Bulls Moving Forward

Merry halfway to Christmas, Chicago. Meet your present – Derrick Rose. In all likelihood this is the best present anyone has ever received for Jesus' half birthday. He's going to be a star – you can book it now. I could go further into that, but someone already has, and he's probably done more research than me, so let's move on. Which [read more...]

23 Reasons Derrick Rose Was a Good Pick For the Bulls

1- He's a scorer, averaging 15 points a game in his only season at the University of Memphis. That would have been third on the Bulls last season, but Rose's 48% shooting from the field would have tied him with Luol Deng for the team lead. 2- He's a passer, averaging five assists a game. Like any good player though, D-Rose [read more...]

My Coach Vinny

I'm in danger of being labeled a Chicago Bulls "yes-man." I was okay with the Doug Collins hire – though I famously warned all of you that deals are not done until they're done, and I want credit for that, dammit – and now I'm okay with the Bulls (officially) hiring Vinny Del Negro instead. In fact, I'm better than okay. I [read more...]

Coaching the Bulls

Last week it was a sure thing, as likely as John Daley super-sizing his Big Mac or Devin Hester cruising right by a tackler. Now it's over, with both sides saying that it just wasn't meant to be. It appears former Bulls coach Doug Collins will not become the next Bulls coach. After a week and a half of speculation, Collins [read more...]

Seriously? Doug Collins

The Boston Celtics are dealing with the pesky Detroit Pistons in a tough series. The Los Angeles Lakers are on the path to yet another championship. Now Doug Collins could become the Chicago Bulls head coach within the next couple days. We're apparently turning back the clock to the 1980s now. All we need is CBS to start doing games [read more...]

Dig on Doug, Dude

Let me begin with a caveat – Doug Collins is not (yet) the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Sure, I'm a realist. I know these stories saying that "the deal is in place" don't come from nowhere; I'm prepared to accept that Bulls GM John Paxson and the excitable Mr. Collins have an agreement in principle, and that in all [read more...]

Beasley v Rose

The Bulls lost a lot this season. They lost 49 of the 82 games they played. They lost two head coaches in the span of four months. And they lost a lot of respect by botching the chance to sign former Phoenix Suns coach Mike D'Antoni. Yet thanks to the NBA Draft Lottery that took place on last Tuesday, the [read more...]

A father’s love?

As a brand new father, I can understand sticking up for your child when he or she makes a mistake. Supporting your child; loving your child... all good things. As a middle school teacher, I just don't understand what some parents are thinking. In my experience working in a wealthy area of Las Vegas, NV, parents are [read more...]

No One’s Excited for the Rush

While reading a story about Avery Johnson being interested in the Bulls' job... hmm, I wonder if getting the number one pick influenced his decision, they had a poll question asking which Chicago team you're most excited about. The Cubs, Sox, Blackhawks, Bulls, Sky, Fire, Wolves, and the Rush were listed. Despite a Rush division title and eight straight playoff [read more...]

Take Derrick Rose

So I come home to find out the Chicago Bulls, despite having a very low odds, actually winning the lottery. Here's my thinking on this. The Bulls have a roster full of guys who can play decent for someone else, but  together they pretty much stink. Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich should be traded as soon as possible. I think [read more...]

Ten Years Later…

When was the last time you went on YouTube and watched some old Michael Jordan highlights? Can you remember the smile on your face when John Paxson's three beat the Suns in the 1993 Finals? Do you still consider Phil Jackson a Bull, or has his time with the Lakers adjusted your thinking? It has been ten years since the Bulls [read more...]

Reinsdorf Plays the Blame Game

The chairman has spoken. In an interview Monday night with the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson, Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf didn't mince words in expressing his disapproval of Mike D'Antoni becoming the new head coach of the New York Knicks. "I'm disappointed in him," Reinsdorf said. "I don't know what else we could've done. He chose to go to New York knowing [read more...]

Wanted: Experienced Bulls fan for casual dating and intelligent conversation

Ok, I need someone to explain to me what the heck Mike D'Antoni is thinking? Has everyone become this greedy or am I missing something? I guess he is exploring his options instead of just taking the job with the Bulls? I don't claim to know all the details of what is going down in this card [read more...]

