Don't Leave Me Teague Tied

Much like Arnold Schwarzenegger, women's leggings, and His Airness himself, Chicago Sports Noise is making a temporary comeback. The summer months have rendered me feeble and television-spent. Simply put, there are not enough episodes of the Real World: St. Thomas to service a full-day,and as much as I love getting my DDoD (Daily dose of Scott Disick) and his unflappable head of Pantene Pro-V infused flow, the free agent market of the NBA has me too pent up with confusion and amelioration to let it go unvoiced.

Coming off of what can be classified as one of the most disheartening seasons in recent memory for the Chicago Bulls, they now find themselves searching to temporarily piece together a roster that will be void of the face of their franchise. When the indestructible D. Rose succumbed to a non-contact knee injury (don't watch the link; you'll hate me) in the waning moments of a seemingly sure-fire victory, Chicago residents from the North Shore to the South Loop breathed a collective a gasp of anxiety. And, as the subsequent losses only proved how the non-potent Bulls would wilt against the Sixers like a Rose devoid of water (no pun intended), the news of Rose's prolonged absence had Bulls fans thinking only one question for the free agent summer of 2012: What will this team look like in 2013?


Considering the disposition of NBA players has shifted from a competitive breeding ground as it was during the Bush and Clinton administrations of the early 90's to a friendship-laden, AAU-like, "let me just be with my friends" infantile mindset that it has become under Bush and Obama's campaigns (ironic, eh?), the Bulls find themselves with some serious catching up to do (or Keeping Up to do, if you work for E!).

Steve Nash, the most sought after member of the free agent class of 2012, has clearly expressed that his favorite book of all time is The Color Purple and will be shifting shades and moving to Hollywood to play with another player who already dominates the ball. It's hard to even fathom what Kobe, Pau, and Nash will look like in purple and gold, but it might render something comparable to Crosby, Stills, and Nash on a healthy amount of hallucinogenics: all messed up with nowhere to go.

With Brooklyn proving as "trendy" as tortoise-rimmed Ray-Bans and rolled up denim, and with Houston offering ludicrous contracts to role players like their some bizarro version of the LA Clippers, Gar Forman is nesting the Bulls just where they need to be.

With the selection of Marquis Teague with their late-first round pick in last week's draft, the Bulls clearly went with the "best available" route like a late-night Lincoln Park single at Beaumonts. If this trend continues, it would render them letting Houston have Omer Asik for a preposterous amount of money for 6 points and 9 boards a game (rough estimate for 2013). The Bulls would most likely then go after Nazr Mohammed or Jordan Hill, who are both very capable of backing up our pony-tailed Parisian, Joakim Noah, at the 5 spot.

With the signing of the ol' Captain, Kirk Hinrich, the Bulls brought back a fan favorite who sold more tank tops to teenage white girls than Express and Forever 21 combined (the Pulse Man has one as well). In due time, fans at the Madhouse will be donning rec specs like bad-visioned teenagers with a resounding love for athletics. This signing leaves the Bulls with an immediate solution to Rose's absence if CJ Watson ventures outside of the 312 for increased cash flow, which is very plausible considering there are now 7 or 8 really relevant teams in the NBA due to the game's biggest superstars conglomerating like "Bros 4 Life"; seriously, get these guys some wooden paddles and a copy of the Greek Alphabet. Way to go, Lebron.

The Bulls will still need some work, though, and my favorite options left in the free agent pool for Chicago, regardless of whether they are pursuing them or not are: Jeff Green, Lou Williams, and JJ Hickson. You have no idea how hard it was for me to not include Delonte West on that list, but I just don't think that there are enough doughnut shops in Deerfield to keep this man happy.

As an NBA fan, I'm anxious to see how the next few weeks shape up in free agency and who ends up where. As a Bulls fan, I genuinely trust Gar Forman; albeit with the worst first name in professional sports.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man will return to duty tomorrow. He cannot operate on 24 hours notice. If you are wondering about his general well-being, let it be known to the world that he has a borderline girlfriend. If that's not enough information, please stay tuned and keep reading.


Now I'm done. Rack me.

Frost

*sorry for operating under this new, fairly ghetto URL. www.chicagosportsnoise.com was sold to an internet wholesaler who currently uses it to move sporting goods. It is in no way, shape, or form associated with this website.*

Playoffs in the C-H-I

The Hawks are in. The Bulls are in. Regardless of the fact that they may have done so in the most contradictory of styles, they're both ready to embark on their 'second season'. The Bulls, in one corner, clinched the highly-regarded #1 spot on Friday night after the week that was.

To get there, they knocked off two of the Eastern Conference's top teams--the Magic and the Celtics--albeit without the NBA equivalent of John Coffee from Green Mile, Magic C Dwight Howard, it was still impressive. The Bulls have looked, for the most part, pristine. Specifically Derrick Rose, who casually dropped 39 points against Chicago's likely second round opponent and gave Omer Asik bragging rights from Istanbul to Ankara over the Magic's Hedo Turkoglu.

On the other side of the proverbial coin, the Blackhawks skated into the playoffs (no pun intended) by "the skin of their yellow country teeth." In fact, the only reason there will be any 'playoff Hawky' (shoutout @Not_RyanCLind) in the city of Chicago is because of the NHL's Minnesota team debarring of the Dallas Stars for stealing their franchise in 1993.

I guess you could say that these two Chicago sports mainstays have taken different paths this year, but in many ways still have the same aspirations. Like, for example, the starlet who once paraded around the Times Square TRL set with Carson Daly, Brittney Spears, and America's new teenage leading lady, Miss Miley Cyrus.

Much like Derrick Rose, Miley has mystified scores of men at a very young age. I mean, if we prosecuted the entire contingency of adults who have fantasized about the formerly 17-year old Miley "moving her hips like yeaa" in the "Party in the U.S.A" video, Joliet (where the jail is) might suddenly amass a higher population than Second City.

Similarly, D.Rose is about to hang the MVP trophy on his mantle at the tender age of 22--no small feat. But, like Miley, if too much pressure is thrust on Derrick too early, he might succumb to hitting some salvia as the Bulls' championship hopes sink like a silver coin. (Remember: he did have that "gang sign" picture controversy when he first entered the league, so neither are immune to the paparazzi.)

In the Blackhawks' case, their season has been as capricious as a post-Circus Brittney Spears (Circus is an album, she wasn't actually an acting member of the circus). For instance, she hit rock-bottom and went blade to scalp on her dome; an instance that can be seen as comparable to the defending Stanley Cup champions being out of the playoff picture for a decent amount of the year.

Then, she somehow resurfaced with the help of someone else (Hawks getting in by way of the Stars collapse) and went on to produce an unintelligible, inauthentic, computer-generated product that started with monologues like, "It's Brittney, b*%#@" that never lived up to her original masterful productions.

