Final Thoughts on Chicago Sports

Cubs News on Wood and Prior

Both Cubs former golden boys, Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, are in the news this week.  I've got thoughts on both.  First, Woodie.

The Cubs signed Kerry Wood to a one-year deal worth $4.25 million.  He can earn more if he meets "games finished" incentives.  I like the move.  I mean, Wood's spent a ridiculous amount of time on the disabled list in his career, but he finished last season strong and he might prove more durable in the long run only pitching an inning at a time.  And even if he doesn't, it's only four mil.  Not exactly breaking the bank.  The real question is, who's going to close? 

Lou said it's going to be either Howry, Marmol, or Wood.  Personally, I'm fine with any of them but my first choice would be Howry.  Marmol's a better pitcher, but I like using him in the high-leverage 6th and 7th innings.  Bring him in with the game on the line and two runners on base; he'll "save" the game right then and there.  Save the "closer" for the 3-run leads in the ninth.  After that, the reason I choose Howry over Wood is Howry's got experience and Wood might not hold up pitching three consecutive days.  He might not hold up pitching two.  Hell, he might not hold up pitching one.

Mark Prior made the news because competing GMs announced the Cubs are shopping him.  I can understand the motive to cut losses, but what on earth are you going to get for him?  A single-A nobody?  A fifth outfielder?  At this point, he's not worth much more than the three million he's scheduled to make.  Word on the street is he's recovering from his first-ever surgery well and may be ready to pitch in May.  I'll believe it when I see it, but what if that prognosis is true?  Don't you at least want to see if he has anything left in the tank?  The last thing I want to see is him to have a full recovery and pitch brilliantly again in a different uniform.  The man was the Johan Santana of his day, and you don't want to trade him for the next Mike Hubbard.  Scratch that lotto ticket and see if you've got a winner.  It can't hurt.

Unless, of course, Baltimore wants to revisit this trade.  I'm sure Hendry's phone lines would be open for that one.

Not Dead Yet: Bears Beat Broncos

Devin Hester returned both a punt and a kick for touchdowns today as the Bears came from behind to beat Denver in overtime, 37-34.  At 5-6, they are only one game out of the playoffs in the NFC.  I guess you can say I was premature in declaring the season dead in my recap last week.  I was right about one thing, though.  This team has not played at a high level at all, even today.  They're only in it because everybody else sucks just as much.  If they somehow sneak in at 9-7 or even 8-8, they will get smoked in the first round.  To the notes:

• Hester had quite a day.  After fumbling while inexplicably trying to knock the ball down like a third baseman in the first quarter, he came back to single-handedly keep the Bears in the game.  Why does anyone ever kick to him?  What was Todd Sauerbrun thinking as Devin dashed past his outstretched limb? 
• Cedric Benson got carted off in the first half after a pretty impressive 25-yard run.  Now that we've been finally seeing some flashes of brilliance from Benson, it's only fitting that his season is likely over.  His Bears career could very well be over, too.  Did the Bears see enough this year to bring back Benson next year?  Before the last two games, I'd say the answer was a resounding "no."  But after the recent handful of truly impressive runs?  I don't know.  One thing I do know is Adrian Peterson came in and they barely skipped a beat.  Benson dreams of the way Peterson moved the pile on that TD run.  Peterson wasn't able to get into the open field, though, so we didn't get a chance to see that burst that Benson had on his one good run.  Which leads me to my next point.
• The offensive line is still awful.  Fred Miller is doing his best to invoke the memory of Stan Thomas.  His hold on the Grossman TD to Olsen was sick.  (not in a good way.)
• Lots of dropped balls today, from virtually everyone.  The game-tying TD catch in the end zone, though, by Berrian was one of the best catches you'll see all year.  How can he make catches like that and yet drop the routine ones.  Such a frustrating season.
• Over to the defense...they made some big plays today.  I can't say that they played "well," because they let some nobody run all over them.  And if not for some terrible throws by Cutler they would have given up more.  But they forced turnovers, and they got a few sacks and big stops when they needed them most.  Still susceptible to the long ball.  Still susceptible to cutback runners.  But they can hang with anybody when they force a couple turnovers. 
• Adam Archuleta needs to be released as soon as the offseason starts.

