doug_plank: February 2007

Chico and the Lovie-man

Ron "Chico" Rivera parted ways with the Bears yesterday. While it was portrayed as amicable it was far from it. Rivera came from the brutal 46 defense of the 1985 Bears and had it coached and beaten into him to destroy the quarterback.

"Bend don't break, my ass!"

Lovie Smith's Tampa two defense was more of a security blanket for the defense from not allowing big pass plays, bend don't break.

It works well if you have a d-lineman that can rush the quarterback (Tommie Harris-my 2006 MVP). Without that piece it's a glorified version of the prevent defense.

Anyways, in my opinion Ron probably butted heads with Lovie too much and it was time to go.The new defensive coordinator is Bob Babich. Don't drop the clip board.

"Chico, don't get discourage."

Football Season is Over

Bears lose the Super Bowl

Sorry travel has kept me from updating I'm sure most of you know the score and result by now.

The Good

The Colts dominated every phase of the game except for special teams, where Devin Hester gave the only Bear highlight by running back the opening kick off.

Hopefully over the next few months Ron Turner can pull himself away from his coloring book and devise a play or two for the most explosive player the Bears have had in recent history.

The Bad

Coaching was vanilla at best for the Bears relegating the Bears defense to no blitzing as Peyton Manning had enough time in the pocket to film more commercials for the infinite number of products that he schleps.

Look there's Desmond Clark being thrown to for the first time in the FOURTH QUARTER!!!

Ugh!! Turner!!!

Bears defense could not stop the Colts on too many third downs.

Hard to believe Ron Rivera did not get a head coaching job.

The Ugly

Rex.

Wow, Rex looked like he needs to keep the helmet on when he mows the lawn with the poor decisions and fumbles.

I still have faith in the man, but boy get it together over the next couple of months. Mental training and call Olin Kreutz and offer him some free time at the local shooting gallery and have him snap the ball to you a couple of hundred times.

Otherwise congrats to the Bears, you lost the game everyone expected you to lose. Now win it next year.

Until then........................PLAY BALL!!!

Stay tune for some baseball thoughts and Bulls playoffs.

By the way do yourself a favor and rent "The Departed". Not better then "Goodfellas" but probably better than anything you have seen in a long time.

"I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me" Frank Costello

Bold Predictions- The Final Chapter

"We're on a mission from God."

When I went away to college in Arizona in 1988, alot of things opened my eyes, warm winters, classes were optional attendance and no one had seen "The Blues Brothers" movie.

I learned to live wearing shorts through December, and figured after academic probation after my fist semester I should attend class a little more often.

The "Blues Brothers" snub blew my mind. If polled in Chicago in the early 80's most Chicagoans would have believed that the "Blues Brothers" outgrossed both Star Wars movies combined.

It may have at the long gone Evergreen Plaza theater but the rest of the world had not enjoyed one of the best musical, comedy action films of all time.

What does this have to do with the Super Bowl?

While the rest of the country fawns over Peyton Manning's first Super Bowl and give the Bears no chance (-6.5), they are missing the "Blues Brothers" version of football, your Chicago Bears.

Luckily we were relieved of the music, there was plenty of comedy and action.

Comedy is often done best in threes and this will be Rex Grossman's third playoff game this year. While the rest of the pundits laugh at Rex and his sometimes slaptstick play is like John Belushi falling down a stair case stuck in a desk, we have adopted this cocky goofball with a cannon arm.

Action, why there is plenty of it with the defense crashing into opposing offenses like so many Chicago squad cars piling up at Daley Plaza and Devin Hester running through the defense like the Bluesmobile going through lower Wacker Drive.

What I'm getting at, is every one is ready to crown the Colts, probably even Dennis Green.

Let me predict a few things-

-Colts special teams suck, the African American Forest Gump will score
-Bears defense shut down the number one offense in the NFL Saints, they should be able to handle a hillbilly and no running game.
-Colts defense is brutal, Benson and Jones may run for 100 yards each