Green Bay's Circus

After doing my daily dose of reading ESPN and listening to the radio, I get the feeling No. 4 isn't going to be in Green Bay much longer. Favre and head coach Mike McCarthy met last last for multiple hours discussing Favre's future and what the flight from Mississippi was like. Mike Greenberg made a great point today. Favre doesn't want to be a distraction and Green Bay doesn't want one. Favre wants to go to Minnesota but Green Bay doesn't want to trade him there. So who gives first? How long will Favre hold a clipboard before he breaks and becomes an even bigger distraction and how long until Green Bay cracks?

My guess is that Favre isn't wearing a Green Bay uniform for much longer. At some point McCarthy and the rest of the management has to come to a sound decision and either get rid of Favre or open up the quarterback competition for real (which would go back on everything they have said since Favre first scratched his itch and be more hypocritical than when Bobby Knight joined ESPN.

I think Favre will be donning another jersey by the end of this week/start of next week. Many disagree and say he'll eventually cave in and go back to Mississippi where he has mastered the art of throwing passes to high school wideouts. But the circus usually only lasts about a week, and we are officially in Day Two of Favre in Green Bay.

Complete world domination by TEAM USA, let's go!

Where to begin?

- Only a couple of days away from "The REDEEM Team," Team USA Basketball, beginning their quest for complete domination of the entire planet Earth (seriously). I hope other basketball fans are as jacked as I am. Sunday nightwill be a beautiful sight as we get to see the host nation China go down as the first official loser by Team USA Basketball in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Wake up after a afternoon nap, fire up a pot of coffee, and enjoy some biscuits and gravy for this one because it will be morning in China. Oh yeah, George W. is making an appearance, cool. Is Mike Greenberg of "Mike & Mike in the Morning" that far off saying that Kobe Bryant will outscore an entire nation during the gold medal run? Don't be surprised, really. The amazing combination of Bryant, LeBron, Wade, and Melo might outscore the whole tourney field. Maybe. Anyone wanna buy me a KOBE Team USA jersey? With the glossy back and all, no exceptions. Next to Michael Phelps being a super-freak, this is the story of the Olympics for me. Not too late to jump on the bandwagon, realize the importance of this for basketball sports fans.

- NBA commissioner David Stern must be loving this idea of "globalization." With Josh Childress leaving for Greece, more news from Europe is percolating. Word is that the same team that signed Childress for a $20 million deal is contemplating a run at KING LeBron James in 2010, when he becomes a free agent. Since there is no salary cap in European basketball, the billionaire group that backs Greece based basketball team Olympiacos can throw any amount of money at James, say $40 million? That's about $20 million than any NBA team can offer given a max contract situation (which James warrants, right?). Why stop at $40 million? Throw a billion and let LeBron's quest to a billionaire athlete come to a quick stop. The dude had dinner with Bill Gates the other night. Are you serious? Most NBA fans might think it's nuts even imagining LeBron playing in Europe. Let's dissect this a little more though. All these European contracts include opt-outs after each season, meaning LeBron could leave whenever he wants to. He will only be 25 in 2010, meaning he could play for one year in Europe, increase his global marketing (which is clearly one of his goals), and then come back in time for the Brooklyn Nets' new stadium, poppin' the campaign with his boy Jay-Z. The competition would be nothing for LeBron overseas, he could dominate and it'd be less physically demanding. He'd come back to the NBA in a huge market and be right where he left off. This one's not over folks, stay tuned...

- Glad to see the football talk really heating up the last week or so. Thursday night marks the first Chicago Bears pre-season game and the start of the watch for the first offensive touchdown of the season. What's the over/under for that, two weeks? One month? Don't hold your breath. To think the NFL continues to charge fans FULL PRICE for exhibition games is something I will never completely grasp. Then again, there are many things like that in our world and specifically in the world of sports. I digress. I've been back and forth on the Bears QB blunder all off-season but I'm here to say I have subscribed to the Kyle "Get me some Jack" Orton fan club. The guy might not light it up in practice but when game day comes, he instills confidence in me, unlike the Sex Cannon Rex Grossman. As a fan who stuck with Rexy from the get-go, I am letting go finally, deep into the ocean Titanic style. Something has been missing between the ears and while I believe he can still be a quality backup, current starting quarterback in the NFL is clearly off his resume. The offense doesn't have to do THAT much considering Hester will put them around the 50 yard line every time. Come on boys, expectations are low and that means you can SURPRISE people. Isn't that a chip on a shoulder?

- Lastly, a shout-out to the White Sox brethren out there. It must be FANTASTIC to watch your team just put the division title on a plate, sprinkle some garlic on it, and just HAND IT OVER. It ain't over till it's over, but boy is that alarm ringing loud. At the same time, this is the beauty of baseball once again. A little more than a week ago, every voice listened to on Chicago sports radio was saying how the Cubs have peaked and the Brewers are doing what is expected. Fast-forward to last night when Prince Fielder nearly ate Manny Parra, well, the Cubbies are five games in front for the division lead. Do we dare forget the tragedy of the 2007 New York Mets? Baseball is the most up and down sport. Not sure how sports commentators can go through an entire summer of one extreme to the next. Us fans take it to another level. Let's take a deep breath and make some popcorn. These division races are gonna be interesting. I want it closer than most people. I like the competition and believe in the idea of momentum. Some disagree, but this is one man's opinion. I for one am rooting for the White Sox for the sole reason that I don't have to listen White Sox fans' BS all post-season if and when the Cubs make it to the post-season. It's the truth, live it.

A moment to laugh at other people: Next time someone messes up your SANDWICH order, instead of just walking around in circles, yelling, and complaining like my mother, do with this dude did and dial 911. OKAY.

LIVE Trade Deadline Updates

With the trade deadline fast approaching (3 p.m.CST), stay tuned to thegpshow.com for your up-to-the-minute updates. Share your feelings about the deadline deals by leaving a comment below.

3:58: FINALLY. ESPN.com and SI.com are reporting that Manny is gone and off to the L.A. Dodgers. The aforementioned Jason Bay deal was false, as Bay is going to Boston in this deal. The Pirates will get third baseman Andy LaRoche and pitcher Bryan Morris from L.A., while Red Sox outfielder Brandon Moss and pitcher Craig Hansen also go to Pittsburgh. The final two years of $20 million club options were dropped and the Red Sox will pick up the remaining $7 million salary. Ramirez can now become a free agent this winter.

3:00: That's all folks. Manny wasn't dealt, very surprising. Red Sox keep one of the best hitters in the game but unless they can deal with the angry hitter, it could get ugly in the future. The most noticeable move of the day is clearly the Griffey trade and it's unclear at this point whether the Bay deal is in fact true. Stay tuned for an update on that. Thanks for checking in!

2:55: ESPN reports that left-handed setup man and former Cub Will Ohman is staying put in Atlanta, and the same can be said for Raul Ibanez in Seattle. Rhodes looks to be the only bullpen arm dealt today.

2:39: Cbssportsline.com is reporting that Tampa Bay has acquired Pittsburgh Pirate Jason Bay for Reid Brignac and Jeff Niemann. Tampa Bay has not confirmed this report yet. The latter two are prospects but Bay adds lots of power to the Rays' lineup.

2:29: SI.com is reporting that the Boston/Florida/Pittsburgh deal has lost steam and the Dodgers are making a run at Ramirez, after initially showing interest late last night. It reports: "Boston is believed to prefer ultra-talented outfielder Matt Kemp in exchange for Ramirez, but, according to people familiar with the talks, the Dodgers have offered young outfielder Andrew Ethier, but one source is saying the Dodgers may now prefer to keep Ethier and offer prospects instead." Either way, whoever wants Manny better hurry up.

