The Big Dead Sidebar

We're Moving (Again): The Start Of A New Era

2010-02-15T21:49:00.000-06:00

This is the end of our blogger days. However, the days of us blogging are not over.

We've moved, again. This time it's probably for good. We've joined the RantSports.com network of blogs and we're glad to be their newest addition.

What we will do there is exactly what we did here. But this time with more advertising and without the blogspot.com ending.

As the blogs co-founder, editor and primary contributor, I would like to thank you for the time you've spent here at this blog and encourage you to join us at our new home. Waiting there for you will be some new blogs and all of your old favorites.

The staff will join us and so will new features.

Can't wait to see you there. Thanks for the support once again.

The Big Dead Sidebar - Final Edition
(Note: Yes we noticed the misspelling in our header. Not a good start but surely that will get fixed.)

The Weekender: State Of Saluki Hoops Edition

2010-02-12T12:30:00.001-06:00

The SIU men's basketball team has gone through several stages since Chris Lowery took over at his alma mater following the groundwork laid by Bruce Weber and Matt Painter.

To represent the phases of Saluki hoops, I dug deep into my archive of women that I wish I could be with but cannot because, in truth, I'm just a lonely blogger looking for someone special to spend my Valentine's Day weekend with.

Unfortunately, we will not be spending it with any of the ladies that will be featured in this blog. If I'm lucky, the calendar will fast forward me to April to reconnect with my true love, baseball.

2004-05 27-8 :: Absolute Eye-Candy

Chris Lowery's first year at the helm was quite surprise as he rode Darren Brooks' second consecutive MVC Player of the Year award to glory. SIU won the Valley's regular season title but lost to SMS in the Valley tournament after the team blew a 20-point lead. Shortly after the loss, Saluki fans started the first known Fire Chris Lowery group on Facebook.

2005-06: 22-11 :: Overcoming the odds.

Mariah Carey has overcome her fair share of adversity, and so did this edition of the Saluki basketball team. Without Darren Brooks and Stetson Hairston, SIU won the MVC Tournament for the first time since the Clinton Administration.

Southern did it by knocking off Bradley in the title game and unseating Patrick O'Bryant, who would would go on to be an O'Bust in the NBA.

2006-07: 29-7: The pinnacle of the Chris Lowery Era.

Scarlett J is everything we want in a woman. The Sweet 16 Salukis were everything we could ask for in a basketball team. Nothing more needs to be written here.

2007-08: 18-15 :: A Disappointment

Like Britney Spears during her experimental phase, we wouldn't want to bring home an 18-15 record and a bid to the NIT home to mother, but it was better than the alternative.

2008-09: 13-18 :: The First Step Of Rehab

We wouldn't kick Lindsay Lohan out of bed for eating crackers, nor would we say no to to a bump in the road if it meant bringing in the greatest recruiting coup in school history. Too bad the Salukis didn't develop and after harsh beatings vs. Duke and UCLA at Madison Square Garden, and another season-ending Mullins boo-boo, SIU suffered its first losing season since the end of the Rich Herrin Era.

2009-10: 13-11: The tease.

This team has the characteristics of an ex-girlfriend of mine. Attractive, yes. Strong start, yes. The crumbling finish is in the process as the SIU team that was once 9-2 and holding a lead against Illinois State in the second half is on the way to finishing below .500 in Valley play for the second straight year.

Unfortunately, that girlfriend looked nothing like Jessica Simpson. We'd probably still be together if she did.

LINKS:

Never thought I'd see this headline: Best beers for bone health.
John Mayer's interview with Playboy took over Twitter.
Five awesomely bad romances in movies, via Zack Quaintance.
Tecmo Bowl re-lives Peyton Manning's great imitation of Jay Cutler.
And for fun, an awesome site of Very Demotivational posters via Hire Jim Essian.

That's all I've got and that's all you'll get. Enjoy your weekend!

Saluki Basketball Is Now Akin To Sexual Frustration

2010-02-11T15:24:00.000-06:00

You've got to love the way Southern Illinois SID Tom Weber kicks off today's blog post about Saluki basketball.

"This year's Saluki basketball team reminds me a lot of a girl I used to know in high school. She was pretty and liked to flirt, but in the end, she always left me hanging."

Oh, Tom, we know the feeling all too well.

Granted, I'm used to penning those kinds of ledes in regards to my beloved Chicago Cubs, who year after year build me up before breaking my heart and taking a bunch of my hard-earned money in the process. For example, check out this blog after the 2008 disaster.

I've always compared being a Cubs fan to having a difficult relationship.

She's cute. She has moments where she makes your day and then there are days where it gets a little rough, but it's OK because you still love her.

She promises she'll take you places you've never been before, and you believe her.

In the end, she's just a tease.

We don't stop there.

Here we compare Kevin Gregg to the girl we were forced to go on a blind date with. We felt like a jilted lover after the Bears decided to show up for a one-night stand against the Vikings on Monday Night Football. Lindsey Willhite played us almost like every other girl named Lindsey/Lindsay that we've known. Heck, even the Bulls had us trippin' over something we thought was special.

If anything, I have finally come to the conclusion that I either need better taste in women or better taste in sports teams.

As for my alma mater, I feel as if what the SIU men's basketball team is doing to Saluki Nation has reached another level of ridiculous.

It once looked like this.

(via Chickipedia)

But now looks like this.

(image via)

Is that the correct portrayal of Saluki basketball? I think so.

In fact, this might be the most apt analogy anyone has been able to come up with for Southern Illinois basketball this year. I mean, it is not as if the cupboard is bare in Carbondale.

The Salukis feature a former All-Big 10 performer in Tony Freeman, who is looking to make good in what will be his last season as a collegiate athlete. Then there's a manchild in the middle with the 6-foot-9-inch Eugene Teague, who scored 11 points in 11 minutes even though he was saddled with foul trouble. Kevin Dillard is the kind of combo guard that gives opponents nightmares when he has the ball, but his defense in recent games has been equally nightmarish at times.

That triumvirate of talent, along with the likes of Justin Bocot, Anthony Booker, Carlton Fay and a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year at the helm should be in a lot better shape than 13-11 overall and 5-9 in conference action.

And despite this heap of talent, SIU just can't close ball games.

Lots of talent. Limitless potential. Failure to close the deal.

Or as Tom Weber so eloquently put it, "The talent is there — the confidence is not."

And suddenly, the Southern Illinois men's basketball team just made me have a flashback to every Valentine's Day fiasco I've ever had.

Pretty girls and lack of confidence included.

Teague, Brown-Surles Should Lead Salukis Down The Stretch

2010-02-10T16:30:00.000-06:00

In a conference where senior leadership is the ultimate "X-factor" when it comes to winning championships, a pair of freshman could hold the fate of the Southern Illinois men's basketball team.

And even though the Salukis are playing to avoid a Thursday game in St. Louis, which would be nothing more than a moral victory to boost morale throughout Saluki Nation, we at TBDS are thinking outside the box.

We're entrusting Kendal Brown-Surles and Eugene Teague to lead Southern out of the cellar.

Prior to this year, we were convinced KBS could have a Bryan Mullins-esque impact on this team.

With solid ball-handling skills, a steady hand for distribution and stout defense, we were sure the freshman point guard would be a lynch-pin for years to come, but right now, could be the kind of role player SIU head coach Chris Lowery could depend on.

The freshman from Evansville, Ind., committed only one turnover and had two steals in 22 minutes for the Salukis in the loss against Northern Iowa. Meanwhile, sophomore Kevin Dillard was held scoreless for only the second time in his young career. Dillard also committed five turnovers, compounding matters.

Let the record show that Brown-Surles was subbed out for Kevin Dillard at the 1:36 mark with the Salukis and Panthers deadlocked at 49-49. Dillard had been struggling after getting smacked in the face on a foul call only a few minutes before that. The final minute-and-a-half for KD wasn't pretty as turnover at the 1:19 mark and a missed 3-pointer with 26 seconds left capped Dillard's performance.

If Dillard was at all shaken up by the after-effects of getting smacked across the face, and you combine that with his general ineffectiveness, KBS should have been running the show. Everyone knows we love Dillard, but you can't have a guy who is struggling down the stretch be the primary ball-handler in the guts of a game.

SIU should take advantage of what Brown-Surles brings to the table and run an offense that features a three-guard set with Brown-Surles running the show being flanked by Dillard and Freeman.

And it is not as if Brown-Surles, who is Harrison High School's all-time leading scorer is a slouch on the offensive end. Before you dismiss the accomplishment, note that the school has former NBAers Calbert Chaney, who was absolutely unstoppable from beyond the arc in NBA Jam and Walter McCarty, who was a pretty good player at the University of Kentucky.

No news on what kind of NBA Jam player he was.

