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Chicago Could Get Sneak Peek at Next Bears Head Coach Sunday

By
Erik Lambert
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bears head coach

Most Chicago fans will struggle internally on whether they should even bother to watch Sunday afternoon as they take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Everything about the game feels meaningless. Winning does little for them since they’ve already been eliminated from the playoffs. Losing is beneficial to their draft position but also bittersweet. So in an effort to bolster the mix with a little intrigue, how about the possibility of seeing the next Bears head coach?

It’s a name that almost everybody had forgotten until this year until a twist of fate thrust him back into the spotlight. Bill Lazor burst onto the scene as offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins in 2014. Up until that point former 1st round quarterback Ryan Tannehill had gone through two average seasons as starter. It was hopes Lazor, a young QB specialist might be able to help unlock his game.

They were right. Tannehill set career highs for completion percentage (66.4) and touchdowns (27) his first year with Lazor. He also threw fewer interceptions (12) than in 2013 and for more yards (4,045). Miami as a team finished 11th in points scored. They were 26th the year before. Unfortunately the team faltered the next year despite another strong season from Tannehill and the coaches were fired.

Bill Lazor has the pedigree to be next Bears head coach

For the Bengals the original plan wasn’t to make him offensive coordinator. He was quarterbacks coach. However, the 2017 season got off to an atrocious start. They scored nine points in their first two games while Andy Dalton threw no touchdowns and four interceptions. Ken Zampese was fired as a result and Lazor promoted to take over the offense.

The impact has been noticeable. The Bengals were 0-2 to start the year and averaging 4.5 points per game. Since he took over they are now averaging 21 and have gone 5-5. Dalton has thrown 20 touchdowns to just four interceptions. In fact he hasn’t thrown a touchdown since October 22nd. A span of six-straight games. That is by far the longest stretch of his career.

Lazor now has considerable coordinating experience. He’s also been groomed by some top notch coaches since arriving in the NFL. He worked under the great Joe Gibbs in Washington. Then it was up to Seattle for a couple years with Mike Holmgren. Those were two of the best offensive minds of their generations. Both won Super Bowls.

Good teachers? Check. Play calling experience? Check. Quarterback savvy? Check. Young? That’s a check too. Lazor is only 45-years old. By the look of things he’s somebody who could be getting his shot at the head set sooner than later. Bears fans will get a proper introduction to what he can do in Cincinnati on Sunday.

Bulls Video For Game Of Thrones Night Is Horrifyingly Awkward, Beautifully Awful

By
Matthew Milakovich
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Tonight was Game of Thrones night as the Bulls hosted the New York Knicks at the United Center. Very apropos considering it snowed a fair amount last night for our first decent snowfall of the year here in Chicago.

Winter isn’t coming though, as they say in the north– it’s very much here.

Game of Thrones Night

To commemorate that, the Bulls put together this little number which is supposed to be a faux casting tape where the Bulls’ players do their best to impersonate your favorite characters.

I watched it once and I kind of want to watch it again, kind of think I’ll have nightmares, but kind of think it’s funny? Mostly just think Quincy Pondexter has the worst British accent of all time though.

What say you fine people?

Previewing The Cubs Potential Winter Meetings Moves

By
Sean Sears
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Disappointment has a name, and for the Chicago Cubs it’s Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese superstar two-way player concluded his courtship Friday afternoon, choosing the Los Angeles Angels and Mike Trout as his new MLB team.

And while Cubs fans have every right to be disappointed with Ohtani’s decision, it’s important to know that Theo Epstein and the front office put together a truly impressive presentation to Ohtani’s group. One that even included a VR aspect, which honestly doesn’t surprise me one bit.

But what’s done is done, and the Cubs are already moving past the Ohtani decision and have switch gears back to addressing their areas of need. According to a source, the Cubs ‘checked in’ with the Rays, Marlins, Blue Jays, and Athletics yesterday.

From what the scout was able to tell me, the Cubs were talking to the Marlins about Giancarlo Stanton, but more so as a courtesy to the Marlins as Stanton had listed the Cubs as one of the four teams he would waive his no trade clause for. Clearly, that is now a moot point, with him agreeing to a trade with the Yankees.

But the rest of the teams the Cubs were probing for starting pitching, with the two keys names being Chris Archer and Marcus Stroman – two names that are no strangers to Cubs rumors at this point. Other names I heard were SP Sean Maneae from the Athletics and of course the Cubs did check in on OF Christian Yelich – who the Cubs have also had a long standing interest in.

