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The Cubs And White Sox 2017 Season Preview

By
Sean Sears
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Well, it’s finally here! Opening Day is upon us Chicago, with the Cubs beginning their journey back to the World Series Sunday night against the Cardinals, while the White Sox start year one of their rebuild Monday afternoon.

The writers at Sports Mockery are excited to do it all again this season, and we decided to share the staff’s thoughts on the new season! So I asked our staff these four questions:

1. Team Record, where they finish in division (if playoffs, how far)

2. The most improved/surprising player or a bold predictions 

3. Any players win major awards

4. A quick blurb on the team 

Adam Nissan – Cubs Staff Writer

Cubs Record: 109-53

Most Improved Player: Willson Contreras

Kyle Hendricks wins Cy Young Award

Adam on the Cubs in 2017 – “Crazy to think the 2017 team will top what happened in 2016 but they will. Repeat in 2017. Book it”

Adam on the White Sox – “0-162.”

Dhruv Koul – Sports Mockery Columnist

Cubs 

1. 96-66 (1st in division, lose in NLCS to Nationals)

2. Albert Almora – takes over fully as starting CF by June

3. Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, Willson Contreras, and Javy Baez all hit 25+ home runs

Dhruv on the Cubs – “The Cubs are the best team in baseball, hands down, but it’s too hard to repeat in the MLB. I think the Cardinals give them a good chase in the division, so Joe Maddon can’t rest everybody like he did last year. So I think they run out of gas in the NLCS.”

White Sox

1. 71-91, finish last in the AL Central

2. Todd Frazier traded before Jose Quintana

3. Tim Anderson wins a Gold Glove award

Dhruv on the White Sox – “The White Sox will suck this year and next. I expect them to be a damn solid team by 2019, however.”

Marc-Louis Papryca – Blackhawks Staff Writer

Cubs 

1. Cubs 101-61 Central Division Champions Win World Series

2. Jason Heyward hits .275 with 25 HR

3. No major awards. Russel, Rizzo and Heyward win gold gloves. Rizzo and Bryant win silver sluggers.

Marc on the Cubs – “Cubs continue to have fun and delight fans while winning.”

White Sox 

1. White Sox 81-81 Third in division

2. Jose Abreu has a season like his rookie year and subsequently gets traded for prospects.

3. No major awards.

Marc on the White Sox – “Sox show signs of moving in a positive direction but are years away from doing anything.”

 

Emmet McClain – White Sox Staff Writer

White Sox

1. 68 wins for the Sox, last in central
2. Tim Anderson surprise/breakout player, cements himself in discussion with rest of young stud shortstops
3. Yoan Moncada 2nd in AL rookie of the year.
Emmet on the White Sox – “Sox will be very bad but entertaining as they bring up young prospects throughout the year. Fans know it’s a rebuild, should stay patient. Robert potential signing and Quintana trade could be season highlights.”

Doug Schwamb – White Sox Writer

White Sox 

  1. 72-90 Fifth in the A.L Central
  2. 2. Bold Prediction : Tyler Saladino and his mustache will continue his success from last season.
  3. Biggest Surprise of the Season: No awards but Tim Anderson will hit 25 home runs, steal 30 bases, and make an all star appearance.

Doug on the White Sox – “The White Sox are in the midst of a rebuild, but there’s a lot to look forward to. The upcoming prospects will make the rebuilding process a whole lot easier, and there are s few players in the Majors that can help this team contend in the future. Players such as Tim Anderson, Jose Abreu, and Nate Jones.”

Cubs 

  1. Cubs record: 90-72. 1st in the division. Reach the World Series, but get outplayed by the Red Sox.
  2. Biggest Suprise of the Season: Schwarber gets more than 30 appearances behind the plate.
  3. Biggest Prediction: Heyward has a comeback season and hits 25 HR and 100 RBI.

Doug on the Cubs – “The Cubs will only win 90 games, but still manages to win the division. The reason being is because Joe will rest his guys a lot more, and expect him to keep making changes to the rotation of seven rather than five.”

 

And finally, here is my thoughts on both teams, but you can hear my entire thoughts on both the Cubs and White Sox on the most recent episode of the 312 podcast.

