Re: Bears Offseason Thread

[Banedon]

Just an FYI, but Brian Urlacher apparently is a neo-nazi.

 

LOL.

 

In fairness, he obviously had no clue who he was looking at. But it illustrates Beck's way of thinking pretty succinctly, doesn't it.

 

"During a segment about myself being named one of the "blackest white folks we know" by the Web site theroot.com, I made a few comments about some others on the list. Now, I know absolutely nothing about sports, so I didn't realize that one of them was NFL star Brian Urlacher.

 

"Since then, I have been informed by my staff that Brian -- uh, Mr. Urlacher -- could kill me with his thumb in nine seconds if he wanted to. Although if we are talking about people in Chicago wanting to beat me up, he's going to have to stand in a very long line.

 

"Anyway, I apologize to anyone who was offended. I just made a neo-Nazi joke based on the short hair and white skin; I don't actually think he has fascist plans to take over the Earth."

[Magnetic Curses]

i think alexander would be a great pickup as a possession receiver-type. his lack of speed can be compensated for by guys like knox and hester. they stretch the field so the slower guys like him have more room to make catches.

[Butterscup1679666578]

i think alexander would be a great pickup as a possession receiver-type. his lack of speed can be compensated for by guys like knox and hester. they stretch the field so the slower guys like him have more room to make catches.

 

not falling for your nonsense sulley

[ConstableRabbit]

Just an FYI, but Brian Urlacher apparently is a neo-nazi.

 

LOL.

 

In fairness, he obviously had no clue who he was looking at. But it illustrates Beck's way of thinking pretty succinctly, doesn't it.

 

"During a segment about myself being named one of the "blackest white folks we know" by the Web site theroot.com, I made a few comments about some others on the list. Now, I know absolutely nothing about sports, so I didn't realize that one of them was NFL star Brian Urlacher.

 

"Since then, I have been informed by my staff that Brian -- uh, Mr. Urlacher -- could kill me with his thumb in nine seconds if he wanted to. Although if we are talking about people in Chicago wanting to beat me up, he's going to have to stand in a very long line.

 

"Anyway, I apologize to anyone who was offended. I just made a neo-Nazi joke based on the short hair and white skin; I don't actually think he has fascist plans to take over the Earth."

Not a Beck fan by any means, but this is pretty hilarious.

[A New Era]

Just an FYI, but Brian Urlacher apparently is a neo-nazi.

 

LOL.

 

In fairness, he obviously had no clue who he was looking at. But it illustrates Beck's way of thinking pretty succinctly, doesn't it.

 

"During a segment about myself being named one of the "blackest white folks we know" by the Web site theroot.com, I made a few comments about some others on the list. Now, I know absolutely nothing about sports, so I didn't realize that one of them was NFL star Brian Urlacher.

 

"Since then, I have been informed by my staff that Brian -- uh, Mr. Urlacher -- could kill me with his thumb in nine seconds if he wanted to. Although if we are talking about people in Chicago wanting to beat me up, he's going to have to stand in a very long line.

 

"Anyway, I apologize to anyone who was offended. I just made a neo-Nazi joke based on the short hair and white skin; I don't actually think he has fascist plans to take over the Earth."

 

No ofcourse not. It's the cancerous "progressives" that want that. :roll:

[hawkeyecub]

Your political ideologies matter not while #4 is still in the division. Would think you'd have figured that out by now. It is cute that you guys think you can compete though...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0_QeysGM08&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNIl1vsEQgU&feature=related

[hawkeyecub]

Bech, Maddow, Olbermann, Scarbrough, it simply does not matter. Never been a character in the history of the world whom I've hated and then loved so much. #4. #4. #4. #4.

 

Stay with me, #4. Really though, nothing like whiskey and youtube videos to make me insane for football.

[UMFan83]

traitor.

 

How can you hate someone with so much passion and then throw away 15 years of pure loathing for 2 seasons?

 

what you are supposed to do is appreciate the contributions that said player makes but never accept him as a player on your team. Continue hating when he exits the team.

 

This doesn't apply to someone you hate just a little or whatever. Those I can accept you coming around on when they play for your favorite team. It's the fickle nature of fandom.

