Stuck on 25.

Taking our eyes off the national elections and turning them to some local news. Joe Newton has been suspended by the IHSA for violating the maximum amount of contact days, 25, with athletes during the off-season. The violation occurred during his off-season camp, which lasts 35 days. The suspension also includes assistant coach Charlie Kern. The York boys cross country team they coached won the IHSA class AA State Finals on Nov. 4th. It was their fifth straight year winning and the 26th in school history, but neither of them will be listed as coaches on the team this year.

Joe Newton is the John Wooden of Illinois high school cross country. 25 state titles in 50 years; he was also a coach at the Seoul Olympics. I never ran for Coach Newton, but both my brother's did.

Here is the transcript for an interview I conducted this morning via email with Tim Hendricks, my youngest brother and Godfather of Patrick. He's a former Elmhurst resident, and strangely, still registered to vote here.

Timmy, what years did you attend York HS? 1992-1996

What teams were you on that he coached? I was on the track team 1994, 1995, 1996, sophomore to senior years and Cross Country team in 1994 and 1995, junior and senior years.

What titles or accomplishments did you or the team have? The cross country team won the state meet in 1994 and placed second in 1995, breaking our streak of 6 straight state titles. In 1995, I ran on two all-state relays, placing 6th in the 800 meter relay and 5th in the mile relay. The track team placed 3rd in state in 1996

How would you describe him as a coach? He is a motivator that demands a lot from his runners. He expected a lot from his runners and he let you and every one on the team know when you weren't performing to his expectations. He knew everyone's name on the teams, and we always had more than 100 kids on both the Track and Cross Country teams, and everyone had the same rules.

Where you taught by him outside of being coached? Gym class? I never had him in gym class.

If so, how would you describe him as a teacher? From what I witnessed of him while teaching gym he was more relaxed and he didn't really care what you did as long as you treated him with respect.

Can you describe a difference between; Joe Newton the Coach and Joe Newton the Teacher? Joe Newton the coach yelled a lot more and expected greatness from his runners. It didn't appear he expected much from his students except again to treat him with respect and in turn he would treat the students with respect.

How would you describe him as a man? He is a willful person that is driven to be the best at whatever he puts his mind to.

Was he strong? In what way? Yes, he is a very strong person. He was in his late 60's when he coached me 10 years ago and he got up early every morning to run until he was physically unable to. So when running was to hard on his body he got up every morning to work out in the pool.

Could you take him in a fight? I doubt it, while I was running for him. Maybe now.

What nickname did Joe Newton give you? Mother Hen. The same as my older brother. (Our middle brother, Danny.) His nicknames were not always original but every one had one. (This blogger never received a nickname. I was merely, Hendricks.)

Has Joe Newton ever tried to kiss you? No.

Do you have any opinion about this suspension? I don't have any real strong opinions on the matter, I have thoughts. I think that there is to much scrutiny on amateur athletes, rules that apply to the very few and make it hard on the average athlete, who is competing because they enjoy the sport. High School Athletes can be suspended if they are found to be competing in other organizations outside the IHSA. However, rules are rules and Mr. Newton violated one. This rule I tend to agree with. I believe it is in place to protect the students from over ambitious coaches. High school athletes are not pros, they are not even college athletes, and sometimes coaches need to be reminded that their sport is not the only thing in a students life. This rule protects students from coaches demanding their players be in attendance more than they probably should be. After all, the great majority of High School athletes do not participate past the high school level and even though off- season work-outs can not be required by coaches, and are voluntary, we all know that is not the case for the best athletes.

Do I think 35 days instead of 25 days over the summer is a big deal, No. But that is the number of days the IHSA has decided on. I feel bad for Coach Kern who now has to miss the track season for the violation.

Timmy, have you ever tried to kiss Joe Newton? No.

And finally Tim, why does your fantasy football team suck so bad? Your team sucks.

Your Chicago Bulls!!!

Yeah. I'm getting excited.

Honor Among Thieves and The Truth Will Set You Free.

Barry Bonds has some company.

Up until now he has been easily the most successful and high profile baseball player linked to the current steroid scandal in baseball. Maybe not so much anymore.

Jason Grimsley, a journeymen right-handed reliever who last played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, has named names after being found in possession of HGH (Human Growth Hormone), steroids and amphetamines. Each name kills the kid in me alittle more.

Grimsley getting busted was a fairly big deal. The people he is talking about now make it a much bigger deal. It also continues the destruction of an entire generation of sports heroes.

He named Roger Clemens among others. Without this scandal, Roger Clemens is one of the best players to ever play, as is Barry Bonds. If this sticks to either of them in the form of hard evidence, and Barry might already, they are frauds, liars and phonies.

