Perhaps Buehrle just wanted a couple days away from the cold and rain in the Midwest on somebody else's dime. more ›

Game on! more ›

Kane Out Three Weeks: That knee injury Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane suffered during Sunday night's game against Calgary (which the NHL is inexplicably listing as a "lower body injury") will keep the All-Star out for three weeks, maybe more. Jeremy Morin has been recalled again from Rockford to fill out the roster. The good news in all this is that Marian Hossa could return as early as this weekend. more ›

By Angie Wiatrowski more ›

The White Sox have been doing some wheeling and dealing in the past two days. In addition to non-tendering Bobby Jenks and signing free-agent slugger Adam Dunn, they've re-signed catcher AJ Pierzynski to a two-year, $8 million contract. Signing Pierzynski was probably a wise move as there have been doubts within the White Sox organization as to whether catcher-in-waiting Tyler Flowers is ready to call games for a loaded staff that includes Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, John Danks, Edwin Jackson and a returning Jake Peavy. more ›

The White Sox cut ties to another piece of the 2005 World Series team when they non-tendered the contract of closer Bobby Jenks. The decision effectively closes the door on Jenks's career on the South Side and wasn't unexpected. One of the things GM Kenny Williams and skipper Ozzie Guillen could agree on last season was that they were unhappy with Jenks's conditioning, which they felt led to his extended stints on the disabled list the past couple of seasons. more ›

Remember back in 2000, when Tracy McGrady was the most sought after free agent and the Bulls scared him away with a welcoming party that included Benny the Bull and a brass band? Back then, T-Mac chose to team up with fellow free agent Grant Hill in Orlando instead. A decade later, McGrady is again a free agent but coming off a couple of injury-plagued seasons. This time, it's McGrady who's pulling out all the stops to try and land with the Bulls. more ›

Yesterday, after losing out on the Big 3 Sweepstakes, the Bulls officially introduced their 'big' free agent signing of this off-season, Carlos Boozer, who has inked a five-year, $76 million deal with the team. Said Jerry Reinsdorf at the press conference: "I also think we're a better team than Miami right now, assuming we get a shooting guard. Of course, with LeBron we would've been a great team. Without him, we're still going to be a very good team. If you look at the Miami roster with these three guys but not much else, I think we'll be better next year." Boozer is ready to battle, as well: "We don't mind being the underdog. We have guys who relish that role. We're not going to be afraid to play. We're going to fight and attack." more ›

After months of speculation and weeks of building hype, LeBron James finally announced his "Decision" on an hour-long show on ESPN last night. By picking the Miami Heat, he chose to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and spurned his other suitors -- including the Bulls. Once again, the Bulls thought they could lure the top free agents to town. Once again, they came up short against the Sunshine state. This time it's LBJ, CB4 and D-Wade in Miami instead of T-Mac and Grant Hill in Orlando. more ›

While details are still being hammered out, it looks like LeBron James will reportedly take to the airwaves on ESPN to announce where he'll sign for the 2010-2011 season (and beyond) in a one-hour special tomorrow night. It seems in line with the kind of sensationalist coverage ESPN is becoming known for. After all, this is a network that's known for televising the press conferences where 17- and 18-year-old kids announce what colleges they'll play football for. Why should the biggest basketball player on the planet be any different? That said, it seems rather egomaniacal to set aside a whole hour on a major network just to announce where you plan to play basketball and isn't exactly worthy of a player who has zero championships. Say what you will about Jordan, his borderline psychotic competitive edge, and his equally intense grudge holding, he needed only a two-word press release to announce the biggest out-of-retirement comeback of all time. And spare us the "Oh, it's for charity" angle. This is ego-driven, pure and simple. more ›

With the NBA Champs crowned and the college players drafted, it's now on to the main event. The NBA's free agency period begins at midnight on July 1, so with the most anticipated shopping spree in NBA history approaching, the news and rumors are coming fast and furious. And it's only going to build until LeBron, Dwyane Wade et al sign their new deals. more ›

