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Joe Maddon Gets Career Win Number 1,000

By
Gus
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Last night, Cubs manager Joe Maddon celebrated his 1,000th win as a professional manager when the Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 9-5 at Wrigley Field. During his 14-year managerial career, Maddon has accumulated 27 wins with the Anaheim Angles, 754 with the Tampa Bay Rays, and 219 wins with the Chicago Cubs.

With last night’s win, Maddon became the eighth active manager to reach the 1,000 win plateau and just the fifth Cubs manager in the past 30 years to surpass the 200 win total with the team.

Maddon has rightfully built a reputation as being a “outside the box” thinker and I’d dare you to find another manager that would make some of the crazy decisions that we’ve seen throughout his career.

Maddon himself acknowledges that he’s a bit crazy.

Honestly, I could care less about his wins in Anaheim and Tampa Bay because I’m a Cubs fan so I thought I’d look at some of Maddon’s crazier managerial decisions during his time with the Chicago Cubs.

Pro Football Focus Illustrates Big Reason This Bears Team Is Disrespected

By
Erik Lambert
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bears 2016 draft

People love to dump on the Bears 2017 draft class. This despite none of its five members having played a single snap in the NFL yet. One would think GM Ryan Pace earned some credibility. Especially after the first impression his Bears 2016 draft made. The trio of Leonard Floyd, Cody Whitehair and Jordan Howard were outstanding as rookies. Better than most fans had dared to hope.

As it turns out one of the prominent media outlets going today in Pro Football Focus agrees. They were big supporters almost from the start and have since grown in their admiration. Over the past couple days PFF has released a series of interesting stat snippets regarding what players were able to accomplish in 2016. As it turns out Floyd, Whitehair and Howard featured quite prominently.

Chicago fans might be fascinated to find out what was said, and intrigued about what this means for this coming season.

Bears 2016 draft was a PFF fever dream

It took a little longer than expected for him to get on track, but once Floyd was healthy by midseason he was an absolute terror. Most Bears fans won’t ever forget his first trip up to Lambeau Field when he sacked Aaron Rodgers twice. Not to mention forcing a fumble and scoring a touchdown. In a five-game span he delivered 6.5 sacks. If not for a pair of ill-timed concussions there’s no telling how strong his finish might’ve been. Now he’s back for a second year, reportedly 20 lbs heavier too. Not a welcome thought for the quarterbacks who’ll have to deal with him.

The story behind Whitehair is wild. A left tackle out of Kansas Stat, the Bears drafted him after trading down not once but twice in the second round. Initially the plan was to play him at left guard. Then Hroniss Grasu tore his ACL, leaving the center position in dire straits. So the team chose to shift Whitehair into that spot, this despite him never playing it before. Not only did he become the highest-rated second round pick on PFF, but also the sixth-ranked center in the entire NFL. One could argue he deserved a nod to the Pro Bowl for what he accomplish with zero prior experience.

Something that immediately stuck out with Jordan Howard on his college tape was his vision. Few backs in the draft were better at locating the open hole. Combined with his acceleration and decisiveness, he was so good at slipping through the line of scrimmage before defenses could seal it off. Throw in his big body and considerable power and the guy was a headache in every sense. It’s hard to run between the tackles in this modern NFL. Aside from good blocking it takes someone with eyes and strength to make it work. Howard has both.

Gift that keeps on giving

This more than anything explains why Pace felt so comfortable being aggressive in this most recent draft. He gave up extra picks to acquire both quarterback Mitch Trubisky and safety Eddie Jackson. The general idea is the 2016 class will be the backbone of the team moving forward while his aggressive moves this year pinpoint top talent for key positions like quarterback and safety.

The scariest part is the 2016 class may not be done providing. Expectations are still high for the likes of Jonathan Bullard and Nick Kwiatkoski. Both are expected to see significant playing time this year and flashed lots of potential as rookies. If they start to blossom? Oh dear. Not to mention other players who are getting overlooked as well.

People continue to disregard how much good health played into that 3-13 debacle last season. It’s hard to win football games in the NFL when half the best players on the roster aren’t playing. The Bears recognized this more than any team. It’s why they’ve invested so much time and money towards find methods to help curb the problem. They know if they succeed, this team is ready to show people it’s gotten way more disrespect than it deserves.

Facebook Believes Jay Cutler Was Better Than Troy Aikman and It’s Hilarious

By
Erik Lambert
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jay cutler troy aikman

Apparently the Jay Cutler Troy Aikman debate started up without anybody having reason for it. The former Bears quarterback appears headed for retirement. Already he has a deal with FOX to become one of their next broadcasters during NFL games. This after getting lukewarm interest from teams around the league in terms of signing him.

