What's Cutler got to do with the Cubs?

Some lessons are learned the easy way: you hear advice, you acknowledge it, lesson learned. Others aren't so simple. It's the old hand-in-the-fire cliche, that you have to experience the negative to learn the lesson.

A year ago today, the Bears traded Kyle Orton and a pair of first round picks to Denver for Jay Cutler and a third. The entire city of Chicago celebrated, thinking that the Bears had finally landed a top-flight quarterback that could lead them to the Super Bowl. In my 22 years living in this city, here is how I rank the excitement for athletes arrivals: 3) Mark Prior as a rookie, 2001 2) Jay Culer via trade, 2009 1) Michael Jordan's first comeback, 1995. That's high company.

As we found out, Cutler wasn't everything we'd hoped. The QB led the NFL in interceptions, especially in the bone-headed variety. Fans were wishing that Rex Grossman was still under center...midway through the first game of the season. It was not what fans had expected on April 2, 2009.

Hopes went up, actual results came crashing down. Thankfully, I've learned my lesson, and won't be repeating that mistake. So with that, here's my Cubs preview for 2010:

(Note: Not doing a full baseball preview, because honestly I didn't follow much of the offseason for the other 29 MLB teams.)

When I saw the Cubs this spring in Arizona, a few things jumped out at me. One, that a bunch of guys (Soriano, Big Z, Soto) seemed to be in better shape than they were in 2009. Two, that the team seemed to be having more fun than they did last year. And three, they seem to be a faster all-around team than I've seen since 2003.

A slimmed-down Geovany Soto (photo by me)

Obviously all three of those things are positives. So too is that they will depart Arizona fairly healthy. Dumping offseason mistake from last winter, namely Meltdown Bradley and Kevin Gregg, helps a lot. And maybe another few months under the belt of youngsters like Randy Wells, Jeff Samardzija and Sean Marshall will help out.

Then again, this is the Cubs we're talking about. Nothing ever goes as planned, from injuries to performance to overall buzz around the team. Last year was supposed to be the year, but then Aramis Ramirez tore his shoulder, Soriano couldn't walk (both in the sense of taking four balls and in just moving one foot in front of the other) and the team falls apart. This season expectations are lowered (most people have them projected around 80 wins), but the pressure from fans is still present. The Rickets family is in year one, Lou is in his final year, and there's still that other year still hanging over the team like a kippah: 1908.

If the Cubs are going to be a factor this year, they have to start strong. They don't play any of the 2009 NL playoff teams until May 17 (when they begin a stretch of playing 11 games versus all the postseason teams, the Rockies, Phillies, Dodgers AND Cardinals, in a 14-day span) and have a good dose of the league's bottom-feeders over those first seven weeks. Of course staying healthy will be key, and it still remains to be seen if Soto's new shape will help him turn back to his '08 version, if new CF Marlon Byrd is the real deal, if Kouske can start well and keep it up the entire year, if Zambrano can live up to his $15 million/year contract, if the bullpen can hold leads, if Marmol can close consistently, plus a few speed bumps still unknown.

Zambrano warming up (photo by me)

I hate making predictions about any baseball team, because the season is so long and there are countless numbers of things that can change between April 5 and October 30. I hate making predictions about the Cubs, because it's impossible for me to not think with my heart instead of my head. So I won't give any projected win-loss numbers or place in the standings or playoff projections. Just know this: If Soriano, Ramriez and Lee combine for a total of (at least) 415 games played; and if Zambrano, Lilly, Dempster and Wells combine for (at least) 55 wins; and if the bullpen has a cumulative ERA of under 4, things will be good on the North Side.

If not, well at least Jay Cutler will be back under center for the Bears in September.

Four years, four teams

In the past 365 days I've worked about seven different jobs, graduated from college and (in my opinion) improved as a writer more than ever before. Why is this noteworthy? Because today is the fourth anniversary of the Hot Dog Guy and I couldn't be prouder of the blog, though I wish I had more time to actually write. It is here where I am able to vent about sports, complain about my favorite teams, practice my writing and not have to limit myself to a word count, structure the writing to a specific style or be at the mercy of a copy editor.

The point of the blog at first was to not only to be a place to give sports opinions, but also to document my time as a Wrigley Field vendor. That stopped quickly when I realized it was too difficult to fairly describe all the craziness that goes on at the corner of Clark & Addison. But in its place, I hope that the blog has been a place to read entertaining and enlighting thoughts on the Bears, Cubs, Bulls and the rest of sports. I've tried to make it personal, giving my thoughts and opinions on matters, even though I realize most people don't care.

