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Remember that old song…that those cute little pigs sung?

“Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf the big bad wolf?”

Well, not Jimmy Butler….or his twin brother Jimmy Hustler…..

He is somewhat a freak of nature.  The best lock down defender in the NBA, in his second year.  Yup.  Wow.

Play every minute of every game?  Yup.  Lockdown Le Bron, then lock down wade, then lock down Le Bron again…..(can someone lock up Andersen….pederass)

AND….AND….21 points and 14 boards on offense.

Sick.  Wrong.  Beautiful.  Amazing.  Against all odds.

My wife has a new NBA crush this season……I approve.

Watching that kind of defense, on that player, is wicked to watch.  (next year is gonna be some exciting basketball for Bulls fans…mark it dude.)

What would happen to the heat if le bron was out (like Rose) and then their next 4-5 players too…….nothing.  A big, fat, nothing.  This heat team has the refs, but not the heart.  They have the privilege, but not the guts.  Gross, boring, and not the stuff of real champions.

Who’s that cute little girl w/ the Hitler mustache coming off the heat bench, give her a balloon.  What’s that you say…..it’s Mike Miller?  Give him a balloon anyway, and a my pretty pony.

This is basketball.  Not football.  One would think le bron, the whiney kid from down the street, would know what sport he is playing….especially when he complains to every ref, every time down the floor, and to every member of the media…..”they foul hard…boo hoo..”

How bout a 6 foot 8, 285 pound guy jumping on heads, legs, and basically tackling players, diving towards and over players knees……how about that NBA?  He is so reckless, that he is bound to injure players with those moves…10 stitches to Nate, who is tougher than le bron will ever dream to be, is just for starters if the league doesn’t do something about his goal line dive plays.

Nate is tougher than the entire heat team, Riley, all the staff of the AA arena, and tougher than anyone in the NBA…..tougher than you dude….tougher than you.

Head crushed 2 games in a row, still drainin’ shots.  Mauled on the court, still punkin’ players 2 X his size.  Nate, has been a thing of beauty, and has a flair for the dramatic.  He has played with the kind of heart that you want on your team, playing for your town, representing your sport…….

I know, it’s Nate, but this year….he belongs.  It’s that simple.

He has found a home, a coach who understands him, and most of all, he understands his role…he fits in, something that has been really hard for a personality like Nate.

I loved the accidental Star Wars reference from Kerr on Wade’s ill times 3 point shot “That’s not the shot you’re looking for……”

Move along, move along………it wasn’t the shot LBJ was looking for either, airball from his not-so-airness.

Barkely-“It’s an honor and a privilege to watch LBJ play.”  (please Charles, take the bag of d*cks out of your mouth….you are on weight watchers, and that’s a lot of calories)

Defense.  Defense.  Defense.  Not rust, rust, rust, as the heat would have you believe.  (the needed some excuse that they would say is not an excuse that they would use as an excuse….wow, that kind of denial is exhausting!)

In the fairest of games these 2 teams may have ever played, with the reffing a very even affair (how odd), le bron would even mention that Jimmy went to the line a lot……yes, even when le bron maims one of our players, took no hard hits, and has no excuses…..he makes excuses.  It’s amazing to think of this kid in grade school….oh the tales he wove to get out of trouble and responsibility.

He’s no Jedi….or, he’s no MVP.  Great player….not a team player.  Not a player that stands on the game, but one that relies so much on reffing, the historical numbers against the bulls are amazing……..they have been given every game, and yet, this Bulls team, most often without Rose over the past couple years, have consistently, and impressively shut down the heat.  No ref help to the max, means no wins for the heat against the bulls…..but don’t fear…..the refs will come to help in the next several games…to the max I imagine.

Noah keeps getting better and better.  He has more heart, hustle, and muscle than most of the NBA, and has proven that this is his team, and that he is a massive star in this league, and as a person.  The Bulls have quality human beings on their team…….you know it, I know it, and the NBA has gotten a HUGE dose of our heart on national tv for a couple weeks now…..betta recognize.

Wish they had been watching the entire season, but I imagine that finally, FINALLY, next year the Bulls might get a bit more respect from the refs, because this playoff run, even if it ended today……..has spoken volumes about what real hoops looks like.

It’s been a long time NBA, drink it in, the Bulls got it all, and class…..of course we are missing half our players, but there is no lack of heart, just non injured bodies.

300 million dollar roster in Brooklyn….but no passion.

All the press and adulation in the world for Miami and apparent talent…and no heart, or class.  (I laughed at David Stern giving the MVP to le bron as he struggled to find which qualities that the NBA coveted, that le bron represented…you could see him searching….)

Well, I’m sure they will find something to complain about, so the refs call game 2 for the heat the whole way.  Am I a sore loser/winner?  Nope, just look at the history of calls……especially after the self anointed king get’s beat.

I wish I could fail, complain, and get rewarded because of my failure and big mouth.  That never seems to work for me, or most people in our lives….of course, we aren’t royalty.

But Bulls fans feel like it after the last couple games….against all odds.

Nice work.

May Peace find you, and some hoops too,

Blazing beard

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My Joakim Noah jersey came today in the mail….just in time.

