Chicago -
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
News, views and blues. Including: It’s Already Too Late For The Cubs; The Bullhawks; Coach Likes That; The Vegas Bowl; The Ryan Pace Bowl; Sox’s Steves; Repulsive Rickettses; Red Star Fiancee; and The Disastrous Chicago Fire.
Posted on January 10, 2020
By Steve Rhodes
One in an occasional series tracking the movements of former Cubs.
1. Darwin Barney.
Boy did former Cub Factor writer Marty Gangler used to hate Darwin Barney. He once wrote that Barney “should never be starting on a major league roster.”
True, the following week he begrudgingly acknowledged that “Darwin Barney Is Adequate,” but I’m not sure he ever really thought that.
(Perhaps my favorite line of Marty’s about Darwin, circa April 2012: “So yeah, I have no illusions of this even being a .500 team this year, but I do know that I’d be up for a beer with Mr. LaHair. Heck, I wouldn’t even have an issue if Darwin Barney tagged along – he’ll always run to the bar to get the next round because he sure doesn’t walk much.”
Posted on January 8, 2020
By Jim Coffman
Immature male specimens of our delightful species love to mock people when they are down.
The pathetic schoolyard taunts become high school heckling. One of the keys to enjoying a college sporting event is for it to be consistently loud because if it isn’t, you run the risk of hearing some of the profane crap the young fellas in attendance are spewing about their teams’ foes.
Some fans never move on from this phase. There are plenty of middle-aged guys taking in games who never miss a chance to give it to opposing players who are seen as weak and/or vulnerable. Heck, many players never move on either.
Every once in a while, though, the guy on the other end of the taunts has his day. I give you Minnesota Viking Kirk Cousins’ initial, brief postgame comments from Sunday:
Posted on January 6, 2020
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
They’re in the front office. Plus: Ravens Over Saints; Don Hahn; Maddon’s Post Deleted; Bulls Still Suck; Blackhawks Still Suck; Bears Beat Beard In Bowl; DePaul Dropped By The Hall; Loyola Vexes Valpo; and The Illini Who Couldn’t Shoot Straight.
Posted on January 3, 2020
By Thomas Chambers
Nagy really said that. Trubisky has the smarts, just needs better footwork.
Pace presser. “Mitch is our starter.”
How many years ago? “Rex is our quarterback.”
Pace is ALL IN on Trubisky. So, 2020, going to go through the same losing motions again.
Posted on December 31, 2019
By Jim Coffman
No, Mitch, you’re not close.
The quarterback tried to make the case late Sunday afternoon that he and his team were close to success this year – that if a few plays in a few close games had gone differently, the Bears could have won 10 games and perhaps qualified for the playoffs as a wild card.
Posted on December 30, 2019
By Roger Wallenstein
I just love old sluggers. Guys getting long in the tooth who continue to do what they were born to do. They still can smash baseballs into the far reaches of stadiums across the land while perky little infielders they once played against and hard-throwing pitchers they once faced exited the scene years ago.
Guys like the Big Hurt, who at age 38, slugged 39 homers and drove in 119 for Oakland in 2006. He followed that up the next season in Toronto with 26 and 95. And Big Papi, who in his final four seasons averaged 35 round-trippers and 110 RBIs before finally calling it quits when he was 40.
Nicknames suffice for these two gentlemen. We all know who they are.
Posted on December 30, 2019
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Is that it for Trubisky, Pace? Plus: Has It Ever Been This Bad?; White Sox Making Moves, Starting Grooves; The Cubs Reckoning That Wasn’t; Brent Seabrook Is The Kyle Long Of The Blackhawks; Patrick Kane Apparently 11th Best Player Of The Decade; The Bulls Still Suck; The Redbox Bowl Is Still On For Monday; and DePaul Is Still Our Last Hope.
Posted on December 27, 2019
By Jim Coffman
We will not forget.
Bears fans will not forget that 90 percent (minimum) of the professional sports commentariat in this town promised us that Mitch Trubisky and Ryan Pace would be joined at the hip forever. That if Trubisky wasn’t good enough, Pace would be removed as general manager.
Posted on December 23, 2019
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
It’s grim and we’re bereft. Including: Bears Now Within Hail Mary’s Of Being Within Two-Point Plays Of Winning Games; Grievance Grievance; Every Bulls Worst Loss Yet Is Worse Than The Last Worst Loss Yet; Lovie’s Beard Has One Game Left This Year; Paul Reed Still The Man; and St. Edward High School’s Racist Taunts.
Posted on December 20, 2019
