Ben Carson is a graduate of Yale...

...and the University of Michigan Medical School. According to his Wikipedia page (I didn't add my usual emphasis because it should all be emphasized):

Carson was a professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery, and pediatrics, and he was the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. At age 33, he became the youngest major division director in Johns Hopkins history, as director of pediatric neurosurgery. He was also a co-director of the Johns Hopkins Craniofacial Center.

According to Johns Hopkins Hospital literature, “Dr. Carson focuses on traumatic brain injuries, brain and spinal cord tumors, achondroplasia, neurological and congenital disorders, craniosynostosis, epilepsy, and trigeminal neuralgia. He is also interested in maximizing the intellectual potential of every child.”

Carson believes his hand–eye coordination and three-dimensional reasoning skills made him a gifted surgeon. After medical school, he became a neurosurgery resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Starting off as an adult neurosurgeon, Carson became more interested in pediatrics. He believed that with children, “what you see is what you get,... when they’re in pain they clearly show it with a frown on their face or when they are happy they show it by smiling brightly.”

In 1987 Carson successfully separated conjoined twins, the Binder twins, who had been joined at the back of the head, making them craniopagus twins. The 50-member surgical team, led by Carson, worked for 22 hours. At the end, the twins were successfully separated and can now survive independently. 

I'd keep going, but I think you get the idea: the guy is brilliant.

So . . . how on earth can that be the same man in the clip above? Dr. Carson really thinks conditions are so dire in this country that there may not even be elections in 2016.

(I'll give you a second to read that again.)

Now if he's not stupid, which he clearly is not, what does that make him? How about (generously) eccentric?

Were you thinking of a different word?

Baseball playoffs start today!

Don't care? Apparently you're in good company. According to a piece in Sports Business Daily (my emphasis):

Surprisingly, Orioles ratings in Baltimore dropped 10 percent this season despite the fact that the team won its first AL East title since 1997.
 
...the NL East division-winning Washington Nationals, also saw a ratings drop this season. The Nationals’ 2.29 average rating was down 16 percent.
 
In Kansas City, despite the Royals’ drive for their first playoff appearance since 1985, ratings for games on FS Kansas City were flat. 

Pirates games on Root Sports Pittsburgh were averaging a 7.49 rating, down 6 percent from last year.

Sheldon Patinkin, a prominent...

...figure in Chicago theater, died at age 79.

But, really, this post is just an excuse to watch one of those old 7 Up commercials from the 1970s (my emphasis):

In addition to his brother, Mr. Patinkin, who is a cousin of the actor Mandy Patinkin, is survived by a sister, Ida Goldberger.

Mike Helfgot of the Tribune...

...is right: there are two really good games this Thursday night, New Trier (5-0) at Maine South (5-0) and Stevenson (5-0) at Lake Zurich (3-2). (Or not; I think both Maine South and Stevenson will win big.)

But I can't go to either; I'll be at an autism benefit in Skokie instead.

So where does that leave a guy like me? I already have two compelling contests to choose from on Saturday, Providence (5-0) at Loyola (4-1) and Oak Park and River Forest (5-0) at Glenbard West (5-0). (I'm leaning toward the latter.) What about the rest of Week Six?

Here are nine other games that I would describe as . . . interesting:

Brother Rice (4-1) at Mount Carmel (2-3)
A must-win for the Caravan.

St. Rita (4-1) at Aurora Christian (4-1)
Fenwick (3-2) at Marmion (4-1)
A couple of traditional Catholic League programs take on two former Suburban Christian Conference teams.

Nazareth (5-0) at Benet (4-1)
Can the Roadrunners stay undefeated?

Huntley (4-1) at Jacobs (4-1)
A win by Jacobs would set up a great Week Seven matchup with Cary-Grove (5-0).

Yorkville (5-0) at Geneseo (5-0)
Feel like driving two and a half hours to see two undefeated teams go at it? Why not?

Oak Forest (4-1) at Richards (4-1)
A good South Suburban cross-over game.

Lincoln-Way Central (4-1) at Lincoln-Way North (5-0)
Lincoln-Way West (5-0) at Bradley-Bourbonnais (4-1)
Confused by all these Lincoln-Way schools? Me too. Just shut up and go.

And, finally, on Saturday:

Phillips (4-1) at King (4-1)
For the lead in the Land of Lincoln Conference. Also, the last regular-season test for Dewayne Collins and company?

Yeah, I always wanted...

...an Eldorado convertible too.

The New Yorker cartoon of the day:

“We find shopping at the farmers’ market to be more self-congratulatory.”

Kudos to Doug McAdam...

...and Karina Kloos for writing in Politico what everyone else in America was already thinking. From "Race and the Modern GOP: Let’s not kid ourselves. Today’s deep divides are due to the civil rights movement" (my emphasis):

It is time to state the obvious. Forget about weak explanations for today’s deep political divisions like “the culture of Washington,” gerrymandering or the rise of cable TV: The civil rights movement, while a victory on many levels, was also the origin of our present morass. It spawned a powerful national “white resistance” countermovement that decisively altered the racial geography of American politics, pushing the national Democratic and Republican parties off center and toward their ideological margins, undermining the centrist policy convergence of the postwar period and setting the parties on the divisive course they remain on today. Many will blame today’s unprecedented political polarization on recent events, such as the rise of the Tea Party or Obama’s election in 2008, but they will be wrong. The seeds of America’s dysfunction were planted 50 years ago. And the ugly politics of race had everything to do with it.

I've now seen an even dozen...

...teams in eight games this year.

On Friday I watched Providence beat St. Rita, 41-27. This week I'll either drive up to Wilmette to see the Celtics take on Loyola or go out to Glen Ellyn to see if Oak Park and River Forest can upset Glenbard West.