Lu might be the “glue” of the team, but Jo is the heart and guts of the Bulls team…..and more heart and guts than any other player in the NBA…..

Joakim Noah.  My hippie brother.  You da man!

I knew he would come up HUGE for us this series…….no matter what he had to do….

And that is where I am finally going to call foul on the Bulls medical staff…something I have not said one thing about in the regular season.  I visit a lot of Bulls boards and online blogs…..and they are full…I mean FULL of haters…hatin’ on the Bulls training staff, medical staff, and any staff that might somehow have to do with injuries.

Marv said….that Noah had said….that he had never tried acupuncture….because he was afraid of needles.

What?

Are you serious?  That’s not just a foul….that’s a medical staff ejection!

So one of our most key players has a serious foot injury…and you weren’t using medicine that is thousands of years old, because Jo is afraid of needles?

Well, he’s afraid of flying too, so someone drive him to all the games.  And he’s a bit squeamish about red heads…so please feed him a steady diet blondes only.  Jeesh.

ANYONE, who knows ANYTHING about acupuncture, knows it is the sh*t!  One of the oldest and most effective forms of overall wellness and specific treatment known to human kind…..and the Bulls staff let Jo get out of it because he doesn’t like needles.

For Confucius’s sake.  The needles are no bigger than a hair follicle, and they are amazing.  Some of the best medical treatment available on earth……and he hates needles…..and the organization let’’s him p*ss out like this…..come on….and Bull’s fans get upset when I get mad that they feed  our players genetically modified crap…….players need to shut up and take the professional’s medicine, literally.

Joakim was the sh*t tonight!  Michael pushed through rotten pizza (“flu”)…..Joakim pushed through knives being stabbed in his feet for an entire game, for many games……..this team needs a new medical staff….or a mommy to force players to take care of themselves.

A 2-point loss in game 1 could have been crushing-or made no impact at all.

But a no-show that f*cks with your pride ala Marcellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction….is just what this team needed (though I didn’t need to watch it…at least game 1 was on 4/20 and I was not about to be able to move off my couch, this is Colorado after all).  Wake up call understood…..and our pride was given a jolt too….which can be good, and necessary for a team in the playoffs…..well, it happened anyway, so excellent response by the Bulls.

The drought started to show it’s ugly head, and then Jo dove out of bounds, saved it to Kirk (Kirky Wirky), Kirky one-handed saved it to Nate…who hit the biggest shot, in the biggest sequence, in the biggest game the Bulls have played this year.

That was the play that turned this series around (they will say)……

And while everyone was busy hating on Rose for one reason or another (idiots all of them…there, I said it), Rose was busy cheering, and more importantly…coaching, on the bench and sidelines.  All I wanted was for him to be there for his team, watching courtside, and giving advice, confidence, and love to his friends.  He did.

Mission accomplished.  Rose has been stellar at what it is he will be this season…inspiration.  Off the court sure….boo hoo, we don’t get to see Rose play this year…..

ATTENTION Bulls Nation:  Get over it! Suck it up!  And shut the hell up already……I have been tired of the Rose haters all year…..and I’m done with it.  Whiskey, give me the strength to cosmically pimp slap everyone that has hacked on Rose….for any reason.

Was that boozer diving for loose balls, ripping balls out of Lopez’s hands, and ballin’ out there?   Yes it was.  Boozer showing up was one of my biggest elements for playoff success…as was Kirk being more offensive minded……and tonight, he was.  He drove the lane, shot a 3 over Williams, and defended to the point where even Steve “the traitor to Bull’s fans Kerr”, even had a senior moment, and was talking big about Kirk being the only one to guard Williams….but he missed all that big time work Jimmy put in too.

“Lu the Glue”.  It has a nice ring, and he played like Lu needs to play for us to win.  There isn’t much else you can say.  he did it all…..and he has to.  So go to work Lu.

Jimmy has not been scoring….but he is the X factor element to this Bulls team on defense….the players he guards disappear.  Hustle, hard drives, and never gives up.  But most of all, shut down anyone Defense.  Joe Johnson?  Shut down.  Williams?  Shut down.

I even heard Marv talk about Williams being the best PG in the league……it takes so little for the national media to gush………whiskey tells me to tell that A** biter Marv to shut up.

I thought the clock was started late at the end of the 2^nd quarter, allowing the Nets enough time to get all the way up court and jack a shot….which went in.  Free 3 pointers, peanuts, popcorn, Brooklyn.  Schwag Town.

Boozer haters have lost their voices.  He’s playing well…….so far so quiet.

Nazr did exactly what we needed.  Veteran making use of his minutes.

Nate broke out a bit of the funk he has been in over the past few games….played loose, and came up big by playing his role.

Kirk is tougher than the entire Brooklyn team.  Mark it dude.

The Nets have depth at positions……….the Bulls have will power that is growing, Defense that is tightening, and heart that is unstoppable….

Chicago fans better show up loud and ready on Thursday.  We can’t have an offensive scoring drought, or a defensive fan drought.  Bring it.  Like Jo said, Brooklyn fans are “new” fans……Chicago knows how to party,

And this party is just getting started.

