Final Thoughts on Chicago Sports

Peanut Saves the Day

Great game!  The battle for first in the Black and Blue division lived up to the hype as the Bears won a thriller in OT, 19-13.  This is the way football is supposed to be played (with the exception of the dome part).  Both teams kept laying hit after vicious hit, and there's going to be a lot of sore bones at practice facilities in both Detroit and Chicago tomorrow.  Jeff Garcia especially took a pounding by the Bears, but he was like a Timex watch out there.  He took a lickin', but kept on tickin'.  He kept on tickin' all the way to Overtime, when he threw a dumb pass right to Charles Tillman, who ran it back 22 yards for the game-winning touchdown.  Peanut really saved the day for the offense, which was explosive for one quarter but otherwise empty for the rest of the game.  Orton looked like Tom Brady in the second quarter, but otherwise looked like, well, Kyle Orton for the rest of the day.  Still, his final stats looked impressive enough.  230 yards, 7.3 yards per attempt, a TD to Moose, and no picks or fumbles.  Any Bear fan disappointed in that performance should have his head examined. 

Elsewhere on offense, Mark Bradley really had a coming out party with 5 catches for 88 yards.  Unfortunately he twisted his knee and I think he may be out for a while.  He had one of those turf injuries that just screamed MCL.  Hopefully it's just a sprain, but I'm expecting the worst.  Thomas Jones also got nicked in the ribs today, but it doesn't sound like a long-term injury.  Adrian Peterson got the bulk of the work with Jones out, and Cedric Benson took advantage of his limited opportunity with a pair of really nice runs.  Maybe he'll get more than three carries next week.  At this rate, he'll finish the season earning $300,000 per carry.  But back to the real MVPs of the day....

Urlacher, Ogunleye, Briggs, Hillenmeyer, Scott, Tank, Chris and Tommie Harris, Alex and Mike Brown...these guys were all over the field.  They gave up some first downs and a few scores (first TD allowed in 10 quarters), but otherwise were just mauling the Lions all day.  They seriously laid the smack down.  Just a fun, fun, game to watch. 

Special Teams again was excellent.  Brad Maynard is a stud, constantly pinning the Lions deep.  Azumah averaged 40 yards per kick return, and you can't get much better than that. 

So the Bears sit alone in first place today.  Favre threw five picks, Culpepper was seriously injured, and the Lions are now two games behind Chicago.  Dare I say it, but the NFC North is the Bears to lose.  GO BEARS!

Into the Lion's Den

The Bears travel to Detroit this Sunday for a battle for first place in the NFC North.  Don't laugh, its true.  Despite the glaring deficiencies that both teams possess, this really is a battle for first.  Lots has changed with the Lions since we last caught up with them.  Charles Rogers got suspended, Roy Williams and Kevin Johnson got hurt, and Joey Harrington mercifully got benched.  This clearly ain't the same offense that we beat up on five weeks ago.  Lets look at the replacements.  Rookie Mike Williams is starting at wideout, along with some dude name Scottie Vines.  Terrell Owens favorite QB Jeff Garcia is now throwing the ball. He had some nice seasons with the Niners a few years back, but he hasn't done much lately.  Still, he's a Godsend for Lions fans.  Harrington couldn't lead fish to water.

As for the Bears, they'll essentially be starting the same lineup that they started in week two.  The lone exception is Ruben Brown, who's still out with pectoral issues.  You could also make the case that we have a different QB starting for the Bears.  Kyle Orton appeared to have lost something since that five-interception-effort against Cincy.  He doesn't look half as confident as he did in weeks 1 and 2.  The Bears have called for a few plays downfield, and some guys have gotten open.  But every single time, Orton overthrows them.  He just doesn't want to risk throwing a pick.  I guess that's ok, as this team wins with rushing and defense.  But still, sooner or later you're going to have to lead the team to more than 13 points in a game. 

Prediction?  My homer streak continues.  I'm not picking the Bears every week just for the sake of picking the Bears.  I honestly think they can and will win.  After all, it's only the Lions.  Bears 16, Lions 6.  Another TD-free effort by the Defense.  Book it.

