Recently in Rick's Rants Category

Tommy Lasorda really said Manny Ramirez is the most popular Dodger since the team moved from Brooklyn?

That's what I heard, and immediately thought, "What a shame that senility has hit the former Dahhdger skipper (as Vin Scully would say) so hard."

Tommy was there when Fernando Valenzuela took Southern California by storm and became a national sensation. And what about (once upon a time) Mr. Squeaky Clean Steve Garvery, who helped the team win a World Series as I recall?

What's Manny done except help the team beat the Cubs in one lousy playoff series. Hell, that wouldn't even make the resume of any self-respecting major leaguer over the past, I don't know, 100 years or so, would it?

Sad days for LA LA Land.

So with the 50-game suspension of LA's Manny Ramirez, I guess "Mannywood" now becomes "Anywood."

Baseball fans have to be asking, who wouldn't? when it comes to the use of performance enhancers. Maybe Jose Canseco is right, maybe the number of users is 100 percent. But I still doubt it.

Manny being Manny was very big news. Yes, even Wow news. But did it really shake you to your core? Guess it's the cynic in me. Always thought wild and wacky Manny could be entertaining, but Thursday's news isn't any more surprising than any 90s headline that featured the word "Rodman."

For a long time, the likes of Ken Griffey Jr., Greg Maddux and Frank Thomas were thought to be squeaky clean and beyond reproach by most baseball fans. Listening to talk radio the last 24 hours, it's clear that may no longer be the case.

Can you come up with a list of five players that would really ... REALLY ... shock you if you were to learn they had been found guilty of violating MLB's policy like Manny?

Overheard as I walked the dog past John Madden's house last night ...
"Brett Favre! Brett Favre! Brett Favre!"
Oops, better make that ...
"BRETT FAVRE! BRETT FAVRE! BRETT FAVRE!"

As ESPN.com's John Clayton reports, it's springtime, so Favre is once again mulling a return to the NFL, with the Vikings, and planning a meeting with Aurora's own, Vikes' coach Brad Childress.

Be still my heart. NOT!

He may never leave the league. And that's fine, if someone will have him, more power to him. But, please, Brett, just quit retiring.

Even scarier, though? This probably means Madden won't be far behind. Bet he's soothing the pipes right now, chugging honey-laced hot tea to soothe the pipes, getting them ready for a Keith Jackson-like unretirement party.

Whoa, Nellie!

As reported here on Feb. 15th, four local teams will account for two-thirds of the teams in the 12th Annual High School Hoops Showdown, set again next year for the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.

The pairings and date for the high school basketball event were confirmed this morning by The Integrity Group of Lisle. It will be held Saturday, Jan 23. Mark your calendar now.

The marquee matchup, set to start at about 8:30 p.m. will feature Gordie Kerkman's West Aurora Blackhawks taking on Todd Sutton's Neuqua Valley Wildcats.

That game will be preceded by a new feature to the event, a rivalry matchup featuring Aurora Central and Marmion Academy (6:30 p.m.).

Festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. with Glenbard East meeting Algonquin Jacobs.

Count her in.

Former Oswego High School soccer standout Julianne Sitch has made the opening day roster of the Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer, which was announced on Wednesday.

Sitch, who went on to star at DePaul University, is one of five defenders listed on Sky Blue's 21-woman roster.

The New Jersey/New York City entry in the new league will open its season April 5th at home against the Los Angeles Sol (6 p.m. EST).

Sky Blue will play the Chicago Red Stars twice early in the season. The teams will meet at 5 p.m. Sunday, April 19 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview and again on Sunday, May 10 at 5 p.m. at Toyota Park. Both games will also be televised on Fox Sports Channel.

Sky Blue games will also be televised on FSC on: May 31 vs. Boston (5 p.m.); June 28 vs. St. Louis (5 p.m.) and July 12 vs. Boston (TBD).

The team returned to New York Wednesday from Greensboro, N.C., where it had held its preseason training camp since late February

I don't think this qualifies me as an NFL draft geek, but I did spend more than an hour this morning watching NFL Network coverage of the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Why? Wanted to see my guy, Aurora's Larry English of Northern Illinois, of course. And, Alex Magee of Purdue (and Oswego).

For what it's worth, I saw Magee, a defensive tackle/defensive end who is 6-foot-3, 298 pounds, run a 5.05-second 40-yard dash and saw that he did 30 reps (of 225 pounds) in the bench press drill.

English, according to the analysts, is one of the "conversion guys" who played as a down, rush defensive end in college who is being considered as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 pro alignment. They compared the guys in this group to former Michigan and current Pittsburgh Steeler standout Lamar Woodley, who always had a hand on the ground at DE in college but has made the conversion to OLB.

The main difference? The rush lineman is always going forward. The linebacker, of course, can rush the quarterback but often is dropping back and/or turning to cover tight ends/receivers/backs in pass coverage.

What else I learned? To make that conversion, Larry is gonna have to have good hips. Wonder if he can dance?

Oh yeah, English is listed at 6-foot-2 and 274 pounds. That means he has put on 19 pounds and lost an inch since preseason camp last fall at NIU, when he was listed at 6-3, 255 in the media guide for his senior year. And that, of course, means someone on staff at Northern has failed to master ruler reading 101.

Did see English run a 4.77-second 40 and do 24 reps in the bench press.

And, I heard NFL Network's draft guru Mike Mayock gush: "I pulled out the tape and saw him dominate against Minnesota. He's a great edge rusher."

And cutting in in the background (it was either Charles Davis or host Rich Eisen) said, "Check the Tennessee tape, too."

So, do I have a better handle on where our local guys will go in the draft?

Not a clue, but I am beginning to learn the language.

Kudos of the day to a couple of the good guys from the area coaching ranks:

Greg Burks and Bill Sambrookes, head coaches of the girls and boys basketball teams, respectively, at Hinckley-Big Rock, went back-to-back Thursday and Friday when their teams won titles.

Burks' girls squeaked past arch-rival Newark Thursday to claim the Serena Class 1A Sectional title. Sambrookes' boys edged Indian Creek 68-61 on Friday to claim the Little Ten Conference's regular-season title.

This was Burks' first season at the helm after several years of assisting legendary Larry Peppers, who started the program but was unceremoniously bounced last spring after 30-plus years. It wouldn't have been easy under any circumstances, but was made even tougher by the way Burks' good friend was let go.

Sambrookes and Co. get to try it again next week on their home court when they host a 1A Regional that will feature five Little Ten teams in the eight-team field.

And Burks' girls have one more hurdle to clear in Dakota. A win at the Elgin Community College Supersectional on Monday sends them to state. Greg, you and your girls certainly look the part.