Still Gotta Come Through Chicago
A brand new, jam-packed newsletter to get you through the week. Let's do this Chicago.
The results are in from last week’s newsletters. People liked Friday’s. (Make sure to read that here if you haven’t). I’ve also learned that SGCTChicagoans were not happy with Tuesday’s letter, which I battled through the flu to write.
“I wanted to comment on Tuesday’s newsletter saying ‘this sucked,’” a subscriber wrote to me. “But I thought that was too harsh.”
The best ability is availability. The second best is accountability. I learned this week that the SGCTC subscriber base values accountability over availability. I made myself available on Tuesday but I wasn’t accountable. It won’t happen again.
The comment section is fair game, though. If a newsletter sucked, it’s within your right to tell me. But I do need you to relay this message to a friend today, who may not read it regularly — I don’t want that one shit newsletter dictating my read-rate. Text a subscriber today and make sure they read the newsletter today. Then tell someone else to subscribe.
In regards to last week’s introduction, here are some of the teams y’all would most want to see in a retroactive (or not) Hard Knocks series:
The 2017 Bulls for the preseason, when Bobby Portis punched and broke Nikola Mirotic’s face
The 2019-2020 Bulls team, to see Jim Boylen’s daily interactions with his players, who could care less what he has to say
The second year of the Trestman Bears
Let your voice be heard and comment on this week’s newsletter:
Remember to hit the button on the right at the bottom of the newsletter to leave a comment: a reaction to the newsletter, a response to the intro, or to tell me that you just wasted 10 minutes of your time reading a piece-of-shit article.
Trivia:
Can you name the year in which each major team in Chicago had their SECOND best regular season since 2000? (Division finish, then playoff success used as tie-breakers when applicable)
(Answers at the end of the newsletter)
Introduction:
The White Sox have such an opportunity right now to gain young fans — or just fans in general — now that the Cubs are on the descent (or at least plateauing) and attending their games is far more expensive.
The White Sox are now a clearly superior bang-for-your-buck option. I much prefer Wrigley Field. But, at Guaranteed Rate, the food is better, the ticket is about a tenth of the price of a Cubs ticket, and the kicker is — the baseball may be as good this year.
(More on the difficulties of watching Cubs games on television later in the newsletter.)
I’m almost worried about the Sox getting better. The past five years have been a great set-up — pay lots for one of the best teams in the MLB and pay next to nothing to watch professional baseball and drink some beers with your buddies on the other side of town. I’m sure the price comparisons will continue to be lopsided, but just not as much so.
I mean, we went to the Yankees-Sox game and sat on this rooftop that is apparently free for anyone to enjoy.
(Courtesy of MLB.com)
As I’ve gotten older I’ve become a bigger fan of practicality. I’ve also lost interest in sitting in the Wrigley Field bleachers and having 35 19-year olds screaming to their buddies in my ear that it’s time for a chug-off.
Wrigley Field is still my favorite place to watch a ball game, but if I want to do it with any regularity, I need to bank on Guaranteed Rate remaining affordable.
For other sports, there is usually just one place to watch a major professional team. Bulls games, up until about five years ago, were still my favorite games to be at. The introduction, which has now been copied across the league, was by far the best open in the city to a game. I used to get seriously upset if we got to a game and missed the introductions.
Since then, however, the atmosphere has plummeted in the United Center. If you haven’t been following on Twitter, we now have an official correspondent sending game-time updates of the attendance. It’s pitiful.
Thursday:
Saturday:
The team being dreadful has obviously watered down the intros. For starters, the legendary PA announcer Tommy Edwards retired. He popularized “AND NOW… the starting lineup for your Chicago Bulls!”
FROMMM VANDERBILT… Luke Kornet! just doesn’t hit the same as FROMMMM CHICAGO, Derrick Rose!
This, from a fan’s perspective in 2013, is electric. Derrick Rose’s first game back at the UC after the ACL tear. The United Center going absolutely nuts. This video makes me emotional.
Luol Deng. Crowd: LUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Carlos Boozer. Crowd: BOOOOOOOOZZZZEEEE
Joakim Noah: Crowd: Uproarious cheering
Jimmy Butler: Crowd: Maintained enthusiasm, with the impending Rose announcement on the way
From Chicago, Derrick Rose!: Crowd: Deafening.
I miss that.
The graphics on the screen have also gotten increasingly corny for the intro, with the little kid looking out the car window and the animated Bulls running down the street.
The “Power Clap,” a play off of Kanye’s “Power” was actually a pretty cool addition before Doug McDermott was so painfully awkward in his portion of the bit that it completely ruined it.
