Chicago's Hope Rests with Cubs

I can't believe I'm actually writing this, but Chicago sports can thank the Cubs for its only realistic chance for a winning future. Yes, the same Cubs that have embarrassed the city with its penchant for losing all these years is suddenly the only winning team in town.

Don't believe me? Let's check out the "competition". The Bears are just one year from a Super Bowl appearance yet appear to be as far away from their next appearance as ever. The Monsters of the Midway struggled to 7 wins last year and have already lost their two top wide receivers this off-season, though they did surprise by re-upping with Lance Briggs today. They return a running game that is nonexistent, with likely-to-be-bust Cedric "the non-entertainer" Benson looking fragile and unproductive. They also return a QB in Rex Grossman who will compete with Kyle Orton for the right to be the next in a long, shameful line of poor Bears QBs. Not since Sid Luckman have the Bears had a truly great QB. For a major market team in a large city like the Bears, that is just ridiculous. On defense, Brian Urlacher has a bad neck, a bad back, and is coming off what was arguably his worst season. Yet defense still looks to be the only reason they win more than the Dolphins did last year. Not dominating, but good enough for a 5-11, 6-10 season. Which is pretty damn sad.

To the NBA, the Bulls were looking like a team that was ready to take the next step to championship contender, one year removed from a 49-win team that advanced to the second round of the playoffs. But for whatever reason, and there are many excuses floating around, they never looked to be interested this year, resulting in the firing of Coach Scott Skiles and the trade of a disappointing Ben Wallace. After overestimating the value of the core of this team, a core that has a grand total of zero all-star appearances, GM John Paxson has to be kicking himself for passing up on the likes of Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant.

The Blackhawks, despite finally getting some buzz following the death of Bill Wirtz and his antiquated ways, are once again likely to miss the playoffs, an all-too familiar place for a once proud "original six" franchise. With some good young players in Toews and Kane, and a top scorer like Havlet who unfortunately can't stay healthy, they do seem to be on the rise, yet may be a year or two away from making any real noise.

Which brings us to the White Sox. Hard to believe this team won a world series title as recently as 2005, because they look nothing like a championship team now or for the foreseeable future. While they look to have shored up the bullpen, and made a nice, though confusing, move to acquire Nick Swisher, when they should be focusing on the future, they do not live in a weak division like the Cubs. Detroit and Cleveland both look far too formidable for the Sox to contend in 2008. Expect a .500 season from the Pale Hose.

Ignoring teams like the Fire and the Wolves, just because they play soccer and minor league hockey respectively, this town of more than five million sports fans deserves far better than what we're getting. Yet the Cubs should continue to make some noise this year and Chicago fans should be thankful for that.