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That is all.

...is novel famous and newspaper famous but now he's super web famous if only because he'll pop up in Google Image searches a bit more quickly.

Beacon News managing editor Mike Cetera made an appearance on the sports blog Deadspin today in an interview about his beloved Cubs.

to compliment my column today...

and the original...

Not everything can fit in print, which is unfortunate - but that's why we have blogs like this.
It today's Beacon News, we reported on QB Anthony Maddie's transfer from Joliet Catholic Academy to Aurora Christian.

Here is a Q&A with the newest addition to Aurora football:
"The whole transfer thing was great. It was hard leaving JCA just because I have a good group of friends and I liked school there just fine, but from a football standpoint already...just judging how long I've been at Aurora Christian and how good of a coach Coach Beebe is I know I've made the right decision."

Q: What made you decide on Aurora Christian
A: "My parents and me we're very religious people and have a strong faith, so we weren't going to transfer anywhere that wasn't a Catholic or a Christian school, so that was the first part of it for me. Then as far as football goes, I've gone to Don Beebe's House of Speed before I even knew about (Aurora Christian), and he's a great coach. Anybody who goes to that would easily see how great of a coach he is and he played in the NFL, so we figured it'd be a dumb decision to not transfer there if anywhere. With football, I got a chance to meet a couple of the guys going to the academy and it's just a great group of guys. I did have that at JCA but it got me excited to be able to meet the kids and see how it wasn't that different from JCA. I knew I'd still have fun and still have friends. Then of course throwing the ball a lot more. That was probably my number two (reason), after my faith, for going there."

Q: Did the message board/high school football rumor mill bother you?
A: We just wanted to focus on the people who we cared about, who we knew we were going stay in touch and who cared about us. Those are the people who we expected to understand and who did. Anybody who knows football and knows my family knows we're a very loyal family and it was very hard for us to leave, but they know it's the right football decision for me.

Any running back at JCA, if they were only getting to run the ball four or five times a game they wouldn't be happy either and they wouldn't be having.

It's high school football and I'm trying to go to college and I want to have fun and I want to be able to work hard and be able to show my skills. At JCA it felt like sometimes I wasn't able to live up to my potential. I just want my future to be in my hands. I don't want other people to say 'you didn't get a good scholarship because JCA doesn't throw the ball, or we're not going to be able to offer you because we didn't get a chance to see you throw enough.

Now at Aurora Christian, knowing we'll be able to throw the ball a lot and I'll be able to do the things I believe I can do, my future is in my hands and I wouldn't want it any other way. And I couldn't imagine anybody wanting it any other way."

Q: Where are you at with recruiting heading into this summer?
A: "Right now, I think schools are allowed to send me one letter so I've gotten a few letters from schools but that's it right now. I just have to wait until September 1st when schools are actually allowed to start recruiting, so for right now I'm just waiting and I'm not taking recruiting as seriously right now. We'll probably get more serious about the recruitment thing once schools are allowed to start sending me mail and talking to me."

Eagles coach Don Beebe:
Q: It seems like he'll be a good fit at ACS
A: "Yeah. I watched the state championship game against Montini and since he's been over he's given me some film of games last year so I can evaluate him and kind of help him out. He only threw a few times a game so it wasn't like a whole lot of footage to watch."

Q: It seems like it's been a smooth transition for him?
A: After our football meeting he and his dad came up to me and my brother Dave and him and Anthony just said 'This is the best decision we've ever made. We're so comfortable, we fit right in right away and we're so happy we're here.' It really has been the transition I've seen with a transfer student. He just fit right in. He's best friends with Grayson (Roberts) and Mitch Holtz and they hang around each other and I think it's just really cool to see. I really feel good that this transition was the right thing because everybody's attitude's been great about it."

To end, Beebe couldn't help but think about past Eagles QBs Nate Peterson and Jordan Roberts, who is arguably the greatest high school quarterback the state of Illinois has ever seen.
Said Beebe: He's good. We've had great quarterbacks here and I think he's going to fit right in with those guys. That's a mouthful to say but he's that good of a kid and athlete. I'll be able to bring you more up to speed (in the summer) because I haven't seen him practice yet and who knows - we run a pretty difficult offense, too. There's a lot of things he's going to have to accomplish."

Aurora Christian had a 1-0 lead after four innings of their regional semi-final against Chicago Christian on Thursday afternoon when a steady rain made the Waubonsee Community College field unplayable.

Originally rescheduled for today at 4:30, Eagles coach Andy Zorger correctly predicted that the game would be finished Saturday.

But at what time? The hope for both the Eagles and Knights were that they could finish the game Saturday and play Lisle in the regional final on Monday afternoon.

The IHSA had other ideas however - it was decided today at the Knights and Eagles will finish their game tomorrow beginning at 1 p.m. and then turn around and play the Lions for the regional title 30 minutes later.

