About- Mike Zoller
Mike Zoller
After trying to retire after a lucrative two-year career in sports journalism, Mike got back into sports but in the administration side. He currently works for the Northwestern University Athletic Department as an account executive working directly with football and men's basketball. At Miami University Mike was the sports editor for the The Miami Student and also did radio play-by-play for RedHawk ice hockey, football and baseball. Mike is still waiting to see Northwestern basketball play in the NCAA Tournament and the Cubs win the World Series.New Faces Atop MLB Standings
August 5, 2013 | Mike Zoller
What if I told you that on July 31st the two best teams in baseball were both in the National League Central? What if I told you that the two teams were the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals? You might expect the Cardinals but it finally looks like the Pirates will keep it together for an entire season. Major League Baseball is facing a lot of issues but new teams at the top of the MLB standings are definitely a positive.
More than Winners and Losers
July 8, 2013 | Mike Zoller
On the Fourth of July Americans celebrate our country’s birthday in many ways. From BBQs with friends and families to going to fireworks in the evening, everyone has their own way to celebrate.
Sports, specifically baseball, is another way to celebrate our nation’s birth. Every team plays on July 4 and the Washington Nationals always play at home on the holiday. I’ve been to many games on July 4 and it’s a lot of fun watching our nation’s pastime on a beautiful afternoon or evening ending with a solid fireworks display.
Remembering Coach Coles
June 17, 2013 | Mike Zoller
There are hundreds of NCAA basketball coaches out there, but none were like former Miami University basketball coach Charlie Coles. In an era where so many coaches focus on what’s politically correct to say, Coles told you exactly what he was thinking.
Sports Fans Gone Wild
May 20, 2013 | Mike Zoller
It may have happened almost two weeks ago, but the actions of Miami Heat fan Filomena Tobias are still etched in my mind. Sure fans can get rowdy during a game, but when Tobias got into the face of the Bulls’ Joakim Noah with a middle finger the line was clearly crossed.
Craft Breweries come out for American Beer Classic
May 13, 2013 | Mike Zoller 3
If Beer Heaven exists it might have been in Chicago on Saturday May 11th when 100 breweries lined up on Soldier Field to offer their finest brews. The inaugural American Beer Classic (ABC) put on display craft breweries from all over the country and the thousands of patrons who roamed the field with their shot-glass sampler could not have been disappointed.
Chicago Gears Up For Inaugural American Beer Classic
May 7, 2013 | Mike Zoller
Chicago’s Soldier Field has hosted a lot of events since it opened in 1924. Besides the Bears, it has hosted college football, ice hockey, World Cup soccer and even the Rolling Stones. But May 11th will be a first for the stadium when the inaugural American Beer Classic takes center stage.
Athlete DUIs A Troubling Trend
April 29, 2013 | Mike Zoller
Why do the richest always do the stupidest things?
Professional athletes have more disposable income than they know what to do with and spend millions of dollars on frivolous items all the time. However, when it comes time to spend just a few dollars on something as simple as a car service or taxicab after a night of drinking, too often it seems they make the wrong decision.
Get Ready for Interleague Play
April 8, 2013 | Mike Zoller 2
Ah baseball season is here. There is nothing better than going to the ballpark, getting some peanuts, a beer and enjoying beautiful weather as you watch the great American pastime. The first week of games has come and gone and there were some great matchups. You had Boston going to New York in a classic inter-division series, the Giants and Dodgers battled on the West Coast and the Angels went to Cincinnati.
NCAA Tournament West Region
March 20, 2013 | Mike Zoller
NCAA Tournament West Region
The West region is being called the weakest of the four this tournament and rightfully so. There was a lot of discussion on which team would get the final number one seed and Gonzaga beat out Ohio State and Miami for the last number one spot.
The NHL Streak We Almost Missed
March 18, 2013 | Mike Zoller
The Streak
It’s hard to believe that the NHL season is already more than half over. Well maybe it’s not that hard to believe since the 2013 season is only 48 games. What might be harder to believe is that the Chicago Blackhawks went the entire first half of the season without a regulation loss.
