The Zoner

NEW SITE!!

2006-09-14T08:59:00.000-05:00

The new home of the Zoner:

CLICK THE PIC TO GO THERE NOW!

THE AL MVP NO ONE'S TALKING ABOUT

2006-09-12T12:16:00.000-05:00

He's homered in 6 straight games. His numbers look like this:

36 98 .283 .396 .566, 73 walks

His team is in 1st place by 5.5 games. And he bats 4th in the lineup.

I'm not saying he should win the award, but shouldn't we be hearing about him in conversation? Without Thomas the A's are an afterthought.

Frank Thomas AL MVP A's

MY 9/11 STORY

2006-09-11T12:08:00.000-05:00

The Bears had just kicked off the 2001 season. The Jerry Angelo era was now in effect, and it began with a 17-6 loss to the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens. By Tuesday morning I had had enough of the dissection of the game. I woke up and had to hurry to get to downtown Chicago. I did not turn on the TV.

I was serving as a juror on a federal case in which the accused was being tried for bank robbery. I got to the train station, boarded, put on some music and closed my eyes. It's easy to fall asleep on the downtown train because Union Station is the last stop. There is no fear of missing your stop. I love to sleep on the train. The ride was very peaceful.

As I exited Union Station on to Jackson, I noticed that there were many TV crews and reporters scurrying about. I was on my way to the Dirksen Federal Building, next to the famous Sears Tower. Fearing boredom during the downtime of the trial I decided to buy a newspaper, even though I already had one.

As I approached the vendor with change in my hand he said, "Saddam Hussein blow up New York and he is coming here next."

We made the switch of change for paper and I gave him an assuring nod, kind of like a 'Right On'. But what I was really thinking was that it was quite early to be that drunk.

But as the sleep was wearing off I started to put things together. People talking with animated gestures, the paper vendor, all the TV crews--maybe that guy wasn't nuts.

I entered the courthouse and heard the security guards talking about the WTC. As I approached and got my bag ready for search, I slightly interrupted with "So it's true then?"

They said that it was and filled me in on what they knew. I made my way up to the juror's room. On the way I began to think about where I was. I was in a United States federal building next to one of the world's most renown landmarks. And immediately I did not want to be there anymore.

As I got to the room, I told the jury assistant exactly that. With the USA under attack, I did not want to be in a federal courthouse next to the Sears Tower. She told me that the trial was being postponed.

Now all I wanted to do was get home. On my way out I checked my train schedule. If I hurried I could make the next train. If I didn't I would have to wait another hour and I did not want to be downtown. I ran.

I made it. I got on the train and it was packed. It seemed everyone was thinking like me--just get out of there and go home. People kept boarding the train. It was so crowded that it stirred more anxiety in me. But I had a seat and we were departing soon so I was OK.

Except that we didn't depart on time. They made a brief statement over the PA system. It did not assuage any of my fears or my fierce desire to just leave. I just wanted movement. I thought of getting off, but why? Where would I go? 10 minutes passed and it seemed like forever on a hot, overcrowded train.

Finally a slight jolt and we were exiting the station. A man was playing audio from his phone of CNN. I remember wondering how he was able to do that. Did he have someone playing the TV for him and setting the phone next to it? In that upper section of the train we all listened to it.

But then, just seconds out of the station the train stopped. That freaked me out. And I wasn't alone. Again the PA blah-blahed something. I still just wanted movement. It was hot and I wanted to have space, to be alone and to be at my home.

Thankfully it started back up and we crept away. We were moving very slowly, but it was fast enough for me. With all the people it took longer than usual. But I got to my stop, in my car and quickly back home.

I had still not seen anything on TV yet. I had talked briefly with my wife and sister on the phone and then changed clothes. When I finally turned on TV and saw the collisions for the first time, like most, my mouth just dropped. I just sat there and watched something I never thought possible take place before my eyes. Unreal.

After receiving and making more phone calls and watching some more TV coverage, I was overwhelmed. I laid on the couch and went to sleep. Wishing none of it had ever happened.

Tech. Tag:

9/11

BEARS DOMINATE GREEN BAY

2006-09-11T09:33:00.000-05:00

All the worries of the preseason came to a screeching halt, with a hand to the face from Jerry Angelo that said "I told you so." Bears 26, GB 0.

His first 2 picks in the draft, Danieal Manning and Devin Hester making huge contributions. Who wants Leonard Pope now?

Des Clark showing up big time. Muhsin Muhammad showing that he is a stud receiver. So I guess you don't go from 16 TDs to bum status in one short year.