May Peace find you, and some hoops too,

Blazing beard

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SOMETHING TO CONSIDER ABOUT ROSE THAT NO ONE HAS………
What I think most people are missing here is that Derrick is a new father.

This makes a HUGE difference in where your head and heart lie, especially coming off this injury.

Basketball is cool, your son, now that is real life. Much cooler.

I am a professional musician. I LOVE playing big festivals, and travelling, and seeing the world…BUT,

after I had my sons, my desire to be far away more often, really lowered. Especially when they were really little. I miss them when I am away, and it’s more fun when they are there….

Nothing compares to being a dad…..not even hoops. Sorry. but Derrick is in his protective nest with his family, and he is loving it.

I still play shows, and give it 110%, but if I had to choose, I would choose my boys over my music anyday….my family.

no one needs to choose that, but for now, when it’s ok for him not to play, becuase of this injury, because the Bulls would eat massive sh*t forever if he got injured, or, because it’s ok to enjoy the wonders of this life.

Our coach has no kids and no wife, therefore he eats, sleeps, and dreams hoops…i wonder if MJ won a title before or after having a child…because for all of our expectations on him, he is hangin’ with his new little buddy….and that……is real good, real love, and real life.

IF he won’t sit on the bench, i will be bummed, because even the possibility of him playing will reak out other teams, and he can help talk to players about what he sees on the floor….

but ease up…cause we all know if anything, he is a family man, and he’s loving the bliss of his boy.

Jason

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BANG!  BANG!  BANG!  Luol Deng!!!

The Bulls have clinched 5^th in the East.  I likey.

Jimmy Hustler for the throw down!!!

I like our chances against Brooklyn.  A lot more than I did the Pacers.

Kirk Hinrich for the 3!!!

And then……..in round 2…………we dismantle a Heat team that cruises blindly in the first round, and then runs into the brick wall that is the Bulls.

Injured?  Sure……but we have bodies back.  Beat the Heat?  Ok, I’ll slow down, but as you can tell, I’m pumped.

Yup, even made a drunken ebay purchase last night I was so pleased with the seeding, if not the entire game.

A new Joakim Noah jersey…I always wanted one, was never drunk enough to be irresponsible enough to spend the money….but this morning in the whiskey haze which is my life this season…….it feels good!

I THOUGHT that was Jason Collins….but isn’t he Pippen’s age?  Huh.  Bring back Pips!

Yes, if monks can set themselves on fire and sit there….Joakim can play with burning feet.  He won’t hold back….he doesn’t have a lame gear, only full throttle.  Though moving ahead, know you know why you need a good backup center….and though Nazr is “built like a Ford truck” according to Stacey King…….he basically has to get in the Delorian for a Back to the Future trip every game to play like that for an entire season. (cause ford’s are sh*tty cars that break down all the time)

Question:  If we had kept Asik, would Jo be as injured?  Maybe it’s Thibs fault, or Jo’s feet, but moving ahead, we need someone to play big minutes alongside of Jo to make sure he puts these foot problems to bed….for good.  Big minutes, and a big guy.

It must be the end of the season and the NBA has given up trying to hide the comedy that is reffing, because they hired Pee Wee Herman.  Yes, rosy red cheeks and all…..who was that guy, and why is there a new ref I have never seen in each game?

Nothing in the playoffs is easy.  If the Bulls forget to defend the high pick and roll, like they have done all season long, they will give Brooklyn a chance.

Deron Williams who?  Each time I watch this guy, I see him fending off players, hitting players, all to get a call.  And as par for the NBA, they reward that offensive (in many ways) play, and get Williams to the line.  Yes, even though he initiates most of the contact, most of the time, we will have to sit though him shooting a million free-throws…and if you think that’s bad, wait till we get to the heat.  Le Bron bought a beach folding chair to set at the line full time……..and probably an end table for drinks and snacks….he WILL be living there this post season.

Boozer is letting the game come to him this season.  My favorite thing about him, is that he is a leader on the floor.  A talker.  A passer.  He communicates with the team, and this will be as important as his shots falling, and him realizing that he needs to forsake the finger roll for dunking.  Hold dat.

Team ball beats the Miami heat.  It’s simple.

We play as a team, get them to play 3 or even just 1 guy the entire game, and we win the series vs them.  Meaning, we get the team ball thing, and they do not.  Our cohesive nature, and team dynamics-our team actually likes each other, vs their egos has been a formula of success for years now against them……it can work this year….without Rose.

Who?

We played hard down the stretch, and clinched number 5.  The Bulls played hard this year, and the overachieving isn’t done yet.

Playoff time baby!  I’m getting’ all my mojo in line, cause this year, HAS to be better and less soul crushing than last year.  Mark it dude.

May Peace find you, and some hoops too,

Blazing beard

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Thibs has a secret book.  A tome.  Like in Evil Dead.  (but the old cool and fun Evil Dead, not the insanely perverse new one…..which yes, I am too scared to see)

It’s an out of bounds tome, that has the best OOB plays in the league….I think Doc and Thibs stole it from Sauron……or Satan….or Violet Palmer…you know, someone really evil.  I wish Thibs would use it for every play they run, because the Bulls must have the highest % of OOB plays for points in the league….(new stat)

But the Bulls should be saying “Give me some sugar baby!” to ANY team we have to play this post season.

