Kyle Orton will get the start tomorrow night as the Bears take on the Chiefs, while Rex will take the snaps for the next game vs. the Seahawks.

Read the Chicago Sun Times thoughts on why Orton is starting.

Bronx, NY, 1983 - Des Moines umpire Tim McClelland, working his first series at Yankee Stadium, is doing his job - calling balls and strikes and officiating a Major League ballgame.

Late in the ball game, McClelland is asked to enforce a little know rule in baseball - Rule 1.10(c). Rule 1.10(c), according to the Official Rules of Major League Baseball, states that batters may apply pine tar only from the handle of the bat extending up for 18 inches.

Unfortunately the batter took except to the call and voiced his displeasure.

Here is video of the incident:

Ok, here is the real video:

Here is George talking about his use of pine tar:

Facts from the game (from baseball-almanac.com):

Trivia alert: Billy Martin has often been wrongly credited with starting the whole incident, but it was actually Graig Nettles who brought up the pine tar! Rich Gossage later said, “Graig knew the rule. The ump did his job. Everybody thought it was silly, but it’s in the rules.”

When American League president Lee MacPhail upheld the protest ruling that George Brett’s bat did not violate “the spirit of the rules”, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner replied, “I wouldn’t want to be Lee MacPhail living in New York!”

Did you know that when the Pine Tar Game was finally resumed, the New York Yankees “voiced” their disapproval by playing pitcher Ron Guidry in centerfield and outfielder Don Mattingly (a lefthander) at second base?

Tim Kurkjian also has a great write-up of the play with all the background.

Below are the letters sent from the alleged victim’s mother to the University of Iowa.

First letter

UofI letter - Free Legal Forms

Second letter

Second letter from mother to UI - Free Legal Forms

Boston Globe Sports Columnist
and ESPN Sports Reporter Bob Ryan

Get your mid-week fill of Bob Ryan with a Bob Ryan two-fer. Listen to Bob Ryan’s weekly audio blog.

Bob’s Audio Blog - July 23

Bob’s Audio Blog - July 19

SCOREBOARD
RAGBRAI 3          MARTY  1 1/2 (Final)

Boone to Ames, Iowa- This was defeat, defeat by the roadside. I felt like that dead possum, back leading into Shelby; where’s that lady with the beads when I need her?

Shed nary a tear for this Motormouth, this was yet another case, perhaps, of biting off more than one can chew.
As I pulled out of Dr. Amy’s office in Ankeny this morning(Chiropractor/headaches, body aches, bruised ego) I was trying to put a song to this RAGBRAI experience. Aretha’s “Respect” would be quite fitting. RAGBRAI is to be respected. R-E-S-P-E-C-T, that is what it means to me!

If only words could be converted to fuel, this cyclist would be peddling into Tama/Toldeo about now; instead, only the faint drone of a passing cyclist flutters in my scrambled mind.

There was a certain peace in waving my white towel last night at Iowa State. As I listened intently to Lance Armstrong, holding a blue headband–proceeds from the sale of those to flood and tornado victims–you realize how lucky you are. Armstrong, labeling Iowa a “cycling mecca” and vowing to ride every year, infusing pride in the air when he spoke of the teamwork on the RAGBRAI route and in the communities left ravaged. A resilency everone can take great pride in.

62 and even!

Tuesday 07-22-2008 8:29am CT
Jefferson, Iowa-  SCOREBOARD: MT 1 RAGBRAI 1

Woke up yesterday morning and felt like I was in a complete fog! I hurt in places that I didn’t know you could feel pain. My buttocks felt as though I had sat on elephant tusks for 8 hours.
RAGBRAI-SCMAGBRAI!!!!! The thought of mounting that bicycle seat was about appealing as
slow dancing with Mama Cass in front of all your friends at a class reunion!
I had designs on breaking and entering WCI Pools and Spas for some relief. And, to top things off, the first thing I saw when I clicked on the TV, was a —Tour De France update! Showoffy geeks!!!

Alright, so I licked my wounds–the one’s I could reach–and headed for Jefferson with my feet on the pedals–of a Toyota Avalon! Day 2 of RAGBRAI was a breeze especially with the windows and sunroof wide open. I clicked in the Carroll radio station and, sure enough, they were doing a remote in Coon Rapids. The radio reports recharged my RAGBRAI battery for—10 seconds!
Click—KXNO…”Hello Jim Rome”!