In that context it’s somewhat similar to Aikman. The Hall of Famer left the league a bit earlier than expected, mostly because he was tired of taking the hits. He quickly transitioned to the broadcast booth where he’s been ever since. So sure they share that much in common at least. Well apparently somebody on Facebook wanted to raise the stakes.

According to NFL Trash Talkers (who are probably Packer fans), when one lines up the stat lines of Cutler and Aikman, an incredible truth is brought to life.

The Jay Cutler Troy Aikman debate has legs?

From a pure statistical point of view Cutler seems to be superior to Aikman in every notable category. That includes touchdowns, completion percentage and quarterback rating. He also had just 500 fewer passing yards despite playing 26 fewer games.

Of course as with all things football it’s never a wise idea to rely solely on the numbers. Here’s something to consider. In their careers Cutler averaged four more passes per game (32 to 28) than Aikman. He threw 146 interceptions in those 139 games. Aikman had 141 in 165 games. Last but not least is the rule book. NFL rules in the 1990s weren’t nearly as skewed towards the quarterback position as they are today.

So in essence this supposed superiority Cutler has over Aikman doesn’t account for the fact he threw the ball more often, turned it over more often and had a set of rules designed to make sure he had success. A benefit Aikman never enjoyed. To say nothing of the fact that Aikman wasn’t in an offense designed to feature him as a passer. Those Dallas teams were classic power running and play good defense units. His job was to manage games.

This isn’t even venturing into the leadership and character angles. Numerous accounts over the years state that Cutler, while intelligent could be a frustrating teammate and poor leader. On the other hand nobody said that about Aikman. He was firm and demanding but the likes of Emmett Smith and Michael Irvin said he was the main man and everybody knew it.

At the end of the day Aikman has three rings. Cutler has one playoff win. So no to this shallow and halfhearted attempt at stirring up controversy.

Ian Happ Hits A Home Run In His Wrigley Field Debut

By
Aldo Soto
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It’s been a great few days for Chicago Cubs rookie Ian Happ. He got called up to the show and started against the St. Louis Cardinals, hit his first MLB home run and on Tuesday night he started in center field and hit another home run in his Wrigley Field debut.

Big assist to the wind on this, but Happ is more than happy to take it.

Kyle Schwarber Hit A 462-Foot Home Run And It Was Beautiful

By
Aldo Soto
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So, Kyle Schwarber hasn’t hit like most expected he would to begin the 2017 season, but on Tuesday night he demolished a pitch for a 462-foot home run against the Cincinnati Reds.

The monster dinger snapped an 0-for-17 streak for Schwarber.

That was Schwarber’s sixth home run of the season.

The Greatest Bears Turnaround Ever Came With a Worse Roster than This

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears turnaround

The greatest Chicago Bears turnaround in franchise history remains a treasured memory for many fans. Back in 2001 hopes weren’t high for the season. The team was in the middle of another transition period and were coming off a frustrating 5-11 finish the year before. Expectations were for incremental improvement at best. Maybe a .500 mark if they’re lucky.

Instead what people got was four months of utter lunacy that featured miracle moments mixed with a classic Chicago-style of physical football. It was beautiful and reinvigorated the city after years of disappointment in the 1990s. The Bears finished 13-3 and won the division title. An eight-game swing that didn’t need a star quarterback to accomplish.

So it begs the question. If that team could pull it off, why can’t this 2017 group? Maybe 13-3 is asking a bit much but not a playoff push, right? In fact no it isn’t. If one were to seriously compare the two rosters up against each other they might be shocked at how favorably this new squad measures up.

Biggest Chicago Bears turnaround came with an average roster

QB: 

  • Jim Miller vs. Mike Glennon
  • Advantage – 2017

Of course Miller remains a local fan favorite as the man who directed that unlikely run 16 years ago, but look at his numbers. It’s easy to see why Glennon can be ranked higher. Miller had his best season in 2001 with 2,299 yards passing and 13 touchdowns.

RB: 

  • Anthony Thomas vs. Jordan Howard
  • Advantage – 2017

Both players were tremendous in their rookie seasons. Thomas got 1,183 yards and won Rookie of the Year. Howard got 1,313 yards and reached the Pro Bowl. So why is Howard better? He got more yards on fewer carriers (252 to 278) and was also a better receiver.

WR:

  • Marty Booker/Dez White/David Terrell vs. Kevin White/Cameron Meredith/Markus Wheaton
  • Advantage – 2017

We can just go ahead and say both units don’t inspire a ton of confidence. Booker was pretty much a one-man show in 2001 while White and Terrell were backup dancers. The 2017 crop wins for two reasons, more talent and a deeper group.

