PGA Championship Preview

This is it, the final major of the year and this one is just for the big boys. The PGA Championship is this weekend at Hazeltine National Golf Club. For those of you who don’t know the PGA Championship is only for the pros. Armatures are not allowed to play in this weekend’s major, not that it matters because armatures don’t win majors anymore anyways. The PGA Championship is my least favorite major and I have a feeling a majority have the same feeling.

It comes late in the year where most people are occupied with something else, like getting ready for football season (Happy Jay Cutler Day), watching the Cubs make a playoff push (sigh, I can only hope), or getting ready to go back to school (another sigh, I loved syllabus week), and many other things. Point is by this time of year I don’t care as much about this one as I do with the previous majors. Probably the most intriguing storyline, and most likely the only one, is will Tiger Woods go winless in majors for the 2009 season or will he pull it out.

If memory serves me correctly if Tiger doesn’t win this weekend it will be the only 2nd time in his career that he would not win a major in a season. The one thing that might be on Woods side is the fact that he seems to win a major every year, so statistically the odds are in his favor to win this one. What’s not on his side is that he has been inconsistent this year, but we can chalk that up to the knee surgery he had last year. Tiger hasn’t seemed to be able to have every aspect of his game firing on all cylinders during the same weekend. However if he does he will be the favorite, like always.

Some other fun facts you should know about this weekend is that Phil Mickelson will be back playing this weekend. After skipping the British Open to take care of his wife, Mickelson will be trying to add on to his major victories list. He certainly has the ability to win it, as long as he doesn’t do what he did in the US Open when he had the lead. Another fun fact is that all three major winners this year (Angel Cabrera (Masters), Lucas Glover (US), and Stewart Cink (British)) will be in the same group for the first two rounds this weekend.

As for who is going to win this weekend? I think it’s a crap shoot anyone can win it (No not you Sergio), every major winner this year no one really saw coming especially for the first two major winners. With that said I think this year’s PGA Championship winner will be ………….Tiger Woods, why cause I made a bet with Noffke and I want free pizza. Enjoy the weekend.

King Felix vs. Mr. Perfect Game

What a pitching duel tonight! I actually feel like Buehrle has thrown the ball a lot more effectively than Hernandez, and it's been proven now in the 8th, as Felix gives way to relief and Mark sticks around to continue the game.

I tend to really enjoy well-pitched games, and this has definitely been one. Hernandez gets 10 K's to barely survive allowing a whole bunch of hits and four walks, while Buehrle dodges a bullet in that long drive off the bat of Ryan Langerhans early and has pitched out of a few jams himself.

We'll see how much more #56 has in him. It's goose eggs with one out in the bottom of the 8th, and Thornton is up in the 'pen with Ichiro up at the plate. Intentional walk. Buehrle's first of the game.

Great game so far. I love actually being able to watch the Sox. Now let's score a few, guys.

Bears Training Camp Linkage

It looks like this is the guy that won the Bleacher Report/CBSsports job as full time Bears correspondent all year long. Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Gene Chamberlain!

If you click here, you can find his most recent report from Bourbonnais, where the secondary may finally be figuring itself out, at least a little bit. It's really been sounding like all of the coaching focus on D this year (Lovie calling the plays, new position coaches Marinelli and Jon Hoke) may actually pay off.

Here is David Haugh's take on training camp over at the Tribune.

Also, a great interview with My Favorite Bear, LB Lance Briggs, over at ESPN Chicago, by Jeff Dickerson. Some funny stuff on Urlacher and Bob Babich as well as the competition at the other LB spot.

Northwestern Football Update

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/bigten/0-3-841/Wildcats-defense-looks-strong-up-the-middle.html

ESPN's local blogger, Adam Rittenberg, has this piece today about Northwestern's up and coming defense, which has quickly gone from a running joke under Randy Walker (not that we really needed them) to a much more respected, if not yet feared, unit.

Another fun tidbit to open the post; "Leave it to Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, to use a baseball reference to describe the keys to a good defense."

