The Wire Season 4: Marlo Stanfield, Baltimore’s serial killer

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The genius of the character of Marlo Stanfield is that a textless, bold-colored headband came to feel too flashy.

He opened without one, an intro so perfect yet under the radar because the scene is about Bubbles, not this unnamed, previously unknown character whose first appearance departing a building is teamed with the sound of a bird chirping, as if Marlo is a hawk fledging from his nest and preparing to hunt the people of Baltimore like squirrels.

Continue reading “The Wire Season 4: Marlo Stanfield, Baltimore’s serial killer”

Radio, TV, and podcast appearances, 2015-present

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Me and Laurence Holmes for my Score debut, July 15, 2016. Thanks Laurence!

Radio, TV, and podcast appearances

(titles are links)

2015 – present

9 FEB 2023 — On Devin Hester’s Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacy, with Laurence Holmes on “Football Night in Chicago” on NBC Sports Chicago

6 FEB 2023 — On Devin Hester’s Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacy and a look at the candidacies of Peanut Tillman, Lance Briggs, Olin Kreutz, Ruben Brown and Randall Cunningham, with Bill Zimmerman on “Bears Banter” on Windy City Gridiron (video) and Audacy (audio)

20 JAN 2023 — On George McCaskey’s evolution on Black hiring with regards to Kevin Warren, with Laurence Holmes on “Bernstein & Holmes” on 670 The Score

16 JAN 2023 — On George McCaskey’s evolution on Black hiring and the modernization of the franchise with regards to Kevin Warren, with Steven Negishi on The Double A Team podcast

5 JAN 2023 — On Virginia McCaskey turning 100 along with a look at the Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacies of Devin Hester and Lance Briggs, with Alex Shapiro on Football Night in Chicago on NBC Sports Chicago

1 DEC 2022 — Featured NFL historian for “American Football” podcast series covering the early days of the NFL, produced by HISTORY Channel, SMAC Entertainment / Michael Strahan and Misher Films, and narrated by Kate Mara, released on Audible (here me in the trailer,  with excerpts from episode 7 on Red Grange and episode 8 on the 1926 fight for Red Grange)

8 SEP 2022 — (newspaper interview) On the Philadelphia Eagles’s history of Black quarterbacks, story by Jeff McLane in the Philadelphia Inquirer

3 AUG 2022 — Playing Tecmo Super Bowl against Weekend Gabe on Gabe Plays

18 JULY 2022 — On Steve McMichael’s Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacy, with Nicholas Moreano, Kevin Kaduk and Will DeWitt on CHGO Bears on CHGO

15 MAY 2022 — On the legacy of Frank Thomas, with Deremy Dove and Jose Ruiz on Bigger Than the Game

7 FEB 2022 — On Brian Flores’s discrimination lawsuit against three NFL teams and the NFL, with Santita Jackson on “The Santita Jackson Show” on WCPT

2 FEB 2022 — On Bears diversity history, George McCaskey’s evolution and how they tie into the Brian Flores lawsuit, with Dan Bernstein on “Bernstein & Rahimi” on 670 The Score

6 AUG 2021 — On Scottie Pippen’s claims that Phil Jackson was racist, with TPJ on Bulls Fan Pod

1 JULY 2021 — On Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals and John Paxson’s shot, with Deremy Dove and Jose Ruiz on Bigger Than the Game

11 MAR 2021 — On a variety of Chicago sports topics — including Michael Jordan and George Halas — with Kirk Buckner on The Buck Stops Here of the Not in the Hall of Fame

29 OCT 2020 — On the odds of Peanut, Briggs and Kreutz for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the Bears’ 1936 throwback jerseys, with Brendan Sugrue on The 46 Pod

6 MAY 2020 — On the Richard Esquinas – Michael Jordan gambling controversy, with Laurence Holmes on the House of L Podcast

15 AUG 2020 — On all things Bulls dynasty, with Rashawn Franklin on The Rashawn Franklin Podcast

19 APR 2020 — On The Last Dance and the Bulls dynasty, with Pavy and TPJ on Hoops N Brews

29 MAR 2020 — On the Bulls dynasty, with Mark Carman on WGN Radio

18 MAR 2020 — On Michael Jordan’s comeback, with four-time NBA champion and Bulls legend Will Perdue, and Tony Gill, on NBC Sports Chicago

31 JAN 2020 — On the 1984 Bears and the origins of the Gatorade shower, with Mike Lowe on WGN TV

2 OCT 2019 — On the Bears’ 1936 throwback jerseys, George Halas and the NFL’s 12-year ban on black players, with Greg Braggs and Joey 2 Scoops on Chi Fans in The Stands

