Top Ten Chicago rivalries

These Western Conference Finals got us thinking: Chicago sports is loaded with fierce rivalries, but which is the most heated? This list caused some disagreement amongst the staff (Ha! Staff.) so feel free to voice your opinion below.

10. Illinois-Northwestern

Chicago sports pretty much revolves around the pro teams, but Illinois-Northwestern is as good as it gets for the colleges. In football, the two teams have played the last 63 years for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk, which was retired this year. From now on, the Land of Lincoln Trophy will be what's at stake. In basketball, of course, this is usually a mismatch. There have still been some exciting moments though, including Illinois' improbable road comeback last season that ended any chance the Wildcats had at making the tournament.

9. Bears-Vikings

In recent years, Bears-Vikings has produced perhaps the most competitive games in the NFC North. If Brett Favre winds up in Minnesota next season, this rivalry has the potential to jump a few spots up this list.

8. Illinois-Indiana

Enjoy Indiana while they're down, Illini fans. It won't take Tom Crean many more years to turn that program around. As far as the rivalry goes, I'm told Lou Henson and Bobby Knight used to get into it back in the day, but the Eric Gordon saga took it to another level. With solid recruiting classes coming in for both teams in the next few years, expect this rivalry to only get more intense.

7. Bulls-Knicks

In the 90's, there wasn't a more perfect foil for MJ and Co. than the Knicks. These teams produced a bunch of great games, but the two moments that stick out in my mind are Hugh Hollins' phantom foul call on Scottie Pippen in 1994 playoffs, and, of course, the Charles Smith Game.

6. Bulls-Pistons

These teams produced some of the roughest and toughest games around in the late 80's. We forget it now, but even MJ had to pay his dues, losing three times to Detroit in the playoffs before finally conquering the Pistons in 1991, en route to his first NBA title.

5. Sox-Twins

This has been a flat out war for the last decade. Only twice in the 00's has a team other than one of these two taken the AL Central. Tensions may have reached an all-time high last season when the two teams slugged it out in September, culminating with a Sox victory in Game 163.

4. Cubs-Sox

This is where the debate gets interesting. More than one TTCS'er placed Cubs-Sox in the top spot on their ballot. If rivalries are about the fans, it's tough to top the venom that Cubs-Sox brings out. But I'm putting this at No. 4 because nothing has ever really been on the line. Six games in the middle of the summer just don't really mean that much. Now if they ever played for a World Series.....

3. Cubs-Cardinals

I recently asked a kid at school what baseball team he roots for and this was his response: "Well I had to choose a team, so I went with the Cubs".

I explained to him why that was a bad choice, why the Sox are waaaaaaay cooler, and then he looked at me like I had three heads.

"Well, it was Cubs or Cardinals."

Oh.

We're so head over heels here for the Cubs and Sox that sometimes we forget just how big Cubs-Cardinals is elsewhere. Of all the rivalries on this list, Cubs-Cards might have the widest national appeal.

2. Blackhawks-Red Wings

Upon declaring I was putting this in the two hole, the most common response was, "where would you have put it this time last year?". It's a valid argument, but I honestly still think that 'Hawks-Wings would have come in second. This rivalry has everything you look for: history (two Original Six teams), passionate fan-bases that don't like each other (Detroit suuuucks!), and - hey now - two pretty damn talented teams (currently).

1. Bears-Packers

Obvs. You know this thing is real when 'Beat the Packers' was the first of Lovie Smith's three goals after becoming Bears head coach.

Agree? Disagree? Let's hear it.

Top Ten Chicago sidekicks

The hardest part about coming up with a list like this is defining roles. Take this year's Blackhawks, for example. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Towes are more 1a and 1b than leading man and supporting actor. For this this list, we're looking for guys that were clearly Robin to another star's Batman. Below are 10 guys we think fit the criteria.

10. Henry Rodriguez

From Moises Alou to Rondell White, it seemed like the Cubs were in an eternal search in the 90's to find the perfect compliment to Sammy Sosa. Rodriguez arguably filled the role better than anyone during his two and a half years on the North Side. He was never better in Cubbie blue than in 1999, when he hit .304/.381 with 26 homers and 87 RBI.

9. Steve Larmer

On the powerhouse 'Hawks teams of the early 90's, Jeremy Roenick and Chris Chelios established themselves as the alpha dogs. It was Larmer, though, who provided another pivotal option. He was at his best in 1991, when he finished with 44 goals and 57 assists.

