Inside the Bulls

The Chicago Bulls announced today the hiring of Chuck Swirsky to handle the radio play-by-play duties for Chicago Bulls broadcasts on ESPN 1000 (WMVP-AM) beginning with the 2008-09 season. In this role, Swirsky will be teamed with Bill Wennington who will continue handling the color commentary. Wennington has served as the team’s radio analyst for the past five seasons.
Longtime Chicago Bulls radio play-by-play announcer Neil Funk will now become the voice of the Bulls on its television broadcasts. He replaces Tom Dore on Comcast SportsNet and Wayne Laravee on WGN-TV and WCIU-TV. Funk has been the voice of Bulls radio since 1991. Funk will be paired with Stacey King on all local telecasts. King has been a color commentator with the team for the past two seasons.
Swirsky joins the Bulls from the Toronto Raptors where he most recently served as the team’s television play-by-play announcer for seven seasons. Prior to that, he called the action for the Raptors radio broadcasts for three seasons.
``I am honored, humbled and appreciative to the Chicago Bulls as I return to a world class city and look forward to being a part of the Bulls organization and the Chicagoland community,” Swirsky said. “I want to thank Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and Toronto fans for ten great years of support and encouragement.”
Swirsky brings more than 20 years of broadcasting experience to the airwaves including stints with University of Michigan basketball and DePaul University. He also served as sports director for WJR-AM in Detroit where he anchored the pre-game and post-game shows for the Detroit Red Wings and the University of Michigan football team.
Swirsky rose to prominence while serving as the sports director for WGN-AM in Chicago from 1982 to 1994. He was the host of the Chicago Bears Radio Network for 10 years and held similar responsibilities for the Chicago Cubs Radio Network for 12 seasons. He was also the Bulls public address announcer from 1980 to 1983. At WGN, Swirsky called the action for the Chicago Sting of the NASL and extended into television as a play-by-play announcer for Northwestern University football for three seasons.
``We are most excited to announce that we are bringing Chuck Swirsky back to Chicago where his career began,” said Steve Schanwald, Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the Bulls. “Chuck is one of the most respected play-by-play announcers in the NBA and I know our fans will enjoy his exciting style of calling a game.”
The Bulls also announced that longtime broadcaster Johnny “Red” Kerr will serve as the host of the Bulls local home telecasts and appear during Bulls pre-game and halftime shows to provide commentary and analysis. His role with the organization will also include appearing at various events around the Chicagoland area as a Bulls Goodwill Ambassador.
Kerr will be honored during the 2008-09 season on a date to be determined for his 36 years of service to the Bulls. In recognition of his contribution to the organization, a sculpture of Kerr will be commissioned and permanently placed on display in the United Center.

Posted by Brian Hanley at 03:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Bulls are believed to be among the three teams which have reportedly already contacted Avery Johnson, who was fired Wednesday as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. ``Anyone with a track record will be considered,'' a source close to the Bulls search said when asked about the team's interest in Johnson. Johnson, who has three years worth $12 million left on his Dallas contract--has indicated he may take a season off and collect the $4 million the Mavs would owe him before getting back on an NBA bench.
Mike D'Antoni would be added to the Bulls' list of candidates as the next head coach should a meeting Friday between he and Phoenix Suns brass--including GM Steve Kerr and owner Robert Sraver--lead to a parting of the ways. Kerr has declined to give permission to teams seeking to talk with D'Antoni. Kerr said he would like D'Antoni to return--the coach has two years left on his contract worth $8.5 million--if the two men can resolve the differences which arose between them this season. D'Antoni reportedly is the Mavs' No. 1 candidate should he leave the Suns.
Rick Carlisle, who was the first candidate Paxson interviewed, reportedly met Wednesday with New York Knicks president Donnie Walsh to talk about their head coaching vacancy.
Also, as expected, Jim Boylan will be an assistant on Scott Skiles' staff in Milwaukee. Boylan was promoted from assitant to interim head coach of the Bulls after Skiles was fired on Christmas Eve.

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The New York Post reported Sunday that Bulls GM John Paxson will meet with Mark Jackson in Los Angeles this week to interview him for the team's head coach vacancy. Jackson is believed to be the front-runner for the New York Knicks job and has little interest in the Bulls job. So the meeting, if true--which is questionable since the same columnist erroneously claims the Knicks did not want to talk to Scott Skiles--is likely just fact-finding by Paxson, who said he plans on talking to numerous basketball minds to get their thoughts on the Bulls.