And so it goes.  The Bears host the Giants next week for another 3:15pm game.  I'm getting used to these late games.  It'll be a shame when the Bears go back to all the nooners next season when they get booted off national TV.  And, back to the Giants game, let it be known that I fully expect the Bears to lose next week.  The Giants obviously aren't as good as their record, having beaten a bunch of stiffs before losing at home to Minnesota today.  But the Bears being the yo-yo team that they are, they are just incapable of winning two in a row.  Here's to hoping they break that streak.

Bear down.

What are the Sox doing?

Since the Cubs have been pretty much sitting on their hands these last few weeks, I thought I'd take a look at what the South Siders have been up to this winter.  Turns out, quite a bit.  In chronological order...

• Re-signed Jose Uribe to a one-year, $4.5 million dollar deal.  Uribe is kind of an enigma for Sox fans.  He's got some pop, and his numbers defensively are pretty solid.  It's just every single Sox fan I know hates his guts.  Kind of like Jacque Jones on the Cubs last year.  Sure, the 20 HRs and 70 RBIs look great from a Shortstop, but all the strikeouts and other braindead plays in the field are just too much to take.  It seems most people would sacrifice 15 homers and 30 RBIs for a few less strikeouts and some smart baserunning.  Which leads me to the Sox' next move.
• Traded Jon Garland for Orlando Cabrera.  I don't get this move at all.  Garland is a better-than-average 28-year-old pitcher that's made 32+ starts six years in a row.  He's no Johan Santana or anything, but he would be a perfect #3 or #4 on a championship club.  In fact, he was.  I suppose I could understand trading Garland for some prospects if they didn't want to sign him to a long term deal.  But 33-year-old Orlando Cabrera coming off a career year?  When the ink on Uribe's contract isn't even dry?  Sure, this move looks better if Cabrera manages to repeat last season the next two or three years on the South Side.  But if he falls back from his career year?  You might as well have stuck with Uribe.  Cabrera was worth about five more wins than Uribe this season.  That's a lot.  But Cabrera back at his old level?  One more win at most.  Not enough of a haul for Garland.  And what position is that $4.5 million going to start at this year, anyways.  Second?  Third?  You think his bat looks bad at short?  You should see it elsewhere on the diamond.
• Whiffed on Torii Hunter.  I think the Angels gave Hunter too much money at $90 million over five years.  Still, he would have looked pretty good for the first few years of that deal.  (Like Soriano and his bloated contract on the North Side.)  Who's going to play Center now?  Is Brian Anderson going to get another shot?  Are they going to try to re-sign Erstad or some other re-re-retread?  Yuk.
• And Last and well, Least, signed Scott Linebrink for four years, $19 million.  This one might be pound-for-pound the worst move by Kenny this offseason.  I watch a lot of National League ball and let me tell you, the dude looked washed up this year.  Shingo Takatsu washed up.  He couldn't get anybody out to save his life in July and August.  His previous four years did look pretty good, but it was an admittedly inferior league and he's turning 32 this year.  Not the type of guy you want to sign for four years, to say the least.

And that's about it.  While I sit here and criticize the Sox I'm reminded of a line by Psycho Steve Lyons, of all people.  No, not the racist one.  He's making moves!  While the Cubs have done nothing to improve their team, at least the Sox are doing something.  Not that making moves for the sake of making moves is a good strategy, it sure beats the Status Quo.  Going into 2008 with the team that stank up 2007 is a recipe for disaster, even if he is 0-for-4 in my book. 

Bears Lose, Season Over.

Despite the fact that the Bears lost to Seattle today, it was a pretty entertaining game.  Both teams were making one big play after another on both sides of the ball.  It was precisely the type of 30-23 victory that would have made NBC happy.  Oh well, their loss. 

Speaking of losses, this marks the end of the Bears' season.  If it's not officially over, it's practically over.  At this point, you're basically looking for a six-game winning streak and asking for help.  Forget the help, do you think this team can win six games in a row?  So yeah, it's over.  But that's not to say it's time to pack up and stop watching.  No, sir, there's still plenty to see.  So much in fact that I kept a running diary.   Here's what I saw:

3:15pm:  I just cracked open my first beer of the day and it's time for kickoff!  Let's see if Holmgren has the guts to kick to Hester! 

3:16pm:  Nope.  Nice little return by Wolfe, though.

3:17pm:  Holy crap!  Who's wearing Benson's jersey!  A 43-yard touchdown run, are you effing kidding me?  He hit the hole!  He showed moves!  He outran somebody!  We got a runner! 

