Happy Hockey New Year!

Happy New Year's Everyone!

Today, as promised, a guest blogger takes the helm at the Sports BBQ.

Let me introduce Marc, a friend since about third or fourth grade (as I recall, he was a GREAT kickball player), a true sports hound (which, I truly heart) and knower of all things hockey.

So, hot off the grill today is what's sizzlin' on the ice tomorrow. Hope you have a happy and safe New Year's Eve and a prosperous, blessed New Year!

Tomorrow is a big day in the hockey world. Once a year, the NHL takes the game back to where is got its start, outside.

Most of the players on the ice were raised with skates on their feet and a huge part of that was going out on a cold winters day for a game of shinny on a frozen pond or river. Now, the NHL has come out of its shell and come up with a great idea to get more people to watch their game, even if it is only for one day.

The tradition started in 2003 as my favorite team, the Montreal Canadiens, traveled to the wilds of Edmonton to play the Oilers in Commonwealth Stadium. The outdoor game was renewed in 2008 as Pittsburgh traveled to Buffalo and, again, last season as venerable Wrigley Field hosted the Hawks and the Red Wings.

Now it is Fenway Park's turn as the Boston Bruins take on the Philadelphia Flyers. Players to watch on both teams:

> Philadelphia's leading scorer Mike Richards

> future Hall of Famer defenseman Chris Pronger

> goalie Brian Boucher

> Boston's Patrice Bergeron, 6' 9" Zdeno Chara

> goalie Tim Thomas.

Both teams started the year slowly, but now each hold a playoff spot going into the New Year.

> One of the more interesting items of the game is the team's jerseys. As has been the case in the past, the teams have decided to honor their past by wearing jerseys, or sweaters as they used to be called, representing each team's past.

> So if you want to see hockey as it was meant to be played, catch the game tomorrow at 1pm on NBC.

First Woman to Ref College Bowl Game

A little known fact has been sizzling on the hot BBQ and it's time to plate it.

Here's what you can chat up:

> Sarah Thomas is the first woman to referee a college football football game. She's ref'ed other college games and a practice for the New Orleans Saints but this is another barrier broken when she was the line judge for the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl between Ohio University and Marshall University.

> Ria Cortesio was the first female to ump an MLB game -- though it was an exhibition game.

> There aren't a lot of women refs in the pro leagues. Violet Palmer is one.

> David Stern, the NBA commissioner recently responded to a question that in the next decade it's possible a woman could be playing in the league.

So often, I've talked about sports that are male dominated and, I'll continue to. But today, it's time to acknowledge the accomplishments of a few women. And in the future, I'll be finding more stories and bringing some guest bloggers in.

Enjoy!

Colts First Defeat: Who's To Blame?

Hello friends,

So, here's something that you can chat up:

> Was it smart/wise/good coaching for the Indianapolis head coach to pull Peyton Manning from the game in which they suffered their first loss of the season?

> Jim Caldwell decided to yank Manning when the Colts held a 5 point lead. Why? Well, rest is one thing.

> The farther a successful team heads into the season -- and the Colts have had a GREAT season -- do you start to rest players so they are fresh for the playoffs?

> Some say yes; others no. But to NOT take a shot at an undefeated season...well, that's something to get people's opinions on.

> My two cents: keep the undefeated season alive. This was not a game that the Colts had in the bag and that it made sense to have Curtis Painter come into the game.

> It's also the classic "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation.

But that's enough for you to throw out around the water cooler and have some fun.

Enjoy!

Colts Suffer First Defeat. What's up with Urban Meyer?

Happy Holidays from the Sports BBQ!

First course off the grill: NFL football.

> The Indianapolis Colts suffered their first regular season defeat today. That means NO team in the NFL will be undefeated this year.

> The Colts have had several games this season in which they've had to come from behind in the last minutes to win. They've always rallied until today.

> Talk about what it means that the Colts lost. Yes, they've still won their division and have home field advantage in the playoffs, but does this loss show their vulnerabilities against a mediocre team?

> What do the Colts need to do next week to put this loss behind them? (I say they've got to dominate. Look at what happened to New Orleans after their loss last week. They lost today to a lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneer team.)

Second course: Urban Meyer is quitting as the head football coach at the University of Florida. Wait, no he's not leaving. He's just taking a leave of absence.

> Talk about how Meyer's alleged change of plans impacts his team as they prep for their bowl game.

> Most college and pro coaches work year round, rarely taking days off. If they're not recruiting, they're developing game plans, prepping for opponents, scouting, etc.

> Meyer was hospitalized after the SEC championship game against Alabama. Today, he reportedly said that he had always put football first. Now, it was time to put his health and family first.

> Why is it hard for Meyer to walk away?

> If he does leave, will he coach again? Where? Meyer was a leading candidate for the Notre Dame job.

Chat. It. Up. Enjoy!

George Michael, The Sports Machine

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Sports BBQ.

Today, we mark the sad passing of an amazing sports journalist. George Michael, a talented storyteller who manned The Sports Machine died Wenesday. Washington, DC area viewers knew him well from his nightly sportscasts at WRC-TV, channel 4. However, I got to know George through his nationally aired program TSM.

George was a talented storyteller who knew how to find a good story. He knew the questions to ask and he was never shy about his opinions. His trademark line, "Let's go to..." and then he'd name the place or the city and hit the big PLAY button on the videotape machine that was part of his set, became part of many sportscasters vernacular.

He oozed passion. How many of us can say that about our jobs? He made me realize that great storytelling isn't differentiated by news, politics or sports. Give George a political story and he'd weave an incredible narrative. It just so happened that sports was his sweet spot. Maybe that's why I liked him and his style so much.

Thanks, George. I'll always remember you.

Christmas Eve Round Up

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the BBQ!

Today's hot grill features a round up. Here's what you can chat up:

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

> College bowl games - these are the post-season trips that teams have earned based on their record and performance. There are a multitude of bowl games (and I am not kidding about these names): Pointsettia Bowl, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Valero Alamo Bowl, AutoZone Liberty Bowl, PapaJohns.com Bowl and the Bell Armed Forces Bowl.

> Bowl games have already started so you'll be hearing scores daily.

> But here's what you really want to pay attention to: Citi BCS National Championship Game, FedEx Orange Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

PRO BASKETBALL

> The Los Angeles Lakers play the The Cleveland Cavaliers tomorrow. Each team boasts a superstar: Kobe Bryant for the Lakers, LeBron James for the Cavaliers. Shaquille O'Neal also plays for the Cavs.

> This is an AWESOME match up! Kobe and LeBron are both explosive, creative scorers, amazing motivators, and they know how to get the best from their teammates.

Talk it up and ENJOY!

Sports Round-Up

Good afternoon,

The BBQ is packed today! We're grilling up football.

Here's what you can chat up today:

> A first in college football. The Associated Press voted defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh the AP player of the year.

> This is huge! Notice that it didn't go to the Heisman winner, which is almost always awarded to an offensive player.

> He has won 4 other awards (bear with me...these names are worth tossing around): the Outland Trophy, the Nagurski (nuh-GER-ski), the Bednarik (bed-NAR-ick) and the Lombardi Trophies. Essentially, these four awards are given to the best defensive player and best lineman. In other words, Suh was a clean sweep.