The Chicago White Sox are World Champs

Never thought the day would come.  Congratulations, White Sox, you've earned it.  This wasn't a gimmick or a fluke, either.  You dominated the entire postseason.  Eleven and one, just a thorough ass-whooping.  No more 1917.  And most important of all, no more Chicago is a city of losers.  So thank you.  Some notes:

1. The Freddy Garcia/Brandon Backe matchup was far better than anyone expected.  Backe's an ok fourth starter, but nobody's ever compared him to Roger Clemens.  That said, he's come through big in a number of postseason games now, so all his detractors should back off a bit.  Garcia, of course, was an excellent pickup by Kenny Williams.  A lot of statheads like to rip Kenny, but even before this season I thought he did a good job for this franchise.  Yes he had a few high profile bombs earlier in his career as GM, but I'd say he's made up for it over the past two seasons.  Solid work.  You've earned your GM of the Year award.
2. Juan Uribe has a real love/hate relationship with some Sox fans, but his defense on the last two plays was sublime.  He actually got me to do a fist pump, which is really saying something.  Bobby Jenks better be sure to include him on his Christmas card list this offseason. 
3. Jermaine Dye was MVP of the series.  He played well, and had the lone RBI in clinching game four, but I thought Crede should have gotten it.  Both his bombs were well-timed, among other clutch hits, and his defense was outstanding.  Really, though, this was one of those series where there was a different hero every night.  So it could have gone to anybody.
4. Don't forget the Big Skirt in all this celebration.  No, he wasn't a key member of the franchise that won the Series, but he did contribute 12 homers in a month, and he won at least five games by himself.  Without those five games, you might not have made the playoffs and none of this would have been possible. 
5. FOX Chicago REALLY screwed up, in my opinion, by cutting away from the national telecast before it was over.  In case you were setting off firecrackers, turning over cars, posing with your woman like the V-Day guy, or generally celebrating  however South Siders celebrate; after the trophy presentation they cut away to Mark Suppelsa and scenes of a happy Sox fans in Bridgeport.  Then an interview with Don Cooper.  Thats all fine and dandy, but I can see that on ABC, CBS, NBC, WGN, CLTV, and Comcast Sports Net.  What I can't see on those channels are the early stages of celebration.  Locker rooms, champagne spraying, interviews with players getting bubbly poured on their heads...a somber interview with Phil Garner just outside the locker room...objective analysis of this Sox team from Buck and McCarver, aka the National viewpoint...and the obligatory “musical postseason highlight montage” set to Queen or U2 or some other uplifting classic rock.  Not that I personally was really dying to see it or anything, but I'd be a bit pissed if I was a Sox fan. 
6. I'm happy for my Sox fan friends, and of course I'm insanely jealous.  Yes, I can admit that.  If I wasn't jealous, what the hell kind of fan would I be?  One who DOESN'T want a 100-year championship drought to end?  Ok, so now you've won a championship in dramatic fashion.  I'm fully prepared to take a ton of crap from all of you the first several times I see you.  In fact, I expect at least a small dig about the Sox every single time we meet from here on out for the rest of our lives.  And I can't say shit.  You know this, I know this.  Please, try to take the high road.  You know I can't say anything.  So take it easy, ok? 
7. What will it take for me to have any room to talk?  A championship is not enough.  You'll just be like, “What took you so long?”, or “Finally!,” and that's if you're being nice.  Only one of the following circumstances can possibly give Cubs fans the leg up in this town.
   • The Cubs win a World Series with 100+ regular season wins, the best record in baseball, and go undefeated in the postseason. 
   • The Cubs win two World Series.
   • At least two members of the Sox are found guilty of using steroids.
   • It is found that the Astros took money from gamblers to throw the Series. 
   • It is found that the umpires took money from gamblers to throw the Series -- and I seriously might be worried about this one. ;) 
   • The Bears win a Super Bowl, we all celebrate together, and you forget about the Sox for a while.
8. Finally, I have to say this.  Please, no more Journey.  If I never hear that song again, it will be too soon.  Come to think of it, maybe we were lucky that FOX Chicago cut away from the national telecast.  I'm about 99% certain that the “musical postseason highlight montage” would have been set to that @#$% song.  Enough.

