Top Ten Barack Obama Sports Related Moments

Perhaps you've noticed there's a presidential election coming up in the not too distant future.

The staff here at TTCS doesn't really pay it too much attention because frankly, that's not exactly the kind of thing we do around here. We'd rather debate who the fastest fat guy in Chicago history was or whether or not 'Mullet Night' at U.S. Cellular is the single greatest promotion of all time.

Yet, this election is different because for the first time ever, we may have a true blue, die hard Chicago sports fan sitting in the Oval Office. A frightening and exciting feeling all at the same time.

This post isn't meant as an endorsement of Mr. Barack Obama because again, that's not the kind of thing we do around here.

Instead, we're taking a look at the Top Ten Barack Obama Sports Related Moments to give you an idea of what kind of sports nut may be running the country if elected President.

10. No, not Air Force One Mr. Obama. They're Air Force Ones

Is there no greater compliment than having a pair Air Force Ones custom designed with your face emblazoned upon them? Talk about street cred, Obama is rolling in it with these kicks.

9. There's always time to shoot some stick

Back in May Obama decided to flash some of his skills on the ol' billiards table. After jumping out to a quick start, he eventually sunk the eight ball and lost the game. They decided to see who could clear the table first anyway only to see Obama lose at that too.

8. Hoopin in the White House?

Obama's first addition to the White House if elected?

A basketball hoop.

Can't wait until he invites the Presidents of the past over for a friendly pick up game. Who would you take first?

Bill Clinton or George Bush?

7. I wish I had a highlight reel like this

Obama looked silky smooth running the break back in the day. That can't be much more difficult than negotiating peace deals between hostile foreign nations can it?

Try running the triangle offense and then answer that question.

6. He bowled a what?

I once heard someone say on the radio that if you can't bowl 100 consistenly, then you're not officially a man.

Well, Obama rolled an eye-popping 37 on March 31 during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania. He said that he would have done much better if it was during Cosmic Bowl.

5. Barack "O'Bomber"

Is there any way we can start a movement to bring the leisure suit back into style?

Our friends over at Deadspin posted Obama's high school photo back in May and I have to admit, I seriously want to kick it with the Choom Gang.

4. Obama turns down a scholarship to UNC

Okay, not really.

But he laced 'em up against the mighty North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team and went toe-to-toe with 'Psycho T', a.k.a Tyler Hansbrough.

Things got really uncomfortable when Obama confused Hansbrough with Mark Madsen and asked him how it felt to play with Shaq and Kobe.

Awkward.

3. "Why not so serious?"

"You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer, beautiful people up there," Obama said, according to transcripts released by ESPN. "People aren't watching the game. It's not serious. White Sox, that's baseball."

We'll stay away from the Cubs suck, Sox rule, Cubs rule, Sox suck banter for a day.

Obama decided to say this the other day and has most of Chicago all worked up over it.

Regardless if you're a Sox or Cubs fan, you have to admire a man that actually has an opinion on something and doesn't play the "I root for both teams" card.

2. He helped the White Sox win the World Series in 2005

No, he didn't actually help the Sox win.

But he certainly was there to throw out the first pitch for game 2 of the ALCS in 2005 against the Angels.

I have to stop now before I unleash a 15,000 word epic recap of that entire World Series run...deep breaths.

1. Monday Night Football

Obama made this appearance before he announced his bid for the presidential nomination. Rumors were circulating at the time that he intended to, so when he suddenly showed up before the Bears played I told everyone in the room to shut up because he was about to announce it.

Nope.

This was a classic and how he kept a straight face the entire time is beyond me. Either way, it was pretty sweet.

Top ten replacements for Jay Mariotti

The resignation of the city’s most engaging sports columnist leaves Chicago searching for answers. Mainly: who’s to take his place? We here at TTCS have some ideas.

10. J Koot

From Quick Hits to hot fans, if there is one thing the Sun-Times’ sports section loves, it’s good looking people. So who better to fill Mariotti’s shoes than the mysterious J Koot, patriarch of Busted Coverage? Koot has been at the forefront of sports blog T&A for over a year. What else do you need to know?

9. Carlos Quentin

I’m fairly positive the ability to OPS .973 translates to any buissness. The only problem? With a .396 on-base percentage, Quentin is certain to clog the bases at the Sun-Times’ next company softball game.

