My thoughts on the Bears Hiring of Mark Trestman

Of all the possible candidates I thought Phil Emery would hire after firing Lovie Smith, Mark Trestman was not on my list. As I am not a follower of the CFL, obsessed with the fortunes of current and former NFL assistants, and am not one of the quarterbacks he helped prepare for the pros, I would be hard pressed to know who he was. Before his named popped up during the coaching search, the only other time I had heard it was an episode of 30 Rock, and I probably assumed he was just a star player on the Grey Cup winning Alouettes.



Nevertheless, as I got to know his resume and hear what people are saying about him, I feel really good about him being the Bears head coach. He sounds very smart, very details oriented, and very methodical. Intelligence doesn't necessarily translate to being a great coach* but it certainly can help. Hopefully he'll be able to end some of the chaos and confusion that has dominated the Bears sidelines for as far back as I can remember. I would love to see those damn early 2nd quarter time outs to disappear.

Given his reputation as a "quarterback whisperer", I'm eager to see if he can help Jay Cutler be the quarterback we were hoping he'd be. My guess is that he'll help Cutler turn the ship around, or Cutler (and perhaps Trestman) could go down in a maelstrom of Jeff Georgeian suckitude. Only time will tell.

Beyond Cutler, I'm wonder how the rest of the team will respond to the new coach. It's no shock that a lot of the players disagreed with the firing of Lovie Smith. It's possible Devin Hester may not play another down for the team, and I'm sure there will be other Bears players who just won't fit with the changed environment. Although its not guaranteed as of yet, the possibility that they'll keep Rod Marinelli as the Defensive Coordinator might help smooth the waters. Of course, that assumes Marinelli sticks around, and being a friend of Lovie he may find another place to be defensive coordinator, like longtime special teams coach Dave Toub did.

Mark Trestman is the first coach from the offensive side of the ball hired by the Bears since Mike Ditka in 1982. I'm hopeful that he'll be able to bring that elusive consistency which has dogged the Bears offense for as long as I can remember. Any amount of improvement he can get from Cutler will help, but it might be for naught if he can't get the offensive line fixed.

Beyond who Phil Emery hired, I was impressed with how he made the choice. It was done smoothly, with apparent due diligence, and without the usual Bears screw ups. Barring anything crazy, like Trestman turns out to be an internet hoax, there won't be anything like the Dave McGinnis debacle.

Perhaps Trestman won't work out. Perhaps he'll lead the Bears to that elusive Super Bowl championship. For now, I'm happy with the fact that the team seems to finally showing signs of consistent competency in off field matters. Now only if that competency can translate to the field.

*Case in point: Dick Jauron

Riding the Roller Coaster: The 2012 Chicago Bears UPDATED

First off, I have to say it absolutely did not feel right rooting for the Packers to win a game. It felt a bit dirty and a bit wrong. To top it all off, they failed to pull it off, making that disgusting act a futile one. May us Bears fans never have to root for them again.

Looking back at my preseason post about the Bears, I guess I did get their final record right. Of course, I thought they'd go 5-3 in the first half, and 5-3 in the second half. Turns out they were able to beat the Cowboys and the six crummy teams they played in the first half of the season. Unfortunately, they were unable to match my projections for the second half, going 3-5 instead of 5-3. In many years 10-6 would be good enough to get you into the playoffs. This year, however, it wasn't quite good enough, at least for the Bears.

Although I got the record right, I can't say I was so close on how they got that record. The optimism about the offense was misplaced, as the offensive line, receiver, and at times Jay Cutler stank it up on the field. Brandon Marshall had a good season, but that tends to happen when you are the target of 99.9999%* of all passes thrown. As fun as it was to watch him catch the ball, it was much less fun watching Kellen Davis, Devin Hester, and the rest drop catchable balls. I suppose Alshon Jeffery could become a good number two in the next couple of years, provided he doesn't get injured.

The less said about the offensive line, the better. To be fair, they did seem to get better as the year went on, and they probably weren't as bad as Dallas, or Buffalo, or Arizona. Even the Packers had about as bad of a line as the Bears did. That doesn't change the fact that it was miserable every time one of them false started or held, killing a game changing drive.

