Sunday, December 24, 2017

Bulls: Fun to Watch Again

December 22, 2017


Last night the Bulls lost to Lebron James and his merry men. While I fully expected them to lose it was a thrilling game. Even when they went down 10 points and I thought they were going to lose big, they came back. This was when I realized the Bulls have been fun to watch. Before this game they had followed a 10 game losing streak with a 7 game winning streak. I’m not saying they will reach the playoffs, that’s not the plan. However, developing young talent is. Yet, there has to be a reason they are playing well.

When I last posted an article pertaining to the Bulls, I suggested they move Kris Dunn to starting point guard, which they did. He has directed the team extremely well, driving to the basket, dishing out assists and has a very good medium range jumper. He also plays great defense. You can see why he was the fourth overall pick last year. The main things he needs to work on is cutting down turnovers and developing a 3 point shot.

The seventh overall pick, 7-foot Lauri Markkanen started out like gangbusters hitting 3’s. I think that fatigue and back spasms have slowed him down. Plus the other teams are taking notice of what he does and how to defend him. That’s why it was nice to see him score 25 points last night with only one 3 pointer while attacking the basket. He rebounds and plays pretty good defense for a first year player.

Nikola Mirotic has been playing like the Bulls thought he would. Although most of his shots are 3 pointers, I’ve seen him score from close to the basket. His defense and rebounding have also greatly improved. He may be attractive to some teams come trading time. If they do, they will use an improved Bobby Portis off the bench. Please no more Paul Zipser.

As far as the rest of the team. Robin Lopez is serviceable, but probably not in the rebuilding plan. Denzel Valentine can be really good or really bad. His defense is more consistent as it’s always bad. Same goes for Justin Holiday.

The real hope for the future is the third player in the Butler trade, Zach LeVine, whose return is expected in January. You also get a lottery pick. I’m shocked to see how this team has bought into Hoiberg's system. Coaching (e.g Dunn’s shot) and good practices can go a long way.

Or not, last night the Bulls lost to the Boston Celtics 117-92. 

Monday, December 18, 2017

Bad News Bears

December 17, 2017

After a week of excitement for beating a bad Cincinnati Bengals team, reality came back in Detroit. This was one of the most boring games I’ve ever watched. The only exciting play was Tarik Cohen’s 90 yard kick-off return. Alas, it was called back on one of the Bears 13 penalties. Speaking of Cohen, he continues to make bad decisions when coming out of the end zone. In the other three returns he gained only 26 yards. His decision on where and when to field punts is even worse. The final score 20-10 came without lame duck coach John Fox blowing a challenge call.  However, his fingerprints are all over this loss.

Lions quarterback Matt Stafford had a pedestrian outing. He did complete 25-33 passes for 237 yards. That doesn’t sound bad although if you subtract the 4 sacks for losses, the net yardage is only 202. Sort of like net carbs when you subtract the fiber. How did he put up points?  Bear defensive penalties especially on third downs. The defense was good holding them to two field goals in their first three possessions. One of these scoring drives came after another third down penalty. The Bears got the ball back and were at their 45 yard line when the stupidity of John Fox took over. Tell me if you heard this before? Fourth and 1, your team is 4-9 and you punt. You have one of the best running backs and don’t think he can get three feet?  Detroit gets the ball back. Following an 8 yard penalty, on third down of course, creates anther Lions first down. Next they are staring at third down and 18 for a first down. After escaping the rush, Stafford fires downfield. In one of rookie Eddie Jackson’s worst plays this season he allows the reception. It was a remarkable catch but was defensible. The defense did cause a fumble at the end of the half that the Bears converted to a field goal. Halftime Lions 13 Bears 3.

Last time the Bears played the Lions they had 222 yards rushing. Now I agree you want Trubisky to throw more often but not 46 times. The Bears totally abandoned the run which would have benefited the passing game. For the geniuses calling the plays, what about hand offs out of the shotgun? I also didn’t see much play action. Trubisky has had success rolling to his right. The Bears call one roll out all day, albeit to his left, hence,one an interception. Lions go 41 yards for the touchdown, 20-3. Trubisky wasn’t all that bad making some good throws. The one I loved was when Cohen got tackled after two yards inside the bears 7. Two more penalties put them near the goal line where he completes a 22 yard pass for a first down. Penalty after penalty continued to stall the offense. Trubisky completed long conversions for first downs, but as fate would have it he throws a pick in the end zone going up the middle. Where have I seen that before? As usual, some passes that should have been caught weren’t and the receivers had trouble getting open.
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I sound like a broken record. There is not much else left to say; this is just a very bad team with an even worse coach. As a show of solidarity of what is sure to be no shows at next eek's game, I will skip my Bear reports until the firing of John Fox and what needs to be done for next year. Before the year I predicted the Bears would 5-11. This looks spot on.
   
   


Monday, December 11, 2017

Don't Get Excited

December 11, 2017



I can’t remember the last time the Bears had a blowout victory despite committing 10 penalties. Most importantly, they played well enough to keep lame duck coach, John Fox, out of the game. The only problem: the Bears played a bad team on short turn-around and with 5 defensive starters out. This may have had something to do with the result.  Another reason is when the Bengals got down 19-7, it looked like they gave up.

There were some things you can take away from this game. The injury depleted defense held this team to a measly 7 first half points. The secondary was very good. They held one of NFL’s top receivers, A.J. Green to 5 receptions for 64 yards. Rookie Eddie Jackson had another good game with an interception and forced a fumble recovery. Except for a couple of lapse Kyle Fuller has had his best year and looks really good. Being a free agent, will the Bears keep him?

The Bears had 482 yards. This is unbelievable considering how bad it’s been. The running game behind a crippled line, led by Jordan Howard’s 147 yards, had over 200 yards. Tarik Cohen had 80 yards. Each back averaged more than 6 yards per carry. Trubisky had a 4 yard untouched run for a touchdown.

A strong running attack paved the way for Mitch Trubisky to have his best game. Being less conservative than in previous games, the offense opened up, with first down passing attempts, roll outs and play action. Mitch completed 25 out of 32 passes, for 271 yards with 1 touchdown and zero interceptions. Second round pick Adam Shaheen had 4 catches for 44 yards including the touchdown. Receiver, Kendall Wright had a career game with 10 receptions for 107 yards. The Bears still need to acquire a speedy deep threat receiver, either through the draft or more likely free agency.

Let’s hope they get me excited by winning against a beatable Lions team. To have a chance they need to take the reins off Trubisky and see what he can do. Don’t worry Bears fans, no matter what happens in the last 3 games Fox & Co. will be gone.

Monday, December 4, 2017

And I thought it couldn't get any worse

December 4, 2017



In the John Fox era the Bears have been the favorites only seven times. They have lost all seven. I haven’t seen many games where you score two touchdowns and your opponent scores none and lose. However, when your bereft of talent ( I got tired of saying the team sucks) and surrounded by idiocy this is what happens.

You’ve probably heard that former Bear Robbie Gould beat his former team with five field goals. Any kicker whose name isn’t Connor Barth makes those field goals, all within 35 yards. Although the Forty-Niners picked the Bears apart, especially on third and long, they never cashed in with a touchdown.

Tarik Cohen tried to win this game on his own. A spectacular punt return for a touchdown made me think of Devin Hester. The most remarkable thing is that it wasn’t negated by a penalty. Alas, after returning a kick off to the San Francisco 25 yard this play was more Bears-like being called back for a block in the back. The real problem here is when this occurred it was nowhere near the action. Cohen also had a nice first down catch negated on a Charles Leno penalty.

The Bears couldn’t run the ball against one of the worst defensive teams in the league. After a nice first drive when they scored a touchdown they never moved the ball again. On this drive, Trubisky looked good making some nice throws. As usual, the Bears shut him down with the ever predictable running every first and most second downs, putting him in third and long. He made some completions, but unlike Garoppolo, had no protection. Even the best quarterbacks struggle in these circumstances. His only big mistake was on a free play for off sides he didn’t throw deep. Maybe because no Bear receiver can get deep.

What happened to the defense? You can use injuries as an excuse. However, the front three are healthy and couldn’t provide much of a pass rush. Maybe they were gassed with San Francisco owning a 38 to 22 minute edge in time of possession?
 
Now about that dopey lame duck coach. During the game I posted regarding his first 'tear your hair out' move. The way this went down is unbelievable. Sends the punting team on the field. Then he decides to challenge the spot. It is now 4th and maybe 3- 6 inches. You are not playing for anything, why not go for it? You have no faith that your offense can gain a few inches?

At the end of the game, San Francisco can run out the clock and win with a chip shot field goal. The proper move is let them score and give your offense a chance. With about 1:30 to go, the Bears stop a running back at the 2 yard line. Let him score and you still have 1 timeout with over 1 minute left. Fox showed no faith in the offense, 'I thought we were in a good spot to block a field goal.' Did he have a magic field goal blocking play? This was a 24 yard attempt, all the other four were farther and they didn’t come close blocking those.

Next thing I want to hear from the invisible GM Ryan Pace the Monday after the last game, if not sooner, is John Fox and Dowell Loggains are fired.  

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

"Embearessment"

November 28, 2017

For the second time in Bear history the Bears go win-less in November. You have go all the way back to last year, the first time it happened. This game was reminiscent of a Bulls blowout loss. You knew going into it they weren’t going to win. The Eagles had three fumbles and 11 penalties and the Bears still managed to lose 31-3.

The Bears were bad in every aspect of the game. Rest assured, lame duck coach John Fox lent a helping hand. Before we look at the players, here are 2 more reasons Fox has to go. When your season is spiraling down the drain, you don’t send in the field goal unit in on fourth and two yards for a first down. On top of that, it was a 54 yard attempt in a tough stadium to kick in. The field goal try was not even close, giving Philadelphia a first down starting at their own 44. Dumbness number two. Third down at the Bears' one yard line. Sends in the punting team. Realizing he has one more down then needs to call a time out to set up next play.

The Bears' punter had his worst game in what has been a pretty good year. He had a punt for 34 yards and one tipped. The punter is not the biggest problem on special teams. Although he had a kick return for 40 yards, Tarik Cohen should not be the return man. It seems to me that he runs smack in the middle of his opponents then tries spin out and loses six more yards. This is usually compounded by the Bears continuously dumb block in the back or holding penalty on almost every return.

The defense, which I thought would keep them competitive in games, disappeared. Led by this season’s best quarterback Carson Wentz, the Eagles carved the Bears up like a Thanksgiving turkey. He threw for three touchdowns. There were many culprits that contributed to this debacle. Rookie Eddie Jackson who has looked good, missed a tackle and the runner hurdled him. As usual for this team, he also missed on 2 interception chances. Cornerback Prince Amukamara had a couple of nice break-ups along with 2 holding penalties on third down. I guess that’s better than the long gains over him. The Bears' defensive line and linebackers gave up 176 yards on the ground.

The offense just stunk. A key for the Bears to have any chance of winning is running the ball. With the Eagles daring the Bears to pass with nine men upfront, the Bears stubbornly called running plays for a measly total of eleven yards. Trubisky probably had his worst game. He was off the mark on many passes, sailing balls high and wide. He threw 2 interceptions and the Eagles dropped two other chances. He will get better. He needs better protection from the offensive line and receivers who can get open. Dontrell Inman officially became a Chicago Bear. Although he caught four passes he dropped three. Outside burner receiver Markus Wheaton played 5 snaps.

What was once looking to be a nice turn around, the season has turned into a nightmare. At the beginning of the season I predicted 5-11. When Trubisky replaced Glennon I changed it to 6-10. You may be interested to know that the Bears weren’t the biggest turkey of the holiday weekend. The Bulls lost to Golden State by 49 points.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

We've Got A Ways To Go

November 24, 2017



If the playoffs started today the Blackhawks would not make the field. However, there are still 60 games left on the schedule. Despite a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay (currently with best record) they have been playing much better as of late with victories over the Rangers and Penguins.

The backbone of this team is Corey Crawford. Aside from one poor performance he has played Vezina-caliber in goal. When the Hawks were going through the scoring drought, he won games; pitching a couple of shut outs while being bombarded with shots.

Once a year, it seems the Hawks have trouble scoring for long stretches. The offensive players are probably partially to blame.  Helping out in the defensive end is holding up the offense. Coach Quenneville seems to have settled on his defensive pairings to help turn the tide.  Duncan Keith is still playing at a high level and teams up with Cody Franson as their top defensive pairing. Whereas, Connor Murphy and his partner, overpaid, slow and untradeable Seabrook make another pairing. This has got to change. The final pairing of Forsling and Rutta could be the new version of the old Keith-Seabrook pairing. Both are young, good and getting better.

There are some questions on offense. In recent games, the fore checking and possession in the opponent’s end is improving. You can count on getting consistent production from Anisimov, Scmaltz, and one of the top players in hockey, Patrick Kane. Saad, Toews and Panik haven’t clicked. Toews is an excellent player whose goal and points production have regressed. Panik had a couple of good streaks, but I think this line would be better served with 19 year old Alex Debrincat who is a future star. Sharp, Hartman and Panik plus Bouma, Wingels and Hayden are all doing what they’re supposed to.

Don’t fret too much. This team will make the playoffs. The regular season games will become meaningful and much more fun to watch. What you want to happen is for the Hawks to get on a roll going into the playoffs e.g. last year’s Nashville Predators. That being said, I don’t think there will be a rally in Grant Park. The Hawks still have problems with teams with a lot of speed. Maybe they can figure out a way to combat this.


With the Bears, Bulls and Blackhawks when does baseball’s spring training start? 

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Close Only Counts In Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

November 20, 2017




Just missed by that much! Sorry about that Bears, you need to be a little bit better to win these close games. Lapses in all phases of the game were costly. With each loss, Coach Fox gets closer to the launching pad.

Defense was back to normal when it comes to opponents' running game. However, that’s not good enough to beat the Lions. After the sack fumble of Matt Stafford he proceeded to pick apart the Bears with precision passes. He also had a lot of help from the Bears secondary. Marcus Cooper, he of the famed fumble at the one yard line after an interception was awful. On a third and fifteen from their own nine yard line he gave his man a huge cushion resulting in a 17 yard completion and a first down. Soon after he got beaten up top for a 26 yard touchdown. Albeit, Stafford does this to most teams.  There has been a recent trend where the Bears have had multiple chances at interceptions  without catching the ball. I thought this was only limited to the receivers.The defense did do a better job in holding them to 2 field goals in the second half.

The Bears offense looked the best it has all year in scoring 24 points which should be enough to win. With Jordan Howard leading the way they rushed for over 200 yards. However, the dumbness that defines the Bears crept in. The first dumb came after a first down run by Trubisky which was followed by Kyle Long’s unnecessary roughness penalty after the play. Instead of having the ball on the forty-two yard line it was at the twenty-seven. As a rookie quarterback, Trubisky is going to make mistakes. He mishandled the snap and Detroit ran it for a touchdown. Who knows if things might have been different without the penalty? Although the Bears responded with a nice touchdown drive, Detroit seemed to have woken up and scored 2 touchdowns before the half.

 In the second half, after a Detroit field goal, Trubisky led the team down field with the forgotten man, Tarik Cohen leaping for the tying touchdown. With less than 2 minutes the Bears defense stopped Detroit from scoring with no time left on the clock and forced them to settle for a field goal. Prater, one of the best kickers in the game connected on a 52 yard field goal. This set up dumb number two with the aforementioned Cohen. Taking the kickoff out five yards deep in the end zone to the 15. This cost the Bears ten yards and took time off the clock. The Bears could have used both. 

Even so, after his first and only sack, Trubisky has a 19 yard run on 4th and 13.  He then completes a pass to Ingram setting up a 46 yard field goal attempt. Alas, Connor Barf missed badly. You’ll be happy to know that earlier today they cut him and signed a new kicker.

I read a column today by David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune, complaining about the troubles of Trubisky. Paraphrasing, he wrote if he had been better in the first 58 minutes they wouldn’t have needed Connor Barf heroics. On the other hand, he gave Barf a chance to tie the game. Regardless, Trubisky has improved and keeps getting better. If you’re looking at why the Bears win or mostly lose then you are watching for the wrong reason. The Bears are going nowhere, the only thing that matters is the growth of your franchise quarterback. 

Saturday, November 18, 2017

If there's anything worse than the Bears, it's the Bulls.

November 17, 2017

I thought the Bears were bad. If there’s something worse, it is the Chicago Bulls. The highlight of the year is Bobby Portis punching out Nikola Mirotic. He wants to be traded which would be a good thing; the Bulls will get nothing in return. He did not receive many overtures as a restricted free agent. You have heard of addition by subtraction. With both guys sitting out, it let the Bulls start rookie Lauri Markkanen. He has been the only reason to watch this team. As a centerpiece of the rebuild he can shoot 3 pointers, rebound and continue to improve his defense. As good as he is now he should get better. Add to his game post up moves and he will be something special.
When the Bulls do home game introductions, the best player comes last. Butler, Rose, Jordan etc. Now, it’s Robin Lopez. What a comedown. He is a decent player and does an admirable job. However, I don’t think he figures into the rebuild process. In fact, most of the starters, with the exception of Markkanen, don’t figure in this process. Most are other team castoffs. Jerian Grant brings nothing to table. He is not a great assist man and can’t get open. He is proposed to be a good shooter who never gets up many shots.
Justin Holiday can play both guard and small forward, neither exceptionally well. My favorite thing about him is when said he couldn’t explain his 3 point shooting woes. He laughingly said they went in the preseason and shoot arounds. Here is a clue. They play defense in regular season NBA games.
From what I've seen the other starter is Zipser. A second round pick who does nothing extremely well. Occasionally his 3 pointer is going in and he plays some defense. What baffles me is how he starts ahead of first round draft choices Portis and Valentine.
Portis has played well in spots however he thinks he’s a number 2 guard launching long distance shots. In all the years he’s been on this team, it’s criminal he hasn’t been taught how to use his height and strength to be a low post threat. This combined with his outside shot could make him a much better player.
Here’s the rub. Evaluation and development is not the Bulls’ forte. They traded for lottery pick McDermott. One way or another it was bad evaluation, development or both. The pick of “no D.” Valentine looks like a bust. They traded for Dunn, a number 4 overall draft pick, and my confidence is low in him living up to his potential.
Coach Fred Hoiberg has a cushy job. Not being evaluated by wins and losses. He only needs to play hard and be competitive. The way they’re getting consistently blown away shows he can’t do that. He can now run his fast pace offense and spread the floor with 3 point shooters. Too bad you only have one that’s any good, and there’s no one that can drive the lane to kick the ball out to any open three point shooter. The fast pace only gives opponents more chances to score on the porous Bull defense.

The key to the Butler trade is supposed to be Zach LaVine. He is scheduled to be ready to play in December. Maybe with him and Dunn replacing Grant they can be better. Not! I can’t wait until next year’s draft, should be a high lottery pick.

Monday, November 13, 2017

Bears Lose to Packers, Again

November 13, 2017





Last time I wrote about the Bears the quandary was between the cup being ½ full or ½ empty. After this, it is completely empty. With a week off this team was still ill prepared. It was as if Brett Favre was the quarterback not Brett Hundley making his third professional start. However, Connor Barth converted three field goals over 40 yards. Too bad that is almost the only good thing that happened.
What had been a strength all year was the defense against the running game. The Packers gained 160 yards on the ground. Tyler Montgomery looked like Forrest Gump running untouched for a 37 yard touchdown run. The injury to Danny Trevathan was not why the defense was so bad. Toward the end, the Packers were down to their third string running back. They still gauged the Bears with long first down runs making it easier to get first downs and maintain possession.  Kyle Fuller reverted to his old self. On two occasions he had a chance for an interception. One would have been a great play, the other he just dropped. He also missed a tackle enabling the Packers to get a first down. He also got burned by two long passes where he didn’t turn his head around. This team needs turnovers to win.
All in all the Packers only scored 23 points. However, the Bears have scored 20 points only twice all year. Although Trubisky’s numbers sound good (21/35, 297 yards, 1 touchdown, 98 rating) he still is learning and making mistakes which is okay as long as he isn’t making them in week 17. He got sacked 5 times where he couldn’t get out of the pocket and throw the ball away. Which brings me to who may be the worst offensive coordinator in the league, Dowell Loggains. In the first series, Trubisky rolled out and completed a 31 yard pass to Shaheen. This play was never called again. Rolling out gives him a better chance to get rid of the ball when his receivers are covered, which is more often than not. Also calling a run on almost every first down may not be a good thing when the Packers have nine up waiting for Jordan Howard. After Jordan Howard gained 1 or no yards on first down the stupidity that creeps into every game occurs. False start penalties, making it second down and 15 yards is tough on any quarterback. This happens multiple times, as it did earlier this season.  When they do get a first down, a holding call negates that. One good thing is the new Bear receiver, Inman, caught 6 passes for 88 yards but couldn’t come down with the third and ten throw on the final drive.
However, speaking of stupidity, John Fox takes the cake. This game just about puts the nail in the coffin. You need a better coach and staff to develop prize possession, MitchTrubisky. That was a nice challenge. No one on the staff realizing the call could be a touchback giving the ball back to the Packers. The play is right in front of him on the scoreboard. He waits until 10 seconds on the play clock to throw his challenge flag. Just run up to the two yard and run a play. It didn’t look like the Packers were going to challenge. Fox has repeatedly said the Bears could have won these close games. Not as long as he is the coach.
To complete the stupidity that defines the Bears I have never seen a delay of game penalty on an extra point!

Sunday, November 12, 2017

Classic World Series


November 11, 2017


It was a great World Series. The teams with best records in their respective leagues faced off against each other. Although I predicted the Dodgers to win I was rooting for the Astros to bring some cheer to a city ravaged by Hurricane Harvey. The major reason the Astros prevailed is that their stars (Springer, Bregman, Altuuve and Correa) were far superior to the Dodgers (Seager, Turner, Belllinger and Piug). I don’t think any had a batting average over .200. Despite this, the series went to seven games. Like the Cubs, the Astros went through many losing seasons while building a championship team. White Sox fans should be excited about them emulating these two teams' rebuilding.

Game 1- A classic pitching duel between Keuchel and Kershaw. With the score 1-1 after five innings, Justin Turner hit what turned out to be a winning 2 run homer. It would be the last you hear of Turner for the rest of the series.

Game 2- In another 1-1 game, Dodger manager Dave Roberts reaches into his Joe Maddon playbook and takes out pitcher Rich Hill after 4 innings after allowing only 1 run. The Dodgers were ahead 3-1 which included a 2 run homer from Chris Taylor. All was going well until reliever Brandon Morrow ran into trouble in the 8th inning. Enter Jansen for a seven out save. He allows a run scoring single and moves on to the ninth inning. A lead-off home run to Gonzalez ties the game. Move on to the 10th where Dodgers have to use bottom shelf reliever Josh Fields. Altuve and Correa hit back to back home runs for a two run lead. Dodgers respond with two runs, including a Piug homer to tie the game. In the 11th Astros score two more runs off Brandon McCarthy. Dodgers get a two out home run from Culberson but no more as Astros win 7-6.

Game-3- 1. Yu Darvish, who had been dominant in the post season doesn’t make it past the second inning giving up 4 runs. The Dodgers repeatedly put men on base but couldn’t deliver big hits. They do score 3 runs and lose 5-3.

Game 4 – In another close game, Roberts waits until Wood gives up the tying run in the 6th inning to go to his bullpen. This time Dodgers score 5 more runs and the bullpen does their job. Dodgers win 6-2.

Game 5 – This was one of the greatest games in World Series history. There were 3 comebacks from 3 run deficits. Aces Keuchel and Kershaw were gone before the 6th inning. The Dodgers took an early 4-1 lead. This is usually enough for Kershaw but he gave up a 3 run homer to Gurriel to tie the game. In the 5th Cody Bellinger, who broke the record for strikeouts, gave the Dodgers the lead with a 3 run homer. In the bottom of the inning a 3 run homer by Altuve tied the score at seven. In the 7th inning Springer played a single into a run scoring triple. He led off the bottom with a solo home run. The game is tied at 8. Later that inning against a worn out bullpen, Altuve hits an RBI double and Correa a 2 run homer, 11-8 Astros. The Dodgers get one run in the 8th as do Dodgers, 12-9. Another 3 run deficit is erased when Dodgers come back behind a 2 run homer by Piug and RBI single from Culberson to tie the game at 12. The Astros win game in the bottom of the 10th on RBI single from Bregman. Best game I’ve seen since Game 6 of 1975 when pinch hitter Bernie Carbo of Red Sox tied the Reds with 3 run homer forcing extra innings. Classic Carlton Fisk Fisk homer in the 11th inning to force a game 7.

Game 6- Justin Verlander had been excellent, not losing a game in the post season. He was cruising with a one run lead into the sixth. The Dodgers scored 2 soft runs. There being no DH, he was pinch hit for, and out of the game. The Dodgers scored 1 more and a rested bullpen took over for a 3-1 Dodger victory.


Game 7- Too bad game seven wasn’t a better game. Once again, Darvish couldn’t make it out of the second. When Springer hits a 2 run homer to make it 5-0 it was all over for the Dodgers, who on multiple occasions couldn’t hit with men on base. 5-1 Astros. 

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Half Full or Half Empty

October 31, 2017

The Bears finished the first half 3-5 and flashed some positives and negatives. With the tough part of the schedule behind them and Glennon being replaced by Trubisky, there is a reason to be optimistic. I didn’t think they would beat the Saints, but for a few miscues there was a chance.

Although this was not the best game for the defense they came up big with some key turnovers.  The Saints only gained a little more than 100 yards rushing. Drew Brees, who usually goes over, had a little less than 300 yards passing with no touchdowns. The big gains came on screen passes. However, the defense had some blunders. On the first drive Bryce Callahan missed a sideline tackle allowing the Saints a gain of over 50 yards deep into Bears territory. This should have been a ten yard gain. Then as a fan you would hope they could hold the Saints to a field goal. The Saints bring their field goal kicking team on for a chip shot field goal. Kyle Fuller lines up a ½ yard offside. Saints take penalty and score a touchdown. In a nutshell, the dumbness hurts the team. There will be more to follow. The other defensive mistake was a 50 yard completion to Ted Ginn. Fuller or Jackson did not turn their heads to find a pass that could have been intercepted.

Trubisky will get better. He is still raw but showed some good instincts on a 46 yard run. His passing numbers would look a lot better if his beautiful touchdown pass to Zach Miller, wasn't inexplicably overruled as incomplete. Once again his receivers couldn’t find separation making his job more difficult.

Despite the blips on the radar the Bears had a chance to pull the upset. Tarik Cohen leaps a la Walter Payton into the end zone for a touchdown. The only difference is there was never a doubt as to whether Payton was in for the score. It is now a five point game.  Remember when I previously mentioned dumb. Third and one inside Saints zone.  Dowell Loggains and/or John Fox dial up a pass play. Not only is this a bad call, but so was the selection. Trubisky had to roll out to the short side and complete a touch pass throwing across his body. On fourth down, Jordan Howard right?  No, another incomplete pass. Lame duck coach John Fox said some mumbo-jumbo about 50-50 chance. If someone knows what he meant let me know?

The Bears get the ball back again after a great stop by the defense using 2 timeouts. Dumb coach Fox burned one challenge on a play that had no way of being reversed. Even with no timeouts they still have plenty of time as they march into Saints territory. Once again the play selection is questionable. Instead of long passes, take what the Saints are giving you underneath. When you get closer with less time, then take your shot.

The Defense and the continued growth of Trubisky fills my cup. Having no receivers and bad coaches drain my cup. The Bears will not score enough to win close games as evidenced by their last game with only 12 points.  Lastly, most teams need to reach the opponents 35 yard line for a field goal chance, 30 yard line for most kickers is automatic. For Connor Barth, you have to reach the 25 yard line to give him an even chance. He is 7 of 11 with most being chip shots, a result of the Bears not putting it in the end zone. Another killer in close games.

The easy schedule makes my cup ½ full. The Packers without Aaron Rodgers at home is winnable. It looks like they win a home game against the Lions. They play Cincinnati, the win-less Browns and Forty-Niners. That’s 8-8. Most likely the Bears will screw up somewhere but I’m upgrading my prediction to 7-9.

By the way, if your not watching the World Series you are missing a classic. I will cover this later as well as the stench coming out of the United Center.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

I Love Turnovers!

October 23, 2017

I love turnovers!

I have said all along that the Bear defense will make them competitive in most games. I didn’t think they would make plays to actually win games. Eddie Jackson gets a game ball for fumble recovery and interceptions that turned into 14 points. There are many others who made big contributions

This team seems a whole lot better with Danny Trevathan on the field. He caused the fumble, had an interception and was a disruptive force. I believe he makes others better. Backup linebacker Christian Jones led the team in tackles. Goldman. Hicks, Unrein and even Bullard stuffed the run and put pressure on Panthers quarterback, dangerous Cam Newton. The front seven had 5 sacks and constant pressure makes things easier on your secondary. The back end had good coverage that led to some of the sacks and errant throws. For the most part this was textbook defense. Everyone is playing exceptionally well.

I hate to rain on the feel good vibe, however, there are some things that need correcting. The Panthers had driven the ball downfield twice before the turnovers. They were converting most third downs, some over 10 yards. That’s why both touchdowns covered over 70 yards. Then again, the Bears did cause three turnovers.

Although the Bears won this one, if the offense doesn’t put up some points you will lose a lot of close games. The only long gain was a 70 yard play on an under thrown pass. With first and goal the Bears had to settle for a field goal. In most games 153 yards total offense is not going to cut it. The next opponent, the Saints, have a high powered offense. Chances are, as good as the defense is the Saints will put up points. A better offense will be needed to have a chance at winning. Trubisky needs help and he won’t get it from the receivers.  He was sacked four times in the pocket. Maybe you need to roll him out. The offensive line has to do better job of keeping him clean. He needs to be developed, not sacked.

Only a small amount of stupid allowed the Bears to win this game. It came after the Trevathan interception. With good field position Trubisky completes a 10 yard pass. Tanner Gentry lines up illegally for a five yard penalty. I will never understand this penalty. False start by Massie another five yard loss. By this time they are out of Conner Barth’s range, but wait there’s more. Dumb delay of game penalty. I have never seen Conner Barth kick a field goal from over 40 yards out. The decision is punt the ball deep or the dumb one of trying a 52 yard field goal, which if missed gives the Panthers the ball at the42 yard line. The Bears need a new kicker.

All in all the Bears are better than the 1-6 or at best 2-5 I thought they would be.  After the Saints the schedule softens. I have to add to my early prediction of 5-11.  Without Aaron Rodgers, the Packers game is winnable. They play two games against win-less teams (San Francisco and Cleveland). There other games they may win. 7-9 would be progress, although I hope it doesn’t save John Fox’s job.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Baseball Pennant Winners

October 22, 2017

Although the season ended in disappointment, it was a good year. Cub fans can take solace that since the 1998 Yankees won three consecutive World Series there hasn’t been a back to back winner. In the past three years, the Cubs have won a World Series and played for the chance twice. That’s a remarkable stretch. Though there are moves to made, I’m confident that Theo can get them back in next year’s playoffs where anything can happen.
The Dodgers were just much better than the Cubs in all facets of the game. The biggest problem was the Cubs couldn’t hit. This may have something to do with Dodgers pitching. Kershaw was better than usual in the postseason, winning two games. For the second year in a row, they couldn’t solve Rich Hill. Yu Darvish was extremely impressive with almost every pitch having great movement. Jake Arrieta was able to salvage a game with a great performance and the Cubs scoring a series high three runs. Their bullpen is even better. I knew the closer Jansen was good. However, I did know how good the rest were. A formula for success is being able to take your starter out before the third time around in the batting order, where hitters are generally better. Then put relievers in to shut down your opponent.
The Cubs two big bats were completely silent in the playoffs. Rizzo had a couple of key hits against the Nationals. Bryant and Rizzo were both awful in this series. Aren’t your top hitters supposed to be able to hit good pitching?  Turner and Bellinger totally outplayed the Cubs corners at the plate and on the field. Cub pitchers are good when deployed right. The bullpen let them down in both postseason series.
Joe Maddon was exposed with his crazy lineups, pitching moves and deciding who to play in a crowded outfield. What was he thinking, letting Lackey go on consecutive nights?  When not hitting, Zobrist is a liability in right field. Heyward also can’t hit either, but at least won’t hurt you defensively. What to do with Almora, Jay, Happ and Schwarber? This is a quandary for any manager. Since the Cubs will need to acquire a starter after Arrieta leaves, one or two must go.
One more thing. Maddon got ejected for rightfully arguing a bad decision by the umpires on a foul tip that wasn’t. With all the reviews during a game why is this one not reviewable? The replay clearly showed he did not tip the pitch.
The Houston Astros held off the Yankees and won the series in seven games. These two teams led the major leagues in runs per game. You wouldn’t know it from the first two games. The Astros scratched out two runs off red hot Yankee starter Tanaka. Astros’ Keuchel is superb allowing only one run in a 2-1 Astros victory. In game two, Verlander was even better throwing a complete one run game. Yankees’ Severino was just as good. In the bottom of ninth, the Yankees brought in Aroldis Chapman in relief. Altuve singles. Correa doubles and Altuve comes all the way around from first base to score as Yankee catcher can’t corral a throw home. Astros win 2-1.
Series moves to New York and changes complexion. In game three, Yankees bats come alive scoring eight runs. Astros’ starter Charlie Morton has second bad post game outing. Yankees win 8-3. Game four Astro starter McCullers pitches into the seventh inning giving up just one run. However, in the era of the early hook, gets pulled. The Yankees score five runs and win 6-4.  In game five, Yankees knock out Keuchel in the fifth inning and Tanaka has another great outing holding the Astros scoreless. Yankees win 5-0.
Series goes back to Houston up 3-2. In another excellent postseason performance, Verlander gives up one run as Yankees easily tie the series at three games apiece winning 7-1. In game 7, the Yankees pull Sabathia after he gives up one run and runners at third and first. Relief pitcher, Kahnle gets double play. Then next inning gives up four runs.  Astros’ starter Morton has been their shakiest starter in the postseason. He pitches 5 scoreless innings followed by McCullers’ four and the Astros win the clincher 4-0. The Yankees scored 19 runs at home and only 3 in Houston.
Dodgers vs Astros, the two best teams in their respective leagues should be a great series. The Astros have Altuve and Correa to power their offense. Two outstanding pitchers Keuchel and Verlander. The Dodgers counter with Turner and Bellinger. Their pitching staff goes four deep and a lockdown bullpen. So, make it Dodgers in six.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

DEFENSE

October 17, 2017



If you’ve been following this blog, I’ve given my take on the Bears. I said the defense should make them competitive in most games. When they beat the Steelers, I thought this was the blueprint for how they can win. Strong defense along with a good rushing attack. This is how they managed their second victory.

The defense was excellent in all phases. Their defensive line applied pressure on the quarterback and stifled the run.  The return of Danny Trevathan greatly improved the defense and rubbed off on the other linebackers. When the front seven of the defense is working, you can create havoc for your opponent. Trevathan had a sack and Christian Jones caused a fumble for one of three Ravens turnovers.

When your front seven is working so well it makes it easier for your secondary. If I were giving out game balls, the much maligned Kyle Fuller would get one. He defended extremely well on multiple passes thrown in his direction. It was his tip that led to an Adrian Amos interception. Amos looked like a running back returning it for touchdown. Bryce Callahan also had a nice diving interception. Another game ball goes to Joe Flacco.

Trubisky and the offense did just enough. You can see he is learning. In the years prior, the Bears quarterbacks didn’t know the meaning of throwing the ball away. He did just that after a bad snap near the goal line and on other occasions. He also rushed for a first down on third and long. He completed a pass to Simms for a touchdown. One of the two key plays in overtime was an 18 yard completion on third and eleven. Without that pass you are probably out of Connor Barth’s range. When your team is going nowhere, it's nice to see trick plays. Tarik Cohen’s touchdown pass to Miller worked perfectly. He and O’ Donnell are now tied for the league lead in quarterback efficiency rating.

The Bears running attack is the biggest reason for the win. All but 17 plays were running. The offensive line did not have one false start penalty. When thinking about those self-inflicting wounds in previous games, this is incredible. Jordan Howard showed why he is an elite running back with 167 yards rushing. However, it is customary for me to point out the dumb. Howard ran out of bounds with 24 seconds left when the Bears could have run out the clock. Luckily, The Ravens only got one play.

This game should not have gone into overtime. The Bears managed to squander an 11 point lead with less than 5 minutes left. There is an unwritten rule in football, toward the end of the game punt out of bounds and don’t give the receiver a chance to run it back. Another rule is a play isn’t over until whistle blows. These two special team goofs cost the Bears 14 points.

The overtime started with Bears shanking a punt giving the Ravens good field position. The Bears' defense steps up and forces a punt to the Bears 7 yard line. Jordan Howard gets the ball. Raven safety Eric Weddle tried to strip the ball instead of making what would be a sure tackle. Howard gets away and runs for 53 yards. Trubisky’s 18 yard completion to Kendall Wright on third and 11. Connor Barth field goal. Bears win.


Trubisky seems like the real deal. We won’t know for a while because he has no receivers who can get open, or once they do, drop they the pass. Kendall Wright had 2 catches (36 yards). Taylor Gentry was targeted three times, no catches. The other wide receiver, Tre McBride, wasn’t thrown to once. 

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Postseason Update

 October 13, 2017


I’ve heard it said that in baseball on any given day any team can win despite their won loss percentage. It also doesn’t matter how you perform in the regular season because once you reach the playoffs anything can happen. However, I still can’t believe the Yankees came from 0-2 deficit to win three straight and the series against Cleveland. Cleveland had a 22 game winning streak and won 97 games. What happened? For starters, ace Corey Kluber got lit up in game 2 where the Indians came back from 8-3 deficit, saving his butt. Then they traveled to New York hoping to wrap up the series. Little did they know how good Tanaka has been of late and in game 3 goes 7 innings and with help from Betances and Kehnle (former White Sox) shuts down the Indians and won 1-0.  The game was also highlighted by Judge, who took a two run homer away from Lindor. The Indians were great defensively and committed only 76 errors all year. They had 4 in the next game, falling behind early and eventually losing 7-2.  In the clincher,  Kluber once again faltered and put the Indians in an early 3 run hole going only 3 .1 innings.  Indians comeback with 2 runs. Then Robertson (former White Sox) and Chapman close. The Yankees tack on 3 late runs to win 5-2. The Yankees have momentum. The starters including 37 year old C.C. Sabathia have been excellent. When you talk about good bullpens with Kahnle, Robertson, Betances and Chapman this could be the best still going. If the Yankees get early leads they will be tough to beat.

I thought the Red Sox would give Houston a little trouble. What I found out is what a poor pitching staff they had including Chris Sale. I’ve noticed throughout the past few years Sale starts out like gangbusters early in the year but falters in the second half. He can have 12 wins before the all-star break and finish the rest of his starts as a .500 pitcher. His ERA in the low twos earlier, is up at around 3.30 . That is not bad in it and of itself but the rise means he’s giving up 4 runs per game in the second half. Their closer, Kembrel, also had a subpar end of the season and ended up blowing the only good chance to win a game in this series. The Astros are real good as proven throughout the year. The league’s batting average leader, Altuve starts off with 3 home runs in game 1 backing Verlander in an easy 8-2 win. Strong pitching from Keuchel backed by Correa’s home run, 4 runs batted in, a Springer home run and 2 more hits for Altuve gives the Astros another 8-2 victory. In the game three clincher, the Astros get 2 runs in the eighth and 1 in the ninth for a 5-4 comeback victory.

To beat the Yankees, the Astro starters have to hold the Yankees down early so it’s not a game between the bullpens. If at the top of their game, Verlander and Keuchel can do that. They should get 2 starts each to make it tough on the Yankees. The top of their lineup is as tough as any in the majors. Although the Yankees have momentum, they will succumb to the Astros in seven games. Should be loads of fun.

The Dodgers proved they were the best team in baseball smashing the Diamondbacks in a three game sweep. However, I don’t know why Clayton Kershaw can’t pitch in the post season. He gave up 4 home runs in game 1.  It didn’t matter as the Dodgers can hit and hit. Turner led the way with a home run and 5 runs batted in in a lopsided 9-5 victory. The Dodgers used seven pitchers and pounded out 8 more runs in winning game 2.  The last of the seven pitchers, Jansen, had a seven out save. The Diamondbacks thought they could salvage a game throwing their ace, Zack Greinke. He went up against a dominant Yu Darvish, in the only pitching duel of the series.  Cody Bellinger’s home run and two runs batted in were the difference in a 3-1 Dodger victory. Although I thought the Dodgers would win this based on their pitching I forgot about Kershaw’s post season problems and the inconsistency of Rich Hill. They still can hit and hit their way to victory,

The Yankees and Indians were fun to watch. However, the most scintillating series was the evenly matched Cubs vs. Nationals.  Pitching was the dominating factor for most of these games. Game 1 pitted the two best second half starters in the majors. Stephen Strasburg had a no hitter into the sixth inning when an error opened the door for 3 unearned runs. Hendricks was equally as good.  Wade Davis picks up the save and Cubs win 3-1.

When it comes to the post season I can’t think of any pitcher as good as Jon Lester. After stymying the Nationals to one run and the Cubs cruising to make it 2 games to 0, the bullpen took over. In what was supposed to be a strong point, Carl Edwards served up the tying home run to Harper.  Later Montgomery gave up the game winning 3 run homer to Zimmerman. Nationals 6 Cubs 3. Back to Wrigley, Jose Qunitana was excellent in his postseason debut giving up 1 unearned run in 5.2 innings. Scherzer was just as good no hitting the Cubs into the sixth. After one hit, dumb Dusty Baker takes him out and Cubs tie it up. After getting burned earlier in the series, dumb Dusty continues to pitch to Rizzo with first base open. Although Rizzo’s winning hit should have probably been caught it’s still a bad move. Cubs win 2-1. Wade Davis picks up another save.

Game 4 starter Jake Arrieta is shaky but only allows 1 unearned run in 4 innings. John Lester continues his post season success in relief. Problem is the Cubs were up against Strasburg and couldn’t get anything going. Addison Russell came closest because he hit a ball that would have been a long home run if not for the wind. In fact no one was going to hit one out on this day.  In the eighth inning, Edwards walks the bases loaded and after one ball to Michael Taylor, Maddon brings in Davis to keep it a one run game. Up to this point, Taylor has had the best swings for the Nationals and about that no one is going to hit a home run: After a foul ball Taylor takes Davis deep and the ball lands in that silly basket for a grand slam. Game over Nationals 5 Cubs 0.

In the deciding game dumb Dusty starts Gonzalez. In a deciding game you don’t want to fall behind early. Gonzalez led the league in first inning runs. They should have started Tanner Roark who had shut out the Cubs last time out at Wrigley Field. With the help of a wild pitch Cubs score 1 in first inning. Cub nation was groaning as they left the bases loaded.  Bottom 1 Cubs throw Trea Turner out at the plate exciting Cub nation. The groans return. Hendricks, who has been spectacular in post season fell apart in the second inning. A Murphy home run and a 3 run homer by Taylor gave the Nationals a three run lead. At this point I still felt the Cubs would win this game. They proceeded to get two runs in the third making it a one run game and ending Gonzalez’s night. In the fourth inning Cubs face Scherzer. After retiring Bryant and Rizzo, things fell apart for him.  Addison Russell’s two run double started the damage against the Cy Young award winner. Then the Nationals get a gift run on a bases loaded hit by pitch. Then they received a gift run from the umpires. A dropped third strike, followed by a throwing error allowed another run. However, this run should not have counted. Baez backswing hit the catcher The Rule states when this occurs the ball is called a strike and the play is dead. Even reviewing the play they didn’t seem concerned the follow through on the swing but whether Baez had tipped the pitch. When the inning ended the Cubs had batted around, scoring 4 runs making it 7-4 Cubs.  The Cubs added a run in the 6th and the Nationals countered with 2, 8-6.  Cubs score 1 in the seventh. 9-6 Cubs. From here on the Nationals did score two more runs to make it close. However, they made a couple of plays that hurt their chances.  After back to back walks Land pinch hits and swings at first pitch. Even though it may be a strike you take that pitch. Also you would think the league would catch on to the Wilson Contreras pick off throws. With a tying run on second, the runner gets picked off at first. Where is he going? The Nationals comeback ends with three up three down, ninth. Davis is not sharp but is credited with 7 out save.

Cubs vs. Dodgers While the Cubs rotation is in flux, the Dodgers are well rested. This gives the Dodgers an edge. The Dodger bullpen holds the edge especially if the Cubs keep giving the ball to Carl Edwards Jr. Both teams have pretty good hitting. Bryant has to step it up. The Cubs may have an edge in managers however, they don’t win games, though they make bad moves that impact games ala Dusty Baker. Dodgers in 6