Bulls Play Great Offense for Two Games

This sport's site has more negativity in it than they guy who through a shoe at George Bush. Sometimes I just can't help it. I really love my Chicago Sport's teams. But when things go south (as they often do in Chicago), your negative emotions just have a way of erupting.

But, you've got to give credit where credit is do. Del Negro and the Bulls have played their best two games this past week (versus LA Clippers and Sacramento). And sure, a lot of that has to do with the fact that the Bulls were playing the Clippers and Kings. But sometimes you just have to let positivity shine through.

For two games, the Bulls ran a Skiles-esque offense. Players were cutting, moving to the basket, and moving without the ball. Del Negro's gone away from the stupid pick and roll and let player movement dictate the offense. All of the sudden Deng looks like an all-star. Noah is playing his best basketball. And guys like Tyrus, Nocioni and Hinrich seem more involved. Even better, all of this has happened without sacrificing the growth of Rose. He get's more open looks in the offense and his assist totals are stacking up.

So for at least two games, I've got to say: Great Job Del Negro and the Bulls.

With the 4th Pick in the Draft the Chicago Bulls Select Vinny Del Negro

I was going to wait to post this on the day the Bulls fired Del Negro (or Paxson for that matter). But, I can’t resist.

David Stern: With the 4th pick in this year’s NBA coach draft, the Chicago Bulls select “Vinny Del Negro”, assistant general manager and radio man of the Phoenix Suns.

Charles Barkley: Wow, the Bulls just picked a coach with less coaching credibility than Kelvin Sampson.

Ernie Johnson: Well, they really wanted D’Antoni, but the Knicks scooped him up with the 1st pick. Remember they lost the rights to Doug Collins in free agency.

Kenny Smith: Wasn't Del Negro the white point guard from the Spurs?

Charles Barkley: If this were the NBA player draft, Vinny would be the 18 year old foreign player from Lithuania that no one has ever heard about. They just selected an amateur to be their head coach. I wonder if they'll get Dane Cook to do pre-game introductions.

Kenny Smith: Didn’t they draft Tim Floyd a few years ago out of college? They must be trying to get younger, because Del Negro has the coaching resume of a high school gym teacher.

Ernie Johnson: Well, we’ve got the man who picked him on the phone, Mr. Paxson?

John Paxson: Hey, boys.

Ernie Johnson: John can you tell us what you were thinking by selecting a coach that has never coached before?

Paxson: Well, we just wanted to get younger at the coaching position. All of our players would either be in college or high school had they not entered the draft and we just thought a young coach would fit in well with the guys.

Kenny Smith: Sure, but can he coach?

Paxson: I’m confident that with some time, he will grow into a great coach. But right now, he’s a project. We’ll be surrounding him with a lot of over the hill and complacent assistant coaches that no one would ever want leading their team. Sort of like our players.

Kenny Smith: Is Vinny your brother?

Paxson: I get that a lot. We both were un-athletic, white, slow NBA point guards that had nice hair and very tight shorts.

Charles Barkley: And you were both radio men before being offered very important positions without ever having the resume to back it up. I wish I were a white man. Maybe they would make me Governor of Alabama.

Ernie Johnson: Ahhh. Thank’s John. And good luck.

Tuesday Morning Thoughts: Acting

Mad Men Actress.

You ask what acting has to do with sports. Well, if you play futbol or are Manilu Ginobli, Andres Nocioni and for that matter, most NBA superstars, you know that acting is a big part of the game. It seems to me that Alan Iverson is simply pretending to be an all-star these days. Anyway, on to the random thoughts.

1. Actors really, really, really take themselves way too seriously. As evidenced by any Bravo Actor’s Studio interview, Golden Globe Awards, or SAG awards, actors seem to think that what they do is very, very important. This isn’t to suggest that it’s irrelevant, but it’s not like these people are curing Aids. Yeah, you won an “Actor” for best ensemble in a comedy series. Take it easy blond actress that no one knows from 30Rock. No big deal here.

2. Secondly, why do all female actresses who accept an award on stage seem like they just ran a marathon before speaking. Kate Winslet (who I like) performed her acceptance speech for best supporting actress in the SAG awards like she had just finished the Boston Marathon. Its only about 10-20 yards to the stage from your seat, you shouldn’t be huffing and puffing like John Goodman after his walk to the refrigerator- Especially, when you consider that that these actors work out 3 hours a day.

