...to Be a Cub

... Waveland Avenue. 'the Friendly Confines', ivy on outfield walls, 'Hey, hey..!! ', 'It might be, it could be...', 1969, 1984... Many words, phrases, and years evoke only one place and one team for a baseball fan ...Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs.

When you add the names ...Brickhouse, Williams, Santo, Sandberg, Caray, Smith, Durham, Sutcliffe, Dawson, Maddux, Wood, Zambrano ...when you add the remembrances of these individuals, and many more, sharing their experiences as a Chicago Cub ...there is no doubt What It Means to Be a Cub will be a paean to the life of a Cubs player and others closely associated with the team.

Photo credit: flickr user wfbakker2 via Wikimedia Commons

Read more about What It Means to Be a Cub on Epinions dot com.



...tom...
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Quarterback Abstract

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I am a fan of books that list or compile or compare ...places to visit, best books, words to know, etc.. When you start comparing 'this' to 'that' ...in a heartbeat 'my guy is better than your guy' breaks out and soon David is slinging a stone at Goliath. Fast forward several thousand years, mix in competitive sports ...and the 'Manning vs Brady vs Favre' discussion/argument is on.


"The quarterback has been the pivotal position in football since the 1940s ... Since 1950, 339 men have started at least 10 games at the position. Quarterback Abstract has gathered them all, along with 27 notable pre-1950 QBs."
--Back cover blurb, Quarterback Abstract

Photo credit: bk-robat at flickr dot com

John Maxymuk, librarian and author, has published eight books about professional football. Quarterback Abstracts demonstrates he knows how to collect data, crunch numbers, express opinions, and have fun as a 'sports writer'. All resulting in a 'very helpful' pro football resource book ...one that is fun to read.





Please check out the rest of my review of Quarterback Abstract on Epinions dot com.



...tom...
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One of Iowa's finest...

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One of Iowa's finest goes home...

" 'He was the best pitcher I ever faced,' Ted Williams once told me. 'He was the hardest thrower I ever faced, and he had the best curveball. I hit him pretty good, but he was great.' "

--Tim Kurkjian at sports.espn.go

Photo credit: clevelandseniors.com

This is too soon following the recent loss of Ron Santo. Another legend of the game gone from our lives and from baseball.


Rest easy Mr. Feller, rest easy my friend.



...tom...
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A sad day in Wrigleyville...

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Photo credit: flickr user wfbakker2 via Wikimedia Commons

Rest easy Mr. Santo, rest easy my friend.



...tom...

I remember like...

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I remember like it was yesterday...

American League Rookie of the Year in 1970.

Seven-time All-Star.

Runaway AL MVP in 1976.


I hated the NY Yankees ...still do. But I admired the talent, play, and heart of one Thurman Munson.


Thirty years ago today he died when his private jet crashed as he was making a series of practice landings.

Image source: wallyg at flickr.com

Image source: NY Daily News

Rest in peace, Thurman. You are gone but definitely not forgotten.


...tom...

Short ESPN video remembering Thurman.

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RIP Wayman...

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Yet another great human being passes too soon due to cancer.

Image source: www.champoli.com

Wayman Tisdale, first team All-American in basketball at the University of Oklahoma. Olympic gold medalist in 1984. NBA player for a dozen years. Public Servant. Prolific smooth jazz bass guitarist.

You will be missed.






...tom...
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The hyperbole of LeBron...

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" James nearly averaged a triple-double -- 32 points, 11.3 rebounds and 7.5 assists -- as the top-seeded Cavaliers breezed through the first round of the playoffs, ... "

OK, we can agree LeBron James is the class of the NBA this season. Just named MVP of this 2008-2009 season and having already finished second in the race for defensive player of the year, no one is the equal of Lebron right now.

Image source: Craig Hatfield via flickr dot com

So is the hyperbole of Associated Press writer Tom Withers quoted above really necessary..?? 'Nearly averaged a triple-double'..?!? Uhmm ...7.5 assists per game is a long way from the 10 assists per game that would earn that 'triple double' note.

If a NBA player scored 30 points, would you say he nearly scored 40 points..?? I do not think so. If a horse lost the Belmont Stakes by twenty lengths, would you say he nearly won the Triple Crown..?? Even if the horse had won the first two races..?? I do not think so.

