Fire Ryan Poles | Fire Ben Johnson

This is not what I wanted to write on a Saturday afternoon. Coming home today, I heard on WBBM that Hroniss Grasu, the man who was going to be the starting center this season, is out with a “serious non-contact injury”. That pretty much means he tore his ACL. FUCK.

And all of the Bears wide receivers and tight ends seem to be on the injury report already. And preseason games haven’t even started yet. Alshon Jeffery has a shitty hamstring injury again. As much as I love the guy, this may be his last year in Chicago because of the inability to stay healthy. He’s not going to get the money he is asking for.

This is what the NFL is these days. It just sucks because this is happening to the Bears and all too often, the Bears have a ton of injuries every year in training camp. It seems to be even worse now.

Grasu was someone I was very excited about this year and this really pisses me off. The good news is, the Bears have signed and drafted a ton of lineman this offseason. The only issue is, most of these guys’ natural position isn’t center and they may not be that great if they switched to it. The Bears may need to go look for help on the waiver wire as the preseason goes on.

The Bears start the preseason Thursday against the Broncos at Soldier Field.

August 1st, 2008

Wow. That was a long time ago. I do tend to repeat myself, but this place is really fantastic.

We’ve pissed people off, some of them, famous folks in Chicago sports (Hi, Sarah Spain). We’ve also pissed off some of the lesser-known folks on the internet.

We’ve seen a lot of friends come and go on this site over the years. If I try to list everyone, I know I will forget some of them. But I have to thank my good frendt, Genrebuster, for helping out on the site. I had the pleasure of meeting him back in March. He’s a good dude.

Our friend Ernie mentioned this a while back, but I’ll reiterate it: This is a place where all of us can just forget about the bullshit in the real world and just talk sports. It’s really the only escape. Oh, and bar skanks. That can always be discussed as well. I love them and I am sure most of you love them too.

I seriously didn’t even imagine this site going this long. I started it three months or so after college while entering adulthood. I lived in four different apartments and one house in that span. Needless to say, I am done moving.

You guys all rule and I mean that sincerely. Even you, Yeti, whom I’ve met up with several times over the years. Just please, shave that beard. You look like you are going to scope out the high school near you when school starts again.

Thank you everybody.

As you can see, the header as been changed as we are now, Fire John Fox. I have given up on the Bulls attempting to make any kind of change whatsoever in management. John Paxson and Gar Forman will never be fired. I bet if John Paxson tells a homeless person to get a job with all of the news stations in the city broadcasting it, the idiot will probably be given a raise by the old and senile, Jerry Reinsdorf. Fuck this.

Now, the focus shifts to John Fox and the Chicago Bears as training camp has just begun. As the bottom of the header says, we are just getting a head start on the inevitable. It will be like the Bears when injuries begin happening and Ted Phillips goes on TV to tell the whole world that he likes what he sees. I want Ted Phillips to be fired and be seen working at a White Castle. I swear to God, he looks like a manager at a White Castle. It’s time for him to live up to that.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/wisconsin-woman-arrested-after-mowing-lawn-topless-police-richfield-387940542.html

Heh. I doubt she was hot anyway.

I missed the press conference on Friday out of just not being aware, but did hear the news the day before that Charles Tillman was going to sign with the Bears and retire right after.

I wasn’t always his biggest fan, mainly because of his play on the field for quite a few years. However, towards the end, I felt I could support the guy. When he was a rookie, I will never forget the interception he just ripped out of Randy Moss’s hands on a cold day at Soldier Field in December. The Bears, obviously out of playoff contention as they usually are in December, had a game against the Vikings. I believe Culpepper was doing what he did at the time and just drove them down the field. In the final minute or two, the Vikings were at the goal line. A pass was thrown right for Moss when Tillman jumped in and took it away.

Yes, play on the field for a certain amount of years frustrated me. The whole “Cover Who” bullshit pissed me off and part of that was Lovie. He would have a bad game or two at the most inopportune times.

But Charles Tillman, the person, is what also I want to show my gratitude for. From the family man to charity work he has done and continues to do, the man is high on the scale. He cares. He cared about the game. I can remember in 2014 on the Sunday Night game against the 49ers. When someone told him on the sideline about his injury, you could see tears go down his face. That’s someone who gives a shit. When it comes to off-the-field things, he helped with charities and spoke out about health conditions with his daughter.