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ESPN.com is reported Milwaukee has emerged as the most likely landing spot for former Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson.
NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Thursday that Sampson and the Bucks are discussing an assistant coach's role at the urging of new Bucks coach Scott Skiles.
A source told the Sun-Times Skiles may decide to start fresh with his staff of assistant coaches and not rehire some of the same coaches he had with the Bulls.
NCAA violations led Kelvin Sampson to leave Indiana in February. He accepted a $750,000 buyout in exchange for his resignation.
Skiles has targeted two men who worked in the college game this season -- Sampson and University of New Mexico associate head coach Craig Neal -- to be part of his first staff in Milwaukee. Sources say Wisconsin native and former Bucks forward Joe Wolf, who has coached two teams in the D-League, is another candidate.
Since his forced resignation from Indiana in February, Sampson has spent the past two months with the San Antonio Spurs as an unofficial observer. Sampson was summoned to Texas by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, with whom he has remained close since they worked together as assistants under Denver Nuggets coach George Karl on Team USA in 2002.
Sampson left Indiana in February, accepting a $750,000 buyout in exchange for his resignation and waiving his right to seek further damages from the university after an NCAA report charged the 52-year-old with five major NCAA recruiting violations.

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Boston GM Danny Ainge refuted a report out of New York that the Knicks have asked him about interviewing assistant coach Tom Thibodeau for that team’s head coaching vacancy. In fact, Ainge said no team has approached him for permission to talk to the defensive-minded Thibodeau, who may be of interest to the Bulls.
``We haven’t heard anything,'' Ainge told the Boston Herald. ``There’s just a lot of speculation going on right now.”

Posted by Brian Hanley at 01:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is the ballot I submitted for the league's awards.
--Hanley

Please vote for three players. Five points will be awarded for a first place vote, three for second and one for third.

My choices for the 2007-08 T-Mobile Rookie of the Year are:

PLAYER TEAM
1. _________Kevin Durant______________________ ____Seattle___________________________
2. ______Al Horford________________________ __________Atlanta_____________________
3. ___Luis Scola____________________________ ___Houston__________________________

__________Brian Hanley__________ ___Chicago Sun-Times_____________________
Voter Name Affiliation

* No ties or split votes will be counted *

2007-08 NBA COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD BALLOT

You have been chosen by the National Basketball Association to serve on a committee to vote for the Coach of the Year Award for the 2007-08 season. The winner of this award receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, named after the legendary coach who won nine titles with the Boston Celtics.
Please vote for three coaches. Five points will be awarded for a first place vote, three for second and one for third.

My choices for the 2007-08 NBA Coach of the Year are:

PLAYER TEAM
1. ___Doc Rivers____________________________ ________________Boston_______________
2. _____________Byron Scott__________________ ___New Orleans____________________________
3. _________Rick Adelman______________________ _____Houston__________________________

_Brian Hanley___________________ ___Chicago Sun-Times_____________________
Voter Name Affiliation

2007-08 NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
AWARD PRESENTED BY KIA BALLOT

Please vote for three players. Five points will be awarded for a first place vote, three for second and one for third.

My choices for the 2007-08 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award presented by Kia are:

PLAYER TEAM
1. ___Kevin Garnett____________________________ __Boston_____________________________
2. _____Tashaun Prince__________________________ _____Detroit__________________________
3. _____Chris Paul_______________ ___New Orleans____________________________

_Brian Hanley___________________ __Chicago Sun-Times______________________
Voter Name Affiliation

2007-08 ALL-NBA TEAM BALLOT

You have been chosen by the National Basketball Association to serve on a committee to vote for the All-NBA Team for the 2007-08 season. Please vote for the player at the position that he plays regularly. You can vote for five players on each of the three All-NBA teams. No ties may be awarded.
Five points will be awarded for a first team vote, three for second team and one for third team.

All-NBA First Team All-NBA Second Team
F ___LeBron James_________________ F __Dwight Howrd__________________________
F ___Kevin Garnett____________________ F ___Tim Duncan_________________________
C ___Amare Stoudemire_______________ C _Dirk Nowitzki___________________________
G __Chris Paul_____________________ G__Steve Nash________________________
G ____Kobe Bryant_________________ G _Deron Williams___________________________

All-NBA Third Team
F _Paul Pierce___________________________
F _Ray Allen___________________________
C __Yao Ming__________________________
G Manu Ginobli____________________________
G _Baron Davis___________________________

_Brian Hanley___________________ _Chicago Sun-Times_______________________
Voter Name Affiliation
2007-08 NBA SIXTH MAN AWARD PRESENTED BY KIA BALLOT

You have been chosen by the National Basketball Association to serve on a committee to vote for the NBA Sixth Man Award Presented by Kia for the 2007-08 season.
This award is designed to honor a player for his contributions in a reserve role. In order to be eligible for this award, a player must come off the bench for more games than he starts.
Please vote for three players. Five points will be awarded for a first place vote, three for second and one for third.

