The Rundown

(Picture from http://www.elyriact.smugmug.com/)

I asked and I received.

Behind another glorious and extremely magical outing by Pooh-dini in the last two regular season games, the Chicago Bulls are back in the playoffs as the number eight seed and now three losses away from being eliminated.

Normally the playoffs would have me more pumped than Brock Lesnar after receiving a new shipment of horse steroids from Mexico, but there is one tiny problem. Standing in Joakim Noah's and Rose's way is the behemoth Cleveland Cavaliers and they flexed their giant tattooed muscles this afternoon.

Hoping for a little Poohdini magic

(Picture from http://www.dimemag.com/)

I've been a little rough on the Bulls the past month or two. I've ridiculed the team, the players, the staff, the front office, the towel boys, the Swiffer boys, the cheerleaders, the Luv-a-Bulls, The Matadors, the annoying and the cocaine using Madhouse on Madison spirit squad, and even the bucket boys outside of the UC.

To me they all deserve it, and still do. This team has played so inconsistently that at times it doesn't seem as though they want to play in a playoff series.

They are more hot and cold than Kati Perry, Lindsey Lohan, and Chloe Kardashian combined. Some of the guys are likable, while the others give you the "willy's" when you watch them like Gary Busey. I was attached to these guys, then unattached after the trades, I talked myself into attaching myself once again, then they lost to the Nets, twice. Pick who you want to be Chicago. Please!

I still stick by my thoughts about tanking, and to this point I still wish they listened (I know I'm not the only one). But I'm going to push those thoughts aside. I'm going to man up for one more game (hopefully more). I'm going to attach myself once again, even if it ends in heartbreak (hey that's what being a Chicago Bulls fan means right?). I'm going to become a fan of this team again. I'm going to pretend Vinny doesn't use more hair products than J.J. Reddick. I'm going to pretend I like watching Kirk Hinrich. I'm going to pretend that Luol Deng has played a full season and isn't the Chicago Bulls version of Alfonso Soriano. I'm going to pretend that Joakim Noah doesn't have a foot problem.

Am I setting myself up for failure? Yeah, probably, but that's what happens when you are a Chicago Bulls fan. That's what happens when you love Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose. That's what happens when you care so much about this team that it leaves you physically ill when they lose to the Nets (did I mention that happened twice?). That's what happens when Brad Miller sneaks into your heart, builds a home, and gives you complete happiness every time he hits a three, or dunks on someone that is physically light years ahead of him and should be athletically dominate.

I don't forgive the Bulls for yanking at my heart strings like Reggie Bush does to Kimmy Kardashian, but I will put it aside for one last rondevous (for this season at least). But I want to see Derrick "The Poohdini" Rose, "The Taj Mahal" Gibson and Joakim Noah to succeed in everything they do (Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng can go jump off a bridge for all I care).


Let's just get this win over the Celtics tonight, get into the playoffs, and see what those young guys can do. If you remember correctly, this team plays up to other's potential, especially in the playoffs. Maybe this team can put something together against the Cav's?!


So with that thought, I leave you with something I have not said in a good while: Let's Go Bulls!

Greatest of All Time?

It may be a little premature to start talking about how the end of the season will shake out, but is it ever too early to start talking about MVPs? How about MVPs of a lifetime? How about ever? I don't think so.

We are just over a week into this beautiful thing we call baseball season and the world seems to be in order. The Cubs are still in the hunt, yet not contending. The Sox are struggling, yet showing they have a legit shot at winning their division. The Yankees and Red Sox are getting all the attention (they are in the top 10 in the ESPN.com Power Rankings) despite not even leading their own division. And of course, the Cardinals are atop the NL Central with Albert Pujols set to win another MVP.

In fact, he is on pace to hit .407 with 116 home runs and 324 RBI. I am guessing those numbers would get him an MVP Award, as well as a Triple Crown. Now, it's very early to really get into projections like this, but he is currently hitting a home run every 5.4 at-bats. I doubt that continues, but he is certainly getting off on the right foot.

COLBY!

(Picture http://www.mypinstripes.blogspot.com/)

Baseball, baseball, baseball. What more can you say? We've seen Jason "The Cracken" Heyward get off to a quick and powerful start. A two time Cy-Young winner admitted he's been wearing the same hat for the past few years, and the Cubs are off to a slow, slow, slow start. All is right in the MLB.

The first week is in the books and my Chicago White Sox are a real offensive threat (if they were playing softball). So since my team can't put any runs on the board, I am going to talk about the other team that leaves me randy after watching. The St. Louis Cardinals.

I like the Cardinals a lot, and our "readers" should know by now that both of us here have a common agreement: If you're wearing Cubbie Blue during baseball season we will gladly turn around and walk away while talking about how it must feel to be raised a loser. This new infatuation can be in part of the White Sox and Cardinal mutual hatred for those Sally's in Cubbie Blue, or because of my partner here on the website, or just because I liked Nelly a lot in high school (Heart of a Champion should be inducted into every sporting Hall of Fame, it is pure genius). Either way I love me some St. Louie.

An explosion of offensive proportions

(Picture from aarongleeman.com)

I would have called Mark Buehrle's two-run first-inning debacle inevitable. The world was falling down after the White Sox first five games; so why wouldn't the South Side's most consistent pitcher of the last five years not give up a 2-run home run right away? Why wouldn't he give up two more runs later in the third? Why wouldn't he go missing just like the the Hitmen's offense?

Well, simply, Mark Buehrle is a man. I'm not talking the type of man Milton Bradley aspires to be, or the man he has hanging in his room who is holding a sign that reads "I am a MAN!".

I'm talking about a man that can come out and not only will himself to fight with his back against the wall, but a man that has the ability to will an offense that has been seen on milk cartons around the Chicago land area rather than at The Cell. A man that has the ability as a pitcher to affect every single player on his team. A man that has encompassed what it means to be a man: hardworking, blue collar, dreamer. A man that uses his god given talents as best he can. A man so great he deserves the White Sox next commercial to say Mark Buehrle's "MAN-DOM" is black and white.