Chip Shots

Butkus D. Dogg's Friday Fearless Forecast (Big Game Edition)

2012-02-03T13:55:44Z

For the final time during this football season, it is me your humble canine prognosticator, here to give you your best hope of winning a ~~Super Bowl~~ Big Game jackpot. For the season, I am 146-58, which translates to a nifty winning percentage of .715, easily my best year ever. So, even if I blow this one, I will have still done better this year than I have done in all the years I've been doing this (and this is season four.)

I really have no feel for this game. It's two very similar teams with the Giants having the edge on defense and the Patriots having the edge on offense. You've got two solid coaches from the same coaching tree and two elite quarterbacks with previous ~~Super Bowl~~ Big Game experience.

The two teams met earlier this year, but don't judge by that one. The Giants are a lot better than they were earlier in the season. Which leads me to this conclusion: The trend the last few years is that the team that backs into the playoffs usually is the one that goes all the way. Last year, the Packers got in on the last day of the season and won the ~~Super Bowl~~ Big Game (much to the chagrin of the Bald Guy) and this year, I think the Giants will do the same.

I really like the fact that they can put pressure on Tom Brady. Brady isn't Aaron Rodgers or Tim Tebow and if they can pin him pack, they have a good chance at winning because this isn't your Daddy's Patriots defense. So, after much thought, I say pick the Giants.

Since this is my last appearance of the year, I want to issue the usual thank-yous to everyone who makes my predictions possible, first and foremost the Bald Guy, who types this up for me (it's a bitch to type without opposable thumbs), the Fat Dog who offers suggestions every week (that I usually pick the opposite) and Mama for providing me a warm (well, sort of warm) lap to think in.

Maybe the Bald Guy will let me pick the baseball winners this year. Can't do much worse than he did last year.

Until we meet again, this is Butkus D. Dogg wishing you good luck and may you find a bone in a place where you forgot you left it.

Quick Shots: Big Game Media Day: Bring Us Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Tight Jeaned Mexican Women

2012-01-31T15:23:27Z

Today is the single most repugnant sports event of the year: Super Bowl media day. Media being anyone with a microphone. From Mexican women in tight jeans to Howard Stern show types to "Late Night" and "ET", the dome in Hoosierville will be over run with nothing but nonsense. Never look for anything to come out of it as the real media has to compete with a bunch of people who shouldn't be allowed to get within a mile of the Oil Dome.
I think the reason Jim Irsay cleaned house is due to what I like to call "Jerry Jones Syndrome." He secured the Super Bowl to a non-traditional city thinking his team would be playing in it. Instead, the Colts went 2-14 and his franchise quarterback may or may not be returning. It was house cleaning fueled by embarrassment.
I've seen a few places Irsay receiving high praise for running a "first class organization." Boy, that is some killer crack those people are on.
The annual Chicago White Sox Soxfest took place over the weekend. It was fully sanitized for your protection. New bench coach Mark Parent became an instant hero when he talked about how the Sox planned on not allowing other teams to throw at them. Adam Dunn was greeted warmly and everybody joined hands and sang "Kumbya." Sadly, it's all talk. Soon, it will be spring training and we'll see what's on the field. The bottom line to this year's collection of underachievers is if they come out flat in April, the season will be over by memorial day.
The strain of a compacted NBA season is starting to manifest itself in the Chicago Bulls. At the end of the first half last night against weak sister Washington, the Bulls missed layup after layup after layup. The Bulls were coming off an emotional loss the day before to Miami and are playing shorthanded with several injured players. It is a tribute to their coaching staff and players in how mentally tough they are as they held on and eventually dismissed the woeful Wizards.
The Chicago Blackhawks start the post all-star game portion of their schedule in Vancouver in a key game. The Hawks desperately need to cut down on their turnovers. Jonathan Towes will play tonight, coming off an upper body injury. Let's hope the Canucks don't try to make him pay for making that decision.
If you live in the Southeast, tomorrow is national signing day for college football. We understand that there is no mail delivery and that the banks are all closed.

Bears Find Their Ted Thompson

2012-01-31T14:39:45Z

I was part of covering the Green Bay Packers when Ted Thompson was hired as their General Manager. Packer fans had no clue who the guy was, but had heard some negative things about when he was at Seattle. When he picked Aaron Rodgers as his first pick (24) in his first draft, Packer fans went nuts. "We've got a quarterback" they howled.

The first year under Thompson's supervision was a disaster, leading to the dismissal of Head Coach Mike Sherman following the season. Thompson went out and hired Mike McCarthy, the offensive coordinator for the San Fransisco 49ers. McCarthy had been involved in some pretty underwhelming teams in New Orleans and San Francisco and wasn't a sexy choice. The guy looked and talked like he should be operating a big rig, not coaching a football team.

The first season under McCarthy was terrible and Packer fans screamed bloody murder. Thompson, who keeps himself out of the public eye, was deemed to be too aloof to run a successful franchise. McCarthy was a horrible coach they said. Most important of all, Brett Favre was beginning to get upset. Thompson traded him away in July of 2008 and the Packers fell to 6-10. The Ted haters were out in full force now. And they wanted his head on a spit.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the execution. The next season, the Packers went back to the playoffs and the next season the Packers won the Super Bowl.

Over the course of his tenure in Green Bay, Thompson has been a rock. Enduring criticism early for his drafting no name players and his handling of the Favre situation, Thompson turned a deaf ear towards everyone. In the end, he was right in drafting Rodgers, right in dumping Favre and pretty much hit home runs with a majority of his draft picks. The bottom line is Ted Thompson, despite all of the weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth over the years by Packer fans is good at his job.

