BULLS GAME 47 RECAP - by Kent McDill

Bulls finally get around to beating Pacers
By Kent McDill

With their 110-89 victory over the Indiana Pacers Saturday, the Bulls raised their record to 33-14, which just happens to be the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.  Bet you didn't see that coming back in October, did you?

I'm not sure what it means, but I know the Bulls trail only the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference with less than half a season remaining. Presumably, a higher seed will make for an easier first-round matchup although right now they are either Charlotte or Philadelphia, and they have lost to both of those teams this season (Charlotte twice).

But let's celebrate this high mark for a few days because it could slip away next week when the Bulls take off for a two-week trip west. They play at the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State, Portland, Utah and New Orleans, and might reasonably hope for a 2-3 trip with a 3-2 slate being very very good.  The Bulls actually play 11 of their next 14 on the road. They have created their current record on the strength of two months of home cooking.  Still, the Bulls showed in November they are not afraid to play on the road. They might survive this stretch, and when the schedule evens out at the end of February they are expecting Joakim Noah back from his hand injury.

Against the Pacers Saturday, it was a relatively boring game until Derrick Rose got serious. He hit a three-pointer to end the third quarter and give the Bulls a five-point lead, then he made the first two baskets of the fourth quarter to spread the lead and the Bulls were soon playing with a double-digit lead.

Carlos Boozer finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds, his third double-double in four games since returning from his sprained ankle. Rose had 20 points and seven assists and Luol Deng had 19 points, six rebounds and eight assists in another hardly noticed terrific effort.

Now the bad news. Taj Gibson suffered a twisted ankle in the fourth quarter as he stepped on teammate Ronnie Brewer's foot and turned the foot. His status will be updated Monday.  With James Johnson sent down to the developmental league, the Bulls may be turning to Brian Scalabrine for assistance inside. Not that that's a bad thing.

HERO: Derrick rose has "hero'' written all over him, don't you think?

Click Here to Read More..

RONNIE BREWER DUNKS ON JOSH MCROBERTS

NASTTYYYY!!!



Make sure you watch the whole video and listen to Stacey King go nuts too!  Haha, you got to love Stacey King's commentary on this one too! And of course, the signature!

GO BULLS! 

Click Here to Read More..

BULLS GAME 46 RECAP - by Kent McDill

Bulls-Magic recap
By Kent McDill

After watching the Bulls beat the Orlando Magic Friday 99-90, I have a new opinion about the Bulls' 2010-11 season.  I think the Bulls can with the NBA title this year.  I'm not saying they are going to win the title. I'm not suggesting they are likely to win it, or will be favored to win or should win it. I'm just saying they can win it.

I got this idea first Thursday night when I watched the New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden. In that game, the Knicks looked way too frenetic, and proved they aren't very good at defense, while the Heat looked discombobulated.  The Heat were playing without Chris Bosh, but I'm not sure how that might have mattered. I think Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are still having trouble figuring out their respective roles and that will come to play in the post-season.

That brought me to the Bulls game Friday, in which Derrick Rose tried to play through the pain of dual ulcers. I applaud him for the effort, while I have to wonder whether the young man is too brave and willful for his own good.  Rose scored 22 points and had 12 assists in 37-plus minutes. He occasionally grabbed his stomach in pain, and admitted after the game it was tough going.  Having another game Saturday against the Indiana Pacers, it will be interesting to see if he tries to go again.

It was important, perhaps, to put up a good fight against an Orlando team that shellacked the Bulls back in December when Carlos Boozer was making his return from injury. Given the choice, I think Rose would rather play with the pain than sit and watch with the pain.  But what I found out in the game against Orlando is that the Magic are a two-man team: Dwight Howard is one, and the 3-point shot is the other.

The Magic shoot the most 3-pointers in the league by far (the Knicks are second) and the Magic only hit at a 37.5 percent rate. In the playoffs, those shots are going to become harder to come by, and the Bulls, for one, do a great job rotating out on those shots when they have their best defensive group in the game.

Against the Bulls Friday, the Magic got 40 points and 15 rebounds from Dwight Howard and very little else. They shot five for 21 from 3-point range, got out-rebounded 54-40, and managed just 17 points in the third quarter when the Bulls played lockdown.

Howard depends entirely on how officials are going to call the game. His very physical inside play produced 16 free throws as Kurt Thomas, Carlos Boozer and Omer Asik shared 14 fouls. It will be interesting to see if the Bulls get a chance with Joakim Noah healthy.

HERO: Luol Deng scored 26 points, 24 in the second half, and could not be stopped offensively. He also came up with two big steals, one that secured the outcome late in the fourth quarter.

Click Here to Read More..

MARK'S KADDY KORNER - FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN PREVIEW - by Mark Huber

Farmers Insurance Open Preview

Tiger’s here this week, that’s all that matters. The PGA Tour could be playing on airport runways and if the Woods guy shows up there will be a huge crowd with loads of media static. He has roamed Torrey Pines in La Jolla since childhood destroying the course and his opposition on a regular basis. I think there’s 13 trophies from Torrey resting someplace with Tiger Woods name engraved on them. Tiger remembers coming to the tournament when he was 6 or 7 and playing the course at an early age. Yes he’s my favorite and everyone else’s teeing it up in a fantasy league. The only question is how low will he go and how much will the winning margin be.

By the luck of the draw, ha-ha, he’s teeing it up with Rocco and A.K. the first two days. If the weather holds you’ll see record crowds following them, there won’t be much need for gallery ropes on the other fairways. Phil’s here, heard he decided to bring his driver this time, and some of the locals may tag along watching his smiles and nods. With both big boys back the season has officially started, I guess.

