The ChicagoBulls hire of Billy Donovan has a direct impact on the team and their current rebuild.
The Chicago Bulls rebuild has stalled out over the course of the past couple of seasons.
The Bulls were plagued with a front office that refused to adapt to the modern styles. On top of that, the Bulls were plagued with poor coaching whether it be from Fred Hoiberg, or most recently, Jim Boylen.
However, the Bulls rebuild seemed to be re-ignited when the decision was made this past off-season to completely overturn the front office. Out as decision-makers were John Paxson and Gar Forman and enter Arturas Karnisovas as the new executive vice president of basketball operations for the Bulls. Forman is no longer with the organization while Paxson was moved to more of an advisory role. Karnisovas is the chief decision-maker of all basketball moves for the Bulls and he has new general manager Marc Eversley by his side.
After Karnisovas and Eversley did not immediately fire Boylen as the head coach of the Bulls, criticism quickly drew that the Bulls were still going to be stalled in their rebuild. That changed when Boylen was fired on August 14, the official last day of the NBA Regular Season.
With Boylen no longer in the picture as the team’s head coach, the idea was that the Bulls were going to target a rising assistant head coach as their next head coach. Ime Udoka of the Philadelphia 76ers and Wes Unseld Jr of the Denver Nuggets were among the rising assistants that were believed to be finalists for the Bulls’ head coaching job.
Instead, the Bulls shocked the NBA world on Tuesday when they announced that they hired former Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan as their new head coach. Not only did the move confirm a new direction for the Bulls, but also confirmed that this rebuild will be handled exactly how it should be.
It goes without saying that Donovan’s hire will have a direct impact on the Bulls’ rebuild.
The first impact is that Karnisovas’ will not have spending restrictions as he oversees the Bulls’ basketball operations. Meaning, before Boylen was fired, there was speculation that Bulls’ chairman Jerry Reinsdorf may limit the financial resources that are at Karnisovas’ disposal given the current budgetary climate as a result of the pandemic.
However, with the Bulls hiring the most expensive coaching candidate on the Market in Donovan, it signals that Karnisovas will have the financial resources available to him to make any move that he sees fit. Furthermore, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic believes that the Bulls could be among the most active teams in terms of roster moves over the course of the next calendar year.
The second impact, and perhaps most important, is that Donovan’s hire restores credibility in the relationship between the Bulls’ players and their head coach. For the tortured souls that chose to watch the Bulls over the course of the past couple of seasons, it was clear that the Bulls’ roster did not respect Boylen. Look no further than star player Zach LaVine.
Whether it was rolling his eyes towards Boylen during timeouts or openly cursing out the head coach while at the free throw line, LaVine had little respect for his coach. It was clear that if Boylen was not going to be fired, then LaVine would likely be on the trade market. While LaVine may not be a bonafide superstar, it is clear that he could be the second piece in an eventual Big-3 for the Bulls. That would be why LaVine’s endorsement of the Donovan hire on Tuesday was important.
The NBA is a reputation league. It goes without saying that the Bulls’ reputation around league circles was less than desirable. Between LaVine’s frustration with Boylen and how other players across the league viewed Boylen, the Bulls were not a desirable destination for free agents and superstars. But, by landing a respectable and reputable head coach that openly wanted to come to Chicago, the Bulls reputation across the league will change.
Not only is this a new and shining moment for the Bulls’ rebuild, but it marks a new period of time for the Bulls’ organization.
The ChicagoBulls look completely different right now than it did before the pause.
Right before the NBA season came to a pause, things were very annoying from the perspective of Chicago Bulls fans. Then, COVID-19 hit the United States of American and the season came to a sudden pause. The Bulls, at a record of 22-43, ended their year with an abysmal .338 winning percentage. Not only do fans not get to watch their team anymore, but the future is bleak whenever they do return. Most of us knew that if the league came up with a return plan, the Bulls wouldn’t be invited.
Well, not long into their earlier than anticipated offseason, they hired Arturas Karnisovas to be their new executive and vice president of basketball operations. He was coming over from the Denver Nuggets, where he was a major factor in getting them to where they are today. This all came after firing long time general manager Gar Foreman and reassigning John Paxson to a new role. This team needed to change things up badly and this was the first big step.
