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Ryan Sweeney and his fiancee, Natasha, had just driven through Cheyenne, Wyo., mid Tuesday afternoon. There were still about 10 hours to go before the couple pulled into Cedar Rapids. Yes, it's a long, long drive from Oakland, Calif. "I've got my car packed to the brim, and my dog is curled up in the back corner sleeping," Sweeney said. "I just want to get home. I'm tired of living out of a suitcase." The former Cedar Rapids Xavier prep just finished his best season in ...

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Take the poll below. Just read a story about Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera. He got into a fight over the weekend with his wife at their suburban Detroit home after he came home drunk at 6 a.m. Cops came to the house. Cabrera ended up having a blood-alcohol level of .260, three times the legal limit. That's exactly what you want - your superstar out until 6 a.m. getting blasted the weekend of a HUGE series. Classy.

URBANDALE — The chant began immediately in the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders locker room. “Woody, Woody, Woody!” a happy group shouted, as Jordan DiGiando was summoned for an interview following last night’s season-opening 7-4 win over Des Moines at Buccaneer Arena. “Hey, you’ve got to call him Woodpecker,” winning goalie Troy Grosenick said. “That’s what Coach calls him.” Woody, or Woodpecker, is a rookie forward from Gahanna, Ohio. DiGiando acquired his nickname because he’s the only guy on his team who eschews the typical ...

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The Los Angeles Angels named Cedar Rapids Kernels second baseman Alexi Amarista their minor league player of the year Thursday. Amarista, 20, won the Midwest League batting title with a .319 average. He also was among the MWL leaders in doubles (39), triples (10) and stolen bases (38). Former Kernels Trevor Reckling (Pitcher of the Year) and outfielder Peter Bourjos (Defensive Player of the Year) also were honored Thursday.

Doug McDermott, the son of Iowa State men's basketball coach Greg McDermott, has given an oral commitment to play basketball next year at ... Northern Iowa. A 6-foot-7 senior forward at Ames High School, McDermott averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds last season for the Class 4A state champion Little Cyclones. Greg McDermott played and coached at UNI before going to Iowa State. Iowa State offered Doug McDermott a chance to be a walk-on.

Between 30 and 40 Kirkwood Community College baseball alumni are expected to participate in a "homecoming scrimmage" at the school Saturday. The players will conduct a home-run derby followed by a scrimmage game at 2 p.m. at the Kirkwood field. It is being done in part to celebrate longtime Eagles Coach John Lewis' 1,000th victory last year. Lewis will enter his 30th season at Kirkwood this coming spring.

There are two former Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on the opening-night roster for the NHL's Los Angeles Kings. Everyone knows about foward Teddy Purcell, who has played parts of two seasons with Los Angeles. You might not know about defenseman Alec Martinez, who also made the 23-man roster. Both guys played on the 2004-05 Clark Cup championship team in Cedar Rapids. Martinez played for Miami of Ohio before signing with L.A. He spent last season with the AHL's Manchester Monarchs. Here's a story on Martinez ...

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According to head coach/general manager Mark Carlson, there are 26 players practicing with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and eligible to play at any time. The team will have an active roster for its game and an affiliate roster, with players eligible to go back and forth. Here are the 26 guys: GOALIES - Troy Grosenick, Eric Rohrkemper, Matt Hemingway. DEFENSEMEN - Bryce Aneloski, Steven Hensley, Andy Simpson, Jared Beers, Thomas Mahoney, Tommy Fallen, Mac Bennett, Nolan Zajac. FORWARDS - Stu Wilson, Eric Robinson, Stephen ...

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OK, here's the regular-season active roster for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Head coach Mark Carlson will keep 25 guys here, sliding guys between the active roster and affiliate roster, as was done last season. One notable absence is veteran Ben Lynch, now with the Lincoln Stars. Here are the 23 active guys. GOALIES Troy Grosenick (2009 team - RoughRiders) Matt Hemingway (Alexandria - NAHL) DEFENSEMEN Bryce Aneloski (RoughRiders) Steven Hensley (Detroit Central Catholic High School) Andy Simpson (St. Louis AAA Blues) Jared Beers (Kenai River - NAHL) Thomas Mahoney (Thayer Academy, Mass.) Mac ...

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They essentially are 12 to 16-hour days, seven days a week, 365 days a year. And Jack Roeder has had his fill.  The longtime Cedar Rapids Kernels general manager Jack Roeder will step down from his position after the 2010 season and be replaced by Chief Financial Officer Doug Nelson. Roeder, 58, came to Cedar Rapids from the Wausau Timbers of the Midwest League in 1991. Perhaps the most well-liked GM in the MWL, he was instrumental in helping get the newer Memorial Stadium ...

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How about that? The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders went 3-0 over the weekend and were declared champions of the USHL's Fall Classic in Sioux City. Des Moines and Sioux Falls also went unbeaten in the tourney, but Cedar Rapids got the title because of its superior goal differential (+12). Michael Parks had four goals in the Fall Classic for Cedar Rapids and added two assists. Jayson Megna, Chad Hudson and Andy Simpson also had two goals each. Defenseman Nolan Zajac had three assists. Troy ...

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Quite the performance for Dubuque senior quarterback Colton Hansen on Saturday at Mount Vernon's Ash Park. The former Olin prep threw for 366 yards and five touchdowns in his team's 42-19 win over Cornell. Here's video of Hansen discussing his big game, helped big-time by sophomore wide receiver DeMacus Fleming's 240 yards receiving and three long touchdown catches.

