The Chicago Bears are good.

There I said it.

Good teams find a way to win. Bad teams find a way to lose. Would you rather take an ugly win or a pretty lost? I’ll take a win I don’t care. And to me strength of schedule is retarded this year. The way the NFL has been who this season who the hell knows what team is gonna play well.

Week 1. The only reason why Detroit was in the game was cuz we kept fumbling in the Red Zone.

Week 2. Dallas wasn’t bad yet. They still had Romo and were playing well. It’s easy to say in hindsight that they suck cuz of what happened. But at this point they were still competitive. They just grew tired of Phillips. Look at how they’ve played for Garrett. They’ve done well and might have played even better if they still had Romo.

Week 3. So what the Packers are undisciplined turds. Discipline is a huge part of football and one of the most over looked reasons why i think Lovie needs to stay. He keeps them disciplined.

Week 4. Well the Giants killed us. Pure and simple. They came out fighting for their coach’s job and made a statement.

Week 5. Ya we beat Carolina ugly. But Todd Collins blows.

Week 6. Should have beat Seattle. They should known they were gonna pound us with their new toy Marshawn Lynch. However we only lost by 3.

Week 7. Again lost by 3. And that’s with Cutler thinking he was Rex Grossman. Another game we beat ourselves. Our defense kept us in the game. They held them to 10 points. Take away Hall’s return and we win.

Week 9. Buffalo. Ya they suck but they played a bunch of close games in the previous weeks and were due a win. And we won by 3.

Week 10. Minnesota sucks, but it’s a division game and those are always games to be wary about. Won pretty solidly too by 14 points.

Week 11. Going in everyone was like this was the test for the Bears and then guess what the Chads go down and then it’s a walk in the park. I think not. The Dolphins are a running team. Their QB is usually irrelevant. They average 97.9 yards rushing a game. And that duo of Brown/Williams is dangerous. The Bears D held them to 39 yards and held them scoreless. I don’t care who you play to hold any NFL team scoreless is an accomplishment. And then the added pressure of playing on a shorten week is rough. And they dominated that game.

I don’t care who’s out for the Eagles. Hobbes, Samuels, whoever.
When we beat them maybe then finally we can get respect.

Everyone says their schedule has been soft, and that the wins don’t matter. But all you can do is win your games. There’s always an excuse for why we win. How bout we just win cuz we’re good?

This Sunday when the Bears clip the Eagles. There will be no doubt. This Bears team is for real.

Start sippin on that Bears Kool-Aid cuz it tastes mighty damn good.

After taking some time to look at the schedule, I have composed a list of the Top 15 Bulls games to look forward to this season. Now this isn't a list of games that will be most crucial to the success of the team. For example, There is not a single game on this last from during the Bulls annual “Circus Trip.” However the “Circus Trip” is very important in determining the success of the team. This is a completely subjective list of games that I think will be entertaining games. It could be entertaining for many reasons. Return of a former player, rivalry game, just a straight up good basketball game, etc

Wednesday October 27th @ Oklahoma City Thunder

It's the season opener, so that alone makes it a must watch. Add in the fact that OKC is a team on the rise featuring one of the best young players in the league, Kevin Durant. Not only that, Durant and Rose will be fresh off their Team USA tenure in Turkey. These two have shown flashes of greatness while playing together. Now they go head to head in what could be one of the leagues' most interesting future rivalries.

Saturday October 30th vs Detroit Pistons

It's the home opener. Not only that but it's division rival Detroit, which is usually always a good game. It's also marks the return of Ben Gordon, one of the most controversial Bulls in recent memory. When the Bulls played against him last year he wasn't healthy. I fully expect a healthy Ben Gordon and newly signed Tracy McGrady to come out firing looking to burn the Chicago Bulls.

Friday November 5th @ Boston Celtics

Five games into the season, we get a match up against our newest rival, the Boston Celtics. Considering I believe we'll be contending with the C's for the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference this game will be a good measuring stick to see how we stack up against the current Eastern Conference Champs. It's also head coach Tom Thibodeau's first game against his former team. Two things of note for this early season showdown. Since it's early on in the season, the Celtics Big 3 will be healthy. Garnett, Pierce, and Allen will all be well rested and trying to prove that the Celtics are the team to beat in the East. And while they will be healthy, Chicago fan favorite Kendrick Perkins will still be out injured because of his Game 6th injury in the NBA Finals last year, which means we should be getting a (very) large dose of the Big Leprechaun, Shaq.