Years ago the Andy Williams Open drew quite a field and a few celebrities then it faded from the spotlight for awhile. Since the USGA announced the 2008 U.S. Open site and changes were made to the South course a few more prestigious players have showed up. There’s a birdie barrage one day, pros tear up the North course, but the South keeps them in line forcing a bit more strategy. The rough should be up a bit, there’s been some rain, and scores in the high 60s will be good on the South’s bumpy greens.

There is an active INS department in San Diego and in years past a few foreign caddies without proper papers have been detained. Some say unemployed local caddies snitched, hopefully everyone clears customs and no one needs a fill-in on the bag. There’s a lot of local knowledge around both tracks, your regular caddie is extremely important when dealing with the coastal winds, driving lines off the tees and treacherous greens.

Like I said Tiger is the only choice as favorite and my other three are:

Bill Haas – playing well and his length helps here. No longer Jay Haas’ son, he’s Bill Haas.

Kevin Na – he’s ready for his first win, been sneaking around the leader board last couple weeks.

Robert Garrigus – length and attitude will help. MC at Wailae, week off and ready to go.

If I had a back-up foursome it would be K.J. Choi, Bubba Watson, Ben Crane and sleeper Chris Baryla.
Other than Tiger’s run, only Phil has gone back to back in the tournament’s sixty years. There have been quite a few playoffs, some unknowns sneaking in (Woody Blackburn, Greg Twiggs and Bob Dickson) for wins and Devlin’s Billabong fronting the eighteenth green has drowned many hopeful winners. The finishing holes are very exciting, if Tiger’s not running away look for an exciting finish on Sunday.

Also...IP's Picks:

Tiger Woods

Rickie Fowler

Nick Watney

Click Here to Read More..

DERRICK ROSE'S TOP 5 DUNKS

Here are Derrick Rose's favorite dunks, hand picked by DRose himself...

Click Here to Read More..

2011 NFL Playoffs Conference Review: Bears vs. Packers – CAN'T CUT IT – by Anil P.

The feeling of a successful year is only felt when you are the last team standing. The Chicago Bears will not have that warm fuzzy feeling topped with fireworks and confetti this season. The Bears were knocked out of the chase for Lombardi in a 21-14 defeat to their hated rivals at home on Sunday. Thankfully no one had to witness the trophy ceremony on the field as Mike McCarthy’s crew accepted the award in the locker room. That was probably a good thing for the health of Packer fans as Jay Cutler jerseys being torched might not be the only thing on fire. The Packers won the game with two quick hitting drives with big plays and one B.J. Raji pick-six touchdown. That along with the inevitable reoccurring issue of failing to protect the quarterback led to the Bears demise. Cutler was unable to continue the game due to a Grade II MCL sprain and whether you believed he pulled himself or was pulled by the coaching staff; probably falls in line in your overall view of the franchise quarterback before the game as well. If you didn't like him before, you hate him now. It’s easy to feel lousy about the season and the game with botched game management by Lovie’s crew but there were ultimately some positives with the season as a whole. The NFC Championship game just isn’t one of them.

OFFENSE

Offensively this unit struggled mightily against the aggressive Packers defense. Jay Cutler’s day was cut short but his play wasn’t missed for the rest of the game. Of course he presents a better option than the retired bound Todd Collins or the stashy Caleb Hanie but on this day Jay would have liked to have a few errant passes back. Jay was 6 for 14 with only 80 yards passing through the air with zero touchdowns and one interception. No one is sure when the MCL sprain/tear occurred and if it affected his play but Cutler was not accurate for the time he was in. Mike Martz actually put together a decent game plan that included pounding the ball with Forte and trying to utilize him on screen and wheel routes. Unfortunately Dom Capers had his unit well prepared and executed on athletic interceptions (two by the nickelback Sam Shields). Three plays stand out in the failures of the first half. First is the missed big play to Hester in the opening drive where Hester ran a beautiful in and out route to the corner. The second is the missed touchdown to Hester in a deep cross route where he had his man beat but Cutler over threw him. The third is the first interception by Shields on an under thrown ball to Johnny Knox at the end of the half. Both times the correct play and correct read was made but execution lacked. While Chicago, NFL players and national sports writers lament Cutler’s toughness on not being able to play through pain, the real disappointment is the multiple lost opportunities on #6 making accurate throws. Jay’s inability to complete passes down the field resulted in only one completion to a wide receiver (Knox) with five going to the running backs. With Cutler struggling, Matt Forte stepped up to be the only bright spot offensively. Forte carried the ball 17 times for 70 yards (4.1 average) and caught the ball 10 times for 90 yards. All of which contributed to leading the Bears in both rushing and receiving. Olsen caught three balls from Hanie and Bennett didn’t get any action until Hanie stepped in as well. The offensive line did not protect as well as the Packers proved to and it showed. Cutler did get hit a bunch of times and was sacked twice. One of those hits resulted in the MCL sprain that ended the hopes of a Super Bowl birth. I didn’t even get to talking about the idiocy of Collins being the backup or Hanie’s heroics but the offense wasn’t geared to those two getting in and 14 points isn’t cutting it. OVERALL GRADE: F

DEFENSE

The defense did what they have done all year and limited the opposing team to 14 points. I think most of Chicago would take holding the Packers to only two scores for the game as a sign that a trip to Dallas is likely. Still the inability to adjust on the opening drive to the constant playaction passes (three) resulted in 70 yards to help set up the naked bootleg for a Rodgers touchdown. Watching Rodgers consistently utilize playaction to draw the linebackers to the line to only watch Rodgers throw over the top to the area they vacated was maddening. How do you not adjust? Did the speed of the Packers scare Marinelli from calling man coverage? Thankfully the Packers didn’t utilize the simplistic offensive play call for majority of the remaining quarters. However, two drives and some help from their defense is all they needed to win the Halas Trophy. Peppers play was that of an All-Pro and his helmet to helmet hit was vicious. While that isn’t called a penalty in the NFL ten years ago it is today. With that said, none of the nine flags thrown against the Bears resulted in points for Green Bay. However, it did result in more time of possession for the Packers and a minute here and a minute there could of only helped Caleb Hanie. Aaron Rodgers was 10 for 15 for 156 yards in the first half and only completed 7 for 15 for 88 yards in the second half. The Bears clamped down when they needed to and gave Hanie and the Bears a shot to win. Urlacher and Briggs both had Pro Bowl days combining for 15 tackles, two PD’s, two INT’s and one sack. At the end of the day one of the best offenses in the NFL scored only 14 points. OVERALL GRADE: B

