B List: Favorite White Sox players (List 1)

I figured I should hit the refresh button and come up with a new theme in the blogs. The dating blogs seemed to be the last theme-based writings I did, and I'm glad I didn't have to write them for very long on account of meeting a wonderful girl in the first month of doing it.

Every Friday (give or take 7 days), I'll aim to come up with a unique list, covering random crap (but for your sake, hopefully not literally random craps). I'll try keeping them relevant to something current going on, although with the tangents I go on, I could connect my baseball hat collection to the fall of the Roman Empire in about 3-4 steps.

Without further ado, here's the inaugural list: Favorite White Sox players of my lifetime. The White Sox/Cubs series kicks off (for many) the official start of baseball season, and with many Cubs fans favorite pitcher Kerry Wood having just pitched his last game with the team, I figured - hey, a great topic.

I'll be making my Lists in 7s, mainly to be different, and 7 because of its Vegas tie-in.

Feel free to offer your own favorite Sox or own list ideas.

Missed the Cut (in no particular order): Lyle Mouton (based on name only), Bo Jackson (wasn't with team long enough), Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome (same reason as Bo, although at least he was with the Sox for a few years), Melido Perez, Ray Durham, Carlos Lee

One of two pictures showing White Sox players being punched

7. Robin Ventura - Ventura was a staple of the middle part of the White Sox lineup in the 90s, amassing 171 of his 294 career home runs with the South Siders. His 10-year career with the Sox also included 741 RBIs & a .274 average. For some reason, his average season (17 HRs, 74 RBI, .274 average seems rather meh, but missed time in 1994 (player's strike) & 1997 (54 games played) skews the averages. According to baseball-reference, he also had 4 seasons with the White Sox where he finished in the top 5 of fielding percentage for AL 3rd basemen. I enjoyed watching him as a kid—you knew what you were going to get with him, year in and year out. However, he can’t be any higher than 7 for the simple reason that he picked a fight with a grandpa on a baseball field and got his ass kicked. I never said this was going to be a logical list.

Black Jack - As good of a 3-year run as Sox fans seen from a starter

6. Jack McDowell - BlackJack McDowell was the first great ace that I was able to enjoy as a kid. His three year stretch from 1991-1993 (averaged 257 IPs, ERA in the 3.30 range, combined record of 59-30) is as good of a run as we’ve seen for a South Side pitcher, culminating in a Cy Young in 1993. As a kid though, it was great to have a guy who brought a presence to the mound, where you and I and everyone else knew he was the ace just by the look of him. His trademark thinly styled sideburns with goatee was classic Black Jack. He was only with the White Sox for 7 years and never really sniffed his early career success at his other stops. His run in Chicago was memorable enough for me to crack the Top 6.

What many people wish they could do to AJ

5. AJ Pierzynski -  AJ is the poster boy for polarizing athletes. I don’t have poll results in front of me, but I’d venture a guess and say that about 90-95% outside of the White Sox fan base would not mind if Pierzynski was pushed out of a moving vehicle in the direction of Lake Michigan, where some of those Asian Trout can feast upon him. You get the idea. When he was with the Twins, AJ endeared himself to absolutely no one in Chicago. He was the face of our hatred for the Twins. Now, I bet you would find that most White Sox fans (myself included) appreciate his grit and win-at-all-cost attitude, usually at the expense of irritating his opponent.

 Since his arrival to the White Sox in 2005, AJ has had a hand (sometimes literally) in many memorable moments (for good and bad). Take your pick: getting punched by Michael Barrett after Barrett didn’t take kindly to AJ’s method of slapping the plate (followed up by some colorful language I presume); The Drop Third Strike in the 9th inning of game 2 of the ALCS (only AJ could be involved with a controversial play of this magnitude); catching two no-hitters (including Philip Humber’s perfect game this year). While the mere mention of him annoys many non-Sox fans, one thing he has to be given credit for is his great work ethic. Dude always brings it when he’s on the field. In his 8 year career with the Sox, he has never appeared in less than 128 games (outstanding stretch of health for a catcher), netting average seasons of .280 average, 12 HR, 50 RBI. More importantly though, he’s always seemed to have a good handle on the pitching staff.

