Illinois

For Bulls fans, Monday night seemed like déjà vu. Watching their team play three strong quarters of basketball, then relinquish the lead with less than three minutes to play has been an all too familiar theme this season. Same [expletive deleted], different day.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has a phrase that sums up his catcher's relationship with others: "If A.J. is not on your team, you hate him. If A.J. is on your team, you hate him less." While it's not obvious whether or not the patrons of the Tucson, Ariz., Olive Garden were Sox fans, after Monday's tirade accompanied his soup, salad and breadsticks lunch, the restaurant-goers certainly do hate Pierzynski.

While the worst of his legal battles involving a shooting in his homeland seem to be behind him, White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe may have to make more trips to the Dominican Republic as the 2007 season wears on. Always the optimist, Uribe is focusing on the frequent flyer miles he'll continue to rack up while the legal system takes it course.

Arm and shoulder problems have been an all too familiar refrain for Mark Prior over the past few seasons. However, the Cubs are using a new approach to keep the porcelain-based starter healthy this year: Pitching underhand.

The Blackhawks skated to an easy win Sunday afternoon as they dominated the St. Louis Blues 4-1. Star Winger Martin Havlat scored his 24th of the year.

For the amount of time equivalent to a Britney Spears' rehab stay, the Bulls' bandwagon was loaded and gaining momentum. That's what three big wins in a row will do for a team. But a disappointing, if not typical, loss in a hot and cold weekend has jettisoned all but the truest Bulls fans.

The trade deadline has come and gone, and the Bulls are hedging their bets with their current lineup. There was, however, no shortage of trade rumors surrounding the team throughout the past few weeks. Below we break down several of the trades that almost happened.