I don’t care what your brackets look like everyone wants to see Duke win or should I say Zion Williamson. I haven’t rooted for a Duke team ever in my life and unless the Bulls get the number one pick in the draft I might regret rooting for them now. How they weren’t part of the admissions scandal is beyond me. That people are surprised at the scandal more that they got caught. Wonder of wonders how the names end up on the buildings on campuses. And the laughable idea that somehow diplomas are diminished because of it. If your team doesn’t get the number one pick or aren’t in the top four or five teams to get into the lottery you’re watching for the other players your team might pick for need. Whoever gets Williamson might not actually need a big man but the pundits call him a generational talent. Not likely to surpass Jordan or Lebron in the conversation of the greatest of all time but they’re ready to put up a bust of him in the Hall of Fame. Since there is no NBA hall of fame but the basketball hall of fame do we need to parse between college or the Pro’s? I wouldn’t lock up the people who paid money for their kid to rip off some just as deserving or more deserving kid but the people who perpetrated the scam should definitely be behind bars. The shame of what these parents have done won’t be washed off anytime soon. So watch probably the best tournament in a decade because of so many teams are losing on purpose for the crazy level of talent in this year’s tournament regardless of seeding. But be sure college sports might never be the same. While the small state schools are struggling because they have a direction in their names Northern or Southern something or other and the education is just as valuable. I always said the NCAA was corrupt apparently so are the parents.

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.

John Fox’s Bears have won the second most games in one season in his tenure. Whether or not to say the team has improved is not likely but hey are facing NFL teams every week. Going onto every week even Bear fans expect them to lose. They have little faith from ownership on down. We’ve been screaming for a franchise quarterback and I can say we may have one.  

What is more prescient is that the players he was drafted with or drafted prior to giving a new QB some weapons for the most part got onto the field on Sunday and made an impact. That Cincinnati had a number of players out due to injury doesn’t matter as any club this time of year can say the same but we also got back some player at the right time. The Bears are attempting to win out with three more games remaining but pundits say this is the time the Bears should be playing for draft position.

It isn’t as if they can strike out on purpose as with baseball or miss every shot you take in basketball. With all of the players getting fined for dirty hits rivals or not there is never a time to take a play off in football.

John Fox is fighting for his job at least for another and Ryan Pace is hoping to be the one who fires him if it comes to that. I am one of the few that says if this staff can be kept for one more season then let it be so. With the rookie getting into his groove why not see how far it goes. The Bears just scored more points than all of the previous games in the John Fox era. Let’s see if they can do it again. There are three more game left and dare I say they are all winnable? Having to play Minnesota might be scary to some but the Bears nearly beat them in the first half of the season.  

It is possible to win out especially with some of the firsts that came about against Cincinnati: The first 100 yard receiver of the season. I‘ve already mentioned the number of points. First Bears running back to reach 1000 yards in consecutive seasons and the first running touchdown for Trubisky this season though he has the speed to rush for many more.

I say one more year for this regime and maybe a huge step closer to the playoffs than we’d imagined, No one plays a complete game on both sides of the ball every week but there is no reason we shouldn’t have seen more games like this except the first Bears/Lions game where Connor Barth came nowhere near the goal post with the game tying kick. In my opinion however should have been no need for it had the Bears dominated the second half of that game as they had the first half taking a 17-7 lead at one point. But for a couple of games like the Philadelphia game the Bears have been competitive in all of their games, Even the one Mike Glennon played. He did after all engineer the upset of the Steelers.

The Bears with a few draft picks and free agent signings on the defense and wide receiver this team isn’t that far from .500. While everyone was calling for firings after the loss to the 49ers and seeing in Jimmy Garoppolo what we’ve been waiting for since Sid Luckman as the media keeps reminding us, a franchise quarterback.  Let’s not forget that while Jimmy G was able to move the ball against us he had to rely on five field goals to win the game. The rookie Trubisky was able to get the ball into the end zone but made a number of rookie mistakes to remind us that’s exactly what he is. I think he’s comfortable enough now to call this his team and that’s the way it should be and while I see the Bears drafting another quarterback in next years draft we don’t have to sit around for an implosion to bring that qb onto the field and it starts all over again. Let’s look at this as a leap forward to a season full of success.

