Chicago Sports Management Should Be Called Before Congress

Written by Godfrey, Friday December 11 2009 Playerpress.com

First of all let me say I love the Notre Dame hire of Brian Kelly. The man has a great offensive mind. The Fighting Irish will back on top again very soon. But unfortunately that's about the only positive I have to discuss right now. Neither of the biggest sports teams in the city of Chicago Bulls Bears Cubs or Whitesox will make the post season this season which ends in 2010 for the Bulls. The same Bulls who took Boston to seven games last season in the first round of the NBA playoffs considered the most exciting playoff series in sports I think besides the 2004 Red Sox Yankees series where the Red Sox came back from a three games to none deficit to win that series. The only time in sports that has ever happened.
Not only have our major sports teams under achieved but they have down right stunk. I believe that when a team makes changes to its roster believed to make the team better they should have something to show for it. Yet the Cubs are trying to get rid of the biggest pain in the ass baseball may have ever seen after being dumb enough to sign Milton Bradley to a contract of more than one year when teams that he's played for in the past were smart enough not to do that. For some reason the Cubs felt that it was alright to trade away one of their more popular players in Mark Derosa to make this happen. While Derosa didn'thave as good a year as he had the year before the Cubs sure could have used him when Aramis went down with a shoulder injury when they were leading the division. With Derosa filling the Cubs would have kept their lead in the division all the way to the end and would have had another chance to choke away another post season series. At least they would have been there. I'm not a White Sox fan so I cannot really comment on them but it was obvious that team was obviously too old to be playing baseball anyways.

While it was obvious in the final months of the season that the Cubs or Sox were not going to make the post season I started to focus on the Bears. After all we had a franchise Quarterback for the first time in decades according to the media who heralded the arrival of Jay Cutler. I though it was a good move and still do as we gave away the house to get him here. If you know Jerry Angelo's inability to get his first round picks to make an impact much less get on the field and the fact he does better in the later rounds finding gems like Jonny Knox, it set up well for the bears to go maybe 10-6 and lose in the second round. At least they would have made it and no one would be screaming for Lovie Smith to be fired.

Continuing on to the Bulls who as I said were involved in one of the most exciting and frustrating playoff series in sports history. I though with the changes they made in getting John Salmon and Brad Miller though it was years after letting the man go to another team becoming a star and trading to get him back when he is slower than an old woman using a walker. But he is nonetheless productive. Joakim Noah showed in the playoffs that he is better than the dud he'd looked like he would become when we drafted him out of Florida where he won consecutive national titles. Management still hadn't dealt with the lack of having a big man that could compete with the likes of Dwight Howard and Greg Oden. Yet they still looked like they could be a competitive team. Wrong!

Now I come to my point. The reason for all of the lack of success for these teams: Management. The General Managers who seem to ignore what really ails their teams and doing something to fix it. Every General Manager in charge of the teams I mentioned should be fired right now! None of the players they have put on the field or harwood has any heart. How many times can a team get their asses kicked year after before someone figures out what is wrong? How many times do we have to listen to the same responses during post game interviews with players haveing that ever present hang dog look on their faces? When do we stop blaming the players before we blame the numbsculls who keep putting them on the field year after year? Sure we all realize that Lovie Smith's defensive scheme does not work but maybe it isn't just that. Maybe it is the personnel he has on the field who don't know what the hell they're doing or where they should be. Or maybe it is Jerry Angelo's fault for not getting rid of Ron Turner who doesn't know how to run an NFL offense and put in someone who can score some points to keep up with the other team who moves the ball up and down the field as if they're out there by themselves. How about drafting a running back that can actually shake some defenders instead of running into the pile and falling down?

I watched the Cubs get beat around by the Colorado Rockies like how the Minnesota Vikings spanked the Bears. The looks on their faces said it all for me. This was just another game for them. If I have to listen to them say, "you have to give credit to the other team" again I will puke. Show some heart for crying out loud! Even if you're getting beat at least act like you're trying. Many of these athletes were kids who came from winning programs all through their youth wining mutiple state championships in their sports. What they should do is take it back to the days when if you lost your position your career was basically over. I'm not advocating for players to play with unimaginable injuries but the circumstance would make sure that you get the very best of your players every time they set foot on the field or the court. Heartless players and brain dead management is no way to run a franchise and all you're doing is playing the fans for fools when you raise ticket prices after every losing season and then have the nerve to say it is easy to sit there and think we know better than those who are actually out there playing the games. I say there is space on my couch where we can watch a ball game together because it's pretty obvious that you need to be where we are to see the crap that is going on and who is just out there to get a paycheck. Enough is enough. Let's not turn Chicago into Kansas City but even the Royals have seen a World Series more recently than the Cubs!

Thank You Dennis Green! The Bears Are Worse Than We Thought They Were!