Not long after that, we were given the treat of “The Last Dance”, a documentary that went over the Michael Jordan era of the Chicago Bulls leading up to their final season of the dynasty. It reminded the world that Chicago is a great basketball town and what the NBA could look like again if the Bulls were ever relevant to that magnitude again.
Later in May, they hired Marc Eversley to be their general manager. It would be the first time that someone other than Forman was their general manager since 2009. It was clear that things were going to be different but there was one major issue still looming over the organization. They went all summer without firing Jim Boylen and he was the only old piece still there. He didn’t do that good of a job at all so everyone wanted to know what the issue with firing him was.
On August 14th, the Bulls finally pulled the trigger and fired Boylen. It was annoying that it took so long but in hindsight, it is probably good that the new regime did their due diligence before making such a big decision. As easy of a decision as it appeared on the surface, it was one that needed to be evaluated from all angles.
After firing Boylen it was now a matter of who would replace him. Many assistants around the league were in rumors to come over to Chicago but then some major news started hitting the basketball world. They hired Billy Donovan to be their new head coach on Tuesday afternoon which was somewhat of a shock to fans across the NBA.
It was a shock because of the fact that he and the Oklahoma City Thunder just mutually parted ways in the last few weeks after being unable to reach a contract extension agreement. He could have had his pick of the litter to coach but he chose the most challenging gig of them all in Chicago. This is a guy who coached the Florida Gators to two national titles in back to back years. He also annually receives coach of the year awards, including winning it in 2020. The Bulls are a better organization for having this guy in town.
Of course, there are issues with the roster that need to be addressed. They need to figure out who is there for the long haul and who will be gone. No matter what the opinions are on that, you have to figure that they will start making moves soon enough. They have a high draft pick as well so the turnaround of the Bulls might (hopefully) be upon us. Since March, this team has put itself in a much better spot and we should all be excited about it.
In Week 3, the ChicagoBears travel to take on a desperate Atlanta Falcons team.
Over the course of the first two weeks, the Chicago Bears have been a lot of things. Some may say they’re lucky. Others say certain aspects of the team are, indeed, improved from a year ago. Then again, a few continue to say they will finish the season with a losing record just as those individuals predicted.
Whatever your opinion on the Bears may be, the fact is, they have a chance to take their record to 3-0 on Sunday when they face off against the Atlanta Falcons. Sure, there are some concerns with this team. But, wins are wins.
So far, the Falcons have been underwhelming. But, it hasn’t been for lack of scoring points. Quarterback Matt Ryan has thrown for 723 yards and six touchdowns in two games as the Falcons’ offense has gotten off to a blistering start.
The Falcons have put up a total of 64 points in their first two games. The problem has been on the defensive side of the ball, as Atlanta has lost both of their games. Week 2 saw the Falcons blow another monstrous lead (an allusion to their monumental Super Bowl collapse) as the Dallas Cowboys came back to shock Atlanta.
Calvin Ridley has stolen the show, scoring four touchdowns in two weeks and becoming Ryan’s go-to guy thus far. In Week 3 versus the Bears, it might be up to Ridley to steal the show once more. Atlanta may be without Julio Jones.
#Falcons WR Julio Jones, who aggravated a hamstring injury Sunday, did not practice today. Something to watch…
If the Chicago Bears are to go 3-0, they’ll have to take advantage with their pass rush.
Not only could the Bears get lucky in not facing Jones, but Atlanta’s starting right tackle Kaleb McGary looks like he will miss the game on Sunday due to an MCL sprain.
If that’s the case, Chicago’s pass rush could have a field day. Khalil Mack has been an absolute dominant force in terms of pressures while Akiem Hicks has two sacks in two games. Not to mention, Robert Quinn had an impressive debut against the Giants in which both turnovers happened due to his getting to the quarterback.
Without Jones, the Bears will focus in on Ridley. But, they should not overlook Russell Gage, who came in as the team’s third wide receiver yet is second to Ridley in targets (21) and receptions (15). The Falcons’ offense hasn’t missed a beat after losing Austin Hooper, as those targets have gone to both Gage and newcomer Hayden Hurst.
If Chicago’s defense gets a backup right tackle and no Jones on Sunday, they may once again hear the word “lucky.” But, in a season filled with so many headlining injuries in just two weeks, that’s going to be the name of the game.