I mean, Jesus Christ.
It’s even worse now.
Plus, the Bulls also did away the Bulls history video, which was nearly as chills-inducing as the Sirius intro.
The Remember the Titans music over the history video reminds me of the days I was actually proud to be a Bulls fan. Who made the decision to get rid of that?
It all feels gross now. The current Bulls don’t deserve the same introductions as the other teams did.
Sportswriter J.A. Adande once told me that when he covered the Bulls in the ‘90s he would get chills down his spine during the intros, despite not being a Bulls fan and also being a grown ass man. The loss of that collective feeling is one of the sadder developments of the franchise’s downfall.
The Blackhawks have picked up the slack for Winter game-going. Even for non-hockey fans, it’s hard not to have a blast at the Hawks games. It’s a packed house, and beer-drinking seems to be a pre-requisite to gaining admission.
That’s why it’s so devastating if the Hawks get shut out at home and you’re deprived of that endorphin rush that hits when “Chelsea Dagger” comes on and 20,000 people have the best party of your life for the following two minutes.
As for Bears games, I don’t have many complaints. I know some people think that Soldier Field is inadequate, but I find the viewing experience there to be quite enjoyable. There aren’t any really bad seats, the place is always full, and there’s something about being out in the cold for a football game that gets the juices flowing. Two caveats: getting in to the stadium is a nightmare and so is going to the bathroom at halftime. How they haven’t figured out at least the former issue is beyond me.
It’s also not enjoyable if you go to the Bears-Chiefs game like I did and witness the most thorough home ass-kicking the Bears have gotten in years all while your hands freeze.
As Chicagoans, we are lucky with the options we have when it comes to grabbing tickets to professional sporting events. The teams may disappoint often, but at least the experiences (sometimes) make it worth it.
What is your favorite game to go to in the city? What’s the most electric atmosphere you’ve seen at a Chicago sporting event? Have you changed the venues you go to over the course of your life? What’s your biggest pet peeve or favorite trivial touch to an in-game viewing experience? Let us know in the comments below.
Chicago Baseball
This could be the last week that the heading reads “Chicago Baseball” instead of two headings reading “Cubs” and “White Sox.” Spring training is underway. If you like Spring Training and are a Cubs fan, chances are you missed Saturday’s opener.
And that’s another reason why the Sox have a real chance at gaining a larger following. While the Cubs struggle to roll out the Marquee Sports Network, which still has yet to strike a deal with Comcast (leaving around 50% of Chicago without a way to watch the Cubs), the Sox will still be available on NBC Sports Chicago.
It’s a bit ironic that the Cubs, who gained a nationwide following because of increased access from WGN America for decades, have now taken advantage of that passionate following by putting Cubs content behind their own network.
The rollout has been sloppy all off-season, and continued to be when the network actually launched on Saturday. The Cubs had to fit in their game despite rain, because of the grand opening, if you will, of the network. David Ross had the flu, so he did not manage. The game was unavailable on the radio because of the delay and because 670 The Score, unfortunately, had to air the Bulls broadcast.
The issue that Cubs fans will have with the network is that it is an additional hurdle, and that additional hurdle should mean something good in return. That doesn’t just mean good production and content on the network itself. The organization promised the network would give them extra spending money to work with in the future, but after two quiet off-seasons, it’s reasonable to wonder when the fans will be able to reap the benefits.
The tickets cost more, the beer cost more, and now the broadcast costs more. I know the Cubs spend more than nearly any other team on the on-field product. But with the amount of money Cubs fans spend to be engaged Cubs fans, we can do without the Tom Ricketts pressers where he acts as if his pockets are empty and his hands are tied.
Hell, the other week he acted as if it would be nearly impossible to sign both Javy Baez and Kris Bryant to long-term deals. Why? Maybe it’s the right move, maybe it’s not, but don’t go Jerry Reinsdorf on us, Tom.
This is why it’s dumb to applaud the White Sox front office for not giving Manny Machado $300 million, like some fans did at SoxFest. Do I think, all things considered, it’s probably a good thing that they didn’t get Machado? I do. Do I think you should ever applaud your front office for not bidding high enough for a player to make your team better when you clearly have the money? I do not.
Anyway.
The Sox leadoff options have garnered some attention a week after David Ross announced that Kris Bryant would be leading off for the Cubs. After originally saying that Luis Robert was too young to take over the no.1 spot in the Sox’ lineup, Ricky Renteria planned to hit him there on Saturday before the game was cancelled.
