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REPORT: Kris Bryant Said No To Cubs Contract Extension

By
Aldo Soto
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This really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but we now have a second national MLB reporter that says the Chicago Cubs tried to lock up Kris Bryant to a contract extension this past offseason. Just like SI’s Tom Verducci’s report from April, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported the same on Thursday.

The Cubs did give Bryant a record-breaking, pre-arbitration salary of $1.05 million, but they were looking for a long-term deal. Those talks didn’t last long.

Via Jon Heyman:

It appears Kris Bryant didn’t counter anything the Chicago Cubs may have offered — if they did get to make an official offer — as a couple sources said they did. This development affirms an earlier report of Tom Verducci of MLB Network and Sports Illustrated.

One Cubs person suggested the response was something along the lines of, “We’re good.” That meant there was no counter offer.

Scott Boras, Bryant’s agent, said the Cubs and the 2016 NL MVP never got to specific talks about a contract extension.

“(The Cubs) talked about where they are philosophically. We understand what works for (Theo Epstein). And we understand what philosophy works for Kris Bryant,” Boras said. “Theo’s dynamic has worked for him. And Kris Bryant’s dynamic has worked for players like him.”

It’s obvious why Theo Epstein and the Cubs want to lock up Bryant as soon as they can. Once Bryant hits free agency, he’ll be looking at a market where a $400 million deal will be obtainable.

Bryant is under team control through 2021, so it’s not a huge problem for the Cubs. However, it’s obvious the front office wants to secure a long-term deal with him because, you know, that’s the smart thing to do. At the same time, you can’t really blame Bryant for wanting no part of an extension at this point of his career. He’s coming off a Rookie of the Year and MVP seasons and there’s no sign that he’s slowing down. Even in a down year for the Cubs, Bryant is still performing up to his expectations.

But who knows, maybe a buddy from back home shocks the world and decides to sign with the Cubs and sways Bryant to sign a deal. More on that later.

Final Stat Predictions For All Key 2017 Bears Players

By
Erik Lambert
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2017 bears stat predictions

mike glennon bearsMike Glennon:  3,950 yards, 24 TDs, 12 INTs

The 2017 Bears stat predictions always must start with the quarterbacks. It’s important to keep expectations reasonable here. Glennon is entering his first year in a new offense and hasn’t started a game since 2014. There’s a lot for him to overcome and be productive. In the end, presuming he plays a full schedule he will have a decent stat line. The yardage total will actually be a Bears franchise record, aided in part by having a lot of speed on the field to gain yards after the catch. Everything else from touchdowns to interceptions will be right along the 2-to-1 ratio he’s had most of his career.

Anthony Rizzo Is Officially Off The Market

By
Gus
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Sorry ladies of Chicago, another Cubs superstar is off the market.

Last night, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo proposed to his girlfriend of a little over a year, Emily Vakos. According to her LinkedIn page, Vakos graduated from Arizona State University and is currently a real estate broker in Chicago. It appears Rizzo popped the question on Lake Michigan overlooking the beautiful Chicago skyline and not that I have to tell you — but of course she said yes.

The engagement comes about five months after Rizzo’s partner in crime, Kris Bryant, married his longtime girlfriend Jessica Delp in early January. Even though the two are officially off the market now, Bryant still wanted to congratulate his Cubs teammate and other half of “Bryzzo.”

Maybe Rizzo’s offensive struggles can be attributed to his nerves over the proposal and now he’ll finally bust out of his slump.

Maybe?

I’m just trying to think positive Cubs fans.

Congrats to Anthony and Emily.

Jarring Stat Explains How Devastated Bears Were By Injury in 2016

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears injury luck

The Chicago Bears injury luck is rotten. Terrible. Horrific. Bad. There are only so many ways to put it. Some NFL analysts have shied away from referencing the health issues this team has had. They don’t want to use it as a crutch for their problems. It sounds too much like an excuse. Well yeah. Of course it’s an excuse. A damn good one as it turns out.

