Just watch the video and make sure you have the volume up. Hawk Harrelson continues to be baseball’s worst announcer.
"That ball hit in the gap and nobody's gonna get that one." pic.twitter.com/0SA6oVSVzx
— Kevin Marchina (@kg_holler) July 27, 2017
Best part was Steve Stone saying, “except he made the catch,” in a serious tone because he also hates having to work alongside Hawk.
Keep being awful, Hawk.
Niklas Hjalmarsson traded, Brian Campbell retires and Johnny Oduya signs elsewhere. This sounds like a horror story for Blackhawks fans screaming for defensive depth after last season. There is a new and younger option that will soon hit the market that the organization could explore, Will Butcher.
Butcher is coming off his senior season in which he won the Hobey Baker award as the best NCAA men’s hockey player and captured the national title with Denver University. He was a two-time captain and tallied 7g and 30a in 43 games last season on the blue line.
The 2013 fifth round draft pick by the Colorado Avalanche has his rights expire on August 15. Instead of signing with the mess that is the Avalanche, he has decided to test free agency.
The best part for the Blackhawks is that there can’t be a real bidding war for Butcher, because he is limited to an entry level contract. At most he could receive $925,000 in salary and up to $2.85 million in bonuses.
He is only 22 years old and coming off a very successful college career that saw him develop immensely. Scouts see him as an offensive-minded player who can move the puck but is also responsible on defense. The left-handed shot was a key piece in the nation’s number one power play unit on the way to the national championship.
Of course there is no guarantee that Butcher will pan out in the NHL but he provides options. He is a relatively cheap shot with upside. The Blackhawks are already spending $4 million per season on 24 year old Connor Murphy who has played four average NHL seasons but has “potential.”
Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings.
Signing Mitch Trubisky before training camp was a blessed relief to so many Chicago Bears fans. Now one contract remains that everybody agrees has to get done. That of course being the Akiem Hicks extension. The 27-year old defensive end was outstanding for the Bears in 2016. He collected seven sacks and also had six stuffs for a loss or no gain against the run as well, which led the team.
He was unequivocally one of the best free agents GM Ryan Pace has signed in his short tenure. Now the next step is securing that big fish with a lucrative extension. Why? Hicks earned it. Pace has stated he wants players to prove they belong on the Bears roster and to his credit has stuck close to that statement.
Willie Young, Tracey Porter, Kyle Long, and Zach Miller were all players who proved their value in 2015 and were rewarded with multiyear deals the next year. Hicks is by far the biggest pending free agent they have. Losing him would serve no purpose other than make the defense worse.
To his credit, Hicks himself stated in a recent press conference that he loves Chicago. His own mother is a native of the city and he was visiting long before he ever signed with the Bears. That was welcome to hear, but the Chicago Sun-Times decided to add even more good news to the occasion.
“Akiem Hicks wants a contract extension.
He could get his wish.
The Bears and their defensive lineman are engaged in discussions about a possible extension on the eve of training camp, sources told the Sun-Times. Hicks is entering the final season of a two-year contract, and coming off the best season of his career.”
This by itself would be enough, but it went even further. Jarrett Payton was down in Bourbonnais for the players arriving. While taking in the atmosphere he happened to notice Hicks a good distance away talking to somebody on a bench. That somebody happened to be his new agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
Drew Rosenhaus and Akiem Hicks are sitting on a bench talking about 100 yards from me right now. #Bears
— Jarrett Payton (@paytonsun) July 26, 2017
This is a big development for a number of reasons. Keep in mind that Rosenhaus is one of the top agents in the NFL. He reportedly has 82 clients he represents, so his personal time is limited. The fact that he was there in person with Hicks is a definite sign that the two sides are indeed working towards a deal.
Not only that, but this isn’t the first time Pace has had negotiations with Rosenhaus. The two previously collaborated on deals for safety Antrel Rolle and linebacker Jerrell Freeman. Was it any coincidence that Freeman and Hicks attended a press conference together?
