The Orange and Blue are back!!

Well it's been awhile since I have blogged on here, but I felt compelled to after watching the exciting Illinois vs Purdue basketball game tonight. What a start to the Big Ten season, an OT thriller that should propel Illinois back into the Top 25 for the first time in over 2 years. An all around good team game, led by Mike Tisdale and newcomer Alex Legion. With two Top 10 recruiting classes set to come in over the next 2 years, everyone has been saying to be patient with the team. However, starting the season at 13-1 has Illini land buzzing. Should be a great season, I will be in Champaign on the 20th to see the Illini play #23 Ohio State. Can't wait!

ESPN is reporting that the Cubs are close to trading SP Jason Marquis to the Rockies for RP Luis Vizcaino. This move would save the Cubs $6 million next year, which they hopefully would then use to go get a starting Right Fielder. Wait, why hasn't this already happened! Jim Hendry better be on his phone NOW!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, and hope everyone has a fun New Year's Eve tomorrow night!

Playoffs start tomorrow!

I have to be honest, I am so excited right now I can barely stand it. Well, let's be honest....excited, nervous, anxious all wrapped into one. Up top is a picture of Ryan Dempster, who will be on the mound tomorrow night for our Cubbies when they face off against Derek Lowe and the Dodgers. I really can't say much more, if you know me you know I am freaking out right now. I will leave you with an unbelievable quote I found online, from Vin Scully, one of the most famous baseball announcers EVER. This quote comes from 1989, it was the opening lines before the Cubs started their NLCS playoff series that year. If you are a Cubs fan and this doesn't A. Get you excited for tomorrow night and B. Give you goosebumps, then you got something wrong with ya. Everyone have a great day tomorrow, GO CUBS!

She stands alone on the corner of Clark and Addison

This dowager queen, dressed in black and pearls

75 years old

Proud head held high

And not a hair out of place

Awaiting yet another date with destiny

Another time for Mr. Right

She dreams, as old ladies will

Of men gone long ago

Joe Tinker

Johnny Evers

Frank Chance

And of those of recent vintage

Like her man Ernie

And The Lion

And Sweet Billy Williams

And she thinks wistfully of what might have been

And the pain is still fresh and new

And her eyes fill

Her lips tremble

And she shakes her head ever so slightly

And then she sighs

Pulls her shall tightly around her frail shoulders

And thinks

“This time.”

“This time it will be better.”

NL Central Champs!!!

First of all let me say, the Chicago Cubs are the 2008 National League Central Division Champions! What an amazing day it was at Wrigley Field on Saturday! Me and my wife, and our friends "J & C" made the trip up north early Saturday morning. The ride was alot of fun, but the day truly started as we all stepped foot into Wrigley. Beautiful weather, good friends, and Vince Vaughn ONLY having to throw out the FIRST pitch TWO times...what more could a baseball fan ask for?!? When all was said and done, the Cubs had defeated the Cards 5-4 and it was celebration time! Hope you all enjoy the pictures, and PLEASE click on the title heading of this post, as it will take you to an AWESOME video. Also...here are the lyrics to Eddie Vedder's new Cubs related song, "All the Way". He is the lead singer of Pearl Jam and friends with Kerry Wood. He is also a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, and a chance meeting with Ernie Banks this offseason gave him the inspiration for the song. If you know me, then you know I LOVE blasting "Go Cubs Go" at a moments notice, but this year, THIS new song will be playing more often. Here's the lyrics...hope to hear from you all.

"All The Way"

Don't let anyone say that it's just a game.For I've seen other teams and it's never the same.When you're born in Chicago, you're blessed and you're healed.First time (every time!) you walk into Wrigley Field.
Our hero's wear pinstripes; hero's in blue.They give us the chance to feel like hero's too.Whether we'll win, and if we should lose,
We know someday we'll go all the way.Yeah! Someday we'll go all the way.
We are one with the Cubs, with the Cubs we're in love.Yeah hold our head high as the underdog.We are not fair weather but foul weather fans!We're like brothers in arms in the streets and the stands.
There's magic in the ivy and the old scoreboard.The same one I stared at as a kid keeping score.A world full of greed I could never want more.
Someday we'll go all the way.Yeah! Someday we'll go all the way.
[Instrumental bridge]
And here's to the men and the legends we've known.Teaching us faith and giving us hope.United we stand and united we'll fallDown to our knees the day we win it all.
Yeah Ernie Banks said, "Oh let's play two."Or did he mean 200 years?In the same ballpark, our diamond, our jewel.The home of our joy and our tears.
Keeping traditions and wishes made new.The place where our grandfathers' fathers they grew.A spiritual feeling if I ever knew.And if you ain't been I am sorry for you.
And when the day comes, when that last winning run,And I'm crying and covered in beer.I'll look to the sky and know I was right.
To think someday we'll go all the way,Yeah! Someday we'll go all the way.
[Continue refrain]

Pics and more pics!

Sorry it's taken soooo long, but I am finally posting some pics. First off, congrats to my sis and brother in law on the birth of their son! We are SO excited to be an aunt and uncle, and can't wait to see you three in a month!!!! There's a few pics at the top here, can't wait to take some more for the blog in person. Secondly, here's some pics of me, K, and her parents at Bears vs Colts on Opening Night. It was such a fun and exciting evening, mainly because Da Bears won : ) Hope everyone is having a good week, will post again soon!

A MUST WATCH! Go Cubs!

I wasn't even going to post today. I just happened to come across this video/story, and thought EVERYONE should see it. Just follow the link on the title of today's post. Enjoy, I will be posting again soon. Remember...IT'S GONNA HAPPEN!

Back again!