> Could Suh be the #1 pick in next year's NFL draft?

> Should he be? Why and why not? (IMHO, you've GOT to consider him up at or near the top of your draft board.)

Enjoy and thanks for reading the BBQ. We wish you and yours happy holidays!

The Saints Stumble Against the Cowboys

Here's what's hot today: NFL football and the playoff picture.

Here's what you can talk about:

> The mighty New Orleans Saints were shocked by the Cowboys last night, who handed the Saints their first loss of the season.

> What impact will this have on the Saints through the rest of the season and the playoffs?

> Could this loss be a "good thing" i.e. the Saints lose in the regular season, re-group and address their weaknesses and come out stronger for the playoffs?

More later but enjoy!

NASCAR vs. Open Wheel

OK (non) racing fans, today's your day.

There's some pomp and circumstance about Danica Patrick, a female Indy car driver, who is going to tackle a NASCAR (i.e. stock car) race.

Here's what you can chat up:

> NASCAR and Indy car racing are very different style racing styles.

> The cars are VERY, VERY different.

> Stock-cars look like highly modified cars with HUGELY powerful engines, shock absorbers, etc.

> Indy style cars are open-wheel. Literally, the wheel area is open and outside the car.

> Why is Danica really doing this? Is she stretching her brand? Is she frustrated by her won - loss record? Is this a real opportunity for her? How well will she do?

> It's not the first time a driver's done this. Dario Franchetti (also known as Ashley Judd's husband) went from Indy style to NASCAR but returned to Indy style when his team shut down.

Chat it up and enjoy!

Hot Stove

Let's make today Slang Tuesday.

Today's phrase: Hot Stove. Use it in a sentence, you say? No problem. "The hot stove is roaring right now. There's lots of chatter about Roy Halladay and John Lackey."

Definition:

> Hot stove is most often used in reference to meetings and discussions around major league baseball in the off-season as if executives are huddled around a hot stove during these cold winter months to discuss trades and acquisitions of players.

> Feel free to use my example above around the water cooler or you could say something like, "What's going on around the hot stove? I heard Halladay and Lackey are on the move." Instant sports cred.

Chat it up and enjoy!

Heisman Voting

Hi everyone!

Apologies for the blog silence; I've been spinning a few plates but I'm I'm firing up the BBQ again.

Instead of 1 massive post, I'm going to spread them out a bit.

Today's comment is on the outcome of the Heisman voting:

> Mark Ingram from University of Alabama won. Something you can talk about is whether he was the best player this year. As my pal, Marc, pointed out, his stats were not as good as Toby Gerhart's from Stanford. Additionally, Ingram had a terrible game against Auburn earlier in the season. It clearly didn't hurt him when it came to voting.

> Sometimes a player's last game makes the biggest impression and Ingram had a good one against Florida in the SEC championship game. Also, many believe that the SEC is one of if not the toughest conferences in college football. Right or wrong, these things absolutely influence those casting the ballots.

> Who casts the ballots? Sports journalists from six different regions around the country (and there are concerns that East Coast voters don't get the same exposure to West Coast teams, thus the alleged "West Coast bias".) Also, former Heisman winners each get a vote.

Talk it up and enjoy!

Notre Dame Hires Brian Kelly

Helllllooo!

Sizzling hot tip from the BBQ.

If you haven't heard it by now, Brian Kelly from the University of Cincinnati, will be the new head football coach at Notre Dame.

Here's what you can talk up:

> What can and does Brian Kelly have to do differently than Charlie Weis, Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie, who are the most recent previous coaches? (And don't just settle for the pat answer of, "He has to win.")

> Push people to go deeper than that. Kelly has coached at different places (including Division II football as well as Division I). But being the head football coach at Notre Dame is no cakewalk. This is a university that expects to compete for the National Championship every year.

> Kelly runs a high-octane spread offense and he's defensive-minded as well.

> Chat about whether he'll stick around with Cincinnati through the Sugar Bowl in January. His team is undefeated and competed for the national championship. Why should he? Why shouldn't he?

> Can he successfully recruit top-tier players to ND?

Enjoy and chat it up!

Heisman Trophy Watch

Alright, friends, it's down to the wire with the Heisman and here are today's hot tips:

> This Saturday, the Heisman (HI'S-man) Trophy is awarded. It's the most talked about award in college football. There are people who may disagree with me on that. Notice that I didn't say it's the most important or the most prestigious.

> The Heisman finalists are:

+ Colt McCoy, QB from Texas

+ Tim Tebow, QB from Florida

+ Mark Ingram, RB from Alabama

+ Toby Gerhart, RB from Stanford

+ Ndamukong Suh, DT (defensive tackle) from Nebraska

> Final ballots are due right after the league championship games so a player's performance in those games can cost them the Heisman.

> For instance, Tim Tebow had a great year but Florida's loss to Alabama likely means he's not going to win the Heisman.

> On the other hand, Mark Ingram from Alabama had a GREAT game against Florida and he stands a decent chance at winning.

> In other words, it's that last impression that can sway the voters.

Chat it up and keep comin' back to the BBQ!

Enjoy!

NFL Upsets

Hello friends,

Hot tips for today are from a day of NFL Upsets. Here's what you can chat up:

> The Miami Dolphins beat the New England Patriots

> The Oakland Raiders beat the Pittsburgh Steelers

Near Upsets:

> Washington Redskins barely lost to the New Orleans Saints.

Still Undefeated:

> The Indianapolis Colts

> The New Orleans Saints

What are the chances 2 teams could go undefeated through the regular season? The Patriots did it a few years ago through the regular season, playoffs and right up until the Super Bowl, which they lost to the NY Giants. The only team to go undefeated through the regular and post season and win the Super Bowl are the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

Chat it up and enjoy!

College Football Playoff Needed

Good morning!

Here's the hot tips from the BBQ:

> #2 Alabama will likely play #3 Texas for the national championship. (We'll know more tonight for sure) Both teams are undefeated.

> But here's the problem: TCU, Cincinnati and Boise State are also undefeated.

> Discuss whether (and how) the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) is flawed.

> Not every conference is a member of the BCS so not every team gets a shot at a major bowl game.

Gotta run. Talk it up and enjoy!

Alabama Upsets Florida, BCS Impact

Well, well, well. This is truly hot off the grill. Second ranked Alabama upset top ranked Florida in college football tonight.

Here's what you can chat up:

> Did Mark Ingram, Alabama's running back, do enough to win the Heisman Trophy? He and his offensive lined bulled their way through the porous Florida defense.

> Alabama came out with a swagger and never looked back.

> Alabama will go to the national championship game.

> Who will play Alabama? That depends, in part, on the outcome of the Texas / Nebraska game (which kicks off in less than half an hour)

> Great story line: Tim Tebow, Florida's quarterback, was recruited by Alabama and Florida. He chose Florida. Alabama's QB, Greg McElroy, who wanted to play for Florida, but once Tebow committed to the Gators, McElroy went to Alabama. Tonight, he helped pull off a HUGE upset.

Enjoy and more to come tomorrow.

Shaking it up (a little)

Good morning!

Hot tips comin' off the grill this morning. Here are some things you can chat up this morning:

SOCCER (what most of the rest of the world calls futbol)

> The 2010 World Cup draw happens today.

