Guess we can rule out My Big, Fat, Greek Idol...

Well America, you've managed to screw up American Idol again and vote off the entertaining Constantine. Granted, his performance of "How You Remind Me" was a little rough on the vocals, but he could sing the alphabet and still have more stage presence than Anthony. What kind of a guy chooses Celene Dion when you have your pick of any song in the new millenium? And don't even get me started on Scott. I want the names and phone numbers of the aurally challenged viewers who keep voting for this loser so I can talk some sense into them. The show becomes a joke when you let contestants with no talent stay on this long. Luckily, Mr. Maroulis' band already landed a contract this week anyway. Rock on, Constantine!

Derrek Lee & Corey P. are my heroes!

CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! The Cubbies fight back from a 6-1 deficit in the 3rd to win 8-7. Derrek Lee hit 2 bombs (and went 4-4 with 6 RBI) while Corey Patterson hit a walk-off in the bottom of the 9th. Now I have bragging rights in the office since my Cubs beat the boss man's Reds. Holy cow! I feel like doing a little victory dance right now but that might not be good for my job security. Let's hope my joyous mood will continue past 8:30 pm when Scotty the Body is finally kicked off of American Idol (keep those fingers crossed America!).

Nomar and Anwar's worst Wednesday ever

April 20, 2005 is a day that will live in infamy for Nomar Garciaparra and Anwar Robinson. Poor Nomar landed in a heap at home plate after tearing his groin in the evil lair known as Busch Stadium. He will be out at least 2-3 months and possibly the entire season. Who will pick up the offensive slack for the Cubs? That's a good question and Jim Hendry had better find the answer quickly. As for Anwar, he was voted off of Idol this week, inexplicably leaving Scott and Anthony in the competition. I'm seriously starting to wonder if America is tone deaf. Although Anwar was certainly not going to win, he sure sounded a heck of a lot better than anyone else in the bottom three. Here's to a speedy recovery for Nomar and a bright future for Anwar.

"I f-in' love winnin', man. You know, it's like better than losin'."

No truer words have been spoken, Nuke LaLoosh. Today was a beautiful day for my ballclubs as the Tigers finally broke out of their 11-game losing streak and beat TCU 6-5 in 10 innings. Thanks for the walk-off homer, Cory! The Cubbies also defeated the Pirates 4-2 to take the series. Congrats to Derrek Lee on getting off to such a hot start. What a great way to celebrate my half-birthday! ;) Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend. You couldn't ask for nicer weather than we have here in Memphis right now- sunny and in the low 80's. Let's hope both the Tigers and Cubs continue their winning ways. Good luck this week, boys!

Am I missing something?

How in the world did Scotty the Body survive another week on American Idol while funky Nadia got kicked off? Now I realize no one had ever heard of the song she sang this week, but at least she can sing in tune. And why oh why was Bo in the bottom two? That is ludacris, America. Let's get it right next week and vote for the BEST singers, not the ones we feel sorry for.

In Cubs news, Mark Prior pitched a heck of a game yesterday. I'm really impressed with the way that he shut down the Padres offense and made it through the whole game without losing any body parts. The Cubbies have a tough 7-game road trip starting tomorrow and everyone needs to step up. With any luck, they should be able to sweep the Pirates and at least split with the Reds and Cards.

"Here's to you, Men in Blue, you're the cream of the crop. You're a team built on dreams, you'll go right to the top. And as sure as there's ivy on the centerfield wall, the Men in Blue are gonna win it all!"

Two out of three ain't bad

I'd like to congratulate the Cubbies on taking 2 out of 3 from the Brewers. They really bounced back after blowing Friday's game with 2 outs in the 9th. Carlos Zambrano continues to impress and cement his status as the true ace of the staff. The bullpen still needs a lot of work, but they've managed to stay afloat. Although Greg Maddux has gotten off to a slow start, I don't think we need to worry about the future Hall of Famer. Let's keep our fingers crossed that Mark Prior can actually pitch tomorrow and that Todd Walker's knee isn't blown out. Good luck today vs. the Padres! I'll never forgive those (insert any four-letter word here) for 1984, so let's annihilate them! GO CUBS!!!

Help Wanted at Wrigley Field

Here's the ad that should run in the Chicago Tribune:

Help Wanted: A reliable closer for the Chicago National League Ballclub. Must be able to hold 1-run leads, talk to the media when necessary, and be cordial to umpires.

A second position for a manager who knows when to remove pitchers from a ballgame when they have nothing left in the tank may also soon be available.

Clean out your ears, America!

How in the world was Vonzell in the bottom three on American Idol last night? All I can figure is that some of the voters are suffering from wax buildup because there's no way that Nikko should have been voted off before Scott or Anthony. I don't know how many more weeks I can take of those two warblers. Let's hope Q-Tip sales go up and they are soon put out of their (our?) misery.

