Site News: Stripped

This is going to be short, sweet and a pain in the behind.

1. We're trying to make TBDS look like a legitimate site, not just something two idiots put together over night.
2. So we've enlisted the help of some friends of the program to make this site not suck.
3. In the middle of rebuilding, said friends of the program got busy and had to leave.
4. And as smart as I can be, like Jerry Angelo, whenever I answer one problem, 10 others show up.

So, in older posts, you should click on the post title to read the entire thing.  Until then, no more "read more" tag.  We'll hopefully not have something that doesn't completely suck by the end of the week.  And by the end of the week, I mean I have no idea if and/or when this will get done.

Bear with us as we try to make the blogosphere a better place.  Until then, I hope you enjoy the picture of Mariah Carey.

Pardon The Interruption: Chicago Baseball Week In Review Will Be Seen Later

Who needs Chicago Baseball Week In Review when you've got Mariah Carey?

Sorry, loyal readers. The good news for you is that we've got some good stuff in store for you later in the week.

Before you complain, you could write my three-page paper on Saluki softball, a 2,000 word paper on whether or not student-athletes should get paid or not and a five-page paper on media relations.

That's what I thought.

So enjoy Mariah and the canned heat we've got coming to you this week.

Photo Credit: Chickipedia

Daily Dosage: Best of the Rest Part V

I will always have a crush on Mariah Carey. Always.

I don't care that she's married. Nick Cannon might have money, talent (somewhat) and a nice paycheck from Drumline, but he's just not me.

I'm still trying to figure out how Jeter got her and then why he dumped her. I guess when Jessica Biel and Minka Kelly follow, you've gotta move on.

Speaking of moving on, we're a day closer to Valentine's Day. Raise your hand if you're ready for it.

(Crickets).

On that note, here's your Daily Dosage.

Saluki softball seeks to still streak. SIU got lotsa media love this week. They opened the season 4-0 with wins over the then-No.20 Long Beach State and then Oregon State of the Pac-10.

Sophomore Danielle Glosson was named MVC Pitcher of the Week and the Salukis were moved into the USA Today Top-25 and now rank No. 24. They'll look to continue that positive trend this weekend in Birmingham, Alabama. [Daily Egyptian]

SIU-Creighton to make love on "The Deuce." The Salukis and Bluejays square off Saturday at 4:05 p.m. on ESPN2 in the continuation of the MVC's most heated rivalry. Fine and dandy.

It's Valentine's Day and I'll be working. Maybe this column will land me Ms. Perfect. [Daily Egyptian]

Quality Linkage:

• Mentioning Erin Andrews gets this blog 100 extra hits. Mentioning Erin Andrews won Playboy's America's Sexies Sportscaster gets me 200. Mentioning Erin Andrews said last year she wanted to be my Valentine. Priceless. [Playboy]
• NBA legend Elgin Baylor sues Clippers, claims racism. [LA Times]
• An A-Rod story that doesn't involve steroids. Does involve nipple. [The Sports Hernia]
• How to avoid choking. [Scientific American]
  

Daily Dosage: Back to business

Didn't Mariah Carey look absolutely stunning last night?

Wait. Doesn't she look that good all the damn time? Yeah, that's what I thought.

One day I will need to ask Nick Cannon how he was able to land Christina Milian, Vanessa Minillo and Mariah Carey in the same lifetime.

Unreal.

Call this canned Dosage because I'll drop some posts on you throughout the day as I prepare for a trip to Terre Haute, Ind., tonight.

Salukis against the State(s). The SIU men's basketball team will take on a pair of ISUs as the Salukis travel to Indiana State and Illinois State. The road trip starts in Terre Haute where SIU was upset last season when Marico Stinson hit a game-winning 3-pointer in overtime.

Good news: Stinson is no longer with the team.

More good news: the Salukis seem to be coming together at the right time. Let's see how this one works out.

