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North: Random thoughts on Cubs, Tiger, Hawks, Bulls

Time for some random thoughts... The fourth and final game between the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants was one for the ages! A come-from-behind victory in the top of the ninth by the Cubs to win 6-5 was pretty amazing. More to come.

● Word is Tiger Woods, who was going to play in the Safeway Open, has a chronic case of the yips. He started to doubt himself as soon as he made the announcement to participate. He may never play professionally again, but they still sold a ton of tickets for this week's event where he was supposed to play with Phil Mickelson.

● Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is giving off bad vibes as he frolics around Charlotte on a scooter without a helmet while under concussion protocol. Coach Ron Rivera reportedly on the hot seat, but that's absurd because he was in the Super Bowl last year. Let's hope cooler heads prevail with 11 games still left in the season.

● Just in case you forgot about the Bears, they are playing the Jaguars this Sunday.

● The NHL is rolling and the Blackhawks seem poised for another good run. I said they would win five cups in ten years and they are right on schedule, having won three in the last six.

● The Bulls have three guards who can play, so it's going to be a fun season. I'll take my chances with Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo and Jimmy Butler on my roster.

● I bought a magazine about Arnold Palmer at the airport and it made me realize even more how much I will miss him.

● This might be an out of place question with the Cubs' current playoff run, but when is White Sox fest?

● Doesn't it seem that the NFL has been underwhelming this year, while college football is holding more interest?

● The verdict is in for me, and it's a surprising one. I always thought Joe Montana was the greatest quarterback of all time until Tom Brady. Can you imagine if Brady had receivers like Montana had with Jerry Rice, Dwight Clark or John Taylor? Brady has had decent receivers, but not spectacular ones.

● Alex Rodriguez on Fox Sports 1... click. The poster boy for steroids, along with Pete Rose, Ray Lewis, Randy Moss and more with misdeeds in their past, seem to have an advantage for some reason when it comes to TV jobs.

● Cal Ripken is a guy who keeps getting better every year as an analyst. It doesn't surprise me, because he keeps it simple.

● The Cleveland Indians are the surprise of baseball this year, and their shortstop, Francisco Lindor, might be my favorite player outside of Chicago. Have a great weekend, folks.

• Follow Mike North on Twitter @north2north. His column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.

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