Logan Pause is one of the rocks in the middle of the Fire squad.  He played more than 2000 minutes last year and can be expected to be in the lineup game in and game out this upcoming season.  Pause scored just 1 goal last year, but his contributions on the defensive end were key in the Fire boasting one of the league's best defensive units in the league.

Pause is 28 years old and attended the University of North Carolina.  After his time as a Tar Heel he moved on to play for Raleigh CASL Elite in the Premier Development League.  He was drafted 23rd overall by the Fire in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft.  Pause has been an important piece to the Fire's success since the day he came to Chicago back in 2003.  Pause got his first international cap playing in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup where he and his American teammates were runners-up to Mexico.  Pause assisted Robbie Rogers on a goal in a game against Greneda.

Pause is going to yet again be a critical player in the Fire defense again in 2010.  With Conde, Robinson, and Ward in front of Jon Busch,  the Fire should be atop the league again defensively.  I expect Pause to step up to become the standout guy on the defense this season.  With the loss of Soumare, Pause's role will increase and his expectations will be much higher from de los Cobos as compared to Hamlett. 

Expect Pause to start just about every game in which he's healthy.  If he can step up his game and the Fire can indeed become as strong a defense as many expect, he's got All Star capabilities.  He's just going to need to outshine a couple other great defenders on his own team, which won't be easy.

 

The Bulls lost their fifth straight game tonight falling to the Utah Jazz 132-108. The Bulls defense continues to fail them without Joakim Noah in the game, and its gotten to the point of being downright sad now. Deron Williams had a monster night for the Jazz scoring 28 points and 17 assists. He was helped by reserve CJ Miles who scored 26.

The Jazz got to shoot 54.2% from the floor and 60% from 3 point land. That is a direct product of horrible defense by the opponent. It seems that without Joakim Noah in the middle the Bulls are incapable of even trying to play defense. It is likely to cost the team a playoff spot and has certainly cost Vinny del Negro any chance of keeping his job.

The good news for the Bulls is the continued growth of Derrick Rose. He had another stellar offensive game tonight scoring 25 points and dishing out 13 assists. Those are great numbers that are only slightly a product of the open game tonight. Rose has become the only Bulls player capable of keeping the team in games against these good Western Conference teams.

Read more: Bulls Defense Fails as Team Falls Below .500

Elliott Friedman of CBC has an intriguing couple bullet points in his latest blog. He says:

"... Strongly believe there was one, possibly two teams who were willing to take Cristobal Huet from Chicago. (Should clarify: I'm more certain about one than the other.) But the Blackhawks decided to stand pat, much to the surprise of other GMs. Unloading Huet's contract (two years remaining, $5.625 million cap hit) would have cost at least a first-rounder and an established player. (I know you're going to ask, but I'd be guessing on whom. The source wouldn't tell me.)...

Why did Chicago decline? Scotty Bowman believes strongly in the Detroit model: If you don't have a top-three goalie, you protect him with great team defence and puck possession. The Blackhawks – disciplined and talented – have a shot. But, to duplicate the Red Wings' success, they will have to show two things: their forwards are as committed to back pressure as Detroit's and their defensive corps is as good. As great as the Blackhawks look, we're talking Lidstrom/Rafalski/Kronwall/Stuart here. What a tough, tough call to make."

This will raise red flags all over Chicago. "You mean to tell me the Hawks could have dumped that piece of garbage at the deadline and didn't?" Let's hold that emotional response for a moment...

Read more: The Great Debate: Salary Dump vs. Consistency

When will the carousel stop?

After Tuesday morning's skate, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville told the media that Antti Niemi would start in net against the Los Angeles Kings.

Round and round we go...

The staggering issue the Blackhawks continue to deal with is that neither of their netminders appears ready/willing/able to grab the top of the depth chart. Niemi has had a handful of opportunities to become the undisputed number one, and has struggled with each chance. Meanwhile, Cristobal Huet has defined mediocrity all season, especially since the beginning of the calendar year.

When the trade deadline passed as quietly as a far in an elevator for the Blackhawks, the stink every fan now has to deal with is the situation between the pipes. Niemi has shown flashed of ability to become the man, but hasn't consistently brought that effort to the ice. Indeed, Niemi's goals against average has increased in every month since November (1.44) by just enough that while December was still exceptional (1.74), January (2.41) and February (2.84) have allowed doubt to creep into the minds of Hawks fans.

Read more: Blackhawks Goal Carousel Continues to Turn

The Illini will play in New York City's Madison Square Garden in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament.

March 9, 2010

Champaign, Ill. - Illinois, Pittsburgh, Texas and Maryland will tip-off the 2010 college basketball season in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, which culminates with the Championship Rounds at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Nov. 18-19. Championship Round tickets are on sale now. To reserve a spot in the Illinois section, tickets can be purchased online through the Illinois Athletic Ticket Office or by calling 866-ILLINI-1.

The format for the 2010 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, the nation's premier season-opening college basketball tournament, will remain the same as this past season. Twelve teams from across the nation will compete in the 16th annual event with Illinois, Pittsburgh, Texas and Maryland hosting regional round games from Nov. 8-12. The four hosts will then advance to the Championship Rounds, Nov. 18-19, at New York's Madison Square Garden, while the remainder of the field will participate in subregionals held at campus sites.

Read more: Illinois to Play in 2010 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in New York City

Not only are you responsible for the unexpected, never-before-seen emotional meltdown of Milton Bradley, but it's also gonna be your fault when Alfonso Soriano sucks this season.

Or so says Tim Brown:

Soriano was in left field, recovering from the single he'd just turned into an unearned run and a few extra bases, and the boisterous fan's two beers had become three [all right, four], bringing a wail of exasperation: "Even I can do that!"
Yes, Soriano's knee is stronger. The stride is shorter. The psyche is haler. The place in the order is safer.

Soriano, however, remains for Cubs fans as good a place as any to pile their This Is the Year insecurities.

At least mildly disappointing in his first two seasons in Wrigleyville, Soriano, on a damaged leg, became a free-swinging, loose-fielding, $136 million-earning target in his third. By the end of it, the whole of his Cubs experience included 125 missed games, unyielding debate about his place at the top of the order, a couple All-Star Games, a few months of carrying the club and far, far more months of being carried.

Fortunately, he has five years remaining (and another $90 million) to get all that turned around. In the short term, Cubs fans would accept him keeping singles at singles. Then they can talk about the season, during which, as it looks right now, he'll have to be very good, or the Cubs won't be.

You stupid people have NO RIGHT to expect your left fielder to take a few pitches or not to strike out three out of four times up at the plate! Or to be able to catch the ball regularly! Can't you just let the poor man collect the remaining $90 million on his contract and go home? Who are you to expect someone to do his job? HUH? Hey--I asked you a question!

Read more: Hey Cubs Fans, You're All a Bunch Of Jerks!