Jerrell Freeman and Akiem Hicks (wearing a #Cubs hat) now talking in Bourbonnais. pic.twitter.com/BzWY0wOm6O
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) July 26, 2017
Probably. Even so it’s a sign that’s impossible to ignore. Barring an unforeseen swerve, Hicks should get a well-deserved pay raise within the next few days or weeks at most.
I need Hawk Harrelson and John Lackey in a ring ASAP. A day after the Chicago White Sox announcer was publicly wishing for Cubs pitcher John Lackey to get injured, Harrelson wasn’t done.
A quick refresher from Tuesday’s game.
Cubs & White Sox fans, I present Hawk vs Lackey – The Crosstown Throwdown. @WGNNews @WGNTV pic.twitter.com/PqOFJtHluf
— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) July 25, 2017
hawk harrelson: "in fact id like to see one hit right back through the middle drill knock lackey right off that mound" pic.twitter.com/kxzCrvFF4Y
— Brett (@Cubbieblue97) July 25, 2017
Lackey said after the game that he wasn’t trying to hit the White Sox on purpose and well when you consider he was just trying to get through the fifth inning with a lead it makes more sense that he wasn’t than to assume he was putting runners on base intentionally. Anyway, Hawk doesn’t want to listen to any of that.
Here’s Hawk on John Lackey before Wednesday night’s game.
Via the Chicago Tribune:
“I was hoping that they would drill his ass big time because he’s an idiot,” Harrelson said. “At that point, the game was not the issue. It was Lackey. He’s in the pennant race. This is a big-boy game. There’s no bull(expletive) here. He’s putting (Kris) Bryant and (Anthony) Rizzo in jeopardy.”
Harrelson said he was “protecting my Sox.” When told Lackey said he hadn’t hit the Sox players on purpose, Harrelson balked.
“He’s full of (expletive), and you can print that,” Harrerlson said. “He’s full of it. He always has been.”
Oh and Hawk wants the White Sox to hit more Cubs players.
Harrelson said he didn’t know if the score was settled after Sox reliever Chris Beck hit Ian Happ with a pitch in the bottom of the inning.
“I hope not,” Harrelson said. “4-for-1 is not very good math. Let’s see how the game goes. Sometimes you might even file it until maybe — I don’t think he will be, but if he’s back with them next year — maybe file it until next year.”
I think Hawk is extra grumpy these days because his lover Todd Frazier got traded away to the New York Yankees.
Training camp is upon us, everyone!
The Chicago Bears are getting set to report to camp in Bourbonnais, and that means football is oh so close. I don’t know about you, but even preseason football sounds delicious right about now. The offseason is too damn long … I must have played 10 seasons of Madden since the Super Bowl.
The Bears have definitely improved the overall talent level of their roster compared to last season. And hopefully that goes hand in hand with better luck with health over the course of the season. But they have plenty of questions that need to be answered in the next week, and over the course of the next month during the preseason games.
What’s going to happen with the wide receiver circus? Who will win jobs in the defensive backfield, and where? And, most importantly, what will be decided at quarterback?
We know what the high-stakes battles are. But what results should Bears fans be rooting for?
The depth chart currently assumes that Cameron Meredith will assume the #1 position (as he should), with Kevin White #2 and anyone’s guess afterwards.
The issue is that Meredith, who certainly performed well last season, has yet to prove he can handle taking on opposing defenses’ top cornerbacks. And White, who was a top 10 pick two years ago, is still a complete unknown. At this point, his spot at #2 is assumed based on draft pedigree, not production.
The Bears signed a host of receivers in the offseason to bring some competition to the group following the departure of Alshon Jeffery. They signed Markus Wheaton, Kendall Wright, Victor Cruz, and others to battle for spots on the depth chart.
Wheaton signed a multi-year contract, so his spot is very likely secure. That too in a highly visible role. Wright probably has the upper hand on Cruz right now given his previous experience in coordinator Dowell Loggains’s offense. After that, it’s murky waters.