But first, here are the Top Twelve from the three news services followed by my own.

MaxPreps

1. Providence
2. St. Rita
3. Stevenson
4. Loyola
5. Sacred Heart-Griffin
6. Cary-Grove
7. Joliet Catholic
8. Maine South
9. Edwardsville
10. Brother Rice
11. Notre Dame (Peoria)
12. Waubonsie Valley

Chicago Tribune

1. Stevenson
2. Glenbard West
3. Providence
4. Cary-Grove
5. Maine South
6. Nazareth
7. Oak Park and River Forest
8. Loyola
9. St. Rita
10. Waubonsie Valley
11. Bolingbrook
12. Naperville Central

Sun-Times

1. Stevenson
2. Glenbard West
3. Providence
4. Cary-Grove
5. Maine South
6. Oak Park and River Forest
7. Waubonsie Valley
8. Bolingbrook
9. Lincoln-Way East
10. Nazareth
11. Naperville Central
12. Homewood-Flossmoor

BOWG

1. Providence (5-0)

Easily the best team I've seen this year. Loyola (4-1) had better bring its "A" game this Saturday. 

2. St. Rita (4-1)

Mustangs should get back on track this week at Aurora Christian (4-1). Will Rita meet up with Providence again in the postseason?

3. Mount Carmel (2-3)

If the Caravan can beat Brother Rice (4-1) at home this Friday they should end the season at least 5-4 assuring a playoff bid. If not, they'll have to defeat Loyola in Week Eight.

4. Oak Park and River Forest (5-0)

This is the week I've been looking forward to for a long time. The Huskies haven't beaten Glenbard West (5-0) since 2007. Will this year be different?

5. Glenbard West (5-0)

Hilltoppers haven't lost to OPRF at home since the bad old days of 2006 when the Hitters went 1-8. You can be sure Coach Chad Hetlet will have his team ready.

6. Lincoln-Way East (4-1)

Griffins were impressive in their thrilling 43-40 come-from-behind victory over Homewood-Flossmoor (3-2). East can't let up this week against Joliet West (3-2).

7. Phillips (4-1)

Wildcats beat Brooks (1-4), 21-6. Phillips will now take on King (4-1) this week. Phillips could enter the playoffs with an 8-1 record.

8. Nazareth (5-0)

Roadrunners continue to roll, easily dispatching Marian Catholic (1-4), 56-17. The LaGrange Park squad should defeat Benet (4-1) before its big showdown in Week Seven with Joliet Catholic (4-1). Can these guys finish the regular season undefeated?

9. Carmel (3-2)

The Corsairs move up in my rankings! (Actually, I had to move Wheaton Warrenville South down.) But Carmel took care of business against St. Patrick (2-3), 28-20, on Friday and now face St. Viator (3-2), which is coming off a victory over Notre Dame (2-3). Corsairs should improve to 4-2.

10. Wheaton Warrenville South (1-4)

The Tigers are 1-4 and could conceivably be eliminated from the postseason this week against a surprisingly strong Lake Park (4-1). Wheaton South missed the playoffs in 2012, too. What would Red Grange (Class of '22) think?

11. (Tie) St. Patrick (2-3) and Naperville North (2-3)

Nothing should change here this week. Shamrocks have to host a resurgent Marist (2-3) while Huskies play defending 8A champ and crosstown rival Naperville Central (4-1).

The Rosary High School...

...swim team is known as the beads.

Are the colors changing?

Sunrise on my street.

The Name of the Day...

...belongs to David Snowball, the publisher of the trade publication Mutual Fund Observer.

The New Yorker cartoon of the day:

“You’ll have to be more specific—my people have more than four hundred different words for snow cone.”

"Where's the wave?" wonders...

...Peggy Noonan, writing in The Wall Street Journal today.

I don't normally quote (or even read) Ms. Noonan, but I actually agreed with much of her column, "Republicans Need a Direction." My emphasis: 

In a year when Republicans are operating in such an enviable political environment, why aren't their U.S. Senate candidates holding big and impressive leads? Why does it look close? Why are party professionals getting worried? 

But Republicans aren't achieving lift-off. The metaphor used most often is the wave. If Republicans can't make, catch and ride a wave in an environment like this, they've gone from being the stupid party to the stupid loser party. 

Shouldn't the Republican Party make it clear right now exactly what it is for and what it intends to do? 

A second reality is the GOP's brand problem. 

The cliché is that Republicans are old, white, don't like women or science, are narrow, numeric and oppose all modern ways. 

Cliche? I'd say consensus. 

When you have a poor brand, do you spend all your time saying the other guy is worse? Or do you start rebuilding your reputation? In politics that means saying what you are for, not what you are against, and what you will do, not what the other guy will do if the voters let him. 

Republican political professionals need to get the meaning of things back. Otherwise, if Republicans do take the Senate, their new majority will arrive not having won on the basis of something shared. They will not be able to claim any mandate for anything. That will encourage them to become self-driven freelancers in a very pleasant and distinguished freelancer's club, which is sort of what the Senate is. 

It's good to win, but winning without a declared governing purpose is a ticket to nowhere. 

Republicans need to say what they're for. 

I think that's the third time she said that. But haven't people been saying the same thing about the GOP ever since President Obama got elected in 2008? Is it really enough just to oppose the Democrats at every turn or do you need a positive agenda? At least Ms. Noonan finally gets that. So where's the rest of her party?

Looking for a Saturday game?

Here's one I bet you haven't heard much about: Rich East (4-0) at Rich Central (3-1).

Who? What? Hey, I'll grant you, it ain't exactly Providence - St. Rita, but do you have a better game for tomorrow?

