пятница, 2 марта 2012 г.

Quick Hits

RANDOM THOUGHTS: HENDRY TRADES FUTILITY FOR SOME VERSATILITY

Random thoughts while wondering who'll be the starting centerfielders for the Cubs and White Sox next season:

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry has a head start on becomingexecutive of the year for 2008. To be able to trade outfielderJacque Jones is a considerable accomplishment. Particularly becausehe was able to pry something more than a bucket of baseballs fromthe Detroit Tigers for him. Adding versatile Omar Infante means theCubs have replaced a futility player with the utility variety.

- Before anyone becomes too elated with the Bears' performanceSunday at Oakland (admittedly the likelihood of such a sentimentshould not be that great), please remember that beating a bad teamis better than losing to one but not a guarantee that the victorsare a good team.

- The Blackhawks televising their home game Sunday against theDetroit Red Wings shouldn't be confused with the discovery ofpenicillin -- although it could be a real shot in the arm and helpcure some of the Hawks' woes.

- Given the Bulls' mind-numbing 1-5 start (and, yes, those chantsof "Kobe! Kobe!" seem to occur with not-so-surprising regularity),the question is not whether general manager John Paxson should breakup the nucleus of great expectation but whether he even could if soinclined.

BANNER DAYS: AUCTIONS LOUDER THAN WORDS

It's a banner week for banners.

The City of Chicago's "Sharing It" banner auction will beWednesday and Thursday in the east lobby of the Daley Center, 50 W.Washington St., from noon-1:30 p.m.

Among the offerings are Cubs 2007 division championship and 2006Bears banners. Also available are World Boxing, Chicago Marathon and2005 White Sox World Series banners. Two autographed Gibson guitars,one signed by Los Lonely Boys and one by the Black Crowes, are upfor bid with one available per day.

Cash, credit cards and checks with proper identification will beaccepted. Proceeds from the auction are to benefit Chicago's needy(not to be confused with greedy, which is another story for adifferent part of the paper).

More info is available at (312) 744-3315 or on the Internet atwww.cityofchicago.org/specialevents.

And despite Sunday's victory at Oakland, something says therejust might not be any 2007 Bears banners in next year's auction.

BOOK OF REVELATIONS: SAYERS REVEALS THE PAIN TRUTH

Gale Sayers, ever elusive on the football field, is prepared tohit some subjects head-on.

With help from Chicago sports columnist Fred Mitchell (what's thename of that other paper in town?), the Bears Hall of Fame runningback has written Sayers: My Life and Times. The two will sign copiesof the book Thursday at 6 p.m. at Harry Caray's, 33 W. Kinzie (andyou probably have no idea of the value of a Fred Mitchellautograph).

Promotional materials for the book proclaim: "Gale Sayers is nota fan of Devin Hester. Sayers is definitely not a fan of LanceBriggs. And the truth is that Sayers has more in common witharchrival Brett Favre than he does any of the Bears quarterbacks inthe last couple of decades because of a secret in his past that wasnever shared with the public before he revealed it in his newautobiography.

"The Hall of Fame running back reveals, among many other things,that he was so concerned with his addiction to painkillers at theend of his career that he decided to walk away from the game heexcelled at instead of becoming a full-blown addict. Seeing how theChicago Bears organization treated one of his best friends on theteam, Dick Butkus, Sayers knew that he couldn't rely on the Bears tosupport him in a medical emergency. The daily pains of being one ofthe most dazzling players in the history of the NFL led to Sayers'daily reliance on painkillers, which in turn cut short his playingcareer after 68 games."

ANSWER MAN: DITKA'S TAKE: JUST WIN, QB

Vexed about Rex?

Mike Ditka has the answer to the Bears' quarterback quandary --without providing a specific solution.

To play backup Rex Grossman, who threw a game-winning passSunday, or Brian Griese, who became the starter after Grossman'searly-season struggles but was forced out of the game by injuryagainst the Raiders?

"I think the main thing is we got to get over this 'Who shouldplay?"' the former Bears coach said Monday on one of his ESPNfootball-analyst jobs. "We got to win a football game, gang. We gotto find ways to win. We're the Chicago Bears. We played in the SuperBowl. I don't care if you put Sid Luckman in at quarterback. Win afootball game. I don't mean to say that because Sid has passed andhe was a great, great friend. Win a football game.

"What difference does it make who's playing quarterback? That'swhat I believe. Get the janitor to play and if he plays good, lethim play. What the heck."

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