8. Brian Urlacher

Mariotti once criticized the esteemed Bears linebacker for “acting like a yahoo” when he bypassed the local papers to give Yahoo Sports’ Mike Silver a big scoop. Though he may be entering the decline phase of his career, Urlacher is still Chicago’s biggest sports star. If he continues to avoid the Chicago press, why not give him free reign to speak his mind every day in the newspaper? Surely Urlacher’s columns would be more interesting than the standard one word answers he gives to reporters every Sunday.

7. AJ Daulerio

All Deadspin editors yearn to one day join the mainstream media. This is fact. Plus, if AJ left, there would probably be another roast, which would be totally awesome.

6. Juan Uribe

Just listen to this interview Sun-Times White Sox beat writer Joe Cowley gave to The Score’s Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley, and try to tell me Uribe wouldn’t make a wildly entertaining columnist. Uribe should also have some time on his hands to churn out copy once Joe Crede returns from the DL.

5. Freddy Church

While growing up in the humble suburb of Minooka, Illinois, Church always dreamed of- well, never mind, I think you guys may have heard that one before. Seriously though, Church may be the only writer in the world who can stir up controversy as easily as Mariotti. That has to count for something.

4. Jason Shimberg

The Sun-Times has a few authors already on staff (Rick Telander, Neil Hayes), but to my knowledge, none are currently working on an autobiography. Jason Shimberg, proprietor of his own celebrated blogspot site, would change all that. But don’t think the Shim Doggy Dog is a one-trick pony, just check out this poem on Barack Obama. The man rhymed Obama with llama. Now that’s what I call creativity! Did we mention also has a sweet bedroom wall? Sign me up.

3. Mark DeRosa and Ryan Theriot

Behold the city's two wittiest athletes. DeRosa made a name for himself with his blog, The Pulse, which he admitted was named after a recent health scare involving his heart. Not to be outdone, while answering questions from fans, Theriot wrote that he could beat up Mike Fontenot (who couldn’t!), but the two former LSU teammates would probably get mauled by Carlos Zambrano, even in a handicap match.

2. Patrick Z. McGavin

I once heard that newspapers are written at a sixth-grade reading level. If McGavin, a columnist for Your Season, the Sun-Times’ wonderful new high school sports site, was given Mariotti’s daily slot in the paper, what would change very, very quickly. McGavin’s ability to find common ground between Whitney Young basketball and early work of Chaucer sets him apart from any other writer in the city, possibly the world. Ever wonder what Kyle Orton’s last preseason start has to do with metaphysics? Easy PZ is just the guy to help you out.

1. Dale Bowman

Wildlife in the Chicago-area is at an all-time low*. Why? Because Dale Bowman caught all of it. If Bowman can rid our lakes of musky, I’m fairly positive he can handle Ozzie Guillen.

*This may or may not be true.

Top Ten Reasons the Sox Won’t Make the Playoffs

BY DUBS

I have done this for the Cubs and figured with the 2008 season coming to a close, the White Sox deserve the same treatment. Here are the Top Ten Reasons the Sox Won’t Make the Playoffs.

10. Rayz*

If this were any other year since the inception of the Rayz, the Sox would be a lock for the playoffs. However, the 2008 Rayz have decided to be awesome and have made this season a two bull rodeo with three riders looking on, vying for their shot at an eight second ride (I used to live in Texas).

*TTCS writer Ricky O’Donnell deserves credit for the “z” spelling of the Rayz when they officially change their name to "The Rayz" in 2020.

9. Something unexpected happens

Something crazy happens, like the Sox bus crashes on the way back to their hotel in Minnesota. Jenks’ cold beer cuts his lip as he drinks it causing him to flail his arms wildly, poking one of Floyd’s eyes out. This would be one plausible scenario in which the Sox could lose one to two major cogs in their winning machine.

8. The hot/cold offense

The Sox can score runs and lots of them. Chicago is second in the AL in runs scored this season, but have shown times that they can go cold as a team. If this happens at the wrong time, the Sox could find themselves looking from the outside in come October.

7. The ghost of Frank Chance

The player/manager of the 1908 Cubs will not let the Sox win the World Series on the 100 year anniversary of his, and the Cubs, last championship. Chance was a very aggressive man who would first bowl over AJ, spike him in the nuts and die his hair with his own blood than see the Sox win another World Series.

6. Red Sox

If the Sox do fail to hold the Central, they will be in a dogfight with the other Sox for the Wild Card (who currently have a better record than the bleached Sox). Both teams are basically equal in run differential and other fringe statistics. There is no solid way to determine who will win this battle. If this scenario comes to fruition, then the AL Wild Card, and the Sox playoff hopes, may just depend on who gets hot in the last week of the season.