 

But when it's a player you have hated so much for such a long period of time to the point where you don't respect the fans that root for him (a different thing than disliking), it is not acceptable to just turn around and love him. Especially when he is doing the same BS crap that made you especially hate him in the past. It sickens me to see Vikings fans (who I guess I never fully respected before #4....its a little too easy to get tickets to the metrodome in December) fawn over Favre when he does his little prance around the field like a ballerina after a TD, when I know for a fact that it made them nauseous not very long ago.

 

Like I said there is a fine line. If Yadir Molina came to the Cubs, sure I wouldn't be thrilled at first because I don't like him, but if he performed well I'd learn to like him because he's a Cub...he's one of us. But when a player I've detested for years, not just because he's a Cardinal, but because I do not respect the way he plays the game or acts in general, comes to the Cubs a la Edmonds, at the end of their career for a couple of seasons, short of a game winning WS home run, I cannot find a way to like the guy. I appreciate that he hit like 20 HRs for us, and it was nice when he hit 2 HRs to single handedly beat the Cardinals. But it's one of those temporary truces that only exists when he's playing well with my team and is erased immediately upon exiting the team. Anything less just makes me feel like a huge hypocrate for ripping on his all these years for his showboat catches and douchey personality.

 

I'm taking this too seriously no doubt, but my point stands.

[Banedon]

Edmonds wasn't as crucial to the Cubs as Favre is to the Vikes though.

[Soul]

Edmonds wasn't as crucial to the Cubs as Favre is to the Vikes though.

 

If Pujols suddenly became a Cub, you can bet my order for the Pujols Cub jersey would be placed very quickly.

 

Jimmy Ed -- he hasn't made any disparaging comments towards the Cubs since playing for us (that I know of). We gave him an opportunity he might not have had elsewhere, and my feeling is that he appreciates it. That tends to turn attitudes around, and so provided he doesn't come and say something like "oh hell yea, I hated those idiot Cub fans even when I was playing for them!" -- I'm not going to hold the same ire for him that I did when he was a Cardinal.

 

I guess I'm just different in that respect to UMFan.

[UMFan83]

Edmonds wasn't as crucial to the Cubs as Favre is to the Vikes though.

 

If Pujols suddenly became a Cub, you can bet my order for the Pujols Cub jersey would be placed very quickly.

 

Jimmy Ed -- he hasn't made any disparaging comments towards the Cubs since playing for us (that I know of). We gave him an opportunity he might not have had elsewhere, and my feeling is that he appreciates it. That tends to turn attitudes around, and so provided he doesn't come and say something like "oh hell yea, I hated those idiot Cub fans even when I was playing for them!" -- I'm not going to hold the same ire for him that I did when he was a Cardinal.

 

I guess I'm just different in that respect to UMFan.

 

I'd love Pujols on my team as well. I don't hate Pujols like I hated Edmonds. Edmonds (and TLR) symbolized everything I hated about the stupid Cardinals. I hated his showboating. I hate how arrogant and stuck up he acted. I hated the mascara he wore. I hated the stupid half shirts he wore. I hated when he bitched about the showers at Wrigley. I loved when Z beaned him in the ass, even though any neutral observer would have hated Z for that.

 

I dunno he is just the one player I hated on those Cardinal teams above all else. Pujols I respect...Edmonds I didn't. And I wasn't alone. The point is, I just couldn't in my right mind turn around and love all those traits I once hated about him just because he was a Cub. It's not like he chose to play for the Cubs in the middle of his career. He was DFAd by a San Diego team desperate for offense. not a lot of teams even looked his direction. He chose one of the few that did because they were the Cardinals rivals and he wanted to stick it to LaRussa for some reason I now forget. He hit a HR against St. Louis and stared at the Cards dugout during his trot.

 

I don't know, it just makes me feel shallow to immediately root for someone I spent so much energy hating for so many years. Like I said, it's not like I was booing his contributions and hoping he would fail. As a Cub, I have to root for him because the team is more important than the individual. But did I ever come to the point where I didn't hate him? No.