Experts love to say the cliche things. Winning in football is about execution. It’s about a team playing together as one. Sure, those things are important but not the big imperative. Remember that this is one of the most brutal sports played on the planet. It takes a serious tole on the body. Especially if it’s played the wrong way. Execution and chemistry? No the biggest obstacle to success in this league is health.

Not having key players on the field to go against the opposing key players of another team is the fast track to losing a lot of games in the NFL. Those that are able to navigate this minefield tend to go far. Don’t believe it?

Chicago Bears injury luck showcased in numerical form

Hearing the news that wide receiver Cameron Meredith hurt his thumb ligament with 2017 having barely begun has to feel deflating. He’s expected to be a vital part of the Bears’ new-look offense. Now he loses valuable practice reps getting himself right. It’s more of the same from last year. For those who need a quick recap, here it is.

By the end of the 2016 season, the Bears had 21 players listed on Injured Reserve. For those wondering, the currently recognized record in this category is 22. That’s how banged up the team was. Not just a regular assortment of players either. There were a ton of big names on that list including:

  • Danny Trevathan
  • Eddie Goldman
  • Kyle Long
  • Zach Miller
  • Kyle Fuller
  • Jay Cutler

All of those men were key starters on the roster. This isn’t counting the time missed by players who managed to avoid IR either. Josh Sitton missed three games for various problems. Leonard Floyd suffered two concussions and some other problems. Bryce Callahan dealt with persistent hamstring issues. It was a mess.

Just look at the playoffs

So what about some comparisons? Often the best way to showcase how impactful injuries can be, here is a rundown of the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. The four teams that participated in the NFC and AFC championship games back in January.

  • Falcons ending year on IR:  8
  • Patriots ending year on IR:  11
  • Steelers ending year on IR:  11
  • Packers ending year on IR:  12

So wrap the head around this. Combined the four teams in the conference title games had 42 players on injured reserve by the time they played that weekend. Remember that the Bears had 21 by the end of the regular season. So that means they, one team, suffered half the number of total season-ending injuries of FOUR OTHER TEAMS.

That is insanity personified. How can anybody expect a team to win football games when something like that happens. One could argue it’s a minor miracle the Bears won even three games. There’s a reason GM Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox made injury prevention one of their primary offseason research topics. They want to win but know that’s not possible if the players they’ve chosen to help do that aren’t on the field.

Bears Have Better Chance At #1 Pick Than Playoffs Says ESPN

By
Erik Lambert
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head coach john fox

The Chicago Bears playoff chances are not good. At least when it comes to asking ESPN about the idea. This shouldn’t be a surprise. There have been times over the years where it feels like the longtime sports powerhouse has had a certain “distaste” for the Bears. That may just be the ramblings of a Chicago conspiracy theorist but I digress. Bottom line is the research and “moneyball” style math would seem to indicate this team is doomed in 2017.

In order to gauge the odds for every team, something called the Football Power Index (FPI) was created. Hank Gargiulo of the ESPN analytics team broke it down as such.

“As we edge closer to the start of the NFL season, ESPN’s Sports Analytics team has calculated our initial Football Power Index rankings for 2017. In short, a team’s FPI rating combines its efficiency ratings on offense, defense and special teams — based on each unit’s expected points added per play — with the sum of all three squad ratings yielding the overall FPI rating.”

In other words it’s just another fancy version of a power rankings with a slight twist. Pretty much the usual suspects are at the top. New England in the AFC. Seattle, Green Bay, Atlanta and Dallas in the NFC. It was mildly surprising that the Seahawks were favorites to win the #1 seed in the playoffs this year. As for the rest of the NFC North?

Chicago Bears playoff chances are…almost invisible

Suffice to say the math seems to have way more faith in the Packers, Vikings and Lions than the Bears at this point. Understandable since all three have made the postseason since 2015. Something Chicago cannot boast. Still, is it really that bad? Well looking at the chart, it doesn’t get a lot worse.

There’s just no getting around it. The Bears have the second-worst odds of making the playoffs in the NFC. Only San Francisco is worse. In fact their chances of securing the #1 overall pick in the draft are better and that hasn’t happened since 1947. Ouch. Suffice to say 2017 is going to be a massive proving ground for this young team.