5. Ozzie Guillen goes crazy

Ozzie finally looses his cool for good and goes on a murderous rampage. He starts in the clubhouse, choosing AJ as his first victim, moving onto OC and finally Swish. With the big three pains-in-his-ass out of the way, Guillen moves onto his greatest rival in any dugout, Lou Piniella.

Finding Piniella in a local diner, Guillen calmly walks up to the large Spaniard, screaming obscenities in barely comprehendible Spanglish, “I can rap better than you!” Even after thrashing multiple times with a machete, barrowed form Ugueth Urbina, Guillen’s blade cannot penetrate the large gut of Piniella. Breathing deeply from exhaustion, Guillen leaves the one-time Yankee bleeding, but alive. Guillen, now satisfied with the blood he has spilled over baseball field quarrels is ready to move onto his greatest threat; Jay Mariotti.

The fiery Venezuelan finds the loudmouth Mariotti asleep in his upscale Chicago condo. He is in the arms of young Filipino man. Guillen makes quick work of the younger Asian man, expertly cutting his throat. Blood soaks the purple silk sheets. Mariotti screams quite girlishly realizing his impending doom….You get the point.

4. Pitching

The Sox ERA has risen over a point in the second half of the season. As #8 has shown, this is a scary thought for a team that has binged and purged all season long on offense. If the pitching continues its upward trend, the Sox will struggle during times when the offense cools off.

3. Can’t beat good teams

The Sox have dominated terrible teams (as they should), yet they cannot beat anybody good. This season they have gone 18-25 against teams over .500 in the AL. If this trend continues the Sox will not be able to hold onto the Central because of reason #1.

2. Twins

Chicago has a 42 run lead over the Twins in run differential, yet the Twins are keeping pace with the Sox. Year after year Minnesota plays over their heads, never, ever, ever going away. If the Twins keep playing at the level they are right now they will overtake the Sox as they play only 10 more games against teams over .500.

1. Schedule

Sorry Sox fans, but the Sox only play the Royals three more times. Chicago has had a pretty lame schedule to this point of the season and they have taken advantage of it. However, starting today the Sox will be playing 17 games against teams over .500, verse only 14 games against teams under the mediocre line. As #3 has shown, the Sox do not play well against good teams and are in serious threat of dropping out of the playoffs.

Top Ten Bears Preseason Performers

While I was inspecting the Bears stats of the last three preseason games, I could only come to one conclusion; this is going to be a long season. Seriously, theses stats are not flattering. Anyway, here are the top performers of the last three games.

10. Corey Graham



While he will be buried down on the depth chart, his pick for a touchdown is the lone defensive score of the preseason. Graham also has a pretty high kick return ranking in Madden in case Hester goes down in your franchise mode.

9. Mark Bradley



Bradley will be battling for the final receiver spot with old man Booker, with Marty most likely on his way out. But he has shown glimpses that make that back end of the receiving core, well, more respectable.

8. Kevin Jones




Thank god he is healthy because Forte has not looked like the reliable back we all thought he was. While KJ does only have three carries in one game, the thirty yards he racked up seemed to be more impressive than anything Forte has done thus far.

7. Garrett Wolfe



The former NIU standout has looked like the ’07 first day draft pick. On 14 carries, he has 5.8 yards/carry. Hopefully he could be some sort of lightning in the backfield.

6. Caleb Hanie




He impressed many in the preseason opener against Kansas City. He has thrown three touchdowns and only one pick and while 53% is not spectacular, the unsigned rookie has looked better than Rex.

5. Charles Tillman



I have not been a big Peanut fan, ever since he slipped twice while being in single coverage on Steve Smith three years ago. But in limited time he has 10 tackles and an interception. He will need to be the top corner everybody claims he is if the Bears pass defense wants to succeed.

4. Kellen Davis



The rookie tight end has caught four balls; one for a touchdown and three for first downs. He will be a good replacement for an aging Desmond Clark.

3. PJ Pope



To be honest, I didn’t know anything about him until a few weeks ago. But he has rushed the ball 14 times for 4.7 yards/carry. Not to mention he has caught five passes for another 40 yards. The back situation just seems like a little mess. I feel any back who makes the squad has a chance of playing a large roll in the running game.

