Questions to ponder while tossing out campaign flyers, cleaning out the garage and waiting for the madness of March to begin.
Is it un-American to root against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic?
Absolutely not. This is not the Olympics, at which national pride is at stake. It’s a staged exhibition tournament invented solely to make money for MLB and its partners. The league sent out a press release Wednesday boasting of having 150 business partners, including nearly 70 companies signed on as corporate partners.
Sure, it’ll be fun to watch major-leaguers play for their home country or one of their parents’ home country. But rooting for Team USA is basically akin to pulling for the Los Angeles Dodgers. If you prefer an underdog, it’s OK to pick another team without feeling guilty about being unpatriotic.
By the way, Americans who like an underdog and cheering on other Americans can also root for Puerto Rico, a team composed of U.S. citizens from, uh, Puerto Rico. Didn’t Bad Bunny teach us anything at the Super Bowl?
How many more top draft picks do the Chicago Blackhawks need to stockpile to be a wild-card contender?
General manager Kyle Davidson loves getting high draft picks at the trade deadline, as evidenced by the two recent deals with the Edmonton Oilers that netted a 2027 first-round pick and a second-rounder in 2028 in exchange for Connor Murphy, Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach. They also took on the contract of left winger Andrew Mangiapane in the Dickinson-Dach deal to get the first-rounder.
They now have five first-round picks and six second-rounders in the next three drafts, so at least the 2030s are looking brighter. “It’s motivating that this is the last year we’re in a spot where we’re moving guys that help us,” Connor Bedard said Thursday. “We moved a lot of guys that helped us win games. That’s a (crappy) feeling. Just try to not let that happen.”
Is that wishful thinking? At some point Davidson is going to need to acquire players who can help fast-forward the rebuild, instead of draft picks who might be helpful five years from now. How long can he keep kicking the can down the road?
Does winning Cactus League games mean more to the White Sox than any other team?
The Sox were 7-6 entering Thursday night’s game against the Cleveland Guardians after starting 3-0. The games are meaningless, but after three straight 100-plus loss seasons, the players need a reminder of what it’s like to win.
“I’d much rather be on this side of the situation than if we were (losing) and everyone’s going, ‘What’s going on?’” starter Davis Martin told me last week at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz. “Winning is always important. We’re all competitors here, from guy one in camp to the last guy who was invited. We’re competing at a high level, and that doesn’t start on March 26. That starts now.”
The answer, it appears, is “absolutely.”
Are the Bears better off without DJ Moore?
Everyone seems to be OK with the Bears shedding Moore in a trade with the Buffalo Bills and going with the young trio of Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland as Caleb Williams’s main targets. Moore’s production obviously dipped, and his contract was oversized for his contributions, so perhaps it was time for him to go.
But Odunze still hasn’t proved he can avoid costly drops or stay healthy, and while Burden is talented he’s still a work in progress. So unless they replace Moore with another veteran receiver or use the savings to sign Maxx Crosby, I’m not sold that this was the right move.
Either way, Moore was a pleasure to watch in his three seasons and will be a great addition to quarterback Josh Allen in Buffalo.
Is Jameson Taillon’s poor spring a concern for the Cubs?
Taillon will pitch for Team Canada in the WBC, which means a brief reprieve from the Cactus League … barring a trip by Canada to the semifinals in Miami. In his three starts this spring, Taillon has allowed 13 runs in six innings while serving up six home runs.
It’s not a complete surprise to see him yield home runs in bunches. He gave up 22 in 17 starts in the first half of last year, then only two in his final six starts in the second half, posting a 1.57 ERA over that stretch. Like many veterans, he’s likely just a slow starter working things out.
The Cubs are probably more concerned with Shota Imanaga, who was passed over in Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers because of his penchant for giving up home runs. Imanaga has given up three in 2 2/3 innings this spring.
With almost three weeks left of spring training, there’s no need to panic. But check back after St. Patrick’s Day, just in case.
Does Illinois have a hometown advantage in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament at the United Center?
Coach Brad Underwood has perhaps his most talented team ever, and the Illini led the nation in offensive rating (131.8) on Thursday, according to KenPom. They have four players who can score 20 or more points on any given night in Keaton Wagler, Andrej Stojaković, David Mirković and Kylan Boswell, a dependable big man in Tomislav Ivišić and a dangerous 3-point threat in Jake Davis.
With a win in their regular-season finale Sunday at Maryland, they’ll clinch no worse than a No. 4 seed, which means a bye until the quarterfinal round. Illini fans came out to the U.C. in droves in November to see them play Alabama in a 90-86 loss. That was before anyone knew Wagler would become one of the nation’s top players.
Northwestern bills itself as “Chicago’s hometown team,” but basketball-wise, the city belongs to the Illini.
Is it worth staying up late to watch the Bulls on their West Coast trip?
Not unless you want to see the big stars on the Los Angeles Lakers or Golden State Warriors. The Bulls began the trip Thursday night in Phoenix ranked ninth in the draft-lottery standings, even after losing 12 of 13 games in their tankathon.
Last year they drafted No. 12 after losing in the play-in round. Sometimes you can’t win for losing.
