Final Thoughts on Chicago Sports

Bears Send Green Bay Packing

The Bears somehow muddled through and beat the Packers today in brutal conditions at Soldier Field.  Seventeen degrees, 40mph winds, just a horrible day for football.  Horrible from the lakefront, that is, but it was a blast on TV!   Yes, the game was "meaningless" for the Bears.  In fact, they'd be better off draft-wise losing.  But what fun would that be?  The Packers needed a win to have a chance at gaining home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and sending them on the road in January is a nice consolation for this season of discontent.  To the notes:

• Say what you will about Lovie Smith, but the man knows how to beat the Packers.  He's now 6-2 against the Pack, after the previous two guys combined for a 4-20.  He had an awful lot of help from the conditions, and that punter for Green Bay will probably be Ray Finkled out of the league after that one.  But still, Lovie has met his first goal again and again in his tenure.  Now if we could just get back to that third goal.
• You can't really evaluate the performance of individuals in a game like today's.  I mean, it's noteworthy from a survival standpoint.  And it'd be perfect if we were looking ahead to January football.  But alas, good and bad sort of mesh and the weather affected every play.  So on that note:
• Kyle Orton looked pretty damn good.  Poised.  Strong.  "Accurate".  And better than The Legend, to boot.  Give him back some of those drops and you might say he was damn near flawless.  But that said, I'd like to see him start in normal conditions behind a solid line and with a good running game and a more inventive coach calling the plays.  Am I asking too much?  Maybe then we'd be able to really evaluate him.  All we know now is he can handle the cold well.
• Running game mostly worked.  Receivers largely didn't but it's hard to really blame them on a day like today.  I can only imagine trying to catch some of those frozen bullets in such conditions.  It's gotta be like Homerpalooza.
• Other than a few enormous runs by Brian Grant and some nice third-down throws by Favre, the defense did it's job all day.  Without the help of Nathan Vasher, Mark Anderson and Lance Briggs, who must have pulled his contract.

The game really was all Special Teams, as Green Bay's punting unit was horrific.  A couple blocked and a couple of bad kicks.  That's all you can say.  Bears win.  A nice Christmas present from the boys in navy and orange. 

Merry Xmas, everybody.

And the Season-Long Debacle Continues on MNF

The Bears lost to the Vikings tonight and were thus "mathematically" eliminated from playoff contention.  While that was obvious to anyone with a brain two weeks ago, the game was still worth watching for two reasons:  Kyle Orton and the Real Adrian Peterson.

• Kyle Orton was pretty bad, but not quite as awful as Tony Kornheiser would have you believe.  The guy had absolutely zero support on offense.  As he lined up behind a horrible, penalty-drenched offensive line, against the best run defense in football, he was given lousy plays to run with barely adequate third-string runningbacks in the backfield.  Then he had Hester running around like a friggin high schooler not seeming to know any of the plays.  Just a debacle from top to bottom on offense.  Kyle should get two more starts this year, even though his chances of success won't be much higher against Green Bay and New Orleans.
• The Real Adrian Peterson got a couple of touchdowns tonight, but he didn't have that great of a game.  Still, an incredible guy to watch and he's going to be a nuisance for years to come in the National Football League, as Ron Jaworski might say 7,000 times.
• Surprise!  The defense stepped up.  I swear, it was like 2005 all over again.  Defense causing turnovers, Orton managing his heart out.  Was Nathan Vasher's return the difference on D?  He certainly was on two of the picks.  I don't want to say the season would have been a whole lot better if Vasher was healthy, but it might not have been quite as ugly.
• Brian Urlacher was a monster tonight.  Pick, fumble recovery, two sacks.  Last second push for some Pro Bowl votes, I think.  Speaking of, I'd say the only Bear that's a lock for the Pro Bowl is Hester.  The only others that deserve consideration are Tillman, Ogunleye, and Ayanbedejo.  Tommie Harris and Olin Kreutz might get in on reputation as well.  Pretty much everyone else sucked this year. 
• It's amazing how inept this team is considering the great field position that Hester provides.  Every other drive starts at the 40 or better.  Man, 2006 seems like a long time ago.
• A couple of crap calls by the refs tonight.  A holding on Clark, a roughing on Briggs and a intentional grounding call.  The Bears didn't deserve to win this game by any stretch of the imagination, but two of those flags get picked up and there might be a different outcome.  I'm just saying.