2. Kyle Orton



His numbers are not spectacular but he is the quarterback, and it seems like he has come a long way (quarterback-wise). He has completed over 60% of his passes and has two touchdowns. What is most important is the fact that he threw zero interceptions. People might actually want to drink with him now.

1. Rashied Davis



Davis has quasi-emerged as the number one. Rashied has not been that bad of a WR in the past, he is just given very few opportunities. His two touchdowns could make him the center of attention for opposing defensive coordinators. I hope he is ready to go against top corners every week, even though it's not like he has big shoes to fill. (cough cough) Berrian.

Top Ten Worst Jerry Angelo Draft Picks

If you've been a Bears fan long enough, watching first round pick OT Chris Williams go down with an injury after only 14 minutes of practice wasn't too much of a surprise.

You see, here in Chicago we have a GM that swings and misses on draft picks about as badly as Sammy Sosa swinging at a chest high fastball after he kicked the juice.

Jerry Angelo has made some solid picks in his time with the Bears, there's no denying that. But for every good pick there's three "what the hell was he thinking" picks that will most likely end up costing him his job in the next few years.

Here's the Top Ten Worst Jerry Angelo Draft Picks for your viewing pleasure.

10. 2004 - Leon Joe - LB

University of Maryland

4th Round, 112th overall pick

Here's a fun little stat. Leon Joe has a grand total of 43 career tackles since being drafted by the Bears. He didn't do half bad playing on the Bears special teams unit, racking up 28 tackles in 2005. But the guy Angelo tabbed as the future of the LB core - or at least a solid backup - has bounced around the league and probably won't be around too much longer.

And Angelo should of known that you never trust a guy with two first names.

9. 2003 - Tron Lafavor - DT

University of Florida

5th round, 171th overall pick

A guy that Sports Illustrated projected to be an undrafted free agent in 2003 just looked too good for Angelo to pass up in the fifth round.

Career tackles: 1

Talk about getting value late in the draft, Angelo never even had to pay this guy.

8. 2002 - Roosevelt Williams - CB

Tuskegee University

3rd round, 72nd overall pick

Part of me feels like Angelo phoned in this entire draft from a beach somewhere knowing that it probably wouldn't even make that much of a difference if he was in the 'war room'.

Williams has played 20 games in his entire career and hasn't stepped onto an NFL field since 2003.

Total tackles: 27

The first round pick in 2002 for the Bears? Marc Colombo. The only reason why he isn't on this list is because he was only a bust for the Bears and a rock for the Cowboys.

7. 2007 - Dan Bazuin - DE

Central Michigan University

2nd round, 62nd overall

How bad has Bazuin been?

In only his second year, this second round bust has been injured from day one and is in danger of being cut in the next couple weeks.

Angelo must have just been trying to clear some cap space for that big free agent wide receiver signing he had planned for 2008.

Um...

6. 2006 - Dusty Dvoracek - DT

University of Oklahoma

3rd round, 73rd overall

I know what you're thinking but realistically I just don't care.

I'm sick and tired of hearing about how much of a 'wild man' Dvoracek looks like in practice and how dominant he'll be playing next to Tommie Harris.

The only thing I've seen is his name on the injury report.

Until he actually plays for more than a quarter before coming down with a season ending injury, he's a bust.

5. 2005 - Mark Bradley - WR

University of Oklahoma

2nd round, 39th overall

Do you remember when Lovie Smith said Mark Bradley would become the number one wide receiver for the Bears this year?

Ha.

I'll be the first to admit that I've been a believer in Bradley. But then again, I believed in Santa Claus for the first few chapters of my life and you know what?

I eventually learned he was a fake (Sorry to spoil that for you Ricky. You'll still get presents, don't worry).

But reality is a far more frightening picture with Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd as the potential number one receiver for the Bears.

4. 2001 - David Terrell - WR

University of Michigan

1st round, 8th overall

I'll let my colleague Phil Barnes sum this pick up for me. This is from his epic Top Ten Chicago Draft Busts list:

"This Terrell reminds us a lot of another Terrell we know. Well except that the other one is a better smack-talker AND could actually play football. This former Wolverine great did a whole lot of nothing despite supposedly being a big-time draft pick. In reality however, this guy just had a big-time ego."

Word.

3. 2003 - Rex Grossman - QB

Florida

1st round, 22nd overall

Few GM's could ever claim to have messed up the quarterback position for a team worse than Jerry Angelo.

We've wasted five years waiting for Grossman. And now, we've got Kyle Orton to take his place.