Freshman center Eugene Teague went 6-for-9 from the field the last time Missouri State and Southern Illinois met, and I wouldn't mind if he even got more touches. Mo. St. has no answer down low for the big fella and I think Teague could be in store for another monster performance.

UNI's Jordan Eglseder averages 11.61 shot attempts per game in contests he logs at least 20 minutes in. If Southern can get at least 20 minutes out of Teague, he should be getting the same number of looks. The more opportunities Gene gets on the block, the better the Salukis look on offense.

I'm looking for the man in the middle to stumble upon an 18-point, 10-rebound game one of these days. And I think Wednesday would be a really good time to have one.

Teague is averaging 11.6 points and 8.4 rebounds over his last five games and has really taken strides since his 14-point, 8-rebound performance against Creighton where he filled in more than admirably for (the recently departed) Nick Evans, who was ejected from the game in the first half.

SIU hasn't had a post presence like this since Randal Falker left, and before him, since Roland Roberts roamed the paint wearing maroon and white. Southern needs to take advantage of a position where it holds a clear edge. They need to do it early and they need to do it often.

And to think, coming into this year, SIU fans thought the strength would be in backcourt depth. Here were are in the heart of the season and two of our biggest contributors down the stretch could be a freshman back-up point guard and a trimmed down freshman center.

My, how some things change.

Evans' Departure Fitting By Southern Standards

2010-02-10T12:38:00.002-06:00

[Ed. Note: As promised in our tagline, The Big Dead Sidebar presents a different side of the story. Here is a different look at Nick Evans' departure from the Southern Illinois men's basketball team]

If you look at Nick Evans leaving Southern Illinois University Carbondale's men's basketball team on an individual level, it makes sense considering the state of the SIU system.

Put it out of your mind that nine SIU players have severed ties with the program since Chris Lowery took over at his alma mater in 2004. Get there yet? Good. It's almost scary to think that Evans' departure falls in line with the collegiate careers of many college students, including those at SIUC.

While it looks like freshman fall enrollment could increase by 26.9 percent, retaining these students has been an issue.

Even though Evans was listed as a sophomore, he redshirted his first year, making this season his third on the Carbondale campus. By all accounts, Evans was an above average student, but by minimalist standards he should be on pace to reach senior status if he completes all the necessary course work by the time May rolls around. No matter how it happens, I hope Nick didn't waste his time at SIU and hopefully will complete his degree in whatever field he is expected to pursue.

Evans, like many Southern Illinois students, will not get a chance to pursue that as a Saluki.

For one reason or another, the rate of retainment at SIU drops each and every year. After a nice group of freshmen come in, the number of sophomores, juniors and seniors dwindles as time goes along. With that being said, Evans might as well be considered as just another statistic.

If anything, Evans' time at SIU is representative of the time any normal student would spend on a college campus. In fact, I'll share the story of a friend of mine whose college career paralleled that of the former Saluki center.

Like Evans, my buddy enjoyed his time at Southern by living the good life. The kind of life portrayed in full-length motion pictures about what college life is. I'm talking about socializing with pretty girls, parties and just enough school work to get by. However, with more responsibility came less of the stuff that good stuff and more of that responsibility stuff your parents warned you about before you left for the college campus of your choice shortly after graduating high school.

Like Evans, he found himself taking on a bigger role as a college student and needed to be more focused. And even though he will never be confused with a 6-foot-11-inch ginger, my buddy dropped out of school before he could complete his degree at Southern.

Unlike the blogosphere, where I (claim to) have the answer to what ails my favorite sports teams, I have no idea how to fix the enrollment issues at my alma mater. Nor do I have a clue how to fix the lack of class balance for my beloved Salukis.

On the educational side, newly appointed chancellor Rita Cheng can handle that, while Chris Lowery has the unenviable task of doing that on the men's basketball side of things.

UPDATE: Confirmed: Nick Evans Leaves SIU

2010-02-09T14:07:00.001-06:00

Confirmation via WSIL-TV:

"News 3 Sports has confirmed that SIU men's basketball player Nick Evans has left the team. Sources tell sports reporter Kelly Burke that Evans left the team this week."

(link)

Our original blog:
As we began to wrote a Saluki blog post that had to do with the future of the Southern Illinois men's basketball team, we were dropped this nugget in our e-mail box.

(Which you could reach via bigdeadsidebar@gmail.com)

Via what we assume is his Facebook account, Evans announced he was leaving the Saluki basketball team.

Evans, a 6-foot-11-inch redshirt sophomore, was averaging 5.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in about 15 minutes per game for the Salukis, who are 13-10 overall and 5-8 in Missouri Valley Conference play.

He averaged 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game through the team's first 10 games, but has only scored 19 points since the calendar turned to 2010.

Evans was suspended from Saturday's loss against UNI because of a violation of team rules, which sources tell TBDS the infraction was missing a study hours segment during the week.

We're working on confirmation from other sources, because kids can say the darndest things when they get their grubby little fingers on social media networks.

If Evans does leave SIU, he will become the eighth Saluki to ship out of Carbondale in the Chris Lowery era, joining Mike Dale, Brandon Wood, Joshua Bone, Jordan Armstrong, Torres Roundtree, Christian Cornelius and Ryan Hare. (And if you want to count Jamaal Foster, who left, but still got his degree from SIU, that's nine.)

Hurricane WhoDat Rips Through Indy, Baseball Season Is Coming

2010-02-08T12:30:00.001-06:00

Like a good mistress, football left us something to remember her by. But, now it's time for my true love.

Baseball.

If you're looking for a traditional Super Bowl post-game blog, then you good friend are in for a treat.

As a Bears fan, this Super Bowl was a reminder of how things have fallen apart in Chicago. The team the Bears beat to get to the Super Bowl three years ago beat the team the Bears lost to in said Super Bowl.

I'll give you a few minutes to let that sink in.

I'm sure having a real quarterback helped, but the keen Bears fan remembers when Chicago passed on Drew Brees in free agency as it banked on the future of Rex Grossman. Now, the Bears have Jay Cutler, but I fear that they have no idea what to do with him.

Maybe Mike Martz fixes things. Maybe he makes things more complicated. Only time will tell.

Watching Pierre Thomas run wild against the Colts defense reminds me that Thomas is a Chicagoland native who was an elite high school running back at Thornton Fractional South before going on to play for the Fighting Illini during his college years.

Thomas was recruited by former Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner, which proves to Bears fans that Turner's failures were not limited to playcalling.

And if you think that the Bears are going in the right direction, think again. Buried by the coverage of Hurricane WhoDat is the news of Rod Marinelli getting promoted to defensive coordinator.

For some reason, the Bears think that the tandem that led the Detroit Lions down the path of mass failure will lead Chicago to the promised land.

Reality hits hard, doesn't it?

Meanwhile, we're nine days from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training and 56 days from Opening Day. I can hear the crack off the lumber, the smack of the leather and the giggles of the oiled bodies of bleacher babes off in the distance.

Even though our beloved Salukis are already out of contention, March Madness will hold us over until baseball season gets into full swing.

And with Valentine's Day coming Sunday, there is no better time for love to be in the air. Better that than a pitch launched into the stratosphere by Kevin Gregg.

The Official TBDS Super Bowl Pre-Game Blog

2010-02-07T12:40:00.003-06:00

We're about five hours away from Super Bowl smackdown and I've got some stupid questions to ask.

Did you know that Peyton Manning, this year's NFL MVP, finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting to this year's Defensive MVP, Charles Woodson? Of course not. Because no one cares about what happened back when dinosaurs roamed earth.

How about this one.

Did you know that the New Orleans Saints have the second best quarterback in the NFC behind @NotJayCutler, whose precise tweets are exactly what you need to make you forget that actual Jay Cutler failed to live up to high expectations thanks in part to Ron Turner's middle school playbook?

Super Bowl predictions are like ~~herpes~~ assholes, everyone's got one.

So here's ours.

Colts 28, Saints 21.

But what everyone else won't give you is how they got there.

This is where TBDS > your average blog.

FIRST QUARTER

Right before Carrie Underwood sings the national anthem, Reggie Bush "mistakenly" forgets his helmet in the locker room and dashes to get it. However, Bush does not return until midway through the first quarter.

Shortly after Bush emerges from the locker room, a hot-and-bothered Kim Kardashian is spotted entering the stadium claiming to be late after being "caught in traffic" prior to kickoff.

(25 minutes later)

"Reggie Bush-Kim Kardashian Super Bowl Sex Tape" becomes a trending topic on Twitter.

Joseph Addai puts the Colts on the scoreboard and gives Indy a 7-0 lead after a 13-yard touchdown run. Somewhere in Mississippi, Brett Favre picks up his phone and texts Adrian Peterson, "c what happens when u hold on to da football?"

