Final Thoughts on Chicago Sports

Last Game of the Year

...for the Vikings, that is.  Since the Bears and Ravens worked together to end Minnesota's season last Sunday, this once-scary looking game on the schedule has now been rendered completely meaningless.  Look for all the “questionable” players to skip this one, as all that's left to play for is a few personal milestones.  Grossman will still probably play at least a half, as he simply needs more snaps to gel with the offense.  Predicting the outcome of this game is futile, although I think the Bears truly want to win this one in order to sweep the division for the first time since 1987.  Besides, it's more fun to pick the Bears.  So I'll say Bears 20, Vikings 13.

As for the rest of the week, there's four teams fighting for the last three playoff spots in the NFC.  Bucs, Panthers, Skins, and Cowboys.  Here's to hoping the Redskins get squeezed out.  They seem to be the only one of those four teams that actually has any momentum going, and our playoff history with Washington is not good. 

Tejada Tejada

I generally don't comment on rumors, but this one just won't go away. 

To Orioles:
Mark Prior
Rich Hill
Corey Patterson

To Cubs:
Miguel Tejada
Eric Bedard

You might be surprised to find that I actually like this deal.  I don't think the Cubs lineup, as currently constructed, is going to contend for crap this year.  I really don't.  Jim Hendry knows that if he doesn't get something done this year, he's out of here.  We're talkin NLCS at a minimum or don't-let-the-door-hit-you-on-your-way-out.  What's that you say?  How can you get rid of golden-armed Mark Prior?  The man with 300 wins, multiple Cy Youngs, and a sure-fire Hall of Fame plaque in his future?  Well, it certainly would be tough, but I'm resigned to the fact that Prior is doomed with the Cubs.  He's been on the DL five times since 2002.  Five!  Yes, a few of those injuries were flukes, like the liner off the elbow and running into Marcus Giles.  But the others were not.  (I blame Bruce Kimm and Dusty Baker for early over-use.)  For 2005, it all comes down to one thing.  Will the Cubs be better off with Tejada (a former MVP) and Bedard (a fine young left-hander himself) than with Prior and Neifi Perez?  I think there's no question that they'd be better in the short term.  The difference between Prior and Bedard is like the difference between Prior and Matt Clement, and with Prior's injury history, Bedard might even end up outperforming Prior.  The difference between Neifi and Tejada is, well, the difference between Neifi and Tejada.  (I'm thinking 10 full wins, for starters.)   What about Rich Hill and Corey Patterson?  Well, Patterson we'd give away for free right now if we could, and Hill is a nice looking prospect.  He's about to turn 26, though, and big-time pitchers usually have 30-60 wins at this point, so he's no great loss. 

So yes, I'd trade Prior.  It'd really hurt to see him go on to fulfill his potential as the next Tom Seaver, but if this move won the North Siders a championship, I wouldn't look back. 

Division Champs

The Bears outlasted the Packers today and in the process won the NFC North and a first round bye in the playoffs.  Congrats to Lovie Smith and the Bears!  Rex Grossman had a nice game and led the offense to three scores.  He had a few really nice throws for first downs, and one rather dumb pick.  Who am I to complain, though, as the Bears record now sits at 11-4 and has far exceeded my wildest expectations.  We're going to see Playoff football in Chicago, folks, and I've got to say it's about friggin time. 

Quick thoughts:

• Lance Briggs showed a Christmas Day national TV audience that his Pro Bowl nod was well deserved.  He was making tackles left and right, and had an interception returned for a TD.  Nice day. 
• Chris Harris returned to the starting lineup and had two picks.  The “Welcome Back, Kotter” theme song plays faintly in the distance.
• Brett Favre.  Ding! Dong! The Witch is Dead!  ...Ok, that was kind of cheesy.  But I have to say Favre's ownership of the Bears appears to be over.  This year he has over 100 pass attempts with no TDs and 6 INTs.  Read that again.  We won't ever be able to make up for the past 12 years, but it's really nice to stick it to our arch nemesis.
• Grossman is now 2-0 at Lambeau.  If he goes on to own the Packers until 2017 the way Favre has owned the Bears, I'll personally mold a statue of him out of cheddar cheese for my front yard.
• Thomas Jones and Bernard Berrian both had really nice games.  Jones is closing in on 1,300 yards rushing, and would become only the 2nd Bear in franchise history to eclipse that mark.  I think you know who the other guy is.
• Olin Kreutz rolled an ankle.  He was walking around after the injury, but I have a bad feeling about it.  Hopefully he'll be allright with two weeks off.

