Let's Ride - Fred Faulkner's Blog About the Road Called Life

o unless you were hiding under a rock on Sunday and Monday, you already know that Chicago didn't win Super Bowl XLI. Yep, we had several issues in which we got beat by a good Indianapolis Colts team. I'll admit it, the Colts played well. They capitalized on our defense weaknesses which kept them on the field twice as long as our offense who couldn't seem to get in any rhythm to save our lives. The most exciting part of the game was definitely the first 30 seconds when Devin Hester ran the opening kick-off back 92 yards for a TD. Surprisingly we were really still in the game until the 4th quarter, which leads me to believe that while we played bad, we are still a great team. Thus the title of this post. Folks, we've tasted the Kool-Aid and I guarantee it won't be something that goes away for a while.

So what is it going to take to make sure we see Super Bowl XLII? Well I'm no expert, but at this stage in the game, who cares. I'm a fan and I'm entitled to an opinion just like everyone else. So here is my list of what the off-season must bring for the Bears to be right back in it next season.

1. Get Lovie that contract! Pay him what he is worth. He took us to back-to-back NFC North titles, an NFC championship, and to the Super Bowl. Let this man finish the job by winning the title.
2. Resign players like Lance Briggs and Thomas Jones (although that might not happen). Keep that defensive line in tact as much as possible and lets develop a back-field with Jones and Benson much like Indy has Rhoades and Aidai.
3. Rex, Rex, Rex. Ok, buddy, I'm going to chalk up this season as truly your rookie year. The fact that you won that many games only proves to me that you are as good as Kyle Orton (who went 10-2 when you were hurt). You got that far because you had a good team backing you up. That's not to say that you can't do better. And that's exactly how you should see it. How can I do better next year? So from the arm-chair quarterback to you, here is your homework assignment for the off-season:
• Practice that Center/QB hand-off. There is NO reason why you continue to have issues with that in key games.
• Learn how to use the Shotgun offense. Your consistent 3-5 step drop just keeps you way to one-dimensional.
• Learn to roll out of the pocket naturally, not like you are running for your life.
• DON'T READ YOUR RECEIVER THE ENTIRE WAY. Why don't we just put a big red bulls eye on the intended target here. Every good linebacker can read your eyes and pick up who you are going to throw to. You need to learn how to read your other options, even if it is to fake out the other team. That is a classic rookie/college QB mistake.
• Continue to learn from each play. What does Peyton do that not many other QBs do after they get off the field, they head straight for the bench, get a set of printouts from the last set possession and analyze the defense and the run breakdown. Why? Because he can make adjustments and expose the weaknesses of his opponent. Learn from that!
• Make confident decisions, even if they are wrong. But don't make stupid mistakes, like throwing into double coverage when if you looked right you had a receiver wide open. Or run for a few yards yourself instead of always wanting to pass the ball.
4. Ron Turner, you need to work with Rex all off-season. Half of the reason why Rex was having difficulty is because you lack confidence in what he can do. The more you work with him on your playbook, the better he will be. Period. You only get one more season in my book too. And please, for the love of Pete, take that stupid screen pass out of the playbook if you can't execute it right. When you are 3rd and 7, don't throw a screen pass!!
5. The Defense needs to learn how to adjust the Tampa 2. What Peyton exposed on Sunday was that we can't adjust for when there is an arsenal on the field. Peyton had people to throw to, but we constantly played 10-15 yards off each receiver. I could have drove a tank through some of the holes you left for receivers to get the pass.

Overall, I've been very happy watching the Bears this last season and I look forward to next season as well. I think we have a real shot at making a great run for the next few seasons. We are a young team and have a lot of potential. That being said, here are some marching orders for Lovie, Ron Turner and Ron Riveria. Boys, its all about the "W". Do what ever it takes to get it. And in this case, loyalty to certain players can only go so far. Sticking by Rex all season was admirable, but in all honesty, if bad Rex was showing up, Brian Griese should have been thrown in to get the win. Period. Work on the mistakes in practice and let Rex try again. I know the adage of "working through the problems" but your season is only 16 weeks long. It is tough to work through the problems if the problems are bigger than a single bad game. The city of Chicago will have little patience for loyalty when it is clear that by making a line-up adjustment we can get a "W". Remember that.

So Bear Down and look out for next season. Peyton Manning already said he'll be back in Indy in March starting to work on next season. Rex, where will you be in March?

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 6:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The stage is set: Bears vs. Colts. Should be a great game. Can't wait to see Urlacher sack Manning's ass during the Super Bowl. For all the naysayers about the Bears winning today....well, I guess we showed you. GO BEARS!

