First Pearl Harbor and Now This?!

A friend of mine that is the ultimate complainer recently started bitching about how he hates Nintendo Wii so I told him to write about it. His letter was hilarious so I decided to post it. For some reason he wants his handle to be Michael Fucking Kibort. Here it is:

An Open Letter From Michael Fucking Kibort

2-5-2009
St. Louis Park, MN

Being a plus-sized guy isn't always that bad. I mean there are the obvious downsides: airplane seating, pants shopping, days at the beach, etc. Playing sports was fun when I was younger; I played everything but hockey and football (I'm a jew, our mothers won't allow physical contact of any kind). I remember I could play all day, never losing a bit of energy.......then college happened. Now I labor getting into my car to go to the gym. I get tired just TALKING about sports. Among all these negatives, I did have my one sanctuary. MADDEN. WHAT A CONCEPT! A place where even the most morbid could pretend to be athletic. No one to judge, laugh, or sneer while you run the PA Fade and just ever so slightly tap the Y button to get some air under the long ball. You catch it in stride for an 80 yarder and celebrate as if your fat ass actually did the running. It's the single greatest moment in sports. Yes, the video game will forever be my place to shine as an athlete.

And then it happened. I saw the first commercial and my heart just sank to the bottom of my size 13 triple wide sneakers. An "interactive" video game system where you actually go through the motions of playing the games? Watching the ads was like seeing The Exorcist for the first time. I was terrified. People literally STANDING while playing video games. Swinging the controller like a real tennis racquet. Jumping up and down, smiling, laughing, eating baked chips and vegetables. It was like that episode of bizarro Seinfeld. What the fuck was HAPPENING!? I managed to avoid this mutant excuse for a gaming system until my asshole roommate bought one. It was like some foreigner had moved in and taken over the apartment. The Wii was my worst fucking nightmare. No more sitting, eating, and drinking while playing. Now we actually had to move the coffee table to play games......"THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE PRETEND!!" But my cries fell on deaf ears. Before I knew it, I was engaged in a tennis battle with my roommate, Aaron. You should've seen this clown. He was standing next to me dressed like Richie Fucking Tennenbaum with a headband and hotpants.....bouncing around like i was about to actually hit a tennis ball at him. The next thing I remember, I was sweating my ass off in a losing effort. It was like being in a public place trying to play tennis! I started hearing laughs and boos from thousands of spectators. I started to get dizzy and had to lay down. It was official.....my inferiority had finally made its way into my sanctuary. I wrote letters to the Higher-Ups at Nintendo, but never heard anything back. I suppose terror cells don't have a complaint department either.

"To whom it may concern,
If I wanted to play sports, I would go fucking play sports!!!!
-Michael"

Needless to say I don't reside in that hell-hole anymore. I have since bought a house with a ps3 and have slowly regained confidence through NCAA 2K8 and NBA 2K9. My couch has my ass imprint in my favorite seat, and I haven't seen that little white monster in months. I will never forget that day the Japanese dropped another bomb on America. I'm just curious if Ben Affleck is interested in THIS movie. Hopefully they won't drag it out 3 and a half hours like the last disaster.

Angrily yours,

MFK

T.J. Houshmandzadeh Open To Play For Bears, Likes The Sex Cannon

T.J. Houshmazilli was on the Waddle and Sylvie radio show on ESPN1000 yesterday morning and he seemed interested in playing for the Bears. Here are some of the highlights:

On whether or not he is interested in "the offer" that Tom Waddle made to him about possibly coming to the city of Chicago and playing for the Bears:

"Yeah, they have to be interested first. If you worked in the front office, or you were a tight end, we could really talk, but I don't know how much that's going to do for me to say I'm interested or I'm not interested."

On what his gut feeling is regarding whether or not Chicago would be a good "landing spot" for him:

"No, I don't know. You know what's funny, man? Y'all probably going to laugh at me when I tell you this; I kind of like Rex Grossman."

His comments after Waddle and Silvy reiterate that Grossman isn't going to be with the Bears this upcoming season:

"No, but I'm saying… I always watched on T.V. how they give Rex Grossman a hard time. I don't know why. He takes chances, but when those chances pay off, nobody talks about them."

