How bad are the Bulls?

It seems like anytime you lose to a team by 30 points in the NBA it was be catastrophic. The Bulls went into LA after a good second half against Phoenix and laid an egg, losing by 28 points. This is a MAJOR sign of a bad team. This should not happen in the NBA especially against a team that according to Kobe is going nowhere; and I would tend to agree.

Here's my biggest argument for how bad the Bulls are playing. The Bulls are supposed to be atop the Eastern Conference, and the Lakers toward the middle to bottom of the West. If you made a Kobe trade, the difference would still not make up for the 28 point debacle that was Sunday night. The Bulls are in trouble and need to do something fast. This December is not as friendly as years before. After all the November road games the Bulls only have 10 out of 17 games at home next month. If they don't turn it around soon, the Bulls could be struggling to just get into the playoffs.

Headline: Bad Defense not Bad Rex

I remember a time last year when you knew as a Bears fan that we only had to score 20 points to get the 'W'. Our defense was great at times but always steady and the staple of the team.
As much as you can try to put the blame on Rex for fumbling the ball by trying to make something out of nothing. Please tell me how many teams can expect to win when their defense gives up 30 points? Rex was 24 of 37 with 266 yards although he could not get the ball in the end zone. Last year, Rex was the problem because everything else was clicking. Currently, the running game and the defense are to blame for the Bears woes.
So please do me a favor and realize that Rex is not the only one to blame for this season. The whole team, including the coaching staff, is just not where they need to be.

Da Bulls, Baby Bulls, or just...the Bulls?

So during MJs years we were DA BULLS!...then we turned into the Baby Bulls, but now it seems like we are just the Bulls. After this dreadful 1-6 start, I believe that it is safe to say that this team has no identity. Offense is not their identity, defense is not their identity, and I don't think "jump shooting" can be an identity!?!
Earlier in the week, one of the players called a team meeting that was in my opinion probably a little late, but the player was ADRIAN GRIFFIN!!! Is it just me or has he not played a minute yet this season? The Bulls need to find a leader on this team and start playing with some passion and emotion on the floor. If they don't, they could find themselves 1-11 coming off the "circus trip" and suddenly a long-shot to even make the playoffs less compete for an Eastern Conference crown.
I think that Hinrich needs to step up; he is one of the captains and should lead the charge to get this team back on track. Also, Ben Wallace was the essence of hard work and determination while on the Pistons which is what the Bulls team is supposedly all about now. He HAS to get back to form and start showing that he is worth the $15 million/yr that we are paying him. All I know is that the Bulls better figure this thing out soon or Chicago might end up with the 2 most disappointing teams in sports this year!

Sexy Rexy?!?

Looking away to another game after Griese was sacked and it looked like the dismal offense once again was looking at a 3 and out, I suddenly heard the large group of Bears fans behind me let out a roar! I then looked up to see not the Bears making a big play but instead Rex Grossman taking a snap during a timeout. All that I could do was laugh and almost cry! And after he fumbled his first snap, I had to do everything not to cry!

As we know, he was able to look like "sexy rexy" for one series which happened to be enough to down the worthless Raiders. But was this the best thing to happen to the Bears? Here's why I think it is.....

We start Rex the rest of the season, and if he flops we will be ready to throw in the towel and start all over at QB. What do we have to lose?!? Griese was 2-3 as a starter with more interceptions than touchdowns. Were we really any better? At least now, Grossman will be given his second chance now and not next season where he could ruin yet another year. The chances of the Bears coming back to make the playoffs is VERY slim. Only 1 team since 2000 has been able to come back to make the playoffs since 2000 after starting the year 3-5.

Rex Grossman, you have nothing to lose! You've already been benched, and your team no longer has the expectations that they had at the beginning of the year. Good Rex must show up or Bad Rex will be riding the pine somewhere else next season.

To Kobe or Not to Kobe?!?

Everyday, we hear the same rumors flooding our sports stations...Is Kobe going to be traded? and are the Bulls his likely destination? So I will give you 5 reasons to trade and not to trade for Kobe:

Why they should trade?
1. Starting Lineup: Wallace, Hinrich, Deng, Smith, Kobe
2. With this starting lineup, the Celts Big Three can forget about the East.
3. They will get Kobe to sign an extension and lock up one of the best scorers the league has ever seen.
4. Kobe is only 29 yrs old! Have we forgotten that this guy came out of HS to the NBA; he has a minimum 6 more years of dominance.
5. Do we really believe that these Baby Bulls can beat the West? do we want to win the East or win the whole thing? ask Cleveland's fans how they felt in late June....

Why they shouldn't?
1. Kobe has not shown that he can be a LEADER. The Bulls need not only a superstar, but a superstar that can be a leader.
2. Selfish play?...did Kobe's performance in the FIBA Americas this summer really convince you that he wants to play team ball?
3. Can Kobe keep his criticism to himself with all these young players around him? I'm pretty sure Andrew Bynum could have gone without some of it.
4. Kobe and Scott Skiles will not co-exist. Skiles has a hard-nosed, hustle approach to coaching this team...will Kobe think the same way?
5. Kobe will never be MJ!

