With most sports around the world on pause, revisit iconic sports moments from the past to help fill that void.
Basketball legend Michael Jordan has a long connection with golf and the PGA TOUR. You even can catch a few players reppin’ his iconic Jumpman shoes on the course.
ChicagoBulls (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
In the first edition of our 2020 NBA Mock Draft for the Chicago Bulls, they get a bit of luck from the lottery and also steal a potential stud.
These are tough times for sports fans. It has been nearly two months since the NBA season was put on hold and, at the moment, things still seem way up in the air. While the Chicago Bulls weren’t exactly in playoff contention, I think it’s safe to say that fans would be thrilled to see their team back on the court any day now.
Although the season was put on hiatus, the Bulls have been incredibly busy. It’s almost as if their offseason has begun, in a way. Even if the season does resume at some point, the organization has clearly taken a step forward and is looking beyond this current campaign.
Hiring Arturas Karnisovas was a phenomenal decision for Chicago. Karnisovas coming to the Bulls was the first step of completely renovating the franchise. It seems like Gar Forman and John Paxson have run this team forever, while essentially running it into the ground. But, no more. It’s the dawn of a new era.
At the moment, Karnisovas is busy filling out his staff. Will Jim Boylen hang around? I doubt it. That’s the big question that still needs answering, but I think it’s safe to say that most assume Boylen is as good as gone.
What about the 2020 NBA Draft? The Lottery, along with the Combine, has been postponed. It is a sad reality, but it is indeed a reality we have to live with. However, we can still look forward in angst.
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Right now, the Bulls’ odds have them sitting at pick no. 7 — again. Yes, for the fourth straight season, they would pick number seven overall. However, in a simulation done thanks to Tankathon, we have the Bulls selecting at fifth overall in this instance.
What should the Bulls do in a ho-hum type of draft this year? Let’s take a look at our first edition of a 2020 Mock Draft for our hometown Bulls.
ChicagoBears (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears definitely could use some more help with their run game and Devonta Freeman is an option via free agency right now.
The Chicago Bears had a lot of issues in 2019 and they still managed to go 8-8. It felt like 4-12 because of the expectations that were on them going into that season but the defense carried while the offense was straight-up bad. The quarterback play was lousy which led to the offense being well below average. One key to it getting better, beyond the quarterback, is the running game.
They need the quarterback, be it Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles, to be better to help the running game. They also need the offensive line to be much improved. It is extremely important that this team improves their running game otherwise things are going to be more of the same with the offense. You can only improve so much of your passing game if your offense can’t ever become a two-way threat.
David Montgomery, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Tarik Cohen handled the rushing attack in 2019. Well, it is okay to see Montgomery there because the Bears used a third-round pick to get him. Cohen is nice for special plays and Patterson will occasionally be lined up as a back. They are in big trouble if a guy like Montgomery was injured. The jury is still out on whether or not he is the answer at the position but that doesn’t mean they don’t need him.
Of course, they can look to free agency to help with this problem. Devonta Freeman is a very good running back that is just sitting there on the free-agent list. The Atlanta Falcons aren’t bringing him back so it would be a good idea for the Chicago Bears to bring him in for these three reasons:
Mitch Trubisky, ChicagoBears (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The NFL has issued a new memo to all 32 teams regarding reopening facilities, and this is incredibly positive news for Chicago Bears quarterback Nick Foles.
Let’s get straight to the point, shall we? The best chance Mitchell Trubisky had to beat out Nick Foles in this year’s Chicago Bears quarterback competition was if the league continued its complete and total shutdown protocol.
Alright, maybe we should back up a bit to start. Wednesday night, ESPN reported that the league had sent out a memo to all 32 teams regarding a new plan to reopen team facilities. That plan will be set in place by May 15.
The initial reaction, from fans, should be pure joy and elation. This is a huge step forward towards having a football season in September. The plan that’s been laid out begins with team employees being allowed to enter facilities, and in many cases the limit is 75 total persons.
Later on, there will be players and coaches allowed back in little by little. It’s a small step, but it’s something. We can all breathe a little easier now.
The NFL has laid out a “carefully developed” set of protocols for the reopening of team facilities and has told teams to have them in place by May 15. https://t.co/Lb9v2beVb8
Back to the Bears. After the team traded for Foles, it was crystal clear their plan in mind. The contract was restructured so that Foles is guaranteed less money per year, which essentially meant he knew he had a strong shot to start.
