In a span of 4 minutes, Eli Manning went from a top tier quarterback, to an apparent hall of famer. That's what happens when...

...A normally sure handed Wes Welker doesn't come down with a pass that very likely would have sealed a Patriots win.

One of the reasons why sports is so fascinating is one’s career can be defined in a matter of seconds. One play, one turnover, one catch, or one game clinching drop can be the lasting image of a player, despite numerous other career highlights. Stars are born in the money games in January and February, and for three players that participated in this Super Bowl, their legacies are viewed differently today.

For Wes Welker, his 2011 record setting season (122 catches) are a distant memory today because of his inability to haul in a Tom Brady pass on 2nd and 11 from the Giants 44. The normally sure handed Welker has made impossible catches throughout his career, and despite the pass being a little high and wide, it’s one he routinely makes. You know a receiver is an elite talent when you are borderline stunned when he drops a ball. It wasn’t a perfect throw, but it was definitely a play Welker has to make at that moment.

“That’s a play I make a thousand times,” he said. “I just didn’t make it.”

Welker’s reputation as a sure handed Brady security blanket will take a ding like someone who lets their credit go to shit. It’s unfortunate, but that’s why we laud and tear down players for their performances in championship and Super Bowl games. Welker (a free agent to be) can come back next season and again catch 100+ passes from Brady, but every Patriots fan will point to the critical play he didn’t make that cost the Pats their 4th Super Bowl title.

For Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham, his big postseason couldn’t have come at a better time. Manningham is also a free agent, and his catch on the sideline that started the Giants game winning drive is now his signature moment. It also drove up the price for any team trying to sign him this March. He made the two biggest catches of the Giants playoff run (the TD catch vs the Niners & the 38 yarder vs the Pats), and now his sure hands will provide a fan base assurances that their team either re-signed or signed one of the best possession receivers in the game. Even if he never makes another big play for the duration of his career, he will go down in Super Bowl lore just like Larry Brown and Dexter Jackson did.

And then there’s Mr. Clutch, Eli Manning. It’s actually hilarious to think he was torched by the mentally challenged media before the season for thinking he was an Elite quarterback. Should he have not had that confidence? Granted, he has taken his game to another level ever since the Redskins loss that pushed the G-Men to 7-7, but the ability to be the reason why the Giants win has always been there. Suddenly, he has gone from a player who would toil in a roller coaster type career to a future hall of famer. Just like that.

With his perfect pass to Manningham and subsequent TD drive, the two-time Super Bowl MVP is now being called the better Manning. It’s quite the far cry from the discussions that were wasted before the season, wouldn’t you say? The beauty of Eli is the aww shucks Manning routine overshadows a cerebral assassin of a quarterback who thrives under pressure. He’s been an elite player since that ’07 playoff run, but it’s just now becoming an accepted fact among “experts” and fans who obviously don’t watch the games.

Pleasing the ignorant and the non believers is why legacies are always hanging in the balance. Eli’s 2nd Super Bowl cemented his, just like it did for his coach, Tom Coughlin. The same coach who was on the brink of being fired before beating the Jets to move to 8-7 this season. For Manningham, this performance will springboard the former Michigan Wolverine to a hefty payday. As for Welker, this Super Bowl will eat at him for the rest of his life.

These playoffs provided us the signature “moments” in the careers of Alex Smith, Kyle Williams, Billy Cundiff & now Welker, Eli & Manningham. Some will cherish the memories, while the others will have nightmares for years. Legacies can turn on one single play. If Welker catches that pass, just think of how different all of the stories would be written today, and how the careers of Eli, Welker and the rest would be viewed.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

The media thinks it's a story when players like Victor Cruz & his Giants teammates exude confidence about winning the Super Bowl.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing I hate more in sports than meaningless/pointless/draw attention to yourself shit talking. It serves no purpose other than to put an even bigger spotlight on you and a bigger target for the ass hats in the media to store in their arsenal. If you open your mouth by uttering a guarantee or saying something else that proves your idiocy, they exploit you before the final whistle blows.

