Don't let this movie get "buried" on your to-do list

Have you had a chance to pickup "Buried" from the RedBox? If you haven't, ummm ... what the hell are you waiting for?

Intense is a great word to describe this flick! From the opening scene to the final moments - my heart was beating out of my chest! Honestly, I almost didn't make it past the first 5 minutes - unreal!

Ryan Reynolds was dead-on in his portrayal of a guy going through so many emotions all at once. He is totally believable. It's cliche, but you almost forget it's a movie - he was that good! I can't even imagine filming this movie, let alone being in this situation.

I would definitely recommend!

Rose wears red, Others wearing Green

Bulls point guard Derrick Rose is the center of many conversations this week. The favorite for NBA MVP has taken the league by storm, has his Bulls over 50 wins for the first time since the Jordan-era and has some asking if he's the best finisher in the league.

Ric Bucher of ESPN The Magazine has a great piece on D-Rose and his childhood in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. His humble nature is no accident, with 4 older brothers not giving him any slack and a Mom who insisted Derrick be tough - he's grown into a superstar. http://es.pn/fO0B0U

Then you have the haters - this clown Daniel Barber at Yahoo. He calls himself the "Hotnuke," so take his opinions for what they're worth. A Heat lover, Mr. Barber says Rose is the worst MVP front-runner ... EVER! http://yhoo.it/fDSMDa

Who do you think should be MVP? Does D-Rose have it locked-up?

Why Can't I Be MVP?

Derrick Rose might be the MVP of this season - and he called it in before the campaign began when he asked, "Why not me? Why can't I be MVP?"

Check out this great video ...

NCAA Tournament ... Memories ...

What's your favorite memory of the NCAA Tournament? This can be a good or not-so-good situation. I'll start with two ...

1) Sophomore year in college at Northern Illinois University and friends offered a $75 session pass. I opted not to go, instead saving up my cash for partying that weekend. Missed out on a Cal and Jason Kidd pitching the upset over Duke at the Rosemont Horizon.

2) The Laettner Shot. I watched it in the dorms at Illinois State University, where I was visiting a friend from high school. Little did I know that while I was watching Duke win, both girls were changing behind me! Dammit!

Your turn ... leave your memories below in the COMMENTS section

Protect the Passer - Or Give Him Another Weapon?

Wisconsin T Gabe Carimi



The Chicago Bears fell in the NFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers. The Bears were 8 points from reaching their second Super Bowl in 5 years. While that sounds good on the surface, Bears fans know there are weaknesses – some that were patched during the 2^nd half of the season. The areas most will say that need improvement are Offensive Line, Wide Receiver, Cornerback – and now with the release of Tommie Harris – Defensive Tackle.



Pitt WR Jonathan Baldwin



The Bears face an interesting dilemma at the bottom of the 1^st round. They guys most draftniks think will be available that are most interesting to the Bears seem to be Wisconsin Tackle Gabe Carimi, Florida Guard Mike Pouncey, and Pitt Wideout Jonathan Baldwin. Do they start to re-build an offensive line that allowed franchise QB Jay Cutler to be sacked 52 times (56 sacks allowed in total) – or do they give Cutler a receiving weapon?

Florida G Mike Pouncey

I say you go offensive line. The receivers will get better as Cutler has more time to throw the ball. The Bears have been waiting my entire lifetime for a franchise QB. Say what you want about Jim McMahon, but his durability prevented him from being a franchise guy. The Bears have one now – and need to do whatever it takes to protect him. Games are won in the trenches. With a defensive front and linebacking corp many teams would love to have – the Bears are OK on that side for now. Protect Cutler. Protect your future.

REALGM.com writer Jason Risdon recently produced a Mock Draft for 2011. http://football.realgm.com/src_feature/392/20110302/2011_nfl_mock_draft_version_80_(post_combine)/

WHAT SHOULD THE BEARS DO? LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW ...

Repeat of 1991 NBA Finals Possible?

Over on ESPN they're touting the Hollinger Power Rankings. The favorites to reach the Finals representing the Western Conference are no surprise - 21.3% likelihood that the Lakers rep the West, while 10.2% chance it's the Spurs.

In the Eastern Conference ... the Bulls are the favorite with a 21% chance, while the Heat come in at 12.3% and the Celtics have a 8.9% chance of reaching the Finals.

Check out the rest of the rankings - http://es.pn/iiAPU7

Binti Jua - Daughter of Sunshine - Still a Hero

Binti Jua – the Gorilla Hero of Brookfield Zoo in suburban Chicago – had a physical this week. Vets at the Zoo put her under anesthesia while they conducted a battery of tests – which is done every other year.