He also had some other interesting comments. His love of Grossman is hilarious, but in all seriousness he may be a good fit for the Bears. Although he has spent much of his career as a slot receiver and an inside guy, isn't that what the Bears really need? We haven't had a good possession receiver since Marty Booker had that 100 catch season a few years back. Hester can already stretch the field a bit. Obviously Housh would be a huge step up from anyone in our receiving corps currently. Let's hope Angelo can make this happen.

Boom Shaka-La-Ka Part 1

If you grew up in the 1990s, then you probably remember a game called NBA Jam. Remember? Who am I kidding? You loved that game, and so did I. So the question today is: What would the teams be like now if there was an NBA Jam 2009 Edition? Before we get started, there are some ground rules. First off, we will be doing it like the original arcade edition, which means only two players per team with no subs. Also, we will be taking into account not just who is best, but who would probably be in the game for other reasons (marketing, etc.). We will do the Eastern Conference today and the Western Conference tomorrow.

Just to recap what made up the best squads, the teams that were traditionally best were the ones that combined a big man who could defend and block shots and a 3-point shooter who could get steals. The four player rating categories were speed, 3 point shooting, dunking, and defense. With some help from my buddy Scotty, here are your 2009 Eastern Conference NBA Jam teams (Current for today's roster, not taking into account any injuries):

Boston Celtics: Pierce and Garnett
This would be a great team. Garnett is the dominant dunking and defensive player who can also hit the occasional 3. Pierce can score from anywhere on the court.

New Jersey Nets: Jianlian and Carter
I know I know, it should be Devin Harris instead of Yi. But those Asians love their video games and you would have to think they wouldn't pass on the opportunity to sell more games. This team is fun because Carter's dunking ability, but probably not that great a team. What's the bigger market, Jersey or China? Enough said.

New York Knicks: Harrington and Lee
Just like in real life, this team makes me want to vomit. Oh and they would suck. Knicks fans are holding out for NBA Jam 2k10 with Lebron James and Stephon Curry.

Philadelphia 76ers: Iguodala and Brand
This team would be average. Brand can defend the paint and block shots. Iggy's dunking ability is through the roof, but without the ability to consistently hit 3s, this team is not one of the elite.

Toronto Raptors: Bargnani and Bosh
This reminds us of the Charlotte Hornets from the original game. Two big men that are decent in all categories. That being said, they are the poor man's Hornets, since Bargnani is no Larry Johnson. Also, how much defense would this team play? About as much as the Raptors do in real life.

Chicago Bulls: Rose and Deng
This might be the worst team in the game. Neither can shoot 3s, neither can defend the paint well. They both have decent speed and dunking, but that isn't enough. Sound familiar?

Cleveland Cavaliers: Ilgauskas and James
This would be an elite team. Neither one would be knocked down easily. Both players can shoot and defend. You have to assume Lebron would have almost perfect scores in most categories. This team would be tough to beat. This would be one of those teams where you try to have Lebron take every shot.

Detroit Pistons: Iverson and Wallace
Sheed would take care of business. He is a big man that can shoot the 3 and block shots. AI would be all speed, but he would get pushed around much like Stockton did in the original game. This could work, but not a top-tier team.

Indiana Pacers: Murphy and Granger
Is there a slower team in the game? No need to explain this one, but it would be bad.

Milwaukee Bucks: Redd and Bogut
This was a tough one. We could have gone with Jefferson over Bogut, but the traditional big man/small man combo won out here. This team would not be great, but with Redd shooting the lights out, they would make it interesting.

Atlanta Hawks: Johnson and Smith
This would be a very tough team to beat. This team would have speed, shooting, defense and dunking. Is there anything else? No? No one would want to play against the Hawks.

Charlotte Bobcats: Okafor and Wallace
This team is actually far better than you would expect from the Bobcats. They still wouldn't be good, however. The lack of 3 point shooting in this game is almost impossible to overcome.

