By Paul M. BanksÂ
As the only person to work for both Chicago baseball teams as both a player and as a broadcaster, current White Sox radio color analyst Steve Stone is the foremost authority on Chicago baseball. Stone or “Stony†as he is nicknamed, has also done television broadcasts for ESPN and TBS and will become the Sox television analyst in 2009. Stony, also 670 The Score’s lead Baseball Analyst, is well known and loved for his baseball predictions, the high rate at which these predictions comes true, and the multitude of products that he has endorsed over the years. From 1983-97, Stone was the WGN color commentator for Chicago Cubs telecasts, working with Hall of Fame announcer Harry Caray for 15 years.
As a player, Stony won a Cy Young and The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award in 1980. From 1983-97, Stone was the WGN color commentator for Chicago Cubs telecasts, working with Hall of Fame announcer Harry Caray for 15 years. After Harry’s death in February 1998, Stone was paired with Caray’s grandson Chip. Stone left the booth due to health reasons in 2000, but returned for 2003 and 2004.
As a player, Stony won a Cy Young and The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award in 1980. That year he led the league in wins (25-7 for the Baltimore Orioles) and won-lost percentage (.781), and was 2nd in games started (37), 7th in ERA (3.23), strikeouts (149), hits allowed/9 IP (8.04), [More …]
By Paul M. BanksÂ
As the only person to work for both Chicago baseball teams as both a player and as a broadcaster, current White Sox radio color analyst Steve Stone is a foremost authority on Chicago baseball. On September 13th, it was announced that Stone, a Ford C. Frick award nominee, will take over for Darrin Jackson as White Sox TV color analyst, signing a contract that will run through 2014.
Stone or “Stony†as he is nicknamed, has also done television broadcasts for ESPN and TBS. Stony, also 670 The Score’s lead Baseball Analyst, is well known and loved for his baseball predictions, the high rate at which his predictions comes true, and the multitude of products that he has endorsed over the years. As a player, Stony won a Cy Young and The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award in 1980. That year he led the league in wins (25-7 for the Baltimore Orioles) and won-lost percentage (.781), and was 2nd in games started (37), 7th in ERA (3.23), strikeouts (149), hits allowed/9 IP (8.04), and hit batsmen (6), and 9th in innings (250.7). At one point, he had won 14 games in a row. He also pitched 3 perfect innings in the All-Star Game.
He is regarded to be one of the best Jewish-American pitchers in major league history, 3rd career-wise in wins (107) and strikeouts (1,065), behind Ken Holtzman and Sandy Koufax.I had an exclusive with Stony on Saturday night before the Sox-Indians game. [More …]
By Rikki Greenberg
There was a whole lotta loving going on Sunday night.
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Jets quarterback Brett Favre (24/34 for 289 yards) threw a career-high six touchdown passes leading a 56-35 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at the Meadowlands. The Big Cheese either had hour-long late night phone conversations with his receivers, took them for a candle-lit dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant, or a combination of the two because he connected with a number of offensive players throughout the course of the game.
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Wide receiver Laveraneus Coles caught three touchdown passes, J-Co had two, and rookie tight end Dustin Keller had one. The go-to man for the night was Lav Coles, so I’m going to safely assume that his face was the one at the other end of the glowing candle that night.
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Other highlights included a fumble recovery by newly signed Jets cornerback Hank Poteat, a blocked field goal by nose tackle Kris Jenkins and an interception by cornerback Danielle Revis to give the Jets a two score lead early in the second. The defense made their presence known, putting consistent pressure on the veteran Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner (40/57 for 472 yards) throughout the game. The Jets defense had a total of five turnovers in the first half (two interceptions and three fumbles) and sent Warner to the cushy green five times.
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Cardinals fans (if any actually exist) likely became panicky when Cardinals wide receiver [More …]
By Soxman and Paul M. Banks
These are unconventional times and therefore require an unconventional Sox Exchange/content schedule. I’ll be back with more Ozzieisms and my exclusive with Steve Stone discussing Chicago’s pennant race on both sides of town in the next couple of days. But for today, I’ll give you an opening statement by the Soxman…followed by some of the most apt quotes describing the current situation from Sox players whom I interviewed this past weekend.