SPECIAL TEAMS

Dave Toub’s group didn’t excel on Sunday. Tim Masthay had a great game for the Packers and out of the eight punts on the day, five were inside the twenty yard line. Each time Hester had a minimal impact to make a return because of the booming directional punting. He did have one kickoff return that gained 24 yards but never really threatened to take one back. Robbie Gould was not asked to kick a 51 and 48-yard field goal attempts respectively. Either Robbie told the coaching staff that he didn’t have it in him or the Lovie didn’t want to give up a short field. You still would’ve liked to have seen an attempt there. With Lovie passing on kicking a field goal from the Packers 31-yard line, Maynard needed to pin the Packers back but failed to do so. That punt ended up netting eleven yards which isn’t worth the punt. Whether it was ability, execution or coaches strategic decision, this unit did not score better than the opposition. OVERALL GRADE: D

COACHING

The coaching decisions are what was the most concerning during the game. You can only control player execution so much via practice, film and reps but knowing the situation and rules are key. If you can't control the player outcome of the variable you must control the mental and strategic. The Bears staff failed here in the most important game of the season.

• Lovie/Marinelli’s use of the Cover-2 in the opening drive to feel out the Packers offense was inexcusable after the first pass. I understand the need to stop the run early on but New England showed right away that the playaction pass to pull in the linebackers was a tool to use. It was utilized in the Jets game and again now in the NFC Championship game.
• Robbie couldn’t hit a 51 or a 48-yard field goal? For the season Robbie was 4 of 7 from 40+ and actually better from 50+ yards at 3 of 4. Why was 6 points passed on?
• You couldn’t wait 57 seconds to put in Hanie? With 57 seconds to go in the 3^rd, the Bears pulled the couch bound Todd Collins and put in Hanie. With the switch, the Bears inexplicably ran two run plays to Forte to end the quarter. Because they put the 3rd stringer in before the 4th quarter the Bears lost the chance of putting in either Culter or Collins in for the rest of the game. If Hanie got injured…look to Matt Forte or Earl Bennett at QB.
• Another timeout that negated a first down play?
• And after said timeout on 3^rd and 3; Martz calls an end-around? Kudos to Martz for thinking of a play no one saw coming (except for Desmond Bishop who tackled Bennett for a 2-yard loss). It definitely was one of those if it works you are a genius and if it doesn’t we're calling you Mad Mike. Forte was excelling on the ground and was the obvious go to player but I’m sure the Bears could've got two yards on two plays if needed.

These glaring decisions by the coaching staff all around led to the loss. Despite an overall good game by the defense and a solid game plan offensively mixed with bad execution, bad backups and scrambling 3^rd stringers; the coaching staff didn’t do enough to warrant the win. OVERALL GRADE: F

CUTLER

The pariahs were out Sunday night and social media jumped the gun by bashing the toughness of the QB. It’s foolish to sit here and say the fans/league wants player safety in regards to head shots and injuries and then ask for an 18 game schedule. The hypocrisy of those statements comes from the Neanderthal thoughts on Twitter and FaceBook alike. If you have TORN LIGAMENTS in the knee, strap up and play? I guess NFL players all over the league just said they won’t mind playing an extra two games a year right? Yeah for us fans, more regular season and less preseason. Get used to rosters like Green Bay that has 17 players on IR. But hey, they still made the Super Bowl so I guess it'll work. I’m not sitting here and saying no player in the league could play through this type of injury but I am saying definitely not most despite their bravado. Jay Cutler is the most sacked quarterback in the NFL this year. He’s missed one game in his entire career and it was after the ninth sack that resulted in a concussion against New York. After all that, Cutler has still stood up and never complained about an offensive line that belongs in the CFL. Of course his teammates defended him and of course nothing less than a Grade II MCL Sprain (tear) would come out of Halas Hall as anything less would be red flags of toughness. But if you take them for their word that the truth has been stated, how do you sit there and realistically say you’d play on a torn MCL? Perhaps gladiators do exist and there are some quarterbacks out there that could play on one leg but that percentage of iron men has to be a small one. You should always take the good with the bad in every situation and if the worst thing you can say about Culter aside from his apathetic attitude to the media and desire to be socially accepted is his inability to play on one knee, I’ll take the rocket arm and possibly being the best quarterback this city has ever seen thank you very much! Stop being idiots and burning jerseys, accept that the better team won and start looking toward the draft!

LOOKING FORWARD

The NFC North Division Champions have plenty of reasons to hold their head up high and much to improve upon. In a year most of Chicago thought would be a transition year; the Bears overachieved and almost made it to the Super Bowl. The talk from Halas Hall is that Lovie will get an extension. Despite my dislike of his play calling and game management, he has produced a team that follows him and results. In seven years, Lovie Smith has won the division three times, been to the NFC Championship Game twice and to the Super Bowl once. Hard not to reward a coach that yields results as such. Consistency can only help Culter. After having three different OC’s for three straight years, he will (hopefully) have the same OC in Mike Martz for back to back years. Marinelli and the health of the defense brought back dominance that hasn’t been seen since 2006. Some retooling on the defensive line and perhaps at cornerback can bolster the defense even more. Make no mistake though, the primary need for this Bears team is to address the worst offensive line in football and then go out and get a proven wide receiver. Perhaps kick the tires of a frustrated Larry Fitzgerald? Provided a labor agreement is reached by the owners and the labor union, an offseason full of promise starts March 5^th for free agency and follows up with the NFL Draft on April 22-24^th. Until then, Go Steelers...and Bear Down!

