Click-a-Bull (Boozer; Rose; Noah; Melo) + Bears (Cutler) + WhiteSox (Manny)

Big batch of links from yesterday: Click-a-Bull (Team USA; Center Rankings; Rose on Boozer & Noah; Melo; Trophies; Trade Deng?; Noah Improving)

And don't miss D-Rose highlights from Monday morning against Brazil: USA v. Brazil: Derrick Rose Highlights (Reverse Layups!)


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One on One with Carlos Boozer

Why the Chicago Bulls? What made you choose them over other teams?

CB:

They had everything in place and have championship DNA. They got a lot of young players like Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and, for me, it was the perfect fit. I was contemplating other teams and also thought of staying in Utah, but I was overwhelmed by Chicago’s professionalism and how bad they wanted to win again, and not just one championship but multiple championships. They want to get back to that, and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.

Fast Breaks: USA-Slovenia

A star is born. A Derrick Rose-shaped star. Watching international opponents chase Rose in the open floor is like watching a Volvo try to keep pace with a Ferrari. With the U.S. defending the three-point line well (Slovenia connected on 20.8 percent of their threes) Rose was a monster in transition, scoring seven points and dishing out five assists, several of which went towards the U.S.' 20 fast break points. In the halfcourt Rose and Russell Westbrook assaulted the rim almost at will; their speed and power with the ball completely overwhelmed Slovenia's guards and their strength enabled them to overpower the big men at the rim.

Bright future keeps Rose cruising along in career

Derrick Rose hasn't hit many speed bumps in a professional career that began as 2008's No. 1 pick. And this summer has been even better.

Chicago's front office flanked Rose with their best team since that statue outside the United Center roamed the United Center. He's finishing up the offseason as a starter for the U.S. team at the FIBA World Championships.

Rose is living right, right now.

The waters were somewhat murkier a year ago.

Sanctions had devastated the University of Memphis, Rose's one-and-done college of choice. And though he was never publicly named in the NCAA findings last August that stripped the Tigers of their magical (at the time) run to the 2008 title game, Rose's reputation and image didn't go unscathed.

He was the focal point of an eligibility mess that dated back to his days as a Chicago high school phenom. Rose didn't address the matter much at the time or since, other than maintain his innocence. University officials at Memphis, including the athletic director, backed Rose.

The NCAA's investigation had dogged Rose for most of his first season, but not enough to derail a Rookie of the Year campaign. Another minor headache arose last June when a photo surfaced from Rose's time at Memphis of him apparently flashing gang signs. Rose quickly apologized, hammering home his "anti-gang, anti-drug, and anti-violence" stance.

Rose navigated through the negative headlines with the same poise and assuredness that splits a backcourt trap. He remained focused on his job, giving critics little else to chew on and foes plenty to worry about. By not completely acknowledging what happened at Memphis, it could be argued that Rose ducked responsibility and essentially got off scot-free.

For Rose, it was about moving forward. The Bulls were his priority, and he took on last season determined to stay on course. An ankle injury that wiped out his preseason didn't derail Rose for long. He took command of the team, earning his first All-Star nod and took his game to a higher plane in the playoffs.

Yahoo: Joakim Noah is cool with just about everything

 


Bulls discussing Melo with Nuggets [as are a variety of others]

Per Jon Rothstein (MSG) twitter:

#Nets look like favorites now but are fighting including lopez...Harris, Favors, and picks are package

#Nuggets would prob. want Kaman and Eric Gordon from #Clippers 4 Melo....that deal would make LAC much worse

#Nuggets discussions w Chicago involves a package of Luol Deng and Taj Gibson

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Jay Cutler & Kristin Cavallari Dating?

There's a rumor going around today that Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is dating Thigh of the Week alum, Kristin Cavallari. Even if they're not officially "dating", they were reportedly seen making out like crazy at a club in Chicago last night:

Manny unlikely to be the solution

Adding Ramirez is a low-risk move, but the Sox have too many other problems




I wish I could be in Cleveland to see Manny Ramirez's debut in a White Sox uniform and watch his new team struggle to handle his old team, the lowly Indians.

But I watched Monday's game in my basement, where I plan to catch Ramirez's planned debut as well. It really does emulate the "When do the Buckeyes play?" crowd at Progressive Field, seeing as I'm here by myself.

I filed a more optimistic column as the Sox headed into the bottom of the ninth before Bobby Jenks gave up three runs to send the game into extras Monday.

But there's no reason to think this team is just one hitter away from catching the Twins and making noise in October.

PK's First Post: White Sox / Twins Series at Threat Level Orange

Hello BBS community. To piggyback off of the earlier statement of the other new addition to the writing staff, Pete, I would like to say that it is a real privilege to have the chance to contribute to this great forum for fans of Chicago sports that have meant so much to them over the years. I will be trying to put together some post as the season winds down on my favorite Chicago squad, the Chicago White Sox, with some Blackhawks thoughts thrown in as a “Johnny Comeback Lately” to our city’s hockey team.



I have always loved baseball, as a kid growing up it was the sport that shaped my childhood more so than any other and the game that I have grown most attached to now that I am nothing more than a washed-up, ex-athlete at the ripe old age of 26. However, each of those 26 years has been spent as an avid Chicago White Sox fan, something that is not always easy to do once you move out of the South Side community that embraces their team. This is a Cubs city, which I am ok with (but I am sure will be the topic of conversation for at least one post along the way here). I take solace in my team and look forward to each spring with “enthusiastic pessimism” that I think a lot of fellow Sox fans share with the start of each season. This season has not disappointed in providing its fair share of both those emotions. To the disappointment of seeing a lack of offensive production early in the season, only to bulldoze through June and July with a 25-5 record going into the all-star game, only to come back down to earth over the last 10 days dropping series to the O’s, Twin’s and Tigers. Which have all combined, brought us to this week’s 3-game set against those same Twin’s (a team that I have nothing but respect for from top to bottom, but a team that has caused me more frustration than an overly jealous girlfriend or when people dress their dogs in designer clothes).

I see this as being a big to moderately huge series for the Sox who currently sit 3 games back going into tonight’s game in MN. Here are a few things that I am interested in keeping an eye on over the next 3 games (both enthusiastically with some pessimism mixed in).