I don't watch near enough hockey to throw odds on the Blackhawks playoff chances, but when you can't get up to beat your rival in a must-win with your back against the wall, I'll send my money somewhere else.

As for the Bulls, like I said earlier, if the right circumstances fall into place, it all could happen according to plan. But, we all saw what that Billy Ray parenting/divorce/bad haircut fiasco did to a young vixen like Miley. If things go awry, the Bulls could resemble more of Jonah Hill's version of Cyrus than Miley's.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man likes Dempster to get off the shnide and out of the dumpster in Houston against the Astros tonight. I wouldn't say it's a must-win for the Cubs cannuck, but it's damn close.

Pick of the Day: Cubs @ Astros- CUBS (-129)

Record:(63-51-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Playing it Off

With yet another impressive weekend in which the Bulls swept through their competition, it might be time to start looking ahead. The "MVP" serenades during D. Rose's free-throw routine have began to enter into the redundancy period for me after I saw Comcast air a middle-aged woman in a low-cut tank top with seemingly the same Basketball acumen as my 2nd grade school teacher mouthing the words to the popular chant during the Milwaukee telecast.

The swooning from analysts has become all too commonplace as the Bulls are a virtual lock to close out the season as the Eastern Conference's #1 seed. Not that I'm jumping to any conclusions prematurely, but the Bulls have 10 games left and still have the T-Wolves, Pistons, Raptors, Cavs and Nets ahead on their schedule (worst case scenario: 6-4).

With a two game lead on the C's for superiority in all things basketball East of the Rockies, it's safe to say the Bulls have their hand in the glove. Then again, we are in Chicago--albeit a long ways away from Wrigley field and the goat sacrificing that goes on up there--we are still conditioned to expect the worst.

So without any further deliberation, let's get to the matter at hand (I'm a few credits short in my aspirations to become Atticus Finch). Who will the Bulls play in the opening round? Historically, the top seed has had no problem winning these incommensurate match-ups, but we don't want the Bulls droning through a 10-day tango either. Here is a comprehensive list of the possible opponents Chicago might see in the opening round.

Sixers - (-16.5 GB, 1-1 vs. CHI) The Sixers are certainly an interesting and intriguing bunch. Since the Bulls played them in the playoffs last during the 1990-1991 season, Philly has adopted a new logo, reverted back to the original logo, drafted Iverson, worshiped Iverson and then traded Iverson. It's funny to think that the Bulls now have a Turkish center and the former face of Philly's franchise is playing in a second-tier Turkish league. Also during this time, the Garbage Picking, Field Goal Kicking, Philadelphia Phenomenon was released starring Tony Danza. Strange days indeed.

Not to mention, Doug Collins coached the Bulls during the initial Jordan years of the late 1980's and was canned just in time to watch the Zen Master rattle off 6 titles in Chicago. If you're Doug, that's like getting divorced by your wife, having her marry a quasi-Buddhist monk with a Scottrade account, earning enough money through said account to use their rolled up singles as Q-tips and rolling papers, and then invest their equitable assets into forming the most lucrative dynasty the NBA has ever seen. Sounds like you missed out, Doug.

But the 2011 Sixers have been marked by their potential. Elton Brand and Andrea Iguodala have been around the block in the heart of blue-collar "Rocky Country", but the added youth of Jrue Holiday, Jodie Meeks, Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner have labeled the Sixers as overachievers this season and have kept Doug Collins name in the Coach of the Year debate. Can they beat the Bulls? No, but Doug Collins has enough X's and O's up his sleeve from broadcasting 54,329 games on TNT over the past 5 years to push it to a 5 or 6 game set--exactly what can trip the Bulls up in the future.

Knicks-(-18.5 GB, 2-0 vs. CHI) New team, new style, same bad blood between the Bulls and Knicks. Xavier McDaniel and Anthony Mason might be face up in the sun in Boca Raton after 4 back surgeries each, but I assure you that if the Bulls play the Knicks in round 1, there will be some hard fouls issued similar to the ones of old.

What scares me about the Knicks is what scares everybody about the Knicks--they can score on anyone. Carmelo and Amare can fill it up against the best team defenders in the world, and have proven that to some extent during their brief partnership together in the Big Apple. The Bulls have showed the capability to win without scoring in the triple digits this season, which is a testament to how far they have come as a team on the defensive end.

But, they have also shown that if Rose goes ice-cold like the scene from Cool Runnings where Sanka (Doug E. Doug) gets stuck in the Ice Cream truck, they can go an extended period of time without scoring. Now I would hesitate to call Carmelo and Amare tough-nosed, blue collar guys, but I think Toney Douglas, Chauncey Billups and Landry Fields provide them with that "chip on your shoulder" mentality that the Knicks always held near and dear during the John Starks era.

I wouldn't feel comfortable seeing the Knicks in round 1 because of their potential to follow through with the unfathomable. Realistically though, I don't think they have a chance to make a deep run this year judging by their lack of interest in defense, and they have an assistant coach named Dan D'Antoni--that can't help. Still, they're 2-0 versus the Bulls already this season so what do I know?

Pacers- (-22 GB, 1-3 vs. CHI) It is no secret that Indiana is the most Caucasian-laden team in the NBA, and believe it or not, that includes Utah. Jeff Foster, Mike Dunleavy (currently injured), Josh McRoberts and Tyler Hansbrough all see time for the Indiana 'Race'-ers. Throw some unathleticism in the middle in the form 7'2'' center, Roy Hibbert, and you have a possible Eastern Conference 8 seed.

The Pacers really haven't made much noise since Larry Legend stepped down from Head Coach and appointed someone that he never really liked, and people trusted less than an ex-girlfriend with an assortment of dirty texts at her disposal. Since then though, the Pacers have been winning the "right" way, and presumably the "white" way based on the talent pool they move through Conseco Fieldhouse every home game.

In fact, the Pacers knocked off the Bulls last Friday in an overtime thriller that saw the Bulls as a lethargic, shot-missing bunch carried much of the way by their MVP point guard. Knowing that Rose almost willed the Bulls to victory on a night when the rest of their team shot an equivalent percentage to a young student on a spelling pretest doesn't bode well for Indiana basketball fans. Go Butler, maybe the Pacers can lure Brad Stevens to the league, or else I think he's destined for a PLAYGIRL cover.

Bobcats/Bucks- (-23 GB/-24 GB, 2-2 vs. CHI, 0-4 vs. CHI) Lastly, the two teams on the outside looking in on the 2011 NBA Playoffs are the Charlotte Bobcats and the Milwaukee Bucks. As a proud owner of a Charlotte Hornets quarter-zip Starter jacket, I'm ashamed to say that the Bobcats actually exist...not that anyone has noticed. They are consistently making mindless trades in order to get them out of the red and their most recognizable face is in upper management. Nothing in Charlotte is necessarily peachy.

