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You’ll Never Believe What The Bulls Called Chance The Rapper On The Jumbotron

By
Matthew Milakovich
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zaddy
The slang term for a really “handsome” guy who is very appealing and looks really fashionable. He has to have swag and sex appeal and look sexy and attractive.
Daaaaaamn. Reggie Bush is a zaaaaaddy!!!

or… Daaaaaamn! Did you see that dude? He was a ZADDY!!!

#fine#sexy#cute#sex appeal#swag#fly#bomb

As if I needed another reason to not watch the Bulls.

I promised myself a long time ago that if I was ever offered the attention of a woman, no matter how attractive she was with all that makeup and those God sent yoga pants on– if she referred to me as bae, zaddy, boo, or any other flavor of the week type dumb shit– I would tell them to kick rocks. I don’t have time for any of that theater and bullshit. Especially not when I spent a ton of money on a university education that pretty much dictates I uphold a certain respect and love for the English language.

Now here we are… I’m officially the old guy getting mad about the Bulls appealing to the younger generation.

This is my life now. I’m like a toned down Gran Torino character.

Chicago Heckler Gets Under LeBron’s Single-Ply Thin Skin, Makes Him Look Like A Baby

By
Matthew Milakovich
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Chicago heckler, Chicago fire, Chicago PD, Chicago transit authority, Chicago water tower– I don’t give a damn, Cavs by 20…

We’ve always known that LeBron can be a little sensitive at times, but it seems even after four MVP trophies, three NBA titles… not to mention being widely regarded as one of the top five players to ever play the game of basketball… after all those accomplishments the “King” still can’t take a little light hazing.

Hey ya’ll, is it just me or should a “King” not give a damn what some lowly serf thinks? Why is he even giving this dude the time of day? You would think that LeBron would just ignore it, knowing he doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone.

Yup, you’d think.

But LeBron is who he is– a cry baby. Granted, he’s an extremely talented, freakish, freight train of a cry baby… But, a cry baby none-the-less.

James put up a line of 23 PTS, 6 AST, 7 REB, en route to a 113-91 Cavaliers shellacking of the lowly Bulls.

Now, ESPECIALLY given the fact the Bulls are dog-shit awful and they never had a chance, again, you’d think LeBron could have just pointed at the scoreboard and not even looked in the direction of this Chicago heckler… Let alone engage in full conversation with him.

You’d think…

Perhaps, LeBron is really insecure about his hairline. That’s fair.

Belief Growing This Key Factor Will Drive Ryan Pace to Next Bears Coach

By
Erik Lambert
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Chicago Bears GM is on the precipice of the biggest decision of his life. All signs point to him being safe for another year. Such is not the case for head coach John Fox. His inability to develop and elevate the roster to this point has lost him all credibility. Signs point to him being shown the door in January, quite possibly with the worst record for a coach in Bears history. At that point Pace will be under the microscope.

His first head coaching hire was a total disaster. So plenty are skeptical on whether he can get a second one right. In order to do so he’ll exhaustively research every possible candidate. It can’t be about preferred backgrounds either. Yes an offensive guy could theoretically help Mitch Trubisky, but tell that to Marc Trestman and Ben McAdoo.

He has to get the best possible football coach he can find. Somebody who shares his philosophies and can form a strong working relationship with. Plenty of names have already been thrown around. However, according to former Bears scout Greg Gabriel there is one key factor that will likely drive the hiring process.

Ryan Pace likely to stick close to his connections this time

One thing about Fox that was clear from the start was he had no prior connections to Pace. They’d never worked together. Granted Fox had gone against Pace’s New Orleans Saints several time as coach of the Carolina Panthers. Still that feeling of respect didn’t compare to actually working close with the man.

This time around the GM may prefer to make that second part a requirement.

“If there’s to be a search this year, Pace will be much more involved. You can bet that not only will he be looking for a top candidate but he may also gravitate toward people he has already has a relationship with. Being that his only other NFL experience was with the New Orleans, two of his coaching candidates could well come from the Saint in the form of defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael.

