“They don’t have a receiver,” Driver said on the “Waddle & Silvy” show on ESPN 1000. “They don’t have any true receivers that step up and play and take their team to where they want to go.

“I love Devin, and Devin knows that, but Devin plays [defensive back]. I don’t think he’s just a solid receiver right now. He may become one as years go on, but it doesn’t happen overnight.”

Donald Driver should expect a whole bunch of this on September 13th

I don’t understand Donald’s motivation here.  Is it to add some fire to Devin Hester’sbelly?  Is it to provide some bulletin board material for the Bears wide receiver meeting room?   Maybe he’s lobbying to get out of Green Bay and offering his services here.  Either way, I would like to remind Mr. Driver that on September 13th, you will likely be going across the middle on a slant or crossing route.  Just remember to keep your head on a swivel!  I am sure the Urlacher and Ogunleye will be looking for #80!

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Lance Briggs lei-ed at the Pro Bowl

Chicago Bears Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs signed a 6 year $36 million contract back in March of 2008.  I guess he’s spreading the wealth, but not equally.  One of Lance Briggs’ baby mamas is seeking a fair share of child support.  Brittini Tribbett apparently doesn’t believe she’s getting an even slice of the paternity pie from the Bears’ 2008 leading tackler.  On Wednesday, attorney Enrico Mirabelli was seeking more detailed financial records from Briggs.

Mirabelli contends that Briggs has three children, including Nariana, born within a year of one another to three different women. Briggs’ attorney declined to comment on his client’s family matters.

I’d say that was a busy year for Briggs.   I’ve heard of Irish twins, but I guess this is what we’d call Shawn Kemp triplets.  Apparently, Briggs is paying Tribbett $1500 a week in child support.  If my math adds up, that’s about $78k a year.  That’s not too shabby, is it?  I wonder what the other two are getting if she feels she’s getting jilted?  I suggest we pack up the whole gang and head down to Maury to settle this like grown-ups!   My advice to Briggs - keep little Lance in your Pants!

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Devin Hester returns the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI

I was shocked when I read Vaughn McClure’s post in the Chicago Tribune’s Huddle Up blog today.  “Chicago Bears Devin Hester willing to give up punt returns, just not immediately” read the headline.  Could it be?  Is the Ridiculous One, the incomparable Devin Hester ready to step down? 

“I think a return man simply has to be a return man,” Hester said. “There’s really no other position he should go out and play. A return man is a totally different ball game from trying to be a return man and starting receiver, or the starting cornerback, or a starting safety. I don’t think it’s going to work. That’s why you never really see it last that long in the NFL. You can’t do it.  But with me right now, I feel like at punt returns there are going to be opportunities where we’re going to need big returns,” he continued. “With all the success we’ve had at the return game, it would be real crazy to just give it up now. Plus I’m looking to break this record. In the back of my mind, I’ve got to get this record before I give (punt returns) up.”

Who says players aren’t aware of records???  McClure reminds us that Devin sits only 2 returns behind record holder Brian Mitchell, tallying 11 kick returns for TD’s, not counting the electric return at the start of Super Bowl XLI or the missed FG that he returned against the Giants.  Devin goes on to say:

“Me being partially the guy last year and doing returns, it was real tough on me,” he said.  “It’s a tiring thing. You’re running eight, nine plays in a row and you’re going deep. Then you come back on punt returns, kickoff returns, and you don’t have any juice back there.  It’s a beast. You see guys show glimpses of it, but they never had a full return game. Look at Deion Sanders, a great returner, but you never saw him take over the full job as punt returner and kickoff returner. You can’t do it. Steve Smith (Carolina) came in as a great kickoff/punt returner. Now that he’s got that role at receiver, he didn’t have any juice (to return). It’s tough.”

When I was lucky enough to meet Devin at his Old Spice Youth Camp over the weekend, I asked him if he thought he needed to change his theme song, if Soulja Boy’s Crank That had lost some of the magic last season, as Devin failed to bring one back to the house for the first season in his three year career.  Devin politely declined to respond to my silly blog question and kept me on point, only answering questions about the camp.

In a weird way, this “announcement” reminds me of the scene in Rocky III, when Rocky announces that he’s going to step down as champ to the shocked and gasping crowd, only to have Clubber Lang call him out and challenge him to defend his title. 

Has Devin lost that eye of the tiger?   His quotes might suggest that he needs to get Apollo Creed (or mentor Deion Sanders in his case) and go back to the beginning, get back that hunger, that eye of the tiger.  So I’m suggesting that Devin adopt Eye of the Tiger as his new theme song to bring his return game and the Bears back to their championship ways!

BEAR DOWN!!!

KC Joyner is front and center at the Jay Cutler firing line once again; this time taking centerstage at The Fifth Down, the NY Times football blog penning a piece titled “Sorry, Bears Fans, Cutler Isn’t the Answer”.  Let me pull some of his gems from the post and address them one at a time:

Now I understand that fan scrutiny comes with the territory, so I don’t mind that, but what I don’t understand is why those fans are treating Cutler differently than they did either Grossman or Kyle Orton.

