So what do we foresee for the Bears this season? more ›

This week's crisp morning air is a gentle reminder that football season is once more upon us. With the Bears opener just days away, just how will our team do in 2010? This is a make or break year for many in the organization -- most notably head coach Lovie Smith. While many on his coaching staff lost their jobs after last season's 7-9 campaign, Smith was retained. Another year without making the playoffs and he'll be looking for work. So, too, will GM Jerry Angelo after bringing the likes of Julius Peppers and Jay Cutler to the Bears in recent off-seasons. Despite a miserly reputation, the Bears have spent lavishly on players yet have not made the postseason since their Super Bowl XLI appearance. more ›

The 2009 White Sox finished four games under .500 and 7 1/2 out of first place in the AL Central, missing the playoffs -- about what we expected from the club. The team's pitching ranked among the best in the AL -- leading the league with 86 quality starts and second in team ERA. The batting lineup, however, finished dead last in batting average and near the bottom in runs scored. That's why GM Kenny Williams spent much of the off-season retooling the Sox's roster. more ›

Is this the year the Bulls finally reclaim their place among the NBA's elite? For the past few seasons, the Bulls have been full of potential but inconsistent on fulfilling that promise on the court. One of these years, they'll finally make that jump. When we last saw the Bulls playing meaningful games, it was in an epic seven-game series (plus seven OT periods) with the Boston Celtics in the opening round of the playoffs. Taking the defending NBA champs and second-seeded Celts the full distance gave Bulls fans a lot to look forward to for this season. But is the optimism justified just yet? more ›

The Sox surpassed most people's expectations during their 2008 campaign, winning the AL Central with a 89-74 record in 2008 -- well above Nate Silver's prediction of 77 wins. We didn't have much higher expectations for them. But the South Siders closed out the regular season in exciting fashion, beating three different teams in three days -- including a rain out make-up and a tie-breaker -- to make the playoffs. The surprising upstart Tampa Bay Rays knocked the Sox out of the postseason in the ALDS 3-1. We Sox fans, however, could take solace in the fact our team won more playoff games in '08 than the Cubs did. more ›