Sports Notes, 2/10/08: Brief Break From Hibernation Edition

-- Pitchers and catchers report on Thursday, Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, which is fitting since that's a day that's always been made for -- ahem -- pitchers and catchers.

-- But all kidding aside, baseball is huge because we're at a serious lull in the Chicago sports scene. The Blackhawks and Bulls are losing regularly, I'm getting sick of talking about Illinois' lack of senior leadership and inability to hit free throws, and Nortwestern and DePaul aren't going to be relevant for a long, long time.

-- Brian Urlacher has neck surgery the other day. The weight of carrying that team must have finally gotten to him.

-- Mike Huckabee is the George Mason of the presidential Final Four, except for the part where people liked George Mason.

-- Quitting on his kids in the middle of the season was the final selfish act in the selfish career of the most selfish man to ever coach a college basketball game, Bob Knight.

-- And don't tell me about his extraordinary acts of kindness. Among truly kind people, those acts are ordinary.