The Chicago bears win two in a row for the first time since 2015. When by now they’re expected to be at best 1-5. At 4-5 everyone is talking playoffs and the drafting of Mitchell Trubisky is seen as the best thing that could happen to this team. When we were thinking about that 1-5 start the question was which one. That answer was Pittsburgh. The only team Mike Glennon beat in his short stint as Bears starter. At three wins it was more than they won last year. At four wins people are starting to think their jobs are safe. The something happens that give the Bears and the city of Chicago even more hope: Aaron Rodgers gets hurt and possibly done for the season. No one wants see another player get injured in this time when parents are considering whether or not it’s the best thing to do to let their children play football. But a chance to beat Green Bay at least once in a season regardless who is behind center is always good.

We’re still several games away from .500 and after this weekend losing to the Packers minus Aaron Rodgers the mood is dark in the city. Once again every move by John Fox and Ryan Pace gets questioned and would there be some sort of distraction like a fight and the loser stalk the sideline pouty like. The offensive line is busted up, players playing out of position. No wide receiving corps to speak of and the defense at times prove they are human. This is why people are calling for the heads of the current regime to roll. This isn’t a team that is anywhere near playoff ready and won’t be anytime soon. They are however have more wins than the Browns and the Forty Niners combined.

Our Quarterbacks will look different next year especially with Glennon being gone. Will the Bears have to relive it all over again with Trubisky having to look over his shoulder. But this time against a talent that was drafted at his proper position in the draft not by giving up the house on a chance he’ll be the Quarterback of the future this time. No one wants a statue as their signal caller. Let me even more Monday morning quarterback it, I actually saw someone with a Glennon jersey in Chicago. Whoever sold that jersey is still laughing about that sale.

The 2017 baseball season is over. A post season I can only call milquetoast is over. The most talented team didn’t win but the band of brothers. I didn’t have the Astros in the World Series. The most compelling series the division series including the Cubs and Nationals. How many managers were fired after losing series? The Cubs weren’t built for success in 2017. Certainly not for a World Series Run. That they got to the League Championship says the Head Man deserves Manager of the year. However questions can be asked count your blessings Chicago. Should there not be the success these years I would pick up torches with you. There are huge holes the Cubs have to fill and tripping over yourselves to figure out who is going to be coaching first base doesn’t tell us what they’re going to be doing about Jason Heyward.

The Dodgers became a beast after watching the Cubs celebrate their ring ceremony. Then losing two out of three in Chicago early in the season. Getting dust kicked in your face by the team that took the pennant from you the previous season.

The Cubs did what a decent team with a good manager does. I think Joe Maddon took losing pretty hard as well. He was the last to finally admit/accept the limits of his team but was able to win with what he had. Had he lost in the division series would he be like the other managers who lost their job? The National League has more teams that are ready to runaway with their division than the American League but the post season is what counts. What stuck out in this year’s playoffs is how little players hit. The Cubs changed their hitting coach because of lack of hitting against the Dodgers when the last two World Series was about pitching. Everyone could see that the Cubs were an all or nothing team. This helped them to score more runs than any other team in the second half.

The Cubs have a lot of work to do. They have an over abundance of position players they can trade that Maddon can put out the same line up every day and players who deserve to play every day can do just that. We can throw a few names out there like Ian Happ, Addison Russel and as much as it pains me, Kyle Schwarber since they aren’t going to put him back behind the plate. But you cannot let Jake Arrieta walk.

Once again a lot of good men lost their jobs or changed teams. Men who were once managers are now looking at coaching jobs and men who were once coaches like Davey Martinez leaving the Cubs and taking the Washington job. Is it easier for a man with a readymade team with win now aspirations or taking over a team with no chance to win for a few years? This is a league where you tip your cap to his people but accuse him of tipping his pitches.

Chicago is not a city starve for post season success. But they are prickly about their baseball teams. Pay Arrieta what he’s worth and bench Heyward for Almora. Trade for pitching off the big league club if we have to but enough with questioning Joe Maddon and give him what he wants.