Big Ups To The Northwestern Wildcats Basketball Team for cracking the AP Top 25 . . .

Congratulations to the Northwestern Wildcats Men's Basketball Team for cracking the AP Top 25 College Basketball Ranking for the first time during my life time! Northwestern (10-1) has won nine straight games since losing to Butler University. To add to what may become future trivia, the Wildcats are the only team from a BCS conference to never play in the NCAA tournament.

It would be nice to see NU in the NCAA tournament come March. Hopefully, they can continue their stellar play when the Big Ten season kicks off in a few days. The Wildcats have to do it this season after coming close to making it to the Big Dance last season. The 'Cats can end a 40-year NCAA tournament drought be continuing the preseason success.

Man, first the Fat Boys break-up, now this!

For All of You Die-Hard Chicago Whitesox Fans . . .

SoxFest 2010 will be held next on January 22-24 at the Palmer House Hilton. Currently, there are limited hotel rooms and weekend passes available for SoxFest. SoxFest 2010 is being sponsored by Comcast SportsNet, Miller Lite, the Palmer House Hilton and Pepsi.

Fans have the opportunity to purchase up to two rooms per reservation, and those who purchase a two-night stay are eligible to purchase up to four SoxFest weekend passes at $75 each. Weekend passes are only available for purchase by fans who book the two-night stay.

SoxFest 2010, will feature appearances by manager Ozzie Guillen, Gordon Beckham, Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, Andruw Jones, Paul Konerko, Mark Kotsay, Scott Linebrink, Jayson Nix, Juan Pierre, Jake Peavy, A.J. Pierzynski, J.J. Putz, Alexei Ramirez, Mark Teahen and Matt Thornton, along with White Sox coaches, broadcasters and former club stars. For more detailed SoxFest2010 information, check out Whitesox.com.

Ok, So Who Wants To Ride To Outerspace On A Virgin?

Virgin Galactic that is. Get your mind out of the gutter you!

A few weeks ago, Billionaire Richard Branson announced the anticipated launch of the first commercial airline that travels to outerspace. Branson is banking on his SpaceShipTwo taking off like a rocket, in helping Branson create the world's first "commercial travel space." So, for a measly $200,000, a person can buy his way around astronaut school, and into outerspace. Branson's space project is expected to cost about $450 million. Branson's plans consists of the construction of six commercial spaceships that would take passengers high enough for the "Pseudonauts" to experience weightlessness, and see the curvature of the Earth set against the backdrop of space.

So far it's being reported that about 300 aspiring "Pseudonauts" have put down deposits for the $200,000 ride, which includes three days of training.

In an interview with Reuters TV, Branson said, "[s]ubject to American government permission, we may well start developing a program to try to take people from continent to continent, you know, two hours from Los Angeles to Australia." Branson also put out what may be a disclaimer amidst all of the effervescent ambition saying: "[c]an't promise that we're going to be able to do it, but if you don't try things you don't succeed, so we'll definitely give it a go."

If this all sounds too futuristically scary to you don't worry the program most likely won't be up and running for at least another year, maybe even longer.

If you want to learn more about Virgin Galactic click here.

News Flash: Elin Tells Tiger, "I'm Stayin--I'm Stayin . . ."

According to a report from NYDailyNews.com, Tiger's wife, Elin Nordegren, is going to hang in there with Tiger despite his alleged infidelities. I have to give El Tigre's wife Big Ups for the courage, resiliency and intestinal fortitude that I am sure it will take to stay in a marriage that is now marred in controversy, humiliation and tabloid paparazzi, and let us not forget shark-like bloggers.


It is also reported that Nordegren is going to stay for the kids. I just hope that she and Tiger get some outstanding marriage counseling going forward because this is not going to be easy, especially if Tiger's body count continues to rise. Elin must definitely love Tiger (a lot) or is she doing it for the alleged upgrade to the old prenup. What do you think?

Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize; Third U.S. President to Win Award

Well it's official, today in Oslo, Norway, America's first black President, Barack Obama, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his dedication to the global peace effort, among other things. Nevertheless, many think it paradoxical that President Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize when he authorized the deployment of 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, and because he is still a newly minted president who has yet to accomplish anything tangible in the eyes of his critics.

Many observing hypocrites--er, I mean political pundits feel that Obama is not qualified to win the Nobel Peace Prize when he recently authorized a stepped up military force, to deploy to Afghanistan in order to provide more ground troops in the war against terror there in an heightened effort to successfully end the war in Afghanistan. I guess if President Bush had received the Nobel Peace Prize for his effort to prevent the annihilation of the world by exposing "weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq, the same political pundits, er I mean hypocrites would be happy.

