The Bears Who Knew? Outside Analysis 11/17

I'm not going out on a limb and saying the Bears are going to make the playoffs but no one in the city thought they'd even be anywhere near .500. I went into the game swearing the Bears would be foolish not to draft an NFL Ready quarterback next year. In every game Cutler has bobbled a snap (regardless who is the center) and thrown an interception. That is until the faced the Rams. This Langford kid they drafted out of Michigan State and Kadeem Carey seem like our future. We already know half these guys are going to be gone within the next couple years so we wonder what our team will look like and let me say I hope Adam Gase is our head coach in waiting. If they let him go anywhere I will stop watching Bears football. The coordinators we have on offense and defense are working some serious wonders  which is why I'm willing to think that the Bears can beat Denver to reach .500. And by going .500 the rest of the way we might be in the conversation for the playoffs. Strangely enough I picked this team to go 7-9 even if we had all the talent in the world based upon the difficulty of our schedule. I'm not sure what to make of this team with the spit and glue lathered on this bunch. Football is a game of time. It takes time to get a player where he needs to be and time to turn a team around. But does one have the time in his career to do what he was picked to do especially with all of these head injuries that seem to pop up every week? I've heard it said that the reason we have these injuries is because the equipment keeps getting better so people are willing to take risks. Maddening as it seems there have been some high profile crimes involving former players and the topic of head injuries came up. I have friends who are starting their kids in tackle football and I wonder if they would have any second thoughts with the reports coming out now. And do we have time to sit around and wait to see what a winning Bears football team looks like? And for all of you who are looking at Jay Cutler and thinking about this new kinder gentler signal caller who can heal quickly and make some good throws as our future realize the man is playing for once to save his skin. He's not playing for the good of the team he's auditioning for the next team who might trade for him or pick him up in free agency. The current crop of college players cannot be so bad that we are afraid to draft one of them. I know how touchy it is to pick a qb and have him turn into Johnny Manziel in the blink of an eye. Almost like picking a pitcher who never makes it out of the minors. The difference being we don't have to watch him stink it up every five days.

Epic Fail - Outside Analysis 11/12/15

There is nothing to connect these baby bears to previous Cub teams who have choked. No connection to the 2003, 2007 and 2008 teams. The 1984 team or the 1969 team. These kids weren't even alive in '84 and truly babies when the Cubs choked in 2003. They were built to go into the post season and defeat the best of the best like they did in Pittsburgh, (even though we knew they were better than the Pirates to begin with) and St. Louis. To face the Metropolitans and not even put up a fight put these baby bears into the conversation about the curse. These kids weren't cursed. They know nothing about the goat or hardly any history of this franchise at all. There was no one to whisper in their ears about what usually is the eventuality of this franchise. They're in it now. They've had a taste of losing and losing badly which is something they didn't have to face this year at all even when they were no hit by the Phillies. They didn't put their heads down and cry about it they just turned around and did it to another playoff team the Dodgers.

They are off on their search for pitching talent and possibly another center fielder in case Dexter Fowler doesn't come back. But now having gone through this experience why should we sit through another possible 98 win season, though I would say probably another maybe 90 win season, to see if they'll only choke again. I don't see the fire in them that the Royals had in getting back to the World Series and winning it. Truly I put all of this on the manager. He may have had them ready in the previous rounds against Pittsburgh and ST. Louis but when they were really supposed to shine the pulled a “Casey at the Bat” and struck out big time.

I'm not mad that they got swept. I'm upset still which is why it took me so long to write this. I'm mad that they didn't show up to play at all. No matter how bad the pitching was and certainly the only other team who had a hotter second half were the Mets but this version of the bash brothers shouldn't have even blinked. Once again I'm not mad they got swept I'm mad they didn't act like they belonged. They swept the Mets during the season regardless so this was not a team they hadn't seen.

