The Greatest show on Grass?

Is this what we are gonna be calling the bears offense soon? Maybe if the last two weeks were an indication of what the Martz offense can do for the bears. Look, it was a great win yesterday against the Jets and the bears did it by leaning on the offense something that is entirely foreign to us Bears fans. The bears are in the driver's seat for a first round bye and have won 7 out of their last 8. Shaping up to be a great season. Positive, negatives and thoughts on yesterday's game below.

The Good

1. O-line. The much maligned O-line looked like studs vs. the Jets. Cutler had all day to complete throws and we saw what happens then with 3 tds in the 3rd quarter. Plus, Forte was the first 100 yd rusher against the Jets this year. A lot of that credit goes to the O-line for blocking up people. If the line can play like this then sky is the limit for this offense.

2. Matt Forte. As mentioned above, Forte is the 1st back to go over 100 yards against the Jets D this year. And only the 2nd back to do it in the last 2 years. Forte had some excellent blocking but he picked up a ton of yards after 1st contact and he looks like the back he was in his rookie year. He is the most dangerous weapon on the bears offense.

3. Jay Cutler/Devin Hester. Ask Jay how easy it is too look good when you usually only have to go half the field for a TD and you have a running game. The bears offense was clicking on all cylinders and Jay showed why he was brought into be the franchise QB. And not enough can be said about Hester and the advantage he gives the bears. The bears have the best average starting field position in the NFL and it is because of #23. Also, he has caught TDs in 2 consecutive games. Can he get the MVP?

The Bad

1. D-line. Did the bears D-line actually play yesterday? It was pretty hard to tell because im pretty sure Mark Dirty Sanchez was pretty much untouched besides some LB blitzes. I dont want to hear that this D-line has problem with their "get-off" on the soldier field grass. Arent there pills for that? Anyway, the bears know they play on turf and that they play in the cold so this just cant be an excuse for no pash rush. I was having flash backs to last season's defense. Not good.

2. Defensive play calling. Alright, I by now understand that Lovie's system doesnt work when you have to rush more than 4. But does that mean the defense just has to give up when its not working? In the 2nd quarter and really until the 4th quarter, it looked like the bears had no idea what to do when their front 4 couldnt get pressure. Finally, in the 4th, we saw urlacher and briggs coming on blitzes which were somewhat effective. Can I ask why it took till then for the blitz to become an option? That adjustment needed to be made a lot earlier given the way Sanchez was carving up the bears.

Random Bear Thoughts

Peanut Tillman has to be winding down his days as a cornerback. I mean we have all seen his inability to cover fast WRs anymore and he has pretty much become a liability in most man to man coverage situations. I personally love Peanut and proudly display his autograph in my room but I think realistically if he is still with the bears his future will be at safety. I mean he says on the field because of his ability to punch out fumbles and putting him at safety would mean he is around the ball more and he can use his size and strength against TEs and backs. It could re-invent his career much the way it did for rod woodson and charles woodson. Either way CB must be an offseason priority for the bears.

Why is the packers game important? Because if the packers win, it would likely mean that the bears get the #3 seed and would play the #6 seed who would be........the Packers. As great it would be to see a Bears-Pack playoff game, they will probably be the most dangerous NFC team in the playoffs.

Some thoughts on the Bulls trouncing of the 76ers

Good day kind sirs. I'm sure you've heard, but the shorthanded Bulls decimated the 76ers last night by a final score of 111-76. Here's some random post-game thoughts:

Kudos to Kurt Thomas for his 12 pts, 8 rebs, and 5 blks (five blocks!), all of which were either flat-footed or "2 to 3 inches off the ground" footed.

Brian "the human victory cigar" Scalabrine was able to get some run in this game as well (but only fter the Bulls had stretched their lead to 49 pts with 5:41 left in the game (Were you that sure the lead was safe Tibbs?) Once inserted, the entire focus of the crowd shifted to him. Jackie Moon responded by producing what can only be described as THE basketball highlight of 21st century (I know we've got about 90 years left, but I don't think we'll see something that tops this, unless Robo-Blake Griffin III is able to recreate this dunk). Honestly though, the two biggest crowd reactions of the night were after Scal's floater, and when the Bulls passed the free Big-Mac threshold earlier that quarter.

Omer Asik got some mop up minutes as well, finishing with 8 pts, 6 rebs, 2 blks, and this beauty of a dropstep/spin move. In regards to Omer, he is a walking contradiction. By that I mean his high effort/generally spirited defense would seem to indicate he wants as much court time as possible, whereas his in-game facial expressions generally range from mildly pained to "get me out of this jersey and as far away as fucking possible from this hardwood surface, fucking ASAP"

Case in point:
















Example #2 from last night:
























So either dunking hurts him like a bitch, or he was coincidentally being attacked by a swarm of imaginary bees mid-throw down. Maybe he's seen My Girl (RIP Thomas J.) one too many times.....idk.


