Could be a great Sunday!

4 words.
Packers lose to Detriot. (2:30 pm)

2 more.
GO BEARS! (3: 12 pm)

3 more words.
That was embarrassing (6 pm)

Embarrasing lose by Jets last night, Challenge ahead for the Bears

Wow, talk about a butt kicking by the New England Patriots. Not only did they win against the NY Jets by 41 points, Brady set his NFL record for 26 straight wins at home, surpassing Brett Favre. Amazing. The Patriots are now 10-2, the best record in the AFC and are looking very strong. Now since I am a Bears fan my focus is really on the fact that we are the next to play this intimidating New England team. Although we carry a record of 5 and 1 away, I am glad we will be at Soldier field for this upcoming game because Brady and his squad are looking too confident on their home field. After we barely beat the Lions last Sunday, who was 2-9 now 2-10, I am a bit worried about how we will bounce back. I can't stress defense enough, the D was slacking last game, but we need them to be on the A+ game against this offensive powerhouse. Maybe Brady will just forget how to throw by Sunday or something!? Ha, Go Bears, I'm counting down the days until the big game!

RIP Ron Santo, you will forever be missed and in the hearts of Cubs fans!

I've really enjoyed reading the sports articles on the Chicago Tribune website. This project has helped me grow as a writer and has bettered my ability to critique others. Thanks for following!

Boozer to practice Monday (Bulls)

Although the biggest Chicago sports story of the weekend was the Bears win over the Eagles on Sunday, I saw this article about the Bulls and found it very exciting. K.C. Johnson wrote the article to report that Carlos Boozer will finally be able to practice as a Bull, who had been inactive due to a fracture in his right hand. Johnson did a great job of highlighting the fact that the Bulls have been successful without Boozer but it will only get better when he gets on the court. Johnson quotes Coach Tom Thibodeau answering "none," when he was asked what adjustments will be made for Boozer's debut. I'm glad Johnson included that because I'm sure many fans are wondering how it will be when he gets back, since we have never seen him play as a Bull. Johnson includes a quote that states that Boozer will start in place of Taj Gibson which surprised me because I thought that'd work him in off the bench because he has been injured for so long. Johnson writes that Kyle Kover, another Bull, knows Boozer's game better than anyone else because they played together in Utah. I never knew that so I am glad he included that piece of information. Johnson then said "Soon, that partnership will form with Derrick Rose." I like the sound of that and I can't wait to see them work together on the court. Johnson ends with an effective quote by Boozer, "I'm looking forward to playing with the guys, I do have a target date. But I'm going to keep that to myself. I got to have a little mystery." Overall it was an article to get Bulls fans excited but still keeps a sense of suspense and mystery. Hopefully he will be playing in the game versus Magin on Wednesday, but we will see!


Boozer to practice Monday- Article

Bad decisions could be Vick's undoing vs. Bears

Brad Briggs wrote a short article that many Bears fans like me, should definitely enjoy reading. He wrote about the predictions and calculations of K.C. Joyner, the football scientist. I like that Briggs included game statistics for Cutler and Vick for the readers to closely compare. The bears play the Eagles this Sunday and after an impeccable game by Mike Vick last weekend many are very nervous about the possible outcome. I had never really heard about Joyner before this article. I really like the way he calculates a "bad decision" percents for quarterbacks. Briggs was sure to include that Joyner defines a bad decision as "when a quarterback makes a mistake with the ball that leads to a turnover or a near turnover." Adding that definition definitely helped me grasp the idea of "bad decisions" and was better able to compare the two quarterbacks. Briggs includes that joyner said it was only a matter of time until Vick's statistics balance out. As a Bears fan, I really hope that this upcoming game is when Vick's statistics will "balance out" and he doesn't have such a great game. Brigg ends with a great statement to sum up the article, "Joyner says Vick has had 'phenomenal luck' and you have to wonder if the opportunistic Bears defense, which leads the NFL in takeaways, can swing that luck in Sunday's meeting at Soldier Field." Great article, Go Bears! Let's hope Cutler and the bears defense can pull this win off. 


Bad decisions could be Vick's undoing vs. Bears article.