So if the offense was as aggressively bad as usual, how did they win ten games? Why, because the questionable old defense somehow pulled out a pretty great season. Charles Tillman had a monster year, and Tim Jennings played very well. Even the safeties, ever a concern since Mike Brown suffered his last season killing injury as a Bear, weren't egregious. Many times the line was actually able to get pressure, helping create more turnovers. Those turnovers are the life blood of a Lovie Smith defense, and without them the "bend, but don't break" nature just will not work.

So where do the Bears go from here? Considering this is being posted at 8:00 AM CST the morning after the season ended, I can't quite say yet. It kind of depends on where GM Phil Emery comes down on Lovie Smith. Even if Smith is retained for one more lame duck season, or somehow is given a undeserved contract extension, the team is at a crossroads. The post Brian Urlacher era may be fast approaching, and several other defensive players will soon be too old, too slow, or too expensive to keep on the team. They clearly have work to do with the offensive line and tight ends. This could get much worse before it gets better. I'm not sure of anything other than the Bears don't win a Super Bowl with Smith as the coach.

*A bit of an exaggeration, although not by enough.

UPDATED

Turns out the Lovie Smith era is over in Chicago. Although I don't think Smith was a bad coach, his teams often failed to do the little things that championship teams tend to do. All of those stupid drive killing false starts, frustrating timeouts because Cutler didn't get the play fast enough, and questionable replay flags made being a Bears fan annoying. The fact is, you can't keep your job as a coach when you miss the playoffs two years in a row after 7-3 and 7-1 starts.

The names being thrown around at this time are all offensive coordinators. Hopefully whoever they hire will be able to do what's necessary to fix the team. Frankly, I'm surprised how quickly the Bears did this, as far too often in the past they tend to dither and dawdle when making decisions like this. I'm pretty sure the 2013 Bears will look much different than the 2012 Bears.

Favre Says No to Vikings, Local Bears Fan is Ambivalent

It appears that Brett Favre might actually be retired for real this time. Instead of coming back as the immediate "savior", he will stay in the muggy climes of Mississippi and await his imminent induction into the Hall of Fame. It appears that the Bears will be the only team to make an offseason splash at QB in the NFC North.

Ten, or even five, years ago, I would have been celebrating at the thought of Favre retiring instead of playing for a Bears rival. At that point in his career he was the King of Bears Killers, and it was damn frustrating watch him tear the Bears up during the Wannstedt and Jauron years. Although I would have missed seeing the Bears turn the table on him, I wouldn't have been too broken up about his retirement.

But now, however, I am merely glad all of the "will he or won't he" crap might be over. The Lovie Smith era has been good for the Bears in their historical rivalry with the Cheesheads. The Bears were 6-2 against the Favre Packers, losing only the 2nd game between the teams in 2004 and a meaningless game at the end of the 2006 season. In most of the victories the Bears tore apart Favre, giving some comfort to this Bears fan.

Would he have been just as bad against the Bears had he signed with the Vikings? Possibly, consideirng how inconsistent he was in New York. The Bears defense these days isn't as solid as it was during the 2004-2007 run, but Favre is also older. It would have been interesting, although not as interesting as his first trip back to Lambeau. I'm sure the FOX and ESPN execs are broken up over losing that matchup. I guess they'll have to live with Aaron Rodgers vs. Tavaris Jackson instead.

On Mark Buehrle's Perfect Game

I must say that I don't spend as much time following sports as did a few years ago. I suppose its because I have other things that occupy my time, such as working or watching movies. It also could be because of the morass that sports has become. Between off-field violence, criminal prosecutions, and the whole steroids mess, I suppose I decided to tune out*.

I've always wanted to witness a sports moment somewhat like the one at the end of the first episode of Sports Night. In that episode, co-anchor Casey, pissed off at his rough divorce, seems to be completely disillusioned with sports. Just as his anger, only tangentially related to sports, someone breaks in and tells him to tune into a runner in the process of breaking the fastest mile record. It reaffirms his belief that sports can be damn entertaining and even inspiring, even if it also can be very disappointing.