27 SEP 2019 — On the Bears’ 1936 throwback jerseys, George Halas and the NFL’s 12-year ban on black players, with Sarah Spain and Jordan Cornette on “Spain and Company,” ESPN Radio

26 SEP 2019 — On the Bears’ 1936 throwback jerseys, George Halas and the NFL’s 12-year ban on black players, with Kyle Means on Regal Radio

26 SEP 2019 — On the Bears’ 1936 throwback jerseys, George Halas and the NFL’s 12-year ban on black players, with Paul Lukas of Uni Watch, Sports Illustrated (written article, and though he did not use the interview we did, I want to include this here)

25 SEP 2019 — On the Bears’ 1936 throwback jerseys, George Halas and the NFL’s 12-year ban on black players, with James Wickham on BBC

Continue reading “Radio, TV, and podcast appearances, 2015-present”

This one’s for Cleveland.

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I’ve never felt thrilled for another city’s fans. Not like this.

That is nearly the exact same intro I used for my column May 14, 2010, the day after the Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated by the Boston Celtics — AKA the final game LeBron played as a member of the Cavs until his return last year.

You’ll notice, though, that it’s not EXACTLY the same intro. We’ve got one key word that’s different. Forget “ill.” Add “thrilled.” Continue reading “This one’s for Cleveland.”

How The GOAT Was Built: 6 Life Lessons From the 1996 Chicago Bulls

GOAT cover (book by Jack Silverstein, design by Zachary Gibson, Bag Fry)

Way back in October, back when the Bulls’ record of 72 wins was safe, I began an essay about the 12 moves the Bulls made between June 1993 and October 1995 that turned an aged, bickering, 57-win champion into a flourishing, rejuvenated, 72-win juggernaut.

Seven months later, I have a 13,000-word e-book and have spent more time reading about and watching clips of the 1995-96 Bulls than any time other than 1995-96. I’ll save you the suspense: It’s been a sweet 7 months!

Thus I am very proud to release “How The GOAT Was Built: 6 Life Lessons From the 1996 Chicago Bulls.”

READ AND DOWNLOAD THE PDF VERSION: How the GOAT was built — by Jack M Silverstein

For an iBooks copy for your phone, email readjack.com@gmail.com.

More e-book options to come.

To read the six lessons without the prologue or epilogue, (but with lots and lots of video!), click the links below: Continue reading “How The GOAT Was Built: 6 Life Lessons From the 1996 Chicago Bulls”

“My coach is everything” — Phil Jackson’s influence on the 1996 Chicago Bulls

Lesson 6 copy

Excerpt from “How The GOAT Was Built: Six Life Lessons From the 1996 Chicago Bulls

Lesson #6: Find a coach who will help you be your best self

by Jack M Silverstein (@readjack)

In the summer of 1996, after winning his fourth championship, Michael Jordan came within 30 minutes of signing with the New York Knicks.

“New York was right downstairs,” Jordan told Spike Lee in “Best Seat In the House.” “The Bulls — all they had to do was mess up.”

The Knicks had an offer on the table for Jordan: one year, $25 million. “We told (Jordan’s team) they could have all our cap room,” Madison Square Garden President Dave Checketts said at the time.

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Could Michael Jordan have joined the Knicks? According to the man himself, it almost happened in 1996. (Photo illustration by Patrick Ortega, found at ballislife.com)

Continue reading ““My coach is everything” — Phil Jackson’s influence on the 1996 Chicago Bulls”

Chris Dudley, Horace Grant, and the strangest “What If?” of the 1996 Chicago Bulls

Lesson 5

Excerpt from “How The GOAT Was Built: Six Life Lessons From the 1996 Chicago Bulls

Lesson #5: Don’t panic — that bad break today might be the luck you need tomorrow

by Jack M Silverstein (@readjack)

I believe in the planning and principles behind the ‘96 Bulls and the whole second three-peat. A lot of sound reasoning went into those teams. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any luck.

As I researched this team, I had fun diving into history’s wrinkles — those mostly forgotten sharp left turns our memories ironed into straightaways. The lesson: like the parable of the Chinese farmer, you truly never know if an event will end up being good luck or bad, so plan the best you can, react pragmatically, and move on.

And with that, here are my two favorite “what if?” moments of the 1996 Bulls — they’re related.

What if Chris Dudley didn’t sign with the Trail Blazers in 1993?

