Chicago's First Place Team

Yep, Chicago does have a first place team and they are called the Blackhawks. They are actually tied for the 2nd most points in the NHL. Tonight, the hawks will take on the San Jose Sharks, who are leading the NHL in points. Also, the hawks big free agent signing, Marian Hossa will make his season debut. The hawks will team Hossa with Toews and Kane to form what some people will be a SUPER line and score a million goals. I am excited to see Hossa play and from the sound of it, Kane & Toews are jumping out their skates to be on the ice with him. His biggest impact will hopefully be on the power play where until the hawks scored 4 out of their last 5 on the power play, they were ranked 18th in the league. The hawks are the 2nd best goal differential in the league (goals for avg - goals against avg) and they are going to add a 40 goal scorer. Ill be watching tonight and for any chicago sports fans who are hoping for a championship team, they should be watching tonight and from now on.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/chi-25-blackhawks-chicago-nov25,0,7954269.story

NFL Bets week 12

NFL spreads keeping on being big and goofy and very hard for me to figure out. Again i tried to stay away from taking big points unless the team was at home. Last week, I went 11-3-1, so here's hoping for a repeat.

Lions +12 v. Packers (this one's for reed who i just found out is a loyal reader, go lions)

Raiders +13.5 at Dallas

Giants -7 at cowboys

Colts -3.5 at texans

Bengals -14 v. browns

Vikings -11 v. bears (it broke my heart to make this bet)

Redskins +9 at eagles

Dolphins +3.5 at bills

Seahawks +3.5 at rams

falcons -12 v. bucs

panthers +3 at jets

jags +3 at niners

chargers -13.5 v. chiefs

Pats +3 at Saints

Happy Turkey day!

The Breakup

Im sorry bears. Its you, not me. I'm breaking up with you this season. I started this relationship with such high hopes as usual thinking perhaps a 12-4 season and here we are at 4-6. This relationship just isnt going in the direction i need it to go. You've let yourself go. You always promise things you cant deliver. You cant rush the rush the passer, you can't run the ball and your quarterback with the big arm cant hit a wide open receiver. And to be blunt you dont put out enough/score enough touchdowns. I have found myself just waiting and hoping for this relationship to develop instead of enjoying it. You have only caused me heartache and missed opportunities.

Yes, this means i wont be spending anymore money on you/game tixs or drunk cutler jersey purchases. No, i wont be yelling at you anymore when you fuck up/screaming at the TV when orlando pace commits a false start or greg olsen drops an easy 1st down catch. I'm done having to mold my life around you/devote 3 hours to watching you play terribly. Dont worry, ill still stalk you on facebook/watch your games and read articles on you. I'll still get drunk and bitch about you to my friends. I just cant be involved in this type of relationship anymore.

Don't worry, I might be get interested again when you lose 20 lbs/be a team who can win games.

State of the Bears

Well i think i have come down off the ledge. I think. It has been a week since the bears lost in san francisco and i still dont know where we go from here as bears fans. Realistically, it will be hard for the bears to make the playoffs. They would have to go atleast 5-2 over their last 7 leading to a 9-7 finish. Looking at their schedule they would have to play like the team that started 3-1 and not this shit team that has showed up the last 5.

I know has not been the superman we expected but i would still make the trade in a heartbeat again. Jay is our future and that doesnt worry me. What worries me is where is the rest of the future? Forte, Hester, Knox, Bennett, and Olsen give the bears some young skill players who they can build around. They probably will need to get a big bodied WR who can help them in the redzone. But is are there good young players anywhere else on this team? The offensive line is devoid of any young talent besides Chris Williams, who has been less than impressive so far.

The defense is built to win now. Its full of veterns with big contracts that the bears really cant get away from and probably in 2-3 years wont be starters anymore if they still are. Along the D line, I think everyone can see that Mark Anderson's rookie year was a fluke and he is gone after this year. With Gaines Adams, Harrison, and the bears 2 draft picks of this year, Melton & Gilbert (who the bears took as projects), there is talent that could be developed, but no where else on the defense is there promising youth. Has Nick Roach convinced you that he is the answer at LB? He hasnt convinced me. Bowman and Alfalva might have some potential to be solid starters in this league but they dont project as stars. The stars on this defense are coming to the age where they are probably past their prime and the bears cupboard is bare of young impact players.