They did beat the Bulls twice earlier in the year, but that was when they still held the rights to Gerald Wallace, a guy who always gave the Bulls problems. Now, you can conceivably argue that Stephen Jackson is their best player (seriously, look at their roster). I feel that their only reason for existence is for Michael Jordan to use the Bobcats as a forum in finally succeeding in helping the world understand what he once saw in Kwame Brown, and therefore I would love to see them in round 1.

As for the Bucks, we saw them fold up like paper in fire again in Milwaukee this weekend and had no answer when the Bulls flipped the switch (lot of cliches there, I apologize). The Bucks are 0-4 against the Bulls this year and don't pose much of a threat with their current roster. However, if they can somehow get healthy for the road ahead (except for Michael Redd, he'll never play a full season again), they could instill a little fear in their opponents to go along with their Christmas color scheme. God bless whoever they have in merchandise sales.

With all of that being said, the Bulls still have games against the Celtics and Magic to use as a measuring stick heading into their second season. But, if all goes according to plan, one of these teams could have a date with D.Rose in the conference quarters...buyer beware.

As for Pick of the Day, it's been a while since the Pulse Man has bet, but as always he is anxious to get his money out and lay on the table. For tonight, the Pulse Man advocates for the Stanford women giving 9 points to the Gonzaga Lady Bulldogs in West region play of the Women's NCAA Tourney. He's an equal opportunity employer, and a ladies man, so get off of his back.

Pick of the Day: Stanford (-9) vs. Gonzaga- STANFORD

Record:(61-49-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

King(s) of the East

Currently, I'm watching the halftime show of the Bulls/Hawks game in which the Bulls have amassed a 29 point first half lead. So forgive me if I go off on a tangent about Brent Barry's meticulously gelled hair and window pane suit complete with the fashionable accent color handkerchief. The dude has the tightest sideburns in the broadcasting business. Can you believe this guy has participated in both the 3-point showdown and the dunk contest? Has anyone besides Brent ever done that? Not to mention, he's Caucasian and his old man looked as if he was growing a tail every time he stepped to the charity stripe. I'm not sure what his wife was thinking running around with Tony Parker; I guess some guys just can't catch a break. Either way, with Kenny "The Jet" Smith and Greg Anthony covering the NCAA tourney and taking a brief hiatus from analyzing the NBA, I sure am glad that this halftime show is over. TNT is going to blow up (no pun intended).

As for the game, for the second night in a row the Bulls are on a scoring binge comparable to a Paul Westhead team of the mid 1990's. They hung 132 on the Sacramento Queens last night and cemented the NBA's decision to contract that futile franchise in California's Central Valley. The Bulls won 132-92 last night. That's 40 points...during the 40 days and 40 nights of the Lent season. Where is Josh Hartnett when you need him? Then again, where is he when you don't need him? I haven't seen that scrub since Black Hawk Down.

With the Bulls tied for the Eastern Conference lead with the Boston Celtics, they are now attracting some extra shmooze from basketball gurus like "The Czar" Mike Fratello and Timmy Legler. Additionally, the Bulls can conceivably beat out the Celts for the 1 seed judging by their schedule from here on in. For instance, Memphis, Milwaukee, Philly, Minnesota, Detroit and Toronto in their next 6? I'd honestly rather play those teams than mow through the bottom half of the Pac-10. The talent distribution in the NBA is atrocious. Asking teams like Sacramento, Detroit and Minnesota to compete is like sending Jimmy Eat World into the studio to try and recreate Springsteen's "Born In the U.S.A." album.

With the Bulls' offensive production reaching new heights over the course of the past few days, you can only hope that they can save some legs for an extensive postseason push. With Rose leading the pack for the MVP crown and Thibs on the short list for NBA Coach of the Year, the Bulls need to remain focused and stay hungry like Kelly Clarkson after she won American Idol.

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Turkey Time

The last time I heard the phrase "Turkey Time" uttered, it was 2006 and the Pulse Man was throwing an undercooked turkey burger over the right field fence during regional baseball play at Lake Zurich High School. Since then, he has applied at the school for employment and for some strange reason was hired. Also during that 5 year span, the Bulls scouted and signed Turkish center, Omer Asik, who is winning over Chicago's collective heart one impressive performance at a time.

There are currently 5 NBA players who hail from the Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. These players include Hedo Turkoglu, Mehmet Okur, Ersan Ilyasova, Semih Erden and Omer Asik. By no matter of happenstance, these players seem to all possess the same greasy hair and lack of defensive prowess that the Euro league holds near and dear; except Omer. This 24 year old, 255 lb. Doug P. Wynn look-alike has been a product of rapid improvement for this year's Bulls. Earlier this month, the "Turkish Delight" became the first player in the longstanding history of the NBA to record 10 rebounds without even attempting a field goal. Aside from his unselfishness on the offensive end, Asik has solidified himself as one of the most active interior defenders in the Eastern Conference. Although his full name has more umlauts and accent marks than a German Heferweizen, the fans in this great basketball city are starting to become familiar with his name, his game, and his 7-foot frame.

When the city was up in arms after Chicago refused to deal their reserve big man for an overrated, troublesome OJ Mayo, I was confused. The only way I would want to acquire Mayo was to use him as a condiment if we somehow acquired Hedo Turkoglu from the Magic, making the Bulls the first team in the history of American professional basketball to be able to successfully compile a certifiable "turkey sandwich".

In holding onto Asik, the Bulls maintain the rights to the man in the middle who is currently holding onto these stats--2.26 PPG, 3.90 RPG, +5.49 Efficiency rating (an underrated stat). Even though those may seem like small potatoes for this particular Turkish import, I'm sure his presence in the post will prove to be invaluable during the last months of the season and on into the playoffs. Just look at what he's done over the course of the past 4 days. His 4 point, 9 rebound performance in Atlanta was the lone bright spot in the Bulls' unimpressive defeat in the dirty south. Then on Friday, he posted a 5 pt., 13 board performance against the NBA's top center, Dwight Howard, and only got posterized by the genetic freak on one occasion. Ladies and gentleman, the man, the myth, the Omer.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man thought the Heat would rebound to beat the Spurs on Friday and they ended up concluding their weekend apparently shedding tears in their own locker room. I guess he was a bit off. For Monday night, the Pulse Man likes Gonzaga to maintain their stranglehold on the West Coast Conference and defeat St. Mary's Australian-laden roster by more than a point.

Pick of the Day: Gonzaga (-1) @ St. Mary's- GONZAGA

Record:(60-45-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Call In the Butler

Any Bulls fan who is really jacked that the Bulls just picked up Rasual Butler off of waivers must have about the same basketball IQ as Leighton Meester. Seriously, that's like being thrilled to see a discounted movie with your boys at the local plex knowing all too well that you're signed on to sit through 2 hours of Kevin James comedy. Should you be happy the Bulls picked up a piece to aid in their 3-point shooting struggles for the playoffs? I guess so, but Rasual Butler wasn't exactly what I had in mind.