That's all for now.  Great job, Chicago, and, oh yeah, Merry Christmas, everybody!

Six Bears are going to Hawaii

The Pro Bowl squad was announced today, and Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Nathan Vasher, Tommie Harris, Mike Brown, and Olin Kreutz were selected to represent the first place Bears.  Can't argue with any of those selections, as all were worthy.  I don't want to sound greedy, but the Bears had a few others worthy of the honor.  Adewale Ogunleye and Thomas Jones, specifically.  Ogunleye, more than Urlacher, is the key to the Bears defense.  When he's chasing the quarterback, everyone else looks better.  Plus he had the numbers to back him up.  (10 sacks.)  He got squeezed out behind some talented Defensive Ends in the NFC, although I have to say Julius Peppers is having a down year.  Thomas Jones is a little easier to overlook, but still has had a really nice season and I thought I'd mention it. 

It's kind of funny how big of a deal and how much analysis goes into the Pro Bowl selections, but by the time the game actually rolls around, nobody gives a crap.  Seriously, you can you think of ANY play in ANY Pro Bowl in your lifetime?  I vaguely remember the '86 Pro Bowl because it had seven Bears in it with Ditka as the coach, and I seem to recall Marshall Faulk having a good game one year.  But that's about it.  When I think of the Pro Bowl, I think hawaiian shirts, leis, and lacksidaisical play. 

Nevertheless, congrats to the honorees! 

Jacque Squat

The Cubs signed outfielder Jacque Jones to a three year, $16 million dollar contract.  He presumably will play Right Field.  I really, really don't like this deal.  Let's break Jones down into two categories:

What does Jacque Jones do well?  He plays solid defense, has a decent arm, and hits right-handers to a tune of .294/.341/.488 for his career.  That's pretty good.

What does Jacque Jones do poorly?  Hit left-handed pitching.  For his career, he's hit a meager .227/.277/.339 against southpaws.  That's Paul Bako numbers.  And “Paul” is going to start in right field 2-3 times per week. 

I suppose Jones would have been OK for a one-year deal.  After all, he's better than John Mabry and there aren't a whole lot of other options right now.  But as an every day player, the most optimistic prediction has him matching Jeromy Burnitz's numbers from last season.  And he's now under contract for three years.  At this rate, I'd have rather picked up Burnitz's 7 million dollar option for this season.  That would only have hurt for one season, and we'd always be able to upgrade at a later date.

There is one way for this move to work.  In a perfect world, he'd platoon with a right-hander that could mash lefties.  Then we'd have something.  But I highly doubt that Dusty Baker is a progressive enough manager to recognize something like a platoon split, nor do I think the Cubs shelled out 16 million for a part-time outfielder.  So that's pretty much out the window.

As it stands now, the Cubs opening day lineup will look something like this:

CF  Juan Pierre
2B  Todd Walker  Neifi Perez
1B  Derrek Lee
3B  Aramis Ramirez
RF  Jacque Jones
LF  Matt Murton
C    Michael Barrett
SS  Ronny Cedeno (Neifi Perez)

Does that lineup scare anybody?  Me neither. 

Update:  It's even worse than I thought.  I heard Hendry was shopping Todd Walker around, and if he were to land a decent slugger and/or shortstop upgrade I wouldn't have minded.  But today's Sun-Times lists Walker THIRD on the depth chart at second behind Neifi Perez and Jerry Hairston.  I feel like throwing up.

Bears put Vick on Ice

What a great game!  Usually the Bears stink on national TV but tonight they brought their “A” game.  The Bears beat the Falcons 16-3 tonight at a sub-arctic Soldier Field.  It was crazy cold tonight, and Atlanta was clearly rattled by the weather.  As Michael Vick sat on the bench early in the fourth quarter, he clearly looked like a man who just wanted to go home.  Who could blame him?  Urlacher, Brown, and the defense just beat him down all night.  Urlacher especially.  When Brian's stalking the sidelines in Hawaii this February he'll remember how tonight's game in the cold sealed the deal.  He won't be alone, either.  Ogunleye, Vasher, Briggs and Brown all have a decent shot at joining him.  All of them made spectacular plays tonight.  Even the much-maligned Mike Green looked good.  But enough about the defense...