No White Sox fans, today there is no time for a witty exchange of statistics, questions, or rhetoric. Today we are focused on one thing: VICTORY.
It’s not the way any of us wanted to see this season end, but I’m done “crying over the spilt milk†of missed opportunities, a bullpen that can’t throw strikes, or even blown calls by umpires. I’m not even going to comment on the “sour milk†of the past weekend.
I’m supporting my team with my eyes on a victory, one pitch at a time, and one play at a time. It’s not over until the final out is made. So until the box score says otherwise, Soxman will stand with his team focusing on one goal, going the distance, one step at a time.
As Rocky Balboa once said: “I ain’t heard no final bell.â€
Neither has Soxman.
By the time this statement is posted, the game will likely be underway and our fate will be tilting [More …]
By Paul M. Banks
-The Weber Ultimate Tailgate, located on the Southeast lawn (outside Gate 6) of Soldier Field, is free and open to the public. The Tailgate will open two hours prior to kickoff for the first four regular season home games: September 21 vs. Tampa Bay ; September 28 vs. Philadelphia ; October 19 vs. Minnesota and November 2 vs. Detroit. Fans will be able to enjoy music, receive autographs from Bears alumni players (this week Otis Wilson and Dan Jiggetts will be appearing), and compete in a variety of football skills competitions. Festivities start at 5pm Sunday.
-Dennis McKinnon to Host 2nd Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament And Pre-Event Party “Dance Da Shuffle†at Excalibur Nightclub. 640 N. Dearborn 6-11 PM on Sun Sept 29th.
For the second consecutive year, a local charity is benefiting from former ’85 Chicago Bears wide receiver Dennis McKinnon’s passion and hard work. McKinnon, the Illinois One Family One Child (IOFOC) foundation, Empress Casino, Chandler’s Chophouse, Signs By Tomorrow, Hunt Media & Management and Project 85 are partnering to bring fans the second annual celebrity golf outing “Dennis McKinnon’s Old School Open.â€
Proceeds from the outing, silent auction, and dinner will benefit the IOFOC, an organization meant to raise money for underprivileged youths. “I’m extremely proud to have my name and several of my former teammates behind such a great cause,†McKinnon said. “Everyone who comes out will make a big difference in the lives of kids.†The soiree will also [More …]
By Rikki Greenberg
Look up in the sky. It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s both?
The growling green giants of the East and the high-flying Arizona Cardinals of the West meet in a Week 3 match up at the Meadowlands. The Jets (1-2) look for a first home win of the season and the Cardinals (2-1) look to get ahead of the 49ers in the NFC West.
After two straight losses, the lovable losers of New York need to redeem their wounded pride. The Cardinals boast two stellar wide receivers that require a great deal of attention from the Jets secondary. The Cardinals also have a decorated veteran quarterback in Kurt Warner and a dangerous defensive end looking to steam roll over the Big Cheese. Here is a brief overview of Sunday’s game:
OFFENSE
The Jets went to great lengths and put down big wads of dough to improve the ailing offensive line in the off season. So far, I wonder if Mangini is getting his moneys’ worth because they haven’t done much to improve Favre’s comfortability. Due to pressure from the Charger’s D (the Jets offensive line didn’t do much to stop them), Favre threw 2 interceptions with one ending in a touchdown and Clemens threw another pick-six. The Jets can breathe a sigh of relief this week because Cardinals defensive end Bertrand Berry, who is the team leader in sacks, will not be playing against the Jets due to a severe groin injury. This should give Favre more [More …]
 By Paul M. Banks
White Sox fans, if you think watching the battle back and forth for first place in the AL Central requires a stress relieving object, try being one of the Sox players or coaches. After the Sox lost three games (and their first place standing) in Minnesota, they came home and got beat by the Cleveland Indians in a very sloppy game where their pitching collapsed. It was extremely frustrating to watch the bullpen forget where the strike zone is located.Â
“You can get mad, I got mad, breaking stuff up in the clubhouse…I think it’s the worst first five, six innings we’ve been through in a long time. Hitting guys. Walks. Base hit with two outs. Wild pitch. Terrible. And we got 40,000 people looking at this stupid baseball game the way we played today,†Ozzie said in his post game press conference.
