During the pregame for the College Football National Championship this guy had one throw to win $1, 000, 000 and could not have made a worse attempt. I’d like to say it looked like Uncle Rico but he could “throw a football over them mountains.”
I don’t want to give anything away but I hope no one got hurt. Feel free to discuss afterwards.
what was that joey pic.twitter.com/8tzCuaPTLX
— Jordan Heck (@JordanHeckFF) January 9, 2017
Yes. The Chicago Bears 2016 season was technically the worst ever in a 16-game regular season. A 3-13 record is clear evidence of that. It seems so fitting given that it happen exactly a decade after they went 13-3 in 2006 and reached the Super Bowl. When the mighty fall, it’s often a slow and painful process to watch.
Nevertheless it’s not like the year was a complete and total waste. There were some bright moments that got fans excited. Moments that showed better days could be around the corners. The Bears website decided to showcase the best of the best in a Top 10 countdown, covering the plays that stood out the most for all the right reasons.
It’s fitting that the top two plays of the year came in games against division rivals. Still, there shouldn’t be any surprise that the strip sack of Aaron Rodgers by Leonard Floyd and resulting touchdown would run away with #1. It was such a magnificent play, showcasing the athletic prowess and potential of the Bears’ first round pick. The fact he did it at Lambeau Field against a man who has tortured Chicago for years made it that much sweeter.
If Floyd takes the next step in 2017, and the rest of the defense improves around him there is no reason to think this team won’t compete. It’s a subtle but solid message from the organization to bear with them just a little longer.
This year’s Cubs Convention will have a little bit different feel to it from conventions in the past. I’ve been lucky enough to attend a few of the previous conventions and it was always a time for hope and excitement as the fans got a chance to see the team that would take the field the next baseball season. It was also a chance for all of us to utter something along the lines of, “I really think this is the year they are gonna do it.”
Well now that they’ve already done it, fans in attendance this year will be lucky enough to say that they attended the convention that featured the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs.
It still sounds weird saying that.
The 32nd Annual Cubs Convention will take place January 13-15 at the Sheraton Grand Chicago and fans will be treated to plenty of autograph opportunities, new panel discussions, enhanced activities, photos with the World Series Trophy and traditional fan favorites during the three-day weekend.
(use the arrow at the top to continue)
The Chicago Bears, like the rest of the football world are sure to be tuned into prime time television tonight. It’s the evening of the College Football National Championship game in what might be one of the most highly-anticipated matchups in recent memory. For the first time in decades there will be a rematch between the two same teams.
On one side are the defending champion Alabama Crimson Tide, who haven’t lost a game since September of 2015. Among their victims since are the challenger Clemson Tigers. They gave the dynasty Tide all they could handle last year in a 45-40 shootout. Hopes are high that more talent and experience this time around will get them over the hump.
It really doesn’t matter much who wins. For the Bears and 31 other NFL team, they’ll be focused on the individual performances of the players, good or bad. It’s generally agreed that this may be one of the highest talent concentrations a national championship has seen in years. So who exactly will Chicago be watching?
Here is a rundown of the names to know. (continue to next page from top)
NBA Rumor Mill season is upon us. With the league’s February 23rd trade deadline fast approaching, teams will more aggressively become buyers or sellers. Given the Bulls’ undeniable mediocrity (19-18) through the first half of the season, it would behoove Gar Forman and John Paxson to explore the possibilities as sellers. Most notably, they should see what kind of offers come through for veteran power forward Taj Gibson, who’s playing out the final year of his contract before unrestricted free agency this summer.
Count TNT and Bleacher Report‘s NBA analyst Greg Anthony as the latest of many league experts to predict that Gibson will be moved before the deadline. Taj is the first of five players whom Anthony named in today’s B/R video report citing players most likely to be dealt.
Kyle Korver's move marked the beginning of trade season in the NBA. Who's getting shipped next? pic.twitter.com/cLfXSS1bYb
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 9, 2017
“[Gibson is] having a terrific season, and is a guy who can hold down your front line. He can score a little bit with his back to the basket and knock down that midrange jumper.” – Greg Anthony
Anthony is right about all of the above. Gibson is having the best season of his career, having finally gotten the starting role he deserved for so long. He has plenty to offer on both ends of the floor, and many potential contenders could see him as the missing piece to their roster.