So, onwards to Ames with the Nadas and Styx tonight … Styx and Stones may break my bones, but Ragbrai will never beat me!

62 and even!

Team GoDaddy tonight at 6p on “Marty & Miller”.

Monday 07-21-2008 9:13am CT
Missouri Valley to Harlan, Iowa- Ouch! Simply put, my rear end is sore. And to think, I was
laughing at people utilizing padded bikers’ shorts!

The Start: 7:00 am Stephanie and I set sail as waffling members of both Team Bagadonuts and Team GoDaddy.com. Sunday night, Team Bagadonuts hosted a nice get together at the team’s
hotel and they placed the customary “VIRGIN” label on my left calf; I felt “Official.”
Stephanie is a veteran and, little did I know, experience is a huge key along the RAGBRAI route.

Anticipation and excitement–and nervousness–fueled the early stage thru Mo Valley as residents lined the streets and offered their good luck; advertisments offering food, water and last-minute supplies were everywhere. The town streets handing off to rolling cornfields, while picturesque, lulled this unwitting peddler into a soon- to- be realized false sense of security.

Beebeetown: My first mix up. No map — deep down inside I’m, perhaps, still fighting this RAGBRAI thing. Steph calls for a “Biker off”7 milles in. Beebeetown is Peepeetown. Off to a cornfield shes goes emerging…”Now I’m offcial.”
As we peddled on, her iPod afixed to an awesome portable sound system, eased the terrain and accompanied the vast farmland views nicely.

The Hills: The first set of hills looked daunting as they approach. I was pounding the “what goes up, must come down’ theory, into my head. They look tougher than they are and the downsides are inspiring as you break off 30-35 mile and hour clips. Once into the heart of the hill, click into “Grannygear” mode and away you go. Steph offered great advice as I have a tendency to stand while negotiating hills. It’s a bad, energy-sapping, tactic. Sit and peddle and the hills disappear under your feet!

Underwood and Neola: Team GoDaddy spotted up ahead. Captains Matt Lundberg and Chris Stafford are heading up a dynamic group. Richard Hurd and his son, Richie, share some small talk with us–and the jokes and stories are in high gear!
Bikers whizzing by spot my “Virgin” tag and offer polite “how ya’ doin’s” as I grunted a standard, forced, “Great”! Actually I’m doing fine…but I could do without these incessant hills.
As we arrive in Neola, we meet members of Team on Tap and a faithful Marty & Miller listener–The renowned “Dick from Pleasantvile.” He now is Dick from Altoona.
He found us amid the sea of humanity and the famous Elvis impersonator–who he’s related to!
He takes us to his in-laws for lunch (Steph demands Peanut butter and jelly) and we get served at the kitchen table complete with televison coverage of the British Open.
Dick, his wife Janelle, in-laws Shirley and Leo, were incredibly hospitable.

Shelby: Word is Shelby will be party town! Steph is still howling from a weird incident rolling into Neola. I spotted a woman with a dog in her bag ala Toto and the Wicked Witch of the West. She hovered over a dead dog as we cruised by and we doubled-back quickly to offer assistance and condolences, but not before I abruptly cut off a group of 10 or so cyclists, and was showered with nasty well-deserved barbs.
Steph comforted the woman who wondered, quizzingly, why the fuss over the beads she placed over road kill, a dead possum,RAGBRAi custom!!
I heard about the ‘dead dog’ debacle for the next 15 miles! Next up was a ridiculous crash. Dumb cyclist trying to negotiate a sharp turn, thick tires, at 30 miles per hour! @#$%$$$$$%…crash! Mangled skin rolled up his left elbow..spewing blood and invoking
expletives. “You OK,” I barked. “(Mumbles and …yeah, yeah…” Steph bit her tongue and then blurted a guffaw. You laugh, not at a fellow peddler crashing, but the stupidty that causes it!

Homestretch: Team Bagadonuts, headed up by Bent Selix, alert us to Beer tent stop in Tennent. Couple of bottled waters, a few friendly exchanges later, we are headed for Harlan.
Tired, but resilient, I’m still energized by a blast of the Famous Beekman’s homemade ice cream—a RAGBRAI must. The long lines to get it tell you all you need to know. overpriced…but awesome!