If this is to be a true competition, then Trubisky’s best hopes are if the league continues to postpone activities. The sooner Foles gets into the building and is allowed to practice, the sooner he takes the job from Trubisky.
If there is little-to-no training camp, then Trubisky has a much better chance of retaining the starting job. It’s that simple. Foles needs a little time to get acclimated to his new teammates, coaches and develop some chemistry if he is to take over as the starting quarterback.
With a plan in place to reopen the league facilities now, there is light at the end of the tunnel for Foles. It is one step closer to the Bears totally moving on from Trubisky and Foles getting his chance to lead this franchise forward.
The next question is, though, whether or not games will be played with fans. That has yet to be determined, but we can all hold out hope for seeing our beloved Bears at Soldier Field this season. For now, we can take solace in the fact that the league has issued this memo and that teams are preparing to take a careful step towards a little normalcy one again.
With the Chicago Bears 2020 regular season schedule set to release tonight, what are five things to know?
As the Chicago Bears get ready for the 2020 NFL Regular Season schedule to be released tonight, it’s been nothing but speculation. Due to the current pandemic, the schedule is usually released a week before the NFL Draft takes place, however, this year it is being released two weeks after the NFL Draft.
There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to the Bears schedule. The Bears are set to play the AFC South and NFC South, in addition to playing the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams. Besides the annual matchups which include the NFC North divisional games, it’s clear that the Bears will have their work cut out for them in 2020.
On paper, each of the Bears opponents has improved. However, the Bears have made some of their own moves this offseason, on both sides of the ball indicating that no matter what, they feel as if they have a chance to win any game on the schedule.
At home, some notable players the Bears will face at home include: Tom Brady (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints), and Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans). On the road, some names that the Bears will go up against include Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans) and Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons). And there there’s the handful of teams that could make the playoffs in 2020 or that have made the playoffs during the 2019 season that the Bears could face.
Besides just the Bears opponents, what are five things to know about the Bears 2020 schedule ahead of the NFL releasing it’s 2020 regular season schedule for each team tonight? Let’s examine some things to know.
ChicagoBears (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The 2020 NFL Schedule is released later today, but for now, we have seen a few official leaks for the Chicago Bears.
It is yet another day in the NFL world where fans are eagerly anticipating something that matters. Recently, we all had the 2020 NFL Draft and got to enjoy that weekend, and now, us Chicago Bears fans get to find out when we see them suit up against the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, among others.
Well, before we even see the official schedule release later on, there have been some official leaks from well-respected sources in Chicago.
First and foremost, I acknowledge that there were several so-called leaks earlier in the week and they were all from sources not to be completely trusted. However, this Bears source knows his stuff.
Danny Perkins of Chicago’s 670 The Score tweeted some news on Thursday morning and, let’s just say, Bears fans should get real excited.
First and foremost, Week 1 against the Detroit Lions goes against all of the rumors saying the NFC North plays against the AFC South to begin the season. Chicago appears to be starting the season on the road with a divisional foe, and will get its first look at rookie running back D’Andre Swift.
Obviously, the next and possibly most exciting highlight of these leaks is seeing the Bucs at Soldier Field. Bears fans will see Brady in a new uniform for the first time and Chicago gets its chance to win a big game early on in the season.
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One big highlight I want to shed light on is the fact that the Bears look to have at least four prime time games. If you check in Parkins’ next tweet, he says that the Bears’ game against the Bucs will be on Thursday Night Football, thus giving them a fourth prime time game at minimum.
The other two come against the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings. Obviously, the Bears had a great, memorable prime time victory over both of those teams two years ago during their NFC North title season.
Unlike last year, the Bears do not play on Thanksgiving. However, they do get a chance to play in prime time that weekend against their most hated rival, Green Bay. What a weekend for us Bears fans. Thanksgiving is spent eating all of the food and enjoying plenty of football, and just three days later it’s game time, for real.
Should all of these leaks come to fruition, I’d say we have plenty to be excited about already. The rest of the schedule is gravy at this point, because knowing they have four games on a national stage is more than enough to be anxious for. Now, we await the rest coming later tonight.
Tony Romo is arguably the best undrafted free agent produced by an Illinois FCS program. (photo courtesy of profootballfocus.com)
Seven rounds of this year’s NFL Draft passed without James Robinson hearing his name called. Thus, the star Illinois State running back signed as an undrafted free agent with Jacksonville. Teammate Luther Kirk and Western Illinois’ LaCale London also went the free agent route.
While the trio and FCS fans may have been disappointed, they can take heart in the history of success by undrafted players who have tasted professional success.
