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Crean has done that all year. Not sure why.

I want to punch Sheehey in the face.

Assuming the Bears D stays close to their current level, I wouldnt expect Tucker here more than 1-2 years anyway.

Long isnt most people's first choice. But the reason I have latched on to him in particular is because ive always thought he was the most realistic. Figured Albert and Clady would be franchised if not resigned. Other teams like the giants and vikes can afford their guys. Even bad Jake Long is much better than the Beats currently have or could draft at 20. If that takes 10mil for a John Tait type....so be it. Its sorely needed.

Perfect comparison. And why im ok with overpaying Long provided the team is smart enough to realize that this is a short term fix and they need to continue to add to the line.

No, like I said a fact is a fact no matter where/who it comes from. But there's a difference between a NIU fan saying, "hey Miami OH is not the best program" and saying, "what does a Miami OH fan know about being the best program".

no, you're missing the point. i can point out that a fan of any team is being stupid, regardless of what team i root for. Just like George Bush can point out another president did a crappy job too. He would sound like a dumbass too saying it. you don't get it as evidenced by that nonsense analogy. I'll explain it to you for the third and final time. me saying an IU fan is being stupid has nothing to do with me being an iowa state fan. your "right" to call some dumb fan out on their idiocy is not tied to who you root for. I keep trying to think of a new way to explain it to you and I can't. sorry. Yes, because the problem is I don't get your point. By that same logic, then the IU fan can point our your stupidity to even get into a conversation about relevance given your affiliation. That's how it works. Hence the analogy, Bush has every right to point out someone being terrible at their job. If it's a fact, it's a fact no matter where it came from. But when he points out that someone is being terrible at their job, he's going to get it thrown right back at him because of the fact he was terrible at his job. Just like when an ISU fan says an IU fan shouldn't be talking about relevance, he's going to get a response regarding his even being in a conversation about relevance in the first place. Secondly, how long is this "IU wasn't relevant for 3 years" thing going to last? It's not like they went from 3 20-loss seasons to hovering around .500. They won 27 games last year and was the preseason #1 this year, and current #3 team in the nation. That's pretty relevant. Hell, they played 7 nationally televised games in 2009, the year after having 3 scholarship players. And that's not counting the games in PR or the B1G/ACC challenge.

Oh God no!

no, you're missing the point. i can point out that a fan of any team is being stupid, regardless of what team i root for. Just like George Bush can point out another president did a crappy job too. He would sound like a dumbass too saying it.

Last year's game likely cuts against IU. It's difficult for IU to win any game in Mackey, much less two in a row. This game figures to be much closer than last year. And it's not like some really good (better?) IU teams haven't lost to pretty bad Purdue teams before -- with a Big Ten title on the line, no less: http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/indiana/1992-schedule.html (see March 15). Don't know why winning last year would change the odds of winning this year. But I did say I'd expect a 9 ish point win instead of 16.

Signed Cyhl Quarles yesterday, 6'2" safety. Somehow that first name is pronounced Kyle.

Predicted the Superbowl teams before the playoffs and the Ravens before the season.

That wasn't the point. You don't see the irony that you (a fan of an irrelevant program) pointed out your amusement of someone of a recently (not currently, and not for most of the last 40 years) irrelevant team talking about relevance when your team has been irrelevant forever? He has a point. He didn't bring ISU into the discussion, and he wasn't solely taking a jab at IU's relevance, just pointing out that an IU fan talking down another team for being irrelevant was silly. And he's right. Now if the entire point of his post was to make fun of IU for have been recently irrelevant, you'd have a grievance. I wouldn't even be commenting on this at all, but there is a great tendency to respond to criticism by judging the standing of the critic's favorite teams instead of the validity of the critique, which is stupid and annoying. If your favorite team being in good standing were a requisite to critique another, we as Cubs fans would all be very, very quiet when it came to criticizing anyone else. Calling IU the laughing stock of college bb was not intended to make fun of IU?

I'd hope IU can beat Purdue pretty solidly. Won in Lafayette by 16 last year against a better team as a worse team. Won by 11 in Bloomington. I'd imagine though they'll try to Wisconsin it up tomorrow. I'd still expect IU by 9+.

True, we can only hope to become as relevant as Iowa freaking State. :good: Being coached by THE MAYOR only takes you so far bro. i never said iowa state was relevant, bro. But u got on an IU fan for talking about relevance when u have no business talking about relevance if not being good 2 years ago is the criterium. so if i was a kentucky fan i could make fun of him for bragging about relevant his favorite team was? that makes no sense. whether i'm a fan of iowa state or western michigan or duke, i am going to be equally amused by the fan of a team who was the toilet of college basketball for three (very recent) seasons talking down to another team's fan about relevance. That wasn't the point. You don't see the irony that you (a fan of an irrelevant program) pointed out your amusement of someone of a recently (not currently, and not for most of the last 40 years) irrelevant team talking about relevance when your team has been irrelevant forever?