It sucks more guys like him aren’t really around in sports anymore. It’s almost like an extinction now. Sure, some guys do some good things. But Tillman has been one of the most respected football players of the last decade both on and off the field. Nobody really had a bad thing to say about him. One thing I really enjoyed was him coming on The Score to talk to Laurence Holmes. He was on the other day and it was a good listen. In the past, Laurence would let him stay on the air when he wasn’t supposed to be. He talked about things other than football too.

So, to #33, thank you for the memories and sorry about the awful “fuck you” at the end of your name through the early part of this decade. You’re cool, though.

Enjoy it, my man. You are already becoming my favorite Bull!

What an amazing night. Sitting there, watching the Bulls come back and show the NBA what it’s all about. I thought after 1998, I would never see the Bulls win a championship ever again. This summer, they didn’t let me down. Congratulations to Jerry Reinsdorf, the best owner fans could ask for. And major credit to Gar Forman and John Paxson for proving all of us wrong and putting together a championship team. What an unbelievaBULL season! And the best part? They beat ThomASS’s team, the Timberwolves for the title. REVENGE.

Now that my sarcasm is out of the way, this was pretty impressive. The Bulls went undefeated in the Summer League. They were down in the last couple of games and came back. They were lead by Bobby Portis, Cristiano Felicio, Jerian Grant and rookie, Denzel Valentine. All four contributed in a big way and Grant was named Most Valuable Player.

Denzel impressed me the most. The dude hit a game-tying three with 0.2 seconds left in regulation. Then, he hit the game-winner in overtime at the buzzer. He was absolutely clutch. Bobby Portis has improved and is starting to hit three point shots. If he gets that going, he is a dual-threat player on offense, meaning he can hurt you from outside or down in the post. Felicio is proving he can play center and play it well. And Grant, well, it’s early, but the guy can be valuable off the bench (if used properly).

I know. I know. These Bulls played young guys on other teams. But I was very happy to see that.

I am not sitting here saying the four guys I mentioned above are going to be All-Stars, but it would be nice to see these guys start/play significant minutes. I still feel signing guys like Wade and Rondo delays what really needs to happen: a rebuild from top to bottom.

So, yes, I went nuts celebrating the game-winner from Valentine on Monday. It may be the most fun I ever have as a Bulls fan for the foreseeable future. I have zero faith in the front office or Fred Hoiberg to rebuild this team the way it should be.

Yours truly made a spur of the moment trip down to Nashville earlier in the week for work. Apologies to loyal reader and good friend, “Pie In The Sky” for not giving him enough notice to meet. It would have been difficult given I only had two days. My last night in the city, I finally had some free time to roam the city. Not only did I jokingly piss off Nashville Predator fans with the shirt I was wearing (I promise they came at me first), but I ended up finding this pay phone. Of course, it reminded me of my younger days when I had to use one of these.

With that being said, if any of you have any humorous captions for the photo above, whether it be about sports or anything else, feel free to add it in the comments.

You want the Bulls to have their team implode? This is the way to do it, I suppose.

I may sound like a broken record here, but I seriously do not know where to start with this. I would say if you are excited about the moves the Bulls are making, you must be the same fans that were going nuts when Scottie Pippen came back in 2003. For you older folks out there, it might have been when the Bulls signed George Gervin or the Blackhawks signing Bobby Orr.

When Derrick Rose was traded a few weeks ago, Gar: The Village Idiot, decided to insult the fans and media some more by telling everyone that the goal of the team is to get younger and faster. First, I will say that it’s very common for sports figures in Chicago to insult the fans and media. We’ve seen it with all of our teams at some point in our lifetimes, no matter age we may be. Second, if the point was to get younger, why did they sign two players who are OLDER than Derrick Rose. That’s like me saying my goal is to raise my standards by picking up a better-looking bar skank when I head out to the city, but instead, I continue to go below my standards by finding some regular at the place who will have sex with anyone that can walk. Progress doesn’t happen when I do that. Sure, it’s better than nothing. But I want a woman with some class and respect for herself.

The Bulls didn’t find a woman with class and respect. They dipped below the standards, once again. It’s the norm at 1901 West Madison Street.

Dwyane Wade – This has been one of my favorite players of the post-Jordan era who never played with the Bulls. Wade is telling the whole world he’s coming home to play for the team he grew up because he felt it was time. This is bullshit. He left because Pat Riley wouldn’t give him $50 million a year (and maybe rightfully so). He came to Chicago because he didn’t really have a choice and no, Denver was not an option. Nobody wants to go there. At 34, he probably does have another year or two left in him. That’s fine and everything, but he’s had health issues. His knees are bad. He has a lot of miles on those legs throughout 13 NBA years. That’s old in the NBA. The Bulls will be lucky if he plays 70 games.

