Did Chicago Blackhawks Give Dale Tallon A Raw Deal?

The actual move was shockingly abrupt.  Not a hint was stirring for a mid-summer change.  But then it happened, swiftly and decisively.  The move left no doubt about who is in control of this Original Six franchise.  But as alarmingly quickly the Dale Tallon “re-assignment” has happened, this move was in the works the day the Chicago Blackhawks hired Scotty Bowman as Senior Advisor of Hockey Operations.  Bowman’s son, Stan has been an assistant to the GM for the Blackhawks for the past 3 years and seemed heir apparent to the Blackhawks GM job.  With Scotty in the fold, it marked a changing of the guard on the hockey operations side of the business and it started the clock ticking on GM Dale Tallon’s tenure in the organizational hierarchy.  Some believe the firing was undeserved.  It may be a sign of how the Blackhawks will now conduct business in their focused quest for a Stanley Cup Championship.

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Whatever is thought of the Tallon replacement, it definitely came across as Blackhawks President John McDonough further stamping his imprint on the organization.  McDonough certainly has earned the right to make the changes he felt necessary to continue the impressive ascent of an Original Six franchise that was in complete disarray prior to his arrival.  McDonough skillfully danced around tough questions regarding the change in management, citing differing approaches and the botched contract paperwork for the 8 Blackhawk free-agents as impetus for the change.  Like any other GM, Tallon did some good things and not so good things.  Both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune point out Tallon’s good and bad moves as a means to evaluating his effectiveness as Blackhawks GM.

Did the Chicago Blackhawks give Dale Tallon a raw deal with his re-assignment? I don’t think the move was surprising, as the writing was on the wall for the past season when the senior Bowman entered the fold.  Was the timing suspect?  Potentially, it was, given the move was made in advance of the Chicago Blackhawks Fan Convention, which begins this Friday.  That should give fans fuel to continue questioning the move for the remainder of the summer.  The paperwork snafu was the final straw, providing the perfect opportunity to make that change now heading off  a more potentially messy divorce closer to the beginning of the upcoming hockey season.

Along with the manner in which former Blackhawk great and coach Denis Savard was summarily dismissed at the beginning of last season, it seems that the Blackhawks may be perceived as insensitive.  The fact that both Savard and Tallon were offered and accepted other positions within the organization softens the blows tremendously and proves that the organization has made inroads with keeping former key players in their fold in their quest to win a Stanley Cup.

The IHSA Unduly Influences Boys High School Basketball Championship

There is an unwritten rule in sports in the most simplest of terms, states that the outcomes of any competition should be decided on the field or court of play. In this stunningly bizzare twist of fate, the Illinois High School Athletic Association (IHSA) and the athletic administration of North Lawndale Charter High School were unintentional co-conspirators in determining the outcome of this season’s Illinois Class 3A Boy’s Basketball State Championship.

For those in the unknown, the Chicago Tribune high school sports reporter, Bob Sakamoto wrote a nice piece summarizing the facts:

In Friday’s 3A semifinal, North Lawndale began the game trailing 1-0 before the opening tipoff. Illinois High School Association Assistant Executive Director Kurt Gibson ruled that Lawndale’s illegal uniform mandated a technical foul.

Champaign Centennial’s Jeff Johnson made one of two technical free throws. As it turned out, North Lawndale lost by that one point, 66-65.

In tournament basketball, games with teams that are evenly matched, the outcome of the game is often decided by one single possession. You would like to think that the extra possession that resulted in a win for one team and a loss for another team would be earned in the heat of the battle, within the confines of the game itself. It appears in this case that game deciding possession was determined by gamesmanship of the rules prior to the tip off of the semi-final game of the high profile state basketball tournament.

While I’m not questioning the rule itself, what is in question is the inconsistency and randomness of how this particular rule was enforced. Both sides have pointed proverbial finger at each other in casting blame for the situation after the fact. According to the IHSA, the North Lawndale team knew they were in violation of the uniform rule, but were only warned about the infraction until the semi-final game, where the penalty was enforced. The North Lawndale team had to be aware that after several warnings, the IHSA could actually choose to enforce the penalty. It was a showdown that had no winner and no happy ending. Both parties are equally responsible for determining the end result of the crucial state championship semi-final game.

