Seven months after the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, the puck Patrick Kane shot into the net to clinch the championship that night in June is still missing.

Amusingly, the FBI has now become involved with the search. Yes, I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.

Earlier tonight, I was sifting through the file photos from the postgame celebration, and I found the Associated Press shot you see above. Quite clearly, the linesman is in the net fishing out the puck. If that guy doesn't have it, he must have given it to somebody, right?

What other possible explanation could there be?

For all the good high school basketball talent we produce in this state, you would think we would have a few good Division I college programs around here.

Alas, we do not. The Land of Lincoln was shut out of the NCAA tournament last season. Unfortunately, we may be headed down the same road again. As we get ready to turn the calendar to February, I don't see a single team in this state worthy of a tournament bid.

Among the 13 Division I programs in Illinois, only three are over .500 (Illinois, Northwestern, Loyola). There isn't a single team with a better than .500 record in its conference through Thursday. Illinois sits at 4-4 in the Big Ten. Northern Illinois is 3-3 in the MAC. Everyone else has a losing record.

It's enough to make you not want to bother filling out a tournament bracket this year. I'm obviously an Illini first and foremost, but I'd have no problem cheering for any of the mid-majors in this state if any of them were worth a damn. I was happy for Southern Illinois when it had that nice little run from 2002-07. I was happy for Bradley when it made the Sweet Sixteen in 2006.

Don't count on seeing anything like that this year. Everyone stinks. Don't believe me? Just take a look at the tale of woe in the team-by-team capsules below:

1. Illinois (14-7, 4-4 Big Ten) -- After a promising 10-1 start to the year, the Illini are dutifully pissing their season away with bad losses. Like this one. And this one. And this one Thursday night. It's embarrassing that Illinois scored only 54 points in a game against UIC, which is 0-9 in Horizon League play. It's embarrassing that Illinois scored only 49 points against Indiana, which had just given up 91 points to lowly Iowa in its previous game. The Illini can't score, and they are on a slippery slope toward the NIT. Every Illinois fan has the right to expect more from this basketball program.

2. Northwestern (13-7, 3-6 Big Ten) -- It's been the same old deal at Northwestern this year. Coach Bill Carmody schedules a bunch of cupcakes like Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Texas-Pan American and SIU-Edwardsville during non-conference play. Those games serve to pad Carmody's win total, but they do not prepare the Wildcats for conference play. Can't win on the road, can't play with the big boys, can't make the NCAA tournament that way.

3. DePaul (6-14, 0-8 Big East) -- I still have no idea why DePaul joined the Big East. The Demons are simply overmatched and they've got the 21-game conference losing streak to prove it. DePaul doesn't have the facilities or the exposure to compete in the Big East. The glory days for this program are long gone and will likely never return. DePaul basketball is an afterthought on the Chicago sports scene. What a shame.

4. Southern Illinois (10-11, 4-6 MVC) -- Given that the Salukis were picked to finish ninth in the MVC at the start of the season, I guess their seventh-place standing in the conference really isn't that bad. But this is a program that has made the Sweet Sixteen twice in the last decade. Remember when Chris Lowery was one of the hot coaching names nationally? Not anymore.

5. Illinois State (10-11, 2-8 MVC) -- The Redbirds recently snapped an eight-game losing streak. Ten of the 15 guys on the roster are either freshmen or sophomores, but it's still not pretty this year. Coach Tim Jankovich has some rebuilding to do, and we'll see where he's at in a couple years. On the bright side, the Kansas trolls have stopped suggesting that Illinois fire Bruce Weber and replace him with Jankovich.

6. Bradley (6-15, 0-10 MVC) -- Senior guard Andrew Warren is having a nice year for the Braves. He's the only one. This team is gun-in-your-mouth bad and you could see it coming after an exhibition loss to Division III Quincy in November. Coach Jim Les is fighting for his job. Fortunately for him, he's a legend at that school and he'll probably be able to survive.

7. Loyola (13-8, 4-6 Horizon) -- This team's best player, Geoff McCammon, is coming off the bench. Go figure. At least Loyola is over .500, but that's a product of a weak schedule. That eighth-place standing in the Horizon League doesn't bode well for a team that will obviously have to win its conference tournament to have a crack at the NCAAs.

8. UIC (5-16, 0-9 Horizon) -- The Flames upset the Illini on Dec. 18 at the United Center. They haven't won a single game since. Nine losses in a row. If you're a UIC fan, you might as well just shoot yourself. If you're an Illini fan, you've probably already shot yourself because your team lost to these chumps.

