Who will rise to the occasion and wear the green shorts and pantyhose?

To reach and win the NBA Finals, a team can't just have one guy. Michael Jordan was title-less until Scottie Pippen arrived. Is it plausible to think the Bulls can win a championship with Derrick Rose as Superman? I don't see it happening unless one of these guys comes up HUGE!

Who do you think is most critical to the Bulls' success? Luol Deng? Carlos Boozer? Kyle Korver? Keith Bogans?

Mark Schanowski on Comcast just said Bogans is the X-factor. When he scores 6 or more points, the Bulls have almost a perfect record. Interesting.

Or does it matter one way or the other? Do the Bulls not have what it takes - or does Derrick drive the bus and the Bulls win it all?

PACERS KEEP HITTING HIM - ROSE DOESN'T WILT

HEIR APPARENT?

ATHLETICISM

Bulls: First off, it's been said a million times this season, but DAMN! Derrick Rose is a MAN among boys. The kid – and I say that with the most affection possible – has the killer instinct, the drive to come out on top and the fearlessness of a warrior. OK, I may be exaggerating on the warrior front – but c'mon! When asked after the game by Comcast SportsNet Chicago's sideline reporter if the hard fouls were getting to be too much, Rose responded matter-of-factly, "It's only gonna get worse!" He went on to say that he's prepared for this – and this kind of punishment in the paint is what drives him to keep his body strong and continue lifting weights.

Pacers head coach Frank Vogel, clearly frustrated after a Game 2 loss to the Bulls, had some lofty praise for #1, saying he has ...

"Allen Iverson's quickness, Jason Kidd's vision, Chauncey Billups' shooting touch and Micheal Jordan's athleticism." 

VISION

TOUCH

QUICKNESS

I don't know if Rose is up to any of those levels – but he's certainly climbing the latter pretty quickly. His humility, hard work, dedication, team-play and leadership are all great – but it's his killer instinct, the "eye of the tiger" if you will – or maybe it's tiger blood – that makes him so dangerous. He doesn't get frazzled. There's no worry on his face. Just that look of "I'm gonna get you, sucka!" And there's nothing anyone in the NBA has been able to do about it this year.

Blackhawks: How about that Corey Crawford! After getting shelled in the first 3 games versus Vancouver, the Hawks offense has provided 12 goals in 2 games, and Crawford has been stellar. Crawford stopped all 36 shots he faced in Game 5, and allowed only 2 lamp-lighters in Game 4, when he had 21 saves. The Hawks will try and even the series on Sunday at the United Center. Given up for dead just a couple of days ago, it's good to see the Hawks showing some life – and pride – as they attempt to defend their Stanley Cup Championship short-handed.

White Sox: Congratulations to fans of the White Sox, as the Southside Hitmen got off the schneid – snapping a 7-game losing streak with a 9-2 win over the Rays. As much as folks wanna talk about youth and how that's the ticket to winning. It wasn't last night for the Sox, as Omar Vizquel, A.J. Pierzynski, Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko had 2 RBI's apiece – an average age of 35 years old – with Omar on the high end at 43 and Quentin at 28. Doing it "old school."

Bears: The NFL draft is creeping upon us – maybe. What are your thoughts on the Bears draft? Should they go offensive line? Wide receiver? Defensive back? Take a peak at a recent post about the Bears 2011 Draft and what direction they might go - http://bit.ly/faXx6n

BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS – WE ALWAYS WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY! 

Why Wake a Sleeping Giant?

There were 3 minutes and 48 seconds remaining in an amazingly boring playoff game. The #8th seeded Pacers have just extended a lead they've held since the opening tip to 95-88. The advantage was stretched to 7 on a face-up jumper from the left side by Tyler Hansbrough over Carlos Boozer - who should have been playing much tighter defense!

That was the story for the Bulls most of the afternoon, trading buckets with a significantly less talented Indiana squad - and playing uninterested on the defensive end. Seriously, how the hell does this Indiana squad shoot over 50% for most of the game? Danny Granger (24 points) and Hansbrough (22 points) were killing the Bulls - often times with open shots!

