Five Chicago Athletes that could Challenge the Bulls

So the Bulls have been pretty awful this season and there is no way around that. I saw that Lebron commercial where he suits up for the Browns and it got me thinking: are there five athletes in Chicago that could give the Bulls a run for their money?

Okay, there aren't, but let's try like hell to find a suitable starting five. We'll only deal with the other three major sports, so if there is a 7'4" roller derby star out there, we're out of luck.

Center: Kellen Davis (TE, Bears)

I figure we should start out with the big men, because just like the NBA, they are hard to come by. The biggest man I came across was Adam Russell, a 6'8" reliever for the Sox. I think we're going to look to the Bears for our center though. The candidates are Israel Idonije (6-7, 295) and Kellen Davis (6-7, 262). I'm going to go with the versatile Kellen Davis here. Davis played both DE and TE at Michigan State (basketball school!) and displayed an impressive 34" vertical jump at the combine. Plus, all he has to do is stop Noah and Thomas. Big deal.

Power Forward: Derrek Lee (1B, Cubs)

Okay, so we need a little more size at the PF spot and I think I'll go straight to Derrick Lee for this spot. Obviously undersized for a PF, but we know he plays great defense, right? Not to mention all of that crazy footwork at first base. I can see D Lee being the turn-around jumper of the glass kind of guy that this team needs. Plus, dealing with Big Z all the time will help when it comes to not being scared of Drew Gooden.

Small Forward: Jeff Samardzija (RP, Cubs)

At SF we need someone who can do a little bit of everything. Quick enough to get to the basket, but versatile enough to knock down shots. Also, he needs to be able to match up with Luol Deng. There's only one guy with the size and athleticism that comes to mind here and that's Jeff Samardzija. Jeff is 6'5" and showed he has the hops and quicks to keep up with Deng, from his football days at Notre Dame. Don't let that hair remind you too much of Adam Morrison, this kid can actually play!

Shooting Guard: Rex Grossman (QB, Bears)

Plain and simple, this guy needs to knock down the open shot. It shouldn't be hard to get open with the likes of Ben Gordon defending, so quickness isn't that big of a concern. I'm throwing around some of Chicago's shooters...Toews? Nah, too Canadian. Quentin has a cannon, but...Cannon! Hands down, it's the Sex Cannon. You know he'll gun it from everywhere. "Is that Kellen Davis with a solid post seal? Yep, but I bet I can jack up this three!" We need a slinger and there is only one man in this town with that kind of rep.

Point Guard: Matt Forte (RB, Bears)

This is very important, we need a floor general. Someone who can take care of the ball and maybe put the team on his back if need be. I like Patrick Kane's passing ability, but he's much too small and white; bad combo. Buehrle is the kind of leader and steady hand we need, but there is no chance he keeps up with Rose. To deal with the Bulls' amazing rookie, I'm going with a fellow Chicago rook, Matt Forte. At 6'2" and 216 we know he has the size and strength to slow down Rose. He's quick, with great vision, and don't almost all of the Bears' plays run through Forte already?

So I ended up with all Bears and Cubs, but I think it's a solid squad. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Bears Should Not Have Won, But Who Cares?

In a game that was almost as ugly as it was cold, the Bears pulled it off against the Pack to keep their playoff dreams alive. I was at the game and it was UGLY. The Packers outplayed the Bears in almost every phase of the game, and the only reason the Bears won was a blocked field goal in the 4th quarter. Thank god Forte decided to play hard all of a sudden late in the game to propel the Bears to the victory. Oh and as usual Maynard and Gould looked excellent when they were called upon.

Basically the Bears now need one of the following to happen in order to make the playoffs:

For Division Title:

Bears Win; AND
Vikings Loss

For Wild Card:

Bears Win; AND
Bucs Loss; AND
Dallas Loss

If the Bears can beat the Texans they have a very good shot at the division and even a slim chance at the wild card.