1:56: According to ESPN.com, Colorado is going to hold onto lefty Brian Fuentes, someone the Cubs were eyeing. If the Cubs don't make any moves, it means they are confident enough that Kerry Wood, who pitched a simulated game today, is going to make a return sooner than later. But you also have to look at the recent success of pitcher Jeff Samardzija as another reason GM Jim Hendry may feel content at this point.

1:37: The Marlins acquired Seattle relief pitcher Arthur Rhodes for pitching prospect Gaby Hernandez. He goes from the worst team in baseball to a pennant race, not a bad deal. With less than an hour-and-a-half before the deadline, there hasn't been much going on. Hopefully we aren't disappointed and another trade deadline passes with no major moves, but it's hard to believe Boston doesn't deal Manny before 3 p.m.

12:27: Thoughts on Griffey. Griffey is a "Big" name but this isn't a "Big" signing by any means of the imagination. After listening to ESPN Radio 1000 and reading Mike Downey's article, people are blinded by his history and believe that just because he's a first ballot Hall of Famer and has over 608 homeruns that the Sox are getting the old Ken Griffey Jr. But Sox fans, you're not. He's a mediocre power hitter and average outfielder right now, at best. This deal will only be deemed a success if he can produce for the remaining two months of the season before he heads elsewhere.

12:18: Nothing major to report, but I've heard from a few different outlets that the Cubs are eying All-Star Milton Bradley. Chicago would have to give up some good talent to get Bradley, but he would bring a big left-handed bat to the team and a crazy head. There was also talk that the A's were looking to unload Huston Street from their bullpen, but that seems to be dead.

10:34: The man who is behind the greatest video game all-time is coming to Chicago. Griffey has agreed to the trade and will suit up for the White Sox pending league approval, which shouldn't be a problem. The Sox will send infielder Danny Richar and pitcher Nick Masset to the Reds, according to cbssportsline.com.

10:20: As I write this, Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. is deciding whether to accept a trade that brings him to the Chicago White Sox. Griffey, who is on a 12-game hitting streak, has never played in a World Series and approving this trade gives the 38-year old a legitimate chance to reach the holy land of baseball and gives the White Sox an extra left-handed bat. Griffey won't play centerfield everyday as his knees can't support such a move from right, but he will likely get the nod against righties. This move will likely take away at-bats from struggling team captain Paul Konerko and add to a logjam in the outfield, which could do more bad than good internally for the White Sox. But in the end, a left-handed power bat is always an important piece for any team, let alone one striving for a pennant, and Kenny Williams once proves he isn't afraid to make a move right before the trading deadline.

ESPN's Peter Gammons and Jayson Stark both believe Manny Ramirez is likely to be traded, mainly because, according to Manny, the Red Sox "don't deserve me." Whatever. It looks like Florida and Pittsburgh will help to complete this deal, but Florida may be reluctant to give up top prospect Mike Stanton. Many believe trading Ramirez is the wrong thing to do, but if the Red Sox can add Jason Bay in exchange for a disgruntled outfielder, I wouldn't be too angry (remember that the Red Sox won the 2004 WS after trading away Nomar at the deadline).

The Rays and Reds are expected to continue talks this morning regarding a deal that would send Reds' slugger Adam Dunn to Tampa Bay. But that seems to be their backup plan, as the Rays are eyeing Pittsburgh's Jason Bay as their primary target.

It doesn't look like Seattle Mariner Jarrod Washburn will be a Yankee anytime soon.

Talks about Greg Maddux to the Dodgers also looked to be stalled. The Hall of Famer told the Padres that he only wants to be traded to a West Coast team (who can blame him, the NL West is soooo good).

Deng Deal Done

With a deal in place, Luol Deng should officially be a Chicago Bull through the 2014 season. The six-year, $71 million deal "includes incentives that could increase the total value to $80 million," according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The Bulls had to finalize the deal before Monday when Deng leaves for the European Championships as part of the British team.

That all happened this morning, so now comes the fun part. Is this deal ultimately good for the Bulls?

Prior to the 2007-08 season, Chicago offered the small forward a five-year, $57.5 million deal and his numbers declined this season as he played just 63 games. Critics will say that they overpaid and succumbed to Deng's willingness to sign a one-year tender and become an unrestricted free agent after the season, which would result in Deng likely not wearing a Bulls uniform in 2009. But I think the money was well spent. The first reason is that no one on the Bulls had a good year last year. The team severely underachieved (if there has ever been an understatement, that's it) and went through a bad situation with former head coach Scott Skiles. The second is that since 2004, Deng has been the team's most consistent player. He's proven to be an efficient scorer, rebounder, tough defender and shoots a fairly good percentage from the field. The third is that he no doubt has the potential to be an All-Star and I was confident that last year would be his breakout year. But with all the above distractions, including an unknown future, I'm optimistic that Deng has had his worst season.

Deng's deal also affects the one of Ben Gordon. His agent, Raymond Brothers, believes his client should be the highest paid player on the team since he scores the most. Unfortunately, Mr. Brothers, you fail to recognize that Gordon lacks a certain necessary skill: defense. Anytime the Bulls played a team with two legitimate starting guards, his inability to play any sort of on-the-ball defense immediately put the Bulls behind the eight ball. Sure he can score with the best of them and is one of the best streak shooters in the league. But that's it. He cannot handle the ball, he turns it over far too often, and once again, he doesn't play defense. The Bulls should either sign Gordon to a one-year qualifying offer after which he would be an unrestricted free agent or they should sign and trade the guard. I like the latter better, which Gordon would have to approve.

You may be wondering why the Bulls just don't offer Gordon a deal that would make him the team's highest paid player. Well, that would force the Bulls to pay Gordon $13 million per season and put the Bulls near the luxury-tax threshold. And if you know anything about owner Jerry Reinsdorf, he wants nothing to do with going over the salary crap, one reason why the Bulls turn the highest profit of all NBA teams, but also the reason why they are reluctant to offer big-time contracts to multiple players. And as much grief as Paxson will take for this contract to Deng, paying Gordon more would create utter chaos, and give me a heart attack.

I have said from the beginning that I wanted the Bulls to keep Deng and ship Gordon away. They accomplished part one with what the Bulls hope can be a cornerstone of their franchise and someone they can count on for 20/7/3 for the next six years. But will they go through with part two? Stay tuned.

Cubs vs. Brewers, Game 2

Monday it was the seventh inning and Tuesday it was the sixth that proved to be the difference maker at Miller Park. The Cubs rallied off six straight hits and scored five runs in the inning, on their way to a 7-1 victory. Chicago secured a split in the four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers and easily took down Brewer ace Ben Sheets. Aramis Ramirez went 4-for-5 with three doubles and Cub ace Carlos Zambrano pitched a gem: 8 IP, 0 ER and 9 SO. Kosuke Fududome broke the game open with a two-run triple in the sixth, and seemed to look relieved after arriving at third. His triple was just his fifth extra-base hit of the month and first since July 20.

It would be easy for the Cubs to sit back, have an emotional letdown and lose the next two games since they just topped the Brewers' two aces. But the Cubs have to get greedy and at least take one of the next two. The psychological gain of defeating two of the game's best pitches would be all but wiped away if the Cubs can't get a win from either Dempster or Harden. No one predicted a sweep, but if the Cubs take care of business tonight and tomorrow afternoon, the Cubs will have a five-game lead over Milwaukee.

Zambrano must be considered a serious pick for the NL Cy Young. Brandon Webb (14-4, 3.14 ERA) is likely leading the charge now, but he is pitching in quite possibly the worst division in MLB history. Early possibilities Tim Limcecum (11-3, 2.78) and Edinson Volquez (12-4, 2.77) have had sub-par months of July and don't play for contenders. There's also the possibility that CC (Charleston Chew, as I like to call him) Sabathia could make a run if he continues his already dominant stint in the NL (4-1, 8 ER in five starts, three CG). Zambrano has given up seven ER in the month of July and is 4-1 in his last five starts. Barring injury, he will likely pitch 10-12 more times, and if he continues to pitch at this level, reaching the 20-win plateau is not unlikely.