Colts 7, Saints 0

Bush fumbles away the Saints' first possession as it appears his hands are covered with Vaseline or baby oil. Kardashian quips, "Reggie always has a firm grip on me." Awkward silence ensues.

Indianapolis turns the turnover into points as Peyton Manning fires a 35-yard strike to Austin Collie to give the Colts a two score lead. Somewhere in Minnesota, Peterson replies to Favre's text, "c what happens when u throw it to the team wearing the same color jersey as u?"

Colts 14, Saints 0

SECOND QUARTER

Bush redeems himself with an 84-yard punt return touchdown to put the Saints back into the game.

The touchdown marks the first time ever in the history of the world anyone has even considered putting "Bush redeems himself" in a sentence that isn't concluded with "by apologizing to the people of New Orleans."

Colts 14, Saints 7

Another Peyton Manning touchdown toss extends the Colts' lead to 21-7. This time to Reggie Wayne on a blown coverage.

Somewhere in Chicago, Lovie Smith receives a text from 3,864,792 Bears fans, "hey Lovie, that look familiar?"

Smith wonders how so many Bears fans got his number.

Colts 21, Saints 7

HALFTIME

Millions of gamblers call their bookies. Thousands of fans head to the restroom. Hundreds of wives ask if the game is over yet. Dozens of children go outside to recreate a play from the first half. A wild, horny couple attempts to recreate the scene between Bush-and-Kardashian in an unoccupied bedroom at the party they are currently attending.

THIRD QUARTER

Saints make a run. Pierre Thomas takes a swing pass for a touchdown to cut the Colts' lead to 21-14. Bears fans across the nation lament the fact that Thomas was Chicago-born and Chicago-raised, yet Jerry Angelo couldn't bring him to town.

Somewhere in a time machine headed back to the mid-1990s, Ron Turner wonders why he never ran that play while Thomas was at Illinois.

Looks at playbook.

Sees "Copyright 1987" scribbled across the bottom.

Colts 21, Saints 14
Peyton Manning throws an interception and Darren Sharper returns it for a touchdown. TV camera finds Archie Manning in a suite shaking his head, but counting the money he made off interviews and endorsement deals this week. Second camera finds Eli Manning taking shots of bourbon with a hot chick.

Somewhere in Nashville, Tenn., Jay Cutler tries to pass the time, but is intercepted and blames Devin Hester for running the wrong route.

Colts 21, Saints 21

FOURTH QUARTER

Manning orchestrates a long touchdown drive that ends with a Pierre Garcon touchdown grab. Somewhere in Pennsylvania, someone loads Marvin Harrison's gun. That someone receives a text from Plaxico Burress warning about gun safety.

Colts 28, Saints 21
Brees tries to mount a rally, but after scoring what appeared to be a game-tying touchdown, the play is thrown to the booth for a review. The play is overturned because Manning, who is simultaneously directing a MasterCard commercial, scolds Brees for not following the script.

Touchdown overruled.

Colts win 28-21.

The Weekender Returns (Hopefully For Good)

2010-02-05T12:00:00.000-06:00

The Weekender is back for the first time in two weeks and I'd like to show my appreciation for everyone's support by including this picture of Scarlett Johansson to kick off the festivities.

We've had a long week and plan to have a longer weekend. We'll knock out some posts about Ryan Theriot, Kevin Gregg, Saluki basketball (and maybe football) along with a Super Bowl drinking game.

Because you can't really consider yourself a good sports blog until you have a Super Bowl drinking game that will get you drunk by halftime.

Alright, we're done. Enjoy your day, the upcoming weekend and this blog.

OK, fine, here's a Colts cheerleader.

And for the hell of it ... random soccer cheerleader.

Links:

R. Kelly has no problem with this headline. None whatsoever.
I'm sure we're not the only ones wondering weather Hurricane WhoDat will be as destructive to Miami as Hurricane Pacman was to Las Vegas.
Apparently, Hurricane Pacman is headed to Carbondale because the BlaccuWeather forecast says "It's gon rain!"
Just picked up this sports blog, A Shortage of Chairs, from a new friend. A very entertaining read for those of you who like snark.
Nick Swisher guest-starred on "How I Met Your Mother" recently and talked about ~~batting 1.000~~ having the "perfect week," which makes us think you'll be seeing an update to The Dirty 30 Chronicles very soon!
Cheerleader showdown? Fuck and yes!
Oh, look. More cheerleaders!
NBA Jam screen grabs make us want to put some money aside for a Nintendo Wii. Until then, we'll continue to play NBA Jam Tournament Edition on Super Nintendo.
My old high school might get a mini Wrigley Field. If it comes with a mini-Ryan Theriot, it might be too small to see without a microscope.
Dating failure is one thing, but dating failure on the internet is totally different.
Seeing that Valentine's Day is (unfortunately) around the corner, here's a drinking guide to drinking alone.
Former TBDS scribe @bfeldt finds failure in a job search.
Another former TBDS scribe, SalukiOrphan, checks in with one, two, three, four sets of hotties.

Oh. We almost forgot about random screen grabs!

Facebook fun!

Headline of the year?

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we found Crazy Uncle Milton's long lost son...

.

Then there's this week's video, where my even Hitler is pissed off at Chris Lowery. (Via @StileSmith)

We'll tweet the Super Bowl happenings in Miami. Until then, say a little prayer for those who might be effected by Hurricane WhoDat.

College Football Signing Day: Where Everyone Is A National Champion

2010-02-04T13:58:00.000-06:00

Is there anyone that was not 100 percent satisfied with their recruiting class after National Letter of Intent signing day?

Probably not.

It might be the only day in sports where every team can consider themselves victorious. Referees, weather factors, field conditions and jet lag take a back seat, if only for one day, as team's gush over bringing a slew of 18-year-old young men on to campus.

Heck, the only person happier to see young a bunch of young high schoolers all at the same time was taken down by police on a Dateline NBC special with Chris Hansen.

It's good to see Florida head coach Urban Meyer in good health after securing the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation. I guess that means you can pencil in Florida in one half of the championship bracket for the next four years. Until, of course, the day comes when Meyer leaves Gainesville to ~~retire~~ coach the Dallas Cowboys.

College coaches will gossip like school children if it means bringing down their opposition. But if you say one thing that disparages my program, so help you God...

...I digress.

I mean, why would Meyer want to leave Gainsville for Dallas? There is a distinct difference between stress accumulated when on campus and stress accumulated when you go into the land of grown-ups. Trust me.

The difference is that on campus, you can relieve stress by taking Jello shots off the exposed chest of your lab partner at a basement house party. That kind of stress reliever no longer exists once you put your days on campus behind you.

The only two people feeling like crap after NLOI day are probably newly minted Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and Illinois boss Ron Zook.

Kelly and the Fighting Irish are already looking to the Class of 2011 after a lackluster 2010 class that saw its top recruit bolt shortly after Charlie Weis was ushered out of South Bend and lured to Kansas City by ~~the sweet, sweet smells of barbecue~~ a job as an offensive coordinator in the NFL.

Notre Dame is to college football what that one guy with a brand new headband and fresh-out-of-the-box Jordan's is to your rec league. Both think they're hot shit and are the only ones who think so highly of themselves. And yes, both should probably get nut-punched for the heck of it.

Then there's Zook, who should probably be refreshing his resume after one of his top recruits put the Heisman on the Zooker and his staff, switched gears and is now heading to Nebraska of the instability in the coaching staff in Champaign-Urbana.

If you're Illinois and you lose a kid to Southern Cal or Florida, it's understandable.

It's hard for a 18-year-old kid to say no to Song Girls and southern belles of the SEC for a frozen midwestern treat. But when you lose a kid to Nebraska, then you know there's something wrong with your situation.

Meanwhile, my alma mater brought in 21 kids including a steal from conference rival Missouri State and a steal from a MAC school.

Suckas!

Is it too early to start looking for betting line's for next year's Illini-Saluki game?

Center Of Attention: A Changing Of The Guard In Saluki Nation

2010-02-03T17:00:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure if I have ever seen someone climb a depth chart as quickly as Eugene Teague.

The 6-foot-9-inch, 290-pound center started the 2009-10 season as a project with role player minutes, but has grown to become the Southern Illinois University men's basketball team's go-to guy in the post.

Expect for the Missouri State Bears to get a heavy dosage of Teague tonight at the SIU Arena with tip-off slated for 7 p.m.

The Salukis are struggling with a 12-9 record overall and 4-7 record in Missouri Valley Conference play, but are also in the midst of a change in ideology and game plan.

Through the team's 9-2 start, Southern averaged 76 points per game. The Salukis resembled the Rich Herrin Era of Dawgs that scampered up and down the court, pushing the ball any and every time it had the chance.

