Bulls win in Boston

After getting off to a sluggish start on Friday afternoon, the Bulls showed they were the better team as they beat the Boston Celtics 109-102 although it was a hard fought win.

The Celtics led 35-24 at the end of the first quarter but the Bulls cut that deficit to single digits by halftime.

What is also noteworthy is that the Celtics lost their previous two games in which they had a double digit lead.

Six Bulls players, four of them starters reached double-digits in scoring. Jimmy Butler had 22, Derrick Rose had 21, Pau Gasol finished with 15 and Joakim Noah rounded out the starters in double-digits with 15.

Considering that the Celtics started play 4-8, the Bulls had trouble with defensive rebounds and second chance opportunities throughout the entire game.

The Celtics had a dozen offensive rebounds but the Bulls had 18. With two minutes left and the score tied at 100, Jeff Green drove to the basket got fouled missed both foul shots, then Butler made two foul shots to give the Bulls a 104-102 lead and Boston never scored after that moment.

In the final minute of regulation, Noah made a key block and made a shot that looked like it wouldn’t go in but it did.

Looking ahead, the Bulls finish their 7 game road trip on Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn at 2 PM.

If the Bulls can finish the road trip 4-3, it will be a key hurdle that they will have overcome considering Gasol missed a couple games, Rose missed the games in LA, Sacramento and Portland, then you have Taj Gibson who left the game in Portland and wont play at the very earliest until after the team comes back to the United Center on Tuesday evening.

Major League Baseball replay and rules

After a few years of limited replay, in 2014, MLB expanded replay to include not just home runs and after a rough start, the replay system got better as the season went on relatively speaking.

One issue I have with the replay is how long challenges can take. I remember many manager challenges that took well over 2 maybe 3 minutes.

I understand that the goal of the umpires on the field and in New York are to get the call right but challenges that take this long can throw off the timing of the game and the players involved.

One controversial rule that got attention quite often last season is the home plate collision rule or known as the Buster Posey rule.

My issue with this rule is that this rule is open to interpretation and is not clear. There was a situation this past season on July 31 in which Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton through out a Cincinnati Reds runner at home plate but after review, the umpires concluded that Marlins catcher Jeff Mathis illegally blocked the plate and the Reds ended up winning that game.

The confusion with this rule is rooted in the fact that catchers can not block the plate unless they have the ball.

I believe that this rule has been successful considering you don’t see many collisions these days and catchers are being protected, which is the main objective of this new rule. What will need to be cleared up is how the rule is interpreted because no one knows how to interpret when the catcher can enter the runner’s path or when the runner can collide with the catcher and enters his path.

Starting in 2015, managers can now signal from the dugout and I think that will speed up the pace of challenges instead of managers having to come out of the dugout and talking to the umpire.

Some ways MLB can speed up the pace of the game are being experimented in the Arizona Fall league.

Some examples include: on intentional walks, the catcher flashes the four fingers and the runner went to first base immediately after, and teams were allowed three mound conferences per game.

You may think that would sound harsh but officials at the Arizona Fall League say it was rare for teams to make more than one mound conference in a game.

According to its own stats, MLB games on average took over 3 hours to complete in 2014, compared to just under 3 in 2013. Another topic of discussion with regard to longer games is when the pitcher gets the ball back from the catcher, they are supposed to deliver the next pitch within 12 seconds after the pitcher receives the ball according to rule 8.04 the “12 second rule.”

The problem is that umpires are not enforcing that rule as it says and it says in part, every time a pitcher breaks this rule, the umpire shall call a ball.

These experiments are not limited to when a team is on defense. The batter must keep at least one foot in the box throughout an at-bat unless one of a series of established exceptions occurs, in which the batter can leave the batter’s box but must stay in dirt area surrounding home plate according to a press release on the MLB website.

Something must be done to speed up the game because too many fans are turned off when the game goes by real slow and that is hurting the game in part, they want to see a nice pace especially when seeing the game up close.