For the Bears to succeed as an offense, they need Meredith and White to separate themselves as the best receivers on the roster during camp. That means that while going against defensive starters, they must shine and shine continuously. The Bears secondary is still an unknown at this point, and unlikely to be a top unit by any measure. If Meredith and White can’t consistently make plays against their own, unsettled secondary, how will they attack the plethora of talented secondaries they are scheduled to face this year?
Best not to find out.
In the offseason, one of the major points of emphasis was to upgrade the secondary. The Bears needed cornerback help, safety help, more safety help, backup safety help, practice squad safety help, you name it. It was that big a mess.
Ryan Pace went all in, kind of, on his pursuit of the biggest names on the market, such as Stephon Gilmore, A.J. Bouye, and Logan Ryan. Except he didn’t sign any of them because he likes to pay players their actual value, not their inflated market value. Alas, he brought Quintin Demps, Marcus Cooper, and Prince Amukamara to Chicago. Certainly not the biggest names on the market. But solid, economical consolation prizes for a team that just isn’t quite ready to contend for a championship just yet.
With Pace’s free agency haul secured, the Bears are looking at Demps, Cooper, Amukamara, Eddie Jackson, Kyle Fuller, Deiondre Hall, Cre’Von LeBlanc, Bryce Callahan, Harold Jones-Quartey, Johnthan Banks, BW Webb, Adrian Amos, Deon Bush, and DeAndre Houston-Carson to battle it out. That’s a lot of names, and a lot of names that Pace is directly responsible for bringing on to the roster.
The Bears are likely to be strongest with Amukamara at the left corner spot and Demps at free safety. Those are givens because that’s why they were brought to the team in the first place. Those spots should be considered locks. One of either Amos or Bush should win the strong safety spot, mainly due to Amos’s experience and Bush’s recent draft status. But how about at the final cornerback spot?
Frankly, despite the contract the Bears gave Cooper, I’d love to see Fuller come in and win it. After missing all of last year and being called out by his own coordinator, watching a motivated Fuller redeem himself and contribute to a hungry defense would be awesome. At the very least he’d help by increasing his trade value. There’s always demand for that.
We all know what the scene is at quarterback. Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer, and Matt Barkley are out. Mike Glennon, Mark Sanchez, and first round pick Mitchell Trubisky are in.
Sanchez is a clipboard holder. That much is given. He’ll be playing mentor to both Glennon and Trubisky this season. But the question is who will end up starting?
What we know right now is that Glennon is currently the starter by default. Ryan Pace made the statement when he handed him an $18 million guaranteed contract in the offseason, reiterated it after stunning the football world by trading up for Trubisky, and tripled down on it during his training camp presser today.
The way the Bears look at it, Glennon is the present. The issue is, no matter how green Trubisky is, Glennon isn’t exactly a battle-tested veteran either. Sure, he’s started a handful of games and performed decently at best. But his numbers are just a small sample. The reality is he’s an unknown as well and he also is playing for his career.
The benefits of sitting Trubisky this season are well documented. And it’s clear that’s what the Bears intend to do. But if Glennon flops during camp and Trubisky plays well, how the hell do you sell the rest of your team on “Glennon is our quarterback”? Especially when the whole world knows they are looking forward to Trubisky, possibly as early as 2018?
You can’t. Which is why it’d be best if Glennon took hold of the competition and stamped his name on the starting quarterback spot right away. No matter how Trubisky performs, if Glennon shows that he deserves the job by playing well and commanding the offense, the Bears’ brass has an easy sell to the rest of the team.
“Hey guys, I know Tru is good and all, but Glennon killed it during camp as you all witnessed. And you know he was our guy [for 2017] from the beginning. So, Mike is our quarterback.”
Seems like a simple enough conversation, right? Well, that’s only going to happen if Glennon earns it. And that’s what fans should root for.
Because that’s what’s best for the Bears. It’s best for their 2017 win prospects. It’s best for Trubisky’s development. And therefore it’ll be best for their future.
Isn’t that what we all want?