Even though we took two of three over several months because of weather against the Royals it was obviously their time. It didn't matter who the Royals faced they would have won the series. I am happy for them as I picked them to be the American League representative against the Cubs and with the Cubs ability to win on the road and truly built like an American league team it would have, should have been on hell of a series. Now these boys know what it is to be a Cub and fail in an epic way. Theo Epsteins teams in Boston won multiple championships though they had to lose epically their first real shot at it then barely get past the Yankees, I sure hope this group of baby bears don't have to go a similar route to win it all.

I agree with all of it but one thing: This Cubs team cannot be better than any Epstein team in Boston until they bring home a title.  No title means this team is not better than the RedSox team down 3-0 against the Skankees to rally in game 4 down one run, to steal an extra inning game, and then complete a 4 game in a row comeback against the Skanks.  I really like this Cubs team.  They now have gone as far as any Cubs team in my lifetime.  But to be better than the 84 Cubs and 03 Cubs who were one game away, or even 5 outs away, means that they need to win the NLCS to be considered better than those two Cub clubs.  Just my 10 cents...

Next Year Is Now Godfrey Logan Outside Analysis 10/14/15

Next Year is now Cub fans. It is understood that no team is promised anything in the post season but this team that beat a 100 win team in the St. Louis Cardinals prove that this is their year. Of the Three teams with the longest world series drout, the Red Sox, White Sox and Cubs two of the three have exorcised their demons and one of them more than once. It’s been ten years since the rival White Sox won their championship and the city has been waiting for the Cubs to do the same thing. What took them so long. Sure it hasn’t happened yet but this team is better than any team Theo Epstein fielded in Boston. There is no reliance on any one single player to do the heavy lifting. Joe Maddon has proved that no player on this team is above the other no matter how long they’ve been in Chicago and how many losing seasons they faced to get here. Had we stopped at Kris Bryant this team wouldn’t have gotten past Pittsburgh much less made the playoffs. Kyle Schwarber is the truth. In my opinion the rookie of the year though I am afraid pitchers will have figured him out next year and his numbers will fall but this is not next year and who knows his numbers might actually improve over time in Joe Maddon’s capable hands.
It has been said that no team can be an all or nothing team. But the Cubs scare the hell out of opposing pitchers because anyone of them could hit a moon shot. This is not a small ball team by any means. You;re not going to have a lot of stolen bases among these players. And they still struggle with men in scoring position but one the flip side they are the best road team in baseball. I can imagine Cardinal fans laughing at the 4-0 game one shutout in Busch Stadium. That must have had them saying this is the real Cubs team and just like most seasons their dreams would end there. Considering these two teams have never met in the playoffs these Cubs will never be taken lightly as long as Theo is running the show.
Taking into consideration the teams that are left the Cubs could still use some fortune on their side. I can say I am more afraid of the Dodgers than I am of the Mets. The Cubs swept the season series against the Mets including a four game series. But these aren’t those same Mets. Or are they? The Dodgers are desperate and they’re playing like they’re ready to get the season over there. With the next game for the Cubs not to be played until at least Saturday likely the Cubs have time for a few more magic shows and slumber parties put on by Joe Maddon to keep his boys loose. Maybe another petting zoo. But to be serious for a moment fans. If the Cubs win it all this year, wonderful but Theo won three with Boston. This team being as talented as they are should surpass that number for all of this to be worth it. The White Sox have been languishing near mediocre since 2005. With only a single playoff appearance since then and a manager walking away from the team with the season still not over because of his mouth and the fans tiring of him. Sure we had the same with Lou Piniella but he had the best three year span of any manager for the Cubs in a long time. This may be the year but if it stops there it means nothing. Even the biggest Sox fan of them all is jumping on the bandwagon. Sorry POTUS but we don’t want you. We don’t need anyone else jumping on where there already is no room. Leave it to the long sufferers to enjoy over and over again. The Bulls won six and still they’re behind the ’85 Bears as the most prolific team in the city and they only won once in the Super Bowl era. I don’t want to be like them where we haven’t beaten New England more than once since that white wash in ’86. This city and their fans deserve to see this for at least five championships before we’re happy and once again the best baseball team in the city and they’re talking about us like the Cardinals. I want to see two more presidents in office before we’re done.Go Cubs Go and don’t ever stop.