Miami Heat: Wade and Marion
You would think that without a big man or a pure shooter that this team would struggle, but you would be wrong. This team would be fast, strong and a great power-dunking team. Don't underestimate them.

Orlando Magic: Lewis and Howard
There is an argument to be made that Lewis, Turkoglu or Nelson could all be paired up with Howard. We went with Lewis because of his lights out 3 point shooting. Howard would dominate the paint defensively and be able to dunk from anywhere inside the 3-point line. This team is definitely one of the best.

Washington Wizards: Arenas and Jamison
Are you in the mood to shoot half court shots the whole game? Then this is your team. They wouldn't be able to defend anyone, but they would be fun to play with.

Remember this:

Today's Links

• Oh, please no! Does the Basanez signing mean the Sex Cannon Era has ended in Chicago?
  
• Bulls beat Hornets sans Chris Paul 107-93. That's four out of five for Chicago...break em up!
• Some Big Ten recruiting notes the day after National Signing Day.
• Some are wondering: does Michael Phelps' insane lung capacity allow him to take monster bong hits?
• NQTC came in 11th out of 21 teams in the HHR Cup for the NFL fantasy playoffs. It was our first year and it takes a while to implement our system!
• Michigan State pounded Minnesota last night. They're dominant again. Wildcats won too; take that Chicago State.
• Which is more impressive, Kobe's 61 in MSG or Lebron's 52 with a side of triple-double? The Browns can't wait to get this guy.
• What if all NBA players played for their local teams? The Wizards would be fun to watch, that's what.

The Real Issue is what you were Doing with his 6-year-old Urine in the First Place

Big news yesterday was that a 2003 urine sample from Barry Bonds has tested positive for steroids. The positive sample will likely play a huge role in his ongoing trial for perjury. I wonder if those guys that said it was negative five years ago are in trouble too.

Seriously though, this urine is six years old. What's it doing be retested now? I don't even want to know what my urine would test positive for after six years. You leave the wrong shit out in your kitchen and it smells awful after a day!

Another thing: I'd like to know who tested this sample. I'd bet money it wasn't the lab's top dog. Think about it, testing a six year old urine sample seems like a job for the new guy, right? Then he passes it off to the janitor.

Apparently the evidence was retested and was sealed, but today the judge is expected to...wait for it...break the seal and hear arguments on the admissibility of the tests. I get the feeling that not many people care that much about this trial anymore, but there is nothing like a good stale pee story to rejuvenate interest in Barry Bonds. Stay tuned for a Pedro Gomez report.

Why Is This Happening To Me?

This video is the funniest thing I have seen in a while. This kid is on his way home from the dentist and he is clearly on a lot of drugs. Enjoy (Thanks to Matt for the video):

Hawks Outshoot, Outscore Oilers

The Blackhawks started the Canadian portion of their road trip with a win last night against the Edmonton Oilers. Falling behind 1-0 in the first, the Hawks rallied for two in the second and an insurance tally in the third to win 3-1.

Cam Barker and Dave Bolland provided the scoring in the second period with long blasts. Barker's came on the power play about three minutes into the second and Bolland scored his with about four minutes left. On Bolland's goal, Matt Walker made a great play to retain possession for the Hawks and Bolland displayed great patience faking twice, then unloading a bullet into the net.

The Hawks had some anxious moments in the third period while holding onto a one goal advantage. Outshooting the Oilers 32-13 after two periods, it was still only a one goal lead and when you don't take advantage of chances on the road, the game usually ends in an unfavorable fashion. Even with a couple good Edmonton chances, the dominance continued through the final period and the Hawks ended up with a 20 shot advantage. We know Canadians can take some shots, but enough was enough.

Cristobal Huet was in goal for Chicago and the only goal he let in looked like it was straight out of a Jordan-Bird commercial. From behind the net the puck bounced off what seemed like 10 things, then somehow went off Huet's brain-case and into the net. Other than the Globetrotter action, Huet was great. I always hear how hard it is to not face a lot of shots, and though I understand the principle that it's hard to stay alert, I also find that when you face less shots, you typically let in less goals, so I don't know how much I agree with all those announcers. But if they're right, he had a hell of a game.

