Bears Saddle Up for Dallas

After a controversial end to Sunday’s season opener against Detroit, the Bears have a trip to Dallas on the schedule next to face the 0-1 Cowboys. Opening the season at home against a division opponent and getting that first win is a huge confidence booster to start off the season. The celebration would have to be cut short as focus quickly turned to their week two opponent, the Dallas Cowboys. According to Jay Cutler, “They’re going to be intimidating. We just have to find their weaknesses and exploit them.” With the upsetting news regarding Hunter Hillenmeyer, the Bears must remain focused in their attempt to go 2-0. The Cowboys, on the other hand, will be hungry for a win especially after a disappointing loss to the new-look Washington Redskins. In a division as competitive as the NFC East, Romo and the Cowboys cannot afford to lose two in a row to start the season. “You can’t get started 0-2. It’s a very deep hole to get into and our football team understands that. You can’t get behind the eight ball,” Romo said during Wednesday’s Q&A.
Despite being sacked four times, the Bears offense outgained the Lions 463-168 in the opener. A stronger Dallas defense with a different defensive scheme is sure to keep that margin much smaller. It also doesn’t hurt to have someone like DeMarcus Ware on your side. Cutler calls him “physical, strong, and someone who gets around the edge quickly.” If he doesn’t like what he sees rushing the quarterback, Ware has the ability to drop back in coverage as well. The Bears offense took advantage of a matchup similar to that Sunday when Cutler found running back Matt Forte for a twenty-eight yard touchdown strike. With an offensive line that allowed four sacks against a weaker Detroit defense the Cowboys are chomping at the bit to get their hands on the starting quarterback. Romo and the Cowboys have to be ready for pressure of their own as their offensive line may be down two key starters in Marc Colombo and Kyle Kosier due to knee injuries. That should favor the Bears if reserves are trying to contain the likes of Julius Peppers.
On the other side of the ball, Mike Martz’s system is impressive-plain and simple. Whether the Bears have the ability to become the next “Greatest Show on Turf (or whatever they use in Soldier Field)” is still in question. Cutler used Matt Forte nicely out of the backfield as exhibited by his two touchdown passes in the game. Forte took a simple screen pass eighty-nine yards for the score to close out the first half on the first score and the second came with a minute and a half left in the fourth to put the Bears up for good. Cutler saw a match-up he liked and took advantage of it. Perhaps more importantly the offensive line allowed the receivers and quarterback to let the play develop and unfold in front of them. Cutler did his best at spreading the ball out by completing passes to six different receivers. Devin Hester was only targeted once, whereas Devin Aromashodu was thrown to ten times. Hester and Cutler both gave their thoughts on the statistic. Cutler said, “If Devin would’ve gotten open, I would’ve thrown the ball. Devin’s going to have his games. I’m not worried about him.” Hester’s rebuttal was less directed at any one player in particular and more of a statement regarding the offense. “There’s no number one on this team. This offense isn’t designed to have a number one receiver.” With a Dallas defense that likes to switch up coverages Mike Martz had better be ready to pull some magic out of his playbook.
Playing at home is an automatic advantage as exhibited by teams such as the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. Tony Romo feels the same way. “It’s easier to communicate offensively. Homefield matters.” With 100,000 screaming Cowboys fans itching for the team to get its first win the decibel level in there will be deafening. Greg Olsen compared it to “being in college again.” The Bears need to avoid becoming awestruck by the size of the stadium and the scoreboard and focus on going into a stadium as visitors and coming out victors. The Cowboys know what it’s like to play in that stadium better than anyone obviously. They know the nuances and all the secrets on how to effectively communicate in order to win. They hold that huge advantage over the Bears and I think it will show. The Bears still have some kinks to work out in that offense and it may not be wise to take too many chances against a defense as tough as Dallas. They say everything is bigger in Texas. In this case, there is an exception and that is the Bears margin of error. I do expect a closer game than some, but the factors going into that atmosphere for the first time with a new offense this early in the season are too much. Cowboys 24, Bears 20.

Beginning of the End?

Sox-Twins series begins tonight. This will most likely be the end of the season on the Southside if they don't bring their A game. We'll see what they've got left in their tank.

My Oh My

What an interesting September this is going to be. With the Sox and Twins trading win for win, the Twins lead is 3.5 going into the second week of September. This would lead one to assume next week's Twins-Sox series will decide the season. For us Sox fans, be glad it's at U.S. Cellular Field and not the new House of Horrors, Target Field. After sweeping Boston at Fenway for the first time in 19 years and with the Twins beating the A.L. West leading Texas, it's hard to say just who has the momentum. Everything is clicking for both teams right now. Ozzie and the Sox begin a four game set with Detroit tomorrow at Comerica and the Twins take on the lowly Royals. The Sox need to keep winning and stay within a reachable number because things don't get any easier for them. Hopefully, we'll have some October baseball to talk about in this city. I would love to see what October magic Manny can do in a Sox uniform.

The Manny Era

The Month with Manny has officially begun as he joined the team in Cleveland Tuesday night. Although he didn't get a chance to hit, you knew he was in the building with the constant camera shots on him on the railing of the dugout. He did appear in the on-deck circle but was quickly sent back after an AJ Pierzynski game winning shot in the ninth. If Manny is the difference maker and the missing component that will put this team in the postseason, then let Manny be Manny. He is a player with October experience and comes up huge in tight spots. As the WGN ads said quickly after his acquisition, it's "Time to Manny Up." Also, let's not forget to mention Edwin Jackson's gem to extend the team's winning streak to 2. He became the first Sox pitcher since Floyd Bannister to strike out ten or more in his first three starts as a member of the team. It will be an interesting month as the team will play 16 of their final 22 games at home.