The Sox figure, like the Cubs, to have a more consistent lineup this year, but for different reasons. The Cubs had a change in manager, the Sox had a change in roster. Renteria and Maddon were kindred spirits last year, constantly putting their hottest hitters in strange spots in the lineup.
It’s still likely that either Tim Anderson or Yoan Moncada will hit in the lead spot. Over time, Luis Robert could become a fine leadoff man. For now, as he learns to lay off pitches and approach major league at-bats, I think it’s better to put him in the back half of the lineup.
As for Anderson, who won the batting title last year, I’m not sure it’s a good fit. He’s got great speed and (obviously) hits for a great average. But that average is most likely going to regress this year, and he’s never been one to walk. He said as much on Twitter last week, responding to a fan basically saying that walks aren’t his thing. Fair enough, he’s a gamer. It’s why we love him. But someone that has earned his respect in the organization should have a sit down with him and explain to him that a couple dozen more walks over the course of the season could be the difference between him being a good player and a great player. He walked just 15 times last year, and has only walked 71 times in his four-year career. For reference, Kris Bryant walked 74 times just last year.
For now, Yoan Moncada — who was 20 points below Anderson’s average last year but had an OBP 10 points higher — is a good fit. This way, you get your best hitter the most at-bats and a guy in the leadoff spot who gets on base at a fairly high clip.
The Sox also signed Aaron Bummer to a 5 year, $16 million deal this past week. Bummer was a fantastic reliever for the club last year. He posted a 2.13 ERA and a sub-1 WHIP in over 67 innings, which is so good that it’d be unfair to expect the same out of him this year.
The Sox already had control of Bummer’s services until 2024, so all this deal does is give Bummer — who had Tommy John surgery in 2015 — some financial security and keeps the two parties from having to go to arbitration. If Bummer continues to be as good as he has, it’ll save the Sox money. If he doesn’t, the deal still isn’t big enough for the Sox to look bad in the end.
The lefty has an incredible sinker, and his services are especially valuable now that the MLB has made a significant rule change, which will force relievers to face a three-batter minimum barring an injury. Last year, Bummer was lights-out against lefties, but wasn’t all that much worse against righties. Right-handed batters hit .188 against him last year, compared to the .178 number that left-handed batters achieved.
Even with the leadoff spot handed off to Kris Bryant before a game was played, Cubs fans still have a few interesting storylines to follow in Spring training.
Alec Mills, Tyler Chatwood, and Adbert Alzolay will be battling for the fifth rotation spot. Mills and Alzolay both came up and filled holes last season when they were needed. Besides his first inning up with the club last year, Mills pitched really well. Alzolay pitched well, and then a few speed bumps brought him back down to earth and eventually back to the minors. Chatwood, as you all know, had a dreadful start to his Cubs tenure, but in some ways has bounced back. He’s probably the favorite for the role. But his bounce back came in the bullpen. The Cubs braintrust may opt to keep him there, where his long relief efforts proved helpful.
Jason Kipnis, who almost crushed the Cubs dreams of winning a World Series in 2016, is now wearing the uniform of the team he grew up rooting for. Kipnis said it legitimately bothered him that he had to play the Cubs in the 2016 World Series, having grown up in Northbrook. I think a lot of people are looking at this deal — a minor league one that included an invitation to Spring Training — the wrong way. Kipnis isn’t what he was in 2016. Last year, in 121 games, he was slightly above a replacement-level player. He accumulated 0.5 WAR over the course of the season. But do you know who accumulated a -1.4 WAR in nearly 40 less games? Daniel Descalso. Any move that keeps me from seeing that guy bat ever again is good for me. If Kipnis can play a bit better this year for his favorite team, he’ll be a fine addition to the second-base platoon. If all goes well, Nico Hoerner will be getting the majority of the at-bats there anyway. Kipnis will be playing for a job this spring, and I hope he earns one.
Blackhawks
A 2-1 overtime win against the also playoff-chasing Predators was just a tease. The Hawks followed it on Sunday with a disappointing 2-1 loss to the Stars in Dallas. The weekend was in some ways an encapsulation of the entire season: ups and downs, missed chances, and in the end — just mediocre.
They were .500 on the weekend, and that’s all this team is — .500. They’re 13-13-4 at home. They’re 14-14-4 on the road.
The players have finally let the low morale-state of the locker room begin to bleed out to the press. As Ben Pope wrote in the Sun-Times, some are admitting it and some are not, but everyone is beginning to come to grips with the fact that its another loss season for the Blackhawks.
