NHL FINAL 4 PREVIEW

Maybe it’s too early to suggest the NHL has regained its standing as one of the four major sports in America, but there is definitely reason to believe that a return into that group is near.

Last week in Chicago, friends that would normally only be focused on Chicago Cubs baseball were not only watching the Chicago Blackhawks resurgence and playoff success—home games on local television, mind you—they were texting me in jubilation after clutch goals.

The NHL playoffs are a fantastic time for hockey fans and this year has been a special treat. The second round brought three series that took all seven games to decide and one that featured the top two offensive players in the world going head-to-head in Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

So, with the excitement of the first two rounds in the books, what does the conference finals have in store?

How about the renewal of one of the greatest rivalries in the sport between the Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings with a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals on the line? These original-six teams are separated by one great lake and the red in both jerseys represents the bad blood that exists between their players and fans.

OFFENSE: There’s just as much skill on the ice here as there was in the aforementioned Capitals/Penguins series with a number of players capable of lighting the lamp. As a matter of fact, both the United Center and Joe Louis Arena better have extra light bulbs on hand for the red lights behind each goal.

Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg has always given the Hawks a problem. In 34 career games, he has 17 goals and 19 assists. And of course, there’s super-skilled Marian Hossa with his laser-quick wrister he can fire past a goalie at any time. Then, there’s prime playoff performer Johan Franzen, who continues to impress at the most important time of the year. Franzen has tallied 15 points (8 goals) in Detroit’s 11 games. The Hawks cannot let him get on a roll if they want to come out on top.

For Detroit, the real key will be the play of center Pavel Datsyuk. Nominated for three regular season awards, Datsyuk has had a disappointing playoff run thus far. After recording 32 goals and 65 assists in the regular season, he has tallied just one goal and four assists in the playoffs. Keeping him down is a big key in this series.

Meanwhile, the Blackhawks counter with young and talented players of their own. This list is long but focuses on captain Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Kane, in particular, is skating better than he has in months and just torched the supposed best goalie in the world—Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo—for six goals, including a hat trick in game six. Toews didn’t score all series until depositing two goals of his own in the clinching game. If one of the youngsters is hot, the Red Wings will have a problem, but if both are going well at the same time the Hawks can pull the upset.

The key for the Hawks will be the line of Martin Havlat, Andrew Ladd and Dave Bolland. Considered the team’s third line, there have been stretches when they have clicked like a legitimate top line. A testament to the outstanding depth of the Blackhawks, if this line is playing well the series could go the distance.


Dustin Byfuglien (Buff-LYNN) will need to do his best Tomas Holmstrom impression in front of the Detroit net and throw his weight around like he’s done since the playoffs began. If he reverts to his regular season play, the Red Wings should write him a “thank you” card when the series is over.

DEFENSE: Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom remains the best defenseman in the world and can shut down the opponents’ top line on any given night. The rest of the defense is as solid as they come with Brad Stuart, Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson.

Brian Rafalski could be the key to the entire series, however. Injured for much of the Anaheim series, Rafalski was able to play limited minutes in the final two games but failed to contribute very much. He loves to join the rush and is the quarterback on the power play. If the injury bug continues to be a problem, it would greatly benefit the Hawks. But if he returns to his regular season form (10 goals, 49 assists in 78 games) Detroit might score on every power play.

The big problem for Chicago is the fact that only one defensive pairing—Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook—are truly outstanding defenders. While his numbers don’t show it, Keith actually looks a bit tired— which is to be expected, as 25-30 minutes of ice time tend to take a toll by game no. 90. However, his partner has jumped into the elite d-man class this post-season, as Seabrook has been a beast on the blue line.


So the issue here is which talented Detroit line do they match up with? Calgary only had the Jarome Iginla line to fear, Vancouver only had the Sedin twins’ line. The Red Wings have two supremely talented combinations up front.

This means that either the defense pairing of Brian Campbell and Niklas Hjalmarsson or Cam Barker and Matt Walker needs to seriously step up their game.

The series will be lost if both pairings fail to focus on defense as opposed to joining the offensive fun.

GOALIES: This is about as evenly matched as you can get both in statistics and experience level. Chris Osgood and Nikolai Khabibulin are not in their prime and probably won’t be doing a decent Martin Brodeur impression during the series. Meanwhile, both netminders have won a Stanley Cup and know how to show up in big games.

Osgood hides behind a superb defense but can be beat. The young and speedy Hawks showed that great goalies are no problem having put a plethora of pucks past both Luongo and Miikka Kiprusoff. If this series falls on Osgood’s shoulders than the Wings are actually in some serious trouble.


Khabibulin has been far from spectacular in the playoffs but if one of these goalies is going to shine and carry a team on his back, it’s going to be the one that can morph into a wall. Two seasons ago Khabibulin owned Detroit, posting a 5-2 record and 2.69 goals against average against them. This year was an entirely different story and the numbers will need to more closely resemble the 2007-08 variety.

OFFICIAL PREDICTION: Don’t let the Blackhawks 2-2-2 regular season record against the Red Wings fool you. Both wins came at the end of the season when neither team had anything to play for. Detroit went as far as to rest both Lidstrom and Hossa, among others.

The fact of the matter here is that the Red Wings are the superior team in nearly all aspects. That’s no knock against the Hawks, and while upsets occur all the time in the NHL playoffs this one is hard to imagine.

Before the season, I said the Hawks would make the playoffs as a 7 or 8 seed and maybe win a round. This season has far exceeded the expectations of any true fan or expert, but the magical ride comes to an end, as Chicago is still a year away from making a serious run at hockey’s holey grail.

