badgercub

I'm in Madison, WI and the only games I get blacked out are the brewers. But most of their games are on Fox Sports North, so I don't really miss anything.

If your in your team's local market, it may not be worth it. If you like watching lots of baseball it is, but that is up to you. My wife laments that I'll watch a Cubs afternoon game, then at 6 PM start watching a game on the east coast. I may switch to a central time zone game or stay with the east coast game at 7...often flipping between innings to catch another game and see which are most exciting. At 9, I'll add a west coast game to the rotation. A day full of watching baseball...nothing beats it. I'm definitely going to do it, I remember last year thinking it would be worth it for just a handful of good games I missed. You just don't get as much value if you already get to see all of your home team games. Even if you are in your home teams market, I still think it is worth it, especially if you just love to watch baseball or are in a fantasy baseball league. Plus you can follow all the big storylines, Rollins continuing his hitting streak to start the season, Bonds' pursuit of Ruth, etc.....

I agree that it is the best money you can spend to be able to watch hundreds of games. I loved staying up and listening to Vin Scully call Dodger games, he is just a magnificent announcer.

I think A-Rod is definitely the best player of his generation, and time will tell if he ends up being one of the best of all-time. Because of the amount of money he makes I think it somewhat overshadows or takes away from what he has done on the field. Even looking at him as a third baseman, his numbers stack up favorably. I mean he did hit what? 47 HR's in Yankee Stadium, that is pretty darn good.

Even if you dont get tix to the Home Opener, you may be better off just scalping those tix day of the game. If it is cold out, like it usually is you can get really good seats for face value, or you can get other seats for cheap. Always check at the ticket window before you scalp though, sometimes you will get lucky. I have gone to opening day several years in a row, but it is usually just too cold for me so I am passing on it this year (I must be getting old). I split a season ticket package with a group of guys , so I can get my pick of other games.

For what it is worth, here is what Prior had to say about in the Sun Times. http://www.suntimes.com/output/cubs/cst-spt-kiley19.html

The funny part of the article is where Corey said that too many people gave him suggestions or tried to change him last year. Hasn't he been saying that for the last few years. Seems like he never listened to them anyway, so I don't see how things will be any different in Baltimore. I wish him luck though.

No need to take offense, like I said, I was just playing Devil's Advocate. I am sure the schools and everything are fine in Iowa City, my point is that they are probably good in Bloomington too, as they usually are in most college towns. I was making a general statement as to reasons he could leave, I don't think I attributed the quote of "feeling the love" directly to you I just meant it in that Alford has not always been a fan favorite.

While I appreciate what he did for the Cubs, he will never get, nor does he deserve, the respect I have for guys like Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, who I believe will forever be known as the face of the Cubs.

From a numbers perspective, there's Je'kel Foster, then there's planet earth. S. Brown and Davis have decent cases. Vukusic scores a bunch and is decently efficient, Killingsworth is right there but he can't make a free throw. I'm surprised how inefficient all the Iowa players are. Im sorry, but I highly doubt the people who vote for player of the year for the conference look at the efficiency numbers you are always talking about. After being at the Wisconsin/OSU game last night, I would cast my vote for Terrence Dials, he was unstoppable and has put up great numbers all year. We're talking about who deserves it, not who will get it. If you want to talk that, then the MSU trio will take votes from itself, Dee Brown will get undeserved votes, and Dials, Tucker, and Killingsworth will also pull some in. If OSU finishes in second or better, Dials might take it. I seriously don't know who I would give it to. There are arguments that could be made for several guys, but I don't think anyone is really running away with it.

From a numbers perspective, there's Je'kel Foster, then there's planet earth. S. Brown and Davis have decent cases. Vukusic scores a bunch and is decently efficient, Killingsworth is right there but he can't make a free throw. I'm surprised how inefficient all the Iowa players are. Im sorry, but I highly doubt the people who vote for player of the year for the conference look at the efficiency numbers you are always talking about. After being at the Wisconsin/OSU game last night, I would cast my vote for Terrence Dials, he was unstoppable and has put up great numbers all year. edit: After looking at the numbers, maybe I based my opinion on Dials a little too much on last nights performance, I humbly withdraw his name for POY.

