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Mitch Trubisky Comes From a Town of Unlikely Success Stories

By
Erik Lambert
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ryan pace draft trade

Often the best way to understand a person is by where they come from. People born on the west coast almost invariably grow up with different principles and personalities than people from the deep south. Same goes for people from the east coach and Pacific northwest. Chicago Bears fans are dying to know more about their new quarterback Mitch Trubisky. For months experts have dug deeply into his personal background. Granted some fascinating details came to light, but nobody bothered to look at his home town.

Trubisky was born and raised in Mentor, Ohio. It’s a suburban community about 25 miles northeast of Cleveland. It has a population of roughly 46,000 people and is known best for its abundant rosebushes. CNN recently ranked it as the 37th best place in the United States to live. All in all it’s a classic piece of Americana.

What people may not know is it has another reputation that isn’t explored much. One that may excite Bears fans if they’re the superstitious type. Mentor actually has a history of producing people who go from humble beginnings to big success in the world. Some might call them overachievers. This town has done its fair share.

James A. Garfield

Easily the most famous person to come from there is James Garfield. For those who didn’t pay attention in history class he was the 20th President of the United States. A classic rags-to-riches story. Raised by a single mother on a farm, he left home at age 16. After working various jobs he got a formal education and entered politics.

“If the power to do hard work is not a skill, it’s the best possible substitute for it.”

His star really rose when the Civil War broke out in 1861. After serving admirably he used that distinction to become an Ohio Congressman in 1863. From there he climbed the ladder to become president in 1881. He was 50-years old. Sadly his reign only lasted a few months before he was shot by an angry office-seeker. Garfield later died of his wounds. Nonetheless, what he’d achieved was no less remarkable given where he’d started.

Katie Spotz

Some may recognize the name for making the news a few times but Spotz was a perfect encapsulation of how people from Mentor just seem to find personal success through sheer hard work. She first reached fame when she became the first person ever to swim the entire length of the Allegheny River. A distance of 325 miles. Little did anybody know she was just warming up.

Just two years later she became the youngest person ever (and the first American) to row the entire length of the Atlanta Ocean from Senegal, Africa to French Guiana, South America. By the time she’d finished, the distance covered stood at 2,817 miles.

Joe Jurevicius

Now for an NFL example for Bears fans wondering where this is going. The Mentor boost has happened to football players as well. In this case a former wide receiver by the name of Joe Jurevicius. Same story setup. He was a relatively unexciting talent from Penn State who made just 94 catches in three college seasons. He never really got a fair shake when he first reached the pros, playing part-time role with the New York Giants.

It wasn’t until 2002 where he showed the world what he could do. After a quiet regular season, he exploded in the playoffs for 197 yards and a touchdown across three games. This included a huge catch in the NFC championship that helped get his Tampa Bay Buccaneers in position to take the lead. A moment that many hail as the turning point of the teams’ fortunes.

The Buccaneers won the game 27-10 and went on to crush Oakland in the Super Bowl. If that weren’t enough, Jurevicius wasn’t done. Three years later he had his best season with the Seattle Seahawks. A year that saw him score 10 touchdowns. He might’ve been the MVP of the Super Bowl that year had they won given his five catches for 93 yards.

Trubisky is next

Now here he is. Trubisky is an unlikely success story in his own right already. He only started one season at quarterback in college and that was at North Carolina. A school known more for its basketball heritage than football prowess. Yet his endless dedication and laser focus enabled him to become the second overall pick in the draft.

People continue to doubt him. They feel he’s destined for failure. He didn’t get enough college experience. He was drafted by the Bears, a team notorious for its quarterback woes. He’s heard it all by this point and the young man doesn’t seem to care. The hard work continues regardless. To him the only way he fails is if he stops giving it everything he’s got.

That may sound corny and cliche and naive to many people. For a native of Mento, Ohio? It’s based in a rich history of proven reality.

An Exclusive Look Inside The Cubs Clubhouse

By
Gus
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While most people were working at a job they hate yesterday, I was lucky enough to get an inside look at the Chicago Cubs clubhouse. Mind you, this isn’t exactly a place where you can meet your buddies for a beer and check out where the team gets ready for games so the fact I was able to find my way in to the heart of Wrigley Field was a pretty bad ass experience.

I started my day around 2:00 with the “generic” tour of Wrigley Field. This is the tour that any fan can pay to do and if you’re a history buff, I strongly encourage you to do just that. Right off the bat, I was bombarded with endless knowledge about Cubs history and fun facts as we walked around the park and enjoyed the beautiful Friday afternoon (it would have been better if they were selling beer but that’s neither here nor there.)

