Tailgate

Trade Rumors: Boozer to Bulls?

2009-07-10T16:08:24Z

The Bulls, Utah Jazz and Portland Trailblazers are involved in a verbal menage a trois, so to speak, that would --and this is all hearsay-- send power forward, Carlos Boozer to Chicago, Tyrus Thomas to Utah and Kirk Hinrich to Portland. For Chicago the speculative trade talks suggest that the front office is growing weary of waiting for Tyrus to grow into his potential and truly flourish; Boozer is an elite offensive force in the paint and would be a (relatively slight) defensive upgrade over Thomas as well, sans Tyrus' explosive shot-blocking talent and apocalyptic athleticism. With only one year left on his contract the trade for Boozer should be seen as essentially a one season rental before, inevitably, Boozer heads for greener pastures in the 2010 free agent bonanza. However, this isn't even close to a bad thing as Boozer's expiring contract will give Chicago a great position to go out and grab a Bosh or Wade...

The potentially crippling aspect of this trade is sending Hinrich to Portland. Captain Kirk who is a vastly underrated defender serves as a perfect 6th man to back up Derrick Rose off the bench. With the loss of the mercurial Ben Gordon earlier in the off season, the Bulls should not be wanting to shop Kirk without getting something great from the Blazers in return.

Again this is only speculation for now, but in the NBA where there's smoke, there is always a fire. Potential weekend updates to follow!

White Sox Scalped By Cleveland 10-8

2009-07-10T05:16:04Z

White Sox Clayton Richard laid an egg after pitching on short rest Thursday afternoon. He lasted only an inning after giving up six earned runs including a grand slam to Indians catcher Kelly Shoppach. Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen bumped Richard up in order to set up his pitching staff against the Minnesota Twins over the weekend.

Give credit to the Sox offense for making a game out of it. Down 9-2 by the third inning the Sox offense drew closer by putting up a four spot in the bottom of the third inning. The closest they would get would be one run. They wrapped up this short home stand by going 2-1 and they are now headed to Minnesota to take on the Twins.

The Metrodome has been a house of horrors for the Sox in recent years. They will look to reverse that trend in their final three games before the All-Star break. The rotation is set up to Guillen's liking. All-Star Mark Buehrle will get one more shot before the break on Sunday. With a little luck they could be sitting in first place come the second half. The Sox are currently 44-41.

Friday night's game is at 7:10 p.m. CT. John Danks (7-6) will take on Nick Blackburn (7-4).

Boys Will Be Boys Department: Cutler and Game Tix

2009-07-09T18:42:00Z

This week a minor kerfuffle has surfaced south of the Mason-Dixon, in the state of Georgia to be precise, over a minor incident last fall involving Chicago's shiny, new quarterback, Jay "Better Than Rex Before I Take a Snap" Cutler. Seems that with Jay's then team the Denver Broncos rolling into the ATL for a November 16 matchup with the Falcons; Jay handed off (zing?) four $40 tickets to then active Georgia Bulldog quarterback and future NFL overall number one draft pick, Matt Stafford along with three other Bulldogs. The incident has raised very few hairs and even the typically Draconian NCAA has given the players and the University of Georgia a slap on the wrist, content to say, "Boys will be boys and wanna watch pro football games for free." True that!

Sox Find Colon

2009-07-09T16:59:33Z

The Bartolo Colon mystery is over. The rather robust starting pitcher for the White Sox has resurfaced Moby Dick-like after going AWOL from his scheduled rehab stint with the Charlotte Knights,the Triple-A affiliate of the Sox. Well, to be truthful, he's not actually IN Charlotte yet. The Knights expect him to start tonight, but have pitcher Carlos Torres penciled in just in case.

Colon was supposed to report to Charlotte Tuesday to prepare for tonight's start, but failed to do so, leading to the APB that extended all the way to his home in the Dominican Republic. So why did he pull the disappearing act? Well, according to Ozzie Guillen, it might have something to do with Michael Jackson. Seriously.

Windy City Rollers All-Stars '09 Season Announced

2009-07-08T21:00:53Z

Haven't had enough roller derby yet? The Windy City Rollers All-Stars travel team took second in the nation last year, and they're revved up for their 2009 season. The following dates have been announced. All the games take place on a Saturday, except for the tournaments.