The best teams, at the end of the season, will be the teams who can stay the healthiest and take advantage of others’ misfortunes. While it’s never a positive thing to see players injured, the Bears certainly may have a big advantage on Sunday if Jones and McGary miss.
Tootsie is a fun, sweet and lovable seven-year-old, 56-pound, tan and white female terrier-mix looking for a loving guardian.
Tootsie rolls over for belly rubs and has a delightful personality. Her tail is always happily wagging.
Tootsie knows the command “sit” and takes treats gently from your fingers.
She is currently being kenneled in Union, Illinois, where she is great with all the other dogs, but not cats!
Tootsie is also wonderful with people of all ages. She is very sweet, snugly and loving. She prefers cuddling to playing ball and doesn’t seem to have an interest in playing fetch.
Tootsie was found stray in Schaumburg, Illinois, and her teeth are all ground down. Perhaps she was chewing on a chain or rocks? So she recently had all the nubs removed so she only has a couple of teeth left.
I first photographed Tootsie in June of 2017 and she has been kenneled ever since.
She is crate-trained and appears to be housebroken. Isn’t it time she found the home of her dreams?
To meet and possibly adopt Tootsie, please contact Melia at [email protected] for an adoption application.
Her adoption fee of $200 benefits the rescued dogs of Lucky Dog Rescue. She is healthy, spayed, up-to-date on vaccines, micro-chipped and heartworm-tested negative.
Big birthday this week. Sheesh, eighty-eight. What’s it like when gravity and your butt are at war and a patch over your right eye is a pending fashion statement?
Have you ever owned an old car? Take care of it and it keeps on going, even as it gradually loses its luster and its get-up-and-go. Get lazy and forego the regular maintenance, however, and the timetable for the junk yard speeds up exponentially.
Not a particularly original analogy, but it fits.
So let’s assess. I take a lot of walks and a lot of Tylenol. I can get up from a chair without falling, climb stairs without tripping, and bend over without getting dizzy. Most of the time. For the occasional lapse when the gyroscope in my brain fails, precaution is in place with a handrail alongside the stairs and a safety bar on the tub.
Similar ‘still-can-do-but-not-like-I-used-to’ applies to catching a ball, sex, jogging, drinking Dewar’s with soda, dancing, partying in general, stowing luggage in the overhead, body surfing, pulling a wagon, riding a bike, running for the Metro train, eating spicy foods and you get the drift.
But ‘still-do-and-better-than-ever’ shares equal time! Being an elder has its own joys. All that is required is continued enthusiasm for life and engaging each and every day with gratitude: for being healthy; for a loving spouse and family; for simply being alive, conscious of the miracle!
I think of my Thursday posts as ‘dispatches from the front.’ In the battle against aging I’m a soldier on patrol, ahead of the troops, sending information to the army behind me as to what to expect as they advance against the enemy. Here are some of my communiques, reports of my combat with time as the candles on the cake became a strobe light!
Prepare for a fierce battle with recrimination about the past. It will take some discipline but when you finally leave behind the lingering feelings of shame and regret over mistakes made decades ago, you’ll feel so much lighter. You’ll come to recognize that Self-love is about accepting and forgiving, not being perfect. You’ll be free to be who you are, living life in the present moment (there is no other moment!)
The terrain ahead can be rocky without a moral compass. Integrity is an indispensable quality for creating trust and if you want love in your life, being trustworthy is elemental.
In the march against time, recognize the folly of trying to “fix” someone else’s life, even the ones you love dearly. Your life will become unmanageable if you think you have that power. You don’t, period. For your own sanity and sense of self-worth, recognize that how others behave is not a reflection on you. You’ll dance like a puppet on a string if you rely on applause from others to provide your validation.
Perhaps my most important message from navigating in advance the future you will face… learn to be less controlling and quash the ego to manageable size. Some unexpected pleasure awaits when you no longer rush to judgement about people or events. Let me add to that; believe you are worthy of being loved.
So here I am (apologizing for combining metaphors), a well-cared for 1932 Ford Sedan on the road to the unknown and the Point Man for the inevitable, first to face what awaits as we advance to frailty.
I’ll keep writing about my experiences. I won’t leave out the days when I’m fearful of change, with paranoid fantasies about danger ahead. But I’m optimistic my posts will describe how the adventures ahead enliven me, inspire me and give me the insight to model what a purposeful, meaningful elderhood can be.
