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Former MLB Exec. Believes Moustakas Is Perfect Fit For White Sox

By
Matt Enuco
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Moustakas to the White Sox seems logical to one former Major League Baseball executive.
Moustakas set the Royals record for home runs in a season with 38 in 2017.(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America via Zimbio.)

Well, here is something to chew on that might burn your mouth. Former Major League Baseball executive Dan O’Dowd set the hot stove ablaze this morning by claiming Mike Moustakas is a great fit for the White Sox.

Well isn’t that something. MLB Traderumors anticipates Moustakas to earn $85 million on a five-year deal in his first swim in free agency. Scott Boras is his agent and needs no introduction. Boras has been the villain of many free-agency nightmares for major-league clubs and he is in a current stare down over Eric Hosmer, Jake Arrieta and J.D. Martinez.

But here is the story: The White Sox would love to have Moustakas but not for five years and $85 million. He hasn’t been worth the average $17 million annual salary for many clubs to bite on, and with Manny Machado hitting the market next offseason White Sox brass would rather have Machado over Moustakas even at the enormous price tag he is likely to have.

But what if… What if the White Sox could snare Moustakas on a five-year deal with a club option at year four? Boras would likely demand a front-loaded deal with at least $48 million guaranteed and a hefty buyout.

Before we consider whether Moustakas is worth $16 million a year we have to unpack whether the White Sox believe Jake Burger is the future hot-corner solution. Burger was the first-round pick in 2017 and earns praise for a strong bat and gobs of intangible value. But he also carries concerns about his ability to handle third base.

Burger didn’t light the world on fire in his professional debut but with steady improvement, he could reach the big leagues by 2021. And if third base isn’t in his future he profiles as an uber-athletic first baseman.

At a minimum, signing Moustakas to a deal like this offers the White Sox flexibility to experiment with secondary positions for Burger if his glove never catches up to his bat, and allows Moustakas to prove his mettle while Burger’s development plays out. Promising $48 million to a player with a career .251 batting average is not appealing to many, but Moustakas is coming off an all-star season belting 38 home runs and hitting his prime years.

Something else Moustakas adds to the equation is low strikeout totals, yet the South Siders will need to teach the slugger patience if he wants to fit the analytic model of high walks to low strikeouts. A dearth of walks has haunted Moustakas’ on-base percentage for years but it is not beyond his capabilities to be more selective at the plate.

But…given the choice of Machado at nearly $1 BILLION and Moustakas at $48 million with a club option in the middle one has to seriously consider the cheaper option.

…and yes, I’d rather have Machado at any price.

Thawing The White Sox Frozen Pitching Hunt

By
Matt Enuco
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White Sox could offer Jaime Garcia a decent contract as free agency refuses to thaw.
Might the White Sox target Jaime Garcia in a strange free-agent market? (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images North America via Zimbio.)

The winter bomb swirling off the north-east coast isn’t the only winter storm. Major League Baseball’s free-agent market has frozen solid with little movement the past few weeks and there isn’t much warmth in the forecast. But the White Sox still have a litany of boxes to check before heading to Glendale, Arizona in February. 

White Sox brass are patiently waiting to grab a reclamation project on the starting-pitcher market. Even though Derek Holland didn’t pan out the way they had hoped, doesn’t mean the philosophy wasn’t sound. Jake Peavy has expressed interest in making a comeback (I know, I know) and Tim Lincecum recently sent up a flare on social media with a chiseled physique.

Peavy is probably worth a quick “Hey, how are you doing? Good luck in your future endeavors” conversation but The Freak is intriguing. Lincicum is five-foot-nothing and mesmerized baseball for years with his ability to blow the doors off hitters. Despite an awkward delivery his body held up well through the major-league grind until it didn’t. Still, he was a five-time all-star that eclipsed 200 innings in five straight seasons, won the N.L. Cy Young twice and won three World-Series titles.