D-Lineman Mark Anderson, a 5th round Angelo pick, showing speed and moves, getting to Favre and sacking him.

The Bears DBs could have had 5 picks altogether. Favre was just throwing it up there for most of the 2nd Half.

And Rex Grossman playing like a veteran, getting the ball to his receivers and executing beautiful play-action.

But maybe the biggest star of all was sitting in a box high above the field. Ron Turner. He called a killer game. The mix was perfect. Granted, the Pack are brutal. But it was quite a win. You just know that Favre has all those retirement questions bouncing around inside his brain today. And it's courtesy of the Chicago Bears.

The Bears weren't deficient in any phase yesterday. They just need to stay consistent and stay healthy, the biggest task of all.

Bears NFL Rex Grossman Ron Turner Packers Favre

NFL WEEK 1 PICKS

2006-09-08T08:14:00.000-05:00

Using Danny Sheridan's odds, each week, or until I completely embarrass myself, I shall test my prognostication skills for 3 games.

Week 1 Picks

Tennessee -2 1/2 over NYJ
Washington -4 1/2 over Minny
Buffalo +9 1/2 at New England

Technorati tags: NFL Picks

THE METS HAVE A SHOT

2006-09-08T07:56:00.000-05:00

In Walt We Trust sums up the NL's chances in the World Series as such:

“I have no doubt that whoever represents the National League in the Fall Classic will be taken out quicker than a bowlegged asthmatic kid in a grade school dodgeball match.”

What about the Mets? Only Minnesota, Oakland and San Diego have allowed less runs. Only the White Sox, Yanks, Indians and Phils have scored more. They have a run differential of +134, topped only by the Tigers and Yanks. Their starters don’t look that great, but they can thump, their defense is incredible and their bullpen is awesome. And don’t forget the El Duque factor.

The AL is the dominant league. But I give the Mets a chance, assuming Pedro is healthy.

Technorati tags: World Series / Pennant Races / MLB / Mets

FOR THE PEOPLE?

2006-09-07T10:18:00.000-05:00

Government. For the people? You decide after you read this article from MSNBC about how the government could provide immediate help to troops in Iraq and actually save lives, but chooses to wait due to money and politics.

Hat tip to Bruce Bonnheim.

WASHINGTON - Rocket-propelled grenades, or RPGs, are a favorite weapon of insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are cheap, easy to use and deadly.

RPGs have killed nearly 40 Americans in Afghanistan and more than 130 in Iraq, including 21-year-old Pvt. Dennis Miller.

“They were in Ramadi, and his tank was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade,” says Miller’s mother, Kathy. “Little Denny never knew what hit him.”

Sixteen months ago, commanders in Iraq began asking the Pentagon for a new system to counter RPGs and other anti-tank weapons.

Last year, a special Pentagon unit thought it found a solution in Israel — a high-tech system that shoots RPGs out of the sky. But in a five-month exclusive investigation, NBC News has learned from Pentagon sources that that help for U.S. troops is now in serious jeopardy.

The system is called “Trophy,” and it is designed to fit on top of tanks and other armored vehicles like the Stryker now in use in Iraq.

The Israeli military, which recently lost a number of tanks and troops to RPGs, is rushing to deploy the system.

Trophy is the brainchild of Rafael, Israel’s Armament Development Authority, which has conducted more than 400 tests and found that the system has “well above [a] 90 percent” probability of killing RPGs and even more sophisticated anti-tank weapons, according to reserve Col. Didi Ben Yoash, who helped develop the system. Ben Yoash says he is “fully confident” that Trophy can save American lives.

And officials with the Pentagon’s Office of Force Transformation (OFT) agree. Created in 2001 by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, OFT acts as an internal “think tank” for the Pentagon and is supposed to take a more entrepreneurial — and thereby less bureaucratic — approach to weapons procurement and other defense issues, and to get help to troops in the field more quickly. OFT officials subjected Trophy to 30 tests and found that it is “more than 98 percent” effective at killing RPGs.

An official involved with those tests told NBC that Trophy “worked in every case. The only anomaly was that in one test, the Trophy round hit the RPG’s tail instead of its head. But according to our test criteria, the system was 30 for 30.”

As a result, OFT decided to buy several Trophies — which cost $300,000-$400,000 each — for battlefield trials on Strykers in Iraq next year.

That plan immediately ran into a roadblock: Strong opposition from the U.S. Army. Why? Pentagon sources tell NBC News that the Army brass considers the Israeli system a threat to an Army program to develop an RPG defense system from scratch.