Giving hope to many ugly people who want to get laid

4. Ron Karkovice - Ron Karkovice’s pock face reminds many of what Neil Armstrong probably saw when he landed on the moon almost 50 years ago. I don’t have a great reason for including him this high in my favorite Sox of my lifetime outside of his paper bag-inspired face. He batted .221 for his 12-year career (all with the White Sox). He had a 5-season run in the mid 90s where he got double digit home runs every year—but then again, what player in that era DIDN’T have a run like that? He did have a great nickname (The Officer), and I remember him being serviceable enough of a catcher. Actually, I’m pretty sure he’s higher than he should be on this list solely due to his crater look.

 3. Paul Konerko -  If some people want to put him higher on the list, I couldn’t blame them. Like AJ, Konerko will always have his own page in White Sox history, especially with his grand slam in Game 2 of the 2005 Series. He continues to put up great numbers despite advanced age. He reached the 400 HR plateau this season for his career, 3 away from 400 in his White Sox career (would be second to hit 400 as a White Sox player – Frank Thomas). Outside of one bad year in 2003, Konerko has been a guy to count on for the better part of the past 13 years, averaging over 30 HRs/90 RBIs w/ a respectable .285 batting average (.507 career slugging percentage). The memories that don’t show up in box scores (ok, one does) that I remember are (1) his brief stint as one of Chicago’s 50 most-eligible bachelors, during which Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin’” would blast through the stadium speakers as he slowly approached the plate and (2) attending a game during his crappy 2003 season where he came up to pinch-hit in extra innings down by a run, and a near-by “fan” just stormed away in disgust, figuring the game was over, as PK was well below .200 hitting at that point in the year (3 HRs in 69 games played through that point in July). Paulie connects on a dinger that extends the game another inning, with Frank Thomas ending the game on a 2-run walk off. If you want to put him 1 or 2, I don’t blame you. I put him at 3.

Big Pimpin'



Mr. Perfect

2.Mark Buehrle - Buehrle wasn’t just a model of consistency—he was a goddamn supermodel of consistency. His 12 year with the Sox ended when he signed with the Miami Marlins and reconnecting with Ozzie Guillen, but his decision has no bearing on where he ranks in my favorite White Sox players. From his first full season (2001) thru 2011 (11 total seasons), he reached 13 or more wins in all but 2 seasons, never straying far from an ERA in the 3.80 range with the exception of one year. He was as healthy as they came too, pitching 200+ innings in that 11 year span, never starting less than 31 games in a season. His resume is as decorated as any in White Sox lore: 2 no-hitters (including a perfect game), 3 Gold Gloves, 4 All-Star appearances. He even notched a save in the World Series. His personality always came through when he played. I remember him doing the slip-and-slide on the tarp during rain delays, before Sox management put the axe on that. There really isn’t one thing that I can complain about when it comes to him. The only group of people that could reasonably complain about him were beer vendors, who many times had less than their standard 2 hours of getting the crowd hammered thanks to Buehrle's quick efficiency on the mound. Great player, great guy. We definitely miss him on the South Side, but can’t say I blame him for taking a better deal with the Marlins. While I don’t mind that we didn’t give him a longer/more expensive deal than Miami, simply because pitchers at his age are usually not worth the time and expense, you could argue that his consistency mentioned above deserved at least a matching offer. I’ll continue to root for him until he retires.

If there was one White Sox player larger than life, it was Thomas

1. Frank Thomas - Before he became famous for making his own beer*, Frank Thomas was famous for hitting baseballs often and hitting them far. He has pretty much every significant power hitting record in White Sox history while maintaining a .307 career average with the team. From 1991-1997, he batted over .300 w/ 20+ HR & 100 RBI EVERY SINGLE YEAR in that span. Consider by many a power hitter, he never led the league in home runs but does have a batting title on his resume. He had a great eye for the ball, walking over 100 times 10 times in his White Sox career. He was one of the best hitters in MLB history and definitely one of the most feared in our generation. There's times where I think we didn't appreciate what Thomas did as a player because so many people were turned off by his personality. When I judge my favorite players, I don't hold his uneasy relationship with the media against him. Rather, I remember him for what his bronze statue on the left field concourse shows - a big linebacker of a baseball player with one of the best swings we'll ever see. I don't see another like him coming around anytime soon. I really wish he could have played in the 2005 run to the title, but I am really glad he got a ring one way or another. There's no one who did more as a White Sox player as Frank Thomas did in his time with the White Sox. To the Big Hurt, this one spot is for you. Thanks for being such a dominant hitter and giving White Sox fans thrills for over 15 years.


