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NHL And Adidas To Unveil New Jerseys On June 20

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
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NHL jersey changes have been talked about since the deal was signed to switch from Reebok to Adidas in September 2015. Last night, the source on all things uniform related, Paul Lukas of Uni Watch, reported that the unveiling will be on June 20. It will take place at an event at the Wynn in Las Vegas.

The timing of the event comes just three days before the NHL draft in Chicago. This is most likely a move to make sure the latest NHL draft picks have their new jerseys to hold up on draft day.

I have read that anywhere from 12-17 teams will have their looks modified by Adidas. For every team, changes will come in the form of the jersey templates and fabrics. Much like when Reebok took over for CCM in 2007-2008. One aspect of the change that has been decided is that no teams will wear a third/alternate jersey during the 2017-2018 season. This was a matter of timing and logistics for Adidas.

There has been no word if the Blackhawks will have any modifications, but it is very unlikely for a team that hasn’t made any real changes since 1955. Let’s hope nothing changes but as cliche as it is, anything can happen. I might be biased, but I think the Blackhawks have the best looking jersey in sports.

If you’re worried about changes and want to hold on to the heritage, you can find ridiculous deals on Reebok jerseys right now. I wrote about them a couple months ago and you can find links to them here

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

 

Bears Have Inside Lane To Snag Another Underrated Receiver

By
Erik Lambert
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bears eric decker

Crazy as it sounds, somebody just became available that might be even more desirable a target than Jeremy Maclin. Is a Chicago Bears Eric Decker deal possible? The New York Jets made the surprising decision just hours ago to cut or trade the veteran receiver by June 7th. Their reasoning is logical enough. He’s coming off a season where he played just three games and will bring a cap relief of $5.75 million.

At the same time it doesn’t make much football sense. New York is already riddled with question marks on offense. They have no definitive starting quarterback. Their offensive line lost three veteran starters. Brandon Marshall left via free agency to join the Giants. Now Decker is gone as well. They have no quarterback. They have no protection. It seems they don’t have any weapons now either.

Oh well. The Jets are gonna Jet. Their loss though could end up being the Bears’ gain. This presuming GM Ryan Pace isn’t completely sold on the depth chart he’s assembled.

A Bears Eric Decker move could yield productive results

Money shouldn’t be an issue in this idea. Chicago has over $26 million in salary cap space. Plenty to make any move they wish. It’s a matter of two keys. Do they want Decker and would he be interested in the Bears? As to the first part, there’s plenty of reasons to think he’d be a welcome addition. Never mind his obvious experience.

When health Decker may be one of the more underrated receivers in the NFL. From 2012 to 2015, he produced three 1,000-yard seasons. He also scored at least 11 touchdowns in each of those years. His 6’3″ size, strong hands and crisp route running made for an effective combination that led to a lot of big plays.

Then there is the fact that he has a connection to the Bears. Decker played his first four NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos. John Fox was the head coach during three of those from 2011 to 2013. Decker had arguably the two best years of his career under Fox’s watch. So the Bears potentially get a productive veteran who still has gas in the tank. Decker gets to rejoin a coach who knew how to get the best from him.

For those arguing Chicago already sign a bunch of guys with similar concerns like Markus Wheaton and Victor Cruz, let it be known. Their backgrounds are far cloudier than Decker’s. If he could get 1,000 yards with Ryan Fitzpatrick throwing him the ball, is Mike Glennon so different? It’s another risk worth taking at the right price.

This Might Be The Greatest Example Of Karma Biting GarPax In The Ass

By
Matt Peck
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gar forman bulls fired ron adams thriving warriors

The Golden State Warriors are two wins away from their second title in three years. While head coach (and former three-time champion with the Bulls) Steve Kerr missed most of the playoffs due to health problems, assistant Mike Brown filled in as the Warriors’ temporary sideline boss. But Kerr is extremely grateful for a different assistant, one who never wanted the big head coaching job but has built a glowing reputation as one of the NBA’s best coaches – head or not – over several decades in the league.

I’m talking about Ron Adams. That name should ring a bell for Bulls fans.

