The Western Conference semis are here and, as sometimes the case with the Hawks, Games 1 and 2 had a very "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" feel to them. Game 1 witnessed a barrage of shots on goal from the Hawks (41) with four of those getting through Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard, all the while, Corey Crawford stood on his head, stopping 20 of 21, and all was right with the universe.
Then there was Game 2, a Saturday matinee at the United Center, which was the exact opposite of anything Hawks fans have seen all season, let alone from Game 1. Sloppy play, too many turnovers in their own zone, and shots taken from area code 847, with most of those being blocked, led to the 4-1 pantsing at home.
Yep, it was a real eye-sore, which had many Hawks fans asking themselves, "I woke up at 11:00 AM for this?" and, "Exactly how much sugar did Viktor Stalberg pour into Quenneville's tank?" or, "What channel are the Cubs on again?"
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— Jim Crago /
Alejandro De Aza is a good ballplayer. The guy came from nowhere and became a regular on the White Sox. He's got speed, he can drive the ball, and, despite four errors this season, he's a serviceable defensive outfielder.
But he shouldn't be batting leadoff.
The Sox are 27th in the league in OBP from their no. 1 hitter in the lineup, reaching base just 28 percent of the time. Since De Aza has batted lead off in 39 of the team's 42 games, the team's splits nearly equal his total stats.
A leadoff hitter's top job is to get on base, and De Aza isn't doing that. Looking at his splits even more, he has only a .306 OBP with three walks this season when starting off an inning. The only positive is his surprising power, with four homers in that spot (and three homers to start a game). Hence, De Aza's .827 OPS in that split is skewed.
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— Mike Chamernik /
The regular season awards trophy case might be a little crowded after all is said and done. Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane was named one of three finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy this week. Kane was the third player on the team to be named a finalist for a regular season award along with Brandon Saad (Calder) and Jonathan Toews (Selke).
According to the National Hockey League's website, "The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."
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— Evan F. Moore /
Bulls Thu May 16 2013
As the old adage goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Since the start of the year the Bulls were (by experts and perhaps their own management) considered to be damaged goods who could do no good come playoff time. Consequently, with shoddy roster decisions they were sent to the curb, with no one expecting them to pick up until next year. However, mixed with garbage and grit, their ruby red hearts shined and displayed solid-as-gold determination as they delivered a season with a landfill's worth of "whoa, what just happened" memories. That's why we watched the games, isn't it?
The Game 5 loss against the Heat didn't feel anywhere near to the type of dejection felt after last year's Game 6 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers. This time around the Bulls were beat by the best team in basketball, and they've grown accustomed to being seasoned veterans when it came to playing without Derrick Rose. Surprisingly, the Heat were vulnerable at times and kept the Bulls in two of the close games that they ultimately lost.
Would a healthy Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich have made a difference? Yes, to the extent that two of the Bulls' glaring weaknesses were turnovers and getting to the shooter on rotational defense. In fact, if both were healthy, you wouldn't be reading this piece until Monday, which would have been after Game 7, where the Bulls would have mightily lost the deciding tilt in Miami. What if Rose had put matter over mind, and stepped in at any point in this series with his teammates sharing a clean bill of health? Fortunately for next season and beyond, we'll never know.
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— Donny Rodriguez /
Though there are many criticisms to level at DePaul's basketball program, no one could accuse them of dreaming small. Whether it's their recruiting or their conference affiliation, DePaul behaves like an elite basketball program.
If reports of a $300 million 12,000-seat lakefront basketball arena at McCormick Place are accurate, DePaul - and the mayor's office - have got some wild ideas about the program's place in Chicago.
Setting aside the myriad issues with the planned arena's funding, it's worth asking if another cavernous off-campus arena in an inaccessible part of the city is the best thing for DePaul basketball. Does the proposed arena solve the main issue with Rosemont? That is, an arena far from campus that students don't have any incentive to visit.
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— Kevin Morris /
With the seventh-seeded Detroit Red Wings taking out the Anaheim Ducks in Game 7 Sunday evening, the Hawks will now take on their most hated rival in the second round of the playoffs. After the Hawks dismantled the Wild in five, there was nothing left to do except to rest and wait to see who they would play.
