The winds have shifted. After two ugly weeks of quarterback play from Mike Glennon, the Mitch Trubisky hype machine is kicking into high gear. Already most of the local media are getting on board with starting the rookie. Even some former players like Corey Wootton, Olin Kreutz and Desmond Clark have publicly stated the team should start him. Thus far head coach John Fox has remained steadfast. So what does Chicago Cubs MVP Kris Bryant have to say on the subject.
It’s no surprise that the slugger has knowledge of the situation. Most Chicago athletes often attend other sporting events in the city. He’s no different. Bryant is a Bears fan. So when he went on 670 the Score, he was inevitably posed the same question as everybody else. Are the Bears wise to keep Trubisky benched or is it time for a change? His answer left no room for doubt.
“I mean, give him a chance. You’ll never know unless he’s out there playing.”
Mitch Trubisky hype machine gets a boost from a man who’s been there
Bryant is no stranger to this entire question. He himself was a hyped-up rookie back in 2015. A third overall draft pick of the Cubs hailed to have one of the best bats seen in years. Some people though were a little reluctant when news came out that the Cubs were elevating him that year. Some felt it was too soon. There also was the fear of a poor start ruining his confidence.
Bryant himself referenced that exact concern and how it ended up being overblown.
“That will definitely get your heart pumping a little bit — everybody knows what I did in my first game,” Bryant said of making a professional debut, referencing his 0-for-4 game with three strikeouts in his big league debut back in April 2015.
Bryant ended up batting .275 with 26 home runs as a rookie, making his first All-Star game. The next game, after getting over his jitters, he delivered two hits with an RBI and also walked three times in a win over San Diego. Things improved quickly. In essence he’s saying if Trubisky is the real deal then Bears fans should expect the same.
Including tonight’s game against the Houston Astros, the White Sox have just eleven games remaining on an expectedly disappointing 2017. Currently, Rick Hahn and lead scouting Director Nick Hostetler would be picking no. 2 overall for the South Side. Behind the likes of San Francisco but just one ahead of Philly. The Tigers have plans to spoil that top 3 pick as well as they are within striking distance of the White Sox with just over a week left to play. So, how will the order of these four teams wind up once the last out is made?
1. San Francisco Giants
The Giants have been one of the worst teams all season long. While Philly or Chicago could eventually edge them out for no. 1 before it is all said and done, I think the Giants will wind up with the luxury of picking first.
The Pick- Brice Turang, SS, Santiago High School, Corona, CA.
Gun to my head, Turang goes no. 1 overall in the 2018 MLB draft and it isn’t even a discussion. He would be the perfect fit for the once mighty Giants. As pure a short stop as they come, Turang’s range will see that he remains at the position for his career. He shows glimpses of a future 5-tool player with his power still to come with maturity. He also has as good of an eye at the plate as anyone in the draft. His junior year of high school he struck out just ONCE in the entire season. It doesn’t matter that the competition was not as elite as he will eventually see, that is an incredible stat. With Brandon Crawford being thirty years old, it gives the Giants the perfect time frame to develop Turang in the minors. By the time he is ready, Crawford’s time should be just about up in The Bay, allowing Turang to make the transition to the MLB with no real issues whatsoever.
2. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox currently sit at 60-91, with the Phillies at 61-91. Here are their remaining opponents left on the season:
Houston- (1) playing for home field advantage throughout A.L. Playoffs.
Kansas City- (3) essentially out of the wild card race, but still a much better team than the White Sox.
Los Angeles Angels- (4) fighting hard for the last wild card spot in the A.L.
Cleveland- (3) fighting with Houston for home field advantage.
That is a pretty damn difficult schedule remaining for the White Sox. And it could end up helping them land a true stud draft prospect.
The Pick- Jarred Kelenic, OF, Waukesha West High School, Waukesha, WI.
Kelenic seems to be the real deal. Like Turang, he is a 5-tool prep star who is just starting to tap into his potential. Here is what one scouting report had to say about the eighteen-year-old.
