Spellman’s Scorecard: Thibodeau, Guillen, Arlington

Thibs in search of self:The NBA lockout and the talk of a lost season to come has to be killing hoops-centric Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau.But he#146;s trying his best to fight through it.Among the diversions Thibodeau is employing are:ŸCatching up on #147;Match Game#148; reruns on the Game Show Network and enjoying the humor of a young Elaine Joyce.ŸCalling evening timeouts and arranging his kitchen chairs in a semi-circle, then going over the role each is playing in that night#146;s dinner preparation.ŸLeaving anonymous messages on Gar Forman#146;s phone, pleading for him to #147;End this nonsense!#148;BTW:How good of a move was it by the NHLPA to hire Donald Fehr as its union chief?Fireworks:Look for things to get quite contentious at the Illinois Racing Board#146;s dates hearing Sept. 27.Not surprising, I guess, considering the only thing on the line is the future direction of Illinois thoroughbred racing.Will it be all about Arlington, or will Arlington Park and Hawthorne be able to coexist?Fireworks II:Ozzie Guillen blasting actor Sean Penn on Twitter.What?Yep.Nothing to do with sports, but very interesting.Sounds good:Toews, Kane, Hossa, Bolland, Duncs, Seabs, and now Sharp #133; this is the best sounding core since Eric Clapton, circa 1977.Doesn#146;t it just figure?The Cubs played this week the way the White Sox absolutely had to but didn#146;t.Not a layup:Like the enthusiasm, but the one proposed layout of the Northwestern basketball court is, like the kids today say, #147;too purpley.#148;Slippery Rock:It#146;s going to be weird watching Tiger Woods prowling the course without longtime caddie and bulldozer Steve Williams clearing the way.Because Tiger without Stevie is like Ray Rayner without Chauncey. Like Bill without Walter. Like Timmy without Long Chevrolet.All right, enough of that. You get the point.But one thing for sure:Count him out at your own peril.Rabbit ears:Good news for the cable-less: The Arlington Million will be broadcast live on WGN with Dan Roan and Howard Sudberry handling the announcing duties.Answer: 320 pounds:Question: What is the average weight of the Bears#146; projected starting offensive line?Hidden gem:If you#146;re a racing fan and an Arlington Million fan and haven#146;t done so yet, make sure to mark next Friday morning on your calendar. Breakfast at Arlington #8212; Million edition (8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m) #8212; is always a treat.Let us not speak of #133;:Alex Rios #133; for a while.No way out?What in the world is going on with the Lake County Fielders and the city of Zion? Will the team even be in existence by the end of the weekend?He said it:#147;There are 30 NHL jobs that are filled right now and this is the best situation for me. Coaches coach. I#146;ve been on the sidelines long enough. Time to get back into it.#148;#8212; Craig MacTavish to the National Post on accepting the coaching job with the Chicago Wolves.Ÿ Mike Spellman#146;s Scorecard column appears Fridays in the Daily Herald.