CP_414

The problem is he could have wrote the same things for every team in the division. The Cards need Pujols, Rolen, Carpenter healthy The Astros need Berkman, Lee, Oswalt healthy The Brewers need Sheets, Fielder, Weeks healthy Every team in this division has tons of questions going into the season. What kind of production can the Cards get from the rotation after Carpenter? What kind of offensive production will they get from Molina, Kennedy, Encarnarcion? Will Edmonds continue his decline? Can the Astros keep Clemens? Do they have enough pitching without him to carry an average offense? What kind of offense can the Brewers get from LF, RF, SS and 3b? Is the bullpen good enough to protect leads in Milwaukee? Of course there are concerns about the Cubs, but there are just as many concerns about the Cards, Astros, and Brewers. It's a weak division. Except most of those ifs really arent ifs. He mentions the division is extremely weak and very winnable (he hates on the cards rotation and assumes clemens is gone). His point is just that even though the cubs spent a ton of money they arent a clear favorite. I think thats a fine premise for an article. You know what else is a fine premise for an article: despite being World Series champs, the Cardinals are not clear favorites in the division. Or despite spending $100 Million on Carlos Lee, the Astros are not clear favorites. Or despite signing the NLCS MVP, and the most expensive free agent in team history the Brewers are not clear favorites. Let's see some of those articles.

The problem is he could have wrote the same things for every team in the division. The Cards need Pujols, Rolen, Carpenter healthy The Astros need Berkman, Lee, Oswalt healthy The Brewers need Sheets, Fielder, Weeks healthy Every team in this division has tons of questions going into the season. What kind of production can the Cards get from the rotation after Carpenter? What kind of offensive production will they get from Molina, Kennedy, Encarnarcion? Will Edmonds continue his decline? Can the Astros keep Clemens? Do they have enough pitching without him to carry an average offense? What kind of offense can the Brewers get from LF, RF, SS and 3b? Is the bullpen good enough to protect leads in Milwaukee? Of course there are concerns about the Cubs, but there are just as many concerns about the Cards, Astros, and Brewers. It's a weak division.

As bad as the Illini have been, and that is really really bad, they still have a decent shot at a win today.

He isn't crying into his hands yet, so he is still better than Davis.

Yeah, it's simply a mammoth game. Lose, and the best IU can really hope for this season is 3rd. Win, and they are right back in the chase for one of the top 2 spots. It will be interesting to see if IU can contain Wisconsin's size. It's just my opinion, but I think OSU and Wisconsin are on another level than Indiana (or anyone else in the B10, for that matter). Hoping for a 1 or 2 finish is being very optimistic. I don't disagree that they are better teams than IU, but IU has a distinct schedule advantage. If the Hoosiers win Wednesday (and I'll conceed that is far from a lock), they will be 1 loss behind UW and OSU, and they are done with both teams. UW and the Buckeyes still play in Columbus, so that will be a second loss for one of them, tying IU. IU has the following road games left: at Iowa, at Purdue, at Michigan, at NU, and at MSU. Other than MSU there is nothing too scary there. IU still has a long way to go, and they'll need some help, but it is quite possible they make a run at the UW-OSU loser for 2nd in the Big Ten. Exactly. IMO, after Wednesday the Hoosiers will have played their 3 hardest games of the conference season (OSU at OSU, Wisconsin at home, at Illinois). After Wednesday, IU has Illinois, Minnesota, and Penn State at home-with the only realistic loss possibility coming to Illinois, and I see IU getting up for that game. On the road, they should hopefully beat Northwestern at NU, which leaves Michigan, Purdue, Iowa, and Michigan State. Beat Wisconsin on Wednesday, and the Hoosiers have a great shot at 12-4 with a decent possibility of being 13-3 in conference. I think 13-3 in that scenario would get the Hoosiers the 2 seed in the Big 10 tourney. IU is the 3rd best team in the conference. Purdue and Michigan have shots at home, but IU they are both at least a player short of being able to beat the Hoosiers. Iowa and MSU have good shots to beat IU, mainly due to style of play and both being historically horrible places for IU to play. Win vs. Wisconsin and 12-4 should be the worst scenario provided no injuries and Kelvin gets them up for every game. Boilermakers look good right now, up 21-4 on the Illini.

Yeah, it's simply a mammoth game. Lose, and the best IU can really hope for this season is 3rd. Win, and they are right back in the chase for one of the top 2 spots. It will be interesting to see if IU can contain Wisconsin's size. It's just my opinion, but I think OSU and Wisconsin are on another level than Indiana (or anyone else in the B10, for that matter). Hoping for a 1 or 2 finish is being very optimistic. I don't disagree that they are better teams than IU, but IU has a distinct schedule advantage. If the Hoosiers win Wednesday (and I'll conceed that is far from a lock), they will be 1 loss behind UW and OSU, and they are done with both teams. UW and the Buckeyes still play in Columbus, so that will be a second loss for one of them, tying IU. IU has the following road games left: at Iowa, at Purdue, at Michigan, at NU, and at MSU. Other than MSU there is nothing too scary there. IU still has a long way to go, and they'll need some help, but it is quite possible they make a run at the UW-OSU loser for 2nd in the Big Ten.

Yeah, it's simply a mammoth game. Lose, and the best IU can really hope for this season is 3rd. Win, and they are right back in the chase for one of the top 2 spots. It will be interesting to see if IU can contain Wisconsin's size. I think the stars are aligning for a statement win for the Hoosiers. UW has to play tomorrow and have a quick turnaround. They just escaped with wins at NU and Illinois, while the Hoosiers are unbeaten at home. It's hard to expect a win over the #2 team in the country, but I like IU's chances.

