Jordan Hendry's Season Is Over

Last night Blackhawks defenseman Jordan Hendry had to be helped off the ice after suffering a leg injury, and from the look of it, you just knew he was going to be out for a while. Well, it turns out that while is going to be six months, as the Blackhawks announced Hendry has torn his left ACL.

Which means he's out for the rest of the year, and may not even be totally ready for the start of next season. So the Nick Boynton Curse continues unabated, determined to destroy all that is holy.

Blackhawks Trade For Chris Campoli

Hey, that's right, today is the trade deadline in the NHL, and with Nick Boynton being banished, and Jordan Hendry being hurt, the Hawks needed to add at least one defenseman to the roster today.

And they have. It was just announced on Monday afternoon that the Blackhawks traded for defenseman Chris Campoli of the Ottawa Senators.

Farewell, FanHouse

Four years ago this month I was just some moron with a sports blog. It was nothing more than a hobby, one I thoroughly enjoyed but never thought would amount to anything. Of course, at that time, Jamie Mottram had launched an endeavor at AOL with some blog called FanHouse. It started with the NFL and featured folks like myself blogging about sports and actually getting paid to do it.

A light bulb went off in my head. Baseball season was going to be starting, so I thought I'd send an email to Mottram asking if he was interested in having me cover the White Sox for FanHouse, as at the time with the NFL model, every team had a separate blogger.

To my surprise, Mottram wrote back expressing interest, though he did say that FanHouse would be ditching the one writer per team model for MLB, and that I could cover the AL Central.

So in February 2007 I became one of the original members of the MLB FanHouse.

Now, on the last day of February 2011, I'm one of the last members of the MLB FanHouse.

Want To Be The Wrigley Field P.A. Announcer?

Earlier I wrote about MLB's Dream Job here which seemed to me to be more of a science experiment on the human psyche than a dream job, but I'm sure there's some unsuspecting fool out there who would consider it nirvana. Still, if that fool isn't you, and you're just the kind of fool that is a Cubs fan, then there's another dream job out there for you.

And this one seems to be about 1000% better than the gig that MLB is offering.

Want to be the Cubs public address announcer at Wrigley Field? You can be, seriously. You can even apply for the gig online.

Breakfast Links 2-28-11

Happy Monday, everybody.

• The White Sox begin Cactus League play today, and here's what their lineup will look like. Ozzie has said he plans on using this lineup during the season. - CSNChicago
• Terry Francona is my newest hero. - Chicago Tribune
• Danieal Manning turned down an extension. - ESPNChicago
• Are the NHL and NBA in talks with YouTube about streaming live games? - Bloomberg
• "Why were you late?" "Mayonnaise." - Kansas City Star
• The Clippers bought out Rasual Butler's contract, and it looks like he may be coming to Chicago. - ESPNLosAngeles
• Phil Rogers goes out on a limb. - Chicago Tribune
• The NHL trade deadline is this afternoon, and Stan Bowman is "optimistic" he'll get a deal done. I hope he does too, but getting rid of Nick Boynton is basically a win by itself. - ESPNChicago

Game Recaps

• Blackhawks win their fourth in a row, knocking off Phoenix in a shootout. - NHL.com
• OMG Matt Garza sucks!! Though not as bad as Justin Berg. Jesus. - MLB.com

Brent Seabrook's Contract Extension Is Official

The word leaked out on Saturday that the Blackhawks and Brent Seabrook were close to a deal on a contract extension for the defenseman, and on Sunday afternoon that very close became done. The Blackhawks announced on Sunday that they'd agreed to a new deal.

While the release from the Blackhawks only says that it's a five-year deal, and doesn't give the amount of money, TSN's Bob McKenzie reports that the deal is worth $29 million. Which means that Seabrook will cost $5.8 million a year against the salary cap.

Mike Martz Defends Cutler, Says He'll Be 'Elite'

It's been a month since the Chicago Bears season came to an end, and everybody became an expert on body language and what an athlete can and can't do with a sprained MCL. We've also started to pay more attention to whether or not Jay Cutler can walk around with his girlfriend without being in too much pain, and whether or not that means he could have played against the Green Bay Packers.

