ChicagoSportsBlogs : Non Compete

It is time to get back to business guys. I sit here watching the Steelers man-handle the Patriots. Oh what a difference a good QB makes. Strong work to the Steelers front office for drafting Roethlisberger, out of Miami of Ohio of all places. This kid is doing great. I bring the Steelers up because they are the second game this afternoon for us here in Chicago. We sit here waiting for the beloved Bear to host the 49ers tonight on ESPN. I'm excited because we might actually get a chance to show we aren't the worst team in the NFL.
Don't tell Don Pierson of the Chicago Tribune I said that. In his weekly ranking of all the teams in the NFL, he has named the beloved Bear the worst. Talk about a trick or treat.

The one thing we all look forward to tonight is to get a little revenge on the defensive side of the ball. We all remember what this 49ers team did to us in last year's opener. I will admit it is a much different team, without T.O. and Garcia but
regardless, the Niners have owned us. Krenzel starts tonight under the bright lights and TV cameras. Let's hope we don't
have to see Hutch tonight. I really would prefer to see Krenzel live up to his smart-guy reputation off the field, but on the field tonight. So my keys to the game are as follows:

1. Defense must score. Guys, now is the time to save our season and to take the pressure off the rookie QB. Get some turnovers. Score off those turn overs. Do these two things, and we will win tonight.

2. Offense. Run the ball. Run it like there is no tomorrow. The O-Line has to open some holes up for Thomas Jones. Jones has to run for at least 120 yards for us to win. Krenzel just has to keep his head up, and watch the constant blitzes. My advice to him is to avoid throwing in the direction of Tony Parish (former Bear). He has this ability intercept passes that is uncanny. Obviously, keep the turnovers to a minimum and show some poise.

3. Coaching. Please, please, please!! Do not throw on first down. Also please try to not throw a 2 yard quick out when its 3rd and 8. Avoid any plays that remind me of the Shoop offense or I will have to notify the folks at FireShoop.com to start a FireShea.com.

Finally -- The Pats scored and go into half down 24-10...Shaj316 thinks that the Pats are coming back to win this one. Letsee...
Good luck to the Bears. Get the win.

It was one year ago today that ChicagoSplogs.com was launched. It has been an interesting year in sports around the world, and especially in our specific world of Chicago. I have seen our traffic increase to numbers that I didn't think possible. Our original audience of  2 readers has doubled to 4. I can prove it. Some of these guys have actually left comments. Like Tom who left a comment here, and runs a blog here. Tom notes he likes the blog, but that it isn't good enough to be given a link on his team-only link section. Something about not posting enough in the off season, and the fact we aren't all NFL all the time. I think he has a point, and I will do my best to expand my coverage next year in the off season. As for going all NFL, that probably won't happen since we suffer equally across all sports here in the Chi. Although I will stand by my earlier statements that this is a football town. Thus, heavier football coverage.

Well, that's all I really have to say about our 1st anniversary. For the most part, this expirement has been a total success for me.

The Bears fell to 1-5 on their season Sunday while sputtering against the Bucs in Tampa. The overall performance of our team was pretty pathetic. You have to wonder if the 19-7 loss was going to be a chronic outcome for the remainder of the season. Obviously, our QB situation didn't help us in this game but neither did our coaching staff, or the defense. I applaud Coach Smith for sticking to his word and giving the young Krenzel a chance in the second half. I don't know if it made next week's decision on who to start any easier, but at least we all know where we stand. Except for Quinn, who thinks he is still the starter. The straight numbers comparison between Krenzel and Quinn might as well be my grandmother reading my fortune from an espresso cup (don't ask, it's old school). Quinn goes 5-9 for 47 yards and no interceptions or TD. The critic in me says you have to be able to throw the ball for at least 5 yards in the air for it to qualify as either an interception or a touchdown. Quinn hasn't mastered this skill yet, opting instead for perfecting the one-hop pass. Krenzel on the other hand went 9-19 for 69 yards and an INT. A bad interception too. He over threw Johnson only to see one of the Barber boys turn it into a quick dash to the 11 yard line, and the eventual touchdown that dashed all of our hopes. Well, let me not ramble any further and head to the breakdown:

Offense -- New QB, Krenzel didn't look all that different from Quinn, except for his arm strength which is marginally better. The running game just couldn't get a footing, and our offensive line didn't do so hot when it came to protecting the quarterback. What more can you say? Our offense is the worst in the league. The only positive thing you can take from this win is that it seemed like the offense played for Krenzel more than Quinn. Everyone except for Terrell, who is quickly wearing on my nerves with his childish and idiotic penalties. I would start Krenzel next week.

Defense -- Ah, the D. They got a turnover or two but never scored. When your offense stinks as much as ours does, you gotta step up and shoulder the burden of scoring too. Sorry guys, but your bend-don't break run defense is crap. Pittman looked like he was on his way to the pro bowl. He rushed for over 100 yards on us. And Griese was only sacked once by Tommy Harris the entire game. No pressure on the QB , and the inability to make big plays is going to make the offense look worse. We need Urlacher to start earning his check. Come on big boy, you wanna be a leader? Then show them how its done.

Special Teams -- The joke in all the papers today is that we have the best punter in the league. Maynard is good. How can he not be the best punter in the league? He gets lots of practice in during the game! Edginer got as close as an extra point after scoring our lone touchdown. We were never in good enough field position to turn this game into the field goal war we all expected.

Coaching -- Finally, we have a coach who is willing to try a few different things. The problem is, it could fester into indecision. Indecision from a coaching staff causes havoc on a football team. Especially one that is on the verge of giving up. I am afraid of what happens the rest of the year with Shea not getting his man (Quinn). If Krenzel is baptised by fire the rest of the season, you have to wonder why we would even look at Tim Couch. His arm is jello, and after the workout on Friday the reports where he had soreness. There has GOT to be a quarterback out there we can acquire and get excited about. Hutch might be the answer, but only to the question: “Who holds the clipboard today” This guy can't pick up the offense....it's frustrating to see. I wonder if Angello regrets running Chris Chandler out of town.

Well, that is all for today kiddies, thanks for sticking around this long.

I woke up this morning to another NFL Gameday that was woefully missing any coverage of the Bears game. Am I upset? Yes. Is this ESPN's fault? No. The past few years the Bears just haven't been good enough to garner the attention of the media. This can't make the NFL happy. We all know the Chi is a football town. I believe we are also the second largest football market in the country behind the NYC. It is in everyone's interest to field a good team in Chicago. Now, I will admit this week's match up of former division rivals (we play the Bucs) isn't something that most guys are going to watch this week. Not every game we play will be the Jets versus the Patriots. This is something I hope our front office has noticed. We need to get back on track. The pregame coverage this morning isn't that great. I mean, the story lines haven't fully developed yet. If anything, I have noticed that most of the news revolves around players who have been suspended due to their violation of the substance abuse policy, or injuries to big name players. I guess I just wanted to get a few thoughts down before our game, and I was hoping someone on the national networks would have had some good coverage of our game. If anything, the coverage has been on how the Bucs, two years removed from a SuperBowl win, can be 1-5. So, here are my keys to the game for a Bears victory on the road. Defense: What is nice about facing a potentially weaker team than us, is that they have the same problems. Their QB situation is a disaster and they don't have anyone who can threaten us deep, or with the run. So our bend don't break defense will be able to force lots of punts. Special teams will be very important. Grammatica is having a rough start to the season, so I wouldn't automatically assume this turns into a field goal war. We should rush the passer early and often. The Bucs offense is pretty bad... Offense: Well, this is actually the part of the Bears game that is going to be interesting. I believe Quinn is getting the start today, but I expect to see Krenzel by half time. The only hope we have is that Terry Shea keeps his word today and actually uses BOTH of our running backs. I expect huge gains in the running game. Keep turnovers to a minimum (obviously) and control the ball. I like our chances in this game today -- I'll be back with Post game recaps. Happy Sunday!

