The OLD Big Dead Sidebar

Moving again.

2010-02-15T21:52:00.002-06:00

I'm sure all of you moved over with us when we ditched the Sports Desk Speaks blogspot site and went with the less confusing bigdeadsidebar.blogspot.com. Now, we can drop the blogspot part. We've moved, again. This time it's probably for good. We've joined the RantSports.com network of blogs and we're glad to be their newest addition. What we will do there is exactly what we did here. But

Goodbye, Old Friend

2009-11-13T01:01:00.000-06:00

Saying good bye is supposed to be hard to do. However, it isn't hard to do when you've got a brand spankin' new site. I would like to thank everyone for everything. I want to thank readers for reading, commenting on our blogs and telling their friends. That's really how this site got as big as it did -- even though at times I wish it were bigger -- I appreciate the fan base we already have.

Baseball, Replays & Apologies

2009-11-12T00:12:00.000-06:00

There is a part of me that wants to apologize for a lack of recent posting despite some crazy things that are going on in our sports world. But there are just times that the real world gives us more than we can handle and we can't serve you -- our loyal readers. Heck, our memory is so shot, we forgot Oliver Perez went to Pittsburgh with Jason Bay. (Our minds are fried.) So, until everything

Remember What I Wrote About Mike Cameron? Scratch That.

2009-11-11T19:28:00.002-06:00

For those of you whose memories flee like a talented Cuban pitcher, here's a reminder. 1. Mike Cameron, CF. There was once a time where Cameron was among the best center fielders in baseball. The three-time Gold Glove winner was always spectacular in the field, making routine plays and making difficult plays look routine. At the plate, he was serviceable at best, but was usually a threat on

Chris Lowery Gettin' Interactive

2009-11-10T19:20:00.001-06:00

Once upon a time, SIU men's basketball coach Chris Lowery was apprehensive about Twitter, to say the least. In an interview before I went mainstream, Lowery said he was unsure about Twitter because he hadn't looked much into it. He knew its pros and cons, but was unsure whether or not he would add the social networking tool. Now, it seems as if you can't get the guy off the thing. Lowery's

Hot Stove Tease: Roy Halladay

2009-11-10T12:43:00.001-06:00

Two years ago, it was second baseman Brian Roberts. Last year, it was Jake Peavy. This year it will be Roy Halladay. But unlike the last two offseasons, count me out of the Hot Stove's hottest topic. Over the summer, Roy Halladay received more interest on the open market than a well-developed teenager at a R. Kelly concert. The rumor mill will rotate more quickly this winter as there will be

Ten Guys The Chicago Cubs Should Avoid Like The Swine Flu

2009-11-09T19:20:00.001-06:00

Baseball's winter meetings kicked off today in Chicago, meaning after Jim Hendry guzzles a dozen donuts this morning, he won't have too far to go to meet with someone who will gladly take Milton Bradley off his glaze-covered hands. In the Hot Stove League, it is easy to write about who you want on your team. But it takes a real keen eye to identify the guys you don't want around. Over the past

Pigskin Pimpin On A Sunday Night: Bears, Salukis & Much More

2009-11-09T00:35:00.001-06:00

Your favorite football feature that is chock-full of cheerleaders is back. The there were two winners in Sunday's Bears-Cardinals game. Fantasy football players and, of course, the Cardinals. Kurt Warner threw five touchdowns, two of which went to Larry Fitzgerald, who notched 123 receiving yards. Jay Cutler threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns. All three of said touchdowns went to

Site News: Stripped

2009-11-08T20:20:00.001-06:00

This is going to be short, sweet and a pain in the behind. We're trying to make TBDS look like a legitimate site, not just something two idiots put together over night. So we've enlisted the help of some friends of the program to make this site not suck. In the middle of rebuilding, said friends of the program got busy and had to leave. And as smart as I can be, like Jerry Angelo, whenever I

The Weekender

2009-11-06T21:15:00.000-06:00

The Weekender is a blog with links to things you should read while spending time at your computer over the weekend while I'm spending time away from it. Must read links after the jump. Oh, and pretty girls, too. On to the linkage: St. Louis returns to the ranks of being a two-paper town, and here's a good interview with the new sports editor. My second favorite KSK segment. I miss