9. Chicago State (5-16) --  No conference affiliation. Only nine home games. No fan base. No interest. No hope.

10. Eastern Illinois (8-12, 4-6 OVC) -- The Panthers pulled off a shocker about a week ago when they won at Murray State, which is annually at the top of the Ohio Valley Conference. The euphoria didn't last, as the upset victory was followed up with lackluster losses to Tennessee-Martin and Tennessee Tech. Back to life, back to reality.

11. Northern Illinois (7-11, 3-3 MAC) -- I don't think much of Ricardo Patton as a coach, so the Huskies are actually having a decent year by the low standards I set for a Patton-coached team. Xavier Silas is a good player for NIU. He's averaging almost 25 points per game. But he's not good enough to carry his less gifted teammates very far come postseason play.

12. Western Illinois (7-13, 2-7 Summit) -- Only the top eight teams in the Summit make the conference tournament. Right now, the Leathernecks are on the outside looking in. This program has been bad for years and years. Thank goodness Centenary is on the schedule twice.

13. SIU Edwardsville (5-18) -- These guys are Division I?

There you have it. Illinois teams are a collective 109-159. It's not pretty this year. Very disappointing.

The Cubs have invited infielder Augie Ojeda and pitcher Braden Looper to spring training.

Looper, of course, was last seen giving up a home run to Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle in this 2009 game. We've seen Ojeda before, too. He was on the Cubs from 2000 to 2003.

Let's welcome him back!

For the first time in about 13 years, Chicago fans might actually have a reason to watch the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 20.

OK, I'm still not going to watch it. It's bad basketball. But I am glad that Bulls point guard Derrick Rose was selected to start for the Eastern Conference. Rose is the first Bull to be so honored since Michael Jordan in 1998. This selection is deserved.

NBA analyst Charles Barkley thinks Rose is the MVP of the league, and I agree with him. Rose is the only player in the NBA to rank in the top 10 in both points per game (24.6) and assists per game (8.1).

In addition, the second- and third-best players on the Bulls -- Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah -- have both missed significant time due to injury this year. Yet the Bulls have a 31-14 record. They are third in the East and only a half-game behind ESPN's favorite NBA team, the Miami Heat (31-13), for second.

Who has been more valuable to his team this year than Rose? I can't think of anyone. The stress might be catching up with him, though. He was diagnosed with stomach ulcers on Thursday. I guess that will happen sometimes when you've been carrying a whole team on your back.

Rose will be joined in the East starting lineup by Miami's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, New York's Amare Stoudemire and Orlando's Dwight Howard.

The Western Conference starters are Los Angeles' Kobe Bryant, New Orleans' Chris Paul, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, Denver's Carmelo Anthony and Houston's Yao Ming.

Yeah, people in China are still voting in big numbers. Yao is out for the year and can't play, but there he is on the All-Star team. NBA commissioner David Stern will name a replacement to take Yao's spot on the Western roster.

... you're left with no choice but to give Fatolo Colon a minor league deal.

Fat Bart hasn't pitched in the majors since the White Sox cut him loose in 2009. He was last seen passed out in an alley in the Dominican Republic, surrounded by empty bags of Cheesy Poofs.

More and more, it's looking like the Yankees are going to have to hit a lot this year. Their starting rotation is C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett, ????? and ?????. And I don't think that highly of the erratic Burnett, who had a 5.26 ERA last season.

Colon probably won't make that team out of camp, but this signing shows how desperate New York has become. If I'm Boston, I'm feeling pretty good about my chances in the AL East this year...

I'm back from a three-day hiatus and ready to give my thoughts on the Bears' 21-14 NFC championship game loss to Green Bay.

While it is always disappointing to lose, I thought the Bears had a good season. My expectations were exceeded. I figured they were destined for another 7-9 or 6-10 disaster. Instead, they were one play away from tying the game Sunday and potentially going to the Super Bowl.

It didn't happen. The Bears lost to a superior Green Bay team. But the good news is a loss like this can help you identify areas of need going forward. No, quarterback is not an area of need. I'm not a windsock like some sportswriters are, and I still think Jay Cutler is a good long-term solution at the position -- despite the knee injury he suffered Sunday.

The following positions, however, could use a little help before next season if the Bears are going to take the next step:

1. Offensive line -- Take a look at the picture of the Bears' offensive line above. Do you see a single player that you are 100 percent confident in? No? Me neither. The offensive line improved greatly as a run blocking unit as this season progressed, but their ABYSMAL pass protection was exposed again Sunday against the Packers.