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

By the end of today we will know who is going to the Super Bowl. So will it be a Super Bowl XX reunion? Bears vs. Patriots?

Many are rooting for the Saints and the Colts. Why? Well the Cinderella story of the Saints is not something to put aside. It would be historic. Then there is Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady. Brady has won three Super Bowls. Manning....none.

It will be a difficult day for both teams. Chicago is at home and the weather is cold and snowy. The new turf is slick and has proven to be a threat to both teams. Manning has a home field advantage. Brady will have to be on his "A" game to win in Indy.

Regardless, today is going to be a great day for football.

Update: SUPER BOWL BABY!! Look out Miami, the Bears are coming to town! WOO HOO! And just to remind you (thanks Marc for the reminder). What was the talk in week 3?? Yeah, I thought so. The are who we thought they were.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The LA Galaxy is the pround new owner of one of the most popular athletes in the world, David Beckham.  Not only is this "posh" 31 year old going to score big in the U.S., the MLS and LA Galaxy are banking on it to bolster the visibility of Soccer in the States. 

Backham has played for two of the most premiere clubs in Europe (Real Madrid and Manchester United) and according to the press release:

"I am proud to have played for two of the biggest clubs in football and I look forward to the new challenge of growing the world's most popular game in a country that is as passionate about its sport as my own."

The MLS and the LA Galaxy are banking some big bucks too on this.  Bechkham will score $250 Million over five years for his efforts.  For someone who played soccer growing up, I am excited to see this happen and I hope the efforts pay off.  I think the U.S. can get more behind soccer.  I look forward to a hopeful stop in Chicago this fall to see him play the Chicago Fire.   

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It has become my favorite time of year.  The time of year when the weather turns a little colder where you can leave the windows open at night.  The time of season where I know what I’ll be doing every Sunday from 12:00 – 11:00 at night.  The time of season where pizza, beer, peanuts, chips & salsa, and a plethora of dips flourish.  Yes, it is football season.  And with football season comes fantasy football, the game of strategy, cursing, and irrelevant point scoring.  This year I will be participating in two leagues again.  One league, BUFL(Bradley University Fantasy League) season 2 hosted by my friend Brad and includes many of my college friends.  I’m taking on that league as Joliet Jake, paying homage to the city I recently moved to made famous by the Blues Brothers and a very old castle styled prison featured in Prison Break (not the one where John Wayne Gacy was at, that’s across the rive on the west side of Joliet).  Our draft for BUFL was this weekend and I did fairly well.  I should give a lot of teams a run for their money.   We play head-to-head scoring in this league which makes it interesting vs. the other league I’m in. 

And speaking of that other league, we do our live draft tonight.  This league is run by my wife’s friends, in which we play as a team.  The biggest difference between this league and BUFL is that we have fewer teams, and more players per team.  This gives us more options for points each week and if someone goes down hurt in a game we are not hosed for the entire week.  We also don’t play head-to-head because it doesn’t make sense the small league. 

Overall, this season should be interesting with all the moves in the off-season.  Between the coaching and player moves to different teams nothing will be as we think.  I have a feeling that the old stand-by’s like Brett Farve and Daunte Culpepper will not be as effective this year. Even Payton Manning will have issues I think.

So let the smack talking start.  It is going to be a great season!

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 7:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 5:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's official, Mr. Paxon has done some remarkable reshuffling this off season and leveraged his draft picks accordingly to position the  Bulls for a great upcoming season(s).  The biggest addition comes from Mr. Big Ben Wallace from the Detroit Pistons. He has signed up to grow some horns out of that fro of his and become a Chicago Bull.  The departure of Tyson Chandler to the Charlotte helped make room for Wallace’s killer $60M/4 year contract, and we picked up two players in return as well. Add Wallace to our starting five and I think we have the making of a great team.  The biggest questions are how deep the bench is and how long it will take the young Bulls team to learn from Wallace’s past Finals experience to show for it?  I have a feeling though that just the arrival of Ben Wallace will give Chicago something to talk about and the energy inside the United Center is going to be nothing but amazing come opening night. 

