No. 9 Michigan State came into Champaign Tuesday night and shot 14-for-58 from the field. A little quick math, and that pencils out to an ice-cold 24 percent.

In addition to that horrendous shooting, the Spartans committed 16 turnovers. That's some bad offense, my friends.

And, oh, I neglected to mention that Michigan State standout Draymond Green scored only five points -- 10 below his season average -- and played only 16 minutes due to foul trouble.

Knowing all these facts, you'd think Illinois won by 30 points, right?

No, Illinois won 42-41. The Illini were almost as bad with their 33 percent shooting (15-for-46) and 12 turnovers.

Goodness gracious, what a terrible basketball game. Just terrible.

The Illini are 16-6 on the season, 5-4 in the Big Ten. They remain on track for an NCAA tournament bid. Don't believe the hype when people tell you this team is likely to end up in the NIT. It's not real hard to come up with a scenario where Illinois finishes 10-8 in the conference and scratches out a tournament bid.

All that said, it's impossible to be excited about a sleep-inducing 42-41 win. I don't think I've ever been less inspired after watching my alma mater secure a victory over a top 10 opponent.

People don't really think the Miami Heat are a better team this year than they were last year, do they?

I've heard or read that fictional narrative a few times lately. The latest diatribe to that effect appeared in Sunday's edition of the Tribune. If I may quote a passage:

"When I said you might not recognize the Heat, I meant they're your worst nightmare now. They're better. They're sounder. They're deeper with veteran Shane Battier, rookie Norris Cole, a healthy Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller and even a hope Eddy Curry could fill 15 minutes of the unforgiving night by May.

"All that, and they've toned down the offensive self-indulgent act, too. No ESPN-televised pre-celebrations anymore. No championship countdown."

Yeah, Shane Battier. He's everyone's worst nightmare. A city quakes in fear because Udonis Haslem is healthy now. Whatever.

Let's make one thing clear: the Miami Heat have two really good players in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and one great one in LeBron James. After that, they've got a bunch of mediocre-to-bad players. That was true last year, and it's true this year also.

The Heat will go as far as James carries them. Last year, he carried them past the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals. Then, he sucked in the NBA finals and Miami lost to a Dallas team that played very, very well.

The Bulls played the Heat for the first time this year Sunday and lost 97-93 in Miami. They were without Luol Deng. They were without C.J. Watson. Rip Hamilton played hurt and didn't look good. Carlos Boozer disappeared as usual. Yet, the Bulls only lost by four on the road.

The Heat don't look anymore imposing than they were last year. They won the game because James scored 35 points and defended well against Derrick Rose (34 points) down the stretch. Shockingly enough, the great Norris Cole was not a factor. He shot 2-for-7 and scored five points in 16 minutes.

I sincerely doubt the "other" guys on the Miami roster are going to have much of an impact on whether the Heat wins an NBA championship this season. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking otherwise.

Blackhawks winger Marian Hossa will make his fifth NHL All-Star appearance this weekend in Ottawa. Sun-Times beat writer Adam L. Jahns had a nice article on Hossa Wednesday, in which he points out the 33-year-old veteran is quietly having a Hart Trophy-worthy season.

As a whole, I think Blackhawk fans got a little spoiled by the 2010 Stanley Cup championship run. Even though the current team has a respectable 29-15-6 record, I've heard and read an inordinate amount of bitching and moaning this season. There has been a lot of "this player sucks" and "that player sucks," especially after losses.

On this All-Star weekend, I think Hawk fans should take a moment to appreciate what they have. And what they have is an opportunity to watch two truly *great* players night in and night out. One of those two great players is Hossa, and the other is captain Jonathan Toews -- who will not participate in the All-Star festivities due to an upper-body injury.

Seven or eight years ago -- when local hockey fans had to watch Tyler Arnason and Ville Nieminen flim-flam around the ice like a couple idiots -- we could only dream of having players of Hossa and Toews' caliber on the Hawks. Sometimes, I'm not sure people in Chicago know how lucky they are to have these guys.

