Fire Ryan Poles | Fire Ben Johnson

So, this is how a player goes about after his former coach does everything in his power to shorten his career? I am surprised I didn’t hear about this last week when it happened, but Jimmy Butler decided to have dinner with ThomASS at Gibson’s Steakhouse downtown.

I know this shouldn’t really be a big deal. I mean, two people having dinner isn’t, in the grand scheme of things. But after all of the garbage that we have dealt with the past five years, why is Butler even associating himself with this hack? ThomASS tried to ruin his career by playing him so much, he led the league in minutes the last two years.

If I were Butler, I would have stayed as far away from this doofus as possible. And the Bulls were stupid enough to give him a max deal of five years and $95 million.

The Chicago Bulls (and Chicago Bears): One step forward. Two steps back.

From what I heard on The Score last night, the Bulls, supposedly, have a steal in the draft. He’s only been in college for two years, but it appears to management that he is ready.

I would like to be optimistic about Fred Hoiberg when it comes to using the bench. Portis is going to have to play. I am not expecting him to start but giving the team at least, 20-25 minutes a game is ideal. He’s a power forward and one would think that he would take the place of Joakim Noah, who is very bad at the game of basketball. Let’s pray Portis doesn’t rebound the ball and take it up the court like he is a point guard, only to have it stolen from behind.

There is a possibility he could play center, too. With Noah being so bad at basketball and the uncertainty of Gasol’s health, it’s very much in the realm of possibility. No other team is dumb enough to trade for Joakim Noah (even though he has an expiring contract). I think the Bulls will still have Cameron Bairstow, so that’s an option, too. Tony Snell can play forward, if needed. All of these guys are going to have to play and play well. Some of the idiot fans may have responded to that post with “those guys suck”. Seeing who the last coach of this team was, I think it’s very difficult for someone to get better at basketball when they are always on the bench.

Besides, I highly doubt the Bulls are going to make a run at trading for DeMarcus Cousins or signing Kevin Love. The Bulls will have to play with the cards their dealt. It’s time to find out if the kids can play.

Mustache rides for everyone!

This idea was suggested by loyal reader, DVX. In a previous thread, he posted this:

“We have spent so much time on this site bitching and badmouthing the coaches, GMs and owners of every Chicago team on this site, and all Joel Quenneville has done is guide this team to three Stanley Cups in six years.”

I don’t think many of has doubted Joel Quenneville often over the years. I will admit, in 2009 and 2010, I was going bat shit crazy because he kept going to Cristobal Huet in net rather than Antti Niemi. As time passed, he figured it out and the rest is history.

In 2008, Qunneville took over just a few games into the season after Denis Savard was fired. It marked the end of an era where the Blackhawks would do nothing but hire coaches who use to play for the Blackhawks. Before that, I experienced the likes of Daryl Sutter, Dirk Graham, Bob Pulford (multiple times) and Trent Yawney. I know that makes some you guys throw up in your mouth, especially the last two. I actually liked Sutter (and still do), but the rest were awful.

Joel Quenneville has won Stanley Cups with different assistant coaches and while the core of the team has remained intact, the role players have changed in each one. Do some of his lineup changes drive us nuts? I would say so, but I have learned to stopped doubting why he decides to play Kris Versteeg rather than Bryan Bickell. And that move actually paid off in the final three games against the Lightning.

He’s going to the Hall of Fame. He is third all-time in wins as a head coach and he will surpass that next year. Scotty Bowman is the all-time leader with about 500 more wins. If Quenneville coaches another 10-15 years, he will pass that.

We should be very lucky to have this guy, especially after all of the other names of past coaches in my lifetime that I named. And of course, mustaches equal championships, my frendts.

This year’s edition was a bit more thicker than the previous two. I plan on shaving later today. I am looking hideous. But it’s all worth it!

2010 – 2013 – 2015

This is just too awesome. As a kid, I never thought I would see the Blackhawks win a Cup. I know I have repeated myself with that subject, but I don’t know how else to explain it. Now, three Cups? If I ever told anyone ‘yes’, I’m a terrible liar. There is just so much to discuss.

Game 7 against the Kings last year made my heart drop. It was a deflection into the net in overtime. I would think that most teams wouldn’t even get close to that the very next year. The Blackhawks, on the other hand, make it a priority to redeem themselves. I love this fucking team. Have I doubted them in certain games? I think others may have as well throughout the playoffs. But, as a great team does, they remind you to never doubt them.