RED WINGS WIN THE SERIES IN 7 GAMES.



EASTERN CONFERENCE: The Hurricanes have been the most clutch hockey team we may ever see. They’ve scored with 0.2 seconds remaining in the 3rd period to break a tie. They’ve scored twice in the final 80 seconds of a game 7 to beat Brodeur and the Devils and then won another game 7 in overtime to get to this point.

While it’s hard to overlook Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward and the fact that he has yet to lose a playoff series, he’s also never seen a player quite like Sidney Crosby.

Crosby seems to be on a mission much like LeBron James in the NBA. He proved he’s the best player in the world by eliminating Ovechkin’s Capitals and has 12 goals and 9 assists for 21 points in only 13 games thus far.

This Penguins team is better than last year’s that went to the finals. They are tougher, more physical and have better leaders in trade acquisitions Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin.



Oh yeah, and Crosby just seems unstoppable.

It will still be an entertaining series and pay close attention to Carolina center Eric Staal, one of the game’s premier skaters and a top-10 forward in his own right.

Nonetheless, we will have a rematch for the Cup.

PENGUINS WIN THE SERIES IN 6 GAMES.

Cutler deal is like an early Hanukkah (or Christmas) gift for Chicago

Last time on “Lynn’s Line,” I practically begged Bears general manager Jerry Angelo to sign Terrell Owens to a 2-year deal.

He didn’t and I took a sabbatical to find a far away place and ponder why the great city of Chicago, with its loyal fans, get stuck with terrible GM’s and owners unwilling to commit money for success. Angelo was nearing the John Paxson realm of incompetence.

Then, on April 2nd, Angelo did the impossible. He did the unthinkable. He sent the city of Chicago into a weekend-long euphoric daze complete with dancing along Lake Shore Drive (much like the parade scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and good vibrations as far as “The Wiener Circle.”

When the news wire crossed at ESPN, I must have missed it, as co-workers of all ages and sizes rushed over to offer their congratulations. I didn’t believe it, couldn’t believe it…wouldn’t believe it. After all, it was April Fool’s day only 24 hours earlier, and nobody had gotten me. I thought this was just a joke.

But low and behold, it was true. The Chicago Bears had agreed on a trade with the Denver Broncos that would land them 25-year-old Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler. Needless to say, I’d never been happier to be wrong in my entire life.

This is BIG. Not just Chicago big, I’m talking historic BIG. So big, the smile didn’t leave my face the rest of the night. At long last, the Bears finally had a quarterback. Depending on your outlook, their first real QB in nearly 60 years (23 if you considered Jim McMahon a star).

Assuming Cutler plays to his potential, Chicago will name a building after him. Forget the Sears Tower becoming Willis Tower—and rest assured, no true Chicagoan will call it the latter—Cutler Tower has an awfully nice ring to it.

If Cutler leads the Bears to a Super Bowl title, children ages 6-18 will be especially thrilled. Hello, new holiday off from school in observation of “Jay Cutler Day.” After all, at one time we did get a day off in honor of some guy named Kazimierz Pułaski.

Now, the Bears just need to find him a true receiving threat so Devin Hester can be the secondary threat he actually is. Won't it be fun watching Hester use his blazing speed in order to try catching up with the ball as opposed to the QB nearly throwing his arm out trying to reach Hester downfield?

However, lost in all the Bears newfound glory over the franchise QB was the national media reaction—particularly from NFL Live analysts Mark Schlereth and Trent Dilfer. Both of who went on TV the night of the trade and laid into the Bears, essentially saying the team was no better after the deal than they were before it.

What? Did I miss something here? Was a new memo recently drafted declaring that every first round pick will be a future Pro Bowler? The Bears got the better end of this deal and it’s not even close—right now. As with any deal involving draft picks, time will tell.

But it’s not like the Bears gave up two top-10 picks. They traded away pick No. 18 in this year’s draft as well as the first pick in the 2010 draft. Assuming they are playoff bound in '09, that makes next year’s pick somewhere in the 21-30 range—the area where collegiate superstars and combine freaks often don’t live up to the hype.

The Bears finally let their fans and the rest of the NFL know they really are committed to winning NOW, with the defense that quickly saw the word extra detach itself from ordinary.

Jay Cutler gives the Bears the best chance to do that despite his lack of maturity and ridiculous remarks. All Cutler has to do is win games and throw touchdowns to make winter fly by in the windy city.

Meanwhile…

I’m actually pleased with Pax…well, kinda.


The Bulls have performed very well since Paxson's flurry of trade deadline deals that shipped out a majority of the roster while bringing in Brad Miller and John Salmons from the Sacramento Kings.

Miller isn’t the player he once was, but he’s the most consistent post threat the team has had since Elton Brand and his presence has allowed Joakim Noah to strictly focus on rebounding while Tyrus Thomas uses his freakish athleticism to get to the basket.

Meanwhile, Salmons is exactly the kind of mid-range shooter and slasher Pax thought Luol Deng was. Salmons is a very nice piece to have in place while trying to convinice whichever 2010 free agent the Bulls target-- is the visa ready for Chris Bosh, yet?

Still, Salmons’ play makes Deng’s contract the absolute worst in the league after any of the ones handed out by the Knicks the last few years.

ALL HAIL HAVLAT

Baseball season is underway, which is great, except that it's the first time I can remember not spending the majority of my time watching the White Sox.

That’s because the Blackhawks will be in the playoffs and that’s far more important at this time of the year.

