Who stays, who goes amongst Bears free agents

Not in my memory has a team had as many players unrestricted free agents as the Bears and General Manager Phil Emery have this offseason. Last offseason Emery made the offense a focal point, retooling the offensive line and taking it from the worst units in the league to the strongest unit of the team.

He has promised to do the same this offseason. He has to start in deciding if Defensive Coordinator Mel Tucker will be back and beyond that has some tough choices to make starting with the players that played in Chicago this season.

Before the team signed kicker Robbie Gould and fullback Tony Fiammetta signed contracts before the Week 17 showdown with the Packers, the Bears had 29 players eligible for free agency after this season.

The list of players is long, but contains some big names, including Jay Cutler and Charles "Peanut" Tillman. I've been clear how I feel about Cutler and backup quarterback Josh McCown, who is also a free agent, but things seem to be taking shape on some of the other players. Tillman's injuries the last couple seasons make him a guy that could be on his way out. He says he's not done playing football, but might be a guy the Bears are willing to let go.

The biggest name outside of Cutler and Tillman is Devin Hester, who still has ability to be a game changer and did so throughout this year. It was his first season as just a return man and he seemed to do well. He earned just $2 million this season and if they can agree on something around that this year, I would be behind bringing him back. Otherwise, Hester has been clear he'd like to reunite with Lovie Smith, where ever he ends up this winter.

Cornerback Tim Jennings, who plays opposite Tillman, should be a guy the Bears look at signing. He's young enough and is a great playmaker. Whether he can play man coverage is something that could play a role in that.

Linebackers D.J. Williams and James Anderson are free agents, as well. Williams was the starting middle linebacker at the start of the season, but injury ended his season early on. He makes just $1 million and has been clear he wants to be back. For that salary, it would be hard to let him walk away, for depth purposes alone. Anderson could be a casualty with rookie James Bostic showing himself worth in Lance Briggs' absence during the year.

Along the offensive line center Roberto Garza was the lone holdover from last season and proved himself worthy this season. I'd be inclined to keep this group together for another season as they started all 16 games this season. Left guard Matt Slauson has said he wants to be back and I'd like to see him back, too.

Finally, Julius Peppers is an interesting name that's been brought up this week. He's not a free agent, but is set to make $18.133 million next season. If the Bears are looking to find dollars to spread around to the free agents and draft picks, that might be a spot they look to make a move. Peppers led the team with 7.5 sacks this season, but was not nearly the force he's been in past year.

I'm glad I'm not the guy crunching the numbers and dealing with the agents, but it will be interesting to see fall into place as Emery and Trestman put a team together over the next six months.

Tucker needs to be scapegoat for Bears defense

As the realization sets in that there will be now games for my Chicago Bears this weekend, the one thing clear to me (after the fact that Jay Cutler needs to be resigned) is that changes need to be abound on the defensive side of the ball, starting with Defensive Coordinator Mel Tucker.

I'm not usually the guy that calls for coaches to be fired just for the sake of making the change, but in Tucker's case it seems like a logical move to start over for a unit that did nothing but disappoint after being the backbone of the team for so long.

This Bears defense was worst in the league in rushing yards per game (161.4) and per carry (5.35) and with Lance Briggs out for seven games the unit went on to give up 100-yard rushers in six straight games, another franchise record.

Yes, this defense was historically bad, but the question around how much blame to place in Tucker's lap goes back to the fact that seven of the 11 Opening Day starters missed significant time. That led to two starting rookie linebackers playing for most of the second half of the season and teams running at will on the Bears.

Tucker was brought in because head coach Marc Trestman's thought was to continue running the Cover 2 which had been so succussful under Lovie Smith. Tucker continued the status quo on that side of the ball and continued to use the same vocabulary even. 

Even at the start of the season, it was clear this wasn't Lovie's defense and us as fans hoped they could figure things out. Some improvements were made, but things took leaps backward in the Eagles game in Week 16 where they gave up 54 points.

Then there's the Packers game and two plays may have spelled Tucker's fate with the fumble that led to a free touchdown for the Packers and the scoring play for the Packers in the final minute. An all-out blitz with man coverage on the outside, that fell apart when Chris Conte decided to jump a route at the first-down marker. 

All of the progress that had been made over previous weeks fell apart over the final two weeks. Add to that the personnel changes that could be a big factor in things, as well, with Charles Tillman, Craig Steltz, Major Wright and Tim Jennings among the free agents that might not be back. 

After the team surrendered a franchise record 6,313 yards (breaking the 24-year record by 584 yards), a change of some sort has to be in the works. If GM Phil Emery and Trestman are going to retool the personnel, it would make sense they bring in a new coach, as well.

Would it be 100 percent fair? Not necessarily, but the Bears have a history of doing so. In Lovie's first year, offensive coordinator Terry Shea after he struggled. He had quarterbacks Craig Krenzel, Jonathan Quinn and Chad Hutchinson under center that year, so it was hardly fair. It had to be done though and three years later the Bears were playing in the Super Bowl.      

Angelo, Lovie not to blame for current state of Bears

When the dust finally settled from Sunday's embarassing, awful, terrible, no good, very bad (you get the idea) loss to the Seahawks, the Bears were left at 7-7 on the outside of the playoff picture looking in with little to no hope things could be saved.

After winning five straight games and sitting at 7-3, things looked great, but starting Caleb Hanie at quarterback with Jay Cutler on the sideline and Matt Forte joining Cutler on the sideline a couple weeks later and all playoff hope has left Chicago. Now, Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune, starts firing people. Well, I can't say I'm surprised, but I wouldn't go as far as he does.

Rosenbloom is pretty good with what he does at the Trib, but he's off on this one. He wants to get rid of Hanie and Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo. The Hanie move has obvious reasoning, but the Angelo one struck me. His reasoning? He is the guy that brought in Hanie and stuck with him over the last four years as the backup quarterback.

Well, Hanie should probably go. But that isn't necessarily on Angelo or even Lovie Smith and Mike Martz. Most fans don't realize the backup quarterback gets the least practice and reps of anyone on the team. That's why teams across the league don't spend big money on their backup QBs and most go with rookies or guys that have started somewhere else, even if they have struggled. You know what you are getting and those guys know what to expect when they are stepping in. The first-string QB takes every rep in practice while the backup may take reps, but running the opposition's plays for the scout team. Not the same, at all and he's not being evaluated on things properly that way. Look around the league and you will notice this.

As for Angelo, I would have been fine with him "retiring" or being fired years ago, but if you are going to fire him and/or Lovie after this season, Bears ownership would be off base. The season was going smoothly at 7-3 with the team winning five straight and looking to be on the brink of something special. As I told a fellow bar patron yesterday, you don't fire management over injuries, and that's what you'd be doing if you let Angelo or Lovie go after this.

The arguement is that they should have brought in a veteran QB to take over after Jay. Well, I'm with them for not bringing in someone. Despite losing out on Kyle Orton (props for beating the Pack bro!), Hanie was probably their best bet, even in front of Donavon McNabb. You only need to look to Carson Palmer in Oakland to see how that went when he got to town and there just wasn't enough time left in the season after Jay went down to work out the kinks with a completely new quarterback.

