While it was nice to see Derrick Rose back in the lineup for the Presidents Day matinee against ATL, the win was strangely unsatisfying. Why? Tough to say, ennui? The dregs of even a compressed 66-game season? I'm not sure. Most pressing I think is that, in spite of the Bulls having their booster rockets on for the first half (and most-definitely the first quarter), there was Atlanta, lingering and waiting for a chance to snatch the win away.
With Rose shaking off the cobwebs and showing some [Umm, lingering tightness in his lower back? -Ed.] on his early free throw misses, the Bulls did all of the rights things. Yet basketball is a game of streaks and runs, and the Hawks made theirs. And with top-five personal favorite of mine, Josh Smith, doing everything except "go Nova" --thanks largely to 7-21 shooting from the field, not all Luol's doing, either, "Sigh. Josh." NB: J Smoove did manage 17, 12, 5, 3, 2 (L-R: pts., rebs., assists, blocks, steals) and maybe if Joe Johnson doesn't leave with a gimpy knee (that's causing him to miss the ASG), Josh doesn't huck up quite so many ill-advised shots, and it's a different result?
Theo Epstein's move to Chicago was as much about leaving the Red Sox as it was about the Cubs stealing him away, but his new team still wound up having to compensate his former team for its loss.
After nearly four months of negotiations, the clubs announced Tuesday they have decided which player not named Matt Garza is heading to Boston. The lucky man is right-hander Chris Carpenter, along with a swap of players to be named later (most likely non-prospects).
The 26-year old Carpenter is a two-pitch flamethrower who is regarded by many as being just outside the Cubs' top 10 prospects, primarily because of his age, injury history, and lack of a reliable third pitch. In a relief role, the kid can bring it with a high-90s heater and mid-80s slider. But with that titanic fastball comes Titanic-like rudder control (I'm allowed a centennial anniversary joke when talking about the Cubs, right?) to the tune of a 5.7 BB/9 rate in the minors last season.
It's been a tumultuous offseason for the local nines, with the Cubs and White Sox both saying goodbye to big names who played big roles in recent years. Let's get you up to speed before spring training arrives. (Part of a series.)
Hello: Matt Thornton and Jesse Crain
Thornton last season: 3 saves, 3.32 ERA, 9.5 K/9, 3.00 K/BB
Crain last season: 1 save, 2.62 ERA, 9.6 K/9, 2.26 K/BB
What Happened?
In a move that kicked off the White Sox rebuilding effort, Chicago traded closer Sergio Santos to Toronto for pitching prospect Nestor Molina.
"It is the start of a rebuilding," Sox general manager Ken Williams told reporters after the trade. "And you guys know I have not used that word in 12 years. But it is the start of a rebuilding. Now, is it the start of falling-domino rebuilding? No. Absolutely not." Williams went on to say that he planned to keep most of the pitching staff intact, and that they hoped to add a piece to make a run in 2013 or 2014. For the most part he was right, but Mark Buehrle signed with Miami, and the White Sox traded Jason Frasor back to Toronto.
Because the Sox did not either trade or sign a closer after the Santos deal, reports have holdovers Jesse Crain and Matt Thornton competing for the closer spot in spring training.
This isn't CJ Watson's first polka, but to say the reserve point has been getting a hard education this week would be wholly accurate. After a remedial course against Charlotte's rookie point guard, Kemba Walker, CJ has faced Rajon Rondo ("The Cassowary Game"), Tyreke Evans ("Utterly blanketed CJ Watson. Gripping." -Roger Ebert), Rondo again (Hey, "only" 17, 8 and 7 for Rondo this time), and the brutal education continued yesterday as Deron Williams did his best Deron Williams impression. Scorching CJ (or any of Chicago's guards since we're being honest) for 29 points (five 3s, 6-7 from the charity stripe) while dishing out eight dimes, Williams was on point all game long. The Nets in general were on point all game long, which the Bulls, as it should be very clear, were not. And you know what? Bulls fans should've seen a game like this on the horizon. No Derrick Rose, two big games against the Celtics in five days, the Nets at the flukish time of 3:00 pm on a Saturday afternoon? Yeah, this had the makings of a "Toronto Raptors Sunday matinee" letdown game written all over it.
Before last night's 4-2 win at Madison Square Garden, the Blackhawks had lost nine straight games. It was an epic free fall that sparked plenty of conversation about changes -- and one win isn't going to end the questions.
Maybe the Blackhawks should ditch Joel Quenneville. Maybe it's time to trade an underperforming scorer for a decent goaltender.
Or maybe they shouldn't change a thing.
On January 20, the Blackhawks took the NHL lead from Detroit. Not long before, Coach Q had been lauded for reaching his 600th win. The team was boasting two goalies with competitive talent and increasing potential.
Little changed during the nine-game skid. It's essentially the same big names, the same goalies, the same captain and the same coaches.