I guess the easy answer is because we haven’t actually seen him play a real game in the Bears orange and blue yet.  I know that all of the high brows on the east coast view Chicago as a bunch of SNL’s SuperFans, but give us some credit.  We may be loyal to a fault, but we’ll also take someone to task when it’s deserved.  I guarantee, if Cutler has a bad game, there will be people calling local radio shows for Caleb Hanie to get the nod at QB or wishing Kyle Orton was back here.  As Brett suggest in the Comments, let’s see Jay actually play a game with the Bears before we throw him under the bus.

Grossman was on fire during the first part of Chicago’s Super Bowl season, and yet as soon as he had the bad game against Miami, it seemed the entire city turned on him.

When a normal QB has a bad game, it’s all well and good.  When Grossman has a bad game, it’s historically bad.  Here’s Grossman’s stat line from that game against Miami, a 31-13 home loss:  18 out of 42 for 210 yards.  1 TD and 3 INT’s.  3 sacks for 21 yards with a lost fumble for a whopping 36.1 Passer Rating. This was the game where Grossman practically handed the ball to Jason Taylor because he claimed he didn’t see him.  Huh?  Check out the game recap and video summary of the game here.

I also don’t understand why there seems to be such excitement about Cutler. Yes, he threw for over 4,500 yards last year, but that was in large part because he put the ball up a whopping 616 times.

So Grossman put it up 42 times for 210 yards, yet Joyner’s article talks about how many times Cutler put it up to amass his bawdy yardage stats last year.  Pick a lane, KC!

The only reason I can come up with as to why Bears fans are reacting like this is that the quarterback position has been such a headache for them over the years that they will do just about anything to make it go away. If that means ignoring Cutler’s shortcomings so that at least one off-season goes by without having to wonder if their quarterback’s play will measure up, they’ll do it just for the temporary peace of mind. I do admire that kind of team passion and loyalty, but I’d admire it a bit more if it were done by hoping that Cutler could improve his game rather than by backing his mixed bag of performance history.

I don’t recall anyone ignoring Cutler’s shortcomings because last time I check, he didn’t play a game here yet.  I think we all agree we’d like to see Jay improve his game, just like we’d like to see everyone improve.  Let’s just see a real game to set the bar and go from there.

BEAR DOWN!!!

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If former coaches Mike Ditka and Tony Dungy aren’t dogging him, someone else is.  The bulls eye was squarely on Jay Cutler’s back as KC Joyner was stirring it up.  In a recent online chat, he fielded a number of Jay Cutler questions:

Alex (Chicago,IL)
How well do you think Jay Cutler will do with the Bears this year?

KC Joyner(4:10 PM)
I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again - Cutler will make Bears fans remember Rex Grossman. He’ll make just as many crazy passes but won’t suffer the Grossman fate because Chicago’s fan base is so in love with him that they will forgive the nutty throws he makes in ways that they never forgave Grossman.

A while later, Ryan from San Diego picked up the Cutler topic again and Joyner was quick to throw a few shots at the fans.

Ryan (San Diego)
Denver fans still defending Jay I see. Did they not witness that epic collapse at the end of last year? I mean the guy threw 2 picks in the red zone against the Bills in week 16 to lose at HOME. Blindness

KC Joyner (4:41 PM)
You know what really bothers me about Cutler? The idea that fans can’t comment on him in a non-emotional manner. Every Bears fan thinks he is the next coming of Jim McMahon. When I point out that he has performance issues and that Grossman had those same issues, they just go overboard instead of saying “Hey, that’s a good point, can he improve in that area?”

Did anyone think that Jay is the next coming of Jimmy Mac?  I was actually hoping that Cutler is the second coming of Jesus Christ.  They’ve got the same initials, right?

Finally, Paul from Denver pushes back at KC and he goes and throws stats into the argument.

Paul (Denver)
KC- great job alienating an entire fanbase. I can guarantee you you’re in the minority when you compare Grossman with Cutler. It’s quite embarrassing and ridiculous. He’s only 25, and as a Bear fan we’re quite aware he has plenty of room to improve.

KC Joyner(4:59 PM)
Paul, I’m basing my Cutler comments on three seasons of Denver tape breakdowns. He’s a huge risk-taker and that equates to about 1 in 20 of his passes being an int or near int because of a mistake on his part. He’ll win games in the Windy City and when he does, I’ll hear it from Bears fans. I just want to hear from those same fans when his risk-taking costs the team a big game (and I’ll all but guarantee that will happen).

I appreciate that KC broke down a ton of tape on Cutler to arrive at his conclusions.  I didn’t know that a ‘near int’ was an actual statistic.  How many near int’s did Peyton Manning throw last season?  Who led the league in ‘near int’s?’  I think Kyle Orton led the league in ‘near TD’s’ last season.  If he had only thrown those balls a bit deeper when Hester was wide open, they’d have gone for 6.  Ridiculous!

I saw Jerry Angelo talk to that blond kid to sign him up to play receiver too!