No matter how you want to look at it, 7.5 is a long way from 10.


LeBron is good enough to not need overblown hyperbole to note his level of performance. Tell us what he did, not what he almost 'but really did not come close' did.


That said, I am looking forward to watching him continue at a high level through the Cleveland Cavalier's playoff run.



...tom...
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SI covers me in memories...

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We all have memories that take us back to a place or a time as if it were playing out in front of our eyes.

A song can dredge up a memory of that high school love that got away.

A smell can bring back the memory of Gramma's pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving or the smell of that once-special girl's hair.

The sight of the sun sinking into the sea can bring back the memory of that weekend at the beach.

First SI issue, August 16, 1954

For many sports fans memories are full of sports moments: football games, baseball games, college basketball. Sometimes those moments were shared by thousands in the stands, or perhaps just a few buddies in a living room or den, or even an afternoon watching by yourself.

For all the major sporting events over the last 50 years-plus the writers and photographers of Sports Illustrated, SI, have been there documenting the sights, sounds, and action.



Sports Illustrated Covers

You can jog many of your own sports memories by checking out the SI covers page at the SI website.


At that page there are various options to choose. You can choose to look at the 'Editor's Picks' or 'Most Popular' or 'the Latest' to start. There are also covers from various times in the past ( 5 Years Ago, 10 Years Ago, etc. ) down the page.

I know there used to be page where thumbnails of multiple pages were available for browsing. But dang if I could find it now.

Every issue's cover is still available by simply picking a cover and flipping either forward or back in time using the Next or Previous buttons. Indeed once you notice the numbers changing in the page URL you can jump forward or backward by changing the URLs.

Once at a particular cover page you can choose to read the articles in that issue or browse the actual issue itself in a separate reader window, if it is available. The old ads are fascinating..!




Sweet, sweet swimsuit issues, covers, and pics..!!

Every cover published is available. Including all the swimsuit covers...

The first one, published in 1964, was originally just a one-shot deal. But the popularity of it led to a repeat the next year ... and the rest is history as they say.

Of course, you can browse to the next few issues and read the 'swimsuit response letters' that have become such an SI legend after each issue. ...lol... indeed.

First swimsuit issue, January 20, 1964

The Bottom Line

The archives at SI dot com are a real treasure for any sports fan. Treat yourself to a few minutes of browsing through your own sports memories.


...tom...
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Mapping your NFL Sundays...

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Every weekend from September through December the NFL fan, hardcore or casual, is at the mercy of network and local station decisions about what particular NFL games they will be able to watch that Sunday.

In 2002 NFL and New England Patriots fan J.P. Kirby first began compiling data on what games were being shown in what cities. From various TV network sites and independent 'channel guide' sites he was able to determine what affiliates in what city were showing which games. Compiling them onto a map for easy visual reference he took his 'hobby' to the web in 2005 and the interest has grown each year.


Perhaps the biggest impediment to his creating the maps each year is the 'blackout rule' the NFL imposes on cities/areas where the local game is not sold-out 72 hours before kickoff.



Primary and secondary market designations all factor into what games get shown where. J.P. discusses this and more at his website, the506 dot com, and in an interview with Yahoo Picks in 2007.





If you are looking for a quick check of the games in your area on Sunday the site is a great resource to have available. It also will help keep you aware of what your online buddies and family around the country are seeing each weekend.


Definitely a site worth checking out for any NFL fan who watches games on TV.


...tom...
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Game on...

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It is finally here: college football 2008..!!


Fourteen games tonight in Division 1-A and probably that many more in the other divisions to fill out the evenings schedule. And many more to follow through the rest of the weekend..!!




All the prognosticating is over, no more pre-season hype, and unrealistic expectations ...well maybe some until the first games are played out.

Time for the tailgaiting to begin and the parties to commence..!!

Time for cheerleaders and marching bands and rivalries being turned up to a rolling boil.

Time for first downs, completed passes, and touchdowns.

Time for sacks in the backfield, dropped balls, and turnovers.

Time for cheerleaders and silly mascots, game-dates and bringing the kids.

Time to get it on..!!

(edited to note: Gee. I mentioned 'cheerleaders' twice. Imagine that.)











Yahoo..!! 'Hook 'em Horns' and 'Roll Tide' and 'Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk' ..!!

This is gonna be fun...



...tom...
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