Midwest

During a pre-dawn auction run in a dilapidated downstate barn, the Tribune Company was sold to the highest bidder. Reclusive billionaire Sam Zell was the winning bidder.

Disrespect was a common theme with Sox players and coaches during spring training. According to the South Siders, the national media wasn't giving them their dues. While this disrespect created bulletin board material all March, the Sox are singing a different tune after they lived up to preseason expectations in their season opener, getting smoked 12-5 by the Cleveland Indians.

It's hard to hope a Chicago team loses, unless it's the White Sox, but for Blackhawks fans, wins at this point hurt the team.

Nothing like waiting until the last minute, just ask Cubs general manager Jim Hendry who is apparently calling the bluff of staff ace to Carlos Zambrano who has threatened to seek greener pastures next year unless the Cubs finalize a contract extension by opening day.

The more things change, the more they stay the same for the Cubs. A $300 million off-season spending spree, the hire of all-world manager Lou Piniella and the breaking news that billionaire Sam Zell will buy the Tribune Company, only to sell the Cubs at season's end all had little impact Monday, as the Cubs picked up where they left off last year, dropping a lackluster season opener 5-1 to the Reds.

Going into Saturday afternoon's game against the Cavs, expectations for the Bulls were at an all-time high for the post-Jordan era.

Mark Prior will start the season with Triple-A Iowa and he didn't go down without a fight. In fact, the delicate starter put on "quite the crying game" when Cubs manager Lou Piniella broke the news to him in a meeting earlier this week.