Ugly Exit

Adams served as an assistant for the Bulls from 2003-08, and again from 2010-13. He returned because his lifelong friend and colleague Tom Thibodeau landed the head coaching job and insisted Adams join him in Chicago. Together, they led an overachieving Bulls team to several winning seasons and perennial playoff appearances. For large stretches, they did so with an absent or inconsistent centerpiece in Derrick Rose.

In 2013, however, Bulls GM Gar Forman unceremoniously fired Adams and gave little explanation for doing so to the media. It is widely believed that the firing came as a result of Adams speaking critically about certain personnel moves to people outside the organization. Usually a head coach picks their assistants, but this was a rare example of the front office wielding its powerful reach along the coach’s bench. Specifically, Forman didn’t like Adams’ candor about a questionable decision Forman made. That’s a petty, personal and ill-advised reason to fire an overqualified assistant coach.

Thibodeau was not happy about it and his displeasure was no secret. His boss firing Adams added more tension to an already-fracturing relationship between head coach and front office. Two years later, Forman gave Thibodeau the boot too. How have things gone for the Bulls since? Yeah, not so much.

Happy Place, Egg On Face

Things for Adams, meanwhile, are going wonderfully. He has a great working relationship with Kerr and their players in Golden State. He’s two wins away (and frankly, it looks inevitable) from collecting a second championship ring. He gets to coach some of the greatest players in the game while they’re in their prime and still improving. Among those players is utility-man-turned-star Draymond Green, whom Adams urged the Bulls to take in the 2012 draft. Instead, the Bulls chose Marquis Teague. Remember him?

If you don’t, I don’t blame you for blocking him from your memory. If you do, I’ll give you a second to get your gag reflex under control.

…We good? Okay, moving on.

Here’s why we’re talking about Adams blossoming with the Warriors while the Bulls languish in NBA irrelevance: Thibodeau lent some words to Sports Illustrated’s Rob Mahoney for his beautifully detailed column about Adams and his long-running success as an NBA assistant. Seriously, read it. It’s incredible.

Unfortunately, it’s also the freshest reminder of the idiocy of this Bulls front office. Fortunately, it makes both Forman and John Paxson look insanely stupid, which is all Bulls fans have these days.

A True Professional

Thibodeau, Kerr and many others explain why Adams is so good. All of Adams’ colleagues cite his unselfishness and positive nature as contributors to a healthy working and learning environment.

“The thing that I really respected and admired about him was he was never about himself. When Ron is on your staff, it’s gonna build great chemistry amongst the staff because he wants everyone to get ahead. He’s a mentor to a number of coaches in this league, particularly the young guys who are coming in, y’know? He wants what’s good for the game, what’s good for the profession. He just stands for all the right things.” – Tom Thibodeau

At the core of his coaching identity, though, are two invaluable skills: 1) Ron loves the artful work that goes into constructing dominant NBA defenses, and successfully relays the instruction for its execution to his players and fellow coaches. 2) He excels in player development, and knows how to get the best out of each one of his players.

Here’s Celtics coach Brad Stevens, who wisely brought Adams on board to serve as an assistant after the Bulls fired him:

“[Ron]’s a really good coach, I think everybody knows the defensive details and the X’s and O’s standpoint of it, but I think where he’s just as good is in player development and in helping guys find their best.” – Brad Stevens

Bulls fans saw firsthand just how talented Adams is coaching on the defensive end. Thibodeau got lots of the credit for the Bulls’ defensive dominance from 2010-2013, and deservedly so. But Adams was just as responsible and probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Thibs constantly refers to the defense as a collective unit, five guys moving on a string, etc. Not a bad analogy. But check out how beautifully Adams talks about defense:

“Defensively, obviously we’re all connected. What one person does, everyone else has to adjust to. When one person moves, in the best of worlds everyone moves. It doesn’t always happen. It’s what we strive for. I think defensively, through this, this aspect of connectedness, this concept of connectedness, it’s very altruistic. We do something for someone else that’s not glamorous. Offense is glamorous. Offense is—except to the purists—offense is notable, to the public. Defense is kind of what all of us have to do in life to not only live good lives, but to make other people’s lives better. I think it’s a giving thing.” – Ron Adams

Those Bulls teams of the early 2010s weren’t glamorous, but damn did they play great defense. Adams relayed that poetic importance of defense to the players in Chicago. Now, he’s doing it for the Warriors. With their high-powered offense, people tend to overlook just how good Golden State’s defense is. But it’s no coincidence that in three seasons with Adams, the Warriors have had the 1st, 3rd and 1st-ranked defense in opponent field goal percentage. Not just in the Western Conference, but the entire NBA.