Blackhawks at Colorado Avalanche

The Blackhawks continue their west coast road trip Wednesday as they enter the Mile High city.

The Hawks won their first two games of the road trip in Calgary and Edmonton but lost Sunday night in Vancouver.

The Hawks start play Wednesday night with a record of 12-8-1 while Colorado is 8-9-5 under second year head coach Patrick Roy.

Hawks forward Andrew Shaw is expected to play after missing three straight games with an upper-body injury said coach Joel Quenville on Tuesday.

Forward Patrick Sharp is closer to coming back and could come back as soon as December 3 when the Hawks play the St. Louis Blues. Sharp has not played since November 4 vs. Montreal when he suffered a lower-back injury.

After starting off slowly, the Avalanche have won 4 of their last 5 games after a 6-0 loss at the New York Islanders on Tuesday November 11.

Going into play, Colorado is at the bottom of the league in goals scored with an average of 2.4 and have allowed an average of over 3 goals per game but have killed off over 88% of opposing power plays.

If the Hawks are going to cool off the Avalanche, it will be imperative to shut down centers Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon. Duchene leads the team with 6 goals and MacKinnon leads the team in points with 16.

Meanwhile, the Hawks begin play averaging just shy of 3 goals per game which ranks 7th overall, even better the Hawks are 3rd best in allowing goals in the NHL at just over 2 and have killed off 90% of opposing power plays, which ranks 1st in the entire NHL.

In Colorado’s last two games, the Av’s trailed the Washington Capitals 3-1 after the first period, came back to win and last night were down 3-0 at Arizona but came back to win in OT 4-3. The stats may tell you this may be a 3-2, 2-1 affair but considering the game is in the thin air at Mile High, all bets are off.

Bears vs. Tampa Bay

The Bears ruined Lovie Smith’s return to Soldier Field with 21-13 on Sunday afternoon over the now 2-9 Buccaneers and have won two straight after two straight embarrassing losses.

The Bears trailed 10-0 at halftime and the defense forced 3 turnovers in the 3rd quarter. Running Back Matt Forte led the way with two TD’s in the 3rd quarter both because of two Buccaneers turnovers.

Quarterback Josh McCown, who was with the Bears for 3 seasons on and off, lost a fumble and threw an interception in the 3rd quarter.

Quarterback Jay Cutler threw a 2-yard TD pass to Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffrey which got the Bears on the board.

The 3rd Buccaneer’s turnover was after Wide Receiver Vincent Jackson fumbled the ball after a 24-yard reception which would have given the Buccaneers a first-and-goal.

In addition to the 3 takeaways, the Bears held the Tampa Bay offense to just 156 yards in the second half. “We did much better on third down,” said safety Ryan Mundy, who had a third quarter interception.

Even with two straight wins, the damage from those losses in New England and Green Bay have not been un-done and will not burrowing a post-season appearance. However if the Bears can finish at 8-8 considering when the season hit rock bottom a couple weeks ago, it wont look as bad as it could have been other wise.

As I have said before, the Bears can not win consistently when they are involved in high scoring games like they have been quite often since Marc Trestman became head coach in 2013.

If the Bears are going to go back to their winning ways, they have to improve a defense that is aging with members such as Lance Briggs, who has been injury prone lately and Charles ‘Peanut’ Tillman, who was lost for the season in week 2 and is possibly on the verge of retirement.

The Bears have a short week to prepare for a Thanksgiving game at Detroit, and one of the keys to stopping the Lions will be to hold Matthew Stafford in check like the New England Patriots did Sunday. Stafford was 18-46 with 0 TD’s and 1 INT in Detroit’s 34-9 loss in Massachusetts.

Bulls at Utah Jazz

The Bulls continue their circus road trip on Monday night as they will be in Salt Lake City to play the Jazz at Energy Solutions arena.

Both teams have lost their last two and last season, the Jazz went 25-57 and through 14 games this season are 5-9 under head coach Ty Corbin.