Tim Lincecum

Lincecum hasn’t pitched since 2016 and he will turn 34 this season, but with a year of rest and an indefatigable appetite for competition, he might return to relevance at a decent price. Any contract offered to The Freak would be a minor-league deal with incentives if he makes the roster, but he might love the idea of joining the White Sox cast of characters – there is certainly a lot of opportunity on the south side.

There are plenty of other choices as well. Matt Garza, Lance Lynn and Jaime Garcia are interesting choices. All three hurlers are in their early thirties with Garza the senior member at 34 years old.

Matt Garza

Garza has had a rough stretch with the Brewers the past four seasons but fits the salvage-bin model the White Sox are in the market for. He posted a 4.65 earned run average in Milwaukee and reached 150 innings pitched once. As a right-hander, he might be a quick pass since right-handers are a dime-a-dozen with the White Sox, but he was once a dependable pitcher with the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs.

 

Lance Lynn

Lynn is the youngest of the trio and yet another righty. With the Cardinals, Lynn has been a durable piece of a competitive rotation for six seasons. He made 33 starts three of those six seasons and reached 200 innings twice. Lynn is a winner, owning .605 winning percentage and a 3.38 ERA. Switching to the American league is always challenging for pitchers but Lynn is still in his prime at 31 and might be out of reach for the White Sox at this point.

In the field of lefties still hanging out in the frigid free-agent market, Jaime Garcia stands out. Given the supreme interest on the trade market he gathered last season it stands to reason that he will get a similar look this offseason. But it hasn’t happened yet.

Jaime Garcia

Garcia was part of a tremendous rotation in St. Louis with Lynn and spent a dizzying 2017 season with four teams. Despite racking up airline miles he failed to pile up wins with only five. Still, his paltry sum of victories is more a product of a haphazard routine than declining stuff. Garcia owns a career 3.69 ERA and posted a 6.33 strikeout-to-walk ration last season against lefties.

It seems likely that Garcia will be in high demand as free agency thaws in the next few weeks, but the White Sox could make a strong offer and add a quality southpaw to a rotation without much veteran leadership and one promising yet injury-prone left-hander.

A Huge Mitch Trubisky Fan Is Angling For the Bears Coaching Job

By
Erik Lambert
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matt nagy

For weeks it’s been said the Chicago Bears head coaching job would be in high demand. It started of course with quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Despite what his numbers say, the former #2 overall pick flashed a ton of potential as a rookie. He made several eye-popping throws that no doubt has some of the top coaching candidates salivating at the possibilities. For the Bears it’s a matter of sorting out who they want.

Back on Christmas I reported that several names were eager to get the job. None more so than Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. He is a huge fan of Trubisky, as well as Jordan Howard and believes he could turn the Bears offense into something special. Now it seems further confirmation has come out on this courtesy of ESPN analyst David Kaplan.

Reports back in April hinted strongly that the Chiefs liked Trubisky. Given the fact they traded up for Patrick Mahomes, it’s reasonable to think they had designs on doing the same for Mitch had the Bears passed on him. That adds further weight to the idea that Nagy loves him. If so then GM Ryan Pace has to pay his interview extra attention.

Matt Nagy must win over Mitch Trubisky and Ryan Pace

Few coaches have been hotter on the market than Nagy of late. He was a relative unknown at the start of the season. Most still saw him as merely a replacement for Doug Pederson. The play calling power rested with head coach Andy Reid. Then in December that changed. Nagy took over those duties. Since then the Chiefs offense has averaged over 28 points per game. The team is 4-1 in their last five games.

Nagy has proven himself an able play caller. He’s also just 39-years old. If the Bears were aiming to pair Trubisky with a young coach like the Rams and 49ers did with Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan this would be a valid idea. The tricky part is the details. Nagy may love Trubisky, but that means nothing. This doesn’t mean Trubisky would love Nagy. More importantly it doesn’t mean Pace will either.

