From this view, Bulls’ record look pretty good
Owner Jerry Reinsdorf said his Chicago Bulls are “a mediocre team” right now.
At first blush, I would take offense to his comments if I was a player on that team, but Reinsdorf had more to say about how hard they play and what’s ahead for the “middle-of-the-pack team,” as he called them.
“Looks like we probably will make the playoffs but we don’t know for sure. But we’re not that bad. When Derrick (Rose) comes back, that gets us a top-five player and we’ve got a lot of things going for us.
“…The future looks good, and you have to be proud of the way they’ve played this year. We’ve had games where we’ve had one starter and they never give up. That’s a reflection of the coach and also on the general manager.”
Yes, the guys give 100 percent every night, and studs like Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer, along with young talent like Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler, make up a pretty decent roster.
Coach Tom Thibodeau, who would never call his team mediocre, said he wouldn’t sell his guys short.
If the results are mediocre, who’s responsible for the roster? The owner and the front office of John Paxson and Gar Forman.
With the Derrick Rose debacle, additional player injuries and shipping a Thibs’ favorite, Luol Deng, off to the Cleveland Cavaliers, a .500 record looks pretty good to me.
But leave it to the owner to throw an insult in with the compliments.
I do know Thibodeau has the team playing over their heads, and they deserve and should be commended for their performance and efforts.
I guess Jerry could be trying to motivate them, but they don’t really need it because that’s one of Thibodeau’s specialties.
Jerry, you once said a year or two ago that you under manage the Bulls — let’s keep it that way. As for me, I am rooting for this team because they continue to work hard, and maybe — just maybe — the Bulls can make some noise in the playoffs.
Super disaster:The Super Bowl talk in New York has been all about the weather and the impact it may have on the first outdoor game in the Super Bowl era. What a disaster. The NFL rewarded the New York area with the game, but it has been less than stellar on several levels. The temperature for the game is supposed to be in the mid-30s, but the latest reports have a wind of 20 miles per hour predicted for Sunday. If the wind is a factor, it will affect both teams, but the Seattle Seahawks will have the advantage over the Denver Broncos. I did pick the Seahawks to win the game, but Denver has been under the radar. While this may be a tight game, the businesslike attitude of Peyton Manning has set the tone for Denver. Manning has been businesslike before, so I#146;ll stick with Seattle. As the week progresses, though, I have to admit I am seeing some orange. Look for Seattle to win by two.Program notes:Follow me on Twitter@ north2north and listen to Fox Sports Daybreak with Andy Furman and myself from 5-8 a.m. Monday through Friday on Fox Sports radio, and check me out from 7-11 a.m. Sundays on iHeart radio or Foxsportsradio.com.Ÿ Mike North#146;s 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.