http://www.yardbarker.com/users/TheBearDown Recent Yardbarker Articles: TheBearDown en-us Arizona's head baseball coach, Andy Lopez, has announced that Jeff Pickler will be the new assistant coach next season. This announcement was made yesterday in press conference to name Jeff Casper's replacement on the coaching staff. We are losing Casper who was a four year player here at Arizona from 1998-2001. He stayed with us for three more seasons as a "volunteer assistant coach" before heading to Yavapai Junior College, and then back to the U of A for two year as a "Paid assistant coach". In return we are gaining Jeff Pickler. Pickler played ball ... Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:45:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347725 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347725 1. USC: 3-1 (1-1) The Trojans stumbled over a minor speed bump in a loss to Oregon State that not only hurt their chances for a National Championship, but Sanchez's chance at being the next in a long line of Heisman QB's coming out of Southern California. This weekend they posted an impressive win over Oregon who most thought would be the only team giving them a run for the conference. We know USC is good and better than their loss to Oregon State looked but we also know they have weaknesses. I'd put my money on the Trojans losing at least one more game before this season is over. Next Game: vs. Arizona State 2. Cal: 4-1 (2-0) It is still unknown how good Cal really is. They have one loss against a surprising Maryland team who has beaten two ranked teams but has also lost... Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:44:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347723 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347723 Well I am back for another round of giving mention to those who have yet to be recognized by the big boys of sports coverage. Remember I am using ESPN's Heisman watch list as the basis for those who aren't in talks of being immortalized in Bronze. Quick Recap of Heisman Buster Alum (Those who broke on to the list following my endorsement): QB Mark Sanchez USC QB Max Hall BYU RB Jahvid Best Cal RB Javon Ringer MSU RB Donald Brown UConn Past Weeks: Week 1, Week 2, Week 4 Who else is out there? There will be a point where there are no high caliber players that could possibly bust up the Heisman Race left, but until then .... Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:00:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346297 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346297 This weekend our Arizona Wildcats played host to the Locker-less Washington Huskies. To be honest, I had mixed feelings going into this game because of the performances of both squads so far this season. First off I didn't want to get too excited about our Cats, yet, but coming off a 31-10 win over UCLA didn't humble my spirits any. This season Arizona is averaging 43.6 points per game while only allowing 13.6 a game. Statistics should always be taken at face value .... Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:57:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346296 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346296 As with most Cubfans I am the eternal pessimist. A trait that I inherited from my father (a Cubfan), and presumably his father before him (a Cubfan), and so on through the male Domschke Family History. I wasn't expecting a whole lot this year, as with every year. Sure I get excited about the Cubs season after season and get disappointed season after season. As I so aptly described the plight of the Cubs back in July, when I wrote of the Cubfan "lump in the throat" that starts to worry us, Cubfans start worrying because they know things are going to go bad..... Thus the way it goes for the Cubs. But there is one redeeming thought for Cubfans, this was not the 100th season of Cub baseball without a World Series as people talked about all year long. It has been a rough century, but not a full century. Now, yes "technically" the Cubs haven't won the World Series in 100 calendar years. But the key word there ... Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:39:45 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/345799 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/345799 In keeping with the tradition of soap opera tactics and plot lines from the hallowed halls McKale, big news straight from Papa Lute's mouth. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:01:56 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/343626 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/343626 After a week off and 4 games down it's time to take a look at the Arizona football season thusfar and heading into the meat of the schedule. So the Cats are 3-1 and could be 4-0. Now there's no room for should-be's in sports so I'm not holding a grudge or thinking that the Cats are being unfairly excluded from the Top 25 picture just yet. The Cats had two ways to come back after that disappointing loss to New Mexico A) Fold and call it a season or 2) come back swinging. I for one am glad they chose the latter and took down a fledgling UCLA team. So with 4 games in the book and 8 (or 9?) games left to play it's time to analyze the first trimester of the season for the Kitty Kats. Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:43:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/342598 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/342598 Well I said ask me in October, and well here we are October 1, 2008. The Cubs are going to the playoffs, their first game against the Dodgers tonight- I won't breathe for many weeks to come. The streets around Wrigley lit up the day the Cubs clinched their division, and in my opinon the city of Chicago is about to shoulder the past in order for the Cubs to secure their future.Go with me on this. I believe in karma, and signs and things happening for a reason. Yesterday, I took the morning off work for a doctors appointment, I'm down on Clark street in the financial district when I hear somebody yelling on a megaphone through my cab windows. Now maybe it was because of my raging ear infection or the fact that I had tylenol pm'ed myself into a haze but I forgot there was a Cubs rally- and by the chance... Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:56:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/342562 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/342562 Sometimes you just can't make this stuff up. The Nasti Natti Bungles, apparently are in some need at running back after cutting Rudi Johnson (avg. 5.5 ypc in Detroit) and sending DeDe Dorsey to the IR. So where to turn? You always hear about teams worrying about picking up players that will affect the "Team Chemistry" so the Bungles didn't want to pick up any running back that would alter their team's dynamic and be too different than anyone else on the team. So enter former Bear RB Cedric Benson. The perfect place for..... Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:04:21 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/341975 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/341975 In case you haven't heard, Lance Armstrong is returning to the world of professional cycling. The coverage hasn't been as big as I would have thought, and the reaction is pretty much just the opposite of what I would have hoped. I know that the only sport more tarnished by performance enhancing practices than baseball is cycling and that Flyod Landis didn't really do anything to help America's image. I understand the doubt, but I think we have a case of, the rest of the cycling world, who actually care about the sport outside the Tour de France, refusing to believe that arguably the greatest cyclist of all time is American. Armstrong retired from cycling in 2005 after his 7th Tour de France Victory, a feat that is even more amazing due to the fact that he had fought cancer and returned to the world stage. He raised countless of millions through the Lance Armstrong Foundation, or better recognized as the LiveStrong campaign. Armstrong was also a key player in passing Proposition 15 in Texas which would allow for $3 billion to be allocated for Cancer Research. Do you think.... Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:18:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/341258 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/341258 I got a bit of unsettling news when I landed in Tucson Saturday night. Apparently, while I was in Dallas, Paul Newman passed away. I found this sadly fitting and ironic as Friday night (the 27th) I was sitting in my hotel room watching the YouTube Clip of Paul Newman Singing Plastic Jesus and holding back emotions in Cool Hand Luke. This is one of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite movies. ..... Again, it was very sad to hear of the passing of Paul Newman from Cancer. I could at this point go on, at length, about the many things that this man has done in the fields of acting and activism from racing to fund-raising but the bottom line is anyone who has seen any of his movies, loves Paul Newman. I made the wife watch Cool Hand Luke less than 2 weeks ago (which could very easily be why the song was stuck in my head this past weekend). If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest buying or renting it and while you're there scan for any other Paul Newman movie, you will most likely not be disappointed. So I scanned the internet for some clips of Paul Newman.... Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:17:17 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/341256 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/341256 Cubs Sox Red Lines Series? You heard it here first. DMX predicts the Pacman Jones Shooting in 1998. Backing up Notre Dame in the face of being insulted. Roger Clemens and Joe Torre missing from Yankee Stadium goodbye Montage. Arizona Wildcats and their new "Red Pants" No Tiger = Good for the USA? In Ryder Cup play = yes! Happy Gilmore on the Ryder Cup Team....Gary Sheffield Charges the mound....from 1st Base. And More. Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:37:21 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337752 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337752 Blake Kerley is out for the season. This is a huge loss for the Cats, as the junior has done a tremendous job at center all year. The Tucson Citizen quoted Stoops as saying "We are 99 percent sure it (involves the) ACL. That will take the rest of the year away from him." Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:01:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337612 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337612 Named after the now common phrase BCS Buster, lets take a look at Week 4 performances that might prove to be Heisman Busters. Note: I have decided that I will use the ESPN Heisman watch as the radar for players, and strive to bring you guys that are not on the list but should be. Once they have made ESPN's list I will take them off my reports and let the "real" media keep you informed. Recap: In Week One I listed Mark Sanchez, Max Hall, and Jahvid Best as the players to watch for. Sanchez was an easy pick as it was only a matter of time before USC picked up some momentum and the main behind the helm was acknowledge, and he was. Max Hall was my sleeper pick, but I have been hyping his chance at the bronze stiff arm as well as BYU's BCS Busting hopes. Finally, ESPN has recognized ... More at The BearDown Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:15:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337568 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337568 With the recent loss of Tom Brady, many are speculating that this could be the end to their season. But is it Momentum or maybe is it Karma as I mentioned in my Week 1 News and Notes column. Maybe the lone loss in the Super Bowl was Karmic retribution for all of the "eff you" TDs, running up the score, and maybe it can all be traced back to one moment before the loss of Brady. Maybe the Patriots recent problems all started at a different time. These thoughts have been going through my head so I've decided to create a list for all 32 teams of the precise moment that set them on the path to where they are right now. THE moment it all started going downhill (or uphill if applicable) and the reasons that they are now where they are. AFC West: Denver Broncos - May 2, 1999 One of the few teams that haven't really had a whole lotta bad. The Pinnacle of their Success was in 1999 at Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami. A couple months later, John Elways, rightfully so, stepped away from the game... All 32 Teams at The BearDown Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:12:44 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337565 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337565