Written by Godfrey Logan, Monday October 26 2009 playerpress.com

I don't want to hear about the Bears vaunted defense. Or ever hear the words, Monsters of the Midway" again! I don''t want to hear we get off the bus running ever again. The Bears are barely better than the Detroit Lions and by chance the last team they beat.
The Bears are average at best. The Bears defense hasn't been dominant since the days of Ditka and Buddy Ryan! It's getting hilarious to hear other teams say the know how good the Bears defense is but they still have to go out and play their game. This video of yesterdays game will make the rounds of every NFL lockerroom and possibly every blooper reel for the next decade. No they didn't get beat 59-0 like the Tennessee Titans and they are not winless like the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but they are way overrated and way over hyped. They have put so much money and personnel into this defense and going as far as hiring the former Detroit Lions head coach to work with their defensive line, yes the same coach of the same Detroit Lions who became the first team ever to go 0-16 last year. Is it the defensive scheme or is it the ones coaching it? Is it time for Lovie to go? I would say so but there are ten games left for him to help himself out the door without an uproar from the fans. Everyone thought the Bears would be better just because we got a franchise quarterback. But Jay cutler cannot play defense even though he is heling out the other defenses by throwing a bunch of picks. I still do not believe that this loss is his fault. You cannot win a ball game with just 35 yards rushing while your former running back goes for 189 yards and swears revenge has nothing to do with it. The offensive line has been a bust for years now and signing Orlando Pace and Frank Omiyale has done nothing for the offensive line. You cannot just say this was a bad day that happens from time to time or the Bengals just had a good day at home. For a team that has not scored this many points the entire season they just showed every glaring weakness the Bears have on both sides of the ball. I think the key word is preparation. They were not prepared to play against the Falcons or the Bengals and they had a bye week to do just that. It's not possible that I am the only one who saw this coming. But Dennis Green said it best in 2006 and it still holds true today. The Bears suck!

Cubs Bring On Third Hitting Coach And I'm Expecting Nothing Different

Written by Godfrey Logan, Thursday October 22 2009 playerpress.com

The Cubs fired Gerald Perry who has had a ton of success with Lou Piniella in the past. He couldn't get the offense started this season though he was part of the reason for them winning 97 games in 2008.
Then they fired Von Joshua the man responsible for the hitting success of the young Cubs minor leaguers who have made an immediate impact since being called up. He is credited with being responsible for Geovanny Soto having his success in the minors which translated to being named Rookie Of the Year in 2008. None of these men had any success with helping the Cubs out of their late season slump and Soto barely batted .220 last year. My point is the Cubs not having the talent to win and the hitting coach having nothing to do with the lack of success. With all of the changes in hitting coaches Derrick Lee still had an amazing year. Is it possible that the guys on the field around Derrick Lee besides Aramis Ramirez are not major league talent? I would say yes. We do not have a major league quality short stop or second baseman thanks to Jim Hendry sticking with the Cajun Connection but they only fall apart at the end of seasons. He traded away Mark Derosa for nothing and he ends up on the division winning Cardinals. Alfonso Soriano is down right offensive in the outfield a spot Manny Ramirez has proven that you only have to be somewhat cometent to play the easiest outfield position in baseball. While it is true that the new hire for hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo from Texas has had a lot of success with the likes of Soriano and Milton Bradley whom it seems like will be with the team next season after having been told that he was on his way out I'm more concerned about what he will have to work with. Players have had success with Rudy Jaramillo in the past but I cannot think of the last time the Rangers made the post season in that weak American League West. Instead of replacing the hitting coach who might get replaced midway through the season anyways after having signed a three year contract with the Cubs because the players we have stink why not replace the general manager before he makes another bone head choice?

Bears Woes Not Cutler's Fault

Written by Godfrey Logan, Tuesday October 20 2009 playerpress.com

Has anyone thought that maybe the reason the running game for the Bears is so bas is because Matt Forte is bad? They went out and drafted a Forte because they were looking for a bigger back like Justin Fargas of the Oakland Raiders after he had a solid running performance against the Bears a few years ago.
The Bears have not done well in recent years at drafting running backs but they always end up in a situation where it's better to keep that player than to let him go or trade him because he will most likely do well for another team. See Cedric Benson. Personally I was happy to see him go but am not happy to see him doing well for the Bengals. The Bears traded Thomas Jones to the Jets and once again I was happy to see him go because I thought he was soft. He couldn't move the pile. He had a career day Sunday in a loss to the Bills.

Matt Forte may one day turn out to be a solid back but right now he isn't showing that he can be that or that he can make defenses miss. Yes the offensive line is very porous so he never gets a chance to make plays but sometimes it would help if he were somewhat elusive so that it isn't so easy to tackle him.

And when are the Bears going to get rid of Ron Turner? Since he's been here he's made me scratch my head about his play calling. I think he has to take much of the blame for the fact the Bears cannot develop a quarterback. I know Rex Grossman was a terrible quarterback but part of the blame for his lack of success has to be attributed to Ron Turner. Now you have Kyle Orton in Denver doing what he should have been doing in Chicago. But the Bears are so focused on a qb managing the game that he never gets to show what he can do, throw the ball down the field. To be honest, with Cutler the Bears will be a 9-7 team this year. They were a 9-7 team last year with Orton so what exactly have they done to better this team? With Ron Turner calling the plays and Orton still at quarterback the Bears would be lucky to finish with a winning record. Enough with the prime time games already the Bears are not even on the level of the Minnesota Vikings right now.

Speaking of the the Vikings they are getting so much hype because of Brett Favre. The truth is that team would do well with or without Brett Favre. I could probably play for that team as long as all I have to do is hand off to Adrian Peterson or throw a short pass to Percy Harvin and watch him go.

Frankly Jay Cutler is who has kept the Bears respectable at this point. The defense is a strong defense as usual but I wish Lovie Smith would stop saying that, "we come off the bus running." That hasn't been the case for years. The Bears haven't had an NFL offensive line since Thomas Jones was here which in my opinion is why we lost the stinking Super Bowl in '07 besides Peyton Manning picking our defense apart. The Bears are what I thought they were the same old team but with a franchise quarterback. That's all you hear nowadays. We finally have a "Franchise Quarterback." The truth is we had one before but with our bad play calling he never got a chance to flourish. Also let's not jump on Cutler for his turnovers. If we had a decent running game we wouldn't have to rely on the pass so much. But until some personnel changes are made on the offensive side of the ball the offense will continue to be, well, offensive.