So here's my opinion on all of this....Kobe can veto any trade that comes his way, and the Lakers will not trade him to a Western Conference team. So, the Bulls are the only logical choice because they have enough talent to make an acceptable offer and still have a team left to contend with Kobe. This is a good trade if they Bulls can get Kobe for something like this: Ben Gordon, Noah or Thomas, Duhon, and 1 or 2 draft picks. I really believe that the Lakers will be forced to trade him, and the Bulls will get him for a nickel instead of a quarter. Stay tuned.....

Just what the Bears needed?

Rex is NOT our quarterback. Basically, thats what Lovie said to me when he said that "Brian is our quarterback." Brian Griese is definitely not our franchise quarterback of the future, but this change had to be made! With all of the losses on defense and the offense 30th in the NFL in yds/game, something had to be done. So Rex, you are NOT our quarterback.

Finally, the rest of the team played just as bad as Rex in the same game. The Bears could not have played any worse as a team. But, the Dallas game is over, the Bears are 1-2 and now see a 2 game deficit in the NFC North. The most important thing right now is to win some of these games that might be affected by injuries and not lose the season from the beginning. This is why "Brian is our quarterback". Lovie made the big decision, and it was the right one. The Bears are still a good team that has great potential and can make the playoffs.

With the potential of having 6 starters missing on the defense side of the ball this week against Detroit, the offense will need to be extremely efficient and control the clock; this is what Griese will bring to the table. Brian must become the leader on offense and can hopefully have the guys really play for him instead of whatever they were doing for Rex. So....GO BEARS! and good luck Lovie...let's hope Griese can lessen the QB questions next week.

Attention Sports Fans!!!

If you haven't already, please do yourself a favor and read this article about Luol Deng's journey with the British National Team this summer. It is an awesome example of what our sports stars should be doing today.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=DengDiary

After reading this, I can not be any more proud to have Deng on my team....saying that it is a "privilege" to play for his country, have an endearing passion for a kid's camp that he runs in Britain, and showing a humble attitude with respect for where he is today. In the midst of all the troubles in sports right now, just remember that there still are good stories with privileged athletes giving back to their fans, communities, and countries.

Dallas not kicking to Hester?!?

Reports from the Cowboys today said that punter Mat McBriar will punt VERY high and even punt out-of-bounds to keep the ball away from Devin Hester. Wow! 2 things surprise me about this:

1. Why are the Cowboys broadcasting this?
2. WHY HAVEN'T OTHER TEAMS DONE THIS ALREADY?!?

As much as I hate this! There is not a chance that I would want my team kicking to this super-human. Against Kansas City, Hester had a combined 201 yards on kick/punt returns comparable to Rex Grossman's 160 yards passing. In fact, Grossman hasn't passed for over 200 yards since the Divisional playoff game against Seattle and only has 1 more touchdown than Hester during that span. So you tell me who is the bigger offensive threat! This is just another sign that the offense needs to step up, especially this week with huge playoff implications in the balance. If the offense puts out another bad performance, maybe we should consider the direct snap to Hester idea?!?

Cedric Benson is now the man!...or is he?

Benson shook of a dismal performance against the Chargers with a solid 101 yard performance this week. All stories that I have read are strongly applauding his efforts. Here's what he had to say, "It meant a lot early in the season to finally get into a groove." What I forgot to mention is that he gained 101 yards on 24 carries for 4.1 yds per carry...hardly "into the groove" if you ask me.

Cedric, I am not saying that you didn't do well....good game.....but don't think that your troubles are over because you are far from being "the man". What have you done to gain respect in that locker room? When have you made a great play or had a winning score at the end of a game? To be "the man" you have to get respect and to get respect you have to earn it! The defense runs that locker room and is not going to give respect to some guy who really hasn't proved anything to anyone.

The Bear's defense plays all out every down and so must Benson. That does not mean just when he has the ball, but also when he is blocking for Rex. They are still a RUNNING team! Benson is not "the man" yet, but he has to gain that title this season if the Bears want to be the force that they can be.

"Devin Hester, You Are Ridiculous"....and so are you Rex!

Once again, Devin Hester continues to amazes us all! After a lack-luster performance in San Diego, Hester reminded us all why you just should not kick him the ball. Hester's resume this sunday: a 73 yard punt return for a TD, a total of 143 on 5 punt returns, and a kickoff return for a TD that was called back on a penalty. Is there a more exciting and explosive player in the league right now? and is there one player that can single-handedly affect the game as much as he can? He proved today that there is not. Even when the Chiefs tried to kick away from him, the Bears ended up with the ball on their own 40 because of a heads up play from Hester.

Now for my most important stat of the day....Hester 10 - Bears offense 10. The Bears goal this year is to WIN the Super Bowl, and with these first two games the offense has shown that it has no chance of reaching that goal. So here it is...

