Soul

Our hope doesn't like with Ramirez resigning. It could still be a long cold winter with him returning, and the team could still suck. Resigning Ramirez does not improve the team, and this team needs to be improved. They have to resign Ramirez, then still make major improvements. We certainly need to do more than just ARam. I dunno, if Ramirez doesn't sign I just see things like stormclouds gathering over Wrigley, vultures beginning to circle over Hendry's office.......the 4 horsemen riding forth. you know, bad things like that.

I'll allow my feelings to come out on this one. I know Bruce says all of this is a formality. I don't agree, it feels completely different than that. I think Ramirez doesn't sign by the 2 week mark, and he hits the open market where the Cubs will be unwilling to match the biggest offer. In short, I think he's leaving. Reasons? 1) It feels like it, because 2) If it was really all touch-feely "I love Chicago", he would have signed already. The lack of news on the subject in recent days only bolsters it, in my opinion. Lord, I do hope I'm wrong.

I also heard Clayton say this morning that, while Strahan is saying he'll be back in 2-4 weeks and the NY papers are reporting the same, the kind of injury he has is very serious and almost always ends the player's season. Just reporting what I heard, that's all.

One of the few times Cowboys, Skins, and Eagles fans will all be rooting for the same thing, no doubt.

Haha, nice visual. It is true though. Always nice for Manning to be able to throw off his back foot and have Burress bail him out. Rex does not have that luxury.

I suppose, but I just feel if the Giants beat the Bears it's like a college team beating the #3 team in week 2, but by the end of the year that club isn't ranked anymore so what did you really beat? My point is, if the Giants win, people will begin to dismiss the Bears so hence, not as triumphant a victory for the Giants. If the Giants lose they stay right where they are now, top challengers to the Bears once the playoffs start. I guess I'm just being biased.

Not sure if this was posted, but Berrian is apparently out up to 4 weeks: http://www.tsn.ca/nfl/news_story/?ID=183202&hubname=nfl So, deep threat? Gone. Someone kindly inform Mark Bradley that it is time for his tweaky legs to start actually......you know......HEALING 'n all.

I think that last point is debatable. Manning has more pro experience. But his 2006 rating is barely higher than Grossman's, while his career rating is a tad lower. Manning has a slightly better TD/INT ratio this year, and a bit better completion percentage, but by and large they are similar QB's. Both have big time potential playmaking ability, and both make stupid mistakes. As for the defense against the run, the Giants give up a little more than the Bears, and have given up several more TDs on the ground. I wouldn't call them amazing against the run. Good yes, but hardly invincible, and now they are injury depleted. I do agree with Shavo that Manning is better than Grossman at this point in time. Not sure how it will all shake out in the end, but I would think at some point the Bears are going to need to work on his checkdowns and hot reads in order for him to take the next step. As for running the ball, I think the real point is committing to the run, which we haven't really done consistently enough. I'm confident we can run the ball well enough to be effective so long as we don't give up on it when the going gets tough. Sure----some games we'll get stuffed, but I think that happens to just about everyone anyway. We will learn much about the Bears next Sunday, IMO. No offense to Giants fans, but this game is all about the Bears, and really not about the Giants at all. Win or lose, nobody's opinion of the Giants will change. Opinions about the Bears will be formed next week that will last the rest of the season.

Did you see his postgame interview? The man could barely talk and was having a hard time breathing. Maybe that would change in a week, but judging by his interview after the game, I was fairly certain he was out. No I'm sorry I didn't see the post-game interview. I was just going on the reports that it was only a bruised rib, not a broken one.

Someone told me today that they should go to Greise if the Bears are losing at halftime to the Giants. Are these people high? I can't beleive that rational people could come to this conclusion. Football is one sport that really brings the stupidity out of people. Even people with no clue about sports have strong opinions on the Bears. Mike North this morning was talking about how last year Orton only "lost" us a couple of games, while Rex so far has "lost" one and should have lost 2 more. That sounds like pretty obvious, "say something to rile people up" kind of stuff. If only other people in the city didn't think the same way. A lot of people seem to think the Bears would be more successful with a "game manager" type QB. AKA a bad QB. Hey, Eckstein is gritty and clutch! If we say something enough, it becomes true! :roll: LOL, it isn't just Mike North. Those Rex Grossman executioners from the preseason have been salivating for a chance to save face. There's actually quite a few of 'em hanging around, just waiting. One more game like last week and you'll hear it a little louder. The trouble is, if Rex doesn't learn from his mistakes then at some point you DO have to yank him----then everyone who hated him in the preseason will conveniently forget the 7-0 start and the 100+ QB ranking, and simply declare themselves "right" all along. It's really quite maddening.

