Final Thoughts on Chicago Sports

Lovie Smith Signs: Bears finally do something right

The Bears signed Lovie Smith to a four year deal today reportedly worth $22.5 million dollars. This is great news not only for Lovie Smith but for the fans of Chicago as well.  I could just see them getting so close to a championship before messing everything up in a downward spiral back towards oblivion.  You know, like the Cubs.

The circle is now complete.  Once the Bears never paid anybody what they were worth, they were the Misers of the Midway.  Then they slowly started relenting and started opening up the checkbook for key guys.  Guys like Urlacher, Ogunleye, Moose, and Tait.  They still had the lowest paid coach in the league, but they promised to make things right with Lovie after he proved his worth with two consecutive winning seasons.  One coach of the year and one Super Bowl appearance later, the Bears came through on their promise.  It took a few weeks and one embarrassing offer for them to come through, but they did come through in the end.  Bravo!

Oh, and Jerry Angelo reportedly received an extension as well.  Good times!  Angelo's drafts haven't been perfect, particularly in the early rounds, but that goes with the territory.  Even the best have maybe a 50% success rate.  Angelo's team made the Super Bowl after four years on the job, and virtually the entire cast was drafted or acquired by Angelo.  He's the architect.  He deserves a five year deal.

Now they've got to get Lance Briggs signed to a long-term deal.  The franchise tag is nice and all, and guarantees compensation in case another team signs him.  But Briggs isn't happy about it at all, and the man deserves to get paid.  Take care of Briggs the way you took care of Lovie.

Bear down!

Santo falls short again

Today, the Hall of Fame Veteran's Committee released their vote totals and Ron Santo missed election by five measly votes.  The Veteran's Committee, which for the last three elections has been made up of nothing but Hall of Famers, again failed to elect anybody in their third go-around of voting.  It's a damn shame, as Santo is almost indisputably the most worthy player not already elected to the Hall.  The reasons are plentiful and the web is littered with reasons why Santo should be enshrined, so I'm going use this space to try to figure out why he's not.  Since I'm not Hall of Famer, I can't possibly know what they're thinking.  But if I had to guess, here are three reasons he hasn't made the grade.

1. He's not as good as Mike Schmidt.  Schmidt went on record a few years back stating that he likes the eliteness of the Hall's members, and he's not voting for anybody he feels wasn't as good as him.  While I agree that election to the Hall shouldn't be taken lightly and only the best of the best should be in, I think he's setting the bar a little too high.  If everybody in the Hall had to be as good as Mike Schmidt, there'd only be about 12 or 15 guys total with plaques in Cooperstown.  He was that good.  This shouldn't be held against Santo, though.  While he may not have been as good as Schmidt, Santo was ranked by Bill James as the 7th best third baseman of all time, ahead of 5 others already enshrined.  He's essentially Brooks Robinson with a better bat but no postseason, and Brooks went in on the first ballot.  So it's not like we're talking about electing Steve Buechelle.
2. His announcing.  As a Cubs fan, I think he's great.  He's like a fan in the booth, and when you turn the game on you can instantly determine the score just by listening to the tone of Ron's voice.  When he groans, "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy...", you know the Cubs have had a long afternoon.  If there's a little bounce in his voice, you know the Cubs are up.  I'm sure non-Cubs fans can't stand him, but to me he's like my crazy uncle Ron, the Cubs fan that lives and dies with every pitch.  To the critics I say lighten up.  You don't have to be a great announcer to be a hall of famer.  Remember Magic Johnson?  Remember Joe Montana?  Those are just a few examples of "all-time greats" that couldn't announce worth a lick.  Elect him as a player.
3. He played for the Cubs.  Leo Durocher's Cubs, highlighted by the 1969 squad, never won anything yet they already have three Hall of Famers in Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Fergie Jenkins.  Does a team that never won anything really deserve four Hall of Famers?  Some people don't think so. 

So that's why Ron will have to wait until 2009 before he's up for election again, and with his diabetes you never know if he'll make it that far.  It will be a sad, sad day if he gets elected posthumously.  He's been eligible for 30 years, and I think at least five veterans will come around and change their vote eventually.  Why not give the man a little glory?  Do it, before it's too late.

Go Ron!