Sean Sears – Staff Writer

Cubs 

  1. 98-64, 1st in the central, beat Boston in the World Series (I really wanted to pick the Dodgers but go Cubs)
  2. Surprise player: Last year I picked Kyle Hendricks, so this year I’m going with Addison Russell solidifying his place as a top-five shortstop this season
  3. Bold prediction: Jason Heyward ends the year as the Cubs leadoff hitter, also Russell, Rizzo, and Heyward win gold glove

My thoughts on the Cubs – “What more can you say about the team everyone thinks is the best in baseball? Whether or not the Cubs win it all again in 2017, they are going to have more fun than anyone else this season, and I can’t wait to watch them do it.” 

White Sox

  1. 70-92, 4th in the division, no playoffs
  2. Surprise player: Leury Garcia, if he can find playing time, he’s going to score some runs.
  3. None, but Carlos Rodon does prove he can be a staff ace when healthy

My thoughts on the White Sox – “The Sox, while rebuilding, still have a decent amount of talent on the major league roster, enough to keep them from actually tanking. Which means making deals for Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier, David Robertson, etc. are going to be crucial for the Sox to continue to find success while attempting to rebuild.”

Cubs Opening Day Lineup Vs. Cardinals Has One Surprise

By
Aldo Soto
-

Well, well, well, look who’s starting at second base for the defending World Series champions. Joe Maddon said he was going to have one little quirk in the lineup and in reality it’s what fans want most of the time. So, for Opening Day the Chicago Cubs open up against the St. Louis Cardinals and Javier Baez will be starting at second base.

That means Ben Zobrist will go back to right field, while Jason Heyward starts in center field. We already knew the top three hitters coming into the season and it’s still scary for opposing pitchers. Kyle Schwarber, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo up in the first inning. Oh baby!

Also, Maddon will be going back to batting the pitcher eighth, but the surprise, maybe not that much, is that Baez is in the nine hole. That will change when Albert Almora Jr. is starting, I assume.

So, for the first game of the season, there’s no Almoea or Jon Jay. Obviously, Maddon has as much flexibility as ever before, so expect different looks throughout the year in the lineup.

Ahh, baseball is back. Finally. Let’s go!

Celebrate Jay Cutler Trade Anniversary With List of Players Bears Could’ve Had

By
Erik Lambert
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Jay Cutler Trade

Oh the Jay Cutler trade. It was and will remain one of the most hotly debated topics for the rest of Chicago Bears history. In hindsight it’s unclear whether the team was right in making that deal with the Denver Broncos in spring of 2009. They would give up first and third round picks that year, a first round pick in 2010 and veteran quarterback Kyle Orton. In exchange they got a hyper-talented young arm who was entering his prime.

Seemed like such a slam dunk. Eight years later Cutler is 33-years old and better known for his naked butt appearing on the internet these days than what he’s accomplished on the field. The sum total of his accomplishments? Holding the all-time franchise record for passing yards and touchdowns along with one playoff victory. The first feat is solid but not all that special. As for the other? Not much to brag about.

Trading for Cutler was a bold move in an attempt to finally solve the decades-long problem at quarterback for Chicago. At the same time it robbed the team of the draft ammunition it could’ve used to brace up what was already an aging roster by that point. Several former players, including Brian Urlacher stated they felt it was an unnecessary move give they’d just gone 9-7 with Orton in 2008.

So was it? Perhaps the best way to answer that is by listing all the future Pro Bowl players they could’ve had with those three valuable picks they gave up in the deal. Be warned. It gets pretty sad.

Assessing the Jay Cutler trade impact

2009 First Round Pick

  • Jeremy Maclin
  • Alex Mack
  • Percy Harvin
  • Vontae Davis
  • Clay Matthews
  • Eric Wood
  • Jairus Byrd
  • Connor Barwin
  • Max Unger
  • LeSean McCoy
  • William Moore
  • Louis Vasquez

2009 Third Round Pick

  • Mike Wallace
  • T.J. Lang
  • Glover Quin
  • Kevin Huber
  • Thomas Morstead
  • Cedric Peerman
  • Pat McAfee

2010 First Round Pick

  • Ryan Mathews
  • Earl Thomas
  • Jason Pierre-Paul
  • Mike Iupati
  • Maurkice Pouncey
  • Jermaine Gresham
  • Demaryius Thomas
  • Dez Bryant
  • Devin McCourty
  • Dexter McCluster
  • T.J. Ward
  • Rob Gronkowski
  • Zane Beadles
  • Linval Joseph
  • Daryl Washington
  • Carlos Dunlap
  • Sean Lee
  • Golden Tate

There are too many names to truly process so lets keep it to the bigger names. The Bears could’ve easily given Orton better weapons with those picks. Imagine them getting Jeremy Maclin one year and Rob Gronkowski the next. Or perhaps they could’ve solved that pesky problem at the safety position people are (still) complaining about. Earl Thomas, Glover Quin and T.J. Ward? Come on down. Last but not least, they might’ve found their heirs to Urlacher and Lance Briggs.