There are two big question marks from last night's game (and most of the season). Kyle Orton and Ron Turner. Orton had another terrible game. 2 more picks runs his total interceptions in the last 4 games to 8. 8! The guy was supposed to be a low-risk quarterback. I don't know how it looked on TV, but it was like he just wasn't seeing DBs in his passing lanes, even though they were right there in front of his face. I'm not saying the Bears should shell out 80 bazillion dollars for Matt Cassel, but this situation needs to be fixed immediately. Orton seems to be the kind of leader this offense needs and respects, but the turnovers have got to stop. It's like he has a case of the "Grossman"s without the touchdowns (I'm not saying bring back Rex, I'm just saying).

The other question is Ron Turner. I heard an interesting point last night. If we all think back to the mid-90s when Erik Kramer had 4000 yards passing and the Bears had a record-setting offense (for the Bears at least), guess who was calling the plays? Ron Turner. This guy can obviously call plays and is well-respected around the league, but something just isn't right. Why wasn't he hitting Forte on passes out of the backfield? It was clearly a hole in the Packers defense. In his and Orton's defense, the wide receivers on this team suck. I'm not sure they are even trying to get open. Something on this offense needs to change for next year, because the talent is there.

All in all, it's a good day to be a Bears fan. Bring on the Texans.

Cedric Benson's Delusions of Grandeur Continue

Cedric Benson now plays for the Cincinnati Bengals and is putting on his usual sub-par performance there. That hasn't stopped him from reminiscing about his days as a Chicago Bear. Remember how they always said Benson wasn't traditionally fast, but he had something called "deceptive speed". I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I do know his speed was so deceptive we never even saw it. Now that's deceptive. Anyways, Benson feels that his poor performance in Chicago wasn't due to any fault of his own, but instead to the circumstances. I'm pretty sure his circumstances were that he was given the ball about 20-25 times a game and told to run behind a pretty good offensive line, but what do I know? Apparently nothing according to Ced as he chimes in on Forte's success:

"He is having a great year, but when I see the highlights, I see holes," Benson, now with the Bengals, told writer Thomas George. "I see them using him in the slot, something they didn't do with me. If I was there right now with the holes I see, I probably would have 1,800 yards. I definitely would have 1,500. I congratulate him on all of his success. He is taking advantage."

1800 yards? How is the offensive line this year any different than it was the last few years? If anything they are older and slower and knowing Ron Turner, I'm pretty sure they are using the same scheme as back then. It's not like Turner is all that imaginative or anything, even with blocking schemes. Cedric Benson is an idiot. Who likes this guy except maybe the random person who started him on his fantasy team that random week he put up half-decent numbers? Why can't these ex-Bears just shut up already. First all the old receivers and now this? Oh and that crap about lining up in the slot has got to be a joke. Benson was not exactly Mr. Catch-The-Ball-Out-Of-The-Backfield in Chicago.

Chicago Rookie Bonanza

Chicago is experiencing a wave of talented young rookies the likes of which the city has never seen. I'm not an old man, but I would venture to say that very few cities have ever had this high quality a crop of rookies. It remains to be seen whether the youths will live up to their high ceilings of potential, but either way there is a lot be excited about. The cast of characters is exciting:


Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs (Age: 25): Although Soto came up during the 2007 season, he did not play enough games to be considered eligible as a rookie. In his 2008 rookie campaign, he hit .285/.364/.504. He also hit 23 home runs and won NL Rookie of the Year. The Chicago Cubs have not had a single everyday hitter come up through their system and really stick since Mark Grace, and he came up in 1988! That is 20 years. The Cubs have had a good run of pitching through their system, but no everday players. He not only hits well, but calls a great game behind the plate and has shown he can handle a capable staff with a mix of personality and experience. Hopefully he will be good for years to come.


Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox (Age: 27): Alexei Ramirez, also known as the Cuban missile, was a huge surprise this year. He finished second to Evan Longoria in Rookie of the Year voting this season for the AL. He hit .290/.317/.475 for the year playing mostly at 2nd base. Most insiders believe he will be moving to shortstop in the near future, and he looks to be a force there for many years to come. My only recommendation would be that he eat something. Seriously the guy looks like he weighs 80 pounds.


Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls (Age: 20): This phenom led Memphis to the college championship game as a freshman. After much debate about whether the Bulls should use their top pick to draft Rose or Beasley, Paxson settled on Rose. The thought was that he clearly had talent, but it takes point guards a few years to develop in the NBA. Well Derrick Rose has exceeded all expectations and is having an immediate impact. He is averaging 19 ppg, 5.7 assts and 3.9 rebs per game. His numbers, while spectacular for a rookie, don't even begin to tell the story. He is the leader on the court and has shown an ability to completely take over games as a rookie. He is already a borderline all-star and he hasn't even begun to tap his entire potential. His jump shot was thought to be suspect, but he is knocking them down with regularity. His defense is still raw, but he has all the time in the world to learn and improve. The Bulls' future looks bright again, fans.


Matt Forte, Chicago Bears (Age: 22): What is so amazing about Forte's success this year is the low expectations that people had for him. Drafted in the 2nd round, it was unclear that he would even get that many carries when camp first broke. As soon as he got the nod, however, he was off and running. In his first game ever in the NFL, he reeled off 123 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. Although he has had some mediocre games, his ability to pound out the tough runs up the middle and mix in the speed and instincts to break a few big plays a game has allowed the Bears offense to flourish. With teams keying in on Forte, Orton and the passing game have punished opposing defenses. Forte has already racked up 909 yards and 9 combined TDs and there are still 5 games to go in the season. If Forte is not the favorite for Rookie of the Year, he should definitely be in the conversation.

Today's Links--Blame The Cubs For Underfunded Schools Edition

• Reverend Meeks protested funding disparity in schools by pulling thousands of kids out of school and making them go to Winnetka. Now he's suggesting the same thing except this time 6,000 kids to surround Wrigley Field during the first playoff game? Come on guy, give it a rest.
• Cubs lost, but Harden looked solid and Hoffpauir is hitting his way onto the playoff roster.
  
• Hugging Harold Reynolds discusses the current Zambrano situation. He hasn't looked great since that no-no 2 years ago, or wait, I guess it was 2 weeks ago. Sure seems like longer.
• Why did the Phillies blow up a package of hot dogs? I'm still not sure.
• Tie Break scenarios for MLB playoffs.
  
• Benson will not be indicted for all that messiness. Who cares I guess.
  
• Mr. Cub is a dad? At age 77? Interesting...
• This is how you shit the bed. Sox lose and get swept out of Minnesota. Ugly.
  
• Should the Bears be limiting Forte's carries? Take a look at the first comment, it lists the max carries by a rookie the last ten years.
• Illini star Martez Wilson wants to be in the NFL...no wait, my bad, he wants to open a convenience store chain?
  
• Lion's new management has one goal--beat the Bears. I know its tough times in Detroit, but shouldn't they dream a little bigger?
• Remember the Bears number 1 pick Chris Williams? Well it looks like he's back out on the practice field.
  
• Dempster is the Game 1 starter.
• Wait, wait, wait, Lou didn't mean he was quitting exactly.
  

Today's Links--Fantasy Football Question Edition

• Sox win and regain 1st place for a short moment. Someone needs to break up those Blue Jays though.
  
• Why is this hot, hot, hot chick dissing the women of the Big Ten?
  
• I almost threw up when Woody gave up the homer to Ludwick. At least the Cubbies won. They needed it bad. Thanks Ted Lilly.
• Was that Felix Pie getting ABs? I guess so.
• Remember when Brian Griese started for the Bears? That was pretty sweet, I guess. He's starting in the NFL again by the way.
  
• Luols Dong gives props to Matt Forte. Love that kid. Great attitude.
• As usual Top Ten Chicago Sports brings us a controversial list of something. I like this one: Top Ten Sports Myths in Chicago. I only disagree with 2: Kenny Williams is an average GM and Soriano is definitely overpaid. Fonzy is still valuable, but overpaid.
• Should I trade Tom Brady for Felix Jones in my keeper league? (I have a bigger need at wr than rb) What other guys could I get for him?
  

Today's Links--I'm Wiped So These Suck Edition

• Lebron loses in a game of HORSE to some guy. It's not like he could shoot anyways.
• Sox have to figure out who will pitch Saturday. Poreda? Broadway? Carrasco?
• Rainout on the south side, doubleheader today. They need this Jays series bad.
• Matt Forte just doing his job. Love this kid.
• What's wrong with Bobby Howry?