All Systems Go

After throwing twenty-six interceptions last year in Ron Turner’s ball-control offense, quarterback Jay Cutler and the Bears needed an answer for this season and they needed it rather quickly. The man they needed and were looking for was Mike Martz. Martz was brought in this year to replace the aforementioned Ron Turner. It’s not that Turner’s offense was predictable and traditional; it’s more the fact that Martz’s offense is unpredictable and non-traditional. Martz has more of a high-risk, high-reward approach to the game. Martz says, “We want to play fast and keep the defense on their heels.” According to breakout receiver Devin Aromashodu, Mike likes to keep the offense on their heels as well, “There’s a lot of flexibility in the offense. He puts a lot of pressure on us giving us a lot of plays so we’re prepared during the season.”
Mike Martz is best known for his days in St. Louis, where he turned Kurt Warner, Torry Holt, Marshall Faulk, and Isaac Bruce into the “Greatest Show on Turf.” He coached the Rams to four playoff appearances and a Super Bowl. He was also the offensive coordinator in 1999 when the Rams won the Super Bowl. The Bears organization hopes he can do the same with Cutler, the two-headed backfield of Matt Forte and Chester Taylor, Johnny Knox, and Devin Aromashodu. The Jay Cutler Bears fans saw last year looked uncomfortable and far more inaccurate than he has ever looked in his five year career. With Martz holding high standards and demanding fundamental excellence, this may be where Cutler and Martz butt heads. Tight end Dez Clark knows of the offensive coordinator’s expectations. He said, “He has high standards and he’s going to push you. He leaves it up to you to get it done.” Clark, however, calls Martz “the best teacher I’ve ever had.”
Jay Cutler has had a tough task with Martz being the third offensive coordinator he has had in the last three years. He claims to have a very good grasp on Martz’s system. Cutler sums it up this way, “You can see that Mike’s system works. If we do what we’re supposed to do, the ball’s going to be moved down the field efficiently.” That seems easier said than done though with what appears to be a very shaky offensive line in the first two games of the preseason. Martz isn’t worried about the offensive line though. He says, “From what we see out of these guys in practice everyday, I think they’ll be just fine.” The offensive line as a whole has high praises as well for their newly acquired coordinator. Locker-room leader and thirteen year veteran Olin Kreutz says, “He’s as good as it gets. He’s the best I’ve been around at teaching his system. He coaches every position, knows what he’s talking about.”
Mike Martz appears to be looked at as so much more than an offensive coordinator. He takes on the role of coach, mentor, and teacher as well. The praise for him as those titles and as a person could not be higher. With praise however, there comes expectations. Hopefully, the Bears can turn it around with an offensive mastermind at the helm and Cutler can be molded into the quarterback Martz saw prior to coming here. If he throws twenty-six interceptions again, though, the offense won’t be the only ones on their heels. Martz isn’t worried saying Cutler “has such a good grasp on what’s going on with us on offense” even going as far to call him “brilliant.” Since Martz has been in control of the offense, you can see the excitement in the locker room and on the sidelines. What a difference a year makes and what a difference a coordinator makes.

Last Call times two

Live remote from Joliet Catholic in a few hours. We're going to preview the first game of the season happening tomorrow against Montini. Bears, White Sox, and airing of the grievances to follow. Tune in and listen to groundbreaking radio.

Grin and Bear It

The atmosphere around Soldier Field Saturday night had a regular season feel to it. The grills and fans were fired up and ready to go for the 2010 Chicago Bears season. Fathers and sons were playing catch attempting to do their best Cutler to Knox impressions. One of the things missing from that scene was the collapsing pocket around them.
The Raiders and Jason Campbell won the coin toss and wouldn’t waste any time getting to work. A false start put the Raiders in the first of two successfully converted third and long situations on the opening drive. Campbell answered back by completing a twenty-four yard pass to Michael Bush. The Raiders would take advantage of the very loose coverage by the Bears secondary and marched eighty-one yards on ten plays in six and a half minutes to take a 7-0 lead. Jason Campbell completed all five passes on the drive for a total of eighty-nine yards. If that weren’t bad enough, the Bears would lose Brian Urlacher to a strained left calf on the fourth play of the game.
Now, the moment Soldier Field had been waiting for. They wanted their questions about the offensive line answered and they wanted to see their quarterback play more than one series in the new Mike Martz system. The answer awaiting them was not the one they wanted to see or hear. The Bears would go three and out and Cutler would also get sacked twice for a total loss of twenty yards. Oakland would soon find themselves very deep in Chicago territory, but an ill-advised throw by Campbell would find the hands of Charles Tillman. Although the Bears were deep in their own zone and trailing by ten, that didn’t discourage the fans from attempting to put some life back into their team. Matt Forte would take the first play from scrimmage following Tillman’s interception eighty-nine yards to the endzone to put the Bears within four. A botched snap by emergency long snapper Dez Clark, however, would keep the score at 10-6 at the end of one.
The scoring would come to a halt for a good portion of the second quarter as the Raiders appeared to be stifled by the Bears defense. With the Bears trailing 13-6, Martz and the offense decided to go for it on fourth and seven from the Oakland twenty-two. A gutsy call would prove to be successful as Cutler would improvise a bit and find an open Johnny Knox on the left side of the field for a twenty-two yard touchdown, which would be followed by a Chester Taylor run to complete a two point conversion and give the Bears their first lead of the game. One final attempt by the Bears before the half would prove to be unsuccessful as Chris Williams allowed Kamerion Wimbley to continue his career day by letting him get to Cutler two more times bringing his sack total to four for the day. When asked about Chris Williams’ performance after the game, Coach Lovie Smith would go on to say, “Not good enough. Chris is a better player than that.” Smith would go on to a utter a phrase similar to one he repeated practically every week for the 2006 season when referring to a certain quarterback. “Chris Williams is our left tackle.”
With an unimpressive display of protecting Cutler looming over them, the offense would take the field first in the second half. Rookie quarterback Dan Lefevour led the charge, or should I say led the lack of charge. Things quickly went awry as forrmer Northwestern Wildcat Eric Peterman muffed a punt resulting in an Oakland touchdown when linebacker Slade Norris recovered the loose ball in the endzone, putting Oakland up 20-14. The wind had been knocked out of the Bears’ collective sails at this point. Kyle Boller would do nothing more than hand the ball off to Michael Bennett and run very simple short rollout routes to chip away slowly at the Bears defense. There was nothing difficult or complicated about the Raiders play calling the entire game, but the lack of a secondary and the ability of Campbell and Boller to spread the ball out was enough to keep the Bears on the go constantly. Boller would scamper two yards into the end zone before the end of the third to put Oakland up 27-14.
A Swayze Waters field goal halfway through the fourth would begin sending fans to the exits shaking their heads wondering what else this season could possibly hold for them. It’s a good thing they left, though, because what would follow was just more reason to shake their head. Dez Clark would botch another snap and Slade Norris would again find himself in Brad Maynard’s face resulting in an Oakland safety, which would put them up 32-17.
The Bears left the stadium dejected as did the fans. The preseason is the time to answer questions going into the season and work out the kinks with a chance to compete for the ultimate prize. The secondary seems to be lost and is as loose as it has been in recent memory. The special teams were anything but special. The offensive line was downright offensive for lack of a better word. Olin Kreutz said, “We have a lot to improve on. There’s little things we have to learn playing together.” Mike Martz’s offense doesn’t appear to be set in 100%. According to Cutler, though, “You can see that Mike’s system works. If we do what we’re supposed to do, the ball’s going to be moved down the field very efficiently.” It seems that concept is easier said than done after the first two preseason games. The first string will play into the third quarter next week as the Bears welcome the Arizona Cardinals to Soldier Field. If there is a bright side, the Bears will not be seeing any more of the AFC West the rest of the way.

Making A Lot Out of Nothing

There seems to be some controversy surrounding the White Sox/Royals rain delay last night. Joe West is once again involved. What do you think? Email us your thoughts at lastcallsports@gmail.com Don't forget you will get a double dose of your favorite groundbreaking trio this Thursday August 26th. Once from 10:30-12:30 and then again at our usual spot from 7 to 9 PM only on sportstownchicago.com

Top 5

Doing the top 5 NFL players on tonight's show. Get em in people. lastcallsports@gmail.com Also, tune in for a live remote announcement.