The $70 million contract for that program had been awarded to an Army favorite, Raytheon. Raytheon’s contract constitutes a small but important part of the Army’s massive modernization program called the Future Combat System (FCS), which has been under fire in Congress on account of ballooning costs and what critics say are unorthodox procurement practices.

Col. Donald Kotchman, who heads the Army’s program to develop an RPG defense, acknowledges that Raytheon’s system won’t be ready for fielding until 2011 at the earliest.

That timeline has Trophy’s supporters in the Pentagon up in arms. As one senior official put it, “We don’t really have a problem if the Army thinks it has a long-term solution with Raytheon. But what are our troops in the field supposed to do for the next five or six years?”

Kotchman, however, says the Army is doing everything prudent to provide for the protection and safety of U.S. forces and insists the Israeli system is not ready to be deployed by the U.S. “Trophy has not demonstrated its capability to be successfully integrated into a system and continue to perform its wartime mission,” he says.

That claim, however, is disputed by other Pentagon officials as well as internal documents obtained by NBC News. In an e-mail, a senior official writes: “Trophy is a system that is ready — today... We need to get this capability into the hands of our warfighters ASAP because: (1) It will save lives!”

Officials also tell NBC News that according to the Pentagon’s own method of measuring a weapons system’s readiness, Trophy is “between a 7 and an 8” out of a possible score of 9. Raytheon’s system is said to be a “3.”

So why would the Army block a solution that might help troops?

“There are some in the Army who would be extremely concerned that if the Trophy system worked, then the Army would have no need to go forward with the Raytheon system and the program might be terminated,” says Steven Schooner, who teaches procurement law at both George Washington University and the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s School.

Trophy’s supporters inside the Pentagon are more blunt. As one senior official told NBC News, “This debate has nothing, zero, to do with capability or timeliness. It’s about money and politics. You’ve got a gigantic program [FCS] and contractors with intertwined interests. Trophy was one of the most successful systems we’ve tested, and yet the Army has ensured that it won’t be part of FCS and is now trying to prevent it from being included on the Strykers” that OFT planned to send to Iraq.

For families of soldiers like Denny Miller, any delay in getting help to the troops is unthinkable.

As Miller’s mother, Kathy, put it, “Do they have children over there? Do they have husbands or wives over there? They need to sit back and look at it maybe from a different angle. I just think it's ridiculous!”

The Pentagon is now trying to interest the Marine Corps in testing Trophy. But because of Army opposition, there are currently no plans to send the system to Iraq.

Tech Tags: Politics War RPGs Iraq

HILL MAKING HIMSELF KNOWN

2006-09-07T09:36:00.000-05:00

Cubs fans may have an excellent reason to watch games until the end of the season. Rich Hill.

Last night Hill had his best start, a dominating 7 1/3 innings with 11 Ks and only 4 hits allowed. His last 4 starts have given Cubs fans a glimpse of what Hill can do.

The numbers for his last 4 starts:

28 1/3 IP, 18 hits, 5 ER, 25 K, 6 BB.

Earlier this year Baker was quoted as saying something to the extent of there being no good reason to bring Hill back up. Earlier I have referred to him as "The Great Rich Hill", because of Hendry's steadfast refusal to include him in any deals.

Hill is a rare find--a big lefty that can strike guys out. Maybe, just maybe, the Cubs have a #2 or #3 pitcher for next year. Yes it's September, but you can't help but be impressed by Hill. And next year he goes into the season knowing he can be successful in the bigs. And that is huge.

Closer, of course, is a totally different story. But for now, rejoice!

Tech Tags: Cubs Dusty Baker Rich Hill MLB

SUPER BOWL PREDICTIONS

2006-09-05T20:10:00.000-05:00

Wow! Just got an e-mail from the excellent Draft Sharks with a list of Super Bowl Predictions from around the country. Some of them are shocking. Throw yours in if you have one.

