Stadium Tour: Nationals Park

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The final baseball stadium I visited in 2010 was Nationals Park, near the end of my August roadtrip to the nation's capital. The game was the first for Mike Quade as Chicago Cubs manager as Lou Piniella orted not to manage the remainder of the Cubs' season the day before. The visit to the park came near the end of four days in Washington and nearby Rosslyn, Virginia.

The stadium is one of the newest in the league and very well laid out. I would rank it ahead of Target Field, but the Nationals' lack of a storied lhistory takes away from the baseball atmosphere a bit. As with most Cubs road games, at least half of the crowd is wearing blue.

The seats I had were on the highest level, but with a great view of the U.S. Capital building and the Naval base on the Potomac River.

The Cubs beat the Nationals in Quade's first game as a manager, and Quade was named full-time manager after a successful two month stint as the interim boss. The race of the presidents in the middle of one of the innings was entertaining as I expected it to be. That is really the only thing that makes Washington unique.

Great park, clean, nice seats, real convenient. It just needs more of a baseball atmosphere.

Rank: 7 out of 10

Kreps guides UIC to stunner over Illini

CHICAGO - Even though they were playing less than two miles from their own campus, Saturday's tilt with the University of Illinois felt like a road game for the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) Flames. The United Center was packed with orange as if it were a larger version of Assembly Hall. 

But after a 40-minute grueling in-state rivalry game, the Flames were the ones that showed the Illini that Chicago was their town. UIC led most of the way, and walked off the court Michael Jordan once made famous with a 57-54 stunning victory over the then 14th ranked Fighting Illini.

The only player to play all 40 minutes of the upset was Maroa-Forsyth alum Robo Kreps, who was a part of the Trojans' most recent state championship in 2007. 

Kreps led the Flames with a team-high 15 points, and also contributed five rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal to the winning effort. He began the game's scoring by draining a three in the opening minute and had nine points, all from beyond the arc, in the game's first four and a half minutes. 

"The coaches told me I needed to be more aggressive and keep attacking," Kreps said. "I knew tonight I would need to be a leader for my team and attack on the offensive end."

"When Robo gets it going, it gives the team a huge lift offensively," Kreps' UIC teammate Zavion Neely said. Neely added 11 points and four assists for the Flames. 

The teams were tied at 28 at the half, but the Flames did not trail until D.J. Richardson sank a three-pointer to give Illinois a 53-51 lead with 9 minutes, 41 seconds to go in the game. 

Illinois then opened up 49-41 lead and were seemingly ready to pull away. But Kreps hit a huge three with 5:34 to go to cut the Illini lead to five.

UIC would grab a 53-52 lead in the final minute and hold off three Illini possessions where they had a chance to retake the lead. Kreps hit one of two free throw shots in the final seconds to seal the 57-54 victory.

"Obviously this is a huge win," Kreps said. "I think this is a springboard for us. We proved to ourselves that we can beat no matter who we are playing. In our conference, we need to focus on Butler and Cleveland State who are undefeated right now. This (win) gives us a ton of confidence."

Asked on how it was to quiet down a crowd of mostly Illini fans even though they were about a mile away from campus, Kreps responded: "Midway through the second half I took a look at the crown and noticed that the second tier was orange and the third tier was orange. When Illinois scored it was loud and when we scored, it was relatively quiet. But we've been in some tough games before and I thought we fought through really well today."

Flames head coach Howard Moore credited his seniors, including Kreps, for the win.

"You want to have moments like this for your seniors to remember," UIC head coach Howard Moore said. 

The loss dropped the Fighting Illini in the polls, and Illinois is currently on a two-game losing streak; losing to the University of Missouri just days after the UIC defeat. 

UIC followed the win with a road loss to Oregon State Wednesday night. 

Photo: UIC guard and Maroa-Forsyth alum Robo Kreps (3) is guarded by the Illini's D.J. Richardson (1) during Saturday's stunner at the United Center. 

Something different in Sawyer

SAWYER, Mich. - I always welcome the chance to experience something different, and Sawyer, Michigan gave me that chance Saturday night.

One of the classier experiences I've had came that night in my only visit to Sawyer to date. I always knew Sawyer was an elite community right on Lake Michigan in the southwest part of the state. A number of high end Chicago families have second homes up there and the town is the favorite vacation spot for Illinois U.S. Senator Mark Kirk.

But Saturday night impressed me even more. I was on hand at Fritz Olsen Sculptures for an 'Art of Giving' event. The donations taken from the event were gathered to benefit Radio Harbor Country, the area's local radio station run by volunteers.

I enjoyed looking at the expensive art, hanging out with people richer than I'll ever been and seeing entertaining short story plays that were pretty absurd. It was my first wine and cheese tasting event I've ever been to.

Three short absurd plays were performed by professional actors Gail Isaacson, Gwynne Winsberg, Arnie Saks and Robert Swan. Swan appeared in the famous movie, The Untouchables.

Isaacson, who wrote the three hilarious plays, and Winsberg, also have radio shows on Radio Harbor Country.

It still isn't my thing, but I am thankful that I got the opportunity to do it. I have been looking to experience pretty much anything at least once. My new job at the Harbor Country News seems to allow me to do that.

Photo: Fritz Olsen (founder of Fritz Olsen Sculptures) and his wife, Martha Cares (car-A) pose for a photo at the Art of Giving benefit Saturday night at Fritz Olsen Sculptures in Sawyer, Michigan.

My Travel History 1992-1996

Here's a list of a few vacations I have went on. I did some traveling prior to 1992, but it was as a baby and therefore I do not remember the specifics. Mostly trips to Florida and Michiana Shores before I turned eight. 

Spring 1993: Turkey Run State Park - My family's first roadtrip of the 1990s was a short trek down to the state park in Indiana. We camped for a few nights in the tent before returning to Chicago via Rte. 41 in Western Indiana. 

August 1993: Apostle Island - We had our first August week long trip in 1993. This marks the only time I have been to the UP of Michigan and the closest I have been to Green Bay. It was another van ride up the state of Wisconsin. I remember being excited passing Milwaukee County Stadium on the ride home. 

Spring 1994: Turkey Run/Terre Haute - We camped at the same spot for the second year in a row during Spring Break in third grade. We also went to Terre Haute to stay at the Boston Connection, a hotel centered around basketball legend Larry Bird. His brother Mark was at the hotel one of the days we were. I remember this trip mostly for breaking my ribs while crossing a fallen tree over a river near the campsite. 

August/September 1994: Mount Rushmore - Our first major trip out west. We drove through Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota with Mt. Rushmore being the final destination. On the way back from the monument we made memorable stops at Wall Drug and the Mitchell Corn Palace. Had pictures taken in hot air balloon at a South Dakota museum.

August 1995: Yellowstone - We did the same thing that we did in 1994, just making it furthur west. We camped at Yellowstone, in the bitter cold even though it was August. Lots of Buffalo. Saw Old Faithful and many geysers in Wyoming. President Bill Clinton and his family were visiting the park at the exact same time we were. On the way home, attended a Rodeo in Cody, Wyoming and made a stop at a museum in Gillette. Also went by Mt. Rushmore, Corn Palace and Wall Drug on I-90 on the way home. 

August/September 1996: Niagara Falls - Our first major trip out east. We did a lot of camping, but was forced to a hotel one night because of dangerous weather in Western New York. Passed Cleveland on the way there and Detroit on the way home. Enjoyed Niagara Falls from both US and Canada. Was the first time I left the country. Stayed one night at the Skydome in Toronto where we met many Chicago White Sox players who were also staying there. Met Frank Thomas in the elevator twice. Went to first White Sox away game, an 11-2 victory over the Blue Jays. Drove through Michigan including a stop in Benton Harbor on the way home. 

This Week in Sports History: 41-38

November 16, 1997. I will never forget it. 

Until the Colts won the Super Bowl in 2007, I considered the Colts' 41-38 over the defending champion Packers on Nov. 16, 1997 to be my greatest moment as a Colts fan. For a regular season win, it does not come much better than that. 

Green Bay came in to the RCA Dome with an 8-2 record, the Lombardi trophy, the best QB in the league in Brett Favre and the favorites to win a second consecutive Super Bowl. They had a showdown with Dallas the next week at Lambeau Field and just needed to beat the lowly Colts to up their mark to 9-2. 

The Colts came in winless. The only team in the NFL to lose their first 10 games in 1997. Indy had just been beaten badly by the unimpressive Bengals and had ugly losses to San Diego, Buffalo and Tampa Bay. There was NO way they could even give the Packers a game. 

Early on, it looked to be a blowout. Green Bay took a 14-3 lead in the first, but Al Fontenot and the Colts defense made a few big plays and the Colts only trailed by a point at halftime (28-27). 

Even with FOX analysts saying that Green Bay would eventually pull away after the half, the Colts kept up the pace and lead by seven with just three minutes to play. 

