2011 Cubs Season Preview: Year 2

Last year was a tough year for the Cubs and I don't think their fans are too optimistic about the upcoming season either.  But I think they should be.  Not in the, "This is our year" type of way, but in the fact that they should be competitive in their division and it looks like they are beginning to successfully transition into the next iteration of their team.

It turns out the Bulls can lose

The Bulls started a game slow again last night and it cost them this time, as they fell to the Sixers 97 - 85.  They came out completely flat and were down 27 - 13 after the first quarter, then pulled the game to within three points at the end of the third quarter, but never were able to grab the lead.

So, how is your bracket doing?

Well, that is my bracket up above, and that is a lot of red.  You would think that is just a disaster of a bracket, yet somehow I'm in the top 20% of all brackets on ESPN.com.  I guess that's what happens in a year in which only 2 of 5.9 million people picked the Final Four right in the ESPN Bracket Challenge.  I'm also assuming the two people who made those picks don't really know much about college basketball and have some affiliation with VCU.  Why else would they pick them to go to the Final Four?

So now your bracket is fucked this year, and there is a boring VCU vs. Butler national semi-final.  But on the bright side, next year's NCAA tourney pools are going to be ripe for the picking.  Everybody is going to be sending crazy teams to the Final Four because it happened this year, and they are going to be screwing their brackets before the games start.  Remember that this is abnormal, and there is a reason teams get 11 and 8 seeds.  So next year, just forget about this year and stick with your normal draft strategy and cash some checks.

The Derrick Rose angry face is here

 

Blog a Bull - 4:09 Derrick Rose makes free throw 1 of 2 80-83  
4:09 Derrick Rose makes free throw 2 of 2 81-83
3:36 Carlos Boozer makes layup (Derrick Rose assists) 83-83
2:50 83-87 Brandon Jennings shooting foul (Derrick Rose draws the foul)
2:50 Derrick Rose makes free throw 1 of 2 84-87
2:50 Derrick Rose makes free throw 2 of 2 85-87
2:28 Joakim Noah makes dunk (Derrick Rose assists) 87-87
1:53 Derrick Rose makes layup 89-87
1:07 Derrick Rose makes 13-foot jumper 91-87
0:42 Derrick Rose makes 14-foot jumper 93-87
0:29 Ronnie Brewer makes layup (Derrick Rose assists) 95-87
0:00 End of the 4th Quarter
0:00 End Game

Only thing that play-by-play is missing is the Rose angry-face. Makes every highlight seem a bit better.
The face and the game are serious. Even post-game in the locker room (featuring a gum-chewing KC Johnson), Rose isn't satisfied (while dropping some profanity!) in saying 'we didn't do shit yet', referencing his previous two first-round losses in the playoffs.
No doubt with the #1 seed and a gimme first-round matchup, those specific demons will be exorcised eventually. But unlikely that will leave Rose satisfied either.
It's still humility, but so very not humble-bot. And that difference is ultimately sideshow, anyway. The game Rose displayed (and drive to execute it) was positively Wade-ian, the version that won the NBA title.

ChicagBro of the Week: Derrick Williams

So this was pretty easy.  When you go HAM and single-handedly knock the the Duke White...err Blue Devils out of the tournament, you get to be the ChicagBro of the Week, no matter where you are from.  Especially if you kind of look like Humpty Hump, without glasses.

Wait, the Red Sox are "All in" too!?

South Side Sox - This is probably the worst thing you will ever see in your life. I barely made it past 'Bobby Jenks' and 'awesome' before my stomach started to cramp and I had to shut it down. As the cherry on top of this steaming pile of garbage, they steal the White Sox marketing slogan for 2011.
I dare you to try and beat my record of 40 seconds.

Brent Morel named White Sox starting third baseman

Chicago Breaking Sports - Manager Ozzie Guillen announced Thursday what had became very apparent two weeks ago -- that rookie Brent Morel will be the Chicago White Sox's starting third baseman.
Morel, 23, was batting .269 entering Thursday's game against the Cubs but provides more dependable defense than veteran Mark Teahen, who will be used as a utility player.

Good news for White Sox fans.  Mark Teahen is not the starting White Sox third baseman this year.  I think it would have only taken me about five games before I started violently throw up from watching Teahen try to field ground balls, so I really couldn't be more happy.

Not that I expect Brent Morel to be in the running for Rookie of the Year or anything, but he plays good defense and should be an adequate bottom of the order hitter.  Bill James' (king of the stat nerds) projections at Fangraphs for Morel this year are: 61 runs, 13 HR, 60 RBI, 10 SB, .291 AVG, and .775 OPS, which I would be more than happy with.

Oh, and if for some reason you are heart broken Mark Teahen fan, don't worry, he can play like every position (none well), so he will get plenty of at-bats this year.