By Paul M. Banks Founder/President of The Sports Bank.net,

The year 2008 truly solidified my theory: to be a fan of either the Chicago Cubs and University of Illinois football means you know a lot about soul-crushing defeats. You know more than losing, you know exactly what it’s like to have any shred of hope or optimism crushed into grains of dust. You’ve had your hopes and dreams imploded so many times that you can’t even feel optimism anymore. You’ve routinely endured the type of losing that makes you wonder to yourself why you keep returning, but in ’08 took that disappointment spiked to cataclysmic proportions. The fallout from that devastation will likely linger for generations.

I’m lucky enough to be in only one (UI football) of these subsets. If I was in the intersection of both these groups (don’t you love using ven diagram lingo?) I’d probably take a bath with an electrical appliance. If you happen to be both a Cubs and Illini football fan, I’d suggest taking the laces out of your shoes and avoiding any and all tall buildings before reading on. I’d also suggest reading this only on a bright, sunny day.

In 2008, the Cubs had their best team since, well since any of us have been alive. Unless you’re a 115 years old. They cruised through the regular season, and had they not taken their foot off the gas pedal a bit in August-September (though it’s easy to understand why they did) the Cubs easily could have won 100-105 games.

Coming off a first round playoff sweep at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks the year before, this season was about October: plain and simple. Actually, it should always be about October, but these are the Cubs- so it’s quite common for even August and September to be meaningless. Still there was no way the Cubs could blow this thing, right? It was also the centennial anniversary of the last title. It was almost too perfect.

It was too perfect; for the L.A. Dodgers, as every Cubs infielder somehow found a way to make an error in the same inning of game 1. The ’08 sweep, combined with the ’07 sweep, and the five outs from a World Series collapse in ’03, makes me wonder if Cub fans have any reason to look forward to April each year. Regarding Cub die-hards, I wonder if they have any reason to live.

As bad as’08 was for those who live in Wrigleyville (and I mean “Wrigleyville” as the state of mind, not a physical location, kind of like “Margaritaville”), it was equally bad or worse in Champaign. Ron Zook, who is most famous for inspiring Southern fried yahoos to create a website encouraging his dismissal, was coming off a banner season. His best laid plans had finally worked as Illinois made their first Rose Bowl since 1983. The Illini got their second BCS bowl bid this decade, tying Iowa. I know, I know that sentence is utterly unbelievable, but trust me it’s true. However, just like in ’01 when the Ron Turner led Illini qualified for the Sugar Bowl, Illinois got EMBARASSED on New Year’s Day. It was another dark day.

And how did Illinois build off the momentum of a 9-4 campaign? By going 5-7 the following season. ’08 was low-lighted by an embarrassing loss to Western Michigan before a crowd of like 6,000 people in Detroit. In an era where ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY goes to a bowl game, Illinois hasn’t been to back-to-back bowl games since ’91-’92.

How is that even remotely possible for a team that plays in a power conference?

The Zooker is back for another year even though he REALLY should have been canned after last year’s dismal 3-9 showing; a year in which numerous experts predicted Illinois to finish third or fourth in the Big Ten. I knew better, I picked them seventh, but that was STILL too optimistic.

How can you ever trust an optimistic pre-season forecast for an Illini football team ever again? The state doesn’t have enough money to buy Zook out of his contract, meaning our hope -what little of it that we have left- is years down the road.  Hopefully, his successor will do the right thing: schedule cupcakes, beat them down, and get the program’s confidence back up so they can actually squeak out a few 6+ win seasons in a row, and then we can stop referring to every good Illini campaign as “that fluke season a few years ago.”

Of course, I know that’s an extremely sunny forecast. Because I also thought Turner would use the boost of the ’01 season, combined with the Chicago Bears playing in his home stadium during 2002, as the perfect springboard for the program recruiting onto itself. And everything would change for the better. But Turner recruited division III level talent on defense and everywhere on offense outside of the tailback position.

