Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni. ✶ Thank you for your readership and contributions. ✶
It didn't mean anything. You don't care -- no one cared -- that the East won both the boys' and girls' games, both by fairly sizable margins. That's not what the McDonald's All-American Games are about.
They're about showcasing the nation's best high school basketball players, the next generation of stars who will be taking over the college game in the next year or two and will soon ascend triumphant to an NBA arena near you. (Or a WNBA arena, as the case may be, but with less triumph and bombast.)
They're about providing four dozen teenagers -- athletically precocious, increasingly pampered teenagers, but kids all the same -- with a first-class, all-expenses-paid vacation in a new city, where they can hang out and play ball, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. It's a coed basketball field trip (though I can't speak to the chaperone situation).
And at a basic level, the Games are about making money for McDonald's and the United Center and a slew of other corporate sponsors. Only a portion of the proceeds are going to Ronald McDonald House Charities.
So it was in that spirit, embracing their inconsequential but fundamentally delightful nature, that we headed over to the United Center last night. We watched from the press box, way up in the rafters, as Chicago's Anthony Davis, Wayne Blackshear and Ariel Massengale performed for an ESPN audience and visiting luminaries such as Alonzo Mourning and Doc Rivers and William "World Wide Wes" Wesley.
If you've ever wanted to be a derby girl (or know a gal who does), but are worried about the time commitment or, you know, major injuries, there's something you may want to look into: Derby Lite.
It's like this: Twice a week, women ages 18 and up meet in either the Oak Park or Forest Park locations (depending on skill level) to practice modified contact skills, do drills and derby workouts (there's nothing like leg lifts while wearing roller skates), and some scrimmaging. This is a chance for those who'd like to learn to skate to give it a whirl, and for retired roller girls and other experienced skaters to get some good exercise.
The next session starts April 5 -- visit their Facebook page or website to learn more and register.
The Cubs haven't really changed anything, though Lukas approvingly makes note of their "beautifully simple memorial patch for Ron Santo."
Of the Sox, he writes:
Disappointing move by the White Sox, who've made a major downgrade to their road jersey's sleeve patch. On the plus side, team execs have said the road grays will be worn more often this season, instead of the black alternate that increasingly [has] become the club's standard road look. Meanwhile, the "Sox" logo has also been added to the team's stirrups, although Juan Pierre and manager Ozzie Guillen may be the only ones wearing them.
Jonathan Toews and the Hawks are still down and out / Tribune photo: Chris Sweda
As the reigning Stanley Cup champions continue clawing for a playoff berth, casual and avid Blackhawks fans have the same question: What happened this season?
Eighth in the Western Conference after a rousing win in Detroit and a dispiriting loss in Boston, the Hawks aren't out of the running just yet. But with six games left in the regular season, it's been a long fall from the lofty heights of last year.
Aside from the glaring fact that the Hawks lost a notable amount of players from the Cup champions, a large struggle for the team seems to be keeping remaining talent on the ice.
The current injuries are just the latest in what seems to be a long string of hurt Hawks. Brian Campbell just returned from a foot injury that followed an illness. Before that was Jordan Hendry's season-ending ACL tear and a flu bug that wiped out Bryan Bickell and half the bench.
Wayne Blackshear (left) and Anthony Davis / Tribune photo: Nuccio DiNuzzo
Morgan Park star Wayne Blackshear won't play because of an increasingly worrisome shoulder injury, but Anthony Davis of Perspectives-MSA and Ariel Massengale of Bolingbrook are ready to go for tonight's McDonald's All-American Games at the United Center.
Look also for Morgan Jones, a wing forward from Florida who lived in Wicker Park briefly as a teenager. She'll be back in town this fall as Northwestern's prized recruit.
Austin Rivers, who alternates with Davis atop most national recruiting rankings, is another Floridian with Chicago ties. He is the son of former NBA all-star Doc Rivers, who was a McDonald's All-American in 1980 as a senior at Proviso East High School in Maywood.
Tough night for the Bulls as they fell to Philadelphia 97-85. But with the playoffs approaching, I'm here to tell you once again: don't worry. But not because of Derrick Rose or Joakim Noah, or even because of Luol Deng's burgeoning scoring prowess. No, today it's time to share with casual Bulls fans the secret weapon passionate NBA fans have known about for years: little-used forward Brian Scalabrine, the luckiest player in the league.