*I'm assuming (wrongly) that someone will read this blog in 20 years after his Big Hurt Brew has entered its sixth year as the top selling beer in the world.

Packing Away the Memories (And Ready to Make New Ones)

I just packed my first box to move out.

I know that doesn't sound like much, but it's the first step of moving my belongings from the basement that I've called my own for the past 17 years and a home I've stunk up for the past quarter century.

I remember my first nights down here, wondering what the hell the sounds were coming from the laundry room. Not sure if they were imagined or real to this day.

As I grew older, I remember having my first beer down here, a can of Miller Lite that looked to be many many years old (it didn't taste that bad, given it was many many years old and that it was Miller Lite). I remember all of the Monday Night Raws I would host with friends coming over to watch the teenage male soap opera before it went all PG and started to suck.

And who amongst my friends of 10+ years doesn't love remembering the days of Toilet Toss, which required a person to throw a tennis ball from the couch aligned with the bathroom into the toilet. Surprisingly (or maybe not), the shooting percentages of me and the friends were not very high. But it wasn't so much making it in the toilet that made us enjoy the game, but rather my dad getting pissed off at the sound of a ball hitting off the bathroom wall. At least we didn't paint a backboard on the wall (think positive, Dad).

I don't remember where I heard this one, but sometime during my college run from 2001-2005, I believe my brother was supposed to move down here to end my reign as King of the Basement (no, unfortunately, I don't have a crown for this). However, my folks were hesitant to let him have a room/area to himself that would be hard to supervise him and his g/f. They didn't have much faith in my ability to get a girlfriend at the time (can't say I blame them - I'm far removed from my days as a nerd that was uncomfortable talking to girls).

The last of rituals that was established downstairs were the poker games, usually on Wednesdays, that would last until 1 or 2am. The side tables would create the most fun though, with random card games being played for four or five times more than the hold'em tourney about to finish off. All the while, some beers were consumed, even by Buddy, who would often be jonesing for a beer whenever a game was going on

I think it's fitting to tell these stories as it represents the immature side of my life. That may never change though. However, taking the next step, moving into a place with Jen and being responsible for a lot more now, it makes me reflect on all the times spent in the basement/garage over the years and realize how much I've grown.

While I have many more boxes to pack before moving out in three weeks, I figured I'd reminisce a little about all the good memories I've had in the basement down here. I haven't given much thought to what I'm leaving behind until now. I must say, I'll miss some aspects of this place.

But it's time to move on, become a responsible adult, and start the next chapter of my life with my great girlfriend. Time to become a Chicagoan, soaking in the sights and sounds that the city has to offer - including a great view of Lake Michigan from our complex's rooftop.

In the meantime...to my friends of yesteryear, anyone up for a game of Toilet Toss before I leave the suburbs?

Kobe vs. MJ - The Retirement of the Comparison

In his own air

Kobe Bryant has a stomach ailment that may cause him to miss the Lakers Game 6 versus the Nuggets. Naturally, this leads many people to pull out the MJ card.

What is the MJ card you may ask? It's the card used by media and fans alike to constantly and incessantly compare basketball players to Michael Jordan, the best player of our generation, and arguably, the best player to ever play the game.

As many people remember, Jordan battled the stomach flu in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Jazz, leading the Bulls to a 90-88 victory by pouring in 38 points despite the ailments. You won't hear many arguments from me if you want to call that Jordan's best game given the circumstances.

I don't know the degree of stomach ailment that Bryant has, but it's bad enough where his status is in doubt for the game. I do know that while Kobe Bryant does have the same drive to win as MJ does, he is not Jordan.