Favre took the Packers down the field in three plays, and tied the game. 

But the Colts played the final two minutes perfectly. Backup QB Paul Justin led Indy down the field and a key third down pass to Ken Dilger set the Colts up with a First and Goal on the Packer one with about 40 seconds to play. Head Coach Lindy Infante then made the best decision of the year to knee the ball three times and with three seconds to play, call a timeout and have kicker Cary Blanchard drill the game winner with no time left. 

It was the first victory of the season, and it came against the best team in the league. The highlight of the year seemed to overcome the disappointment of having a terrible season.

The Colts finished 3-13 that year, the worst mark in the NFL.

At the time, I was really mad that the Colts had the worst record in the league. But looking back, I would say a lot of teams wish they were the worst in the NFL in 1997. 

Having the worst record gives you the first pick in the next year's NFL draft. In this case, that meant Peyton Manning was coming to Indianapolis. 

So the benefits of being so bad in 1997 have paid off. In a big way. 

It was essential that the Colts were bad in 1997. And since they had three games to win, it was so nice that one was against the Packers. 

Stadium Tour: Oriole Park at Camden Yards

BALTIMORE - One of the few stadiums on the east coast I have never been to prior to 2010 was Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. And although their team is a constant struggling story, the Orioles should be commended for their ballpark.

The main feature that makes Camden Yards so unique is that it was built right by a former train station and has a warehouse for a backdrop. On the inside side of the warehouse is a good area for eating and drinking. All parts of the park were easy to get to and it seemed that you would have a good view at any vantage point.

The fans were very friendly, and basically ignored the fact that I was wearing an Indianapolis Colts jersey, a garment that is not too popular around the town the Colts abandoned in 1984. But the fans seemed laid back and the ushers were very helpful, one even offered to take a photo of my father and I with the stadium as the background.

As it is with most stuggling baseball franchises, the Orioles did not have many people out for the game, even though it was a Friday night. Most of the concessions on the top level were closed, much like how it was when I went to a Florida Marlins home game.

The Orioles were bad in the game, but I was glad to see one of the best performances by Texas Rangers hurler C.J. Wilson, who threw a two-hitter in a 2-0 Rangers victory. Buck Showalter provided one way for the crowd to get excited, getting thrown out of the contest after coming on the field to argue on two different occassions.

I liked the experience, and part of that was the comfort provided with a small crowd. The ushers clearly did not care where you sat regardless of where your tickets were. They were happy people showed up.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Colts can't comeback

Sunday was a rarity for the Indianapolis Colts. They lost a football game. They lost a football game in November. They lost to an NFC team. Peyton Manning could not pull off a last minute comeback.

Despite being outplayed much of the way, the Colts had a lot of things go their way, but still couldn't steal a victory. Philly had the game clinched on a fumble recovery in the games final minutes, but a roughing the passer penalty gave the Colts new life. Javarris James (Edgerrin's cousin) scored a touchdown and the Colts were within two. 

The defense came up with a big stop, but it was the offense that seemed to not be in the game. WIth 47 seconds to go with no timeouts and at your own 26, you would think Peyton Manning could trot the team down the field into field goal range and Adam Vinatieri could finish it off. But after an initial Reggie Wayne reception, the Colts could not connect on deep routes to Pierre Garcon. 

Philly ended the game the way the Colts often do, with a game sealing interception. 

The Colts have had bad luck this year, with nearly all of there players suffering injuries. Austin Collie may be out for the year after taking a cheap shot against the Eagles. But the team as a whole doesn't seem as focused as they were last season. And in a tough AFC, they may need to win the division to even have a chance at defending their AFC crown come playoff time. 

Dollar General helping to support Veterans Day

BRIDGMAN, Mich. - For 25 years, Bridgman resident and American Legion Auxiliary member Ellen Brown has been part of efforts to help veterans. But for the last two years, she has been able to get the community involved through the Bridgman Dollar General store. 
"This is better because we would like the community involved and know what we are doing for veterans," Brown said. 
The store is supporting donation boxes that will be sent to the Veterans Hospital in Battle Creek at the end of November. Members of the community are encouraged to purchase items from the store that will be set aside for Brown and her husband, Tom, to bring to the hospital at that time. 
Last year, residents from Bridgman and the surrounding communities donated over $500 worth of store items to the hospital.
"I had over three boxes full of items," Brown said. "I am very proud of the hard work and support that our community has done especially in hard times. That's important because the guys up there (at the hospital) don't get a lot."
The public has already filled nearly one box full of books, pens, household and clothing items. Brown hopes to take another three boxes up to the hospital at the end of the month. Store customers are encouraged to purchase from either a table at the entrance of suggested items or anything in the store. 
Dollar General has supported Brown's idea for the last two years. 
"I try to help out as much as I can and when she came up with the idea, I was fine with it," Dollar General store manager Lisa Snerling said. "I have a son in the Navy so when he is old enough to be a veteran, I hope someone will help him out also."
The American Legion contributes money to the hospital on a monthly basis and continues to support an entire ward. 
"Most of the veterans that get up to the hospital do not see anybody after that," Legion member Tate McLaughlin said. 
The Legion had a ceremony to honor veterans at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 11 at Bridgman High School. From there, they had a separate ceremony at the Legion building an hour later. They also had a ceremony last Thursday at the Woodland Terrace nursing home. 

Photo: Bridgman resident and American Legion member Ellen Brown stands between Dollar General store manager Lisa Snerling (left) and American Legion member Tate McLaughlin. The DG is supporting an effort to send as many items as possible to the V.A. Hospital in Battle Creek. 

Colts back in first

If it's a big game on a Monday night with half the team on the injured list, the Indianapolis Colts are going to find a way to win. And if their opponent is the Houston Texans and they are playing in Indianapolis, there is no way they are going to lose.

Such was the case Monday night as the Colts built a 17-3 halftime lead en route to a 30-17 victory over the visiting Texans, taking over first place in the AFC South for the first time all year.

Peyton Manning was again solid, and Kelvin Hayden jump started the defense with an INT returned for a touchdown that gave Indy a 14-0 lead. With Freeney and Mathis still healthy on the ends, Houston didn't stand much of a chance at a comeback.

The Colts will be tested throughout the remainder of the season, having to play without tight end Dallas Clark and possibly receiver Austin Collie for the rest of the slate.

But if Manning is behind center, the Colts will find a way to stay good, and new weapons will emerge because of that.

Drive off in Michiana Shores?

Before yesterday, I had never witnessed someone pump gas and drive off. I know it happens a lot, but I just never witnessed one first hand until yesterday afternoon. And the place I saw it was the last I'd ever think of, the small Lake Michigan community of Michiana Shores.

I was in line at the Marathon-Next Door Store waiting to pay for the hot dog I had just made. That's when a teenager who looked like someone that would try to rob you, came into the store, with a lit cigarette, complaining to the cashier that pump 7 was turned off while he was pumping gas.

The cashier told the punk that he has to pay the balance before the pump can be turned on again.

"I just wanted to fill it up and I don't know how much that would be. I just got this car," the kid told the store worker.

The casher replied, "You also aren't allowed to smoke at the pump, that's why I had to turn it off.

So the kid went back outside, with the cigarette, while I paid for my hot dog.

As I was outside, I saw his beat up old car drive off, while the cashier yelled on the speaker system"PUMP 7 YOU DIDN'T PAY!"

The car drove off on some back road and got away with the 18 dollars and 37 cents. As I was leaving I looked inside the store and the cashier was on the phone.

Why did she allow him to leave the store at all without paying the $18.37? And furthermore, why does Indiana allow you to pump gas before you pay? I thought that was a thing of the past (even though in Central Illinois, you aren't even allowed to prepay at certain Casey's General Stores).

After all the time I've spent in some of the bad neighborhoods of Chicago and around the country, I never thought the first drive-off I'd see would occur in Michiana Shores. Mind boggling for sure.

2010 a mediocre season for the NFL

I have always been a proponent of parody. The reason I like the NFL more than any other major professional sport is that it gives every team a legitimate chance of competing week in and week out. It also provides hope for fans of a team that finished 5-11 that a playoff bound year could follow. 

But 2010 has shown me that too much parody may not be a good thing. Probably because there just isn't a great team out there. The 1972 Dolphins were celebrating by early October, every team had at least one loss. 

The Colts are clearly not what they have been, despite a positive 4-2 record. Other than maybe the Packers, the injury bug has plagued the horseshoe more than any other club. Outside of Peyton Manning, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis and Reggie Wayne, every key Colt player has had to deal with some health issue and more than half of them have missed games. Even the usually durable Dallas Clark is going to be out for the rest of the season because of surgery. 

Watching the Bears is just punishment. Even though they are 4-3, they manage to be involved with the worst football game of the week all the time. Maybe the defenses are good, but I think it's just struggling offenses across the board. 

I guess the Steelers, Jets and Patriots have established themselves as the best teams because they only have one loss on the season. But the winner of the NFC may be average at best. 