A player like Hossa, his production speaks for itself. He's got 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) in 49 games this year. For his career, he's got 408 goals. The way he's playing, 500 seems like an inevitability if he stays healthy.

But here's what I like best about Hossa: He's not above doing the dirty work. He wins board battles, and there's not a forward out there who backchecks harder. He's a superstar in all three zones, not just the offensive end. Hossa sets a great example for the five rookie forwards currently on the Hawks' roster. If a player with 408 career NHL goals under his belt can come back hard and help on defense, well, then the younger players on the team know they have to do that, too.

Keep this is mind when the Hawks embark on a grueling nine-game road swing after the All-Star break: There will be losses on that trip. Some of them might even be bad losses. However, people should not be melting down because of a couple losses here or a couple losses there. Whether people know it or not, these are good days to be a Blackhawks fan. The team has two great players -- and several other pretty damn good ones.

Maybe they won't win the Stanley Cup this year. They still need that mid-pair defenseman I've been talking about for a couple weeks now. But as long as guys like Toews and Hossa are around, they are going to have a shot. Ten years ago, we all would have killed for what we have right now.

A few years ago, the White Sox had a promotion where they handed out red ballcaps like the ones the team wore in the 1970s. I still have the hat, although I've worn it infrequently -- if at all.

Maybe I should break it out this year, since the Sox will be wearing the 1972 red uniforms for their 13 Sunday home games in 2012. A pair of former Sox third baseman -- Bill Melton and manager Robin Ventura -- are pictured modeling the uniforms above.

The 1972 Sox were a pretty good team. They went 87-67, finished second in the old American League West and featured the league MVP in Dick Allen and a 24-game winner in Wilbur Wood.

Yes indeed, nostalgia is in on the South Side this year. We'll be remembering the 1972 team every Sunday, and a whole bunch of guys from the 2005 World Series champions will be attending SoxFest this weekend.

I guess they are trying to take our minds off the sorry state of the current team, huh?

The agents always say all it takes is "one dumb owner" for a player to get a huge payday in free agency. And nobody is better at finding that one dumb owner than Scott Boras.

Once again, it appears Boras has coerced a major league team to bid against itself for the services of one of his players. How else can you explain the nine-year, $214 million contract the Detroit Tigers just gave Prince Fielder?

We talked last week about Detroit needing another bat after losing designated hitter Victor Martinez to injury, but I never imagined they would make such an overpay for Fielder -- who was the most accomplished hitter left on the market.

But honestly, why was it necessary for the Tigers to give Fielder NINE YEARS? None of the big spenders were in the market for a slugging first baseman. The New York Yankees (Mark Teixeira), Boston (Adrian Gonzalez) and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Albert Pujols) already have their guys at that spot. Texas can already mash and opted to spend its money on pitching. The Cubs are in rebuilding mode and staying away from the big free agents this offseason.

If not Detroit, where was Fielder going to go? Washington? There couldn't have been any sort of bidding war for this guy. No way.

The Tigers didn't need to give Fielder any more than five or six years to sign him. Now, they are stuck with a guy who weighs at least 270 pounds for the next nine years.

Sure, this move makes sense in the short run. Barring something unforeseen, Detroit is going to win the AL Central this year. If their pitching comes around, hell, the Tigers might even compete for a World Series championship.

But what happens next year when Martinez comes back? Fielder, Martinez and Miguel Cabrera can't all DH.

Not to mention, a few years down the line the Tigers might find themselves in a similar position as the White Sox and the Minnesota Twins are in right now.

The Sox are going to stink for the forseeable future because they've got too much money wrapped up in just a handful of players (Adam Dunn, Alex Rios, Jake Peavy). Likewise, the Twins have lost some quality talent in free agency the past couple offseasons because they can't afford to pay anyone with the Joe Mauer albatross hanging around their necks.

The day will come when the Tigers have to pay some of the younger players on their roster who are working for cheap now. Will Detroit be able to retain Brennan Boesch, Austin Jackson, Doug Fister, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, et al., while at the same time paying Fielder all this money? We'll see.