My first ever post (outside of a brief into) broke down the Final 4 in Indy. That 2006 group featured a pair of players - Joakim Noah of Florida and Tyrus Thomas of LSU - who would go on to be discussed at length here on the blog.

Now, four years later, it's time to do it again. Four college basketball teams head to Naptown (Called that by locals because of the third of the city's five syllables, Indi-a-NAP-o-lis. Called that by out-of-towners because the most interesting thing to do there is take a nap) with dreams of cutting down the net. At the bottom of the post I'll offer my preview, but before that, I'd like to review the first two weekend of the tournament while honoring a Chicago institution leaving the airways soon, At the Movies.

Thumbs Up: The dramatics - Determining the best game of this tournament is like determining the most attractive Bond girl; there are tons of choices to make an argument for. Xavier-Kansas State, No. Iowa-Kansas, Michigan St.-Maryland, Tennessee-Ohio St., Murray St.-Vanderbilt, Villanova-Robert Morris, plus all four of the Elite 8 games and some others I can't think of off the top of my head. It's not a surprise, based on the regular season we had, that the tourney was so exciting. Without a dominant team everybody was closer in the pack of 65, making for competition all over the bracket.

Thumbs Down: The favorites - This isn't a bad thing by any means, but it's always a bit disappointing to realize the team's atop the rankings all year where frauds in a way. No doubt teams like Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse and Ohio State where all very good and deserving of their seed, but they all had major weaknesses that were exposed in the tournament. The Jayhawks couldn't score when Sherron Collins had a poor game. The Wildcats were too young and couldn't hit shots (both from 3 and free). The Orange didn't have a scorer to give the ball to at crunch time. And the Buckeyes had no depth. All of these things were reasons these teams went home early.

Thumbs Up: Gus Johnson & Bill Raftery - This is both an up and a down. Up because Gus and Raft are the two best in the business when it comes to college hoops, the two guys who understand the energy and excitement that is March. Down because CBS has neither of them calling the Final Four. Gus increases his intensity along with the games, reaching a crescendo as the minutes start falling towards zero. Just watch this highlight package from KSU-Xavier. The entire clip is classic Gus, but pay close attention at 1:25 when Jordan Crawford hits his game-tying three from the cancer ribbon, about 35 feet from the basket. "Crawford at 8, Crawford's got to hurry, up, OHHHHHHH, HE TIED IT!!" Raftery amps up the excitement as the game goes along as well, but he describes the game as a fan would, only using much more classic and elegant language, such as "Onions" and "A little kiss off the window." More announcers should follow the lead of these two and add some kick to their commentary.

Thumbs Down: The commercials - OK, so this is a natural complaint when you watch nearly 80 hours (approximation) of basketball over a two-week span. But if I see Luke Wilson talking about maps, some airport guys yelling about bag fees or have to watch another couple talk about how Lowe's saved their garden, I might throw a brick through my television.

Thumbs Up: My picks - I'm in first place in both my pools. I have two of my Final 4 remaining. And nobody has their National Champ left. So it looks good. From the start I loved Duke's road to Indy, especially because I was confident that the two seed in that region (Vilanova) would get bounced early. A lot of people took Baylor, thinking their athleticism would cause the Blue Devils some problems, but I liked the edge in the backcourt for Duke. And out East I got lucky with West Virginia, who I picked at the start because I liked their D, then got worried because of how well Kentucky was playing, then was bailed out because the Wildcats played their worst game of the season.

Thumbs Down: My picks - Having two Final 4 picks correct means I also had two wrong. That's not the failure part. It's the fact that I should have known better than picking Kansas and Syracuse to win their regions. A few years ago, I said I'd never take a Bill Self-coached team. Then they win the title in '08, come back this year with (on paper) the strongest team and I get suckered in again. But that's not it. I also say every year I won't pick the favorite, because they are unlikely to win and it puts me in competition with too many people who don't follow college hoops at all. Yet I ignore all of that and go with the Jayhawks and Orange, the Bill Self coached team and the two favorites to cut down the nets. There's no way I would have chosen Michigan State and Butler, but I should have known better than what I did.