Just me, but if I've got a bruised rib I'm finding a way to take the field in the biggest game of the year when my team needs me. Again---that's just me, but I would hope Bernard feels the same way. As for Urlacher, I'm not sure how a guy plays the very next play after the injury, and also walks off the field under his own power without any real difficulty if it's a serious injury. I agree, if these two are out our chances go down dramatically. I'm just saying, from what I'm seeing, I would be disappointed if neither is going to take the field, for *THIS* game of all of them. This is as close to you can get to a playoff-calibre football game in week 10.

I feel the same. Hopefully, it serves as a wakeup call. It comes at the perfect time, at the very least. You just hope they get away from that arrogance that seemed to cost them in the AZ and Miami games, as well as last year's playoff game. Through the first 5 games, it seemed like they had gotten past that issue. They looked incredibly focused and seemed to be playing with a purpose. It really looked like they had learned from the playoff loss. Two out of the last three games, though, they've looked like they've regressed. Goony clarified my point perfectly. I keep hearing how Lovie won't let them look ahead or get too involved in their own hype, but that's exactly what I'm seeing. I'm glad they don't really have a game to overlook the next five weeks... I don't know guys. What *IS* it with these Chicago teams of ours? You don't see the NY Giants saying "what would Parcells and Phil Simms have done?" every time they lose a game. LOL, I don't understand why it seems every one of my favorite teams can't escape the spectre of their own pasts. Well.....maybe the Bulls. Ironically, it seems they at least have refused to continually fuel the apparation of Michael Jordan every time they approach the playoffs. '85 is ancient, ancient history. Why would a player who was in diapers during that time even mention them?

Exactly. This is an arrogant team that considers it an insult to do anything but chuck it deep and expect the opposition to hand them the game. I don't understand how a team that has relied so heavily on the run before, can be so willing to abandon it so quickly. They were getting decent chunks of yardage on the ground, especially with Benson getting 35 yards on his first 7 carries, but then they went right back to the drop back, wait, then toss it up in the air offense. This is a team that refuses to play "take what they give you" football. Arizona should have been a wake-up call, instead they refused to acknowledge they got lucky in that game, and paid for it against Miami. The Phins did nothing in that game until the Bears got themselves behind with stupidity, and then played dumb the rest of the way. No question. 28/31 points coming directly off stupid turnovers. Basically the Dolphins did exactly nothing the whole game that wasn't attributed to our own bad plays. Now we'll see just how far the Bears are willing to take their arrogance. Because 3 tough road games are on the docket, and they haven't worked on their short passing game, and they haven't developed Benson into a workhorse back even though they've had ample opportunity to do so and Benson's peers are already taking the load with their respective teams. If we see the same gameplan and lax attitude against the Giants, it's going to get ugly. Because those boys can bring pressure. And to be honest, I'm not sure we have a CB who can cover Burress.

Rather than rooting for one faceless corporation to replace another, I think I prefer to hold out hope for more of an 'experienced' sports owner to buy the Cubs. Whatever that is.........but I mean somebody who might have a desire for winning that overrides the bottom line or the stock holders (at least every once in awhile).

I'm looking forward to Indy/Jacksonville Round 2... As long as the media doesn't pull a "you know Jason, you have no chance to win this game, how does that feel?" I think Indy rolls Miami, even with their backups. It's pretty clear this game was eminently winnable for the Bears----and winnable by a good margin. But nobody wins when they turn the ball over 6 times........and offenses that refuse to acknowledge they are being pressured, continuing to try 7-step drop after 7-step drop? Asking for death, that's what that is. We lost because we deserved it. Plain and simple.

He played the next play, and walked into the tunnel under his own power. The media spotted him walking to his car afterwards with no visible limp. I suppose none of that really means anything, but it makes me feel better anyway :)

Very Cub-like loss by the Bulls tonight. I'm sure Duhon feels terrible. I don't recall him throwing away a ton of ballgames like that.... This better not be the start of a losing streak.