There are some Sox fans who are melting down as a result of this signing. I see no point in such fretting. Nothing has changed for the Sox. They aren't good and won't be good for 2-3 years. While the Sox struggle, Detroit will have its window to win. By the time the Sox return to contention, the time will come for the Tigers to make tough decisions on some of the younger players I listed above, and Fielder and Cabrera will be a few years older. Cabrera's contract is up after 2015. Detroit ace Justin Verlander is under contract through 2014.

I'm thinking the Tigers' window to win just might close around the same time the Sox window opens back up.

The Bulls had no problem against a bad New Jersey team Monday night, prevailing 110-95 at the United Center.

Here's what was curious to me: Why did coach Tom Thibodeau play Rip Hamilton 42 minutes and Derrick Rose 36 minutes? I noticed Rose was still on the floor with under two minutes to play and the Bulls leading by 14. What for? Both Hamilton and Rose are coming off injuries, and neither man needs to be playing extended minutes for the Bulls to beat a lightly-regarded foe such as New Jersey.

Rose admitted Monday his sprained toe could be an issue all season. Despite scoring 22 points, he looked hobbled at times after missing the previous four games. Hamilton had perhaps his best game as a Bull, going 10-for-16 from the field for 22 points. He was a willing passer, totaling 10 assists.

If you're the Bulls, you absolutely have to have these guys healthy for the playoffs. You don't need to them to play big minutes to win regular season games in January against crap opponents. What point does that serve? The Bulls have already had a slew of injuries this season, yet they still possess a 16-3 record. That's because the Bulls' bench guys are better than quite a few players who start around the league.

So, let the bench guys play a little more right now and monitor the minutes for Rose and Hamilton carefully. Those guys are essential if the Bulls are to beat the Miami Heat in the playoffs, and we all know that's how this season is going to be judged when all is said and done.

As a fan, I admit I can get pretty angry after one of my teams loses a big game. However, I must say I've never resorted to tweeting death threats after a loss.

San Francisco wide receiver Kyle Williams, son of White Sox general manager Kenny Williams, is wearing the goat horns today after his crucial fumble in overtime cost the 49ers in a 20-17 loss to the New York Giants in Sunday's NFC championship game.

It's one thing to criticize Williams for blowing the game -- he deserves that. It's another thing to send him threats anonymously over the Internet. This is example No. 8,659 on how the NFL is way too important to certain people. There is an element out there that thinks every NFL game is a life-and-death struggle -- even the media who cover the league often act as if world security is at stake when two 5-9 teams clash in mid-December. That's one reason my interest in the league wanes more and more with each passing year.

When I was a kid, I looked forward to watching the NFL every single Sunday during the fall and winter. These days, I find the hype surrounding the league to be more obnoxious than anything else. The last time I sat down to watch an NFL game in its entirety, I saw the Bears choke against the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 4.

Sure, I was pissed to see the Bears lose that day. After that, I checked out of the season emotionally and haven't given a damn about the league since. I didn't watch any of the AFC or NFC championships, and I don't feel like I missed anything important. I've been in hockey-and-hoops mode for awhile and will remain as such until baseball season begins.

Last month, I volunteered to work Super Bowl Sunday. I don't regret that decision at all. The New England Patriots vs. the New York Giants? I'm sure ESPN will bill that as Athens vs. Sparta for the next two weeks leading up to the Feb. 5 game, but I'll be honest: That's a matchup I don't need to see.

Super Bowl Sunday is not a holiday to me. I'll pass on the parties, go to the office and put out a newspaper.

Let's be honest: Illinois' 54-52 loss to a lousy Penn State team Thursday night was disgusting, frustrating and downright hard to watch.

