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Giants at Bears Game Preview, Volume II: The Dinner that Wasn’t with JD, Giants Can’t Score, Two in a Row?!?!

| December 31st, 2021


Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?

I always like the Chicago Bears.

And why not? There are only two game left. Might as well enjoy them.


On the Passing of Jeff Dickerson

So…true story.

A few years ago, when the Bears were in NJ to play the Giants, I told Jahns I would book a dinner. A good steakhouse downtown. I also told him to invite the other beats. (As long as Haugh wasn’t on that list, I knew it was fine.) I have good relationships with Fishbain, Finley, etc. so I didn’t think we’d have an issue. We’d eat good food, drink a bunch, and bitch about the Bears. Maybe I’d even pick up the tab for the pricks.

I get a text from Adam a few days before the planned dinner. It more or less said, “What did you write about JD?”

Dickerson, when hearing of my involvement, balked at the idea. Apparently, he did not take kindly to some of the things I had written about his work over the years and viewed me as a toxic figure. (I mean, I am toxic, but that’s just because my blood is about 3% Coors Banquet.) I couldn’t find the things I had written, and neither could Adam, but I also didn’t challenge the notion. When the bulk of Bears media went to the digital realm, this space became a sort of ombudsman for them. It was no longer about calling a radio station or sending a letter to complain a column. I could copy and paste large chunks of text and directly refute ideas. Some didn’t mind. Some really did. (I’ve stopped doing that primarily because I’ve stopped reading just about everyone but Jahns.)

Anyway, I made it easy on Jahns and extricated myself from the situation. I didn’t want anyone to be uncomfortable.

Later that night, Adam brought a few of the boys down to Josie Woods to watch Northwestern play the Big Ten title game. A good time was had by all, except JD. He didn’t come.

After reading the beautiful remembrances of his life this week, I wish that week had gone differently. I wish I’d reached out to him and apologized for whatever upset him and I wish we could have split the candied bacon at Strip House. I think he would have liked me. I know I would have liked it.

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The GoFundMe started for his poor son, a kid who has lost both parents to cancer in two years, is now (through the incredible work of Adam Schefter) approaching nearly a million dollars in donations. If you can give a few bucks, do so.


The Only New York Giant Stat/Fact That Matters

They can’t score.

Their last six games: 10 points vs. Tampa, 13 vs. Philly, 9 vs. Miami, 21 (!) for Los Angeles Chargers, 6 vs. Dallas and 10 vs. Philly. They are averaging 11.5 points a game over this period and some of these points actually came in garbage time. (I know, I’ve been gambling against them weekly.) Over these six weeks the Giants are three point worse than the Jags have been all season.

On the road, against this Bears pass rush, with the combination of Glennon and Fromm at quarterback, the Giants aren’t likely to improve upon these numbers.

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Three Bears Thoughts as We Enter July

| June 30th, 2015

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As most of you know, this site does not produce content for content’s sake or for clicks. And as you’ll see with our upcoming sponsor announcements, money doesn’t drive the DBB omnibus. From Labor Day to New Year’s there is new stuff here every single day. This time of year? Not so much.

But I have a few thoughts…

#1 Jared Allen may be the key to the 2015 Bears defense. The more I think about this group heading into the season, the more I wonder just what Vic Fangio and John Fox and going to do with Allen. Is he going to have his hand on the ground? Is he going to be a stand-up outside linebacker? If I were the defensive brain trust I would never stop moving Allen around the defensive front and install a singleminded: get the quarterback.

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Diving Into the Offseason: GM Interviews, Coaching Candidates & the Free Agent List

| January 5th, 2015

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  • Bears set to interview Lake Dawson (Tuesday) and Chris Ballard (Wednesday) for their GM position, per Adam Schefter. You know what I’d like to see from the Bears this week? Once they identify the guy they want, hire him. If Ballard is the guy they’ve truly wanted since even before they fired Phil Emery a week ago (as was suggested in multiple locations), don’t let him leave Halas Hall Wednesday without discussing terms of the contract and scheduling the press conference for Thursday morning. The firings of Emery and Trestman were decisive actions by owner George McCaskey. Let’s keep that decisiveness going.
  • Here’s what worries me about Todd Bowles: his sideline demeanor reminds me of Marc Trestman and Lovie Smith and Dick Jauron. Bruce Arians described Bowles as “soft-spoken” and haven’t we seen how sideline stoicism plays in the city of Chicago? You can call this a non-issue if you like but the lack of fire and passion from the Bears has been a major issue over the last two seasons. McCaskey should be looking for a man to change that.
  • Second thought on this. Jim Fassel coached the Giants to a Super Bowl appearance during his time with the Giants but he was a nightmare off the field and was way too lenient with his players inside the locker room. Longtime Giants owner Wellington Mara wanted to follow Fassel with the polar opposite. He went to Tom Coughlin. Giants won two titles.

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Observations from the City of Chicago

| December 22nd, 2014

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(1) The city, the people walking up and down the sidewalks, universally hate Jay Cutler and it is ENTIRELY about his body language, demeanor. All of those debates and articles I have scoffed at for years are having a dramatic impact, especially on those who are more casually fans. I write columns disparaging folks like Rosenbloom and Haugh. Those columns are met with, “Why bother? Those are idiots!” Guess what? Those are the columns permeating the city.

(2) Yes there were thousands of Lions fans in attendance but I couldn’t be more impressed with the Bears fans at Soldier Field Sunday. You could feel the desperation. They wanted to stand. They wanted to shout. And when the game presented them opportunities to do so they leapt to their feet and blew out their voices. On a day where the Bears handed out the most ridiculous pin in football history (see above) Bears fans showed why they deserve to be appreciated.

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Audible at the Long Snapper?

| July 28th, 2014

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The Bears have one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. They drafted a booming leg out of Miami to erase the tortured memory of Shank Podlesh. But do they have someone to get the football to them under pressure?

Chad Rempel was meant to be Marc Trestman’s hand-picked-out-of-Canada successor to Pat Mannelly but things have not gone well to this point. Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago Tweeted:

I’ve seen more bad snaps in the last 3 days than I did in the last 15 years.

How often do you hear a coach admit a potential starter is not on the roster as August approaches? Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis did just that. From Rich Campbell:

Sunday’s performances won’t decide the competition, of course, and DeCamillis maintained a zoomed-out view after practice. Neither snapper stood out for negative plays in field goal drills earlier in camp.

“We’ve got to work through the process and find out who our guy is going to be,” he said. “Hopefully he’s on this team right now. He may not be. We’ll have to see. I wouldn’t say concern. I’ve been in this position before with young guys. You’ve just got to work through the process.”

If the Bears eventually are compelled to look outside the organization, the talent available is expected to improve after final cuts on Aug. 30.

It is a position of concern in Chicago for the first time in a decade and a half.

 

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