Not to be overlooked is big Luol's 22 points on 10-14 shooting, proving these two things:

1. He's clearly comfortable/best suited for his role as the Bulls' third scoring option behind Rose and Mustard-Man.

2. He is the preeminent member of the (Sudanese) basketball hall of fame, towering (metaphorically) over the late great Manute Bol (the taller one), and this other Deng guy (Deng Gai......lol!!!!)


Also, Doug Collins is old and Evan Turner sucks.


SOTFD --- Song of the Fucking Day:



Happy Holidayz

Bears v. Vikes - Division clincher?

First off, I have said nothing about last week's debacale vs. the pats because really there is nothing good or constructive to take from the game. Just forget about it and move on. But, tonight with a win the bears have a chance to clinch the NFC North. As impossible as that would have sounded at the beginning of the year, its true.

Key Matchups:

1. Julius Peppers v. Bryant McKinnie. McKinnie used to be a premier LT in the league but he has lost it. He has problems with speed rushers and can be beaten right away off the snap. Pep needs a big game and the bears need to put constant pressure in the backfield on what might be a sloppy night.

2. Matt Forte v. Chad Greenway. Greenway is the vikes leading tackler and will probably be in charge of covering forte in pass coverage. Call me crazy Mike Martz but Forte has been your most explosive weapon on offense all year so get him the ball in space. I like that the bears are running the ball more but Forte showed earlier in the season that he is an excellent and elusive runner on those swing pass and screens. With the weather probably being a factor tonight about we see some more of those and Forte running past Greenway.

Bear's Key:

1. Ability to play in bear football. As this is posting, the forecast in MN is for 20s and snow. Last week the bears looked like a team that plays in dome. The pass rushers didnt know how to deal with the ground and weather and the offensive line was revealed (again) to be a finesse group that couldnt blow people off the line. As it sets up now, it looks like there will be atleast 1 home game in january at Soldier's Field. It might help to figure out how to play outdoors in cold weather before then.

2. Contain the purple jesus. Or Adrian Peterson as most people call him. With the vikings playing their 3rd string QB, we are gonna see a whole lot of AP. I'm not sure the bears can stop but just contain him. Without any big runs by him, it will be very hard for the vikings to move the ball and we will see them punt the ball a whole lot.

Hero of the Day:

Lance Briggs. This is the type of game that Lance can change with his play. The weather will be sloppy and if lance can get a pick or force a fumble that could spell doom for the vikes. Look for him to be all over the place and in on most of the tackles and cause at least 1 turnover on the night.

Prediction

Bears 24, Vikes 14.

Even though the vikes are playing with their 3rd string QB, this is still a division game and these teams dont like each other. It will be a physical game with a lot of punts and defense will probably rule the night. Still, the night will end up with the bears being NFC North winners!

Bears v. Tom Brady

I mean really can anyone name someone else on the patriots? They really have Tom Brady and a bunch of role players around him. When you look at their statistics they are just an average team but here they are at 9-2. Their offense is 13th in yards, 11th in passing, 13th in rushing but somehow they rank as the #1 scoring offense in the NFL at 31.6 pt/game. Their defense is average too ranking 19th in the NFL. So, this should be an easy win for the bears right?

Key Matchups

1. Jerod Mayo v. Jay Cutler. Cutler's improved play is really the reason for the offensive improvement since the bye week and I expect him to only be better against the Patriots. The Pats are ranked 31st against the pass and i think we may see the bears call more deep routes this game than the last 4 combined. But, I have the suspicion that Mayo, the Pats best LB, may be doing some spying/shadowing of Jay Culter given Jay's nimble feet of late. Mayo is really the one that drives the Pats defense and if Cutler can recognize what he where is on the field, it can negate his impact and make the Pats defense look pedestrian.

2. Urlacher v. Pats TEs. The Pats have two excellent rookie TEs in Hernandez and Gronkowski and the majority of their plays will involve both TEs. They love to run vertical down the seam and have the speed and hands to do so. Brady will spread the ball around but he definitely look to these guys for big plays down the center of the field. I suspect the bears will be playing a whole lot of cover 2 so Urlacher will have to get a good drop down the middle of the field in order to be in position to break up pass to these TEs.

3. Patriots v. Soldier Field turf. Hey, so the turf is crappy but what do I can when it neutralizes the opponents speed? It certainly worked against the eagles, maybe the fastest NFL team. And now we can hope it hurts the Patriots. Their offense is based around YAC or run after the catch so heres hoping on sunday its just falling after the catch.

Keys for the Bears

1. Tackling. Unfortunately this is probable the worst matchup for the bears defense in the NFL. The Pats are a patient, short passing team which absolutely kills cover 2 defenses. Maybe we will see some more blitzes and man 2 man from the bears but I heavily doubt it. So, in order for the bear's cover 2 to beat brady & co., they must tackle extremely well as the Pats are all about YAC, as stated above. The first guy must stop the ball carrier or at least slow him down.

