It's New Year's Evebut around here in Columbuswhen anyone talks about what they're doing tonightthey're talking about the Ohio State game. My college sports fandom fell way off in the last decadeprimarily because the Cubs and Bears consume too much of that part of me. Butto the extent I care at all tonightsureI'll pull for Ohio State. It's like an advent calendar at...

Wellif the Japanese sports front pages are to believed - take that figuratively or literallyat least in one case - infielder Kazuma Okamoto has three finalists for his services ahead of his January 4 posting expiration. The front page of Nikkan Sports today has Kazuma Okamoto in an AngelsPadresand Pirates hat as his posting window deadline looms. https://t.co/z1ZqcKABSd— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) December 302025 Maybe he'll...

With 2025 coming to a closea lot of folks and production houses are doing the "best plays of 2025" thingwhich I certainly do enjoy. Remembering stuff is fun. I particularly appreciatedhoweverthat Marquee also put out a top ten funny moments of the year from the 2025 Chicago Cubs season: The Top 10 funny moments of the 2025 @Cubs season 😆 pic.twitter.com/iVqXmrawkt— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) December...

Uh oh. This is exactly how the Munetaka Murakami situation wentwith the Chicago White Sox's name popping up out of nowhere about three days before Murakami's posting was set to expire. A day and a half laterthe signing was done. Nowit's righty Tatsuya Imai being connected to the White Sox in a report out of Japan. This is an automated translationbut if it generally captures the...

It's been a while since we've heard about the financial woes of the Regional Sports Network worldthough you may vaguely recall the whole Diamond Sports bankruptcythe Bally Sports Network conversions to FanDuel Sports Networkthe teams who had their rights taken back by MLBetc.etc. It was a mess. It never really improvedeven as Diamond became Main Street Sports Groupand re-upped some one-offone-year deals...

A couple weeks agothere was a report out of San Francisco that the Giants had talked to the Chicago Cubs about a Nico Hoerner tradein the hopes that they might be able to add the Bay Area native not only for 2026but then extend him thereafter. It made all the sense in the world for the Giants to reach out to the Cubs on that. Doesn't mean...

The kids have another week left of their break for the holidaysand I am definitely not counting those days down like it's a posting window for a Japanese star ... I appreciated reading an actual human translation of Tatsuya Imai's comments about the posting processwhich we discussed yesterdayand which concludes this FridayJanuary 2 at the latest. The automated translations weren't TOO far off (close enough to...

A report out of Japan indicates that Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto is now in the United States ahead of the January 4 expiration of his posting period for MLB teams. He is reportedly meeting with his agentScott Borasand visiting interested teams. This sounds like what we heard over the weekend about Tatsuya Imaiwhose posting expires two days earlier. I suppose that means we need to be on...

Although Alex Bregman is one of the most highly sought-after free agents this winterhis market has been fairly narrow and well-defined for a while now. And yetlatelythe specifics have begun to evolve. A few weeks agoBregman's market was pretty unanimously boiled down to three teams: (1) The Cubswho made him an offer last offseason(2) the Tigerswho made him an offer last offseasonand...

Earlier this offseasonwe talked about how the Reds and Pirates projections had them looking plausibly competitive in 2026 in the NL Centralparticularly if they made certain offensive additions over the offseason. In both casesthe teams desperately needed to add offense in the outfield and at DHandfor the Piratestheir acquisitions of Ryan O'Hearn and Brandon Lowe could very much help in those regards (and possibly...

Jaquan Brisker kept it a buck when discussing the Chicago Bears' Week 17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Jaquan Brisker: "We let the offense down. I'm going to say it. We let the offense downperiod. I feel like Caleb and themthey gave us enough points to do what we had to do to win. The defense didn't."— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) December 292025 Surethat loss stung....

What looked like a cleanwinner-take-all setup in the NFC South took another strange turn Sundaybecause of course it did. When both the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost in Week 17it appeared the division would come down to a simple Saturday showdown in Tampa Bay. Winand you’re in. Loseand you’re out. Except this NFL season has refused to cooperate with simplicity. The NFC South...

Well… that was fun. Yesthe final score still stingsbut not in the same way it used to. Not anymore. And I think — at least for me — that shift is rooted in something the Bears haven’t had in a very long time: trust. Trust that Caleb Williams can flip the script the next time he gets the ball with the game on the line. Ben Johnson has...

The Dallas Cowboys made a transaction on Tuesday that made my head turn. Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs has been let go by the team and is on waivers. It has been a wild year for Diggswho spent time on injured reserve this season because of a knee injury and missed time earlier in the year while in concussion protocol after an accident in his home. For what...

