--The NBA schedule-makers showed a sense of humor by sending former Bulls coach Scott Skiles and the Milwaukee Bucks to open the 2008-09 season at the United Center on Oct. 28. Even though the Bulls nearly broke their franchise scoring record late last season against Milwaukee, this game won't be easy. The Bulls have a recent history of playing poorly in their home openers, while the Bucks added notorious Bulls' killer Richard Jefferson from the Nets this summer.
After that, the Bulls will face their usual road-heavy slate in November. This year's trek seems even tougher than usual, because while the Bulls play 10 of their first 16 games on the road, eight of the 10 road dates are against teams that made the playoffs last season. The Bulls will take on six of the eight teams that reached the second round of the playoffs -- Boston, Orlando, Cleveland, the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah and San Antonio -- on the road before Thanksgiving. On the other end, they will play eight of the final 11 games of the regular season at the United Center. --The Bulls have shuffled their broadcast teams for the coming season. Veteran play-by-play man Neil Funk will move from radio to television, joining analyst Stacey King. Meanwhile, Chuck Swirsky returns to Chicago after several years as voice of the Toronto Raptors. He will handle radio duties with Bill Wennington. Long-time announcer Johnny "Red" Kerr will continue to have a presence on the Bulls' television broadcasts, but will no longer travel with the team. Tom Dore and Wayne Larivee, who both worked Bulls games for more than a decade, are out of the picture.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I've always wanted to be here. It is just a matter of if the Bulls feel I'm an important enough part to make that commitment to me. If not, then a sign-and-trade's an option." -- G Ben Gordon, who has been locked in a contract stalemate with the Bulls for most of the summer.
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