Joakim Noah tells critics to back off Chicago Bulls teammate Derrick Rose - ESPN Chicago

Or maybe Joakim Naoh should just shut-up. It's great that he comes to the defense of a teammate, but when fans are simply asking "where is the warrior mentality" from somebody who has been marketed to them as a "warrior", IMO that's not totally out of line at all.


from ESPN:
Joakim Noah tells critics to back off Chicago Bulls teammate Derrick Rose - ESPN Chicago:

Noah took a question regarding how much pride he and his team feel being able to win without Rose while so many pundits count them out, and he went off on an emotional defense of his close friend.

"Derrick's a brother," Noah said. "And to see him go through this is tough, but at the end of the day it's really funny how quick people are to judge. But people don't know what it's like to lead a team, especially after you tore your ACL.

"If you tore your ACL and you have to be the starting point guard and have the expectations that Derrick has, then maybe you can judge, but everybody who hasn't been in that situation before should really shut up because I feel like it's just so unfair to him and to this team. We're fighting, and everybody's going to just s--- on somebody who's been giving so much to this organization. It's crazy to me."

'via Blog this'


He's well over the average recovery time for his injury. And his team is travelling further in the playoffs then perhaps anyone imagined without him. That's gotta hurt.

He's perhaps getting bad advice from his agent / manager / brother and or his shoe company to think about yourself at the expense of the team, which is the antithesis of a team player and a leader. To say nothing of being the antithesis of a "warrior" (see below).

Now he's caught between a rock and a hard place after indicating he was going to shut it down and seeing the "other guys" on the team busting their ass trying to win without him. Nice that you want to circle the wagons and protect a brother, but fans have their viewpoint as well.

That's why you guys get the big bucks, you have to deal with the scrutiny in good times and bad times.

It's totally justified for people to wonder "How is he going to lead this team if they win the whole thing without him." Or is he going to all of a sudden miraculously recover in time to be a part of that? Just because you don't particularly like the message, no need to shoot the messengers.

Derrick needs to take a long hard look at who he puts his trust in. He says it's in God, but it appears more like big brother Reggie Rose and Adidas are running ahead in this area. Heck, Adidas wasn't even a Greek god of anything. And it may be time for little brother to step out from behind big brother's over-protectiveness. One wonders exactly what it is that big-brother is protecting. Because he sure isn't doing a great job of protecting his carefully sculpted image here. Which is the job of a good agent / manager.

Good Luck in the playoffs, with or without the distraction of "Is he or isn't he....?".

And instead of telling fans and commentators to shut-up maybe you should tell Derrick that one of the virtues of being a warrior is that of being selfless.

Here's some others you might want to toss into the conversation, courtesy of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Social_Cycle

Warriors, or Kshatriya in Sanskrit, have strong bodies, vigorous physical energy and a sharp intellect. Warriors tend to develop the skills that take advantage of their inherent gifts of stamina, courage and vigor. Their mentality is one that is not averse to taking physical risks. Examples of people in our society with the warrior mentality include: policemen, firemen, soldiers, professional athletes, skilled carpenters and tradesmen, etc. They all achieve success through their physical skills and a deep understanding of their profession.

  Esse quam videri - (Latin) To be, rather than to seem.  
It's better to be, rather than to seem. 

Get it? Got it? Good. 

For Want of a Big Toe - Derrick Rose lost for the season

All the subsequent injuries Derrick suffered throughout the year can be traced back to the turf toe malady, IMO.

People downplayed the injury somewhat when it occurred but all the time missed for other injuries (back, groin) related to this initial problem, is what may have cost the Bulls their championship chances this season.

Turf Toe, is it real?
http://www.cobrabrigade.com/2007/11/turf_toe_is_it_real.php

from wikipedia:
For Want of a Nail (proverb) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"For Want of a Nail" is a proverbial rhyme showing that small actions can result in large consequences.

For Want of a Nail

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

So the second guessing -- sports fans and talk radios favorite sport -- of Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau can now officially begin. This is a guy who was coach of the year last year as a rookie coach and was being put forth by some local wags as an even better candidate this year. He certainly did not get any dumber this year, but you don't drop the franchises prized crystal on the floor without repercussions.

Of course, Stripes fans (or Bill Murray fans) all know just how important a big toe can be. And in case you've forgotten, here's the classic scene.

stripes bigtoe

NBA draft 2011: Chicago Bulls get Nikola Mirotic with Rockets' 23rd pick, according to reports; draft Jimmy Butler with 30th pick - ESPN Chicago

MARQUETTE'S JIMMY BUTLER

With their stash of early picks, it seems like the Bulls took one for now, one for later. Jimmy Butler is a big, strong forward who will rebound and play defense. Fits right in with Coach Thibodeau's philosophy. The European kid will develop across the pond and come over here and contribute later, much like Amir Oshik did for the bulls this year.