Ryan Dempster goes up against Manny Parra tonight as Dempster goes for his second-straight road win. Gametime is 7 p.m. on ESPN - hope for Erin Andrews.

Cubs vs. Brewers, Game 1

Last night was as close to a playoff atmosphere a team can get without playing in October. With at least 40 percent of the fans cheering for the Cubs, Chicago was able to break CC Sabathia's three-game complete game streak and take game one of the series. Ted Lilly pitched had retired nine-in-a-row before he felt it was necessary to float a curveball right down the middle to the "Hammerin' Hebrew," Ryan Braun in the sixth. Braun's homerun was the second of five consecutive Brewer hits and shifted the momentum to Milwaukee. But with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the seventh, Derrick Lee, who has been called "DP" recently, hit a groundball to short and it looked like the Cubs would strand three. But a hard slide into second by Reed Johnson forced Ricky Weeks to commit a throwing error and the Cubs scored two. After a homerun by Russell Branyan in the bottom half of the inning, Lee came up in the top of the ninth with runners on first and second. Despite his recent struggles, Lee doubled to deep right and scored Soriano from second. An infield single by DeRosa scored Fontenot later in the inning. I don't think i've ever felt so unsafe with a 6-4 lead. Wood is on the DL and that means Marmol gets the chance to close out the game. I was convinced he was going to find a way to blow this one, but he faced just four batters and struck out two. Hooray!

Besides Soriano's big night (2-4, HR) and Lee's possible resurrection (3-5, 3 RBI), there were two plays that really stuck out to me. The first was Johnson's slide in the seventh. It's a play that won't show up on the scorecard but it's a perfect example of why he has been so valuable to this team. He doesn't hit for power and hits around. 280, but he plays all out and is the type of role player team's need come September. The second was even less obvious. In the bottom of the third Weeks was on first when Ted Lilly tried to pick him off at first. Weeks took off for second and Ronny Cedeno missed Lee's throw and the ball rolled into the outfield. One would think Weeks would make an immediate jump for third base, but Theriot acted like he had the ball and stuck out his glove towards Weeks. Theriot's play kept Weeks at second with Hardy and Braun due up next. His intelligence on the diamond is a reason why he is arguably the team's most valuable player.

Tonight's game features Ben Sheets and Carlos Zambrano and should be awesome. Both pitched well against the other team this season, and you can count of Big Z doing something emotionally questionably tonight, seeing as there will be 40,000 + on the road in a big series. Maybe a few hits to the chest, a la Kevin Garnett? Game time set for 7:05, be there.

Notes: Have you seen a worse head shot? If so, include it in the comments section below.
Baltimore Orioles CF Adam Jones - very photogenic.

Detroit Officially Re-Named "Brawl City"

Words cannot describe this, just watch:


What were you thinking?
1) Candace Parker is awesome
2) Detroit Shock coach Bill Laimbeer has a nice comb over
3) The WNBA just boosted it's number of season ticket holders ten-fold
4) Cheryl Ford can join the "Milton Bradley Club for People Who Get Hurt During Times of Madness," (see Bradley's torn ACL while arguing with umpire)
5) Shock assistant and former Piston Rick Mahorn either pushed or restrained L.A. Spark Lisa Leslie which caused her to fall. If it's the former and Leslie goes to the media angry, uh oh...
6) David Stern is behind this.

Either way, that was awesome.
In other news...

The Cubs have now lost four of five games since the All-Star break, while hitting just .206 accompanied by 13 runs, nine walks and 35 strikeouts. It's no coincidence that these games have taken place on the road. Despite having the third-best overall record in the majors, the Cubs are just 21-30 on the road, second-worst among division leaders. Thankfully I have the solution to the Cubs offensive road woes. On Mac, Jurko and Harry yesterday, Jurko spoke of a time he got wasted before a practice while trying to make the Miami Dolphins team. He was worried that he wouldn't make it through practice, but an experienced teammate told him to just focus on the fundamentals and he'll have the best practice of his life. And by golly that's exactly what happened. Problem solved.

Josh Childress is jumping from the NBA to Europe, not the other way around. If teammate Josh Smith signs elsewhere, Childress would have had a good chance to start next season, but he is taking a 3-year guaranteed contract worth over the $20 million originally expected to play with the Olympiakos of Greece. This comes as a shock to most, but you can't blame the guy. He'll be the best player on his team, earn more money than in the states and he gets to live in Greece for a few years. Despite the language barrier which will likely be troublesome, Smith will become an immediate celebrity. This begs the question, is the NBA entering a dangerous time? With the Euro's worth heavily outweighing that of the dollar, players who cannot get the big-time contracts may start heading to Europe, but it's nothing the NBA needs to be worried about, yet. When players like guard Juan Carlos Navarro and forward Bostjan Nachbar leave for Europe, it's really no big deal. When Childress leaves, it becomes a bigger issue because he's an impact player for an up-and-coming team. In reality, since this is their job, these players value money over competition and Stern can't fix the American economy. But not until an All-Star caliber players leave for Europe does the NBA really need to start fretting. Fortunately for David Stern, the one man who would be crazy enough to do such a thing just signed a six-year $111 million deal to stay in America, Gilbert Arenas.

Finally, I'd like to share my frustration with you on a yesterday's column by Jay Mariotti. Although he's annoying and has a similar case of the "screams" as Steven A. Smith, I have always thought Mariotti to be a great writer with a strong, rational opinion. Although he and Brian Urlacher publicly feuded before, this is just dumb:

"He isn't Butkus. He isn't Singletary. Which means he isn't a legend -- nor will he ever be. Brian Urlacher is a joystick attacker and tireless maker of TV ads at a time when fast and sleek sells, all the more convenient when he's the star of middle linebacker theater in Chicago. But to suggest he's an all-time great is to ignore his performance dips and off-field warts."

Clearly there is something personal behind Mariotti's opening paragraph, but this is simply inaccurate. In eight seasons Urlacher has been to six Pro Bowls and is a four-time First Team All-Pro. In 12 seasons Singletary was selected to ten Pro Bowls and was a seven-time First Team All-Pro. Optimistically, Urlacher can still reach those numbers. In terms of "performance dips," Urlacher has been the cornerstone of the Bears defense since 2000, playing in every game except the seven he missed in 2004. That year aside, he has accumulated over 115 tackles in every season and has eight (eight!) interceptions over the past two seasons. He also had 10 tackles in Super Bowl XLI, by the way. I guess I missed the boat when making commercials was a bad thing and counted against ones legacy. And in terms of "off-field warts," he definitely hasn't had the best showing, but he's never been arrested or sent to jail like other recent Bears. And since when did a players off-the-field image matter when determining onces greatness? MJ? Kobe? A-Rod?!?! Both have had their fair share of nasty events, but in the end, MJ is still the greatest player of all-time, Kobe is currently the best player in the league and once A-Rod hits his 800th homerun, no one will care if there really is a sex-tape or not. The fact is Urlacher is the face of this franchise, has been a top middle linebacker since he entered the league and when you ask a Bears fan to name the best middle linebackers in Bears' history, it's "Butkus, Singletary and Urlacher."

Let's play some catch-up Chicago fans, shall we?

Busy last couple of days in the sports world for Chicago. Where do we start?