Imagine Clay Matthews suiting up with those two back in those days. An already great linebacking corps would’ve become an all-timer. This not counting the host of other quality talent they willingly passed on in favor of Cutler. It’s easy to criticize the move now after what’s happened, but it also serves as a valuable lesson.

Important as the quarterback position is, some prices just aren’t worth paying. Also it’s almost never a wise thing to sacrifice the long-term future in favor of a before-it’s-too-late title rush in the present. They almost never work and the team pays the price for years to come down the line. The Bears are showcasing that.

WATCH: Artemi Panarin Scored One Of The Most Bizarre Goals Ever

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
-

Artemi Panarin scored one of the most bizarre goals you will ever see in an NHL game.

Richard Panik was checked into the Boston Bruins’ crease while the Blackhawks still had possession. Instead of trying to get ot of the way, he ducked for cover. Teammate Artemi Panarin rifled his shot on net…into Panik. The puck bounced off Panik and back to Panarin who then put the rebound in for a goal.

The best part is that Panik gets a primary assist for his…save? Watch below.

 

The Swing That Convinced Theo Epstein To Draft Kyle Schwarber No. 4 Overall

By
Matt Eastman
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It was May 13, 2014, and Indiana University’s Kyle Schwarber, now a barrel-chested junior, joined his teammates for batting practice in Louisville’s Jim Patterson Stadium. As legend has it, it was at this very moment his coach, Tracy Smith, decided to give his catcher a little added incentive going into that night’s contest.

“You know A.J. Reed hit a home run off the batter’s eye in center field one time,” said Smith.

That was all he needed to say. As the saying goes, don’t poke the bear.

A.J. Reed was a star at the University of Kentucky and considered to be one of the best two-way players in college baseball. As a junior in 2014, Reed hit .336/.476/.735 and led the nation in home runs with 23. As a pitcher he was 12–2 with a 2.09 ERA and 71 strikeouts.

You know damn well Schwarber was very familiar with Reed and his long list of accomplishments.

There was only choice for Schwarber, he had to one up Reed.

According to ESPN’s Hallie Grossman, as the game wore on, Louisville had thwarted Schwarber’s attempts to put his power on display and having gone 0-4 up until that point, the rumors began to swirl. The one and only Theo Epstein was in attendance.

“No way he’s here,” said Kyle’s fellow Hoosier Kyle Hart. But yes, insisted the club’s resident Chicago sports fan, Luke Harrison, “that’s definitely him.”

Indeed it was. There, just behind home plate, donning a black baseball hat, sat the Cubs President of Baseball Operations.

While Indiana defeated Louisville, 7-2, at Patterson Stadium that Tuesday night. After the game, you didn’t need a pitching coach or a Baseball Tonight analyst to tell you what really happened.

You actually needed an engineer.

With the Hoosiers clinging to a 4-2 lead in the top of the ninth, Schwarber, failing to give the fans what they wanted in his first couple at-bats, strolled to the plate. The future first-round pick, working on a 2-and-1 count, absolutely destroyed one.

Fans, teammates and more importantly Epstein sat in awe, looking for somebody who could possibly measure the distance and then accurately calculate just how far Schwarber hit his three-run home run.

According to WDRB, the distance painted at the top of the center-field wall is 402 feet. The dark batter’s eye wall in center extends at least another 40 feet above the eight-foot barrier. The baseball cleared the batter’s eye by perhaps 15 feet, soaring majestically toward the train tracks that wind beyond the centerfield fence.

Image result for jim patterson stadium
The dark batter’s eye can be seen deep in the distance of Jim Patterson Field. (Via U of L Card Game)

450 feet?

“I have no idea,” Schwarber said.

More than 450?

“Absolutely,” said IU outfielder Will Nolden. “Hands down. That ball was crushed. I don’t know if it’s landed yet.”

Do I hear 475?

“Honestly?” IU coach Tracy Smith said.

Yes, sir.

“Easily,” Smith said. “It’s four (hundred) to (the wall) so that’s not an exaggeration.”

HERE IT IS….

Here is the safest thing to say: Schwarber hit the baseball farther than a college baseball player is supposed to be able to hit a ball since the NCAA mandated less lively bats four years prior. It was his 10th home run of the season and 36th of his career.

