Irrelevant Dude

I'm admittedly not an expert on the NBA salary cap, but how is that possible?

What report? That was the correct response to any report involving Bucher.

Where did Adande say that? I get the idea that the Bulls probably had the most realistic, fact-based presentation whereas the other teams went for something more emotional, humorous, or extravagant. Choosing a team really shouldn't be about who can put together the flashiest presentation.

Did he give a reason for that opinion? I believe his name was mentioned on Boers & Bernstein this afternoon due to a story where LeBron James filed paperwork recently to change a business address from Cleveland to Chicago. I don't know if that is all he is going on, but it sounded sketchy at best.

The Cubs have been in the playoffs 3 of the last 7 seasons. Once the playoffs start, you can completely throw out the "Cubs play too many day games" theory. They lost each of those years because they didn't play well enough when it counted.

I find it funny how Wade and Bosh stated that this decision wasn't about money and it was "all about winning." If it truly was all about winning, wouldn't their best chance have been to team up with an established core in Chicago? Unless LeBron goes to Miami, they are by no means the class of the Eastern Conference.

By the same token, why would he hold an hour special to say "nothing's changing. I'm staying where I am." That would be one hell of a LeBron Circle Jerk to last an hour if that's all he has to say. It is feeling more and more like a very New York thing to do.

I think Miami is the least likely, because LeBron would be completely upstaging Wade by holding his own special. "I'm going to Miami... oh and by the way, Wade is re-signing too." *Wade emerges from shadows with Chris Bosh to join LeBron on stage* It is still "LeBron's special", which would put him in the starring role and make Wade and Bosh his sidekicks. Also, if all three players are involved, there is no way those plans will remain silent until Thursday night.

I think Miami is the least likely, because LeBron would be completely upstaging Wade by holding his own special. "I'm going to Miami... oh and by the way, Wade is re-signing too."

This announcement is really very odd. Will LeBron's plans really be kept secret all the way up until Thursday night? Isn't it almost certain that someone would know something prior to that time, or is he keeping his plans completely to himself as if he is going to announce the winning lottery numbers? If that is the case, I believe he truly is acting alone regardless of where Wade and Bosh end up.

Most notably Bosh. There is no way in hell the Raptors want Beasley, so the Heat aren't even close to having enough cap space for all 3 guys.

Nah....He's staying in Cleveland. No way he is going to have a one hour special with proceeds going to charity to announce he's breaking Cleveland's hearts. Yep. All but certain that he's staying. And only slightly less certain that he won't win a championship.

I'm in the same boat. I will always follow the Bulls, but the amount of time I will dedicate to the team is directly linked to the outcome of this free agency period. If they strike out on the big 3 free agents, I will be relegated to occasional viewer status and won't tune in consistently until the playoffs. On the other hand, if LeBron or Wade end up here then the Bulls will likely become part of my nightly TV viewing.

Yeah, that is pretty much guessing and not reporting. Bucher really hasn't given the Bulls much of a chance since the beginning, but at this point I don't give him any more credibility than Stephen A. Smith. There is no investigative journalism going on here... it is just a bunch of reporters throwing their opinions out and hoping they guess right.

Are we expecting any news whatsoever today, or no major decisions until later in the week?

But he isn't the same guy that I thought he was. Regardless of whether he can continue to hit at a 40 HR pace, which he almost certainly cannot, he has shown more power than I ever expected. It isn't fair to completely dismiss Colvin's only major league experience as a "fluke". I agree with Soul's comment about managing expectations, but that doesn't mean we can't be excited about what we've seen so far. I have tempered optimism for Colvin and still won't be shocked if he ends up as a fourth outfielder, but I find it preposterous to suggest at this point that he should be sent back to the minors next year. We still have an entire half a season for Colvin to play nearly every day and that is much more valuable than time spent in Iowa. Until we see what he does in a full season, it is much too soon to speculate about next year, but we can still be excited about what we are seeing in the present.

Yeah, screw that Castro guy. Tree's post was right on. He spelled out exactly why Colvin's year so far needs to be viewed much more realistically than as we're often seeing on this board. Yes, the HR are a nice surprise, but they're basically all he's hitting. He's hitting them at a fantastically unrealistic rate, his OBP is hideous and his k to walk ratio is terrible; he's not demonstrating anything except an ability to hit a clearly unsustainable amount of home runs in limited playing time. I'm not saying the guy is hopeless because he's still young and his professional career has been so short, but it's clear he has a ton of work to do and it's tremendously unlikely that a guy whose offensive game is so wildly unbalanced right now is going to develop as needed jumping right into as much playing time as possible in the majors. Sure, this year is all but a bust for the Cubs, so if Fukudome is moved it's not the end of the world if he gets a lot of starts between now and the and of the year, but odds are the best thing for him next season would be for him to head back to the minors and start there to see if he can develop the other critical aspects of his offensive approach that are so lacking right now (and improving the defense wouldn't hurt, too). It's definitely fun to watch when he knocks one out, but he's got a long way to go before the Cubs can even think about making him a starting OF. I love that you are suggesting the Cubs should send one of this season's most productive young players back to the minors next year. Nobody is arguing that his current performance is sustainable, but I don't see the logic in even considering a return trip to the minors. Colvin will be 25 years old going into next season, so at that point he either has the tools to be a solid major league player or he doesn't, and the answer to that question won't be found in Iowa.

I couldn't tell if the original post was serious or sarcasm, but it is ridiculous to say that there is "no reason for enthusiasm" with Colvin's performance. Clearly he won't continue to hit home runs at the same pace, but that doesn't mean he can't continue to be a productive player. In a season where very little has gone right for the Cubs, Colvin has been one of the few bright spots. If that isn't worth getting excited over, then what else is there?

I'm with you there. I live for baseball season and the offseason is long enough as it is. As agonizing as it is to watch this team, I can't possibly stop watching in July.

Why even have a bullpen when you're going to use it only a last resort? The Cubs only used 2 pitchers yesterday, yet for some reason Lou is acting like he needs to conserve his entire bullpen today.

Well Lou, you might as well just let Lilly finish off the game at this point. Not that it matters, but what the hell are you doing?

I don't think a majority of this team's poor performance is Lou's fault. I also don't think a managerial change will make any material difference in the remainder of the season. With that said, at some the Cubs just have to make a change unless they want to give the impression that they really don't care.

The Bulls would only clear about $1 Million off the cap by dealing Taj Gibson. Unless they can get someone to take Deng, I don't see how the Bulls could sign & trade for Bosh and still have money left over for LeBron. Am I missing something here?

Bucher is a moron. This morning on ESPN 1000, he said he would consider the Bulls offseason a success if they sign Joe Johnson and nobody else.

You're right. Zambrano is the epitome of consistency.