That’s the media, and they themselves are never more exposed than during the hype machine that is Super Bowl week. I did my best to avoid the monotonous verbal diarrhea this week, but I couldn’t turn away. Watching the 24/7 coverage is inexcusable, but this is coming from a guy who is still watching Jersey Shore every Thursday night. I’m a glutton for punishment I guess.

But what pisses me off more than the coverage of the ultimate reality show, is how the media treats the players this week. For some reason, it’s breaking news on every sports media outlet when Giants extremely average safety Antrel Rolle proclaims “we are going to win this thing.” Or, when defensive tackle Chris Canty declares to Giants fans that they should “get ready for a parade.” This is news?!

Idiots.

What would be news is if members of the Giants and Patriots thought they were going to lose. Save this garbage. Do me a favor and come at me with with a headline that says “Victor Cruz forgets his 10 catch-142 yard masterpiece performance vs the Niners, and predicts a Patriots victory.” Now that would stop me from switching channels with the quickness of a ’87 Mike Tyson left hook.

Sure, the trash talk could all be a false bravado and fake toughness to mask a doubt as these players prepare to participate in the biggest game of their lives. I get that. But what do you want them to say?

This year alone these players have dealt with a lockout, had doubts about whether or not they’d miss paychecks, not have the ability to pay their slam piece/side action ladies, had to quickly get in shape for training camp, battled through a 17 week meat grinder, played in at least two playoff games, had two weeks of said media douchebags hounding them & have had to sit and wait for this game for two weeks. Of course they think they’re going to win.

Would I want anything less from my defensive line if I was a Giants fan than them believing they rattled Tom Brady in their 24-20 win in November? That’s exactly what I’d want to hear if I was a true blue Giants fan. Again, this is what passes for news this week. I have a migraine–does anyone have any Excedrin?

Part of the reason I admire the Patriots is how they handle their business. Bill Belichick knows that talking before a game doesn’t put 7 points on the board. If it did, Chad Ochocinco would be the greatest receiver in NFL history. The Hoodie’s message in all of the NFL films specials you see him mic’d up in is simply… “do your job.” They have been criticized as boring, only because they don’t feed the media beast. And for that, I applaud them. Let the rings do the talking.

But the media is there to make something out of nothing, that’s why I despise them so much. If Kyle Williams was a brash shit talker, can you imagine the vitriol that would have been shot his way after the Niners blew the NFC Championship two weeks ago? It would have been their version of a celebrity roast.

But thankfully, we’re nearing the start of sports’ biggest spectacle. 5:29 on Sunday can’t get here quick enough. No, not because I’m overly ecstatic for this game, but because I won’t have to hear updated reports on what kind of treatment Rob Gronkowski is currently having on his injured ankle, or what Tom Brady is having for dinner Saturday night. Oh, and if I hear more about Gisele’s email asking friends to pray for Tom, I might pray for a swift and sudden Tyson punch to the dome. Kick the fucking ball off before these fools in the media further embarrass themselves.

In case you missed my thoughts on the “unbeatable Giants,” I am taking the Patriots -2.5. I’m also advising my fellow gamblers to take the over of 53. Enjoy the game and don’t watch a second of the pre-game nonsense Sunday. You’ll thank me afterwards. Trust me.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

Listen up, ladies. Besides looking Tom Brady's ass, here are some things you must know to impress your man on Super Bowl Sunday...

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY FUNDAY!!

Here are some fun facts for you to swallow…

- 8 million pounds of guacamole is consumed on Super Bowl Sunday.
- 14,500 tons of chips are eaten along with that guacamole.
- The average number of people at a Super Bowl party is 17.
- 5% of Americans will watch the game alone.
- The Super Bowl is measured in Roman numerals because a football
season runs the span over two calendar years.
- 35% of people who attend the game write it off as a corporate expense.