3. I wish these award shows would stop it with the lame, reading from the teleprompter jokes they do. If you’re giving out the award for best actor, maybe your award show shouldn’t look like a high school/public access TV program. There is nothing more apathetic than someone reading a joke off of a teleprompter. It’s sort of like forcing yourself to be emotional after an Obama speech, even though he’s just reading some irrelevant and clichéd speech that his speech-writer wrote 4 hours ago.

4. Just show us all of your breasts already. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but the half-naked dresses the actresses are wearing leave very little to the imagination. We can see every pimple, vein, and blemish on your breast--just shows us the nipple already. Which I guess only goes to show how valuable the nipple is. Think about it. I can see 99% of the women’s breast, but it isn’t totally gratifying until I see the remaining 1% nipple; A simply amazing body part.

5. Speaking of breasts, as a straight male, I just don’t now to feel about the large breasts of the 55 plus year actresses I see. Merryl Streep has bigger breasts than most porn stars.

6. Okay, back to sports. What sport does the best acting job on the court/field? It has to come down to basketball and futbol players. 5 years ago futbol would have taken this prize by a long shot. But, the enforcement of yellow cards for dives and acting has dramatically reduced this part of the game. I would actually argue that basketball players are now worse at faking a foul than futbol players. Every offensive foul in the NBA now seems like an academy award winning scene. Queue the special effects guys from the Matrix- Lights! Camera! Action! “Basketball player attached to invisible wire, flops and jumps in the air 20 feet”.

7. Who is the worst flopper? It’s hard to narrow down. But obviously, the list includes Nocioni, Ginobli, and every foreign player in the NBA. I would also include Allen Iverson in the mix. Not for flopping, but every time he goes to the hoop, he’s just looking for a foul. Just lunging his body into the opposing player. I don’t think he even looks at the hoop anymore. Anytime a player throws himself, yells, screams and shrieks just to get a foul, he should now be slapped with a technical. We could just call it the “AI” foul.

Oh yeah, James Posey is a flopping, dirty #@$%^. I hate that dude.

8. To be fair, flopping or diving reflects the lack of quality of officials. Players don’t flop for the fun of it. They flop because they think the referee won’t call a foul unless the player completes every reactionary stage of the foul. In the NBA, it’s not an offensive foul, unless you fall to the floor, scream and clutch your leg; which is an improper interpretation of what an offensive foul is. As such, until the referees get better, you’ll continue to see more flopping.

This makes me wonder whether the NFL equivalent of flopping (defensive lineman faking a hold penalty), will take off. Holding in the NFL is the most inconsistent penalty called by referees. This suggests that we’ll soon see an increase in lineman exaggerating a holding call, just to get the referee’s attention. I’m pretty sure Adewale Ogunleye will perfect this acting technique.

9. Speaking of actors, Peyton Manning should have a second career as a comedic actor. His commercials are getting old and lame, but he is still excellent. I honestly wouldn’t mind him acting as a sidekick in a Farrelly Brothers’ movie. At least he would be better than Brett Fav—reh.

Back to actors…….

10. It’s weird seeing House speaking with his British Accent. I have to hand it to these British actors, (or American ones that go to a British accent) using an American Accent for an entire show or movie. I can’t even stick to a British accent for one sentence, let alone 7 seasons worth of episodes. Well done Laurie and the mustached cop from Batman. Absolutely brilliant.

11. Oh yeah, and Ann Hathaway is NOT pleasant to look at. Even relative to non-Hollywood types. Whereas the girl from Scrubs, (Sarah Chalke?) is completely underrated.

Bobby Simmons to the Bulls? So long to Larry Hughes?

The Sun-Times is reporting that the Bulls are close to a deal sending Larry Hughes to NJ, in exchange for Bobby Simmons. Wow..... We're back on that championship trail now!

It's still early before the trade deadline, so I will cut Paxson some slack. But, if his only idea of a trade is Hughes for Simmons, then his managerial skills are worse than I thought. Hughes for Simmons is like returning that ugly Christmas sweater for an even uglier pair of socks. It makes no difference. We still have front court problems. Paxson's exchanging a crowded back court for crowded play time at the SF position (Deng, Nocioni and Simmons).

