Sports Notes, 12/2/07:

-- First, a shout-out to my favorite Washington Redskins fan, Scott Rowan, after the tragic death of Sean Taylor. Scott’s probably not the only Redskins fan who also graduated from Virginia Tech, making it a double-whammy of senseless gun violence this year for a lot of people.

-- Of course, just four days from now I have to turn around and root against him when the BEARS and Redskins meet on Thursday night.

-- Seriously, though, with the emotional toll this incident must be taking, you have to think the short week will be harder on the Redskins than the BEARS, breathing yet another thin wisp of oxygen into this flickering flame of playoff hope.

-- Speaking of the BEARS, check this out: Devin Hester has 12 kick returns for touchdowns in 27 regular-season games. Only three other guys have 12 or more (Brian Mitchell has 13), and they needed … well, I didn’t catch the exact numbers off the ESPN graphic, but it was in the neighborhood of 200 games each. Devin Hester is the Babe Ruth of kick returns.

-- In case anyone’s wondering, it turns out that the 12 kick returns do include the Giants’ missed field goal and the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl. Still, Hester is pretty good.

-- Kirk Hinrich got booed for an errant pass, with the game on the line, to Joe-Kim Noah in a 2-on-no-one breakaway Tuesday night in the Bulls’ win. What I can’t believe is, now that Noah is a Bull, that it’s taken me this long to get around to making fun of his hair.

-- I saw a headline Saturday that said Chicago Wins Behind Byfuglien's 4 Points, and I thought, what the hell is a Byfuglien and what sport could that possibly mean? Turns out he had a hat trick and an assist Friday night for the surging Blackhawks. I have GOT to get back on the Hawks train.

-- Remember all those things I said would have to happen for Ohio State to play for the national championship? That scenario is actually looking pretty tame compared to what really did happen.

-- The other day on PTI (or maybe it was Around The Horn), Tony Reali referred to the University of Pittsburgh head football coach, and former BEARS head coach, as “Wannstache.” How come none of us thought of that?

-- For a guy who has stuck by the Cubs through thick and thin and accepted his bullpen role with grace, I sure wish Kerry Wood is wildly successful as the Cubs’ new closer.