North: My thoughts on Cutler, Butler, Ewing & more
With the baseball season colliding with the end of the NHL and NBA seasons as the NFL draft approaches, it's time for some random thoughts …
• The Jay Cutler saga continues as he awaits an offer from a team, but maybe the real question should be: does he still want to play or simply retire? Houston Texans owner Bob McNair has been quoted as saying that his team is just one competent quarterback away. Well, then grab Cutler because he is definitely competent. Yes, Cutler makes bad decisions, but he can play and is the best available option for the Texans.
• The Cubs will be raising a championship banner at the home opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday. This surreal event will put the cap on a remarkable 2016 season.
• Jimmy Butler and Carmelo Anthony have something surprising in common - their offensive stats are quite similar. Anthony averages 22.5 points per game while Butler averages 23.9, but Butler wins the day defensively. Anthony averages less than 1 block and less than 1 steal per game, while Butler averages less than 1 block, but almost 2 steals per game.
• I'm so happy for Patrick Ewing. After 15 years as an assistant coach, most recently with the Charlotte Hornets, he's the new head coach of Georgetown University. Ewing led the school to its single NCAA championship his junior year there. Michael Jordan's NBA championship run deprived a lot of opponents of a title, and Ewing is the only one I feel bad for missing out on it. Ewing busted his tail for the New York Knicks, game in and game out, never slacking off. He was a true leader and I wish him much success with the Hoyas!
• My Masters pick (which I sent in early Thursday morning) is Jimmy Walker. I have Henrik Stenson as my dark horse.
• It's a rebuilding year for the White Sox, but they still have plenty of veterans including 35-year-old pitcher James Shields, who got the win Thursday. I still contend ace pitcher Chris Sale should never have been traded, especially when the Sox didn't acquire a true major league player for him. Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Sale pitched seven shutout innings, giving up only 3 hits as the Red Sox went on to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 in 12 innings.
• My first impression of the New York Yankees (1-2) is they are not very impressive, considering some thought of them as a possible dark horse.
• Oklahoma Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook is my MVP of the league, and I would hope the NBA agrees. The Houston Rockets' James Harden and the San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard have been truly great, but Westbrook has been monstrous!
• If the Miami Heat (38-40) manage to make the playoffs, they are the one team the Cleveland Cavaliers (51-27) should fear because the Heat matches up well against them. Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra and president Pat Riley have done a masterful job there.
• I'm getting excited for the NHL playoffs, where the toughest players in any sport will grind it out. Let's go Blackhawks!
• Happy Birthday to the best - my wife Be-Be. Let the celebration begin!
• Follow Mike on Twitter @north2north. Check out his podcast Monday-Friday at podcastarena.com, iTunes or audioboom. His column appears each Friday in the Daily Herald. For more, visit northtonorth.com.