> This means that the 32 teams that have qualified for Cup play will be paired up

> The World Cup will be played in South Africa and if you think the country isn't excited about that, think again. They'll pull out all the stops.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

> This is a huge weekend. The #1 and #2 teams in the country play each other.

> University of Florida is undefeated and so is Alabama. They're in the same conference but different divisions sot this is the SEC championship game but the outcome will help determine the national championship.

> These are star-studded teams and the brightest are Florida's QB Tim Tebow (TEE-beau), who has one Heisman award and Alabama's Mark Ingram, a running back who, some say, has an outside shot to win.

> The game is played in the Georgia Dome, which is technically an away game for both team. Don't kid yourself. The place will be rockin' with Florida Blue and the Crimson color of the Tide.

Talk it up and enjoy!

Give the people what they want

Good morning,

Recently a Sports BBQ fan asked about boxing and whether the BBQ would ever chat about it. I can't say that I'm a huge fan of the sport. However, there was a match recently that's worth talking about.

Here's what you can chat about:

> Roy Jones, Jr. is a legendary boxer. He's won championships in four different weight class divisions.

> He's 40 years old and is still fighting at a time when a lot of boxers have hung up their gloves.

> However, he suffered a crushing and somewhat surprising defeat the other night when he was going against Danny Green. Jones was in search of a title in a 5th weight division.

> Green needed only 122 SECONDS to beat Jones. In boxing, each round is 3 minutes long so Green handled Jones in just over 2 minutes.

> It was a TKO = Technical Knock Out. The referee jumped in to stop the fight. Jones wasn't knocked out cold but the ref determined that the fight needed to be stopped after Green landed a punch to Jones' head and then followed with more pummeling.

That's the pugilistic scoop today. Talk it up and enjoy!

Hat Tip

Hello,

This morning, the BBQ offers a quick hat tip to Bobby Bowden, the legendary head football coach at Florida State University.

Here's what you can chat about:

> Bowden retired yesterday as the 2nd winningest college football coach in history with 388 wins. He trails only Joe Paterno of Penn State.

> He won two national championships and coached many players who made it into the NFL including Deion Sanders and Charlie Ward.

> His program was not without controversy. His teams were penalized by the NCAA, the governing body in sports.

> He is, however, colorful, a character and a showman. In his prime, there wasn't anybody like him. He enjoyed the spotlight.

Enjoy!

(Sigh) I Can't Help It

Hello friends,

I just can't help myself. I'm going to write about Notre Dame but I'm going to give this a new twist. By now you know that Charlie Weis, the head football coach, was fired.

Here's what you can chat up:

> The last time Notre Dame won a national championship was 1988 with Lou Holtz. That's a very long drought for a program that expects to compete for a national title EVERY year.

> ND is one of the last few independent football teams, meaning they're not in a league like the Big 10 or the Pac 10, SEC, etc.

> For whatever reason, the combination of players, execution and coaching just didn't work for Weis at Notre Dame. And, by the way, that's not all his fault.

> His firing doesn't mean Weis won't be successful elsewhere. For crying out loud, he has 4 Super Bowl rings from his time in the NFL. But perhaps he's just not a COLLEGE coach. (I've been wrong before but it's a viable theory even though he graduated from ND.)

> You know who wasn't a successful NFL HEAD COACH? Pete Carroll. He was the head coach for the NY Jets and the New England Patriots and was fired from both. Now, Carroll is the head coach at the University of Southern California and he's won a pair of national titles. Carroll is the PERFECT college coach. He loves the whole atmosphere, the recruiting, the legend, the lore, the spectacle that is USC football. And he's authentic; on game day, you can tell there's nowhere else that Pete Carroll wants to be than walking the sideline at the Coliseum. He's also among the smartest, move innovative coaches in the game.

> If ND wants to win, that's the type of coach they need. Truly, nothing against Charlie Weis. It just didn't work. He'll win again.

Talk it up and enjoy!

Slang Sunday

Hello friends,

Today is Slang Sunday. So, here's the phrase of the day: the pocket.

In football, when the quarterback drops back to pass, the offensive line -- the center, guards and tackles -- is blocking the defense. The defensive line pushes forward, the offensive line is pushing back and holding them at bay. As that happens a "pocket" is usually formed, which allows the QB protection and, at times, they can even step into it. So the pocket can = protection.

Chat it up and enjoy!

IOU

Some results on the American League and National League Most Valuable Player Awards.

Here's what you can talk up:

> Joe Mauer, the Minnesota Twins catcher, won for the American League. He's a sweet swinging star. He won the batting title, meaning he hit for the highest average in the league. This is the second year that he won the batting title. Factoid: He is the 8th catcher in AL history to win the MVP. He also won a gold glove this year. (See previous KQ SportsBBQ posting on this.)

> Albert Pujols (POOL-hols), the St. Louis Cardinals first baseman, won for the National League for the second consecutive year. He's a power slugger and man, they don't come much better. He was a unanimous winner, receiving all 32 first place votes. He lead the NL with 47 home runs (and other categories) and was third in batting average.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend.

Two-fer Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm throwing the turkey on the BBQ today.

Apologies for the delay in posting. I had to get ready for the family so, you are owed two tips. Here we go:

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

> Chat up who is going to be Notre Dame's next football coach. The signs are on the wall that Charlie Weis is going to be fired after Saturday's final game against Stanford. Here's why people are pretty sure: instead of staying in California to recruit players for next year, Weis will be traveling back to South Bend with the team. Some names being floated are Jim Harbaugh (head coach at Stanford) and Brian Kelly (head coach at undefeated Cincinnati).

PRO FOOTBALL

> 3 NFL games are on the Thanksgiving slate. The Thanksgiving perennials are the Lions and the Cowboys. (They're not playing each other.) So, today here's what's on the slate: The Green Bay Packers vs. the Detroit Lions, The Oakland Raiders vs. The Dallas Cowboys, NY Giants vs. The Denver Broncos. Anything can happen on Thanksgiving Day (besides overeating, not being able to button your pants and a touch game of football). The Lions could beat the Packers, the Raiders could upset the Cowboys and the Giants could whip the Broncos. (Perhaps not likely but it's possible!)

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm grateful for my family, my community of friends and the unexpected generosity I've received over the past year. And, I'm grateful to those of you stop by.

Enjoy!

Smatterings

Hi folks!

Today's tips can be summed up as NFL Smatterings. Let's get to the hot tips:

> The NFL remains fun to watch. The Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints remain undefeated. They've each won 10 games.

> The Colts are in the AFC = American Football Conference. The Saints are in the NFC = National Football Conference.

> In the Super Bowl, the AFC champ plays the NFC champ.

> What's that mean? It's possible (but not probable) to have two undefeated teams face each other in the Super Bowl. That would be amazing!

Chat. It. Up.

And...enjoy!

Catches: College vs. The Pros

Evenin' friends,

Tonight, we're talking about what's considered a catch in college vs. pro football. Specifically, if a player is thrown a pass that's taking them out of bounds on the field or in the end zone, there are different rules for college football vs. professional football. I raise this because often you see receivers tip-toeing down a sideline or in the end zone while catching a pass and their ballet-like movements make all the difference.