Being comfortable with the head coach is one of the more important parts of the selection process. The Bears may soon be experiencing that first-hand once again.”

It’s plenty understandable that Pace would do this. He isn’t the first GM in NFL history to consider that idea. Jerry Angelo had worked with Lovie Smith for five season in Tampa Bay. It was no coincidence they reunited in Chicago. It’s hard to argue with the results either. The two were in sync from the beginning and got the Bears to a Super Bowl. Maybe this is the best route for Pace to take.

His options appear limited, but are they?

Carmichael and Allen though? Nobody would call that pair the strongest choices. Of course appearances are deceiving. Carmichael has overseen the Saints offense since 2009, during which its had record-breaking success. Allen has helped engineer a stunning turnaround for the defense in 2017, making New Orleans a major threat in the NFC once again. So what’s the problem?

Word is Carmichael isn’t the most vocal of coaches. Though he’s a great teacher he is somewhat soft-spoken. Not entirely ideal for the mantle of head coach. As for Allen, it’s hard to forget his disastrous run as head coach in Oakland. During which he went 8-28. So if those are the choices, it’s hard to be excited about them.

Are they the only choices though?

As it turns out they aren’t. One intriguing name that briefly brushed past Pace back in 2006 was John Morton. He was offensive assistant that year. Since then he enjoyed as a wide receivers coach at USC, San Francisco and then returned to New Orleans again for that same job in 2015. This year he was plucked by the Jets to become their offensive coordinator and despite considerable talent questions? He’s had some remarkable success.

Four games still remain before the Bears can begin their search proper. Time will tell on what plans Pace has in mind.

Bears’ Apathy, 7 Seasons And Counting

By
Joey Gelman
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2010 was a long time ago. And that time seems even more of a distant memory after a 15-14 embarrassing loss at Soldier Field this past Sunday. There are many words to describe what has been one of the most forgettable seasons in recent memory, but after yesterday there was only word to describe their latest performance. Bears’ legend Ed O’Bradovich said it best, it was ‘disgraceful.’

2010 was the last time the Bears made the playoffs, better yet, had a winning record. With Lovie Smith still in charge, the Bears won the NFC North, knocked off the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round, before ultimately falling to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game with Caleb Hanie trying to lead an improbable comeback.

Think about that for a second. The Bears on the cusp of their second Super Bowl berth four years after their devastating loss to Peyton Manning and the Colts. The Bears could rewrite their history and remain atop the NFL with Jay Cutler, a Super Bowl Champion. Instead, ever since that season seven years ago, the Bears have spiraled out of control and with that, are losing their fans.

Chicago Tribune Columnist David Haugh checked the pulse of Bears nation in relation to that of Illini nation, who ironically are now coached by Love Smith after almost a decade of bad football. He thought that Illini fan apathy towards their football team was slightly worse than the Bears, but it was getting close.

This was just after Thanksgiving. Since then, the Bears have lost two more games, falling to the Philadelphia Eagles, which was expected, and then lost to the now 2-10 San Francisco 49ers. The apathy arrow is now pointing squarely in the Bears direction, congrats Illinois.

Sitting in the stands this weekend, the game was almost laughable. It was expected that they would somehow find a way to lose to a team with only 1-win and a new starting Quarterback in Jimmy Garappolo. And that is exactly what happened. An unprepared Bears team with a vanilla offensive game plan, and a regressing defense looked ‘out-coached’ and ‘out-classed’ in front of their most passionate fans, not to mention on an unusually warm 60-degree day in December.

The feelings of embarrassment, disgust and apathy filled the stadium. Out of all the feelings in the stadium this Sunday and this whole season, APATHY is what the Bears should be most scared of. Apathy is why you have had back-to-back home games with a combined number of paid-no-shows as high as 18,500 people. Apathy is why season-ticket holders have sold their seats this season. Apathy is why fans aren’t carving out their Sundays anymore to watch games, when they see later that night what real football looks like, seeing Carson Wentz and Jared Goff light up the scoreboard.

The Bears are losing their fan base and are doing nothing about it. Thinking that fans will stay through thick and thin, is ignorant and not addressing their true problems is cowardice.

