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Midweek musings: As the Chicago Bulls enter Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Miami Heat on Wednesday night (May 8), it is clear that the most important contest in the best-of-seven series is Game 2. Until you get to pivotal Game 3, which is the most important. Until you get to pivotal Game 4, which is the most important. And so on until one team is gone. Something says Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau will have his team focused on the game at hand rather than any other(s) down the road. The Bulls are no more assured of winning all their games at home than the Heat was (although if you were a betting person, you had to figure Miami had the better chance at that).
The Miami Heat dancers are impressive. Certainly more than the basketball team was in Game 1. Credit: David Alvarez/Miami Heat
* Rumblings that Derrick Rose might play in Game 3? Ooooh. This season? Well, it would be good to have someone other than Marquis Teague and Daequan Cook to back up Nate Robinson and Marco Belinelli at guard.
* Normally, you would expect the Heat to blow out the Bulls at some point in the series. But the postseason Bulls are about as far from normal as can be. They are a perfect example of the regular season being little more than prelude for the playoffs. Although these Bulls still do not cherish each postseason possession the way the Phil Jackson-coached Michael Jordan era Bulls tended to do, the current squad is showing more restraint than it did during the regular season. And achieving greater success.
* Speaking of Jackson, he reportedly turned down an offer from the Bulls’ first-round victim, the Brooklyn Nets, to be coach. Which is evidence that Jackson is not senile. As others have pointed out, about the only coaching challenge he might want to take on (and the likelihood of his coaching again seems minimal at best) would be a team with a transcendent superstar. Meaning LeBron James. Something says that union won’t occur as long as James is with Miami and Pat Riley is running the Heat.
Susannah Collins
Susannah Collins resurfaced Tuesday (May 7). Well she did in cyberspace where she posted at her site, susannah-collins.com, a statement regarding her recent dismissal by Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
STATEMENT REGARDING RECENT EVENTS…
As most of you know by now, I had a slip-up last week on the air while covering the Blackhawks playoff series. As a result of the attention it received, an old web-based sports comedy series I participated in several years ago came to light. The intention of that show was to present a satirical, tongue-in-cheek approach to sports but, unfortunately, some of the material it contained was off-color and offensive. I understand why some may have been offended by it and for this I am truly sorry. To be clear, that show in no way reflects my personal opinions.
It has always been my dream to cover my hometown teams on the network I loved watching. I have worked tirelessly to develop my skills as a sports reporter, anchor and host, and I want to thank the city of Chicago for allowing me that opportunity. The outpouring of support I have received is overwhelming and it will remain in my heart, as will Chicago. Always.
–Susannah
Collins or her public-relations people did an impressive job. And she handled it in a far classier way than the Chicago Blackhawks, chairman Rocky Wirtz and others did in seeing to it that she would lose her job.
Receiver Laura Petersen had an impressive game in the season opener for the Chicago Bliss.
The Chicago Bliss of the Legends Football League (formerly the Lingerie Football League) has its second — and last — home game of the 2013 season on Friday (May 10) against the Las Vegas Sin at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m.
The main challenge facing the team — other than trying to attract some attention while the Bulls are in the midst of Game 3 of their game against the Heat — is to show improvement from the season opener, a 31-18 loss to the Los Angeles Temptation.
One of the few Bliss highlights from the season opener was the performance of receiver Laura Petersen, who had a couple of remarkable receptions, including one when she already was down on the turf.
A victory against Las Vegas would leave the Bliss in contention for a postseason berth. A loss would put the Bliss in a position that would require an incredible amount of luck to make it to the playoffs.
Something says a little fine-tuning on the offense will make the Bliss a more formidable foe for Las Vegas. Not that the Bliss was that far off from upending the Temptation. A fumble return for a touchdown by L.A. — on a potential game-winning drive — put the game out of reach.
Petersen took some time away from her postgame autograph duties with the fans to chat with your humble correspondent.
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