To be overly critical, call me when you attempt to trade Hinrich and Deng or even Tyrys, Gooden or Noah for a big name player. Heck, I'd be happy with trading the entire team except for Derick Rose.

P.S. Not that I am a Larry Hughes fan, but I would be kind of upset if I was him. Hinrich and Tabo get more PT time than him? Gordon's only better because he's younger. Anyway, I would be pissed off if I played behind Captani Kangaroo, Tabo and Gordon.

P.S.S. During the stretch, Del Negro fielded a lineup of Rose, Gordon, Hinrich, Deng and Noah last night. We were playing with 3 point guards. How is this a recipe for sucess? When has the 3 point guard lineup ever worked for an NBA team? Is he just making this shit up as he goes? As Coach Green would say, "Del Negro is what we thought he is". (Read an amateur).

Tuesday Morning Thoughts: Hall of Fame

Random thoughts on the Hall of Fame

1. So Kurt Warner made me eat my prediction that he would fall on his ass. Well done Warner. Or should I say, well done Larry Fitzgerald for making Warner look great. Anyway, Warner played a great game. He is a very good QB. But again, he is no Hall of Famer.

2. So what makes a person a Hall of Famer? For me it’s a two pronged approach.

(1 (1) What’s my initial reaction to hearing whether X player is a HOFer?

(2 (2) If he is not based on my reaction, is there supporting statistics/arguments that would make the player a HOFer?

Example 1: So let’s put this system into effect with an example. For instance, is Randy Moss a HOFer? (or for that matter, Peyton Manning, Brady, Ray Lewis).

Step 1: My initial reaction is yes. Randy Moss is definitely a HOFer. I don’t need statistics to back this argument up. I simply remember Moss dominating games. With Moss, you don’t need to know his TD record or receiving stats. Simply, watch a few games of Moss over his tenure (although I would skip the Oakland years) and you will immediately notice that the guy is dominant. One of the best players on the field.

Step 2: No need to go to question 2.

Example 2: Is Tiki Barber a HOFer?

Step 1: My immediate reaction is probably not. I remember watching Tiki play. He was good. But not great. No crazy moves like Barry Sanders. He didn’t have elite speed. He wasn’t a bulldozer. He wasn’t a Walter Payton, Sanders, Brown, or even Sayers.

Step 2: This is where statistics should come in. You could argue that his rushing totals would place him in the HOF. That his career TD totals are comparable to other HOF players. You see the point. Tiki Barber isn’t a HOF, because when you watched him, he rarely seemed special. Maybe for a year or two he was a top 5 back. But what about the remaining years. Since my initial reaction was no, it would take a whole lot to convince me Tiki’s a HOF. Not impossible, but a tough sell.

3. So let’s go back to Warner. Is Warner a HOF? It’s a tough call. But, my immediate reaction is probably not. He was an elite player for about 2 years. When I watched him, I didn’t think HOF. I saw a good QB, with great players around him. When I watched St. Louis play, I saw a HOF in Marshal Faulk and great players in Torry Holt and Bruce. When I see the Cardinals, I see a potential future HOF in Fitzgerald and a great player in Bolden. But, I never find myself saying Warner is great.

Since we’ve dealt with Step 1, is it still possible that Warner is a HOF using criteria # 2? He does have solid statistics. A two time MVP, a Superbowl winner. It’s still pretty tough for me to call him a HOF, but a 2^nd Superbowl might even nudge me in to his HOF column.

4. Why don’t I use statistics when analyzing criteria # 1 (i.e. initial gut reaction)? Well at least for the real sports, football, futbol, basketball and hockey – you don’t need statistics to tell you if a player is great. All you have to do is watch them play. I don’t need statistics to tell me that MJ was a HOF, or that Barry Sanders is a HOF.

5. In addition, statistics can be just as misleading as telling. A guy like Warner will likely not put up the same numbers as Marino simply because Warner came into the league at an older age. Likewise, Drew Brees put up ridiculous numbers this past year. But he isn’t a hall of famer. I’d rather have Manning, even though he put up lower stats this past year. In this day in age, we have so many statistics that it’s difficult to rationalize what they mean. We got a record for most points on a Saturday night game in December by a QB. What the hell does that mean?