And that's that.  Two more chances to evaluate existing talent before cutdown day.  Bear down.

PS.  Brian Westbrook: a pox on you and your kneeldown at the one.  IT'S THE PLAYOFFS.  I'm going to tell Mama McNabb that there's "No Soup For You."  That's all.

The Mitchell Report, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Mark Prior

The Mitchell Report came out today and let me be the first to say that it was rather underwhelming.  In short, Mitchell found that Major League Baseball has had a big problem with rampant use of performance enhancing drugs over the last 20 years.  Shocking!  Lots of people were to blame, and not just the players.  The horror!  Baseball needs to clean up.  A novel idea! 

He did say that baseball has done a decent job in recent years in reducing steroid usage, but it's still far from perfect.  On the other hand, the use of the undetectable HGH has gone up since they started testing for the detectable stuff.  Not much of a surprise there, either.  The cheaters will always be one step ahead (just like all savvy criminals). 

No names on the list were a total surprise, though a few were mild surprises.  There were also some surprising omissions, but I'll get to that later.  As for the big-name surprises, I'd say Andy Petitte was the most surprising.  And maybe guys like Mo Vaughn, Paul Lo Duca and Eric Gagne.  Also surprising is the number of no-namers/scrubs that made the list.  I mean, if you thought Felix Heredia was a sucky pitcher before, imagine how bad he would have been if he hadn't juiced!

 As for the not-at-all surprising names, of course the old standards, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Gary Scheffield, and Rafael Palmeiro were there.  And Roger Clemens of course has been rumored for years with nary a shred of proof, but his name has finally been tarnished.  I'm not sure if anyone honestly felt he was clean, but I have to admit it's kind of refreshing seeing this, in my eyes at least, obvious cheater exposed.  He was awesome (and clean) in the 80s, starting to fade somewhat in the mid-90s, before a career rejuvenation in the late 90s, followed by his peak seasons while in his 40s in the 2000s.  Is it possible to have your best season at age 42?  In any case, Clemens is an interesting case for the Hall of Fame.  On the surface, he's a slam dunk best-pitcher-of-the-last-50-years type of lock.  Seven Cy Young Awards?  Sick.  No brainer.  But if you think about it, if he started using in 1997 as the Mitchell Report proclaims, he may not have legitimately earned four of those Cy Youngs.  All of a sudden he's Dwight Gooden.  Nothing against Gooden, of course, (as he had some problems of his own) but he's a very marginal HOFer, if at all.  Did the roids extend Clemens' career, and his trophy case, by six or seven seasons?  We'll never know.

 All we know is that he used roids and pitched great.  And that he competed against a bunch of other players (some publicized and many unpublicized) that used roids as well.  So by that logic, you vote for all worthy players or none at all.  So he gets my vote still, if I had one.  The only time roids should enter the discussion is with the marginal players.  For example, Juan Gonzalez.  He won a pair of MVPs and had a nice career, but he's a very borderline case for the Hall.  His inclusion in the Mitchell Report should probably keep him out. 

