Archive for November 16th, 2009
Bill Belichichick Did Not Make Wrong Decision in Patriots 35-34 Loss to Colts
Monday, November 16th, 2009 | Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, NFL, Sports | No Comments
I am one of the few to think it – but Bill Belichick did not make the wrong decision in the 4th quarter of Sunday night’s 35-34 loss to the Colts. If you missed it, here’s how it played out.
The New England Patriots led the 8-0 Colts in Indianapolis well into the 4th quarter – 31-14 with 14 minutes left in the game and 34-21 with just over 4 minutes left in the game. The Colts cut the lead to 6 points with just over 2 minutes left in the game. Then the fun began. The Patriots started on their own 20 yard line and after 3 plays, the Patriots faced a 4th and 2 from their own 28 yard line at the 2 minute warning. Belichick could have punted the ball and forced the Colts back into their own zone. Or he could go for it and end the game if the Patriots offsense could gain 2 yards. Decision time. Much to the surprise of most critics, Belichick opted to go for it. Bad move – Tom Brady’s pass to Kevin Faulk netted just 1 yard and the Colts had the ball at the Patriots 29 yard line with just under 2 minutes to play. A 15-yard pass to Reggie Wayne set up Joseph Addai’s beautiful 13 yard run to put the ball at the Patriots 1 yard line – 1st and goal with over a minute left. The Patriots shut down another Addai run, but then Manning found Wayne with a 1-yard touchdown pass and the Matt Stover PAT gave the Colts the improbably 35-34 win.
Now everyone (except me) has been all over Belichick for going for it on the 4th down in your own end. Why give the Colts a short field? Going for it indicates that you don’t have confidence in your defense to get the job done? Belichick’s smugness got the best of him? I disagree with all of them.
First, dating back to last year, the Colts had won 17 straight regular season games. The Colts were arguably the best team in the AFC and were playing on their own home turf. Whether you gave them 20 yards of field or 80 yards of field, there was a good chance that Peyton Manning would find a way to lead his team to victory – he had done so the previous 17 times his team took the field.
Former Patriots stud linebacker Ted Bruschi “went off” on Belichick’s decision stating that it showed a lack of confidence in his defense to be able to stop Manning and the Colts defense. Here’s a brief snippit of what Bruschi had to say: “The decision to go for it would be enough to make my blood boil for weeks. Bill Belichick sent a message to his defense. He felt that his chances were better to for it on his own 28-yard line than to punt it away and make Peyton Manning have to drive the majority of the field to win the game… I would look at this decision as a lack of confidence in our ability as a defensive unit to come up with a big play to win the game.”
I totally disagree. Belichick was in total control of the game. If the Patriots get the 2 yards, the Patriots run out the clock and the game is over. If we don’t get it, Belichick’s attitude had to be that I have enough confidence in my defense that we can stop them from gaining 29 yards to score the winning touchdown. A field goal wasn’t good enough. The Colts had to score a touchdown to win, and it just worked out that way that they scored the touchdown to pull off the come-from-behind win.
Now granted, I think Belichick’s (over-)confidence sometimes gets the best of him. He thinks he is “God” and he thinks that he knows everything and he thinks that whatever he does is right. And while I might not agree with that mentality, if you want to be successful in whatever it is you do, you have to have confidence in your abilities and in your own “teammates’” abilities to get the job done. This applies to everything, not just football.
Belichick made an informed decision and it didn’t work out the way that he planned. The Colts are 9-0 and are looking like a lock to be the top team in the AFC come January. The Patriots are 6-3 and they are in 1st place in the AFC East with a 2-game lead over each of the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. They should make the playoffs and wouldn’t it be interesting to see these 2 teams meet again in Indy in January to determine the AFC’s representative in the Super Bowl. Look at the high-octane numbers in this game – Brady – 27-42, 375 yards passing with 3 TD’s; Randy Moss – 9 catches for 179 yards and 2 scores; Wes Welker – 9 catches for 94 yards; Manning – 28-44, 327 yards passing with 4 TD’s; & Reggie Wayne – 10 catches for 1269 yards and 2 scores. WOW – I can’t wait for the NFL playoffs.
Chicago Music Venues: The Best And Brightest
Monday, November 16th, 2009 | Concerts, Theatre | No Comments
Photo Credits: BWChicago @ Flickr
Chicago indie venues are the place to be to enjoy some of the best rock and roll as well as blues bands on the music circuit today. Venues vary in size, and this enables you to choose the type of venue that allows for an intimate performance or a large group setting. Chicago rock clubs offer something for everyone who enjoys a great performance, enjoy this list of a few our favorite Chicago rock venues. We would love to hear of some your favorites, or what great shows you have seen. Feel free to post your best shows or venues.
