SB Nation User Blog: carmen_fanzone

Gene Keady Q and A

carmen_fanzone — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:51:08 -0000

Gene Keady Q and A

Gene describes life without Pat, his job at BTN, incoming recruits, and more in this Q and A.

King of the Hill---Fergie Jenkins and the 72/73 Cubs Documentary

carmen_fanzone — Sun, 03 May 2009 22:57:45 -0000

King of the Hill---Fergie Jenkins and the 72/73 Cubs Documentary

King of the Hill. Canadian documentary on Fergie Jenkins and the Chicago Cubs in 1972-73.

If you're a child of late 60's/early 70's Chicago Cubs, this is the best hour you'll spend today. In color, great shots of spring training and at Wrigley. Wow. This video is amazing.

Center Sandi Marcius to Purdue?

carmen_fanzone — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:24:39 -0000

Center Sandi Marcius to Purdue?

Sandi Marcius will announce his college choice on Sunday.

Gene Keady's wife, Pat, passes away

carmen_fanzone — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:29:20 -0000

Gene Keady's wife, Pat, passes away

So sad.

Orton talks about the trade to Denver (Peter King, SI article)

carmen_fanzone — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:55:05 -0000

Now for Orton. His first words to McDaniels illustrate the kind of sponge and -- the Broncos hope -- player he'll be in Denver, I think. "I just want to have an opportunity to compete for the job and help the team win,'' Orton told McDaniels.

Orton flew to Denver early Friday to meet everyone in the building, and later in the day was waiting at the airport in Denver to fly home when I reached him. He returned to Denver on Sunday night, and he'll be a full-timer in the offseason program, competing with Chris Simms -- and maybe, though I doubt it, a first-round quarterback if McDaniels finds one he loves in the draft. I asked Orton why he said what he said to McDaniels.

"It's all I've ever wanted,'' he said. "It's all I ever asked for in college [at Purdue] or here. As long as I have a fair chance, I can deal with whatever the coach decides.''

I found it interesting that Orton was so happy Friday night. Here he was, going from a team with a pretty good defense and a needy offense, where he was the no-doubt starter, to a team where he's the favorite to win the starting job, but nothing will be handed to him.

"It's the offense,'' he said. "I've watched it. I love it. The spread -- or at least, the multifaceted part of it -- really appeals to me. You change from game to game, and you do whatever gives your team the best chance to win that Sunday. That's the way an offense should be. But it counts on the quarterback to be smart at the line of scrimmage, and to make good decisions, and to be accurate. I think those are traits I have.''

Maybe, but he hasn't shown the accuracy in Chicago that he'll have to show in Denver. In 33 career games, he's completed just 55.3 percent of his throws. If that continues, McDaniels will have a new quarterback playing by December. But Orton will have two things he never had in Chicago -- time to throw (young tackles Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris are the best young pair of outside blockers in football), and talent to throw to; Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, arguably, are the best young bookend receivers in the game. "When I found out about the trade,'' Orton said, "I was extremely happy. Everyone knows about Denver's talent on offense.''

1. The key to the trade was Kyle Orton. Laugh if you want, but it's the absolute truth. McDaniels looked hard at tape of the available quarterbacks from teams that made serious offers, players like Orton, Washington's Jason Campbell and Tampa Bay's Luke McCown. Every one of those teams was in the ballpark with an offer of at least two first-round draft picks and a quarterback.

But as the deal went down, McDaniels, who watched every offensive snap of more than 10 Bears games with Orton playing, got more and more impressed with Orton's arm, his decision-making and his ability to extend plays when the pocket broke down. You can think and I can think it's crazy he didn't like Campbell -- who got Washington off to a 6-2 start last year -- more than he liked Orton, but it's the unvarnished truth. McDaniels thinks he can win with Orton.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/peter_king/04/05/trade/1.html

Justin Siller dismissed from Football Team

carmen_fanzone — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:20:45 -0000

Justin Siller dismissed from Football Team

Orton, picks to Broncos for Cutler

carmen_fanzone — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 03:16:18 -0000

Orton, picks to Broncos for Cutler

It'll be nice to see Kyle in a West Coast offense again...

Royce Adams switches from DB to WR

carmen_fanzone — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:13:04 -0000

Royce Adams switches from DB to WR

Hasn't played the position since HS.

Congrats to the 09 Big Ten Tourney Champs!!!

carmen_fanzone — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:13:59 -0000

Congrats to the 09 Big Ten Tourney Champs!!!

Champion Centre Loses Funding

carmen_fanzone — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:36:03 -0000

Champion Centre Loses Funding

Site of the old Family Inn will now sit vacant.