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Joe Maddon and Chris Bosio ‘Clap Back’ After Brett Anderson’s Twitter Outburst

By
Sean Sears
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joe maddon

Late Sunday night former Chicago Cub and current Toronto Blue Jay Brett Anderson went off on the Cubs a bit last night on Twitter. Anderson clearly took some issue with how the Cubs handled him this season, tweeting one sarcastic remark after another. However, despite the ruckus it caused on the internet last night, both Joe Maddon and Chris Bosio seems surprised by Anderson’s comments.

The Cubs may have been playing dumb here, but regardless, this twitter rant from Anderson seemed somewhat out of nowhere. But, both Maddon and Bosio had a few comments on the situation.

Both guys hoped for the best with Anderson, and while he may have felt the club treated him poorly or made him be something he wasn’t, one thing he was not this year was good. Anderson finished his Cubs career with an 8.18 ERA in just six starts – he was awful and like Maddon said, that’s on him.

So, enjoy your great three games in Toronto, Chicago wishes you the best, but don’t let the door fit you on the way out, Brett.

Bears Practice Squad May Feature a Rare Number of Future Studs

By
Erik Lambert
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bears practice squad

Yes, yes it’s perfectly clear that the title of this piece seems to show a naked fan bias. Maybe a part of that is true, but honest it’s not the majority. The Chicago Bears practice squad is no different from others. It’s a tool used by the team to retain young players who might serve a purpose during the season. Most often that purpose is to occupy roster spots of other players who are injured and maybe contribute on special teams.

For most practice squad players, that’s about it. However, once in awhile a team is able to elevate someone from there and that player becomes more. Much more. Keep in mind that guys like James Harrison, Arian Foster and Jason Peters were on a practice squad early in their careers. So it’s not crazy to think the Bears might have somebody good on their hands. It’s just nobody has realized it yet.

The crazy part about 2017 though is the Bears maybe, just maybe have not one but two quality talents stashed away on the squad.

Bears practice squad “gamble” seems to have paid off

A lot of fans were apoplectic when news dropped that the Bears had waived wide receiver Tanner Gentry and outside linebacker Isaiah Irving. This was due to a number of factors. First was the overall status of both position groups. Cameron Meredith going down with a knee injury threatens to expose a lack of depth at receiver. Lamarr Houston injured his knee as well while Pernell McPhee has yet to practice after knee surgery himself at outside linebacker.

Keeping those two preseason standouts would’ve made all the sense in the world. Gentry, an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming, lit up training camp and had a couple big plays including a 45-yard TD against the Titans.

There was a genuine fear he’d be claimed via waivers if the Bears let him walk. The same goes for outside linebacker Isaiah Irving. The converted defensive end from San Jose State really came out of nowhere. He was a non-factor in the first two preseason games before exploding for three sacks in the final two. Most people never game him a second though leading up the draft. However, the scouts at Draft Analyst saw something more.

“Smallish college defensive end who projects as a designated pass rusher at the next level. Breaks down well, plays with proper pad level and shows fluidity moving in every direction of the field. Fires off the snap with an explosive first step, displays speed off the edge and possesses good change of direction. Fights with his hands, moves laterally with speed pursuing the play and gives effort.”

All of those traits have been on display thus far. His primary issue is strength. It’s clear he needs to get stronger. That will take time. Nonetheless pass rushers are hard to come by so seeing the Bears release him was hard. Still, it’s hard to argue with their decision. Both he and Gentry are safely on the squad.

This allows the Bears to continue grooming them. Don’t be surprised if both find their way onto the main roster before the year is over.

Brett Anderson Takes A Jab At Cubs On Twitter

By
Aldo Soto
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Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

Brett Anderson has made two starts for the Toronto Blue Jays and he hasn’t been placed on the disabled list yet, but he has taken the time to publicly dish out a subtle jab at the Chicago Cubs.

