Anyone out there who is truly surprised that the Bulls selected Joakim Noah with the 9th pick in this year's NBA draft hasn't been paying attention to the team over the last five years.  In the first round, in John Paxon's tenure, the Bulls have selected Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Thabo Sefalosha, and Joakim Noah.  The one thing they all have in common, with the exception of Sefalosha due to him being a foreign player, is NCAA Final Four experience.  Gordon has one NCAA championship ring, and Noah has two.  See a trend here??

Potential is a word that can absolutely kill an NBA general manager and/or their reputation.  Ask former big man hopefuls Shawn Bradley, Todd Fuller, Stromile Swift, Kwame Brown, and the granddaddy of all big man NBA busts, Michael Olowakandi.  What's the one thing all these guys have in common?  None of them had made it past the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament, and one of them didn't even go to college.

Once the number nine pick came, there weren't too many options available to fill the Bulls' need for a big man.  The other two centers available were Spencer Hawes from Washington, and Tiago Splitter from Brazil.  Seems like people have been crowning Hawes as the next George Mikan, while Splitter was not considered to even be a lottery worthy pick.  The Bulls decided to take the best player available at #9, regardless of position.  People forget that the Bulls were considering taking him with the #2 pick last year if he would've came out of Florida, so they now got him at an even better value than that.

Seems like so called draft "experts" have been slurping Hawes' potential low post scoring and passing ability.  There is that word "potential" again.  The kid is a total non-athlete with a shooter's touch who plays absolutely no defense and doesn't block shots.  Better learn how to flop, kid.  That doesn't sound like the next George Mikan.  It sounds like he could be the next Vlade Divac, at best.  He is a finesse big man.  Keep in mind that the Lakers didn't win a title until they traded Divac, and he retired into obscurity in 2005.   Hawes' team didn't even make the NIT last season, so to even suggest that Hawe's "potential" is a reason to pick him over Noah is absolutely laughable.

Finesse big men don't win NBA championships.  It's the gritty, grimey, rebounding, defensive, shot-blocking, dominant centers who usually earn that prize.  Ask Dirk Nowitzski if being a finesse big man has helped him win a title.  How about Vlade Divac ,Raef LaFrentz, or Tom Chambers?

Noah wants to be in the list of great centers that people know by one name.  Wilt.  Shaq.  Timmy.  Hakeem. Moses.  Kareem.  Mr. Robinson.  Even Big Ben.  What will Spencer Hawes be know as?  Spence?  The Haw?  I don't think so.  Plus in the city that has basically elected a democratic mayoral monarchy in the Daley family, I don't think his I "heart" Bush bumper sticker will fare too well in the City of Big Shoulders.

Noah, on the other hand, is a proven winner.  Two NCAA Division I national titles.  All heart.  Hates to lose more than he loves to win.  Never satisfied.  Yeah I got my reservations about him.  Yeah, he's French, but so is Tony Parker.  He seems to be doing well.  Yeah, he has a funky haircut, but so does Big Ben and Dennis Rodman and they have titles.  And yeah, he comes off as a jerk, but he is the kind of jerk you want on your team like A.J. Pierzynski, Barry Bonds, or Dennis Rodman.

Which lists of big men will Noah belong to when everything is said and done?  Will it be the Olowokandi list or the Shaq list?  I don't know.  But at least for now it looks like the Bulls got the next Ben Wallace and let the Sacramento Kings get the next Vlade Divac.

Does anyone out there in Bear country think there will be any kind of legitimate quarterback controversy this year?  By legitimate I mean within the organization and not media created.  Da Bears have Brian Griese looming; Kyle Orton still waiting to prove himself again (ten wins his rookie season is nothing to sneeze at);  national champion and fellow Florida Gator Chris Leak wanting to prove that size doesn't matter; and Frankfurt Galaxy product J.T. O'Sullivan in the NFL Europa World Bowl making some serious noise. 

Who makes the cut, and secondly, where do all the other quarterbacks go?  I personally think that Orton is a gem that just needs to be polished.

Tommie Harris' comments were just to compliment one of the best quaterbacks in the NFL.  Who wouldn't want Donovan McNabb as their quarterback?  Indianapolis, New England, and maybe New Orleans.  That's it.  Every other team in the league would bench their starter for McNabb, so Harris' comments really aren't a big deal.

There is a reason there has never been a quarterback controversy in Chicago. There is a reason that every time you ask Lovie Smith about the quarterback situation he says, "Rex is our quarterback". There is a reason that his team unequivocally endorses and supports their embattled field general. They see something in him that sets him apart from the rest. He has a chance to be something special in this league and I'm looking forward to the ride. The biggest indicator in how he will be as a quarterback is how he improves from year one to year two. "They" say that is the biggest tell. Give the guy a chance and stop drinking haterade.

The Bears seem to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL, they get no respect.  No respect at all.  Trashing Da Bears' offense is just the fashionable thing to do nowadays, so I don't take too much stock in what most of these "experts" have to say.  Da Bears will probably lead the NFC in total points again, so that is that with that. 

Da Bears were tied for 2nd in the league in pts scored and added tight end Greg Olsen, or as I like to call him, "G-Reg" from the 7th floor crew.  They also added Garrett Wolfe.  With a healthy Mark Bradley helping B-squared (Bernard Berrian) stretch the field and Moose and Olsen crossing the middle, Da Bears' offense will be sick as long as Ced Benson holds up his end of the bargain.  He wanted to be the man, so now he gets his chance.   Ced is the man!!  Let's not even mention what will happen when we can get DH (Devin Hester) the ball on occasion. 

Rex Grossman will be substantially better this year than last year.  I predict a 2:1 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions.  His footwork will be better.  His mechanics will be better.  He will trust his offensive line and step into the pocket to make his throws.  He will run for the hills when necessary.  He will throw the ball away instead of throwing the interception.  Da Bears, particularly their offense, will get their respect this season.  If not, Grossman will be gone, and his contract won't be renewed.  The Bears will have the BEST OFFENSE IN THE NFC!

I'm not by any means downing any other team in the NFL, because us Bears fans can be obnoxious (especially myself), but I just feel that the Super Bowl runners up deserve a lot more respect than they have been getting lately.  I am driving the bandwagon, and a lot of people will want to jump back on once the Bears start dissecting these teams this year, just like everyone was on the bandwagon last year.  That's why they have so many nationally televised games.  They are that good...

Nowadays people mistake marketablity for greatness.  LeBron is hightly marketable, has great commercials, and seems to be an overall good guy, but that doesn't necessarily mean he will be a GREAT player.  It's always guys like Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady  that come out overhyped that never quite live up to it, while people like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, who many analysts said would take time just adjusting to the NBA game, are actually coming closer to MJ-like domination than anyone since His Airness.

Now I'm not going out on a limb and saying that LeBron won't be a great player, because he has all the tools necessary to.  Most of what he needs to develop has to take place right between his ears, and the rest at the free throw line.  But at least do things you know have worked.  Stop biting your nails and start sticking out your tongue or something.  Hey, it worked for MJ.  You won't see too many kids at the park biting their nails trying to be like LeBron, but almost every kid I knew growing up stuck out their tongue at one point or another on the court and said "Jordan" right before they pulled up to take a shot.