Rush Away From Limbaugh As Fast As Possible

Written by Godfrey Logan, Tuesday October 13 2009 playerpress.com

Rush Away From Limbaugh As Fast As Possible

Written by Godfrey Logan, Tuesday October 13 2009

If Rush Limbaugh wants to own a professional franchise let him go to the UFL where no one will notice that one of the biggest race baitors is leading a franchise. Since it will soon be defunct, I say hell let him have the entire league.
For years minority professional athletes have been asking to be treated fairly and respected for the contributions they have made on and off the field. They have been asking for years to be remembered for coaching and ownership opportunities when their playing careers are done. They make up such a large percentage of the professional population in the four biggest sports in the U.S. and many have admitted they cannot have winning programs without these same minority players. Baseball once had a racist past and many of their members who espoused racist views are in the hall of fame and no one thinks to remove them because of their beliefs but rewarded them for what they did on the field. Though we have moved years beyond those days the numbers of minority coaches in major division one college sports has lagged regardless of legislation or rules passed to make them a part of the search process in replacing a coach that has left a program/team. Now you are asking players to consider playing for a man who makes much of his money degrading minorities and has stated that he hopes the first black/mixed race president this country has ever had fails. If President Obama fails the country fails. While Limbaugh has not said he wants the country to fail because if it does then who will come out to watch any team he might own play? I cannot imagine that there are many fans who come out now to support the St. Louis Rams who look like they will be the next team to lose 16 games in a season. For any minority athlete I would consider it a slap in the face to let this man who once told a black caller to his show to "take the bone out of his nose" own a professional franchise.

I am a Chicago Cubs fan and I remember when there was a huge buzz about Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban possibly purchasing the Cubs. It was said he would be a black mark on the sport of baseball with his flamboyant ways and that other owners in baseball would not allow that to happen. I could not imagine that NFL owners would allow Rush Limbaugh to own an NFL team especially after his remarks that the liberal media wants a black quarterback to succeed. If a man whose only flaw is that he is free with his money and feels that it allows him to yell at referees during games is too divisive to own a baseball franchise what makes you think it would be a good idea to let Rush Limbaugh own any professional franchise?

If not for black players there would be not professional leagues. As it stands most players in the NHL are from Canada and Russia. Take a god look at hockey and realize what the other major sports would look like if minority players decide they would not play. Considering that they are basically regarded as not intelligent enough to be in positions of power as it was once believed that they were not smart enough to even play quarterback. I agree this is the land of opportunity but someone once told me that people can think you are a fool until you open your mouth and prove them right. Guess what Rush, you opened your mouth one too many times and it has come back to bite you. Stick to politics and pills and leave sports to those who at least keep their bigotry behind closed doors.

I Drank The Miami Kool Aid Too!

Written by Godfrey Logan, Monday September 28 2009 playerpress.com

The question in the days leading up to the Va. Tech game was, "Is the "U" back?

I wanted to believe that they were. I've been a huge fan since the bad old days when they were destroying their opponents and self destructing at the same time for believeing that they ouldn't be stopped. As bad as those days were they were one of the most feared football programs in college football. This is a different Hurricane program now. It seems as if college football is down if Miami isn't in the top ten and showing up in fatigues for a bowl game. I was one of them who drank the Kool Aid believing they would run and pass all over the Hokies. But as they say this is why they play the games. I saw the score of the Va. Tech game against Nebraska and felt that they would have trouble scoring points against this miami defense and the Hurricane offense would certainly put up 30 or more. Instead they were down 21-0 at half and didn't put up much of a showing in the second half even though they had plenty of chances to score. Dropped balls many of them did them in in the second half as they were already looking to the Oklahoma game. What makes this loss particularly difficult is that it would have put Miami with a solid lead in the conference regardless of what happens against Oklahoma. With the chance that Bradford wouldn't play the "Canes could have been 4-0 and they would have no choice but to roll through the weak ACC Conference. They can still be 3-1 after the Oklahoma games just as much as they can be 2-2 after the Oklahoma game at Landshark Stadium. At that point they begin to fade from the national scene and can only play for a chance to be the big name in some little known bowl game like the Papa Johns Bowl. As they say that is why they play the games.

Cubs Have No Heart!

Written by Godfrey Logan, Tuesday August 11 2009 playerpress.com

Bear with me for a moment with my rambling because I'll probably say some of the craziest things ever heard. Such as combine the two Chicago Baseball teams and let Ozzie Guillen manage them.

The Colorado Rockies have no chance to win their division but don't tell them that. We're it not for the Dodgers being nearly eight games ahead of the second place team in the National League West that would be one of the hottest three team races for a division title in the National League. But the Cubs LET the Rockies win three of four from them in Colorado by playing as badly as they could play possibly as bad as they have played all season. The Rockies hit everything the Cubs pitchers lobbed at the plate. It didn't matter that Troy Tulowitzki nearly missed hitting a grandslam he still launched a two run homer in the first inning and hit for the cycle acounting for SEVEN runs by himself!

The Rockies early in the season made a managing change to former Cubs manager Jim Tracy. A managing change for this team wouldn't matter in the least bit. They let good old "in Dusty we trusty," Dusty Baker go because he was too laidback and didn't seem to discipline his players for firebrand "Sweet Lou," Lou Piniella. Lou looks just as lost as when he managed the Former Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Is there a chance he could quit before this season is over because these guys are just as heartless as his former team? The man looks lost in the dugout as no matter what moves he makes they backfire. They have the Phillies coming up next and if the series in Colorado is any indication it's going to be an ugly series. All I can say is bring on football!

Editor's Pick It's The Cubs Picthing Staff and Not Much Else
by Godfrey Logan, August 03, 2009

It's The Cubs Picthing Staff and Not Much Else

Written by Godfrey Logan, Monday August 03 2009 playerpress.com

The Cubs have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball some of the best hitters in baseball but they're far too inconsistent. Then there is the bullpen. Since Jim Hendry has been the General Manager of the Cubs since 2003 he has put a lot of work into solidifying it and has not been able to do it. He's had closer after closer come in and blow save after save.