By the way, if you haven’t seen the Mad TV parody of Ozzie Guillen, click here. If you thought Ozzie was a difficult person to lampoon, then you really need to check it out.
 “I’m not going to lose my health for a baseball game, I got three kids and a wife waiting for me. I’m not going to kill myself in this ballpark over losing and winning, it’s not worth it,†Guillen said. For baseball fans that hate the White Sox, the second most polarizing figure, arguably, is catcher A.J. Pierzynski. A.J. was asked if [More …]
By Paul M. BanksÂ
Eric Peterman is the starting punt returner and Z wide receiver in Northwestern’s offense. I had an exclusive with him earlier this season.
Some of Peterman’s career highlights from the NU Media Guide
2008:
Academic All-America candidate … All-Big Ten postseason honors candidate … Named to preseason All-Big Ten teams by Lindy’s (second team) and Phil Steele’s (fourth team) … Begins his final year ranked 16th on NU’s all-time receiving yardage list with 1,274 yards …
Academic All-Big Ten … ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District first-team selection …
2007:Â
Team’s co-MVP … ESPN The Magazine first-team Academic All-District V selection … Academic All-Big Ten … Recipient of a Randy Walker Wildcat Warrior Award … Garnered second-team All-Big Ten honors from Rivals.com … Starting wide receiver and an important special teams player … Led team in receptions (66) and receiving yards (744) … His 66 catches were the seventh-most in an NU single season … Ranked seventh in Big Ten receptions per game and 11th in receiving yardage per game …
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Exclusive audio with Northwestern “Z” Wide Receiver Eric PetermanÂ
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
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By Paul M. Banks
As the back and forth of the White Sox AL Central race concludes this weekend, I’ve had more mood swings than Naomi Campbell and Lindsay Lohan combined. The “Hunt for Black October†roller coaster ride gives me so much tension and anxiety, that an outside observer might assume I was an AIG shareholder. On Thursday night, I left my house happy and confident with the Sox up 6-1 in the 5th inning. I attended the Stephanie Izard Diva Series event at Madame Tartine downtown. It was a fun time partying with fellow Street Teamers Desiree Prieto and D.C. Crenshaw as well as host Sarah Vargo. But the party became a lot less fun (for myself anyway) when I found the television at the end of the bar and camped out to watch the Sox lose the biggest game of the season in extra innings at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. For some reason, following the game online with my brand new Smartphone made blown leads seem more calming. My text messaging back and forth with the Soxman fails to alleviate my anxiety. Getting into very mean sounding, but ultimately hilarious text message wars with the lead Twins writer of my site, Peter Christian is an enjoyable pastime, but it still doesn’t soothe my nerves.
On Friday night, I watched the Sox lose a home contest to the Cleveland Indians (and fail to recapture first place from the Twins who got blown out [More …]
By David K.
Brewer fans were one Cubs win away from having to send thank you cards and fruit baskets to 1060 W. Addison Street, Chicago, Illinois 60613. By the Cubs splitting their four-game series with the Mets and the Brewers carrying their own weight by getting back-to-back walk-off home runs from Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun and sweeping the lifeless Pirates, the final series of the year has the utmost importance… for both teams.
Milwaukee and New York now sit tied atop the Wild Card standings with three games to play. While the Metropolitans will host the Marlins, the Crew welcomes Chicago to Miller Park with their playoff lives on the line. It’s quite the predicament for the Cubs, who ultimately have nothing to really play for with their post-season destiny and number one seed already determined by winning their second straight NL Central title, and could make or break the hearts of the Brewers faithful.
So it comes down to this. If the Cubs drop a couple games this weekend and the Brewers manage to squeak into the playoffs, the Cubs would face the NL West champion Dodgers in the NLDS. If the Cubs play the role of spoiler and add to Milwaukee’s misery of October-less baseball, then whichever team doesn’t win the East and settles for the Wild Card (the Phillies enter the weekend one game up on the Mets) will visit Wrigley.
