Derrick Rose to the Occasion Again

Saturday sports smorgasbord: The way that the Chicago Bulls have started the season, the only question is whether they are peaking too soon. Their Friday night victory over the host Orlando Magic made the Bulls look like likely candidates to reach the Magic Kingdom. Or at least the NBA Finals — which would be close enough.

The Lingerie Football League always is in season around here.

* Bulls guard Derrick Rose is making a strong case to be a repeat MVP. About the only way he gets elbowed out of the way is if his injured elbow becomes a bigger problem.

* OK, how soon before the Cubs try to trade for Luis Tiant and Jim Rice? Or does it merely seem that the new regime is very Boston-oriented after Friday’s trade of pitcher Andrew Cashner to San Diego for first baseman Anthony Rizzo? Rizzo was in the Red Sox organization when new Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer were in Boston.

* Speaking of baseball, the Dempster Family Foundation will hold its third annual Family Night of Fun fund-raiser Jan. 12 at D’Agostino’s in Wrigleyville. Tickets are $100 ($50 for youngsters, free to children 2 and younger). Expected to attend with Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster are Keith Moreland, Darwin Barney, Randy Wells and more. The event will feature pizza and drinks, silent auction, trivia games, raffles and more. Among the auction items: first-row field seats to the Roger Waters concert at Wrigley Field, Bat Boy for a Day Experience with the Cubs, a Day Spa package to Allyu Spa, a Ryne Sandberg autographed baseball, a Tony Romo autographed football, a Chicago Poker & Casino Rental Poker Package for a party, plus other items. Ryan also will raffle off two VIP tickets to the third Annual Dempster Foundation Casino Night in May. Tickets are available at D’Agostino’s Wrigleyville location or online at dempsterfamilyfoundation.

Vivian Kindle's basketball skills are unclear. As if that matters.

* The Wood Family Foundation will hold “Woody’s Winter Warm-up” Jan. 13 at Harry Caray’s Navy Pier from 8:30-11:30 p.m. Along with Kerry Wood, scheduled to attend are Marlon Byrd, Matt Garza, Geovany Soto, Starlin Castro, Ryan Dempster, Randy Wells, Welington Castillo, Darwin Barney, and James Russell. Cubs owner Tom Ricketts, Theo Epstein, Mr. Cub Ernie Banks, Rick Sutcliffe, and former Chicago Bears Richard Dent and Otis Wilson also are expected to attend. The evening will include food and drink, silent auction, raffle and acoustical music performance by Plain White T’s. Tickets ar $150 for standing room or $1,000 for a booth of four. Tickets are available from Kevin Mitchell at (212) 461-4083 or kevin@woodfamilyfoundation.org.

* Wondering whether the Bears naming Mike Tice offensive coordinator to replace Mike Martz is a little (or more than a little) like finding loose change in the sofa and thinking somehow you are some sort of financial whiz.

* The Bears appear to have been a step slow in the pursuit of Green Bay’s Reggie McKenzie as a possible replacement for Jerry Angelo as general manager. McKenzie is heading to the Oakland Raiders. Bears president Ted Phillips might want to step up his offseason conditioning. Or hiring.

* Speaking of football, the Otis Wilson Charitable Association will hold its second annual “Big Game Celebration” will be held Feb. 5 (that just happens to be Super Bowl Sunday) at Excalibur ight Club, 632 N. Dearborn, in Chicago. The event is scheduled to run from 3:30-11 p.m. Former Bears linebacker Wilson and celebrity friends are scheduled to attend. Tickets are $100 ($55 for children younger than 12) and $150 for VIP. There also are sponsorship opportunities. For more information, go to otiswilsonfoundation.org.

* The Lingerie Footbal League has its Lingerie Bowl commercial ready. So naturally as a public service, this space is more than happy to provide the folks out there in cyberspace with the video:

* Speaking of scantilly attired athletes (female variety, thank you), there is something called Bikini Basketball Entertainment. It is based in Canada. More accurately it is located primarily in cyberspace where the enterprise offers $5 downloadable video. Not sure how well this concept will work, but here’s hoping it does. In no small part because it likes to post photos and videos. Here is Vivian Kindle, the league’s featured model of the month for January (basketball skills optional):

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