Will The Real Marquette Please Stand Up?

Let me introduce you to the Marquette Golden Eagles. The most inconsistent basketball team in the NCAA right now. I cannot tell you how frustrated I am with this team right now and how critical this lost was today at UConn. There were nine teams in the Big East with two losses and two of them had four wins as well. Now we end up in the middle of the pack with Syracuse.

So from now on in Big East play, I will have to worry everytime they leave the state of Wisconsin. Check out this stat alone: At home, they have won all three games by an average of twenty-one points and on the road they have lost all three games by an average of seventeen. You get what I mean? They had one close call against Seton Hall but the other two they just demolished their opponents. So what gives?

I think that first off Dominic James injury is a lot worse than we know about and I really think that Tom Crean should of rested him today so in case his injury kept him out of a game, Maurice Aker would be ready to lead this Marquette team.

Jerel McNeal has seemed to lose his offensive concept in the last two games; he has been tentative to shoot a mid-range jumper that he has knocked down in the last two years. Also Ousmane Barro and Dwight Burke has been dominated by the big men of Notre Dame, Louisville, and UConn plus they cannot keep themselves out of foul trouble.

The upside of these two losses is that Lazar Hayward and Wes Matthews have been playing very well and showing the only life the team has had in the last couple days.

So dont blame on the blue jerseys, dont blame Coach Crean either because its not his fault if shots do not fall, the only issue I have is some of his lineups seem rather off. They have a week to prepare for DePaul at home so I hope it will be successful.

Charlie.

Championship Weekend Predictions

Now that we are only about 18 hours out from the Big Game that everyone has been waiting for, I will give you guys my predictions on the two games.

New England over San Diego- I think the New England Patriots will roll against the San Diego Chargers because Phillip Rivers take one big hit and we are looking at Billy Volek who isnt a horrible back up, yet he will not win against the Pats in Foxboro. I think LDT and Shawne "Needs Roids" Merriman will bring their A game but that will not be enough for the Bolts as they will fall, 38-7.

Green Bay over New York- Was this really a big surprise to any of you out there? The Packers know that the cold weather is a big factor yet it should not be a distraction. As E says up in EC, "Just do the damn thing". That is what the Packers will do as Ryan Grant will come to play again have a huge day and Brett Favre will just make big plays when he needs to. I will be interested in seeing how Mark Tauscher plays agianst Michael Strahan or Osi Umenyiora, I think if he does what he did against Patrick Kearney it will result in big things for the Packers. Also watch out for my boy, Atari Bigby. I told everyone he would be good. 21-13

GO PACK GO!!!!

Finally Shannon is a Brewer Fan Plus Other Thoughts to this Great Weekend

The reason why one of my good friends Shannon Scott is a new Brewer fan is because they signed Mike Cameron who he says "is one of the only reasons he watches MLB". I got to tell you I was not that excited earlier in the week when they talked about this deal going down. Then after reading Tom Hardicourt article about the signing, I seemed to warm up to the idea of having Cameron.

I have always like seeing his highlight reel catches on Sportscenter and he is a clutch hitter which the Brewers are in desperate need of. They also get a guy who finally gets to hit in a hitters park which has dragged his numbers down. He also said today he would assist Braun as much as possible in the outfield which is great that Braun gets pointers from a three-time gold glover.

Now word does have it that Billy Hall is not too happy about moving positions once again. I personally do not care what how he feels because he is not the future of this franchise like Ryan Braun. I think Bill Hall will do just fine back in the infield and will be very valuable to the team.

Random Weekend Thoughts

Great Packer game, everything has been said about it and I enjoyed it. As an Offensive Lineman, I think people need to give more credit to Mark Tauscher who put Patrick Kearney on lock down.

Marquette impresses me more than ever when I was live in person with my father. We really liked Lazar Hayward play plus the overall quickness of this team is mindblowing. I am going to get to that mid-season report this week.

Great to see the Giants win so we can have another game in Lambeau and I respect the way TO took all of the pressure off of Tony Romo because there was no reason he should take the heat for going to Mexico with his girlfriend.

Also took in my fair share of Entourage, what a great show. Only if I had HBO. VICTORY!!!!

Charlie.

NFL Playoff Predictions

Just giving my faithful readers some things to chew on during the games.

Green Bay defeats Seattle 34-17, I really believe that Brett Favre will not let his former coach beat him in Lambeau plus they will be able to do everything on their offense and Shaun Alexander is quickly becoming a shell of his former self.

Jacksonville defeats New England 31-27, I have been telling people this for weeks. Told my pops told "You ready to see the Pats lose". He looked at me like I told him I was dating Britney Spears. I think they have all the tools to beat them and have been overlooked all year because they play in the same conference in the Pats when if they were in any other conference, they would win it minus the AFC East with the Pats of course. Freddy Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew will have a huge day.

