NFL Training Camps Opening Amid High Hopes

July 22, 2014 @ admin → No Comments

Random thoughts (or what passes for such around here) while counting down the hours till training camp begins for the Chicago Bears (OK, not really, but it does open this week):

Ready for some football? Arijana Maric is. Oh, wrong football.

* The best thing about NFL training camp is the unbridled enthusiasm that approximately 30 or so of the teams have. The worst thing about NFL training camp is the unbridled enthusiasm that about 30 or so of the teams have. Commissioner Roger Goodell and the folks running the franchises like the concept of parity with more teams in playoff contention as long as possible. Some fans prefer dynastic teams — with the guess being that those fans are of teams such as the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, etc. who know their team will be in the postseason provided that calamitous injury does not befall their heroes in the fall.

* Speaking of the NFL postseason, Bears fans already believe their team at the very least will gain a wild-card berth. It’s way too early to determine whether those fans are optimistic or delusional.

More Arijana Maric.

* The Chicago Bulls re-signed veteran guard Kirk Hinrich and 2014 second-round draft pick Cameron Bairstow. Hinrich is expected to have a role as a backup point and shooting guard, while Bairstow is expected to have a seat on the bench (and that’s if he meets with coach Tom Thibodeau’s approval).

* Chicago White Sox left-hander Chris Sale once again pitched impressively, as the Sox vanquished visiting Kansas City 3-1. OK, maybe “vanquished” is a bit much (but you gotta like that alliteration, no?) Sale gave up one run in seven innings and improved to 9-1. He lowered his earned-run average to 2.03. No question he is worthy of Cy Young Award consideration. No doubt he would win, if the voting were done by Sox fans. Seattle’s Felix Hernandez is 11-2 with a 2.02 ERA in 21 starts to Sale’s 15. Sale does have a 0.86 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) to 0.90 to Hernandez. King Felix has done so in 49 1/3 more innings. Hernandez also has 90 percent quality starts to 80 percent for Sale. Sox fans can relax (slightly) knowing the awards covers the entire season and not merely the first 100 or so games of the season. Whew!

* The Chicago Cubs had the day off, so the focus had to be in their minor-league affiliates. As if that’s any different from most any other day this season. No one of any consequence did anything of anything of any consequence on the Cubs’ minor-league teams Monday. Which, of course, is not true. Mainly because anything anyone of any consequence — and even those of virtually no consequence to the big-league team’s future — does is of extreme interest to some of those fantastic fans the Cubs have. Not to be confused with those fans who continue to fill Wrigley Field to provide little incentive to the Ricketts family to put a team worthy of spending major money to see a major-league team. What’s the going ticket price for a Class AAAA game?

* Speaking of the Cubs, first baseman Anthony Rizzo was named National League player of the week. Which is almost like playing in the postseason. No? Guess not. Best some of us can do on short — or long — notice.

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