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Thursday thoughts:
There is no question that Caleb Hanie deserves to be replaced as Chicago Bears starting quarterback. There is some question why it did not occur sooner. Josh McCown, who has not started an NFL game since 2007, will start at QB Sunday night against the Packers in Green Bay. “We’re really excited about Josh,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. It’s unclear whether the cause for excitement is for what McCown theoretically can do or whether it is for the fact that he isn’t Hanie.
Shanon Lersch will be an in-studio guest on Thursday's "Sports & Torts." Hopefully in an outfit like this.
* At best, the Bears finish 9-7. At worst, they finish 7-9. If mediocrity (which is what the NFL likes to dress up by calling it “parity”) is what teams strive for, then the Bears season is a success. And, yes, their starting quarterback Jay Cutler and starting running back Matt Forte are injured. But the team’s lack of depth should bring some deep thinking by the team’s top officials to assess those who assess player talent.
* With Derrick Rose signing a five-year contract extension Wednesday, the Chicago Bulls would appear to have a big concern eased. If the team ever can find a big man to provide an inside threat to open things up for Rose, newly signed Rip Hamilton, Luol Deng and others, then maybe the franchise can start to add to its treasure trove of NBA title trophies. Otherwise, at the end of Rose’s newly signed deal, talk will turn to the best players never to win a title. Folks in Cleveland are hoping that list still will include LeBron James.
* Speaking of new contracts, the White Sox signing John Danks to a five-year, $65 million deal is not so much a show of good faith by the team for the left-hander as it is a show that no other teams were willing to make a deal with general manager Ken Williams that came close to what Williams thought was Danks’ value.
* Speaking of baseball deals, the Cubs sending Sean Marshall to the Cincinnati Reds for Travis Wood and possibly a couple of minor leaguers hardly qualifies as a blockbuster. The trade of left-handed pitchers does seems a way to get slightly younger and reduce payroll. Whether that translates to getting better any time soon is something the newly minted Theo Epstein regime doesn’t have to worry about immediately.
* Even the presence of Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow in Buffalo for Saturday’s game against the Bills failed to produce a sellout. Meaning there will be a television blackout for the Buffalo market. Then again, few games after Thanksgiving in Buffalo have a prayer — Tebow-led or otherwise — to be sold out.
Shanon Lersch can dance as well as choreograph and judge on a Chinese TV program.
Scheduled to be an in-studio guest today is Shanon Lersch, the former Chicago Luvabulls performer and Miss Illinois USA 2008 who has moved on in the world. All the way to China, where she is the Paula Abdul of that country. Or something like that. Shanon is a performer/judge/choreographer for “Tsingtao Dance Passion” that airs to an audience of millions.
Being in Chicago for the holidays, Shanon is being gracious enough to be an in-studio guest Thursday on “Sports & Torts” with David Spada and Elliott Harris at noon on talkzone.com. Also scheduled for an in-studio visit is former Bears linebacker Otis Wilson.
Here is some video from a Sports Illustrated shoot that Shanon did a few seasons ago: