As another NFL season ends without the Bears in the playoffs, many Chicagoans like myself regretfully turn to our other sports teams. Yet looking at the standings, the “rebuilding” Bulls (who have been rebuilding for what, six years now?) sit further out of their division than any other team in the NBA. Their friends who share the UC, the Blackhawks, are the worst team in the NHL sans the Pens. But then again, most high school teams are better than the broke Penguins.
Granted, the Hawks are rebuild— wait, never mind. They aren’t rebuilding. Dollar Bill Wirtz obviously doesn’t care about winning. But I must move on to baseball because if I continue on the Hawks’ problems, expletives will replace adjectives.
I’m a Cubs fan. I think most Chicagoans should be because they epitomize Chicago sports . . . 95 years and counting. Yet I’m trying to be cautiously optimistic. They actually are trying to bring a championship to Chicago this year. But mark my words, something beyond their control will cause them to fall short. Mark Prior and Kerry Wood will collide in a warm-up drill and break their right arms in September. Something will happen. It always does.
As I watched the Marlins hoist their trophy last year, I couldn’t help but think that it was their second World Series in less than 10 years. Between the Cubs and Sox, we’ve had one playoff series win in that time and haven’t seen a World Series in … You get my point.
The Bulls were great once, but have stooped to perpetual rebuilding. The Hawks still haven’t learned that Alex Zhamnov will never be a star, ever. Yet teams like Dallas, Colorado and Detroit continue winning with proven talent and the Hawks will keep insisting that Steve Sullivan is just as good as Tony Amonte or Jeremy Roenick.
The Cubs will find a way to drive Greg Maddux away … again. The Bears will continue to let Jerry Angelo go with Plan C or D after every other option fails. The Bulls will draft more high school kids and attempt to compete in the NCAA tournament. The Sox will trade any remaining talent away (Magglio Ordonez) right after they sweep the Cubs out of contention.
So go, Chicago! Mediocrity is great, isn’t it?