4:52 pm were done as we approach an intersection with cheerleaders to greet you. Nice touch Harlan. The post-ride party at the Team Badadonuts hotel is underway. A shower never felt so good!

Special thanks to the teams and Sag wagon driver, Snowman–we didn’t need him today!
Joe “Sparky” Quinn our driver from KXnO…Sparky is the best and very reliable!

62 and even!

Marty caught up with several legends at the friendly confines. Listen below to interviews with Kerry Wood, the old third baseman Ron Santo, Jim Hendry and the owner of “Beyond the Ivy”. Click the play button under each photo to hear the interview.

Ron Santo

Kerry Wood

Jim Hendry

Beyond the Ivy

Big Ten Network again to feature Iowa Day.

Iowa’s 2008 Big Ten Wrestling Championship is just one of many Hawkeye moments from 2007-08 that the Big Ten Network is re-airing on July 21. If you’re a real Hawkeyes fan, here’s our entire Iowa day schedule.

5 a.m.: Big Ten’s Greatest Football Games: Iowa at Michigan (10/20/90)
7 a.m.: Big Ten Tonight: Iowa Year in Review
7:30 a.m.: Big Ten Tonight: Iowa Year in Review
9 a.m.: Big Ten’s Greatest Football Games: Purdue
at Iowa (2002)
11 p.m.: Big Ten Wrestling: Iowa at Minnesota (02/01/08)
1 p.m.: Big Ten Tonight: Iowa Year in Review
1:30 p.m.: Big Ten Tonight: Iowa Year in Review
2 p.m.: Iowa Campus Programming
4 p.m.: Big Ten Field Hockey: Penn State at Iowa (10/20/07)
6 p.m.: Big Ten Softball: Iowa at Michigan (04/04/08)
8 p.m.: Big Ten Tonight: Iowa Year in Review
8:30 p.m.: Big Ten Tonight: Iowa Year in Review
9 p.m.: Big Ten Wrestling Championship (03/09/08)
Midnight: Big Ten Tonight: Iowa Year in Review
3 a.m.: The Big Ten’s Greatest Basketball Games: Connecticut vs. Iowa (11/24/95)

Big Ten Network’s Early-Season and Primetime Schedule

Saturday, August 30
Indiana vs. Western Kentucky, Noon ET
Iowa vs. Maine, Noon ET
Ohio State vs. Youngstown State, Noon ET
Penn State vs. Coastal Carolina, Noon ET
Wisconsin vs. Akron, Noon ET
Minnesota vs. Northern Illinois, 7 PM ET

Saturday, September 6
Illinois vs. Eastern Illinois, Noon ET
Iowa vs. Florida International, Noon ET
Michigan State vs. Eastern Michigan, Noon ET
Purdue vs. Northern Colorado, Noon ET
Wisconsin vs. Marshall, Noon ET
Indiana vs. Murray State, 7 PM ET

Saturday, September 13
Illinois vs. UL-Lafayette, Noon ET
Iowa vs. Iowa State, Noon ET
Minnesota vs. Montana State, Noon ET
Northwestern vs. Southern Illinois, Noon ET

Saturday, September 20
Minnesota vs. Florida Atlantic, Noon ET
Northwestern vs. Ohio, Noon ET
Ohio State vs. Troy, Noon ET
Penn State vs. Temple, Noon ET
Purdue vs. Central Michigan, Noon ET
Indiana vs. Ball State, 7 PM ET

Saturday, October 18
Illinois vs. Indiana, 8 PM ET

Saturday, November 22
Minnesota vs. Iowa, 7 PM ET

*All in glorious HD on DirecTv.

 It seems that NY Yankee announcer John Sterling is a messy eater and double dipper. According to today’s NY Post Sterling is a bit of slob at the Yankee press dining table.

“Sterling has made a habit of walking over to the dessert table and dipping his finger into the ice cream barrel,” one stadium worker told us, adding that the play-by-play vet has also used the same tablespoon to repeatedly take samples.

During the Boston series, “He wandered over to the cake and pie section, broke off a piece of a cake slice, ate it and wiped his grimy hands on the linen tablecloth, leaving the remainder of the slice for someone else to eat - which indeed happened.”

Read the whole story on Page Six.