Watching this past Monday's Bears v. Vikings game, I was taken by two events.  I had hoped the knock-out of Brett Favre in the first quarter would end the unbelievable fawning the ESPN idiots were carrying out.  This didn't stop them at all.  They continued throughout the game.  There were a large number of shots of Favre bundled up on the sideline, giving them another chance to bow at the Crocs of the game's biggest hype monger.  For anyone outside of Minneapolis, it was sickening and infuriating.  Thank gawd Jerry Angelo drafted Corey Wooten this season.  He tamed what would have been even more intolerable by game's end, if that is possible.

On the far more positive side was Devin Hester's record breaking 14th career kick return for a touchdown.  In 211 fewer games than the previous record holder, Brian Mitchell, Hester scored his 14th touchdown.  He has had an amazing career and will likely continue for some time to come.  This touchdown came on the heels of an almost score that saw him tackled on the six yard line.  There's nothing I can type that can equal seeing all fourteen TDs.

So congrats Devin Hester.  Keep 'em coming.

The Bears are 2-0.  They knocked off the hated Cowboys in Dallas Stadium today. From my vantage point it sounded like it was in Soldier Field with the amount of cheers when the Bears did well.

I really hate seeing Jerry Jones on the sideline.  I do not like the owner down on the field amongst the players.  It wouldn't happen in business and certainly not in a business the size of an NFL team.

The stadium cost 1.2 Billion Dollars.  That kind of money on a football stadium is ridiculous.  I hope Jerry Jones loses every game in that place.

On the good side, the Bears played very well.  Their running game still struggles but the rest of the offense is doing great.  The Defense gives up yards but was opportunistic with the turnovers.

I hope they keep up the good work next Monday as the hated Packers arrive in Soldier Field. 

Bear Down!!!

The best time of the year, the start of the NFL season, kicks off today.  The Bears start their 2010 campaign against the Detroit Lions. 

The Bears gave fans fits all preseason.  They said it was just practice and didn't matter.  I say you play the way you practice so if you look bad in preseason you better not let it carry over to the regular season.

My prediction is they will go 5-11.  They don't look very good so far in the game.  I hope I'm wrong but it doesn't seem like it so far.  The Offensive line is not making holes for the runners nad Cutler is getting hit and hurried every throw.

On the up side, the Defense is looking decent enough.

It's early.  I could be wrong with my prediction.  I hope I am.

Today was a day of mixed feelings for Bear's fans.  Mixed because deep in our hearts we want them to win but in our minds, the only way there will be any change is if they lose.  The last two games would have to have been losses for real turnover in the coaching staff, the only way there would be true change with our beloved Monsters of the Midway.

There were high hopes for the team in the pre-season.  They acquired a pro-bowl QB in the off-season and none other than Peter King of Sports Illustrated and NBC picked them to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.  Then they played the games.

It was all down hill, more or less, from the opening kickoff of opening weekend on the Regular season when they lost to the Packers in Lambeau.  Cutler threw four interceptions and they lost Brian Urlacher for the season. 

They won a few games and teased us that they could challenge the Vikings for the NFC North crown but by mid-season in San Francisco, they could fool us no longer.  Several interceptions, including the final play of the game, showed us how the rest of the season would go.  Receivers constantly ran the wrong routes, the offensive line could not open holes for the running game and the defense was as pouous as a glass of water.

There were multiple games where the winning team scored over 28 points.  It was terrible.  Then the Bears beat the Vikings last Monday night and the Lions today.  Suddenly, there's talk of the coaching staff not losing their jobs.  If they stay with the team will the results be any different next season?  I seriously doubt it. 

There were positives at various times this season.  Johnny Knox might be a keeper in future season if he can stay healthy.  He ended this season on the bench with an injury.  Devin Aromashodu was a very bright spot when allowed to play.  Kahlil Bell had some positive runs at the end of the season but that was about it.  Cutler set team marks in TDs and yardage but lead the league in interceptions.

Lovie Smith will be holed up with GM Jerry Angelo tomorrow so he will not be available to the media.  Hopefully the Bears will do the right thing and not put the fans through another season of mediocrity.  If the current coaching staff is retained, that's what we'll get.

I actually watched the Bears last night.  I hadn't watched them in weeks because I had better things to do with my time.  Last night I decided to give them another chance  They were completely in command the first three quarters but reverted to the 2009 Bears in the 4th quarter and let the Vikings tie the game.