I got a chance to sit down with Devin and he told me how important it is to him to serve as a role model for kids and the importance of giving back to the community.  What he wouldn’t tell me was whether or not he’d be changing his theme song from Soulja Boy, since that seemed to have lost the magic last season.  Check out me and Devin below - that’s me on the right!

All kidding aside, it was great to see Devin interact with the kids.  He genuinely enjoyed his time running around with them.   Thanks to my girl Julie Robers and ProCamps.  The “Pretty Woman” ran a great event and I look forward to seeing everyone next year!

#2 HESTER, YOU ARE RIDICULOUS / 02.4.2007

Following a regular season in which he returned six kicks/punts for touchdowns, Bears rookie Devin Hester returns the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI for a touchdown, the first time in Super Bowl history that feat is accomplished.

This clip from YouTube seems to convey the excitement of the moment a little bit better than the CBS call of the return.  I miss that, bring that back please!

#6 DESERT MIRACLE / 10.16.2006

Trailing 20-0 at halftime of Monday Night Football vs. the Cardinals, the Bears’ defense stages an incredible fourth quarter comeback; Mike Brown and Charles Tilllman both return fumbles for touchdowns and Devin Hester returns a punt 83 yards for a touchdown and the Bears win 24-23.

This clip from Denny Green sums up the Bears great comeback and is almost as memorable as the game.

#7 ONE FOR SWEETNESS / 11.7.1999

In their first Bears game since the shocking passing of NFL legend Walter Payton, the Bears defeat their storied rival Packers 14-13 (the team’s first win over the Packers since 1993) on a blocked field goal by DT Bryan Robinson.

I found a really nice site that pays tribute to Sweetness and this game in particular.  Check it out. Can you believe it’s almost been 10 years since Walter left us?

Be sure to check out the complete list of Top 10 Moments at ESPN Zone Chicago, but proceed with caution Cub fans.  #1 is painful.

Tip of the cap to Zoner over at Pippen Ain’t Easy for turning me on to this list.

BEAR DOWN!!!

Thanks to my crafty negotiating tactics and Julie Roberts at ProCamps (yes, that’s her name, although I can’t confirm if she’s a ‘Pretty Woman’), enter the discount code ‘bear goggles’ when you register for a $20 discount. Hurry, space is limited, so it’s first come first served.

Here’s the info about the camp:

Join Devin Hester at his second annual football camp this weekend at Niles West High School. Devin will be leading the camp, assisted by area prep coaches. The non-contact camp is a great way to develop skills of all players ages 7-14. The camp is July 11-12th from 9a-1p.

For complete details and online registration, visit www.DevinHesterCamp.com or call 513.793.CAMP

For teens ages 15-18, the Hester Camp will be hosting a FREE “ProFormance” Clinic lead by D1 Sports Training. The clinic features certified strength and conditioning coaches, offering instruction to improve quickness, speed and overall athleticism. The program features effective, evidence-based training methods. This clinic is Sunday, July 12th from 9a-1p at Niles West High School.

To get the printable registration form for the teen clinic, please click here or call 513.793.CAMP.

So, if you want your youngster to grow up to return kicks like this…

…sign them up for this camp!!!

BEAR DOWN!!!

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She may have dropped a couple, but she looked a heck of a lot better doing it than Rashied Davis.  She seemed to have a good rapport with Tillman.  Do you think she could play Free Safety?  Nice job Sarah!

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The Protector - you’ve gotta love this classic spot with Dick Butkus.

Chunky Soup - Coach was way better than Mrs. McNabb could ever hope to be!

Sega Genesis - Check out the graphics on this system! Ditka was good, but OJ killed it!

Scott Halftime Flush - insert your toilet humor here

Levitra - with a nickname like Iron Mike, this was a natural fit.

Diana Pearl - whatever the hell that is.

Coors Light - two for the price of one.

Circuit City - So what if they’re out of business? It wasn’t Da Coach’s fault.  I blame Elway!!!

Not to mention his own line of products:

Ditka’s Kick Ass Red - my favorite commercial of the bunch is the most low-budget of the bunch!

Ditka’s Grille Pork Burgers - what’s a party without some of Da Coach’s meat?

Mike Ditka’s Hall of Fame Salsa - when I first saw this, I thought the sombrero had to be photoshopped in.

Upon further review…

I think Da Coach actually donned a poncho and sombrero.  He’s committed to the role!

Cigars - If it’s good enough for Da Coach, how could it be banned in restaurants and bars?

Supplements - in case the Levitra, wine and cigars don’t get it done, try these.  Puts on new spin on “Performance Enhancement Drugs”

Ditka has come a long way from his humble beginnings in the early days when Papa Bear handed over the keys to the kingdom.

Besides all of the products, he’s got the chain of Ditka’s Restaurants, the Mike Ditka Resorts and countless other hot sauces, cheeses and specialty products.  I’m sure if you asked Da Coach, he’d probably take the most pride in his charitable work with Gridiron Greats.   I don’t know about you, but I’m buying whatever he’s selling, gang!!!

Da Coach!!!

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