Part of the head coaching interview process is being able to sell oneself. Nagy can’t get the job if he can’t prove to the two people he’ll have a vital relationship with that he’s worthy. The last thing the Bears need is a toxic relationship developing between any of those three men. That’s why, despite the heavy interest, they must proceed with caution.

Celebrate Kris Bryant’s 26th Birthday By Watching Him Hit 100 Dingers in Just Over One Minute

By
Gus
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Very few Cubs players have had a better start to their career than Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant. He’s the only player in MLB history to hit 25+ home runs and rack up 75+ walks in each of his first three MLB seasons and that’s not even factoring in the boatload of awards he’s won since his call-up in 2015 (Rookie of the Year, MVP, Golden Spikes, etc…)

Since it’s his birthday today, I thought it’d be nice to watch every single one of his home runs in an 82-second video.

You can thank me later.

Dammit that is one beautiful swing.

 

 

The Bears Aren’t Giving Up On Vic Fangio Just Yet

By
Erik Lambert
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vic fangio

John Fox has been fired, but not many Chicago Bears fans are broken up about it. On the other hand they’ve been on pins and needles regarding the status of Vic Fangio. The defensive coordinator finished 2017 on a high note. His unit went 10th in total yards and eighth in points allowed for the season. It was a remarkable job considering the number of injuries he had to deal with.

Now his contract is up. People aren’t sure what his fate will be. Some are deathly afraid he’ll replace Dom Capers in Green Bay. Others wonder if he might try to find a job back on the west coast where the weather is better. At the same time the lingering question remains. Is there any way for the team to keep him?

That’s the biggest unknown. The Bears at least offered their opinion of his coaching prowess today by conducting an interview for the vacant head coaching position. It’s no secret Fangio has thought about being one the past couple years. However at age 59 that window may be closing.

Are the Bears prepared to lose their best assistant coach? Not just yet.

Bears brass may be seeking a way to entice Vic Fangio to stay

This is a situation the Bears know well. Back in 2013 they were anxious to keep then-defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli on the staff. Unfortunately his loyalty to Lovie Smith and dislike of incoming head coach Marc Trestman forced him to step down. Five years later they face almost the same exact situation. Can they change the outcome, or do they even want to? According to source that’s definitely the case.

“The Bears Are strongly determined to keep Vic Fangio and are discussing ways to keep him aboard.”

Fans aren’t the only ones who would love Fangio to stay. More than one player has voiced his outspoken opinion on the matter. He’s both loved and respected in the locker room. Everybody feels this defense has something good going. One more strong influx of talent and they could be one of the best in the NFL. It’s not hard to imagine GM Ryan Pace and his staff recognizing that.

Now whether they are ultimately able to convince to sign a new deal? That’s the tricky part. It rests on two factors:  whether Fangio is interested in staying and what it would take to accomplish. Most likely a combination of a pay raise and hiring a head coach he respects would do the trick. Who might that coach be?

Only he knows that for sure. The next couple weeks could be fascinating.

Chicago Bears Tagged as Prime Landing Spot For Red Hot Coach

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky

It’s always important to be careful not to jump on every single rumor out there. At the same time with the Chicago Bears out of the playoffs, this is how is has to be. They’re hunting for a new head coach. People are anxious to know if any out there might have a leg up on others. Thus far nobody is certain on that front for them.

Until now perhaps.

Ian Rapoport is always a great source for interesting tidbits. He’s one of the best insiders in the game, so whenever he has something to say it’s worth listening too. That’s why Bears fans may want to pay attention to his recent interview on 94WIP with Jon Marks and Ike Reese. The conversation was top coaching candidates. The name mentioned was Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo.

Given the recent play of Carson Wentz this season it’s no surprise he’s getting lots of attention. After the success of Sean McVay in Los Angeles, teams are looking for that next young offensive specialist. At 39-years old DeFilippo certainly qualifies. It would seem Rapoport believes it’s merely a matter of time before he lands a job.