Now it's prediction time, and these two games are (obviously) hard to figure out. There's no fluke in this group, no happy to be there squad. The first game matches the two 5-seeds, Butler and Michigan State. A lot of people are hopping on the Tom Izzo bandwagon, and for good reason. The Spartans play great team basketball, and six Final 4's in 12 years is nothing to slouch about. But I like the Bulldogs, who play equally good defense and have more scorers. It will be a close one, but I'll say Butler 74, Sparty 70. The nightcap is even more intriguing, with the physical Mountaineers taking on the tough but athletic Dukies. Duke's big guys - Thomas, Zubek and the Plumlees - were the difference in the Elite 8 win against Baylor, while it was the outside shooting of WVU that carried them over Kentucky. Each will need repeat performances, but I like Coach K's group, barely. Kyle Syngler won't be held without a field goal again, and the Duke guards are too good when their bigs are playing well. Duke 79, West Virginia 77.

Rock, Chalk Picks

It may not be considered 'the holiday season' to most, but to sports fans like myself, this is truly the most wonderful time of the year. March Madness is the definition of perfection, a splendid combination of competition, drama, action, and gambling. I say the two best days of the year are the two first days of the NCAA Tournament, when 16 games span 12-or-so hours each day. Each year, I reserve the days to do absolutely nothing other than watching basketball. And each year, I thank myself for being so smart.

This year's tournament offers much of the normal confusion that every other year provides. Nobody knows who will be the sleeper teams that sneak into the second weekend or which high seed (high seed means low number means better team, which I find confusing every year) will loose focus and get bounced in round one. But this year has the added wrinkle of the selection committee giving the toughest regions to the nation's two best teams. Makes it tough when four of the countries five best teams (Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio St. and West Virginia) are split into two regions (Midwest and East).

Regardless of the confusion, America has persevered and filled out their brackets. And of course I am among them. So here are my picks for the 2010 NCAA Tournament, which I would recommend you not copy if you'd like to win money come early-April. (You can see my 2009, 2008 and 2007 picks here, though I have no clue why that would interest you.)

MIDWEST

1-Kansas over 16- Lehigh
9- No. Iowa over 8- UNLV
5- Michigan St. over 12- New Mexico St.
4- Maryland over 13- Houston
11- San Diego St. over 6- Tennessee
3- Georgetown over 14- Ohio
7- Oklahoma St. over 10- Georgia Tech
2- Ohio St. over 15- UC Santa Barbra

1- Kansas over 9- No. Iowa
4- Maryland over 5- Michigan St.
3- Georgetown over 11- San Diego St.
2- Ohio St. over 7- Oklahoma St.

1- Kansas over 4- Maryland
3- Georgetown over 2- Ohio St.

1- Kansas over 3- Georgetown

Analysis: This is as tough of a region that a No. 1 overall seed has received in a long, long time. I think the Jayhawks are clearly the best team, but I wouldn't be shocked if they are knocked off by the 2, 3, 4 or 5 seeds. And as recently as two years ago, Bill Self-coached teams couldn't be trusted to win when it really counts. But they cut down the nets in 2008 and this years team, with Collins, Aldrich, Henrey, the Morris twins and a deep bench, won't be halted by a road scattered with land mines.

WEST

1- Syracuse over 16- Vermont
8- Gonzaga over 9- Florida St.
12- UTEP over 5- Butler
4- Vanderbilt over 13- Murray St.
5- Xavier over 11- Minnesota
3- Pittsburgh over 14- Oakland
7- BYU over 10- Florida
2- Kansas St. over 15- North Texas

1- Syracuse over 8- Gonzaga
12- UTEP over 4- Vanderbilt
5- Xavier over 3- Pittsburgh
7- BYU over 2- Kansas St.

1- Syracuse over 12- UTEP
7- BYU over 5- Xavier

1- Syracuse over 7- BYU

Analysis: A lot of upsets in the wild, wild west, though in the end I still like the top seeded Orange. BYU is an exciting team to watch and will have the home-court advantage in Salt Lake City if they make it to the second weekend. UTEP has some great skill, and Xavier always playes well in March. But when it's all decided, Syracuse and their famed 2-3 zone will be too much for the challengers.

EAST

1- Kentucky over 16- East Tennessee St.
9- Wake Forest over 8- Texas
12- Cornell over 5- Temple
4- Wisconsin over 13- Wofford
6- Marquette over 11- Washington
3- New Mexico over 14- Montana
10- Missouri over 7- Clemson
2- West Virginia over 15- Morgan St.