The entire team has given its fans a terrific season, especially oft-injured right-winger Martin Havlat who has stayed healthy all season—in his contract year to nobody’s surprise.

As a kid taking full advantage of my father’s season tickets, we often went to games knowing the Hawks would lose but just sitting back and admiring the skill level of players in their prime such as Jaromir Jagr, Paul Kariya, John LeClair and Keith Tkachuk. Their work with the puck, creativity and scoring ability often left my father and I shaking our heads in amazement.

No offense to Tony Amonte, but Havlat is the most skilled player to wear the Indian-head sweater since Jeremy Roenick circa 1993. He sees openings most players don’t and the puck seems like it stays on his stick due to some magnetic force. He’s been an absolute joy to watch, seemingly in his own stratosphere in many games.

For those that don’t know, Havlat is the one with the big No. 24 on the back of his jersey.

OFFICIAL PLAYOFF PREDICITION: While the Hawks won't know their first round opponent until later Saturday night, I believe they'll make it out of the first round. Then things get interesting. Unlike the NBA, the NHL re-seeds and upsets do occur. With that being said, barring a major upset I think the Hawks run into a wall and bow out in the 2nd round. The reality of the situation is that the young Hawks are ahead of schedule but still a year or two away from competing for a conference championship and Lord Stanley's Cup.

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

The soap opera known as the Dallas Cowboys wrote off its Susan Lucci this week when they cut wide receiver Terrell Owens. And as is the case with any news surrounding T.O., the news received more than any other NFL off-season story thus far; falling right behind Alex Rodriguez admitting to steroid use and just ahead of Tiger Woods’ return.

So, in case Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo wasn’t aware that free agency had begun—and by all indications he was given the wrong date—it is okay to sign players to a contract to improve the team.

Am I suggesting Angelo sign Owens to an incentive-filled two-year contract? No, I’m demanding it.

I get all the downfalls to having a player like Owens in the locker room. He’s worn out his welcome in three cities and pissed off his quarterback at each stop. If the Bears inked him and someone handed him a shovel around week nine I would understand if there were a rumor that he wanted to bury Kyle Orton alive.

ESPN First Take’s Skip Bayless has trademarked the creative nickname for T.O. “team obliterator”—it’s fair and nothing more needs to be said to understand all the trouble he has caused in the past.

But what if there’s not much of a team for Owens to obliterate? Nothing much in place to actually ruin?

The Bears finished 9-7 last season, though two wins came against the Detroit Lions so for all intents and purposes they are a seven-win team. You say they only missed the playoffs by one game and could get in next year? I say I have some Cubs World Series tickets to sell you for $5,000 a pop.

In actuality, the Bears have gotten worse since they were basically handed a playoff spot on the last week of the season if they could have only beaten the Houston Texans.

Angelo, whose talent evaluation of receivers is only slightly better than Ben Bernanke’s economic insight, has left the Bears roster barren at the position.



After cutting ties with Bernard Berrian, Mushin Muhammed, current Titans No. 1 Justin Gage and Mark Bradley Angelo tried healing the wounds with Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd. Unfortunately, both band-aids are now gone and the current depth chart lists Earl Bennett of the zero catch club and two converted defensive backs—Rashied Davis and Devin Hester—ahead of him. Hester isn’t a No. 1 and Davis is barely a No. 4.

Owens would become the best receiving threat on the roster, the numbers don’t lie. And while there may not be a quarterback on the roster to get him the ball on a consistent basis, any offense with Matt Forte, Owens, Hester and Greg Olsen will score points.

The pattern with Owens is a nice honeymoon of good behavior in his first year with a new team followed by downward spiral in year two. The two-year deal here is perfect and should allow Orton to develop, the Bears to draft a QB and let him develop (hello, Graham Harrell) or a signing to compliment Owens before year two.

Worst-case scenario here is pretty simple: a below average team turns bad with “team obliterator” and wins five games instead of eight.


But if Angelo believes the Bears have the defense to win now then he needs to be all in on offense as well. Defensive stars Brian Urlacher (31 when the 2009 season begins), Charles Tillman (28), Alex Brown (30) and Lance Briggs (29 in November) aren’t getting any younger.

So, pick up the phone Mr. Angelo, free agency is underway. It’s okay. And remember, if T.O. steps out of line Olin Kreutz still controls the locker room.

In Chicago, they refer to him as “Jawbreaker.”


Speaking of criticizing general managers, I actually liked the trades Bulls GM John Paxson made at the deadline a couple weeks ago, somehow unloading half the roster and getting back decent talent and contracts in return.


Brad Miller is a decent low post presence whose contract comes off the books in time for the 2010 free agent class while John Salmons is a nice player signed to a very reasonable $5 million per year deal thru 2011.

Paxson says he has a definite plan for how to approach the summer of 2010—so do half the teams in the NBA. Forget LeBron James, for the Bulls Plan A involves Chris Bosh and Plan B involves Amare Stoudemire. If he fails to land either player then Mayor Daily needs to turn a blind eye to the tar & feathering that will take place next to the MJ statue.

The scary thing here is that I have no faith Paxson’s “plan” is the right one, do you?



Opening day is getting close and the best story out of the White Sox new spring training facility is the condition of senior citizen Jose Contreras. In all seriousness, he was supposed to be out until July after tearing his Achilles tendon last season—some feared it may have been career threatening. But he showed up in Glendale, Ariz., 25 pounds lighter and is already throwing in the bullpen. It’s possible that he will break camp on the 25-man roster. That’s terrific dedication and a great way to set the tone for the upcoming season.