Building A Champion: The 2010 Cubs

2009-11-05T11:50:00.002-06:00

Cubs fans would have a lot to celebrate if I could pull this off. In mid-October, I was challenged by a friend/reader to rebuild the Cubs. It’s not as if that is a new concept to me, seeing that I’ve played this game on PlayStation, PlayStation3, XBOX and XBOX 360 many times before. However, the catch was to do it fairly, so not to take advantage of dumb computer GM’s that don’t

Lilly Has A Bum Shoulder ... And It's Not Even 2010 Yet

2009-11-05T10:00:00.001-06:00

I nonchalantly dismissed Ted Lilly's shoulder surgery after initial reports of it being a minor scope. Then I read on, minor scopes don't take pitchers down through April. Yep, you've got it Cubs fans. Less than one day after the baseball season comes to an end, the Cubs are already screwing themselves out of next year's pennant race. Rage after the jump. Jim Hendry, fuck you. You too

World Series Buried Lead: Can We Have Vintage Pedro Back For One Night Only?

2009-11-04T13:33:00.001-06:00

Tonight's Game 6 match-up is being branded as a barn-burner already. The Yankees will send Andy Pettitte (28-22 over the last two years) to the mound in search of a title clinching win. The Phillies will counter with Pedro Martinez, the Phightins' No. 3 starter and he who has the most wins in playoff history, to the mound in search of one more win and one more World Series title. If

This Week Inside Carrie's Box: Tom Ricketts & Good Questions About the '10 Cubs

2009-11-03T12:00:00.004-06:00

So, why the picture of Carrie Underwood? Only because her album comes out one day after a Carrie Muskat inbox is released. Coincidence? I think not. My inbox looks something like this. Bill, bill, with love from mom, bill, "Do you want to be LARGER?", bill, "Do you want to meet cute singles in you're area??????, "#&$% you %^&*@" ... then there's Carrie Muskat's correspondence with her

This Alexis Rios For Ben Gordon Trade Already Haunting The Bulls

2009-11-02T16:36:00.001-06:00

Pictured above is the last image Chicago Bulls fans saw of the Ben Gordon era in Chicago. You can name a million (or $55 million) reasons why it ended. And for some odd reason, I will always point to Jerry Reinsdorf and his love for baseball. As much as Bulls fans heard about how much better the defense was going to be, the knowledgeable Chicago fan knew that was code for "our offense is

Out Of Hibernation: The Segment Formerly Known As Bears Buzz

2009-11-02T12:00:00.006-06:00

Sometime Sunday afternoon, I came up with a more clever name for the blog responsible for the Chicago Bears round-up segment. Though it lacks the alliteration of Bears Buzz, it is name that seems to fit Bears rewind blogs -- especially after yesterday's game against the Cleveland Browns. Talk about being Cutlerfucked. The Bears offense was only able to muster 30 points against the 31st

Pigskin Pimpin On A Sunday

2009-11-01T12:52:00.000-06:00

Your weekly installment of football stuff and gratuitous cheerleader photos after the jump ... has been replaced for this week. Alright, so I hope no one minds that your weekly blog of cheerleader pictures has been replaced by Walter Payton. The former Chicago Bears great died 10 years ago today. I'll never forget the day for as long as I live. I was a youngster in Chicago who had

The Weekender

2009-10-30T22:14:00.000-05:00

The Weekender is a blog with links to things you should read while spending time at your computer over the weekend while I'm spending time away from it. Must read links after the jump. Oh, and pretty girls, too.(Today: A three-for-all because I'm so damn late) Eva Mendes Mariah Carey Scarlett Johansson A beautiful picture no one ever gets to see -- Wrigley Field in late October.

Who's Burning Detroit? WBD4.0

2009-10-30T12:00:00.004-05:00

[Editor's Note: Last year, Scott Mieszala served as my Assistant Sports Editor before I went all Dusty Baker on him and burned him out midway through the semester. Still, Scott presented his highly regarded weekly columns. The fact that he is without a job while scabs such as Rick Morrissey and Chris DeLuca are still employed is a sad. Someone, hire him. With that said, here he is with a

Well, At Least One Of My Teams Promises To Be Great This Season

2009-10-29T12:44:00.001-05:00

Long-time readers of this blog know that I am a North Carolina homer despite never attending a single class at the Chapel Hill campus. It was my love of Michael Jordan that turned into my love for everything Tar Heels. I could have gone to school there and attended one of the top journalism schools in the country, but decided to keep it close to home. During my freshman year at Carbondale,

World Series Buried Lead: FOX Sports Chicago

2009-10-29T12:00:00.010-05:00

(The Big Dead Sidebar will try to provide readers with a buried lead before each and every World Series game. This is the second installment in a series.) In an effort to pull in a third large market for the World Series, FOX Sports will present the World Series through the eyes of some of Chicago's most popular players and managers. At least, that's my theory ... and I'm sticking to it.