1- Kentucky over 9- Wake Forest
4- Wisconsin over 12- Cornell
6- Marquette over 3- New Mexico
2- West Virginia over 10- Missouri

1- Kentucky over 4- Wisconsin
2- West Virginia over 6- Marquette

2- West Virginia over 1- Kentucky

Analysis: No doubt that Kentucky has the talent. The 'Cats may have four future Lottery picks on their roster and a coach who had made multiple (vacated) Final Four trips. But I don't think they match up well with the Mountaineers, who have comprable talent and are much tougher than UK is. I also think the bracket sets up well for WVU, who could face a team (Marquette) they are familiar with from conference play in the Sweet 16.

SOUTH

1-Duke over 16- Arkansas Pine-Bluff
9- Louisville over 8- California
5- Texas A&M over 12- Utah St.
13- Siena over 4- Purdue
6- Notre Dame over 11- Old Dominion
3- Baylor over 14- Sam Houston St.
7- Richmond over 10- St. Mary's
2- Villanova over 15- Robert Morris

1- Duke over 9- Louisville
5- Texas A&M over 13- Siena
3- Baylor over 6- Notre Dame
2- Villanova over 7- Richmond

1- Duke over 5- Texas A&M
3- Baylor over 2- Villanova

1- Duke over 3- Baylor

Analysis: No, you didn't mistakenly click on Dickie V's bracket; I am picking Duke. Why? They have the second-best efficiency rating on KenPom, which in the past has done a great job of projecting NCAA Tournament winners. And they have talented guards and good size, two things I look for in March. They don't match up well with Villanova, who (I correctly predicted) bounced them from the Dance in 2009. But I see Baylor knocking off the 'Cats, giving Coach K the chance to return to the Final Four.

FINAL FOUR

1- Kansas over 1- Syracuse
1- Duke over 2- West Virginia

1- Kansas over 1- Duke

Analysis: Every year I write 'Don't take the favorite'. And every year, I seem to come up short. So this year, I'm going with the best team. I don't have 100% confidence in the Jayhawks and could easily see at least five other teams (the three other F4 teams, Kentucky and Ohio St.) cutting the nets down in early-April. But Kansas seems to have everything a champion needs, and they are my title pick for 2010.

Sunshine and baseball

I am really bad at this whole blogging thing, and for that I apologize. It's not like I'm especially busy, there really is no excuse for my lack of posts.

Anyways, tomorrow I head out on a vacation. This is noteworthy for multiple reasons. One, it will mark the first time in a year since I'll be leaving the state of Illinois (except for 3 hours in Missouri two weeks ago, which deserves its own post). Two, because I'm going somewhere that's 75 and sunny, two descriptions that can't accompany Evanston, Ill. in February. And three, because for the first time in my life, I am going to see the Cubs in spring training as they prepare for the 2010 season.

Tomorrow morning, my dad and I will board a plane to Phoenix. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be in the stands of Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, AZ, watching the North Siders take on the Oakland A's in the first game of the year. We'll be there each of the next two days as well, soaking in the sun, watching the team and looking forward to (hopefully) an enjoyable year at the Friendly Confines.

It won't be all fun and games though. There's always a lot of questions surrounding the Cubs, and this year is no different. Here are 10 that I'm hoping to find answers to over the next three days:

1. The number one priority for the Cubs, like with every MLB team, is health. We know Ted Lilly is out for a while, but can guys like Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto, Ryan Dempster stay in one piece for the next seven months?
2. How does new center fielder Marlon Byrd look? If the answer is rhymes with Shilton Cradley or Beed Rohnson, the team is in trouble.
3. There's been a bunch of buzz about my man Carlos Zambrano, who apparently has lost a lot of weight since the end of 2009. Can he still bring the heat, and more importantly, will the new shape he's in slow down his home run swing? (Seriously, the most important thing for Z is consistency. Always has been, always will be.)
4. Is Carlos Marmol ready to be a full-time closer? And if so, who will step up to be the 8th inning guy? (Did anybody ever check to see if Jim Hendry suffered some sort of brain damage in the hours before he made the trade in the winter of 2008 for Kevin Gregg?)
   
5. Derrek Lee had a great year last season. Is it too much to expect that he can duplicate it when he's going to be 35 in September (and is entering the final year of his contract)?
   