2. DT pressure. Tom Brady is awesome in the pocket. He isnt very mobile but he slides/moves extremely well in the pocket. This allows him to side step a lot of pressure and step up on any pressure from the outsides. If the DTs can get pressure up the middle then Brady has no where to step up and we could see him take some sacks and it disrupt their passing game.

3. Big plays keep coming. The offense has been great the last couple weeks but not exactly what we expected from them. It has been consistently driving the ball and every once a while a big play will pop. But from the Martz offense, I was expecting a lot more big plays and quick scoring. I think this game will be higher scoring than most because the problems the Pats will present for our defense. With that said and the Pats D not having much of a pass rush, i think its time to start going deep early and often. Yep, this could turn into a disaster of inceptions and turnovers but this offense needs to show that it has that capability in order to be a playoff threat and probably to win this game.

Hero of the Day

Jay Cutler. Its the first time this year I have chosen Jay to have a big game. This probably as big of game in his career that he has played and he really needs to come out and show that he can perform against a good team. I think either he goes off for 3 or 4 tds and probably a int or he throws a real stinker and we start wondering if he can handle the big games/stage.

Prediction

I really want to take the bears. I know im that big of a homer but I just cant bring myself to do it. I wanted to take the Bears 31 to 27 on a last second season defining TD drive by Culter. But, i just cant. I think it will be a close game but Brady in the 4th quarter will hurt the bears and they will fall. Pats 27, Bears 24.

Bears v. Lions, Part Deux

Well, the bears have won 4 straight. Yep thats not a typo and pretty much could be classified as the hottest team in the NFC. Still not a typo. The get the banged up lions team this week and really this game shouldnt be close. But here is what to watch for anyway. Oh, and a shutout to Ryan Coe, who i hear is a big fan.

Key Matchups:

1. Chris Williams v. Ndamukong Suh - Suh has had a phenomenal rookie season and probably will be the defensive rookie of the year if not the overall rookie of the year. Williams is getting better at guard but still is pretty rough and doesnt handle the power rush from a DT very well. Well, I have to suspect that Suh will be lining up over Williams and trying to create havoc. If Williams can hang with Suh on his own that should mean big holes in the run game and a big day for Forte.

2. Megatron(Calvin Johnson) v. Bears corners. I mean Johnson is virtually unstoppable. He is pretty much a freak of nature and arguably the best WR in the NFL even though he has had journeymen QBs throwing to him most of his career. If the bears can just contain him in the redzone, it would be a victory for them. Also, did i mention he is pretty much the Lions only offensive weapon.

Keys for the Bears

1. Work the play action. If you remember back to week 1 of the season, the lions pass rush got to Cutler quite a bit and I dont want to see Jay get hit by Suh more than necessary. By working the play action, it can slow down the pass rush and give Cutler some more time in the pocket. Mostly, the bears have to worried about slowing the push up the middle of the Lions DTs and play action should make them worried about the run first.

2. Don't let up. So, this is a classic trap game for the bears. They have the Patriots next weekend and the Lions are 2-9. But, i think the Lions have played much better than their 2-9 record and will come out for blood after "the catch" in week 1. The bears have to withstand what the lions throw at them in the 1st quarter and then pull away before half. They cant come out flat. I dont think they will but it has be a concern for most fans.

Hero of the Day

Johnny Knox - Johnny has had some big games here in this 4 game winning but I think this week against a weak lions secondary he will have a break out game. Look for atleast a TD and 100+ yards.

Prediction

Bears 31, Lions 13. The bears just keep getting better and better and look for the defense to join the scoring with their 2nd defensive TD of the year. There should be a lot of 3 and out from the lions and I expect this game to be over by halftime. Go Bear!

The Cubs have lost a Giant

I think that pretty much says it all. Ron Santo died last night at the age of 70. He will be sorely missed and Cubs broadcasts will probably never be the same. I grew to listening to Ronnie on the Radio and while it could be brutal at times, there was no question to his passion for the Cubs. He will always be remembered as a Cubs fan and player and probably the best 3B ever to play for the cubs. Goodbye #10

On many occasions, when Santo was upset with the way things were going for the team, a simple grunt or moan sufficed.

"I'm a fan," he explained last summer. "I can't plan what I do. I get embarrassed sometimes when I hear what I said, like, 'Oh, no, what's going on?' But it's an emotion.

"This is being a Cub fan."

Wood once made a case for Santo's election to the Hall of Game in an article in ESPN the Magazine, writing: "When it happens, and if the schedule lets us, I'm going to be there for the ceremony. He's the epitome of Chicago baseball. He's still part of the team. He lives and dies with it. In fact, I think we've put him in the hospital a few times. He should get in just for that."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-ron-santo-chicago-cubs-obit,0,1699814.story

Impressed yet, Bears' Fans?