Left guard Chris Williams and right tackle J'Marcus Webb are two young players who could get better with experience, but no one can be certain of that. Center Olin Kreutz will be 34 when the season starts next year. He's also a free agent. It's matter of some debate whether he'll be back. Does Frank Omiyale look like a franchise left tackle to you? Pfffttt ... I think not. At right guard, Roberto Garza is nothing more than a mediocre player.

Who is the anchor of this Bears offensive line? Who do you trust to give a consistent performance week in and week out? The Bears would probably tell you the aging Kreutz is that guy. I'm not buying that. I'd prefer to find somebody a little more solid. Left tackle definitely needs to be addressed this offseason. Omiyale is better suited at right tackle. Unfortunately, so is Webb. GM Jerry Angelo has a history of ignoring offensive line in the draft. It has caught up to him the last couple seasons. Cutler took WAY too many hits this season.

2. Defensive line -- Julius Peppers is an elite player at one end. After that, it's pretty mediocre. The Bears couldn't get enough pressure from their front four Sunday against Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They ended up blitzing on roughly half of Rodgers' dropbacks.

Left end Israel Idonije had a decent year, but he's just an average player. And there's nothing wrong with having a guy who is league average at left end and a Pro Bowler at right end -- if you've got somebody who is a top defensive tackle.

Unfortunately, the Bears don't have a top defensive tackle. Tommie Harris used to be that guy. He isn't anymore. Harris is due a $3 million roster bonus in June. I wouldn't pay that. I'd cut him and move on.

In a 4-3 defense, I think you need two top-notch linemen in order to be championship-caliber. The Bears have Peppers and nobody else. Defensive tackle needs to be addressed this offseason.

3. Wide receiver -- Bears running back Matt Forte had 10 receptions during Sunday's game. That tells us two things -- First, Forte is a good receiver out of the backfield. Second, the Bears' undersized wide receivers couldn't get open against the physical Green Bay secondary.

Bears' wide receivers had only five total receptions Sunday. If you look at the Week 17 game between Chicago and Green Bay and the NFC championship game, the smallish Johnny Knox and Devin Hester had three receptions COMBINED in the two games. That is not good enough.

The Bears don't have that physical 6-foot-3 or 6-foot-4 guy on the edge. I had hoped Devin Aromashodu would be that guy. But he has fallen out of the coaches' favor and didn't even dress for Sunday's game. This is an area that needs to be addressed.

4. Cornerback -- Lastly, I wish the Bears wouldn't have to play so much damn Cover-2. Alas, they really have no choice because Charles Tillman is the only truly good cornerback on the roster. Tim Jennings and D.J. Moore? Both too small. They are more like nickel backs. Zack Bowman? He lost his starting job to Jennings earlier this season. Not a good sign.

The Bears have to sit back in Cover-2 an awful lot because their cornerbacks aren't physical enough to play press coverage against most teams. And if you're not able to generate pressure with your front four (see No. 2 above), the Cover-2 becomes the Cover Who?

For this defense to go from above average to elite, the Bears are going to have to add either a pass rusher or an elite corner. For me, the pass rusher is preferable, but I would settle for an improvement at cornerback, if one were available.

Obviously, top players don't grow on trees. This is all just a wishlist, but the four areas above are the positions I would target in the draft and free agency this offseason.

Interesting announcement at the first day of Sox Fest on Friday -- the team is picking up the 2012 contract option on manager Ozzie Guillen.

I really didn't expect this to happen. Guillen and GM Ken Williams have admitted their personal relationship was strained last season. Despite that, Williams is basically committing to Guillen for two more years. That's quite a leap of faith given the problems these two men have had.

But I do think this move will help the Sox in 2011. A lot of the players have spoken recently about eliminating distractions. Well, Guillen's contract status is no longer going to be a distraction. He's in charge on the field. He's not a lame duck. The players won't have to answer as many idiotic questions about Ozzie's status. There is no reason they shouldn't be able to focus on baseball.

Failure is simply not an option for the Williams-Guillen regime this year. It's playoffs or bust. I don't think 88 wins and second place is going to be good enough for anybody again. I'm pleased with the offseason acquisitons (Adam Dunn, Jesse Crain, Will Ohman). I'm pleased that free agents Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski were retained. A lot of Jerry Reinsdorf's money has been spent. As a result, the Sox have the team to get the job done this season.

But what if they don't? Well, at least Ozzie's contract status won't be an excuse for anyone.

Really, there are no excuses this year. The 2011 Sox look like the best team in the AL Central to me. Guillen has both the players and the support from management to get this organization back to the playoffs. Get it done, Oz.