NBA draft 2011: Chicago Bulls get Nikola Mirotic with Rockets' 23rd pick, according to reports; draft Jimmy Butler with 30th pick - ESPN Chicago:

Butler could join the rotation immediately, while it could be years until Mirotic suits up for Tom Thibodeau's team.

Mirotic signed an extension with Real Madrid in late April that keeps him under contract until the 2015-16 season, according to the Spanish club's website.

These words must have bee like music to the ears of Coach Thibodeau and Bulls fans.

"'They just need somebody to go out there and guard,' Butler said. 'I'm telling you I'm going to make [Dwyane Wade], [LeBron James] work for every dribble, for every shot, for every step that they take. I'm gonna try to make it my hardest on them.'

In his first season with Real Madrid's senior club, the 6-10 Mirotic averaged 8.1 points per game in 29 league games and 6.6 in 20 Euroleague contests.

ESPN's Chad Ford rated Mirotic as the fifth-best small forward in this year's draft class.

'We're excited about what we accomplished, and with Jimmy Butler who we took with the 30th pick,' Forman told 'Chicago's Gamenight.' 'We think is a guy that's a real fit for us. Is a fit on the floor with the versatility he brings defensively and some of the things he can do offensively and is a real fit with our team off the floor. The type of makeup and character he has I think he'll fit in our locker room and with the culture we're creating. '"

REAL MADRID'S NIKOLA MIROTIC

He's from Chicago and this kid is special, INDEED!!!

WOW!!! What a game!!! Something about playoff basketball....If they are all like this, we're going to be worn out by the Finals.

Psycho-T just abused and out-worked Carlos Boozer all game long.

The Pacers revealed the strategy designed to slow down Derrick and the Bulls. Hard fouls, playoff fouls bordering on head-hunting.

Good for Luol Deng to step in and defend his guy. He took a "T" and the commentators questioned the timing, but it fired up the crowd. Deng did what he had to do, the Pacers appeared to take liberties, bringing back memories of the Bad-Boys Pistons.

Is there a harder worker in the NBA than Joakim Noah? He fires up the crowd late as well. Maybe Tyler Hansbrough matches Noah in the hard work department. Both are fun to watch.

Carlos Boozer might have to figure out a way to guard this guy. Carlos is a Dukie, so he should be able to figure it out.

Hansbrough may have definitively answered anyone who ever questioned whether he would be a big-time NBA player. HE IS!!

Not sure why there was ever any question about it. Must be tied to the whole White Men Can't Jump thing.

Then again, maybe not.

Anyway, Rose leads and the other Bulls follow. He has to -- and likely will -- do better than 0-9 from three-point distance, or the Pacers will be able to contain him.

For now, all is well in Chicago.

The Bulls are back - MVP Derrick Rose and my new favorite announcer Stacey King

When the Bulls won the lottery (literally) and had the opportunity to bring the hometown boy back, there were some debates over whether or not that was such a good idea. Too many distractions playing at home, team needs an inside presence like Michael Beasley, among others.

All those debates seem rather silly now. This kid is really focused and really, really good.


Top 10 Stacey King Calls of Derrick Rose Plays




Derrick Rose Top 10 Plays of 2010

Stacey King Soundboard:

http://www.nba.com/bulls/stacey-king-soundboard.html

The Best Of Stacey King Commentary Mix - HILARIOUS! (Made by Rand3h)



The Best Of Stacey King Commentary Mix - PART II




Derrick Rose posterizes Goran Dragic! Stacey King call.



Nocioni POSTERIZES Stewie!!! (Oleksiy Pecherov)

The Stanley Cup and LeBron in Chicago?

RESPECT THE CHIEF!!

It seems as if the Blackhawks are about to put the finishing touches on a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals by taking two road wins against the suddenly listless San Jose Sharks.

Dustin Byfuglein is an absolute BEAST!!

http://espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=3070

I have not really been into hockey that much since the year the Lightning won the Stanley Cup down in Tampa. I thought it was very unfortunate that they did not get a fair chance to defend the title and further promote the sport in that area due to the lockout. This Blackhawks team reminds me of the Lightning, a lot of guys filling roles and meshing well together.

