Chicago -
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Pre-playoff exhibition games rankle. Plus: Theo Epstein Finally Gets Edwin Jackson Money; Robin’s Return?!; Bears Still Not As Bad As White Sox; Blackhawks & Bulls Go Camping; Chicago Sky, Chicago Fire, NIU And The Tribune’s Endorsement Of Gary Johnson Bring Up The Rear.
Posted on September 30, 2016
By Carl Mohrbacher
The Bears really need to do me a solid and put together a couple games that are either 100% good football or 100% bad football, because at this rate I expect to run out of snappy opening titles by Week 6.
There wasn’t a lot to like about Monday’s 31-17 loss in Dallas, but aside from the continued high-level play of linebacker Jerrell Freeman, there were a few positive takeaways to be seen if you squinted hard enough.
Posted on September 29, 2016
By Dan O’Shea
Random observations from a week in which almost everything that was supposed to happen didn’t happen:
The Bears were supposed have no hope and no one with fantasy value after two weeks, but Zach Miller and Jordan Howard rewrote the script (well, the fantasy part anyway). Okay, the Bears still have no hope (at all) in the real world of the NFL, but TE Miller racked up 78 yards and caught two TD passes from QB Brian Hoyer in Week 3, while RB Howard showcased his rumbling self by running for 45 yards and posting 47 receiving yards after RB mate Jeremy Langford was injured.
Posted on September 28, 2016
By Galen Clavio/The Conversation
In some potentially game-changing news for the way we understand professional football, the National Football League began the 2016 preseason by placing tracking sensors in its footballs for the first time. The chips are also in balls used in Thursday night games.
Over the past decade, we’ve seen an explosion in data analytics in sports, particularly on the professional level. Technological advances in cameras and sensors have allowed teams, media and fans to gain insight into a bunch of previously gray areas of sport performance, such as the National Basketball Association’s use of SportVU to track every bit of player and ball movement on the floor.
The concept of integrating numbers and analysis into scouting, training and coaching isn’t new. But access to powerful hardware and software has greatly increased the quality and quantity of available data. A nearly insatiable appetite for data on sports has created a sports analytics market that is set to grow from the millions to the multiple billions of dollars over the next few years.
Posted on September 28, 2016
In It For The Snark
The biggest question posed by the Bears right now seems to be: Why watch?
“Admit it, you changed channels,” our very own Jim Coffman writes.
Listening to three hours of Arcade Fire would be a better entertainment option, Dan Bernstein says.
The Bears have two more nationally televised games this season (that can’t be flexed), Adam Hoge reminds us.
We’ll give you a reason to watch, though: For the tweets.
To wit:
24-3. pic.twitter.com/UVZo6qff3I
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 26, 2016
Posted on September 26, 2016
By Jim Coffman
So what happened at the end of the latest Bears monstrosity? By then I had joined our entire city in switching to the ninth inning of the Cubs game. Come on Sox fans, admit it: you changed channels too – maybe even before then. And yes, I did check in on the baseball game reasonably frequently earlier in the evening.
I thought about just watching the Cubs all the way through but then my delightful fellow Cubs fans gave David Ross the first of his half-dozen standing ovations when he came to the plate for the first time. People, the guy played back-up catcher for the Cubs for two years! All this Grandpa Rossy garbage – he has a young family – what is the matter with us?
Posted on September 26, 2016
By Marty Gangler
What else is there to say about this season, again? We went through a lot of the highlights of the commemorative 2016 World Series Time/Life DVD last week, but who knew the David Ross Last Home Game Celebration would be so insane on Sunday.
I had to double-check this just to be correct, but he’s only been a Cub since 2015. That’s last year.
Posted on September 26, 2016
By Roger Wallenstein
In all of his 67 seasons of describing Dodger baseball, not once did Vin Scully, who was honored all weekend in Los Angeles, harken back to his big league playing days. That’s obviously because he didn’t have any.
Vin did play the outfield at Fordham University in the 1940s before turning his full attention to broadcasting. However, being the humble sort, it’s doubtful that Scully would have relived his diamond exploits on the air even if he had played major league baseball. Unfortunately that is not always the case with many former players who have remained in the game as broadcasters.
Posted on September 26, 2016
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Franchise’s greatest quarterback also its greatest millstone. Plus: Bill Freakin’ Belichick, Jesus Christ, Really?; What We Have Here Is A Failure To Develop A Quarterback; Cubs Play Cards Right; Derrick Rose Doesn’t Understand Consent Or Manhood; Abreu And Frazier Put Up Huge Meaningless Numbers; The Blackhawks Are (Almost) Back; Delle Donne’s Got A Thumb Too; Chicago Fire Lost In Time; and Lovie, Wesleyan And Duke.
Posted on September 23, 2016
By Thomas Chambers
UPDATE BELOW
Looks like I picked the wrong autumn to quit “studying the line” on Chicago Bears games.
Besides the pure joy of seeing the Bears’ ineptitude, mismanagement and miserly intentions coming back to bite them in their lethargic, moss-covered furry asses, I have accrued tangible benefit.
As coach and one-time U.S. Senate flirt Mike Ditka once said, what goes around comes around. While I can’t promise I’ll get the classic 10 furlongs in the end – although I have every reason to believe in my under 7 1/2 wins for the season – I’m sitting nicely right out of the gate, staying out of trouble into the clubhouse turn, all with an enhanced balance sheet for the rest of the way. Courtesy of your Chicago Bears.
Posted on September 23, 2016