Very strong athletic build. 6.57 runner, has centerfield range and speed with a high level right field throwing arm, makes accurate throws with very good carry, highest level defensive outfielder. Left handed hitter, hits from a spread stance, excellent raw bat speed with a low tension swing and loose hands, ball flies off the barrel, big power when he turns on the ball but will let it travel and drive it up the gaps as well. Advanced player with all the tools, plays hard. Good student, verbal commitment to Louisville. Selected for the 2017 Perfect Game All-American Classic.
Talk about the full package. The White Sox could go after Florida pitcher Brady Singer if they wanted a player closer to the big leagues, or prep flamethrower Kumar Rocker as well. But with Michael Kopech, Alec Hansen, Dane Dunning, Dylan Cease, and Spencer Adams all still in the minors already, the White Sox already have more than enough depth when it comes to pitching. Outfield is a different story. After Blake Rutherford, Luis Robert, and Eloy Jimenez, there is no true star-level outfield prospect. If one of those three busts, it would be huge to have a player like Kelenic in the system as backup. He has the range to play any outfield position, but is best suited for center. That being said, his bat will wind up being his biggest strength. Pretty impressive based off of how good he plays defensively. Jarred Kelenic would be a phenomenal pick for the South Side.
3) Detroit Tigers
I don’t know if any of you guys have been keeping an eye on Detroit lately, but they have been BAD. Luckily, I think the White Sox will end up just edging them out for the no. 2 overall. However, Detroit surely won’t be complaining when they make their pick.
The Pick- Brady Singer, RHP, University Of Florida
Not only is Singer the most ready pitcher coming out of the draft, he is arguably the best as well. At 6’5, Singer has a fastball that not only sits in the mid to upper 90’s, but possesses wicked movement on it as well. He pairs his fastball with a wipeout slider that will make right-handed hitters look foolish. As is most common among starting pitchers, his changeup is still developing, but shows signs of being at least an average third offering. With the recent trade of Justin Verlander, the Tigers desperately need some pitching depth in their system. Singer can be that guy for Detroit, and he shouldn’t stay in the minors for long.
4- Philadelphia Phillies
Finally, we get to Philadelphia. The Phillies sat in the no. 1 or 2 overall slot for the majority of the year, but have actually been playing somewhat decent baseball as of late. Couple that with the White Sox remaining schedule and the suck fest that is San Francisco and Detroit, and Philly could very easily draft 4th overall in 2018.
The Pick- Kumar Rocker, RHP, North Oconee High School, GA.
Kumar Rocker follows the early trend of prep players being drafted in 2018, being the 3rd in the first 4 picks. Standing at an absurd 6’5, 250; Rocker uses his size to easily repeat an effortless delivery that sees him light up the radar gun. His fastball is his best pitch as of now, as it sits in the mud-90’s but has touched 98. He pairs it with a slider that sits at 80mph and a changeup that has shown significant downwards movement. Rocker also possesses a prolific bat for a pitcher and has played first base on a handful of occasions. When you pair his electric arm with a more than capable bat, he screams N.L. stud. Speaking of studs, the Phillies have a bunch of young ones in their minor league system, with six in the top 100. However, only one of those is a pitching prospect. If Rocker is available for the Phillies at no. 4, he is a great bet to be selected by them next year.
What we learned
Obviously we really only care about what the White Sox do in this situation. Why analyze three other teams and their picks? Well, I obviously cannot tell the future and have no real way of definitively saying the White Sox will pick at no. 2 overall next year. However, even if they don’t you can bet on them taking one of these four names listed here. If the White Sox walk away with one of Turang, Kelenic, Singer, or Rocker, it will be another positive step forward to an already incredible rebuild. The next piece of the puzzle is on it’s way, now we just have to wait to see who it is.
