Soul

The worst way to win. I feel bad for CJ, I really do. He's really special, and made a great play.

To me that's a catch. I must say that. That should be a TD IMO

Here's where CJ scares me

Jesus, Finally. Now would be a good time for some defense.

It's only the first game. Plenty of football left. AAAAHHHRRGGHDIELOVIEDIE

Mind blown into goo with frustration. We're in their territory AGAIN. What other ways can we find to blow it??!?

It's just beyond belief. I can't understand. Help me to understand

3rd down no it can't be. Please don't tell me

Great play, but seriously I don't think I've ever looked for flags or something negative more strongly after every positive Bear play.

Gotta find some way to call it back

Well, I can't say I didn't expect something like this. Come on, you didn't really expect a Lovie Smith Bears team to come out looking sharp, did you? It was always going to be an exercise in frustration, from the moment we saw that clownish press conference at the end of last season.

this is apparently who we are, so you can probably count on it. I mean peole want to focus on Cutler's every mistake but how would you want to try and succeed with all the other mistakes that constantly shoot us in the foot? Look at this crap. Fumble again. Just wow.

Getting sick of Waiting for Olsen to put it together. He's doing a real good job of making his case for more bench time. And frankly, it might be good for this team. We've got other good options IMO. TE isn't a weakness.

no he didn't. get the [expletive] off of it. he threw a [expletive] interception, move on. it's the end of the world though Even if it isn't, Bear fans will make sure little else gets talked about until they get their pound of flesh. It's the Chicago way. Kill your starting QB.

Ugh, I wouldn't want to make my living as a pass rusher with these rules.

including what looked like a hold in the end zone at the beginning of the final drive. They call that one & it's game over.

Hmm, with the number of changes that took place for both of these teams, I don't think the Bears need to dominate to feel good about themselves. Too much is unknown and unsettled. I don't think a win or a loss really proves anything, for either team. For me, I'm just hoping for a win this week because I see Dallas and Green Bay staring right at us for weeks 2 & 3. I'd like to come into the Giants game at 1-2 minimum.

Despite my concerns for this Bears team, I'm still really pumped for Sunday. Something about football is different for me than any other sport, including baseball. I just really enjoy watching the details, how plays develop, which guys beat which guys on a particular play, etc. The strategy being used, and how it works against a counter strategy. It's the only sport I still feel excited about watching even if my team really blows. I'll turn on 2 bottom feeders and watch the whole game if I feel like there's something of interest. And it doesn't take much for me to feel that way. There's lots to watch on this Bears team, even if they don't turn out to be much. I'm interested in: The development of Chris Williams. Even if he's not a stud LT, I'm interested to see if he can anchor some position on the line. I'll be watching to see if he settles in @ LT, or if they decide to move him to a less-intense position. It would be nice to get one solid lineman in return for our #1 pick. I think the kid does have some talent, but I'm not quite sure how it is going to ultimately translate yet. The return of Matt Forte. I actually *DO* believe I've seen some extra pep in his step. I'm very interested to see if that means he has a bit of a bounceback year. I'm also interested in what kind of 1-2 punch we get from Forte & Taylor together. Taylor looks like a very solid pickup for us, despite the contract. The further play of Jay Cutler as a Bear. No need to go into details here. We all know what to look for. It's a major storyline of the '10/'11 year for the Bears, and I definitely find it compelling. Peppers. What does he look like in the Lovie scheme? Does he give us a few more solid years, or do we see a dropoff? Is he the all around solid DE that people will be happy with, or is his performance too inconsistent? If he can get consistent pressure it completely changes the landscape of what we can do defensively. Major Wright's development. Can he be solid & on the field consistently, or is he going to continually be injured? I like what I've seen in limited duty, and solid play from that position is definitely needed. I find it likely that if we do get better Safety play, it will be in large part because Wright turns out to be a good NFL player. Pisa, healthy, and on the field. I think this could really help us, but he's got to remain on the field all year. If he does, I'm looking for better overall interior defense for the Bears this year. I think he's a very good player we just haven't been able to get traction with yet because of injury. There are several other stories out there. Urlacher's return. Omiyale @ RT. Olsen in the Martz scheme. The point is, even for a team that might not do all that well, there's plenty to be excited about. Welcome back, football.

I give him LeBron, Durant, Kobe, Wade. I can make an argument for any of the others not being as good. That puts Melo in the elite. The point is, he's in that upper strata. Other players know this. Much as I may not like it, that's pretty important in the NBA. You've got to have players to get players. The best want to work out a way to play with the best.

Then he probably reviewed how much cash he'd be tossing out the window if they were let go early.

I just don't think it's a good thing to reject the idea because acquiring Melo does not by itself win us the championship.

Yeah. Not a fun topic to think about, but you might be right. Lovie & crew could be around for the duration, and that could have actually been the plan all along. What about dumping Angleo though. I might be more positive about Lovie sticking around with Martz if I knew a better GM with better personnel judgement was coming in to feed him players. Maybe.

Yeah, but the Noah talk reminds me of what we were saying about Deng when he was going to be included in a deals for superstars. I can't justify being so in love with a Joakim that I would allow it to prevent me from acquiring a proven top flight player like Melo. Even if that move in isolation doesn't make me a title winner. It gets me closer, and helps provide a better foundation to lure the next piece that maybe *DOES* make me a title winner. Joakim -- I still don't know what he's going to ultimately become. What if he plateaus and winds up just a decent complimentary guy? I don't know. I go and get Melo if I can, bottom line.

Berrian makes an awful lot of money to stay hidden in plain sight mostly

Yep, advantage Vikes. Also, I hate to say it, but Favre wins. He doesn't need training camp. He doesn't really even need practice. Thank God he's prone to late season meltdowns.