Right now, Kevin Durant looks like the best defensive player in the Finals. Adams spent 2008-10 with Durant and the Thunder, and KD is thrilled to be working with him again. Here’s what he had to say about Adams at his introductory press conference with the Warriors last summer:

“Ron Adams is the only reason why I came [to golden state]. Simple as that.” – Kevin Durant

That’s probably some silly hyperbole by Durant, but the respect for Adams is genuine. Durant is playing the best defensive basketball of his career, and Adams is undoubtedly a big reason why.

Wouldn’t it be nice if Fred Hoiberg (whose defensive ineptitude as an NBA coach is laughable) had Adams on his staff to help him out on that side of the ball?

Player Development

Now, let’s go back to what Brad Stevens said about Adams’ ability to develop young players. Thibodeau also praised his friend and colleague for his skills as not just a coach, but a true teacher who gets the best out of his pupils.

“I think he gets a lot of enjoyment out of teaching and he’s great at it. I think he’s passionate about it. You look at the way he works, his discipline, how he cares about people … Part of it was, I think, his ability to see the possibilities in someone and to stretch ’em and push ’em beyond what they thought they could do. That was a big part of who he is. That was what I had a lot of respect for and I still do.” – Tom Thibodeau

Now, why is this so ironically frustrating (and face-palmingly hilarious)?

Think back to Forman and John Paxson’s press conference at the end of this season. What did they say was the biggest focus for this team right now? Player development. Specifically, getting more out of the young guys.

“We’re going to put a lot of resources and time into our player development this offseason and try to create a culture where they can grow and try to become the best players that they can.” – John Paxson

Gee, that sounds like a job for your great assistant coach Ron Ada-oh, wait. You let Forman fire him because he spoke truths about Forman doing dumb things. That’s a shame.

Paxson tried to use playing time as an excuse when talking about the lack of player development.

“I firmly believe and I think Gar does too that as a young player, the only way we can find out anything about them, they can find out about themselves, is to have consistency … Jimmy Butler played his first year about eight minutes a game. What he needed was opportunity, consistent opportunity … We need our young guys to get more consistent time out there on the floor, and that will happen.” – John Paxson

I’m sorry, but that’s a load of bullshit. Nikola Mirotic has had plenty of time to develop. Bobby Portis has had two seasons to develop. Jerian Grant got plenty of opportunities to develop this season. What growth have we seen from them?

…Bueller?

It’s a weak excuse coming from a guy who knows he made a mistake by letting his general manager pick his pal to be their next head coach. Paxson also criticized Hoiberg’s leadership skills in that press conference. Rather bluntly, in fact. But Paxson is right. Fred’s not the leader they need to develop their young players. I wonder which Paxson regrets more: letting Forman fire excellent assistant Ron Adams for personal reasons or letting him hire Fred Hoiberg. It’s a tough call, but both have had undeniably negative effects on the Bulls.

Adams admits it was mystifying and hurtful when the Bulls suddenly fired him. But I’m sure he’s over it at this point. He’s developing the young and talented roster in Golden State. The Warriors defense has become one of the best in the league, thanks to him. He’s working for an organization that’s about selflessness and winning championships. What’s not to love?

Adams is about to get his second ring, while Gar and Paxson are still hopelessly chasing each other’s tails. This karmic dog is biting them in the ass as we speak.

I hope it hurts.

Kris Bryant Has Talked To Bryce Harper About Playing On The Same Team

By
Aldo Soto
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The Internet exploded with talk of Bryce Harper possibly signing with the Chicago Cubs when the outfielder becomes a free agent after the 2018 season. The discussion erupted following a Peter Gammons interview on The Mully And Hanley Show on 670 The Score, in which the MLB insider said he’s heard Harper wants to play for the Cubs. It turns out that Kris Bryant and Harper have talked about the possibility of playing together.