Binti Jua’s reputation preceeds her, having saved a 4-year old boy back in 1996.

On August 16, 1996, Binti was in her enclosure when a 4-year old boy fell 18-feet onto a concrete area separating the Gorillas from zoo visitors. The unconscious child lay on the ground – while spectators screamed in horror – sure the Gorilla would kill the boy.

Instead, like the Mother she’d just become, Binti scooped up the child, patted him on the back and then took him an entrance where Zoo personnel could collect the child.

He spent 4 days in the hospital and was released. And Binti became a national treasure.

Binti Jua's name means "Daughter of Sunshine" in Swahili.

Binti Jua – Animal Hero: http://bit.ly/f1EF5l
Binti Jua Checkup: http://bit.ly/gG8pA4

Video of Binti Jua at her home in Brookield Zoo:

Bulls Celebrate 1st of 6 NBA Championships

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a special time for a kid growing up in Chicago. The only championship season I’d experienced came in the ’85-’86 NFL season when the Bears dominated all and took no prisoners. It wasn’t quite that easy for the Bulls, but the ride was a great one!

Who will ever forget Michael Jordan’s layup against the Lakers in the Finals – when he drove down the lane, put the ball up to the right – and then swooped back to the left – all while in mid-air. Classic!



The 20th anniversary of the Chicago Bulls 1st title will be celebrated this weekend at the United Center. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and the crew will be on-hand. Three key pieces will be absent; Phil Jackson will be coaching the Lakers, Bill Cartwright is an assistant with the Suns - and oddly enough, but not surprising, Jerry Krause will miss the event. Krause is busy scouting baseball.

Chicago Tribune's coverage of Saturday's celebration:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-03-10/sports/ct-spt-0311-bulls-91-champs-chicago--20110310_1_trust-factor-phil-jackson-bulls

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF THE 1991 SEASON?

Gingrich "Newt" the Kinda Guy You Can Trust

UPDATE: The Newt started campaigning, then took a 2-week vacation with his "current" wife - upon return his staff starts resigning:
Read the story (June 9, 2011)

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To quote a Facebook friend, “His Momma didn’t name him after a lizard for nothing!”

Presidential hopeful, Newt Gingrich is a piece of work. The man who led the charge to impeach former President Bill Clinton – is now at the center of John Edwards type saga.

Like John Edwards, Gingrich ditched his 1^st wife – while she too was recovering from Cancer. But he took Edward’s bet – and raised him a sick wife! Gingrich left his 2^nd wife while she was recovering from illness too. But the kicker – he had #2 in the bag before leaving #1, and did the same with #2, having already locked up #3 before breaking off his second marriage.

In typical Republican form – Gingrich just goes on as if nothing happened. I wish Democrats would take this tact more often, instead of tucking their tales and running at the first sign of personal issues. Gingrich has taken it to a whole new level, though. While we thought he was just a scumbag, it turns out he was doing it for us – he was “getting oral because it didn’t count as sex” – and doing it because, “There's no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate.”

Here’s more on Gingrich and has cheating ways:

Newt Gingrich's Second Wife Dishes Hard To Esquire: His Money Woes, His Philandering, His Meltdown
http://bit.ly/hoPOzz

Newt Gingrich Seems To Blame Past Personal Lapses On Patriotism
http://n.pr/i95nhu

Wikipedia on Gingrich's Personal Life:
Gingrich has been married three times. In 1962, he married Jackie Battley, his former high school geometry teacher, when he was 19 years old and she was 26. They had two daughters. In the spring of 1980, Gingrich left Battley after having an affair with Marianne Ginther. According to Battley, Gingrich visited her while she was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery to discuss the details of their divorce. However, Gingrich disputes the account. Six months after the divorce was final, Gingrich wed Ginther in 1981.

In the mid-1990s, Gingrich began an affair with House of Representatives staffer Callista Bisek, who is 23 years his junior; they continued their affair during the Lewinsky scandal. In 2000, Gingrich married Bisek shortly after his divorce from second wife Ginther. He and Callista currently live in McLean, Virginia.

Gingrich has two daughters from his first marriage. Kathy Gingrich Lubbers is president of Gingrich Communications, and Jackie Gingrich Cushman is an author, whose books include 5 Principles for a Successful Life, co-authored with Newt Gingrich.

Leave Old "Sweater Vest" Alone!