If you don’t remember Brett Anderson’s time with the Cubs this season, then good for you because if you do then you just threw up thinking about him pitching. The Cubs signed the lefty in the offseason to a heavily incentivized contract that could have netted Anderson $10 million. The low-risk, high-reward proposition by the Cubs didn’t work out, as Anderson only made six starts before going to the disabled list in early May. He was later acquired by the Blue Jays after the Cubs DFA’d him.

On Aug. 29, Anderson made his debut for Toronto, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing one earned run on six hits against the Boston Red Sox. He made his second appearance for the Blue Jays on Sunday and was effective over six innings of work, giving up three runs in six innings. After his second start, Anderson tweeted the following, obviously feeling good about himself, while seemingly taking a shot at the Cubs, his previous team.

I’m not going to say every pitcher is the same because that’s obviously false, however the Cubs have a pretty good track record of tinkering with pitchers and making them better, or getting a lot more out of them than expected. You know, like, Jake Arrieta. Again, not every pitcher is the same, but let’s not pretend that Brett Anderson was an elite starting pitcher that came to the Cubs and was then destroyed by the coaches.

Before 2017, Anderson had some pretty good seasons, his best coming in 2010, when he had a 2.80 ERA in 19 starts for the Oakland A’s. See, the problem is, has been and will always be that Brett Anderson can never stay healthy. Check out the following list of DL stints by Anderson prior to signing with the Cubs.

  • April 27, 2010: 15-day DL with left elbow inflammation and forearm strain
  • June 4, 2010: 15-day DL
  • June 7, 2011: 15-day DL with left elbow soreness
  • July 31, 2011: Transferred to 60-day DL
  • March 13, 2013: 60-day DL
  • May 1, 2013: 15-day DL with sprained right ankle
  • June 14th, 2013: Transferred to 60-day DL
  • April 13, 2014: 15-day DL with fractured left index finger
  • April 25, 2014: Transferred to 60-day DL
  • August 6, 2014: 15-day DL with lower back strain
  • August 16, 2014: Transferred to 60-day DL
  • April 3, 2016: 60-day DL after back surgery
  • August 23, 2016: 15-day DL with left index finger blister

After six starts with the Cubs, Anderson went on the DL with a back issue and never pitched for them again. So, it’s great that Anderson got another opportunity with the Blue Jays and good for him for stringing together two good starts in a row, but be careful tweeting out blame, you might land on the disabled list again with a blister.

Hockey Player Takes A Firm Stance Against Native American Imagery Like That Of Blackhawks

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
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Native American and Indigenous Canadian imagery has been under scrutiny in sports for years. Schools and teams from all levels have gone so far as to change their team names and mascots. The Chicago Blackhawks crest, and variations of it, are not exempt from this and are in the news again this week.

A seven year old Indigenous girl from Calgary has refused to wear the jersey for her local team, the Northwest Warriors, because it was “discriminatory.” Hockey Calgary has strict zoning restrictions which means the young girl will not play what would have been her first season of competitive hockey.

Alan Smith from the Calgary Herald wrote about the situation and recieved quotes from Bryan Boechler, president of the Crowchild association.

“The warrior is a revered figure in the First Nations heritage, so that’s the perspective we took in bringing our new name to the forefront,” said Boechler. He said the association consulted with Indigenous people when the logo was first introduced and that it honours what the Indigenous community means to Calgary, much like Crowchild Trail does. 

There are no current plans to get rid of the imagery but Boechler says that it is not out of the question.

“The reality is we’re a member organization, so should there be direction from our membership or concern that we’re somehow doing something negative … there’s no question. We would consider it,” he said.

The Chicago Blackhawks don’t receive national attention as much as the Washington Redskins. I believe this to be because of their donations to Native American communities and museums in the Chicagoland areas. I have personally reached out to a couple of the charities, which I will not name, to receive no response or comments on the matter.