It was a stark contrast from the philosophy that earned SIU the "Floorburn U" moniker during Lowery's first three years as the head coach of his alma mater.

Since its 9-2 start, the team has gone 3-7 and has seen its points per game average drop to 63 points per game.

Teague has seen an increase in minutes since Nick Evans got himself ousted from Southern Illinois' two-point loss at Creighton. Evans had a stellar start to the season and looked to be rounding into form. However, the 6-foot-11-inch redshirt sophomore regressed and reverted to some bad habits that include fading away too much on his hook shot and settling for 15-foot baseline jumpers when he should be banging away in the post.

I digress.

For the sake of this post, we'll ignore the 2-point effort in the team's 81-80 overtime win against Illinois State because the Salukis went back to their run-and-gun game.

Again, without the Illinois State hiccup and the one-game self-imposed suspension, GT has taken advantage of the increased PT averaging 11. 8 points and 8.8 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game since taking center stage in Southern's loss in Omaha, Neb.

Southern hasn't had an inside presence like Teague since Randal Falker graduated in 2008. And the thing Saluki fans should enjoy most about Teague is that he has moves as a freshman that Falker did not develop until his junior year in Carbondale. With the proper coaching and a little bit of work ethic, Teague could be 15-point, 10-rebound guy in the Valley.

Most Valley teams have trouble handling one big guy, team Teague with Anthony Booker, and assuming Book tosses out the idea of shooting perimeter jump shots off the top of the Pulliam Clocktower, SIU has a distinct size advantage on the low block.

Southern has come a far way from the days in which I suggested running a four-guard offense in hopes of out-shooting opponents and breaking them down and blowing past them with quickness.

It is almost unprecedented that a team has changed its offensive philosophy midseason, but that seems to be the case with my alma mater. The development of Teague is crucial to this team's success over the rest of the regular season and in the next three years to come.

For Chris Lowery and his coaching staff, they have three simple tasks that I will assign.

1. Keep Teague in the classroom.
2. Keep Teague away from Jim Hendry and his Krispy Kreme donuts.
3. Send Teague to a big man's camp for a summer.

Following those three steps would ensure that the round mound from Brooklyn is truly destined to become the next big thing in Carbondale.

Image Credit: Me. Yeah, I got photo skills.

Derrick Rose & The Class Of 2010

2010-02-03T15:52:00.000-06:00

When Derrick Rose became the first Chicago Bulls player to make the NBA All-Star team since Michael Jordan was the last to do so in 1998, it just might have changed the landscape of the 2010 free agency class.
Allow me to explain.

In spite of having one of the NBA's worst head coaches, Derrick Rose has single-handedly put Chicago Bulls basketball back on the map.

Between this killer crossover...

... and this thunderous dunk ...

... Rose brings the kind of star power Chicago has not had since Jordan last soared across the city skyline.

The biggest fear Bulls fans have about this free agency class is that none of the premier players will want to come to Chicago as the rejections from Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady and others are still fresh in the minds of Bulls fans.

(Apologies to those of you who were really trying hard to remove the Ron Mercer-Eddie Robinson era from your brains.)

It's a legit concern, but unlike that batch of free agents, this group already has established contributors on board.

If this excites any free agent in particular, it might be LeBron James.

After reading this tweet , ESPN's Bill Simmons and I must be drinking the same Kool Aid because we're both convinced James is coming to Chicago. TBL is convinced we're smoking the funny stuff. I'm not buying it. (However, I am buying Simmons as being the next Bulls GM, especially after this tweet.)

Personally, I'm convinced that everything, with the exception of Madison Square Garden, tied to the NYC hoops scene is overrated.

As a SIU alum and Saluki fan, I'll take Brooklyn-born center Eugene Teague and grad assistant Koby Altman, but you can keep Starbury, Telfair and the rest of the over-hyped and underwhelming point guards, take 'em to The Rucker and have a nifty street ball tournament.

But this isn't limited to LeBron.

If you're Chris Bosh and you've been hidden in relative obscurity in Toronto, you would cross the border so quickly you would forget about the wonderful healthcare system Canada has to offer to play along side Rose.

Same goes for you Amare Stoudemire. Just think of it as playing with a younger Steve Nash.

How about Joe Johnson, a 6-foot-8-inch shooting guard who can create off the dribble as well? He could come to Chicago and become one half of an elite 1-2 backcourt punch for the next five years.

Dwayne Wade, anyone? Much has been made of a potential homecoming and the All-Star, All-Chicago backcourt of D-Rose and D-Wade. But very few have mentioned the kind of burden that would be lifted off Wade's shoulders knowing he doesn't have to be the primary ball handler all the time.

In two years, Rose has already established himself as a star and the kind of player established stars would want to play with.

I know that sometimes people dismiss All-Star status, but at the end of the day, for better or for worse, when we talk about Hall of Fame careers, one of the things we look back on is how many times a player made the All-Star team.

And having Derrick Rose on board puts the Bulls one step ahead of the curve in luring a sidekick for Chicago's current superhero.

That's Going to Sting

2010-02-01T21:00:00.001-06:00

Can New Orleans catch a break?

Everything was going so well. The Saints have had a magical run to the Super Bowl, the Colts best defensive player is very questionable for Sunday's game and people are talking about the city again without thinking of devastation.

But apparently the universe needed to drop a reality check on Who Dat Nation and make sure the city's All-Star point guard sits out the next couple of months on the sidelines. This of course comes after the universe teased Hornets fans by having them play their way back into the No. 8 seed after being in the basement of the conference.

So what should Hornets fans expect now that Chris Paul can no longer carry the weight of the team with a meniscus tear in his left knee?

To put it into current terms: The exact opposite of what the city's football team did.

Optimists will point to rookie point guard Darren Collision. The young, standout guard has had a great season and led the team to a 4-4 record while averaging 15.1 points and 7.7 assists per game when he started in place of Paul earlier in the season.

But when you compare that record to the 13 victories Paul has led the Hornets to in their last 17 games, it no longer seems so impressive. Add to that the Hornets just dumped a serviceable guard in Devin Brown for a scrub center in Aaron Gray and now the team is looking at some serious problems.

The Hornets now only have one true point guard in Collison with 6'7" Morris Peterson and rookie Marcus Thornton serving as backups.

Clearly it's decision time for the Hornets.

They worked hard to get into the eighth seed and it would be sad to watch them squander all hope, but if they don't make a trade, that is exactly what they are doing. If the Hornets want to make a push for the playoffs, they have two trade pieces on their roster:

James Posey and Julian Wright.

No one would want Stojakovic's $13 million contract and David West to good to let go. But Wright has upside and Posey is a good pickup at $6 million for the defense and outside threat he brings.

There are a few guards the Hornets could push for. Kyle Lowry, Steve Blake and Jason Williams are some that come to mind. Williams has been playing especially well for the Magic this season, but with the team missing that spark, a trade may be in the works.

Lowry is a good player stuck behind a better one and Blake is becoming more and more of an afterthought in Portland with Miller's stellar play recently and Jerryd Bayless' continuing improvement.

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer or move for the Hornets to make here, but staying stagnant would drop them out of the playoffs after all the hard work they put in to get back.

Hey, but who am I to rain on a New Orleans parade — that city has a Super Bowl to bring home.

The Good, Bad & Ugly: Bears Hire Mike Martz

2010-02-01T17:20:00.001-06:00

Under the dome in St. Louis, it was called The Greatest Show On Turf. So, what will they call it once it hits Soldier Field?

The Greatest Show On Sod?

In the end, the Chicago Bears finally hired Mike Martz as offensive coordinator, putting an end to a four-week circus that saw the Bears get turned down more times than the pimply faced nerd searching for a prom date.

Eventually, the acne-challenged child (Lovie Smith) found the chick who was really hot before she got coked out (Martz) in what will likely spawn the beginning of a new era or the beginning of the end of this era.

Let's break it down, shall we?

THE GOOD
Kurt Warner went from bagging groceries to bagging touchdowns, and fantasy football players went on to bag bragging rights and championship games. He got the most out of Marshall Faulk and a lot out of Steven Jackson. Everyone knows what Martz did in St. Louis, so let's focus on some recent history.

The biggest positive in hiring Martz is that unlike Ron Turner, the man who will be at the controls in 2010 has coordinated an offense that has been productive in this century. Turner's archaic playbook was a drag on offense, and to be honest, it would be nice to see Jay Cutler's receivers run routes at the first down chains on third down rather than seeing bubble screens get blown up for a four-yard loss on 3rd-and-15.

Martz has also been known for quick turnarounds, which is something Bears fans are kind of used to. At least I got used to seeing Bears running backs get turned around for losses. But I guess that's what happens when a draw play is called on 3rd-and-11.

