NFL bets for this week

So for the last couple of weeks i have been betting on the NFL games. I have been betting on all the games and just the straight spread. So far for the season, i am about 70%. Here are mine this week:

Broncos +3 at ravens

bears -13 v. browns

texans -3.5 at bills

vikes +3 at packers

49ers +13 at colts

dolphins +3 at jets

seahawks +10 at cowboys

radiers +17 at chargers

jags +3 at titans

panthers +11 at cardinals

giants -1 at eagles

falcons +10.5 at saints

heres hoping for a big week.

Bears Week 8 Preview

Bears v. Browns

Summary

What bears team will show up? They have looked good in 3 games this year and terrible in the other 3 games this year, especially in the disaster that was last week. Last week has prompted changes on the O-line and at MLB. The Browns are 1-6 and a terrible football team. They have little to no offense and im not sure their defense is any better. The line on this game has the Bears giving 14 pts so most everyone this this will be a blowout.

Key Factors

Matt Forte. Hello, Matt welcome to your 2nd NFL season, now would you like to participate in helping your team win a game? Forte has been a huge disappointment this season and no matter whether he is banged up or his O-line sucks, he has to get more involved for the bears to be a good team. This week would be a good week to get something rolling as the bears will face much tougher run D's than the browns in the upcoming weeks.

The Bears run D. The browns won a game this year in which their QB completed only 2 passes, a modern record. I and im sure the bears would love it if the Browns had to throw 45 times in this game but to do that the bears must shut down Jamal Lewis, James Harrison, and a decent young run blocking o-line. Hold the browns under 100 yds rushing and it will spell victory. *Money to anyone who can name the Browns 2 starting WRs.

Key Matchups

Alex Mack v. Marcus Harrison/Tommie Harris. The browns have a decent young developing line but it is anchored by Mack who is a rookie center. The Bears DTs should eat him up and be able to confuse him pre-snap and clog up the middle. Both Harrision and Harris have underperformed this year. They need to have impressive games on sunday against a young inexperienced center.

Greg Olson v. Browns LBs. The Browns play a 3-4 so Olson will probably be helping a lot on blocking the rushing OLBs. I can envision him chipping a lot to help the OTs and sometimes being locked up on a OLB and having to block them on his own, not Olsen's strong suit. Olsen also needs to figure out how to contribute more on offense. I know teams have been game planning to stop him but good/great players get open despite being the focus of the opposing D.

Prediction

Look, I think the bears are angry and embarrassed after last week's pasting. I think they will win this one huge and this time going into the locker room, the bears will be the team with the sizable lead.

Bears 31 - Browns 6

Critical Performer

Zack Bowman. I know he has had a pretty down season so far but he is young and i think, as the bears do, this kid can be a really good CB. I think the D-line will come out with a vengeance and harass Anderson all day long and Bowman can make a few plays and come up with a pick at least this week.

Bears - Browns Preview: Panda Express Edition

The Bears face the Cleveland Browns at home Sunday, a week after being embarrassed by Carson Palmer, Cedric Benson, Chad Ochocinco, Dusty Baker, Skyline Chili and everything else Cincinnati. It was a terrible effort from the coaches, offense, defense and special teams. Despite the blowout, and two losses in a row, the Bears should defeat the Browns rather easily given their putrid offense, dip-shit head coach Eric Mangini and 1-6 record.

(Note: This week's preview was inspired by and is dedicated to Lili, the enchanting woman that served me at Panda Express on Thursday.)

Orange Chicken: Jay Cutler
Easily the best dish at Panda, the Orange Chicken is tender, tangy and everyones favorite. Cutler (the best and everyones favorite already, don't try to deny it) is coming off a two interception game in which he looked pedestrian. Give him a slight break for the poor performance as the team was blown out from the get-go. John Elway wouldn't have brought the Bears back from the Bengals debacle. He should have his way with the Browns defense and have an great game throwing the ball to Hester, Knox, Bennett and Olsen.

Beef and Broccoli: Lance Briggs
The most consistent dish at Panda time in and time out. You get a little meat, some good vegetables and a lot of fun. Sound like Lance Briggs to anyone? This guy has been "the man" on the Bears defense, consistent all year long, and has taken over Urlacher's leadership role. Look for him to take control again and limit Jamal Lewis, Derek Anderson and the rest of the Browns offense.

Egg Roll: Johnny Knox
The wild-card on the Panda menu. Nearly everyone passes up the egg roll, but some guy ordered four yesterday while I was in line. When it rains, it pours. Johnny Knox had scored a touchdown in four straight games before the Bengals game. Like any good wild card, this guy can go off at any moment. I think he gets back in the action and spikes the ball this week in celebration.

Sweet Fire Chicken: Hunter Hillenmeyer and Josh Beekman
Brand new on the menu, an interesting combination of sweet pineapple along with some heat. Hillenmeyer's new position of middle linebacker this week rotates Roach over to the strong side. Hunter is a smart and disciplined football player that makes up for his lack of athleticism. Beekman, now the new left guard, will be a welcome addition to the struggling offensive line. Beekman is a solid pro that should look like Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz compared to the confused and demoted Frank Omiyale.

