Soul

Excuse my lack of modesty, but I've been trying to make this case for years. Finally someone of stature lets it slip: unwavering fan support even in the face of utter failure can have a negative impact.

Wow..just wow. LOL. The Vikings apparently were impressed while watching Bobby drop punts & passes against them. *cues Twilight Zone theme music*

I'm on board for Murton hitting 2nd.

I'm just waiting to see what his next couple ST starts show, that's all. Certainly doesn't make sense to write the guy off because of his first couple innings in ST since forever.

Bwahahahah Knicks lose.

I heard that conference call on the radio last night. There's one big, gaping hole in Briggs' argument. He says he's been quietly waiting for a long term deal that never came. That's just not true. There's a long term deal on the table. He just won't take it. We don't know all the inside details, but I'm thinking this stand Briggs is taking has alot to do with Rosenhaus. Briggs should be careful: Drew isn't going to care about him if this whole thing falls through and he doesn't get his cut of a huge signing bonus.

I will say what I have said about Angel for the last 4 years. If he is physically able to pitch, he will do it well. Easily the most talented arm to come thru the Cubs system since Zambrano. I agree. Why is he hurt so often? I hope it isn't because his arm motion sucks, like Woody...

For the last time, the reports after the game said that Prior hit 89, not the 83-85 that the Seattle announcers were talking about. You can't expect his velocity to be 100% in his first ST start. I'm not worried about his velocity at all. If there is anything to worry about, it would be his command, since that was his big problem last year. Hence the qualification in my statement. *IF* he's really only in the mid-80's.

I agree. If he can't hit the 90's with his FB, he's done for. I think we can all agree that if his velocity stays in the 80's we won't be expecting much from him this year or maybe ever. I might feel differently if he was a multi-pitch guy. But it's basically 2 pitches. If a pitcher is going to succeed as a starter in the majors with 2 pitches, then both need to be "plus." Or so I've been told ;)

Hairston was part of a double-blind study, and he received the placebo. Either that or he has the natural baseball talent of my dog.

If there is a better draft GM in rounds 2-5 than Angelo, then that guy better have signed an extension through 2020.

UGH. WHO THINKS THE bEARS WILL LET HIM GO IF HE GOES TO JAIL? I HOPE NOT. I THINK THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT HIM A LESSON, AT LEAST I HOPE SO, AND TANK IS A GOOD DT. I think they decided to stick with him on a "next strike and you're out" basis. They could use the excuse of jail time to cut him, but I'm guessing they won't. It's all guesswork what they will do, but I would be suprised if the Bears didn't already know some jail time was likely when they dealt with this situation earlier.

That's a good point. Maybe I am undervaluing what we got in return. I do think this is a good opportunity for Angelo to look for 1st round talent at a 2nd round price (albeit likely late 1st round talent, but there's always a couple guys who slip).

Prior, Lee, and Wood all look like they've lost weight to me. Especially Wood, of course. Maybe I just heard completely wrong about Prior. I could have sworn someone said he looked alright in practice, and that the velocity was O.K., though not great. If that's all he really has -- mid-80's -- then yeah, we're in trouble. You can work on strength all you want, it's not going to suddenly add 10 MPH to a fastball in 1 month. Prior needs to hit 93/94 with that fastball to be effective, IMO.

I'd be very suprised if Wood's not closing by June. Of course, if he isn't, that probably means we're getting good production from Dempster or someone else, so that's not a bad thing. I've just got it in my head Wood is going to storm the league as a closer.

Laura, IIRC, Sullivan did mention that he thought Prior was holding back. If he's been throwing faster than that in practice then I'm not worried. I thought -- though I'm certainly not sure -- that I had heard Prior was popping the gun for 92-ish in practice.

I'm not sure how Jones is a warrior. He was a 1st round draft pick who has been in the league 7 years and has only 5300 yards. He's essentially a 4.0 YPA runner who isn't a threat to break off long runs or rack up any significant TD totals. He was a nice runner, but nothing special. You have a handful of true stud RBs in the NFL and then a few special guys like Brian Westbrook and Fred Taylor who have some very nice YPA numbers, if not the total yards figures. And you have guys drafted in the 2nd round like Jones-Drew who come in and rack up some very impressive numbers as rookies. Then you have a very big least of interchangeable bodies. RB is the one true meat market position. Denver wasn't insane for continually rotating guys in and out of the position. These guys take such a beating, that you just have to keep throwing out fresh bodies whenever possible, and hope you're not left holding the bag when a guy's career starts to fade. The last thing you want at the position is a 30-something RB with 2000+ attempts and a huge cap number barely plugging along at a 3.5-4.0 clip. I'm not arguing, but Jones had a few years in there where he didn't carry much. He's 30, but he hasn't been tapped for 25 rushes a game for his entire career. There's still something left in the tank, which as you point out, can't usually be said of RBs Jones' age. He also was very strong in the playoffs last year. That does count for something in my book, but apparently doesn't carry much weight in the market.

