Lineup Questions for Bulls Starters, Bears QB

The Chicago Bulls are considering changes to their starting lineup for their game Saturday at Milwaukee. The main problem — other than possibly hurt feelings for demoted starters — is finding players on the Bulls bench who would be legitimate starters. Good luck with that.

Jaime Edmondson had the correct pick in the Texans-Lions game.

* Quarterback Jay Cutler participated in some of the Chicago Bears’ practice on Thursday (Nov. 22), so the possibility that he might start Sunday against the visiting Minnesota Vikings does exist. Or so Bears coach Lovie Smith would lead people to believe.

* After a day and evening of NFL football on Thanksgiving, one thing you can say: The league needs a system that produces correct calls by officials. A system that penalizes a coach for challenging a call (such as the bogus touchdown awarded Houston Texans running back Justin Forsett on a run, tackle and more run that was ruled an 81-yard TD) penalizes more than the team and its fans. It calls into question the legitimacy of the officiating. And we thought all problems would be solved after the replacement officials were replaced by the regular ones. OK, almost all the problems.

* Lions coach Jim Schwartz may have been wrong on a technicality for throwing the red challenge flag, but the officials who ruled the play a TD ought to be fined a week’s pay with the money going to an institute for the blind.

* Rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns in the Washington Redskins’ 38-31 victory against the host Dallas Cowboys. Some are suggesting the rookie from Baylor merits Most Valuable Player consideration. Might we suggest the Redskins have a record better than 5-6 before anyone offers such an opinion.

* For those scoring at home (or elsewhere perhaps), let the record show that Playboy Playmate Jaime Edmondson was correct on two of her Thanksgiving NFL picks with the Texans and Patriots. She also appears to have a winner in boyfriend Evan Longoria. She reported on Twitter the Tampa Bay Rays third baseman made Thanksgiving dinner from scratch for her and her parents.

Can’t win ‘em all: Jaime had the Cowboys prevailing.

* If it’s any consolation to Lions fans (and the guess here is that there’s a slight possibility of that occurring), they aren’t New York Jets fans. And just in case there is such a thing as a combo Lions/Jets fan, please alert the proper authorities. That 49-19 loss to the New England Patriots Thursday night featured a 35-point second quarter for the Patriots. The game featured Jets backup quarterback Tim Tebow on the sidelines in uniform. He did not play because of two fractured ribs. Why he even was active is a question that presumbably only those selling Tebow jerseys can answer. Apparently it will take more than an act of God to have third-string QB Greg McElroy active for a game.

* Bryan LaHair, who was a 2012 National League all-star as a first baseman-outfielder with the Chicago Cubs before finding a semi-permanent place on the bench after the Midsummer Classic, has signed a two-year, $4.5 million deal with the Softbank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League. The Cubs reportedly will receive $950,000 from the Hawks, and LaHair will have the chance to become the next Tuffy Rhodes (for those unfamiliar with the latter, the journeyman outfielder hit three home runs on opening day of 1994 off Dwight Gooden, tailed off significantly and ultimately ended up playing in Japan where he set a record for most home runs by a foreign player — 474 — and tied legendary Sadarahu Oh for the season record of 55).

As someone who regards the day after Thanksgiving as the worst to go shopping, your humble correspondent does have something for the day after the day after Thanksgiving. Sports City Memorabilia — 9241 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie, Ill. — is offering discounts up to 60 percent Saturday from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on sports memorabilia. Bobbleheads — including Derrick Rose and Brian Urlacher — are 20 percent off. Non-Chicago pucks are $4 each. Racing items (diecast, pictures, used NASCAR tire, etc.) are 50 percent off. Autographed baseballs and tennis balls are 25 perent off. Plus much more. Information is available by contacting Sports City Memorabilia at sportscity77@comcast.net.

Always room for random (and even non-random) videos that might be considered gratuitous. Or not:

Gangnam Style, anyone? Oh, sure, why not.

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