Pete Prisco, CBS Sportsline: Pittsburgh vs. Carolina
Dave Richard, CBS Sportsline: Cincinnati vs. Dallas
William Foote, Ultimatecapper.com: Indianapolis vs. Seattle
Ty Gaston, Ulitmatecapper.com: Denver vs. Arizona
Adam Schein, FOXSports.com: Cincinnati vs. Carolina
Peter King, Sports Illustrated: Indianapolis vs. Dallas
Dr. Z, Sports Illustrated: Miami vs. Carolina
John Clayton, ESPN: Indianapolis vs. Seattle
Trey Wingo, ESPN: Miami vs. Carolina
Michael Irvin, ESPN: Denver vs. Dallas
Ron Jaworski, ESPN: Indianapolis vs. Seattle
Chris Mortensen, ESPN: Cincinnati vs. Dallas
Len Pasquarelli, ESPN: Indianapolis vs. Seattle
Michael Smith, ESPN: Indianapolis vs. Carolina
Merrill Hoge, ESPN: Cincinnati vs. Dallas
Tom Jackson, ESPN: Indianapolis vs. Carolina
Mark Schlereth, ESPN: New England vs. Carolina
Sean Salisbury, ESPN: Indianapolis vs. Carolina
Mike Golic, ESPN: Indianapolis vs. Carolina
ESPN SportsNation Poll: Indianapolis vs. Carolina
Doug Kretz, Scouts Inc: Denver vs. Seattle
Jake Jarmelli, American Sports Analysts: Kansas City vs. Dallas
Mike Beas, Herald Bulletin: Indianapolis vs. New York Giants
Micah Joel, Mad Sanity: Cincinnati vs. Arizona
Adam Stone, DeafDC.com: Denver vs. Carolina
Greg Melikov, Sportsbook.com: Indianapolis vs. Dallas
Chris Schultz, TSN Canada: Indianapolis vs. Seattle
Ron Borges, MSNBC.com: Cincinnati vs. Carolina
Jason Whitlock, ESPN Page 2: Baltimore vs. Washington
Gary Myers, Daily News: New England vs. Dallas
Hub Arkush, Pro Football Weekly: San Diego vs. Carolina
Dan Arkush, Pro Football Weekly: Indianapolis vs. Seattle
John Miller, Draftsharks.com: Kansas City vs. Atlanta
Lenny Pappano, Draftsharks.com: San Diego vs. Carolina

As for me? Seattle vs. Indianapolis. I think that right now on paper it makes the most sense.

Technorati tags: Bears / NFL / Super Bowl

HE BEAT IT!

2006-09-05T00:37:00.000-05:00

Not only is he comfortable with his girth, he's also a good friend. Cuz the guy next to him looks loaded and he's holding him up.

DON'T WANT TO GET ALL FANCY

2006-09-05T00:33:00.000-05:00

GIVE IT UP FOR ME!

2006-09-04T01:00:00.001-05:00

Can't have "Developers" without this one!

DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS!

2006-09-03T22:23:00.001-05:00

BEARS: GAMEBREAKERS NOT NEEDED

2006-09-01T09:33:00.000-05:00

The Trib's Don Pierson has a good column today about the Bears indifference to stud WRs. They did not draft a WR this year. They should have added one as well as drafted one of the many Tight Ends available in the draft this year, Des Clark's fine performance last night notwithstanding. I saw Leonard Pope make an excellent red zone TD catch against the Bears earlier in the preseason and it irritated me.

Pierson writes:

While nearly every other team in the NFL added receivers via free agency, trades or the draft, the Bears stood pat, hoping they would manufacture help for Muhsin Muhammad from within.

It hasn't happened, leaving the Bears alarmingly short at the biggest big-play position in football.

Mark Bradley was supposed to be fully recovered from a knee injury that cut short his promising rookie season.

He's nowhere near ready to play and limped off the field Thursday night with a hip bruise.

Currie was the hot name of the off-season, the track star whose rookie season was wiped out by injury. If the Bears could run a relay race in Green Bay, Currie might help. But he lost battles Thursday night to Cleveland reserve cornerback Daven Holly, a former Bears washout.

Bernard Berrian did not suit up because of a "bruised" knee. This did not seem to shock close observers of his career.

Justin Gage started opposite Muhammad and caught one pass for 11 yards before joining Muhammad on the sideline to give more playing time to Bradley, Currie and Rashied Davis, the converted defensive back from the Arena League who has been as reliable as any Bears receiver this preseason.

The Bears had needs at secondary, no doubt. And they chose to fill them via free agency and the draft. It's likely too much to ask a unit with basically a rookie QB, possibly a rookie RB and inexperienced WRs to be a playoff-caliber offense.

Let's face it--as good as any team's defense is, there are times your offense has to win it for you, specifically with big plays. The Bears may have plenty of big plays this season. But they could have ensured more of them by adding another Wide Receiver and a young Tight End.