Count me in the impressed column. I'm not sure I have words to describe how impressed I am by the bears play yesterday. Although the game ended with the bears only winning by 5, the game really wasnt close in the 2nd half. Here's some thoughts and ramblings on the game.

The Good

1. JAY CUTLER. Well, he threw 4 tds. No picks or turnovers. and only had 1 "what the shit are you doing" pass. Plus he continued to move well in and out of the pocket and avoid the rush when possible. And i will count his great little shovel pass to Matt Forte, but only because it worked. This is probably the best game Jay has played as a bear really. He was 8 of 10 against the Eagles blitz and was so effective that they just stopped blitzing. Also, he hit his WRs in stride and made throws that only he is capable of making. Basically, he was a Franchise QB.

2. Matt "Big Play" Forte. Doesn't it just look like every hand off to Forte that he might break it for 20+ yards? Or is it just me being a homer cause he is on my fantasy team? Either way, Forte had a great game. He broke big runs and had over 100 yds against an Eagle defense that had not allowed a 100 yd rusher. If the bears continue to be able to run the ball, we see how the passing game opens up and the points get on the board.

3. Defensive Line. Give these guys the game ball. Vick is one of the best athletes in the NFL and was contained and harassed by the DL all day. The best sacked him 4 times on the day and had numerous more hits on Vick. Peppers had a great game and did anyone really think Idonije could be this good? He was almost unblockable yesterday. These guys won the game for the bears and made the defensive game plan of dropping into coverage possible.

The Bad

1. Chester Taylor - Maybe i'm being nit picky here but Chester hasnt looked good the last 2 games. He has 7 yards on 17 carries in the last 2 games and had -3 yards yesterday. Chester is still reliable in the passing game and a good blocker but I was expecting more explosion from him. He is more of a cut back runner than Forte and behind this line it may be hard to find daylight anywhere else than the designed hole. I know he is just the backup but the bears billed him as helping to create a 2 headed monster in the backfield. That just isnt the case right now.

2. Kick coverage. I could have picked Brandon Manumaleuna trying to juke a defensive back instead of just running over him (you're 300 lbs for pete's sake) or the offensive line completely blowing blitzes on a couple of plays. But, I was very disappointed in the special teams coverage. I know that the eagles have a good return team but the bears still gave up too many large returns and it hurt field position. Plus there was a penalty on a kickoff return which negated a big Danieal Manning return.

The Stunning

8-3. Thats the bears record and represents a tie for the 2nd best record in the NFC with the saints. The bears have beaten the eagles and packers who are right behind them in the NFC with 7-4 records. The bears have to be in the conversation for who is the best team in the NFC and have a legit shot at not only winning the division but also getting home field advantage in the playoffs. No one would have predicted this and lets just hope it keeps getting better. Up next week - the Lions.

Review of the Circus trips

So the road trips for the blackhawks and the bulls have come to an end and finally a game will be played before 9 pm our time. I watched most of the games and and saw great things from these two teams.

The Bulls

Besides wondering why the hell John Lucus III would be in at the end of a game when he was on the street the day before , the bulls answered pretty much all the questions i have about this team. The bulls went 4-3 and it should have been 5-2 if they hadnt given away the nuggets. Derrick Rose legitimately is playing like the MVP of the league averaging over 30 pts and 7 assists for the trip. It is quite evident that no one can cover/stop Rose and if you need examples, you can ask Tyreke Evens. Ronnie Brewer after a slow start has really impressed me with his defense and explosiveness. I mean his shot is still uglier than mine but we knew that coming in. Korver isnt shooting as well as I expected and still plays white man defense. But he is still a threat from 3 and fills a role for the bulls. Noah also is better than I think even the bulls would have expected. You can mark him down for a double-double every night and him and rose are pretty awesome together. Plus, this was the first team that the bulls had a winning record on the Circus trips since #23 was playing for them. All in all, this was a better road trip than I could have hoped and the bulls have cemented themselves as one of the best teams in the East. Now that Boozer is expected to play this week for the first time, we can really see how good this team might be.

The Hawks

The Hawks finished the trip 4-2 and got 8 pts out of the trip which makes for a great trip. This team really starts to be coming together and figuring out how to play in the system. Their defense has really improved and they are controlling the puck. The shots against most games has been down in the twenties and the shot differential has been at +10 in the hawks favor at times. When you outshoot your opponent by that much, you are gonna win most games. Patrick Sharp is hot again scoring goals in 5 out of 6 games on the trip and Seabrook/Keith are shutting down opponents top lines. But maybe the most encouraging sign was the fact that the Hawks seem to really have come together as a team. The last 2 games opponents took runs/shots at blackhawks players and teammates stood up. That edge/camaraderie was present last year and until this trip was lacking this year. Bottom line is the hawks are starting to accept their roles and play like the team of last year. Oh and watch John Scott just destroy a man, maybe the best part of the trip.