3:20pm:  <Looks at watch>... Damn, that first beer went down fast.  Time for another trip to the beer fridge.

And...cut!  Just kidding about the whole running diary thing.  I'm pretty confident that I would suck at that worse than the Bears offensive line sucks at football.  Here's some notes instead.

• Cedric Benson looked like the guy the Bears thought they drafted on his first two carries today.  Two carries, 60 yards.  Unfortunately, for the rest of the game he was who we thought he was.  El Busto.  Nineteen yards on his next nine carries.  <shakes head />
• I thought Rex Grossman played very well today.  He wasn't great, but he mostly did his job well.  Smart, accurate throws.  An inkling of pocket presence.  A few nice scrambles.  Really, he was one fumble away from an B+ in my book.  (Note: I grade Bears QBs on a curve.  He'd get a C in any other town.)  I don't think Griese could have made some of those throws today, and I don't think he'd have put up more than 23 points either.  Rex gets the nod next week.
• The receivers looked good, too!  Berrian and Moose were making acrobatic catches left and right.  Olsen was getting tough yards.  And my goodness, was that Rashied Davis!  Not enough Hester, though.  Where the hell was he?  He must be the Bears double-secret weapon.  So secret that you didn't even know he was there.
• And now, to the downfall.  The offensive line is the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked.  It's so bad, that I really can't say if the problem with the running game is really Benson or just the line.  Fred Miller was especially horrible today.  That fourth and one play where they ran it straight up the gut and lost yards?  Brutal.  Holding calls and false starts?  Fugly. 
• A more disappointing downfall today was by the defense.  They aren't as sucky as the O-line; nobody is.  It's just the pride and joy of the Bears is "below average" at best at this point.  They looked good at times.  They got a few nice sacks.  They forced a turnover.  But they let Seattle get 21 first downs today.  Last year they were consistently giving up less than half of that.

There's really not much else to say.  Bears lose, season over.  Time to start evaluating talent. 

Bear down.

Bears-Seahawks: Rex is back

The Bears are travelling to Seattle this Sunday in a game that was bumped from the primetime slot.  I don't blame NBC for not wanting to televise the Bears.  Hell, I write a blog about the Bears and I can barely stomach watching them.  Luckily the Raiders game featured the "D Team" and nobody outside Chicago saw it, or else Fox executives might have caught whiff and relegated the game to Versus! 

The bigger news, of course, is the return of Rex Grossman to the starting lineup.  I think the Bears made the right decision in benching Rex after the Dallas game.  At the time, his confidence was completely shot, and he was making terrible mistakes every game.  He just looked like a broken man in his press conferences.  So I think the time off might have done him some good.  A reality check, if you will.  

But if I'm the Bears, I give Rex a short leash.  I literally do not plan more than one game in advance.  He starts this week.  He does shitty, he's done with the Bears forever.  He does well, he starts next week.  He needs at least four good games in a row before he gets his leash extended to two games, let alone a contract extension.
 
And if he does do shitty, I really want to see Kyle Orton.  We know what Griese can do.  If it turns out Orton sucks, then so be it.  You've got to go with the young guys.  It's going to take a 6-1 type of run to make the playoffs, and frankly I don't think any of the three is capable of that.  If it were up to me, Griese would only play if a) Grossman has one more horrible game, and b) Orton has three horrible games.  Griese's a fine backup.  A gamer.  But he won't ever be much better than what we've already seen, and we haven't seen much.
 
I don't have very high hopes for Grossman.  It's certainly possible that he can lead the Bears to a 6-1 record the rest of the way, and play well in at least six of those games.  It's just not very likely.  He's still short, he still has no pocket presence, he still runs into sacks, and he still has happy feet.  The occasional successful bomb can not hide those facts.  I put the odds of him doing well somewhere around one in ten.  I put the odds of him doing so well that the Bears offer him an extension somewhere around one in thirty.  Not good.

So....prediction time.  I'm tempted to pick the Bears because a) Seattle isn't very good, and b) the Seahawks are a team Rex has had multiple good games against.  I just can't do it, though.  This team is a few lucky breaks from being 1-8.  They only have one convincing win all season, and even that one was far from a blowout.  I predict the yo-yo will swing back this week and the Bears lose, 24-10.   

