madlithuanian

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2008/09/bu...ple_on_the.html Bucs TE Stevens: "People on the Bears got exposed" By Brad Biggson September 24, 2008 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0) Thankfully, the postgame chatter has moved on from low blows but that doesn't mean shots are not still being taken. Tampa Bay tight end Jerramy Stevens, fresh off his two-game league suspension, made his debut this season at Soldier Field and hauled in a one-yard touchdown catch to force overtime. Stevens made five receptions for 61 yards, including a 31-yarder. "I personally feel like some people on the Bears got exposed,'' Stevens said. "But I'm not going to mention no names.'' Seeing as the Bucs passed for 407 yards, Stevens has a point. The Bears will go about correcting those flaws today when they begin preparations at Halas Hall to face Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that will come to Soldier Field for the Sunday night game with some key injuries. More on that later today.

Dammit. The McCaskey's just found Angelo's replacement...

Sad but true. I swear this is like De-jauron Vu...

I've been saying it for years... I keep wanting a beter LB in the draft. I'd like to get Laurinaitis and start him there with the aspect that he will take over for Url... I wanted the same with Derrick Johnson a few years back, but nfo says he wouldn't be able to play the position. I think he could have. While I let it slide because Hunter was playing well, I think his slowness and age and catching up with him fast...

I think anything shy of a playoff appearance should dictate his departure...but I could understand keeping him at 7-9. And I fully agree that mgmt won't let happen regardless. Fair enough... But people only remember what you did last. Not 2 years ago...and most non-Bears fans just point me to the Cards game and say you did go with smoke & mirrors after losing to the Colts in the SB. They don't bother to go back to the 2 prior years,etc... It's all perception. And while the Raiders are indeed far worse...we are only a few years of 6-10's away... I hope we steer far clear of that.

I basically agree. They've made their bed, now they need to sleep in it. Hopefully, all of us won't be forced into bed with them again. I'll need too many paper bags...

http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/ COWHER RUMORS FLY IN CLEVELAND Posted by Mike Florio on September 24, 2008, 12:32 p.m. We’ve ignore the stream of e-mails on the subject, but they’re becoming more frequent, and we’d prefer to be left alone. Apparently, plenty of folks in Cleveland have heard that former Steelers coach Bill Cowher has bought a home in Strongsville, Ohio. It’s creating a buzz on the Internet, and for good reason. Cowher’s purchase of a North Carolina home in early 2006 fueled rumors that he would be leaving the Steelers After the 2006 season, he did. But the Browns have a coach. They also have a G.M. If Cowher were to join the franchise, he’d want to run the show. And that means that both Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage would have to go. And for Cowher to already be sufficiently confident of those moves that he’d buy a house in the area, it means that he would have acquired some understanding from owner Randy Lerner that Crennel and Savage will be out, and that Cowher will take over. The biggest problem with this scenario is the rule named for Cowher’s former boss in Pittsburgh. The Browns can’t simply fire Crennel and hire Cowher. At least one minority candidate must be interviewed, and few if any will agree to interview for the job if it appears that Cowher has already been chosen. So we’d be very surprised to learn that Cowher actually has purchased a house in the Cleveland area or that, if so, he has done it because he plans on coaching the Browns. Even if Lerner had entered into a wink-nod arrangement with Cowher, it would be beyond stupid for Cowher to buy a house in Cleveland months before the plan can unfold.

Yep... Another brilliant offensive player drafted...

Good point! Darn that Bradley for dropping all those passes this season! Um, di I mean Davis?

I read it in the Trib on line I think... They stated to the effect that the bears players seemed tired...

Agreed, mostly. I still have issue with Turner overall...but the article is well presented.

Fair enough! Agreed, if we have yet another losing season, he should be canned. We are a laughing stock by virtue of our past. Other than Oakland ad SF, none of those teams had any real history of greatness. Maybe a little for KC early in the 60's. And Oakland is chock full of talent awaiting a new coach and SF seems to have found yet another QB somehow... It's just more of how the mighty have fallen in our case. Especially so soon after a good run up until the SB. People generally assume all those teams will be bad, and they're starting to assume the Bears can be lumped in there too... We should be 1-2. That's how we played. That's what it is. That's what this team deserves. I eagerly await the rest of the season... As I mentioned in another post, I hope for the best, but I am now preparing for the worst. And part of that is still seeing Smith on staff even if we do tank the season. Go Forte! Go Bears!

Good points on the economics of it... As I am a Libertarian, most of what you mention follows the general anti-socialism philosophy I generally adhere to. There are certain elements in place already that makes a true market society kind of a pipe dream. But, we needs to proceed with extreme caution when government is doing something for us... However, you point out the things McCain's done, yet you forget one very important thing...he's one of the Keating 5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five It's not only a cool thing to blame Bush for the "war". it's also 100% correct. He is the commander-in-chief. You can call him a figurehead, but his small head figured in a lot of the lies that got us into this "war" that many of our fine young men and women are paying dearly for. Congress sure screwed the pooch stopping it, but it was railroaded through Congress by Bush labeling anyone opposed at unpatriotic in a McCarthy-esque fashion. And at the time, weren't we all fooled into thinking Iraq had weapons of mass destruction by the Bush admin? It is a blatant falsehood and he should be impeached immediately. It is more anti-American to blatantly and venhemently disregard the US Constitution as GW Bush has done time and time again. Thankfully, McCain is not Bush. But unfortunately, he's not too far removed.

It's easy... because if we get more of the same (no reaction), I expect more of the same (bone-head actions). The outcome doesn't change. That's not hte issue. The issue is what this HC is doing to try to prevent what has happened in the past from happening in the future. If you do nothing, you tend to see the same problems, like we have over the poast 2 weeks. As much as I may joke about it, Smith is not an idiot. I'm sure he knows there's an issue. However, I'm not sure he's capable of knowing what to do about it. The team has let Smith do it as he pleases for the past few years. While successful 2 years ago, that same philosophy does not appear to working any more. Again, if successful, leway is given. If not, then less leway is given. In a nutshell, I'm upset in the manner he has treated fans over the years. He takes us for complete idiots. He knows better than that. He threw us all a bone when hired wanting to beat Green Bay... Now all of a sudden, it's somehwat asked of him to show some emotion, and he can't? I'd love nothing more than for him at his conference to really go off on how absolutely disappointed he his. Not give his usual, "well, if not for a few errors, we're 3-0. We're working on it and will look at game film." I am simply frustrated with this coaching staff... I have been now for a while. I'm tired of losing. I'm tired of the Bears being the laughing stock of the league. This is a proud storied franchise, and we are a freaking joke right now. We are chokers extrodinaire. That's the MO now... Sorry, I'm venting because I care and I'm freaking disappointed to the nth degree...

Ha! Yep...some of the numbers look good. Some look bad. It's the "L" that hurts... I think it's more than scheme and talent. It's also motivation and conditioning. Our team lacks motivation (stupid penalties, drops, etc.) , lacks conditioning (just read about TB's reaction to us after the game), lacks good schemes (on D as nfo has spelled out at length, and on O where Turner seems to call at least on bone-head series per game), and talent (Davis' drops, Orton's inaccuracy, no sacks, etc...) It's a molotov cocktail of bad... Seems like it could be something that could turn around. But, I fear it won't and history (last year in particular) will repeat itself. I am hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

Connor, when have I ever stated I'm OK and just hunky dory with losing? Would I be disaapointed less with a more energetic reaction? A bit. At least I would feel like he's at least ackowledging a problem and doing something that I as a paying customer can see... I'm supposed to trust him that he'll repremand his players later? The same Zombie Smith that holds camps that are considered a "country club" atmosphere? The same Zombie Smith who told us to trust him when he let Chico go and brought in the great Bob Babitch? Sorry, my trust is gone... I think we all want to win bottom line. And if we win, the reaction could be complete stocism or insanity. But when we lose, and do so in the same fashion 2 weeks in a row and you still get stoicism...I, for one, am not satisfied by the (lack of) reaction.

No matter what I look at, I seem to just feel sick to my stomach...

Agreed... Thanks for the link...good read. I think Turner did better...but overall, I'm just not pleased.

Stay away from both parties... One steals money from your left pocket, the other from the right. However, right now, my right pocket's completely empty. I'm going to give the left a whirl for this one... Until we truly have a 3rd party (or more) option...the govt will continue to railroad rights off the map and still cozy up to too many lobbyists no matter what they promise us now before the election.

We are only really developing a RB and one OL (Beekman)...you can argue Orton too.

Agreed that the circumstances are now slightly different, if not almost opposite. (D supposed to be good, running game questionable)... Overall, I just don't get a sense that this team is going up...

You are really onto something there with Toub...

I can't really argue any of your takes... No matter how you slice it, it's sad! And it's probably going to be this way for a few more years before we hit the re-boot button...

Love the zombie reference! I think I will now start referring to Lovie, as Zombie Smith (no disrespect to Rob or George Romero)

If I recall correctly, both nfo and I called this season a quasi-rebuild and we pretty much got blasted for thinking that... Things could still change, but it certainly appears we were onto something.