Here are the hot tips:

> In college football, the player must have control of the ball and have just 1 foot in bounds for a catch to qualify.

> For the pros, it's tougher: the player must have control of the ball and BOTH feet must be in bounds for a catch to qualify.

> This is why you see players drag their feet and make some of the most beautiful, aerobatic catches all in the name of staying in bounds and hauling in the ball.

> Check out this link and especially notice #'s: 10, 8 and 6. These are the pro's dragging their toes and making them count. http://tinyurl.com/dyz8nd

Enjoy!

Rivals

Good morning, friends!

Hot tips of the day:

> Talk about today's football game between the Ohio State University and the University of Michigan.

> This is one of college footballs most storied rivalries.

> There's not as much at stake this year. Ohio State has already earned a Rose Bowl berth and is a ranked team. Michigan is struggling and unranked.

> Still, this is the type of game/rivalry where ANYTHING can happen - and has been known to. Both teams get UP for the game and Michigan could pull an UPSET. (UPSET = unexpected win).

> Toss around the team's nicknames - The Buckeyes and the Wolverines. "How well will Tyrelle Pryor, the quarterback, run the Buckeye offense?" etc.

Enjoy!

Stars On and Off the Field

Hello friends,

Today, the BBQ celebrates a life. In fact, two remarkable lives.

Stefanie Spielman is a fighter. A bare knuckles brawler who fought the opponent of her life. She's not a professional athlete but she married one.

Stefanie died yesterday of breast cancer yesterday. She was just 42 years old.

She had a powerful man in her corner, her husband, Chris. Chris Spielman was a legendary linebacker for The Ohio State University Buckeyes. He went on to play professional football for the Detroit Lions, the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns. At one point during his pro football career, he stopped playing for a year to take care of Stefanie and their children. when she lost her hair due to chemotherapy, he shaved his head.

There are plenty of men who care for their spouses, who shave their heads, who leave their jobs when their wives are fighting cancer. I just happen to know about Chris because I'm a longtime fan.

The Spielman's raised millions of dollars for breast cancer research. Stefanie lost her battle but I'd bet that many other people are winning theirs due to the Spielman's generosity.

So, here's today's tip:

> Talk about the Spielman's and their contributions on and off the field.

> Read about Stefanie and her battle.

> Start here: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4672569

NL Cy Young Award

Good evening! I'm sneaking this one under the wire!

So, the National League announced the Cy Young award winner. Tim Lincecum (LIN-sa-come) from the San Francisco Giants has won for the second consecutive year.

Talk about:

> How HUGE it is that he won the award in back to back years

> He won the award yet he only won 15 games. (Often, winners have had 19 to 20+ wins).

> Ask someone to name the previous back to back winner. (Answer: Randy Johnson).

> Ask people if they know Lincecum's nickame. (Answer: The Freak).

More later. Enjoy tonight's hot tips from the KQ Sports BBQ!

MLB Award Season

(Non) Sports Fans, it's another day of awards in Major League Baseball.

Today's announcement is the winner of the Cy Young Award in the American League. Here are the tips:

> This is a pitching award named for, you guessed it, Cy Young. He pitched from 1890 - 1911 and won 511 games in his lifetime. FYI -- by comparison, a pitcher in this era who gets 300 wins in their career is considered a surefire Hall of Famer.

> This year's Cy Young winner in the American League is Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals. His won-loss record was 16-8. It's not the most outstanding record. In fact, the pitcher who came in 2nd won 3 more games than Greinke.

> So why did Greinke win? Likely because he had a better ERA. ERA = earned run average for each 9 innings pitched. Greinke's ERA was 2.16. The runner up's was 2.49. In other words, Greinke allowed fewer runs per game.

> FYI - if a runner scores because of an error, that's not included in a pitcher's ERA.

Enjoy today's hot tips!

College Basketball

Goood Morning!

Here are some hot tips from the grill this morning.

> Talk about the college basketball marathon that's going on. It started last night at midnight and will continue tonight through midnight. 19 games are being broadcast on ESPN.

> Talk about the near upset last night in Kentucky. The University of Kentucky (ranked in the top 5 of basketball polls) was nearly upset by Miami University. The Redhawks are unranked, unheralded and gave the Wildcats every bit that they could handle. THAT is what I LOVE about college basketball.

Chat it up and enjoy!

Slang Sunday

Greetings Sports BBQ Fans!

Instead of summarizing the sports situation today, we're taking a diversion. We're going to chat about football slang. Again.

Today's phrase: the blind side. We all know what it means to be blind sided by something. (And it usually stinks.) Imagine how physically brutal it would be to be blindsided in a football game.

Here's how the phrase is often used. If a right-handed quarterback is in the game and he drops back to pass, he's (often) turning his back to half of the field. So it's the left tackle's job to protect the QB's blind side. If the QB is left-handed, it's the right tackle's job to protect the QB's blind side.

So, next time you hear someone say the quarterback was hit on his blind side, ask if the QB is left or right-handed, then say, "Well, where was the left (or right) tackle?"

Just one more hot tip from the KQ Sports BBQ!

Enjoy!

Heisman Trophy Watch

Good evening!

It's Saturday, which means it's college football. It's also a time to talk about one of the game's annual and most storied awards - The Heisman (HYES-man) Trophy. It's awarded to the nation's "most outstanding" college football player. Often, however, it's awarded to the most outstanding offensive player. It's often a quarterback or running back, even a wide receiver. There are rare occasions, however, when a defensive player has won it. Example: Charles Woodson of Michigan won in 1997 as a defensive cornerback.

Here's what you can chat up:

> Who's the front runner this year? Some say it's Mark Ingram, running back from Alabama. Others say Tim Tebow (TEE-bow) the QB at Florida and Colt McCoy, the QB at Texas are at the top of the list.

> What impact does a team's record have on a Heisman candidate? Often, quite a bit.

Enjoy today's hot tips from the BBQ!

Slang Friday

Hot tips from the BBQ this morning. Friday = Slang day.

Let's talk about football. Here's a term you can throw around this weekend:

> The Red Zone - this is the 20 yard area that sits between the offensive team (team with the ball) and the defensive team's goal. When a team is in the red zone, they are threatening to score a touchdown or field goal against the other team. Believe it or not, being in the red zone puts pressure on the offense. Some football teams are very good in the red zone. Some teams are not.

Enjoy!

More Gold Gloves - NL

Helllloooo peeps! What's that you say? I should have posted this yesterday? You're right; my bad.

Without further delay, here are the 2009 Gold Glove winners from the National League:

Adam Wainwright, pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals

Yadier Molina, catcher, St. Louis

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, San Diego Padres

Orlando Hudson, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers

Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals

Jimmy Rollins, Shortstop, Philadelphia Phillies

Michael Bourn, Outfield, Houston Astros

Matt Kemp, Outfield, Los Angeles Dodgers

Shane Victorinio, Outfield, Philadelphia Phillies

Here's what you can chat about:

> Some people (especially those living in St. Louis) feel that Albert Pujols (PU-hols) should have gotten the nod at first base. He's won before, including in 2006. You might mention that maybe the fact that he made 13 errors this season impacted the outcome in the voting.