6. Speaking of final years, will Lou Piniella change anything knowing this is likely his last chance as skipper to win a championship?
7. I've heard great things about top prospects Josh Vitters and Starlin Castro, but can the two live up to the hype and make the big league roster? And do the Cubs have any young arms that can give a jolt to the pitching staff?
8. Two third-year players have big pressure on them in 2010. No player frustrates me more than Kouske Fukudome. Has the right fielder figured out a way to propel his awesome April's into a full-year of solid play? And did Geo Soto finally realize he can't play catcher at 275 pounds?
   
9. Who is going to play second base? Jeff Baker is solid, but shouldn't play every day. Same goes for Mike Fontenot. Somebody needs to step up or the cries for Mark DeRosa will keep getting louder.
10. Finally, do they sell Old Style in Mesa? Is there ivy on the outfield walls? Can I take the Red Line to the stadium? Will they fly a W flag following a victory? Can it be April 12 yet?
    

Scenes from the beat

So for the past few weeks - since early-January - I've been covering high school basketball games for the Chicago Sun-Times and their prep sports website, YourSeason.com. You can see some of my stories here, here and here. (E-mail me if you want more.)

In my time on the beat I've seen players headed to Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Cal and Notre Dame, as well as some of the top uncommitted players in the area. I've covered some really close and intense games, and was even able to write about Evanston-New Trier without my allegiances pouring into my story. The experience has been very educational, and I think I've improved my writing a lot, especially filing stories on tight deadlines.

The experience has also been quite hilarious at times. This isn't much of a surprise. These are 16, 17 and 18 year-old kids who have a lot of pressure on them and take the game of basketball very seriously, but at the same time, want to enjoy themselves. So here, for your enjoyment, are just some of the things I've seen on the high school basketball beat:

• It's a custom at basketball games for the cheerleaders to have a little competition of their own. One team's cheerleaders will do a routine, then their opponents will try to match or top that. The act is great for the fans of the respective schools to support their team, getting the entire crowd into a frenzy. At the Evanston-Waukegan game I covered, the custom almost resulted in a fight. Halfway through the fourth quarter, with the Bulldogs holding a three point lead, the sold-out gym was going nuts. One team took a timeout, and one of the ETHS cheerleaders began to do backflips. Flip after flip after flip, and by the time the TO was over, she had gone the entire length of the floor, all 94 feet. When she wound up on the other baseline, directly in front of the Waukegan cheerleaders (and the media table, where I was sitting), the Evanston girl spread her arms out and yelled "What now!" The orange-and-blue clad crowd was going nuts, the PA system was banging some type of hip-hop, and the Waukegan cheerleaders wanted to respond. But the game was about to resume. That didn't stop one girl. She had to be restrained by one of her teammates from either fighting the Evanston cheerer or attempting to do the backflip feat of her own.

• I covered the quarterfinals - all four games - of the Chicago Public League girls tournament. None of the contests were very competitive, but this assignment was noteworthy for two reasons: 1- It was held at Attack Athletics, which is the gym that Pres. Obama balled at on election day last November. It's owned and run by Tim Grover, who I got to meet and talk with a little bit. (Google the name if you don't know why that's really exciting.) 2- This was the song that they used for player introductions for all four games. You couldn't measure how wide my smile was every time this was played.

• At Maine South, I sat in the bleachers because they didn't have a press table. No big deal, that's fairly common in high school gyms. When halftime came, I stood to stretch my legs and must have caught the attention of the two 11-year olds sitting an aisle next to me. They asked if I was writing about the game, and if so, for what newspaper. I told them the Sun-Times and wrote down my name, and they each said they would check the next days paper for it. That's cool. Then they asked me which team I was rooting for. I tried explaining that I didn't care who won, only that it was an interesting game that ended fairly quickly. This didn't satisfy them. I repeated that I didn't have a preference between the schools, especially because I'd attended Evanston, a conference rivals to both squads. Finally one of the kids informed me his older brother was the shooting guard for Maine South. My response was that I hope your bro has a great game and that I can write about him for the paper. This put a smile on their faces and stopped the Q&A. (The guard wound up not playing very well and not earning a mention in the article.)
  

• Other tight songs that I hadn't heard for a good 10 years before I began covering high school hoops: Hit Em High (heard at Lake Forest), Gettin Jiggy With It (heard at Glenbrook North) and Breathe, Stretch, Shake (OK, that's only been like five years, but still funny. Heard at New Trier).