The Bears may believe their brand trumps all, but it doesn’t anymore. The Cubs are the talk of the town, with the Blackhawks a close second. While the Bears hold a special place in this city, the ‘talk’ for the last 7 years has only been negative.

Bears fans are tired of rooting for firings. Shouldn’t they deserve to root for winning?

As the losing continues, so does the interest in the team. And if the Bears continue to stick to the status quo, deny transparency, and continue to misfire on player and even coaching evaluation, the downward trend will continue. The Bears need to make changes, but by keeping John Fox through the season, watching Dowell Loggains hold back Mitchell Trubisky’s development through unimaginative play-calling, and seeing draft picks and former players continue to fall out of the league or find success on other teams, what is there to watch?

The Bears offer their fans no enjoyment on Sunday afternoons. And if you think the fans are apathetic towards their team, it seems as though former Bears’ Director of College Scouting Greg Gabriel thinks the players are too.

The Bears don’t care, so why should you? If they fired John Fox and or Dowell Loggains, it would start a fire under everyone else in Halas Hall, telling them ‘this is not acceptable.’ Gabriel talked about this today on the Bernstein and Goff Show. But with the continued miscues and lack of communication with the fan base about the team’s direction, Bears fans have no reason to stick by the team if the team doesn’t offer them any incentive to do so.

Since the firing of Lovie Smith in 2012, the Bears will have had seven straight seasons of .500 football or worse. Fans are taking notice. Just look at the tweets below populated on Sports Mockery’s website this weekend.

From Emery to Trestman, to Pace to Fox, nobody is safe from blame. If the Cleveland Browns did not exist, the Chicago Bears, THE CHARTER FRANCHISE, would be the worst team in football over the last seven years, more importantly for the last four season, totaling 17 wins over that span as of Week 13 of the 2017 season.

Since the Bears won the Super Bowl in 1985, the seven-year playoff drought is their longest absence in over 30 years. How is that acceptable?

At the end of the season, when George McCasky holds his press conference and says at the podium that ‘mother is pissed,’ is that supposed to rile up Bears fans? He said that last time, when the Bears let go Marc Trestman, but they seemed to not learn from their mistakes in hiring John Fox.

It is not the anger of his mother Virginia McCasky that George should be scared of; it is the anger of the Bears fans, his paying customers that he should be worried about.

The Bears buzz in this city is at an all-time low. People simply don’t care like they used to. Bears games used to always be appointment TV, and it is getting very hard to make it so. The Bears continue to stunt young players development, coupled with an off-message head coach and general manager and a product that really isn’t worth anyone’s time. Even long-time Bears’ fan and NFL reporter Hub Arkush cannot take it anymore.

And coming home after the game yesterday, seeing teams score with ease on the Red Zone channel, or watching Carson Wentz make miraculous throws from one knee, it really shows just how far the Bears are from competing at the NFL level. As fans continue to watch the Bears, and then watch the rest of the league, they will continue to turn off the Bears game and focus on the Red Zone channel, as they care more about their fantasy team then the one that plays on the Lakefront.

Apathy is a very scary thing, and the Bears need to take notice before losing a generation of fans who are hungry for football, but who can’t find any resemblance of it in their own Chicago team.

Tarik Cohen Made a Monumental Bit of NFL History for Bears

By
Erik Lambert
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Dec 3, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen (29) celebrates his 61 yard touchdown punt return during the first half against the San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-359023 ORIG FILE ID: 20171203_ads_aw6_098.JPG

One of the few bright spots on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, and really all season has been running back Tarik Cohen. The little 5’6″ kid from North Carolina A&T was viewed as nothing more than a scat back when the Chicago Bears drafted him. It didn’t take him long to convince the rest of the NFL that they should respect him.

Already he’s done so much in the league. He’s run the ball well, received it well and even thrown it well. However it seems he was saving his best highlight yet for last week. Having backed the 49ers up, the Bears had a chance to get good field position on the ensuing punt. Cohen was back and should have room to make some decent yards. Instead he decided to do his best Devin Hester impression.