Chicken and Mushroom: Lovie Smith
Is there a more divisive food than mushrooms? Some love 'em, some hate 'em, others are so-so with 'em. Lovie generated a ton of buzz after the crippling loss to Cincinnati. Some want him fired now, some want him fired at the end of the year and some defend and respect the overall consistent winning he has brought to the Bears during his tenure. Lovie is feeling the heat and maybe needs an easy win more than any other Bear.


Prediction: Bears 24 - Browns 10

Take a seat, Frank

At long last Lovie has seen the light. Come sunday, Josh Beekman will be your starting left guard. Why did it take so long for this to happen? I have no idea because i think any human being watching the bears games could have seen that Omiyale was about as worthwhile as a cardboard cutout on the field. But at long last, Ole Omilyale will have a great view from the bench on sunday.

Also, the bears announced that Hunter Hillenmeyer will be back in the middle of the defense on sunday. The Bears citing poor positioning and problems calling the defense, Nick Roach will be moved back to strong side LB. I think Roach has a chance to be a decent LB but when twice in one game you get killed by a bubble screen b/c the defense only has 2 defenders to that side to cover 3 wrs, something has to give. Gladly once again there will be an odd looking white guy patrolling the middle of the field for the bears on sunday.

These two position chances point to a scary trend I have seen with Lovie as a head coach. There is no question that Ole Omiyale and Roach are the better athletes at their positions but Hillenmeyer and Beekman have been solid, if not spectacular, starters in the past. It scares me that the Bears are choosing who is starting based athletic ability instead of productivity. Teams need to know that they can count on their teammates to do their jobs. I think finally Lovie is getting that message.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-29-bears-tommie-harris-oct29,0,3761196.story

Side Note: Tommie (i am collecting 10 mill for 0 sacks and 1 knee) Harris is back practicing and Vasher has been getting some time at safety (ill just close my eyes and pray they dont throw at him).

Bulls Season

Nice article Pete. I agree with it being a big year for Ty Thomas. He'll be inspired to play his best so he can get paid. I also concur with your overall prediction. I'm going to go with a record of 42-40 record and a 7th seed in the East. Here's what I don't agree with:

"Thank God" Ben Gordon is gone? Beg your pardon? You started off by praising the Bulls for a hard fought and exciting playoff series against the Celtics and then say that you are happy Ben Gordon is gone. Hate to break it to you but Ben Gordon was the reason the Celtics series was exciting. The Celtics series would have gone 5 games without Gordon. He averaged 24 pts a game that series and hit some incredible big shots. Not sure how Ben Gordon got to become a scape goat for the Bulls, but it's not really fair. You don't need everyone on your team to be a defense wizard, look at how Toni Kukoc worked for the Bulls with his shitty defense. I mean, we can trade back for Thabo Sefolosha if you want, he plays good defense. Gordon was their best player the past few years in my opinion and they will definitely miss him. Come crunch time we'll see who has the guts to take the shot.

Bulls Season Preview

Bulls Season Preview

This season has the optimistic feel of 2007 for the Bulls. Now that this team has been together for a whole offseason and after their epic playoff battle with the Celtics, people are looking at the Bulls to once again make the playoffs and finish anywhere from 4-6 in the playoff hunt. I have high hopes for these bulls as well but am not quite sure they will be a top team in the East. There are a couple of questions that loom large for the bulls and that must be answered this year.

Can Tyrus take the next step?

TT has all the athletic talent in the world but it really has yet to translate onto the court. He is maddeningly inconsistent and has been throughout his entire career. One minute he will make a block that you didnt realize was possible and then the next moment he will try and dribble through his legs and lose the ball out of bounds. With that said, TT might be the biggest key to Bulls success this season. He will start at the 4 and has to bring energy, rebounding, blocks, highlight dunks, and the occasional 15 ft jumper. With his ability, he should dominate the boards and be able to intimidate everyone at and above the rim. If tyrus can average 15 pts, 9 boards, 1.5 blocks per game, it will be a successful season and the bulls can think about locking him up long term.

With that said however, i dont think it will be the case. I think its very likely that by midseason, you will see taj gibson starting at the 4 and tyrus coming off the bench. This might be a better role for tyrus because he can bring that spark that the 2nd unit needs and he can be a little more reckless with his fouls. Throughout the preseason, gibson has shown everything that tyrus doesnt do. Gibson is fundamentally sound, rotates well on D, talks well on D, and surprisingly can hit the 15 ft with consistency. I dont think Gibson is the answer at the 4 nor do i necessarily think he is a better player than tyrus but i think he can be more consistent and a better fit starting along side noah.

The bulls have chosen not to extend tyrus' contract and he will be a restrict FA at the end of the year. I think the bulls have taken this approach because tyrus has yet to really produce and they have liked what they have seen from taj gibson. In the end, i think this will be tyrus' last year with the bulls or he will be dealt at the trade deadline. I just dont see him becoming a consistent player yet and the bulls will not want to pay for the potential. I really hope i am wrong because i believe tyrus could be a game changer for the bulls and make them a team to reckoned with.