LADIES WANT TO IMPRESS YOUR MAN?  THEN LEARN THESE TERMS:

Fair catch: A truce of sorts, allowing a punt returner to signal that he will not attempt to advance the ball after catching it, provided that the punting team agrees not to rip his head off or take his legs out from under him immediately after he does so.

Encroachment: A term for when a defender enters the neutral zone and makes contact with an opposing player before the start of a play. This is subject to a 5-yard penalty.

Bootleg: A type of deceptive running play designed to momentarily freeze the defense into thinking the quarterback has handed off the ball to a running back, when in fact he has kept the ball and concealed it on his hip and rolled towards the sidelines, after which he will either attempt to run with it or to pass it.

” . . . And long”: Usually refers to a distance of more than 10 yards that remain to be covered for a first down, as in “third and long,” meaning that it is third down and long yardage.

Backfield: The area of the field that begins approximately 2 yards from either side of the line of scrimmage, just beyond the neutral zone. It can refer to a group of players who line up in the backfield area, or to the area itself.

“Did he maintain possession?”: Ask this if it’s unclear whether the player who caught the ball held on to it when he hit the ground after getting piled on by a bunch of guys from the opposing team. Make sure you yell this immediately after the play, before a call is made by the ref.

AND LAST… MOMS WANT SEX, NOT THE SUPER BOWL:

According to a recent survey by BabyCenter.com, 80% of moms would rather have sex than watch the Super Bowl. The site noted that if 4 out of 5 moms would rather get it in than watch the biggest of the Bowls — there might just be a Super Bowl baby boom in time for Halloween.  Jaysus!!

NOW REALLY… AND LAST FOR THE BEST:

How about a chuckle…check these out.  Theyre the best SUPER BOWL commercials featuring dogs!  http://bit.ly/zxxYf4

Follow me on Twitter @SammiDsNutz

…or harass me at: Sammi@chicitysportsfan.com

Lou Williams is one of several young 76ers who comprise one of the most entertaining teams in the association.

It isn’t often that a regular season game in the NBA is considered a must watch, but Wednesday night’s Bulls-Sixers tilt was one of the 1st of this rushed & discombobulated season for me. I’ve only seen bits and piece of this Sixers squad so far, but they are becoming a team that NBA junkies like myself love to watch. They aren’t as star studded as the Heat, nor are they are the highlight reel that is the Clippers. But what they are is a young and hungry team that reminds me of a certain Bulls team that received similar praise.

This incredibly entertaining Sixers squad is similar to the ’07 Bulls being the first Chicago outfit to win a playoff series since that MJ guy was hoisting trophies. Much like this Sixers squad, those Bulls were filled with young players who didn’t know anything but out working their opponents on a nightly basis. Like Scott Skiles, Doug Collins has the ear and trust of his team. How do I know this? Because they play the kind of scrappy-hustle ball that has become the staple of this particular Bulls unit under Tom Thibodeau.

In that ’06-’07 season, the Bulls had yet to encounter the stress of contract extension talks, and the greed that seemingly always follows once one guy on a team gets that big extension. For the Sixers, Andre Iguodala has already signed his massive extension and is past playing for his big payday. It’s partially why he has developed such an electric and all around floor game. It’s a lot easier to forget about scoring 20+ a night when you know you’ve signed an $80 million deal.

Those Bulls of Deng, Hinrich, Gordon & Nocioni really were “baby Bulls” because they were all on rookie or 1st contracts. They were still in their prove-it stage, and Skiles, at the time, was the perfect coach.

With young guys like Thaddeus Young (who has signed his extension at 5 years $43 million), Lou Williams (5 years $26 million), Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner & Spencer Hawes, this Sixers squad has more players who have gotten paid. It’s a testament to Collins’ coaching–that the young and rich are cool with selling out on both ends every night. It’s rare.

Those Bulls fell apart amid talk of a Kobe Bryant trade at the start of the ’07-’08 season, and missed the playoffs. Yes, it got them Derick Rose, but in the midst of that slide, Skiles was fired, pressure on John Paxson was mounting & the thought was that team of try-hard guys had to be broken up because they lacked one difference making star.

