Welcome to Chicago Matt Nagy and Roquan Smith. To an organization the Chicago Bears who don’t know whether they’re coming or going. The NFL is a league full of bad organizations that get it right once in a while. Sports is over run with sentimentalists to some good old days that probably won’t happen again. Stuck on those who have died for the cause, left it all on the field. Their busts in the Hall Of Fame.

Charter franchise and all that. They carry the fortunes of the city on their shoulders. They believe we should put our faith in the man or the fool who put him in position of putting personnel on the field. Ryan Pace couldn’t field a flag football team. If he turns this team around it would be pure luck. Within two years Matt Nagy who has never called a play of consequence in the NFL might very well be run out of Chicago like the Previous coach who had a winning pedigree. Because expectations are so low they could afford to have an unproven rookie hold out for a month, nearly the entire pre-season.

Rather than breathing a sigh of relief for dodging a bullet for having only the only draft pick unsigned they treat him as if he robbed a bank and took hostages. With the league and the sport itself losing fans to the hubris of the NFL and corruption of the NCAA. How many more awkward press conferences can we have?

The Milwaukee Brewers were brought into the National League Central to create another rival for the Chicago Cubs. They eventually found themselves starting seasons in first place with fast starts but no urgency to win the division. And since the Lou Piniella era this has been the case allowing the Cubs to work their way to the top and take the division from Milwaukee. 2018 the Cubs are playing  the role of the Brewers. This is a year where the American League is so compelling. So many teams are not only good but they make the National League look like lambs to the slaughter. Regarding the Cubs they are their own worst enemy. Their starting pitching is terrible and I can only think about what they gave up to get fill out the staff. Yu Darvish is a serious head case and had not pitched since the spring making one wonder whether the Cubs signed him to keep him from pitching for a rival but after trading for Cole Hamel he is the only capable pitcher on the staff. Had the Cubs signed Jake Arrieta things might not look so bleak. Not to mention the hitting is nothing like it was in previous years where yes they swung for the fences too often helping to change the face of a game so quickly. They play from behind so often now.

If one looks at the final weeks of the schedule the Cubs play every team in the division finishing up with the Cardinals which could quickly change their fortunes whether or not they make the playoffs.  There are still teams with losing records in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh but after looking so pedestrian against San Diego and Kansas City they might have to throw more position players as pitchers to save the bullpen. Sure there are injuries but Anthony Rizzo isn’t having anything near an all star season. And for some reason Addison Russell hasn’t been traded. Perhaps it’s because no one wants a player who strikes out as much as he does. No wonder they haven’t considered my idea of putting him at lead off. Is it possible this is the only contract Joe Maddon with all he’s done for this team and the city will sign with the Cubs?

I’ve said when a team loses whether it is in early April or in the playoffs we are doing them a disservice by saying it’s early. This version of the Chicago Cubs has regressed strangely enough to 2016 where they had just as much trouble with strike outs and  stringing together big innings. Their former hitting coach now with the Angels. Should I say the first place Angels. Though I know they won’t stay there for too long because the Astros are far too talented to not win that division, the American League West. This team has been together fully for two entire seasons since 2016 when Kyle Schwarber went down at the beginning of the season when for some season they chose to put a catcher in the outfield part of one of the worst outfields in baseball. Which is why Jason Heyward is necessary with his .222 batting average even with a new hitting coach. But for 2016 the Cubs have struggled in the first half of the season which means a lot of bad baseball to start. Maybe the Cubs and the Ricketts family should stop with the grandiose plans and buildings all over the place when the Cubs could just as easily be right back to being bottom feeders and no amount of Maddon pixie dust will be able to turn it around. With all of the hype behind Schwarber losing weight and Addison Russell talking about being less of a distraction than he was last year. Beware the hype. And still with the struggles of Jason Heyward. Management refusing to admit he is the biggest bust since Alfonso Soriano though he was at least serviceable. At this point I have little faith in the brain trust of the Cubs and their fancy technology that tells them that this bunch of kids can get to the NLCS again. It is pretty obvious these kids are pressing and trying too hard to replicate their fast start in 2016. That team did one thing these guys are not doing, taking walks and working the strike zone. With Anthony Rizzo’s comments about playing too many games makes me wonder where these guy’s heads are at though I did like his idea of playing more double headers. He will probably get his wish with all of the bad weather in Chicago. As well as realizing the leadoff hitter is not on this team though I believe they should put Addison Russell in that spot but he’s got his own issues with strikeouts. It couldn’t hurt to try it. Surely the Cubs will put up a fight for the division where most of the teams did nothing to improve their teams. Supposedly everyone is concerned with next season’s crop of free agents. In the meantime I imagine the league will half ass it and go whole hog for the playoffs of course. Sadly this will be the narrative for the rest of the first half of the season at least and with the all star game no longer deciding home field advantage in the world series this could be as bad to watch as the NBA.  The Cubs could still have a bang up of a second half like 2017 but even then they were pressing to prove they’re as good as the year before. They’re not even as good as they were in 2015.  It is still early to decide which horse to back in the race as I’m having a hard time getting behind the Cubs. But if and when they come around and make the playoffs it’ll be cold then too and they’ve got a built in excuse.