After the San Jose Sharks swept the once-mighty Vancouver Canucks, the formula became simple: if Anaheim wins, the opponent would be the Sharks; if Detroit wins, the battle of I-94 would be set. There's no doubt Hawks fans, the NHL, and NBC were hoping for Hawks v. Wings, and now it's a reality.
Of course the Hawks players and coaching staff are approaching this series as though the Wings were a number-one seed themselves, which is what you want to hear. But in the end, there's only one thing Hawks fans need to concern themselves with in regards to this series: Red Wings fans.
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— Jim Crago /
Chris Sale has arrived. Just check what the reaction has been to his gem Sunday night.
Teammates heaped on praise as opposing pitcher CJ Wilson said Sale has "video game stuff." Sale's been called the lone watchable player on the team, and Buster Olney called Sale the face of the White Sox. Sale wasn't exactly an unknown, but he's now officially one of the premiere pitchers in baseball.
Two nights ago, Sale threw a complete-game, one hit shutout at home against the Angels on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. Other than a Mike Trout dribbler that reached center field, he was perfect - seven strikeouts, 11 groundouts and nine flyouts, with only a few balls that could have been trouble. Alex Rios nabbed a deep fly ball off the bat of Howie Kendrick in the second inning, and Alexei Ramirez made a spinning toss on a Alberto Callaspo grounder in the seventh. Otherwise, Sale was untouchable.
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— Mike Chamernik /
Cubs Mon May 13 2013
It's as if Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer has been waiting years to give Anthony Rizzo a huge sum of money. Hoyer drafted him in Boston, traded for him in San Diego, and dealt for him a second time after rejoining Theo Epstein in Chicago. Where Hoyer goes, Rizzo goes.
Late last night, Rizzo and the Cubs agreed to a seven-year, $41 million extension that runs through 2019 (the extension will supercede his contract this season), and also includes a pair of team option years valued at $14.5 million each in 2020 and 2021. It buys out his four arbitration years, along with up to three years of free agency if all goes well. Happy Mother's Day, Mrs. Rizzo.
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— Chad Ruter /
Bulls Mon May 13 2013
How can a team only down two games to one in a best of seven series be on life-support? Because they're killing themselves, with unsportsmanlike conduct, perplexing fouls (especially the legitimate ones), and creating instant offense on turnovers -- for the Heat.
Tom Thibodeau's "we have enough players to win" mantra is as transparent as his updates on players' health status. And it looks like Thibodeau won't be reporting any good news before tip-off in the way of healthier players. The overmatched Bulls -- minus Luol Deng (already ruled out for Game 4) and Kirk Hinrich -- are throwing everything they have at the Heat. Though they're wearing their hearts on them, there are no more tricks up their sleeves.
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— Donny Rodriguez /
Just over two weeks ago, the Shakedown -- the c-team of the Chicago Outfit -- lost their home opener by 379 points.
But on Saturday, the Shakedown looked like a whole new team as they beat the Region Rat Rollers of Northwest Indiana 206-200.
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— Bill Mayeroff /
Bears Sun May 12 2013
Mother's Day is one of those holidays that reminds us of that special lady we once puked on after eating too much cake, bled on after skinning our knee on the pavement, and cried on after striking out in a ballgame or in a relationship. No matter the situation or subject matter, good ol' mom was there to clean up the mess, crack out the Bactine, and wipe away the tears.
On Sunday, millions of Chicagoans will pick up the phone and put in a call to mom to wish her the happiest of Mother's Days and ask if she liked the bouquet of Gerbera Daisies sent express that morning. Many other men and women will wake up a little earlier in the morning to mix pancake batter with their child/children in an effort to serve mom breakfast in bed. A standard pastime, which is accompanied with a cup of Joe, fresh OJ, a flower and a smile.
Then there will be many Chicagoans who will spend their time remembering their mother, harking back to a time when she was still with us - maybe a visit to her grave with a poem, a flower and a tear. Once our time here is finished on earth, there's hope one day we'll be reunited with those we've loved, even in the most tragic of cases where it's the child who leaves mom behind.