Shortly after Schwarber finished making his way around the bases, Theo Epstein rose and left the ballpark. He had seen all he needed to see that night.

“I speculate to this day,” Hart says: “Was that the swing that got Kyle Schwarber drafted No. 4?”

Theo would never admit it, but chances are yes, yes it was.

A left-handed hitter, the home run came against Louisville pitcher Cole Sturgeon, who throws left handed.

Sturgeon started the sequence with a split-finger fastball. It was low. He followed with strike one and threw another pitch outside. Schwarber was looking for a high fastball. Schwarber got a high fastball.

BYE BALL.

 

“He probably thought I was looking for that splitter,” Schwarber said. “I was just looking for a ball to be elevated.”

The rest is history, literally.

 

Why It’s Time To Board The Bears O.J. Howard Hype Train

By
Erik Lambert
-
bears o.j. howard

Just where in the world did the Chicago Bears O.J. Howard buzz originate? Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch. In truth the team conducted a private meeting with the Alabama tight end. One of 30 they’re allowed to have prior to the NFL draft. Considering he’s one of the top prospects in 2017 class, it’s only logical they’d want to meet with him.

An option for the #3 overall pick though? Every traditional expert will say no way. Only certain types of positions are “allowed” to go in the top five. They are quarterbacks, pass rushers or offensive tackles. That’s it. Anything else is way too big of risk or features a position with less impact value.

Now a few decades ago this might’ve been true but the NFL has changed. Tight ends are considered more vital than ever to the success of a modern offense. In fact the Super Bowl has featured at least one team with a Pro Bowl tight end since 2011. The best ones are putting up 1,000 yards each year. This isn’t a part-time contributing position anymore. That’s why the Howard connection cannot and should not be ignored.

Explaining the Bears O.J. Howard origins

Matt Miller of the Bleacher Report is one of the most respected draft analysts going these days. He has a number of reliable team sources offering greater and greater clarity on what is likely to happen in the top five later this month. Chief among the interest notes. How the #1 and #5 picks already appear locked in place. More than that? The implications it could have for the options Chicago will have when they go on the clock.

“The top five picks in the 2017 draft are starting to come into focus. Myles Garrett, barring something unforeseen happening in the next four weeks, will be the No. 1 overall pick. The San Francisco 49ers are, according to a scouting source with the team, in love with Reuben Foster and Leonard Fournette if Garrett is gone. On the back end, the Tennessee Titans are said, by a scouting source, to be set on taking Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore with the No. 5 pick. If picks No. 1 and 5 are set, it becomes easier to figure out Nos. 2, 3 and 4.”

Now the first challenge to this would be Lattimore might go before the Titans at #5. First of all, that is unlikely. Though he’s the best cornerback in the class, the fact is no defensive back has gone in the top four picks of a draft since 1998. That was the year Charles Woodson, a Heisman trophy winner, went #4 overall to the Oakland Raiders. Lattimore is good but it can be safely said Lattimore is no Woodson.

The great conundrum for Ryan Pace

So presuming this rumor is accurate, it means everything hinges on what the 49ers will do at #2. Word is persistent that the team is very interested in trading back from that spot. Carolina is one option they’ve been connected to, who are developing an increasing fancy for LSU running back Leonard Fournette. Him or Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas. Don’t forget the Panthers just traded Kony Ealy to New England.

All that said it paints a clear picture: every quarterback in the 2017 class should be available when the Bears go on the clock. Even after signing Mike Glennon there is an ongoing urgency for GM Ryan Pace to add another talent to the depth chart. He’s under an obligation to fix a position that has been broken for years. This would be their greatest opportunity in at least a decade.

Miller indicated that is not impossible, but remains unlikely.

“The Chicago Bears could shock us all and go quarterback with the third pick. But as it stands today, it’s looking more and more like the first quarterback (Mitchell Trubisky) will come off the board outside the first five picks.”

By that same token, the #3 pick might also become a valuable trade chip. Some team may love the idea of getting the quarterback of their choice and Chicago would hold the golden ticket. Adding more picks is always enticing.

A safe bet?

Barring that though the Bears could just end up passing on a quarterback in favor of a player they few as “less of a risk.” Given the current winds, the names involved include these men.