July 25: vs. Philly Roller Girls (home)
August 15: vs. Rat City Rollergirls (in Seattle)
August 29: vs. Charm City Roller Girls (home)
September 18-20: North Central Regionals (in Minneapolis)
October 17: vs. Rose City Rollers (home)
November 13-15: National Championships (in Philly)

Last Chance for Chicago Tri

2009-07-08T20:22:13Z

Space is running out to register for the 27th annual Chicago Triathlon held on Sunday, August 30, 2009. While you probably know by now whether you're in good shape to compete in a triathlon (the training program puts my cycling-specific program to shame), if you're into seeing what you can do with a minimum of time, or if you were fence-sitting, now is the time to register.

The international-distance Chicago Triathlon consists of a 1.5-kilometer (.93 mi.) Lake Michigan swim, a 40-kilometer (24.8 mi.) bike on Lake Shore Drive, and a 10-kilometer (6.2 mi.) run along Chicago's lakefront. For those aforementioned fence-sitters and those interested in a shorter test of endurance and will, a "Sprint Distance" race, approximately half the distance of the international distance is the ideal choice.

Fire Battle for #1 Spot

2009-07-08T19:58:33Z

Two is a magic number. The Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew have played to 2-2 ties their last three regular season meetings, and both sit at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with first place in their sights. This Saturday, July 11, the Fire take on the Crew at home to determine who will surpass D.C. United and take first in the East.

The Fire are coming off an incredible 2-1 win against the Colorado Rapids, which gained them a win and three points leaving them tied with D.C. United. Columbus sits just one point below Chicago, and will be hoping to add another win to their season (5-3-8). The Crew have won 9 of their last 10 games, dropping one to Dallas in mid-June. Before the win over the Rapids, Chicago had lost three games in a row. However, after a strong performance in Colorado, breaking a 10-year losing streak to the Mile High team on the road, the Fire have a real chance to defeat the Crew and reach #1.

The Fire will be playing at home at Toyota Park, where they hold 9-5-5 record against the Crew. Home field advantage will come in handy this Saturday. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN2.

42 Below Sprints

2009-07-08T19:11:08Z

Something of a late notice, but if you have nothing to do tonight from 6-8 p.m. and have an urge to work up a sweat, Moonshine Bar (1824 W. Division) is hosting a Opensprints tournament to celebrate the arrival of the 42Below crowd. Click here for the flyer.

42 Below's mission states "Through our country-wide 42Ride, along with a partnership with the Bicycle Film Festival, we aim to provide bike enthusiasts (21+) with an experience they will never forget and act as a catalyst for cities around the world to improve their bicycle infrastructures, raise bicycle awareness and just plain get with the program."

With their arrival today of the scrum of cyclists, a little something of a sprints tournament will go down. Go! And get sweaty!

Wanted: Loud, In-Your-Face-Basketball Fans

2009-07-08T14:35:04Z

Like to shout, wear stupid hats, throw things at people and wear the color red? Have you longed to be the center of attention during NBA timeouts? Your time has come.

The Chicago Bulls will hold tryouts today for 2009-10 IncrediBulls squad. You know, those guys and gals who try to keep your attention focused on the court when the Bulls are down by 12 to the Cavaliers with 1:20 left in the third? If you're interested, bring your lungs and enthusiasm to the McDonald's at 3200 W. Roosevelt Rd. between 2 and 4 p.m. TODAY. You have to be at least 18, live in Chicago, be in decent physical shape and be "a BULLS fan." Cause nothing puts a damper on a TV time out than a guy dressed in Bulls warm-ups shouting "Let's go Knicks!"

Noah Story A Lot of Hot Air?

2009-07-07T17:52:55Z

There's no way of verifying it (unless someone makes an admission), but an anonymous text message to a website claims that Bulls' forward Joakim Noah was spied once again enjoying a little... um... herbal therapy, as reported on Deadspin (via "Texts From Last Night"). It's not the first time the Noah has been allegedly imbibed. And depending on your views on marijuana, this is either a major problem for the Bulls to deal with or a whole lot of nothing.

Ramirez Returns for a Rare Complete Lineup

2009-07-07T17:45:16Z

For only the second time during the 2009 season, the Cubs were able to start their original projected lineup. That's right, with Aramis Ramirez's return on July 7, the Cubs were able to to start Geovany Soto, Derrick Lee, Mike Fontenot, Ryan Theriot, Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome and Milton Bradley together for only the second time this year. The only other time this season the Cubs were able to start all nine players together? Opening Day, making it a 78-game stretch in which they could not field their original lineup. Certainly this team has struggled on the field at times during those 78 games, as we have struggled to watch the, at times, painful performances of a should-be talented team. But if you need reason to hope, think of of it this way: with yesterday's 4-2 win, the Cubs are undefeated with their full lineup. Two games over .500 is not very good but only two games out of first in the division is not very bad either. They've won six out their last eight games, Aramis is back, Soriano is finally out of the leadoff spot and it looks like the sale of the team may finally go through so they may be able to make some mid-season moves. Who knows, maybe in a week they will be back to struggling on offense and consistently losing games 3-1 all over again, but maybe things are coming together. Maybe, for the first time in a long time, they've put together a streak of good fortune.