Currently, the former LaSalle Explorer from uptown Philly is averaging 5 points and 1lonely rebound per game for the LA Clips. Oh wait, I forgot to mention, he also garners a little more than 1/2 of an assist per game as well--I can't forget to pay homage to his unselfishness. After he was acquired by the Bulls, Rasual provided us with the following tremendous insight into what exactly we got ourselves into, "I'm a good individual defender. A good team defender. Shooting the ball is my skill. That's the one thing that I am known for is shooting the ball. A catch-and-shoot guy; a one or two dribble pull-up guy. Just a smart, cerebral player. Not going to make many mistakes. A team player." Wow! Apparently aside from being a 32.3% field goal shooter this season and an absolutely unmemorable contributor on one of the NBA's worst teams, Rasual happens to be the most literal player in the league. But my question is, if Rasual is "good" at such a wide-variety of basketball skills, how in the hell was he waived by the Clippers?

Upon further research, this unfortunate situation could have happened to Rasual for a multitude of reasons. Perhaps Clippers owner Donald Sterling wasn't overly impressed by Butler's recent cameo performance in Trina's "Here We Go" music video. As an under-financed rap video aficionado myself, Butler should have instead opted for a cameo role as a member of the Slip N' Slide All-Stars in the much applauded Trina/Trick Daddy duet, "Take it to the House". Oh well, we all make mistakes.

During the wee hours before the trade deadline, the Bulls let a series of enticing opportunities to upgrade at the 2 spot slip through their grasp. When peppered with criticism for remaining idle while the rest of the East upgraded, Bulls players and management alike reassured the Bulls faithful that they like what they already have in place in Chicago and didn't want to jeopardize team chemistry. Understandable. But signing a 3 point shooting power-forward in the midst of the worst statistical season of his career doesn't make much sense to me either.

Butler's duties as a member of the Bulls roster will coincidentally be quite similar to the daily tasks performed by an actual butler (think Geoffrey from Fresh Prince). He won't get much tick and certainly won't be able to put his self-proclaimed "good shooting ability" to work on the floor at the UC. What he will do is engage in mindless banter on the far end of the bench with Scalabrine and waive the occasional towel when the Bulls enjoy a 2nd half run. More importantly, during the final minutes of blowouts we will now have to endure the "Call in the Butler!" promo on the scoreboard to accompany the teenage girls hopelessly screaming for Scalabrine. Could be worse.

As for Pick of the Day, Big 10 POY canidate Jordan Taylor scored 39 points on 55 Wisco posessions and shattered the Pulse Man's chance at covering the UNDER. For the weekend, the Pulse Man likes the Heat to bounce the league-leading Spurs in San Antonio tonight. Ballsy pick. I dig it.

Pick of the Day: Heat @ Spurs- HEAT (moneyline) +110

Record:(60-44-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Bosh Spice

The fact that the hashtag "#BoshSpice" was trending on Twitter was reason enough to write a nice little passion piece on how much of a fame-hungry moocher Heat forward Chris Bosh is. He has surpassed Derrick Fisher as the official "Coattail King". The fact that he shot the lowest field goal percentage by a pro (1-18) with at least 18 attempts since 1973 was pathetic. The fact that he should have won a SAG award for "Best Power Forward in a Post Defender Role" with his dramatic flop on Carlos Boozer was downright pitiful. But the fact that Chris Bosh, despite an awful performance, kept letting it fly like he was "heating up" in NBA Jam T.E and remained, without a doubt, the downright ugliest player on a floor that included an apparent seik (Carlos Boozer) and a Russian extra from a documentary on the Ottoman Empire (Zyrdunas Ilgauskas)is perhaps the most paltry of points. Although I would thoroughly enjoy devoting 3,000 words to demean every athletic and personal achievement that Chris Bosh has made in his entire life, including why on Earth the attached picture was ever taken, last night was about the Bulls.

When LeBron and Wade rushed out to an early lead while effortlessly throwing down highlight caliber dunks in transition, I'll admit, I thought the Bulls were going to struggle to keep the Heat under the 100 point benchmark, which usually spells trouble. But the Bulls depth was influential in keeping Chicago within striking distance and helped propel that massive 3rd quarter turnaround. The Bulls may have stood pat on the trade deadline, opting for a "hold the Mayo" approach in courting a new shooting guard, but Omer Asik was all over the window Thursday night. Double digit boards for the Big Turkey when people would have been satisfied just to see him put together an English sentence under his own power in September...no small potatoes.

Even though the Bulls' lead expanded and contracted more than Deena's waistline from the Jersey Shore, the Bulls held together like glue. With Bosh continuously laying bricks from all areas of the floor, the Bulls kept their bounce and used strong 3rd and 4th quarters from both Deng and Rose to help keep them in control of the game. Through every circus shot by Wade and LeBron that fell through the rim, through every worthless tidbit of Reggie Miller's analysis, the Bulls pressed on.

It's hard to describe in words what Derrick Rose does for the Bulls in the waning moments of the game, and last night was no exception. It is rare to see the poise of a cagey veteran wired into the floor game of such a young and talented megastar. He had the notion to can the deep two when the defense allotted him space, and he showed immeasurable trust in Luol by dishing him the rock in the corner with the game on the line. You'd think that by now D.Rose would have channeled his inner Stromile Swift and be understandably worried about some paternity suit or drug trafficking ring, but he has maintained his focus and stays a leg up (in my own objective opinion) in the MVP race.

And Lastly, yes, as most of you already know, Stacey King did tell me to "go to bed" last night via Twitter after I calmly told him to 'pump the breaks' following a series of utterly lame jokes. That's fine. When you lose, you lose. King Stacey-1, Chicago Sports Noise-0.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man suffered defeat at the hands of the Bulls' stifling 2nd half defense last night as they failed to cover the over. For tonight, the Pulse Man likes the new-look Knicks taking the Cavs by more than 7.5 in Cleveland. Giving them baron Davis is going to prove entirely worthless and Harangody can't save a city on his own. Cavs still suck.

Pick of the Day: Knicks (+7.5) @ Cavaliers- KNICKS

Record:(58-42-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Point-ed Argument

The Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz, ever since their rivalry sprung into the national spotlight in the mid-to-late 90's, have always represented paradoxical ideologies. It's Mormon country and mountains of snow pitted against hipsters and the biting breeze of the Windy City. It was Stockton's nuthuggers versus Jordan's baggy shorts. It was Hornacek wiping his sideburns to commemorate his children juxtaposed with Rodman wearing a wedding dress on the weekends. The entire rivalry became somewhat of an anomaly.