The Vic Theatre, Chicago
The Vic Theatre, Chicago venue extraordinaire, is the place to be if you want an intimate concert setting. It is also the venue for the popular Brew-N-View, where you can buy beer and watch favorite old movies. The Vic offers a large open floor area and balcony, with seating along the sides of the room. Upcoming events include concerts by The Sounds, Devo, The Fab Faux, Lotus and Raphael Saadig.Ticket Chest makes it easy to see the shows coming to the Vic
House of Blues, Chicago
The House of Blues, Chicago venue of note to not only fans of blues but also those who enjoy folk art and fine food, is a not-to-be-missed hotspot on the Chicago music circuit. The house restaurant, called The Back Porch, features Southern cooking and also offers blues music every night of the week. The larger House of Blues concert hall is set up in three levels, and will soon be host to such acts as Keb’Mo’, Aaron Karo, Infected Mushroom, Skillet, Esmee Denters, Mavis Staples and the Blind Boys of Alabama, Big Head Todd and the Monsters and more. If you save your dinner receipt from The Back Porch, show it to the ushers and you will receive priority admission to a House of Blues concert. See all the upcoming Chicago shows at the House of Blues.
Aragon Ballroom, Chicago
For a step back into history, try the Aragon Ballroom, Chicago venue known for its rock, salsa and blues concerts. This beautiful venue was built in 1926, and today still features a grand staircase, gilt trim, and a ceiling painted like a starry sky. Upcoming bands that will play at the Aragon include Jaquares, The Pixies, Rob Zombie and Weezer. See all the schedule of upcoming shows here: Aragon Ballroom, Chicago
Arie Crown Chicago Theatre
The Arie Crown Chicago Theatre on Lake Shore Drive offers the largest stage area of any of the theatres in town. An ample venue, seating 4,249 people, it often hosts Broadway touring musicals as well as rock and pop concerts.
Riviera Theatre Chicago
Other Chicago indie rock shows can be seen at the Riviera Theatre Chicago. A popular venue, it seats 2,500 fans who flock to this theatre to enjoy rock and punk concerts. The Cranberries, Arctic Monkeys and Black Keys will be playing at the Riviera Theatre in upcoming weeks. See what shows are coming to the Riviera Theatre in Chicago.
Metro: Chicago’s Independent Concert Venue
If you like alternative music, you will not want to miss Metro: Chicago’s Independent Concert Venue. Located in Wrigleyville, you can see everything from local to larger acts, with the convenience of an in-house box office. Dorians’s Decay, Victorian Halls, Rooks, Dir En Grey, Glittermouse and Amanda Blank will all be playing here soon. Find Metro tickets at TicketChest.
Park West
Armitage Avenue near the Lincoln Park Zoo is home to Park West, a treasure of a venue that offers 1920s style and is now the place to catch your favorite musical acts. Enjoy the musical stylings of a host of different artists playing soon at Park West, including Linda Eder, Straight No Chaser, Pat McGee Band and Kate Voegele.
John Mayer on Tour in 2009 and 2010
Monday, November 16th, 2009 | Concerts | No Comments
John Mayer has released his full line up of this 2010 tour. The super star is doing paper less tickets for many of the good seats in most of the cities he will be playing. With paper less tickets the person who orders the tickets must come to the show with the credit card used to order. When they get to the venue the card is swiped and the group of people is let in. This new process has turned out to be a big pain for many people, because if they lose there card or get a new one it could cause headaches when getting to the show. Last week Mr. Mayer also released his latest CD Battle Studies which we have not listen to yet and should have a review this week. For a full list of dates and cities for John Mayer check below.