So, if you buy all these arguments, you realize the bears most likely find themselves in a crossroads after this season (yes, ill say that im not expecting anything but at best a 1st playoff round exit this year). With both 1st & 2nd round picks traded away next year (cutler & gaines adams trades) it will be hard/nearly impossible for the bears to find impact players in the draft especially if you take Angelo's drafting record into effect. This leaves the bears with only 2 options as i see it. First, they can throw themselves into free agency and try to sign atleast 2 O-lineman and atleast an impact safety and probably pass rusher. The NFL is not like the NBA where talented young players are available every free agency period. In the NFL, if a team doesnt lock the guy up, there is probably a reason. This would most likely be an attempt at a quick fix/win now approach because i think everyone can see that the window to win with this current team is closing quickly. Or the bears could accept that they need to get younger and look to get themselves out from under some of their bigger contracts say like tommie harris and peanut tillman and get younger. Either option scares the hell out of me and i dont know what i prefer but i think either way we will see significant movement in the roster this offseason. We know Culter & Forte are the future but will they have to struggle through a rebuilding period to get to that future?

Bears v. Eagles

Summary

Please see my ramblings above about the bears. D. Nabb comes home and always plays well against the bears. Bryan Westbrook is out with concussions but LeShawn McCoy hasnt missed a beat as his back up.

Key Factors

The bears are the 7th most penalized team. Its hard to win when you are killing yourself. The bears must cut down on penalties and maybe they can pull this one out. Also, probably the only place the bears have an advantage is on special teams. If they can control the field position with their special teams, they might also have a chance.

Key Matchups

Eagles speedy WRs v. Bears Safeties - I think Lovie will go into this game playing a lot of zone and cover 2 while blitzing the LBs which would leave the bears safeties having to cover the deep part of the field and make sure tackles. That will give the Eagles' WRs a chance to try and break something deep and over the middle. The bears safeties havent been good this year and im scared over this matchup especially with the speedy and yac-specialists desean jackson and jeremy maclin.

Forte's hands v. Eagles blitz. Does anyone think the bears O-line can block the eagles myriad of blitz looks? If cutler can't get enough time to get the ball to his WRs then matt forte's hands will be catching a lot of check down passes. Can he get the YAC the bears need like he did in the san fran game?

Prediction

I cant pick the bears, I just cant. I think it will be a close game but i think McNabb will drive down in the closing seconds and a david aker's FG will win it. Eagles 23, Bears 20.

Critical Performer

If there was ever a time for Devin to become dangerous on punt returns again this would be a the game with the bears' season on the line at home. I think he will break his streak and take one to the house against the eagles pourous coverage teams.

Bears - Eagles Preview: Sentence-Statement Edition

I'm tired of picking against the Bears this year.

They are due for a win.

Cutler is due for a good game.

Andy Reid is obese.

Brain Westbrook is concussed.

Donovan McNabb endorses Campbell's Chunky Soup.

Lovie Smith looks like a turtle at press conferences.

Matt Forte scores two touchdowns Sunday night.

Charles Tilmann causes a fumble.

If the Bears stink again I will watch the finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

This season has made no sense so far.

Bears 24 - Eagles 20.

NFL week 11

Last week i took a little bit of a beating going 6-9. This week again there are 7 games with atleast a 10 point spread. I hate beating in the nfl that a team will get beat that badly, especially the nfl this year so most of the time i took the team getting the points. Here's hoping most games are close and I can win a few.

dolphins + 3 at panthers

Lions -3.5 v. browns

bills +9 at Jags

chiefs +11 v. steelers

colts -1.5 at ravens

falcons +7 at giants

49ers +6.5 at packers

Vikings -11 v. seahawks

redskins +11 at cowboys

saints -12 at bucs

rams +10 v. cardinals

Jets +11.5 at pats

bengals -11 at raiders

bears +4 v. eagles (the line changed as i was making my bet so did my bet as a result. originally the bears were only getting 3 pts and i was taking philly)

titans +4 at texans

Cubs make a push

Last week, i posted that i hoped/begged the cubs to make a push to acquire the newly available curtis granderson from the tigers. Well, apparently Jim Hendry reads my blog. Looks like the cubs are 1 of 3 teams who are the front runners for granderson. ill be honest i dont see any reason the cubs dont get him. Unless you have to give up both young studs Vitters and Castro, this deal makes too much sense for the cubs. Heck, maybe in a package deal with fox, hoffpauir, marshall, and a combo of young players, you can pay the tigers to take bradley. alright thats probably too much to dream for. but seriously, granderson seems like exactly the type of player that the cubs were lacking last year. He plays with his heart on his sleeve and is all-out, all-the-time, fiery type of player and would be a great add to a subdued cubs' clubhouse. Hopefully this turns out better than the Peavy trade of last winter.....

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-14-cubs-granderson-nov14,0,2987407.story