Northwestern today, Ohio State is IN
-If Ohio State loses to Northwestern, then it could be Northwestern or Minnesota that takes that 7th slot


*Making a Case for the Northwestern Wildcats*
Record: 17-11 (8-9 in Big Ten)

(RPI and SOS according to baselinestats.com)
RPI: 70
SOS: 53
Key Wins: Florida State, Minnesota, @ Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, @ Purdue
Key Losses: @ Stanford, @ Iowa
Quality Losses: 4 point loss @ Butler

I've been really impressed with Northwestern this year. They may be a very boring offense to watch with the old "Princeton Style" offense. But Bill Carmody gets my vote for Big Ten Coach of the Year. Bill Carmody's squad has won 4 of their last 5 and have 6 wins against the RPI Top 50. If the Wildcats win at Ohio State today, they have certainly put themselves in the discussion for the tournament. This would be a huge step for Northwestern since they have never made the tournament.

Why Not the Wildcats?


In baseball news...


-The Cubs have dropped 5 straight games and Alfonso Soriano has only 3 hits in 18 AB's. No need to worry yet, its still very early in the Spring.

Hawk tame Nittany Lions in 2 OT Thriller

The Hawks ended their regular season on a high note, knocking off the Nittany Lions of Penn State 75-67 in double overtime in front of a crowd of 14,094. Jake Kelly, one of three Hawkeyes with a double-double, led the Hawks with 22 points and 11 assists. Twin towers Jarryd Cole and Cyrus Tate dominated the post. Tate scored 15 points and grabbed 10 boards, with Cole adding 14 points and 11 boards. Matt Gatens and Devan Bawinkel added 12 and 9 points, respectively.

Iowa led 51-42 with 2 minutes to play in regulation, but Penn State guard Talor Battle scored 11 points in the final 2 minutes as the Lions rallied to send the game into overtime. Battle led the Lions with 26 points and 10 boards.

Strong shooting from downtown led the Hawks to victory in the overtime periods. The Hawkeyes shot 50% in the overtimes from the perimeter, with key 3-pointers from Devan Bawinkel and Jake Kelly.

With the win, the Hawks finished the regular season 15-16, 5-13 in Big Ten Conference play

The Hawks will be the #10 seed in the Big Ten tournament, taking on the #7 seed at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianpolist at 1:30 on Thursday March 12.

*My thoughts on todays game...

-I was really happy with the attendance. There was alot of energy in Carver-Hawkeye today. Being the last home game of the season, I hoped that a big crowd would show up, not quite a sell-out but still pretty good.

-Jake Kelly continues to impress. He is definately the leader on the hardwood and is showing everyone that this is his team.

-Post prescence was key today. Double-double's out of Cole and Tate were crucial

-One thing I did not understand was why the Hawks didn't go after Talor Battle right away in the 1st. The guy has 4 fouls and is doing everything for the Nittany Lions, go at him and try to draw a foul and get him out of the game.

-I was happy to see the team come over after the game and high five the students in the student section. This team has fought hard all season and they have alot of heart. This shows that they really appreciate they support that we give them

AH, the sweet sound of "In Heaven there is No Beer"

ON TO THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
ON IOWA, GO HAWKS!

Predictions, Predictions, More Predictions...Sizing up the National League

With the Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic in full swing and the MLB regular season only 30 days away, I figured it was time for some predictions. Heres how I think the divisions will shape up this year...

NL Central
1) Cubs
2) Cardinals
3) Reds
4) Pirates
5) Brewers

NL East
1) Phillies
2) Mets
3) Braves
4) Marlins
5) Nationals

NL West
1) Diamondbacks
2) Dodgers
3) Giants
4) Rockies
5) Padres


Wild Card: Dodgers
Cy Young: Cole Hamels
MVP: Hanley Ramirez (thats right MVP on a 4th place team)
Rookie of the year: Cameron Maybin, OF Marlins

What does anyone else think?



*In other random sports news...congrats to Cornell, first ticket punched to the Big Dance. Bring on March Madness*

World Baseball Classic Predictions

In conjunction with my poll, I was wondering who people think is going to win the World Baseball Classi. Personally, I see it coming down to three teams...Japan, USA, and the Dominican Republic.

My pick to win it all is the Dominican Republic, they're certainly going to put up runs, with Robinson Cano, Big Papi, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Miguel Tejada, Fernando Tatis, and Jose Guillen. The question could be their pitching staff, their rotation will probably look something like this...

1) Pedro Martinez
2) Edinson Volquez
3) Johnny Cueto
4) Ubaldo Jimenez
5) Odalis Perez

While this rotation could be a little shaky, I think they will have success at the WBC, look for Edison Volquez to throw the ball really well.

Plus they have a solid bullpen with Carlos Marmol, Damaso Marte, Julian Tavarez, and Jose Arredondo


Heres how I think the WBC will turn out

Semis
Japan defeats Cuba
Dominican Republic defeats USA

Championship
Dominican Republic defeats Japan

What does everyone else think?

Lack of support for Iowa Basketball

I said in my last post that I would discuss the lack of support at basketball games. The following is a story I had to write for my reporting and writing class a couple of weeks ago.

The Hawks have apparently flown away from the nest. Where are the loud and rowdy students that pack Kinnick Stadium on Saturdays in the Fall? How can Kinnick be filled to capacity every Saturday with 70,000+ people donning their black and gold, but Carver-Hawkeye constantly fails to sell out an arena of 15,000 people? I didn't realize Hawkeyes go into hibernation after football season. Attendance, especially student attendance, has always been an issue when it comes to basketball the last couple of years, and I have trouble trying to fathom why this is.

My friends and I have been season ticket holders for Iowa basketball the past two seasons and if I'm not mistaken, Carver-Hawkeye arena has been sold out 1 time in the past two years. The athletic department has done their best by lowering ticket prices and ever offering certains games for free to students, what more can they do? I know that Iowa basketball continues to struggle in their second season with Todd Lickliter at the helm, but this is a young team that is improving and badly needs our support.

Coach Lickliter, as well as many of his players, have expressed their gratitude for the fans that have shown up to cheer on their team, however, they have also been campaigning in the local newspapers for more support from the students.

This is a message to all the Iowa students and especially the Iowa sports fans (I know there are alot of you out there). Start taking alittle more pride in your school and in this team, get out and support the Hawks on the hardwood just like we support the Hawks on the gridiron. There are no excuses: the tickets are cheap, the atmosphere is great when there are actually people in the stands, and this is a young team that will continue to flourish under the tutelage of a great coach.

I hope to see alot more Hawkamaniacs in the stands next season