By Jim Coffman

The Bears didn’t just pile up sacks during their 23-6 victory over the Rams yesterday; they piled up big sacks, ones that resulted in 10-plus yards lost. The evidence is growing that the team’s pass rush is more dangerous than a crew of replacement refs.
It started early. The Rams put together a little bit of a drive the first time they had the ball. The team from St. Louis actually traveled a yard past midfield for a play. But then Amobi Okoye used a power rush to break through the line and sacked Sam Bradford for a loss of 13 big yards, forcing a punt. Okoye is the veteran tackle whom the Bears released last off-season. But when other options on the interior of the line didn’t work out, they brought Okoye back.
Reunited and it feels so good.

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Posted on September 24, 2012

By Tom Latourette

Originally posted on November 23, 2009.
This list just keeps getting lamer.

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Posted on September 24, 2012

By Roger Wallenstein

Although it was hidden in the lower right hand corner of the front page, the icon with the top hat and cane and the number 14 nailed me right in the forehead last Tuesday morning. How could the Sun-Times do this?!?
Far more lethal than the dreaded lead-off walk, the Magic Number should be strictly reserved for teams like the Reds or Giants, the two newly-crowned National League division winners. We’re talking about comfortable – how about double digits? – leads. Posting a Magic Number for the White Sox is folly.

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Posted on September 24, 2012

By Emory Hunt

Fewer deep routes, Mr. Tice. More screen passes, please. Get rid of the ball quicker, Jay.

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Posted on September 23, 2012

By Mike Luce

Lawyers representing the child abuse victims in the Jerry Sandusky case told the AP last week that “there is a window of opportunity, which is closing” for the school to engage in a settlement agreement. The longer PSU delays, the more likely it seems the case will end in court. If so, “the sky’s the limit on what the recovery could be” according to lawyer Ben Andreozzi, who has five clients involved in the case including one who testified in the Sandusky trial.
In a town hall forum on Wednesday of this week, President Rodney Erickson announced that acting athletic director David Joyner would remain in his post until Erickson steps down in June 2013 or 2014.
Joyner attended Penn State in the early 1970s, where he earned All-American honors in football under head coach Joe Paterno. Joyner served on the Penn State board of trustees from 2000 until his appointment as interim athletic director in November 2011 after former AD Tim Curley was placed on administrative leave at the outset of the Sandusky accusations.
All of which begs the question, if university officials hope to dismantle the cult of personality that grew around Paterno, why appoint an insider as athletic director?

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Posted on September 21, 2012

By Tom Latourette and Rick Kaempfer

We give so much, give our time and our money
We buy garages from Danley, and just for you.

100 Games

We drink Old Style, and we pay you $6.50
Though between you and me, that’s not good brew
And the price tag, to get hit with some concrete
that will crumble on our seat, is $52
And now we’re angry, cause we’re making history
Only seen in ’66 and ’62
And we might lose 100 games
And we could lose a few games more
It’s been just one bad century
But then again,who’s keeping score?

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Posted on September 21, 2012

By Carl Mohrbacher

Look, there’s no shame in losing to the Packers in Green Bay. They’re a quality team and figure to be a big piece of the NFC landscape going forward.
However, there might be shame in dropping passes in the end zone . . . or shame in letting game-saving interceptions ricochet off of your palms . . . or shame in quickly wiping your hands on Clay Matthews just before he runs past you on his way to your quarterback . . .
To sum up Week Two, the Bears hands will go to the box, get two minutes to themselves, and they will feel shame.

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Posted on September 20, 2012

By Dan O’Shea

After just two weeks, I’ve decided it’s already time to hate the NFL, and how coaches, game plans and business distractions screw up otherwise brilliant fantasy football strategy.
Take, for example, the sudden fall of Patriots receiver Wes Welker, one of the top-ranked WRs in the preseason (and ranked higher by me than most) because he led the NFL in catches last year even in an offense that distributed a high percentage of its passes to its tight ends. Welker has long been a favored third-down target of one of the best QBs in the game.
However, through two games this season, he’s still lacking a score, and there are indications that the Pats just aren’t using him as often as they once did.
Much of this has been chalked up to coaching decisions and game plans that have sent Welker to the bench for many snaps in favor of other receivers, though the other circumstance is that the Pats reportedly don’t want to give Welker a new contract and are phasing him out of the offense.

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Posted on September 19, 2012

Rain Delay Prolongs Miserable Season

Here’s how it unfolded.

Tonight’s game between the #Pirates and #Cubs is expected to start at 10:40 CDT

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 18, 2012

*

For tonight’s attendance game, you have to be able to name everybody here. #Cubs

— Bruce Miles (@BruceMiles2112) September 18, 2012

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Posted on September 18, 2012

By Jim Coffman

Whew but folks love to slam the Bears offensive line.
And with a shaky left side in particular, it is clearly a stretch at this point to classify this team as a prime championship contender.
But it says here the Bears are still plenty good enough to make the playoffs. It also says here that the people who are convinced the Bears can’t possibly succeed with the line struggling like it has are forgetting their recent history.

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Posted on September 17, 2012