The biggest story of the night was, of course, the return of Rex Grossman.  Kyle Orton wasn't getting it done in the first half and Lovie Smith proudly displayed his balls of steel by making the switch at halftime of a game he was leading 6-3.  Huge risk, huge reward.  Great move.  Grossman, by Chicago Quarterbacking standards, was simply amazing tonight.  I forgot what it was like to see a QB actually hit a receiver in the numbers.  Ok, I've got to settle down a bit.  Grossman was good, but he was only good in comparison to the other QBs on the field tonight.  If Keion Carpenter holds on to that interception at the goal line then all of a sudden Lovie looks like an idiot for pulling the sure-handed Orton.  But let's not dwell on the negative.  Grossman was clearly better than Orton, and suddenly this is looking like a team that might actually WIN a game in the postseason.  I love this defense as much as anybody, but I was having a hard time convincing myself that Orton could lead the team to victory come January.  With Grossman at the helm, it looks like the offense might be able to put three touchdowns on the board in less than twelve quarters.  Color me impressed.  I've been defending Orton all along and expressing frustration at the sports radio's calling for his head.  It looks like I was wrong.  We won't lose with Orton.  We might win with Grossman.  End of story.

Brief tangent:  Nice to see Northern Illinois alum Michael “The Burner” Turner have a great game today as the Chargers stunned the Colts.  I'm a little sad to see the Colts lose, though.  Not because I'm a Colts fan, mind you, but I was looking forward to the end of the “Larry Csonka champagne popping” era.  Oh well.  Maybe the Bears will go undefeated next year and I won't have to see him and Shula bragging about their greatness to the media anymore. 

But back to the Bears a minute.  Watching Grossman in his post-game press conference, you couldn't wipe the smile off his face.  He wasn't alone either.  Lovie was happy, the defense was happy, special teams looked happy...Moose Muhammad is doing cartwheels.  Something special might be happening here.  I can't wait to watch next Sunday's game against Green Bay.  Hopefully Christmas dinner won't get in the way!  Till then...GO BEARS!

You better watch out, you better not cry...

...Michael Vick is coming to town.  The Falcons face the Bears on ESPN this Sunday night, and the nation will be watching.  Why?  Well, it will be the first national TV exposure for the first-place Bears and everyone wants to see if this defense is as good as their stats.  And of course, everyone loves to watch Vick.  You never know when he'll pull a Barry Sanders and make the impossible seem possible.  That said, he's been under fire this year for really the first time in his career.  He simply hasn't developed the throwing accuracy or the pocket presence that you'd expect from a fourth-year pro.  I think the critics should back off, though.  Short of LT, there's nobody in the NFL that scares me more. 

Brian Urlacher's job this Sunday will be to contain Vick.  He's done very well in the past against Vick, and I expect that trend to continue.  I remember the 2002 game where he had two sacks, a pick, and a fumble recovery for a TD like it was yesterday.  Of course, that game was in a dome and this game will be played in Syberia.  (Less than 20 degrees and dropping throughout the night.)  Both players will lose a bit of their speed and the winner of the war will be the one who can adapt the easiest.  Michael's used to Hotlanta, and Brian's used to lake-effect snow.  Give the nod to #54.

Which reminds me, why did the Bears do so poorly last week in Pittsburgh?  It was the very defnition of Bear Weather.  Cold.  Snow. Wind.  I'll tell you why they lost.  This Bears defense is built on speed, and if they lose even a half a step they will lose much of their effectiveness.  The entire line is undersized.  Ogunleye and Brown are only 260 pounds and can typically run by the 320+ tackles for sacks.  Even the interior lineman like Tommie Harris barely clock in at 300, and that's downright svelte for a tackle.  Elsewhere on D, both Urlacher and Briggs are among the fastest linebackers in the NFL.  If they ever miss a play, they can recover quickly and still make the tackle without giving up more than a couple of yards.  Jerome Bettis said it best the other day, when he lumped the Bears in with Minnesota as a dome team.  It's kind of depressing to refer to the Monsters of the Midway this way, but I have to say its spot-on accurate.  They make plays with speed, and they simply aren't built for inclimate weather.  This isn't to say they're bad, mind you.  Even in crappy weather, they're still a top five D.  Just not as scary.