So What’s Next?

With the Cubs just putting out feelers at this point, the sense I am getting from people in the know is that the Cubs are going into the Winter Meetings looking to find another starter.

As Carrie Muskat reported earlier this week, the Cubs plan on speaking with Jake Arrieta and Wade Davis, but the thought behind both is that they’re gone. Davis is reportedly looking for something close to $16 mil over four years, and Arrieta wants a deal in the seven-years range, and both will likely get that from other teams.

Expect the Cubs to re-engage Alex Cobb, as the team still has a high interest in bringing on the veteran right-hander. The Cubs also plan on speaking with Yu Darvish and his representatives. No word on how serious the intrigue is with Darvish but the Cubs have liked the talented righty for sometime now.

The Cubs also plan on exploring trade options, with the two Florida teams both looking like a match on paper for the Cubs. Specifically, the Marlins, who after the Stanton deal have shown a willingness to accept lesser value in players for teams to absorb more cash off their books.

Depending on the initial market, it’s fair to assume that the asking price for Yelich has come down some since the last time the Cubs seriously checked on him during the regular season.

Do The Cubs Make A Move During The Meetings?

The North Siders need to add at least one more starter, after signing Tyler Chatwood to a three-year-deal Thursday. But a source has told me that the Cubs would like to add a few more starters, likely in a depth role, but possibly for a six-man rotation.

While Jon Lester has made it known how he feels waiting another day to take the ball, the Cubs rotation as a whole could benefit from the extra rest. Outside of Jose Quintana, all projected starters in their rotation spend some time on the DL during the 2017 season.

I would also expect the Cubs to at least make strides at addressing the bullpen, whether that means they attempt to re-sign Wade Davis or sign a Brandon Morrow or Brandon Kintzler – who have both been in contact with the Cubs this free agency.

And of course, the Cubs could always swing a deal to solve both positions, as Phil Rogers points here.

The Winter Meetings are when the majority of free agents strike a deal with teams, and the Cubs will not be distracted by missing on Ohtani. Expect Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer to make their usual waves at the Winter Meetings, but don’t be surprised if the Cubs end up linked to teams like the Marlins and Rays or if they come up in talks surrounding Yu Darvish.

Manny Machado To The White Sox Just Got A Lot More Realistic

By
Emmet McClain
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So far, Rick Hahn has done a masterful job of rebuilding the state of the White Sox organization. Four major trades saw Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Adam Eaton, Todd Frazier, David Robertson, and Tommy Kahnle shipped out of town for a plethora of top 100 prospects. Because of the team’s newfound youth and lack of expensive longterm commitment, the last piece of the rebuild will be to buy hard. Everyone and their mother, (myself included), has been saying that Manny Machado would be the perfect fit for the White Sox when he is a free agent after the 2018 season. They would be able to offer him the contract he wants, he would fill a huge need at 3rd base, and he would be in the prime of his career at age 26.

It seems like the Orioles are bracing for the moment that Machado leaves the team, as it has been reported that they are willing to listen to offers for their All-Star Gold Glover. 

As a White Sox fan, this news has me both excited and worried. For one, we already know that the White Sox would have more than enough to offer for Machado. The bad news is the price it would take. The Orioles surely would ask for Luis Robert in any scenario (assuming Rick Hahn makes Eloy Jimenez and Michael Kopech untouchable). Then they would more than likely ask for two of either Blake Rutherford, Dylan Cease, or Alec Hansen. It is unlikely that Rick Hahn would be okay with parting with three bonafide top-100 prospects. Some may say that we could give them Jose Abreu, but if the Orioles are truly looking to rebuild, he doesn’t make much sense for them at all. I’d put the possibility of the White Sox trading for Manny Machado this offseason at less than 15 percent. In fact, I think the possibility of him being traded at all is slim to none.

 

Changes In The A.L. East

Yesterday/early this morning, the baseball world was given the news that Giancarlo Stanton is heading to the Yankees in a trade. The Marlins received Starlin Castro and some lower level prospects in return and shed $265M of the $295M they owed Stanton. By taking on Stanton’s contract, it all but eliminates them from any chance at them signing Manny Machado or Bryce Harper. Yes they are the Yankees and have a plethora of cash, but they still have other holes to fill, specifically starting pitching. It would make more sense for them to go after Clayton Kershaw to bolster their rotation and make them more well rounded of a team. They are also eventually going to have to pay Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge, and the last thing they want to do is handcuff themselves with numerous 8 year/300M contracts.