Rajon Rondo – The Bulls want to get younger, so they sign a guy three years older than Derrick Rose. Oh, and they pick up someone who has had differences with every coach he’s had. Doc Rivers no longer wanted him. Rick Carlisle wanted to get rid of him before his plane landed in Dallas. And George Karl couldn’t stand him in Sacramento. I can’t say that all three coaches are hall-of-famers in the future, but I do know this: With the exception of Phil Jackson, those are three of the most well-respected coaches in the NBA over the last 20 years. If they think Rondo is a head case who is more of a liability than anything else, then this is bad news for the Bulls. Just wait until him and Jimmy Butler have an argument. Hey, speaking of little bitches…

Jimmy Butler – This is the guy that forced Derrick Rose out of town. Whether you were on Rose’s side or not, this didn’t have to be the reason for his departure. This Richard decided to go on ESPN and tell the whole world, “Well, one of us had to go”. I’ll say this: Jimmy Butler was once, a humble and shy kid. It was good to see him evolve over the last two or three years. Someone got into this dude’s head. My guess would be ThomASS, who influenced him that he was a great player. He got paid and all of a sudden, he put himself first. With the exception of LeBron, Jimmy Butler and Paul George are the two best two-way players in the game. I never doubted the guy’s ability. It’s his attitude that I have a problem with and everyone else should too. Along with his level of play, he’s elevating his level of becoming a coach-killer. I wish this guy would just shut up, play basketball and stop worrying about how he thinks the coach is doing.

Draft picks – Tony Snell, Doug McDermott, Bobby Portis, Denzel Valentine – Yes, these are all players for the Bulls. What do they have in common? They were the last four first-round draft picks for the Bulls. Where are they? On the bench. Now, those four aren’t exactly Curry, Thompson, Durant and Green. I didn’t say they were. However, isn’t the point of drafting players in any sport supposed to be a plan to make a championship team? I like Snell and don’t think he’s that great. I think he’s a nice player to have off the bench to play ten minutes a game. McDermott, this guy can play. He showed it last year. People who argue differently will say that because he can’t play defense. Last I checked, he isn’t in the NBA because of it. He’s there because he can score. He can hit three’s, he can drive to the basketball and he’s a decent passer. That guy can be used. Bobby Portis was the guy to replace Taj Gibson. Gibson is still here but he can’t shoot or dribble and he’s getting paid a ton. That’s not a good recipe. Denzel Valentine was just drafted. None of these guys are starting. It’s Wade, Rondo, Butler, Gibson and Lopez. Oh, by the way, the Bulls traded for the wrong Lopez brother. Fuck.

Fred Hoiberg – I hate to say it because this guy is a really good dude. He seems like a great family man and loves basketball. But he’s not an NBA coach. He was doing just fine at Iowa State before he took off. Money may be do that to you, so God bless him. But he needs to go and the Bulls need to find a coach who will be respected.

While some may come here and say that the Bulls would be way worse without Wade or Rondo, they can make that argument. However, I’d rather have much younger guys playing and trying to grow. The draft pick guys I mentioned above are all coming off the bench. They may not play that much either. And even if the Bulls did suck ass, they need to get as many draft picks as possible. I mean, they aren’t even going to give Cleveland a run for their money anyway, so what’s the point of all of this? It’s a double-edged sword. Yet, the Bulls are just worried about putting butts in the seats. I’ve been to the United Center for a Bulls game once since 2011. I can’t afford to pay $400 face value for a piece of shit seat. The cheapest seats are over $100 on most nights. Yet, they continue to sell out games and I have no idea how that is possible.

In closing, they should make the playoffs now. But getting a fourth or fifth seed means nothing in the NBA. It just means a first or second round exit at best. They don’t make these moves and they would be lucky to get the eight spot. Unless this is some inside job to get the Bulls to fire Hoiberg by signing an asshole like Rondo and keeping the shithead, Butler, management will remain intact. Jerry Reinsdorf refuses to make changes. The old fart loves his former players too much. No matter what John Paxson and Gar Forman do, they have these jobs for life. We as Bulls fans are fucked.

I think the point of being good at basketball is preventing the basketball from being taken out of your hands.

Now, the Knicks have two starters with bad knees/legs. Noah will have fun in New York getting the ball stolen from behind when he pretends he’s a point guard.

Knicks fans, have fun with that.