People say the Chicago Bears roster will be key to them winning a Super Bowl some time in the future. That’s true, but also only half the equation. Too often they haven’t realized that the Bears coaching staff is every bit as important to success. Thankfully the arrival of John Fox has brought that desire to the forefront. Despite some recent turnover, the Bears staff remains loaded with a nice mix of young and veteran coaching minds.
Many of them already accomplished. That hasn’t stopped Fox from continuing to seek out new faces who can help this team get better. It’s one of the hallmarks that made him successful in the past: an ability to spot coaching talent. Ever so quietly he may have gotten another good one for the Bears this past week.
According to their official training camp breakdown, the team will have three coaching interns at training camp. One for each of the phases.
#Bears have three coaching interns for training camp: Todd Washington (offense), Kevin Vickerson (defense) and Matt Willis (special teams).
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) July 26, 2017
Those three names won’t mean much to Bears fans. Some context will be needed. Matt Willis is a former wide receiver, recently cut by the Detroit Lions. Before that he spent time with the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos. Though never much of an offensive weapon, he earned a reputation for being a quality special teams player. So it’s no surprise his step towards coaching begins with that side of the ball.
Kevin Vickerson is a former defensive tackle who had a journeyman career. Four of his years were spent in Denver, three of them under Fox. During that time he earned a reputation for two things: attitude and run defense. Vickerson had a way of getting opponents angry at him while also suffocating their ground attacks. Two elements that could be a big help to the Bears defense, which has struggled in the latter area particularly.
The big name of the three though is Todd Washington. From 2011 to 2016, he was the assistant offensive line coach for the Baltimore Ravens. During that time the offense rank top 10 in scoring twice and developed Pro Bowlers like Ben Grubbs, Kelechi Osemele and Marshal Yanda. On top of that they won the Super Bowl in 2012.
#TeachTapeTuesday featuring #Ravens OG Marshal Yanda showing lateral quickness, targeting, & hand usage to cut-off the backside on OZ: pic.twitter.com/FDL50WE2bl
— The Scouting Academy (@TheScoutAcademy) February 22, 2017
Only 70 Days until the NFL Season!
My Top 3 #70's:
1. Kelechi Osemele (video)
2. Zach Martin
3. Kevin Zeitler#99Players99Days #Raiders #NFL pic.twitter.com/pl7e9hSXee— Daniel Fitzgerald (@nflpicksfitz) June 29, 2017
Washington also played guard and center for eight years in the NFL himself. The experience he brings to the table could be immensely valuable. Not just in training camp either. If the Bears are smart they might want to find him a permanent job on their staff. As the saying goes there is no such thing as too much talent on a team. Or a staff in this case.
The Akiem Hicks contract issue is something that has been talked about for weeks since the league year began back in March. It’s well known the 27-year old is entering the final year of his current deal. After notching seven sacks and grading highly as a run defender, most believe he’s earned an extension from the Chicago Bears moving forward.
That was made difficult by two factors. The ongoing stall of first round pick Mitch Trubisky who didn’t sign until a couple days before rookies reported for training camp. Then there was the fact Hicks didn’t have an agent at the time. Only recently did he sign on with Drew Rosenhaus. So discussions on a new deal have just started.
The big question though is whether Hicks has interest in staying. It’d be hard to blame him wanting to exit stage right after going 3-13 last year. This after reaching the AFC championship with the Patriots the year before.
Yet that didn’t seem to affect the man himself at all. Hicks fielded the question about his contract status with up-front honest. He didn’t promise anything, but made it clear that his loyalty to the Bears and city of Chicago has become rock solid.
Bears DL Akiem Hicks: "I'm completely open to ending my career here. … I'm interested in playing here for a long time."
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) July 26, 2017
#Bears DL Akiem Hicks on 2017: "It's put up or shut up."
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) July 26, 2017
The main fear for many Bears fans is that GM Ryan Pace will do the same thing he did with Alshon Jeffery. He’ll try to low ball the veteran with a cheaper offer. Hicks won’t bite and instead just decides to seek bigger fortunes elsewhere. That’s fair, but also a bit misguided. Remember that Pace was the one who brought Hicks aboard in the first place. Jeffery wasn’t one of “his” guys and didn’t fit his vision.