Cubs make their move

The Cubs traded a pair of outfielders this week at MLB's winter meetings.  First, Jacque Jones went to Detroit for utility infielder Omar Infante and then today Craig Monroe was traded to the Twins for the notorious PTBNL.  Here's my thoughts on both:

Monroe for PTBNL
I'll do this one first because this is really a "who cares" move.  Monroe stunk with Detroit this year, and he stunk with the Cubs.  It's nice to see them remove worthless players from the roster, though.  Even if it's for an eventual nobody.  Verdict?  Cubs Win!

Jones for Infante
I like the Jones move if this is the first move in a sequence of moves to upgrade the outfield.  It's gotta be.  I don't think the Cubs are going to go into 2007 with Felix Pie as their starting center fielder, because Pie looked horrible this year.  I remember listening to a Dan Plesac interview on the radio after the playoffs ended, and he said "I had a better chance of getting a hit in that Game 3 situation than Pie."  He just looked clueless this year.  Sawed off every time up.  Because he hit so well in AAA, though, I would have given him a chance in spring training.  Jones would have been good, cheap insurance.  Now I'm expecting them to make a major splash and acquire somebody way better than Jones.  If they don't, then this trade is inexplicable.

Jones ended up being pretty solid.  I hated him like no other in 2006, but I really started to like him in the second half of 2007, despite his power being way down.  Kind of funny, really.  He just played hard and limited his mental mistakes.  That's all it took for me to change my tune.  As for Infante, he's a crappy reserve middle infielder.  A dime-a-dozen guy you can get anywhere.  Jim Hendry loves these types.  Neifi, Macias, Enrique Wilson, Rey Ordonez, etc.  He's probably a safer backup option than Cedeno, but that's about all I can say positive about him.  He's a crappy utility guy.  Verdict?  Rain Delay.  We'll have to wait till they take the tarp off to make a full evaluation.

And that's about it.  Good luck, Jacque. 

Bears-Raiders: A Win is a Win, Baby

Today's Bears-Raiders matchup was a pretty wretched display of football for the first two hours and forty-five minutes.  Neither offense could do crap.  Two-point-six and a cloud of dust, three and outs everywhere you look.  Even Hester was held in check.  But somehow Bernard Berrian managed to get deep in the last three minutes and Rex Grossman somehow managed to throw an accurate pass.  Then Berrian somehow managed to catch it.  Bears win.  Some notes:

• I wasn't even remotely upset when Griese got injured.  It's clear that he's a gamer that can win a few games off the bench but it's also clear that he's not a viable option to be the starter next season.  With the season slipping fast, they might as well give Rex (or Orton) an extended look.  At least there's some upside.  Maybe the six-game benching for Rex was just the wakeup call he needed to pull his head out of his ass.  He didn't look great today; hell, he didn't even look good.  But at least he can throw it down field. 
• And how about Grossman?  Runnin in there as soon as Griese gets hurt, giddy as a school girl.  Then fumbling the first snap.  I just about fell off my couch I was laughing so hard. 
• Benson looked good at times, but he still only averaged 2.6 yards per carry.  Not very good against a team that was allowing 152 yards per game on the ground.  (That's more than the Bears give up!) 
• Nice to see Garrett Wolfe get in there for one lousy carry.  I don't know what happened to him.  He just doesn't have the burst he had at NIU.  He runs more tentative than Benson. 
• Muhammad looked like a pro today, and so did Clark.  Can't say much for the offensive line, though.  It's hard to evaluate the line's play before watching the replay on NFL network.  So it's hard to say if it was the new guy in the lineup, Terrance Metcalf, or if it was just poor play on the whole.  All I know is Benson was routinely stuffed behind the line and the quarterbacks took a beating. 
• The defense looked pretty good today.  Well, they were playing a team a worse QB than their own and less weapons than their own, but still, at least they were able to hold them in check.  In particular, I thought Briggs, Ogunleye, Walker, Manning and Trumaine McBride had good games.  Especially McBride.  He was quite a find in the seventh round of this year's draft.  He hasn't quite played up to Vasher's all-pro level, but he's certainly got the job done and the Bears losing has little to do with the Vasher's replacement. 
• What's up with the fifteen yard unsportsmanlike penalty from the Bears bench?  Lovie!  Control your team!
• Robbie Gould is worthless beyond fifty.  It's been confirmed.