Enter Phil Emery. A career scout, Emery has never generally managed an organization. So much has been made of his real role, is a he a manager or a glorified scout? Is he really more powerful than head coach Lovie Smith or is he just a pawn? Will he be better at building through the draft than former GM Jerry Angelo, or will he draft duds that will waste the teams time? Will he be committed to getting help for Jay Cutler, or will he buy into Angelo's (and perhaps Lovie's) logic that the Bears are fine at wide receiver and that J'Marcus Webb is a legitimate NFL left tackle?

All of this remains to be seen. Emery's first task is to build an organization with scouts who will evaluate players to Emery's specifications. Then, he'll deal with free agents and contracts. Then, following the next season, he'll deal with Lovie.

The bottom line to all of this is Bears fans need to be patient. Back in the early days of Ted Thompson's reign in Green Bay, the fans were openly hostile. They didn't understand draft picks like Nick Collins, Brady Poppinga, Greg Jennings, Jason Spitz, Desmond Bishop, Mason Crosby, Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley, Matt Flynn and the countless other mid and low round picks that have turned into contributors for the Packers. The Packers are a team that builds through the draft, though the organization that Thompson built and now heads. The organization that beat the Bears four times in the last year.

Emery's vision is that of Thompson. To build through the draft. To hit paydirt on low and mid round picks. To evaluate players and watch tape and then re-evaluate and watch more tape. To not be the public face of the team, but to be the football equivalent of a gym rat, constantly improving and tweaking personnel This is what make Thompson good at what he does and hopefully, in a couple of years, Emery's name will be mentioned in the same conversation.

It seems that Ted Phillips mission was not to beat the Packers. It was to join them.

Quick Shots: Cowley Keeps Taking Shots

2012-01-27T15:19:29Z

Back in the 70's, the late William Safire was a speech writer for Vice-President Spiro Agnew. In a memorable speech to the California State Republican convention, Safire wrote the memorable line "nattering nabobs of negativism" which Agnew delivered to rousing applause. Those are perfect words to describe the Sun-Times Joe Cowley, who this morning ripped the White Sox, asking if the funeral at Soxfest should be open or closed casket. He went on to take several shots at Sox GM Kenny Williams, mostly because Cowley is an Ozzie Guillen symbiont. Last year, Cowley was crowing how the Sox had the division in the bag. That was of course before they went into the bag.
Ever since Cowley has become a columnist, he has developed a warped perspective. Most of that is his jaundiced eye toward Kenny Williams. Look, I know the Sox chances of winning the division are slim and none and slim just left town, but in baseball, anything is possible. It's a long season and stranger things have happened. Don't urinate on my hope in January, okay? Cowley is almost as annoying as a former columnist who used to work for the Tribune, until they found out he was a fraud and ran him out of town. Perhaps you've heard of him: Skip Clueless.
While other GMs and other scouts are hot and heavy at the Senior Bowl, the Chicago Bears can't figure out who their new GM will be. The problem is not only the GM, but the scouting system. Since many of the current scouting staff were in on the bad decisions made by defrocked GM Jerry Angelo, they probably should be run out too. But it is almost too late to do that, so you can expect who takes over won't have an impact this year. Which will probably buy Lovie Smith even more time. Call it the Bears circle of life.
Greg Schiano was hired by Tampa Bay as their new head coach. What were they smoking? Sure, he turned Rutgers around, but Rutgers plays in the Big East, a soft conference that he's never even won. That, and he's a poor game manager. He's a huge dropoff from Chip Kelly, who the Bucs earlier tried to romance. And, he's leaving his recruits high and dry less than a week before national signing day. And, the cherry on the sundae is his only foray into the NFL was a two year stretch with the Bears under Stuttering Dave Wannstedt. That isn't a pedigree by any stretch of the imagination. Hide the sharp objects from Mike Sherman, who finished second.
The Chicago Bulls learned a little something the other night in their loss against the Pacers. Being without Taj Gibson against decent to good teams really hurts. Sure, you can beat Charlotte or Washington, but Indiana has some decent front court talent and it showed Wednesday night. The Bulls should have it a lot easier at home tonight against Milwaukee who is without oft injured center Andrew Bogut, who is out with a broken ankle.
It's NHL all-star weekend. Hopefully, that means several Chicago Blackhawk players can rest up and get healthy in a hurry. The Hawks went from first in the west to sixth thanks to a couple of losses to Nashville. Stan Bowman needs to find a second or third line center and a third line defenseman quickly before the horse exits the barn.
Nike founder Phil Knight electrified the crowd at the JoePa memorial love in yesterday by pointing the finger of blame directly at the school's administration for not doing more. While I think people have been harsh about JoePa's role in the Sandusky case, he could have more too. It's sad when a family uses a memorial service as a way to rub tarn-x on a tarnished legacy.
Milwaukee Brewer fans, already robbed of Prince Fielder, are whining about Ryan Braun not participating in their fan fest on Sunday. If they really understood that Braun can't attend on advice of his lawyers, they'd be in a better mood. Of course, that leave the big draw as the moody and taciturn Zack Grienke.

Tigers Fatten Up With Fielder

2012-01-25T15:17:22Z

A week ago there was word that Tiger DH and perennial Sox killer Victor Martinez blew out his knee and would be out for the entire 2012 season. This gave a faint glimmer of hope to White Sox fans, who understand that it will take a perfect storm for them to compete for and win a division title this year. The perfect storm ended yesterday when it was announced that the Tigers had made a hefty arrangement with slugger Prince Fielder for nine years and $214 million dollars.

Fielder brings more to the table than just a Big Mac and super sized fries. He's the youngest player to ever hit fifty homers and his numbers throughout his career in Milwaukee have been the model of consistency. Short of an Adam Dunn like year of horrors, the addition of Fielder puts the Tigers not just in the conversation to win the division, but in the conversation to make it to the world series. They, along with the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers and Angels are probably the elite teams in the AL. After that there is a pretty big drop off to the "number two but trying harder" tier which includes Tampa Bay, Toronto and possibly the Indians and White Sox. The "thanks for coming tier" includes such punching bags as Kansas City, Baltimore, Oakland, Seattle and sadly, Minnesota.

