Chicago -
By Roger Pielke Jr./The Conversation
High school football participation may have peaked.
That’s the argument I make in a recent analysis for the international sports governance association Play the Game.
The conclusion is based on data indicating that after decades of continuous growth, high school football participation numbers peaked in 2009 when looking at the total number of players, and in 2013 if you looked at participation as a percentage of eligible boys.
Posted on October 31, 2017
By Jim Coffman
I was ready this morning with a column breaking down the reasons the 3-5 Bears still can’t quite get this season going heading into the bye week. But the latest reports on Zach Miller’s health made it all seem so inconsequential.
Injuries make the NFL a tough watch way too frequently. What happened to Miller as he hauled in a touchdown pass during the Bears’ eventual 20-12 loss to the Saints was a fluke, but you knew as it was happening that it was bad.
Posted on October 30, 2017
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Cubs purge coaches. Plus: Monsters Of The Middling; Raining On Bulls’ Parade; Blackhawks Rain On Own Parade; and Schweinsteiger!
Posted on October 27, 2017
By Thomas Chambers
We’re nearing the end of The Big Wait.
Belmont’s Jockey Club Gold Cup, like the six horses who unheroically had no chance to catch minor-stakester Diversify from bell to wire, is in the rearview mirror.
This lull before the November 3-4 Breeders’ Cup from Del Mar gives you a chance to look around, and you don’t always like what you see.
If the tree choppers in pajamas on MLB nines all across the land don’t look scary, they certainly look slovenly. Levon Helm did it way cooler long before you guys were even born. Seeing Jake Arrieta clean-shaven is kind of like filing past the box at the dearly departed’s wake. I guess that’s him, but he sure doesn’t look the same.
Posted on October 27, 2017
By Rick Eckstein/The Conversation
David beating Goliath is very exciting – unless you’re a fan of Goliath.
The United States has 330 million people and a massive youth soccer system, yet its men’s national soccer team just got bushwhacked by a team from Trinidad and Tobago, a country with 1.3 million residents.
How could this happen?
Posted on October 24, 2017
By Jim Coffman
Eddie Jackson didn’t just turn two turnovers into electrifying return touchdowns for the Bears on Sunday, giving them a two-touchdown lead they would not relinquish on their way to a 17-3 victory over the Panthers. The rookie safety tar-heeled Carolina with double-whammies.
Turnovers usually fall into one of two categories: Either a defense grabs a pick or recovers a fumble in its own end of the field, thwarting an opposing scoring opportunity, or it accomplishes the feat in the opposing end, setting up a score.
By becoming the first defensive player in NFL history to record two returns of more than 75 yards for touchdowns in one game, Jackson not only extinguished a scoring opportunity in the Bears’ end with his fumble recovery for one kind of turnover, he raced back down the field to score for the other.
Posted on October 23, 2017
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Bullpen bullshit. Plus: Bears Media Loves Development Of Quarterback Team Won’t Let Throw; Chicago Bulls Shit; Blackhawks Playoffs Not Here Yet; Fire Playoffs Not Here Yet.
Posted on October 20, 2017
By Jim Coffman
Let’s hear it for a win yesterday that gives us reason to watch the Bears for another week. I’m afraid that’s just about all there is to celebrate. And the same will be true next week, i.e., beat the Panthers in Chicago on Sunday or say hello to oblivion for another season.
Speaking of oblivion, the Cubs seem headed in that direction, don’t they? Without shortstop Corey Seager, the Dodgers’ lineup simply isn’t that impressive. But the Cubs have been even less so as they’ve fallen behind 2-0 in the NL Championship Series. The lack of hitting is the primary story. The wacky bullpen decision per game, well, I’m just tired of talking about that stuff. And on we go with football again this week.
Posted on October 16, 2017
By Jim Coffman
Ryan Pace’s roster sucks. And Mitch Trubisky isn’t ready to win tough NFL games yet after his terrible late interception handed the Vikings a 20-17 victory on a silver platter Monday night.
Wait a minute, why do I have to be so negative? Why don’t I just write about the Cubs? OK, OK, I’ll go ahead and toss in a Cubs note. But that’s it. Yesterday featured the Cubs winning a pressure-packed, high stakes contest (2-1 over the Nationals to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five NLDS). There was no news there – we already knew this group can do that.
On the other hand, while we were confident Trubisky had shown real, live, massive potential in the preseason, we had no clue how he would do against a very good Vikings defense in a real game. So that was my primary focus last night.
Posted on October 10, 2017
They started out cold
David Ross got old
He retired to dance
Clark still has no pants
Posted on October 5, 2017