  • DE Solomon Thomas
  • DE Jonathan Allen
  • S Jamal Adams
  • S Malik Hooker
  • TE O.J. Howard

All five of those names have been linked to the Bears in some form or another. All are widely considered some of the best players in the draft. Like Lattimore though, Adams and Hooker seem unlikely as defensive backs but also money considerations. Thomas and Allen would be more believable given how much head coach John Fox believes in pass rush value. The most interesting name though is Howard.

He headlines arguably the richest and most talented tight end class maybe of the modern era. Not only is he big and strong, but also a freak athlete who can run and has soft hands for catching passes. Need a big play for a first down? He has that covered. Need a reliable blocker on the edge? No problem. The guy can quite literally do it all.

It sounds crazy. Nobody takes a tight end in the top five. Well, that’s not entirely true. In NFL draft history, a tight end has gone in that range three times. As it turns out the Bears were responsible for one of them when they took a young man named Mike Ditka fifth overall in 1961. Another side note? Every tight end ever selected in the top six picks has gone to at least one Pro Bowl in their career. So it’s a much safer bet than other positions.

Making sense of it

Would Pace do it? He’s already shown an affinity for taking great athletes early in the draft. Howard fits that bill in every way possible. Don’t forget this critical stat nugget. Bears tight ends were targeted on 100 pass plays in 2016. That is clear evidence that offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains loves to feature that position in the aerial attack. It’s why they signed free agent Dion Sims.

Imagine if he and Howard formed a pair. Both can catch. Both can block. The creative possibilities would be near limitless. To say nothing of the fact that new starting quarterback Mike Glennon, wait for it, loves throwing to the tight ends. In 2013, when he started 13 games, tight ends were targeted 86 times.

Don’t let position erase player quality in this sense. Pace is about the best player available and there is no argument here. O.J. Howard is one of the best players in this draft. Period.

5 Bets You Have To Make On The 2017 Chicago Cubs

By
Aldo Soto
-

According to pretty much every single season preview, the Chicago Cubs are going to be a nightmare for the rest of MLB. As good as they were in 2016, winning 103 games and you know, the World Series, they’re projected to have an even better offense in 2017. Yes, despite losing Dexter Fowler via free agency and Jorge Soler through a trade, the Cubs enter 2017 with higher expectations.

Yeah, they won the World Series, so it’s tough to claim expectations are higher but that’s what happens when you’re the champion. It’s all about staying on top now that you’ve climbed the mountain. Anyway, by most predictions, the Cubs are going to dominate once again and you know why not use the Cubs to put some extra cash in your wallet.

So, the other day I was looking through Bovada while losing money on March Madness and I stumbled on some MLB season prop bets. I’m no expert, (obviously) but there are two Cubs related prop bets that you have to make because they’re no-brainers. It’s like Bovada is giving away free money. Anyway, I made a list of five prop bets from the site including the two you should bet your life on.

Even if you’re not into gambling, these give you a good idea of what odds makers think about certain players and how they project individual seasons to go.

Addison Russell o/u 20.5 Home Runs

HAHAHAHA! Stealing is bad, but in this case they’re begging to be robbed, so take as much as you can. What an absurd number for Addison Russell. In his second MLB season, Russell hit 21 home runs at age 22. He still has to mature as a hitter, but the power is there. Yeah, it’s only spring training, but Russell hit six home runs during exhibition play. Smash the over. Russell’s going to get close to 30 home runs this year. Easy money.

Blackhawks Clinch Central Division But They’re Not Through Owning Regular Season

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
-

The Chicago Blackhawks have clinched the NHL’s Central Division for the second time since they did so in the 2009-2010 season (2012-2013). It is the first since the league realigned in 2013-2014 and secures the Blackhawks home ice advantage with the best record in the Western Conference.

None of this really means anything unless the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup but there are still things to shoot for this regular season. The players would tell you that records and trophies don’t matter, but you know it’s on their mind.

Coach Q may occasionally be resting players the last four games but that is no reason for you to take a rest from watching. Here are four great reasons to stay tuned in.

Even The Numbers Say The Bears Must Draft A QB To Challenge Glennon

By
Erik Lambert
-
drafted chicago bears quarterbacks

Has anybody really stopped to tally the hard numbers? Drafted Chicago Bears quarterbacks vs. free agent and trade acquired Bears quarterbacks. Given how the organization seems to have favored the latter over the past three decades alone, it’s fair to ask. Do they really believe that approach is best or are they really that backwards?

The only way to get a definitive answer is by digging deep into the numbers. Given the unreliable stat keeping in the early days of the league though, this will be restricted to just the Super Bowl era. That means the 1966 season to the present day. The numbers being compiled will be as follows:  win-loss record, winning percentage, total number of playoff appearances and Super Bowl appearances.