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Chicagoist reports that the Chicago Fire won their home opener in their brand new stadium in Bridgeview. I was extremely disappointed in the U.S.'s showing at the World Cup over the last two weeks, so to see the local team open up the second half of the season with a "W" is great. I hear they have some parking issues to fill the 20,000 seat stadium (and yes, they sold out for their first home game and I exptect more sellouts). So I might not head to a game until next year when they get their new parking deck (rumored). The multipurpose stadium gives not only Chicagoans a new place to see great soccer, but also a new concert venue as well. The party deck at Toyota Field turns into a stage for concerts and the B96 B-Bash will be there later this summer.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 9:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It is that time of year...round one of the Crosstown Classic. The Chicago Cubs head to the South Side to take on the World Series Champs, the Chicago White Sox. It is a love hate relationship for me. I really enjoy watching the Sox play. I've been to more Sox games over the last three years than heading up to the Friendly Confines. I also know more of the Sox players than the Cubs...which is blasphemy!! So who do I hope wins...at this point I hope the Cubs win because they need the momentum. It is our dream World Series here in Chicago. Of course the roots of the rivalry goes beyond just what side of town you live on. It is cultural. Traditions are made and continued by these three (six total) games. So round one starts at 3:05 today. GO CUBS!!

Update: Sox won 6 to 1. Buerhle goes complete game.
Update 2: Sox whipped up on the Cubs in Game 2 with a 7-0 shut out. Hey, but we got a good punch in.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 1:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Wow...only four people out of the more than 1.5 million people who submitted brackets in ESPN's bracket pool had the final four picked correctly. FOUR?! Well who really would have picked George Mason? Apparently four people. Wow...

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 7:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It was an unfortunate night for the Braves last night. While we all had our hopes of continuing the dance to the Elite Eight, the cards were just not in our hand. But that is not to say that it wasn't a fun ride and one without success. Rather we can look at this experience as one to hopefully repeat next year. I don't think our bid, nor success, in the NCAA tournament was by "chance". I think we really have the talent to be there. We will have a strong team returning next year and this effort has done nothing but raise the awareness of every high school kid looking for a great education and a great basketball program in the same spot. We should do well in recruiting for next year.

The greatest thing that has come out of this run is that now The Valley won't be written off as a second rate conference. Mid-major, second tier....whatever. The Valley has talent and can compete. End of story.

So we look forward to next year (it sounds so Cubs cliche) because we don't have a football team to cheer on in the fall. There is always soccer, the other team at Bradley. We can also hope we don't get on the cover of SI again...stupid curse.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 7:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It has been one hell of a ride watching the good ole alma mater make it's run in the NCAA tournament. After a whirlwind weekend of beating Kansas and Pittsburgh, tonight we face the toughest challenge yet, #1 seed Memphis. I have confidence though. Even if we lose, it won't be a blowout. OK, that isn't confidence. So how about WE'RE GONNA WIN!! Look out Elite Eight!

As you see, I added the cover image of Sports Illustrated that hit newstands today. I have three copies of the issue already and I will probably pick up a few more for friends who don't live in the area. This is one of six regional covers they put out. Image is via the Bradley Athletics' Web site.

So find your favorite bar tonight and cheer on the Braves. You have no other local team to root for anyway!

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are some links to the recent articles about Bradley and their tromp into the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

Bradley 101: Spreading the news 1 upset at a time - Chicago Tribune (free reg. req.)
Braves go from Valley periphery to Sweet 16 - ESPN
Braves' New World - Fox Sports

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Not everyone gets a sweet sixteen party. Bradley hasn't had one in over 40 years...until now. Bradley brought it again today to the NCAA tournament and defeated Pittsburgh in typical Bradley fashion. Similar to Friday's game, Bradley dominated most of the game only relenquishing the lead a few times and nothing over four or five points. Patrick O'Bryant controlled the lane and dropped his free throws when we needed them. Marcellus Sommerville added 18 points and huge leadership when we needed it most. Overall the team played their ball game again and our opponent didn't know how to react.

We now face Memphis on Thursday sometime. The cinderella run continues. GO BU! GO GO BU!

ESPN: Braves go from Valley periphery to Sweet 16
Bradley U: Sweet 16 Bound, Braves Down Pitt 72-66

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What was that last night?! It had to be one of the most intense games of college BB that I have seen in a long time. What an upset! That game alone probably screwed up a bunch of brackets. It was such a fun game to watch...if you are a Bradley fan. Honestly, I don't think Kansas show up. And how horrible is it to be knocked out of the NCAA tournament two years in a row by lower seeds? After leading the entire game the end got interesting, but I think we got a little tired too. That was a very intense game of back and forth. We dropped three's like they were hot patatos and in the first half alone had 17 points on turnovers to Kansas's 0.

We played smart ball at the end of the day. We played our game of defense and had them on their heels the entire game. The only lead that Kansas had was during one of 14 (??) commercial breaks. Go BU, Go GO BU!