Rich East is located in Park Forest and Rich Central is in Olympia Fields. The two schools, along with Rich South in Richton Park, make up Rich Township High School District 227. The township was organized in 1850 and named after Jacob Rich, an early settler. (That's actually a different Jacob Rich in the picture above. I couldn't find one of the guy we're talking about so that will have to do. Could have fooled you, though, right?)

The Rich East Rockets, coached by Barry Reade, are ranked No. 169 in the state by MaxPreps. Reade, a former Geneseo High School and Augustana College player, has been at the helm since 2006. He's the son of legendary Hall of Fame coach Bob Reade, whose Geneseo teams won 52 consecutive games through 1971 and who at Augustana won four consecutive NCAA Division III national titles from 1983-86.

The school was founded in 1952, and, according to Wikipedia (my emphasis):

Many old students remember that for many years, cement had to be pumped underneath the school's main gym so that it would not sink.

The Media Center, in the front of the building, was also built on unstable ground and after several days of rain, water would rise up into the carpet, making it difficult to breathe. The head librarian would scramble to save books.

Rich East is also the alma mater of Tom Berenger, Class of '67, whose original name was Thomas Michael Moore. He selected "Berenger" as his professional name after a school friend; he was forced to change his surname professionally as there was already a "Tom Moore" in the Actors' Equity Association.

Here's Rich East's 2014 results so far (home team in CAPS):

Rich East 28, EISENHOWER 22
RICH EAST 33, Solorio Academy 14
RICH EAST 26, Chicago Vocational 6
Rich East 40, ROOSEVELT (Gary, IN) 6

Not exactly a murderers' row of opponents, is it?

Rich Central, which opened its doors in 1961, is coming off its best season in years at 9-2. The team's nickname is appropriately the Olympians and it's currently ranked No. 92 in the state by MaxPreps.

While Central has a less stellar football tradition than East, it has made great strides under Head Coach Terrell Alexander. In his first three years on the job, the Olympians have gone 17-12, including last season's 9-2 team, the best in years at Rich Central. (Actually, that may be the best team ever at the school. In the seven years before Alexander arrived, the Olympians managed only one winning season, 5-4, in 2010. And even then, Central failed to record enough points to qualify for the playoffs. During that stretch, the Olympians had seasons like 2006, when they went 1-8 under coaches with names like Ed Schmeski, and had to go all the way to Indiana to find a team to beat.)

But things seem to be different under Alexander, who is coincidentally a 1993 Rich East graduate. A former linebacker and defensive lineman at Northern Illinois, Alexander spent the previous 10 years as an assistant coach at Homewood-Flossmoor.

Here's Central's record so far this year:

Plainfield East 36, RICH CENTRAL 20
RICH CENTRAL 48, Kenwood 0
Rich Central 14, KANELAND 13
Rich Central 42, RICH SOUTH 0

The game on Saturday is for first place (along with Bloom) in the Southland Conference. How have the two teams fared against each other in the past ten years? I'm glad you asked that question:

2013: Rich Central 42, RICH EAST 7
2012: Rich East 8, RICH CENTRAL 0
2011: RICH EAST 35, Rich Central 29
2010: RICH CENTRAL 24, Rich East 21
2009: RICH EAST 14, Rich Central 6
2008: RICH EAST 28, Rich Central 13
2007: Rich East 48, RICH CENTRAL 28
2006: RICH EAST 35, Rich Central 12
2005: RICH EAST 28, Rich Central 14
2004: Rich East 44, RICH CENTRAL 22

It's been mostly Rich East, as you can see, but that could be changing.

So who do I think will win? Who cares? The forecast for Olympia Fields on Saturday is 79 degrees and partly cloudy (which means mostly sunny). What else have you got to do tomorrow?

What changed in...

...the United States around 1980?

Vox calls this "The most important chart about the American economy you'll see this year."

If the American health care...

...system broke off from the United States, it would be the fifth-largest economy in the world.

That's just one of "Nine mind-blowing facts about the dysfunction of the American health-care system" from Vox.

The Game of the Week...

...is, of course, Providence (4-0) at St. Rita (4-0) tomorrow night.

Two undefeated, South Side schools -- both with great traditions -- will face off for the lead (along with Brother Rice) in the Catholic League Blue, arguably the best conference in Illinois. (Both teams still have to play the Crusaders and Loyola, so there's plenty of regular season to go.)

Unlike Mount Carmel and St. Rita, which have played each other a remarkable 93 times (!), the Providence - St. Rita series began more recently. I don't know exactly when the New Lenox school joined the Catholic League, but modern-day Providence opened in 1962 (although its roots go all the way back to 1880).

This year, Providence is ranked No. 1 in MaxPreps, No. 3 in the Tribune and No. 8 in the Sun-Times. St. Rita, meanwhile, is ranked No. 2 in MaxPreps, No. 5 in the Trib and No. 9 in the Sun-Times. (I personally think the Trib has it about right.) In the AP, Providence is ranked No. 2 in 7A while St. Rita is No. 3.

Here are their 2014 results so far (home team in CAPS):

Providence 21, JOLIET CATHOLIC 10
PROVIDENCE 56, Minooka 13
PROVIDENCE 33, Mount Carmel 14
PROVIDENCE 37, Marmion 7

St. Rita 28, Simeon 26 (Toyota Park)
ST. RITA 56, Dunbar 8
ST. RITA 21, Montini 0
ST. RITA 23, Mount Carmel 21

And the ten-year history of this matchup:

2013: St. Rita 37, PROVIDENCE 14
2012: PROVIDENCE 14, St. Rita 0
2011: ST. RITA 19, Providence 0
2010: St. Rita 31, PROVIDENCE 19
2009: Providence 10, ST. RITA 0
2008: St. Rita 14, PROVIDENCE 10
2007: ST. RITA 21, Providence 7
2006: St. Rita 17, PROVIDENCE 14
2005: ST. RITA 20, Providence 3
2004: PROVIDENCE 20, St. Rita 16

See a pattern here? Me neither.