All this trip previews what should be a great winter of chicago sports.

Shoutout to the Garbage Men

Yo-Yo what it do, the Bulls may have lost last night's game against the defending champeen Lakers, but they hung tough throughout most of it, even leading the game at one point in the 4th quarter. Unfortunately, they had no answer for a late-game barrage of threes from the likes of Steve Blake, Shannon Brown, and Matt Barnes (wha ha happened?). Luckily, the Bullies have a chance to right things tonight against the Phoenix Steve Nashes Suns. One of the bright spots from last night's loss was the play of Joakim Noah, especially his defense against Pau Gasol, who was held to 12 points on 3-10 shooting. This leads me (closer) to the topic of today's post.....

If you haven't been following the goings on down in South Beach, the Pat Riley Chemical Feast are off to a blistering(ly pedestrian) 8-6 start, and one of their most glaring holes is their utter lack of a dirty work player, i.e. one whose scoring is generally inessential to their actual impact on the court.

Let's recap a brief and very incomplete list of some of the NBAs great (recent) past and present garbage men, describing the strengths they harnessed to offset their lack of traditional basketball skills, and rating them on the standard 5-point junkyard dog (JYD) scale. In no particular order:


Dennis Rodman:

This pic pretty much says it all. There wasn't a single loose ball that the Worm saw and didn't yearn for with the burning passion of a thousand dying suns. He led the league in RPG seven times, averaging 15+ a game in six separate seasons (twice over 18). Perhaps no other stat confirms his otherworldly rebounding prowess than his all-time leading career mark for rebound rate. At 23.4%, this means he grabbed nearly a fourth of all the caroms available throughout the course of his career. He couldn't shoot or post-up worth a damn, but Guy. Got. Ball. Oh, and he spent the great majority of his career playing against guys at least twice this size.

4.5 out of 5 JYD:









Bruce Bowen:

Not your prototypical JYD, but a JYD nonetheless. While he always had a very limited offensive repertoire, he never really hit true JYD status until his long and fruitful tenure with the Spurs. Through eight seasons, three of which resulted in a championship, he averaged just a shade over 30 minutes a game, with a paltry 6.5 PPG over that span. He also established himself as one of the premier defenders in the NBA, generally focusing in on defending the opposition's top offensive wing player. While he also got criticized (justifiably) for his at-times dirty defensive tactics, you can't argue with the results or his indelible contributions to those perennially championship contending Spurs teams.

4 out of 5 JYD for BB:









Ben Wallace:

The original Big Ben (excluding this one, of course), who is known primarily for his boss-as-hell afro, all-time poor FT shooting, and prodigous defensive and rebounding skillz. Undrafted out of college, he's been in the league going on a decade and a half now. He's won defensive player of the year four times in his career, and made four all-star teams in that span as well. All this despite the fact that he'd still likely miss the first bucket given this opportunity: It's a fucking gimme, mang!

Also, he was featured in one of the all-time great NBA video game commercials:


For all of the above and not much else, Benny the (one-time) Bull gets a 4.5 JYD:









Joakim Noah:

A JYD for the twitter-age, if there ever was one. Since being drafted out Florida with the 9th pick in 2007, Joakim has gone from a being a poor-man's Andy Varaejo into an elite-level beast on the glass and defensive end in general. Joakim has improved so much in this time, that he's actually starting to play himself out of JYD status. He's currently averaging a cool 15 pts and 13 rebs, which means he's actually got more offensive game than a JYD has any right to have. But to be fair, he's certainly ugly as hell, which any true JYD should be.

3.5 out of 5 JYD (if only because he can actually put the ball in the basket on a semi-regular basis)









Honorable Mention, Jerome Williams:

After all, he's the namesake for this post's terribly dumb scoring system, so I'd be remiss to exclude him from the definitive (ask anyone) list of JYDs. With career averages of 6.6 pts and 6.4 rebs/game, he clearly was never a focal point on the teams he played for. But through sheer hustle and determination, the true JYD was able to hang in the league for nearly a full decade. Praise be to Jerome for maximizing his uber-limited skillset.

5 out of a possible 5 JYDs:









Finally, here's a timeless and G-funked-the-hell-out cut from the Above the Rim soundtrack, starring TuPac, one of the dudes from Cool Runnings, some other guy, and Marlon Wayans:




HAPPY THANKGIVING EVERYONE!!!!!

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The Bulls are better than what we thought they were

The Bulls beat the Mavs with some Taj-tastic heroics on Friday (17 pts, 18 rebs and his first career 3-pointer) The Bulls face the Lakers Tuesday night in what should be a game of basketball.


The difference between this year and last year, summed up neatly (and pictorially).