In 2006, Martz turned Jon Kitna's age 34 season into a 4,000-yard campaign in his first year in Detroit. One year later, Martz's offense really clicked through eight weeks as the Lions posted a 6-2 record in the season's first half. Eventually, the wheels fell off, but it all can't be put on Detroit's offense as the defense was lit up down the stretch.

But it's hard to play defense when Matt Millen continues to draft wide receiver after wide receiver in the NFL draft.

If Martz can make the Lions offense look like a legitimate professional offense, I imagine he could work wonders with the jokers Jerry Angelo has drafted.

THE BAD
Mike Martz offenses have oftentimes forgotten about the use of tight ends, which of course was the Bears' offense's msot prolific weapon.

Which means if you were given a Greg Olsen jersey for Christmas, cherish it, for it might be the last time you see it for a while because it might not be seeing much time on the field.

Granted, without looking it up on Google, do you even know who the Rams' tight ends were during the glory years? Probably not. I'll admit that I can't. I can tell you St. Louis had Isaac Bruce as a legit No. 1 threat. Then they had Torry Holt, who would have been a No. 1 option on almost any other team, as a No. 2 option. Az Hakim was an excellent kick/punt returner Martz was able to get the ball to in the open field.

The Bears have that guy in Devin Hester. The catch? Chicago expects him to be Bruce or Holt, when he's really just another Az Hakim.

THE UGLY
With the addition of Martz as offensive coordinator and Mike Tice as offensive line coach, the Bears have three former NFL head coaches working under Lovie Smith. In most cases, I would consider that to be a good thing.

However, the three combined to go 95-103 in 14 total seasons as NFL head coaches. Martz (53-32) was clearly the most successful while Tice was a mediocre 32-33 with the Minnesota Vikings and Marinelli was downright awful with a 10-38 record with the Detroit Lions.

In other words, the Bears have spent the last two offseasons hiring the outcasts of division rivals whose coaching success ranges from "Meh" to "Cutlerfucked" on the Luda scale of coaching success.

I guess they'll fit in just fine.

Blackhawks Beaten In Own Game To End Long Trip

2010-01-30T20:29:00.002-06:00

Great passing, getting pucks at the net, good goaltending on the other end and a balanced and quick attack from different lines. These are trademarks of the Chicago Blackhawks, but this evening, Carolina returned the favor at home.

The Hurricanes just finished off a 4-2 win in Carolina, as the Blackhawks end their 8-game trip with a 5 and 3 record. Chicago was coming off an overtime win over San Jose as they took the season series with the Western Conference leaders. The Blackhawks are one point behind the Sharks for the conference lead, but they could not get over the hump against Carolina.

The Hurricanes got out in space, pushed the puck, and threw the puck toward the net. A couple bounces led to some Hurricane goals, but when you are quick, balanced and aggressive, these bounces tend to go your way. The Hurricanes did that, and while they sit in last place in the East, they have won 4 straight games. If they continue doing what the Blackhawks do pretty consistently, and get great goaltending from Cam Ward, then they will continue to win games.

The Hawks' 3 losses on this trip all came against teams with win streaks. Ottawa has 9 straight wins, Vancouver has 6 straight wins, and the Hurricanes are starting to figure things out themselves. Chicago has six games remaining until the league takes a break during the Olympics, and four of those six games are at the United Center.

They take a few days off, and then face Central Division rival St. Louis on Wednesday. There are still many teams alive for the postseason, and they will look to play their best against a great team like Chicago, especially a division rival like the Blues.

I am not sure that St. Louis can beat Chicago at their own game, but if last-place Carolina can, then who knows. St. Louis is 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, and Chicago did not do well against teams on hot streaks during this trip.

An All-Star Solution

2010-01-29T15:09:00.002-06:00

Raise your hand if you think Allen Iverson should be starting the NBA All-Star game over Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo.

I didn't think so.

Raise your hand if you think Kevin Garnett and his 14 ppg and 7 rpg should be starting over Chris Bosh and his 24 ppg and 11 rpg.

Again, I didn't think so.

This is the time in the NBA season where great players are snubbed and questionable decisions are made regarding the starters for the All-Star game. There are plenty of radio talk shows and columns about the travesty of Chauncy Billups exclusion and Iverson's undeserved starting role.

But the truth is the NBA fans have a right to vote because it's only one meaningless game. With that being said, there is a way to make the All-Star game an interesting and fun game for all types of fans.

There are mainly three types of fans in the NBA. The fans of individuals, who will send their man to the game every year, the fans of teams, who only vote for their guys, and the fans of the game, looking to send the best performers to Dallas.

I am a fan of the game and would love to see Rose or Rondo get the starting nod over Iverson, but I understand the appeal of people who are drawn in by A.I.'s reputation as one of the best and his flash and flare. So for the NBA to please everybody, here is how the game should be formatted.

Fans' Choice vs League's Choice

Forget the East vs West, it's not that interesting. Let's have the All-Star game be a matchup of the 10 highest vote-getters from the fans, against 10 players the coaches and general managers select. In essence, this would mean the starting five from the current All-Star squads would matchup against 10 of the 12 reserves chosen by the league.

There are a few reasons why this game would be a ratings record-breaker.

The most obvious is the great storylines that would be created. If you applied the Fans' Choice vs League's Choice game this year, the starting five for both squads would look something like this.

Fans' Choice: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard

League's Choice: Derrick Rose, Brandon Roy, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol

We've all seen James vs Bryant before, but wouldn't it be awesome to watch them play together outside of the Olympics? I know I would want to see teammates go at each other, like Bryant vs Gasol or Paul Pierce vs Kevin Garnett (Pierce was a reserve this season).

The game would be interesting to watch and the fans would still get their choices while deserving players such as Rose, Nowitzki and Bosh would get to start. The voting wouldn't even have to change. Fans choose their five favorite players from the West by position, and their five favorite from the East by position — those 10 players would compose the team.

The league then gets to choose from the "leftovers" and create its own team.

It would give the league a fresh game almost every fan would enjoy with intriguing teams and matchups.

Love it? Hate it? Have a better idea? Leave your thoughts below on your ultimate All-Star game.

A quick note: In honor of the "NBA: Where Amazing Happens" ad campaign, I will have a weekly series every Friday entitled "NBA: Where ___ Happens."

The first installment will appear next week and will be entitled "NBA: Where teams with generic nicknames like Thunder and Bobcats play awesome basketball happens."

Salukis Jump Out Of Valley Race With Loss

2010-01-29T12:02:00.001-06:00

Free throws turned out to be very costly for the Southern Illinois University men's basketball team on Thursday night.

The Salukis fell to Indiana State 68-65 as its late rally was thwarted by the team's own inability to hit something called "free throws."

Free throws, as defined by basketball scholars, are shots taken at a line 15 feet away from the basket.

Also known as foul shots, players can take said shots from the "free-throw line" in the following situations on the collegiate level:

When a player is fouled in the act of shooting.
When a team is fouled seven times (it enters an event coined "shooting the 1-and-1")
When a team reaches 10 fouls and enters the "double bonus" round.

As a free throw shooter, you are delegated several rights. You have the right to shoot as little as one attempt and many as three free throws in one trip.

Players taking "freebies" at the "charity stripe" also reserve the right to shoot without the annoyance of a defender. With a clean look at the goal and defenders designated to each side of the lane, shooters are expected to be more accurate at the free-throw line than when shooting from the field or 3-point stripe.

Apparently, the alma mater in maroon and white didn't get the memo.

Head coach Chris Lowery was right to call the team's 52 percent shooting percentage (13 of 25) "atrocious" after last night's debacle.

If SIU is able to bump that to 17 of 25, which would be a 68 percent clip, the Salukis would have won by four points and rather than talking about being tied for ninth place in the Missouri Valley Conference, we're talking about being in the clusterfuck of mediocrity that features Missouri State, Illinois State, Bradley and Drake.

To make matters worse, the team's best shooters Kevin Dillard (77 percent) and Tony Freeman (75 percent) combined to shoot 4-for-9 from the line last night.

Upon speaking with a coach I cover back in reality land, I remember a conversation we had when his team struggled to shoot free throws. Said coach told me he sat the team down and issued a challenge after a night of woeful shooting.

Coach X challenged his players to make 100 free throws before practice was over. Not shoot 100 free throws. Make 100. That is a major difference. For Team X, their free-throw shooting has improved immensley since the mandate and so has their record.

For SIU, their 4-6 conference record puts them in a Thursday game at Arch Madness, which would be the absolute low-point for any Saluki unit since the end of the Rich Herrin Era. To avoid playing Thursday, Southern will likely need to go 5-3 down the stretch in conference play and break even with a 9-9 record.