Aside from a few people in the media that must think the Chicago Bears deserve to suffer more than what they already have, everyone agrees that Mike Glennon is terrible and Mitch Trubisky should be the starting QB. It doesn’t matter if you’re on the couch watching, a player at Halas Hall, or if you’re playing for the Chicago Cubs, it’s painfully obvious that Glennon is trash and it’s Trubisky time. Even Kris Bryant knows it.
Bryant may not be a football player himself, but he damn sure knows what success looks like at a pro level and Glennon isn’t the answer. The 2016 National League MVP and World Series champ was on 670 The Score on Thursday and when asked about the Bears QB controversy, Bryant was quick to respond.
Put the kid in!
#Cubs' Kris Bryant supports Mitchell Trubisky starting at QB for #Bears: "I mean, give him a chance."
It’s so simple. You’re eventually going to see Trubisky start, that’s why your GM traded up to get him and you’ve already put him in as the backup, so why is John Fox still putting his team in a weaker position to win games?
Kris Bryant, MVP, World Series champ and a better NFL coach than John Fox.
But let’s get this straight. According to both Collins and his new boss John Paxson, he will not be coaching in any capacity and he will not be making personnel decisions.
Sooo…
Tabbed as a “Senior Advisor” for basketball operations, Collins will be around – only occasionally – to be a sounding board and “resource” for Paxson and general manager Gar Forman. In their press conference on Tuesday, Paxson praised Collins for his lengthy NBA resume and brilliant basketball mind.
If you can read between the lines – which shouldn’t be hard for most Bulls fans at this point, we’ve had plenty of practice – the Collins hire isn’t vague or confusing but predictable and maddening.
Bulls Will Be Bulls
Hiring a familiar face is such a classic (and lazy) Bulls move. Through the years, Jerry Reinsdorf and his son Michael repeatedly hire former players and coaches to serve various roles in the organization. Care for some examples? John Paxson. Bill Cartwright. Pete Myers. B.J. Armstrong. Randy Brown. Fred Hoiberg. Just last week, the team hired Jannero Pargo to join the staff of the Windy City Bulls, their D-League affiliate.
Between former players and Forman’s gross obsession with Iowa State folks, it’s as if the Bulls front office insists on using a Rolodex from the turn of the century that has a grand total of ten phone numbers in its coffee-stained pages. Paxson touted this as a great and innovative move to add this particular guy as a senior advisor to their staff. Actually, John, you’re a little late to that party compared to your NBA colleagues and the guy you hired surprised absolutely no one.
Old-Timer
As for what Collins brings to the table in his amorphous role, there are some very legitimate concerns. First of all, the 66 year-old insisted in his press conference Tuesday that he’s hip and with it in today’s NBA. In his own words, “I’m old, but I’m not old school…I’m woke.” Yes, he used the word “woke” for real. Nice effort, Gramps. But just a few years ago when coaching the Philadelphia 76ers, Collins condemned the ever-growing significance of basketball analytics, saying he’d rather “blow [his] brains out” than go over 20-page printouts of statistical analysis after every game.
Not only that, those 76ers teams coached by Collins led the NBA in midrange shot attempts for three straight seasons. The analytics he was actively condemning were being used by smarter minds in more progressive organizations to put an emphasis on three pointers, which yield much greater points per possession than the midrange shots his 76ers were taking. So how exactly will Collins be able to help a Fred Hoiberg offense that’s trying to get with the times and rely on a heavy dose of perimeter shots? How can he be trusted to evaluate talent that fits the modern NBA landscape?
Even more worrisome is the way in which Doug’s relationship with his players in Philadelphia deteriorated. As he described it, he had a hard time relating to the younger players of the league’s next generation. He said the following to an SB Nation reporter in 2012:
“The one thing about players today is that they’re very sensitive, and very fragile. They didn’t grow up with tough coaches. You know, I had my ass kicked since I was 6. It’s a different time, and so I treat this team very much with kid gloves … and the younger the guys, it seems like the more sensitive. And that’s what you’re wrestling with.” – Doug Collins
So Collins can’t relate to the analytics of modern basketball, nor can he relate to the younger players in modern basketball. Remind me, what is the Bulls trajectory as of today? Oh, right. Developing a roster filled with young guys in a modernized style of play. What a great “resource” Paxson hired!