A couple of other names surfaced today, before the report came out.  Kerry Wood and Mark Prior.  Actually, a ton of names were released by CNBC earlier this morning as names that were on the list.  Guys like Pujols, Nomar, Damon, Varitek, Pudge, and many more.  There were some big-time shockers in that group.  But none of those guys actually made it onto the final report.  Actually, the biggest omission in the report has got to be Sammy Sosa.  Sosa has long been accused of juicing up, and I'm reasonably sure he was a user.  I'm not 100% positive, though.  Maybe 90%.  How can I afford him that 10% chance of cleanliness?  Well, obviously he's never been caught.  No positive tests.  No links to dirty trainers.  No buying drugs illegally.  No mention in the Mitchell Report, other than the note that he elected to not talk to Mitchell.  Really, his record is clean.  The only thing going against him is a)  mind-boggling stats, and b) a willingness to cheat with a corked bat.  So he won't have as much steroid debate surrounding his name when he appears on HOF ballots in 7 years or so.

 But back to Prior for a moment.  As mentioned above, Wood and Prior were on an early, bogus list of users.  I gotta tell ya, that hurt a little.  Not a lot, as virtually everyone was suspect, but it did hurt a little to see players I loved prominently mentioned.  I was quite relieved when they ended up missing the cut.  Prior was in the news already today as the Cubs elected to non-tender him and grant him his walking papers.  And so ends the Mark Prior era.  You want to talk about sad, at least from a pure Cubs fan standpoint, Mark Prior's demise takes the cake.  When he came up, he was awesome.  Everyone had visions of a Tom Seaver-like career, with multiple World Series appearances, flashing before their eyes.  But then it all fell apart, again and again, with trips to the DL.  The demise is just so Cub-like I can hardly stand it.  His ultimate release ended up being justified, at least it does if the Cubs really feel he's through as a Major League pitcher.  Bruce Levine suggested he won't be back till midseason, and even then it will be unlikely that he'll hit 92 ever again.  So my plan of keeping him around at four mil "just in case" was really just a waste of resources.  If he does ever come back strong, though, it will hurt twice as much as it does today.   

And so it goes.  Baseball's dirty, gotta clean it up.  And have to do it without Mark Prior.  Till next time....

Cubs Win Fukudome Sweepstakes

ESPN 1000 is reporting the Cubs have signed outfielder Kosuke Fukudome from Japan, and in the process Jim Hendry's offseason has been saved.  If they weren't able to sign Fukudome, I don't know what they would have done in Right Field next year because most the viable MLB free agents have already signed.  Hendry said he had a trade in the works, but who knows how that would have gone down.  Whatever, it's a happy day for Cubs fans.

So what does Fukudome bring to the table?  A lot.  The 2006 MVP hits for average, has speed, shows pop, and plays excellent defense.  He hit .351 with 31 bombs two years ago, and while you can't count on that sort of production with the promotion to the bigs, you can certainly pencil in .300 or so with maybe 20 homers.  The great speed and defense won't be affected in the slightest.  And tell me this guy won't have good fundamentals.  All they do in Japan is practice fundamentals for nine hours a day.  The only concern I have is four years for a completely unproven commodity.  But what the Hell, that's what it took to get him and it's only money.  Good move by the Cubs.

The 2008 team is starting to take form.  I'd still like to see another starting pitcher, and maybe another veteran reliever.  But beyond that the only possible upgrade I see is with the potential Brian Roberts trade with the Orioles.  On the surface, he doesn't look like much of an upgrade over DeRosa.  Unless, of course, you factor in that a) he plays in a tougher league, b) has made a couple of All-Star teams, c) is two years younger than DeRosa, and d) adds a much-needed left-handed bat to the lineup.  I heard an interview with DeRosa on the radio the other day, and I really feel for the guy.  He pretty much did everything the Cubs asked this year, and yet it's his position where the Cubs are concentrating most on finding an upgrade.  That's the business of baseball, I guess.

Here's what I'd like to see, assuming the Cubs can put the cherry on top of their offseason by acquiring Brian Roberts.  Go into next season with Pie in Center, Fukudome in Right, and Theriot/Roberts in the infield.  DeRosa would be relegated to super-sub status, able to start across the diamond at five positions when guys need a day off.  (1st, 2nd, 3rd, SS? and RF)  If Pie ends up being a bust, a not unlikely outcome, shift Fukudome to Center and start DeRosa in Right.  DeRosa wouldn't exactly be a world beater for a corner outfielder, but he'd be a more than capable bat until Hendry can swing a midseason trade. 