Dear Lovie,

You have put together an amazing defense, and even with injuries you still have a top 3 defense in the league. Devin Hester gives you an edge that has maybe never been seen before. Robbie Gould has become almost automatic, and your receiving core is filled with talent. So how much longer is Rex "our quarterback"? How many times must the defense bail him out after his embarassing turnovers? Running is your identity, but how do you run effectively when teams dare you to pass due to Rex's inconsistencies? Please don't wait too long.....this team's time is NOW!

Bears D-Line Gets Stronger.

Today, the Bears traded an undisclosed draft pick for defensive tackle Darwin Walker from the Buffalo Bills.

With this trade, the Bears "beef up" their defensive line after the exit of Tank Johnson and Ian Scott this offseason. Walker is a 7-year veteran that recorded 6 sacks with the Philadelphia Eagles last season. By adding more depth on the defensive line, the Bears should benefit from less double-teaming of their All-Pro Tommie Harris, who is coming back from injury.

It's nice to see the Bears actively looking to improve their roster. With several key players leaving this offseason (Thomas Jones, Tank Johnson, Ian Scott, and Alfonso Boone), the Bears will need others to step up.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=3631

Are You Ready For Some Football?

So, we are now nearing Bears training camp. The Lance Briggs issue is still prevalent, and we can always talk about Sexy Rexy’s troubles. But the Tank Johnson debacle is over………so we can start focusing on football now right??

Once again, mainstream media has answered back with an emphatic “NO” to that question, because this whole off-season has been about players and their off-the-field issues thanks to our new commish. Instead of reading about how the Bear’s rookies are progressing or who has looked good in the workouts thus far, I get to read about Brian Urlacher being told by a judge to take parenting classes.

Does anyone else see anything wrong with this? Urlacher ‘reportedly’ sent nasty text messages to his child’s mother because she failed to bring their child to the place outlined in their custody agreement. Might I also include, that this little fact was reported by ESPN…

“In 2003, Robertson (the mother of Urlacher’s son) filed a $33 million civil sexual assault lawsuit against former “Riverdance” star Michael Flatley, but it was later dismissed. Flatley countered with a still-pending lawsuit claiming extortion, fraud and defamation.”

Hmm…….this sounds very interesting.

But of course, Urlacher will look like the bad guy in this, and no good publicity will come of it. And still yet another thing really bothers me in all of this…….this doesn’t fall into the “code of conduct” problems that we have seen. Urlacher has done nothing legally wrong. He may have sent a few distasteful texts, but that hardly is enough to write headlines to tarnish his image. Or is it?

This is the man’s personal life that we are delving into, just due to his ‘celebrity’ status. Will it seemingly get mixed into the player conduct issues that there has been put so much emphasis on this offseason? YES. Will it again put a damper on the team’s image? YES. Is it really anyone’s business beyond him and his family? No.

I am a major advocate of the new player conduct penalties and applaud the efforts of the league in cases like Pacman, but when will the negativity stop. The standards and precedents have been set, so don’t let the real issues get confused with celebrity and media issues.

Regardless of whether Brian is in the wrong or the mother is trying to pull another “Riverdance fiasco”, I still only have one question on my mind……..

When can we talk about some Bears football?

Bulls: No Big Man = No Championship

And with the #9 pick in the draft.......the Bulls select Joakim Noah.

Once again, Paxson has gone with a true winner and an uptempo energy player that fits perfectly into Scott Skiles system and style, and once again the Bulls are still left with no offensive low post presence. Yes, Noah did average 12 points per game last season for a very balanced Florida attack, but his scoring was more from drive and dish opportunities and offensive put-backs than great low post moves.

So one must ask the question.........If the Bulls missing link is a low-post scorer, how will they fill this void to get to the next level?

It's not the Noah was a 'bad' selection. I don't believe that Spencer Hawes was ready, and a trade up to pick Yi would not have been the answer either. Based on the player's available at #9, Noah was not a bad choice. But, the Bulls need help now! Every championship team needs some kind of low post presence. They may be able to sneak out of the East with more experience, but they will be in severe trouble against any Western Conference champion.

So who is the Bulls answer?...............well apparently it is.......drumroll.........Joe Smith?

Yes, the Bulls did need a veteran leader to help young players like Noah and Thomas. But Joe Smith? A player muddled with incosistencies who has switched teams 8 different times in only 12 years in the league. With this move, the Bulls have simply replaced P.J. Brown with a player, a few years younger, that will exactly fill his role as a jump-shooting starting power forward who will play minimal minutes and add no low post scoring.

This move effectively does nothing for the Bull's title hopes this upcoming year. Once again, they will decide their fate on jump-shooters and gained experience from the year before. I'm not asking Paxson to 'give their team away' just to add a low post scorer, but the Bulls WILL NOT win a title with their current group. Will Paxson realize this too late?