Our first stop was down the left field line where we got a chance to listen to the history of Wrigley Field and how the team got their Cubs nickname. After about a 15-minute history lesson, we moved to the bleachers and learned about the famous Wrigley scoreboard as well as the meaning of some of the flags that are on top of the field itself. I love the scoreboard and all but the fact that it was about 85 degrees with zero cloud cover meant we had to listen to more facts while we were getting destroyed by the sun.

After we finished contracting melanoma in the bleachers, we made our way up to the press box where we got to see Gary Pressy’s organ and media row. There were four rows of assigned seating for media members and I sat down in the first seat that I saw was open in the third row. How random is it that the seat I sat in belonged to a good friend of mine who covers the Cubs, Eugene McIntosh of the Chicago Defender. While we were in the press box, a wedding party made their way on to center field to take some awesome wedding photos which effectively captured all of our attention while our tour guide was trying to tell us just how old the press box is.

On our way out of the press box, we stopped by the visitor’s clubhouse which to be honest, was pretty shitty. I’ve seen high school locker rooms that had better amenities. It had about 20 locker stalls, one bathroom with eight showers, one cooler, and a managers office that had a metal desk and a dial up telephone.

Just a little out of date to say the least.

The Clubhouse

That would have been a pretty cool day if it ended there but the fun hadn’t even started yet. I won’t fully explain how the next part happened because I want to make sure I don’t get anyone in trouble but let’s just say some conversations were had and before I knew it, I was on my way to the Cubs clubhouse.

Once again, this is not something that you can just walk into. The place was protected like Fort Knox by at least five to ten different security personnel.

I’ve been to Wrigley Field more times then I can count but this was the only time that I had absolutely no clue where I was at in the stadium. I started in the main concourse and made my way towards Waveland Ave. and then took a left into a stairwell that looked pretty plain. I started walking down some stairs and saw the following signs.

So at this point I’m essentially shitting my pants because once you go through the doorway you see on the left side of the picture above, I’m thinking the clubhouse will be on the other side.

Wrong.

First you have to walk down two long hallways that are lined on each side with pictures and Cubs paraphernalia that were impossible to take off the walls and put under your shirt (or so I heard.)

Notice how they had to change “When it happens” to “Where it happens.” You know, because of that whole ‘2016 World Series Champion’ thing.

To be quite honest with you, it took me a solid 30-minutes just to walk the two long hallways because I was so blown away at how awesome it looked. I didn’t take any pictures of the photos on the walls but pretty much any famous photo from last year’s postseason was hanging in 48 x 72 picture frames.

After I finally got through admiring all the photos and ensuring that they were safely secured on the walls, I was finally at the entrance of the clubhouse.

In case you’re unaware, the Cubs have only been in this new 30,000 sq. foot facility since last season. Their old clubhouse was a small little box that was not conducive for a winning baseball team so when Tom Ricketts took the team over, he argued if you want a winning ball club, you need winning facilities.

Here’s their old clubhouse.

I’m only showing you the old clubhouse to make you fully appreciate what you’re about to see in their new place.

I had seen pictures of the clubhouse before but it wasn’t until I actually got to see it in person that I really appreciated how impressive it is. The circular design of the room was done intentionally to drive home the message of equality and team. One of the main architects of the room, Theo Epstein, explains,

“There’s no one player who has a loftier position or loftier stature than any other player,” Epstein said. “They’re all equals. They’re all teammates.”

As soon as I entered, I took a hard right and started to look at each of the players lockers. Each player had their home white jersey hanging up, which of course I made sure were securely fasted to their lockers in case anyone thought about walking out with one.

If you notice at the end of the video, there was a locker that didn’t have a jersey hanging up. I looked at the nameplate and saw “Kyle Schwarber” and possibly became a bit depressed due to the fact he’s no longer on the big league roster. I did find it interesting however that Schwarber kept an Ohio State football helmet in his locker to pay homage to both his home state (and football) roots.

As I made my way around the clubhouse, I became fascinated with the random stuff that each player kept in their locker. Jake Arrieta had some weird looking white rabbit statue, CJ Edwards had a copy of David Ross’ book, Willson Contreras had a huge box of Skittles, Addison Russell had a few Ninja Turtles, and World Series MVP Ben Zobrist had — well, everything.

He was the only player on the team that had that amount of gear in his locker. I’m guessing that’s due to his recent stint on the DH and he’s been spending a lot more time in the clubhouse as he’s rehabbing each day.