I think this roster, as constructed today, is good for 88-90 wins.  One more move can put them over the top in the NL.

Go Hendry!

Bears Lose to Washington: Now it's "Officially" Over

The Bears are who we thought they were!  I know it's the most overused cliche in the business right now, but it couldn't be more true.  We thought they were kinda shitty, and last night they proved it.  Actually, both teams looked rusty and unprepared in the first half.  They picked it up in the second, but it was still a less-than-stellar evening of NFL football.  I'm not sure if these Thursday games work.  I mean, I love watching mid-week football, but the play is generally sloppy.  Just not enough time to prepare, I guess.  Teams seem to go into the games with the same gameplan from the game they finished on Sunday.  At least the Bears did, with the hurry up offense on the first drive and then never again.
 
Speaking of the offense, how about Grossman?  Back to his old ways?  This is the Grossman we expected to see last year, the perennially injured Grossman.  Not "Bad Rex," but "Injured Rex".  I suspect he's done for the year.  I have no idea what to do with him now.  This might improve the team's chances of signing him to a short, one-year contract, but I still don't know if we should.  If he played well over these last four games, the decision to bring him back for a 1 or 2 year deal would have been easy.  The only problem then would be other teams offering him 3 or 4 year deals, in which I case I would have "sayonara" and let him go.  But now other teams will be less likely to offer such a deal, making the Bears decision carry more weight.  Mmm, mmm, mmm...what a predicament!
 
I do know that now would be the perfect time to switch to Orton.  He's got 10 days to prepare for the next game, and there's enough games left to give the team a good idea if he's a viable long-term option at QB.  I mean, I think Griese's a capable backup.  I even think he might be a capable bridge to a young guy, a healthy Chris Chandler if you will mentoring the young Steve McNair.  Or Kitna to Palmer, if you will.  But aren't you at least curious to find out if Orton is the real deal?  Chances are slim, of course, but stranger things have happened.  And he did look night-and-day better this year in training camp over the previous year.  Give him a look!  And not just a week 17 thank you note, like when Shane Matthews got his first opportunity 10 years ago.
 
As for the rest of the offense, Adrian Peterson is clearly an excellent third-string runningback.  He's perfect for the job.  Great special teams play, get about two carries every other game, and maybe the occasional spot start when catastrophic injuries take place.  He's clearly no better than that.  Garrett Wolfe looked pretty good last night.  He showed something, at least, which was more than Peterson can say.  I still highly doubt that he could be an every down back in the NFL, but he might be a legitimate change-of-pace type of back to take a third of the carries from a workhorse.  That's still a big "might", but I feel a whole lot more optimistic about his chances now than I did two weeks ago.  He should get at least half the snaps from here on out.
 
The receivers looked solid last night.  Hester was on the field a lot, and making valuable contributions.  I'm wondering if it's not a coincidence that Hester played more with Griese on the field.  The first three weeks, with Rex, he probably got about 3 snaps per game on O.  Then, when Griese was in there, he played more and more.  By the second Detroit game, I bet he was in there on 60% of the snaps.  Then, when Rex came back, Hester disappeared.  Maybe 5-7 snaps per game.  Griese comes in last night and all of a sudden he's a factor again.  He looked good, especially on that one drive when they were picking on Smoot's backup.
 
Bernard Berrian looked good last night, too.  Not sure if he's worth the top-10 money he's seeking, but he's looked good these last 5 weeks or so.
 
Over to the defense, they stacked the line and shut down the running game nicely, but they were unbelievably shitty on pass D.  I've never seen NFL receivers so open in my life.  It's like these guys had 10-yard safety-zones around them.  Ridonkulous.  They made Todd Fucking Collins look good.  Inexplicable.  I can't really say much more than that.
 