The Bears-Packers game isn't the only big sporting event being contested in the state of Illinois this weekend.

No. 23 Illinois (14-5, 4-2) will be hosting No. 1 Ohio State (19-0, 6-0) in a key Big Ten matchup Saturday at 11 a.m. This is only the third time in the last 32 years the top-ranked team in the nation has paid a visit to Assembly Hall in Champaign.

The Illini are 2-0 the previous two times this has happened. They beat Magic Johnson's top-ranked 1979 Michigan State squad. The Spartans went on to win the national championship that year. Illinois also defeated No. 1 Wake Forest in Dec. 2004. After that victory, the Illini took over the No. 1 ranking and held it the remainder of the season. They eventually lost the 2005 national championship game to North Carolina.

On Saturday, the Illini must figure out how to deal with 6-foot-9, 280-pound Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger (pictured). The dude averages almost a double-double per game -- 17.6 points and 9.9 rebounds. He's a three-time Big Ten player of the week and an eight-time Big Ten freshman of the week.

Do the Illini have anyone who can guard him straight up? Hell no. Very few teams in the country do. Ohio State presents a matchup problem on multiple fronts because nobody can stop Sullinger in a man-to-man situation, and all of the Buckeyes perimeter guys can shoot. You can't double off Jon Diebler, David Lighty or William Buford. All of them average in double figures and all of them are shooting better than 41 percent from 3-point range.

Illinois is not a zone team, so you can forget about that right now. The Illini actually tried a few possessions of zone in a victory over Iowa on Dec. 29. The Hawkeyes scored three straight buckets and forced Illinois back into the man-to-man. There is no point in playing a style of defense you suck at.

I think there are two strategies the Illini can employ to try to slow Sullinger. First off, they've got to put a lot of ball pressure on the Ohio State guards. Make it hard or next to impossible for the Buckeyes to make the entry pass to Sullinger.

Secondly, utilize a post trap. The Illini's two seven-footers, Mike Tisdale and Meyers Leonard, figure to be on Sullinger in the man-to man defense. Ohio State's other two big guys, Dallas Lauderdale (4.5 ppg) and Deshaun Thomas (9.6 ppg), are not nearly as dangerous. Use the four man to double off those guys and try to get the ball out of Sullinger's hands on the catch. He's not as good on the post-to-post pass as he is on the kickout to the perimeter.

I'd give that a try. I think it is Illinois' best hope for an upset.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler created a bit of an uproar in town this week when he stated he would throw the ball 60 times if that was what the Seattle defense was giving him.

Fortunately, it didn't come to that. The Bears ran 77 offensive plays in Sunday's 35-24 whipping of the Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Playoffs and 45 of them were runs.

And, boy, did the Bears ever run it effectively. There were no game-breaking rushes for Matt Forte or Chester Taylor, but there was a consistent, methodical attack that allowed the Bears to control the ball and the game.

The Bears gained 176 yards on those 45 carries, with Forte gaining 80 yards on 25 rushes and Taylor going for 44 yards on 11 chances. Chicago's time of possession? 37 minutes and 10 seconds. Yeah, that's a good way to win.

Did we mention Cutler also ran the ball effectively? Eight carries, 43 yards and two touchdowns. Cutler's two scores were the first rushing TDs by a Bears quarterback since Jim McMahon scored twice in Super Bowl XX 25 years ago this month.

Tight end Greg Olsen (pictured) had a huge first half, helping the Bears score on three of their first four possessions and race out to a 21-0 halftime lead. On the third play of the game, Cutler hit Olsen on a 58-yard seam route. Touchdown.

Olsen also had a 33-yard reception to set up the Bears' second score. He finished the game with three catches for 113 yards. No Bears tight end had ever had a 100-yard receiving game in the postseason before. No, not even Mike Ditka.

The Bears other tight end, Kellen Davis, got into the act, too. He caught a 39-yard TD strike from Cutler in the fourth quarter that made the score 35-10. That one was game, set and match.

Who said offensive coordinator Mike Martz doesn't make use of his tight ends? They were a big factor in this win, along with the offensive balance.

There was only one thing I didn't like about the Bears' performance today -- the use of that stupid Wildcat formation. With the Bears leading 28-3 early in the fourth quarter, Forte threw an interception out of that formation, setting up the first of three Seattle touchdowns over the final 12 minutes.

Did that matter in the big picture? Well, I guess not. Maybe the Bears were trying to give their next opponent, the Green Bay Packers, something to think about. But if I'm the Packers, I'm not bothering to prepare for the Bears' Wildcat package at all. It sucks. It doesn't work. Martz should junk it.

