Sometimes sports can be an escape from often grim realities that surround us on a daily basis, but in Chicago the nightmare of gun violence has disturbingly frequent. Over Easter weekend, the Bulls started their playoff series against the Washington Wizards, one which they now trail two games to none. On the same weekend, there were over 40 shootings, mostly on the city's South side. The epidemic of gun violence in America has been particularly harsh in Chicago. In 2012, there were 503 homicides, and although that number dropped to 415 in 2013, the city continues to struggle with gang-related violence.
Chicago has always been a tough town. It was home of some of the most infamous mobsters in American history, including the likes of Al Capone. The current Bulls team represents the city's toughness in many regards. Their star guard, Chicago native Derrick Rose, remains sidelined due to injury. Meanwhile, the consistent hustle of center Joakim Noah continued to inspire the rest of the team to will their way to the fourth seed in the playoffs. Every player on Chicago plays solid defense. Head coach Tom Thibodeau demands nothing less. The challenge for the Bulls all season has been scoring, and it appears that they may be outmatched athletically by a younger, faster Washington team.
Nevertheless, the Bulls should continue to be a presence in the Eastern conference for years to come, and with the possibility of Carmelo Anthony joining the team this summer, there is reason to be optimistic for hoops heads in the Windy City. In the mean time, Chicago address the problem of violence in the city, because whether the Bulls win or not, people are still losing lives.
And that's much more unacceptable than lousy offense.
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