So the Bears for a moment showed fight and two ways to look at it is 15 more game to improve or this might be the best of it. A lot of accolade throughout the broadcast for Cutlers control of the flow of the game then he is excoriated when he throws a late pick.

The most positive sign of improvement was on the defensive side of the ball until late in the second half. It could be said they looked competent. Would I go out on a limb and say the surpass their record from last year? I'd say only by a couple of games on the low end and by maybe four games on the high end which would make them a playoff team. Considering they won only five games last year.

During the game I started to miss Brandon Marsall. It was pretty obvious that Cutler missed him as well because there were a number of times when he'd just throw the ball where no one was in the hopes Marshall would appear out of nowhere and grab it. The reality of what Coach Fox has to work with was on display for the league and the fan base to see. And it was pretty ugly at times. I am not completely sold on John Fox either. He might have done well in Denver but let's not forget he had one of the Manning brothers at QB and still got rolled by Seattle in a Superbowl and could never beat New England. If you cannot win the big game how can you beat a division foe like Green Bay. The rest of league would have you think they're better than aforementioned teams but the reality is the have a really good quarterback and that's it.

I trust Fox's coordinators more than I trust Fox where the ownership is treating him like the next Mike Ditka. Frankly what I saw was the next Mark Trestman. And I fear by mid season there will be a mutiny on the offensive side because everyone will start to wonder when Fox will bench Cutler. Granted we have nothing at back up but RG 3 might be a better option. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to get out of Washington. And we might be crazy enough to bring back Mccown if even for the sake of familiarity. I wouldn't be surprised that Cutler wants out of Chicago as much as Chicago wants him out. The offense looks serviceable enough to surprise some people if we had another quarterback. Matt Forte is finally looking like he;s worthy of not only another contract but the praise for all the numbers he's put up. He's not in the conversation with Walter Payton but we'll be forgetting any other running back we've had since sweetness. But we can do without using Forte as our red zone weapon when it comes to passing. This is where Marshall was automatic. All in all the Bears are a “C” level team and they played like it on Sunday.

Outsideanalysis.com Godfrey Logan 9/18/15

This Could Be It September 13, 2015 Godfrey Logan

Two thing Chicago Cub fans have in common with Kansas City Royals fans is long suffering and a better than above average chance to not only make the World Series but win it. 2014 the Royals made it on the strength of their pitching and this year combined with their improved hitting as well as pitching it’s possible that the Royals make it back to the World Series and their opponent could be the Chicago Cubs. Call me crazy for this one but this team is far better than the Dusty Baker led team in 2003. Full of veterans most of them coming over in mid season trades but a far better pitching staff in ’03 than now. This years team will not be able to rely on their pitching unless Jake Arrieta pitches every game. But I am willing to go out on a limb and say that the Cubs could very well not only make the 2015 World Series with their band of rookies but win it because of said rookies. Now some of these guys may be having the best years that they will ever have and then turn into the Washington Nationals: plenty of hype and not much else. The expectation is that this club will compete for years to come and win multiple championships like the Boston Red Sox under Theo Epstein. Unless Epstein is able to do what the Blackhawks have done and maintain a solid core and add to it for the next several years then expect the Nationals scenario to play out and for things to get ugly quickly. Once the smell of a winner starts to pervade the north side of Chicago you’re treated like liars if you cannot make it hold up. Not to mention the influx of rats that have taken over the neighborhood with the construction on the ball park. Some nest having been disturbed all in the name of progress and of course money. It isn’t just the nature of the Cubs that is being changed it is also the upgrade in housing pricing people out of an already over priced part of town. But sports is never a static situation. The Cubs will never be the Yankees without enough fingers and toes to count their championships. The Cubs will eventually as all teams do come up short somewhere and depending what they’ve done up until then and if they cannot pick themselves up the neighborhood will again become a ghost town. Though many have said that if the Cubs do win it all it means the end of the world and all that building will be for naught.
Some might say a K.C. V.S. Chicago world Series might be boring and only seen by their faithfuls but you’d be watching two teams with fantastic records but what will stand out the most to me is whether the souped up pitching staff of the Cubs can handle the Royals hitters. And whether the Cubs will have to out hit their own pitching to win. I propose that if the Cubs are the road team in this scenario they have the edge with Kyle Schwarber hitting dh. This kid has the hottest bat of of any of the rookies on the Cubs. His loud shots will keep the Cubs in it and take it to a game 7 if the pitching can hold on and once again Jake Arrietta will have to pitch probably three of the games in the series. But you heard it from me the Cubs can and possibly will make the World Series in 2015.