TE:

  • Fred Baxter/John Davis/Scott Dragos vs. Zach Miller/Dion Sims/Adam Shaheen
  • Advantage – 2017

This really isn’t a hard one to argue. The tight ends were barely used at all beyond blocking during the 2001 season. This 2017 group has far more experienced with being used as receivers, in addition to being faster and more athletic as well.

OL:

  • Blake Brockermeyer/James Williams/Olin Kreutz/Chris Vallarial/Rex Tucker vs. Charles Leno/Josh Sitton/Cody Whitehair/Kyle Long/Bobby Massie
  • Advantage – Draw

Both offensive lines have two Pro Bowlers in them. Kreutz and Williams for one while Sitton and Long for the other. The remaining three of each consist of solid blockers in their own right such as Tucker or Whitehair. Both groups are/were really good, therefor no winner emerges.

DL:

  • Ted Washington/Keith Traylor vs. Akiem Hicks/Eddie Goldman
  • Advantage – 2001

Hicks and Goldman have the potential to reach the same level of Washington and Traylor, but aren’t there yet. Hicks might be, but Goldman has been beset by far too many injuries. The Bears defense back then was suffocating against the run, and it was because of those two.

EDGES:

  • Bryan Robinson/Phillip Daniels vs. Leonard Floyd/Pernell McPhee
  • Advantage – 2017

How the 2001 Bears rushed the pass was geared more around heavy blitzing that pure four-man rushes. Still, Robinson and Daniels were decent at their jobs. That said Floyd and McPhee are simply a more dynamic pairing as the second half of last season showed.

LB:

  • Brian Urlacher/Rosevelt Colvin vs. Danny Trevathan/Jerrell Freeman
  • Advantage – 2001

No contest. Even in that second year Brian Urlacher was emerging as a superstar. Colvin had 10.5 sacks as the extra pass rusher while also being a solid all-around tackler. Trevathan and Freeman are effective enough, but aren’t at that same level.

DB:

  • Mike Brown/Walt Harris/R.W. McQuarters/Tony Parrish vs.  Prince Amukamara/Marcus Cooper/Quintin Demps/Adrian Amos
  • Advantage – 2001

Brown was an All-Pro for the first time that season, eventually becoming the best safety the Bears have had this side of the milennium. Harris made the Pro Bowl a few years after leaving Chicago. McQuarters and Parrish were serviceable. The 2017 group is almost all new.

Head Coach:

  • John Fox vs. Dick Jauron
  • Advantage – 2017

Fox went to two Super Bowls and won a number of division titles over his 14 previous years as a head coach. The 2001 run was in fact the only playoff appearance Jauron ever made in 10 seasons at the job. Pure domination here.

Offensive Coordinator:

  • Dowell Loggains vs. John Shoop
  • Advantage – 2017

There are some veteran Bears fans who continue to hate John Shoop with a fiery passion to this day. The mans’ conservative nature is legendary. Easy to understand since his offense never ranked higher than 26th in three seasons. Loggains topped that in his first try.

Defensive Coordinator:

  • Vic Fangio vs. Greg Blache
  • Advantage – Draw

In this case Fangio and Blache can’t be separated. The two men share a legacy of proven excellent as play callers on defense. In fact their first two years at the job weren’t that great, though Fangio has a slight edge in that department. Even so, this one is a draw.

So for those keeping track the 2017 Bears roster hold the advantage in seven areas. The 2001 teams took home three while the remaining ones were declared draws. Still, even if those three were given to the ’01 team they’d still be behind 7-6. The point of all this being there is no reason to think this team that Ryan Pace has spent three years building can’t defy the doubters.

All it takes is hard work, effort, and a bit of good luck. The first two shouldn’t be a problem. So this season will be about taking advantage of the fortunate bounces if and when they arrive. There is enough talent to make it happen. Now they just need to do it.

Kevin White Tells Bears WR Coach What To Expect From Him

By
Sports Mockery
-

The Chicago Bears have a lot of question marks surrounding them as training camp approaches and Kevin White remains one of the biggest. The seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft has suffered back-to-back season-ending leg injuries while catching just 19 balls in that 32 game span. New Bears wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni recently spoke about a meeting he had with White to define expectations for the upcoming season.

“The other day, we met and I said, listen, what do you think you are? Tell me what you think you are. He said, ‘Well coach, I’m a big, physical guy. I’m aggressive with the ball in the air.’ I said, OK, that’s what we have to be. When I press play, we better see a big, physical guy that’s strong with the ball in the air. And some of those things you saw last year.