The Ripple Effect

With the Yankees in my mind being the biggest threat to sign Machado, it now looks as if the White Sox could potentially be the frontrunner for his services when free agency opens next year. On the other side of town, the Stanton trade legitimately opens the door for the Cubs to go sign Bryce Harper.

It Will Be Different This Time

People who doubt that Machado will be on the White Sox next season are quick to point out the ownership. Jerry Reinsdorf has never been one to overpay for a superstar. However, he definitely isn’t getting any younger at the age of 81. He wants to see the White Sox win at least one more World Series before he kicks the bucket. He didn’t want to trade Jose Quintana to the Cubs, but he knew he had to for the sake of the team’s future success. He probably doesn’t want to pony up and give Manny Machado what would be the biggest contract in White Sox history either, but he knows if he wants to see the team in the World Series again, he’s going to have to.

Other Threats

An intriguing team that could jump into the Manny Machado and Bryce Harper sweepstakes is the Philadelphia Phillies. The only player they have signed beyond 2018 is Odubel Herrera, and that’s for cheap. They will also have a boatload of money to spend on a franchise player.

To sum it up, the Orioles are supposedly listening to calls for Machado’s services via trade, but I think it is doubtful that actually happens. But with the Stanton trade official, Manny Machado to the White Sox in free agency next offseason just became even more likely of a possibility.

 

The Bears Curse That All of Chicago Refuses to Acknowledge

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears ownership

Watching this team slog through another rough season, it’s hard not to feel like there is a Bears curse in Chicago now. As if the Cubs, Blackhawks and White Sox all exorcised their demons in recent years and those demons have decided to set up shop at Halas Hall. Curses are of course viewed as an excuse for poor team management. Yet at the same time it’s impossible to deny the streak of rotten luck this team has endured.

Except fans sometimes forget that the Bears are indeed cursed. It’s an established fact. Every year it’s forgotten though, replaced by hope. Then every year it surges back like some horrible, aggressive cancer. This is the curse of the Honey Bears. It’s not surprising many people don’t know about it. For the longest time it was overshadowed by the Billy Goat and Black Sox curses.

Now though? It’s leapt to the forefront as the painful stretch of losing gets longer and longer each weak. The funny part is Virginia McCaskey is apparently pissed off about it, and yet she’s the one who might be the most responsible for this turn of bad fortune in the first place.

Bears curse began in amidst greatest season in 1985

The Honey Bears were a venture embraced by late owner George Halas in 1976. It was an attempt to revamp the franchise, breath some new life into it. Cheerleaders were becoming all the rage by that time thanks to the Dallas Cowboys. Keep in mind eight years prior to this move, the Bears had gone 35-76-1. So any change was good change by that point.

The results were almost immediate. Chicago finished .500 for the first time in eight years their first season of existence. The next year the Bears made the playoffs. From ’76 to ’85 the team was 82-67, reaching the postseason four times and winning a Super Bowl. After they were disbanded the Bears are 238-273 with nine playoff appearances and no championships.

Sports fans by their very nature are superstitious. Chicago is no different. Even Steve McMichael, the former Bears All-Pro defensive tackle admitted that the team hasn’t been the same since the Honey Bears were cast out. To get even creepier? Last time Chicago made the playoffs was 2010. That year at training camp some fans showed up as unofficial members of the squad, handing out a petition to bring the group back.

The Bears went to the NFC championship that season. Maybe it’s time somebody try to convince the McCaskey family that it’s for the good of the team to have cheerleaders again. After all, nothing else is working.

Chicago Bears Coaching Search Will Focus on This Key Trait

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears coaching search

Finding a quality head coach is insanely difficult in the NFL. If it weren’t, every team would have one. It’s just like trying to find a good quarterback. It takes exhaustive research, instinct and a little luck. The Chicago Bears coaching search in 2018 will be their third in the past five seasons. Marc Trestman was a bust. John Fox was an even bigger bust.

GM Ryan Pace talked about how getting the QB position right was the most pressing of his tenure. He’s right, but directly behind that responsibility is getting the best possible head coach in charge. It’s hard to fault him with the Fox hire. Yes it was his decision but let’s remember something. Pace was a rookie in 2015. He was also the youngest GM in the NFL. Fox had a stronger track record than any candidate that year.

There was plenty of logic behind the hire at the time. It turns out Fox, for all his past success, had lost his touch. So now Pace must try again, but with whom? There are plenty of theories about how to conduct a search for a good coach. However, there is one overlying question that tends to root them out. One that Pace must ask in the next month.