outsideanalysis.com

Same Old Bears? Say It Aint So!

Godfrey Logan outsideanalysis.com

 

Yes it is the pre season but what they’re saying in the city is the Bears aren’t any better. Is it possibly because though the scheme maybe different it can’t get the stink off the last two seasons? I’m hoping for a 10-6 season but even if this team was good the first nine weeks are a beast.Except for the Chiefs, Raiders and Vikings the Bears could start off at 3-6. I’m not one to scream at the schedule makers. It’s a job I’d love to have myself but what the hell man? Anyone would be lucky just to go .500 through that that stretch of games. The rest of the season offers no help and it’s possible this team could go 3-13 with the only wins coming from the Vikings twice and the Raiders. As they say any given Sunday… It was about this time we were told we would see some return from the losing seasons of the Cubs. I think this year they’re going to have to charge it to the game. As badly as the team played in a victory no less Cutler would do his best to get out of Chicago faster than Brandon Marshall and that was via trade. We’re still getting comments back from him about the state of the locker room during his time here and players still on the team call bull s**t on it. I don’t see Cutler’s departing via trade. No one I’ve talked to wants him. Even Jerry Angelo the man who brought him here ranks him in the twenties among other NFL QB’s. Granted he’s had two different head coaches and I’ve lost count of offensive coordinators and offensive systems he’s been in since his arrival. But even in the second preseason game against Indianapolis it was Jimmy Claussen bring home the win. This team is starting to remind me of the Detroit Lions of 2008 who win all of their pre season games and then lose every game in the regular season. AT this point schedule and all I think this group of Bears will be truly lucky to end the 2015- 2016 season at 7-9. That might even include benching Cutler for Claussen. And 7-9 will be lucky given that our #1 pick Kevin White might be done for the season with successful shin surgery. Some say the Bears knew about the injury pre draft because he was working out so hard to get himself drafted. Personally, I’d rather have a healthy Brandon Marshall but I don’t think many in the locker room would have that. It might have been the best time for him to move on but he’s not in any better shape considering the Jets starting QB just got his jaw broken in a fight with a former teammate who is now with the Buffalo Bills. I’d think the last person anyone would want getting into a fight is the team’s signal caller. Ah well that’s their problem. The Bear had two teams put up 50 plus points on them last season and with the criticism the new defense is getting that might be a likely scenario again this year though for all the Packers haters in Chicago there is great relief (nothing personal of course) that Jordie Nelson is down for the season. However if the Packers make the playoffs and Nelson is ready by then I’d be very afraid whichever team has to face them in the first round. The fact that there is a new regime in Chicago does nothing to mollify the fan base because we just went through a short lived regime that had nothing to show for it but the worst of the worst. There was some pedigree behind that regime too but it all got wiped after two years and an unprofessional and unceremonious release of Brian Urlacher. No one in Chicago was happy about that. I’d say that had some play in letting the last regime go including the GM. It’s going to be a few seasons and favorable scheduling before the Bears are even what level Lovie Smith had them. So here’s to the Cubs doing something special and Patrick Kane staying out of jail.