Just to play Devil's Advocate, of course Alford is going to say he loves it in Iowa City, what would you expect him to say? I would think Bloomington is probably just as nice a place to raise a family also. Your feelings aside, Alford has taken some heat since coming to Iowa, and deservedly so, so I don't think he maybe "feels the love" as much as you think he does. If he is offered the Indiana job, I could definitely see him bolt bolt from Iowa City.

I don't think it was any big secret that Harry ran Milo out of town, he also ran Josh Lewin out of town too. Harry was setting it up for Chip and you can't blame him for taking care of his own. If Milo is so bitter it should be directed at WGN/Cubs brass for letting Harry call the shots. I have heard a lot of stories about how vindictive Harry could be, he was not always the jovial beloved drunk that was on the air. Milo should probably pick his battles, but I'm sure the controversy is helping to sell books, and isn't that what it is all about.

I think Ohio St. might even be a little bit ahead of Illinois. I just don't think Illinois is showing as much consistency as Ohio St.

Butch, most likely, would never match up with him on defense. Chappel and Stiemsa (assuming he is eligible next year) are much better defenders. That is one thing the Badgers will regain next year is depth with their bigs. They will be able to throw three guys 6'10" or above out there in their rotation.

What a crazy last couple of weeks. Wisconsin goes from first to seventh to third in the conference over the course of the last 7-10 days.

I'll give Illinois there respect, as far as I am concerned they will most likely win the Big 10. They are the best defensive team in the league and with the emergence of Randall et al... I think they are better than Mich. St., Ohio St., Iowa, and Indiana. I am not even going to include my Badgers because I think with the loss of depth on their bench they may have a tough time even making the tourney (plus they have been beaten at home the last two years by the Illini).

yeah, the game was played at carver, and it showed. the hawkeyes got called 13 fouls while the illini were called for 27. do you think that will be the case at the AH? somehow, i doubt it. randle got in early foul trouble due to some dubious calls and never got back in the game. again, do you think that the same scenario will unfold at the AH? furthermore, randle has no jumpshot, none. any points he gets are strictly layups or dunks. i might be a homer, but you're being a huge one here. How am I being a huge homer? Your statement basically made it sound like Haluska couldn't stay with Randle and that Randle would shut him down. So I used the statistics from their last game which showed that the exact opposite will happen. Do I think that will happen again? Probably not. But I'm also confident that Haluska can stay with him defensively and will get his points. And yeah the fouls sound pretty bad when you say it was 27 to 13. But you're ignoring that at least 5 of those came in the last 3 minutes when Illinois was forced to put us at the line becuase they were down 8-10. Plus, Tucker got his off of Randall. And it wasn't that Randall did such a great job of keeping him off the blocks, it was the fact that they double and triple teamed him down on the blocks. 7-12 from the field and 6 boards. Randall had a good all around game but not the defensive stopper that sulley was saying he was going to be. I believe your prediction was he would hold Tucker under 10 points. no, my prediction WAS 10 points, which i came here and took the heat for, yes? the fact is, randle played tucker to a standstill, effectively cancelling out his production. i don't remember any triple teams, but tucker WAS double teamed on the blocks, but nowhere else. man, i don't know why everyone here is so eager to disrespect illinois players. just kidding, i'm pretty sure i know why. I am not disrespecting Randall at all. I even said in my post he had a good all around game. I was just making the point that he did not stop Tucker defensively. He did play him to a standstill, but he didn't stop him, that was the point I was trying to make. Everyone in this thread has given Randall his props, no hasn't given him his respect. Hawk is just looking for you guys to give Haluska some props and all you guys do is try to keep comparing him to Randall.