Indy defeats San Diego 35-14, This one will not be like the one in the regular season where Manning threw 6 INTs and Adam Vinitari botched field goal. As I said in my interview with MP (check it out, I know its long), I said the Chargers cannot go anywhere in the playoffs with Phillip Rivers as their quarterback. That will prove the case as he falls under the pressure of the RCA Dome.

New York defeats Dallas 31-20, A wise man last week told me that "Dallas had peaked" and I could not agree with him. Tony Romo is done, their team is done. If they do win this game, they will pull it out by inches. Dallas' best games are way behind them.


I will have a college basketball report next week.

Charlie.

An Interview With a Tosa Legend.

So on January 1st, I decided to finally do my Interview with Mike Parluski, head soccer coach of Tosa West boys and girls soccer plus always been a great person to just talk to about the most random things going on in todays world.

MP: I am here and up and at it...Let's get it started!

Chuck: Well I am glad you finally awoke today. A hello this morning would of been nice. Anyways we will start out with how is the outlook on the girls soccer season in the upcoming spring?

MP: Chuck -I was up...for the 2nd half.Girl's Soccer -We lose a lot...but we return a lot too. I look at it and we lost 4 starters, so it's not like we are gonna drop off the radar and become suck city, but from other coaches that I talk to they really don't think we will be all that good. People can think what they want and it's totally false and I hope it upsets the team. Nicole shot some big goals but we didn't win just because we had Nicole Sperl, but constantly that's what I hear, that we lost Nicole and that we are gonna suck and I love it. Doubt us now...

I actually upgraded the schedule. If we want to be a top 10 program in the state then the kids need to understand that we need to play the best. We will be really, really good in May and that's what I want - learn, work hard, and be playing your best at the end of the year...It's up to the girls to step up to and claim spots and increase their level of play. I think we will. I actually put together a line-up a few weeks back and I really liked the initial 10.We lost a really good senior class: a good goalkeeper, a lockdown defender and a pure goalscorer and a GREAT bench. You want to be a good team and players 15-22 have to make it competitive on a daily basis. We had great kids who really didn't allow the practices to drop and that was the key to our success.

Coach Worzella will earn his keep this year and work with making us a competent goalkeeper. We have a few girls from the basketball program rumored to be coming out, which I think is great. It's up to the other 10 girls on the field to make them have to not do a lot and help them build confidence.I like the nucleus, I like the fact that the majority of them went and played at a different club this year. I won't make any predictions other than - tradition never graduates and this group might surprise other people with what we do this year, but they won't surprise me. I look at what we want to do as expectations of excellence and we have a good group of girls that at the end of the season will be VERY VERY difficult to play against.Q: TW Football...I'll leave it open ended. Just give you a paragraph to reflect, rant, rave, send shout outs...whatever makes you happy Chuck

Chuck: Wow, that is quite the loaded question and not quite sure where I want to start. I think that their needs to be moves made in the program because it is not going anywhere. I believe that the basketball team will win conference in the next five years and football is the last piece of the puzzle to be a strong sports school. The only time we have been .500 or better under the current coach Ben Viet, it is because of the determined senior leadership that carries the team. I am pretty sure we could of pulled a Varsity Blues and coached the team ourselves. Viet does not put the time/effort into the football team and that is not fair to any of the kids that are playing right now. He just hires people who have worked for him before or in the youth program that he is familiar with; who knows Big Mike could be next! The only guy he brought in from the outside was Orlowski yet he was a good friend with him. We do not have a weight room schedule where our coach will jump on our ass for not showing up. The times have caught up for Coach Viet and would love to see someone new there especially with a promising class in 2010 and 2011 almost winning conference in the freshman ball. Now the funny thing is you would expect that coach to get a promotion yet HE STAYS THERE! Ben is threatened by anyone who could be better him in a couple of years.
Q: Favorite Sports Moments of 2007- HS/College/Pro?

MP: TW Football -I would agree Football at TW should be within the top 3 EVERY YEAR in the Woodland Conference. I don't know who to blame, etc. but the one thing I noticed in the games I watched this year is that they didn't compete or adjust. It was like the dog that enjoyed being kicked. I don't know enough about what they have / don't have in football for the future...Let me ask you a question. If they put in this hardcore expectations / weight room schedule and no one still showed up what would you do? Do you still play the best? At a Homestead, an Arrowhead, etc. if you don't show up there is someone who will jump you and you pay the price. Do you think West has that kind of talent?I know as a coach that you are always finding new and creative ways to legally work within the WIAA rules, but just not possible to make things mandatory but with football you need to lift and lift a lot and I'll agree that just doesn't happen. I just don't know who to blame or how to make things better...

