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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
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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
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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.

2017 NHL Draft: Blackhawks Seem Intent On Trading Up In 1st Round

By
Matt Barbato
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The Chicago Blackhawks might be looking to follow in the footsteps of the Chicago Bears and Bulls when the 2017 NHL Draft gets underway at the United Center Friday.

The Blackhawks aren’t tearing anything down like the mercurial Bears and directionless Bulls, but they’re apparently looking to make a splash in front of the home fans. The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Kuc reports the Blackhawks are looking to trade up during Friday night’s first round in an effort to energize the crowd and enrich their prospect pool.

The Hawks currently hold the 26th pick in the draft and Kuc suggests they won’t be patient enough to wait until they are officially on the clock. The Hawks have plenty of ammunition to stage a move, as they have plenty of veterans they could dump as well as nine other draft picks to deal.

While the Blackhawks deserve the benefit of the doubt from a scouting and development standpoint, the notion that they could make a move up in an effort to pander to the crowd is a bit concerning. Yes, this is the first time Chicago is hosting the draft. Yes, the crowd will be seeking some good news after the Bulls practically wet the bed in the NBA Draft Thursday night. Yes, the Blackhawks could afford a top-tier youngster to crack the Stanley Cup window open a bit more.

But the Blackhawks should only make a move if the price is right. Forcing a move is exactly what the Bulls did in trading Jimmy Butler for a budding star who tore his ACL, a young point guard who stunk during his rookie season and a draft pick nobody seems sold on. It’s exactly what Bears GM Ryan Pace did when he moved up one spot to draft Mitchell Trubisky No. 2 overall.

The Blackhawks have risen to prominence because they’ve avoided those silly, knee-jerk decisions. Stan Bowman’s calculated approach to the draft has been his saving grace after handing out some ludicrous contracts that have the Hawks where they are now.

Making a move would be embraced given what’s happened to the other sports teams in the city this year. But the Blackhawks shouldn’t fall into the same trap that has riddled the organizations they share the city with.

The Matt Forte Hall of Fame Debate Just Got More Gas on the Flames

By
Erik Lambert
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matt forte hall of fame

The Matt Forte Hall of Fame discussion is going to be a pretty nasty one. It’s almost certain to involve Chicago Bears fans lashing out at anybody who thinks the former running back wasn’t a star (he was). Never mind the fact that many football writers seem to have a problem with the Bears. For whatever reason. The fact is Forte wasn’t flashy like Hall of Famer are apparently supposed to be.

He’s just a guy who is really good at his job and done everything asked of him. Therein lay the problem. It’s proof that the voting system for Canton is flawed. Like the Pro Bowl it can sometimes come not from being the best player but being the most popular names. Don’t roll your eyes. You know it’s true. There are a number of names already enshrined who probably don’t deserve it. Meanwhile there are plenty of others not in that are mind-boggling oversights.

One man who made that point and others was Adam Rank of NFL.com. He broke down exactly why it’s not fair to keep Forte out of the Hall.

Matt Forte Hall of Fame push should be about the bottom line

“Some [jerk] questioned Matt Forte’s Hall of Fame credentials the other day, and let me tell you, that’s my trigger. Because I won’t stand for the heresy. I would imagine part of the problem stems from the Bears having two of the five greatest running backs of all time in their history (G.O.A.T. Walter Payton and Gale Sayers). It’s something that dogged Neal Anderson, too, post-Walter. But let me put it to you this way …

My best friend, I mean Forte, is closing in on 15,000 all-purpose yards. He was clearly one of the best running backs of his generation. And I like to now measure all HOF credentials against Jerome Bettis (who shouldn’t be in the HOF, but he played for the Steelers and people liked his nickname). And really, find me an NFL fan who would have rather had Bettis than Forte in their primes. You can’t (unless they are a lying Steelers fan).”

He’s got a point. Forte is 1,318 total yards and three touchdowns away from topping Bettis on the stat sheet. On top of that he’s already eclipsed both O.J. Simpson and John Riggins in total yardage and should have both beat in touchdowns by the end of this year. Each of them are in the Hall of Fame as well and the kicker is Forte eclipsed both of them in fewer games. How does that not make him a serious candidate?

Okay sure the guy doesn’t have a Super Bowl ring. Neither did Barry Sanders, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Eric Dickerson, Thurman Thomas, Simpson or Earl Campbell. If that’s the reason he gets held out, it’s a stupid one. This has to be about the bottom line. Was Forte one of the best at his position in the NFL for a long period of time? Yes.

Then that should be all that matters.

Jimmy Butler’s Trainer Compares Gar Forman to Drug Dealer

By
Matthew Milakovich
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Whoa… that didn’t take long.

In case you didn’t know, Travelle Gaines is a Louisiana native who owns an athletic training company by the name of Performance Gaines based out of Phoenix Arizona. Gaines (36) has worked with over 200 professional athletes such as, Chris Johnson, Jon Beason, Ryan Mathews, Brandon Roy, and… you guessed it.

Jimmy Butler.

Now, if you’re a Bulls fan you probably have a great deal of disdain for Gar Forman and John Paxson; or a duo more commonly known as GarPax.

But, a drug dealer? What kind of drugs are we talking about here? Weed or Heroin? Because one is widely accepted and the other destroys lives.

From the looks of it, he’s probably referring to the latter. And since he mentioned “GM” only, it appears he is mainly referring to Forman.

One does not say such things without rapid fire media coverage so I’d imagine there will be more to come from this– But I’ll leave you with this.

Me personally, just from the looks of him, I probably wouldn’t buy anything from Gar Forman.

Stay tuned.

Bulls Trade 2nd Round Pick Jordan Bell

By
Matt Eastman
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