Driving home from work, ESPN Gameday on the radio, John Seibel said something about Grimsley I found interesting. Without a direct quote, he claimed that if he was in Grimsley's place he would hope he kept quiet about what other people did. That naming others in his confession was a second wrong.

Why does everyone think they are in Goodfella's? Why is there some kind of expectation of honor for these people. They are in this position because they lied, cheated and broke the law for their own gain.

It is this misguided sense of honorable silence that allows crooked cops and corrupt politicians to get away with it just the same as baseball players. What would make you think that they wouldn't sing like a canary?

Why would their silence be reason for respect.

The little kid in me would like to see something. I think it would be cool if Jason Giambi, maybe the only guy to come close to admitting publicly he used steroids, who then came back to perform at a high level even after having a brain tumor, got in front of the camera, admitted he did it and using his current success as an example, tell the kids playing ball they don't need it.

I thought I needed it and I don't.

Maf54: Cool.

Cool is right, Congressman Mark Foley.

Brett Favre can't hurt you anymore.

It's all over. Nothing more to fear. The worst nemesis in Chicago Sports history is done. Brett Favre shouldn't be feared any longer.

All sports teams need rivals. It happens naturally. One team plays another. You cheer for your team, boo their opponents. Loyalties are based, mainly, on location. If you are from Chicago, or the area, the Bears become your team. If you play a team every year, competing for a Divisional Championship, the rivalry grows.

Sports have been in Chicago a long time. We have two baseball teams, a hockey team, basketball and football. In all that time, none of those teams has had an enemy like Brett Favre.

Isiah and the Pistons were tough, but the Bulls broke them over their legs and went on to much greater heights. We even adopted Dennis Rodman as our own for awhile. Reggis Miller? Maybe, but only for one year, in one series. The Knicks? Please.

The Cubs have the Cards, and previously the Mets, but the Cubs have never been serious contenders for anything. No single team, or man, has ever stood between them and glory. Usually, it's just themselves.

The Sox biggest rival is the Cubs, a team that's not even in their league. Also, divisional realignment has changed their yearly rivalries. The winning of The World Series last year washed away so many bad memories. On their way to the top they didn't have to face anyone or any team that had historically bested them. There is no Yankees to their Red Sox. Go White Sox!

Hockey, well, no one really pays attention to the Blackhawks. If they do, then I assume their public enemy #1 is the owner himself.

The Bears greatest rival is the Packers. We play them twice a year and have been for nearly a hundred years. And, we are a Bears town. Even when the Bulls were collecting championships they had to fight for headlines with Dave Wanndstedt. Kevin Butler of the '85 Superbowl Championship team still does commercials here. You ever hear a Judd Buchler commercial? Nope, it's all about the Bears here.

And the Bears hate the Packers.

Brett Favre is Green Bays quarterback. He has been for 211 straight games.

We hate Brett Favre.

Here's some number to illustrate why.

Brett Favre first start was on Sept. 20, 1992. He hasn't missed one since.

Games versus Bears, by season.
'92 1-1 CH W in GB.
'93 0-2
'94 0-2 CH beaten in season series by a total score of, 73-9.
'95 0-2
'96 0-2
'97 0-2
'98 0-2
'99 1-1 CH W in GB by blocked FG. Nov. 1, Payton passes
'00 1-1 CH W in GB.
'01 0-2 CH swept by GB despite going 13-3 and winning division.
'02 0-2
'03 0-2
'04 1-1 CH W in GB.
'05 2-0 CH first season sweep of Packer since '91, the freakin' year I graduated high school.
'06 1-0

Total 32 games played, 9 Bears wins, 22 Bears losses.

We didn't win in Green bay from 10/25/92 till 11/7/99. That streak was broken just days after Walter Payton had passed away. Emotionally, the greatest game I've ever watched.

Brett Favre had a 13 game winning streak in Soldier Field. I went through my twenties never seeing the Bears beat the Packers in Chicago. This guy made it a yearly ritual to come to Chicago and beat our butts in. Virtually every Packers game during my six years in college was misery. Highlighted by a Halloween smack down in '94 that still haunts me.

This past Sunday, the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers, in Green Bay, 26-0. That's right!! 26 to Nothing!

It is the first time Brett Favre has ever been shutout in his NFl career. It is the ONLY time Brett Favre has been shutout in his life. Brett Favre has played in more straight games at the quarterback position then anyone else in the history of the NFL. He had our number like no one ever has. But we beat him in his last home opener, cause this year is it for him.

Yeah, he was a great QB. First ballot Hall-of-Famer. I always thought he was a bit of a frontrunner. Sure, he won a Superbowl, but when he ran into a team that punched back the next year, he blew it. He should have retired two years ago when everyone loved him. Now, everyone is just sick of him. He's proving to be a bad teammate, selfish and unwilling to change. Unwilling to help a bad team move on without him.

Enjoy the next 16 weeks, Brett.