By signing the big boy, the Tigers clearly achieved separation on the rest of the division, which in many cases is going backwards not forward. The White Sox enter 2012 trying to comprehend life without Ozzie Guillen, Mark Buehrle and Carlos Quentin, while the Twinkies move forward without Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer and Joe Nathan.

The Sox are still hoping that something may change their outlook, which would have to be huge years from Dunn and Rios, continued excellence from Captain Paul Konerko and a healthy and rejuvenated Jake Peavy. But with the Fielder signing, even if all of those elements came together, it still probably wouldn't be enough to knock off Detroit. Of course, a lot of people were saying the same thing when the Sox signed Adam Dunn prior to last season.

The beauty of baseball is that it is played over a 162 game schedule and no one, no matter how smart, no matter how statistically entrenched, no matter how knowledgeable can predict things with total accuracy. I'm going with that for now.

Quick Shots: Memo To Ozzie, Man Up, Shut Up and Move On

2012-01-24T14:57:27Z

The exit of Ozzie Guillen from his employ as manager of the Chicago White Sox was supposed to be the end of all the noise, noise, noise, noise coming from 35th and Shields. That seems not to be the case. First, it was Jake Peavy spouting off on the Score, claiming Ozzie had quit on the team. Then, Ozzie's tweets from Venezuela, saying when he got back in the country he was going to kill people with the truth. Finally, there was the statement from White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, saying Ozzie leaving early was at Reinsdorf's urging. And, on and on. Then this morning, Ozzie's personal spokesperson Joe Cowley printed some ripe Ozzie quotes in the Sun-Times this morning including a subtile shot at White Sox GM Kenny Williams. Can we all just shut up and get on with our lives, please?
Bears running back Matt Forte's decision to play in the Pro Bowl just after recovering from a sprained MCL basically says he wants to show his wares for other teams, even though he could be franchised and continue to be a part of the Bears. He could also be re-signed by the new GM. Forte would be best advised to sit it out, rest his knee and prepare for next year.
The Bears still continue to interview GM candidates with the list down to two. The leader in the club house is said to be Phil Emery, who worked for the Bears in the late part of the 90's and the early part of the 00's. He eventually left and moved onto Altalnta and Kansas City. This is a case of the "devil you know" Jason Licht works for arguably the most successful organization in the NFL, the New England Patriots. Licht has been director of scouting, but has had little or no access to the Pats draft room over the years. Besides, if Licht can't bring Bill Belicheck with him, what's the point?
A couple of broadcasting greats have been given their credentials to the big pressbox in the sky. Jim Irwin, who did Packer games for years and was royalty in Wisconsin has passed at the age of 77. Former Phillies broadcaster Andy Musser has also passed away at 74. Although you won't find it in any of the obits, Musser was the TV voice of the Bulls from 1973-1976.
In a pretty intense interview in the Indy paper, Peyton Manning is hinting he may do what everyone that lives in Indianapolis wishes they could do: Leave. Peyton says the atmosphere in the Colts complex is "not good for healing" and because he is there all the time rehabbing, he has seen several of his coaches cleaning out their offices. The Colts have until March to make a decision on Manning. If they decide to keep him, a $28 million bonus kicks in. Most of the pundits are split on what will happen, but Colts owner Jim Irsay is no stranger to controversy or hard feelings by fans. If anyone had the sack to let Manning go, Irsay could do it. After all, his father moved a team out of Baltimore in the middle of the night, so what's cutting a franchise quarterback.
So, Jay Cutler is an expectant father. Here's hoping it drives his play on the field.

Quick Shots: Big Game 46. Yawn.

2012-01-23T13:26:50Z

It usually true that the league championship games are far more intriguing and interesting than the Super Bowl itself and it will be hard to top the two games played yesterday. New England hanging on as Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff did a reverse Scott Norwood and the New York Giants winning in overtime thanks to Kyle Williams inability to hang on to the football. You know if you are a fan, that no game comes down to one play and opportunities are lost and won on both sides throughout the course of the game. But, there sure was some exciting, if not poorly played football yesterday.
Chip Kelly apparently has reversed his field on taking over the Tampa Bay Bucs and will be staying at Oregon. College coaches rarely go on to do well in the NFL and in most cases, vice versa. For every Jimmy Johnson, there are two Nick Sabans or Dennis Ericksons who just can't make it at the pro level. It's a different type of game. And while you might point to Jim Harbaugh as someone successful on both levels, realize Harbaugh was a fairly successful pro player as well as the son of a coach.
Another college coach who resisted the overtures of bright lights and big money of the pro game was the late Joe Paterno, who was famously spurned opportunities with the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots.
Give Adam Dunn some credit. Despite having one of the worst seasons in modern baseball history, he will show up at the upcoming Soxfest this weekend. Given the heat he must be feeling from fans, it says a lot about his character to walk into what could be a hornet's nest. Rumor has it he's dropped 30 pounds and drastically changed his off season routine.
Speaking of the Sox, GM Kenny Williams has to be feeling a little blue this morning after his son Kyle muffed a punt and fumbled a punt return for the 49ers in their loss to the Giants in the NFC Championship game. I sure Ozzie Guillen is warming up his Twitter right now.
After losing their first eight road games, the Milwaukee Bucks have won two in a row, including a win last night over the Miami Heat.
The Chicago Bulls won the other night against Charlotte with four players out of the lineup. They appear to be that good.
How tight are the standings in the Western Conference of the NHL? The Chicago Blackhawks lost to Nashville Saturday night 5-2 and went from being the top team in the conference to the fifth best team in the conference.
What a whirlwind it's been for Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. His son Michael, drowned in a frozen lake a couple of weeks ago, the Packers lost the NFC Divisional game to the Giants and now, Philbin has been named head coach of the Dolphins. Part of the reason he was hired was how he carried himself during the interview while he was grieving for his son. Before you get too excited Dolphin fans, know that head coach Mike McCarthy calls a lot of the Packers plays.
Teams are lining up to talk to Payton Manning if he is cut loose by the Indianapolis Colts. I always wanted to own a Corvette, but if it was up on blocks and needed an engine replacement, I doubt I'd be interested.