It's a secret that stretches back to the beginning of the decade, when he was drafted in the second round in 2001 by the New Jersey Nets. He fell into luxury, as the Nets acquired Jason Kidd the day after the draft. Some of you youngsters might not know this, but the 2001 model Kidd was one heck of a point guard. He was an all-star for five straight years from 2000-2004, tacking on an NBA Skills Challenge title in 2003 for the illustrious All-Star Weekend Double.
The net result (oh you better believe that's intended) was two appearances in the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 for Scalabrine.. All this, despite being in the league only two seasons and contributing an average of 10-12 minutes per game with 2.1 and 3.1 points per game each season. STELLAR numbers.
A handful of solid playoff games in the spotlight of the Finals earned Scalabrine a big free-agent contract with Boston in 2005. They were awful for two seasons (partly because they were spending lots of their money on Brian Scalabrine), but the Celtics retooled in 2007 much like the Nets had in 2001, making major trades to bring in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Scal's first (but not last?) NBA championship came in 2008 -- this again with 10 minutes per game and barely more than a point per game scoring average -- a stat line he mirrored again last season as the Celtics went to another NBA Finals. (That's four appearances now, for those keeping score at home.)
And now, yet again, he's traded to a team stacked for a run to the Finals. OR IS CHICAGO STACKED BECAUSE OF SCALABRINE?!
An Oklahoma State recruit creatively named LeBryan Nash (a terrifying hybrid of LeBron and Steve Nash?) won the McDonald's All-American dunk contest last night at Chicago State, but the Chicago media is buzzing about one young man who wasn't able to compete.
Morgan Park guard/forward Wayne Blackshear, one of three locals picked for the nation's premier high school all-star games, dislocated his left shoulder during Monday's practice session, knocking him out of the dunk contest and Wednesday's game. He's got a sling on his arm, but the Louisville recruit shouldn't be out too long.
Chicago basketball fans will have to make do Wednesday night with two other local all-stars: Kentucky recruit Anthony Davis of Perspectives-MSA and Tennessee recruit Ariel Massengale of Bolingbrook.
My annual spring training trips began by accident.
Five years ago, I took a spring break trip to south Florida to decompress after midterms. A family friend offered a spare ticket for a Minnesota Twins game and off I went to a baseball game in February, which seemed unnatural. The ice and snow were still thick up north, but I was sitting in a stadium chair with the warm sun beating on my face.
Baseball in spring was wonderful.
Every year since, while my peers saved up to seek trouble and skirt the law at spring break hot spots, I saved for a plane ticket to spring training. My accidental baseball vacation became a rite of passage that this year blossomed into a full month at Grapefruit League spring training.
You might not understand my love for spring training unless you've experienced it yourself. It's hard to explain; it's definitely different than regular season baseball.
The women's race on Friday night / Photo: Amy Dykema
The Gapers Block Criterium series came to a close Friday after five bitter cold nights of racing in Calumet Park. The series is great practice for beginning and intermediate racers to gain experience before the season picks up. As many first-time racers as first-time road racers came out to the crits, with familiar faces from other cycling disciplines lining up on the start.
The women's category 4 field was hotly contested. Racers were battling it out for enough overall points to win a Hulot Frame courtesy of TATI Cycles in Hyde Park, and TATI's women's team dominated the races in both numbers and strategy. Its four main riders tried attack after attack, breaking from the pack and whatever their "Platoon" strategy was to win four out of five nights of the women's category 4 races. The competition for the frame came down to the final night, when Katie Isserman of Bellum Racing earned the most overall points by winning Friday's race, added to three previous second-place finishes.
The men's category 4/5 races saw more mixed results. On Monday the men had two full heats, but participation waned as the temperature dropped. Cesar Hernandez of Play it Again Sports Cycling braved the cold and worked his way to three consecutive wins in the second men's heat.
With Opening Day in Cleveland a week away, here's a refresher course for any White Sox fans still getting up to speed:
Off-season recap
Despite a slow start to the hot stove season, leading many fans to suspect that the team was going the money-saving rebuilding route after another second-place finish, things began to heat up in early December with the signing of Adam Dunn and the re-signing of A.J. Pierzynski, followed by the return of The King, team captain Paul Konerko. Paulie himself wasn't sure he'd be back for 2011, but the combined efforts of the front office along with Reinsdorf's legendary loyalty and willingness to open up the checkbook brought Paulie back to the South Side. The White Sox were "All In."