First off: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHAEL JORDAN. If you're on the Twitters, the must-follow Andy Gray is posting Sports Illustrated's best MJ pics in honor of the legend's 49th birthday. The above video? The indelible memory from my childhood NBA education. "The year was nineteen-dickety-two, we had to use the word "dickety" because the Kaiser had stolen our word for ninety. I had just gotten home from a putt-putt party to bear witness to Michael Jordan set an all-time Finals high for points in a half." In any case, that game was the catalyst, thus cinching my love affair with the Association, that and Shawn Kemp as a Supersonic.
Now to the lecture at hand... No Derrick Rose (again) and Bulls fans are still allowed to impishly grin like Alfred E. Neuman.
It's been a tumultuous offseason for the local nines, with the Cubs and White Sox both saying goodbye to big names who played big roles in recent years. Let's get you up to speed before spring training arrives. (Part of a series.)
Goodbye: Carlos Quentin
Last season: .254 BA, 24 HR, 77 RBI, .838 OPS (.340 OBP, .499 SLG)
With several other key members of the team gone, the White Sox traded right fielder Carlos Quentin to San Diego in exchange for two prospects on New Year's Eve. They also added a fourth outfielder who could spell youngster Dayan Viciedo if needed, signing former Cub Kosuke Fukudome to a one-year deal.
How Will the White Sox Miss Quentin?
Flashback to 2008. Quentin finished with a breakout career year - 36 home runs (second in the American League), 100 RBI, and a .965 OPS. Plus, he only turned 26 during the season. The sky looked to be the limit for him.
Since then? Not as wonderful. That's not to say he's been bad, not by any means. But he has only averaged 24 home runs, 73 RBI and a .815 OPS from 2009 to 2011. While's he had a 4.6 WAR for 2008 (placing him in near-elite status), he suffered from plantar fasciitis and had a wasted 2009 and a decent 2010 (conventional stats say he was good, Sabermetric stats said he was below average), but regained form and was an all-star for 2011.
Obviously, Chicago will miss a player who was good for at least 20 home runs, 20 doubles and 80 RBI. But the Sox found themselves at the crossroads with Quentin for four reasons.
Something of an either/or dilemma for the Bulls and their legions of fandom last night. Either the Bulls, sans Derrick Rose, took care of business against an underachieving and talented Kings team; or the Bulls showed some major flaws in their post defense as well as letting the Kings ("The WORST, Jerry!") stick around for the entire game. So what was it? Well, in spite of Chicago Land's typical self-hatred and "Sky is falling" demeanor, I'm siding squarely with the former.
The injuries continue to mount, reoccur and linger for the Bulls, just like every NBA team in this abridged, compressed, death march of a season. Still, "Neither pulled hammies nor ankle sprains nor x-rays nor gloom of turf toe stays these ballers from the swift completion of their appointed games." The Bulls, bench, starters, 10-day contracts (we see you Mike James, 'sup?) are doing their thing.
No Derrick Rose, no problem, which as the 6-2 record without D.Rose will attest, has been this squad's M.O. all season. CJ Watson has been alternately "good-ish" and then regressed, but let's give him the pass after being harried by a very focussed Rondo on Sunday and then facing the supersized point, Tyreke Evans. The 6'6 guard swallowed the 6'2 Watson like a starbeam dropping into the infinity of a black hole, and well, that's why Derrick Rose is so valuable. Still, Bulls win and in this bizarre season, that's good enough.
On Saturday, the Windy City Rollers' 2012 home season kicked off with an upset. Could it be indicative of the rest of the season?
The Hell's Belles surprised everyone--perhaps even themselves--as they broke The Fury's 14-game winning streak. Strong blocking by the Belles helped MVP jammer Zombea Arthur as she made a mad dash for points, earning 68 in all, helping win the game at a solid 140-79.
The Manic Attackers took on the Double Crossers in the second (and slower) game of the evening. Unfortunately, it wasn't too much of a match, as the Crossers' suffer from a sparse, rookie-filled roster. Manic blockers Bork Bork Bork, Ada Hatelace, and AliSin Chains made way for jammers Zoe Trocious, Thievin' Tyler, and Rose Feratu to score point after point. Finally, the Crossers had had enough, and the game closed in the Manics' favor, 151-62.
Fury jammer Janicide Joplin (in the orange starred helmet) zips through the pack.
Zoe Trocious (in blue) sneaks past an unsuspecting Double Crosser.
After missing two games in a row due to back spasms, Derrick Rose made a visit to a back specialist who says his problems are muscular, not structural. Ultimately, that's good news, but it doesn't mean Rose is back in the game just yet.
General manager Gar Forman says Rose will play when he feels he's ready, but that isn't looking likely for Tuesday's game against Sacramento. Rose suffered back spasms in high school as well which would go as suddenly as they had come. In the meantime, he will continue with therapy and rest and hope the spasms will pass.