Meanwhile, on the first day of Cubs camp a reporter asked Lou Piniella to name the president the last time the Cubs won the world series 100 years ago and he couldn’t. Can you? Give up? See the answer below.


The Missouri Tigers are having a tremendous season and will make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003. Not only is getting into March Madness a great accomplishment, but they could get a 3-or-4 seed. Hats off to head coach Mike Anderson and a group of hard working players who are refreshing to watch in the “40 minutes of hell" scheme.

Stat line to check: Dwyane Wade has been beyond ridiculous since the All-Star break, but has really been putting up MVP-type numbers all season. Do a quick comparison to LeBron and you will find some staggering results, mainly the fact that Wade is better in every category (points per game, assists per game, steals per game, blocks per game and field goal percentage). The one exception: rebounds per game.

***William Howard Taft was president when the Cubs last won the World Series in 1909.

With selection Sunday just one week away, be sure to check out Naismithlives.com before filling out your brackets!

WELCOME TO JP'S CHICAGO SPORTS AWARDS

In many ways 2008 was like any other year for Chicago sports that didn’t fall in the 1990’s and wasn’t 2005. There were playoff berths with disappointing finishes, fired coaches, terrible player personnel decisions and numerous moments that made fans either jump out of their seats or shout “DOH!”

2008 saw Cubans, blow-up dolls and an alien named Swish invade the South Side while teenagers (Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews) united with senior citizens (Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita) to usher in a new era of Blackhawks hockey.

Lightning struck the Bulls and made a team reeking of dog pooh smell a bit more like a Rose. The Bears have overachieved—playoffs or not—yet still have more holes on offense than a victim of a machine-gun drive by.

Then there are the Cubbies, who led their fans on for 6 months like the blonde cheerleader in high school only to have normalcy settle in with the reminder that “we’re only friends.” Not even holy water and blessings in their dugout by a Greek orthodox priest could help.

So, let’s look back on the memories of 2008 with the “JP” Awards—which, of course, mean absolutely nothing other than the fact that I write my own blog and want to hand out some presents for Hanukkah.

BEST TEAM: The Cubs had this award locked up, the envelope was signed and sealed if only for an advancement to the NLCS. Check that, if only for a playoff victory. It’s often difficult to fault a team for making the playoffs, but as the best team in the NL for the majority of the season, their complete and utter failure in the playoffs disqualified them for the award.

Thus, the winner is: the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks spent the early portion of 2008 fighting for a playoff birth and while it didn’t come to fruition they gave their fans and the city a reason to be proud. In addition to their performance on ice, the Hawks’ marketing has been terrific and for the first time ever all of their games –home and away—are now on television.

At the moment, the Hawks are one of the best teams in the NHL as they ride a five-game winning streak and sit only seven points behind division-leading Detroit. They lead the league in goals per game (3.66) and rank 7th in goals against per game (2.55). Even better than that, fans are getting their money’s worth as the Hawks sport a 10-1-4 record at the United Center.

WORST TEAM: This award goes to the UC’s other inhabitants, the Chicago Bulls. Favored by many to win the eastern conference last season the Bulls were as big a disappointment as Britney Spears’ comeback. The team was never on the right track from day one and missed the playoffs altogether. Then, for the first time in recent memory, a coach QUIT on the team before he could be fired. Of course, the reported firing took place on Christmas Day, another bad move among many by general manager John Paxson. Currently, the Bulls are under .500 (12-13) yet find themselves clinging to the 8th seed in the deplorable eastern conference. What’s worse is that the Bulls sit only three games behind 15-10 Atlanta for the 5th seed. It cannot be overlooked that this conference boasts only four teams that score more points than they allow on average.

BEST MOMENT: White Sox fan Barack Obama being elected the 44th President of the United States gets strong consideration. So did Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model Marisa Miller throwing out the first pitch at Wrigley Field, but I’m trying to stick strictly to sports.

The best moment of the year came on March 7, 2008, when the Blackhawks held a special ceremony to honor legends Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita. No, this wasn’t a jersey retirement—which had been done long ago—this was more than that. This was an event that put to rest all the turmoil that had plagued the franchise for the better part of two decades. It was a chance for older Hawks fans and new Hawks fans to unite with the newfound fandom for a proud and special franchise. Adding to the atmosphere was the presence of former Hawks great Jeremy Roenick, who is now plays for the visiting San Jose Sharks—a shrewd move by the marketing department. In one evening, the organization brought together three generations and 50 years of Hawks fans. Awesome.


WORST MOMENT: NLDS—Game 1—Top of the 5th inning: Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman James Loney hits a grand slam into the third row of the Wrigley Field bleachers just left of center to give L.A. the 4-2 lead and literally suck the life out of Cubs nation.

Conventional wisdom would have you believe the worst moment had to have been the final out of game three to officially eliminate the Cubs, but by then the conclusion to the series was just a formality.




The moment Loney staked the Dodgers to that lead, they never looked back. Cubs’ fans showed their true colors, showering the team with a chorus of “Boos,” digging their face deep into their palms and shedding tears. No recollection of this only being the first game or having the last at-bats that being the best team for 162 games earned them. Really, the Cubs season ended right here and the fans did nothing to try and help rally the team.

BEST PLAY: Here is a link for your viewing pleasure: http://buzzcuts.uproxx.com/sports/2193

It was a hot and humid summer day on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 as the White Sox wrapped up a series with the Texas Rangers. With beads of sweat undoubtedly lining their eyes and many cold beers in their system the magical play by second baseman Alexei Ramirez may not have fully resonated with many fans in attendance. And it’s a true shame as it’s one of the best plays you’ll EVER see. So much so, it left Ken “Hawk” Harrelson speechless for a few seconds—no easy task unless the Sox are losing. A written description can’t possibly do the play justice, so just watch it by clicking the link if you haven’t already.