So who do I think wins this one? Even though I was an early skeptic of Providence, I have to say they have looked awfully impressive so far (if only on paper to me). Apparently, this kid Justin Hunniford is more than doing the job at quarterback for the Celtics.

But Rita has played well this year, too, defeating the New York Yankees Mount Carmel and handing Montini its first shutout since 2006.

I'm a Rita fan (more on that another time) so I'll be sitting on the home side cheering for the Mustangs ("Hit 'em high, hit 'em low -- GO, RITA, GO!").  And in a Pick 'Em game like this, I have to go with the home team.

See you there!

P. S. As always, I'll be live-tweeting the game @BoringOldWhtGuy.

Correction: The homecoming king...

...at East Leyden High School this year is Alex Rose (above), not Axl Rose (below).

BOWG apologizes for any confusion.

I'm probably the last...

...to hear this, but Addison Russell is one of the newest Cubs.

The Tom Toles cartoon of the day:

Big G's Pizza...

...just moved to our neighborhood and I guess their schtick is mac 'n' cheese pizza, whatever that is. But I really appreciate this sidewalk sign they have, and it just might get me in there.

The New Yorker cartoon of the day:

“We’re only alive for one day, and you had to schedule dinner with the Hamiltons?”

Here's an interesting map...

...from Ezra Klein's piece in Vox today, "22 maps and charts that will surprise you."

This one shows that "Half of US GDP comes from these 23 orange blotches":

Half of America’s gross domestic product comes from the 23 orange blotches on this map. The other half comes from the vast acres of blue. Those orange blotches are America’s largest metro areas — and they absolutely power the American economy. But though small in size, they’re large in population: about 110 million people live in those orange blotches, says Reddit user Atrubetskoy, who created the map. So what you’re seeing on this map isn’t just that there’s a lot of economic activity compressed into some very small spaces in America, but that there are huge swaths of the American landscape where not that many people live.

The average length...

...of a Major League baseball game has increased to a record three hours and three minutes this season from about two and a half hours in 1981.

That's only a twenty percent increase but a lot in absolute terms. And there are 162 regular-season games. Who has that kind of time?

Maybe that's why I've lost interest in baseball in recent years.

David Brooks says something...

...about New York in his column this morning that I've been thinking ever since my wife and I moved back to Chicago in June. To paraphrase (my emphasis):

I’ve been living in and visiting Chicago for almost a half-century now. One thought occurs as I walk around these days: The city has never been better.

There has never been a time when there were so many interesting places to visit, shop and eat, when the rivers and the parks were so beautiful, when there were so many vibrant neighborhoods (in all directions), with immigrants and hipsters and new businesses and experimental schools. Daily life in Chicago is immeasurably better than when we left for the suburbs 22 years ago.

Let's have an early look...

...at some of the big games this weekend, shall we?

Beyond everyone's Game of the Week -- Providence (4-0) at St. Rita (4-0) -- here are some of the other contests which pit two undefeated (or nearly undefeated) teams. The first six are my favorites.

Bishop McNamara (3-1) at Aurora Christian (4-0)
The Eagles beat their first ever Catholic League opponent last week, St. Ignatius. But can they handle a team like Bishop Mac?

Joliet Catholic (3-1) at Marian Central (3-1) 
If the Hilltoppers prevail it could set up an exciting Week Seven showdown with Nazareth.

Stevenson (4-0) at Lakes (4-0)
Can the Eagles sneak up on big, bad Stevenson?

Libertyville (3-1) at Lake Forest (3-1)
Are the Wildcats for real? 

Homewood-Flossmoor (3-1) at Lincoln-Way East (3-1)
Always a great Southwest Suburban Blue matchup.

Maine South (4-0) at Glenbrook South (4-0)
Will this be the year the Titans finally beat Maine South? No.

And the rest:

Curie (4-0) at Simeon (3-1)
Huntley (4-0) at Cary-Grove (4-0)
Hoffman Estates (3-1) at Fremd (3-1)
Rich East (4-0) at Rich Central (3-1)
Bolingbrook (3-1) at Joliet West (3-1) 
St. Charles North (3-1) at Batavia (3-1)
Waubonsie Valley (4-0) at Glenbard East (3-1)
Hinsdale South (4-0) at Addison Trail (4-0)
York (3-1) at Oak Park and River Forest (4-0)
Glenbard West (4-0) at Hinsdale Central (3-1)

Neuqua Valley's Mikey Dudek...

...is having quite an impact as a true freshman at Illinois. Besides being named the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week after the second game, a friend writes (his emphasis):

I’m a numbers guy and enjoy interesting stats. Through four games, the University of Illinois is 3-1. In two of those victories, the offense was super slow to get started and had to have big fourth quarters to pull out the win. I know in those games, and in those quarters, Mikey Dudek has done really well. So I dived into the numbers a bit and came up with this:

In quarters where Dudek has caught a pass, the U of I has scored 104 points, or 79 percent of their total points so far this year. In quarters where Dudek has not caught a pass, they’ve scored just 27 points. 

Certainly not suggesting Dudek alone accounts for such a huge percentage of their offense, but there’s no denying that when he’s involved, the offense is at its best.  Will be interesting to track as season goes along. 

I had read once...

...that when the Germans invaded Russia in the spring of 1941, the soldiers were struck by how poor the Russian peasants were. Conversely, when the Soviets reached German soil near the end of the war they were shocked to find out how well the average German lived. Why on earth, they thought, did they invade us when they had it so good here at home?