Saturday November 13th vs Washington Wizards
I don't expect this to be a close game. The Bulls should beat the Wizards pretty easily. However, this is the first game for former #1 overall draft pick DerrickRose to play against the current #1 overall pick, John Wall. Wall figures to be an immediate contribute to the Wizards and will be looking to make a name for himself. And then of course we have the return of Kirk Hinrich to the United Center. Good ol' Captain Kirk. I fully expect him to get a standing ovation. A pre-game, halftime, and post game speech. Jersey retirement. And I hear there is plans to tear down the Jordan statue and replace it with a Kirk Hinrich one. Oh how I can't wait to see Kirk use his “lockdown” defense on Rose.

Wednesday December 1st vs Orlando Magic

This is the first game home after our Circus Trip and it should be a tough one. Orlando figures to be on of the top teams in the East, so this will be a good test for the Bulls to see if they're for real or not. And then there is the added subplot of Dwight Howard vs Derrick Rose. Howard made a habit out of committing hard fouls on Derrick last season, and even hitting him hard enough to cause him to miss the rest of the game. With Noah back and Boozer being added, I don't think Dwight is gonna be able to get away with taking shots at the franchise anymore. I expect this to be a rough and very physical game between two teams who think they can win it all.

Monday December 6th vs Oklahoma City Thunder

This is the Thunder's only trip the the United Center this year. It's the last chance to see Durant and Rose lock horns before they meet in the Finals. Hahahaha. Just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention. But seriously how awesome would a Oklahoma City vs Chicago be as the NBA Finals?

Friday December 10th vs Los Angles Lakers
The only time Kobe and crew rolls into the United Center this season. Should be interesting to see how we match up against their size and length. Boozer and Utah got dominated by the Lakers size last year, but now Boozer finally has a legit center in Noah to help him go against the Lakers big guys. Another good test to see where this team is at.

Saturday December 18th vs the Los Angles Clippers
Former #1 overall pick Blake Griffin missed all of his rookie year last year because of a knee injury. He's supposedly healthy and ready to play. It's also the return of longtime Bull great Vinny Del Negro. Vinny was the definition for average head coach in the past 2 seasons as Bulls head coach. And while it could have been worse for the first time head coach, Vinny proved he was no Phil Jackson and was fired after this last season. I'm sure Vinny's fiery Italian attitude has him all ready for this retribution game. I just hope he knows we have Paxson chained in the team tunnel ready to throw it down.

Saturday December 25th @ New York Knicks

Merry Christmas Derrick Rose! You have a prime time game on Christmas against the “No-Defense” Knicks. This is your chance for a 60 point Christmas game that will be added to your future DVD box set.

Tuesday December 28th vs Milwaukee Bucks

This is the first match up against division foe Milwaukee. Milwaukee was on the path to be an upset specialist in the playoffs last year, and then Andrew Bogut got hurt in a freak accident. Without Bogut the Bucks had no big man, which essentially crushed their chance for success in the playoffs. It also marks the return of John “The Fish” Salmons and Scott Skiles. Should be interesting to see if Fish is up to his usual first half of season suckage.

Saturday January 15th vs the Miami Heat

Three months into the season and we finally get to play the Miami Heat. The Human Centipede. The Superfriends. The Three AmEgos. Whatever you want to call them, they will be a force to be reckon with in the NBA. Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh were all candidates to be wearing a Bulls uniform this season, however in a very well publicized free agency they all decided to take their talents to South Beach. There is no doubt this team is going to have a huge bulls eye on it's back all season. And the trash talking has already begun. It's no secret Lebron James and Joakim Noah don't get along. But now in an effort to add fuel to the fire there are reports that James is not on best terms with Rose either, due to Rose's lack of enthusiastic recruiting this off season. And Loul Deng and Lebron James had their fair share of words in the playoffs last season. People seem to forget that coming out of high school Lebron James was rated #1 in the country with Loul Deng being #2. These two are no strangers to each other and I fully expect Loul to continue the great defense he usually has on Lebron. Dwayne Wade has been a constant thorn in the side of the Bulls since he came into the league. He's eliminated us in the playoffs, we've done the same to him. We've hurt his shoulder. He's sunk running three pointers to beat us in overtime. If you could watch only one regular season game this year. This is the game.

