The Manchise: 2009

Big Win for the Big Ten

(courtesy of halfmanhalfdog.wordpress.com)

If you would have asked me a couple days ago how I thought the Big Ten would fair this bowl season, you probably would have gotten a grumpy look and barely discernable "crappy" mumbled from my mouth. The Big Ten was thought by most to be down yet again this year and didn't exactly have great matchups in any of it's bowl games. The pride and joy (well, at least what the rest of the country believes to be our best), Ohio State, got matched up against the high-octane offense of Oregon and many don't think the Buckeyes will be able to keep up. Iowa, who most have discounted from the very beginning, will face off against a formidable (I use that word very loosely, especially after last night) offense in Georgia Tech, and the other majore power, who most would say is unproven (Penn State), will go up against a very good LSU team. Down the line you have a mediocre (at best) Minnesota team taking on Iowa State (one of those "does somebody HAVE to win?" type games), Northwestern draws Auburn and Michigan State gets Texas Tech (if either school has enough coaches and players to participate). The conference, as a whole, didn't look to have a lot of hope.

New Year's Resolutions

Going into a new decade and new year, it is probable that many players and coaches have some resolutions. So The Manchise decided we would try to figure out what some of those Resolutions would be. We present to you: The Top Ten New Year's Resolutions for some of our favorite (and not so favorite) people in sports.

10. Tim Tebow -

I, the holy and imperishable Tim Tebow only have two New Year Resolutions. In 2010, I want to abolish all sin in America, and throw for at least 20-touchdowns as an NFL rookie (because we all know I will be starting. I'm the greatest quarterback to ever play college football!). I am Tim Tebow, and I am that DANG good.

9. LeBron James -

My New Year's Resolution will be to completely put a team into the deepest hole imaginable, giving them NO money to spend to create a team around me. Plus Kobe is just going to keep winning anyways, and the Big-Three plus 'Sheed still have not lost their legs yet (come on Garnett, are you serious? Aren't the miles that the Timberwolves put on you affecting those knees yet? Doesn't your head hurt from hitting it 82-games a year?). So, Hello New York! I'm ok going down as one of the "greatest players to NEVER win"! I like Chuck, The Mailman, and Patrick Ewing very much.

8. Landon Donavan -

New Year Resolutions? I have a ton of them! One, I want to be THE star of the L.A. Galaxy. Two, I never want to see "Beck's" and Posh Spice again. Three, I want to win one game in the 2010 World Cup. We could not have gotten a better draw, so expectations are even higher than they were in 2006 (but I ask all of you to remember, we are still Americans playing soccer, so don't hold your breath).

7. Alex Rodriguez -

Alex Rodriguez has an MVP trophy, a World Series ring, and gold gloves. Alex Rodriguez does not have New York in the palm of his hands like stupid Derek Jeter does, and that angers Alex. You won't like Alex when he's angry! My New Year's Resolution is to completely ruin the Jeter name. I will start sending People Magazine, National Inquirer, and the arch-nemesis of Alex, The New York Times, stories about "Jeet's" infidelity to Minka. Alex will then text Buster Olney about how Jeter is demanding a trade out of New York, and how he hates this dirty city. I'll then do another interview with Peter Gammons and tell him that Jeter told me he has been on HGH for 10-years, and asked me if my dear cousin could supply that dirty drug! And after all of that, Alex will run NEW YORK CITY, and soon the WORLD!!!! BAHAHAHA. (YURI!!! Time for Alex's shot!)

6. Kobe Bryant -

Kobe Bryant doesn't make resolutions, I make promises. So my New Year's Promise will be this and only this: I will prove that I am better than anyone that has ever played in the NBA! How will I do this? I will train, and train, and train. I will spend 18-hours a day in the gym shooting, dribbling, going through situations, working on defense, taking defenses 1 on 5, and texting 'Bron 'Bron about how bad I want another Finals trophy, and how I will do ANYTHING to get it. KOBE!

5. Alexander Olvechkin -

(In the perfect Ivan Drago voice) I, Alexander Ovechkin of Mother Russia, have only one New Year Resolution. I will break Sidney Crosby!

4. Reggie Bush -

Man, the only Resolution I'm going to make is to get that crazy (expletive), Kim Kardashian to stop calling me. That family is crazy! Bruce looks like a wax figurine, momma Dash acts like she is dating me (cuz she lives vicariously through Kim), and those poor little girls are going to be major (expletive). Man, New Orleans ain't far enough away from those (expletive).

3. Lou Holtz -

Dr. Lou is in the house, and I have some New Year Resolutions for you all! As a doctor, I realize my patients don't like when I spit on them, so Dr. Lou is taking measures into his own brilliant hands. I will be wearing surgical masks throughout 2010. I also realize that I offend many college football fans on a daily basis, so I will stop demanding that Notre Dame play in the National Championship....NOT! The Doctor is out.

2. Brett Favre -

Something about Mississippi does me in. It makes me crazy. I can't make a decision about much of anything. What do I want for breakfast, Cheerios or Cap'n Crunch? I'll stare at the boxes for two hours. Do I want to throw a little bit at the local high school? This decision requires me to sit in my car for another four hours. Then, tough questions start coming to my mind, like do I want to return to the NFL, or will I return to the Vikings? I'll end up having four press conferences all saying something different. So what is my New Year's Resolution? Well I don't know if I want to make one just yet, let me think.

1. Tiger Woods -

2010, well gee, I don't know. In 2009, I made a Resolution to try and beat Wilt Chamberlain's record by sleeping with more than 20,000 woman (while remaining married). That didn't work out very well. I guess I could finally beat Nicklaus' Majors record, but that means I have to come out of my hide out. I think I'll just stick with my original Resolution! Watch out ladies, there is a Tiger on the loose!

Sugar Bowl Preview

(courtesy of newsday.com)

A few weeks ago, many college football fans around the country would have never believed the Florida Gators could be left out of the National Championship game, but as the first day of the new year quickly approaches, Urban Meyer's (well, sorta) Gator squad is prepping for the Cincinnatti Bearcats and the Sugar Bowl, not the National Championship. Although Cincy is undefeated, the Gators are heavily favored (by 13 points) coming in to this one and may now have some extra motivation. In the midst of all the prepration and the pre-game hype about the two teams, attention shifted from the matchup to Florida's head coach, Urban Meyer (who ironically enough is an alum of Cincinnati).

