I want my I want my sports TV

March 19, 2020

I now know how Don McLean felt the day the music died. The coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the sports landscape. Not only have the professional leagues shut down, but we are deprived of other major sporting events. You won’t get a chance to see Rafael Nadal continue his dominance at the French Open. Golf has canceled the glorious Masters tournament.  Regarding golf, I am wondering if the players and caddies are virus free, why not play in twosomes with no fans in attendance?

I was extremely disappointed with the cancellation of the NCAA college basketball tournament. At this time of year, I am looking at my busted brackets. This tourney usually has its share of upsets, Cinderella stories, buzzer beaters, etc. You have slugfests involving the cream of the crop reaching the final four. This is always compelling TV. To make matters worse, my alma mater, the University of Illinois, was going make the field for the first time in five years.

The NHL and NBA have suspended their seasons. It is highly doubtful they will resume. Despite the fact that the Blackhawks and Bulls are disappointing, I still enjoy the Stanley Cup and NBA playoffs. I sense you won’t see these until 2021

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What I am missing most is the start of the baseball season. I always have thought the season starts too early. Until baseball figures how to schedule a majority of early games in warm climates or cities with retractable roofs, I would rather cut out some games and start about April 20^.  Early projections have the season starting in mid-May. This is also a longshot due to the growth of the virus. I also believe the teams will need some sort of spring training before the season starts. In a year where there will be excitement on both sides of town, I hope the season can start in June.

The only thing happening right now is NFL free-agency. The top free-agent, Tom Brady, chose Tampa Bay. Why? After playing in frigid temperatures with New England, he is assured of playing all his home games in warmer temperatures. As they play in the same division, two road games in Atlanta and New Orleans are in domes.

The Bears have been quite active. The first player they acquired is former Pro-Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham. This  may have excited me four years ago But if Trey Burton can return to the form he had prior to his injuries, the combo will improve the tight end position. They also obtained Robert Quinn formally of the Cowboys. As a bookend for Khalil Mack and with a healthy Akiem Hicks, the Bears pass rush will be greatly improved. Not only did they obtain a great pass rusher, they were able to release Leonard Floyd. He joins Kevin White as a first round draft bust. Both were top ten picks. In the draft the Bears need to fill out the secondary behind Kyle Fuller and Eddie Jackson.

The Bears have partially admitted that Mitch Trubisky would be general manager Ryan Pace’s third first round bust by trading for Nick Foles. Foles has a checkered career; however, he has guided the Eagles to the Super Bowl and was MVP in the upset of the Patriots. Trubisky isn’t the player the Bears envisioned when picked second overall. He hasn’t improved in three years. This may be partially due to his addle-brained play caller coach Matt Nagy. Although they said there would be an open competition, this is Trubisky’s position to lose. I’ve seen this before. Trubisky will get most of the snaps with the first round team. If Nagy doesn’t change, Bear starters won’t play in exhibition games and Foles will be stuck playing with the second string. Foles may be the starter by game three or four.

Baseball News as the Season Nears

March 2, 2020

The big story during the off season was the sign-stealing scandal perpetrated by the 2017 World Series Champion Houston Astros. Current Oakland A’s pitcher Mike Fiers blew the whistle on his former team. The Astros used electronic video and a banging trash can, most likely telling batters that a breaking pitch was coming. What’s surprising is teams in their own division, who play 9 games a year in Houston, didn’t notice that the banging of a trash can mean something. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred immediately fined the Astros five million dollars and stripped them of their first and second round draft picks in 2020 and 2021. He also suspended Astros Manager A. J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhrow for one year. Astros owner Jim Crane proceeded to fire them. The Boston Red Sox, who are being investigated, fired their Manager Alex Cora for his involvement. Former Astro Carlos Beltran was fired by the Mets before he managed his first game. Every player was complicit, yet were given immunity for information.  Astro players apologizing and saying it won’t happen again doesn’t cut it for me. What I would like is for all players to give back their World Series shares and donate that to a worthy charitable organization.

Baseball will initiate some new rules for the upcoming season: Increasing the rosters from 25 to 26 players; changing the DL from 10 to 15 days; decreasing the time a manager can appeal a call from 30 to 20 seconds. The most talked about rule change is that a relief pitcher must face at least three hitters unless they end an inning.  This is a good way to speed up the game. Managers like to match up from batter to batter. Some can use four or five pitchers in an inning, which to an average fan is annoying. Most managers don’t like this rule because it requires more thinking.

The one thing being bandied about that I don’t like, is increasing the playoffs to 14 out of thirty teams. This really puts a damper on the 162 game schedule. Speaking of rules, when will the National League adopt the designated hitter?