Who can forget a couple of years ago when former close Ryan Dempster came in with a five run lead against the mets and gives up the game winning runs. Now he's kick ass as a starter. We've had the bullpen blow saves in both losses in the three games series against the Marlins a series the Cubs could have swept. WIth the game tied at two in game one the bullpen gives up three runs to give the game to the Marlins. In game two with the Cubs leading eight to five Kevin Gregg a former Marlin gives up the game tying runs to let the Marlins back into it. If not for the red hot Derrick Lee hitting a homerun in the top of the tenth inning to give the Cubs back the lead who knows how that game would have turned out. If the Cubs make the playoffs this year some of us will be surprised with their inconsistencies at the plate and in the bullpen. Not to mention the need to try to get Milton Bradley to hit from the left side where most of us have given up on that experimentWho can forget a couple of years ago when former close Ryan Dempster came in with a five run lead against the mets and gives up the game winning runs. Now he's kick ass as a starter. We've had the bullpen blow saves in both losses in the three games series against the Marlins a series the Cubs could have swept. WIth the game tied at two in game one the bullpen gives up three runs to give the game to the Marlins. In game two with the Cubs leading eight to five Kevin Gregg a former Marlin gives up the game tying runs to let the Marlins back into it. If not for the red hot Derrick Lee hitting a homerun in the top of the tenth inning to give the Cubs back the lead who knows how that game would have turned out. If the Cubs make the playoffs this year some of us will be surprised with their inconsistencies at the plate and in the bullpen. Not to mention the need to try to get Milton Bradley to hit from the left side where most of us have given up on that experiment. If he can get us more runs on the right side let him do it. Don't give me the story that we got him to be a switch hitter and be a force from the left side. We gave up a great hitter in Mark Derosa for this guy? If he' s not going to hit from the left side let him bat righty and say we made a mistake in signing him. This team is not built to win a world series now when the Dodgers and Phillies are all world right now. I'm not going to say they'll get swept in a three game series but it doesn't help when your closer blows saves in back to back games giving up the game tying and winning homeruns to consecutive hitters.

Sosa Tests Positive? What Took You So Long?

Written by Godfrey Logan, Wednesday June 17 2009

The fact that Sammy Sosa tested positive for steroids in 2003 is no surprise to any one in the city of Chicago. Many of us are saying what took so long for the info to get out?

I was never a fan of Sammy Sosa. I never liked a one dimensional player who can only hit a homer or strike out. He was a serviceable outfielder but that was about it. 2003 was the same year that Sosa got busted for the corked bat. I guess it wasn't a very good year for him. I was in Washington D.C. when the hearings were held and Sosa let his lawyer speak for him as if Sammy suddenly forgot how to speak english. I always thought he was a selfish schmuck and overrated in many ways. I'm sick of hearing that he and Mark Mcguire saved baseball with their homerun exploits when I doubt fans would have stayd away from ball parks during the summer when there is nothing else worth watching. Baseball has been around for far too long for people to stay away.

Bud Selig should take much of the blame for the steroids era since I'm sure he knew this was going on but didn't want to miss out on the revenue from all the packed ball parks during the historic homerun chase.

Another person who shouldn't get a pass is Jose Canseco who only wrote his books to out people because no team would pick him up to allow him to get a chance to hit his 500th homerun. He did it to stick it to baseball when he was a cheat himself.

It's hard to look at any player anymore and not wonder if he has ever been on steroids which is not fair to the majority of players who have played the game the right way. They should release the rest of the names on the list and get it over with and let the chips fall where they may. That might cause fans to stay away from ballparks more than anything.

Since End Of Jordan Era NBA Isn't Worth Watching playerpress.com

Written by Godfrey Logan, Friday June 12 2009

It's impossible to count the number of Hall Of Famers on both hands or feet how many Hall of Famers are in the HOF or wil be from the so called "Jordan Era."

The Bulls began their great dynasty by defeating the best team in basketball the Los Angeles Lakers which had Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabar and James Worthy in 1991. In subsequent years every team the Bulls faced in the NBA Finals had one or more future Hall of Famers on the team. Clyde Drexler of the Blazers. Gary Payton of the Seattle Supersonics. Charles Barkley and "Thunder Dan Majerle of the Phoenix Suns. Karl Malone and John Stockton of the Utah Jazz. I cannot forget the stars they faced along the way to get to the FInals. Reggie Miller of the Pacers. Alonzo Mourning of the Charlotte Hornets and Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks. Not to mention how many of those players were never won championships because of the Jordan led Bulls.

Those were days when if your team had been eliminated you would still watch the rest of the playoffs. The level of excitement never waned. Now when the Bulls are eliminated once again early in the playoffs I stop watching. That's when baseball season begins for me. I could care less that the Kobe Bryant is on the verge of winning a championship for the first time without Shaq something neither Michael Jordan nor Scottie Pippen could do without one another. How many players from this current era will become Hall of Famers? In an era when there are singular dominant players on teams while the teams in Jordans era had multiple stars on their teams. An era which produced the best team in NBA history.

This era will be remembered more for selfish players than for who were the champions. Phil Jackson will be remembered as possibly the best coach in NBA history but more coaches will be remembered for being fired because the management took the side of their overpaid players.

There Must Be Something In The Air!