Click Here to Read More..

BULLS GAME 45 RECAP - by Kent McDill

Bulls tame Bucks
By Kent McDill

I have covered more than a thousand Bulls games in my career. No brag, just fact.  Many of them resemble each other. Sometimes it is hard to figure out what mattered in a game, especially when the schedule gets to late January.  That was not the case Monday when the Bulls beat the Milwaukee Bucks 92-83, because Bulls center Kurt Thomas had the game of his late career.

Thomas, who turned 38 in October, scored 22 points, making 10 of 16 shots, added nine rebounds, had five assists and two blocked shots in his best offensive game in the last six years.  His post-game interview sessions were funny, and Thomas was laughing a lot. He is not accustomed to being the focus of reporters when Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer are in the locker room.

Thomas managed to be critical of his game.  He's mad he didn't score 30.

"I knocked down the first two or three shots and so I kept firing away,'' Thomas said. "When the shot is there, I have confidence that I can make it. But I had about three shots that I should have made that I missed."

Rose laughed when asked if Thomas was calling for the ball.

"Sometimes,'' Rose said. "He's the reason we won the game."

The victory lifted the Bulls to a record of 31-14, which puts them half a game behind Miami for the second best record in the East, and just three games behind Boston for the best record in the conference. They have a big contest Friday when the Orlando Magic come to town. The Magic are one game behind the Bulls in the standings.

Boozer looked fine in his second game back from his sprained ankle, with 14 points and nine rebounds. Taj Gibson, who started in Boozer's place both the times he has been injured this season, had six points and seven rebounds in a nice game off the bench.

The Bulls have played 14 games in the first 24 days of January. This week they get three days off before playing again Friday, and it is the first time they have had three days off between games since Nov. 30.  This would be a good time to get refocused. After this weekend they go on their second west coast trip, and played Utah, Portland and Golden State on the trip. They also play the Clippers, who beat them at the United Center back in December.  So let's all catch our breath this week and psych up for the second half of the season. If it is like the first half, it's going to be interesting.

HERO: Kurt Thomas, the second oldest player in the league, had 22 points and nine rebounds in the game of his late NBA life.

Click Here to Read More..

BULLS GAME 44 RECAP - by Kent McDill

Bulls finally get past Cavaliers
By Kent McDill

When I walked into the United Center Saturday, I said hello to a member of the Bulls statistics crew, a man I have known for 25 years.

"I hope we can make quick work of these guys tonight,'' he said, referring to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were 1-25 in their last 26 games heading into the contest Saturday.

I told him at the time that you NEVER say stuff like that. It's like sports voodoo; it's magic. It promises you a tight ball game, no matter what.  And that is what happened.

The Cavaliers managed to stay with the Bulls until about three minutes left in the game, finally giving up the ghost as the Bulls pulled out a 92-79 victory. Derrick Rose had 24 points, Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 10 rebounds in his first game back from a sprained ankle, and Luol Deng had 20 points and 12 rebounds while hitting four of five 3-pointers.

But I am getting tired of the Bulls letting bad teams stick around like they did Saturday. The last time they did it they let the Charlotte Bobcats beat them at home.  The Bulls were up by 10 points at halftime against a team that should have had no life. After all, they had lost 15 straight and their last 19 on the road.

Then the Bulls went up by 20 points midway through the third quarter. That should have put the hammer down on the Cavs.  Instead, Antawn Jamison hit a bunch of threes, the Bulls stopped hitting all together, and late in the fourth quarter the Cavaliers were within two games. I was sending psychic daggers at the stat crew guy.  At that point, the Bulls scored 11 straight points. The big hit was Korver's 3-pointer that pushed the lead to eight (Korver was three for six from outside and has made 11 of his last 19 from outside.)

So the Bulls become the fifth team to win 30 games this season. They become the third team to win 20 games at home (joining Boston and San Antonio).

Jamison said after the game the Cavaliers were playing with the belief they could win, and they got that belief because the Bulls allowed them to have it. I know the NBA season is a grind, and I know games like this happen, but it feels as if the Bulls are doing a poor job of placing their stamp on a game the way good teams should.

HERO: Before the game, Thibodeau said he did not know why Luol Deng is so under appreciated. I don't know, either, although he does occasionally drive me crazy with his bad hands. But tonight he had 20 points, hit four 3-pointers, and had 12 rebounds. He's the hero for this one.

Click Here to Read More..

2011 NFL Playoffs Conference Preview: Bears vs. Packers - THE DREAM by Anil P.

Every fan wants to experience this. Every network wants to air this. If you are not missing a payment on a mortgage you are huddling around a TV to see this. The pairing of division rivals for the conference crown. In what will either be the ecstasy of victory or the hangover of defeat is on the line on Sunday. But the winner has the ultimate bragging right for years to come. Every fan needs this to happen for their teams just once. For myself, Cubs vs. Cards in the NLCS (never!?). Blackhawks vs. Red Wings to get the right to play for the cup (2009). Bulls vs. Pistons killing each other (back in the 80's with Jordan). Now Chicago gets to see a match-up that hasn't been seen in seventy years. Bears vs. Packers for the newly revamped Halas Trophy and the right to play for the Lombardi.