After perusing http://pro-football-reference.comPrairie State Pigskin presents this capsule of players from the four Illinois FCS programs that have tasted the most NFL success. Each school is represented by its top performers in terms of pro games played.
Southern Illinois
Jim Hart, quarterback
(photo courtesy of Associated Press)
After setting several SIU records that stood for nearly two decades, Hart signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966. The Evanston native spent 19 years in the NFL, all but one with St. Louis. Hart played in 201 games, 180 of which he started, and threw for 34,665 yards and 209 touchdowns. He blossomed under head coach Don Coryell, appearing in four Pro Bowls and three playoff games. He is credited with 23 game-winning drives and 20 comebacks.
Bart Scott, linebacker
Given a second chance by new SIU head coach Jerry Kill after being dismissed by Jan Quarless, the Detroit native thrived in Carbondale. He eventually played 11 years in the NFL, first with the Baltimore Ravens and then with the New York Jets. Scott played in 172 games, making 118 starts. A one-time Pro Bowler, Scott recorded 747 tackles, 75 for loss. He had 25 sacks, nine fumble recoveries and four interceptions. Scott played in 11 playoff games.
Marion Rushing, linebacker
The Pickneyville native defines the term all-around athlete at SIU. Rushing, who passed away in 2013, played four sports for the Salukis from 1954 to ’57 (football, basketball, track and wrestling), earning a school-record 13 letters. After first playing with the Chicago Cardinals in 1959, Rushing had his best success when the franchise moved to St. Louis a year later. He enjoyed an eight-year NFL career; he also played for Atlanta and Houston. In all, Rushing appeared in 105 games, 63 of which were starts. He recovered nine fumbles and intercepted four passes.
Sam Silas, defensive tackle
The Homeland, Fla. native was actually drafted by the American Football League in 1963, but choose to sign with St. Louis of the NFL. He played in 100 games, mostly with the Cardinals. Silas earned Pro Bowl honors in 1965. He finished his career with the New York Giants and San Francisco. Silas made 59 NFL starts.
Western Illinois
Aaron Stecker, running back and return specialist
Aaron Stecker
Born in Green Bay, Stecker made his name playing professionally for teams in the South. Stecker played 10 seasons, appearing in 129 games with 16 starts. He played with Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Atlanta. Stecker returned one kickoff for a TD in his career. He played in six playoff games and won a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers.
Booker Edgerson, defensive back
The Baxter, Ark. native reunited with former WIU coach Lou Saban in Buffalo in 1962. Edgerson wound up playing eight years with the Bills before finishing his last season in Denver. Edgerson played in three AFL Championships, including winning back-to-back titles in 1964 and ’65. Edgerson played 106 games, starting 27 times. He recorded 23 career interceptions and returned two for touchdowns in 1968.
Rich Seubert, offensive lineman
A Rozeellville, Wisc. native, Seubert played nine seasons with the New York Giants. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder played 104 games (88 starts), mostly at left guard. Seubert appeared in eight playoff games and won a Super Bowl when his Giants ruined New England’s bid for a perfect season in 2008.
Larry Garron, running back
Like Edgerson, Garron starred in the AFL. The Marks, Miss. native appeared in 99 games for the Boston Patriots. A three-time Pro Bowler, Garron averaged 3.9 yard per carry and 13.5 yards per reception in his career. Garron scored 40 touchdowns, 26 of which came on catches. He averaged 25.8 yards on kickoffs and returned two for touchdowns.
Eastern Illinois
Jeff Gossett, punter
Jeff Gossett
Gossett grew up in Charleston where his parents both worked at EIU. After giving up on a minor league baseball career, Gossett spent his first two NFL seasons in Kansas City. He spent three of the next four years with the Cleveland Browns (interrupted by a 1984 stint with the Chicago Blitz of the USFL). He split time in 1987 between Cleveland and Houston before making a permanent home with the Raiders from 1988-96. Gossett punted in 212 games and saw action in 10 playoff contests. A one-time Pro Bowler, Gossett posted a 41.3 yard average for his career.
Tony Romo, quarterback
Most likely the most well-known of the Illinois FCS undrafted free agents, Romo waited three seasons before becoming the starting QB in Dallas. The winner of the 2002 Walter Payton Award as the top I-AA player played in 156 NFL games (127 starts). Romo appeared in six playoff games and four Pro Bowls. His 34,183 passing yards places him 32nd on the NFL leader board, four slots behind Hart. Romo’s 248 TD passes puts him at No. 23 on the career list; Hart is 39th. Romo is credited with 24 comebacks and 29 game-winning drives.
