Bag Boy

Measuring the unmeasurable. Or as Hawk Harrelson says, you can't measure a player's heart. And, it pains me to say it, he's right. As proof, your Chicago Bulls. I am 1) speechless and 2) Even after Wednesday's meltdown, I'm all in. I'm ordering a Nate Robinson jersey! I'm ordering a Jimmy Butler jersey! With "Buckets" on the back. Jimmy, has Hollywood called yet? And a quick note on Tom Thibodeau. The guy finishes eighth in Coach of the Year voting? Um, sorry. The guy is the best coach in the league.

You reach a point where you stop reading and watching. Of course with the White Sox, that implies at some point I started watching this season. I never did. So, no big deal that Jake Peavy has been sidelined (again? When is he not?) with a rib injury. 4-6 weeks. Thank you, Jake. Thanks for being injured so that a) we can't trade you for anybody good and b) not being around long enough to help us make a run at the division. Actually, the season is over. Too bad - I would have liked to have seen Robin Ventura work with some workable parts.

Each week before the Bears game, RedEye's sports crew gets to the point. Here's what they see happening at Denver.   Brian Moore, @redeyesportsguy Denver 21, Bears 10 I'm not gonna make a Tim Tebow joke. I'm not gonna make a Tim Tebow joke. Phew, my prayers were answered.   Chris Sosa, @sayitissosa Bears 18, Denver 17 Caleb, do just enough so Robbie Gould can kick six field goals, OK?   Ernest Wilkins, @remixchicago Bears 12, Denver 10 I cannot bring myself to support anything Tim Tebow-related.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In the spirit of sports brotherhood - and trash talk - RedEye and the New England Sports Network have set up a columnist showdown. Chicago vs. Boston. Blackhawks vs. Bruins. Bag Boy vs. NESN hockey writer Mike Cole. Have at it, gentlemen. Before we begin, a word of thanks. Thank you for Theo Epstein. Thank you for the blueprint on how to build an organization. We'll muck it up, but thanks. Thanks for Tom Thibodeau (don't you need these people in Boston?

This is the one weekend of the year I like to pause and give thanks for what we have in our lives, but that's not happening this year. It's not happening because the football gods have dealt me another blow. The second in my lifetime, in fact. Mid-1980s. The Bears were phenomenal. One hitch. You know it. The QB. Couldn't get it straight. McMahon, Tomczak, Fuller, Flutie, Harbaugh, Landry, Payton. (Yes, him! Look it up! 1984.) And now this. Again. Playoff team, everything seems to be clicking, defense and special teams kicking butt and Jay Cutler hurt … the thumb.

We did Christmas cards last week, and since it's Christmas Eve Eve, I'll share my Chicago sports Christmas list with you. > > For the Bears: I want a new GM. Seriously. Jerry Angelo's oversights have pushed me over the edge. Thanks to an unbelievable combination of pride and stupidity, a playoff team will be staying home. That is unforgivable. I want someone young, smart and a step ahead. Not the guy who's the last man on the planet who knows what a good quarterback is and what a good receiver is. And what a good bet on the offensive line is. Whoever the Theo Epstein of football is, Find.

Gotta love the Bears. You don't realize how bad, how messed up, how backward, how impotent and dysfunctional they really are until … they try to fix things. First off, Ted Phillips, you're next. You've contributed nothing to this fiasco except hiring the loser from Tampa Bay 10 years ago who specialized in losing. And he didn't pick his first head coach--and that was a mess. So, let's do that again. Secondly, good luck pitching this job to the next GM. Here's how that meeting goes: "So, um, you can't pick your coach, you need to draft every position and start preparing three weeks ago, you need a new offensive coordinator, and the family that owns the team is a bunch of zombies.

Ciao, Lovie! At this point, I'm rooting for the Bears to fail. And they will too. They don't disappoint. I see the Raiders want to talk to Mike Tice. Mike, if you get a shot here, take it. Run away. Far away. I hear we're going to be featuring tight ends in the offense again next year. Oh, that's nice. Good thing we traded Greg Olsen. Back to that drawing board. Let's handicap the GM candidates while we're at it. > > Tim Ruskell. Weak, feeble, harmless.

Character, not characters. I see the Bears stunned no one and went with Phil Emery as their new general manager. Oh, I can see why. Look at these stunning credentials: Character. Hardworking. Honesty. Integrity. Hardworking. Character. Yeah, OK. I'm really sick of that guy. Sound familiar? Here are others who had those traits: Dave Wannstedt, Dick Jauron, Mark Hatley, Jerry Angelo, Jack Pardee, Neill Armstrong, Abe Gibron and Jim Dooley. I'd rather have the guy nobody likes but will kick some tail (yes, that's Mike Ditka.

I turn my back for one minute (to get a snack), come back and suddenly it's a winter of discontent. We have a ton of mediocrity to get to. Blackhawks. Losers of nine straight. That was one of the quickest dynasties ever. If you blinked (and I have) you missed it. The fact that this is going on while the Red Wings are on a terror merely throws salt, and a little bit of pepper, into my wounds. We also have a goalie problem with Corey Crawford and Ray Emery. The problem: Both are average, at best.