Christmas on the South Side continued with the signings of relievers Jesse Crain and Will Ohman, the former a notorious White Sox killer as a Twin -- a move that sapped pitching strength from the Twins while shoring up the back end of the Sox bullpen -- and the contract extensions of Alexei Ramirez and Matt Thornton. All the gory details of the White Sox off-season moves are available here, but it's safe to say that the White Sox front office had a very productive winter.
Boozer and Noah have had a lot of fun watching the Bulls reserves / Tribune photo: Nuccio DiNuzzo
With an even dozen games left in the NBA regular season, the Bulls lead the Eastern Conference by one game after Boston's last-minute loss to Memphis on Wednesday. With one more meeting between the two contenders (two weeks from now in Chicago), there's precious little breathing room in the race for the No. 1 playoff seed.
Stars like Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo get all the attention, but both teams also have good depth. With the mentally and physically exhausting playoff routine approaching, it's a good time to see who they'll be relying on to give their starters much needed rest in the middle of a tough seven-game series.
Jonesing for another fantasy baseball team to feed your addiction?
Want to match wits with Gapers Block's best and/or brightest staff writers?
We reserved a spot in our league this year for one lucky reader. It's yours if you're the first to answer (or closest to guess at) this trivia question:
How many all-star catchers, combined, have the Cubs and White Sox had?
Cubs outfielder Fernando Perezwrites poetry and has been published in Poetry and the Southern Review, tweets and maintains a blog, but he's having trouble maintaining his batting average. He's currently hitting .161 in the preseason, well below his career .234, and may not make it to the big game if things don't improve. At least he has a backup plan:
Probably the best story you'll hear about the Mud Queens of Chicago comes from a show about a year ago at Reggie's, the South State Street club that was the first venue to allow the dirtiest, rowdiest girl wrestlers in town back a second time.
The crowd at Reggie's had seen this before, or at least many of them had, at one makeshift art space or another since Meg Bell first gathered her ragtag bunch of punk/feminist wrestlers in 2004. They were ready, or at least many of them were, for brawling babes and loud rock and roll and a wall-to-wall mess of mud and beer that would make you instantly regret bringing any piece of clothing you wanted to wear again.
But nobody was ready for that night's incarnation of Gladys Nightmare, Jen Anderson's zombie prom queen character. This time she was a pregnant zombie prom queen, carrying underneath her dress a baby doll wrapped in pantyhose, covered in spaghetti sauce.
And yet, that wasn't the crazy part. That came when Gladys' opponent, Betty Rage, made a similarly spectacular entrance, ripping the "baby" out and swinging it over her head a few times before flinging it into the crowd.
She might, one wrestler recalled, have chewed on the "umbilical cord" a bit first.
Some audience members loved it. Some hated it -- including a few of the other Mud Queens. But it's a safe bet that no one forgot it.
That kind of unforgettable show was what Meg Bell (a.k.a., The Folsom Prison Manhandler) was seeking and struggling to find after moving to Chicago in 2002. Tiring of indie rock shows and their casual-nod patrons, she found inspiration after seeing a theater company jello-wrestle as characters from the plays they'd performed that season.
"It was the first show I'd seen in Chicago where people just let loose," she said.
The Mud Queens achieve that effect, as their declaration of purpose explains, by creating:
... an event that smacks all the pretentious "hipness" across the face and brings back the true nature of fun: DIRT. This is not the stoic, introspective form of Chicago culture. This is the mud-slinging, hootin' and hollerin' kind of culture that is the Mud Queens of Chicago.
As such, live music has been a key part of the experience since the early shows in warehouses and loading docks and friends' lofts. Local bands precede the wrestlers on stage, and a riff-raff collective known as the Mud Queens Band improvises during the bouts.
Prepare for a summer full of roller derby magic! The Chicago Outfit have released their upcoming 2011 home schedule. All home games are held in the Windy City Fieldhouse (2367 West Logan Blvd). Tickets can be snagged at their site or at the door.
• May 14: Chicago Outfit Syndicate (A squad) vs Tri-City Rollergirls (Kitchener, Ontario)
Chicago Outfit Shade Brigade (B squad) vs So Ill Roller Girls (Southern Illinois)
• July 9: Syndicate vs Arch Rival All Stars (St. Louis, Missouri)
Shade Brigade vs Arch Rival St Lunachix
• Aug. 13: Syndicate vs Burning River Roller Girls (Cleveland, Ohio)
• Sept. 10: Syndicate vs Brew City Bruisers (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Shade vs Roller Girls of Central Kentucky (R.O.C.K.)
