The Cubs let go of David Ross after four tough seasons at the helm of the Cubs including seeing the club through covid. There is a lot of love on the North Side for "Rossy" because he was a pivotal part of the 2016 World Series winner Cubs. Including hitting a homerun in game seven of the World Series against the Cleveland Indians/Guardians. It can be said that under him the Cubs got rid of their core of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Wilson Contreras and Javier Baez. They weren't winning and the only one who ended up on a winning team was Rizzo with the Yankees. Can we say that is "Rossy's" fault? I don't know but one trend I did see under him was the team would start off looking like they're going to compete in a bad division where the Cubs ended up in second place and still end up missing the playoffs. 

Too many times I've seen Chicago players leave Chicago and end up on a team from the division. It is funny to see a division rival come here. I didn't think it would be Craig Counsell who I remember from his playing days in Milwaukee. And it took him several years for the Brew Crew to become relevant under him. And then he dominated a bad division except the years the Cardinals made things interesting while the Brewers slapped the Cubs around. 

I do think David Ross has a right to be angry. He's finally given players to win with and a minor league system that is ranked in the top 5 in baseball. And he has one season with this on his side. Unfortunately after having a three game lead for the second wild card they choked. This has to be the reason they chose to remove him. Not to say he wouldn't have dominated going forward but the Cubs felt they had to take this chance on Counsell. I must say that Counsell has not really fared any better then Ross other than having the players to make the playoffs. 

Since joining the division the Brewers have been a thorn in the Cub's side. I can remember '07 when the Brewers started the season with a nine game lead. These were the Ryan Braun days. The cheater Ryan Braun. But they languished long enough for the Cubs to come back and win the division. This is the way it went for several years until they finally became like the Packers owning the Bears. 

Milwaukee's success has been recent and never sniffing the World Series. It seems like we're trading one "Rossy" for another. Perhaps Ross didn't handle the pitchers well it has been said. And maybe a few other mistakes but sports is all about the bottom line and when you have a chance to make the playoffs after management gave you more than they have in the past you have to take advantage. That is my opinion. There is no fact in that as I don't know what makes Counsell better than Ross. 

Hell Yes there is a quarterback controversy at Halas Hall. But first congratulations to Tyson Bagent and the Chicago Bears for winning a big game of backups. Against a former Bear Quarterback who hasn’t won a game since he left the Bears. It’s a great story like the kid who hits a grand slam his first major league at bat.

Bagent played well in a way that showed the coaching staff went into this game with a game plan to win this game. There is a Quarterback controversy at Halas Hall because Bagent was hardly touch during that game. The offensive line was nearly perfect. The defense played well. It was a complete team win. Bagent wasn’t put in there to manage the game and try not to make mistakes like they do most rookie or backup quarterbacks who don’t get a lot of reps during the week. They opened the play book and let it loose. If they had the same game plan for Justin Fields he’d have won more than 6 games in his career. Admittedly if I was Justin Fields I would be furious. None of his games seemed so smooth. For once they looked like and actual NFL team.

The Bears would’ve won that game no matter who was at quarterback. Not to  say that Bagent doesn’t have any talent but it was the best game for him to make his debut. If Jimmy Garropolo had played the game might have either been closer or the Bears might have lost.

 I’m not one to speak on a mans job but I think the Bears should move on from their current coaching situation or some of the coaches on the offensive side of the ball. The Bears have a franchise quarterback where other teams have drafted more than one. Look at the Vikings. They’re holding tight to a former back up because they realize there isn’t much out there and Colin Kaepernickis persona non grata  whether or not he’s willing to accept it. I suggest to save Justin Fields career he request  a trade to the Jets or New England both teams which recently drafted quarterbacks.   

I said Deion Sanders should not rely on rivalries to drive his team. I was wrong and right. I was wrong because criticizing him and the Property values of Boulder, Colorado goes up. Driven by disrespect catch you on the wrong side of the score board. I was right because the teams that learn not to kick dirt on the midfield logo. They could have set themselves up on a chance at the conference or division championship. And a step closer to bowl eligible. Then we'd really get to see how Colorado fans travel. 

This is year one and after a five year contract he can pick where he wants to go and no one will turn him down. Remember Deion keeps receipts. Again with the chip on the shoulder gets you to penalties at pivotal points in the game. When you're no longer underdogs do what you do best. When his boys are gone from Colorado, hopefully in the NFL, and he has roster he has to further turn over be prepared for the moments when they are  a mainstay in the top 25. G©

Deion Sanders says he would never coach in the NFL because he cannot deal with players getting paid big money before they play a game. Yet his son, Quarterback Shedeur Sanders got a 10 million NIL deal before he took the field against TCU. I have always been for paying players beyond their educational costs and I remember when boosters would pay players under the table but nowhere near what they're getting now. I understand at football schools it is king. And players are putting their bodies on the line like Travis Hunter, two way player for the "Buffs who got injured against Colorado State. In my opinion the 'Buffs haven't seen the hardest part of their schedule yet and Sanders is being admonished by The G.O.A.T. Tom Brady for buying a Rolls Royce when he should be in the video room trying to get better. Sanders response was, "I saw you have one so I bought one." 

