The Chicago Bears will be a schizo team this year. At times they might look great, at other times, like a team going no-where.  And, eventually, the team might finish 9 and 7 where they were last year.  Here's the deal, the Bears got a great QB, but there are about two guys who can catch the ball: Devin Hester, who used to return kick-offs and punts, and Greg Olsen, their tight end.   That essentially is their pass offense. They will move the chains, and at times it may be painful to watch.  And, they will score touchdowns, somebody will miss their assignment and leave a Bear wide open, or two defenders may collide and leave a Bear wide open, or someone will slip on the turf and leave Hester all alone. That will happen.  But this isn't the Chargers in their hey day.  Or T.O running routes. Or even Plax Burress.  Heck, he may be in jail. 

Continue reading "Bears Will Be A Work in Progress"

Give the White Sox management credit.  They spent a heap of money on Jake Peavey and Alex Rios.  Peavey, the fine pitcher from San Diego is getting ready to make his first start for Chicago.  Alex Rios, who has speed, a good glove, and can drive in runs, needs to start producing.  The Sox made a great effort to make themselves better to win the AL Central Division title.  It is up in the air. They trail Detroit and could make up their decifit in a week if they play really well.

The question is:  How good are the Sox this year?  Earlier in the season they were playing poorly.  Then the team started to get better pitching in the starters and bullpen.  Guys were hitting the ball.  At home, the Sox look like a different team.  On the road, not so good. Well, good teams find ways to win on the road. Today they had a 2-0 lead late in the game, and they give it up, losing 3-2.  That is a tough loss. That is a loss that will come back to bite you.  They had a good chance to win 3 in a row on the road and let that slip away.  A few more losses like this, and their shot a post-season will be slipping away.  It's getting to late August.  It is a time to dig in and get the job done.

Continue reading "White Sox Need to Play Well Now"

Well The Chicago Cubs finally won a game in San Diego.  They lost 3 games to the Padres in the infamous meltdown in 1984.  They lost 2 in a row on a road trip this week.  Tonight, they hit the ball well as they beat the last place Padres for a badly needed win.

The Cubs are 4 games over .500 and when looking at the history of this team in the last 30 years, that is an accomplishment this late in the season.  I don't think this team has the makeup or talent to give St. Louis a run this season.  I think the realistic view is: win as many games as is possible, giving younger players a tryout.  The Cubs have talent in their farm system.  Bring the guys up to show what they can do. 

I thinking finishing 6 or 7 games over .500 is a pretty good year.  There is talent on this team.  Injuries played a part. Ramirez missed a third of the season.  Soriano was hurt early.  Zambrano has been sidelined once or twice too.

Continue reading "Cubs Don't Have the Horses This Year"

Saw Jay Cutler look very good against the Giants on Saturday nite. He makes the Chicago Bears look like a threat this year!

It's only Bear luck that he gets hurt and is out for the season.  I'll say it now.  I hope he stays healthy because without him, there is no offense.  On the field, he looks commanding. His throws are accurate.  He can go long, short, and in the middle.  In short, the Bears have not had a QB like him in years. Before man landed on the moon.  He's better than McMahon.  Can throw quicker with less effort than Erik Kramer.  He has a great arm.  "We must be in heaven man."

That line is from Woodstock with happened 40 years ago.  Since then the Bears might have had 25 QBs!  You can't even remember the names.  Bobby Douglass comes to mind, because he was a great rushing QB.  Jack Concannon was good, because I don't think he got injured. Billy Wade was good because he didn't make mistakes and he didn't get injured.

Continue reading "I'm Holding My Breath, Cutler Doesn't Get Hurt"

Since the Chicago Cubs and White Sox are all but out of contention in baseball, this Chicago fan can cheer for the Bears going into hostile territory and defeating the Denver Broncos.

It's not easy to win a game in Denver.  But after seeing Jay Cutler go 15 for 21, throwing the ball with authority and leading the Bears offense and watching Kyle Orton trying to match up, the Bears may have gotten the steal of the year.

It doesn't matter that they gave up the proverbial house to get Cutler.  What matters is, Cutler is a pro-bowl looking QB and Kyle Orton isn't.  And, Denver fans are understandably upset.  Cutler has the quality of making decent receivers look good.  And that is hard to accomplish.  A special teams TD by Devin Hester tonight underscores his own brilliance and takes the pressure off Cutler to do it all alone.  If Hester can sprinkle his magic this season by scoring in a flash of an eye, this could be an exciting season. 

Continue reading "Cutler, Bears Win in Denver 27-17"

There will come a time when the Chicago Cubs are mathematically eliminated from post-season play.  That time hasn't yet arrived but as the Cubs lose to teams with losing records such as Washington, NY Mets this past Sunday, and trailing Houston 5-2 in the 6th inning tonight, that time is coming soon enough. 

Seeing the Cubs, who had a great winning record last season, plus 30 games, thrash around like a wounded animal--is painful enough.  For a die-hard Cubs' fan, you don't want to see the team lose, but put them out of their misery.

The season is over.  The Cubs weren't good enough, and they are making the Cardinals look like the Cubs of last summer.  Records are mirage, except losing ones.  Now Chicago will try to finish the year above .500 and that looks like a struggle.  Players aren't meshing this year according to Lou Piniella, Cubs Mananger.  He said the team chemistry was better last year in published reports. The team also had Mark DeRosa and Kerry Wood.  Milton Bradley, who came over with power from the left side, has been a huge disappointment.  He was hot versus the Mets. Batting like .450 in 3 games. That might have raised his average. But when the Cubs needed big hits earlier this season, Bradley was ice cold.  Recently he has made statements that haven't endeared him to home town fans. Well, the season is almost over and you can go home soon.

Continue reading "Cubs Can't Beat Bad Teams At Home"