What is the Counsell difference for the Cubs?

I have a lot of questions. I don’t have many answers.

* What is the Craig Counsell difference?

What is the reason the Cubs surprised the baseball world by firing a good but not great manager like David Ross and hiring Craig Counsell with a record $8 million annual salary over the next five seasons?

Have we figured it out yet? Will it take a while to figure it out?

Have we even seen it yet? Is it something fans will be able to see? The lineups don’t look significantly different, and yet the Cubs are scoring in bunches. The pitching has been good, not great, even as Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele and Julian Merryweather have gone on the injured list.

Is it just an intangible something you can’t put your finger on but the players just feel?

Whatever it is, Cubs fans pray they see it show up where it matters most: in the standings. And then in the playoffs.

* That was an exciting NCAA Tournament. The men’s too.

* As an Illinois graduate, I tend to root for Big Ten teams to do well on the national stage. It’s not a fanatical thing, just kind of it would be nice and good for Illinois if the Big Ten did well.

So, against my better judgment I pulled for Michigan to win the football national championship. Sunday afternoon, hard as it is to admit, I hoped disliked Iowa would win a women’s basketball national championship. And Monday night I fought instinct and wished for a Purdue win in the men’s national championship.

One out of three ain’t bad, and by that I mean the Big Ten had a team in all three national championship games. The league might have only won one of them, but it’s still a very good year for the league.

Considering this season’s success, what will happen next year when the Big Ten adds West Coast powers Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington?

* Speaking of Illinois, the Illini can feel a little better about their blowout loss against UConn in the Elite Eight, in light of Purdue’s 15-point loss in the final. Nobody in the tournament came close to UConn. Credit to the Huskies.

* If there’s one thing the NCAA can learn from its women’s tournament and apply to the men’s tournament, it’s earlier tipoff times. Beyond ridiculous to be tipping off Sweet Sixteen games at 9:30 p.m. Central time, or a final at 8:20 p.m.

* Gene Honda. A voice from the soundtrack of our sporting lives, soothing and uplifting. Congratulations on retiring from your work at NCAA Final Fours. Please don’t stop as public-address announcer for White Sox and Illinois football home games.

* Pity Gene Honda, he has to watch this White Sox team.

* Speaking of good voices, we’re lucky to have Tim Sinclair on the PA for the Bears, Bulls, Fire, Illinois basketball … I’m pretty sure I missed a few franchises. How many miles on your car’s odometer now?

* Did the White Sox find their first-base coach yet?

* Wishing Connor Bedard a restful summer. He’s earned it. It’s gotta be tiring being asked to carry an entire franchise on your shoulders, especially for an 18-year-old.

* I’m being told the Blackhawks’ season isn’t actually over yet. It’s just seemed like it for the last five months.

* Have the Bears drafted Caleb Williams yet?

* If I start a pro sports franchise, can I get some unit of government to build me a stadium too? I promise to keep it under $1 billion.

* Did we survive the eclipse only to be done in by cicadas?

* Has anyone figured out the NCAA’s transfer rules? Or if the NCAA still has transfer rules?

For that matter, does the NCAA still exist?

* Why isn’t sumo wrestling on TV anymore?

Daily Herald Sports Editor Orrin Schwarz can be reached at oschwarz@dailyherald.com.