• My #1 best story: It was the boys Public League playoffs, with the No. 3 team in the area, Foreman, versus the high school that produced Kevin Garrnett and Ronnie Fields, Farragut. The fourth quarter had just started, and the game was physical. Whistles about once-a-minute physical. (For those of you who don't know, winning the Public League Title is equally, if not more important, to city schools than winning the state title is. Schools would rather be the best in Chicago than best in all of Illinois.) So a Formean player grabs a rebound, is bumped by a Farragut player, and the Foreman player responds with a shove. Whistle blows, but the kids are still in each other's faces. Benches storm the court, refs and coaches try to break it up, even plenty of fans ran out into the middle of the action. I seriously thought there was going to be a European hooligan-esque brawl right in the middle of this gym on Chicago's Northwest side. Chicago Public School reps are on the microphone, telling people to get off the court or there could be a forfeit. Then out of nowhere, the only kid wearing a basketball uniform that wasn't in the middle of the fight walks right by me. His right arm is in a cast and obviously isn't able to play. This kid is walking at a normal pace, unlike everybody else who sprinted onto the court. And also unlike everybody else, this kid is holding with his left hand a folding chair, likely the very chair he'd been sitting on for the past hour on the bench. I had no clue if he was going to pull a Young Buck on somebody or if he just wanted to sit closer to the action. All I know is this kid looked as calm as can be, walking into the middle of a brawl with one arm in a cast and the other holding a chair. I couldn't help but crack up after seeing that. (Nobody got hurt, nobody got ejected and the game resumed after like three minutes. I never got to find out what the chair kid was going to do, because the fight was broken up by the time he made it to the scene.)
  

Super pick

Since 2001, there have only been two Super Bowls that I would consider 'boring'. The Bucs-Raiders game was a snoozer from the start, mainly because Tampa knew what Oakland was doing on offense and there was nothing competitive for the entire 60 minutes. And the Steelers-Seahawks game was a downer, mainly because the refs took too much control of the action. Other than that, the season's final game have ranged from good (Bears-Colts) to great (Patriots-Panthers) to all-time classic (Steelers-Cardinals).

That has me encouraged. I wrote two weeks ago that conference championship games are not as close as they should be. Super Bowls are the opposite. At one point, football was the afterthought to the commercials and hype. Now everybody knows that the game will be still close in the fourth quarter. Add in two explosive offenses, and this Sunday is everything a championship game is supposed to be.

Now there's no doubt the American public sides with the Saints. People love the underdog, and it's hard to find a better underdog than one that was practically drowned by its own government five years ago. To think about what took place during Hurricane Katrina and what the people of New Orleans had to endure, it truly was the lowest of the lows. So it's only fair to see them reach the highest of the highs. Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey, Pierre Thomas and the rest of the Saints offense can light up a scoreboard like few other groups in NFL history, and the N.O. defense has shown it's talented enough to force turnovers and make stops when needed.

That being said, I'm taking the Colts and not thinking twice about it. I made the mistake of picking Indy to lose both against the Ravens and Jets...how'd that turn out for me? Even if Dwight Freeney doesn't play, it's going to impossible for the Saints to contain Peyton Manning and Co. And while it's guaranteed that #18 will do something that will make jaws drop lower than the Bears' defensive coordinator standards, I see this game playing out a lot like Super Bowl XLI, when the Colts topped the Bears. The Saints defense, especially Darren Sharper, is going to try to limit the big plays. So watch for a lot of quick passes and draws, with Donald Brown taking the Domminic Rhodes role. It's too bad, because it would be cool to see New Orleans win one. But at least it should be a good game.

Colts 33, Saints 28

Be lucky I didn't try 44 questions

Ten Super Bowl-related questions that I'd like responses to before next Sunday's big game.