When I'm angry about a loss, I try not to blog about it immediately afterwards -- because nothing worthwhile tends to get written when I'm all pissed off. Now that I've had 24 hours to reflect, here are my thoughts on the state of Illinois basketball:

It's really a shame the Illini failed to maintain the positive momentum generated from their upset win over then-No. 5 Ohio State last week. Truthfully, things would have been easier for me to stomach if Illinois had lost that game against Ohio State and beaten Penn State last night. When you lose a game you're supposed to lose, then win a game you're supposed to win, you accept that as the natural order of things and just get ready for the next game.

But when you have a big win -- a surprising win -- like the Illini had last week, then follow it up with a turd of a performance like we saw last night, it somehow feels worse -- even though it's still one win and one loss at the end of the day. It feels as though a golden opportunity to take a step forward has been squandered.

Right now, everything feels worse than it actually is with Illinois basketball. And that's the problem for head coach Bruce Weber.

I have no reason to be angry about Illinois' record. The Illini stand at 15-4 overall, 4-2 in the Big Ten Conference. There is nothing wrong with that record. Nothing at all. My preseason prediction was 22-9, and the team is pretty much on track to finish in that ballpark. Weber's seat is hot, and it isn't because of his record. His seat is hot because of the way Illinois has gotten to this point. It's not so much whether the Illini win or lose, it's how they've won and lost.

This is a team that has scored 60 points or fewer in four of its six conference games. Yes, they won two of those four games, but it was hard to stay awake watching this slow-paced style of ball.

People are tired of watching games where the final score is in the 50s. People are tired of watching games where Illinois endures a seven- or eight-minute scoring drought, such as the one the Illini had last night in Unhappy Valley. I'm tired of watching a team that refuses to push the ball, even against athletically-inferior teams like Penn State. Illinois' two best wins this year came in uptempo games against Gonzaga and Ohio State, yet most nights they seem content to walk the ball up and slug it out in the halfcourt with opponents they should be running right off the floor.

Because of the bland and boring style of play, people are just not excited about Illinois basketball. There is a negative atmosphere around the program. Most fans are ready for a coaching change. There isn't a feeling that good things are around the corner. There is a feeling the team is underachieving for the third straight year. Nobody feels like the team is poised to contend for a Big Ten title, despite the 4-2 record. While the Illini are likely to make the NCAA tournament this year, a deep run in postseason play seems improbable.

That's why Bruce Weber is on the hot seat. It's not that 15-4 record. I think as fans and alumni, we all would have taken that in November. Unfortunately, that 15-4 record feels a lot more like 11-8 right now. Even after Illinois wins, you typically don't feel good about what you just watched. That stinks, and that's why a change at the top is quite possible at the end of this season.

... his name is actually Roberto Hernandez Heredia.

Not to be confused with that other Roberto Hernandez.

"Carmona" was arrested Thursday in the Dominican Republic for allegedly using a false identity. Officials are contending the pitcher is actually 31 years old, not 28 as listed in the Cleveland media guide.

Maybe those three extra years of age explain Carmona's 5.25 ERA last season.

The Indians picked up Carmona's $7 million option for 2012 in October. The right-hander signed a four-year contract in 2008, and the clubs has options on him for 2013 at $9 milliion and 2014 at $12 million.

No word yet on Carmona's (or is that Heredia's?) future with the Indians, but the guess here is the club isn't going to pay him all that money over the next three years.

There's probably some 85-year-old coot living in the DR somewhere whose name actually is Fausto Carmona. He's probably wondering how the hell he got his name mixed up in all this.

The Blackhawks drafted 20-year-old Andrew Shaw in the fifth round -- 139th overall -- in the 2011 NHL entry draft.

Here's my question: How the hell did this kid fall that far on draft day?

The Blackhawks recalled Shaw eight games ago, and he's been tearing it up ever since. He scored again Wednesday night in the Hawks' 6-2 win over the reeling Buffalo Sabres.

Shaw has now lit the lamp in four consecutive games. He has five goals overall, and has been an even or plus player in seven of the eight games he has played.