It’s about here….and we are about healthy.  About.

Not too shabby considering the story line from this year: “Rose is hurt, Bulls will suck.”

Little did we know most of this Bulls team would get the residual from Rose, and hurt a back, foot, knee, leg, abdomen, other knee, pride……well, you get the point.

The point is, no one will slow down for a Bulls team still nursing wounds…….and the bulls probably won’t slow down for them either…it’s about time.

I must say, I am going at it all with a grain of salt….I thought we would get that trophy back last year………worst shock ever.  So now, I am just hoping for a good playoff run, filled with enough pride to take any team to the brink.

1. What I’m most worried about in the playoffs.
2. What we have going for us in the playoffs.
3. What unexpected advantages might we have in the playoffs?

What I’m most worried about in the playoffs. 

“The Drought”-it’s the worst trait we have.  It happens all the time.  When it happens against Orlando, they get a 4-point lead.  When it happens against a good team, we are down by 17 in half a quarter’s time.  The Bulls HAVE to have easy scoring from close by the rim, if the ball is not going in.  The Bulls have to drive the rim, fast break, and pass inside like they can.  The Bulls cannot get off to incredibly slow starts, not in the playoffs.

“Boozer”-  Boozer will have to be the anchor and inside presence we know he can be.  The playoff s, the word potential, Boozer, and the word disappear.  Boozer cannot disappear this post season.  Can.  NOT.  Our success hinges around his ability to get inside and get easy man-buckets.  He will have to forget the finger rolling and start throwing it down.

“The Refs:-  Look, for years, and years, the league has had a hard on for the Bulls…or against the Bulls.  We will have to continue to beat both the refs and the other team.  The refs sent a very clear message in the heat game…..”We don’t respect you as much as the heat”….the refs sent a message last night vs Orlando…….”We don’t respect you as much as Orlando.”  Yes, in a league founded on make up calls and oversight…..the Bulls get no respect, not even vs bad teams.  So hold on, because we all know, no matter how hard the Bulls play…….the refs will try and control the outcome.

What we have going for us in the playoffs. 

Heart.  Hustle.  Muscle.  The Bulls don’t quit.  It’s our trait.  We get up for good teams (and play down to bad), but this is “play out of this world against good teams, cause each team is good”.  Our muscle is depleted, but the desire, coaching, and personnel all fix to come up big.  Character matters.  I hope it matters in the playoffs.  We might be a bit banged up in the muscle area….but we have yes, more than enough to win.

Fear factor-we are the only team that Miami, Pacers, and Knicks do NOT want to play.  They won’t say it, but the ONE thing that everyone knows who talks B Ball, is that the Bulls are tough enough to beat the best….and make them break down….and make them cry…..wolf…cry foul….you name it.  The Bulls are the “dark horse down the stretch” (Panic fans!)

Yes, we are the team no one wants to play for a reason.  Refs or not, we bring it.  Healthy or not, we bring it.  We beat the leagues best, 2 seasons in a row multiple times…..without Derrick Rose….you know, that one guy.   We can ball…..and we will dig deeper than any team to do it.

What unexpected advantages might we have in the playoffs?

Passing, passing, passing-when Noah and Boozer are in and healthy, they pass like none other in this league.  We have to remember how we shut down Mello and Kobe and le bron….make them play 1 on 1 ball, while we play team ball.  Our interior passing can pick apart any team in the league.  If we can do it for entire games, we can make our wins easier, more fluid, and less dependent on the refs.  Pass well young man! (men!  Bulls…you get the picture)

Noah-unexpected?  Well, yes, because he has sat for so long, the other teams might prep for him, but will not be ready for his ability to get us many more possessions…and that is key to eliminating the drought.  I know, his feet hurt…but I bet he’s all good for the playoffs……cheeba helps hurt feet…naturally.  YO JO! (yes, I grew up in an action figure world)

Kirk-he is a vet.  He can run the team.  He is crafty…like the Beastie Boys……he is our toughest player, and other Bulls will follow suit.  He will be first to dive for a lose ball, and first to get up in some poor fool’s face.  He is Kirk.  If he looks to score more….he is our X factor as well.  You need toughness in the playoffs…even if the heat have lobbied for the league to play flag-basketball.

The 3 ball.  Yes, I know.  We were not that team early in the year….but, as of late, Jimmy, Lu, Nate, Belinelli, and Kirk can all hit the 3, and take a weapon that we have, but that we are not known for, surprise factor.

Our Defense.  It has been very suspect as of late.  IF we play great D, then we might be able to get all the way.  IF our D is sub-par, then we might not.  D has to be huge….everyone has to be focused.

Yes, just a few days away from ramping up all the energy and really feelin’ the hoops-hype!  I am excited.  I don’t expect the world……but this team just might deliver it.  Hurt we are, but overachieved we have all season long……why not some more?

May you find Peace, and some hoops too,

Blazing beard

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“He’s a pedera*s dude.”  No, for real.   (Listen to the dude, there’s a lot of wisdom there.)

The heat are such a low character team that they signed a guy fired from a pro team for an investigation of his involvement in child pornography?  That doesn’t just happen for no reason….and it only goes away for folks with money.

