Where There's Thunder, There's Lightning

TIP OFF COUNTDOWN: 22 HOURS AND 53 MINUTES


BULLS TIP OFF THEIR 2010-11 SEASON IN OKLAHOMA TOMORROW NIGHT AT 8:00. AND WITHOUT ANY DEBATE, AROUND 7:30 TOMORROW EVENING, LIGHTNING WILL APPEAR IN THE SKY AND FORCE ME TO CALL THE FALL BALL GAME I AM SCHEDULED TO OFFICIATE EARLY.

Who's It Gonna Be?

There are four things about Tom Thibbodeau's player rotation we know for sure. Derrick Rose will run point, Luol Deng will be the swing man, Taj Gibson will start at power forward (until the ailing Carlos Boozer returns from a fractured wrist), and Joakim Noah will finish out the front court. But Thib's (yes, the nickname is catching on) has yet to declare who will be the starting shooting guard opening night.
As of now, it remains a toss-up between Ronnie Brewer or Keith Bogans. To me Brewer is the clear-cut choice, but that's why I'm writing this and not holding practice at the United Center (for now, at least....wink wink). Bogans is a seven year veteran who has never really proved to be anything more than a reserve off the bench. Brewer saw plenty of minutes, including a starting role, in Utah and is an excellent on-ball defender. For a guy who's niche is defense, it makes one wonder what Bogans must be showing off in practice (because he sure hasn't shown anything in the preseason).
We'll see Tuesday night when the pulls tip off the season versus the Thunder of Oklahoma City. MLB playoffs & the NBA. Best time of the year. I cannot wait.

Bulls Fans Weigh-In With Season Predictions

One year after coming 1-game away from upsetting the defending-champion Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, the new-look Bulls are generating plenty of support from hometown fans. While there is no such thing as too much support, Bulls fans are obviously sold on what first-year coach Tom Thiboddeau is putting together.   WATCH

A Call To Order: *#@! Marc Stein AND Scottie Pippen

"This man is out of his damn mind," -Michael Jordan, I'm guessing

Marc Stein gave us a little insight that will forever tarnish his credibility and respect, in my book at least. While discussing the future and possibilities of how good Kevin Durant can/will be, Jordan came into the discussion (It was actually more of an argument at this point because apparently J.A. Adande feels that Durant doesn't deserve to be on same stage as Lebron James; yet). As usual, when Jordan jargon is being thrown around, I'm all ears. Brace yourself for this one.....Ready? In the always painful, squeaky Marc Stein voice, "Lebron having Dwayne Wade, and vice versa, doesn't even compare to the luxury of having a Scottie Pippen like Mike did." Here's the killer: SCOTTIE PIPPEN IS ONE OF THE 10, 15 BEST PLAYERS THIS LEAGUE HAS EVER SEEN. Now, while I go puke and ponder painful hate threats to email Mr. Stein, I will also be putting together all my thoughts for the ultimate Scottie Pippen column. It WILL be epic. This topic (Scottie Pippen to MJ)  makes up probably 3/4's of my bar discussions and I'm finally going to bring it all together. Because there is one Top 10 list Pippen ranks pretty high on. MOST OVERRATED, HYPED UP TALENTS OF ALL TIME.

Coming soon. Viewer discretion is advised. 

Top 10 Crossovers of All-Time

 Jim,
        You asked for the A.I. on Jordan, and that's in here. Along with some of my other favorites. Steve Francis' #1 is absolutely ridiculous. Enjoy



Top 10 NBA Crossovers of All-Time

Boozer, Bulls take a Spill

The Bulls have a lot to be excited about this upcoming season. The new look team out of Chicago consisting of a new coach and big name free agents have made a  lot of noise in the Eastern Conference. Much of that noise has been muffled by Miami's superstar trio, but the Bulls are picked by most to finish top 4 in the East.
Hold the predictions, because the Bulls biggest new acquisition, F Carlos Boozer, apparently can't hold his balance walking down the stairs. The 6'8 275 pound low post presence fell answering the doorbell last week; but this wasn't your typical spill. On the way down, Boozer managed to fracture his left hand and put two cuts in the back of his head, all of which will sideline the superstar for the first two months of the regular season. What a start. The Bulls are currently looking to find their identity during the preseason, and you can bet every member of the organization wishes Boozer could be apart of the process. He's the most important part of their roster outside of Derrick Rose and now he'll have to wait until late December/early January to mesh with his teammates on the court. Awesome.

Let's Talk Money

Sometime last winter I wrote a column for The Rotunda (Longwood University's campus press) about how paying athletes overly-comfortable salaries-I think I set the mark at around $50,000-always turns out more negative than positive. I had comments blasting me about how my thoughts were naive and uninformative. Well the truth has come out as of late more than ever. Someone's oppositional argument was A-Rod. Do you think the Steinbrenner family has gotten the $150,000 a year performance they paid for? Absolutely not. Once championship doesnt mean squat when you take into account all of the baggage. All of the steroid allegations and investigations were a huge distraction in the locker room and whole city for that matter.Besides, it's the yankees we're talking about here. They would have found some way (or someone else to pay) to get them their anyway.
Money doesn't bring results, performance and statistics. It brings too much fame, immense amounts of pressure, and money-grubbing women. Cough, Cough......Tiger Woods.
A perfect example is Gilbert Arenas. After signing that ridiculous &100,000 contract  his numbers we're down noticeably, and no one needs to be reminded about the infamous gun-in-the-locker-room incident that placed him ineligible for an entire season. Now he's fighting just for a starting job.
This may seem like a lost argument but do you want more examples? OK America, or Redskins fans. How about Albert Haynesworth? Daniel Snyder is the richest owner in the NFL. How well has he fared?
In college, take Lane Kiffin. He's the biggest idiot on the national stage and somehow he lands big money contracts at the biggest schools. All because he talks a big talk. The only problem is that he hasn't walked 2-steps forwards yet. Soon enough he'll be exposed.
One of the biggest problems I have with the NFL is that the players who have the most to prove make the big bucks. How the hell does a rookie quarterback, who has never taken ONE professional snap behind center, earn more in his first year than most veterans? It's criminal! Few actually live up to their hype. But as long as their drafted in the first round, their guaranteed a lump sum of cash.  Hey Jamarcus Russell, how's life these days? You've lost your job in Oakland and will probably never play in the NFL ever again, but no matter. You've got more money than 3/4's of the league and deserve about, well, none of it.

Here's a few more guys that could fit into this category:
Ryan Leaf
Plaxico Burress
Micheal Vick
every NBA rookie