1. The probable starting pitchers do not include the name Freddy Garcia. This is good. Although I have been pleasantly surprised with the production we have gotten out of Sweaty Freddy, it looks like the season has begun to wear on him a bit. Instead, left-hander John Danks (12-8, 3.19 ERA) will pitch in the series opener for the White Sox against Twins right-hander Scott Baker (10-9, 4.76. In Game 2 on Wednesday, White Sox right-hander Gavin Floyd (8-9, 3.70 ERA) will face left-hander Francisco Liriano (11-7, 3.26). And in the series finale Thursday, White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle (11-9, 4.05) will face right-hander Carl Pavano (15-7, 3.27). I think that having 3 innings-eaters like Danks, Floyd and Buehrle going in the series is huge help, mainly to try to spell our bullpen after a much needed off-day Monday also. With Putz and Thornton logging a lot of time, Pena having been scored on in his last 5 appearances and Bobby Jenks with a nagging back the real bright spots have been the young guys in Santos and Chris Sale who the Sox brought up earlier this month. Helping to save those arms has been something Danks, Floyd and Buehrle have done well as of late. John Danks, who after Freddy Garcia's short outing Tuesday, went 8 quality innings giving up 1 run on six hits while striking out 7 and walking 2 in Wednesday's victory against the Tigers. Gavin Floyd, who had been one of the best in the majors over the last few months, needs to get back to that form and get some revenge agains the Twins who dealt him his worst start since June 2 in his last start (surrendering six earned runs in a 6-1 loss to the Twins, topped off by a 3-run homer to Jason Kubel, who has made a name as one of the biggest Sox killers, in the 7th – a pitch I don’t think he should have even thrown to the Twins left-handed hitter as he had already thrown 120+ pitches at that point and Sale was warm in the Sox bullpen). Buehrle, is 24-17 vs. the Twins which is his highest win-loss total vs. a team, is an innings-eater by trade and needs to avoid the occasional 4 to 5 runs in the first couple innings before settling down.
   
   
   
2. Although it is a small sample-set, I was happy to see Mark Teahen having good at bats with his return to the line-up against the Tigers after is 2 ½ months on the DL with a fractured finger. After not signing Jim Thome (who I will never speak ill of even if he hits 35 homers against the Sox in their remaining 2 series with the Twins because of the respect I have for him), the Sox not picking up a big left-handed bat at the trade deadline or to this point and Mark Kotsay having a rough go of it and not really being a DH the Sox need a little pop from the left side this series against Baker and Pavano. I am not saying that Teahen is the same as Thome, Dunn or Fielder in terms of left-handed pop, but he doesn’t need to be one of those guys with a month and a half left. He needs to get consistent at bats, give some guys some rest with his versatility in the field and maybe breathe some life into a team their own manager said didn’t look like they came to play on Sunday against the Tigers.
   
   
   
3. Lastly, the Sox need a shot in the arm by taking 2 of 3 in this series to start getting on a little bit of a run. Over their last 10 the Sox are 3-7 while the Twins are 8-2, winning 7 of their last 8 games. It would be nice for the Sox to get a little bit of swagger back with upcoming series against the Yankees, 1 more set with the Twins and ending their season with series against Oakland, LAAAAA and Boston (teams the Sox have had their struggles against). Twins finish up against the rest of the AL Central which they have killed this year (31-17) and could probably stand to be cooled down a bit by dropping a series at home against the Sox.
   

I will try to end each post with a different quote from the biggest homer announcer in baseball, Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, starting with an appropriate one for the series that kicks off tonight – “Time to cinch it up and hunker down!"

Don't Call It A Comeback: BullBearSock Is Back In Action (And Improved!)

Anyone who reads this blog knows that there have been very few posts this summer, and for good reason. I was studying for the bar, and twenty-two days ago my building was evacuated because of flooding. We were finally able to move back in yesterday, but it was an absolutely crazy 3 weeks. Here's what went down since during that time:

- Took (and hopefully passed) the Bar Exam, which was only 3 days after the flood/evacuation. Not the best timing.

- Went on an relaxing vacation in Florida. Thanks to my great BBS-GF, who planned and executed an awesome trip!

- Went to an incredible funeral ceremony, which was a proper send-off for the Chicago Bears' biggest fan, a Chicago Firefighter/Paramedic, and a true hero. Miss you and love you Chris - proud to call you my cousin, lucky to call you my friend.


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But don't worry, I have stayed current on everything Bulls, and will get back to posting regularly going forward. Look for regular posts on Tuesday and Friday, and some other random posts when time permits. Follow me on twitter (@bullbearsock) for updates and all of my random thoughts, and become a fan on facebook for updates whenever there is a new BBS post.

Beyond that, we've also added a couple of new writers to the BBS team. My friend Pete will be taking over as the resident Bears Expert, so expect those posts to start showing up pretty regularly. And my friend PK plans on writing here about the White Sox. That covers BBS, but those two will also be writing about the BlackHawks at times, so we are expanding our coverage slightly.

I'm really happy about expanding, because it makes my life that much easier. Above all else I am a Bulls fan, and I don't feel confident or knowledgeable writing about the Bears or White Sox ... so I am excited to have those teams covered by two knowledge and funny people. BBS is now fully loaded with four great writers, and me. Enjoy!

Pete and PK, welcome to BBS! And welcome back readers - check back later today for a quick Scottie Pippen Hall of Fame post.

Mark Buehrle: Defensive Play of the Year on Opening Day

This should pretty much lock up another Gold Glove for Buehrle ...

Click-a-Bull (Offseason Priorities; BG; Playoff Hopes; Flip's Hook) + The Elusive White Sox Link

Phoenix Take Bulls Playoff Hopes Away; It's Probably a Relief Since James Johnson Needs to Go on Atkins

Offseason priority No.1: Get LeBron at any cost; if not, and probably won't, get a second-tier star.

Offseason priority No. 2: Get a new coach. There are no up-and-comers in the coaching world, yet even Vinny DelNegro knows he has to begin searching for a new job this summer.

Offseason priority No. 3: Get healthy. Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis), Taj Gibson (plantar fasciitis), Luol Deng (calf), Derrick Rose (take your pick, wrist?), Kirk Hinrich (ankle) and James Johnson (plantar and extra cream in his coffee with a Danish on the side) are all battling lingering injuries. They need rest and since they're probably out of the playoff picture with a 111-105 loss Tuesday to the Phoenix Suns, this may be a blessing.

Offseason priority No. 4: Teach Derrick Rose defense. There's no reason why he shouldn't be at least a competent defensive player, if not, a really good one. The Bulls are hinging their future on him and they can't have the defensive display they had on Wednesday when Rose was supposed to collapse on Grant Hill after Steve Nash blew by something called Jannero Pargo. He was late and his instincts on that side of the ball are still lacking. While the skill aspects of the game, like shooting, have improved with Rose, this team suffers still because Rose can't be counted on when on defense. I believe he'll get there, but coaching is crucial in this regard.

Offseason priority No. 5: Create a defensive philosophy - like a real one. Not the one they have now where all the guards get beat by the pick and roll and the defense collapses toward the lane, leaving 3 point shooters wide open. It's not really a philosophy since there is no pressure on the ball nor is there a plan to force the other team into doing what they don't normally do.

Were the Ben Gordon haters right all along?

Reading this blog, you know I'm a Ben Gordon fan. I've thought the Bulls made a huge mistake in not signing him to the 6 year 54 million dollar extension two seasons ago which would have locked him in to a 9 million dollar a year contract. A contract I considered a value. At the same time, I thought it was fine to let him walk when the pricetag was going to go up to 12 million this summer. Not that the Bulls would have seriously considered that due to the luxury tax.


While I've defended Gordon for most of the year, and I was still disappointed the Bulls didn't make things work for him, my own words after we declined to pick him up for 6/54 came back to me.

At that point I said, Gordon has just as much chance of becoming an MLE player as he does of earning more than the 6/54 that he originally declined (and then took at the last minute to have the Bulls decline). Fred Pfeiffer and I had debated that point, but this season has proven it. Swap Gordon's 08/09 and 09/10 seasons and he would have made the MLE (of course, then after a great 09/10 season he'd look like an incredible value at the MLE).