As much as Harper to the Cubs would be amazing, Gammons did shut it down immediately after saying it. In case you missed it, here’s the full context of Gammons on Harper and the Cubs. It begins with talk of a Bryant contract.

Here’s what Bryant had to say about it a few days later.

Via Patrick Mooney:

“I think we might have talked about it, just like messing around,” Bryant said Monday inside Wrigley Field’s state-of-the-art clubhouse. “Like it would be cool to play with you again.”

“Honestly – obviously I’ve never been an outsider looking in here – but who wouldn’t want to play here?” Bryant said. “Especially now, with everything going on around here, the renovations, winning, it just seems attractive to any player. A lot of the guys that have come over from other teams are like: ‘This is unlike any other team I’ve played for.’”

“Like I said before, we talked about it,” Bryant said. “It would be really cool to play with him, but that’s something that they’re going to have to talk about it. Baseball’s a crazy business. You could want to play somewhere, but they might not want you, or they might not need you.”

(Kris Bryant)

Read all of Monney’s piece, it includes more talk about a contract for Bryant with his agent Scott Boras addressing it as well.

Anyway, Bryant and Harper have known each other since they grew up playing baseball in Las Vegas. The duo began playing together since they were 9-years-old, so obviously there’s a personal connection. Again, I doubt Harper signs with the Cubs, but Bryant makes a good point, saying that playing for the Cubs is a unique experience and recently free agents have taken less guaranteed money to play for this team.

So, who knows. Regardless, you know any team in a big market is going to look into Harper when he’s a free agent. They have to. That includes the Cubs.

Mitch Trubisky Made a Surprising Declaration At Bears Practice

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky draft

The Mitch Trubisky contract situation has a lot of Chicago Bears fans on edge. They know how front page their team has become since making the most polarizing move of the entire 2017 NFL draft. The last thing they need to see is the prized #2 overall pick holding the team up for an extended period over a dispute with his rookie deal.

It might sound ridiculous but not after what happened a year ago. Most fans will remember how defensive end Joey Bosa famously held out of San Diego Chargers training camp until late August. The talks broke down to such a degree at one point that some thought he might hold out the entire season and just re-enter the 2017 draft.

Eventually the Chargers got things worked out but it was a persistent distraction. One that people could say got things started off on the wrong foot. Well don’t count on Trubisky doing anything like that. The young quarterback made that very clear.

Mitch Trubisky contract is a non-issue

Several media members attending the eighth sessions of Bears Organized Team Activities brought the subject up. Though polite in his tone, Trubisky shrugged off the idea of any sort of stance being made on his part. Clearly the issue isn’t for him to worry about. He intends to keep all his focus towards the team.

“That’s not really for me to worry about. I’m going to be out here at practice everyday. My agent and the Bears organization is going to handle that. But I’m not really sure how that stuff works. I’m here to play football, I’m not worried about contracts.”

“It’s all about blocking out distractions and how good you want to be.”

If nothing else it sounds like a young man who has his priorities straight. There really isn’t much wiggle room on a rookie contract anyway. Most slow negotiations are over language inconsistencies. Little else. He knows he’ll be making his millions either way. Why waste time worrying about superficial things like that when he can be applying it towards helping validate the organizations’ faith in him? It’s what a leader would do.

Trubisky even said his biggest surprise thus far was how much time was spent on learning to be an NFL QB. How does stopping to study up on contracts help anybody, including himself? No one. This statement, however small is a clear revelation of the character the Bears were drawn to. There is still much proving to do, but it seems more than ever like they may have found their franchise guy.

Member Of 1990s Bulls Doesn’t Think They Could Beat These Warriors

By
Matt Peck
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bj armstrong bulls couldnt beat warriors

Considering the fairly lopsided result through the first two games of these NBA Finals, basketball geeks are grasping at straws for talking points. Where does LeBron James stand now compared to Michael Jordan in the debate of “greatest of all time”? What will it mean for Russell Westbrook if Kevin Durant finally wins a title without him? Blah, blah, blah. And of course, we’re getting a reprise of “Old Bulls vs Current Warriors” after last season’s Golden State team went 73-9, breaking the 72-10 record set by the ’95-96 champion Bulls.