Written by Godfrey Logan, Monday May 11 2009 playerpress.com

This baseball season really has me flabbergasted. Everyone says it’s early but it seems as if some of these divisions are going to come down to the last week. With some many teams barely over .500 anybody will be in right up until the end. I kind of like it this way because no matter how much teams struggle they’re never out of it.
A lot of teams have come back to earth that started out hot like the mariners and padres. Even the Marlins have come back to the pack. But what is driving me crazy is how some of these teams are getting beat so bad that they’re throwing position players in to pitch like it’s little league all over again when coaches called in the right fielder to pitch. This is one the craziest starts to a season I have ever seen but that should tell you that the finish will be just as crazy.

While were talking about finishes how about the NBA playoffs? Outside of the Cleveland- Atlanta series and now the Denver-Dallas series the other series could go either way and not the way many people have picked them to go. I thought the Magic would spank the Celtics but that series has gone back and forth. Though it’s not as thrilling as the series between the Bulls and Celtics but it’s possible that one could go to seven games as well. The Rockets Lakers series is another series difficult to predict. The thought around the league was that the Lakers at full strength with Andrew Bynum would cruise through to the Championship series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. But Cleveland is the only one living up to the hype. The irony is that Tracy McGrady has not made it past the first round since he’s been in the league. The year they make it past the first round he is injured and cannot help his team. They’ve also lost Yao Ming and they keep winning. Am I the only one not surprised by this? A few years ago the Rockets lost Yao Ming to a season ending injury and they reeled off twenty consecutive victories. Though I am one of those people who tend to turn off sports once my team is eliminated this year might be one of those years to keep watching. In the meantime the Chicago Blackhawks are one win away from going to the Western Conference Finals in hockey so it’s going to be some hard decisions made in the next few weeks.

When Will The Cub Stop Kicking Us In The Nuts?!
Written by Godfrey Logan, Monday April 27 2009 playerpres.com

The Chicago Cubs, favorites to win the National League Central Division for the third straight year are in 4th place with the Cardinals with a roster full of no names and a hall of fame manager are leading the division and looking like it's theirs to lose.

I ripped the Cubs for signing Milton Bradley. He currently has one hit this season and has spent more games on the bench than on the field and is already creating waves by announcing who he will and will not speak to when it comes to the media. Not to mention saying he played last year basically when he felt like it. I thought the guy should only come off the bench anyways considering how little time he's spent on the field in recent years. I have always had great respect for Jim Hendry for being the type of General Manager to take the big risks. Go after the top names in baseball. He makes the trade to get Aramis Ramirez and Derrick Lee. Signed Mark Derosa coming off of a career year with the Rangers after being a bench player for most of his career at that point. I believe he has a great eye for talent but he makes some choices that make me scratch my head. I ripped Jim Hendry for trading Mark Derosa who if the Indians remain on the losing path they're on Derosa might be on another team by the trade deadline. The Cubs are short of a clutch hitter which Derosa has been since he'd been in Chicago. Derrick Lee's numbers are down and I personally am hoping he gets traded. If he does we're basically waving the white flag because I don't know who is out there that could replace not only his bat but his gold glove defense. Much had been made of the Cubs not having a player on the DL to start the season in 20 plus years. Since then several players have been taken out of the lineup with nagging injuries including our reigning National League Rookie Of The Year, catcher Giovanni Soto with a hand injury. But he's also out of shape from playing in the WBC. The Cubs have a short bench that leaves them in a tight position if a starter was to go down. Regardless of the state of our bench with Derosa still a Cub it wouldn't matter. We'd be getting great production and wouldn't be in 4th place right now. I know it's not good to dwell on the past, losing 6 straight post season games but what matters is what you do to pick yourself up. Some are saying that the Padres will eventually fall off and Jake Peavy will become available again. My question is who do we have to go after him? Had we gotten Peavy this season I would have no doubt we'd have the pitching staff to take us all the way. The Cubs have a great staff now but there is also a history of not producing for them no matter how well they pitch. I am looking at this season with a glass half full attitude because I believe that they can and will win the division but not as they are configured right now. I believe this team when healthy can go deep into the post season like the 2006 Cardinals did based on their veteran leadership. But this leadership might be on the DL by the time the season ends if Jim Hendry has done nothing to shore up the bench. He's been running around like a chicken with his head cut off worrying about the bull pen and who should be closer. I think the pen will be fine in the end and continue to be one of our strong points. It's the health of the guys who play the field for nine innings every game that is my concern.

Chicago Rules The Weekend (Why They Play The Games) Playerpress.com

Written by Godfrey Logan, Monday April 20 2009

The White Sox get some payback against Rays in Florida, the Cubs take two of three from Cardinals in shortened series versus their rivals. Bulls and Blackhawks are undefeated in first round playoff games. What a time to be a Chicago sports fan.

I been called a Chicago hater. Even a hater of my favortie baseball team the Chicago Cubs. I call it "callin it as I see it." I have been lucky enough to see my favorite teams at their best and at their worst. Why should I not want them to stay at the top and why should I not criticize when the people in management do things that I feel are not in the best interest of building and maintaining winning franchises? This was a weekend not to find fault but to enjoy the success of my home teams. The White Sox looked like they should have looked last season when I predicted a Cubs Sox World Series with Carlos Quentin leading the way and the league already with seven homeruns. The Cubs and Cardinals lived up to the hype as the best rivalry in baseball. And as it should be made even more important and heated with both teams in contention. The Cardinals came into Chicago looking like world beaters already with the most wins in arguably the toughest division in baseball. All three games came down to late game heroics nothing decided until the last at bats.

The Bulls and Blackhawks are undefeated in first round games. Derrick Rose adding to his legacy as the messiah of the Chicago Bulls scoring 36 points against the Celtics and doing something not even Jordan could do, win a playoff game against the Boston Celtics. With or without Garnett the Celtics are still a very dangerous team. While no on in Chicago is saying the Bulls will win it all but they do believe that with Derric Rose we can go pretty far.