Things stung a little more a few weeks later when the Packers went on to beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl.

Well, the questions about Cutler continue, but his offensive coordinator Mike Martz wants all of you to shut up. Martz wants you to know that he's been doing this for nearly 40 years, and Jay Cutler is going to be just fine, so leave him alone.

Breakfast Links: 2-27-11

Hey look, a link dump! Because I'm not going to blog about every damn story that pops up in this city.

• Panger created a brand new baseball stat and applied it to the White Sox. I was happy to help out and make fun of Carlos Quentin's haircut. - Throwing Like A Girl
• According to everybody, Brent Seabrook is on the verge of signing a new deal with the Blackhawks. - Chicago Sun-Times
• Maybe the reason the Bulls didn't make a trade on Thursday was because they were waiting for Rip Hamilton to be bought out. Unfortunately, Rip would rather make a lot more money and be miserable than possibly win another ring. - ESPN
• Keith Moreland gets to work replacing Ron Santo. - CSNChicago
• Charlie Weis is still rich, and I'm still self-serving. - Eye on College Football
• The funeral for Dave Duerson was held yesterday. - ESPNChicago
• And on the same day as Duerson's funeral, another former Bear died. - Chicago Tribune
• I've listened to this song roughly 200 times over the last two days. - Vulture
• Becoming mayor isn't cheap - Chicagoist

Game Recaps

• It wasn't pretty, but the Bulls beat Milwaukee 83-75. - Recap
• The Illini kept their tournament hopes alive against Iowa. - Recap

Is Juan Pierre Cross-Eyed?

Okay, so one of my favorite parts of a new baseball season is perusing all the new team photos that start rolling in on Getty Images.  Of course, then I came across the photo of Juan Pierre this season, and I became a little worried.

Is Juan Pierre cross-eyed?

Ozzie Responds To Jenks' Latest Comments

What?  You thought he'd keep quiet about the whole thing?

Bobby Jenks Was Tired Of The White Sox

I think it's safe to say that Bobby Jenks' departure from the White Sox has been less than amicable. After signing with the Boston Red Sox, Jenks publicly criticized Ozzie Guillen's managing of a bullpen. A criticism that led to Oney Guillen going on a public tirade directed at Jenks on Twitter.

Jenks did not respond to Oney's attack on him, which was probably the best way to go about things. Still, it seems he's set himself up for another attack from Oney. Jenks talked to the Tribune earlier this week about his new life in Boston, and why he didn't mind leaving Chicago too much.

Nick Boynton Is Now A Flyer

Now this is the type of news you want to start your weekend with. The Blackhawks had placed Nick Boynton on waivers this week, but even though the team had done that, somebody still had to place a claim on him to ensure that he'd never skate in a Blackhawks jersey again.

Well, I'm not a religious man, and I don't pray often. In fact, I don't pray at all.  But I got on my knees last night, put my palms together, and pointed my fingers to the imaginary guy upstairs.

"Imaginary guy upstairs," I said. "If you are real, then I think it's clear that you have messed up priorities. So, with that in mind, can you make sure somebody claims Nick Boynton? Please?"

Lovie Gets His Contract Extension, You'll Be Paying For It

Lovie Smith got his contract extension on Friday, and though the dollar amounts weren't publicized with the announcement, they're probably in line with the numbers I wrote about earlier this week. Of course, what should matter to Bears fans more than anything about this extension is not the fact that Lovie got a new deal.

Like it or hate it, we all knew it was coming. It's that it looks like fans will be paying for it, indirectly anyway.

So Last Night Was Awesome

The look on Dwyane Wade's face is priceless.

Bulls Stand Pat At Deadline

I like Omer Asik. I really do. He's a young big with talent and potential. How much potential? I'm not really sure, but I can see him becoming a valuable player for an NBA team before his career is over.

Do I see so much potential in him that I wouldn't trade him for a guy like O.J. Mayo? Nope. Apparently the Bulls do. The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and it may have been the craziest trade deadline in NBA history, with players moving all over the place.