At least Cub fans have that whole solidarity, safety in numbers thing going for them. They have each other to lean on in during their hopeless existence from April-September.  You know who Cub fans are because they never stop telling you. They make stupid documentaries, write cheesy books, and record awful music that reminds you they’re Cub fans. Then they stumble around and puke on the sidewalks in your neighborhood. Seriously, Cub fans, shot the f— up! You’ve produced enough cultural crap already. Even your mother is sick of you talking about how much you love the Cubs.

As for Illini fans, I guess they have basketball season. And these days basketball season seems to start in October, or maybe even September.

But all is not lost, right? The Atlanta Braves won a World Series, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won a game when it was below 42 degrees, and the Denver Broncos won a Super Bowl. The Illini won two national titles in the 1920s (I’m sure national championships were a totally different animal and had a completely different name back then) and the Cubs have a date that we’re all sick of hearing for the kajillionth time.

Well, maybe it really is hopeless for both of them. I’ll start believing after the Buffalo Bills win a Super Bowl.

Paul M. Banks is Founder/President of The Sports Bank.net, an Upper Midwest sports webzine. He’s also a member of the Football Writers Association of America, the United States Basketball Writers Association and a sports writer for the Washington Times.com Communities and Walter Football.com

The Cubs take to Turner Field tonight to try and avenge an embarrassing loss to the Atlanta Braves. I think it is too early to worry, unlike Melissa Isaacson, but I would still like to see a big win. I mean, I know it is only a matter of time before the Washington Nationals or Pittsburgh Pirates put on an even worse show than the Cubbies did Monday, but I would like to wash that acerbic taste out of my mouth with a big win for Dempster, maybe coupled with a Ramirez and Soriano home run.

I am going to go so far as to predict a 10-4 victory based on nothing more than Jair Jurrjens being a top-four hilarious name for a professional baseball player (along with Albert Pujols, Milton Bradley, and Coco Crisp). What does his name have to do with the Cubs scoring in the double digits? Absolutely nothing, it’s just an arbitrary reason to put the “W” flag out.

The reality is that the top of the order were pretty decent at the plate in the season opener and that is why I expect a win tonight. They forced the pitchers to throw more than four pitches a plate appearance and Aramis Ramirez and Marlon Byrd by going a combined 3-for-8 with two homeruns and five RBI out of the number four and five spots.

If Alfonso Soriano could just work the pitch count a little more and Geovany Soto would remember why he won the NL Rookie of the Year then this team could contend in a pretty weak division. Anyway, perhaps I am looking a little bit too far into the future, but I really just want a couple wins before I go to the home opener with the Chicago Cubs tickets I waited in line for hours for.

Curtis Granderson is a top notch center fielder, Detroit fan favorite, Chicago native, and as Stormin’ Norman says, “a dreamboat.”  Is it possible that Granderson could be heading back to the Windy City to become a member of the Chicago Cubs?  Two weeks ago I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but it’s been the talk of Detroit and Chicago sports radio today and apparently the Tigers’ financial struggles (how cliche) have landed Curtis on the trade block.

People say Granderson would be a “perfect fit” for the Chicago Cubs and while I don’t really agree, he would certainly be welcomed.  Granderson is the center fielder the Cubs have dreamt of.  He roams a patch of grass in Comerica Park that has more empty space than just about any other park in the league, he steals bases, hits for power, gives full effort every night, and is about the best ambassador for the game you could imagine.

Much like Soriano however, he isn’t the ideal lead-off hitter.  He strikes out a lot, had a terrible average this year, can’t hit left handed pitching at all, and really doesn’t get on base at a good clip.  It would be fun to watch him lead off against righties and Soriano against lefties though.  You’d see a record number of lead-off homers I’d be willing to bet.