The end game is simple. To discover whether or not the myth that drafting quarterbacks is more beneficial to the franchise is true. Numbers can lie but not in this case. In fighting terminology, this would be a technical knockout.

Drafted Chicago Bears quarterbacks vs. FAs and Trades

The Draft

  • Record:  184-187-1 (.495 winning percentage)
  • Playoff trips:  9
  • Super Bowls:  2

Free Agents/Trades

  • Record:  168-195-3 (.462 winning percentage)
  • Playoff trips:  4
  • Super Bowls:  0

It is undoubtedly a clean sweep for the drafted quarterbacks in this comparison. While both categories reveals how inept the team is at developing the position with overall losing records, one at least sucks far less than the other. Drafted quarterbacks have more wins, fewer losses, more than double the playoff appearance and the only two Super Bowl appearances. Not to mention the lone Lombardi trophy (thanks Jim McMahon).

If nothing else this sends a loud and clear message. Don’t buy in too much to the whole Mike Glennon hype campaign by GM Ryan Pace. If he actually believes what he’s saying, he’ll just end up suffering the same fate as other predecessors like Phil Emery, Jerry Angelo and Mark Hatley did. Men who chose to put their stock in big trade or free agent acquisitions rather than truly committing to the drafting and development of a quarterback.

If he doesn’t, then it’s just a GM saying what he has to say to keep a player on his roster focused on his job. Meanwhile his real agenda will be finding the actual QB of the future in the upcoming 2017 NFL draft. Will he do it at the #3 pick? He’s certainly trying hard to indicate it will be all about best player available.

Here’s the thing about that. His draft board is nothing like the boards of anybody else in the media or fan base. So players they believe are high on the Bears’ list might not even be considered an option. At the same time there is a definite possibility he could view at least one of the top quarterbacks as a legitimate possibility for that pick. Especially when considering the positions’ importance.

Pace likes to fancy himself a student of the draft, having been a scout and executive for 15 years now. Well if he knows his football history, he’ll clearly see his quest for “sustained long-term success” isn’t coming via free agency or a trade.

Kyle Long Promises To Fix The Bears In Heartfelt Message

By
Erik Lambert
-
kyle long
Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Long has fast become one of the most beloved Chicago Bears of the new era. The reasons aren’t hard to find. He’s a second generation talent from pro football royalty. He is already a three-time Pro Bowler and one of the best guards in the NFL. To top it off he has developed one of the most entertaining social media personas of any athlete in the U.S.

Perhaps the most important thing that endears him to the fans though? He’s honest. The guy has never tried to hide his shortcomings both on and off the field. He takes ownership of his mistakes and always aims to be better. Losing is something he refuses to accept, lending to his trademark intensity on game days. When it happens, he tends to take it personal.

Never was that clearer than on his latest Twitter rant. The 28-year old is clearly still torn up about the way the 2016 season ended for the Bears. An ugly 3-13 finish brought about by injuries and inconsistent play. Both of which he fell victim to. Long believes much of that season was the fault of him and his inability to establish a better role as leader. He vowed to take ownership of that mistake. It was quite moving.

The Kyle Long promise

What prompted this entire string? As Long said it stemmed from his time in the film room. He began to realize he wasn’t executing on the field. At least not at the level expected of him. Too often he would miss a block here or there. He understands his own talent means he should be dominating all the time. The fact he hasn’t was a big eye-opener. He even took responsibility for the ankle injury that ended his season.

Injuries happen in the NFL. That incident doesn’t really deserve blame, but Long feels responsible anyway. Why? He feels he let his team down by not being able to finish the season. Leaders are expected to do just that. Lead the way. What does it say about him when the team finishes with the worst record of the 16-game era in franchise history?

In many ways Kyle Long is much like Olin Kreutz. The former six-time Pro Bowl center was beloved in Chicago for his intensity and great play. However, it took him a long time to bridge that gap between good individual talent and good locker room leader. Don’t forget six of his first seven seasons were spent missing the playoffs. Long is learning to appreciate the value of accountability just like he did.

Of course Kyle is still just one man. It takes a core of leadership to lift a team to new heights. Long is currently the only proven one they have. It may take a little longer before they have the piece in place to really get this thing back on track. His vow to help only endears him further to a fan base that already loves him. If the Bears can get two or three more of his type? The team will be just fine.

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