On Saturday, Meyer shocked the football world by announcing he would be leaving the Gators after the Sugar Bowl due to health reasons. A day later, he retracted his statment and said he would, instead, take an indefinite leave of absence. Now, with the game only 3 days away, the Gators are faced with losing not only their beloved seniors (and our beloved Tebow), but also their coach. It is unlikely (in our minds) that Meyer will be able to coach the team next season, and there is no estimate on when he could return. ESPN has noted that the coach spent time in the hospital following the Gators' loss in the SEC title game due to chest pains, and Sports Illustrated reported that Meyer has suffered from persistent headaches believed to be caused by a cyst, which becomes inflamed by stress, rage and excitement (hmm, I wonder if standing on the sidelines for a game would qualify?).

(courtesy of BlackHeartGoldPants)

Apologies are in order as this holiday season has brought, among other things, a bit a laxidaziness by some of us at The Manchise (cough, Jonah, cough cough). Some of us have used the time off well and have sharing their thoughts with you over the past week or soe (namely Jerry) and others have literally not shared anything in more than a week (that'd be me). But now I'm back and I'm back with good news (very outdated, but good). Any relatively frequent visitors of our fine site will have by now noticed that there is no longer a poll at the top of the screen. We are no longer calling for everyone's thoughts and prayers to help keep Adrian Clayborn in the black and gold for another season. But fear not, my friends, because, as the title of this post clearly puts it, our mission has been accomplished.

(Picture from bearfansunited.org)

Are you ready for some football? A Monday night party! Well, hold the dip. What should have been an intriguing NFC North match up, could now be an effortless crippling of the Bears. Fans are not happy with the effort from players, coaches, and the front office and are trying to do their part to show their displeasure. Members of the "5th Phase", an Internet fan club, already have put up billboards addressed to the McCaskey family begging for a change. They are also attempting a walk in after kick off tonight, which will really kick the front office in the ass (What is this a rerun of Saved By The Bell where all of the students walk into their classes late because Principal Belding says there are no funds for Prom this year?). Whether you agree with this or not, the Bears do need to make some changes (I'm not sure about Lovie yet, but I think Turner and Angelo need a first class ticket to anywhere but here). So because there is not much else to write about, and I am expecting the worst tonight, I thought a running diary would be perfect for this "special" game; complete with an in game counter of Jay Cutler Poop Faces, shoulder thrusts, and of course the famous "Pissed Off Chin Strap Pull" (This Link "bears" all of these three traits, look for the "Pissed Off Strap Pull" during the last seconds, it's classic).

(Picture from http://www.nbcsportsmedia1.msnbc.com/)

Up until recently, The Mighty Ducks was all the hockey I watched. I thought all a team had to do was Quack a few times, form The Flying V, and chuck up a Knuckle Puck and they would win. Gordon Bombay "The Minnesota Miracle Man" was the only hockey coach I could name, and was number one in the Pantheon of Best Hockey Coaches ever. I thought Goldberg was the perfect specimen for a goalie, and Julie "The Cat" Gaffney had the quickest glove in the country. Fulton Reed was the Ray Lewis of hockey, and The Bash Brothers were like Singletary and The Fridge on the '85 Bears. As you may know by now, I obviously didn't know jack.

(Picture from http://www.theheckler.com/)

According to an article on ESPN, the decision to kick Vinny to the curb has already been made. It is going to happen, and soon. The only problem holding Paxson back is the whole "finding a replacement" deal (I personally vote Joakim as interim player-coach). Paxson and the Bulls need to find a permanent head coach for the future, one that will handle multiple personalities and run a team correctly during games and practices. According to the article, the Bulls are not interested in promoting an assistant coach, but will if they have too.

As I said before in this rant and rave post, Byron Scott and Avery Johnson would be two coaches I would enjoy watching head this team. With $15 million to spend in the off season (and a hopeful trade and sign or expiring contract trade), the Bulls should be significantly better next year (which seems like a pretty good situation to take over for Scott and Johnson). The current 11-17 record has been disappointing, but the next few months should be interesting (if even the Bulls are not) with trade rumors, the return of a healthy Tyrus Thomas, and now the hunt for a head coach.

Update: According to Chicagobreakingsports.com, Vinny believes that management is on his side and not looking to give him the Trump. Vinny said, "I know we're on the same page. I talk to them every day." But what seems weird about all of this is that Paxson and the Bulls denied comments. If Paxson, the Bulls, and Vinny are all on the same page, why have they not come out and put a stop to all of these rumors? A question Vinny should be thinking about!

Happy Holidays to All

We here at The Manchise want to wish all of our readers a Happy Holiday, and a Happy New Year. We will be soon adding posts again, so please keep visiting. You may not know, but we recently found out we fell victim to "Urban Heart Syndrom", so we have been resting to make sure we can give you the very best when we come back.

All joking aside, please be safe and be sure to keep passing on our website to people you like, people you don't like, hell pass it on to people you have not met (but stalk on facebook). We appreciate all of you, and again Happy Holidays to you and yours!

-The Manchise

Taking the Keys to the Car

Something big is happening in Chicago. Something that could be franchise changing. A glimpse here and there of perfection, in game take overs, tremendous explosion, and pure athleticism. We are witnessing a Chicago kid take the keys of a car that once was driven by Jordan, Pippen, Van Lier, and Sloan. This is happening right before our eyes (even in loses). Derrick Rose is blooming into the player we hoped he would be.

(Picture from http://www.b12partners.net/)

Being that the decade is coming to a close, it seems only necessary to take a stroll back down memory lane. It seems like yesterday that people were worried about Y2K instead of the end of the Mayan calendar (and according to Lil' Wayne and others, the end of the world). So I got to thinking, who would be on the All-Decade team for the Chicago White Sox? I couldn't find an answer, so I decided it would be a brilliant idea to waste my time and provide a starting lineup for those wondering the same type of question. This of course is extremely biased, personal, and complete make believe. If I miss someone that you believe should be in the lineup, give us a comment or send us an email, and I'll take it into consideration. Oh and by the way, the Sox had a total record of 857-764, 93-games over .500. The Sox were AL Central Champions three-times, and were WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS in 2005 (in case any of you Cub fans forgot).