There's no point in trying to be something that you are not. The Bears have to be who they are if they hope to beat Green Bay next Sunday and advance to the Super Bowl. What they are is a team that runs the ball to set up Cutler's play-action passing. What they are is an above-average defensive team with great special teams.

Those are the things that allowed the Bears to dominate the first three quarters Sunday. No gimmicks, nothing fancy, just workmanlike, solid play. That's what this team will need to do for a full four quarters in order to upset the favored Packers in the NFC championship game.

I'm not sure the sad tale of the 2003 Cubs is ever going to die, but at least they keep coming up with new scapegoats.

Today, we've heard reports that three members of that Cubbie team were partying until 4 a.m. the night before Game 7 of the NLCS, which of course was won by the eventual world champion Florida Marlins.

I wouldn't recommend putting too much stock in anything radaronline.com does, but hey, it's out there.

At least they aren't blaming poor Steve Bartman for this night of carousing. You gotta figure Kyle Farnsworth was involved in some way, right? I have to say Farnsy's performance in Game 7 was unquestionably horrendous....

ESPN columnist Rick Reilly says Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is among the most hated men in the NFL, if not the most hated.

The Chicago Tribune's David Haugh criticized Cutler Thursday for treating Sunday's NFC Divisional playoff game against Seattle like just another game.

Can you tell it has been 11 days since the Bears last played? I guess we're all getting kind of bored waiting for this postseason game to actually start. So, Cutler is not forthcoming or cordial with members of the media. OK, fine, true enough. But this is not much of a story from my perspective.

And really, what does it matter anyway? I tend to agree more with the Sun-Times' Rick Morrissey. Even if Cutler is the biggest jerk in the universe, his job is to win games. The NFL is not a congeniality contest. Cutler isn't coming to my house for dinner. Whether he's a cool guy or not is completely irrelevant to me. I'm only concerned with his production on the field.

Further, I find it somewhat comforting that Cutler is treating this like just another game. From what I've observed of this quarterback over the last few years, his biggest problem is trying to force the issue needlessly. Sometimes, he tries to make throws that are just not there. When Cutler tries to go above and beyond what is normally expected of him, those are the times he throws four or five interceptions and costs the Bears the game.

I actually prefer Cutler's mindset of taking this as "just another game." That means he's more likely to stay within himself, make the correct reads and make the right throws.

I know nobody in Chicago wants to hear this is "just another game." The meatheads around here treat every single game like it's life and death. They expect the Bears players to do the same. You gotta have "the fire and the passion" and all that other crap for the fans here to embrace you. (Wake up and smell the '85 defense!)

But to me, Jay Cutler's business-as-usual approach is the right one. If he plays poorly on Sunday, you've got all offseason to rip him to shreds. Rest assured, his demeanor at the podium in the media room on Wednesday afternoons won't matter one bit in the outcome of this game or any other game.

I have some news that I think is important we share with our readers. The following announcement will appear in Wednesday's print edition of The Beacon-News:

"On Feb. 13, The Beacon-News will become a six-day-per-week publication. A separate Saturday edition will no longer be published.

Instead, a new, robust Weekend edition of The Beacon-News will be published each week.

This new Weekend edition, which will be published on Sunday, will continue the paper's tradition of highly focused local news and will contain expanded sports coverage.

Readers will still find local news and local sports news and scores around the clock every day of the week at beaconnewsonline.com.

For more information about the change, call The Beacon-News at 800-244-5844."

The above Oregonians look like they are pretty stoked about Monday's college football national championship game between top-ranked Auburn and No. 2 Oregon.

Around these parts, we simply don't care. I'll have the Bulls-Pistons game on the sports department TV tonight.

I had actually forgotten this national title game was being played tonight until I saw the game previews circulating on the Web yesterday. Hey, there's no Midwestern team playing, and mentally, I check out of college football season on New Year's Day.

At the risk of sounding like an old geezer, back when I was a kid there weren't any college football games after Jan. 1. Now, the damn season is stretched out an additional 10 days for the purposes of TV dollars and ESPN hype.

Sorry, BCS, I'm not tuning in. I watched my alma mater, Illinois, beat Baylor on Dec. 29. That's been about the extent of my college bowl watching this year. I have no rooting interest in any of these other games, and it's pretty much irrelevant to me.

Give me an eight-team playoff and maybe I'll get interested again. A mythical national title game on a random Monday in January? Zzzzz.....