Last look shows that 79 of the 90 players currently on the Bears roster were acquired by GM Ryan Pace. This is unquestionably his team now and his grace period is nearing an end. The third season is when some sort of progress is expected from a rebuilding team. Okay the playoffs are a little too much to hope for, but 6-10 to 8-8 is a reasonable goal to shoot for.

Elite Coaches Could Be In Line To Replace John Fox

By
Erik Lambert
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john fox replacements

Rest assured that it’s not a bad thing if the Chicago Bears are already lining up potential John Fox replacements. The 62-year old head coach should count himself fortunate. There were plenty of reasons to justify him being fired this year. Yes, continuity is important but so is team progress. Going from 5-11 in to 2015 to 3-13 last year wasn’t what this franchise had in mind.

In the end the heavy injuries were cited as justification to give him a second chance. That’s fair but it also sets the expectations for 2017 crystal clear. Either the team shows a significant improvement or in all likelihood he’s fired. We’re talking at least six wins, and that’s setting the bar at its absolute lowest.

Several analysts don’t believe he’ll even be able to hit that mark. If that ends up being the case, GM Ryan Pace could make the change. According to Sports Illustrated columnist Chris Burke, there could be some reputable names ready to take his place if and when that happens.

John Fox replacements have something he doesn’t

Burke did a breakdown of every head coach in the NFL who can be considered on the hot seat for 2017. Of course Fox was near the top of the list, ranking third with a “scalding” label. However, there were also two other surprise names on the list. Men with solid reputations and something else. Something Fox has chased his entire career.

Super Bowl rings. The first was Sean Payton, head coach of the New Orleans Saints. An old friend of Pace, it’s possible missing the playoffs for the fourth-straight season could be his death knell.

“Frustration is mounting in the Big Easy, where the Saints have posted back-to-back-to-back 7–9 finishes. Worse yet, the player around which the offense (and arguably entire roster) is built, Drew Brees, turned 38 in January and is closing in on the end of his career—the front office certainly won’t want Brees to go out in quiet fashion after a Hall of Fame-caliber career. That the Panthers and Falcons have played in the Super Bowl the past two seasons, respectively, only cranks up the pressure on Payton.”

Bringing in Payton would be a natural thing. Not just because Pace knows him well but because the 53-year old would be the absolute perfect guy to develop Mitch Trubisky as the Bears’ franchise quarterback. He has many similar qualities to Drew Brees. It’s not hard seeing him run that Payton offense on a high level.

The other Harbaugh

Turns out Jim Harbaugh might not be the only one in his family the Bears could pursue either. His brother John Harbaugh is also considered a danger for getting fired. Ever a team with high standards and expectations, the Baltimore Ravens haven’t had consistent success the past few years. Is it possible another hiccup might cost him?

“Greg Bedard speculated in early December last year that Harbaugh’s job could hinge on Baltimore’s final five games. The Ravens finished 2–3, including a Christmas Day heartbreaker in Pittsburgh, to wrap an 8–8 year. Harbaugh is back, obviously, but is patience starting to wear thin? Since winning the Super Bowl in 2012, the Ravens have missed the playoffs three of a possible four times and they’re a combined 13–19 the past two seasons. Harbaugh’s success cannot be erased, but it won’t take long to tire of looking up at Pittsburgh in the AFC North.”

Crazy as it sounds, Harbaugh might be an even better choice than Payton. For one he has experience as both a special team and defensive coach. He’s shown a much greater ability to manage an entire roster. Not just one phase. Also he has proven to be more consistent. In nine years as head coach, the Ravens have had just one losing season. They’ve made the playoffs six times and hold a record of 10-5 with a Super Bowl win under his guidance.

In the end both men are younger and more accomplished than Fox is or was. They have the jewelry to prove it. If Pace maintains his stance on desiring head coaches with experience, then they would make ideal replacement options. Fox better hope he either avoids the ax by winning enough games or that neither of them become available.