Kobe (and his game) may be sick, but he is no MJ

Nobody is, so please, everyone - stop comparing people to Jordan. Something about sports (or perhaps just human nature) lends itself to the "need to compare". I don't mind comparisons, but the ones to MJ are over-done.

Anyone remember the name Harold Miner from the Miami Heat? He was dubbed "Baby Jordan" in the early '90s.

Over the years, the names of people dubbed "The Next Jordan" would turn onto the basketball highway only to veer off the road before the first exit. And it's not that these players (another one that comes to mind is Vince Carter) actually sucked. It's just that these players had no chance at all of ever living up to that title.

(And please, please, please don't compare Lebron to MJ. It's not even the lack of rings argument that bothers me with that, although keep in mind that MJ didn't win his first title until he was 28 and Lebron is only 27 at the moment. Lebron is more like Magic Johnson in his game play than he is to Michael Jordan)

The closest anyone in this generation has come to His Airness is Kobe Bryant. There's plenty to compare between the two:

- Championship rings: MJ 6; Kobe 5
- Finals MVPs: MJ 6; Kobe 2
- Scoring List rank: MJ 3rd; Kobe 5th (just over three thousand behind - about 1.5 seasons away from passing him).
- Common Coach in their primes: Phil Jackson
- # of HOF teammates that each won 2+ championship with: MJ - 2 (Pippen & Rodman); Kobe - 2 (Shaq & Gasol)

While there may be many things to compare between the two, the comparisons of who is a better player should just be left on the shelf. I know we want to do it with players all the time, but let's retire the Jordan comparisons, please?

And let's not Favre this retirement by contemplating it and then eventually coming back to it. And no, I don't mean a Michael Jordan retirement either. To make it official, let's throw this comparison a retirement party and buy it some retirement gifts.

Ok, you get the point. Let's never compare anyone to Jordan ever again. There will never be another one. In about 10-15 years, people will still be doing it, so then maybe my 40-year-old self will have to re-post this to remind people to stop it.

Suicide - Never the Answer

Suicide should never be an option. Unfortunately, for Junior Seau and many other people who find themselves too depressed to carry on in life, it becomes their only option.

The reason Seau took his life isn't quite clear yet, but many suspect he may have suffered from CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a disease that results in the brain degenerating. This causes depression, dementia, headaches, tremors, and aggression, among other symptoms. It was found to be the cause of former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson, who like Seau, shot himself in the chest.

Duerson left a note behind that said he wanted his brain studied for damage,  hence the gun blast to the chest. He was smart enough to know what he was going through, but the issues he was dealing with were just too much. Like Seau, Duerson left behind children, who are left to wonder why Daddy killed himself.

There's a lot that the medical world is figuring out about the disease now. It is shown that repeated concussions (a product of playing physical sports such as football and boxing) plays a prime role in the formation of CTE. Any player who has been in the trenches and suffered concussions can eventually get CTE and go through everything that Duerson and others have gone through.

The Downfall of NFL

If you knew your life would be shortened by 20-25 years but you could be an elite football player with fortune and fame, would you do it?

It would seem like an easy choice for a rational thinker to say they'd rather live till they are in their 80s-90s, but that's not the case with many who choose to pursue a career in the NFL. According to a Tampa Bay Times article from 2006, the average life expectancy for an NFL player is 55 years, considerably younger than the average age of Joe & Jane American (77 years). Many factors play a role in this - severe obesity and concusssions/mental disease being two of them.

If you had the skills that Seau and others possess on a football field, would you risk the chance at a long life for the glory that comes with the riches of the NFL? Better yet, as a parent, would you encourage your son to play organized football at the junior high or high school level?

As much as I love watching football, I have never had the desire to play it. Briefly before sophomore year, I considered trying out for the high school team, but never brought myself to signing up. It had nothing to do with being worried about getting hurt, but more to do with it likely being a waste of time that would be better spent doing nothing instead of sitting on a bench in 40 degree November nights.

My high school "prime" has passed me by - sad to say. Being closer to the other side of life now (down the road as a potential father to a son who may be interested in playing football) gives me a different perspective on the game. I can tell you adamently that I have no desire to encourage this future son (if I ever have one) to play the game.