Who Did More With less?

Chicago Bears coaching search must be finding a problem solver

It may be a simple phrase but it sends a clear message. The best coaches get the most from their players. They may okay players good, good players great and great players into icons. They see how far they can push you without going over the edge. Not only that but good coaches also need to recognize a problem with their team and understand what must be done to fix it. He must be able to adjust and think on his feet.

This has been the persistent issue for the Bears over the past five years. Trestman and Fox haven’t done well at adjusting to difficult situations, on or off the field. That should be a highlight of the next coach. So who could it be? Word is Pace has already begun to compile a list. No doubt big names like Josh McDaniels, Jim Harbaugh and Frank Reich will be on it.

I asked around a bit with various people close to the Bears and other teams about certain candidates that should not be overlooked. One name that kept coming up? New York Jets offensive coordinator John Morton. Here’s what one of them told me.

“I was told the Jets want to hold onto him as long as possible to see what he can do with a QB they draft. The Bears are impressed with him. They were under the impression the Jets would be a bottom five team this year but Morton has really opened up their eyes.”

Morton has many things going for him, including connections

It’s not surprising that Morton is gaining steam. Coming into 2017 almost every expert felt the New York Jets were a dead team walking. In fact some even felt they might flirt with 0-16. Josh McCown at quarterback? Jermaine Kearse as their best wide receiver? A 31-year old Matt Forte as their primary running back? No way.

Yet here they are. The Jets are 5-7, the offense is ranked 17th in the league and McCown on pace to throw 24 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. With very modest weaponry. That is a testament to the job Morton has done.

It’s not a coincidence this is happening though. Morton has built a reputation of getting the most from average rosters for a long time. In San Francisco as wide receivers coach he got 1,000 yards from Michael Crabtree and an aging Anquan Boldin. In New Orleans last year he got 1,100 yards and nine touchdowns from rookie Michael Thomas.

That Saints connection actually puts him in close proximity to Pace, who worked there for 13 years. It would be fitting if the GM reached back to his roots to find the man who could fill the Bears coaching vacancy. Time will tell if Morton is worthy. This is only his first year as a coordinator, so there is some definite risk involved.

The next month is going to be fascinating with how this develops.

Yankees Making A Push For Giancarlo Stanton

By
Matt Enuco
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Stanton must approve a deal but the Yankees are on his list.
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America via Zimbio

A source confirmed late Friday evening that the Yankees were closing in on a deal for Giancarlo Stanton. 

Early Saturday morning reports began flooding in that a deal was being finalized and would include few if any top prospects and a veteran while the Yankees are suspected to absorb a significant portion of Stanton’s contract.

Starlin Castro is rumored to be the veteran heading to the Marlins but hasn’t been confirmed yet.

*****

Last night, the source made it clear that a deal could fall through but that contract details were being discussed. Stanton has vetoed offers from the Giants and Cardinals but is still willing to consider moves to the Yankees, Dodgers, Astros and Cubs.

The Marlins are under pressure to cut salary providing incentive for the Yankees to cut a deal. New York might have to cut significant salary in order to absorb the kind of contract-haul the Marlins are sure to jettison with Stanton. Jon Heyman reports that a high priced veteran with “a mix of prospects” could be in order, but hurdles remain.

Details are developing and Stanton has the power to trash any deal, but considering the state of the Yankees lineup it doesn’t seem likely he would.

NFL Insider Believes Chicago Bears May Have Eyes for This Coach

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears

The next four weeks are going to be a brutal time for Chicago Bears fans. Their team is out of the playoff picture. Everybody knows their head coach is getting fired. In essence they have to go through the Christmas and New Years seasons in painful anticipation of the next moment on the NFL schedule where they can take genuine interest in their team again.

That’s when John Fox will be out and the team will set about finding a replacement. Sure it’s nothing more than an exercise in reviving hope but that’s all Chicago has at this point. They desperately need somebody who can come in and breath some life into an organization beat down by years of losing.

Fox failed to do so. Rumors persist the Bears may go the younger route this time around. It’s only a matter of finding out who that might be. Well Albert Breer may have an idea. The NFL insider made a list of head coaches under 50 years old  who will get special attention next year. All the names he mentioned were not connected to a team.

Except one.

Breer claims Chicago Bears could go after Pat Fitzgerald

For years now the best head coach in Illinois football hasn’t been in the NFL, it’s been at the college level. Pat Fitzgerald took over at Northwestern in 2006 and has since steadily grown the program from second-rate to genuinely respectable. This despite picking from a smaller talent pool as some of the bigger football programs in the country.