• Oct. 1: Syndicate vs Paper Valley All Stars (Appleton/Green Bay, Wisconsin)
Shade vs Paper Valley Flyin' Squirrels
The Outfit was accepted into the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) last year, which means they can now rank nationally. Despite their late appearance in the organization's 2010 season, the Outfit still performed very well, coming in ninth for the North Central division in the last quarter. It should be fun to see what this ambitious league can pull off this year.
Lindiana Jones (front) blocks a Blocker in their Dec. 4 bout against Naptown. (photo by Marc Lebryk)
Are you ready to race? Hopefully all those training miles have started to pay off because tonight is the first night of the week-long Gapers Block Criterium series in Calumet Park.
The Gapers Block races are some of the few bike races in the Chicago city limits and only 20 minutes from the Loop. They're great to spectate, but it's even more fun to participate.
I had planned to scold the Bulls for missing a golden opportunity Friday night, as they lost to the Indiana Pacers in overtime, 115-108. (Yes, the same Pacers who trail Chicago by 20 games in the Central Division.) Boston's win Saturday in New Orleans means the East's top two teams are once again tied in the standings.
And perhaps the Bulls still deserve a scolding, but Derrick Rose can leave the room. Because right now, all I want to say to him is this:
Starlin Castro made his major-league debut last May against the Cincinnati Reds. The past few years Cubs fans had been hearing about this kid shortstop and were wondering just what all the fuss was about. Well, Castro showed everyone what the Cubs brass already knew. In his first at-bat he hit a three-run homer and he added a three-run triple a few innings later. Not too shabby for a 19-year-old.
So where does he go from here?
Like many rookies coming off stellar first years, Castro is looking to avoid the proverbial sophomore slump, but what about next year and the year after that? As someone who watches this team on a daily basis, I think it is hard to envision the young Dominican's stock going anywhere but up.
Patrick Kane hoists the Cup at last year's victory parade / Tribune photo: William DeShazer
My love of sports is rivaled only by my love of people-watching. It's a habit I developed as a child that I've never been able to shake. Combine the two at a Blackhawks game and you find seven types of people. Chances are you've met them too.
White-Collar Hockey Elite
These men are hard workers -- typically VPs or CEOs -- heading to the game straight from the office. They have season tickets to schmooze their clients and impress their suppliers. These fans are the easiest to spot: a Chelios jersey (he's the captain, right?) over their white oxford shirt, dress slacks and loafers. (Tie optional.) These fans sit in the 100 level and sip Glenlivet instead of beer.
My Honey's Jersey
While some girls love hockey (myself included), others were clearly tricked into going to the hockey game. I'm sure he probably called and said, "I've got a big surprise for you tonight," then showed up with two XXL sweaters: one for him and a Toews one for her. Instead of the romantic dinner she'd envisioned, they are in the 300 level awkwardly eating undercooked French fries smothered in ketchup. Not only do these girls hate hockey, they don't care to understand it either.
Fauxhawks
Since it's too cold to meet at Wrigley Field for a Cubs keg party, these guys migrate to the United Center. They talk on their cell phones incessantly and break all the commandments of hockey. They get up to get more beers before the whistle and scream "SHOOT IT" every time the Hawks have the puck. They are drunk by the end of the first period because they pre-gamed heavily at a bar in Lincoln Park. They puke on the No. 19 bus on their way back to the Brown Line.
Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough (right) drives against DePaul's Moses Morgan / Tribune photo: Chris Sweda
With four games in the books from the opening round or first round or whatever marketing term they're using this year, the NCAA men's basketball tournament begins in earnest today with a glorious smorgasbord of 16 games.
Tomorrow, Chicago gets in on the action, with four games at the United Center (and another two on Sunday). You'll have to check the secondary market for tickets -- or if you just want a taste, stop by the UC today to see the teams practice for free.
Each team gets 40 minutes on the court, starting with Akron at noon. They're followed, in order, by Florida State, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Purdue, Georgetown, St. Peter's and VCU, which is scheduled to wrap things up at 7:20 p.m.