While I don't expect all future parents to have this same line of thinking, I wouldn't be surprised if more parents will have these worries than parents did in the past. These studies of brain diseases should scare the crap out of everyone, especially those who pursue a career in the NFL.

I've heard people say before that NFL could go the way of boxing -> from America's most popular sport to one that fades into oblivion. The more of these cases that come from the NFL, the more I have to agree with these skeptics of America's current favorite pastime's staying power. The more future parents (such as myself) who discourage their sons from playing, the more obscure football will become.

By no means do I think it will disappear. Boxing never disappeared, but its peak in American culture has long since passed. I think the NFL is nearing its peak as Top Dog of U.S. sports.

It will get better...

When it comes to the topic of suicide, the narrative of what you should say as a friend or family member who suspects someone of being depressed is simple, yet complicated. While I'm not a psychologist, I believe that the points of hope (that things aren't as bad as they seem and that you have a lot to live for) should be stressed. It may be more difficult to get through to some individuals, but you have to make attempts to get through to people

And no, I wouldn't say things to people just to prevent someone from killing themselves - I actually believe it. We all have moments in our lives that can leave us a little down. This can range from things we may deal with on a daily basis (the stresses of work) or a sudden life-altering event, like the passing of someone close to you.

What we need to remind those who are depressed around us is of the great things that life brings us - the bonds of family and friends, enjoying our hobbies as we grow old and give birth to lifeforms of our own.

If you're a friend or family member of mine reading this and you need someone to talk to about anything, whatever it may be, I'm a 7 or 10 digit dial away. No one should ever feel alone in this world to the point where suicide becomes an option. I love you guys and gals - way too much to see any of you depressed or down, and way way way too much for you to ever consider suicide.

When I heard about Junior Seau's death and googled his name to see developments on the story, I came across his charity online, one that helps youth. Here's the logo and message of the charity which dons the top of the website, www.juniorseau.org:

To educate and empower young people through the support of child abuse prevention, drug and alcohol awareness, recreational opportunities, anti-juvenile delinquency efforts and complimentary educational programs.

It makes me legitimately sad that an individual such as Seau who wanted to provide hope to younger generations could not battle his own demons to continue his mission above. Again, I have no idea what he is going through (assuming he had CTE) - much of what comes from that sounds completely horrifying to live through.

I just wish his cognitive abilities, as impaired as they may have been, would have allowed him to choose another path.

Good News for People Who Love Bad News - Sports Edition

Maybe it just seems like a lot because of the news cycle being cable news'd and Twitter'd, but it sure seems like there's been a lot of bad news coming from the sporting arena in the past week.

Rose's Thorn

Saturday saw the end of the Bulls' season with the injury to Derrick Rose. I didn't have them winning the East even if he was healthy, but it seems like everyone (experts, media and public) believes that the Bulls needed a healthy Rose to have a chance to compete for the title. The Bulls looked hot out of the gate in Game 2 by taking a 9 point lead into the second half, perhaps playing off of the emotion of trying to prove themselves absent their point guard. However, Philly charged back quickly and beat the Bulls handily in the second half while evening the series. I still think the Bulls will win the series, but the next series against Boston or Atlanta may prove to be too much w/o their leader.

In case you were curious, the fire extinguisher glass won--again.

On Monday, Amare Stoudemire put a new meaning to attacking the glass. Unfortunately, this attack away from the basketball court. Fortunately, it involved him only using one hand instead of two. In frustration, Stoudemire punched a glass with his left hand after the Knicks' 10 point loss in Miami which put New York down 2-0 in the best of 7 series. He will miss Game 3 and is expected to miss the rest of the series. Which means he'll miss Games 3 & 4. Luckily this wasn't the Eastern Conference Finals or NBA Finals, or else we'd be hearing a lot more about this.






Tuesday had a faux pas of a different kind. If you use Covers.com for gambling advice or navigate ESPN.com's back pages, you may have heard of the name Sarah Phillips before Tuesday. This story was featured prominently enough on Twitter yesterday to trend nationally. The young freelancer from Oregon was the subject of a damning profile on the site Deadspin.com that showed Sarah and a longtime friend/boyfriend scamming people through the use of these writing platforms and social media (notably "buying" followers on Twitter). They promised part-ownership in their start-up website for a certain amount of money from people.

