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Monday meanderings: In light of the Chicago Bears’ 40-32 loss Sunday to the Lions in Detroit, some folks may take a dim view of the previously undefeated team under first-year coach Marc Trestman. The reality is both the Bears and Lions are 3-1, tied for first place in the NFC North. Further reality says there is the overwhelming likelihood that neither team will go 15-1 or 3-13. For Bears fans, the unanswered question is whether their team will be as good as they envisioned when it was going 3-0 or whether their team will be as bad as they never envisioned in losing to the Lions. Which will keep folks interested, just what the NFL always envisions.
Here is the 2013 Olympia bikini winner Ashley Kaltwasser.
* OK, so while I was watching the Bears-Lions game on television, I have to admit I was waiting for someone to come into the offensive huddle and bring Bears quarterback Jay Cutler a Snickers candy bar — like in those commercials — and have him revert to the QB we had seen in Weeks 1-3. Must have happened late in the game when I wasn’t looking, and he led the Bears to two touchdowns and two two-point conversions to make the score respectable.
* Given the yardage (387) and points the Bears defense allowed, it seems only reasonable at some point for former linebacker Brian Urlacher — or at least his faithful following — to offer his view that the damage would have been significantly less if he was still playing.
* In the battle in the backfields for rushing supremacy, Reggie Bush of the Lions ran 18 times for 139 yards (7.7 per carry) with a long run of 37 yards. Matt Forte of the Bears ran 14 times for 95 yards (6.8) with a long run of 53 yards. Meaning if you take away each player’s long run, Forte averaged 3.2 on his other carries and Bush 6.0. At least that’s what the statistical analysis crew around here calculated. In case you were wondering about which player had a more prolonged, profound impact.
* For all those who thought Cutler was in the top two among NFC North QBs, there might be some recalculating after the performance by Matthew Stafford of the Lions, who was 23-of-35 for 232 yards for a TD. Then again, neither of those guys is Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints. Otherwise known as the Bears’ opponent next Sunday. In case Bears fans thought things might get easier for the defense.
Here is the 2013 Olympia figure champion Nicole Wilkins.
* Speaking of statistical analysis, when Cutler throws three interceptions and loses a fumble in a game, the chances ot the Bears winning are greatly diminished. Then again, the Bears were one onsides kick recovered, one ensuing TD in the closing seconds and a two-point conversion from sending the game into overtime. At which point you could forget what happened in regulation. Which speaks to the Lions’ vulnerability more than to the Bears ability.
* Speaking of ability (baseball rather than football), the Cubs ended the season with a 4-0 loss to the Cardinals in St. Louis. So that means the Cubs, who lost 101 games in 2012, improved (if we can use that word with these results) to 96 defeats in 2013. If that’s not progress, then what it is? Why, at this rate, Theo Epstein’s five-year plan should be a rousing success when the team finishes at .500. Which ought to be 2016 at the present rate of improvement. Challenging for a postseason berth — and with it the dream of the first Cubs World Series crown since 1908 — well, that might be another matter. And perhaps another president of baseball operations and general manager.
* If it’s any consolation to Cubs fans (and the guess here is that it actually might be), as bad as the Cubs’ season was, at least they weren’t the White Sox. They ended with 99 losses after Kansas City took the season finale 4-1 at U.S. Cellular Field. Attendance for the season at The Cell was 1,765,544 (21,833 per game). Attendance Sunday was 22,633. Meaning it was an above-average crowd for a way below-average team.
* Sox first baseman Paul Konerko exited the game in the top of the second inning to a standing ovation from the crowd and players on both teams. Which certainly seemed fitting. After all, for his long career with the Sox he has been a standup guy.
* As bad as Cubs abd Sox fans may be feeling about a lost season, imagine what it’s like to be a Chicago Sky fan, player, coach, etc. After Indiana eliminated the Sky and rookie sensation Elena Delle Donne from the WNBA playoffs, the Fever lost consecutive contests to Atlanta. Meaning the Dream — a team the Sky handled during the regular season when it was winning the Eastern Conference crown — is in the WNBA finals against Minnesota. Something says a consolation series of Sky-Los Angeles Sparks or Sky-Phoenix Mercury would do better TV numbers than Atlanta-Minnesota.
Speaking of the Fever, for all those Sky fans wondering if Indiana ever misses a three-point attempt (something that happened rarely in the Fever’s two-game sweep of Chicago), the answer is yes. It came Sunday in a 67-53 loss with Indiana going 4-for-21 from three-point range. Gee, if Indiana had shot like that against the Sky, you might have the Sky in the WNBA finals.
This photograph might help some Bears, Cubs, Sox, Sky fans get over their team’s losses.
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