In six years in the NBA, Gordon's had a PER below 15 three times and above 15 three times. Overall, his career mark of 16 puts him slightly above average. He's become a volume three point shooting specialist, and this year he struggled to even do that.

More interesting to me is how it all fell apart in Detroit. Was it simply the injuries? If so, we should see a much better season from Gordon next year. However, it also seems like Gordon struggled to fit in with the players Detroit had. His greatest success in the season came while they had other injuries and there were no chemistry issues on the court.

That's partially Detroits fault. They didn't have a real PG, but a pure shooting guard in Hamilton and a SG forced to play PG in Stuckey. They added in another PG-sized SG in Gordon. The fit there is simply terrible. Hamilton and Gordon are performing well under career norms, while Stuckey, for whatever reason, seems to be played as if he's a stud guard when he's a straight chucker (career TS% of 49.2% is simply awful).

Little things add up to big loss for Bulls

A tense finish against Phoenix on Tuesday night at the United Center provided an illustration of the increasingly small margin of error the Bulls face in their quest to make the playoffs.

The ultimate result was a 111-105 loss to the Suns after the score was tied with less than a minute remaining. The defeat left the Bulls 11/2 games behind Toronto in the East with eight left to play.

Here are some of the little things that went wrong for the Bulls:

• Kirk Hinrich didn't play after turning his left ankle with about four minutes left in the second quarter when he stepped on Joakim Noah's foot. Hinrich came out after halftime and ran up and down the court a few times during warmups, then retreated to the locker room.

Having Hinrich available to guard Steve Nash down the stretch might have made a difference. Even Suns coach Alvin Gentry called Hinrich the NBA's best on-ball defender.

Flip Murray’s Insane Half Court Hook Shot

Downloads: Views: 47

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Jake Peavy setting the pace

Jake Peavy has nowhere to go on a rainy morning in Arizona; he is just standing in a doorway and killing time by talking baseball with Steve Stone and a reporter. But trying to keep up with Peavy in conversation is probably like trying to hit against him, because of his intensity.

The man is fired up. He's fired up about the White Sox. He's fired up about the starting rotation. He's fired up about Gavin Floyd and John Danks. He's fired up about pitching in the American League Central. He's fired up about facing the Minnesota Twins while respecting the depth of their lineup.

It's as if Peavy stored up all the energy from the months he spent on the disabled list last summer, after joining the White Sox. "I think we can do some damage," he says, and Stone nods.

The Twins, the AL Central favorites, have a strong lineup and a deep rotation, and the midseason trade resources flowing from a new ballpark. The Tigers have Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello, and a cleaned-up Miguel Cabrera. The Indians are armed with Fausto Carmona, who has looked great this spring, and what appears to be a strong offense.

The White Sox have Peavy, at the head of what should be a strong starting five, if he is close to what he was in three starts for the White Sox at the end of last season, if he's close to what he was in his years with the Padres. With San Diego, Peavy was established as the guy who wanted the ball in the big game, a guy who went 6-1 in his starts in Dodger Stadium, against the Padres' archrival.

But the White Sox acquired him last season at a time when he was on the disabled list with an ankle injury, and for weeks, he was the guy who hung around the clubhouse. Don Cooper, the White Sox pitching coach, worked with Peavy during his rehabilitation period, and he got to know Peavy; others did not. A player on the White Sox mentioned to Cooper that he didn't really know if Peavy was fully invested in what the team was trying to accomplish. Cooper tried to reassure the player, telling him how diligent Peavy was in his rehab, and how much cared; Peavy just was not in position to take a leadership role, because he was hurt.

Mark Buehrle Wins Gold Glove

Great Recognition for Mark, even though I still don't know how they decide on this award for pitchers.

About time

Mark Buehrle won his first Gold Glove on Tuesday and admitted that winning the award was just as satisfying as pitching a perfect game.

Buehrle's been a terrific fielder his entire career, but the political Rawlings Gold Glove group award is a tough club to break into. Left-hander Kenny Rogers' retirement left an opening for Buehrle to finally garner his first award.

The 30-year-old left-hander said he's working with a personal trainer in the offseason to keep his arm strong and fluid. The workout regimen is three days a week, and it includes strength and stretching exercises.

Buehrle was surprised at the deal that sent Josh Fields and Chris Getz to Kansas City for Mark Teahen. However, he was pleased not to have to pitch to Teahen any longer. Teahen has worn him out, going 24 for 53 (.453).

Top5Friday (Sports Movies)

Every Friday all 3 of the BBS writers pick their Top 5 of something. Last week's Top5Friday was Fall TV Shows. This week it is Sports Movies ...


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2J's Sports Movie Picks -

5. Field of Dreams
4. Jerry Maguire
3. Major League II
2. Remember the Titans
1. Blue Chips

Honorable mentions: The SandLot, White Men Can't Jump, Rocky I and IV, For the Love of the Game, Rudy, Hoosiers



Kmart's Sports Movie Picks -

5. CaddyShack
4. Raging Bull
3. Hoosiers
2. Finding Forrester
1. Rudy (Only here because of this week. GO IRISH! BEAT TROJANS!)

Honorable mentions: 61*, Bull Durham, Brian's Song, A League of Their Own, Tin Cup




DC's Sports Movie Picks -

I bucked the system because I watch a lot of movies (evidenced by my Netflix queue constantly hovering above 100), I could probably put together a top 25 easily. But as Coach Norman Dale stated in my #1 pick "I apologize for nothing".

10. Dogtown and the Z-Boys
9. Friday Night Lights
8. Field of Dreams
7. Rounders (only this low b/c poker is a stretch, but it's on ESPN so suck it)
6. The Natural
5. Kingpin
4. Bang the Drum Slowly
3. Caddyshack
2. Hoop Dreams
1. Hoosiers

Honorable mention: Varsity Blues, Blue Chips, Miracle, Once in a Lifetime, Remember the Titans, Eight Men Out, Rudy, Murderball

Random BBS Links

My kind of reaction to MJ HOF speech -

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.

White Sox v. Cubs

All-Chicago Team -

Two questions:

1. If you could combine the rosters of the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs, who would you take?

2. And even if you could do a combo platter of Sox and Cubs, would it be enough to win a pennant in the National or American League?

The first question is a blatant rip-off of the annual all-Chicago team put together by Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune. These are my picks, but the all-Chicago thing was conceived 11 years ago by Rogers.

The second question is the real toughie. As of Saturday, we're talking about two teams with a combined 58-64 record. I figure the Sox/Cubs could win either the AL or NL Central -- you'd hope -- but after that, who knows?

YOUR ALL-CITY TEAM

Based on your votes, here is the roster for your all-city team.
Pos Player Team
SP1 M. Buehrle Sox
SP2 R. Dempster Cubs
SP3 Ted Lilly Cubs
SP4 Randy Wells Cubs
RP Bobby Jenks Sox
C AJ Pierzynski Sox
1B Paul Konerko Sox
2B Chris Getz Sox
3B G. Beckham Sox
SS A. Ramirez Sox
LF A. Soriano Cubs
CF K. Fukudome Cubs
RF Jermaine Dye Sox
MGR Ozzie Guillen Sox
GM Ken Williams Sox
Field Wrigley Field Cubs

Series Preview -

The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox were leading their divisions when they met for the first time last season, prompting talk of a Windy City World Series.