Lastly, I couldn’t leave the heart of Wrigley Field without seeing the lockers of the two guys who are the heart of the Cubs, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. Luckily, the Cubs decided the two should have lockers right next to each other so it wasn’t too hard for me to track down.

Sorry that my ugly mug is in the way but these two guys can do no wrong in my eyes so I had to get a picture in there somehow. Bryant had a nice collection of bobbleheads as well as some random Cubs collectibles (sno-glob, Commissioners trophy, and a can of Red Bull since he’s a spokesman for the company.)

Rizzo’s locker was pretty cool as well. He keeps a Miami Dolphins football helmet above his locker to pay homage to his favorite football team.

Calm down Bears fans, he’s from Florida.

The other two items in his locker that stood out to me was a Bryzzo coffee cup and a small picture of Rizzo and David Ross from what appears to be Spring Training confirming the relationship between the two is actually a real thing.

As I was walking out, I quickly stopped by the middle of the clubhouse to the lounging area where there were circular leather couches and a few recliners. The coolest part about the middle of the circle was what you’d see if you looked up at the ceiling.

That was pretty much my facial expression during my entire 30-minutes in the Cubs clubhouse due to my brain being on Cubs overload the entire time. After I left the locker room, I made a right turn and saw the replica of last year’s brick wall memorial before I walked out of the stadium.

It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m glad I got a chance to see the inner workings of the Chicago Cubs. Now, I’m trying to figure a way out to get into the dugout during a game — oh trust me, it’s possible.

Here’s some additional pictures I was able to capture.

Blackhawks Select Finnish Defenseman In First Round Of 2017 Draft

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
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All day there were rumors that the Blackhawks would be making a trade to move up in the draft but they did the opposite. They moved down to #29 in a trade with the Dallas Stars and selected Henri Jokiharju and received a third round pick in this year’s draft.

Jokiharju is an 18 year old Finnish defenseman who stands at 6’0″ and 170 lbs. He played last season in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks and had 48 points in 71 games. It is said that he can make plays under pressure and move the puck just like Coach Quenneville wants.

In interviews this week he said, “I would love it if the Blackhawks would pick me.” Jokiharju said the Blackhawks have been his favorite team since they won the Stanley Cup in 2010. The coincidental part of all of this is that he already looks good in a Blackhawks crest. The Portland Winterhawks wear almost an exact copy of the Blackhawks sweater. When he makes it up to the big club, hopefully his play fits just as well.

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings.

Time To Ask What Happens if Ryan Pace Gets Fired

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears

On the surface Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace looks reasonably secure. He’s revamped the entire roster from top to bottom. The quarterback position got two new pieces that could pan out big if given time to develop. There are a number of players on the roster who are intriguing from Jordan Howard to Leonard Floyd, Cody Whitehair, Akiem Hicks and Cameron Meredith. All of them were craft Pace acquisitions.

There’s just one problem though. His moves aren’t producing results. Despite the consistent flashes from some of those young guys, the direction of the Bears has gone downhill the past two years. They were 6-10 in 2015 and plummeted to 3-13 last year. The first time a Bears team has finished with that bad of a record in the 16-game era.

Not exactly the claim to fame a GM wants. Admittedly this was always a possibility given how old and depleted the roster was when he took over. Still, everybody knows this ownership by now. They aren’t known for being patience when the losing is ongoing. If the Bears struggle again, can we really trust they won’t at least consider axing him?

No, and here’s why.

Ryan Pace can’t hide from his mistakes

People forget that Pace was the youngest general manager in the NFL when the Bears hired him. That means two things. He likely brought in new ideas, which isn’t a bad thing, but also has loads of inexperience. The man was a scout for most of his tenure in New Orleans. He only spent two seasons as a personnel director before getting the call from Chicago.

By comparison Ted Thompson of the Packers was one for seven years before he got his first shot at building a roster in Seattle as their VP of Football Operations. John Schneider of the Seattle Seahawks was a personnel director for 12 years before he got his shot. It’s hard to hide from the reality that they went into their successful runs a little more seasoned than Pace did.

That shows up in some of his questionable moves the past couple years. The sizable contracts for Antrel Rolle and Eddie Royal? Releasing Matt Slauson when he still had value on a reasonable contract. Trading Martellus Bennett. Sure Brandon Marshall was the right move but Bennett was a bit more debatable. All of those decisions cost the Bears either a lot of money for little return or hurt the team is a bad area.

