The sides served with a Chicago-style hot dog during the post-Thanksgiving weekend.

It’s Sunday. The Bears play the Eagles in exactly three hours and sixteen minutes at Soldier Field. I’ll be tuning in via my computer, since our local Wichita station chooses to show the Tampa Bay/Baltimore game. Yeah, I’m sure those are regional games… So while most of football nation, especially the Fantasy leaguers, are focused on an ex-con QB, the Bears loyal will be pondering, okay make that fretting over which Cutler will be showing up on the field. The stubborn, poor decision-making, defiant ex-Bronco or the slowed, conservative, methodical, on-the-verge-(finally)-of-maturity QB. It’s a literal coin toss each game day. I can rely on Hester to create energy. I can count on the defense to elicit fear and ignite passion. But when it comes to the offense, it’s a little hard to be positive with Sybil at the helm. We shall see. Will it be Cool Hand or Loose Cannon Cutler?

The Fighting Illini are 6-1, the only loss at the hands of Texas. And the #10 Purdue Boilermakers fell to Richmond last night. This is big going into Tuesday night’s game against the Tar Heels. Ah, what a week. Two Shocker home games (Monday and Wednesday) and an Illini game on Tuesday. Christmas is coming early.

The Bulls. The annual Circus Road Trip. 16- point deficit. Derrick Rose.

The Rose scored 30 points in 42 minutes and lead the fourth quarter comeback to defeat the Sacramento Kings. The Kings were outscored 27-9 in that fourth quarter. This is the first winning Circus Road trip since the 1997-98 season. What is the Circus Road Trip? It’s that wonderful (heavy sarcasm) time of year when the Bulls and Blackhawks are replaced by elephants, lions, and trapeze artists at the United Center. Yes, the Ringling Bros send the Bulls and Blackhawks packing, to either return home victorious or sluggish, but still feeling as if they were  the ones sticking their heads in the mouths of the lions.

But thanks to Rose, Noah, and a rejuvenated defense, the return home for the Bulls will smell much sweeter. Much better than hay, popcorn and elephant poo.