Tough Being a Fan

It's pretty depressing to be a Chicago sports fan right now. You've got the White Sox incapable of scoring, the Cubs incapable of beating one of the worst teams in the National League, the Bears' starting running back involved in a huge Texas-sized mess, and the Bulls not wanting to shell out the big bucks for a quality coach. What kind [read more...]

Bring in the Funk

The Chicago Bulls have already made some waves, but it's not in the hiring of a new coach. Tom Dore and Wayne Larivee, who have been calling Bulls' games since I can remember, will not be back for the 2009 campaign. Instead, the Bulls have seen fit to let both of the go and replace them with Neil Funk. I don't [read more...]

Sources: Bulls promise not to fire D’Antoni until Valentine’s Day

I don't know if it's a match made in heaven, but it sounds like there is a love affair brewing between Suns' head coach Mike D'Antoni and the Chicago Bulls. It is Splitsville in Phoenix -- apparently both parties agreeing to "see other people" -- and D'Antoni is on the prowl after a disappointing exit in the NBA [read more...]

Wost Pick Ever?

It was 24 summers ago, in June of 1984, that the Portland Trail Blazers made the biggest mistake since Japan provoked the United States into World War II. Equipped with the second pick in the best NBA Draft class of all-time, Portland decided to select University of Kentucky center Sam Bowie instead of future NBA Hall-of-Famers Charles Barkley, John Stockton, [read more...]

D’Antoni Out as Suns Head Coach

Mike D'Antoni's wide-open brand of basketball appears to be officially dead in Phoenix. Just hours after losing 92-87 in Game 5 and four games to one ion the series to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs Jack McCallum of Sports Illustrated reported that D'Antoni is out as the Suns head coach: Mike D'Antoni, the NBA's [read more...]

Bulls Season In Review - Part 5

Welcome to the finale. In cased you missed the first four parts of CSR's Bulls Season in Review, here they are: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4. Feb. 13 - At 20-31 the Bulls are still playing uninspired basketball, but they're also still on the verge of being a playoff team in the Eastern Conference. Thabo Sefolosha and [read more...]

Bulls Season In Review - Part 4

Easy there, before diving into this one don't forget about Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of CSR's Bulls Season In Review. Jan. 15 - A 102-88 loss tonight to Orlando will drop the Bulls to 14-22, but still not out of the playoffs. The team is a very average 5-6 since Jim Boylan took over, so really nothing [read more...]

Bulls Season In Review - Part 3

Hold on there, don't forget about Part 1 and Part 2 of CSR's Bulls Season In Review. Dec. 26 - The firing of Scott Skiles was met with mixed reaction in Chicago. Once again the Bulls started off slowly under Skiles, only this time they weren't showing signs of turning it around. He was also reluctant to play youngsters Tyrus [read more...]

Bulls Season In Review - Part 2

In case you missed it, here's part 1 of the Bulls season in review. Dec. 8 - After a big 98-91 win over the Pistons - the Bulls second defeat of Detroit this season - Chicago has won four of five games. Joakim Noah plays well, scoring 11 points in just 16 minutes, prompting Charlie Danoff to write a column [read more...]

Bulls Season In Review - Part 1

Wow, that was painful. The only solace Bulls fans can take from a miserable 2007-08 season is that it wasn't just Chicago that was optimistic about the team coming into this season. After three straight playoff appearances and an 06-07 season that featured 49 wins and a first-round playoff sweep of the Miami Heat, even the World Wide Leader was buying [read more...]

Teaching Life Lessons Though Sports

One of the most difficult parts of a charity for children is how to communicate and reach out to them. A Chicago-based non-profit organization has got that figured out, though. Play for Life International, founded slightly more than a year ago by Eun Jung Decker and her husband Colin, relates to at-risk children through a language any kid can understand – [read more...]

Talent Rich, Production Poor

In his first on-court action since his suspension, Tyrus Thomas played just four minutes Sunday night against the Pistons. He didn't do much on the court, save a horrendous bounce pass to no one that went directly out of bounds. It was the type of mental hiccup that has infuriated Scott Skiles and Jim Boylan. Yet, fans also saw the opposite [read more...]

