Imrem: Quite a culture shock going from Bulls to Blackhawks
Tom Thibodeau could learn a few things about working with others from Joel Quenneville.
Bulls management could learn about professionalism from their Blackhawks' counterparts.
Derrick Rose could learn a few leadership qualities from Jonathan Toews.
The transition from the Bulls to the Blackhawks the past few days was a culture shock.
It was going from dysfunction to function, from chaos to order, from the Bulls' multiple heartbeats to the Hawks' single heartbeat.
One team is George Clooney sophisticated, the other is Charlie Sheen disheveled.
The Hawks might lose, as they did 4-1 Sunday in Game 1 of the NHL West final, but the loss was all about the game.
The Bulls' season ended amid all sorts of intramural intrigue between the coach and front office.
The Hawks have their internal disagreements, but they don't reach the level of drama worthy of a daytime Emmy.
The Bulls? This ongoing dispute between Thibodeau and Gar Forman/John Paxson is an embarrassment splattered all over the sports front.
Maybe you heard that the Bulls' playoff run ended against Cleveland last week while the Hawks' resumed against Anaheim.
The proximity of the two events magnifies the disparity between the two franchises.
It could be said that the Bulls never quite reached the sum of their parts this season. Meanwhile, the Hawks generally have for seven years now.
The Blackhawks have had superior talent, but the Bulls also had a really good roster this season.
Then the Cavs ousted the Bulls by going ahead by 27 points and winning by 21. Can you imagine the Hawks going down 6-1 and losing 7-2 in an elimination game.
It could happen, of course. Anything can happen. But it sure would be surprising.
When a front office and head coach bicker like the Bulls' have, it has to wear on players at least a bit. The Bulls have enough of a problem trying to cope with LeBron James without having to keep hearing about dueling egos in their own house.
Hawks general manager Stan Bowman and head coach Quenneville have had their differences over the years. However, someone - maybe them, maybe their bosses, maybe their collective conscience - kept squabbles from escalating into distractions.
The Hawks have had other brushfires, like goalie Corey Crawford being injured falling down at a concert and like rumors concerning forward Patrick Sharp's personal life. But they're dealt with before they become wildfires. The Hawks proceed to regain their balance and merrily make the conference finals again.
Then there's Rose, who considers himself a Bulls leader but hasn't been dependable enough to fill the role.
When leadership - management, coaching, best player - is so fragile it's difficult for a team to get out of its own way.
Who knows who's responsible for the Thibodeau-GarPax mess? Most likely both sides are. But to allow the conflict to perpetuate for as long as it has is no way to operate an allegedly professional sports franchise.
The difference appears to be that adults run the Blackhawks and the Bulls' infighting is like kids on the playground at recess.
Overall, the Hawks haven't let much get in the way of winning and the Bulls let too much get in the way of winning.
Transitioning from one of these teams to the other within the past few days really was a culture shock.
mimrem@dailyherald.com