As cliche as that ending may have been, I must admit that I had a similar experience today. As I sat working on some web developing work, I was not in a good mood. Not so much in response to the work I was doing, but at certain political events and the chickenshits that cause them **. I was this close to starting a diatribe on that subject, a post that would neither assuage my frustration at the situation or do a damn thing to change it.

When my brother turned the TV on, I wasn't too appreciative of it. Had I known why, i probably wouldn't have been so angry. Unaware of what was going on on the South Side of Chicago at the time, I thought he was just going to watch some show on the DVR. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but my state of mind at that time considered it a very annoying thing to do.

Shortly after he turned the channel to Comcast SportsNet, DeWayne Wise made one of the greatest catches I had ever seen. Despite the fact that it probably saved a home run, I thought the crowd was overly exhuberant at the time. Even if he hadn't caught the ball, the Rays would still need four runs to even tie the game. The atmosphere almost seemed like a playoff game, which should have tipped me off to what was happening.

After the second out, I finally became aware of the fact that Buerhle was one out away from a perfect game. I had never seen a no-hitter as it happened, let alone a perfect game, so I immediately became transfixed on what had been just five minutes earlier a typical July game. I wasn't thinking about the crap happening in Washington, or on any of the other minute details. The only thing I was worried about at that moment was if the Sox could get just one last out.

The pessimistic side in me said he would blow it, that players from the White Sox just don't accomplish these feats. I fully expected that the count would go from 2-1 to 4-1, completely ruining the perfect game. Of course the optimistic side in me said otherwise, believing that the improbable would happen. After all, it happened in back to back Bears games in 2001, and it happened in 2005 for the White Sox. Why couldn't it happen here?

I have experienced so few times where I have been truly and unequivocally happy. Most times I wonder if I am actually happy, or if I am constructing an artificial happiness because I should be happy. When Bartlett grounded to Ramirez, who then threw it to Fields for the out, I had one of those rare moments of joy. I had witnessed history, even if was just sports history. It was the first perfect game for a White Sox pitcher since 1922, and only the seventeenth regular season perfect game in MLB history.

Those few moments had added some fun to what was otherwise a fairly mediocre day. It may be the last time I will ever see a pitcher complete one of the biggest feats in his sport, but I don't care. It cut through all of the Michael Vicks, the Barry Bonds, and the Harry Reids of the world and showed that sometimes sports (and life) can be surprising in a good way.

Thank you, Mark Buehrle and DeWayne Wise. Now please don't be discovered to be serial puppy kickers.

*Except for the Bears. I still gotta watch the Bears screw up games.

**See Reid, Harry in the Encyclopedia of Pathetic Senate Leadership for more information.

The Long Drive to October

Now that the All-Star break is over with, its time for the better half of the baseball season to begin. I must admit that I have only been marginally paying attention to the MLB this year, and can't name more than two of the division leaders*. All I know is the Cubs are underperforming, and that the White Sox are consistently inconsistent. Of course, that tends to be the case every year, so what do I know?

A quick check of the standings reveals that the division and wild card races have yet to heat up. I suppose it is good news that not a single division leader has a larger lead than 6.5 games. However, none of the leads are less than 2 games either. Sure, one series (or two) can make a difference, but it doesn't appear to be a barnburner yet in any division. Maybe it will be in a week or so, I hope so.

Now that we are on the way to the trade deadline, and the subsequent end of the season two months later, It is time for me to start paying more attention. I'll likely add a daily check of the standings, paying closer attention to the status of the Chicago teams and a couple of other rooting interests (Milwaukee and Texas for now). I'd like to see the D-Rays or Blue Jays get their act together, but it looks like another annoying battle of the Northeastern Behemoths.