Get me to Sunday already because I don't want to wait till the next time which could be 2081. My knees won’t stop shaking as I write this as if I had too much 5-hour energy. I can’t concentrate at work, home or allow myself to sleep because the Bears are one win away from the Super Bowl. Give me more reports on Cutler being too harsh to the media. Give me more Chris Harris updates. Talk more how the Bears are three point home underdogs to a sixth seed. Is that another SportsCenter hype preview of the NFC Championship game? Awesome! I’m on it because the first five times I didn’t get enough of the Cutler to Olsen touchdown or the Hester return in those beautiful throwbacks. If none of those were available I'd be demanding that magical remote from Click (an actually decent family comedy). Fast forward me to 2:00 PM CST on Sunday. I need me some NFC Championship game! What did I miss? My son walking? That's too bad. My son talking for the first time and reciting the Constitution? That's nice kiddo, move your party trick aside and Daddy will look at that later. Right now I need me some football! Since that remote wasn't at Bed, Bath and Beyond, for now just give me everything I can handle SportsCenter, ComCast Sportsnight, local news casts, Tribune, Sun-Times, ESPN, SI, Yahoo Sports and every other website known to man because our Bears are one win away from beating the Packers and getting to the Super Bowl.

Outlets have this game as the hardest ticket in town and the highest ever for a non Super Bowl game. With all due respect, of course the Bears and Packers would bring this type of anticipation. A game featuring two cold football cities with no beaches or Hollywood to distract, only the recession stops the ticket prices from soaring higher. Chicago has plenty to offer but this is by far first and foremost a great sports town. Despite the field; Soldier Field is a perfect location for the NFC Championship featuring the best and oldest rivalry in football. I hope the CPD is out in full force on Sunday because if Green and Gold (YELLOW!) gets too loud in Soldier Field, their colors might get replaced with black and blue and bit of red. The deadly combination of a late start time to get two extra hours of spirits accumulated with the possibility of a not so favorable outcome could mean trouble. The price of tickets have far exceeded the rise of inflation over the past decade. The “I substituted my mortgage payment for this!?” thought process plus alcohol have left fans a bit more agitated than ever before. Aside from Cheeseheads safety, the Bears need to get to a quick start to keep the crowd roaring and making the Packers one-dimensional.

KEY MATCH-UPS

But the Packers are one-dimensional

Yes but the element of the run keep the linebackers closer to the line and the defensive ends have to think about down and distance more. If the Bears get off to a fast start like they did against the Seahawks, the Packers lose any ability to feature a balanced attack. Cutler and the offense need to have long and successful, sustained drives to keep Rodgers on the sidelines. In this case, the best defense is the offense. Keep that clock running with a balanced attack featuring Forte primarily. He’s been on a tear lately and has been more physical as well. Pound that rock effectively and utilize Cutlers arms and legs with playaction bootlegs.

Peppers vs. Matthews

This really is more of the battle for the line of scrimmage and which NFL Defensive Player candidate will win in Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews. Make no mistake, either quarterback will need a protection scheme designed to stop these two guys. Peter King of Sports Illustrated has pinned these two to his all Pro team. He also named two Bears as well. One is not surprising in Julius Peppers but the other is Chris Harris at Free Safety. King also has Peppers as the NFL Defensive Player of the year. Well, premature post season awards mean nothing and Peppers needs to get to the quarterback for the first time since Week 14 against New England. Clay Matthews on the other hand has three sacks in this postseason so far. What the Packers do with Clifton and rookie Baluga to protect Rodgers and what the Bears do with Omiyale and rookie Webb to protect Cutler will determine the winner come Sunday.

Slot City

We are again at a position where the two teams mirror each other. The defensive backs for both clubs are highlights of the team as well. The Packers have the edge with better cornerbacks going up against weaker wide receivers. Both Charles Woodson, Tramon WIlliams and Nick Collins are playing at a Pro Bowl level. Dom Capers used blitz packages with the cornerbacks (primarily Woodson) coming of the edge to confuse Cutler. The line was quick to get their hands up in the air to try to pass defend the hot routes that Culter quickly checked down to. If Capers is not blitzing, perhaps challenging Woodson or Williams may not be the smartest move. No one wants a DeAngelo Hall repeat (how he’s in Hawaii is a travesty). Attack that slot receiver or whoever Woodson is not guarding. In both games, Woodson often covered Greg Olsen if he was lined up outside as well. With Rodgers, give him enough room in the pocket and it’s only a matter of time before he finds the open man. The Bears will need consistent pressure to the quarterback and for Chris Harris to get healthy. Both Tillman and Jennings will be tested early and often by the Packers ability to pass using the slant routes and the 15-yard opening down the sideline in the Cover-2.

Flood the ‘A’ Gap

The Bears did a great job of limiting what Rodgers was able to do in Week 17. All year Marinelli has shown blitz with his linebackers to only drop back in coverage. Both Urlacher and Briggs will lineup next to the tackles to force the hand of the offensive line to protect inside out. It is good the Bears employ two Pro Bowl linebackers that have the ability to keep the line off guard and still get back deep into coverage. Rodgers quickly would have to adjust in his pre-snap reads and progress through checks. This is where Peppers, Idonije and perhaps an old Tommie Harris will come into play. Hit Rodgers or any quarterback enough times in the mouth and you'll see a trigger itchy quarterback looking to chuck it or tuck and run.

The 4^th phase and the Windy City Flyer

No crowd in the Soldier Field history will be louder than Sunday right after Jim Cornelison sings the National Anthem. Home field advantage needs to mean something and it can as the Packers were 3-5 during the regular season away from home. Yes they beat two teams on the road just to get to Soldier but this is a stadium that employs one of the worst fields in the NFL. With that said, don’t depend on the field, the weather, the wind or even the noise but it definitely can help. What can send the crowd into a frenzy is Devin Hester returning a punt/kickoff to the house. If no touchdown, consistently attaining great field position has been something the Bears have had the luxury for all season and it should continue Sunday since the Packers are one of the worst at coverage.