As a Cubs fan, I don’t want to see Milwaukee in the [More …]
By Soxman
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Week III saw the Gridiron Grinders’ momentum continue as we again beat our opponents 82-60, improving to 2-1 on the season.Â
While my running game didn’t put up significant yards, they paced my victory with touchdowns. Clinton Portis (1) and Joseph Addai (2).
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I also improved to 3-0 in my league featuring individual defensive players, narrowly beating my opponent thanks to Addai once again.
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Here are your top fantasy studs on the season through Week III.
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Quarterbacks
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Philip Rivers (9 TD)
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Jay Cutler (8 TD and an average of 311 passing yards per game)
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Aaron Rodgers (yet to throw a pick)
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Drew Brees (5 TD and an average of 326 passing yards per game)
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Donovan McNabb
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Running Backs
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Michael Turner (tops in yards with 366 and has 5 TDs)
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Marion Barber (the machine has 5 TDs and is carrying the load in Dallas)
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Frank Gore (averaging 95 rushing yards per game)
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Reggie Bush (he’s really putting up points as a wide receiver)
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Matt Forte (304 rushing yards and 105 receiving yards)Â
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No your eyes are not deceiving you, LT, Adrian Peterson, Westbrook, and Stephen Jackson all failed to crack the top five through three weeks.
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Wide Receivers
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Santana [More …]
By Paul M. Banks
I recently had an exclusive chat with Jerry Azumah, a former NFL defensive back and return specialist who played his entire career 1999-2005 with the Chicago Bears. This excerpt from his Wikipedia page describes his career in detail.
“Azumah was selected as the 14th pick of the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft out of the University of New Hampshire where he won the Walter Payton Award as the best offensive player in Division I-AA football. He attended Saint Peter-Marian High School in Worcester, Massachusetts. His best season came in 2003, when he led the league in kickoff returns with a twenty-nine-yard average and two touchdowns. He was selected to the 2004 Pro Bowl as a kick return specialist for the NFC. On March 23, 2006, Azumah retired from the NFL after seven seasons with the Chicago Bears at the age of 28 due to hip and neck pain. Azumah was succeeded by Devin Hester, who established himself as Pro Bowl-caliber return specialist in his rookie season with the Bears. He now does Bears post game coverage on Comcast Sportsnetâ€
I chatted with him during the Aces Up Charity Poker tournament. We discussed his NFL playing days as well as his post football endeavors
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Audio Exclusive with Jerry Azumah
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
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[More …]
“We’ve conquered web 2.0, we’re already looking at Web 3.0â€
By Paul M. Banks
-The Cubs clinched the NL Central last week, so that obviously meant an increase of assault and battery cases in Wrigleyville on Saturday night. There was also much more puke on the sidewalks surrounding my neighborhood than usual.
-Without a doubt, this was the year that the catchy bubble gum song known as Steve Goodman’s “Go Cubs Go” became the paean of energetic sing-a-longs after every game. Whether at Wrigley or watching the game on TV, it starts playing automatically once victory is final this season.
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What exactly they are saying in the background???? at the end. Take a listen and maybe clarify these quotes/lyrics for me……Â
“Let’s go” (yeah, that one’s obvious)
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 ”He’s the man” (who is? Lee Elia? I know the song was written in 1983) maybe its “Teach em manners.”
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“Take Sarge” (a nod to Gary Matthews. Awesome, but take him where?)
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“do it Huey Lewis” (I’m sure he’s saying something else here, but Huey Lewis and the News were at their peak around this time)
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“keep natural” (how prophetic and insightful Goodman was to see the steroid era 15 years ahead of time and decrive it)
-Updated Eddie Vedder Cubs tribute video — now with Cubs Division Championship footage!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqHTScDBsDU
 
- On Thursday night, I attended a special event at Fulton’s on the [More …]
By Paul M. Banks
If there’s one word I think describes Comerica Park, it’s “distraction.†The new park distracted Detroiters from the fact that the old Tiger Stadium remained vacant and standing for eight years after the Tigers moved into the new building. All the sideshows and ancillary ballgame activities here distract the fan from the horrible play of their home team for the first six years of Comerica’s existence. And the fountain in center field sold out to General Motors, with two GM vehicles sitting there at all times, is somehow supposed to distract you from the depressed state of Detroit and its economy.