Not with the Bulls. There will be no upgrade from Keith Bogans, Omer Asik is just too important to the Bulls.

Lovie's New Contract Is Coming

It's been a while since we talked about the Bears here, so I feel as if I should ask if anybody has seen Jay Cutler walking anywhere with Kristin Cavallari lately. Was he limping accordingly? Tell me he wasn't frolicking, because if he was frolicking...oh man.  World War III.

Seriously, I've been avoiding the Bears and the NFL lately because just about all the news you hear is depressing. There was Dave Duerson's suicide, and then there's the looming lockout in the NFL next season. Will there be football next season?  I don't know, but even if there isn't, it sounds like Lovie Smith will be not working under a new contract extension.

Bulls Trade James Johnson To Toronto

You may remember James Johnson, or you may have no clue who I'm talking about. If the latter is the case, Johnson was the Bulls first round draft choice in 2009, taken with the 16th pick. He then basically spent the last few years doing everything with the Bulls but playing in games.

He even spent some time in the D-League this season.

Well, it seems that the Bulls need some room on the bench, or under the salary cap, because they've reportedly sent James Johnson to Toronto for a second round draft pick.  Which year that pick will be in hasn't been reported yet. UPDATE: Scratch that, it turns out that the Bulls will be getting Miami's first round pick in 2011, which the Raptors own from the Chris Bosh trade. Which makes this deal a lot better.  Sure, Miami will be towards the back of the round, but a late first is better than an early second.

Dusty Baker Knows The Difference Between Dog Poo and Man Poo

Now that his first spring training has begun, new Cubs manager Mike Quade is starting to get a better idea of what a fishbowl his life will become now that he's in one of the most scrutinized positions in sports. Sure, he had a test run last fall after Lou Piniella retired, but Quade didn't know that he'd be keeping the job. So, in a sense, he was playing with house money.

Which isn't the case anymore, and when the Cubs have their first losing streak of the season, Quade is going to learn quickly how tough his new job is. All he has to do is listen to this little tale from former Cubs manager Dusty Baker, who talked with Jon Paul Morosi about the time he discerned the difference between canine excrement, and human in the Cubs dugout.

What's Da Big Deal Wit Girls?

This may have been the best thing that the Blackhawks have done all season, as Joey The Junior Reporter asks the Blackhawks what the big deal is about girls, and what makes Patrick Sharp so damn beautiful.

Watch the video and prepare to say "AWWW" after the jump.

Ryan Dempster Is Your Opening Day Starter

You know, spring training is generally the time that managers use to figure out what it is they want to do with their team during the regular season. Positions are won, spots in the rotation are figured out, and some players are sent away to spend another season toiling in the minors.

So you'd think that Mike Quade would use the month of March to figure out what his rotation would be, and who'd be taking the ball on opening day. Instead Quade said "Eff that. I don't even need to see us play a game. Give it to that goofy Canadian dude."

Shut Up, Alex Rios

It's still way too early in the year to start predicting how things are going to shake out across the baseball  landscape this season, but considering that nothing has happened yet, I suppose reporters have to ask players something. Right now beat reporters can ask players how morning calisthenics went, they can ask them how their offseason was, or they can ask them actual baseball questions.

Questions about the team, and where that player thinks the team is going to finish this season. Which is what Mark Gonzales asked Alex Rios, and Rios gave the answer that you don't really want to hear. At least, I don't.

Dave Duerson Committed Suicide

When first hours, and then a day had passed since the death of former Bears safety Dave Duerson without an explanation for his death, the rumors began to surface that Duerson had committed suicide. Given the personal problems he'd gone through in his life the last few years -- a failed business, a failed marriage -- it seemed to make sense.

Especially when you considered that as a former athlete, and at only the age of 50, Duerson seemed to be in good shape physically and health wise.

Well, the rumors have been confirmed. According to the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner, Duerson committed suicide.