The Warriors choked away a 3-1 lead, and that debate ended rather quickly. “72-10 don’t mean a thing without the ring,” as those Bulls said entering the 1996 playoffs. That argument still holds, and that Bulls team is still widely regarded as the single greatest team ever in NBA history.

This year, with the Warriors’ dominant 14-0 start to the playoffs and two blowout victories over LeBron’s Cavaliers to start the Finals, people want to talk about how this Warriors team stacks up against the rosters of that Bulls dynasty.

B.J. Weighs In

One member of the first leg of that dynasty, B.J. Armstrong, just gave his two cents on the subject while doing an interview with CBS Sports Radio. No allegiances to his former championship glory days appeared. B.J. sounds like he’d put his money on the Warriors.

“I’ll be very clear: I don’t think that that Bulls team could play in this era. I really don’t … but I will say that [Golden State] provides a lot of problems to defend, and I don’t think those teams in the ’90s had seen someone play like this … The X-factor is clearly Jordan, but Jordan was shooting 2s, those guys are shooting 3s, and by my count, three is more than two.” – B.J. Armstrong

Armstrong repeatedly put emphasis on the different styles of play in the ’90s and now. And he did say he didn’t think these Warriors could play in the ’90s, either. But putting those Bulls in today’s NBA would mean facing defensive tasks against the Warriors they never dealt with during their reign. There’s definitely truth to that.

B.J. continued, breaking down individual matchups on the floor:

Jordan vs Klay

“Jordan is going to be Jordan in any area you put him in, but he’s going to be occupied guarding Klay Thompson. Jordan is going to have to stay at home and not wander around defensively against Klay Thompson because Klay Thompson is an explosive scorer and he’s a catch-and-shoot guy, which is one of the hardest, more difficult guards because he’s constantly in motion.” – B.J. Armstrong

I’m sorry, B.J., but that’s downright insulting. To say Jordan would have a hard time guarding Klay Thompson? Klay can score, and he’s a great shooter. But Jordan was a perennial defensive player of the year candidate. He guarded Gary Payton, Reggie Miller, Penny Hardaway, John Stockton and Isaiah Thomas, to name a few. You think Klay is harder to guard than all of those guys? Gimme a break.

Pippen vs KD

“If you put Scottie Pippen [on] Kevin Durant, I like that matchup. I don’t think that is a matchup Scottie can just dominate Kevin Durant because Kevin Durant is 7-foot over there.” – B.J. Armstrong

Armstrong is right, Durant is one of the toughest guys to guard in the league today because of his insane combination of size and athleticism. But if there’s a short list of NBA players who have or had the combination of length and defensive skills to make Durant uncomfortable, Pippen is on that list.

B.J. or Harper vs Steph

“Steph Curry against Ron Harper or myself or any other guard that was playing with the Bulls – no one’s figured out how to guard him now. Why all of a sudden am I going to figure it out? Or anyone else? I think that is a tough matchup.” – B.J. Armstrong

No argument there. Harper was an excellent defender, but Steph is virtually unguardable when he’s on.

Bigs

“You got Draymond Green and Dennis Rodman or Draymond Green and Horace Grant. I like that matchup. I like it. And then you got Luc Longley and [Zaza] Pachulia or Luc Longley versus an athletic JaVale McGee. I don’t see that as just a dominant matchup for anyone.” – B.J. Armstrong

Armstrong appears to be on the fence for which team has the edge in the frontcourt. But based on his assumptions that a) Jordan would struggle to guard Thompson, b) Pippen couldn’t contain Durant and c) nobody could guard Curry, B.J. is leaning towards the Warriors.

…Not sure I agree. But that’s part of what makes these inter-generational NBA debates so great. We’ll never know (until time machines are real) who would win these matchups. But we can give our takes and counterarguments until those time traveling days arrive.

Let the debate rage on. Who you got? ’17 Warriors or ’96 Bulls?