Congrats, Sox.  Go Cubs in '06!  Complete the curse-busting trifecta. 

Ravenous Defense

The Bears beat the Ravens today at soggy Soldier Field by a score of 10-6, and the game was about as exciting as the final score.  Extra props to the defense, as they completely shut the Ravens down.  Jamal Lewis had nothing, and only a few lucky draw plays by the backup RB was all the Ravens ground game could muster all day.   Adewale Ogunleye was in Anthony Wright's face constantly, as was Tank Johnson (two sacks!).  Just a dominating performance by the D. 

The offense, once again, was just good enough.  Orton made a few nice throws, including another TD pass to Marc Edwards, but mostly just did a good job of keeping the ball away from the Ravens.  Desmond Clark is emerging as a go-to guy on third downs, and Mark Bradley made a few nice plays as well.  Muhsin Muhammed was pretty quiet in this ballgame.  I wonder if it has anything to do with his comments the other day?  When asked of Orton's performance this season, he replied something along the lines of “No comment.  Go ask the coaching staff how he's doing.”  It's not really inflammatory, but you can definitely sense the frustration.  Whatever, they won.  I'm sure even Moose agrees that Orton's best move is handing the ball to Thomas Jones.  Jones again was brilliant against the stingy Ravens defense.  He keeps this up and he'll be going to Hawaii this February, courtesy the NFL. 

Another key to today's game was Baltimore's sloppy play.  They committed eleven penalties for 100 yards, and it seems every one of them led directly to a Bears first down or nullified a Ravens one.  Half the team will probably go on the IR for all the bullet holes in their feet.

WOW!  Konerko just hit a granny!  Ok.  Back to the Bears. 

The much ballyhooed battle between Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher turned out to be not much of a battle at all.  They both made a few tackles, but neither got a sack or forced a turnover.  Inept offense was the story of the day. 

The Bears record now stands at 3-3 after back-to-back wins over teams they were supposed to beat.  Next week they travel to Detroit in a battle for first place.  With the Lions at home and Jeff Garcia now starting, another blowout is unlikely.  Wait a minute, the Bears are still in first place? Its almost Halloween!  We should all be throwing a party right now!  How come nobody has noticed?  Hmmm.....

Go Bears!!!!!!

World Series Preview, by a Cubs fan

The Top 5 Reasons the White Sox will WIN the World Series.

5.  Excellent pitching.  The Sox big four (Contreras, Buerhle, Garcia, Garland) match up with anybody.  And they've got El Duque and McCarthy available as emergency starters.  In the pen, they've got five guys with sub 3.00 ERAs.  To top it off, Ozzie knows how to use them and has done so brilliantly all season.

4.  Good defense.  Every position is adequate (Konerko, Podsednik, Pierzynski), if not better (Uribe, Dye, Iguchi), if not excellent (Rowand, Crede).

3.  Clutch Hitting.  The Sox got some pop in their bats, but the main reason they score runs is because they rarely let chances slip away.  They execute when they need to.

1.  To make my life as a Cubs fan miserable.  Not that I wouldn't be happy for the Sox, but there's a number of Sox fans that will never let me hear the end of it.  And I won't be able to say a thing till we get a title of our own.  That kind of sucks.

Top 5 Reasons the White Sox will LOSE the World Series

5.  The Astros pitching is nothing to sneeze at either.  They've got three of the top five NL ERA leaders in their rotation, and they aren't afraid of anybody.  Oswalt especially.

4.  No experience.  Both Clemens and Petitte have been there before with great success.  Only Hernandez of the Sox has been there, and he's not even gauranteed to pitch in this series. 

3.  No Proven Closer.  Guillen turned to Bobby Jenks down the stretch, and he's performed admirably.  He's no Brad Lidge, though. 

2.  Too much Small Ball.  Bunting a runner to 2nd and thus sacrificing an out in the first inning simply does not make sense.  Sure, they've been successful thus far in the postseason, but if Game One of the ALCS is any indication, its far from a foolproof plan. 