• News late in the night was that Brian Urlacher and the Bears have agreed on a restructured contract, one that includes a one-year extension. Next to Cedric Benson's lack of intelligence, this has been the story of the off-season and has divided Bear fans over what they think of Brian and how he has handled this situation (maybe compared to his teammate, Tommie Harris). Whatever, it is over and we can move on. Urlacher is happy and so should fans. I was pretty critical of Urlacher early on but we have made up. Teams mend fences all the time over contract, personnel, and management decisions (think Kobe and Michael Strahan most recently). His teammates love him and have pulled for him, much like he has in the past for others (remember him sporting a No. 55 jersey last year during OTA's?) Hopefully he comes to camp as fresh as ever and produces as he did near the end of last season. He was left off the Pro Bowl roster because of the body of work last season but his play down the stretch merited a spot. This also shows how many Bears management has changed their image when it comes to being cheap, sorta. I don't know if this is the lovely old Virginia McCaskey's work or Ted Phillips or our favorite goon Jerry Angelo. Sure, they don't go out and make the big free-agent splashes like some teams do, but they reward in-house first and foremost. Within the last several years, us Bears fans have not really seen a big name player on this team walk away with us fuming. Next in line for a contract? The Windy City Flyer, AKA Devin Hester. Let's hope I'm not eating my words soon...

• No word out of Bulls camp since the rumors started late last week of a Luol Deng for Tayshaun Prince swap. Bulls fan, remember: we won't be hearing anything from their camp until Deng and Gordon's contract situations resolve. Our friend Chuck Swirsky, the new radio play-by-play man for the Bulls, responded to my inquiry about the possible trade quite simply:

"Money is always an issue..always..."

At the same time, it still is so shocking how far apart the sides are on negotiations. Things will heat up soon. If you haven't checked out Chuck's new feature on Bulls.com, "Chuck Checks In," you are missing out on a very fun read. Read more...

• How about the Blackhawks making some more noise during the summer? The deal was finalized to bring hockey in the form of the Blackhawks versus the Detroit Red Wings outdoors at Wrigley Field January 1st. Bowl games? Bear football in the winter? Forget it all! This is gonna get this town QUITE rowdy. Count me in on the bandwagon. I for one will do my best to follow hockey this year, now available on TV and radio. Anybody wanna split season tickets and get a shot at these outdoor tickets? EMAIL ME NOW (just kidding, sorta).

• A shout-out to basketball fans out there: have you been noticing these HUGE offers from European teams to NBA players? The Brandon Jennings story has made the front page of every sports publication it seems but it's getting crazier. Josh Childress is seriously considering an offer from a Greek team, reported at three-years for $20 million. WOW. Bostjan Nachbar, a forward for the New Jersey Nets the past year accepted an offer from Dynamo Moscow for three-years, a little more than $14 million. And four other NBA players have already jetted, including Carlos Delfino, Jorge Garbajosa, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, and Juan Carlos Navarro. Is this a trend we should be keeping tabs on? The Euro is doing great compared to the American dollar and many of these players are getting offers from teams that will cover their taxes. Pros, get your tail over to Tel Aviv and start practicing my friend, I think you have a shot.

If you haven't subscribed, please do so on the right on the site. It's the easiest way to stay up-to-date with what Pros and I are writing. Thanks for the support everyone, it has been great so far, really!

The Prince to The Chi?

According to multiple sources, the stagnant talks between Bulls forward Luol Deng and owner Jerry Reinsdorf may force Chicago to move the 23-year old forward. A swap with Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince is the hot rumor as of right now, as both teams would benefit from the deal. Detroit acquires a more aggressive and offensive minded forward, while Chicago gains leadership and experience to a team that could definitely use both.

I don’t mean to toot my own horn (well, yes I do), but did I not call this? (The Dail Lama Himself, 6/14/08).

I’m opposed to this deal at the moment. The Bulls certainly could use someone with recent finals experience because lord knows head coach Vinny Del Negro doesn’t have any, but before last year, Deng’s potential for stardom was growing and he was going to break through. Last year stalled that development, but it’s unfair to blame it all on Deng. Management screwed up and who would have though a headband could lead to such a tumultuous season. Unless Prince has an enormous inferiority complex and simply refused to take over games because of his older and more experienced teammates, the former Kentucky Wildcat has all but reached his peak. He’s still a very good player, but Deng still has room to grow.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Ruptured spleen and all coming to Chicago?

Reports are starting to come out that Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback Chris Simms will soon be released by the team. Head coach Jon Gruden and Simms have had a poor relationship that was capped off a few months ago with Simms saying he wants out. A trade still remains possible but unlikely as most teams at this point are not interested in giving up a draft pick for a guy that will ride the bench for this season and possibly beyond. The Bucs seem to be asking for a first-day pick. Um, no.

The Tampa Tribune is reporting the Chicago Bears are among the teams interested if Simms is released. ESPN's John Clayton was on ESPN Radio 1000's "Mac, Jurko & Harry" today and said he believes the Bears will actively pursue Simms if and when released. That said, he would ride the bench this year unless both quarterbacks get injured (which we have seen in Chicago before). It would be more of a signing for the future. Either Grossman or Orton will be back next year one would imagine with Simms being the backup and also competing for the starting spot next year. A three-way battle is in no way a realistic possibility this year.

Stay tuned...

Let the battle commence Bears fans...

Wow, that was fun last night.

Let me count my blessings to every deity Hinduism offers after the MLB All-Star Game didn’t go into another stratosphere inning wise. Pros and I sat there just waiting, and waiting, and waiting, before I said PEACE and just left the comforts of his home. I did catch the end before going to bed but it hardly did anything for me. Glad to see Bud Selig didn’t implode on us with the rest of baseball alongside him.

We move on to the second and only other day of the year where there are no professional matches in any sport within the United States. That means paying attention to the taping of the ESPYs right? To some of you, um, sure. To me? Chicago Bears training camp begins a week from today and we are basically three weeks away from the first pre-season game on the year. What signifies football more than a last minute signing by the Chicago Bears? KJ, Kevin Jones, come on down!

The former first-rounder and Detroit Lion passed a physical at Halas Hall yesterday and signed a one year contract as well. Good to see Angelo is starting to streamline the process over there in Lake Forest. Are you reading David Allen these days? Same!

As we sat through the joke that was the All-Star game, Pros, his brother, and I began discussing KJ. Zach, Pros’ brother, is convinced that KJ will be given the starting job come opening day. While I dismissed the idea quickly (ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?), I backpedaled a step and thought about the bungle that comprises general manager Jerry Angelo and head coach Lovie Smith. We can’t ever hold these guys to a decision, can we?

Before Cedric Benson was cut, Lovie all but said he was the starter going into training camp. After Ced put the 371290381st cocktail into his system and Jerry said adios, all the rumblings pointed to the rookie Matt Forte getting the bulk of the carries. We still have Whoppi Goldberg (Adrian Peterson, seriously, Google the two people and tell me they aren’t related) in the backfield along with midget Garrett Wolfe. Adding Jones means two things: competition and depth.

Bears fans have gotten used to the word “competition” over the years come training camp. Lovie always preaches “competing” during training camp. He wants to work the veterans and make sure they are fighting for their positions no matter their status. It’s been said we are going to see this at the wide receiver position and of course at the quarterback position, although I still maintain whiskey drinkin’ Kyle Orton will not be given a fair chance to prove himself.

KJ adds another body and “insurance” if you want to call it that. I remember thinking this guy would be a fantasy stud several years back, drafting and him and not looking back, only looking up in the standings come end of the season. He has averaged four yards a carry over his career, which has been marked with several injuries. He’s coming off an ACL injury, which he got repaired back in January. Here is an excerpt from the Philly Inquirer back on June 20th:

“Kevin Jones darted to the right, planted his foot, pivoted, and sprinted back across a patch of grass. ‘That is what teams can't believe I can do,’ Jones said yesterday morning after completing a shuttle run in Saline, Mich.
‘I've never worked out like this, and I feel great,’ Jones said.
Surgeon James Andrews performed surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Jones' right knee in January and told him it would take up to 10 months to get back on the field. Jones believes he will be able to go through noncontact drills with the team that signs him during training camp next month.”