Jerry's drafts haven't exactly yielded talent that has stuck with the Bears. To be honest, free agency has bailed him out over the years. When the team needed a playmaker and Tommie Harris was past his prime, the Bears went out and got the biggest fish on the market in Julius Peppers. When the team needed a quarterback, he did make the big trade for Jay Cutler, too. That move didn't have immediate impact, but for nothing of Jay's doing, the offensive line was in shambles and he couldn't stay on his feet long enough to make a worthwhile decision. And when he did he threw interceptions because he was trying to carry the team and do too much.

Lovie has shown time and time again that this is his team and every single player on the roster respects him. The old phrase goes "A team is the sum of all of its parts" and he has done more with so little in years past than anyone in the NFL. Again, I think Martz and Cutler were finally starting to go places and think you shouldn't mess with much at the top.

This team needs more offensive line help. Gabe Carimi will be a force when he gets healthy next season and Roberto Garza is the backbone of the line. They just need some quality guards. I'm still thinking a true No. 1 receiver is what the team is lacking. On the other side of the ball, there's no getting around the age of the defense. So Angelo will have to draft well for once and get depth at safety and on the defensive line.

So no, Steve Rosenbloom, don't line up the firing squad and start sending everyone packing. Just trim the fat and shore up some places. The team you want to evaluate is the one after 10 games not the one these last four weeks.

With Forte out, Bears playoff chances slim to none

If you know me, you know I'm usually one of the most optimistic and positive people you will meet. I'm that way with the Brewers and in the rest of my life. The recent turn of events with the Bears has the realist coming out of me and seeing the possibility of the Bears earning an NFC Wildcard spot fading fast.

I am the same person that said after the Jay Cutler injury Caleb Hanie could lead the team to three wins in six games and get the team into the playoffs and hand things back over to Cutler to lead a magical playoff run. But with Matt Forte now down for 2-3 weeks (Lovie Smith said he expects him back before the end of the regular season in his Monday presser), the possibility of the Bears winning three of their final four games seems like a bit of a reach right now with their second biggest offensive weapon on the sideline.

With one or the other of the Cutler/Forte combo on the sideline the Bears could win for a short period of time. I actually think Cutler could sustain a season without Forte playing like he had during the team's five-game winning streak, but is made vastly better by the production of Forte on the ground (he has 997 yards on the season) and as a safety valve passing option out of the backfield. That said, the offense should have leaned on Forte and Marion Barber more over the last two weeks, but instead Mike Martz chose to stay pass happy.

Hanie has six interceptions after two games as a starter (his third Sunday was on the last play of the game) and aside from one drive which ended on a drop by Roy Williams that turned into his second INT, he could not move the ball. That proof lies in the 11 third downs that were not converted by the Hanie-led offense and the man calling the plays, Martz.

Minus the remaining best threat the offense has, Hanie will have no choice but to put the ball in the air, which scares the hell out of me. There is, however, a little hope in the work Barber and Kahlil Bell did in carrying the ball after Forte went down, combining for 77 yards on 18 carries. They were effective at times and broke off some solid runs. But you give a team a chance to scheme for them during the week and know that Hanie is not much of a threat with this offensive line and things look pretty meek going forward in these final four games. Just like the story in the Chicago Tribune today, the offense is pretty weak right now.

The formula for beating the Bears is now very simple. Keep the ball away from Devin Hester in the kicking game and wear down the defense with a run game that sustains long scoring drives and get after the quarterback and force Hanie to make quick decisions. Wait, that sounds like the formula John Fox and the Denver Broncos have used with Tim Tebow to win five straight games. Yeah, it's not going to get any easier going forward.

Looking at these final four games against the Broncos, Seahawks, Packers and Vikings, only one is at home (Seattle). I'd be happy now with a 2-2 finish. The Bears defense does match up well against the Broncos in trying to stop Tebow, but he only ran the ball 10 times this week and continues to get better throwing the ball and being more selective on running the read option. With an offense that generated just three points the defense has little room for error and I'm not sure how long they can sustain things without scoring points themselves. This could be one the Bears steal, but the Broncos are rolling right now.

It's hard to find many positives in the Bears final four games right now. Yes, every other NFC Wild Card team did lose yesterday keeping them in the No. 5 spot in the playoff hunt, but they all can't lose these final four weeks and you'd hate to have it end that way anyhow. It's going to be tough to watch down the stretch. I can only wish the Bears prove me wrong.

Note to Bears fans: Save the doom and gloom

I went to bed last night with the thought on my mind that hopes were not as bright for the Bears as I thought they were moments after cinching up a big 31-20 victory over the San Diego Chargers at Soldier Field. When I awoke this morning that thought was still there, but I was reminded of the 2005 season and where that season ended up.

That season, Rex Grossman was injured in preseason and Kyle Orton, then a rookie drafted in the fourth round stepped in and set a team record for 10 wins by basically just not losing the game. That is basically the task put in front of Caleb Hanie when he makes his first NFL start Sunday in the Black Hole against the Raiders. Hanie will have Matt Forte carry much of the load and just have to worry about complete the short to medium passes while the defense and special teams do the rest.

That said, while I am super disapponted by this injury, made as Jay was making a tackle that saved a touchdown and was followed by Philip Rivers throwing an interception in the end zone, I'm not thinking the season is completely lost.

Just as I was about to write this, I combed the Interwebs and came across Melissa Isaacson's story on ESPNChicago.com where she basically said what I wanted to say only better and with quotes from Halas Hall today.

Can the defense carry things? Brian Urlacher thinks so and he volunteered that answer. "Our mindset now is that we are going to have to carry the team." His unit certainly has the playmakers to do it and anything to lessen the presser on Hanie is good in my eyes. Having teams dumb enough to kick to Devin Hester.

Lovie did sound rather optimistic Cutler could be back before the end of the regular season, but I wouldn't want him to rush back. I know a lot of morons in the media questioned his toughness, but the fact that he has to go under the knife to heal his broken thumb speaks to teh severity of the injury.

At 7-3, the Bears realistically need just three more wins to at least think about the playoffs. We won't worry about tie breakers and scenarios for this exercise, but about the final six games and what they have to do looking at what lies ahead.

This week the Bears go to Oakland to take on a surging Raiders team. This one could be tough for a couple reasons. First, it's Hanie's first start and the Raiders are actually playing well. This one is going to test the defense and offense. My gut even before the Cutler injury said the Bears were going to have their hands full. So now, I'm actually thinking it might be a loss.

Week 13 has the Bears hosting the Chiefs. With Matt Cassel on IR and the Chiefs falling to pieces, I'm thinking this could be Hanie's first win as a starter. This is Thomas Jones' first game back against the Bears since he was let go which should stir up some stories, but I see this one as the game they get back on track.

The final AFC West game for the Bears was set to be epic with Cutler going back to Denver to play the Broncos and show them what a real quarterback can do. Well, that's not going to happen now, but I still think this game is winnable. Then again, hasn't every team that has played Tim Tebow and he's made them pay for it? Still, I like the Bears defense against him. It won't be a pretty game, but should be another win.

The final home game of the season follows that one with Seattle coming to Soldier Field. This one is a home game, but against a Seahawks team that beat the Ravens a couple weeks ago. I'm not sure which Seattle team will show up.

The Christmas day game at Green Bay was one that scared me all season. With things rolling with Jay, I actually expected this one to be a battle. But without Jay, I don't see it being more than tough for the Bears to move the ball. The defense can slow Rodgers down, but you have to be able score points to keep up.

The season finale is at Minnesota and whether or not Cutler is healthy enough to play in this one could decide the winner. Either way, the Vikings won't have anything to play for and the Bears should. Lovie is one of the best motivators in the game and you can rest assured he'll have them ready for this one with the playoffs hanging in the balance. That's why I'm thinking they win this one.

So there, 10-6. Will it be good enough to make the playoffs and allow Cutler to make his triumphant return to the lineup? Only time will tell.

Offense to blame for Bears lack of success against Packers

Jay Cutler and the Bears offense doesn't have an identity three weeks into the season and it's a problem.

After an offseason which pointed to an offense moving toward becoming more run oriented, the Chicago Bears have ran the ball and after running the ball just 12 times in each of the last two games, one has to wonder where that mindset has gone. It's a bigger question when the best player without argument on offense is the running back, Matt Forte. Forte has even been called the best player on the offense by Mike Martz, the guy calling the plays as the offensive coordinator, and it has to make the "whispers" that were surrounding his future in Chicago a lot more audible.

I normally don't get on my soapbox and say one guy either needs to change or go, but this might be the time to do so with Martz. Last season it took a stern talking to from Lovie Smith to focus more on the running game, the team took off and won eight straight en route to an NFC North title.

When a guy like Forte is responsible for over 50 percent of the offensive yardage through two weeks of the season, you know he's important and a guy the quarterback turns to in a tight spot. But to let him pretty much vanish against the Packers when it was needed doesn't make sense. Now, I get the Packers may have had a linebacker shadowing Forte when he released out of the backfield which wouldn't have given him a chance to get many yards, they are not going to do that every time and even when they do, he's a player that can create on his own in space, so you have to give him a couple chances. Especially when the running game isn't working. Essentially, those dump offs would work as an extension of the run game to give him a chance to contribute.

As for the loss to the Packers and not running, they fell behind by quite a bit and were forced to be more pass happy, which I'm not upset with, but for Forte to not be thrown to as much as he was is a problem to me. Especially when the ball was thrown down field it was either over thrown or dropped by a receiver. I don't fault Cutler for some of those overthrows, as the receiver fell down on a couple of them. The drops, however, are inexcusable but an issue all their own.

Sticking to Martz and the gameplan, with the time Jay had to throw in the first half, there were still too many three and outs. Part of that has to fall on Jay for not executing, but let's be honest, he wasn't that bad. I just don't see him and Martz seeing eye to eye on this thing. It's very clear in his quote tonight in the Chicago Tribune when he says "Until we get more consistent, I guess we don't (have an identity as an offense)."

The mistaken identity has something to do with the interceptions from Jay. Last year he threw 11 interceptions on passes that were intended for Johnny Knox. That leads one to believe he wasn't where he was supposed to be and/or he didn't fight for the ball. Well, Sunday Roy Williams was targeted four times and a whopping two of those times the pass was intercepted. I'd say there is some miscommunication there. Cutler has said it himself in the postgame, they need to get their timing better. If Roy is not on the field in the Red zone, he shouldn't be on the team. Plain and simple. 

One other thing I need to call Martz out on is his trick plays. They don't work. Throw them out of the playbook. Especially the ones involving the Wildcat formation. I like the idea of running the play and giving Forte a chance to run with it more than I actually like the play. It's just going to expose some other part of the offense that doesn't work. (See Devin Hester jumping the start)

Whatever the relationship is between Cutler and Martz, it's still not working right. The job of the coaching staff is to put the players in the best position to win games and right now, that's not happening on the offensive side of the ball. Whether it be Cutler, Williams, Forte or Knox, something isn't right and needs to get hashed out and soon, if they want to stay in this race with Detroit and Green Bay.

Matt Forte ranks 24th in the NFL in carries through three weeks. He needs to get more rushes for the Bears offense to have its identity.

Bears must focus on quieting Rodgers to win in Week 3

With all the attention this week on Jay Cutler following an all-around awful performance in New Orleans, it's hard to come back to earth a little bit and get ready for the Green Bay Packers. Yes, you know, the (Gulp!) Super Bowl Champions (I hate saying that) and Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers.

That's what has me thinking this game, for the Bears to be successful and have a shot at victory, the defense led by Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Julius Peppers, needs to step up and deliver a performance similar to what they turned in last season. With both teams being very similar to last year's squads - they each have 17 of 22 starters back from last year - I'd expect something similar to last year.

But, Aaron, the Packers won two of three meetings with the Bears last season, do you want the same performance as last season? The Packers scored 17, 10 and 21 points in three games against the Bears defense last season. Tell me the Lovie Smith version of the Tampa-2 doesn't give the Packers fits and frustrate the bejesus out of them and I'll tell you to get your eyes examined. There's just something about the Bears defense that keeps these games close.

The one thing that might make this game slightly different from last season is the fact that Rodgers is absolutely ripping defenses to shreds through the first two weeks of the season. With the Bears situation at both safety spots up in the air heading into the weekend, Rodgers could have another one of those games. But, if history is accurate - and with the number of guys back from last year it should give us a good jumping off point - the Packers will not be able to run very effectively against the Bears' seven-man front. The Packers have always been a pass-first team under Mike McCarthy anyhow, so I don't see it being a big concern.

You have to expect Rodgers to take his shots downfield and find ways to get at the inexperience (at least within the Cover 2) from Brandon Merriweather and Craig Steltz, who has seen some, but not significant time in the secondary.

Of course, none of who's back there really matters if Julius Peppers has another one of the games he did when the teams played in Week 3 of last season on MNF. I'd expect him to move around on the line and bounce between the left and right ends throughout the game in hopes of exposing something and keeping the Packers guessing where to send help.

For Cutler and the Bears offense, they'll have to find a way to cope without Gabe Carimi, who is expected to miss "several weeks" with his knee injury. If things were shaky with him, imagine how it will be without him. The allure is there for this Bears offense to test the Packers pass defense, too. It has been torched in the first two games, as has the entire unit really with a pass rush, namely Clay Matthews, that has little bite to this point in the young season.

So do the Bears exploit the injury of Nick Collins in any way? Expect Mike Martz to take some shots, but they'll have to be quick. And with Johnny Knox and Devin Hester both having their druthers to this point of the season, I'm not sure it will mean much. The duo has been thrown to 34 times, but has a combined eight catches in two games. Roy Williams joins the rivalry and could have a shot at making plays down the field and might be on his own in doing so, if he's able to get healthy after missing last week's game.