One thing about football is that it is still fun to watch even when the quality is low. But I am hoping things pick up, not just for the Colts, but for the whole league. 

Mustangs host Red Arrow jamboree

THREE OAKS, Mich. - River Valley High School cross country runner Amanda Nava (pictured) competed for the Mustang cross country team last Tuesday at the final Red Arrow jamboree of the season. Both River Valley's male and female cross country teams came away with third place finishes at the meet. 

Eau Claire won the boys jamboree, while Lake Michigan Catholic was victorious on the girls side. 

The Mustangs hope to send a pair of male runners to the state meet when Forest Galanada and Trenton Prentice compete at the St. Joseph Sectional this week. 

The most evenly matched volleyball game

THREE OAKS, Mich. - It seemed like River Valley and Cassopolis were looking to get in the record books for the most evenly matchd high school volleyball game ever played Oct. 27 at River Valley. Until a 7-5 Cassopolis run to close out the clinching fourth game, the Mustangs and Rangers seemed to match each other serve for serve, and point for point. 

The Rangers did prevail in four games, defeating the host Mustangs 25-23, 25-27, 30-28, 25-23. All games were decided by the minimum two-point margain, with two of the games needing more than 25 points to declare a winner. 

"It was a good match, both teams are pretty even and both came to play," River Valley head coach Jim Ragosta said. "All in all, it was a good defensive match on both sides."

The first sign that the contest pitted two nearly equal teams came right away as Cassopolis and River Valley went back and forth for the first 12 points of Game One to even the score at six. The Mustangs were the first to open up a lead of more than two with a 7-1 run midway through the first on serving runs from Morgan Adkins and Erika Smith. The Mustangs led 21-18 at one point, but a 4-0 Cassopolis run gave the Rangers a 22-21 lead and allowed them to hold on for a 25-23 Game One victory. 

"Cass was doing some things different in the middle and we just couldn't execute (down the stretch)," Ragosta said. "We got caught up in the run defense at times."

River Valley began Game Two as the agressor, taking a 6-0 lead before a 10-3 Cassopolis run gave the Rangers an 11-10 edge midway through the game. The second close game of the series was the only one to go the way of the Mustangs, and they pulled it off in exciting fashion. Trailing 25-24, River Valley went on a 3-0 run to close out the game with Adkins serving. On the game's clinching point, Adkins recorded a service ace that bounced right between a pair of Cassopolis defenders. 

But as exciting as the first two games were, nothing could prepare the crowd for a go-ahead Game Three that just didn't want to end. 

Like Game Two, River Valley controlled the third contest, leading by four on three different occasions. After leading 1-0, Cassoplis did not see the lead again until 22-21. But the Mustangs were in position to go ahead in the series, leading 24-23 with control of the ball and Adkins serving. But an error on the serve gave the Rangers new life. After matching point-for-point after the 25-all tie, the Rangers finally prevailed with a 30-28 win. 

"Were were in position to win, we just needed to deliver," Ragosta said. "We had four chances to win and we net served three of those. We're not going to win doing that."

"That was a tough one."

Game Four played out much like the first three, a contest that had to wait for the final point to determine the winner. River Valley trailed 15-11, but a 5-0 run with first time setter Emerald Kioutsis on the baseline gave the Mustangs a one-point lead. But Kioutsis' run was immediately followed by a 3-0 Cassopolis surge. With the Rangers leading 24-20, the tight knit battle looked to finally be nearing a conclusion. But the Mustangs put together another 3-0 run, only to see their final comeback attempt thwarted by an impressive kill that clinched the game for the Rangers, 25-23. 

Even in a loss, Ragosta applauds the Mustangs for their effort. 

"I was really happy for my kids," he said. "We did some really good things and this is probably the best match we played all year. From where we were to where we are at, it is fantastic."

The Mustangs enter the Lake Michigan Catholic District Tournament with a first round match-up against Michigan Lutheran at LMC Monday, Nov. 1.

Beginning a new job

After two and a half years of great experiences, my time as the Sports Editor for the Clinton Journal in Central Illinois has come to an end. As a full-time employee of the Journal, I was given the chance to learn from great reporters about the field and expand my knowledge of community journalism. I believe that I now fully understand what the essence of a local newspaper is. 

My experience covering meeting, taking photographs and writing sports stories in Clinton has helped me attain my next job, as a staff writer for the Harbor Country News in New Buffalo, Michigan. 

The job in Michigan does not offer me the same freedom I had in Clinton and gives me a little less responsibility in dealing with people. Since I am not an editor, I can now focus on improving my writing ability and picture taking. Although the job may not be as prestigious as the one I had in Clinton, I am beginning the love it even though I have only been here for three days. I like the idea of being given assignments and meeting new people in an area that I love. 

The best benefit of the job is the area. I have had a connection to Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan my entire life, as my parents have owned a home there for longer than I have been around. New Buffalo has been a part of my life for as long as I remember, and now I can say that I am an important member of the community. 

I will do my best for the people of Southwest Michigan. It's always been a special area for me. And although I will always keep my mind open to new opportunities or the possibility of returning to school to get a Master's Degree, I could also see myself staying in the area for a long time. 

I'd like to thank HCN editor Dave Johnson for giving me this opportunity to continue my experience in journalism in another area. 

NFL Power Rankings Week 2 - 2010

1. Green Bay Packers; 2. Pittsburgh Steelers; 3. New Orleans Saints; 4. Houston Texans; 5. Indianapolis Colts; 6. New York Jets; 7. Miami Dolphins; 8. Kansas City Chiefs; 9. San Diego Chargers; 10. Atlanta Falcons; 11. Philadelphia Eagles; 12. New England Patriots; 13. Chicago Bears; 14. Cincinnati Bengals; 15. Baltimore Ravens; 16. New York Giants; 17. Minnesota Vikings; 18. Seattle Seahawks; 19. Tennessee Titans; 20. Washington Redskins; 21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 22. Dallas Cowboys; 23. Jacksonville Jaguars; 24. San Francisco 49ers; 25. Denver Broncos; 26. Arizona Cardinals; 27. Detroit Lions; 28. Carolina Panthers; 29. Oakland Raiders; 30. Cleveland Browns; 31. St. Louis Rams; 32. Buffalo Bills

Now that's more like it

Coming off one of their worst performances in recent memory, the Indianapolis Colts showed their true colors Sunday night, clobbering the visiting NEw York Giants, 38-14 at the home opener at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Everything the Colts did wrong in their Week One opener against Houston changed for the better when the Giants came to town. The first sign that this was going to be one of the best games I've ever seen the Colts play was the emergence of the run game on the opening drive. Both Jospeh Addai and Donald Brown were effective the whole night. The Colts never had so many running plays in the Peyton Manning era.
Brown scored the opening touchdown untouched from seven yards out. But the drive that really showed that the Giants had no chance was when Manning took over at the Colts one-yard line, marched to midfield using mostly runs, and using the play action to find an open Dallas Clark at the 30 and running in the end zone for the second score of the day.
By halftime, it was 24-0, and effectively over.
Much hype was made about the showdown between Peyton and his little brother Eli Manning, who quarterbacks the Giants. I was hoping both would play well because Eli is my fantasy QB. But he did not. But then again he didn't have much of a chance. The Colts defensive line dominated the line of scrimmage, sacking Manning multiple time and forcing two fumbles. They also intercepted him in the first half before the win was sealed.
Eli did throw two touchdowns and despite his bad game, was my fantasy scoring leader for the week with 14 points.
I mentioned last week that the first Sunday was great for my fantasy team and bad for the Colts. The second week was the complete opposite. My fantasy team bombed with uncharacteristically quiet outputs from Chris Johnson, Greg Jennings and Pierre Garcon. My big mistake was sitting the Colts defense in favor of Carolina, who totaled one point in their loss to Tampa Bay.
Hopefully the Colts take their good play on the road and have anoher inspired effort in Denver Sunday.
Around the NFL
I don't ever recall a week with so much parody. Miami won in Minnesota, the Bears downed the Cowboys in big D, the Bucs beat the Panters, the Jets without Darrelle Revis stopped New England and the Steelers dominated in Tennessee. It's odd that teams like Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and the Bears are 2-0, while preseason SUper Bowl contenders Minnesota, Dallas and San Francisco are looking at 0-2 starts.

Illini hang on against Huskies

CHAMPAIGN - While rain swept over most of the northern half of the state of Illinois, the Fighting Illini and Northern Illinois Huskies football teams were spared a drop for their Saturday tilt at Memorial Stadium.

The dry field was one factor that led to the Illini win. Without it, junior runningback Mikel Leshoure may not have had a chance to rush for 180 yards on 24 carries. Leshoure's big day on the ground was necessary, as freshman quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase was not too effective passing the ball. Scheelhaase did have a few nice runs for himself, including a defender diving touchdown in the first quarter that put the Illini up 7-0. Many of the quarterback's run were accentuated by hurdling defenders. He is an exciting quarterback to watch, but his style of play may lead to an injury at some point.