8. Ted Lilly

Carlos Zambrano has received all the headlines in Wrigleyville the last few seasons, but Lilly has been arguably even more dependable. Lilly has pitched over 200 innings in both seasons as a Cub and averaged has averaged 16 wins and an ERA under 4.00 a year. He's the definition of solid but unspectacular.

7. Luther Head

Deron Williams and Dee Brown shared the marquee during their time in Champaigne, but Head was just as valuable to the Illini. He was the 2005 team's best defender, and developed into a three-point sniper during his time at Illinois.

6. Jermaine Dye

Dye always seems to be the forgotten hero of the White Sox. In 2005, despite winning World Series MVP, he played second fiddle to Paul Konerko on offense. Even last year, when he was spectacular at age 34- OPS'ing .885 and hitting 34 homers - Dye was overshadowed by Carlos Quentin.

5. Tex Winter

Phil Jackson gets all the credit for managing egos and making his players read books during the championship years, but where would he be without Winter? Winter's legendary triangle offense was as big a reason as any MJ and Co. won six titles.

4. Robin Ventura

Frank Thomas is perhaps the most underrated hitter of 90's. The Big Hurt couldn't have put up those insane numbers without Ventura though, the slick fielding third baseman who gave the Sox a second potent bat in the lineup. Ventura's best year on the Sox may have been 1996, when he won the Gold Glove, OPS'd .888, and finished with 34 homers and 105 RBI.

3. Lance Briggs

At this point, it's probably foolish to consider Briggs a sidekick. Though teammate Brian Urlacher has the bigger profile, Briggs has unquestionably been the more productive player the last two seasons.

2. Buddy Ryan

The picture tells the whole story. How many other assistant coaches can you think of that were carried off the field after a championship? What Tex Winter was to the 90's Bulls, Ryan was the '85 Bears.

1. Scottie Pippen

When we came up the idea for this list, we knew Pip was No. 1, we just needed to think of nine more guys. One of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, one of the league's greatest defensive forwards ever, and the perfect compliment to MJ, Scottie Pippen was everything and more you could ever hope for from a sidekick.

Top Ten notable White Sox stats

Today marks what should be the one month anniversary of the start of the 2009 White Sox season. Mother Nature ended up delaying it by a day, but I post every Wednesday not every Thursday, so deal with it. Here are ten notable Sox stats through the first month of the season.

10. 3.23
Mike MacDougal's WHIP

We were shocked when MacDougal made the Sox' opening day roster, but at least the damage was limited to only five games. Small sample size, sure, but a major league pitcher almost has to try to allow to allow more than three walks plus hits per inning.

MacDougal has to be much more comfortable now that he's in Washington, where he should fit right in with a whole slew of terrible relievers.

9. .288/.342/.379
Chris Getz's triple slash hitting stats

Two questions dogged the Sox in Spring Training: a) who's going to play center field (more on that in a sec...), and b) who's going to hit leadoff? While the Sox are a world away from solving the first problem, it didn't take long to figure out the second.

Most expected Getz to be able to hit major league pitching eventually, but it's a bit of a surprise that he figured it out so quickly. Getz had just seven career major league at-bats heading into this season, but has already proven himself to be a capable hitter atop the order.

8. .293/.381/.500 (in AA)
Gordon Beckham's triple slash hitting stats

To all those already clamoring for Becks in Chicago, please stop. The kid is going to be a great pro, but the Sox don't want to risk it by rushing him. You'll find Beckham in AAA midway through this season, and in the majors by 2010.

As for Ozzie Guillen's recent declaration that Beckham is shortstop, well, we urge him to look at another stat: errors. Beckham has seven of them in just 24 games. Sure, errors isn't the best way to measure a defender since it doesn't account for range, but few thought Beckham would be able to stick at short even when the Sox drafted him. I wonder if he could play center field.

Oh yeah: Tyler Flowers (.314/.444/.571) and Brandon Allen (.284/.343/.474) are holding their own in Birmingham, too.

7. 18
Gavin Floyd's walks (in 34.1 innings)

Control has been the biggest reason why Floyd's ERA is 6.2 right now. He's had two straight up terrible outings: a seven walk performance against the Tigers and a five walk performance against the Blue Jays. His WHIP, while not MacDougal like, still isn't pretty at 1.75.

6. .105
AJ's runners thrown out percentage

It's no secret that AJP struggles behind the plate. When the Sox signed him, a friend of mine wondered if the Sox thought people were only trying to steal the pitcher's mound. But even by his standards, Pierzynski has been awful this year at throwing out runners.