SIU hoops hopes to continue streak at Indiana State; Lowery: We're doing it the right way [Daily Egyptian]

Quality Linkage:

• The Sports Lounge presents DE Pulse Editor Luke McCormick and yours truly dishing on how President Barack Obama can improve the sporting world. [DE Sports]
• Well, BJ Mullens got half of that trash talk thing done right. [The Big Lead]
• Video Game SportsCenter. [College Humor]
• The HighLife goes brief with its commercials. [Awful Announcing]
• The Boston Red Sox's new acquisition: PapelBonds! [Deadspin]
  

Daily Dosage: Cheer me up, please

I'm still reeling from SIU's loss to Creighton last night. Games like that really sting.

I figure Mariah Carey might help me get over it, if only for a few minutes.

(aside: FU Nick Cannon!)

Honestly, nothing hurts more than a loss to a heated rival. Well, nothing in sports. Get blown out. It happens. Get yourself into a Plaxident. Happens to the best of us. But when you lose a nail-biter to the team you despise ... there's no getting over that until you square off again.

See you on Valentine's Day motherf****ers!

The great Creighton escape. Down by four points with two minutes to go in regulation should spell doom for the trailing team. It didn't. Down by four again with under a minute ago should have done the same. It didn't.

The SIU men's basketball team was one dagger shot short of its biggest win of the season. Instead, it was met with denial and the toughest 'L' I've been a part of since the Sweet Sixteen loss to Kansas. [Daily Egyptian]

Quality Linkage:

• The Detroit Lions won't be able to select Sam Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick. [Tulsa World]
• Michael Crabtree, on the other hand, is willing to take that risk. [Star-Telegram]
  
• Vin Scully on Vin Scully. [LA Times]
• Sam Smith enters his infamous trade machine and somehow trades Steve Nash to Toronto. [Bulls.com]
• Barry Zito and Paris Hilton. I guess $126 million can get you a lot of penicillin. [With Leather]
  
• The best sportscasters ever. [Farther Off The Wall]
  

Daily Dosage: Like life, baseball goes on

First of all, let the record show that Nick Cannon has no business being married to the beautiful (and a little bit loco) Mariah Carey.

Seriously, Mariah can sing her butt off and look good in it. Nick Cannon had that one song with R. Kelly and that other song with a bunch of rappers.

At least he has Drumline money to fall back on.

Still, it's unfair.

Moving on to the Dosage.

The Phreakin' Phils Are Having Phun! Through four NLCS games, Brad Lidge has proven to be the anti-Mitch Williams.

Lidge converted his first four-out save this season and he did it at a perfect time for Philly fans as the fans of the Illa-delph's baseball team were rewarded with a 7-5 come-from-behind victory.

The Dodgers bullpen (normally good) allowed five runs in four innings of work to a powerful Phillies offense that is one win away from its first World Series since 1993.

Remember the Wild Thing? Here's hoping Brad Lidge has a short memory. Remember the last time he was in a LCS clinching game?

[Phillies 7 Dodgers 5]

Rays romp in Boston. To quote Eminem in the great movie "8 Mile": "Now who's afraid of the big bad wolf?"

Not the Tampa Bay Rays.

In their first playoff appearance at Fenway Park, the Rays looked like a group of veterans, knocking around Jon Lester (surprising!) to the tune of five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 5.2 innings. Then the Rays knocked around Paul Byrd (not so much!) for four runs (all earned) in 3.1 innings.

Oh yeah, and B.J. Upton is turning into an October star.

His summer troubles were chronicled here at TBDS.

The good news for the Rays center fielder is that it's the fall.

He's batting .308 after a 2-for-5 day at the plate in which he knocked in three RBIs, scored a run and hit a loooong home run off of Lester in the third inning.

The Rays are up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

[Rays 9 Red Sox 1]

Quality Linkage:

• The SIU men's golf team posted its worst finish of the fall season. [Daily Egyptian]
• The Heisman Field is lackin' for talent. [The Big Lead]
• The best Madden glitches ever. [on205th]
• A victory for "baseball geeks" like me. [Gawker]
• Marshawn Lynch is just like me. And by just like me, I mean he's a blogger. [With Leather]