The Beast

I guess I am trying to figure out where the so called silent majority or silent Trump voters would be coming from, unless they are lying to pollsters. Hopefully the polls hold up in the states where it matters. What candidates did you consider competent and why are the current candidates not competent (aside from the obvious)?

How would a viable third party candidate get on the scene though? It seems like the closest to third party was Ross Perot and Ralph Nader or maybe Jill Stein. Bernie Sanders is an independent who campaigns with the Democratic Party. And then there is an assortment of other parties on the ballot, but don’t poll well enough to make debates. I’m just not sure what views a third party candidate could offer that could convince more voters than the two major parties, or how a third party candidate could be funded, short of self funding. Also, do we think the polling is wrong and that droves of people are lying to pollsters?

May I ask if any candidates this time around from the primaries appealed to you? Also, can I ask why Biden isn’t decent if Hillary is?

What do you think will happen next week? We won’t know the results next week. The surge in mail ballots and the ensuing court battles will make this election a second coming of Bush v. Gore unless...turnout and votes clearly declare a winner. Who will win the presidency? Will it be close or a landslide? Will there be court battles? My 2016 head and heart still leaves me skeptical that Trump will lose, but I think Biden has a good shot at winning if: - The overall turnout is high. - He peels off enough non-college educated voters from Trump in the right states. - He gets significant Black and suburban turnout in the right states. - He retakes the blue firewall and Arizona or takes part of the blue firewall and Arizona and North Carolina or wins Florida and loses some of, but not the majority of the blue fire wall. - If the polls are somewhat true and come out in Biden’s favor. Do the Republicans maintain control of the Senate, or do the Democrats take over? Democrats win CO, AZ, NC, MI, MN, ME and the GOP win IA, AL, both seats in GA and TX. Democrats get a 51-49 majority in the best case scenario and the worst case they are tied 50-50 or down 51-49 if ME and NC go to the GOP.

“officials called Akiem Hicks for four infractions (two of which were declined). Hicks has been called for nine penalties, which is the most in the NFL, one ahead of Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith.“ https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/ct-cb-chicago-bears-10-thoughts-brad-biggs-20201027-geceoobr65acvk6la5xl53sf5i-story.html He shouldn’t be smiling for the amount of penalties he’s been called on and the chunks of yards the defense gives up in high leverage situations. It is easy to blame Nagy and have people want to fire him as a coach but then if he gets fired Pace has to go to and a new regime has to start over again. Maybe Nagy gives up play calling or they invest in the offensive line with a high pick next year. In the short term, put Patterson at returning punts, run some sweeps with receivers, try some play action, stop running up the gut with Montgomery and go outside the tackles more, use more sets with Graham and Kmet where there is either play action or straight passes, include a Trubisky package and use Pearce or Miller as a second running back while ending the Patterson experiment. On the radio in Chicago, all I hear about is Matt Nagy and his play calling and less about changes to help the team or make things better in the long term. It is lazy analysis of the Chicago media or fans just focus on Nagy and not the rest of the team. I’m glad you see more than just Nagy being the problem though.

I would love to know what Hicks is talking about out there, he looks like he’s smiling when everything is going to hell. He’s the one I always see getting flagged on defense like Harris getting flagged on offense. This offensive line sucks. What happened to all of the plays they ran well in the first year? Why can’t they run sweeps like the Rams can?

Can you please explain further?

I know there are rules in this forum, but your post was thought provoking and I thought I would mention some of what I have been thinking since I think it adds to the discussion quite nicely. One of the things I have been thinking of post election is how there’s a certain segment of my race and gender (white male) that chooses to emulate the kind of behavior that the president shows towards people of a different persuasion, posting memes and shared posts that fits their views and ganging up with their tribe on anyone who disagrees with them. If the president gets re-elected, I think we will see more of that and that gets in the way of the progress I want to see with unity in the country. I was very upset when he won in 2016 and critiqued his every move when he entered office. I had the unique opportunity to talk to some of his supporters in person at a work event and heard how they didn’t like being labeled racist, sexist, etc. and have some sought to understand why the electorate voted and continue to vote for him, whether it is immigration, economic situations, etc. I have also done this by reading news of different persuasions and listening to different podcasts on people who support and vote for him to complement hearing views from people who I know don’t. I still think that labeling others is dangerous since not everyone fits in the same party and has the same beliefs. At the federal level, I voted democratic because I disapprove of the Senate and the administration, but locally, I voted republican because I don’t approve of how the Illinois Democratic Party handles fiscal policy. What I am getting at is there is more nuance to voters and not everyone votes a straight ticket. As Americans, we have to find a way to engage in a healthy debate or in productive conversion over policy without being tribal, playing whataboutism games or personally attacking others. I also think it is better to adapt diversity and inclusion for the sake of coming together, having empathy for others and trying to understand others. I hope this is what we see because that will make our nation stronger. It might be aspirational but so is the experiment we have had the privilege to live in for hundreds of years.

It’s going to go away and we will have a vaccine by the end of the year.

That article is one way to get run out of the industry, just like McNeil did with his comments.

Interesting how there were few comments about this. With how involved the players are with the FO, I wouldn’t think TLR is very popular with the team’s culture. Bernstein had some good points and a nice rant on his show about things TLR said over the last decade about analytics, being pro-flag and against Kaepernick’s protests.

My mistake, thank you for explaining.

Who said a discussion had to be about winning? It’s about an exchange of ideas and an interesting perspective with lots of good minds on this board.

Use the Twitch site on Wednesdays, it always brightens my day.?

Let the record show that these posters do not support a Hinch hire. Baron, Harold’s Leg Lift, 35thstreetswarm, YourWhatHurts, JoshPR, black jack, Green Line, Jack Parkman, Blackout Friday.

My vote should be: Yes, it bothers me somewhat, but I think he is among the most qualified for the job and towards meeting the goal of taking the team to the next level.

There are fair points on the cheating scandal, but Hahn has to address those in the interview process. What it boils down to for me is that you hire the best person available and I think that is Hinch, going off of what Stone has said.

Will you and others quit following the team then and go meatball like Bears fans are with Nagy?

Then bring on the usual suspects and hire Hurdle or Bochy, get Francona out of his deal or hire Alomar, Jr. This kind of move smells like the Maddon move and so the best available manager is...?

Is Sandy Alomar, Jr. the guy for today’s baseball game though? I guess we won’t know if he knows analytics better than Hinch or Cora but it is worth considering. I sincerely doubt that they’ll allow something like that cheating scandal to happen again but that is on Hahn to raise during the interview process and gauge the risk of as well.

I’m not sure why people on this board are dragging out the previous generation of managers, people that have been passed up for manager jobs at the MLB level, are mentioning guys from the minor leagues and are dismissing two of the best candidates in Cora and Hinch, but parting ways with Renteria doesn’t seem to signal they are hiring anyone that isn’t going to take them to the next level. Aside from the negative perception of the cheating issue with Cora and Hinch, is there anything else that disqualifies either of them from getting this team to the next level?

Bring on AJ Hinch or Alex Cora!

Reform could come in a few different ways, reduced pensions, stopping double dipping, capping pensions, getting rid of the 3% COLA and replacing it with something else or keeping pace with current payments but changing to a new 401(k) like system. I want teachers I know to get a retirement, but the pension system as it is now just isn’t sustainable.

I was referring more to the state’s pension obligations and lack of reform. What did you mean?

I’ve had a few questions on my mind and wonder what you all think: - Does the Bears defense miss Eddie Goldman and need him to play at a high level? - Should the Bears consider having a Mitch package to change it up a la Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia? - Is it clear the Bears needed a true backup running back to complement David Montgomery or is Patterson enough? I’m wondering if Lamar Miller would be worth it, which I think he would.