I guarantee you Paxson isn’t concerned with any of that. Paxson hired Doug to be a glorified “Yes Man” and nothing more. I see it playing out like this:
“Hey, Doug, Gar and I are thinking about making this move. Do you agree?”
“Um…sure, John. Go for it.”
“Thanks, Doug! Here’s a check. Enjoy that Northwestern game later tonight. See you in a couple months.”
After that brief “meeting”, Paxson can come to the media and brag about how Collins – their brilliant basketball mind – gave their latest confounding move a thumps up. If that move backfires, there’s one more head to share the blame that should be placed squarely on his shoulders. It’s genius, really.
So where does that leave us? Where can Bulls fans turn to find any hope that this latest “Bulls being Bulls” move might actually bring some light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel? How can Collins make himself useful for this organization? If you think I’m about to tell you Doug’s hiring is the first step to ousting Forman, sorry to disappoint. All of my sources tell me that’s not the case.
No, this brings us to Dwyane Wade.
Bye-Out
Appearing on the “Mully and Hanley” show on 670 The Score Thursday morning, Paxson reaffirmed his initial remarks regarding a possible Dwyane Wade buyout after the team traded Jimmy Butler on draft night.
“We want to work with Dwyane because we respect him very much. If he doesn’t want to be here, then we want to do [the buyout]. But again, the bottom line is always – and it has to be – that we have to do what’s in our best interest.” – John Paxson
Essentially, Paxson and the Bulls are willing to grant Wade a buyout if he gives back a significant portion of the $23.8 million he’s owed this season. With that money, the Bulls could – among other options – take on an unwanted contract with a future draft pick attached to it. At the onset of a rebuild, the Bulls should be stockpiling as many picks as possible.
So how might this Wade buyout conundrum involve Doug Collins? It’s simple. Put the man in the room where these negotiations happen. As of right now – according to Paxson in that interview – Gar is the one on the phone with Wade’s agent.
Does anybody in Chicago trust Gar to handle these buyout talks? Look no further than the most recent trades he “negotiated” and you’ll get your answer. The deadline trade with Oklahoma City looks awful given Cameron Payne’s uselessness, even without remembering that Gar gave the Thunder a draft pick. He settled on swapping picks with Minnesota on draft night instead of insisting to keep the #16 pick on his side of the table. Would Tom Thibodeau really have backed out of his quest to get Jimmy without that pick? Unlikely. Gar is just a terrible negotiator, plain and simple.
Who’s confident that Gar can talk Wade into giving back some of that money? Not me, that’s for damn sure. So why not let Doug try? It’s not that hard to come up with the pitch.
Wade has a net worth somewhere around $100 million, and with endorsements that will keep climbing long after he retires. He doesn’t need the $23.8 million, he just wants it. But does he want it badly enough to stick around a rebuilding team that’s pegged to finish dead last in the NBA this season? He doesn’t seem too keen on playing a mentor’s role, and most of the young guys on the Bulls roster have leaked to the media that they hate the guy. He could go back to Miami, where he’s still worshipped like a god. He could go play with his pal LeBron in Cleveland for a year and chase another ring.
Chicago is the last place Wade wants to be right now, and all the Bulls need to do is play a little bit of hardball for both sides to get what they want. Maybe Collins can be the one to nudge Wade in the right direction. After all, he’s a no-nonsense guy with plenty of experience dealing with big-ego stars. If Doug is in those negotiations and helps Gar call Wade’s bluff, maybe the Bulls front office finally wins something.