How much does coach Joel Quenneville trust this young rookie? Well, Shaw had 20 minutes and one second of ice time in the win over Buffalo. Among forwards, only captain Jonathan Toews (20:31 TOI) played more. Shaw is playing in all situations. He's getting power play time. He kills penalties. He's played both center and wing since his recall.

What a pleasant surprise he has been.

Unlike some other forwards on the Hawks, Shaw has been going to the net consistently. He's not afraid to go to the tough areas on the ice. He plays a north-and-south, simple style of game. Nothing fancy, just effective.

Fellow rookie Jimmy Hayes has been doing a lot of the same things. He has four goals in the 10 games since his recall. He also found the net against the Sabres.

"We know we're trench guys," Shaw told Sun-Times reporter Adam L. Jahns. "We come in and work every night. We don't want to get sent back down. We're just trying to prove ourselves and show that we belong here."

So far, Shaw and Hayes most certainly belong. As a matter of fact, some of the Hawks' more skilled players could learn a lesson or two from these rookies.

Patrick Kane, for example, has a mere three goals in his last 28 games. Shaw and Hayes are crashing the net. They are shooting the puck when they have the opportunity. Kane is doing neither of those things. That's why he's in a slump. That's why the rookies are scoring a ton of goals lately.

Maybe the Detroit Tigers aren't a lock to repeat as American League Central Division champions after all.

Designated hitter Victor Martinez is likely to miss the entire 2012 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee last week during offseason conditioning.

Martinez hit .330 with 103 RBIs in helping Detroit to a 95-win season and an appearance in the American League Championship Series in 2011. He and Miguel Cabrera (.344, 30 HRs, 105 RBIs) formed a lethal combination in the middle of the Tigers' batting order.

Cabrera, of course, is one of the most dangerous right-handed hitters in all of baseball. But opposing teams often had no choice but to pitch to him last year, knowing the switch-hitting and always clutch Martinez was lurking in the on-deck circle. With Martinez sidelined for 2012, look for more teams to pitch around Cabrera -- regardless of who the Tigers have hitting behind him.

Suddenly, the Detroit lineup looks a little right-handed heavy. The Tigers still have left-handed hitting catcher Alex Avila, but the rest of their lineup is built around right-handed swingers Cabrera, Jhonny Peralta, Delmon Young, Austin Jackson and, of course, Sox-killer Ryan Raburn.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Tigers add a lefty bat of some sort in free agency. Former Cub Carlos Pena is out there, as is the well-traveled Johnny Damon. If Detroit adds Pena, they could put him at first base, move Cabrera to DH and upgrade their defense. Damon is a defensive liability, especially at this stage of his career, but he's still a decent enough lefty bat to DH.

Detroit could also put Young at DH and get his iron glove out of the field. Then, they'd be looking at an outfield of Raburn, Jackson and Brennan Boesch.

The Tigers will still be the preseason favorite in the AL Central, but this injury provides a little bit of hope for the other four teams in division. Detroit isn't likely to win 95 games again, and its margin for error just got a little bit thinner.

The question is, can the White Sox, Cleveland, Minnesota or Kansas City take a step forward and close the gap after watching the Tigers win the division by 15 games last summer?

Former East Aurora basketball star Ryan Boatright had his "homecoming" ruined over the weekend.

More than 400 of Boatright's friends and family from Aurora made the trip over to South Bend, Ind., Saturday to watch the University of Connecticut freshman play against Notre Dame in a Big East game.

Problem was, Boatright was confined to the bench. For the second time this year, UConn and the NCAA are conducting a joint investigation into his eligibility. An earlier review cost Boatright the first six games of his season. Reportedly, he received an improper benefit (a plane ticket) involving his former AAU team.

Among those 400-and-some people making their way from Aurora to South Bend Saturday were our veteran sportswriter, Rick Armstrong, and staff photographer Brian Powers.

Neither Boatright nor his parents were willing to comment on this latest investigation, but Boatright's cousin, Jaeh Thomas, told Rick the family's side of the story.

"We know exactly who it is," Thomas said, identifying the source providing information to the NCAA that led to the review as a former boyfriend of Tanesha Boatright, Ryan's mother.