I know I didn't finish my wrap up of the game on Sunday. It has been a tough week at work. I'll write about it someday in the geek section. I wanted to comment on a few things that have been coming out of Halas Hall this week:

Quinn is going to start this week in Tampa. That is the horrible news this week. Quinn has been “practicing strong” according to reports out of Lake Forest. This shouldn't surprise anyone. Most coaching staffs, and front offices are stubborn to a fault when it comes to admitting that “their guy” sucks. The coaching staff must be fighting it out behind closed doors, because while they know Quinn practices better than anyone on the team currently, they also have evidence that he just isn't a gameday QB. Krenzel was given 40% of the snaps in practice this week. He says he has made strides. I'd be curious to see what he can do. Hutch continues to dream about better days on a sandy white beach in Cali, surfing at Hermosa beach instead of learning the “encylcopedia-like” playbook. He just can't figure it out!

So, as a result of our QB issues -- guess who comes to visit us today for a workout? If you said the 1999 #1 Draft Pick out of Kentucky -- You'd be right. Tim Couch! Wow. Talk about being desperate. What kind of message is this sending us in BearsLand? Well, I for one think it is the coaching staff thinking outloud about how crap Quinn really is. This is good thing. Let them struggle with this decision for only one more week, but after this game in Tampa -- We better get our offensive act together.

Work is calling again...be back this weekend. Have a safe one if you're heading to Boston for the Series. :)

Well, I can't say I didn't tell you so. The Redskins pathetic, sorry excuse for a football team came in to Soldier Field on Sunday and stole a victory from the beloved Bear. While I knew this was going to happen (see my previous post) I still didn't expect us to be PATHETIC on offense. It pains me to break down this game. Especially since I don't have enough time to go into the detail and depth necessary to describe the loss. Work has been busy, but I won't bore you guys with the details. Needless to say -- work has become serious work. But in the name of all that is good in the world, here goes:

• Offense -- The Quinn experiment is over. At least this is the opinion of the Bears faithful. Terry Shea tricked us all into believing that the 6 foot 6 inch Quinn was the next Joe Montana. He cut up little pieces of video tape from the past four years of Quinn's career and glued them together into a highlight reel. He showed it to everyone willing to sit down with a tub of popcorn and a shot of Jack This included Quinn, who after a shaky Game 1 didn't believe he was any good either until he was shown the tape. What a loser. This guy held the ball way too long, couldn't make any reads, hung his receivers out to dry (Wade especially), and angered pretty much everyone within a 40 mile radius of the game. His accuracy is something he is still searching for. Let's hope he finds it in NFL Europe, where he belongs. The running game was stifled early in the game by the Redskins. It didn't take any of the Gibbs "genius" to figure out all you had to do is stop the run against us, and throw crazy blitzes at Quinn. Pathetic all around here.
• Defense -- Alex Brown's name was called out during the broadcast at least a dozen times. This guy had a great game. He got a big paw on a pass from Brunnel that resulted in a TD for Jerry Azumah. Welcome back Jerry, we missed you. Urlacher lead the team with 12 tackles, and Wally had an ankle sprain that sidelined him for most of the game. We continue to play bend-don't-break defense. Clinton Portis ran circles around us, just like I thought he would. Three things this defense needs to do, to salvage this season: 1. Score off turnovers. The offense can't do it, so you have to. 2. Get to the QB. Its time to blitz like crazy. 3. When you aren't blitzing to pressure the QB, stop the run. We need to keep 100-yard games/gainers to a minimum.

I gotta get back to work -- but I'll finish later today.

There was no way I could pass up the chance to comment on our nemesis up north. Last night's game was amazing if you are a Bears fan. In the last 10 years, hell maybe 12 years, we have never seen the Packers suck this bad. At home, no less. The cheese-head media has great coverage that I could never match. Read it here.