True is the fact that President Obama hasn't completed his first year of the Presidency; however, the leaders of the world aren't just giving away Nobel Peace Prizes to anyone. Perhaps, President Obama is the first Nobel Peace Prize recipient to receive the award anthumously* meaning Obama received the award prior to completing all of the ambitious goals that he has on his Presidential agenda for his first term.

Congratulations President Obama! Now prove your critics wrong!

What do you think? Does Obama's body of work to date qualify him to receive the Nobel Peace prize.

*Denotes a new word that I just created--I know it--who cares? LOL!

And So The Onslaught Begins: Elin Nordegren Leaves Tiger, and So Does Gatorade Tiger Focus

Well, Tiger's wife Elin Nordegren has already left so I knew it was just a matter of time before the onslaught of endorsement deals began to start falling apart for Tiger Woods. The first endorsement deal to terminate is Tiger's endoresement deal with Gatorade. According to CNBC, Gatorade elected to terminate the "Tiger Focus" sports drink claiming that their decision to do so was made days prior to Tiger's marital infidelity scandal coming into the public eye.

Gatorade executives provided a statement to CNBC stating: “We decided several months ago to discontinue Gatorade Tiger Focus along with some other products to make room for our planned series of innovative products in 2010. We hope to share more about our 2010 plans soon.”

As an aside, the "Tiger Focus" drink is suppose to contain an ingredient said to reduce stress. I think Tiger needs his focus now more than ever.

So far, none of Woods' other sponsors Nike, AT&T, Gillette, Accenture and Gatorade parent Pepsi have elected to sever ties with him over his recent scandal.

Tiger, Tiger, Tiger Or Should I Say Player, Player, Player

It happened again despite the fact that I told myself that I was going to do my best to stay away from this Tiger Wood's mess. I thought my Friday post would somehow be the last post that I would write about Tiger Woods, but unfortunately the greatest golfer of all time's chickens are coming home to roost. I know it is painful to watch a man go through this . . . every time a new woman comes from out of the shadows my flesh crawls as though an old school elementary teacher is making that annoying noise by dragging her chalk against the chalk board.

On Friday, I thought that things were looking pretty good for Tiger and the future of the Tiger Woods' brand. But as always here comes the rain again . . . revealing that El Tigre is a "player," but he should have probably stayed a "golfer." Tiger sets the standard--in the global golf world--he is the best! Yet, at the "player" game he should have took lessons from Mr. Smooth, or Mr. Player or somebody who knows how to play the field or cheat on one's wife because Tiger really mucked the player's course up. I mean on Friday the revelation of Tiger's dirty laundry had increased to three. However, today the body count has allegedly risen geometrically . . . can somebody say "ten" now.

Man, I don't watch the news for a few hours and Tiger's alleged marital indiscretions increase faster than bacterial colonies in an epidemiological lab. Obviously, Tiger should have stayed at Stanford long enough to earn his degree versus dropping out to turn pro-golfer. I mean the most obvious thing about this whole alleged scenario is Tiger's violation or should I say contravention of at least three of the most important player rules--rules that most men usually learn in college or on the streets.

First, and foremost according to one news report, Tiger bedded down a couple of the women at his crib: this is a severe violation of Player Rule No.1 when you are attached or married: Never Take A Woman To Your Crib! Take her to a friend's house, your brother or uncle's crib, but not to your family's safe haven and abode. Tiger also violated Player Rules No.2 & No.3 in tandem: Never Leave Voice Mail Messages on your concubine's phone or answering service, and Never Send Text and/or Email Messages that can be used against you in a court of law or worse played back or displayed on a Hollywood TV Tabloid, newspaper or magazine.

Don't get me wrong here, I am in no way condoning or lionizing Tiger for his indiscretions--far from it. I feel bad for Tiger because he had what appeared to be a life that was close to perfect or at the very least a dream. I feel bad for Tiger because how quickly one can fall from the mountain's pinnacle if one allows bad judgment and irrational thoughts to cloud one's judgment. Now with the alleged slippery slope that Tiger has created by allegedly paying Mistress #1 hush money, and whispers that the line for payoffs is getting longer--Tiger's bank account may get just a tad bit lighter too, and his wallet may be getting a tad bit thinner as well, as I am sure that his endorsement deals may be a bit more threatened than they were on Friday. I waon't go into the gigantic sum that Big Tiger may have to pay out to his wife, Elin Nordegren.

Indeed, the future of his marriage is even more threatened now that Tiger has moved up the indiscretion index from the painfully bearable trifecta to double-digit scoring in the infidelity column.