"What the NCAA needs to get through their head is, it's her ex-boyfriend, who also happens to be his dad's first cousin. Both families have pushed him out."

Excellent job by Rick to get somebody to go on the record with that. Brian also did a nice job with the photography on Saturday. Other news outlets are crediting us in their reporting of this story, and that's more web traffic for us. We'll take it.

That said, I hope this story goes away soon. If Boatright did wrong, he should be ruled ineligible. If not, he should be left alone and allowed to play basketball. It should be one or the other. I don't think it's fair that the kid is being jerked around like this. Eligible one day, ineligible the next. It's ridiculous.

At the end of the day, I hope this whole soap opera doesn't spoil Boatright on the college basketball experience. He's a promising player, but he isn't ready for the NBA at this time. I'd hate to see him declare for the draft prematurely after this season because of the nonsense surrounding him.

More than anything, Boatright needs to get on the floor and keep working on his game.

I don't really mind snowy days so much. I'm an Aurora native and I've spent most of my life here in Northern Illinois. I'm used to this kind of weather in January. It's no big deal. I can handle it.

But here's what stinks: Every time it snows, our newspaper deadlines are moved up to 9:45 p.m. UGH!

Waubonsie Valley beat Neuqua Valley in a girls basketball game with UEC Valley title implications Thursday night. Did it make our newspaper? Nope. Just a standalone photo and a caption.

The Blackhawks beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2 Thursday at the United Center. Was it over in time to make our newspaper? Nope.

So, I'm posting the links here, just so people know we didn't forget about these games tonight.

Reports are surfacing tonight that the Cubs and pitcher Kerry Wood are close to agreeing on a one-year deal with an option for 2013.

This move isn't important enough for us to spend any time analyzing it, but here's what I find funny about the whole thing. I checked ESPNChicago.com tonight, and the front page poll question was, "Is Kerry Wood a Chicago sports icon?"

I chuckled at the thought. Wood has a grand total of 86 wins in the big leagues, and he's never won more than 14 games in a season. Hell no, he's not an icon! He's had an OK career, but nothing special. He's a guy whose promise went unfulfilled because of a seemingly never-ending string of injuries.

I voted "no" without a second thought.

Alas, when the poll results came up, 55 percent of the respondents had answered in the affirmative.

WHAT???!!!!

I guess it doesn't take much to become an "icon" in the minds of some of the Cubbie faithful. I'll be honest, when I think of the great athletes the city of Chicago has seen, Kerry Wood's name isn't even in the conversation. In my mind, he's not even among the all-time great Cubs.

I've heard Kerry Wood is a good guy, and I know he does a lot of charitable things in the city. By why on this earth do people think he's a great player?

He's just not.

I gotta admit, I didn't think Illinois had much of a chance at home against No. 5 Ohio State Tuesday night.

Sure, the Illini were 3-1 in the Big Ten coming into this contest, but the three victories were all over second-division teams -- Minnesota, Northwestern and Nebraska.

But Illinois junior guard Brandon Paul pretty much punked us all with his borderline unbelievable 43-point performance in the Illini's 79-74 upset of the Buckeyes.

Paul scored the final 15 Illini points of the game, including an incredible off-balance 3-pointer that extended Illinois' lead to 74-70 in the final minute. For good measure, Paul blocked a shot attempt by Ohio State's star center, Jared Sullinger, and made five free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

I'm pretty sure Paul will be doing all the custodial work at the Assembly Hall later tonight. Why not? He did everything else.

Check out this stat line: 43 points, 11-for-15 FGs, 8-for-10 3-point FGs, 13-for-15 FTs, eight rebounds, four blocked shots, two assists, two steals.

Paul becomes only the second player in college basketball over the last 10 years to post 40 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in a single game. The others were Al Thornton (Florida State) and Chris Kaman (Central Michigan).