Tarik Cohen has done everything there is to do as a rookie

In the end his thrilling actions weren’t enough to get the Bears a win. They failed to score again as the 49ers rallied to a 15-14 victory. Nonetheless in what has become another lost season, Cohen was at least one man who could celebrate. He in fact made a rare bit of history with that play, history that hasn’t happened for a rookie 52 years.

Of course Sayers was pretty much the entire offense for Chicago back in 1965 while Cohen is more of a specialty player. Even so it’s a testament to the remarkable versatility the young man possesses. No wonder legions of Bears fans are begging for a new coaching staff. Not only do they want to see Mitch Trubisky improve, but they’re also anxious to find somebody who can properly utilize Cohen’s talents.

Hopefully he continues to provide exciting plays the rest of the season because it looks like things aren’t going to get much better record-wise.

2018 Is A Huge Year For These White Sox Prospects

By
Emmet McClain
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By now it is known league-wide that the White Sox boast the top farm system in all of baseball. While that is exciting, it is still important to realize that a good amount of these prospects might not reach their ceilings. A few could even bust completely. Right now it looks like Eloy Jimenez and Michael Kopech are going to be the real deal. However, for a handful of prospects, the 2018 season is going to be a crucial one in determining their future on the South Side. But who specifically is going to be under close watch this coming summer? Well, that would be the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th prospects currently in the White Sox system. AKA Luis Robert, Blake Rutherford, Dylan Cease, Alec Hansen, and Zack Collins.

Luis Robert

The prized international free agent signee will finally begin to play regularly stateside in the summer of ’18. It will be very interesting to see how he handles the rigors of a full season in a new environment. When it comes to God-given talent, few can match what he brings to the diamond. His combination of power and speed gives him an incredibly high ceiling and a pretty high floor as well. International players are usually a big question mark. The White Sox struck gold with slugger Jose Abreu, but have also whiffed on people like Dayan Viciedo. Former White Sox center fielder and World Series Champion Aaron Rowand has gone on record comparing Robert to a bigger and stronger version of Dexter Fowler. Only time will tell if that comparison comes to fruition. Look for Robert to play the majority of the year in high-A ball as a member of the Winston-Salem Dash, although he might begin the year in low-A with Kannapolis just to get his feet wet.

Blake Rutherford

Blake Rutherford was the headliner the White Sox received from the Yankees in exchange for David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle, and Todd Frazier. Rutherford had some growing pains in his first professional year last season, but with him being just 20 years old, there is no need to panic yet. The no. 39 overall prospect has a wide array of tools that project to a successful MLB career.The numbers he had before he was traded to the White Sox were actually pretty impressive. Being traded to a new organization at such a young age probably had a big effect on him mentally. As a member of the Yankees system, he slashed .281/.342/.391. Once with the White Sox he dropped to .213/.289/.254. The biggest thing I am looking for next year with Rutherford is if he is able to tap into his power more. If he can, he can be a star. With his first full season under his belt and more familiarity with his new teammates, I expect Rutherford to have a bounce back year and show everyone why Rick Hahn traded for him at the deadline.

Dylan Cease

Dylan Cease was the lesser of two headliners the White Sox received from the Cubs in exchange for Jose Quintana; the other being Eloy Jimenez. Cease pairs a deadly curveball with an electric fastball, giving him the pure stuff to be a force at the MLB level. Working with pitching coach Don Cooper in Spring Training should do wonders for his development. His changeup and control are both areas where he needs to improve upon. If he can stay consistent, he has the potential to blow through the minors. If his control remains an issue, his stuff should still make him an above average bullpen arm for the White Sox.

