All aboard the Band Wagon

Time to start the Chicago baseball band wagon.  The Sox are coming off a really good 2012 season.  People are expecting them to come out this year and win a little more than they have right now.  After dropping games to the Indians and to the Royals the way they did; and the Cubs are blowing games in the ninth, I think it is time to start rooting for another team.

Why not jump on the National League East? They are going to have a spectral season with the Braves winning the way they have been.  As well as the Natioinals, who I think have the potential to repeat what they did last year.  As a Cubs fan personally, I know all about jiumping on band wagons when my normal team is playing as horrible as they have been.

The Cubs should be in first place if they would have been able to close out the last inning better.  It starts to be too much to watch when you see Marmol or the new closer Fujikowa come out and in one inning watch your team drop the game.  Last year when the Cubs played the way they did I had no problem cheering for Hotlanta and this year they are giving me even more of a reason.  Beating top tier teams.  As well as winning the little games like the Marlins.

Atlanta, who lost one of the games best third basemen to ever play the game this year, rebuilt with the addition of the Upton brothers.  I personally did not expect them to produce as well without Chipper Jones, but they proved me wrong.

So while my teams in Chicago are going to play to where you can't make it out of them game sober because watching them loss in this fashion is too harsh, why not just save your liver and jump on another team for the year?  There is always next year.

Magic Six

What a night for Chicagoans! The Blackhawks stopped at nothing to make it six. They took on the Dallas Stars Monday night bringing home their sixth straight win. The Blackhawks definitely brought out their inner ferocity. Four minutes into the third period, Andrew Shaw scored the game-leading point bringing the game to 3-2. But it didn't stop their... The Blackhawks went on scoring two more points made by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marian Hossa leaving the game 5-2. The Blackhawks won't be leaving this season without a fight, that's for sure. With less than a couple of weeks left until playoffs, fans are wondering if the Blackhawks have it in them to win it all. The team as a whole definitely has a chance and they showed it in their past six games. Us Chicagoans would love to see another Stanley Cup brought home. Keep up the work, Blackhawks! Show the NHL what city can have it all.

Boston Marathon Marred By Bombings

Yesterday, the annual Boston Marathon was marred by unspeakable violence. Large explosions turned the celebration into a horrific scene leaving three people dead and over 150 wounded. Boston is on high alert this morning as authorities comb through the city’s blood stained streets in search of clues.

The Boston Marathon draws thousands of runners from all over the world. It’s a celebration of the first marathon competition in 1896 Olympics. Children, who were out of school for the public holiday, were there with their parents. Among the dead is an eight-year-old boy who was waiting for his father to cross the finish line.

Doctors say it was like a war zone. Witnesses say the explosions were so loud it knocked them off their feet. According to nbcnews.com “two shrapnel-studded bombs” were set off just seconds apart from each other at the culmination of the marathon. Local Boston officials told NBC News that the bombs were “packed with ball bearings to increase casualties.”

So far doctors have performed ten amputations. Among the 29 patients being treated for shrapnel wounds were brothers, in their early thirties, who each lost a leg from the knee down. Most patients will require several more surgeries to repair their mangled limbs.

President Obama addressed the nation shortly after the bombings and vowed to bring the perpetrator(s) to justice.

“We will find who did this, and we will find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.”

In the midst of so much confusion and so many unanswered questions, one thing we all can agree on is that those runners crossing the finish line deserved to do so in peace.

This morning Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick, announced that an inter-faith prayer service is being organized to help the city recover.

I hope all those involved find peace. 

Boston puts on a united front after alleged terrorist attack

After two ball-bearing bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, American's everywhere were glued to their TVs. Sadness and heartache immediately set in as all news outlets covered the senseless attack.

Unanswered questions made the fear set in.

Is my family member or friend safe?

Who did this?

Was this a terrorist attack?

Was the bomber foreign or domestic?

With all of the conflicting reports, the uncertainty of the events was more than unsettling.
The only information we know for sure at this time, is that despite this tragedy, Americans and Bostonian in particular are putting on a united front.

Thousands of Americans took to social media to express their empathy and support.

Perhaps what is most uplifting are the stories pouring in about people in Boston taking in runners from out of state for shelter. Businesses giving people free meals, water, and a place to rest and charge their phone.

El Pelon Taqueria is one Boston  restaurant who took to Twitter to try and get the word out.




Many runners who were not impaired by the explosions took to the local hospital to give blood to make sure there was enough supply for victims.

This is what America is all about. In the face of senseless acts and terror we unite. We put our differences aside and human compassion steps in.