Now it's on to Calgary Thursday night and to Vancouver this weekend.

NBA All-Star Game to Have Game of H-O-R-S-E

YES!!! Finally my dream for all-star weekend has come true. The NBA D-league has had HORSE at their all-star game for a few years now and I always felt that it would be awesome to watch NBA superstars making trick shots. The NBA has finally decided to have their own game of HORSE. Here is what the court they will be using looks like:



Apparently there are a couple new rules to go along with the traditional rules of HORSE: 1) Players will have 24 seconds to create/mimic shots; and 2) No dunks allowed. Get excited. I know I am. To leave you with a little taste of what this would have looked like in the late 80s/early 90s, here's a video:

It's Signing Day

Here's a subject we don't get into that much on NQTC: NCAA football recruiting. Today is like Christmas for those of us who spend way too much time paying attention to where a 17 or 18 year old kid is going to college. Hey, at least Chris Hansen isn't paying us a visit.

Anyway, today is National Signing Day for high school seniors to officially decide where they are playing college football next season. I could spend a lot of time rambling about recruiting classes, but I'll just let you know about some players that have already given verbal commitments to the Illini and will sign today and then we'll look at some guys who haven't decided yet, but are keeping Illinois in mind as they make decisions this morning or this afternoon.

So far, the 2009 class for the Illini consists of 20 commits. Rivals.com, one of the major recruiting services, ranks recruits on a scale of one to five stars. The top 33 recruits this year are five-stars, so you have to be pretty damn special to get that distinction. The Illini have commitments from six four-stars and eight three-stars, with the remaining six recruits coming in as two stars. Of course as with any prognosticating, there are surprises; like Steve Slaton, who was barely a three-star in 2005, or Kevin Grady, who was a five-star recruit that same year.

Talent can't hurt though and Ron Zook has some more of it coming in this year. Juice Williams won't be around forever (no, it's true) and Zook addressed some depth issues at quarterback with a four-star signal caller in Nathan Scheelhaase from Kansas City. He is rated the 7th best dual-threat QB in the nation and held offers from Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Mizzou, among others.

Lendell Buckner is a four-star defensive tackle that definitely has the size to play in the Big Ten. The 6-3, 341 pounder doesn't squeeze easily into most places, but will fit nicely as a nose tackle in the Illini D. The Illini will also welcome Bud Golden, a four-star running back from Ohio. It's always good to add one of the top ten players in the state of Ohio. Leon Hill, a teammate of Buckner's from Chicago Leo, will also come aboard as a four-star offensive lineman.

Despite having a solid class, signing day will not be without drama for the Illini. A couple of receivers that have given verbals to Illinois may be looking elsewhere. Terry Hawthorne and Kraig Appleton, both four-star receivers from East St. Louis, IL, will be deciding today. At 9AM, we should know whether Hawthorne will be with the Illini or will head to Oklahoma, and whether Appleton goes to Wisconsin or Illinois, in a very turbulent recruitment process.

Another one that could go the Illini's way is an Ohio State commit, running back Justin Green. Illinois has come on strong as of late for the four-star and it could pay off. Michael Buchanon will make another decision between Big Ten teams, as the four-star DE is down to Illinois and Purdue.

Finally, a long-shot for the Illini will come with JeRon Stokes, a four-star WR that had been rumored to be deciding between Michigan and Illinois, despite giving a verbal commitment to Tennessee previously. Now it looks like the Vols will retain the services of the standout receiver.

The festivities get started early today and we'll be following along and will have an update this afternoon for all you fellow stalkers.

Oh My God, I Just Took A Huge Link Dump (Today's Links)

• Lions fans really REALLY hate Matt Millen. Holding up "Fire Matt Millen" signs is one thing, but this is entirely different.
• Bears sign ex-Northwestern QB Basanez to 2-year deal. Really? What exactly does this do?
• The Bulls didn't look terrible, but they did lose to the Rockets to snap their road-winning streak at 3 games.
  