And while Iguodala isn’t a star player, he has become a household name because of his ability to sky and dunk with power. Just ask Kyle Korver. Young has star potential, but has yet to define his ideal position on the floor. Evan Turner is ever improving, and is shedding the Billy Owens comparisons with steadier play. Their bench sweetly nicknamed “The Night Shift” is led by Lou Williams who embraces the role that Ben Gordon despised even though he won the 6th man of the year award as a rookie.

My personal favorite on this team is Holiday. Holiday might still develop into a star level player as a combo guard, but he is unheralded now as this team begins to crack into fans consciences. Holiday was a guy I wanted the Bulls to draft with the 16th pick in ’09, but we were subjected to James Johnson. At 6’4, Holiday is big enough to play the 2 next to the MVP, but I depressingly digress.

Why I like this Sixers team is the fact that like those ’07 Bulls, they aren’t just a group of individuals forced to play together like the Sacramento Kings. You don’t see the typical me first egos that comprise virtually every other NBA team. Perhaps that’s why Collins wanted to coach them. As this team grows, Philly will continue to embrace them because they aren’t star laden or possess the league’s MVP. That being said, there’s a great chance that this team could implode like those Bulls did once more money is being doled out, or trade rumors surface that could bring a definitive superstar to Rocky’s hometown. Who knows how long they will remain genuine, humble and team oriented. But for now, they are one of the new, shiny & fun toys association junkies like myself can revel in watching on a nightly basis.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

If you've, unfortunately, been paying attention the Super Bowl hype, you've probably noticed that the Patriots have zero chance Sunday vs Elite Manning & the G-Men.

So, have you heard, the New York football Giants are really good. Like so good, your mind will be blown by their mere presence this Sunday during Super Bowl XLVI. For ungodly reasons, I have subjected myself to some of the hype leading into the biggest spectacle (it’s not a game) of the football season. And what has been drilled into my dome by watching this garbage all week? The fact that the Patriots might as well not even show up in Indy. That’s right, everyone including your mother is picking the Giants to beat up on a Patriots team that apparently has no business being here.

What else have I been inundated with this week? The Giants are the hottest thing on the planet having won 5 straight. Does it matter that the Patriots have won 10 in a row? Of course not, they obviously stumbled into those wins. And are Tom Brady’s struggles against one of the two best defenses in football (Niners) casting a bigger shadow then his 6 TD masterpiece vs Denver? You guessed right. Nice work.

I’ve stuck mainly to NFL Network, because watching what ESPN has to offer this week has to be worse than a few rounds of chemo. But everyone is on the Giants despite the Pats being favored by 2.5 points. For a minute this morning I convinced myself that those 5 straight wins were actually 15.

There has been so little made of the Giants fortunes vs the Niners, that it’s more than mildly insulting. You would think Kyle Williams’ miscues never happened. Did you know that the Giants beat the Niners 49-0? And tell me, why hasn’t one word been uttered about the Ahmad Bradshaw fumble that was blown dead by the whistle happy officials? The mighty and unbeatable Giants scored 10 points in the 2nd half of the NFC Championship–all off Williams going brain dead at the most inopportune time.

As for the Bradshaw fumble that wasn’t… Well, all that would have done was set up the 49ers in perfect position to run the ball 3 times and have David Akers kick a game winning field goal. But has this been talked about leading up to the spectacle? You guessed right again. The league was craving to have a New York team play in this game. They wanted the New York money that would drive the gambling aspect even more than usual. If you think Roger Goodell and the league weren’t secretly high-fiving Tynes’ game winner, you are quite naive.

Is Eli Manning an “elite” player? Yes, he is. But wouldn’t you know it, now he’s suddenly Brady’s equal?! Only during Super Bowl week. Tell me, would Elite Manning be receiving this praise if Dashon Goldson or Tarell Brown had come down with the ball Elite threw right to them in said title game? I’ll sit here and enjoy the silence. And by the way, Brady has 3 Super Bowl rings and 2 MVP’s, but who’s counting?