It's an unfair ruling for both teams, but at least Zorger has options. He can have Mitch Holtz (and perhaps even Brent Minta) to lock down the 1-0 lead through the last few innings and save ace lefty Bobby Kuntzendorf for the regional final.

That's what he should do, if only because Lisle (which has been off since Wednesday) will be able to throw Clemson bound right hander Jon Surber on three days rest after a 3-inning relief appearance on Wednesday night.

As always, visit us every day for the best in local sports coverage.

And, follow us @SportsBeacon on Twitter

I forgot.

it happens.

Enjoy.

you can't beat this

I've known Waubonsie Valley boys volleyball coach Al Lagger now for seven years, and he - along with many other west suburban volleyball coaches - have long hoped for a change in the IHSA's seeding policies.

I've always respected and appreciated his candor when it came to that topic.

According to Phil Brozynski, Lagger once again asked for a change - and once again - was told that the IHSA isn't interested in the best team winning a title.

Good for Al, and the other coaches, to keep fighting for their players.
Unfortunately it's always going to fall on deaf ears.

I missed Phil Mickelson's endorsement of the Five Guys burgers - and I have to say - Five Guys is not a very good burger. Or fries.
And it was over priced.
Rant over.

In-N-Out Burger on the other hand...awesome.

but I'm glad this happened....

A coach pointed out that a pole vaulter was wearing jewelry during her pole vault - which just so happened to give her team the championship. But wearing the jewelry is against the rules, so she was DQ'd and her team lost the title.

Said the coach who called out the infraction and thus won the title, Mike Knowles:
"I didn't notice the bracelet until after she cleared the height and walked by. "[I had] a sinking feeling for her. I didn't want to have to do it. But it's a real rule -- it's in the book -- not something I made up. About 10 years ago, I had a girl who wore an earring in the 4x400 relay and it ended up costing us a CIF title. I feel bad for what happened, but I guarantee you she'll never wear jewelry during a track meet again."

That's right.

Of course, the other coach feels it was bad sportsmanship and that Knowles was "lying in wait" to call his girl out - but you know what coach - why didn't you call out your athlete and have her remove the illegal bracelet before she competed?

True, there is a line between gamesmanship and sportsmanship - but as Herm Edwards famously said "you play to win the game."

I believe that.

The Aurora area had a similar situation come up during basketball season when West Aurora coach Gordie Kerkman could have invoked a little-known uniform rule to give his Blackhawks several technical fouls in a game against Oswego East (one in which the Blackhawks lost by just a few points) - but he didn't. Why? Probably because he felt the rule was asinine - which it is.
I felt Kerkman did his team a disservice, because, as Knowles said:
"You've got to teach the kids that rules are rules."

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this - the Associated Press is going to re-vote on the Defensive Rookie of the Year after it was discovered that winner Brian Cushing of the Houston Texans had tested positive for PEDs during the year last year but played the entire season under appeal.

My first thought is "good for the AP." But - awarded Defensive POY honors to Shawn Merriman and Julius Peppers who also tested positive for PEDs and they did nothing there.

So I wonder why this is different - especially because in 2002 Peppers received the award even though he missed the last four games of that year due to a positive test.

And I wonder if it is the AP's place to do this. I understand it's their award, but if the NFL deemed him worthy enough to play through the appeals process, then well, he played and earned the award.

So is this the policy going forward on all AP award winners who test positive for PEDs? Will they only do this in the offseason immediately after a season concludes - or will they go back and revoke/vacate all other award winners who subsequently tested positive for PEDs?

All questions I'm sure the AP will have to answer too here shortly...

and in the world of golf..
thoughts out to the family of LPGA golfer Erica Blasberg (just 25) who was found dead in her home today....

Really - who hasn't tried this?
Unfortunately, the Cubs didn't....even though I have to believe that they did ... at one point ... somewhere...

DEKALB -- Geneva's Pat Schiller, a junior linebacker on the Northern Illinois University football team will undergo knee surgery this week after he completes his final exams.

Schiller was injured during spring practice. He is one of two players to require surgery for spring injuries. Senior safety Mike Sobol recently had surgery for a left knee injury he suffered.

Quarterback Chandler Harnish, who suffered a knee injury late last season, apparently won't have surgery after all. It was originally thought he would miss sprint drills but came back to participate on a limited basis and he doesn't plan to have surgery. Apparently, he will continue to rehabilitate the injured knee.

"Chandler's situation has been unique," coach Jerry Kill said in a school-issued statement that doesn't offer much in the way of clarification.

Kill also said that Sobol plans to return to action by the first game this season (Sept. 2 Iowa State) and that Schiller could return this season.

Sources have told the Beacon News it won't likely be until sometime in October, though.

Juan Pierre

bad, bad bad bad bad bad bad bad....

Awesome.