UMFan83

Not a great time to be a football fan on the West Coast unless you are a Chargers fan.

Maybe its the Pirates since we've suggested all the other teams.

Woo hoo I forgot Cincinnati does not support their team when they suck. Bengals are gonna get blacked out which means I'll be able to watch the Bears game according to that link.

I wonder if we still had Rothschild if we'd have a better shot.

Whoops, I thought we had the most this year, I actually didnt look up those number and assumed based on how you guys were talking about our spending spree last winter. We spent more than them in 09 (120-99) and 07 (104-92). In 08 they outspent us 133-120. I don't know where you got 1 out of 4 from. i think you have 07 backwards or something. http://www.xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=721071&mc=1&forum_id=1 http://chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=178103&page=2 we have had the most salary in 09 only. I'm using USA today's salary database which is supposedly accurate, but who knows at this point Bears http://content.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/teamresults.aspx?team=5 Vikings http://content.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/teamresults.aspx?team=18 Packers http://content.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/teamresults.aspx?team=12 Edit: Didn't even both to check the Lions, they don't matter. Upon that, I retract my statement. My point was that you were saying that were arent even in the top 10 in salary and have won 3 divisions, so I was trying to point out how we compare in the division, which matters more than conference if we are talking about division titles. that's fine, i pointed out in several separate sources that we've had the top salary exactly once in the last 4 years, which makes things pretty even. for the record, i said that we are #10 in salary. we still have to compete with other nfl teams in the actual games, we are not competing in a north vaccuum. We're competing for division titles with the other teams in our division. Each divisional team plays 14 of their 16 games against the same opponents. I am not sure how comparing division spending is less relevant than conference spending. The whole argument is stupid because its pretty clear spending doesnt have any relation to wins. That was whatever you guys were talking about.

Agreed. For the most part. Every once in a while he finds a hidden gem but you know what they say about the blind squirrel. In the last 4 drafts, Angelo has drafted 4 offensive starters (Knox 6th-09, Forte 2nd-08, Webb 7th-10, and Williams 1st-08), and 0 defensive starters. That's not a great hit rate, considering Webb is only starting by default, Williams has been an inconsistent player starting to hear the bust word thrown around. Knox went to a pro bowl (as a returner) and has promise so that's fantastic for a 6th round pick, and Forte is a solid RB which is what you should get for an early 2nd round pick. The defense was built this way: Pre-Angelo Draft: Urlacher Pre-07 Angelo Draft: Briggs, Tillman, Manning, Harris (re-acquired via FA) Free Agency: Jennings, Toeaina, Tinoisamoa, Idonije, Peppers, Adams

Aren't Reid and the Eagles due for one of their inexplicable losses of the year? already had it I was expecting to see that box score be the Bears Eagles game.

Ideally, I'd want the Bears run exactly like Angelo wants it to be, or very close. I have no problem with the approach. I believe the only way to build and maintain a consistently good club in this age of parity is to draft well every year. I love how the Pats start with a draft pick, trade it for 2 picks, then use one of those picks to trade for 2 picks, and then group 3 of those picks for 2 better picks or whatever. They end up with like 11 picks every draft, most in the 3-6th rounds. Those are the rounds where you earn your pay as a GM. Get em cheap, get em on the field and immediately start to restock.

Weekly ESPN Power Ranking Rant: So the Bears beat the Eagles a few weeks back and move from 12th to 7th. Awesome. Finally. The next week they post an uninspiring victory over the Lions. They drop to 8th. OK that's fine. Next they play at home against NE and get throttled by 29 points, a score that actually makes the game look closer than it was. So where do the Bears go?.....umm still 8th. Finally this week the Bears come out on MNF and face a Vikings team that probably gave up on the season. Even still, on a dangerous perfectly safe surface, the Bears throttle the Vikings 40-14. And ESPN's braintrust determines that we are the....8th best team. I guess its good that they aren't being overly reactionary on a week to week basis.

How was that not his first thought? I know lol, either he was blocked out of bounds and ran back in, or he decided to put his helmet on and run out to celebrate with Hester. It did look like he came from nowhere though, kinda funny.

I'm glad to see you finally caught up to the Simmons podcast /bitter hawkeye

To clinch the bye, the Packers would also need to beat the Giants. Was just coming to correct that.

BTW, I'm sure this is obvious to everyone but the Bears can clinch a 1st round bye this week with a win over the Jets, and a Eagles loss to Minnesota. Not likely to happen I know. Also obvious to everyone, but while the Bears can clinch a 1st round bye this week, they cannot be eliminated from it this week no matter what happens. Unless we clinch that bye this week, we will have something to play for in week 17. Unless of course the Falcons lose this week too.

except the vikings outspent them by more than 10 mil this year and by 25 mil in 2007. so, 1 out of 4 years ain't bad. Whoops, I thought we had the most this year, I actually didnt look up those number and assumed based on how you guys were talking about our spending spree last winter. We spent more than them in 09 (120-99) and 07 (104-92). In 08 they outspent us 133-120. I don't know where you got 1 out of 4 from. i think you have 07 backwards or something. http://www.xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=721071&mc=1&forum_id=1 http://chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=178103&page=2 we have had the most salary in 09 only. I'm using USA today's salary database which is supposedly accurate, but who knows at this point Bears http://content.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/teamresults.aspx?team=5 Vikings http://content.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/teamresults.aspx?team=18 Packers http://content.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/teamresults.aspx?team=12 Edit: Didn't even both to check the Lions, they don't matter. Upon that, I retract my statement. My point was that you were saying that were arent even in the top 10 in salary and have won 3 divisions, so I was trying to point out how we compare in the division, which matters more than conference if we are talking about division titles.

except the vikings outspent them by more than 10 mil this year and by 25 mil in 2007. so, 1 out of 4 years ain't bad. Whoops, I thought we had the most this year, I actually didnt look up those number and assumed based on how you guys were talking about our spending spree last winter. We spent more than them in 09 (120-99) and 07 (104-92). In 08 they outspent us 133-120. I don't know where you got 1 out of 4 from.