And, oh, by the way, that 43-point total is the third most in the history of Illinois basketball. Dave Downey scored 53 points at Indiana on Feb. 16, 1963. More recently, Andy Kaufmann netted 46 points against Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Dec. 3, 1990.

Given the quality of the opponent, it's not hyperbole to say we just witnessed one of the greatest individual performances in the history of Illini basketball.

A lot of Blackhawks fans are talking about the need to acquire a second-line center. I agree with that.

It sure would be nice to have a proven veteran to place in between Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa on that second line. Then, the Hawks could end the Patrick Kane-as-center experiment permanently and put No. 88 back on Jonathan Toews' right wing where he belongs.

But, a greater need is emerging on this Hawks team. They need another defenseman. Twenty-year-old Nick Leddy (pictured) is reeling right now. He's -11 over his last 21 games. He was on the ice for all four goals against in Friday's 4-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. He was on the ice for both the game-tying and game-losing goals Sunday in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

As a second defense pairing, Leddy and Niklas Hjalmarsson are getting scored upon way too much. Further, the Hawks haven't been able to get settled on their third pairing. Steve Montador has been entrenched as the right defensemen on that third pairing, but his partner has been a revolving door. Sean O'Donnell is starting to look like a 40-year-old. John Scott still can't skate, and Sami Lepisto hasn't done much with his limited opportunities.

I think the Hawks would be well-served if they could acquire somebody else to play with Hjalmarsson on the second pairing. Then, you move Leddy to that third pairing to play with Montador and give him a little less responsibility.

I'm not worried about Leddy over the long haul. Kid can skate, and he's got good skills with the puck. He's going to be a good player in the NHL for a long time, but right now he's going through the growing pains all young defensemen go through. The Hawks are built to win now, so they can only be so patient with a young player.

The question, of course, is what defenseman will be available in a trade. That's something we'll ponder over the coming weeks.

The trade deadline is Feb. 27. We'll see.

I was already going to root against the Miami Marlins this summer. I consider former White Sox manager and current Marlins skipper Ozzie Guillen a enemy of the state after the comments he made on his way out of town last September.

Now, the Marlins are going to have the detestable Carlos Zambrano on their roster, too. Pending physicals, the Cubs have sent the mercurial right-hander to Florida in exchange for right-hander Chris Volstad -- a failed first-round draft pick who compiled a 5-13 record with a 4.89 ERA last season.

Reports indicate the Cubs will be paying $15 million of the $18 million owed Zambrano in 2012. Zambrano has a $19 million vesting option for 2013 if he somehow manages to finish in the top four in the National League Cy Young Award voting. (Snort)

I have to commend the Cubs for making this move. Yeah, they are eating some big bucks, but they just removed a cancer from their clubhouse. Zambrano quite literally quit on his teammates last year, and I don't think any of the returning players on that roster have forgotten about that. You just can't allow somebody like that back on your team, especially when you're rebuilding and are likely to have some impressionable young players around. Zambrano is an example of how NOT to act. He's the last person you want as one of your veteran leaders.

Volstad? Meh ... who cares? I wouldn't expect much out of him, but he can eat up some innings until the Cubs can develop or acquire somebody better. And at least he's not Zambrano.

Zambrano has to waive his no-trade clause in order for this deal to go through, but we're hearing that's nothing more than a formality. Ozzie and Zambrano are like two peas in a pod -- two guys who can't control their emotions. Two guys who can't stop running their mouths. Two guys who should be good at their jobs, but by their own folly seem to find ways to screw things up.

Sounds like a marriage made in heaven.

For most people, the Bears decision to fire general manager Jerry Angelo came as a surprise. Given the way the folks at Halas Hall stubbornly defend the status quo, I suppose in some ways it is. But for me, this move is long overdue.

The Bears just completed an 8-8 season that saw the team lose five of its last six games after quarterback Jay Cutler was injured. They finished seven games back of the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. The Bears have made the playoffs only once in the last five years. Hasn't this regime had enough time to get things right? I believe they have, and today's change is right and necessary.

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz and quarterback coach Shane Day are also on their way out the door. Good riddance to both.