I know what you’re thinking: What the hell does Chris Dudley joining Portland in 1993 have to do with the ‘96 Bulls? If I hadn’t come across this arcane bit of history I would be asking the exact same question. Continue reading “Chris Dudley, Horace Grant, and the strangest “What If?” of the 1996 Chicago Bulls”

The Other 10: How Phil Jackson and Jerry Krause rebuilt the totem pole and created a new champion

Lesson 3

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Excerpt from “How The GOAT Was Built: Six Life Lessons From the 1996 Chicago Bulls

Lesson #3: Surround yourself with humble talent for a unified mission

by Jack M Silverstein (@readjack)

The biggest fallacy about the 1990s Bulls is that they won six championships. That is, that one team won six.

In reality, two teams won three. Continue reading “The Other 10: How Phil Jackson and Jerry Krause rebuilt the totem pole and created a new champion”

33-23 = 1.8, but 33+23 = 72

Lesson 2

Excerpt from “How The GOAT Was Built: Six Life Lessons From the 1996 Chicago Bulls” (Read the book here)

Lesson #2: Don’t be afraid to push your limits — or to find peace and excellence within them

by Jack M Silverstein (@readjack)

The championship Bulls don’t work without Scottie Pippen. So naturally the Bulls tried to trade him approximately a bajillion times between 1994 and 1998. In telling the story of the 1996 Bulls — and gleaning from that story wisdom for our own lives and pursuits — two abandoned Pippen trades stand out.

Incredibly, both failed because the OTHER team balked.

The first was between the Bulls and SuperSonics on the eve of the 1994 draft, the Pippen-for-Kemp deal that failed when Seattle got cold feet.

The second was in February 1995, when the Clippers tried to acquire Pippen at a time when he was dead set on leaving.

“I don’t want to be here (with the Bulls) the rest of the season,” Pippen said in early February. “I’m hoping teams are thinking about me. I’m still ready to get out of here. I’m looking for a different place, a different team, a different perspective on my career. I’ve got 18 days to go (to the February 23 trading deadline). The countdown is on. Just say I’m showcasing myself out here.” Continue reading “33-23 = 1.8, but 33+23 = 72”

There Could Never Be an 8-Peat: Why Michael Jordan Needed Baseball

Michael Jordan 1993 baseball 1994 White Sox 1996 NBA Finals champagne

Excerpt from “How The GOAT Was Built: Six Life Lessons From the 1996 Chicago Bulls” (Read the book here)

Lesson #1: If your head approves, follow your heart

by Jack M Silverstein (@readjack)

“I think he had to get away from everything. It all overwhelmed him.”

“I think he had gotten so tired of the hype and so tired of the media that he wanted to find a place where he could play and really just have fun.”

“I think Mike is doing this just so he can get away from the insanity of pro basketball.”

“Maybe Mike’s doing this because he just wants to be a player again.”

“Here’s a guy, the greatest of all times, letting nothing stand in the way of what he loves to do, and that’s just play ____________.”

— Marv Albert, Ahmad Rashad, David Robinson, Harold Miner, and John Thompson, February 1994

The best evidence that Michael Jordan’s 1993 retirement and subsequent short-lived baseball career was on the level and NOT a secret NBA suspension due to gambling, or an NBA marketing ploy to develop new stars in the Jordan vacuum, or any other theory, is simple: There’s no evidence. Continue reading “There Could Never Be an 8-Peat: Why Michael Jordan Needed Baseball”

Dub-Bulls: How the 1996 Bulls led the small-ball revolution by going big

1996 Bulls 2016 Warriors (Jack M Silverstein)

Excerpt from “How The GOAT Was Built: Six Life Lessons From the 1996 Chicago Bulls

Lesson #4: Think creatively about your shortcomings

by Jack M Silverstein (@readjack)

Twenty years later, my number one vision of the Chicago Bulls in the spring of 1996 is 20 limbs and an approximate 35-foot combined wingspan fanned out like a flying octagon — five players between 6’6 and 6’11, four with point guard skills, four who could defend three positions, and a genius on the sideline joining his players in synced consciousness.

In short, they were awesome.

It’s no coincidence that the Warriors are too.

While watching Golden State this season, my thoughts have returned time and again to one question and one question only: Why? Why these Warriors? Why after Shaq & Kobe and Duncan’s Spurs and the Big 3 Heat and the Big 3 Celtics — why is THIS the team that finally made a successful run at 70 wins, much less 73? Continue reading “Dub-Bulls: How the 1996 Bulls led the small-ball revolution by going big”