Will the UConn women beat UCLA men's 88 wins in row

Expecting one article when I clicked on the “Will the UConn women beat UCLA men's 88 wins in row” link, I was surprised to see four separate short ones on the topic. All of the articles were from different publications, Daily Press, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and the Hartford Courant. I liked the way it was set up because I was able to see what sports journalists across the nation are predicting, and could compare the opinions easily. The first writer, David Teel, wrote with extreme confidence that the UConn women’s team will surpass the UCLA men’s 88 win record. He went on to say they would reach a 100 game winning streak. I liked his concise writing and his last line that stated his opinion on when they would lose. He said it would be “Sometime after senior All-American Maya Moore graduates and coach Geno Auriemma takes over the Lakers from Phil Jackson.” As a Lakers and Phil Jackson fan, it was surprising to see an opinion like that, and made me wonder if that could actually happen in the future. Shannon Ryan, the Chicago Tribune reporter, was the only journalist to predict that UConn will not surpass the UCLA men’s 88 win streak. She seemed extremely sure her prediction was correct, which I liked. She also chose not to jump on the bandwagon by just saying UConn would break the record just because many others have. Being a women journalist in a predominately male profession seems to be tough at times so I'm to see that she hasn’t let that sway her opinions. I haven’t seen an article that includes four seperate articles from different places. I think it should be done more often, especially because I only read the Tribune usually and would have only seen Ryan’s prediction. I probably would have taken her opinion as the majority opinion, but now that I read the articles of three other journalists who predict UConn will break the record, it is obvious that the consensus is just the opposite.

Will the UConn women beat UCLA men's 88 wins in row article. 

Tribune Photos I loved this week!

Below is a picture from the Tribune website of Wrigley Field set up for the Illini vs Northwestern game on Saturday Nov., 20. U of I won 48 to 27, nice!!

^http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/11/snug-spots-unavoidable.html

Below is a link to a photo of Rashied Davis's victory dance after his 4th quarter touchdown!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-week-10-chicago-bears-minnesota-vikings-photos,0,6314511.photogallery (photo 21) 

Below is a link to a sweet picture of Derrick Rose (Bulls) in a game against Washington where the ball looks like it is balancing on his fingers in mid-air. I thought it was pretty cool!

^ http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/chi-2010-chicago-bulls-photos,0,3517502.photogallery (photo 25) 

Bulls take charge in 2nd quarter for 103-96 victory

In an article by Fred Mitchell he highlights the Bulls win against the Wizards, but also focuses on the upcoming games on the road. Mitchell’s opening sentences begins with “With the challenging "Circus Trip" coming up...”. It is unclear to me what the “circus trip” is until later in the article when he writes that the Bulls will be on the road from Nov. 16-27. Some may not make the connection I did though, so he probably should have defined what he was talking about. Mitchell quoted Tom Thibodeau, the Bulls head coach, who said he was nervous about the game against the Wizards, it's nice to see that some coaches aren't afraid to express that. Later in the article Mitchell quotes him again, "All the stuff about going on the road and the circus I'm not concerned about that, I'm just concerned about the next game." I think using that quote was effective because many fans may be worried that he is getting stressed about being on the road for so long, but that quote will hopefully put them at ease. Although the Bulls won, through Mitchell’s quotes of Thibodeau it was obvious that he wasn’t very happy with his team’s performance in the 4th quarter. Earlier in my blog I wrote about the predicted Derrick Rose-John Wall match up this season, but haven’t read much about it since. Mitchell said, “the contest was billed as a showdown between Wall and Rose,” and it was nice to see that the prediction of a fellow Tribune writer has proven true. Mitchell ends with quotes from Hinrich, a Wizard player and ex-Bulls player. I was a fan of Hinrich when he played on the Bulls. I was glad that Mitchell was able to incorporate how he felt about seeing his former teammates, even though he said it was “weird.” Great article overall. Go Bulls!

Bulls take charge in 2nd quarter for 103-96 victory

All in all relaxing 84-45 victory for Illinois

Chris Hines wrote an enjoyable article about the Illini basketball victory while including information on the players who signed on for the 2011 team. Singing day and the game versus Toledo were both on Wednesday, so it was a smart move to mix both topics into one article. Hines started with a scene-setter lead that had me picturing Bruce Weber waiting by the fax machine on previous singing days for good news to come his way. He then explains that the signing in recent years has been a lot more relaxed and less stressful on the Illini Head Coach. Hines quotes Weber saying “It's stressful, but not quite as stressful as it was maybe in the past.”  Hines included the names of the 4 new players that signed with U of I, which I haven't read about yet.  I actually googled all of their names and watched highlight videos for each to get a feel for how they play. The word relaxed was key to this article. Hines described the 39 point win against Toledo as relaxed and goes into specific game statistics. Hines focuses on Senior Demetri McCamey for a part of the article. He wrote that McCamey practices earlier than other Illini players because he has late class on Wednesday . I’ve actually always wondered how classes fit into the demanding schedule of an Illini athlete, so I liked that Hines included that extra bit of information. The rest of the article focuses on the great defense Illini displayed and Weber’s satisfaction with their performance. Hines did an exceptional job of reviewing the win and incorporating the list of players who singed with U of I for next year. Great, well-written article.