Paxson and Collins sounded vague about his job description because there is no job to describe. The former coach was triumphantly welcomed back, but not to help the coaching staff and not to make personnel decisions. He’s just a guy the front office brought in to help them feel better about themselves and their poor decision-making. I know it sounds crazy, but maybe the Bulls can give the guy an actual task. You want Doug to be a “resource”? Let him be resourceful by helping your spineless general manager negotiate with a greedy has-been who wants out of town, but not without his money owed.
Wade’s buyout could be a crucial element to the financial flexibility and asset accumulation of the Bulls’ rebuild moving forward. Those negotiations are coming soon, and Doug Collins should be in the room where it happens.
Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains has found himself in a tough spot. His offense is primarily responsible for the team not being able to win either of the first two games this season. They stalled in the red zone at the end of the Atlanta game and failed to show up at all against Tampa Bay last week. Of course most feel this is directly tied to the erratic play of starting quarterback Mike Glennon.
Loggains is well aware of the heat coming down on the team about him. Already the chants are growing louder for Mitch Trubisky. No doubt the coach has his own opinions on the subject but like a good soldier he keeps them to himself. Or at least he tries to. Loggains took questions from the media on Wednesday about the state of the offense and plans for week three against Pittsburgh.
When explaining where things were going wrong for them, he may have let slip exactly what the problem is. The quarterback.
Dowell Loggains hinted Glennon handcuffs the offense
Ironically the jab came when Loggains was explaining the issues with the Bears rushing attack, which disappeared against the Buccaneers. Jordan Howard had just seven yards on nine carries while Tarik Cohen was far less effective than against the Falcons.
“The thing is, and I wish there was a better answer, the fact is it was one guy on each play,” Loggains said. “It wasn’t one guy playing poor. We’re going to face overpopulated boxes, we know that. There’s going to be seven, eight guys in the box every time and we have to execute better and it comes down to that.”
The interesting comment there is the “overpopulated boxes.” How is it that he knows the Bears will face them on a regular basis? Sure having two really good backs in Howard and Cohen could be a reason, but this also hints to a lack of faith in the quarterback being able to push the ball down the field. He tried to elaborate on what he meant, but only seemed to make it worse.
In other words defense have no fear of Glennon. They knows he’s not going to take a shot deep down the field. His constant throws short of the sticks on long down and distances proved that. Also there’s the “know exactly where the spot’s going to be” comment. This is an inadvertent jab at Glennon’s inability to scramble. He’s basically a sitting duck in the pocket.
Loggains no doubt expressing his frustration
Later on in the interview he was asked whether or not the Bears were trying to get Mitch Trubisky some snaps with the first team offense. His reply was short, simple and easy to read through. “Mike Glennon is the starter.” Note the language carefully. He didn’t say we believe in Glennon or that they expect him to figure things out. Just a simple declaration of fact. No hint of his own personal emotion in it.
That’s a company line if ever there was one. While he’s never intentionally throw a player under the bus, it’s clear enough that Loggains is frustrated. Everything he’s tried with Glennon isn’t working. Does he want a change? He’s probably willing to try anything at this point.
While Jose Abreu inches his way toward history his Cuban protégé has found his stroke. A simple suggestion from Abreu has thrust Wonder Boy, and Yoan Moncada, into the spotlight. Moncada blasted a two-run home run on Wednesday to give the White Sox a lead and upset Brad Peacock’s nascent no-hitter.
They say it’s not the wood but the carpenter, but there is more to that story. Wonder Boy, the given name of Roy Hobbs’ thunder stick in The Natural, may not be in Moncada’s rotation of bats but he’s on a Hobbsian tear.
The White Sox future lies with Moncada and after taking his lumps early on, a few adjustments have unlocked success. With his latest surge at the plate, the Cuban slugger has raised his average over the Mendoza-line to .241 while boosting his on-base and slugging percentage to .349 and .432.