Playoff Push

Current Record: 24-36 ... 1.5 Games out of a playoff spot. Following Tuesday's easy, but important win against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Bulls record is now 24-36. Following Wednesday night's action, they are 1.5 games out of the playoffs. Despite the fact nearly every possible thing has gone wrong this season, the Bulls still have a very solid shot of making the [read more...]

The New-Look Bulls

Thursday's deadline three-way trade by John Paxson may well go down one day as the move that saved his legacy as GM of the Chicago Bulls. Doing the impossible and trading what is easily one of the NBA's worst current contracts allows Paxson to finally move on from the most egregious error of his tenure. As many have said, losing Wallace is [read more...]

A New Home For Big Ben

Best. Trade Deadline. Ever. As bad as the 2007 NBA Trade Deadline was, the 2008 version has been historic. One future Hall of Famer, Shaq, has already been traded and another, Jason Kidd, is on the verge of switching teams. Past All-Stars Shawn Marion and Pau Gasol have new homes, as does former number one pick Kwame Brown. Two former stars, [read more...]

Evaluating The Bulls

Now that all the pre-season dreams of contending for a conference title have long since been unmercifully crushed, I thought it'd be appropriate to do a re-evaluation of the Bulls current roster. I will look at each player, taking into account their age and salary and determine their current worth TODAY. I will forget what we though about them heading [read more...]

It Could Be Worse, You Could Be A Bulls Fan

I got the call late last night. As a sports radio junkie, I knew there were rumors the Heat were looking into trading Shaquille O'Neal and that the Suns were a possible suitor. I literally laughed off the report of a Shaq for Shawn Marion trade, though. Then my friend called and said it was real. ESPN's Ric Bucher was reporting [read more...]

Thabo of Destiny

Do you believe in destiny? If you don't, Bulls second-year guard Thabo Sefolosha is living proof it exists. Thabo has a tattoo on his arm - The Game Chose Me. Despite not picking up a ball for that game until he was nine years old and living in a country that had never produced anything close to an NBA player, [read more...]

Time for the Running of the Bulls

There are a million excuses for this year's abysmal Bulls performance. Writers, including myself, have speculated ad nauseam about the preseason contract extensions never signed, the Kobe rumors, Scott Skiles "losing" the team, missed opportunities in the past lotteries, the small backcourt, the lack of inside scoring, and on and on. While some of those may even be valid reasons for [read more...]

Start the Fire

Following the "inmates running the asylum" 2nd benching of Joakim Noah, the Bulls played terrible against a team that hasn't made the playoffs this millennium. Heading into the 4th quarter versus the Hawks Sunday, they were down 80 - 66. Ben Wallace and Joe Smith had already played most of the night at the PF and C positions. Aside from [read more...]

Can the NBA Bulls Learn From LaSalle St.’s Bulls?

I feel the craziness going on in the financial markets is an excellent metaphor for what is happening with the Bulls. This sub-prime mess was caused by lenders not accurately understanding the true value of the loans they were giving out. The lenders thought the thousands they loaned out today would be millions in a few years. Turned out those [read more...]

Is That Really Mr. Fourth Quarter?

Following Jim Boylan's coaching debut and Ben Gordon's superhuman fourth-quarter effort to secure the victory, Michael Redd summed up the performance - "Mr. Fourth Quarter did a great job tonight making plays." Last Thursday I attended the Bulls vs. Blazers game and got a chance to watch "Mr. Fourth Quarter" in action as the Bulls battled the Blazers into double OT. [read more...]

He’s a Big Boy-lan Now

Given that my last two articles have been about deposed leader Scott Skiles, I felt it only fair to do a piece on his successor, Jim Boylan. Although he interviewed for the Pacers head coaching job this summer, not too many fans know much about the man. I dug through what information I could find to see if I could [read more...]

“Tuning Out” the Easy Media Answers

Can anybody explain to me exactly what "tuning out" means?It started back in November with that troublemaker Chris Broussard: "He'll get the most out of mediocre talent and have his teams overachieve for a few years (this is his fifth in Chicago), but after awhile, players get sick of him and tune him out. According to various players around the league [read more...]

