Chicago Sports: The long night has arrived

After the Chicago Cubs were eliminated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games, the Chicago sports scene has officially hit a brick wall.

Just plain frustration

All I can say is welp. Just three short years ago, if you told me that the Cubs were the last team that had any chance of success in their respective sport for the Chicago-based teams, I’d laugh. The Chicago Cubs’ elimination in the NLCS holds a large amount of significance for Chicago sports fans because there is nothing else to look forward to.

There is nothing worse than knowing that all you have to look forward to is freezing cold temperatures, terrible basketball, laughable football play and a hockey team that you know will make the playoffs but doesn’t stack up as a contender.

As a Cubs fan, I am obviously disappointed in their sub-par play in the NLCS. Even after breaking the 108-year drought last season, I still find myself frustrated. However, we have to accept that the Dodgers simply just played better baseball in all five games, including their loss.

I’m fortunate enough to have witnessed four Chicago championships in just 20 years. This blessing also serves as a curse because I go into every season with the highest of expectations for every team I am a fan of.

More from Da Windy City

This year, though, what are we supposed to expect from any of these teams?

Bulls offer nothing but boredom for next six months

We’ll start off with the Chicago Bulls.

ESPN’s most recent NBA power rankings ranked the Bulls No. 30. I believe that this ranking is completely justified, considering that the Bulls lost by over 30 to the Oklahoma City Thunder last Saturday. We all knew that the only thing the Bulls were going to contend for this year is the No.1 overall pick, and that belief is looking very plausible.

However, this poor play just leads to a lack of inspiration for fans. One of the best parts of listening or watching a Bulls’ broadcast is the personalities that come along with it. Chuck Swirsky and Bill Wennington are a great duo on WLS 890, and Neil Funk and Stacey King compliment each other so well in any broadcast.

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

The problem is that even with the joy that you’ll receive from either broadcast team, it will ultimately lead to pain, frustration, and boredom.

This Bulls team is the least exciting squad that they’ve brought out since the early-mid 2000’s. At least those squads had all-time names like Andres Nocioni and Tyrus Thomas.

Lauri Markkanen will have to do for now.

False hopes on the lakefront?

The Chicago Bears’ preseason expectations were no different than the Bulls’: a near lock to land a top-five pick, even with the hype surrounding rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Like the Bulls, I was prepared for a season of frustration and boredom. However, the Bears have been somewhat watchable due to a strong defense.

I didn’t want there to be any positives this season. Just lay it all on me, a complete disaster from start to finish. Of course, the Bears have been able to play some strong football since Trubisky began to start. The No. 2 overall pick hasn’t had the greatest first four games statistically, but he continues to be smart with the ball and keep his mistakes to a minimum.

I think that the Bears are very much in the same mindset as the Bulls from the past few seasons, especially since Aaron Rodgers may miss the rest of the season.

They have enough talent to actually fight in what is one of the worst divisions in all the NFL. But what good is it going to do when this team finishes 6-10 or 7-9? They aren’t going to make the playoffs and will then be stuck in the middle of the draft. I always view this outcome as worse than just an absolute tank.

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

If you know that despite having weak competition that you won’t make it to the postseason, why even bother trying to make it there? Landing at top-five pick today holds so much value, and the Bears could play that off well.

Real fears about the ‘Hawks

There was certainly some discomfort heading into the 2017-18 campaign with the Chicago Blackhawks. They looked flat from top-to-bottom after getting swept in the playoffs and have looked shaky to start this season.

I worried that the ‘Hawks depth defensively was going to be their major loophole. They have done a good job in keeping their GAA down but have struggled in other areas. For example, the Hawks currently rank second in the league for penalty minutes against with 158. This is very atypical of the Blackhawks, as they finished No. 27 in penalty minutes against in the 2016-17 and 2015-16 seasons.

When you are near the top of penalty minutes against, you are already putting yourself at a major disadvantage. Their lack of depth defensively makes this task even more challenging and typically will decrease their chances in a win.

(Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

Assuming Quenneville sticks with what he has been doing, I don’t really see any change in the Hawks’ success. They just don’t have the talent yet on defense to play consistent hockey.

Is it April yet?

As the calendar officially turns to November, all we can do as Chicago sports fans is wait. We have been spoiled for the last 10+ years to have at least one of our three winter sports teams be successful in their respective season.

Next: Five PGs for Chicago Bulls to look at

However, I believe that the long night is here. Unfortunately, it could be here for quite some time.

Winter has arrived. The great war is here. Are the only ones that can save us House Cub and House Sox? Shoutout to all of my GOT readers.

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