Northern Illinois held their own against the Big Ten foe, taking a 12-7 lead in the first quarter and outplaying the Fighting Illini for much of the first half.

NIU closed the Illini lead from 21-12 to 21-19 on a touchdown in the fourth. But a Leshoure 29-yard TD run put Illinois up by two scores again. NIU quickly answered with a field goal, and had an onside kick attempt in the final minute, but could not come up with the ball as Illinois held on to a 28-22 victory over their in-state MAC rivals.

It was a great day to be on the field. I always love the first football game in Champaign where I am given a photo vest and allowed to take pictures from the sidelines. I look forward to doing the same thing at 11 a.m. October 2, when the Illini face the heavily favored and second ranked nationally Ohio State Buckeyes.

Photo: Illinois' running back Mikel Leshoure (5) paced the Illini with 180 rushing yards.

Maroons win two in a row

WARRENSBURG – Two weeks ago, even the most optimistic and loyal Maroon fans would have had trouble believing the football team would enter the Okaw Valley Black schedule with a .500 record. In games against Maroa-Forsyth and Central A&M, Clinton was outscored by a combined total of 97-7.

The last two weeks have gone much better. After a 15-12 win over Argenta-Oreana a week ago, the Maroons put together their first win streak since the 2008 season with a 21-14 triumph over the Cardinals in Warrensburg.

“It was an ugly win, but we’ll take it,” Clinton head coach John Hayden said. “Defensively we played well, but struggled to get the ball in the end zone on offense at times.”

Much of the action for both teams occurred during the second quarter after a scoreless first. The Cardinals had a touchdown run to open the game’s scoring early in the period, but Clinton responded with a long drive that resulted in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Ennis to Cory Collins.

But just when it looked like the Maroons had taken the momentum back after tying the contest, Warrensburg quarterback Craig Munson ran for a 76-yard touchdown on the Cardinals’ first play from scrimmage following the Clinton TD.

“We had some kids over pursuing on that play,” Hayden said. “They played it a little too much, but they didn’t panic. I was happy with the way we responded.”

Clinton responded less than a minute later when Kadarius Sneed found the end zone on a 45-yard run. Sneed rushed for a team-high 67 yards. But the extra point was blocked and Warrensburg held a 14-13 lead at halftime.

The Maroons looked to take the lead with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, but they were stopped on a fourth and goal situation from the Cardinal four-yard line.

Although the Maroons missed out on that opportunity, they cashed in at the 9:51 mark of the fourth quarter when Aaron Ennis rushed for a one-yard touchdown. An Ennis pass to Keiron Sneed for the two-point conversion put the Maroons up 21-14.

On the touchdown drive, receivers Jocelyn Hopkinson and Byron Conner came up with big plays, although one was brought back due to a questionable holding call.

Warrensburg had the ball on the Clinton 15 with 2 minutes, 43 seconds remaining and a fourth and five situation. The Maroons stopped the Cardinals and never let them have the ball back.

An 18-yard Ennis pass to Jocelyn Hopkinson on a third and long with 2:16 all but clinched the victory for the Maroons.

“Jocelyn had some key clutch catches for us,” Hayden said. “He had some big plays and kept the ball in bounds on that third down catch, which was huge.”

Clinton’s road win evened their record at 2-2, matched the team’s win total from last season and more importantly gave them momentum heading into the conference season.

The Maroons will visit Monticello Friday evening for the first game of the Okaw Valley Black schedule. With the Sages, St. Teresa and Tolono Unity among the Maroons’ next few games, the slate only gets tougher for Clinton.

“We want to keep the momentum going,” Hayden said. “I feel like we’ve been improving each game and moved the ball better offensively Friday night than we had all year.

“Monticello is a good program, so we need to bring more intensity when we play them. We are sticking with the same philosophy, just trying to clean up a few things offensively.”

The Maroons return home a week from Friday when they host Shelbyville in the team’s annual Homecoming Game.

Photo: Byron Conner returned to the Clinton lineup after missing the previous week due to a concussion.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 1, 2010

1. Baltimore Ravens; 2. Green Bay Packers; 3. Houston Texans; 4. New England Patriots; 5. Tennessee Titans; 6. New York Giants; 7. New Orleans Saints; 8. Minnesota Vikings; 9. Kansas City Chiefs; 10. Indianapolis Colts; 11. San Diego Chargers; 12. Seattle Seahawks; 13. New York Jets; 14. Washington Redskins; 15. Pittsburgh Steelers; 16. Dallas Cowboys; 17. Miami Dolphins; 18. Atlanta Falcons; 19. Philadelphia Eagles; 20. Carolina Panthers; 21. Jacksonville Jaguars; 22. Arizona Cardinals; 23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 24. Cincinnati Bengals; 25. San Francisco 49ers; 26. Chicago Bears; 27. Denver Broncos; 28. Cleveland Browns; 29. Oakland Raiders; 30. Detroit Lions; 31. Buffalo Bills; 32. St. Louis Rams

Great fantasy day, bad reality day

One of the best days of the year is the opening Sunday of professional football. Although my main focus is on the Indianapolis Colts, I also enjoy seeing how my fantasy players are doing. Sunday's games proved to be frustrating in terms of reality, but my fantasy team, Holy Roller, had a record-setting week and looks primed to be a contender throughout the season.
I wish I could say the same about the Colts. The Houston Texans showed that they were improved and wanted the game more than Indy did. Houston was more focused and ran Arian Foster for 231 yards and three touchdowns. At no point did the Colts have the lead.
Although there were many times during the game where I just figured that the Colts were going to pull it out because they always do, something about this one seemed like it was finally the Texans' turn. It was opening week and they had been specifically preparing for this game because they were 1-15 against the Colts all-time, including two big blown leads in the last two games played in Houston.
Although Peyton Manning played great, the offensive line struggled and wide receiver Pierre Garcon dropped a few passes and failed to make big plays like he did all year in 2009. An Austin Collie fumble early in the fourth quarter really took the team out of their rhythm. They would have had the ball at the Houston 10, going in for a score that would have made it a three-point game.
But the biggest concern of the game was the run defense, that looked every bit as bad as they did in 2006 when Maurice Jones-Drew ran all over the bumbling defense in a December game in Jacksonville. The defense also suffered the loss of Bob Sanders, who is out indefinitely with torn biceps. Arian Foster had a break out day, and that was way too much for the Colts.
Foster's big day wan;t too much for my fantasy team, that scored an incredible 166 points in a 166-34 victory over my opponent. That's right, I won by 132 points. No other team in the league even scored 132. Foster had 50 points for me, which would have been enough to beat my opponent on his own. But just for show I had Chris Johnson, who had 30 points, the third most in the whole league behind Foster and the Bears' Matt Forte. I beat my opponent at every position, with the help of Visanthe Shiancoe, Pierre Thomas and Eli Manning. Greg Jennings also had a touchdown for me.
I am confident that the Colts will get back on track as they host the New York Giants in the second ever "Manning Bowl." It's a home game on a Sunday night, but New York is really good and the Colts could be 0-2 if they do not improve from what they did on Sunday in Houston.
I still think they bounce back.
Around the NFL
I thought the Calvin Johnson no-TD at the end of the Lions-Bears game in Chicago was a bad call that cost the Lions the game. It was clearly a catch for many reasons. He had the ball in control across the goal line. That's all you need. He also had his feet in bounds and came down with the ball. The refs were wrong for interpreting it the way they did.
Bob Sanders is one of many key players around the league that will miss serious time to an injury. Kris Jenkins of the Jets and Ryan Grant of the Packers are both out for the season.

ESPN Fantasy Convention 2010

HAMMOND, Ind. - My friend John won tickets to the ESPN 1000 Fantasy Football Convention that took place August 28 at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana. I'm glad he invited me because I never participated in a live football draft so that was a good experience.

ESPN experts John Clayton (shown), Stefania Bell (shown) and Matthew Berry were on hand along with a number of ESPN local personalities like Waddle and Silvy and the afternoon saloon.

ESPN also had a lot of giveaways so I applaud them for putting together the convention.

They put together a bunch of leagues and even though they made a number of numerical mistakes that put me in a seperate league than what I was originally slated for, they pulled it off pretty smoothly considering the uncertainty about the number of people that show up.

I like the team I drafted. I thought I got out to a slow start in the first three rounds since I only had the eighth pick, but I really think I picked up some sleepers in the late rounds.

August 28 was a fantasy filled day, as my Yahoo! draft was laster that night. There I had the first pick and picked Chris Johnson. I'm also confident I put together a pretty solid team around him.

In the past I had been ant-Fantasy, but now I am on board with the belief that it only makes foootball season more exciting.

2010 NFL Predictions

Even though one game is in the books, my picks have not changed for the upcoming 2010 season.

