Chicago -
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
The Hot Stove League is scorching. Including: White Sox Ditch Drake LaRoche Fan Club; Cubs Always Closing; Dusty Maddon; John Fox Is Officially A Clown; Hoiberg vs. Thibodeau vs. Popovich; and Marian Hossa, MVP.
Posted on December 9, 2016
By Carl Mohrbacher
You win some, you lose some. And sometimes you lose when you win.
So say many a sportswriter throughout the Internet.
Despite a convincing victory against the 49ers on Sunday, the Bears managed to draw the ire of their fan base by lowering their chances for a top three pick in the 2017 draft.
Posted on December 8, 2016
By Roger Wallenstein
His face said it all. The beaming smile was one of a man who looked as though his first child had just been born. Or maybe he had just closed a deal for his dream home.
Chris Sale was free at last. His image on social media Tuesday with five buddies, including his college baseball coach, appeared to be one of relief, of a young guy full of future aspirations and more than ready to leave throwback uniforms and children in the clubhouse in arrears.
Chris Sale’s college coach just sent me this. Says he’s so excited to join @RedSox pic.twitter.com/l3mThCWn1t
— Chelsa Messinger (@ChelsaMessinger) December 6, 2016
Posted on December 7, 2016
By Keis Ohtsuka/The Conversation
What do LeBron James, a lucky coin and a smelly goat have in common? They are all part of a rich tradition of sports superstitions.
Both athletes and fans alike have looked towards these superstitions, rituals and curses for explanations about failures and successes. What is the science behind the belief that external forces can affect the outcome of a game?
Posted on December 6, 2016
By Jim Coffman
How often during the past several years were Bears fans told by the local sports commentariat that they were stuck with quarterback Jay Cutler because “Who are they going to bring in who’s better?” They must have repeated that mantra 10,000 times.
But there was always one primary problem: No one knows what a guy can do until he gets a chance. And with the easily offended Cutler in the way, no one was getting a legit chance with the Bears (although Brian Hoyer probably would have this year if he hadn’t broken his arm).
There was one exception: Josh McCown showed what he could do with a decent offensive line and some awesome talent at receiver during eight starts when Cutler was out injured in 2013 (among other things he threw 13 touchdown passes against just one pick).
But local professional sports analysts convinced themselves that Cutler would be better going forward. And when McCown signed in Tampa and then struggled the next year, oh how they loved to tell his supporters how wrong they were. That was a Tampa team, by the way, with absolutely no playmakers of note.
Now Matt Barkley is getting a chance behind a makeshift offensive line and a receiving corps that is without its three top talents (Alshon Jeffrey, Kevin White and Zach Miller). And right off the bat let’s say that, of course, the Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers (who the Bears beat 26-6 on Sunday) aren’t the most vigorous competition. And yes, yesterday’s completion-less first quarter was downright ugly.
Posted on December 5, 2016
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Hopefully, we don’t have Jay Cutler to kick around anymore. Plus: Chris Sale Is For Sale; #WorldChampionProblems; Bulls Blueprints; How About Hossa; and Greatest Soccer Game Ever?
Posted on December 2, 2016
By Dan O’Shea
Random thoughts from a week in which Chicago’s pro football franchise supposedly found enough spare parts to field a team.
Does new Bears starting QB Matt Barkley have fantasy value?
I’m going to call him Barkley the Bear because I’m not entirely convinced he wasn’t mascot understudy to Staley when this season began.
Barley looked pretty bad at times and pretty lucky at times in his first start, but the funny thing is that he produced a pretty good fantasy line – 316 yards passing, three TDs, two INTs – that was very close to being more like 350/4/2 if his fellow spare parts in the receiving corp hadn’t dropped easy passes.
Posted on December 1, 2016