Triumph Compunded By Tragedy Will Be JoePa's Twin Legacy

2012-01-22T20:08:00Z

Joe Paterno passed away this morning, I think of a broken heart. When everything you have ever worked for, for what defines you, for what you will be remembered for crumbles down around you in a period of days, you lose heart, you lose fight and you lose the will to go on. Today, Joe Paterno lost that fight.

For all of the tributes from former players and coaches that honor his memory and extoll his virtue, there will be those who will never forgive him for the perception that he enabled a child molester to roam free even though he was aware it was going on. Whatever he knew or didn't know will now go to his grave.

I would prefer to remember Joe Paterno as I did prior to the events of November 9th, as a great coach, dedicated to his players and university who ran a clean program and gave generously back to his community. In that respect, he defined what a coach was.

But even great men can have feet of clay and it was his inaction in a time that called for action that most likely will be the headline of his legacy. All of the good that he did will equally be balanced with the good he did not do in not being more forceful in taking down his former assistant and and serial child molester Jerry Sandusky. Whether it be his generation, his comprehension of the events or his just not wanting to get involved is irrelevant. By his own admission, he could and should have done more.

That said, the bile and vitriol coming from corners of the Internet are shocking and appalling. People wishing his a painful end, people hoping he go to hell and the most shocking and sickening of all, the guy who wished he "was raped three times daily by a horned monster with a penis made of thorns." How sad it is to know that I share oxygen with these people.

To act as if Paterno was the molester himself is misguided. To put him on an equal platform with Sandusky is wrong. To spew such venomous things about a man who made a poor judgement call is unconscionable.

And so, at a time where in a normal situation we would be celebrating the life and legacy of a man dedicated to his players and his university, we debate the legacy. Is it a legacy of accomplishment or is it a legacy of something gone horribly wrong?

History, not bloggers and not talk show syncopates will answer the question in time.

Butkus D. Dogg's Friday Fearless Forecast (Week 21)

2012-01-20T13:20:57Z

Hello again. For those of you that live in the upper Midwest, you know how cold it is outside. Even the Fat Dog slept under the covers last night. You would think any entity with that much body fat wouldn't get cold, but apparently he was. Even the Bald Guy wore an extra layer to work this morning and he certainly has adipose to stay plenty warm. Why do you think I sleep next to him? Sorry, Bald Guy. Love you.

Last week, I was 2-2. My bowl record was a mediocre 21-13, so overall I am 144-58 on the year. It's been a good year, but lately I've been in a slump. Let's hope I can run the table on my last three picks.

As always, we're going straight up. Here's how championship weekend breaks down:

Baltimore at New England: It's a battle of defense vs. offense and as the saying goes "defense wins championships." True, but so do quarterbacks. And I'll take Tom Brady over Joe Flacco any day. Take New England.
New York Giants at San Francisco: According to the experts, including this one, neither one of these teams should be here. The Niners were very impressive against the Saints while the Giants went to Green Bay and knocked off the almighty Packers. This could be a low scoring game, but I think in the end, Eli Manning is on a roll and the Giants have a slight edge. Take New York.

Quick Shots: Tice, Tice, Baby

2012-01-19T15:35:15Z

There's a lot of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth in Bears nation because offensive coordinator elect Bullwinkle J. Tice is going to interview for the head coaching job in Oakland. I think it's not a big deal He was a decent if unspectacular head coach in Minnesota for lousy ownership and probably deserves another chance. If he leaves, I'm sure Lovie can find someone to run the offense. Personally, I think they should have talked to Jeremy Bates, but they apparently have a grudge. Clyde Christiansen is now available, so finding Tice's replacement wouldn't be that hard.
The bigger hole the Bears need to fill right now is GM. Monday, they interviewed a guy from New England who has never even been in the draft room. Someday, I hope George McCaskey turns into Rocky Wirtz and realizes that he needs someone other than Ted Phillips to make important football decisions. This whole situation has been botched from moment one when Phillips announced whoever took over had to take Lovie. You've already seen in Oakland and Indy what new GMs should be able to do.
The Blackhawks looked rejuvenated last night against Buffalo. Let's hope they can keep it that way. Stan Bowman, please find some defensemen who actually can clear a zone.
Green Bay Coach Mike McCarthy said yesterday that his team suffered from poor tackling all year. Huh? You went 15-2 for crying out loud. Sounds like he's throwing defensive coordinator Dom Capers under the bus. The biggest reason the Packers lost Sunday was because their receivers coated their hands with butter prior to the game.
Now that his season is over, perhaps we could hear less about Tim Tebow. Please.
If you haven't been watching "Justified" on FX, you are missing out. Ditto "Southland" on TNT. It's the best cop show since "Hill Street Blues."

JoePa Speaks

2012-01-17T13:45:25Z

I know I'm a couple of days jumping on the pile on the JoePa interview in the Washington Post, but I found it a fascinating read. One of the key things I saw was that when Mike McQuery went to JoePa to report the 2002 incident involving Jerry Sandusky, he left out a lot of the graphic description in deference to Paterno's age and standing. Now, I don't know if you are buying it, but I am and here's why: My Dad is a couple years older than JoePa and while I can discuss things with him, there is a certain line I don't cross with him. I do not use profanity (because he doesn't) and I do not use sexual euphemisms. My father is no shrinking violet, he served his country in Europe at 19, and knows all those words, but he raised me to not be crude in his presence. So, I get where McQuery was coming from.