The Toronto Raptors, who pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to six games in last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, could use some frontcourt help. Their backcourt duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan is one of the best in the league, and the Raptors can outscore their opponent most nights. But if they want to knock off the Cavs, they’ll need to get tougher inside. Toronto ranks 27th in the league in defensive rebounding, averaging just 31.6 per game. Gibson could definitely help in that department. Toronto is reportedly interested in Atlanta’s Paul Millsap, but Taj would likely be a cheaper option if there’s a bidding war for Millsap.
Also included in Anthony’s top five list of likely trade pieces is Philadelphia 76ers big man Nerlens Noel. The Bulls are rumored to be interested in Noel, who is stuck in an overcrowded 76ers frontcourt rotation. It’s looking more and more likely that they will keep Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor, making Noel the odd man out. In a recent interview with The Vertical, Noel expressed his growing frustration with the lack of opportunity in Philly.
76ers big man @NerlensNoel3 on his role, the possibility of a trade and much more. @WojVerticalNBA Pod: https://t.co/VRxAngxwFN pic.twitter.com/Y80Wmg4nvs
— The Vertical (@TheVertical) January 9, 2017
That sounds like a guy who wants to be traded. The 76ers will likely make some calls gauging interest in the former #6 overall pick, and GarPax might be on the other end of one of those calls. Younger and more athletic, right? At the same time, if the Bulls successfully move Gibson they might want to give his minutes to Bobby Portis. Chicago’s 2015 first round pick hasn’t developed like they hoped, but also hasn’t been given many opportunities to expand his game in his sophomore season.
After going off-course with the signings of Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade, GarPax need to get back to the original plan: try to revitalize this roster with youth and draft picks. Bulls fans should expect the front office to be active leading up to the deadline. They might have a history of being quiet this time of year, but the team’s current situation calls for immediate action. They must be sellers, and Gibson is the most likely candidate.
Tyson Ross and the Chicago Cubs have been in talks for the last few weeks since the former Padre became a free agent on December 2nd.
It was reported last week that the 29-year-old-righy had reportedly visited the Texas Rangers last week, and then immediately met with the Cubs. We at Sports Mockery reported from a source of mine that the Rangers were serious contenders for Ross’s services, but the Cubs still remained as the favorites to sign him.
Source: Before visiting the Texas Rangers today, Tyson Ross met with the Chicago Cubs. They are the two favorites to sign the right-hander.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 5, 2017
A source of mine told me he still expects the Cubs to sign Ross, saying the North-Siders probably had a 60% chance of landing the 2014 All-Star.
A former scout still thinks it the #Cubs can land Tyson Ross, saying “60-40” between them and the #Rangers
— Sean Sears (@sean_sears6) January 5, 2017
Well, this weekend I heard from a Cubs scout that Ross has officially narrowed down his options to the Rangers and Cubs, with negotiations possibly ending in the near future.
Ryan Hartman’s first career hat trick got me thinking about Blackhawks hat tricks last night. In over 90 years, the Chicago Blackhawks have had many hat tricks and you certainly cannot remember all of them. Some are historical, some are memorable and some are just fun to think about. Like these.
It all started with a Blackhawks player, seriously. There are a few different accounts but this is the story that the Hockey Hall of Fame recognizes as the origin of the term, hat trick.
During the 1945-1946 season, Blackhawks forward Alex Kaleta entered a Toronto shop to buy a new hat but didn’t have enough money. The store owner, Sammy Taft, reached an agreement with Kaleta that if he scored 3 goals he would give him a free hat. On January 26, 1946 he scored four goals against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the term “hat trick” was born.
Ryan Pace is the 37 year-old general manager of the Chicago Bears and has been since getting hired back in January of 2015. In the last two seasons, Pace has made a flurry of moves to try and revitalize the Bears’ roster since Phil Emery’s departure…. some have been very good, others … not so much.