I read that earlier and wanted to comment on the refreshing part. Why is it refreshing for a team to spend big on a retread? He makes it sounds like baseball is just turning its back on the lifers and forcing guys into early retirement on low wages. I don't get what is so refreshing about a manager getting his 5th chance to manager a major league team. Not only that, but how is that different from hiring Baker who had experience, and Baylor who had experience? I'm not sure how this is something suddenly different.. I know, I know. Everyone knows it seems. Except the Cubs. Check that. The Cubs know it too. They just don't care about winning. There's absolutely no doubt about it. If they did care, they would develop an organizational strategy that makes sense just like everyone else. But they don't, instead preferring the merry-go-round we have been on forever. Lou is just the latest horse we are riding on that nightmarish baseball whirly-cue which leads ever in a circle, right back where we have always been: the bottom.

How many more years of suckage will we have to endure? I'd just like to know up front so I can prepare.

Umm, stop sucking please?

Um...no...the game's in Chicago...good try. Also the caption on the Bears photo on ESPN is that the Bears will have plenty to celebrate in Miami...maybe they mean Super Bowl? But I doubt it. I think someone has some bad info. Wow, that's amazingly bad reporting. Sports journalists just out of college working in Duluth know the game's at Soldier Field, for Christ's sake.

Really, what has Tyrus shown that a handful of guys in the d-league can't do? He had a nice block on Shq and that is about it. With all his years of experience playing basketball... Well he has played three years now at least. I mean he is an impressive athlete, no doubt. That said I think you would find a lot of those on the AND 1 tour. I really hope I am wrong, but Pax should have just picked Roy. Yeah, it sounds like you are jumping to conclusions way too early. Nobody said TT was going to be a great shooter. He is what he is, and he's going to have to develop a shot. Not going to happen in a couple games----and nobody is expecting it to.

All in good time, my man. All in good time. The Bulls' deck is full. Pax is overloaded with solid players who will look mighty nice in a deal. You're probably right we aren't a true contender this year. We might be able to swing a playoff series win or two though---and in the process showcase a number of players who might bring that inside scoring threat for '07.

It's truly amazing how quickly this house of cards collapsed. We were what? 5-2 at one point? Wow. I guess when you try to climb out of a 100 foot hole, you're going to slip and fall a few times.

You do realize that in order for the Packers to win this division (keep in mind that both teams have played 7 games) not only do the Bears have to lose 5 games but the Packers have to win every single one of theirs. Yea. Thats how down you guys are. Ok, where did I say that the Packers are going to win the division? It's pretty obvious that the Bears are going to win the division. I'm just glad that finally someone said something about all of this hype that the Bears are getting. Sure they're 7-0, but really, the only teams you guys have played that are worthy of being called "decent" are the Seahawks and Vikings. And both of those teams look real mediocre this year, as well as every other team in the NFC not named the Bears or Giants. Congrats on the great year you're having, but some of you are just overreacting on the comment Driver made. He said that the Bears are a good team, but given the game on Arizona (where the whole Bears offense looked awful) that they aren't as good as their record indicates. There's no way of proving this because the Bears don't control the schedule, but he does have a valid point. Still a 7-0 record against any 7 teams in the NFL is pretty good and has to be respected. We'll see how good the Bears do against the Giants and Pats on the road. Their schedule gets progressively tougher after the Dolphins game. I don't think we're that far "down" either. In a rebuilding year, we're only 1 game out of a playoff position going into Week 9. Yeah we've beaten three pretty bad teams, but our four losses are against teams that are all above .500. Unlike the Bears, our schedule gets easier the second half of the season (besides the Pats and Seahawks). Now I don't want to turn this into a pointless Bears-Packers thread, so I'll close this off by saying the Bears will beat the Dolphins by probably 3 TD's. Besides the Giants-49ers game, this is the easiest lock of the week. I'm holding out hope that our Week 17 battle will actually be a game that can be important for both teams. I will only say this: it's interesting how the Bears are a joke because of the teams they have played, yet the Packers are suddenly looking great while beating those identical opponents. As for Packers/Bears in late December----they might actually have a shot to win that game. Of course, it will be against our NFL Europe assignees......but they might have a shot.