And while I'm not the biggest hockey fan who cannot be happy to have their hometown team win something. The 'Hawks came out sluggish in game two against the Calgary Flames perhaps not knowing what to do for an encore after winning the first game twelve seconds into overtime. But they were able to hold onto home ice advantage with those two victories. Here's to hoping they win this series and play better as the playoffs go along. Instead of finding fault or where these teams have holes that will cause them to sink like a rock. I am enjoying being in the best sports town in America for the time being.

Milton Bradley The New Kerry Wood

Written by Godfrey Logan, Monday April 13 2009 playerpress.com

We've seen this in Chicago before, a guy with plenty of talent but if he trips over his own feet he needs to be taken out of the game.

In the meantime Mark Derosa whom the Cubs traded to Cleveland for pitching prospects hit two homeruns for the Indians yesterday. Milton Bradley has just one hit for the Cubs this season with plenty of walks. That reminds me of the year I played Pony League baseball where I had similar numbers. Bradley had to be taken out of the game yesterday for straining his groin running the bases. While it can be said that Bradleys injury is at least a baseball injury compared to Kerry Wood who once hurt himself fallingout of a hot tub. But we at least got to see the full talent of a Kerry Wood. We have yet to see what Bradley can do. It is my prediction that he will soon have conflict with the fans who have seen this before. While the man who the Cubs traded to make room and money for Bradley will likely have another great year and at the end of the season fans will be begging to trade Bradley to get Derosa back.

Bears Won't Get Chance To Screw Up Draft

Written by Godfrey Logan, Friday April 03 2009 playerpress.com

On the day of the draft I will turn 33 years old. already balding the last thing Iwanted to do that day was pull out what was left of my hair.

I'm glad the Bears got Cutler though the Bears had chances to draft a quarterback before this trade. There was talk the Bears would have drafted a wide receiver at number 18 but with the picks the Bears have made in recent years I was terrified who they would have drafted considering the last picks they made at the wide receiver position have not even seen the field. I'm glad this trade happened though I believed it was a long shot because it has taken the responsibility out of GM Jerry Angelo's hands. Not to say that Kyle Orton wasn't a serviceable quarterback but his numbers had fallen off in the second half of the season which is what prompted Angelo to comment on it at the state of the team address leaving many fans to believe that the team was going to draft a quarterback. Theproblem with that choice is that we would have had to wait for such a player to develop and fans in Chicago who have been pining for a franchise quarterback since Sid Luckman. The only problems left now is figuring out who Cutler is going to be throwing to since our receivers right now are very much still wet behind the ears and hopefully changing the defensive scheme. It is obvious to the fans that that scheme isn't working and yet they keep on using it.

US Team With No International Experience Loses Again In WBC

Written by Godfrey Logan, Tuesday March 24 2009 playerpress.com

The US team for the second time fails to win or reach finals in World Baseball Classic because most guys on US roster have never played international competition.

It's been said for years that the the world is catching up to the US in international competition. USA Baseball is the only American sport that competes against other countries that does not use its professional athletes. Which is why with all of the power the Americans have on their roster thay cannot win in a sport they are credited with having started. Unless they change this policy they will continue to lose. Granted they got further this time than they did in 2006. Not to mention the fact that MLB has longer seasons than the leagues in other countries. It is not to say that the players from other countries are better than American MLB players it is hard to see former CY Young winner Jake Peavy and All Star pitcher Roy Oswalt get rocked. It can be said that there are a number of things that work agains the US. First there is the fact as I have mentioned they play longer seasons. Perhaps they should shorten the season. Also there is the fact that while the WBC is going on MLB players are going through spring training and it's possible that the players on the US team are treating this as a warm up to the season rather than a serious competition. They are more concerned with staying healthy and going back to their teams healthy. There is the fact that just before the WBC the seasons in Latin America is just ending and they had just finished playing the Caribbean World Series a tournament much like the format of the WBC. Those players are in great shape and ready for the tournament. In my opinion this is the true world series. And for a country that calls their champioship series the world series they cannot compete. As much as fans here love their baseball, it is king in other countries like Asia and Cuba which has ruled international competition for years. In a tournament where MLB players fill much of the rosters on these teams it doesn't help that these guys are going to play for their home countries leaving a roster with no international experience and no idea what they're getting into. US baseball should learn from the US basketball team and send their best. I mean they are only representing their country. What could be more important than that?

Baseball Should Take A Lesson From Barkley

Written by Godfrey Logan, Friday February 20 2009

How come Bud Selig hasn't apologized for his part in the steroid era? I would say he created it himself and while I'm sure he didn't distribute the steroids himself I'm sure he made it possible for players to get their hands on it. As day by day A-rods lies change he should have take a page out of Charles Barkleys book and say It's no ones fault but his own and let's move on.