If you drink what JoePa is serving, he claims he had issues with the whole thing and turned it over to people that he felt could better handle it. I believe that this is true and I think somewhere between Tim Curley, Gary Schultz and Graham Spanier, the ball was dropped. The fascinating component of this whole story is why didn't Curley, Schultz and Spanier act and report Sandusky to the police. My guess is that they knew ten years ago the repercussions the scandal would have on the university and they wanted to keep it in house. That said, continuing to allow Sandusky any involvement with the university was horrible judgment on their part.

I think in JoePa's case, he did what he thought was right and correct in terms of university policy. He phoned his superiors and reported the incident. What he didn't do is follow up or use his power within the university to demand Sandusky be brought up on criminal charges. He could have, probably should have but didn't, and in not doing so, brought himself down in November.

There is also a great deal of conjecture about the Penn State board of trustees. If, as the new President of the university, Rodney Erickson asserts, he is an employee working for the trustees. If that is the case, did former President Spanier report the incident to the trustees? If he did and they didn't act, then that is not only a huge moral lapse, it's a huge financial liability.

I think at the end of the day, while JoePa had a role in all of this, he probably had less of a role than any of the principles. I think his age, his generational values and his desire to act according to policy worked against him in this situation. How he will be judged in the future will be a topic of much debate.

Two other quick notes: First, while I understand some of the Penn State alums are not happy with how the JoePa deal was handled or how the search for a new coach was handled, I think it was a good thing for Penn State to clean house. After forty-five years of a singular philosophy, I think it may have been time to change some things. That said, Franco Harris needs to stop making an ass of himself and ruining his own legacy by acting like a spoiled child.

Second, it is easy for overly testosterone driven sports talk hosts to regale us of what they would have done. But the truth of is none of them were there, nobody had any idea this was going on and all the woulda shoulda coulda talk is speculation and gum flapping at this point. The legal process will decide who did what to whom and who knew what when. Saying you hope someone dies is over the line. And I hope that listeners respond by turning off their radios and realizing that no matter how repulsive this situation is, there are more civil ways to present discourse.

There Is No Joy In Cheeseland, Mighty Rodgers Has Struck Out

2012-01-16T13:54:33Z

As a Bears fan living in Wisconsin, I can't tell you how happy I am today. No more Super Bowl predictions, no more reports of Aaron Rodgers walking across Lake Michigan, no more nominations for Mike McCarthy as the next pope. Just silence. The noise has dimmed and the Packer euphoria of the last year has been replaced by shock and anger.

That's right, anger. Because when you get right down to it, Packer fans are just like Bears fans: When they win, they are happy and when they lose, they are searching for answers why. The difference is Bears fans do not have the lofty expectations that Packer fans do.

Besides, if the Bears crap out Chicago fans still have the Blackhawks, Bulls, White Sox (and in the cases of masochists the Cubs) to fawn over, follow and be let down by. For hard core Green Bay fans, the packers are it. Sure, those closer to the southern part of the state have the Brewers and five or six still acknowledge the Bucks, but when the Packers are expected to get to the Super Bowl and don't, Cheese nation gets curdled pretty quickly.

Last year was special because the expectations weren't there. Then the Packers backed into the playoffs, beat the Bears and went on to shock the Steelers in the Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers eclipsed Brett Favre as a matinee idol and kids everywhere were trying to grow their hair like Michael Boulton to emulate Clay Matthews.

The Packers started out 13-0 this year and images of running the table were all over Wisconsin. When they finally lost their first game to Kansas City, the cry was "it's okay, we want to win championships not regular season games." Now that they have no chance to repeat, they've turned on the team like a bunch of Honey Badgers eating their young. Welcome to my world, kids.

And so, as the Giants prepare to fly out to San Francisco for the NFC Championship, the Packers get ready to do something no one around these parts thought they would be doing: making tee times. Perhaps they have a friend on the Bears they would like to play with.

Butkus D. Dogg's Friday Fearless Forecast

2012-01-13T15:04:35Z

Hello again. Last week I was 3-1, missing only the Steelers-Broncos game which most of you probably picked incorrectly. That Tim Tebow is really something, especially with his constant talk about God. Remember, God spelled backwards is Dog. Just sayin'

We're down to the elite eight in the NFL and we have three weeks left of our picks. This season has really flown by. Monday was the end of the college football season as Alabama beat LSU in the BCS title game. It was a happy time in our house as Mama is a proud native of Alabama and an even prouder Alabama football fan (even though she couldn't name five players on the team. Then again, that's why she married the bald guy.)

Mama was so happy when Alabama won, she was shouting and the Fat Dog jumped on me yelling "Woll Tide, Woll Tide." Not cool, Fat Dog.

We got snow yesterday. I'm hoping to get the Fat Dog to go outside. Nobody would find him for days. As big and white as he is, people would think he was a snow drift.

I'm 121-43 on the year and we'll add the bowl picks next week to see how far I've fallen.

Here's this weeks picks. Let's roll like the Tide...

New Orleans vs. San Francisco: How did the best game of the weekend wind up in the Saturay afternoon slot? At least it will give the Bald Guy something to look forward tomorrow. The Niners have been the league's best story and this game will be like what would have happened if LSU or Alabama played Oklahoma State: The league's best defense against arguably the league's best offense. I think, in the final analysis, the Saints ability to score quickly will overtake the Niners ability to stop them. Take New Orleans.
Denver vs. New England: This is where the Godly Tebow meets a devil named Belichick And unless Tebow plans on selling his soul, the devil wins this round. Take New England.
Houston vs. Baltimore: The Ravens defense is pretty suffocating. The Texans offense is pretty good, especially Arain Foster. I think the Ravens bend but don't break. Take Baltimore.
New York Giants vs. Green Bay: This is a tough week for the Packers as they learned offensive coordinator Joe Philbin's son Michael drowned on Monday. Still, that won't distract them and while the Giants defense may rattle Aaron Rodgers, the Packers offense can crank out the needed margin. Take Green Bay.