Alec Hansen

Alec Hansen could very well end up being the future ace of the White Sox pitching staff when they are ready to contend. Standing at an imposing 6′ 7″, Hansen has the build and the stuff to be a frontline starter. The Oklahoma product started the year in Kannapolis, but quickly showed everyone that he was a man amongst boys. Soon he was with the Winston-Salem Dash in high-A ball, where he spent the majority of the year. He even got a brief stint in Double-A with the Birmingham Barons. If he continues his dominance, he could be a September call up for the White Sox towards the end of 2018. Control was a big reason why he slipped so far in the 2016 draft, but you wouldn’t know it based off his numbers from last year. In 141.1 innings pitched, his k/bb ratio was 191/51 and had a total ERA of 2.80. If Hansen continues to keep his pitches under control, his pure stuff will see to it that he progresses quickly through the minors. He is currently just the 90th overall prospect in baseball. Expect that to change in the very near future.

Zack Collins

When the White Sox drafted Collins 10th overall in 2016, they saw him as a power hitting catcher who has a knack for getting on base. While many scouts see him more as a first baseman, the White Sox still seem firmly set on him sticking behind the plate. As a hitter, Collins struggled in his first full year as a pro, hitting only .224. There is reason for optimism however, as he still managed to get on base at a .370 clip despite his subpar batting average. He also flashed his plus power, belting 19 home runs in 113 games. His 17 home runs with the Winston-Salem Dash led the team. In 2018, it will be interesting to see how he changes his approach at the plate, if at all. He seems confident enough in his swing where any changes would be minimal at best. Some scouts say his low average had to do with him focusing primarily on improving his defense all year long. He shouldn’t have to hit .300 to make believers out of fans though. If he can hit around .260 with 20+ home runs and can still get on base at a .370 clip or better, it would be a great sign for the White Sox catcher of the future.

Final Thoughts

These five prospects will hopefully be a part of a young core on the South Side for years to come. In 2017 they were able to get their feet wet and adjust to pro ball. In 2018, they will look to take the next step and work their way closer to the MLB level. Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Eloy Jimenez, Lucas Giolito, and Reynaldo Lopez will make the White Sox good again. These next five prospects could help make them great.

Bears Reportedly “All About” This Particular 2018 Draft Prospect

By
Erik Lambert
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2018 nfl draft prospect

The Chicago Bears 3-9 on the season. Any hope of the playoffs ended on Sunday in their loss to the 49ers. So now eyes shift towards the future. Most of the chatter has understandably been about the fate of head coach John Fox. At the same time this is typically when a team likes to get a head start on off-season plans. Presuming GM Ryan Pace is safe as most expect, he no doubt is evaluating every 2018 NFL draft prospect.

So who will the Bears pick? It’s way too early to answer that question. Many things need to happen beforehand. The players eligible for the draft must declare their intent to either enter it or stay in school another year. There is the East-West Shrine Game, the Senior Bowl, the scouting combine and the pro days. All of those events have a drastic effect on team perceptions of certain players.

Nevertheless it’s not unheard of for a GM or organization in general to fall in love with a certain player early. ‘Vontae Mack, no matter what,’ right? Well according to draft expert Matt Miller, that may be the case for the Bears.

With Trubisky in mind, Chicago drooling over this 2018 NFL draft prospect

It’s obvious to everybody that the Bears’ primary goal in 2018 will be building around Mitch Trubisky. They badly need to find better wide receivers for him to throw to. A trio of Dontrelle Inman, Kendall Wright and Josh Bellamy isn’t going to cut it. This raises the likelihood they may go after a receiver early in the draft, and one name is atop their list.

“Mitchell Trubisky looks like he’ll pan out at quarterback, but to truly evaluate him or win with him, the Chicago Bears need a lot of help at wide receiver.

It’s fairly obvious the Bears cannot ever count on oft-injured wideout Kevin White being a contributor. If the team happens to get something from him, it’s a positive, but it isn’t something the front office should bank on in 2018. Cameron Meredith looks like Chicago’s best receiver coming back from injury next year, which means wide receiver is also the team’s biggest need.

Sources in the Chicago scouting staff have told me the team is all about Calvin Ridley from Alabama, but no wide receiver is ranked highly enough on my board to be selected in the top 10. Ridley or SMU’s Courtland Sutton have the skills to be No. 1 wide receivers in the NFL, but they might only be targets in a trade-back scenario.”