> Rollins and Victorino are repeat winners. Discuss what it took for them to defend their crowns.

Enjoy!

Post-World Series = MLB Awards

Hey everyone!

Sorry that I had an off day yesterday. In sports lingo, that usually means no game. In KQ Sports BBQ lingo, it means I didn't I didn't post. But there's lots to talk about today like the post-World Series.

We're now in that period of time where there's still news from Major League Baseball. Over the next several days, there will be announcements about awards. Today's announcement is the American League Gold Glove winners. Tomorrow's will be the National League winners.

Tip:

> Each league has 9 winners, 1 for each position: pitcher, catcher, 1st, 2nd, 3rd base, shortstop, and three outfielders.

> A gold glove award indicates that these players are the best fielders in the entire league at their position. The award is sponsored by Rawlings, which makes (not surprisingly), baseball gloves.

> 2009 winners in the American League:

Mark Buehrle (BURR-lee), P, Chicago, this is his 1st award

Joe Mauer, Catcher, Minnesota, this is his 2nd award

Mark Teixeira (tuh-SHARE-uh), 1st base, New York Yankees, this is his 3rd award

Placido Polanco, 2nd base, Detroit, this is his 2nd award

Evan Longoria, 3rd base, Tampa Bay, this is his 1st award

Derek Jeter, SS, New York Yankees, this is his 4th award

Adam Jones, Outfield, Baltimore, this is his 1st award

Ichiro Suzuki (EE-cheer-oh), Seattle, this is his 9th award

Torii Hunter, Los Angeles, this is his 9th award

Enjoy! We'll check out the National League winners tomorrow!

NFL : Week 9

Goooood Morning!

Tips of the day: let's focus on the numbers:

> This is Week 9 of the football season.

> The regular NFL season is 16 games.

> So, that means this is the start of the 2nd half of the regular season.

> There are still 2 undefeated NFL teams: the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints.

> Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans is the leader rusher. Adrian Peterson is tied with Stephen Jackson for 2nd.

> Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers has the highest QB rating. Peyton Manning of the Colts is 2nd.

> The leader in interceptions is Darren Sharper of New Orleans.

> The leading receiver is Andre Johnson of Houston.

> Jared Allen of the Minnesota Vikings has the most QB sacks and Curtis Lawson of the Atlanta Falcons has the most tackles.

Talk it up and enjoy!

*Player statistics source: ESPN.com

Upset Saturday?

Hope you're all having a great day!

Remember when I was mentioning all the undefeated teams in college football? Well, one bites the dust. The University of Iowa Hawkeyes lost today to the Northwestern Wildcats.

Tip:

> Both teams are both in the Big Ten Conference. Talk about what Big 10 team could going emerge in the wake of Iowa's loss. Does Iowa still have what it takes to win the conference after this loss?

Another big game today: LSU (Louisiana State University) vs. University of Alabama. Alabama is undefeated but this is the SEC (The Southeastern Conference) and every week can mean an upset.

Tip:

> What does Coach Nick Saban (SAY-ben) have to do to ensure his team stays undefeated?

Enjoy! Pro Football match ups tomorrow...

The Boys of Summer Are Gone

The Major League Baseball season has finally ended. The Yankees are the World Series Champions.

Here's what to talk about:

> Was Hideki Matsui (hi-DECK-ee Mat-SUE-ee) the real Most Valuable Player for the series? Here's why this is a relevant topic: he played in only 3 of the 6 games. Yes, he drove in six of the Yankees runs last night. He was just one hit away from hitting for the cycle. (The cycle = a single, a double, a triple and a home run.)

> Here are other players who made a big impact in the series: Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter (GEE-tur) and Mariano Rivera.

Enjoy today's hot tips!

College Football

Helllllooooo, (non) sports fans!

Hot stuff from the grill tonight is college football. Talk about the number of unbeaten teams and how some of them are a real surprise! In the BCS and AP Polls (Bowl Championship Series and Associated Press), the following teams have not lost a game:

> Florida, Texas, Alabama, Cincinnati, Iowa, Boise State, and TCU (Texas Christian University).

> The University of Cincinnati and The University of Iowa are surprises and, boy howdy, are they fun to watch! Iowa came back from being down in the 4th quarter last week to win and Cincinnati won without their starting QB.

> Talk about why it's good for college football (it really is). When teams like Cincinnati are playing this well, anything can happen and that makes games more exciting.

Enjoy the tidbits! Tomorrow, the World Series.

It's spelled U-t-l-e-y and it = home runs

Good morning, BBQ fans.

Talk it up:

> The hottest thing on the grill today is Chase Utley. He's the Philadelphia Phillies 2nd baseman and, in last night's game, tied the record for most home runs in a World Series. What's amazing is there's still AT LEAST one more game to go. Who is Utley tied with? Reggie Jackson, one of the baseball's all-time great sluggers, who used to play for the Yankees.

> Talk about the drama of Utley's HRs vs. Jackson's. In 1977, Jackson hit 3 home runs in a single World Series game. It was breathtaking and legendary. Reggie was (and to an extent still is) a big personality and his performance helped earn him the nickname "Mr. October". Utley is more understated but talk up the excitement of their home runs and how they changed the game. And what nickname might be bestowed upon Utley?

Enjoy today's hot tips!

The Yankees are Coming...

Wow! Was last night's World Series exciting or what? I was just shutting down the BBQ for the night when the game got even more interesting!

If you thought the Yankees couldn't win against Philadelphia on the road (and I admit, I thought it would be difficult), you were in for a surprise. The Yankees led the game from start to finish and it was a very exciting 9th inning. As a result, the Yankees are up 3 games to 1 and can clinch ( i.e. win) the World Series.

Here's what to pay attention to in Game #5:

> The Phillies are starting Game #1 ace Cliff Floyd. If he pitches as well as he did on opening night, the Phils can get back into the series. But according to ESPN.com, he's pitching on only 3 days of rest and he's never done that before. Ask how many innings he can handle since it's short rest? Will the Phillies need to go to a middle reliever (a relief pitcher who pitches 3 or 4 innings before the "closer", a dominant pitcher (like the Yankees' Mariano Rivera) comes in for the 8th or 9th inning.)

Monday Night Football is also tonight with the New Orleans Saints taking on the Atlanta Falcons.

> New Orleans is unbeaten and their quarterback, Drew Brees (as in cool breeze) is one reason they're undefeated. The Falcons have Matt Ryan as their QB and he's coming off a very impressive rookie season in which he was named offensive rookie of the year. I'd talk about New Orleans' explosive offense, which includes Brees, Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey and Reggie Bush. They have even more scoring threats but keep the conversation simple.

Enjoy!

2-fer

Happy November!

I owe you two tips since I missed yesterday. Saturday, instead of talking sports, I was watching them and it was glorious!

Onward.

Both tips deal with baseball:

> Notice that when a batter is bunting the announcers will talk about how the hitter "squares up" to the pitcher. That's because it's tough to bunt when hitters are in the traditional batting stance i.e. standing perpendicular to the pitcher. If they square up by facing the pitcher then they can move the bat up or down. The goal is to literally "lay down a bunt". Batters don't want the bunt to go up in the air. That makes for an easy out.