More Here:
Chicago Bears NFL Sports

BEARS: 2 "PROVEN" QUARTERBACKS

2006-08-30T11:32:00.000-05:00

According to Cris Collinsworth and his column at NFL.com, "The Bears, like the Jaguars, are in the enviable position of having two proven starting quarterbacks."

Rex Grossman has started all of 8 games in 3 years, and 1 playoff game last year. He's thrown for all of 4 TDs in those games, countered by 6 picks. He was 17-41 against Carolina in the playoffs.

I like Rex Grossman. I think he can be a good NFL QB. But the only thing he's proven is that he can get hurt on a regular basis and he's an awesome practice player.

I give Grossman 3 games this year before Griese takes over. If he can't put up some numbers in the first 3 games--all against seemingly weak division foes--then Griese gets the call against Seattle on Sunday night, October 1, in a nationally televised game.

Griese has his limitations, but also a solid set of NFL skills. You know what you will get with him. More TDs than picks, a good completion percentage and that intangible veteran know-how. He's hardly going to throw into double and triple coverage like Grossman has this preseason.

Does Grossman have greatness in his future? Perhaps. But if it isn't shown soon, it can wait yet another year.

More Here:
Bears NFL Rex Grossman Brian Griese

DUSTY'S FUZZY MATH

2006-08-30T09:21:00.000-05:00

Phil Rogers heaps another shovel of coal on top of Dusty Baker today, clearly refuting Baker's claim that a healthy DLee would "make up 10, 12, 15 games by himself."

Rogers calls upon the services of Rob Neyer and Will Carroll to shoot down Baker's theory. Carroll said "That's impossible" and Rob Neyer called it "absurd".

Of course, knowing that Baker is a manager who cares not about OBP and thinks walks clog up the bases, it should hardly come as a surprise that he thinks one player is worth that much. Snobs vs. Slobs details precisely why Baker is conceptually challenged in an article called "Dusty Baker has seen the world from outer space, and it is definitely flat". I wish Baker would read it.

The Rogers article is worth reading as it gets into Win Shares and VORP, Value Over Replacement Player. And Rogers has his own take on it as well, mentioning how many at-bats Baker wasted on Neifi Perez and the like.

Meanwhile, Baker refuses to get it. He had Freddie Bynum play 2nd base last night and Theriot at SS. Cedeno pinch-hit. Why the lineup card is not stenciled with Cedeno, Murton and Theriot for the remainder of the season is anyone's guess.

And on top of all of this the Cubs can add closer to the list of needs for next year. Dempster has been brutal and took the loss last night. He blew his 7th save opportunity last night, after blowing it Saturday against STL. He's always walked too many batters and this year is no exception. A closer simply can't do that. At this rate maybe they can make him a starter again. I'd rather see Howry close games next year.

More Here:

Cubs Dusty Baker VORP Win Shares

DENIS LEARY ON RED SOX, MEL GIBSON

2006-08-29T20:04:00.000-05:00

Denis Leary joins the Red Sox broadcast booth and hilarity ensues.

Thank you, Glumbert.

NO WORD ON HARDAWAY OR MULLIN BUT...

2006-08-29T13:40:00.000-05:00

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Coach Mike Montgomery was dismissed by
the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, and Don Nelson was ready to
step in.

Golden State will re-hire Nelson, the second-winningest coach in
NBA history and the last coach to lead the downtrodden Warriors to
the playoffs, on Wednesday, a league source told The Associated
Press.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal
hadn't been completed, said the 66-year-old Nelson settled his
differences with Warriors owner Chris Cohan and agreed to return to
the club where he went 277-260 from 1988-95 and led Golden State to
its last playoff appearance in 1994.

NOW HERE'S A MOVIE...

2006-08-29T08:13:00.000-05:00

DUSTY TALKS ABOUT FUTURE

2006-08-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

A revealing column in the Trib today by Paul Sullivan on the future of Dusty Baker. Baker has softened some of his defiance in recent days, and even stunned me with his declaration that he "always wanted a team of young players".

It's natural for someone in a state of flux to be emotional. Baker has certainly been that and pensive about his stay here and beyond.

"You always want to be where you're wanted."

And has he felt that?

Baker paused before answering. "Sometimes," he said. "But I guess that's better than not at all."

Told Sunday the comment had left the impression the Cubs had not made him feel wanted, Baker stood by his cryptic answer.

"That's how you feel—'sometimes,'" he said. "That was the best answer I could come up with at the time. You put yourself in my position. What would your answer be?"

Hendry said last month he would decide on Baker at the end of the season. Has Hendry said anything since then to make Baker think the Cubs did not want him?"

