Meet the new Bulls, same as the old Bulls
Four years ago, when it was first suggested here that the Bulls make a pitch for Kevin Garnett, there were two obvious issues facing John Paxson:
One is that he desperately needed a low-post presence if his club was going to become a contender, and the other is he would have to choose between Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich.
Four years later the GM still hasn't found a low-post presence, and he still hasn't chosen between Gordon and Hinrich.
But by most calculations, it doesn't appear as though the Bulls will be able to keep Hinrich and sign Gordon this summer, so one apparently will have to go.
In the meantime, Paxson has passed on several opportunities or generally been unable to find a low-post presence that would have given the Bulls an inside-outside game.
And now the Bulls' next shot at Chris Bosh is a year away at the deadline, or possibly not until the summer of 2010.
Even then, even after fans wait through what is likely to be another mediocre season next year as the Bulls nudge up against the luxury tax, Bosh still could choose someone other than the Bulls or choose to stay where he is for more money.
Nevertheless, give Paxson credit for preparing his roster for next year's trade deadline and the following summer, which was his charge heading into this week.
He moved out some of his mistakes for other teams' mistakes, dumping this contract for that one, this problem for that problem, which is essentially what his job entails at the moment.
Makes you wonder how much he enjoys his job and how much longer he wants to keep it, especially when you remember how many times he said in the years preceding his hire that he never wanted the headache in the first place.
You wonder if he's sorry he didn't stick to his guns and avoid the misery entirely.
Being a GM is the toughest job in sports, regardless of how much fun it appears to be from the outside.
It's a bit like being president, where no matter your measure of success roughly 50 percent of the people are going to think you're a moron - or worse.
It ages men terribly, sucks the youth right out them, and leaves them a shell of their former selves by the time they're done managing a club.
Watching Paxson during his news conference Thursday, you sensed the man was tired.
The question is whether he's entirely sick and tired.
Time will tell.
Tiger Woods
Golf hasn't missed the best player in the world any more than the Bulls missed Michael Jordan during his first retirement.
The PGA Tour has fallen off the map since the 2008 U.S. Open, nonexistent at worst and boring at best.
Tiger Woods isn't just the best player in golf. He is golf.
He's back next week in Arizona, and not a moment too soon.
Pennant fever
The more you think about it, the more you have to keep your eye on the 2009 Diamondbacks.
They have so many talented, young players who - coming off the sweep of the Cubs in '07 and starting off well in 2008 - failed to adjust to the league when the league put it to them last year.
If their core of youngsters makes the necessary tweaks, they could be very good this season.
Adding Jon Garland - with his 15 wins and 200 innings - to a rotation with Brandon Webb, Dan Haren and Doug Davis, for only $7 million, was prudent.
Now, if their young position players do what they're supposed to do, that's a pretty strong club.
With holes, of course, like all the rest, but pretty strong nonetheless.
Cub fervor
Mount Prospect e-mailer Dan Marich, on Cubs fans: "You know we're not happy until we're not happy. If we didn't worry, we'd be Dodger fans. Personally, I've felt the Cubs were going to win their division every year since 1955, and have been shocked when they didn't.
"It will be a disappointment if they don't go to the World Series this year, and the fact that as a Cub fan I'm even letting myself think like that shows how much we've grown as fans.''
Bearing down
From e-mailer The Last Bear Fan, on Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau: "He creates confusion and dictates to an offense, while Lovie Smith's defense is designed to react to what the offense does, rather than force the offense to figure out a way to beat the opposition.''
Brown out
From e-mailer Bob K.: "Hard to understand why the Bears don't make an offer to Mike Brown? Smarter than any defensive coach the Bears have had on the staff the last couple of years? Asked and answered, your honor. Can you see him standing up in a coaches meeting and saying, 'We (bleep)?' "
Coast to coast
NBC's Conan O'Brien, on moving to Los Angeles: "I'll miss New York, but both New York and California have their downsides. California has earthquakes, mudslides, and brush fires. New York has the Knicks, Mets and Jets.''
Out of bounds
One of sportspickle.com's suggestions for how Alex Rodriguez can improve his image: "Take enough steroids to bulk up and play in the NFL, where fans don't care about drugs.''
And finally -
Mike Lupica of the N.Y. Daily News: "It was announced this week that David Beckham will be returning to the Galaxy and here's my questions on that: Who's the Galaxy? And when did Beckham leave?"
brozner@dailyherald.com