And the refs are gonna back him, more than him jumping over the backs of All-Star Bulls players?  Shame on you NBA…for stooping this low.  And rewarding it.

To the tune of more free-throw attempts for the heat than in any other game this year?

Well, at least now you know how the playoffs are gonna go.  Sickening.

Yes, what and how we value things in this world surprise me, and it does matter.  The Bulls organization, though they may suck in many ways, would never hire that guy, or anyone like him.

The Bulls played hard, they are ready for the playoffs, even if they are beat up….we are ready to beat up teams…like the heat.  Like the pacers…..it’s gonna be fun!

The heat?  Well, at full strength, they are relying on the same old thing…the refs…and then some.

They get more free throw shots than they have all season, and have to all play hard against a Bulls team at ½ strength w/ no MVP and no rim defense, and still only hang on to win the game?  I like the Bulls chances.  A LOT.

I like the Bulls chances, and I like this Bull’s team.  Hard working.

Their Mission:  Have to beat a 1 seed team, and the refs, and a historical number of free-throws, and almost did.

Wipe clean the clear-path and over ref the poor sports…..check.

Champions?  Hardly.

They own a trophy.  But they are not champs.  (It’s probably not even real gold…plated).

I saw champions growing up…and they didn’t look a thing like the heat.

The heat are champions like corporations are people.

The heat are champions like Chris Andersen wasn’t looking at kid porn all the time.  (well, you get the point…but if the website fits…)

NO other team plays the heat like the Bulls……and the heat know it.  That’s why my wife dissed on them all for having a “Sunday Miracle!” and all being healed and ready to play….against the Bulls.

Trust me, this meant more to the heat, than to a decimated Bulls team…that knows how east it is to get into the dysfunctional heads of the heat players.  Come playoff time…the heat WILL need a historic number of free throws to stay in the game.  Mark it dude.

Equation time:  Bulls at half strength, can beat the heat at full strength over 50% of the time….without Derrick Rose.  I suck at math and I’m still lovin’ the way the Bulls play this team.

Yes, I like our chances.  Maybe not this year….but remember how sweet it was to finally get past the Pistons…..this will be sweeter….and we will do it.

My 7 year old turned to me during the game and said…

“Dad, I want 7 of them!”  It had been a long time since I really thought about that….and I think D Rose and this team with this coach will bring a 7^th title to Chicago…and probably more over time.  They have heart….and it is missing from the sport….so you know it’s special.

HALFTIME SHOW:  After hearing Magic Johnson…I have to admit.  I have never seen someone suck so much d*ck since watching my last porno….and I was more embarrassed after watching Magic than the porno….though I have little shame, I have more than the NBA or the heat. (and I would go further, but people would say…’too soon?”)

The heat complain after every.  Single. Call.  It is pitiful.  It is not the mark of a champion.  It is the mark of an over-privileged bunch of kids that are used to getting their way…….well, not in my house.  Not on my team.  Why in this NBA?

The heat play lazy D and are arrogant on he court…..and the Bulls are the team that will, eventually, pimp slap this team into obscurity.

I have never hated a team so much, because the lower side of the sport has never been on such display….and so rewarded.  Well, not for my kids.  They know good sports from bad sports.  When they watch a game they see how the Bulls act…and carry themselves versus a team like the heat.  Yes.  I hate them more than any other team….but for good reason.

The Bulls played hard…and they will indeed give it their all in the playoffs.  Phil Jackson may be gone, but I’ve got the Zen all wrapped up.

Just watch The Big Lebowski, and you’ll know why for starters…….

But if you know anything about the dude, than you know that the Bulls are well on their way to dismantling the next NBA “champ”……

Even if that’s…”like, my opinion man.”

May you find Peace, and some hoops too,

Blazing beard

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Yes, Nate’s new nickname is “The Janitor”

He helped sweep up the Knicks.

He can clean house when he gets on fire.

He throws up a lot of garbage.

And he makes more than a teacher…….ZING!  (give me a break, this was my first game w/out a single drink of the season.  Yes, I benched my liver for tonight, like the rest of the NBA….why do people buy tickets the last 2 weeks of the season nowadays?)

Indeed, I have a smile on my face, a very surprised smile, because this was an important game that helped us keep the 5^th spot, and face a much less talented team in Brooklyn.

Why was I surprised?  Because I have no faith in my team?  Nope.

Because we have a bad habit.

The Bulls resorted to spotting the other team 17 points….and then said play ball.

We have done this for about 10 games in a row.  Why?  I have no clue, but we would be HOUSING teams if we didn’t spot them a double-digit lead before engaging in said game.

Jimmy Hustler OWNS Carmello.   Owns.  Him.

Lu was having trouble guarding Anthony early, and Jimmy came in to play stud defense that clearly disrupted Mello’s game.  Well played as usual Jimmy.

Fratello said “Kirk knows Jason Kidd likes to reach around from behind.”

That is the best quote from a national announcer talking head this year.  I hate it when I can’t listen to Neil and Stacey.