Taste of Chicago: The NBA and Humility, Pres. by Kia Motors

2009-07-06T19:24:44Z

The Taste of Chicago is an odd place to spy a jointly run NBA/Kia Motors "NBA FunLand" loaded with hardwood-themed booths like: "Test Your Wing Span Against Yao Ming's" and "How Do You Measure Up With Chris Paul?"; while Chicago Luv-a-Bulls shower the throngs of sweaty youths with NBA tchotchkes, like T-Mobile sponsored sweat bands and Kia Motors (of course!) tote bags; next to the Luv-a-Bulls are interactive video displays allowing you to see how Kobe drains his impossible fade-aways; and next to that is a display of star NBAer's shoes to see you measure up -- Me: size 12, LeBron James: size 16.

Along with all of this bluster and hoopla, an emcee reigns over all with his swaggering voice: "Man, this jersey is a double XL, you gonna where it as a set of pajamas or what? You don't even look like a Lakers fan." (The crowd boos at the mere mention of the purple and gold of the Lakers.) As misplaced as it may have seemed with the sickly, blended odor of garbage and Indian food, tucked behind stacks of discarded produce boxes, and amidst the fried funnel cakes of Harry Caray's booth and the gator-on-a-stick of Blue Bayou, there sat the NBA's testament to corporate synergy.

And at the heart of that overdone spectacle was the NBA's Skill Set Challenge, Presented by Kia Motors (natch!) The Skill Set Challenge (here on out: SSC) was a friendly and free competition that all TOC attendees over the age of 21 could participate in, for the chance to win a Kia (Ah-ha! I'm onto you Mr. Kia.) Being a former undersized, uncoordinated and oh-so-scrappy benchwarmer in grade school and junior high, before, ahem, "blossoming" into a slightly larger, still uncoordinated and oh-so-scrappy high school intramural and college rec league-er, I was immediately fascinated by the SSC and had to sign up much to the slight chagrin of my lady friend who gamely offered to video me running the hoops gauntlet right after she grabbed another beer.

What exactly is the NBA's SSC, you ask. The SSC is a pedestrian version of the NBA All-Star Game Weekend's Skills Challenge which pits some of the league's best guards against each other --last year Derrick Rose won in Phoenix over dudes like San Antonio's Tony Parker and New Jersey's Devin Harris. All I had to do was: make a layup; dribble thru three obstacles; complete a bounce pass into a waiting net target; nail a free throw; complete a chest pass; dribble thru three more obstacles and nail another layup. Those few tasks and I would be in the running for a new Kia, presented by the NBA!

Of course, with the SSC you're on the clock and the leading time up to that point was 18.8 seconds. And one of the great benefits of the SSC, like any old-fashioned carnival game: ring toss, shooting ducks, etc; is that you can see your competition while you wait your turn. So imagine my horror, while waiting in line, when I witnessed a hyper-athletic, freak of nature from one of Chicago's legendary high school bball factories, blaze through in an astonishing 18.5 seconds. Upon witnessing that combination of skill, speed and agility the slightly larger, still uncoordinated and not-so-scrappy-feeling benchwarmer realized the Kia was, sadly, no longer an attainable goal.

Instead I had to find a new goal, something I could really hang my hat on. In line ahead of me was a 12 year-old girl named Courtney who was talking up a huge amount of game, here at this moment, dear reader, is when my dreams curdled into nightmare. Surely a 28 year-old male with a degree of athletic aptitude could take out a mite-sized 12 year-old girl, right? Wrong. Courtney must have been related to the monstrously capable "leopard in human's clothes" who'd recently reset the best time to 18.5 and Courtney closed out her SSC session in 29.5.

"Okay, my turn, just gotta beat 29.5," says my brain to my various limbs and organs. "Go." Layup, made. Obstacles, cleared. Bounce pass, not once, not twice, okay, done. Free throws --SCENE DELETED. Bounce pass, made. Obstacles and layup, done. I glanced over at the timer: 33.5 seconds. The goddamm free throws hamstrung my entire effort as I'd wasted precious seconds trying to futilely nail a shot from the charity stripe. Naturally, the scamp Courtney drilled her free throw on her first attempt and to my dying day, that will be the difference between me and her.