Like something of a cross between the Justice League and the Yalta Conference, the NBA's bumper crop of superstar free agents plan to convene a summit prior to the opening of the league's free agency signing period, which could have significant ramification on the future of the NBA's balance of power. For the past couple years, a number of teams (the Bulls included) have been maneuvering to clear salary cap space that would give them the flexibility to go after the historic 2010 free agent class that includes players like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson. more ›

So remember yesterday, when back channel communications supposedly indicated Phil Jackson might be open to a second stint with the Bulls? Apparently the problem with these "unofficial" talks going through various intermediaries is that intentions get misconstrued or misreported. When asked about the rumors reported by ESPN before Tuesday night's Lakers-Suns game, Jackson made it clear he wasn't thinking about returning to the Bulls, saying that he has "no desire at all" to return to Chicago. However, he wasn't willing to commit as definitively to limiting his choice this off-season to either remaining with the Lakers or retiring. more ›

While we all know LeBron James is the preeminent free agent in the NBA this off-season, perhaps it's another guy with an expiring contract that could have the most influence on winning a title. Ten-time champion coach Phil Jackson, who lead MJ and Pippen to six titles with the Bulls before winning four more (and currently working towards his fifth) with L.A. Lakers, is in the final year of his contract. The Lakers have indicated that they don't want to continue paying Jackson the $12 million annually he's currently earning if he were to return. That doesn't mean he's opposed to returning to the Lakers bench anyway, but he's also hinted at retirement. But he's also indicated he might seek new opportunities elsewhere. It's not an easy decision when you're dating your boss's daughter. more ›

No sooner did the Cleveland Cavaliers meet their untimely end in the NBA playoffs then speculation began in earnest about where LeBron James will play next year. While many had expected the Akron native to stay close to home in the end, Cleveland's inability to surround King James with the pieces to win a title might compel him to bolt in free agency this summer. And while many had long assumed that New York would be the most likely location for the two-time MVP to land, a new destination has gained steam in recent days: Chicago. more ›

For Bulls' coach Vinny del Negro, it seems his firing is not so much "if" but rather "when" more ›

Are we reading too much into LeBron James' filing of paperwork with the NBA league offices this week? Following through with his previously announced intentions, King James submitted an application to change his jersey number from 23 to 6, wanting the league to honor Michael Jordan by retiring the number league-wide in much the same was that Major League Baseball did for Jackie Robinson. While we don't believe you can really compare Jordan's on-court accomplishments to what Robinson did - breaking his sport's color barrier - we do wonder what LeBron's comments mean in terms of his future. more ›

The Blackhawks proved this past year that they're a team on the rise, and certain moves this off-season suggest the team is intent on building upon their success. But did another, inadvertent action, put their future in jeopardy? The 'Hawks may have bungled the tendering of qualifying offers to their restricted free agents -- clerical work that's typically a formality -- and the result might have serious ramifications for the team. more ›

Turns out that the rumors we'd heard over the past couple weeks were true. On the first day that NBA teams could make offers to free agents, the Detroit Pistons lured Ben Gordon away from the Bulls. Gordon reportedly agreed to a five-year deal worth between $55 and $60 million. While the Bulls claimed to want to retain Gordon, and Gordon stated his desire to remain in Chicago, he sure didn't waste much time in signing elsewhere. more ›

Joe Crede, a key part of the White Sox 2005 World Series run, has parted ways with the South Side squad and joined the division rival Minnesota Twins. Crede had spent his entire major league career with the Sox, including his best year of 2006, which saw him bat .283 with 30 HR and 94 RBI, but injuries kept him sideline much of the last two seasons. In only 97 games in 2008, he managed to belt 17 HR and drive in 55 runs. more ›

Chicagoist hopes that IDOT has placed their orders for reinforced guard rails and extra sign posts because Lance Briggs will be remaining with the Bears after signing a 6-year, $36 million deal over the weekend. more ›