MLB Wants To Kidnap You And Lock You In A Room With Pay

I was going to write about the Blackhawks loss last night, but I'm not sure what the point of it would be right now. You can only write so many "it's over" posts, so instead I'm going to write about a "dream job" that MLB is offering.

Essentially, what MLB is looking for is a blogger who will cover the entire league this season, which sounds pretty cool at first, but then you keep reading the requirements of the job, and it begins to sound like some sort of masochistic science experiment. But at least you'll be getting paid.

Patrick Kane Had The Beer Flu - UPDATE

I have to admit, when I heard that Patrick Kane was missing a couple of practices earlier this week with the flu, the thought crossed through my mind that it wasn't a flu as much as it was a hangover. Can you blame me? Given all that we've learned about Kane's social life, run-ins with cab drivers and the beers we saw him downing during the championship parade last season, it's obvious the kid likes to drink.

As someone who has called in sick to work in the past claiming he had the flu when what I really had was a hellacious hangover, I can't really be too judgmental if that was the case. And it appears that it just may have been.

Bulls Pursuing Anthony Parker

Last week the Houston Chronicle reported that the Bulls were talking with the Rockets about a possible swap of Omer Asik for Courtney Lee. The reasoning being obvious in that the Bulls would like to add a shooting guard who can score instead of Keith Bogans.

Well, Bogans has picked up his offense in the last week, but it doesn't look like that's deterred the Bulls from looking for another guard. According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Bulls along with the Celtics are talking with Cleveland about a possible Anthony Parker trade.

The Case For Derrick Rose

I sit here on Thursday night after watching another epic performance by Derrick Rose. Rose toyed with the best team in the NBA, ripping one of the best defenses in the league for 42 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds while hitting 64% of his shots.

It was a performance that caused Spurs head coach Greg Popovich to say, "That point guard ... what's his name? Wow. Just wow. That was something." Make no mistake, Pop knew his name. He heard it a number of times during the night, though I suppose he may have thought Rose's name was "MVP" considering the chants from the United Center crowd.

Blackhawks Interested In Boston's Mark Stuart

Last week Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman said that he wasn't done looking to make trades after getting Michael Frolik from the Panthers for Jack Skille. He said that he still wanted to add another defenseman to the team, particularly one that could help out on the penalty kill.

The fact that a new defenseman would also mean a lot less ice time for Nick Leddy or Nick Boynton only makes the idea even better.

Ozzie Guillen Will Kill You

White Sox pitchers and catcher report to spring training today, which makes this a fantastic day. Baseball season is almost here, which means no more snow and a lot more getting pissed off by the Minnesota Twins. Of course, it also means that there will be more drama surrounding Ozzie Guillen, and if last season was any indication, his kids.

Guess Who Got A Raise

Seriously. To occasional mediocrity!  I-L-L!

Luke Massa Moved To Wide Receiver

Notre Dame's quarterback derby is now down two horses as Nate Montana has officially transferred to Montana, and now Luke Massa has been moved to wide receiver.

I wrote about it over at CBS.

So go on over there and read about it already.

Joel Quenneville Hospitalized

Joel Quenneville will not be on the bench tonight as the Blackhawks finally return to the United Center to take on the Minnesota Wild. Instead he'll be watching the game from a hospital bed.

The Blackhawks issued a release on Wednesday morning saying that Quenneville was admitted to a hospital on Tuesday night with an "undisclosed health issue." Leave it to a hockey team to describe the illness that way, though the statement did say that the issue was not related to his heart in anyway. Which is obviously a relief.

A Conversation Amongst Old Friends

Carlos Silva Has A High Opinion Of Himself

As far as I can tell as the Cubs open spring training, there are only three locks to make the team's starting rotation. Those three are Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano and Matt Garza. Which would leave the last two spots open to Randy Wells, Braden Looper, Todd Wellemeyer, Andrew Cashner,  James Russell and Carlos Silva.

Though that's not the way Carlos Silva sees it at all. No, if you were to ask Silva what he thought about the Cubs starting rotation, he'd tell you that everyone is competing for a single spot because he's got that fourth spot on lockdown.