Granderson to the Cubs sounds great, but will it really happen?  Hendry would have to pay a pretty steep price for the young star.  Carlos Marmol is the name I’ve heard thrown around the most.  I wouldn’t expect Detroit to want anything to do with Milton Bradley either.  This would likely be a deal involving an established player at a position of need for the Tigers (2b, cf, rp) and at least one top prospect.

I have no doubt that Curtis would be a fan favorite on the North Side.  His batting average and merits as a lead-off hitter might not wow anyone, but he’s a damn exciting player to watch and a kid you want on your team.  I can tell you that there is a large contingent in the Detroit area expressing some outrage at the thought of this trade.  Granderson is arguably Detroit’s most popular athlete, so at least you could hold that over our head for a while.

Hi, my name is Stormin Norman and I’m a Cubsaholic.  I have been sober for 9 days.  I know its not a long time, but every day I battle with my demons.  I feel an urge to turn on the Cubs game, just catch a quick inning or check the score maybe.  But then I remember all the pain it caused me.

You know, it was fun at first.  I just watched a game here and there, and I was always enjoying myself.  It was only April, there was no pressure, I just wanted to have a beer or two, enjoy the green grass and the beautiful sunset against the grandstand.  But then I became more and more obsessed.  All of a sudden I needed to watch every inning of every game.  Sometimes it wasn’t too bad, Marmol might pitch a good inning, or when Derrek Lee started to heat up in June.  Sometimes it was miserable, when the Cubs offense shorted out and Milton Bradley turned on himself, the team, and even the fans.

Then August rolled around.  It started off decently, with the Cubs winning 3 out of 4 and sitting only 2 games behind the Cardinals.  And then things went south.  Not to say they had been going great all season until that point, but there was still a lot of hope.  Things were very precarious, however, and one weak link could trip up the whole operation.

Meet Kevin Gregg and an extremely inconsistent bullpen.  Sure, Gregg and the bullpen aren’t necessarily responsible for the position the Cubs are now in (if you ask me its a combination of terrible hitting and terrible coaching), but Gregg’s meltdowns in the 9th inning turned the tide on this season.  All of a sudden I was screaming at my girlfriend for no good reason.  Some days I would just be in a bad mood all day and not even know why.  I had to kick the habit, it had become self-destructive.  I think I’m much happier this way.

Now it is August 26th, the Cubs are 9 games behind the Cardinals in the NL Central and 8.5 back in the Wild Card.  Also, according to a box score I noticed this morning (I swear I didn’t fall off the wagon and watch the game!), the Cubs lost 15-6 to the Nationals (arguably the worst team in baseball) last night.  I had clearly made the right decision.

So that is why I have decided to quit drinking Cubsahol.  Obviously I will be back on the sauce come Spring Training 2010 (or possibly even Cubs Convention), but for now I’m just trying to get my life back together.  Football season cannot come soon enough.

• It looks like most of the paperwork on the Cubs sale has been completed and it will be signed soon.  Now it has to clear some bankruptcy court hurdles and be approved by Major League baseball.  I’m so sick of this story, just sell the damn team already so we can get some stability. [Bleacher Nation]
• If you haven’t heard about it yet, Kelly Dwyer gives a great analysis of the Nick Van Exel shady 23 assist game.  Apparently the Grizzlies’ scorers were giving him all kinds of assists he didn’t earn that night.  [BDL]
• What was up with Fox’s broadcast of the Bears game Saturday night?  I was most pissed about not being able to watch the Cutler interview at halftime.  Get your shit straight Fox. [Blog Down, Chicago Bears]
• So who’s the bigger douchebag, Steve Bartman, the beer throwing guy, or Bronson Arroyo?  It’s gotta be the beer throwing guy. [Ted Lilly Fan Club]
• Will there be any postseason baseball in Chicago?  It’s a good question with both teams faltering. [Zoner]
• It’s always fun to see Michael Jordan highlights.  This is another take on his top ten game winners.  I agree with most of it, but I think the shot on Ehlo should be number 1. [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• It looks like Grossman will be out for up to a month.  Oh, sex cannon…[Tribune]
• A story about a blogger trying to balance law school and blogging.  It ain’t easy, but it can be done.  Assuming you don’t mind getting C’s.  Just kidding. [Detroit4Lyfe]
• What to watch for in the Bears preseason.  I’m most concerned with our secondary, but there are plenty of other issues to keep an eye on. [MidwestSportsFan]