I know this probably doesn't make me a true "devotee" to baseball, but I don't really care. It makes a great thing to follow before football really heats up in late October and November. I figure by the end of this month baseball will resume its secondary role as Bears camp starts up. By then, it will just be time to see when the Cubs choke. My guess is they won't be making the playoffs.***

*For the record, I could have named the Red Sox and the Cardinals, who were leaders as of the day of this post.**

**This included in case the Red Sox and Cardinals eventually lose their leads.

***Look into your heart, Cubs fans. You know it to be true.

Bears Post-Mortem 2008

I apologize for the rapid fire of posts (has it really been over 2.5 months since I posted here?), but I have to get my thoughts out about the latest edition of the Chicago Bears.

Simply put, it was a thoroughly frustrating, yet somewhat entertaining season. They finished about where I thought they would (somewhere between 7-9 and 9-7), but did so in a thoroughly inconsistent way. Looking at the season at it's end, it really isn't that different than last year. The offense was a little better, the defense was significantly worse, and the Devin Hester show became the Danieal Manning Show. All in all, it was a pretty mediocre season. And yet, they were 8 points away from making the playoffs.

So where do the Bears go from here? The defense is getting older, and former key pieces of the puzzle like Brian Urlacher, Tommie Harris, and Mike Brown aren't what they once were. Maybe they can pick up a good (or at least solid) defensive tackle, another solid linebacker, and a decent safety in free agency or the draft.

On the other side of the ball, the much maligned offense did nothing but raise more questions. Orton showed some signs of competence, but also showed some signs that he isn't the answer. The Bears appear to have found a top back in Matt Forte, but he can't be expected to carry the offense year after year. Unfortunately, Greg Olson appears to be just a good, rather than a great, pass catching tight end. Given the weakness of the Bears wide receiver corps, that is yet another reason to be pessimistic for next season.

In the end, its far too early to make any observations on how the Bears will do in 2009. The Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins showed how quick things can change in a season. Until the Bears make their moves in the off-season, I'll stay in a wait and see mode.

The days of football are numbered for another season, and it is time for us who follow sports to move to college basketball, which is just getting ready to begin conference season. And don't forget that pitchers and catchers report in about two months.

At least I'm not a Lions fan.

Quick Playoff Predictions
Wildcard Round
Indianapolis over San Diego
Baltimore over Miami

Minnesota over Philadelphia
Atlanta over Arizona

Divisional Round
Pittsburgh over Indianapolis
Baltimore over Tennessee

New York over Atlanta
Carolina over Minnesota

Conference Championship Round
Pittsburgh over Baltimore
New York over Carolina

Super Bowl
New York over Pittsburgh

Faretheewell, Sweet Prince

A new era dawns at Deadspin

As we are in no way nearly as funny as the commentariat over at Deadspin, we never took the opportunity to join the community. However, we have been a devoted lurker since early 2007, and we are sad to see Mr. Leitch go.

You have done East Central Illinois proud. Good luck at New York, and may you and Deadspin live long and prosper. May His Holy Horsiness St.Barbaro bless you.

Will you Just Get it Over With, Please?

Dear Mr. Bonds,

I am writing you today to ask you to stop messing around, and hit two home runs. Just get it over with, so we don't have to worry about you breaking Hank Aaron's record any more, and we can start watching with anticipation all of those (currently, just A-Rod) who may pass you a few years from now.

Just get it over with, so we can add another mark on the board proving this summer is quite possibly the worst sports summer ever. This story from The Onion may be a joke, but it really isn't that far from the truth. Dog fighting, dirty refs, and tragic deaths have certainly made this summer a season to forget.

Hopefully something will happen to even the score a bit. Who knows, maybe its just the set up to a run by the Cubs. I'm sure they would like to get that monkey off their backs before he hits triple digits.

Winter Olympics in Russia?

Looks like the 2014 Winter Olympics have a location: Sochi, Russia. It marks the first time since 1994 that the games in either season have gone to a city I wasn't aware existed. Amazingly, this is the first time the Winter games have ever been held in Russia or the former Soviet Union. This is interesting, as when you think of Russia, you think of winter and also their stellar record in the Winter Olympics. Hopefully it will go better than the last time Russia hosted an Olympics.

