CHANGES I WOULD MAKE IN SPORTS...

So all this talk about change in the world got me thinking. What would I change in the world of sports? Here ya go…

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Create a 4-team playoff that incorporates BCS bowl games. Continue using the current system for all other bowls.

No more bowls can be added. We have more than enough already.

No automatic bids to the BCS for conference champions of “major” conferences. We could see Cincinnati or Pitt and Maryland making the BCS this year!

No automatic bids for non-power conference teams, like Utah. The Boise State upset over Oklahoma was a great story, but unlikely to happen every year.

Bids will be selected by a committee, not computers.

The Rose Bowl will always have a Big 10-Pac 10 matchup.

Injury Reports must be released to the general public, just like the NFL.

Joe Paterno must either start coaching again or retire.

Add the 2 minute warning, like in the NFL.

Start conference rivalries for non-conference games, like the Big 10/ACC Challenge in basketball. You could change it every year so it would be Big 10 vs SEC then Big 10 vs Big 12. This way we don’t have to watch meaningless games in September.

Change the overtime rules, and make the offense start with the ball at the 50. I don’t like how a team starts already in field goal range. It distorts the game. Each team would still get a shot with the ball though.


NFL

Only 3 preseason games.

Only 1 week in between the AFC/NFC Championship games and the Super Bowl.

No more games in London.

No more penalties or fines for touchdown celebrations.

Al Davis must retire or Die.

Michael Vick and Pacman Jones banned for life.

Guaranteed Contracts.

No more coaching challenges. All replays will be instigated by a replay official in the booth.

Change the overtime rules to the new college system I proposed above.

Los Angeles must get a franchise.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Lengthen the first round series to 7 games. ( Not because I’m bitter about the Cubs)

Shorten season to 125 games. Begin playoffs in late August.

Division teams will play same opponents in interleague play. It’s not fair if the Cubs play New York and Boston if St. Louis is playing Toronto and Baltimore.

Managers will shake each others hand at the end of each series, not after each game though.

Don’t start the season in Japan.

Pete Rose inducted into the Hall of Fame.








Ron Santo to the Hall of Fame.

No DH.

Tampa Bay must play games outside and certainly not in the dump of a stadium they call Tropicana Field.

A true salary cap.

Mark Cuban is allowed the own the Cubs.

The record book will have a special section for years 1998-2005.

All Star Game is no longer worth home field advantage in the World Series. Go by best record.

NBA

Cut NBA 1st round to 5 games.

Shorten breaks in between playoff games so playoffs do not last as long.

NHL
Eliminate one-fourth of the teams.

Move teams like Florida, Dallas, and Tampa Bay to Canada.

No teams will be south of St. Louis.

Knock out the 1st round of the playoffs.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Kelvin Sampson is banned for life.

Bob Knight must coach somewhere next season.

Double amount of teams in the tournament and get rid of the NIT.

Regular Season conference champion and the conference tournament champ gets automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

ALL SPORTS/ MISC.

Lower ticket prices.

Lower beer and food prices.

College athletes can transfer to other D-1 schools without sitting out 1 year.

Minnesota can never build another stadium without a roof. No one wants to watch Gopher football in late November outside, especially since Iowa always plays Minnesota at the end of the year!

You can now cheer in the press box.

No more stadiums have company or business naming rights.

You can put names on the back of college jerseys that you buy in stores and on their jerseys in video games. Everyone knows who #47 on Iowa is so just put his name on there!

Athletes and coaches can never answer a question with, “We’re going to play 1 game at a time” or “We’re going to play hard.”

Mandatory drug testing for all sports every week.

All contracts must have a team option for the following year so players have to earn their money. You can still have long-term deals. The team just has the option of picking it up the following year.

Fewer TV timeouts.

Referees and Umpires must now hold post game press conferences.

Referees and Umpires will be fined for bad calls.

Alcohol sold in college venues.

No more expansion in any sports, unless teams are eliminated first.