• Derrick Rose is apparently shooting between 500-1000 jumpers a day, 6 days a week.  On top of that, he is supposedly working on his 3-point range as well.  Good for the Bulls, bad for everyone else. [By The Horns]
• I love the WWE.  There, I said it.  Here is a list of the top ten most wanted guest hosts for Monday Night Raw.  And Weiny, the answer to your question is yes, I would love to re-enact “pound-a-beer” Raw or “40s on a pole” Raw.  Make it happen. [Paneech]
• Correlation vs. Causation.  I say who cares, as long as the Cubs are playing better with Aramis in the lineup. [WV23]
• So the Cardinals got Matt Holliday.  So what?  If they had gotten Halladay somehow, then I’d be scared.  Here’s some other reactions to the Holliday acquisition. [I94 Sports]
• Ron Artest rapping in China.  No, seriously. [Sharapova's Thigh]
• Looks like blogging may get a bit more expensive.  Apparently the AP is going to try to charge people for linking to their content.  I’m a little confused about what they are specifically trying to do and how they would do it, but I’m pretty sure the fair use doctrine is a factor here as well.  [Midwest Sports Fans]
• Drew Gooden may be starting for the Dallas Mavericks this season, unless he gets beat out by Erick Dampier.  I liked Drew, but that shot selection and erratic defensive focus were definitely annoying. [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• So what exactly is the story with Derrek Lee and his bulging neck disk?  As Cubs fans it’s our job to obsessively try to figure it out. [Bleacher Nation]
• T.O. says the Vick suspension is stupid, and hilariously states that Goodell should spend 23 months in jail and see how he feels.  Ha. [NESW Sports]
• An amazing graphic that depicts the true state of NBA “revenue-sharing”. [Hardwood Paroxysm]
• Devin Hester is officially twittering, and it’s just as funny and nonsensical as you would think his twitter would be. [Blog Down, Chicago Bears]
• Funny Joakim Noah picture, though I’m guessing all pictures of Noah are funny.  Read the comments on this story, they are pretty good. [BDL]
• Look out for those crafty Japanese.  They are at it again, supposedly having constructed robots that can play baseball better than any human.  And you were bitching about humans on steroids. [Bootlegger]

• A scathing review of Cubs management, ownership, and scouting.  Even though they are overpaying for an underperforming team right now, I would say 3 playoff appearances in the last 6 years isn’t all that bad. [MidwestSportsFans]
• Remember that pitcher for the White Sox a few years ago, Jim Parque?  Well he admits to having done steroids and wrote this eloquent piece about the pressures he faced when he decided to do it. It’s a must-read. [Sun-Times]
• I don’t know how I missed this, but someone was holding a giant inflatable penis behind Michael Jordan during a golf tournament last weekend.  Awesome. [Detroit4lyfe]
• Hilarious Peyton Manning video from the ESPYs.  I can’t wait for him to do more commercials, something about him is just so funny. [NESW Sports]
• Another NFL player (T.J. Houshmazilli) is upset with his Madden rating.  These guys need to get over it.  You know what I’m mad about?  The Bears best wide receiver isn’t in the top 40. [No Guts No Glory]
• Is Rich Harden afraid of the sun and Wrigley Field?  The numbers sure seem to say so. [The Friendly Blogfines]
• The Bears will now have ads on their jerseys.  What is this, European soccer? [Luol's Dong]
• Everyone is so upset ESPN won’t report the Rothlisberger sexual harassment suit.  You wouldn’t be surprised about that if you knew that Mickey Mouse was involved. [Inside the Iggles]
• A lot of people are a lot better than Soriano this year.  And some of the people that are better make a lot less money than he does. [Zoner]
• Sweet Lou seems a little pissed that he never got that left-handed power bat Hendry promised him in the offseason.  And no, Bradley doesn’t count. [Bleacher Nation]
• Hey kids, Slamball is back!  If you don’t remember what it is, all you need to know is trampolines, basketball, hoops, and a lot of broken ankles. [Bootlegger]