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Restoring the Roar
This franchise actually has quite a bit of history. They were the last World Series victim of the Cubs a hundred years ago. And the last time the Cubs made it to the Fall Classic in 1945, the Tigers denied the Cubbies a ring. Of course, the 90s and oughties were quite unkind to the Tigers. They came back to life in 2006, capturing the American League pennant, but they reverted back to usual form this season.
Outside the main entrance to the stadium there is a snarling tiger statue approximately 15 high. Eight other giant-sized tiger statues roam (in place) the park, including two prowling on top of the scoreboard in left field. The “eyes of the tiger†light up after a Tigers home run or victory; accompanied by a growling sound effect. (Just like at Northwestern [More …]
By Paul M. Banks
During the past year, Chicago’s National Hockey League team has been on a tremendous promotional roll. They scored a public relations hat trick this past summer with the announcement of new broadcast partnerships, the NHL’s first ever fan convention and the announcement of Wrigley Field hosting the NHL’s Annual Outdoor Winter Classic. The new t-shirts reading “Don’t Toews (pronounced TAYVES) me Bro,†should also help win over a few more fans. The Hawks kept the marketing momentum rolling with their first ever Training Camp Festival at the United Center on Saturday. The all day event featured a Hawks practice session, the “Mad Dash to Madison” 5K Run/Walk/Skate, a 3-On-3 Street Hockey Tournament in the UC parking lot, live music, and an interactive games area. This area included, naturally every type of table hockey you could imagine. Here I spoke with Hawks die-hard Kathleen Kelly, 26 of Tinley Park. “It’s such a beautiful day, and it’s great that the Hawks provided all this great stuff here and fun things to do. And there’s the hockey going on inside of course too,†Kelly said. The hockey she referred to was the Hawks first practice of the season. The three intra-squad scrimmages, was what most of the thousands of people paid their $5 to see.Â
Hawks Coach Dennis Savard addressed the media. “There’s a buzz in Chicago, but there’s a buzz around the league too. They talk about the changes the Hawks have made and how their [More …]
By Paul M. Banks, Soxman and Peter Christian
(PMB) Ok, time to talk turkey. I put the pitching matchups below, tell me who wins….I also posted my predictions on the NBC5 site….
http://nbc5streetteam.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/the-huge-sox-twins-series/Game one Javier Vazquez, RHP (12-14, 4.32) vs. Scott Baker, RHP (9-4, 3.69) Baker has an awful ERA of 8 versus the ChiSox, but I would still feel better if the Sox threw a lefty at the Minnesota lineup in two of the three games instead of just one. I don’t trust Vazquez or the bullpen these days, so I’ll say Twins narrowly win a slugfest.
(PC) Game 1 features Scott Baker throwing for the Twins, who at this time last season was proving his worth and establishing himself as a cog in the starting rotation even though the performances were relatively meaningless. Now he has an opportunity to jump start the struggling pitching staff with a good start against their division rival. Getting Javier Vazquez in the season opener has to be considered a gift. The Twins should jump all over him early and get into the struggling bullpen. Twins win game 1 big, Scott Baker is the unheralded hero with 8-10 K’s.
(SM) This is the statement game for the White Sox. It’s the game we must win, so Soxman has to predict a win. Vazquez has a 2-0 record with a 5.11 ERA against Minnesota this season and holds a 6-5 career mark against the Twins. Look for the Sox to [More …]
Soxman and Paul M. Banks vs. Peter Christian
(PMB) It’s one of the most shopworn cliches in all of sports (right up there with “we just need to step our game up”) the game that possesses a “playoff like atmosphere.” In this case, however, it’s true.Three games in the Metrodome for the division title. You knew it would come to this, “it’s the final countdown…do-do-do-do…dah-do-do-do” And of course TSB Twins writer Peter Christian and the Soxman to prepare you for the most important Sox-Twins series. EVER!!!  So here we are: Rocky vs. Drago, Batman vs. The Joker, Super Mario vs. King Bowser.  Pick your confrontational metaphor for this crucial series and elaborate on it please……Â
(SM) I like the metaphor used by Sean Connery in the Untouchables because it is the key to winning this series. Malone said to Elliot Ness:“If he brings a knife, you bring a gun, he sends one of your men to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That’s how far you must go to win. That’s the Chicago way.â€
The White Sox must be the better team in this series.
