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Cubs Fan-Favorite David Ross Will Be In Dancing With The Stars

By
Aldo Soto
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Retired Chicago Cubs catcher David Ross will be in the newest season of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars. Ross was officially named as part of the cast on Wednesday morning on Good Morning America.

Ross, who played the final two years of his career in Chicago, returned to the Cubs for the 2017 season as a special assistant to baseball operations. He’s also joining ESPN as an analyst this year. So, Ross is still keeping busy after being part of the 2016 World Series run with the Cubs.

Grandpa is definitely bringing out the dick bump for Dancing With The Stars.

Pardon My Take, one of Barstool Sports’ podcasts hosted by Big Cat and PFT Commenter, first broke the news on Tuesday.

You’ll first get to see Ross on the show when it premieres on March 20, 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Here Is The Quick Fix For The Bears If They Lose Alshon Jeffery

By
Erik Lambert
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terrelle pryor bears

Up to this point Chicago Bears fans have trust GM Ryan Pace to know what he’s doing. Thus far the results were intriguing. The roster is much younger and flashed numerous signs of playmaking potential. Unfortunately thus far the winning hasn’t come around. The team went from 6-10 in 2015 to 3-13 this past season. At what point should he start feeling the heat?

Some believe it’s about to pass what with the announcement that Chicago refused to franchise tag wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. Many believe this is a colossal blunder in the making. Jeffery is one of the best offensive players on the roster. Letting him go for nothing could set the entire team back right when they can least afford it.

This will count as one of the first roster moves that can be categorizes as a true risk on the part of Pace. With others like Brandon Marshall, Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte the reasoning was clear and understood. At this point all people have are theories. Does Pace have a plan? If it involves another certain pending free agent, then yes.

The Good, Bad, And Ugly From Michael Kopech And Reynaldo Lopez Debuts

By
Emmet McClain
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Today was the first day the White Sox were able to catch two of their prized jewels in action. Right handed prospects Michael Kopech and Reynaldo Lopez both got starts today in a split squad matchup. Lopez took on the Cincinnati Reds, While Kopech was tasked with the Seattle Mariners. Looking at the initial results, it might be easy for some fans to overreact. However, even though both starts did not go well, there were still a couple highlights to get excited about, mainly from Kopech.

Michael Kopech

Michael Kopech probably wants a do-over after his start today. Giving up 4 runs in 1 inning is probably not what he, or some fans, expected. Remember, Kopech is 20 years old and has never pitched higher than high A ball. The competition he faced today was by far the toughest and most seasoned he has ever pitched against.

The bright spot was that Kopech hit 100+ on the radar gun numerous times, and his fastball sat consistently at 97. He finished the day with 4 ER, 2 strikeouts (both looking) and a walk.

Kopech may have been roughed up in his first start, but this experience he is getting at Spring Training at such a young age will do wonders for him down the road.

Reynaldo Lopez

It is probably a little easier for some fans to be nervous about Lopez’ start today, mainly because he already has had successful MLB outings before with the Washington Nationals. However, he too is still a prospect learning the game at a more professional level. Today, he had a rough outing like Kopech, giving up 4 ER on 5 hits, including a home run. A forgetful start to say the least, but Lopez is not feeling the pressure.

“We don’t feel that pressure. We are not desperate to show people what we can do because we know what we can do.”

-Reynaldo Lopez

It sounds like he knows that bad starts happen for every pitcher and he is no exception. His confidence in his stuff is undeniable, which is key for any pitcher to have prolonged success. The only thing he can do is learn from today and continue to make adjustments, same as Kopech.

Obviously these two starts are not what the White Sox and the fans were looking for, but we have to remember that it is just one start. For Kopech, it was his first start ever in Spring Training. Both pitchers have more than enough time to grow into the dominant forces they are projected to become.

It is going to be a couple years for the White Sox to be relevant again. Be patient, trust the process, and enjoy watching the kids grow.

 

Blackhawks Reunite With Johnny Oduya In Trade With Stars

By
Matt Barbato
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The Chicago Blackhawks have been looking to bolster their defensive depth as they get ready for what hopes to be another extended postseason run.

Chicago accomplished that task just hours before the NHL’s March 1 trading deadline and in doing so will reunite with a member of the 2013 and 2015 Stanley Cup championship teams.

The Blackhawks have re-acquired defenseman Johnny Oduya from the Dallas Stars. It was first reported by ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun. In return, the Blackhawks will send 2011 first-round pick Mark McNeill and a conditional fourth-round pick to Dallas, per LeBrun.

Oduya returns to Chicago after spending the past two seasons in Dallas. Oduya signed a two-year deal with the Stars in 2015 after winning the Cup with Chicago the season prior. He’s scored one goal and tallied seven total points in 37 games during the 2016-17 season after recording 21 points the season prior.