Wildcat Pride

Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois has never been known as a school that people attend for a chance at winning a national football title or college basketball championship. For example, the school has never made it to a college bowl game in three straight years in its 128 year existence. It has also never been a part of March Madness. Most students go there for the chance at becoming a doctor, lawyer, dentist, etc. There is one man there, however, who is making athletes think twice about which Big Ten school they would like to attend. His name is Pat Fitzgerald.
Pat Fitzgerald played linebacker on the Northwestern squad from 1993-1996 and recorded nearly 300 tackles, forced five fumbles, and grabbed three interceptions. More importantly, he was the leader of a defense that led the nation in scoring and would eventually end up in the 1995 Rose Bowl. That storybook 1995 season would warrant him the honors of Sports Illustrated and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and also the Bronko Nagurski award given to the nation’s top defensive player. Did I forget to mention he broke his leg in the second to last game of the season? So Fitzgerald is no stranger to being a leader on the sidelines or to overcoming adversity. After Randy Walker’s sudden death in the summer of 2006, the Wildcats Athletic Department wouldn’t have to look far to name Walker’s successor. One of their own was waiting in the wings to put on that headset and lead this team back to the Promised Land.
Since Fitzgerald’s hiring in 2006, the Wildcats have gone 27-23 with two Bowl games under their belt. One of those Bowl games was a New Year’s Day game, which was their first since Fitzgerald was a player in 1997. Due to Fitzgerald’s almost instant success as head coach, the school and Fitzgerald agreed to a contract that would keep Fitzgerald there until 2015. His team’s “November to remember” added to the list of reasons why Fitzgerald belongs on the sidelines as a head coach. In November of 2009, the team handed fourth ranked Iowa their first loss of the season, defeated their in-state rival Illinois, and then returned to Ryan Field to defeat number sixteen Wisconsin in the season finale.
It was no surprise on Northwestern’s annual Media Day that players new and old had nothing but positive things to say about their fearless leader:
Sophomore tailback Arby Fields: “I love playing for Coach Fitzgerald. He’s a fiery guy, relates to us a lot. He’s everything you want in a head coach.”
Senior defensive lineman Corbin Bryant: “He gives everybody a chance to compete.”
Senior linebacker Quentin Davie: “I like his intensity. He wants to be here every day, every morning at 6 AM. He was one of those players that knew every play that was coming at him and I try to take that approach to the game and study as well as he did.”
One usually associates a player being the future of a franchise. If there was ever a team whose coach was the future of the franchise, I would nominate Pat Fitzgerald as that man. His passion and intensity for the Northwestern Wildcats is unbridled. The school has now become a top spot for high school students to look at. The team has thirteen verbal commitments for next year and Fitzgerald has yet to even personally meet them. With an accelerated recruiting program and rising success in the past few seasons, the Wildcats don’t plan to go away anytime soon. As Fitzgerald put it, “Success breeds recruiting success.” Pat Fitzgerald is determined to put Northwestern athletics back on the map and plans to keep them at the top of the Big Ten and is unfazed by realignment. Fitzgerald has the heart of a wildcat and Evanston is the perfect place to exude that pride.

Bear Down

The long awaited debut of the Mike Martz Chicago Bears offense took place Saturday in beautiful San Diego, California. Cutler only took 8 snaps, but completed both passes he threw to Johnnie Knox for forty-seven yards. So, was that enough of a real-game situation for the Bears to adapt? This guy thinks no.

The preseason is as much of a real game situation you're going to get before the games start counting for something. Should the starters have played the whole game? Absolutely not. I would've had them out there for the first quarter to be honest. For an offense this complex and for reports coming out of camp that there are still a couple guys who still need work learning the offense, I would have given the first string more than one series on the field. But, I suppose that's why I'm writing this and not calling plays on the sideline.

The offensive line still looked subpar, which will continue to be the Bears thorn in their side. Adjustments should have been made in the offseason, but other than shuffling a few guys, there was nothing done. One improvement that needs to be made ASAP is the back's coverage of Cutler on the blitz. Forte completely missed a block whch resulted in Cutler getting smothered. Your first priority when not running the ball as a running back should be to protect your quarterback and make sure he stays on his feet. He can move the ball downfield from his back looking up at the sky.

The injuries were probably as unanticipated as anything. Four Bears had to leave the game and three of them will be missing this week's match against Oakland. Backup quarterback Caleb Hanie sprained a joint in his throwing shoulder following a sack. Rookie safety Major Wright fractured his finger and will undergo surgery Tuesday. Safety Craig Steltz sprained his ankle covering a kickoff. None are ruled out for the season opener September 12th against Detroit. There is time to work out their issues, but the Bears have a full plate in front of them. I don't think the Bears fans will have any trouble holding back how they feel on Saturday night. This town is hungry for a winner. More importantly, this town is impatient especially when they don't see instant results.

Top 5

We will be doing a Top 5 list of current MLB players on tomorrow's show. Get your lists in before the show. lastcallsports@gmail.com We are on from 7 to 9 only on sportstownchicago.com Do it to it.

Dog Days

So the whole Dog Days of August saying has hit the South Side as they came home off a horrendous four game series with Baltimore in which they lost three. Scoring ten runs in four games off a team with an ERA above five is unacceptable for ANY team, let alone a team in the hunt for a division crown. One would have to think Kenny Williams is hitting the phones and intensely searching the waiver wire for someone to put this team back on top and back on top for good. The Sox find themselves a game out of first after getting shellacked by Minnesota in the series opener. Big Game Freddie Garcia displayed why this city was in question after signing him to a deal. We'll see if the Sox can salvage the series and more importantly salvage first place as they send Floyd and Danks to the mound today and tomorrow. The road doesn't get any easier for the Pale Hose as they still have series with Detroit, another with Minnesota at Target Field, and against the World Champion New York Yankees. Tune in tomorrow and we will hopefully be discussing the first place Chicago White Sox.

The Return of Big Z

Do Cubs fans actually care that their "ace" is making his ever so dramatic return to the rotation tonight? I guess the Cubs really have no choice since they traded Lilly and shelved Silva. They're limiting him to 80 pitches, so I predict he goes 4 innings and gives up five earned runs. No meltdown, but he will be visibly shaken. If he does well, maybe the Cubs can use his last starts of the season as a showcase as to why some other team would want his ridiculous contract. Sorry Cubs fans, maybe next year, eh?

Joliet a Bear to Handle for Schaumburg

The Schaumburg Flyers were hoping Santa Claus would bring them a victory against the Joliet Jackhammers as they took the field Monday night kicking off a three-game set. All spirits were high as the Christmas in July promotion got the night underway. Unfortunately, the Grinch would show up and make his presence felt as starting pitcher Alain Quijano struggled to find the plate. Joliet came into the game losing their last three to the Flyers at Alexian Field and hitting just .212 against Schaumburg this season with one home run and eight RBI’s in three games. By the looks of things, the Jackhammers were saving up all their hits and runs for this evening’s matchup.

The Jackhammers got off to a quick start as Quijano would walk two and give up a two-run double to Freddie Thon in the top half of the first. That was all the Jackhammers would need to rattle Quijano. On the other side of the field, Bear Bay (5-4, 3.56 ERA) didn’t need much to get settled in. One of the only bright spots on the evening was Josh Burrus’ solo shot over the center field scoreboard in the second, which cut the lead to 2-1.

