Fate Hasn't Smiled on Chicago Sports Teams
Fate hasn't smiled on Chicago sports teams
Somewhat fluke injuries to Cutler, Hossa and Rose ruined seasons of Bears, Blackhawks and Bulls
Ads by Google
Fate Hasn't Smiled on Chicago Sports Teams
By Chris Boghossian, Chicago Tribune reporter 6:48 p.m. CDT, May 12, 2012
Beware, Cubs and White Sox. If a disturbing trend continues, you're headed for trouble.
Heads up, Paul Konerko and Jake Peavy. You too Starlin Castro. Devastating injuries to a trio of star athletes over the last six months have wreaked havoc on their teams, stopping the Bears' playoff hopes dead in their tracks and leading to early postseason exits for the Blackhawks and Bulls.
You have been warned.
Thumbs down
Nov. 20 | Bears vs. Chargers at Soldier Field
The injury: After a 2-3 start, the Bears had won four consecutive games, and quarterback Jay Cutler had them headed for a fifth when the season inconspicuously turned for the worse. On second-and-8 from the Chargers 30, Cutler's pass intended for Johnny Knox — who had slipped and fallen on his route — was intercepted by Antoine Cason. Cutler chased him nearly 60 yards downfield before taking a block from linebacker Donald Butler and falling to the ground. Cutler finished the game — a 31-20 Bears victory — but later learned he had fractured his thumb on the return.
The aftermath: At 7-3, the Bears thought backup Caleb Hanie could fill the void while Cutler healed in time for the playoffs, but they were wrong. They lost five straight before winning a meaningless season finale and finished at 8-8, missing the postseason for the fourth time in five years. General manager Jerry Angelo soon was fired and offensive coordinator Mike Martz was not retained.
The quote: "Nothing has changed around here. This is a tough blow, but we know how to handle these situations." — Bears coach Lovie Smith
The future: Cutler is fully healed (we think) and with some new toys to play with — receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery — the sky's the limit. Dare we dream big?
Coyote ugly
April 17 | Blackhawks vs. Coyotes at the United Center
The injury: With the playoff series tied 1-1, the Hawks' fate turned in an instant early in Game 3. Marian Hossa, arguably their best all-around player, took a vicious hit from the Coyotes' Raffi Torres with 8 minutes, 9 seconds left in the first period. Torres left his feet and drove his shoulder into the head of Hossa, who was leveled and lay on the ice for several minutes before leaving on a stretcher. He didn't play again in the series, the Coyotes won in six games and the Hawks were eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive year.
The aftermath: The NHL suspended Torres 25 games, which he has appealed, but the Coyotes haven't missed a beat. They knocked off the Predators in five games and play host the Kings in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals Sunday. Hossa, meanwhile, still is recovering from a severe concussion and told the Tribune on May 3 he's "still not feeling like myself." On Tuesday, coach Joel Quenneville fired assistant Mike Haviland.
The quote: "First off, I hope he is all right. But as far as the hit goes, I felt like it was a hockey play, just trying to finish my hit out there." — Torres
The future: Hossa, who said he will take a month off "then slowly do little things," faces a long road back to the ice, but the Hawks are optimistic he will be ready for training camp.
Won and done
April 28 | Bulls vs. 76ers at the United Center
The injury: The Bulls were 82 seconds from a Game 1 victory, leading by 12 points in their first-round playoff series. Then as quickly as Derrick Rose drove to his right, jump-stopped and dished the ball off, his season — and, as it turned out, the Bulls' — was finished. Rose, who had missed 27 games with injuries one season after becoming the youngest MVP in league history, fell to the floor and writhed in pain. A few hours after the victory, at 5:24 p.m., the Bulls broke the news: An MRI revealed Rose had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The aftermath: The team that had gone 18-9 without Rose in the regular season looked lost without its heart and soul. The Bulls, who also lost center Joakim Noah to a severely sprained left ankle in Game 3, would win only once more in the series, the promise of having the NBA's best record ending short of their goal. Again.
The quote: "The score was going the other way. He's got to play. … He's got to work on closing. That's what I was thinking." — Coach Tom Thibodeau
The future: Rose had surgery Saturday and a lengthy rehabilitation process will keep him out well into next season.
cboghossian@tribune.com
Copyright © 2012, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/hive/i.../rating_on.jpghttp://www.chicagotribune.com/hive/i.../rating_on.jpghttp://www.chicagotribune.com/hive/i.../rating_on.jpghttp://www.chicagotribune.com/hive/i...rating_off.jpghttp://www.chicagotribune.com/hive/i...rating_off.jpg
