Ex-Bull Kerr Opts for Warriors Over Knicks

May 15, 2014 @ admin → No Comments

Thursday thoughts (and we use that term loosely — as far as the thinking part goes — around here): It would appear the New York Knicks are 0-1 for the 2014-15 season that hasn’t even begun. And, yes, the Chicago Bulls played a role. Actually former Bulls employees. New Knicks president and former Bulls coach Phil Jackson reportedly had wanted former Bulls guard Steve Kerr to coach his team. Kerr decided instead Wednesday to become Golden State Warriors coach. Jackson’s consolation prize — as always — is he has 11 championship rings as a coach.

For those who care (and who wouldn’t?), there is video below of Oksana Grishina.

* Maybe if Jackson were president of the Los Angeles Lakers, he might have been able to land Kerr. Not necessarily because of the team’s roster but because of its location. Kerr’s family is on the West Coast. Location, location, location.

* With Jackson losing out on Kerr, there are some (OK, perhaps limited only to Bulls fans) who hope the next step will be Jackson losing forward Carmelo Anthony to the Bulls in free agency. Something says more of a deciding factor will be less about the Knicks’ new coach than it will be about winning and salary (not necessarily in that order of importance).

* Speaking of salary, the Chicago White Sox are parting ways with infielder Jeff Keppinger, who was in the second year of a three-year, $12 million deal. The immediate reaction from some (OK, perhaps limited only to Bulls fans) is that if Sox and Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is willing to toss away that money, the Bulls will amnesty forward Carlos Boozer. Gee, there sure is a lot of wishful thinking around here today.

* Speaking of the Sox, they defeated the host Oakland A’s 4-3 thanks to a three-run, eighth-inning home run by Jose Abreu. Abreu has 15 home runs and is the fourth player in big-league history to hit 15 homers in his first 42 games, The three others are Wally Berger, Kevin Maas and Wally Joyner. None of those is in the Hall of Fame. Sox fans will tell you Abreu will be the first to reach Cooperstown.

* Give the Chicago Bears’ draft class for being quick — to agree to a contract. With No. 1 pick/cornerback Kyle Fuller agreeing to terms, the Bears have seven of their eight picks locked up and ready to go. The Bears are the first team to agree to a deal with their 2014 first-round pick. Maybe the Bears think the signing swiftness is a tie-breaker for postseason possibilities.

* Ex-Cub of the day: San Francisco outfielder Tyler Colvin went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs batted in in the Giants’ 9-4 victory over visiting Atlanta. He is batting .444 (4-for-9) this season. OK, small sample size. But he has as many triples (one) as Starlin Castro (154 at-bats) or Anthony Rizzo (138).

* If it’s Thursday (and the odds seem overwhelming that it is because yesterday was Wednesday — provided that today is May 15, 2014, or a subsequent Thursday), then it is time for another edition of “Sports & Torts” at noon Central time on Talkzone.com with co-hosts David Spada and Elliott Harris. The interview guests include baseball Hall of Famer Tony Perez and five representatives from the WNBA’s Chicago Sky: general manager/coach Pokey Chatman, center Sylvia Fowles, assistant coach Wayne “Tree” Rollins, the team’s 2014 No. 1 draft pick Markeisha Gatling of North Carolina State and No. 2 pick Gennifer Brandon from Cal. The program will be available later Thursday (and presumably until the end of time) via podcast at the Talkzone web site. The Sky opens its season May 16 at Allstate Arena against the Indiana Fever at 7:30 p.m. at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.

* Speaking of May 15, happy birthday to our delightful daughter, remarkable Rachel.

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