The Hits Just Keep on Coming for the Bears

Lovie Smith is playing hardball with the Bears.  His agent revealed to Chris Mortenson of ESPN how the Bears are trying to low-ball him, and the stigma that the Bears are cheap continues.  The Bears reportedly offered Lovie $3.2 million per year.  I understand it's a negotiation and all, and in all honesty the Bears offered a hell of a lot of money.  Money that can set a person up for life.  But the problem is, while $3.2M represents nearly a 300% raise, it's rather low for a man of Lovie's qualifications.  After winning coach of the year in 2005 and taking his team to the Super Bowl in 2006, Lovie deserves top 10 money.  And top 10 money is $5M+.  Look at what John Fox, Jeff Fisher, and Brian Billick are making.  Then look at what a rookie coach like that guy from Louisville is making ($4M per year.)  That, is why they failed.

By so drastically skimping with the offer, Lovie's agent decided to go public.  He'll get the fan sympathy and maybe it will get through Ted Phillips and Mike McCaskey's skulls that if they choose to continue with the cheapness, they will lose Smith and the franchise will likely revert back into a wretched decade-long funk.  A return to the dark ages.  The Wannie Years.  Ugh.

In other not-so-happy news, QB Coach Wade Wilson has taken a lateral move to perform the same role for the Cowboys.  You know, for a team that's been boasting of their stability the last two years, there's an awful lot of turnover on the coaching staff this year.  New D-line coach, new D-coordinator, new Linebacker coach, new QB coach....  I don't know who the Bears are going to get to replace Wilson, but I think Wade will be missed.  Grossman, despite what we have seen with our own eyes, reportedly loved working with Wilson and learned a lot from him.  (Ya think he's bad now...)  I don't know who they're going to hire, but hopefully it's someone who's had success with wildly erratic sex cannons.  That's exactly the type of Rx that Rex needs. 

Bear Down.

Bears Offseason: Lance is in, Chico is out

After the Super Bowl, February is a wasteland for football news.  There's absolutely nothing going on.  Someone forgot to tell the Bears this. 

First, the Bears decided to tag Lance Briggs as the first Franchise Player in team history.  With this designation, Lance is guaranteed at least seven million dollars, while the Bears are guaranteed one year of service or compensation from his new team in the form of draft picks.  So barring any poison pills, he's pretty much in the fold for next year.  Teams don't like to use the Franchise tag, as the players usually get cranky that the team is preventing them from signing a huge, multi-year deal.  Of course, if the Bears were to deliver such a deal, everyone would be happy.  Lance, the Bears, and the fans.  A win, win, win.  Sign him up.

A more shocking story came out today.  Ron Rivera is out as Defensive Coordinator.  It is assumed that Linebackers Coach Bob Babich will get the job.  Wow.  I can't say that I saw this coming.  The press release from Halas Hall doesn't really say anything.  The Bears decided to go in a different direction.  I wonder what the real story is?  Here's some guesses:

• Rivera's job hunt was a bit of a distraction during Super Bowl week.  Everyone was asking him about the Dallas job, and he happily obliged with answers.  Rivera didn't really do anything wrong, but to me it seemed he was too excited about packing his bags and leaving the Bears behind.  There was even speculation that he might be interested in accepting Dallas's offer to be Defensive Coordinator, not head coach.  Was disloyalty the reason for his dismissal?
• Lovie Smith really likes Bob Babich.  The Linebackers Coach was also the Assistant Head Coach.  Lovie may have been resigned to the fact that Rivera was a goner and started getting excited about promoting his buddy.  When it was determined that Rivera wasn't going anywhere, it's like someone put Lovie's new toy away.  It's a stretch, but it's possible.  Maybe Rivera really isn't the integral cog to the organization that we think he is.  He's interviewed with 8 teams in the past two seasons, and he's received zero offers.  None to head coach, none to coordinate.  Hmmm....
• It very well could be a philosophical thing.  Lovie loves the Cover-2.  The Bears were using it less and less as the season went on, largely due to the injury to Tommie Harris.  Still, maybe Lovie watched the last five games of the season and the Super Bowl tape and came to the conclusion that Rivera's calls weren't working.  At least not well enough.  I don't know, the D was pretty great against the Saints.  As for the Super Bowl...let's just say that Rivera should send Rex Grossman a thank you note for taking the spotlight off of him.  Just tossing this one out there.
• The Bears are cheap.  They aren't like Washington, they don't pay coordinators Head Coach money.  Hell, they don't pay Head Coaches Head Coach money.