No such buzz will surround the crosstown rivals as they meet for the first time this year.

In the midst of disappointing seasons, the Cubs and White Sox look to build off dramatic victories when they open a three-game series Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs (30-30) won their second straight NL Central title in 2008, but a sputtering lineup has them chasing three teams in the division this year. After leading the league in runs (855) and on-base percentage (.354) last season, the Cubs are near the bottom of the NL this year with 253 runs and a .324 OBP. That led to the firing of hitting coach Gerald Perry on Sunday.

The White Sox (30-34) haven't been much better offensively.

Could Bears get Brandon Marshall? -

With Kyle Orton's perceived top target looking more like he wants to play elsewhere, the Denver Broncos brought in a guy who looked like he was on his way to being Orton's top target last season.

Denver reeled in Brandon Lloyd, signing him to a contract Monday afternoon. He's no replacement for Pro Bowl performer Brandon Marshall, but he gives the Broncos someone Orton is familiar with heading toward training camp. Lloyd jumped out last summer in the preseason game at Seattle when Orton went to him repeatedly in the two-minute offense. They continued to work well together through the first four games of the regular season when Lloyd was easily the club's leading receiver. But a minor knee injury in Week 4 put him on the shelf and whatever chemistry they had together fizzled before Lloyd returned six weeks later. It came as a surprise to no one when Lloyd exited at the end of the season after his one-year deal expired.

What also didn't come as a surprise was the report out of Denver earlier today that Marshall told Broncos owner Pat Bowlen "I think I'd like to be traded."

Or Plax instead? -

If the Bears were waiting for Plaxico Burress to appear Monday in Manhattan Criminal Court to help determine what course to take in pursuit of the troubled wide receiver, they may have to keep waiting.

Or, they could act boldly before knowing Burress' legal fate.

Your move, Jerry Angelo. Proceed with caution.

Reports out of New York on Friday indicate Burress' criminal lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, has requested a continuance that will be granted Monday when Burress shows up to face two felony gun charges. Brafman told the New York Daily News that he expects to be in and out of court "in five minutes." It will mark the second continuance, and the next court date could come in September, which technically would make Burress available to attend an NFL training camp.

------------------------------------------


Tips for success from a very successful man, Mark Cuban -

1. Recognize that its ok to live like a student.

It doesn’t matter where you live. It doesn’t matter how you live. It doesn’t matter what kind of car you drive. It doesn’t matter what kind of clothes you wear. It doesn’t matter. Your biggest enemies are your bills. The more you owe, the more you stress. The more you stress over bills, the more difficult it is to focus on your goals. More importantly, if you set your monthly income requirements too high, you eliminate a significant number of opportunities. The cheaper you can live, the greater your options. Remember that.

...

5. Start the day motivated with a positive attitude.

You are going to screw up. We all do. I cant tell you how many times I did and do. It happens too often. No matter what happens, every morning, the minute after you wipe away the crust from your eyes, remind yourself that you are going to enjoy every minute of the day. You are going to enjoy the 20 interviews you have. You are going to enjoy waiting in the heat for your roommate to pick you up afterwards. You are going to enjoy realizing how frayed your collar is becoming and how sick you are of your one tie. You are going to enjoy all the bullshit you have to deal with as you chase your goals and dreams because you want to remember them all. Each and every experience will serve as motivation and provide great memories when you finally make it all happen.

Its your choice. What are you going to do ?

Sounds like something a wise man once said:
"Every day should be the best day of your life, because why not?"

Bull Bear Sock (oh my!) Links

Apparently the Bulls are a desirable team to play for -

T-Will could become a star: Former Louisville star Terrence Williams could become a media darling in whichever city he lands in, but he may also become a headache for some of the writers that cover the team. He seemed disinterested throughout most of the proceedings, but he did open up a little more once we started talking about the prospect of him playing for the Bulls.


Louisville's Terrence Williams was unique in expressing a specific desired result for the NBA Draft -- he likes the Bulls.
"I would love to play for the Bulls," he told me. "I told them that in the meeting. I told [Vinny] Del Negro that I would love to play for him 'cause I love their style and I love how Derrick Rose distributes the ball as a young point guard. I love Ben Gordon, I love their young players with [Joakim] Noah, [John] Salmons, I love everybody on their team and I love the way they play. It fits my style. I'd love to play there."

Let's hope D-Wade or C-Bosh feels the same way!




The New York Mets have traded backup catcher Ramon Castro and cash to the Chicago White Sox for right-hander Lance Broadway.


Free agent linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa agreed Friday to a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears after leading the St. Louis Rams in tackles four of the past six seasons.


The Chicago Bears reached a two-year contract extension with defensive lineman Israel Idonije, the team announced Friday. According to a source, Idonije received a deal worth $7 million in new money. The team guaranteed $3 million of the contract. Idonije is now signed through 2011.


Quentin update -

Guillen expressed confidence that Quentin will return to the active roster when he's eligible on June 10.

"We have faith that the injury isn't that bad," Guillen said. "We cannot be playing short[handed] for six to seven days. That's our problem. He should be back on the day he's supposed to be back."

You have to feel bad for Randy Brown -

Former Chicago Bull Randy Brown's three NBA championship rings were sold at auction Thursday for $53,833.

The winning bidder, identified only as "RingKing," outbid Michael Jordan's publicist.

A judge ordered them sold following Brown's 2008 bankruptcy filing. The minimum bid was $19,000.

Earlier this month, Brown said the rings -- from 1996, '97 and '98 -- were his most cherished possessions.

Bears signed a lot of rookies to contracts -

Although the big news of the day coming out of Halas Hall was the signing of reserve defensive lineman Israel Idonije to a two-year contract extension, having seven rookies agree to terms on four-year contracts shouldn't go unnoticed.

At least two of the seven, fourth-round pick D.J. Moore and fifth-round pick Johnny Knox, could have significant roles once the season starts. Moore could crack the starting lineup at cornerback, and Knox's blazing speed makes him a threat at receiver. Knox's signing bonus was more than $200,000. Fourth-round pick Henry Melton could be in the mix at defensive end.

And don't discount receiver Derek Kinder, the seventh-round pick out of Pittsburgh. He could contribute as well, considering how shaky most people believe the receiving corps is.

Linebacker Marcus Freeman (fifth round), safety Al Afalava (sixth round), and offensive lineman Lance Louis (seventh round) all agreed to terms as well. Afalava and Louis might have a tough time making the 53-man roster, although the needed depth at safety could help Afalava's cause.

Third-round picks Jarron Gilbert and Juaquin Iglesias have yet to agree to terms. They could play immediately, with Gilbert in the defensive tackle rotation and Iglesias possibly a No. 2 receiver.

No question MJ is best ever. I'm linking to this because I have a question ... On the left-side of the photo at the top, isn't the pic of MJ dunking flipped or something? I swear I've seen that pic before and MJ is actually dunking with his right hand, but there it's flipped to look like his left ... am I confused?!