Don’t Look Now, But Lucas Giolito Is Finally Looking The Part

By
Emmet McClain
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When the White Sox traded Adam Eaton the day after Chris Sale, fans thought there was a typo in what the return was. Reynaldo Lopez, Dane Dunning, and no. 3 overall prospect Lucas Giolito was considered highway robbery for one above average outfielder. However, throughout Spring Training and the first third of Triple-A, Giolito has been roughed up plenty. In fact, his ERA is currently sitting at 5.36, and that is after he threw a no-hitter in his last start. However, the way he threw in his no-hitter might have been a glimpse of what is to come from the hard-throwing righty.

When Giolito got the call to the Nationals last year, he got lit up pretty easily as well. In 6 games, he posted a 6.75 ERA. It was rumored that the Nationals, for whatever reason, made adjustments to all of his mechanics that saw him once grow into the top prospect in all of baseball. When his arm did not react the way the Nationals would have liked, they saw him as more of an expendable asset instead of a future ace. And thus, he ended up with the White Sox.

A Season Of Change

This season, the White Sox have been rapidly attempting to get Giolito back to his past throwing form. It has been a grind so far, and some fans have already given up on his potential, mainly due to his fastball velocity dropping from 96 to 92. While there have been glimpses of his pure stuff, he has not been able to successfully repeat his delivery, which has led to bad control and command, and early onset fatigue. Now though, we might finally be seeing a turnaround with Giolito.

As you may have heard already, Giolito threw a seven-inning no-hitter in the first game of a double-header last week. While he only finished that night with 3 K’s, he consistently had batters making soft contact, inducing shallow pop flies, and slow grounders. Understandably so, many saw the no-hitter as an accomplishment, but more of a fluke than anything. Well, as I type this, Giolito is currently showing the doubters that is not a fluke at all.

Dealing Like He Knows He Can

Currently at 97 pitches through 6 innings, Giolito’s night is more than likely done. In those 6 innings, Giolito had 11 K’s and gave up one earned run. It is for sure the best start he has had this season, including the no-hitter from last week. When his command is on and he is dotting the corners with his curveball like this, he is virtually un-hittable.


Over the past 5 starts, Giolito has been throwing the ball with much more confidence to a tune of a 2.57 ERA, 8.36 K/9, and 2.89 BB/9. It may have taken a little longer than people would have liked, but it looks like Giolito seems to finally be reverting back to the pitcher experts initially pegged him out to be.

 

Mike Montgomery Has To Fight Justin Grimm After This

By
Aldo Soto
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Maybe one of the most underrated trades in the Theo Epstein era with the Chicago Cubs is getting left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery from the Seattle Mariners in 2016. Since then, Montgomery has been a key weapon in the bullpen for Joe Maddon and who can forget the lefty getting the final out in Game 7 of the World Series. On Monday, Montgomery once again showed his versatility.

Montgomery has appeared in 18 games this season, and 11 times he’s pitched at least two innings. That includes Monday night’s performance against the Miami Marlins. The lefty pitched 3.1 innings, earning his second save of the year and it also marked the eighth time he didn’t surrender a run when pitching at least two innings out of the bullpen.

A great performance from Montgomery, shutting the door on the Marlins, as the Cubs were without closer Wade Davis, who was put on paternity leave before the game. So, how was Montgomery treated during his postgame interview?

Justin Grimm stuck his finger in Montgomery’s mouth, as he was being interviewed by CSN Chicago’s Kelly Crull.

Obviously, this is coming from an outsider’s perspective, but Mike Montgomery has to fight Justin Grimm. Getting fish hooked on live TV? C’mon. That’s right up there with getting a noogie, or a wet willy. Montgomery was emasculated and really the only thing you can do to come back from that is a fight.

So, let’s get these two in a cage, the octagon, a boxing ring, street fight, whatever. The only way Montgomery can save face after that. Better idea, let’s have a good old fashioned baseball fight. Lots of pushing, talking, a huge scrum without anything actually happening. I mean, I don’t want Montgomery to get hurt, I just said how valuable he’s been for the Cubs.

But who knows, maybe it’s some sort of inside joke in the clubhouse, but regardless, an embarrassing look for Montgomery.

If not a fight, then we gotta have a dance off. Grimm might have the advantage in that though.

