CHAMPS

In my lifetime, i've seen a lot of great performances but none better than MADISON BUMGARNER of the world champion SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS, who clinched their third championship in just five years. bumgarner pitched 50 innings in the post season and allowed less than a half run a game over a three week period while winning three games in the series. an absolutely stunning performance by the 25 year old lefty in game 7 brought the crown home as he pitched 5 shutout innings on only two days rest. incredible.
 so CONGRATULATIONS to both him and the giants.

and congratulations also go out to the CHICAGO CUBS for hiring JOE MADDON  and finally realizing that it DOES MATTER who runs the ball club. JOE MADDON has had a very successful run with the TAMPA BAY RAYS, including a trip to the world series. (pssst, cub fans: that's what you play in when you win the pennant). 

the front office finally grasped that SEVEN MANAGERS IN 14 YEARS, including such luminaries as DON BAYLOR, BRUCE KIM, the brain dead DUSTY BAKER, MIKE QUADE, DALE SVEUM and the senile LOU PINIELLA wasn't a good formula for winning. and now maddon gets the opportunity to right the ship that has sunk like the TITANIC most every summer for 106 years. good luck.

well, the CHICAGO BEARS accomplished something last sunday that no other team has ever been able to do. their performance was so bad in the first half that i shut the tv off and went out to rake leaves.  ME!  they have no passion, no pride and oh yes, very little talent on that football team.  a quarterback whose face you want to punch two or three times a game, a defensive coordinator who needs a bus ticket TODAY and a head coach who has no clue on how to handle a locker room.  and if i hear "well, i have to look at the tape before i comment" one more time, i do believe i'm jumping off the roof.  i even took their flag down and kicked it across the deck and down the stairs to the basement.  they blow.

THE CHICAGO BULLS started on a good note tonight by whuppin' the KNICKS by 25 points in the garden in new york.  the key to the season is what happened tonight.  limit the minutes of the starters and let the second unit contribute on a regular basis. and keep your fingers crossed on the injuries.

THE BLACKHAWKS are having problems putting the biscuit in the basket but a recent injury to COREY CRAWFORD may have resulted in the hawks finding a legit backup for the crow. lemont, illinois native SCOTT DARLING was called up from the minors to be the 'backup to the backup' but ended up with consecutive starts, winning 2-1 vs OTTAWA and losing 1-0 to the ANAHEIM DUCKS. at 6'06" & 230 pounds, he fills the net like hall of famer KEN DRYDEN did back in the 70's for the MONTREAL CANADIENS.

darling is only 25 but check out the teams he's drawn a paycheck from over the last seven years: north iowa outlaws, louisiana ice gators, mississippi river kings, florida everglades, wichita thunder, wheeling nailers, hamilton bulldogs, milwaukee admirals and the cincinnati cyclones.  think darling has taken a few bus rides?

i got nuttin' else.  adios