There's a very good chance he'll be on this list next year.

2. 2003 - Michael Haynes - DE

Penn State

First round, 14th overall

I'll admit that Angelo has proven to be a very solid talent evaluator on the defensive side of the ball.

But he missed in such a big way with Michael Haynes that it simply cannot be forgiven.

Haynes never started a game for the Bears, tallied a measly 5.5 sacks and was cut for good in 2006.

1. 2005 - Cedric Benson - RB

Texas

1st round, 4th overall

How telling is it that Benson hasn't even worked out for another team since the Bears finally cut him?

I love it.

Top Ten reasons why NCAA football is better than the NFL

The NFL has taken over as “America’s sport” but that does not mean it is better. For me, college football will always take the cake as the number one thing to watch on fall weekends (after baseball is over, of course). Here are the Top Ten reasons why.

10. Games are played on Saturday

I can’t express the brilliance of a Saturday football game. You wake up between 8-10am, drink at your dorm or house or whatever and then head on over to the tailgate at about 11. Drink some more and then go to the game to watch your boys take a solid 30-point lead against Buffalo going into half time. This is the opportune time to sneak off and catch a few hours of drunken slumber before you rise at 8pm to start it all over again. This time the game is the bar and half time is midnight. Unlike the tailgate, you leave with a girl on your left arm. This is what it was like at Miami (OH) where I attended “school.” Well, that is until Big Ben left and football became as relevant as women’s ping-pong.

You can’t do this on Sunday. It is God’s day, the day of rest after a long-ass weekend. You may be able to drink for a bit, but then the notion of work or early morning class starts to become way to real and your day fades as soon as the clock hits zero at the end of the fourth quarter. Just can’t compare.

9. My next-door neighbor can throw for like 4,000 yards and 30 TDs

The QB for Missouri, what’s his name, the nose picker, yes that’s it, Chase “two first names” Daniel. This guy is like 5-9 and 112 pounds. There is no possible way he can do anything in the NFL. Yet, in college he is the shit. If you never saw him on TV and walked by him on the street, you would think he was your average bus boy or cock monkey. You would never guess he threw for 33 TDs last season. That is what is great. You’re next door neighbor could be a National Champion, or at least a MAC champ.

8. The freshman class

College football is so based on talent it ridiculous. Yes, certain systems work better than others and level the playing field, but if a coach has a good or bad recruiting class or two, you can see the program elevated to new heights or lowered to new lows (Kansas and Notre Dame). Each year brings new hope and inevitable failure based on the type of talent you recruit.

7. No Chris Berman*

Besides his magical pick up lines, Berman has pretty much used up all the 15-years of fame allotted to any ESPN “talent”. His nicknames were cheeky and funny ten years ago, but have become dull and tiresome. He just makes my NFL viewing that much more painful.

*Thanks to Wheeler for thinking of this then ditching me at the bar. You're the best, brah.

6. Anything goes on offense

Maybe its because I am a Bears fan and have to watch the dullest offense since the inception of the forward pass, but college football’s varying offensive schemes are superior to the NFL's. The spread, the option, that thing they call an offense in Miami (FL), anything goes and they pretty much all work (besides that thing in Miami (FL)). It’s kind of like playing backyard football with your buddies, but WAY sweeter. The varying offenses level the playing field and make college games extremely fun and exciting to watch.

5. The anti-NBA

Unlike the NBA, and sometimes the NFL, players don’t take plays off (I’m looking at you Randy Moss and the entire NBA on defense). The college football game is played with such passion and with a balls-out mentality, even if they posses no talent. They actually CARE about the outcome of the game, at least most of them. True, some view college as a stepping-stone to the NFL, but the vast majority play because they love it.

4. Tradition, or something

Do you really care about the Buccaneers? They weren’t even relevant to the NFL until Jon “Chucky” Gruden was TRADED to them. The only tradition they had until 2003, were ugly cream uniforms. College football is drenched in tradition. Michigan taught Notre Dame football and now they hate each other. Harvard and Princeton used to rock at football – each has four national championships. You don’t get that kind of history with the NFL. It’s just not there. I mean there has to be a reason why Alabama thinks they should win, right?

3. Pure unadultered hate

Can anything bring out complete retarded rage like college football can? I think not. College football fans hate each other with the fire of a thousands suns, simply because of the colors on their shirts. Have you ever met anyone from Ohio? They are the most irrational, incompetent, redneck, ass clowns I have ever met, and yet they have the gall to hate anyone from Michigan. I have cousins from Michigan; they are the nicest people ever, like to the point of annoyance nice – basically Canadians.