Wednesday February 9th @ the Utah Jazz
The Chicago Bulls did a pretty good job in raiding Jerry Sloan's Jazz of talent this past off season (Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, and Ronnie Brewer). All three of these guys return to Utah in what should be an emotinal return for all three. I fully expect all three to play their best basketball on this night to show Utah why they should have been kept.

Sunday March 6th @ the Miami Heat

Well there's all the reasons above. And then this is a marquee noon matchup that the whole country will be watching. It's in Miami and it could a win that would put the Bulls on the map as the team that has arrived.

Thursday April 7th vs the Boston Celtics

It's the 5th to last game of the season, and it could be crucial in regards to playoff seeding. And of course it's Boston so it should be a good game.

Sunday April 19th @ Orlando Magic

Much like the aforementioned Boston game, the Magic and us figure to be battling for playoff seeding, and the positioning might come down to this late season showdown between us and the Magic.

This Thursday is the NBA Trade Deadline. Not only is it the NBA Trade Deadline, it will be one of biggest days in Bulls history. This Thursday could be the day us Chicagoans look back at and say that's the day that our title run began. It is no secret that this coming summer is the biggest summer of Free Agency in the history of the league. The Bulls are looking to be major players and hope they can sign two of the biggest names on the market this summer to play alongside Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. If this happens, the Bulls will be a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference for years to come.

But it's not as easy as it sounds. The Bulls currently have $37,658,976 for next year's payroll. With an estimated Salary cap around 52 million for next year, They'll have around 12 million in cap room once you figure out roster and draft pick holds.

Luol Deng $11,345,000

Kirk Hinrich $9,000,000

John Salmons $5,808,000

Derrick Rose $5,546,160

Joakim Noah $3,128,536

James Johnson $1,713,600

Taj Gibson $1,117,680

15th pick (guess)$1,443,300

Roster hold$473,604

Roster hold$473,604

Roster hold$473,604

Total:$40,523, 088

12 million is not enough for a Max free agent, let alone two. A max contract figures to be around$16,568,908 next season. So how do we make room for a max free agent?

The first thing to do to that clears cap room, is to pray that John Salmons exercises his Early Termination Option (ETO). If Salmons opts out of his contract and decides to test the free agency waters that removes $5,808,000 from our 2010 payroll bringing us down to $34,715,088 in salary and giving us around 17 million for a max free agent, which is just barely enough.

So yes it is possible to make no trades and still have a shot at affording a max player next season. However, with the year Salmons is having there are no guarantees he will opt out. He most likely will due to wanting to get a new contract on this current CBA as opposed to waiting til 2011 and having to deal with a new CBA that will most likely lower salaries.

I rather be more proactive and guarantee that we will have cap room next season. The best way to do this is to move the long term contracts of Kirk Hinrich and Loul Deng.

Moving Kirk Hinrich is going to be a tough one. He is making 9 million next season and 8 million the year after that. That's an extremely high price tag for a guy who is essentially a back-up point guard. I've heard rumblings of the Celtics and Lakers being interested in Kirk. However with the Celtics already changing their minds and focusing on Nate Robinson now, the Lakers are the only option. The only problem is the Lakers don't have many expiring contracts and refuse to part with Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar. So what I propose is Adam Morrison and Derek Fisher for Kirk Hinrich. Morrison and Fisher are both expiring deals. This will give us an extra 9 million dollars in cap space for next season. Both players wouldn't do much. Morrison would most likely be buried on the bench and I would just buy-out Fisher's contract and let him rest for 30 days and then return to the Lakers. So while we might not get a player in return this year, that extra 9 million dollars this summer is more valuable then any player Kirk Hinrich would be able to be traded for.

Now unlike Kirk Hinrich, Loul Deng only should be traded if we can get something of substance for him. Deng has a ton of potential and a core of Rose, Deng, Noah, and a max free agent should be able to contend. So there is no hurry to just dump Loul Deng, however now is the chance to sell high on him if we can. There are several trade possibilities for Deng and I would also include Tyrus in this package. Here's a list of trade possibilities:

Deng/Tyrus for Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver (Utah)

I love this trade. Both Boozer and Korver are expiring contracts, it would clear out roughly 12 million extra dollars in cap room for the summer. But Boozer and Korver can play. Korver could become that 3 point shooter that we've been searching for all season since we lost Ben Gordon (Hey look! I made it this far without mentioning BG! Go me!). And I believe Boozer would be an excellent fit with Rose. It also saves Utah around 2 million this year getting them closer to getting out of the luxury tax. And it gives them two very good young players to play with Williams.