Qualified replacements are now available

Then there’s the reality that 2018 could feature some highly qualified GM candidates on the open market. A rarity in any offseason. This due in large part to some unusual circumstances. Scot McCloughan was fired by the Washington Redskins on the eve of the NFL draft. A move that continues to puzzle experts even months later. There were rumors of his drinking problems coming back but that was discredited by several sources. McCloughan has a glowing history when it comes to player evaluation. Here’s a few of his notable hits.

  • Alex Smith 
  • Frank Gore
  • Patrick Willis
  • Joe Staley
  • Dashon Goldson
  • Michael Crabtree
  • Brandon Scherff

Then there’s John Dorsey. By all accounts he’d been having a solid run as GM for the Kansas City Chiefs. Travis Kelce, Marcus Peters and Tyreek Hill were his main highlights. Up until last week it was felt he was safe. Then out of nowhere the Chiefs decided to cut him loose. Rumors persist that it was a power move by head coach Andy Reid.

There are only so many excuses

Either way those are two highly qualified and experienced former GMs free to pursue for any team with an opening. If the Bears aren’t satisfied with Pace, they’d likely want to go with a proven commodity as a replacement. They would fit that bill.

Of course this isn’t a trashing of Pace. All things considered he’s made a lot of promising moves that could pay off huge pretty soon. At the same time the NFL is a bottom line business. His job security is tied to win column. In two years his team has nine victories total. That is not a number befitting a franchise of this prestige and history.

Maybe he has done a good job, but if the team doesn’t show any progress in 2017 he hasn’t done good enough. Keep in mind the Packers went 4-12 their first year under Thompson. By his third year they were in the NFC championship game. Three seasons is considered the point where roster build must start showing something.

Pace can’t be excused from that same judgment.

Making Sense Of The Blackhawks Blockbuster Trades

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
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Two huge fan favorites were traded by the Blackhawks today and it made some fans scratch their heads. You may like, hate or even be indifferent about the trades but I’m going to try to make some sense of them for you.

Arizona Coyotes Trade

Blackhawks Give Up: Niklas Hjalmarsson

Blackhawks Receive: Connor Murphy and Laurent Dauphin

Connor Murphy – The 2011 first round pick allows the Blackhawks to get younger and obtain a longer contract. He is six years younger than Hjalmarsson and has five years left on his contract, as opposed to Hammer’s two. His cap hit is only $250,000 cheaper but allows the Blackhawks to focus their salary cap attention elsewhere for the time being.

Experts say that he has top four defensemen ability and size (6’4″ 215lbs) but his skills need to be refined. Stan Bowman has been watching Murphy closely with team USA for a few years and said, “His hockey game is something we don’t have a lot of. We really like his size, his physicality, his overall game.”

Laurent Dauphin – The word was that the Blackhawks really wanted to draft him in the second round in 2013 but Arizona scooped him up instead. Dauphin is a 22 year old center who plays bigger than his size, in a way much like Marcus Kruger. He is a fast, two-way player who can win pucks and really be a sleeper in this deal.

Columbus Blue Jackets Trade

Blackhawks Give Up: Artemi Panarin, Tyler Motte and 2017 6th Round Pick

Blackhawks Get In Return: Brandon Saad, Anton Forsberg and 2018 5th Round Pick

Brandon Saad – He is actually a year younger than Artemi Panarin and carries the same cap hit with two more years on it. We all know what we’re getting with Saad, a two-way player who has great chemistry with Jonathan Toews. In his two years in Columbus he even proved that he could score consistently on his own.

Some fans may be upset that the Blackhawks are giving up a budding superstar, in Panarin, but he is effectively a one-dimensional player. He scores on the power play with one-timer feeds from Patrick Kane. What the fans cannot forget is that the organization needs to replace Marian Hossa’s play. Saad is that guy. His defensive ability, contributions on the penalty kill and consistency even earned him the nickname “Mini-Hossa” in his first stint in Chicago.

Anton Forsling – Let’s face it. With Scott Darling traded to Carolina offseason, the Blackhawks have no backup goaltender. Forsling is big as well as athletic with great potential. He is a high-end talent who has already had success in the AHL and could be an NHL starter in the future.

Younger And Cost Certainty

The Blackhawks have “One Goal” every season but they had multiple goals this offseason. Stan Bowman said he was looking to get younger and add cost certainty. That is exactly what the organization accomplished today. Looking at the big pieces from each trade, the Blackhawks acquired a younger player with a similar contract.

