It’s pretty hard to determine when an era in sports begins, let alone when one ends-if it ever began in the first place. Players, the media and fans probably have different thoughts on the subject.

Trade deadlines necessarily force sports franchises to assess where they stand in relation to the past and how the team fits into the present. Chicago is currently suffering through a drought. We can’t sniff a winner at the professional level or at the collegiate level no matter how hard we pretend.

One of our winter sports teams is in transition; a rebuild. Because the team is in such disarray, we’ll never know what stage they are in now. What separates them from the local basketball team is distance.

The Blackhawks won their (6th overall) third of three Stanley Cup’s in 2015 and two of the stars are still on their roster. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are all that remain from the core that won 3 cups in 6 seasons. While the Hawks were on top, they had a larger core of players on whom the franchise achieved great success. When the team was busy signing, resigning members of the core, everyone realized that a time would come (2023) when they would have to make key decisions on Toews and Kane.

Every team has to make these decisions sooner or later, but most don’t have a handful of championships in their pockets. Predicting (guessing) whom to preemptively sign to long-term contracts is more difficult than fans imagine. I think fantasy sports has given fans a false sense of what really goes on with roster formation.

Every franchise defines success differently and in most cases it doesn’t sync up with their fan base’s expectations and definition. Fans generally assume owner’s concept of success syncs up with profit. Some fans believe true success = championships, or at least the path to one.

The Bulls string of championships ended in 1998, a lifetime ago. There’s an entire generation of sports fans in Chicago that have never seen the Bulls hang a banner. Those of us who are old enough to remember that run and have seen the countless number of core groups fall short, should be laughing at this current iteration.

As the NBA trade deadline approaches, everyone is positing whether the current core group: Zach LaVine, Demar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic is worth the effort of building upon or dismantling. Some fans have already determined this particular, Big 3, isn’t all that; lacking a necessary chemistry to be a core group.

There is always the possibility that the front office has misidentified the core within the roster. That sometimes happens when teams, the media and fans merely look at scoring. Better teams often get their points from guys outside the core.

Front office/ownership necessarily has different relationships with their players. Fans form emotional bonds with individuals, for whatever reasons. Management’s investment is far different-no matter how much they like a guy. Fans have no idea how difficult it is to break off a relationship with a player.

No matter how hard this current group of Bulls has played, none of the big three were drafted by the Bulls, nor have they won squat with the Bulls. Conversely, breaking up with either Toews and/or Kane will be difficult because they’ve been here (forever) and brought 3 cups to the city.

Every sports franchise has to decide when to cut ties with their players, either individually or as part of a core. Management is likely to stick with certain players-especially those whom they’ve invested the most; money or draft capital. Nobody likes to admit they made a mistake. In general, that’s why most teams give 1st round picks more chances to succeed.

The specifics facing the two Chicago teams that play in the winter are hardly unique. It seems to be the primary focus of the local sports media though.