The Rumor Mill: 12/22

MLB:

(Picture from waiversharks.com)

Fernando Rodney- The Los Angeles Angels are in discussions with the former Tigers closer. L.A. is bidding against the Phillies, who are also looking to sure up their bullpen as well. Rodney would seem to be in the "set-up" role for the Angels, considering Brian Fuentes is their closer.

Justin Duchscherer- The free agent has three offers from undisclosed teams according to ESPN.com. They said that Duchscherer should be making his decision within the next week. The righty is recovering from an elbow injury that sat him out all of last year. He is among John Garland, Ben Sheets, and Brett Myers as right handed free agents.

Vazquez in the City- As most of us know now, the Yankees made another big acquisistion today by dealing Melky Cabrera, Mike Dunn, and a prospect for Javy Vazquez and Boone Logan. This trade does help the Braves by freeing up $9 million, where they might look to add another outfielder such as Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, or Johnny Damon in the near future.

The Rumor Mill: 12/21

(Picture from http://www.esmas.com/)

MLB:

Jason Marquis- The Washington Nationals will be signing the right handed starter Jason Marquis according to MASN. This will make the Nationals starting rotation light years better than last years with Strasburg, Marquis, Zimmermann (after surgery), Ross Detwiler, and John Lannan. The Nationals were interested in Jon Garland before this signing, but apparantly went a different directions because of Garland was looking for.

The Chicago Cubs- The Cubs have been really cooking on the hot stove the past few days. According to ESPN.com, the Cubs should be looking to sure up the infield as well as adding an outfielder. Writers at ESPN think the Cubs could be interested in Orlando Hudson and Felipe Lopez with Fontenot arbitration eligible.

Erik Bedard- The left hander could possibly find a home in the Pacific Northwest, but his shoulder injuries are "cloud[ing] the issue".

Adrian Gonzalez- The Boston Globe is reporting that the Baltimore Orioles are looking to land A Gone from a depleted San Diego Padres team.

Aroldis Chapman- Let the BIDDING BEGIN! According to ESPN.com and the Miami Herald, the Marlins have made a five-year offer worth $13 million a year. The Red Sox have also added a bid, offering a three-year offer worth $15.5 million. Chapman reportedly was looking for $40-$60 million, but he has since lowered his expectations to $20 million.

My Mistakes Might ACTUALLY Define My Character

(Taxi Please! Picture from http://www.woh.rr.com/)

As if things could not get any worse for the Iowa Hawkeye Basketball faithful, a little police report just pushed fans over the edge. The 4-7 Hawkeyes just lost their second leading scorer Anthony Tucker indefinitely. Tucker was arrested earlier this morning. What for? Public Intoxication. This is the second time this 20-year old has run into the law on account of alcohol. If you recall, Tucker was charged with something similar last year when he was passed out drunk in an alley behind a bar. According to reports, Tucker allegedly was assaulting a taxi driver over money/a stolen cell phone, which resulted in his arrest. The police came to The Lodge after a 9-1-1 call from the taxi driver complaining about someone beating on the side of his cab. Tucker accused the man of stealing his cell phone, then proceeded to assault the driver (how does a Taxi driver steal your cell phone while he's driving Tuck?) The driver apparently locked the doors, and when the police came to the scene they found Tucker with "bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech, a strong odor of alcohol and [he] swayed while standing."

(Picture from http://www.metstoday.com/)

MLB:

Mark DeRosa- Mark DeRosa has had plenty of teams looking through his window, but no takers. He was asking for $10 million per season, which seems a little pricey for a guy that did not finish the season very well for the Cards. According to ESPN.com and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe his price may be coming down a bit. The Yankees, Cards, Red Sox, and Mets will be likely buyers for this utilityman.

Jason Bay- Currently has a four-year offer from the Mets that would be worth about $65 million, but Bay has not yet signed. It seems as though he does not want to play with the Mets or in New York. ESPN.com reported that the Mets may be bidding against themselves, and that Bay might have to end up accepting the Mets offer.

(courtesy of ESPN.com)

Week 14 consisted of a very solid performance for The Manchise against the spread. Jerry finished with a record of 11-wins and 5-loses, and Jonah finished with 10-wins and 6-loses. As you all know now that gives Jerry another win, making the weekly score 2-1 in favor of Jerry. Jonah has an overall record of 27-19 (Week 12: 9-7, Week 13: 8-6, Week 14: 10-6) and Jerry has an overall record of 26-20 (Week 12: 10-6, Week 13: 5-9, Week 14: 11-5). The poll to vote on what "Spread" you would like to see the loser covered in is on the right coloum so be sure to vote, and keep checking out the week by week lines to see who is winning. The video of the loser being covered will be posted to our site!

So now that Week 14 is over, bring on the Week 15 lines.

Thursday Night:
Indianapolis Colts (-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (+3):
Jonah- I do not condone gambling, unless you are betting on Peyton and the Colts. I don't think there's a chance this game is within 3 points.

Jerry-Colts only by 3? Even if Peyton doesn't play the entire game, the Jaguars are not that good. So I will continue my trend of betting against the Jags.

(Picture from bases.newsvine.com)

MLB:

Matt Holliday- The Cardinals and Matt Holliday are standing firm on their offers, and not much progress has been made. The offer is a 5-year deal worth about $16 million dollars a year. The Cardinals have reason to believe that they are only betting against themselves despite rumors of other teams from the one, the only Scott Boras. Well today Buster Olney confirmed that Boras might not be stretching the truth as usual. He reported that in fact, the Red Sox would be interested in Holliday, but for less than what the Cardinals are offering. Olney also wrote that the Mets are looking closely at the negotiations between the Cards and Holliday, but are not yet involved.

(Picture from whodeybengals.com)

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry is battling for his life after reportedly falling out of the back of a pickup truck. Police are describing it as a domestic dispute with his fiancee. Here is a link to the full article at ESPN.com. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chris Henry as well as his friends and family. We hope he can recover from this tragic event. Nobody deserves to have something like this happen to them. We will make sure to keep our readers posted on his status.

Update: Foxsports.com reports Henry is in fact on life support, and the situation is described as "dire". There are speculations about what has happened but we wont add to those rumors. This is a shock considering how Henry has turned things around dramtically in the past few years. The Manchise hopes that these injuries are not fatal and we will continue to hope for recovery.

