Slaving away in front of a wall of hot, high-definition televisions is a dirty job, but I am a selfless coach potato.
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Thursday night usually means boys night out for me but a loud, crowded bar is no place for somebody committed to a firm grip on the remote control.
The time in my basement represents a relentless work ethic. Welcome to my workshop.
5:52: The Bulls and Cavs deserve center-ring treatment. The three monitors above are programmed to Cubs at Mets, the NFL draft on ESPN and ESPNews.
6:12: Luol Deng makes an easy hoop, swipes the in-bounds pass and scores again. Bulls out to a quick 6-2 lead.
6:16: Derrek Lee flies to right and the Cubs go down in order in the first.
6:28: Two-minute warning. Getting close to Roger Goodell utterting the six most exciting words in sports: “The Rams are on the clock.”
6:38: The first quarter is a wrap and the Bulls have a 32-21 lead.
Quick flip to New York, where Len Kasper is singing the praises of Geovany Soto. Soto flies to center for the third out of the second innning and the Cubs waste a leadoff double by Marlon Byrd.
6:39: Sam Bradford is a St. Louis Ram. Mercy, what a dumb pick when you’re the Rams.
6:56: The U.C. is rockin’ as Joakim Noah draws a foul on Lebron James, cans both free throws. Bulls by 12 with 3:31 to go in the first half.
Back to the draft. With the fourth pick, Washington takes offensive tackle Trent Williams, Oklahoma. I wonder if they’ll like him as much as the Bears like Chris WIlliams.
7:03: Call the pizza man. Tradition on hockey night.
7:05: Soto strands two more in scoring position in the fourth and Johan Santana escapes the fourth. Still scoreless.
7:06 :Bulls and Cavs hit the break. Bulls lead by 11.
7:10: Jake Peavy’s first pitch to Jason Bartlett is a strike. Comcast Sportsnet’s second additional channel is not in HD for DirecTV customers. Not happy.
7:20: Neil Funk and Stacey King welcome me back for the second half. King looks like he ate radio voice Chuck Swirsky at intermission.
7:24: Kasper morphs into the uncool Chip Caray and references Mel Allen. Step outside for a quick minute for “fresh air.” Imminent puck drop in Nashville has me anxious.
7:27: Tom Gorzelanny allows his first baserunner, walking Luis Castillo with one out in the fourth.
7:29: Bob Brenly can’t name a burrough in New York. Kasper leads him to “blank Island.” Brenly says ” Long Island.” Len politely gives him Staten Island. I love those two.
7:33: Missed the Sox first run. Certain there will be so many more.
7:37: Pat Foley time on the big screen. Lift volume a few decibels. Brian Campbell will play. NFL draft bumped to the lap top. Need a fifth monitor on the main wall.
7:41: Middle of the third quarter, Bulls up 15.
7:43: Peavy laboring. Two Rays on with no outs, top of second.
7:48: Brent Sopel almost pots a cheapy.
7:50: Alfonso Soriano strikes out to finish Cubs in sixth. Still scoreless.
7:53: Pizza man ringing doorbell. He’ll have a wait. Predators are going to the power play.
7:54: Hawks having trouble clearing zone. Mark Teahen homers and its 2-0, Sox.
7:56: Answer door. Tip well for the wait. Perfect timing as pending Hawks powerplay prompts a TV timeout.
7:59: Finally! Hawks score after peppering Pekka Rinne with rebounds after Duncan Keith’s blast from the deep slot. It’s Patrick Sharp’s first playoff goal. Eddie Olczyk is a happy human.
8:02: Trouble in New York. Gorzelanny yields a two-out, punch single in the fourth to right by Jeff Francoeur. Mets lead is 2-0. It’s uh-oh time at the Cell as well. Sacks full of Rays in the third and Evan Longoria is at the dish with no outs,
8:05 :Bulls by double digits still, 81-71 with 10 minutes left in the game. Hawks shorthanded again. Tomas Kopecky goes off and Smashville begins its 14th powerplay of the series.
8:08 :Dave Bolland joins Kopecky in the box for delay of game. Foley declares the 1:50 of two-man advantage a critical point in the game with less than five minutes left in the first.
8:10: David Legwand, who terrorized the Hawks in Game 3, runs Antti Niemi and goes to the box. Cavs pulling closer, 88-81.
8:13: I look up and the Sox are down 3-2 with Tampa still hackin’. Same old, same old. Peavy to the bullpen soon?
8:16: Cubs kicking it around. Mets, 4-0 in the sixth. Season of death marches through three weeks. Both sides of town.