I really don’t know where to start. I know this had to happen, but I am still shocked. With what I will be saying here shortly may put me in the minority, but that’s fine. Today, I was reminded why the Bulls are still, an inept organization from ownership all the way down to the players. Even the trainers and doctors suck too as we have heard. I pray what happened today signals an overhaul of this entire franchise, but even I am not that stupid.

Derrick Rose, Justin Holiday and a second round pick for next year go to the Knickerbockers for Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon. First, Holiday was an alright player and usually, second round picks in the NBA do nothing. The Bulls get back Lopez, who is a decent center and replaces Joakim Noah (good riddance). Jose Calderon was a pretty good point guard a few years ago and can still be pretty good. Jerian Grant must have been thrown in the trade just for the fact that he is the nephew of one, Horace Grant. I’d say the Bulls won this trade.

Now, on to Rose. At the beginning, it was a blessing. Getting a text message from someone telling me the Bulls got the number one pick in the draft that year just made me some damn excited. I think every fan was. Just seeing the dude run all over the court and how freakishly athletic he was made us all tuned into the TV.

Then, the wheels fell off.

The Bulls decide to hire a lifelong assistant coach by the name of Tom Thibodeau. From the beginning, I knew this was a problem. The Bulls were kicking the shit out of teams in their wins. They were winning by 15, 20 and even 30 points at times. The problem with that? The starters were still in games late instead of the bench players. So we saw players like Rose and Deng out there in 30-point blowouts playing 40 minutes.

This proved costly in the playoffs when, in the first year of ThomASS, the Bulls somehow made it the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat. I can just remember my head twisting with the question of why Derrick Rose wasn’t sitting out a few minutes in Games 3 and 4 of that year. He needed to rest. In Game 4, the Bulls had a chance to win late in the 4th and then, in overtime. Unfortunately, Derrick Rose ran out of gas and couldn’t make any shots. He must had played well over 40 minutes in that game. The Bulls were then put away in Game 5 after blowing a 12-point lead with just over four minutes to go.

In 2012, the proverbial knife to the chest happened. The Bulls were playing the 76ers in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs. The Bulls, up double-digits with under two minutes go, were all but done with this one. Thibodeau, who I’d bitched about countless times on this same, shitty website, for leaving starters in way too long before this game, decided to repeat his stupidity. Derrick Rose drives to the basketball and the rest is history. “Derrick Rose is hurt…Derrick Rose is hurt” is what Stacey King said on TV. Rose tears his ACL playing in a meaningless final two minutes of a playoff game. Fuck.

We knew Derrick Rose wasn’t a bright individual off the court, but that was masked by his play on the court. When he was sitting out, all of the awful comments, stories about his idiotic brother controlling his decisions and whatever else asinine came to light. I don’t have the energy to get into all of that, but needless to say, it affected his play on the court. And we can’t forget about the countless injuries that were spread out through this entire fire. Meniscus tears, sore knees, bad neck, whatever else it was, it happened to Derrick Rose.

The destruction of this man was a collective effort. It started with himself, of course. Then, it went to his virgin brother and trickled all the way down to the players, coaches and management. I still would like to think ThomASS was the fucking culprit of all it, though. ThomASS was the main reason why Derrick Rose self-destructed. If that injury happens while the game was close, then I guess it’s not. But that fact it wasn’t, still pisses me off to this day.

Nobody doubted Thibodeau’s skill of coaching. Even I said many times that he is a good X’s and O’s coach. But actually handling a team and making sure they are healthy? The absolute worst. Those 60 wins meant nothing because most of us logical fans knew that they would eventually run out of gas in the playoffs. Mark my words, the Timberwolves will do very well in the regular season eventually. That’s what teams coached by ThomASS do. When it gets to the playoffs, Thibodeau will defeat that team.

As the last couple of seasons went, ThomASS was shown the door and Fred Hoiberg was brought in. Rumors came about with Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose not getting along. I didn’t understand it either. I also felt ThomASS had a lot to do with that because he got into Butler’s head about being a great player. The humble and shy guy that came out of Marquette became egotistical. Well, he’s still with the Bulls for another four years. Derrick Rose is now gone.

So while many others are happy Rose is gone, I’ll say that I was really pulling for the guy to do well. I was praying the guy would grow up. Nearly eight years after the day he was drafted, he is now gone. And as I said earlier, I understand. But it’s time the Chicago Bulls grow up as a franchise. Tearing this whole team down from management all the way to the players, trainers and doctors needs to happen. Let this be the start.

Take out the trash.