Subject Was Roses — As in Derrick and April

Midweek musings: The Chicago Bulls are to play their first true home exhibition game Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons. Meaning the contest will be at the United Center rather than exotic locales like Rio de Janeiro or St. Louis. The game is supposed to feature the preseason debut of center Joakim Noah (groin injury) and the return of Derrick Rose after he sat out the Bulls’ game in Brazil because of soreness in his surgically repaired knee. It’s not so important that the two play Wednesday as it is that they will be healthy for the postseason. Assuming the team will qualify. Which, based on last season without Rose, seems reasonable.

Here’s the photo of April Rose that the folks at gunaxin.com used.

* Speaking of people named Rose and concern about their body parts, congratulations to our good friend April Rose on being selected No. 1 on the list of the 60 sexiest female sports reporters at gunaxin.com. Can’t wait for the list of sexiest male sports reporters. Or not. Anyway, if you care to check out the lovely ladies who comprised the list, you can click here.

* Chicago Cubs fans, please discuss reliever Carlos Marmol pitching in the postseason. More specifically, address the former Cubs closer tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series. It seems only fitting that his performance came in a losing effort — even if the outcome was not his fault.

* Speaking of the Cubs, someone needs to explain why Major League Baseball has rules that mean Comcast SportsNet cannot sell DVDs of its “5 Outs … ” documentary on the 2003 Cubs who came within five outs of reaching the World Series for the first time since 1945. Not everyone has access to CSN. And Cubs fans exist around the globe. And MLB could make money fromt the sales of the DVDs. “5 Outs … ” will air again on Oct. 24 and Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. Which still doesn’t do much good if you cannot view the show to begin with.

No such thing as too much April Rose. Credit: Brian B Hayes

* Any White Sox fans — who lamented the lack of run support that left-hander Chris Sale endured in 2013 — out there who want to sympathize with Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander who allowed the game’s only run on a seventh-inning home run in losing Game 3 of the American League Championship Series to the Boston Red Sox? Yeah, didn’t think so.

* At some point, the Washington Redskins — whom the Chicago Bears play on Sunday — will change their nickname. The mere fact that something has been ongoing for decades does not make it right. Times also change (even if some people never do); what might have been acceptable in some circles generations ago just might not be today. Perhaps it will take a native American to be commissioner of the NFL or something, but Daniel Snyder — or a subsequent owner with a greater sensitivity to the issue — will do the right thing. Even at the expense of offending fans who are not offended by a nickname rooted in racist rhetoric.

If today is Wednesday (and the odds seem overwhelming that it is — provided that you are reading this on Oct. 16, 2013, or a subsequent Wednesday — because yesterday was Tuesday), then we are a day away from another outstanding effort from the cast and crew of “Sports & Torts” on Talkzone.com. The interview show, co-hosted by David Spada and Elliott Harris, airs at noon Central time on Thursdays. Scheduled guests on the Oct. 17 edition of the highly acclaimed (well, it is in the Spada and Harris households, as well as reportedly elsewhere) program are Pro Football Hall of Fame members Bob St. Clair (the raw-meat-eating former San Francisco 49ers tackle) and Ron Yary (the former Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams tackle). For those unable to tune in for the show, it will become available later in the day Thursday via podcast on Talkzone.com.

Here is where to go for a daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks to the exceptional efforts of the editorial and video departments at elliottharris.com):

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