![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() | ||
Football ArchiveThe Hybrid: College Football Is Back, Foolsby Bobby Loesch on September 2 at 10:22AM
College football kicks off tonight, so now seems like as good of a time as any to bring back TUP's weekly college football column, The Hybrid. This column was started last year to replace the Big Ten Rambler column from 2007... and the rest was real history. But enough bio, let's do some quick hits on some of the storylines I'm thinking about the most going into the 2010 college football season...
The Top 5 teams are all strong but have different flaws: I'll save these five thoughts for my ranking quick hits. But let's just say this: the top five teams all have a weakness -- some flimsy, some not -- which keeps any of them from immediately getting recognized as thee absolute pre-season title threat. Notre Dame is BACK, like, MAYBE: They lost Clausen and Golden Tate but gained a "better" coach, and, as it usually is with the Irish, people are buzzing. What is this team's ceiling? How much of an impact can Brian Kelly truly have on this squad? People seem awfully confident in a team with an unproven QB, which I really don't understand. But who knows. Where there's talent, there's potential. USC sanctions: I know most casual fans hate USC because most casual fans are against warm weather, fun, dominance, and beautiful women, but man, I am going to miss The Dynasty. I really am. The best case scenario is they go undefeated this year and make it really awkward when they aren't allowed to play in the title game. Did you see the Matt Barkley interview after USC got sanctioned? He was on the verge of tears, saying how they'd just have to just go undefeated without getting a chance to play in the post-season. I felt so bad for him... all because Reggie Bush had to be cool and take sweet money. Such a shame. As for the current players? The upperclassmen could just go pro or transfer, but as a true sophomore, Barkley is basically locked up with this team -- for better or worse -- until his senior year, when they can actually compete for the national title again. Stay patient, young man. ![]() John Brantley, do we hate you?: What are we supposed to do with the new Florida QB? Are we to rejoice this team's potential regression without Tebow? Are we to hope he plays well so people forget about Tebow? I'm so torn. This is the plan... We have to root for him to either a) suck, or b) be historically outstanding. No middle ground here. He's got to either ruin this team's season or break all of Tebow's records. So yeah, just do one of those. Michigan. Michigan.: This is a Bobby-centric thought, but man: this season could decide the next three to five years of the program's success. If Michigan loses too many games and the idiots fire Rich Rodriguez, the setback could be devastating. Especially because they'll probably hire a pro style coach, negating all of the spread recruiting Rodriguez has done over the past few years. It could be a travesty. So, I mostly spend my the bulk of my days thinking about this man... ![]() Denard Robinson. He who decides my future. Denard's one of the fastest quarterbacks you'll ever see, but last year, his rawness as a passer kept him from being a true threat. After having one of the most legendary spring games you'll ever hear about, all signs point to him being Michigan's starter in a potentially threatening three quarterback platoon. I'm trying to talk myself into it, but they very well could lose to UConn this week. Have I begun illegally downloading full games from Michigan's 1997 season as a way to prepare for some sort of season long mental breakdown once the losses start to weigh on me? Well yeah. Just know this: I care more about this season than any season for any other team I've rooted for, ever. More than Bulls '96 or Pats '07. Those teams were great. They didn't need me to care. This Michigan team is flawed, and they'll be in all kinds of trouble of things turn sour early. I'm terrified in every way possible. Especially because the '96 Bulls could have probably fielded a better secondary than this year's Michigan team. THE HYBRID Quick, Selective Hits On The AP Top 25(unbeaten teams = every team so far) 1) Alabama: Aright, the random flaws of the Top 5. 'Bama? Ingram has that short recovery from surgery, and their offense really wasn't that explosive to begin with. I know last year's team won the title, but everybody knows that was a bit fraud-y. What, just me? I know Ingram's backup is supposed to be the bee's knees, but this team always comes back to defense. How great can the D be, and can it carry the O when the O starts to blow? 2) Ohio State: They've got horrible (pretty good) Terrelle Pryor, and their defense looks as fierce as ever, but even if they go undefeated in the regular season, no one will believe a thing about this team's legitimacy until they win the national title outright over a team from the Big Twelve or.... ESS EEE SEE!!!!!! (This column is officially back.) 3) Boise State: We all want to see it. Really, we do. But their flaw is being perpetually small. But we'll see what kind of momentum they get if they're able to beat Va-Tech this week... 4) Florida: Loaded to the brim with talent, but Brantley's got to prove himself. He seems beyond capable. This team could potentially be a world-beater if it all clicks. 5) Texas: See: Florida's storyline, but replace John Brantley with Garrett Gilbert. Both QBs have the skillset to have terrific years despite never starting regularly before. My brain is with Brantley, but my heart's with Gilbert. His emergence in last year's title game was inspiring. I think I'll be in his corner forever. 6) TCU 7) Oklahoma 8) Nebraska: So they lost Suh and never had an offense to begin with, and they're Top 10? Can someone explain this to me? 9) Iowa: As an Iowa alum and (/sigh) fan, I'm pretty happy with this ranking. It seems completely appropriate. 10) Virginia Tech: Beat Boise and we'll all hate you. 11) Oregon: A true enigma. Is the offense really going to be dominant again? Is the Oregon QB position going to become the new Denver Broncos RB slot? Just plug and play? 12) Wisconsin: Ha. Sure. 13) Miami (FL) 14) USC: Never forget 6/10/10. 15) Pittsburgh 16) Georgia Tech: A perennial Hybrid favorite. Gotta love that triple option. And now they're sympathetic because Iowa embarrassed them in the Orange Bowl last season. 17) Arkansas: I really haven't reconciled my Ryan Mallett feelings. Whatever, I hope he does good... I guess. 18) North Carolina: I thought I saw something on Clay Travis' Twitter about this team not fielding a bunch of players in their opener against LSU? That could seriously ruin everything. 19) Penn State 20) Florida State 21) LSU: Ah, Penn State, Florida, and LSU. What a great cluster of boring, overrated, semi-talented teams. I'll give Florida State and (to an extent) LSU a chance, but I would be blown away to see Penn State trend upward this year. Also, is Jimbo Fisher funny? Can someone look into this? 22) Auburn 23) Georgia 24) Oregon State 25) West Virginia: The 25th ranked team is always funny. Good to have you here, you couch burners you. Any Sweet Games This Weekend? No, not really. Most of them are pretty bad. We do have a few, though! Saturday Oregon State (24) at TCU (6): This should sort things out quickly, no? But honestly, this is just a diet version of the real game of the week. LSU (21) at UNC (18): A potentially terrific LSU loss could now be in jeopardy if UNC isn't playing their dudes. I'm worried. Monday Boise State (3) at Virgina Tech (10): Boise gets a chance to show something right away, and I love it. They should be ranked No. 1 if they win this game. And if they're the most talented CFB team -- like many think is possible -- they certainly should be able to prove it against a beatable Hokie team. It's not an easy test, though. Big Ten Rant Two things to think about here... 1) The new Big Ten divisions: The new divisions of 2011's Big Ten just leaked yesterday, and I'm quite torn on most of it. Division 1: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin Division 2: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern My two biggest beefs? 1) Why split Michigan and Ohio State? They're right next to each other. Aiming for competitive balance is pointless. Why not stack a sweet East division and have it be impossible to get out of? It certainly has worked for the Big 12 South these past couple of years. Geography rules. And yes, I'm aware that these alignments are almost North-South, but a) they're not, and b) East-West would be ideal. And would I name the hypothetical East-West divisions after 2Pac and Biggie? Yes, yes I would. 2) Iowa and Michigan to now play each other every year. As a fan of both, I really hate this. The off years were my time to forget they played in the same conference. The divisions do have one serious upside: hater teams like Illinois and Penn State who claim to have "rivalries" with schools who don't care about them are sure looking stupid now. Illinois is now opposite of two of its biggest "rivals," Iowa and Michigan -- and they don't have cross-divisional rivalry protection with either school. Same goes for Penn State, constant claimers of having Michigan and Ohio State as their "rivals." It's pretty great to see those two schools get hard reality checks. So maybe the divisions aren't all bad. 2) Forgetting about the new Big Ten divisions: As cool as the Nebraska thing is and the division things are, it's still one more season of the crap ass, no championship game, 11-team Big Ten. Can we just skip to 2011? No? College Football Bandwagon Every year, once my actual favorite teams have been eliminated from the national title picture (by, you know, losing just one game), my buddy Ryan and I create what we call the "College Football Bandwagon" which mostly consists of a list of all the undefeated BCS conference teams minus Notre Dame (and sometimes others). The goal of the CFB is to fake feel good about yourself when your "team" makes the national championship. Plus it gives you invested rooting interests. College Football Bandwagon 2010 N/A Iowa, Michigan, Washington State are all still alive. But the season is infantile. Tim Tebow Pro Check-In After some ripping of Shanoff last year, we're going to take it easy on him -- after all, he's, like, the nicest sports blogger ever. Instead, we'll focus on Tim Tebow as we root against his NFL success for no reason other than no reason. Pre-Season Game 3: The Broncos played the Steelers, and doucher went 5 for 10, threw for 72 yards, and completed his first NFL touchdown pass*. Fortunately, he also threw a pick. * - It's pre-season! People need to stop acting like that shit counted. What They Said -- A Take On Others' CFB Takes - A lean week. Just make sure you watch the vid of the Iowa center getting hit by a car while riding one of those shit-banger bikes. It happens in the first three seconds, and it's insane. Random Picture I Came Across While Googling Stuff For This Post ![]() Wrapping It Up... This week really is all about Boise-Virginia Tech. Please give that game your attention because it completely matters. Bobby Loesch is the assistant editor of Tremendous Upside Potential. He can be reached at bobbyloesch [at] gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @bobbystompy. Jay Cutler Is Dating Kristin Cavallari: A Gratuitous Photo Galleryby Ricky O'Donnell on September 1 at 12:19AM
I was digging deep through TUP's Google Analytics account the other day and noticed something peculiar: the most popular result from this site in a Google search is this picture of a doberman. The artist formerly known as BobbyStompy posted...
Colt Brennan! Matt Gutierrez! Preseason Football! Many Worthwhile Exclamation Points!by Ricky O'Donnell on August 20 at 1:58PM
So chill. Such a bro. Standard weekday morning operating procedure dictates that I spend my time cruising (just cruising) the Internetz for anything blogworthy*. Today's most exciting new discovery: Weezer set to plan Blue/Pink tour! Oh, but after that,...
The Bears Need A Backup QBby Ricky O'Donnell on August 17 at 3:23PM
The new sausage king of Chicago? The Bears played their first preseason game on Saturday, losing to the Chargers 25-10 in San Diego. You won't see any coverage of it here, because, as we must remind you every year, preseason...
Madden '11 Is Out Todayby Ricky O'Donnell on August 10 at 1:27PM
Madden '11 features swagger ratings, Gus Johnson, and Barack Obama, and Madden '11 is out today. IGN gives it an 8.0 out of 10. More Madden NFL 11 VideosYou can peep the ratings given out to our Bears over at...
Welcome to "Favre Retires Day", 2010 Editionby Ricky O'Donnell on August 3 at 12:03PM
This happened in March of 2008. This happened in February 2009 and again a few months later in July. It is happening again, and it is happening today: no less of an authority than Jay Glazer of Fox Sports...
The Ballad of Ricky-Bobby: Ohhhhhh It's The Bearsby Bobby Loesch on July 30 at 1:24PM
The Bears open training camp in Bourbonnais today. How are you feeling about this team?RICKY: I've pulled the NBA card when talking about my baseball ignorance this summer, and I'm afraid I'm going to have to pull it again: why...
The Ballad of Ricky-Bobby: Closers, Posers, And Why Baseball Sucks Sometimesby Bobby Loesch on July 23 at 12:43PM
Note: Ricky-Bobby is BACK, bitch!Reason 4,493 why I hate baseball: when managers stick to their guns with a closer when it's clear that a) he's struggling, and b) there are much better options. BOBBY: This really isn't as much about...
Madden '11 Adds Swagger Rating; Peppers Enthusedby Ricky O'Donnell on July 1 at 12:53PM
Notre Dame alums lack swagger.OK "Madden", if this isn't the best addition you've added in years, it's certainly the most hilarious. According to Kotaku, characters in the upcoming Madden game just won't be rated on speed, agility, stamina, and truck...
Cedric Benson Arrested Againby Ricky O'Donnell on June 29 at 12:11PM
Former Bears draft bust Cedric Benson was arrested twice in 2008, once for drunk boating, once for drunk driving. Today, he added a fun new drunk charge to his drunk rap sheet: drunk punching some guy in the face! H/T:...
Video: Walter Payton Runs The Wildcat Against The Packers In 1984by Ricky O'Donnell on June 29 at 11:19AM
Does TUP hate the '85 Bears? Well yeah, of course. They're the worst. Walter Payton gets a pardon, though. While the rest of his Super Bowl-winning teammates may be a bunch of annoying drunks still living off the success...
Madden '11 Gives the Bears a 77 Overall Ratingby Ricky O'Donnell on June 16 at 1:07PM
The Madden '11 overall team ratings have leaked and the Bears are a 77 overall. That's up two from last year and puts Chicago in a tie with the Titans for the 20th best team in the game. Top...
Bobby's Progressive Field Photo Essayby Bobby Loesch on May 26 at 2:10PM
Took a one-day road trip Tuesday with my buddy Dave (Cubs fan) to the White Sox-Indians game in Cleveland. Along the way, we kinda stopped all over the place. Things began at the College Football Hall of Fame in South...
The Ballad of Ricky-Bobby: Sayers vs. Urlacher -- Pick A Sideby Bobby Loesch on May 21 at 1:34PM
RICKY: Hey! You know what sports team I really like? The Bears. They're kind of my favorite. Sure, the Bulls are the most interesting team in town right now, what with all this maybe-signing-LeBron stuff. The White Sox are cool...
Chris Harris Announces He's Headed Back to the Bears By Quoting Kanye on Twitterby Ricky O'Donnell on April 27 at 2:07PM
It has been confirmed by Brad Biggs: Chris Harris wasn't just announcing what's playing on his iTunes this afternoon, he was also announcing his football future. The former Bears safety is headed back to Chicago after three productive seasons for...
2010 Bears Draft Breakdownby Ricky O'Donnell on April 26 at 9:53AM
If there's one thing TUP is good for, it's Bears draft analysis, so let's get right to it. I do wonder if perhaps we're just wasting our time here, though. After all, the Bears are the world's only sports franchise...
Julius Peppers Buys BJ Armstrong's Houseby Ricky O'Donnell on April 14 at 12:49PM
From the Trib...Armstrong, who now works as a sports agent, paid $1.599 million in 1994 to buy the then-new house in Highland Park. Designed by architect James Goldberg, the two-story house has 6 1/2 baths, four fireplaces, a three-car garage...
Julius Peppers Continues Being a Great Quoteby Ricky O'Donnell on March 11 at 1:57AM
Where would TUP be right now without Julius Peppers? The man is my only material. The Bulls are spiraling downwards and probably don't matter until this season is over, anyways. Spring training is upon us, but Camp Ozzie has been...
Julius Peppers Might Take Some Plays Off, But So Would Youby Ricky O'Donnell on March 9 at 3:00PM
One would think that something as perplexing and extraordinary as the Bears signing a free agent to a $90+ million contract would have caused this football crazy city to explode. That really wasn't the case. Fans were excited, I'm sure,...
Julius Peppers Gets His Nicknameby Ricky O'Donnell on March 9 at 12:51AM
People like Julius Peppers - people so big and so athletic that "freak" is used as the ultimate compliment - need nicknames. Well, Peppers has been in the NFL for eight seasons and still doesn't have a nickname. This is...
Why Don't the Bears Just Make Greg Olsen A Wide Receiver?by Ricky O'Donnell on March 4 at 2:32PM
MOUTHPIECE's Ryan Corazza has a good post today on Greg Olsen maybe or maybe not wanting to get traded and the Bears maybe or maybe not accommodating him. This all stems from the Bears hiring of Mike Martz to coordinate...
Imprison Ben Nelms, aka the 'Favre Ad Guy'by Ricky O'Donnell on March 3 at 2:48AM
Barry Petchesky and Deadspin earn an A+ for their work yesterday shedding some light and grabbing some facts on the Minnesota man who placed a full-page, color ad in a Mississippi newspaper urging Brett Favre to return to the Vikings...
McCaskey's Green Light $25 Million to Angelo For Bonusesby Ricky O'Donnell on March 2 at 2:30PM
Per the Sun-Times...But the McCaskey family has given general manager Jerry Angelo the OK to spend at least $25 million in up-front money, according to a league source, to secure impact free agents. Relative to the Washington Redskins, that figure...
Devin Hester Doesn't Keep Up With Current Eventsby Ricky O'Donnell on February 26 at 10:46AM
Man, this tweet from Devin Hester...... is so much better without context.The context: A somewhat related story: In 2006, I convinced Hester I was Rex Grossman's little brother "Luke". He's kind of my favorite....
Forget LDT and Westbrook, the Bears Should Bring Back Thomas Jonesby Ricky O'Donnell on February 25 at 2:45PM
Unlike the associate editor here, I've got nothing against LaDainian Tomlinson. I actually kind of like him. He single-handidly won me my first ever fantasy football championship. His electric slide video was pretty funny. He loves Walter Payton. And when...
NFL.com Guy Tweets About Bears' Interest In Peppers, Kampmanby Ricky O'Donnell on February 24 at 1:45AM
For what it's worth, this screen grab was taken seven hours after NFL.com reporter Jason La Canfora's tweet, and as I write this (1:30 a.m.), there still isn't a story of any kind up at NFL.com linking the Bears and...
Julius Peppers, anyone?by Ricky O'Donnell on February 23 at 12:08PM
Will this man save the Bears?ESPN is reporting that the Panthers won't stick Julius Peppers with the franchise tag, making him a free agent. It's no surprise - keeping him around for next season would have cost Carolina $21...
Rex Grossman Fumbles the Local Housing Marketby Ricky O'Donnell on February 4 at 11:22AM
From the Trib:Former Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman has taken a major loss on the sale of his 36th-floor condominium in Chicago's Trump International Hotel & Tower, unloading it for $2 million.... Grossman purchased the two-bedroom Trump unit in September...
Could Mike Martz Bring Soldier Field FieldTurf?by Ricky O'Donnell on February 3 at 3:00PM
The grass at Soldier Field has always been a problem. I have never seen another playing surface get torn up so quickly and so regularly. This was never more evident than in Week 2 last year against the Steelers after...
The Bears Offense Will 'Catch Big Air' In 2010by Ricky O'Donnell on February 2 at 12:43PM
So says new offense coordinator Mike Martz:Martz said the Bears' stable of receivers can be a "real strength" of the team and said the matchups with Johnny Knox, Devin Aromashodu and Devin Hester could be "extreme."Bears football 2010: Go Big...
The Best "Super Bowl Shuffle" Parody You'll See All Dayby Ricky O'Donnell on February 1 at 12:31AM
From the people that brought you the Scottie Pippen-Beatles video comes....The Sex Offender Shuffle. Shockingly, Gary Fencik is not included. ...
The Internet Destroys Brett Favre, We Gleefully Document It Allby Ricky O'Donnell on January 25 at 3:58PM
Mrs. Favre sums it up best."I love today." -- BobbyStompyYesterday was great in every conceivable way. The only way it could have been better was if Tracy Porter would have taken that Favre pick to the house. On the flip...
Dusty Dvoracek Is A Troubled Soulby Ricky O'Donnell on January 21 at 3:27PM
I thought this was awesome/funny at first - and maybe it still is - but, I don't know, I also feel like it's sad/pathetic. Dusty Dvoracek, the former Bears defensive tackle who ended the decade as the NFL's most injured...
Up Next On The Minnesota Local News: Kid Colors Picture, Turns Brett Favre Into Black Jesusby Ricky O'Donnell on January 21 at 2:54PM
Thank you, Hot Clicks. Because it's probably better in writing: here's the money quote from the kid again on how he got his brilliant idea."I just thought of it because Brett Favre is the quarterback and Jesus is like the...
Gaines Adams, Dead At 26by Ricky O'Donnell on January 17 at 1:17PM
Sad news out of Bears Land today. Gaines Adams died in South Carolina this morning. ESPN is saying he went into cardiac arrest caused by an enlarged heart.Here's what Brian Urlacher told the Trib. "It's crazy," Bears linebacker Brian...
Kurt Warner Was Nearly A Bear. Twice.by Ricky O'Donnell on January 14 at 12:43PM
The Jesus to Favre's Lucifer.Something you may have forgotten during last week's Arizona-Green Bay Wild Card holy war: Kurt Warner was nearly ours. The Bears came close to signing Warner in 2005, but he chose Arizona because the Bears wouldn't...
Jon Kitna, Troy Aikman Endorse Mike Martz For Bears Offensive Coordinatorby Ricky O'Donnell on January 11 at 5:13PM
The race to resurrect the Bears' offense lost a candidate this morning, when the people's choice, Jeremy Bates, decided to follow Pete Carroll to Seattle. There are plenty of names still floating around though, from Packers' QB coach Tom Clements...
Jeremy Bates Doesn't Need the Bearsby Ricky O'Donnell on January 7 at 2:24AM
So D-Day came and went at Halas Hall earlier this week. As expected all along, Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo kept their jobs; everyone else got fired. "Bandage over a gunshot wound" seems like a fitting metaphor here.I could complain...
The Bears Find Out What They'll Be Missing: A (Potential) Top Ten Draft Pickby Ricky O'Donnell on January 4 at 3:27PM
Thanks to the Jay Cutler trade, we won't be seeing Taylor Mays in Chicago come April.This post isn't meant to condemn the Jay Cutler trade. Even though Cutler approached epic bust status in year one, I'm hardly ready to label...
Turn That Frown Upside Down: Bears Beat Lions, Finish 7-9by Ricky O'Donnell on January 4 at 1:58AM
I know this sounds totally Blog-a-Bullish, but my first thought after the Vikings game - you know, the only good Bears game this year - was "Crap, now they're going to finish 7-9. That's not even that bad!".Enter yesterday, enter...
Bears-Vikings MNF Liveblogby Bobby Loesch on December 28 at 8:46PM
Well, you've gotta believe this is it: last chance for the Bears to create a small ounce of positivity in the supremely disastrous 2009 season. Don't get me wrong, the stakes tonight are very low. But beating Favre would be...
I Give Up: The Best Bears Smack Talk From Around the Webby Ricky O'Donnell on December 21 at 1:20PM
Highlighting what others wrote about the Bears, so I don't have to write anything...On the plus side, Ray Rice is on my title-bound fantasy team!Da Bears Blog: The quarterback is lost. The receivers are lost. The defense is the worst...
This Post is on the Bears. I Know. I'm Sorry.by Ricky O'Donnell on December 14 at 2:46PM
- The fact that we have to watch this shit for three more weeks is almost unbearable. I honestly may not watch the games anymore if not for some silly sense of obligation brought to me by this site. I...
The Tears of the Florida Fanbase Spill Hereby Bobby Loesch on December 6 at 1:30AM
Seconds :2 through :15 make me happy just to be aliveAlright, alright, alright. Sip some haterade with me, won't you?First, the Shanoff tweets.Early on:Tim Tebow's eye-black for SECCG: John 16:33 (Key phrase: "...In this world you will have trouble. But...
You Crazy For This One, Rickby Ricky O'Donnell on November 30 at 2:48AM
They told me I can't do this full-time, so I kind of figured "screw it, I'm making fun of white people". Don't forget about Stompy's recap, either. Comment there, comment here...it don't matter. But I wish you guys would start...
The Hybrid: The Game, Or, The Location Of My Soulby Bobby Loesch on November 19 at 11:27AM
Ohio State has defeated Michigan five times in a row. I'm sure of this, I just looked it up. Part of me was surprised because I thought it had actually been decades.In all seriousness, I thought it was actually about...
Bears post up at the Sun-Timesby Ricky O'Donnell on November 16 at 4:08AM
Read it here. Also: if I start doing this full-time (unlikely since I'm set to demand Luol Deng-type money), they'll probably have to take a picture of my stupid face and put it on the site. We decided this weekend...
The Bears Will Kill Us.by Bobby Loesch on November 13 at 12:12AM
Chicago 6, San Francisco 10Jay Cutler: 5 INTsLance Briggs: 12 Tackles, HeartThere have been bigger letdowns, there have been bigger failures, there have been sadder games. But tonight... tonight. If you, as a Bears fan, could watch that game without...
The Hybrid: James Van Der Beek Or Something Like It ("Down Goes Iowa!")by Bobby Loesch on November 12 at 1:58PM
Be sure to check out Ricky's Bears post at FCP, too.***"It hurts, but we've got two games left. Worse things could happen. We're not at war. We live in a good country, we're going to school for free, we're living...
Arizona 41, Chicago 21: Please Go Home Now, Bearsby Ricky O'Donnell on November 9 at 11:54AM
I wrote this for FCP, but I have no idea what's going on over there yet, so whatever. Here you go.Even all these hours after that train wreck of a game against the Cardinals finally ended, I'm still left trying...
The Hybrid: Yanks, Iowa!, Spikes, Boise, Morrisseyby Bobby Loesch on November 5 at 12:08PM
First thing's first: Rickhouse encouraged people to wear their backwards Yankees hats with pride today, but since I didn't have any pictures wearing mine backwards, I did the best I could with this one:Limp Bizkit is, as always, in the...
Jay Cutler sucks, likes Kelly Clarksonby Ricky O'Donnell on October 27 at 2:00AM
It has been a bit of a hairy beginning in Chicago for new Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. The savior has been decidedly un-savior-like through six games, frowning his way up and down the field and throwing more interceptions than anyone...
Mariotti wrote a column about the Bears and Jay Cutlerby Ricky O'Donnell on October 21 at 2:24AM
You know what that means: FJM time! It's a timeless tradition, really.How can this not be awesome? Note: As tradition dictates, we don't link to Jay's work here. You're just going to have to trust us on this one. He...
About The Bears... It's (Still) All Goodby Bobby Loesch on October 20 at 11:29AM
This was inspired by my friend Joe's "bring back the neckbeard" facebook status on Sunday night, among other things...Don't get me wrong, I was just as distraught as everybody else about the stinkbomb submitted in Atlanta on Sunday night. We...
Stop me if you've heard this one before: Bears shoot themselves in the face in Atlantaby Ricky O'Donnell on October 19 at 1:28PM
It seems a bit silly going in depth to rehash this one, as I'm sure you already know the story: turnovers + penalties + botched red zone opportunities = another mind-numbing loss in Hotlanta. This should have been an easy...
The Gaines Adams Coming Out Party Open Thread (The Bears-Falcons Open Thread)by Bobby Loesch on October 18 at 12:45PM
A Sunday night prime time game is as good a reason as any for an open thread, no?So:1) Matty Ice?Matty Ice.2) And ATL-themed music video after the jump... ...
Week 6, in which the Bears return to the scene of the crimeby Ricky O'Donnell on October 16 at 12:49PM
I hate bye weeks (Drew's idea to get them all over with in Weeks 8 and 9 sounds perfect to me), and this one came at a weird time for the Bears. With so much else going on - October!...
The Hybrid: Well, Well, Well... Real Gamesby Bobby Loesch on October 15 at 11:57AM
I'm feeling sort of right about last week. While the Michigan-Iowa game had some entertainment value, that Florida-LSU game -- while admirably defensive -- was just painful to watch throughout. You just knew LSU couldn't move the ball, and once...
The Hybrid: This Week Looked Cool, But I'll Tell You Why The Outcome Is Gonna Suckby Bobby Loesch on October 8 at 3:04AM
After last week's low key-ness, I was really hoping this week would be one of the more marquee ones. Alas, this will not happen... despite what everyone (including myself as recent as last week) thinks. This will not happen for...
More words on Brett Favre than anyone should ever be allowed to writeby Ricky O'Donnell on October 7 at 2:28AM
Read them at the Sun-Times' Full Court Press blog, where I'll be spending the entire week. ...
Favre tomorrow, Bears todayby Ricky O'Donnell on October 6 at 3:41AM
Read my thoughts on the first quarter of the Bears' season over at the Sun-Times' Full Court Press blog. ...
Your ever-evolving Friday Bears previewby Ricky O'Donnell on October 2 at 2:54AM
The Bears head into Sunday as 10-point home favorites against the Lions. I wish it were higher. Not for gambling reasons, either. At this point, I think I'm past laying down money on sports, outside of fantasy football and March...
The Hybrid: Lift Off, or, Is It Week 5 Already?by Bobby Loesch on October 1 at 2:15PM
The year was 2007, America was still trying to figure out how to survive in a pre-Twitter world, and I wrote a weekly college football column for TUP called Big Ten Rambler.I was going to say the column had a...
Kyle Orton just wins, babyby Ricky O'Donnell on September 29 at 12:07PM
Does anybody else out there kind of miss Kyle Orton? Not his abilities, of course. I'm very glad the Bears now have a quarterback who can complete a pass over 20 yards and all. But it's rare that a player...
The Bears make us wonder if it's better to be lucky or goodby Ricky O'Donnell on September 28 at 3:27AM
Bears: lucky or good? After three weeks, it's still too close to call.I do think the Bears deserve some props after yesterday's win, probably more than most will be willing to give them. Going to Seattle is one hefty road...
Should the Bears establish the run? Let's not and say we did.by Ricky O'Donnell on September 25 at 3:17AM
I'm not sure if Michael Lewis meant for 'The Blind Side' to become football's 'Moneyball', but it's easy to see how some people took it that way. Same author, same style, seemingly the same in its grandiose ambition. Only, at...
Bears 17, Steelers 14by Ricky O'Donnell on September 21 at 12:30PM
I'm a little late on this as is, so instead of a real post, I'm giving you...bullet points! They are a lazy writer's best friend. - This, my friends, is why the Bears got Jay Cutler. Since the day that...
Quarterback hate, and a tidy Bears-Steelers previewby Ricky O'Donnell on September 18 at 3:00AM
A few things.1. Worry not: we seem to have pinpointed the real problem with Jay Cutler. His face!And people say newspapers are dying. Ha! Could something dying ever be so funny? I think not. If you don't think I'm going...
Brian Urlacher, done for 2009by Ricky O'Donnell on September 15 at 1:14PM
If the Bears had to lose a star player to injury in Week 1 for the rest of the season, it may as well be Brian Urlacher. It's better than losing Cutler, or Forte, and probably Briggs. As bad as...
The same old Bears, at least for a gameby Ricky O'Donnell on September 14 at 2:29AM
For once, I just wanted it to be pretty. I thought that's what Jay Cutler would mean for this franchise, and, come on, I still think that's what he's going to mean to this franchise. But Bears v. Packers Round...
You're not going to believe how hard Tommie Harris works. Literally.by Ricky O'Donnell on September 9 at 2:01AM
I think I've always considered David Haugh one of the better newspaper sports reporters in the city, but he's been a bit off his rocker lately. It started after the first preseason game, when Jay Cutler evoked Devin Hester's name...
I guess this means it's probably football seasonby Ricky O'Donnell on September 4 at 1:45PM
The last two Sox games have been immensely satisfying. Nothing beats a come-from-behind win over the Twins and a shutout of the Cubs at Wrigley. Awesome times, all around. The Twins game had the added bonus of being the last...
The Bears' offense once again proves it's going to be goodby Ricky O'Donnell on August 31 at 1:35PM
I pretty much covered the Bears' offense at FCP last week, and last night's game in Denver only reinforced those feelings. For maybe the first time in my life, Bears football is going to be fun. Oh sure, 2006 was...
And now for today's top storyby Ricky O'Donnell on August 27 at 3:22AM
FAVRE CAUSES LOCKER ROOM SCHISM!!! All caps, increased text size, and three exclamation points doesn't really even do it justice. Of course, this will probably be ultimately meaningless. As the great Adam Schefter notes, once the Vikings start winning, no...
The best Favre hate from around the Webby Ricky O'Donnell on August 19 at 12:13AM
Drew Magary - VIKINGS FAN - at KSK:The fact of the matter is that Brett Favre doesn't actually love football. Say what you will about Peyton Manning, but that guy genuinely loves the football: studying tape and all that shit....
Yep, Brett's backby Ricky O'Donnell on August 18 at 12:42PM
Despite what I wrote last time we talked about this here, I am not happy right now. This just sucks. I hate you, Brett Favre. I hate you.Sure, Favre easily could make the Vikings worse. He was brutal the last...
ZOMG, CUTLER THROWS HESTER UNDER BUS!! Uh, not really.by Ricky O'Donnell on August 17 at 12:08AM
There was plenty not to like about Jay Cutler's Bears debut on Saturday night. For me, it pretty much boiled down to the fact that a) it was on a Saturday night, and b) it was in the preseason. Nothing...
I wrote about Tommie Harris at the Sun-Timesby Ricky O'Donnell on August 12 at 12:59PM
You should read it. ...
Chicago's All-Decade All-Starsby Bobby Loesch on August 7 at 11:31AM
Shanoff had some pretty interesting fodder in one of his early morning blog posts on Thursday:Great little gimmick by Sporting News this week: Pick the top player of the decade in all the major sports. OK, I'll bite: It led...
And now for our first Jay Cutler check-inby Ricky O'Donnell on August 3 at 11:56AM
Let's first make a conscience effort not to get too swept away by all the positivity flowing out of Bears camp. It's easier than ever this year: Chicago's Bears optimism is always sky-high come Bourbonnais, but Cutler takes it to...
Chicago Bears: 2009 offseason champs!by Ricky O'Donnell on July 30 at 12:05PM
First off, this poll question currently running at the Trib is great.In other words:Do you think Jay Cutler is a pussy? Yes or no.I'm actually surprised Urlacher has 41 percent of the vote. It's hard to remember a superstar who...
Brett Favre will be coming back, and I couldn't be happierby Ricky O'Donnell on May 6 at 3:53AM
We hate Brett Favre here. Hate him so much. I always said I'd throw a rager the day Favre retired. It would be one of my happiest days as a sports fan. But upon realizing that the latest dose of...
Bearly Relevant: Reflecting on the NFL Draftby Ricky O'Donnell on April 22 at 1:09AM
This post was originally just meant to be a link to my new top ten list, followed by a detailed Lollapalooza breakdown. As you can tell though, I got a little carried away here. So I'll save the Lolla stuff...
Bearly Relevant: Franchise-altering trade edition!by Ricky O'Donnell on April 3 at 2:10AM
In case you haven't checked out Stompy's take yet on the bestest trade ever, do so right now. This post will still be here when you come back. Promise.Whenever something really awesome happens to me, I get this undying feeling...
Breaking news: Jay Cutler is a Chicago Bearby Ricky O'Donnell on April 2 at 5:24PM
Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssss ...
Note to the Chicago Bears: Trade for Jay Cutler!by Ricky O'Donnell on April 1 at 12:01AM
First things first: Top ten Chicago numbers*CUTLERGATEThe Denver Broncos stopped playing games with their unhappy quarterback. Jay Cutler is available in a trade. (I like how old people always make a big deal about throwing -gate at the end of...
Cutler to Bears? (The question mark means it won't happen)by Bobby Loesch on March 27 at 3:58PM
(via Comcast via Yahoo)According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, the Bears have expressed some interest in Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler. While the Bears won't talk publicly about a player under contract, they are one of several teams who have...