Where does Rose go next?

The answer is anywhere he wants. Rose has shown Bulls and nba fans that he can pretty much do anything on the court he wants. Last year, the knock on him was that he couldnt hit the jumper. But, he proved everyone wrong. While I dont think Rose will ever have a pretty jump shot, he is able to hit the open jumper and occasional 3 pointer to keep the defense honest. I dont think anyone knows what Rose's ceiling is. This year i think the biggest improvement that we will see will be in on-the-court leadership and presence. By the end of the season, he will be talked about just behind CP3 & Deron Williams as the best PG in the game. I see 20.5 pts, 3 rbs, 8.5 asts, & 1.2 stls a game average.

Scoring? Shooters? A Jump hook?

As everyone knows, Ben Gordon is gone to the hell hole that is Detriot basketball and may i just say thank god. I was never a Ben fan (although i enjoyed his big game winning shots) and am glad the bulls will no longer have the blackhole that he was on offense and might finally be able to have 5 players on defense now that he is gone. But everyone wants to know where his scoring will be made up from. Look i dont think putting the ball in the hoop will be a problem for the bulls. Loul's back, Rose, Salmons, Kirk, Noah and Pargo all should between them make up ben's 20 pts/game.

What i am worried about is how the bulls put the ball in the hole. While Salmons, Hinrich, and Pargo all can shoot from distance, im not sure i would call any of them a good 3 pt shooter. I mean in the playoffs, the bulls best 3 pt shooter was Brad Miller. With their starting 5, salmons is really the only legit 3 pt threat. Defenses might be able to pack the lane more and limit Rose's driving lanes as a result. 3 pt shooting will definitely be a concern and i wouldnt mind seeing the bulls pick up a 3 pt specialist at the trade deadline.

The bulls still dont have any post scoring. Noah, Thomas and others will get you pts in the paint but you really cant run a play for them in the post. In the preseason, they isolated Deng & Noah and they attempted to back down their guys but who are we kidding, those 2 in the post scare anyone. Aaron Gray is about the only guy w/post moves on the bulls and he wont be seeing any court time. I think for the bulls to take the next step they need someone, whether it be a big guy or guard who can post up their guy.

Overall, i think the Bulls will be a frustrating good team. They will be better will be better than last year. They have to be better on defense with gordon gone and a bigger, deeper team but they dont have that shut down defender either who can stop the opposing team's best player. Overall, the Bulls have depth and no injury should hurt them that much. I would say you shouldn't expect much out of top pick Johnson but as i said above i can imagine gibson having a significant role on this team. The Bulls had no problem scoring last year but only with improved defense will they become a real threat in the east. There will still be significant growing pains with this team and that will lead me to end up screaming at the TV and them losing some games they shouldn't. They dont have the firepower to play with the big 3 in the east (Cavs, Celtics, Magic) but they are definitely in that 2nd tier of teams and who knows last year the magic through the improvement of Nelson, Courtney Lee, Turkoglu, and Dwight Howard made that jump from 2nd tier to top tier. But, i think sadly for us bulls fans we will be doomed to another 1st rd playoff exit and then see what the great summer of '10 holds for the bulls.

Bulls 43-39

Finish 6th in the east

1st round playoff loss

Cubs All-Decade Team

I was going to do my own all-decade team but elliott's is so well done, i feel no reason to repeat most of what he has said. However, i would differ on a few selections.

Second Base

I would have to put EY above Derosa. Now both players have very different games. DeRosa had a great season in 2008 but the intangibles that EY brought to the game make him my nod. The guy hit almost .300, scored 98 runs and had an OBP of .367. Plus i feel as though his range in the field gives him an upper hand on DeRosa.

Shortstop

It hurts to say this because Theriot is my favorite current cubs player and because one of the worst moments of my life was when this guy booted the ball, i would go with Alex Gonzalez at shortstop. While Alex Gonzalez may not have had the average at the plate, he more than made up for it in the field. His arm, his range, and sure handedness (yes, this is extremely ironic) plus decent production at the dish in 2003 make him the selection. Perhaps the most ironic event of the decade is him booting the ball in 2003 after being the best statistically defensive shortstop in all of baseball that year.

*I feel as though Nomar should at least get a shout out here. In 2004 and 43 games with the cubs, Nomar hit .297, scored 28 runs, had 49 hits, more BBs than Ks, a OBP of .364 and 20 rbis. Pretty impressive. A shame he couldnt do it for a full season.

I dont really differ anywhere else with Elliott's picks besides maybe 2005 Dempster as closer. But i would like to everyone to take a close look at Sosa's 2001 stats. They are staggering. Literally i was in shock when i read them again. Those are numbers that im not sure will ever be replicated in a Cubs jersey and one of the best offensive seasons ever.