Statistics can he helpful. But they shouldn’t be the sole measuring stick for determining HOFer status. Just watch the games. Does Warner look as great as Manning, Brady, Marino, Montana?

6. Football (and for that matter basketball, futbol and hockey) are not baseball. In baseball it makes sense to use statistics as the main barometer of HOFer status. It’s difficult to tell how great Barry Bond’s swing is. The only measure to tell you is whether it goes for a home run. Same for pitching. Sure Randy Johnson’s arm looks great. But, we need the statistics to tell us how great a pitcher he was. We need those ERAs and batting averages. We simply can’t tell that much from the human eye. A batter may have a great looking swing. But it doesn’t matter if he keeps on getting struck out.

With football, I can tell Marino was great by just watching-The quick release and ridiculous speed on his ball. I didn’t need to know Marinos' QB rating to see that he was great.

Let’s move on…who should be in the HOF that isn’t. Or vice versa.

7. Richard Dent should be in the HOF. He was a dominant pass rusher. More importantly he has the statistics to back him up (I believe he is top 10 in all time sacks). How can Dan Hampton be a HOFer and Richard Dent isn’t?

8. Scottie Pippen is a HOF. I realize he isn’t up for candidacy yet. But I’m just saying.

9. I am not sure Michael Strahan is a HOF. Yeah, he has the statistics. But his sacks always seemed manufactured or irrelevant. But maybe his sack total is enough evidence that he was an elite player worthy of the hall.

10. What about Urlacher. I don’t know because I have such a strong bias to the Bears and him. But, my gut tells me he is not. Going to step 2, I guess I would need some convincing.

The Bears will Never Win a Superbowl with Lovie Smith at the Helm.

Lovie ain't no Belichick

No, that headline isn’t an attempt at shock journalism or as I like to call it, Mariotti journalism. In fact, the statement shouldn’t be too shocking. With the departing of Holmgren, Shanahan, and Dungy, only 3 out of the 32 present head coaches in the NFL have won a championship (that’s only 9% of the league). So this isn’t to totally blame Lovie Smith (surely the players and Jerry Angelo are also to blame) for the Bears’ lack of Superbowl victories. But ask yourself this question: Is Lovie Smith in the top 9% of current NFL coaches (i.e. in the top 3, or 5, or even 10)? The answer of course is no. Lovie Smith’s alright. But, alright doesn’t win you championships in the NFL.

Lovie Smith likely won’t win a Superbowl title because he is not a great coach. It’s true that Tony Dungy wasn’t a great coach either. But Dungy had Peyton Manning and friends. The Bears have Orton. With the even talent level of the current NFL, coaching becomes an even larger element of winning football. It’s no coincidence that Bill Belichik, Shanahan and Mike Holmgren won Superbowls. They are great coaches. They not only could lead men, but they also had the smarts and systems that could out maneuver opposing coaches. Sure Belichick had Brady. But before Belichick, Brady was a bench player at Michigan. Even after Brady’s knee injury, Belichick made a high school QB, Mat Cassell, into a good passer and led the same team to an 11 win record. Think about that for a moment. The Bears who have been grooming both Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton for 4 years only mustered 9 wins this season (7 wins the previous year). Belichick coaches a team with a QB who never started in college to an 11 win season. That’s great coaching.

To be fair, Smith did lead the Bears to a Superbowl appearance. They lost of course. And in my book 2nd place doesn’t mean anything. More persuasive is that the Bears reached the final game more so because of talent than Lovie Smith’s great coaching. Remember how Lovie Smith failed to adapt during the Superbowl game when it was clear that Peyton Manning could rip apart our Cover 2 defense? The Bears’ defense sat back like they were old retired men at a street side coffee shop.