WHO HAS THE EDGE?

Offense

Packers Rankings

• 10th points per game
• 5th passing
• 24th rushing
• 9th overall

Bears Rankings

• 21st points per game
• 28th passing
• 22nd rushing
• 30th overall

The Bears are an offense that is still learning the Martz system while the Packers have had Rodgers starting at quarterback in a Mike McCarthy run offense for the past three years. The Packers are coming off one of the most impressive performances on the road against the #1 seeded Atlanta Falcons. While Cutler and the boys did well last week themselves, it was at home against the worst playoff team in the history of football. EDGE: PACKERS

Defense

Packers Rankings

• 2nd points allowed
• 5th passing allowed
• 18th rushing allowed
• 5th overall

Bears Rankings

• 4th in points allowed
• 20th passing allowed
• 2nd rushing allowed
• 9th overall

The Bears are one of the premier defenses in the NFL with Pro Bowlers Julius Peppers, Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs leading the way. The Packers are one of the premier defenses with Pro Bowlers Clay Mathews, Nick Collins, Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson leading the way. While the Bears excel at stopping the run, the Packers do a great job of stopping the pass. Both teams employ a different strategy in defensive schemes with Rod Marinelli and the Cover-2 and with Dom Capers using exotic blitz schemes and the 3-4. Pick your poison for this one. EDGE: EVEN

Special Teams

The Windy City Flyer returned a touchdown against the Packers back in Week 3. The Bears were 2^nd in the NFL in return average to the Falcons. The Falcons returned a kickoff for a touchdown just last week against the Packers. The Packers are the 29^th in Kick Off coverage. Again, the Bears have a future HOF at the returner position. EDGE: BEARS

PREDICTION

First let’s be real. No way am I predicting against the Bears here and especially with them being a home dog by three points. Let’s talk about why the Bears are winning on Sunday. The Bears by all means lost the Packers twice this year. Without a staggering 18 penalties in Week 3, the Bears do not win at home. With the hard fought loss in Week 17 with the Packers in must win mode, they only lost by seven points in Lambeau Field. They also lost that game by abandoning the winning formula of balance and for no reason since it was a close game till the end. Since the Bears may have lost in Week 3 and if it weren’t for Baluga’s meltdown by $hitting in his pants about going up against the great Peppers to lose in Week 17; there is no way in today’s NFL that you beat a team three times. Okay, now I know I’m a bit delusional for actually counting Week 3 as a 'moral loss' but the fact is the Packers have outplayed the Bears for the most part. If it weren't for the 17 IR injuries to the team and 18 penalties, we may be playing in Lambeau Field today.

Okay, so aside from my no one beats you three times in one season theory, the Bears will win because of home field advantage and the edge in special teams. With defenses cancelling themselves out, this game can be won on the ground. If the Bears sustain longer drives with Forte/Taylor running the ball against the 18^th best rushing defense and thus keeping Rodgers on the sideline, this is a championship Sunday and we’re raising the new Halas Trophy in Soldier Field. But it's about keeping that mad scientist Mike Martz at bay. No more Frankenstein type offensive sets with Forte passes in the pocket. Take control of philosophy Lovie and lets keep this balanced. Balance is only attainable if the defense is able to get a few stops. Marinelli needs to keep showing blitz at the A Gap and confuse Rodgers. The Bears are paying $1 MIL per game for Peppers, let’s see what we are paying for. In the NFL there is an old school thought of 'if you stop the run and you run the ball, you will win the game. Like the timeless classic of these two black and blue division rivals meeting for the 182nd time in NFL history...this philosophy still rings true. Bears over the Packers in a classic, 27-26. Bear Down!

Click Here to Read More..

BULLS GAME 43 RECAP - by Kent McDill

Bulls pull teeth, beat Mavericks
By Kent McDill

I love defense more than most people. I was raised by Bobby Knight, at least in terms of my basketball appreciation.  But what the Bulls and Dallas Mavericks offered Thursday from the United Center was too much defense.

The Bulls won the game, 82-77, thanks to 26 points from Derrick Rose. Here is an indication of the kind of game we are talking about: Rose was the only Bulls player in double figures.

Do you want another indication? The only Maverick to shoot at least 50 percent from the field was Tyson Chandler, who was five for nine.

Dirk Nowitzki is playing his way back from a knee injury. He scored 19 points but looked like the old man I know he is. Still, the Bulls had to waste a lot of energy to keep him from getting too excited, as Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and Kurt Thomas all experienced foul trouble in the game.

The Bulls took a nine-point lead at halftime but couldn't keep it. The game was like a dental visit: there was a lot of gnashing of teeth and an occasional glimpse of offense, but it was really painful, for the most part.

But as Derrick Rose likes to say, a win is a win, and the Bulls are now 29-14, 15 games over .500. They are 2-0 against the Mavericks, a quality West Coast team, and they won the game without Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah.  It is not known if Boozer is going to come back to play against Cleveland Saturday night.

Against the Mavericks, there were a couple of good things to enjoy. C.J. Watson hit a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, proving again that he can be valuable as the Bulls were forced to go small. Ronnie Brewer played terrifically on offense and defense, although I wish he had gone to the basket with the lay-up in the final minute rather than try to dribble out the clock.  Omer Asik was so much fun to watch, with blocked shots and rebounds. He is going to be good when he gets more confidence.  And Kurt Thomas was a beast inside, battling with Chandler, getting rebounds and he even scored six points in the fourth quarter, part of his nine-point, 11-point effort.

Now for the one thing that I didn't like, something I have seen a lot of recently. Luol Deng was three for 13 for the night, and so many of his shots are coming up way short, bouncing off the front of the rim. He is tired. He is allowed to be tired, since he is third in the league in minutes played per game, but he needs a break, before he has a breakdown.