The 2000-2009 Chicago Cubs: A Decade of Summer Memories

I've heard people say that they remember specific moments in their lives through music. Upon hearing a certain song, one can be transplanted back to where they were at the time of the song's release and open up old memories. I won't dispute this and in fact I especially support it when it comes to summer memories. The scant and bizarre chance of hearing Primitive Radio God's "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand" reminds me of hot concrete at Northside Pool. During the summer of 1996, when this semi-obnoxious, melodramatic song was a favorite on the pool intercom, I specifically remember running, rather than walking, to the concession stand (to buy a plate of nachos or ice cream bar) so the bottoms of my feet wouldn't melt into the hot ground. Likewise, any Boards of Canada song works in a similar fashion by sending me back to the summer of 2006. I know I spent my time in Bloomington that summer doing something besides driving home from landscaping work listening to The Campfire Headphase, but according to the Boards of Canada that's all I did.

For me, a different medium brings back even stronger memories than music; the Chicago Cubs. Being a Cubs fan (a real one, not the kind you find hanging out at John Barleycorn at 2 a.m. wearing khaki shorts and a polo shirt) the past ten years has certainly had it's ups and mainly downs. But regardless of the emotion, the memories will always be alive. For instance, twenty years from now I might have no clue what year I was a part-time bagger at Kroger if it wasn't for the Cubs. The only thing I really remember about that job, or care to remember I suppose, is that I quit sometime in October of 2003 so that I could watch the NLCS between the Cubs and Marlins. Similarly, just hearing the name Jon Lieber oddly evokes memories of my dentist's parking lot. A routine check-up in 2001 came at in opportune time as I had to leave the "Pat and Ron Show" in my car for the dentist in the middle of a Jon Lieber no-hitter. (Lieber would later give up a hit and finish with a one-hit shutout and Dr. Brennan told me I had my first cavity.) As I grow older, and my memories become fewer, I can only imagine what will bring me back to the 2008 playoffs. For now, I'm fine with the image of myself losing my shit over James Loney's grand slam in Game 1 of the 2008 NLCS.

While there were some somber moments, like the Loney slam, the 00's decade (2000-2009) is without much debate the most successful decade in Cubs history since the 1940's. The 1990's featured two winning seasons, for example, but the 00's featured six. (Remember this the Cubs' history, so winning seasons are an achievement.) The Cubs made the playoffs three times in the decade, which is the same number of playoff births from 1945- 1999. A record eight players made the All-Star team in 2008 alone. Needless to say, it was a decade that produced fantastic players and vivid memories. The following All-Decade team I created consists of a different player from a specific season at each position. This list does not take in consideration career achievements, rather the greatest single season of the decade at each respective position. Hopefully this list of Cubs from 2000-2009 brings back to life a few recent Cub memories for you as it did for me. It seems part of remembering what you love is remembering how you got here.


Catcher: Geovany Soto, 2008 (.285 avg 23 hr 86 rbi)

• An easy, no-brainer selection. Geo not only won Rookie of the Year during this impressive year but was also an All-Star starter.
  
• Honorable mention: Joe Girardi, 2000 (.278 avg 6 hr 40 rbi and his only All-Star selection) and Michael Barrett, 2006 (.307 avg 16 hr 53 rbi).

First Base: Derrek Lee, 2005 (.335 avg 46 hr 107 rbi 120 runs)

• A stunning and near triple crown season from the Cubs masher Derrek Lee. Lee not only led the league in batting average, hits and doubles but also won a Gold Glove.
• Honorable mention: Fred McGriff, 2002 (.273 avg 30 hr 103 rbi) and Mark Grace, 2000 (.280 avg 11 hr 82 rbi).

Second Base: Mark DeRosa, 2008 (.285 avg 21 hr 87 rbi 103 runs)

• A very strong year out of the fan favorite DeRosa. Although he only played 95 games at second base in 2008, his power numbers are reason enough to give him the All-Decade selection. This was a very close race as Eric Young and Mark Bellhorn both quietly put up strong seasons in the decade.
• Honorable mention: Eric Young, 2000 (.297 avg 47 rbi 98 runs 54 sb) and Mark Bellhorn, 2002 (.258 avg 27 hr 56 rbi 86 runs).

Shortstop: Ryan Theriot, 2008 (.307 avg 38 rbi 85 runs 22 sb)

• Since this crop arguably had the weakest offensive seasons to chose from, The Riot gets the nod based off his great average and steals. Yet another selection from the 97 win team in 2008.
• Honorable mention: Ricky Gutierrez, 2001 (.290 avg 10 hr 66 rbi 76 runs) and Alex Gonzalez, 2003 (20 hr 59 rbi 71 runs).

Third Base: Aramis Ramirez, 2006 (.291 avg 38 hr 119 rbi 93 runs)

• 2006 was a fabulous season from one of the better hitters in all of baseball this decade. At the plate Ramirez did it all that year including setting career highs in home runs and runs batted in.
• Honorable mention: Ramirez, 2004 (.318 avg 36 hr 103 rbi 99 runs). Almost all the other Cubs that played this position in the decade (and 80's and 90's for that matter) were a bunch of fuckos and might find themselves on the All-Decade Blooper Team.

Left Field: Moises Alou, 2004 (.293 avg 39 hr 106 rbi 106 runs)

• Besides peeing on his hands to toughen the skin, Alou displayed some gaudy power numbers in 2004 along with an average near .300. Alfonso Soriano's first year with the club was a very close second.
  