The only other issue that stands out is the extremely poor judgement the IHSA used in the timing of the enforcement of the uniform rule. Last week, in the face of severe public criticism and outrage, the IHSA issued statements defending their decision. While the decision itself may be defensible, the lack of sound judgement used in choosing that particular moment to arbitrarily enforce this rule is indefensible. If the IHSA knew the uniforms were out of compliance with their rule for the entire 2008-09 basketball season, why didn’t they choose to enforce their rule consistently and accurately from tip off of every game until North Lawndale conformed to the rule? If they had taken that approach, there would be no second-guessing of the rule enforcement in the semi-final game.

The IHSA should have acknowledged that they exercised poor judgement in enforcement of the uniform rule, thus inadvertently impacting the outcome of a tournament championship. This action would have disarmed any remaining critics. Instead, the IHSA justification introduces even more opportunity for criticism. Poor decisions are a fact of life, people are human, mistakes are made. Defending a poor decision not only reinforces that decision, but leads me to conclude that the IHSA has yet to learn the lessons from it’s mistakes and now establishes a trend of making poor decisions.

Is Chicago Bulls Coach Vinny Del Negro Losing The Team?

Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson knew he was taking a huge risk by hiring rookie coach Vinny Del Negro as his next coach of the Bulls.  We all know how well rookie coaches have fared in Chicago since Phil Jackson left town after the 1997-98 season.

Chicago Bulls Head Coach Vinny Del Negro, left, talks with Joakim Noah in the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in Chicago, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009. Chicago won the game 99-94. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Names like Tim Floyd, Bill Cartwright, Jim Boylan (interim after the Scott Skiles firing) and now Del Negro have all walked the hallowed halls of the Berto Center with the unofficial title of “rookie head coach.”  All have failed miserably, some setting the team back years in what feels like year 10 or 11 of  the rebuilding project.

Now there’s rumblings behind the scenes that current Bulls rookie coach Vinny Del Negro may be losing the team:

• Larry Hughes grumbles about his lack of playing time to anyone who is willing to listen…

• KC Johnson from the Chicago Tribune outlines an in game argument between Andreas Nocioni and Joakim Noah in an ugly Bulls loss to the Cleveland Cavailers this past Saturday.
• Melissa Issacson of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Bulls are a beaten down team at the moment after a bad loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
• The Chicago Tribune also noted that after a New Years Eve matinee blowout by the hands of the Orlando Magic, Del Negro fined team members for eating in the locker room BEFORE the game…
• Sam Smith of Bulls.com blogs that the Bulls finally have freed themselves of defeat, if only for a day….
• Bill Hayes from the Chicago Sun-Times writes that the Bulls are stuggling towards a defining moment…
• Rick Morrisey of the Chicago Tribune suggests that the Bulls should eradicate themselves of problem child Joakim Noah for the sake of the team…

Are these signs that Vinny Del Negro is losing his team?  I would have to say that these are definitely not signs that Del Negro has a firm grasp on the team, the way Scott Skiles had a grasp on the team when he was named Bulls coach.

The Bulls are definitely in a rebuilding mode around Del Negro and rookie point guard Derrick Rose.  A .500 record is not out of the question for this Bulls team, but losing to the likes of the Minnesota Timberwolves doesn’t help the cause.  More to come on this issue as the season progresses…

Winter Classic Is Chicago Blackhawks Coming Out Party

It can be very easy to say that the star of this afternoon’s NHL 2009 Winter Classic is Wrigley Field, and even easier to say the game is a showcase for NHL power, defending Stanley Cup Champions, and this year’s Stanley Cup favorite, the Detroit Red Wings.  But lets not be mistaken any longer than needed.  The NHL Winter Classic is the coming out party for Rocky Wirtz/John McDonough led, new, improved, and revived Chicago Blackhawks team.  And it’s exactly what the NHL needs for an Original Six team that has been down on it’s own luck.

(Tribune photo by Charles Cherney / December 31, 2008)

Of course, the young Chicago Blackhawks team has been doing it’s part, especially of late, winning a franchise record 9 games in a row.  That streak was broken yesterday in Detroit, with the Red Wings pitching a shutout, adding to the already incredible hype of today’s game, making it into a nationally televised grudge match.