My choices for the 2007-08 NBA Sixth Man Presented by Kia are:

PLAYER TEAM
1. ___Manu Ginobli____________________________ __San Antonio___________________________
2. _Leandro Barbosa______________________________ _Phoenix______________________________
3. _Ben Gordon______________________________ _______________________________

_Brian Hanley___________________ _Chicago Sun-Times_______________________
Voter Name Affiliation

2007-08 NBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD PRESENTED BY KIA BALLOT

You have been chosen by the National Basketball Association to serve on a committee to vote for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award Presented by Kia for the 2007-08 season. The winner of this award receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, named after the first Commissioner of the NBA.
Please vote for five players. Ten points will be awarded for a first place vote, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth and one for fifth.

My choices for the 2007-08 NBA Most Valuable Player Presented by Kia are:

PLAYER TEAM
1. _Chris Paul_____________________________ __New Orleans_____________________________
2. Kobe Bryant_______________________________ __Los Angeles Lakers_____________________________
3. _Kevin Garnett______________________________ ___Boston____________________________
4. _LeBron James______________________________ __Cleveland_____________________________
5. __Amare Stoudemire_____________________________ _Phoenix______________________________

Brian Hanley____________________ _Chicago Sun-Times_______________________
Voter Name Affiliation

2007-08 NBA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER AWARD PRESENTED BY KIA BALLOT

You have been chosen by the National Basketball Association to serve on a committee to vote for the NBA Most Improved Player Award Presented by Kia for the 2007-08 season.
This award is designed to honor an up-and-coming player who has made a dramatic improvement from the previous season or seasons. It is not intended to be given to a player who has made a “comeback.”
Please vote for three players. Five points will be awarded for a first place vote, three for second and one for third.

My choices for the 2007-08 NBA Most Improved Player Presented by Kia are:

PLAYER TEAM
1. _Hedo Turkoglu______________________________ ___Orlando____________________________
2. _Al Jefferson______________________________ __Minnesota_____________________________
3. __Beno Udrih_____________________________ _Sacramento______________________________

Brian Hanley____________________ Chicago Sun-Times________________________
Voter Name Affiliation

Posted by Brian Hanley at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Jim Boylan left the Berto Center without comment this morning after meeting with general manager John Paxson. Boylan was expected to be fired in the meeting. Boylan sped out of the parking lot after meeting. Official word has yet to come. More details to follow.

Posted by Brian Hanley at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Bulls forward Drew Gooden has been shut down for the rest of the season due to an abdominal strain. Gooden missed his sixth consecutive game due to the injury. Bulls head coach Jim Boylan said Gooden has not improved appreciably since being out.

Posted by Brian Hanley at 05:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bulls forward Drew Gooden has been shut down for the rest of the season due to an abdominal strain. Gooden missed his sixth consecutive game due to the injury. Bulls head coach Jim Boylan said Gooden has not improved appreciably since being out.

Posted by Brian Hanley at 05:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kevin Garnett and James Posey of the Boston Celtics took exception Tuesday when a couple of t-shirts hit them while the team huddled with just under three minutes to go in Boston's 106-92 win at the United Center.
Garnett was convinced that Benny The Bull had shot the shirts from an air-powered gun that is used to launch them into the crowd. Garnett at first had to be restrained as Benny stood a safe distance away.
``I turned around, saw the guy in the bull hat, and we had some words,” Garnett told the Boston Herald.
The Bulls apologized to the Celtics and explained that one of the members of the IncrediBulls--a group that entertains during timeouts--had tripped and his gun shot the shirts into the floor from where they bounced into the Celtics.
Posey, considered Public Enemy No. 1 by Bulls fans since his physical play vs. the Bulls while with the Miami Heat, joked about the incident later.
``I don’t know - I feel threatened,” Posey told the Herald. ``I don’t feel safe. They really have tough love here, but it was definitely an inside job. They made the mascot do it. I got hit in the back walking away. That spot on my back is sore. I might have to get treatment on it.”
Bulls head coach Jim Boylan also laughed about the off-target t-shirts.
``It was against Posey so, it’s open season against him whenever he steps on the court in Chicago,'' Boylan said. ``I was proud of Benny, glad he took matters into his own hands. He orchestrated it behind the scenes.''

Posted by Brian Hanley at 04:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)