 1. Lincoln H.S. completes a successful Winter Classic
showing -- After playing five games in six days, the Railers find
themselves back at practice and ready to continue their improved
play this weekend. Lincoln won three of the five games, and played
Glenwood and Alton down to the wire in close losses. Lincoln has
found a go-to player in sophomore Ben Brackney, and the future looks
bright for a very young Railer squad.2. LCC men play
hard at home -- Coach Matt Clark's third team has struggled to find
the win column in '07-'08. However, the Preachers are playing pretty
good basketball and look to possibly make some noise come postseason
play. LCC played a really good first 30 minutes against a strong
Fontbonne team on Saturday at the Laughlin Center. Guards Matt
Searby and Landon Callahan along with post player Jon Wallace form a
nice scoring trio for LCC, and players like Adam Everett, Kyle
Wilson and Alex Bond bring energy and excitement to the team. Good
luck to my alma mater!
3. ISU men are finally beaten -- After running off nine
straight wins and landing at the top of the Missouri Valley
conference, ISU finally ran out of steam on the road Saturday night
at Drake. The Redbirds still look really solid and could be one of
the great turnaround stories in the land this year. I had to laugh
at the front of the Champaign News-Gazette sports page Sunday
morning -- it wasn't Illinois featured prominently, but instead ISU
and coach Tim Jankovich. What a difference a couple of years can
make.
4. Illinois men get their first conference win -- After
starting conference play 0-4, Illinois found the win column
Wednesday night at home against Michigan. Seniors Brian Randle and
Shaun Pruitt led the way, and Illinois showed signs of really
turning the corner. Then Saturday, at Purdue, Illinois played a
great first half -- jumping out to an eight-point halftime lead at
Mackey Arena. However, the old Illini made an appearance during the
second half and Illinois lost by seven -- and coach Bruce Weber
really lost it in the locker room. I'll continue my advice to the
coaching staff I support 100 percent -- think '08-'09, and play the
kids a ton, starting now.
5. New England is one win from history -- The San Diego
Chargers had the odds stacked against them. The weather in Foxboro,
Mass., was nothing like sunny Southern California. Their quarterback
was playing with a sprained ACL, and their all-pro tight end
couldn't lift his hands above his shoulders without severe pain.
Their running back -- the best in all of the NFL -- was hurt and not
the L.T. we've come to know and appreciate. Yet, through it all, the
Chargers scored four times during the game to the Patriots' three.
One problem: All the Chargers' points were on field goals, and New
England's three touchdowns propelled them to a 21-12 win and a spot
in the Super Bowl. This will be the Patriots' fifth Super Bowl
appearance in the last 13 years and New England should be heavy
favorites.
6. Green Bay and Favre fall short on the
storybook ending -- It seemed to be lining up perfectly for Green
Bay fans: Brett Favre leads his Pack to one final great Super Bowl
victory in the sun in Arizona and then heads off to his home in
Mississippi to drink light beer and hunt to his heart's content.
Just one small problem: Someone forgot to tell the Giants -- who
really dominated Green Bay during the second half and won 23-20 in
overtime. Eli Manning should finally get some of the national press
off his rear end, and the Giants did something only one other team
in NFL history did during the playoffs: win three straight road
games to get to the Super Bowl.
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7. The Cubs Convention creates excitement --
One activity on my life's to-do list that I've yet to mark off is
attendance at the annual Cub fan convention. I'll guess I'll wait
until next year. This weekend is really a dream come true for Cub
fans (other than the obvious dream -- 99 years and counting), and
the team does a great job getting many, if not most, of the players,
coaches and broadcasters to hang out at the same downtown hotel for
an entire weekend. A couple tidbits from the past weekend: The Cubs
are still in the market for pitching; the team is searching for a
right-handed outfielder with power; they are probably not going to
trade for leadoff man Brian Roberts of Baltimore; and yes, fans,
yes, 2008 will finally be the year of the Cub!
8. The Cardinal Caravan motors through
central Illinois -- While I wasn't able to attend the caravan stop
in Decatur on Friday evening, it sounds as if some, if not many, in
the Cardinal fan world are less than thrilled with the moves (or
lack thereof) coming from the front office. Let's recap the winter,
up to this point: Gone are World Series heroes David Eckstein, Jim
Edmonds and Scott Rolen, but don't fret fans -- Cesar Izturis is
coming to town! Matt Clement is coming to town -- and he might
actually be able to pitch in August or September of 2008 following
major arm surgery. I think Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune put it
best: "It looks as if St. Louis is heading for its worst season in
years." Say it isn't so, Mr. Rogers, say it isn't so.
9. The Chicago Blackhawks win back-to-back
shootouts on the road -- OK, I realize most of you couldn't care
less about the sport of hockey and the NHL. But the Hawks have made
some noise for all the right reasons. After losing eight straight
games between late December and early January, Chicago has rallied
with four straight wins -- three of the four coming as a result of
overtime shootouts. For those of you who don't follow closely, the
NHL changed their rule about overtime last year, and now every game
that finishes the five-minute overtime period still tied is settled
by a shootout. Chicago won back-to- back road games against Colorado
and Phoenix (they really play hockey in Phoenix?) thanks to their
up-and-coming superstar rookie -- Patrick Kane. Only 19 years old,
the Buffalo native looks like a name to remember and could bring
happy times to Chicago hockey for the first time in quite some time.
10. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was yesterday -- I
close with tribute to one of the great orators of all time -- Dr.
King. Very few Americans in the last century have been able to bring
about change in the way this civil rights leader did. On Monday
morning, Decatur radio station WSOY played a large portion of Dr.
King's "I have a dream" speech from 1964, and it might be the best
and most moving political speech in the last 50 years. And in a day
and an age when so many are engaged in what some are calling
"identity politics," the very heart of Dr. King's message was just
the opposite. It reminds me of a song I used to sing during my
preschool years: "Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious
in his sight -- Jesus loves the little children of the world."
Here's hoping 2008 brings less racial division (on all sides and
from all voices) and more brotherhood and unity regardless of race.
Have a great week!
[By GREG TAYLOR] |
