Eileen, Bears Superfan

Another Bears win! I had the pleasure and privilege of going to this week's Halloween ORANGE game. And, what a game it was. To begin with, it was a gorgeous day on Sunday-- out in the sunshine and about 50 degrees, although it felt warmer. It was an ideal day for some great football. The game was preceded by a (loud and very impressive!) military jet fly-by directly following the national anthem, and then the Bears got right down to business.

Per Lovie's request of his fans, I wore orange for the occasion (Lisa-- I thought it was funny that you mentioned "Orange Crush" because throughout the game there would be "Orange Swarm" logos all over the big screens. I think, under the circumstances, "Orange Crush" would have been more appropriate). It was pretty cool to see so much orange in the stands, and I hope Lovie will call for it again.

Despite the fact that we won by so much, the game still felt pretty intense (well, for the first half at least). It was so great to see Thomas Jones out there running the ball, and remind everyone that we don't need to rely so heavily on the passing game, or on our defense to pull us through, but that we have a really well-rounded crew. And it is amazing to see who is scoring all of our points, because it is not any one person... it is all over the board. Touchdowns on Sunday: 1-TJ, 2-Clark, 1-Moose, 1- Benson, and let us not forget the two field goals from the Gould Standard. I always am holding out hope for that elusive shutout, but at least we didn't get down to the very final seconds of this game to give that status up. Small consolation, but still. I, for one, was pretty shocked that we didn't score at all in the second half!

On a separate note, it was pretty sad to see Mike Brown over on the sidelines on his crutches, when we know how much he wants to be a part of the game. I still can't believe he is out for the season.

Who's ready for Miami?

Bear down Chicago Bears. Make every play clear the way to victory.

Paul Bixby , Bears Super Fan

I was listening to last week's BearsCast (for October 21) and they thanked me for the shoutout I had given them a few entries back (where I mention they laid claim to "Sexy Rexy"). I didn't point them this way, so they found it on their own and gave us a little mention at the end of their show. Maybe next time Craig, Ramsin and Fitz will give the URL!

At any rate, it's proof that we have readers!

Now maybe the readers will start COMMENTING!!!!

Marcus Riley, Web Development Manager

I didn't realize we were doing this on a regular basis, but our sports team picks a blog entry every Monday during the 5 p.m. news for their sportscast. Kathee got the nod this week.

Paul Bixby , Bears Super Fan

Apparently, it's AM 780 as Kenneth does his best Bears Radio impression ;)

I did read the whole thing, and it stops at half-time. I tried the liveblog once too (for the -ack- Packers shutout). The problem is, with this team, except for the Arizona game, it's just boring. How many different ways can you say, "This Bears Team is the best we have seen in a long time," and "Rex shows the utmost confidence in his team and his abilities," and "Don't look now, that sinking ship is the points spread being blown out of the water?"

Did anyone really watch all of the second half? I dug into this week's comic books which I hadn't had the opportunity to read up to that point. It's so odd to be watching the Bears and not care that the opponent scored points on us because the only thing it did was prevent the shutout. It's not like there was any threat of the 49ers erasing a 41 point deficit!

By the way, anyone else wish they had managed to score 5 points in the second half to finish the game 46-10?

What scares me is that the Bears have so much garbage time in their games. They essentially rest the full first offense halfway through the third quarter. Won't these guys get soft from not playing full games? What happens when we play NY and New England when he have to play four quarters?

Speaking of four quarters, was anyone going to tell Denny Green that football is four quarters?

"The Bears are what we thought they were. They are what we thought they were. We played them in the preseason. Who the hell plays the third game in the preseason like it's bull----? Bull----! We played them in the third game. Everybody played three quarters.

"The Bears are who we thought they were! That's why we took the damn field. If you want to crown them, just crown their a--. They are who we thought they were and we let them off the hook!"

Arizona played three pretty good quarters in their game. Just couldn't seem to find the field in the fourth. Makes me wonder what would have happened if the Bears had played four quarters in the pre-season?

So, next week is Miami. They ruined one perfect season for us. Somehow, I don't think that's going to be a problem this year. I predict 35-14.

Lisa Schmidt, Bears Super Fan

Kathee, thank you! Seriously, Kenneth, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I couldn't even read your whole blog! I know you are in college so you are used to the 2500 word minimum or whatever, but sheesh! :-)

Kathee Meade, Bears Super Fan



Kathee Meade – Bears Super Fan

Kenneth, Kenneth, Kenneth. . . . . . . .

Let me be the first to say -- you apparently have way too much time on your hands! It’s a blog, not a term paper!!!!

Kenneth Sothman, Bears Superfan


Upon my arrival home from fall break I knew my Sunday afternoon had one plan and one plan only: watch the Bears game, for who knows the next time I’ll actually be able to catch them live. I mean with my luck, I’ll be stuck watching that one overrated team with a quarterback I shall not name that resides in the state of Indiana. This all changed though when my Mother said the magical words, “Oh by the way, we have DVR (digital video recording) now!”.
I’m really confident the world just stopped for a slight moment. It’s like the time I realized Baywatch had it’s own DVD set, it’s just a magical moment that words can’t express. So I celebrated my now free Sunday afternoon raking leaves for my grandparents, and later caught the game, which fortunately for us I’ve kept a running diary for. So sit back, relax, drink a Vanilla Coke, and enjoy!

- We’re hear live straight from the Sothman residency, which today will be supplying the game to me not only from the DVR, but it’s also in high definition, so if Rex is lucky we won’t get any close-ups on him so I won’t point out the make-up he wears. Unfortunately I’ll be going this game alone for the Bears Gal ditched me for Indiana State University this weekend, but Hailey the yorkie will have to do for now. So, let the magic of the 49ers and Bears begin…
- Right off the bat I’m welcomed to very homely voice in Pat Summerall, who along with Jon Madden basically raised me through the game of football through video games. The Madden/Sumerall break-up, which hurt me as bad as the Keith Olberman/Dan Patrick, still baffles my mind why it had to take place. Couldn’t they have at least stayed together in the video game booths? But we now officially know the Bears are considered big-time when Fox starts bringing in the big-whigs to cover the games. I can’t wait until we get Joe “Swing and a Miss” Buck.
- The DVR has started me right before the kick-off, which gives me a great view of these orange jerseys the Bears are sporting today. Personally I kinda like them, they may not be as intimidating as when the mid-90’s Bulls sported the black jerseys, but they’re pretty sweet none-the-less.
- First play of the game, a hand-off to Jones for a nine-yard gain. Even though he didn’t throw the ball, I can already tell Rex is going to be unstoppable today. He’s got that look on his face like he’s humming some Britney Spears, which was missing in the Arizona game.
- Very next play Grossman completes the pass, ending all worries anybody should have about him. Which makes us all happy, well except Kyle Orton, who’s crying on the sidelines. Maybe next year pal.
- Brian Baldinger is calling the game with Sumerall, and has already dropped a questionable line with the statement, “An offensive line doesn’t have to be spectacular.” Try explaining that one to David Carr, who’s been sacked about 15,000 times in his short career.
- Chicago drives effortlessly down the field which leads to the most important play in the first couple minutes, where Grossman dumps the ball out of bounce instead of attempting to thread the needle. Folks, Rex has brought his A-game with him today.
- Robbie comes in at about 12:10 to put in a field-goal, and at this point he’s about as dependable as gravity. In his honor I’m going to eat three gummy-bears.
- On the kick-off return for the 49ers returner Maurice Hicks gets absolutely impaled by about six Bears defenders leading to a fumble. In fact, I’m pretty sure his head was picked up by the Bears defense before the ball was grabbed. Honestly, Hicks didn’t even stand a chance.
- 49ers head coach Mike Nolan decides his defense can’t stop the Bears offense and throws the red flag for review. It looks like it’s a clear fumble, but then again I’m just a at-home viewer, what do I know?
- Less then a minute later commercials are cut short, for Nolan decides this was only a fake challenge. What that actually means, I’m not sure, but I hope this is in next year’s Madden somewhere next to fake punt and fake field-goal.
- At about 10:39 Thomas Jones does his best Reggie Bush impersonation, running down towards the line of scrimmage, stopping in his tracks, and cutting back to the other side for the touchdown. This game is already getting ugly, Bears are up 10-0.
- After commercials we come back to the Fox football playing robot who is sporting a new look with a pumpkin on his head. So the real question of the day is, who wins in a fight, Urlacher or the mechanical football player?
- We get another replay of the Jones touchdown, which leads to another great Baldingerism. “It’s really what good running backs do, they run where there’s nobody there.” I can’t make this stuff up. Somebody should warn Travis Henry this is what he’s doing wrong, he should be running away from the defenders.
- Reason number 2,195 why I love the Bears defense: Charles Tillman passes up the attempt for an interception to take down Frank Gore behind the line of scrimmage.
- Three plays later the 49ers are have put together a six-yard drive. It’s like watching a five-year-old play Madden on the highest difficulty.
- Very next punt Hester fair catches… is he alright? Or is he just reading my blogs? I’ll take the credit for it…
- Fox cuts to the 10th Sentra commercial where we follow Marc Horowitz as he lives in his car for a week. At the rate that these commercials are going, I hope his car gets impounded by day seven.
- An excellent Bowl Championship Series commercial follows, which has teammates from “contenders” climbing up random really high ladders to get to the top of the sky. To no surprise it’s the University of Miami player who starts fighting other teams and knocks down everybody’s ladders. And no, I’m not joking.
- Back to the game, where in the upper-right corner we see the Packers are indeed up 7-0. Remember folks, every Packers win brings Favre closer to another season, which brings us closer to the playoffs. So don’t be afraid to yell… “Go Packers!”
- Bears offense is moving slow and are on third down, which we are then informed that the 49ers defense allows teams to convert over 50% of third downs. The only equivalency in real life I see to that is the nervous kid that doesn't graduate beause he was barely passing a class to only fail on the final exam. Except it happens over and over and over again...
- I’d be disappointed that the Bears didn’t convert, but here’s BRAD MAYNARD!!!!!! Did I mention that Ball State won on Saturday yet?
- Sumerall and Baldinger are slowly bonding together, but I still can’t wait until we get Joe “Slam-A-Lamma-Ding-Dong” Buck.
- Frank Gore gets nailed by the Bears defense, which every hit like this on a runningback makes me think Tiki Barber is a genius for wanting to get out of the game before he’s crippled.
- Oh wow… I’m not sure what is more surprising, the awesome interception in which Urlacher was getting blocked at the line, tipped up a pass into the air, and intercepted it while falling down, or the fact Brian Baldinger actually asked Urlacher if he believes he’s good at pass defense because he was a safety at New Mexico.
- A little graphic at the bottom of the screen lets us know the Bears are second in the league in causing turnovers behind Arizona. Geez, thanks Rex.
- Wait… who’s Cedric Benson again?
- Bears drive down the field effortlessly, which leads to a perfect touch pass from Grossman to Muhammad to put them up 17-0. I think it’s safe to say the party is over.
- Baldinger drops another great line, “I think this is what the Bears wanted.” Really? The Bears wanted to be up 17-0 in the first quarter? Would never have dreamed it…
- Earlier in the day my grandmother made a good point, why do they actually call it special teams? Are they really in fact special? Okay, maybe Robbie and Hester are, but what about everyone else?
- According to the announcers we find out Lovie Smith goes against everything my 7th grade football coach taught me as Love tells his players to pick up fumbles and head towards the end-zone. The defense also spends countless hours practicing stripping the ball, which is exactly why we need to coin this type of football Lovie-Ball!
- At the 1:42 mark in the game Alex Smith looks cool while avoiding a Brian Urlacher sack, but his PF Flyers are lost along the way as he fumbles the ball to Harris which leads to some…
- LOVIE-BALL!!!! Harris ignores jumping on the ball as he runs it down the field for about 30 yards. I’m thinking of copy-righting the phrase before it’s too late.
- Rex leads the Bears to the 2-yard line, which leads to the following:
- Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner is up in the booth with a Nintendo Entertainment System controller in his hand. He thinks for a second, and then says to himself “Well I hope Singletary isn’t thinking Left + A Button.”
- 49ers defensive coordinator Mike Singletary is down on the sidelines thinking the same, saying to hiself “Well the last TD was on a pass… so they’re going Up + B-Button!”
- At 1:10 in the 1st Cedric Benson jumps over the 49ers defensive line in perfect Tecmo Superbowl fashion, Bears up 23-0.
- And now Robbie makes it 24-0. Robbie Gould ranks up there with Donatello from the Ninja Turtles on my heroes list.
- End of the first quarter comes, and my prediction of the Bears winning 96-0 is still on pace!
- A little into the second quarter and Ogunleye makes his presence known with a sack on Alex Smith. Somewhere my good friend Jon Polinski, a 49ers fan, is crying.
- Now honestly think about this… Jordan was 23. Dye was 23. Sandberg was 23. So doesn’t it make sense that Devin Hester is going to be something great?
- By the way, Hester just returned the ball 48 yards. I high five myself in moments like this.
- I myself am starting to feel bad for the 49ers as the Bears get closer to the end zone. This just isn’t fair… isn’t there a slaughter rule?
- In typical LOVIE-Ball! fashion, the Bears go for a fourth and 1 on the goal-line when they’re up 24-0 with 10:45 left in the 2nd quarter. At this point the Bears are like Michael Myers making a guest-appearance in a Baby-Sitters Club book.
- Rex for another TD pass, and this has officially gotten out of control as we’re up 31-0. Unreal. Can we just give the Bears the Superbowl rings now?
- The Cardinals are starting their drive, which makes me think. Do you think Alex Smith secretly hates Matt Leinart for staying at USC for a fifth year? And could you blame him?
- Fox Studios lets us know that Chad Johnson has in fact scored, so the mo-hawk is staying in place. More importantly though we’re also informed Johnson has nicknamed himself “Ocho-Cinco”, which I’m already considering stealing. Sucker.
- Back to the game though where Alex Smith just got completely laid out by Urlacher. Honestly, what do you think a quarterback thinks when he sees Urlacher rushing at him full steam?
- 49ers punt again, which leads to another Devin Hester fair catch. Honestly… did Urlacher give Hester the “You better not screw up or you’ll be carrying my bags for the rest of your career!” speech?
- I’m really loving these short passes Rex is dropping on the 49ers. It’s very eerily similar to the style I use in NCAA Football. Which by the way I adopted that style the same year Rex was rated a 97 in the game. And you guys think he throws up ugly passes now…
- Just for the heck of it, “Swing and a miss!”
- At the 7:20 mark Rex nails Muhammad for a 37 yard pass, which leads to a very interesting debate. If the Pro Bowl were to take place today, wouldn’t Rex have to start?
- Uh oh… Baldinger and Sumerall start talking about the Panthers playoff loss from last year. I’d feel bad, but I just saw the Cardinals are now down to the Packers 21-0. Once again, go Packers!
- 36 yards later and Robbie puts us up 34-0 nothing. This is sick.
- A shot of Mikey Brown on crutches, which is truly a sad sight.
- Eventually we see somebody holding up a “Grrrlacher” sign, which makes me wonder how I haven’t thought of that one already. I’m really slacking.
- San Fran. is still struggling and gasping for life as they’re about to attempt a 4th and 1 with 1:30 left.
- Which they complete… only to find out Frank Gore made an illegal touch on the play. Apparently a receiver can’t run out of bounds and then back in, which I thought that rule was rid of a few years back. So here goes the 4th and 6…
- Which it can’t get any worse for the 49ers. Smith completes a great pass to which his receiver fumbles. Peanut Tillman stripped the ball, and once again, this is Lovie-Ball.
- We find out 34 points is the second-highest point total the Bears have ever scored in the first half. Just wait until we score 50 in the SuperBowl… well, it'll be 75 if we play the Colts. Seriously, they can't tackle.
- Which that last stat is irrelevant now, because Rex just connected with a fastball right up to middle to Clark for another touchdown! We end up going up 41-0, tying the franchise record. The Bears are out of control. They're going to win state this year.
- By the way, Rex is 18-22 with three touchdowns. Hate to say I told you so…
- The half eventually comes to a close, and I think I’m going to have to call it quits. I’m pretty confident the Bears have this one in the bag… to Miami we go!

Lisa Schmidt, Bears Super Fan

ORANGE CRUSH! I love it! I love the orange jerseys. I love the pummelling. I love the fact that the week Brian Urlacher is rated the 2nd most overrated player in the NFL, he tips a pass, and makes a ONE-HANDED interception catch. Right, because every Middle Linebacker in the NFL CAN DO THAT! HAHAHA.

What a great game. It's so amusing to find yourself getting upset because the 49ers got a first down -- why did we let that guy get so many yards? I don't think the Bears can be beat at home. They dominate in every aspect of the game. They are almost invincible on their home turf. Every aspect of the game was wonderful. I wanted the shut out, but it wasn't necessary. 41 points at the half. Were the Bears playing a high school team? I wasn't sure.

I have to say, though, I am not at all impressed with Cedric Benson. I find it very interesting that every time it is said that he is going to play more, Jones explodes. Another 100 yard game. Averages 5.5 yards per carry. It is like Jones is proving to the Bears that there is a reason he is their starter -- and there is. Benson doesn't impress me. I know we have alot of Benson lovers out there, and that is fine. I think he is a great back up. But that's what he is -- a back up. And look at Adrian Peterson -- one run and gets 10 yards.

Robbie Gould. What a cutie. Love him. He is on track to break Kevin Butler's record of consecutive field goals and he is sure going to. We have an all around outstanding team. Every one of our starters deserves to go to the Pro Bowl. Even some of our backups deserve to go to the Pro Bowl.

I was not worried about Rex after Arizona, as I know many people were. Every quarterback has a bad day. Good quarterbacks have bad days (even Peyton Manning). But good quarterbacks don't dwell on it, learn from it and improve - i.e., REX GROSSMAN. Rex looked outstanding, a 137.4 passer rating. You know your team is doing something right when your starting quarterback gets to sit out the fourth quarter.

I didn't make a prediction this week for the game, because I figured it would be a blowout, but not like this. So I move on to the Miami prediction -- Bears 44, Miami 7. I just don't see the Bears scoring less than 40 at home all year.

BEAR DOWN CHICAGO BEARS!

Gail, Bears Superfan

What a fun first half! Poor San Francisco. Rex was right on target and had everyone involved. Thomas's touchdown was unbelievable...where was everyone? Kudos to Defense and Special Teams, too. I was hoping Tommie would get that touchdown.
It's always great to see all the players make a difference.

As for Indy, they were pretty amazing, too. I had the game on the last few minutes and saw them go to commercial before overtime. Don't ask me how I missed the win, but the next thing I knew a different game was on.

I kept wondering what Dennis Green was saying as Green Bay was winning...

Looks like we might end up with three Sunday night games in November.

Isn't it about time the Bears Organization starts offering Lovie a substantial new contract extension?

GO BEARS!

Kathee Meade, Bears Super Fan





Kathee Meade - Bears Super Fan

What about those Bears? Absolutely awesome! How did the rest of you feel about Todd Johnson’s performance? I thought he held up pretty well, considering he had some tough shoes to fill by replacing Mike Brown.

Kenneth and Paul: You two came pretty darn close in your final score predictions. I must admit, I am more than slightly impressed!

After yesterday’s performance, I’m hoping, my man, Urlacher made a dent in putting those naysayers out there to rest. How dare they label him as the NFL’s second most overrated star. P L E A S E!!! Remember, the man has 75 tackles in 7 games! H E L L O!!! Talk about insanity! I especially loved Urlacher’s block and interception in the first half. That was phenomenal!

Robbie is now 22 for 22 in field goals (dating back to 2005), including 20 straight this season. If he doesn’t make it into The Pro Bowl, I’ll be really surprised. The newspaper this morning mentioned that he leads The Bears with 83 points and is on pace to smash several team and league records. Good for him!

And I can’t forget to make mention of Grossman’s performance. He exhumed total confidence the entire game. I’m glad he came back after the bye with such a vengeance. His attitude seemed to lift the bears up to the next level.

Did you see the happy look on Lovie’s face during the game. He had to be lovin’ it! Had he had buttons on his shirt, they would’ve popped off with pride.

Miami is next! Can’t wait!

Kathee Meade – Bears Super Fan

Mark Bradley, Bears Super Fan

So the San Francisco 49ers came here to Chicago hoping to dig for sports gold, but instead got the ol' Windy City smackdown. It was 10-0 before Brian Urlacher and the defense took the field. 41 points scored by Da Bears in the first half alone! The final score is not indicative of the level of domination Chicago had over San Francisco.

If you’re a 49ers fan and you had something to do Sunday, like yard work or driving your kids to soccer, I hope you took the time to do it. The Bears scored 21 points off three San Francisco turnovers, and that was just in the first quarter. All the orange around Soldier Field should have let the 49ers know they would need hard hats.

While the Bears had to come from way behind to steal their last victory against the Arizona Cardinals, the Bears win was never in doubt against the San Francisco 49ers this week.

After possibly his worst performance of his career two weeks ago, Rex Grossman came out gunning, leading the Bears to a 41 – 10 victory over the SF 49ers. Grossman (23 for 29, 252 yards, 3TDs and 0 interceptions in 3 quarters of play) looked like the phenomenon he was in the first few games.

The defense dominated once again. They forced four fumbles, and Brian Urlacher made an acrobatic interception off his own tip that once again proves those haters wrong. The defense didn't spend very much time on the field, but made the most of their time on the field, causing four first-half turnovers that helped the offense rack up 41 points by halftime. They forced 1 interception and 5 fumbles, winning all but 1 fumble.

Strong safety fill-in Todd Johnson made it easy to forget the secondary was playing its first game without Mike Brown.

Robbie Gould continued his Field Goal Streak (2 – 2, 43 and 36 yards).

Few Stats:
QB Rex Grossman- 23/29 252 yards, 3 TDs, 137.4 passer rating
RB Thomas Jones- 111 rushing yards, TD
RB Cedrick Benson- 26 rushing yards, TD
TE Desmond Clark- 86 receiving yards, 2 TDs
K Robbie Gould- 2 – 2, 43 and 36 yards
WR Muhsin Muhammad- 65 receiving yards, TD

ATTENDANCE: 62,200

The 24 first-quarter points were the most ever, and the 41 first-half points tied the 1948 Bears for best in a half.

The Bears are now 7-0 for the first time since 1985, and we all know what happened that year! That's two games better than any other NFC team. With Miami coming to Chicago next weekend, there's no reason to think the Bears won't hit the midway point without a single blemish on their record.

Go BEARS!

Marcus Riley, Web Development Manager

I missed the first part of the Bears game, which, as it turned out, was the only part worth watching. The Monsters of the Midway issued another beat-down on their home turf, erasing the bad taste left over from Arizona -- and allowing Bears fans to start dreaming of another warm weather location.

Kind of interesting that the Colts and the Bears are the only undefeated teams, huh? The Colts beat the Broncos 34-31 thanks to a last-second field goal. Of the 14 wins between these two undefeated teams, I do believe the Colts win over Denver -- IN Denver, was the most impressive. Beating that team in their own stadium -- a team that had only lost one game, and had only given up TWO touchdowns all season -- is a huge win.

So as the Colts and the Bears seem to be logical choices to meet in the Super Bowl, all we can do during the season is argue back and forth about who's superior, right? I suggest we look at each team's game versus New England as a measuring stick. How each team reacts to playing in Foxboro stadium against a resurgent Patriot team can provide the best indication of who deserves to be on top in this Colts-Bears debate. The Colts play the Patriots this weekend. The Bears on 11/26. Let the games begin!

Paul Bixby , Bears Super Fan

This team is unbelievable! Three turnovers, three offensive touchdowns. San Francisco can not get out of Bears Territory. I think I should upwardly revise my prediction! 46-6?

Paul Bixby , Bears Super Fan

Lindsay, I disagree. I think the best way to punish the Frisco D is to run it down their throat as often as possible. It would give Rex the chance to calm down and not feel like he has to win the game by himself (he tried to single-handedly save the game, like He Who Shall Not Be Named in Green Bay). Thankfully the Bears Defense decided to give Rex a rest and take care of the winning.

This week a run-focused offense should able to win this with no problem. In the first couple plays, it looks like Lovie and Ron Turner agree.

My prediction 36 to 6 Bears.

Kenneth Sothman, Bears Superfan

For those worried, I’ll just calm you down right now before the game even starts. Breathe in, breathe out, and then say it out loud with me: Rex is going to be alright tomorrow.

In fact, right now I’ll give my own personal guarantee that Rex will transform back into MVP form. Going into tomorrow’s game San Francisco’s pass defense is ranked 30th in the league in pass yards allowed, and they’re also tied for second last in the league in pass touchdowns. Combine this with the large amount of possessions the Bears defense will give the offense because of a shaky quarterback in Smith and a running back on the slide like Gore, plus home-field advantage, and in the end you have a recipe for an offensive explosion.

The only thing stopping Rex tomorrow game is a break-out game by Thomas or Benson, whoever decides to be the rushing hero of the week.

My prediction for tomorrow’s game is: Bears 37, 49ers 13.

Marcus Riley, Web Development Manager

It's been kind of a rough week for me. I woke up Wednesday to a friend's text message that my doctor had been brutally killed in his downtown office.


I'd been seeing Dr. David Cornbleet for more than a year, and the news hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt it was appropriate to write about it here, because, among other things, Dr. Cornbleet and I always talked about the Bears. He was obviously a big Bears fan, and the last time I saw him -- last week -- our main topic of conversation was the Bears thrilling comeback victory over the Cardinals.

One of the reasons I like sports is because it creates a common bond. People who may not otherwise have anything in common, can always rally together around a team. Not to say Dr. Cornbleet and I didn't have any other common ground -- we talked extensively about travel, current events and other topics -- but it always seemed to come back to sports, whether it was the Sox or the Bears.

I'm constantly getting reminders this week of this gentle, sweet man whom I considered a friend, whether it be the cover of the Sun Times, the bill that came in the mail yesterday, the medicine I take every day, or the chatter in the newsroom as our reporters follow the story. Of course, it pales in comparison to what his family must be going through.

I can't help but think that if this does turn out to be a magical season for the Bears, they got a little extra help from someone in a very special place. Rest in peace Dr. Cornbleet.

Melissa R. Box, Bears Super Fan

Hey Everyone. Did you guys see that Sports Illustrated had a poll on the most overrated player and Brian Urlacher finished second! Urlacher is currently 3rd in the NFC with 54 tackles! How do you guys feel about our Bear being on the list?

Danielle Barrera, Web Intern


Hello Superfans!

I regret to inform you that "Bears Business" will not be on today. I apologize, I was not at NBC 5 this week due to personal reasons . However, no worries, "Bears Business" will be back next week Friday. I am excited to see what happens this Sunday and even more excited to talk with Lindsay about the aftermath of the big game against the 49ers, 2 more days!!!!!

Have a great day,

Danielle

Melissa R. Box, Bears Super Fan


Hey Gail, I'm out of hibernation-Just been very busy with work and training at the gym! I did watch the Monday Night Football game-of course! That game was unbelievable. Although Rex had six turnovers I'm still supporting him. The Cardinals came with a lot of enthusiasm-I mean who don't want to beat the Bears!! The Cardinals defense also played good and put pressure on Rex, which I think he needed! It's only going to get tougher as the season goes on! He has to get use to teams Blizting! Can this be worked on in practice? I'm not giving up on Rex-It's too early and it's only one Bad game! I believe if we were to lose a game which I thought we were going to lose last Monday I would've been ok with that lost. I would prefer to lose early in the season vs. late in the season or in the play offs. Hopefully, Rex is confident and ready to continue our unbeatable record and carry us to a 7-0 victory over the 49ers.
Did anyone else find it hilarous when the commentors were talking about Neil Rachers and his wife and how Monday nights are usually their date nights! I was thinking "Who Cares", I notice when commentors get side tracked and start discussing personal lives of players, that particular player chokes!
Jones vs. Benson, once again we're back on this topic! I say give Benson more playing time, although Jones is my favorite player, mix the offense up a bit! I do believe Benson is a good player. Isn't he worth 16 million? He's anxious to prove his skills to teammates, opponents and fans and I say let him. The rivarly between Jones and Benson is a good thing. We have two RBs trying to prove whos best for the starting position. Jones and Benson both have two TDs this season and I'm Ready to see more from these two, especially in Rushing! May the Best RB win, we'll see what Benson achieves this Sunday! I read in the Sun-times this morning about Benson getting more playing time in up coming games.
I know Benson's looks have absolutely nothing to do with his skills as a player, but he's a scary looking character. I thought Halloween was on Tuesday. Can we get this guy a haircut?

Gail, Bears Superfan

Lance has his own website now. I found out about it by reading Brendon's blogs. Lance is holding a Jock-N-Bowl Fundraiser on Monday, November 6th. Guess that means he won't be at Juniors that night.

Mully and Hanley said there's no way Lance will be back as a Bear next year. They said the Bears offered a lot of money, but since he'll be a free agent he'll be going to another team that doesn't have to worry about the salary cap. What's everyone think? Are they right, or is Lance like Olin or Mike who want to continue being a Bear?

Check out Ebay---someone is selling "Good as Gould" tee shirts.

GO BEARS!!

Eileen, Bears Superfan

Who else had no idea what to do with themselves without our BEARS this weekend? Last week's Monday night football threw me off to say the least-- or just threw me back to a season or two ago where we relied so heavily on our defense's "luck quote-unquote" to pull us through. Soooo exciting!! As my sister said, however aptly, you decide, "We're a fourth-quarter team."

Like Lisa, I needed some time to decompress after that game, but getting through this weekend without my Bears has been particularly difficult. I will choose to believe that our Chicago Bears are all rested up and therefore MORE than ready to go (less Mike Brown... I just still can't believe he is injured either... that play where he was hurt was one that was tougher and tougher to watch with each repeat in the replays and game reels), to meet the 49ers at home. But knowing that our guys are rested and ready to go is only a part of the reason why I am soooooo excited for this week's game with our 6-0 record! (How intense!) I am doubly excited because I will be there to cheer them on in person!! Will anyone else be at the game? I think I'll dress up for the occasion, seeing as it IS Halloween weekend.

Last year (or was it the year before?), Soldier field hosted the skydiving Elvises. It was a truly awesome spectacle -- but I would definitely settle for a spectacular Bears win over a Halloween spectacle any day.

Bear down, Chicago, Make every play clear the way to victory.

Hello All!
Well we had one week to relax and think about the win....a close one I may add! What do I think will happen next week against the 49er's...I think they will win, but the Defense has got to step up. Especially since we don't have Brown. I feel Todd Johnson can do the job, but he does have tough shoes to fill. Pretty much the Bears need to pass, pass, pass!!! We will just have to anxiously await Sunday's game!

So onto Bears Business. Week 2 looks good, but I can say it was a little nerve racking after the postive feedback we got from Week 1! I think Danielle and I were thinking about what was going to be said this week and maybe that is why our "enthusiasm" isn't the best it can be! I know feedback is always appreciated, we just want to deliever a great show each week, and I think we put to much pressure on ourselves! But hey, we learn each week and that's what is most important. Thanks to everyone's comments. I am excited for more Bears Business. Lindsay

Lisa Schmidt, Bears Super Fan

Oh no. As you may know from my previous blogs, Mike Brown is my favorite. And he's hurt. And I am so sad. It puts a huge hole in our defense, as well as taking one of the team's emotional leaders away. But I do not fear, because I know our Bears will overcome this. I am just sad that I won't be able to cheer Mikey on.

What a boring week without Bears football. Although many injuries occurred. Hasselbeck, Roethlisberger. Can you believe the Eagles lost?

I am looking forward to the Bears wearing their orange jerseys on Sunday in honor of Halloween. I love those jerseys. I wish they would wear them more often.

Some of you have expressed concern with Rex's performance Monday night. I am not worried. Everyone has an off day. Even the great Peyton Manning. Rex got it out of system, and our boys still pulled it off. Better for him to off day now than in January. I am sure he will come back smoking against the 49ers on Sunday. Never fear.

Kathee Meade, Bears Super Fan



Kathee Meade – Bears Super Fan

Sorry I haven’t been involved in the blog recently, but I was unable to contribute, as I was very busy traveling on business in San Francisco this past week.

The good news about this trip, however, was that I was able to go to the 49ers/Chargers game at Monster Park on Sunday. In addition, since The Bears played on Monday Night Football, I was able to watch The Bears play after I finished working for the day and didn’t have to worry about the game interfering with the 49ers/Chargers game. On top of that, our boys ended up pulling out a game victory when they were getting trampled the majority of the game. Don’t you just love come-backs? Urlacher was absolutely awesome!

On a sad note, my buddy, Mike Brown, got hurt. That was, of course, the bad news of the game. Hopefully, his replacement can step in and prove his worth. Only time will tell.

I couldn’t help but notice that Rex played like the old Grossman throughout the game. Is there anyone else out there that is even a little bit worried about that? I’m hoping that having 2 weeks off to think about things will bring a successful Rex back into the fold. He needs to keep his chin up and be confident in his abilities, going into the next game and everything will be alright.

Signing off for now,

Kathee Meade

Gail, Bears Superfan

Rex did a signing in Deerfield on Thursday for a U.S. Cellular Grand Opening. There were lots of Bears out and about doing signings the past two weeks. Tonight is the Bears Care/Bears Wives Pizza Party. My friends will be attending. They had a good time with Jerry Azumah at Real Time Sports a few weeks ago. Even though I had planned on going I wasn't able to. Real Time will be doing another Monday Night Football with a Bear on November 6th. This time it will be Alex Brown. If any of you are able to go and have never met Alex, you should attend. As Glenn has mentioned, Alex is so nice, and he will always take time to talk. When he used to be the guest at the Cubby Bear he always went from table to table greeting the fans. Michael Haynes was also like that.

Glenn, sorry about Ball State's Homecoming loss, but I'm sure you still enjoyed the weekend. Two of our bloggers, Richard and Melissa, have been hibernating for quite a while!

That is a tough call between Mark Anderson and Devin. Maybe Danieal's going to step up now and take over the lead.

Good seeing some new commercials this weekend with Rex and Muhsin.

GO BEARS!!

Kenneth Sothman, Bears Superfan


Oh Gail we’re still here, just like the team we’re just hibernating through the bye-week. And though it was a rather sad weekend without any Chicago Bears football, I was able to get my football fix as Ball State took the loss against Western Michigan during our homecoming. To say the least, it wasn’t a pretty one for the Cards, but let’s talk some pro football :

- Fact or fiction, Mark Anderson is the most significant rookie on the Chicago Bears? This to me is honestly a tough one, like trying to choose between a Big Mac and a Quarter-Pounder at Mcdonalds. On one side you have Anderson who is second in the league in sacks with 6.5 (behind Julius Peppers), but to say fact you would have to argue against the other side that he contributes more then Devin Hester, who leads the league in virtually every punt return category. But then again, you could also argue that Hester’s great play can be contributed to the fact the defense (which Anderson is a key part of) gives him so many opportunities to do his job. A lot trickier then it seems at first sight, but for now I’m going to say fiction.

- I think the Arizona Cardinals 22-9 loss against the Raiders today truly showed the devastation of their Monday Night Football melt-down. The Cards received no offense at all, including no touchdowns from Leinart and only 34 yards from Edgerrin James. I know it’s still early in the season, but at this point I’d have to say the 2006-07 Arizona Cardinals DVD will be as saddening as Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby.


- I truly have to wonder, how is it possible for an NFL player like Shawne Merriman to fail a steroids test when probably half of the Chargers lockeroom uses them? I thought the NFL was good at hiding their steroids abusers, so my guess is he had to have somewhere made the wrong person mad somewhere down the road.

- My statement that the Joey Harrington era is a nightmare may have been proven wrong today with his 414 yard game, but a loss to the Green Bay Packers still has to leave a sour taste for any Dolphins fans. We do have to remember though, every Packers victory increases the chance that Favre will be back next season, which thus increases our chances of winning the NFC North. So even though it may hurt to say it, don’t be afraid to yell “Go Packers!” every once and awhile.


- Will anybody lose respect for me if I openly admit that I read Staley the Bear’s monthly journal on the Chicago Bears web site? Or is that one of those things I should keep to myself?

- Speaking of Staley, Glenn have you ever considered letting Staley sign your body?

- Has there been any Rex Grossman sightings off of the practice field or outside of his basement in the past week? I’m not afraid to already start saying he’s going to have a nice bounce-back game against the 49ers next week.

- On a final note, congratulations to the Chicago Fire for taking a 1-0 lead in the opening round of the MLS playoffs. Let’s hope these two teams can use each other’s positive vibes to keep things heading in the right direction.

Gail, Bears Superfan

Glenn, saw you today getting Tom Waddle's autograph tattoed on you. Who's next? (For Glenn, not you other bloggers)

Well, T.O. has finally been knocked out of the headlines by Dennis Green. Today wasn't too traumatic without the Bears on. I was happy to finally be able to see Marty. He had a good day: 7-110 with 1 td. I thought he had reinjured his chest but was glad to see him back in the game. Missed his td by switching to Atlanta/Pitts.

I felt bad when Ben got sandwiched. Glad to see him able to walk away. He has had a very rough five months.

I don't understand all the people who were on talk radio this past week down-playing Mike's value to the team. I know he'll be out there on the sidelines whenever possible giving his support.

Where have some of our bloggers gone?

GO BEARS!

Danielle Barrera, Web Intern




Hey Bears Fans!
Danielle here. You will be happy to know that I am getting into the Bears. Not only that, but I might have a little crush on Rex Grossman-- even though he had a bad game Monday-- it's deep! Just kidding, but really, I smell like a bandwagon!!! Okay lets get down to business--"BEARS BUSINESS." Once again, thank you for your comments on last weeks 'show'. This week is looking a lot better-- I just wanted to remind everyone that even though Lindsay and I are interns at NBC 5... we do not have access to any games in order to shoot our own B-roll nor do we have access to the stations B-roll. Also, the NFL is very strict when it comes to allowing video and audio content on websites. Therefore, we had to take out a Dennis Green clip from our mini show and improvise!

Enjoy and I'll see you next week on "Bears Business"

Danielle

Mark Bradley, Bears Super Fan

Fellas, we gotta have more cowbell !!

A classic SNL sketch with Christopher Walkin. It doesn't get much better than this! Looking for a Bears Song that will help capture the essences of the 2006 season - what would it be? Since this is a off week - I thought this would be a great topic as a work in progress... Together, let's explore the space of music that help's capture the essence of the Bears 2006 Campaign to the SuperBowl XLI.

Ken Sothman said...
Well, I think all players could qualify for their own song...

Rex's: "Oops I Did it Again" by Britney Spears.

Brian Urlacher's: "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei (Kill Bill Soundtrack)

Berrian, Davis, and Muhammad: "A Whole New World" from Aladdin.

Kyle Orton/Cedric Benson: "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand.

Robbie Gould: "Bigger then My Body" by John Mayer.

But if we had to pick one song I think it's kinda obvious...

"Don't Stop Believing" by Journey!

Glenn Timmermann, Bears Superfan

Well it sounds like I wasn't the only one still in shock days after the game. I just heard the bad news about Mike Brown being out for the year, that means that Todd Johnson is going to have to step it up a notch. Brian Urlacher sure did step up in the 4th quarter to help lead us to a win. And Ken I do believe in using we and us when talking about the Bears, I might not be on the field with them but I truely feel like I'm part of the Team. The 12th man!! Gail you need to call in sick for the rest of the season. I would write more but I'm still a little upset with the way WE played in the first 3 quarters and I promised myself never to write anything negative about my team. So I hope they prepare for the 49ers like it was the superbowl. And just a reminder it's time to give to your favorite charity www.payton34.com

Mark Bradley, Bears Super Fan

Bears' Brown could be done for season - Bears strong safety Mike Brown had surgery on a ligament in his right foot Wednesday morning, and is out indefinitely.

Lisa Schmidt, Bears Super Fan

Hi everyone, sorry for the delay, had to get my heart back into my chest before I could compose myself enough to write. Wow. I sat there watching the first three quarters of the game in shock. I couldn't believe it. What happened to Sexy Rexy? What happened to our defense? Why can't we do anything right? Is there really a Monday night curse?

Then it happened. The Bears realized that yes, they are good, but they are not invincible. If they wanted to win this game, something had to happen. And Brian Urlacher took that something into his own hands . When he batted that ball from Edge, it was almost as if he had told Peanut he was going to do it, so Peanut knew to be there for the touchdown. Then Devin Hester returns his second punt return of the year for a touchdown. Then Neil Rackers (who might be my new favorite kicker (just kidding Robbie) misses a gimmee field goal. GLORIOUS!

Many people said the Bears got lucky and that's why they won that game. No. It is not lucky when Brian Urlacher rips the ball out of the Edge's hands -- this is Edge people -- not some third string running back that's never played football before. Edge is a great running back -- he doesn't fumble -- but Urlacher MADE him fumble. That's good football. That's controlling your destiny, not allowing luck to take it's course.

I don't want to have to sit through another stressful game like that, but I am so happy they won. Everyone was talking about it -- how do you play that bad and still win? Because these Bears have heart. They want to win. They want to show everyone they can overcome three bad quarters and a twenty point deficit and still come out on top.

Not sure what I will do this week without a game on, but it might be a good thing since now I have to recover from Monday night.

Gail, Bears Superfan

Time to reply to some of the Superfan Bloggers questions. Eileen, you asked how we all felt about responding to "There's a time-out". That's never bothered me. I'll usually respond with the "where?", too.

Marcus, I never questioned the idea of having a favorite NFC and AFC team, or even if you just have a favorite team other than the Bears. Like Mark said, that's part of the fun of the game.

Danielle, I will probably never learn how to post my picture or any other with my post. I tried to include a pic of Devin last night. I got it downloaded twice but I don't know where it is. As for my pic, I know how to copy/paste but can't get it to work.

Kenneth, I read your first paragraph over a few times where you mentioned me, but I have no idea what you were trying to say. Guess I'm a bit slow.

Yes, Rex is calm and confident. In his press conference he said that he never played so badly and still got a win. That certainly is confident since if any single player got the win I would think it was Brian.

Maybe the 43 yard running game wasn't going so well, but instead of "chucking" the ball out blindly, wouldn't it be better to not score with the running game instead of letting the other team continuously score because you can't see your players? There a time and a place for a "Hail Mary", not on every throw. If a certain QB for the Colts had the same kind of game you wouldn't be as generous with your compliments.

Besides producing 6 points, what did Peanut do? He did what he had to do to help the team win.

And why can't a former basketball player who also works in broadcasting be part of the group in the booth? Boors and Bernstein from the Score thought the entire Monday night crew should be fired and replaced with Charles Barkley. They said he's knowledgeable, humerous, and an excellent broadcaster.

Paul, you asked about game-day rituals and superstitions. I normally wear Bears clothing and jewelry. I used to wear a Scooby Doo bandaid when RW was still on the team. If at home I even sing the Bears fight song when they score (yes, Dennis Green, crowning the Bears....). This was a first having to work and miss most of the game. When I got home I didn't take time to change clothes and I was screaming too much to sing the fight song after each score. I did manage to keep chanting "turnover, turnover" to the Defense...and, superstitiously I'll believe that the game didn't turn around until I finally got home in front of the tv.

GO BEARS!

Kenneth Sothman, Bears Superfan


Amazing stuff is really only the best way to describe last night's game. We probably all know by now (props to Mark for coming up with that stuff) was one of the biggest second-half comebacks in MNF history and the biggest comeback ever without the offense scoring any points, but anyday of the week I'll trade all that stuff for one regular 20-point win. Either way though, a dub is a dub, and I'll definitely take it. I'll especially take it on a night when Rex Grossman and Gail Freund throw the same amount of touchdowns. Onto some stuff from the game...

- I truly hate to say I told you so, but my predictions of Leinart coming out firing while Grossman would have troubles came true. I think Leinart proved he has the potential to become a force to be reckoned with in the future, but I think a more important event took place on our side. Rex Grossman has proven that even though he can be good, he still has the "Jon Garland Factor" working for him, and those long balls aren't going to work everytime. As anybody like myself that has played enough Madden knows,eventually those hail mary's every play are going to work against you. But to tell the truth, I'd rather have him figure this out now then later down the road in a playoff game, or more importantly against a team like New England.
Honestly, I think there was one major positive notion Rex proved to us last night. Just as the sideline reporter let us know, REX WAS CALM THE WHOLE GAME. I don't care how many times he turned the ball over, if Rex would've gotten the chance, he would've attempted to gun the ball down the field to win the game. Call me crazy, but as he's working over the hump, as long as he has confidence in himself and continues to play his style, I'm still gonna drive the bandwagon. Unfortunately I think he lost his MVP status after this game though...

- Just as a side note before I continue about the Bears, did anybody else find it odd how long Charles Barkley was allowed to stay in the announcer's booth last night? I mean don't get me wrong, he's one of my favorite basketball players of all-time and he's a very smart/talented man, but I just don't understand why a former basketball player was in the booth for a football game. It seems about as smart as taking Super Bowl advice from Dan Marino, especially since poor Theismann was left out of conversation for the majority of that quarter.

- Last night Brian Urlacher played football with the intensity that I wish every professional athlete would play with. By far Urlacher played one of the greatest regular season quarters for a single defensive player on a field that I've ever witnessed in my life. He was just a mad-man completely out of control, getting involved in what felt like every single tackle in that fourth quarter. It was like somebody just flipped an on-switch in his head that made every Arizona Cardinal look like Rex.

- At any point of the game last night do you guys think Kyle Orton was laughing on the inside? I have to think he was telling himself "Dang... I never played this horrible! Put me in Lovie!".

- Even though Rex turned the ball over all the time, let's not forget the fact that Thomas and Benson had a combined 43 yards between the two of them. There is an actual reason we had Rex chucking the ball over and over.

- I was frozen from excitement for about five good minutes after Devin Hester's punt return. I'm interested to see how this is going to affect his returns in the next few games, for he'll probably go back to his grab the ball when too many guys are around returns. As long as he doesn't get injured, and as long as he keeps running balls back, I give him the green light. But I still think it's a matter of time before he completely get his clocked clean.

- I'll admit, the Super Bowl XX hat came off with three minutes left in the third quarter. Now I'm a little iffy if I should even attempt wearing it against the 49ers. Maybe I should switch to the Bears boxers for good luck?

- Besides his interception turned touchdown last night, did Charles Tillman even produce at all last night? Is here even any video proof that he was on the field before it? He's lucky he came up big, because he was basically invisible the whole game before that.

- Speaking of guys that probably wished they were invisible, our big four up in front getting pushed around like Raggedy Ann dolls was embarrassing. Those guys are too good to be letting a quarterback, especially a rookie quarterback, have that much time to get rid of the ball.

- There's alot more ugly stuff that took place, but since Chicago won, well, who really cares? I vote we just forget about the first three quarters of this game ever happened and move on forever.

Onto some other things outside of the game...

- I'm going to go out on a limb and state that the Bears aren't going undefeated this season. We'll have home field advantage through-out and finish with about 13-14 wins, which to me is all that matters, but I just don't think this is the only game where our offense isn't going to score 20 points, which will hurt us if it takes place against the better teams.

- Who's Marcus Riley? Should I know who he is? Is he a Colts fan or something?

(Just messing with you Marcus, you're a very brave man for announcing your true allegiance. I respect your decision, but of course you have to understand, this means war.)

- To our interns Danielle and Lindsay, I'm definitely looking forward to this weeks "Bears Business" and how you girls handle the show, especially after this weeks exciting game. It's gonna be fun watching you girls grow as the season goes on, for I was impressed how calm you girls were the first go around. Once I figure out MediaBox (I had problems with it last week loading my footage)it'll be fun having a dualing show with you girls.

- I think my "Buy Ken a Grossman Jersey" fund can now become the "Buy Mr. Bixby Lots and Lots of Bags of Dorritos" fund.

- And to end this I have to give a shout-out to "The Bears Gal", AKA my good friend Katie, who managed to keep both of our heads on during last night's game by cracking some excellent observations. If it wasn't for The Bears Gal, I'm pretty confident the first three quarters of last nights game would've been very very painful to watch. I think she may have thrown more times across the room then I did though...

Paul Bixby , Bears Super Fan

Rituals

On Friday's episode of his radio show, Penn Jillete, was talking about superstitions and magical thinking, relevant because it was Friday the 13th. One of his callers is a fan of the New Jersey Devils (John, about 33:40 into the show) and believes that if he begins watching a game, he must keep watching that game in order for the Devils to win, or if he has not begun watching the game, he must avoid watching it in order for the Devils to win. Penn talked about a few rituals he has (such as saying "that's funny" when someone sneezes - sort of a long story, but he, like me, is a vocal atheist, so he really won't say God Bless You or any derivative thereof and he thinks people sneezing is really funny) and how as an atheist, he gives no credence whatsoever to superstitions. When Penn asked what happens if he does all of his rituals and they still lose, John replied "Then I didn't do them well enough," in a half-serious tone.

I listen to the show as a podcast on my mp3 player so I didn't listen to it until yesterday before the game and thus this ritualistic belief system and supersitions was on my mind as I was watching the game. Every game prior to this one, I have worn some items of Bears clothing, eaten a seriously large percentage of a bag of Doritos and drunk a beer (or three). Yesterday, I wore no Bears clothes, had no Doritos and had no beer during the first half. Being very frustrated with my computer's slow internet connection, I decided I'd had enough and moved to the couch with a bag of Doritos and a bottle of Sam Adams.

Then:

I eat a few chips, take a few sips and Mike Brown gets a rip! Touchdown! As I kept eating, the breaks kept going the Bears way (well, Defense and Special Teams only).

My wife (who is vacationing with her mother) called me just as Devin Hester grabbed a punted ball and ran it 83 yards to the bank. I told her how the Bears only got hot when I sat down with the Doritos and beer and she told me that her mom had not watched a single Bears game up to that point, but, being on vacation (in Iowa, of all places), found a sports bar and caught the game. Of course, the Bears were terrible. They only started to improve when they left the bar and she fell asleep in the hotel room, making it impossible (obviously) for her to watch the game. I think she made an offhanded comment about not watching them the rest of the season.

I bring it up because I don't really have any superstitions or rituals or believe in luck. I think a person makes their own luck and that luck is generally just capitalized opportunity. However, there is a little voice in the back of my brain saying "Better invest in Doritos; it's going to be a long season" and "You never know, it might or it might not help, but it sure couldn't hurt."

I take it as obvious that one fan doesn't have the power to determine a team's fate. If it were true, every team would win every week. However, they are fun.

What I really want to know is if any of you have any rituals? Is there something you must do, say or wear or eat every week for every game to insure a victory? What gets the Bears mojo rising?

Marcus Riley, Web Development Manager

This is for Ken, Gail, Mean Eileen, and everyone else who doesn't believe you can have a favorite AFC and NFC team. I'm on the record.

Mark Bradley, Bears Super Fan

Bears News from around the world:

NFL | Bears erase 20-0 deficit to stay perfect
Centre Daily Times - Centre County,PA,USA GLENDALE, Ariz. - Riding their opportunistic defense and special teams, the Chicago Bears did enough to remain undefeated last night. ...


Invest Like the Chicago Bears MSNBC - USA
Last night's Monday Night Football game between the Chicago Bears and the
Phoenix Cardinals was one of the more bizarre match-ups in recent memory.
...

Bears rally from 20-point deficit to remain undefeated AllSports.com - San Diego,CA,USA BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) -
The Chicago Bears passed their first test when facing adversity this season. However, their colors were far from flying. ...


Fans in a frenzy Chicago Daily Southtown - Chicago,IL,USA
By William Lee Staff writer. The media blitz leading up to the Chicago
Bears' Monday night match-up was mere child's play. A veritable ...


At their worst, Bears still win SportingNews.com - USA... The Chicago Bears were elated and relieved after rallying to beat Arizona 24-23 Monday night and remain undefeated. They improved ...


NFL - Chicago Bears v Arizona Cardinals sportnetwork.net - UK... intriguing live game on Monday night as unbeaten Super Bowl favourites Chicago travel to the talented but frustrating Arizona Cardinals. The Bears were a ...


CARDS SACK ROWEN Sportinglife.com - UK
Green was agitated enough to punch the podium after the Cardinals (1-5)lost to the unbeaten Chicago Bears, 24-23, on Monday night. ...

Gail Freund, Bears Superfan

While you're on www.nfl.com, don't forget to vote for Devin Hester as Rookie of the Week. Right now he's second behind Matt Leinart.

GO BEARS!!

Gail Freund, Bears Superfan

Don't forget to start voting for the Pro Bowl...vote the long ballot, and vote often.
www.nfl.com

GO BEARS!

Sue Rhein, Bears Super Fan




The Bears are 6-0 what a rush. Its a great feeling to be undefeated this early in the season but, at the same time its a little scary too. That was one UGLY win against the Cardinals yesterday but, as I have been told by others, a win is a win no matter how UGLY it is.

Now since the Bears have two weeks of R&R, its time to go back and see where the Bears made their mistakes and believe me there were a lot and correct them. I was so disgusted by the way the Bears were playing that I actually started to fall asleep through the first half of the game because, this was not the Bears team who has one the past five weeks by dominating on Offense, Defense and Special Teams. I made a comment to my sister that the Bears must have suited up their practice squad for the first half of the game against the Cardinals and finally when Lovie and the rest of the Bears started to see that they were losing the game against the 1-4 Cardinals, that's when the "real Bears players" showed up to play against the Cardinals.

I was disappointed in Rex's performance as well as our entire Offense. I had hopes that Rex had worked through all his inconsistencies in the passing game but after yesterday's showing, its obvious that Rex still has some bumps that need ironing out. Thank goodness the Bears have an awesome Defense and Special Teams that they can count on to come through in a pinch to win games for the team. But then again, I wasn't all that impressed with our Defense in the first half of the game either.

The Bears that played in the first half of yesterday's game were not the same Bears that have been dominating in the weeks prior or, maybe they were and my worst fears had finally come true. The Bears showed that they were overly confident in themselves by going into yesterday's game against the 1-4 Cardinals with the attitude that because the Cardinals were a 1-4 team that they were a "nothing team" and the Bears could take them fairly easy especially when Rex opened with a bomb to the end zone but when Berrian missed it, I think that's when the Bears lost the wind out of their sail.

The one thing the Bears didn't count on was the Cardinals coming out fighting with a fire in their belly along with the hopes of bringing home a win in front of their home crowd and what better way to do it but to bring in the undefeated Bears to their knees and make them lose their first game to a team who is 1-4 and to make matters worse make the undefeated Bears lose their first game on Monday night when the game is nationally televised.

The Cardinals had hopes of showing the rest of the teams in the NFL that the Bears aren't as good as they claim to be and that the Bears could be beaten and with the way the Bears were playing in the first half of the game, they were proving the Cardinals and the rest of the teams in the NFL right.

Well its now time for the Bears to lick their wounds and go back to the drawing board and figure out where they went wrong and to learn from their mistakes not only from this past game but from the past five weeks as well and then they need to figure out a way to capitalize on those mistakes and play a much stronger Bears football game.

The Bears have two weeks before they play the 49ers at Soldier Field so there should be no excuses as to why the Bears aren't playing their best football come Sunday, October 29th and since the game against the 49ers will be played so close to Halloween, maybe the Bears can "Monster Mash" the 49ers and put another "W" in the win column.

GO BEARS

Gail Freund, Bears Superfan

At the very least Rex should be buying the defense, Devin, and Rackers a fantastic dinner. He looked exactly as he did the last time he met up with Arizona. But enough about Rex....

I wasn't able to watch the game until the end of the third quarter although I did have a chance to listen on the radio at times. When I did get to the tv I saw there was such determination in Brian's face that it was obvious there was no way the Bears were going to lose the game even if Brian had to do it single-handedly. Peanut and Mike, what great turnovers and touchdowns, and what a price to pay if Mike is out again. Devin, how did you do it, again? Perfect timing, just like Robbie's perfect kicks. Even if Rackers had kicked a good field goal we would have miraculously won with the minute or so remaining. It was in the cards.

I hope Ricky and Mike have a speedy recovery so they can play against San Fran.

Thank you, Fellows. Great Win! GO BEARS!!

Mark Bradley, Bears Super Fan

I love the stats of the game:

The Chicago Bears' amazing win over the Arizona Cardinals was a statistician's dream. A sampling of some of Monday's oddities:

• The Bears' comeback from 20 points behind was the largest deficit overcome by any NFL team in a win which advanced a perfect start to 6-0 or better. The previous largest was 17 points by the 2005 Colts against the Rams to bring the Colts to 6-0, and also by the 2003 Chiefs vs. the Packers to go 6-0.

• It was the first game in NFL history in which the winning team came back from a deficit of 20 or more points by means of three touchdowns on returns.

• It was the first win in Bears history in which they trailed by at least 20 points in the second half.

• The Cardinals are the first team in NFL history to lose consecutive games in one season after leading by at least 14 points at the end of the first quarter in each game.

• In Monday's loss to the Bears, Matt Leinart became the first player in NFL history to throw at least two first-quarter touchdown passes in each of his first two career starts.

• Rex Grossman completed only 14 of 37 passes (38%), threw four interceptions and lost two fumbles on Monday and the Bears still won!

• The last time a team won on the road while committing as many as six turnovers was almost 20 years ago: on Dec. 21, 1986, the Bears won in Dallas, 24-10, while throwing three interceptions and losing three fumbles.

• The last time a team won on the road while completing less than 40 percent of its passes and throwing at least four picks was almost 22 years ago: on Dec. 2, 1984 the Cowboys won in Philadelphia, 26-10, despite Danny White going 8 for 25 with four picks and Tony Dorsett throwing an interception on his only pass.

• Devin Hester had an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown on Monday night after having an 84-yard touchdown on a punt in the Bears' first game. The only two other rookies in NFL history who had at least two 80-yard punt-return touchdowns in their rookie seasons were George Atkinson for the 1968 Raiders and Craig Yeast for the 1999 Bengals.

• The Bears are only the second team in NFL history to score at least twice on fumbles and at least once on a return of either a kickoff or a punt in one game. On Oct. 25, 1964 the Browns beat the Giants, 42-20, behind fumble-return touchdowns by Paul Wiggin and Charlie Scales and a punt return by Leroy Kelly.

• Edgerrin James had a key fumble in the fourth quarter and gained only 55 yards on 36 carries. That's the most carries in one game in NFL history by a player who did not average at least two yards per rush. The old record was set way back on Nov. 25, 1951, by the Giants Eddie Price, who ran 32 times for 47 yards.

(Info Source: ESPN TV, ESPN Radio, ESPN Web, Bears '06 Media Guide, NBC5 Web)

Kenneth Sothman, Bears Superfan



I must be sleep walking. This better not be a joke.

In a span of five minutes two things have happened that I'm not really sure if they really took place. On one hand, the Bears just won this game 24-23 despite the fact the offense didn't score any points. On the other hand, a search warrant is out for Chicago White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe for shooting a man. Truthfully, when I wake up tomorrow morning, I'm not sure which one I'm going to believe.

6-0 baby, 6-0.

Paul Bixby , Bears Super Fan

Unbelievable! I'd say a lot more, but Marcus wants this to be a family-friendly blog. Unbelievable. 6-0. Defense wins games.

Paul Bixby , Bears Super Fan

OH MY GOD!!!!!! TWO MINUTES LEFT. 24-23!!! THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!!! DEFENSE WINS GAMES!!!!

Paul Bixby , Bears Super Fan

Anyone else embarrassed?

As I type this, the D scores a free touchdown putting this game within two touchdowns. I've always said anything can happen on Monday night! On the other hand, Monday Night was made for Chicago Heartbreak. I'd love to see the Bears pull off a 2001 style last-minute defense-driven victory here. This whole game is going to shake Rex's confidence, and the team's confidence in him. I'm certain they'll recover just fine, but win or lose, this is a hard game for our Bears.

The Bears motto was always Defense Wins Games. Let's see it boys.

Lindsay Mufich, NBC5 Super Sports Intern



hello everyone! Thank you for the comments. I feel Danielle and I did ok for our first show! After reading the comments, i see where we can always better ourselves and the show. I know it will be funny when we look back at the first show and see how much we have grown!

Paul Bixby , Bears Super Fan

This is not my beautiful house; This is not my beautiful wife!

I could have sworn there was supposed to be a Bear's game on tonight. I see the Cardinals, but I see no sign of this team that was suppposed to eat Roast Redbird for Monday Night Dinner! Let's get it together boys. 17 to nothing? And we're the nothing?! I don't think I can take another half of this. I know Lovie is supposed to be calm and steady, but I'll bet there's hellfire in the locker room at the half!

Mark Bradley, Bears Super Fan

Ideal matchup: Bears vs. Colts

In the meantime, expect Chicago to mow down everybody on its schedule, including Arizona tonight!

Kenneth Sothman, Bears Superfan



Are you ready for some football!?!?!?!?!?

It's felt like forever since I've watched these Lov-a-Bears, and I'm definitely pumped for tonight. Though I think Matt Leinart and the Cards are going to score more then 10 points tonight (even with a loss, I think he'll turn some heads), the Bears shouldn't have a problem in the long run. So tonight my prediction is..... Bears 34, Cardinals 17.

Also, Rex Grossman goes for three touchdowns, the combo of Thomas/Benson brings in one, and Mr. Gould stays perfect with a 2 for 2 showing.

Let's play ball!

Danielle Barrera, Web Intern



Hello Superfans!

Thank you for the great feedback. I think the first “Bears Business” went well. We of course are no pros, but it is good practice for us future journalists. Great ideas, I will definitely include more stats, and what you, the bloggers have to say. Lindsay and I will put our heads together and find a way to make our show more appealing and grow. Truth being, we are interns for NBC 5, and our presentation and look of “Bears Business” can always be better. Have to go catch the game now… Look forward to more feedback!

Danielle

Sue Rhein, Bears Super Fan




Well here it is 2 1/2hrs before game time and some people are still guessing if the Chicago Bears are for real or just a myth.

They talk about how the Bears haven't won a Monday night game since the Miami game back in 1997 and then there's the reports of how the Cardinal's Quarterback was flapping his jaws about how he wasn't scared because when the Cardinal's last played the Bears in pre-season of this year the Bears had all of their starters in the game then and the Cardinals still beat the Bears.

Well I guess after tonight's game maybe some of those nay-sayers that are still hanging around will finally see the light and they will realize that the Bears are for real and not just a myth.

I'm sticking with my prediction from before and I know the Bears are going to come through yet again and that the Bears will just crush the Cardinals and they will not allow them more than 10 points on offense, that's if the Bears Defense allow them any at all.

The Bears Defense has not allowed more than 10 points on Offense for the past couple of games so, what makes the Cardinals think they will score on Offense against the Bears awesome Defense.

GO BEARS

Mark Bradley, Bears Super Fan

Bears, Cardinals meet Monday night!

They were once cross-town rivals, teams fighting for the allegiance of pro football fans in Chicago. The Bears and the Cardinals trace their history to the beginnings of the NFL.

The Bears played in Wrigley Field, the Cardinals in Comiskey Park. From 1920 to 1952, they faced each other twice a season.

Now such meetings are rare.

The Cardinals left Chicago in 1960, first for St. Louis, then for Arizona, developing a still-growing legacy of losing. The Bears stayed home, took over the town, and steamroll into Arizona with an unbeaten record for their Monday night encounter with the Cardinals. (The Bears Media Guide is a great source of information! - Thanks Marcus)


The Bears (5-0), off to their best start in two decades, want to use this stage as to validate their credentials as a Super Bowl contender. With the Bears' 2006 start has been the result of planning, coaching and execution.

And breaks.

That doesn't mean the Bears have been lucky. Other than the Minnesota game, their average winning margin has been 29 points. The only break the Bears might have needed in those four games would have been a slaughter rule: Be ahead by more than three scores after three quarters - which the Bears were - game over and go home early.


Random Thoughts:

I agree with Gail - TMI on TO = Trouble for NFL Fans!

Did anyone see this blurb about the Denver Defense being better than Da Bears Defense? Not the difficulty factor. Of the last three opponents, Minnesota is now 3-2, Seattle is 4-1 and Buffalo was a .500 team before the Bears' rout. Those were good wins.

The real schedule break is its layout. The Bears didn't open with the likes of Indianapolis or Baltimore. Just as college powerhouses start with breathers early to settle in, the Bears drew the hapless Packers and equally hapless Lions as warmups.

Then they faced the Vikings, who were a little better. Then came the Seahawks, who were better still. Then the Bills, also respectable. And after three decent opponents, along come the Arizona Cardinals.

All I can say is - The teams we play are NFL teams, no body questioned the 72 Dolphins and who they played!

Bears riled up by quotes Cardinals didn't say - Some fabricated quotes that allegedly came from Cardinals players circulated the Internet this week, sparking irritation not only from fans of the Chicago Bears but at least one player.

Defensive tackle Tommie Harris took the bait when he ranted to Chicago reporters that “Arizona has not given us respect.”

When it was pointed out that most quotes from opposing players do praise the Bears, Harris acknowledged “our coordinators only tell us the bad stuff they hear.” He also didn’t want to end up on a bulletin board himself.

“Don’t go blow this up on a big blotter that says, ‘Tommie says Arizona sucks,’ ” Harris said. “Arizona’s a good football team. The Chicago Bears are a good football team. Tune in on Monday for a great game.”

-- This should add to the drama for tonight's game!

Da Bears 36 - 6

Gail Freund, Bears Superfan

The Bears maybe getting lots of national coverage now, but no one is getting as much coverage as T.O. I am really tired of hearing about him and his blow-ups. Yesterday three different tv channels had it timed so no matter which channel you switched to, there he was. Even when they showed his first td, it looked like he was just waiting for everyone to run up and hug him.

There's been some interesting interviews and stories on the Bears players. It was reported sometime ago that Rex and his wife had bought a house within jogging distance of Halas Hall. A piece this weekend said that his wife is only 23 and would much rather live downtown to take part in the nightlife, but Rex wanted to be close to the practice facility. He purchased a $1000.00 computer and spends his off-time in the basement watching tapes. His dedication is certainly paying off.

The funniest interview was with Bernard. He said that Muhsin gave him a lot of advise, telling him to be patient because his time would come. The reporter asked if Bernard and Muhsin are like big brother, little brother. Bernard laughed and said he's kind of old to be considered a big brother...more like a father! Ahh..youth! Everyone seems old....

Did anyone hear Matt Leinart's interview where he said they weren't worried because the Bears played all their starters in pre-season and lost to Arizona?

Then there was the report about all the problems with the Cardinals. The sportscaster said that at a meeting last week, two defensive linemen walked out, and one player jumped on one of the coaches. He said it didn't get too much publicity thanks to T.O.

12-1/2 hours to go. It's been a long wait since last Sunday. The next wait will be worse with the bye week.

GO BEARS! BEARS WIN 38-3.