P.S. Just a bit of inside information, the play will be featured among the “Plays of the year” on SportsCenter’s “Year in Review” special airing later this month.


BEST DRAFT PICK: There’s no way to go against Derrick Rose, although I stand firm in my belief that Paxson deserves zero credit for this decision. Not only is Rose a future superstar, the highly unlikely chance that the Bulls wind up with the top pick makes the homecoming one of the best sports stories of the year as well.

WORST DRAFT PICK: The Chicago Bears selecting Vanderbilt offensive tackle Chris Williams with the 14th overall pick of the NFL Draft will go down as one of the worst errors by a medical staff in sports history.



I am still waiting to hear a logical explanation from GM Jerry Angelo as to what would possess him to draft an injured offensive lineman ahead of other lineman with similar skills in a deep draft at the position. Williams’ herniated disc has kept him off the field until the last couple of weeks. Thus, a team that Angelo has called a contender since training camp opened in August got zero help from its top pick—makes perfect sense.

If someone didn’t lose their job over this than Halas Hall should be getting resumes in droves. Come work for a company where you can blatantly not do your job…and not lose it, either!

COACH/MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Lou Piniella, Cubs. He began spring training by making two moves that made the biggest difference this season by inserting Ryan Dempster into the rotation and handing closing duties to Kerry Wood. Both players turned in All-Star seasons and made the pitching staff one of the best in baseball. His players seem to love him and his in-game management is among the best in baseball.



Unlike the rest of the team, Piniella doesn’t feel the wrath of the postseason collapse despite Dempster’s claim that the team wasn’t “prepared.” At some point, players need to prepare themselves to play quality baseball when it matters most. There is no excuse for a lack of preparation after 162 games with a giant cloud carrying 100 years of championship futility hanging over their heads. Not to mention getting swept out of the 2007 playoffs by the Arizona Diamondbacks should have made the team wake up to the realities of playoff baseball.

BEST NEW CONTRACT: Nope, it wasn’t the most recent signing of Felix Pie clone Joey Gathright, who might be able to beat Usain Bolt in a race but can’t get on base.

The Blackhawks win yet again for their signing of Brian Campbell to a massive contract. Campbell’s impact has been tremendous as he gives the Hawks a legitimate leader on the power play and has the speed and puck-handling skills to maneuver through the neutral zone and carry the puck over the opposing blue line.

The Hawks defensive corps is the most active in the league when it comes to chipping in on the offensive end, which is causing major problems for other teams. Campbell is at the forefront of this style of play and is only the pioneer in the Hawks’ new commitment to spending money on top-tier free agents.

WORST NEW CONTRACT: Paxson’s signing of small forward Luol Deng to a max deal looks worse and worse by the day. Deng is being paid star money to be the third option. He has lost the ability to get to the rim and the mid-range jump shot that became his signature over the last few seasons. Deng also claims to be lost in Vinny Del Negro’s offense.

Del Negro’s hiring comes in a close second, but since it doesn’t count against the salary cap it’s not quite as bad. The ridiculous amount of money being paid to Deng has left the franchise incapable of signing Carlos Boozer or another quality post presence in the upcoming off-season.

BEST TRADE: At the time it went completely unnoticed on the first day of last year’s winter meetings when Ken Williams sent minor league first baseman Chris Carter to the D’Backs in exchange for outfielder Carlos Quentin. Now, it’s possibly the steal of the decade.



Quentin did everything the Sox had hoped for and more. A silver slugger award winner in 2008, Quentin led the AL in home runs before missing the final month with a fractured wrist. Of more importance, Quentin was also leading the league in game-winning or tying RBI’s. Had he not gone down, there’s a very good chance Williams acquired the league MVP for a player that was never going to see time at the big league level as part of the White Sox organization. Barring another fluke injury, Quentin should be an offensive force for years to come.

BEST GENERAL MANAGER: Dale Tallon, Blackhawks. No, he’s not perfect and will likely be out of a job by the end of the season as Hawks president John McDonough brings in his choice for GM. Nevertheless, Tallon brought in Campbell and drafted Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane (thankfully avoiding the hype around Coyotes center Kyle Turris).

Sure, he has $12 million wrapped up in goaltending, but does it matter if both Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet play at an elite level every night? Besides, when Khabibulin’s contract expires at season’s end, Tallon doesn’t need to panic and reach for another starter while investing the money elsewhere.

Meanwhile he parlayed the disappointing Tuomo Ruutu into Andrew Ladd and acquired another Rookie of the Year candidate in Kris Versteeg from the Boston Bruins for Brandon Bochenski. Tallon also scored Patrick Sharp and Ben Eager from the Philadelphia Flyers for unknown Matt Ellison and journeyman Jim Vandermeer.

The system is loaded with talented prospects thanks to great scouting in recent drafts and the franchise is close to joining the NHL’s elite teams.

CHICAGO SPORTS MVP: He has a weird mouth fixation kind of reminiscent to Michael Jordan’s wagging tongue. He’s playing in front of sold out crowds at the United Center on a regular basis and--at just over 20-years of age--is transforming a franchise right before our very eyes.

Okay, maybe the similarities are a bit of a stretch, but the 2008 MVP is none other than Patrick Kane, whose 37 points (14 goals) in 29 games have him on pace for nearly 100 points on a playoff bound team.