They traded for a franchise QB and signed an elite pass rusher, something most teams can't ever do, let alone in back to back seasons. They spent more than most this season and without it likely would have remained on that mediocre path. that's not the argument, the bears are barely in the top 10 in payroll. what the [expletive] are you going off about? so they got lucky and were able to trade for cutler and give enough to get peppers, it's not like they are top 3 in salary and at the bottom in terms of performance. the analogy was asinine, regardless of the bizarre places you've taken us trying to defend it. and it wasn't even yours in the first place. fall on your own sword next time. The analogy was perfectly reasonable. I do not understand your insistence on suddenly pretending this organization has been outstanding, coming off weeks and weeks of your pathetic handwring it makes even less sense. okay, so the analogy is perfectly reasonable except the bears aren't even close to spending the most money in the nfc and have won the division with doing it? you got me, it's perfectly reasonable. Just wanted to say that the Bears have had the highest payroll in the NFC North 3 of the last 4 years. The only year they didn't was the year they went 9-7 and just missed the playoffs.

In terms of playoff appearances only, here is a list of teams that have as good or better of a track record over the last 7 seasons as the Bears: Patriots Jets Steelers Ravens Colts Chargers Eagles Giants Cowboys Packers Vikings Falcons Saints Seahawks So the Bears are 1 of 15 teams with 3 appearances in the last 7 years. Now I know your rebuttals....all of the Bears were division champs, the Bears went to a Super Bowl, the Bears havent lost more than 9 in a season. But to me, playoff games between teams without a huge talent disparity are a crapshoot, and divisions can we won by 7 wins teams and lost by 12 win teams so I'm not willing to deem a season less successful because you went 12-4 and won a wild card spot instead of going 9-7 and winning your division. 3 in 7 years is not bad, but lets not pretend like the Bears were some super power over the last 7 years or that Lovie should get an extension because he made 3 appearances in 7 years. He should be applauded IMO because he's getting the team places where he previous couple of predicessors could not, but he's not the next Tom Landry.

Why trade pieces for a starter? Our rotation would be ok until midseason without a starter. But could certainly benefit from an ace type starter in the rotation (whose wouldnt?). So adding someone like Webb seems like a logical fit. But I don't look at the medical reports and I have no idea how serious they are about 7.5 mil Wasn't the report a week ago that Webb was the Cubs top target? Now it's opposite?

No doubt, but until last night it was 2 in 6 years, and none in the last 4. This division title makes his numbers look a lot better. So go Lovie and Angelo. i don't understand how you can say "none in the last 4," it doesn't make sense. Sorry brain fart. None in the last 3 well, they aren't going to win the division every year and if you really want to be fair, smith has won 3 out of 7, that's nearly 50% in a 4 team division, playing against at least one franchise that always seems to find success and doesn't accept failure. I didnt say that 3 out of 7 isn't good. I said that before they won the division, 2 out of 6 with none in the last 3 didn't look good. But this really solidifies his results in his 7 years here.

Now that they've had a successful 2010, sure, but Angelo's early years and recent run of mediocrity weighed heavily on the overall body of work. well, take out any successful year and it lessens the overall body of work. they haven't been patriots-good, but i can't complain. as for the early years, he got rid of jauron as soon as he could have, and shoop with him. i credit him for that. I'm not taking a year out. The fact is before last night they only won 2 divisions together, and none in 3 years. They brought more success than Wanny, but it's not like they brought a lot. Criticism was plenty valid. Now they have a franchise QB and NFL caliber coaches on the staff, and they are as good as they should have been the past few years. Doing better than crap is nothing to get excited about. It's the same "hey we may not contend for the playoffs every year with our $130 million pay roll, but at least the Cubs are more competitive than they were in the 90s!" reasoning.

No doubt, but until last night it was 2 in 6 years, and none in the last 4. This division title makes his numbers look a lot better. So go Lovie and Angelo. i don't understand how you can say "none in the last 4," it doesn't make sense. Sorry brain fart. None in the last 3

No doubt, but until last night it was 2 in 6 years, and none in the last 4. This division title makes his numbers look a lot better. So go Lovie and Angelo. It took like 5 years for Manning to show some worth other than returning, but Melton and Wooten are showing some real promise on the line, as has Wright in the secondary, so bravo finding 3 solid defensive contributors in the last 2 drafts.

Chris Harris gets a one day repreive from criticism for that stop of Gehart last night. That was awesome.

No, it's too late now. Has to be 12 days until week 17, then they can announce 6 days in advance. Also, I think Fox is getting the doubleheader games, and NYG/GB is filling that hole. I agreed to goto Cincinnatti for XMas. No I'm not going to see any musicals or anything. I'm getting up at 8am to drive home because CBS is only getting 1 game and the Bengals are hosting a AFC team at 3:00.

Bears D was 16th in 08, 21st last year, and 3rd this year. Between 08 and 09, we've added Pisa Tinoisamoa, Julius Peppers, Chris Harris, Corey Wooten, Henry Melton, Major Wright, DJ Moore and Tim Jennings. Only the first 3 are new starters, but all of them have played big roles on this defense at one time or another. That said, Peppers has clearly improved the Bears defense a ton. Probably more than the other guys on the list combined. But he's not the only new addition that has contributed to an improved D.