That in itself isn’t really newsworthy. The man has been red hot in coaching circles since Wentz took off. However it was another little nugget that dropped shortly later that picked up the buzz.

Chicago Bears viewed as prime landing spot for DeFilippo

There is so much sense behind the idea. DeFilippo helped Wentz, a former #2 overall pick realize his potential in Philadelphia. It would be rather fitting to see him do it for Mitch Trubisky, another former #2 overall pick, in Chicago. The Bears certainly haven’t wasted time. His name was one of the first they requested an interview with after John Fox was fired. The lone caveat being they have some early competition.

For those fans who might remember the Cardinals were also in competition with the Bears for Bruce Arians back in 2013. Chicago eventually went with Marc Trestman, allowing Arians to have a successful run in Arizona. If they’re hot on the trail of DeFilippo, shouldn’t that be a sign they’re on the right track of a good coach?

There is no denying that DeFilippo is a bright guy. His attention to detail just in this clip is obvious. Throw in the fact he approaches his job with a lot of energy and that has the makings of a quality coach. Of course it’s never that simple. Running an NFL team is about being a great manager of people. It’s unknown to this point whether he has the chops for that. He’s only been an offensive coordinator once and that was for a year in Cleveland.

There is an element of unknown to this idea. So if GM Ryan Pace makes that move, it comes with a high degree of risk. If it works, the payoff will be huge.

A Chicago Bears Coaching Pitch For Matt Patricia of the Patriots

By
Erik Lambert
-

I won’t quit Matt Patricia. Yes, yes it’s not lost on me what the Chicago Bears coaching search is ultimately aiming for. The #1 goal is to find somebody who can make Mitch Trubisky a success. It’s not a coincidence that the first three interviews announced were all offensive specialists. Getting the QB playing up to his potential is top priority, as it is for every team. The easiest way to do that is making the head coach an offensive guy.

Like it or not that’s been the case in Chicago. The only time they’ve had a top 10 offense in the past decade was when Marc Trestman was head coach in 2013. So why am I bothering with this? GM Ryan Pace said it himself in his own words. They aren’t going to paint themselves into a corner with any specific backgrounds. They’re looking for the “best coach.” Period.

To that end they’ve already requested interviews with two defensive coaches in Steve Wilks of Carolina and George Edwards of Minnesota. One would expect that list to expand before too long. Patricia is all but certain to be on it. So here it is. This is the only coaching pitch I’m going to make. After that it’s straight reporting on candidates like the fair, unbiased person one must be.

Let’s start with the elephant in the room.

Matt Patricia actually has a deep offensive background

The immediate counterargument to Patricia is the obvious one. He’s a defensive coordinator and has been a defensive assistant since 2006. Can one really trust he’d be able to do what John Fox has failed at in cultivating Trubisky? It’s a fair argument, but one that Patricia is actually well-positioned to counter.

Before beginning his rise to stardom as a defensive coach, Patricia had a long and fruitful run on the offensive side of the ball. He played center and guard in college at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 2001 he became an offensive assistant for three seasons at Syracuse. That’s what got him noticed by the Patriots, who made him an offensive assistant in 2004 before promoting him to assistant offensive line coach in 2005.

So in truth he has 10 seasons of offensive playing and coaching experience. That includes two in the NFL. To say nothing of the fact he’s been in close proximity to Tom Brady for 14 years now.

He took a two-year hiatus to study engineering

One of the things that makes Patricia unique is he almost went down a different career path. After his first year as a graduate assistant coach in 1996, he decided to join the field of engineering for two years. That was his field of study in college after all. His prowess grew so coveted that he was offered $100,000 at one point to maintain nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. It’s clear he’s a highly intelligent person.