No, it's not only Jim," Baker said. "It's the whole picture, the whole thing."

By the whole thing, does he mean the city of Chicago?"

Yeah, just [the whole thing], period," he said. "Sometimes. I'm not the overwhelming favorite. You hear about who's available, who's going to take the job. That leads to [the answer] 'sometimes.'"

Media have speculated about who would replace Baker if he leaves. Names from Joe Girardi to Bruce Bochy to Bob Brenly to Fredi Gonzalez have surfaced in the last month, though Girardi is under contract with Florida through 2008 and Bochy with San Diego through 2007.

Presumably, none of the speculation has come from conversations with Baker's boss.

"No, but my boss said he'll wait until the end," Baker said. "That's why I said 'sometimes.'"

My question is this: What strong points, traits or successes do you point to in favor of rehiring Baker?

More here:Dusty+Baker Cubs

REDS CATCH REDBIRDS

2006-08-25T08:26:00.000-05:00

And so the Cubs season actually starts today. They have a chance to put some hurt on the Cardinals and ruin their playoff chances. It's not as if they have anything else to play for.

With a Reds win and a Cards loss last night, they are tied for first in the NL Central.

Whose lineup would you rather have? I'll take the Reds.

But while the Reds began a 10-game road trip, the Cards are at home for series against the Cubs, Florida and Pittsburgh. The Reds continue on in San Fran and the go to LA and San Diego.

The Cards have Rolen, Edmonds and Albert, but not much else. And after Carpenter their rotation is Cub-like.

It's hard to see one of these teams getting hot enough to win 90 games. Making it ever more the shame that the Cubs never got it together this year.

Technorati tags: Cubs Cardinals Reds Pennant+Race

FANTASY FOOTBALL BUSTS

2006-08-24T11:39:00.000-05:00

I have to agree with Football Minds. They are calling for Aaron Brooks to be a big bust in Oakland.

Yes, they have many weapons. And yes that's what I said last year when I got all giddy about Kerry Collins. It didn't work.

The addition of Art Shell might help the O-Line but it's just not very good. Football Minds also points out that in a recent preseason game "announcers are quoting Moss about how he “would love to be catching passes from a guy like Walter, who is young and has a strong arm and can get you the ball.”

Hmm. it could be that last year was a blip for Brooks, who has otherwise been solid in his career. But I wouldn't bet on that and I sure won't spend a high draft pick on him.

Any busts or breakout predictions? Please share...

More Here:
Fantasy+Football Aaron+Brooks Raiders NFL

LOVIE DESERVES A RAISE?

2006-08-24T09:14:00.000-05:00

I found the "Football Dawg" via technorati. He writes that Fox has an article that suggests Lovie Smith deserves a pay raise.

The Dawg says:

Here is the thing. Smith may be be doing a great job in Chicago, but a) he signed the contract, b) he has the best talent in the league, c) he got seriously burned by Carolina which is attributed to nothing other than bad coaching. So why would I give him a raise? The NFC North was a cake walk last year. The Bears had to make the playoffs on the strength of their defense alone. As much as people complain about Kyle Orton and being a third string QB, what counts, is that he played well and did what was necessary. That is called players stepping up. The problem for me is that when it counted, the coach failed and got seriously out-Foxed. I will harp on this for a long time, but how hard is it to plan a defense for an offense that had one weapon? I don't care how good Steve Smith was, you don't let him beat you. And it is based on that, and that alone that Lovie should not be getting a pay raise.

Right on Dawg. That doesn't mean I don't like Lovie because I do. But this is the year he truly proves his mettle. He'll likely have to make 2 huge decisions at RB & QB that will affect the whole season. Let's see how Lovie does this year. Then we can talk about raises. Or possibly finding someone else.

FREAK OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE

2006-08-23T16:58:00.000-05:00

Man Accused Of Biting Boy's Genitals

hat tip: the drudge report

AND WE'RE BACK!!

2006-08-23T09:37:00.000-05:00

Apparently some of you have been trying to post comments and they have not been posting. Blogger is making some huge, overdue changes and there are evidently some quirks. It's odd because my last post was my 500th and that's when my former template quit cooperating.

So I decided to switch rather than fight and went to a new Blogger template. It has some nice new functions but not the look I want. I will be working on it and might even just get my own domain.

Anyway, we're up and running and there's a lot happening in Chicago sports. Consider this an open thread. Post any questions or comments or cool links.

Show some love while I think of a nice way to rip Cedric Benson. It's the premiere of Open Zoner Wednesday.