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8:18: End of first period, Hawks up 1-0. Back to Bulls on the big dog to see if LeBron James buries ’em late again. Lead has been cut to four, 92-88. Flip Murray in for a defensive boost, according to King.
8:22: Draft already to the 17th pick. Still don’t know if my guy Jimmy Clausen is on the board. Mad at the NFL for encroaching on such a big night.
8:30: King is tough on Luol Deng for bad defense with Bulls clinging to 6-point lead with 1:30 left.
8:31: Deng responds and strips James. Kirk Hinrich buries a pair of free throws (27 on the night) and it’s 104-96 with :38 to go. Looking like Noah is going back to Cleveland. Hawks and Preds are back to work.
8:34: Clausen is still on the board. Eagles fans will love Michigan’s Brandon Graham.
8:36: Derrick Rose hits one of two free throws. With 10 seconds to go, it’s 105-102. Wondering if James is the first option.
8:41: More free throws. Hate the end of NBA games.
8:42: Brad Miller hits both, Bulls lead 107-103 with 6.2 seconds left.
8:43: Unchallenged, Mo Williams sticks a three. Not over yet. King is on Deng again. Bulls by one with 3.8 left. Time out, Bulls. Come on, they’re five minutes into the second period in Nashvlle.
8:45: Deng is fouled. More free throws with 3.5 left. Hits first, misses second. Last second prayer misses. Bulls hang on, 108-106. Back to pucks on the surround sound before a Sarah Kustok interview with Hinrich.
8:46: Hawks dodge a bullet after a Keith turnover to Joel Ward.
8:50: Sox trailing 7-2 in the bottom of the fifth. No idea how. Not a priority tonight. Plenty more beatings to consume this season.
8:54: The Patriots are on the clock with the 24th pick. Mel Kiper’s best available are Clausen, Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant and Tennessee DT Dan Williams.
8:59: Quiet in Sour Mash Country as Jonathan Toews slams home a rebound with a little more than seven minutes left in second. Hawks, 2-0.
9:04: Broncos select Tim Tebow. He’s all Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn were missing. Dumb. NFL teams do stupid things. Every year.
9:05: Foley and Olczyk praising Hawks for attacking the net. ‘Bout time.
9:06: Cubs are in business in the eighth with a run in and Tyler Colvin batting with runners on first and second.
9:09: Colvin fans. Inning, rally over.
9:11: Sharp turns on the after burners and scores again, beating Rinne stick-side, with a big wrist shot. Hawks, 3-0. I’m having The Glenlivet.
9:13: Troy Brouwer in the box. Never an easy moment, even up by a three-pack.
9:17: Hawks kill the penalty and after two periods, Niemi is en route to his second shutout of the series.
9:18: Mets add a run and we go to the ninth. Second period is a wrap and it’s all Blackhawks.
9:23: Mets finish Cubs, 5-2. On to Milwaukee for Lou Piniella and his pen full of Carloses.
9:24: Sox still down, 7-2. Wondering if Hawk Harrelson is putting a log on the 1967 Red Sox fire. Cell time.
9:31: On a 3-0 count, Carlos Pena clears the bases with a double. Fight at the Tampa bat rack in the eighth. Another arduous exercise in Chicago baseball soon will be over. The Jets are on the clock with the 29th pick and Clausen is still waiting to hear his name called. Will Texas’ Colt McCoy will go before him?
9:39: Back to hockey for the third. Right thumb is blistering.
9:41: I realize how little I’ve missed Chris Berman tonight. The hated Vikings are on the clock.
9:45: Hawks continue with good offensive pressure. Marian Hossa almost scores his first postseason goal, but Rinne stops the wrap-around attempt. Hasn’t been this quiet in Tennessee since Elvis died.
9:57 Sox down to their last bullet. Cheers to the several hundred peeps still in the house.
9:58: Preds coach Barry Trotz looks like a Vulcan Edward G. Robinson. Just two minutes to go. Preds on powerplay and Rinne has been pulled. Keith is offsides on an easy empty netter to bust his Hawks cherry, but no dice. Sox have been tucked in bed. 10-2 final. Swell. Another stellar night of Chicago baseball.
10:03: All over in the South, 3-zip Hawks. Foley closes the night with “Another … Niemi no-no!” Olczyk giggles. So do I. I’ve had a long night and needed a laugh. And another Scotch.
Dan McNeil hosts the “The Danny Mac Show” weekdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on WSCR-AM 670.