2. Tailgating

As I mentioned in #10, tailgating is a major part of a college football Saturday. NFL tailgates are now basically banned. This means Saturdays remain supreme. College tailgates don’t just equal food and beer, like NFL tailgates did. It can mean a variety of things, from 8am Beirut tournaments to a random game of “Thunder”. The creativity of college tailgates is unequaled to any professional ‘gate of the like. When drinking takes precedent to the actual game, like at Indiana (where officers like to arrest you), then you know the tailgate is the shizzy.

1. Coeds

If you have ever been to an NFL game you know that the only fine tail is on the sidelines reporting. It seems that the only women there are the ones that are sick of sitting at home by themselves on Sunday while their fat, drunk hubbies go to the game. So, in an effort to become relevant during the winter months, these wives convince their worse half that they “care” about the outcome of the game, forcing the man to give into her demands, bringing her to the game in fear of loosing sexual pleasure, ever.

Now this is not the case in college. Young girls wear as little as possible to flaunt their god-given-gifts to possibly get a chance to date the next future NFL bust. They show their support of their team with school colors, making sure their wardrobe barely covers the areola region, even during the hardest of cheering. God Bless those four glorious years. Why did I graduate on time?

Top ten most obscure Bears starting quarterbacks since 1992

Since Brett Favre took over as the Packers starting quarterback in 1992, the Bears have trotted out some of the most inept quarterbacks in NFL history. As Favre begins the final chapter of his career in New York, Kyle Orton begins the next chapter of his as the Bears Week 1 starter against the Colts on September 7. Here is a look at the ten most obscure QBs in Bears history, a list Orton hopes to avoid five years from now.

10 Steve Walsh

Walsh enjoyed possibly the best career of any QB on this list. He played in the NFL for ten seasons, and finished 8-3 as the Bears starter in 1994.

9 Jonathan Quinn

Quinn will forever be linked with arguably the worst offensive coordinator in Bears history, Terry Shea. Shea saw enough in Quinn as a backup up in Kansas City to urge the Bears to sign the former third round pick as a free agent in 2004. After making three horrendous starts with the Bears that season, finishing 0-3, of course, fans saw enough to know he was one of the worst quarterbacks to ever put on a Bears jersey.

8 Craig Krenzel

How bad was Krenzel’s career as a Bear? The only thing I remember about him was that he majored in molecular biology at Ohio State.

7 Shane Matthews

Matthews arm was so notoriously weak, that the Bears once used receiver Marty Booker to throw the final Hail Mary of a game because Matthews couldn’t reach the end zone.

6 Moses Moreno

Who could ever forget the pride and joy of Colorado State? Oh yeah, everybody.

5 Will Furrer

Furrer shares something with a lot of the quarterbacks on this list: he was a mid-round draft pick who was pressed to start in the NFL before he was ready. After playing in two games with the Bears as a rookie in 1992, and starting one, Furrer finished with a 36% completion rate, zero touchdowns and three interceptions.

4 Peter Tom Willis

Willis may be the best college quarterback on this list, leading Florida State to a top three national ranking in 1989. His Bears career wasn’t as successful though, as he finished with six touchdowns and 15 interceptions in four seasons with the team.

3 Chad Hutchinson

Hutchinson’s Bears career reached his pinnacle in 2004 when he lead the Bears to a late season win over the Vikings. He would never win another game in the NFL.

2 Steve Stenstrom

Something pathetic: Stenstrom’s four touchdown, six interception output as a Bears starter for seven games in 1998 is one of the most impressive tenures of anyone on this list.

1 Henry Burris

If memory serves, the only game Burris started as a Bear was the first game the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ever won in cold weather, 26 years after the franchise made its debut.

Top Ten Most Important Remaining Cubs-Sox Series

There's something in the air right now floating around Chicago that hasn't ever existed before.

For instance, the Chicago Bears are gearing up for their 2008 campaign and yet, it doesn't really seem as though people are paying the normal attention to it.

That something is the early stages of a massive infection of playoff fever. Cubs fans are starting to catch it, and so too are the White Sox fans. It's spreading day by day and the only thing that can stop it is if either team fails to qualify for the post season classic.

All that remains is 45 days after today is through. And in that time, both squads have incredibly daunting schedules that are made up of a few series capable of turning this last month or so into a disaster.