Ban Home Plate Collisions
March 4, 2013 | Mike Zoller
In baseball contact is frowned upon. Any contact except for the ball hitting the bat is discouraged and can include discipline if it is severe enough. So why in a sport that steers away from collisions do we have one of the most violent incidences in professional athletics?
No Good From Playing Derrick Rose This Season
February 20, 2013 | Mike Zoller
Walk around downtown Chicago and you will hear a variety of sports topics being debated. You’ll hear the classic Cubs vs. Sox, Chicago Stadium vs. United Center and the hot topic of the past few weeks has been should Derrick Rose play this year or not?
Super Bowl Bingo
January 29, 2013 | Mike Zoller 1
Be sure to check out the 2016 Super Bowl 50 version of our Super Bowl Bingo Boards.
With the big game less than a week away there always seems to be so much more to talk about than a football game. The Super Bowl has people talking about commercials, celebrities, half time shows and the most unique and obscure bets a person can make.
You have your typical football bets on the actual game, but for the Super Bowl, bookies will take everything from how long the national anthem will take to sing to how many tweets will be sent about the game. Basically anything is fair game when it comes to the most watched sporting event of the year.
So at your Super Bowl you might participate in football squares or a variety of other betting games, one other popular one is Super Bowl Bingo. For those of you that want to play but don’t want to make your own board, PorchDrinking.com has created a great board for the game Sunday.
Who’s Worthy for Cooperstown Now?
January 14, 2013 | Mike Zoller
Many might not have realized it, but January 9th will be a day that changed the future of professional baseball in America forever. For just the 8th time in the history of the Hall of Fame voting, no players were elected into the HOF in Cooperstown. But if it’s happened before why is this time more significant? It’s simple and can be summed up in two words – steroid era.
The Year of the Rookie Quarterback
December 31, 2012 | Mike Zoller
With the NFL regular season winding down, it’s time to reflect on the past 16 weeks. There has been a lot of controversy this season with replacement refs and Bounty Programs just to name a couple of issues. But there have been bright spots. One of which is the play of this year’s rookie quarterbacks.
Five Bowl Games to Watch This Season
December 17, 2012 | Mike Zoller
December is a great month for sports. You have the NFL in the home stretch and just about to start the playoffs, basketball and normally hockey are in full swing and maybe the best part of the month – college football bowl games.
Starting on the 15th and going all the way until January 7, 35 bowl games will be played across the country. While the debate goes on if there are too many games and if many are meaningless sponsor-driven events, it’s still fun to watch teams from different conferences play each other for nothing but pride.
This year provides a slate of great match-ups from day one until the national championship in Miami on the 7th. Here are five games all college football fans should settle down for and watch in their entirety: Read More
A Letter To The National Hockey League
December 3, 2012 | Mike Zoller
Dear National Hockey League,
One of your biggest fans here.
Growing up in Chicago, I missed getting to watch legends Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, but grew up idolizing guys like Tony Amonte, Eddie Belfour and Eric Daze. Old Chicago Stadium was deafening and full of history. It took a little bit of time to adjust to the United Center, but the fans didn’t care. We just loved our Chicago Blackhawks.
Sports Week In Review 10/26-11/1
November 5, 2012 | Mike Zoller
October is really the greatest sports month of the year. You have the MLB playoffs, both college and professional football are in full swing, the NBA gets underway and hockey would normally be a few games into the season. With a plethora of sporting events to watch here are some of the highlights from the past week.
PorchDrinking Sports Week-in-Review 9/7-9/13
September 17, 2012 | Mike Zoller
I told my girlfriend two weeks ago that I wanted to spend the entire weekend with her. Just the two of us doing whatever she wanted—she nearly had tears in her eyes. At the end of the weekend I let her know that I would be busy for the next six months.
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