In the course of a long business career I held many titles familiar to the corporate world. But as I quickly learned the lofty nameplates no longer apply when your career comes to a close and you move from the corner office to a corner of the den. The challenge was to stay vital and active rather than idling on the sidelines. I had to create a new foundation upon which to build life’s purpose and joy.
I stopped adding up my stock portfolio as a measure of my net worth and developed a healthy self esteem independent of applause from others.
I am the co-author of The In-Sourcing Handbook: Where and How to Find the Happiness You Deserve, a practical guide and instruction manual offering hands-on exercises to help guide readers to experience the transformative shift from simply tolerating life to celebrating life. I also am the author of 73, a popular collection of short stories about America’s growing senior population running the gamut of emotions as they struggle to resist becoming irrelevant in a youth-oriented society.
The Haves & The Have Notsis one of OWN’s popular nighttime soap opera created by Tyler Perry. The series follows three families and their lifestyles as they coexist in Savannah, Georgia: the rich, powerful, and locally very public Cryer and Harrington families (dubbed “The Haves”) and the poor and destitute Young family (dubbed “The Have Nots”). The Young family is headed by Hanna, a single mother who works as the Cryer family’s maid and also serves as the best friend and confidante of the lady of the house, Katheryn. Included as part of The Have Nots is another maid of the Cryer family’s, Celine Gonzales. While the Young family versus the Cryer and Harrington families lead polar opposite lifestyles in terms of social class, economics, social status, and surroundings, they are each similar in that they lead exceedingly dysfunctional lifestyles.
The show’s cast is multiracial: one of the upper-class families are Caucasian American and the other is African American; the poor family is also African American; in addition to this, there is a poor maid who is Hispanic. To that end, when Angela Robinson (the actress who plays Veronica Harrington) was interviewed about her new role on the series in late June 2013, she stated,
“This is one of the only shows on television with a diverse cast that looks like America: Black, White, Latino, straight, gay, rich, and poor.“
Although Angela has been studying acting for a while, she is a newcomer on TV screens and has instantly become a fan favorite. So for #WCW, we decided to chat with Anglea and see how she’s been holding up through quarantine and what it’s like playing Veronica Harrington on #HAHN.
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Nekia Nichelle
Nekia Nichelle is a digital and broadcast journalist covering entertainment, lifestyle, beauty and pinch of fashion.
She has interviewed celebrities such as John Legend, Halle Berry, Jenny McCarthy, Brandy, Queen Latifah, Katie Couric and more.
When she’s not blogging, she can be heard on 107.5 WGCI, V103 and WLIT 93.9FM, as well as other stations, keeping you informed on all the traffic snafus during your morning commute.
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The Old Post Office has opened the nation’s largest private rooftop deck, giving office workers in the riverfront behemoth 3.5 acres of outdoor space to spread out during the coronavirus pandemic. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
The Chicago church where Emmett Till’s badly beaten body was displayed in an open casket, helping to ignite the civil rights movement, was named Thursday to a list of the nation’s most endangered historic places.
Dateline: May 8, 1992. Anaheim, California. 9:30-10:00 am.
My wife had been in labor since midnight. She woke me around six and said it was time to head to the hospital. I got dressed, told our nanny what was happening and it was go time.
We arrived at Kaiser Permanente Hospital at 6:30. We checked in, were assigned a birthing room and had a quick check from the doctor. Nine centimeters dilated, it was going to be go time as soon as the water broke.
Hmmm…the scene was eerily similar to one almost two years earlier. In September 1990, daughter number one was born to circumstances that mirrored this one. The times of labor, departure and arrival, and dilation were exactly alike. Play that Twilight Zone music.
Daughter number one was born around seven. We were at the hospital less than half an hour before she arrived. I didn’t get much of a birthing experience. All those lamaze classes were a waste! And now it looked like this new child was going to do the same thing.
However, this child had a mind of her own! She waited…and waited…and waited. It took almost three hours for the water to break. She was born around ten am.
Okay, no big deal. It’s not like we had to be anywhere anyway. But, now it’s bonding time. For the first child, I cut the umbilical cord, held her and put my finger in her hand. She grabbed on tight! That was one of the best experiences of my life. I was ready to do this with child number two.
I cut the cord-check!
They put the baby in my arms-check!