IU wins 76-61. Up Next: Wisconsin on Wednesday in B'town, a huge game for IU. EDIT - The IU-UW game is Wed not Tuesday.

I almost never complain about officials, because there are so many bad calls in every basketball game, they nearly always balance out. That said the reffing in this IU-UM game is so far beyond horrible. Hoosiers lead by a dozen despite the zebras.

I would bet he will be a Cardinal.

Bears get to Miami tomorrow, Colts not until Monday night.

Michigan's a paper tiger, that game won't be in doubt. MSU goes to Columbus today, hopefully they can make a game of it. I suspect you my be right. IU up 11-0 after 1 minute 45 seconds. Great start, 38 minutes to go. I'll be pulling for the Spartans tonight.

IU (14-5, 4-2) about to tip off with Michigan (16-5, 4-2) in Bloomington. Hoosiers need to get it together after an awful performance Tuesday night, and start playing better heading into Tuesday night's match-up with the Badgers. I'll pick IU by 10+ today.

Red Sox become the favorites to win it all if they make this move, if they aren't favorites already.

No, I would not be happy with that. I think the Bears best is better than the Colts best. I understand the national media can't look past the QB's, and I don't expect them to pick us, but I believe the Bears as a team are better than the Colts as a team.

When the Bears were conducting the head coach search that ultimately resulted in hiring Mike Ditka, Halas made it clear that whoever was hired had to be willing to work with Buddy Ryan as defensive coordinator. Similarly, when the Cubs hired Dusty as manager it was clear that whoever was hired would have to accept Rothschild as pitching coach. It may be similar with the Cowboys; the new head coach may not have any choice but to work with Garrett. Also, the Dolphins hired Dom Capers as D coordinator before Cam Cameron. It happens quite a bit.

I would rather trade Gordon than Deng. I think Deng is just a more special player, with a brighter future. I would offer this.... Nocioni, Thomas, Knicks Pick, PJ for Gasol and Warrick. If they want more, I walk away and go with what we've got for now. I like Mark's trade. Don't get me wrong, I really like Deng as well. But we have much more depth at the 3 with Nocioni and Thomas to fill in if Deng is traded for Pau. I would more than likely go ahead and pull the trigger on that deal. I just think Deng is too special to include in a deal for Gasol. He is only 21 years old and is averaging 18 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He is long and is a much better defender than Gordon too. Regardless of who is behind them, you don't move Luol Deng as part of a package for Gasol. Gordon averages 3 more points per game than Deng, but he doesn't do all the other things Luol does, and he is much closer to a finished product than Deng. I like them both, but if the Bulls had to trade one of them, I would move Gordon. Part of the problem though is the Bulls don't have an adequate replacement for Gordon at this point. Thabo, in time, could be that player, but if you're dealing for Gasol this year, this is a WIN NOW move and getting a guy back like Warrick would be a very good hybrid backup like Tyrus at the 3/4. Here's how I'd look at it: Gordon and Nocioni > Deng and Thabo. We'd have one outside shooter on the roster, and that'd be Kirk. I know. My problem with it though is that I don't think it is a big enough upgrade to make us a championship team, and since it isn't going to make us a championship team, I don't want to give up a player with the ability and upside of Luol Deng. That's why the deal I proposed had us keeping Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, and Wallace to go with Gasol, and if Memphis doesn't want it, that is too bad.

I would rather trade Gordon than Deng. I think Deng is just a more special player, with a brighter future. I would offer this.... Nocioni, Thomas, Knicks Pick, PJ for Gasol and Warrick. If they want more, I walk away and go with what we've got for now. I like Mark's trade. Don't get me wrong, I really like Deng as well. But we have much more depth at the 3 with Nocioni and Thomas to fill in if Deng is traded for Pau. I would more than likely go ahead and pull the trigger on that deal. I just think Deng is too special to include in a deal for Gasol. He is only 21 years old and is averaging 18 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He is long and is a much better defender than Gordon too. Regardless of who is behind them, you don't move Luol Deng as part of a package for Gasol. Gordon averages 3 more points per game than Deng, but he doesn't do all the other things Luol does, and he is much closer to a finished product than Deng. I like them both, but if the Bulls had to trade one of them, I would move Gordon.

I would rather trade Gordon than Deng. I think Deng is just a more special player, with a brighter future. I would offer this.... Nocioni, Thomas, Knicks Pick, PJ for Gasol and Warrick. If they want more, I walk away and go with what we've got for now.

I hope it is her. She could learn a lot by spending some time here. Then again, I'm not really Ronnie Woo Woo Wickers.

Bears officially wearing the home uniforms, and they will practice at the University of Miami facilities, while the Colts will use the Dolphins facilities. All of this was per the WGN news.

He signed a Major league contract, so they had to add him, I believe.

Cutting it off, only to have it reattached on February 5th, I hope.

That's just silly. You can't expect the media to miss a day of hype. Plus, with an 8:30 pm interview session they might miss dinner. :lol: It's still silly. If I were the Colts, I'd arrive an extra day late just to make 'em more mad. What's the penalty for showing up late I wonder? Penalty is forfeiture of the game. BEARS win the Super Bowl!

That's just silly. You can't expect the media to miss a day of hype. Plus, with an 8:30 pm interview session they might miss dinner.