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  April 2009

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Every time I’ve gotten excited about the Bulls this season, I’ve been let down, that is before the playoffs started. Chicago has given Boston a hell of a fight, and here’s hoping that the Bulls can extend the season with a victory. With that said, I have no idea what to expect in Game Six? Even in winning Game Four at home, the Bulls have been shaky at the United Center and shockingly more effective at Boston’s TD Banknorth Garden this series. A lot rides on this game tonight, including the futures of players like Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich. Hopefully, the Bulls have better luck than they’ve had in recent Game Sixes. Go Bulls!

The Bulls are fighting for not only its playoff life tonight but something more. If the Bulls are to lose in Game Six, this will officially mark the end of one chapter in team history and the beginning of the Derrick Rose era. With the status of players like Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich up in the air next season, Chicago will officially be Rose’s team when 2008-2009 officially ends. Some will argue that the Rose era has already begun, but let’s be honest, no one expected the Bulls to make the playoffs this year and give the defending champs such a tough series, and none of this would be possible without the contributions of holdovers like Gordon and Hinrich. Players will now be brought in with the sole idea of how they fit in with Rose, an exciting prospect in many regards but also one that should not dismiss the accomplishments of the team’s core during the last five seasons.

A loss to the Boston Celtics tonight will mark the end of the Chicago Bulls’ season and could be the end of sharpshooter Ben Gordon’s time with the organization, a possibility that I’ve been dreading for the last couple of seasons. An unrestricted free agent this summer, Gordon has been remarkable in a highly-visible series that will probably increase his suitors and get him the type of contract that he has been pining for, possibly from division foe Detroit. With the mid-season acquisition of John Salmons, a lot of money invested in Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich, and management’s unwillingness to go over the luxury tax, I’d wager that Gordon will not back next season and that the team will take a step back as a result. Let’s hope that the Bulls can keep the season alive tonight!

Reading the Sun-Times this morning, I saw that former Bulls’ guard Randy Brown is going to have to auction his three championship rings that he won with the team in 1996, 1997, and 1998 as part of his bankruptcy filing. I didn’t know that Brown filed bankruptcy and hope that his financial situation improves. Maybe a former teammate (with the initials M.J.) can even help his old teammate out, buy back the rings and give them to Brown. While a reserve who played little on the Bulls’ second three-peat teams, Brown seemed like a funny character on the bench. In fact, his name brings up a lighter moment in Chicago Bulls’ NBA Finals history. With that said, the Randy Brown bankruptcy also hits on some excellent points made in a recent SI article about athletes losing their money shortly after wrapping up their careers.

ESPN Classic is currently replaying Sunday’s playoff thriller between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls. And it looks like the game is going to be shown in its 3½ hour, double-overtime entirety, unlike the terribly-edited, 2-hour replay that ESPN showed at 1:30 central time earlier this morning. Considering that this author is unemployed and has tons of free time on his hands, now’s the time for me to take advantage, pop in a blank DVD-R, and provide a recap of this “Instant Classic” for those of you who may have not seen the game or simply lack the dumb luck of yours truly.

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