So far, he's 2-for-19 on the year.

5. 24
John Danks' age

If not for Danks' last two starts, this stat would have been his immaculate ERA or WHIP. But, alas, Danks was pumbled his last two outings. It's important to remember that the Sox' best pitcher is only 24, though. We'll give him a pass for what happened in Texas (aka Coors of the AL), but he gets no excuses against the lifeless Mariners.

4. 8 homers, .516 slugging
Carlos Quentin's power numbers

So much for last season's wrist injury draining Q!'s power. While it'd be nice if he could raise that batting average 20 or so points (don't put it past him), the Sox have to be pleased with what Quentin has given them the first month.

3. .255
Alexei Ramirez's on-base percentage

We knew Alexei's OBP would always be batting average dependant, so maybe his BA - .211 - should be the stat here. But .255 is too ugly a number to pass up. It's, dare I say, Uribe-like.

I'm really not all that concerned, though: as the weather starts to get warmer, so should Che's bat.

2. .238/.288/.167
The batting averages of the three center fielders (Wise, Anderson, Lillibridge)

Dewayne Wise is simply not an everyday major league center fielder (let alone a leadoff hitter). Brent Lillibridge is a bench player at best, and is better suited in the infield than in center anyway. The middle number there belongs to Brian Anderson - and hey! - it's actually not so bad. But for now, BA is on the 15-day DL with a strained oblique.

1. 3.5
Games back of the division leading Royals

Call me crazy, but I'm still pretty optimistic about these Sox. Alexei won't be this bad forever, and neither will Floyd. No one on the offense is really outperforming expectations, either. This is still a team with productive, championship ring wearing players throughout the roster. And though they've now lost four in a row, 3.5 games is a hardly a division death sentence in the first week of May.

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Brett Favre to the Vikings!? At TUP.

Ten thoughts/observations on Bulls-Celtics

In no particular order...

(Y! Sports)

10. It's hard for any of us as die hard Chicago sports fans to view this series with any bit of objectivity, but let's take a step back for a second and realize that we're watching a historically great NBA playoff series right now. We've all gotten so worked up over timeouts, poor officiating, and missed free throws, but damn has this been one exciting series so far.

Three of the five games have gone to OT, and another ended on a buzzer-beating three in regulation. As a sports fan, you can't ask for much more than that.

9. It's more than just that four of the five games have come down to the wire, too. A basketball game can be close but still kind of boring (see: Spurs, San Antonio). What sets this series apart is how aesthetically pleasing the style of play has been. These teams haven't given us a chance to catch our breath the entire series.

As a Bulls fan, it seems I go from elated to dejected every possession. The way both teams continuously attack the basket and take shots in rhythm has been a real joy to watch.

(ESPN.com)

8. Joakim Noah has had plenty of doubters during his Bulls tenure. Haters, even. But the second year center has taken a huge leap forward in this series. Noah is averaging 11 and 11 so far, but it's more than just the hard statistics. His energy has been contagious, and it appears he's emerged as the true heart and soul of the team emotionally.

7. Rajon Rondo has developed into a very capable point guard for the Celtics over the last two seasons. Some may even consider him one of the best in the conference. But who knew he could play like this? Rondo has been torching the Bulls all series long, providing the perfect foil for Derrick Rose. Like I said before, most people knew that Rondo was pretty good, but looking at his stats this series, you'd think the Bulls were going against LeBron. The numbers speak for themselves: 23-11-10.

6. All of the attention has gone to Celtics' injuries this series, but the Bulls are pretty banged up themselves. Ben Gordon looked clearly hampered by a bum hamstring last night. John Salmons has been playing hurt for a month. And no one even remembers Luol Deng is even on this team anymore.

For all the venom Deng has received for Bulls fans the last two seasons, remember that he's still one of the best players on the team, and the Bulls are certainly not the same without him. Maybe it's not as bad as being without KG (and Leon Powe), but the Bulls can hardly be considered healthy right now, either.


5. When we think of the best pure scorers in the NBA, the first names that come to mind are Kobe, Wade, LeBron, Carmelo, and Amare. But holy hell has Paul Pierce been impressive so far. How many daggers does this dude have in him? I feel like the Bulls - primarily Salmons and Kirk Hinrich - have done a solid job contesting shots all series, but Pierce continues to hit big shot after big shot.

4. Hinrich has reminded everyone this series that he's still a starter-level player in this league. He's become a forgotten man in Chicago this season because of Rose and a few nagging injuries, but this series wouldn't be nearly as competitive without him. Hinrich has been particularly stellar the last three games, hitting eight three-pointers and defending the bigger guards that Gordon can't handle about as well as we can ask.

Either Gordon or Hinrich isn't going to be around next year (even after a series as great as this one, don't think JR will be willing to pay luxury tax in this economy), and if Kirk leaves, whatever team lands him will be getting a hell of a guard.

3. If the officiating in this series was reversed, we'd be reading 5,000 word columns by Bill Simmons every day about anti-Boston conspiracy theories. These refs have been horrible, not just in Game 5, but all series. The Boston bias has been in full swing. At some point, it'd be great if Derrick Rose could get a call going to the hoop. Same goes for Tyrus and Noah down low. The Celtics are getting away with murder.

And how, exactly, is what happened to Brad Miller at the end of Game 5 not a flagrant? Just look at this picture:

(ESPN.com)

At no point was Rondo going for the ball on that play. He was going only for Miller's head. From behind. BS, I tell you.

2. Perhaps it's because of the officiating bias. Or because Boston sports in general have been insufferable since the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004. But man, do I hate these Celtics. Baby Baby is a clown, Rondo is a cry baby, and I would like nothing more than for someone to run over to the Boston bench and punch Kevin Garnett in the face. Few teams this side of the Packers and Twins can get my blood boiling like these losers.


1. I've heard some people talk about how this series is over now. 'The Bulls can't win a Game 7 in Boston', they say. Please, someone explain that to me. The Bulls have been right with the Celtics every step of the way this series. Forget the fact that Boston won 21 more regular season games; these two teams are evenly matched. The Bulls are every bit as good as the Celtics right now.

Not only do I expect the Bulls to force Game 7 on Thursday, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit if they won it. The Bulls have proven they can compete with the Celtics anywhere. I would like nothing more than to see Tyrus and Noah unleash some primal screams in face of the Celtics after a Game 7 victory. Don't be shocked when it happens.

Top ten players the Bears could draft at No. 49

So we've been running these Bears draft lists for a while now, and with the thing set to go down this weekend, it's probably best we revisit it once more. Only this is the first time we've done it since the Cutler trade. Pick No. 18 is out of play, so pick No. 49 is where we turn our attention to.

This is a tricky list to do because the Bears pick so late. All of this is contingent on who's available. There's probably even a small chance that all these guys could be gone. Still, after reading up for months, here are ten guys we think could become Bears this weekend.

10. WR Kenny Britt - Rutgers

Britt would be perfect - has has drawn comparisons to everyone from T.O. to Braylon Edwards - but he ranks only No. 10 because it's pretty unlikely he'll slip all the way to No. 49. While most expect Britt to go somewhere in the second round, it's not out of the question he goes late in round one. The Rutgers product is tall and strong, and would be an ideal weapon to give Cutler.

9. RB LeSean McCoy - Pitt

Running back isn't the Bears' biggest hole, but if McCoy slips - and he could - adding a playmaker of his talent could be too much to pass up. Even if it's not with their first draft pick, the Bears need a find a young compliment to Matt Forte somehow. Kevin Jones will be back for another go-around, but I think I'm about ready to shut the book on Garrett Wolfe.

8. S William Moore - Mizzou

Placed in the top slot on Phil's initial list in January. The Bears need a safety to be sure, but it's unclear whether Moore fits the mold. He was a productive college player though, and will definitely be intriguing to Jerry Angelo is he's still available.

7. DE Paul Kruger - Utah

There seem to be seven really good d-end prospects in this draft. They'll all probably be gone by pick 49. But Kruger may be an interesting option. He was super productive in college and is said to have a great motor. Of course, we heard the same things about Dan Bazuin two years ago.

6. WR Hakeem Nicks - UNC

Nicks was the apple of my eye until the big trade. There is still a small chance he could be available at No. 49, though, which would likely result in me dancing. Nicks has rubbed teams the wrong way with his post-season weight gain (and not the good kind). Will it be enough to get him all the way down to the Bears? Stranger things have happened in the NFL Draft.

5. WR Derrick Williams - Penn State

We know the Bears love speed, and that's something Williams definitely brings to the table. Dude is fast as hell. Still, it's impossible to view his career in Happy Valley as anything but a slight disappointment. There have been plenty of big time high school recruits that underachieved in college and went on to pro success, though. Actually, I may have made that up. Either way, the Bears need a wide out, and Williams will almost surely be there at No. 49.