Lots of bad habit ball early from the Bulls….and that infamous drought that seems to keep rearing it’s very ugly, very dry head….but, the Bulls know how to play New York…..and New York, knows how to play New York.  Jacking up shots, playing bad D, just bad habit ball.

Bulls have been playing bad habit ball too much for my taste this last while….but I swore I’d stay positive since they did get busy ballin’ and came up with a huge win.

We need some kind of momentum going into the playoffs.  None is tricky.  Negative inertia is worse.  Injuries pile up, but you want mentally to feel confident and ready to kick some serious a** in the playoffs.

Mello is perfect for New York.  They are a classless team, full of classless players, that are easily angered, and resort to the same cheap ball as the heat.  Their class is half empty.   Thanks, I know it was horrible.  Except they did shake hands after the game…no team is worse than the heat.

Let’s beat the heat in round 2, like a sucker punch, then own this see-through New York team all the way to the finals.

Chicago second city?  Hardly b *tch.  (I’m tryin’ to get pumped for the playoffs.)

Where’s Naz?  Resting, like my liver.

Joakim, I miss you buddy, and I puffed a few for you tonight, heal up brotha man!

Jimmy Hustler OWNS Carmello.   Owns.  Him.

Now, bulls need to slap Toronto’s tiny dinosaur a@@ back to the stone age…….that’s bad too, better go to bed.  (I did think it was perfect when Bosh was their teams mascot and number one player, I miss that.)

May you find Peace, and some hoops too,

Blazing beard

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The Blazing Beard Bulls Blog

I have been leading a charge for a long time now.

Play Jimmy Butler more.

Thibs must have listened to me, I’m sure of it.

It’s like the Beatles say…”it’s getting better all the time!”  “Better!  Better!  Better!”

Last night Jimmy Hustler proved, in a career game, that he is indeed a central part of the Bulls future….as well as present.  Durable.  Unlike so many Bulls.  Consistent.  Unlike many Bulls.  Hops.  More than any Bull.  Defense.  Best on the Bulls. Yeah, Jimmy showed it all in this game, and it’s a damn shame that the Bulls still lost.

Jimmy is getting better every game…imagine if Thibs had been as smart as you and I, and played him more all season long, in order to develop him more fully.  Either way, he has come a long ways this season.  He has proven that instead of looking around the NBA for someone like him…..we already have him…and the Bulls better keep him.

Sometimes you see a player that “get’s it”…..all of “it”…as well as a player that “has it”…and Jimmy does indeed.  He improves, he owns the corner 3 shot, he elevates to throw it down, so throw it up high, and he can go get it.  I have been waiting for Jimmy to have a break-out game…he was close last night, and he sent a message to the Bulls and to the league with his play this year…..Jimmy Hustler is in the building.  People betta recognize…..and they are.

Kirk HAS to look for his offense.  He can shoot the ball, he can drive the ball, and still he insists on being a facilitator most of the time.  Management is great, but ballin’ hard wins games.  Being aggressive wins games.  Kirk needs to shoot the ball more….and Nate needs to shoot the ball smarter. (Nate needs to play smarter all around)

Tom Petty was right…..Free Fallin’!

The Bulls need to realize, as do many, that the regular season positioning is almost as important as your play in the playoffs.  IF the Bulls fall to 6 or 7, they WILL have a much, much, much, much, harder time beating the Pacers or New York…don’t be fooled by the games we have played…both of those teams are more ready than the Bulls for the playoffs.  Both are less injured.  Both are as hungry, or more so.  Both are playing better than the Bulls going into the playoffs….as are most teams, especially those not going to the playoffs……jeesh.

Bulls need to get in number 5, or we might not get out of the first round…as it stands…..without many of our bodies at full strength.

“If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye.”

The Bulls are short on bodies….and the playoffs are basically here.  Someone is going to have to play awesome while they are injured…….many players on this team will have to…..bodies……we need bodies…healthy bodies…..anyone?

Someone else go down with an injury on this team….I dare you.

Thibs did not play Cook or Vlad (upon my insistence), though he did play Rip.

Why dog why?  Dear dog, why?  The ball looked like it weighed as much as him last night.  Please Rip….sit down in the old folks section….I’m sure you have osteoporosis you fragile man you.

It appears to me that the refs call cheap fouls so that the advertisers can go to commercials at the right time.  I see it all the time.  Why?  Why not just play a real game and make real calls?  Why dog?

Stacey King: “I’m a vanilla man Funk…too much mustard on that ball”  I have no idea what he was talkin’ about, but it was funny as hell.  Our announcers are the best in the league.  Hands down….I have heard them all, and Stacey and Neil are the BEST!

The Bulls spot every team ten points, and have to walk up hill both ways in games as of late.

IE:  I have rarely seen a team make it harder for them to win.  Play every single minute, and you will win.  You might at least.  As it stands, you show up to the game late at the start of both the first half and out of half time.   Pathetic, even for an injured team at the end of the year.  The finish line is the finish line.  5 more games dudes.

When you run out of mixer…..there’s just whiskey.

The scoring droughts are the biggest thing this team needs to address this season and for next.  It is awful to see professionals forget how to score the ball.  It’s ugly, it hurts to watch, and you cannot win many games.  Just like I teach my 5 year old…there’s a basket….there’s a ball….put it in the basket….you would think the pay these players get certify them as basketball brain surgeons……but I wouldn’t let them operate this offense on me.

