Front Page Of The Tribune Sports Section Makes It Real, The Derrick Rose Era Is Over In Chicago

I said it yesterday but I’ll say it again. I knew that Derrick Rose being traded and not putting a Bulls uniform on this October was a strong possibility but I’m still shocked it actually happened. No city will ever have such a complicated fan/athlete relationship quite like the one Chicago fans and Derrick Rose had. It was such a roller coaster. From the highest of highs, rookie of the Year and MVP, to the lowest of lows, a thousand knee injuries and endless drama. But throughout all of it one thing never really changed, we always wanted Derrick Rose to succeed in Chicago. We always rooted for things to work out. But many people, myself included, had started to come to the realization these last couple of years that it wasn’t going to happen. He and Jimmy were never going to get along long term, he and the front office were never going to agree on his value as a free agent come 2017, he and Hoiberg would probably never coexist. It just wasn’t in the cards. I desperately wanted it to happen, to have Derrick Rose take us to the promised land, but we all knew that ship had sailed a long time ago. I’ll always root for Derrick, going to the Knicks won’t change my feelings for the guy, but I think I speak for all Bulls fans when I say this had to happen and waking up this morning, letting it all set in, I had nothing but relief. We’re no longer going to play the “what if” game. What if D-Rose turns back the clock, what if he stays healthy, what if he gets his explosiveness back, what if we can trade him mid season for some valuable asset. That’s someone else’s problem today, and I’m ok with that, I want him to still succeed because I always will want that for D-Rose, but I’m ok it’s now somewhere else that he has to prove it.

Now someone tell me who wrote this for Jimmy? It was quite touching but definitely not from him.