I'm reminded of this by a book I'm reading called Soldat by a German artillery officer. He tells the story of the war not from 10,000 feet like an historian, but from the perspective of someone who was actually on the ground (my emphasis):

The Russian villages varied considerably in size. The smallest was perhaps thirty peasant huts and the largest was several hundred. In many cases,  they were just strung out in two rows along a road. They were very primitive wooden huts, with thatched or sod roofs. On the inside of many of them, newspapers were used as wallpaper. The furniture was extremely primitive as well, made by the peasant himself, and the huts always had earthenware pots and wooden tubs. A wooden box usually served as a small cupboard. Cradles were suspended from the ceiling on ropes. Illumination was provided by kerosene lamps or paraffin candles if at all; only the wealthier rural areas had even that, and in poorer areas the peasant lived in darkness between dusk and sunup -- and in the winter, darkness accounted for seventeen hours of each day! A typical fence was just straight sticks or whatever the peasant could find. The poverty in which these people lived was depressing. The ordinary peasant lived little better than his livestock. We seemed to be encountering a primitive past in human history, a virtual time warp of centuries.

The huts were normally occupied by workers on the collective farms that had been established since the communist revolution in 1918. The typical peasant hut had one big brick or stone stove -- sort of an enclosed fireplace -- in the center of the only room. The top was very thick, and the stone or brick would get warm by absorbing heat during the day. The stove was big enough that a family of six could sleep on top of it in the winter and keep warm from the heat stored by the bricks or stones. It had an opening for cooking, but it was used mainly for heating the room and for sleeping on.

Most of the Russian peasant huts had been built before the communist revolution; since then, few new houses had been built. Before the revolution, there had been some relatively wealthy farmers, so there was usually one or two larger houses in these villages. Most, however, were extremely primitive one-room huts. Behind each hut was an outhouse and a toolshed. A hut typically had a few very small windows. In addition to the stove, they also used snow to keep the hut warm by piling it up against the outside walls as insulation, up to the windows or even higher. The livestock were kept at a central location within walking distance of the village, although it could be up to an hour's walk. The only livestock they kept in the village were chickens.

The New Yorker cartoon of the day:

“Why would I be proud of this? It’s my to-do list.”

I've now seen seven...

...games and eleven teams.

This weekend I watched St. Rita defeat Mount Carmel, 23-21, but bailed on the Marian Central - Nazareth game at the first sign of rain. (More on that later.) Before I get to my own thoughts, here are the rankings from the three news services I follow. 

MaxPreps

1. Providence
2. St. Rita
3. Stevenson
4. Sacred Heart-Griffin
5. Loyola
6. Edwardsville
7. Nazareth
8. Waubonsie Valley
9. Brother Rice
10. Maine South
11. Joliet Catholic

Chicago Tribune

1. Stevenson
2. Glenbard West
3. Providence
4. Cary-Grove
5. St. Rita
6. Nazareth
7. Maine South
8. Oak Park and River Forest
9. Waubonsie Valley
10. Loyola
11. Homewood-Flossmoor

Sun-Times

1. Stevenson
2. Homewood-Flossmoor
3. Glenbard West
4. Cary-Grove
5. Maine South
6. Oak Park and River Forest
7. Waubonsie Valley
8. Providence
9. St. Rita
10. Bolingbrook
11. Nazareth

Now here's how -- and why -- I think I'd be expected to rank my Top Eleven (some comments are tongue-in-cheek):

1. St. Rita (4-0)

Undefeated in the Catholic League Blue -- the best conference in the state -- and beat last year's 7A champ Mount Carmel.

2. Glenbard West (4-0)

Undefeated in the West Suburban Silver but struggled against Lyons (2-2).

3. Nazareth (4-0)

Undefeated in the East Suburban Catholic, which is not as good as the Catholic League. Can't rank an ESCC team above an undefeated Glenbard West, ever.

4. Oak Park and River Forest (4-0)

Same as above: can't rank OPRF above an undefeated Glenbard West until they beat them in the ring.

5. Lincoln-Way East (3-1)

All my undefeated teams are ranked; time to move down the list. Gotta get a Southwest Suburban Blue team in there somewhere and can't rank them below a city team like Phillips.

6. Carmel (2-2)

Have to rank the Corsairs above Phillips because they beat them on the field.

7. Phillips (3-1)

Last winning record on my list.

8. Mount Carmel (1-3)

Can't believe I have the Caravan ranked this low. But they do have a losing record.

9. Naperville North (2-2)

Huskies have the better record of my two DVC teams, the other best conference in Illinois.

10. Wheaton Warrenville South (1-3)

Have to rank the Tigers above St. Patrick because they're in the DVC and because, well, they're Wheaton Warrenville South. 

11. St. Patrick (2-2)

Somebody's gotta be last, and it can't be Mount Carmel or Wheaton Warrenville South.

But what do I really think?

1. St. Rita (4-0)

They beat Mount Carmel. Let's see how they do against Providence (4-0) at home this week.

2. Mount Carmel (1-3)

Take a deep breath, everyone. The Caravan is three points away from being 3-1. Granted, Frank Lenti has some work to do but let's not panic here. Carmel should get back on track this week against De La Salle (1-3), although the Meteors are tougher than people think.

3. Oak Park and River Forest (4-0)

I still think Lloyd Yates and Dewayne Collins are the two best athletes I've seen this year. Huskies can't look past York (3-1) to Glenbard West next week.

4. Glenbard West (4-0)

Hitters got past Lyons but now travel to Hinsdale Central (3-1). Should remain undefeated for that big Week Six showdown against OPRF.

5. Lincoln-Way East (3-1)

Griffins barely beat Lockport (0-4) and will have their hands full this week at home against Homewood-Flossmoor (3-1).

6. Phillips (3-1)

Wildcats demolished Julian (2-2), 69-0. I don't like it when teams run up the score. We get it: you're a lot better than they are -- now put in the second-string. Brooks (1-3) will be their next victim.