Kane is earning praise around the league for his playmaking skills, showcasing brilliant hands and terrific vision while chewing his mouth guard like a dog going to town on his favorite bone. His pinpoint accuracy and quick release on the wrist shot have made it a feared weapon around the league.

Earlier this season, Washington Capitals star Alexander Semin had this to say when comparing Kane to Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby:
"What's so special about (Crosby)?" Semin told Yahoo! Sports through a translator. "I don't see anything special there. Yes, he does skate well, has a good head, good pass. But there's nothing else. Even if you compare him to Patrick Kane from Chicago.(Kane) is a much more interesting player. The way he moves, his deking abilities, his thinking on the ice and his anticipation of the play is so superb."

Kane is also beginning to appear in local and national ads and currently holds the lead among western conference forwards in All-Star votes.

Yet, the best thing about Kane is his personality and down-to-earth nature. Still a kid in many ways, he’s always smiling and having fun playing the game he loves.

Kane is on his way to becoming a truly special player, the type of athlete Chicago has been longing for since that MJ guy called it quits one decade ago.

PLEASE PULL THE PLUG ON PAX

As a displaced Chicago sports fan living in Connecticut, it’s hard to follow the teams or the media coverage as well as I did as a child. Sure, the Internet has made it possible to read the sports sections of the local newspapers. But, it’s impossible to watch Comcast SportsNet or listen to “670 the Score” for more than an hour each day.

So, maybe I am just missing something here. Maybe I’m just skimming over the stories or tuning out the media’s call for a new Bulls general manager.

I remember a time when the Chicago media had a spine and weren’t afraid to write columns demanding certain coaches or general managers get fired because a major city deserved better from its professional teams.

The Chicago media aided in the departure of one high profile sports entity recently—Jay Mariotti—and that’s it.

Sometimes an article will pop up criticizing Jerry Angelo—and rightfully so—aren’t 2nd and 3rd round picks from a year ago supposed to be contributing now, not filing for unemployment? (Hello, Dan Bazuin and Michael Okwo the line forms to the left).

For some reason White Sox GM Ken Williams still takes a lot of heat despite having a pretty good track record in trades and being the only general manager in Chicago to have held up a championship trophy.



Yet mysteriously, one name keeps escaping the slaughterhouse line: John Paxson. Listen, I loved Pax as a player and appreciate the role he played on the 1991, ’92 and ’93 championship teams. Who could forget the game-winning three in Phoenix?

But, let’s call a spade a spade and admit the guy isn’t very good at this whole making a good team thing.

Before calling me crazy, remove Derrick Rose from the equation. Rose has shown that he is a future superstar, deserving to be regarded with Chris Paul among the league’s elite point guards. But Paxson didn’t exercise a single skill to acquire him. Anyone could have been the GM and gotten Rose. It was pure luck, a crazy bounce of ping-pong balls. No trades or clever maneuvering required.

Much the same way Rod Thorn doesn’t get a lot of credit for drafting Michael Jordan when he fell into his lap with the 3rd pick in the 1984 draft, Paxson gets no credit for drafting Rose—he was guaranteed a future star no matter which player he chose.

In the meantime, the Bulls have fallen back into the world of irrelevant NBA teams, continuing to regress rather than improve. What’s worse is that the pathetic eastern conference might allow them to sneak into the playoffs—Hooray!

After failing to realize that Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng and Ben Gordon were nice players but not superstar material, Paxson failed to do what any good GM does and package the good pieces he’d developed to land said superstar.

Kevin Garnett? Apparently great defenders that can score in the post and lead teams to NBA titles aren’t as valuable as mediocre players.

Pau Gasol? Apparently Pax had a better offer on the table, but Memphis ownership just wanted a salary dump. Merely a failure to communicate on Paxson’s part or he could have offered similar, yet better garbage than the Lakers gave up.

Brandon Roy or Lamarcus Aldridge? It’s painful to watch the young Trail Blazers these days with two players the Bulls could have had. Paxson failed to realize Roy was an All-Star waiting to happen or that Aldridge was the answer to the post problems that currently plague the franchise. Instead, he traded Aldridge for a future Harlem Globetrotter capable of jumping into the upper deck. A nice show for some fans, but Tyrus Thomas throws up so many bricks he can build a mansion in Northbrook despite the bad housing market.

The rest of the roster is riddled with sub-par talent or bad contracts:

Hinrich? Has been on the decline since signing his massive extension and is nothing more than a worse version of Paxson—as a player. Regarded so poorly around the NBA, teams won’t even trade other bad contracts for him.

Deng? Being paid money worthy of a franchise player when--in reality--he’s a bad 2nd option or good 3rd option on a championship-caliber team. Deng claims he’s lost in the current offense or maybe it’s just that he’s lost his mid-range jump shot and the ability to get into the lane.

Gordon? Probably the guy that should have gotten the contract handed to Deng. Gordon has the best shooting touch on the team and the ability to create his own shot. When he’s on the court with Rose it has caused serious match up problems for the opposition--just ask Jason Terry and Jason Kidd. Meanwhile, he’ll most likely be gone next season after his one-year deal expires.



Andres Nocioni? Possibly the worst contract handed out by Paxson—so far. Nocioni is the type of player that would fit perfectly on a championship team as a hustler off the bench. But, he doesn’t do anything particularly well and is being paid like a starter. His contract is so bad, he’s another player teams won’t take unless he is packaged or in the final year of this ludicrous deal.