Bring it on Pittsburgh! We're comin' for you on Sunday! Oh, and nobody call me from 12-3 on Sunday. I won't answer my phone.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

WOO HOO! Look out Auburn Hills, the Braves are coming to town! The NCAA announced their seeding last night for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and Bradley won an at-large bid in the Oakland Bracket. This is Bradley's first appearance since the '95-'96 season, the year before I attended. It is exciting to see Bradley do well, but this road is not one without its hurdles. We are facing Kansas, a #4 seed and a team that some think will make it down to the final four. Can we commit an upset against the Blue Jays? Here's what some of the major sports outlets are saying:

FoxSports – Bradley Team Capsule
ESPN Anlysis

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bradley Update. Well we had a great first half of the MVC Final game yesterday, but our second half was less than desireable. I actually departed from the TV at half-time to go see a local St. Patrick's day parade (yes, it is two weeks before the actual day). When I returned to see us behind I was shocked! We tried to put on a comeback after a scary fall by a Southern Ill. cheerleader, but that was shortlived. While we did lose, it is clear that Bradley, and The Valley, is a force to be reckoned with. From everything I've been reading about "the bubble" and bracketology on EPSN and FoxSports we should get an invite to the NCAA tournament. The Valley is looking to get FOUR bids. So Southern is in, and Bradley should be in. So now it is a toss up whether Northern Iowa, Creighton, or Missouri State are fighting for the last two spot. Plus, that number could go down depending on how many upsets happen in other conferences. So here is to crossing our fingers for BU.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ok, I'm just practicing. But there is some validity to my statement. It is March Madness season and the Missouri Valley Conference is a force to be reckoned with. Thirty NBA scouts attended the MVC Men's Basketball tournament this weekend. THIRTY! That is a record from what I'm reading on ESPN. My alma mater, Bradley, is on the bubble and we are looking to make a run for the dance. We play Wichita State today, a first seed in our conference. We beat Creighton yesterday which makes us contenders to get a bid. If we beat Wichita State (Wichita isn't a state!) today, we've got a really good chance of getting a NCAA bid.

How good is the MVC? Well we are looking at getting four bids this year. Looks like the little brother of the big leagues like the Big 10 and SEC is finally growing up.

Update: Bradley beat Wichita State today! A #5 seed takes down the #1 and is one step closer to an NCAA bid. We play Sourthern Illinois tomorrow at 1:00 on ESPN.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

First and foremost, congrats on your medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics. You did a great job in your events and deserve them. What you do need, however, is a little advice on how to calm your ego and get some training on how to deal with the media. Because, quite frankly, you are making Chicago seem like it brews egotistical athletes.

So that whole "I don't want to compete in a team event" thing is a crock. I've raced in competitive sports and to add one race, not on the same day as any other event is not going to kill you. Especially when you could get a Gold Medal out of it. Chad had ever right to be mad at you. There is no "I" in TEAM my friend, and you are part of the U.S. Olympic TEAM.

OK, so now some training on how to deal with the media. It seems you need a little lesson. Not that I'm an expert, but I sure know how the media loves to create controversy when there is no other story to be had. Bode Miller was long over by the time your deal came around. First and foremost, if you want a longer career, endorsements, and sponsorships, play fair, even if you don't like anyone else. Congratulate someone, wish them the best, something. Don't go numb and all negative when asked about "how did you think Chad did?" respond with some idiotic response. The first time might be forgivable, but the second time–DING, there goes the Nike deal. Third time–DING, there goes the Wheaties box. Get the point.

What is a shame is that it took Chad to be the “man” and shake your hand. How is that going to look for the kids back home that look up to you? Nice role model.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kyle, this post is for you. I've watched you do great things at Purdue, and I was extremely excited when you got drafted to the Bears. What was really exciting was to see you grow over the last 14 weeks as you were thrust into the starting QB position. I know it can't be easy. The play action must go by at 100mph when you are on the field. It certainly looks fast on television. I just want you to know, I got your back.