Angelo has faced heavy criticism for his poor drafts -- particularly on the offensive side of things. Running back Matt Forte was selected to the Pro Bowl this season. He is the first offensive player who was drafted by Angelo to make the Pro Bowl during the GM's 11 seasons with the Bears. That's a pathetic track record. But you don't have to take my word for it. If you want to see what a lousy job Angelo did of drafting players, simply click on the links below and view his draft picks for yourself:

2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.

In particular, I'd call your attention to the 2007 draft -- Dan Bazuin in the second round and Garrett Wolfe and Michael Okwo in the third round. Goodness gracious.

Worst of all, Angelo ignored the offensive line on draft day throughout his tenure. He also didn't seem to care too much about wide receivers either. This GM was responsible for 10 drafts, yet he selected only 12 offensive linemen and 11 wide receivers during that entire time. Most of them made minimal or no impact. Here is that list, and I warn you, there are some real doozies on here:

Offensive line:
Marc Colombo, first round, 2002 -- Made 95 career starts, but only seven were with Bears. Had his best years with Dallas.
Terrence Metcalf, third round, 2002 -- Started 25 games in seven seasons as a Bear. Never distiguished himself.
Bryan Anderson, seventh round, 2003 -- I think he played some center field for the White Sox, too.
Tyler Reed, sixth round, 2006 -- Who?
Josh Beekman, fourth round, 2007 -- Had his shot in 2008, starting all 16 games at left guard. Did nothing with it.
Aaron Brant, seventh round, 2007 -- Um, yeah.
Chris Williams, first round, 2008 -  Was drafted to be the franchise left tackle, but ineffectiveness forced a move to guard in 2010. Showed signs in 2011, but has yet to prove he can stay healthy for a full season.
Chester Adams, seventh round, 2008 -- Do you remember this guy? Me neither.
Kirk Barton, seventh round, 2008 -- Appeared in one NFL game. Yay.
Lance Louis, seventh round, 2009 -- Started at right tackle for most of 2011, but might be better off at guard.
J'Marcus Webb, seventh round, 2010 -- Started all 16 games at left tackle in 2011. God knows why. Last seen getting his ass handed to him by Jared Allen at the Metrodome.
Gabe Carimi, first round, 2011 -- Rookie hurt his knee the second game of the season. Future uncertain.

Wide receivers:
Jamin Elliott, sixth round, 2002 -- Appeared in one game with Bears.
Bobby Wade, fifth round, 2003 -- Had 42 receptions in 2004, but his best years were after he left the Bears.
Justin Gage, fifth round, 2003 -- Had a good year in 2007 ... with Tennessee.
Bernard Berrian, third round, 2004 -- Caught 71 passes during his career year with the Bears in 2007. Minnesota overpaid for him in free agency, and his career fizzled.
Mark Bradley, second round, 2005 -- Oft-injured one started only four games over 3 1/2 years with the Bears.
Airese Currie, fifth round, 2005 -- He made Mark Bradley look like a great player.
Earl Bennett, third round, 2008 -- After "redshirting" his rookie year of 2008, Bennett has been a somewhat useful third-down target for Jay Cutler the last three seasons. Not a gamebreaker, however.
Marcus Monk, seventh round, 2008 -- No relation to Art Monk.
Juaquin Iglesias, third round, 2009 -- The Bears would have been no worse off drafting Julio Iglesias.
Johnny Knox, fifth round, 2009 -- Has 133 receptions over three years. Not great, but one of the few respectable NFL players on this list.
Derek Kinder, seventh round, 2009 -- He gawn.

(**We won't give Angelo credit for drafting Devin Hester as a wide receiver because 1) Hester was a cornerback in college and 2) As a wide receiver, Hester is a great kick returner.)

Year after year, we've watched the Bears struggle on offense with weak line play and few weapons on the outside. Year after year, we've watched Angelo fail to address these issues, oftentimes not even recognizing there is a problem.

For that, he deserves to be fired.