“I knew he had the talent,” Abreu told Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago after the game on Wednesday. “I never had a doubt about it. It was just a matter for him to get to know this process and to get to know the league and for him to use the proper tools to take advantage. We are just seeing what he’s capable of doing and it’s a good sign for him building for next season.”
Over the past 30 days, Moncada is batting .324 with a .948 OPS. The only thing more impressive is that Moncada’s production at the plate is overshadowed by three of his teammates. Abreu, Tim Anderson and the immutable Avisail Garcia are batting .326, .352 and .398 over the same period.
If we magnify this cross-section even further, Moncada, Anderson and Garcia are sizzling. Moncada has rifled three home runs in the last seven days with a .407 batting average and Anderson and Garcia are batting .407 and .500 respectively.
Patience has paid off for the young slugger and his legion fans. The big leagues haven’t been an easy nut to crack for Moncada. He had more punch-outs than hits in his 2016 debut with the Red Sox leading to fears about his propensity to swing-and-miss. When he found himself back in the majors in 2017 he didn’t light the world on fire either and was hitting a dismal .179 on Sept. 9.
Yoan Moncada's current wRC+ is up to 115 in 187 plate appearances.
But a little bit of wisdom from a veteran and the intelligence gathered over two months of big-league experience set fire to Moncada’s bat. Abreu bestowed the young prince with a bushel of new sticks that were a bit lighter and suggested Moncada be quicker through the zone. And if Moncada should listen to someone about hitting it should be the guy that is about to make history by knocking in 100 + runs and belting 25 or more home runs in his first four seasons, something only Joe DiMaggio and Albert Pujols have done.
“I just thought he wasn’t using the bats for him to take advantage of his swing,” Abreu said through an interpreter. “These new bats have better balance with the weight and are a little shorter than the other ones. I just did it thinking of him taking advantage of his power, his hands and to feel more freedom in his swing.”
Abreu first made the suggestion to chop a few inches off his stick on Sept. 11 and Moncada promptly logged three hits. Since then he has posted hits in eight of the last nine games and five multi-hit contests.
“We’ve talked about Moncada’s trying to do some hitting with offspeed pitches, secondary pitches,” manager Rick Renteria said after the Sept. 11 game against the Royals. “Today he did that. Couple of knocks from both sides of the plate.”
With a lighter bat and quicker stroke, Moncada is shaping up to be the player White Sox fans were promised. He is sticking to a patient approach that will serve him well as he takes Major League Baseball by storm.
The Milwaukee Brewers blew a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning on a throwing error and then they lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates on a two-out, two-run walk-off home run in the ninth. With the loss, the magic number to clinch the division went down to eight for the Chicago Cubs, who stayed 3.5 games ahead of the Brewers.
The Cubs begin a four-game series in Milwaukee on Thursday, but before they make the trip to Wisconsin they can drink to Adam Frazier’s walk-off homer.
Here's Frazier's walk-off home run against the Brewers. Magic number down to 8 for the #Cubs. 4-game series in Milwaukee starts Thursday. pic.twitter.com/jmtHqVVnpM
In all the red-hazed confusion of the past two weeks, it’s amazing people haven’t seen it. We’ve been too busy trying to figure out why John Fox refuses to see reality on the Mitch Trubisky situation. Is it because he’s stubborn? Or stupid? Or both? Plenty of Chicago Bears fans would have arguments for either. Then again if they had bothered to remember their studies during the offseason they’d have remembered a vital key. John Fox asked Jeff Fisher for advice on how to develop a rookie quarterback.
Notable: Asked about being a HC handling a face-of-franchise rookie QB, John Fox said he's talked to his friend Jeff Fisher about it.
Wow. Everything suddenly makes so much sense. Of course by now people are wondering what this means. To shed some light, we must go back through the past two decades to when Fisher became a head coach. He took over the Houston Oilers in 1994. A year later in 1995 the team selected a young man named Steve McNair with the #3 overall pick in the draft.