I put my finger in her hand-BUZZ!!!!
Nothing! Nada! ZIP!!!
Oh man…this kid has a mind of her own. She wants you to earn her love and respect! Well, I guess this one won’t be as easy! Look out folks, childhood is going to be a roller coaster ride!
And with that, my youngest daughter became in charge of our household….at least in her mind. There were times I looked at her and could imagine her thinking ‘What’s wrong with you people?”…and a lot of the time she was right.
My favorite story about her childhood is when she was toilet trained. She had been intently watching her sister go through the training process and it was apparent that she was close to ready. The issue, or at least my issue, was she was only about eighteen months old. Everything I read about this said it was way too early and doing it so soon would lead to a disaster. I said let’s wait until she turns two and we’ll start then. The book says she’ll be ready then.
Pffffft…the book! What did they know?!
Her birthday comes and it’s time to use the potty.We had everything ready for her. The baby potty! The pull-ups! Let’s get started!
She needs to use the bathroom, so we walk her to the baby potty. She jumps off and sits on the normal toilet. She does her business, grabs some toilet paper and voila! Okay, this is way too easy!
We put on a pull-up and that’s it for toilet training until the next time. She then walks into her bedroom, takes off the pull-up, opens her sister’s drawer, grabs a pair of panties, puts them on and heads to the living room to join her family.
I’ve never seen or heard anything like that before or since. She should have written that damn book!
That cemented her position as the brain of the family….at least until the night she fell off a couch and broke her arm. Yeah, I know that can happen to anyone, but not usually after you’re told to get down and then you immediately climb higher, only to land on a cement floor. I guess a broken arm and a little surgery can knock you down from your throne a bit. Hey kid…five years at the top was a good run!!
About seven years ago, my youngest told me she had met a guy and it was looking serious. I had never heard anything like that from her before, so I figured it really was. I asked how long they had been seeing each other and she said two weeks. I think I had an internal laugh and I probably rolled my eyes because I do that a lot. It turned out she was right….again…because five years ago, my baby got married to that guy!
As time passes by, people get on with their lives and don’t spend as much time together as they would like. It even happens to fathers and daughters who love each other. So, the two of us made a deal where we would have lunch with each other once a month. It’s worked fairly well most of the time, but occasionally something happens and we miss a meal. The start of this year was one of those occasional times. Our schedules didn’t quite mesh and then came March….and the pandemic.
One day I get a call, which is unusual because our communication is mostly by text. When I saw her name on my phone, I figured something big was up.
“Dad, we’re expecting a baby!”
Oh my God…my baby is having a baby!!!
I don’t know why I was surprised. I knew it was going to happen eventually. Honestly, I was more surprised it hadn’t happened earlier in their marriage. But let me say this once again…
Oh my God….my baby is having a baby!!!
The months went on…April-check, May, her birthday month-check…btw, I saw her on her birthday and was shocked she didn’t look even a bit pregnant, June, July, August-check, check, check! Here comes September!!
Her due date is the seventeenth. As it got closer, I told her I was going to be bugging her more often. Nothing major just an every so often wellness check because, after all, she’s still my baby! On the thirteenth, I sent her a text asking how it was going. I assumed the response would be fine, nothing major, just another day closer. It turned out to be one of those ‘you know what happens when you assume’ moments because a few hours later I get a text from her hubby telling me she had been in labor since midnight. Hmmmm….like her mother, like daughter!
We can fast forward this to 9:30 pm. After twenty-one or so hours of labor, my baby had a baby of her own.
Oh my God….my baby had a baby!!!
After a day in the hospital, mom, dad and son are home and are adjusting. Actually, it’s mom and dad who are doing the adjusting. The baby is acting like all ten day old baby act!
So, you may be wondering, how is the new grandfather doing with all of this? Hmmm….well, he met his grandson on day four of his life and when he put his finger into his little hand-BUZZ!!
Nothing! Nada! Zip!
Oh man, it’s going to be like this again! I guess I should have expected this this. Like mother, like son!
But to my darling daughter and my new grandson, here’s some advice:
a. Take it easy with the toilet training. Don’t expect it to happen in ONE DAY!
b. Hey kid, when your mom tells you to get down from the top of the couch, don’t climb higher!!
My love to everyone. Try to get some sleep in the next few years…good luck on that!
Love, Dad!
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