Derrick Rose Has Another Adidas Commercial

This one may not have Ken Jeong in it, but at least this time Derrick Rose gets to be the star of his own commercial. Sure, the ad can use more jet ski and freaky lady-pyramids, but I guess it's good enough.

After all, it features cartoon Derrick Rose and French subtitles for some reason. Learn how to play basketball in French!

Michael Jordan Is Rather Wealthy

The Bulls are taking on the Charlotte Bobcats tonight at the United Center, and that means they'll be taking on the team currently owned by Michael Jordan. Now, in order to own a NBA team, you have to have some money. Michael Jordan qualifies as somebody who has some money.

In fact, he's one of the richest African-Americans in the country according to Forbes. The magazine recently published an article entitled "The Wealthiest Black Americans" and it turns out that His Airness is in the top five. He doesn't quite have Oprah money ($2.5 billion!!), but he's doing pretty well for himself.

Patrick Sharp Is Beautiful

Not my words, though I'm comfortable enough in my own sexuality to admit that Patrick Sharp is a good-looking guy. You know, for a Canadian. Still, the folks who are calling Sharpie handsome are those at Chicago Magazine who will be coming out with their 50 Most Beautiful Chicagoans issue next week.

Not only is Sharp considered one of the 50 prettiest people in this city, but he's on the damn cover of the magazine. Well, on one of the covers of the magazine, as there will be two issues, and Jennifer Hudson occupies the other one.

Bears Deny Titans' Tice Request

Well, well, it seems that Lovie Smith and the Bears are capable of surprising us after all.

This morning I wrote about the Tennessee Titans requesting an interview with Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice for their offensive coordinator position. In that post I expressed my concerns about Tice leaving the Bears,  and hoped that the Bears wouldn't let it happen.

Well what do you know? The Bears denied Tennessee's request on Monday afternoon.

Cubs Sign Marmol To Three-Year Deal

As has been hinted at for the last few days, the Cubs and Carlos Marmol have avoided arbitration, as it's being reported that both sides have agreed to a three-year contract extension for Carlos Marmol.

The exact numbers on the deal have not been reported yet, though Gordon Wittenmeyer wrote on Sunday that the deal would likely be for around $23 million.

The Titans Want Mike Tice

The news broke yesterday that the Tennessee Titans want to interview Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice for their vacant offensive coordinator position, which could be a bit of a blow to the Bears. I know it sounds odd to say that considering how terrible the Bears offensive line was for most of the season.

Hell, even after the line's play improved in the second half of the season, it was along the lines of stopping the bleeding from a gunshot would by placing scotch tape over it.

And Now The Walk Of Shame

How I experienced last night's Blackhawks loss is pretty much a perfect example of what this never ending disappointment of a season has been. I was laying on the couch enjoying myself. The Hawks had jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, and the first line of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp were dominating a team like we hadn't seen all season.

It was great.

Then, at some point in the second period, I fell asleep. It's because of that little nap that I'm now awake at 3am writing this post. Anyway, the next thing I knew, I was awake and there were a few seconds left in overtime and the game was tied 3-3.

Blackhawks Working On Seabrook Contract

With the trade deadline looming and the Hawks struggling, there have been some rumbling of trades coming for the Blackhawks, and not just the Jack Skille trade from Wednesday. Stan Bowman said earlier today that he's looking to add another defenseman via trade, and he also did his best to squash any trade rumors that had Brent Seabrook on the block.

In fact, Bowman is not only saying that he won't trade Seabrook, but that the Blackhawks are working on signing him to a new deal.

Runaway Train: You Going To Derrick Rose's Party?

Why does Derrick look so disinterested? If I were surrounded by seven half-naked women on my party flier I would probably smile. Does Derrick harbor hurt in his heart? Where does that hurt come from?

Maybe Derrick has been scorned by half-naked women in the past, and the wound is still too fresh. But if that's the case, then why have them come to your party? Why not just invite the guys over, eat some Skittles, and play some video games?