(PC) This is definitely it for the Twins. Down 2 1/2 and heading into the final 6 games of the season. What scares me most is the chance that the Twins will sweep the Sox to take the lead and then blow it against the Royals. On Thursday, the late inning heroics forced one last breath into the Twins [More …]
 
By Paul M. Banks
From watching the MSM these past couple days, it appears finances and economics are on everybody’s mind right now. Well, I have a business proposition to create wealth and jobs (at least locally): a second NFL team. As I’ll show you, consumer demand is in a state perfect for a second team.
Expansion Theory
Baseball may be “America’s Pasttime,†but the National Football League is its passion; doing bigger television ratings numbers and earning larger revenue streams than any other sports. In a Harris sports poll done in 2008, the NFL was the favorite sport of nearly as many people (30 percent) as the combined total of the next four professional sports – baseball (fifteen percent), auto racing (ten percent), hockey (five percent) and men’s pro basketball (four percent). The NFL has 32 teams, the rest of the major sports leagues have 30. However, since it is doing the best business, it is also the league most likely to expand. Eight years down the line could be the perfect time. The league last expanded in 2002 (Houston Texans) and 1999 (second Cleveland Browns franchise) Los Angeles could have a franchise again and that would keep the total number of teams even. Chicago currently supports two baseball franchises that maintain a spirited and profitable rivalry. The Bears 2008 marketing campaign plays off this rivalry and their advantageous position as being the only football game in town with their “One City. One Team.†slogan. It’s time for [More …]
By Paul M. Banks
Actor Chris Williams (not to be confused with Chicago Bears 2008 1st Round Draft Pick out of Vanderbilt) is likely best known as the “Krazee-Eyez Killa†character on Curb Your Enthusiasm. He has made appearances on numerous television shows including CSI, JAG, The Shield, Weeds, and Reno 911! and also played a member of the “Average Joe’s†team in the hit sports comed “Dodgeball.†He is the brother of famous recording artist and former beauty pageant winner Vanessa L. Williams. In this interview we discuss numerous topics including: Chicago, the Cubs-Sox rivalry and pennant race, breaking into the biz, as well as all his current and past projects. You can learn more about Williams by clicking on his homepage here.Â
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Exclusive Audio with Chris Williams
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Pictured with WMAQ’s Natalie Martinez, former Bear Jerry Azumah and national media figure Richard Roeper
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By Paul M. Banks
National media figure Richard Roeper is undoubtedly one of the most successful individuals that my home region (the far south suburbs of Chicago) has ever produced. Roeper, who was raised in Dolton, Illinois, has an extensive biography of achievement; best summarized by this excerpt from his wikipedia.org entry: “Roeper began working as a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1987. The topics of his columns range from politics to media to entertainment, and he has written books on film criticism and urban myths, as well as a book about the Chicago White Sox. Roeper was a radio host on WLS AM 890 in Chicago. He also hosted shows on WLUP-FM, WLS-FM and WMVP-AM in Chicago. He won three Emmy awards for his news commentaries on Fox in the 1990s, and was the film critic for CBS in Chicago for three years in the early 2000s. He was bestowed with the National Headliner Award as the top newspaper columnist in the country in 1992, and has been voted best columnist in Illinois on numerous occasions. His columns have been syndicated by the New York Times to publications around the world.
Roeper has been a frequent guest on the Tonight Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The O’Reilly Factor, the Today Show and countless other national programs. He is the host of Starz Inside, a monthly documentary series airing on the Starz Network since the fall of 2007. Among Roeper’s magazine byline credits: TV [More …]
