Harry Chappas

Here is what I do not get. How did the Bears actually look pretty good last season to looking like this. The only thing I can think of is that teams now are much more prepared for the Trestman offense and in its current form it is easily read. The whole thing needs to go from Phillips on down every hire is now a mistake. This is Emery's third year of fielding players. His talent evaluation is no great shakes and the coaching staff is an embarrassment. Sadly Kromer will need to go as well as a new regime will want their own HC and OC. There is no bright side to this team or positive aspect. There is some talent there but nothing earth shattering. The same excuse of injury does not fly. No football team should look like that team has the last two weeks and expect to exist in any way shape or form going forward. Sadly there will be no admonishment by the organization. Tucker and maybe DeCamilis will be fired after the season and replaced by some other dolts, they will go 5-11 and then they will go from there. The problem with the team currently is nobody worth a s*** will want to work with Cutler and/or Emery.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 04:01 PM) I have a feeling the Cubs are going to be "interested" in every top FA. With that said, they have a chance to be scary good in the next few years if they add the right pieces. http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer/jon-he...-russell-martin This is the year where you see what the payroll will look like and what cash is available to them. All of the younger players will be paid less while these free agents are paid.

At some point the democrats got my email. I seriously get about 50 emails a day from some democratic bs looking for funds. Chicago elections are still horsehit and rigged. I live in Chicago and the city and state results do not seem possible. My alderman got 90% of the vote and the guy did not have a real job prior to becoming alderman. My state rep is even worse and she got 90% as well.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Nov 3, 2014 -> 04:10 PM) I'll take Bochy over him personally. He's a top 5, but I have a hard time saying he's the best. Right now it is Bochy and then the rest.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 3, 2014 -> 12:06 PM) lol, no, not THAT George Lucas. Different man Well I gotta tell you I heard that on talk radio and that was what they were pointing out. Damn talk radio got me again.

George Lucas, yes that George Lucas, owns two of the rooftops, the Cubby Bear and the Sports Corner. He is building the Star Wars museum in Chicago. I get the feeling there is something going on with Lucas, The city and the cubs.

Discovery channel paid him and I believe I heard 21M people tuned in.

Equal or close enough cubs with get the free agents Goes all the way back to Andrea Dawson, not sure why but there is some allure.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Oct 31, 2014 -> 09:56 AM) Baez didn't play well when he got to Chicago but he'd shown enough at Iowa to earn the callup. Don't look at this in hindsight. Kris Bryant deserved the call up which kind of shoots down my marketing theory but he is more of a money risk by bringing him up early. With Maddon he should start opening day. The cubs position is a glamorous role for some reason that affected the predecessors negatively the question will be how he reacts.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 10:36 PM) 2 years at one level isn't rushing him. The mistake was made two years ago no need to continue to compound that mistake start him at A+ and go from there.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 31, 2014 -> 01:10 AM) http://sonsofanarchy.wikia.com/wiki/Renee_O%27Leary_Egan Does that mean we have to watch this woman again...? Maybe that whole storyline could fit nicely into a prequel series that was talked about.

Was talking to a cub fan friend last night and he expressed a little concern that this is the same as the Lou Pinella hiring. While everyone understands on the surface this is a good/great move, the part of Maddon bringing hoopla to a team that could have simply played baseball and progressed under Renteria who did a pretty good job gets lost. As with bringing up Soler and Baez last year the cub seems to be going toward the marketing angle of things. Also how are the Tigers and Maddon not a match made in heaven.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 10:34 PM) That was a brutal turnover by Bickell to tie it, though there was a lot of that tonight. Nice to see Sharpie give us the second point. That was his last shift of the night also.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 04:51 PM) I could have sworn I heard fine and possible draft pick forfeiture As I pointed out yesterday the cubs were guilty of tampering for Theo and now again, it could be a little tougher this time.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 01:08 PM) Its true that Maddon lost a lot of games when he first showed up, but once the talent from the minors started coming up, you could tell that he had a pretty good grasp on how to deal with it. The Cubs are banking on the same thing happening, and it isnt a dumb gamble. It will be interesting to see the reaction if the Cubs stumble out of the gates, though It is a good move my problem is that the minion media and fans will pencil it in as a world series guarantee and the hoopla and pageantry will be off the charts.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 11:59 AM) Examples? Matt Flynn is the prime example sucks everywhere but Green Bay Alex Smith sucked until harbaugh took over Anyone that played on the Patriots the last 15 years including Tom Brady Kevin Kolb or most guys that played under Andy Reid If you think that coaching has nothing to do with developing quarterbacks we will have to agreed to disagree. I personally thinking coaching and scheme has as much to do with a quarterbacks success as talent alone. If Mark Trestman is to be thought of as an offensive coach then the offense should shine under him....especially with the talent that is there now.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 10:15 AM) And they drafted a guy who turns out to be even better. If only the Bears can draft an all time great at QB. The Bears never focused on a QB through the draft or free agency they have always been a defensive focused team. Coaching and a scheme could make a quarterback and usually do more times than pure talent.

I felt the Giants were pitching around Perez with that sequence

Well SOA has officially lost me. The show is now just about proving what an asshole Jax Teller is. They oughta just shoot everyone and end the Redwood Originals. Oh and the thing with O'Leary is set up for the prequel which could be really good.....sigh

Mark Trestman is paid to make guys like Matt Flynn serviceable quarterbacks similar to why McCarthy was hired in Green Bay and was able to let go of a great quarterback without missing a beat.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 09:17 AM) I suppose I have. Don't really care though. As soon as the Sox won a World Series that s*** ended for me. I like the Cubs plan. I like the prospects. I hope that they get good and push the White Sox to remain good as well. It's f***ing Chicago. Both teams should be consistently good. I guess I'd just rather have Joe Maddon in town than somewhere else. The problem I have with the cub is the media coverage is over the top for them. We will hear all winter long that Joe Maddon is the second coming and how awesome he really is. It is a good hire but I also think there will be a tampering investigation.

It is a good hire. If there is a tampering case MLB could come down hard as the Theo tampering was a little more than brushed aside. Also the guy is a little up there in years btw.

I believe the issues with this franchise starts with the McCaskey puppets like Ted Phillips. Maranilli may have told Emery he was on board with the Bears.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Oct 28, 2014 -> 09:51 AM) Anyway, skipped to the 7th of the game on the DVR last night. I'd forgotten how Thome absolutely annihilated that ball. Ridiculous. So did I that was something.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Oct 27, 2014 -> 05:02 PM) Are you going to ignore the fact that opposing defenses have talked about the simplicity of our scheme and the fact that we do a very poor job of running multiple plays out of certain lineups. Obviously take it for what it is worth cause it is coming from the opposition but still alarming nonetheless. At some point everyone will have to agree that Jay Cutler can make all of the throws needed to play in the NFL but simply does not have the mind needed to be an NFL quarterback. How many coaches need to dumb down their system for Jay Cutler and then when he does not produce it is the coaches fault and off they go. Emery and Trestman put heir eggs in the Jay Cutler basket and that is not a good thing to do if you are an NFL coach that likes their job.