Like President Obama said in his speech addressing the Boston Marathon explosions, "There are no Republicans or Democrats -- we are Americans, united in concern for our fellow citizens."

Wrigley Field Renovation Deal Is Announced

Early April 15th, Tom Ricketts, Owner of the Cubs announced his plans to renovate the historic monument that is 99 years old. The plan is said to be worth 500 million dollars. It includes building a new hotel, a brand new clubhouse, as well as a big electronic screen that will be put up in left field. The only problem with the deal is that it will obstruct the views from some of the rooftops. The rooftops have a 20-year deal with the Cubs that has 11 years left on contract. I feel some serious compromising needs to be done at this point. I believe a contract is a contract, and you can't break one. If Ricketts follows through and actually puts up everything he say he is, there is going to be huge problems. He might even lose more money in court, than he is actually is paying for in renovations. It's sad to see such a historic monument in sports going through this. Plus, the rooftops are part of the experience. I think there needs to be a compromise before they start the 3-year renovating project. Otherwise, a lot of Cubs fans and rooftop owners will be extremely upset and disappointed with the Ricketts family.

London, Cities Around U.S. Up Security After Boston Bombings

What the people of Boston and the marathoners who were present during the bombings went through today, is unimaginable. 

But if previous attacks have taught us anything, it's that, life doesn't just stop when a tragedy like this hits. 

An NHL game between the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators scheduled for Monday night at TD Garden was postponed hours after the bombings. 

Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore says its department has "increased patrols for transit and other critical areas including the Los Angeles Dodgers game Monday night"(Fox News).   

In New York, a Chief NYPD spokesman says that "critical response teams are deployed in the city"(Fox News). 

Authorities in Chicago and the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communication issued statements saying that although there weren't any known threats to Chicago, "its officials were monitoring the bombings in Boston and talking to counterparts locally and across the country"(Chicago Tribune). 

Immediately after the bombings, Metra added security officers to its trains and asked passengers to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity. The Chicago Transit Authority did the same and increased the "frequency of such announcements on elevated trains" and even had police officers with dogs sweeping the area (Chicago Tribune).  

                                                                Picture via Chicago Tribune

The next major international event authorities are looking at is Sunday's Marathon in London. British police say they are working with marathon officials and reviewing security plans for the marathon.

All we can do is move on the best we know how. We must stay strong, be prepared and most of all, stand united. 

The Boston Tragedy

The force of two deadly explosions in Boston were felt throughout the entire country.
The explosions went off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, the most famous marathon in the U.S.
132 people have been reported injured, and three dead. One of the victims was an eight-year-old boy.
Video footage of the finish line showed the explosion showed the impact that knocked people to the ground. Photos and videos were tragic, showing the blood splattered city streets. Medical responders had to take many people away in wheelchairs who lost limbs.
Millions of people throughout the world mourned with Boston; many took to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to share their support.
Authorities are still unsure of the cause of the explosions. Planes were banned from flying over the explosion sites as police tried to find who was responsible.
Law enforcement across the country was put on high alert. The FBI is still investigating and no suspects have been placed in custody yet.

Kobe Bryant's Injury

The Los Angeles Lakers are down one with five seconds left to play in the game. Who gets the ball? Kobe Bryant, right?

It would be Bryant getting the last shot for the Lakers, but not anymore as he tore his left Achilles tendon Friday night against the Golden State Warriors.

Here’s the play Bryant torn his Achilles tendon on, it’s at the 1:09 mark of the video.

The amazing thing is he came back to sink the two free throws to tie the game on a torn Achilles tendon. Now, stop and think about that. The Achilles tendon in two pieces as Bryant is on the line hitting free throws to tie the game the Lakers desperately need to make the playoffs.

The Lakers beat the Warriors 118 to 116, but the concern was Bryant’s Achilles tendon. Here’s Bryant talking to the Mediaafter the game.

The raw emotional of Bryant should tell you everything you need to know. Bryant has a reputation of being one of the toughest if not the toughest player in the NBA because he plays through all kinds of injuries. This is one even Bryant can’t play through.

He did go through success surgery on Saturday to repair the torn Achilles tendon and the Lakers said recovery time is expected to be six to nine months.

            Bryant might be ready for the start of the season if rehab goes as planned but he’ll be 35 with mileage of a player who’s played in the league for 20 plus seasons.

          There's speculation the Lakers might just amnesty Bryant or maybe he'll just retire, but neither scenario is likely. There's no way Bryant lets his illustrious career end like this so can count on him to comeback next season. 

          One thing is for sure the NBA Playoffs will not be the same without Bryant.