John Jurkovic, defensive lineman
Born in Germany, Jurkovic prepped at Thornton Fractional High School prior to coming to Eastern. After spending time on the Miami practice squad, Jurkovic played five seasons in Green Bay. He followed that with three seasons in Jacksonville before finishing his career in Cleveland. Playing both nose tackle and defensive tackle, Jurkovic appeared in 114 NFL games. He started 95 times. Jurkovic recorded 245 tackles, nine sacks, three tackles-for-loss, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
Illinois State
Mark Rodenhauser, center
(Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
The Elmhurst native played 168 games in the NFL for seven teams. His three pro starts came with Chicago Bears in the strike season of 1987. Rodenhauser proved to be remarkably durable, appearing in all 16 games eight times. He ended his career with Seattle in 1999 never having made the playoffs.
Aveion Cason, running back and kick returner
Born in St. Petersburg, Fla., Cason saw action in 56 NFL games. His nine-year career was mostly divided between Detroit and St. Louis. Cason started five games; he saw playing time mainly as a specialty running back and kick returner. Cason averaged 4.5 yards per carry and 10.2 per catch. He returned both kickoffs (23.4) and punts (9.0). Cason appeared in two playoff games.
Cameron Meredith, wide receiver
The former St. Joseph (Westchester) High School quarterback developed into a productive receiver at ISU before signing with his hometown Chicago Bears. Meredith caught 66 passes for 888 yards and four touchdowns in 2016. He also threw a touchdown pass for Chicago. After signing a two-year contract with New Orleans, Meredith’s 2017 season ended with an injury six games into the schedule. His three-year career stats show 86 receptions for 1,122 yards and five touchdowns.
Blog co-authors Barry Bottino and Dan Verdun bring years of experience covering collegiate athletics. Barry has covered college athletes for more than two decades in his “On Campus” column, which is published weekly by Shaw Media. Dan has written four books about the state’s football programs–“NIU Huskies Football” (released in 2013), “EIU Panthers Football (2014), “ISU Redbirds” (2016) and “SIU Salukis Football” (2017).
Tech B2B marketplace G2 is launching a product to help finance and operations leaders navigate the new complexities of the coronavirus pandemic business landscape.
The product — G2 Track — is free for 90 days, and is aimed at eliminating a budget-squeezed company’s unused or underused software while integrating software best suited to compete in today’s remote workforce reality and its sprawling SaaS environment.
G2Track syncs with accounting and financial systems to show all software applications in use. It analyzes SaaS products, licenses and provisions. G2 Track then pinpoints opportunities to save money on unused software and to optimize an organization’s software stack.
“These are unprecedented times for all organizations – shifting priorities, remote workforces, and shrinking budgets are pushing businesses to analyze what software tools they’ll need the most to stay competitive,” said Tim Handorf, G2’s co-founder and president. “Due to the complexity of enterprise software, businesses historically make poor software purchasing decisions, have unused licenses, and duplicate software across different teams – with no easy way to manage and optimize their spend.
G2’s data, collected from more than 1,000 organizations, pinpointed these software-stack issues:
• 30 percent of software tools are idle or underused – productivity and time management software lead the pack.
• 10 to 15 percent of a company’s software stack has no clear owner, contract or approval (Shadow IT).
• 25 percent of software spend is on products with similar or overlapping functionality.
• 18 percent of products that a company uses have a user satisfaction rating lower than 4.
• The majority of software contracts (69 percent) have an auto-renew clause and a notice period for cancellation (between 30 and 90 days).
• Fewer than 10 percent of SaaS contracts are under a money-saving, multi-year contract.
Asher Keddie of ‘Offspring’ faces off against Laura Linney and Jason Bateman of ‘Ozark’.
Like most of you, our Netflix account has been getting a workout. After our home-cooked dinner is enjoyed, after our dishes are put away and the kitchen is gleaming, and after our Sudoku-Crossword hour has come and gone, it is binge time. Our usual pattern is to watch a pair of shows, something dramatic followed by something a little lighter to get us relaxed for bed. And lately, both of our shows have been sagas about families on the edge–but oh how different those families are!
Lots of you watch ‘Ozark’. The Byrde family starts out innocent, or at least innocent enough. Marty is a Chicago financial manager, a real numbers whiz. Wendy uses her public relations skills for various politicians. But through the passage of 3 seasons, Marty and Wendy descend into the pit of Middle America hell, dragging daughter Charlotte and son Jonah down with them. Money laundering? Got it. Drug cartels and murders-for-hire? Lots of those. FBI agents with secrets of their own? Of course.
