Weekend Watch 04/10/09

I was really tempted to have the following for the Weekend Watch:

Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Masters, ESPN and CBS.


But I thought better of it.

On a quick side note, check out this shootout goal. Thanks to Tim for the link.


ON TO THE WATCH!

Friday

Minnesota Twins @ Chicago White Sox: 7:11 (Helping out the sponsor) Comcast Sports Net

It’ll be good to see the Sox old nemesis’ return to the South Side for the first time since this put them in the playoffs last fall. Hopefully the Sox can get their first series win of the year. I am also interested to see how Jose Contreras will pitch in the number 4 spot. I read a good joke in the Chicago Tribune’s Redeye 5 on 5 today. When asked, “How will ex-Sox player and current Twin Joe Crede be treated at [Comisky] tonight?” Phillip Thompson responded, “He’ll get a pat on the back, which for him could be fatal.”

Who I want to win: Chicago White Sox
Who I think will win: Chicago White Sox

Masters: All Day ESPN

Ahh the masters. “A tradition unlike any other”. The Masters says one thing to me, relaxing and enjoying the nice spring weather. I know the weather doesn’t always cooperate, but relaxing none the less. [The Masters says one thing to me, too: Naptime - mf]

Who I want to win: Greg Norman! Or I guess John Daly (what’s he’s still suspended; he’s just selling his stuff?)
Who I think will win: Fyurk had a good opening round. I’ll go with him.

Saturday

College Football Spring Practice: ESPN

For you college football junkies (Me) ESPN will be broadcasting some of the country’s biggest programs spring practices. Ok so maybe just Fodor and me will be watching this.

Who I want to win: Lights
Who I think will win: Darks


Blackhawks at Red Wings 3 EST WGN

Red Wings and Blackhawks have a home and home to end the season (Also play Sunday 2EST NBCHD). Hawks need 1 more point to lock up the 4 seed. The Redwings have a slim chance of having the number 1 seed in the West, but Sharks could wrap up the president’s cup (Team with most points) tonight. So either game 2 will be very meaningful or not very meaningful

Who I want to win: Blackhawks and Blackhawks
Who I think will win: Redwings and Blackhawks



Bobcats vs Bulls 8:30 EST WGN

The Bulls have been one of the hottest teams of the second half of the season. They have a slim chance of making the 6 seed but are more likely looking to fall into the 7 slot. This could create a matchup against a Garnettless Celtics which might allow the Bulls to steal a game or two.

Who I want to win: Bulls
Who I think will win: Bulls

Sunday

Masters CBS

Come on, it’s Easter Sunday. What else do you do after eating and finding your Easter eggs? The only thing that might draw my attention away from the Masters would be Boston vs Cleveland, but Cleveland is 4 games up right now. So All Day Masters for Steve.

Who I want to win: Greg Norman
Who I think will win: Tiger, but only if he has the lead going into the final round.

HAPPY EASTER!

Indiana University's Memorial Stadium Update

So a friend of mine passed on this link to me today. It’s a video tour of how the construction of the north end zone at Memorial Stadium is progressing. It is coming along nicely and the exterior is expected to be finished by the start of the 2009 football season.

Now a lot of people out there have questioned, “Why, should Indiana University expand their stadium? They don’t sell out games anyways.”

I myself was one of these people. When I heard first word of the potential idea of connecting the east and west parts of the stadium together during my freshman year (2003), my friend Tim and I would joke constantly about how the powers that be wanted IU to have a horseshoe to be just like Ohio State and their horseshoe.

Even with all the joking about comments about the extra seats not being used. The major purpose of building this extension was not for the exterior seating. It was for the internal facilities to help better prepare the team and bring in better recruits.

Some of the new interior features that will draw in new recruits will be; a new 24,000 foot weight room along with space for more classrooms/team meeting rooms as well as an auditorium, which can be used for film study and chalkboard time. Also, the expansion will be new headquarters for Indiana football including new coaches offices. (This and more information can be found here)

Well now that I’ve seen it progress, I have to say it is looking good and it does make the stadium look more stunning and pleasing to the eye.

Along with the more pleasing look of the stadium, the new seats will serve a purpose. I am sure a good portion of those new seats will go unused for many games; however, anytime Purdue, Ohio State or Michigan come to town those seats will be sold out, even if it is to the opposing team’s fans. As bad as it might be to have the stadium filled with opposing teams fans, it is still extra revenue for the athletic department, which it needs, and is a lot better then asking the students for an athletic fee.

All and all I am exited for the new addition to be complete and think it will provide and excellent stepping stone for Indiana Football going forward.

Let me know what you guys think of the new stadium.

White Sox Still Can't Hit

I know the past few weeks Fodor and I have been posting as often as Bill Simmons (ZING!). Hahaha alright on to the article.

NEWS BREAK! The White Sox still can’t hit!

I know it’s a knee jerk reaction to the season but it’s true, our offense looks pretty anemic just like last year. Slow players trotting from base to base requiring 4 hits to score a run. Always a good way to score runs right. Oh and our leadoff hole is a black hole. 0 for the season. [thanks, DeWayne Wise! -mf]

After the first three games it looks a lot like our team from last year. I am here to tell you not to worry though.

1st off, the lead off. I know this team has been looking for a leadoff hitter since Scotty Pods’ injury plagued 2006 campaign. The problem with that is, Sox fans are still looking for some leadoff guy exactly like him. Honestly, take a look around the league. How many legit, base stealing leadoff hitters are there? I would say roughly 10. They are hard to find.