CHANGES FOR SPORTS ON TV

No playoff games will start after 7 pm central time.

No baseball playoff games in the afternoon. Put them on different channels so all games at are 7:00.

No Poker on ESPN.

No in-game coaches interviews like in MLB and the NBA do.

No halftime coaches interviews. They are too cliché, and nothing worthwhile comes from them. We now they are “going to make some changes and come back and play in the second half.”

No more sideline reporters, except for Erin Andrews. She will in fact do all games involving the University of Iowa.

No more college football games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. It’s just weird.

Shows like 1st and 10, PTI, and Around the Horn must debate different sports topics throughout the day.

Kornheiser and Wilbon will be on every episode of PTI.

No more 3-man broadcast teams. Vin Scully is the best there ever will be, and he flies solo.

Local TV announcers can announce their team’s playoff games. No one wants to hear FOX announcers spout off useless information about teams they think they know about.

No Blackout Rules.

Finally, the Cubs will win a World Series in my lifetime. If needed, Major League Baseball will fix the season so the Cubs do. It will not be discovered that it was fixed until after I die. That way, I never find out and can die happy. I would even settle for a Iowa Hawkeye National Championship!

Let's here what everyone thinks about some other changes that need to be made in sports!

LOOKING BACK AT THAT FINAL GAME...

Taking a break from the Cubs entry today. Hope you enjoy reading this post about remembering a certain game that my friends and I played in back in high school.

It was the final game we would ever play together, and it almost never happened at all. My senior year of high school football was a year of mediocrity. For the fourth year in a row, our high school team would finish with a 5-4 record and not make the playoffs.

We had a big group of seniors, and we were all very close. In a town of 2,500 and a school with classes of less than 90 students, closeness is almost assured. Everyone knows everyone else’s business, and your parents find out what trouble you’re in before you even have the chance to get home from school and figure out a way to cover it up.

Eight football games down, and our record was 5-3 going into the final game. I guess if you’re paying attention you know we lost the final game I’m about to talk about. The ninth game of the year was at home. Senior Night and Dad’s Night all wrapped into one. The final time our senior class would play football together on the field at Mustang Stadium in Bloomfield, Iowa.
As I look back on this game with friends, it brings up memories I hadn’t even remembered myself.

It was cold, really cold. And it was rainy, really rainy. A late October thunderstorm came to town and delayed the start of the game for two hours. It was so bad that school officials even thought about cancelling the game.

See, the game had no bearing on district standings. We weren’t going to the postseason. Our opponent was and already knew who they would be playing in the first round.
The opponent was number-one ranked Sigourney-Keota. If anyone knows the history of Class 2A Iowa High School football, you know about Sigourney-Keota. The Cobras have won numerous state championships and seemed to be well on their way to winning another. Their wishbone offense made them well-known across the state because very few teams run it, and it’s extremely difficult to stop.

So difficult to stop that in practices leading up to the game, the scout team offense played without a football. You see, in this type of offense you can’t follow the ball because you can’t ever see it. The offense runs with no receivers. The backfield twists, turns, and does circles while the quarterback mysteriously gives the ball to one of the three running backs in the backfield. Before you know it, the player who apparently has the ball is running downfield for a touchdown.

This team was good at what they did, and no one could stop them. No one had all year. Not only was their offense good, their defense hadn’t allowed a point in district play yet!
They were big, really big. Their small farming community raised hard-working kids who had dreamed about playing for the Cobras. They worked hard, harder than anyone else.

Sigourney-Keota might have wanted the game cancelled. They could rest and not risk injury before they made their playoff run. Not us. We wanted to play. This is all we had left. You might be wondering why we wanted to play a team that would most likely destroy us. We wanted to play for pride. We wanted to play because we could. We wanted to play because it would be the last time we ever would.

Thunderstorms finally subsided. We went out for warm-ups, but rain started to fall again so we headed back inside. This time we thought it was probably over for sure. Fans wanted to go home, I’m sure. But they stuck it out. The game finally began after the rain stopped a short time later.