Known as “one of the best kept secrets” in football, Pace was hired out of New Orleans where he spent a lot of time in the scouting department, eventually moving all the way up to scouting director. Pace’s ability to judge talent, and presumably negotiate deals, is essentially why he was hired. He’s already shown that he’s willing to take a risk (Ray McDonald) and accept blame when things don’t go as expected (Ray McDonald) which is a key attribute of a successful GM.
Most NFL analysts know that the best way to rebuild a team is through the draft, and Pace has some good credit there with his picks of Jordan Howard, Leonard Floyd, Cody Whitehair and Nick Kwiatkoski. The future is looking bright for most of his low-round picks over the last two seasons.
Here’s a look at some of his best, and worst, moves in free agency / trade acquisitions.
The first thing you should notice, not all transactions are listed. For instance, signing Tracy Porter. That would be on the best side after 2015, however after 2016 it falls more into a gray area. The same goes for Danny Trevathan based on how much he was paid.
Based on the look of this, it may appear that Pace’s good and bad decisions weigh out evenly, but that’s not necessarily the case. Some of his good signings have GREAT futures ahead, where his bad signings are mostly already gone with little harm done. Most of Pace’s bad deals were accompanied by contract voids and other clauses to let the Bears easily escape the deals with problematic players (example: Ray McDonald again).
Many reports in Chicago have questioned if Pace is truly in charge at Halas Hall, or if John Fox’s voice has more influence than his. The recent press conference would indicate the two are working together as expected with the main goal being to develop players and create a culture in the locker room that is condusive to winning. That’s why, despite a 3-13 record, Fox will be brought back as the head coach of the Bears for a third season.
As Pace also enters his third off-season with Chicago, it is going to be the biggest yet. The rumored seperation with Jay Cutler will leave a huge hole at the quarterback position and it will be Pace’s job to fill it. With so many options out there ranging from Mitch Trubisky to Jimmy Garoppolo, it will be very interesting to see what he decides to do.
In Pace we trust.
According to the Chicago Police Department, six people were slain and at least 49 others were wounded in shootings across the city over the New Year’s holiday weekend. Those are just the latest examples of the violence problem that continues to plague this otherwise great city. Bears legend Charles “Peanut” Tillman, who was born in Chicago and played 12 of his 13 NFL seasons with the Bears, spoke up about the violence on his Twitter account yesterday.
My thoughts on and hope for a better Chicago… pic.twitter.com/XPF6QXjxTt
— Charles Tillman (@peanuttillman) January 8, 2017
Tillman’s reflections on death and the legacy we leave behind brought his beloved city’s violence problem to the forefront of his mind. He urges his fellow Chicagoans to be more loving, peaceful, unified and respectful of one another. Tillman reminds us that our actions are all on record, and the impressionable youth of our city are watching.
Peanut’s legacy in Chicago is already firmly set. He stands out as one of the greatest through generations of a franchise rich with iconic defensive players. He is the all-time franchise leader in defensive touchdowns (9), interceptions returned for touchdowns (8) and interception return yards (675). Tillman also leads all Bears in history with 42 forced fumbles, thanks to his famous “peanut punch” technique. His 36 interceptions are second only to Gary Fencik (38) in franchise history.
Tillman had a resurgent 2015 season with the Carolina Panthers, but a torn ACL in their regular season finale marked the end of his playing career. On July 22 of last year, he signed a ceremonial one-day contract to officially retire as a Chicago Bear.
Let’s hope Chicago takes his message to heart. Change for the better takes time, but it isn’t impossible.
The Chicago Bears are in the midst of trying to reestablish their pipelines to college football ever since they seemed to run dry about eight years ago. Most of the prospects they’ve drafted in that span haven’t worked out well. Still, there is a tried and true method they could seek to employ that has worked for them plenty in the past.
Why not target players who were highly productive in college? Sure, it doesn’t always translate to the NFL but there are plenty of examples where talented athletes who excelled at the collegiate level carried it right over to the pros. In fact the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame class is the perfect example of this.
This is important to note because Bears fans will recognize one of the faces in this group almost immediately. (continue to next page from top)
