I couldn't fight it any longer. The first sports post.

It has been a roller coaster week full of exciting new developments. Yes, I got to do trigonometry and calculus in the span of two days! Actually, this has been a fantastic week and I have tons to say about it, but I want to wait until it reaches its thrilling conclusion tomorrow. In the meantime, you get to enjoy the first sports-related post of the McQ Blog. Just what you've been waiting for.

I know that everyone will stop reading at this point, but it seems like nobody amongst my friends and associates likes basketball or baseball. I need a place to spit all these thoughts out, and guess what? It's my blog party, and I'll opine on a pop fly if I want to.

First, the Bulls. The Bulls just ended their search for a new head coach, a process that went on for about as long as the Democratic Primary. They needed someone to inject some life into their players, and they passed (or whiffed) on some big names along the way. After numerous false leads and much debate, they finally settled on Vinny del Negro. Vinny del Negro has never coached a basketball team in any capacity at any level in his entire life. To be honest, I don't particularly care. For some reason, I didn't want any of the big name coaches because they're expensive, and they tend not to stick around for very long. I was sort of pulling for Duane Casey, a coach who seemed energetic and capable but got the shaft a few years ago in Minnesota.

Vinny del Negro is an exciting choice for two reasons: One, he has an awesome name, and two, he kind of looks like Scott Baio. The Orlando Magic have a head coach who kind of looks like famous porn star Ron Jeremy, so when the two teams face each other they'll have opposing coaches who look like legendary "actors" who have scored with tons of women. But I digress.

I always liked getting Vinny del Negro's basketball card when he used to play for the San Antonio Spurs. Again, I really liked his name. People forget that Phil Jackson was a total nobody when Jerry Krause plucked him out of the CBA to coach the Bulls. Now he's the Zen Master. You have to start somewhere, and here's to hoping that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship for Mr. del Negro and my beloved Bulls.

And now on to the Cubbies! I'm going to be honest. I miss everyone back home, but one of the hardest things about leaving Chicago was knowing I wouldn't be around while the Cubs were in first place. It's a different city when the Cubs are winning. As of right now, they have the best record in the majors, and they look like a machine. I would say more, but I just want to enjoy the ride.

This is my last sports-related train of thought, although it has less to do about sports than it does about journalism. I recently listened to a podcast featuring a writer for ESPN's web site named J.A. Adande. Adande graduated from Northwestern (like many prominent members of the sports media, actually) and quickly earned a major post writing for the L.A. Times. He recently left the Times to join ESPN full-time. I was struck by his eloquence, his humility, his way with words--sometimes journalists read great on paper but don't come off the same way in person. He's obviously very talented, and he chose to leave the big name newspaper for an online outlet.

Sam Smith, a longtime NBA writer and my favorite sports journalist, recently took a buyout from the Chicago Tribune and now writes for an independent basketball blog. Tony Kornheiser took a buyout from the Washington Post. He hosts a sports show for ESPN. In some ways it's odd that these venerated writers are being encouraged to leave their papers, but it's understandable from a business standpoint. What I find intriguing is that someone as young and talented as Adande would opt for the online gig over the newspaper job. It's part of a growing trend in the general decline of the printed word, at least the word printed in ink as opposed to digital pixels. Newspapers will still have their place, but they won't have the scope or depth they once had. How long will it be before the Huffington Post eclipses the New York Post? It's strange to think about how many daily newspapers used to circulate in the Chicago area alone. Now it looks like the Sun-Times might be on its way out, leaving the Trib and the Daily Herald.

I want to lament the erosion of the newspaper industry. I find it sad that I will no longer be able to flip open the Tribune sports section on Monday morning to read the Sam Smith column I've enjoyed since childhood. But to be honest with you, it's been years since I read his Monday column in a newspaper; I read it online instead. With the best young writers following J.A. Adande's lead and heading to the digital realm, the internet is obviously taking command of the evolution of the printed news media. It is lamentable because we lose something familiar, something I can relate to my childhood dreams of becoming a sports writer, but I haven't written a letter to the editor to express my grief. I've chosen to create a blog entry instead.