As usual, there's not much to talk about on offense.  Expect Ron Turner to use Jones' legs more and Orton's arm less.  They got away from their game last week and the results were predictable.  Also, look for Bernard Berrian to start returning punts as Bobby Wade mercifully was granted his release.  I don't know how good Berrian will be, but he certainly can't be much worse than Wade.  Whatever the case, offense and special teams won't win this game.  Defense will.  And Atlanta very well might get hypothermia.  Bears 16, Atlanta 6.

Scottie and the Pips

This might be a little late, but the Bulls retired Scottie Pippen's number 33 the other night at halftime of the Lakers game.  The second greatest Bull ever was certainly worthy of the honor, and the ceremony was classy.  Many of his old teammates showed up, including (but not limited to) MJ, Rodman, Horace, Kukoc, and Charles Oakley.  I haven't seen some of the bench guys in years, and the time hasn't been kind to them.  (Craig Hodges is starting to look like Ghandi with grey hair.)  Once the ceremony started, Pippen appeared to get a little choked up watching the highlight video.  The tears dried up, though, when the speakers started.  I'll get to why in a moment, but here was the order.   First there was a taped message from David Stern (who of course got booed), followed by John Paxson, Doug Collins (why?), and former Dream Team teammate Charles Barkley.  Barkley got a big laugh from all in attendance when he said “Michael Jordan should be kissing the ground you walk on because he never would have won any of those championships without you.”  Agreed.  (I think.)  Chuck didn't mention their time together in Houston, understandably.  Then the live speakers started with a Bulls VP representing Reinsdorf.  Jerry tends to hide from situations where he might get booed, although I think he might have gotten a bit of a break this year with the White Sox championship.  Phil Jackson (who happened to be in town with the Lakers) and Jordan wrapped it up.   Anyways, here's something that all speakers (other than MJ and Charles) had in common:  They all praised him for being the ultimate teammate, a perfect sidekick, and a great second fiddle to Jordan.  Pippen almost seemed to be annoyed by the sidekick references, and I don't blame him.  The man was a seven-time all-star, multiple all-defense, and voted one of the top 50 NBA players all time.  In the year Jordan decided to play baseball, Pippen showed his true value.  He led the team in everything, and took a team nobody gave a chance to the cusp of the Eastern Conference finals.  He was even the All-Star game MVP that year (although that admittedly isn't a big deal.)  He wasn't Robin.  He's not Ed McMahon.  He was his own man.  Respect him as much.  In a courtside interview after the ceremony, Pippen looked about as happy as I've ever seen him and completely over all the sidekick talk.

I recall my own personal memories of Pippen very fondly.  He was what Johnny Bach referred to as a doberman on defense, and an excellent ball-handler.  Plus he could dunk on anyone.  (Remember the jam over Ewing in the playoffs?  Of course you do.)   His all-around game had no weaknesses whatsover.  His only problem was he never really had any positive defining moments.  Everyone remembers the migraine in the '89 conference finals against the Pistons, and the 1.8 seconds fiasco where Kukoc bailed him out, and that's about it.  He never really hit any game-winning shots, nor had any individual performances that could be referred to as “The Pippen Game”, except for maybe the aforementioned '94 All-Star Game.  People just remember him as being a consistently tough player, with excellent all-around skills.  Flashes of brilliance really.  And that will just have to do.

So NOW can we see Grossman?

In a word, no.  The Bears lost to Pittsburgh today 21-9.  Kyle Orton didn't help the team win, but he didn't lose the game either.  The defense lost this game.  And the coaching staff.  But not Orton. 