Very impressive. I still think Forte gets the bulk of the carries but Jones will be right there. The NFL is becoming a league where it’s imperative to have two solid running backs. Jones will be getting a good amount of carries to do some damage in the rushing attack. I wouldn’t be shocked if this guy comes back as motivated as ever and steals the show from the rookie but Angelo always stays close to his picks (see Rex and Cedric for proof). That said, it all goes back to the offensive line, which was just brutal last year. As the Bears still play “Bear” football (run, run, pass, punt), the rest of the league will be curious to see if they missed out on KJ when he was on the open market. I’ll be watching closely as well. Bears fans, hold you breath, this is gonna get interesting.

The Dali Lama Himself

According to ESPN.com’s Mark Stein, Jerry Reinsdorf has taken over contract negotiations with forward Luol Deng. After Reinsdorf informed GM John Paxson that he would be directly speaking with Deng and agent Jason Levien, Paxson went out and did a sign-and-trade with the Clippers that sent Ben Gordon west and brought Chris Kaman to Chicago because he was sooooo pissed off. Then he informed Andrew Nocioni that he would be the starting small forward next season.

The sad thing is, most of you probably didn’t believe that last sentence for a second. The main reason is because it’s simply not true, but the sad reason is that it’s as unlikely a signing as it was to see Jalen Rose use his right hand while he played. When was the last time the Bulls brought in that guy that makes you say “Holy crap, they got him?!?” I can’t remember the last time I had a the-cubs-got-Rich-Harden feeling about the Bulls.

Chicago management is simply too slow. Their ultra-conservative approach when dealing with bringing in new players and coaches has cost them Mike D’Antoni and Doug Collins (although the Collins thing is more about Reinsdorf being soft, but that’s for another day). And with the 2009 and 2010 free agent signing looking as attractive as Carrie Underwood singing “All-American Girl,” the Bulls must be ready to roll. But their recent actions reinforce my skepticism.

When I heard that Reinsdorf was dealing with Deng, my initial thought was that we lost him. No doubt. And 12 hours later, I feel the same way. Before the 2007-08 season, Deng turned down a 5-year $57.5 million deal, assuming he and the team would have great seasons and his stock would rise. I don’t need to tell you that he was wrong with his prediction. But I will. His points per game (17.0), rebounds per game (6.3) and shooting percentage (48) all dropped from the previous season, and those who felt he should have been an All-Star during the 2006-07 season, bit their tongue.

And then there’s Ben Gordon. I’m pretty sure the last time he played defense was in 1991, when Tecmo Super Bowl came out. I remember the 49ers defense being fantastic, so yeah, that was probably the last time. If the Bulls re-sign him, I’m throwing in the towel. Sure he can score with the best of them, that is, when he’s actually on. You simply cannot take his volume of shots and make just 43 percent of the time, like he did last season. Fourth quarter comebacks are either breathtaking or they make you say, “STOP SHOOTING!!!” That’s never a good thing.

My hope is that the Bulls re-sign Deng and get rid of Gordon via a sign-and-trade. Will it happen? Most likely not, because the Slowsky’s are running this team. Now there is a chance they may be up to something good. They could very well be gearing up for a run at the 2010 crop, which includes the following unrestricted free agents: Ray Allen, Dirk Nowitzki, Adam Morrison, Tracy McGrady Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Manu Ginobili and Chris Bosh.

Note: if you didn’t notice the two glaring mistakes in the last sentence, you should stop reading right now and unsubscribe to the blog. Just kidding, Goop will kill me. Mistake no.1: I included Morrison because I have never been so wrong about a player, but if the Bulls sign him I will grow a mustache like his and never shave again. And no. 2: I didn’t include LeBron James because he has already signed (well, basically) with the Brooklyn Nets.

But I just cannot imagine that is what the Bulls are up to. The last time I can remember the Bulls seriously going after a superstar was with Tracy McGrady in 2000. However, if the Bulls have back-to-back good seasons and make the playoffs, one of those guys will come. Right? My guess is that management will go after Wade, who is one injury away from disengaging, since he’s the hometown boy. He’ll be out within two years and that’ll be the end of him. I hope that doesn’t happen, I love Wade. But I could see it happening. Hopefully they’ll land one of those guys, but looking at their track record of free agents, I’m not optimistic.

Joe Smith – ’07. One of the worst first overall picks of all-time. Single-handedly destroyed all hopes of Kevin Garnett winning a title in Minnesota by taking away five-first round draft picks due to a salary cap scandal. No longer on the team. Hope you enjoyed the ride.

Ben Wallace – ’06. I backed the Bulls for paying this guy $60 million over 4 years when in reality he deserved about half. He was the missing piece to a team that lost to the Miami Heat 4-2 in the first round of the playoffs. This backfired worse than Indiana hiring Kelvin Sampson. Wait, no, that was definitely worse. No longer on the team.

Ronald Dupree/Linton Johnson III – ’04. HAHAHAHAHA. If there are ever two guys who epitomize the 10-day contract, it’s these two.

Andres Nocioni – ’04. No complaints. Love the guy. Fits Chicago “like a glove.” Note: Ace Ventura when nature calls, along with Wedding Crashers and Dumb and Dumber, are the three movies I can watch over and over and never get tired of it. Also, think of the women in these movies. Courtney Cox, Rachel McAdams and Lauren Holly. That always helps. Bulls paid $38 million for 5 years. Compared to the Wallace deal, this is a steal.

Donyell Marshall – ’02. Hit some big shots. Nothing special. Too slow.

Eddie Robinson – ’01. Hands down, no doubt, owned the coolest sweaters known to man. He only played in 144 games over his three years with the team, so trust me, there was plenty of sweater-wearing time, but he never failed to disappoint. He signed a 5-year $32 million deal in 2001 and the Bulls bought out last two years of his contract. I’ve written more about Eddie Robinson than I ever wanted to, so I’m done. No, wait, I have to say something. In 2001, this was a lot of money. Thanks for screwing us.

Dragon Tarlac – ’00. Not as big a fan as I am of the man below. Cool name. Whatever.

Dalibor Bagaric (left) – ’00. Throughout my years as a basketball fan I have never liked a bad player more than “The Lama,” as my friends and I named him. Once I saw him walking into Northbrook Court to catch a movie. I think he thought it was the United Center. My favorite memory of The Lama was when the Bulls put him into a blowout game in either 2002 or 2003. He got in, took two ill-advised shots, and did everything but give a middle finger to the organization. That’s my boy.

Ron Mercer – ’00. For a guy that had tons of talent, I felt that he had to play in Chicago for two years. I always remember telling my brother that I’ve never seen a player be able to shoot so well from 19-20 feet but could never hit a three. He actually hit about 30 percent from long range during his tenure with the Bulls. Shows how much I know.

Brent Barry – ’99. Who cares.

Sign Deng. Trade Gordon. Keep Hinrich and play him at the two. Sign a damn free agent or at least make a sign-and-trade happen for a formidable big man like I’ve been asking for years (Kaman, Kaman, Kaman). And do it before I graduate. Thanks.

It's the summer sports fans, chillax!

Not sure how many of you realize it, but we have embarked on a unique part of the calendar the next couple of days. Today and Wednesday are the only two days of the year where there are no professional matches in the United States of any sort. It’s the summer and us sports fans have gotten use to this part of the year, where the focus lies on baseball, the All-Star Game, and maybe some random sports here and there. It’s always a mix within the population, whether people stay tuned with what is going on or take a mini-break, just gearing up for football season to begin. Some emphasis has been put on the Olympics, which will be starting in less than a month, but how much do people even care about that with all the protesting and drug scandals surrounding it? We got SportsCenter doing their little “Titledown” bout every night, which makes me want to spoon my eyes out. I have little doubt that behind closed doors, my boys Neil Everett and Scott Van Pelt have lamented management for this blunder, along with “Who’s Now?” and “The Greatest Highlight.” Lordie, lord.

I digress.