Speaking of the Giants offense, how about their last in the league rushing attack? I don’t know how the Pats can handle that dynamic aspect of the G-Men’s offense. How can they ever dream of slowing down Brandon “Ballerina” Jacobs? That’s a preposterous thought.

And finally, why would anyone ever think Brady could slice and dice New York’s vaunted secondary that couldn’t stop Vernon Davis despite doubling him constantly, and the fact that he’s the Niners’ lone receiving threat? Surely Brady and CO. won’t be able to march on a unit that ranked 29th in football.

Aren’t you convinced now that the Patriots should just pack their bags and fly back to Foxborough? The Giants might as well be the ’85 Bears. But call me crazy. I’m riding with Tom Brady and a team that unquestionably is furious to be in this underdog position. Maybe the Giants are this good, but I need to see them shut Brady down before I’ll partake in any coronation.

The Pick: Patriots -2.5 over Giants. And take the over of 53.

Playoffs: 5-5

Regular Season: 144-102-10

@Louie_Ruffolo8

I'd wear that hat too if I could score an interview with the Mexican smoke show.

No words.

In the words of Rob Gronkowski...Yo soy fiesta!

I couldn’t get over the fact that fans could purchase tickets to Super Bowl media day for $25. I mean, who would sit in the stands and watch players get interviewed? That sounds like a miserable fucking time, but then the Mexican smoke show reporter showed up Tuesday. These pics have been on the Boston Bar Stool website, and all over Twitter. Who is this broad, and why am I not in Indy?! This is another reason I’m pissed the Niners didn’t beat the Giants. If they did, I’d be pimping a sombrero trying to get interviewed by this hottie. I’d also try and bang her, but that’s a different story. This is another example of how nice it must be to be a professional athlete. It would also be impossible for a guy like me to maintain focus if I was playing in the big game Sunday. If girls like this were parading their asses around town all week, I’d miss every team meeting & be late to every practice. I’d still be ready go on Sunday, but you only live once, right?

@Louie_Ruffolo8

Phil Emery's job is to add more Lombardi trophies to the Bears' collection-- not wow at a press conference.

I wasn’t able to watch the Phil Emery introductory press conference on TV Monday, but I did have the misfortune of listening to it on the radio and follow it on Twitter. What pissed me off more than anything was how media members in this town were crushing Emery for not coming off like some outgoing movie star. This is the sadly where we are. We want players, coaches & executives to have both personality & be outstanding at their profession.

Tell me, why does this matter to people? Granted, Emery didn’t reveal much Monday and often repeated himself. I heard a radio interview later in the day where he said “process” about 74 times. But again, why do people care how he sounds or what he has to say?

What, was he supposed to come out and lay out his plan so the precious media could salivate at the prospects of signing Dwayne Bowe or Marques Colston? Should he have laid out his plan to draft a left tackle, cornerback, safety, a wide receiver that’s over 6′ tall & a pass rusher to play opposite Julius Peppers? Would that have satisfied the know it all imbecile’s who sit behind a mic all day and criticize anyone with a pulse?

Give me a break.

All that should matter to Bears fans and the” I told you so” crowd is how Emery re-tools this team. I would have been fine if he took the podium, gave everyone the finger, said he was going to stock this roster with young-hungry-fast-bad asses & walked off. Seriously, it doesn’t matter what he said, or how he sounded. This shit is unbelievable to me.

When Ted Thompson was hired in Green Bay, I remember reading that Thompson wasn’t going to win a press conference, but boy could he find football players. And what have the “gurus” wanted? A guy who can draft players who don’t come to this Bears team with a pre-existing injury, and ones that can become blue chip caliber players.

Does anyone in Green Bay care about what Thompson sounds like in an interview? Take a gander at Trent Baalke in San Francisco. He is a normal guy who isn’t a great interview, but he turned that team around, didn’t he?