Guess it's "Rock, Sock, Jayhawk" these days in Lawrence, Kan. Apparently there's a running feud between members of the Kansas men's basketball team and football team that has resulted in a pair of physical altercations this week. Basketball player Tyshawn Taylor has a broken hand, apparently the result of throwing a punch at a football player. Does anyone else think this is kinda cool? Back in the day when I was attending the University of Iowa, there were rumors of a scuffle ...

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Baseball America has just released its top 20 prospects for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, and former West Delaware prep B.J. Hermsen is on it at No. 11. Hermsen made his professional debut this summer, going 6-2 with a 1.35 earned run average in 10 starts for the GCL Twins. In 53 1/3 innings, he gave up just 32 hits and four walks, striking out 42. The top prospect in the GCL, according to BA, was catcher Christian Bethancourt of the GCL Braves.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels Foundation is holding its eighth WWBA (World Wood Bat Association) baseball tournament this weekend in Cedar Rapids. Games begin Friday at Memorial Stadium and the University of Iowa. The championship game is 2 p.m. Monday. The tourney is for 2010 high school graduates and younger. There 35 teams competing from Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska, Kansas and Ohio. The champion advances to the WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., Oct. 22-26.

Defensemen Brock Carlston and Zach Carriveau are no longer with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, it was learned Monday. Carlston played 17 games last season for the Riders, who play at the preseason Fall Classic in Sioux City beginning Thursday. The RoughRiders will try to trade his rights to another United States Hockey League team. Carriveau's rights have been transferred back to the Nepean Raiders Junior A club in Canada, where the Maine native played last season. He was a third-round draft pick of the Riders in ...

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Ah, don't you just love Southeastern Conference football? The running feud between Florida head coach Urban Meyer and Tennessee's Lane Kiffin just got extended Monday when Meyer accused Kiffin and Tennessee of playing not to win but to keep last Saturday's game close. Florida won, 23-13, but by all accounts was not very impressive. Meyer criticized Kiffin for not pushing the envelope offensively after Tennessee recovered a Florida fumble at the Gator 2. "They wanted to shorten the game," Meyer said. "I remember looking ...

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These are the 30 guys in camp as of Monday. The team must get to 23 for its opener at Des Moines in a couple of weeks. DEFENSEMEN Brock Carlston (2009 team - RoughRiders) Bryce Aneloski (RoughRiders) Steven Hensley (Detroit Catholic Centra High School) Andy Simpson (St. Louis AAA Blues) Jared Beers (Kenai River - NAHL) Thomas Mahoney (Thayer Academy) Tommy Fallen (Armstrong, Minn., High School) Zach Carriveau (Nepean Valley Raiders) Mac Bennett (Hotchkiss Prep) Nolan Zajac (Winnipeg Thrashers) FORWARDS Stu Wilson (Maksynum Junior B) Andrew O'Leary (Shattuck St. Mary's Prep) Eric Robinson (RoughRiders) Stephen Collins ...

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Well, it sure is green inside the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena this season. Caught the final game of the "Battle of Iowa" Sunday afternoon. Sioux City beat the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2-0. Here are a couple of videos: the first one is a specially written song "Rider Town USA." Kinda corny. The second is of the pregame introduction. Kinda liked that. The song being played is "Welcome To The Show" by Saliva. Yes, the band's name is Saliva. What did you think if you were ...

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Mark Carlson cautioned that this is the same as it's been the previous 10 years of his club's existence. There's no difference. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders host the "Battle of Iowa" preseason tournament this weekend, and there are some roster spots still there to be won ... or lost. "It'll sort itself out," Carlson said. The tourney features the four Iowa teams in the United States Hockey League. The Riders play the rival Waterloo Black Hawks at 7 Saturday night, a game that ...

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Where do you watch your games here in Cedar Rapids? My in-laws are huge Broncos fans who lived for years in Denver. They want to watch the games and want to know what bar is the Broncos bar (or restaurant)? Please let me know.

Another Midwest League season has come and gone for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Another season has come and gone without a trip to the championship series. 1994 was the last time Cedar Rapids appeared in the finals. That also was the Kernels' last title. There is one more year left on the latest Player Development Contract extension between the Kernels and parent Los Angeles Angels. Maybe you love the Angels, maybe you don't. Maybe you don't care. But let me leave you with this. The Kernels ...

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Burlington, Iowa, is the smallest market in full-season minor league baseball. The Burlington Bees' home ballpark, Community Field, is quaint. And also old school. You've got primarily bleacher seating and oil-well like light towers. The park under went a renovation about five years ago. The press box was renovated and a partial covering was put behind home plate. Here are some quick photos.

Bob Brenly wanted to keep it low key. Just pop in, watch his son play and pop back out. That didn't happen. It was one well-wisher, autograph seeker or picture taker after the other approaching the Chicago Cubs TV broadcaster and former big league manager as he strolled the concourse of Memorial Stadium before last night's Cedar Rapids Kernels-Peoria Chiefs playoff game. With the Cubs having an off day, Brenly drove from Chicago to watch his son, Michael, catch for Peoria. It was his ...

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Nice ballpark. Reminds me of Memorial Stadium in a way (it's a year younger). Differences are O'Brien Field is bigger (7,500 capacity to Memorial Stadium's 5,200 or so) and it's downtown. Nice setting.