At least two generations of Hawks fans have been disenfranchised by the draconian methods of management under long time owner Bill Wirtz.  When the older Wirtz died in September of 2007, his son Rocky was tapped to run the team, and it seemed that Rocky learned all the “lessons” of his father’s mismanagement.  In 188 sweeping days, Rocky has reversed all the negativity of past mismanagement, with his first move, stealing the marketing genius McDonough away from the Chicago Cubs.  That move alone signaled to Hawks fans that Wirtz was committed to reviving the sagging fortunes of the once-proud Blackhawks franchise.

The rest is marketing history.  As we ring in what we hope to be a better year in 2009, hope springs eternal in the City of Chicago, for the Chicago Blackhawks, and their fans.  Regardless of the outcome of today’s game, the Winter Classic marks the coming out of a young Chicago Blackhawks team, the unveiling of a new, historic direction for a historic Original Six team.  For those not fortunate enough to secure tickets for the Classic, the game will be brodcast on television, as will every single game the Blackhawks will play this season.  This is a first in the 82-year history of the team.

So let the celebrations begin, hopefully the first of many celebrations for the new, improved Chicago Blackhawks.

Blackhawks Extras:

ESPN has extensive coverage of today’s NHL Winter Classic:

• Gene Wojciechowski notes that if the Blackhawks can win, others have hope…
• In E.J. Hradek’s blog, 10 players are deemed The Winter Classic Players to Watch
• Ever wonder how hockey ice is made?  Scott Burnside lets us in on the family secret of the NHL ice guru…
• Now that the day is here, lets drop the puck and play…
• Hawks and Wings tap their inner child by playing outside, becoming the latest teams to feel the outdoor magic
• The Winter Classic pits NHL Central Division Rivals, Original Six teams, and the #3 and #4 teams in the NHL Power Rankings

On the local front, the popular stories of the week on the Winter Classic:

• The outdoor rink at Wrigley is just like any other backyard ice rink, according to the Sun-Times Carol Slezak.
• Chris Chelios says Wrigley brings back sweet memories of Chicago in his glorious return to Wrigley Field
• Blackhawks President John McDonough’s long awaited dream is about to come true…
• Chicago Tribune’s Chris Kuc notes that the sun could cause the players problems
• Tim Sassone of the Daily Herald says it’s time for the Hawks to take it outside and get physical with the Red Wings

Chicago Bears Devin Hester Signs New Extension

Thank the higher powers above that Devin Hester’s wobbly hamstring healed just enough for him to sign a 4 year extension for a reported $40 million dollars, with a guaranteed $15 million.  The contract also has another $10 million in incentives if Hester develops into a #1 receiver, for which he has the potential to accomplish.

(Scott Strazzante, Chicago Tribune)

Word on the street is that the Hester deal has all the I’s dotted and T’s crossed:

• David Haugh from the Chicago Tribune reports that “Hester becomes the 10th Bears starter and fifth Pro Bowl player the Bears have signed to a contract extension this off-season. It is believed this new contract will make Hester the highest-paid return man in NFL history.”
• David Haugh also reports that Hester is at the top of the list of recent Chicago Bears re-signed by Chicago Bears GM Jerry Angelo.
• Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times reveals that “[Hester's] extension adds four new years for Hester meaning he is a Bear through 2013. He was under contract through 2009 and he is the first player with a four-year contract for the Bears to get new money after only two seasons.”
• ESPN reports that “This [contract] was probably the most difficult one we’ve had to do and probably ever will do because we’re not only rewarding a special player,” Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said. “If you look at it as a returner, we blew that [money total] out of the water. It was now looking at him as what he might be or could be as a receiver. That’s where the real difficulties were and a real challenge.”

Any way you look at it, it seems that Devin Hester is happy (and potentially $40M richer) and the Bears are happy (a difficult, challenging, but creative and fair contract).  Hester celebrated by catching a 40-yd pass from QB Rex Grossman in Sunday afternoon’s practice.  Seems as though the hammy is healed.

Other Devin Hester commentary:

• Windy City Gridiron notes that “[Bears] check another off theirs list” with the Hester signing.
• Matt Loede from Bearsgab.com notes that “We’ll see now with a lot more cash in his pocket if that hamstring suddenly feels better today”
• AOL Sports Fanhouse reports that “virtually everyone things [Hester signing] is a good move.”