Who knows.  It might be one of these things, it might be all of these things, it might be none of these things.  I know Lovie won't ever say anything, and Ron seemed pretty professional in the phone interview I heard today so I doubt he'll say anything.  One thing's for sure, the truth will come out.  There's too many blogs out there for it not to. 

Bear Down.

That Didn't Take Long

Kerry Wood is already hurt, on Day Two of Spring Training.  This time, he fell out of a hot tub and it's so funny that I can almost cry.  Not that this injury is expected to keep him out long, and not that I was counting on him for anything, it's just...unbelievable!  I mean, last year he made it till March before he got injured.  So this is a new record for Kerry.  Sweet!

You've got to admire Kerry's creativity with this one.  I mean, usually he just frays his labrum or his elbow gets sore after the Cubs have him throw 180 pitches or something.  Falling out of a hot tub takes talent.  You know, I can't think of hot tubs without thinking of the famous Eddie Murphy sketch on SNL, the James Brown Hot Tub Party.  If you haven't seen it, the Tribune's blog already linked to it.  Check it out, it's a classic.

Of course, he may not have fallen out of a hot tub at all.  Often, these domestic "accidents" turn out to be something more.  Jeff Kent breaks his arm washing his truck?  No, he crashed his motorcycle.  Fred Miller falls in his home and breaks his jaw?  No, Olin Kreutz punched him in the face at a gun club.  NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson breaks his wrist falling out of a golf cart?  No, he fell off of the top of a golf cart.  Brian Griese trips over his dog?  No, he was drunk.  Then he tripped over his dog.  Bryan Robinson?  He couldn't even come up with his own story when he fell down drunk, he used the same story as Griese!  To quote Shannon Sharpe, "I gotta see that dog!"

I'm not saying Wood is lying, but often these ridiculous home accidents aren't accidents at all.  Oh well, I'll take him at face value until I hear otherwise.  Best wishes to Kerry on a speedy recovery.  Go Cubs!

Cubs Spring Battles: A Rumble in Wrigleyville

Baseball is right around the corner and I'm starting to get excited.  I was completely consumed with football for the past few months, and I hardly gave baseball more than a passing thought.  But now that I'm finally able to wash the stink of Roman Numerals off, I'm ready to start talkin' baseball. 

I'm not sure if there are really any "position battles" on the Cubs this spring, as I think the Cubs are pretty set.  You've got a few guys set in stone in Soriano, Lee, Ramirez, and Barrett; and a few guys that are written in permanent marker in Izturis and Jones.  I think the other two spots in the lineup are set as well, but let's pretend they're battling so I have something to write about.  Here's a look at the Cubs battles this spring:

Matt Murton vs. Cliff Floyd
I think this is Floyd's job to lose.  I'd like to see Murton given a fair chance to play every day, but I gotta admit that a platoon wouldn't be so bad.  Floyd hits righties well but lefties not at all;  Murton beats the tar out of lefties and hits righties somewhat.  Seems too perfect.  So long as Floyd never starts against a lefty and Murton isn't shut out of plate appearances against righties, this could work out really well for the Cubs.

Mark DeRosa vs. Ryan Theriot
DeRosa's got the inside track for the second base job, but I think he's best suited for a super sub role.  Let him start a few games per week at 2nd, and when facing a left-hander move DeRosa to Right, sit Jones, and start The Riot at 2nd.  It seems so logical to me that I'm positive Dusty Baker would never employ such a strategy.  Luckily we've got Sweet Lou this year, and with Sweet Lou comes a shred of hope that he'll do things right.  We'll see.

Fifth Starter
I think the first four spots are set in Z, Lilly, Marquis and Hill.  There's a plethora of guys competing for the fifth slot, namely Mark Prior, Wade Miller, Sean Marshall, and a whole host of 2nd year guys like Mateo, Marmol, and Ryu.  Say what you will about Hendry overpaying for Lilly and Marquis, but this staff is a whole lot deeper than the staff that won 65 games last season.  You've got to think at least 5 of the 10 guys I named will have decent seasons, leading me to believe that the Cubs very well might have the best and deepest rotation in the NL this season (certainly the Central.)  Don't laugh, I mean it. 