Go to Top Tenby Ricky O'Donnell on March 11 at 3:28AM
Go read my new list on TTCS, top ten positions the Bears need to target in the draft. It even includes a Javon Ringer shout-out, just for Pete and Beau.There, you'll find a video of my guy Hakeem Nick's most...
The Chicago Bears and Terrell Owens?by Ricky O'Donnell on March 5 at 1:12PM
Stompy's right....changed headline! That's what we in the biz like to call Search Engine Optimization. You can't judge an NFL free agent class before the season ends, or even at the start of the offseason signing period. Guys get franchise...
Brett Favre calls it quits; for real this time (probably)by Ricky O'Donnell on February 12 at 2:45AM
And, as always, the voice of reason is Jay Mariotti. Wait, what?At last, I am convinced, the longest-running annual vigil in professional sports has ended. The process has been as maddening as a three-foot pothole, the way Favre hijacked a...
It's Come To This: A Pro Bowl Liveblog*by Bobby Loesch on February 9 at 12:13AM
* - It's not even live. I DVR'd it.I've always liked the Pro Bowl because I think writers complaining about it so consistently has actually left the event a bit underrated. Sure, they can't blitz... the defenders basically walk away...
Since there's nothing else to talk about, a few NFL Draft thoughtsby Ricky O'Donnell on January 22 at 2:24PM
There are few things in sports I find more annoying than the two week period between the conference title games and the Super Bowl. I've never understood the point of it. The NFL probably thinks the two weeks boosts anticipation...
Weekend Picks + Top 5 Booty Listby Bobby Loesch on January 9 at 5:10PM
After going an unprecedented 4-0 last weekend, the quest for 11-0 continues. But 8-0 has to happen first, so let's get this party started.Last week, I impulse picked all the games and it worked out quite well. This week, I...
Florida Wins BCS Title, 24-14; Tebow Enters Favre Zoneby Bobby Loesch on January 9 at 12:36AM
Notice how I didn't say national title? It's because I fully endorse a split title. With the sluggish/ugh-ish pace and style of that game, it was anything but decisive. I hope the AP votes Utah No. 1, but I don't...
Taking a few easy cheap shots at the immortal Brett Favreby Ricky O'Donnell on January 7 at 3:26AM
The main course for the day: a super cool Bulls top ten list. (link)*Also: Stompy has been posting here a bunch recently, so why no mention of the latest Favre biz? Just when you think you know somebody, right? Of...
Thankfully, the Bears are doneby Ricky O'Donnell on December 28 at 5:44PM
Despite our preseason predictions, this season was nothing but frustrating as a Bears fan. Sure, a 9-7 record doesn't look too bad, especially when I doubted they'd win more than five games 17 weeks ago, but that doesn't change the...
The Bears live another dayby Ricky O'Donnell on December 22 at 1:59AM
There could be some serious parallels forming here between the 2008 White Sox and these Bears. Both got f'd up in seemingly do-or-die division road games, where, wouldn't you know it, the Metrodome played a central role. The Twins of...
JD to Cinci; the Bears win an important oneby Ricky O'Donnell on December 7 at 8:57PM
Couldn't Kenny Williams wait til Wednesday? I have finals this week, brother. Yuck.Both teams have denied it, but it looks like the long rumored Jermaine Dye for Homer Bailey deal is on. As of right now, there is very little...
Friday link dumpby Ricky O'Donnell on December 5 at 2:43PM
- No Sox players made mlb.com's list of the 50 best prospects in baseball, but pitcher Aaron Poreda did make honorable mention, coming in at No. 56. I think I'd rank Poreda as the Sox' fourth best prospect right now,...
The Bears blow it, Bulls and Hawks conquer the Circusby Ricky O'Donnell on December 1 at 1:20AM
Every Sunday, I help run live Bears blogs at the Sun-Times. I basically just approve comments, maybe post a few poll questions. It's usually not too much work; I generally have no problem paying attention to the game while handling...
Bearly Relevant: Week 12, time to reboundby Ricky O'Donnell on November 21 at 2:44PM
I want to know how people feel about Lovie Smith right now. Judging by the comments on the Full Court Press board, and by Olsen's fine top ten list, I get the feeling that if most Bears fans had it...
|
SearchFollow Me
Blogs In The Network
Network Partners
Recent Comments
Latest Posts
Chicago Bears Jersey From The Network
Monthly Archives
![]() Best Online Casino Chicago Colleges Colleges in Chicago Dish Network Packages Over 295 channels available in a variety of packages. Buy Chicago Bears Tickets and Chicago Bulls Tickets at TicketCity, your source for Chicago White Sox and Chicago Blackhawks Tickets! Let's see a Sox game or trudge through the snow to see the Bulls play. OnlineSeats has great deals on everything, from Jersey Boys seats to hated Cubs tickets. So catch the next Bears game with us. Casino Slots Download NSAwins.com is the #1 Football Picks site in Las Vegas for expert college football picks, college bowl predictions and daily college football vegas odds. Test Your PotentialDo you know everything about our Windy City sports teams? I bet you do. So bet yourself at this online sports betting site.Have you tried online bingo? Maybe try using a bingo bonus code and benefit from a no deposit bingo bonus at recommended online bingo sites and online bingo operators. Alternatively why not try online casinos as a change from the norm? Ovie Mughelli |