2010-2011 Bulls:
















2009-2010 Bulls:

























But don't feel too bad for VDN. He found another head coaching gig with those lovable Clippers.....(okay, actually feel free to feel very bad for Mr. The Black). On the bright side, at least this allows him front row seats to the Blake Griffin yearlong dunk-a-thon in addition to potentially the most losingest lose-diculous loss-filled season in the history of the NBA. If my math is correct (it ain't), the Clip-show are on pace for negative 3 wins this year, which would put them about 45-50 games out of the Western conference playoff picture.

Bears-Dolphins mini recap:

The Chicago football Bears beat up on the Miami also football Dolphins 16-0 in a somewhat ugly game devoid of any truly awesome highlights. This is more or less how it all went down. Recap ovah.

This puts the Bears at 7-3 going into their matchup against the potentially Super Bowl bound Eagles. A huge game with devastatingly sexy playoff implications.


Random thoughts:
Shoutout to my boy Jules P. on that tip that led to the Tillman interception. Wyld Stallyns!

As my fellow blogger in crime said in his pre-game post on Wednesday -- Go Bear!

Bulls Scribbles

Los Bulls (shouldn't it say 'Los Toros', I mean hola?) are 6-4, coming off a tough road loss against the Spurs in which their 3rd quarter issues resurfaced yet again. Tonight, they face the Mavs who are coming off a tough road loss against the surprising Nawlins Hornets. Tonight's game caps their Texas Triangle stretch of the circus trip, and winning 2 of these 3 games is about as good as you can hope for from the still-Boozerless squad (Put down those babies and pick up a fucking basketball, mang).


Now I'm going to write about a kid who doesn't get much pub, and offer some analysis that isn't redundant at all, not in the slightest, nary a bit.......

Derrick Rose - Superstar......?

Yes, he is 100% awesomeness, but there are still a few things keeping him from truly standing side to side with the elite PGs in the association. (For the record, I consider the PG elite to consist of these men, who seem to share an affinity for matching dress pants with untucked t-shirt/sweater hybrid tops)

Anyways, here's me critiquing Rose in basically the same manner as every other sports scribe

Getting to the foul line
- Rose is taking 5.2 freebies a game this season, currently third on his own team behind Noah (6.1) and Deng (6.3). For an elite scorer that drives to the basket as much as Rose does, I would expect something more along the lines of 8+ attempts a game.

Rose's problem seems to be that he is too quick and too good at controlling his body in the air. If he hasn't already left his defender(s) completely in the dust, he is able to avoid contact against teams' frontline players (mid-air, mind you) due to his impeccable body control - See Exhibit A and see xzibit w/ a hat. Plays like these are crazy fucking sick, but I'd like to see him seek out the contact when appropriate to create more and-one opportunities. Also, his jumper is consistent enough at this point that I think he could draw a few more fouls a game with the ol' pump fake trick, which Paul Pierce will gladly demonstrate for us here.

The good thing is that his FT attempts have increased every season he's been in the league, so at least he's on the right track. I just think he's got all the tools to be going to the line 10+ times a game on at least a semi-regular basis. He's still a beast and improving more rapidly than I would have imagined just a few months ago, so maybe it's time I lay off the cat and let him handle his business, skinny tie/biker jacket style.


Fun thing you absolutely have to do before you die:

Play this song in conjunction with this video and try not to cry tears of joy.


- Thom

Hello, My Name is Scrambled Eggs.....is the title of a book you've most likely never read, or consumed as a second grader and completely forgotten about (cop it for the holidays). The book has nothing to do with sports, Chicago, this post, or this picture -- but it will have to do in serving as my overly long and obtuse introduction to the ranks of the blogeratti. I hope to one day amass a readership in the low-to-mid single digits, and with a little bit of luck (and a lot of links like dis one), I don't see why that can't happen.


To give you a better idea of the literary style I'm striving for, I would describe it as one part THIS (how the hell did Todd McCullouch and his royally fucked up feetsies stumble their way into that photoshoot?) and two parts THAT.

Long story long, be prepared for much more of the following:

-- Obscure references about obscure athletes
-- Obsolete vernacular
-- Cock Shots
-- Hyperlinks (<---not a hyperlink)
-- Pussy jokes (<------very much a hyperlink)


Quote of the day: "Pussy ain't got no face."
Who I would like to randomly (and falsely) attribute the aforementioned quote to: This guy.


More posts, links, lulz, and needlessly articulate culminations to sentences to come.

- Tom

Bears v. Fins - Can Urlacher finally win in Miami?

Well a short week for the bears and it couldnt come as a worse time for the dolphins. They lost 2 starting QBs to injury last week and it appears they will be playing with Tyler Thigpen, their #3 QB this week. It goes without saying the that Bears need to keep winning games but especially this game as it is shaping up as the most winnable game on the bears 2nd half schedule.