It is another sign of Russia's return to relevance on the international stage. Much of this relevance is in part due to Vladimir Putin. Without going too deep (after all, this isn't August Prairie), this is a mixed blessing, as increased economic stability and international relevance has come along with a return to the age old Russian tradition of autocratic control of society.

Nevertheless, it is a major victory for Russia, and a chance for them to show themselves off to the world in 2014. I'm sure a crappy logo and lame anthropomorphic animal mascots will be forthcoming. And in two years, here's hoping the IOC picks Chicago for the 2016 games. At least they have a decent logo.

Thanks a lot, Cubs

Dear Cubs, Thanks a lot. You're really making my predictions look great. Keep up the good work! Sincerely, Amy

Bears schedule is out

The NFL has announced the 2007 regular season schedule, and I am rather happy about it. Looks like they are scheduled for several prime-time and late afternoon games, which drastically increases the chance of me being able to watch their games. The Chargers game is the week one FOX headliner game. The next week, it appears they will be playing the Chiefs in the CBS late game. And in week three, they host Dallas in the NBC game.

As a Bear's fan, I instinctively get wary when so many of their games are in the national spot light. However, two straight years of success, including a large level of success in prime time games last year (Green Bay in week 17 does not count), gives reason not to be worried.

The revelation of the schedule does not alleviate the fact that we still have until September before the games start. Oh well, at least there is baseball to occupy the time.

It's Opening Day

Although the Mets victory over the Cardinals last night was the official start of the 2007 baseball season, today is the traditional start of the season. And even though it isn't special enough these days to warrant a ceremonial pitch from the President, it still is one of the great days in sports.

Opening day is a day of hope. Fans of every team, from the perennial contenders to the Royals and Pirates, can feel optimistic on this day. And even though many of those hopes will be dashed (for the Royals and Pirates it will be on April 3), they can always look on this day as a day of boundless optimism. Yes even Cubs fans can give in to a sense of optimism, feeling that the drought has to end sometime...right?...RIGHT?

Anyway, now it is time for meaningless predictions. I am not a heavy follower of baseball, and even the best prepared prognosticator is wrong sometimes. Just remember that all predictions come with a money-back guarantee.

National League
East
x-New York Mets 94-68
y-Philadelphia Phillies 92-70
Florida Marlins 81-81
Atlanta Braves 79-83
Washington Nationals 63-99

Central
x-Chicago Cubs 91-71
Milwaukee Brewers 89-73
St. Louis Cardinals 84-78
Houston Astros 80-82
Cincinnati Reds 73-89
Pittsburgh Pirates 65-97

West
x-Los Angeles Dodgers 87-75
San Diego Padres 85-77
Arizona Diamondbacks 81-81
Colorado Rockies 77-85
San Francisco Giants 75-87

American League
East
x-Boston Red Sox 97-65
New York Yankees 91-61
Toronto Blue Jays 87-75
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 75-87
Baltimore Orioles 69-93

Central
x-Detroit Tigers 94-68
y-Chicago White Sox 92-70
Minnesota Twins 84-78
Cleveland Indians 79-83
Kansas City Royals 60-102

West
x-Los Angeles Angels of 90-72
Anaheim
Texas Rangers 81-81
Oakland A's 70-92
Seattle Mariners 65-97

Divisional Playoffs
NL
Dodgers over Mets 3-1
Cubs over Phillies 3-2

AL
Red Sox over White Sox 3-2
Angels over Tigers 3-0

LCS
Cubs over Dodgers 4-2
Angels over Red Sox 4-3

World Series
Angels over Cubs 4-3 (Wait til' next year...)

Quick Hit on the NCAA tournament

Another first weekend of the NCAA tournament has passed. Wasn't too exciting, really. A few close games, a couple small upsets (Duke lost! Hurrah!), and a tough loss by Illinois. After watching their second half collapse, I am glad I didn't watch any of their games this year.

Oh well, maybe the seeding committee did an excellent job, and we are setting up 12 monumental games next weekend. We shall see. All I know is I have my rooting interest set up: Go Salukis!