Hines' Article

Nuggets' Anthony: Chicago a 'top three' NBA city

K.C. Johnson put together an article which included questions with direct answers from Carmelo Anthony on Monday. I enjoyed that the article was set up in a question-answer format because it was easy to follow and I was able to see exactly what Anthony said.  As a Chicago Bulls fan, it was flattering to read the many positive things Anthony had to say about the city itself and some Bulls players. Johnson included great questions, like “where does Chicago rank for you in NBA cities?” It was straight forward and Anthony was able to give a direct answer, that put a lot of speculation to the side. Johnson also included questions that solidified Anthony’s commitment to the Nuggets at the time, something many Denver fans may be questioning with all of the talk about him wanting out. Anthony said, “I have to focus on being a Nugget and playing Nuggets basketball.” I enjoyed the format of the story because I haven’t read a question and answer article on the Tribune website yet. It’s nice to see diverse writing so I applaud Johnson’s decision to set the article up like he did. 

Johnson's Article

Mesa approves new spring facility for Cubs

Since I am a big Cubs fan I clicked on the Cubs tab of the Tribune sports page, even though it’s their off season, and I’m glad I did. Paul Sullivan shared the exciting news that the new spring training complex in Mesa, Ariz., was approved to be built.  Sullivan writes that the Cubs have trained in Mesa, Arizona since 1952. I am excited to see that their location won’t change, especially because I have enjoyed traveling down to Arizona to attend spring training in the past. Sullivan quoted Chairman Tom Ricketts saying “We’d like to stay in Mesa for another 50 years.” Sullivan then went on to write about how the building of the state-of-the-art complex would be funded- a ticket surcharge added to every Cactus leauge game.  Sullivan writes about the intense lobbying the Ricketts had to do prior to the approval. The story in a chronological way that makes a lot of sense to the reader. Sullivan ends with an explanation of the current facilities the Cubs are using. His descriptions make it obvious that a new facility is needed especially because many other Cactus league rivals have already upgraded. Overall, Sullivan put together an article that provided the reader with background on Cubs spring training and exciting plans for the future. 

Sullivan's Article

Readers take crack at Big Ten division names

In this article, Teddy Greenstein writes about the tedious search for names for the new divisions in the Big Ten. The Commissioner, Jim Delany, is quoted saying he wants the names to “conjure up the right feelings in people -- a positive, emotional response.” Last week Greenstein asked readers to send in name ideas, he then incorporated the reader’s responses in this article. I think it was a great follow up and gave those who sent in ideas a reason to keep reading his articles to see if their idea got featured or not. I thought the article was humorous because many of the proposed names Greenstein featured were silly. The article definitely illustrates that picking two final names will be a tough process. Aside from writing about the many division name ideas, Greenstein tells the readers that Dec. 1, the date the new names were supposed to be revealed, may be pushed back 60 days. I think many Big Ten sports fans will appreciate knowing that piece of information. As a Big Ten sports fan myself I am interested to see what the divisions will be named. 

Readers take crack at Big Ten division names

Bryce Harper: Drawing Attention in AZ

Mark Gonzales put together a well organized and interesting article about young Bryce Harper. Harper is a player for the Scottsdale Scorpions who is getting a lot of attention for his strong arm and great plays. I enjoyed the fact that Gonzalez left the readers in the dark about specific facts regarding Harper until the third paragraph, where he then explained Harper's physical attributes and standings. Gonzalez refers to Harper as a "taxi squad member" of the Scottsdale Scorpions. Now I am a big sports fan, but I am not sure what that means. I think it would have been helpful if Gonzalez explained what the was, so the average reader wouldn't be left wondering. The quote "When is God arriving?" by one of Harper's opponents was an extremely effective quote to add into the story, because it shows that even opponents have a lot of respect for Harper as a player. The training Harper's father gave him as a child was a smart addition to the story. It was heartwarming and useful to reiterate that Harper is an extremely good hitter, and that dates back to hitting practice with his father. It was interesting to find out that he still uses many drills from his past today. Gonzalez utilized a variety of sources and presented a well-rounded story of a young player that we may see in the big leagues very soon. It is stories like these that keep fans excited for the future and about young talent across this nation.
Kudos Gonzales.


