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Thursday thoughts: Bye bye Buehrle. Wasn’t that the name of a Broadway musical from the 1960s? Oh, “Bye Bye Birdie.” Close enough. With left-hander Mark Buehrle signing a four-year, $58 million deal Wednesday with the Miami Marlins, the end of his 12-year Chicago White Sox career officially ended. Sox fans can look back if they want. Team management needs to look forward. To what right now is unclear.
OK, would you rather see a picture of Jay Cutler's thumb or one of Carmen Electra and Kristin Cavallari?
* “Two words probably best sums it up: It sucks,” Sox general manager Ken Williams of Buehrle’s departure. Something says those two words won’t be used for marketing purposes to describe the 2012 team.
* Not sure who had a worse day Wednesday: Sox fans, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (sentenced to 14 years in jail) or the sports scribes in Dallas at baseball’s winter meetings who were waiting for Albert Pujols to sign (with somebody, anybody).
* Elsewhere on the baseball beat, Tim McCarver was named winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence and will be inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame. Can’t wait for his acceptance speech as the master of the obvious explains the physical absence of the late Ron Santo — also to be inducted: “You know, when you’re dead, that makes it quite difficult to get around as much as when you were alive.” Or something like that.
* Speaking of near-death experiences, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno is said to be in declining health and may not be long for this world. Sad. Sad that he won’t be around to take the heat he seemingly deserves in turning a blind eye to Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse of young boys. Then again, for those who believe in an afterlife, Paterno would appear set for a warm welcome in a place reserved for those whose actions — or in this case, inactions — allow such horrific things to occur.
* As if some of us weren’t geographically challenged enough, the Big East added five members Wednesday for the 2013 season: Boise State, Central Florida, Houston, San Diego State and SMU. Those would be schools in Idaho, Florida, Texas and California. And not east Idaho, Florida, Texas and California. Then again, the Big Ten does have 12 teams (for those of us who also are mathematically challenged).
* Highlight of Wednesday’s teleconference with Denver quarterback Tim Tebow with Chicago media had to be the question from ESPNChicago.com’s Jon Goldberg, who wondered whether the highly overtly religious Tebow would say a prayer for Jay Cutler’s fractured thumb. Tebow laughed and actually answered. Guess there must be a God.
* Speaking of Greek goddesses (and even if we weren’t), a reminder that Patricia Kara will be on Thursday’s “Sports & Torts” at noon Chicago time on talkzone.com. The show also will be available on podcast. Also scheduled to appear are NBA legend Jerry West and author Jonathan Coleman.
April Rose a fallen angel? Well, she is angelic.
And as long as we’re at it, why not a little more Maxim video, this one with JWOWW of “Jersey Shore” fame (if fame is the correct noun):