White Sox

A lot can happen in 12 months. Just ask Chicago sports teams. As the city ushered in a new year over the weekend, the Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox found themselves in much different shape than a year ago at this time. Consider the following.   Bears Remember the excitement a year ago this week? The Bears had just finished an 11-5 season and headed into the playoffs with fans thinking Super Bowl. Of course, Green Bay ended that dream in the NFC championshilp game.

Anyone who knows me is aware that I am an unapologetic White Sox fan. At one point in time, I owned T-shirts and jerseys professing my love for the South Siders. That love was tested when I moved to the North Side. I responded to a Craigslist ad about an apartment in Avondale. I met with the landlord, liked what I saw, and yours truly became a North Sider. Some of my friends half-jokingly called me a "traitor. " One of my main concerns was how I would be treated as a Sox fan. I soon found out there was no love for my team up north.

Leave your answers in the comment section. You might score an invite to appear in RedEye.   1. What's your forecast for the Bulls if Luol Deng is out for s significant time? 2. Brian Scalabrine played so much in Monday night's Bulls game … 3. How do you console Jonathan Toews, who'll likely miss the NHL All-Star Game. 4. Why are the White Sox still issuing statements about Ozzie Guillen? 5. If you were running the NFL, who would you get to do the Super Bowl halftime show?

You'd be forgiven if you didn't really pay attention to much else in Chicago sports the past six weeks besides the Blackhawks and Bulls' postseason runs - as brief as they were. But, if that's been your focus, you've missed out on some good Chicago sports news. Here's what you overlooked.   Cubs aren't the worst ever The predictions for the Cubs in 2012 ranged from terrible to worst Cubs team ever. As it turns out, yes, the Cubs are pretty bad, but there are at least four other teams in baseball as bad or worse than the North Siders.

For a brief moment last week, when the Cubs took two of three games from the White Sox, it looked like the Cubs were poised for a turnaround and the Sox were slipping. The teams have reversed course recently, however, and Wednesday's games were solid examples: The Sox drubbed Minnesota 12-5 and the Cubs were pulverized 17-1 by the N.Y. Mets. Here's what else we took from the Chicago teams' recent performances.   WHITE SOX Good news: Adam Dunn broke an 0-for-24 skid with three hits, including a homer.

WATCH White Sox at Red Sox 6:10 p.m., Monday, CSN Kevin Youkilis returns to play at Fenway Park for the first time since his trade to the South Side, bringing with him all the drama of old grudges and hard feelings. Even Cubs fans won't be able to resist tuning in for this one. . READ "Running For My Life" Available Tuesday Can't get enough of those human-interest stories they show during the Olympics? Read this autobiography of Lopez Lomong, a former "Lost Boy" of Sudan who became a distance runner and U.S. citizen, and get a serious reason to root for Team U.S.A.

If you think proposing via the Jumbotron is the ultimate wedding-related declaration of fandom, think again.  Eva's Bridal in Norridge takes things to the next level with a White Sox-themed wedding gown.  A recent display at the store features a mannequin that looks primed to take that walk down the aisle--except for one thing: She's got the Sox emblem emblazoned proudly across the bodice of her gown. Yup. The people at Eva's are giving you the chance to declare your love for the Sox as you solidify your commitment to your honey.

Opening Day in baseball is all about optimism. Even the Cubs, who lost 101 games in 2012, and the White Sox, who collapsed in September after leading the AL Central Division most of last season, can look like juggernauts after one game. We're celebrating the return of Chicago's boys of summer with our favorite firsts from Monday's 2013 curtain raisers. First double-take Yes, that guy starting at second base for the Cubs looks familiar. Brent Lillibridge is the player whose trade from the White Sox last season caused a 5-year-old boy to cry on a video his dad posted on YouTube.

Can we all agree that arguing about sports is more fun than the games themselves sometimes? From the basic "my team is better than your team" verbal jousts to "[Insert player name here] was the best player for [insert sport team here] of all time" boasts, a good sports debate is a blast. Recently, this columnist had a loud argument with a buddy (by the way, I'm starting a charity called The Ernest Wilkins Foundation For People Who Drink Too Much And Then Try And Have Super Serious Conversations)

This might get a "dadgummit!" or two out of Hawk Harrelson. In a months-long survey, fangraphs.com asked its readers to rate the best local TV announcers in Major League Baseball, and the White Sox play-by-play man and color analyst Steve Stone struck out. As in, they came in dead last. That made us curious as to where the duo fits in the Chicago broadcast landscape. Here's our list.   1. Neil Funk and Stacey King, Bulls King's catchphrases and Twitter presence are enough to put this team in the top spot.