Bulls finally trade Luol Deng. Seems a decade long rumor. It happened in true Chicago fashion. Low ball the guy on a free agent contract and say, "take it or leave it." Then trade him or kick him loose.I'd make a cheap shot comment about Cleveland Joakim Noah style but we got a couple of draft picks out of the deal.

Honestly I never was a big fan of Deng. For as high as he was drafted and as long and supposedly consistent his play was since he's been here he made the all star team just twice. Chicago fans get stuck on numbers like Deng being the fourth leading scorer in Bulls history as if he belongs in the same breath as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

Dengs life story is a great story which by all standards would be looked upon as a success. Nearly a decade in the league and his family taken care of if he was smart with his money. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Miami with Lebron because the need to win a ring will start to take precedence over money. In case he does stay in Cleveland Chicago once again has a constant nemesis in the division. And think of all the sentimentality every time he plays here. And another uncomfortable confrontation in another locker room with Joakim Noah visiting a friend. Bleeding hearts who hope he does well. Just not when he plays here.

Seven Years For Cutler. How ridiculous is that? Apparently Chicago has not learned not to sign players to such long term deals (can you Alphonso Soriano?). Cutler who is thirty is not likely to play another seven years given the short life span of a football player and his numerous injuries since he's been in Chicago.

I get the desire for a franchise Quarterback. Especially one who is suited for the type of offense installed by Mark Trestman. I'm not sneezing at the money, 54 million dollars, but Cutler tends to throw as many interceptions as he does touchdowns. This deal looks to me that the Bears have not only their franchise qb but also their backup when they draft a new man and need a quality backup. Keeping Mcown is also a very good idea.

Speaking of the draft I would suggest drafting a new defensive secondary. Particular safeties. No more Major Wright and Chris Conte not knowing where in the world they're supposed to be or using those lame shoulder tackles letting a guy just keep on running knowing no one is going to catch him.
Giving Mel Tucker another year is also a good idea as long as there isn't a repeat of this season next year. They weren't just bad but they looked like a college team scrimmaging the big boys like they used to do in the early days of pro football. Having all star college players scrimmage a pro club.

There isn't a number to rank how badly the defense played. Thirty is as low as they go since there are thirty teams in the league. But based on the type of personnel the Bears have there was no way they could be this bad without trying. I'd put this on the coaches but Wright and Conte are as bad as advertised.

I'd picked this team to go 10-6 because of Jay having to learn a new offense. As well as it worked this year I think teams will have caught onto the playbook by next season and it'll require more than highlight reel catches to make it work. The Bears do have the talent to do it with. Let's hope it doesn't take seven years to do it.

That groaning sound around Chicago is the "wait until next year" groan. Next year was supposed to be this year with the return of Derrick Rose and the arrival of an offense for the Bears. Both teams trying to follow in the footsteps of the Blackhawks and win it all.
Chicago is used to waiting until next year. Just ask Cub fans who unlike me are willing to wait another one hundred years for a championship.

The Bears had a tougher schedule than they did last year but with some semblance of a defense this team should have gone 11-5. There'll be chatter over contract talks with Jay Cutler and a number of goofs saying we should let Mcown be the starter. That's just distraction for the real problem. And I dare not say its name because I've said it all season and it never materialized. There was no reason the season should have come down to the final game against Green Bay. Some may see the sentimentality and even justification since we took out Rodgers in the first place. I don't I see a major choke against a team whose Quarterback hadn't played a down in over a month as any reason to be sentimental.

Like Jay Cutlers return from a serious injury there was talk of a bit of rust. But rusty or not all that was worked out in a scrimmage type atmosphere. The Bears put up no type of fight on defense (oops I said I wouldn't say it).

But now that I've said it and we've gone over twenty four hours without news that Brandon Marshall went all Mike Tyson on someone at a bar I might allow myself some hope for next year since we have to sit through another baseball season with two team racing to see who is the fastest to the bottom.

The Blackhawks again for those concerned is our hope for a championship. At least a competitive season. The Bulls will put forth a game effort and if they're lucky reach .500 and the final playoff spot in the east if they stop losing to Toronto or The Knicks.

Chicago is a sports city. Period. With all of the sundry distractions. They're only to kill time until the game starts. For goodness sake The University of Chicago once had a Heisman Trophy winner. A  college basketball championships for Loyola University. Numerous championships in a number sports. Not to mention larger than life heroes.
We'll bounce back from this blow but the question is how long will we put up with the underachieving?
I've saved bare skin on my body for the biggest Cubs tattoo when they win a World Series but I'm not sure I'll be in Chicago when it happens nor am I sure I will care. Worlds biggest party for sure. But only if they win it and not before. Let's leave the choking to the cities with a lesser history of winning.

John Gruden has been mentioned as being interested in the University of Texas head coaching job. Would he consider the University coaching job? There are many of us long suffering 'Canes fans who would love to go back to the Big East days when the football team owned the conference.
Al Golden's version looks like the Chicago Bears, score a lot of points and give up as many. And as bad as the last two coaches were, Randy Shannon and Larry Coker they didn't lose to Duke. Randy Shannon had some of the best recruiting classes in his four years (2007-2010) and Larry Coker had Butch Davis players when he left to coach the Cleveland Browns. A case of winning with another coaches players which happened each time a coach left the school for the NFL. Coker parlayed that into two national championship appearances.

