Week 4 Blogpoll Ballot

Tom Fornelli Ballot - Week 5

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama Crimson Tide	--
2	Ohio St. Buckeyes	--
3	Boise St. Broncos	--
4	Oregon Ducks	1
5	TCU Horned Frogs	-1
6	Utah Utes	1
7	Nebraska Cornhuskers	-1
8	Arizona Wildcats	--
9	Stanford Cardinal	4
10	Auburn Tigers	5
11	LSU Tigers	3
12	Florida Gators	4
13	Oklahoma Sooners	-2
14	Wisconsin Badgers	4
15	Arkansas Razorbacks	-3
16	USC Trojans	9
17	Nevada Wolf Pack	--
18	Missouri Tigers	3
19	Michigan Wolverines	--
20	Michigan St. Spartans	2
21	N.C. State Wolfpack	3
22	Iowa Hawkeyes	1
23	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	-4
24	South Carolina Gamecocks	-14
25	Penn St. Nittany Lions	--
Dropouts: Texas Longhorns, West Virginia Mountaineers

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If Only They'd Have Drowned Him

I've been resigned to the fact that it was coming for a while now, but that doesn't matter.  Seeing the Minnesota Twins celebrate anything -- let alone eliminating the White Sox from contention -- always has and always will suck.

Week 3 Blogpoll Ballot

Tom Fornelli Ballot - Week 4

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama Crimson Tide	--
2	Ohio St. Buckeyes	--
3	Boise St. Broncos	--
4	TCU Horned Frogs	--
5	Oregon Ducks	--
6	Nebraska Cornhuskers	1
7	Utah Utes	11
8	Arizona Wildcats	15
9	Texas Longhorns	--
10	South Carolina Gamecocks	-2
11	Oklahoma Sooners	--
12	Arkansas Razorbacks	--
13	Stanford Cardinal	6
14	LSU Tigers	-1
15	Auburn Tigers	--
16	Florida Gators	1
17	Nevada Wolf Pack	--
18	Wisconsin Badgers	7
19	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	5
20	West Virginia Mountaineers	-4
21	Missouri Tigers	--
22	Michigan St. Spartans	--
23	Iowa Hawkeyes	-17
24	N.C. State Wolfpack	--
25	USC Trojans	--
Dropouts: Houston Cougars, Clemson Tigers, California Golden Bears, Air Force Falcons, Miami Hurricanes

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Paul Konerko Is Tougher Than You Or I

The end of the White Sox season has been incredibly painful to watch, but probably not as painful as taking a fastball directly to the chin like Paul Konerko did last night.  What was even more incredible about it was that Konerko refused to leave the game.

And considering that he wasn't even able to talk to the media after the game -- which leads me to believe there's either a lot of broken teeth in that mouth, or maybe even a fractured jaw -- you know he was in a lot of pain.

Instead of giving Carl Pavano the satisfaction of seeing him leave, however, Konerko stuck around and on the very next pitch he saw against Pavano a few innings later, he unloaded into the left field stands.

I can't think of a better example of the kind of player Konerko has been for the Sox season.  It's a shame that their season is going to end with a second place finish just because it kills any chance Konerko would have had to win the AL MVP award.

Going into the season I wasn't sure how I felt about Konerko coming back in 2011, as this is the last year of his contract.  Seeing what I saw on Thursday night, there's no question how I feel about it now.

This team needs its captain, and he wasn't letting this ship go down without him.  No matter how much it hurt.

Kenny Williams Would Rather Be With The Raiders

As the White Sox season continues its slow, torturous march towards its official end, there seem to be storm clouds gathering over US Cellular Field.  The clouds hover over the heads of both Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams.

There are rumors, persistent ones at that, that one of the two won't be back with the White Sox next season.   Not just the rumors about Guillen and Williams hating each other either, which I'm not so sure are rumors as much as fact.

There's just been too much smoke surrounding their frayed relationship this season to believe that there isn't some kind of fire.  There's also been a lot of whispers that Guillen may be interested in leaving Chicago to take the Florida Marlins job next season, allowing him to be at home in Miami with his family year round.

I've no idea what's true and what isn't, but it's becoming clear that there may just not be enough room at US Cellular Field for both of them.  So maybe this tidbit from Joe Posnanski's latest brilliance about Kenny Williams may save the White Sox.

