UT-LEE for MVP

Two games in, and I have been able to remain neutral except for the mere fact that the other night Chase Utley and Cliff Lee played superb games. They should just combine their names for MVP this year, as both have provided more for the Phillies then anyone could have asked for.

With the series tied at 1-1, I think that it may be similar to the Celtics vs Bulls playoff series earlier this year--meaning it will all come right down to the wire at the end of the series.

The Longest Baseball Season Ever...or at least it feels like it

About two weeks ago, I was jumping up and down, I was raising my cup to cheers, and I was ecstatic beyond belief. Why? Because my four favorite teams were the last four contenders in the 2009 baseball season.

A little bit ago, I wrote up a post about all the teams that I enjoy watching.

Among those teams I said the Phillies, the Yankees, the Angels, and the Dodgers, each for their own reasons.

With the 2009 season coming to an end, the last two teams left are the Phillies and the Yankees.

And to be honest, I don't know who to cheer for?

Do I cheer for my hometown team? Or do I cheer for the team that I have enjoyed watching since the time Wade Boggs graced their roster?

I wouldn't have minded it being a Phillies, Angels World Series because each of their teams lost a respected part of their team at the beginning of the season, and I think it would have been good karma.

I also wouldn't have minded the Dodgers playing the Yankees in the World Series because it would have been nice to see Torre take on his old team.

And the Dodgers vs the Angels? Well I don't think anyone else besides me on the East Coast would care, but it would have been a lot of fun to be in LA for it!

But with this...who do I cheer for? Or do I refrain from watching baseball for the week and just let it all happen without my knowledge? I mean--I have watched how many days of baseball this year--starting with the WBC back in MARCH and now the World Series going into NOVEMBER.

This truly has been a marathon of a baseball season. I can't say I don't love it...baseball is everything to me, but the guys have got to be tired.

Let's hope that the Phillies and the Yankees can put in one last good week of baseball to make what feels like the never-ending season, completely worth the wait for the series. And let's hope the weather stays nice too...or else we might see these games make it to Thanksgiving....Turkey Series anyone?

The Windy City's torch gets blown out first round

For many people, 2016 is a distant thought.

Yesterday, the city of Chicago wasn't thinking about anything other than 2016.

Plastered on the walls of subway stations, coffee shops, and museums were posters sporting the idea the 2016 Olympic Games being brought to Chicago.

Those signs are now being ripped down as the city of Rio was victorious while the city of Chicago lost in the first round of voting yesterday. It only makes sense that the clouds cried so many tears yesterday in downtown Chicago, because sadness could be felt all around.

When Medill Newsroom students were asked what angle they were going at the story from, on responded, "disappointment."

What a perfect word to describe the feeling that overwhelmed so many people yesterday. For Chicago people, it meant work on their subways and trains wouldn't be done. For athletes, it meant no automatic bid in 2016, and for the rest of the country it meant losing the opportunity to see their athletes perform at the top level in a relatively close and affordable venue.

Disappointment.

As the announcement was made, I reached for my phone and texted two national team field hockey members. Both of their responses were "So sad," and one included an unhappy emoticon.

The United States will have to hope that the voting process of the 2020 Olympic games brings a better outcome. But for now, the Chicago residents will have to go back to their daily life, and the athletes will have to keep their eyes on the upcoming 2012 Olympics before worrying about how they will qualify for the following one.