You saw some flashes. The other thing I liked about him. He made a catch, I can’t remember, we were at home. He made a catch on the sideline and he finally showed some emotion. Some of that dog came out of him a little bit. I don’t know if he’s had that the last two years. He’s shown flashes of it, but if he can play like that, he’ll be pretty hard to stop. But he has to play like that all the time.” 

The “big, physical guy” was who Bears fans pictured taking over the NFL when White was originally considered one of the best overall athletes of his draft class just two short years ago. His draft comparison, Amari Cooper who went fourth overall to the Raiders, has already enjoyed two Pro Bowls while White has been sidelined with injury.

With what appears to be a full rebuild in front of them, Bears fans are wondering what they can expect out of White and I think they got their answer. The one consistent trait with White is confidence, he’s always been confident in his abilities but apparently the new coach feels he lacked a little on-field emotion.

Sporting a cast of mid-to-low level talent at the wide receiver position, the Bears will depend heavily on White to take over the #1 spot. If he doesn’t, and manages to get hurt again, his time in Chicago could be up. You better believe Cameron Meredith, Markus Wheaton and the rest of the crew will be coming for that spot. It is essentially White’s to lose with the departure of Alshon Jeffery to Philly.

All eyes are on you #11. (White recently switched from his “unlucky” #13)

Keith Law Says Cubs Are Showing Interest In Zack Greinke

By
Sean Sears
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The Cubs pitchers have looked like completely different guys compared to the 2016 club that lead the league in ERA and sported one of the best BABIP’s baseball has ever seen. The 2017 Cubs pitching staff, while still one of the top 10 leaders in team ERA at 3.83, are still in need of more arms to add to their club.

With Brett Anderson imploded while sequentially landing on the DL and Jake Arrieta sporting a 5.44 ERA in eight starts this season, the Cubs pitching has gone from a strength to a major concern.

Currently at 18-19, the Cubs are 3.5 back in the division, and have already called upon young starts like Eddie Butler and Rob Zastryzny so far this season, but it’s unlikely either of those arms solve the Cubs pitching crisis. However, one name that could possibly alleviate the Cubs pitching issues would be Zack Greinke – an arm that the Cubs apparently have been heavily scouting since Spring Training.

According to Keith Law, who spoke on Buster Olney’s Baseball Tonight podcast, Law reports that the Cubs have shown a serious interest in the 33-year-old former Cy Young winner.

“I’d heard specifically they were scouting Zack Greinke pretty heavily in spring training; more than just ordinary spring training coverage. And that that was part of a plan to go out and scout pitchers with multiple years of control remaining and potential to be a one or two starter in their rotation.”

Greinke is coming off a lackluster debut season in Arizona ending 2016 with a 4.37 ERA and the worst HR/FB rate of his career, however he is having himself a nice bounce-back season thus far in 2017. Registering a 2.79 ERA and encouraging 10.10 K/9, Greinke looks to be back to form, making him an excellent trade candidate for the Cubs.

Now, Greinke is only on year two of his massive six-year $206.5 million deal that has him making roughly $31 million per year. The Diamondbacks look like they could be a team in the playoff hunt with their 22-18 record, but if Arizona starts to slide, the club might be more likely to move Greinke while also absorbing some of his owned money.

Regardless, it is nothing more than a rumor, but a deal between the Diamondbacks and Cubs could make more sense as the trade deadline approaches.

College Student Publicly Apologizes For Wearing “Offensive And Hurtful” Blackhawks Jersey

By
Sports Mockery
-

In the midst of all the controversy surrounding Native American mascots and their use for team-oriented sports, here’s a whopper of a story. A recent report indicates Cody Albrecht, a Blackhawks fan and student at Bethel Universtiy, recently issued a formal apology to his class, and professor, after choosing to wear an official Blackhawks jersey to class.

The class titled “Social Perspectives, Human Worth and Social Action,” is an exploration of culture, power and oppression in America according to the course description. The instructor of the course, James Jacobs is apparently Native American.

Jacobs took his frustration to Facebook after Albrecht reportedly offered to turn the jersey inside out during class while sensing growing hostility in the room.

“So your college professor is a Native American. A Native American who has spoken multiple times about the offensiveness of Indian Mascots. Yet you come to class with an Indian mascot sprawled across your shirt… Bold move sir.”

The post has since been deleted.

A week later, Albrecht issued a formal apology, after meeting with the Social Work department, to the class and Professor Jacobs. He reportedly declined to comment on the incident citing “the reconciliation that has been done” between himself, the professor and the class according to The College Fix.