> In the World Series, you'll notice that when games are played at Yankee Stadium, an American League Ballpark, there's a designed hitter or DH. That hitter bats in place of the pitcher. But tonight, with the game in Philadelphia, a National League city, the pitchers are batting. Why? Home field rules apply. American League teams use a DH; National League teams do not. So pitchers hit in Philly; they don't in New York.

More tomorrow. Enjoy!

Friday: Hot Tips

Happy Friday, everyone!

Here are some sports tips to chew on:

> First up: the World Series. It's now tied at one game apiece. Talk about how tough (and it is tough) to win in Philadelphia. It's a passionate sports town and the Phils are the defending champions. Despite the loss last night, the team still seems to have its swagger. Why? Because they split the two games at Yankee Stadium and now have the advantage. The Yankees can get it back by winning 2 of 3 in Philly.

> Next up: Brett Favre returns to Green Bay but this time as an opponent. Favre (Far-ve) played for the GB Packers from 1992 - 2008 (when he retired the first time). Now, he's playing for the Minnesota Vikings and that's a brutal rivalry. Favre and the Vikings beat the Packers in Minneapolis a few weeks ago. This time, the game is in Green Bay. How will Favre be treated? Will that make a difference in his game?

> Finally, some Friday slang: pump fake. This is technique that quarterbacks often use as a tactic to allow their receivers to break away from defensive coverage. A QB will pull his arm back and bring the ball forward like they're going throw it but they don't release. Moments later, they pull their arm back actually do throw the ball and, hopefully, find a receiver who is now open. By the way, Brett Favre is a QB who's very good at the pump fake.

Enjoy!

To the Bronx We Go!

Goooood afternoon! Here's the KQ Sports BBQ tip of the day:

> Talk about how tonight is a must win for the Yankees. The Phillies made it look REALLY easy in their win last night on the road (meaning the Phils were the visiting team). The Yankees lost at home.

> In a 7 game World Series schedule, the games are played 2 - 3 -2. That means the first two games are played in NY, the next 3 games (if all are needed) are played in Philadelphia, and -- if needed -- the final two games are played in NY.

> Because as many as 4 games could be played in NY, that gives the Yankees home field advantage. How and why did they get it? Because the American League beat the National League in the All-Star game in '09. That's how World Series home field advantage is now decided in Major League Baseball.

Tomorrow, we chat about football and perhaps some more baseball from the World Series.

Enjoy!

The World Series!

The charcoal got a bit wet in the rain so it took a little longer to fire up the grill today but, wait no more. The World Series is here!

It's the NY Yankees vs. the Philadelphia Phillies. Here are some things to chat about:

> These are two teams that can generate some serious offense. Sports Illustrated is referring to it as The Big Bash because of Phillies' Ryan Howard and the Yanks' Alex Rodriguez. Both can hit "taters" or "the long ball" = home runs.

> Talk about the importance of winning Game #1. This is a best of 7 series but in the last several years, whichever team won the first game won the series. So Game #1 could be VERY important.

> Ask who the unsung hero could be. There's often an unexpected player who steps up and comes through and turns the tide of the Series.

That's enough tasty treats for now. Until tomorrow, enjoy!

Sports Convergence

Greetings!

Today's tip from the BBQ: convergence. Fall is the time of year when there is a convergence of sports. So much is happening and I want to show you how plentiful the sports topics are:

> Major League Baseball (MLB) - The World Series begins tomorrow night

> National Football League (NFL) - The season is almost at the halfway mark

> National Basketball Association (NBA) - The season tips off tonight

> National Hockey League (NHL) - The season is well underway

> Major League Soccer (MLS) - Teams are in the playoffs

And those are just the professional leagues. Think about how many collegiate teams and leagues are at play!

There's no shortage of things to talk about right now. Talk about the upcoming World Series between the Yankees and the Phillies. Talk about what changes/improvements NFL teams (like the Chicago Bears) need to make in order to make the playoffs. Discuss whether the Lakers (and their team leader, Kobe Bryant) can repeat as the NBA champions and if the Pittsburgh Penguins (and Sidney Crosby) can again rise to take the NHL crown. Talk about your favorite college or university teams.

So, there is a convergence of sports this time of year. It really is magical!

That's it from the grill today. Tomorrow, we talk about the World Series!

Until then, enjoy!

Monday = Slang

Hi (non) sports fans,

Today's tip of the day is a piece of slang that I heard a lot of yesterday.

While watching the Bengals pummel the Bears yesterday, the commentators kept talking about Cedric Benson "running downhill". What that means is that he's powerful runner and he had a full head of steam when he hit the line i.e. when he came into contact with the opposing team's defensive line. So, in other words, he's running so well, so effortlessly, he's making his runs look easy...like he's running downhill.

More tips and info tomorrow.

The grill is now closed but we'll be open in the a.m.

G'nite and enjoy!

A Player and a Scholar

Amongst college students, you don't hear enough about the student - athlete. Here's a great story about one who not only deferred going to the NFL, but he also has big plans for his future...after the NFL.

Chat it up. It's good for all of us to remember that there's the game and then there's the game of life. http://tinyurl.com/ygbgqms

Sunday NFL

Big games today, friends!

> Just for fun, let's start across the pond. Yup, London is hosting the game between the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is the third year that NFL teams have squared off in London. This one, however, may not be much of a game. The Buccaneers haven't won a game yet so, barring a major effort and upset, the Patriots should win in Wembley Stadium.

> The undefeated Minnesota Vikings take on the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. ESPN is calling it "The Battle in the 'Burgh". Count on it. The Vikes quarterback is Brett Favre (FAR-ve). The Steelers QB is Ben Roethlisberger (ROTH-lis-burger). He's only 27 but he's already been on 2 Super Bowl winning teams. I wouldn't be surprised if this one's a shoot-out, which means the quarterbacks will be throwing a lot and there could be a lot of scoring.

> ALCS - This MLB game was rained out last night so the Yankees have the chance to close it out against the Angels. If they do, the Yanks advance to the World Series to face the Philadelphia Phillies.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Saturday match ups

Good morning! Step on up to the grill because we're serving up some specials today.

First course:

> College football. #1 ranked Florida has at least 3 starters who are out and that could be tough to overcome. #2 Alabama takes on Tennessee. The Volunteers (TN) are unranked but their fiery coach, Lane Kiffin, would love nothing more than to pull an upset. #6 Iowa has been a bit of a surprise this season so their game against Michigan State, which has beaten Michigan, could be very telling. Finally, #6 Cincinnati has been a true Cinderella this season but, alas, their quarterback was injured last week so it will be interesting to see if Cincy can take Louisville this week giving their QB time to heal and maintain their unbeaten status.

Second course:

> ALCS - American League Championship Series. It's Game 6 at Yankee Stadium tonight with the Yanks taking on the Angels. The Yanks are up 3 games to 2 and can close it out tonight in the best of 7 series but the Angels have momentum aka "The Big Mo". Two nights ago they survived a Yankee comeback and rallied to beat the pinstripes (nickname for the Yankees). Should be a fun one to watch.

Enjoy!

Closing It Out

Hot topics coming off the grill today; we're talking slang.

When people talking about the playoffs (baseball, football, hockey, etc.), you will hear them say things like:

> "They've got to finish it."