4. CB/S Sherrod Martin - Troy

I wouldn't even know about Martin if not for Brad Biggs' stellar blog, but apparently our Bears are high on him. They've taken plenty of chances on small school players in the past. Some have worked out (Chuck Tillman). Some haven't (Ro Williams). And no one knows what exactly to make of Danieal Manning yet. Martin impressed at the combine though, and his versatility could be intriguing.

3. WR Mohammed Massaquoi - Georgia

I don't think I want the Bears to draft Massaquoi for a few reasons. One, as a blogger, I would hate typing that name every day. Two, most importantly, he is said to be infected with a severe case of the butter fingers. Three, he's not that fast. Four, I really don't want to type that name all the time. Seriously. But the Bears are said to be high on MoMass - and what do I know, I really thought Cedric Benson would rule at one point in my life.

2. S Rashard Johnson - Alabama

The Alabama safety isn't big or fast, but he's a playmaker. We know Jerry Angelo covets that type of player. Angelo's friendship with Tide coach Nick Saban could also be a factor.

1. WR Brian Robiskie - Ohio State

DraftCountdown compares Robiskie to Amani Toomer. That seems about right. Robiskie may never develop into a true No. 1 receiver, but he seems like a safe bet to be a productive pro for a long time.

Top ten players in the AL Central

Consider this part one of our 2009 baseball preview. Better late than never, right? Eli will provide part two - the ten best players in the NL Central - on Friday.

10. Magglio Ordonez

Though his power numbers have steadily declined since he left Chicago after his age-30 season, Ordonez has transformed himself into arguably the league's best contact hitter since. That's not to say Magglio has gone completely powerless: in 2007, Maggs hit 28 homers and a league-leading 54 doubles while batting a major league-high .363. Ordonez finally seemed to decline a bit last season at age 34, but he's still one of the most feared hitters in the division.

9. Zack Greinke

Greinke's is a classic case of a young pitcher being rushed to the major leagues before he was ready. By the time his age-22 season rolled around, some had already viewed him as a bust. That's because he had 328 major league innings under his belt by that time, to go along with 28 losses and an average ERA around 5. But Greinke lived up to expectations last year as a 24-year old, pitching over 200 innings with a sub-3.5 ERA and over 180 strikeouts. His strong second half in 2008 has made him a trendy sleeper Cy Young pick this season.

8. Cliff Lee

Lee's inclusion and placement on this list caused more debate than any other player amongst the TTCS crew. What threw us off was his miserable 2007. But Lee was very good in 2005, and sound in 2006. Couple that with a historic 2008, and we have him as the best starter in the division. Going forward, sure, we'd easily take Greinke, John Danks, or Justin Verlander before Lee. But when you couple his above-average track record with a dominant '08, we really didn't have any choice but to put Lee on this list, regardless of whether or not we think he will ever approach his '08 numbers again.

7. Curtis Granderson

We admit it, Detroit: we're jealous. A native son and UIC grad, Granderson has developed into one of baseball's most feared leadoff hitters. He's everything our White Sox so desperately need. Granderson has led the AL in triples the last two seasons, and has averaged an OPS+ of 130 over that time. Did we mention he's one of the premier defensive center fielders in baseball, as well? The things we would do to turn Dewayne Wise into Curtis Granderson are probably illegal.

6. Joe Nathan

The Central features three of the league's best closers, but Nathan is the only one who appears on this list in part because of his track record. Don't think this is some type of career achievement award, though: even at age 33, Nathan was nasty last season. His 1.33 ERA was the lowest of his career, and he posted a WHIP under 1.0 for the fourth time in five seasons.

5. Carlos Quentin

Some may think this ranking is a little high. After all, Quentin only has one (amazing) season under his belt. But Q! gets the benefit of the doubt because what he did last year shouldn't have really been a surprise. It's different when a pitcher like the aforementioned Cliff Lee blows up out of nowhere at age 29, but Quentin's minor league track record predicted the type of success he had last season, his first full one in the bigs. 2008 was no fluke; Q! is for real.

4. Justin Morneau

Won the AL MVP in 2006, and finished second last year. While his numbers aren't always spectacular - '06 was the only time he has ever OPS'd over .900 - they're always more than solid. Just 27, Morneau still has plenty of good years left in front of him.