HERO: Rose gets it by default, as the only double digit scorer. He also provided seven rebounds, nine assists and two blocked shots.

Click Here to Read More..

MARK'S KADDY KORNER - BOB HOPE CLASSIC PICKS - by Mark Huber

Your Chicago suburb resident and Sony Open Champion, Mark Wilson, decided to play this week despite his beloved Packers teeing it up against the Bears. The game will be broadcast approximately the same time they’re playing in Palm Springs so you can count Wilson out this week, his concentration will be on the oblong ball or he may miss the cut (purposely?) and have his feet hiked up in front of the screen sipping a cold beverage with a brat or two.

The Bob Hope Classic should be called the Bob Hope Shootout; the boys go really low here despite the amateur’s distractions. Each day they tee it up with three new hacks, if you’re in the Celebrity grouping the gallery doesn’t care who the pro is, but you’re firing at easy pins on relatively flat greens. Guys with great GIR stats usually do well here, hitting a green guarantees quite a few birdie putts. There are no tricks in the desert, remember Indio when reading your putts and try to enjoy your amateur partners.

Two of my four picks, Stricker and Campbell, made the cut and finished in the top 15 at Waialae. I may have to go with both of them again this week. Mild-mannered, easy-going, country boys seem to do fairly well in the desert with the glitzy crowds, attractive autograph seekers, and retirement age galleries. Arnold played here till very late in his career and his galleries were loyal despite the high scores. He’ll probably be here this week, not playing, following his grandson Sam Saunders around after the round.

Well, Steve Stricker is heading home to watch the Pack so I’m going with the following line-up:

Chad Campbell - he hits a lot of greens and just goes with the flow.

D.J. Trahan - a great history at the Hope and 7th PGA GIR last year. (Beat us and Justin Leonard in 2008 while in final group)

Boo Weekley – nothing bothers him, he’s slimmed down and striking his ball again. One last event before he goes home to finish Florida deer season.

Steve Marino – Easy-going, streaky player who rededicated himself in off season looking for first win. Might be a good week after finish at Sony.

Here’s my handful of long shots to watch. Keep an eye on Paul Stankowski, Joe Durant, Josh Teater and Mark Calcavecchia.

The Bob Hope Classic is always a fun watch, a great tournament to caddy despite the long rounds, and this is where golf flourished on TV years ago. Arnold Palmer with his PGA buddies, movie stars, presidents, sports heroes, and corporate CEO’s playing golf in warm desert climes during the dead of winter. There wasn’t a better showcase years ago; hopefully the new Bob Hope Classic can regain some of that glitter.

Take care,

Mark

Mark Huber is a semi-retired PGA Tour caddy doing a little writing. You can contact him at markskaddykorner@gmail.com or check outwww.MarksKaddyKorner.com for more stories about golf and life. He's caddied twenty-one years on every tour for over fifty players mainly Bob Murphy, Ray Floyd, Doug Tewell, and worked for Tom Watson twice in 2009. Mark grew up in Havana, IL attended Illinois State on a baseball scholarship and played semi-pro ball with the Eau Claire Cavaliers after spring training with the White Sox way back when. He is a die-hard Cubs fan. Mark has freelanced for many sites, including ESPN. He will now be contributing his insights to Docksquad Sports...

Click Here to Read More..

BULLS GAME 42 RECAP - by Kent McDill

Bobcats beat Bulls again
By Kent McDill

The Bulls did not deserve to win. And they didn't. Gerald Wallace had 13 points and 16 rebounds and the Charlotte Bobcats recorded their second win over the Bulls in less than a week, with an 83-82 decision at the United Center Tuesday. The loss ended the Bulls' eight-game home winning streak and gave a bad start to the second half of the season.

But the Bulls did not deserve to win the game, even though the referees tried to give it to them. The Bulls allowed the Bobcats to stay with them the entire game and it ended up costing them the game.

The Bulls shot just 39 percent from the field. Derrick Rose had 33 points, but the only other Bulls in double figures were Luol Deng (who was two for 11 from the field) and Ronnie Brewer, who was excellent off the bench with 12 points. Neither team managed to lead the game by more than six points the entire contest. When's the last time you saw something like that?

I'm just going to list all the things I hated about this game:

The Bulls let the Bobcats shoot 50 percent in the first quarter. They turned the ball over four times, and those turnovers led to nine points on the other end. The Bulls had six offensive rebounds in the quarter, which is exactly how many total rebounds the Bobcats had in the first quarter.

They took a six-point lead in the third quarter after fighting the Bobcats tooth and nail through the first two quarters. But they refused to put them away.

The fourth quarter was especially stupid. The Bulls led by three points three times but could not get a stop when they needed it.  With Charlotte leading by one and just under a minute left, the Bulls finally showed some offensive life with a set of three quick passes that set up Ronnie Brewer underneath. But Brewer chose to kick the ball out to Deng for a three-pointer. Deng had already proven he wasn't going to hit any shots Tuesday night, and he missed that one. The Bobcats got two free throws from Stephen Jackson to lead by three points with 36 seconds left. Rose made a floater with 25 seconds left to create a one-point difference, and the Bulls finally decided to get serious on defense. After a Charlotte timeout, they played their inbounds defense well enough that D.J. Augustin let the ball fall out of bounds off his fingers. The referee, Ed Malloy, initially called the play in Charlotte's favor but reversed the call.

So the Bulls had two chances to win the game, but Kyle Korver had his interior effort blocked by Tyrus Thomas and Derrick Rose could not get his game-winner to go in. This was the Bulls' 10th game in 15 nights. Some people think that is a fair reason for a game of that nature. I guess it could have an effect, but it is sad to see such a winnable game go the other way. And the Bulls have had a lot of winnable games go the other way recently.

GOAT: I really hated this game from the start. You can blame Deng if you want. He had the worst shooting night, and also contributed three turnovers.

