Happy New Year

 

Imagine all the people

living life in peace

It's My Chance

 

I was thinking about writing this story when Ben Joravsky's column in the Reader sealed the deal.  Several unlikely players are getting a chance to make their presence known in the NBA because covid has taken its toll on the regulars.  

I'm not going to dwell on thoughts of an inferior product.  Instead,  I'm imagining with glee how great these players must feel during their time in the "big time."

Alonzo McKinnie, the Bull of the moment, says this:

“Man, to be honest, it’s the biggest dream come true. I’m a west-side kid. I grew up like ten, 15 minutes down the way. Watched the Bulls growing up. So just being able to compete on the highest stage in my hometown, on my favorite side of the city, the west side, it’s been surreal to be honest. Just putting that jersey on has been everything for me.”

C'mon, doesn't this make you feel a little better?  McKinnie scored 16 points against the Rockets.  Maybe he'll be one of the few who stick.

We Remember Minnie

 

                                                                   

This one isn't just for us oldsters who remember Minnie when he was a star.  And it isn't for the fans who were glad Minnie was there when we won the World Series in 2005. It's for the path Minnie opened when he became the first black Cuban to play in the major leagues. And it was for the Sox!  He was here all alone from Cuba, but we embraced him for his stats and his joy. He kept it going until he was 90.

And now he is going to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

I like to think it was Minnie who lured our wonderful Cuban players to the South Side.  The team established a record when on August 2, 2020, the first four players in the lineup were from Cuba.

I bet there's a future Hall of Fame player right here.

  

Bad Boy...Then and Now

 

Isiah Thomas, former basketball star with the "bad boys" Detroit Pistons, is going to head a cannabis  (formerly called marijuana) operation in Illinois.  I say "boo".  He was the ultimate bad boy when he stormed off the court when the Bulls finally, finally beat the Pistons on their way to a championship. And, "double boo" because these lucrative jobs were supposed to go to people whose lives were wrecked during the drug wars.

Isiah's lack of sportsmanship reminded me of a blog I wrote a few years ago. Here's the point I made writing "Why We Shake Hands."

We shake hands to acknowledge the beauty of engagement.  The winning is sweet because this time it's your turn.  Next time maybe not.

 

Time to Cheer

 

                                                                               Ayo

Know what I'm going to be doing tonight?  And what I have been doing for the last several weeks?  Cheering on the new, loveable, WINNING Chicago Bulls!  If you haven't been paying attention since Michael, or you've put them in the same category as the hapless Bears, it's time to perk up.

My favorite new Bull is Ayo Dosunmu.  I think it's the Grandma in me.  I want to pinch his cheek and give him a big hug.  He was called on to start the other night and he came up big.

At the start of the season Bill said to keep him up to date on how the team was doing.  When they took New York by storm by beating the Knicks and the Nets last week, he got excited too.

They're playing Cleveland tonight.  Take a break from the news.  Being a Bulls fan is fun.