This has a major impact on our season boys and girls. You have to wonder if the Bears brass is salivating. If you believed that the Packers were going to win the division this year, thanks in part to a Viking collapse (AGAIN) then what you are left with is the Lions. The Lions defense looked pretty good against Mike Vick this past Sunday. The Vikings on the other hand are starting to collapse a little early. Sure, Dante threw 5 TDs again. Of course, it would have been nice if their defense was able to hold the lead and keep them from going into OT against the Texans. Once again, the weakest division in the NFL is up for grabs. The Bears should take advantage now. Even with the loss of Grossman, and Brown we stand a good chance of winning this division. We just need to execute. We need Quinn to show why Jerry Angelo and company kept him second on the depth chart. We also need to make sure we don't sustain any more injuries. So, I hope you guys are eating your Wheaties.

Finally, Brad Johnson former Vikings QB and former starting QB for the once proud Bucs is sitting at third string. Chris Simms was given the chance to run the team last week, and he got injured. It was a shoulder injury that forced coach Gruden to bring in Johnson again -- WRONG. He brought in the long forgotten Brian Griese! And Griese did well enough to get a victory for the Bucs. Griese gets the start against St. Louis this week. This is where I predict our old coach Wannie has a nervous breakdown watching Griese take apart the Rams while his team struggles to figure out how the dopeman destroyed the Dolphins. Aaaah, the NFL is a tough business. So I mention all this in hopes that our GM knows what he is doing when he evaluates his QB talent. The addition of Hutch was a bold move. He found him on the scrap heap. While it's something I don't believe will ever happen for many reasons, I think the Bears can pull a trade for Johnson if push comes to shove. What if Hutch sucks? What if Quinn just can't hack it? How long do we expirement with these two guys before we realize that the division is right there for the taking. All we have to do is trick the Bucs (again) to trade Johnson to us. He wants to be traded. They need a running back; and here goes -- we have an extra we could part with. How ironic, A-Train for the veteran Johnson. It would be less than ideal for Johnson since he most likely won't get even one snap next season -- but this isn't about next year. It's about an NFC North division that has seen the Packers be replaced by the Lions. Stranger things have happened in this league. Anyone else remember Trent Dilfer? I'm sure Brian Griese does.

It looks like the Bears are getting the week off -- and so are both my readers. The nice thing about this bye is that we can all take a moment and start figuring out the rest of the schedule. So let's break it down.

I know I am a sissy for not doing this before the season started, but hey -- I was busy. And besides, with 4 games under our belt we have more information on which to base our predictions.