At the beginning of the post All-Star break schedule, a playoff berth almost seemed inevitable. They were finding ways to win and seemed to have just enough talent to make things interesting come springtime.
But that 1-4 Canadian road trip busted their chances and their hope, the latter of which can go a long way in hockey.
It’s mathematically possible that the Hawks could overcome four teams and a 7-point deficit in the Wild Card standings in the last 20 games. But it’s not likely.
That means it’s yet another season that won’t yield a playoff series. It also won’t yield a high draft pick, unless the odds turn in their favor in a big way, as they did last year when they landed the third pick and subsequently Kirby Dach.
By the time you’re reading this, it’s very possible that one or more Hawks regulars will be on their way to a new team.
Blackhawks Record: 27-27-8
Bulls
Zach LaVine broke the Bulls single season three-point record on Sunday (174), but the real reason to mention this is to make a hat tip Ben Gordon, who he passed. Gordon — who has been in the news due to this courageous Players Tribune piece — had 173 three-pointers in 08-09, which all Bulls fans remember because of him and Derrick Rose’s performances in the best playoff series of all time, the Bulls-Celtics in round 1.
Gordon hits a three to tie the game with five seconds left and promptly grabs his balls. It was a big deal, believe it or not, back then. Now I think the NBA would make this an actual commercial, and the above parody of the NBA’s “Where Amazing Happens” campaign wouldn’t even need to exist.
A sign of the times: LaVine has attempted 463 threes this year thus far, which is about 35% of what the 2008-2009 Bulls attempted that entire season.
Speaking of threes, Coby White connected on five last night, and seven on Saturday. He had back-to-back 33-point games, the only rookie to have back-to-back 30-point games this year besides Zion Williamson. On Sunday, he had 16 points in just seven minutes in the opening quarter.
White is explosive and undoubtedly talented. He’s unafraid to take shots and plays hard. Right now, I see him having the potential to be a Lou Williams-type player. Is he going to be a star? Probably not. But if he can ever get close to Williams’ (3x Sixth Man of the Year) level of production, that’ll be a huge win for the Bulls.
That also means you can put your cardboard sign that you’ve been making to protest him not starting back in your closet. White is as raw as they come, and has a lot of room to improve. As long as he gets meaningful playing time, it’s okay that he’s not starting.
Now back to your normally scheduled programming. Jim Boylen, I regret to tell you, is back on his bullshit.
Boylen called ANOTHER timeout on Saturday with the game out of reach and less than a minute left. Zach LaVine responds by muttering, “Why call a timeout down fucking 10.” Jim Boylen is big on teaching and coaching guys up, sometimes so much that it sounds like he’s a youth baseball coach and not the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. But what he and GarPax fail to realize is that in order to coach and teach you need to first gain respect from those who are supposed to gain something from that coaching and teaching.
This is not how you gain respect. Whatever lesson Boylen is attempting to get across with these misguided late-game timeouts, I don’t know. But all it’s doing is making his own players frustrated. If your players are frustrated and never respected you in the first place, that attempted lesson is useless. And when your “best” player is openly criticizing those decisions, there’s no chance a rookie like Coby White is going to take you seriously.
Need further evidence that the timeouts do more harm than good?
ATOS: After Time Out
The Bulls had lost eight straight games before they beat the Wizards on Sunday. That (somewhat) saved this week from being one of the worst ones in recent memory. Before the Wizards match-up, they managed to lose twice at home in embarrassing fashion to the Hornets (19-37) and the Suns (23-34).
Bradley Beal also had a career-high 53 points in the game.
But you need not fear, the braintrust was hard at work in Ames, Iowa this weekend. Iowa State, where Gar Forman last held a job, seems to be the only college these imbeciles think exists.
Alternate caption: Gar Forman plays Doodle Jump and John Paxson watches the cheerleaders at a college basketball game in an effort to look like they’re doing the jobs that pay them handsomely.
Pax: “Hey Gar, make sure you file our expense reports right when we get back.”
Bulls record: 20-38, 10th in the Eastern Conference
Bears
The Bears cut Taylor Gabriel and Prince Amukamara this week, which saves them a good chunk of change and gives those two a head start on finding another team in free agency.
Cutting Gabriel and Amukamara will save the Bears $13.5 million in cap space. They cleared $16.5 in salary and will only have to eat $3 million in dead money.
The space is huge for the Bears’ cap situation. Before the cuts, they were right up against the cap line — about $5.5 million away. Now, they’ve got more room to work with. As I wrote two weeks ago, Amukamara’s production was just not worth the money the Bears would be spending on him. The same goes for Gabriel.