Deng/Tyrus for A'mare Stoudamire (Phoenix)

Any time you get a chance to acquire an All-Star you have to do it, well unless it's Iverson. As I type this I'm hearing news of Cleveland getting closer to acquiring A'mare. This is bad news pairing Lebron and Stoudamire is bad news for the Eastern Conference. Not only will it be extremely difficult to beat Cleveland, it will most likely lead to Lebron staying in Cleveland. If Lebron stays with A'mare then Bosh goes to Miami to play with Wade in the hopes that they can beat the A'mare/Lebron duo. And then the Bulls get stuck with Joe Johnson and Rudy Gay and we are stuck in NBA hell for the next decade. No thanks. Get A'mare now and hope Rose/A'mare/Noah is enough to attract Lebron or Wade next year.

Deng/Tyrus for Al Jefferson (Minnesota)

Not only is Al Jefferson a good young player, but he has tremendous value around the league. I don't believe Jefferson would be a good fit in the Bulls uptempo, fast-paced basketball style however by obtaining Jefferson, you give yourself a valuable trade piece that you could use to work out a sign and trade with Toronto in the summer for Bosh.

If we make the Hinrich trade and one of the above trades we would be in tremendous shape. We would have potentially at least 25 million in cap room next season and that's without Salmons opting out. We would be able to be big time players next season. None of the trades cripple us enough this season that I don't think we wouldn't be able to make the playoffs this year either. I think a team of Rose/Noah/Deng or player we trade Deng for would be a good enough team to get into the playoffs.

If the Bulls are truly interested in going all out for 2010, then they need to get to work now.

I tried this in the ESPN trade machine and it works.

Chicago gets

SF Terrence Williams (NJN)
SG Tracy McGrady (Hou)

PG Steve Blake (Por)
SF Travis Outlaw (Por)

The Nets get

SG John Salmons (Chi)

PF Tyrus Thomas (Chi)

Portland gets

C Tony Battie (NJN)

Houston gets

PG Kirk Hinrich (Chi)

C Jerome James (Chi)

SF Bobby Simmons (NJN)


Why Chicago does this:
-unload Kirk and Salmons
-get something for Tyrus

-Gives us more 2010 flexibility with Tracy McGrady (s+t or go over the cap t bring back if he plays well with Rose)

-Another young SF/SG hybrid in Terrence Williams who wanted to come to Chicag when he was being drafted


Why Portland does this:
-giving up two expirings to get another

-But get the big man they needed to backup Joe Pryz


Why New Jersey does this
-To change up the team
-Not ruining any 2010 plans

-See if Devin Harris and Ty Thomas play well together

Why Houston does this
-unloading McGrady

-Adding Kirk doesn't ruin 2010 plans and gives them a nice 3rd guard behind Brooks and Ariza

- 2 expiring contracts

What do you all think?

Alright here we go. It’s summer time so that means it’s the Bull’s off-season.  This summer will be a critical summer in determining where this franchise is heading in the future. So here I go with the first of many trade proposals.

Okay news came out today that Toronto is going to offer Chris Bosh a huge contract and if he declines (99% likely) they will trade him this summer. There have also been recent reports that the Bulls are shopping Tyrus Thomas and are looking to move up in the draft. I believe if they move up it’s to get either Hasheem Thabeet or Jordan Hill. Jordan Hill reminds me a lot of Chris Bosh so let’s just say we won’t need both Bosh and Hill. So say we’re looking to get Thabeet.

I have come up with 2 trades that get this done.

Trade for Thabeet:
We’re going to have to move up to #2 or #3 to get him. So we’re looking at dealing with the Washington Wizards or Clippers.  Let’s try to deal with the Wizards.
I offer them

Bulls Send:
Tyrus Thomas
And Kirk Hinrich

For

Washington Sends:
The #2 overall
Etan Thomas

Why the Bulls do this:
They get to draft Thabeet. Duh.