[hawkeyecub]

Yeah I used to think the same way as UMFan. I hated Edmonds for the first week or so he was a Cub while he sucked. Then he came up with some big hits and I absolutely loved the guy. It started to change during that huge Rockies comeback. I'm guessing you hate Jared Allen, right? If he got another DUI, was released and ended up with the Bears, you'd be amazed at how quickly you would like his calf roping.

 

Favre is just the most extreme example I can imagine. I'm pretty sure he was my most hated athlete ever. Now I don't even get pissed about his drama or waffling about coming back. If he has a terrible year, that may change but if he's anything like last year I'll worship at his altar. The real lesson here though is that when you have to take some of your vacation in the summer, don't drink during a Cubs game then come home to watch videos and get on a message board.

[Soul]

So hypothetically: if Favre somehow became a Bear. I'd hate it until he started throwing TD passes.

 

I think you're right, UMFan. That's a bit shallow :)

 

But I can't help it. If the guy is generating wins for my club, my attitude on him starts to change pretty quickly. Jimmy Ed starting hitting those dingers and I simply had to cheer it.

[UMFan83]

So hypothetically: if Favre somehow became a Bear. I'd hate it until he started throwing TD passes.

 

I think you're right, UMFan. That's a bit shallow :)

 

But I can't help it. If the guy is generating wins for my club, my attitude on him starts to change pretty quickly. Jimmy Ed starting hitting those dingers and I simply had to cheer it.

 

You're entitled to your view. It reminds me of Major League 2 when Jack Parkman does his shmmy that drives the girls in Cleveland crazy, then it causes them to puke later in the season.

 

Bottom line, there are players that I hate because they are good and I wish they were on my team instead of my rivals (Pujols), and there are players that I hate for reasons that go beyond just their performance on the field (although their performance is a big part of it...aka Edmonds, Favre, James Posey, Rondo, etc)

[Omar]

I've really been enjoying the 6-part Inside Rookie Minicamp series on Chicagobears.com . Very well-made.

[Soul]

Hard to believe camp is about to open already. Summers' just......flyin' by for me.

[Banedon]

ESPN preseason power rankings are out...

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings?year=2010&week=0

 

21 (22) Bears 7-9-0 Do people realize QB Jay Cutler is just 24-29 as a starter? (Walker)

 

Do people realize that starting record is a poor way to evaluate QB play? Not that he didn't suck last year, but if that's what you're getting at, then say that.

[JonJayCutler]

traitor.

 

How can you hate someone with so much passion and then throw away 15 years of pure loathing for 2 seasons?

 

what you are supposed to do is appreciate the contributions that said player makes but never accept him as a player on your team. Continue hating when he exits the team.

 

This doesn't apply to someone you hate just a little or whatever. Those I can accept you coming around on when they play for your favorite team. It's the fickle nature of fandom.

 

But when it's a player you have hated so much for such a long period of time to the point where you don't respect the fans that root for him (a different thing than disliking), it is not acceptable to just turn around and love him. Especially when he is doing the same BS crap that made you especially hate him in the past. It sickens me to see Vikings fans (who I guess I never fully respected before #4....its a little too easy to get tickets to the metrodome in December) fawn over Favre when he does his little prance around the field like a ballerina after a TD, when I know for a fact that it made them nauseous not very long ago.

 

Like I said there is a fine line. If Yadir Molina came to the Cubs, sure I wouldn't be thrilled at first because I don't like him, but if he performed well I'd learn to like him because he's a Cub...he's one of us. But when a player I've detested for years, not just because he's a Cardinal, but because I do not respect the way he plays the game or acts in general, comes to the Cubs a la Edmonds, at the end of their career for a couple of seasons, short of a game winning WS home run, I cannot find a way to like the guy. I appreciate that he hit like 20 HRs for us, and it was nice when he hit 2 HRs to single handedly beat the Cardinals. But it's one of those temporary truces that only exists when he's playing well with my team and is erased immediately upon exiting the team. Anything less just makes me feel like a huge hypocrate for ripping on his all these years for his showboat catches and douchey personality.

 

I'm taking this too seriously no doubt, but my point stands.

 

This is a good post. It basically just proves that people dislike players more for their threat to their favorite team's success rather than for who they actually are. If Favre came to the Bears after these past 3 years of drama I probably wouldn't accept him, but if it had been before that I probably would have, as it was a different type of disliking back then for me.