Ronnie Brewer passes around JaVale McGee to Omer Asik / Tribune photo: Nuccio DiNuzzo
Looking better in green than their Boston brethren with snazzy St. Patrick's Day uniforms, the Chicago Bulls took sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference last night by beating the visiting Wizards. Playing without Joakim Noah (illness) and Carlos Boozer (ankle), the Bulls relied on 23 points from Derrick Rose, 20 from Luol Deng and 17 from Keith Bogans to reach seven wins in a row for the second time this season.
They're now half a game ahead of the Celtics and 2.5 games ahead of Miami in the race for the East No. 1 seed, which carries with it the opportunity to avoid the other two contenders until at least the conference finals.
Boston still has 17 games to play, Chicago only 16, but the two teams face each other in the United Center on Thursday, April 7. Miami has even fewer chances to make up ground, with only 15 regular-season games left.
But best of all for the Bulls, they have the easiest slate of opponents remaining. Let's go to the tape!
Marlon Byrd was fantastic last season after coming over from the Texas Rangers and he has picked up where he left off. In 11 games this spring, he is hitting 15-for-30 with four doubles, a home run and four RBIs.
The former Phillies and Nationals outfielder fared well in his return to the senior circuit last season, batting .293 with 12 home runs, 66 RBIs and a .775 OPS. The numbers aren't eye-popping, but they are right in line with his career numbers. His first-half numbers were good enough to earn him his first trip to the All-Star Game, where he played a huge role in securing the National League's first win since 1996.
Given how dominant he's been this season, it's no surprise that Bulls MVP candidate Derrick Rose made the cover of this month's ESPN The Magazine. But more than that, the magazine's theme this month -- they always have a theme -- is athletes and fashion, so Rose is decked out in Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton and Tom Ford throughout his five-page spread.
Ric Bucher's cover story and the full Style Issue feature -- which also includes Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh, Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson, New York Rangers left wing Sean Avery and golfer Ian Poulter -- are available online to ESPN Insider subscribers. Or check it out on your local newsstand.
Only three games into their 2011 home season, and a pattern is developing among the Windy City Rollers' teams. After their 145-101 win against the Hell's Belles on Sat., March 12, the Fury established their place at the top with a 3-0 season thus far. The Double Crossers, however, maintained their position at the bottom of the pack with yet another loss. The Manic Attackers creamed the Crossers, ending the bout in the Manics' favor, 168-39.
Double Crossers' Jammer Dame Over prepares for take-off.
Hell's Belles' Pominatrix (center) attempts to take out Fury Jammer Ol' Drrrty Go-Go (right).
From left: Scott Williams, assistant coach Johnny Bach, Dennis Hopson, John Paxson, Horace Grant, Craig Hodges, Stacey King, Michael Jordan, Will Perdue (obscured), Scottie Pippen, Cliff Levingston. Tribune photo: Chris Sweda
Twenty years ago this June, the Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship, the first of six they would win with Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson. Saturday night, most of the members of that 1990-91 team reunited to be honored at halftime of the Bulls-Jazz game.
After the jump, we've got all the best tweets and photos from the historic night, but you might want to start with this CSN video of the ceremony:
For some reason, Chicago cyclists have this reputation as being big drinkers. Could it be the good amount of great breweries in the vicinity? Aye, but also the fact that riding bikes and beer drinking goes so well together.
This Sunday, March 13, go for a ride at a quick pace to 3 Floyds in Munster, Indiana with the Bonebell Crew. Meet at 9 a.m. sharp at the Lakefront Path and 63rd in Hyde Park for a spirited jaunt to enjoy suds and food at one of the premiere area brewers.
Please take note of the advice in the above link. The ride is not for pure novices or folks who have not ridden a bike since last fall. Expect to work up an appetite with about 30 miles of raw bike action.
Riding a bike on the open road is the same as driving a car, with respect to the law, so responsibility and maturity is of course warranted.
Bulls power forward Carlos Boozer sprained his ankle in Wednesday's win in Charlotte, but nothing's broken and he's now listed as day-to-day. Taj Gibson will again step in as Boozer's replacement, and coach Tom Thibodeau has few worries about how he'll perform.
"Taj started a majority of the season last year and played great," Thibodeau said. "We had the (hand) injury to Carlos early on in the season and he started (15 games) then. He's very comfortable starting. Whenever he has gotten extended minutes, he has played extremely well."
Little to say here, because we've already been down this road a few times this year. Rest up, big guy, the biggest games are yet to come.
***
Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf pulled a half-hearted Rex Ryan impression, telling the Sun-Times that with the nucleus the team has now, "at least four championships" are possible.