Luckily, they didn't scam too many people out of their money. Unfortunately, her actions bring to light the hiring practices of websites, whose editors can go forever without actually meeting the people they are paying to write. According to the articles, ESPN.com & Covers never interviewed Phillips before hiring her, and nobody at either company can claim to ever have met her. Apparently, this isn't an uncommon practice. I suppose you can still con people even if you put a face to your email.

And finally, the biggest NFL news today was supposed to be the doling of punishment for the Saints players in Bounty-Gate. However, it took a back seat to the apparent suicide of Junior Seau.  These two events connect so well that the timing of Seau's death is scary. The day started with the punishments. Four players were suspended - with the harshest penalty given to Jonathan Vilma (16 games). All players plan on appealing the ruling. If social media is any way to measure how the Player's Association is looking at the ruling, many NFL players are against this ruling.

Meanwhile, Seau was found dead in his house with a gunshot wound to the chest. Eerily similar to the suicide of former Bear Dave Duerson, who shot himself in the heart so that his brain could be studied for the effects of concussions on the brain. It's unreal to think that these guys do something like this while being cognitive enough to realize what they are doing. But who the hell knows what's going through their minds when they are doing this? The NFL is going to be facing severe litigation in the next 5-10 years as these concussions are studied and likely proven to cause post-football symptoms that lead to depression and often suicide.

The players who are against the rulings dished out by the commissioner are missing the point. As the head of the NFL, Goodell cannot continue to watch his product get dismantled. I've heard a little chatter in the past about the NFL going the way of boxing (a once major sport in America that has become obscure for the most part - at least in the overall sporting landscape). The extinction of the NFL could come in our lifetimes, especially if Goodell were to just close his eyes and pretend nothing was happening. I sure as hell don't want a future son of mine to play football, knowing everything I know about what happens to these folks after football.

 Punishment was hefty for the bounties. Good.

These punishments were necessary to ensure that bounties will never be a part of the NFL again. If you want to take that chance as a player, you'll be looking at an even stiffer penalty (possible ban I'd say). The NFL doesn't want this concussion issue to get out of control. Regardless on whether it's shown that Seau had post-concussion symptoms that led to this, the NFL has to make sure to protect its product - its players. Too bad the players don't see that. In 20 years, they may want to thank Goodell for trying to make their profession safer.


Update: 5/4/12...This week just keeps getting weirder and weirder with bizarre sporting stories, another for the worse. While shagging fly-balls in batting practice, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera suffered an ACL injury in what is likely his last year as a pitcher. Before the year, he said this would be it. I'm not sure he wants to go out like this, but then again, he may not have a choice. If you're a sports fan and weren't moved by his press conference as he sat there in disbelief over what happened, then you're not a real sports fan.

Rivera's career may be over due to a freak injury.

I expect two kinds of idiots to come out of the woodwork for this story: (1) those who say he shouldn't be shagging fly balls when he's apparently been doing it his entire career with no problems and (2) those idiots that take joy in Rivera's injury. If this is it for Rivera, what a terrible way to go. According to an ESPN stat I just saw, his 2.21 ERA in the live-ball era (since 1920) is the best ERA for pitchers with minimum 1000 innings pitched in their careers.

Rivera seems to be a respected person around major league baseball, with even a lot of Yankee haters appreciating his quiet, humble dominance. If this is the Sandman's Exit, it's been a hell of a ride for the last guy in major league history with the #42 jersey (retired by baseball for Jackie Robinson).

Enough of the bad news, or good news for people who like bad news. I'm done.

The Finals Countdown: NBA Playoff Preview (2K12 version)

The 2012 NBA Playoffs are right around the corner. I got half of the Finals right last year (Heat but no Thunder). Now, that particular match-up is the one that many would like to see (and one that many expect to see).