But the media argues that Lovie’s a great teacher. Really? Daniel Manning still can’t play safety. Mark Anderson and Nathan Vasher have regressed. Have Orton and Grossman taken real steps forward? Hasn’t our D-line regressed? Aren’t former receivers Berrian, Justin Gage, and Mark Bradely doing better on other teams? It doesn’t seem like Michael Okwo or Dan Bazuin (two project players) got better under Lovie’s tutelage. But maybe Brandon Ayanbadejo said it best when comparing his new coach to Lovie, “{Harbaugh} ''is a lot more hands-on than Lovie'' and that his coaching style ''is more personal and a lot different than Lovie.'' This seems to infer that Lovie isn’t a hands on teacher. That’s right. He really is the deer in headlights guy on the sidelines that we comically joke about.

Want more evidence that Lovie isn’t the guy to lead the Bears to a Superbowl title? Why did it take the off-season for Lovie Smith to realize that Babich isn’t a good play caller? It seems to me that a great coach would recognize that Babich couldn’t handle the duties during the season when things fell apart (i.e. your once great defense performing like the Bengals). But, it took Lovie two years to figure this out. Even worse, what’s the point of having a defensive coordinator if you don’t trust him enough to call the plays? So now with Babich demoted to linebackers coach, Lovie is our sit-in defensive coordinator. On offense we still have Ron Turner. So who exactly is our head coach? Lovie’s buddy from college?

I sincerely hope I’m wrong about this. Again, I’ve always made it a point to be fair in my writings. And maybe I am being overly critical. However, I can only write what I see. And what I see is coach, who can’t make a good team great.

Tuesday Morning Thoughts: Bears, Bulls, and Futbol

Christiano Ronaldo's girlfriend.

Completely random thoughts:

1. I now know what I need to do in order to become a Bears coach. Somehow become a buddy of Lovie Smith. It appears to be the only job requirement. Sure Rod Marrinelli is supposed to be a good Dline coach. But did we just forget that he coached the worst team in the history of football? How did Rod respond to that question in the interview? So Rod, explain to me why I should hire you considering you just coached a team to a 0-16 record? The funny thing is, I doubt Lovie ever asked that question.

2. Defense wins championships. Repeat- defense wins championships. Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Eagles have proven that more often than not, defense will get you to the Superbowl. Heck, even Arizona had to play great defense to get where they were at. An argument could be made that the Bears should stick to growing the defense rather than offense. I think they need better OL talent and a big #1 receiver. But I wouldn’t argue with them targeting a DE and safety with the first two picks of the draft this year (So long as those players are not from Div. 3 School. I can just hear it. “With the Bears first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft they select, Michael Smith, Defensive End from Div. 5 DuPage Community College).

3. Ummm. The Bulls sort of suck. No, they really suck. I know everybody dislikes Tyrus “Potential” Thomas. But, he played well last night against Portland in the third quarter on the defensive end. Then From Black takes him out at the end of the 3^rd and we never see him again in the game. I am not saying he deserves to play the whole game, but no player can get better with the random lineup rotations that Del Negro uses. Well, except Derick the Bermuda Rose of course.

4. Yeah, Florida won the BCS National Championship. Yawn. Boring. Stupid. I wonder if these coaches realize that one day, (and it has to happen) when there is a playoff and real championship that all those past BCS winners will have a large asterisk next to their school’s names. Once we have a real playoff, no one will care that Florida won the BCS. It will all start over. B.B.C.S. or Before B.C.S will be meaningless.

5. There are way too many pick-up truck commercials during sporting events.

6. Christiano Ronaldo is the best futbol player in the world. No doubt. Too bad he plays for Manchester United and not my beloved Arsenal. And yes, I did just throw in a futbol thought.

7. I miss fantasy football. But, I don’t miss losing in Fantasy football.

8. Greg Couch just wrote the most poorly written sport’s article that I’ve read in a long time. But, I do agree with his arguments. Paxson deserves blame for the Bulls play. See here.

9. Tony Dungy isn’t a hall of fame coach. He got booted out of Tampa Bay. Jon Gruden took over and led the same exact team to a Superbowl victory. In Indy, he did win a SB. But, more often than not, they lost in their first playoff game. Plus, it’s hard to give him credit for the offense. That was all Peyton Manning and the offensive coordinator. Dungy focused on the defense. A defense that wasn’t all that good.

10. I don’t like making predictions because predictions are completely irrelevant. Nobody can foresee the future. So this means absolutely nothing. But…….. Kurt Warner is going to fall on his face this Sunday. Repeat- this means nothing.