Why the Wizards do this:
With Gilbert Arenas constantly hurt, and no other good guard on the team Hinrich would be a much welcomed into their guard rotation. Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler are good front court players however they like Arenas get hurt quite a bit. Tyrus Thomas would inject a youthful frontcourt body into their team, and he has proven he can contribute to his team. I know you’re thinking but why won’t they want a draft pick back? Washington is an older team, they don’t have time to wait for a player develop. They are in a win-now mode. Draft Picks won’t be that helpful to them.

Trade For Chris Bosh:
This one is going to be a little different. With Toronto knowingly having to move Bosh, and the fact that will go into a rebuilding mode after they trade away their franchise player, they’re going to have to sell lower then what market value would be for a franchise player, if a team is stupid enough to trade away a franchise player.

Bulls Send:
Loul Deng
Draft Pick #16
Brad Miller
Jerome James
Tim Thomas
Anthony Roberson

For

Toronto Send:
Chris Bosh

Why The Bulls do this:
They get Chris Bosh. Again Duh….

Why Toronto Does This:
Bosh leaving sends Toronto into a rebuilding year. They have received 4 expiring contracts that they can use to enter the Dream Free Agent Summer of 2010 or maybe make a trade for Stoudamire at the deadline. They get Loul Deng who could be a new pivotal building block to their new team. And they get another higher draft pick at #16. They could package #16 and their #9 and maybe move up higher in the draft.

So there you go two trades that would instantly make the Bulls one of the best teams in the league. And both trades are plausible. If we hold onto our #26 pick we could use it to draft Tyler Hansbrough rough (he’s projected to go late first round). Then our team, (including a newly re-signed Ben Gordon) will look something like this.

PG Derrick Rose/Ben Gordon
SG Ben Gordon/DeMarcus Nelson
SF John Salmons/Tyler Hansbrough
PF Chris Bosh/Tyler Hansbrough/Joakim Noah
C Joakim Noah /Hasheem Thabeet/Omer Asik (If he comes to the NBA this year)

The Arizona Cardinals have reduced their trade demands for disgruntled receiver Anquan Boldin to a second-round pick in Saturday's draft and other considerations and are talking to at least three teams who seem to be newly interested, two sources told EPSN's Sal Paolantonio on Friday.

-From ESPN

I know it would be unlike Jerry to make another massive trade, but if we're gonna use our 2nd rounder on a WR, why not get one who is proven?

I say offer them our 2nd and a 6th, maybe toss in Hillenmeyer or Clark and I say get this thing done.

It would be huge if we were able to do this.

Okay I've calmed down a bit.
I realize the series is still far from over.
The Bulls still have a shot to pull this off.

In a way I'm kinda glad what happened tonight happened.

The Bulls have been through a crazy past week.
They really think they were a great team who could go all the way.
Which they can, but only if they give 180%.
Anything less will result in a lost.

I think with them having the C's on the ropes and then all the injuries they thought they could just go home and give a meh performance and win. Well guys, no you can't.

And the Bulls seem to have a really poor shooting night as a team every seven games or so. As you would expect with a jump shooting team. This was one of those nights. It appeared as if none of them could throw a rock into the ocean. Better this happens in Game 3 as opposed to Game 6 or 7.


In Game 4 we need:

Some intensity from Derrick. He's been pretty passive since Game 1. It's almost like "okay I proved my point, now let's let my teammates score." He needs to realize he is by far our best player. And he needs to take over.

Tyrus and Noah need to be active. With Boston having so few big men left, not to mention they're all fat pieces of crap/really old/really white (I'm looking at you Scalabrine), we need to make them run and get them in foul trouble. If we force them to play Paul at the 4, we're in good shape.

Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller have to do something. Our bench should be miles better then the Boston bench. Hinrich and Miller should be > Mikki Moore, Tony Allen, Eddie House, Stephon Marbury. Before Derrick came around Hinrich was a huge factor on the team. So what the hell is going on?
I'm still amazed at the amounts of time I saw Marbury get by Hinrich, who is supposedly a great defender. Stephon freakin Marbury. We need something out them. They can't just come in and play "quality" minutes aka don't do anything, but don't screw up minutes. We need to see them take full advantage of the Boston scrubs when they're out there.