I feel whoever we do bat there, whether it's Getz, Wise, or Anderson, is not going to play like Pods. Once Sox fans start realizing how lucky we were to have Pods, they will soon stop expecting other players to play like him.

Also for those of you who want to bring up Gordon Beckham for leadoff; he’s not a traditional leadoff hitter either. Plus the Sox will not be bringing him up until mid season to have another year of arbitration with him.

The rest of the lineup is as expected, the big power softball team that it was last year. It will probably stay this way for most the season. I know that might bum some of you out, but that’s the current make up of this team. It does have a little more speed/small ball players then last year, but it is what it is.

The thing that has impressed me the most through the first three games is pitching. In three games the Sox have let up a combined 6 runs. That’s with Three Starters and the bull pen. I feel like our pitching can keep us close in games in the beginning of the year that will allow us to have some patience with the lineup to start hitting.

Needless to say, it was a bummer to lose the opening series to the Royals, but don’t worry, there are still 159 games to play.

"Desperation: The New Scent By Jay Cutler"

Thanks to my good friend Alec Kinczewski for this link.

The Tribune's David Haugh took the time and effort to evaluate the top 45 (!!!!) wide receivers in the draft. Think we might need a target?

Some of my favorite guys are Hakeem Nicks at #6, Derrick Williams (from?) at #21, Quan Cosby from Texas at #25, and of course a big shout out to Indiana's Andrew Means at #32.

That being said, I hope we get one of these guys with our third round pick (yeah, we still have one as compensation for losing Berrian last year), grab Duke Robinson with the second rounder, and talk Torry Holt into joining his homey Orlando Pace in Chi-town.

Midweek Update

Thursday, 2am, Bloomington, Indiana

Man oh man, it has been a busy week! Between apartment hunting, work, and classes (no, not the fun kind), I haven't had a chance to get a word in edgewise on the wonderful world of sports.

So to all three of you that read the Superstar daily (I'm including myself here), sorry. I swear, updates will be more frequent.

Anyway.

My thoughts on the Final Four are pretty simple. First off, this North Carolina team proved itself, very thoroughly, to be the best in college basketball this year. Their path to the championship took them through Radford, the best of the low seeds along with East Tennessee State (who gave Pitt a scare), LSU (ranked in the top twenty), Gonzaga (over-rated! but another highly ranked team), Oklahoma and Blake 'The Beast' Griffin, a Villanova team that looked like world beaters, and finally a very tough and balanced Spartans squad.

Name me a team that had a tougher road than that. And they won by an average of 20.6ppg. I read that somewhere. So congratulations to Psycho T, Super Calm Ty, and the rest of the 2009 'Heels. You earned your place in history.

Secondly, all the Big Ten haters need to take a step back and look at what this conference accomplished in the postseason.

The eighth best team, Penn State, merely went out and won the NIT after being snubbed from the tourney. The only teams to fall in the first round of the Big Dance were Illinois, which caught a bad break playing an excellent Western Kentucky squad, and Ohio State, which caught an equally bad break in the form of the extremely competent Siena Saints.

Michigan and Wisconsin both pulled upsets against higher seeded ACC teams in round one. Purdue looked great while taking down Washington in the round of 32. And Michigan State took a sledgehammer to hyped Big East squads Louisville and Connecticut. Is that really a down year?! I don't think so.

In other news, I want to preview the next few weeks of Armchair Superstar action. I think Noffke might agree that we'd be up for adding another writer, so if you're interested, let us know! The NFL Draft is sneaking up here at the end of the month. Obviously that is very exciting. Hopefully we'll have a mock up soon.

Also, the Bulls are marching into the playoffs and I would love to see them match up against the wounded Boston Celtics. Any playoff experience is good experience for young guys like Rose, Thomas, and even Del Negro.

Finally, baseball has kicked off, signalling the start of warm weather and lazy days. I pity everybody that works in an office! Thank goodness for fantasy teams to keep you busy in there, huh? Mine (team, not office) is looking strong thus far, even though Lincecum put up a stinker in his first game - 3 IP? Whoah.

And of course, our Top Ten Moments Countdown (much delayed) should be getting a move on again any day now.

That's all from B-town. Go Sox, Go Bulls, and please, Spirit of George Halas, keep Cutler and the O-Line healthy!

UNC: GREATEST EVER!?

(Update) See the picture, that is a screen shot of ESPN.com at 12:21 PM the day after they won. Mmaybe the worldwide leader is becoming predictable. But the article that accompanies this image agrees with what I was saying last night; That they are a good team, but not an elite team. Good read though. -SN

I can already picture ESPN debating this all day tomorrow starting with Mike and Mike in the morning through the evening Sportscenter.

Right now it's almost half time and I am here to say even if UNC wins by 50 they are not the best team ever. Yes I know they are looking to win ever game in the NCAA tournament by at least 12 but they are not the best team not even close.

Here are some teams off the top of my head.

1976 Hoosiers who went undefeated

but i still don't think they can match the Bill Walton and Lou Alcindor's UCLA teams that won something insane like 60 some games in a row. Those are elite teams. This UNC team is good, but not in thier competition.

Other teams I would take over this team

80's Georgetown
Early 90s UNLV
Early 90s Duke
Mid 00s Florida teams

Heck they aren't even in my top 2 UNC's schools of all time. I would take that stacked 82 Champions or the 2005 team over these guys.

Alright, feel free to hate on me below.