Although, Montgomery could actually come back with, “at least I’m getting people out.”

This Albert Almora Jr. Quote Will Make Cubs Fans Love Him More

By
Aldo Soto
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MESA, AZ - MARCH 25: Albert Almora #78 of the Chicago Cubs signs autographs before a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Cubs Park on March 25, 2014 in Mesa, Arizona. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim defeated the Chicago Cubs 8-4. (Photo by Sarah Glenn/Getty Images)

Sure, a few starting pitchers have wondered why Joe Maddon hasn’t left them in games longer and Miguel Montero questioned his lack of playing time during the postseason on the day the Chicago Cubs celebrated their World Series win, but other than that the egos have been put aside on the North Side. Albert Almora Jr. is just another one of those examples.

With Dexter Fowler and Jorge Soler no longer with the Cubs in 2017, a spot was open in the outfield for Almora to secure. It hasn’t quite gone to script for the 23-year-old, as he’s been in and out of the lineup, mainly starting against left-handed pitchers. The playing time became more scarce once Ian Happ was called up and immediately added a boost offensively. Since Happ made his debut on May 13, Almora has only started 7-of-21 games.

On Monday, Almora made his first start in a week and was 2-for-3, against the Miami Marlins, including his third home run of the season.

Following the Cubs win Almora discussed the playing time and how of course he’d love to start more. Yet, once again, he knows it’s not about him.

Almora has played in 45 games this season, putting up a slash line of .276/.327/.410. He’s made 24 starts overall out of 56 games, but outside of the stats the attitude is what stands out. And really it speaks to the greater message that is instituted from the very bottom to the very top of the organization.

That began in 2011, when Theo Epstein took over. Who was his first draft pick after taking over the Cubs? Albert Almora Jr.

Nothing about the Cubs success has been based on one player. Since the start it has always been about the team. Almora is prime example of that.

The message was delivered and everyone has bought in. So far, it’s worked out to perfection.

Jerrell Freeman Tells Rest of NFL To Beware This Bears Teammate

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears 2018 off-season

It wasn’t easy for veteran linebacker Jerrell Freeman last season. Not only did he endure his first career losing season as an NFL pro. He also suffered the humiliation of being suspended four games for PED violations. So no doubt he enters 2017 with a burning desire to get things back on draft. Both for himself as a player and for his new teammates. One in particular he sees great things from? Fellow linebacker Leonard Floyd.

The crazy thing with Freeman is he missed four games last year but still led the team with 110 tackles. He’s a good player in his own right and has played with some great ones. So it means something when he gives a shout out to a young kid like Floyd. He sat down with CBS Chicago to discuss the expectations on defense in 2017. Without much prompting, the admiration and expectations came out.

“The defense could be pretty good,” Freeman said. “I know for a lot of the season, we were top-10, top-five in a lot of categories, then the injuries happened. But that’s a part of the NFL. You know how that goes. If you’re not hurt or don’t have a little injury happening, you’re not playing. Everybody plays through things.

The defense could be pretty good. I like the draft pick from last year (Leonard Floyd), especially. He’s going to be good for a while. With our linebacking core, our front seven and the new additions we have, we’re getting out there in OTAs now and seeing what guys can do, how savvy guys are. I think we can be pretty good.”

Linebacker Leonard Floyd ready for his ascent?

Floyd had a weird rookie season filled with high highs and low lows. He missed time early in the year with nagging injuries and also suffered two concussions that slowed his progress. Then for a five-game stretch following the bye week he was one of the most unstoppable pass rushers in the league. In that span he delivered 6.5 of his seven sacks for 2016 and just seemed to be all over the field.

Word from the teams’ outside linebackers coach is Floyd arrived for Organized Team Activities is he’s added a considerable amount of weight. The good kind too. Mostly muscle. He arrived as a rookie last year at around 225 lbs. He has since increased that to just shy of 250. Floyd was already a cat quick player with tremendous length and speed. So try to imagine how pass blockers will feel knowing he’s stronger than last season.

Freeman might be onto something. If Floyd and the rest of that front seven can stay reasonably healthy, it could be a huge year for the Bears defense.

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