"We have an outstanding coach, an outstanding bunch of players, the team is deep, and if we stay healthy we have an awfully good chance of winning at least four championships."
Ugh. OK, folks. I suppose it was inevitable, and perhaps we deserve a pat on the back for doing a very good job of not getting ahead of ourselves. A six-game win streak here, seven there, a legitimate MVP contender -- yet even still, most Bulls fans and observers kept their cool. "They've got no shooting guard," we said. "There are too many injuries", we said. "Good lord, why is Keith Bogans starting?!" we said.
We faithfully doubted, excited by the Bulls' precocious accomplishments but nervous about their youth and potential vulnerabilities. But with 19 games left, 1 1/2 games out of first place in the East, the Central Division title assured and a sweep of the Heat completed, I suppose it's time to go over the falls, for better or for worse.
But four? Let's focus on one for now, Jerry. A lot can happen over four years, as former Bulls No. 2 overall pick Jason/Jay Williams knows all too sadly.
We here at Tailgate have a general policy of ignoring the details of whatever's going on at spring training -- unless your Cy Young candidate blows out his elbow or breaks a rib -- but it's undeniably encouraging to see Jake Peavy throwing well for the White Sox.
With less than three weeks left in Arizona, Peavy is on track to open the season as Ozzie Guillen's No. 5 starter -- and if you're trying to wrap your brain around the magnitude of that achievement, ESPN.com and MLB.com both had lengthy pieces this week on his uncommon injury and arduous recovery. Highly recommended.
Last time we checked in on the Blackhawks, I was lamenting their fall from Stanley Cup champions to borderline playoff contenders. But they had begun to pick up steam at the end of February, and they surged into March, running their win streak to eight games before last night's 3-2 loss at Florida.
Formerly kicking around the edge of the Western Conference playoff standings, the Hawks now sit in fourth place as they get ready to drop the puck tonight in Tampa Bay.
Tuesday's first period was arguably Chicago's ugliest of the season, as the Panthers took a 3-0 lead and Marty Turco replaced Calder Trophy contender Corey Crawford at the first intermission, but the Hawks otherwise have been playing as well as they have all season. The chemistry on the ice is palpable, with the first line staying hot.
The Bulls are in fine shape with 20 regular-season games remaining, sitting second only to Boston in the Eastern playoff race, but there's still plenty of work to be done, even after winning six of their past seven games. That's why they are so fortunate to have the calming presence of coach Tom Thibodeau.
After Sunday's one-point win in Miami, the biggest story nationally wasn't Chicago's three-game season sweep of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade & Co., but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra's curious decision to tell the media that some of his players took the loss so hard they were crying in the locker room.
I'm not going to comment on the crying itself; there are plenty of others willing to do that. But Deadspin's Barry Petchesky wrote a short piece yesterday related to the sob story, and it's gone a long way towards increasing my appreciation for Thibodeau.
Strap your skates on--it's time for more derby with the Windy City Rollers this this Saturday, March 12, at the UIC Pavilion (525 S. Racine). This month's bout pits the Manic Attackers vs Double Crossers and Hell's Belles vs. the Fury. The game begins at 6pm. Tickets start at $20; get yours at the door or through Ticketmaster.
The Bulls have only been around for 44 years, but it's still impressive that their first star, Jerry Sloan, and their latest, Derrick Rose, can be connected through only five degrees of NBA separation.
Sloan, an all-star with the 1966-67 expansion Bulls, played the year before in Baltimore with:
Cubs catcher Geovany Soto / Tribune photo: José M. Osorio
Rob Neyer had some good things to say about the Cubs when he previewed them two weeks ago for his new site, SBNation.com, but the longtime ESPN.com columnist went a step further when he stopped by Jonah Keri's podcast recently, picking them as his biggest surprise of 2011.
Now, that doesn't mean Neyer is ready to go out on a limb and predict the Northsiders will surge past the Cardinals, Reds and Brewers in the NL Central, but "if you're looking for a real surprise team," he said, "you could probably do a lot worse than the Cubs."
I think that the Cubs have a chance to be a lot better than people expect. ... On paper, they're still the fourth-best team in the NL Central. I get that, and that's right. But I think that if you're looking for a real surprise team, you could probably do a lot worse than the Cubs. ...