And while that would be an improvement over last year's 8-10 mark, it would be a disappointment for a team that came into the season claiming (and expecting) a "return to greatness."

For now, I think the Salukis should return to the charity stripe for more practice.

Big Blackhawks Game Tonight in San Jose!

2010-01-28T17:55:00.003-06:00

I am pulling double-duty tonight. As I sit here at the Hulman Center for tonight's Saluki basketball game against Indiana State, I thought I would say something about the other big sporting event. (Yes, as WSIU FM sports director, this Saluki game is a big sporting event for me!).

Anyways, that other big game is on the ice, as the Chicago Blackhawks continue their road trip with a game at San Jose. Each meeting between the teams this season has been close, except for a 7-2 Blackhawks rout in northern California earlier this season. Yet, that was somewhat of a fluke, as San Jose continues to lead Chicago by just 2 points atop the NHL standings.

San Jose goalie Evgeni Nabokov is one of the best in the business. This team has been near the top of the league the last few seasons. They finished 1st in last year's regular season before being upset in the first round. They are back at the top, and San Jose and Chicago have separated themselves from the rest of the Western Conference.

The NHL will be watching this Blackhawks game tonight, and this is a very interesting way to end Chicago's eight-game road trip. They play in San Jose tonight and then close the trip against last-place Carolina on Saturday; you cannot have two different opponents coming up.

We will see what Chicago will do tonight. I do not see the Blackhawks winning 7-2 like they did in that November road game with the Sharks. If they do,or win in any other way in regulation, the teams will be tied atop the NHL with 78 points.

Either way, the Sharks and Blackhawks will fight to the end of the season for that number-one seed in the West.

(By the way, it is currently 12-10 Salukis with 11:54 to go....time to solely focus on that)

Co-Sign: Chris Lowery Is In A No-Win Situation

2010-01-28T12:04:00.004-06:00

If the SIU job is Texas Roadhouse, DePaul can't be Gibson's, can it?

That is today's discussion upon reading Stile T. Smith's piece in the Daily Egyptian titled "Lowery in a no-win situation."

For full disclosure, Smith is a friend, a former understudy of mine and a one-time TBDS poster. But that is not why I am about to defend him.

I'm defending him because he makes valid points, which often doesn't happen when Cardinals fans are given a forum to speak their mind.

Lowery in a no-win situation
Sports with Stile

When he wins games, the rumors that he’s going to leave for a big-name school start and fans call him a traitor.

To prove this, take a time machine or your buddy's DeLorean, dial up March 2007, get to 88 MPH and let the good times roll. Lowery has been one of the hottest coaching commodities since building on what Bruce Weber and Matt Painter did en route to posting a 78-26 record, winning two regular season Missouri Valley Conference titles, a MVC Tournament championship and a Sweet 16 berth.

When he doesn’t win, fans say he’s a terrible coach and the university should fire him.

See this thread at SalukiTalk.

No matter how his team performs, Chris Lowery can’t win.

Unless, of course, the team wins. Then technically, he wins. And unless that's John Calipari on that bench, I don't see any wins getting vacated or banners being pulled down any time soon.

Now, any job is performance-based, whether it be as an accountant or a grocery store bagger, if the job is not performed correctly someone else will fill it.

Kurt Warner agrees with this statement. Had Johnny not come into the store that day looking for a job to pay for ~~that nasty drug habit~~ a new car when he turned 16, who knows if Warner would have ever been forced out into the NFL job market.

But one season with a sub-.500 record and another where the team is 12-7 so far should not bring calls for Lowery’s job.

I know a lot of people consider the 2008 NIT team a failure because of the high standards built with this program. Whatever. Shit happens. Matt Shaw's field goal and 3-point percentages went down -- Lowery's fault, right? Randal Falker was being triple teamed -- Lowery's fault right? SIU didn't capitalize on its Sweet 16 year in its following season because of Shaw's struggles and the fact that Tony Young and Jamaal Tatum were ineligible to compete due to graduation, thus ushering in the Josh Bone, Wes Clemmons, Tyrone Green era.

The 13-18 year was an absolute abortion. Those happen with every program. Except Duke. Not sure how Duke does it, but if the Coach K tree of Quin Snyder and Tommy Amaker are any indication, it probably deserves some looking into.

In a way, Lowery has it more difficult than coaches at schools such as Duke and Michigan State that win every year, or Nebraska and Ole Miss, who are never expected to win.

At least Ole Miss has hot, blonde SEC tail .

Mike Krzyzewski at Duke and Tom Izzo at Michigan State do not have to deal with the constant rumors that they are bolting for greener pastures, mostly because there are not too many greener pastures.

That's because the campuses in East Lansing and Durham have a little more appeal than the one in Carbondale. And actually have greener pastures than Carbondale, which a friend once described as "what Detroit would look like if it were a college town."

Doc Sadler at Nebraska and Andy Kennedy at Ole Miss do not have to worry about an entire fan base calling for their heads when they have one or two seasons when they do not make it to the NCAA Tournament, mostly because they have not been to the NCAA Tournament in years.

Girls of the SEC and Nebraska football are the best things to happen to each of those programs, respectively.

Lowery has to deal with both sides of the spectrum.

As hard as it is for some to admit, SIU is not Arizona or Michigan, two schools who were rumored to be interested in Lowery in years past. If those schools come calling and offer Lowery a big enough contract, he is not being a Benedict Arnold if he accepts.

Nor is it Oklahoma State or DePaul. Believe it or not, the four previously mentioned schools are not the only universities that have come a-callin' for Southern's head coach. A source recently confided in me that a SEC school had called for Lowery's services before being turned down immediately. A second source added that one team sent representative's to Lowery's house unannounced.

Lowery once told us in an interview that we would be surprised how many schools, big and small, have contacted his agent in regard to getting him to leave his alma mater. As of right now, Lowery has no interest in leaving Southern.

Labeling Lowery a traitor for possibly being interested in improving on the situation he is in is wrong.

If I am the head chef at Texas Roadhouse and a five-star restaurant offers me a position as its head chef, you can believe I am going to take it.

I think the Texas Roadhouse line might have been a little out of step. But the point at face value remains.

Pretend for just a minute that you are at a job in your home town (we'll call it Carbondale for this argument's sake) and you're very happy with it. If a competitor contacts you and offers you double your salary, plus cost of living expenses to move you and your family to New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago or any major market, you can't tell me you would not at least consider the proposition.

Comedian Chris Rock once said, "A man is only as faithful as his options."

It is a saying that can be applied here.

Lowery has a young team that seems to be turning the corner. He has a 12-7 team that is losing one player this year and has a potentially great player in Diamond Taylor arriving next season.

I know a lot of people are saying "big whoop, two game winning streak." The reason SIU has won back-to-back games is because of execution. Southern isn't doing anything different other than guarding the piss out of people again. As a wise man once told me, "Good things happen in basketball when you play defense."

If Nick Evans secures a rebound and SIU executes at the end of the Drake game, it's a win. If Tony Freeman or Carlton Fay connects on a clean 3-point opportunity and the Salukis execute, it's a win. Rather than a 12-7 overall record and a 4-5 record in MVC play, you're looking at a 14-5 mark overall and 6-3 conference record that puts you in the Valley's top three rather than being in ~~seventh~~ eighth place looking down at Indiana State and Evansville, while looking up at a clusterfuck of mediocrity.

As for Taylor, he can become what Tony Freeman is. And rather than have him for just one season, Southern would have him for four years. On top of that, SIU will have Taylor at ages 21, 22, 23 and 24. Experience kills in the Valley, everyone knows that.

And if the Salukis do rebound next season and return to the NCAA Tournament, do not be surprised when you hear Lowery’s name mentioned in some high-profile coaching searches.

If Lowery wanted a legit job at a power conference school, he would be wise to ride it out at SIU. In 2012, Kevin Dillard, Anthony Booker, Nick Evans and Justin Bocot will be seniors. Kendall Brown-Surles and Eugene Teague will be juniors, Diamond Taylor will be a sophomore.

If that team doesn't make a dent in the NCAA Tournament, then we can resume the fear of one of the big boys taking "our" coach.

That's assuming he wants to leave SIU.

Lowery in a no-win situation [Daily Egyptian]

State Of The Big Dead Sidebar Address

2010-01-27T16:58:00.000-06:00

I am posting this update this afternoon to address the future of this great blog.

To the readers, we would like to thank you sincerely for your readership, tips, comments, suggestions and everything else you bring to this forum.

To the staff, thank you for your contributions to the page. They are also greatly appreciated.

The Big Dead Sidebar was co-founded in May 2008 by your faithful editors Luis M., who blogs under more pen names than you can shake a stick at, and M.J. Hartwig, who blogs every so often and is in charge of advertisements, making sure layout is good and things of that nature.