• Ok so Utah matched Millsap’s offer sheet which puts them at $81 million in salary.  That is pretty much the death knell for Boozer’s tenure in Utah.  The Boozer-Hinrich-Thomas rumor lives on. [By The Horns]
• Some suspended tennis player had his drug suspension lifted after convincing a panel that the cocaine was in his system from kissing a girl who had coke on her lips.  [Tony Blogs]
• By now everyone has heard about the Cubs signing of B.J. Ryan.  According to one blogger, it was the perfect move by the North Siders. [The Friendly Blogfines]
• I’m not much of a White Sox fan, and I cannot stand Cubs or Sox fans that hate the other team for no real reason, but this picture of some Sox fans mocking Cubs fans is just hilarious. [Zoner]
• Barack Obama loves “Cominskey Field”.  Oops. [Home Run Derby]
• A gatorade bottle art tribute to Michael Jordan.  If you haven’t seen it take a look, it’s pretty cool. [Ball Don't Lie]
• The Cubs have dumped some players in recent years, but how have the players worked out for their new teams?  To be honest I just love the picture in this post. [Bleacher Nation]
• Shaq does a Michael Jackson Beat It tribute.  Yeah its a video and you can watch it. [NESW Sports]
• So now that Ben Gordon is gone, who will shoot the three?  The options are a bit bleak. [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• LeBron James isn’t going anywhere, and here’s why.  Sidenote: Personally I think he’s leaving. [Paneech]

• In honor of the return of StevieY19 this week (hopefully by Friday), here’s a little Detroit Lions link.  This is what the players would tweet on the sidelines if they could.  Funny and sad at the same time. [Detroit4Lyfe]
• Professional memoribilia-hawks had Granderson’s number right when he got off the plane in St. Louis. [The Grandstand]
• Bulls re-sign Lindsey Hunter.  If he’s just going to be a coach, why use a roster spot on him? [Blogabull]
• Remember those Pedro Martinez to the Cubs rumors?  Looks like the Mets are going to sign him.  We really don’t need another starter at this point anyways. [TonyBlogs]
• Whoa, the Blackhawks fired Dale Tallon?  You think it had something to do with the qualifying offer mess in which he cost the team more than $10 million? [Sun-Times]
• Looks like the Cubs will be filing for bankruptcy.  Someone explain to me how this affects the sale, because I am no economist.  [Bloomberg]
• This is not a pleasant moment for former Major Leaguer Matt Bush.  Yikes. [Zoner]
• If Mega Man II villains were sports stars, here’s who they would be.  This is worth a read, very funny. [Deadspin]
• If/when the Cubs sign BJ Ryan, Marshall will probably move back into the rotation, but who’s spot will he take? [Bleacher Nation]
• Prince Fielder won the most boring, shittiest home run derby of all time.  Is it possible that ESPN has finally succeeded in ruining the derby? [ESPN]
• Obama in the booth with Joe Buck at the All-Star game tonight?  That could be a disaster. [Bootlegger Sports]
• Boozer-to-Bulls rumor is cooling down.  I usually find that once a trade rumor becomes public, that usually means its dying. [By The Horns]
• As usual, some really bad contracts are being passed out in the NBA this summer.  And I’m not talking about questionably big deals to guys like Ben Gordon, I’m talking about $34 million to Marcin Gortat.  Who? [Sharapova's Thigh]

