Usually I look forward to watching the Bears play Green Bay.  In recent years, it's been a lot more balanced, far removed from the days when The Walrus would beat Dave Wannstedt like a rented mule.  Part of Wanny's legacy in Chicago is that glowing 1-11 career record against Green Bay.  Dick Jauron and Lovie Smith have held serve nicely, so it's at least been interesting.

Today it will not be interesting or fun or entertaining..  Green Bay is fighting for home field advantage in the playoffs and Dallas has already won this week (they beat Carolina last night in a game seen by seven people on the NFL network.)  They will be locked and loaded and ready for Bear this afternoon in Soldier Field.  And even with a full effort by the Bears, there are few aspects of the Bears game that are superior to Green Bay's.  On Monday night against the Vikings, the Bears fell short against a good offensive line and a decent defense.  Green Bay has a better offensive line and an even better defense.  And, oh yeah, then there's that quarterback that's laughing at the Bears.  And perhaps the Chicago media.  And maybe the entire country.

The only shot the Bears have is if the conditions are so bad at Soldier Field (high winds and snow are forecast) it kills Green Bay's game plan.  The sad thing is, if this boiled down to a running game, the Bears can't run the ball while the Green Bay has been developing their running game all year led by waiver pick-up Ryan Grant.  Unless Devin Hester goes nuts or Adrian Peterson turns into Walter Payton for a day, the Bears chances at victory are slim, none and non-existent.  In fact, the only place the Bears are superior to Green Bay is at field goal kicker, so if this is one of of those 6-3 games because of the weather, the Bears may have a glimmer of hope.  Otherwise, forget it.

For Green Bay, it's an opportunity to continue a storybook season and for the Elderly Hillbilly to have Joe Buck and Troy Aikman kneel before him in homage all afternoon.  For the Bears, it's four quarters until the final four quarters next week before they can get to the golf course.  Meanwhile, the fans, literally, twist in the wind.

Lightning Round

• T.O may have an ankle sprain.  It's amazing he doesn't have a jaw sprain.
• As we discussed briefly yesterday, the Sox are spinning the acquisition of Alexei Ramirez as the sum of smaller parts which will lead to a better team.  I'm not buying it and neither are the writers.
• Cincinnati beats Southern Miss in the Papa John's Bowl.  What do you get for winning that anyway?  Papa John's Pizza?  A silver pepperoni?  I think I'd throw the game then.  Plus, the game is played at Legion Field in Birmingham, which may be the most decrepit stadium in America.  Historical, absolutely, but old, run down and not well maintained at all.
• In the New Mexico bowl , New Mexico blanks Nevada 23-0 before a TV audience smaller than the seven people that watched the Cowboys and Panthers on the NFL Network.  In fact, if you took three hours out of your day to watch the New Mexico Bowl, you are either a football junkie worthy of rehab or a slug who doesn't leave his couch on the weekend.  The story of this game is that New Mexico's coach, Rocky Long, finally won his first bowl game in ten years.
• BYU beats back UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl on a blocked field goal.  So far, teams who have lost or are losing their coaches are 0-3. 
  
• The Chicago Blackhawks, who are inconsistent at best, take down one of the NHL's better teams last night.  Hopefully, coach Denis Savard and his staff can build on this game and start a run for the playoffs.
• I guarantee back in the day if some teacher selected me for extra credit, the first person that I would run to tell wouldn't have been a lawyer.  How sad.
• Today's list: AP's top stories of 2007.