Ridley would be a fascinating addition. Scouts may be hesitant on him due to being 6’1″ and a tad thin. At the same time the results speak for themselves. Ridley is the only credible threat Alabama has in their passing game. Opponents know this and they also know the Crimson Tide QB is far from a gifted passer. Yet despite all that they still can’t stop him.

His mixture of speed, quickness, route running and strong hands make him a complete receiver. He’s also proven against the best competition in college football. While taking a wide receiver early in drafts has typically gone against the Bears, this would be an understandable move if it happened.

Trading Jonathan Toews Is As Illogical As It Would Be Impossible

By
Brian Foran
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Feb 21, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews (19) looks on during a Stadium Series hockey game at TCF Bank Stadium. The Minnesota Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-1. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Like the mythical Phoenix, I hath risen from the ashes of self-imposed exile to once again calm the prevailing winds of stupidity and hyperbole stinking up the city.

At the moment, the Chicago Blackhawks are as mediocre as a professional sports team can get. Even the most tunnel-visioned Blackhawks thumpers would have trouble refuting this reality. In gluttonous terminology, the team that has taken the ice night-in-and-night out for most of the 27 contest played so far in 2017 are the vanilla ice cream/cheese pizza/Goose Island Beer Co. (with exception for a few special releases) of the National Hockey League. Passable as means for calories, but bland and forgettable as shit.

And while this might be considered satisfactory in the eyes of many other cities merely fortunate enough to possess an NHL franchise, us spoiled-brat puck fans in Chicago have spent the betterment of the past decade feasting like overweight mafia dons in a Marty Scorsese film. The blandness just isn’t cutting it for us cake-eaters. It’s like going from Rosangela’s to Dominos or Zombie Dust to Goose IPA. Once you’ve acquired a taste for the good stuff, everything else just pales in comparison.

And just that’s it. We are all spoiled, petulant little shits who have grown accustomed to receiving a Lexus for Christmas each year and now find ourselves up-in-arms when Santa leaves an Audi in our driveways instead.

The consistency and dominance of the Blackhawks has molded us into this impatient and insufferably entitled entity. Almost to the point where winning has become status quo and even the slightest hint of regression sends us into a state of unrelenting panic.

Unrelenting panic that seems to be manifesting with the rallying cry of “trade Jonathan Toews” from its pitchfork-wielding vanguard.

Luckily I’m here to set things straight with a few questions pertaining to how utterly ridiculous the idea of trading arguably the greatest player in franchise history is.

1. What is it you expect to get back that is better than Jonathan Toews?

Toews – in addition to his linemates – is struggling to reach the score sheet and can be much better. A theory I’ve coined the “No Shit, Heisenberg! Principle.” I concocted that one while splitting the atom. He can be better, and he will. His Corsi of 55.1% is the highest it’s been since the 2014-2015 season and his shots on goal ranks within the top-15 of NHL centers. He and his line are essentially what you’d call snake-bitten at the present moment. But with these favorable possession stats, an explosion like the one we experienced in the first couple games of the season can come at any moment. This line is a ticking time bomb, and as the Pittsburgh Penguins learned the hard way, you don’t wanna be around for the boom. That said, what is it irate fans expect to get back for Toews of equal or greater value that will help the Blackhawks win now? Sure, by some miracle you might be able to score a player who will one day hold a higher point potential – someone who excels only in the offensive zone. But how is it you plan to replace the face-offs, the two-way compatibility, the shutdown defense/penalty kill, the locker room presence, and especially good luck finding someone as universally beloved and genuinely good-spirited off the ice. There may exist a total of four or maybe five players across the entire league that fit this complete bill, but guess what? You’re not getting any of them back in a trade for Jonathan Toews.