Key Matchups:

1. Bears LBs v. Wildcat - Like I said above the dolphins have some problems at QB, although Thigpen has proven to be a decent QB, so the bears will be seeing a lot of the wildcat. The key will be for the bears LBs to make the correct reads. The LBs have to try and delay their breaks on the ball for as long as possible to confuse whoever is running the wildcat option. If the LBs are too apparent with their breaks, the person running the wildcat has an easy read on the defense and choose the best run from the wildcat. The dolphins' game plan is pound the ball anyway and they will only do it more this week.

2. Omiyale v. Cameron Wake. Omiyale has actually played pretty well as a LT but has had some problems with speed rushers. Wake has been one of the surprises of the NFL season. He is a 2nd year undrafted free agent and has 8.5 sacks. He is thriving in Miami's system as playing the rush LB position. If Frank can control him somewhat Culter should have time to thow because the dolphins dont have a pass rushing threat besides Wake.

Keys for the Bears:

1. Pound the ball. Yes the bears werent that effective with the run against the vikings but their commitment to the run had a huge impact on the game. They had over 35 mins in time of possession and Cutler was 7 for 7 on play action throws. The dolphins try to make it a grinding game so the bears are gonna have to control the clock and keep running the ball.

2. Defensive Penetration. The one thing that can kill the wildcat is penetration by the defensive line. It can disrupt the play before it even starts and can frustrate the motion and confusion the wildcat is trying to create. Pressure this week is probably more important in the run game than it is on passing downs.

3. Field position. The dolphins play tight games and try to grind it out. They are a field position team just like the bears. This game will be about defense and special teams both phases where both teams excel. The bears need to win the field position battle in order to score some points and win this game.

Hero of the Day:

Matt Forte. I think the bears are gonna run the ball a good amount and i really look for screens and flat passes to Forte to try and control the clock. Also, look for Martz to call the wheel route for him a couple times out of the backfield because against the dolphins 3-4, it will probably get him matched up against a LB which should be a recipe for a big play. I'm looking for some big plays out of him and think he will get them in the pass or run game.

Prediction:

I've said above this game is not gonna be pretty. In fact, I think the # of punts could be greater than the teams final scores. With that said, the bears strength on defense and special teams and the dolphins injuries at QB should add up to a win for DA BEAR. This is probably the easiest game the bears have left and 7-3 would look pretty awesome. Go Bear!

Bears 17-Dolphins 13

Wins are good no matter what

http://bullbearsock.blogspot.com/2010/10/wins-are-very-good.html

run down of the bears for the last 2 weeks

I hate that I have to listen to Berman say "The G-Men" all sunday night

Here we go folks. Another primetime game for the bears. They have traditionally struggled in nationally televised games although Devin Hester hasnt. But, Tom Coughlin as saying that there is no way the Giants will kick to Hester. Boring. The Giants have had a very disappointing season and i dont see that changing this week. The Giants are actually the favorite in the game though. I think this is gonna be the bear's easiest game of all year which isnt saying much i guess because all their games have been within a TD.

Matchups:

1. Antrel Rolle v. Greg Olsen. The bears wanted Rolle in the offseason but couldnt afford him after their free agency binge. He has been a very good free safety in the past and someone who can cover almost as well as a corner. He has had a tough season so far by running his mouth to the media and drawing an personal foul last game (but who on the giants didnt?). He will have his hands full with the juggernut that is Greg Olsen. Olsen is clearly Culter's security blanket and in each game he has put up better numbers. Cutler just throws the ball up and lets Greg and his blonde locks jump up and grab the ball. Not a bad idea when he has safeties lined up on him. I expect to see Rolle covering Olsen about 50% of the time. If that is the case, look for Culter to hit Olsen with a jump ball down the seam.

2. Ahmad Bradshaw v. Bears' over pursuing defense. The bears have the best run defense in the NFL and the Giants' run game has been not existant so you wouldnt think this would be a problem. But, the problem is that the bears are all about pursuing to the ball on defense and Bradshaw is maybe the best back in football besides CJ & AP at cutting off the backside. If the bears on defense dont maintain their gap assignments, Bradshaw will have some great opportunities to cutback on a run play or on screen/swing passes and hit a home run. Discipline has to be a key for the bears defense.

Keys for the Bears

1. Stop the YAC. I mean we know the Giants will throw for 300+ yards, who hasnt?. But with no offense to the packers' and cowboys' WRs, i think the giants' WRs are the best group the bears will have seen. Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham are legit deep threats who are big run after the catch guys too. Bradshaw excels at picking big yards on little swing passes and Steve Smith and Kevin Boss catch balls across the middle better than anyone. All these guys can be dangerous with the ball in their hands so the bears need to rally up and tackle quickly to stop big plays.

2. Survive the first quarter. I think the Giants are ripe for disaster. Their season is on the brink and they are gonna come out with a ton of energy with the crowd behind them. But if the bears can keep it close or even have a lead going into the 2nd quarter, the giants and the crowd could fall apart. Just dont turn the ball over and give the Giants hope. Play them even in the 1st quarter and watch'em fold like they did last week.