And that's that.  Bears win an ugly game but a win's a win and it's better than a loss.  I'm sure they'll crap the bed next week against Seattle, a matchup so good NBC tossed it like some moldy cheese.  That's just how this yo-yo team is.  But I'll remain optimistic until they get loss #7.  That will be the certifiable death blow for the 2007 team.  Until then....

Bear down.

So what's this crap about Dempster starting?

The MLB Winter Meetings are going on, and Jim Hendry used this opportunity to announce that Ryan Dempster is moving back to the rotation for the Cubs.  A curious decision, to say the least.  I mean, baseball history isn't exactly littered with pitchers who a) were mediocre starters, then b) converted to slightly above average relievers, before finally c) became a decent starter.  The only guy I can think of that sorta kinda fits the bill is Derek Lowe.  Every other mostly failing closer that attempts a return to the rotation ends up out of baseball within the year.  And we pretty much know that Dempter's shot.  So what's the dillio?  I think there's three possible answers:

1. Hendry really thinks Dempster will make a difference in the rotation.  Jason Marquis can then become trade bait.
2. Hendry doesn't want Dempster closing any more, but he appreciates what Dempster's done for the club and understands Dempster's desire to start.   So he makes a "save face" announcement stating that Dempster's going to get an opportunity to start in spring training.  And if he doesn't make it?  Well, there's always long relief.
3. Hendry's pumping up Dempster's trade value.  Let's see, I've got Ryan Dempster and his $6 million dollar contract taking up space on my payroll.  And it's a lot harder to sell a "demoted closer" than it is to sell a "promoted starter."  So...Hey!  We love Dempster!  He's slated to start for us!  You want him?

I think it's a combination of 2 and 3.  While I'd like to think that Hendry has ultimate faith in his mediocre closer, I just don't think he's that dumb.  Dempster gave up a ton of hits and a ton of walks last year, only pitching one inning at a time.  It just seemed like all the "outs" he got were on screaming line drives.  What possible good can come from him moving to the rotation?  In fairness, Dempster had a pretty good season as a starter as a Marlin seven years ago.  He even made an All-Star team.  But the key note in that sentence is seven years ago.  That's a long ass time. 

Thankfully, Lou has very little patience for bad performance.  If I were a betting man, I'd bet Dempster won't start more than three games for the Cubs in 2008, ala Wade Miller this year.  So this crap with Dempster is a non-issue.  He's either going to start and pitch well or he's going to get pulled from the rotation before he has the time to do serious damage.  (Shades of Rex Grossman)  Nothing to worry about.  Till next time...

The Case Against Lovie Smith

Here's the wrapup of my conversation with my cousin about Lovie Smith.  I'm going to leave this one mostly to him, as I have a hard time refuting his points:

Jim:  More thoughts.  Read a few of the local articles today.  I read Rosenbloom's blog on ChicagoSports.com and he suggested moving Urlacher to Safety.  I actually had this in my head before I even read his piece. 
 
Why not?  Get him out of such a bad position for someone with lower back problems.  I've never been a fan of Cover 2 in the sense that it wastes Urlacher's talents.  It will get 350 pound lineman off of him, and allow him to pursue the football forwards, instead of backpedaling.  Switch Briggs inside, or maybe even move Hillenmeyer to the inside like they did in 2004. Start Jamar Williams as the 3rd linebacker.  Worth a shot in my opinion.  He played safety, and played it well in college.  I remember in 2004 they put McQuarters at safety and he had never played it in his life and did "okay."  Also, anything to get Archuleta off the field is a bonus in my book. 
 
The other option would be move him to outside linebacker, where he doesn't have to do much backpedaling and instead can focus on attacking the football.  Look at the year Briggs is having.  I don't know.  I just think they need to get him out of MLB to save his back, and really, use his talents to the fullest.
 
I swear.  I could write a major dissertation on why I hate Cover 2.  I know it's the "in thing" now in the NFL, but I just don't see where it has worked consistently.  The only team that has run it consistently well is Tampa Bay.  The Bears have had spotty success.  The problem is you need quality players at each level of the defense.  You need a gap shooting DT, a MLB who can cover downfield, and smart safeties who can cover and help in run support.   A slip up in any of those places will cost the D huge.  Look at last year, once Brown has hurt, the defense was completely different.  Then Tommie Harris goes down and really they were quite average. 
 