yeah, the game was played at carver, and it showed. the hawkeyes got called 13 fouls while the illini were called for 27. do you think that will be the case at the AH? somehow, i doubt it. randle got in early foul trouble due to some dubious calls and never got back in the game. again, do you think that the same scenario will unfold at the AH? furthermore, randle has no jumpshot, none. any points he gets are strictly layups or dunks. i might be a homer, but you're being a huge one here. How am I being a huge homer? Your statement basically made it sound like Haluska couldn't stay with Randle and that Randle would shut him down. So I used the statistics from their last game which showed that the exact opposite will happen. Do I think that will happen again? Probably not. But I'm also confident that Haluska can stay with him defensively and will get his points. And yeah the fouls sound pretty bad when you say it was 27 to 13. But you're ignoring that at least 5 of those came in the last 3 minutes when Illinois was forced to put us at the line becuase they were down 8-10. Plus, Tucker got his off of Randall. And it wasn't that Randall did such a great job of keeping him off the blocks, it was the fact that they double and triple teamed him down on the blocks. 7-12 from the field and 6 boards. Randall had a good all around game but not the defensive stopper that sulley was saying he was going to be. I believe your prediction was he would hold Tucker under 10 points.

There are a lot of them in the Big Ten. Weber, Davis, Ryan, Izzo and Monson are all pretty bad. I don't think there's anyone who can work the refs and get more calls than Izzo though. I don't know the age of some of you, but that's been a trademark for coaches in the Big Ten for years.......Dutcher, Heathcoate, Henson, Knight, Frieder, Keady....... Keady is one of my favorites to watch get riled up. My best friend works for the company that does the stats for the Badger games and he sits right at the end of the scorers table next to the visitors bench and he said Keady dropped more f-bombs than anyother coach in the Big 10

Not to mention Randle, in a word, wow. He has amazing talent his combination of quickness and jumping ability may be matched by only Ager or Shannon Brown, once he works on the mid range jumper look out! By the way, I've seen serveral UW games and not once has Tucker been called for an offensive foul. How does he get away with the left arm wrap around and jumping into the defender on every basket he makes? because of his quickness, if he already has the guy sealed they will not call the wrap around with the arm, he already has position. usually the defender is not in a good defensive position and isn't going straight up when contact is made. Tucker is strong and has good body control and great leaping ability so even taller defender can't block his shot without bodying him up. Too bad he has no midrange game or jumpshot, it will cost him a career in the NBA

That's what I don't get about Butch, for his size, he has virtually no inside game. Just hangs out around perimeter shooting jumpers. Butch is a wussy. I heard that Musberger was saying how much intensity he brings to the game, what a joke. He'll act fired up after a play once in a while or on the bench but never on the court. He's almost 7 feet tall and when you watch him shoot in the paint he is always fading away and shooting from about his shoulder heighth. The loss of Stiemsa and Landry really hurt this team and will cost them an NCAA bid.

The officiating in the Big Ten is horrible! The better team won but boy were those refs bad after 20 years some of those guys should retire. Wisconsin will be lucky to win 3 more games this year. Brian Butch is so soft, hasn't anyone taught him to box out, he just stands under the basket and doesn't put a body on anyone. The Badgers get two quick fouls on Augustine and when he comes back in the game Butch just hangs out at the three point line the rest of the first half. Atrocious basketball played by the Badgers tonight, it's Tucker, Taylor and three guys who can't find their rear ends with both hands.

He is averaging over 20 a game in the Big Ten and gets to the line on a consistent basis why wouldn't you classify him as a scorer? As a John Wooden Player of the year candidate I would say he is a scorer. Just because he doesn't translate well to the NBA doesn't mean he isn't a scorer on the college level. Look back in the thread, Tucker isn't very efficient at all. Until he suffered that nasal injury his numbers were pretty good. Even on nights when he has shot poor he has still "scored" Just cause he isn't a pure shooter doesn't mean he isn't a scorer.

He is averaging over 20 a game in the Big Ten and gets to the line on a consistent basis why wouldn't you classify him as a scorer? As a John Wooden Player of the year candidate I would say he is a scorer. Just because he doesn't translate well to the NBA doesn't mean he isn't a scorer on the college level.