In this regard he shares much in common with Hall of Fame head coach Tom Landry. He too was an engineer by trade in his early life, using it to good effect in World War II. That intelligence and detail-oriented style proved to be ideal for his future exploits on the sideline. Landry was also a defensive specialist with an understanding of offense. If he could do it why can’t Patricia? Word has already filtered out on just how sharp the 43-year old coach is.

Never devoted to a single position group

Another aspect that makes him so attractive? Most coaches tend to find their groove coaching a single position to great success. Ron Rivera was a linebacker specialist. Dan Quinn was defensive line. Bill Belichick was defensive backs. Patricia has gone the full range in his career. He coached defensive line in college then took over the Patriots linebackers from 2006 to 2010.

During that time he got multiple players to the Pro Bowl. Then in 2011 New England chose to switch him to safeties coach. It was an unenviable task. The league had just concluded its lockout that year, leaving no training camp to help him prepare. If that weren’t enough the position was soon beset by several injuries. Despite it all the safeties provided some key plays in helping the Patriots reach the Super Bowl.

His efforts didn’t go unnoticed. The next year Belichick gave him control of the entire defense, a job Patricia has held ever since.

Consistent excellence as a coordinator

A few things go into identifying a good coach. Is he consistently good at his job? Has he held that job for a long time? Patricia has checked both of those boxes during his run as defensive coordinator. In 2011 they ranked 15th in points allowed. His first year in charge that improved to ninth. Since then the Patriots defense has never finished worse than 10th in the league in that regard.

Last season they were #1 en route to his second Super Bowl championship as a coordinator and this season they were 5th. This despite starting the first month giving up 30+ points per game. What makes Patricia so special in this regard is he’s managed to do it without what any might call Hall of Fame-caliber talent.

In fact not a single Patriots defender made the Pro Bowl this season. No pass rusher had more than 6.5 sacks. They also lost a number of key names to injuries. The best player Patricia ever had was cornerback Darrelle Revis and that was only for one season. New England won the Super Bowl that year. The man gets results. Part of why that is? He never stops looking for an edge.

Patricia fits Chicago in every sense

At the end of the day what is Bears football to Chicago? It’s tough and hard-nosed. It’s getting after the opponent until they quit or be destroyed. Defense is often the driving force behind that and there are none better these days than Patricia. Chicago is also a town of personality and of facial hair too. Name the last successful coach in this city who didn’t have memorable growth on their face or certain quirks about them?

Patricia has the best beard in the NFL and once wore a Roger Goodell clown shirt getting off an airplane. Clearly this guy isn’t afraid to express his feelings in order to get the player’s attention. He is a good coach. He’s had sustained success, won championships and learned from arguably the best ever. Those other coaches might be best for Trubisky. I believe Patricia would be best for the Bears.

3 Bold Bulls Predictions For The New Year

By
Patrick Mooney
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2017 was a strange year for Chicago’s NBA franchise.

The calendar year opened in the midst of a draining season led by the “Three Alphas”, a year that saw Rajon Rondo benched, Dwanye Wade age three years right before our eyes, and Jimmy Butler treat every teammate like the last pick at recess.

The season ended with the Bulls sneaking into the playoffs, stealing two road games against the Eastern Conference’s #1 seed before the Celtics awoke from their slumber to win four straight and send the Bulls packing.

Two months later, Jimmy Butler was traded, Rondo’s option was declined shortly thereafter and the Bulls bought out Wade’s contract in September.

Then October and November of 2017 provided a 3-20 basketball team.

The Bulls have since won 10 out of 14, including an eight game win streak, which has both inspired optimism and disrupted the organization’s tanking plans.

But we aren’t here to debate the past, we’re here to look forward to what the future holds for Bulls basketball. So, without further ado, here are three Bulls predictions for the 2018 year.

1-Lauri Markkanen will make the All-Rookie Team

The 2017-18 rookie class has produced some promising youngsters, with Markkanen being one of the headliners. He has some stiff competition for All-Rookie team honors, though.