Thabo Sefolosha? Paxson’s rationale with this pick is that he needed a long, athletic guard to defend LeBron James. That’s all well and good except for two big problems: 1) the league doesn’t reward defense unless the entire team plays it--like the Spurs--and 2) there isn’t a single player in all of basketball capable of guarding “King James.” What’s more disturbing is the fact that Sefolosha’s offense doesn’t appear to have developed one bit.

Joakim Noah? Please just retire and go live in your parents’ French villa already. I knew he had no offensive abilities whatsoever, I didn’t know those deficiencies would make me want to bring Yinka Dare out of retirement. At the very least, he could provide the effort and rebounding on display at Florida but that’s been mysteriously absent as well. Like a game of horse, Noah is very close to completing the B-U-S-T, only he can’t make a shot to close it out.

Larry Hughes? Will be traded by the deadline or next off-season, but I am very surprised Paxson hasn’t paid him to just go sit at home much like he did with Tim Thomas.

Drew Gooden and Aaron Gray? Besides Gordon and Rose, these are the only other players on the roster worth their contract. With any help down low, Gooden might actually be a valuable component in the future. Gray’s skills are limited but every team has a slow, tall 7-footer on the roster.

Then there’s the wonderful signing of first-year coach Vinny Del Negro, who looks completely lost at times and clearly lacks the direction or knowledge to be a coach. It is becoming more evident with each passing game that this is actually Dell Harris’ team and Del Negro was hired to handle the press. Pax does not get a pass for simply putting “head coach” in front of the wrong Del.

Paxson has managed the salary cap so poorly; the Bulls were in no position to bring Elton Brand back this past off-season and will have no room to make a run at Carlos Boozer this coming off-season. Thrilling.

The entire league is gearing up for the LeBron sweepstakes in 2010, a free agent class that could also include Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Wouldn’t an all-Chi town backcourt of Wade and Rose look nice? Or maybe the signing of a legit post presence like Bosh to run the floor or set up a half court set with Rose?

As long as Paxson is still the GM, don’t hold your breath. It’s hard to have faith the right move is coming when so many prior moves have been wrong. If the Chicago media begins to resemble its old self, hopefully Pax will be thrown out of town before he has the chance to screw up the future as well.

Typical Missouri

Throughout my four-and-a-half years at the University of Missouri, Tiger fans grew accustomed to dealing with athletic grief.

Mizzou athletics weren’t necessarily bad, in fact, most teams had a winning record and qualified for their sports version of a postseason. But, if I had a nickel for the amount of times that fans were left disappointed, upset or felt like knocking their head against a wall until a state of unconsciousness set in, I’d be able to buy a tank of gas.

My inner circle of friends and I dealt with the heartbreak and constant anxiety by putting on a sly grin, shaking our heads and uttering the following phrase: “Typical Missouri.”



Pathetic? Maybe. But, it was merely a product of buying into the enormous expectations placed on the programs by local media and the Missouri athletic department—easily the best hype machine in the country.

No team left a worse feeling in our mouths than the 2003-04 Missouri basketball team. With preseason All-Americans Arthur Johnson and Ricky Paulding, the Tigers were ranked among the top-5 teams in the country and a near-unanimous pick by “experts” to make a trip to the program’s first Final Four.

I entered the season thinking championship, and after defeating Indiana in Bloomington to improve to 6-0, I had no doubt that team was the best in the country. Then allegations of cheating haunted the team off the court and their play began to slide on it. A series of disappointing losses—including one to Belmont—left the team stumbling to 16-14 and a 1st round loss in the tournament…NIT, that is.

Now, thanks to consecutive losses to Oklahoma State and Texas the 2008 Missouri football team may surpass the aforementioned disaster (not taking into account the embarrassment that came with the NCAA investigation).

The Tigers entered the season with hopes of a national championship. A trip to my alma mater’s first BCS bowl was almost an afterthought. No doubt, winning the Big XII North for the second straight season was never even a question.

Suddenly, not even a rematch with the Longhorns in Kansas City for the Big XII championship is a lock anymore. What’s worse is that after looking totally unstoppable against opponents like Buffalo, Nevada and Illinois—a middling team in the horrendous Big Ten—Mizzou has more closely resembled Syracuse than Florida in losses to powerhouses in the mighty south division of the conference.

Last season, Mizzou’s success came as a great surprise to the fans. They were expected to be ranked and win a majority of their games. Nobody expected a week at No. 1 with only one win standing in the way of a shot at the crystal ball. Even a loss to Oklahoma in the conference championship couldn’t upset Tiger nation.

What’s taken place in the last nine excruciating days has left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth. Hopes of a national title are gone, but thanks to a terribly flawed system a BCS bowl is still reachable by winning the Big XII. Of course, nothing suggests this Mizzou squad is capable of upsetting Texas or OU.

The offensive and defensive lines have been manhandled and Chase Daniel will be lucky to make his way back to New York as a Heisman finalist. Clearly there’s a reason the Longhorns didn’t originally offer him a scholarship—or half of Missouri’s roster for that matter. Daniel is clearly a system quarterback and any future of playing on Sunday’s is probably gone.

Mizzou is currently at a crossroads. With their ultimate dreams squashed, they can either rally to give themselves one last chance at the BCS at the end of the season; or mail it in from here on out. For Gary Pinkel’s sake, it had better be the first option or Missouri should roll a red carpet out for him to walk from Columbia to Washington.

Missouri has taught their faithful fans an important lesson through all this—instead of buying into the hype; wait until a team accomplishes something. Then, the success is so much sweeter.