7. Nazareth (4-0)

These guys are good, no doubt about it. I just can't seem to move them up my list. If the Roadrunners can beat Joliet Catholic (3-1) in Week Seven they could enter the postseason undefeated.

8. Wheaton Warrenville South (1-3)

Did anyone think the Tigers and Wheaton North would both be 1-3 when they met in Week Five? Looking at their schedule, though, South could still finish at 6-3 and be tough in the postseason. Never count out a Ron Muhitch (or a Frank Lenti) team.

9. Carmel (2-2)

Like Nazareth, I'd like to rank these guys higher. They looked very impressive when I saw them beat Phillips in Week Two. Corsairs should improve to 3-2 this week against St. Patrick.

10. (Tie) St. Patrick (2-2) and Naperville North (2-2)

Shamrocks are underdogs to Carmel at home this week while Huskies may get bested by Lake Park (3-1). Could be a long year for both teams.

The autumn equinox...

...falls on Tuesday, September 23 this year. Here's the view from our second-story balcony this morning.

This was the scene...

...for last night's Bald Guy Convention Mount Carmel - St. Rita game, in which the Mustangs won, 23-21, in the final 23 seconds.

It was the 93rd meeting between the two storied South Side programs. Does that mean Rita now holds the edge, 47-46?

More later; gotta get ready for the Marian Central - Nazareth game at 1:30 in LaGrange Park.

P. S. Mount Carmel, Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South are all 1-3?

The license plate of the day:

Now that Gov. Chris Christie...

...has been cleared by a federal investigation into the George Washington Bridge scandal, does that mean Paddy Power has had it right all along?

The Irish betting website (which was spot-on about Scottish independence) has the New Jersey governor tied with Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky at 9/2 odds for the 2016 Republican nomination.

Do we finally have our tea party vs. establishment contest? 

For my Saturday Game...

...of the Week I'll be driving up to Wilmette out to LaGrange Park to see Marian Central (3-0) at Nazareth (3-0).

Sure, I had originally planned on seeing Fenwick (2-1) at Loyola (2-1) tomorrow -- and that should be a heck of a game -- but there's just something drawing me out west instead.

Maybe it's Valenta Stadium, above, where the Roadrunners play their home games. I've only been there once (to see Nazareth lose a heart-breaker to Marist, 24-21, in 2012) but I remember it as a great place to see a game (even if a non-Valenta Stadium Club member like me can't sit in the choice seats between the 45-yard lines).

Maybe it's to watch two of the last three remaining undefeated teams in the East Suburban Catholic Conference play each other. (Benet is the third and should extend its record to 4-0 against St. Patrick this weekend. Jack Who?)

Maybe it's because I got a little taste of Nazareth and its high-powered offense last week against St. Patrick (Wow!) and want to see if Nolan Dean and company are for real. (And I suspect they are.)

Maybe it's because I've been meaning to see Marian Central, the quarterback factory, ever since current University of Minnesota backup Chris Streveler led the Hurricanes to an 11-1 season in 2012. Oh, and let's not forget this team's defense: Marian has given up only one score so far this year. Can QB Billy Bahl (how did this kid not make one of my Names of the Day?) lead Marian to an upset tomorrow?

Or maybe it's just because if the contest is as one-sided as last week I can still high-tail it out of there and catch the second half of my third Saturday Game of the Week, Lyons (2-1) at Glenbard West (3-0).

Here are the two teams' schedules so far (home team in CAPS):

MARIAN CENTRAL 32, Crystal Lake South 0
Marian Central 14, McHENRY 7
MARIAN CENTRAL 42, Marian Catholic 0

NAZARETH 42, Bloomington 7
NAZARETH 49, Riverside-Brookfield 6
Nazareth 52, ST. PATRICK 27

Even though Nazareth will probably compete in 6A in the playoffs this year, both schools have been 5A in the past. Surprisingly (to me), I can find only one previous meeting between the two teams, when today's seniors were still in grade school. But it looks like it was a doozy:

2007: MARIAN CENTRAL 34, Nazareth 27

So who wins tomorrow? I gotta take the team that's averaging over 47 points a game -- Nazareth.

Oh, and while I'm at it, Loyola should hold off Fenwick at home but -- in honor of Mike Helfgot of the Tribune -- I'm going to call for an upset in Glen Ellyn: Lyons will upend the Hilltoppers.

As always, I'll be live-tweeting @BoringOldWhtGuy for as long as my battery holds out.

See you at the games!

Someone once told me...

...that the definition of a mixed marriage is when a Mount Carmel alum marries a girl whose father and brothers went to St. Rita.

With that in mind I give you tomorrow night's Game of the Week, Mount Carmel (1-2) at St. Rita (3-0).

Unless, of course, you're a DVC fan, in which case you'll want to check out Naperville Central (2-1) at Wheaton Warrenville South (1-2). Or if you live up north and want to see Lake Forest (3-0) at Stevenson (3-0).

But that's it -- for Friday. (I'll have three more games for Saturday tomorrow.)

But I'll be down at 77th and Western tomorrow (the former site of Quigley South) to see if Rita can extend its record to a perfect 4-0. As for Carmel, can the Caravan possibly go 1-3? Could they miss the playoffs this year? And if so, will the earth continue to rotate on its axis? (Those are all legitimate questions.)

I'll also be sitting on the west side of the stadium among all the Rita fans and their eighth-grade sons in their St. Barnabas and Christ the King jerseys. I can usually be found on the home side at games because you can sit higher up and see better. Also, I'll be on the Rita side Friday night because -- let's face it -- I like to watch the New York Yankees get beat. (I once even saw Mount Carmel coach Frank Lenti wearing a Yankees hat in the stands at Loyola. In the immortal words of Jack Paar, "I kid you not.")