Wednesday does mark an important day for us Chicago fans, if anyone is paying attention that is. Bears training camp opens up at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Um, yay?

It got me thinking: how much emphasis will be put on training camp this year? This is a pivotal year for the Bears. I have said for much of the offseason that the Bears will either make the playoffs and be able to do some damage or they will go to the bottom of the cellar, possibly being one of the three worst teams in all of football. No grey area. No time for Kyle to start grabbing Jack shots. This could be your time but I highly doubt it considering how much this team has invested in the Sex Cannon that is Rex Grossman.

This is a football town, hands down. The Cubs and Sox are in first place and both might make the playoffs for the first time in all of our lives. That doesn’t change the fact that this is a football town though. It is remarkable though how a city can slowly transform. I saw it in Indianapolis, a city, if not part of a STATE that is known for basketball, that has for the most part jumped ship on their pro basketball team the Pacers and have fully supported their football team, arguably the best franchise in all of sports business, the Colts. It can happen but it takes time and it takes success and failure on both ends. Not sure if we in Chicago have both extremes or are even close to it.

I’ll admit it: for however stupid this “Titletown” thing is, I did get goosebumps watching the highlights for Chicago’s turn. Showing the ‘85 Bears, the high-fives and all. Showing Jordan clinching the championship trophy like it’s his baby, crying in the process. Even seeing the White Sox getting doused in beer, every player squeezing in together just trying to touch the World Series trophy, the one owner Jerry Reinsdorf said he’d trade all the Bulls’ trophies for. That’s pretty special, no doubt about it. I can appreciate that as Chicago fan.

I guess what I am trying to get at is I do hear a lot of this talk that, “It’s a horrible part of the year,” and “Why can’t football just start?” To me, that’s just our society talking about a problem that goes beyond sports: not living in the present. We are always looking towards the future or the past, even lamenting on it. We as a city still talk about The Super Bowl Shuffle, reliving it every day. Sox fans still don’t shut up about 2005 and feel the urge to bring it up when any talk of the Cubs begin. Hell, the newspapers still run a little blurb everyday reminding us fans that it’s been 100 years since the Cubs brought home a title. We get it, do I need to walk around with as sign showing it off even more?

There is nothing wrong with appreciating the past. With life in general, I think about the past everyday, the good and bad. But let’s live in the present people. Let’s enjoy what’s going on within sports, even if it’s ONLY baseball. It’s been a pretty special first half, here in Chicago and nationwide. Some things have happened that have never happened before. More of that is to come, I guarantee it. While Rex and Kyle are smiling and being buddy-buddy Wednesday, let’s just kick back and relax and realize it’s not everyday we aren’t fed with stuff from ESPN daily. Can we try and enjoy these next couple of days? If you start to cry because your baseball team’s league doesn’t win the All-Star game tomorrow, well, I really can’t help you there.

End rant, I think.

Picture courtesy of Flickr user Glover Bryant Communications, thank you.

He's back-back-back-back-back-back

Thank you Chris Berman for that wonderful title, I know you must be thrilled to have your favorite tractor boy back in the news (today). But the homerun derby isn't until Monday.

All speculation regarding the possibility of quarterback Brett Favre returning is over. Favre formally asked Packers' team officials to release him from his contract Friday, sending a crystal clear message to everyone that he does want to play football in 2008.

Minnesota, with their loaded offense but lack of quarterback, looks like the best fit. But it's hard to imagine him suiting up for a division rival. More so, the Packers play the Vikings Week 1 on Monday Night Football, which is also when Green Bay planned to retire Favre's legendary No. 4 jersey.

All I know is I would never want to go to the grocery store with this guy. He'd be stuck between the Ketchup and Catsup with a deer-in-the-headlights look. Then he'd grab the Ketchup, go to the cashier, then exchange the Ketchup for Catsup, go back to the cashier and say in a dramatic tone, "I'm just tired mentally."

This Time it Counts

With the Bulls choosing to rest Derrick Rose’s ailing knee for the final three games of summer league basketball, Chicago’s season has taken a turn for the worse. Last year Portland’s Greg Oden was lost for the season in September with a knee injury. Oden, like Rose, was the No. 1 overall pick. This is not a coincidence. That damn crystal ball was right; the Bulls should have taken Beasley. Now I have to watch the scoring machine dominate in South Beach while my Bulls are set back five years after screwing up their first No. 1 pick since 1999.

I cannot believe Evan Longoria won the online fan balloting contest for the final AL All-Star spot. That just isn’t fair. A rookie over Jermaine Dye? Dye is ahead or tied with Longoria in every statistical category. More so, Dye’s average draft selection is nearly 100 spots higher on ESPN.com fantasy leagues. And come on, Corey Hart? David Wright plays in New York, he deserves it.

Ok. I just threw up. Now I’m good.

If I hear one more person say that the Bulls drafted the wrong guy, I’m going on the anti-Jared diet. It’s comedic to think that one can draw such irrational conclusions from games played in the Orlando Magic practice facilities that are only webcasted, and in order to find out the score or time of the game, you have to wait until the camera pans to the high school-esque scoreboard. I feel like I’m my high school TV channel. .

The NBA summer league is merely a chance for guys who aren’t currently on an NBA roster to prove they can be a valuable 12^th man, or at least look good in a suit. More than half of these players won’t be wearing an NBA uniform next season and the game is more about every player getting his own than about the team.

But sure you can take a few minor things away from the week. Aaron Gray has played halfway decent, which is an improvement from last year, and former Syracuse forward Demetrius Nichols has a nice looking stroke. But what I hope people will take away from summer league is that Derrick Rose will have a lot of bumps and bruises during his rookie campaign. His high tempo style of play will get him trouble off the bat, mainly leading to an excessive amount of turnovers like the eight he had in his first two games. But don’t fret, the kid is phenomenal. Take everything you see from summer league with a ginormous grain of salt.

I cannot stand the attention the MLB All-Star game gets. The reason why? Commissioner Bud Selig. His idea to make the All-Star game mean something by giving the winning league home-field advantage in the World Series is one of the dumbest rules in sports. The players don’t care if their teams in, they are just there to have a good time. Aside from Pete Rose, you aren’t going to see anyone barreling over a catcher or go diving into the stands for a foul ball. If the AL wins, is it fair that the White Sox have home field advantage when they have no pitchers and no starters? Every time I here people talking about the All-Star game I think back to this rule and want to throw my shoe at the TV. The media should be talking about the rule, not who’s going to take Alfonso Soriano’s spot in the outfield.

Enough of this. Rich Harden is pitching tomorrow. I can't be that mad.

Xbox 360 For Life

A close friend warned me that I would be shocked to hear the next words that come out of his mouth. I was skeptical, wondering if he was going to tell me that he was moving back to the homeland. But I never expected the following: “I’m thinking about selling my Xbox,” he said.

That’s like selling a child, and that’s basically slavery, so my immediate thought was my friend was a slave owner, but that mindset quickly dwindled. After my heart rate dropped back to livable and I stopped hyperventilating, my friend told me to convince him to not sell the Holy Grail of video games, the Xbox 360. I brushed off the idea as I was focused in on our game of NBA 2K8.

But this morning I realized he wasn’t kidding and that it is my responsibility to make sure the machine that has brought him so much happiness over the last few years remain in his hands. So here are three reasons why my friend shouldn’t sell his Xbox 360.

1. You DO want to play. You mentioned one of your primary reasons behind this decision was that you don’t have a desire to play anymore. You said you used to play online all the time, but ever since that phase passed you only want play with friends. So I ask you this: WHAT THE HECK ARE WE GOING TO DO WITHOUT IT? I know that sounds extreme, but think about the league that you helped begin. How are you going to have a fantasy draft again that takes five minutes? For the love of God, think about MADDEN! Are you really going to put yourself in a situation where you can’t play Madden 2009 (with text-messaging Brett Favre on the cover, may I add) because you sold your system? I mean, “Think of the children!” thanks Maud Flanders.

