In his heyday, Jordan played on a stage that was unparalleled for any other NBA player. He had to be the best every night, had to win, had to bring home championships and MVP’s. Had to carry the load, had to carry the expectations of millions of fans, of David Stern, of NBC executives. Really, he was set up to fail. And with the weight of the world on his shoulders, he shook the pressure off like it John Starks on the baseline, spun back and dunked the expectations in everyone’s faces.
Along the way, in a sense, a monster was created. It’s impossible to be that competitive your whole life and then turn it off when your playing days are done. The traits that put the world in Michael Jordan’s hands are the same ones that have been chastised in the days following his Springfield speech. Wojnarowski said in his piece that “Jordan didn’t hurt his image with the NBA community as much as he reminded them of it.”
If there’s anyone that should understand MJ at all, it’d be the NBA community. In the Jordan montage prior to his speech, Scottie Pippen showed that understanding and said a lot about his former teammate.
“Winning is hard to do,” he said. “And It’s a price that you pay for it and that’s how I saw Michael as a player: as someone that wanted to prove that he’s a winner every day.”
Jordan’s candor on Friday showed that he’s a winner and the cost that it came at. He’s not the guy that I’d want to have any kind of contest with (I picture him keeping a table full of people up, bleary-eyed at 5 in the morning until he won a round of poker) but even today, I’d put my money on him for a five-minute stretch through the final stages of a tight game in the NBA. Because nobody won like Michael Jordan.
I would have preferred Derrick Brooks, but Bears sign LB Tim Shaw -
Looking for depth after season-ending wrist surgery for Brian Urlacher, the Chicago Bears signed linebacker Tim Shaw on Monday, the team announced.
The Bears had been in contact with free-agent linebacker Derrick Brooks, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Monday, but they informed the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year that they intend to go with their younger players for now.
"They just want to take more time with their decision," Brooks said.
Shaw played in three games for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season and in 14 games for the Carolina Panthers in 2007.
He is expected to contribute immediately on special teams.
I tweeted about this, but it's worth posting. You can add Bulls, Bears and White Sox schedules to your google calender -
To subscribe to your team's calendar - or other teams you'd like to keep up with - log in to your Calendar and Click "Add" to browse some of the interesting calendars that you can follow.
Also, follow my updates and get BBS updates on twitter: @BullBearSock; follow DC: @DanFXC and follow Kmart: @THE_REAL_KMART
I would care more about this list if Frank Thomas weren't 18 spots behind Sammy Sosa. What a joke.
Forte concerned about field -
At approximately the same time Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte was expressing concerns on Tuesday about the playing surface at Soldier Field, crews were in the stadium working on re-sodding the entire grass field.
The Bears' home opener is Sunday at 3:15 p.m. CT against the defending world champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
"I'm definitely concerned about it," Forte said on the "Waddle & Silvy" show on ESPN 1000. "I make a lot of cuts out there, and that's important being a running back. And [it's important] to the special teams and every part of the offense and defense.
"I just hope the field is set in."
I think the best part about this story is that the Bears game is at 3:pm and not t noon ... could be a rough Saturday for me.
From TrueHoop's Tuesday Bullets ...
Awesome idea/move by the Suns -
Michael Schwartz of Valley of the Suns has a report on social media in the NBA: "The Suns plan to stream live tweets at the bottom of the TV screen during telecasts and on the big screen and 360-degree LED rings at US Airways Center a couple times each game, [Suns executive Jeramie] McPeek said. This further encourages interactivity by allowing fans to tweet about the game from their couch or seat and immediately see it pop up for all of Planet Orange to see. Plus, this way everyone will know if @Amareisreal starts tweeting during a timeout. 'It would be really cool if we can have fans at home tweeting about the game and fans in the building itself tweeting about the game, and those tweets kind of merging together to be on display,' McPeek said."
Bulls release pre-season schedule -
In preparation for the 2009-10 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls will start training camp on Friday, Sept. 25 with their annual Media Day at the Sheri L. Berto Center in Deerfield, Ill.. Bulls coaches, players and General Manager Gar Forman will be available to the media for interviews and photos.
Chicago’s first practice will get underway on Saturday, Sept. 26 with a two-a-day practice session set for 10:00 A.M., and again at 4:30 P.M. The two-a-day practice sessions will continue through Wednesday, Sept. 30.
The Bulls will tip-off their eight-game preseason schedule on Friday, Oct. 2, when they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. Chicago will then travel to London, England to take on the Utah Jazz, as part of NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports on Oct. 6. Other preseason contests include: at Milwaukee Bucks (Oct. 10 in Green Bay, Wis.), vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Oct. 13), at Minnesota Timberwolves (Oct. 14), vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Oct. 16), vs. Orlando Magic (Oct. 19) and vs. Washington Wizards (Oct. 23). The team will then tip-off the regular season on Oct. 29 at the United Center against the San Antonio Spurs.
Reinsdorf and TT react to MJ's HOF speech -
Cutler vows to play better -
Just for the record, Jay Cutler had a hard time believing how his debut with the Chicago Bears went, too.
Hailed as a franchise savior after the blockbuster trade from the Denver Broncos, the rifle-armed quarterback threw a dud in a season-opening loss at Green Bay. Four interceptions had fans buzzing for the worst.
He vowed to do better when the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers visit this week.
Cutler said he wasn't any more nervous than usual against the Packers. He was, however, "disappointed in my performance, but I can't dwell on it."
*** EDIT ***
Missed this link on Monday Morning Hangover -
Jay Cutler: Four interceptions? What was he looking at? Or, perhaps, what was he looking through? (Bangs and ridiculous sunglasses, maybe?) I'll give him this, though: Cutler immediately succeeded in a way an all-time great athlete like Alex Rodriguez could not. Cutler is already a true Chicago Bears quarterback. Hopefully for Bears fans, he'll soon snap out of that.
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