The score remained that way until the top of the fifth as Thon would hit his second double in as many at-bats and drive in his third run of the night. Quijano would depart after 4 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs, five hits, and walking a season high seven batters. After an encouraging strikeout to get out of a bases loaded jam left by Quijano, Matt Elliott and the bullpen appeared to have a shot at keeping the game close. Just as fast as the defense got off the field, though, they would come back on just as quick as Bay needed only eight pitches to retire the Flyers in order in their half of the fifth. The bullpen needed to work overtime tonight and it wasn’t pretty. The Jackhammer offense would not let up on the bullpen as the Flyers relievers would pitch a combined 4 1/3 innings surrendering twelve hits and nine earned runs. The middle of the Jackhammers lineup would go a combined 8-for-13 accounting for nine runs batted in and seven runs scored. Brad Correll belted his first of two home runs in the 6th, a three run shot off Elliott, which would make the score six to one. Thon would contribute their offensive success to “coming in off a long road trip, no batting practice, and just swinging the bats.”

Flyers fans were getting restless and not even the dollar hot dogs could make them happy. Bay continued to cruise, going the distance striking out six and giving up just five hits, the lone big blow being a solo home run by Burrus in the second. “I worked in my bullpen between starts and stayed straighter to the plate. Being able to work on your stuff between starts is a huge thing,” Bay said. The series resumes Tuesday with righty Brett Harker ( 3-7, 5.54 ERA) taking on Joliet’s Ross Stout (5-6, 5.09 ERA).

Trade Dudline

Well, the deadline passed and it is uncertain what exactly went down on the South Side and the Cubs dumped some salary and acquired Blake DeWitt and two prospects for Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot.

Rumors were swirling about the Edwin Jackson acquisition by the White Sox and they turned out to be just that. Adam Dunn is still a National, Adam LaRoche is still a Diamondback, and Manny is still....Manny. Jackson will make his debut against his former squad tomorrow in a day-night doubleheader as the Sox will try to expand their one game lead on Minnesota. Something tells me if Kenny wants to make a waiver move, Kenny will make a waiver claim a la Alex Rios of last year.

The Cubs have thrown in the proverbial towel on this disappointing season as they dealt Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot to the Dodgers for Blake DeWitt, who went 3 for 4 in his debut in Cubbie Blue.I don't think Hendry has anything up his sleeve as far as making a drastic move to attempt to make an almost impossible comeback at this point. The only dramatic comeback Cubs fans may witness is having Hendry as a GM next year.

But, what else can you say at this point. Only time will tell. Tune in to Last Call Sports this Thursday as we will cover it all for you. Niemi getting told no, Sox, Cubs, a couple Bears injuries at training camp, and of course Airing of the Grievances.

We're baaaaaack!

Trade rumors getting hot and heavy. Will Lilly go? Will Dunn be a South Sider? We'll talk about the hapless Cubs and the first place Chicago White Sox tomorrow from 7 to 9 on sportstownchicago.com. We're back and possibly better than ever....no promises on that last statement though.

What a Rush...

The lights go out. The crowd roars. The arena is lit merely by the
lasers and graphics playing on the scoreboard hung above midfield.
Fan Appreciation Night is underway at Allstate Arena as the Chicago
Rush host the Dallas Vigilantes. Judging by the applause during
pre-game introductions, the crowd deserves a night of their own. The
"Let's Go Rush" chants started as Hohensee's squad took the field
before kickoff and did not slow up until the game was officially over
despite the outcome.

The team showed their love to the fans by taking every moment they
could to interact with them during every break. From races on the
field to Grabowski, the team's mascot, high fiving the fans to even
playing catch with some lucky fans, the appreciation was
genuine. This family-friendly event was a hit with all ages. Whether
you're five or sixty-five, the Rush and its personnel made sure to
accommodate everyone. Perhaps the most important thing to be learned
here is parents can show their kids that sports can be fun and
appreciated even if you aren't playing on the largest of levels or
making hundreds of millions of dollars. Kids may be too young to
grasp the concept or difference between the AFL and NFL, but what they
could connect to on some level, judging by the looks on their faces,
was the Rush players were larger than life to them. They don't need
hour-long nationally televised prime-time press conferences, summits
or contract restructuring to get these youngsters’ attention or
appreciation. All they needed to do was slap on their uniform and
play the game they love no matter what level it is. What more can you
do but appreciate that. As for the game, the Rush would end up giving Dallas their second win of the season in overtime. Can't win em all.

And So It Begins...

The second half of the baseball season begins this evening with the Cubs taking on the Phillies and the red hot White Sox taking on those ever so pesky Twins. We'll see if the Sox can continue their hot streak and if the break did the Cubs any good. We can assume if the teams continue to play this way, the Sox will be buyers and the Cubs will be sellers come July 31st. Needless to say, improvements need to be made in quite a few spots on the North Side. Although in first place, the Sox still need work. The road taken to get to first place was VERY rocky and it will be interesting to see what Kenny Williams has in store in the chase for the division crown. There is still plenty to be discussed and reviewed and Last Call Sports will be around to do so later this month on Thursday nights from 7 to 9 on sportstownchicago.com

Various Chicago Happenings

Who will the Bulls be drafting tonight? What are your thoughts on the Buff trade? Will the Cubs win another series ever? When will the Sox lose again? You've got questions, we've got answers. We'll break this all down, break some ground, and of course air our grievances from 7 to 9 on Last Call Sports only on sportstownchicago.com.

Aaannnnnd Now...

Bulls fans, this next couple weeks will determine what the 2010-11 campaign will look like. As the Tom Thibodeau era begins today, tomorrow's draft, and the July 1st free agency rush gets underway, Chicago Bulls fans will get a very real look at what kind of front office is in this city. Judging by a couple past decisions, I'm not placing them on a very high pedestal among the league's better front offices. But, with the amount of talent available in this free agency pool and the potential this team holds, someone has to land here.....right? Tune in to Last Call Sports tomorrow night as we will be live on the air during the NBA draft from 7 to 9 on sportstownchicago.com

Don't Look Now...

If only the White Sox could play the National League all year. The Sox took two of three from the Cubs, swept the Pirates, and have taken the first two from the Washington Nationals. I credit the complete 180 the starting pitching has done over the last couple weeks. Everyone in the rotation and the pen have contributed. Mark Buehrle also set the record for most wins in interleague play by a starting pitcher when he picked up his 22nd win against the Pirates. Ozzie Guillen said this is how they envisioned the season to go from the start; unfortunately, the first month and a half was a bit rocky. The next couple weeks should be interesting, because this stretch of the season leading up to the All-Star break should be the determinant as to whether the Sox will be buyers or sellers. Hopefully they can make it interesting like they usually do so this town has some positive baseball news to talk about.

How Much is Too Much?