• Honorable mention: Alfonso Soriano, 2007 (.299 avg 33 hr 97 runs 19 sb) and Jacque Jones, 2006 (.285 avg 27 hr 81 rbi 73 runs).

Center Field: Corey Patterson, 2004 (.266 avg 24 hr 72 rbi 91 runs 32 sb)

• In 2004, Patterson played the most games in his career with the Cubs and showed why he was such a valuable prospect. The "could have been" Patterson narrowly beat out Juan Pierre and his 200 hit season.
  
• Honorable mention: Pierre, 2006 (.292 avg 87 runs 58 steals 87 runs) and Jim Edmonds, 2008 (19 hr 49 rbi 47 runs in 85 games played).

Right Field: Sammy Sosa, 2001 (.328 avg 64 hr 160 rbi 146 runs)

• What, you were expecting Milton Bradley or Jeromy Burnitz? In 2001, Sosa put up numbers so rich in one year that a good player would struggle to match in two full seasons. 306 combined runs and rbi in one year is no easy feat. This is not the proper forum to debate the "s" word, so all I can offer is this right now: Amongst his peers in that era he crushed the competition. Judge him by that.
• Honorable mention: Sosa, 2000 (.320 avg 50 hr 138 rbi 106 runs)

Starting Pitcher: Jon Lieber, 2001 (20-6 3.80 era 232 ip)
Starting Pitcher: Mark Prior, 2003 (18-6 2.43 era 245 k)
Starting Pitcher: Kerry Wood, 2003 (14-11 3.20 era 266 k)
Starting Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano, 2004 (16-8 2.75 era 188 k)
Starting Pitcher: Ryan Dempster, 2008 (17-6 2.96 era 187 k)

• This fearsome-fivesome, in no particular ranking, all brought something a little different to the plate this decade. Lieber was the only 20 game winner this decade, finished fourth in Cy Young voting and ate up innings. Prior and Wood in 2003 were the most dominant 1-2 punch in the majors and maybe should have done what Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling did for the Diamondbacks; win a World Series in their primes. Carlos had a number of good years this decade, I took the one with his lowest earned run average. Dempster was an All-Star in 2008 and had an all around fantastic season.
• Honorable mention: Matt Clement, 2002 (12-11 3.60 era 215 k)
  
• Honorable mention: Greg Maddux, 2004 (16-11 4.02 era 212 ip)
• Honorable mention: Ted Lilly, 2008 (17-9 4.09 era 184 k)

Relief Pitcher: Carlos Marmol, 2007 (1.43 era 96 k)

• One of the better years for a reliever this decade throughout all of baseball. This was an easy choice as Carlos was filthy all year and recorded 96 strike outs in only 69 innings pitched.
• Honorable mention: Kyle Farnsworth, 2001 (2.74 era 1o7 k) and Bob Howry, 2006 (3.17 era 71 k).

Closer: Joe Borowski, 2003 (33-37 saves 2.63 era)

• Let the debate begin. Picking a Cubs closer of the decade was not easy. Joe Bo gets the nod because of blowing only 4 saves and having a nifty era. Kerry Wood could have earned this in 2008 as he was an All-Star, but he deserved a starting spot in the rotation.
• Honorable mention: Tom "Flash" Gordon, 2001 (27-31 saves 3.38 era), Ryan Dempster, 2005 (33-35 saves 3.13 era) and Wood, 2008 (34-40 saves 3.26 era).

Manager: Lou Piniella, 2008 (97-64 record and Central Division Title)

• I suppose this could go to Dusty in 2003 for making it longer in the playoffs (hell, winning a game) but having 8 All-Stars and the most wins in the majors is far enough for me, Sweet Lou.
• Honorable mention: Dusty Baker, 2003 (88-74 record and Central Division Title).

There you have it folks, the brightest and best seasons from the Cubs this decade. Please comment if you feel I left someone out or email me at: thechicagosportscritics@gmail.com. Go Cubs.

Big Mac 2

Elliott -

A quick response. While McGuire's hitting style definitely worked for him, I dont think there are a lot of big mac's in the majors nor does that approach work for a whole team. You are right Big Mac was an extremely productive hitter. But he never had to change his approach at the plate because he was juiced and his physical abilities really didnt diminish. Maybe he can teach the cards patience at the plate. but can he teach brenden harris to hit the 500 ft? I think this era is becoming more about speed and contact hitting than about mashing, not to mention that there are all different types hitters on teams.

I'm not sure on the statistics but it seems to me that most of the hitting coaches in the mlb are your journeyman/serviceable past players. Those guys are good coaches because they had to constantly work and adapt in order to compete with the naturals in baseball and therefore can work with guys to overcome slumps/problems at the dish because they have most likely been there before. It always appeared that hitting came naturally to McGuire and he didnt have to change his approach at the plate much over the years. Can big mac all of a sudden teach different types of hitting and work with guys who arent blessed with the same amount of natural power/ability as a first time coach?