Kia Motors and the NBA took my picture and presented me a web address to steer to if I wanted to see my pics online. "Great," I thought, "but I don't really need more humiliation over not being able to make a free throw." Afterwards, my lady friend and I walked back into the crowds of the Taste and I asked what she thought, "You sucked," she said as she gave me a peck on the cheek. Thanks, Courtney.

The Ricketts Reign Begins

2009-07-06T16:39:17Z

Depending on your point of view this could be some good news to break the monotony of the Cubs' lackluster season; the Tribune Company has finalized the sale of the team and Wrigley Field.

Big Cleats To Fill

2009-07-06T14:31:06Z

(Editor's Note: With a 16-4 record, the Chicago Bandits are pretty much running away with the National Pro Fastpitch women's professional softball league. That they have one of the most recognizable faces in the history of women's fastpitch softball, Olympian Jennie Finch, only adds to their stature as one of top teams in the league. But as in every other sport, there eventually comes a time to bring in the next generation of star. Bandits' media relations staffer Tim Miller fills us in on the next face of Bandits. Hint: She's the one with the goth-style eyeliner.)

Long after the night game has concluded the glistening stadium lights power down, flooding the field with darkness. Fans settled safely in their homes, the rakes and bases put away - a star pitcher hoists her bag onto her shoulders and exits the dugout on a serene summer night.

The murky Fox River runs alongside the Bandits stadium, and for a while I thought the solution to the popularity woes for the Chicago Bandits was the mysterious water that runs perpendicular to the field.

What if the Fox River is the fountain of youth-relocated?

Think about it, imagine if they could bottle a few ounces of it and immortalize the face of the organization, let alone the face of softball. Can you picture a 200-year old Jennie Finch in the circle, still hurling the high heat? Post-game autograph sessions after the fireworks on Fridays would last to the wee hours of the morning.
Helen of Troy? More like Jennie of Elgin.

Then suddenly it dawned on me. Not only is that neither plausible nor eco-friendly, it also would spoil the spirit of the sport itself. How would Finch's motto "dream and believe" sink in if she was around forever? Young girls with high hopes of becoming someone, working tirelessly and overcoming adversity would simply find themselves heads hung low strolling through an obscure shadow cast from a giant star. Isn't that the end goal of athletes - to have their time to eventually become a role model for the younger fans?

Don't get me wrong: Jennie Finch has been a fantastic leader, role model, and face of softball, but the reality is that at some point in the years to come she will take off her cleats for the last time and someone will replace her on the roster.

She has fulfilled her role in the softball world, and has succeeded with flying colors.
But look at any other professional sports. When one great legend retires, the sport does not fold. The fans still come out to the games, and the organization churns out another great face of the team. It's the business. Fans who grow up idolizing a player are the same people who will continue to come out and support that pro athlete.
It's not going to be easy.

Depending on their exposure to the sport, most sports fans probably know perhaps a handful of other softball players in addition to Finch. Replacing the pitching phenom is a tall order.

This, however, is the moment of opportunity for the Bandits as an organization. Yes, merchandise and ticket sales are going to benefit from Finch's mere existence, and she'll continue to amaze fans on the field, but at the same time this is the time to act.
Now is the time to start priming the "next" Jennie Finch. The Bandits need to find someone who is going to have young fans calling her name, even while Finch still strikes out hitters in the circle.

It's a sobering fact for the team at the very least. With a team that has fantastic All-Americans, Olympians, and league MVP's that don't have the number 27 on their backs, the average sports fan probably hasn't heard of these fantastic women. They're incredible on the field and class acts off the field.

That's not always the case with professional athletes.

I think the solution for the Bandits is to take a quick look down the right field line at the post-game autograph sessions. Look who made batters look silly at the plate with off-speed stuff. See who is the one signing autographs and talking to every fan long after her teammates have finished. Focus on the last person to leave the stadium. Take a glance at the player who now has young girls dying strands of their hair purple to be like her.

Feast your eyes, ladies and gentleman, on Kristina Thorson - the next face of softball.
"When people first see me they think one of two things: I'm either really mean or a total loner. Even teammates [upon first meeting] think I'm not going to talk to them or anything," said Thorson, affectionately known as 'Thor.'

At first glance, Thor is the complete opposite of Jennie Finch. Leaving the mainstream top 40 music behind, she walks out to the mound every inning with seemingly satanic heavy metal blasting. Her definition of a makeover is more like an 'extreme makeover' as she wears generous amounts of eye black around her eyes. But her pregame rituals, she admits, are no different than any other routine.