I think they have five or six positions where they could be much better this year than they were last year -- and that doesn't include the pitching, which probably should be at least as good. I would say they're going to be better at first base, third base, marginally left field, probably second base -- I'm forgetting one of them -- oh, shortstop, probably. [Starlin] Castro will go up maybe a notch. There's just a lot of room for improvement on that team. I can see them going 85-77 rather than 75-87, which is what they did last year.
Ah, it's nearly springtime, or what I like to call Spaghetti Wrestling Season. Celebrate with the Chicago Outfit as they hold their 3rd Annual Spaghetti Wrestling event. Expect drink specials, merch for sale, and, of course, derby girls in pasta. The shenanigans take place on Friday, March 11 at Exit (1315 North Ave.). Doors open at 9 p.m. and the wrasslin' begins at 11. Partial proceeds will be donated toward fighting hunger in Chicago.
It was noon on a Saturday and the crowd looked at each other expectantly, waiting with baited breath for the sound of the bull horn to signal the start of the race. Despite it being the month of March, winter wasn't giving up and there was a tingling chill and flutters of snowflakes across the cold air. Still, the costumed participants seemed to be too cheerful to notice, to of the moment and just as ephemeral as a fleeting snowflake. The glacial climate was canceled out with a gleeful rush and a promise to enjoy the day, no matter what, because something great was going to happen and all witnesses and racers could feel it down to the tingling of their spines.
The assault on urban sensibilities, crowd control and sobriety, The Chiditarod, has returned for its 6th year. The forecast couldn't call for crappier weather and per usual the "dogs" are ready to mush thru the slush all for the name of charity, madness and fun!
The race begins just south of the Wolcott-Grand intersection and spectators are invited to show up for the en masse start of costumed freaks and fanatics as they scramble for an advantage (or plot their sabotages) en route to the first checkpoint. The race begins at noon and people usually start showing up around 10 or so...
IF YOU GO:
The starting line (Hubbard & Wolcott, you'll know when you get there) is an amazing experience for spectators and racers. Show up there and then bounce to checkpoints.
Play Nice! Cheer on everybody. Hi-Fives for everyone, people.
You're an observer, not a Chiditarod cop; there are judges and bike marshalls, so if you observe shenanigans, let 'em slide, Narc!
The Chicago Outfit said in an interview with the Windy City Times on Wednesday that they have decided to create an official policy allowing transwomen to skate with the derby league. The decision came after skater Bethany Johnson, aka Meg Gyver, joined the Outfit as a member of the Outfit's B team, the Shade Brigade. Although Johnson didn't initially disclose that she was transgender, she eventually came out to the league. The policy requires trans skaters to have completed certain lengths of time of hormone therapy, but gender reassignment surgery is not necessary.
It's been a bit of a crazy week for the Chicago Bulls, and they're about to head into one of their toughest weekends all season with games against the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. Let's get our head right, as I'm sure some of you are probably still clearing the cobwebs away from that shocking collapse Wednesday night in Atlanta.
Tom Thibodeau at work / Tribune photo: Scott Strazzante
You didn't see much evidence of it last night in Atlanta, but the Bulls have been pretty good this season. That means plenty of MVP buzz for Derrick Rose, but it also means Tom Thibodeau is a top candidate for the NBA's Coach of the Year award.
Under their first-year head coach, the Bulls have already reached last year's win total at 41-18, currently good for third in the Eastern Conference, three games behind first-place Boston.
That record should certainly get you invited to the dance as far as COY. But this year certainly brings some good competition, such as San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, whose blend of new and old Spurs have the league's best record, and Scott Brooks, another coach who has taken a young cast in the form of the Oklahoma City Thunder and steered them into fourth in the West.
The Bulls were good defensively last year in Vinny Del Negro's final season, allowing 105.3 points per 100 possessions, which ranked 11th in the NBA. But this year, under Thibodeau, that defensive rating is 100.2, second only to the Celtics. Opponents are shooting 42.9 percent this year against Chicago, compared to 44.5 last year.
As a general principle, I'm all for Ozzie Guillen saying whatever he wants. Most of the so-called controversies that surround the outspoken White Sox manager are the product of our oversensitivity and a media culture that rewards every non-politic utterance with disproportionate attention.
On the other hand, this public feud Ozzie has been having with Bobby Jenks since the big man left for Boston is simply ridiculous.
Jenks has a hallowed place in White Sox history, and this is no way for him to go out. More important, would you want to play for a manager who (or whose family) publicly trashes a player after he's gone and spills his personal problems to the media?