Last but not least. John Salmons needs to learn how to play in the flow of our offense again.
He's starting to do what Gooden and Noch did before we shipped them out. Every couple possessions or so, it becomes a John Salmons possession. He takes the ball and we essentially run an isolation for him and let him play with the ball and "create" his own shot. This does not work. I understand he's trying to tire out Pierce by making him play some defense, but he should know he doesn't need to ball to make Pierce work. Run around through picks and screens instead. By having these Salmons possessions in ruins the Bulls offense flow. They need to stop.


I hope this serves as a massive wake-up call to a young team who needs to realize they need to bring the effort every night, if they want a chance to win this series.

http://deadspin.com/5134539/super-bowl-eh-anquan-boldin-has-bigger-things-to-worry-about-like-anquan-boldin


I think Angelo has to make a move for this guy.
Take Boldin, Hester, re-signed Lloyd, and Bennett and we have a pretty decent enough WR corp, that I believe we could win with.

Boldin is a solid number one. Hester could learn from one of the best and hopefully continue to grow. Lloyd, if cheap, will be an excellent number 3, and Bennett could round out the group. Davis might stay on the team for Special Teams purposes.


I'm gonna be very upset if we let this guy get away.


Dangle a first rounder Jerry and go get him!

"It was my decision if I was going to play or not, and I didn't feel like I could be out there," said Orton, who dressed as the emergency No. 3 quarterback and stood on the sidelines observing the 21-14 loss to the Titans. "Coach (Lovie Smith) gave me up until (Sunday) morning to decide, and he said the decision was mine. I just didn't feel like I could help in any way.

"If I feel like I can help next week, I'll definitely be out there."

"I feel like I have a great chance," he said. "I'm pretty happy with where I am at right now compared to a week ago. It hurts when you put pressure on it. Hopefully we'll just continue to make the same amount of improvement this week."

Full story at
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=249465

I really hope he continues to improve and is ready to go against GB.
I just worry cuz GB likes to blitz a lot and they take a lot of  cheap shots.
I wouldn' t be shocked in an D-Line man rolled into Orton's ankle on accident.

[ed. note, 11/07/08 3:24 PM CST:  No Shaq, No Matt Barnes for the Suns tonight.]

[Thanks to Edicus for today's game preview -ed.]

7:30 PM CST, CSN 

Bulls
Record: 2-3
coached by Vinny Del Negro
2 game losing streak
Scored 94.0 points per game, Allowed 96.0 points per game

Suns
Record: 4-1
coached by Terry Porter
3 game winning streak
Scored 106.4 points per game, Allowed 98.2 points per game

Know Thy Enemy:  Bright Side Of The Sun

                                                           PROBABLE STARTERS

Key Matchups:

Stoudemire vs Thomas
Stoudemire is coming off a great game. He scored 49 points on 17-21 shooting.
Tyrus has been struggling this season, but has not been given consistent minutes in the past couple games. It is going to be very tough for Tyrus, who is not a very good one-on-one defender to try to stop Stoudemire.

Gooden vs Shaq
Gooden's lack of size is going to come into play big time.
Shaq has been playing decently this season averaging 12 points and 8 rebounds.
Gooden needs to pop out and hit the mid-range jumper, and make Shaq come out and follow him.

 The Burning Questions:

• Will Hinrich/Gordon realize that Rose needs the ball in his hands at the end of the game?
• Will VDN continue to use gimmicky line-ups?
• Will Tyrus and Noah play substantial minutes?
• Can the Bulls contain Stoudemire?
• Can the Bulls end their two game skid, and beat a play-off contender?

I hope I'm wrong but my prediction is....
Suns 124
Bulls 102

GO BULLS!

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=509~1711~356~510&teams=14~18~18~4&te=&cash=

Bulls get
Shawn Marion

Heat get
Stephon Marbury

Knicks get

Larry Hughs

and Drew Gooden


Why the Bulls do this:
Clear up guard space.
And Marion and Gooden are pretty much the same players stat wise (10 pts 10 rebs). But Marion can run the floor better.

Why the Heat do this:
They are one of the only teams who have shown interest in Marbury.
They have shown they are willing to part with Marion.

Why the Knicks do this:
They get rid of Marbury.
And get two decent role players in Hughes and Gooden.
And they clear mega cap space.

8 Million this year, and 12 million next year.

Hunter Hillenmeyer will not be able to go this weekend when we play Detriot.

Nick Roach will start in his place, and Jamar Williams will also see some playing time.

I'm looking for a web source, but I heard it reported on ESPN 1000.