Like every other sports blog you have come to know and love, we started this site as a place for us to throw in our two cents on the hottest sports topics. Since our humble beginnings, we have narrowed our focuses, while growing all at the same time.

In 2009, we made it our goal to make this one of your go-to Web sites for insight and analysis of Chicago's sports teams to go along with the outside-the-box breakdown of the Southern Illinois University Salukis of Carbondale. And while your trusty editors no longer walk the Saluki beats as they once did when they were at the alma mater, our sources stay strong in the program. And once in a while, Luis' sources throw him a bone or send him a hope all is well in the real world text message.

In 2010, our goal is to continue building on what we have done in the past and striving for a better future. The days of us posting on the hour, every hour are behind us, but it does not mean this site is going away any time soon.

Rather than have a dozen less-focused posts, our posts will be fewer and more spaced out, but they will have much more in-depth analysis in which we will still attempt to uncover the buried leads in your favorite sports stories.

We're looking for new ways to communicate with our readers, we'll be adding a formspring account in which you can ask us any question you'd like. We're also looking into doing live blogs and chats with folks. Another thing we're taking into consideration is more interviews. I know some liked the Lance Irvin interview, though for the non-SIU readership, it probably went over their heads. We'll see what we cand do from that standpoint.

If all else fails, we can always communicate via Twitter . And while you're at it, let's be friends on Facebook.

If there is anything that I would like to do as the primary editor of this site, it is get in contact with the peeps. Commenting is so easy, a Creighton fan can do it. So come on and give us some thought-provoking words in the comments section.

Last but not least, I would not mind adding another voice (or two) to our network of bloggers. We are close to adding another author to our stable of writers, but that has yet to be finalized as of today. (Seriously, I've been really busy.)

So stick around, for 2010 will be good even though our teams might not be.

We will not falter.

We will not fail.

But we will continue to be the snarky SOBs you have come to love.

Image via.

The Chad Tracy Addition Doesn't Suck

2010-01-27T12:00:00.002-06:00

One of my biggest fears going into the 2010 season was losing Aramis Ramirez to a freak injury for an extended period of time.

Again.

And while that fear still remains, at least the Cubs won't have to turn to Aaron Miles or Mike Fontenot.

Welcome aboard, Chad Tracy.

The former Arizona Diamondbacks infielder signed with the Cubs today for a cool $900,000 which includes ~~a full no-trade clause~~ a $525,000 bonus if he reaches 425 plate appearances.

Tracy has not reached that plateau since 2006 when he slugged 20 home runs, drove in 80 runs batted in and posted a .281/.343/.451/.794 line in 662 plate appearances with the D'Backs.

The 2006 season capped a strong two-year run for Tracy, who in that time span posted a .294/.350/.497.848 line with 47 HR 152 RBI in 1,215 plate appearances when he was a full-time player. He won't be expected to participate full time, but Tracy is a lefty bat off the bench who is a legit corner infielder at either position with a track record of success.

And his .299/.355/.463/.819 line in 706 plate appearances during day games makes me feel even better about this bargain bin grab.

It looks like GM Jim Hendry has awaken from his winter slumber to make some pretty sound baseball moves.

On the other hand, this could be just another distraction to keep your mind off the fact that the Cubs still do not have an everyday second baseman, a right-handed set-up man and that Carlos Silva, Tom Gorzelanny and Jeff Samardzija are the team's "top" candidates to start the season in the five-man rotation.

TBDS Returns: Favre, Bears, Bulls, Salukis & Everything We Missed

2010-01-26T16:04:00.002-06:00

At the suggestion of reader/friend James Durbin, Sophia Bush is here to welcome you back to The Big Dead Sidebar.

Seeing TBDS at full strength for the first time in four days made me very happy.

The only thing that could have made me happier involves a bottle of fine wine and a girl named Jill.

I digress. I've missed out on a lot of stuff over the last four days.

See, I've been busy at the real job and I've barely had time to eat, sleep and flirt with girls that are totally out of my league. So diagnosing our online problems has been the least of my concerns.

But it looks like everything is back to normal. And here we are on a Tuesday evening thinking this would be a great time to catch up with what's been on our minds.

Did you really think Brett Favre wasn't going to cost the Minnesota Vikings a chance to go to the Super Bowl?

After posting a career best 33-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the regular season, it was a matter of when, not if, Favre would revert to his gunslinger ways at the most inopportune time. Favre channeled his inner Jay Cutler as he rolled right and threw left when he could have easily scampered for a few yards and a positive gain.

And even though the loss cannot solely be pinned on Favre as his teammates, namely Adrian "Butterfingers" Peterson, it was Favre's last-second gaffe that will always stand out in that game.

There is no taking away from No. 4's legacy. Favre is one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the history of the game, but upon Sunday's defeat, I was ready to let him go. Completely. The circus act has become weary in each of the past three offseasons, and while he brings no more drama than any other professional athlete, it is the way it comes about that is bothersome.

The Green Bay Packers altered the way they went about the draft process to keep Favre and his ego happy before finally getting Aaron Rodgers as a steal in the 2005 NFL Draft with the 24th overall pick. In 2008, only a few months after retiring, asked for his unconditional release.

Yeah, like that was going to happen.

The only GM dumb enough to give one of the league's best quarterbacks his unconditional release because he didn't want to compete for a job resides at 1060 West Addison and is currently drawing up a contract worth a guaranteed $21 million and a full no-trade clause for the next five people who come to him with an agent, a surgically-repaired elbow or shoulder and a track record of failure.

No one will ever deny Favre's greatness. But if he keeps this up, people will remember the INTs that ended his time with the Packers, Jets and (possibly) Vikings more than the highlights of his 19-year career.

There might come a time when Ron Turner is the best candidate to become the Bears next offensive coordinator.

Is it too early to consider this offseason a failure?

The Bears keep getting turned down, most recently by Hue Jackson, who will reportedly take a job in Oakland, where he could get fired tomorrow. At least he would last a year under Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith. The sad thing is that I don't necessarily blame anyone if they don't want to take this job.

Would you consider taking a job from an employer who told you the company might go under a year from now, or would you wait until a more firm, long-term deal is on the table?

That is what has to be going through the minds of these coaches, and unless someone can guarantee some stability from the Bears front office, it would be wrong to expect an impact hire as offensive coordinator.

The Chicago Cubs signed Xavier Nady to a one-year deal with a base salary of $3.3 million, according to ESPN.com and other sources. Nady is expected to be Kosuke Fukudome's right-handed hitting platoon mate in right field, while also spelling Alfonso Soriano in left and Derrek Lee at first base when necessary.

Nady, a former Pittsburgh Pirate, is coming off a season in which he played only seven games with the Yankees before undergoing Tommy John Surgery, making him your run-of-the-mill Jim Hendry acquisition.

There are two things that caught my eye as soon as this deal was announced.

Nady's base salary for 2010 ($3.3 million) is higher than Marlon Byrd's ($3 million) and I find that odd seeing that the Cubs expect Byrd to be the team's everyday center fielder. Nady is expected to be a fill-in trying to make good on an incentive-laden deal that could escalate to $5.5 million this season.

The second thing is that I find this deal odd considering the Cubs do not have an everyday second baseman, nor is their starting rotation or bullpen complete. The best remaining pitcher went off the boards today as Ben Sheets signed a one-year deal with a base salary of $10 million. Heck of a bargaining chip for Billy Beane, who will likely get some top prospects for Sheets if Oakland falls out of the race and Sheets pitches like a former four-time All-Star.

Speaking of All-Stars, how about that D-Rose dunk? Had we not been in a place that is considered death valley to cell phones, our Twitter feed would have blown up over the dunk.

Derrick Rose is one of the best point guards in the NBA and even though the Bulls are 8-5 in January, I wish he was under the tutelage of championship-caliber point guard.

I mean, Rose is averaging 26 points and 6.5 assists per game this month, to go along with a 51 percent shooting percentage from the field. Imagine how much better he could be if his top mentor wasn't Vinny Del Negro.

There is lots to be cheering about in Saluki Country, especially after back-to-back home wins against Illinois State and Western Kentucky.

It is apparent that SIU has rediscovered the concept of defense and applied it to Osiris Eldridge's final possessions in overtime on Saturday and throughout the team's win against Western Kentucky. And who thought Tony Freeman would end up becoming the defacto defensive stopper.

Freeman has been lauded for what he brings to the offensive end of the court, but what he has done against Osiris Eldridge (5-of-29 from the field, 2-of-9 from 3-point land) and A.J. Slaughter (2-for-12, 2-for-7 from beyond the arc) is nothing short of spectacular.

Since Freeman's comments about team focus were published, the team has started off strong and finished stronger down the stretch. Kudos to play-by-play man Mike Reis, who dropped off one of the best stat lines a team could have. Did you know that SIU entered last night's game against WKU connecting on 82 percent of its free-throw attempts in the last five minutes of ball games.