Just a thought about McGwire

Pete I'm opposed to your statements about McGwire and here's why:

I'm not sure why a guy that averaged a home run every 10 at bats (mlb record) coaching Pujols and co. would be a good thing for the Cubs? Won't the Cardinal hitters be excited to learn from a legendary hitter as opposed to Hal McRae? Just a thought...but since when did McGwire become looked at in a bad light in terms of hitting? Hitting the other way is nice but not necessary if you have a game plan at the plate. McGwire waited for a pitch to pull and crush and if he didn't get it he likely walked or made an out and hit a home run against Kevin Tapani the following at bat.

The return of Big Mac

Yep, this has nothing to do with Cubs baseball or does it? As i remember, Mark McGuire was not what you called a good hitter but a guy who tried to club the ball every at bat. Not unlike Ryan Howard today. And now after he has been out of baseball for sometime, he is the Cardinals hitting coach??? Does this move make sense to anyone else besides maybe from a PR point of view? Or maybe Big Mac will teach every cardinal to become a dead pull hitter who hits .263 for their career. This seems like just a gimmick by LaRussa and the Cards to try and garner favor with their fan base after they did a cub-like performance in the postseason. An inexperienced hitting coach on a team that should contend for the central division next year. Might this be the best offseason news for cubs fans yet?

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10270242/McGwire-joins-Cardinals-staff;-La-Russa-will-return

An amazing story

This is a story from Sports Illustrated about a kid who was born with one arm and now has a D-1 basketball scholarship to Manhattan. I would love to see this kid actually play and see how he is able to catch a pass or grab a rebound with 1 hand, as i can't do it with 2 hands. In all seriousness, his story is pretty inspiring and as it says in the article, he is fulfilling his dream.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1161587/index.htm

Hawks season update

I will try my best to summarize links so that people dont have to read the whole link but i think that this article by Jesse Rogers about the Hawks season is a very good read for hawks fans. He makes some excellent points. Mostly his points are that the Hawks are playing very well especially consider their big free agent signing is still a month away from playing. Rogers also points out that there is significant room for improvement. I would especially agree with him when he talks about the absence of Eager and Burrish and how those 2's effort and hustle are very hard to replace and the Hawks have yet to do. Especially in the playoffs, i think it was quite obvious that those two guys brought a different element to the ice than other players on the roster.

I also found it extremely interesting that some Hawks players had admitted to Rogers that the team has let up in some games because they were dominating so thoroughly and this has led to letting some teams back in the game. From what i have seen the hawks are no question one of the most talented rosters in the NHL. I think this falls upon the leaders of this young team to make sure that this trend doesnt continue because otherwise it could become a bad habit.

But, i agree with Rogers that we have just seen the tip of what the Hawks are capable of this season and it will only get better for hawks fans.

http://espn.go.com/chicago/columns/blog?post=4593669&name=rogers

Pitful

I really dont have a lot to say about yesterday's bears performance except that it left that just threw taste in my mouth. I never realized how valuable Urlacher was until yesterday. The defense looked dazed and confused and really was never set before the snap. Brian, apparently you do more well than just father illegitimate children. As for the offense........the line is terrible. My hatred for frank omiyale continues..........Bring on the Browns!

Monday Morning Review: Bears - Bengals

Sitting here at my desk, drinking coffee, wondering how blurry my eyes look and trying to figure out the best way to write an "I told you so" column. I think I'll go the modest route and just simply point out how I accurately foresaw the Bears-Bengals game.

• Like I thought: Carson Palmer proved to be a good but not quite elite quarterback.
• Like I thought: Cedric Benson was stopped early and often and was a non-factor in the game.
• Like I thought: Jay Cutler was eager to prove his worth to the Chicago Bears faithful after signing an expensive contract extension.
• Like I thought: The Bears avoided losing two in a row by narrowly beating the Bengals in a dog fight and putting them only one loss behind the Vikings for the NFC North lead.

What an exciting Bears win. Next up, a date with the Cleveland Browns led by fuck-wit head coach Eric Mangini. I only hope that the Bears pursuit of the division next Sunday is on a different time slot as game 4 of the World Series. If my hunch is right again, Carlos Zambrano will be one more magnificent start away from leading the Cubs to a four game sweep over the Yankees.

Bears v. Bengals Preview

Summary

The Bears task this week is not as easy as you think. These arent the Bengals of the past few years. Carson Palmer is healthy and showing that he deserves to in the conversation as a top 5 QB in the NFL. Somehow former Bears castoff, Cedric Benson is leading the league in rushing and OchoCinco being a decent WR again, the bengals have something going on offense. The Bengals Defense is ranked 17th in the league in points allowed and are an average nfl defense. The Bears come into this game with the 27th ranked rushing attack and having the 12th ranked defense in points allowed. The Bears need to win this game in order to keep pace with Minnesota and Green Bay.

Key Factors

Maybe the largest key for the Bears will be the offensive line. Lovie has announced that there will be no changes for this game but the Bear's offensive should dominate. The Bengals DE Odom (the league leader in sacks) is out of this game and the whole D-Line is nicked up. To be effective and keep Palmer and Co. off the field the Bears have to establish a run game and eat up the clock. Lovie says they get off the bus running but this week they must do that to eat up the clock and keep maybe the most explosive offense they have faced so far off the field.