Click Here to Read More..

2011 NFL Playoffs Divisional Review: Bears vs. Seahawks – ROAD PASSES THROUGH CHICAGO – by Anil P.

The NFC North Champs are one win away from raising the Halas Trophy after the beat down on Sunday. The Bears had the all cylinders running with high grades from all three phases. The day started right with the Bears borrowing Jim Cornelison from the Blackhawks to sing the national anthem to get their ‘fourth phase’ up and going as well. The scoring started off quickly as well with the Bears reaching the end zone on their third offensive play in the game. Mike Martz’s unit delivered with 35 points in all and led by Cutler in his first postseason appearance. Lovie pointed out tongue in cheek that Jay Cutler is now undefeated in the postseason in his press conference after the game. Perhaps it was a shot at all the critics that mentioned Cutler’s lack of experience could contribute to a Bears collapse Sunday afternoon. The overwhelming statistics that pointed toward a loss may have worked against Matt Ryan but not against Jay. Well, not against Jay and the Bears going up against the worst playoff team in the history of the NFL. Before I get too high on this team right now I have to remember that this was a game against one of the worst teams all season. The Packers just went into Philadelphia and Atlanta and handled the #3 and #1 seed easily. Yet, I’m going to enjoy the moment and the week…because this week is Playoff Packer week and the NFC Championship is in Chicago.

OFFENSIVE RECAP

The Bears scored in three of their first four possessions and got off to a hot start. Despite not having a winning season or post season appearance since high school, #6 delivered with an exceptional day that put him on the very short list of quarterbacks in the NFL. Cutler and Otto Graham (twice) are the only two QB’s that have passed for two and ran for two touchdowns in an NFL playoff game. Not bad company but something tells me the level of play that Otto faced was stiffer than the 8-9 Seahawks. Cutler threw for 274 yards and completed 15 of 28 attempts. He also ran for 43 yards as well which was nine more yards than the entire Seahawks running game. A stellar performance by the quarterback was aided by Forte and the running game. Both Forte and Taylor combined for 124 yards on the ground and Forte chipped in with 54 yards receiving. Martz employed balance on the offensive side of the ball which has been a winning formula since the bye week. This balance contributed directly to the third play of the game. With back to back successful runs to set up the third down and short, strong safety Lawyer Milloy was playing closer to the line. Expecting either a dig or curl route by the TE, the Bears caught Milloy flat footed while Olsen streaked by. The perfectly thrown ball led to a an onslaught of scoring by the Bears to jump up to a 21 point lead in the first 20 minutes of the game. The second passing touchdown by Jay was on a third and one play action pass to Kellen Davis. The tight ends contributed to both of the passing touchdowns. Whether it was Cutler having time in the pocket or lanes opening up for the running game, this was all in due to the offensive line’s best game of the year. Make no mistake there were some breakdowns that led to sacks but the overall play by Mike Tice’s unit played at a high level. Every week this line has improved and its contribution has been the key factor for anything the offense has accomplished. If the Bears play past Sunday, this unit will have to dominate again in the NFC Championship game. OVERALL GRADE: A

DEFENSIVE RECAP

The Bears completely dominated the Seattle Seahawks by limiting their playmakers. The nasty Marshawn Lynch run that occurred last week did not translate on Sunday. Lynch ran four times for only two yards. Seattle lost some depth at the tight end position at the start of the game when John Carlson left early in the 1^st quarter. This limited the formations the Seahawks could run since they were already thin before the game started. With the Bears offense getting to a fast lead, the Seahawks became one dimensional as they abandoned the run pretty early. Seattle ran only eleven times while Hasselbeck dropped back 47. The Bears shadowed Mike Williams with the bigger and more physical Charles Tillman for most of the game. The former USC standout did catch two touchdown passes but only four overall. Lovie singled out Mike Williams before the game as a key player to stop in order to win the game. Defensively Marinelli’s unit dominated the majority of the afternoon. At one point there was four minutes left in the third quarter and Chicago was up 28-0. Some bad play calls by the officials with pass interference calls negated a Tim Jennings interception and led to the Seahawks first touchdown of the game. An ugly fourth quarter ensued and the Seahawks scored 14 points in roughly four minutes. Despite that hiccup of a bad fourth quarter this was a dominating performance by the Bears all around. OVERALL GRADE: A

SPECIAL TEAMS RECAP

Got to love Pete Carroll’s two way talk the whole week. He’d praise Hester as the best punt returner ever and yet mentioned they’d still kick to him. Out of the nine punts Hester only had a shot at returning two of them. Hester still ran one punt 26 yards and helped the Bears attain solid field position the whole game. Maynard punted five times with three of them inside the 20-yard line. Pro Bowl snub Corey Graham covered well and downed two of Maynard’s punts as well. Robbie didn’t have to attempt a field goal all game and the Bears recovered Seattle’s onside kicks late in the game. Execution was had for Dave Toub’s team on Sunday and excelled in field position in large part to Maynard’s directional punting. OVERALL GRADE: A

LOOKING FORWARD

Get me to Sunday already. The Bears play the Packers for the 182^nd time for the Halas Trophy and the right to play for the Lombardi Trophy. Does it get any better than that? The last and only time these two teams played in the playoffs was on December 14^th, 1941 where the Bears pummeled the Packers 33-14. The T-Formation was the featured back then and the Packers actually run a version of it today. The Bears accomplished what they were supposed to in beating the Seahawks (and by more than 10). They go into the Conference Championship game as three point dogs to the Packers. No respect is the mantra they have used the whole season so why should it differ this week. The road is through Chicago and Bears fans wouldn’t have it any other way. Get me to Sunday already! Let’s see Virginia raise her dad’s trophy one more time. Bear Down!

Click Here to Read More..