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Random thoughts while wondering whether Chicago Bulls star guard Derrick Rose watched Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals Monday (June 3) between the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat:
Taylor Swift and Mick Jagger sing “As Tears Go By” at the Rolling Stones concert Monday at the United Center.
* If there is any consolation for Bulls fans in the Heat’s 99-76 victory at Miami against the Pacers (and the guess here is that there actually might be in some quarters, given the delusional nature of fandom), it’s Indiana — despite superior talents in Paul George and Roy Hibbert — appears most vulnerable in the backcourt. And that’s where the Bulls should be at an advantage in head-to-head meetings next season.
* Speaking of the United Center (OK, we weren’t, but we were talking about the Bulls whose home court is the UC), the Rolling Stones played their third and final concert of their Chicago visit there. Included among the tunes was “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” — which seems an appropriate theme for the post-Jordan Bulls. Until proven otherwise, which isn’t going to occur unless Bulls management is able to add other high-level talent in wise moves.
* Speaking of championships, the NBA finals matchup between the Heat and the San Antonio Spurs will have star players on both sides. There’s LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for the Heat and Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili for the Spurs. Others can analyze the rosters, the matchups and all that. Even with the best player in the league in James, the Heat has no answer for one veteran on the Spurs bench: coach Gregg Popovich.
* Speaking of Popovich, remember when commissioner David Stern fined the Spurs $250,000 for sitting out starters Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Danny Green for a nationally televised game Nov. 29, 2012, at Miami. Betcha more tha a few Heat fans would be willing to chip in $250,000 to have Popovich repeat the sit-uation for the finals that start Thursday in Miami.
* If patience is a virtue, Chicago White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham was far from virtuous in his return to the lineup after breaking a bone in his hand April 9. In three at-bats against the Mariners in a 4-2 loss at Seattle, Beckham faced a total nine pitches. If you think that’s bad, at least he was better than Sox catcher Tyler Flowers, who also went 0-for-3 with one strikeout and totaled seven pitches. Hardly a magnificent seven.
* Speaking of the number seven, that happens to be the Sox losing streak, the team’s longest since September, 2011. That season ended with the departure of manager Ozzie Guillen. Not to say current manager Robin Ventura has worn out his welcome the way Guillen did with Sox management, but Guillen — like Ventura a former fan favorite from his playing days with the Sox — did have a 2005 World Series championship to fall back on.
* Rest in peace, Deacon Jones. The Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end died Monday at age 74. Some consider him the greatest defensive player in NFL history. The ones who do not are people other than offensive linemen against whom he played.
Hockey coverage around here tends to be less about plus/minus or third-line personnel and more about the fetching females who help keep the frozen water in good shape during games. Because the Chicago Blackhawks-Los Angeles Kings series is shifting to the West Coast for Games 3 and 4 after the Hawks took the first two in Chicago, we have some Kings Ice Crew video (that, and the fact that there is little — if any — Blackhawks Ice Crew current video floating around):
Anyone up for our daily dose of non-gratuitous video? Well, here you go (thanks in no small part to the editorial and video staffs at elliottharris.com having a broad definitio of “gratuitous”):
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