Bulls and Rockets Talking Trade

Do you know what the worst part of watching a Bulls game is? Watching Keith Bogans start and get minutes. It happens every night, and I'm yet to figure out why. Tom Thibodeau says it's because of Bogans' defense, but to be honest, I don't see Bogans playing well enough on the defensive end to justify his 3.6 points and 1.1 assists a game. Nor does it make up for the 38% he's shooting from the field.

Keep in mind he's shooting 38% without a defender within 10 feet of him most of the time as opponents generally don't see a need in guarding him.

Now, I'm not sure that this Bulls team is capable of a championship run as currently constructed, but I do know that they'd have a better shot if Derrick Rose was allowed to share a backcourt with somebody who could score. It seems the Bulls know this too, because apparently they've been talking to the Rockets about a trade.

Blackhawks Trade Jack Skille To Florida

So the Blackhawks have made a trade today, though it wasn't that rumored Patrick Kane deal. No, it seems that before tonight's game against lowly Edmonton on Wednesday night, the Hawks pulled off a deal with the Florida Panthers.

Blackhawks Ready To Pull A Blockbuster Trade?

There's no question that if the Blackhawks are going to turn things around and salvage this season by reaching the playoffs, something is going to have to change. The problem is, what can this team actually do? The trade deadline is approaching and while it's apparent the Blackhawks need to do something, will it be enough to start racking up some wins?

Well what if they pulled off a blockbuster deal that sent one of the team's stars back to his hometown of Buffalo?

Mark Buehrle Not A Huge Fan Of Mike Vick

As has been documented here in the past, Mark Buehrle loves dogs. Not only does he own three of his own, but he'll pay to save yours as well in some cases. It's yet another thing that makes Mark Buehrle so awesome, as like Buehrle, I'm a dog lover myself.

Buehrle and his wife Jamie recently did an interview with MLB.com about their dogs and all their charitable contributions they've made for dogs with their program "Sox For Strays." It's a good interview with the both of them, but of course no interview with a professional athlete about dogs can be completed without the topic of Mike Vick coming up.

Is This The End Of Brad Maynard?

There have been a few Chicago Bears seasons in which punter Brad Maynard could have been described as the team's MVP. Whether that's a testament to how good Maynard was in those seasons, or how terrible the Bears were, I'll leave that for you to decide.

Whatever the case, for a team that has had such a strong emphasis on its special teams units over the last ten years, it's hard to deny the impact Maynard has had on this team. And it seems that his time could be coming to an end.

Nicolas Batum Says Derrick Rose Can't Play Defense

The Bulls lost their second straight game on this west coast trip last night, and not coincidentally, it was also the second consecutive game the Bulls let their opponent break the 100-point mark. Something this team hasn't done all that often this season, as they have given up an average of 92.5 points per game this season.

That's good enough for third best in the league.

Though if you were to ask Portland guard Nicolas Batum, he would tell you that the number has nothing to do with Derrick Rose, because according to Batum, Rose can't play defense.

Will The White Sox Go After Michael Young?

For years Michael Young was a very good baseball player who didn't get the credit he deserved as the Texas Rangers weren't exactly in the national spotlight before reaching the World Series last season. In 11 seasons, Young has been an All-Star six times and won a Gold Glove at shortstop in 2008.

He's also been moved around the infield quite a bit in his career, moving from short to second to accomodate Alex Rodriguez, then back to short after Rodriguez left and Ian Kinsler came along. Last season, needing to make room for Elvis Andrus at short, Young was moved to third base. He didn't really want to move, but since it was better for the team, he did it.

All along he's been a solid offensive player.

We Now Know What Cubs Game Ferris Bueller Was At

For the most part, any die hard fan of a sport is a nerd. There really isn't much difference between some guy in a science lab and another guy scouring statistics from the 1987 Detroit Tigers on Baseball Reference. Still, when you get down to it, baseball fans are probably the nerdiest of the bunch.

It makes sense because there are just so many stats involved in baseball, which means there are more numbers to crunch, and more statistics to invent. The game is like a science in that some aspects of the game are certain, and we'll never find an end to new discoveries within it.