So without further ado, here are the Top Ten Most Important Remaining Cubs-Sox Series.

We'll start with the Sox.

5. Tampa Bay Rays

U.S. Cellular Field

August 22, 23, 24

Next weekend the Sox square off against the most surprising team in baseball this year in the Rays. They've been solid from day one of the season, but injuries to rookie sensation Evan Longoria and stud left fielder Carl Crawford have people wondering if they can fend off the reigning World Series Champion Boston Red Sox.

More importantly, the Minnesota Twins travel to Los Angeles to face off against the Angles (75-43) - the best team in baseball. If the Sox can take two of three in this series there is a very good chance they could have a game or two lead on the Twinkies by the end of the weekend.

4. Boston Red Sox

Fenway Park

August 29, 30, 31

There is one stat that absolutely frightens me as a White Sox fan in this series, and that's Boston's record at home.

41 wins
16 losses

With numbers like that it doesn't seem as if the pale hose have a chance in hell at taking this series. Pitching will be paramount in this matchup and the Sox of the blanco variety will need to step up big time.

3. Los Angeles Angels

U.S. Cellular Field

September 5, 6, 7

The aforementioned Angels have transformed into an absolute juggernaut after acquiring switch-hitting first baseman Mark Texiera from the Braves a couple weeks ago. They have without a doubt the best closer in baseball (Francisco Rodriguez, 46 saves) and an extremely solid starting rotation.

This could be the litmus test Sox fans need to know if the 'good guys' are playoff ready. If you're thinking the Sox get a sweep here, head directly to a psychiatrist because you are delusional. Taking two would be a huge accomplishment against a team as tough as the Angels.

2. New York Yankees

Yankee Stadium

September 15, 16, 17, 18

Anytime there is a four game series on the schedule this late into the season, things can get mighty interesting. Especially if said four game series is against the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees aren't very good, mediocre at best with the wide variety of injuries that have plagued them in recent months. But they're still a dangerous team and the Sox need to do some serious damage because the Twins will be playing the lowly Indians at the same time.

Indians fans know their team waved the white flag months ago and it's no surprise this team won't have much to play for down the stretch.

The Sox need to either split, or take three of four to keep the lead, or keep pace with Minnesota.

1. Minnesota Twins

Metrodome

September 23, 24, 25

And it all comes down to this.

The second to last series of the season for both teams very well may mean the difference between an AL Central crown or an early vacation.

If these two teams keep up the same pace they've shown the past couple weeks, only a single game may separate them in the standings making this series so crucial.

What hurts the Sox is the fact the series will be played in the 'Death'dome in Minnesota. The Twins are the only team that have figured out how to play in that miserable excuse for a baseball stadium and the Sox have definitely experienced their fair share of struggles up North.

Boom or bust. Success or failure. Win or lose.

This one will decide everything.


And now the Cubs.

5. Florida Marlins

Dolphin Stadium

August 15, 16, 17

The young and talented Marlins have had the Cubs number in recent years. Last year the Cubs went 0-6 against the Marlins, and split a four game set against them back in July.

And surprisingly the Marlins actually have a little life in the NL East, sitting only two games behind the division leading Phillies, and 1.5 games behind the second place Mets. This team is comprised of a bunch of fearless talents and the Cubs need to strike down that confidence early to keep their winning ways intact.

4. Philadelphia Phillies

Wrigley Field

August 28, 29, 30, 31

The Cubs are a sparkling 45-17 when playing at the 'Friendly Confines' and they'll need every advantage they can get against the Phillies.

Pound for pound, the Phillies have just as much star power up and down their lineup as the Cubs do.

Cole Hamels. Ryan Howard. Chase Utley. Jimmy Rollins.

If the Cubs can fend off the stellar pitching of Hamels, they can definitely get to this Phillies rotation. During this four game set, the Brew-Crew gets a day off on the 28th and then a three game series against the recently depleted Pittsburgh Pirates.

Very important series indeed.

3. Milwaukee Brewers

Wrigley Field

September 16, 17, 18

The Brewers are going to be out for some serious revenge after getting embarassed and completely outplayed on their home field at the end of July.

I personally tend to pick the team that has a chip on its shoulder, but after watching that four game series in which the Cubs absolutely dominated, part of me believes the Cubbies may have the mental edge in this matchup.

If the Cubs can make a statement in this series and take two or sweep the Brewers, it would put them in prime position to coast to an NL Central title.