It is tough to give up fan favorites like Hjalmarsson and Panarin, but that’s business. My first thought is that the Blackhawks “lost” these trades but sometimes guys like that need to go, to be competitive in the future. Younger players, along with Saad, will need to pick up the scoring they will lose from Panarin. I’m more worried about losing Hjalmarsson’s presence and hope that Murphy can get the push he needs from Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook to “refine” his skills.

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings.

The Most Realistic Dream QB Scenario For the 2017 Chicago Bears

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears roster

One must be careful with dream scenarios. They have the word “dream” in it and therefor can get a little outlandish. Obviously the end all dream scenario for the 2017 Chicago Bears is for Mike Glennon to lead them to the Super Bowl. Easy right? Of course it’s easy but also unrealistic. A better question to ask is what would entail a more believable dream sequence for this season?

To answer that it’s first about understanding the situation. GM Ryan Pace signed veteran former backup Mike Glennon to a three-year contract worth $18.5 million in guaranteed money. Most of that guarantee is during the first year. In essence it’s a deal that says Glennon is the starter for 2017. Beyond that is up to him.

That’s why Pace also traded up to draft North Carolina standout Mitch Trubisky with the second overall pick. All his bases are covered. Glennon is the veteran and gets the first crack. If that doesn’t work then Trubisky is waiting in the wings. Look at this setup from the big picture though? Here is how things would play out in a sun shiny world.

2017 Chicago Bears need Mike Glennon to play really well…..for 8 games

What does this mean? Okay here’s a breakdown. What the Bears want out of Glennon is half a season of solid starts. Not necessarily superstar numbers. Maybe somewhere in the vicinity of 2,000 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions through eight games. Then they want him to go down with a freak injury. Yes this sounds cold and heartless but that’s the NFL business and this is a fictional scenario. Just go with it.

In essence it’s a win-win for the Bears. Glennon provided the rest of the NFL with an extended two-month preview of what he can do with decent pieces around him. At the same time he’ll have allowed the team to keep Trubisky squarely on the bench where he can continue learning. Then he can get the next vital key to his future success which is game experience.

Trubisky comes in for softer second half of the schedule

A lot of people might not like that idea but it makes plenty of sense. First is the fact that Trubisky would have two weeks including the bye to get extra practice reps. The Bears come out of that with two-straight games at Soldier Field. If they were going to debut him anywhere, they’d want it to be at home where he doesn’t have to deal with the hostile crowds just yet.

Last but not least is the fact that, on paper, the second half of their schedule is lighter. Six of their first eight games are against teams that were .500 or better in 2016. That includes the Falcons, Steelers and Packers who were in conference championship games. Not so much in November and December.

Seven of the eight games over that stretch will either be against teams that had losing records (PHI, CIN, CLE) or against teams the Bears beat last year (DET, SF, MIN). One should suspect they could squeeze a couple victories out of that stretch. Give Trubisky some confidence going into next season.

Pace uses productive first half to trade Glennon for a 3rd rounder in 2018

Coming back to Glennon, this is where Pace takes advantage of his first half performance. Despite the injury setback he will be 28-years old at the start of next offseason. Teams will have seen him perform well and it’s almost a guarantee one of them would be willing to take advantage of that cheap contract that won’t have any guaranteed money left to owe.

Best part is they should be able to get him for relatively cheap at a third round pick. Why that? It’s not overly expensive to scare people off. There is a reasonable limit to valuing a QB like that. He’s still young but is also coming off an injury. For the Bears it’s perfect because making that deal pretty much gets back the last of what they gave up in the trade for Trubisky.

Thus the Bears go into the 2018 draft with five picks in the first four round and gain another $16 million in cap space by shipping out Glennon. They can then put those assets to good use. Some to start building around Trubisky and to continue beefing up the defense. If things progress as expected Chicago should be in business for that season with a young, deep and talented roster.

The odds of it actually playing out like this are remote. Still, crazier things by far have happened with this team in the past. All things being equal, this is as good a way as any for it to go.

Here’s Why The Chances For A Cubs Trade Suck

By
Dhruv Koul
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CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 26: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after hitting an RBI single to score Ben Zobrist #18 (not pictured) during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Indians in Game Two of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field on October 26, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Chicago Cubs are kinda sorta maybe starting to potentially figure things out.

After a brutally inconsistent, and frankly confounding, start to the season, the Cubs are, after 72 games, sitting at 37-35. Luckily, due to a pretty weak NL Central division, they’re just 1.5 games behind the first place Milwaukee Brewers.

Yeah, it’s still weird to type that.