Then there's Matt Forte. Is there anything he can't do? You have to expect him to be a factor in the passing game, but you'd also have to think Martz is going to make a point to run more with him this week, too, after Lovie made a point in the media to say he was going to get the pass-run ratio closer to 50-50. It will help having Marion Barber available for the first time this season and his ability to punish defenses could be the spark the Bears need on the ground to get something going and help play keepaway from the Packers offense.

The prediction: OK, here's how I see it shaking out. The Bears are at home in this one and will be ready to make big changes after losing the last two meetings last season. Whether they're big or not remains to be seen, but we'll notice them. If the defense can make the Packers work their way down the field and not give up the big play, they could force Rodgers into his first interception of the season and must find a way to create turnovers in general. That should put the offense in a good spot to produce points.
If that offense can get on track, finding an answer to the Packers blitzes with quick hits to Matt Spaeth and Forte and are allowed to run after the catch, the offense will have its desired success. Martz has told the offense the Packers  play a lot of man defensively, so to break it down even more, they have to win those one-on-one battles 100 percent of the time.
For the defense, get a turnover or two and get pressure with those front four and they'll be in good shape. It's the gameplan every week, but against this offense is paramount. They always seem to give the Packers fits and will find a way to do it again on Sunday.

The Score: This one will be tight and McCarthy still hasn't shaken that "can't win the close one" tag and that's why I have the Bears winning a 20-17 tight one. As good as Gould!

Just as I did with the NFC Championship game, I'm going to put the Twitter widget to work here. Seemed to put all the info in one central location and made it fun to see what was going on from both perspectives.


And now to the NFL Picks for Week 3. Last week I went 13-3 which puts me at 23-9 for the season. That's a 72 percent success rate which is good enough to put me in the top 4,841 in the world on ESPN.com. But enough bragging. On to this week's prognosis. Winners, as always, in bold.
Patriots at Bills
49ers at Bengals
Dolphins at Browns
Broncos at Titans
Lions at Vikings
Texans at Saints
Giants at Eagles
Jaguars at Panthers
Chiefs at Chargers
Jets at Raiders
Ravens at Rams
Falcons at Buccaneers
Packers at Bears
Cardinals at Seahawks
Steelers at Colts
Redskins at Cowboys

So that's my Bears-Packers score prediction. What is yours? Comment below and tell me one thing that will determine things beyond your score!

An un-Bearable performance against Saints

A photo can't do justice to how ugly a performance by a team was, but maybe that one will come close. Jay Cutler was running for his life all game, Mike Martz only called 12 running plays to take some of the pressure off him and the defense was picked apart by Drew Brees and all that was very clear in the 30-13 final.

Things started out fine for the offense, which behind Cutler, scored on its second drive of the game and took a 7-0 lead on a Cutler TD pass. What followed from there was a beat down in every sense of the word. The Saints racked up six sacks of Cutler and had him running for his life most of the game. An offense would normally keep a defense off balance by calling some running plays and letting Matt Forte get things done on the ground. Forte, who played his home games when he played at Tulane at the SuperDome, was the only player who did much of anything, catching 10 passes, as Cutler could do little more than check down time after time. That's good for no one and, while it helps Forte when he goes back to the bargaining table with Bears GM Jerry Angelo, does little to develop the offense.

Cutler looked dejected after the game. The sack pictured in the photo at the top of this post came off a blown block by tight end Kellen Davis, the player kept around because he was a better blocker than Greg Olsen. Huh? I don't think Cutler needs to defend his performance. How often can a guy get whacked and keep getting up before his actions speak for him. I wrote last week, the key was in his hands and arm, but that was me having faith in this offensive line to figure things out. Clearly that's not happening. After the injury of Cabe Carimi, things will likely get worse before they get better for Jay heading into next week (Gulp!).

And now, the injuries are starting to pile up beyond Carimi, as Earl Bennett, Roy Williams, Chris Harris and a growing number of players missed the entire or part of Sunday's game. Coach Lovie Smith expects to get most of them back, but Carimi is expected out for at least two weeks with a knee sprain and Bennett has a bruised sternum.

Yet, as rough as it were, the score was 16-13 deep into the third quarter, but then things fell apart.

As for the defense, I can't get on Brian Urlacher for a bad performance. To be clear, he didn't have a bad game at all, in fact, he played decent. But, football is team game and the other 10 guys around him had some hiccups. Specifically, Henry Melton, who I called out last week after he had a great game, to back it up with another strong showing to cement his place as a solid player. Well, no tackles means he fails. And Julius Peppers and the rest of the defensive line is right there with him. It's like a tale of two games as it was a completely different showing from the defense.

It goes beyond the line, too, as the secondary was torched for a 79-yard touchdown with Harris out and Major Wright in the game, showing he didn't have a clue what he was doing. Then, when he got injured Brandon Meriweather didn't know what was going on either.

It may come as a bit of a shock to some, but one game doesn't make a season and we knew the weakness of the team would be exposed at least a couple times throughout the season. This was just the first test, and it did not go well. Lovie has made it clear things will be addressed with the offense. Last year when he did that, the team won eight straight games. Sometimes he's got to pull the reigns on the Mad Scientist he's got for an offensive coordinator. With the Packers coming to Soldier Field next week, it has to get addressed sooner rather than later.

Bears success in Week 2 lies on Jay Cutler's shoulders

After making a statement that they should not be overlooked this season back in Week 1, the Bears go on the road this week to take on the New Orleans Saints.
All of the talk this week revolves around the noise in the SuperDome and the blitzes the Saints and defensive coordinator Greg Williams will send at Jay Cutler. That makes Cutler's game Sunday the most important of any other player on the field, or maybe a close second to the five guys on the offensive line in picking up those rushers and dealing with the noise.
It's an area, that could get rough considering the three sacks the Bears gave up last week without much blitzing from the Falcons. If the Saints are able to load up on one side and the linemen are a couple paces slow in getting off the ball because they can't hear the snap count, things could get dicey. I put things then on Jay's shoulders to make the quick reads and calls to get the ball out of there in time from the play calls of Mike Martz.
As I wrote Monday, Martz showed some signs of helping out his quarterback in Week 1 with short passes mixed with the down-the-field routes and Jay hit them, specifically the touchdown pass to Matt Forte and the long pass and run by Devin Hester that set up another touchdown. He'll have to adapt the same way this week. A change this year is his playcalling from the booth, which gives a different vantage point and focusing on the weapons this offense has next to Jay.
Martz seemed to do a decent job calling plays that featured each of those weapons in Matt (Pay the man!) Forte, Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Roy Williams. All four guys, and I could throw Matt Spaeth in the mix, too, had an impact last week. How often has a Bears fan been able to say that of four and maybe five receivers? The credit for that goes to both Martz and Cutler for getting them in position to make the right plays.
Will that pay off this week in New Orleans? With the blitzers coming from all angles, it will if Jay get's that extra second over the middle to get the ball out and let those receivers run after the catch. That's the one area the sending of blitzers from all angles allows. If Hester catches a ball in space and has a chance to turn on the jets, he can run away from anyone.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bears got a great performance from their front four and saw Brian Urlacher have one of his better games in the last couple years. If the line can have a similar effort this week, they will be in a great spot to win.
It's no secret Drew Brees can pick a defense apart if he has time to survey the field and find an open receiver. If the Bears are able to get pressure on him with the likes of Julius Peppers, Harry Melton, Anthony Adams and Israel Idonoje they could have a good shot at winning.
The one question mark is what they do about the Saints' running backs of Darren Sproles and Mark Ingram. Ingram would be a more conventional back, but Sproles ripped apart the Packers defense at times and I'd be tempted to put a safety or a defensive back on him if he splits out wide. There really isn't another way to keep up with him. I'm not sure Lance Briggs can keep up with him and I know Nick Roach can't, which is why the DB option makes sense. The Bears will have to find a way to quiet that down, as you'd expect Sean Payton to exploit that matchup in some way.
The biggest thing that might propel this defense is having the heart and soul of it back in Urlacher who left to lay his mother to rest in Texas Wednesday, after she passed away Monday. You know he is going to play possessed and I expect the other 10 guys on the field to play for him. Knowing this unit, they are very close knit and have been together for a long time. I heard it in an interview with Lance Briggs today and he was feeling for Lac and it just seems like a week for this unit to have one of those games where they make the great plays. It is just meant to be.
The Pick: I see a few scores in this game and it will be a close one. But I'm confident the Bears line can continue to improve and, if they can get out front early in this game to take the crowd out of things a bit, can get the job done against the blitzes. On defense, I know Julius Peppers will have a great game, but would expect someone else to emerge on the line. Adams? Maybe.
That's why I see Bears 30, Saints 27 as the final score. It's that close and if the Bears can come away with this road win, they have to be taken very seriously heading into Week 3.