1. Is there anybody out there that doesn't bleed purple and gold who was disappointed with how the NFC Championship game ended?
2. Do the Jets win that game if they stop Peyton and the Colts from scoring at the end of the second quarter? And in a related note, has anybody made sure Peyton is human and not some sort of robot?
3. What will the crowd be like in Miami? I'd expect most fans without rooting interests will side with the Saints. But I don't know how many people from New Orleans or Indy will be making the trip to South Florida.
4. Back to the NFC game - How can Favre make that throw? I never played quarterback in any type of organized setting, but even I know that you're never supposed to throw across your body when rolling out. As my friend Brian - a die-hard Saints fan - put it earlier this week, we waited all season, but we knew the old Brett Favre was bound to show up.
5. Has Adrian Peterson ever heard of wrapping up the ball with both hands?
6. Who makes the decisions on the halftime performer for the Super Bowl and why doesn't anybody with some media standing question this person? The Who. Seriously, that was the best you could think of? A British band who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Why not go with somebody who is popular now, an artist who can resonate with NFL fans of multiple generations?
7. If they ever listened to my last suggestion, wouldn't a set list of these four songs be awesome for next year's big game? 1) You could have been anywhere in the world but you're hear with me - 2) Who you know fresher than Hov, riddle me that - 3) Fresh out the frying pan into the fryer I be the music biz #1 supplier - 4) You feelin like you runnin huh, now you know how we feel
8. Where will Peyton Manning rank amongst the all-time greats if he dominates another big game?
9. When showing highlights of the last Colts Super Bowl - and the last SB in Miami - can CBS just limit it to Devin Hester's brilliant beginning?
10. If the Saints win, would the city of New Orleans be able to handle a Super Bowl parade for the beloved team and Mardi Gras in the span of a week-and-a-half? (Mardi Gras is on Feb. 16)
    

Winning out west

When the Bulls began their annual Disney on Ice road trip with losses to the Warriors and Clippers, nobody blinked an eye. Ever since the Dynasty ended in 1998, the West Coast has been to the Bulls' personal land of the loss. The team went years without winning a game west of Minneapolis, always struggling on the circus trip at the start of the season and this trip right before the All-Star break. (Proof - From 1999-00 through 2008-09, the Bulls went 9-56 on the circus trip) Even in playoff seasons - take last year for example - it was always a United Center-friendly second half push that elevated the Bulls into the East's top eight.

Well it looks like the push is starting early in 2010. The Bulls have rattled off three consecutive road victories following the two California losses, defeating the Suns in Phoenix, the Rockets in Houston and most recently, the Spurs in San Antonio. That's three good wins in four days, a streak that has the team thinking playoffs once again. (They are currently seventh in the East) Derrick Rose is playing the best ball of his career right now and has a good chance to be the first Bull to play on All-Star Sunday since Mike and Scottie 12 years ago. Joakim Noah and Brad Miller have held down the post, Kirk Hinrich has made a successful return to the starting lineup and Luol Deng has shown why the team wouldn't part with him two summers ago for the chance to acquire Kobe Bryant.



Suddenly the Bulls fans no longer have only this summer's free agency period to look forward to; there's actual basketball to divert attention. (As for free agency, I still say Chris Bosh should be priority No. 1, D.Wade 2 and Joe Johnson 3) If Rose keeps playing at this level, if Deng and Hinrich continue to be solid supporting scorers, if Noah can maintain his high energy on defense, if Tyrus Thomas focus' on his play and not his contract and if the front office can pull off one small move (maybe the Aaron Grey trade will be it), I think the Bulls can advance as high as the fifth seed in the conference. Is it likely? No. But stranger things have happened. Like the team winning three consecutive games out west.

Where's the drama?

I want to be excited for this Sunday's NFL games. Championship Sunday isn't a normal NFL weekend, but it's as close to normal we'll have for the next eight mounts. So savor it while it's here, right? I wish. Instead, the following six facts have me fearing the worst:

• Jets 24, Bengals 14
• Cowboys 34, Eagles 14
• Ravens 33, Patriots 14
• Saints 45, Cardinals 14
• Colts 20, Ravens 3
• Vikings 34, Cowboys 3

Only two of the eight playoff games this year have been worth watching, which doesn't produce good odds that Sunday's will be must-see TV. There's a better chance Stephen Colbert actually competes in Vancouver this February than seeing two games on Sunday that come down to the final minutes. Do I want this to happen? Of course. Do I think it will happen? Not a chance.

So then the question becomes, Which game will be the blowout? The NFC game features the conference's 1 and 2 seeds, meaning it's expected to be a close game. Then again, the road team in that matchup has struggled outside of their building for the past month. In the AFC, it's a 1 seed with a future Hall-of-Fame QB versus a 5 seed with a rookie under center, which has the makings of a lopsided score. But that game features two physical defenses, ones that will make sure nothing gets out of hand.

In the past, championship weekend has always been a bit anti-climactic. Until last year's game, which was a nine-point Pittsburgh victory, only three AFC championship games had been decided by ten points or less since 1999. Only one of those, the 2007 Colts-Patriots game, came down to the final minutes. The NFC title game has been a little better. Last year's Cardinals-Eagles game was exciting down the stretch, and 2008's Giants-Packers matchup was an OT thriller. But before that, mostly snoozefests. While the Super Bowl has had a lot of all-time classics over the past decade, surprisingly the championship games have not.