Locally, optimism is high on the south side of Chicago. At the end of last season White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn, pointed out positions they needed to fill. He made a trade with the Texas Rangers, netting 24 year old right fielder Nomar Mazara. He signed former Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel and veteran Gio Gonzalez to fill out the starting pitching staff. The designated hitter they needed is Edwin Encarnacion, who hits 30 home runs a year. Hahn went one step further signing all-star catcher Yasmani Grandal, whose defense and framing of pitches will help the young starters. He is also capable of hitting 30 home runs.

 

On the North Side most of the conversation has been about the re-signing the marquee players that make up the core of the Cubs. One thing for certain, when the time comes, management will pony up whatever Javier Baez wants or they will have a mutiny on their hands. Right now the focus is on Kris Bryant. Bryant is salivating about his upcoming free agency. The question for the Cubs is do they trade him? They can probably get a good return (maybe some sorely needed top pitching prospects) or keep him for two years and get nothing in return. The Cubs should have tried to sign Bryant after his third year. He may have signed a security contract for seven years. Even if you made him the highest paid third baseman, that would be a bargain compared to what present player salaries are. In contrast, the White Sox are negotiating with Yoan Moncada after his third season.

United Center Blues

February 26, 2020

The stench from the garbage emanating from the United Center is so bad you should be wearing a face mask. For the third consecutive year, neither the Bulls nor the Blackhawks will make the playoffs. This is hard to accomplish when half the teams in their respective conferences reach the post season.

What I can’t figure out is how good the Hawks were prior to the All-Star break. They had pulled to within three points of a playoff spot. They came out of the break and lost 4 out of 5 games to teams they were battling with for the final playoff spot. The next two games were home games and the thought was maybe they could get back on track. However, the problem is that they have a losing record at home. This should never happen. The first game was a 6-3 loss to the N.Y. Rangers where they didn’t register a pulse. The next game, the Hawks beat the Nashville Predators. Because it was an overtime win, they only gained 1 point. They reside in last place in their division.

The Hawks have goal scorers. Jonathan Toews is having a good season and Patrick Kane remains one of the best players in the NHL. Brandon Saad is having his best year since rejoining the Hawks. Alex DeBrincat is snake bitten and his goal production is down, though he is creating multiple chances.  They are getting contributions from Dominik Kubalik, who leads all rookies in goals, and fellow rookie Kirby Dach keeps improving. So what’s the problem? It may be lack of speed, as they continue to employ the dump and run offense, while opponents pass and skate the puck into Hawks territory.

A bigger problem is the defense can’t get the puck out of their own end. When they finally do clear the zone, the offense dumps it in to change lines because they are exhausted. Therein lies the big problem: the only reliable defensemen are Connor Murphy and rookie sensation Adam Bovqist. Duncan Keith is still good. However, at this stage of his career he has too much ice time which leads to mistakes, particularly takeaways. They also never come out with a possession when fighting for the puck along the boards

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The Blackhawks problems are nothing compared to the Bulls. In the third year of their rebuild, they’ve gotten worse. People point out to me that the Bulls are plagued by multiple injuries. Even without the injuries they wouldn’t be much better. To start the season, prior to injuries they were 2-6.

Believe it or not, there are teams worse than the Bulls. As of right now the Bulls have the eighth worst record in the league. The Bulls would have to be extremely lucky to avoid another inconsequential pick in the draft. The Bulls need an impact player and should put together a good offer to a team with a top three pick. Maybe Zach LaVine and your first round pick?

The only positive is, rumor has it that there will be changes in management. John Paxson will probably will be in charge of hiring a new General Manager. If this person has complete autonomy, his first move should be getting rid of Coach Jim Boylen. Boylen continues to say and do stupid things. Calling time-outs when the Bulls are being blown out. There are many examples, but my personal favorite is, the Bulls were losing by 25 points to the Raptors and he called a time out with 1:04 left in the game. He continues to refer to games as good losses. To me, there is no such thing.

Hawks Slogan One Goal Now Refers to Making the Playoffs

January 31, 2020

Three seasons ago the Chicago Blackhawks were swept out of the playoffs in the first round. The following year they missed making the playoffs. Last year with the team struggling, the Hawks let go Joel Quenneville, the coach of three Stanley Cup championship teams. He was replaced by 33 year old Jeremy Colliton, coach of their minor league affiliate the Rockford Ice Hogs. Initially under Colliton the Hawks were an unmitigated disaster. They were playing their worst hockey since Rocky Wirtz took control of the team. The Hawks had fallen out of playoff contention by the All-Star break.

Colliton made changes that turned things around. When he inserted Erik Gustafsson on the point, the power play was the best in the NHL. By putting Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews on the same line, both had career years. Playing inspired hockey, the Hawks were making a push to reach the playoffs. However, the hole they had dug for themselves was too deep to overcome. They ran out of gas and missed the playoffs.