Last offseason the Blackhawks acquired Jordin Tootoo who is of Inuk descent. I felt it would be interesting to obtain the opinion of an Indigenous Canadian, so I contacted Tootoo’s organization and kindly received a “no comment.”  It is obviously a polarizing subject and I respect their choice not to comment.

This is and will continue to be a topic of hot debate for years to come. The University of North Dakota which used imagery very Blackhawks-like has changed from the Fighting Sioux to the Fighting Hawks amid a lot of controversy. It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds for the Blackhawks as it inevitably will.

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings. 

PHOTO: Cubs Are Rockin’ Their Favorite Football Jerseys For The Team’s Next Road Trip

By
Gus
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PHOTO: CSN Cubs Talk (Twitter)

With the 2017 college football season officially kicking off their season last night and Week 1 of the NFL season exactly one week away, the Cubs decided to get into the football spirit by donning their favorite football jerseys just in time for their flight to Pittsburgh where they’ll take on the Pirates in a four-game set starting Monday.

Per Kelly Crull of CSN, sources told her that Jason Heyward bought all the Cubs players their favorite jersey for what Cubs manager Joe Maddon called, the “jersey road trip.” Heyward gave fans a glimpse of his jersey of choice before today’s game against Atlanta when he posted this on his Instagram.

My pick for the NFL/NCAAFB jersey flight to Pittsburgh mañana

A post shared by Jason Heyward (@jheylove22) on

Even though they failed to extend their win streak to seven games today, the Cubs still rocked some pretty awesome football jerseys.

And the winner HAS to be…….

Laces out Dan!!!!!!! #finkleiseinhorneinhornisfinkle @miamidolphins @albertalmorajr

A post shared by Anthony Rizzo (@arizz_44) on

Great movie. Better jersey.

Ravens Fans Were Pissed When Bears Claimed Taquan Mizzell

By
Erik Lambert
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bears claimed taquan mizzell
Credit: USA Today

It seems GM Ryan Pace is not one to play favorites. He’s all about getting players who help his team get better. That became true when Jeremy Langford, his former fourth round pick from 2015 got waived. Why did this happen? Well aside from injury issues, along with lack of vision and stone hands, the roster just improved vastly at running back while he’s been shelved. Jordan Howard arrived last year. Tarik Cohen was drafted this year. Now the Bears claimed Taquan Mizzell off waivers.

That last one was the final nail in the coffin for Langford. Of course most Bears fans ask the question. Who the (bleep) is Taquan Mizzell? Well if one were to ask Baltimore Ravens fans that question, they might immediately go into a slight depression. Many of them were not happy when the rookie running back was claimed off waivers by Chicago.

In essence Mizzell was their Tanner Gentry. A training camp and preseason standout who looks like he could become something more in the future.

Bears claimed Taquan Mizzell for versatility and depth

With Howard, Cohen and Bennie Cunningham the Bears were already stocked at running back. So why did Pace decide to add Mizzell anyway? The better question is why not? Injuries are a fact of life in the NFL. The deeper a position group is, the easier it can handle that reality. A luxury only top teams in the league enjoy.

Mizzell is not a complete back, but then again New England has shown that’s not necessary to make him a productive one. NFL.com stated before the draft what he might be able to do for a team.

“Shifty outside zone fit who played in a pro-style rushing attack in 2015. Mizzell runs with plus vision and plays with the desired pace and wiggle of a runner looking to exploit fluid running lanes along the perimeter. He is undersized as an early down back, but might be able to find work as a change-of-pace runner with good elusiveness and an ability to make plays out of the backfield as a pass catcher.”

It’s easy to see why the man earned the nickname “Smoke.” He must makes a lot of plays. In the hands of a creative offensive coordinator, he can be a serious weapon. Never mind the fact the Bears already have Howard, who’s a Pro Bowler, and Cohen who lit up the preseason. That’s three young backs with diverse skill sets.