While Rex might have taken over the starting job now, this doesn't mean you should get down on yourself. You did your job--win games. Now let's prove to the world why you are good. Work with Turner and your QB coach to get used to the pocket. Ask for advice from Rex, who has three years experience--albeit only six "real" games though. He obviously is more comfortable there than you are. All I'm saying is take this opportunity to hone your skills and be ready to prove that if Rex goes down again (what are the chances...really...) that you can step in and hit Muhammed on your first pass. That you can find the lane and hit your receiver without flinching. That you can step into a tackle to make that spectacular pass to Berrian or Clark. You still have a lot of fans in Chicago. Don't let the Rex train bring you down.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So the Chicago Bears lost their way yesterday.  The Pittsburgh Steelers broke the Bear's eight game winning streak with a ego blowing 21 to 9 win.  They say the defense wins games, and our defense happened to not make the trip to the land of steel on Sunday.  The Bears couldn't throw a tackle to save their lives and that utlimately made the difference.  That and the fact that "the bus" was up and running full speed ahead.  Jerome Bettis was phenomenal yesterday plowing through the defensive line like he was a bowling ball hitting strikes all day long for a perfect 300 game.  In fact, Bettis did run for over 100 yards, his 61st in his career.

What was encouraging, if there is a silver lining on this game, was that Kyle Orton did improve.  He still has to control the height of his throws and lead his wide receivers better, but he did connect with Musin Muhammed eight times that showed signs of his days at Purdue.  Coming into the fourth quarter Orton launched a great pass to Desmond Clark that got every Bears fan up on their feet.  Then with no hesitation launched another bomb to Bernard Berrian who caught an amazing ball that was destined for an interception putting the Bears on the one yard line setting up Thomas Jones for a TD.  While that was by far the most exciting drive of the game, it made us all think that Orton can lead the this team to great things with the right arsenal of receivers and some more practice.

The Chicago Bears fall to 9 and 4, but we arn't out yet.  Next week we meet the Atlanta Falcons at home for an ESPN night game.  Hopefully our defense will feel more comfortable at home for our last home game of the regular season. Then we head up to Lambeau to meet the Packers on Christmas Day and then to Minnesota to take on the improved Vikings for our final game.  I see the post-season in our future.  The question will be how far can we go?

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 7:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So the Chicago Bears continue their winning streak with a defeat over their arch rival, the Green Bay Packers. I didn't get to watch the entire game, but from what I saw, the Bears defense shows up big one more time. Vasher and friends delivered another pain-staking blow to the Packers' already woeful season (one I'm sure Brett Farve wishes would end sooner than later). The Bears "D" created some spectacular turnovers in which the Bears capitalized on, though not in ways we all wish they could have. What does that mean? Well, while I will accept 3 points on a field goal instead of no points at all, the Bears should have converted what was two field goals into two touchdowns.

I like Kyle Orton. I like what he did with Purdue and I like what he has been able to do with the Bears. BUT, and this is a big but, he still has a long way to go. And until then, the Bears defense is their biggest asset. Kyle, I know you have been watching tape. I know you have been practicing a lot and I will say that you have made a lot of improvement from pre-season. What you still need to learn is not to watch your intended receiver from the get go! It is a typical rookie mistake. Carson Palmer had the same problem. You need to be able to scan the field, know where the defense is coming from, and deliver the ball on target to your receivers without giving your target away too early. You should be connecting with Musin Muhammed more. You should be connecting with Bobby Wade more. You have the right weapons with Thomas Jones and Adrien Peterson. You have to take command and deliver appropriately. You're on your way, you just need to keep at it and your team will come together.

So with a season that is wrapping up to be a winner, there is commentary at how good the Bears really are. IS their defensive line as good as the '85 Bears? Um...no. Statistically they are better, but I think they have had an easier schedule comparatively speaking. Don't get me wrong, I love our defense and it reminds me of the days when we used we called the Monsters of the Midway. I think we are monsters this year and we prove it each week. However, schedules do dictate how good or bad a team is. We still have to face the Packers again on Christmas day, the Minnesota Vickings, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons still. Anything can happen on any given Sunday. So keep up the good work Chicago Bears. Make our city proud and keep winning!

Oh, and Kyle, shave the scruff dude. You look like you don't have a home.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have a bird's eye view of the location for the White Sox rally today. I'll be periodically taking photos and posting them up to my Flickr account. Access through the photostream box on the right (or for the aggregator readers, click this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/letsride/56868690/in/set-1231849/) I will also be attending the rally (it is only two blocks away), so more to come.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sox 1, Astros 0

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 12:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Game Three of the World Series was the longest in history, with one more historical moment to come: One team winning two games in the same day. It took to the wee hours of the this morning for the Sox to wrap up Game 3, and I just couldn't make it. I peetered out at about the middle of the 12th inning. But when I woke up at about 2:30 with the TV still on, it had been made apparent that the Sox had won. I could rest easy for the next two and a half hours before I had to get up to go to work.

