While school has been out for a couple weeks, professional sports did not stop. With everything going on it can be difficult to keep up with the Blackhawks, Bulls, and Bears. Here’s a check in to see how each of their seasons are going so far.

Bears

I suppose we’ll go in order from most disappointing to most successful, so we’ll start with the beloved Chicago Bears, who sit in last place of the NFC North with an atrocious 5-11 record.This year was supposed to be THE year. Granted us Bears fans say that almost every year, this year we were to have a much improved offensive line, an offense led by arguably the best wide receiver duo in the league (Marshall and Jeffery), star running back Matt Forte, and oh of course, Jay Cutler. The cause of our joy as well as our misery. He hasn’t done all that bad this year actually, with the exception of his interceptions, but what else is new. The Bears were eliminated from playoff contention quickly and to further worsen the situation, Brandon Marshall was injured and ruled out for the season. The final game of the season was dropped to the Minnesota Vikings, sealing our fate at the bottom of the NFC North. There’s always next year right? On the bright side, we’ve secured the 7th pick in the draft. In addition, our GM, Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator were fired, so now begins the search for some coaches.

Bulls

The Bulls are off to a great start sitting at 24-10, they are currently seeded 3rd in the conference. Carmelo Anthony probably wishes he was here, just look at the Knicks. Anyways, though the start has been good so far and they’re still in great (early) contention to get to the Finals, there’s still a lot of room for concern. Injuries. Injuries. Injuries. Out of 34 games, Derrick Rose has played 24, Taj Gibson with 25, and Joakim Noah 27. While it’s early, injuries have plagued the Bulls for such a long time, Derrick Rose specifically. On the bright side they’ve hit the jackpot with backup guards, now with Aaron Brooks. Derrick Rose who? Pau Gasol is seeming like one of the best free agent signings the Bulls have ever had. Jimmy Butler has erupted into a star, leading the team in scoring. His 40 minutes per game might be a concern though. Since the Eastern Conference is much lighter than the West, the Bulls should have no trouble staying atop the East and hopefully making a run for the Finals. Let’s hope for an injury free season so that we can watch the dynamic Bulls we know and love. I firmly believe that the Bulls will be playing in the Finals this year, especially seeing how easy the East is (by comparison) but it won’t be a smooth ride.

Blackhawks

Ah the amazing, winning Chicago Blackhawks. Now I’m not very big on hockey myself but I really should follow it more. The Hawks win year after year. That’s more than you can say for some teams (yes I’m still bitter about the Bears!) The season started off great until they hit a bit of a losing streak. Quickly they turned things around and went on an eight game winning streak. They were able to come back from 17th place in the league to now sixth overall, standing third in their conference with a record of 25-11-2.Patrick Kane is leading the team in points with 18 goals and 23 assists, followed by Jonathan Toews with 13 goals and 19 assists. All three goalies are playing exceptional with save percentages of .920 and above. Nothing but good things to say about the Hawks so far, and I’m excited to witness another fantastic playoff run.