This is a question GM Kenny Williams should be asking himself in regard to the dismal start of the 2010 baseball season for the Chicago White Sox. There have been small glimmers of hope of course, but they are clearly forgotten and outweighed by the awful displays of "baseball" that Sox fans have seen this year. Mark Buehrle has been terrible since Opening Day, AJ has yet to wake up, Beckham has had far too many chances to redeem himself, and Gavin Floyd has apparently forgotten how to pitch. That is the short list of complaints. Moves need to be made soon or else I think we can soon consider this season a bust. Danks has been brilliant this year and is a mere 3-3 with an ERA hovering around 2.30. This team's fans and upper management should be very close to getting sick and tired of seeing blown chance after blown chance. I would ideally like to see the team dump Jenks and Ramirez at some point. Buehrle and Pierzynski have been mentioned in trade talks, but I think for the sake of clubhouse morale, these two guys should be kept around for the remainder of the season. Again, I keep reminding myself, it's only May, but obviously I won't be reminding my self in a few months when I say it's only August when the Sox's playoff chances dwindle even more. This Sox fan hasn't given up yet and I can only hope the front office and the players haven't either. But, the key words in that sentence are yet and hope. Not to wear out the use of cliches, but it's also a long season, which makes matters even worse sometimes.

At Guard...Number 6.....

So, the rumors have been hot and heavy to say the least about the King coming to Chicago in 43 days. I am a HUGE Lebron fan and would love nothing more than to see him in a number 6 Bulls jersey. But, these rumors have started getting ridiculous and have driven me to the point of insanity. I am tired of hearing them and we still have a month and a half to go. I understand that rumors and speculation are what makes the talk radio world spin, but if I were Lebron I would go somewhere with no radios or televisions and hide until July 1st. I was incredibly sure he wouldn't be leaving Cleveland, but due to their recent failures, I am now flipping my thought process. I believe he will leave Cleveland, but who knows where he will go. I don't even think Lebron knows where he is going to go. Give the guy his space and time and let him figure this out for himself. The man will be heftily paid and will be the star of the team wherever he winds up. He is also only 25 years old, which means after this max deal, he will be 31 and should still be able to get another max deal after that assuming he is still the beast that he is today in six years. If he comes to Chicago, then we can guess he really wants that ring and to compete for that ring. If he goes somewhere like New Jersey or the Knicks or the Clippers, then he is clearly playing this game for the paycheck. I don't see the three aforementioned teams winning a championship by just adding Lebron. Those three teams are in need of much more than just one superstar. Also, if Lebron comes here, what else will he bring with him? Drama? A coach? Another 1st or 2nd tier superstar? Hopefully, the coach and another free agent are the answers. Chicago isn't in need of more drama within their sporting franchises. Hopefully, Last Call Sports will be the first to welcome Lebron when he makes his big decision. Then, July 2nd, this writer will be in line for his white Bulls number 6 jersey.

Finally

Yesterday marked the first Game 1 the Hawks have won since the series against Calgary in last year's Western Conference playoffs. Antti Niemi made his season debut against the Sharks and made 44 saves to cap off a 2 to 1 Game One victory. Niemi was huge from start to finish Sunday. His only blunder came 11:19 into the first period when Jason Demers' wrist shot from the top of the right circle sailed over his outstretched blocker and into the top left corner of the net. San Jose, which was on its heels for most of the first 14 minutes of the first period and getting outshot 14-6 by that point, turned it on when Seabrook went to the box. The Sharks kept the puck in the zone and kept firing it at Niemi. He came up with eight saves during the two-minute power play, and none bigger than a miraculous glove stop on Ryane Clowe with 4:13 remaining before the second intermission. HP Pavillion was recently voted the toughest venue to play in for an opposing team, but the boys in white didn't let that faze them one bit. The two goals scored by Sharp and Byfuglien also came against the Sharks number one line, which features "No Show" Joe Thornton as he is commonly known in circles around the league for his lack of postseason scoring, which can be backed up by his -8 put up this year on the road to Lord Stanley's Cup. We will see if Niemi and the Hawks can carry this Game One momentum into Game 2 Tuesday night. If captain Jonathan Toews has anything to say about it, the series will be 2-0 when they return to the Madhouse on Madison. "We're not going to be satisfied with just one win," Toews said. "We want two before we go home."

House of Horrors No More

If there was one team glad to see the Metrodome come to a close, it must have been the Chicago White Sox. The team dubbed it the "House of Horrors" as it seemed they could never get it together when going up north to face their division foes. The Twins have removed the dome and now play outdoors in the new Target Field. Sweaty Freddie took the bump in game 1 of this short two game series and got right to work. If there has been a bright spot on this disappointing start to the season, it has to be Garcia and Danks. Although his ERA is high and only has two wins, Garcia has shown up to play every outing with the exception of one. Garcia got quite the test in the bottom of the fifth with two on, two out, and reigning AL batting champion Joe Mauer stepping to the plate. Freddie didn't back down and struck him out with three off-speed pitches resulting in simultaneous fist pumps, not the Jersey Shore variety, from Pierzynski and Garcia. Freddie gave up two runs on nine hits, struck out three, and walked two.

On the offensive side of things, Alex Rios extended his hit streak to twelve and stole his tenth base of the season. The pivotal at bats came from Alexei Ramirez and A.J. Pierzynski came in the fifth inning with two outs. Alex Rios reached third with nobody out and all looked alright in White Sox land. Beckham would then strike out for the inning's second out and everything then looked like it has all season with a runner stranded in scoring position and the White Sox trailing. Alexei Ramirez came up and smashed a 3-1 pitch from Slowey to the wall in left center, scoring two runs and putting the Sox up 2 to 1. Pierre's infield single kept the two-out rally going and Pierzynski would follow with a two-run double of his own. Jones would single home Pierzynski and the inning would then end with the Sox on top 5 to 1. Morneau's solo blast would cut the lead to 5 to 2, but that's where it would stay. Jenks came in to close it out in the ninth, but managed to make it interesting again. Bobby got behind the first two hitters and surrendered a pinch hit double to Jim Thome, which called for a trip to the mound by Guillen. Jenks would then rebound to strike out Nick Punto and get Denard Span to groundout to end the game. The Sox still have some questions to answer, but this early pivotal road trip may answer some of them as they have one more against the Twins followed by three against the Royals and two against Detroit before returning home.

A Star(lin) is Born

The Cubs may have pushed the panic button in Year One in hopes that it might spark the offense and get the team going in a positive direction. The Chicago Cubs called up highly touted prospect Starlin Castro. In his first major league at bat, the youngster hit a three run homer and all things were looking up for the Boys in Blue. His first night in the bigs wasn't too shabby. A homer, a triple, and a rookie record 6 RBIs, but maybe more importantly, a Cubs win. The weekend to follow, however, wasn't exactly a dream come true.

Saturday started off okay. The Cubs kept it close for most of the day until the seventh and eighth innings rolled around. The Cincinnati Reds would go on to score a combined 11 runs in those two innings and break out to a 14 to 2 lead, which is how the game would end up. Aaron Harang, who hasn't exactly put up Cy Young worthy numbers early in the season, struck out nine over 6 2/3 innings. Starlin Castro committed his first major league error, but would get himself his first major league double. The bullpen woes continue as Justin Berg pitched an inning and gave up six earned runs.

Rookie Mike Leake took a no hitter into the seventh for the Reds until another rookie Tyler Colvin came to the plate and belted a two run homer to give the Cubs the lead. That lead wouldn't last more than half an inning as Joey Votto came to the plate and hit a three-run homer as the Reds would take the lead for good and give them a series win over the Cubs. Castro got a single and Marlon Byrd continues to see the ball VERY well adding another hit to his total for the season. Mike Leake improves to 3-0 on the season and Ryan Dempster falls to 2-3.

