Atlanta Falcons Made Right Decision In Starting Matt Ryan at Quarterback

Any time the debate is brought out, people throw out names.
Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, Cade McNown, Tim Couch—all of who were high draft picks who started right away with struggling franchises and never quite lived up to the hype they started with.
So now that the Atlanta Falcons have named rookie third-overall draft pick Matt Ryan [...]

Top Five Most Valuable Players for Team USA Basketball

After the USA Basketball team’s thrilling win in the Gold Medal game against Spain—yes, I stayed up to watch it—it became apparent that USA won because of all the reasons pundits said they would.
They played as a team. They weren’t overly-egotistical prima donnas who wanted to play a glorified street game, a la 2004. They really, really cared [...]

Tampa Bay Rays’ Season Eerily Similar To The 2005 Chicago White Sox

The comparisons are a bit inevitable.
The uncertainty out of the closer position, the emerging stars, the pitching staff throwing completely out of their minds. Yup, that’s the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays.
But it’s also the 2005 Chicago White Sox.
It’s amazing in how many ways you can compare this year’s surprising Rays squad to the ‘05 White [...]

The Death of a Hero Puts Sports Into Perspective

Sports are a big part of my life.
As insipid as that may sound, it’s true. As an aspiring sports journalist, sports are something that I pay attention to at all hours of my day. One glance at my profile page will give a description as to how important sports are in my life.
But it’s funny [...]

Ted Thompson Knows What the Heck He’s Doing

Well, it’s finally over.
The agonizingly tedious saga that was Brett Favre’s unretirement has come to an exasperating end. And while debate will continue throughout the season about whether or not the Packers made the right decision, one thing is for sure: The Packers’ team and management can finally breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Lost in [...]

Griffey to the White Sox is a No-Lose Situation for Chicago

Ken Griffey Jr. may not be the best player of our lifetime anymore.
He’s not the most feared hitter in baseball. He’s not a gold glove candidate and he’s no longer a superstar.
But what’s important for the Chicago White Sox in acquiring Griffey from the Cincinnati Reds Thursday is that he’s a low-risk, high-reward acquisition.
If the [...]

Carlos Quentin should be the favorite for AL MVP

I know it’s not even August, but it’s about time to start the always-hot debate as to whom should win the American League MVP.
There are a lot of decent candidates, although not many of the familiar names of years past. The likes of Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, and Vladamir Guerrero are not having sub-par years [...]

2008 Fighting Illini Football Preview: Can the D Carry the Team?

The University of Illinois football team is in an interesting position entering 2008.
The team exceeded expectations by a mile in 2007, finishing tied for second in the Big Ten and earning a trip to the Rose Bowl.
However, the key pieces of that Rose Bowl team are long gone.  Leading rushing Rashard Mendenhall is in the [...]

Why Can’t the Packers Just Say No to Brett Favre?

I am a diehard Green Bay Packers fan who has only known one quarterback in his life—Brett Favre.
When Favre announced his retirement in March, I was less surprised than most. I figured that Favre would have liked to go out giving absolutely everything he had, and let’s face it, last year was his last best [...]

Blackhawks Ownership Turning Team Into Immediate Contender

Dale Tallon, John McDonough, and Rocky Wirtz should be proud.
The Chicago Blackhawks’ general manager, president, and chairman, respectively, have brought a franchise back from the dead.
Okay, it may be a little too early to anoint the Blackhawks as 2008-09 Stanley Cup Champions just yet. But the work done by the front office to bring the [...]