Buoyed by their play at the end of last year, I was optimistic about this season. Once again the Hawks started slowly.  Bad and inconsistent play landed them in last place in their division. However, it seemed  as if a light switch went on and the Hawks went on an 11-5 tear prior to the All-Star break. This stretch  gives them a legitimate chance of reaching the playoffs.

Part of the blame for the poor start was that the Hawks suffered a number of injuries.  Connor Murphy, who I think is the Hawks best defensemen,, missed the first nine games. Calvin de Haan, acquired in a trade, was injured for the first two games and played a total of only 29 before going down with a season ending injury. Duncan Keith had to sit out a few games. Luckily, Brent Seabrook is out for the season. The defense is being saved by the outstanding goal tending of Robin Lehner.

Let’s start with two injuries to key players. Brandon Saad was having his best season since the Hawks reacquired him. After missing a month he is back and still playing well. Goal scorer Dylan Strome has been in and out for most of the year. He is close to returning. Hopefully when he comes back he can help Alex DeBrincat regain the form that netted him 41 goals last year.

The kids are all right. The decision to hang on to 18 year-old Kirby Dach is paying off. Although he’s not filling up the score sheet, he is getting better and better. Defenseman, 19 year-old Adam Boqvist has looked really good and will also improve. I believe both will be NHL stars. Then there is 24 year-old Dominik Kubalik who leads all rookies with 21 goals.

u are tempting fate if he has to save 35-40 shots a game. This is exasperated by the dump and run offense. More often than not, the opponents take possession and head up the ice. The other obstacle in reaching the playoffs is their February schedule is brutal.  It includes eleven road games all against contending teams. We’ll know a lot more regarding their playoff aspirations when March arrives.

The Sad and Bad Chicago Bulls

January 16, 2020

When is John Paxson going to be held accountable? At the start of the season he said the Bulls would be competitive and make the playoffs. Once again, they are on the outside looking in. The Bulls record is 15-27. They are 1-16 versus teams with .500 records. They can only beat teams with worse records than theirs. Nine of their wins have come against the woeful Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons who are a combined 37-84. Subtract that and they have only won 6 games. Paxon has been in charge since 2003 and has only had success in the Derrick Rose era. Sadly, this was short lived as Rose suffered the first of many injuries in the opening round of the playoffs in his third year.

Rose tried to come back but was let go because he couldn’t co-exist with Jimmy Butler. Butler had made himself a star. He showed considerable growth in talent and ego. He refused to adapt to former coach Fred Hoiberg’s offense, playing his own selfish game. Paxon thought he could turn things around by acquiring past their prime players, Dwayne Wade and Rajon Rondo. The Bulls did reach the playoffs, facing the Boston Celtics in a best of five series. Rondo spearheaded two upset victories in Boston. He injured his thumb and was out for the remainder of the series. Butler, who thinks he’s a superstar, couldn’t carry the team to one victory even with two home games.

Seeing the Bulls were going nowhere with Butler, Paxson traded the prima donna headache and contract to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In return, they received the seventh overall pick, forward Lauri Markkanen Markkanen seemed to be a really good player. However, it seems he has regressed back to his rookie season. They also obtained guard Zach LaVine. LaVine is a scoring machine   but plays no defense and makes poor decisions. Neither player is capable of elevating the other three on the court.  After the trade, Paxson proclaimed the Bulls were in a rebuild mold to buy him some time.

The following year the Bulls were trying to lose games trying to receive a high draft pick. The Bulls weren’t bad enough and ended up with the seventh overall pick, Wendell Carter Jr. Hurt most of his first year, the Bulls believed he would make major strides this season. Prior to his current injury, there were games when he reached double digits in rebounds and points. With his size, he should get 10 rebounds every game. When you only average 11 points a game, the double-double is nothing to crow about. Part of the problem the numbers aren’t better is because he spends a good portion of the game on the bench in foul trouble. He would be the perfect second string player for a good team. This year, the Bulls found themselves with another inconsequential seventh overall pick. Coby White may have been the best player left and was yet still behind Kris Dunn on the depth chart. With the injuries he has gotten more playing time. He sometimes shoots lights out and times when he’s cold. This will happen to a young player when 90% of his shots are 3 pointers.

Three years into the rebuild and the Bulls haven’t improved one bit. You can’t build a competitive team when your number one pick is seventh overall. Did anyone think Paxson would succeed? Most people who are this incompetent would not keep their jobs. However, there is no better job security than working for the loyalist Reinsdorfs.