For the defense, the key will be 3rd downs. The Bears have had no problems forcing opponents into 3rd downs but so far this season they have let their opponents convert too many. Giving Palmer chances will get you in trouble so on third downs they must not only get pressure but make sure that they try and disguise their coverages and tackle well.

Key Matchups

Palmer v. Nick Roach. I expect the Bengals to do some no-huddle as it was so effective against the Bears last week. If the plays are getting in fast enough (as was the case last week), Roach has to step up and make some defensive calls on his own. This might be a lot to ask from a guy who is only making his 3rd start as MLB but hey he has to be smart, he went to Northwestern after all. He also has to make sure that he is quick and deep with his drops otherwise i can see Palmer making a killing in the deep middle of the field.

Cutler v. Roy Williams (or other Bengals safeties). As of right now, it would appear that Williams will start. If you have watched him before, you know that he wants to play in the box and mix it up. He can be exploited in pass coverage and it will be up to Jay to recognize when Williams is matched up on a fast WR, Olsen or Forte and get them the ball and take a deep chance.

Prediction

I think this will be a closer game than most people think but in the end i think the Bears will come out on top with a last second FG from Robbie "Good as" Gould. Bears 27, Bengals 24

Critical Performer

My CP is Alex Brown. Alex, say hello to Gaines Adams who is bidding to take snaps away from you. Alex is probably the most complete D-lineman the best have and is having a good season but he needs to step it up this game. He needs to put pressure on Palmer not only for the bears to do well but also for his job security and he will do it this Sunday.

Week 7 Preview: Bears vs. Bengals

Summary
Welcome to the wacky, wild world of the NFL. If you had told me six months ago that Week 7 vs. the Bengals would: a) feature the third leading rusher in the NFL named Cedric Benson, b) be between two teams in the thick of the early playoff hunt, and c) be a must win for the Bears to keep within reach of the Brett Favre led, undefeated Minnesota Vikings I would have promptly told you to go fuck yourself. In a league of unpredictability, the Bears vs. the Bengals has morphed into a very intriguing and most likely hard fought, close game. Led by Carson Palmer, the aforementioned and rejuvenated Cedric Benson, and a respectable defense the Bengals have played well all year long and sport a 4-2 record. With regards to the tweeting from Esteban Ochocinco, the clear storyline here is Benson's revenge. After being dropped by the Bears for being unproductive on and off the field, Benson is now a bonafide star.

Key Factors
1) The Bears Lines. Will the Bears mediocre offensive line, led by Pete's favorite Frank Omilaye, give the disappointing Matt Forte room to run? So far, that's been a battle all year. While the pass protection seems to be respectable, the Bears are ranked 27th in the league in rushing. On the defensive side, can the Bears get a good solid pass rush going like they did in the first few weeks of the season? Aside from manhandling a horrible Packers line and sacking the shit out of Ben Roethlisberger (which is not hard to do considering how long he holds the ball) the Bears have sported an average defensive line. Look for newcomer Gaines Adams to come in and play possessed for a few plays, I hope.
2) Cedric Benson. The guy that has torched the Ravens, and nearly every other opponent he's faced, now gets his chance to beat the team that "bad mouthed" and dumped him. He is probably so excited to run the ball against the Bears that he may actually be wearing his pads right now. The Bears run defense just contained Michael Turner and looks poised to put a halt to Benson's magical ride.
3) Carson Palmer. For a guy that has put up average numbers this year (8 tds 7 ints 78 passer rating), Carson always finds himself on the short list of best QB's in the NFL. Besides having a few great years early, injuries and average play have proved him to be a good but not elite QB. That being said, the man still has a strong arm and faces an inexperienced and, quite frankly, below average pass defense. Given time in the pocket, Ochocinco could get open and have his way with the defense. Pressuring this guy constantly and stuffing Benson should limit the damage.
4) Matt Forte: Will this guy ever get going? Aside from destroying the Lions on a few long runs he has done absolutely nothing (besides inexcusable fumbles). He looks slow and his offense line is not giving him the holes he had last year. If he doesn't turn it around this week he might not be getting his usual 20 carries a game down the road.

Prediction
Bears 20 Bengals 17
In what should be a tight game, I think the Bears pull this one out and avoid losing 2 in a row. I'm not sure the Bengals have the quickness on defense to stop speedsters Johnny Knox and Devin Hester. Cutler should be ready to throw the deep ball early, often and hopefully accurately.

Critical Performer
Jay Cutler
Fresh off a lucrative contract extension, Jay Cutler will be inspired to will this team to victory. I'm thinking something in the vicinity of 250 yards passing and a pair of tds, one of which might be a bomb to Johnny.