In overtime, They had a chance to win of the first drive but Robbie Gould's FG didn't hook like it normally does.  Instead, they were bailed out by an Andrian Peterson fumble followed by a Cutler to Aromashadu TD on the next play for the win.

Charles Tilmon fractured several ribs on a hit by his own player on a tackle and a few other Bears suffered injuries.  These are likely season ending with the last game of 2009 next week in Detroit.

The game creates mixed feelings in my mind.  It was a very exciting game to watch.  They have not been worthy of my time most of the season but there was a spark in the first three quarters that was definitely missing for the majority of their games.  It will be a very different team next season and that is a good thing.  Since they traded their first round pick to the Broncos for Jay Cutler, it really doesn't matter how they finish.  But if there are to be changes, the more games they lose, the stronger the argument for those changes.

This has been a great weekend.  A major project I'd been working on went live Saturday morning.  The weather Saturday was beautiful.  My Purdue Boilermakers finished the Big Ten season at 4-4 for a .500 conference record.  In doing so, they retained the Old Oaken Bucket, the moving trophy that goes to the winner of the annual Purdue vs. Indiana football game.  Also, Notre Dame lost.  That's a win in my book.

We checked out the local YMCA and hope to join in the coming weeks.  It is a nice facility with nice equipment and programs. 

Moving on to today, the weather held.  It was a beautiful day in the 50's today.  I cut the grass for the last time this year.  I have never cut the grass this late in November.  After cutting the grass, the Mrs and I went for a walk.  It was great and the beautiful weather was only surpassed by the beautiful company I kept.

Earlier in the day, my Son and I went to the eye glass store to get him some new glasses.  We had tried contacts a few weeks ago but he's just not ready, yet.  He will be but not now.  This is where the tide turned.  We found out that the special two for $99 deal doesn't work when the person wearing them is a minor but needs adult size glasses.  Apparently by law, a minor must wear shatter-proof, plastic lenses.  These cost extra.  Just another example of kids costing you more money as they get older.

That brings us to the Bears.  They are the "Why Do I Do It?" in the subject line.  They have been horrible the last several weeks.  I told myself I was done with them.  I would not spend any more time watching this trainwreck of a team.  But come Sunday night at 7:15, what do I find myself?  I'm watching the Bears.  And what do they do?  They let the Eagles march the ball right down the field and score 10 points. 

What have the Bears done?  3 and out.  A punt on 4th and 14.  They next got the ball back with Cutler overthrowing his wide open receivers on the final two plays.  The boo-birds were out with that.

I've got to stop this.  This season is over.  I have to walk away and spend time doing something other than having my heart broken each Sunday.  Fortunately, they will not be playing on Thanksgiving day.  Only family on that day and only good times.

4, NO... make that 5 INTERCEPTIONS... Jay Cutler is the first Bears QB since 1962 to have two 4 interception games in the same season.  This town is about to erupt.

This weekend marks the 10 anniversary of one of the darkest days in Chicago Sports and one that rivals the death of John Lennon on my personal hero loss heart-break.  Like so many kids who grew up in Chicago in the 1970s, Walter Payton was my hero.  Not just on a football level but on an outlook on life level.  Most kids who played running back in the early 1970s wanted number 32.  I had to have number 34.

Walter Payton was not the biggest, most talented football player growing up.  His determination and unending tuning of his body made him that way.  Walter did not listen to dissenters.  He used their dissent as inspiration to better himself and prove them wrong.  Walter set the record for rushing in the NFL not behind championship teams like Emmett Smith, who later broke Walter's record.  He ran for losing teams until the final years of his career. 

His determination and resolve drove him to being the best running back in NFL history, period.  He ran, caught passes, blocked and even passed the ball like no running back before or since.  In an era when weightlifting and personal trainers were still in the future, Walter used to run the hill in Arlington Heights, IL.  He ran the 92 foot hill up to 20 times a day.  It hurts just thinking about it.

Sadly, Walter's body, which he kept in prime shape during his playing career, couldn't overcome the liver disease that took his life.  In February 1999, Walter revealed that he had primary sclerosing cholangitis.  Although he was on a liver transplant list, the mortality rate from the disease precluded a life-saving transplant.

Walter passed away on November 1st, 1999.  I cried that day and will likely do the same this weekend.  At halftime of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field, the Bears will pay tribute to Walter.  His family is urging fans to wear their No. 34 Walter Payton clothing to Sunday's game. His teammates Matt Suhey and Dennis Gentry will escort the family, including his Mother, onto the field.