Combined with becoming the possible destination for one LeBron James, the Chicago market could become the center of the sports world for the next couple of years. Hopefully, the Chucklehead in Chief stays out of the negotiations for LeBron, given his track record bringing home the Olympics and all.

LEBRON AND DERRICK ROSE EQUALS CHAMPIONSHIP??

Now, if only the Cubs could provide some excitement on the baseball front, this city would really ROCK!! Maybe, I ask for too much.

ERIC BYRNES IS STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!

With the release by the Rays of Pat Burrell, I was reminded that "Pat the Bat" and "The Crash Test Dummy" Eric Byrnes were on my short list of free-agent signees for the Gigantes recently (after passing on Matt Holliday).

Considering that Burrell can't break the Mendoza line and Byrnes is playing beer-league softball, maybe this GM thing is harder than it looks and I owe Brian Sabean an apology?

HAHAHAHA, I must be high......I'd have to piss away a lot more payroll than that before I was in Sab's league. Approximately, the GDP of a small country.

FREE BUSTER POSEY!!!

Miscellaneous Notes: Bulls are Running in Chicago

DENG!!!!!
I think it may be time for Charles Barkley to find out who Luol Deng is. Chuck was noted for his "Who is Luol Deng?" comment around the trade deadline when the Bulls balked at trading Deng and others for Paol Gasol of Memphis. Looks like Scott Skiles and Bulls GM John Paxson knew what they had and are being rewarded for their patience. Somebody alert the Chuck wagon. I mean Deng maybe hasn't done enough to earn a spot in Barkley's "five", but apparently neither does the wheelchair-dependent Dewayne Wade. The Bulls just have no respect for their elders.
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The NFL draft is in the books, and it looks like the New England Patriots, who at one time were bragging about how they would never have a Randy Moss-type on their team now have the original, having rescued him from the Raiders and out-hustling the Packers and Brett Favre for his services. Now if the only guarantee in his contract is that he'll put out 100%, 100% of the time,they might have something. I'm still not sure why the Pats are being glorified for the move instead of hammered. It smacks of a desperation, sell your soul to the devil type move, but I guess they miss not being in the Super Bowl.
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I have to give credit where credit is due. According to the New York Post, the Reverend Al Sharpton along with rap mogul Russell Simmonms and the Hip-Hop Summit Network have called for the industry to clean up it's own act and refrain from using the words, "bitch", "ho" and the "n" word from their songs.

It's obvious nobody is buying the story of Snoop Doggy Poop that these are terms of endearment or some form of artistic expression. Sorry, Snoop or Poop or whatever your name is, you can't keep pissing in peoples faces and then try to fool them into thinking it's raining. The explanation that this is some form of desensitivity training to take the sting out of the words for African-Americans is bogus too. It's obviously not working if people are still offended by the term, so that strategy (story) doesn't work anymore.

To quote the Reverend Sharpton, "It's a victory for decency". It's a good opening shot in the battle for decency and civility, but the victory will be determined by how well the call is followed. Anyway, it's a good first step and you have to start someplace.
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It will be interesting to see what names come out from the Mets clubhouse boys/steroid distributor testimony. The fact that the names were not initially leaked tells me we may have some potential for scrubbing of some of the names, or selective release, which is not good. More of what we've been given in the past. Not good for anyone associated with the Metropolitans for any length of ime in the past 20 years or so, however. A lot of ex-Mets must be sweating out the wait.

To the Victors...

A champion's celebration Chicago style. It's great to see how much an event like this, winning a World Series or any championship for that matter, means to it's fan's and the city itself.

The euphoria is overwhelming, all the years of pent-up frustration are finally released. The White Sox adopted song, Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" conicidentally was the song I personally identified with when the NY Football Giants were slowly building towards they're Super Bowl in 1986. The classics never go out of style.

"Chicago, second city no more," said Paul Konerko, during the players introductions. Good to see Paulie is taking the time to read my blog (see a couple of posts down).

Konerko brought team owner Jerry Reinsdorf to tears when he presented him the ball he caught for the last out of the fourth game of the series to complete a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros." Getting this ball from Paul Konerko is the most emotional moment of my life," Reinsdorf told the crowd.

Reinsdorf also has gone on record locally as saying he would have given up the six Bulls championship rings for One World Series ring. Well, he's got one now, but this illustrates the enormous power baseball has once it gets in your blood.

Konerko talked about the team's lack of respect nationally throughout the year and added. Maybe we'll have to do this one more time next year." Reinsdorf should have put down the ball and pulled out a contract right then and there. Hopefully, the team will be able to defend the title with the major components in place.

Wait 'til next year has a whole new meaning for Sox fans now.