3. The deep ball. I think this goes along with key #2 but if the bears complete a couple deep throws, watch the giants defense totally deflate. I'm the defense will come out with blitzes and try to hit Cutler and force turnovers. If the bears hit on a couple of deep routes in the 1st half watch the middle of the field open up and the defense become less aggressive and maybe the bears can control the clock.

Hero of the Day: Matt Toeaina, DT

I wanted to pick someone on the D-line not named Peppers because I really expect 4 sacks from the Bears in this game. I think the Giants will be 1 dimensional and be throwing the entire game. Plus, their line hasnt played well this year and Eli really isnt that mobile of a QB. So, sacks can be had on the Giants. Toeaina has played the best of any of the other D-linemen and he has steadily seen move snaps. Look for him to have a sack and a forced fumble and constant pressure all night.

Final Score:

Bears 31, Giants 17. I think the bears will jump out to a huge lead and the Giants will have to be throwing for the rest of the game and then look for a couple of picks off Eli. This should be the easiest bears win of the year. 4-0 here we come!

I dont like Packers but this is a pretty good gesture.

Rodgers picked up the tab for some bears players at a restaurant sunday night. pretty classy move.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4666510/rodgers-makes-good-on-restaurants-slight

And the only undefeated team in the NFC is....

week 3 bears review

http://bullbearsock.blogspot.com/2010/09/the-only-undeated-team-in-nfc-is.html

Hello, D.J. Moore!

week 2 review......

http://bullbearsock.blogspot.com/2010/09/hello-dj-moore.html

Week 2 v. the team america hates

Alright so i dont know if America hates the cowboys. But, they should and I sure do. They are right behind the Packers and Vikings on my hate scale. The Cowboys are coming off a pretty embarrassing loss to the Redskins. They were heavy favorites in the game and their supposedly high power offense did nothing and looked terrible doing it. They might have more questions on the offensive line then the bears do. So, here are the matchups to watch, the keys to the bears success and my hero of the day.

Matchups:

1. Chris Williams v. DeMarcus Ware. All Ware has done is record 11+ sacks in the past 4 years including 20 in '08. All Chris Williams has done is look like shit all preseason and in the first game when going against good pass rushers. No team can block Ware 1 on 1 and hope their QB lives through the game. The bears will double team, cut block and chip with backs and TEs all day but occasionally Ware will be 1 on 1 with Williams. Can Williams do enough to not get Cutler killed?

2. Tommie Harris & Anthony Adams v. the guards of the Cowboys. There is no question that Peppers will provide pressure from the outside he. He is that good that you can count on it every game. But will the huge man that is Leonard Davis, listed at 370, and the rest of the Cowboys huge interior line consume the bears' DTs? If the bears cant get penetration up the middle then the cowboys will run all over the place and with their dynamic passing attack be pretty much unstoppable for the bears D.

3. Devin Hester v. Terrence Newman. This isn't because hester has gotten so much attention this week for only catching 1 catch last week. Its because it seems that other teams deem Hester the bears #1 WR and put their best corner on him. The cowboys bring a lot of pressure and a lot of blitzing with their front 7 so Newman is constantly left 1 on 1 with the other teams top WR. If Hester can beat Newman a couple of times in the game, it will make the cowboys dial down the blitzes and give Cutler more time.

Keys for the Bears:

1. Get off the bus running. The bears ran the ball 31 times last week but only for a 3.3 yd avg. That needs to improve and they need to be able to pick up chucks of yardage on the ground against the 'boys. It will prevent hits on cutler and it will slow down the pass rush. The line must figure out how to run block against a 3-4 defense.

2. Contain Jason Witten. There was no question that last year the bears were vulnerable down the middle and to good TEs. Witten is about as good as they come at TE and he is questioned Romo's favorite target. Urlacher, Briggs and the safeties must locate Witten and not allow him to pick up big chunks of yardage down the middle of the field. Nothing is more disheartening to a defense.

3. Special teams be "special". For years the bears have had one of the best special teams units in the NFL but in week 1, they looked average. I think for the bears to win this game the special teams must come up with a big, momentum changing play, be it a long return or kick block or forced fumble. This is one area where the bears probably have more talent than the cowboys and it needs to show up.

Hero of the day: Johnny Knox. As i said above the cowboys bring a lot of guys on the blitz and leave their corners 1 on 1 with WRs. Knox and Cutler should have a few shots at deep balls in man coverage and Knox can out run any of the 'boys secondary. Look for a big shot over the defense's head and for Knox dancing in the endzone if Cutler can recognize the coverage/blitz and have time to put it up.

Final Score: I think this will be a very close game. A lot closer than the nine points that the cowboys are favored by. In the end, i think it will come down to a score in the 4th quarter to pull ahead and i have no idea which team that will be. I'll take the cowboys just because i think they have too much talent on the offensive side of the ball even though they didnt show it last week.

Cowboys 24, Bears 21