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Alone atop the NFC North. Yes, it’s early. But if there is one thing life teaches us, it is to enjoy it while we can. So Chicago Bears fans will. Or should. After all, with a second come-from-behind victory Sunday (31-30 vs. the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field), the Bears are 2-0 and in first place all by themselves. Which you could not say last week and might not be able to say next week (as far as the being in first place all by themselves — unless they win at Pittsburgh, in which case they would be at 3-0, or so the statistical department around here says.
Some consolation for losing to Bears: The VIkings may not have a victory, but they do have cheerleaders.
* Speaking of the statistical department at elliottharris.com, it has done some serious calculating in the aftermath of Sunday’s victory achieved when quarterback Jay Cutler hit tight end Martellus Bennett for a 16-yard touchdown with 10 seconds left. For those who felt the Bears were no better than a .500 ballclub heading into the season, if the Bears go 7-7 in their remaining regular-season games, they would be 9-7. Which very well could be enough to reach the postseason. If they go 8-6, they would be 10-6. Which almost guarantees them a playoff spot. And if they go 14-0, they would be 16-0 and causing some of the members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins to root against them so that the ’72 Dolphins can retain its place in history as the only team with a perfect regular-season record and a Super Bowl championship.
* Exclusive statistical analysis: After hours of research, the stats crew around here has been unable to discover a coach with a better winning percentage than first-year Bears genius (well, so far) Marc Trestman’s 1.000.
* Speaking of Cutler, wonder if he will reveal at his weekly press conference whether retired Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher telephoned him to offer congratulations on his performance Sunday.
* Speaking of Bennett, he has three touchdowns in two games. Bears tight ends had three touchdowns total in 2012. With 10 catches for 125 yards in 2013, Bennett very likely will better the 2012 team totals for tight ends: 22 catches for 257 yards — by Week 8, if not sooner.
* Speaking of yet more statistics, Devin Hester had a franchise-record 249 return yards against the Vikings. Known on some teams as a good season. Gee, Hester can be such an offensive force, maybe they should try to convert him to being a wide receiver. Oh, yeah. That experiment was conducted and had to be included as one of the reasons for the Lovie Smith era as Bears coach ending after the 2012 season.
* And, yes, Sunday featured baseball with a Chicago team playing a game that had postseason ramifications. Of course, it happened to be the host Pittsburgh Pirates who are playoff-bound, but that’s merely a minor point. Anyway, the Cubs lost 3-2 to keep Pittsburgh tied for first place in the National League Central. That’s the division in which the Cubs reside and in which they’re going to be a force soon. Really? Not unless St. Louis and/or Cincinnati move out of the division.
* Speaking of the Cubs, they handed Francisco Liriano (16-7) his first no-decision of the season. Maybe that will make the 2013 highlight video. Not that the Cubs are finished playing meaningful games. A sweep of their four-game series in Milwaukee that starts Monday night would lift them past the Brewers and out of last place. Hey, Cubs fans still can dream, can’t they?
* Not to say that a four-hour-plus rain delay might have caused more than a few fans to depart U.S. Cellular Field, but the Cleveland Indians’ 7-1 victory over the White Sox might have had more home runs (four, all by the Indians) than spectators in the stands. For those scoring at home (or possibly elsewhere), the announced attendance for the game was 18,631.
* Remember when Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham was hitting .300? After going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Sunday, he is hitting .264.
* The Sox offered fans with tickets to Sunday’s game a free ticket to a home game next April — other than opening day or the series featuring the Boston Red Sox (April 15-17). As if Sox fans haven’t sufered enough already.
Here is where to go for a daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks to the editorial and video departments at elliottharris.com and their view of what is “gratuitous”):
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