Chicago Bulls: So Far Vinny Del Negro is an Inferior Coach.

Here is what we know about "From Black" and the Bulls.

1. The Bulls are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA.
2. They have no offensive system other than (a) a Derrick Rose pick and role set up at near half-court (stupidest thing I have ever seen); and (b) dribble, dribble, dribble- Gordon/Hughes/Gooden crazy shot attempt.
3. The Bulls appear to like playing for Vinny.
4. He has nice hair.
5. And lastly, he belongs as an assistant coach (not the Del Harris type, but the one usually sitting behind the players and coaches (think Pete Myers).

We are barely at the halfway point of the season, so Del Negro's got room for improvement. But then again, so does Rex Grossman. I mean they both can't get any worse, right?

What disturbs me the most about Del Negro is his blame on the players for not playing great defense. But, I suggest that you can't play great defense by fielding a lineup of Rose, Gordon, Hughes, Nocioni and Gooden. It's just impossible. Even Jamal Crawford wouldn't be afraid of driving to the hoop on those guys. Small ball didn't work in Phoenix as good teams ended up slowing down the game and taking advantage of the Suns' poor defense. It also isn't going to work in Chicago.

Secondly, Del Negro has no offensive system. At least with Skiles, the Bulls had a great offensive system with guys coming off multiple screens and a lot of player movement. With Del Negro, the Bulls set up their offense, typically with a ridiculous screen set at about half-court and the sideline for Rose. While this irrelevant screen happens, the other players just stand watching. No movement, no screens, no cutting. Del Negro is essentially running a "pick up" game offense with Gordon playing the role of the annoying player who jacks up shots every time he touches the ball.

Sure the players like Del Negro and seem to want to play for him (a huge factor in the modern NBA). But it isn't enough. Just look at their record.

About a month ago, I wrote that Del Negro was mediocre. Now, after further review, he is an inadequate and inferior coach.

Chicago Bears: The Groupthink Problem

"Groupthink" is a phenomenon that describes how poor decisions are often made in a group process. Social psychologists argue that groupthink occurs when group members reach a consensus without critically analyzing and evaluating ideas and different viewpoints.

A common example used to explain the phenomenon revolves around the 1986 Challenger Shuttle disaster. Shuttle engineers knew that a faulty "O-ring" could cause a shuttle explosion. Instead of preventing the launch, the engineers fell into a lull, kept quiet, and assimilated into the NASA "norm" of keeping to the scheduled launch date. The engineers and group members worried that any alternative viewpoint would be met with reprisal from NASA, including termination from employment or the loss of NASA funds on other projects. This poor group decision wound up costing the lives of all crew members.

Similarly (although without the loss of life), the Chicago Bears are entering into an era of groupthink. Lovie Smith's desire to retain every past and future Tony Dungy Cover 2 disciple has cost the Bears the ability to think critically and evaluate the pros and cons of its defensive scheme. If the rumors are true, Lovie Smith will retain his amateur defensive coordinator (Babich), and hire his long time buddy, Rod Marinelli and his son in law, Joe Barry to coach the defensive line and linebackers, respectively. Put simply, Lovie Smith is creating NASA circa 1986.

With a cabinet of "friendly" defensive coaches aligned with the Cover 2 bias, the Bears defense will continue its down-slide. No alternative viewpoints will be discussed in meetings. Just a bunch of yes men. Despite skepticism that the Cover 2 no longer fits the Bears' personnel, the Bears will continue to display the scheme because its coordinators fear reprisal from King Lovie. Just ask Ron Rivera.

This is no way to run a leading professional space agency. Its no way to run a legendary professional football team.

Kurt Warner to Bears? How about No!

David Haugh, one of the few Chicago sport's writers I actually like, proposes that the Bears obtain Kurt Warner (See article here). He goes on to argue that "There would be no shame in Kyle Orton biding time behind a potential Hall of Fame quarterback such as Warner, who might have two good years left and be relatively affordable with a contract that reflects that."

Yeah, just what I was thinking- Kyle Orton could use two more years to develop as a starting QB on the bench. You know, because those 4 years under Rex Grossman weren't enough. It is quite absurd that anyone, let alone a columnist for the predominant newspaper in Chicago, to think that (a) Orton will develop on the bench; and (b) the Bears should have the patience to develop a 4 year QB for another 2 years.