Former coach Jimmy Johnson who'd won a National Title at Miami with Current Bears Coach Mark Trestman, also won a superbowl in the NFL. So it can be said that a program like Miami needs a coach with NFL credentials like John Gruden or NFL potential. Both Coker are and Shannon are still in college as football coaches/coordinators.

Goldens bunch gave up 554 yards to Louisville in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Alumnus Ray Lewis was probably did what other 'Cane fans did and turned the television off halfway through the debacle. Granted Teddy Bridgewater is a first round pick in the NFL but being that Miami is a high profile program against another high profile program you can see the recruits who used to think a letter from Miami meant a direct route to the NFL is looking at them as a middle of the pack team. That doesn't bode well for the 'Canes future. Grudens number should be on the speed dial and the call should have been made before halftime.

Chicago, Il. Week 52

In Theo We Trust.

The Cubs have been criticized for the choices they’ve made since the new ownership and now the the management of the team since the end of the Jim Hendry days. Funny that it took a massive season ending choke job by the Red Sox in 2011 to get Theo here. A choke surpassing the choke job of the ’69 Cubs.

Since he’s been here he’s signed and traded nearly every free agent for draft picks and minor leaguers. Let Ryne Sanberg slip through his hands. He’s yet to trade away Castro who has gotten now two managers and counting fired. It’s possible to say that when/if this team starts winning it might be in spite of Theo.

Being shouted out by Scott Boras the fact that a team that actually made money last year through a second straight losing season. A large market team like the Cubs are not in the market for any big name free agents besides possibly considering a Japanese pitcher who won twenty four games last year. Which team isn’t looking at him?

For once I agree with this strategy. I never liked the mid season sell offs of veterans unless it meant winning or losing a division. I believe the Cubs are still short of talent for the long term winning they profess. Certainly one good year could win it for anyone.

Rich Rodriguez an underwhelming signing by the Cubs may just a baseball genius according to whatever matrix Epstein and staff are using. Maybe he has an ability to teach young players particularly Latin players but coming from the National League West where all the pomp and circumstance is due to Hollywood and not talent. Though the National League West has won two recent Championships, league play hardly includes the difficulty of three playoff contenders every year.

The Cubs only chance is to win the National League Central. The Wild Card system is a disaster. The current talent in the minors will certainly bring a burst of success which will just as quickly burn out. Will a World Series come from this? We can hope. My prediction is the burst will begin in 2015 and burn out by 2020. The losing will then return to the north side. By then Cub fans will return to comfortably numb.

Festivus For The Rest Of Us.

It can be said the NFL has become a league geared towards offense. A team would almost be lucky to go through a season like this one without having given up thirty points. Any explanation for the league turning into the NBA?
Teams would kill to have a defense like the one Lovie Smith built. But as clueless as he was on offense is as clueless the rest of the league is on defense.

Case in point the Bears haven’t given up less than twenty points at any time this season. That doesn’t sound like much but considering they gave up fifty four on Sunday night and thirty one the week before we would take a twenty point average.

The city has been worrying about how the new offense would work out sure that the defense would be fine without Smith or Urlacher.

Going into the game against the Eagles the Bears were on track to give up the most yards in franchise history. Also on par to break offensive records that have held since the forties and fifties.

There’ll be a lot of could’ve. Would’ve. Should’ve going on in the locker-room this week. A week full of positive vibes from publicity . Charitable work. Squashing of supposed beefs between quarterbacks in a contract year. Me once being a Jay Cutler apologist has suddenly changed my tune. But I also said we should have drafted a back up on this last draft.

How often do you go into a game with a win and you’re in scenario against a team who gave up forty eight points last week against Minnesota? The Bears on prime time not only lay an egg but in such a fashion they cannot even start to think about Green Bay next week. For the next several days they Bears should  do nothing. Cancel all appearances. Stay away from the radio and television. Don’t even show their faces around town. Throw out the video of this game. No need to be reminded how bad they are.

Like the famous Seinfeld episode where everyone else is having a merry Christmas they should be reviewing  everything. Every stupid loss. Detroit twice. Minnesota. St. Louis. And how badly they played in nearly losing to Cleveland of all teams. The many ways they found to lose. With a Super Bowl type offense and a historically inept defense. I wouldn’t want to sit through another Trestman press conference which is worse than a Buddah like experience of a Lovie Smith put us through.

Don’t get me wrong I don’t miss the man but I don’t remember him ever losing this badly.

Bulls fans never fear. We do have the talent to turn this into a winning season. We just have to be patient. After the dismantling of the two top teams in the east in Miami and Indiana I believe the Bulls were they in the playoffs the could win more than one series if they get their heads in oreder and let the loss of Derrick Rose go. Management handled him poorly so there should be no guilt on the part of the players. Dunleavy was a great signing and Tony Snell was a great draft pick. I only wish we had held onto Nate Robinson and let retire a Bull. But never fear the Bulls will be in it one way or the other. In Thibs we trust.