I still love baseball but this is the first time in my life where I am not excited to start a season. I’m sure I’ll get over it. I’d bet none of the players on the Cubs have cheated other than cheating the fans who got their hopes up that they couldn't blow another playoff series. I think this is worse than Pete Rose because he at least bet on his team after he stopped playing and was managing. What bothers me most is it’s during our lifetimes. What I liked about the previous days of baseball was that it was not during my lifetime. And before the new millennium it was enjoyable. Not so much of the sniping there is now a days between fans. It was just fun to go to a ball game and enjoy the experience. Now a days you hear so much about players off the field lives that I don’t need to know about. Now this whole steroids thing in an era when ballparks are far more hitter friendly and records were cherished and I believed that it would take a truly special human being to break these records like the homerun record which I thought would forever stand and the consecutive game hitting streak. In the past it was never about the homeruns it was about getting on base and moving the runner over. Now it’s about individual stats. Seeing guys who were already stars do things to themselves to get and edge when they were already stars. Barry Bonds, Mark Mcguire come to mind. Two guys who didn’t need an edge at all. I don’t believe it is possible to erase or expunge records because no matter what you’re on you still have to have enough eye coordination to hit the ball. But what made the records so hallowed is the eras these players played in. Bigger ball parks, shorter seasons civil unrest and wars. These players don’t have to deal with any of that crap. People say the steroid era saved baseball because of McGuire and Sosa’s homerun race. I would have kept watching baseball and I’m sure people would have come back after the strike which caused attendance to go down. I’m sure if people knew this is what it would take to bring fans back they would have stayed away in droves. Now who can we trust? Bud Selig should be prosecuted along with Bonds and Clemens and forever banned from baseball for being a schmuck!

Leave A-Rod Alone But Baseball Will Never Be The Same

Written by Godfrey Logan, Monday February 09 2009

It's very sad that A-Rod took steroids but test was anonymous.

A friend once told me a few years ago that she wouldn't be surprised if any baseball player had taken steroids. I thought she was irrational because there are certainly players who don't need to use steroids. Like Ryan Howard or Prince Fielder. Those are just massive human beings. There was nothing more they could do to hit homeruns as there some of their moonshots that still have not landed. Alex Rodriguez may not be a massive man but he is arguably one of the more talented men in sports and in my mind the last person I figured would be linked to performance enhancing substances. While I now sadly agree with my friend that I cannot be surprised if anyones name is linked to steroids I do believe that we should not jump on the A-Rod is a cheater bandwagon. It is reprehensible that anyone regardless of your status in beaseball, whether you're in the minors, an upcoming superstar or riding the bench on a major league team it is never good to be a cheater. In this era of hitter friendly ball parks it is unfathomable to me that anyone needs to cheat. What's worse is the era of steroids will now overshadow the era when black players were not allowed to play in the major leagues. But in Alex Rodriguez's defense this was an anonymous test where one lab had the names of the players and one lab had the samples. No one was to ever know which name went with which tests. This was supposed to be a survey to see if mandatory testing will kick in and sadly more than 5 precent of the players in 2003 tested positive. And allegedly Gene Orza was tipping off players as to when tests were coming. It is just sad to hear this news but the test was anonymous and players went into it thinking nothing would come of it especially discipline since there was no discipline at the time of the test. Someone is going to get sued over this and rightfully so. This won't be the end of it and hopefully there won't be anymore ridiculous hearings in congress over this. Although Alex Rodriguez's name will be tainted in a very difficult year for him already with his divorce and being linked to Madonna. Not to mention going on televsion in an interview with Katie Couric and denying ever using steroids. Though he has not been in anyway linked to steroids since, to me no one is above it and it will make watching baseball in the future much more difficult.

Stop Hating On Yankees Spending

Written by Godfrey Logan, Friday January 09 2009

There doesn't need to be a salary cap in baseball.

I am certainly no fan of the Yankees. I'm one of those guys who feel a dynasty has to end otherwise a sport can get stale. The knock against the Yankees has been that they buy their players but when was the last time the Yankees won a World Series? What there needs to be in baseball is some sort of salary structure that makes a team have to spend money to put a competitive product on the field. Sure there is the fact that some markets don't have the money to spend like the Yankees but there are and have always been quality free agents that can turn around the fortunes of a team. Look at the Minnesota Twins and The Tampa Bay Rays. Granted they are a teams that have built their success through their farm system but they do go out and sign free agents at positions they need to fill. And both of these teams play in two of the toughest divisions in baseball, the American League East and Central. Every fan looks forward to opening day and the hopes that their team will have done enough to put a competitive team on the field and that they will do what's necessary to sign and retain their players whether they are acquired through trade or through free agency or their farm system. For years the Cubs have the lovable losers snapping out of it to playoffs from time to time. Some teams have not been so lucky. The Brewers finally made the playoffs for the first time since the 1980's. When was the last time the Kansas City Royals made the playoffs? Often times it comes down to ownership willing to spend the money on their players. A good General Manager who can go out and find the right players make the right trades. No one needs to spend nearly a billion dollars on their players but everyone should be glad when a team is willing year in and year out to do what they have to do to win. The goal is always to win a championship and many teams have won World Series since the last time the Chicago Cubs was even in a World Series. I've said that if the Cubs were to win one I'd said I wouldn't care what they do after that but the Kansas City Royals haven't made the playoffs since their World Series Victory in 1985 over the Stl. Louis Cardinals in the I-70 series. Baseball is an ever evolving sport but in my opinion it takes some ingenuity and risk to build a team but it is more obvious when a franchise isn't even trying as opposed to a team that may be trying too hard.

Why Not Sign Bonds Next?!

Written by Godfrey Logan, Tuesday January 06 2009

Cubs sign major league derilect Milton Bradley to break up the mainly right handed Cubs lineup. What's next Bears sign Terrell Owens or The White Sox sign Barry Bonds?