Breer believes he’s ready for an NFL shot, and that the Bears might be his best destination.

“Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald. It’d take a lot for him to leave his alma mater, but if you want a guy who does more with less, this is your guy. He could be an interesting candidate for Chicago.”

I actually wrote about Fitzgerald as a possibility back in November. There’s no question it would be an unorthodox hire. At the same time it’s hard to argue with his track record. In 12 seasons he has seven bowl game appearances. He is the only coach in school history to win two bowl games and post two seasons of double digit wins.

The amazing part is he’s done all this and is still 42-years old. He’s also an Illinois native out of Orland Park. The guy grew up in the shadow of Bears football, just like the great George Halas himself did. It would be quite a story for him to go from running the college favorite in his home state to the professional.

Problem is it doesn’t look like he has plans to leave. Fitzgerald had plenty of chances to jump over the past couple years. Every time he’s stayed the course. Northwestern is his alma mater. He loves it there. So it would take a significant push to pry him away. A push Chicago is unlikely to make.

White Sox Fans Begging To Trade For This Star Outfielder

By
Emmet McClain
-

Yesterday we saw the Marlins trade speedster Dee Gordon to Seattle for essentially nothing. Miami received no top-100 prospects at all. This is making people think that they are just trying to dump salary more than anything else. Which makes sense seeing as they want teams looking to acquire Giancarlo Stanton to take on his whole contract.

It seems as if Miami is about to go into a full blown fire sale, similar to what the White Sox did last season. If that is the case, and they are indeed looking for money relief more than anything, then everyone should be on the table. That includes star outfielder Christian Yelich.

If you go into the depths of White Sox twitter today, you will see dozens of fans clamoring for Rick Hahn to go get Christian Yelich for cheap. Except he won’t be. Not nearly as cheap as Dee Gordon was anyways.


Christian Yelich is very good. He has never had a season where he has batted lower than .282. In 2016 and 2017, he had a WAR of 4.5. For comparison, Avi Garcia’s WAR last year was 4.2. Add the fact that he is cheap and under longterm control, ($49.6M/7 years), and you would essentially be looking at a package similar to what the White Sox got for Jose Quintana.

Yes the Marlins got rid of Dee Gordon for basically nothing in return, but Yelich would be a different story. Just because they just got salary relief from one trade does not mean they want no prospects at all. Furthermore, it is way too early for the White Sox to be thinking about trades. They will eventually trade players who become blocked, or if we have a surplus, or if some become more expandable than others. Rick Hahn has built something far too great to consider trading pieces away already.

As far as the White Sox trading for Christian Yelich, it would definitely be a fascinating sight to behold, but one I do not see coming to fruition.

Zach Miller Reveals Incredible Details After Gruesome Leg Injury

By
Erik Lambert
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zach miller

If the Chicago Bears were to review the 2017 season, they’d be looking for points when things started to turn downhill. After a quick examination, it genuinely feels like it all started during that fateful day in New Orleans against the Saints. They had momentum going into the game. After two-straight wins they were 3-4. Another before the bye would put them at .500 halfway through a season for the first time since 2013. Then the Zach Miller play happened.

Things didn’t start well but towards the second half of the game the Bears seems to gain momentum when Mitch Trubisky lofted a beautiful past to the veteran tight end who seemed to catch it one-handed while also fighting off a defender for a touchdown. Sadly at the same time his left knee gave out, almost completely rupturing in every horrible way possible.

He was immediately rushed off the field in a cart and to a hospital. If losing a leader like him weren’t bad enough, the referees then overturned the touchdown call on the field. So the Bears were dealt two grievous blows in a span of seconds. Truth be told the team hasn’t been quite the same since that sequence.

Zach Miller journey right after injury is so harrowing

People heard later how bad the injury was. Miller was in danger of having to get his leg amputated due to ligaments and arteries in his knee being severed. Only emergency surgery could save him. What people don’t know is how close it actually came and how incredible the Bears training staff was in handling the situation.

This is a firm reminder of just how far sports medicine in general has come over the past few decades. There’s a serious possibility that Miller would’ve lost his leg had this been 20 years ago. For all the flak the NFL gets about the concussion issue, it’s grown by leaps and bounds when it comes to diagnosing and treating major injuries of this sort.

Here’s hoping Miller makes a full recovery and is able to go out on his terms in the future. Or if he decides to step away from the game, that he reaches heights at his next adventure he never dreamed of in football.

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