So the question is, can Rita avenge last year's two losses to the Caravan? In the last ten years, Carmel owns the series, 7-5 (as best as I can tell). Home team in CAPS:

2013: MOUNT CARMEL 20, St. Rita 15
           Mount Carmel 24, ST. RITA 3
2012: MOUNT CARMEL 27, St. Rita 0
2011: ST. RITA 17, Mount Carmel 7
2010: ST. RITA 35, Mount Carmel 14
2009: St. Rita 54, MOUNT CARMEL 26
2008: ST. RITA 35, Mount Carmel 21
2007: MOUNT CARMEL 35, St. Rita 19
2006: ST. RITA 7, Mount Carmel 6
2005: MOUNT CARMEL 21, St. Rita 20
2004: Mount Carmel 20, ST. RITA 14
            Mount Carmel 42, ST. RITA 35

This year, of course, Mount Carmel has lost to two tough opponents and beat 0-3 Morgan Park:

St. Joseph's Prep (PA) 28, Mount Carmel 27 (Toyota Park, and I was there.)
Mount Carmel 43, MORGAN PARK 6
PROVIDENCE 33, Mount Carmel 14

St. Rita, on the other hand, is undefeated against two good teams and 1-2 Dunbar:

St. Rita 28, Simeon 26 (Toyota Park)
ST. RITA 56, Dunbar 8
ST. RITA 21, Montini 0

Who wins this one? I haven't seen Rita play this year but I have seen Carmel. And, while I never root for Notre Dame or the New York Yankees, I hate to bet against them.

It was cool and cloudy...

...last Saturday morning at Hanson Stadium, but that didn't stop at least one guy from wearing shorts. (He's officially my first "shorts guy" of the 2014 season. There will be more -- I guarantee it.)

The game, Nazareth at St. Patrick, was a one-sided affair with the Roadrunners winning, 52-27.

I was hoping for a good contest, but Nazareth ran away with it from the get-go. With the score 38-7 at the half, I decided that it wasn't going to improve much and had to fall back on my Plan B: Naperville North vs. Phillips at Lane Tech.

While munching on a Big Mac and fries at the McDonald's across the street from the stadium, I consulted Google Maps on my phone and plotted my strategy. The game was scheduled to start at 3:00 and Lane Tech was about five miles away. I decided to hoof it.

I made my way east on Fullerton and zig-zagged north and east until I arrived at the stadium at Addison and Western. Along the way, I walked past an Arabic school,

a Polish grocery store (is a HOT-DOGI what I think it is?),

a Colombian restaurant,

and a Romanian spot. (And those were just the ones I took pictures of.)

And I thought, where else, besides Chicago, would you see such diversity in a relatively short walk?

I finally arrived at Lane Tech and immediately noticed the difference in the two teams that were about to compete. Phillips, which is a 4A school, had fewer than 40 players.

Naperville North, on the other hand, seemed to bring everybody. (They may very well have had more people on the field than in the stands.)

I recalled my IM on Twitter to Tribune writer Mike Helfgot over the weekend:

Psst! Naperville North will have no trouble with Phillips.

To which he responded in his column (my emphasis):

Stopping just short of mocking me, an informed fan told me there’s no chance (that Phillips would beat Naperville North).

As a football expert (and all men, as I've told my wife many times, are football experts), I felt a little sorry for Mr. Helfgot. You see, I had the advantage of actually seeing Phillips play the week before, against Carmel. And, sure, while the Wildcats came alive in the fourth quarter, it was too little, too late. The Corsairs dominated the South Siders, 20-13, in a contest that really wasn't as close as the score would indicate.

So, okay, I figured, I'll give these guys until the half, just like I did Nazareth and St. Patrick. Besides, it had turned into a beautiful day; I took my jacket off, sat back and enjoyed the sunny September afternoon.

And then -- Boom! -- on the second play from scrimmage Phillips quarterback Dewayne Collins ran about a hundred and fifty yards for a touchdown. Whoa.

Oh, well, I thought. Naperville North will spot them a touchdown. What the heck -- it's sporting. And a few minutes later the Huskies scored to take the lead, 7-6. Game over? Not so fast.

Phillips went on to score 34 unanswered points to send a dazed and confused Naperville North and its fans back to DuPage County. And all I could say was, Wow!

Oh, and yes Mr. Helfgot, you were right. But he was gracious in victory. He pointed out that Collins and company may have been a lot faster on artificial turf than the natural grass at Mandrake Park. But I can't remember if they played on grass or not the previous week. All I know is Phillips looked sharp! (This must be how they played in Week One when they shut out defending 3A champ Stillman Valley, 51-0.)

So which is the real Phillips? Was it the team I saw lose to 7A Carmel, or the squad that just crushed big, bad 8A DuPage Valley Naperville North? If it's the latter, don't be too surprised to see these guys in Champaign come November.

George Friedman thinks...

...U.S. strategy in the Middle East should be about maintaining the balance of power. And I agree: we have no real allies in the region save Israel, so let the rest of the powers "work" it out.

Friedman writes (my emphasis):

Is ISIS really a problem for the United States? The American interest is not stability but the existence of a dynamic balance of power in which all players are effectively paralyzed so that no one who would threaten the United States emerges. The Islamic State had real successes at first, but the balance of power with the Kurds and Shia has limited its expansion, and tensions within the Sunni community diverted its attention. Certainly there is the danger of intercontinental terrorism, and U.S. intelligence should be active in identifying and destroying these threats. But the re-occupation of Iraq, or Iraq plus Syria, makes no sense. The United States does not have the force needed to occupy Iraq and Syria at the same time. The demographic imbalance between available forces and the local population makes that impossible.

This is why, I believe...

