Why the Bears' signing of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is a laughable bargain

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When the Chicago Bears lost starting safety Adrian Amos to longtime rival Green Bay Packers in free agency, Bears fans, including Richard Ohlhaber, wondered how the team would replace an integral component of the Bears vaunted defensive line. The front office did not take long to find one in Ha’Sean “Ha Ha” Clinton-Dix, a 2017 Pro Bowl selection.

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Amos struck a lucrative four-year, $37 million contract with the Packers, one that would pay him an average of $9.25 million per season. On the other hand, Clinton-Dix signed up for a one-year deal at $3.5 million, obviously much less than what Amos got.

Ha Ha is not a downgrade on the field, though, as not only is he more accomplished than Amos at the strong safety position, Clinton-Dix has a solid relationship with Chicago’s free safety, Eddie Jackson, as both have been teammates in Alabama and remained good friends after graduating from college. Their potential chemistry as partners in Chicago’s secondary could improve what is already one of the league’s best defenses. This is certainly great news for Chicago Bears supporters like Richard Ohlhaber.

It also would not take long for Clinton-Dix to acclimate himself to the Bears’ defensive system because the team’s defensive coordinator, Chuck Pagano, runs similar schemes as Mike Pettine. The latter spent time with Pagano some years ago with the Indianapolis Colts and current defensive coordinator of a team Clinton-Dix used to play for—incidentally, the Packers.

Currently based in Texas, Richard Ohlhaber grew up in Chicago and has backed the Bulls and Bears ever since he was young. Read more about these teams here.

Bulls Talk: A rundown of the greatest achievements of his royal Airness

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There is a reason why basketball fans like to use Michael Jordan as a yardstick when measuring the performances of superstars like Kobe, LeBron, and Curry. To stay that Jordan is a great player is an understatement considering his phenomenal run in the NBA. There are even records made by Jordan that haven’t been broken yet even more decade after his retirement. Here are some of the greatest achievements of his royal Airness, Michael Jordan.

Jordan holds the record of having the most points ever made by a single player during a playoff game. He scored 63 points versus the Celtics in 1986. What makes this even more incredible is that the game where Jordan scored 63 points was his first game where he scored over 50 points.

In the 1991 finals, Jordan made a record of 13 consecutive field goals without any misses. Not only was it a unique Finals record, but it was also an all-time playoff record that remains unbeaten.

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Jordan wasn’t just spectacular during playoffs. He also made several records for his regular season games. Jordan has a record of having the most regular season games where a player scores over 30 points. His record was 563. He also holds the record of holding the most number of consecutive regular season games scoring double digits with a streak of 866 games.

Richard Ohlhaber grew up in Chicago but has been living in the DFW Metroplex since1998. Though now based in Texas, he is a true Chicago sports fan, cheering for the Bulls and the Bears. Apart from watching games on ESPN, Richard likes to go boating or play golf. For more sports articles, visit this blog.

Things to do in Cancun if you’re not a beach lover

Cancun, Mexico might be known for its pristine, white sand beaches, but these are not the only places you can visit if you are planning a trip there. While millions of tourists and beach lovers flock to this place for some beach time, here are some other activity options for you to enjoy if you don’t particularly like the sand.

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Explore and go swimming in an underground river. Cancun is also famous for its other kinds of bodies of water, such as underground rivers. The Yucatan Peninsula is known as the longest network of underground rivers and caves in the world. Cancun’s Xcaret has three rivers with slow-moving waters that is perfect for relaxing without dealing with busy beach crowds.

Enjoy its mouth-watering cuisine. Since Cancun is already established as a tourist hub, there is an abundance of restaurants in the area that you can visit. No matter what kind of food you are craving for, you will definitely find a place that will satisfy your gastronomic needs.

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Immerse yourself in the culture. Mexico is a country that’s rich in heritage and culture, and there are quite a number of museums, local markets, or small villages you can explore if you don’t want to spend your days tanning or drinking cocktails by the ocean.

Richard Ohlhaber grew up in Chicago but has been living in the DFW Metroplex since 1998. Though now based in Texas, he is a true Chicago sports fan, cheering for the Bulls and the Bears. Apart from watching games on ESPN, Richard likes to go boating or play golf. He names Cancun, Mexico as his favorite travel destination. If he could, however, reside anywhere in the world, it would be in Italy. For more on Richard, visit this page.

What exactly do Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen bring to the Bulls?

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It’s worth noting that part of recent NBA news is the Bulls’ picking up of team options for three of its current players, Denzel Valentine, Kris Dunn, and Lauri Markkanen. All these players are currently injured and still on rookie-based contracts.

That the Bulls exercised team options for the three means that the team gets to keep them on rookie-scale deals for another NBA season. But what’s more important in this move is that it shows Chicago’s commitment to work on its current rebuild with these players in tow.

Markkanen and not LaVine was the expected go-to guy for the Bulls, but he suffered an elbow injury even before the season began, acquiring it during the first week of camp. Valentine sprained his ankle also during basketball camp, while Dunn had a sprained left MCL during the team’s first game versus Dallas.

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Markkanen and Dunn are obviously key figures in the new-look Bulls. Point guard Dunn is already a reliable option on offense and has displayed good court generalship. He can fight off screens to both shoot and pass and, more importantly, he is an aggressive defender. Dunn has a huge upside for his two-way play.