• Top ten moments in Chicago sports in the last decade.  They aren’t all good either.  Yikes. [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• Soriano is upset about his recent benching.  Here’s what I have to say about that: Hit. [Tribune]
• Tallon cleaned up most of his mess regarding the Blackhawks qualifying offers.  It was expensive though. [Sun-Times]
• LeBron James got dunked on, and let’s just say that he did not handle it like MJ would have. [Zoner]
• Just when the Cubbies are getting healthy, BAM, down goes Dempster and Soto. [The Friendly Blogfines]
• Da Coach is a fan of Governor Quinn.  He loves his politics. [NBC]
• Stephen A. Smith is annoying.  As usual. [NESW Sports]
• Bulls signed Pargo.  I thought we discussed why this was a bad idea.  [Yahoo]

• There you have it, after all the speculation about the deal being delayed or falling through, it looks like Ricketts came through on the purchase of the Cubs. [Reuters]
• Will Taj Gibson ever be a starter?  Or just an “energy” sub? [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• Chris Jackson aka Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf aka Chaim Shalowitz?  Just kidding, he’s not converting to Judaism, but this little fake story is pretty funny. [Ponderings from Pluto]
• Did you know the Cubs are the same amount of games out of first yesterday that they were the day Aramis got hurt?  Interesting. [Wrigleyville23]
• Did Lance Armstrong cheat yesterday?  Don’t worry, its not what you think. [Bootlegger Sports]
• So Ron Artest made up a rap about Michael Jackson.  I don’t want to say it “honors” him, because it is just too strange and terrible. [NESW Sports]
• The Bears were ranked the 69th best franchise by ESPN the magazine.  Not bad, not bad, up a few spots from last year due to, guess who, Jay Cutler. [WCG]
• The Cubs sent down Fuld and Hart and put Patton on the DL to make room for Rammy, Johnson, and Guzman. [The Friendly Blogfines]

• Remembering Air McNair from his college days.  [Paneech]
• Did anyone read that Phil Rogers piece the other day about how Zambrano should be waived?  Yeah he’s an idiot, and here are the stats to prove big Z is one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past few years. [Wrigleyville23]
• Apparently the Bulls are looking into signing Jannero Pargo.  They are going to need another 2-guard, but personally I would prefer someone a bit younger with something to prove. [By The Horns]
• The Bulls may also be inquiring about Nate Robinson.  That wouldn’t be so bad, and the kid is always an obvious fan favorite. [Da Bullz]
• Random Retro Cub: Hector Villanueva.  Love these things. [The Friendly Blogfines]
• 5 NL pitchers that should have made the All-Star game. [Zoner]
• Theodore Roosevelt Lilly (yeah that’s his real name) made the All-Star team.  So did like 100 other people, but no other Cubbies. [Bleacher Nation]
• Another lefty from Chicago, Mark Buerhle, was also named to the All-Star team.  That guy is consistent and solid.  I have always liked him (except how he’s from St. Louis and is a Cardinals fan, gross). [Sun-Times]
• McNair downgraded to doubtful.  Yeah that’s the title of the post, and it includes a list of celebrities they would rather have seen die.  Wow.  Edgy, but accurate and hilarious.  [Luols Dong]
• So did the Blackhawks misfile their qualifying offers to some restricted free agents?  If so, a bunch of Hawks are about to prematurely become free agents, and a bunch of people in the Hawks front office are about to be fired. [Tribune]
• Alderman Tunney of the 44th ward (that includes Wrigleyville) is pushing to ban the street vendors from around Wrigley Field. [Chicagoist]
• Are they already turning against Sexy Rexy in Houston?  Big surprise. [Blog Down]
• And of course, Shaq holding Gary Coleman like a baby.  [NESW Sports]