Thursday Morning Update: Chris Henry reportedly has died this morning at 6:36 a.m. Henry was 26.

The Rumor Mill: December 16

(Picture from http://www.slam.canoe.ca/)

MLB:

Cliff Lee/Roy Halladay- The four team trade between the Phillies, Blue Jays, A's, and Mariners was finally announced by Seattle in a press release according to mlbtraderumors.com. The Mariners will be getting Cliff Lee. The Blue Jays will receive Travis d'Arnaud (C) and Kyle Drabek (RHP) from Phili as well as Brett Wallace (1B/3B) from Oakland. The Phillies will be getting Phillipe Aumont (RHP), Tyson Gillies (OF), and Juan Ramirez (RHP) from the Mariners, $6 million and the 32-year old Roy Halladay from Toronto. Oakland will also receive Michael Taylor (OF) from Philli from Toronto.

(courtesy of gasolinealleyantiques.com)

As the holiday season fast approaches, so too does another magical part of this time of year: bowl season. With only 15 days left until the first BCS bowl, we will begin counting down the days and giving a preview of each of the BCS games to come. These previews will take the place of the 'Your Daily J' post for the day, but will hopefully provide some real information, rather than our ignorant opinions. So, here we go, our BCS preview begins. As with everything else in this place, be sure to give us your feedback. As gameday draws closer, you'll be able to show us your thoughts by voting on who you think will win on the side bar. In the meantime, be sure to leave a comment or shoot us an e-mail.

We kick things off with the first BCS game of the new year. The Grandaddy of Them All. The Rose Bowl. Oregon v. Ohio State. 3:30 CT, January 1st, 2010. This should be a good one featuring two teams that are near-perfect mirror images of each other. Ohio State is predicated on tradition, conservatism and fundamentals. Oregon is the definition of new-age. Rumor has it the Ducks have upwards of 300 uniforms to choose from when they take the field on Saturdays and nearly as many offensive weapons. They run the spread with an option-style QB in Jeremiah Masoli and average nearly 38 points per game. Ohio State and their "Tressel-ball" play smash-mouth defense and run more of a pro-style offense. The two, at a glance, appear to be a great matchup of very different styles of football and very different football cultures.

The Chicago Bulls are taking on The Los Angeles Lakers tonight at the United Center, and something magical is happening. The Bulls are shooting lights out, and Kirk Hinrich is playing well off the bench for an injured Derrick Rose (strained right rib obtained early in the first quarter). Now I know that I'm usually stoked about the Bulls winning, and shooting well, but there is something more that is going on. Kobe Bryant (broken finger and all) has hit SIX straight field goals. He's hitting jumpers from all angles, from all sides of the court, with all sorts of fall away jumpers. He's hitting shots like he is playing horse in an open gym. With two minutes left in the FIRST QUARTER he has 20-points. The Bulls are leading 29-26 with 1:40 remaining. So with such a good start for both Kobe and the Bulls (my two favorite things in the NBA) I decided it is time for my first ever running diary.

(Wisconsin AD Alvarez courtesy of jsonline.com)

Friday, Wisconsin Athletic Dirctor, Barry Alvarez, discussed with the athletic board at the University of Wisconsin the possibility of the Big Ten expanding and adding another school. Now, this has been a relatively hot topic around the midwest for some time now. It comes and it goes and teams are rarely added to the conference. Back in '89, the Big Ten had to start working on a fancy new logo revealing an 11 in the center as Penn State was thrown into the mix (and thus giving the conference one of the least fitting names in the country). Since then, the discussion of adding more schools hasn't really caught fire, but most talks centered around Notre Dame (gee, I wonder what our opinions on that would be) and have fizzled out quickly as the Irish faithful point out that they have their own TV contract and "don't need the Big Ten." (that's right, they just play half our conference every year, but they don't "need" us - just like they didn't "need" the Big East in basketball a few years back). But with renewed talks of expansion, there are two major things that have been racking our brains: Who would be the expansion school? And, since we couldn't possibly pull off the Big Ten name any longer, what would we call ourselves? As always, these are just our thoughts. Be sure to let us know how stupid we are and how much better your thoughts are.

(Picture from ESPN.com)

Sox fans gather round. I have a little story to tell. A story about a genius GM, one that takes brilliant chances and gets the job done season in and season out. A GM that is not afraid to shop every single player at any given time. This is a story about a manager that most can't understand. A manager that is out spoken and true. A manager that brings a "University of Miami" feel to it (for those of you that watched The U the other night on ESPN you know what I'm talking about). This is a story about a certain team in the beautiful CHICAGO, I-L. A team that HAS hoisted up a World Series Trophy in the past 100 years (and just in case you want to know the exact amount of time to the seconds its been since this last happened, check this out). A team that has one solid pitching staff, and a line-up that favors the Cell. A team that should be able to win the AL Central with ease. Of course I am talking about the Chicago White Sox.

(Picture from blogcdn.com)

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a new coach, someone else who will lead them back to the promised land. Friday afternoon, Brian Kelly, former head coach at Cincinnati, was announced as the new head coach at Notre Dame University. He officially takes over as head coach today, but met with the team over the weekend. This leaves Cincinnati without a head coach for their January 1st Sugar Bowl showdown against Florida. In Kelly's stead, offensive coordinator Jeff Quinn will serve as interim head coach. The questions will be pouring about whether or not Kelly can restore the luster of Notre Dame and how he will do it. As usual, we have a few other questions we've been thinking about. Some of them have been voiced on ESPN, and others are still running around our little overactive minds. Questions like: Should college coaches have to stay with their current team through the end of the year if they sign a contract with another school? Should schools be able to contact coaches at other schools before the end of the bowl season? Should players be able to transfer without sitting out a season if the coach who recruited them leaves?

(Picture of Lovie thinking about his future coaching jobs from ESPN.com)

It has been another head shaking Sunday for Chicago. The Bears just finished another terrible, awful, dreadful, appalling, horrific, horrendous, hideous, revolting and repulsive game today. The scoreboard doesn’t show it, but the Bears got owned left and right by those dang Cheeseheads. The home crowd had no effect because the Bears had no momentum for three of the four quarters. The only time it changed was after halftime with a beautiful touchdown pass from Jay (he does know the Bears team colors!). The Bears were still in the game at that moment and momentum was lingering around Solider Field until Cutler threw his second interception of the game (maybe he doesn't know the team colors). He looked terrible once again, and even though he had two interceptions, it could have easily been three of four. The Packers breezed past the Bears for another win.