Cubs offering 13-game ticket packages

It's part of my routine every morning before I go outside for my daily bike ride: I turn on The Weather Channel to check the outdoor conditions.

As I watched my local forecast this morning, the bottom crawl on TWC was an advertisement for the Cubs new "Pick 13" ticket plan.

Fans who purchase this package are guaranteed tickets to two games against the White Sox, Yankees or Cardinals.

My, my, my, how times have changed. Two or three years ago, you never saw the Cubs advertising anywhere to get people to buy tickets. You certainly didn't see them putting together multigame packages like this Pick 13 deal. It was just assumed that every game was going to sell out. The whole organization was too arrogant to think that it needed to market itself.

Well, the Cubs Convention isn't sold out (yet) this year. That comes on the heels of a 2010 campaign that saw attendance drop by roughly 100,000 fans.

I gotta give Cubs fans a little credit. Some of them are obviously getting fed up with the crap they've been sold over the years. There were some empty seats at Wrigley late last season, and righfully so.

Cubs fans need to take a page out of the Sox fan handbook. If management can't give you a contender, then don't waste your money on tickets. Go watch the game at a bar instead.

Northwestern extends Bill Carmody

And, finally, Northwestern has extended the contract of basketball coach Bill Carmody. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

This one is a little bit of a puzzler, because Carmody has never made the NCAA tournament in his 11 years at the school. Further, his record in Big Ten games is a subpar 52-118.

Carmody has led the Wildcats to back-to-back NIT appearances the last two years. That had never been done before at Northwestern, so I guess we have to give him props for that.

I figure there is only one reason Northwestern keeps Carmody around -- they can't do any better. Let's face it, Evanston isn't exactly a mecca for college basketball. The prevailing thinking must be, "We're never gonna be great, but at least this coach assures us of mediocrity."

Sources say former Cubs left-hander Will Ohman is close to signing with the White Sox. Reportedly, it's a two-year deal worth $4 million.

Ohman split time between the Baltimore Orioles and Florida Marlins last year, making 63 appearances. He had a 3.21 ERA and struck out 43 batters in 42 innings. Ohman is a lefty specialist -- for his career he has limited left-handed batters to a .208 batting average.

This is a reliever who can be effective if used properly. Expose him to too many right-handed hitters, and he'll get rocked. But he does fill a niche for the Sox. If he can get the tough lefties on the Minnesota Twins out, he's worth the money.

With Ohman and bullpen ace Matt Thornton on the roster, the Sox appear to be set in terms of left-handed relief pitching. That leads to more talk of what to do with Chris Sale, the Sox elite left-handed pitching prospect.

Does Sale stay in the bullpen, where he pitched so effectively as a closer late last season? Does he serve as temporary starter at the beginning of the season, then move to the bullpen when Jake Peavy gets healthy? Or, is he a starter for good?

Pitching coach Don Cooper doesn't like the idea of starting Sale in the rotation, only to move him to the bullpen later in the season. If Sale is a starter for good, that means someone needs to be traded to make a spot for him. Edwin Jackson and his $8.75 million salary would be the leading candidate to be moved.

If I'm making the decision (and fortunately I am not), I'm holding on to Jackson and making Sale my closer. I think he has the mental toughness to handle the job. I also like the idea of Thornton and right-hander Jesse Crain filling the set-up roles they've excelled in for their whole careers. Ohman and right-hander Sergio Santos figure to be in the late-inning mix as well.

Basically, the Sox have a lot of options now, and that's a pleasant problem to have. There seems to be some optimism that Peavy will be ready for Opening Day. Personally, I don't buy that. I think he'll need a little extra time. But with the off-days early in the season, the Sox can probably get by with four starters until he returns.

That way, Sale can settle into a bullpen role and stay there. I think that's the role where he can help the Sox best in 2011.

On one hand, you have to give Cubs general manager Jim Hendry credit. He made his team better for 2011 when he acquired right-handed starter Matt Garza from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for a package of five players.

But on the other hand, I can't help but wonder if Hendry wouldn't have been better off holding on to his prospects and making this a transition year for the organization.

Make no mistake about it -- Garza makes the Cubs better immediately. He went 15-10 with a 3.91 ERA last season, and those numbers were put up pitching in the rugged American League East. Garza also pitched a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers last season.

However, this move does not put the Cubs over the top in 2011. In fact, I see them finishing no better than third in that division. The Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals still look tougher than the Cubs. I think the Milwaukee Brewers might be better than the Cubs, too.

I believe I'd take the starting rotations of Cincinnati, St. Louis and Milwaukee over the starting rotation of the Cubs:

Cincinnati: Edison Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Bronson Arroyo, Travis Wood.