NFC East: Even though they had a bad preseason, I see Dallas as the clear best team in the division. They will be motivated because of the Super Bowl being held in Arlington this year, but the true test for this team is not until the playoffs. I think the Giants are underrated and could contend for a wild card spot.

NFC North: The Packers look to have a slight edge over the Vikings, and the Bears have a chance to prove the Martz-Cutler doubters wrong. Detroit is an up and coming squad that has a strong young core in Matthew Stafford, Jahvid Best and Calvin Johnson.

NFC South: I like the Falcons to unseed the Saints this year considering that this has historically been the wildest division. No team has even won the South two years in a row. Carolina takes a step back without Julius Peppers and the Bucs are in full rebuilding mode.

NFC West: Probably the weakest division in football, but the 49ers could be pretty good. They are the obvious choice to win the West considering Arizona has lost Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin, Seattle has an unconventional coach that has not seen success in the NFL and the Rams are far from contending.

AFC East: I'm sticking with the Patriots to win this division. That's the team I trust. I know the Jets may be better on paper after adding Antonio Cromartie and resigning Darrelle Revis, but I don;t like their show boating attitude. And they were a 7-7 team last year before defeating the Colts and Bengals who were playing backups and going on a mini playoff run that included a win over a choking Chargers team.

AFC North: The Ravens look pretty good. What is scary is that their offense is probably better than their defense this year. I think Pittsburgh will be their top competitor because Mike Tomlin is a good coach and that organization always finds a way to compete when you least expect them to. Cincinnati won't be good two years in a row and Cleveland will improve but they are still far behind the top three in this division.

AFC South: The Colts have dominated this division and should continue to do so if their key players can stay healthy. I think Tennessee finishes second because Vince Young always finds ways to win games and Chris Johnson is the best running back in the league. Houston could also contend for a playoff spot with their strong passing game and improving defense.

AFC West: The Chargers should win this easily, but Oakland and Kansas City will be better. The Broncos are a toss up. They could be really good and contend with San Diego for awhile, or they could have a disaster year and fall below the Raiders and Chiefs.

AFC Playoffs: (3) Patriots over (6) Titans

(4) Chargers over (5) Jets

(2) Colts over (3) Patriots

(1) Ravens over (4) Chargers

(2) Colts over (1) Ravens

NFC Playoffs: (6) Vikings over (3) Falcons

(5) Giants over (4) 49ers

(2) Cowboys over (5) Giants

(6) Vikings over (1) Packers

(2) Cowboys over (6) Vikings

Super Bowl XLV: Cowboys 28, Colts 17

This week in history: 9/11

The date September 11 is as associated with a single event as any date in the country today. Everyone associates it with September 11, 2001, the worst day in the history of New York and the United States. Four hijaked planes. Two to the World Trade Center, one in to the Pentagon, and one in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It was by far the worst act of terrorism on United States soil. It was a day that changed America, a day we lost our innocence. It was a tragedy of the worst kind.

Even nine years later, we still adhere to 9/11 rules while boarding an airplane or entering a concert or sporting event. The trust isn't there anymore, we can't afford it to be.

I remember hearing of the even in between Mod A and Mod B while a junior at Marist High School in Chicago. They announced that there was a plane crash at the World Trade Center while reading the regular announcements at that time of the day. Our principal Mr. Tucker and school president Br. Rick Carey came back on the P.A. system later during Mod B, which was Band practice for me.

They announced that there were two planes that hit the WTC and an additional one that may have hit the Pentagon. We immediately put the event on television just to immediately see the collapse of the South Tower. The North Tower followed minutes later and all of us knew we were experiencing a historical event that would change the course of the country.

Rumors were spreading that another plane was on its way to Chicago and headed for the Sears Tower. They thought another one was on the way to Washington to hit the White House.

That news story dominated the day for anyone living in the country at that time. During each class, the television was on and we did not even think about going over the lesson plan for the day. Our history teacher postponed an exam that was scheduled that day. The math teacher was the exception, as we spent 43 minutes during Mod G learning about complex algebra equations instead of focusing on what was happening.

The story dominated the news for weeks and months after the tragedy. The term Ground Zero is a part of every American's vocabulary. So many stories of heroism and tragic loss came from this. It effected more people than any other event ever could.

As bad as the tragedy was, it did a lot for humanity in the days and weeks afterwards. We were all united. We all had a common bond. Minor disagreements were nothing. We all rallied around the American Flag, it was patriotism like no other time in my lifetime. You probably have to go back to World War II to find another time that people showed love for their country as much as they did the days and weeks after 9/11.

We will NEVER forget what happened. And each September 11 should bring a little bit more unity and patriotism than any other day on the calendar.

Excited for Sunday

The 2010 NFL season is already underway with the New Orleans Saints' 14-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings at the Superdome last night. While the Thursday night game is the official start of the fall campaign, the best feeling is Noon on Sunday Week One. Just two days away, it's almost here.

When most of the games kickoff on Sunday, another season begins. I usually like to spend that time at home flipping through channels, getting the latest info and score updates from all the games. But when the Colts are scheduled for a Noon kickoff to start the season (a rarity), that needs my undivided attention.

This year, the Colts visit Houston for the opener. Although the Colts are 15-1 all-time against the Texans, Houston is much improved and owner Bob McNair says they are the best team in team history. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Colts start 0-1, but they are the Colts and I expect them to win. They seem to have a way to pull out games against the Texans that they have no business winning.

After considering watching the game at Bourbon Street with hundreds of drinking Bears fans, I wisely decided to go to Michiana Shores and watch the game in peace.

As far as the NFL as a whole this week, there are really no sure fire bets. A lot of the good teams are playing each other and a lot of struggling teams are facing off against one another, see Lions-Bears or Browns-Bucs. My eliminator pick is San Diego, who I believe will beat the Chiefs by a pair of touchdowns Monday night.

It should be a great season. The Colts are looking as strong as they ever have going into a year. I just hope at this time next year we are talking about Week One of the 2011 season and not a season-postponing lockout.

A day in the (National) Park

Even more than the three days I would spend in Washington, DC, I was looking forward to Tuesday, August 24. That was the day I planned to spend touring the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah River Valley in Shenandoah National Park. It did not turn out to be what I thought it would, but was a very memorable day nonetheless.
One word that could describe the day was fog. I have never seen more fog than I did while cruising down Skyline Drive, from Front Royal to Luray, Virginia. I liked the effect it had, and was responsible for a lot of great pictures, but I feel I missed out on some of the better scenery of the eastern half of the United States.
I enjoyed seeing the Luray Caverns, the small towns of Virginia and walking down to the actual Shenandoah River. It was a great day for scenery too, but I wish it wasn't as overcast as it was.

NFL Power Rankings: Preseason 2010

1. Green Bay Packers; 2. Baltimore Ravens; 3. Indianapolis Colts; 4. Dallas Cowboys; 5. Atlanta Falcons; 6. New England Patriots; 7. San Diego Chargers; 8. New York Giants; 9. Minnesota Vikings; 10. New York Jets; 11. San Francisco 49ers; 12. New Orleans Saints; 13. Tennessee Titans; 14. Houston Texans; 15. Pittsburgh Steelers; 16. Miami Dolphins; 17. Washington Redskins; 18. Oakland Raiders; 19. Seattle Seahawks; 20. Cincinnati Bengals; 21. Philadelphia Eagles; 22. Carolina Panthers; 23. Jacksonville Jaguars; 24. Arizona Cardinals; 25. Kansas City Chiefs; 26. Denver Broncos; 27. Chicago Bears; 28. Detroit Lions; 29. Cleveland Browns; 30. St. Louis Rams; 31. Buffalo Bills; 32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC Champion: Dallas Cowboys
AFC Champion: Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl Champion: Dallas Cowboys

Trojans dominate Maroons, again

CLINTON - All summer long, the Clinton Maroons football team had been eyeing Maroa-Forsyth. They were out for revenge. Maroa had beaten the Maroons 42-7 in the 2009 season opener, John Hayden's first game as head coach of Clinton. At practice from June to August, Hayden would remind the players about 30-40 times per practice that the Trojans had easily handled them last year.

"I just want to run it in and see how they are going to respond," Hayden said a week before the rematch in Clinton in 2010.

Hayden would yell the phrase "42-7" over and over again each practice.

Then came August 27 - the rematch. Could Clinton respond after taking such a beating last year?

In a word, no.

It wasn't 42-7, it was worse. 49-7. Ouch.

Maroa dominated from the opening kickoff, scoring 23 points in the first quarter and holding a 36-0 lead just seconds before halftime.

On the last play of the first half, Clinton got on the board for the only time opening night. Byron Conner caught a 25-yard Aaron Ennis pass and used his speed and quickness to dash for a last second touchdown. It was a great play, but unfortunately for the Maroons, it was their only highlight.