Years later, things have changed drastically, but the intensity between these old rivals still lives on. The Delta Center has now become Energy Solutions Arena, but the Salt Lake City venue still confines one of the more passionate fan bases in all of sports into one ear-piercing arena. Similar to the raucous crowds that professional basketball in Utah has become so accustomed to, their front-man remains the same--the ageless Jerry Sloan. After Jerry was fired as the Bulls' head coach in 1982, he has since went on to become one of the most successful coaches in the history of the NBA in Utah and has become the longest tenured coach in North American professional sports. He has stapled the Jazz franchise with a devotion to gritty defense and has remained faithful to the pick and roll offense that has kept him successful for nearly 25 years at the helm. And, after Jazz management surrendered 3/5 of their scoring production to Chicago, Sloan still has the Jazz making sweet music (no pun intended) in the NBA West (6 spot).

But with the age old Bulls/Jazz NBA Finals rivalries in the rear-view mirror, the importance of these two teams meeting has shifted into showcasing one of the league's most captivating spectacles. No, I'm not referencing Kirilenko's pumpkin pie haircut versus Joakim's ponytail, it's Rose vs. Williams. Watching Derrick and Deron run the show for their respective teams last night advertised two of the best lead guards in the game. Ever since Rose has blossomed (no pun intended, again) into superstardom, his critics have been hesitant to classify him in the same breath as Chris Paul, Steve Nash and of course, Deron Williams.

But last night, the Rose/Williams rivalry didn't exactly live up to its hype. For example, Rose had 29 and 7, with some big shots sprinkled in that don't exactly make the box score, but he was 11-26 from the floor. If you don't understand exactly how many hoists 26 shots is, Monta Ellis leads the NBA in field goals attempted (1,025) and pops off roughly 20 times a game. Deron, on the other hand, only had 11 points to go along with 12 assists in a 40 minute body of work. Obviously, neither player reached the heights that they were capable of in last night's affair. Maybe because they held each other in check, or maybe it was because it was a meaningless interleague tilt on a Wednesday night in the Great Salt Lake (one of the more bad ass music videos and songs of all time).

Don't get me wrong, I love both of these guys. Both are explosive off the dribble in penetration and both have tirelessly worked to make great strides in improving their jumpers since they've entered the highest level of basketball competition. Not to mention, they both have questionable arm tattoos (Rose has that Merlin-like wizard that reads "Poohdini" on his arm and Deron has that oversized Black Panther sprawling his shoulder). These players have a lot of similarities and both have used the Land of Lincoln to stage some of their finest accomplishments. In the end, maybe this was Boozer, Korver and Brewer's night in their return to Beehive state. We'll have another chance to see Derrick measure himself against one of the finer guards in the league on Saturday against CP3. Hopefully he's on point, get it?

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man has slipped to 52-38 after suffering a loss at the hands of the Evansville Aces earlier in the week. For tonight, the Pulse Man likes his alma mater, the EIU Panthers, getting a 15.5 point spread tonight at Morehead State. I don't think he knows much about Morehead, but 15.5 is a whole lot of points. Two words: Panther Pride.

Pick of the Day: Eastern Illinois (+15.5) @ Morehead St.- EASTERN ILLINOIS

Record:(52-38-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Blazed and Confused

You've got to give it to Rip City. They've been to hell and back this year and still have managed to put out an enjoyable product for those loyal Oregonians. Their stud, Brandon Roy, who Ron Artest referred to as the "best player he's ever played against (other than his boy from Queensbridge)" has worse knees than Broadway Joe Namath. And, if that wasn't bad enough, their fabled #1 pick from a few years back has made more of a splash with his MMS messages more so than his actual on-court performance. Still, with an aging point guard with the most generic skill set in the NBA and one of the most underrated and versatile post players in the league, Portland maintains the 8 spot in the NBA's talented Western Conference.

You can go ahead and chalk up the Oden #1 overall pick as a mistake at this point. Even if he salvages his injury-riddled career that he has had thus far and turns into a cross-breed between Patrick Ewing and Dikembe Mutombo, there is no way his ceiling will eclipse that of Kevin Durant. There's just no way. But Portland hasn't used the "Ballad of Sam Bowie" or the "Omen from Oden" to keep their franchise from succeeding. Sure, they had that stretch a few years back when they could barely field a roster because the majority of their team was incarcerated. But that's over now, Rasheed's a happily retired man, Zach Randolph has resurrected his career, if not his morals, in Memphis and Darius Miles is probably filming the sequel to The Perfect Score so he can finance his next crack rock purchase. Portland has now chosen to put their team on the shoulders of Andre "Air YMCA" MIller and LaMarcus Aldridge, who exploded for an impressive 40 on the Bulls' array of below-average interior defenders last night.

Maybe I haven't watched the Blazers enough because I like to think that I have better things to do when their games air on TNT at 10:30 PM every Friday, but they truly impressed me last night. Much like the Bulls who have had to undergo most of the season without key members of the roster, the Blazers have done the same. And, again, like the Bulls, they are impressing people. Even after giving Wes Matthews the most undeserved contract in the history of professional sports this offseason (5 years, $34 mill for 16 PPG and 3 RPG), they are still holding on to playoff life. Last night, LaMarcus Aldridge solidified himself as one of the better 4's in the league in my opinion. Obviously, it didn't help that Boozer can't defend his own shadow and Taj Gibson is undersized for his position. Regardless, Aldridge was downright impressive. In watching him last night, I came to realize a few things that would make any Bulls fan cringe. First, the Bulls originally drafted Aldridge (#2 overall in '06) but then traded him to the Blazers for their picks, which in turn became Tyrus "The Human Goaltending Violation" Thomas and Viktor Khryapa, who is either the Latvian president or a power-forward who is no longer in the league. Good trade, right? Next, I came to the conclusion that Aldridge and Durant were one year apart at Texas. Imagine those two athletic freaks sharing the floor together in Austin... my god.

Overall though, I don't think last night's loss was a bad loss for the Bullies, at least not as bad as losing to the Warriors in Oakland was the game before. Rose provided the highlight of the week with his 'shoulder-blade-tap' throwdown in the 4th, and Luol had some bright moments as well. Portland is a formidable squad. But with that being said, it would have been nice to come out on top of Joel Przybilla (The Vanilla Gorilla) and the rest of the Blazers with Utah and New Orleans coming up on the schedule. The wild, wild west is a dog eat dog world.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man experienced a fairly successful Super Bowl besides the fact that he bet on his arch nemesis, Jordy Nelson, to not cover his quota and he almost ended up leaving Dallas with the MVP trophy. For tonight, the Pulse Man likes Northern Iowa in a pick em' game over Evansville in Indiana.