Nationals phenom Harper draws crowds in Arizona Fall League

Follow up on new NFL Suspension Rule

Last week the Tribune posted an article explaining the new guidelines for flagrant hits and the punishments for it. In this Breaking Sports article, two of the players that were singled out and fined for their violent hits were commended on their adjusting to the rules. The article quotes the league's executive vice president of football operations, Ray Anderson, saying "We like to think we're off to a good start in terms of the new emphasis and the recognition that we are going to play aggressively but well within the rules, it's a good start." Which I found effective because it showed fans that the league is satisfied with it's changes. Anderson is also quoted saying "you could see it, he lowered the target area, blasted the opponent with his shoulder. He adapted, showing it can be done. It is appropriate to praise him for the tough play." about Merriweather's improvement in his game on Sunday. Harrison, the other player who was singled out for his hard hits was contimplating retirement because of the new rule, the article updates us on the fact that he played cleanly at his last game. I think for many fans, the idea of the new rule was a scary one, and it's articles like this one that show that it wasn't such a bad idea by the league and it will improve the safety of the players. 


NFL players respond well, played cleanly

Illini Homecoming game

In the Tribune article about the U of I homecoming game called "Hoosier's Chappell will test Illini Defense, Shannon Ryan focuses on Chappell's (Indiana's QB) top ranking in passing yards and Coach Ron Zook's opinions about the upcoming game. She also brings up that Illini is 10th in the Big Ten in scoring averages, which is something I don't think would be brought up in the DI. The article ends with a quote from Illini's QB about the necessity to score in critical situations, which veers away from the initial topic of the article. I think the article would have been more effective if she had written more about the stats of the illini defense and why it will be a challenge for them to deal with Chappell. Overall the article was written well and had effective quotes.

Tribune Article

NFL Suspension plans for Flagrant Hits

Its not everyday that the NFL changes it's rules, but it shown to be necessary with the increasing amount of concussions and injuries due to flagrant hits. The article I read doesn't have a specific author, instead it said it was written by a Tribune news service. I think that the article includes all the necessary facts, such as the reason the NFL is starting to suspend for Flagrant hits, what flagrant hits entail, and specific examples of hits in recent games that would qualify. The article made it obvious that the main goal of the new suspensions rule is to encourage players to return back to traditional tackling techniques. The article includes quotes from coaches, former players and players in the league right now, in order to illustrate multiple perspectives on the new rule, which I found very helpful and smart. The article ended with a quote from a defensive player who doesn't agree with the new rule, which I found effective, because not everyone will agree with the rule, even though it is necessary for the safety of players.

NFL confirms suspension plans for flagrant hits

Notre Dame Basketball

In the midst of a successful football season at Notre Dame, writer Brian Hamilton published an article about the ND basketball roster for the spring. It is hard to believe but some sports fans are only interested on a specific sport, be it basketball, football or tennis. That's why I think it's nice that Hamilton is writing about basketball right now, when he could write about the same thing as everyone else -football. The article is about the team and how they feel they will be a force to be reckoned with this upcoming season, even without Luke Harangody or Tory Jackson on the team. Hamilton includes effective quotes from the players about the team chemistry and plans for the season. There were some words (multiskilled, ballhandling) that I wasn't sure whether they needed a hyphen or not, but after researching a little, I think they are written correctly. Overall, I thought the article was written well and stood out on the College Sports page because it was about basketball, and a possible starting line up of 4 6'8" players for Notre Dame University. We'll see how they do! 


"Irish's mainstays gone but potential isn't" Article

Derrick Rose and John Wall

K.C. Johnson wrote an article about the Derrick Rose-John Wall matchup that kept everyone entertained at the Bulls game last night. Johnson started the article with a short statement, “If you blinked, you missed a lot.” I think it was a perfect way to open up the story because he then goes into detail about the intense competition displayed by both players on the court. Johnson wrote, “Luckily, with Rose just 22 and Wall at 20, the matchup of two of the previous three No. 1 overall picks should be around awhile.” I think that statement was worded awkwardly, and hard to understand. I had to read it 3 times before I understood all the information that was packed into the sentence. Later in the article Johnson reinforced the idea that Rose and Wall will be part of an “NBA rivalry for ages” by providing their very similar game stats. “This is going to be fun for a lot of years.” I think it would have sounded better if he wrote ‘for years to come’ instead. Johnson ends the story by writing about the performance of other Bulls players. I think it would have been more effective to use Wall’s quote ( "It's going to be a great challenge," Wall said. "All I can do is try to hold my own and … try to get his level." ) to end the story though. Overall, I am excited to follow the Rose-Wall matchup because of this article. I think Johnson did a great job of getting fans excited for the Bulls season ahead. 