With all of the garbage that we heard about locker room issues this year, nothing phased them. There were reports of fights, due to players fucking other players’ wives and girlfriends (and even a sexy meteorologist). None of that seemed to have phased them. The only reason why some of the media made a big deal out of it was because of what happened last year in Game 7 (when some of these fights allegedly, happened) and what was going on in the winter. The Blackhawks were slumping a bit halfway through the year.

Instead of letting it get to them, they settled in and did what they did best: kick other teams’ asses.

As it was in 2010, the Blackhawks will need to get rid of some players. But I am so damn happy right now, I’ll worry about that later.

Time to celebrate.

From what the reports say, the press conference will be Tuesday. I am not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, at least ThomASS is gone. With the other, I don’t think he was the best option. It’s frustrating because Jeff Van Gundy was available but due to the thin-skinned management that is, the front office of the Bulls, he wasn’t even in the discussion. It’s a shame.

Maybe I am making too much of this, but I am going to play the history card here. 17 years ago, the Bulls hired another coach from Iowa State (Tim Floyd) and we all know how that went. I am just not a fan of college coaches being hired in the NBA. I know, Hoiberg at least, played in the NBA.

What’s also a concern is that the Bulls have given Hoiberg a five-year deal. That’s too much of a commitment for a new coach. What if things get real shitty in the next year or two? The Bulls would be stuck with three years worth of money.

As always with new coaches, we will give this guy a chance. He deserves that opportunity. Hoiberg’s mission is to make the Chicago Bulls relevant for the first time in 17 years. However, he, like his predecessor, will be on a short leash.

ThomASS is officially gone. Thank God. From what I understand, the Bulls made some offers to other teams but the asking price was too high. That just goes to show that management sucks, too. Instead of trying to get a draft pick or a decent player, the Bulls were probably asking for multiple picks or a superstar player.

Either way, this is great news. It’s addition by subtraction, in my opinion. I know Fred Hoiberg may suck as head coach. The last time the Bulls brought in someone from Iowa State was a nightmare, as well, so I’m prepared. However, I would like to think that the new coach won’t be as stupid as Tom Thibodeau when it comes to managing minutes. Maybe this new coach will actually play the entire bench rather than six players during the regular season.

For five years, we have had to deal with the PATHETIC mishandling of players. To this day, I still blame Tom Thibodeau for ruining the career of Derrick Rose. I don’t know if this team could have won a championship in the first two seasons, but that was certainly their best chance. And the coach of the team threw that away.

Bulls fans, rejoice. It’s a great day.

Feel free to share your thoughts in this thread.

The Blackhawks are the only team I cheer for that I actually faith in to win a championship. The Bears suck and the Bulls are becoming the laughingstock of the NBA. The Blackhawks don’t have many players on their team that I hate. Actually, there is nobody on the team that I hate. The coach is easy to root for and if someone doesn’t like Jonathon Toews, then they have something wrong with them.

Other than the Bulls in the 90’s, I’ve never seen a team that I grew up loving winning a championship. They have won two Stanley Cups in my lifetime and growing up with this team, I didn’t think I’d even see one. With the previous ownership, I doubt other fans were optimistic either. As good as those teams were when I was growing up, others like the Red Wings and Avalanche always disposed of them. It was so damn frustrating and to see my favorite players like Roenick, Chelios (asshole) and Belfour leave, it frustrated me even more.

One thing is for sure, the Ducks have been a thorn in the Blackhawks’ ass all series. The Blackhawks needed multiple overtimes for their first two victories. In Game 5, Jonathon Toews played Houdini by tying the game with two goals in the last two minutes. Then, the wheels fell off 45 seconds into overtime. The defense fell apart once again.

The Blackhawks are down 3-2 and have to do something they haven’t done all series: win two in a row. I am not saying it can’t be done. It’s just going to be very hard. I admit, there have been times where I thought a game was over with the Blackhawks, only to see them come back and win. I am sure others were shocked, as well. They have done that for the majority of the last few years.

Can the Blackhawks shock us again by winning two straight against the Ducks and advance to the Stanley Cup Final?

Please God, let it happen.