Alfonso Soriano vs. Center Field
It's kind of scary to think that the Cubs gave a guy $136 million dollars to play a position he's never played in his life.  I remember watching some of his first few games in Left last year, and every ball was an adventure.  But he adapted quickly.  By the end of the season, he was quite good with the leather.  Center Field is a hundred times harder, though, and that's what concerns me.  How many runs is he going to cost the team in the early going?  Best case scenario:  Felix Pie has a strong spring, Soriano moves to Right, and Jacque Jones moves to Kansas City.

Carlos Zambrano vs. Jim Hendry
Carlos said this today in the Tribune:

"I'm ready to sign, and I would do my job anyway with the Cubs this year," Zambrano said. "Whatever happens, I don't want to know [anything] about a contract during the season. I want to sign with the Cubs before the season starts. If they don't sign me, sorry, but I must go. That's what Carlos Zambrano thinks."

Whenever you have an athlete that talks in the third person like that, you've gotta do whatever you can to sign him to a lucrative extension.  Carlos wants Zito money?  A bargain.  Pay the man.  That's what MikeJ thinks.

Ryan Dempster vs. Closing
In a perfect world, Kerry Wood will adapt to closing like Peanut Butter adapted to Jelly.  But I can't count on Wood any further than Jacque Jones can throw to home plate, so the Cubs are going to have to hope that Ryan Dempster pitches like he did in 2005.  He does that, and I'll have no complaints.  He pitches like he did in '06, look for a revolving door of blown saves all season.  Bleh.

Despite all that, I think the Cubs have a decent chance this year.  The NL still sucks, and the Cubs are the only team in the division that really took steps forward in an attempt to improve themselves.  Sure, they have a long way to go, but I don't think 85 wins is out of the question.  And 85 wins might damn-well win the division this year. 

LET'S GO CUBS!!

Bears Post Mortem: Now What?

The Bears had their chance, and they blew it. 

Recent history suggests the Bears won't come within sniffing distance of the Super Bowl for another twenty years.  After all, there has been seven different representatives of the NFC in the last seven years, and only one of the seven has even made the playoffs in the following season (Seattle).  Plus, they've had tremendous luck with injuries these last two years.  Further, the Bears have only won a championship roughly once every 20 years since they were the dominant franchise in the 40s.  (46, 63, 85, 2006?)  Finally, their schedule next year is sure to be among the toughest in the league.  Great!  Now that it's settled that the Bears are going to suck, I'm going to go burn my all my Bears clothing and start rooting for the Packers.

Screw that.  With a defeatist attitude like that, you might as well not even watch sports.  All through the 90s and the Dave Wannstedt era, every season brought a slim shred of hope that said, "this might be the year."  There was hope with Jauron and Shoop.  Certainly a team bringing back at least 18 starters next season should be a strong favorite in their conference.  So let's take a look at the 2007 Bears, and try to figure out if this team has a legitimate chance to win the Super Bowl. 

Defense:
The bread and butter of the 2006 Bears will remain so in 2007.  With or without Ron Rivera, I don't expect this unit to slip much, if at all.  Mike Brown should be back from injury, though he's reached the Mark Prior point of his career where he can't be counted on.  Expect the Bears to pick up a Safety in the draft for the third year in a row.  The rest of the secondary, featuring Vasher, Tillman, and the Mannings, should continue to provide excellent defense if not get better. 

Lance Briggs is a free agent, and I'm not feeling especially good about the chances of him returning.  With Rosenhaus as his agent, and with the way teams have been using poison pills to steal franchise players, not to mention the Bears miserly history, it all adds up to Lance saying bye-bye.  I can't sugarcoat this, losing Briggs would be a tremendous loss to the organization, as I don't think the Bears have an adequate replacement on the roster.  If it were up to me, I'd pay the man whatever he wants.  If someone like the Redskins swoops in with a bag o' cash and Lance leaves, free agency seems the way to go.  But we'll see.  Urlacher and Hillenmeyer are going nowhere, nor should they.