We already know that the Chicago Bears will be making their first postseason appearance since 2020. And when they take the field in the playoffsthey will do so as NFC North champions for the first time since 2018. That means the Bears will play a home game as they set out on their Super Bowl journey. Howeverwe do not know who will be on the other sideline in...

Chicago’s rookie wideoutLuther Burden IIIearned a well-deserved place on ESPN analyst Ben Solak’s 2025 All-Rookie Teamjoining the league’s best first-year players in a season that saw the rookie emerge as one of the Bears’ most dynamic playmakers. Burden was accompanied by Panthers rookie Tetairoa McMillan and Bucs rookie Emeka Egbuka on Solak's list. Solak highlighted Burden’s growth throughout the yearnoting that while it took time for...

With just one week remaining in the NFL's regular seasona big chunk of the draft order is nearly set. Solet's run through another 2026 NFL Mock Draft. Who will the Raiders take as the new team at the top of the draft board? What will the Chiefs do with a top ten pick? Can the Bears add an impact defender late in the first round? Let's get to...

Four division champions will be crowned in the final week of the NFL regular season. Thatand morein this week's NFL playoff picture check-in. NFL Playoff Picture AFC Playoff Picture: AFC North Will Be Decided In Week 18 Note: Division leaders are boldedplayoff probabilities courtesy of the NFL's official website; x = clinched a playoff berth; y = clinched division; z = clinched a first-round bye. 1. Denver...

I woke up feeling sluggish and illso my apologies for a later-than-usual BN Bears Bullets on a Tuesday morning. I've taken enough drugs and have a cup of hot water with lemon and honey by my side. So thanks in advance for your patience with me today. Congrats are in order to the fantasy football league winners among you. Bears tight end Colston Loveland helped me clinch the title...

Week 17 concludes this eveningwith the Falcons taking on the Rams on Monday Night Football. How to Watch Monday Night Football: Falcons vs. Rams TV: ABC Streaming: NFL+ Radio: Westwood One Kickoff Time: 7:15 PM CT Site: Lucas Oil StadiumIndianapolisIN. Referee: Clete Blakeman Odds: Rams -7O/U 48.5 (via DraftKings Sportsbook) Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Falcons Projected Starters Offense QB – Kirk Cousins RB – Bijan Robinson WR – Darnell Mooney,...

Wake me up from this fever dream — I just read Alex's Josh Giddey update. This is exactly the kind of news that makes me feel like the Bulls won’t be winning anytime soon. TonightI have a chance to be proven wrong with a game day at the United Center. Is it time for me to embrace the tank and buy myself some AJ Dybantsa merch? Let's talk Bulls...

The Chicago Bulls’ best playerpoint guard Josh Giddeyhas been dealt a devastating injury blow during a critical moment in his team’s season. Shams Charania of ESPN reports that Giddey will miss multiple weeks with a strained left hamstringsuffered midway through the club’s eventual 136-101 blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. Losing Giddey right now may throw a wrench in the 15-17 Bulls’ roster construction plans,...

As the 2026 NBA Draft approachesseveral clubs are angling for that top pick. But whose name will be called with the pick is still a matter of some debate. So let's run through some of our options with a goodold-fashioned 2026 NBA Mock Draft. The 15-16 Chicago Bulls continue to hover along the periphery of the 2026 NBA Draft lottery. Chicago is a bit more hapless than its...

I had a nightmare last night. I saw the Chicago Bulls get blown outbeaten upand completely embarrassed. It felt real ... probably because it was. Or maybe it was actually a good dreambecause suddenly the chances of bottoming out rose dramatically. It’s too early to tellbut I’m definitely conflicted about how I feel. Let’s talk Bulls basketball. Last night the Timberwolves handed the Bulls their second-worst...

I turned on the game tonight expecting either a tough win or a big loss — nothing in between. But losing Josh Giddey and Coby White was not the kind of collateral I expected the Bulls to take on. The only silver lining to a blowout loss is that it lets me get this article out a little faster. First Half: Coby White OUT! Not the prettiest of starts for...

The 15-16 Chicago Bulls find themselves in the midst of a 1-1 homestand so farwith four games left on their United Center slate this week before they hit the road again. On Monday nightthe trick-or-treat Bulls will look to return to a .500 record as they host one of the West’s bestthe 20-12 Minnesota Timberwolves. Josh Giddeynow clearly Chicago’s best playerwill look to build on...

Which Chicago Bulls are the “real" Chicago Bulls? On the one handChicago has already put together a pair of five-game win streaks thanks to the second-fastest pace in the league (103.6) and a pass-happy pace-and-space offensive attack (their 29.5 assists per game rank fifth). On the other handthe Bulls’ defense has been… porous. At its worstChicago has posted a seven-game losing skid that threatened to derail its...