 

I say let him come back though. He will have a hard time topping last season and if he had a 2005-2006 type of season it would be worth it for Bears/Packers fans.

 

And the Bears have a good chance at a WC this year if this defense can stay healthy.

[Wilson A2000]

ESPN preseason power rankings are out...

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings?year=2010&week=0

 

21 (22) Bears 7-9-0 Do people realize QB Jay Cutler is just 24-29 as a starter? (Walker)

 

Do people realize that starting record is a poor way to evaluate QB play? Not that he didn't suck last year, but if that's what you're getting at, then say that.

 

How many good QBs have poor W/L records? The QB is arguably the single most important position in sports and dictates W/L record more than anything else in football.

[ELCABALLO45]

The Broncos defense is alot of the reason why his W-L record is so bad.

 

Just for fun I took 10 QB's and figured out the W-L % as a starter and alot of them are pretty close, but since I was bored and waiting for football to start.. Try to figure it out..

 

A. Tony Romo

B. Brett Favre

C. Aaron Rodgers

D. Carson Palmer

E. Peyton Manning

F. Eli Manning

G. Ben Roethlisberger

H. Phillip Rivers

I. Donovan McNabb

J. Drew Breees

 

1. .718

2. .697

3. .690

4. .682

5. .657

6. .635

7. .574

8. .561

9. .531

10. .518

 

 

1. H

2. G

3. A

4. E

5. G

6. B

7. F

8. J

9. C

10. D

 

[Banedon]

ESPN preseason power rankings are out...

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings?year=2010&week=0

 

21 (22) Bears 7-9-0 Do people realize QB Jay Cutler is just 24-29 as a starter? (Walker)

 

Do people realize that starting record is a poor way to evaluate QB play? Not that he didn't suck last year, but if that's what you're getting at, then say that.

 

How many good QBs have poor W/L records? The QB is arguably the single most important position in sports and dictates W/L record more than anything else in football.

 

Well that's a loaded quesiton, because you can just dismiss anyone that I mention as a bad QB. But the Bears, despite being bad for a good chunk of time, still won a good number of games with a lot of bad QB's over the years.

 

Kyle Orton has a record of 21-12. Is he a good QB? Grossman is 23-12. Jake Delhomme is 50-31. How good of QB's are they? Wins are a terrible measure of a QB's success. It's fine as a measure for his team, but it tells you nothing about what he did individually. And besides, when there's so many other stats you can use to say a QB is bad, why use record as a starter? We don't have to have this argument with other stats.

[Soul]

ESPN preseason power rankings are out...

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings?year=2010&week=0

 

21 (22) Bears 7-9-0 Do people realize QB Jay Cutler is just 24-29 as a starter? (Walker)

 

Do people realize that starting record is a poor way to evaluate QB play? Not that he didn't suck last year, but if that's what you're getting at, then say that.

 

QB record is the NFL's version of pitcher record.

 

It's the team stat that the whole damn world insists on applying to an individual and no amount of reasoning can stop it.

[SpongeWorthy]

I think it's a little bit better than a pitcher's win loss record. It'd be more comparable to the overall win-loss record of your entire starting rotation. Quarterback play isn't quite that important but it's close.

 

It's very, very unlikely that an elite quarterback would ever have a bad W/L record over an extended period of time.

[jersey cubs fan]

I think it's a little bit better than a pitcher's win loss record. It'd be more comparable to the overall win-loss record of your entire starting rotation. Quarterback play isn't quite that important but it's close.

 

It's very, very unlikely that an elite quarterback would ever have a bad W/L record over an extended period of time.

 

Jim Kelly was 28-29 at 29 years old. The problem with your theory is that most people won't call a QB elite until he wins a lot. So if the QB is on a team that sucks, it doesn't matter what he does personally, he can't be elite until his team gets better.

[SpongeWorthy]

Well it's a bit of a chicken or the egg argument then. Kelly is probably a good example of a guy being held back by mediocre talent because the system he played in was very dependent on great QB play especially compared to the guys he lost to in the Super Bowl.