Hicks clearly does. That’s a vital fact to keep in mind as negotiations go forward. Barring a significant breakdown, odds are good a deal can get done.
A lot of people have forgotten about the Kyle Fuller 2017 story line. They’ve mostly focused on new blood like Akiem Hicks, Leonard Floyd, Eddie Goldman and Nick Kwiatkoski. Hopes are they’ll form the bedrock of the Bears’ defensive resurgence. Fuller has already been written off as yet another bust by former GM Phil Emery.
Is that fair though? In truth Fuller still ranks second in interceptions over the past two seasons despite missing all of 2016 with a knee injury. He’s still young with plenty of qualities that are worth giving another chance. It’s not like the Bears are loaded at the position anyway. Why isn’t he at least getting some coverage?
Mostly because he hasn’t played. People don’t believe he’s worth the trouble anymore. Well that’s not always how things work in the NFL. Sometimes, believe or not, players get healthy and come back better than before. Fuller was playing really well towards the end of 2015. There is every reason to think he still has a future with this team.
Ike Taylor knows a thing or two about people not believing in him. The former Pittsburgh Steelers standout was a fourth round pick in 2003. He started just two games across the first two seasons of his career. It wasn’t until his third year that things finally clicked and he became their primary cover man for the next nine seasons. During that time he won two Super Bowls. So he knows the types of questions Fuller is facing.
He also believes the young man will overcome them and rediscover his niche in Chicago.
“2017 projection: Four interceptions and 15 pass deflections.
The Bears’ first-round pick in 2014, Fuller had a solid start in the league. He hauled in six picks in his first two seasons before missing the entire 2016 campaign with a knee injury. Now there’s talk that the 25-year-old could be on the roster bubble heading into training camp. But I still believe in the guy. With a healthy return in 2017, Fuller has the goods to stand out on a rebuilding Bears squad. He has good anticipation and exceptional route reading. Not to mention, Fuller possesses great ball skills, is always up to the challenge and is the most athletic Fuller brother. Sorry, boys.”
This would be a virtual godsend for the Bears. They badly need some of their young players to start stepping up. Especially in the secondary. Coaches can only do so much. At some point the roster has to take things into their own hands and step up their game. This sort of inconsistency can be expected from such a young group.
Fuller is entering his fourth year. Chicago refused to pick up the fifth year option in his rookie contract. Essentially he’s playing for his future now. Failure likely means cheap deals for the rest of his career. If nothing else that means he’ll be motivated to prove something. If he looks like the guy who finished 2015, the Bears will be in business.
The 40,717 people that were on hand today to watch the Chicago Cubs defeat the Chicago White Sox got to witness some strange things happen at Wrigley Field. First, White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon became the first pitcher since at least 1913 to strike out at least 11 batters in an outing of four innings or fewer. Second, a game of “bean ball” broke out as Cubs starter John Lackey plunked four White Sox hitters to which White Sox reliever Chris Beck responded by drilling Cubs rookie Ian Happ in the back of the leg. Lastly, Cubs infielder Javier Baez somehow managed to one-up the infamous “golden sombrero” by becoming the first Cub to strikeout five times in a game since Ted Lilly and Geovany Soto “accomplished” that feat back in 2008.
The craziest moment of the game however came in the bottom of the fourth inning when Cubs superstar (and overall nice guy) Kris Bryant earned his first career MLB ejection after he argued a called third strike with home plate umpire Lance Barksdale.
Kris Bryant ejected from today's game. Rare to see him argue but rightfully so on a terrible call. pic.twitter.com/nUcb9kaJB4
— Cubs Live (@Cubs_Live) July 25, 2017
I will truly put my Cubs bias aside when I say that was maybe one of the worst f*cking calls I’ve ever seen in my life. If you look at ‘Pitchcast,’ it has the called third strike AT LEAST six inches off the inside of the plate. Even during the argument, Bryant didn’t blow up and make a scene, he stayed calm and said his piece.