Pick of the Day: Northern Iowa @ Evansville (pick em)- NORTHERN IOWA

Record:(52-37-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Heat Check

For the first time in the young year of 2011, Chicago becomes 'witness' to the Holy Triumvirate. No, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit aren't making a guest appearance at Holy Name Cathedral on Saturday. Instead, LeBron, Wade and that 6'10'' left-handed extra-terrestrial roll into Chi-town still yielding the 2nd best record (30-11) in the Eastern Conference (behind Boston 29-9) despite losing two straight to the Clippers and the Nuggets. I repeat, losing to the Clippers and the Nuggets--a perpetual third-tier Western Conference bottomfeeder and a team plagued by more possible trade implications than the ever-strenuous relations between Cuba and United States. Sure, Lebron's ankle/hamstring/ego injury has sidelined him in both of these woeful losses, but this game is still one of the most anticipated regular season contests for the Bulls so far in this season's first half. Perhaps LeBron was trying to prove a point in his absence over the last week, revealing that the Heat are merely lukewarm (no pun intended) without the presence of the most explosive athlete in professional sports. Or, perhaps he's just a yellow belly (it's a tragedy nobody used this term after 1950) who can't grind through an injury for his team. By no means am I a "LeBron hater" and I promise you that I have never uttered the phrase "LeLoser", but I'll still take the latter in this case.

But this game has deeper value for the Bulls than simply one-upping LBJ as an artificial ego boost. It is a chance for the Bulls to show that they can beat both teams that they trail in the conference standings at the United Center. Last week, the Bulls proved they could outlast the Celtics behind a jubilant United Center crowd poised for a promotional Big Mac. On Saturday, they will once again have to rise to the occasion against the most top-heavy team in the history of the NBA (...and that officially marks the first time I've ever used the phrase 'top-heavy' negatively in my entire life, what a shame).

But as Derrick Rose's legend grows with each astonishing fast-break embarrassment of an opposing defender, the Bulls inch closer to becoming a legitimate contender for the Eastern Conference crown. Outside of the City of the Alamo in which the Spurs simply don't lose, and Gregg Popovich never changes facial expressions, the Bulls and Celtics are tied for the 2nd best home record in the NBA at 17-3. But, as well as they've played at home, the Bulls have lost to the Nets, Bobcats and Sixers on the road. If you didn't know any better, you would think that I was rehashing the road results of the miserable Cavaliers, who incredulously failed to score 60 points against the Lakers earlier this week. If the Bulls put one in the W column on Saturday night, even if LeBron is absent from class, it would be a statement win to the rest of the Eastern Conference. Almost a sort of "Bright Lights" (I truly am sorry for this link) welcoming to the spotlight for the new-look Bulls. Just remember the lyrics Rob Thomas so beautifully echoed through the speakers of your parents' Camry in 2004, "If the bright lights don't recede you, just turn yourself around and come on home", we know you can always win there.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man finds himself in the midst of a 2-bet plunge for the first time in 2011. In order to find a way out of his losing streak, he has put his faith in Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to dethrone the #1 seed in the NFC, or at least cover the 2.5 point spread. Often times, when everyone thinks something is going to happen, it never does (Seahawks surprising Saints last week). But in this case, I think Aaron Rodgers is going to have his "Yes, I have a mustache. Yes, I'm sleeping with Erin Andrews. And Yes, I'm the best damn quarterback in the NFC!" type of game. I don't like the Packers, but he's hard not to like. Go ahead Aaron, show Atlanta the effing belt! Packers/Bears NFC Championship would be incredible. Undoubtedly the stuff that ruins friendships. Da da da, duh da da da....GO PACK GO.

Pick of the Day: Packers (+2.5) @ Falcons- PACKERS

Record:(45-32-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Roses are Red

If it were up to Stacey King, all we would know about Derrick Rose is that he could "go upstairs" and "he's from Chicago". Good, that only narrows it down to every resident of the third largest city in the Unietd States that resides in a two story building. Thankfully, we have the gift of the national media and basketball virtuosos like Tim Legler and Chris Mullin (great player, great haircut, awful analyst) helping us formulate the "Derrick Rose for MVP" campaign that has sprung so far this season. So far this year, D. Rose has compiled some Juwanna Mann-like numbers: 24.7 PPG, 8.3 APG, 4.4 RPG. Not to mention, Derrick is sporting a 42% clip from 3! I don't even think he shot 42% from the free-throw line in his one-year tour of Memphis. Regardless, Rose has been nasty. He's the driving force behind the current 8-game winning streak that the Bulls have in tact and is solidifying his name amongst guys like Paul, Deron, Nash, and Rondo as the best PG in the NBA. Did I mention he is only 26 months removed from being able to purchase his first Four Loko?

On Tuesday, when Derrick displayed his reckless abandon to the hoop that us fans all adore, he was catapulted into the air horizontally like Bucky Lasek (the only character I remember from Tony Hawk Pro Skater on Gamecube) on a warehouse half-pipe. For that solemn few seconds, the city held its breath and hoped Derrick Rose wouldn't break both wrists, stripping him of the ability to: 1) continue to dismantle Eastern Conference foes with his ball-handling wizardry, and 2)to effectively do the "Bossy" dance from the Kelis music video. All kidding aside, after I saw the replay I thought Derrick would for sure have sustained some sort of wrist injury, and as always, I was right. Although Derrick only received a sprain, all wrist injuries are painful. Think about how many daily tasks you need a healthy wrist to perform: writing, making 3 point turns.....other household tasks (wink, wink). Like big toes and A&W Root Beer, wrists are underrated. And the worst part about wrist injuries is, without rest, it's just going to linger like a single by the Cranberries in 1999.

I am alarmed mostly by this injury because Derrick's wrist directly coincides with his ability to make jumpers, which affects how the Bulls play, which affects whether or not the Bulls win, which ultimately affects Derrick Rose's chance of winning NBA MVP. I know this sounds like some sophomoric, meaningless flow chart from Lord of the Flies, but it's true. We know Derrick is not going to let himself take time off, and now with Joakim dressed in $32,000 pleated slacks on the Bulls bench, he's going to be asked to shoulder more of the burden, with one good wrist! Hopefully the Bulls can weather the storm and keep this current winning streak alive and well.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man completely underestimated how bad the Clippers really were. As the strolled into halftime with a 3 point lead Wednesday night, he was confident. Then, in the second half, the Clips couldn't reach the 20 point plateau in either quarter and they went on to lose by 15. Awful, awful basketball. For tonight, the Pulse Man likes the over in the Chargers/49ers tilt in San Diego, which is set at 45. Get back on that horse and ride.