The field was a complete mess, getting torn to shreds. It didn’t matter. It would be over 10 months until the next game that would be played on the field. Standing water and puddles everywhere. It made running nearly impossible.
The Cobras were intimidating. They just looked tough. They warmed up tough, if that makes sense. Their uniforms looked tough. They were huge. But we didn’t care. We were going to have the time of our lives.

Sure, we got killed. Was there any question? We lost 56-7. But the number that stands out in my mind is 7. We were the only team to score upon them in district play. We scored a touchdown in the first half. My buddy seems to think another team scored upon them earlier in the year. I disagree. We were the only team. But, I guess that’s what makes looking back fun. Everyone seems to have a different view.

I led the team in tackles that night as a safety. I know that’s not very good as a team when your safety leads in tackles, but it’s something I’ll remember. My other buddy seems to think he led the team in tackles. I know he’s wrong. I have the newspaper clipping to prove it. Like I said, that’s what makes looking back fun.

Two great memories stand out for me from the game. Here’s the first. The Cobras had a stud of a running back. Jon McLaughlin was his name. He ended up playing at Iowa Central Community College so he wasn’t that great. But, for Class 2A in Iowa he was a stud. It’s funny how everyone I talk to remembers his name. It’s not like we remember any other school’s running back. It’s not like McLaughlin went on to become a star in college. But, for some reason we all remember. Anyways, the highlight came when I recovered a fumble of a ball that he dropped. No, I didn’t even tackle him. I certainly didn’t cause him to drop the ball. It kind of just fell in front of me, and I jumped on it. The wet conditions caused him to drop it. I didn’t run for any yards after I recovered it. It really wasn’t that special or that cool, but I’ll always remember it.

The second memory comes from after the game. You would think that a team that just lost by 49 points would be a little down. Not us. Face it, we pretty much knew we would lose anyways. It was probably close to midnight by the time this game ended because of the delay. I have no idea what the actual time was. No one I talk to remembers either. Remember that standing water I talked about. Yeah, the entire team slid into the biggest puddle near the sidelines. As if our moms weren’t upset enough about washing those white, now-brown pants. After we slid into that mud puddle, the brown turned to black.

Inside the locker room, it was emotional. Just like the ending of any sport, no one really knows what to do or what to think. But this time it was forever. Never again would anyone play with each other on that field again.
Our quarterback would no longer execute the plays his dad, the offensive coordinator, would call. Our parents would no longer see us play on the field. We wouldn’t line up next to each other again. Most importantly, we would never put on the pads again.

It’s funny how much you miss something when you look back on it. I remember not being upset at the time. I remember being glad not to have to go to practice on Monday afternoon. I remember looking forward to free time. It’s funny how much you begin to hate something when you do it for four months straight, nearly every day. Especially when you’re 17 and too young to understand what real fun is.
But, when you look back you wish you had one more chance. One more game, one more play. Just to enjoy it more. Just to have that type of fun again.
Nowadays, my friends and I try to recreate it every once a while. We get together to play touch football on Sunday afternoons sometimes. Maybe 6, 7, or 8 of us might go. It’s not the same, and you know it won’t ever be. But, it’s still fun. We still like it. I think we like the fun of being together more than the fun of actually playing. That fact doesn’t matter though.

Sometimes, other than for this blog entry, we’ll bring that game up. Start talking about it. That’s probably the best part of it because you don’t just talk about the game. I mean, you might for a few minutes. Then it moves on to other things and other memories we have together. Other games. Other sports. Classes. Crazy stuff that happened.

Those type of memories will live forever. It’s even okay that some people’s perception of events are different than others. That’s the fun in it. They can tell their version of what happened, and I’ll tell mine.

PINIELLA IS YOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR...

The Cubs are racking up the awards this offseason. (Not that it helps ease the pain of the playoff sweep by the Dodgers.) Lou Piniella was named the National League's Manager of the Year today. This is after Geovany Soto was already named the NL's Rookie of the Year.