Rose is a competitive player, and of course will always want to be on that court, which is one of the things we all love about him. However, we also love his ability to score and keep the Bulls in tough games, which won't be the case if he plays before he's ready. Forman seems confident that for now at least, Rose understands that he needs to be 100 percent before he jumps back in.
Despite Sunday's Rose-less loss against the Celtics, we must remember that Derrick Rose is not the only scorer, and not the only talented player the Bulls have. While he is of course an important player and a huge asset, the team should be able to balance the responsibility, which the Bulls have proven capable of this season throughout most of his seven missed games - more than in his first three seasons combined.
The Blackhawks haven't won a game since Jan. 20 against the Florida Panthers. They've now dropped their eighth straight game, and tenth on the road. They have also allowed thirteen goals in their last three games. Their latest game against the Phoenix Coyotes was their sixth shutout loss this season, losing 3-0.
It's safe to say the Blackhawks need to find themselves and win their next game badly. The next three stops on their nine-game roadtrip aren't going to make that an easy goal to achieve either. The next three opponents the Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, and Columbus Blue Jackets are all going to take the ice in much better positions than the Hawks.
The Predators and Hawks have meet three times so far this season, and the Hawks have only been able to win one of those games. They have a clean slate with the Rangers, hopefully getting a win for their first encounter.
It's been a tumultuous offseason for the local nines, with the Cubs and White Sox both saying goodbye to big names who played big roles in recent years. Let's get you up to speed before spring training arrives. (Part of a series.)
Goodbye: Tyler Colvin
Last season: .150 BA, 6 HR, 20 RBI, .509 OPS (.204 OBP, .306 SLG) in 80 games
Hello: David DeJesus
Last season: .240 BA, 10 HR, 46 RBI, .698 OPS (.323 OBP, .376 SLG)
What Happened?
Tyler Colvin took over in right field last season after the Cubs traded Kosuke Fukudome to the Indians at the deadline, but he was himself traded in December by the new regime, going to Colorado with DJ LeMahieu for Ian Stewart and Casey Weathers.
A short time earlier, the Cubs inked David DeJesus to a pretty fair deal - $4.25 million for 2012 and 2013, and a $6.5 million team option for 2014 with a $1.5 million buyout. The team has early plans to play him in right field, and GM Jed Hoyer said of the signing "We're very excited to sign David. He's a player who does a lot of things very well, including running the bases and getting on base. And he doesn't strike out very much. These are all areas we wanted to improve on going into next year."
You can take that quote as saying either "David fits our system really well and we need a guy like him," or "As stop-gap solutions go, David will do for now."
It's been a tumultuous offseason for the local nines, with the Cubs and White Sox both saying goodbye to big names who played big roles in recent years. Let's get you up to speed before spring training arrives. (Part of a series.)
Goodbye: Juan Pierre
Last season: .279 BA, 2 HR, 50 RBI, .657 OPS (.329 OBP, .327 SLG)
HelloAlejandro de Aza
Last season: .329 BA, 4 HR, 23 RBI, .920 OPS (.400 OBP, .520 SLG) in 54 games
What Happened?
Juan Pierre, the starting left fielder for the White Sox for the last two years, became a free agent and signed a minor league deal with Philadelphia in late January. With the Phillies, Pierre may get the chance to platoon in their outfield somewhere. Meanwhile, Chicago didn't really add anyone; it appears that they will be moving forward in 2012 with Alejandro de Aza, Alex Rios and Dayan Viciedo in their outfield in some configuration.
"In America, first you make the currency, than you get the All-Star nod , then you get the power."
Congrats to #9! There's been a good deal of rumination and debate about Luol "truly earning" this all-star berth (he's been injured, his WS/48 isn't "all that" compared with Kevin Garnett, Rondo, Josh Smith --personal fave of this fella, Greg Monroe, [insert your favorite player who "totally got jobbed"]) and to that I say, "Relax. It's an all-star game. Luol is a good dude and, again, it's an all-star game."
"Blammo!" Just when you think you don't want to write a post about a dull, hardwood bludgeoning against a middling opponent, there's a video of Will Ferrell doing the introductions for the Chicago Bulls. (h/t to WXRT and the New Orleans sound man who pumped in Paper Lace's best song) So, thanks, Funny Comedy Human, for this treasure that fell into my lap. And much like me, the Bulls are probably happy they got a gift-wrapped 23-point win in the Crescent City against a sorry, sadsack Hornets squad.
While it was nice to see Derrick Rose back in the lineup for the Presidents Day matinee against ATL, the win was strangely unsatisfying. Why? Tough to say, ennui? The dregs of even a compressed 66-game season? I'm not sure. Most pressing I think is that, in spite of the Bulls having their booster rockets on for the first half (and most-definitely the first quarter), there was Atlanta, lingering and waiting for a chance to snatch the win away.
Theo Epstein's move to Chicago was 
Before last night's 
