Random Thoughts

I was so sick last night that I had to sleep in the bathroom. No, not because of the chicken I ate at the airport waiting for my flight back to Boston but because of the cowardice shown by Bulls' GM John Paxon by not pulling the trigger on a trade-deadline deal. Let's get something clear: I never wanted him to give away the team's future for one player, Pau Gasol, but Paxon had the opportunity to add two proven, playoff-tested veterans in Abdur-Rahim and Bonzi Wells and came away from negotiations empty-handed. All it would have took to pry away Abdur-Rahim would have been P.J. Brown and a second-round pick the Bulls got from the Knicks. Paxon, however, felt that Abdur-Rahim's contract was simply too big to take on. Question: Isn't the point, when making a trade, to work it out so that neither team is left to deal with a financial mess? Doesn't the leage have rules in regard to a salary cap that teams are not allowed to exceed? Therefore, Paxson's comments have no validity. They are a facade to cover the fact that he didnt have the guts or gile to change his current roster. Let's be honest, and I've heard this directly form his mouth, the Bulls want to keep Brown's expiring $8 million contract because the team is saving as much money as posisble for the summer that Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh become free agents.

As for Wells, Paxon offered Sweetney but Houston didn't bite. I guarantee if he had added the other second-round pick the Knicks' so graciously gave the Bulls, the deal would have got done. Wells was the big guard that this team needed. He can post-up the smaller guards in the Eastern Conference and the Bulls could have run their offense through him when they needed to slow the tempo which would allow them to hold on to the big leads they are so quick to give away. Wells is also a prime-time player come playoff time as was evident in last year's postseason when he almost single-handedly defeated the Spurs in the first-round. Gordon would have gone back to the bench, teaming up with Nocioni, and the team would have been that much better. Now imagine a frontcourt of the offensive-minded Abdur-Rahim, defensive monster Ben Wallace, and budding-sperstar Luol Deng combined with Wells at the two-sopt and Hinrich at the point. And guess what Paxson? You didn't have to mortgage your team's future as you were so worried about doing. You could have won the East with two minor trades. You blew it. Live with that as you look in the mirror the rest of this season. But I will forgive you if you manage to sign Wade or James in a few years.

Oh by the way, the Bulls are 3-0 since the All-Star Break. 2-0 since Jim Paxon let the team down. Ben Wallace is playing with a chip on his shoulder. Maybe he's upset with all the talk that he need shelp up front. Perhaps he's preping for his upcomming battle in Detroit. Whatever the reason, ot's impressive what he can do when he feels like playing. That bodes well for for the playoffs.


Here are some other headlines in the sports world, inlcuding those which are non-Chicago related...

CUBS

• Eric Patterson is following in his older brother Corey's footsteps and hoping to make a bigger impact in the Cubs organization than Corey did in his brief stay. Trust me, that shouldn't be too difficult of a task.


• The Alfonso Soriano experiment will be scrutinized, mainly because it could lead to a game of musical chairs in the outfield if he can't handle the switch to center field. Does anyone else feel uneasy about a player with one year of experience in Left Field making the transition to Center? I thought that this was the most absurd idea I had ever heard when it was first proposed all the way back at the Winter Meetings. My heart says that I hope it works but my brain is teling me otherwise. Plus, I want to see what this kid Felix Pie can do already.


• After Cubs pitchers were done running Wednesday, Larry Rothschild gave young Jeff Samardzija some unsolicited advice on how to wear his cap. He recommended the centered look, the way almost most major-leaguers have worn caps since 1876. But it was OK for Juan Pierre? Maybe I'm crazy but I even remember when Pierre was trying on his hat during an introductory press conference he remarked "I've always worn it a little to the side". Can you say double-standard? Leave it to the Cubs to make an issue out of something like this.


• Part I of the Carlos Zambrano saga ended Tuesday when he agreed to a one-year, $12.4 million deal, avoiding an arbitration hearing only minutes before it was to begin. This should have been done months ago ala Chase Utley's $76 million extension soon after the conlcusion of the World Series.$76 million would be a bargain now considereing how Zito's $128 million contract has inflated the free agent market beyond belief. After Zambrano's comments that the Cubs need to sign him before opening day or he will enter free agency, I think it would be better for the team to trade him for 3 or 4 really good players. It's hard for me to see the Cubs agreeing to another Soriano-type deal.


• Kerry Wood threw 25 pitches off the mound Monday in his first prolonged throwing session since hurting his chest in a hot-tub spill last week. Close your eyes, invent a creative way for a major-league pitcher to hurt himself and before you can say "DL", Kery Wood will do it. I hope he stays healthy because I think he could be as good a closer one day as John Smoltz was for the Braves after he converted from starter to reliever.