As for the Cubbies, they are off to a disappointing 1-2 start. Now I realize we don't have our rotation set up the way we would like yet, but shouldn't we be able to beat the Diamondbacks regardless? I don't think that Ryan Dempster is the answer for our 5th starter. Perhaps we shouldn't have sent Matt Clement packing without a suitable replacement. And so far, other than in the first game, I'm not too impressed with our hitting. Hopefully the boys in blue will get it together by the home opener tomorrow. Ryno is throwing out the first pitch and singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" with Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo, so it should be a good game.

"Wind's blowin' out, wind's blowin' in. Whichever way it's blowin', the Cubs are gonna win!"

So much for my happy ending...

I hate to quote pseudo punk rocker Avril Lavigne, but the song does fit in this case. The Illini came up a bit short last night, losing to UNC 75-70. However, I am very proud of them for fighting back to tie the game after being down 15 points early in the second half. You certainly can't complain when your team goes 37-2, but it sure would have been nice to win a national championship. I guess the good news is that apparently the apocalypse is still a little while off. HA HA! And on a brighter note, the Cubs did clobber the D-Backs 16-6. Now I can focus all of my energy on root, root, rooting for the Cubbies.

"GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!"

We're loyal to you, Illinois

We're Orange and Blue, Illinois. We'll back you to stand against the best in the land...

My Alma Mater is going to the finals for the first time, baby! I couldn't be any prouder to be an Illinois alum. What a team! Monday just might be the best day ever because not only are the Illini playing for a national championship, but it's also the Cubs' first game of the year. Could 2005 be the year for Illinois sports? Guess we better start looking out for locusts. HA HA!

Today has been a great day. I found lots of fantastic stuff at the mall, including 3 spring outfits and a pair of dress shoes. With all the team banquets coming up, I've got to look my best. I also picked up some new perfume, candles, and bubble bath. It looks like I'm all set for a spring fling- all I'm missing is the man. ;)

Hail to the Orange, Hail to the Blue...

Hail Alma Mater, ever so true. We love no other so let our motto be... VICTORY ILLINOIS! Varsity. :)

Holy cow- what a game! I felt that same pit in my stomach I get when I'm trying to will LaTroy Hawkins into closing a Cubs game (I even had to get my lucky gum out). How in the world did the boys from Champaign come back from 15 down late in the 2nd half? Well, they aren't called the Fighting Illini for nothing. That was incredible!!! Dick Vitale must be going nuts. At least I know Illinois will have the Memphis fans rooting for them since they all despise Louisville. Oskee wow-wow Illinois!

Feel so bad like a ballgame on a rainy day

Once again, it is raining in Memphis so tonight's baseball game vs. Ole Miss at AutoZone Park has been postponed (it's like I live in Seattle South). However, I really shouldn't complain since our neighbors to the North are still getting snow. Hopefully the weather will improve by tomorrow night since the Tigers should be in good shape for a W vs. Murray State.

It's March Madness time and even I have to admit that the action has been pretty exciting thus far. There have been so many upsets that it's a good thing that I'm not allowed to participate in the pools because I would have lost money for sure. I'd like to give a shout out to Mike Gansey (former Bonnie) who has been tearing up the court for West Virginia. And best of luck to the Fighting Illini vs. UW-Milwaukee. They are a scrappy bunch so the boys from Illinois better be ready to play. Congrats to the Memphis Tigers for kicking butt in the NIT so far. Good luck tomorrow vs. Vandy!

The best news of all is that Opening Day is less than 2 weeks away. May the baseball gods bring healing powers to Wood and Prior so that the Cubbies finally have a chance to win the World Series. GO CUBS GO!

Corned beef and steroids

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I find it kind of odd that such a festive occasion is being combined with the Congressional hearings on steroid use in Major League Baseball, but I digress... So far, Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, and Rafael Palmeiro have denied using steroids. Mark McGwire, on the other hand, will not answer whether or not he or his teammates have ever used performance enhancing drugs. Very interesting, Big Mac. You could be using this opportunity to clear your name but instead you are pleading the 5th. Maybe there really is some truth to Jose Canseco's allegations then. As for Curt Schilling's presence, all I can figure is that there are some huge Red Sox fans in Congress and they just wanted to stick it to the Yankees since two of their players (Giambi and Sheffield in case you've been living under a rock) have already admitted taking 'roids. So kids, remember the wise words of Mr. Mackey on South Park: "Drugs are bad umm kay."

Just another Manic Monday

Boy, it sure is hard to get back in the groove after even a short vacation. Since it was Spring Break here, I went home last Thursday- Sunday for a little R & R. It was nice to chill with the fam and eat lots of good food, but now it's back to reality. This week is going to be busy too since it's advising time. Basically, the next 3 weeks are going to be crazy but at least I won't be bored.