Today's Headlines

Chicago Sun Times: AT LONG LAST
Blum HR in 14th ends marathon, puts Sox on brink of 1st World Series title in 88 years

Chicago Red Eye: TEXAST TOAST
Chicago 1 win away from title after surviving 14 innings

Now my body mandates I consume a lot of coffee.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's Official: I'm a fare weather fan. Really though, I'm a Chicago fan. And yesterday was a great day for Chicago fans. The Bears won and the Chicago White Sox are headed to the World Series! Not since 1959 have they made it back and not since 1917 have they won it. It has been a grueling last week watching the Sox win four of their last five games against the Los Angeles/Anaheim (I can't pick a town) Angels. A great game again last night with Joe Crede hitting a three shot home run in the third inning to put the Sox ahead of the Angels.

I will have to admit, I was not a big fan of Contreras last night. I thought Ozzie should have yanked him after the fifth (??) inning. Contreras lost it for the Sox in game one, and I thought our bullpen (yes, we have one despite popular belief) could have cleaned things up for us. But Contreras stuck it out and went a complete game, making history for a team to go four complete games (let alone each one a win).

So what's up next? Who's up next? Well it will either be the Astros or the Cardinals. If the Cardinals win, it will be hard for any die hard Cub fan not to root for the Sox, and only for the reason because they can't root for the Cardinals. That series could be decided later tonight. History could be written again in four more games. I won't call sweep, but it will be a great series.

A quick note regarding the Bears against the Vikings. Chicago defense showed up in regular fashion. Thomas Jones pounded through the Vikings defense to score a few touchdowns, and Kyle Orton looked better than the week before. One of these days he will air out that long ball and it will be caught for a spectacular touchdown. Oh, and you have to give it up for the Special Teams unit for some great punt returns, including one for a touchdown.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Could tonight bring Chicago a World Series birth? Could it happen? Even as a Cubs fan (more a Chicago fan), I think tonight is the night...and the game starts in 8 min. Stay tuned. If this series has anything to show for it, the game will be impossible to tear away from. Could we see a 4th consecutive complete game? Will there be another "close call?" Good to know that the ALCS isn't the only series with controversy. Did you see that strike zone tonight during the NLCS game? Tony La Russa kicked out?! Wow...

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 7:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My college friend Marty ran the LaSalle Chicago Marathon this last weekend. 26.2 miles. Very impressive for anyone. I ran a half marathon last year and wanted to do it again this year, but my procrastination got the best of me. Marty asked me if I wanted to run the full marathon, but I just seem to have problems finding time to train with my already long work day. Somehow Marty did figure it out and I'm proud of him. Marty finished in 4:39:29, and placed 21055 overall (out of a field of 40,000). WAY TO GO MARTY!

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

AL Central Champs sweep the defending champions the Boston Red Sox. The White Sox haven't won a post season series since 1917! And to SWEEP! Unbelievable. ESPN said it best "Whitewashed!" Congrats to the White Sox and congrats to Chicago. We need some sports motivation. Cubs...Tribune...are you watching??

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 6:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The good news for all you Colts fans out there is that this isn't true, at least for the real Peyton Manning. What the title true for me is that until Peyton can perform better than his brother, Manning will sit the bench in my Fantasy Football League while his little brother gets the nod to start. I had the glory of a first draft pick and I chose Peyton. To this day he has only accumulated about 10 Fantasy points overall for three weeks. THREE WEEKS! I keep putting my faith in my only quarter back that Peyton will connect to Reggie Wayne or Stoklie for some TDs. Nope, Peyton can't seem to throw the ball well at all. If he gets some decent yardage, an interception will throw all the points down the drain. Meanwhile, little brother Eli has been racking up some decent (well, better than Peyton) points while on my bench. So Eli, your in starting next week until Peyton can get out of his funk.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I’ve had a lot on my mind lately and not a lot of time to write about them, or not enough to have a good post (not that a one liner can’t be a good post).  But with all the things going on in my life at work and home here is the short and sweet list; a brain dump per se of what I’ve been thinking lately. 

No more Marshall Fields on State Street.  Federated Department Stores will dump the Marshall Fields name for Macy’s in 2006.  One more store I, and many more in Chicagoland, won’t shop at when the conversion happens.  This was a good marketing move why?? Hey Federated!  We’re NOT NEW YORK! Here’s an exhustive list of other lost nameplates.

Marty Casey lost the frontman job to JD Fortune on Rockstar INXS last night.  Oh well, our local boy d.  But all is not lost, now Marty (and the Lovehammers?) gets to open for them on their upcoming world tour. 