Chicago Cubs Fall to Astros in 10; Patterson Makes Debut

One thing I can say about last night’s game — Eric Patterson does look like his big brother, Corey.  And he got the bunt down, which is also nice.  He also turned a routine out into a close play with his speed out of the batters box.  Now lets see what he does tonight as a starter.  I will say that Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella has no fear in throwing the guys from the Iowa Express right into the mix with starting assignments and appearances in key, potential game changing situations.  This is a clear departure of the Dusty Baker regime, where guys like Neifi Perez would steal valuable time away from the development of younger players (how did Dusty miss out on Ryan Theriot?)

(AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

The Chicago Cubs lost another 1 run game last night to a Houston Astros team that is on life support.  Their bullpen is about the worst in the National League, and their starting lineup would hardly scare a good little league team.  The game wasn’t over for a minute before both Bob Brenly and Dan Pleasac of Comcast SportsNet were already throwing out the excuse that the Sunday night ESPN game forced the Cubs to arrive late in Houston, thus they didn’t get enough rest.  Jim Hendry echoed the same in a Chicago Tribune interview.   Better have gotten your rest tonight, boys because you have to win this series….

Kerry Wood Injured In A Hot Tub Incident? You Gotta Be Kidding Me….

My wife Barb called me this afternoon to tell me that she heard a breaking news story on WSCR Sports Radio 670. The story was regarding Chicago Cubs P Kerry Wood slipping while getting out of his hot tub and most likely missing the first week of spring training. I honestly thought that Barb was kidding, seeing as that would be just too unreal enough to not be believable, but about 20 minutes later, there was the story on the Chicago Tribune website. It didn’t take long until the story broke on a national level and for Tribune columnists such as Rick Morrissey to begin taking a poke at this latest Cubs setback.

I am just dumbfounded on a number of levels on this one. Today is the first day of spring training for pitchers and catchers and the one pitcher that is eternally on the DL gets hurt yet again and he hasn’t even thrown a pitch or stepped on a ballfield. This is evil. What’s next, Mark Prior tripping over his dog while carrying groceries and tearing his rotator cuff? Ted Lilly bending over to tie his shoe and getting a herniated disk? Carlos Zambrano tripping over a large bag of Tribune money walking into training camp and hyperextending his knee? This is Armageddon. Do you think Sweet Lou Piniella is looking at Kerry Wood and finally understanding that curse that has plagued every manager that has tried to take this team anywhere but to last place? This can’t be a good start to a championship season for the Chicago Cubs.

(AP Photo/Paul Connors)

Lou Piniella, welcome to Chicago and aura of Chicago Cubdom…..now lets have some fun!

Super Bowl XLI Predictions

The Super Bowl brings the good, the bad, and the ugly in predictions from almost everybody who is somebody on the planet. From athletes, to the media, and celebrities, everyone is an expert when it comes to their Super Bowl picks. In an attempt to consolidate as many Super Bowl predictions as I could find and hear this week, the following lists are the “expert” opinions on who wins Super Bowl XLI on Sunday:

NFL Players, Coaches, Analysts Picks:

• ESPN Analysts

  Len Pasquarelli – Colts 27-23

  John Clayton – Colts 27-17

  Chris Mortensen – Colts 27-20

  Gene Wojciechowski – Bears 27-26

  Gary Horton – Colts 31-24

  Jeremy Green – Bears 26-23

  Bill Simmons – Bears 33-30

  Jemele Hill – Bears 34-31

  Scoop Jackson – Bears 31-28

  Ron Jaworski – Colts 31-21

  Sal Paolantonio – Colts 31-20

  Eric Allen – Bears 21-17

  Mike Golic – Colts 31-23

  Greg Garber – Colts 30-21

  KC Joyner – Bears 31-27

  John Banks, Deputy Editor – Colts 31-14

  Peter Lawrence-Riddell – Colts 28-17

  Joe Wojciechowski – Colts 27-20

  Chris Berman – Colts 30-20

  Joe Theismann – Colts

  Merril Hoge – Colts

  HBO’s Inside the NFL Team

  Bob Costas – Colts

  Cris Carter – Colts

  Dan Marino – Colts

  Cris Collinsworth – Bears

  ESPN’s Around the Horn Team

  Tim Cowlishaw – Bears

  Tony Reali – Colts

  Jay Mariotti – Bears

  Woody Paige – Colts

  Jackie MacMullen – Colts

  Kevin Blackistone – Colts

  ESPN’s Pardon The Interruption Team

  Michael Wilbon – Bears

  Tony Kornheiser – Colts

  Other ESPN Personalities

  Jim Rome – Colts 24-17

  Andrew Siciliano – Bears

  Ray Ratto – Colts 31-16

  Fox’s The Best Damn Sports Show Period

  Chris Rose – Colts

  Rodney Peete – Bears

  Leann Tweeden – Colts

  Rob Dibble – Bears

  John Salley – Colts

  Chicago Tribune Reporters

  Terry Bannon – Colts 27-23

  Mike Downey – Bears 28-26

  Brian Hamilton – Colts 27-23

  Ed Sherman – Colts 31-20

  Bob Foltman – Colts 24-21

  John Mullin – Bears 21-20

  Rick Morrissey – Bears 28-17

  Fred Mitchell – Bears 27-23

  Dan McGrath – Colts 30-21

  Melissa Issacson – Bears 28-24

  David Haugh – Bears 31-28

  Don Pierson – Colts 30-24

  Skip Myslinski – Colts 34-21

  Paul Sullivan – Bears 30-27

  Lew Freedman – Bears 27-21

  Mark Gonzales – Colts 31-27

  Teddy Greenstein – Bears 27-23

  Philip Hersh – Bears 30-27

  Ed Hinton – Bears 24-9

  Michael Hirsley – Bears 28-21

  KC Johnson – Bears 28-14

  Barry Temkin – Bears 31-27

  Dave Van Dyck – Bears 23-20

  Actors/Celebrities/Athletes/Politicians

  David Letterman – Colts 34-27

  Tom Dreesen – Bears 30-27

  Craig Ferguson – Colts

  Morgan Freeman – Colts

  William H. Macy – Colts

  Dennis Farina – Bears 23-17

  Joe Mantegna – Bears 31-21

  Gary Sinise – Bears 24-21

  Dennis Franz – Bears 24-13

  Bernie Mac – Bears 33-31

  Ashton Kutcher – Bears 24-20

  Paul Newman – Bears 21-20

  Dwayne Wade – Bears 28-24

  Sylvester Stallone – Colts 38-30

  Jack Nicklaus – Colts 34-24

  Arnold Palmer – Colts 31-24

  Serena Williams – Colts 17-13

  Sen. John McCain – Colts by 6

  Sen. John Kerry – Colts 34-27

  Al Franken – Bears 21-20

  Bill O’Reilly – Colts 31-10

  Larry King – Colts 21-7

  Charlie Sheen – Colts 37-33

  Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR – Colts 31-28

  William Shatner – Colts 24-17

  Haley Joel Osment – Colts 31-24

  Mickey Rooney – Bears 24-14

  Tony Sirico – Colts 21-14

  Pat Robertson – Colts 17-14

  Jerry Falwell – Colts by 14

  Duane “Dog” Chapman – Bears 35-28

  John Wooden – Colts

  Bobby Thomson – Colts 24-17

  Ralph Branca – Colts 41-24

  Jennie Finch – Colts 34-27

  Danica Patrick – Bears 31-27

  Molly Sims – Colts 31-24

  Kendra Wilkinson (Hugh Hefner’s girlfriend) – Colts 27-13

  Dick Vitale – Colts 28-21

  Tony Parker – Colts 25-20

  Phil Jackson – Bears 20-15

  Bob Cousy – Colts 37-12

  Leroy Nieman – Colts 24-10

  Ed Asner – Bears 27-24

  Elisabeth Shue – Colts 35-21

  Dionne Warwick – Colts 28-21

  Wayne Newton – Bears 21-7

  Dick Van Patten – Colts 31-21

  Connie Stevens – Bears 32-23

  Jack Valenti – Colts 28-27

  Tobin Bell – Colts 31-6

  Robert Loggia – Colts 35-29

  Buzz Aldrin – Colts 28-17

  Chuck Yeager – Colts 21-14

  Sen. Richard Lugar – Colts

  Richard M. Daley – Bears

  Mike Eruzione – Colts 31-21

  Michael Phelps – Colts 28-17

  Jermain Taylor – Colts 30-24

  Jeremy Wariner – Bears 27-10

  Kerri Walsh – Colts 27-18

  Ian MacShane – Bears 38-35