Big move for the Sox?!

Today was off to a great start when I woke up to a text message that the White Sox were trying to trade for Peavy. Now it seems that he is vetoing the trade because he prefers the NL -

The agent for San Diego Padres pitcher Jake Peavy expressed doubt Thursday that his client is ready to sign off on a proposed trade to the Chicago White Sox.

Agent Barry Axelrod told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that Peavy has a "strong preference" to stay in the National League. That preference, along with Peavy's fondness for his new home in Southern California, could impede a proposed deal that would send the pitcher to Chicago.

And the Sox got crushed today -

Joe Mauer hit a grand slam, two doubles and drove in six runs as the Minnesota Twins routed the White Sox 20-1 Thursday, matching Chicago's most-lopsided loss in team history.

Another reason today sucks ... my favorite Chicago Bear Rex Grossman is trying out for the UFL -

According to UFLAccess.com, which is a site for fans, former Bears quarterback Rex Grossman will participate in drills in front of UFL head coaches.

The Web site quotes a Las Vegas television station, saying that another player, Graham Harrell, will also participate in the drills in a "pro day" in Las Vegas.

A representative from the UFL would not confirm any players who will be in attendance at the workout.

Cutler honeymoon -

For those compelled by precision, for those looking for the exact moment when the Jay Cutler hype machine clicked into overdrive in Chicago, I propose May 17, 2009, at 1:40 p.m.

At that exact moment this past Sunday, Chicago Bears play-by-play man Jeff Joniak grabbed a microphone at the team's annual fan convention and formally introduced the new quarterback to a fan base long in search of its savior.

Some clapped; others yelled. Some pulled out their cell phones; others pulled out their digital cameras. Young and old, male and female, it didn't matter. From grandmas to baby girls, from frat boys to business execs, everyone wanted to see the hero, everyone wanted to hear him speak. With each passing second, more and more fans squeezed closer and closer to the stage. It was as if Cutler were John, Paul, George and Ringo all rolled into one.

And in a way, he is. That's what happens when a franchise that hasn't had a franchise quarterback in half a century mortgages its entire future on the right arm of a 26-year-old Pro Bowl answer.

After Paxson made arguably his best move (acquiring Salmons and Miller), he has promoted and will no longer be Bulls GM -

Gar Forman has been promoted to general manager of the Chicago Bulls, replacing John Paxson, who will remain with the team as executive vice president of basketball operations.

The Bulls announced the move Wednesday in a release promoting a Thursday news conference.

Forman has been director of player personnel the past five years. He joined the organization as a scout in 1998 and became the team's director of player personnel in January 2004.

Paxson is expected to retain a major say in personnel moves, but was not immediately available for comment Wednesday. He had been GM since April 2003, when he was officially hired as executive vice president of basketball operations.

The new titles reflect a shift that had already taken place over the past year, with Forman assuming more day-to-day responsibilities. That included the lead role in contract negotiations with Luol Deng and Ben Gordon and input in the coaching search last summer.

Besides helping Paxson evaluate potential trades, free agents and coaches, Forman coordinated Chicago's amateur and pro scouting as director of player personnel.

*********************


NO BIG MOVE FOR THE BULLS!! At least not involving TT -

No Moving Tyrus: This time of year speculation runs rampant for a lot of players because trades are a big part of the NBA Draft and because teams want to start as early as possible planning out their roster for the next season. Players' names are bandied about like people are trading basketball cards and rumors can be sparked at the drop of a hat. The latest victim of such speculation seems to be forward Tyrus Thomas of the Chicago Bulls.

Thomas has had his ups and downs in his three seasons in the NBA. Some say he is a tweener forward; not really a small forward and not really a power forward. Still, he played more consistently the second half of this season when the Chicago Bulls made their postseason run, and he was solid during their seven-game first-round series with the Boston Celtics.

The Bulls have stated they would really like to keep as much of this year's team together as possible, adding in forward Luol Deng and his return from injury. Unrestricted free agent guard Ben Gordon is an obvious question, but Thomas is not.

While many have already traded Thomas in whatever deal strikes their fancy – to Phoenix in a package for Amar'e Stoudemire is a popular one – the Bulls are committed to Thomas being part of their future. The word on the street is the Bulls will open contract extension talks with Thomas' agent this summer – he is eligible for an extension that would kick in for the 2010-11 season this summer – to keep him in Chicago. That's where Thomas wants to be and that's where the Bulls want him to be.

Yes, anything could happen, but it would seem that moving Thomas is not in Chicago's plans at all. Quite the opposite.

JoaNoah's off-season "workouts"

Finals are finally finishing, so I'll be back to blogging more. Hopefully I'll get into the swing of baseball season and get more White Sox posts going. Anyone have any Blackhawks links they'd like me to share?! The NHL playoffs started or something?!


*** UPDATE ***

A few extra links ...


D-Rose got a new whip.


And you could meet D-Rose this Saturday ...

OK, here’s the skinny. Derrick Rose, he of Rookie of the Year/Lord and Savior of Chicago Basketball fame, will be at the adidas Sport Performance Store at 845 N. Michigan Avenue (Water Tower Place - Fourth Floor) this Saturday from 2pm - 4:30pm.

Rose will be signing autographs, there will be limited edition Rookie of the Year apparel, discounts on merchandise and a framed Derrick Rose jersey giveaway.

... anyone want to go with me?!




-----------------------------------------






Well if you didn't love JoaNoah after this ...

Downloads: 0 Views: 11109

You certainly have to respect him after this (WARNING: NOT SAFE FOR WORK!) [As a heads up, the link below the pic labeled NSFW has more (read: better) pics!] Also note, the link came in as a reader submission - Thanks duckfart!



Mark Cuban's blog is worth reading everyday, and now he's posting some "classic" posts that are his favorites ...

Success and Motivation

I did it too. I drove by big houses and would wonder who lived there. What did they do for a living? How did they make their money? Someday, I would tell myself, I would live in a house like that. Every weekend I would do it.

I read books about successful people. In fact, I read every book or magazine I could get my hands on. I would tell myself 1 good idea would pay for the book and could make the difference between me making it or not.

I worked jobs I didn’t like. I worked jobs I loved, but had no chance of being a career. I worked jobs that barely paid the rent. I had so many jobs my parents wondered if I would be stable. Most of them aren’t on my resume anymore because I was there so short a time or they were so stupid I was embarrassed. You don’t want to write about selling powdered milk or selling franchises for TV repair shops. In every job, I would justify it in my mind whether I loved it or hated it that I was getting paid to learn and every experience would be of value when I figured out what I wanted to do when I grew up.

If I ever grew up, I hoped to run my own business some day. It’s exactly what I told myself every day. In reality, I had as much doubt as confidence. I was just hoping the confidence would win over the doubt and it would all work out for the best.

Success and Motivation, Part 2

So my career in Dallas begins. I’m a software salesperson with Your Business Software in Dallas. $18k per year. The first retail software store in Dallas.