Lovie as a coach

As I can figure there are 8 coaches including Lovie who had held their jobs since the beginning of 2004:

Marvin Lewis 42-43 no ps

Lovie 48-37 ps 2-2 1 sb app

Del Rio 48-38 ps 1-2

Belichick 67-19 ps 8-3 2 sb app 1 win

Fisher 40-46 ps 0-2

Coughlin 52-34 ps 4-3 1 sb win

Reid 49-39 ps 6-4 1 sb app

Fox 47-38 ps 2-2 1 sb app

Looking a those numbers, Lovie looks pretty good. He is up there with some of the big names in coaching so far as wins, postseason record, and superbowl appearances. I would also argue that the bears had the least talent out of any of these teams with maybe the exception of the Bengals and Jaguars. Looking at these numbers, I suddenly have a different appreciation for Lovie and the job he does in getting the most out of his players. Just food for thought.

Look for El & my previews of the Bears v. Cincy game coming soon.

Hawks Post

I admit that I'm a newbie as a hockey fan. Unfortunately, until the last 2 seasons the only way to see hawks games was in person in the UC. However, I know a hot topic amongst hawks fans this season is who is tending the net with Khabibulin gone. From what i have seen and heard, the 33 yr old Huet (who is too quick to drop down in the butterfly and leave the top shelf open) is not the answer to the hawks question in the net. Now, i dont completely understand the NHL salary cap but i know Huet is a huge hit against the Hawks. Wouldn't it be a good move for the Hawks to waive Huet, see if anyone claims him (i think then the claiming team would assume his huge contract as in baseball), and if he clears waivers send him down to see if he work his way back to #1 goaltender? This move would give the Hawks cap space and give the hawks the chance to see what Niemi & Crawford can offer them. If the hawks continue as they have been doing, all they really need is a serviceable goaltender as they are allowing the 5th fewest shots on goal in the NHL. It seems to me that Quenneville doesnt have faith in Huet anyway and he is just eating up a (very expensive) roster spot. The possibility of losing(getting rid of) Huet is really no risk at all.

Bears line changes.....or lack thereof!

As most everyone who will listen to me talk about the bears, i believe Frank Omiyale couldnt start for a high school team much less the bears. Well, this whole week it has looked like finally Omiyale would be taking a seat on the bench at Cincy. However, Lovie and Ron Turner came out and defended Omiyale yesterday and said he continue to start at left guard. In an article in the Trib, Turner defended Omiyale saying that "he has only started 6 games in this career".
Really??? Now inexperience has become an excuse for ineptitude on the bears? I don't care if the guy has started 1 game or 100, if he isn't getting the job done, he doesn't deserve to play. In the article, Turner & Lovie all but say they aren't happy with Omiyale's play. I know in the offseason the bears paid Omiyale $14 million for 4 years but come on guys, lets put in Beekman who started all last year and give him a chance to help right a lost running game. I mean Omiyale looks like the lost, unathletic fat kid you choose in middle school football who you hope can just be fat and get in the way of someone but really is just running around lost on the field. I challenge you to watch #68 for a series on sunday (unfortunately, it seems he will be in for all of them) and if you dont come away agreeing with me, ill lay off Frank for a week.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-22-bears-chicago-oct22,0,554457.story

Coming Soon.....

In honor of this nifty 00 decade.....lets create an All Decade Team. Might I suggest we begin with our beloved Cubs, mine for sure and maybe your favorite Chicago team as well. (Go Cubs, I will always love you.) Perhaps some ground rules? How about one player from one single year for each position. All 8 starting offensive positions, 5 starters, 1 closer, 1 middle relief, 1 manager. Your methods of choosing is entirely up to you. I have been researching on the Cubs website, Historical Stats, where you can scroll thru each year ever. Comments and explanations of your pick appreciated and encouraged. As this is a lengthy project, I propose we take a little time on this and have a special unveiling. Your thoughts? Have you got the stomach for it? The courage, the bravado?

Response to Rudy

First and foremost let me say it's nice to have a Rudy back in Chicagoland. All I've heard is positive things about Rudy so this is a no-brainer good addition. I agree that a coach/teacher/instructor is only as good as their pupils, so hopefully a new middle of the lineup bat is added.
Even without a new bat I think this offense can be good again. It reminds me of an old electronic appliance that was once great and strong and starts to malfunction a bit. Sometimes the best thing to do instead of getting a new product to replace the old one is to the the old "restart." Pull out the plug on the Cubs offense, shake that thing around and plug it right back in.

Cubs new hitting coach

RUDY JARAMILLO.

The cubs new hitting coach. I hope his name strikes fear into the heart of the cardinals players. Maybe he will make Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright forget that Soriano cant hit a curveball. Maybe he really is the 2nd coming of Rod Marinelli......

Look i am all forward for the cubs getting better. And supposedly, this guy is the best there is. But, if the cubs bill this as one of their big offseason moves as the bears did marinelli, we all are in trouble as cubs fans. I'm all for getting the best possible coaches but i hope this doesnt give the cubs justification to sign mediocre players at the dish and hope that Rudy can work miracles with them like dave duncan in St. Louis. Rudy can be a nice offseason move but he will not be swinging the bat at the plate next year.

But then again, maybe he can make Soriano hit a curveball...........

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=4581458