Below is a look at his analytical performance:

Oduya has had two separate stints on injured reserve this season missing 10 games from Nov. 21 to Dec. 10 with an ankle injury and missed more time after re-aggravating the injury Jan. 17.

Oduya’s health makes this a bit of a risky venture for Chicago, but the good news is they gave up practically nothing for him. McNeill is a complete bust and played only one game with the Blackhawks since being drafted 18th overall.

The salary cap ramifications also aren’t very steep. According to CapFriendly, Oduya’s remaining daily cap hit is only $854,167. The Chicago Tribune’s Christopher Hine adds Dallas will retain half of Oduya’s salary.

This is the second time the Blackhawks have acquired Oduya at the deadline. In 2012, Chicago acquired Oduya from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for second and third-round picks in the 2013 draft.

If Oduya can stay healthy, he could solidify Chicago’s bottom pairing. He also could step in alongside Niklas Hjalmarsson in the top four and rekindle the magic that occurred with the pairing in 2015. It’s another low-risk venture with not as much upside as the Tomas Jurco trade, but doesn’t have much of a downside. This could wind up being a shrewd move by Stan Bowman.

Here Are The Reasons The Bears Are Letting Alshon Jeffery Walk

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 08: Alshon Jeffery #17 of the Chicago Bears stands on the sidelines during a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field on August 8, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Eagles 34-28. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Alshon Jeffery leaving was the doomsday scenario Chicago Bears fans had hoped to avoid. The last thing a team that just finished 3-13 can afford is letting one of its best offensive playmakers walk for nothing in return. Sadly it appears this will be the case after an announcement that Chicago would not use the franchise tag for a second year on the 26-year old.

It’s easy to lay blame at the Bears’ feet for this fiasco, but the truth is people don’t know for sure what’s happened behind the scenes. It could be the team made a strong push to extend him long-term but Jeffery may not want to stay in Chicago. Not an unheard of possibility at all. Or maybe the team felt it had some good reasons to not overpay to keep him.

Here are some of the most likely that would help explain it.

Injury history

If there is one thing this Bears regime is trying to curb, it’s having players on the roster who aren’t reliable. Jeffery didn’t exactly make a great impression to Pace or Fox in their two seasons together. He missed seven games in 2015 with various soft tissue injuries. This past year he was also playing hurt at times and then added insult to injury with a four-game suspension for PED violations. Most people also forget Jeffery missed 10 games his rookie season as well.

Does this sound like a player in the same tier of Antonio Brown or Odell Beckham Jr., players who have missed a combined one game since 2015. Sure, Jeffery has his moments of big plays but they aren’t nearly frequent enough. A big part of why is he’s just not on the field often enough to produce them.

This Bulls Conspiracy Theory Could Explain Cameron Payne Trade

By
Matt Peck
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bulls conspiracy theory explain cameron payne trade

The Iowa State Connection. It never goes away, Bulls fans. It dates back to current GM Gar Forman’s working relationship with ex-Bulls coach Tim Floyd for the Cyclones from 1994-98. Both men made the jump to the NBA in ’98; Floyd as the post-dynasty head coach in Chicago and Forman as one of the team’s scouts.  Ever since, there seems to be this lingering connection between Bulls and Cyclones.

There was the drafting of Ames, Iowa product Doug McDermott, whose father Greg happened to be Iowa State’s head coach from 2006-10. Then Forman chased away Tom Thibodeau and replaced him with his hand-picked choice: Fred Hoiberg, aka “The Mayor”, who succeeded Greg McDermott and brought Cyclones basketball back to relevance. Now, we’re hearing Gar and his scouts already have their eyes on former Hoiberg pupil Monte Morris, who’s expected to enter the NBA draft this summer. But McDermott Jr lasted just 2.5 seasons with the Bulls before he and Taj Gibson were traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder last week.

Payne & Ames

Forman and his PIC, VP John Paxson, expressed great optimism about young point guard Cameron Payne after making the trade. The absences of McDermott and Gibson opened up minutes for young Bulls like Denzel Valentine and Bobby Portis, but getting Payne was the biggest motivating factor. Paxson said they wanted Payne in the 2015 draft, but he didn’t fall far enough for them to take him. How did they take such a specific interest in Payne, a fairly under-hyped kid from a mid-major school?

Surprise! It’s the Iowa State Connection!

All credit due to BlogABull.com for finding this gem:

In case you have bad eyes, here’s the gist:

William Small is currently an assistant coach for the Iowa State Cyclones Men’s Basketball team. From 2010-11, Small worked as an assistant coach at UTEP under, guess who? Tim Floyd, the very same ex-Bulls/ex-Cyclones coach. Small then served as an assistant coach at Murray State from 2011-15 under Steve Prohm. During that time, Small is credited with being the school’s lead recruiter for…guess who? New Bulls point guard Cameron Payne.

When Prohm took the Iowa State job in the wake of Fred Hoiberg’s departure, he brought Small with him to continue working as one of his assistants.