The defensive line figures to have a lot of turnover this offseason.  With Tommie Harris coming back, Scott and Boone entering free agency, Tank Johnson potentially headed to jail, and Dvoracek returning from injury, there's going to be a lot of different faces than what we saw on the field this past Sunday.  Here's another move to consider: Trade Alex Brown.  While he's a very solid, pro-bowl-alternate type of player, I think he's about as good as he's ever going to be.  Not to mention the Bears already have his replacement in Mark Anderson, who simply dominated every time he got on the field.  If you're not going to trade Brown, perhaps the Bears can give Anderson a go of it at Linebacker and see what happens.  He played LB in college, and he's not especially large.  Just throwing ideas out there.  The line, despite the potentially high turnover rate, should still be very tough next season.

Special Teams:
Maynard, Gould, Hester, Ayanbedajo, Peterson, Wesley, and the rest are all coming back and are all among the best in the league so there's not much point belaboring the issue.  The only thing to note is Special Teams coach Dave Toub might be leaving, but I suspect whoever Lovie hires to replace him will utilize the same scheme.  (same goes if Rivera leaves the defense.)

Offense:
The offensive line has been a rock for the last two years, and this steady play has really been the key to the Bears success.  In 2004, the defense was almost as good as 2005.  The offensive line was in shambles, though, and that combined with a horrendous QB situation left the Bears with a 5-11 record.  Two straight years of steady play and health on the line, and the Bears (despite the continuously shaky QB), were in the Super Bowl.  It's not a coincidence.  Ruben Brown is the only free agent, and I'd give him a two or three year deal.  He's pretty athletic for a big man, and I don't suspect he'll decline much.  Finally, I'd also spend a high draft pick on a stud tackle.  Miller isn't a youngster, and this good run of health isn't likely to continue.

Other than Moose, the Receivers are young and good.  (Moose is neither -- shazam!)  Berrian is awesome, so no complaints there.  Rashied Davis is a nice underdog story and he's made some big catches, but I don't think he can be counted on as more than a 3rd receiver.  Mark Bradley had strike two this year with the injuries, and while he's looked amazing at times, he's got to play a complete season or else I cut him.  And I still wouldn't mind picking up a Tight End, but Desmond Clark served me up a warm cup of shut the f--k up this season, so as far as I'm concerned the job is his to lose. 

Benson vs. Jones, the second greatest debate.  Both are under contract next year, but there's been a lot of talk about Jones exiting stage left.  I don't know.  Benson's a bruiser and looks like an elite running back at times.  Yet every time he got going, Thomas Jones came through with a great game to re-establish his status as the number one back.  I'd like to keep both of them.  I think they complement each other perfectly.  Bruise 'em with Benson, then bring in the cutback runner for the big yards.  I'm beyond the point where I worry about paying a part-time runner $16 million dollars.  But that money's already spent and it'd be wise to continue to get the most amount of production out of both players.  One thing I do not do is give Jones an extension.  As much as I appreciate what he's done in Chicago, running backs have a short shelf life.  Watch him have another great year in '07, then let some other team pay big bucks to watch him decline.

Now it's time for THE debate.  Rex Grossman.  Man, what are we going to do with this guy?  I say, go into next year with him as the starter, but have a short leash.  If he starts this yo-yo, 100.0 one week, 0.0 the next shit; sit his ass down and go with Griese.  It's very possible that Griese could have won that Super Bowl.  I wasn't in favor of finding out, as I thought (and still think) Rex was more likely to win a shootout.  But safe and efficient might have won that game, and that's what Griese appears to be.  Speaking of, I don't get the excessive criticism of Grossman after Sunday.  Sure, he was lousy, but he alone did not lose that Super Bowl.  The defense's failure to stop the Colts on third down, Ron Turner's playcalling, and even Benson's injury all contributed to the embarrassment.  Grossman was very bad, but his performance isn't one of the 10 worst QB performances in a Super Bowl ever.  (Bottom 12 or 15?  Yeah, probably, but not the worst ever.) 

Finally, Lovie Smith.  Pay the man.  Vault his salary into the top 10.  He doesn't need to be top 5 or anything, but I think he's established that he's on the cusp of the top 10 head coaches in the league.  I really can't find much fault in the guy.  He'll make a stupid decision every two or three games, but that's nothing compared to his predecessors.  They made two or three dumb decisions per game, and they never came within sniffing distance of a Super Bowl.  So open the checkbook, and give him what he wants.