Scott Skiles’ Success Story

You may not think it by looking at him, but Bulls coach Scott Skiles has been through a lot in his life. He grew up in a lower-class, blue-collar family, and later set the NBA's all-time record for assists in a single game - 30. Recently he has been busy turning the Bulls around from perennial laughing stock to contender, [read more...]

Is That A Mask? Or Is He Really A Superstar?

Friday night against the Knicks, 22-year-old Bulls resident hopeful superstar Luol Deng shined, torching NY for 29 points and outrebounding Eddy Curry by 7 for a double-double. Heading into the 2004 NBA Draft, critics told us that Deng lacked athleticism and would never be a top-level talent, allowing him to slip to the Bulls at #7. Deng has since embarrassed [read more...]

Let’s Play Trade

Growing up in the Chicagoland area, I was constantly barraged as a teenager by the crazy machinations of trades and moves from Chicago Tribune columnist Sam Smith. It got so bad that on his way out of town, Jerry Krause actually made business cards for Smith with the title of "Fake GM." Despite their usual implausibility, the ideas were always [read more...]

Matters of Size

The Bulls beat Detroit last night, for their fourth win in five games. It's too early to say they are back on track - they are still five games under .500 - but winning is always better than losing. The victory had to be particularly sweet for Ben Wallace, especially since it was the second time this year the Bulls [read more...]

The Travails of Captain Kirk

"We simply must accept the fact that Captain Kirk is no longer alive…" - Spock In the late 1960's a young Canadian white man burst onto the scene, boldly captaining the Starship Enterprise, "where no man has gone before." William Shatner was a smashing success as Captain Kirk, seizing the screen and the imagination of young people. Despite failing to really evolve [read more...]

Can a Window Be Closed Before It Opens?

Let me take you back, Bulls fans. Take you back a few years and a million lifetimes ago, before I ever had any foolish dreams about wanting to be a writer. Entering the 2003-04 season, Bill Cartwright was the coach of a young Bulls franchise that featured unproven young bucks: Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, Jamal Crawford, Jay Williams, and a rookie [read more...]

Bad, Bad Chicago Bulls

Even though I know for a fact that Bulls coach Scott Skiles reads my columns on a regular basis looking for guidance, he neglected to take my advice concerning changes to the starting lineup. He ended up replacing Tyrus Thomas with Andres Nocioni, rather than moving Ben Gordon to the bench. While Noce had been playing well enough to deserve to [read more...]

No Bull - Time for Change is Now

It was not too long ago that the Bulls were predicted by many experts to win the East. That now seems a distant memory, given the 1-5 start. Rookie Joakim Noah voiced his displeasure, saying "Teams are getting anything they want on us.'' He was later supported by local wiseman Jay Mariotti for him comments. Memo to Noah: I know you're [read more...]

Here, There & Everywhere

Best of the Worst, So What? The Chicago Bears are 5-3, should be 6-3 after their battle with the league's best JV team, San Francisco, this weekend, and at this point are the clear favorites to win the NFC North. So what, you say. There are 20 teams that could win this division. To which I ask, since when is it so objectionable [read more...]

Around the Horn

We know you thought this would happen. So pardon us for feigning, no, actually displaying pure shock. Still, while watching the Bulls land in the 4th spot in the East, we are still palpably surprised. Whether the glass is half full: the Bulls are a strapping, resourceful young team, or half empty: the East is more shallow and empty than Nick [read more...]

Guide to Christmas Shopping

For Carlos Beltran - Seeing as he's set to make about $60 billion over the next few years, I would say that your best bet would be making something instead of buying something. Maybe a personally created mix CD, or a self-edited compilation of your personal home movies, complete with excessive slow motion, many star wipes and a soundtrack courtesy [read more...]

Only in Chicago

Thursday, February 26, 2004 It is a strange thing to be a sports fan in Chicago. Fans here are among the most rabid, most loyal creatures in the universe, but with this comes a strange type of depression, bordering on schizophrenia. Chicagoans love to win; they wish nothing more than for their teams to win championships, but the ownership of the major [read more...]