"Some players have that pregame meal they just have to have," said Thorson. "For me, I put on my eye black. I put it on and say, 'Now I'm ready.' I'm literally putting my game face on."

Batters fear her finesse pitches and intimidating looks, but fans love her gentle heart and soft spot for aspiring athletes. Kristina Thorson is just what the Bandits and softball need, especially for the young fans.

"Kids are really important. I strike up a conversation with the fans. If they talk back, I'll keep going. If I can give advice, I will. I want them to be successful."

Being the next face of an organization is not just a symbolic position though. It would require more community appearances, updating her website (www.kthorson.com) more regularly, and most certainly spending more time in Chicago - for the California native, it's a duty that she would be more than okay with.

It will require an active marketing campaign similar to the process of promoting Jennie Finch to where she is now; a journey that began in her days at the University of Arizona. Finch did a large amount of the promoting herself, beginning her own brand of merchandise.

"[Jennie] has put in a ton of work to get where she is today," Thorson said.
The Cal-Berkeley alumna believes that the solution to the marketing struggle for the sport is branching out of the small softball community. Instead of focusing solely on the softball lives of the athletes, the Bandits should shed light on the off the field interests of the athletes in order to reach the average person.

Sporting more than tattoos, Thor expressed interest in attending events like a recent tattoo expo in downtown Chicago and has been out to local farmers markets, and even taking up a Bandits video blog to check in with fans more frequently - all in an effort to increase exposure to the Bandits.

"People know Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman, and Monica Abbott. But the lack of marketing for the other great pitching matchups is what hurts the league," Thorson said.
If the promoting of players extracurricular interests or pitching matchups doesn't excite the average Joe, Thorson says, go with what sells.

"We have beautiful girls in this league. Why not embrace it?"

In a rather taboo topic within the realm of sports where some say promoting looks over skills further perpetuates the 'glass ceiling' philosophy, Thorson conversely points to the success Finch and softball had when she posed in the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated in 2005.

"All we need to do is get the people out [to the game]," Thorson said with confidence. No matter the motive for people's attendance, Thorson insists sports fans everywhere would be impressed and instantly hooked on the athleticism of these pros.
"If they do come, they'll want to come back."

The sun will one day set on the illustrious career of Jennie Finch.

Yet, as the lightning bugs flicker and the night prepares to grow to its darkest, the future face of the Bandits and softball will welcome the challenge, and emerge from - as she so frequently does -that empty post-game dugout.

Don't worry about it; Kristina Thorson will grab the lights on her way out.

All Stars Few And Far Between For Chicago

2009-07-05T19:21:34Z

Two. That is the grand total of All-Stars representing Chi Town in Major League Baseball's 80th Midsummer Classic. Mark Buehrle will make his fourth All-Star team after starting the year off 6-0 for the Southsiders. He is 8-2 with a 3.09 ERA. He was the starter for American League in the 2005 All-Star game in Detroit. He would be the winning pitcher in that one as well.

One could make the argument that Scott Podsednik is deserving of a trip to St. Louis. Since rejoining the Southsiders on April 14 he has hit .312, .368, and .407. Not too shabby considering most of the experts in baseball believed his better days were behind him. This is no doubt a snub of Podsednik especially since he is not one of five candidates vying for the final American League roster spot.

For the Cubs left-hander Ted Lilly is the lone representative. Lilly is 7-6 and is sporting a 3.35 ERA for the Cubbies. For Lilly this is his second time as an All-Star the other coming when he was with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2004. Lilly has been one of the more consistent pitchers for the Northsiders this season.

Like the Sox not too many guys on the Cubs are having All-Star caliber years. It is a stark contrast to last year when the Cubs sent a franchise record eight guys to the Midsummer Classic in New York last year.

A case could be made for Derek Lee who has been white hot since the middle of June. The only thing keeping him from being an All-Star is a guy named Albert Pujols, who just happens to be the first baseman for St. Louis Cardinals, which is hosting the game. There is an outside chance that Alfonso Soriano could take the place of injured New York Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran, who beat out Soriano for the final outfield spot.

In all honesty Soriano and All-Star shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence. At least this season anyhow. He is in one of the worst slumps of his career and it would probably benefit the team if he didn't go to St. Louis.

Both teams are right in the thick of things in their respective divisions and both teams will be getting some key offensive pieces back in the next few days. Aramis Ramirez is due back on Monday and Carlos Quentin is expected to begin rehab shortly and could make his return after the break.

The All-Star game will take place on July 14 at 7 p.m. in St. Louis and you can catch it on Fox.