I have to sweep the floor and be there to open the store, but that’s not a bad thing. When I tell my future ex-girlfriends that I sell software and am in the computer biz, I’m not going to mention the sweeping the floor part. Plus, I had to wear a suit to work, and the 2-fer madness specials looked good at happy hour after work. Better yet, the store didn’t open till 9:30am, which meant if I had a fun night, I had at least a little time to sleep.

I bet right about now you are questioning where my focus was? Where was my commitment to being the future owner of the Dallas Mavericks? Please. I was stoked I had a good job. I was stoked it was in an industry that could turn into a career. At 24, I was just as stoked that the office was close to where the best happy hours were and that I might finally have more than 20 bucks to spend for a night on the town.

Since I’m talking about partying, I do have to say that my friends and I were very efficient in that area. Beyond living off bar food and happy hours, we literally would agree that none of us would bring more than 20 bucks for a weekend night out. This way we all could pace each other. At least that was the way it was supposed to work, and it did until we figured out the key to having a great night out on the cheap. They key was buying a bottle of cheap, cheap champagne. I can’t even spell the name, but it was a full bottle, and it cost 12 bucks. Tear the label off and as far as anyone knew it was Dom. Each of us would grab one, and sip on it all night. It was far cheaper than buying beers or mixed drinks all night, and we never had to buy a drink for a girl, we just gave them some champagne! Of course the next day was hell, but since when was I responsible enough to care about a hangover…

Former Bull Corey Blount -

Although Judge Craig Hedric did not sentence Blount to the maximum 10 years in prison, he rejected Blount's claim that the marijuana was intended for personal use and to share with friends.

"Cheech and Chong would have had a hard time smoking that much," Hedric told Blount.

D-Rose is wonderful -

A few days earlier, I had asked Chicago Tribune Bulls beat reporter K.C. Johnson what it was like to deal with Rose on a daily basis. I knew Rose only from covering him during the University of Memphis' Final Four appearance a season earlier. Back then he was quiet, polite, modest to a fault.

Turns out he was no different as a Bull.

"Too good to be true," said Johnson, a veteran NBA reporter.

So I introduced myself to Rose. He stares you in the eye. He doesn't big-time you. He does his best to answer your questions.

I told him that I thought some of the Celtics didn't want to see him or the Bulls anytime soon. He laughed and said, "I wouldn't say that. They're a good team. Seems like they're willing to face anybody. But we gave them a run."

Buerhle is an all-time White Soc great -

If it seems like you've read all about Buehrle, and that he's been with the team longer than Minnie Minoso, you're not far off. Buehrle joined the Chicago White Sox in 2000, just two years after getting drafted in the 38th round, so if you don't appreciate him by now, you will when he's gone.

Since joining the rotation in 2001, he's been one of the most consistent pitchers of his era and could go down as the best starter in White Sox history -- left-handed, right-handed, whatever.

The left-hander with the homophone for a surname has won 127 games (and counting), thrown a no-hitter, posted a start and a save in consecutive World Series games, logged 200-plus innings a year (his workload over the past eight full seasons is the most in baseball), and earned his teammates' eternal respect by getting them out of the park at a reasonable hour nearly every start.

His personal guarantee, according to one teammate, is he'll either win fast or get his backside kicked fast. There isn't a lot of nuance to Mark Buehrle.

Links (Bulls, Bears and White Sox)

Bulls 'Player Impact' graph here.



BlogaBull's early assessment of the offseason -

I've been a bad blogger this week. There were some nice tidbits on a lot of players in the exit interview process, but there likely isn't going to be much new information until the draft and free agency.

What was gleaned was that Tyrus may be back on the block, Gordon wants to stay, Kirk wants to stay, Deng may not play for the UK after all, Rose is working hard, everyone thinks this is building towards something...what, I'm not sure.

But it's already started here as the Ben Gordon free agency approaches: that letting him go is somehow 'necessary'. I'm a mostly simple man when it comes to team building: Get good players. Keep good players. Trade for better players if you can. Letting Gordon go would go against that philosophy since he's one of the top players on the team.

Bulls owe it to fans to endure the luxury tax for one year

One thing the Bulls should do, though, is not let the luxury tax get in the way of doing what's best to for the team to keep moving forward - whether that's re-signing Gordon or making another move to improve the team. Here are five reasons why:

• Most importantly, the Bulls owe it to their fans, who have filled the seats at the United Center and helped make the franchise the most profitable in the NBA this decade, according to an estimate by Forbes Magazine.

• Paying the tax would be only a one-year proposition, because the Bulls will have around $25 million in expiring salaries next season between Brad Miller, Tim Thomas and Jerome James.

• As much as the Bulls would like to make a taller lineup work with John Salmons at shooting guard and Luol Deng at small forward, that's a risky proposition. Salmons is coming off a nice season, but it's the first time he's averaged more than 12 points in his NBA career.

Plus, there is no telling whether Deng's stress fracture in his tibia will continue to be a problem. If Gordon leaves and Deng is unavailable at the start of next season, the Bulls are down to Kirk Hinrich at two guard and Salmons at small forward, without much in reserve. If everyone turns up healthy and playing well, the Bulls will have options in the trade market.

• If a trade opportunity comes along at next year's deadline, whether it's for Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire or anyone else worth acquiring, the Bulls will need some depth to have enough pieces to make a deal.

• The Bulls only have themselves to blame for being close to the luxury-tax level, thanks to the Ben Wallace signing that didn't pan out beyond one season.

For the past several years, it was set in stone that the Bulls would not let their payroll grow beyond the luxury-tax threshold, which triggers a dollar-for-dollar tax on any excess salary.

They'll probably need to pay the tax in order to re-sign Gordon, and some team insiders believe there is a possibility that could happen. The team certainly finished the season on a high note, taking the defending champion Celtics to seven games in one of the most dramatic playoff series in NBA history.

White Sox woes -

Two simple words from Ozzie Guillen's mouth summed up the last few dismal weeks of White Sox baseball.

''We stink ... '' the manager insisted, when describing his club's current place in the Central Division pecking order, ''and we are only three games out.''

Another former Royal on the White Sox -

The ''Ken Williams Halfway Home for Wayward Royals Pitchers'' rolled out another cot on Monday, as Jimmy Gobble was just the latest reliever to hopefully ride in on a white horse and try to stabilize the middle of the Sox staff.

It didn't get lost on the left-hander that he follows a long list of former Kansas City pitchers before him, including Mike MacDougal, Andrew Sisco, Horacio Ramirez, Ryan Bukvich, D.J. Carrasco and Octavio Dotel since 2007.

Only Carrasco and Dotel have been successful.

Bears sign tight end Michael Gaines

Last week, veteran tight end Michael Gaines figured the best financial situation would determine his NFL future. After a Monday visit to Halas Hall, Gaines altered his approach.

"When I got there, money pretty much went out the window," said Gaines, who agreed to a one-year contract with the Bears, the terms of which were not disclosed. The minimum salary for a veteran with four to six credited seasons is $620,000.

"It was all about handling business and just winning."

Gaines, who played for the 0-16 Lions last season, sees the Bears as his best opportunity to win now.

More White Sox ...

News on Jenks.


Contreras demoted to work on his stuff

After clearing waivers, the White Sox sent veteran right-hander Jose Contreras to the minor leagues to work through struggles with his command, ESPNChicago.com reports.