But at 3:48 remaining, Hansbrough hit that jumper over Boozer and turned into a bird, flapping his arms like a parrot - bumping chests with teammates and mocking the crowd. Hansbrough was also mocking Luol Deng, who just a few minutes prior waved his hands to get the crowd moving, following an emotional play in which Derrick Rose was hacked - again.

It was almost as if the Bulls weren't awake - that this Noon start didn't give them enough time to shake the cowbwebs. But once things got emotional - with Deng leading the way, and then Hansbrough fanning the flames - the Bulls were back to looking like the team that won 62 regular season games.

Following Hansbrough's jumper - the Bulls went on a 16-1 run, including 10-0 to close the game! I never understand why - on the road - you'd give the home squad and their fans ANYTHING to get excited about. Wait until the game's over. It reminds me of Reggie Bush taunting Brian Urlacher in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field in January 2007 (http://bit.ly/gPDFVk).

Derrick Rose - unquestionably the league's best player this year - led all scorers with 39, scoring at will. He added 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and a steal. Deng had 18, Kyle Korver 13 and Boozer 12.

If the Bulls want to avoid being only the second #1 seed to lose to an 8-seed, they'd better bottle up some of that emotion and BRING IT for the rest of this postseason.

Four Horsemen are Rested - and Ready to Ride Again

The announcement that Notre Dame and Northwestern are renewing their football series has me feeling good today. It just might be the sign that I’ve been waiting for 10 years to see.

The end of the Lou Holtz era was creeping up, Notre Dame had 8 consecutive winning seasons and would go on to win 9 games in the 1995 campaign. But it didn’t start well, with a 17-15 loss to Northwestern – who at the time were, let’s just say … not highly regarded. Going into that game - Notre Dame and Northwestern had played 46 times – with the Irish doing the Victory March 37 times, versus only 7 losses and 2 ties.

Their fortunes would change as Gary Barnett took the Wildcats on some wild rides, including a trip to the Rose Bowl later that season - a new experience for the Cats. The NU squad was led by LB Pat Fitzgerald, currently the Head Coach in Evanston. (Ironically enough, the week after they beat the Irish, Northwestern played future Head Coach Randy Walker and his Miami of Ohio squad).

I was there – crying in my Irish Coffee – as the 28-point underdogs came into South Bend and shocked the world! Let’s just say – when I arrived at the Soldier Field Press Box the next day for the Bears season opener with the Vikings, there were more than a few NU grads happy to rub my face in it (SEE: Henry Henderson and Julie Sweica of WSCR). Even those who didn’t back either team felt fine with talking all kinds of smack – and I deserved it. To that point, my experiences with ND Football were pretty damn good.

Just one year prior, I watched as Ron Powlus made his Irish debut – throwing 4 TD’s against Northwestern in a 42-15 thrashing at Soldier Field. I was expecting much of the same in 1995. Instead, it was the beginning of the end of the Notre Dame team I grew up watching – and adoring. That seemed to be the slippery slope that Notre Dame Football is attempting to recover from – more than 10 years and 78 losses later. Perspective: Notre Dame’s football program has only 280 regular season losses in its history – spanning 123 years.

Perfect Timing

The Irish appeared ready to jump back into the National Championship picture on a yearly basis with the arrival of Ty Whillingham. Then again with Charlie Weis. Both of those were fool’s gold. But with Brian Kelly at the helm, ND closed out a season with victories – over USC and Miami even! Now comes the announcement that Northwestern is back on the schedule, which means redemption is in the air. Is this an omen for the return of the glory days in South Bend?

Derrick Rose Named MVP !!!

For awhile there, Derrick Rose was everyone's pick for Most Valuable Player. Then the media - and some players - started to shift towards LeBron James and Dwight Howard. Cases can be made for all of them, granted, but I'm not sure anyone can move Rose from the top spot.

His numbers are ridiculous. He's a great leader. He demands respect. He schools defenders regularly. His scoring and shooting have improved by leaps and bounds. And, if that weren't enough, he's led the Bulls to 60 wins - the first time that's happened post-Jordan.