I’ve been busy at work dealing with the aftermath of Katrina (in a good way), it is good to know that Ernie is ok.  Rita is on her way, building strength, and that worries many in Texas and the rest of the Gulf Coast.  Which reminds to ask, what’s personal your disaster plan?  Do you know where to go if something happens to you or your family?  If not, better get a one.

iPod Nano came out last week. Very slick!  Very sexy in true Apple fashion.  Still won’t get one because Apple refuses to put an FM tuner on their musical bundles of joy.  Just makes it impractical for me for how I use my MP3 player.

Note to all hotels, if the fire alarm goes off at midnight, make sure your front desk staff know what to do, how to handle guests, and to apologize.  The Grand Geneva Resort needs a lesson.  “It was not our fault” is not an acceptable answer. Nor is “We didn’t ask you to evacuate your room, why are you here at the front desk?”  err..because last time I checked when a fire alarm goes off your instincts is to evacuate your room and we are here to see if it is safe to go back to our rooms.  Oh, and they never said they were sorry for the inconvenience.

Continue reading "Short and Sweet: Brain Dump of Recent Thoughts" »

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dear Cedric Benson,

Why?  Why did you have to hold out so long?  Why have you put yourself in this crazy predicament where neither side will budge? Why have you, before you even started, dissappointed the fans of Chicago?  You see, whether you know it or not, you were a success the moment you got drafted by the Bears.  I’ll admit I was a little confused on why we needed another running back since we had Thomas Jones, but I can see management’s reasons why.  Thomas Jones did get hurt last year (killed me one week in Fantasy Football) and we had to go to our back-up Anthony Thomas, who is no longer with us.  So Cedric, it was your job to loose.  And that’s exactly what you might have done. 

“What?!” You ask.  “How could I have lost it?”  You see Cedric, if by some miracle you are willing to take less than what you are asking for, and you actually do sign with the Bears here is what will most likely be the road ahead of you.  You’ve already missed two pre-season games (and even if you sign today, you probably won’t play the third) and the entire mini-camp.  That speaks volumes to players and fans.  Your teammates will most likely not put that aside very easily.  You’ve pretty much solified yourself as a second stringer for at least half the season. 

So who am I to say all of this to you Cedric?  I’m a fan.  A fan who has been watching the Bears since Da Coach took them to the Super Bowl.  A fan who watched ‘The Fridge’ take down three lineman at a time.  A fan who watches every game and cheers for the Bears in thick and thin. I’m the hardest thing you will have to deal with this season.  Because fans are what keep this team going.  Even if you do win your teammates, coaches and management over with your mad skills, the fans will be a different story.  Cedric, we’re desparate for Chicago to get back to ‘85 calibur.  We are desparate to see good things happen, and you see this season is already started off hard with the loss of Rex Grossman…again.  So now we are relying on veterans to keep the line down to protect our QB’s.  We are relying on the Defense to score points and protect our end-zone. Some of us have even written off the season to “if we can win 4 games, that will be good.”  But I have hope.  I have hope that Chicago will find the diamonds in the rough and they will be quickly polished to shine.  You could be one of those diamons Cedric, but now your challenge is that much greater. 

So what was the reason for the hold out?  What gives you the right to mess with our emotions?  A million dollars?  You wanted to see what the third draft and fifth draft received so you didn’t get shafted?  Let me give a little 27 year old advice to a 23–24 yr. old first time employed player.  WHO CARES!?!  You are making millions of dollars regardless. There are players who are making the league minimum of less than $1M and will play their hearts out with blood sweat and tears for this team.  You are going to be petty enough to hold out over enough money for a new pimped out Hummer? I make no where near $100k, and you are holding out over a couple hundred thousand?  Foolish.  What if you can’t come to an agreement?  The Bears have made it clear that they will pay no more, but now less for you because of your attitude towards signing and loyalty to the team.  If you don’t sign, do you really think another team will pick you up just like that.  I don’t think anyone is chomping at the bit to see if you don’t sign so they can pick you up. Most, if not all, teams are already full blown into making their team work for the season.  When someone gets an offer (Million dollar salaries or not) for their first job in the real world, it doesn’t take this long to say yes or no.  And most of us say yes because we know we will be at the bottom of the food chain for a while.  So what makes you different than us? Veteran players will not respect you the same.  Fans will not respect you the same.  You have a long road of fans (teammates, management, and Chicago) to win over before you will really be respected in this town. 

So think abou that Cedric.  I hope you have slept well at night counting the dollar signs in your head.  I hope you don’t spend it all in one place.  And I wish you the best of luck this season, because you will need it more than you think.  So I ask again Cedric….why?