Muffed punts, fumbles, big Maroa plays and dropped passed were the norm for Clinton on opening night.

Outside of Conner's big play, the stellar defensive output by Colton Nixon (sack, tackle for loss) was the only bright spot.

Now the Maroons must move on and put their focus elsewhere, on Central A&M. The Maroons visit Moweaqua for a homecoming of sorts for Hayden, who was an assistant coach on the 1997 state championship Central A&M team.

Photo: Clinton's Kadarius Sneed (28) was unable to get the ground game going against the always-tough Trojans defense.

Discrepancy at Dayton memorial

DAYTON, Ohio - On my way home from Washington, DC, my father, my friend and I decided to stop in Dayton, Ohio, as it was one of the major cities right off of I-70 east of Indiana.

While driving through the city, we came across a part that had a Korean War Memorial. We decided to stop there since the Korean War Memorial was one of the few things we did not get a chance to see that week in the nation's capital.

The Dayton memorial was great, with a pathway leading to a statue. On the pathway were the names of the fallen United States soldiers, organized by state.

My father was the first to notice a huge mistake when looking at the list of Illinois soldiers. The first indication something went wrong was that there were only about 30 names mentioned when Indiana had hundreds and tiny District of Columbia had a little over 100. How could Illinois have less than any other state considering it has always been one of the most populous states?

Well all the names listed under Illinois began with either an "A', a "B", or a "Y." The rest of the entire alphabet had been left out.

Few people would have noticed this because the Korean War Memorial in Dayton, Ohio isn't exactly the first place most Americans would go to honor the fallen soldiers of that war. In fact we came upon it on accident.

But it should be pointed out to whoever is in charge of the park and adjustments, no matter how inconvenient, must be made for the betterment of accuracy and to honor ALL of Illinois' casualties during the war, not just the ones with the A,B, or Y last names.

Classy/Unclassy: Colt loyalty

This week's edition of Classy/Unclassy comes from the world of professional football. 

Classy: Reggie Wayne - Not surprisingly, I pick a Colt. After going through much of the NFL off-season planning to hold out of training camp unless he gets a new contract, Wayne showed up the first day and has been practicing with the team since. Asked by reporters why he decided to show up considering the Colts did not restructure his deal, Wayne told them he had already let the team down once (in the Super Bowl) and that he did sign a contract that he has to live up to. 

Without a doubt, Wayne deserves a restructured deal, but his approach couldn't have been more team-oriented. He said he was going to be there for his teammates and the good of the club. That's the best way to get a restructured deal anyway. If the owner sees that you are loyal and will put the team above your own needs, how could they not give you a better deal?

A classy wide receiver from the U? Yep. 

Unclassy: Brett Favre - It's the same story year after year after year. Favre isn;t sure if he is going to play, but in reality, all he wants to do is show up two weeks before the regular season starts. And his Vikings teammates and coaches are letting him do it. The old gunslinger doesn;t want any part of the team training camp atmosphere. He wants to show up just to continue his consecutive game streak. He also likes being in the headlines, so he will make up a rumor every week or so saying that it's a done deal that he is retired. And even if he is retiring, he is still unclassy because you should let your team know that before August. 

Unclassy? For sure. But intriguing as well. The league is more interesting with Favre in it. And missing camp last year didn't effect his ability to have the greatest year of his Hall of Fame NFL career. 

Clinton Legends: Tyrone Byrd

“Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.”

-Dan Gable

 The famous quote from the University of Iowa wrestler that was one of the greatest ever is a mantra for another Big Ten great, Clinton’s very own Tyrone Byrd.

A two-time IHSA state champion, three time all-stater and four-time NCAA qualifier, Byrd has certainly etched his name among the best wrestlers to ever come from Clinton. You may also hear his name in the discussion of Clinton’s all-time greatest athletes. A Clinton legend? Without a doubt.

The Gable quote may best describe Byrd’s life. Since he was a second grader with the Big Springs Wrestling Club in Pennsylvania in 1990, wrestling has been his passion.

“I believe in the discipline,” Byrd said. “It has been part of my life, and I have made it continue to be a part of my life. It has continued to be my passion.”

After moving from Pennsylvania at age six, Byrd began wrestling in Clinton at 89 lbs. with the Dewitt Sportsters, a program now known as the Clinton Wrestling Club.

“It was a great experience for me,” Byrd said. “A lot of the success we had in high school had to due with the fact that all of us on those teams grew up and wrestled on that club together.”

While wrestling for the Clinton Wrestling Club from 1990-1994, Byrd was a two time state qualifier. While Byrd was very proud of the accomplishments at the time, his wrestling resume would get better each year after. His time at the Clinton kids club also marked the era in which he met and began competing with his eventual high school Maroons teammates, a group that would eventually go on to form one of the greatest athletic groups in Clinton history.

“We were a tough bunch of kids, we knew each other and beat on each other for so many years,” Byrd said. “We wanted to bring the toughness out of each other.”

From 1994-1997, Byrd wrestled for the Clinton Junior High team, qualifying for the IESA state tournament all three years and twice finishing second in state. In 1996, he was second overall at 112 lbs. The following year, he was second in state at 135.

“We also had a lot of team success in junior high,” Byrd remembers. “We had a lot of state placers and came close to bringing home a team trophy one year.”

Byrd and his teammates competed in junior high for then wrestling coach John Pine, who now serves as the school’s principal.

Byrd credits Pine as one of the individuals that brought out the toughness in the group.

“He definitely did a good of that,” Byrd said. “He helped us prepare for the next level.”

It was at that next level that Byrd’s career really flourished into stardom.

In 1997, Byrd walked into Clinton High School excited to compete for coached Rob Ledin and Dan Barclay, who were in the midst of building one of Clinton’s greatest programs.

“They were great coaches and I was walking into a great situation,” Byrd said. “They knew how to get the most out of us. I’ve been very blessed to have great coaches, from the kids club all the way up thru college.”

In 2001, he walked out of the school as perhaps the greatest wrestler in the program’s history.

In 2000 and 2001, he was the individual state champion at 171 lbs. He was a four time state qualifier, three-time all state wrestler and two-time team MVP. He was awarded as the IWCOA Outstanding Wrestler of the Year and a USA Wrestling All-American in 2001. From 200-2001, Byrd compiled a rare 73-match win streak. Not to mention a career record of 105-15, with 94 career pins.

The Clinton team finished second in state in 2000 and third in 2001.

“We had so many kids that were great, so many state qualifiers,” Byrd said. “High School was a great experience. I look at my teammates and think that because I won two state titles, I get recognition as being one of the better wrestlers to come from the program. I don’t know if I agree with that. I look at guys like Jacob Fatheree, who was a phenomenal talent and Jeremy Ryerson, who was one of the hardest workers in Clinton. I don’t think I was better than either of them, I was just fortunate enough to win two state titles. They didn’t do too bad themselves, each won one.”

Byrd made his presence known in Clinton outside of the mat as well. He was a state qualifier in track (Pole Vault) and a three-year varsity starter for the Clinton football team at running back and free safety. In 2001, he rushed for over 1,000 yards and was named to the IHSA All-State team.

His accomplishments on the gridiron earned him scholarship offers from small colleges. But Byrd knew his talents, and his heart, were on the wrestling mat. Byrd would become the first Clinton athlete of the new century to play a major sport at the University of Illinois.

“It’s wrestling,” Byrd said. “It’s not a big revenue sport and I knew that going in to it. I decided that I wanted pursue a wrestling career because of my passion for the sport. I understood it was not going to have the same glam as football or basketball. The whole nation isn’t going to know your name, but the wrestling community certainly will.”

Byrd continued his success for the Fighting Illini from 2001-2006. He was a four-year starter and four-time NCAA qualifier. He was a two-year team captain and voted the Illini Co-MVP in 2006, wrapping up his wrestling career with 90 wins for the Big Ten school.

His most accomplished year was 2006, his final on the mat. That year, Byrd was the Big Ten and Midlands Runner-Up at 197 lbs.

He was a part of a team that won Big Ten Championships in 2004 and 2005 and a runner up finish in 2006. The 2005 championship sticks out as his greatest memory of college.

His accomplishments at Clinton and in Champaign earned him the honor of being named Central Illinois Athlete of the Decade for Wrestling.

Since his graduation from the University of Illinois in 2006, Byrd has been a wrestling coach. He began as a varsity assistant for Mahomet-Seymour, reuniting with Rob Ledin, who coached him in Clinton. After spending one year as an assistant at Richmond-Burton High School, Byrd accepted the head-coaching job with Lincoln-Way East High School in Mokena.

He has already seen success with the Knights, coaching three state placers in his first two years at the helm of the program. In addition to coaching wrestling, Byrd is a physical education teacher.

“We are trying to raise the bar. Our eventual goal is to win a team state title,” Byrd said of his expectations for the wrestling program. “But beyond all the wrestling, the biggest thing for me as a coach is that we are building young men. We are building moral character, great students and great citizens. I want them to walk away from this as better people.”