In entertainment news, Mario has left American Idol due to personal reasons. It's too bad because I thought he had a real chance of winning the whole thing. However, I admire him for giving up his dream and realizing that family comes first. He has a good shot of becoming a pop star anyway. On a brighter note, Michael Buble' is going to perform in Indianapolis on May 21 and I had already planned on going home that weekend anyway. Tickets go on sale tomorrow and I can't wait! To quote the Pointer Sisters, "I'm so excited and I just can't hide it. I'm about to lose control and I think I like it."

Sending out an S.O.S.

In this case, S.O.S. stands for Save Our Show, "American Dreams". Please tune in to NBC tomorrow night at 7:00 pm Central so that this fine show can hopefully stay on the air. For those of you who don't know, this program focuses on the Pryor family's trials and tribulations during the turbulent 60's. Not only is the writing excellent, but the music is also fantastic. Check out this website for more info: http://www.nbc.com/American_Dreams/
If you're longing for a great drama that doesn't involve digging up dead people (no offense CSI: Every U.S. City), then please watch "American Dreams" on NBC Wednesdays 8 pm ET/7 PM CT. You won't be disappointed.

Rock the Vote!

Tonight's episode of American Idol has inspired me to blog. If you haven't voted yet, pick up that phone and dial 1-866-IDOLS-08 right now. Anwar was amazing--his singing makes it a "wonderful world" indeed. I also enjoyed Mario as always with his rico suave rendition of "How Do You Mend A Broken Heart." Nikko was also very good. I never thought I'd vote for the spawn of a St. Louis Cardinal, but he did Ray proud with his version of "Georgia On My Mind." The final contestant worthy of my vote was Bo, who brought it down with "I'll Be." Who knew the rocker had a softer side?

Now, on to the rest of the gang. Anthony's little Latin number wasn't too bad, but he didn't quite have the personality to pull it off. Speaking of personality, Constantine has plenty, but it takes more than good hair to make the Top 12. As for Scott, I still find him kind of vanilla and his voice is just average. Travis needs to go. The last time I checked, this isn't Dance Fever. You should be able to sing in tune at this point in the competition. Bridget OUT!

Play-by-play, I heard it on the radio

This afternoon, I had the privilege of listening to Pat Hughes and Ron Santo call the first Cubs Spring Training game on WGN Radio. Thanks to computer geeks like Bill Gates, fans from all over the world can now listen to their home team's broadcasts online. This is definitely a dream come true for baseball nuts such as myself who no longer live close to their favorite teams. The Cubbies even managed to squeak out a victory today, 2-1 over the Oakland A's. A big high-five goes out to Aramis Ramirez for his 2-run homer. GO CUBS!

Speaking of Ron Santo, I'd like to know if the Veteran's Committee is suffering from brain damage due to prolonged tobacco use. How in the hell do you not elect anyone to the Hall of Fame two years in a row? Ronnie is more than deserving as were several other candidates. This old boy's club needs a history lesson as well as a stepladder to get off their high horse.

Congratulations to Coach Sudbrook on his 400th win with St. Bonaventure Baseball! You are my hero, Coach. GO BONNIES!

Hey ABC, can I get a refund?

Last night's finale of "The Bachelorette" brought whole new meaning to the word lame. I would estimate that we watched 10 hours of footage from this series, so we should be able to get at least a $1 an hour back for the electricity that was wasted. It's hard for me to believe that Jen gave her so-called relationship with Jerry much of a shot when taping just ended in October and they could only see each other in secret until last night. Something tells me that the rumors of a new lover for Ms. Schefft could very well be true. All I know is that I am now boycotting this pathetic excuse for a show. Jerry, feel free to give me a call. ;)

I'm just not feelin' it, dawg

Tonight was the first results show on American Idol and four would-be superstars got the boot: Melinda, Sarah, Jared, and Judd. I think America did a pretty good job of voting this time. The lessons that should be learned from this week's performances are 1) don't sing a Celine Dion song unless you actually are Celine Dion (Melinda), 2) don't sing a group number that requires background vocals (Sarah), 3) don't sing off key (Jared) and 4) don't wear red velour pants if you're a guy (Judd). Personally, I thought Judd's performance was entertaining and I give him props for not singing a whiny ballad (a Michael Bolton song, Joseph? PUHLEASE!). It's going to be a great season and I'm looking forward to everything but Ryan Seacrest's lame jokes. Rock on, Idols!

Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got- I'm still Bridgie from the block

Hello blog fans! Just thought I would share the news with y'all that I finally got a University of Illinois class ring. I've never been much of a jewelry person (mostly because I've never made enough money to afford the good stuff before and I'm kind of a klutz), but this ring is quite fabulous. It's 14 K white gold with the Alma Mater crest in the middle and BS 1996 on the sides. 2005 is the perfect year to show off the fact that you're an Illinois alum since the men's basketball team is 26-0. GO ILLINI! But even though I've got some bling now, I'm still the same humble girl from Paris, IL (hence the title of this post). However, I still think that there should be a song with the name Bridget in the title. Why should Mary Lou, Rosanna, and Sherry get all the glory?