(Picture from Chicago Tribune)

I've got a theory. A theory that could change the NBA in Chicago for the next several years. This theory is a complete personal opinion, one that is to early to judge, but seems plausible. This theory is straight from the Doc Rivers Management hand book. A theory so terrible, so nasty, so foolish, yet it just might work. I think the Chicago Bulls might be tanking.

(Picture from gazetteonline.com)

Every week we have a post that contains a hypothetical letter to any given person. This letter contains 100% of our personal opinion, so please don't take to much offense (but if you disagree please comment). It can be a mean letter (like all of the companies that support Tiger Woods are receiving from angry feminist groups) or a nice letter (like the letters Ron Artest is receiving from the company that makes Henessy). Whatever the subject, whatever the point, WE fully expect that the person the letter is directed too, will never read it (but if any of you out there happen to read this, and can in fact pass it along, like a blog post man, WE would greatly appreciate it).

Dear Adrian Clayborn,

Oh what a year it has been, but I'll be honest with you Adrian, (can I call you Adrian?). I miss joking about how you are the Iowa Hawkeye version of Predator, looking at the quarterback as your next meal. I miss seeing you do half assed calisthenics. I miss seeing you shake your dreads back and forth while you pump up the team before the game. I miss watching the linemen in front of you shit his pants. I know what your thinking, you have another stalker, but I assure you, that is the opposite of what I am. I am a student at Iowa, and a Hawkeye fan. Adrian I have a goal and intent with this letter. That goal may seem over my head. It may seem outlandish, selfish, and impossible. But it is a goal, and I will try to do my best to accomplish it.

(courtesy of moondogsports.com)

We are officially two days away from the 2009 Heisman Trophy ceremony and the talk is starting to heat up all over the national media. Now, we don't want to beat this thing over the head, but we would like to take a little bit of a look at it, albeit from a different perspective. Not too long ago, we did a little statistical comparison of the front runners and asked who everyone thought should be the winner. The overwhelming response was......... well, no one. Essentially none of you cared enough to comment on who should be the Heisman winner this year. So here we are again to give you a brief comparison of the candidates, as well as to let you know what's been on our minds regarding the race, and trust me, it's not necessarily all about the numbers. As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts.

The five semifinalists that will be travelling to New York on Saturday for the ceremony are listed below in alphabetical order, along with a little info. courtesy of ESPN.com.

(Illinois Representative Bobby Rush with ex-Governor and convicted felon Rod Blagojevich courtesy of cbsnews.com)

Yesterday, the United State House of Representatives passed a bill that would essentially require the NCAA to move to a playoff system. The House Energy and Commerce Committee subcomittee (a subcommittee in the House of Representatives) passed a bill by voice vote that would ban the NCAA from promoting Division I game as a national championship unless it was the result of a playoff. There is currently no version of the bill in the Senate and there will be steep opposition when the bill goes in front of the bull committee. During the voice vote, there was one clear "No" vote from Representative John Barrow, of Georgia, according to ESPN.com. Barrow was quoted after the vote as saying:

"With all due respect, I really think we have more important things to spend our time on."

Subcommittee chairman, Representative Bobby Rush, of Illinois, fired back by saying:

"We can walk and chew gum at the same time."

It's clear to me why a representative from Georgia would be against this (with a team that could be in the running every few years), but I don't really know why Rush is so excited about it (it's not like Illinois will benefit from any of it). Either way, I must say I can see both sides of the argument. I am in full support of a playoff system and I think it would be both manageable and extremely profitable for the current bowl sponsors if the playoff was done properly. On the other hand, I certainly believe there are far more important things for our elected officials to deal with (like say, a health care bill or double-digit unemployment). I completely believe that we elect our senators and representatives on political platforms and promises, almost all of which do not include pushing for our interests in the sports world. I am all for a playoff and punishing steroid users, but I think those matters should be left to the powers that be in those respective sports and the bigger issues should be handled by our elected officials. But who really cares what I think. We want to know what you think. Give us a piece of your mind!

"Covered in Spread" Week 14

(courtesy of 101tees.com)

(Note: While Rex is no longer a Bear, we both expect more of this Sunday)

After two weeks, our "Covered in Spread" contest is all tied up. The score is one to one with 4 weeks left in the regular season, so this little bet is getting intense (we both want no part of Chili being poured on our heads). So as always, we pick what lines we would bet in real life (we may or may not actually do this) and the person at the end of the week with the better overall record against the spread wins that week. We do have a poll on the top of our page (or on the side depending on when you read this) so feel free to vote for what "spread" you would like to see the loser covered in. So NFL fans, Gambling Fans, or Manchise Fans here is our official start to Week 14 in the NFL.

Thursday Night:

Pittsburgh Steelers (-10) at Cleveland Browns (+10):
Jonah- Pittsburgh has looked like garbage lately, especially against really bad teams. On top of that , Cleveland actually looked like a football team this week. I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm taking the Steelers.

Jerry- Why do I want to take the Browns? Why do I believe in Brady Quinn? Why am I going to sacrifice my week before it even starts? Because I'm an idiot. I think the Browns can cover against a Pitt team that is suffering.

(Tennessee hostesses (?) courtesy of hottestgirlsofcheerleading.com)

Oh Rocky Top, you sure do know how to make a recruit, uhh, excited (in more than one way). You have an electrifying new coach and a proud tradition. Today, we learned that you also have a bunch of girls lining up to greet prospective players. The University of Tennessee football program is currently under investigation by the NCAA for its use of "hostesses" to help in recruiting. Now, to be fair, the use of hostesses to help with recruiting is both legal and widely used around college campuses. However, it is against NCAA regulations to have hostesses tied to the university travel off campus to help recruit athletes. The investigation is young and it's not yet known for certain whether this was the case, but I know a couple of guys who find it hard to believe the University of Tennessee (or any other public university for that matter) would ever sign off on having university "hostesses" travel several hundred miles to prospective football players' high school games to hold signs. Kind of makes you wonder what else these "hostesses" have been doing for the good of the cause, and just who has been putting them up to it (interesting side note: Tennessee has been charged with 6 recruiting violations in the 1 year since Lane Kiffin took over). Beyond that, it's had us wondering: If there were no recruiting rules, how would the landscape of college football be changed?