My other quibble with Cover 2 is it's predicated on speed.  The Bears have speed.  But, it's rendered useless at Soldier Field in November and December.  "Maybe" if they installed FieldTurf they could manage.  For the life of me I don't understand why they still haven't done this.  That field is awful come about this time of year.  They put down FieldTurf at Ohio Stadium this year and the players love it.  Several other NFL cities in cold weather areas have done it too...Cincy, New England, New York, etc. 
 
Again, unfortunately, we're stuck with Lovie for at least another 2 years, so Cover 2 is here to stay. 

Mike: So much Lovie hatred.  Where the hell did this come from?  Before the Dallas game, I don't recall you saying a damn word negative about Lovie.  It was literally a love-fest. 
 
Yes, the scheme doesn't work as well when you're missing players.  But you know what?  No scheme works as well when you're missing players.  I like the Urlacher to Safety bit, though.  Jamar Williams is definitely better than Archuleta and at times like these you want the best players on the field. 
 
As for Cover 2, I like it.  I like it more than the 2001 model of having 2 fat tackles stuffing the run, and relying on LBs to plug the gaps.  The team doesn't have the players right now to try anything other than standard D or Cover 2.  And they play standard D more than you think.

Jim:  Admittedly, a lot of it is probably the frustration of this season and me needing to dump it on someone.  But, truthfully, I've never been all that enamored with Lovie.  He had one successful season as a D-coordinator at the NFL level.  He was the Bears 2nd or 3rd choice as head coach.  2004 was a disaster.  2005 they probably overachieved, but were exposed in the playoffs.  Last year they got to the Super Bowl, but how much of it was schedule and a weak NFC?  And, they were very, very close to getting knocked out in that Seattle game, remember?  I'm guessing you'd be singing a different tune right now if Gould hadn't nailed that 50 yarder in OT last year.
 
Here's my beefs with Lovie, in no particular order:
 
1.)  Lack of involvement with the offense.  Dude, he hired TERRY SHEA in 2004.  The guy was like 65 at the time and had never been anything more than a QB coach in the NFL.  He had an impressive mark of 11-44 in his head coaching stint at the college level at Rutgers.  Fortunately he realized this mistake early and canned him, but seriously, that set the program back a year.
 
2.)  Inability to develop talent.  He takes a young, physically gifted Division 1-A player like Danieal Manning, and throws him all over the place.  Free safety, Strong Safety, Corner, Punt returner.  Is it his goal to confuse him?  Then, he can't get talented players like Olsen, Hester, etc. involved enough. 
 
3.)  His dealings with the media.  Here's his problem.  He tries to be Tony Dungy, Mr. nice guy, Mr. laid back.  But he can't.  Lovie is seething inside when he has to answer the tough questions.  Like the week he benched Grossman.  He knew he was going to bench him, and could have told the media, but then he says come to practice on Wednesday. 
 
4.)  His relationship with Urlacher.  Clearly not good.  Urlacher is playing hurt.  The guy is tough.  Remember in 2004, when he played basically with an open wound on his leg?  Lovie is basically saying, "every player is hurting right now, deal with it."  Low back injuries can be tough to diagnose and painful.  Lovie is definitely not standing behind his star player and the face of the franchise.  Urlacher on the other hand, has never been happy with the Cover 2.  I think he should have been moved out of MLB a long time ago. 
 
5.)  The Rivera-Babich transition.  Obviously has not gone well.  Rivera & Lovie never got along, and Lovie didn't want him back.  Meanwhile buddy Babich has been less than stellar. 
 
Is that enough fodder to at least solicit a discussion on this?  To Lovie's credit, he did admit yesterday he hasn't done a good job this year.  If they can somehow turn this thing around and at least go 8-8, I'll give him another pass and support him next year.  But, if this season tanks, and they go 5-11, I don't see how you can't start raising some very legitimate questions about Lovie. 

Mike:  All good points.  I have a hard time refuting any of them.  If Seattle did indeed beat the Bears last year in the playoffs, and the Bears were one-and-done...I'd be calling for his head right now.  But they got over that hump, took care of business against the Saints, and had sloppy performance in the Miami rain to crush our city's soul. 

I'm just giving Lovie a free pass for now.  The simple fact that he doesn't have his head up his ass during games like Jauron helps me overlook all other flaws.  For now.

Oh, and finally, rooting for the Patriots over the Colts this Sunday is un-American.  That's all I'm going to say.

Bear down.