Piniella won for the 3rd time. He won in 1995 and 2001 with Seattle.

Charlie Manuel finished 2nd, and Fredi Gonzalez of the Marlins finished third.

Lou will receive a $100,000 bonus from the Cubs. This was put into Piniella's contract. He donated the money to charity.

Don't get excited and think the Cubs will sweep the postseason awards with the NL MVP. That will not happen, but good for Lou!

SOTO IS YOUR NL ROY

Geovany Soto brought home the hardware today as he was crowned the National League's Rookie of the Year.

Geo received 31 out of 32 possible first place votes. The Reds' Joey Votto finished 2nd and received the other first place vote.

Soto hit .285 for the Cubs this year with 23 home runs and 86 RBIs, but I would argue his biggest contribution to the team was the way he handled the pitching staff. He helped turn the careers around of Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood, as well as catching Carlos Zambrano's no-hitter.

Geo started the All-Star game at Yankee Stadium and won NL rookie of the month in April and August.

GIANTS-EAGLES LIVE GAME BLOG

I’ll be live blogging during the Sunday night NFL game on NBC. We’ve got the Eagles taking on the Super Bowl champion Giants. It should be a good game as most matchups within the NFC East are competitive.

Bear with me tonight as my internet isn’t working that well. So when it's not working I'll write this in a word document and then paste it in when I can.

7:03---I’m watching the pregame show. Overall I like it. I really like Bob Costas. Dan Patrick and Cris Colinsworth is okay. But, is anybody with me in saying Keith Olbermann is just flat out annoying? To me, it just seems like he tries way too hard. I never seem to understand what he’s talking about. Just give me the highlights.

7:05---That commercial with Troy Palomalu and Bob Sanders for Nike is just flat out awesome. If you’ve seen it you know what I’m talking about. One of the best commercials I’ve seen in a while.

7:10--Since NBC and the NFL don't like to start games at the top of the hour and I'm sitting here bored, I'll say a few words about the Hawkeyes win over 3rd ranked Penn State yesterday. One of the greatest feelings I've ever had after a game at Kinnick Stadium. Simply unbelivable. After all of the close losses this season, it was great to get this one at home. The only other game that rivals this for me personally is the 2004 game vs Wisconsin when Iowa won a share of the Big 10 title. Of course, beating Michigan in 1985 may always be at the top of that list, but I'm not old enough for that!

7:12--Collinsworth picks the Giants

7:14--All I can think about is how much I need to be studying for an Anatomy test I have tomorrow. Oh well, this is more fun than that anyways!

7:15--Let me say I'm a huge fan of the intro to NBC Sunday Night Football. I know it's kind of corny, so it just must be Faith Hill. Tim McGraw's a lucky man...

7:17--48 degrees tonight in Philly. They don't know what cold is. Yesterday at Kinnick was cold. If you look at the forecast for next Saturday's game it looks to be more of the same!


7:20—Al Michaels is the man. Might be my favorite football broadcaster. I know I’m probably in the minority, but I’m also a fan of John Madden. He usually gives good insight, and I just can’t imagine football without him.

7:23---New York is 7-1…Philly is 5-3…So this is a pretty big one. We’re set for kickoff. Philly kicking left to right to New York. Rocky Theme music in the background…

7:25---Giants go 5-wide on 2nd and 6…Manning complete to Amani Toomer for a first down

7:26---Defensive Tackle Mike Patterson with the Interception…Big number 98 intercept the Manning pass! He bats it down and grabs it and runs it down to the 9 yard line. 1st career interception

7:27—Direct snap to DeSean Jackson in Wildcat formation….TOUCHDOWN PHILLY…I didn’t think Jackson got in the endzone initially, but the replays show he did…Akers with the extra point…7-0 EAGLES. We’re off to a crazy start.

7:32--Talk about a 3-headed beast of a backfield with the Giants. Jacobs, Ward, and Bradshaw...Not too shabby. How hard would it be to tackle Brandon Jacobs? Wow...