World Series Buried Lead: The Cleveland Factor

2009-10-28T17:30:00.000-05:00

(The Big Dead Sidebar will try to provide readers with a buried lead before each and every World Series game. This is the first in a series.) Unless you're totally oblivious to playoff baseball, you know that former Cleveland Indians pitchers CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee are the Game 1 starters for the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, respectively. The fact that they are no longer

Your Official Chicago Bulls Projection, Prediction Blog

2009-10-28T15:46:00.002-05:00

So how does Derrick Rose follow up his sensational rookie season? Find out after the jump. By leading his team to a 44 win season. That's what I am projecting out of the Bulls this season. And at time, I don't know why. I've gone back-and-forth so many times, I'm more confused than Anne Heche and John Kerry combined. Rose averaged 16.8 and 6.3 assists points per game as a rookie, and

Ten Things from MVC Basketball Media Day

2009-10-27T21:54:00.006-05:00

St. Louis was home for the Missouri Valley Conference Media Day earlier today, and as Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery points out, every team feels pretty happy about their team right now. Here are 10 thoughts and fun moments from the Sheraton City Center. 10. Saluki women's basketball is in "transition" year, according to the MVC press release. Are they referring to new coach Missy

Making Sense Of Nonsense: Indians Hire Manny Acta

2009-10-27T17:00:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure which of these is more of a head scratcher: the Cleveland Indians hiring Manny Acta or the Astros being upset with not hiring Acta. All this over a manager with a career 158-252 record, a .385 winning percentage and a 26-61 record before being fired by the Washington Nationals. Meanwhile, the Indians just came off a season in which they fired Eric Wedge, a manager who posted a

Your NBA Predictions, Projections And Thoughts Go Here (But Only After You Read Mine)

2009-10-27T16:03:00.001-05:00

Get your Craig Sager on after the jump... East Playoff Teams: Celtics, Cavs, Magic, Raptors, Sixers, Bulls, Pistons, Knicks West Playoff Teams: Lakers, Nuggets, Jazz, Spurs, Blazers, Mavs, Hornets, Oklahoma City NBA Finals: Lakers > Cavs (6 games) MVP: LeBron James, Cavs Rookie of the Year: Tyreke Evans, Kings Coach of the Year: Not Vinny Del Negro, Any

Sources: The NBA Season Is Upon Us

2009-10-27T12:45:00.001-05:00

Kobe & Phil are here to remind us the NBA tips off tonight. Sources close to The Big Dead Sidebar tell us the NBA season begins tonight. I was very hesitant to believe these sources until I received additional info that four (count 'em) four games kick off the 2009-10 season. Huh? And this is why I can't get excited about the National Basketball Association. It's Opening Night and you

Ricketts (Finally) Gets The Keys To Cubdom

2009-10-27T12:17:00.000-05:00

In April 2007, I voiced my excitement upon hearing the announcement that Tribune Co., a long-time nemesis (and hopefully one day, future employer) was going to sell the Chicago Cubs. For a long time, I had compared TribCo.'s ownership of my beloved baseball team to a bad relationship. Sure, guys like Andy MacPhail and Larry Himes tried to run the franchise into the ground, but in the end,

The Paul McIntosh Era For SIU Set To Begin Saturday At Indiana State

2009-10-26T14:52:00.001-05:00

Paul McIntosh, your table is ready I knew I had to write this post as soon as I received a text message early Sunday morning that claimed the Saluki football team's season dead on arrival upon hearing the news of Chris Dieker's injury, which was confirmed today.. As usual, yours truly has been asked to play the voice of reason. Between the boo-hoo birds and the maroon kool-aid drinkers, here

Crank that offseason plan: Chicago Cubs

2009-10-26T13:07:00.005-05:00

I started with the Chicago White Sox and now I move onto the Chicago Cubs and what they should do over the course of the offseason. MUST-MAKE DECISIONS 1) Milton Bradley: To trade or not to trade? Without question you got to trade crazy Uncle Milton right? Perhaps not. With his former hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo on board the Cubs may have a shot at fixing their confused and disoriented right

Do The Bears Need Change At The Top?