2. The Hawks. Do I need to say more? Do the names Joe Johnson, Salim Stoudamire, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Shelden Williams and of course Zaza Pachulia not mean anything to you? You can’t seriously do this to them.

3. To steal a line from Dane Cook, “Are you out of your f***ing mind?” This makes no sense. You don’t like taking pictures anymore yet you haven’t sold your camera. Xbox 360 > camera, so why would you sell it? Sure you’ll get a couple hundred dollars when you add in the controllers and a game or two, but will that money make you happier? You are about to spend almost a year downtown, and after a long day of work, wouldn’t it be nice to sit back, relax, and play a video game with your good friend?

I firmly believe that selling your Xbox 360 is a bad decision. I could go more in depth on each of my above reasons, but I would like to believe I have said enough. How about this, if you don’t sell your Xbox 360, I’ll buy you some candy. Sound good?

If you haven’t guessed by now, this person is Goop, and if he sells his Xbox, I am taking his name off the website (if I can figure out how).

Do you have a first aid kit handy? How you gonna fix it Chicago?

Lost amidst the giggling going on because Brett Favre is texting his wishes these days was a more serious and disturbing turn of events that could send ripples through the Chicago-sports landscape and the rest of the nation as well, not in the ways one might first think though.

Holiday weekends are always fanatical times. The Fourth of July might top the list, especially in Chicago when it is coupled with the Taste of Chicago, a ten-day food festival celebrating the obesity and grease-covered restaurants that decorate Chicago. This past weekend was no different as nine different people suffered what police describe as “violent deaths,” one coming about a mile away from the Taste grounds.

I chose not to partake in the festivities this past weekend but I know several people, including my sister, who enjoyed the fireworks Thursday night. Obviously when you get a larger than normal group of people together, bad things are bound to happen. I get it, that’s “human nature,” if that even makes any sense.

Thing is though this was after Chicago police talked about upping the ante in terms of security for the weekend. And this is after the fact that Chicago has been named a finalist to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. And this is before the dream (or fact in my Cubbie eyes, sorta) World Series matchup pitting the Cubs and White Sox in a showdown for the ages. Do you see where I am going?

Chicago is a violent city, just like any major city. We are normally not on “Most Dangerous City” lists because of the weird way the Chicago Police Department tracks certain crimes. It seems as though when the spotlight shines bright on the Windy City, the blemishes come out and we see them in full light. Everybody always points to riots after good things happen, such as what happened during the Bulls’ dynasty years or let’s even stretch it back to when the Bears won their first Super Bowl during the 1985 season. Or even a happy time like the Fourth of July.

I believe most non-sports fans understand the magnitude of a Cubs-White Sox World Series. It would be total pandemonium. North Side versus South Side, Addison versus 35th, LenandBob versus HAWK and DJJJJJJ. Seriously, are you kidding me? This city would burn down, possibly in thought and hopefully not physically. Mac, Jurko & Harry, an afternoon sports radio show on ESPN 1000, talked on their show of the city possible curving alcohol sales during a possible matchup. How would that run with the Loveable Losers and Grinder Nation? Kind of sad, but still, welcome to Chicago and America world!

And then the Olympics. Mayor Daley has been flaunting our great city like it’s some Prom Queen and he is ready to rock and roll. OK Chief. This actually could be a whole different animal to tame, pretty hard to imagine in comparison to Cubs-White Sox. We are talking every nation in the world coming on our soil to compete in the Summer Games for the first time since 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, which we all know had its own set of problems. And that’s Atlanta! We are comparing Hot-lanta to the Chi? Oh no. Think about this way: population density wise, Chicago nearly quadruples Atlanta per square mile. That’s beefy.

I know lots of people are gung-ho about the possibilities Chicago faces in the near future. Part of me is, no doubt. The idea of the Cubs slapping around the Grinders down south is amazing. Ditto for the Olympics (although it always seems Olympic host cities always want the games but when they come, they complain of how nuts it quickly gets). However, a part of me is scared out of my mind and not ready for Chicago to showcase “how we roll.” Not when we turn the news on every day and see the garbage we are accustomed to seeing. Not when we pick up a newspaper and read the garbage we are accustomed to reading. It’s a reflection of the times we live in but it goes deeper than that and affects more things than just Chicago. We as citizens need to realize this and address the problems while we still can before the whole world jumps on top of us come this October and possibly again in several years. The ride is just starting fellow Chicagoans, let’s brace ourselves.

Hendry lands Harden

According to Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry, the Oakland A's will send starting pitcher s Rich Harden and Chad Guadin to the North Siders for outfielders Eric Patterson, Matt Murton and Sean Gallagher and minor leaguer John Donaldson.

This fills a widening hole in Chicago's starting rotation and paired with Carlos Zambrano, gives the Cubs a deadly 1-2 punch. Harden, who is 5-1 and has a 2.34 ERA, became the Cubs top option after Milwaukee acquired CC Sabathia from Cleveland on Monday. The Cubs rotation is now much deeper with Carlos Zambrano, Harden, Ryan Dempster and Ted Lilly making up the first four spots. For Cubs fans, this keeps the blood pressure down, knowing Dempster, who hasn't pitched a full season as a starter since 2002, no longer needs to be the No. 2 starter.

Patterson showed signs of the potential his brother (Corey) displayed a few years ago. Murton has been a dead-man-walking ever since he cooled down from his initial hot start when he first came to the big leauges. And according to Hendry, the deal would not have happened had Gallagher not been in the mix, which speaks highly of his talent.

But all-in-all, this is a deal the Cubs had to make. Anything short of a championship this year will be a disappointment for this franchise, and losing Patterson and Murton won't hurt the Cubs depth in the outfield, especially with Reed Johnson returning and the success of recently acquired Jim Edmonds.

The acquisition of Harden is an example of the trade-deadline type deals that Hendry is known for. Back in 2003 the Cubs traded for Kenny Lofton and Aramis Ramirez, and got Nomar Garciaparra in 2004. Last year Jason Kendall was added to the roster around this time, too.

Hendry has done it again, and hopefully this time it will work out.

And you just got to love Lou Piniella, who just said to the media, "This was a little bit of a surprise for me at 3 in afternoon."

Sleeping and tennis: a perplexing combination?

It seemed as though everywhere I turned yesterday, the talk shifted to the classic battle between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal Sunday for the Wimbledon title. There was also that whisper of whether or not one watched the match. I will step up and confess right now: I turned the match off and took a nap. This was after the fact I got off work “early” (getting off at work around 10:30 AM after being there for four hours feels just great, let me tell you!) to watch the match in the first place! The fourth set was about to begin and I decided to doze off as it was just a Lazy Sunday in my book and I was just in a horrible mood. Forgive me John McEnroe, who after the match said that this kind of battle just had to put tennis back on the forefront in the United States. Huh?

It is one of those great wonders that I am sure most if not all the tennis purists out there consistently think about: why has tennis not been able to sustain itself whether it be viewership and/or overall appeal? Michael Wilbon on Pardon The Interruption yesterday brought up how his colleague Tony Kornheiser believes that the lack of an American star hurts the sport overall. Are we really this naïve America? I think so.

Seriously, think about it. If Tiger Woods was 100% Thai, born and bred in Thailand, would you really care that greatness was upon planet Earth within the sport of golf? You uber-golf fans might but not the casual golf fan, which seems to make up the majority of PGA viewership. We as Americans connect with Tiger, even the lefty Phil Mickelson. We don’t give a damn about Vijay Singh, who was ranked number one for some time. We don’t care about Ernie Els, a former number one as well (OK, maybe when he rips Tiger, thennnn we do care).

Soccer has this same problem it seems. Unless during our generation we get the American version of Pele, I don’t see soccer EXPLODING in the States. Landon Donovan? Please, what has he done internationally, against the best competition? Freddy Adu, where in the world did you go? Pretty soon we will be hearing stories of him partying a little too hard with Miley Cyrus.