But in the last week or so, the Cubs have started to show slightly more consistent signs of life. Anthony Rizzo moving to the leadoff spot has been a revelation, as Rizzo is now the greatest leadoff man in the history of baseball (based on a 9 game sample size). And a lot of the lineup, namely Addison Russell, Willson Contreras, and Ian Happ, has started to come around as well.

This despite a non-existent, and now demoted, Kyle Schwarber, an injured Jason Heyward, an injured Ben Zobrist, and a starting rotation that is still not anywhere close to what fans would like it to be.

And the rotation is where we can expect Theo Epstein & Co. to focus their efforts as we approach July and the trade deadline. We’ve seen the Cubs linked to a variety of starters, such as Sonny Gray, Chris Archer, Yu Darvish, and even Jose Quintana.

In order to acquire a starter of their caliber, the Cubs will be forced to make some tough decisions regarding whom to part with. Once upon a time, the list of players the Cubs would absolutely not be willing to give up to acquire help was more or less set in stone. I’ve always imagined those conversations going something like this:

Cubs: “Hey <Team X>, we’d like <Starting Pitcher Y> because he’s good, young, and under team control for a while.”

<Team X>: “Sure, let’s start our conversation with one of either Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Kyle Schwarber, or Addison Russell.”

Cubs: “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.”

Cubs: <Hang Up>

Cubs: <Dial Back>

<Team X>: “Hey, Theo, did we lose you?”

Cubs: “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. No. That was just so dumb that I had to laugh and hang up on you twice. Peace.”

Cubs: <Hang Up>

That used to be the reality of the situation. And because of that, guys like Javier Baez, Albert Almora, and Ian Happ were considered locks to be used as trade bait for the young ace the Cubs’ rotation so desperately needs.

Alas, times have changed.

Schwarber has been in a season long slump. The Cubs batted him leadoff for a majority of the season, and his numbers have been (likely) historically bad. He’s hitting .171, but his OBP is .295. Under .300!!! That’s unacceptable at any position, especially leadoff. I love Schwarber and we know he can be an excellent hitter. But his struggles at the plate, combined with his less-than-averageness in the field, have certainly made the former World Series hero “available”.

Russell has started to come around, but his slash line still needs a lot of work. He’s hitting .234 with just 7 homers and 29 RBIs, with a .304 OBP. Plus, his personal life has become a highly publicized disaster, with his wife filing for divorce amid cheating and domestic violence allegations. This is a sensitive situation and because of that, Javy Baez, who was once viewed as potentially expendable, basically becomes Russell’s insurance policy in case Russell’s situation off the field worsens. Especially since Gleyber Torres was traded last year.

Happ burst onto the scene when he was promoted by the Cubs. He’s displayed very impressive power and plate discipline during his time in the majors, along with the type of versatility that Joe Maddon loves to employ in his position players. Happ, at the very least, has only increased his trade value. But with the Cubs vulnerable in terms of sudden injuries and an inconsistent offense, it would probably be unwise to trade him at this time.

What this tells us is that the Cubs’ list of tradeable assets with any sort of significant value is pretty small. Guys that were considered untouchable at one time probably aren’t anymore, and won’t fetch a lot back for Chicago. And guys that were the Cubs’ best bargaining chips, are now a lot more valuable ON the team instead of in a trade proposal. Sure, Eloy Jimenez is still in the minors. But is that enough to get a deal done and still maintain value for Chicago?

The Cubs’ chances of making a deal for one of the prime starters on the market are drastically lower than they were just this offseason. And with a shaky rotation showing minimal signs of breaking out of it, the Cubs are going to have to get more creative than ever to do anything about it.

Bulls Cast Away From Desolate Island With GarPax Steering The Raft

By
Matt Peck
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bulls trade jimmy butler timberwolves necessary survival

The setting: a dark cave on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean.

The players in the scene: A scrawny, unshaven middle-aged man and a blood-stained volleyball.

And…action.

For those Bulls fans who struggle with analogies and metaphors, allow me to explain.

They finally did it. They left the island.

Jimmy & Wilson

Gar Forman and John Paxson’s plane crashed in the middle of the open ocean when their newly-minted max contract superstar Derrick Rose tore his ACL in the spring of 2012. They washed up on the shore of a tiny island. The scattered remains of the crash washing up for days, weeks, even months after the accident. Can any of these soaked packages save them? Keep them alive? An aging and exhausted Luol Deng. An aching Joakim Noah. Various bench mob pieces like D.J. Augustin and Nate Robinson dutifully serving like makeshift knives to cut open coconuts. It wasn’t always pretty, but they got the job done. The job was merely surviving.