• Some crazy statistics for Bulls players during January. It gave me a headache, but maybe someone out there can explain them to me.
• Bud Selig makes a lot of money. Not that he shouldn't, but more than 99% of Major League players? That seems like a bit much. (Thanks to Gavin for the tip)
  
• Some sort of crazy wrestling video with AJ Pierzynski (sp?).
• Apparently the Cubs just have way too many short white guys to be a championship-caliber team.
• Big Ten basketball is physical? Get out of here! That many flagrant fouls in that short a time is a little much, though.
• The Peavy rumors live!
• The late Bob Hayes was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. His "sister" gave a speech at the press conference, but here's the catch: She is faking that she's his sister. Wow. (Thanks to Gavin for this link too; maybe he should just do the freaking links)
  

Kobe Bryant Will Tear Off Your Head And Devour Your Soul...Just Kidding, But 61 Points at The Garden Ain't Bad

Kobe Bryant is no Jordan, but in case you didn't hear about it, he dropped a nasty 61 points on the Knicks last night. Curious about the stat line? Well here it is:

61 pts...19/31 fgs...20/20 fts...3/6 3fgs...0 rebs (odd?)...3 assts...1 blk.

Based on his shot chart, it looks like he scored from pretty much every spot on the court.

That point total eclipses MJ's record 55 points by an opposing player at the Garden. It also passes the all-time high by any player in the Garden set by Bernard King (60 pts). The most stunning statistic in my opinion is 20/20 from the free throw line. Talk about efficient. You think he can pick up the slack while Bynum is out? Seems like it.

News Flash: Rose Sole Positive On Otherwise Terrible Bulls Team

I know this has been said over and over again, but Derrick Rose is really the only thing that the Bulls have going for them. Matt Moore over at Hardwood Paroxysm summed it up perfectly last week:

I hated the Bulls pick of Rose, even though I felt he was the best player in the draft. I thought he would get muddled with the Bulls guards and have to progress too quickly. He’s worlds above every player on that team. The style on offense is flashing and brutal. He’s active and focused on defense, never frantic, never lost. He’s certain with his movement, slick with this adjustments, and there’s not a piece of his game I haven’t seen from him. Hustle, rebounding, touch, power, speed, quickness, anticipation.

I wonder what he’s going to be like when he’s got a real coach.

Well said, though as my friend Ethan said to me today, if the Bulls win games, Del Negro isn't going anywhere. God is he bad.

Moving On

That was a great end to the NFL season on Sunday, but now it's time to deal with the fact that the NFL season is over and won't be back until the end of summer. Don't fret sports fan, there is plenty to keep us busy and make us forget about the gridiron for a while.

If you're a pro sports guy or gal, you have the NBA and NHL to keep you entertained. I'm no expert on the NBA, but it seems like a great time to be a basketball fan with Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando playing so well in the East and the Spurs looking to get back to the finals despite the Lakers' dominance in the West. Can the Cavs get the one seed to secure home court advantage through the playoffs? And how long will that win streak at home last? The NHL is just as intriguing. It's a great year for the Original Six, as Boston, New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Montreal should make the playoffs.

If you're more of a college sports person, then it's all about college basketball from here on out. Things look pretty good for you folks too. It seems like there is a new number one team every week, and while most years that would indicate some weakness at the top, I'm not sure that's the case this year. UConn, Duke, North Carolina, Pitt, Wake, and Oklahoma all have legitimate shots at winning it all this year. You have great players like Hansbrough, Curry, Griffin, and Thabeet to watch as well. Plus, if you don't have another reason to watch, you can always tune in just to study up for tournament time.

Of course there are other sports that can keep you busy as well. Plenty of tennis, golf, and college hockey is coming up and it's not a bad idea to catch some of that.

Finally, for those of you that just can't get enough, it's time to make like a Lions fan in Week 4 and start looking at those mock drafts. Who is your team going to take? Who should go first overall? There are plenty of idiots like us out there who like to tell you what is going to happen, so read up and be prepared when draft day comes in April.

Oh, and don't forget the Pro Bowl. Nah, screw the Pro Bowl.

Easy Schedule in 2009 Answer to Bears Woes?