The Bears vaunted defense did not live up to the hype today at Heinz Field.  Short both starting safeties, they simply could not stop Jerome Bettis when it mattered.  They really missed Mike Brown.  Lovie Smith threw Mike Green under the bus earlier this week when talking about his game play, and further shat on him when choosing Todd Johnson to start for injured Chris Harris.  When Mike Brown pulled up lame on Friday, Lovie had no choice but to start Green, too.  Green was so bad today, some guy named Brandon McGowan replaced him in the fourth (and did pretty well, I might add.)  Green wasn't alone in his failures, though.  The entire defense hardly came within sniffing distance of Ben Roethlisberger and missed tackles all day.  It was pretty sad.  That said, I'm not too concerned with this defense in the long run.  (So long as Mike Brown is back next week as expected.)  Every team has a day where things just don't go right.  Even the magical '85 team had a well-publicized stinker against Miami.  (If there is a bright side to this loss, it might end some of the comparisons to Buddy Ryan's '85 crew.  We can resume that conversation once these Bears start shutting teams out in the playoffs.) 

On offense, like I said, Orton wasn't terrible.  No picks, no fumbles.  Nothing really close to a pick, I might add.  He did lead them on two nice scoring drives, though the first one stalled at the goal line forcing the team to settle for a field goal.  Orton shook off a couple of sacks and overall looked rather mediocre.  These Bears generally win with mediocrity at quarterback, and we really can't expect much more from a rookie.  Orton deserves at least one more start.  If he fails to inspire the offense next week, and the Bears lose again, give Grossman a look against Green Bay.  If Orton doesn't blow next week's game and the Bears win, all Grossman talk should be shelved till the offseason.  No sense switching your starting QB with only two weeks left in the season unless you absolutely have to. 

Muhsin Muhammed had his finest game as a Bear.  Eight catches, broken tackles, and big first downs.  This is what Orton needs more of to succeed.  Welcome back, Moose.  Thomas Jones had two really nice runs but was otherwise quiet for the rest of the day.

Bobby Wade muffed another punt, and in other news the sun came up.  Robbie Gould shanked an extra point in the snow, and really sucked the life out of the Bears brief rejuvination in the fourth quarter.  In addition, special teams was responsible for the “What the hell are they thinking?” call of the day.  In a blinding snowstorm, Gould lined up for a 52-yard field goal.  The same Robbie Gould that probably couldn't hit a 52-yarder in practice, in a dome.  My first thought, “this has GOT to be a fake.”  And of course, it was.  Gould pooched it and Pittsburgh was sitting there waiting.  They caught the punt and returned it to the 25 (net gain of about 12 yards of field position).  While the play wasn't exactly a tide turner, and had zero effect on the game's final outcome, it was still stupid.  You're not fooling anyone with that move so why do it? 

The coaching in general was kind of shaky.  Ron Turner's offense didn't stretch the field at all, and they didn't play-action enough.  There really weren't any Shoop-esque “Are you a F$%$ing idiot?” plays called, but there wasn't any “hey, that was a great idea!” plays either.  Also, Chico's defense didn't seem to adjust for the Bus.  He just ran, and ran, and ran, all day.

So the eight-game winning streak is over, and the Bears lead over the Brad Johnson-led Vikings is down to one with three games to play.  Those pesky Vikings just won't go away so the Bears are going to have to earn their playoff spot the old fashioned way.  The Bears still have a stronghold on the #2 seed, so it's not like it's time to panic.  But watching any loss such as today, you start to wonder if they've got what it takes.  They've got Atlanta at home next Sunday night on ESPN, and it's a perfect opportunity for the team to start another winning streak.  Go Bears!!

Marlins trade Juan Pierre to the Cubs

The Florida Marlins continued their firesale in trading Juan Pierre to the Cubs for prospects Reynel Pinto and Ricky Nolasco.  ESPN is reporting Sergio Mitre is also included on the deal.  Either way, the Cubs got a center fielder and it didn't cost a heckuva lot.  Pinto and Nolasco are pretty decent prospects, but neither of them projects to be the next Dontrelle Willis.  (More like the next Mike Harkey, if you ask me.)  I won't miss Mitre and his wispy porno-moustache either.  He had a few out-of-his-mind games where he looked like Jon Lieber in top form but otherwise looked like Micah Bowie at his worst.  As for Pierre, I'm...content.  He's coming off a down year, but he's still inifinitely better than Corey Patterson, circa 2005.  He'll only be 28 next year, though, and is a good bet to rebound to his 2004 form.  (He hit .326 with a .374 OBP and 45 stolen bases that year, while last year he only hit .276 with a .326 OBP, while increasing his steal total to 57.)  So either way, this is definitely a massive upgrade over Corey.  Furthermore, this move Dusty-proofs the lineup.  Dusty likes the fast guys up top, whether they can get on base or not.  Now he has a true leadoff hitter and won't have to mess around with the likes of Neifi at the top.  Derrek Lee should be tickled pink.