This inconsistency leads to a lot of questions in Cubbieland. How long will the Ricketts family sit aside and let Jim Hendry do his job? How much longer will Lou be in the dugout? Will Castro continue to impress at the plate? Hopefully answers are provided soon.

Things Are Looking Up Perhaps

The Chicago Cubs seem to have woken up a little bit here as we start May baseball. Alfonso Soriano, although still not a great defender, has homered in four straight games, giving him seven for the young season and has also raised his average to .321. Newcomer Marlon Byrd has picked up where he left off in 2009. He is hitting .343 with five longballs and nineteen driven in. He also provided one of the more entertaining catches of this young baseball season with a no-look behind the back circus grab against Arizona.

The starting pitching has been solid now that Big Z has been moved to a set-up role in the bullpen. Ryan Dempster threw another seven solid innings in last night's loss against the Pirates and Randy Wells is 3-0 with a 3.45 ERA. The bullpen seems to be a little shaky with the exception of closer Carlos Marmol. He has been near unhittable with a 1-0 record and an ERA of 0.71. Marmol has thrown 25 strikeouts in just 12.1 innings. That number jumps out at you like a fan in Philly jumps out on the field. Their record shows they are one game below .500 but that should change shortly with Derrek Lee seeming to wake up and Soto coming back to life after his disappointing sophomore year. Once Aramis Ramirez gets out of his funk, the NL Central might be in for a surprise as there could be a closer battle than expected for the top of the division. We will see if the pitching holds up and if Soriano, Byrd, and the rest of the boys can keep up this pace as the season grows older.

Chelsea I Believe

The night is upon us. An important game 1 is happening tonight as the feisty Vancouver Canucks come to West Madison to take on your Chicago Blackhawks. Both teams have had some time to rest and hopefully heal some battle scars from round one only to gain some new ones tonight. It is sure to be physical from the start as each team looks to make a statement right off the bat. Will Andrew Ladd be called a coward again? Will someone get their hair pulled? Will Roberto Luongo cry? There are many more questions that will get answered and most likely some new ones that will arise as this rivalry begins a new chapter in round 2 of the Western Conference playoffs. My prediction is Hawks in 7. By Thursday, we will have more insight to this series as there will be plenty to talk about in the first few games. Tune in as we will break it all down for you on Last Call Sports from 7 to 9 on sportstownchicago.com

The End of an Error...I Mean Era

Well, the Bulls season came to a close last night and it appears the Chicago coaching career of Vinny del Negro is all but over. They gave it a fight, but in the end, Lebron, Shaq, and Antawn Jamison proved to be too much. King James was one assist shy of recording his second consecutive triple double, even with a sore elbow. Delonte West came off the bench to add 16 points on 6 for 11 shooting as well. Derrick Rose scored 31 and Deng added 26 of his own. This means the free agent search can begin along with a search for a new head coach. My guess is a free agent may be harder to acquire without a head coach in place, so that means a coach should be priority number one. Chris Bosh and whoever else the Bulls choose to pursue will be number two. I am going to assume Lebron and D-Wade stay put, but everyone else is up in the air. I would be shocked if Bosh, Stoudemire, and Joe Johnson stay put. Those are big market names who can and will put rear ends in seats. These are all just guesses in a free agent period that hasn't even begun though. All this is doing is keeping basketball talk in Chicago alive and relevant. Whatever happens though, Last Call Sports will keep you informed every Thursday night from 7 to 9 only on sportstownchicago.com.

Let's Finish it Off!

The Nashville Predators have made the series against the Blackhawks way too interesting, but a win is a win. Patrick Kane saved the game with a goal in the 3rd in the last thirteen seconds to send the game into overtime. Nashville started off the overtime period with three minutes left in the power play and were clearly the aggressor, which is rather odd since they are a defense first team. With Marian Hossa out on a five minute boarding penalty, the Hawks were down a weapon going into a sudden death overtime period. Nashville came out firing, but Niemi was ready to stop whatever came his way. As Bolland fought the puck out of their zone, Sopel took it from him and exhibited an extreme amount of patience while wrapping around the net. It makes you wonder if an inner alarm clock went off as a shot was fired with the aforementioned Marian Hossa skating out of the box and positioning himself perfectly in front of the net for the game winning goal. We will see what the Hawks have left in the tank for game 6 Monday in Nashville. Hopefully we will be previewing a second round matchup Thursday on Last Call Sports from 7 to 9 only on sportstownchicago.com.

MADhouse on Madison

The men of the Madhouse on Madison aren't faring too well with their playoff matchups. It can't come as a surprise to Bulls fans that they're down 2-0 heading to Chicago, but the Blackhawks have got to be scratching their heads. The goaltending of Pekka Rinne has been nothing short of spectacular, although Niemi has been holding his own as well. Game 1 was the Preds' first road playoff win in franchise history, but the Blackhawks rebounded nicely for a 2-0 shutout winner giving Niemi his first career playoff no-no. Game 3 last night proved to be a tough task as there were 16,000 strong welcoming the Predators back home. Rinne's early save on a Versteeg breakaway set the tone as the Preds skated to a 4-1 victory. Goals by Shea Weber and David Legwand broke the 1-1 tie and that was all Nashville would need. In addition to his tiebreaking goal, Shea Weber added five hits, two blocks and a plus two on the night. This game 3 loss doesn't have the Hawks down and out, but it may have them reassessing some of their strategies.



The other team that plays on Madison are coming home finding themselves backed into a corner down 2-0 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a glimmer of hope for a Bulls win in game two, Lebron went lights out and put up 40 big points including 16 for 23 shooting, eight rebounds and eight assists. Jamario Moon added four three pointers as well. Joakim Noah's play backed up his mouth with the center putting up 25 points and snaring 13 rebounds. If anything positive can be taken away from this, it has to be the Bulls bench play. The bench put up fifty-six points against a Cleveland team that only allowed thirty-six a game in the regular season. The game was tied at 77 at the end of the third, but the Cavs went on an 8-3 run to start the fourth. The Cavs shot 56% from the field compared to the Bulls 44. Vinny del Negro put it best in his post-game interview. "We played well enought to steal a game. But they earned it by making plays. And that's what it comes down to-making plays." We'll see what Thursday brings as the Blackhawks and Bulls try to salvage both of their respective series. Hopefully we will have some good news to report during Last Call Sports from 7 to 9 on sportstownchicago.com.

Uh Oh...

Well, game 1 at the United Center didn't go exactly as planned. Pekka Rinne was absolutely filthy and had plenty of answers for the Hawks offense Friday night. Rinne finished with 25 saves in his NHL postseason debut including a HUGE poke save on a Patrick Sharp breakaway. Both teams appeared to have some postseason nerves to start but soon eased into the game. Seabrook and Hossa delivered a couple nice hits, but ultimately it was former Blackhawk J.P. Dumont and his two goals that would be the deciding factor. Martin Erat and Smithson added empty-netters to seal the deal in a four goal third period for the Predators. We'll see how the Hawks rebound and if the Predators can carry their momentum into game 2 when the puck drops at 730. Hopefully we'll hear Chelsea Daggers more than once today and won't have to worry about going down 2-0 before heading to Nashville.