  William Sanderson – Colts 31-17

  Leah Remini – Colts 34-23

  Jesse L. Martin – Colts 31-24

  James Denton – Colts 26-16

  Jim Caviezel – Colts 31-20

  John Amos – Bears 24-17

  Marisol Nichols – Bears 24-20

  Stephen Root – Colts 27-21

  Robert Iler, Jr. – Bears 28-24

  Dawn Wells – Colts 24-14

  Barry Williams – Colts 27-17

  Florence Henderson – Colts 24-14

  Adam West – Colts 28-24

  Sam Hornish – Colts 41-14

  Matt Kenseth – Colts 34-17

  Jeff Burton – Colts 28-24

  Susan Anton – Colts 31-24

  L. Scott Turow – Bears 24-20

  Vince Neil – Colts 31-24

  Joan Jett – Colts 28-14

  Carrot Top – Colts 31-17

  Penn & Teller – Colts 28-17

  James Blake – Colts 27-17

  Reggie Miller – Colts

  Steve Kerr – Bears

  LeBron James – Colts

  Andy Roddick – Colts

  Bill Bellamy – Bears

  Anna Kournikova – Bears

  Enrique Iglesias – Bears

  Stewart Cink – Colts

  John Daly – Colts

  Davis Love III – Colts

  Brad Faxon – Colts

  Charles Howell III – Colts

  David Toms – Colts

  Justin Leonard – Colts

  Jeff Sluman – Bears

  Aaron Baddeley – Colts

  Fred Couples – Colts

  Camilo Villegas – Bears

  Tom Glavine – Colts

  David Wright – Bears

  John Maine – Colts

  Jose Reyes – Colts

  Vernon Wells – Colts

  NBC Staff – 3 of 5 pick the Colts

  USA Today – 5 of 6 pick the Colts

Zach Thomas, LB, Dolphins – Bears

Roy Williams, S, Cowboys – Bears

Drew Brees, QB, Saings – Colts

Sean Payton, Head Coach, Saints – Colts

Carson Palmer, QB, Bengals – Colts

Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seahawks – Bears

TJ Houshmanzadeh, WR, Bengals – Bears

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars – Colts by 14

Ronnie Brown, RB, Dolphins – Colts

Joe Montana – Colts

Mike Ditka – Bears 28-24

Jack Del Rio, Head Coach, Jaguars – Colts

Curtis Martin, RB, Jets – Colts

LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers – Colts

Steve Mariucci – Colts

Michael Strahan, DE, Giants – Colts

Jarrett Payton, RB, Titans – Bears

Troy Aikman – Colts

Michael Irvin – Colts

Media

Chicago Cubs Steal Some Press From The Chicago Bears

This week, the attention in the Chicago sports world has been squarely focused on the matchup between the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game. So nobody’s paying attention to the Chicago Cubs, right? Wrong. The Cubs kicked off (couldn’t resist the silly football pun) the 22nd Annual Cubs Convention this afternoon, and kicked off is the phrase of choice as the team announced that they have signed P Jeff Samardzija to a 5-year, $10 million deal. Our friends at the Chicago Tribune reported that Samardzija was so intent on becoming a Cub that he asked for a no-trade clause in his contract and agreed to forfeit his entire $2.5 million signing bonus if he ends up leaving the team for another sport. Samardzija apparently was very deliberate about making his final decision, as noted by a very good ESPN The Magazine article, updated on January 16th.

So I’m thinking to myself, “Wow, what a coup for Jim Hendry and the Cubs!” Not only do they get Samardzija, a Mel Kiper Top 25 projected pick (#14) in the 2007 NFL Draft, to forfeit football, but he offers the team a no-trade clause as an added bonus. The Cubs essentially get a potential top of the rotation pitcher for what will seem to be a bargain basement price if Samardzija lives up to his potential. Then again, he could go down the Mark Prior path and prove to be an unwise investment, but I love the gamble that Jim Hendry is taking.

My other thought was that Samardzija still harbors interest in playing football. Could he be making a play to circumvent the NFL Draft by essentially telling teams he will not be playing baseball, maybe sit out a season, and then work his way into a free agent situation to play the balance of the football season (once baseball season ends) for the Bears, a la Deion Sanders? I’m not sure if his Cubs contract forbids playing football after the baseball season ends, but the thought is definitely one that may have some teeth.