• A site essentially devoted to the White Sox inexplicably rips Ozzie. [Luol's Dong]
• What is the Bulls obsession with undersized guards?  Its almost like a strategy geared towards acquiring them. [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• Okay this ChicagoSportsWebio scheme is a little over my head, but you know it can’t be good when just days after allegations that paychecks were bouncing one of the co-founders of the company vanishes into thin air. [Chicagoist]
• A good summary of the Cublogosphere’s reactions to the Sosa steroid news.  Apparently I’m the Captain Renault of viewpoints.  Can someone under 70 explain that reference to me? [WV23]
• Sammy Sosa may be in trouble for perjury, but some good lawyering could set him free. [Shysterball]
• The Cubs got pantsed by the Sox yesterday.  When will the hitting come around?  When?! [Tribune]

• Red Kerr got screwed out of extending his Iron Man streak back in the day under very strange circumstances. [NBC Chicago]
• Cubs-Sox is coming up the next few days, but boy have the Cubbies been god-awful at the plate lately.  [Zoner]
• Brandon Marshall wants out of Denver and the Bears need a wide receiver.  Why not Cutler’s old running mate?  Also, if all these people are unhappy in Denver, maybe Cutler wasn’t whiny and Denver management just sucks. [WCG]
• LA Lakers are NBA champions.  Respect. Does this move Kobe from top ten all time to top five all time?  I don’t think so quite yet, but he’s getting closer.  [Hardwood Paroxysm]
• Does Wrigley Field Suck?  Cynics (Deadspinners) and morons (Ozzie) seem to think so, but what about real people? [Shysterball]
• Derrek Lee trade rumors are not a good sign for the aging first basemen.  I love the guy, but I wouldn’t be against getting Hoffpauir/Fox more at-bats and maybe getting a good bat at 2b, 3b or OF in exchange. [Bleacher Nation]
• Congratulations to Phil Jackson.  He is the greatest manipulator in NBA history (in terms of coaches).  [By The Horns]
• Another take on the whole Raul Ibanez non-steroid controversy.  Bloggers really are the devil. [Sharapova's Thigh]
• Joe Morgan lied again.  He is just the most arrogant, worst kind of person.  It’s too bad, because Jon Miller is great, but Joe is just an idiot. [Deadspin]
• By the way, the Cubs fired their hitting coach and named another.  I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the problem, but when things get this bad, you have to do something.  Bye, bye Gerald Perry; hello Von Joshua. [Hardball]

• Could Mark DeRosa be coming back to the Cubs?  Maybe.  Don’t get too excited yet, its a pretty unreliable source. [Sons of Ivy] via [Bleacher Nation]
• So if Quentin actually has the talent to be legit, but spends the rest of his career on the DL, can I call him a fluke/bust?  Or will Sox fans get angry again? [Tribune]
• Tillman is back in practice.  He needs to get healthy if the Bears crappy secondary is going to have a chance this year. [WCG]
• Chad Ford has Dejuan Blair dropping to the Bulls at 16.  That doesn’t sound too bad. [Blogabull]
• I never really stopped hating Tim Floyd after he was such a bad coach for the Bulls, so I really have no sympathy for him now that he’s out at USC for shady recruiting (really really shady).  Good riddance. [Rush The Court]
• Some people seem to think the Cubs future looks bright, others don’t.  Personally I can’t get past the present mediocrity. [Zoner]
• Cubs draft update. [Bleacher Nation]
• According to Ben Gordon, Gar Forman and John Paxson are trading meaningless titles while Reinsdorf is the only one actually making any real decisions. [Da Bullz]
• Coach Ditka is a bit skeptical about Cutler’s ability to lead.  We’ll see. [Tribune]
• Mainstream Media vs. Blogs: Go!   Blogger: Legitimate opinion.  MSM: Bloggers are 42 year olds living in their mom’s basements. Hmmm. [HHR]
• Don’t even get me started on how unjust the NBA age rule is. [Deadspin]