“If someone never wins a state title or places at state, but walks out of here a good person, I feel we have won.”

Byrd credits former Clinton coaches Ledin and Barclay as influences in pursuing a career in coaching.

“I owe it to those guys,” Byrd said. “I wanted to do the things they did for us. My goal is to have the team here at Lincoln Way-East work as hard as we did in Clinton in 2000 and 2001.”

Although he hopes to retire at Lincoln-Way East, Byrd has and always will call Clinton home. His family lives here and this is the place he first made a name for himself. Even though he coaches at another IHSA school, Byrd remains interested in the Clinton program and hopes they fare well.

“I think it’s headed in the right direction,” he said. “They have some good coaches in there. (Head Coach) Chris Little is an Illinois graduate and was actually my roommate. Bobby Hill and I grew up wrestling and I’ve known of him since kids club. I think he’s going to do a great job with the junior high.”

Byrd conducted a wrestling camp for four years this decade. With his former college roommate and teammate Little at the helm, Byrd has high hopes for his alma mater.

“I would love to see them win a state title and see them accomplish something we couldn’t,” Byrd said. “Whenever I go down state with my kids, I always look for the Clinton guys and I always root for them.”

Byrd is married to Jennifer (Vandervort) Byrd, another Clinton High School graduate. The two are the parents of two and a half year old Jalen James Byrd.

His legal guardians are Clinton residents Jerry and Lori Benedict.

“I’ve been blessed with the people that have been around me,” he said. “The great moments I have are for the people who have put time in to me, from my family, to my friends, to my coaches, and teachers who made sure I was making great choices.”

Wrestling has always been a part of Byrd’s life. Throughout life, Byrd had the sport to get him through the tough moments. And that’s why he made a point to continue with the sport through coaching.

“I had a tough childhood, and wrestling really helped me focus on something else,” he said. “It was my out. What I got out of the sport, is what I want to give back.”

As much as anyone else, Byrd is a testament to the truth of Gable’s famous quote. 

“Wrestling is me. It’s my passion, I care about, I believe in what it does for you and the discipline that it forms. All the hard work, the stress, and the pressure makes everything else seem easier.”

Greatest Clinton Athlete of 2000s?

While working on a Clinton wrestling story from the early 2000s, I began to wonder about who the greatest athletes in the town over the last decade have been.
That's why I listed it as the Clinton Journal's latest poll question. I started out by giving five suggestions. Four of the ones I suggested, along with another that was not mentioned, have received votes in the first week of the voting. The voting will be open thru August, and the winner will be announced in mid-September. Here are the five suggestions.

A) Tyrone Byrd (Wrestler, Class of 2001): Byrd won two individual IHSA state titles on the mat, and was a Big Ten runner up in 2006, while wrestling at the University of Illinois. He was named Central Illinois' Wrestling Athlete of the Decade.
B) Rachel Anderson (Track sprinter, Class of 2004): Anderson followed a stellar career at Clinton High School with leading Illinois Wesleyan University to indoor and outdoor NCAA Division III championships. She was named NCAA Division III Female Track Athlete of the Year in 2008.
C) Kamren Ferguson (Softball pitcher, Class of 2004): Ferguson was stellar on the mound, throwing 91 consecutive scoreless innings for the Lady Maroons in 2004. Kamren anchored a regional champion Clinton team that year. She went on to have a solid collegiate career at Western Illinois University, leading the Leathernecks to a second place finish in the Summit League in 2009 and 2010.
D) Ontario Sneed (Football player, Class of 2005): Sneed had a great career and later competed at Central Michigan University.
E) Kylie McCulley (Volleyball player, Class of 2006): McCulley was an all state-player for Clinton in 2005 and 2006 and was a two-year starter for the Fighting Illini volleyball team.

In addition to the five mentioned, Kameron Bell, a 2005 Clinton graduate and basketball player at Eureka College, received a vote.

Camp Randall - Madison, Wisc.

MADISON, Wisc. - One of the best parts of my road trip to Minnesota two weeks ago was that I was allowed to go on the patio at the University of Wisconsin bookstore. A patio that was right on the field level of Camp Randall Stadium, the home of the Wisconsin Badgers football team. I stayed there for a few minutes trying to think of how great this place must be in the fall.

The people of Madison were very friendly, waving to my friend and I even though they did not know us and that it was clear we were not regulars or students on the campus.

It seems like a nice college town and I could see why it would be ranked on the top five college football atmospheres. I would love to go there in the fall when the Badgers have a home game.

Both of their main sports venues, Camp Randall and the Kohl Center, are without a doubt better than what they currently have at the University of Illinois.

Madison is also the capital of Wisconsin, with a huge U.S. Capitol-like building marked as the city's center.

Another White Sox moment

The White Sox are a team of great moments. The give you great plays, controversy, perfect games and great streaks. Tonight, they provided their loyal south side fans with another night to remember. July 30, 2010 will be remembered as Lucas Harrell night.
Lucas Harrell, a Triple-A pitcher at the beginning of the day, had no idea he would be called upon to pitch for the White Sox, a Major League team at the end of the day. Daniel Hudson was the scheduled starter for the Sox, but was dealt in a deadline deal to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Edwin Jackson. The Sox didn't have anyone else ready to start in the fifth position, so Harrell, a minor leaguer was called on.
Oddsmakers listed visiting Oakland as a clear favorite. And when the first batter Harrell faced reached first, Sox fans may have assumed that the team's longest home winning streak since 1989 would come to an end. But Harrell shut the A's down, and the Sox pulled away with a 6-1 victory.
Harrell was interviewed by Hawk Harrelson and given a beer shower after the game. Then, he was optioned back down to Triple-A. What a moment. And hopefully we will be hearing from him again. Tonight's win is a great moment in what is turning out to be a memorable summer for the White Sox. They look good right now, but it will all come down to how they fare against the Minnesota Twins. The 2010 season will be a lot like 2008, hopefully the result is the same too.
I wasn't thrilled with the Edwin Jackson trade today but then I heard people saying Daniel Hudson would not amount to anything more than a number three pitcher. If that's true, it was good to get Jackson. But I'm not sure it is. People are wrong about their prognostications all the time. Although I hope he does well, I would not like to see Hudson have a Hall of Fame career. Then today's trade, and the date, July 30, 2010, would go down as an all-time boneheaded White Sox moment instead of being remembered for Harrell's heroic victory.

White Sox a fun watch

It may a product of the lousy teams they have been playing, but the Chicago White Sox are on a roll and playing beautiful baseball. Watching today's 11-0 smashing of the Seattle Mariners was reinforcement to what we should have known before the beginning of the season: that the White Sox should win the AL Central.
Andruw Jones made the plays on defense, robbing what would be two Mariner extra base hits. He also provided a lift on offense, belting a three-run homer, albeit with the team already ahead by eight runs.
Gavin Floyd got out of jams. Him and John Danks are performing extremely well. I agree with Ozzie Guillen's idea that this team would have a chance to win it all if the playoffs started tomorrow.
Seattle may not be a good team, and they have been the losers of eight of nine games with the White Sox. But it is a relief to see the Sox take care of business in 2010. Outside of a few bad games against the Cleveland Indians early in the season, the Sox have had no trouble taking care of the teams they should beat. Playing weak NL teams like the Nationals, Pirates and Cubs is what led to the run that got them to first place. Now it's time to take care of the weaker half of the AL, and so far they have been doing a good job.
With Detroit's bad luck and injuries as of late, it appears that the AL Central will be a two-way race between the White Sox and Twins that could go down to what seems like a yearly occurrence: Game 163 to decide the AL Central. The two went down to the wire in 2008 with the Sox hanging on by a thread in that 163rd game. A similar finish could be in the works for 2010.

Stadium Tour: Target Field

MINNEAPOLIS - Last weekend I had the chance to visit Target Field, America's newest major pro sports stadium. In it's first year as the home to Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins, the stadium has been applauded as a big improvement from the Metrodome and one of the league's finest ballparks.

While it is without a doubt above average, and I would even say a top five ballpark, I wasn't overwhelmed. It didn't have much to separate itself from other new ballparks. And Lucas Oil Stadium was still more impressive.

They did a good job of highlighted past greats like Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek and Harmon Killebrew. Their fans are friendly and classy and I would say it's the most convenient park I've been to. Nice bathrooms, lots of hallway space and plenty of counters. I also loved how they have evergreen trees in the outfield and the outdoor atmosphere is great on a nice summer night in the Twin Cities.

I enjoyed my seats too. Even though I was far from the plate, I was always entertained because of the view of the Minneapolis skyline.

As usual, whenever I travel with the White Sox, they lose (1996 in Toronto the exception). This year, it was a 7-4 loss to the Twins with Gavin Floyd having a rare shaky day. The White Sox trailed by five in the ninth before scoring two off Twins close Jon Rauch and had the go-ahead run at the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out. But Chicago's two best hitters, Paul Konerko and Alex Rios, were unable to get on base and put an end a possible thrilling come from behind victory.