At least a lot of fans will maintain a healthy budget by hanging onto the money they had earmarked for whichever BCS bowl proved to be the ultimate destination during the first week of January.

Now, a late-December trip to the Holiday Bowl is a realistic possibility…

San Diego’s weather is great in December.

8 miles never seemed so far away

Maybe a minute had gone by after Ken Griffey Jr. struck out to officially end the White Sox season before my phone buzzed. The text message must have been sent before the last out—either that, or I had better contact Comcast and complain about a bad delay.

The message, from a friend whose allegiance lies with the Chicago Cubs, read: “Hahahaha, you guys managed to last a whole 48 hours longer and now we’re both in the same place.”

My response: “If that’s what you need to tell yourself in order to snap out of your undoubted state of depression…go right ahead.”

The core of his statement is obviously true. The 2008 World Series will not be a “Crosstown Classic.” It won’t even feature one Chicago team. But the set of circumstances that surrounded each team’s ultimate demise are as different as a filet mignon and a Big Mac.

After failing to land one of the prizes on the free agent market, Ken Williams’ club was picked by most experts—including myself—to finish third in a tough AL Central division.



Meanwhile, the Cubs were heavy favorites to repeat as NL Central champions—even that preseason prediction I couldn’t be wrong about.

The White Sox were a maddeningly inconsistent team, never giving their fans the same feeling they had in 2005. One week they looked like the best team in baseball, the next they looked like the Washington Nationals were capable of sweeping them. Trying to figure them out was like trying to make sense of one of Sarah Palin’s run-on sentences.

Meanwhile, the Cubs were on cruise control all season. They held first place since the third game of the season and after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park--or “Wrigley North” as Cubs fans like to call it—shortly after the All-Star break, the division title and a playoff berth were never in doubt.

Not to make excuses, but injuries eventually took their toll on the Sox. Their only All-Star representatives—MVP candidate Carlos Quentin and third baseman Joe Crede—couldn’t play the final month of the season. Jose Contreras—having a nice season after an atrocious 2007 campaign—came off the DL for 1.2 innings in August only to suffer a season-ending injury.

Injuries are a part of the game, but take Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez and Ted Lilly away from the Cubs and where does it put them? Well, I guess it puts them in basically the same place they’re in now.

After being swept by the Minnesota Twins in the Metrodome—or “that Hellhole,” as Sox fans affectionately refer to it—the Sox were left gasping for air. But, the Twins committed a baseball no-no. They let the Sox get up and continue to fight.
You don’t put a mass murderer on the electric chair and just before flipping the switch let him off on parole. So, the Sox did what anyone would do with a new lease on life. They battled and survived, doing something MLB had never seen by beating three different teams in three days—Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and the aforementioned Twins—to make the playoffs. The team looked relieved just to get in, their pitchers running on fumes after each going on three days rest multiple times over the last two weeks of the season.

Meanwhile, the Cubs clinched the division with about 10 games left. They were able to get some nice R&R, set their playoff rotation and give the Tribune Company ample opportunity to promote its new book celebrating the inevitable championship season of the 2008 Chicago Cubs.

The White Sox won a game in their divisional series with the far superior Tampa Bay Rays, improving Ozzie Guillen’s playoff record to 13-4.



Despite a dugout blessed with Holy Water (by a Greek Orthodox priest), the Cubs watched their postseason losing streak reach nine games after getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers. They were outscored 20-6 in the series and never led after jumping out to a 2-0 lead in game one. They got embarrassed and crumbled under the pressure that comes along with a century of futility.

Sox fans embraced the “Blackout” at the Cell and—with a World Series to fall back on—just went along for the ride. After a 90-loss season in 2007 left faithful Sox fans feeling ill, there are many reasons to look forward to 2009. Among them: the maturation of promising young hurlers Gavin Floyd and John Danks and the emergence of Quentin and “the Cuban Missile” Alexei Ramirez.

Following James Loney’s grand slam in game one, Cubs fans put their tails right between their legs. Their dreams had died right there and then. In the “Do or die” game two (thanks Mark DeRosa, no pressure at all), the tears began to flow ala 2003-post Steve Bartman. Way to have faith in the NL’s best team.

Most of the Cubs roster will return and they will be favorites to win the division yet again. Only how can fans get excited like they did in 2008? To borrow a song lyric by Green Day, all Cubs fans should do is say “Wake me up when September ends.”

In August, my father begged me to be fair and blog about the greatness of the 2008 Cubs. He explained that they do everything well and that there wasn’t a team in baseball that was capable of beating them in a short series. I promised that when they accomplished something, I would meet his request.

But, for the 100th consecutive season, the “Loveable losers” have nothing to be proud of. Their loyal fans continue to be let down in the most unimaginable ways.

White Sox fans have set the bar higher after 2005, but ultimately will look back on 2008 and realize it was a great success. Veterans regained their swagger and the youngsters provided terrific excitement. The team’s perseverance and fun-loving attitude made its fans proud.

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So, now it’s officially football season and somehow, someway the Chicago Bears find themselves in first place. Every touchdown Kyle Orton throws and big run by Matt Forte leaves me in shock. My expectations were so low; the Bears would have to lose every remaining game to match my preseason prediction. The NFC North may be bad enough to allow the Bears come out on top.



My other football team, the Missouri Tigers, possess the best offense in the country. Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin are legitimate Heisman Trophy contenders and a 52-17 drubbing of Nebraska—in Lincoln for the first time in 30 years—was a definite statement.

Mizzou helped provide the stat of the week: Through 5 games, in drives started by Daniel, the offense has yet to go 3-and-out.


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