But let's get passed this point. Is Kurt Warner a good option? No. Sure Warner had a great year passing. But he also was passing to the best WR combo in the NFL in Fitzgerald and Anquan Bolden. If Orton had the weapons of Arizona, I believe he would have put up similar numbers (And I'm not even an Orton fan).

But even more perplexing is that Warner has shown over the last few years that when the going gets rough, Warner gets scared and throws interceptions. Warner is an over-the-hill quarterback who benefited from a great system and receivers in St. Louis and even better receivers in Arizona. He's good, but in no way should he be an option for the Bears. We need to go forward (read young QB with potential), not backward 4 years (Read Warner).

Unless the Bears bring in Larry Fritgerald, Bolden, and Torry Holt to Chicago, Warner shouldn't be an option. I admit that there exist few other alternatives in the market. But by going to Warner, the Bears would not only not get better, they would sacrifice the future of the QB position for another 3 years.

P.S. In my book (which means nothing I realize) Kurt Warner's not a hall of famer. He had 3 good years in St. Louis winning One Super-bowl (QB rating of about 100 each year) and had a good 2008 season (rating of96.9). Besides that he's been pretty mediocre and even awful (1998 QB rating of 47, 2002: 67, 2003: 73, 2004-2007: the 80's).

Tuesday Morning Thoughts: BcS

No Bears, the Bulls suck- what is there to write about? Let’s see.. the BCS.

1. I made a promise to myself not to watch one college football bowl game this year in protest of the dumbest post-season system. Up until last night’s Fiesta Bowl it worked. But, I couldn’t get passed that stupid Tostitos Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips Fiesta game. There was just nothing to watch on TV. I ended up flipping between American Choppers and the bowl game. Basically, three idiots building a My Name is Earl motorcycle caught my attention as much as Texas and Ohio State.

2. Speaking of American Choppers, why would a motorcycle enthusiast by a bike from OC Choppers? Half the time their banging at the bike with a hammer because some bolt doesn’t fit. Add in the fact that they appear to be mentally retarded, it makes no sense to put up $40K for one of their bikes. However, I will say that I’m addicted to the show.

3. You have got to hand it to the producers of the Fiesta Bowl. Texas is playing a 10-2 Ohio State that has ZERO offense because its coach wants to make a freshman running back a quarterback. Ohio State was essentially playing a pre-season game attempting to get Pryor as much P-T time for next year. Yet, somehow the game felt like it was a championship. NCAA football is completely ridiculous. Why am I watching this fluff? Somehow an exhibition is supposed to feel important?

4. So the big-12 is clearly overrated. Texas could barely beat a mediocre Ohio State team. Oklahoma State lost to Oregon. Missouri could barely beat an overrated Northwestern team. And Texas Tech lost to Mississippi. Each one of these Big 12 teams was either #1 in the country this year or a top contender for the championship. Yet, based upon their bowl results, each one of these teams would end up being 2^nd place (and likely worse) in the Big Ten (another bad conference this year), the SEC or Pac-10. Basically, the experts and the BCS have no idea who is a good team.

5. And then there’s Utah. They are 13-0 and comfortably beat Alabama, a team that was #1 for a good portion of the year. How can anyone argue that they don’t deserve to be the champion? Or at least mentioned in the conversation. If you’re a Utah player, what else could you possibly do to prove you are championship worthy? If I’m Utah, I make a media circus out of trying to get Florida or Oklahoma to play them after the BCS game. This will never happen. But it should. We need an anti-BCS hero.

6. Then, we have USC. Someone please tell me why USC isn’t in the national championship game? Florida lost to Mississippi. USC lost to Oregon State in September. There is no rational explanation how one could argue that either is better than the other. And don’t get me started about Oklahoma who plays, in what we now know, to be another average conference. And, they lost to Texas.

7. This is what we call circular logic. If this were Microsoft Excel we would get a big ERROR reading because of the cyclical formula. Alright enough time wasted on this.

8. I get a seizure every time I see the Dennis Leary Ford F-150 commercials. Stop it.

9. Right about now, Vinny Del Negro is realizing he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing.

10. It’s only about 224 days before the start of Bears training camp.