Top Moments -HS - 07 was one fun year for me. Top moment for girls was as the fog rolled in and we beat Brookfield East 3-2 at their place. Who would have thought in one year we would beat Brookfield Central and East - after NEVER beating either one in the span of 5 days?I think just going to the state tournament for me was something too. You live for it and to see the support we got and the excitement that we created was just a bigtime WOW! I think the two that I got really pumped up for were beating Brookfield East in OT - I don't know if you noticed but I probably ran like a 4.5 40 and beat all the kids over to the stands for that one. And in the state quarterfinals when we beat DePere in OT...was pretty cool too.

College - Watching MU beat the Badgers in BBall. I am a huge MU fan and the rest of the family loves Wisconsin. I got to shake hands and thank everyone for being the 2nd best team in the state.

Pro - HUGE Packer fan the fact that they are so good makes my year. Love Favre, love the fact that he changed his lifestyle to stay in the game, love how he plays for all the right reasons, love the fact that he tells it how it is... I just bought a winter hat so that when he puts his on during the game on the sideline, so can I at home. Realistically couldn't you see him playing another 4-5 years?Q: NFL Playoff Predictions. Look into your Crystal Ball and let me know what you see...

Chuck: I guess I am not even asking for hardcore expectations, more to the fact that just asking people three times a week and to have lifting books to record all of their lifts plus do it at a percentage to become stronger. Thats all I really ask, and your right we dont have enough like an Arrowhead or a Homestead that if you dont show up, too bad is their attitude

.I see this way... (Obviously this didn’t happen yet I didn’t get time to post this during the week) NFC: Washington and New York will win this weekend, I hate to say that to because i hate the NFC East almost as much as I hate Big Ten Basketball The Packers will curbstomped the Giants, they proved they are deep as ever and they only had trouble with Shockey, he is gone now, no problem. Then the showdown we all are waiting for, I will take Green Bay because they played hurt coming into to Dallas and they will be ready to beat the Cowboys with all of their secondary being ready to play. Romo will crumble and I think Favre will break the Dallas Curse.

AFC: Jacksonville and San Diego will win. Pittsburgh hasnt been good for weeks and they are now missing Willie Parker. I just do not see Najah Davenport getting it done for the Steelers. San Diego will blowout the Tiants, they are so bad including Vince Young. The Titan defense has carried them and LDT carries the Chargers in so many different ways that will lead them to a very big win. Jacksonville knocks off New England, they have all the tools to knock off New England and I think they will be able to do it with their strong running attack plus a physical defense that has been the success to come close to beating the Pats. The Pats has played motivated all year and I just have this feeling they are not getting to the Super Bowl. I will probably take the Colts to beat the Chargers because Rivers will not be able to take pressure of being inside a large dome. He is a second-rate quarterback and Manning will be able to handle his business. I think then the Colts will take care of Jacksonville because they have their number, it reminds me alot of Dallas-Green Bay in the 90s, overall dominance by one team.

Super Bowl- It would really worry me to see this Super Bowl almost more than New England. I would be scared that our safeties including my boy Atari Bigby would struggle against Manning. Yet Dungy always had trouble beating the Pack and I think Favre wants to put the cherry on top of this season leading us to another Super Bowl championship!!!!Q: Favorite sibling? Dont give me a weak answer either big guy PS: I loved the Marquette win too so special, tell Doz he owes me 15 bucks still for that game.

MP:NFL Playoffs -NFC - I don't want to say anything more than, P-A-C-K-E-R-S! Packers will go down to Dallas and break the curse. Romo and Dallas didn't do enough in our first meeting to make me say wow. I agree with TO - curse of Jessica Simpson. You take one of the dumbest people in the world and get them involved with your leader and look at the results. They were sucktastic against Washington...AFC - I want to see the Colts or the Chargers come out...I don't know. I always look as a coach as sometimes that you lose a lot from a loss. You see how it feels to go home a loser and that upsets you as an athlete and you see the fine line between winning an losing. The Patriots have been playing not to lose and tense the last few weeks...

Favorite Sibling -Depends on the day. Kyle and I fight the least. Nick really can annoy me and so can Josh. Kristin finally has a decent boyfriend and I hope they get married...she has never been more normal. We honestly are five very different people and that's pretty cool. I wouldn't say I like one more than the others. I feel bad for Josh having me coach him sometimes, because he usually has to be the example of what we need to do better.Q: Team you love to hate the most AND why - HS, College, Pro Baseball, Pro Football, whatever you want to list...