Meanwhile the Bulls start play Monday night at 8-5 which is the best record in the central division.

The Bulls have dropped the last two, Thursday in Sacramento 103-88 and Friday in Portland 105-87 after winning their first 6 road games.

The Bulls were once again without their two best players, Pau Gasol and Derrick Rose on Friday evening. Rose, who has sat out four straight games, is questionable Monday night with a strained left hamstring and has missed 8 of the first 13 games overall. On Saturday, Gasol went to Twitter to announce that he is closer to being able to return.

Gasol, 34, has missed the last three games with a calf injury. It is uncertain as to whether Gasol will play Monday night.

The injuries are not limited to Gasol and Rose.

Taj Gibson, who left the game on Friday in Portland after hurting his left ankle, is back in Chicago and will miss the next two games, Monday in Utah and Tuesday in Denver.

Kirk Hinrich, who missed the last game with bruised ribs and a chest contusion, is doubtful on Monday.

Through 13 games according to KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, the Bulls starting five, Rose, Mike Dunleavy, Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah and Gasol have only finished only one game.

Even with the injuries, Gasol notes the resilience in the team. He also says that, “Injuries are part of the game” and goes on to mention that once the team gets over the injury bug, the team will be even better.

On the other hand, Utah has lost two straight games, to the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans.

If the Bulls are going to end their losing streak and extend Utah’s, they will have to keep Gordon Hayward in check.

Through 14 games, Hayward is averaging 19 points per game and is shooting nearly 48% from the field.

The Bulls are averaging 100 points per game while the Jazz are averaging 96.6.

Legalize Gambling in sports?

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wrote an op-ed in The New York Times last Thursday saying that he wants to bring sports gambling “out of the underground.”

Silver has called on Congress to ‘adopt framework’ that permits states to allow betting on professional sports.

However, it may be a tall order after former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for his contribution to a gambling scandal.

A day after writing the piece, Silver spoke to WFAN’s Mike Francesa and he said that the purpose for it was to get a discussion going and goes on to mention that legalized gambling is an extremely big industry.

According to David Purdum of ESPN.com, the current ban under the Amateur Sports Protection act of 1992 bans gambling in professional in all but 4 states, them being Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana.

Silver was asked by Francesa whether this would have an impact of an NBA team arriving in Las Vegas and he said it would not.

As of now, Major League Baseball has not offered a public comment, whereas the NFL has strongly opposed legalizing professional sports gambling.

Then you have NHL commissioner Gary Bettman who said in an interview with CNN’s Rachel Nichols that if Silver has his way, it would be “a vehicle for betting.”

While Silver has called on congress to lift the ban on professional gambling, the measure has not received any traction yet.

I respect Silver’s opinion on this issue but as the NFL and others have said, this would have a negative impact on professional sports as a whole.

According to an article in Bleacher report by Andre Khatchaturian that 60% of NBA players file for bankruptcy five years after retirement.

This fact does not bode well for Silver’s case and I think this is only a discussion but will go nowhere in congress.

Bulls vs. Clippers

Despite being without two of their best players, Pau Gasol and Derrick Rose, the Bulls were able to win the first of a 7 game road trip late Monday night beating the LA Clippers 105-89 in southern California.

The Bulls improve their record to 8-3 and improve to 6-0 on the road in the early going of the 2014-15 NBA season.

Jimmy Butler had 22 points while playing 44 minutes, Mike Dunleavy with his dad in attendance, contributed with 19.

In total, 6 players finished in double digits for the Bulls. Joakim Noah scored 11 points but added 16 rebounds and had 6 assists.

The Bulls were down by as much as 14 in the first half but cut that deficit to two at half and the big play was when Jamal Crawford has the ball stolen from him by Butler, he scored on a long jumper was fouled and made the free throw.