The Spurs expect to make a strong push as they get the #1 seed in the West for the 2nd year in a row. Somehow, they were written off by many (except for my friend Tom), probably because their age was looked at as a detriment in the compacted schedule due to the lockout.  Popovich (along with Thibodeau and Vogel) should be considered a front-runner for Coach of the Year with how he has been able to manage his version of the Big Three (Duncan, Parker, Ginobili) along with the rest of his roster. I came across a stat on Twitter (didn't double check it, so take this for what it's worth) that the Spurs only lost 3 games total when their roster (I assume their normal starters) was at full strength.

The Thunder look like a good bet to make a run. Coming off of his third straight scoring title, Kevin Durant looks to have a complete squad around him (another scoring option in Westbrook, solid defenders in Harden and Ibaka, a veteran with a few rings in Derek Fisher). I'm looking at Spurs/Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, with the Thunder taking it.

The top spot in the East goes to the Bulls again. Despite the absence of Derrick Rose due to various injuries for what seemed like months, Tom Thibodeau was able to muster out a 50-16 record and the top overall seed in the NBA. However, no matter how much Bulls and their fans may be happy with the #1 seed in the East, they will (and should) be ultimately judged on whether they can make the next step in the 2012 Playoffs and advance to the NBA Finals. This will likely involve a matchup versus the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

When the season started, we all wanted to just fast-forward into the end of May and get the Miami/Chicago series going already - pretty much dismissing the rest of the East. While I still think this will be the series, my convictions on the series are not as strong. I'm not sure if Miami has been on cruise control in the regular season and waiting for the playoffs to step everything up, but they've given me an uneasy feeling in terms of backing them to win it all. They had a two-week streak earlier this year of beating teams by 12+ points, so I know there's a championship caliber team there if they play up to their talent level.

Last year, the Heat took four straight after losing Game 1 to the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. A lot of the credit for that series win goes to LeBron's defense on Rose, one of the few guys who can match Rose's speed and has many inches on the reigning MVP. I'd say the Bulls look better as a team this year, but the playoffs are a different matter. I still think the Heat will take the East, especially with Rose's health lingering as a constant question throughout the year. If Rose can maintain a semblence of health, I'd give the Bulls a good shot of winning it. BUT, and it's a big BUT, someone else will need to step up as a scorer in the series in the event LBJ contains Rose just as well as last year. With Rose's health in question, I have to give the Heat the edge.

You may argue that the Bulls played well (even against the Heat) without Rose this year, but they will need Rose at his best in a 7-game series (no matter how deep their bench) against the Heat.

So for the second year in a row, I'm going Heat/Thunder in the finals, with the Heat winning it. It's not much of a reach, but it's just what I see happening. If you care to provide your own opinions, I'm all ears.

Eastern Conference Playoffs
R1: Bulls over Sixers (sweeeeeep); Celtics over Atlanta in 6 (I can't trust Atlanta. Ever.) Miami over NY in 5; Pacers over Magic in 6
R2: Bulls over Celtics in 7 (trying to duplicate their series from 2010, with the reverse result); Miami over Indiana in 6
ECF: Miami over Chicago in 6

Western Conference Playoffs
R1: Spurs over Jazz in 5; Memphis over LAC in 6; Denver over LAL in 6 (they will miss World Peace); Thunder over Mavericks in 6
R2: Spurs over Memphis in 7; Thunder over Denver in 5
WCF: Thunder over Spurs in 6

Finals
Heat over Thunder in 6.

Finals MVP: Dwyane Wade

Regular Season Award Predictions

Coach of the Year: Frank Vogel, Pacers
League MVP: LBJ, Miami
Rookie of the Year: Kyrie Irving, Cle
6th Man: James Harden, OKC
Improved Player: Ryan Anderson, Magic
Defensive Player of the Year: Serge Ibaka, OKC

Grandma Bolek - A Year Later

I remember last year like it was yesterday.

April 27th - woke up my usual time to roll out of bed and start a busy day of work from home. My boss was looking to get business for a few of our consultants that were nearing the end of their stints at their respective projects.

I briefly considered joining my friend Don for his Game 7 journey to see his Pittsburgh Penguins in Pitt, but knew with how busy I was with work, I couldn't go. Plus, in the back of my mind, I knew that the end of my grandma's life could be near.