Pending a physical Thursday, Milton Bradley could become the newest member of Chicago baseball's Legion Of Doom with With Manager Lou Piniella and Pitcher Carlos Zambrano on the northside and Manager Ozzie Guillen on the Southside. It had been said the Cubs are a bunch of nice guys worn out by the expectation to end the 100 year championship drout and they need someone to come in and shake things up a little bit. As if a fight between Zambrano and former Cub catcher Michael Barret during a game in 2007 wasn't enough . Yes that Michael Barret who can be remember for laying a punch on a White Sox player after a collision at the plate. Now that the Cubs have Bradley who is the next derilect to be signed by a Chicago team? There was talk last season of Kobe Bryant coming to the Bulls and a number people swore they would never go to a game with Bryant in a Bulls uniform. A selfish guy who never passes the ball and has the nerve to consider himself the next Michael Jordan. There was even talk of him purchasing Jordans Highland Park home. What about Terell Owens? The Bears have a serious need for a number one wide receiver. Could you imagine Owens following Kyle Orton up and down the sideline complaining about not getting the ball or the way the ball was trhown to him? That would have been worth it when Rex Grossman was quarterback but with the Bears finally having a decent quarterback, and I do mean decent I think more fans would come to Ortons aide than Owens. How many websites would be set up to run Owens out of town from the very beginning. There is a reason that players like Bradley and Owens and Bonds are villified in sports. Even Kobe Bryant. It isn't that they are not talented or that they cannot be the spark that helps a team reach a goal or make them better at a position they were seriously lacking. Bradley hit over .300 last year for the Texas Rangers with a high on base percentage and hit 20 plus homeruns but it's not so easily forgotten that he rushed the broadcast booth of the Kansas Royals to get at a broadcaster who had made disparaging comments about Bradley. You can find videos of his tirades on the net as well as any other player and know what evil your way comes. Like I've said I'll be at games this year with a sign counting down to Bradleys first outburst. Chicago Cub fans are some of the most vocal fans in sports regarded as some of the most voroacious and loyal fans in sports. We have no problem booing a guy for striking out with the bases loaded. Will we see him going into the stands like a former Chicago player Ron Artest a fight started by another former Bull Ben Wallace, flipping fans the bird or what I would consider the main event, a fight with Carlos Zambrano with Lou Piniella being the undercard?

Last One Turn The Lights Out

Written by Godfrey Logan, Friday January 02 2009

Another Frustrating End To A Season In Chicago!

I declare the Chicago Blackhawks had better not only make the playoffs but they had better at least make the second round. There are many seasons in Chicago. In some cases we go through each of them in a single day. There is winter Spring Summer Fall and construction season in Chicago. For sports it's Baseball, Football, Hockey (again finally) and Basketball. Well baseball was a complete disaster where for the first time with both teams in first place and winning their respective divisions we were looking for a Cubs v.s. White Sox world Series. Fans of both teams in the city thought we could decide once and for all which baseball team is the darling of the city. For years the Cubs have ben the cities darlings as lovable losers. While the White Sox won a World Series in 2005 it has been basicallys wept under the rug. As Sox Manager Ozzie Smith put it in one his many profanity laced tirades, "we win the World Series we still aren't s**t in this city." Since the 2005 series Cub fans have help the Cubs to sell out every season since then with the hopes that the team would have done enough to rid them of the horrible taste left from the south siders victory. Not so and with two seasons with 90 plus losses since then. Then came the '07 and '08 seasons with back to back winning seasons and division championships. Then two consecutive seasons of first round sweeps. On the south side the chant, "at least we won one more than the Cubs did." And that was enough for them losing 3 of 4 to the Devil Rays. Then comes football season but a season where as I'd written before there were no hopes for the Bears to win over 5 games this season. We finally had a decent quarterback and a solid running back. An up and down season winning games we weren't expected to win and losing games we were supposed to win. Need I mention Tampa, Atlanta, and Green Bay? I won't go into what happened in those games other than to say whoever was in charge of our defense and our offense should not be in the same position next year.

The Bulls had the lottery ball bounce their way giving them the #1 pick in the draft. Excitement and exhallation all over the city. The only problem is that basketball is a team sport that requires 5 playerson the ourt at the same time. While we do believe Derrick Rose is our savior we are reminded that he cannot play the schedule by himself. With Ben Gordon in contract talks over the off season that had people wondering what's the problem? What is so hard to figure out how much a guy who cannot play defense? While he is a good scorer he is no Derrick Rose and doesn't deserve to make more money than a guy who is going to be a bench player his whole career. I know the saying goes anyone has a chance when they make the playoffs but do we really want this Bulls team to make the playoffs? Sure it is a chance to see more of Derrick Rose this season but once again he cannot take on the number 1 seed Boston by himself so we look forward to baseball season.

The Cubs are currently in pursuit of Milton Bradley. Just what we need a nut job in the club house. The general thought is the Current Cubs team is far too nice and Bradley would come in and shake things up. I'll be in the stands with a sign reading, "Countdown to Bradley's blow up and/or first flip off of the fans who tend to boo like mad when a player makes a bonehead play. I say the Cubs players are far too sensitive and over paid. Carlos Zambrano had what could be considered the highlight of the entire season with his no hitter at Miller Park versus the Astros then he proceeded to lose nearly every game he pitched after that. Part of that can be understood after he lost a family member soon after his feat. But the rest of the team forgot how to play baseball after that great milestone. Not to mention the fact the Cubs sold all of their playoff tickets to brokers to be sold way over face value pricing out the fans who supported them the whole season. I would say Karma had a role to play in that series and made that loss easier to swallow for me. Right now I'm looking forward to the NFL playoffs where I can stand to stomach watching other teams play. I could not do that with baseball. I guess I'm not a real fan. But football playoff games are events. I'm pretty much spent by the end of baseball season to watch anymore not to mention the fact my boss actually asked me in a sincere fashion what is it that keeps me following the Cubs every year? I shrug and say to myself keep my misery mind when it comes time for pay raises. As the Calendar turns to a new year and it's just a couple of months before pitchers and catchers report and tickets go on sale. I know this year I won't be one of the sheep that flood the website and box office to buy tickets. I'll find a friend who has an extra one he cannot sell around september, the final weeks of the season and I have nothng else to do but spend a few hours of my time watching them implode and hear that familiar refrain. Wait until next year.