NFL Picks
Last week I went 10-6, which for the first week wasn't that bad. Once the landscape of the league gets laid out, it will get better. Let's jump right into Week 2. My picks are in bold, as always.
Raiders at Bills
Bears at Saints
Browns at Colts
Chiefs at Lions
Packers at Panthers
Ravens at Titans
Bucs at Vikings
Jaguars at Jets
Cardinals at Redskins
Seahawks at Steelers
Cowboys at 49ers
Bengals at Broncos
Texans at Dolphins
Chargers at Patriots
Eagles at Falcons
Rams at Giants

Bears make statement with Week 1 win over Falcons

Let's be honest, you didn't have the Bears beating the Falcons Sunday to open the NFL season did you? I'll be honest, I figured if they were going to win, it was going to be close. As the game progressed it was clear one team came into the game prepared, the other was not.
The Bears were clearly prepared on both sides of the ball. I'll start with the defense because with plays from Julius Peppers and the above pictured Brian Urlacher, the unit dominated Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense. It was more than just Urlacher and "Pepp" as Henry Melton became an opening day starter and made his presence felt. As Brad Biggs said in his "10 Thoughts" in today's Chicago Tribune, Melton showed flashes last season (his first career sack was the one that ended Brett Favre) and playing the Three technique in this scheme means he will play a prominent role. He had two sacks Sunday and an unbelievable seven hits on Ryan meaning he practically lived in the offensive backfield. He has a chance to be a big part of this defense this season and could be a great compliment to Peppers and Israel Idonije on the other end, along with tackle Anthony Adams. I will not anoint him just yet, as he has to back it up with another game, but he's well on his way.
Of course, Melton's emergence would add young blood to the "usual suspects" that contributed on defense. I mentioned Peppers, who had a couple sacks and won't get credit, but forced the fumble Urlacher recovered and ran in for a touchdown. Urlacher's interception showed he's still as athletic as ever. And then there's Charles Tillman. I tweeted during the game about Peanut after he forced yet another fumble. In the NFL Preview edition of SI, Peter King broke down the best players at knocking the ball loose and he was not mentioned. He's just notorious for it.
On the offensive side of the ball, what a difference nine months made for Jay Cutler, who threw for two touchdowns and over 300 yards. If you're a "real" Bears fan, you can't not root for the guy (Yes, I know that's a double negative. Figure it out.) and he delivered. The offensive line was not great, but wasn't awful and has time to get better as the season moves on as Jay had time to throw and make decisions out there. I'd have to say the biggest part in that was the play calling by Mike Martz who, aside from a couple bone headed Wildcat and end around calls, kept the Falcons defense off balance with enough plays downfield to open up the screen passes intended for Matt Forte and short plays for Devin Hester that allowed both to get out and roam.
I'd have to say the wide receivers in this game had a big hand in things, too. Roy Williams may have had just a couple catches before leaving with a groin injury, but he opened some things up for Johnny Knox and Hester, who both made big catches on some long third downs. It has seemed to be something that was missing for this team in recent years. If they can stretch the field, it will only make Jay more dangerous of a passer.

So, I'm not anointing the Bears anything after one win, but it has to make the people that picked them to finish the season 7-9 take notice and show this division will not be handed to Green Bay. Seems every year Lovie Smith is under estimated as a coach and year after year finds a way to get the most out of his players on a team that has won the NFC North three of the last six years.

What a difference a year makes for Lovie Smith

A year ago this week Chicago Bears President Ted Phillips, General Manager Jerry Angelo and coach Lovie Smith pleaded with fans to accept their explanation for what had gone wrong as the Bears missed the playoffs for the third straight year. Lovie stayed on as coach, but had to give up his defensive coordinator post, handing it over to Rod Marinelli, and Mike Martz was brought on to run the offense. In fact, I was even one of those questioning whether it was right to let Lovie go. And I had been one of the biggest Lovie backers, so that is saying something.
The results this season could not have shown any better the Bears brain trust made the right decision in keeping Lovie on board as coach as the Bears went 11-5 when the "experts" did not see them doing much of anything. Lovie has always had one thing with this Bears team and that is loyalty. There have been zero players speak out against him or show any signs of the players not buying into what he has to dole out. The biggest sell to that end might be from the biggest name on the team, Brian Urlacher. It has become quite known that Urlacher absolutely hates this defense, but he is loyal and it has been shown to be successful so Urlacher buys in and performs at a high level.
Now with Urlacher back in the fold and a division title in hand, Angelo has gone as far as to call this team, the "best football team that we've had" referring to the teams he and Smith have built together, including the one that went to the Super Bowl after the 2006 season.
And amidst Jim Harbaugh getting offered Oprah money to coach in the NFL without ever coaching a game at this level, Lovie, who has one year left on his current contract, stands to cash in. The idea David Haugh at the Chicago Tribune gets by reading between the lines from Angelo is that Smith will cashing in depends on the Bears winning at least one game in these playoffs.
I'm down with that. He's shown the ability to work with what he has and coach them up to get a performance greater than the sum of the parts. And again, even when times got tough over the three seasons, everyone stood behind Lovie and that has to speak for what the locker room thought of him. I'd say he deserves everything he gets.