True, we can only hope to become as relevant as Iowa freaking State. :good: Being coached by THE MAYOR only takes you so far bro. i never said iowa state was relevant, bro. But u got on an IU fan for talking about relevance when u have no business talking about relevance if not being good 2 years ago is the criterium.

He didn't make it into the top 20 in pass blocking efficiency for the second year in a row. I'm a little worried that he will be the Bears version of Orlando Pace. Top 20 LTs or overall? Does missed time matter?

Does he really have the right to be making such demands? I know his first few years in the league he was absolutely dominant, but the last two have been injury plagued and his performance while on the field has been pretty shoddy. He of course should be payed as one of the better LTs in the league; but to blow away pretty much the rest of the LT market? I don't think so. Of course he has the right to request $10m/year. Dominant tackles are rare, and valuable. They also don't make it to free agency very often. The NFL salary cap keeps going up but first contracts have shrunk with the new CBA. The whole reason the union was willing to accept that is they see more money going to already established players rather than unknowns. If he can make $15m under the franchise tag, and his first contract was 5/57, why wouldn't he ask for $10m per as a 28 year old free agent? Nobody likes to pay running backs anymore. The league is all about passing and in order to pass you need a QB, a WR and a LT. But he's not really a dominant tackle anymore. And he's not likely to be franchised, so, maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not really sure what you mean by that part. The question was if he had the right to request $10m/year. The answer is that his agents would be incompetent to have the starting request be any lower. Like you said, he signed for 5/57 out of the draft, he's not taking huge pay cut when he's 28 and still in the top 5-8 LTs in the game. He may not be dominant anymore, but I don't mind overpaying for such a huge need and a major upgrade over Webb. He's not Orlando Pace just yet.

I'm OK with that as long as he doesn't get more than 25Mil guaranteed. I don't think Long is going to be a star for his entire next contract anyway. But as a Bears fan, they need to do something about the OL now. If that means overpaying for a couple years then cutting him loose, then so be it. That gives the team a couple years to fix the rest of the OL and get the offensive scheme in place, while having a top 5 LT in the meantime. Doesn't leave room for much else, but I don't really want much else. Re-sign Melton. To clear money, restructure Tillman and Peppers. Cut guys like Hester, Davis, Toeina, etc. Should have no problem with the cap even with giving a LT whatever he wants. Guards are getting paid 8-9Mil/year now. Carl Nicks got over 9 per year on average. Davin Joseph got almost 8 per year. A top 5 LT is definitely getting 10.

Yeah this stretch of 5 games (starting with today) and the 5 to end the season are the ones that will decide if IU will win the B1G or not. Mich St, @ Purdue, Michigan, @ Illinois, @ Ohio St. and @ Mich St, @ Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio St, @ Michigan to end the season. Was hoping for 3-2 both of these stretches and 8-0 or 7-1 in the others. Really don't see us beating Michigan at all. I don't think OSU is that good honestly, but would expect to lose in Columbus. That would leave 1 more loss @ Ill, MSU or MN but still wouldn't be good enough to win the conference. Pretty much gotta beat Michigan in Bloomington to have any shot at a conf. title.

Just now watching. Oladipo has 4 steals in 12 minutes. Thats insane

Good win. No more home losses allowed. Gary Harris sucks.

Nate Robinson is either Jordan good or worst than me. Theres no middle ground with him.

I think you are over glorifying the LB position by a country mile. Also, 30-40 years ago it was much more important than it has been the past decade. Defensive backs and pass rushers have been more important in the modern era. Agree. But what DB or pass rusher in the last 10 years could make a claim to be better than Ray Lewis? Not a year at a time, but body of work. Revis has been the best player at times. JJ Watt this year. Nobody has been consistently elite at those position the way Ray was from the start of his career to about 4-5 years ago. he was an elite player as recently as last year: https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2011/12/23/pff-afc-pro-bowl-squad/ Still there were 2 better players at his position than Lewis. For a while, there were 0 players at his position better than him. Though admittedly, Urlacher probably was better for a few years around 05-08.

I read they also spoke with Fluker, Williams- Bama TE, and Marquise Goodwin wr Texas. Goodwin WR is an ideal #3 burner wideout A little short for my liking at only 5'9", but he has world class speed. Literally Olympic caliber speed. Problem is after the combine, he's probably going to work himself in the 3rd round range....if he hasn't already. I think he'd be more of an asset in the slot and running after the catch than just running go routes.