2009-10-26T12:45:00.001-05:00

I knew it wouldn't take long before the calls for heads to roll would be coming in. And I don't blame Bears fans. Not one bit. There are only so many times you can put up with failed screen attempts, dive plays run for players who are barely tall enough to ride a rollercoaster. Bubble screens on third and long. Ron Turner's playbook is so vanilla, chocolate wants no part of it in a swirl.

Bears Buzz? More Like Bears Bust

2009-10-26T12:00:00.002-05:00

Jay Cutler admits the Bears were embarrassed on Sunday. Well, um, duh. I would hope so. Anger after the jump. The only people who might have appreciated Ron Turner's play calling were Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. It's easy to make an assistant coach the fall guy, but when the offense he oversees ranks 14th and 18th over the last two years in

BALCO Presents: Your 2010 St. Louis Cardinals

2009-10-25T20:24:00.000-05:00

We'll get to the Bears stuff sometime tomorrow. Until then, let's divert your attention to some baseball. It looks as if Tony La Russa is returning to manage the St. Louis Cardinals, dashing the wet dreams of some idiot Cubs fans that prayed nightly for La Russa to leave his perch in the Redbirds dugout and travel up I-55 (along with sidekick Dave Duncan) and win a championship for the

Pigskin Pimpin On A Sunday

2009-10-25T10:44:00.000-05:00

Your weekly installment of football stuff and gratuitous cheerleader photos after the jump. The alma mater kept the ball rolling in a 27-8 win against Youngstown State. In the last two games between the Salukis and Penguins, Southern Illinois has outscored The Fightin' Tressels (h/t for the nickname goes to Jon. I) 61-7. However, SIU's win comes at a cost. Junior quarterback Chris

The Weekender Returns

2009-10-23T16:00:00.000-05:00

The Weekender is a blog with links to things you should read while spending time at your computer over the weekend while I'm spending time away from it. Must read links after the jump. Oh, and pretty girls, too. (Ed. Note: I didn't even realize I missed The Weekender last week. That's what happens when real life interferes with blog life.) Salma Hayek, FTW. Seven movie titles that

Inside Carrie's Box, There's More Mark DeRosa Stuff!

2009-10-23T12:45:00.020-05:00

My inbox looks something like this. Bill, bill, with love from mom, bill, "Do you want to be LARGER?", bill, "Do you want to meet cute singles in you're area??????, "#&$% you %^&*@" ... then there's Carrie Muskat's correspondence with her fans. Her questions. My answers. Your look of disapproval as I mock the system. Happy Friday, gang! The Cubs expect Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto to

Saluki Men's Hoops 2009-10 Preview: Carlton Fay

2009-10-23T12:00:00.002-05:00

[Ed. Note: This is the last installment of a series previewing the 2009-10 SIU men's basketball team's projected starting five. Starting Monday, we'll look at head coach Chris Lowery's bench before writing a slick set of previews Friday that will include some notes on his coaching staff and the all-important, yet very irresponsible, pre-season prediction blog. Now to the rest of the garbage...

Crank That Offseason Plan: Chicago White Sox

2009-10-23T10:45:00.003-05:00

I'll try to keep this short and sweet, highlighting areas of question for each team. I'll start with the Chicago White Sox. MUST-MAKE DECISIONS 1) Octavio Dotel: Arbitration, or not? Dotel – Walk 2) Jermaine Dye: Mutual option, arbitration, or not? Dye – Buyout FLEXIBLE DECISIONS 3) One-year contract for John Danks? If not, what would you pay to extend him? I think a multi-year offer

Saluki Men's Hoops 2009-10 Preview: Anthony Booker

2009-10-22T12:02:00.000-05:00

[Ed. Note: This is the newest installment of a series previewing the 2009-10 SIU men's basketball team. After finishing the 2008-09 season with a disappointing 13-18 record, Chris Lowery's Salukis are one year stronger and one year smarter as they will look to extract revenge on the Missouri Valley Conference teams that took advantage of a young squad. Those teams will get their comeuppance

Atlantic Division: Is it 2010 yet?