UPDATE: Jim Tressel resigned as Head Football Coach at Ohio Stae ... I guess he takes the fall in a situation where he's just doing what everyone else is too - http://es.pn/lvrKSW


Why was Jim Tressell punished?

Why did Ohio State suspend their coach for 2 games next season?

He didn’t do anything wrong – or any more wrong than the example set by the almighty NCAA themselves.

This whole Ohio State situation is almost as whacky as Charlie Sheen! What in the hell is going on in Columbus? Why are they suspending Tressell?

I know. He was wrong. He knew about his players selling memorabilia to a local tattoo shop owner – a violation of NCAA rules. And he knew about it in April – 9 months before the story went public. Again, he was 100% wrong in not divulging this information to someone – a Compliance Officer, University attorney, the Athletic Director. But knowing what we know now … what did he do that the NCAA didn’t do as well?

After all, even after the NCAA found out that 5 Ohio State football players - Mike Adams, Dan Herron, DeVier Posey, Terrelle Pryor and Solomon Thomas – had violated rules – all 5 were allowed to participate in the Sugar Bowl against Arkansas. The Buckeyes went on to win the game. So … in order to cash in on a sold-out event … both Ohio State and the NCAA sold-out their own integrity. Shouldn’t those players have been suspended immediately?

So, Tressell knew – and waited and withheld information. Then the NCAA waits – and withholds punishment in lieu of cash. So they’re even, right?

Nope. Now Tressell gets to walk the plank. Ohio State doled-out a self-imposed 2-game suspension and $250k fine – and they hope the NCAA doesn’t pile on and add more penalties or extend the suspension. This is a recommendation – and could change once the NCAA interviews Tressell.

And then to Ohio State – if you’re going to attempt to minimize the damage by imposing your own punishment, why make it so weak? If the players got 5 games – shouldn’t the guy in charge of the program, the guy who’s supposed to make sure rules are followed, the guy who is supposed to set an example – shouldn’t he get just as much, if not more?

While we're on the subject of honesty - maybe the NCAA and Ohio State should do the same!

They're not interested in the integrity of the game, they're interested in cash - the same thing the players wanted for their memorabilia. Kinda ironic, isn't it?

BACK TO HOMEPAGE

Rose & Company Wilted in Atlanta Heat

What was it we saw last night from the Chicago Bulls? Was it a case of reading one’s own clippings and feeling just a little too good? Was it a team that lacked the killer instinct to progress in the NBA playoffs? Or was it just an off night where turnovers and missed shots were more prevalent than rebounds and defense?

The Bulls blew a 17-point halftime lead after dominating Atlanta in the 1^st half – falling 83-80. It was clearly the tale of two teams. The first 2 quarters were indicative of a team that is aiming for 50 wins. One where defense was the lifeline to a 50-point half, where hustle was the key and energy was not lacking. Everything changed in the 2^nd half, as the Bulls appeared to let their proverbial foot off the neck of the Hawks, who could barely breathe at the time.

The Bulls settled for jumpers. Where was the low-post game? Was Carlos Boozer on the floor? Can they run an offensive set around Noah and/or Omar Asik and/or Boozer?

"I think the effort was there, I just think we came out too loose in the second half," Bulls center Joakim Noah said.

We haven’t seen many nights like this from Rose, who finished with 6 of the Bulls’ 16 turnovers (other 4 starters accounted for 6 turnovers as well). He was a paltry 5-of-21 from the field, including 0-for-6 behind the 3-point line. The worse part of Rose’s line: only 3 free throws! That’s right! The guy who isn’t afraid to get hammered by Dwight Howard, managed only 3 free throws in 37 minutes.

"I made some careless passes where they led to fast breaks. This game was definitely on me, but I think I'm definitely going to learn from it and get better for it."

The killer instinct they displayed against Washington a few nights ago was not evident in Atlanta – but it had better re-appear if the Bulls want to continue what has been a great season … so far.

The Bulls allegedly have an advantage over their Eastern Conference counterparts due to size and depth. Where was that advantage in Atlanta? And if that wasn’t working – why didn’t we see Rose and Luol Deng attacking the basket and collecting fouls – a recipe for winning basketball all season?

I’m a big fan of Tom Thibodueau. Derrick Rose is likely the MVP. But in order for this team to advance in the playoffs, they’ll have to learn from a game like this. In the NBA, there a seldom easy wins – you can’t take anything for granted. Teams like the Spurs and Celtics can grab a 17-point lead and they have the know-how to ride out the rest of the game for a “W” – but the Bulls aren’t there … yet.