Hutchinson? Walter Jones. Oh, my bad. Is that a new rule then? I was basing what I said off what I heard about some other players who had been franchised several times.

Perhaps a guy like Timmons, due to his lack of college starting experience, will fall to the early 2nd round. Angelo likes FL players and Timmons has the speed Lovie likes.

Moving up the equivalent number of spots that the Bears moved would essentially cost a late 2nd or early 3rd round pick. The Bears basically traded Benson for a late 2nd or early 3rd, and then traded that pick and their 2nd to move up. I don't think he got hosed. 2nd round draft picks are extremely valuable trade chips. I guess this is where I would make a lousy NFL GM, I woulda helpd out and made the Jets pay more, if not, make Jones play angry. Whattya think we can get for Briggs now that he is pissed off? I don't know, but if it's just exchanging a pick? I'd let Briggs sit. All year if necessary. Hell, I'd franchise him over & over and let him sit forever if all I'm going to get for him is an exchange of 15 draft positions.

I think we got mildly fleeced. Angelo did move up quite a bit in the 2nd round, which is good. He might be able to essentially get a late 1st round talent and sign him for 2nd round money----which is also good. But for a warrior like Jones, who obviously still has plenty in the tank -- my idea of a good deal was more along the lines of adding a pick, not exchanging.

If they keep saying the right things and at least attempt to apply it, then I'm willing to stick with Lou and his crew even if success doesn't come this year. It's refreshing just to hear sanity and reason for a change. You are? After 100 years and the payroll they have now? You are satisfied if the talk is good? Sanity and reason? Thats enough? How about wins and a trip to the World Series? I'll accept Insanity and chaos....if it means a winning ballclub and a trip to the World Series. It's really something to see how Cub fans begin to lay the ground work for being satisfied....even if the club continues to fail. Maybe you're right. I'll give Lou more than one year if I think he's taking this club in a direction I think is refreshing. To me, we've had 100 years of chaos and insanity already. And it's gotten us nothing. The actual dollar figures mean little to me -- how we develop and use our players matters more. I've watched 150 million dollar ballclubs win it, and watched 50 million dollar ones do the same.

I enjoyed NOTHING because I couldn't get the game!! Curses,curses....horror....death! :evil: :evil:

If teams know we're desperate to unload him, a 1st rounder will be out of the question. I think that's the problem. Angelo has to appear strong -- like he's perfectly willing to let Briggs sit all year if necessary. Otherwise he'll look desperate and teams will try to fleece Briggs away. I'm still not sure the exact value Briggs brought to this ballclub. He's playing right next to a Hall of Famer in the prime of his career, was a 3rd round pick, played for THE premiere linebacker franchise in the NFL. I mean if there's one thing the Bears can do, it's turn a bag of bones into a solid linebacker. Just look at what we did with Hillenmeyer. A first round pick is out of the question now that he came out publicly and said this. From an outside viewpoint, Briggs is a hell of an outside LB...one of the best in the league. I guarantee the Bears would have a weakness at that position if they wouldn't draft Poz, or sign Joey Porter. Briggs is a real dependable LB. Don't forget the couple of huge stops he made against Seattle that basically won the game for the Bears. Briggs is good, but I don't know that another player couldn't have made those plays. The question isn't whether Briggs can play. We know he can. From a Bears standpoint, the question is whether another guy can be brought in to replace his production at a much cheaper price. I strongly suspect the answer to that question is yes.

If teams know we're desperate to unload him, a 1st rounder will be out of the question. I think that's the problem. Angelo has to appear strong -- like he's perfectly willing to let Briggs sit all year if necessary. Otherwise he'll look desperate and teams will try to fleece Briggs away. I'm still not sure the exact value Briggs brought to this ballclub. He's playing right next to a Hall of Famer in the prime of his career, was a 3rd round pick, played for THE premiere linebacker franchise in the NFL. I mean if there's one thing the Bears can do, it's turn a bag of bones into a solid linebacker. Just look at what we did with Hillenmeyer.