1. Redskins v Bears -- I like our chances in this game. I think we should beat the pathetic skins easily if we are close to 100% healthy on the defensive side of the ball. So you would think I would pick the Bears -- but I'm not. I have horrible memories of coach Gibbs' success in Soldier Field against us during my childhood. Sorry, but I think the Redskins take this one. Portis runs us in circles.
2. Bears v Bucs -- On the road! We probably take this game because we finally are healthy. They Bucs defense is still pretty good. If you think about it, these teams aren't that different. Oh, except that we stole away Thomas Jones from them. Bears.
3. 49ers v Bears -- This team is really bad. I hate to say that considering they were a powerhouse back in the day, but the team is in major need of repair. The Bears should be able to put up enough points(14 is my guess) to beat them. I look forward to a shutout from our defense in this game. It won't be pretty, but we get this one. Bears.
4. Bears v Giants -- The Giants seem to be on a major roll. A new general in town, a new QB that half of Chicago thought we should have signed to avoid the debacle that is Quinn, medicine man. The Giants are going to be a tough team to beat on the road. Especially since I think this is the week we make a decision to go away from Quinn. I hope I am wrong, but I give this one to the Giants.
5. Bears v Titans -- If Volek is still starting the Bears have a chance. We can't get away with forgetting about the run in this game. If we control the clock and run the football -- basically keeping the ball away from McNair we can win this game. I am calling for a bears upset here. Bears.
6. Colts v Bears -- The Bears South come home to roost! Or is that the Bears  East? Whichever, they will show us how far behind we really are. Too many guys playing for contracts here and Manning seems to believe this is finally their year to go to the show. Indy.
7. Bears v Cowboys -- Happy Turkey Day! Coach Parcells will pull out all the holiday stops. I expect to see at least 2 trick plays for this game. I also think we can beat this team on the road if we are 100% healthy...which we aren't. So no pumpkin pie for you! How 'bout them COWBOYS!
8. Vikings v Bears -- Ug. Welcome back to the conference. The Vikings at this point are probably teetering on running away with this pathetic division by this game, or are about to fail miserably again. I pick failure. The Bears wallop these guys on the frozen tundra that is Soldier's Spaceship. We finally get to the QB and keep the ball out of Moss' hands. Besides, he only plays at 70% when its this cold. A December home win for the beloved! Go Bears.
9. Bears v Jags -- I have seen a few clips of what the Jags are doing and I think they might make the playoffs this year. They seem to have all the pieces in place, plus they play really hard. I like our chances but deep down I know that a hot Jags team can steamroll us. Jags.
10. Texans v Bears. Welcome back to earth! The Texans are the little engine that could. Can they come into a snowy Soldier's Field and take the W? I think not. Our defense is going to be strong enough to get to the passer early and often. I like our running game against them, and I don't think they have anyone at receiver that really scares me. We take this one. Bears.
11. Bears v Lions -- Welcome to Detroit! I bet the Lions are in a wildcard hunt by now. They could also be leading the weakest division in football at this point. The Bears have some revenge on their minds and it's time for us to take it to the Lions. We could have a new QB at this point, depending on how Quinn has done. This is a good test game for a potential new QB. You play the Lions twice a season, and it would be good to get a look at Hutch if not Krenzel in this game. Bears win it because of defense.
12. Packers v Bears. Finally, the last game! I think at this point its probably too much to expect us to beat the Packers twice in one season. We can't stop the run, and if we have gone to the third position on the QB depth chart, we are in serious trouble. A healthy Favre is almost certain to win this game, and just in case he has mailed it in -- Ahmad Green will still be around to rush for over 150 yards on us. Pack.

There you have it! 8-8. Not bad. Considering all the crap injuries we have...So there you have it Bears fans. Enjoy the week off.

There are no surprises with yesterday's Eagles victory over the Bears. McNabb's homecoming wasn't spectacular per se, but it got the job done. Which is more than I can say for our offense. After a few beers and some paint fumes added for extra measure (don't ask, I was painting), the discussion at my house quickly turned to how the Bears could have won this game if we were at 100%.  I don't know about that. I have a theory that teams play up or down to their competition. The Eagles were going through the motions, content to prance David Akers out for 43 yard field goals all day. Why not? TO got his touchdown, and we made Westbrook look like this year's leader in the “Let's make this guy look like a Pro Bowl running back” contest. Alas, the beloved Bear is sitting at 1-4 with a bye week this week. I have confidence that this time off comes at the perfect time. We need to rest. So let's jump straight into the wrap up:

• Offense -- Disastrous. What the hell happened here? Was Grossman that important to this team? The quick answer is, HELL YEA. Quinn, Medicine man, turned out to be a total bust. He finished with a QB rating higher than Grossman, from what I heard in the post game. But this is misleading. He hasn't started a game in 4 years (?) and it shows. He was rusty as hell. That's what the Trib commentary was this morning. Rusty. Overthrowing receivers, and a lack of decision making all point to a certain degree of rust, but I can't forgive a marshmallow arm and an inability to get the team down field. Part of the blame must fall to our offensive coordinator who abandoned the run completely. Thomas Jones ran for something like 36 yards. Now, I understand that Philly game planned us to death, and basically STOPPED the run dead. But, wouldn't you try bringing in A-Train to mix things up instead of letting your backup QB try to find his rhythm? David Terrell had 9 catches for over 100 yards again, and no touchdowns. I have to wonder why we don't get the ball to this showboat more often. You might not like his attitude, but it is clear that he is our best receiver. Get him the ball.
• Defense -- Bend don't break is a theme here with our D. The Eagles got into the red zone something like 4 or 5 times. The good news is that we didn't let them score touchdowns. They instead were happy to kick field goals. Our pressure on McNabb was pretty good. I can definitely see a difference in our pass rush. It will only get better with time. Congrats to our rookie CB Vasher for nabbing a pick, the first of the year, off of McNabb. Without a lot of our starters you would think this defense would suck. It doesn't. Hillenmayer who is taking Urlacher's place is more than just a special teams player (the original plan for him). He is doing well, considering. Wally is still my favorite on this team, as well as Lance Briggs. Briggs led the team with 10 tackles, 8 solo. Strong work there...
• Special Teams -- I hate picking on special teams, I really do. The only touchdown that the Eagles scored on our depleted defense, came as a result of a fumble on a punt. McQuarters got clipped by rookie Vasher as he was being blocked on the return. Whoops! They collide, the ball falls, and the Eagles recover. McNabb makes quick work of this turnover and I have to watch TO do sit ups in the end zone. Nice job. Berrian is getting better returning kicks, but I still find it hard to believe this is the answer to our special teams problems. At least they didn't return one on us this week...
• Coaching -- I am a tad disappointed by the coaching staff this week. Especially Terry Shea. I expected him to mix things up a little more, and by that, I mean A-Train would have played. Thomas Jones was ineffective this week. We still have a running back that could have given us a different look. The decision to force our backup quarterback to make something happen as a result of the crap running game was a bad one. I have to wonder if this is one of those, “The System works“ deals -- Lovie was quoted in the papers admitting that he thought we would run the ball more. Maybe it is just me, but Lovie -- this is your team. You want to run the ball more? Run the ball more. Kudos to the Philly staff for studying the game film on us and planning accordingly.

So that's it. We sit at the bottom of the division at 1-3. The good news is that the Packers have the same record. I can only imagine what the cheese-heads are saying up North. This is going to be the season of missed opportunities. Obvious, I know. So the discussion will turn to our quarterback problems for the next two weeks. Do you think we see Krenzel or Hutch anytime soon? I think that if Quinn comes back after the bye with the same type of crap performance we can expect to see a revolving door of quarterbacks. I really don't want to find out which one of these bozos is going to have the talent, skill, and luck to lead us to a playoff birth. Yes, playoff birth. Why not? Scared of the Lions? Hah! Have a good week Bears fans!

Really quickly, I posted another article. It's about why I write about sports.

Crap -- I was supposed to blog something technical here. Umm, letsee.....Developers are brand loyalists
when it comes to coding. Why do I say this? Because while we are all aware of people who have "Not Invented Here Syndrome" in the field -- these people are brand loyal to the only brand that matters.
Their own. Take for example simple crap things that always start arguements on a dev team. How to name variables, how to log errors, should I use my own DAO or reuse the stuff the rest of the team uses. Shit like this might look like NIHS, but I believe it's more about, "I like to wear Nike and have no use for your Reebok error handler."

I could be dead wrong on this. When I prided myself on being an "expert" on online retailing , I would study patterns on how the fashion industry tries to catch up with 13 year old girls . The trend setters. It's a tough business. Technically, I was an arm-chair quarterback in the e-commerce world. I could be full of shit on this. But I see similarities in people who shy away from using design patterns, or build tools the rest of the world uses, and the folks who always buy washers and dryers from Sears. Maybe it is as simple as they prefer to wear Nike instead of Reebok. So no, they won't trap errors in the global.asax page. That shit is for sucka-wearing-Puma lovers. I've got this great home grown error handler that uses variables prefixed NOT with Hungarian notation, but with something I call Adiddas notation. Coming to a code base near you.....