By the way, the Marlins are officially a friggin joke.  They've now traded every decent player they had but Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, and I read yesterday that even they can be had for the right price.  This franchise needs to either dissolve or get an owner that gives a damn.  And to think, we lost the 2003 playoffs to these assclowns.  What a joke.

Plan B

Bears Cavre Favre

Yes, that headline possesses all the originality of a shirtless idiot holding up a sign for FOX's cameras, but it seems to fit.  The Bears beat the Packers 19-7 today at Soldier Field.  Once again, the defense did it all.  They battered and pummeled Brett Favre to the tune of 2 fumbles, 2 sacks, and 2 picks.  One interception was returned 45 yards for a TD by Nate Vasher and the other was returned 98 yards to the Packer 5 by Peanut Tillman, setting up one of Robbie “Don't call me Ghouled!” Gould's four field goals.  They gave up a fair amount of yards, but you can't knock a defense that allowed only seven points all day and wrecked such havoc with a Hall of Famer.  Actually, the Packers beat the Bears in every category but turnovers and points. 

Bernard Berrian was active today and made the most of it with 3 catches for 59 yards.  He looked pretty good.  All other receivers combined for 3 catches for 9 yards.  Pretty NOT good.  Kyle Orton was awful.  He threw a pick and fumbled once.  He finished with only 6 completions in 17 tries for a meager 68 yards, none of which to Moose Muhammed.  (He had to have known that his streak of consecutive games with a catch was in jeopardy the moment he signed with Chicago.)  Orton obviously doesn't have to be great for the Bears to win, but come playoff time he WILL have to be at least mediocre.  Dear Kyle, all you have to do is lead the offense on two or three decent scoring drives per game and there will be nothing to complain about.  Just a heads up. 

At least the running game made the offense look professional.  Jones and Peterson combined for 140 yards on the ground and a nifty 4.5 yards per carry.  Fine job.

Another day, another couple of muffed punts.  This time the cuprit was Rashied Davis.  He was so bad, Bobby “Look ma, no hands” Wade was given another chance.  Where's Leon Johnson when you need him?  I think the Bears need to give Berrian a look in practice this week.  Or maybe Vasher.  Perhaps Azumah.  Get me somebody! Anybody!  And get me someone while I'm waiting! 

So that's it.  Bears win, Packers lose.  Is it me or has every game played out exactly the same?  Great defense, turnovers setting up the scoring, nice running game, a muffed punt, not-terrible quarterback play.  I swear, I can probably write up next week's Pittsburgh recap right now.  Just draw some straws to see who the defensive hero of the day will be and I'm set.  Let's see, next week's stud of the week will be.....Brian Urlacher!  Come on down!  Two sacks and a forced fumble, Bears win 13-6. Woof-woof-woof-woof!!!!

Can this style of play really work in the playoffs?  That's the million dollar question.  Oh well, we'll worry about the playoffs when we get there.  Until then, GO BEARS!!

Packing it in

Green Bay comes to town Sunday to renew the NFL's oldest rivalry.  Brett Favre has simply owned the Bears in his Hall of Fame career with a record of 21-5.  Man, that looks like Doc Gooden's line against the Cubs!  This year may be different, though.  The Packers are struggling with a record of 2-9 while the Bears check in with a seven-game winning streak and sit comfortably atop the division.  Still, you can never discount Brett Favre.  I don't care if he's lost twenty in a row, he's still a good bet to snap out of it against Chicago.  There must be something in our Lake Michigan tap water that he can't get up north.  (Do they drink Lake Michigan water in Green Bay?  Lake Superior?  Nevermind, I just remembered that nobody cares.)  It's not the tap water.  It's the shitty Bears that he owns.  This year they aren't shitty though.  In fact, they're quite good.  Unlike his predecessor, who now is running the show in Detroit, Lovie Smith understands the importance of the Packers rivalry.  He'll have them ready.  They simply stick to what's been working for them and they'll win.  Control the ball on offense, rush the QB, and force turnovers on defense, and they'll win this game easily.  Bears 20, Packers 6