The night before, based on how my dad sounded after visiting my grandma at her house, right around the block, I knew that Grandma Bolek was taking a turn for the worse, with a life expectancy not in her favor.

As I started working that drury Wednesday morning, I got that call that I knew was coming but wasn't ready to answer. Caller ID shows up as Dad, who had just went over to my Grandma's about 30-45 minutes earlier. I answered the phone and could immediately hear the tears in his voice. Virginia Bolek had passed away at the age of 90.

An Unequaled Legacy

Nine great decades on this Earth. People couldn't ask for a better life. She had a total of 50 (FIFTY!) grandchildren (15), great-grandchildren (33) and great-great-grandchildren (2). In our own ways, we all represent and carry on the legacy that Grandma Bolek left behind.

The marriage of Peter and Virginia Bolek was the start of a wide family tree that continues to expand as we speak, with my brother's upcoming marriage bringing yet another Bolek onboard (Welcome Amber!).

I always wish I had a chance to get to know both of my Grandpas better. My Grandpa Bolek, who passed when I was a young teen, taught me how to pour my first beer as I poured an Old Style of his while tilting the glass. I would have loved to have a beer with him and my Grandpa Raynor during my adulthood, but it wasn't meant to be.

After the passing of my Grandpa Bolek when I was 15 (1998), I bowled my first ever 200 game that same day. Of course, it was dedicated to him.

Meanwhile, Grandma Bolek continued trucking on without her long-time husband. She may have shrunk to under 100 pounds and could have easily blown away in a 20 mph wind in her later years, but don't mistake small for weak. To get by without your life partner for as long as she did, she had to be a strong woman. A great matriarch for all of us Boleks to look up to.

The support network around her definitely helped, with all five of her kids within a 30 minute drive, many within a mile or two. Christmas Eves were always a special treat, with Grandma at the center stage getting the gifts from her kids and grand-kids.

As the years went on, Grandma maintained a healthy life for the most part. Occasionally, you'll see someone close to you have a relative that suffers the last couple years of their lives. Certainly no way that I'd want to go. And luckily for us, it wasn't the way that Grandma Bolek was. Up until the last two months of her life, she maintained a mental strength that rivaled someone decades younger than her.

It was tough seeing Grandma during the latter months. It wasn't the grandma I grew up with, playing Store with me, my brother and sister; hiding the plastic Easter Eggs with the quarters in them in her backyard; celebrating Halloween by dressing up like a witch as if she were 10.

The Call...

So when I got that call from my dad around 8:45am that day to hear of her passing, my immediate reaction was sadness. But then I thought about her suffering and realized that it would be better (at least I think) for her to die peacefully, which she did in the place she called home for about 30 years.

I decided I wanted to see her after her passing in what was my second home for much of my childhood. I called my boss as I was making the walk around the block to let him know of the passing.

When I finally got there and saw her lifeless body, I knew she died peacefully. While wiping away tears, it made me happy knowing that she didn't suffer much. My dad and all of his siblings and their significant others were all there. It was fitting for her to have them all there, as she was a person that everyone wanted to be around.

When it came time to honor my grandma, I did it the best way I knew how: in prose. Here's the link to what I wrote and read the day of her funeral: http://b-boknows.blogspot.com/2011/04/aint-she-grand-bolek-matriarch.html.  I was pleasantly surprised with the reaction that I got afterwards, with many of my family coming up to me thanking me for reading that in front of the family at the church.

It was the least I could do for the woman who defined what it was to be a Bolek. From her, I saw a woman who didn't mind passing gas in public - definitely a characteristic that some of us Boleks have carried on (much to the dismay of the people around us).

But on a more serious note, I saw a woman who was the nicest mother, friend, sister, and grandmother to all. I saw a woman who had a profound impact on all of our lives, who enjoyed seeing all of us grow up and spoiled the hell out of all of us.

We still miss you Grandma. We try living up to the Bolek name as best as we can. We can only hope to leave a shred of the legacy that you did.

Rest in peace to Grandma Bolek, a year removed from this world.

Love always,

Your Family & Friends