1.  They're from Chicago. 

Listen, the Sox have a great team.  I sincerely hope they exorcise their demons and bring a championship to the city of Chicago.  I'd especially like to see them beat those damn Astros.  I hate them almost as much (if not slightly more) than I hate the Cardinals.  So, for all practical purposes, my mantra for the week is “Go Sox.”  I'm not going crazy about this, though.  If they win, I'll be happy for about five minutes and then I'll move on with my life.  If they lose, I'll be upset for about thirty seconds and then I'll move on with my life.  Bottom line is, I'm a Cubs fan.  What the Sox do has little effect on me.  I'll be happy for a few of my Sox fan friends, but ultimately I'll still be a Cubs fan that lives and dies with every pitch.  Ivy is in my blood.  A championship on the South Side will do nothing to change that.

White Sox in Seven.

Ryhmes with Linebacker

Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens come to town Sunday for a grudge match with the Chicago Bears.  Keep the wife and kids away from the TV because this ain't gonna be pretty, folks.  Both the Bears and Ravens try to win with the same strategy:  Tough, tough defense and mistake-free offense.  Here's how they rank in the NFL in Yards per game (YPG) and Points per game (PPG):

          Offense      Defense       
         YPG   PPG    YPG   PPG
Bears     28    21      3     3      
Ravens    22    31      2    10      

These offenses are practically carbon copies of each other.  They both feature better-than-average RBs (Thomas Jones and Jamal Lewis), a solid #1 WR with little to work with (Muhammed and Derrick Mason), bottom-of-the-barrel QBs (Kyle Orton and Anthony Wright), and a whole lot of question marks. 

On defense is where the real battle of the day is.  Brian Urlacher vs. Ray Lewis.  They'll never face each other on the field at the same time, of course, but I foresee a major dick-measuring contest between the two middle linebackers.  Which one will make the most plays and lead his team to victory.  Ray Ray is widely regarded as the best linebacker since Singletary (if not Butkus), but there's a lot of people out there wearing Bears #54 jerseys who think otherwise.  I'll sidestep the question of who was better at their peak, but many are saying that Lewis has maybe lost a step.  I don't buy it for a minute.  If he has lost a step, I'd never say as much out loud.  He'd probably pummel me into the earth, stomp on my wounded carcass, and set me on fire.  Urlacher seems a little too civilized for such shenanigans.  So Ray, you're the best, ok? 

I think this game is going to come down to coaching.  A story that was going around last week was the idea that Ravens players had quit on head coach Brian Billick.  That story went out the window with the beating that they laid upon the Cleveland Browns.  Nevertheless, I see the best game plan with the least amount of mistakes wins this game.  With Ed Reed out of the lineup, I'd like to see the Bears open it up a little bit without going to the extreme that they went to in the Cincy game.  Turner's playcalling was reckless that day, and Orton paid the price with five picks.  So open it up, but not too much.  Baltimore's going to try to run it down the Bears throats, but they won't succeed if  Tommie Harris and Ian Scott have any say in the matter.  Then it will just come down to simply stopping Anthony Wright and winning the field position battle.  Doesn't sound too hard, does it?  Take the under.  Bears 3, Ravens 2. 

Bears Whip Vikes

The Bears destroyed the Vikings today, 28-3.  Brian Urlacher and the defense had a field day against Daunte and the Vikings.  Sacks, interceptions, you name it.  The Bears were on Vikings like white on rice.  On offense, Thomas Jones got the surprise start and justified the call with another two touchdowns.  Kyle Orton took a sack or two that probably could have been avoided, but for the most part, he played mistake free ball.  Desmond clark scored on not one but TWO touchdown passes.  Bobby Wade had an excellent 50 yard punt return to set up the Bears first TD.  Gould didn't miss any of his extra point attempts.  It was a great game all around.