Bring in Andy Roddick, who should be ashamed of himself. How many times was this goon looked at and said to be the next great only to be slapped around by Federer? After his U.S. Open win in 2003, he has done zilch and seems to be content with it. I’m sure Roddick is loving life right now though, in whatever beautiful home he resides in, in wonderful climate, with a supermodel wife to his side. Congrats Roddick, I guess you deserve it.

OK, I’ll take a step off his back. Andy, I respect you as a person and the few accomplishments you have had. Fact is, this guy could have taken America on his back. He still could I guess but with the top two players being a Swissman (is that even correct? Sounds kinda funny…) and a Spaniard, it’ll be quite tough. It looks like we are on a collision course for the next U.S. Open to have another epic battle. And between now and then, those purists will still wonder how the ratings will turn up in Flushing, New York late August. I’m sure all of Chicago will be tuning in while the Cubs and White Sox are in the thick of a pennant race.

Roddick, you may continue mediocrity. Good luck sir.

Swallowing the losses and relishing the wins in life

One of those rare and questionable things happened this past Thursday, although I loved every minute of it. Sports talk radio went philosophical on us and left the realm of the hardwood and field and joined "The Grabowskis," also known as the working class. The news of the day was former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre possibly coming out of his short retirement stint and play football this upcoming season. I talked about it a little Wednesday and how I didn’t agree with the way Favre is handling the situation.

During "Mike and Mike in the Morning," a daily show on ESPN Radio, co-hosts Erik Kuselias and Michael Smith discussed how during Favre's retirement press conference in March, the quarterback talked of not enjoying the daily professional football structure anymore. Smith commented on the reasons Favre decided to retire:

“…it's about Mondays. It’s about Sunday nights after games and the way he felt. The way how he looked ahead to the next game and didn’t enjoy wins. It’s about the day-to-day-grind between games that is required of a successful quarterback.”

Smith believes that Favre will not come back and how, “it's the emotion talking.” Kuselias then took the conversation another direction. He started talking about a family philosophy that he has struggled with and that was passed down from his father to his siblings and him:

“The losses in life hit me harder sometimes than I enjoy the wins in life, and that’s a hard way to be and it’s a hard way to go through life. You have to enjoy the wins more than the losses hurt you.”

Well said. Think about that quote and how it relates to you. I first thought about Brett Favre and his reasons for retiring from football and then how that idea relates to my life and everyone around me.

Brett Favre is a human being that I have respected for a long time. He went through drug addiction problems, only to comeback and win a Most Valuable Player award and Super Bowl trophy the year after rehab. He went through his wife having cancer. He went through losing his father, the person who put a football in his hands for the first time. Year after year he has proven that he could continue to play in the National Football League, at the highest level, even if his style was a little unorthodox and his mind was elsewhere at times.

He has accomplished everything out there he can at the quarterback position for the Green Bay Packers. His losses though have taken a toll on him. Even through everything, he questions whether he can handle going through the ups and downs of a football season one more time. This is a professional athlete who is being paid millions upon millions to play a game we learn as a child.

I know every person can recall an accomplishment that he or she was extremely proud of. At the same time however, every person has also had a loss that left a lasting effect on their lives.

I’m really not sure if I have ever thought about my successes and losses/failures in life this way. It's seems like a given but one I too struggle with as I am sure many people do. That is, how quickly I move on to the next thing after a success, not even reflecting on what has happened and the process it took. Or maybe even the changes in life that occur when bad things happen more so than the good things, although that can be a blessing at times both ways.

Sports fans and even non-sports fans take it for granted what professional athletes go through. It’s those moments where we as fans understand those struggles and how those struggles transcend over to the working class, the fan paying major bucks to sit in the cold to watch a game, and our lives specifically, no matter if we are a doctor, lawyer, teacher, or a factory worker. Athletes make more money than we will ever see but at times they are mortal to the bumps in the road of life like all of us.

Next time you accomplish something, whether it be forming a new habit, getting that grade you wanted on a test, or something as simple as cleaning your room (which has been my latest prerogative), take some extra time and spoil yourself. Regardless, take a deep breath before you move on to the next task at hand. If Brett Favre is looking towards the end of the road after all he has accomplished, hopefully you understand what the stops are on that road and how to slow the journey down.

If you are interested in taking a listen to the "Mike and Mike in the Morning" segment talked about above, I downloaded it and cut it for your listening pleasure. It is about eight and a half minutes long. Either click the link below to listen in your browser or right-click and click "Save as" to download it to your computer.

mikeandmikeonfavre7_3.mp3

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Pros and I are doing our best to spread the word once again about "The Goop n' Pros Show." However, we need the help of our great network of friends and family. Although we won't be doing podcasts anytime soon, we will continue to blog as we have gotten some great feedback from everyone and have some great ideas for more entries. Thank you for the comments and keep them coming. You can get a hold of us at rahulandalex@thegpshow.com and we will do our best to get back to any emails.

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Happy Fourth!

Just wanted to take a quick moment and thank everyone for supporting the blog and we hope everyone is enjoying their Fourth of July weekend! We have some great things lined up for next week so check back Monday for new updates and for the rest of the summer! It's on!

-Goop n' Pros

Free Agent Update #2

This really is Christmas in July.

Baron Davis signs with the LA. Clippers and teams with Elton Brand to create one of the best 1-2 punches in the league. But wait! What’s this? The Golden State Warriors are seeking revenge from Davis’ unexpected departure? They have offered Brand, who recently opted out of his contract to create financial flexibility for the Clippers (is that what they call it these days?) a bigger deal than what the Clippers have on the table? And what’s that? Brand flew to Washington to meet with agent David Falk to speak face-to-face about the deal that could make him $20 million richer? Odds are Brand and Davis will be sharing the same huddle next season, but just imagine if Brand signed with the Warriors. Would Donald Sterling’s head roll, but like, seriously? For a Clippers fan it’d be like having your team make it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, get picked to win the Eastern Conference the following season, and then have a season comparable to Alex Rodriguez’s decision to hang out with Madonna late at night – just God-awful. Oh wait, that kind of happened to me. Yeah, that would suck.

And what’s that you say? Josh Smith may soon be calling Philadelphia home? How about a starting five of Andrew Miller, Willie Green, Andrew Igoudala, Josh Smith and Samuel Dalembert with Louis Williams, Rodney Carney and Thaddeus Young off the bench. This team ought to run a decathlon they’d be so darn athletic.

Wait, what’d you say? Corey Maggette what? He’s going to sign where? San Antonio? No way! So instead of starting Michael Finley and having Manu Ginobili off the bench, the Spurs have Maggette to take Finley’s spot? Say it with me: dy-nas-ty.

Are you serious? Stop that. Really? Chris Andersen? The same guy who needed 13 tries to throw down two dunks in the 2005 Slam Dunk Contest and who later served a two-year ban for violating the league’s substance abuse policy? He’s going to sign with who? The Boston Celtics!?! He had dinner with Danny Ainge last night? How I wish I could have sat down with that happy couple.

And you just got to love Ron Artest. After deciding to not op-out of the final year of his contract with the Sacramento Kings, the often-troubled defensive machine said, “I think I made the biggest mistake by staying in my contract and I have to live with it. I don’t see myself with [the] Kinds beyond 2008-09.” Mazel Tov! Another great decision!

And how about one of the top high school recruits for the class of 2008, Brandon Jennings, publicly playing with the idea of not attending Arizona and playing in Europe for one year before declaring for the 2009 NBA Draft. And so it begins.

But maybe the best news came when NBA Commissioner David Stern hired a United States Army general to be senior vice president for referee operations to supervise all aspects of officiating. Somewhere Tim Donaghy is smiling.

I seriously love Christmas.