Bama Leaves No Doubt (Maybe)

2012-01-10T15:15:18Z

There really isn't much you can say about last night's mythical National Championship game except that it was dominated by Alabama. From start to finish.

LSU Quarterback Jordan Jefferson may have killed his stock in the NFL draft with a terrible performance. Meanwhile, the list of heroes for the victorious Crimson Tide is long and distinguished. Quarterback A.J. McCarron played fearlessly last night, in contrast to how he played in November. He'll never be an elite quarterback, but, then, it doesn't take an elite quarterback to win. Just one that knows how to run the game.

For Alabama coach Nick Saban, it's his third championship in less than ten years and second at Alabama.

The post game quote after the game that I found most curious is when LSU coach Les Miles said "I wish I could have done more for your team." Um, Les, you are the head coach. Just sayin'.

The only thing that Alabama's November loss to LSU did was screw up what could have been the game of the century, Alabama's defense vs. Oklahoma State's offense. Oh well. There's always Madden.

Game Of The Century Redux

2012-01-09T15:07:34Z

Usually I leave the football analysis up to Butkus D. Dogg, but he agreed that I should give my own take on tonight's alleged national championship game.

I say alleged because I can't help but think how much more interesting this would be with Oklahoma State meeting LSU. Not that I don't like or respect Alabama, but we've seen this dance before. And with no playoff or "plus one" to settle the issue, even a Crimson Tide victory tonight in New Orleans does not guarantee them a clear national title.

Since this, as all big games are, has been sliced, diced, and analyzed to death, I'm going to keep this pretty short.

The x-factors in this game in my mind are LSU punter Brad Wing and Alabama running back Eddie Lacy.

Wing is an unbelievable punter. His punting in the first matchup between these two teams put Alabama in several deep holes. One punt in particular was misjudged by return man Marquis Maze and wound up rolling for 73 yards. Although there is no wind in the Superdome, there are lights on the ceiling, and high, lofty punts by Wing could lead to an Alabama turnover. Alabama is best served by a short field and it is Wing's job not to allow them one.

Lacy was just recovering from turf toe the last time these two teams met. With 44 days since the Tide's last game, he most likely will be 100%. Lacy is key for two reasons. The first is to preserve Trent Richardson for the second half. The second is Lacy is a load to bring down and can wear down a defense. He also is a great change of pace back and can spell Richardson while continuing to pound an opponent. I think a healthy Lacy could be a difference in this game for the Tide.

In the end, it comes down to the quaterbacks. LSU has two good ones in Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee while Alabama has an able game manager in A.J. McCarron. I think Jefferson is the key to LSU being successful offensively. I keep waiting for McCarron to show me something, yet he never does. Don't get me wrong, he's okay, but he's not the kind of quarterback that can take over a game like Jefferson. If Alabama does what it did against Texas in the 2010 championship game and knock Jefferson out early, they will still have to contend with Lee.

As much as this is going to get me in trouble with my Alabama native wife, I'm thinking LSU and maybe by ten or more.

One thing about these types of games. After over a month of inactivity, it's hard to judge how these teams will react at game speed. Players who were sucking fumes in November or playing with nagging injuries now have had time to heal and that does change the complexion of the game substantially.

I only wish there was a way to see how Stanford and Oklahoma State would stand up against these two teams. That would make it interesting.

Butkus D. Dogg's Friday Fearless Forecast (Week 19)

2012-01-06T13:55:03Z

Hello, again. For the second straight week I took it in the shorts (just an expression, I run around in the buff. Okay, I have a collar) and went 2-3. I can't believe the Vikings are so bad they lost to the Bears and the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets losing to Miami, even after Miami fired that coach who was wearing the fake nose and glasses. And then we have the Lions, who were facing the Packers JV and still lost. Arghhh. I'm still 118-42 on the year, so that's good and hopefully I'll make it up over the playoffs.

As you know, our mama left us, but now I hear she is coming back tomorrow. I guess the Bald Guy apologized for whatever he said or did and Mama has agreed to return. I hope the Bald Guy knows what he's doing because I guarantee you, she is not going to let him watch sports like he has been while she's been away. He's even been watching the NBA lately. Ooops, I suppose I wasn't supposed to mention that.

I, for one, will be happy to see her. We lap dog types require a lot of attention. With the bald guy going to work everyday and being in the sack by 8 or so, I'm feeling pretty neglected. Yeah, the Bald Guy spends time with us, but then he goes into his man cave and has to cook dinner and locks us up while he's eating, so there is very little quality time. And when he does spend time, he tries to split it between the Fat Dog and me, no matter how many times I shove that lard a** out of the way. At least now I know there will be somebody on duty to rub my head from 9am-10pm each and every day (even if I do have to watch soap operas.) WELCOME BACK, MAMA!

One other quick note. Tonight is the Cotton Bowl. Unfortunately, it's on Fox, which means if you watch the game, you'll be subjected to three and ½ hours of Gus Johnson. The Bald Guy has had the technicians at AT&T U-Verse install a special Gus Johnson mute chip which kicks in anytime he starts to scream (which will probably be most of the second half.) That guy makes my ears bleed. I'd rather listen to the Fat Dog sing the hits of Celine Dion than listen to that jackass call a football game. Or a basketball game. Or curling. Or whatever.

