Tuesday Sips, featuring Nate Dogg, rich people, and recruiting

Let's read some stuff, since I haven't done one of these in a while!

LANNY AND SHARON BALLIN: Lanny and Sharon Martin gave $15 million to Northwestern's athletic campaign and get Lakeside named after them! Woo! A thing not named after Pat Ryan! I was worried that all future Northwestern students will be forced to name themselves "Pat Ryan" after accepting, so this is a step in the right direction. I'm sure all this is inspired by philanthropy and tax-writeoffs, but prefer to imagine Lanny and Sharon and Pat Ryan down to their underwear after a long night of strip poker and straight tequila shots before someone decides to make it REALLY interesting, and that Pat Ryan generally sucks at poker. Also, hey, rich people: dude, $15 million dollars would, like, save the nation of Chad and further research in any number of diseases. Really? You go with Northwestern sports? That's nice, and all, but...

Meanwhile, the Martins have their mortal enemies: three people suing the city over the new sports complex. EVANSTONIANS TAKING ISSUE WITH SOMETHING NORTHWESTERN IS DOING?!?!?!?!?!

Hey hey hey hey, Go Cats every day: Nate Dogg - RIP, RIP over and over again - has a son, and his son is good at football, and Northwestern wants him to play football for us. May he please come here, if only so that Chet Haze isn't the celebrity scion with the most street cred. I doubt Northwestern lands him - sounds like he's high on Oregon.

Elsewhere in 'cruitin: Northwestern's class is going well, but it still has one outstanding scholarship offer, and it's to four-star wide receiver James Clark. He's also considering Florida, Ohio State, and Clemson, so it would be a good get, but it's not out of the question.

Errybody eat: This is from a while back, but EDSBS is ranking the most edible mascots, and Willie is No. 62. He is smack dab in the middle of edibility.

worst games of the year: Bill Connelly over at the mothership ranked the best games of the year, and NU comes in three times: No. 54 (Syracuse), No. 32 (Nebraska) and No. 19 (Michigan) Yes, I hate this list too.

(If you're jonesing to read what I've been writing, I broke down the brilliant final year of the WAC and have a post later on bad coaches. Some of Northwestern's faves are on it!)

BREAK OUT!: Redeye ranked its Chicago athletes poised for a breakout in 2013, and Kain Colter was No. 1. Tough to break out after winning ten games, but Kain can do it. I would've picked Jay Cutler, though.

Oh word: Pat Forde writes Bill Carmody is on the hot seat, as somebody writes all the time forever. I'm just gonna watch basketball.

Oh. Word.: Meanwhile, Andy Glockner writes Northwestern has the toughest second half schedule, which is so much bad.

Ohhhh.... word: Excellent blog The Kingsbury Factor did a good rundown of watching four minutes of Iowa-Northwestern.