(Picture from 1.bp.blogspot.com)

For the first time in the history of the NFL, there are two teams at 12-0. The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints have both had fantastic seasons to date and much of their success can be attributed to their quarterbacks. Peyton Manning and Drew Brees are both already in the talks for MVP. Brees has many nostalgically discussing the glory days of the Rams and the Greatest Show on Turf, while Manning has some comparing him to the all-time greats. This past weekend, we saw the Saints get a scare from the Washington Redskins while the Colts rebounded from their own scare a week ago (at the Houston Texans) with a win over the Tennessee Titans. To date, Manning has thrown for 3685 yards and 25 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Brees has gone off for 3536 yards and 29 touchdowns. These tremendous numbers have us wondering: Who is more deserving of the MVP, Peyton Manning of Drew Brees?

(Picture from NFL.com)

Tons of excitement this week in the NFL. The Saints nearly lost their perfect season to the Skins (not gonna say we both thought it would be tight, but we both thought it might be tight), the Colts held off a surging Titans team that saw it's 5-game winning streak come to an end, and the Oakland Raidas came up big in Pittsburgh. On Monday night, the Pack came up with an ugly (yeah, I know two guys that didn't watch the whole thing - but really, can Monday Night Football compete with Pawn Stars?) 27-14 win over the Ravens to close out the week. Just as a reminder, we are going head to head to see which of us is better at picking games against the spread. We will be going all the way through the Super Bowl and whoever loses the most weeks will be covered in whatever "spread" you all vote on. So be sure to cast your vote for what you would like to see dumped all over the loser. The poll is down the right side of the site. A video will be made of the ordeal and will be posted both to the site and to youtube.com. So, without further adieu, we give you a recap of our Week 13 Covered in Spread.

For Week 13, Jonah went 8-6 (not great, but hey, it's over .500) while Jerry had, well, a down week, going 5-9 against the spread. To add insult to injury, Jonah's Rams covered against Jerry's Bears, losing by only 8 points (line was 9). That means we are all tied up at one week a piece and Jerry's ego is hurting. Overall, Jonah has a record of 17-13 (Week 12: 9-7, Week 13: 8-6) while Jerry is 15-15 (Week 12: 10-6, Week 13: 5-9). You can see a recap of all our weekly picks by clicking the label "Weekly Lines" below. Be sure to check back tomorrow when we post our picks for Week 14.

Your Daily J: 12/7

Some big names in sports have had some pretty interesting developments over the last week or so. Ron Artest claims to have sipped on Hennesey in the locker room while with the Bulls from 1999-2002 and Tiger Woods was involved in a now infamous "car accident."

Word of Artest's halftime ritual came from an interview with The Sporting News, in which he claimed:

"I used to drink Hennessy ... at halftime. I [kept it] in my locker. I'd just walk to the liquor store and get it."

(Ron Ron using his head, courtesy of ngngsports.com)

According to the story, Artest is referencing his time with the Chicago Bulls from 1999-2002. This raises not only the question of why would you be drinking at halftime of an NBA game (I have to believe that would make you feel sick), but how did nobody notice? First, the guy has to sneak in a bottle and hide it in his locker, which I'm sure is not always closed when people are around, and then the guy has to actually drink the stuff at halftime, with the entire team and staff in the same room. Once he's done getting his fix, how does nobody notice the alcohol on his breath when he's huffing and puffing up and down the court and sweating cognac from every pore on his body? Whatever the answers to these questions, it paints Artest, the Bulls and the entire NBA all in a bad light.

On to the story of the week, the story everyone was talking about, but almost no one knew the details behind it. As the story continues to unfold, there are rumors that Woods was in an altercation with his wife over her discovery of his infidelity. While he maintains that she used a golf club to free him from his car, there are also rumors that the club was used more as a weapon and that she may have been the source of all the scratches and bruises on Woods' face. A few days ago ESPN.com reported that Woods was found shoeless and snoring by the first police to arrive at the scene. Since the story burst into the headlines, a handful of women have stepped forward, claiming to be mistresses of Tiger. A few claim to have hundreds of text messages and voicemails as proof. There are even reports that Tiger has paid up to $1 million to get one alleged mistress to keep quiet. As was the case with Artest, although much more in the spotlight due to the involvement of the world's richest athlete, all this news has cast Tiger in bad light and he and his family are suffering the consequences.

These two incidents, while completely different in nature and involving two entirely different caliber of athletes, had us wondering: Which of these two would be the worst PR from the standpoint of a sponsor? If you had a company looking for a spokesman, which would be worse - your guy admitting to drinking on the job, or being involved in an incident where infidelity (allegedly) resulted in what could be domestic abuse (allegedly) and a car crash? Without thinking in terms of Ron Artest and Tiger Woods, but as if it were the same guy - say Michael Jordan. Which incident would make you least interested in sponsoring the athlete?

(Tiger being a great husband, courtesy of intotherough.co.uk)

Jonah: First of all, I think it's really hard to picture these two incidents without thinking of them as actions by the two athletes. It's hard to say how different the reactions would have been if they were by the other guy. However, to look at it from the perspective of a sponsor, I think Artest's actions would probably be worse. If we look through history, fans are much less sympathetic when athletes show they are human while on the job. Think about the the Eight Men Out or Pete Rose. They were banished because of actions that would affect the outcomes of games. I think Artest's actions certainly would affect the outcomes of games he played in. Tiger, on the other hand, seems to have fallen trap to the same fault so many famous men have been plagued by. If we peer back into history for cases of men cheating on their wives (again, this is all still allegedly for Tiger), we find guys that were not banished, but beloved. Guys like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant have all been accused of cheating on their wives (key word being "accused"), but are all thought of as great athletes. Their personal lives don't affect their athletic performance and these instances certainly didn't seem to hurt their sponsorship dollars. I think Tiger will keep all his sponsors, and not just because he is so great at selling, but because in today's world, we are just so used to hearing about these types of things that we are almost immune to them (I mean how many presidents have we heard rumors about?). Now, I am in no way condoning what Tiger may have done, but I do think that as a sponsor, I would be more concerned with my spokesman admitting to drinking at halftime of his games than with allegations that my guy has cheated on his wife. Jerry?