MAC Championship: NIU loses to Akron

I know this isn't Chicago Sports or anything but I thought I'd say a few words about Northern Illinois.  Besides, NIU is only 60 miles outside of Chicago in what will eventually be regarded as a far-west suburb.  NIU lost the MAC Championship game to Akron tonight 31-30 in Detroit on a 36-yard TD pass with 10 seconds left on the clock.  Just a brutal finish for Northern fans.  Bill Simmons likes to refer to games like this as a “Level 1 Stomach Punch” game, where you'd rather be punched in the stomach than relive the moment.  The Huskies had built a 14 point lead going into the fourth quarter behind a wonderful effort by RB Garrett Wolfe.  271 yards, 2 TDs.  Then they went into prevent defense mode, and Akron Zip QB Luke Getsy proceeded to pick them apart for three fourth-quarter TDs.  (The Zips?  Northern Illinois lost to a team named after cheap sneakers sold at K-Mart in 1985?  Geez-louise.)  Due to the loss, Northern Illinois will likely be shut out of bowl season this year.  R.I.P. Huskies. See you next season.

Waiting for Furcal

Rumors are flying and several major publications in both Chicago and Atlanta are reporting that the Cubs have the inside track in the Furcal sweepstakes.  Man, I certainly hope so.  Two weeks ago I was pretty confident that the Cubs will land him but each passing day my confidence dips a little.  If he's going to sign with the Cubs, why the delay?  He just needs to sign quickly to not only calm my fears but also so Hendry can start working on the outfield.  Sign him!

Speaking of the outfield, Brian Giles re-signed with San Diego for three years, thirty million.  Great deal for the Padres, I'd have done it in a second.  There's no gaurantee that he'd have come to Chicago for that type of deal, but I'm wondering if Hendry every really made any effort.  Given his age, I thought that the five-year-rumor that the Blue Jays were said to be offering was a bit ludicrous.  But would he have signed with the Cubs for 3 years, 36?  We'll never know.  We do know he likes that sunny California weather and the laid-back fans at Petco.  So it's time for Hendry to look elsewhere. 

With Giles, Matsui, and Cameron unavailable, it's time for Hendry to get creative in the trade market as the remaining free agents are uninspiring.  Lots of Chicago fans are looking at Adam Dunn, and he'd be a masher I'd love to see in pinstripes.  Don't get your hopes up, though, as the Reds have been unwilling to part with any of their extra sluggers over the past few years without asking for the likes of a Zambrano or Prior.  Puh-leeze.  Besides, I doubt they'd trade him to a team in their own division.  Milton Bradley's name has been popping up as well, after all, he's got game!  He's young and fast, with power and patience, and he can certainly catch the ball in Center.  Sounds perfect, right?  Too bad he's insane.  He's been in trouble with the law a number of times, has had some racial issues, and he's been known to pull an Artest every now and then.  Sounds like a guy we should be avoiding if you ask me.  But this is supposedly one of Dusty Baker's strong points, isn't it?  There's a chance that Dusty could keep Bradley in check and squeeze a productive year out of him.  If Bradley is acquired, there is no doubt that this would be THE make-or-break move for Jim Hendry's career as Cubs GM.  If he trades for Bradley, and Bradley flips out, Hendry's done in this town.  If Bradley keeps his temper in check, then he would be a massive contributor and might push the Cubs into playoff contention.  It's a big risk. 

Finally, the Cubs signed another former South Sider to shore up the pen.  Bobby Howry.  The move is rather blah and it sounds like a lot of cash on paper (3 years, $12 million), but after looking at the Ryan and Wagner signings, it doesn't look that bad.  For the cost of Ryan ($47M over 5 years), the Cubs got Howry, Eyre, and Dempster.  You'd like to think that at least two of those guys will pan out, possibly all three (for at least the first year).  Combine them with Novoa, Ohman, and Weurtz, and you've got yourself a tidy little bullpen that just might not implode by June.  At least that's the hope. 

UPDATE:  I just realized, if you take the third to last sentence of the last paragraph, and sub in a few names from the past, you've got yourself a nightmare on your hands:   For the cost of [Greg Maddux], the Cubs got [Candy Maldonado], [Jose Guzman], and [Willie Wilson].  Eek!  I just hope these moves don't become Mike Remlinger, parts II and III.