Sportsnation

I got the ESPN the Magazine and saw that it was the annual review of sports organizations. I like it because it ranks teams across sports comparing the Spurs to the Packers, etc.. I don't like it, because most of the time the Chicago teams are ranked pretty low. I know that these rankings do not reflect the fan bases of various teams, but it feels like a slap in the face. This study looked at 1529 fans. Huh? You could find 1529 Cubs fans to take this survey. There are 70 million? people that watch the Super Bowl and you can only find 1529 people to take the survey. Whatever. I started to read through the teams and I got to this quote about the Braves, "fans pay bit more than half as much as those at Wrigley- and they're still paying in October." There are a couple of things that are assumed with this statement that are wrong. 1. The article makes it sound like the Braves sell out as much as the Cubs do, which is completely false. The Braves ranked 18th in home attendance percentage between Detroit and Florida. That's pretty poor for a playoff team. 2. The prices are low because the owners want to keep their fans happy. That's wrong too. If the Braves had the same fan base as the Cubs, they could jack up the prices just as high. And they would do it, it's all about supply and demand.

Bottom line: Don't compare the Braves and the Cubs in terms of fan bases. Leave it to championships if you want to make the Braves look good.

Juan Pierre/ MU-Wisconsin

Juan Pierre is officially a Cub as of Wednesday. I really like him as a player. He scared the crap out of me when he was on the Marlins. You knew anytime a ball was hit into the outfield, he was first to third, or second to him, automatically. Any ball in the gap, he can score from first. That's why he's scary. Now if he can get on base with the pace of Furcal, his defense can be forgotten about. I like this move and I think another big one has to be made to be a serious contender in the Central.

MU-Wisconsin
As I did for Louisville last year, I will countdown the four MU-Wisconsin games I have been to in my six years at Marquette.

#4- December 23, 2000#16 Wisconsin 52- Marquette 47

This game was a pretty poor affair. I think it was the last time that Marquette did not make a 3-pointer in a game. The Bradley Center was a major pro-Wisconsin crowd. My dad sat in the balcony and we were in the minority. There were no student tickets for this game and I remember I saw a red shirt sitting in my seat. Grrrrrr. This was the last game of the Final Four class for Wisconsin: Kelly, Vershaw, Boone and they were definately the better team. I didn't think the score was that close looking back on it.

#3- December 22, 2001 Wisconsin 86- Marquette 73

I did the eight hour round trip to Madison and back in one day. I brought my best friend who was at West Point to the game. He wore my Cincy middle finger shirt, but taped over the Cincy and wrote Wisconsin. I don't think my skinny ass could have worn that shirt, but he definately could have. So we get to the game and are waiting to enter. There is a younger MU fan in front of us in line with a MU flag on a stick. The ushers at the Kohl Center made him take the flag off. My friend and I started "you suck" chants at the usher and kept yelling stuff like, "You ruined his Christmas." The game was okay. Kirk Penny went for 33? Wade was stuck on the bench with 2 early fouls, the infamous "wipe-away" calls. MU made a couple of second half runs that kept in close, but this game was a blowout.

#2- December 14, 2003- Marquette 63- Wisconsin 54

This was MU's "hump" game. Crean had never beaten Ryan. We were the better team in '02 and lost. MU needed this game. This was also Todd Townsend's most famous moment ever at MU. He hit 3 threes, including one late in the game, off balance, with the shot clock running down. After the game, MU's players stormed the court, like it was a huge win. My dad's quote: "They haven't won anything yet." But that was the first of many big wins that season.

#1- December 11, 2004- Marquette 63- #22 Wisconsin 54

I was in clinical six hours away from Milwaukee but still made the trip for this one. MU, behind Diener and Novak, jumped out early and Wisconsin did not recover. The highlight of last season by far. I still remember the front page of the Journal-Sentinel with a huge picture of a smiling Diener. It looked like Diener was thinking, "Screw you Wisconsin, I came to Marquette and we just kicked your ass."

As for tommorrow, MU does not need as much as Wisconsin. Wisconsin at home should win and I think they will 68-61.

Overpaying for Production?

Rafeal Furcal turned down the Cubs five year deal and instead signed with the Dodgers for 3 years and $39 million. Many across the CBA were upset over the fact that the Cubs did not sign him, while many were putting their faith behind Hendry to work some magic at the Winter Meetings. I'm torn between all this. I'm dissapointed that the Cubs did not sign Furcal. At the same time, I thought 3 years and $39 million was way too much, just like I thought last year's deal with Beltran was way too much. But at what point, does being thrifty not pay out? The Beltran deal looks pretty good right now. Hopefully, it will work out for the Cubs, in their favor again.