In the end, Southern will go as far as Kevin Dillard will take them. In his last two games, KD has gone 8-for-16 from the field, 2-for-5 from the 3-point line and 17-for-20 from the charity stripe. He has added 17 assists against six turnovers, which is nearly a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Salukis' inside-out game featuring Anthony Booker and Eugene Teague is most efficient when Dillard is most efficient. So is Carlton Fay.

Amidst the turmoil that has surrounded the program with the DePaul rumors and Teague academic issues, the only way for head coach Chris Lowery to escape the Dawg House is to keep his ball club focused and playing well.

Winning cures all.

Except for herpes.

Southern's Slide Continues

2010-01-21T12:30:00.003-06:00

The official photo of Saluki failure is here.

This is what happens when you have too much free time on your hands and get nostalgic about your college years. And while this picture wasn't taken last night, it sums up how I feel about the Southern Illinois University men's basketball team.

It is hard to feel sorry for student-athletes who get the four most important years of their lives paid for because they are athletic enough to put bat on ball, ball in hoop or ball in the hands of someone who can out run a jackrabbit.

But if there is anyone I feel sorry for, it might be Tony Freeman.

Freeman is the lone senior on the Salukis and is playing like it, scoring a team-high 15 points in the team's 57-55 loss against Bradley.

The Iowa transfer is averaging 13 points per game and is shooting 43.9 percent from 3-point range and 46.5 percent from the field overall. Those are the kinds of numbers you expect out of a player who is aware that his days as on campus are numbered.

Then there's this quote in today's Daily Egyptian:

"We just have to clean up stuff prior to the tip," Freeman said. "Guards dunking and just goofing off, we just have to be cut in when everybody steps on the floor."

It's almost a shame that as a whole, SIU has yet to follow his lead.

It seems like ages ago when Southern was 9-2 and 2-0 in conference, but the Salukis have dropped four out of their last five games. And some of the losses have been inexcusible and reflect Freeman's statement.

The team lost to a Drake team that had fallen off the earth prior to beating SIU, and since has resurrected its season. The Creighton game should have been a win had the Dawgs been able to find a few more defensive stops. You couldn't expect to beat Northern Iowa, but to lay an absolute egg at the once impenetrable fortress known as SIU Arena is inexcusable.

But right now, losing to Bradley takes the cake, and not just because the loss is still fresh in the minds of Saluki fans.

Jim Les and his Rod Blagojevich-inspired hair-do had been winless at the House Ashraf Amaya Built, and Bradley had not won in Carbondale in nine (!) years.

And if you thought things could not get worse, they just might.

Gene Teague, the 6-foot-9-inch, 290-pound freshman center that had averaged 13 points and 7.5 boards after averaging a hair over two points and two rebounds per game in his first 14 appearances, was saddled to the bench because of academic issues, according to The Southern Illinoisan.

As Les Winkler wrote in his Saluki sidebar today, "Teague's fate is in the hands of the NCAA."

Which would be cool if John Calipari was the head coach of the Salukis, because we know the NCAA never catches Calipari squads doing anything wrong when he is at the helm.

With what could be the first NCAA Investigation of Saluki basketball lurking in the darkness, I would not be surprised if the Lowery-to-DePaul chatter intensified in the coming weeks. Especially from those who have been calling for a change at the top.

But, then again, we could be overreacting. It could be something as minor as a transcript issue (i.e. missing grade, dropped class, incomplete, etc.) or something larger. SIU has done a good job recently in graduating its basketball players, so a step backward in that regard would be a step backward for the entire university as a whole.

Things will not get any easier for the maroon and white as it hosts Illinois State, which has been dominant over the Salukis over the last few years.

My biggest fear is Osiris Eldridge going off for 30 points in a rout that leaves Saluki fans no choice but to boo its own team off its home court.

And in a night that featured my two favorite teams (SIU and UNC) losing to teams they should beat, DePaul beat Marquette last night.

Go figure.

Bradley Is Coming & That Means Only One Thing

2010-01-20T12:28:00.002-06:00

From now until the end of time, the Bradley Braves and bad rapping will go hand-in-hand.

These guys make Bow Wow sound lake Jay-Z.

I'll never forget when this Deadspin link was sent to my school e-mail account from a Saluki fan mocking the Braves.

I then forwarded it to friends, family, posted it on Facebook, probably on Twitter and then eventually played it for whoever was in the newsroom and my sports desk (whatever was left of it).

It came up in conversation between SIU players, even Nick Evans, who has had his moments of immaturity thought it was in poor taste and timing. And generally bad. Head coach Chris Lowery didn't want to go on the record when I first approached him about it, but after some persistence in search of a comment, Lowery said "I really don't want to comment on another coach's team, but I think my guys know better than to do that."

Only after being mocked in a public forum (and when you get mocked on Deadspin, it's quite public), the Braves came out and said the video was for a fund-raiser. SIU beat Bradley later that week and everything was right in the world.

Southern Illinois looks to take the season series from the Braves and can do so tonight with a victory at the SIU Arena.

Redshirt sophomore Nick Evans will be active after his one-game suspension. But after the way 6-foot-9-inch, 290-pound freshman Eugene Teague perfromed against Creighton and Evansville, Evans might be hard-pressed to find playing time.

If my real-life schedule allows, I might actually attend the SIU-Bradley tilt. If not, we could always catch the television feed via Mediacom or Mike Reis on the radio.

What should I do?

Should El Nunez go to the SIU-Bradley game tonight?

poll by twiigs.com

Why The Cubs Should Sign Orlando Hudson

2010-01-19T15:03:00.002-06:00

As I went through Carrie Muskat's inbox to properly respond to questions she cannot answer without much being left to the imagination, I stumbled upon this little nugget.

So, rather than break down the entire inbox I'll focus on a question about the gaping hole at second base.

Muskat's response is in italics, the cold hard truth as analyzed by yours truly is in the bold.

It seems to me the Cubs are still in need of a leadoff hitter. Wouldn't it make sense to sign Orlando Hudson to play second base? I know Starlin Castro is supposed to be ready to play in the Majors at some point in 2010, but who knows if he's going to be able to contribute to the Major League team any time soon. It seems an addition like O-Dog would give you a solid leadoff hitter with speed and allow them to slot Theriot down to No. 2 in the order, where he belongs.
-- Erich B., Bourbonnais, Ill.

Hudson has a career .223 average and .305 on-base percentage as a leadoff man.

Further breakdown of Hudson's numbers reveal the following. His .223 average and .305 OBP come in a grand total of 105 plate appearances in 23 starts. It doesn't take a sabermatrician to figure out that is too small a sample size to make a fair judgment.

Compare those numbers to Theriot's and Fukudome's.

Cubs fans, you really don't want me to do this. Eh, screw it. Someone had to bring you the truth.

Last season, Hudson, 32, batted .283 with a .357 on-base percentage with the Dodgers, who bumped him at the end of the season in favor of Ronnie Belliard. Belliard batted .347 in September; Hudson hit .237.

Theriot hit .240 in September. Fukudome batted .200.

Translation: Hudson hit for a higher average than Fukudome and was on par with Theriot in fewer plate appearances. This is the kind of logic that comes nine months after a Cardinals fan and a White Sox fan engage in unprotected sex after polishing off a case of Ice House.

Hudson stole eight bases in 149 games.

Apparently, I'm supposed to be impressed with Theriot's 21 steals in 2009. Ha! Not when he was caught a team-high 10 times. As for Fukudome, he stole six bases and was also caught 10 times.

Let the record show Hudson was caught only once last season. In fact, he has only been caught stealing 19 times in 69 career attempts over his eight-year career.

Fukudome and Theriot combined to get caught 20 times in 2009.

His single-season high is 10.

That was in 2007. He was caught only twice.

He's also reportedly seeking a one-year deal for $9 million.

This is the same franchise that was willing to pay Milton Bradley $30 million over a three-year span. And they can't find $9 million for one season to have a quality second baseman who doesn't need a booster seat at McDonald's?

Ugh.

I don't see him as being a good match for the Cubs.

Over the past three seasons, Hudson has earned two Gold Gloves, stolen 22 bases (caught only four times) and posted a .291/.369/.438/.807 line in the two seasons in which he was the team's primary No. 2 hitter.

Yep. The Cubs do not need a guy like that at all. Not on a team that committed 105 errors. Not on a team whose middle infielders aren't tall enough to ride a rollercoaster at Six Flags Great America.

And to think, I thought stupidity and ignorance were limited to Cubs fans. It's a shame that it has reached the beat writers, too.

Inbox: Who's going to lead-off? [Cubs.com]