Okay, enough of my repressed opinions. it's showtime. Here's our best shot at the first round of the playoffs:

Cincinnati vs. Houston: This game is a tough one to call because both these teams have rookie quarterbacks and you never know how a rookie quarterback is going to do in the playoffs. In addition, the Texans have been backsliding the last few weeks. The Bengals have their own problems with quarterback Andy Dalton fighting the flu earlier this week. When the game is this close, you gotta go with the home team. Take Houston.
Detroit vs. New Orleans: All I have to say about this game is that if a backup quarterback can throw for six touchdowns against the Detroit Lions, what do you think Drew Brees is likely to do? Take New Orleans.
Atlanta vs. New York Giants: I think the Giants are the sleeper team of the NFC. They've definitely won when they've had to and their defesne was very convincing against Dallas. Atlanta is an upgrade over Dallas, but I love the Giants balance of offense and defense. Take the Giants.
Pittsburgh vs. Denver: It doesn't matter that Rashard Mendenhall is out or that Ben Rothlisberger re-tweaked his ankle. All that matters is the Pittsburgh defense is going to make Tim Tebow wish God would call him home before the end of the game. Take Pittsburgh BIG.

Quick Shots: Cubs Unload Big Z

2012-01-05T14:49:38Z

It was neither surprising nor shocking that the Cubs unloaded troubled pitcher Carlos Zambrano to the Miami Marlins for a marginal, back of the rotation starting pitcher. It wasn't a salary dump, as the Cubs will be eating $15 in Big Z's salary this year. It was a cleansing, a chance for the Cubs organization to move on from Big Z's anger issues and the negative effect it has on the clubhouse. Give Theo Epstein credit, a lot of GMs would have asked for more or eaten less, but the return they will get in terms of attitude is far greater than the cash or the value of a player. The White Sox would probably never make such a move, otherwise Alex Rios would be long gone.
Zambrano is now united with his BFF Ozzie Guillen. People say Guillen can control Big Z, but sometimes working with your friends is not like hanging with your friends. Ozzie is putting a lot on the line in terms of credibility with other members of his team in how he handles the brooding righty. If he cuts him too much slack, he could lose the team.
I wonder if Mark Buehrle has started to wonder what kind of situation he has put himself in.
Last night's West Virginia pasting of Clemson in the Orange Bowl came as a complete surprise and clearly illustrates why BCS games are bull cookies. No way that happens to Boise State, Georgia, Houston or Arkansas . Mommy, can we have a playoff now?
The West Virginia victory means that coach Dana Holgorsen can get tossed out of as many casinos as he wants and the fans will fight off the security guards for him.
Like him, love him or hate him, Daniel Carcillo has probably played his last game in a Chicago Blackhawks uniform. His hit on Edmonton's Tom Gilbert Monday night not only lost the Hawks a game, but probably put Carcillo on IR with an injured knee. One of the reason the league came down hard on Carcillo (besides the fact that it was a borderline dirty hit) is Carcillio is a repeat offender. A team like the Hawks, which is competing for another Stanley Cup, can ill afford to have a player the refs will sit down just for breathing too hard on someone.
The Chicago Bulls may want to call in an elbow specialist. First, C.J. Watson dislocates his, then the franchise, D-Rose, falls on his. The Bulls looked pretty good last night on their second consecutive game after the furious comeback against Atlanta Tuesday.
The Chicago Bears are searching for a new GM. I guarantee you they will either hire someone you never heard of or someone not featured on the lists being circulated by various publications. Personally, I like Reggie McKenzie, just because the way you beat the enemy is with someone from the enemy camp.
As far as the O-Cor role is concerned, I would love for the Bears to hire Todd Haley, but most likely it will be Bullwinkle J. Tice.
Finally, one of my good friends (and former employees n Milwaukee) Cliff Saunders has been cut loose by ESPN in St. Louis. Cliffy is a hard worker, a good guy and has a list of names the CIA wished it had. I hope someone hires him soon. They won't be disappointed. I've seen several of my radio friends lose their jobs in the last year and all I can think of is that I must be part cockroach.

Bears Make Changes-Sort Of

2012-01-04T15:13:38Z

If Charles Dickens were a Bears fan, he would have definitely called yesterday "the best of time and the worst of times."

It was a great seven hours from the time it was announced that General Manager and later Offensive Coordinator had been put in a van and driven to O'Hare. But the euphoria ended shortly after 4pm, the minute team president Ted Phillips opened his mouth.

Having Ted Phillips lead your search for a new GM is like enlisting the help of Stevie Wonder to help you find your car in an airport parking lot.

And what's more, it was Ted at his smarmy, arrogant best. "Eleven years ago, I hired Jerry Angelo," he crowed. How did that work out for you, Ted? Phillips went on to explain that whoever takes on the job will have Lovie Smith as his coach in 2012. What's more, Smith will be asked to come in and help interview the candidates. Isn't that like the tail wagging the dog.

All successful operations are constructed from the top down. Ownership, finance, General Manager and then head coach. You hire a GM based on his success elsewhere and he sets the vision for the organization. The GM must be allowed to hire and fire his own people in accordance with his vision. Do you think Theo Epstein would have signed up for the Cubs gig had he been told that he HAD to keep Mike Quade?

But not in Ted Phillips' world. Ted says the Lovie issue is non-negotiable and that any GM would be "proud to work with Lovie Smith." Maybe so, but if that candidate doesn't think he can win with Lovie Smith, he's either screwed or not taking the job. Ted Thompson took over the Packers with Mike Sherman on board and promptly dumped him after one season. It took Angelo three seasons to rid himself of Dick Jauron. In both cases, it mearly slowed down the progress of both teams. In the end, it seemed to work out better for Thompson.

What the Bears are actually looking for is a pro personnel director, not a GM Of course, Ted Phillips, who is a bean counter, doesn't have the football sense to know that. There children, lies the rub. The man who is doing the hiring is clueless as to what he should be hiring.

It's not just a talent gap the Bears are looking at, it's a coaching gap. Why does a second string quarterback for the Packers play in his only game of the year and throw six touchdowns for the JV? Coaching. Why does Caleb Hanie make Jonathan Quinn look like Tom Brady? Coaching. The thing about coaching is you have to coach up who you have and if your second string is terrible, you have to either coach them up or let them go. The Bears did neither and that falls squarely at the feet of both Angelo and Smith. And to fire one and not the other isn't improving your organization, it's hamstringing it.

