By George Ofman
The Broncos are 6-0! Kyle Orton has a higher passer rating than Jay Cutler (100.1 to 86.9), whose Bears are 3-2, has thrown for nine touchdowns and just one interception while Cutler has thrown 10 touchdowns and a whopping seven INTs. Orton has averaged 244 yards per game while Cutler is at 240, his yards per pass are higher (7.55 to 6.98) and they have the same completion percentage. They’re just numbers but I thought you’d like to know.
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And Cedric Benson has rushed for 531 yards, which happens to be third best in the league. No doubt, it’s the bong. Will you please pass it to Matt Forte and his offensive line?
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Benson said he was disliked by the Bears and dissed when he left. Was that while inhaling or exhaling?
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Would it be wrong to say the NFL’s most valuable player as of this moment is Brett Favre? Like him or not, He’s been nothing short of spectacular and a game-saver twice. Think the Vikings would be 6-0 without him?
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Gordon Beckham was voted The Sporting News rookie of year by a panel of his peers. The kid didn’t play his first game until June 4th, went 0 for his first 13 and still wound up belting 14 homers while driving in 63 runs. I don’t think it would be a stretch to say he could reach 25 and 90 by next season. And one day, Beckham should be hitting in the middle of the lineup.
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The Cubs hired hitting guru Rudy Jaramillo to solve their woes at the plate. Alfonso Soriano spent two years with Jaramillo at Texas, where he averaged 33 homers, 97 RBI in 622 at-bats while producing a sickly on-base percentage of .316. During Soriano’s first three seasons with the Cubs, he averaged only 503 at-bats and 27 homers, 66 RBI and an OBP of .328. If Soriano averaged the same amount at-bats as he did at Texas, those number would average out to 34 homers and 82 RBI.
Maybe Jaramillo will help, but doesn’t it stand to reason that if Soriano’s legs and knees are healthy, he plays more games and stands to be a better player, Jaramillo or not?
Then again, Soriano will be 34 in January. Age and a heavy wallet can take its toll.
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StubHub recently sent this e-mail; “Be there along side your Chicago Cubs as they chase baseball immortality.” Say, is this a joke or a hoax from balloon boy’s pappy?
No, it actually happened. “Go to StubHub, where you’ll find a fantastic selection of tickets to every playoff game so you can experience the championship chase live and in person.”
A spokesperson for StubHub claimed it was a glitch and follow up e-mails will be sent.
The Cubs also plan to send e-mails asking for your patience again while they also kick Milton Bradley’s ass out of town.
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I happen to like Chip Caray personally, but his play-by-play is overbearing, disjointed and inaccurate. Did you hear Caray’s call of the final play in Game Four? He said of the relay: “Here’s the throw to the plate . . . not in time!” Here’s the problem; there was no relay throw. Chip has a tendency to call a play before it happens. STOP IT! Thankfully, the NLCS is over and, so too, are Caray’s post-season mishaps.
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The Wolves fired head coach Don Granato. Chris Chelios is not a candidate. He just signed a contract as a player while also signing one with Medicare.
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Can someone please get Derrick Rose an ankle replacement already!
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Purdue coach Danny Hope said Illinois might be the most talented team in the Big Ten.
WHAT?
With that in mind, Ron Zook should be indicted for impersonating a head coach. The fightless Illini are 0-5 against major college opponents but Zook still has four years left on his contract. It’s time for the bigwigs in Champaign to consider this important word: payoff.
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After making a trade for a defensive end last week, it’s safe to say the Bears Gaines was Gaines loss. (Michael Gaines was let go, get it?) But would Jerry Angelo have gained more by grabbing an offensive lineman instead? I mean, what are you going to do with Frank OhmyGod?
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I’m stunned, appalled and otherwise overwhelmed by the news the Detroit Shock is leaving the sickly motor city for Tulsa. One pertinent question . . . what is the Detroit Shock?
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George Ofman, an original member of The Score and a veteran of NPR, has covered more than 3,500 sporting events over the course of his career. Comments welcome.
Posted on October 23, 2009