All that should matter to anyone who wants to see this Bears team hoist Lombardi trophies is that Emery had a hand in drafting Roddy White and Matt Ryan in Atlanta. The talent gap the Bears talk about between them, the Packers & Lions is deep, but that’s why Emery’s here. He’s not here to entertain the masses.

He controls the 53 man roster, and will have the ability to fire Lovie Smith after next season if it’s the right move for the organization going forward. But for now, his job is to find a couple of players in free agency who can help Jay Cutler as well as lead a draft that HAS to produce at least 3 contributors immediately. Emery has a tall order in front of him. Nobody knows how successful he’ll be, but what is irrelevant is how he comes off to the press. And if that matters to you, then you have an agenda other than seeing the Bears win championships.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

After a stone cold stunner, Mike Tyson counted the 1-2-3 at WrestleMania XIV and the Austin era began.

Before The Undertaker made his annual pre-WrestleMania return to Raw Monday night, another inductee was announced for the WWE Hall of Fame. The baddest man on the planet “Iron” Mike Tyson will take his place alongside Pete Rose and Bob Uecker as non wrestlers to be inducted into the WWE’s annual pre-’Mania event. The WWE likes to have the novelty inductees every so often, but I’m cool with Tyson going in this year. His participation in the lead in to the Shawn Michaels vs “Stone Cold” Steve Austin match at WrestleMania XIV helped bring that match into the mainstream. The attitude era was taking off, but the Monday night wars with WCW were still a weekly slug fest. Plus, Vince McMahon and the WWE were feeling the sting of the “Montreal Screwjob,”  but the Boss used that ugly night in Montreal to swing the ratings war. That was the beginning of the Mr. McMahon character, as well as the start of brilliantly written storylines that helped fuel the attitude era. The Austin-Michaels-Tyson hype coincided with the beginning of WCW’s demise.

Tyson’s arrival in the WWE had the world buzzing in early 1998…

If Twitter had been around in ’98, Tyson & Austin would have been trending longer than Kyle Williams did after the NFC Championship. You see, I can have a sense of humor about that nauseating moment that I’m still depressed from. But Tyson wasn’t done in the lead in to the Austin-Michaels showdown…

But Tyson’s greatest WWE moment occurred at WrestleMania XIV when he counted the 1-2-3 after Austin delivered the stunner to HBK…

Seriously, how great were Jim Ross’ two calls right there?! First was the iconic “Stone Cold…Stone Cold…Stone Cold!” And the “A right hand! Tyson…Tyson…Tyson, right hand. Down goes Michaels.” Both calls are legendary. It’s easy to view the WWE Hall of Fame as another way to bleed money out of the fans who travel all over the world to attend WrestleMania, but it has become a staple of the weekend. And say what you will about Tyson’s role in WWE history, but the history of WrestleMania cannot be written without him. And for that, he deserves this honor. Congrats, Champ. You were a part of one of my favorite ‘Mania matches of all time.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

Matthew Broderick will be reprising his Ferris Bueller role on Super Bowl Sunday for the new Honda CR-V.

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? I have to admit, I’m absolutely down with finding out about the Super Bowl commercials ahead of the spectacle that awaits on Sunday. Why? Because when we are subjected to all 837 commercial breaks during the Patriots coronation, it will leave a guy like me plenty of time to get food & drink more beer. Oh, and it will also allow for more vodka consumption, and be an escape from having to sit with the non football fan at the party I’ll undoubtedly be attending. You know the type, the one’s who are only at the party because it’s the place to be and the fact that the new season of Khloe and Lamar hasn’t started yet. I loathe those people. That is why I love seeing the commercials coming out this week.

And look who is back? Kind of. Matthew Broderick is promoting the Honda CR-V crossover and is turning back the clock Bueller style in the process. The commercial ties in to some of the “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” iconic moments. It even has the music to go along with it. Big ups to Broderick for doing this. And even more credit goes out to whoever is in charge of releasing these commercials ahead of the day where we’ll be stuck mingling with people that we have no interest in talking to.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

D Rose's missed free throws in the Bulls 97-93 loss became an afterthought after...