If I locate a websource. I'll edit it into the post.

**Edit**

I found this

Wed, Oct 29 Brad Biggs, of the Chicago Sun-Times, reports Chicago Bears LB Hunter Hillenmeyer (thumb) was limited during practice Wednesday, Oct. 29.

Tue, Oct 28 Brad Biggs, of the Chicago Sun-Times, reports Chicago Bears LB Hunter Hillenmeyer (thumb) underwent thumb surgery during the team's Week 8 bye. His status for Week 9 is uncertain. If he is not able to play, LB Nick Roach or LB Jamar Williams could earn playing time.

Mon, Oct 27 Brad Biggs, of the Chicago Sun-Times, reports Chicago Bears LB Hunter Hillenmeyer (hand) was held out of practice Monday, Oct. 27.

Just some notes on the Bulls, that I've noticed.

Rose-Is greatness. This kid is going to be extremely special, and is easily the most talented player on the team.

Noch-Seems to be the only player who seems to fully understand the catch and shoot offense. Float around to an open spot and Rose will find you. And you just shoot the ball.  I would even go as far to say that he should start over Deng.

Deng- Very underwhelmed by Deng. I dunno if he's just lofting til the regular season. I hope he is. Cuz as of right now it's looking like we spent 80 mil for nothing, he seems to completely disappear during games.

Thabo- He looks just flat out lost. Wanders around and that's it. Defensively he's serviceable. And he seems to play decently with Rose. But offensively he's really lacking. He needs to go the route of Duhon and learn that defenses are gonna give him the 3. He learns how to knock it down.

Hinrich- Ummmm can someone tell Hinrich that Derrick Rose has arrived? You would think he would be playing his ass for fear of his status with the team, but he appears to still be in that funk from last season. Personally he would be the player I would be shopping around for a trade.

Gray- Offensively he's pretty gifted. He has great hands, and some pretty nice moves. However if he's not posting someone up he's useless. He's always out of position. He has a hard time getting rebounds unless they hit him right in the hands. And he doesn't seem to know how to get out someone's way when they're driving.

Noah- I'm very disappointed with Noah. I was a big fan of his even while in college. But this year he seems like he has lead in his shoes. He's very slow, doesn't seem to jump, and most importantly he's not hustling out there at much. And if he's not hustling then what is he doing? He doesn't score, so he plays cuz of his defense and hustle.
I really hope he realizes this, cuz we need all the help we can get at Center.

Gooden-  Nothing special here. He's a typical 15-8 guy. He can score when he wants to, and he's not horrible on Defense. I don't like using him at Center since he's obviously overmatched. But since we're lacking big men, I guess he'll have to do.

Gordon- I would love to talk about Gordon, but what is there to talk about? He's hardly played in the pre-season. I've yet to tell how he plays with Rose or how he fits in Vinny's system. So for now Gordon gets an Incomplete.

Hughes-  Well Hughes is going to be out now due to his injury. And I don't mean any ill-will towards Hughes but it's a good thing. It's one less guard we have to play. Now in my opinion Hinrich and Hughes are on about the same level. Neither has done anything extremely special this preseason. Hughes really needs to stop chucking the ball and get back to driving. I thought that was his biggest beef in Cleveland, that he couldn't drive. Well no one is stopping him here. Why doesn't he go to the rim anymore.

The moved him up from the practice squad and gave him a four year deal.

Looking for a link but can't find one.

I just saw it on Comcast Sports Nite.

Not really much of a shock considering we're lacking at CB depth

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Just saw the news on NFL Network.

Not looking good for the Bears this week.

With injuries to Lloyd, Tillman, Vasher, and Harris.

Not to mention the other little nagging injuries that Hester and Booker have.

Our wide-receivers are looking pretty weak now.

More than ever we're going to need our TE's to step up.
I would suggest using all 3 of them this weekend.

Hopefully it's nothing serious and Lloyd can be back next weekend

http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/09/03/colts-actually-debating-whether-or-not-to-kick-to-devin-hester/

So apparently the Colts don't know if they should kick it to Hester or not.

I really hope they're confident in their SP enough to kick it him.

Cuz I'm fairly certain he'll break another one.

How sweet would that be. First regular season play in their new stadium and Hester takes it to the house.

That would take the wind right out of their sails.

He has been named the opening day starter.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp08/news/story?id=3541383

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