Some time after they collected themselves from the crash, GarPax found an unlikely friend. His name was Jimmy, but for the purpose of this story let’s call him Wilson. Wilson gave GarPax hope. He gave them a reason to keep surviving. He gave fans a friendly face to look to when they were driving themselves mad with constant feelings of hopelessness and abandonment. Fans clung to Jimmy Butler like Tom Hanks clung to that volleyball: this is my only friend on this godforsaken rock. All we have is each other.

But how many one-way conversations can you have before the realization creeps in that you’re talking to a volleyball and not a real person? How long until GarPax realize that while coconuts like Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo might keep you and Wilson alive, the life you’re living is pointless if you spend it stuck on this rock in the middle of nowhere?

GarPax finally made that realization on Thursday night, and they finally acted on it.

Build A Raft

So what do you do if you’re stuck on a desolate island in the middle of the ocean? You build a raft.

— Let’s talk strictly basketball for a second, before you all accuse me of losing myself in metaphors and ignoring the facts.

Am I thrilled with the package the Bulls got in exchange for Jimmy Butler? No. Did they get equal value for arguably a top-15 player in the league? Absolutely not. But no one ever does. Open your eyes, people. The reason GarPax held onto Butler as long as they did (probably a year too long) is because they were trying to get equal value and couldn’t. Both members of the front office did their radio show rounds on Thursday night and Friday morning and said they were surprised by how small the market was for Butler. So what can you do? If you’ve decided that trading him now is the best move for the organization going forward, take what you can get. The longer they wait, the smaller the offer gets. Look no further than the package Sacramento received for DeMarcus Cousins.

Yes, I’m worried about Zach LaVine’s torn ACL. I was underwhelmed by the performance of Kris Dunn (whom the Bulls coveted greatly in last year’s draft) during his rookie season. Lauri Markkanen looks to be a great fit as a stretch forward in Fred Hoiberg’s offense, but his defense is a dumpster fire. Giving Minnesota your #16 pick as part of the deal? Awful. Trading away your second round draft pick for cash considerations when you’re starting a rebuild? Go home, you’re drunk.

Every frustration Bulls fans have expressed over the last 24 hours, I get it. I’m there with you. But you’ve got to look at the big picture. For every judgmental and skeptical question fans have thrown at the front office since this Butler trade happened, I would counter with the same two questions. 1) Can the Bulls legitimately compete for a title sometime in the next few seasons with Butler as their best player? 2) If the Bulls kept Butler through his current contract, would you want to pay him $250 million to stay in Chicago for the back half of his career, aged 30-35?

GarPax have been asking themselves those two questions for a while now. They finally decided the answer to both was no, and acted accordingly. I don’t respect much about this front office, but I respect that. —

Oddball Oars & Lost Captains

Now that they’ve decided to build this raft and leave the island, what are the tools at GarPax’s disposal?

They’ve got a 35 year old Wade, who’s not changing his mind on opting in for $23.8 million. Then there’s Rondo, who they can either bring back for $13.4 million or buy out for $3 million. That decision will come soon, but it’s anybody’s guess what happens. Rondo, like Wade, can be kept on board to offer leadership to the kids. A palm fronds rudder for a makeshift raft, if you will. Or they might try to trade his flexible contract in order to free up minutes for all of those kids who need minutes to develop.

As for these kids, I’m not too excited about the cluster of guards Hoiberg has to sort through. Who gets priority minutes between Jerian Grant, Cameron Payne, Denzel Valentine, Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine? Good luck figuring that out. Can Paul Zipser take another step after a promising rookie campaign? That’d sure be nice, considering he’s now the #1 small forward on the depth chart after Butler’s departure. Will Bobby Portis bounce back after a disappointing second season? What about Cristiano Felicio, assuming he’s brought on board?

Will veteran center Robin Lopez find a spot on this raft, or will GarPax decide to leave him behind in exchange for more fresh supplies for the long journey ahead? To be determined. Does Nikola Mirotic get on the raft, despite the preexisting knowledge that he’ll be paddling one day and weighing it down the next? I sure as hell hope not, but that sounds like the plan.

The contents and characters of that raft don’t sound very pleasant. And make no mistake: the Bulls will be bad next season. I’m talking 20 wins, unwatchable, semi-decent opponents easily scoring 120+ points bad. BAD. But that’s not the big concern. They’re supposed to be bad. GarPax chose to rebuild, and that’s what rebuilding teams do. They lose, in the hopes that a high lottery pick can land you a franchise-changing star.