Convenient isn't necessarily great. I'm sure it's a clear improvement from the old dome. I'm probably being too hard on it because I was expecting it to be the best I ever saw. It wasn't, but still very, very good.

Photo: In enemy territory, I wear a Carlos Quentin jersey at Target Field in Minnesota.

Minneapolis: Friendly and fun

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.- Sometimes the things you forsee yourself enjoying the most on a trip fon't pan out and other times things you thought would be a bore turn out to be a great moment in life.
One of the events I was looking forward to most on my three-day journey to Minneapolis last weekend was a boat ride on the Mississippi River. The Minneapolis Queen departed twice on Saturday, at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. But I was not there for either one. The boat ride would never happen. The walk from downtown to Boom Island Park was much longer, hotter and exhausting than I had predicted. I gave up trying to find the boat, but five minutes after I took a seat, I heard it taking off. I could have made it had I kept going, but oh well.
Because of rain and mid-day tiredness, I decided to put my visit to the Foshay Tower observation deck off until after dinner. It turned out to be the best decision of the trip. All in one night at the Foshay, I was lucky enough to have an elevator conversation with Chicago White Sox radio broadcaster Ed Farmer; experience a strong storm on the observation deck; hear a tornado warning while at the top floor of the building; and see White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski at the hotel bar on the first floor.
None of that was part of the plan, but it turned out to be the best part.
Minneapolis was surprisingly friendly considering I was wearing either a White Sox jersey or t-shirt for most of the time walking around the city. Everyone was willing to give directions and all the trash talking was friendly. In New York, it was nasty. But Minnesota seems to be a friendlier rival of the White Sox.
Hennepin Avenue was the center of life in downtown Minneapolis. It could have very well been a street in New York. Night life, clubs, theatres, it seemed like much of what was to do in Minneapolis was right on that street, the Broadway of Minnesota.
As far as a major American city not considered a metropolis like Chicago or New York, Minneapolis was pretty cool. It was easy to navigate with the streets and avenues being system being much similar to New York. It was livlier than Cleveland or St. Louis and had a lot of major companies based there such as Accenture and TCF. It is also the home of the Mary Tyler Moore show.
I like how much support they have for their Twins. There is a statue for every year in which a Minnesota Twin was given a Gold Glove Award.
I would definitely consider another visit to the city. Possibly for the Colts-Vikings 2016 game. At that time I would like to take a tour of the Metrodome (if it is still there), finally go on the Minneapolis Queen and take a segway tour of the city.

Photo: The view from atop the Foshay Tower at night. Just minutes before a funnel cloud was spotted in the area.

My 2010 ESPY votes

I really like ESPN's idea of having a yearly sports awards show, although I do not agree with many of their nominations and how they value New York and Boston teams like its their home town and completely ignore Chicago accomplishments. (How was Jonathan Toews not a candidate for NHL player of the year?) I liked the show last night, Seth Meyers was very funny. I just wish the Blackhawks had more than one nomination and the Saints had less than six. Oh well, here is who I voted for in some of my favorite categories.

Male Athlete of the Year: Kobe Bryant (NBA)
Female Athlete of the Year: Diana Taurasi (WNBA)
Breakthrough Athlete: Stephen Strasburg (MLB)
Record breaking performance: Isner/Mahut tennis match
Upset of the Year: Yang over Woods
Game of the Year: Twins over Tigers in AL Central tiebreaker, final game at Metrodome
Moment of the Year: Landon Donovan goal for U.S. against Algeria
Team of the Year: Chicago Blackhawks
Coach of the Year: Mike Krzyzewski
MLB Player: Albert Pujols
NFL Player: Peyton Manning
NHL Player: Ryan Miller
NBA Player: Kevin Durant
Fighter: Manny Pacqiao
College Athletes of the Year: Garrett Wittels (Baseball)
Megan Hodge (Volleyball)

2010 Travel season about to begin

Outside of trips weekend trips to Indianapolis, Springfield, Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan, I really have not traveled anywhere in 2010. I have not left the comfort zone of the midwest.
I will still be in the midwest this weekend, but in a major city that I have yet to visit, Minneapolis. From Friday to Sunday, I will be embarking on the first road trip of the 2010 travel season.
As are nearly all of my summer road trips, a baseball game serves as the centerpiece to this weekend getaway in the real twin cities. And who would have thought that the White Sox would have been ahead of the Twins when they play at Target Field this Friday in downtown Minneapolis. When I planned this trip two months ago, it looked like Minnesota would be ahead. One month ago, it was almost certain. But an incredible 15-5 run has put the White Sox in first place, with the Tigers (1/5 game back) and the Twins (3 1/2) looking up at them.
I am looking forward to being the enemy Friday night, rooting on the White Sox against their archrivals at the newest stadium in baseball.
Staying downtown, I will also be able to take a ride on the Minneapolis Queen, go to the observation deck at the Foshay Tower and go inside the Basilica of St. Mary.
Before I leave back for Chicago on Sunday, I will spend a few hours at Mall of America in Bloomington, the largest in the country.
On the way to Minnesota, I hope to spend an hour and a half in Madison, Wisc.; seeing the University and the state capitol.
This Minnesota trip is just the first of a few weekend travel ideas I have planned for this year. A possible Washington DC trip in August and a likely visit to Philadelphia in November to see the Colts are other ideas I have in motion.

Taste of Chicago 2010

Despite living in the Chicago suburbs for a good 23 years of my life, I never made a point to visit the Taste of Chicago, the yearly festival held at the end of June in Grant Park. I have been to the Auto Show, the Air and Water Show and the Fourth of July fireworks celebration, but never the Taste. I decided that 2010 would be a good time to experience of of the city's most well known traditions.

I didn't mind the crowd at the event and I thought taking the Rock Island Metra to LaSalle Street, and walking to Grant Park from there, was very fun. I can deal with the heat too, but the event proved to be financially frustrating.

To taste some of the food from the most well-known or little-known Chicago restaurants, you need to buy tickets. You can get 12 tickets for $8. There is no deal for mass purchases either. 48 tickets would still cost $32.

The best way to taste a variety of samples is to go with the taste portion from some of the stands. Taste portions are a small sample of one of their favorites that cost 3 or 4 tickets.

I began with a taste portion of bruschetta from Lou Malanati's stand. That was the best idea I had all day. They gave you a great piece of bread covered with tasty tomatoes. That was well worth the three tickets.

Tasting a hot dog with one sport pepper from Gold Coast Dogs seemed to be a waste of seven tickets. The dog was good, but the price seemed to be too high.

The biggest ripoff came from Harold's Chicken, who only gave me one small hush puppy and a small piece of chicken that was more bone than meat for four tickets.

Some of the pizza slices I tried were pretty small for four tickets too. I was glad to see the Original Rainbow Cone as the most popular ice cream place there.

There were two live bands on hand as well.

Going to the taste can also be a dangerous thing, as their were a few stabbings on State Street the past two days.

I like the idea of the Taste and Ocean Spray and Crush did a great job giving out free samples of soda. I wouldn't make it a yearly event, but I could see myself going back sometime.

'Big Buff' now a part of Blackhawks lore

The 2010 Chicago Blackhawks will go down as one of Chicago's most loved sports teams of all-time. During the playoff run, perhaps no one on the team made more fans than Dustin Byfuglien, or "Big Buff." Clearly a fan favorite, Byfuglien gave the Hawks an attitude with his aggressive play against the Vancouver Canucks' goalie Roberto Luongo and his game-winning goals against San Jose. 

No matter what the future held in store for Big Buff, he would go down as a Chicago legend for what he did in the 2010 playoffs. Unfortunately for Blackhawk fans who were looking forward to seeing him in red again next year, the instigator was traded, along with Brent Sopel and Ben Eager to the Atlanta Thrashers today. 

Less than three weeks after the Stanley Cup victory, the famed '10 Blackhawks have been broken up. Never again will we see that team that so many Chicagoans fell in love with. The Blackhawks are still really good and are the favorites to make the Stanley Cup finals again. The trade may have even made them better. But even a better team won't capture the hearts like the one Buff was a part of. 

Compare him to Aaron Rowand of the 2005 White Sox. A one-year hit, but one that will be loved by Chicagoans forever. When the Blackhawks reveal their Stanley Cup banner and pass out rings on October 9 before their home opener against the Detroit Red Wings, Big Buff will get the loudest cheers. 

Byfuglien should have a good career with the Atlanta Thrashers. Atlanta may not embrace him like Chicago is (The ATL is definitely not a hockey town), but he will be a big part of their success.

If not, maybe he will get demoted and sent to the Thrashers' minor league affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Would any Blackhawks fans be interested in seeing Big Buff and Chris Chelios as teammates for the the city's minor league squad?