The Bulls outscored LA 31-14 in the 3rd quarter which was key in aiding them to a win. Meanwhile, in the fourth, the Bulls lead was as high as 18 then the Clippers cut the Bulls lead to 7 with about 4 minutes to go in regulation but the Bulls were able to halt the Clippers momentum when Dunleavy hit two straight 3-pointers and the Bulls never looked back.

The Bulls have two days off before they head up the coast to play the Sacramento Kings who are 6-4 in the early going.

The Bulls will be looking for revenge vs. the Kings after losing there last season 99-70. Not many teams can win games without not one but two of their best players and not just win but win in convincing fashion.

Bulls fans should be concerned when they see that Derrick Rose has missed about half of the team’s games but hopefully he can be 100% or close to it when the stakes are at its highest.

Bears win their first game at Soldier Field in 2014

The Bears finally win a game on their home turf beating the Minnesota Vikings 21-13. This is the first win at Soldier Field for the Bears since December 9 vs. the Dallas Cowboys.

The attention wasn’t just on the game but on the clock when it was not working and Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was clear when he basically said the clocks here are ridiculous not in those words but you get the idea.

Take it for what it is, two bad teams going at it but a win is a win considering how the Bears lost the last two weeks giving up 106 points vs. New England and last week their arch rival Green Bay.

Both teams are now 4-6 tied for last place in the NFC North Division. Jay Cutler had a better game today although he did throw two interceptions but luckily for Cutler,

Minnesota couldn’t take advantage of either one granted the first one was at the end of the half. The Bears lead the battle for yards by a wide margin 468 to Minnesota’s 243. Cutler was 31-43, 330 passing yards 3 TD and 2 INT.

Alshon Jeffrey Caught 11 passes for 135 yards with 1 TD, where Brandon Marshall caught 7 passes for 90 yards and 2 TD’s and that was the key to the Bears coming away on top.

The Vikings had the ball with a little over two minutes to go in regulation and were driving near the red zone when Free Safety Ryan Mundy picked off Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater in the end zone with under a minute to go.

Even with today’s win, the last two blowout losses will not be forgotten but the Bears stopped digging and started climbing and one would think that should give the team much needed momentum going into next week.

With that said, I believe that the season is lost with the previous two games, they need to minimize the effects of a lost season and have something positive to think about going into 2015.

The Bears next game is against another underwhelming opponent, Lovie Smith’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers who even after today’s win at Washington are 2-8. Although the Bears opponent, the Vikings didn’t help themselves when given opportunities by the Bears, have to make changes not just with their coaching staff but with the roster as well.

While coach Mark Trestman bears some of the brunt, I believe it ultimately comes down to the players on the field. The coach can only do so much, he is not one of the players and the players have to execute when the stakes are at its highest.

If the players are not getting the job done, they will have to face the music not just Trestman. I understand that folks want Trestman out but getting rid of him wont change much of what is a team effort or lack there of.

Since Linebacker Brian Urlacher retired at the end of the 2012 season, the Bears have failed to fill the void he left by Urlacher although it was going to be a tough one to fill. In 2013, the Bears defense ranked last in rushing defense giving up 22 rushing TD’s, which was second worst in that category behind the Redskins.

Through 10 games in 2014, the Bears are ranked 28th in pass defense. While the Bears can score points with Wide Receivers Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffrey, running back Matt Forte and tight end Martellus Bennett complementing the above average Jay Cutler, if the Bears are going to return to their full potential, the defense has to improve because the Bears are not a team that can win games on a consistent basis in which both teams score more than 30 points.

Bulls preview before the ‘Circus Trip’

In about 18 hours, the Bulls will play another pivotal game, this being at the United Center against the Pacers.

Its early but the Pacers are 3-7 after losing to the Denver Nuggets 108-87 at home Friday night while the Bulls go into play 7-2 after winning their previous game at Toronto 100-93 and enter the game tied with the best record in the eastern conference with their last opponent the Raptors.