What are the odds that Forman and Hoiberg talked to their Iowa State buddies Prohm and Small about Payne before making that trade? I’m going with 100%.

The Iowa State Connection is the gift (or curse) that keeps on giving for the Bulls. Only time will tell if this latest connection turns into a good one. Thus far, it’s fair to say Bulls fans have been largely disappointed with the others. It’s not like we’ll be seeing a Floyd, Forman, McDermott or Hoiberg statue outside the United Center any time soon.

Gabrielle Union Goes Full “The Shining” On Steve Harvey Show

By
Matt Peck
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gabrielle union goes full shining steve harvey show

Everybody who played sports growing up knew “those parents”, right? The ones who came to every single game and ran their mouths from start to finish. There’s supportive, and then there’s crazy.

Based on Gabrielle Union’s recent interview with Steve Harvey on his midday talk show, it’s pretty obvious that she and Bulls star Dwyane Wade lean more towards the crazy. The two are raising Wade’s three sons and his teenage nephew in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago. Their kids play basketball, and Union talked on Harvey’s show about the stresses involved in being a “sports parent.” Mostly, that means debating whether or not all of the time and energy of being a sports parent is worth it when the kids don’t try their hardest.

“Like, ‘I will snatch you off of this court. I can’t want it more than you.’ We’re those parents who give halftime lectures. We’re those people.” – Gabrielle Union

“I can’t want it more than you.” Sound familiar, Bulls fans? That’s what Dwyane Wade said – nearly word for word – about his younger Bulls teammates last month after a deflating loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Gabrielle also suggested that her husband gets hypocritically judgmental when his sons don’t give 100% of their effort on the court. Casually jogging back on defense? Not in Gabrielle’s house.

“I don’t care if you lose, but you’re gonna try. You’re gonna have your hands up on defense, how ’bout that? You know? Don’t watch Dad!…And [Dwyane]’s like, ‘Where does he get it from?’ ” – Gabrielle Union

Gabrielle’s subtext there is: “You, Dad! I learned my lazy defense from YOU!”

Union then rounds out her point about teaching proper effort to their kids by setting her own example.

“I don’t mess up takes on my show. I don’t know about you.” – Gabrielle Union

Zing! Checkmate, Dwyane. Time to get those hands up on defense.

Watch Union’s interview with Steve Harvey in the video below:

Note to self: never piss off Gabrielle Union, or she’ll go “The Shining” on your lazy butt.

Two Teams Emerge As Most Probable Jay Cutler Trade Destinations

By
Erik Lambert
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jay cutler trade
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 20: Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings on December 20, 2015 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Most people laughed off the possibility that the Chicago Bears could pull off a trade with quarterback Jay Cutler. The excuses were plentiful. He’s too old, too banged up, too sour and too unpredictable. All fair evaluations, but it doesn’t change the NFL status quo. Effective quarterbacks are hard to find. For all his red flags, Cutler can be effective at times.

He was excellent in 2016 under difficult circumstances, throwing for over 3,600 yards and 21 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions. Unfortunately another change at offensive coordinator stunted his progress again and he regressed this past season, made worse by two separate injuries and inconsistent performances.

So convincing any team to invest a draft pick, even a late round one will prove difficult for Chicago. GM Ryan Pace has shown he can pull such things off before. It’s just a matter of timing and finding the right fit. According to new predictions, it seems two teams have emerged as the most probable new homes.

Jose Abreu Hits a Two-Run Moonshot Off Of Cubs’ Brad Markey

By
Matt Eastman
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The Chicago Cubs and White Sox played to a 4-4 tie, but it was a game that included three home runs.  You can watch the Cubs two blasts here, but for now let’s check out Abreu.

Here’s Jose Abreu’s 2-run moonshot…

The Cuban looks a bit slimmer and trimmer….hopefully he’s in for a monster year.

Addison Russell Obliterates Baseball For Mammoth HR Against White Sox Prospect Lucas Giolito

By
Aldo Soto
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For the second straight day, the Chicago Cubs ended their spring training game in a tie, but Addison Russell still gave fans plenty to cheer about with his huge home run against White Sox pitching prospect Lucas Giolito on Monday.

Russell had a breakout 2016 season, hitting 21 home runs in his second MLB season as a 22-year-old shortstop. The power surge started in the second half for Russell last year and against one of the top pitching prospects in the White Sox minor-league system, Russell flexed his muscles with this long solo home run.

That was Russell’s first home run of the spring.

Cubs’ catcher Willson Contreras also went deep for the first time in Mesa.

The Cubs and White Sox finished the game tied at four.

Another quick note for Cubs fans, Brett Anderson made his first appearance and pitched a scoreless first inning. He, along with Mike Montgomery, will be making starts as the fifth man in the rotation this year. Anderson signed a one-year deal after pitching the last few seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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