Pick of the Day: 49ers @ Chargers, total points-45- OVER

Record:(40-26-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Circ-cess

Think about 1998 for a second. Third Eye Blind and Savage Garden were still relevant. Deep Impact and Armageddon managed to separately gross over $350,000,000 while sharing virtually the exact same plot. Gary Coleman was still alive and assaulting women bus drivers outside California shopping malls. Simpler times indeed. 1998 also happens to be the last time the Bulls returned home from their yearly "Circus Trip" with a winning record. In the past, the Bulls didn't just play below their potential on this annual 2-week tour of the Western Conference, they were a legitimate circus act. Of course, Eddy Curry was always the stationary elephant during his tenure in Chicago while the Bulls' collection of incapable coaches jumped through hoops to keep their job in tact. But this year, 12 years removed from a "Circus success" and the glory days of Pippen and Jordan, the Bulls are back on a winning track when they return home to the UC Wednesday to face one of the Eastern Conference's best in the Orlando Magic.

Over the course of their trip, the Bulls beat the Rockets, squeaked by the Mavs, outlasted the Suns in 2 OT's, and finally overcame the Kings in the 4th quarter to close out their trip. Not to mention, the Bulls were a 3rd quarter collapse away from beating the Spurs on the 17th, a Steve Blake and Shannon Brown shooting barrage of defeating the defending champion Lakers, and a few critical John Lucas III free throws away from stealing a win in Denver without D. Rose. The Bulls also had a few unfamiliar heroes step up along the way. Taj Gibson, who hadn't hit a 12-footer since training camp responded against the Mavericks with 19 points and 18 boards. And, in the biggest surprise since Mark McGrath was hired as the host of Don't Forget the Lyrics, CJ Watson lit up Denver for a game-high 32 points on an array of circus shots (no pun intended) that fell in with the help of the backboard, which he of course used unintentionally.

We are also anxiously awaiting Boozer's return, albeit mostly so we no longer have to see him in his ghastly sideline attire complete with a variety of suede jackets and v-neck merino wool sweaters, it's still a plus. And with the Bulls facing the Eastern Conference's elite in the coming week, someone is going to eventually relieve Derrick from carrying the team every night in only his 3rd season.

With all that being said, the Bulls have found themselves jockeying for position for a top 4 spot in the East. God knows Spolestra's shelf life in Miami is about the same as an opened bag of Romaine lettuce in your household fridge, so the Bulls better get their wins now with the Heat and the upstart Indiana Pacers closing the gap behind them. Still, the circus trip turned out to be a success for all. Previously, the only circus talk that Omer Asik had heard of was the album entitled "Circus' released by Britney Spears a few years back. And for D. Rose, I think his stiff neck injury was all a hoax, he needed some time off after he and his agent downed 6 bags of circus peanuts while flying over the Rocky Mountains.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man did it again and can only thank Derek Anderson for the immaculate Jeff George impression that he put on yesterday night on national television. The Cards are falling faster than a base jumper from contention in the worst division in football. Either way, a win is a win. For tonight, the Pulse Man likes Wake Forest giving 2 points to Iowa at home, much to the dismay of everyone's Iowan, Ashton Kutcher.

Pick of the Day: Iowa @ Wake Forest (-2)-WAKE FOREST

Record:(35-24-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

The Lake Show

Tonight in NYC on the Late Show with David Letterman, everyone's all-time favorite comedian, Jerry Seinfeld will appear alongside Colin Firth, whoever the hell that is. On the other side of the contingent United States in Los Angeles, the Chicago Bulls stroll into the Staples Center to be a part of the acclaimed "Lake Show". Along with countless starlets and "the Joker" himself, two childhood friends of mine, Jack "the Body" Groot and Jordan "JYD" Brodbeck will be paying customers of the Los Angeles Lakers tonight in the City of Angels ,rooting of course for your Chicago Bulls.

Going into Tuesday's contest as 8 point road underdogs on the 4th stop of their annual "Circus Trip", it would be a dicey proclamation to guarantee a Bulls win in front of Zac Efron and his gf. They are in LA, but it's not like they are facing the equivalent of an NBA bye-week, the Los Angeles Clippers. Winning tonight won't be as easy as pushing an easy button at some Staples department store(Staples Center, get it?)--the whole team needs to come to play. That means no turnover induced 3-minute stretches that ignite the purple and gold, no ill-advised CJ Watson 17-footers that barely draw iron, and lastly, you have to make Kobe give up the rock and have guys like Sasha Vujacic and Shannon Brown hit deep jumpers to beat you.

The Zen Master has the Lakers off to a 12-2 start and come into the game against the Bulls riding a 4-game winning streak as confidently as Red Pollard rode Seabiscuit in the late 1930's. Along with this, Phil has somehow managed to keep Matt Barnes and Ron Artest's volatile personalities harmonious in the same locker room, all while maintaining one of the most recognizable mustaches of all time on his way to 11 NBA titles. The Lakers have rarely lost at home in the regular season in Jackson's tenure and they have all kinds of good karma in LA. They have managed to keep Vujacic's engagement to Sharapova, Adrew Bynum's affairs with Rihanna, Kobe's rape case, and Luke Walton's relationship with every mid-20's girl in the Los Angeles metro area all away from becoming a distraction over the years. Maybe Phil has hired a team psychiatrist and Ron Artest's 'thank you' profession at the culmination of the NBA Finals last year was warranted.

But for tonight, with JYD and "the Body" looking on from the upper bowl, there simply is no way the Bulls don't cover the 8 point cushion that Vegas has allotted them. Perhaps this is all false hope. But "hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." Special thanks to Andy Dufrane from Shawshank. Now let's go take it to the Lakers like it's the 1991 NBA Finals and Jack Kevorkian can still help us out with assisted suicide if the Bulls go down hard.

As for Pick of the Day, after that rousing preview for tonight's game, the Pulse Man couldn't help but put his coins on the Bulls covering the 8 they are getting tonight. Staple it shut.

Pick of the Day: Bulls (+8) @ Lakers- BULLS

Record:(33-24-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

One Bad 'Spur'-t

Initially, people write off the San Antonio Spurs as "boring" and say things like, "how are those ancient geezers still relevant after a full decade with virtually the same team in the Western Conference?" The answer is...well, I don't know, but to say the Spurs as a team are boring is a misrepresentation. Yes, I agree that Tim Duncan is boring. I scoured his extensive 7-page Wikipedia page to find something interesting only to find that his college teammates affectionately called him "Mr.Spock" because of his emotionless demeanor, and he's a video game nerd who plays Dungeons and Dragons until his PC overheats in his free time. If you want to crown Tim Duncan as "the most boring athlete since Greg Maddux", that's fine. Go ahead and crown him. But, the rest of the Spurs team that used a 37-12 3rd quarter run to spur (no pun intended) a 103-94 victory in the city of the Alamo last night are actually rather compelling.