7:34--Manning to tight end Kevin Boss on 3rd and 1...Gain of 21. Boss has stepped up since the Giants lost Shockey to injury last year. That made it rather easy to say Bye-Bye to Shockey this past offseason.

7:38--Manning converts on another 3rd down...TOUCHDOWN GIANTS...It goes to Plaxico Burress...His 4th TD reception of the year. Not a big fan of Burress, but man is he good...WE'RE TIED AT 7 A PIECE

7:41--A lot of stuff happening early on...The Eagles fumble to kickoff return and Giants recover...Madden says defenders are doing more of stripping the ball now than just flat out tackling the ballcarrier...See, I told you he gives good insight. 1st down at the Eagle 14 for New York

7:44---The Giants luck on 3rd down conversions run out as the Manning pass attempt is incomplete. Carney in for Tynes for the kick...KICK IS GOOD...GIANTS 10-7

7:45---I think this will be the first NFL game I've watched start to finish since last year's Super Bowl. Mostly because I'm always busy with work for the Hawkeye football team on Sundays. But also because my KC Chiefs flat out suck this year. 1-8? Come on! Today's loss was rough, but I don't fault Herm for going for 2 and trying for the win. I mean, you're on the road and have nothing really lose with such a terrible team.

7:47---I just thought of another reason. The damn NFL breaks to commerical way too often! We had one kickoff and it's back to commercial. That pissed me off yesterday too in the Iowa game because it was ABC. Network TV games really deteriorate the flow of the game. Especially when you're standing in 20 degree wind chills like yesterday!

7:52--Philly punts...Another commercial, but I'd like to see more of that Eagle cheerleader before the night's over!

7:57--Manning looks really sharp tonight. They're moving down the field with ease...1st and 10 from the 14

7:59--Manning already with 100 yards passing...Still in 1st Quarter

8:00--Manning to Toomer...Ball at the 1 as the Quarter end...Al Michaels just said Philly had the ball for a whole 90 seconds in the quarter...A touchdown is likely here so this game could get ugly!

8:02--Did you know childhood obesity affects 1 in 3 kids?

8:03---TOUCHDOWN GIANTS...Manning to Boss...Great catch by Boss...17-7 GIANTS

8:04---2 man broadcast teams are so much better than 3-man teams. Michaels and Madden work well together. Not sure why ABC goes with a 3-man team of Nessler, Griese, and Macguire...I watched the TV broadcast of the Iowa game yesterday, and those 3 just stumbled over each other!

8:05--After watching the player intros where they name their college, I'm so glad I didn't hear any high schools mentioned. I hate when guys do that! I don't give a crap where you went to high school because I have no idea where they are! Tell me where you went to college

8:06--Aaron Ross takes a poke at Ohio State by saying he went to THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS...I like it. I hate Texas, but I love it when anyone can find a way to make fun of the Buckeyes...Too bad Aaron Ross got burned by Andy Brodell in the 2006 Alamo Bowl!

8:09---Am I the only one who thinks of Tom Coughlin's beat red face from last year's NFC Championship game in Green Bay when I see him on TV?

8:22---Not much has happened lately. The Eagles defense has stepped up. Giants stop the Eagles on 3rd down. Punt time for Philly

8:27---Jacobs tries to get the first down by jumping over a defender. He gets leveled by another Eagle and fumbles the ball. Eagles recover. Ouch! He took a hit!

8:28—Great play by McNabb as he remains calm in the pocket. Completes a pass to his receiver downfield.

8:30—Reverse to Jackson. It looks like he’ll get nothing, but he turns on the jets and gains a few yards. Personal foul…Late hit out of bounds on the Giants defense..1st down Eagles

8:31---1st and Goal Eagles…McNabb gets pressured but avoids the sack

8:32—TOUCHDOWN EAGLES…McNabb completes it to Avant…17-14 GIANTS STILL LEAD...The fumble by Jacobs comes back to hurt the G-Men

8:36---Joe Biden’s in the house!

8:40—My buddy just asked how many years Brian Westbrook has been in the league. I’m not sure of the answer off the top of my head, but it proves a point. Westbrook is definitely the most underrated back in the league.

8:41---McNabb picked off by Sam Madison. Giants have the ball deep in Eagle territory right before the 2 minute warning.

8:46---Carney hits a 26 yard field goal…GIANTS 20 EAGLES 14

8:49—McNabb finds LJ Smith in the middle of the field. 57 seconds to go. Timeout by Philly. They’ve got 1 left. They really need to put some points on the board before the half.

8:53---McNabb finds Westbrook. They’re down inside the 15 with 10 seconds left. Incomplete pass. 5 seconds left…They bring on Akers for the 29 yard kick. IT’S GOOD…GIANTS 20 EAGLES 17 HALFTIME...Perfect timing for me because I got to watch Entourage. I’ll pick it back up in the 2nd half!

9:30---It’s 24-20 EAGLES…Giants are driving in the redzone…6:18 to go in the 3rd quarter

9:32---Manning called for an illegal forward pass. He threw after he crossed the line of scrimmage for the first time in his career. Coughlin is challenging the call…Not sure why. It looked pretty clear in the replay…We’ll see

9:34---Great challenge by Coughlin. The call is overturned. I didn't know the complete rule. Apparently the QB's entire body must be across the line of scrimmage. Michaels does a really good job of explaining this. 1st and goal from the 3

9:38---TOUCHDOWN GIANTS...Jacobs runs it in…Another lead change. It’s now GIANTS 27-24…Can’t say enough about the challenge by Coughlin. Smart move! Michaels says its the right call...Madden disagrees

9:41---Eagles have to punt. They don’t gain a yard in 3 plays. A bonehead play by the Eagles return man. Fair catch interference moves the ball up 15 yards so it’s Giants ball 1st and 10 at their own 33.

9:45--Eagles killing themselves with penalties...Another 15-yarder with a face mask. Giants in Eagle territory now

9:46--Tonight's Entourage wasn't the best. Not much happened. Vince is still upset about with the director of the movie he's doing. E saw Sloan for the first time in a while, and Seth Green gets on E's nerves again. Not sure if anyone knows what I'm even talking about.

9:47--Bradshaw gets his first carry of the night for the Giants. They're down inside the red zone as the clock ticks down in the 3rd quarter.

9:52--Burress is complaining there wasn't a flag on that last play. I can't stand him. On 3rd and Goal the Giants are stopped. Huge play. They've got to settle for the field goal.

9:53--Carney's kick is GOOD...30-24 GIANTS LEADING

9:57--They keep talking about that challenge call 20 minutes ago. It's pretty clear to me they got it right, but Madden won't admit it. He finally does, but I think he does just so he doesn't feel like an idiot.

10:00---Oh Peyton Manning...Gotta love his commercials dont ya?

10:03--If the G-Men put it in the endzone, the game's over

10:05---Madden states the obvious: "You take the penalty to make it 3rd down because then you would have 2 downs left, 3rd down...then 4th down!" Really, are there 4 downs in football?

10:11--Wow that's close. The ball popped out as Jacobs was crossing the goal-line...Philly is challenging the call.

10:16--Play is confirmed. It's a TOUCHDOWN for the Giants...They go for 2 but fail. It's 36-24 GIANTS with 9:30 to go. Let's get this game over with so hopefully I can study a little before I pass out.

10:27--Eagles aren't done yet. They march down the field for a TOUCHDOWN...36-31 GIANTS...Cue the Rocky theme music.

10:29--Wow, NFL games take forever when you totally don't care who wins! At least Ward stayed in bounds to keep the clock running

10:32---Madden said this game is just like a Heavyweight fight. Well, of course. We have been listening to the Rocky theme song all night!

