Cubs sign Wade Miller...

The Cubs just inked former Astro/Red Sox pitcher Wade Miller to a one year $1 million deal. Although he had surgery on his labrum last year and isn't expected to pitch until May, I think this is a good signing for the Cubs. However, it's not significant enough to change our expectation that they finish 2nd or 3rd in the division.

Nothing to see here...

As you know, the Cubs convention kicks off today and it will, no doubt, prove to be a major non-event.

Here's what management can take the weekend to try to explain - Apparently Prior is "peeved" that the club was entertaining trade offers for him, the Cubs are prepared to start the season without Wood (good thing they kept pitching him in August and September when it was clear to everyone but the deluded that the season was over), the team is trying to trade one of the only guys who can actually get on base consistently, and as a result of the preceding and more the team isn't going to finish any better than last years miserable squad.

Meanwhile, teams like the Mets, Dodgers, and Houston (apparently the Astros are making a play for Aubrey Huff) are all of trying to get better while Hendry and company sit on their hands and spin this offseason as "solid."

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to plot out the trajectory charted by Hendry et al for this season. Barring some substantial offensive moves and a healthy starting rotation, this team will struggle to finish fourth.


Anyway - on to a real Chicago team - the Bears. Seems that most of the experts are picking against the Orange and Blue Sunday, even though Chicago beat Carolina at Carolina Chicago earlier this year. The consensus from both ESPN and Sports Illustrated is that Carolina will win the game.

I hate to say it, but I'm a little apprehensive about the game as well. I think it will turn on how many turnovers the Bears offense commits. If Rex Grossman tries to single handedly win the game and turns the ball over in the first half - I think Carolina will win. I'm also hoping we don't see a reprise of the defensive performance that we saw against Pittsburgh.

ADIOS Corey!

We're gonna miss your glove, but not that bat. May you refind your form of 2003 somewhere down the line.

Greatest Team ever?

Of course you know that this post cannot have anything to do with the Cubs with a title like that.

I am referring to the recent ESPN series on the 2005 USC Trojans. I have to admit that I thought that this series that ESPN ran in the run-up to the Rose Bowl which compared the 2005 USC squad to the "ten greatest college football teams of all time" was a joke - especially May's and Herbstreit's perspectives.

These two clowns had USC beating every one of the top ten except one (Herbstreit picked the 2001 Miami squad to win a head-to-head between the two, while May picked the 1995 Nebraska Team as the lone team able to beat the mighty Trojan squad of 2005).

I thought (while the series was unfolding and Herbstreit and May were slobbering all over this current USC team) what an irony it would be if this greatest team ever couldn't even win their upcoming contest against the Longhorns from Texas.

The whole thing seemed premature at the very least, since USC still had to beat Texas in the Rose Bowl. Since ESPN didn't run a concurrent series comparing Texas to the 10 greatest teams of all time, it's apparent who they expected to win.

Was Texas justified in feeling slighted before the game was even played? I certainly think they were, and even though I expected USC to win the game - I'm glad that ESPN (and especially Herbstreit and May) got egg on their face as a result of this farce.

Perhaps this will teach them to be a bit more reserved with regard to presumptively anointing modern teams as "the greatest ever" - especially while they still have games to be played.

Oh - and if any of you would like to purchase this toy for me - I promise to use this space to say really nice things about you for at least the next year.

ND-OSU...

Well I'm bummed about the ND game - I was hoping for a different outcome as an ND fan. I have only 2 comments after having watched the game:

1) Is there anything more hideous looking than the Irish defense? That defense is p-a-t-h-e-t-i-c! The secondary is a disgrace. Every game we see the offense desperately trying to overcome the points given up by the defense. I hope we see more from the D next year.

2) I hope and pray that Weis can find someone to replace the kicker Fitzpatrick. Extra Points should be automatic at a D-1 school like ND (as should FG's inside 40 yards). This guy almost cost ND the Stanford game and he did blow a 34 yard FG against either MSU or USC (I can't remember which) that would have been the difference in the game. Anyway - please tell me that the Irish can get a reliable kicker for next season's championship run (they should be pre-season top 10).

As for the Cubs - I like the rumors I've heard lately from the MLB Trade Rumors site about the Cubs interest in Zito. Getting him would firm up a questionable rotation and raise the 2006 Peoria Northsider Probable Playoff Meter 30 percentage points - it would then level off at a whopping 60%.