Ricky Manning Jr. is apparently getting suspended after all. David Haugh breaks the story in today's Trib. Good call taking the suspension in a non-conference game.
Rex Grossman is the winningest quarterback in the NFL with a full season under his belt.
I don't know why anyone bothers writing these weekly wrap-up columns. There's only that matters and it's TMQ.
“The big interception by Brian Urlacher really got us out of a bind, but we have some playmakers that we expect to make those types of plays,� Smith said. How much do you love that quote?
I do wanna thank everyone who has come to the site in the last year. We seem to keep getting bigger and hopefully this is becoming what it was intended to be: a place for Bears fans from all over the world to cheer, get pissed off, vent, make insinutations about Jerry Angelo's sexuality, talk about Ogunleye's man hose...etc. I'll be back on Friday with the picks (10-6 last week) and your next chance to win a guest column (seriously Megan, win the damn thing).
Have a happy holiday all.
#2 jonathan said . . .WHERE THE HELL IS PAT? email us or we're giving your column away.
November 22, 2006
#3 District Selectman said . . .interesting update on the Manning suspension at Yahoo:
Apparently Ricky was only "tangentially involved". From the article: "league officials who reviewed video "were taken aback by the lack of involvement by Ricky."
I knew he wasn't that much of an asshole. As one of those geeks who is chained to my laptop, I'm glad to know that if should I run into Ricky, he won't beat me into unconsciousness.
November 22, 2006
#4 jonathan said . . .So, let me get this straight. Ricky meets with the league and makes his case. Then, about a month or more later, the league comes out and says he had just about nothing to do with it. In the next breath, they say they're going to suspend him. As Walter Sobchek would say, "HAS THE WHOLE WORLD GONE CRAZY?!"
By the way, Ricky, if you're reading this, don't leave the hotel next time you guys go to Minneapolis. Trust me, they will arrest you for anything up there. Even for going behind the bar to steal a bottle of Wild Turkey at bar time and then trying to sneak it past the bouncers, getting caught and thrown out on your ass by said bouncers. Although the Hennepin County prosecutor will eventually drop the charges, you cannot afford to go down this road.
November 22, 2006
#5 jonathan said . . .In all fairness, lack of involvement or not, he plead contest to FELONY assault. I look at the one game suspension as a slap on the wrist, the league had to do something. Call it politics, that's what it is.
November 23, 2006
#6 jonathan said . . .Er, that was supposed to be "no contest" above.
In other news, here's what Tom Brady is saying about our Bears (at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/michael_silver/11/22/patriots/1.html)
"This is a huge game for us," Brady said. "We're playing probably the best team in the NFL right now. When you think about what that defense has done, and how many categories they rank first in, it's incredible. I mean, they average two-and-a-half turnovers a game.
"They remind me a lot of an AFC East opponent -- they're very, very physical, very good on special teams and they have big-play guys at skill positions. They just play tough, hard-nosed football, and there's not a whole lot of things they don't do well. We've got to have our best day of execution to have a chance."
It takes class to win the super bowl, and Brady's got it in spades. But "reminds me of an AFC East opponent"?? Who -- the Jets, Miami or Buffalo?? They all suck! Bears D: please beat him into unconsciousness on Sunday!
November 23, 2006
#7 said . . .....and no snide remarks about week 8. The Dolphins still suck. We had very, very bad game.
November 23, 2006
#8 District Selectman said . . .Fair enough, Jonathan. Once again, "politics" comes in handy as a euphemistic substitute for "bullshit."
November 23, 2006
#9 Megan said . . .Believe it or not, there is a film genre called "maple syrup porn," although it's probably not what you think.
November 23, 2006
#10 Megan said . . .DS,
Did you google, "maple syrup fetishes" or something? Man, there are a lot of wierdos out there...
I don't pay too much attention to the extra-curricular activities of professional athelets. These "kids" who enter the pros, start to suddenly make tons of money and have no idea what they are doing. The NFL has started making rookies take classes in finance and money management but I don't think it's working.
Marvin Lewis of the Bengals was so pissed off at one of his players, WR Chris Henry for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and flailing his gun about in public after drinking too much. Henry is a very talented player however, he is a shining example of how too much money in immature hands can cause nothing but trouble. Lewis just said, "I am not going to deal with this, the NFL will fine him and the law will punish him, I have a team to coach with our without him." Should the NFL be held accountable? Are the coaches supposed to be baby sitters? It's ridiculous, these people are supposed to be adults.My nephew played in college and was drafted by the pros. He was stunned at the fact that he was treated like he was nothing but a piece of meat, a commodity. He only played for 5 years. It took him a while to acclimate back to the real world, I am really glad he is out of the pros.
I have to admit, it really irks me about the amount of money some of these people make for playing a game. I mean, yeah, they are good, and fun to watch.. but what about really good teachers? Police?
Uh-oh, don't get me started...
November 23, 2006
#11 Megan said . . .Jonathan, I didn't mention the Dolphins game... ONCE
It has been stricken from my memory, LIVE IN THE NOW! GO BEARS!!November 23, 2006
#12 Max said . . .Please, all of my blogger friends, have a really nice, safe and tasty Thanksgiving!
November 23, 2006
#13 District Selectman said . . .Ricky Manning doesnt like nerds
November 23, 2006
#14 Midway Monster said . . .I completely found that thing by accident, Megan. At the time I was googling, "horny 'Quebecoises'," and that popped up, and I just put two and two together. It's amazing what you'll find when you're not looking.
November 23, 2006
#15 jeff said . . .So- Pat- Did you ever respond (or are you stuck at some airport on a Tday road trip)? I wanna read your "honorary column".
Okay- so we are short one guy as Ricky has to sit this one out. Crap. We'll just have to rise to the challenge and win shorthanded. As John Madden once said: Sometimes the road to Easy Street detours through the sewer.
--Midway--
November 23, 2006
#16 Midway Monster said . . .pat submitted and it'll be up on saturday. the more i think about this ricky manning thing, the more i don't like it...bears signed chargers castoff andre lott...dont think hes the answer
November 23, 2006
#17 District Selectman said . . .Megan: I say pay 'em what ever the market supports. Lots of big bucks out there and I say "take your fair share". After all, unlike teachers & police, I am sure you realize the level of pain these guys put up with as well as the broken body they end up with when they are done.
Of course, right now I am really only concerned with how much pain we inflict: BEAT THE PAT(ty cake)S
--Midway--
November 23, 2006
#18 jonathan said . . .MM, you do realize that the "market" for teacher and cop salaries is, for very good reasons, not exactly a laissez-faire paradise, right? If we paid whatever the market would support for public services, most people would still be throwing buckets of shit out their windows.
November 24, 2006
Megan - I don't deny there are problems when you go from zero to sixty mph in under a second, the sheer salary acceleration is going to mess with you. Nonetheless, comparatively to other sports, football players get paid very poorly.
Median salary for the Bears in 2005: under $500K (highest was Carolina at $820K). Median salary for the Bulls: $2.4M (highest was Knicks at $6.5M). Hell, Robbie Gould only got paid $162K last year -- talk about undervalued! Nice living, but not rock-star by any stretch.
Those are two different universes altogether. The main reason of course is that it takes a lot more players to field a team in football.
Refs: footballsalaries.usatoday.com, nbasalaries.usatoday.com
November 24, 2006
Here at DaBearsBlog, you are free to kill us or the Bears as you so wish. You are not free, however, to be an asshole. So if you spew racism or ill-meaning foul language (cursing about football is just fine) or anything of that ilk, your comments ain't gonna last long, jerk.