Chicago Sports Travel Fanatic

Putting a bullet in the head of this disappointing football season, the dismissal of general manager Jerry Angelo demonstrates as clearly as possible that the ball club is doing something to change things around next year.  The move made many fans happy, because the failed season was largely because of Cutler’s injury and the inability to replace him.

Some Bears fans do not know who Angelo is, but they should, since he was the general manager from 2001 to 2012. That’s a long tenure. In the beginning, he was given great credit for building one of the best teams in the NFL, and one that went to the Super Bowl against the Colts, but that luck did not last.

More than anything, this single season did Angelo in. The Bears showed such promise after a rough start, and then went on to roll through team after team, even pushing a five game winning streak. But the mid-season difficulties sank the team to settle for an 8-8 season. Anyone that watched the season crumble apart knows the frustration of waiting for a good quarterback to take the place of Cutler.

Although his record with the Bears was not so bad, this season hurt him. Specifically, the ballclub feels he did not rush enough to find a replacement for Cutler, nor spend the resources and funds needed to get the replacement. They felt that because he “dragged his heels” on the drafting, the Bears lost out on a great season.

Personally, I don’t think he deserves all the blame for the collapsed season. To say he does is too simplistic. Far more people are to blame for the season. However, I do agree with the decision in part. This season turned into a sort of “perfect storm” of lineups. Almost every aspect of the team was weak. It needed offensive and defensive linemen. It needed another wide receiver. It needed another quarterback. All these weaknesses pointed to a nerve-wracking season.  

Although he’s far from retirement, Angelo still has not declared what his next move with be, but whatever it is, I hope he stows away a little player insurance this time.

With poor seasons for almost every other Chicago franchise, Chicagoans looked toward the Blackhawks and were not disappointed. Although not as celebrated as the Bears, Bulls, Cubs or Sox (don’t you hockey fans get mad at me…you know it’s true) they have consistently outperformed the other teams. This year has been no different. With 23 wins and 10 losses, the Blackhawks held their own for the year. Since the Bears’ season is pretty much a lame duck, let’s talk about a better team for a change.

So what’s been going on with the Blackhawks this year?

Although the last Stanley Cup win came in 2010, the Hawks at least got into the playoffs last season through talent and a whole lot of luck. After losing to the Detroit Red Wings on the last game of the regular season, the Hawks prayed that Dallas lost their own final game of the regular season. If so, the Hawks would sneak into the number eight spot by default. It worked, although the playoffs were as far as the Hawks got.  The Hawks blame the lackluster season on too many early games in November, sapping the team of energy too early in the season. In November alone, they averaged five games more than other NHL teams.

Another piece of news is the interesting saga of Patrick Kane, right winger turned center for the Hawks. In a move that surprised even Hawks themselves, management needed another strong middle player, so pulled Kane out of his usually position and put him in the middle. And, as a further surprise to everyone involved, he actually held his own. Although he would never be mistaken as a center on a permanent basis, it demonstrated his versatility and endurance. When push comes to shove, Kane can handle it. His increased fame also made his wrist surgery leading news for the Hawks, and fans thought the season over before it even started.

So who’s this guy, McCown?

The Bears started the season poorly, but came back with a five game winning streak, but the season broke when Cutler’s thumb broke. Since then, the Bears have struggled through every game. Caleb Hanie took over after Cutler’s departure, but with his difficulties, the Bears decided to place backup quarterback in his place. So who is this Josh McCown anyway?

First off, he’s from Texas. I know this is a Chicago state, but if a football player comes from the Lone Star State, I start to feel a little better. McCown emerged from high school the East Texas Player of the Year, and then set records at Sam Houston State University.

However, his record among NFL teams is jumbled, if not poor. If a person applies for a job and shows a habit of jumping from one job to the next every year, then an employer would raise his eyebrows. We have that same situation with McCown.

Before coming to the Bears, he played with six other NFL teams since 2002.  The Arizona Cardinals, the Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Hartford Colonials (a UFL team) and San Francisco 49ers all held McCown during that time. Most for only a year.