There’s just no way to game plan against all of that. That’s the NFL in a nutshell. The more complicated the Bears can make life for opposing defenses, the better.

Bears Waiver Wire Moves Net Them Another Intriguing Pass Target

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears waiver wire

The Chicago Bears waiver wire process was bound to be active given the depth concerns at some points of the roster. Sure enough GM Ryan Pace didn’t disappoint. Though other teams made more claims, he pinpointed three players that could help this team. First was a long snapper in Andrew DePaola as well as preseason standout running back Taquan Mizzell. However, the most intriguing name of the three had to be Tre McBride.

Out of William & Mary, he was a seventh round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2015. Since then McBride has made nine catches for 130 yards in nine appearances. In that times he’s hovered between the practice squad and the main roster. After the Titans made a significant investment to their receiving corps this offseason, the writing appeared on the wall.

Bears waiver wire move for McBride could yield something

Most will dismiss this move as a depth option but is it? McBride was highly productive in college and there’s also something else worth noting. The coaching staff that drafted him was thrown into turmoil after head coach Ken Whisenhunt was fired. Things changed after that. The new guys in charge never really gave him a chance. They transitioned to a run-heavy scheme and he was left in limbo.

Draft experts really liked McBridge too. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com was a big fan. Though he went in the seventh round, Zierlein felt he could go as high as the third. He explained why.

“Good NFL size and physically dominated opponents when the ball was in the air. Makes circus catches look easy and appears fearless in the air. Elite high-point ability with outstanding body control, ball tracking and concentration. Plucks the ball out of the air. Excellent catch radius that saved his quarterback one or two incompletions per game. Will catch in traffic with ability to tuck-in, absorb blow and hang onto ball. Adjusts well to low throws. Competitive runner after the catch.”

Others tended to agree with that assessment.

McBride ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash and also scored high in the 20-yard shuttle. This indicates he not only has speed but also quickness. It showed a number of times in his route running. He has a knack getting out of his stance with suddenness and knows how to hand fight defensive backs to gain some space. Also he has a good feel for finding dead spots in zone coverage.

He’s also a noted special teams player as well. So how good can he be? It all depends on the chance the Bears are willing to give him. McBride has shown he can be a playmaker. It’s a matter of whether a team understands what he does well and knowing how to exploit it. To be fair Dowell Loggains has seen his type before and done well with it.

Backup Goaltender Honors Tony Esposito On First Blackhawks Mask

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
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Jean-Francois Bérubé hasn’t appeared with the Blackhawks yet but already has one of the cooler goalie masks. He honors Blackhawks’ Hall of Famer Tony Esposito with his masked profile on the right side.

Bérubé’s mask was designed by Sylvie Marsolais of Sylabrush and features the team’s iconic crest on the left side. It also includes the tomahawk logo featured on the shoulders of Blackhawks’ jerseys and the Chicago skyline on the chin.

With this cool mask I’d keep him on the roster automatically. Just kidding.

Bérubé is going to have to work to be Corey Crawford’s backup. The fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2009 has only played 21 NHL games, with the New York Islanders over the last two seasons. He will have stiff competition from Anton Forsberg who was acquired in the Panarin and Saad trade. At least he’ll look good at camp.

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings.

 

NFL Gives Rookie QB Class Preseason Grades and Trubisky Owned It

By
Erik Lambert
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packers players
Credit: Cleveland.com

The 2017 rookie quarterback class overachieved in the eyes of many during the NFL preseason. For a group that many panned for one reason or another, they came off really well. None more so than the top picks. NFL Network analyst and former scout Daniel Jeremiah was tasked with giving them all a report card for their performances this August. So what was the Mitch Trubisky grade?

That’s all Chicago Bears fans want to know. Well certain players like Cooper Rush (Dallas), DeShone Kizer (Cleveland) and Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City) earned high B grades for their efforts. Good stuff, just not quite good enough. Amazing as it sounds, the Bears’ top pick outshined them all with the only A in the entire class.