Playoffs?!? Playoffs?!? Are you kidding me?

Noone in the media seem to be giving the Bulls a shot against the mighty Cleveland Cavaliers. Can you blame them though? The team has the best record in the NBA and arguably the best player in the game along with Mo Williams, Antwan Jamison, Anderson Varejao, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Oh yeah, and some guy named Shaq. Ultimately, this series will be considered a learning experience for D-Rose, Taj, Joakim, and the Chicago Bulls. The crew sees the Bulls losing in 5, maybe (a big maybe) 6 games. On to next year with a new coach and hopefully some big new talent.

April Just Got Busier

Congrats to VDN and the Chicago Bulls. The team pushed their way into the playoffs with two huge wins over the Boston Celtics and the Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats win may have been bittersweet with Michael Jordan, Charles Oakley, and Tyrus Thomas in attendance. The team played with a purpose and D-Rose has convinced me he is ready to lead a team. Who knows what will happen with VDN following their first round match-up with King James and the Cavs? Either way, this team has shown once again they can play like an above average basketball team when healthy and may be one or two pieces away from being a contender. Hopefully all the grimacing I saw on the sidelines from Taj, Rose, Miller, and Noah won't carry over to the playoffs. This team needs to be 100% on top of their game come Game 1. Looks like we have two playoff previews to set-up tomorrow night and two nice wins for our baseball teams from 7 to 9 on sportstownchicago.com

Does it get any better???

The Bulls, as bad as they have looked at times this year, are in a playoff race that will literally go down to the final day of the season. With a win against the Bosh-less Raptors, they took sole possession of the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference with two games left. The Raptors beat Detroit to cut the lead to 1/2 a game. Now the Bulls have two very tough match-ups against Boston and Charlotte left while Toronto plays the hapless New York Knicks. It's time for D-Rose and the boys to put up or shut up. The winner, if you want to call it that, faces King James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. Most are predicting either eight seed to get swept in the first round. That may be the case, but it will give the youth on this Bulls team more experience and will build their resume for prospective free agents in the offseason. This Bulls fan is hoping they get in. It's just about time for tipoff, so hopefully we will be previewing the Bulls first round match-up this Thursday from 7 to 9 on Last Call Sports only on sportstownchicago.com

Call the Wahmbulance

Chicago Cubs fans are up in arms and Sox fans are mad Peavy didn't throw a perfect game. Guess what? The first week of the season hasn't even finished. Peavy's command was poor, but he isn't a cold weather pitcher. The Cubs bullpen, as expected, was very shaky yesterday against Atlanta with John Grabow getting the loss. Give it at least a month for the teams to get in full swing and let them go a couple times through the rotation and then we can have a serious talk about who stinks and who doesn't.

This has been your Last Call blog for the evening. Thanks for reading and keep listening every Thursday night from 7 to 9 only on sportstownchicago.com. We're groundbreaking.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Baseball is here! The Southsiders played well, though, it was against the sad sad Cleveland Indians. Buerhle may have to try out for the Hawks backup goalie position after that kick save and a beauty yesterday. An early two-run homer by Konerko on a fist pitch fastball set the pace and the Sox put it on cruise control from there. Buehrle pitched 7 scoreless innings and retired the last ten he faced. Rios hit an eighth inning homer to cap off an impressive opening day at 35th and Shields. On the other side of town....

The day started off well in Atlanta with Marlon Byrd hitting a 3-run homer in his first regular season at-bat as a Cub. Other than that, the highlights were lacking if you are a Cubs fan. Zambrano barely got out of the first after surrendering a three-run homer to Jason Heyward. It was 8 to 3 after two with the final being 16 to 5 in favor of "America's team." Both teams have the day off and will return to action Wednesday. Jake Peavy makes his season debut for the Sox and Dempster will take the bump for the Cubbies. We'll discuss the first couple days of the season and the rest of the Bulls and Hawks seasons on Thursday night from 7 to 9 only on sportstownchicago.com

DA BULLS!

It makes you wonder what would have happened during the Bulls ten game slide if they were all healthy and playing. The team still has their flaws, but I would envision something as high as a five seed for them had they stayed healthy. The energy on the court with Rose, Noah, Gibson, Deng, and Hinrich is great. Derrick Rose is really coming into his own and with one or two solid additions in the offseason, we will be discussing a high playoff seed this time next year without a doubt. They may have to do it with a new coach, though, as VDN's sand in the hourglass seems to be running out. The last handful of games will be so important for the Bulls especially the matchup against Toronto next week. If the Bulls can pull out a couple wins, that game will most likely be the factor whether or not they play Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs. For anyone who says they don't want their favorite team to make the playoffs due to the embarrassment of them getting bounced in the first round is ludicrous. Experience will only help. Also, in this key offseason of free agency, seeing young guys like Gibson, Rose, and Noah take a team to the playoffs will only fuel the fire for guys like Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson to come here. Tune in this week where we will have plenty to discuss. Joe Stiglich will join us to talk Oakland A's and AL West baseball. Last Call Sports 7 to 9 on sportstownchicago.com

To Panic or not to Panic

The Hawks have been on a bit of a slide since the Olympics. Losers in 6 of the last 8 including two to the hapless Columbus Blue Jackets. Thanks to the Flames losing though, they have clinched a playoff spot. The playoff beard has began on a certain Last Call co-host. Niemi has solidified his spot and the Blues game has gotten off to a solid start. Cristobal Huet looks as sad as a lost puppy on the bench. Gramps Madden needs to step up and show those leadership skills going into the playoffs. Hopefully the hotel wrestling has calmed and they can focus on winning some games. If the playoffs were to start today, they would be facing the Los Angeles Kings, who are on a slide of their own...a Los Angeles sized mudslide. This blogger is torn. Tune in Thursday from 7 to 9 and we'll break down the Blackhawks, the Bulls, baseball, and the Final Four. Thanks for reading and thanks for listening.

Chicago-what happened?!?!

Bulls are currently down by 1,000,000 points. That's exactly what they can't do if they want to catch up to Toronto. Hopefully, the April 11th isn't completely meaningless against Toronto. At this rate though, it appears to be time to look ahead to next year.

The Chicago Blackhawks give up 8 goals to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The positive outcome of this game is hopefully this solves any problems the coaching staff has about who gets the full-time goaltender position. Huet needs to return to his role as a backup. Niemi has put up six shutouts this year and has looked very sharp as of late. As always, though, the Blackhawks MUST play sixty minutes of good hockey, offense and defense. I don't want to wonder what could have been since the team didn't make a move for a goaltender at deadline time. The Flames lost as well, which means the Hawks have clinched their playoff spot. The next couple weeks should be very interesting.

Good night Chicago!

Sweet 16!

This tournament is showing even more reason for it to be expanded. I once had a friend tell me that the tournament should shrink to 32 teams so that the tournament would be more competitive. Well what an idiot he was! With teams like Cornell, Northern Iowa, Butler, St. Marys, and Washington all in the Sweet 16 it gives even more reason to expand the tournament and give mid major programs a chance to compete for the national title. Lets not forget how many people love to gamble and how many people love seeing upsets when they least expect them. So I hope the tournament committee can learn something from this and give some serious thought to expanding the tournament to 80 + teams in the following years. We all are looking forward to seeing the final outcomes from this weekend and even more excited for the Final Four in the following weekend!