Speaking of playoffs, the Bears have been given a three-day weekend with the first-round bye meaning Wild Card Weekend has arrived. I told you the other day I would be back to break down the games and make some picks. So here we go.
Let's go in order. We'll start with Saturday's games.
Saints (11-5) @ Seahawks (7-9): A home team is an 11-point dog at home in the playoffs? That's what happens when you're the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record. Count the 'Hawks out? Not so fast. Now, they'll get Matt Hasselback back under center which should help, but they'll need EVERY break to go their way on defense in forcing a couple of turnovers to be in this one.
That's why I'm taking Saints.
Jets (11-5) at Colts (10-6): Will someone please shut Rex Ryan up? Yes, you, wearing the No. 18 blue jersey. Peyton Manning! Please, end this loser's face time and send the Jets packing. Maybe I'm not being totally fair here, but I hate how Ryan gets in front of a mic and takes all the attention off the players and onto him. I know that's his ploy, but all those ESPN losers don't even talk about the game. Know this, Manning is 6-1 in games he starts against a Ryan team. The one he lost, last year when he was pulled in the final game of the season.
So give me the Colts and ALL the points. It is personal. Shut this clown up Peyton!
Ravens (12-4) at Chiefs (10-6): We're on to Sunday's games and prior to Matt Cassel getting his face pounded in by the Raiders in Week 17, I'd have picked the Chiefs without hesitation, has they had yet to lose a game at Arrowhead this season. Had they not tried, that would be one thing, but Cassel kept getting sent out there and he threw a pair of INTs. Well, bring the Ravens ball-hawking defense to town and things get a little dicier. The Chiefs are good, don't get me wrong, and they are going to need a lot of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones (TJ!) to take the pressure off Cassel and I don't think they'll do it.
This will be a close one, but I'm taking the Ravens to go into KC and get the win.
Packers (10-6) at Eagles (10-6): The Packers are 3-5 on the road and the Eagles are 4-4 at home. I don't put much weight in the Week 1 game between the teams as Michael Vick didn't start and it was so long ago that many of the faces on both sides of the ball have changed. So you have to look at what the teams have done lately and how they're trending. Aaron Rodgers played OK in the Bears game, not great, but Vick is a game changer. The difference in the game is not letting him get time to throw. The talk has been not letting him run, well, he hasn't been running that much of late, relying more on his arm and the accuracy he's gained this season. The Packers must get pressure on him in the pocket. I'm talking quick pressure to not let him get the ball to DeShaun Jackson if they want to have a shot in this one.
I'm saying they do and the Eagles defense won't be able to stop the one-sided Packers attack.

As a side note, the NFL's new Playoff Overtime Rule goes into effect this week. Here's a great piece on ESPN.com on the matter that should break it down for you.

Alrighty, on to the Nussie Hunter portion of today's broadcast. The Playmate of the Year competition is heating up quickly and we here at Wilber's Way have a candidate we fully support. Her name is Francesca Frigo. A latin bombshell you can follow on  Twitter, or see more of on Model Mayhem (she linked it) with a sample below!

Give all the credit to the man at the top: Lovie

The talk at the start of the season from those who follow the NFL, especially the Bears, was that this was going to be a rough season for the Bears and head coach Lovie Smith. I'll admit, I thought they would do better than most had them for this year, but the way things have unfolded over the last month has been beyond my expectations.
Yes, the defense has been playing well, Jay Cutler has been reigned in and the offensive line has pieced it together enough to keep Jay upright and make lanes for Matt Forte to run through, but there is one person to give credit for this (what could be) great season. You guessed it, Lovie.
When teams around the NFL are broken and has guys stepping out and making it about themselves, no nonsense is coming out of Halas Hall in Lake Forest and the Bears are unified going forward each week. It's one of those things where it's known the defense is the mainstay of the team, and the offense has to do "just enough" to get the team over the top. Never, though, has there been any finger pointing, even last year, at Jay or the offensive line (including O-line coach Mike Tice) to get it together.
Who gets the credit for that? Yep, Lovie. He's done it every year he's been in Chicago and this might be the best he's done as a coach, and yes I'm talking even better than 2006. There were no expectations and many questions abound on this team on how things would go this season, after the disappointment of last year.
And all the questions about the Bears not beating anyone with a winning record before Sunday, who cares? Is it the Bears fault their schedule is the way it is? Hell no. Sunday, against the team EVERYONE said was the new front runner to win the NFC, the Bears were in control for most of the game. Yes, the Eagles rallied late, but they are a good team, heck, they're great, and the Bears weathered the storm. The offense played great behind both Jay and Forte (who had 100+ yards) and the defense kept Michael Vick in check for the most part in what was the highest rated NFL game of the season (per Jay Glazer).
There are five games left and one five teams of the last 59 have missed the playoffs with an 8-3 record. That means things are looking good for this team to make the playoffs.
Why is it, when there is talk about coach of the year, am I not hearing Lovie Smith's name mentioned? He should be. He HAS to be. He has brought this team together and is leading them to a possible NFC North title.
I guess the Bears, got a little respect for this win? If not, it doesn't really bother Brian Urlacher.

Keeping on my NFL tip, I'm sure you've seen the Derek Anderson flip out video by now. My take on it is this: He was a bit out of line for blowing up. I was unsure in reading some things on Twitter about it, but hearing what the reporter said to him was not out of line. He was essentially throwing him a rope to save him from the fan backlash and he completely lost it and handled it the wrong way.
This is a bit like a scene in "Fever Pitch" when the guys see Johnny Damon, Trot and some Red Sox players out after falling behind the Yanks 3-0 in the ALCS. I can support the guys having some sort of laugh on the sideline regarding the score. It has to upset you being down in a game, but you can't get too down or upset because it will effect your play on the field. In Anderson's case, he's so bad, he could be upset and it wouldn't help him. Just saying.



The other hot topic in the NFL this week was the Cortland Finnegan and Andre Johnson fight in the Texans and Titans game. This highlight is obviously taken from a show on Sunday and the two have both since gotten just a $25,000 fine and no suspension. Finnegan calls himself the "dirtiest player in the game." This isn't the WWE and unlike Ric Flair having that monicker, it is not a good one to have in the NFL. The guy is a scumbag. While I don't condone throwing punches, you have to defend yourself and Johnson did just that and teaching that punk a lesson. While I talked earlier about bringing a team together and being disciplined, is it time we question the job Steve Fischer is doing in Tennessee? He has the Vince Young problem. Randy Moss is in town now. Then there's this jerk. The NFL has no place for that.


Enough football, it's time for the ladies of the day to take over. Today's Nussie Hunter segment of the broadcast is the exotic Francia Raisa, who appeared in the movie For Colored Girls. I'm not too into the movie, but the fine folks at Guyism.com have more pics of her from the premiere.

Fixing the Bears: What's the biggest key?

