I wish I could say I possessed whatever satellite package one would have needed to experience live the Appalachian State v. Michigan game this afternoon. I settled for an ESPN.com Gamecast and constant updates from lisping Lou Holtz and the meticulous Mark May. Needless to say, it was the most exciting second half of a ballgame I’ve ever followed without actually seeing any of it. Holtz made the best point. “Appalachian State are champions. They expect to win.� The I-AA repeat national champions outplayed the “#5� team in this land, reminding me and hopefully the rest of you what is so great about sports, especially at the college level. The goofballs on Smurf Turf can beat the legends from Norman and at any moment on the athletic field the most amazing things can happen. All I wanted was a video camera in the hallway of some dorm on the App State campus. This site is about the fans and today there were thousands of them having a day they’ll tell their grandkids about.
The Bears made cuts today and no real surprises, including red-shirting Dan Bazuin. I was worried about seeing Greg Olsen on the PUP but I’ll assume the lack of comment on his situation means he’ll be suited up for San Diego. But does it matter? After all, he’s not a starter.
With that said, I head to the Jersey shore to end my summer with some cold Coors Lights and Ball Parks right off the grill. I’ll be back on the site Tuesday as we finally prepare for Week One and the San Diego Chargers. Enjoy your holiday and the last weekend of 2007 without Chicago Bears football.
Final thing. Midway, PO'd and JB...send me an email to jeff@dabearsblog.com. We've got to get you guys set up next week and make a schedule for the season.
#2 The Pack is Back said . . .I hate Michigan, that was awesome.
Bring on SD.
Bear Down.September 2, 2007
#3 Max said . . .Just like the Packers are champio0ns and expect to beat the overrated bears.
September 3, 2007
#4 AfroCelt said . . .I just want the game to get here already. . . damn
September 3, 2007
#5 Megan said . . .
Shoo Pack, don't bother me.September 3, 2007
#6 said . . .Coors Light?!?! I thought you were a man? Coors Light is for sissies!
You need a beer with umph, Guinness comes to mind or heck drink Sierra Nevada Stout or Pale Ale. (If you are focused on American Beers only.)
K, Happy Labor Day ALL!
XXOO
Megan
(You are like the buzzing of flies to me Pack)September 3, 2007
#7 Phillip said . . .Danieal Manning
Devin Hester
Dusty Dvoracek
Mark Anderson
Cedric Benson
Tommie Harris
Bernard Berrian
Nathan Vasher
Rex Grossman
Charles Tillman
Lance Briggs
Alex Brown
Brian Urlacher
Mike Brown
Olin Kreutz
Patrick MannellyThese are all starters (or close to it). They are also all players we drafted. Not on the list is a host of players anyone of which could be starting for 3/4 of the teams in the league, making us the deepest team out there.
Here's to Jerry Angelo & Co. (he didn't draft them all, but close enough) turning the ship around and putting us in contention for another year.
Go Bears.
September 3, 2007
#8 The Pack Pack Fudge in the Back said . . .Megan: best beer evar: Belhaven Scottish Ale. Second best beer evar: Belhaven Wee Heavy. Third best? Old Style.
Seriously though, if you like Guinness you'll LOVE Wee Heavy.
September 3, 2007
#9 Phil from SATX said . . .fudgepacker fans rejoice! we will surely hit 6 wins this year!! Truely, the Pack is Back!!
Reasons the Pack will be great:
1. Underachieving college DT Justin Harrell is sure to start working hard now that he has no monetary incentive.
2. Brandon Jackson? Looks like Ahman Green to me, fo sho
3. Cupcake schedule includes the Bears twice, Philly, SD, Denver, Carolina, St. Lou, Dallas, and other losers.
4. aging Favre sure to improve on his 18 INTs
5. Bubba Frank will eat 7 DBs this year
6. AJ Hawk dates Quinn's sister! That makes him a star, right? If not the pseudo-mullet surely does.
7. Charles "look at me Im 73!" Woodsen is committed to only giving up 4 or 5 long bombs to Berrian this year.
8. 185 lb. passrusher Bajablahbahmillah working to regain starting role.
9. 26-0 beating by the Bears last year surely a fluke. Our -5 on takeaways much better than Chicago's +13
10. We are trading our next 7 first round picks for Devin Hester!!September 4, 2007
#10 Pissed off said . . .Okay, somebody needs to take credit for that last Pack post - that was hilarious. Fess up!
Watched the last preseason game, I know that's so yesterday given the fact that we are in REAL LIVE REGULAR SEASON (Hallelujah!), but still had some thoughts.
Biggest worry right now: Offensive line and the running game. I think that as of last year, we officially became not that great of a running team - and I think the offensive line is to blame. From what I see in the preseason, the line only seems worse - don't see them clearing holes. On the other hand, I think they're very good at pass protection - not the best, but definitely better than average.
Cedric's going to have to make some of his own holes, and if he can't, that's when the trading of TJ will look really bad, because I think TJ made our line seem better than it was - he was great at finding holes where there weren't any - his pauses and cutbacks were the secret to his success. Not sure anymore if a straightahead runner like Ced will have as much success with this line.
Second biggest worry: Punt and kickoff return coverage. I think this is a distant second to the OL worry because special teams showed that they can cover in Games 2 and 3, but didn't in Games 1 and 4. Still think they'll be okay, and on the offensive side of that equation, still best in the league.
Garrett Wolfe, who was the focal point of that entire game, shows me that he is virtually no threat as a running back taking handoffs but a HUGE threat as a checkdown receiver. Turner has to figure out a way to get him out there - he also blocks well, way better than his size suggests.
David Ball made one of the most amazing catches ever, a reason to stick with the game in the second half - glad to see no one claimed him on waivers.
When Orton wasn't getting half his balls knocked down, he looked decent and relatively efficient running that offense - of course every play seemed like a dumpoff to Wolfe, so I'm not sure how much skill was involved.
Corey Graham - am I saying his name right? - seems like an excellent backup corner - gave a very plausible imitiation of a starting corner - he made the team, right?
Happy Tuesday, only 5 more days! Go Bears!
September 4, 2007
#11 Al in WI said . . .Email is on its way Jeff.
Well its officially football week. This is it. This is where we prepare for Sundays game. Glad everthing is set for the Bears, cuts made, etc. Looking forward to a good week of speculation.
BTW for those of you who are relatively new and have not had the displeasure of reading Pack is Back, I'll give you a short synopsis of what he's about. Mainly he's a packer rube who thinks they can do no wrong, he looks at everything with green/gold tinted glasses. He makes wild predictions, like saying the pack will win the NFC north, and beat the Bears. He is a funny guy mainly becuase of his wild takes on anything NFL related. He comes here around the begining of the year and periodically during the year mainly before Bears/Pack games, and then when the Bears win 23-0 he's a no show. I dont read his posts anymore cuz they are crazy but it does make for some good reading if you like to laugh. Ok I'll admit I did see the post where he said the Bears will be the wild card and the pack will take the division. LOL. That the only one I've read though I swear.
September 4, 2007
#12 StartOlsen said . . .Random Fashion update: The Bears will wear their Home uniforms on Sunday @ SD, and their Road's in week two VS KC. They will also wear the old Bronco's jersey's October 28 vs Detroit. In case anyone cares, that's from the da site.
September 4, 2007
#13 AfroCelt said . . .thanks! Ill own up to my Pack Bashing...
September 4, 2007
#14 AfroCelt said . . .In Memorium of those cut:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/09/02/tucker/1.html
September 4, 2007
#15 Midway Monster said . . .In Memorium of those cut:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/09/02/tucker/
September 4, 2007
#16 Megan said . . .I'll divulge a bit about myself for all my Bear Blog Buds: I traveled down to the Blue Ridges of North Carolina to do some serious mountain biking (I have the black eye and cut up face to prove it) and to visit my daughter who goes to Appalachian State. I could hardly believe they beat Michigan. I was there as the team arrived back on campus (late at night) and they tore down the goal posts (watching from afar of course) and paraded it through town (of course a few got arrested).
--Midway--
September 4, 2007
#17 Nicole is miserable in this blue city said . . .Midway,
I'm sorry that you busted yourself up mountain biking. I am so excited for App St. What a cool ride that must have been for them. Those kids looked so excited. You and Jeff touched on why sports can be so much fun. Chicks dig scars, pain heals but glory, lasts forever.
The flip side of that, I have a friend that (back in the late 60's) played for Xavier-when they had a football team. He was a quarterback and mishandled a snap for a feild goal or threw a bad pass or something like that and lost them a championship. He's an avid Xavier supporter and has season tickets to their basketball games. He recently saw one of his old coaches who remembered my friend simply as, "the-guy-who-lost-Xavier-the-championship"
That might be how Michigan's kicker feels about now.September 4, 2007
#18 Midway Monster said . . .I finally got to see the game against Cleveland. Irony of it is I watched it in WI at the home of avid Packers fans. Good Lord I'm glad I didn't see that happen live. U-G-L-Y!!!!
September 4, 2007
#19 Coxy said . . .Megan - Yeah, I'll probably have to stop the Mountain biking. It was way to extreme for me. I really only did it because I had an expert show me the ropes. I was in the Pisgah mountains near Looking Glass Mountian (http://www.romanticasheville.com/looking_glass.htm).
Pretty Macho if I must say so myself...
As for App State. The place is a-buzz. That program has had such an up swing it's amazing. I am looking around the office today to show off my "Michigan Who?" t-shirt I got on campus (as well as my black eye and scab-face).
--Midway--
September 4, 2007
I think the Michigan lineman on the left need to take the blame for that one.
September 4, 2007
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