Everything starts with Tony Parker--the 'Parisian Torpedo', the 'Fiery Franchophile' if you will (Scoops Callahan). If you follow Tony close enough, you would remember his mildly talented brother who starred at PG for Northwestern, and also recall his father, Tony Parker Sr., who used his collegiate eligibility at Loyola. How the best of the three has no connections with Chicago? I guess you have to be a resident sports fan of Chicago long enough to figure that one out. If you follow Tony too closely, you may also note the release of his hip-hop single, Top of the Game, under the cleverly ingenious rap name, TP. In fact, the video also starred Spurs teammates Brent Barry, Nazr Mohammed and Tim Duncan, thus labeling it as the worst music video of all time. But through all of that, the facet of his life that led to him being one of the most recognizable French athletes on the planet crumbled at his feet Wednesday when his wife, Eva Longoria, filed for divorce amidst rumors of his infidelity. Still, Parker was able to be productive with 21 pts. and 7 dimes after realizing that he will never sleep with the most attractive 35 year-old women in the world ever again. Considering all of that would make for a pretty interesting storyline wouldn't you say?

To boot, the Spurs have a bizarro (yet better) version of Brian Scalabrine under contract in the omniscient Matthew Bonner. Bonner's ability to do absolutely nothing until you forget about him is uncanny. Then, when the defense trickles in towards the paint, Bonner cans a 3 that makes your heart sink like the end of Mr. Holland's Opus. Dude has made his last 9 triples! 9 shots in a row from 23 feet, 9 inches away. All from a ginger...SNAP!

When talking about the Spurs, it's hard to leave out the league's craftiest, most confrontational Argentine in Manu Ginobili. I have mentioned this before, but if you were a civilian strolling the San Antonio Riverwalk casually on a weeknight and walked past the man that is Manu, you would think he was on a cigarette break from his shift as the local Olive Garden's head chef. Besides the fact that he's 6'6'', Manu is 33, has a pronounced bald spot, and the eccentric attitude to consistently cause problems with the wait staff. I can just envision him being pestered by a smug, slightly overweight waitress about her table's food order and him replying, "Just-give-me-one-hot-minute" all in 3 syllables and with sweat beads cultivating on his nose.

Those are the three players that San Antonio used to stretch a 10-point Bulls advantage at halftime into a 15-point Spurs lead heading into the 4th quarter. Despite Derrick Rose's best effort to pull the Bulls off the canvas in the last frame with 9 straight points, the Bulls were plagued by turnovers and Joakim Noah missed free-throws in the 2nd half that eventually led to their demise Wednesday night in the AT&T Center. We all had assumed it would be a tough game for the Bulls; facing their second straight Western conference opponent on the road in back-to-back nights. But it is hard to swallow when you score 12 points in the 3rd quarter, and Omer Asik and CJ Watson have proven themselves to be the least capable scorers since the ABA and NBA merged in the late 70's. And by the way, for all those Noah fans who want to climb into his ark and defend his presence on the Bulls against Carmello, he missed consecutive free throws and had a traveling turnover with the Bulls down 5 late in the 4th. So there, you have your cake. Go ahead and eat it now.

As for the Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man covered his hockey parlay as both Washington and Minnesota won at home to put some change in the pocket of his cargo sweatpants. For tonight, the Pulse Man likes Loyola Chicago to cover the 10.5 points they're giving his alma mater, Eastern Illinois, tonight in the Gentile Center downtown. He never saw a game live in his 4 years of college, and certainly won't watch this one, but is confident they will lose by double digits.

Pick of the Day: Eastern Illinois @ Loyola Chicago (-10.5)- LOYOLA (-105)

Record:(32-24-0)

Now I'm done. Rack Me

Frost

Beat the Sweets

Derrick Rose's well documented love for candy is something I find absolutely fascinating. Between him and Lamar Odom, the Nestle Co. should be set on finances well into the next decade. Now, I don't know if both of these pro athlete's guardians kept the Willy Wonka DVD playing relentlessly on their home televisions throughout their childhood, or they're just die-hard fans of John Candy like everyone else. But, these players have gone to extreme measures to keep their sweet tooth satisfied. Odom has his own "candy man" who shops for the Lakers star and provides Lamar with industrial sized candy boxes by the boatload. And for Rose, well he just had a Skittles vending machine installed in his own house--no big deal. Although Rose swears that he's getting better, and Lamar crosses up and down that Khloe Kardashian is changing his diet (very hard to believe), both players continue to produce at the highest level of professional basketball. In that case, I don't care if you're skipping meals like Allie McBeal or pounding pork rinds with Kristie Alley, it's all kosher.

Derrick quarterbacked the Bulls in a hard fought contest in Oklahoma City last night, battling his counterpart Russell Westbrook in a fast paced game that had my eyes moving from left to right like I was taking a field sobriety test. Even though Rose was nagged by foul trouble in the 1st quarter and then again early in the 4th, he proved his worth when he was on the floor and solidified the captain status that Thibodeau heaped upon him just hours before tip-off. My only grievance with D Rose last night was his quick-trigger in certain instances of the game, but that is common during your first trip to the firing range each year (Actually I don't know, I've never been to the firing range, I'm not a hillbilly). But in the final stretch of the 4th, the Bulls crumbled like stray cheez-its under a couch cushion when push came to shove in the ThunderDome. On consecutive possessions down one point, the Bulls had a shot-clock violation and a turnover off of a Taj Gibson travel. In the NBA, you have to value every possession like it's your childhood blanket on the road against a good team, and the Bulls went from down 92-91 to down 12 and virtually out of reach to close out the game due to ill-advised carelessness on the offensive end.

On a more positive note, I thought Taj Gibson had some bright spots finishing some plays under the basket and looked like he could still be building off of his solid rookie campaign from a year ago. Also, Gibson and Bogans both look like they suffer from alopecia areata and could be featured in a TV ad with new cubs skipper Mike Quade nd former MTV veejay Matt Pinfield before the season is out (I'm imagining them all shaving their head in front of a mirror with machetes like Pedro Cerrano in Major League). And, for most of the game, the Bulls D looked stingy and worked as a cohesive unit and held the Durantula to a 'quiet' 30 points, if there is such thing. My other favorite thing about Wednesday's game was Durant's free-throw shoulder shake, that thing gets me every time (it reminds me of Jack Parkman's shake in Major League.."it makes the women here in Cleveland puke" -Bob Uecker-). Also, I was ecstatic that 'Byron' Mullens was in a suit on the bench. I hope he spends all of his rookie paycheck on tailored suits and then gets cut by Scott Brooks, he really deserves it. After all, it's an 82 game season and I knew we wouldn't win them all. 81-1 it is.

As for Pick of the Day, contrary to most people, I am thoroughly enjoying the paradigm associated in this World Series match-up. As the Skalr Bros. recently tweeted (say what you want about Cheap Seats and their guest appearances on Entourage, but the Sklar Brothers are great on Twitter) "I feel like SF vs. Texas is a battle between blue states and red states, tofu and steak, and Harvey Milk and the guy who killed him". With that being said, being the libertarian that Pulse Man is, he likes the Giants again in game 2 at (-105)

Pick of the Day: Rangers @ Giants- GIANTS, moneyline (-105)

Record: (26-21-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost