Chicago -
By Dan O’Shea
There have been a handful of trades in the NBA already this season, none bigger than Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheik Samb for Allen Iverson. In the real world, it was a trade that kept the Detroit Pistons high in the standings and helped push the Denver Nuggets into first place in their division. However, in the fantasy world, it has been a massive disappointment for Iverson owners.
Posted on December 31, 2008
By Tom Latourette
Goodbye to Lou and this year’s Cubs
Been swept again by another West Coast club
Now there’s no joy in Wrigley Field
Another playoff year is sealed
Maybe that goat curse is real
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Goodbye Dempster, with all your talk
You couldn’t buy a strike through seven walks
Then you gave up one big grand slam
Could hear a pin drop in the stands
Only silence from the fans
We had joy, we had fun
Another season in the sun
There’s a bone in our throats
It’s the hundredth year we’ve choked
Posted on December 30, 2008
By Jim Coffman
Lovie didn’t deserve to go to the playoffs. Neither did his errand boy/defensive coordinator Bob Babich. Together they have presided over the precipitous decline of a great defense during the past couple of years, capped off by yet another lousy performance against a mediocre quarterback during a must-win game. It is a defense that – despite its highly paid status (only the Baltimore Ravens spend a higher percentage of their payroll on the defense) – no longer has anything special on which to hang its hat. Nothing except for the knowledge that harsh conditions in Chicago will almost always help out for at least a game or two late in a given season, that is. And that is pathetic.
Posted on December 29, 2008
By Dan O’Shea
Last week’s moral dilemma – whether to start last-minute pick-up Tarvaris Jackson over regular season starter Eli Manning – resulted in the devil on my shoulder winning and Jackson starting over Manning.
Despite Minnesota’s collapse against Atlanta, Jackson outscored Manning in the fantasy realm 26-17. Unfortunately, that still wasn’t enough for my guys, who lost the league title by four points. I was about to write “by a measly four points,” but I know some leagues are so tightly competitive that the final score might be a difference of just one or two points.
My big mistake was starting Braylon Edwards over Jerious Norwood in a flex line-up slot. I love Norwood, but I really thought Minnesota and its Bear-stopping run defense would keep him quiet. Meanwhile, Edwards had a tough assignment in trying to snag Ken Dorsey’s errant passes, but also was playing with a chip on his shoulder, which I thought would be good for a TD. No dice.
Anyway, the fantasy football year is done for some of us, so here’s my list of most pleasant fantasy surprises from this season:
Posted on December 24, 2008
By Jim Coffman
The Bears offense struggled again against the Packers. The defense stepped up but it still hasn’t paid nearly enough penance for so many poor pre-December performances. And in crunch time on Monday night, the special teams failed to stop the sort of late kickoff return that results in the returning team prevailing just about 100 percent of the time.
But the coin toss team kicks ass!
Posted on December 23, 2008
By Jim Coffman
As the football skittered along the turf deep in the Viking backfield for the second time in two second-half possessions Sunday, the Bears’ playoff hopes bounced and tumbled right along with it. Shortly after Minnesota’s Tarvaris Jackson had allowed a Falcon lineman to punch the ball away from him – a fumble that didn’t stop until it was recovered by Atlanta about 25 yards behind the line of scrimmage – a shotgun snap zipped past the quarterback on its way to the same general vicinity. Jackson recovered that one but the Vikings never quite recovered from a wacky spate of fumbles (seven in all, four of which were lost) that enabled a Falcon team that didn’t play particularly well to pull out a 24-17 victory. So now all the Bears have to do to make the playoffs is knock off the Packers on frozen tundra at home, and the Texans on the road next week . . . and the Vikings have to lose at home to the New York Giants. Or the Bears could win the wild card by winning both games and the Eagles beat the Cowboys . . . and Tampa Bay loses to Oakland. And that’s about enough of that, at least until the Bears accomplish, I don’t know, maybe half their side of the bargain.
Posted on December 22, 2008
By Eric Emery
I have now seen two Bears games at Soldier Field and I can report that the crowd there adopts the worst attributes of Chicago’s baseball crowds – the Cubs’ fans tendency of being drunk and inattentive to the game, and the Sox fans tendency toward conflict and violence. Here are some “Do’s and Dont’s” the Soldier Field crowd should learn.
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* Do start crowd cheers. Example: Let’s Go Bears! Let’s Go Bears!
* Don’t start cheers with shoehorned syllables. Example: Here We Go BBBEEEAAARRRSSS Here We Go! Bad cheer structure decreases enthusiasm.
Posted on December 19, 2008
We’re here to help.
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The EagleBank Bowl
Wake Forest vs. Navy
RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
Dec. 20, 11 a.m. ESPN
Navy sees things the way they are and asks why. Wake Forest sees things the way they could be and asks why not. Plus, the Navy is just as broke as EagleBank. Demon Deacons devour Midshipmen.
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The New Mexico Bowl
Colorado State vs. Fresno State
University Stadium, Albuquerque
Dec. 20, 2:30 p.m. ESPN
Fresno is not a state, and longtime Beachwood readers know that this is grounds for disqualification under our sophisticated college bowl algorithm. Rams ravish Bulldogs.
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The magicJack Bowl
Memphis vs. South Florida
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Dec. 20, 4:30 p.m. ESPN2
South Florida has the home-field advantage, and that’s not really fair, but then the dropped calls you suffer through without magicJack aren’t really fair either, are they? Bulls blast Tigers.
Posted on December 18, 2008
By Dan O’Shea
My fantasy football team is still in the hunt for a league title, though I was almost derailed by Pro Bowl-bound Eli Manning – or rather, Manning’s offensive line, which allowed Dallas to put Manning on his back eight times last Sunday, with two interceptions on rushed passes. Eli’s miniscule points aside, big days from WR Andre Johnson (207 receiving yards, 1 TD) and Steven Jackson (127 total yards, 1 TD) got me through the first round of the playoffs. My guys now get to play for the championship.
Posted on December 17, 2008
By David Rutter
One of these days Ron Santo will make it to the Hall of Fame. Then we can all take a deep breath and figure out why the world plotted so insidiously to thwart him.
Until then, we must rely on the media/barstool cottage industry built around the “why-do-they-hate-our-beloved-Ron?” manifesto.
We have the usual suspects.
Posted on December 16, 2008