Just two Chicago Bulls games left before the big year of 2026and one of them tips off tonight. Yet the outrage from the Bulls-Bucks scuffle is still dominating the headlines. A win tonight could quiet a lot of that noisebut a loss might crank the conversation up even louder. Let’s talk Bulls basketball. The loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on December 27 snapped Chicago’s five-game win streak and...

For the first seven games of the Chicago Bulls’ 2025-26 seasonpoint guard Josh Giddey looked not just like an All-Starbut also like an All-NBA Team candidate. The 6-foot-8 vet was the offensive hub driving a 6-1 Bulls winning machineorchestrating a downhill attack that befuddled the opposition. Since thenChicago’s season has been defined by streaks. The Bulls at one point dropped seven straight gamesbut have recuperated...

It was fun while it lasted. I’ve snapped back to realityopethere goes Chicago’s five-game win streak. Last nightin a loss to the Milwaukee Bucksthe Bulls slipped back under .500and the way the game ended left a bitter taste. But heywe’re back at it on Monday. Let’s talk Bulls basketball. The Bulls lost 112–103 on the second night of a back-to-backfalling to a Milwaukee...

I don't think I'm going to do our Blackhawks bullets again until next yearso let's make this a good oneeh? The Blackhawks put a wrap on their calendar year against the New York Islanders last night with a shootout loss. But we saw more young players begin to step up their games last night and play confidently. As we look ahead to 2026seeing more young Blackhawks impacting...

The Blackhawks were really sloppy in the opening moments of the gameand it cost them. The Isles took the lead less than three minutes inand were able to add a second goal on their only power play in the period. The Hawks did create some chances (shot attempts were tied at 20 and both teams had three high dangers chances by the end of the period) butas...

Sothe Blackhawks came out of the Christmas break with a thrilling win in Dallas and a dull thud at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins. That's kinda the way things have gone this seasonisn't it? The good news for tonight is Nick Foligno is healthy and in the lineup and Ilya Mikheyev also returns from his absence to be with his family. We're getting closer to a full Blackhawks...

The Blackhawks were exciting earlyand there were metrics and calculators and all of the other fun stuff out there that had the Blackhawks sniffing around the playoff picture for a while. Models evolveteams shiftand the Blackhawks lost their two bestmost dynamic offensive player for an extended period at the same time. Without Connor Bedard or Frank Nazarthe playoffs are no longer something we're talking about....

The Blackhawks have some really hot prospects all over the world putting on a show and big numbers. Andafter two hat tricks in the CHL over the weekendperformances in the KHL and at the World Junior Championship had my attention on Monday. Kantserov Continues KHL Dominance Blackhawks prospect Roman Kantserov scored his KHL-leading 25th and 26th goals of the season on Monday. He added two assists; his four...

The Blackhawks host the Islanders tonight. The scoreboard wasn't kind to the Blackhawks in their last game on Sunday night. Andas we inch closer to the end of the calendar yearthe Blackhawks are near the bottom of the NHL standings. But you know what we've got going for us? Prospects all over the globe putting up big numbers. And trade rumors picking up. And injuries all over the...

Even though the Blackhawks played back-to-back days coming out of the Christmas breakthey still practices on Monday. And... there was a lot going on. Some good news right out of the gate: Connor Bedard was on the ice before the rest of his teammates. He did not shoot the puckbut was skating and doing some puck handling stuff. Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill said there is no change...

Last night's game got out of reach by the end of the second period. I was encouraged to see the Blackhawks sending their kid line of Oliver MooreRyan Greene and Nick Lardis over the boards frequently in the third period to get more experience. In the third periodMoore skated 5:22. Greene skated 5:37. And Lardis skated 5:50. By the end of the nightLardis led the Blackhawks with...

Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill burned his timeout 8:20 into the first period to tear his team a new... attitude... with the scoreboard already showing the Penguins leading by three. One fluky goal and a couple mediocre scores later and the Hawks coaches were not happy. The Blackhawks got a power play after the timeoutdid nothing with itand the Penguins scored again. Out went Spencer Knight. In came...

The CHL got back under way this weekendand the Blackhawks' pipeline wasted absolutely no time making their impact. On Sundaya Blackhawks prospect had a hat trick for the second time in as many days. Steven Ellis / X Saturday -- Nathan BehmKamloops The WHL was back in action on Saturday night. Nathan Behm had a hat trick and two assists for a five-point night in a 9-5...