Holy upsets!

Kansas, Villanova, Georgetown, and New Mexico. You may think this looks more like a Final Four possibility, but nope. These four teams all dropped games this weekend of the tourney. Northern Iowa took it to Kansas. The only time the Panthers trailed was 2-0 forty-seven seconds into the game. Ali Faroukhmanesh hit a HUGE three pointer to seal the deal. Nova dropped one to number ten seed St. Mary's , who upset Richmond in the first round. Omar Samhan led the way with 32 and Nova stud Scottie Reynolds was a wretched 4 for 26 in the two tourney games for the Wildcats. Georgetown got smoked by 14 seed Ohio in the first round and New Mexico dropped one to number 11 Washington in the round of 32. The only remaining Final Four team from last year is Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans. Number ten seeds are an impressive 4-1 in five tournament games this year. Needless to say, the tournament is WIDE open now that overwhelming favorite Kansas is out. Should be an interesting couple of weeks. Looking forward to it.

Hawks get back to their winning ways Thursday night with an impressive 3-0 shutout against the Kings. It was their first regulation victory at Staples Center since 2003. Phoenix on tap tonight and Tuesday.

Bulls..well, there isn't much to say about them. They held the Cavs under 100 and look completely different with a near full lineup against Philly. It makes you wonder what would have actually happened over the last couple weeks if everyone was playing. That's all I got for now. Thanks to Nick Friedell for joining us last week and more groundbreaking radio coming your way this Thursday from 7 to 9, only on sportstownchicago.com

Show #4...

Its almost here. Nick Friedell will be on to talk what's left of the Bulls. We'll finish up our baseball previews with the AL and NL West. Also we'll hit the Hawks, the brackets, and more. Tune in 7 to 9 on sportstownchicago.com. We're groundbreaking.

Brackets, Bulls, and Blackhawks

What a sad weekend in Chicago sports. Two bad losses for the Hawks and the Bulls can't buy a win on what was supposed to be their most important stretch of games this year. I would guess no postseason appearance for them after this atrocious stretch of games.

Hawks lost a real tough one today and without Ovechkin, too. Losses like that can't happen. Hopefully Soupy and Hossa return for the last couple weeks this season. They need both those guys to be healthy for the playoffs.

Nothing too unpredictable in the #1 seeds. Some questionable seeding though, which makes for good debate.

We'll cover it all Thursday from 7 to 9 on sportstownchicago.com. Nick Friedell will be joining us to talk Bulls as well as Silvy from the ESPN 1000s Waddle and Silvy show. Show number 4 should be a good one. Don't miss it!!

Last Call Sports 03/11/10

Had an action packed show today. We talked Bears free agency hits and misses, the possible rise and now apparent demise of the Bulls, and the problems of Ben Roethlisberger and Tiger Woods. The highlight of the show was Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago coming on and talking Blackhawks during the 8pm hour. We talked about our top 5 favorite sports movies and Pete is really tired of hot girls making out w/ each other and expecting shots because of it. Next week, Mark Silverman will be joining us, we'll talk Bulls and Cubs and maybe.......soup and a sandwich?

Time flies

Wow, show number 3 is here already. We'll cover the usual tonight as well as throwing in a fun little segment where we'll give you our Top 5 Sports Movies. Also in the process of booking guests. One will be announced tonight on the show. You'll have to listen to find out who it is. We'll break down the AL and NL East as well to get you in that baseball state of mind. Also the second edition of Airing of the Grievances. Tune in tonight from 7 to 9 on sportstownchicago.com

Crazy Chicago Sports Weekend

Bulls blow a game Thursday and the defense doesn't show up yesterday. Definitely noticing the difference with a banged up team on the floor. Hope they can turn it around in time to make a playoff push. Only 20 games left.

Blackhawks looked great Friday. Aggressive from the start and six different goal scorers. Today's game, however, was a different story. Got off to a good start, I turn my head, and its 5-2 Detroit. Los Angeles comes to town Wednesday.

Sox put a beatdown on the Cubs and the game today was postponed.

The Bears broke out their checkbook to say the least. Its a good thing they raised ticket prices, because they have to pay these guys somehow.

Show number 3 is Thursday. We'll talk about all of the above, maybe throw in a top 5 sports movies segment, and also air some grievances. Last Call 7 PM to 9 PM Thursday night on sportstownchicago.com Email us your thoughts at lastcallsports@gmail.com or follow us on twitter @lastcallICB

03/04/2010

Talking about the Sox right now. Cleveland considered to be the doormat of the AL Central. Joe very hopeful the Sox will really stay healthy and battle potential offensive woes. Pete and Teddy not convinced the Cubs are totally dead in the water, but large holes to fill and roster paper thin in some parts. Bulls- is a 5th spot too much to ask for? Health going to be a huge issue going into the post-season. Hawks, no moves made and hope defense will carry less than inspiring goalie play.

Dead at the Deadline

Well, the Hawks didn't make any significant moves. We'll see how that plays out. The offense can't score five goals every game. The team looked more energetic tonight than last night. Maybe a game back at the Madhouse was what they needed.

Noah will be sitting for three weeks and the Bulls signed Chris Richard to compensate. 'Nuff said.

We've got a jam packed show and some grievances to air tomorrow (technically tonight) from 7 to 9 on sportstownchicago.com Hopefully I can get back to sleep and kick this congestion before the show. Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks as well as we start getting into baseball season and booking some guests..and hopefully figuring out the phones. Good night ad good luck!

What the Puck?!?!

The Blackhawks haven't won in Nassau Coliseum since 2002. But, they haven't had this good of a team since before that. They started off great, but then the second period started. I would blame the Olympics, but Kane had 3 points and Toews had 2. The trade deadline is as close as it can get and I haven't heard any legitimate trade rumors for an upgrade at goalie. We'll see how that works out for them in the playoffs if no moves happen. We will dig deeper into the topic from 7 PM to 9 Pm tomorrow night as well as many other topics. Check out Last Call Sports on sportstownchicago.com

Later blogosphere! That sounds weirder than tweeps. Or maybe I'm just an old curmudgeon. Yeah, that's it.

1 show down

We here at the Last Call Sports team would like to welcome all the listeners to our world. It got off to a rocky start, but once we got rolling, we couldn't stop. Thanks to all the e-mailers, listeners, and attempted callers. We'll figure out the phones ASAP so we can hear what you have to say.

Hopefully you enjoyed show #1 enough to come back for show #2! We've got a full slate of stuff to talk about. We'll talk Bulls, Olympics and the return of the Hawks (and the Los Angeles Kings, ahem), maybe throw some NCAA talk and some spring training talk to gear you up for the 2010 season. Or you can send us some ideas to our inbox at lastcallsports@gmail.com

That's all I got for now. Gotta gear up for the Bulls/Hawks game. Should be a good one. We'll be back at it from 7 to 9 Thursday night only at sportstownchicago.com