By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Everybody’s new (misunderstood) model. Including: White Sox Salvage Arrow; The Rebuild-A-Bears Narrative; Bulls Blow Up; and We Love Coach Q Deja Vu.
Posted on December 30, 2016
The Blue & Orange Kool-Aid Report: Skinned Alive
By Carl Mohrbacher
Before we take a quick look at the year that was, let’s talk about the game that just happened . . .
Mmmmm. On second thought, do we have to?
[Editor’s Note (shrug): I kinda want to pretend that game never happened.]
Noice.
You know the more the years go on, the more it seems like you’re starting to see things my way, buddy.
Posted on December 28, 2016
The Beachwood Radio Sports Hour #133: Yes, Virginia, It’s Your Fault
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Making End-Times Christians of all of us. Featuring: Bears Fuller Shit; Fred’s Funhouse; Q’s Kids; and The Old College Try.
Posted on December 23, 2016
The Blue & Orange Kool-Aid Report: Cre’Von LeBleep
By Carl Mohrbacher
You gotta feel for Cre’Von LeBlanc. Apparently, even management did.
Coming off a big game against Detroit, the young player found himself on the ass end of another magical friggin’ Aaron Rodgers dart; a 60-yard pass to Jordy Nelson on 3rd-and-11 that set up a field goal in the 11th hour, 59th minute and 59th second of last Sunday’s game which damned the Bears to another loss.
Despite a valiant, 17-point fourth-quarter comeback, Chicago fell 30-27, and at first glance the blame fell squarely to LeBlanc, who was left alone in quarters coverage against Green Bay’s number one receiver.
Upon further review, one could argue that the defender should have received some safety help over the top.
Posted on December 22, 2016
SportsMonday: Bears Loss A Win-Win
By Jim Coffman
Sunday’s football game at Soldier Field was remarkable. Of course there were larger implications, like the Packers staying alive for the division title with their 30-27 victory, and the fact that the Bears lost again to their arch-rivals.
Just about everyone must have seen a note about this by now but just in case someone is coming in from the cold in more ways than one, the teams are now 94-94-6 against each other since 1921. That is 194 total games by the way. And both teams have won . . . I mean, wow.
Most importantly, by finding a way to lose, the Bears (3-11) protected their draft position. And they did so while still making it clear to every last viewer that they were desperately trying to win the game, rallying from a 27-10 deficit in the fourth quarter, until the last second. That’s a win-win in my book.
Posted on December 19, 2016
The Beachwood Radio Sports Hour #132: Bulls Shit
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Team Hoiberg falls of the cliff. Plus: RealFeeling The Bears and Joe Maddon Fails To Embrace The Target Of Accountability.
Posted on December 17, 2016
TrackNotes: What’s He To You?
By Thomas Chambers
Affinity for anything is all in the mind, a matter of degree.
Grandiose obsession or mere admiration. Controlled emotion, or not. Tears, or no. All-knowing smugness about “your guy,” or a healthy detachment.
Pete Rose the gambler. Tiger Woods the Lothario. Rae Carruth the murderer. Ray Lewis, the who-knows-what.
Teddy bears at the accident scene, only to have Streets and San clean up the next rainy night. Chalk on the bricks on Waveland or Sheffield, and the million-psi power washer stealing all that soul just hours later. Being told to get lost in an autograph request to a player you just knew you knew, and love(d). People just want to belong, to something.
You’ve got to be careful with all this.
Posted on December 16, 2016
Michael Jordan Wins Trademark Case In China
By Adam Jourdan/Reuters
SHANGHAI – China’s highest court has ruled in favor of former basketball star Michael Jordan in a long-running trademark case relating to a local sportswear firm using the Chinese version of his name, overturning earlier rulings against the athlete.
The former Chicago Bulls player sued Qiaodan Sports in 2012, saying the company located in southern Fujian province had built its business around his Chinese name and famous jersey number “23” without his permission.
In 2015 a court ruled in favor of Qiaodan Sports over the trademark dispute, a ruling which was then upheld by the Beijing Municipal High People’s Court. After that ruling Jordan’s legal team said they would take the case to China’s top court.
Posted on December 16, 2016
The Blue & Orange Kool-Aid Report: Yo, You Holding?
By Carl Mohrbacher
I can’t figure out if the Bears are tantalizingly close to being good, or the Lions are just that close to being bad.
One thing is for certain: The Bears excel at losing close games.
Six of their 10 losses have been by one score or less.
We’ve seen comebacks fall short and leads blown late, but this loss was of the particularly painful variety in which a solid overall performance is marred by penalties.
The Bears committed them early, they committed them often, they committed them in the house, they committed them with a mouse, they committed them in a box and committed them with a Fox.
Posted on December 15, 2016
Doping Probe: ‘Unprecedented’ Russian Corruption
By AP
A World Anti-Doping Agency investigation says Russia, backed by the government, corrupted the 2012 London Olympics on an “unprecedented scale.”
The head of that probe said Friday more than 1,000 Russian Olympic athletes are now linked to doping.
Posted on December 13, 2016