So now the Sox officially have Obama and the best young coach in the BCS in their corner, not to mention Mayor For Life Richard Daley. Pretty impressive fan list.

Rios + Peavy = White Sox

First of all, I would like to say hello to all three readers since I am new here. So, Hello. Second, I would like to discuss the White Sox and their tremendous 11 day span. 11 days ago the White Sox added Cy Young award winning pitcher Jake Peavy. In my opinion, the White Sox fleeced the Padres. The Sox gave up Clayton Richard, a number three is the best he can hope to be in his career, Aaron Poreda, a pitcher with a great first pitch and absolutely nothing else. Adam Russell, Charolette's bullpen may suffer a bit without his presence for the next few years, and Dexter Carter, actually the most talented of the group but still hasn't even seen the big leagues. So, we got Peavy for a handful of replaceable players.

Today, it became official: The White Sox added Alex Rios for absolutely nothing. Last year the Blue Jays said they would trade him for Matt Cain straight up, but anything more and the Jays wouldn't make that trade. This year, they literally give him away. Why? Because his contract is mildly expensive and apparently the Blue Jays are hoping to become the Pirates of the AL.

So, lets sum this up: The White Sox get Alex Rios, two time all-star a good defensive CF, and Jake Peavy, a cy young award winner, for Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, Dexter Jackson, and Adam Russell. Basically, the Sox got two all-stars for one MLB ready player and three question marks. Awesome!

Going to See Another Perfect Game

So guess who’s got tickets to tonight’s White Sox game? That’s right, I will be in attendance in the lower bowl section 142 row 21 seats 1 & 2. You know who is pitching tonight? Mr. Perfect himself Mark Buehrle. Last time Mark and I shared Sox Park together something magical happened. I expect nothing less from tonight’s game. I am going to wear exactly what I wore the last time I attended the game because I do not want to jinks anything. So I’ll be doing my part hopefully Mark will do his.

Quick Hits

Madden and SI

https://subs.timeinc.net/SI/si_madden09.jhtml?experience_id=240551&source_id=1&_requestid=266317&_requestid=266317


The above link is a great deal for Madden and SI lovers. You can get 6 months of SI for $49 and get Madden 2010 for any system free. I already signed up!


If that link doesn’t work try this one sitvoffer.com


Gordon Beckham Jersey

So I have begun an internal debate. Should I get a Gordon Beckham jersey? I have been calling him the team’s savior in a joking matter since spring training, but watching him play and hearing him talk he is quickly becoming one of my favorite White Sox players. I was looking to add one this year and going into the year the leading candidate was Bobby Jenks. Now I’m not so sure. I know he has potential but what if he goes the way of Mark Prior and never amounts to anything. Then it will have to join my Anthony Thomas Bears jersey in my closet that I never wear. If I get Jenks, and he continues to pitch like he’s passing kidney stones (he had two of them, that sucks) I can always lean back on the fact he was the pitcher when the White Sox clinched the World Series.

Now, I know most of you out there know my jersey collection and are thinking, well he bought a Ken Griffey Jr. jersey last year and still wears it, what’d he do for the Sox. Well that was a different scenario. He was my favorite player growing up playing for my favorite team. That was the biggest no brainier Jersey I have ever bought.

So what do you think, is it too soon for a Beckham Jersey?

Here are the other 4 Jersey’s I want to add to my collection.

Fisk: Not sure if the terrible rainbow ones or the classy collar jerseys
Bo Jackson: Just cause he was AWESOME! Does this mean I’m linking Tecmo Bo again? Sure does!

1917 World Series Jersey: I already own 1906 and 2005, I should complete the collection
1919 AL Pennant Jersey: Cause how cool would a Black Sox jersey be.

Hall Of Fame Game

Football returns this weekend. And the peasants rejoiced. The Bills vs the Titans (who will be honor Steve McNair with a helmet decal) will play in the Hall of Fame game this weekend. Every year I tell myself I’m going to watch it, and I rarely do. I will probably watch the opening ceremonies and the first couple of possessions and then flip the channel. Really I’m just glad football is back!