Jerry: Tiger Woods is sponsered by Gillette, Gatorade, Buick, EA Sports, AT & T, Golf Digest, Nike, Upper Deck, and the PGA. That is simply naming a few. His infidelity is a PR NIGHTMARE for all of these companies. Imagine the emails these companies are getting from groups of women. It is going to take the the whole PGA field and all of the members of Gatorade and Nike to sift through them all. Tiger really messed up and that is putting it lightly. I am not even going to touch Ron Artest, because honestly I'm not shocked at all. That guy was the king of selling out while he was on the Bulls (and if I had Scott Skiles as a coach, I would need a drink now and then as well). But Tiger, you had everything. A beautiful wife, kids, money, and the likes of Phil Mickelson's hopes and dreams locked away in a cellar in your basement. You were one of the most recognizable sports stars ever. Now your going to have angry women standing at the 18th hole, screaming and yelling with signs calling you a "cheater". It is going to be the first time that the PGA tour actually looks like it did in Happy Gilmore, but I guarantee the noise won't help you hit a drive 500 yards. You deffinitely bogey'd on this one. This is a nightmare for the squeaky clean Tiger, but a bigger nightmare for the PR reps of again: Gillette, Gatorade, Buick, EA Sports, AT & T, Golf Digest, Nike, Upper Deck, and the PGA (just to name a few). Good luck spinning this one as a lapse of judgement. With every mistress that comes out, Tiger is going to fall further and further into the sandtrap. A sandtrap that even his beautiful smile, well thought out speechs, his "I Do Everything Right" demeanor, and a Nike sand wedge couldn't even get out of.

Miami Bound!

(courtesy of photo.net)

The wait is over and the selections have been made. Iowa is headed to Miami for a January 5th date with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the FedEx Orange Bowl. It's a great day to be a Hawkeye! Here's a rundown of the rest of the BCS picture. On New Year's Day, Ohio State will face off against Oregon in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. A few hours later, Florida will take on Cincinnati in the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. On January 4th, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will feature TCU and Boise State at 7:00 PM Central. The BCS will round out with the Citi National Championship Game featuring the Texas Longhorns and the Alabama Crimson Tide on January 7th in Pasadena, California. A complete schedule of all the bowl games can be found on ESPN.com.

As we begin the countdown to January 5th, we will be giving updates as well as previews of Iowa's matchup with Georgia Tech and all the other BCS games. Without getting too much into the details, here's a quick preview of what you can expect when Iowa's defence is on the field against the option attack of the Yellow Jackets (I think we all know which one is the Hawkeyes).

Your Daily J: 12/3

(Picture from www.cb-product-reviews.com)

Your team is down by 4 and there's just over a minute to go in the game. You have one timeout left and are preparing to take the kickoff as the other team has just scored to take the lead. What sort of things should be happening on the sidelines? How will you put your team in the best position to win? Over the past few weeks, we've seen several coaches put in similar situations, many of which have failed miserably. So this had us wondering, what if coaching staffs included someone tasked only with managing the end of a game? Similar to a special teams coach who only deals with punts and kicks, or a closer in baseball, who is only brought in at the end to finish out the game, what if every football team had one coach whose job was only to run the show at the end of the game?

My first thought here is related to something our good friend (by friend I mean someone we listen to on the radio and whose articles and books we read, but whom does not know we exist) Bill Simmons has brought up many a time on his B.S. Report. He has claimed that every NFL team needs some 14 year old kid that does nothing but plays Madden who can come on to the sidelines at the end of a game to tell them what to do. So who would really be better at these situations, the college coach who's been around for many a year (someone like Joe Pa), or the teenager who's played this exact situation 15-20 times in a video game?

Secondly, is this something that we really need an extra coach for, or is it something that head coaches should just be better at? I mean, most of these guys are paid several million dollars a year to be a head coach, while they have offensive coordinators calling the plays on offense and defensive coordinators calling the plays on defense and special teams coaches directing the kicking game. So shouldn't these guys be capable of directing their teams with the game on the line?

(Picture from SportsIllustrated.com)

Hello again Football fans. Another week is in the books, and the nation learned where both the Saints and the Patriots sit within the hierachy of teams this season. So with a new week, comes new lines. So as always, Jonah and I pick against the spread. We keep track of overall record as well as week by week. Whoever has the losing weekly record after the Super Bowl will have (what looks like Chili) dumped on him, while being video taped, WHICH WILL BE POSTED TO THE BLOG! So with that said The Manchise welcomes in Week 13, with both of our favorite teams going head to head against each other.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Reality TV is all the rage nowadays and earlier this week, one of the biggest names (and fupas) in college football got a little taste of reality. When Charlie Wies started with Notre Dame five years ago, there was a buzz of excitement and a feeling of hope in South Bend. Charlie rallied the troops and declared that 6-5 was just not good enough at Notre Dame. This week, the world learned that Charlie was right. 6-5 wasn't good enough then and 6-6 isn't good enough now. The Irish seemed destined for greatness once again when Weis took them to consecutive BCS games in his first two years after leaving the NFL, but since then, they have fallen to 16-21 under Weis, who leaves ND with a record of 35-27 (.565), which is worse than the two coaches (Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie) who preceeded him (.583). Now the questions begin to poor in. The question on most people's minds is who will replace him? We, on the other hand, have a different question we've been pondering.

Your Daily J: 12/2

Today's question: What will we get from The Answer?

(courtesy of ESPN.com)

The Philadelphia 76ers and Allen Iverson have agreed to terms on a 1-year non-guaranteed contract, meaning they are under no obligation to keep The Answer, but if they find he truly is the answer to their problems, they can guarantee his contract for the remainder of the season on January 10 for $650,000 - not just a chunk of change, but a fraction of what the four-time scoring champion once made.

The past year or two have been rough for Iverson. After things got bumpy in Philly, AI went out west to the Nuggets, who just couldn't quite get it done. In an attempt to make a playoff run, the Nuggets traded Iverson to Detroit for Denver native Chauncey Billups. There, The Answer found himself coming off the bench - something that was both new and repulsive for him. At the end of last season, Iverson became a free agent and eventually signed with Memphis, where he again found himself coming off the bench. After only three games with the team, he took a leave of absence before finally retiring last week (a retirement that only beat out Brittney and K-Fed's marriage by a few days).

