Two Minutes of Fun

Your weekly, quick-witted two minutes of pointless jabber. Featuring CChicago promises that won't be kept, non-conference schedules, and all-star games worth watching.

*Despite the Chicago Cubs being the worst team to ever grace the planet when it comes to postseason statistics, and finishing last season with 96 losses, they have made a complete overhaul to their major league club. Due to the countless millions of dollars they spent on extremely overpriced pitching and a "play-when-I-want" slugger getting paid 100 million dollars too much to be sliding out of his prime, Cubs general manager Jim Hendry had this to say to gathered fans at the Chicago Hilton this week: "I can promise you two things, we're going to be good, and we're going to stay good."

Ok, Jim. Sure.

*Apparently, some Rutgers assistant football coaches are getting double-digit percentage raises this year despite budget cuts that have forced the university to eliminate 825 jobs. This is outlandish, stupid, and criminal. A testament to a society that favors winning, sports, and money over a good, quality education. And people wonder why America can't crack the world's top 10 list when it comes to education? Please folks, be outraged and don't let this happen in Southeast Missouri. I understand how much this country loves its sports and I understand how much this country needs its sports, I understand it just as much as anybody. But I will not stand for universities cutting teacher's salaries and taking away educational opportunities in order to pay football coaches higher wages. 825 JOBS. Stupid.

*Speaking of College sports, the University of Missouri Hoops Squad has vowed to take on a tougher non-conference schedule next year after going 0-4 in the Big 12 since an 11-2 non-conference start. Wow, Mizzou. Good idea. Mike Anderson admitted that playing a cake schedule really screwed over the Tigers this year. Nine of their 11 non-conference home games were "guarantees," meaning that the university had to pay some small school to come play here so that the Tigers could beat them by an average of 18 points, boost their fan base, and once again let down Tiger faithful. At least they're figuring it out. Hopefully Mike Anderson's Tigers don't go down the same path as Quin Snyder's and Gary Pinkel's Tigers and I don't think they will if we give Anderson enough time (4 years), but he's not off to the best start. The biggest difference is that Snyder's Tigers could've played the same non-conference schedule as Anderson's Tigers this year and Snyder's squad would have been 6-7 instead of 11-2.

*It had slipped my mind before an article I read today in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, but Wednesday will be the first NHL All-Star game in three years. The lockout canceled the game two years ago, and the Olympics interfered last year. Sidney Crosby, a front-line starter in this year's game was 16 years old when the last NHL game was played. Speaking of Crosby, he will be on a front line with Alex Ovechkin and Daniel Briere - maybe the most explosive and excited line ever to step skate on an ice hockey rink...seriously. Whether your interested in hockey or not, you should really give this game a chance. It will be aired on versus (the old OLN) Wednesday night. I promised you won't be let down.

Fun Havin ya. Mizzou at Colorado Wednesday night. If the Tigers can't win this one (even though it's on the road) then pack it up and start cheering for your second favorite team. Seriously, Colorado is terrible.