The only other thing to talk about with this game is the lack of carries for Cedric Benson.  I understand that Jones is getting the job done, but its still curious to see the fourth overall pick in the draft being such a non-factor.  Today was the perfect opportunity to give Benson a start and see what he's made of.  Jones was hurting, it was a home game, and the Vikings defense is shoddy.  He barely got a sniff.  He must really be sucking in practice, because I see little reason to not give him at least 10 carries a game.  Could the Bears possibly be punishing him for not showing up to camp on time?  If so, thats an incredibly childish thing to do.  This ain't day care, its the NFL.  I heard one guy on the Score today theorizing that perhaps Jones is in there more to help rookie Kyle Orton.  One blown Benson block could knock out Kyle for the season.  If thats the reason Cedric's not getting the ball, I'd understand. 

Finally, I made it through this entire post without a single pun about the Vikings porno cruise.  I should be applauded.  Go Bears!

Sox up 3-1

There's certainly nothing lucky about the last two White Sox victories, they've outplayed The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at every facet of the game.  The starting pitching has been outstanding, the defense has been solid, and they're hitting in the clutch.  Just a masterful performance all around.  Good job.

Not to beat a dead horse here, but last night I watched the game from a bar and the place was dead.  There were about 20 people there, and maybe five of them were openly cheering for the White Sox.  We went to a different place and the same thing.  Where the hell is everybody?  Both places should have been hopping.  It's certainly no secret that the Sox are in the postseason, because the media push has been massive.  Watching the local news telecasts is like viewing the world through Hawk Harrelson's eyes.  Go-Go-Sox, all the time.  The papers are devoting 10-20 pages a day to the most extreme minutia of all things Sox.  When it comes down to it, though, this town simply doesn't care.  Yes, there are Sox fans, but the majority of Chicagoans could care less about the Sox. 

Not that Sox fans should care.  The team is doing great, and they don't need bandwagon jumpers to justify their fun.  You've earned it, Sox fans, so enjoy it while it lasts.  Which reminds me...

Last night brought back memories of two years ago.  Not to go all Large Marge here, but after the Sox won, I turned to my buddy and said, “Two years ago, it was a night...just like this....”  I was at a bar on the South Side and the place was hopping.  (Yes, even in the shadow of U.S. Comiskular, the place was out of control with Cubs fever.)  The Cubs, behind a wonderful Matt Clement performance, won game four to go up 3-1 on the Marlins.  I was certain that the Cubs were going to the World Series for the first time in my lifetime.  My dad's lifetime, too.  There was simply no way the Cubs would lose three in a row behind Zambrano, Prior and Wood; with the last two games at Wrigley.  Everyone knows what happened next, and I don't need to rehash that here.  They crapped the bed, and in the process ripped my heart out and stomped it into oblivion.  So take it all in stride, Sox fans.  You're in an excellent position right now, but you haven't won anything yet.

Lovie...Exciting and New

The Vikings sail into town tomorrow to face the Bears at Soldier Field.  Minnesota is a total mess right now.  They've been blown out in three of the four games they've played, with their only win coming against a band of refugees from New Orleans.  Their defense is awful, and their offense is lost.  Daunte Culpepper has been beyond miserable.  As anyone that has him on their fantasy team knows, he has only four TD passes to go with ten interceptions.  They don't have a go-to runningback, a go-to receiver, and their offensive line is banged up.  Their head coach Mike Tice has what is commonly referred to as a thick skull.  He probably should have been fired by now, but he works for cheap and there's no viable head coaching candidate on the Vikings staff.  And if that wasn't enough, Fred Smoot took it upon himself to add some more controversy to the mix.  He took half the team out on a cruise that turned a Viking Ship into the Love Boat.  Public drunkenness, porn and pillaging were the staples of the night, and it's pretty hard to comprehend how a group of professional athletes think they could get away with such debauchery without anyone reporting on it.

This is precisely why this game scares me.  The Vikings have nothing to lose.  And if they think they have any shot at winning the NFC North, they're going to do everything they can to win this game.  Still, the Bears are in the same boat.  Well, not the Minnesota Orgy Cruise, but the Bears are also in a must-win situation. 