OSU Win Means Nothing, But it Should

2012-01-03T15:02:18Z

The Fiesta Bowl was magnificent last night and lived up to all of the pre-game hype. The scoring was fast and furious and the game came down not to the quarterbacks, but the kickers. It was a terrific game, worthy of becoming an instant classic. Unfortunately for Mike Gundy and his merry band of Cowboys, the win meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Sure, Oklahoma State sugar daddy T. Boone Pickens thinks that if Alabama beats LSU that Oklahoma State could leap over the Crimson Tide and win the national championship, but the odds of that are more like Slim Pickens.

I don't know of any college football fan who wouldn't love to see the high flying Cowboy offense go head to head with the Alabama or LSU defense. But because college football has no playoff system, we're forced to simulate it on Madden or just fantasize.

By sticking with the BCS system, College football has deprived itself of some exciting games. If the BCS games were playoff games, then your next round could pit Oregon against Oklahoma State or the winner of the Sugar Bowl and the Clemson-Virginia winner against the winner of LSU-Bama. And from there, the potential of an OSU or Oregon vs. LSU or Alabama matchup would have tongues wagging all over the country.

But because men like Jim Devaney are stubborn and can't see the forest through the trees, the fans of college football and the teams never really get around to settle the deal. If there was a playoff, there would not be a need for an LSU-Alabama matchup so early in the proceedings. And instead of an Orange Bowl that annually takes on two teams that really have no business in a BCS game, there could be eight teams playing on New Year's Day for a shot at going to the second round.

If there is truly one injustice in sports, it's that fans are deprived of knowing who the real National Champion in college football is. If Alabama knocks off LSU, they, LSU and Oklahoma State will all be 12-1. Yet, there is no way to figure out who the best of the bunch is. Computers, coaches and sportswriters all have flaws. Settling it on the field, now that would be interesting.

Just remember: If things were similar in the NFL, there would be no Super Bowl. Whomever the computers, coaches and writers voted in at the conclusion of the conference championships would be declared NFL champion. And while that sounds ludicrous, it is no more so then the way college football is being run now.

Maybe T. Boone Pickens can use his money not to buy more things for his beloved Alma Mater, but to bribe some officials in to getting a true playoff system.

Quick Shots: Bears Done, Now Real Work Begins

2012-01-02T14:23:16Z

Lovie Smith can look at the camera all he wants and say how good his football team is, but it's almost like a car salesman telling someone that the car they are considering purchasing was only driven by a grandmother on Sunday. The Bears have so many spots to shore up and upgrade, beginning with their offensive coordinator. Sure, Lovie and Mike Martz are good friends, but really, his philosophy is killing the Bears. Seven step drops, no audibles and tight ends with hands of stone? This is how you win in 2012? I think not. The first move Lovie needs to make is to buy his old buddy a bus ticket. I hear Green Bay is lovely this time of year.
The second thing Lovie needs to do is re-sign special teams coach Dave Taub. The guy has been the one constant on Lovie's staff from day one and he has continually made the Bears the best special teams unit in the business. I don't care how much money he wants, pay him a grand more than he asks for and keep him around.
That done, Lovie and Jerry Angelo need to turn their attention to upgrading the roster. I'm talking a real number one receiver. I'm talking about a left tackle that isn't more a Matador than a protector; I'm talking a back up quarterback who can come in and do what Matt Flynn does, not what Caleb Hanie does. I'm talking about a shut down corner. I'm talking about the heir apparent to Brian Urlacher, because it's not going to be that much longer and I don't want a Tom Hicks replaces Dick Butkus situation again.
It's not that the Bears are that bad, it's just they aren't that deep. And, you saw yesterday in the Packers-Lions game, if a backup quarterback gets the right kind of coaching and has the right kind of players around him, he forgets he is a backup quarterback. But then again, I'm being Captain Obvious here.
Kenny Williams trades Jason Fraisor back to Toronto for more magic beans. Kenny is highly confident that his organization can fix some of the pitchers he has acquired. Kenny has been know to find diamonds in piles of crap, but sometimes, they are just crap or turn back to crap. In any case, he's paired the payroll down to under $100 million, which is a workable number. He still may trim it south of $90 million, but that will give him some wiggle room if he needs it to acquire a rent a player in July if necessary. It will take a perfect storm for this team to compete in 2012, but stranger things have happened. No one saw the Giants and Cardinals coming the last two years and no one, and I mean NO ONE saw the Sox coming in 2005.
One word describes last night's Bulls game: Wow. Talk about a beating. The Bulls hammered Memphis from the opening bell and hammered them the entire second half, despite having their scrubs in for most of the half. Shame on you, Brian Scalabrine, for not taking more shots when you had the opportunity. Of course, when you made your only attempt, we found out why you didn't shoot more. That was ugly, son.
Speaking of wow, Tom Crean finally has Indiana playing competitive basketball since Mike Davis led them to the final four with Bob Knight's players. Nicely done, sir. Beating the number one and two teams in the country is no small feat. Let's see how you do against Michigan State and your old buddy Tom Izzo.
The Chicago Blackhawks are back in action tonight against Edmonton. The Hawks have to have revenge on their mind after being drubbed by the Oilers 9-2 earlier this season. Let's hope there isn't a letdown after the big win over Detroit.
Unlike many of you, I am forced into indentured servitude today and will miss at least the first half of three bowl games. I'm grateful the NHL moved the Outdoor Classic back to 2pm CST to accommodate my schedule.
This just in: Ten members of the Kansas City Chiefs were injured in an attempt to carry coach Romeo Crennel off the field.
Happy Anniversary to my lovely bride, Princess. It's been eight, long, strange years. Not because of you either, but because of my wacky profession and your robo neck. Someday, we'll look back on this and laugh. We always have.