2. Who the hell can afford Jonathan Toews?

Toews is making $10.5 million per year from now until long after the trigger-happy egos of Kim Jong-Un and Donald Trump render the Earth an uninhabitable apocalyptic wasteland. In other words, you’re more likely to discover the cure to cancer with a set of basic household appliances than a franchise that can accommodate Toews’ albatross contract. Even if there exists a team out there with the financial means to take on $10.5 million through 2022-2023, why the hell would they? If such a team does possess this space, it is likely said team is in rebuild mode. And why would any franchise in the midst of total rebuild take on such a gargantuan and untradeable contract all while forfeiting the U-HAUL’s worth of prospects and picks it would take to lure Toews from Chicago? This idea literally goes against the very principle of what a rebuild is. It’d be like the White Sox perfecting their farm system only to gut it all for a single player in the twilight years of their prime. It’s one thing if we’re talking Connor McDavid here, who remains years from what many consider the prime seasons of a player’s career. But Toews is 29. By the time said team has the developed horses to seriously contend, Toews will be well into his 30’s and a shell of the player he once was and 100 times the financial handcuff he is today. Use logic here. As an aspiring entrepreneur, would you invest $10 million in a business situated on a slowly-eroding sinkhole?

3. No-movement clause

Say it with me now: TOTAL NO-MOVEMENT CLAUSE. Even if the dominoes were to fall in some perfect synchronized form and some desperate, bottom-of-the-barrel-team with a GM clinging to his job and desperate to put asses in the seats in some shithole market were somehow swayed by Stan Bowman into inheriting Toews’ contract, why the hell would Toews agree to waive his no-movement clause to end his prestigious career in a no-win situation? I mean, you don’t live your life in Orange County, California and then choose to retire in Flint, Michigan, after all. The power resides in Toews’ hands. Bowman can waive his magic wand all he wants but it is Toews who possesses the final say in where he plays out the final years of his career. And before you bring up the prospect of a trade with Toews’ hometown of Winnipeg, the one city the Blackhawks captain may consider waiving his no-trade clause for, take a quick gander at the Jets place in the standings and then scurry on over to their CapFriendly page to check out their financials. Like the 2010 Blackhawks, this is a team with a plethora of young, potentially very pricey and very talented mouths to feed in the coming years. The last thing Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff can afford is an added $10.5 million to their books. That is, unless he plans to kiss Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor and Connor Hellebuyck goodbye in a few years.

4. Is this how you really want it to end?

Embarrassing is the only word I can use to describe how quickly fans turn on beloved players in this city. One day you’re being hallmarked for providing fans with a lifetime of unforgettable memories, immortalized amongst the pantheon of the greats this city has been gifted with and the next you’re Frankenstein’s monster being cornered by angry villagers carrying pitchforks and torches. Jonathan Toews deserves better than being reduced to a hypothetical bullseye for you to focus your animosity toward. He’s done more for you, the hockey fan, and this city than any blogger behind any word template could ever properly convey. Jonathan Toews’ reign is one that should end in ceremony. One that mirrors a prophet ascending into the heavens aboard a chariot of fire. For what he’s done, for what he’s accomplished, he deserves nothing less. If you want to reduce this truly special, once-in-a-lifetime amalgamation of what makes the perfect sports icon and role model into simple salary cap-fodder then you need some serious self-evaluating to do. Jonathan Toews isn’t something you just trade.

 

The Most Frustrating Thing About These Bears Isn’t the Losing

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears

Ask a Chicago Bears fan what the most frustrating thing about this team is and most will give the obvious answer. They’re losers. The Bears are going to finish with their fourth-straight losing season. They haven’t had a winning season in a half decade. People have begun to think that this is the new, permanent reality of Chicago football. Truth be told though this isn’t what’s infuriating fans the most.

It’s that we don’t know for sure who this team actually is. Let’s review for a moment. This is a Bears team that endured the hardest first 11 games of an NFL season since 1925. They beat the currently 9-2 Pittsburgh Steelers with Mike Glennon at QB. A few weeks later they shocked the Ravens (who are 7-5) in Baltimore. Last but not least they took down the now 8-4 Carolina Panthers despite little to no output from their offense.

This isn’t counting the fact they were one dropped touchdown away from knocking off the NFC champion Atlanta Falcons or taking down the 10-2 Minnesota Vikings. There have been glimpses of this being a good team. Then the losses to Green Bay, San Francisco, Tampa Bay, and Philadelphia come roaring back to mind.

Who is this team? Nobody knows. Such a thing makes fans feel helpless.