The Bears have promised to throw downfield more.  They've acknowledged that its hard to win a NFL game throwing for only 120 yards, regardless of the mistakes you've avoided.  When you play that conservative, you have to play near-perfect ball to get a victory.  One mistake will cost you the game, and last week against Cleveland proved this theory correct.  So they're going to open it up more, and try to actually WIN the game instead of not lose it.  So, since this is a Bears blog, and I'm a Bears fan, the Vikings are in disarray, and its a really close matchup, I'll pick the Bears to win 24-13.

Winnin Lucky

First things first, it was a blown call.  Its happened before, and it will happen again.  It's part of baseball.  Did the Sox steal this one?  No.  Umpire Doug Eddings didn't hang that curve for Joe Crede, Kelvim Escobar did.  It's just like Tony Graffanino didn't blow game two of the Red Sox series. (That was David Wells.)  With the way Buehrle was pitching, and the way Scioscia was going through his bullpen, its very possible that the Sox would have won the game on their own merit in extra innings.  Of course, we'll never know. 

What I do know is, blown call or not, the Sox are lucky to head west with a 1-1 record.  They blew so many chances tonight (and the previous night) that they didn't even deserve the split.  Aaron Rowand trying to score from third on a bad throw with no outs was incredibly bone-headed.  (Was that Wendell Kim wearing a Joey Cora jersey  tonight?)  Crede getting doubled off second, several instances of throwing to the wrong base, consistently stranding runners at third, inability to lay down a bunt; I swear I thought I was watching the Cubs these last two nights.  I thought they played “Smart Ball” on the south side.  Looks to me like “dumb” ball.

I still like the Sox chances in this series.  The teams are evenly matched.  It will simply come down to who executes better. 

Bears Injury News and Mike Brown says "We Suck"

The Bears suffered several injuries against the Browns on Sunday.  Ruben Brown tore a pectoral muscle and John Tait rolled an ankle.  Tait should be OK but Brown will probably miss a game or two.  A banged up offensive line doesn't bode well for Cedric Benson's first career start this Sunday against Minnesota.  Benson will be starting because Thomas Jones has got a knee.  There are conflicting reports on the severity of Jones' injury.  The Sun-Times said its a minor sprain and nothing to worry about, and he'll miss just one game.  The Tribune described the injury as a partial tear and made it sound like Jones will be out for a while.  I'll believe the Tribune in this case because after all, its the Bears.  Bad luck swaddles this franchise like a warm blanket.  So now its put up or shut up time for Cedric Benson.  Lets see if those reports about his improvement in practice are true.  Lets see him earn his money. 

On Defense, Lovie has voiced his displeasure at the performance of Charles Tillman and Chris Harris.  Look for Mike Green and Jerry Azumah to get an increased role this week.  Another Bear in jeopardy of losing his job is Doug Brien.  It doesn't appear that he'll be able to kick for weeks, and since he's no great shakes anyways, the Bears may simply release him and go with the new guy, Robbie Gould.  Fine with me. 

Finally, Mike Brown went off on a rant yesterday.  The stink of the Bears uniform is finally getting to him.  Five losing seasons in six years will do that to you.  I'm glad he got a chance to get all that off his chest.  Now shut up and play.  This whole team needs a swift kick in the pants.  Papa Bear Halas is probably spinning in his grave.  They better get it going this week against the road kill that is Minnesota.  I don't know how many more years I can put up with this crap. 

Brownout

The Bears lost to the Browns today, 20-10.  They played pretty good ball for 56 minutes before they self-destructed at the end.  A season surely isn't over at 1-3, but I don't want anyone to even think playoffs with this team until we at least reach .500.  The Bears stink, and they've earned their record.

Offense - Thomas Jones was great again with 137 rushing yards, but unfortunately he hurt his knee.  I haven't heard any diagnosis yet, but I'm assuming its bad.  Why?  Because bad things happen to Bears players, thats why.  Its ok, though, we got Cedric Benson.  Oh, check that, Benson had five carries for six yards and a critical fumble.  He's proving to be worth not a single penny of that 16 million.  I won't call him a bust just yet, but its not looking good.  Adrian Peterson was in the game at crunch time.  He made his presence felt by forcing an Orton fumble on the second-to-last posession of the game.  Good job.  As for receivers, Mark Bradley had some nice catches, but he also fumbled leading to the Browns first FG.  Moose had a rather quiet six catches for 52 yards.  There was a fullback sighting today, as Marc Edwards caught a TD pass.  Lets see more of that.  Next up, Kyle Orton.  He did a pretty solid job today, but Ron Turner needs to loosen the reigns a bit.  This offense is so conservative they make Alan Keyes look like the president of the Michael Moore fan club. 