Paxon has an abysmal track record when it comes to coaching and things are no different with Jim Boylen. He is the antitheses of a modern NBA coach. He reminds me a of fictional coach Norman Dale in the movie “Hoosiers”. He paces the court and yells at his players. Since Boylen has failed as a college coach and there is no chance in Hell he will be offered another pro job, maybe he can get a high school job. His offense centers on fast pace up the court. This gives him the luxury of not setting up plays. The one play he calls is where LaVine hogs the ball. This is also a bad shooting team and when you miss a lot of shots (especially 3-pointers), it puts pressure on your defense to set up. I know that the Bulls steal balls and force turnovers. If they don’t, the set defense is lousy. They fail to cover up 3 point shooters and don’t communicate. This becomes very apparent when opponents get uncontested lay-ups on pick and rolls. These are things a good coach can improve.

A good coach knows he should be on an even keel, not to get too high or too low. This will help his players do the same. However, Bulls management, players and coach get euphoric with wins over teams like Atlanta, Washington etc. I am also sick and tired of Boylen putting a positive spin on every loss. Paxson can’t see this coach is a mistake? Do he and Ryan Pace hang out? The Bulls need a star that makes his teammates better. My suggestion is do whatever it takes to trade for a top three pick. If it means giving up two number one picks, so be it. Don’t be afraid to include Markkanen or LaVine in a package deal.

Bears Fall Flat

January 5, 2020

Prior to the 2019 season the Bears felt if they found a reliable kicker it would take them to the Super Bowl. They could not foresee a myriad of other problems. The Bears recently called a press conference to discuss the season. The two biggest problems for the Bears are the people addressing the media, General Manager Ryan Pace and Coach Matt Nagy. Their fingerprints are all over this disappointing 8-8 record.

Unlike 2018, this year’s Bear defense was ravaged by injuries. Pro-Bowler, Akiem Hicks went down early in the year. Opposing teams were able to double and sometimes triple team Khalil Mack, and the pass rush was non-existent the rest of the year. With no pressure, opposing quarterbacks were able to pick apart the secondary. The bears thought Chuck Pagano could replace Vic Fangio without skipping a beat. Pagano never fixed this problem with different schemes or blitz packages. The Bears lost the heart and soul of the defense when they lost Danny Trevathan. Nick Kwiatkoski did an admiral job filling in however, he can’t replace the leadership and veteran savvy of Trevathan. Roquan Smith had regained last year’s form when he went down with 3 games left. None the less the Bears defense ranked eighth in the league.  Pace moved up in the draft to pick up Leonard Floyd 3 years ago. Although he has not improved and was invisible this year they have exercised his fifth year option.

If you don’t admit the problem, you can’t solve it. This is where the Bears are when it comes to quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Pace is fully committed to Trubisky because he can’t admit his mistake of drafting him second overall in 2017. He and Nagy are talking about improvement when he actually regressed. Nagy was brought in to develop Trubisky who ranked 28^th in passer efficiency. He has failed miserably. Nagy’s awful play calling doesn’t help.  Nagy can’t install a running game. While most teams run to set up the pass he does the opposite. Also, you could have a touchdown drive with eight running plays and two passes. Nagy doesn’t like that type of offense so he would change to his pass happy offense on the next possession. The offensive line is a mess. They drafted center James Daniels but continue playing him in the line while Cody Whitehair snaps the ball, often erratically. Charles Leno Jr. who is signed for 2 more years is the most penalized offensive lineman in the NFL.  Another fine 4-year contract from Pace. They got no production from tight end. Trey Burton was injured all year. Adam Shaheen, the third pick in the second round of the 2017 draft, is another Pace bust that can’t play. They had to start players from the practice squad. The only positive on offense is Allen Robinson.

There is a lot of work to be done this off-season. Hopefully key players recover from their injuries. The softer schedule should help.  However, Nagy is still your coach and Trubisky is still the quarterback. Pace said he is considering an upgrade at quarterback and thinking of letting Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray go. What kind of chance is there of getting a capable quarterback will sign just to back up Trubisky?  I am really excited to see who the Bears select with the sixth round pick they obtained for the Jordan Howard trade…

NFL Playoffs Must See TV

December 31, 2019

As a football fan, I love the upcoming NFL Playoffs. This week and next, you’ll be able to watch two games on both Saturday and Sunday. After the wild card games there will eight teams left. I will list the top four teams in each conference. All teams, with the exception of the Houston Texans, have a legitimate shot playing in Super Bowl LIV.

NFC

1. New Orleans Saints

2. San Francisco Forty-Niners

3. Green Bay Packers

4. Seattle Seahawks

I’m really looking forward to the Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers facing off against the New Orleans Saints Drew Brees. San Francisco has already had two close games against Seattle, therefore this will be fun as well.

AFC

1. Baltimore Ravens

2. Kansas City Chiefs

3. New England Patriots

4. Houston Texans

I’m really looking forward to watching football’s most dominant player, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. He can take over games. The Ravens are also great defensively. Despite what transpired during the regular season, you can’t count out Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s Patriots. Same goes for Andy Reid’s Chiefs. If you like to see a lot of points, watch Kansas City versus New England.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!