So, with Iverson now at 34 years old and the Sixers sitting at 5-13, there are many questions about The Answer. The one that's been on our minds: what will we see out of him?

Jonah: This is hard for me, as a long-time Iverson fan. During his prime, AI was a 10-time All-Star and led the Sixers to the finals in 2001, when he was the MVP. He has averaged 27 points per game over his career, which is 5th all-time and 3rd among active players. In 71 career playoff games, he has averaged 29.7 points per game - second all-time behind only Michael Jordan (33.4). Simply put, he was a great player. But he hasn't been a starter the last two places he's been. Is it because his play has truly diminished, or because franchises are looking to develop younger players and don't want to have them sit behind a 34 year old veteran? I want to believe he still has it, that he's still a great player and has the potential to help any team that lets him play. I've always maintained that he isn't the selfish ball-hog the media has made him out to be, but rather a great penetrator who has played on some really bad teams with nobody worth passing to (see all ten seasons with the Sixers! He had guys like Dikembe Motumbo and the terrible Eric Snow as his teammates). I have always felt his true colors shined when he played with other great players (see his performances in the 2001 and 2005 NBA All-Star games, where he was the MVP). But now that he's back with a team filled with, well, not exactly the Dream Team, I wonder if he will, in fact, be the ball-hog ESPN claims he is. There is some hope with the other AI (Andre Iguodala), but I'm not sure this is going to be the fairytale I would like to see for him. I think he would have been better served on a team with another great scorer and a big man, a place were he could score, but doesn't HAVE to score. Whatever the case may be, I hope it works out for the guy and I'd like to thank him letting me get just a little more use out of one of my AI jerseys.

(courtesy of ESPN.com)

Jerry: The answer is one of the greatest players of the past 15 years. He made it out of the slums, and became one of the most terrifying players on the court during the 90's and early 2000's. His crossover was legendary, and his quickness defined him as a player. He could get in the lane and dunk on people like Marcus Camby, or hit jumper after jumper for 60 points . He could score at will, and give the opposite team's point guard fits. He was a legend from the moment he entered college at Georgetown. He single handily brought the Sixers to the finals, and even put on a show against a way better Laker team. With that being said, he's had a couple down years, Denver wasn't the best fit, and we all know the story about Detroit. Iverson is not a bench player now, nor has he ever been. He is a scorer. He needs to heat up. How does he do that? I can tell you it's not coming off the bench. He is one of those guys that needs to feel the game, feel the defense, and by the time the second half rolls around (sometimes sooner) he's got it. Sure he has lost a step or two, but I tell you that the Sixers can only benefit from this. They aren't paying him anything (even if he does play the entire season) and they are bringing back one of the most decorated players to ever where a Phili uniform. If he doesn't score 20 a night (which I think he will) he will sell tickets. He will bring a veteran presence to this young team. He will finally have the opportunity to lead a team (all the while starting and scoring). Allen Iverson is a player and a scorer, and we all have to remember that. He has something left in the tank, and I would give him a change if I were an owner. I still think that somebody like Cleveland should have at least made a few calls about Iverson, but going home to Phili is just as good. Will he turn this team around? I don't know. Would I be shocked if he did? Not a chance. So the question is, what type of Answer are we going to get? A leader and a scorer, or a grudge holding little man that wants to prove the world wrong by himself? For the NBA and Phili, I hope its the latter.

Piece of Mind: 12/2

So, we already give you a little insight into our worlds every day with our Your Daily J post, but now we are hoping to open things up for you. This is a new regular post where we want to know your thoughts. We will be posing a question and giving you a few of our thoughts, but we are really hoping this is more like a message board. Give us a piece of your mind and don't be afraid to tear down the other guy that just posted before you. Keep it family-friendly, but be sure to speak your mind as well. So here we go, our first ever Piece of Mind.

(images courtesy of http://www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/)

Major League Baseball has been over for over a month and the major awards have now been given out. Last week, AL and NL MVPs were announced and Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins and Albert Pujols of THE St. Louis Cardinals were the proud recipients.
As a Cardinal fan, I am excited to see Pujols get the recognition I feel he deserves, but would trade it for another World Series title in a heartbeat; I’m sure Twins fans feel the same way. Both players had great years and, to this point, have had great careers. However, I do know that not everyone is a fan and everyone has their own opinion. I know there are some great players out there that I absolutely hate and hate with a passion. Some of them I cannot explain, I just get this vibe from them that drives me crazy (Tim Tebow). Others play on teams I’ve been bred to hate (Sammy Sosa circa 1998 – note: now that Sam Sosa is officially white, I am a fan). I understand that the flip side to that is that many people out there (hell many of you on here) were bred the opposite way, hating my beloved Cardinals and everyone's favorite Hawkeyes. So this got me to wondering: would I want Albert Pujols on my team if I were a Cub fan? If I were born and raised to hate Cardinal red and had to put up with this guy killing me every year, taking his team to its 10th World Series title, and getting so much praise, would I want him on my team? If so, what would I give up for him? I remember thinking when Sosa and McGwire were in the midst of their chase for 61 how much I hated Sammy Sosa and how much it would drive me nuts if he got the record. I thought to myself, “I wouldn’t trade a single one of our players for that guy.” I’m sure Cubs fans felt the same way (although we’re not here to talk about the past). So is Albert any different? As a die-hard Cards fan, I want to believe that he is the type of player that can unite baseball fans and spread interest in the game. I would like to think he is a guy that everyone (even the north-siders with new haircuts) can put their faith in and root for. I’m just not sure there’s anyone in today’s game that can do that. Despite putting up arguably the best numbers in history and doing his part off the field, there must be plenty of baseball fans out there that just don’t like the guy, that wouldn’t take him if they had the chance. So what do you think? I know some of you have to be Cubs fans, or Sox fans, or whatever. Would you want the guy on your team? What about Mauer? Who would you prefer? Why? Give us a piece of your mind!

Pages

The Manchise

Links

Mancave

Topics

Privacy Policy

Search The Manchise

ESPN News

NFL News

MLB News

NBA News

College Football News

College Basketball News