2009-10-21T20:05:00.000-05:00

In the Eastern Conference, both the Southeast and Central division should be fun to watch. The Atlantic division? Not so much. Everyone is waiting for the big 2010 free agency class, especially the teams in the Atlantic. Boston will be a great team, no doubt about it, but the other clubs have been waiting for their Christmas for two years now. The New York Knicks have done a spectacular job of

Is Jim Hendry Reading This Blog? If So, Please Continue To Do So

2009-10-21T13:34:00.000-05:00

The Cubs offense is already putting new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo to sleep. A couple of years ago, my roommate and I were discussing the upcoming Major League Baseball offseason. It started as a hot stove chat and turned into me analyzing who would go where and for how much. Back then, I wrote a blog that was not TBDS and made predictions on a handful of players. I was spot on in each

Saluki Men's Hoops 2009-10 Preview: Justin Bocot

2009-10-21T12:00:00.002-05:00

The Central is the center of attention

2009-10-20T19:54:00.003-05:00

The Central division can be summed up in two words: LeBron James. Chicago is riding high after the best first-round NBA playoff series in history against the Boston Celtics, but they are no match for James' Cleveland crew. All eyes will be in Cleveland as James and The Big Witness begin their march for a championship.Oh, and regardless if Cleveland wins a championship, James will sign with

Saluki Men's Hoops 2009-10 Preview: Tony Freeman

2009-10-20T17:00:00.002-05:00

Saluki Men's Hoops 2009-10 Preview: Kevin Dillard

2009-10-20T12:00:00.016-05:00

[Ed. Note: This is the first in a series previewing the 2009-10 SIU men's basketball team. After finishing the 2008-09 season with a disappointing 13-18 record, Chris Lowery's Salukis are one year stronger and one year smarter as they will look to extract revenge on the Missouri Valley Conference teams that took advantage of a young squad. Those teams will get their comeuppance soon enough.

Carol Slezak isn't familiar with the WBC

2009-10-20T11:27:00.005-05:00

"The schedule has been out of control for years, but it keeps getting worse. Just six years ago, the Cubs and Florida Marlins played Game 7 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 15. Just four years ago, the White Sox won the World Series on Oct. 26. But today, Oct. 20, the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees will play Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, and Game 7

The Steve McNair Saga Just Won't Go Away

2009-10-20T10:19:00.001-05:00

Watch CBS News Videos Online Steve McNair's death on the 4th of July has been an absolute mess. CBS News further muddies the situation by doing some damn good investigative journalism as it was able to obtain cell phone records. A little bit of research has gone a long way in my opinion. Now, to clean up the rest of the mess. Right? Well. Not quite. I almost feel as if this is adding

Good News

2009-10-19T21:09:00.002-05:00

In the next day or two our ads should be back up and running - none of this PSA garbage. As always thanks for your support! I will return to posting as well...Breaking down each team eliminated from the playoffs and those teams who never made it...What will their offseason plans be?

Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow: Salukis Dismiss Sophomore Guard

2009-10-19T12:00:00.003-05:00

Two days after the Southern Illinois University men's basketball team tipped off its season with its annual Maroon Madness, the team finds itself without an integral member of the team. Sophomore guard Ryan Hare was dismissed from the team according to a release via the school's Web site on Sunday night. Hare averaged 7.5 points per game and started 26 of the team's 31 games as a freshman.

Bears Buzz: Damned In The Dome

2009-10-19T11:04:00.000-05:00

Dave Kaplan used 97 words to describe Jay Cutler's on-field performance in Sunday night's 21-14 loss against the Atlanta Falcons. He used 110 words to describe Cutler's post-game performance. Yep. It's going to be one of those kinds of Mondays in Chicago. There might be nothing that annoys me more than annoyed members of the press. How many times have we as fans heard media members

Huet is Only Thing Going Wrong with Blackhawks...Too Bad He's the Goalie

2009-10-19T09:02:00.006-05:00

There is no more Dominik Hasek, Patrick Roy, or Curtis Joseph. Martin Brodeur is still a pretty good goaltender, but the era of great goalies in the NHL seems to be slowly diminishing. Despite this overall trend, there is definitely someone out there better than Chicago netminder Cristobal Huet. Antti Niemi, the Blackhawks' backup, may become the starter more if Huet continues to struggle.

Rebuilding The Cubs: A Challenge Proposed, A Challange Accepted

2009-10-18T13:03:00.001-05:00