The class is headlined, ironically, by a 2016 draft pick who missed all of last season to an injury. 76ers rookie Ben Simmons has put together the most complete debut season so far, the former #1 pick is likely to be rookie of the year.

Behind Simmons there is Jazz forward Donovan Mitchell leading all rookies in scoring at 18.2 points a game, followed closely by Lakers first round pick Kyle Kuzma at 17.5 ppg. Speaking of the Lakers, Big Baler Brand icon Lonzo Ball has battled the hype to put up a 10-7-7 line thus far. As the #2 overall pick plus his name recognition, Ball might earn a spot on the All-Rookie roster if he can improve that 35% field goal shooting.

#3 overall pick Jayson Tatum has made an immediate impact on the Eastern Conference leading Boston Celtics, scoring 14 a game and shooting 47% from deep.

Mavericks rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. is putting up respectable numbers, and he’s also a straight up dunk machine.

That leaves us Lauri, who is currently averaging 14.7 ppg, which is fourth among rookies, and 7.4 rpg while shooting almost 35% from 3-point range. After a scorching first month, teams have locked in a bit more on the Finnish forward and we’ve seen a bit of a decline as a result. However, things could be back on the upswing after he recorded a career high 32 points in a win last week against the Pacers.

Markkanen’s field goal % took a nose dive in December, and by the look of his pure, pretty shooting stroke it should be fair to assume that the law of averages will pull the rookie’s numbers up as the season progresses. Better shooting luck alone should make him a 15+ a game scorer, and with more opportunities in the event that Nikola Mirotic is traded, his numbers could reach Kuzma-Mitchell scoring territory.

At the end of the year, I’m willing to bet Markkanen will join Simmons, Mitchell, Kuzma and Tatum on the All-Rookie Team.

2-Mirotic and Robin Lopez only have 15 games remaining as Bulls

The NBA trade deadline is a little over a month away, and the Bulls have two legitimate trade pieces that should have a lot of teams interested.

Since returning from a broken face on December 8th, Mirotic is averaging over 18 and 7 on 50.3% shooting and 46.6% shooting from 3, all of which would be career highs. The 29 year old Lopez not only brings size and a great locker room presence to the table, he is also averaging a career high in scoring at 12.9 a game.

It remains to be seen what these two players would yield in return if traded, or if a team would take both of them in a single trade given their salaries. But given the Bulls desire to rebuild through the draft, it would be a surprise to see Mirotic and Lopez still in Chicago after the February 8th trade deadline.

3-The Bulls will have a top 3 pick

The Bulls recent run of success has them currently slotted to draft 7th in this years draft, only one game in the loss column from the 10th slot. Given their current trajectory and Zach Lavine’s upcoming return, the Bulls seem more likely to be drafting outside of the top 10 than inside the top 5.

However, given the likelihood that the Bulls will be trading Mirotic and Lopez within a month, coupled with the odds that they will be taking things extremely cautious with Lavine and his ACL recovery, a long stretch of losing is likely in the Bulls near future.

Let’s not forget this team started out 3-20… the Bulls aren’t going to play a better month of basketball than they did in December. Don’t count on this team winning more than 15 games the rest of the way, and then keep your fingers crossed that the ping pong balls bounce in the Bulls favor come lottery time.

Jordan Lynch Writes Email To Faculty At Mt. Carmel, Says He Will Carry On Frank Lenti’s Legacy

By
Sports Mockery
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"#5 Jordan Lynch, now the head coach, dropping back to pass for Mt. Carmel..." (photo: Mt. Carmel.Org)

The new head football coach at Mt. Carmel, former Heisman trophy candidate Jordan Lynch, penned an email to the high school’s faculty and staff to introduce himself.

Pretty routine … says he will carry on Frank Lenti’s legacy and he signed it “Head Football Coach” as expected. According to rumors, confirmed by sources that have spoken to us, there was turmoil surrounding the replacement.