Sources close to the situation told ESPNChicago.com that Contreras was the one who suggested he be sent to the minors instead of being relegated to the bullpen.

In the meantime, the White Sox have called up left-handed pitcher Jimmy Gobble from Triple-A Charlotte to plug into the bullpen. Left-handed pitcher Clayton Richard will start Tuesday night's game in Cleveland and become the temporary replacement for Contreras.

Contreras had to clear waivers, which meant all 29 teams had 48 hours to claim him and his $8 million-plus contract that remains from his $11 million salary.

In particular, Contreras will work on his split-fingered pitch, which he has not been able to command against left-handed hitters this season.

Ozzie not happy about the White Sox offense -

On a day when a pitcher such as Texas Rangers starter Vicente Padilla has his sinker working, hitters can't expect to do too much. And the White Sox hitters didn't Sunday.

It's when they haven't hit against lesser-caliber pitchers that the team has seen real problems, captain Paul Konerko said.

''You could be swinging well against a guy like today, and it's a tough day,'' he said after Rangers defeated the Sox 7-1. ''But too many days we do it against guys who aren't throwing well.''

The Sox got one hit off Padilla (2-2) through seven innings and two hits for the game. They fell to 2-6 in their last eight games and 2-2 on their homestand.

''A very no-life day. That's what it looked like to me,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. ''I know when you're struggling it's not easy to get pumped up and smile and enjoy this game. Padilla pitched well, but at the same time, I didn't see any life.''

Today starts a match-up with the Indians.

Well just in case ...

... You've been in a cave, the NFL Draft is today. Mock drafts are stupid, so I'm not linking to one. The Bears need a WR, let's hope something goes right because Chicago has had a rough few days:

Thursday: The Bulls got destroyed by the Celtics.

Sox lost 6-2 to the Orioles.

Friday: Sox got shelled 14-0 by the Jays.



Plus, I haven't had a Streak higher than 1 in about a week!









-----------------------------------

Well this sort of looks kinda like it might be OK for the Bulls (except that last part) -

Since our sample size of first-round best-of-seven series is limited, I expanded the lens to take in best-of-seven series from any round in the past 15 years, giving us 20 cases to look at in which the road team outscored the opponent while splitting the first two games. And after adding those in, we see immediately that scoring margin is important.

The road teams that were ahead in point differential after two games went on to win the series 11 of 20 times, and in only two of the 20 cases were they eliminated before Game 7; in both of those cases, they were playing against Michael Jordan.

So good news, Rockets fans: Based on NBA history, there's about a 90 percent chance that, at worst, your team will be playing a seventh game in Portland, and there's a better-than-even chance that Houston will win the series.

As for the other four teams, the news isn't encouraging. Teams that trailed in point differential after two games went on to win the series just 10 times in 28 tries, or a little better than one in three. Even teams with a very small negative scoring margin lost a disproportionate number of times.

So, as we sit here today after just two games, odds are that we'll have two lower-seeded teams advancing to the second round. The percentages say that Houston will likely be one of those teams, and informed speculation suggests that Dallas or Chicago will be the other. (My apologies to Sixers and Heat fans, but I'm just not feeling it just yet.)

But wait, we're just getting started. All of these odds will shift dramatically once the final whistle blows in Game 3. In fact, the winner of Game 3 takes the series 75.8 percent of the time after the two sides split the opening pair of games. And of course, the five teams that started on the road will all have home-court advantage for this pivotal contest.

Playoff links

Well first, I will be watching GameCast tonight because I have my last night class for the semester. Don't worry I'm DVRing the game and I'm a big enough loser to watch it later even if I know the score. So please feel free to text/BBM me any substantive/editorial updates as you watch (especially anything negative you have to say about VDN!).

As always, some links ...


Kmart beat me to it, but Bill Simmons is a good read today (but I'll quote a different section -

2. The Prodigy

Here's what you want from your much-ballyhooed rookie in the playoffs: You want him to raise his game a level, make his teammates better, play without fear, exhibit the requisite competitiveness and have a few "Good God, did you just see that????" moments. Through two games, Derrick Rose nailed all of these checkmarks unlike anyone we've seen since (gulp) Magic Johnson. You cannot say enough about him.

Of all the remarkable plays Rose made through two games, one stood out for me: With about eight minutes remaining in Game 2, Rose was hoping to foil a modified fast break. Instead of trying to beat Rose off the dribble, Paul Pierce lobbed a pass to Eddie House in the corner. Even though he was backpedaling, Rose sniffed out the pass, whirled around on the foul line, took TWO giant steps, improbably closed out on House's 3-pointer and tipped the shot. Watching it live, I rewound the play on TiVo even though the game was still going -- just for the record, I never, ever, ever rewind plays until the commercial -- and only because I was thinking, "Wait a second, he didn't just take two steps from the foul line and block a corner 3, did he?" Yup. He did.

One thing separates him from other world-class rookies who preceded him on a big stage: As far as pure point guards go, he might be the best athlete we've ever seen. If you built the ideal point guard, like how you can create a player from scratch on "NBA Live," wouldn't you basically create Derrick Rose? Lord help us if he ever learns how to shoot 3-pointers. Regardless, after Games 1 and 2, the ceiling has been removed for Rose. I am prepared for anything over the next 12 years. Anything.

...

7. The Dunce

I don't want to jinx it, but Vinny Del Negro is putting on an anti-coaching clinic for the ages. He ran out of timeouts in both games, never double-teamed Pierce when he was heating up in Game 1, didn't attack a one-legged Rondo in Game 2, put Kirk Hinrich on Allen for the biggest play of Game 2, played Brad Miller too much when the JoakimNoah-Ty Thomas combo was destroying the Celtics, and called two timeouts in the final three minutes of Game 2 to design plays for Ben Gordon, who, again, had an actual fireball shooting out of his butt. You can't just scream "go to Gordon again" from the sidelines, Vinny? Actually, why am I complaining about this? Forget I mentioned it.

Stephen Curry is entering the draft. Check out the comments here (I know, odd place for it) for all the BBS writer's thoughts.

Someone meaning to vote for the good Lopez (Brook) accidentally gave an ROY vote for the bad Lopez (Robin) -

No matter where you stand on Lopez, there can't be anyone who thinks this is anything but a mistake made by a voter who confused Robin with his twin brother, Brook. New Jersey's Lopez finished third in the voting behind winner Derrick Rose and runner-up O.J. Mayo. The point system means that Robin Lopez scored as many points as Rudy Fernandez, who received three third-place votes, and more points than Mario Chalmers, Courtney Lee and Nicolas Batum, three rookies who started all season.

I assume that this is the same moronic idiot-voter who gave VDN a COY vote.













D-Rose's top performances this season -

April 18, 2009 at Boston

Rose ties Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 39-year-old record by scoring 36 points in a rookie playoff debut. Rose also dishes 11 assists and makes all 12 free throws in the Bulls' OT victory.

Nov. 21, 2008 at Golden State

Reeling from a disastrous, 42-point loss in Portland, Rose scored 23 second-half points and hit two stone-cold jumpers down the stretch.