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— Jim Crago /
Hockey Sun May 12 2013
Detroit Red Wings
NHL realignment will make these two long-time rivals distant cousins. Blackhawks fans along with hockey purists would love to see these Original Six rivals duke it out one last time on a regular basis. The Stanley Cup semifinals would be a good place to end such a bitter rivalry on the high note. Expect the pace to be ratcheted up for the aforementioned reasons. Even though the Blackhawks have had their way with the Red Wings this season, don't expect more of the same. It should be noted that Detroit has taken a team in Anaheim, whom the Blackhawks lost to three times this season, to a seventh game. The coaching staff has to have their eye on that. That could be one of the reasons Coach Joel Quenneville switched up the lines in yesterday's practice. Brandon Saad and Viktor Stalberg were removed from the top four lines. PREDICTION: Blackhawks in five.
San Jose Sharks
The last time the Chicago Blackhawks faced the San Jose Sharks in the playoffs, they on their way the to the Stanley Cup finals. This time around,the goalie who helped them get there, Antti Niemi ,is now a Vezina Trophy finalist with the Sharks. Also, Raffi Torres is now on the team. Expect for Torres to get booed as soon as the steps onto the United Center ice. San Jose is a lot more physical than than Detriot is. San Jose will use physical play to get the Blackhawks off of their game. That is what most teams do when the want to rattle their cage.The most offensively gifted team will win the series eventually. That will be the men wearing the sweater with the Indian head on it. PREDICTION: Blackhawks in six.
Either way, a formidable opponent will stand in the way of postseason greatness for the Madison Street Hockey Club.
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— Evan F. Moore /
It's been an odd White Sox season so far. It's still early May, only 19 percent of the season is in the books, and the much-discussed Red Line construction project hasn't even kicked in yet. The Sox are 14-18, and as much as they should be counted out because of their dreadful offense and embarrassingly sloppy fielding, the starting pitching has been remarkably good.
It has really carried the team so far. Out of the team's 32 games, the rotation has accumulated 20 quality starts, and starters have the ninth-best ERA (3.58) and the 10th-best WHIP (1.20). Even more amazing, this isn't the 1971 Orioles. The Sox have Chris Sale and Jake Peavy, who have been awesome as always, and three young, back-of-the-rotation pitchers.
The Sox are being held together by Jose Quintana, Dylan Axelrod and Hector Santiago. With Gavin Floyd done for the season and John Danks still slowly getting back into pitching shape, the Sox are down to their last options. Going back to last year, Quintana was good for most of the season before fading hard late; Axelrod got a spot-start once in a blue moon but spent most of the season in Triple-A; and Santiago started the year as closer, and got irregular bullpen work and long relief appearances.
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— Mike Chamernik /
Cubs Wed May 08 2013
Luis Valbuena, a no-namer to most baseball fans, fits right in when looking at the history of third basemen for the Cubs. It was a black hole position after Ron Santo retired following the 1973 season. The Cubs used 97 different starters at the hot corner, including 18 different guys to play there on opening day in the 30 years following. Thankfully, Aramis Ramirez came along to end the streak of laughingstock players that manned the position between he and Santo.
Following Ramirez's departure after the 2011 season, Josh Vitters was seen as the in-house favorite to take over the reins for the next decade. The number three pick from the 2007 draft possessed what many considered one of the prettiest right handed swings in all of baseball. The problem was he never learned how to hold back that sweet looking swing on pitches that didn't deserve it, not to mention the fact that he struggled to field the ball cleanly. His time in the majors was disastrous, and the organization isn't pinning much hope on a resurgence in the future.
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— Chad Ruter /
Bulls Wed May 08 2013
Nate Robinson put the city of broad shoulders upon his own diminutive frame and marched into Miami to take down the gargantuan Heat. For an encore after what seemed like the Bulls' biggest playoff win in a decade on Saturday vs the Nets, the Bulls pulled off arguably the biggest playoff game upset in franchise history with the 93-86 shocker over the Heat. Hyperbole suits this underdog Bulls squad best.
As the minutes of the fourth quarter waned and the Bulls weren't being blown out, the vibe in my house with my buddies, as it was presumably all across Chicago's bars, was as if we were watching a pitcher who keeps getting deeper into a no-hitter. No one said anything to each other about the Bulls actually pulling the game out, and with each big basket, we all silently nodded and mutely noted the significance of the moment. That was until Robinson hit the floater past Ray Allen in isolation, putting the Bulls up four with 45 seconds left to play. The room exploded as if the no-hitter vying pitcher got the last batter to pop-up on the infield, and the game was all but secure.
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— Donny Rodriguez /
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