The details aren’t exactly clear but the school said Lenti was retiring and he denied it in a recent statement. There were also past references made to the media, by Lenti, about possibly being “kicked out.”

Image result for frank lenti mt. carmel
Frank Lenti, Mt. Carmel High School (photo via Chicago Sun-Times)

Here is the email written by Lynch:

Greetings! I wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself to the Mt. Carmel faculty and staff. My name is Jordan Lynch, ’09 graduate, and I am the new football coach here at Mt. Carmel. I am extremely excited and proud to represent such a great institution as head football coach and I will do my best to represent you and this institution in a first- class manner. Frank Lenti was not only my coach, but also a very dear friend of mine that I learned so much about football and life throughout my years at Mt. Carmel and beyond in my professional career. The lessons that I learned from him I use on a day to day basis and will bring in during my time spent at Mt. Carmel. I will carry on his legacy through my coaching at Mt. Carmel. I want you to know that we want you to be involved with the program. You have an open invitation to stop by the football offices and meet me and the coaching staff at any time. Please feel free to give a call at 773-xxx-xx37 or send an email to ******@**hs.org. GO CARAVAN!

Jordan Lynch

Head Football Coach

Replacing a legend isn’t easy, expect all eyes to be on Lynch as the Caravan take the field this fall. He’s expected to bring pro-level experience and new excitement to a team that won 11 state championships with Lenti. We’ll see if that translates into wins on the field.

Good luck Coach.

Brian Urlacher Gets Hall of Fame Endorsement From Unlikely Source

By
Erik Lambert
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brian urlacher

News has come down that Brian Urlacher is just one step away from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The greatest Chicago Bears defender of the new millennium is close to becoming the unprecedented 28th person to achieve that honor. There’s no doubt in the minds of Bears fans that he should be a slam dunk induction. The trademark of a Hall of Famer is can one talk about an era of football without mentioning their name?

Nobody can talk about the 2000s decade without Urlacher coming up. He was the 2005 Defensive Player of the Year and got the Bears to the Super Bowl the next season. Yet some critics aren’t willing to give him a pass. Why? Most of it has to do with the steep class he’s going against in 2018. Namely the presence of fellow middle linebacker Ray Lewis.

As great as Urlacher was, Lewis was greater. He went to more Pro Bowls, made more tackles and has two rings to Urlacher’s zero. A lot of people can’t envision the voters putting two middle linebackers into Canton the same year. If that’s the case than Lewis would have to be the obvious choice.

There is at least one person though that thinks that is unacceptable. Bears fans might not believe it too.

Brian Urlacher Hall of Fame push gets huge Aaron Rodgers endorsement

It turns out that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, of all people, is one of the biggest Urlacher fans. He’s praised the linebacker at every opportunity in the past. This time he made sure to give the best possible pitch to the voters that they must put his former rival in Canton where he belongs.

“Brian Urlacher should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He is one of my favorites if not my favorite player … because he is hyper-competitive. He is a tough human and he does it the right way. He plays with a lot of passion, lot of grit and a lot of class. I always enjoyed our battles.

What he did at the middle linebacker position revolutionized the game. Before him there hadn’t been a 6-4 guy that could run down the middle like that and run sideline to sideline and take the middle of the field away in their Tampa-2 scheme and come up and hit and tackle and run and sack and blitz and intercept. To me, it shouldn’t be a difficult decision for those voters to put him in the first opportunity they can.”

Rodgers and Urlacher had some memorable battles in the five seasons they went head-to-head. This includes a back-and-forth struggle in 2010 where they met three times including the NFC championship game. Never was the Bears-Packers rivalry better when those two were matching wits at the line of scrimmage.

Truth be told the Bears defense hasn’t been the same against the Packers since Urlacher left. In the five seasons Rodgers faced the Bears when Urlacher played, the Packers scored 30 or more points twice. In the five seasons since he retired? They’ve done it six times. If there was any stat that showcases what #54 meant to Chicago, that’s a big one.

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