As an employer, I would raise my eyebrows a little higher.  Although he has only been with the Bears since November, the remainder of the season rests on his shoulders. How will he do for us? It’s hard to say. If you take a look at his record, he mostly has a history of…no history. Several times, injuries ended a season prematurely for him, or he served simply as a figurehead player, taking a knee to run out a clock. In one injury, he was holding firewood at home and his brother chopped it and missed, cutting McCown’s hand and requiring six stitches.

Now, I won’t add anything else. Just think about that. An NFL quarterback, who had yet to establish himself as a player, was holding firewood while his brother chopped it.

I…I…I am speechless. 

Maybe next year, Bears fans.

Two more additions to the Chicago Cubs add to the promise of an improved ball club. After the many hirings and firings of the year and the essential decapitation of the team, the next season almost HAS to be better. Instead of altering any management, they added two new pitchers to the lineup, proving that the management wants to cut the head and the arms of the old ball club.

Manny Corpas comes from Panama City and started with the Colorado Rockies in 2006, although they showed interest in him back in 1999. The kept him on as a game closer, and he didn’t disappoint, which was undoubtedly the reason the Cubs took such an interest in him. During his first year as a closer, he had a 2.08 ERA (with a lifetime of 3.87 now). That’s better than anything the Cubs can currently boast. He left the Rockies in 2011, but surgery prevented him playing the 2011 season, so when contract time came, the Cubs picked him up.

Andy Sonnanstine is homegrown from Ohio and was picked up by the Tampa Bay Rays, then had his debut in 2007. This was a remarkable year for the young pitcher, who set a franchise record by striking out seven batters in a row.  In 2008, he achieved another first, although this may hurt Chicago fans. He pitched a complete shut out, solidifying his position on the Rays. Since then, his ERA record has edged fairly high, but his field work, including his batting performance, has led to the Cubs accepting him as an asset to the team.

Both men have signed one-year contracts for the Cubs and will be chiefly used as relief pitchers and game closers. Once they establish themselves, they may become regulars in the Cubs lineup.  Age is on their side in this deal, although both were recently recovering from injuries in the past two years. Still, the Cubs have done everything they can to avoid “business as usual” in Chicago baseball and the addition of Corpus and Sonnanstine continue that shake up.

Many cities have many classic rivalries, and in Chicago, that classic rivalry is the Chicago Bears against the Green Bay Packers.  Usually this is a game that prompts speculation and combating bragging, but not so much this year…

Green Bay is having one of the best years in the history of the team, going undefeated and in line for a trip to the Super Bowl. The Bears, started out poorly, had a five game winning streak, and then suffered loss after loss, starting with Cutler’s broken thumb and leading up to Hurd’s arrest for drug charges. Not the best year for our Junkyard Dogs.

However, for those that have all but lost hope…

Jay Cutler might, just might, be back.

With the Bears having only the slightest wild card chance of being back in the playoffs, Jay Cutler was asked what his prospects looked like for joining the fight. In a shocking admission, Jay Cutler admitted there was a tiny, tiny chance of his returning to face the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day.

“I’ll say ‘outside,’ ” Cutler said.”I wouldn’t say it’s good or definite or a real possibility, but there’s always a chance, but like you said, we have to get this one first.”

When they pressed him for a more specific answer, Cutler would not give it. “Outside shot, let’s not get anyone’s hopes up, let’s not ruin anybody’s Christmas dreams, but outside, outside,” he said. Now what an outside chance means to some people, it might not mean to others.

Personally, unless he knew he was likely to return, Jay should not have said anything. Because if Chicago does not get him back for that game, then all the good will he built up in the last months will disappear. He might even go back to being one of the most disliked players in the NFL.

And we need him. Green Bay has not lost a single game this year, and they have steamrolled every team they have played. Although the Bears still have a winning record, we have lost four away games and only won two.  And the Bears will face Green Bay at Lambeau Field.

Cross your fingers. C’mon, Jay