In These Marvelous Times

It's a great time to be a Chicago sports fan.

Incredible, isn't it? I don't think that sentence has ever been said out loud without dripping sarcasm or an immediate tongue-lashing from the nearest person. As a matter of fact, there would probably be some backhanded response even now...

"Yeah, a great time. The Bears are the worst first-place team in the league, the Hawks are nothing compared to last year, and the Bulls are one injury away from falling through the floor. And don't get me started about baseball!....."

And so on. My mom has made an art form of this; she never ever says any Chicago team is doing well until they actually win a championship. Before that, in her words, "oh, they're mediocre."

(You've never heard anyone say "mediocre" until you've heard my mother say it. I almost want to put up her phone number so you can call and ask her to say it for you.)
Nontheless, it's still a great time to be a Chicago sports fan, no matter which of the teams is your favorite. And if you don't believe me, check it out.

1. The Bears are in first place, and it's after Week 3.

It's easy to be in first early in the season, but the Bears are still top of the division as we move into the final quarter of the NFL schedule. Granted, they've taken care of some easy marks (Bills, Cowboys, Panthers) and had some games handed to them (Packers, Lions), but hey—they still freakin' won. That's all that matters.

2. The Bulls are in first place, and hanging with the championship teams.

Year in and year out, after the MVP awards have been handed out and ESPN has finished jocking all the name players (Kobe, LeBron and *ugh* Rondo), the anchors talk about the importance of "That Guy".
You know him. He's the guy who put up 12 points and 8 rebounds every night and never got any press. He's the guy who came off the bench late in the season after a starter got injured. Either way, he's always the guy that gets credit for "keeping the team together until the star could take over". No one knows who he is before and no one really remembers him afterward. Classic example: Leon Powe for the Celts in '08.

The Bulls' "That Guy"? Taj Gibson. He was the lower draft pick last year, behind James Johnson. After his successful rookie season last year, he was supposed to move to the bench behind Carlos Boozer. But with Boozer out for the first month of the season, Taj was in the starting five, and he's delivered to the tune of 11-7 and almost two blocks per game.

Much like Greg Jennings in Madden, "he puts the team on his back, doe."

3. The Hawks are second in the division, even with half of last year's squad gone.

My erstwhile roommate (we'll call him Clark) has been keeping me updated on his St. Louis Blues and how they're poised to make a run at the playoffs this year. (He's also a Packers fan. How we coexist is a mystery to me.) Unfortunately for Clark, I'm going to shower him with insults later as I see the Hawks sitting in second behind Detroit—two places ahead of the Blues.

To be fair, NHL statistics are misleading, and since the Hawks have played at least three games more than any other division team, they are going to have a chance at more points. Still, the Blackhawks have won six of their last eight contests. Before last night's high scoring affair with St. Louis, they hadn't allowed more than two goals in any game, which means Corey Crawford might get the nod over Marty Turco in the near-future.

And why is it great to be a Sox or Cubs fan right now? Simply, it's winter. No disappointments if they're not playing, ay? (Although Cubs fans have to be feeling a little salty about that Theriot trade to St. Louis.)

Yeah, it's a good life right now in the Windy City. But just like the weather, you should probably check back tomorrow. Things might have changed.

See you in the cheap seats.

JS