> "Its time to close it out."

> "They've got to get OR They have the killer instinct."

What these terms typically mean is one team has the other team down, they have the advantage in the series and they use that leverage, that energy, that adrenaline, that confidence to close out the series.

In the case of Major League Baseball, The Phillies did that to the Dodgers the other night. Last night, the Yankees could not do that to the Angels. It was a wild game. The Angels jumped out in front, the Yankees came back and took the lead. What they couldn't do, however, was "finish it" or "close it out".

So, they go onto game 6 in the series and return to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium. NY will have the advantage. The question is, will they have the killer instinct and the ability to finish and close out the Angels.

Name The Stars

Thanks for stopping by the grill!

Here are the tips of the day:

> The NY Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies are close to clinching a berth in the World Series. Both teams are just 1 win away. The stars for the Yankees have been: Alex Rodriguez (also known as A-Rod), C.C. Sabathia (pitcher who has won 2 games in the series with the Angels) and Derek Jeter. This isn't to take anything away from the other players but A-Rod has performed extremely well and turned in a great post-season performance.

> On the Phillies side, shortstop Jimmy Rollins has had some clutch hits and Ryan Howard (a real slugger) and ESPN reports that Howard has 14 RBIs (runs batted in) in the 2009 post season and he's reach base safely in 17 straight playoff games. That's not a fluke; that's talent.

Enjoy the grub! We'll turn up the flame more tomorrow.

BOLO

This afternoon, the BBQ grill is serving up Major League Baseball and Football. Tonight be on the look out for:

> How the Angels fare against the Yankees. The Angels are down 2 games to 0 against the Yanks in the American League Championship Series, which is Major League Baseball. It's best of 7 so if they don't bounce back today, the odds are heavily stacked against them for coming back and winning.

>Whether the L.A. Dodgers can come back against the Philadelphia Phillies tonight in the National League Championship Series. The Phils CREAMED the Dodgers last night, which can be deflating. It'll be interesting to see if the Dodgers can let go of that loss and start fresh tonight. They need to if they want to avoid getting into a 3 games to 1 hole.

> The San Diego Chargers vs. The Denver Broncos in Monday Night Football. The Broncos are undefeated and some pundits are SHOCKED by that. This is a big rivalry and it will be telling if San Diego's running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, and quarterback, Philip Rivers, can deliver great performances.

Enjoy!

NFL match ups + NFLers wear pink

Thanks for stopping by the grill today. Here are today's big NFL match-ups:

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns - tip: Troy Polamalu, one of the best safeties (and players) in the league is back for the Steelers. Talk about his impact on the Steeler team.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Minnesota Vikings - tip: Brett Favre and the Vikings are undefeated but they're going up against a great linebacker. Ray Lewis may be in his 30's but he's one of the hardest hitters in the league. Chat up that match up.

New Orleans Saints vs. NY Giants - tip: Eli Manning, the quarterback for the Giants returns to his hometown of New Orleans to take on the Saints. He's been fighting an injury but is nearly 100%. The Saints QB, Drew Brees, is at the top of his game. This game could be a real shoot-out between the offenses. Talk about how these two QBs could rally their teams and what weapons they have. Giants: Brandon Jacobs. Saints: Marques Colston.

Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons - tip: the Bears lost a heartbreaker last season to Atlanta. The Bears would love revenge and they feel they have the QB who could help them pull it out. Jay Cutler is the QB for the Bears. Matt Ryan QBs the Falcons. Ryan was offensive rookie of the year last year and this year, he has additional weapon: tight end Tony Gonzalez, who joined the Falcons from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Finally, as you've watch the games this month, you have hopefully have noticed that many NFL players are wearing some pink accessories: gloves, cleats, shoelaces, sweat bands, etc. Hats off to the NFL and Tayna Snyder. It's a great tip of the helmet to an important medical issue and cause. Read more here. http://tinyurl.com/yj2mjwp

ND vs. USC and The Red River Shootout

Good morning!

I'm getting a later start than intended. It took me a little while to light the charcoal this morning. But now that the grill is smokin', let's throw some burgers on.

If you find yourself in need of a topic/tip this afternoon or tonight, talk about this afternoon's game between Notre Dame and USC. This is a fantastic long-standing rivalry. In previous years, USC has been dominant and the Irish have taken it on the chin. This year, though, the Irish have pulled off some exciting 4th quarter comebacks. The game is at South Bend so ND could have an edge. However, never count out USC. They typically have talent and speed to spare.

Second tip:

Speaking of rivalries, chat up the Red River Shootout. That's the annual college football clash between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners. It's a fierce rivalry between two nationally ranked teams. Texas is undefeated and ranked #3. Oklahoma has lost this season and is ranked #20.

Both quarterbacks, Colt McCoy of Texas and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, are stars. Bradford won the Heisman Trophy last year and McCoy was a candidate last year and this year. The key is that Bradford has been injured this year. In fact, he's already been knocked out of today's game.

Talk about the impact of Bradford's absence in the game today, how his back up did (or didn't) step up and whether Colt McCoy rose (or fell) with the pressure today.

Other big college match-ups today: Iowa vs. Wisconsin, South Carolina vs. Alabama and Ohio State vs. Purdue.

Tomorrow, we chat about the NFL games.

Enjoy your Saturday!

Hey Batter, Batter, Batter...Swing!

Tip of the day:

The National League Championship Series (NLCS) and the American League Championship Series (ALCS) are each best of 7. A team's has to win 4 games to advance to the World Series.

The Dodgers and Phillies are now knotted at 1 game each in the NLCS.

In the ALCS, the Yankees and Angels are playing their first game tonight. (Yanks are up 4 -1 ). The Angels have not played terribly well tonight; they've had 3 errors tonight and some other costly miscues.

More hot BBQ tips tomorrow.

Enjoy!

Catching up...

I'm a day behind so I've got a little catch up to do.

Tips of the day(s):

#1: The LA Dodgers and taking on the Philadelphia Phillies. Joe Torre is the manager of the Dodgers. This is his second season with L.A. after spending from 1996 - 2007 managing the NY Yankees. He helped lead the Yankees to 4 World Series titles. Now, his LA Dodgers are taking on the defending World Series Champs. Ask whether Torre or Charlie Manuel, the Phillies manager, has the edge. Manuel doesn't have as many titles but he's experienced and a sage.

(If the Dodgers end up playing the Yankees in the World Series, we'll have lots to talk about!)

#2 Aaron Rodgers may not have lead his Green Bay Packers to a win against their former teammate, Brett Favre, and the Vikings but he's got a lot going for him. Rodgers has been sacked (tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he could throw the ball) more times than any other quarterback in the National Football League this year. Still, he has nothing but words of support for his offensive line (those are the guys up front who protect him: guards, tackles, the center, etc.) He could have thrown his offensive line under the bus (you already know that that means) but he didn't. He talked yesterday about the trust and confidence that he has in them. He demonstrated that there's no 'I' in team. (You know what that means, too.)

Servin'em up two at a time today. The BBQ grill is back on tomorrow.

Enjoy!

What to Watch

I completely understand if you don't like or enjoy sports. Maybe, however, you like films.