Ceiling of these Chicago Bears is clouded by coaching problems

The fact of the matter is a team doesn’t beat quality opponents like the Bears have without having some talent. Sure they aren’t a completed project yet. There are holes left to fill. However, the glaring issue at hand is the coaching. Week by week this staff continues to lose credibility and common sense. They’re using close defeats and injuries to mask their own shortcomings.

John Fox is of course at the head of all this. His lackadaisical approach and baffling game management reached new heights over the past month. He challenged a play that resulted in the ball actually going over to the other team . Then he chose to try blocking a 24-yard field goal with no time left on the clock rather than allow a touchdown so as to give his offense 90 seconds to respond.

Loggains disaster isn’t helping his case either

Dragging him down further is the ongoing nightmare on offense. Dowell Loggains is supposed to be a quarterback specialist. Yet his management of rookie Mitch Trubisky most of this season is almost vomit-inducing. Through eight starts the #2 overall pick is completing just 54.9% of his passes for 1,237 yards and five touchdowns with four interceptions. He’s also been sacked 21 times in those eight games.

Loggains shows a constant inability to mold the offense around what Trubisky does best. They don’t utilize the zone-read hardly at all and rarely throw slants, both of which he’s gotten good production from. Instead it feels like the coordinator is trying to mash Trubisky into a more traditional system. This without adequate wide receivers to make it work.

Never mind the fact he continues to keep big play threats like Tarik Cohen and Adam Shaheen on the sideline in favor of guys like Dion Sims and Bennie Cunningham. Week by week it becomes clear he’s unequal to his task.

Until the Bears bring in a staff that gets this roster to play with more discipline and urgency, there’s just no way to know for sure how good (or bad) it is.

New Proof Surfaces That John Fox May Have Genuinely Lost His Mind

By
Erik Lambert
-
Credit: Chicago Tribune

It’s clearer than ever than John Fox is finished as an NFL head coach. He continues to defend himself, believing if not for injuries this team would be challenging for a playoff spot. Anyone with eyes can see he’s delusional. These Chicago Bears have some talent but they have no drive, no direction and no discipline. All of that falls at his feet.

After another dispiriting loss, this time to the one-win San Francisco 49ers, Fox’s fate following the season became even more inevitable. If anything questions are being directed towards GM Ryan Pace now. Most notably why he’s allowing this farce to continue when it’s so clear that Fox has completely checked out.

So how did it all come to this? What happened to the Fox who turned around Carolina and Denver so rapidly in years past? Truth be told one could argue he was never that good of a coach. Peyton Manning just helped make an average run look a lot better. In fact some new information has just come out that better explains how unequal the man is to the task.

John Fox has no attention to detail and no common sense

Jimmy John said one of the key responsibilities of a head coach is to make sure he knows the name of everybody in the organization. The only way a team wins if they all think they’re doing something important. They’re “looking to get stroked.” If they feel needed, they work, coach and play harder. This seems to be a lesson that Fox has long since forgotten.

Ask yourself this question. Would you play hard for a coach who didn’t even bother to learn what your actual name is? This really was a problem that surfaced in 2015 when he called Jay Cutler “Jake.” Fox is supposedly a players coach yet he doesn’t seem to take a big interest in those players.

It only gets worse from there. One of the most mind-numbing sequences of the 49ers loss came at the end. With over a minute still to play the 49ers prepared to run another play. Conventional wisdom was clear. The Bears should’ve let them score the touchdown. Though it would’ve given up the lead it also would’ve preserved enough time on the clock for Mitch Trubisky and the offense to respond.

Instead the defense tackled the runner short of the end zone. San Francisco took a knee on the next play and kicked a chip shot 24-yard field goal for the lead. When asked to explain his reasoning, Fox chose to go full meathead.

So let’s get this straight. Fox felt his team had a better shot of blocking a 24-yard field goal rather than giving his offense the ball with over a minute to play? That is…that is next level stupid right there. If there wasn’t conclusive proof before that Fox has lost all connection to reality, this seals it. Why the Bears continue to let him run the show is just as insane, if not more so.

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