I'm not too enamored with the coaching staff right now, either.  Babich clearly can't hold Ron Rivera's jock, and Ron Turner is the most unimaginative offensive coordinator in the league. 
 
And that's that. 

Cubs Make Another Trade

Today the Cubs traded Will Ohman and Omar Infante to the Braves for 22-year-old fireballer Jose Ascanio.  It's another underwhelming move in a series of underwhelming moves by Jim Hendry this offseason. 

There's not a whole lot to say about this one.  I don't know anything about the new guy, other than what his stats say.  He had a pretty good year this year in AA, though it was probably his only good year in the minors.  But what's not to like about 22-year-olds with live arms?  

Will Ohman, the second-longest tenured Cub (to Kerry Wood), was a solid LOOGY for a number of years before this year when he sort of fell apart. I think his crappiness was probably due to him being used wrongly by Lou more than it was Ohman's fault, as he was still rather effective against left-handers.  But when he was brought in to face righties, he was pure Alfonseca.  Still, even if returned to the proper role at the established level, he probably wasn't worth the $1.6 million he was scheduled to make.  And as for Infante, we hardly knew ye.  I just knew ye wasn't nearly worth the $3 mil ye was supposed to make as a backup infielder. 

This move, like the Jones trade, is a pure salary dump.  It also removed some rank fodder from the 40-man roster, signifying moves to come.  (at least it better.)  If this move clears enough salary to sign both Fukudome and another difference maker, then I'm all for it.

Bears Lose a Tough One to G-Men

The Bears once again proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they aren't a good team and can't win two in a row.  Again, in the weak NFC the Bears' playoff hopes are still alive, but that's in numbers only.  They don't have a prayer.  To note...

• Rex Grossman continues to antagonize the entire city of Chicago.  After an excellent first half, he did practically nothing in the second until the final minute of regulation.  With the game on the line, he couldn't get the job done.  That's all there is to it.  At least he didn't turn it over. 
• It's official:  It's not all the line's fault, Cedric Benson sucks.  Adrian Peterson wasn't exactly good, as evidenced by his 3.0 YPC.  But he was better than Cedric, and that's all that matters.  Especially catching the ball.  He had a few chances to break some big plays but got brought down by his ankles.  If only...
• The line was still nothing special at all, as Grossman was dropped on his ass six times.  John St. Clair stepped in for Miller and they didn't miss a beat.  I was hoping otherwise.
• Desmond Clark was quite a weapon on that first drive.  And that hurry-up offense was both refreshing and tight.  Why the hell did they stop using it?
• The offense kept committing stupid penalties time after time, aborting the few promising drives that they had.  If they could have been able to turn just one of the abortions into a TD, the Bears would have won.
• The Bears defense lost this game.  (Well, the D and the penalties.)  If they weren't successfully stripping or picking the ball, they gave up yards like a sieve.  I appreciate the turnovers, but it appears that's the only way this Defense has a chance at stopping anybody.  A rather amateurish way to run a defense, if you ask me.  Take chances with blitzes and strip attempts and hope you get lucky, because you certainly aren't going to stop 'em by playing them straight up. 
• That said, a few players stood out today and have stood out all season.  Adewale Ogunleye and Charles Tillman.  Those guys have been both good AND consistent.  Can't really say that about anyone else.  (Apologies to Tommie Harris and his knee.)
• Eli Manning really does suck.  He's about as good as Grossman, except he was a number one pick and the G-men traded for him.  But other than that, he's pretty much a carbon copy.  Loser.

So the Bears are 5-7 in the mix with about 8 other teams for the last playoff spot.  I just don't see how they can possibly get back in this race.  Somebody's going to step forward, and from here it looks like the real Adrian Peterson and the Vikings.  Who'd have thunk it?