Defense - The defense was pretty stellar for 56 minutes, then they simply blew up at the end.  Trent Dilfer threw two bombs to Antonio Bryant, and the game was essentially over.  Charles Tillman got burned again, as did Chris Harris.  Tillman was having a nice game, too, up until that point.  He had an interception and had generally shut his man down all day.  He just pulled a Vestee Jackson at the and got beat.  Elsewhere on Defense, Tommie Harris made his 2005 debut with a sack in the second quarter.  Urlacher and Briggs also got to the QB today, too, and Adewale provided consistent pressure as well (till he, as typical for the Bears, hurt his ankle).  As a team, they only gave up 278 yards all day, and I'm guessing a hundred of that was on the last two drives.  The big plays simply are killing this team.

Special Teams - Maynard had some nice punts today, and he's really been underappreciated by this blogger.  No more.  He's the man, and quite possibly the MVP of this team.  As for returns, Wade and Azumah did diddly.  The backup kicker Gould didn't do anything today to make Brien worry about his job.  He made one, missed one. 

Thats about it.  The offense can't score and the defense can't prevent big plays.  They don't have a kicker and the return game is mediocre.  Other than that, this team has PLAYOFFS written all over it!

I think there's something in these Brownies...

The Bears travel to Cleveland this Sunday to face the Browns.  The Bears are entering a stretch of games where they must have success in order to have any hopes for a division title.  The next six games are against Cleveland, Minnesota, Baltimore, Detroit, New Orleans and San Fran.  They must win at least four of these games or we'll be looking at another top 5 draft pick in April.   

As for Cleveland, they've been somewhat rejuvinated by former Patriot defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel.  They still don't have quite enough talent on the team to be a contender in the AFC, but Romeo's got them ready to play every week.  Forgive me for going off on a tangent here, but look at this coaching matchup for a second.  Romeo versus Lovie.  Where's the strong football names like Lombardi or Butkus?  This sounds like a minor tiff in drama class over who's tights show off more crotch.  Not a sludge-match like professional football.  But I digress.

The Browns stand at 1-2 and they're coming off a bye week, just like Chicago.  Trent Dilfer is the Browns quarterback, and he's everything that Lovie Smith and the Bears hope Kyle Orton will be this year.  A good game manager that limits his mistakes.  He can get it done when the game's on the line.  Elsewhere on offense, the Browns have Denver castoff Ruben Droughns carrying the ball, and a few no-names at wideout.  Actually, thats not fair.  They've got a rookie stud in Braylon Edwards in their receiving corps, and he looks great.  (Did you see his 80 yard touchdown against Green Bay two weeks ago?  Wow!)  But he's still just a rookie thats third on the depth chart and probably won't make consistent impact this season.  On defense, they're lacking.  They don't have any names to speak of and they can be exploited. 

I expect Cleveland to follow Cincinnati's lead and rush-rush-rush the passer.  They're going to try to force Orton to beat them with big plays.  Look to see Thomas Jones catch a lot of screens out of the backfield, as he will be Orton's safety net.  I'd like to see Benson get in the game more this week, but I'm not sure my wishes are on Lovie's radar.  I'd also like to see Mark Bradley step up and take hold of the #2 receiver job.  He's been promoted to the starting lineup, but he's finding it a lot tougher to make plays in the regular season than it was in the preseason.  On defense, Tommie Harris and Alex Brown simply need to step up.  Harris had a bum wheel the first few games, and he expects his production to rise after a week of rest.  Alex Brown doesn't have an excuse for his invisible play.  He's just been living off a four-sack effort against Kurt Warner and the Giants last year.  He's starting to remind me of Alonzo Spellman, minus the cuckoo part.  Occasional flash of brilliance, followed by a dozen Casper-inspired performances.  He needs to start earning his paychecks.  Doug Brien better buck up, too.  He's one missed gimme from losing his job.  As for predictions, I'm going to continue my homer streak this week by picking the Bears to win 13-7.  I just don't think Cleveland's offense is good enough to score on the Bears defense.  And the Browns D isn't good enough to stop Thomas Jones. 