Hello all, I know it's been awhile since I've blogged. I really don't think I need to explain the picture above, let's just say she speaks for ALL of Cubbie Nation right now. On the positive side, even AFTER the Brewers beat the Reds today 4-3, the Cubs are still up 4 games with just 18 left to go. Tough loss last night, but the Cardinals played very well and are keeping themselves in the wildcard hunt. Tonight the Cardinals will have Braden Looper on the mound, while the Cubs will counter with Ted Lilly. Should be a good one, hopefully we can win a couple games in the next few days and everyone can collectively...exhale

In other sports news...our Chicago Bears beat the Indianapolis Colts 29-13 Sunday night. The wife and I, along with her parents, had a great time at the game. I am not sure if the Bears can bring that kind of defense and running attack every game this season, but for one night they looked pretty dominant. I will post some pics of us from the game here in the next few days.

Finally, good luck to my sister! She is being induced tomorrow, so K and I will soon have a nephew! So exciting!

The race to the MLB playoffs is on!

* Now that Labor Day has come and gone, it is time to start paying real close attention to MLB standings. Sure, some of us have been "Scoreboard watching" since back in May, but NOW we actually have a reason to do it. The Chicago Cubs enter tonights game vs the Houston Astros leading the 2nd place Milwaukee Brewers by 4.5 games. The Cubs have 24 games left, the Brewers have 25. The Cubs have 8 remaining home games and 16(!) remaining road games, while the Brewers have a MUCH friendlier 15 remaining home games and only 10 left on the road. Not to mention the fact that these two teams will still go head to head 6 times, and it's easy to see why I believe it's going to be a fantastic race for the Division Title.

* Although the Fighting Illini did lose to Missouri on Saturday night, I believe they will still have a very good season. The passing game looks tremendous, and I believe with the depth at running back our ground game will soon get going. Our defensive backs played well, but our D-line AND linebackers are really going to have to step it up.

* Only 5 days left 'til the wife and I head to Indy for Colts vs. Bears. Here's hoping for a good game and a Bears win. I will post some pics of the game sometime Monday evening.

*Had a great time at The Biggest C and J-Hova's house Saturday night. Nothing like an evening of cold drinks, good food, a game or 2 or 10 of washers, and great friends. Can't wait to do it again!!

I-L-L! I-N-I! Plus a few random notes...

Tomorrow night marks the return of the #20 ranked Fighting Illini football team as they take on the #6 ranked Missouri Tigers. Most of the talk surrounding the Tigers is on their QB Chase Daniel, who is gearing up for a potential run at The Heisman Trophy. In my opinion, however, the matchup of the night will be Mizzou WR David Maclin vs Illini CB Vontae Davis. Maclin set numerous college records last year as a freshman, and Davis enters the season as the #2 ranked pro prospect according to The Sporting News. All eyes will be on their head to head matchup, let's hope it lives up to the hype. Other random observations...

*The Cubs beat the Phillies again this afternoon, 3-2. The first two games have been very exciting, and if these two teams do end up meeting in October, it is going to be one hell of a series.

*According to my buddy J Hova, Oscar de la Hoya has signed on the dotted line to face Manny Pacquaio in December. It should be a tremendous fight, and it shows that Oscar is still willing to go toe to toe with the best in boxing. My money is on Manny, and I hope to be watching it a few months from now.

*Whether you are a Republican or Democrat, it must be said that what is happening in this election is truly historic. We now have both an African American and a woman on their prospective parties tickets, which at one time not too long ago would have been unheard of. Should be interesting to see where the rest of this race takes us!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Big weekend series for the Cubs, and football is almost her!

Tonight the Cubs start a big 4 game series vs the Philadelphia Phillies. Philly is battling for a division title just as the Cubs are, and this could very well be a playoff series a little over a month from now. Game 1 has two aces on the mound, as the Phillies will throw Cole Hamels vs the Cubs Ryan Dempster. Should be a good one! Switching topics up a little bit, football is almost upon us for both the college and NFL seasons. College football actually kicks off tonight on ESPN, but the game I am most looking forward to is this Saturday night when Illinois battles Missouri in the Edward Jones Dome. A battle of two top 20 teams, both with All Americans on both sides of the ball. Should be a great game, and go far in deciding both teams seasons. NEXT weekend the NFL gets things kicked off, and my wife and I will be in attendance at Lucas Oil Stadium for the FIRST EVER Colts game played there when they take on DA BEARS. I will be sporting my Urlacher jersey, and my wife will be wearing her Manning one. Should be a fun night, atleast for one of us : )

Cubs win series, first NL team to 80 wins!

On a beautiful, windy afternoon at Wrigley Field, our Cubbies became the first National League team to reach 80 wins behind the strong arm of Rich Harden. Harden, 4-1 since joining Chicago, has been unbelievable for us so far. It can be argued that he has been just as, if not more valuable than C.C. Sabathia has for the Brewers since early July. A potential postseason rotation of Zambrano, Dempster, Harden, and possibly Lilly looks DOMINANT on paper for us. This week we head to Pittsburgh for 3, and then a HUGE weekend series looms against Philadelphia back at Wrigley. Just remember....CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!

Cubs win again behind Zambrano's arm AND bat!

The Cubs beat the Reds 3-2 today behind another impressive performance from Big Z. After two shaky starts, Zambrano looked impressive, going 7 innings for the win. Oh, and he hit ANOTHER homerun, strengthening his case as not only the Cubs ace, but also potentially their best pinch hitter. Weekend series starts tomorrow vs the Washington Nationals. On paper we should sweep, which usually means....oh nevermind. Go Cubs!

First post

Well this is my first post to this thing. Just typing something so I can see how it looks....Go Cubs!