This time, Skiles doesn't have all the answers

Any day now, you can expect to hear calls for Scott Skiles' job, if not his head and the rest of his anatomy.

And that seems a bit unfair considering the Bulls' didn't start tuning him out yesterday.

It has been going on for a while, and despite that, GM John Paxson wanted this roster and wanted Skiles lecturing these players, so to blame Skiles only now is absurd.

This is on Paxson for staying the course and refusing to part with any of his talent, while knowing that Skiles' demeanor and style wears on a team year after year and eventually wears out the players.

It's not a shock. More baffling is Paxson's refusal to get Kevin Garnett -- and to some extent his inability to get Kobe Bryant.

Our first call to chase Garnett came in January 2005, when it was considered funny, but it's not too humorous now that Garnett is leading the Celtics to the best record in the East, and the Bulls don't look any different than they did the last three years.

Actually, they're quite a bit worse at the moment, though we don't expect that to continue all season and assume the Bulls will turn it around and get back in the playoff hunt.

They've done it before and ought to be able to do it again, unless they've completely quit on Skiles.

But the bigger question, which we asked last year and the year before, is where are the Bulls going with this team? Is this roster ever going to put it all together?

The experts had them winning 50 games this season and finishing first in the conference a few weeks ago, and only that long ago Skiles was considered a genius.

Maybe Paxson has fallen in love with his players, who need to show up tonight and begin turning this around or Skiles won't be the only one whose name is in the headlines as the trade deadline approaches.

Meanwhile, the Bulls' young talent isn't all that young anymore, and it's fair to question how much these players have developed under this coaching staff.

This isn't the high school or college level, and apparently that style and those tactics aren't having the desired effect on the players.

And because of that, the window in the East that was so wide open begins to close as the Bulls search for answers.

This time, it might be up to John Paxson to find them.

Placing the call

Yes, Rex Grossman was awful again Sunday, but that should come as no surprise to anyone with a single good eye.

In his defense, the playcalling has become so predictable and dumbed down that Kyle Orton might recognize it as the offense last given to him two years ago.

The Bears are so afraid of what Grossman might do with the football -- he did lose 2 fumbles and threw 1 pick -- that in the first half on third-and-10, third-and-19 and third-and-37, they used the same 1-yard pass to Adrian Peterson that didn't sniff a first down.

That's enough to make Bears fans scream … and they did.

Spin city

Lovie Smith went out of his way Monday to give you Rex Grossman's fourth-quarter QB rating, which he said was over 100.

What he didn't say was that with seven minutes to play, Grossman had a 35.4 QB rating for the game after going 9-for-22 for 96 yards and a pick.

With the Bears down 2 TDs, a blocked punt led to one score, and the Bears would have been four-and-out prior to the game-tying TD if not for a questionable illegal contact call, meaning Grossman would have finished the game with a rating in the teens without that late laundry.

But give Grossman credit for a couple of decent throws immediately after that and a perfect strike to begin overtime that went for 39 yards to Des Clark.

The real credit goes to Jason Elam for calling heads and giving the Bears the ball to start OT.

Wood working

Very smart move by Kerry Wood returning to the team that had the technology, rebuilt him and made him better than he was, because the $4 million man doesn't need to go somewhere and have a new team pitch his arm off.

At least the Cubs think they know the formula for keeping him on the field.

Best wishes

To retiring NIU coach Joe Novak, one of the really good guys in college sports.

Novak didn't have to stay in DeKalb as long as he did, but he made a commitment, honored it, and gave NIU the best years of his life -- along with some pretty strong years of football.

Nice going, Joe. Now you can get that boat on the Atlantic that you've always wanted.

Stocking stuffer

The White Sox will open the home clubhouse and turn it into a holiday boutique, selling new merchandise at 20 to 50 percent off this Friday (2-6 p.m.), Saturday (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m.-4 p.m.). A portion of the proceeds go to White Sox Charities.

Coat drive

Bears fans can drop off coats at Soldier Field on Sunday before the game against the Giants during the 19th annual Bears/Jewel-Osco Coat Drive. Coats also can be dropped off at stores until Jan. 4.

Just asking

Do you get the feeling that Kenny Williams is about to drop a bomb on someone?

Don't blink

Did Devin Hester just return another one?

Bail bonds

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: "Hey, it looks like Barry Bonds might end up in pinstripes after all."

And finally …

Fox comedian Frank Caliendo: "You guys hear about the commercial Terry Bradshaw turned down? Neither did I.''