1/16 Glasgow, GB
O2 Academy Glasgow
1/18 London, GB
HMV Hammersmith Apollo
1/19 Wolverhampton, GB
Wolverhampton Civic Hall
2/4 Sunrise, FL
Bank Atlantic Center
2/5 Tampa, FL
St. Pete Times Forum
2/6 Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
2/8 North Charleston, SC
North Charleston Coliseum
2/9 Birmingham, AL
BJCC Arena
2/10 Nashville, TN
Sommet Center
2/12 Auburn Hills, MI
Palace of Auburn Hills
2/13 London, ON
John Labatt Centre
2/14 Toronto, ON
Air Canada Centre
2/16 Ottawa, ON
Scotiabank Place
2/17 Montreal, QC
Bell Centre
2/19 Uncasville, CT
Mohegan Sun
2/20 Washington, DC
Verizon Center
2/21 Philadelphia, PA
Wachovia Center
2/24 Boston, MA
TD Garden
2/25 New York, NY
Madison Square Garden
2/28 Grand Rapids, MI
Van Andel Arena
3/1 Milwaukee, WI
Bradley Center
3/2 Saint Paul, MN
Xcel Energy Center
3/4 Omaha, NE
Qwest Center
3/5 Oklahoma City, OK
Ford Center
3/6 Houston, TX
Toyota Center
3/8 Austin, TX
Frank Erwin Center
3/9 Dallas, TX
American Airlines Center
3/10 New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Arena
3/12 Columbus, OH
Nationwide Arena
3/13 Louisville, KY
Freedom Hall
3/15 Greensboro, NC
Greensboro Coliseum
3/16 Charlottesville, VA
John Paul Jones Arena
3/17 Atlanta, GA
Philips Arena
3/19 Memphis, TN
FedEx Forum
3/20 St. Louis, MO
Scottrade Center
3/22 Kansas City, MO
Sprint Center
3/23 Denver, CO
Pepsi Center
3/25 Los Angeles, CA
Staples Center
3/26 San Jose, CA
HP Pavilion
3/30 Portland, OR
Rose Garden
3/31 Seattle, WA
KeyArena
4/1 Vancouver, BC
General Motors Place
4/3 Calgary, AB
Pengrowth Saddledome
4/4 Edmonton, AB
Rexall Place
4/6 Saskatoon, SK
Credit Union Centre
4/7 Winnipeg, MB
MTS Centre
4/8 Fargo, ND
Fargodome
4/10 Chicago, IL
United Center2
NBA Scores
Monday, November 16th, 2009 | NBA | No Comments
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
| Dallas (7-3) « | 22 | 18 | 31 | 24 | 95 |
| Detroit (5-5) | 18 | 28 | 20 | 24 | 90 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
| L.A. Clippers (4-7) « | 26 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 101 |
| Oklahoma City (5-5) | 23 | 18 | 35 | 17 | 93 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
| Toronto (5-5) | 33 | 20 | 26 | 21 | 100 |
| Phoenix (9-2) « | 31 | 19 | 27 | 24 | 101 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
| Houston (6-4) « | 23 | 29 | 28 | 21 | 101 |
| L.A. Lakers (7-3) | 29 | 25 | 19 | 18 | 91 |
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NFL Scores
Monday, November 16th, 2009 | NHL | No Comments
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver (6-3-0) | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Washington (3-6-0) « | 7 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 27 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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| Buffalo (3-6-0) | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Tennessee (3-6-0) « | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 41 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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| New Orleans (9-0-0) « | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| St. Louis (1-8-0) | 0 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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| Cincinnati (7-2-0) « | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 18 |
| Pittsburgh (6-3-0) | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 12 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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| Jacksonville (5-4-0) « | 7 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
| NY Jets (4-5-0) | 10 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 22 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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| Detroit (1-8-0) | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Minnesota (8-1-0) « | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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| Tampa Bay (1-8-0) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 23 |
| Miami (4-5-0) « | 6 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 25 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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| Atlanta (5-4-0) | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| Carolina (4-5-0) « | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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| Kansas City (2-7-0) « | 3 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| Oakland (2-7-0) | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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| Philadelphia (5-4-0) | 0 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 23 |
| San Diego (6-3-0) « | 7 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 31 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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| Dallas (6-3-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Green Bay (5-4-0) « | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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| Seattle (3-6-0) | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Arizona (6-3-0) « | 0 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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| New England (6-3-0) | 7 | 17 | 0 | 10 | 34 |
| Indianapolis (9-0-0) « | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 35 |
| Game Leaders | ||
| Patriots | Colts | |
| Pass: | T. Brady (29-42, 375) | P. Manning (28-44, 327) |
| Rush: | K. Faulk (12-79) | J. Addai (10-41) |
| Rec: | R. Moss (9-179) | R. Wayne (10-126) |
NHL Scores
Monday, November 16th, 2009 | NHL | No Comments
| Final SO | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | SO | T |
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| Minnesota (7-11-2) | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 (0) | 4 |
| Carolina (3-12-4) « | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 5 |
| Three Stars 1. R. Whitney – CAR (Goals: 1, Assists: 2) 2. R. Earl – MIN (Goals: 2, Assists: 0) 3. B. Sutter – CAR (Goals: 1, Assists: 1) |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
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| Edmonton (8-10-2) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Atlanta (10-6-1) « | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Three Stars 1. S. Kozlov – ATL (Goals: 1, Assists: 1) 2. R. Peverley – ATL (Goals: 0, Assists: 2) 3. J. Hedberg – ATL (Saves: 34, Save Pct: .944) |
| Final OT | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | T |
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| San Jose (14-4-4) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Chicago (12-5-2) « | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Three Stars
1. B. Seabrook – CHI (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)
2. N. Hjalmarsson – CHI (Goals: 0, Assists: 0)
3. J. Thornton – SJ (Goals: 0, Assists: 1)