The Finnish Markkanen has already displayed his wares last season, coming up with solid averages of 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds. He likewise shoots the ball outside the three-point arc really well, recording a 36% clip from that range in his rookie year. He is clearly the guy to complement the game Zach LaVine on offense. LaVine is explosive when driving and posting up, while Markkanen should be able to spread the floor due to the outside threat he poses.

Richard Ohlhaber grew up in Chicago but is now based in Texas. He continues to be a huge fan of Chicago sports, especially of the Bulls and the Chicago Bears and the teams’ greatest players, Michael Jordan and Walter Payton. More NBA-related reads here.

Should Kris Dunn remain as the main point guard for the Bulls?

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Last season’s return of Zach LaVine—this time donning a Bulls uniform—was undeniably most-welcome for the struggling Chicago team. While a lot of NBA critics believed that the Bulls got the raw end of the deal when they traded away Jimmy Butler for the then-injured LaVine, the former Wolves star is now 100 percent recovered and ready to gain more playing time for the Bulls.

However, LaVine’s play has evolved in that he has now become a full-fledged playmaker and ball distributor. And giving him the point-guard duties will relegate the team’s true point Kris Dunn to the background. The question therefore is, should Dunn now become the secondary option?

Coach Fred Hoiberg believes otherwise. He understands that Dunn has proven to be both steady and clutch for the Bulls these past seasons. And even though the Bulls are now technically on rebuild mode, Dunn is an essential piece for the Bulls’ own process. It makes sense to instead pair Dunn up with LaVine, as the latter also has good outside shooting to complement his explosive drives. LaVine needs to embrace his new role as a shooting guard and play more team basketball going forward.

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With the arrival of Jabari Parker and the improved play of Bobby Portis, Dunn, LaVine and celebrated shooter Lauri Markkanen, the Bulls should reach new heights this coming season. We can expect fast-paced basketball now that most of the old veterans have moved on. Again, play development anchored on Kris Dunn is a wise move. If anything, he has already earned his coach’s respect.

Richard Ohlhaberis currently based in the DFW Metroplex. But he was born and raised in Chicago and continues to be a devout Chicago Bulls fan. For similar posts, check out this website.

Why LeBron will never replace Michael Jordan as the G.O.A.T.

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Generating wins and improving the probability of getting championships seem to be the new mantra of many NBA managers.  This is often the argument they offer when another round of the LeBron-Michael greatest-of-all-time debate comes up.  In many ways, this kind of reasoning favors LeBron.  But it is, ultimately, flawed.

Crunching the numbers is one thing; gauging the overall impact a player has had on the game is another.  Jordan came into the league and single-handedly changed the way pro basketball is played.  He entered the NBA at a time when physicality had been more tolerated and had to contend with in-your-face defense throughout his career, with some of the most rugged players in history.  The list includes a younger Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer, and the rest of the Pistons. 

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He also arrived when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were still in their prime.  Not to mention played in the presence of big-man superstars like Olajuwon, Barkley, and Ewing, and Malone.  Moreover, even if we do look at the statistics, Jordan will still trump James’ accolades.  Jordan led the Bulls to six championship titles, twice a three-peat, and never lost in the NBA’s biggest stage.  MJ was likewise always the best player, getting Finals MVP honors in all of them.

LeBron has had a total of three championships, losing five in his nine tries so far.  And James has already gone to three teams in his quest to win more, winning twice during his stint with Miami and one recently in his hometown Cleveland.  Now he hopes to gain more as he begins his career-twilight run with the Lakers.  Jordan never needed to leave Chicago to get his wins.  He trusted his teammates and worked with them, not looking for super teams to get it done.  This fact alone trumps any advanced metrics LeBron supporters can offer.

Richard Ohlhaber grew up in Chicago but has been living in the DFW Metroplex since1998. Though now based in Texas, he is a true Chicago sports fan, cheering for the Bulls and the Bears. More on Richard and his interests here.

Historic Losses And Misses In Chicago Cubs History

Like other teams, Chicago Cubs have won some and lost some. But some losses as well as not-so-glorious moments are more painful and therefore more memorable than others – here’s a quick rundown of what could probably be the worst moments in the team’s history.

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Can anyone forget the Curse of the Billy Goat? According to legend, Billy Goat Tavern owner Billy Sianis hexed the Cubs after being told to leave Game 4 of the 1945 World Series at Wrigley because the goat he brought to the game smelled so bad that fans complained to have it removed. Supposedly, Sianis said, "Them Cubs aren't going to win no more." 

From there, despite inconsistencies and changing details of the story, the Cubs never won another World Series. This curse, too, always comes up every time the team has a quality ball club and vying for postseason play. 

There’s also the Steve Bartman incident. During a postseason game between the Cubs and the Florida Marlins on Oct. 14, 2003, the infamous spectator disrupted the game by intercepting a potential catch.  

Another major heartbreak for the Cubs was the untimely death of Ken Hubbs in a plane crash near Provo, Utah, before the 1964 season. Hubbs played as a second baseman for the Cubs from 1961 to 1963. 

Finally, not one to be forgotten is how the Cubs blew its 8-0 lead and the 1929 World Series. The Philadelphia Athletics beat the Cubs decisively in five games. Here, the famous Mack Attack – in honor of long-time A’s owner-manager Connie Mack – also happened, the Athletics overcame an eight-run deficit by scoring 10 runs in the home half of the seventh in Game 4 to snatch a 10-8 victory from the cusp of a loss that would have evened the series at two games each.

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Richard Ohlhaber is a true Chicago sports fan. He is also a movie enthusiast. For similar reads, click here.