Bears in First Place! Packers on Life Support.

The Bears, behind the strength of their division, have ascended into sole possesion of first place.  It was the most productive Bye week in team history, as the Vikings got creamed by Atlanta, the Lions were outlasted by Tampa, and the Packers comeback against Carolina came up short.  Yes, the Bears are probably the luckiest first place team in history but who am I to complain?  Do you think I'd care if the Bears make the playoffs at 8-8 or 7-9?  I'd take playoffs anyway I can get them. 

So who's the worst team in the division?  Right now I'll vote for the Vikings.  They're simply awful.  Culpepper looks lost, and they're getting destroyed on a weekly basis.  Their only win came against the refugees from New Orleans.  A team that hasn't had the luxury of scouting reports or game film, to say nothing of home cooking.  At this rate, I'd be shocked if the Vikings win a road game all season. 

The Packers aren't looking much better.  Favre had an outstanding fourth quarter tonight and looked like the old Bret Favre.  The good Bret, the one that was a perennial MVP candidate in the late 90s.  Not the guy that threw seven interceptions in the Packers first three games.  But it still wasn't enough to lead the team to victory.  They're 0-4 with little hope for the future.  With Favre, though, I've learned to never underestimate.  He can put the team on his back and win their next eight games by himself.  I'm just happy he doesn't have much of a supporting cast any more.  Ahman Green is toast. 

The Bears have an excellent opportunity to steal this division.  I hope they're up to it.  Lets get off to a good start this Sunday with a win at Cleveland.  Go Bears!

Baseball Bits

• The White Sox start game one against the Red Sox tomorrow.  I'll have more to say about the South Siders later, but for now let me go on record to say Contreras will take Clement to school in a laugher, 7-1.  As for the series, I'm going to go out on a limb “the Sox” will take it.  :)
• The Cubs have re-signed Ryan Dempster to a 3 year, 15 million dollar deal.  Smart move.  His numbers as a closer were very good.  He only blew two saves in 35 chances, his ERA was under 2.00, and he really seemed to have the perfect demeanor for such a role.  And at five million per, he comes considerably cheaper than the “elite” closers like Troy Percival and Armando Benitez.
• Multiple sources are reporting that Dusty Baker is ready to sign a two-year extension, to take him through the year 2008.  Yippee.
• Lou Piniella, Jim Tracy, Allan Trammell, and Jack McKeon have suddenly found themselves out of work.  Bobby Valentine continues to manage in Japan.  Jim Leyland is still alive and looking for work, as is Davey Johnson.  I even think Sparky Anderson and Whitey Herzog are still kicking around somewhere.  Dusty Baker's the best guy we can get?  Really?
• Official Playoff Predictions:  I'll take the Cards and Astros in the NL, Yankees and White Sox in the AL.  Astros over Cards, Yankees over Sox.  Then the Astros will win their first world championship behind Clemens, Oswalt, and Petitte.  I hate the Astros.  Who I'd prefer to win, in order:
1. White Sox - The city of Chicago is due for a parade.  If its not the Cubs, might as well go with the South Siders.  The only thing holding me back from giving my full support are a few insufferable Sox fans who will never let me hear the end of it.  I can put up with them, though, if it improves our city's image. 
2. Angels - by default. 
3. Padres - the city of San Diego has never won anything.  But they did beat the Cubs in the 84 playoffs, just enough to drop them behind Anaheim.
4. Red Sox - don't really care about them anymore.  They're just another team.
5. Braves - I've got relatives in Atlanta that love the Braves.  I don't.
6. Yankees - I hate the Yankees.
7. Astros - Mom always said if you can't say something nice....
8. Cardinals - ___________.