Chuck: HS: Tosa East- I just hate everything about them, the players they have had over the years have been some of the cockiest bastards I have ever encountered. I just cannot stand them because they feel we are so much worse than them, its pretty sickening.NB Ike- Same as above, two guys on my team at UWEC are from Ike, they give me shit all the time about being us consistently in football/basketball but its all good, they are really nice guys for the most part.Cudahy- I just wish someone would slap that town, and tell them its 2008 not 1955.

College Basketball: Wisconsin- They are the biggest bunch of whiners and they think their team is so important to talk about them like a top five team. They also think that they will always contend for a National Championship, its a joke when Marquette has been the superior team over the years.

College Football: Michigan- I hate alot of teams but I would go with the Wolverines, they consider themselves the best of the Big 10 when Ohio State has clearly take that title from them. Also I hate Lloyd Carr, he just a prick plain and simple.

Baseball- Chicago Cubs/New York Yankees- Nothing makes me happier than to see both lose on the same the day. They just have the most obnoxious fans and they have this idea that there is no one else in the MLB but themselves.

NFL- Minnesota Vikings- No one I hate more but them, maybe just the ill feelings of Moss' rookie year during the Monday Night game where they just torn us up during their 15-1 year. That has always stuck with me and just cannot stand the Vikings.

NBA- Lebron James- Its not even a team, I think Lebron is not Michael Jordan yet so he should not be treated like it.

Yours?

MP: HS - You are spot on about TE...I told Skybosh once - if we could beat them in hopscotch, I would be excited...I also hate MUHS. I like their coach, he is a class act. But in our state semi-final they had a player look at him and tell him for a lack of better terms to shut the f$%k up. You have to respect the game, your opponent and your teammates and neither of those teams do that...I always respect Brookfield East. Competitive game, well-coached. Win or lose they do it the right way.

College Basketball - I hate the Badgers. Brian Butch is SO overrated. I hate watching him and can't wait till he plays in the Turkish B-League. Doz once angered me. I also hate the majority of MU fans. We have too many whiners and babies and they talk when it's good and make excuses. The team I hate the most though is Duke. I hate Dick Vitale and listening to him about how Jesus made Coach K and how every Duke player is the greatest player ever. I first hated Bobby Hurley and Christian Laettener - they embody the whiny white boy better than everyone that I know.

College Football - I hate Minnesota, nothing better than seeing the Badgers waving Paul Bunyan's axe. I also hate Arkansas now that they got Bobby Petrino and how they did it. I also hate Florida State - Bobby Bowden has made blunder after blunder and let these guys act like complete fools. At one point do they finally cut one of these thugs?NFL - Da Bears and the Cowboys. Favorite memory of Packers / Bears...Majik Man throwing that touchdown to Sterling Sharpe to win the game...NBA - I hate almost all of the NBA. It is almost like AND1. I like the teams like Phoenix, Toronto and the Spurs that play some good team basketball. Too often it's stand around and just chuck up crap and then not try until the last 4 minutes of the 4th quarter to actually play.
Q: Last one for today. Ask me one more too. If you weren't a football player - what would you see yourself doing?God Bless, Happy Holidays, Enjoy your Break and to all the fans of the Blogspot - Chuck is life!

Chuck: First big thing, once football is over with for me, I will drop weight like a mad man. I dont know yet what diet it will be but I need to go on once the football days are over. I want to host my own radio show, I have decided that I like the aspect of calling games play by play but I think a radio show would be so laid-back plus getting to interview a lot of cool people. It wouldnt matter if it was about sports or entertainment, I would love to do it.

Another one would be becoming a high school coach. I would love to come back to Wauwatosa West and coach the Trojans, it is just something that will always be there. I think there is nothing cooler than alumni coaching their school, I think it adds a sense of pride with every big win. I would need another job with that but I have no clue what that would be.If I gave you the chance to coach any team in any sport would it be and why?Thanks for all your time today and good luck in the upcoming season.

Charlie.

MP:I agree with you 100% alums make great coaches and TW needs some of you old football guys to come back and teach what you learned in college...The one thing that I really learned from Dave Scherer is that never be afraid to hire good young coaches. You want the people that surround you to be good people and hard workers and constantly improving in their field.

If I could for one day coach any team, I would pick the US Men's National Team. I went this summer to watch the Chicago Fire U-23 team train and they did a lot of stuff I do with the boys and girls at West. Sports are a pretty simple thing - too often over complicate them. They just did it so much faster and they all were constantly involved (communicating, directing, etc.) I would like to see at the highest level if I could get the respect and be able to pick the best the brains of the best that we have in this country and see what they think younger players need to work on.Chuck you in this Spring for a 6 hour commute to do the PA for the girls soccer games? HAHAHA...good luck this spring! Someone needs to beat Whitewater...I forgot to mention them in the teams I hate too.MP