ESPN.com gave out their awards today - and #1 from the Bulls is #1 in MVP voting. Do you agree? Does Rose add MVP to his Rookie of the Year? Does LBJ repeat? Or someone else?

Vote in the poll (to the left) and then comment below!

ESPN Article: http://es.pn/fijb8D

It's Like Arguing with Your Wife - You Just Can't Win

As a Notre Dame fan, you learn to live with the hypocrisy others heave upon the Football program in South Bend. Shaking your head at the "I like anyone who plays against Notre Dame" crowd is commonplace. Just as there are outlets that back the Irish with regularity, it seems as though there's been an addition lately to the crowd that convicts the Irish for every perceived slight.

Everyone who knows anything about Notre Dame Football knows that Residence Life (Res Life) has been strict in the past. They've doled out punishment to ND students and football players alike, that almost seemed Draconian. Suspending a kid (student or player) for a semester for underage drinking is akin to – is like throwing your 10-year old out of the house for saying something inappropriate. It's almost inevitable that it's going to happen, so why react in such an over-the-top manner.

WR Michael Floyd was standing in front of Res Life this week, waiting on a sentence that could have ended his Notre Dame playing career prematurely; prior to his Senior campaign. But what happened shocked most, if not all, Irish backers. Res Life handed down what amounts to "probation" under the ND penal code. Floyd will have to perform community service. That doesn't mean the hammer can't/won't fall from Head Coach Brian Kelly, who lists Floyd as "suspended."

Kelly was quoted in Brian Hamilton's piece in the Chicago Tribune (http://bit.ly/evjvi3), "I don't know if it's simply about a football relationship," Kelly said Saturday when asked what the Floyd decision said about Res Life and his program. "We're all educators here at Notre Dame. I can't look into decisions that were made in the past. I can only live in the present. And I'm pleased he's going to get a chance to finish his degree. The football stuff? If it works out, fine."

Hamilton's article – the latest in a series of Tribune pieces blasting Notre Dame – has little to no merit whatsoever. Damned if you do. Damned if you don't.

The most bothersome thing to me – and this isn't so much to do with Hamilton or the Tribune in particular – is the feeling that whatever happens in South Bend, just isn't good enough. If Notre Dame wins 8 games; they should have won 9. Floyd gets a "break" - but to hear the critics – he should have been sentenced to Death Row.

Where are the pundits when Florida players are being arrested for the umpteenth time? What about when Auburn players are being paid? Has Reggie Bush even been punished for his pay-to-play (other than having to give back his trophy)? What about Cam Newton?

And in this case, when punishment is handed down – and almost assuredly more strict than 99% of the schools in the country – it still won't be good enough for those who love to grab the headlines by bashing ND. 

I wonder, prior to the National Championship Game, if the same writers / broadcasters who regularly bash Notre Dame's handling of everything - were clamouring for the suspension of the 5 Ohio State football players who committed a slew of NCAA violations. 

I guess those of us who enjoy ND Football will have just have to ignore the "I like anyone who plays against Notre Dame" crowd one more time. And then probably again tomorrow. Oh well. I guess it goes with the territory.

Sittin on the dock of the bay ... watching #iStrategy

San Francisco - I'm sitting in a conference room at the InterContinental Hotel, enjoying the latest presentation at the iStrategy Conference http://bit.ly/h13JFo. Social Media people from Heineken, Lionsgate, Radio Shack, the LA Raiders, Century 21 and more are here to share and learn about how to utilize social media to drive engagements with customers and/or prospects.

Have you ever heard someone say, "don't mistake activity for achievement?" That's one of the primary tenents of this conference. It's all about engagement. Having 1,000 followers or 1,000 people viewing your blog every day is fantastic, but if they don't find value and either share or comment on your content - it's worth is questionable. This has me kicking myself in the arse.

I've been writing this blog for a couple of months now - the regularity of eyeballs on the site is improving, but I'm still having a tough time getting that "engagement" piece going. Many of you read the posts, some of you share the posts on Facebook - but most often any engagement happens back on Facebook. Ugh.

What am I doing wrong? Other than interesting posts - which I hope to be creating, what would you like to see from this blog that would increase your engagement?