3. Miguel Cabrera

Cabrera turns 26 on Saturday. Here are the players baseball-reference lists as similar batters through age 25: 1) Ken Griffey Jr., 2) Hank Aaron, 3) Orlando Cepeda, 4) Frank Robinson. Griffey will be in the Hall of Fame on his first ballot, the other three men listed above are there already. We are truly witnessing an all-time great hitter in the prime of his career.

2. Grady Sizemore

Sizemore is the definition of a five-tool player. Perhaps no player in baseball better pairs power and speed, but it's his defense which gives Sizemore the edge of Cabrera on this list. Center field is one of the three positions where what you do in the field probably matters more than what you do at the plate, and Sizemore, still just 26, has already proven to be the total package. He has placed in the top 12 in AL MVP the last three seasons. And he's going to win one soon.

1. Joe Mauer

Mauer gets the nod as the best player in the division because he plays excellent defense at the league's hardest position all while being one of the toughest outs at the plate in the game. He won his second batting title last season at age 25, and did it with seemingly unparalleled plate discipline. Mauer already has two top six MVP finishes, and though he came in fourth last season, many felt he should have won it.

Top ten Chicago athletes 25 and younger

10. Greg Olsen

No one will benefit more from new Bears quarterback Jay Cutler than Olsen, who seems ticketed to become one of the top tight ends in the league. Perhaps now he'll be best known for being the Bears' best tight end since Ditka, rather than for his ability to spit hot fire.

9. Duncan Keith

Now in his fourth season, Keith is enjoying a breakout campaign for the Hawks. He leads the team in plus-minus - and ranks seventh in the league - at plus-32. Keith has already set a career high in points with 42 so far this season.

8. Luol Deng

If Luol Deng were really as charitable as people make him out to be, then maybe he should give the Bulls some of that $72 million back. The last two years have been trying for Deng, but don't forget he's only 23, just seven months older than Tyler Hansbrough.

7. Patrick Kane
The TTCS crew has been receiving reports from a reliable source/old friend that perhaps no athlete in the city is more poised to claim Kyle Orton's former crown as "Party King of Chicago" than Kane, the Hawks 20-year old diminutive winger. The best part about partying in Chicago? Not too many Finland chicks.

6. Jonathan Toews

We need to find Jonathan Toews a scandal. The Hawks captain seems about as clean as they come. Just check out his Wikipedia page. So clean it's disgusting. I doubt the kid has ever even smoked a cigarette. Maybe a night on the town with PK would do the trick.

5. Tommie Harris
Harris has already completed five seasons with the Bears, so it's a little weird that he's only 25. He turns 26 later this month, the same day as his new quarterback.

4. Matt Forte
Jay Cutler and Matt Forte - while already good before - should make each other exponentially better. Cutler didn't have a running back anywhere near the ability of Forte last season in Denver, and now Forte actually has a quarterback who can throw a football accurately further than 15 yards downfield. I think it's safe to say Forte won't be seeing nearly as many 9-man fronts next season. Smile if you're excited.

3. John Danks
Some may think Danks is a tad high on this list, but it looks like he could have a Cy Young future. At 23, he posted the AL's fifth best ERA, and had the peripherals to match it. He turns 24 a week from today.

2. Jay Cutler
Cutler-mania has officially swept Chicago, and if you're not on-board yet, I don't know what you're waiting for. Don't be too concerned that the Bears don't have the necessary weapons around him, either: unlike the man he's replacing, Cutler is the type of QB that makes receivers better. With Orton, it always seemed like he would need really good receivers to take the next step forward. Matt Forte, Devin Hester, and Greg Olsen - while not ideal - should still be just fine. And Hester is the old man of the group at 26.

1. Derrick Rose
I think we put Derrick Rose atop a list on this site twice a week. Can't say he doesn't deserve it, though.

Top ten Chicago numbers

10.

Dennis RodmanTommie Harris9.
Scottie Pippen

Charles Tillman

8. Mike Singletary

John Danks

7. Greg MadduxFergie Jenkins
Nathan Vasher

6. Bobby HullJim McMahon
Luol Deng
5.

Carlton FiskWilliam Perry

72-10

4. Bob LoveRon Santo
Alexei Ramirez3.

Walter PaytonKerry Wood

Gavin Floyd

2.

Michael JordanRyne Sandburg

Devin HesterJermaine Dye

(wait for it......)

(Just a little longer.....)

1.Cade McNownRex Grossman

Dickey Simpkins
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As for those Cutler-to-the-Bears thoughts you're all looking for, you can find them at my other blog, which has a much more awesome name.