Two days removed now from Jay Cutler's historic interception fest with DeAngelo Hall and things are starting to come out about what the Bears saw and why they went after the former Falcons and Raiders DB.
Mike Martz told WBBM Chicago Hall just "guessed" and they had planned on going after him all game coming in and he guessed right throughout the second half.
Well, that's all fine and dandy, but I guess Jay must have gotten shell shocked with what what going on after the first couple that he could not make the adjustments in his head and make better throws when the rush was around him.
Martz does not throw Cutler under the bus in the interview, and actually talks him up.
Things are pretty clear though heading into the bye week for the Bears. They are ranked No. 5 in total defense and No. 30 in offense. That's why they are 4-3 and still in first place of the NFC North.
Going forward, things need to get better. If there is a way to cinch up the offensive line, that needs to be done. Mike Tice (yes former Vikings coach) runs that unit and to be honest, he's kind of in the same boat as Brewers manager Ken Macha was with pitching. There isn't much help there to work with and guys are just being taken to task. It's not so much they are missing one or two fundamental keys they can work on, it's much more than that with this crew.
But I look back at the Carolina game when the Bears HAD to run the football to get ahead and rely on Matt Forte to get them where they wanted to go. Well, with Jay back from injury, they went right back to a 65-35 pass-run split and at time forgot they had he and Chester Taylor in the backfield. It's been rather disappointing at times. The line showed, if for just a little bit, they could run block. So maybe they need to build some confidence that way and it will lend itself to the pass blocking. I"m just thinking out loud here.
The schedule doesn't lend itself to much more time to figure this out and the losses could start to pile up if things continue to go south in the second half of the season.


Now to turn attention to my other favorite sports team, the Brewers. Word from my guy Tom Haudricourt, is that the Crew has narrowed its list of candidates from eight to four. Only two of the four finalists are known, at the moment, though with White Sox bench coach Joey Cora (above) among them. The other is former D-Backs manager and current Mets scout Bob Melvin (below).
Since we know just two guys, I'm going to talk about those two, one of which I'm pretty high on, the other I'm kind of lukewarm on.
Cora would be coming from Chicago where he has seen how Ozzie Guillen has handled the Sox the last few years. Say what you will about Ozzie, but I'd guess those guys in the clubhouse love him because he gets every single one of those guys as players and can relate to them (after they figure out what he's saying, of course). Cora likely plays a big role in that, too, just a few years removed from being a player himself. That might be the one thing missing with Macha. The guys didn't really get along with him in the clubhouse and didn't really have his back. Makes it rather hard for guys to get motivated after he says something they don't find much sense in.
On the Melvin side, he has been away from the game a bit and his last stint at manager ended with him getting fired into a season and did not really show much after some of his talent went away. I know a coach and manager is only as good as what is around him, but it kind of shows what he really meant for the team: not much.
I'd almost lean toward the fresh face to breathe some life into the position and let the young players flourish. We went the old manager and bringing them back into the game before and he didn't really sync up with Ryan and Prince and it ended badly here. The second interviews are going down as we speak in Milwaukee and GM Doug Melvin, Asst. GM Gord Ash and owner Mark Attanasio are working on the matter. I'm hoping they make the right decision.


Today is opening night in the NBA boys and girls. To be real, I'm not really that into the NBA (but I could go for a game of the new NBA Jam about now). There is one storyline I am watching though, and that is how LeBron James and the Heat will fair this season and how will they be perceived. Early on it looks like the "Evil Empire of the Association" has been born. But with Dwyane Wade and King James being two of the biggest names in the game and with big endorsers, Nike and Jordan can't sit back and let their names be tarnished for long. I'm sure you've seen the ads by now, but here they are for D3 and King James.


And now King James:


We're pretty ACTION PACKED today, but I have one more thing before we get to the Nussies. Today, Oct. 26, 2010, is the 25th anniversary to the date in the first Back to the Future that Doc Emmit Brown is at Twin Pines Mall and has a run in with some Pakistanis. I encourage you to watch it if you call yourself a fan. I know I will be! GREAT SCOTT!

Alright, time for the Nussie Hunter portion of the broadcast. I was on the subject of Jay Cutler earlier and it's well known now that he is dating former The Hills star Kristin Cavallari. Well, she posted on her Twitter the other day that the two of them carved pumpkins. Be sure to check out the photo here (Shouts to BearsGoggleson.com).
I figure since we put one side of the couple at the top of the page, why not put the side you and me would rather look at, here. Then check out more pics of her, here.

Lovie Smith: "Trust me." Umm, my patience is running thin!

Bears CEO Ted Phillips


Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo


Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith

First off, Welcome to 2010. As this is the first post of the New Year, I promise to bring it and start the year off with a bang. Lots of goodness and a big announcement coming, too!

I couldn't pick just one of what the Chicago media is calling the "Three Stooges" who stood before that media and Bears fans at Halas Hall in Lake Forest yesterday and contradicted one another and themselves for an hour, so I picked all three.
They promised change, so they fired Ron Turner and six offensive assistants along with opening up the defensive coordinator position.
But sitting through it and reading some take on the press conference, two things were made clear. First, the defensive coordinator will be a "Butt puppet" and second, all the talk on the status quo not being acceptable means nothing if you keep the head coach.
I know the offensive coordinator will likely be allowed to do what he wants to do next season - He'll also be Jay Cutler's fourth offensive coordinator in as many years - the reason Lovie was not fired as coach was not cited during the wreck of a press conference.
The real reason is the looming possibility of a lockout in 2011 that would mean Lovie and likely Jerry Angelo and Ted Phillips, if let go, would collect a check for doing nothing and their successors would do the same. And the McKaskey's can't afford that.
On the football front, this team needs a bit of help on defense, mainly at defensive back, and the offensive line needs to be retooled, AGAIN. And that's after the Bears address the need of a No. 1 wide receiver. And all of this without a No. 1 or No. 2 draft pick this year unless they get creative and start making trades to get picks.
Yeah, they had better get to work because I'm a little apprehensive about the whole thing.


Click here for Part 2.

I know I missed this yesterday, but I cannot pass up a chance to talk about one of my favorite things as a kid. Yes I was a big WWF follower and like the first words out of Bret Hart's mouth "Hell must have frozen over."
"The Hitman" was one of my favorites as a kid and even watching this I felt like it was 1997 again. The Shawn Michaels bit was pretty good, but I HATED with Vince McMahon finish to this segment. What does kicking Bret in the balls say about anything? It says Vince needed to have the last laugh and didn't want Bret to have the moment for himself which was pretty fucking (sorry!) lame.
I'm at least glad Bret finally got back to WWE TV and could pave the way for him to make some sort of Wrestlemania appearance and at least help present his father, Stu Hart.
On top of it all, it made pro wrestling relevant again for the first time time Stone Cold and The Rock quit wrestling about five or six years ago.



Back in July Chad Ochocinco hinted that he'd start his own line of condoms. Well, over the weekend he released the prototype box. I'm not sure what the NFL thinks of this idea, but it's pretty funny if you ask me!

I have a couple videos for you now before I get into what is a pretty big announcement.



I'm all about the military, but these guys aren't that bright!



Scoops Jackson is taking the Interweb by storm. This is one of his best. Look for him at a press conference near you! If you like this, be sure to check this one with Tom Brady... CLASSIC!