The big concern, for me anyway, is that GarPax will be the ones captaining this makeshift raft through the turbulent ocean waters of a full-scale rebuild. They’ll be making the navigational decisions. Which direction off this rock most likely puts us in freight shipping lanes so we can be found by a passing cargo ship? Based on recent evidence, these sea captains couldn’t even find the ocean from the raft they’re floating on. Fred Hoiberg, their first mate, will be in charge of rationing supplies and turns at the oar for the young and overwhelmed shipmates. Ol’ Freddie didn’t do such a bang-up job with the rationing while they were on the island. His captains said as much. In open water, it will only get harder.

They’re Off

It will take time, and large stretches will surely be rough, but at least the Bulls have options now. They’re not just eating coconuts and clinging to Jimmy as their only means of pointless survival.

As Tom Hanks’ character Chuck so boldly states while arguing his case to Wilson:

“Well we might just make it. Did that thought ever cross your brain? Regardless, I would rather take my chance out there on the ocean than to stay here and die on this shit-hole island, spending the rest of my life talking to a goddamn volleyball.”

Losing his friend Wilson broke Chuck’s heart. For years, Wilson was all he had. But if Chuck doesn’t let Wilson go and get his starving ass back on that raft, Chuck dies.

I know it’s hard for Bulls fans to say goodbye to Jimmy, and I know the sting is worsened because you feel like we got cheated on the deal. Jimmy was our Wilson in the traumatic years that followed Rose’s ACL plane crash. A comfort, a friendly face, something – nay, someone – to keep us going. To help us survive.

But it was time to let Jimmy go.

It hurts to lose someone you love, but as Bulls fans we’re still alive. And at least we’re off that stupid fucking rock in the middle of nowhere. We’re on a raft now. Let us pray for kind winds, wiser captains and dutiful shipmates.

WILSON, I’M SORRY.

Blackhawks Trading Artemi Panarin To Re-Acquire Brandon Saad

By
Matt Barbato
-

The Chicago Blackhawks promised changes would be coming this offseason, but nobody could have seen what’s just occurred over the past 30 minutes Friday morning.

Brandon Saad is coming back to Chicago.

The Blackhawks are sending Artemi Panarin, Tyler Motte and a 2017 sixth-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets and will re-acquire Saad and also get goaltender Anton Forsberg and a 2018 fifth-round pick. Saad was traded by Chicago to Columbus in 2015 when a long-term extension couldn’t be reached.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman had the first report and it was corroborated by multiple reporters.

It’s been a wacky 30 minutes for the Blackhawks, who have already confirmed a trade sending longtime defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson to the Arizona Coyotes for defenseman Connor Murphy and forward Laurent Dauphin.

Panarin emerged as one of Chicago’s top playmakers after joining the Hawks out of the KHL for the 2015-16 season. He recorded 61 goals and 151 total points as Patrick Kane’s running mate on Chicago’s lethal second line.

Everyone remembers Saad as a two-time Stanley Cup champion with Chicago. He recorded 126 points in 208 games with the Hawks and made a home with Jonathan Toews on the first line. Saad recorded 55 goals and 106 points in two seasons for the Jackets.

Some could argue Saad is an upgrade over Panarin, who was originally signed to help soften the blow after Saad went to Columbus. This move seems to indicate the Blackhawks are intent on getting Jonathan Toews a reputable linemate after playing musical chairs on the first line the past two seasons.

Saad has been in the league longer, but he’s actually younger than Panarin. Saad has four more years on his contract with a manageable cap hit of $6 million per year. Panarin is only signed for two more seasons and also accrues a $6 million annual cap hit. So the salaries are essentially a wash.

This is a tough loss for Kane, who has put up outstanding numbers with Panarin opposite him. But he’s shown a knack for being a better creator on his own than Toews.

The Blackhawks promised change, and we’re getting it. But the means at which all of this is happening seems bizarre.

Niklas Hjalmarsson Dealt To Arizona

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
-
Decision to Keep Hjalmarsson Paying Dividends

Earlier today it was reported that the Blackhawks were looking to make a splash today and acquire a high first-round draft pick. Instead, their first move of the day was trading defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson to Arizona.

The Blackhawks will get defensemen Connor Murphy and Laurent Dauphin in exchange. Murphy, a 24 year old former first round pick is coming off his fourth NHL season and is the son of Philadelphia Flyers coach Gord Murphy.

This is a very surprising move because Hjalmarsson has one of the best value contracts in the league and they did not acquire any draft picks. The move also saves the cap-strapped Blackhawks very little money and replaces a veteran with inexperience.

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings.

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