“Mitchell Trubisky: A

Preseason analysis: Trubisky has been outstanding in the preseason. He’s thrown with timing, accuracy and touch. He shows plenty of arm strength to drive the ball and looks comfortable working through progressions from inside the pocket. He’s also shown impressive athleticism, throwing on the move or picking up free yards with his legs when the opportunities arise.

Areas for improvement: I don’t think there’s a lot to criticize, based on his play in the preseason. He did miss a couple of easy underneath throws and will occasionally lock on his first read, but the good has far outweighed the bad. The biggest thing he needs: more game reps.”

Mitch Trubisky grade showcases how quickly he’s developing

Of course preseason grades don’t indicate whether a player will have a successful career, but it does showcase whether they have that capability. All anybody could talk about for months was the same thing. Trubisky only started 13 games in college. He didn’t have enough experience. NFL teams would eat him alive.

Except no. At least not through four games they haven’t. Trubisky finished the preseason completing 67.9% of his passes for 364 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. Throughout that time his accuracy, poise and athleticism were all on display.

Despite all that the Bears coaching staff remained unconvinced he’s ready to start. Not a surprise. John Fox is an old school, conservative coach. He would never start a rookie at any position if it could be avoided. Mike Glennon, worthy or not, is going to get the first crack. How long that lasts depends on the win-loss record through the first month or so of the season.

Until then Trubisky will be able to sit back, relax and wait his turn.

The Most Surprising Chicago Bears Cuts at the NFL Deadline

By
Erik Lambert
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cut tanner gentry

GM Ryan Pace is in his element now. The Chicago Bears cuts, courtesy of John Fox and his coaching staff are now complete. The September 2nd deadline has come and gone. Now the job at hand is to see if Pace and his front office can work a little more magic via the waiver wire and late free agency. It’s not unprecedented. He’s done it before and never had high position in the pecking order like this year.

Of course in the midst of this it’s fair to wonder if the team might’ve made a few mistakes amidst the 37 players they dismissed over the past couple days. It’s not like it hasn’t happened before. Here are a few names that the Bears allowed to walk in the past 24 hours and why it was at least a slight surprise.

Tanner Gentry (WR)

This of course is the big one. Gentry was the talk of Bears training camp. It seemed like every day he was making a handful of big catches. Fans grew to love the undrafted free agent out of Wyoming. Then in the preseason he provided a couple notable plays including a 45-yard touchdown catch from Mitch Trubisky. Given the Bears’ woeful situation at wide receiver, most felt that made him a lock to make the roster. Turns out he might be the next Daniel Braverman. A training camp phenom destined for the practice squad.

Jaye Howard (DE)

It’s hard to figure out the exact reasoning why the Bears decided to part ways with Howard. He seemed to be improving over the course of the preseason and they needed defensive line help. So what happened. Likely two factors. First is the status of his hip. The Bears brass probably weren’t comfortable with its healing progress. Second, and more likely, is the emergence of both Jonathan Bullard and Roy Robertson-Harris as legitimate forces over the past month. Along with veteran Mitch Unrein it was just too difficult to find room.

Isaiah Irving (OLB)

The knee injury to Lamarr Houston and shady health of Pernell McPhee put a major squeeze on the Bears outside linebacker position. Edge rushers are at a premium for them with Leonard Floyd and Willie Young being their only viable options. So wouldn’t it make sense to keep a young prospect around who had three sacks in two games to end the preseason? Apparently not. Odds are they try to sneak him onto the practice squad.

John Timu (ILB)

All anybody can say about John Timu is he plays hard. The inside linebacker has his faults but he’s a smart defender with uncanny ability to time the snap and make stops in the backfield. It looked like he’d done enough to secure a reserve spot after a couple nice games but not so much. Christian Jones also played well and he brings added versatility on special teams. In the end that was something Timu couldn’t offer.

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