Many felt the quarterback had a chance to be an instant impact player given his rare athletic traits and strong arm. Instead Fisher plopped him on the bench.
John Fox asked Jeff Fisher for advice that doesn’t fit the new NFL
For the next two years McNair started a total of just six games. He didn’t start as a rookie until late December. He won both of those starts. Did Fisher hand him the reins? No sir. McNair went back to the bench and didn’t start another game until November the following year when he sporadically started four games. It wasn’t until 1997, his third year that he finally became the guy. Again, this was a top three draft choice. Not a mid round project.
Fast forward to 2016. His Los Angeles Rams draft Jared Goff #1 overall. He’s the top pick. One would think he’s the obvious choice to start, especially when Case Keenum is the other option. Fisher again skirted the norm and kept Goff sidelined until late November. By then though it was far too late for the Goff hype to save him. The Rams were 3-5 and already fading. After a defensive win over the Jets, they lost four-straight and he was fired.
Sensing the theme yet? Fisher clearly falls into the sit-them-until-ready camp of QB development. His handling of McNair and Goff prove that. The only one he didn’t adhere to the formula with was Vince Young in 2006, and that was because he’d been pressured by ownership to play the rookie. Try to imagine what Fisher likely told Fox when they spoke to each other.
Fox’s refusal to usher in Trubisky reeks of Fisher influence
So let’s get this straight. John Fox is taking quarterback advice from a man tied for the most losses of any head coach in NFL history? A man who also doesn’t have a Super Bowl ring? Oh yeah, no that makes perfect sense. Look it’s fair to say McNair proved a success with Fisher employing this method. However, Goff had two full months on the bench before he was brought in and he still looked lost.
The point is there is no way to tell when a quarterback is truly ready until he’s put on the field. Everybody is assuming Trubisky will be bad. Well what if he isn’t? Fox is trying to mirror Fisher’s approach but there’s a problem. His stand-in to buy time, Mike Glennon, is much worse than the team expected. His stats, which are average, don’t tell the story of how bad he’s looked. The accuracy is off. He’s slow on reads and takes unnecessary sacks.
Worst of all the Bears are 0-2. Fisher got away with his philosophy because he managed to win a game or two early. He also had a top 10 defense doing the heavy lifting. Fox has no such luxury. The Bears defense is good, but it’s not there yet. Through eight quarters of football this team has not held a lead in a game, and that falls on the quarterback.
Sure in a perfect world sitting Trubisky makes sense. Problem is it’s Chicago. Offense in this town is never goes by the rulebook. Fisher’s advice doesn’t run parallel to this teams’ issues. They need a spark. With injuries piling up everywhere else, Trubisky is the lone one left to provide it. Instead for Fox, like Fisher, it’s the opposite.
Javier Baez continues to do things that other players in MLB simply can’t fathom attempting. No clue how he got one out, but during Wednesday’s Chicago Cubs game against the Tampa Bay Rays Baez got the double play on a spectacular defensive effort up the middle of the diamond.
The Chicago Blackhawks logo comes under fire every so often as being offensive or racist and it always will. It happened just a couple weeks ago and it is in the news again. This time Chicago Rapper Vic Mensa took a stand against it on Twitter.
He later responded to his own tweet, saying “Imagine having your people massacred and turned into a mascot..”
Like any polarizing subject, there were people who agreed and disagreed with Mensa’s statement. Some people told him to back off, chill or point out that the logo “pays homage” to history. Then there were the people who agreed with Mensa and those who suggested using this logo instead.
One fan pointed out that it’s “one of the most iconic” logos in sports. Mensa responded, “that’s y it hurts. but it gotta go.”
Mensa tweeted this at the Blackhawks directly but somehow I doubt they are going to listen to this tweet. It’s going to take a lot more than a tweet to get the organization to change the logo.
I just wonder if he ever says anything to his buddy Chance the Rapper about the subject. He occasionally wears Blackhawks gear and is someone people would get behind more on the subject.
Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings.