Is there a single team in the league that runs a “drive only” practice?  Where the players scrimmage, and cannot take jump shots, only look for options to penetrate?  If they are not doing this….they should.  Driving to the rim is basketball 101….but so many teams forget this, and get stuck jump shooting, that it’s like no one has even done a drive only drill.  Memo to Thibs….hire the Blazing Beard as a coach or invent the “drive-only” drill. (Too late, I just did)

Jimmy Butler has big balls……now the rest of the Bulls need to get theirs in order, in order to finish this season with positioning that will encourage them for next year….not leave a bad taste and early exit in their mouth.  The Butler can only clean up after this team so much, before he takes the keys to the Rolls Royce and drives it himself….

Drive Jimmy drive….row Jimmy row………

May Peace find you, and some hoops too,

Blazing Beard

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The Blazing Beard Bulls Blog

Will the Bulls win a championship this year?

Search your feelings Luke…I mean, search your feelings fans……..

Yup, probably not.  OK, Not.  BUT, there are a lot of ways that the Bulls Can upset, surprise, scrap, and force-choke the competition into submission this playoff season!  Enough to win it all?

Best case scenario in any Bulls fan’s world would be beating the Heat…in any amount of games.  Is that a championship?  Nope, the West still exists, but any team that beats Miami will gain enough force powers and confidence to challenge the best of the West….to be sure.

Bottom Line:  Even if the Bulls do get to play Miami, and we will, we would have to beat them in an epic series reminiscent of the bulls/Celtics series that went to an emotional game 7, and left the Bulls a call short, and a few seconds late.

Bulls/Celtics was epic.  The Bulls/Heat may be great, even epic, but the Bulls would have to play flawless basketball for those games from start to finish to even have a fighting chance.  Yes, I am the red-bearded party pooper…….

The Bulls were healthy, they were primed, they had confidence, and they hated the Celtics……still do.  But this year, is the year of the injury.  I wish it was the year of the Bulls, or Ox at least…….but this is the playoffs.  Every team will raise the level of play, and the Bulls main problem will be matching the bodies needed to get you through until the end….and we just don’t have it.  Yes, Noah or Kirk get into foul trouble and sit for most of a game…..and we are done.  Yes, we have that little margin for error, but we also have lots to cheer for, and surprises in store I believe.

My Predictions:

Bulls will face Brooklyn in the first round.  We will be number 5, they will have home court.  Bulls will win this series, and sharpen themselves for round 2.

Rose will not return.  Yes, “The Return” sells shoes.  Yes, we all want him to return.  Yes, that ship has sailed.  Why in the world would you let the future of your franchise go from 0% playing time in regular season to full on playoff basketball…..while never playing 1 regular season game?

Exactly, you wouldn’t.  So they won’t.  Heck, to avoid all the hoopla that will still surround him, he won’t even sit on the bench most likely…..and all that is fine with me.

Bulls will have a roster with plenty of players listed as “healthy”, but there is simply not enough time to really heal.  So, we will be hiding our gimping…and we better hide it well, because teams feed off of the slightest perceived advantage in the playoffs.  So we need to conceal our injuries…like Rudolph had to conceal his nose.

We will meet Miami in the second round.  I think it is the exact right time to play them.  That or in the first round.  They thrive on building up steam like everyone else, so they will be most vulnerable in the first round.  Then less so in the second, and less so in the third.  Why would we want to play them in the Eastern Finals, when they are fully primed and ready?  (Unless LBJ, Wade, or that dinosaur looking guy gets injured).

We will push ourselves to the limits, but this is the NBA.  There is a script.  It is written.  It does not include the Bulls beating the heat, the darlings of the NBA, in round 2.  It will be a slugfest, but the heat will dominate on the free-throw line.  That is where this series will be won.  (yes, I am purposely not capitalizing the heat’s name, or anyone on their team, I do in fact hate that team)

We know the Bulls in particular, have to beat 2 teams every night.  The opposing teams and the refs.  Why?  Maybe it’s because Michael and Scottie spanked everyone for so long, and those things are hard to live down….I bet it still stings for Barkely, who has lots going for him besides the past…….but it burns, still.  For many in the NBA.  The Bulls whopped a lot of A** in the 90s.  Fact.

We will see the Bulls dismantle the heat in time, maybe next year, or the following year, I sense the good in them……the force is strong w/ Rose, Thibs, and this team……so, we must cultivate something that we in this culture hate…..patience.

It is indeed a lot like the Bulls/Pistons when MJ and the crew were finding out how deep they had to dig, to beat the best teams…….and they did.  But it took a while.

We have been watching Rose and this team develop.  Hell, we only had a 2% chance to get Rose in the first place…..and they say the NBA is fixed…that was karma…of a sort (riiiiight).  We hired Thibs…..the best coach/chance we can have to win a ring with, as he is more dedicated to the game than I am to whiskey.  That’s dedication.