First tip of the day:

There are several documentary films coming up on ESPN that feature some outstanding directors/storytellers. Tonight's featured piece, "The Band That Wouldn't Die", is from Barry Levinson, the Oscar-award winning director. The film is, in part, about when the Baltimore Colts fled the city in the middle of the night and moved to Indianapolis. However, it's told through the team's beloved marching band, which refused to quit even when the team left.

Second tip:

Yes, the Indianapolis Colts once really were the Baltimore Colts.

Read more about ESPN's series, 30 on 30. http://tinyurl.com/yfrkfk6

The briquettes will be hot again tomorrow. More to come then.

Until then, enjoy!

MLB Match Ups

Hello, friends!

Here's the tip of the day:

Chat about the fact that the match ups between National League and American League Championship Series are now set. The National League and American League each have 3 divisions: East, Central and West. Each division crowns a winner and then a wild-card team, which is whichever team has next best winning percentage.

So, those four teams engage in the divisional championship series. The two winning teams then play for the League Championship series.

In the American League, it's the NY Yankees vs. The LA Angels of Anaheim.

In the National League, it's the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies won the World Series last year so they are the defending champs.

Chat it up and enjoy the hot tips comin' off the BBQ.

More soon...

Columbus Day chatter

Perhaps you're working tomorrow and need a few tips for what to say when sports comes up.

1.) MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

The Yankees sweep the Twins, and the Angels sweep the Red Sox in a best of 3 series. Is this the year the Yankees are back? Do they finally have the right alchemy of talent to take it all the way. The league championship series are up next.

2.) CHICAGO MARATHON

A Kenyan broke the course record by 1 second and won an additional $100K. He apparently is going to donate the money to under-privileged children in Africa.

8300 of the runners raised money for charities. How amazing is that?

3.) PRO FOOTBALL

Brett Favre just turned 4-0. His Minnesota team is 5 and 0 (undefeated). In all of his years in the NFL, Brett Favre has never started a season 5 - 0.

The Cincinnati Bengals have won 4 games this season, 3 of them they've pulled out in the 4th quarter. (if you're not aware, this is a team that used to be called the "Bungles".) The Big Cats may well be back. Huzzah!

4.) The Denver Broncos may be for real! They beat the Patriots in overtime (OT).

Talk it up, folks.

Happy Columbus Day and come back and see us at the BBQ.

Emotion

First my (non) sports fans, a shout out. I just returned from Montana, one of the most beautiful places with the most amazing people. It was a memorable trip. If you ever have the chance, get there.

Now, let's talk about emotion.

The MLB divisional playoffs have been spectacular. As I write, the Yankees and Twins are going to the 12th inning. No, wait...the Yankees just ended it on a walk off home run by Mark Teixeira. Talk about emotion!

Indiana and Phoenix are playing in the WNBA Finals. Some of the best known players in the league, Cappie Pondexter, Diana Taurasi and Katie Douglas are playing their hearts out -- with emotion.

The Cardinals played their hearts out last night and they lost. Some say it was crushing. But was it? The Cardinals were one of the best teams in the regular season and now they're down 2-0 in the playoffs to the Dodgers. Can they come back? Yes, but I think they've got to find the right balance of fight and grit and emotion.

Emotion is just one the many variables in sports. How athletes channel the emotion, that adrenaline, that's careening through them.

Keep watching the playoffs. It's just getting good.

Talk it up, the MLB playoffs are back!

Tip of the day:

Talk up last night's 1-game special regular season playoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins. It was EPIC! The winner goes on to play the Yankees in the post-season playoffs. The loser goes home. The Twins won in 12 innings (that's 3 extra innings) and it had all the elements: the cliffhanger, excitement, the joy of victory and the agony of defeat.

More from the BBQ later...

Defense! Defense!

Alright sports novices, post for the day:

When people talk about the Notre Dame's win over Washington yesterday, listen to where they give credit. Are they saying that it was Jimmy Clausen who pulled it out, or Robert Hughes or Golden Tate? How about Kyle McCarthy? They all deserve a lot of credit.

But I've gotta give a shout out to the d-e-f-e-n-s-e. ND's defense shut down Washington on 3 consecutive goal line stands. That unit and those stands made it possible for the Irish to pull out another late win.

I'm not taking anything from Clausen, Hughes, Tate or McCarthy but don't forget the guys that the legendary Keith Jackson called The Big Uglies...the linemen up front who got the work done.

Some persepctive on sports

Talk this one up: a Boston College football player who is battling cancer. He could have left school and probably been a first round draft pick. He was diagnosed with cancer and isn't playing this season.

Good news? He's nearly cancer free. Better news? Mark Herzlich understands what's really important. Life.

http://tinyurl.com/ya5rmkr

Remember the other day...?

Read up and have something to contribute around the water cooler about Monday night's game.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4522034

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4517741

You Can't Help But Watch

There are many NFL games that people will be talking about this week (and weekend). But everyone is going to have their eyes on the match up between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers.

Don't be embarrassed if you don't know why. That's why you're here.

The game will be talked about because Brett Favre, the Vikings starting quarterback, used to be the long-time quarterback of the Packers. Favre lead the Packers to a Super Bowl victory and was beloved in Green Bay. Now, he's playing for a team that Packers fans detest. (FYI - Favre played last year for the NY Jets before joining The Vikes.)

They'll be a lot of chatter about this match up. So, here's your heads up. When it's brought up around the office (or bar or gym), chat about how Favre will match up against his former teammates, how his former back-up Aaron Rodgers is leading the Pack and which team is better off now. You'll hear a lot about Favre's waffling about whether to play again but don't let that distract you from THE GAME.

Either way, it's gonna be fun.

Baseball Playoff - redux

Thanks for stopping by the KQ Sports BBQ.

So, the baseball playoffs are just around the corner. In case you're not aware, the Yankees, Cardinals and Dodgers have clinched. (There's one sports topic that you can rollout this weekend to chat about.)

If that only conversation lasts so long, then chat about some of the best teams ever. One of those teams in my view is the '75 Cincinnati Reds. And I don't think that I'm alone. I haven't read this yet but I can't wait to. Even in the reviews, there are great tidbits about the Big Red Machine and its manager.

http://tinyurl.com/y9ql2w5

More to come. Enjoy!

The BBQ is back

It's been a busy off-season and I've taken too much downtime (cue the trumpets) but the BBQ is re-opening. I'm pulling off the grill cover, firing up the charcoal briquettes, brushing the drippings off and dropping some tasty tips on the grill.

This blog is especially for people who aren't as interested in sports as I am and yet, you may find yourselves in work and social situations where sports topics and analogies are the only way people communicate. When that happens and you're at a loss for some way to contribute to the convo, drop by the KQ Sports BBQ.

Here's an example:

The discussion at the office is about pro football and you feel that you have nothing to add. Some suggestions:

> Do you think the Eagles can go much longer without Donovan McNabb at QB (he's injured with a cracked rib) before the season gets away? Is Michael Vick ready to step into and run the Eagles offense?

> How effective do you think the Dolphins Wildcat offense is?

> Do you think that LT (LaDainian Tomlinson) will have a break out season? Why or why not?

> What do you think of the new Cowboys stadium? Jerry Jones really went all out, don't ya think?

More later. Enjoy!