A Loyal Chicago Bears Fan,
Fred

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ah, it was a great Monday night to kick off the pre-season with the Chicago Bears beating the Miami Dolphins 27 to 24 in Canton, Ohio last night. I was very pleased to see Rex Grossman healthy as well as the other QBs getting a chance to shine.  My man Kyle Orton (Purdue 01–04) threw his first interception and touchdown pass last night.  Best to get them out of the way early I suppose.  While I don’t expect to see Orton play in the regular season (he’s probably going to be the 3rd string) you never know, especially if we have a season like last year.  In any event, Lovie and his coaches did a good job last night and I see this team doing much better than last season. Next up, St. Louis Rams on August 12th.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well maybe it is a little early, but the feeds don’t lie. ESPN is talking football and I’m excited!  So what does this season have to offer us?  Well here are some quick headlines that caught my eye:

• Bruschi won't play in '05 – After having a stroke just after the Super Bowl last year, Tedy deserves a break, but what will this do to the Pat’s D-line?
• Fitty percent: T.O. undecided on reporting to Eagles – What else is new.  I think T.O. and Randy Moss should start their own team. It would be one of the shortest lived expansion teams around…two seasons.
• Ready to go: Ricky cleared for Dolphins camp – What other sport will let you retire, have contract issues, drug problems, and yet still come back to your same organization (albeit to a new coach, but same management??)?  Only football.   

I can only hope that with a healthy Brian Urlacher, new WR Muhammad, Muhsin , Olin Krutz, and Rex Grossman back (with some good back-ups like Purdue’s Kyle Orton) the Bears should be able to put out a respectable season.  I just hope Lovie can pull it together. 

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a glorious day here in Chicago as the Cubs beat the Sox in the second Cross Town Classic. This day also marked the first series that the White Sox have lost all season. It has been a bitter three days as I am a Cubs fan and my wife is a Sox fan. The Sox did, however, take the series a month ago up at Wrigley Field. So this just evened us out for the year.

Corey Patterson's single shot homer in the 6th was all we needed to spark the Cubs to a victory. Mark Prior did a great job on the mound today, his first game back after getting hit in the elbow a month ago. Overall it was a good game for the boys in blue.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 7:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I joined a couple of buddies in a Fantasy NASCAR league this weekend to tide my desire for Fantasy Sports while the football season is idle untli the fall. I thought I might be going a little redneck by doing Fantasy NASCAR until I spotted a new low in Fantasy Sports over at ESPN.com. Fantasy Bass Fishing. Yes, they actually have it. Now most of the other fantasy sports have some logic behind each player, driver, team, etc. But fishing?! I find that is more luck than stats, history, and educated guessing. I had to laugh when I saw that. Here is one for Jeff Foxworthy to add to his skit:

If you sign up for Fantasy Bass Fishing, you might be a redneck.

AJ, James and I ended up doing a Fantasy league at Yahoo! for NASCAR. And now that Daytona is over I found myself in first place. I'm sure it won't last as James and AJ work at Ford and probably know a little more about this sport than I do, but I'll take my first place while I have it.

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's gameday. The day when friends and families get together to watch two teams battle for pride, possessions, and ultimate victory by one team. Will it be the Patriots or the Eagles? The fate lies in the hands of about 45 players, two coaches, and half a dozen refs. Go big or go home is the phrase of the day. It all comes down to first and goal. How you play today marks your fate in history, or the Hall-of-Fame. Brady has the experience. McNabb has the passion. T.O....well is T.O. Bruschi is ready to pounce all over the Eagles. Is it in you™? So only one question remains to be asked? Are you ready for some football!?!!

I'm excited for the game today. I look forward to watching some good football as much as some good commercials. Unfortunately I think the networks are going to go easy on the humor this year due to last years "Wardrobe malfunction" and some horses farting. I guess I can deal with that to a certain extent. Commercials are one of the main reasons why people watch, and why advertisers will pay close to $2.4M for 30 seconds this year.

I'm rooting for Donovan because he is from Chicago and he has "just missed" the Super Bowl the last two years. Plus you have to go for the underdog to a certain extent as well. I look at it this way, if it becomes a blowout in either direction, remember...there are always the "squares."

Posted by Frederick L. Faulkner IV at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It is the end of the season and football is getting down to crowning it's new champion. I was watching the Green Bay vs. Minnesota game on and off and I just happened to see the Randy Moss touchdown where he pretended to drop his pants a