Sorry Oprah, You Don't 'OWN' Chicago

By Angie Wiatrowski in News on May 14, 2011 8:00PM

Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey may be powerful in Chicago, but not that powerful. Chicago is pretty much a sports-driven city, especially when one of our beloved teams has made it to the playoffs for the first time in years. Take the Bulls for example. They’re headed to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1998, leading off the series vs. the Miami Heat at the United Center Sunday.

Word on the street however, is that Ms. Winfrey has caused the Bulls to postpone Game 2 because of Winfrey’s ‘Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular!’ at the United Center (ick).

But au contraire says the NBA. Both Eastern Conference semifinal series ended early (The Heat and the Bulls both won in 6). Game 1 was moved up to Sunday and the earliest Game 2 can be held is Wednesday because the Western Conference Finals will be held on Tuesday. According to the New York Times, Tuesday was never in the works for the Eastern Conference and the NBA generally doesn't schedule back-to-back playoff games. Game 1 was originally supposed to be on Monday according to the schedule made back in the fall, again taking Tuesday out of the equation. Looks like Chicago's talk show queen scheduled around the Bulls.

The NBA’s senior vice president of basketball communications told the New York Times that the Oprah Show “wasn’t a factor.” Step down Ms. Winfrey, you may be powerful and the owner of ‘Oprah Winfrey Way’ in the 100th block of North Carpenter Avenue, but the Bulls currently own the Madhouse on Madison.