Boozer will have to show.  Nate will have to play w/ restraint.  Noah will have to be able to play through massive pain.  Jimmy will have to be Jimmy.  Kirk will have to go toe-to-toe and maybe even push some folks back or get ejected, and that’s ok with me.  Lu will have to hit all his shots.  Belinelli will have to suddenly regain his shot and his abs.  Nazr will have to turn back the clock about 12 years.  Taj will have to borrow a knee from Rose, who will have to have a miracle.

Yeah……….I pretty much think that is the definition of a long shot…….but the rebels did blow up the Death star, twice……against all odds……..and superior fire power.  If Star Wars has taught me anything, and in fact, it has taught me a lot, then anything is possible.  (even defeating a massive evil empire with the help of a few teddy bears, hmmmmm).

It takes lots of elements to win a championship….but most of all, character, will, and heart…..that is what wins rings…..(or the refs if you are the heat), and the Bulls have all 3.

Character.  Will.  Heart.

I believe the future is bright for this team…..even if the present is a bit hazy.

Heck, Yoda would whup Darth Vader’s a** any day.

Yes le bron and heat, the dark side is quicker, easier, and has more cookies and foul calls.  But this Bull’s team, will be the team to blow up the dark Side’s reign on the NBA, just not this year.

May Peace find you, and some hoops too,  and the force,

Blazing beard

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You had better not be trying too hard in your life at this point. The Bulls aren’t, so I am giving you a pass too. Teachers, brain surgeons, fast food workers, lend me your ears……..slack. It’s ok, the Bulls told me so; by their play. Take a break. (and really, they deserve one)

My liver got one last night….the game was so boring, I gave myself a rest too, or at least a few organs in my body.

But this is all about the rest now, for the rest of the season, with a brutal “so many games in so many nights” finish. So many players need a rest, heck, even the much dissed upon Lu showed why he was so vital to our entire season…..by not being there last night. Jimmy too, but he played. Can you imagine a season without either of those two guys making big plays and putting the team on their backs? You think this has been ugly lately? It could have been that way for an entire year.

The GOOD NEWS?

Noah brings a much needed return to something we do well when he is playing, and something he does very well.

A return to the passing mentality!

Noah and Boozer have a mental link when it comes to passing, and it is contagious….heck, they even inspired Nate Robinson to pass for an easy dunk instead of jacking off, I mean up, another ill-advised 3 point shot only 1 second into the shot clock (that’s like, his thing man……and that’s like, my opinion man).

Yes, when Noah was in, the Bulls played like an actual basketball team. When he went to the bench, not so much. BUT, it is a great sign, of how the Bulls can dominate in the playoffs…..not just rebounds, but the passing mentality that keeps the ball moving, gets easy shots, dunks, and lobs, and leads to wins. It keeps the other team guessing, over and under helping, and this Bulls team, with Noah on the floor, can pick apart the best of teams, with their passing.

Yes, as usual….play Jimmy Hustler more. (Wait! They are! Good!)

Injuries piling up, players in and out on a nightly basis, yup, it’s the end of the regular season.

Marco should not have played, not only was he hit hard during the game, but he was visibly not ready to play…..at all. Too much food and not enough exercise? It’s like the Bulls need someone 1200 miles away, like me, with really poor vision (astigmatism I both eyes) to see what they cannot. Don’t play these dudes when they are still hurt….

Yoda says…”It helps us not.”

Is it humanly possible that Malcolm Thomas is worse than Cook?

No. So nice job playing him Thibs….at least for a few.

One would hope that Daquan would fall (harmlessly) into the same black hole that Rip fell into. I hoped it would happen to Rip, and it did…..so now I’m using my cosmic powers on Cook. Thibs, never play him again, or open that back room door you opened for Rip, and push Cook into the abyss. Give him something to read….he’ll be fine.

It was funny, and awkward to see Stacey King breaking down how the Bulls were losing right behind Thibs, clearly in ear shot. Thibs knew it already….but it is funny to see Stacey and Neil breaking it down in earshot of the players and team….I wonder what that’s like? Awkward? Good, Stacey has rings, might as well listen to him too………

Stacey and Neil were also baffled by the lateness of almost every whistle last night. Yes, many of them were actual fouls, most were good calls……just 5 days late, or at least 5 seconds. It was odd to see such late whistles, on a crew where I recognized no one, to be so late, on most plays. Neil joked they were tired, I’ll joke they are incompetent…is that a joke?

Good call or not…….calling everything late like that is asking for a brawl. Really.

Yes, we will play Brooklyn in the first round, home court or not, we will play them. The more I think about it, we should NOT have home court. I hope we do not…..because we need to prepare mentally for a nasty second round, a nasty heat crowd all coked-up and violent (hey, it’s South beach….you don’t think half those folks are high on blow?) and they will be the most hostile crowd ever. Hold on tight……and get used to it by not having home court in the first round. I am confident, as are the Bulls, that we can beat Brooklyn in 7 games, or 5 or 6 more likely.

So Bulls, number 5 in the playoffs it is. Right on!

What’s the deal with the Lucas oil ads on the scorer’s table?

Oil is like crack….you don’t have to advertise it, cause the addicts need it, and you sell the sh*t out of it by waking up and pooping in the morning……jebus.

May Peace find you, and some hoops too,

The Blazing Beard

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