And with that, I'm done with the Bears for a few weeks.  I'm going to take some time, collect my thoughts, and maybe check out a Bulls game or two.  And Spring Training is right around the corner.  Time to see if this Soriano cat is worth all the fuss.  Till then....BEAR DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Super Bowl XLI: Misery in Miami

The Bears lost to Peyton Manning and the Colts in Super Bowl XLI by a score of 29-17.  It really wasn't as close as the final score looked, as the Colts pretty much beat them thoroughly on both sides of the ball.  It's a very cold and depressing night in Chicago, to say the least.

It started out well.  When Hester returned the opening kick, I was as happy as I've ever been in my sports fan life.  Then the Harris pick, Jones run, and Moose touchdown, and I was feeling pretty good.  Check that, I was insanely excited, completely hoarse, and totally drained.  After that, sadly, the highlights were few and far between. 

As I said before, it was a complete team effort.  Well, special teams were pretty solid, I guess.  But the defense couldn't stop Manning on third down all day, and they couldn't stop the run.  Addai and Rhodes took turns carving them up.  Their red zone defense looked pretty good for a while, but that eventually crapped out as well. 

A chief reason for the defense tiring, of course, was the offense.  They couldn't move the sticks.  They missed Benson for sure, but I don't think he would have made much of a difference, to tell you the truth.  Grossman was pretty bad, though he alone is not the reason they lost.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not at all pleased with his performance.  It's just the difference between him and Manning was pretty glaring.

I didn't like the playcalling either.  They were running up and down on the Colts, and Grossman wasn't getting the job done, yet they still proceeded to air it out.  When they were down 22-17 early in the fourth, and Jones was hittin it, I thought they should have kept feeding him the ball till the Colts proved they could stop him.  But no, that's when they had Grossman throwing down field in shitty conditions, where the chance of success was minimal.  It didn't work out.

And that pretty much sums it up.  It didn't work out.  The Bears weren't the best team on the field Sunday.  The better team was favored, and the better team won.  It wasn't a blowout, and it wasn't as close as you might think when looking at the scoreboard.  It was what it was.

You know, losing the Super Bowl really sucks.  I don't know how the Bills fans did it.  I mean, four in a row...jeez.  It really sucks because you never know when they're going to be back.  I'd like to believe it will be next year, but I know it's not that likely.  Is it going to be 2029?  Who knows.  I know the Bears didn't have a great team, but I still thought they had a great chance of winning because the Colts weren't exactly dominant either.  I was hoping we could steal a Super Bowl.  Winning a Super Bowl in a down year would have been good enough for me.

All I can say now is, pitchers and catchers in three weeks.  Pitchers and catchers.  Shit.

Bear down.

Super Bowl XLI: Bears vs. Colts: The 'Crown Their Ass' Edition

Man, time is dragging.  I swear this has been the longest two weeks of my life.  I've read ALL the analysis.  I've read ALL the blogs.  I've watched ALL the shows.  I've seen ALL the press conferences.  I'm covered in Bears apparel, head to toe.  I've got my nachos and my beers all within arm's length, with backups.  I'm ready.  Are you?

Still two more days, ugh.  What to do, what to do?  Let's take a look what's been going on, in this most glorious of Super Bowl weeks. 