"Rose-Wall matchup tease of what's to come" Article

Blackhawks!

I was very pleased with this article for the most part, it was written by Chris Kuc, on the topic of the Blackhawks ability to win a consecutive Stanely Cup. It was a crazy experience as a Chicago sports fan to witness the Stanley cup win last year and what could be more exciting than winning two years in a row. Kuc brings up great points about the multiple roadblocks standing in the way of the Hawks winning the championship again, such as salary cap and injuries. Kuc includes quotes but did have trouble with his quote punctuation towards the end of the piece, when quoting Dan Bylsma. Kuc started with a strong topic lead, and ended with a quote from a returning Hawks player, both good strategies. As a reader and fan, I enjoyed the article because it reminded me that the season is just around the corner, and even with definite adversity, the team has the desire to win, again.

"Cap makes cup repeat extra difficult" Article

"Top 10 Ten Cubs Moments"

An article by Paul Sullivan sets out to countdown the "top ten moments from a lost season." I was interested in reading the article initially because the picture attached to it was one of Lou Pinella, the now ex-Cubs manager, standing on the field at Wrigley with tears in his eyes, how cute. But I was quickly surprised by the text that followed, which began by explaining Pinella shouting profanely. I was annoyed by this because I think Sullivan should have picked a different picture then, seeing as the picture is what people look at usually when going to read an article. The lead and the picture clashed too much. Also, I wasn't sure how the lead even connected to the top 10 moments topic, if I had known the article would focus around Pinella only, I probably wouldn't have even opened it to read it. Sullivan describes the season as a "lost season" but doesn't really give background as to why he calls it that. When the list of top 10 moments began, Sullivan didn't state who decided on these moments, and if it was in his opinion, he should have written that. The top ten moments were all quite repetitive and mostly Pinella quotes. All in all, the article should have been named "Top 10 Pinella moments", not "Cubs top 10 moments..." I think Sullivan is a good writer, but he should definitely think about the extras (corresponding photo, title etc.) the next time he writes a story.

Sullivan's Article

Cutler's Injury

Vaughn McClure wrote today, Monday Oct. 4, about the concussion Cutler got at the game versus NY Giants last night. In his short , breaking news article, he included some quotes from Lovie Smith, the Bears coach, about the status of Cutler. I think it would have been more credible if he had gotten some quotes from the personal training/health staff of the Bears. Yes, Smith has dealt with injuries before, but he isn't an expert on concussions. Mclure quoted Smith saying that the staff goes "beyond the call of duty" when it come to evaluating concussions, and I think Mclure could have stated what that evaluative entails. It is scary as a fan to see that the coaches expect all of the hurt players to be back to playing by this Wednesday, when the injuries seem more serious than that. The article was a bit vague, maybe because it was a breaking news article, but I think the above details should have been included.

Bears' Smith optimistic about Cutler's Recovery

Lovie's Lovin'

In an article written by Brad Briggs, he discusses that accountability has become more important to the Bears. It illustrated that even in big games like the one on Monday against Green Bay, players who aren't performing up to par will be sat. I felt that writing about this topic was extremely important, much of the coverage on the Bears is centered around the big win, nothing else. Briggs incorporated quotes in all the right spots, some from the players, like Jennings, as well as from Coach Smith.  "Just performance based," Smith said. "Tommie has been doing everything we asked. We have good players on the sideline right now, one-game situations. We'll go practice next week and see who gives us the best chance at winning." That quote was used towards the end of the article and gives the reader, probably a bears fan, food for thought. We are all left wondering who Smith will be play next week, or more specifically who he will sit, and how this new sense of accountability will affect our success this season. Briggs did highlight the fact that the Bears are undefeated and leading the NFC but he took it further than that, which I found smart because there are plenty of published articles on the Monday night win. It was helpful that he told the story  chronologically, and gave background to give the reader an idea of why Bowman was sat on Monday after only one open-field tackle. 
Overall, I think the article could have been a little shorter, but it was interesting to read as a sports fan. Great topic choice, Briggs. 


"Smith serves notice on Bears" Article