This Mitch Trubisky Comeback Story Versus Delaware Is Amazing

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky leadership

People can talk about arm strength, accuracy, ball placement, size and mobility for days. There have been many quarterbacks who’ve had all those things but still haven’t been successful in the NFL. Why? They didn’t know how to be leaders. Quarterbacks are expected to run the show on and off the field. It’s accustomed with playing the most important position in professional sports. That why Bears fans are anxious to know if the Mitch Trubisky leadership traits are strong enough to have an effect.

His quarterbacks coach at North Carolina, Keith Heckendorf was asked this very question during an interview with The Draft Wire. It’s a question the man has seen plenty variations of over the past few months. Each time he’s sworn by Trubisky’s ability to command both the huddle and the locker room. So this time, rather than just make a statement, he decided to tell a story.

The Mitch Trubisky leadership story

Amazingly enough, the story took place a year before Trubisky had even become a starter. It seems his tireless work ethic and team-first attitude had rubbed off on teammates long before his opportunity finally came. Yet when he did get his chances to play, he showcased why that confidence was well-founded.

“Here’s a good story that I’ve told people over the last couple of years. In Mitchell’s red-shirt freshman year, the 2015 season, we’re playing the University of Delaware and I think the score is something like 14-13, we’re down a point and we elect to put Mitch in the game. Mitch proceeds to go 17-20 in that game for 300+ yards and four touchdowns, and tears it up. In the course of the second half of that game, we had a third down and long situation come up and our defensive coaches are on the sideline already getting their guys ready to go back out and play.

It’s third down and long, we have to get ready to go back out there and our senior captain/starting middle linebacker looked at our defensive coach at the time and said, “Hey coach, we’re good. No. 10 is in the game.” Sure enough, we convert the first down and we rolled on [laughs]. That was the sense of confidence that our team had in Mitch and it started with what he did every day in practice and how he carried himself every day.”

Clarifying the story

In truth the coach might’ve been a little off on where the play occurred. North Carolina faced just one 3rd and long situation in the second half and that was converted via a running play. The pass he’s likely referring too came just before the end of the first half. The offense had bogged down at the Delaware 47-yard line. It was 3rd and 8. The score was still 10-7 at the time. So points were at a premium. Trubisky delivered a 35-yard strike to Quinshad Davis for a first down. UNC kicked a field goal to extend their lead 13-7 at halftime.

That was all the momentum they needed for what came next.

For him to do all that coming off the bench? Pretty impressive work. Just another sign that the Bears made the right decision taking a chance on him. Sure it may end up not working out, but this is further validation that Trubisky has the capacity for greatness. Something Chicago hasn’t seen at that position for almost 70 years.

Ken “Hawk” Harrelson Says 2018 Will Be His Last Year Doing White Sox Games

By
Aldo Soto
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For a few generations, the voice of the Chicago White Sox has been Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, but on Wednesday the polarizing play-by-play man announced that his time in the booth is coming to an end. Hawk previously said he wanted to continue broadcasting White Sox games for several more seasons, but the veteran announcer says he’ll call it quits after the 2018 season.

For the past few years, Hawk has only worked a few home games, and has only been in the TV booth for White Sox games on the road. After 2018, Jason Benetti will take over full time.

Hawk was a White Sox announcer in the 80s, before permanently coming back to the booth in 1990.

Carlos Boozer Reveals Why Nate Robinson Was The Greatest Teammate Ever

By
Matt Peck
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carlos boozer nate robinson greatest teammate cupcakes

Appearing on Monday’s episode of FS1’s Undisputed, former Bulls forward Carlos Boozer declared Nate Robinson to be his favorite NBA teammate. The two spent the 2012-13 season together in Chicago. That year, the Derrick Rose-less Bulls upset the Brooklyn Nets in the first round and shocked everyone by stealing Game 1 of the second round against the vaunted Miami Heat. Given Boozer’s long career in the NBA it’s somewhat surprising that Robinson, with whom he spent just that singular season, left the greatest impression. Then again, Bulls fans quickly fell in love with Nate’s explosive scoring and emotional enthusiasm.