However, Derrick Rose had to leave the game in the 4th quarter with a hamstring injury. ESPN Chicago’s Nick Friedell writes coach Thibodeau says that he is in good shape but is day-to-day but did not have to have an MRI. Rose has already missed 4 games with sprained ankles. Thibodeau said on Friday that all the injuries could be related but says that when players come back from injuries, they have to just battle their way through the injuries.

While injuries are part of the game, but when Paul George suffered a lower leg injury in Team USA scrimmage over the summer it was thought that the Pacers had no chance of contending without their super star in the lineup.

Considering in the east, you can make the playoffs with a losing record considering the Milwaukee Bucks made the playoffs in the 2012-13 season with a 38-44 record but likely not past the first round.

We all know that the Pacers will be ready to play tomorrow considering their record, the way they played tonight and when these two teams meet each other, it is always a hard fought game.

Pacers guard and forward CJ Miles left the game in the first quarter with a sore right calf. Head coach Frank Vogel said this evening that he will be evaluated tomorrow but is not optimistic that Miles will play Saturday night.

Meanwhile after Thursday evenings game north of the border, Joakim Noah told fans to basically calm down, he actually used a word that I can not post.

Tomorrow’s game is the last one before the ‘Circus road trip’ begins in Southern California. I don’t like to look too far ahead but a win on Saturday night will give confidence to the team as they head out west.

The Maddon era

The Chicago Cubs hired long time Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon to manage their team in 2015 replacing Rick Renteria who was manager for just one season.

As the general managers meetings are slated to begin next week in Arizona, it is reported by Gordon Wittenmeyer in the Chicago Sun Times that the team is looking at big name tickets including Kansas City Royals ace ‘Big game’ James Shields, Oakland Athletics pitcher Jon Lester, and New York Yankees closer David Robertson among a few listed.

The team is looking at an acquisition window that extends beyond the 2015-16 off-season, thus they will not sellout for next year as Cubs President of Baseball operations Theo Epstein stated.

Wittenmeyer also says that the team has over $30 million committed to players who will be under contract next year. Comcast Sportsnet Cubs insider Patrick Mooney reports that the team is discussing the possibility of luring Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Russell Martin to the north side.

In 2014, Martin played in 111 games had 11 home runs 67 RBI’s had an on base percentage of .402, slugging percentage of .430 and an on base plus slugging of .832. Many say he would be a good fit on the north side because he has managed a much improved Pirates starting rotation that includes Fransisco Liriano who has had an incredible amount of success vs. the Cubs. Also, he is known for getting clutch hits that have helped the Pirates win games that helped them get to the playoffs the last two seasons.

Even with the team hiring one of the best managers in the big leagues, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer is downplaying talks about a blockbuster offseason writes Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago. Jacob Kornhauser writes in Bleacher report some of the free agents out there this off-season that can help the Cubs next year and beyond.

Players that he mentions besides the ones mentioned above include Jonny Gomes a utility outfielder who has spent his career with a few teams including the Rays, Red Sox and currently with the A’s. Kornhauser states that his presence in the locker room and being able to mentor younger players will serve as a key to the development of the team as a whole.

I honestly believe that the Cubs do not have to have a ‘big’ offseason to contend next season. From watching the team on a regular basis for many seasons now, I believe that the biggest thing they have to address is to make the starting rotation deeper.

Jake Arrieta had an exceptional season last year, Travis Wood came back down to earth from his all-star season in 2013, and Kyle Hendricks made a name of himself in the latter half of the season.

However, you have pitchers including the afore mentioned Wada and Edwin Jackson filling in the last 2 spots who in Wada’s case didn’t pitch in the rotation the entire season as did Hendricks, then you have Jackson who is that 12-12 journey man every year with an ERA of almost 4.50.

While the bullpen showed signs of improving from previous years, the inconsistency is still a concern for me and that has to be addressed if the Cubs are going to contend in 2015 and beyond.

I am very excited for next season and who knows if they will finish better than last place which they have every year in this decade.