10:33---Here’s the situation..Eagles at their own 14. They need a touchdown. Just over 3 minutes to go…1 timeout…and the 2 minute warning

10:34---Interception, but there is a flag

10:35—Defensive holding…Forget the interception…Ball at Eagle 36

10:39--Here's the ballgame...It's 4th and 1

10:40--They don't get it. Giants stop them. 1 Timeout Left. Giants should be able to run the clock out

10:45---Ballgame Over...GIANTS WIN...Later!

WHY CUBAN WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD FOR THE CUBS...

Well it looks like Maverick's owner Mark Cuban will not be allowed to purchase the Cubs. The Chicago Tribune has reported that Cuban will have a tough time getting approved by Commissioner Bud Selig. It's quite a shame. I think Cuban could have been good for the Cubs in a few ways.

1.) Cuban would have turned the Cubs into a more national product that they currently are. Just like we have Red Sox nation, the Cubs would have gained more fans across the country.

2.) Cuban cares more about winning than making money. He turned one of the worst teams in the NBA into a perennial playoff team every year in the Dallas Mavericks. He would have spent as much money as it took to turn the Cubs into World Series champions.

3.) The Cubs need someone to spice things up. The NFL has Jerry Jones. The NBA has Cuban. The Yankees have the Steinbrenners. One thing those guys have in common: They win.

ZAMBRANO, DEMPSTER, AND JAKE PEAVY??

According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs could be a front-runner in the running for San Diego Padre-ace Jake Peavy. The Braves, Dodgers, and Yankees seem to be the others in the race. Peavy has a no-trade clause but said he would come to the north side. The Padres reportedly want young pitching in exchange for Peavy.

Rosenthal also says the Cubs may be willing to offer Ryan Dempster and 4-year deal.

Just think of the possibilities Cubs fans!

Read the whole article right here: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8761340/Sources:-Cubs-consider-deals-for-Peavy,-Dempster

CHECK THIS OUT...

Found an interesting story on Cubs.com. Students at DePaul University have the opportunity to take a class on the history of the Chicago Cubs. Must be rough!

Check out the link: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081105&content_id=3664683&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

Cubs Free Agents...

The Cubs have eight players who have filed for free agency:

Henry Blanco--Had an option for 2009, but it was declined by the Cubs. I look for the Cubs to eventually resign Blanco. Most likely, they will do so at a lower price. Blanco is a very good defensive catcher and a good 2nd option behind the plate. He won't wow anybody, but he doesn't have to with starter Geovany Soto locked in behind the plate.

Ryan Dempster--In the days after the Cubs were eliminated from the playoffs, Dempster said that he would love to come back in a Cubs uniform. The Cubs need to get Dempster signed. I think a deal gets done because this is near the top of GM Jim Hendry's "to do" list this offseason.

Jim Edmonds—I look for the Cubs to say thanks for this year, but we don’t want you back next year. Jim was a great pickup for the Cubs, but I just don’t think he puts up as good of numbers next year. Lou said he wants to platoon Reed Johnson and Fukudome in center so I really think that was a sign that Edmonds will not be in a Cubs uniform next season.

Chad Fox—Injuries have hampered his Cubs career, and it’s now time to say Good-bye.

Bob Howry—Howry’s role in the bullpen diminished with the emergence of Jeff Samardzjia. Howry gave up too many late inning home runs, and it’s time for him to go somewhere else.

Jon Lieber—Looked like it could be a good signing at the time, but Lieber was never really healthy. He can be a good long-inning relief game or a spot starter, but his big league career is winding down so there is no use signing him for next year.

Daryle Ward—This could go either way, but I would guess the Cubs get rid of Ward. Micah Hoffpauir has shown he can hit in the big leagues so he can take Ward’s spot off the bench, if he doesn’t find a way into the starting lineup.

Kerry Wood—Another thing on the top of Hendry’s “to do” list. The Cubs need Wood on the backend of the bullpen, and I’m not the only person who knows that. Hendry knows this, and I’m nearly 100% confident a deal will get done. Kerry’s a life long Cub. He and his wife are always doing charity work in the community. He has no reason to leave the team now, especially when the Cubs will certainly want him back.