How about A.J., Youk wearing Cubbie blue next season?
Crosstown help?This might be sacrilege Cubs fans, but bear with me.What are the two positions at which the Cubs have very limited options at heading into the 2013 season?Third base and catcher.Which two White Sox veterans will be free agents after this season and may come at a reasonable price with just a short-term commitment?Kevin Youkilis and A.J. Pierzynski.That would be some pretty good instant leadership for a team that's crying out for it while in the midst of a complete overhaul.Oh, while you're at it:Bring back Reed Johnson. Breaking down the film:OK, I've seen that Jay Cutler-J'Marcus Webb replay so many times that now when it's shown I only focus on that guy with the gray hair and crewcut just to see his eyes bulge as the bizarre scene unfolds in front of him.Pretty sure he never blinks. Um, don't forget:The Bears actually have a game Sunday and it probably won't be as easy as most assume.The prediction:Bears 33, Rams 24That's right, gang:A rumored 10-year contract extension for Tom Skilling!I am such a weather nerd.Not much longer:Until Skilling joins the WGN Ring of Fame alongside Floyd Brown, Jack Taylor, Mary Dee and Marty McNeely.Seriously, what in the world am I talking about?GMs in de-stress:Just like it's been better for John Paxson with the Bulls, the rumored bump-up to president of the White Sox for Ken Williams will be a good thing.Yeah, I don't think so, Greg Norman:Pretty sure that no one on a golf course has ever #8212; or will ever #8212; intimidate Tiger Woods, but thanks for giving us something to talk about.Is it possible?To have a better captain than the Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews?Don't think so. Mark the dates:October 13-14.That's when the Chicago Wolves open the season with back-to-back home games against the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. The passing of a good guy:I only had one encounter with Steve Sabol, but man was it a good one.The NFL Films president, who died this week at age 69, could not have been nicer or more cooperative when I phoned him out of the blue to get some of his recollections of Walter Payton on the 10th anniversary of Sweetness' death. Always love it when people who seem nice ... actually are.He will be missed. Thank you, Subway:For not allowing me to get that #8220;September#8221; song out of my mind.Crank call-ups:Not sure when the groundswell began against the concept of September call-ups in baseball, but it is absolutely upon us ... and I couldn't agree more.Definitely time for a uniform number of uniform numbers in the dugout.What about Bob (Frisk)?Here's what: the Daily Herald legend will take part in a panel discussion tackling the topic of high school football Monday at 7 p.m. at the Arlington Heights Library.Doesn't get much better than that. He said it:#8220;Many times over the years I was asked to emcee football banquets, and many times Walter was one of the recipients. He would always sit next to me. It got to be a running gag, but every time I would stand to speak, Walter would reach over and pinch my butt. He was so strong it would leave a black-and-blue mark for days. I started asking not to be seated next to Walter, but every time ... there he was.#8221;#8212; Steve Sabol, on his memories of Walter Payton.BBA11451523White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski could provide the Cubs with instant leadership next season, according to Mike Spellman.associated pressBBA 11951559White Sox catcher AJ Pierzynski, who has a history of combativeness against catcher Michael Barrett and the Cubs, could be an interesting addition on the North Side next season.Daily Herald file photo