Alright, now for this big announcement I've been pushing you to read more and more for. You probably remember Vaughan, who wrote for me a couple months back. Well, he and I, among others, are joining forces to push his sports consulting firm, On The Line Sports, to the next level this year. He's partnering with me here at Wilber's Way to reach out to basketball coaches and players. Be sure to check out the link and head over to his blog. It should be going full strength shortly and we'll have some great content for those looking to get into coaching and play the game of basketball at the highest level.



We can't have the first blog post of the new year without the Nussie Hunter chiming in. He's been following the Howard Stern Show for a bit and over the weekend when it was revealed that Artie Lange was rushed to the hospital. Everyone thought we were going to get updates Monday morning when the show came back from vacation, but that was not the case as Howard was pretty quiet.
Speaking of the Stern Show one Lisa Michelle was name Miss Howard TV for the month of February. I'd say she's well deserving of the title. Take a look for yourself below. Here's more of those...

Golberg's Way: Mike Leach unfairly let go?

It's been over a week since my last post and I did have an idea on where I wanted things to go today, but when I got a call from one Josh Golberg to sound off on this whole Mike Leach fiasco going on at Texas Tech, I couldn't refuse. Golberg could be the college sports guy for Wilber's Way and would like to see him continue to send me things like this. It's well done and would welcome more. (Yeah, I hope he's reading this!) So here goes!

For those following college football and Capital One Bowl Week more closely than our man Wilber here, something happened today that made my blood boil: Mike Leach, the head coach of Texas Tech, was fired.

Now, I’m a Wisconsin Badgers fan. With the exception of taking an inexplicable liking to Boise State (7-8 years ago), that has been my only college allegiance. I cheer for no other college team save for my alma mater, UW-Whitewater. I neither like, nor dislike, Texas Tech. Although I did admire them for going out and getting a proven winner for their hoops team a few years ago…namely Bobby Knight.

To sum up the problem: sophomore wide receiver Adam James (son of ESPN football analyst Craig James) suffered a concussion and coach Leach apparently had him locked/sequestered in an equipment room/broom closet or some other small enclosure under the supervision of a trainer. James reported this to the administration. They promptly suspended Leach for the Alamo Bowl. Leach filed a motion to coach the team. Tech then fired him. That pretty much brings us up to speed.

Couple things to consider before looking at the so-called “victim” in this case (Adam James)… 1) It seemed like Leach really never got along with the administration. After last season [their best in history, by the way] Leach got locked in a contract extension snafu and was moments from heading elsewhere before signing a 5-year, nearly $13 million deal to stay. 2) He was due an $800,000 bonus TOMORROW just for being the head coach on Dec. 31st. Store these two things away.

If you know anything about college athletes…they’re babies, whiners, prima donnas and walking time bombs. James’ statistics at Tech this year are nothing staggering: 17 catches with 1 touchdown this year. All this while playing in a pass-happy offense. Assuming you have a scholarship at Tech as a wide receiver, one can only assume you can run a route, catch the ball in traffic and hang onto it. But…Tech currently has 21 receivers on its roster. Yes…21!!!

Okay…you poor all these into a mixing bowl, add some butter, flour, a dash of cinnamon and a cup of milk…tah-dah…you’ve got a pretty good recipe for a scandal. At least that’s the way I see it. So here’s MY working theory on how this went down…starting from the beginning:

-Adam James thinks highly of his playing abilities as a receiver.

-He goes to Texas Tech, a place he thinks he can blossom a la Michael Crabtree.

-James gets lost in the shuffle, probably throws a few tantrums about playing.

-Coach Leach despises this behavior.

-James gets a concussion and continues to gripe.

-Citing concern for James’ safety, Leach locks him away for three hours.

-James gets out of said closet/room and phones bigwig poppa.

-Daddy at ESPN phones Texas Tech athletic director.

-Athletic director phones University president.

-Administrators, fearing boycott of ESPN programming, are compelled to act.

-They suspend Leach, hoping an apology is issued on his behalf.

-Leach does no such thing, feels he did no wrong and fights it.

-University officials wet their pants not foreseeing this.

-The dorky University accountant in the corner says they could save 800 large by firing him before midnight tomorrow.

-Texas Tech fires Coach Mike Leach.

Does this seem plausible and extremely likely to anyone else, given what we know?

Did the kid do something to piss off the coach? Maybe. Was he in grave danger or his life in danger while he was locked in that closet/room for three hours? Doubtful. Regardless, isn’t it a coach’s job to dictate discipline and penalize his players? If the player has a problem with it, so what? If he’s put in harms way, then it’s a problem. But have any of the trainers said anything? Or the assistant coaches? Not that I’ve heard or read. Maybe we should get their opinion.

It boils down to one simple thing, which we’re seeing more of: parents (specifically fathers) getting more involved with their son’s or daughter’s collegiate career and believe they know what’s better for him/her than the coach. Factor in someone with money/power/creditability or a big reputation and something bad is bound to happen.

We’re seeing this more and more as a different generation of youth transition into adulthood. Kids think they deserve more for doing less. The likelihood that Adam James was given every opportunity to succeed in the athletic world is extremely high. I’m guessing when he found out his skills didn’t match up with those around him, he did his best to put it on the coach for some other reason not involving him being talented enough to hack it. So what’s the answer? In this day and age…go crying to daddy.

See... That was pretty good! He's got a Nussie Hunter segment for today too, but I need to get a little jab in on the Bears' HUGE win over the Vikings Monday night.



I didn't get a chance to watch the Bears game Monday night as I was watching my ninth basketball game of the day for that other Web site I write for. But I was following along with the game and was getting texts all night from friends as the Bears played out of their minds for over three quarters, nearly blew the game and then seized it back.
Jay Cutler earned himself FedEx Air player of the week honors and showed what many fans, including myself, had expected of him all year. And you're saying where did this come from? Well, it's simple. Watch how much time Jay had to throw in the pocket. Each time Jay was able to survey the field and move around a bit in the pocket he hit the guy he wanted to.
It was something that was missing all year. He's been running for his life and instead of taking the sack, he tries to make stuff happen which results in the interception.
I'd say two things on the matter. First, Chris Williams showed he is the man at left tackle and will be there for the foreseeable future. That has to make Jay happy and helps solidify this offensive line that has been in flux all season. Second, I'm pretty sure Lovie saved his job, but someone is still going to take the fall for this rough season as the Bears will make a change at offensive coordinator. I'm not sure who that will be, but Jay is the key to the puzzle and they need to build around him. Start there and get him the pieces to make this team a winner. I'm talking wide receiver, offensive line, everything.

Alright, now it's time for the Nussie Hunter of Golberg's choice:

This gentlemen, is Lucy Pinder. Do you know of her? My guess is no. And that in itself, is a travesty. She’s 26 and an English model/actress. And the last time I checked her Wikipedia page, her cup size was a letter of the alphabet I normally don’t associate that measurement with. (It’s since been removed I think) What I love about Britain, is that they do photo shoots and magazine spreads that make American’s uncomfortable. Please note that this does not bother me. If you want more of her…try Google or her official website. Just make sure you’ve taken your heart medication.