BEARS

• With his stalled contract talks and other organizational changes serving as a backdrop, Bears coach Lovie Smith addressed reporters at the NFL scouting combine Friday morning and said he's hopeful a deal will get done. What in the world is going on? All Smith has done is earn Coach of the Year and take the Bears to the Super Bowl, yet he is still the lowest-paid head coach in the NFL In fact,. there are some coordinators making more than him. This is a joke. Pay the man his money. Don't make the same mistake you made with the team from 1985. Unbelievable. Only in Chicago.


• Expect the Bears to accommodate Thomas Jones' apparent trade request. Presume they will ignore the same request from Lance Briggs. If the Bears decided to trade Jones, which I am not ocmpletely opposed to, they can accept nothing less than a first-round pick. There are teams such the Giants and Jets who are desperate enough for a starting back that the Bears would have the upper-hand in any discussions involving Jones. As for Briggs, if he demands a trade the Bears, by rule, would recieve two first-round picks. In my opinion, Benson will be a star in this league and for a team who has no glaring weakness and whose philosophy is to build through the draft, having three first-round picks in your pocket wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.


• Ron Rivera accepted the job of Linebacker Coach for the San Diego Chargers after he was let go by the Bears. When I heard the news, I jumped out of my seat in delight. Rivera lost the Super Bowl for the Bears, period. When they blitzed Manning in the first half, he looked bad, throwing an interception on his first posession. But for some reason in the second half, the defense went conservative which allowed Manning to pick them apart with 4-5 yard passes the rest of the night. At one point, Urlacher looked over to the sidelines and began yelling at Rivera to get his act together. Good riddance.

BLACKHAWKS

• Another five-game losing streak for the Hawks. Another? When did the first one end?

WHITE SOX

• Ozzie Guillen's gut says first-place. First place in what? The draft? I know he's not talking about finishing first in the AL Central. With the moves that GM Kenny Williams made this offseason, don't be surprised to see the Sox finish behind Detroit, Minnesota, and Cleveland. All of those teams had productive summers while the Sox invested in nothing but young pitching which might pay off down the road, but not this year.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Did you see that all-out brawl between Buffalo and Ottawa? It was nostalgic. A blast from the past reminding us of what the NHL used to be; a league filled with excitement and passion. The goalies went at it, with the coaches almost doing the same. I absolutely loved it.


• Sadly, an NBA legend passed away. He took a piece of all that is good about sports with him to the grave. Why does it seem like the worst things happen to the best people. Dennis Johnson collapsed due to heart failure while coaching a youth AAU team yet, as horrible as it may sound, people like Terrell Owens and Jay Mariotti remain in perfect health, flapping their gums to whoever's left that can still stand the sound of their voice. I would never wish harm upon any individual, but you get my point, sometimes it just feels like the best people suffer the worst of fates. Johnson was truly one of the good guys.


• Just how much can change in a matter of months? Ask Brady Quinn who is projected in the majority of mock drafts to be taken at the number 9 slot by Miami. Before the season Quinn was the hands-down number one pick but after a shaky Sugar Bowl he will need a strong combine showing to even be selected in the top 10. I don't know what would be worse for Quinn, free falling down the draft board or being scooped up by the black hole we so fondly call Minnesota at number 7. You be the judge.


• The GM of the Tennessee Titans says that because of Pacman Jones' legal troubles, he is involved in a triple shooting at a Las Vegas strip club, it is very possible for him to not be on their roster come next season. Could you imagine him lining up next to Devin Hester on kickoffs and punts? Even more scary, would be him and Tank Johnson getting together on weekends


• The Kansas City Royals are counting on Gil Meche to be their opening day starter. At least in the past the Royals had an excuse for being a bad team: they were a small market club with no money to spend. So now the team will stay in last place and they'll owe Meche $55 million. And you wonder why some teams just never get any better. Talk about a prime canidate for dispansion. Bud Selig needs to break this team apart and start an expansion franchise, perhaps in Las Vegas.


• Finally, Kevin Garnett speaks out saying that his team is obviously not trying to better themselves. He stopped just short of demanding out but he did say "Thank God for (contract) opt-outs" meaning that he is as good as gone this summer. I dount Minnesota would allow him to walk for nothing so look for a blockbuster sign-and-trade deal during this year's draft. Calling Jim Paxson. Time to awake from your slumber. Are you paying attention? Your path ot the NBA finals has been paved.