****** UPDATE *****
ESPN Poll Results
Which team will win the Bulls-Celtics series now that Leon Powe is out for the playoffs?



These are the results as of 5:45pm today ...

Blue = BULLS!!

Game 2 Analysis and Links

Big Fil emailed Todd some analysis after Game 2, Todd sent it to me, and I'm sharing it with you. So here it is, Big Fil's analysis:

I have never flip flopped more on a player than Ben Gordon. Ever. He's undersized, cant defend, has a low Basketball IQ and stunts the development of Rose. But, what he did tonight and keep us in the game is something no other Bull can do.(Including Rose) Those last two baskets he made were absurdly tough shots, something only a handful of players on the planet can consistently make.(That list obviously includes Allen) His 42 points will not make any sort of headlines that Rose's 36 made and that makes him a bit underrated, doesn't it? How many guys in the league drop 40 in the playoffs and it doesn't seem remarkable? Even if that 42 points came with one rebound and amazingly zero assists! Really Ben, your a six foot gaurd who had the ball in his hand almost every time down and can't luck into 1 fucking assist? However, his 42 points were amazing and I now feel the Bulls should keep him, but not pay him more than 7 million. I will switch that remark after he goes 6-19 in game three.

The Boston Celtics were once again shown that this Bulls team is a serious threat and they are greatly missing Garnett. As much as I love the Bulls, we had no chance with Garnett in the lineup as evidenced by our 16 and 18 point regular season loss with him playing and our lone win against the coming in overtime without Garnett. So, what does that tell when two teams play 3 times, 2 go to overtime and one goes to a last second three? It says, these teams are very evenly matched and its going to come down to home court advantage and which team wants it more.

And this is why I think the Bulls win this series. Chicago has home court advantage and the Celtics mindset has got to be worse off than the Bulls. Chicago is pumped, they have a chance to take out the defending champs and really nothing to lose.(Like Atlanta last year) Boston on the other hand is all types of fucked up. They found out Garnett, their best player and best defender is out just before their first playoff game. They then get beat and are one last second shot from being essentially done. They have to know they have no chance winning the championship and anything less than that is a dissapointment for them. Do they really want play their asses off knowing they will probably get housed next round and certainly by Cleveland?

If the United Center crowd is not going ape shit on Saturday, then I will officially believe we have shitty fans. We have to win game three and probably both. It will be tough winning a game 7 at Boston, and if we dont win both games three and four is almost certain the series will go seven.

Finally, Vinny what the fuck! You don't think saving a timeout at the end is necessary. You lucked out Pierce missed the free throw in Game 1 which would have put us in the same situation as tonight. With 2 seconds left, what are the chances Gordon makes a three if we got to take the ball out at half court? One out of five, what are the chances Tyrus makes a 70 footer? One out of fifty? Also, please play Tyrus more than 20 minutes, the dude had six blocks and certainly would've limited all those second chance points.(the reason we lost)

Some links ...

Mcdougal designated for assignment.


Bears draft day targets ...


Big Baby sucks -

And then there are the Celtics. The Boston Celtics won 62 games this past season. When we look at Wins Produced we see the team received 48.3 Wins Produced from Rajon Rondo (6th most productive), Paul Pierce (29th most productive), Kevin Garnett (30th most productive), and Ray Allen (35th most productive). But the team also received -4.44 Wins Produced from Glen Davis (9th least productive), Brian Scalabrine (20th least productive), and Stephon Marbury (41st least productive).

What would the 1990s Bulls have been like without MJ?!


Bears needs and options for the draft -

The Bears will make eight selections in this year's draft: Round 2: No. 49, Round 3: No. 99 (compensatory selection), Round 4: No. 119, Round 5: No. 140 (from Denver), Round 5: No. 154, Round 6: No. 190, Round 7: No. 246 (compensatory selection), Round 7: No. 251 (compensatory selection).

Top needs: Wide receiver: Given what's currently on the roster, this is a no-brainer. Although the Bears hold out hope that Earl Bennett will rekindle his Vanderbilt magic with Cutler, there are no guarantees. Devin Hester is steadily making progress, but Rashied Davis is coming off a disappointing season. Because the team chose not to re-sign Brandon Lloyd and to release Marty Booker, numbers are low at the position. Expect the Bears to take a receiver at either No. 49 or No. 99, and maybe grab an additional one later in the draft. This situation can't be solved in just one draft, but the Bears can take a giant step in the right direction if they target the correct receiver. He's out there. It's up to Angelo to find him.

Possible selections: Mohamed Massaquoi, Georgia; Juaquin Iglesias, Oklahoma; Kevin Ogletree, Virginia; Ramses Barden, Cal Poly; Austin Collie, BYU; Louis Murphy, Florida.

***** UPDATE *****
More links ...
Golden Era of PGs -

In the first game of the series, rookie point guard Derrick Rose was unstoppable, seemingly waltzing past the entire Boston defense at his leisure leading Chicago to the win. Monday night, point guard Rajon Rondo returned the favor for Boston, scoring 19 while adding 16 assists and 12 rebounds to help Boston win 118—115 in dramatic fashion and even the series.

San Antonio evened its series with Dallas because Tony Parker dominated the game, scoring 38 and taking charge whenever the Mavericks tried to make a run. If Utah or Portland are going to even their series they are going to do it because their star point guards — Deron Williams or Brandon Roy — have similar big games. Same goes for New Orleans led by their star Chris Paul, although to do that Paul will have to get past Chauncey Billups, who came in mid-season and turned Denver into contenders.

That is a stunning list of amazing, potential Hall of Fame caliber point guards who are leading their team in the NBA playoffs — never has the league had this depth of great point guards at one time. And those numbers are about to swell — Spain’s Ricky Rubio, who at 19 led Spain to the silver medal and almost helped upset the USA in the gold medal game — will enter the NBA next year. One year him is the sensation John Wall, currently the focus of intense recruiting from college coaches nationwide to have his services for one year.

D-Rose the BEST young PG in the NBA -

The debate over the last few years for the best young point guard has been between Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Mentions of Tony Parker are few and far between and this past year there weren't many mentions of Derrick Rose.

Chris Paul and Deron Williams are consistent. They will give it there all in every ball game they play. They make their teams better than they should be as evident when they have had to miss games.

Chris Paul led his team to a tough seven-game series loss to San Antonio last year in the West Semifinals. Paul, however, did not have a monster game and was all but absent in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line.

Deron Williams has lead his team to three playoff series victories—most notably a Game Seven on the road in Houston—his first time in the playoffs.

Deron made a clutch shot against GS to put Game Two into overtime and eventually win the game and the series in five.

Deron was the only player on his team to show up against the Spurs in 2007 and the Lakers in 2008, he doesn't back down. Williams, however, is not able to carry the load by himself and his leadership skills have been questioned.

Derrick Rose has ice-water in his veins.

Rose tied Kareem Abdul Jabar's rookie record for most points in a first playoff game. Rose was clutch down the stretch, getting the ball to the open man or hitting a big shot, which lead to the overtime victory in Game One at Boston.

How many rookies can lead their team into the defending World Champions house and play the best game of their career to date and actually win the ball game.