...the president's poll numbers are so low: according to a piece in the Times yesterday, "Growth Hasn’t Translated Into Gains in Middle-Class Income." Full stop. (My emphasis.)

The most important thing to know about the state of the United States economy was revealed in a report Tuesday morning that Wall Street barely noticed.

The 2013 median income remained a whopping 8 percent — about $4,500 per year — below where it was in 2007. The 2008 recession depressed wages for middle-income Americans, and they haven’t recovered in any meaningful way. And 2007 household incomes were actually below the 1999 peak.

This simple fact may be the most important thing to understand about today’s economy: Around 1999, growth in the United States economy stopped translating to growth in middle-class incomes. In the last 15 years, median income has been more or less flat while there was far sharper growth in, for example, per capita gross domestic product.

Forget ISIS, forget Obamacare, forget whatever. As James Carville famously said back in 1992: It's the economy, stupid. And it always will be. People care about their pocketbooks. It's the only thing that's real to them. Am I feeling good about the economy? Then the president's doing a great job! Do I feel meh? Then throw the bums out! 

I think that's what it really comes down to.

Happy birthday John!

The most obnoxious...

...license plate of the day.

The statistic of the day...

...is from a front-page article in the Times, "Democrats Put Cultural Issues in Their Quiver":

When Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980, white voters without a college degree made up 65 percent of the electorate; by 2012, that number had dropped to 36 percent.

I took these pictures...

..two weeks ago on a bike ride down Archer Avenue on the Southwest Side. (I'm a little behind.) In case you didn't know, I'm a sucker for old neon signs (even unlit ones).

I rode twenty-six miles round-trip that day to Toyota Park in Bridgeview where I watched the Mount Carmel - St. Joseph's Prep (PA) game. It was a beautiful day, a great place to see a game and a very interesting ride. I'm really enjoying exploring new (to me) parts of the city. I hope to share more in the future.

My neighbor overheard me...

...reassuring my basset hound, Stewart, that he was "a good doggie." I couldn't help recalling this scene from one of my all-time favorite movies, Parenthood. 

"It's important to be supportive," I explained to him.

Bob Crewe, who wrote...

...and produced a number of popular hits in the 1950s and '60s, died at age 83.

If you're my age, you'll remember “Music to Watch Girls By,” which was recorded by the Bob Crewe Generation in 1966 and was featured in this ad for Pepsi.

The rankings are out...

...in the three news services I follow. After last weekend, I've seen ten teams in six games so far.

That's Hanson Stadium, above, where I saw the first half of Nazareth's 52-27 shellacking of St. Patrick on Saturday. (That's all I could take.) But I told you it was a nice place to watch a game (even if the turf is the same neon-green color as the relish on a Vienna hot dog). As for that contest and the Naperville North - Phillips game I saw afterward at Lane Tech, I'll have to get to those later.

But first, here are the current rankings with mine (and comments) at the bottom:

MaxPreps

1. Providence
2. Sacred Heart-Griffin
3. St. Rita
4. Loyola
5. Stevenson
6. Edwardsville
7. Brother Rice
8. Maine South
9. Joliet Catholic
10. Glenbard West

Chicago Tribune

1. Stevenson
2. Glenbard West
3. Providence
4. Cary-Grove
5. St. Rita
6. Nazareth
7. Maine South
8. Oak Park and River Forest
9. Waubonsie Valley
10. Loyola

Sun-Times

1. Stevenson
2. Homewood-Flossmoor
3. Glenbard West
4. Cary-Grove
5. Maine South
6. Oak Park and River Forest
7. Waubonsie Valley
8. Providence
9. St. Rita
10. Bolingbrook

BOWG

1. Mount Carmel (1-2)

First of all, I still think the Mount Carmel team I saw that lost narrowly to St. Joseph's (1-2) of Philadelphia in Week One could beat any of the other teams on this list. We'll see if I'm right this weekend when the Caravan travels to St. Rita (3-0). 

And second, yes, Providence (3-0) must be for real. 

2. Oak Park and River Forest (3-0)

The Lloyd Yates I saw in Week One against Lincoln-Way East is probably one of the two best athletes I've seen this year. (Dewayne Collins of Phillips being the other.) 

Huskies have two more relatively easy weeks before they travel to big, bad Glenbard West (3-0). (I'm still a little worried about their defense.)

3. Glenbard West (3-0)

Hilltoppers shut out their last two opponents and are allowing an average of only 3.3 points a game. Couldn't they beat OPRF? I won't believe it until I see it in Week Six. 

Hitters host Lyons (2-1) this week.

4. Lincoln-Way East (2-1)

Griffins travel to Lockport (0-3) this Friday; can't be looking ahead to Homewood-Flossmoor (2-1) in Week Five.

5. Phillips (2-1) 

Was the Carmel game a fluke? The Phillips team I saw on Saturday could play with anyone. 

Wildcats begin conference play against Julian this week. Can Phillips go undefeated the rest of the regular season?

6. Nazareth (3-0)

Roadrunners looked awfully sharp against St. Patrick (2-1) but face their biggest test of the year so far at home against Marian Central (3-0) and quarterback Billy Bahl this week.

7. Wheaton Warrenville South (1-2)

Tigers take on their first conference opponent in Naperville Central (2-1). Is the DVC down this year?

8. Carmel (1-2)

Yes, Corsairs beat Phillips and lost to two really good opponents, Fenwick (2-1) and Joliet Catholic (2-1). But could they beat the Wildcats a second time? I'm not so sure.

Carmel finally has a light week; travels to Marian Catholic (1-2).

9. (Tie) St. Patrick (2-1) and Naperville North (2-1)

Sorry for the cop-out but both teams had a rough day on Saturday. Shamrocks will have their hands full this Friday at Benet (3-0) while Huskies begin conference play against Glenbard North (1-2).