The Bears schedule for the upcoming 2009 season was released a while ago, but with the end of the playoffs, ESPN has done some research on the NFL schedule. Although the Bears play 9 playoff teams, they have the easiest schedule in the league according to 2008 winning percentages. Their schedule is at .414.

The only problem with this is that playing the Lions twice really drags down that opponents' winning percentage. 9 playoff teams? That seems tough. While this analysis of the schedule is intriguing, it seems very deceptive to me. Either way our schedule won't matter too much if Angelo and Lovie don't do something meaningful to shake things up at Halas Hall this offseason.

Today's Links

• Simeon Rice is contemplating a comeback. Could the Bears be his destination? Would that be a good thing?
• The Cubs trade Wuertz and Rich Hill; Hendry says they are ready to go to camp, but will keep options open. Neat.
• Detroit is still a little sore over Matt Millen, and it showed on Sunday.
• So did your Super Bowl party suck? At least you didn't get peed on like Matt Cassel.
• Some Super Bowl viewers in Arizona were subjected to a little porn during the Super Bowl. After some of those commercials, it was the least they could do.
• Michael Phelps is sorry for smoking pot. Well, he is really sorry for getting caught, but whatever. Who cares.
• Kobe drops 61 points on the Knicks. However, if you adjust for Knicks inflation, it's only like 33.

Hey, that Game did not Suck

In a time where the media hype machine demands great championship games to meet expectations, the Steelers and Cardinals did not disappoint last night. Sure, the first half was a little slow at times, but the betting, drinking games, and commercials (Doritos!) helped out with that.

Then came James Harrison's interception at the end of the first half. I'm not so sure that Hines Ward is faster than Harrison by the way. With his rumbling run-back filled with Steelers running into Harrison slowing him down, Cardinals on the sideline slowing Fitzgerald's attempt to run down Harrison, and a few blocks in the back thrown in. Calling it a momentum swing doesn't do it justice. The Cards were going in to tie or take the lead going into the half and the Defensive MVP of the league, known for his ability to get to the quarterback, changed it with one drop into coverage.

So the underdog Cards were done, right? Not with Kurt Warner, savior of franchises and not-so-attractive women, at the helm. Arizona went blow for blow with the Steelers the rest of the way and in a fourth quarter marred only by the officials, had victory in their sights after a huge play by Fitzgerald. Then Big Ben leads a fantastic drive finding Santonio Holmes for enough catches and yardage on that one drive to keep TO happy for an entire game. The capper is a perfect pass and an unbelievable catch for the winning score.

However, the great Super Bowl had a less than great finish. It seemed fitting that the game would end with the Steelers' defense making a big play, as they had done all season long. We all saw Woodley make the play, and I think most thought it was a fumble at first glance, but after the replay it looked like there was a good argument to be made that Warner still had the ball as his arm was going forward.

I don't have a huge problem with the result, but the game deserved a better, more equitable finish. To not even review the play is inexcusable by the officials and the NFL. Had the play been reversed, the Steelers likely still win, but they do it with no doubt and then these last few paragraphs could be used to describe how sweet the Steelers are. Again, if the play is reversed the Cards would have the ball around the 30 yard line (there was a 15 yard penalty on the Steelers) with one shot at the end zone. Besides being more exciting, either this or the game ending with an upheld review achieves the best result.

Still, the Steelers are sweet and the Cardinals played some outstanding football during their playoff run. I'm just happy the game lived up to the hype.

That's a Little More Like It

Down three at halftime with only 22 points, it looked like it might be another long afternoon for the Illini. The win moves Illinois to 18-4 and made it nine straight wins at Assembly Hall.

Mike Tisdale led the way for Illinois with 18 points and helped Illinois dominate the glass by 13 rebounds, just one game after getting owned by Minnesota in the rebounding department. Dominique Keller continued his strong play with 12 points off the bench.

So it's on to Wisconsin this week, where the Badgers will look to get back on track and Illinois will try to solve some road woes. A win at the Kohl Center would go a long way into securing a good seed for the tourney.