A family spokesperson says that an announcement is coming in the next few weeks regarding a Wlter Payton statue that the family commisioned and hoped would be placed at Soldier Field.  The Chicago Park District, which owns teh stadium, nixed taht idea saying the building is a memorial to soldiers and the Walter statue would not be appropriate there.  She added that the announcement will make everyone happy.

The Chicago Tribune has more information on the halftime tribute.

Like most sports fans, I usually end up becoming more frustrated with the network play by play than I do my team's play on the field.  Dick Stockton is the prime offender to my ears and sports sensibility.  A bit of quick thinking leads to the ultimate solution "I'll just turn on the radio and listen to it while I turn down the audio on the TV."  Great idea but due to the speed sending the television signal to a satellite or through a cable vs receiving the radio signal at home, the two sources are generally out of sync with the radio revealing the play seconds before you see it on the television.

After a bit of research there are several methods to listen to the local radio play by play in sync.  The methods range from a somewhat costly to free with a bit of effort.

1. The Delay Play Method - This is the costliest method but the easiest (possibly).  Basically, you hook the Delay Play device to the radio and adjust the delay from 0 to 16 seconds. It has an output connection that can connect to a reciver or powered speakers.  Available at ScannerMaster.  Cost: $200.
2. The SportsSyncRadio Method - Similar to method one but at a lower cost.  This solution is an actual radio with built in speaker that will allow you to set the delay between 0 and 8 seconds.  Also available at Scannermaster (This link is from the Bear's Radio Network website so they are a sponsor of the Bears.) Cost: $40
3. The iTunes Method - Requires a PC and a TV with DVR.  Radio Legend Steve Dahl unveiled this method on his daily podcast (dahlCast).  This method requires that the radio station that broadcasts your team's games streams over iTunes.  If they don't, try method 4 or 5.  Cost: Patience

Steps -

1. Start up iTunes and bring up the play by play. 

2. Pause the game on the DVR. The TV broadcast will be ahead of iTunes in this case. 

3. As soon as the action on the iTunes hits where you paused it, unpause the DVR.  If you did it right, you'll be in sync.  If not, try pausing iTunes and then re-sync with the TV. 

It's better to be close than frustrated because it's not perfect.   Remember, close is better than Dick Stockton.

4. The Home Team's Website Method. - Some teams stream their game day play by play on the internet.  If so, you might be able to use the iTunnes method substituting the iTunes feed with the local teams feed. Steps and Cost: See Number 3.
5. The Radio Station Website Method - Similar to numbers 3 and 4 but using the stream from the radio station that carries the home teams games. Steps and Cost: See Number 3.

If all of these methods fail, you can just buck up and get to love Dick Stockton.  Hey, if Leslie Visser can, so can you.

The Bears game last night ended with complete heartbreak for the faithfull.  The score read 21-14 Falcons but with two fumbles and one interception inside the 20 yard line, it should have easily been a Bear's victory.  The Falcons scored their third touchdown after a Bears 12 men on the field penalty on a punt on 4th and three.

They were in it right up until the end.  Four and one with under a minute to play.  Would they streak in for the touchdown or at least a first down?  Nope, future Hall of Famer Orlando Pace jumped offsides and made it 4th and 6.  One errant pass attempt later the game was over.

The game can be looked at as a moral victory.  The Bears know they were the better team except for stupid penalties and mishandling of the football inside the 20.  They still need to get the run game going.  Matt Forte has his worst rushing performance as a pro.  That has been a problem all season.

So do the Bears get a day to reflect on the game?  No.  Chad Ochocinco is busy tweeting about how he's going to shame the Bear's secondary.  I'm sure the press will run with it.  As long as it doesn't cause too much of a distraction, I'm okay with it. 

The Vikings are 6-0 with the Packers and Bears in second at 3-2.  Is it just me or have they played all their games at home and inside?  They will be playing the Bears twice in a four week period in November/December, capped off with a game at Soldier Field on Sunday night game 12/28.  It could be real cold.  Hopefully the Bear Weather myth will come true.

Now, to add insult to injury, the early word on Pisa Tinoisamoa is that he has cartilidge damage in his knee and may be out for the rest of the season.  Now the line backing corp is even thinner. 

It just gets worse and worse.