2. New York Mets

Shea Stadium

September 22, 23, 24, 25

The second of two, four-game series against the class of the NL East, the Mets present an interesting challenge to the Cubs.

No doubt the Mets will be fighting for their playoff lives just as the Cubs may be and the fact this series will be played in the Big Apple could pay big dividends for the New Yorkers. The Cubs took two from the Mets in late April behind strong performances from Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly.

The Mets lineup is one that can score in bunches at any given time. Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Delgado provide enough pop to power this Mets offense and certainly keep many pitchers up late at night.

While the Cubs are traveling to New York, the Brewers again get a day off on the 22nd and then play the Pirates. This series is the last for both the Cubs and Brewers before they face one another in the finale of the season.

Which brings us to...

1. Milwaukee Brewers

Miller Park

September 26, 27, 28

Baseball rarely gets better than this.

Two outstanding baseball teams battling for a ticket to the playoffs. Actually, both of these teams will most likely make the playoffs, one of them being a Wild Card.

But it doesn't remove the fact that this may set up to be a series to remember for both ball clubs and can provide added momentum heading into the playoffs.

Either way it's going to be fun to watch and if you can't find something to enjoy about this series, regardless of what team you root for, I'm sorry to tell you that you my friend, are not a baseball fan.

Top ten things to watch for in the Bears second preseason game

10 Greg Olsen

Did anyone else find it a tad concerning that Orton never seemed to look Olsen’s way in game one? Of course it’s only the preseason, but Olsen should be a big part of the Bears offensive once the regular season starts. They may as well get him comfortable now. There is no reason Olsen shouldn’t be the leading pass catcher on this team. All the Bears have to do is throw it to him. In game two, let’s at least hope Olsen gets some passes thrown in his direction.

9 Anthony Adams and Marcus Harrison at D tackle

Everyone loves Dusty Dvoracek. He’s scary and awesome. But it would be foolish for the Bears to count on him this season after considering he has played in only one game ever. Tommie Harris is going to need some help in the middle of the defensive line, so the focus turns to Anthony Adams and rookie Marcus Harrison. Adams played well in the first preseason game, recording a sack, and Harrison showed some flashes of why scouts evaluated him as a first round talent. These two guys need to continue to play well throughout the season.

8 Injuries

Coming out of the preseason injury free is the most important part of these four worthless games. The Bears were relatively unscathed in game one. Hopefully that will continue.

7 Garrett Wolfe

The most impressive player on the field for the Bears in their first preseason game was Wolfe. The Bears offense is in desperate need of big play weapons, and if Wolfe continues to develop in the preseason, the Bears will certainly utilize him when the games start to count.

6 Where’s Tait?

The Sun-Times Mike Mulligan urged the Bears to move Tait back to the left side of the line immediately, and it’s hard to disagree. Left tackle is one of the most important positions in football, and though it would appear Tait would be more comfortable on the right side, the Bears don’t really have a choice.

5 Caleb Hanie!

I would like to remind the peanut gallery that Kyle Orton also tore it up against third stringers as a rookie in the preseason. Never the less, Hanie’s performance was impressive. If he keeps it up, the Bears will be forced to carry three quarterbacks on their roster. Previous reports stated they would prefer have Hanie on the practice squad and go with only Rex and Kyle.

4 Can Haas do enough to make the team?

Mike Haas needs to be on this team. He tore up training camp and preseason last year, and had a strong showing in his first preseason game this year. The Bears probably have the worst set of pass catchers in the NFL. There is no reason why Haas should be cut again this year if he continues to produce.

3 How will line hold up?

Maybe the most encouraging sign in the Bears first preseason game was the way the starting offensive line protected Kyle Orton. Left tackle isn’t the only question mark in this group, either. The only way the Bears can compete this season is if the offensive line gels, and the preseason is a wonderful time for that to happen.

2 Big game for Rex

As silly as it may sound, Saturday’s preseason game against the Seahawks could be one of the biggest of Grossman’s career. It appears Kyle Orton is the front runner in the world’s least exciting QB derby since Shane Matthews and Jim Miller slugged it out years ago. I thought Rex played well against Kansas City. He’ll need to be even better if he wants to start September 7 against the Colts.

1 How will the Bears D look in the first quarter?

The Bears are counting on their defense to return to the form they showed in 2006. If not, this year could get ugly quickly. The first unit didn’t look good against a poor Chiefs O in the first game. Even though it’s only the preseason, they need to be better on Saturday.