Long before Jordan's Bulls, Walter Payton's Bears and Chris Farley's Superfans, another franchise ruled the Windy City. The Chicago Blackhawks once had a stronghold on the city and were the fans' pride and joy for the majority of the 20th century.

After failing to succeed athletically in Houston, Portland, Finland and his circus-style return to the Bulls, Pippen decided to try his hand at other aspects of life. But after realizing that being a studio analyst or an assistant coach wasn't exactly his cup of tea, Scottie packed up his things, returned to the Windy City and made the decision to because a salesman. The product? Miller Lite.

Equipped with keen hitters seemingly all throughout the lineup and a devastating 1-2-3 punch of Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Rich Harden on the mound, the Cubs seem to have their best shot at bringing the title home. And while high expectations are the norm in Wrigleyville, this bunch has delivered all season long...

You got me, Bud. Because of your stupid little homefield advantage rule, you had me watching all 4 hours and 50 minutes of last night's All-Star Game. I stayed up until 12:45 AM central time, holding out hope that the National League could finally win a game just in case my home-state Milwaukee Brewers make a return to the World Series. I sat through 15 innings of sacrifice bunts, bases-loaded double plays, and players trying to end the game on one swing. You finally have people watching the All-Star Game until the last out, but don't expect me to be happy with the fact that "This time it counts!"

The Bears organization has given second-round pick Matt Forte (Tulane) all the support in the world, but high expectations for such a young player could prove to be career-shattering. I've heard nothing but great things about Forte, but I would be much more at ease if a veteran runner was brought in to help shoulder the load. Remember Cade McNown, the proclaimed next big thing? Wasn't his career supposed to skyrocket? Bleh.

Billy Packer has been around to call every memorable Final Four moment in the past 34 years, but it looks like he won't get to see No. 35. CBS has decided to replace Packer with studio co-host Clark Kellogg next season, ending one of the most impressive runs in television history...

With the 2009 NBA Draft more than 11 months away, it might seem a little crazy to begin projecting where next year's elite players will land on draft day. Still, I've never been one to shy away from a challenge and I'm interested to see how much my selections change as the year goes on...

It's obvious after today's Marmolian meltdown that starting pitching isn't the real problem on Chicago's North Side. And who knows how bad things might have been if Kerry Wood hadn't resurrected his career and posted All-Star numbers in the first half. Still, the 25-year-old Carlos Marmol is the key to this group what with Wood's history of ending seasons on the disabled list. If he doesn't correct his ongoing crisis in the first couple weeks of the second half, GM Jim Hendry will need to work his magic on the trading block...

Coming from someone that had his basketball career cut short because of an injured knee, I'm scared. Really. I am. This isn't something that should be pushed aside, which is exactly what Pax is doing. I know summer league usually means nothing, but it's entirely necessary for Rose, who needs some fine-tuning of his skills as evident by his premiere earlier this week against the Heat. I'm all for him sitting out to ensure a full recovery by the season opener on Halloween, but I'm seriously worried that we fans are being shunned out of the full story...

Leading the NL Central by a comfortable margin, the Chicago Cubs didn't have to do anything to respond to Milwaukee's acquisition of CC Sabathia. With the best record in the National League and an incredible +110 run differential, it's a pretty safe bet that the Cubs were going to make the playoffs before they stole Rich Harden from the A's. It's pretty clear that the Harden trade was made with one thing in mind — ending the 100-year drought...

The 1983 White Sox team slogan applied perfectly to the eighth inning ruckus in the Chicago dugout. While the Sox scored two runs in the frame to complete the comeback over the Royals, it wasn't accomplished without some noticeable turmoil.

Comcast SportsNet television cameras captured a livid Orlando Cabrera being restrained by teammates Jose Contreras and Dewayne Wise from charging after Jermaine Dye. The Sox' shortstop was infuriated and appeared to be yelling expletives after scoring the go-ahead run on Jim Thome's base hit...

After earning national recognition last year for having the most accurate mock draft, I've got my work cut out for me this summer. No worries though, I'm excited at the possibility of handing it to Chad Ford for the second year in a row come June 26.

Remember, there is absolutely nothing set in stone at this point in time. Many changes will come about as team workouts begin in the next few days. I'm trying to ignore all the ridiculous speculation and stay focused on penning in players where I believe they will best fit.

The two teams in the NBA Finals both possess a lethal trio of players: Bryant, Gasol, and Odom of the Lakers, and Pierce, Garnett, and Allen for the Celtics. The way these players have molded with their teams, and the success that has followed, has undoubtedly warranted the Bulls attention. The idea of putting together their own Big Three is a proposition definitely worth entertaining.

After almost two months of pining for potential head coaching candidates, the Chicago Bulls' search is finally over, albeit in an untimely fashion.

The organization took all the time in the world waiting for Mike D'Antoni, Avery Johnson and Doug Collins, yet when the third time wasn't a charm—the Bulls frantically scrambled and rushed to come to terms with a man without any coaching experience. Funny how things work, isn't it?

Chicago Bulls general manager John Paxson has been rumored to be the leading candidate for the recently vacated University of Notre Dame athletic director position.

What does this mean for Doug Collins, who was rumored last week to be named as the next Chicago Bulls head coach? The biggest rumor out of Chicago today is that Collins will..