...Dwight Howard finally talked about the possibility of playing with the league's best player.

Sunday’s Bulls-Heat game was” thee “sports story of the day. With apologies to those who love bad fake football (the Pro Bowl), the rematch of the 2011 eastern conference finals was on a national stage for all to see, and it played out like a bad sequel to a movie that you never wanted to re-watch in the first place.

It was the same dance to the same music. Carlos Boozer embarrassed himself and shriveled up like a scared child vs the team that he has to be a difference maker against. LeBron James switched onto Derrick Rose in the 4th quarter, and the Bulls offense became stagnant and struggled for points. And, Derrick Rose missed two free throws late that would have potentially changed the outcome. Why did Rose miss the crucial freebies? I don’t want to make excuses for the MVP, but he again had to shoulder the load and carry his team, which left him gassed and running on empty. Besides, he had made all 29 of his 4th quarter free throws this season before the late misses. Fatigue was obviously a factor despite going off for 34, 6 & 6.

It’s hard to allow yourself you become angered as a fan, because this kind of result should be expected when these teams collide. But thankfully, the hideous choke fest (LeBron of course gagged on two free throws later after jacking up bad shots down the stretch) wasn’t the story of this day.

The BIG news (literally) was the story the Tribune’s Vaughn McClure had regarding soon to be traded Magic center Dwight Howard. Here’s what Howard had to say about the potential of being traded to Chicago…

“If I could play with Derrick right now and God wanted that to happen, it will happen,” Howard told the Tribune. “It has nothing to do with me not wanting to play with Derrick Rose. I love him. That’s my brother.”

There has been talk Adidas doesn’t want it’s two biggest stars to play in the same city. D-12 squashed that talk…

“It has nothing to do with Adidas,” Howard said. “In fact, Adidas would love that because me and Derrick have the same guy.”

So there you have it, Bulls fans. After, seemingly, every team in the association has been linked to Howard, the best big man in the game finally talked openly about playing in Chicago.

It’s no secret that the Bulls have the most to offer Orlando in a trade. It’s laughable to think otherwise when you hear about the garbage other teams (the Nets) are said to be offering in exchange for Howard. Who knows with certainty, but figure it would be a package of Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, perhaps Taj Gibson or Omer Asik, & draft picks or the draft rights to Nikola Mirotic. And if you have to take back Hedo Turkoglu’s albatross contract, fine. I would make that deal yesterday. Do you have any idea how impossible it is to possess the best point guard and best center on one team? It hasn’t happened since Magic and Kareem ran the league in the 80′s. And a D Rose & Howard combo would rival the Shaq-Kobe alliance that dominated the early 2000′s. Wade & LeBron are simultaneously shitting themselves as we speak thinking about trying to beat those two for the next 6-8 years.

But more than the obvious, Howard has opened his eyes and apparently realized that to get past Miami, he might as well team up with his good friend and, in my opinion, the best player on the planet.

Was Howard stubborn and unwilling to come to Rose’s city? It absolutely looked that way, but common sense is taking over D-12′s thought process.

Much like Carmelo Anthony’s long & arduous path to the concrete jungle, Howard holds all of the cards to where he winds up. The Magic will hold on to their disgruntled center (you know it’s over when a guy as genuine as Howard calls out his teammates) through the all-star game in Orlando, but this is a ticking time bomb that will soon detonate. The Magic got run off their home floor Sunday vs the Pacers 106-85 in another jarring example of a team in turmoil.

But the timing of the Magic’s implosion and another Bulls loss to the Heat could give the Bulls organization and D Rose the urgency to try and pull off this blockbuster trade. Would Howard re-sign with the Bulls? If he’s talking about playing with the MVP, isn’t an extension a formality? This is a story that won’t go away, and one the Bulls need to capitalize on. Because Sunday’s kick to the balls loss is just another reminder that the current roster is chasing a championship that isn’t there for them to win.

@Louie_Ruffolo8