And if you think being someone’s husband or someone’s brother is enough to save you down in the Ozarks, as Tony Soprano once said, “Fuggedaboutit.” Jersey mobsters have nothing on this batch of criminal masterminds and family f*ck-ups. And just for the fun of it the cinematography, especially on Season 2, is so dark that half of the time you can’t tell what is going–you just have to guess that it is something nasty.
In contrast, I bet none of you watch ‘Offspring.” You probably have never heard of it…I’m not even sure how we discovered it, but we are in the middle of season 2. It’s an Australian dramedy, also streaming on Netflix. Once again we meet a family, the Proudmans, a family with issues. Our protagonist is Nina a perky, thirty-something obstetrician who is as romantically incompetent as she is professionally efficient. Recently out of a literally explosive marriage she struggles with casual sex, love-hate relationships, and off-the-wall fantasies. And about her family…
Mom Geraldine and Dad Darcy have been on the verge of divorce for ages. They care deeply for each other but can’t survive together. Sister Billie has a dark past, but we love her so much we want to see her have a brighter future with partner Mick. Younger brother Jimmy falls for every flaky girl he meets, pedaling through the Melbourne streets as the Proudman’s gofer. Assorted hangers-on and baby mamas fill out the episodes. It gets so laughingly traumatic that our dear Nina flees from Melbourne to Baltimore for a few months. You really have to want to get away from it all to do that!
No one gets shot, no one gets poisoned, and the bombs explode harmlessly while paths get tangled and hearts get broken. And through it all, I know I would feel safer with the wacky Melburinians than the wicked Missourians. Nina, you can always bring your hips to me.
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Hi! I am Les, a practicing pathologist living in the North Suburbs and commuting every day to the Western ones. I have lived my entire life in the Chicago area, and have a pretty good feel for the place, its attractions, culture, restaurants and teams. My wife and I are empty-nesters with two adult children and a grandchild. We recently decided to downsize, but just a bit! I will be telling the story of the construction of our new home, but also writing about whatever gets me going on a particular day. Be sure to check out the “About” page to learn more about where we plan to go with this blog!
The big challenge for me as the weeks of sheltering in place pile up, is to see the idle time as an opportunity to try new things, to stay busy and engaged rather than submit to the lure of the couch and skipped shower and growing a mustache as my ‘big project’ for the shut-in.
I have the propensity to picture time as an hourglass in the hands of the Grim Reaper. It is a frightening image; my life slowly siphoned dry, only so many years, months and hours remaining before I die. Conversely, when I work through the negativity and accept time as inescapable – and life as finite – the amount of sand that flows top to bottom does not change, but I’m exhorted not to waste it. I regard the hours remaining as time left to live.
That is the theme, even as I whistle in the dark to keep up my courage: I am helpless to stop time; all I can do is make the most of it.
Be assured, holier than thou is not the theme of the tale. We make our own choices about how to face the future. But for me it’s clear, how we look at time makes an enormous difference in how we age.
I may have written a version of these bromides in previous posts, but I think they are worth repeating.
The single most important lesson I have learned in the course of my journey is that the past is conclusive, and the future is conjecture. Only the present is ours to create, and the moment is fleeting. It behooves us to take advantage of each moment.
When I have difficulty answering the existential question, “Why am I here?” it’s because I’m not. I am stuck in the past or imagining the future.
Feeling young at heart is a state of mind, regardless of the stent. I still have ambition; I still have desire; I still have dreams. The knack is to be in rhythm with our age, recognizing and accepting the tempo appropriate to the stage of our life.
I have closed the “What if…” file. I am content with the “This is it” file. The focus is not on the man I used to be, but the man I am. The failures of the past are transformed into a reservoir of invaluable experience. I forgive myself for the blunders of the past that hurt others, and myself. For the remaining impasses that cannot be resolved I turn to the Reinhold Niebuhr serenity prayer.
I am a better listener. At the same time, I am better at trusting my own opinions and instincts.
I have come to the conclusion, even when the wound is deep, too long as a spectator watching the world go by is missing the fun. Even grief has a time frame.
Closing words about time. Perhaps sheltering in place is a gift. Let us make the most of the time.
Time flies like an arrow.
Fruit flies like a banana.
Groucho Marx
Each morning we are born again.
What we do today is what matters most.
Buddha
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.
lesraff
January 17, 2020 at 12:00 am