St. Louis: Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Brad Penny, Jake Westbrook.

Milwaukee: Zack Greinke, Yovani Gallardo, Shaun Marcum, Randy Wolf, Manny Parra.

Cubs: Garza, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Tom Gorzelanny, Randy Wells.

Yeah, as much as I like Garza, I like those other three rotations better as a whole. Basically, the Cubs went from being a 75-win team to a 79-win team today, in my estimation. Was giving up these prospects worth that?

I will say that this trade gives Cubs fans a little bit of hope for the upcoming season. This morning, there was no chance in hell that team would contend in 2011. By adding a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, the Cubs can at least say they have a chance to win IF absolutely everything goes right.

If Aramis Ramirez is healthy and productive, if Carlos Pena and Alfonso Soriano regain their 2008 form, if Zambrano keeps his head on straight and if Gorzelanny and Wells can be serviceable at the back end of the rotation, the Cubs might have a shot to overtake their competitors. Maybe.

As for Tampa Bay, it acquires pitching prospect Chris Archer, shortstop prospect Hak-Ju Lee, outfield prospect Brandon Guyer, catching prospect Robinson Chirinos and outfielder Sam Fuld.

According to this BP guy, all four of those prospects were ranked among the top 12 in the Cubs' farm system.

As usual, the Rays' front office seems to be operating a step ahead of everyone else. They've already lost outfielder Carl Crawford and first baseman Carlos Pena in free agency. They likely will lose closer Rafael Soriano, too. They know that 2011 isn't going to be their year in that division. That means Garza is more valuable to them as a trading chip than he would be on the mound. So, they moved him.

Now, Tampa Bay has some pieces it can potentially use next time it is ready to be a serious contender again, probably in 2013 or 2014. Sometimes, you gotta take a step back in order to take a step forward. That's what the Rays are doing here. It's smart business for a small-market team, and I like this move from their perspective.

You almost had to pity poor Northwestern. Coming in, I was actually a little worried the Wildcats might upset No. 20 Illinois on Thursday night. Boy, was I wrong about that. This game was no contest at all.

The Illini set a new school record for shooting percentage in a game, placing six players in double figures in an 88-63 thrashing of the Wildcats at Assembly Hall. Illinois hit 70.5 percent of its shots (31 for 44) in the victory.

The first half, in particular, was perhaps the most dominating the Illini have looked all year. They drained 18 of their 22 shots from the field, including 6 of 7 from 3-point range. They also made 5 of 6 free throws. So, out of 28 attempts at the rim, 23 found the mark. The result was a 47-24 halftime lead.

I went back and looked at the shot chart. As I mentioned, the Illini made six 3-pointers. That means they made 12 2-pointers. Only two of them were jump shots. The other 10 baskets were either dunks or layups.

Mike Tisdale had two dunks and two layups. Meyers Leonard added two dunks and a layup. Jereme Richmond (pictured) had two layups. D.J. Richardson also had a layup. It's easy to shoot a high percentage when nearly half your attempts are right at the rim. Where was the Northwestern defense? It was nowhere to be found.

With the win, the Illini improve to 13-3 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, Northwestern drops to 9-4 overall and 0-3 in the conference.

A game like this speaks to why the Wildcats will not make the NCAA tournament again this year. They don't have any strength in the paint whatsoever. Tisdale and Leonard, the two Illini 7-footers, had a field day. They combined for 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting. Northwestern isn't going to win anything with Luka Mirkovic (2 points, 4 rebounds) starting at center. It's really that simple.

If you watched the game in its entirety, you might have noticed that Batavia High School graduate Nick Fruendt got on the floor for the Wildcats. The junior played the last five minutes -- extended garbage time -- and scored a career-high eight points.

Good night for Fruendt, bad night for everybody else on Northwestern. For the Illini, it was a good night for all.

Sports Illustrated's NFL playoff preview edition arrived in mailboxes across the country Wednesday afternoon. They've got the Patriots beating the Packers 30-24 in the Super Bowl.

Yeah, you read that right. The SI experts believe sixth-seeded Green Bay can win at Philadelphia, at Atlanta, then at either Chicago or New Orleans in the NFC championship game and advance to the Super Bowl.

I'll agree the Packers are dangerous, but I don't think they are *that* good.

If you're a Bears fan, I actually think it's a good sign that Green Bay is the "trendy pick" in the NFC right now. Looking at what has happened throughout the season, whichever NFC team is getting love from the media tends to fall flat on its face.