Here are my predictions:

Jets at Colts

To beat Indianapolis, a team has to run the ball to keep Peyton Manning off the field, while at the same time containing the Colts high-powered offense. The Jets ran the ball better than anybody all season and have a defense that stopped San Diego dead in their tracks a week ago. I smell an upset. New York also knows they can beat Indy, having done in just one month ago when Jim Caldwell rested his starters. With a big game from Thomas Jones, a smart game from Mark Sanchez and the NY defense somehow baiting Manning into throwing a costly pick, the upset smell is getting stronger. A team that played on Wild Card weekend has made it to the Super Bowl four consecutive years. Make it five. Jets 23, Colts 18

Vikings at Saints

Minnesota's offense looked damn good on Sunday versus the Cowboys. They scored 34 points, rolled up 323 yards and didn't turn the ball over once. All of that was upended by what the Saints did against Arizona. New Orleans had 45 points, 418 points and also were turnover-free. Point is, it's going to take a monster effort from Favre, Peterson and the rest of the Minnesota offense to win at the Superdome on Sunday. With that crowd noise and with the way Drew Brees can pick apart a defense like Billy Madison playing dodgeball against first graders, I find it hard to believe that Brad Childress can come up with a gameplan to stop them. Saints 35, Vikings 17

Last week: 1-3
Season to date: 170-94

Go hard or go home

Best football weekend of the year, no question. The eight best teams, four great games, with everything on the line. Last weekend produced three snoozers and an instant classic, as well as a 2-2 record for me. This weekend will be better, in both departments. I think I have a good feel for all these games, though we all know anything can happen in the playoffs. Here's my divisional round breakdown, by day.

Saturday

Cardinals at Saints: Remember last week, when I promised that the Green Bay-Arizona game would be the highest scoring of the weekend? It ended up being the most points scored ever in a playoff game. Here's my bold statement for this week: Drew Brees will have 100 or more passing yards than Kurt Warner. Gutsy yes, but I just don't see Arizona doing it two weeks in a row. (Though Mr. Warner does seem to pay his best in the playoffs) Three losses in a row to end the regular season halted New Orleans' momentum, but I see them jumping out early and then holding on for a victory. Saints 42, Cardinals 28

Ravens at Colts: Last time these teams faced off in the playoffs, it was an all field goal battle. That was the old Ravens, with Steve McNair (RIP) at quarterback and no threats to take it to the house. These are the new Ravens, with Ray Rice at running back and recent experience of winning big playoff road games. Indianapolis comes into this game having had the last three weeks off, and I think it costs them. Peyton Manning is amazing and the Colts D isn't too shabby, but I'll take momentum over a team that will be spending the first half trying to recharge their batteries. Ravens 27, Colts 23

Sunday

Cowboys at Vikings: Once again, I will be doing a live chat during the game, so go to NFL Blog Blitz to check it out. (While you're there, read my post on why I hate the Vikings) This is the most intriguing game of the weekend, because there are so many subplots. America's Team vs. America's QB, which is also America's Most Hated Team vs. America's Most Hated QB. Two coaches who looked as if they just awoke from a decade-long comas. Two fan bases who believe their moment for glory is upon them. Two ferocious pass rushes, two dynamic running games, two quarterbacks who NEED this win. I like Dallas for a couple reasons. One, Adrian Peterson hasn't been the real AP for a while now, with seven straight games under 100 yards rushing. That limits what the Vikes can do and increases the chances that DeMarcus Ware will carve up Fave like John Madden's Turducken. Two, because I don't see how the Vikings limit Miles Austin and Jason Witten while also stopping the Cowboys draw play, which has been their best weapon. Felix Jones will break a big one on the Metrodome rug and Tony Romo does enough to not blow it. Cowboys 31, Vikings 27

Jets at Chargers: Could New York be for real? They looked like a squad built for the playoffs last week in Cincinnati, with a fast and physical defense complementing an efficient running game. But that was the Bengals, this is the Chargers. San Diego has a fast and physical defense of their own, plus an efficient running game and a dynamic passing attack. New York can keep it close for a while, and if it gets to the fourth quarter with the score within three points, anything can happen. But I see to much Rivers, Gates, LDT and co. Chargers 28, Jets 17

Last week: 2-2
Season to Date: 169-91