Here’s what Boozer had to say about the feisty point guard:

“My favorite teammate was Nate Robinson in Chicago. Great teammate. Never got hurt, never complained. And a fun fact … every road trip he baked us cupcakes for the road. Straight up the best teammate I ever had.” – Carlos Boozer

Who knew Robinson was so skilled in the kitchen? A man of many talents, Nate made headlines last year by trying to earn a spot as a defensive back on an NFL roster. He didn’t make the cut, however, and is still eyeing a return to the NBA. He joined Philadelphia’s D League affiliate in February.

Bulls fans will always remember Nate for his otherworldly playoff performance in the Game 4 triple overtime thriller against Brooklyn. With Chicago trailing by double digits late in the 4th quarter, Robinson executed a furious one-man comeback to get the Bulls back in it. Truly, it will go down as one of the greatest performances the United Center will ever see.

No wonder Boozer loved being on Nate’s team so much. The undersized guard never shied away from the big moments.

Oh, one more thing. Boozer got hazed by NBA fans when he showed up to a Bulls game with this inexplicably shiny (and fake) hairdo. But check out the Grizzly Adams beard he’s sporting in this Undisputed appearance:

…Which is worse? The shiny ‘do or the mega beard? Whichever is worse, Boozer could probably use a cupcake from Robinson to block out all the haters.

Where Are The Haters of The Brandon Marshall Trade Now?

By
Erik Lambert
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brandon marshall trade

The popular saying goes to never judge a trade or draft pick or free agent signing until after a couple years. Doesn’t seem to matter though. People will spew all sorts of vile venom at GMs for making bold moves. Few understand this better than Ryan Pace of the Bears. His most recent bit of flak-catching came after his bold jump from #3 to #2 in the draft to grab quarterback Mitch Trubisky. However, his first real trial by fire came two years prior with his Brandon Marshall trade.

Critics were out in full force for that one. How could the Bears possibly justify letting go of a valuable offensive piece? Plenty of reasons were given:  locker room stability, age, and money. None of them mattered. Some people are only obsessed with the numbers, and Marshall put up some good ones during his time in Chicago.

Trading him to the New York Jets for a fifth round pick seemed utterly maddening. Now it’s two years later and the Jets are in arguably worse shape than the Bears are. With Marshall already being gone to join the crosstown rival New York Giants. It took him that long to get himself run off another team.

The Brandon Marshall trade was actually damned savvy

Jacob Infante of Windy City Gridiron put things in a proper perspective. He explained how the short-term gain of one or two good statistical seasons wasn’t worth the total demise of locker room stability and team continuity. It’s a big reason why no team Marshall has played on has ever made the playoffs. Not once in his career. Is that a coincidence? Unlikely.

“Marshall had been one of the best weapons in the league during that time, and the Bears only managed to get a Day 3 pick for him. On paper, that seems incredibly lopsided, right? Looking back on the deal, though, makes Ryan Pace seem like a genius.

Marshall went on to have arguably the best season of his career with the Jets in 2015. He caught 109 passes and had 1,502 receiving yards and a career-high 14 touchdowns. After that first year, the Bears came off as foolish and desperate to get rid of him. However, it went downhill fast for Marshall after that.

Fast forward another year, and Marshall is on another team. The Jets released him after what may have been his worst performance since his rookie season. Former teammate Sheldon Richardson recently threw some shade at him, hinting that the locker room is much better now that he’s gone. All of a sudden, that trade doesn’t seem too bad now, does it?”

Stay ahead of the curve

The incident in question was when the Jets defensive tackle stated the locker room was a lot easier to get along with this year. When inevitably asked why, his response was easy enough to decrypt.

He may be one of the most outspoken critics of Marshall’s locker room habits, but he’s far from the first. The mercurial receiver has made plenty of enemies across his long career. The Giants make his fifth NFL team. A stat that’s hard to believe considering he’s a six-time Pro Bowler. So maybe it’s time to give Pace a little credit for getting something in return.

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