New Orleans, Dallas and Minnesota were thought to be the top teams at the beginning of the season. Well, it didn't take long for the world to see that the Vikings and Cowboys stink. The Saints got off to a slow start, with a couple unimpressive wins over Minnesota and San Francisco. Then, they lost at home to Atlanta.

By Week 3, people were talking up the Packers. Alas, Green Bay promptly went out and committed 18 penalties in an ugly Monday night loss to the Bears.

The Bears had their own ugly loss the very next week on a Sunday night in New York. Around Week 5 or Week 6, the world assured us the Giants were the top team in the NFC. Now we know how that turned out. New York is not in the playoffs.

Through the middle of the season, the Philadelphia Eagles were the trendy pick. On a Monday night in Week 10, quarterback Michael Vick passed for four TDs and ran for two more in a 59-28 rout of Washington. Surely, the Eagles were on their way to the promised land, right?

Not so fast. Philadelphia lost to the Bears in Week 12 and frittered away a chance for a first-round bye by closing the regular season with losses to the two aforementioned pretenders -- Minnesota and Dallas.

After the Eagles fell, the Falcons took their turn on the throne. Atlanta has the top seed in the NFC playoffs, but people are skeptical because of a late-season home loss to New Orleans.

Now, people are back to touting Green Bay as a legit Super Bowl team.

But as we've seen, heavy is the head that wears the crown in the NFC. Lucky for the Bears, they haven't worn that crown all year. Will that work to their advantage? Who knows, but the Bears do seem to play their best when they are "disrespected."

I can't even hazard a guess as to which of the six flawed NFC teams will make the Super Bowl. I will say this -- top-seeded Atlanta will probably not be playing the AFC's top seed, New England, in Dallas on Feb. 6.

Over the last decade, the two top-seeded teams have met in the Super Bowl just one time. That was last season, when New Orleans beat Indianapolis. Don't count on BOTH top seeds advancing again.

In this topsy-turvy season, I almost expect a surprise team to nagivate through the playoffs and make the Super Bowl. Will that surprise team be the Bears. I say no, but can anyone really predict the NFL these days?

I sure can't. I never expected the Bears to come this far in the first place.

Former White Sox second baseman Roberto Alomar is almost certain to be among those elected to baseball's Hall of Fame when the results are released Wednesday afternoon.

As much as I hate to say it, former pitcher and Minnesota Twins gas bag "Circle Me" Bert Blyleven is also likely to get the Hall call.

Alomar drew 397 votes (73.7 percent) last year -- his first time on the ballot. He was just eight votes shy of the required 75 percent.

Personally, I thought Alomar should have been elected last year. He was pretty much done by the time he joined the White Sox in 2003, but in his prime, he was the best second baseman I've seen in my lifetime.

Alomar won 10 gold gloves and was a 12-time All-Star. The lifetime .300 hitter won two World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays (1992-93) and was a dominant player from 1990 until 2001 was a member of the San Diego Padres, the Blue Jays, the Baltimore Orioles and the Cleveland Indians. He's the only second baseman I've seen who could beat the opposition with speed, power or defense. He was a threat in all three areas for a full decade.

Blyleven is in his 14th year on the ballot. He's got obvious Hall credentials -- 287 wins, 3,701 career strikeouts and 60 shutouts. The fact that he hasn't been voted in yet speaks to the fact that nobody likes him. Putting personal vendettas aside, he belongs. But I can't stand Blyleven, so to hell with him.

Some of the first-timers on the ballot are pretty interesting. And, no, I don't mean Bobby Higginson and Lenny Harris.

Rafael Palmeiro is one of only four players in baseball history with over 3,000 hits and over 500 homers. (Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray are the others.) However, he failed a drug test in 2005 and got suspended by MLB. Thus, he isn't getting into the Hall. He'll be joining Mark McGwire in steroid purgatory.

What about Jeff Bagwell? There have been whispers that Bagwell used steroids, but there is no evidence. He has 449 lifetime homers, 1,517 runs scored, 1,529 RBIs, a .297 lifetime batting average and a .540 lifetime slugging percentage. He was also a solid defender at first base, having won a Gold Glove during his MVP season in 1994.

I'd vote Bagwell in. I can't say the guy should be left out just because so many of his contemporaries have been discredited. There's no proof he did anything wrong. I don't have a vote, but if I did, Alomar and Bagwell are the two I would vote for this year.

Other intriguing first-timers include Larry Walker, John Franco and Juan Gonzalez. None of them are good enough to meet my standards, however.

Here's the complete list of eligible players, as provided by baseball-reference.com, with stats attached.