I was reading some tweets during the game calling Bryant a baby for arguing but as it turns out, he was absolutely right to argue that call. After the game, he was asked about his ejection and he essentially said the only time he argues pitch calls is when he knows for a fact that he’s right.
So how right was he to argue this call?
100% (and not because I’m a fan but because of cold hard facts.)
Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN,
“According to ESPN Stats and Information, the pitch on which Kris Bryant was called out on, leading to his ejection, has been called a strike in a 2-2 count to a right handed batter 0 percent of the time this season.”
ZERO PERCENT! That’s how bad of a call that was. In all the 2-2 counts in baseball this season to all of the right handed hitters in the league, that same pitch that Bryant argued was NEVER CALLED A STRIKE BEFORE.
Even after the ejection, Cubs manager Joe Maddon came out to talk to Barksdale to get some clarity as to why Bryant was ejected. Barksdale told Maddon that even as pissed off as Bryant was, he still didn’t curse. Maddon’s response to that is pure comedy.
“I said, ‘What did he say?’ And he told me. I’m thinking, ‘My gosh; that’s not harsh enough.’ I mean, I’ve clearly said a lot harsher than that. I did not want to get kicked out at that moment. I was not really worth it at that moment. It was so awkwardly benign…”
It was probably so awkward because Bryant rarely curses so when he does, you know something has to be wrong. To be honest with you, I’m sure Bryant probably dropped a few four-letter words and I say that because during a post-game interview, he didn’t confirm (or deny) that he cursed at Lance Barksdale. However, when you make that shitty of a call, you deserve every four-letter word that comes your way.
Bryant went on to say that he felt like he had to “stand up for himself” by arguing the call and I’m glad he did. Even though nobody knows exactly what was said besides Bryant and Barksdale, KB did let out a pretty serious ‘dang’ during his post-game interview.
No word yet if he’ll be suspended for cursing at the media.
The Chicago Cubs are still looking for a veteran backup catcher and they’re reportedly interested in Rene Rivera of the New York Mets, according to Marc Carig of Newsday.
Here’s the report from Tuesday night.
In search of candidates to serve as a backup catcher, the Cubs have reached out to the Mets to express interest in trading for Rene Rivera, a source confirmed on Tuesday. The Cubs’ level of interest is unclear, as is whether the talks have gained any traction.
Rivera would be a fit for the Cubs, who could use a veteran behind starter Willson Contreras. The Post first reported the Cubs’ potential interest.
Rivera is 33-years-old, has six home runs in 46 games this season with the Mets, slashing .245/.291/.395.
The Cubs have been linked to Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila, but Chicago Sun-Times reporter Gordon Wittenmyer said that according to his sources Avila isn’t seen as a good fit on the North Side. He went with Miami Marlins catcher A.J. Ellis as a more probable option for the Cubs.
The other available catcher most often linked to the Cubs, Detroit’s Alex Avila, also is not considered a strong fit, said one source.
The Cubs have explored catching possibilities among the trailers in the National League East, with defensive-minded, clubhouse asset A.J. Ellis of the sell-everything Marlins the most natural fit.
Wittenmyer also dismissed the chance of trading for Texas Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon said the following about what he wants in a veteran backup for Willson Contreras.
Via 670 The Score:
“Somebody that obviously understands his role,” Maddon said on the Spiegel and Parkins Show on 670 The Score on Tuesday when asked what he wants in a veteran catcher. “When you throw him out there, probably pretty defensively solid. It’s always nice to get a little offensive push, maybe at least some power. But a guy that definitely knows how to handle a staff, a guy that these pitchers would be comfortable with. Because we have some veteran pitchers here that we need to pop a guy out there that you want him to be comfortable with.”
At the end of the day it would make more sense to trade for the worse offensive backup catcher, Ellis or Rivera and give up less in a deal, than to give up a more valuable prospect for a guy like Avila. Reason being, you really only need the backup to start once a week and when the playoffs begin, Contreras will start every game behind the plate anyway.
Rivera, Ellis and Avila are all free agents after this season.
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