The coverage of this story has led to mixed emotions from the students at the school. One of them reportedly called it “public shaming” and others questioned if the report was actually real due to the exotic nature of the story.

The spotlight on Native American logos in professional sports has revolved around the “racist” nature of the illustrations and names. The Chicago Blackhawks logo was originally created in 1926 and featured the head of a Native American from the very beginning.

Chicago Blackhawks logo 1926

What has changed? Now that the official logo has been around for roughly 100 years, it sounds like a perfect time to become offended with it. (insert joke here)

The actual Blackhawks name is derived from a military unit anyway.

In all seriousness, if it’s offensive to the majority of Native Americans then the Blackhawks should do something about it. If not, then students shouldn’t be forced to issue public apologies for wearing the jerseys of their favorite team.

Shame on you Professor Jacobs.

Joe Maddon Shits All Over The Idea That Kyle Schwarber Shouldn’t Be The Cubs Leadoff Hitter

By
Aldo Soto
-

So, the Chicago Cubs are under .500, and pretty much every aspect of the team is struggling right now outside of the bullpen, which was also pretty bad earlier in the year. Anyway, Joe Maddon doesn’t seem worried about it and that includes the latest criticism of the World Series-winning manager, who decided that Kyle Schwarber would be the team’s leadoff hitter in 2017.

The numbers have been putrid.

Through 35 games, Schwarber has a slash line of .179/.313/.343, with five home runs and 14 RBIs. He just hasn’t taken off like most expected. Yeah, no one thought Schwarber would be a .300 hitter, but the .313 OBP? Bad, but obviously low because of the batting average.

However, Maddon is looking beyond the numbers. Schwarber’s been making hard contact, but not getting the results. The OBP is low, but so far in May he’s walked at least one time in 7-of-11 games. That includes drawing a walk in six straight. Yet, the power and hits haven’t been there.

In the morning, our guy Adam Nissen broke down why despite those terrible numbers, Schwarber should still be the Cube leadoff hitter. Maddon addressed the topic once again on 670 The Score, during his weekly segment on Tuesday and took a page out of the Philadelphia 76ers book.

Trust the process.

“I think he looks great and that’s what I’m talking about results vs. process. He, to me looks very good at the plate right now. He’s one of our three best hitters arguably among him KB and Rizz. Just because he’s hitting leadoff, I mean for whatever reason that’s sticking in people’s minds and really it’s about process. He’s getting his walks, he’s seeing a lot of pitches and he’s coming up at good times. So, actually it’s going to payoff for us. I love what he’s doing right now and I think he looks very good.”

(Joe Maddon)

So yes, the hitting results haven’t been there, but Schwarber is still doing what you want from a leadoff hitter. Schwarber is ranked seventh overall in MLB in pitches seen per plate appearance at 4.40 and leads the Cubs with 24 walks this season.

But it’s May 16, and the idea of Schwarber not leading off for the Cubs doesn’t exist in Maddon’s mind.

“Everybody’s stuck in what they knew growing up, or what their daddies told them and that’s fine, but if we had Rickey Henderson I promise you he’d be leading off right now, but we don’t have him. We’re not a team speed kind of a team. We don’t steal a lot of bases, so I’m looking for a guy to get on base often and come up more often that could do some damage and that’s exactly who (Schwarber) is.”

(Joe Maddon)

Maddon went on, discussing that Schwarber’s low batting average right now is actually a good thing because the power hitter should trend upward after a slow start. Oh and a different option as the leadoff hitter for this team? Don’t count on it. Schwarber is going to be the guy.

“For me it makes all the sense in the world. Furthermore, who would you then put in his spot that you would love better coming up more often than he does? I really don’t know who that guy is. So, based on our composition and what we have, I like it, not a little bit but a lot, and the fact that he’s struggled batting average wise to this point is a good thing because he’s going to come back to what he’s capable of doing very soon.”

(Joe Maddon)

There’s also this to take into account. Yeah, Schwarber reached almost a legend status last year when he came back for the World Series and was great, but he hasn’t even played one full MLB season yet. He’s 24-years-old and played less than two years in the minors. At the MLB level, Schwarber only has 438 plate appearances.

There’s always the same cycle for every young hitter. Schwarber hit the cover off the ball his rookie season, came back for the World Series and was still good. Now, the league has adjusted to him, so he has to make adjustments himself. The good thing is, he’s seeing a lot pitches, he’s walking and he’s still young. As of late, Schwarber has been driving the ball to left field too. The results will come.

Trust the process.

You can listen to the entire Joe Maddon interview on 670 The Score here.

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