Matt Forte Has Some Baby Mama Drama

Last Sunday brought a nice return of the Matt Forte that the Chicago Bears had missed since his rookie season in 2008.  Forte set an NFL record for most receiving yards by a running back in the first week of the season with 151 yards that included an 89-yard touchdown catch on a screen pass and the game-winning touchdown catch from Jay Cutler in the fourth quarter.

He completed the process of the catch and everything.

In fact, judging by recent developments, Forte is pretty good at completing a lot of processes.  Forte is going to be a father, which is good news.  The bad news is that the woman who is currently seven months pregnant with his child is his ex-girlfriend.

Which was all news to Forte's fiancee.

Bears Make Right Call On Hunter Hillenmeyer

The Bears announced on Tuesday that they had placed linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer on injured reserve due to symptoms he was suffering related to a concussion he suffered in the preseason, and I have to say, good for the Chicago Bears.

"I have mixed emotions," Hillenmeyer said in a release from the team. "I respect the decision of (general manager) Jerry (Angelo) and Lovie to place me on injured reserve. Concussions by nature are harder to evaluate than other injuries. While this is probably in my best interest and the team's, it is hard to accept the fact that my season is over in one game.

"As someone who has been in the forefront of player advocacy of concussion awareness, I'm happy to see my team err on the side of caution. But when it is my season that is cut short, it makes the complexity of the issues really hit home."

Honestly, I was so confounded by the Bears organization doing something right for once that I think I may have gotten a concussion.  All bad jokes aside, concussions really aren't something to be taken lightly.  Just read this post that Jacobi wrote yesterday over at CBS about the former college football player who killed himself that suffered from CTE, and the effects that disease has had on a lot of former football players.

It's some scary stuff.

Especially in light of what we saw from Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend.  Both Kevin Kolb and Stewart Bradley suffered concussions during the Eagles game against Green Bay on Sunday, and Reid actually put both players back in the game afterward.  Apparently they "passed" whatever "evaluations" they were given on the sidelines.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Momma?"

"He's good, coach!"

Now you may be thinking to yourself that with the amount of money players make today, they should suck it up and get back out on the field.  Back in the day players played through concussions all the time.

Well, there wasn't nearly as much known about concussions or their long-term effects on those suffering back then as there is now.

And there is no amount of money worth being paid to put your health -- your life -- in jeopardy.

So kudos to the Bears for making the right decision here.  We can only hope that other NFL teams begin to follow suit.

Week 2 Blogpoll Ballot

We're still early in the season so the swings are still going to be there as I continue to get a better idea of who's for real and who isn't.  Yes, Boise State drops because the Virginia Tech win doesn't look nearly as good following the Hokies' loss to James Madison, and when you combine that with both Ohio State and Alabama having wins against ranked teams this weekend, a drop ensues.

As for the rest, hello, Gamecocks!  Marcus Lattimore is a beast.  I know Stephen Garcia will do something to send the Cocks plummeting down the board at some point, but through two weeks they've looked very strong.  Also, Wisconsin takes a big drop in spite of their win for no other reason than they just haven't impressed me all that much against weak competition so far.

Tom Fornelli Ballot - Week 3

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama Crimson Tide	1
2	Ohio St. Buckeyes	1
3	Boise St. Broncos	-2
4	TCU Horned Frogs	1
5	Oregon Ducks	-1
6	Iowa Hawkeyes	4
7	Nebraska Cornhuskers	-1
8	South Carolina Gamecocks	--
9	Texas Longhorns	-1
10	Houston Cougars	--
11	Oklahoma Sooners	14
12	Arkansas Razorbacks	5
13	LSU Tigers	--
14	Clemson Tigers	6
15	Auburn Tigers	1
16	West Virginia Mountaineers	3
17	Florida Gators	5
18	Utah Utes	-3
19	Stanford Cardinal	--
20	California Golden Bears	--
21	Air Force Falcons	--
22	Miami Hurricanes	-11
23	Arizona Wildcats	--
24	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	--
25	Wisconsin Badgers	-18
Dropouts: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, BYU Cougars, Georgia Bulldogs, Penn St. Nittany Lions, Florida St. Seminoles, Virginia Tech Hokies, Fresno St. Bulldogs

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Remember, this is just a draft. The final isn't due until Wednesday so feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and I may agree and change a few things up.