It's hard to say whether this is a good time to play Wisconsin or not. Will they be focused on snapping their six game skid, or will the spiral into Indiana territory continue?

Also, with Michigan State losing at home to Penn State Sunday, the regular season conference title is suddenly looking to be up for grabs. With a home game against the Spartans late in the season and a relatively favorable (knock knock) schedule the rest of the way, the Illini could very well sneak into a Big Ten Championship.

Identity Crisis: Bulls Don't Know Who They Are

Did you see the Chicago Bulls win the last 3 games? I thought I did, but then I realized that those might not have been the Bulls. What about the team that lost 5 straight just a week ago? This team cannot seem to find it's identity. For weeks at a time, it looks like this team cannot cover anyone, the big men can't defend the paint, Luol Deng can't get in the flow of the offense, and Vinny seems confused at best. Then all of a sudden, nobody can score on them, they block double digit shots in a game, they get easy dunks and layups all over the place, and Vinny seems confused at best. (Maybe Vinny isn't confused, but I sure am confused by how he "coaches").

The problem is twofold. Not only does this team look different every night, but Vinny goes with different lineups and schemes so there is no way to really tell what's working. For instance, he went with Thabo for long stretches against the Suns, and yet Rose was noticeably absent for most of the 4th quarter with a sore foot. Was one of those things why the Bulls played well? It's different rotations and "strategies" every night, so there is no way to tell.

There is no reason to be all negative, though. Some things are clearly clicking. Hinrich is starting to get comfortable on the court after missing much of the first half of the season. Tyrus and Noah are looking much more active on the glass and in transition. I think Noah finally realized if he hustles a little and sprints out on the fast break, Rose will find him for the easy basket. About time he figured that one out.

Most importantly the re-emergence of Luol Deng has been wonderful to watch. He is clearly in a rhythm right now. Ever since coming back from his brief stint on the IR, he has finally found his shots within the flow of the offense. I don't think anyone had completely turned on Deng yet, but I know my frustrations with him were starting to boil up after the 6 year-$71 million deal he signed.

All in all the Bulls have played well so far on this trip (besides that terrible loss to Minnesota). With the next three games @HOU, @NO, and @DAL, they have a tough stretch, and things don't get much easier after that. With this team we are looking for improvement and signs of great things to come, so if they can steal one win in the next three and play good basketball even if they lose, there's a lot of reason to be positive about this Bulls team.

Assuming it's this Bulls team that comes to play. I hope it's not that other, shitty Bulls team. If it's the shitty one, I'm going to bed early.

Today's Links--Super Bowl Edition

• The Super Bowl was great. There have been some good games in the last 10 years, and Kurt Warner and Ben Roethlisberger have both been a part of half of them. Steelers win by the way, if you missed it.
  
• Northwestern wins a wild one over Wisconsin, and Penn State beats Michigan State in East Lansing. I love the Big Ten in conference play. (Thanks to Gavin for emailing me this link with the message "Wildcat fever...Catch it!!!")
  
• I am being completely serious when I say the Bulls just had their first 3-game winning streak this year and it came on the road. I wouldn't believe me either the way they've played recently. Do you think it had to do with Reinsdorf's bitching?
  
• How is Richard Dent not in the Hall of Fame. He was the best defensive lineman on the best defense in NFL history. This may be as big a rip off as Santo not being in the Hall.
• A sweet picture of MJ escaping Chicago in his Ferrari Testarosa sometime in the 1990s.
  
• The funeral for Eddy Curry's baby mamma and their kids was held this weekend. Apparently at some point Eddy asked the Knicks for an $8 million dollar advance on his paycheck. This guy has some problems.
  
• A Chicago Olympic update.
• Apparently Pujols wants Manny to come to the Cardinals. Seems pretty unlikely.

The Hard-Hitters In The NFL Today Are Nothing Compared To This Guy

In honor of the Super Bowl, here is a little Chicago Football history for you. My father insisted I watch this clip of Dick Butkus highlights and I reluctantly agreed. They are awesome. The hits are almost as crazy as the stories his friends and foes tell about him. I heard he used to practice tackling on fire hydrants. Just saying.