• My DVR has been locked on the NFL Network.  I've probably seen more of Rich Eisen than Rich Eisen's wife.  Have you seen the "America's Game" series?  It's fantastic.  They've been profiling the top twenty Super Bowl teams of all time, and not just the games themselves.  They take just three high-profile members of each team, and talk to them about how each team was assembled (going back years), training camp, regular season, old press conferences.  The stories are outstanding.  If you have The Network, I highly recommend you check it out.  Especially when they do good old Double-X this weekend. 
• Further, the NFL's flagship seems to have the most even-handed commentary on this week's game.  Yes, it's in their best interest to heighten the competition, but still.  They don't simply say, "Peyton Manning is so much better than Rex Grossman that I can't possibly foresee the Bears winning," which a shocking number of media outlets seem to be doing.  It's as if this is a Punt, Pass, and Kick competition.  Well, yeah.  If it was simply Grossman versus Manning, the Bears would lose.  More on this later.
• Watching the daily press conferences, in full (on Comcast), really has shown me how tedious these things are.  Lovie and Rex have just about had it.  Yesterday, someone actually asked Lovie if he was planning on switching to Griese this Sunday.  Lovie was as pissed as I've ever seen him.  Imagine Ditka if he had a shoe untied -- that's where Lovie ranked on the pissed list.  And the repetitiveness of everything.  Big Sandy, Black coaches, Peyton Manning, Grossman Grossman Grossman...doesn't anybody have a fresh angle?
• I found some fresh ideas on another Bears blog, actually.  This three part series is great. 
• ESPN, the network, has been especially brutal.  Sean Salisbury and Michael Irvin...not even worth my time.
• ESPN, the web portal, has been a little better.  There's been a different puff piece every day, of course, but the analysis has been pretty sound.  I'm not going to sit here and pretend that the Bears are the favorites in this one.  I simply think that its not the mismatch that a bunch of people think it is.  I'd say, from a impartial standpoint, the Bears have a 40-45% chance of winning.  That's why the "Do the Bears have a Prayer?" headlines are so frustrating.  They have a prayer.  They have an excellent chance of winning.  And they won't need trick plays or flukey fumble returns to do it.  Moving on.
• Paul Zimmerman had a curious take.  All along, he's been picking the Colts.  Fine.  But then the other day he rated the players, position by position, and the Bears had a 14-9-2 advantage.  Yet he feels the difference between Manning and Grossman is enough to tip the scales back in the Colts favor.  An interesting take, to be certain.  If you don't trust the results of research then why do it in the first place?  Just askin.

Alright, enough wasting time.  Here's what Chicago has to do to give Chicago a Super Bowl Champ:

1. Punch Peyton Manning in the mouth.  Just get in his face, and try to do it without blitzing.  How are you going to get to Manning without blitzing?  Mix it up.  Ron Rivera has had an excellent postseason, and his coaching stock is rising.  Every now and then you'll see Adewale Ogunleye and Idonije drop into coverage and the corners and safeties rush the QB.  Keep him guessing.  He'll out think himself and f--k up.  Remember, Rex "the worst Super Bowl QB ever" Grossman has a higher passer rating than Peyton Manning this postseason.  FACT.
2. Give Grossman the keys and close your eyes.  I know, common knowledge suggests run the ball, run the ball, run the ball.  Keep Manning off the field.  No.  Pass to set up the run.  The Colts secondary is soft, and Nick Harper is banged up.  Safety Bob Sanders is a lot of things, and soft definitely is not one of them.  But he's going to be cheating up front in order to stop the run.  Throw deep, make them pay.  I guarantee Berrian will have at least one TD over 40 yards, and I really think Mark Bradley is going to play a big role in this one as well. 
3. Once you've established the deep pass early, Sanders will drop back and now's the time to start to running it down their throats.  Start with Benson and beat 'em up.  Then pass some more, then bring in Jones.  Remind the experts that the Colts gave up over 170 yards per game on the ground this year.
4. Feed off the hype.  The Bears seem determined this week to shut the country up.  Tom Waddle had an interesting point about the "disrespect" the Bears have been getting this year.  In preseason, virtually everyone picked them to win the North.  They were often picked to either reach the NFC Championship game if not represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.  They've been favored in 16 out of 18 weeks this year.  Yeah.  Some underdogs.  Whatever, it works for them.
5. Settle down and have some fun out there!  Yay!
6. Ok, enough of that pansy shit and re-read item one.  Punch Manning in the mouth.  Hit him hard, make Chicago proud.  If you're gonna go down, go down fighting.  Don't embarrass us.

Time for a prediction!  I think the game is going to start out tight with a lot of three and outs and maybe a field goal or two.  Then, Hester's going to take one to the house and everything's going to open up.  Manning will crap himself around the 10-minute mark of the third quarter, and the rout will be on, or so it seems.  The Bears will find themselves with a solid lead and they'll play ball control the rest of the way.  Manning will make a late run, but it will be two late.  Bears 27, Colts 23.

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS!!!  Make every play clear the way to victory!
Bear Down, Chicago Bears.  Put up a fight with a might so fearlessly!

We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation,
With your T formation.

Bear Down, Chicago Bears.  And let them know why you're wearing the crown.

You're the pride and joy, of Illinois.   CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

Then crown their ass!