Now, it’s up to Ryan Pace to fill those holes without once again running into the cap line. The Bears can sign another corner, or they can rely on their current options. From February 10:
The question is whether or not Kevin Toliver — the soon-to-be third year undrafted pro from LSU — or Tre Roberson — the 27-year-old cornerback that the Bears recently signed out of the Canadian Football League to a 2-year deal — are ready to start opposite of Kyle Fuller.
On Roberson: He played his last two years in Calgary and was, according to Adam Schefter, the top prospect out of the league entering free agency. Before that, he was on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad, but never saw game action.
He was courted by a slew of NFL teams, so it is possible that Ryan Pace guaranteed him some sort of playing time. Either that, or he could’ve just taken the highest deal. After all, CFL signees don’t often receive major money.
Toliver showed flashes of being a viable option last year, but was also targeted by opposing quarterbacks at times. I am bullish on these two doing a reasonable job filling the void that Prince’s exit creates.
As for Gabriel, he had a couple concussions last year and began to get on Bears’ fans nerves. Like just about every receiver besides Allen Robinson in the past few years, he had his ups and downs. His ups included his three-touchdown performance against Washington, and his downs included a few mental errors and drops later on. He’s a good player but is not irreplaceable.
The question now is what the Bears will choose to do with the extra money. It’s possible now for them to go with a pricier option at QB, but depending on how pricey of an option that is, that move may plug one hole and open up a bunch of others.
With the Raiders seemingly ready to move on from Derek Carr, it’s plausible that that’s who the Bears could be eying.
Pace needs to get creative with what he does with the remaining money. His downfall is how fixated he gets on a guy he wants re: Trubisky. Overpaying another QB just because he’s not Mitch Trubisky, and then giving him an inadequate set of offensive linemen and skill players won’t do much to improve the team’s win column next year.
This week in Chicago:
Bulls: Tuesday at home vs. the Thunder at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday at the Knicks at 4:00 p.m.
Blackhawks: Tuesday at the Blues at 7:00 p.m.; Thursday at the Lightning at 6:00 p.m.; Sunday at the Panthers at 5:00 p.m
Cubs: Spring Training match-ups everyday this week
White Sox: Spring Training match-ups everyday this week
Trivia answer:
White Sox: 95-67 in 2000
Cubs: 97-64 in 2008 (97-63, but third in the division in 2015)
Bears: 13-3 in 2001 (but lost to the Eagles in the first-round; went 13-3 as well in Super Bowl year)
Bulls: 62-20 in 2010-2011 (Yes, in 2011-2012 the Bulls were 50-16 and had a .02 better win percentage)
Blackhawks: 52-22-8 in 2009-2010 (The Hawks also had their best year in a lock-out shortened season when they went 36-7-5)
Betting pick:
Record: 20-12
We’re back. This week’s pick: Milwaukee -11.5
Here’s Friday’s newsletter if you missed it. Thank you for reading, as always! We’ll be back and better than ever next week. Don’t forget to leave a comment and tell a friend to join the movement.
I can not say this enough, Fuck Tom Ricketts and his stupid Ted Bundy looking clown ass. I get cubs have been a top spender the past few years, but why the hell does that mean they should take their foot off the gas while they are still in their window?! Tom Ricketts thinks we are a bunch of morons. Honestly, how do you tell the people who you rip off every god damn game that you don't have any money. This asshole has cried broke for 2 years, charged us to watch his team on a network that half the dam city doesn't even have access to,, and worst of all, got rid of Giordanos in favor for Home run inn, which is objectively one of the worst pizzas of all time. He actually said a week ago "I don't think spending money this off season would have gave this team a boost." umm what? That's like saying I don't think buying glasses will help my shitty eyesight. Instead of helping a bullpen that is in shambles or paying our guy Rizzo, Tom decides that spending money on Trump campaigns is a better use of his money. This guy fucking sucks. Seriously. This doofus also said that the money for the renovations and the money spent on the team are completely separate and then couple years later said one of the reasons they haven't been spending is because they went over their budget for renovations and their plan for Wrigleyville...WTF?! So you are telling me the reason we cant fix the bullpen is because of the Bowling alley you built across the street?!The only person who hates this guys guts more than I do is probably Theo Epstein. Imagine being one of the best GM's in the game and having this Idiot hamper you from doing your job.
Yak-zies wings plus a half dozen Miller Lites before walking into an afternoon spring game at Wrigley? Stop it! Gives me chills just thinking about it