What  bothers me is a student athlete making that kind of money while those who cannot throw a ball or anything to do with a ball struggle to pay their tuition and student loans while these athletes walk out of school whether they have a future in sports with no debt. Ten Million is ridiculous. I've also noticed that no one knows what his major is or if he's even going to class. I get that schools make different rules for athletes and it might not be the school who is paying this money. Sanders has definitely put up some great numbers and probably has a future in the NFL but as I said he hasn't played the hardest part of the 'Buffs schedule yet. Regardless how the rest of his time in Colorado goes he's going to be able to say what very few students can say while the Biden Administration is trying to give aid to those who have large educational debt Shedeur Sanders will drive away in style and owe nothing for his "education." 

Do What You Do

I would warn Deion Sanders not to let the chip on his shoulder get to be too big. You have maybe 11, 12, games in a season are you going to find something in every one of those games to piss you off? No one should be surprised that The Buffaloes are winning. While I never figured Sanders for a x's and o's man he certainly got it down with over 900 hundred yards passing in two games. Deion Sanders is not going to let anyone out work him no matter who he pisses off along the way. He is an Icon and a hall of fame athlete who really does not need to be doing any of this. But he was asking if people believe in his program after one win. The same amount the last coach won. Then he had to beat Nebraska who is absolutely terrible and heartbreaking from what they were in the eighties and nineties. Now the real coaching begins. The difference between Jackson State and Colorado is he needs to win just 6 games to be bowl eligible. 
I said that when he left Jackson State every coach in the Pac 12 (soon to be defunct) got a tape of all his games. The one thing they didn't see on that his tapes is his ability to inspire and compete. Take a difficult situation and turn it around. Forget the plays and the schemes, there isn't a coach in college football right now that is doing what Deion is doing. Please Deion take that chip off your shoulders you have/had nothing to prove from day one. Let the pundits trip over their tongue in judgement of you but you knew something they didn't know whether they played college football or even professional football no coach in history ever prepared their team to take the field better than Coach Prime and it shows. I've heard players and coaches alike say we had a great week of practice and they still got blown off the field. Personally I would let my kids graduate and go back to coaching high school football, remembering I have nothing to prove. The Colorado Buffaloes will not get anywhere near the national Championship and they don't need to. But Sports writers have memories like elephants and they will remember how great Deion is as a coach but as well the feathers he will ruffle especially if he starts calling out teams that do not show up for the Colorado pro day. I am not saying turn down the passion but turn down the side show and do what you do.         

I am a big fan of David Ross of course for all the members who were on the team that broke the Cubs 100 plus year drought. Since he’s taken over the Cubs have been entertaining even at their most painful points because we just didn’t have the players to win with. I’ve noticed that Ross’s teams start off well and then settle into what they will be. 2023 being no difference and with the amount of money the Cubs spent in the off season I’m not surprised they are around .500 right now. A new team almost but the talent to at least make a wild card game/series. After a weekend series in Minnesota where the Cubs gave up 27 runs in two games my affinity for Ross is starting to wane because for a while were scoring like crazy and winning games to now giving up runs like crazy and not getting to see what the new players can do when you get down big early. One of the strengths the Cubs were touting this year was the pitching and up until the Twins series were doing just smashing. Now who do we blame? The pitching or the hitting? If your pitchers are giving up runs early the hitting never gets going. If the hitting is doing nothing something’s got to give. We love to say it is early and anything can happen in the early months of baseball. It is the only sport we say that about. You cannot win a world series in April/May but you can lose one. Right now we’re playing way below our talent in a bad division. Staying on this path we’ll be in last place soon and start to hear about players only meetings and then public fights in the dugout if we follow the NBA way of doing things. I say do something now if that means star the rumors that Ross is on the hot seat. If teams know that all they have to do is have one big inning and the Cubs won’t fight back that spells doom and the good feelings will be gone fast and the next time we see David Ross is years from now when they’re celebrating the 2016 team.  

The NBA has been terrible this year. The teams that have been the standard bearers in east or west were barely over .500. I think the Milwaukee Bucks will not only come out of the east but win it all. I'm a lover of the eastern conference being a Bulls fan but it's very likely one of the top teams in the west will get upset between the play in tournament and the finals. Denver sits at the top of the west but I'm not sure they'll be in the finals and the Grizzlies will most likely get knocked out early again with Ja Morant most likely in jail rather than injured this year. That's two of the top 5 teams in the west and with Golden State being so bad on the road I don't see them there either. That leaves Sacramento, Phoenix and the Clippers.. None of those names stand out besides Sacramento because they're one of three teams with double digits wins over losses. The western conference playoffs will turn into what the east used to be with one team dominating, The Bulls, Boston, the Knicks. Regardless of matchups there has been no end to controversy with players who want to be traded to get away from Ben Simmons.  The Bulls were frustrating more often than not but no controversies. Zach Levine came on strong as the season went along while Demar Derozan fell off and his daughter getting threats  before she even left the stadium in Toronto. I'll be following the playoffs because I'm a sports fan but at a distance or down wind because of the smell of probably one of the least favorite American league at the moment. G©