Gail Freund, Bears Superfan
Looks like this is it for the Bears Superfan Blog this season. At least the team ended on a high note. Devin shined. Offense had some tricks up their sleeves like Adrian's td pass to Bernard. Even Devin had his attempt at a pass. Kyle, Brian, the Defense...everyone played a part in the win over the Saints. As Jeff Joniak would say it's kind of bittersweet. Everyone knows there will probably be significant changes during the off-season. Some for the better...and some, not.

Happy New Year to Marcus, and the Superfans...those who wrote, and those who didn't. And a Happy New Year to the Bears and their families, too.

GO BEARS!

Walter Brzeski, Bears Superfan


The season is almost officially over; many might say the season was over before it started. I really thought with the Bears playing the second easiest schedule (Arizona had the easiest and Oakland the toughest)... (www.jdragon.org)

...and, after going to the Super Bowl with the easiest schedule in 2006, things were in place for a repeat run at the Super Bowl. But, it seemed as Lovie Smith was agreeing to anything his assistant coaches wanted to do and didn't put his foot down.
(www.packerspalace.com)

But, a long list of 'REASONS WHY THEY DIDN'T' is in place now; ranging from trading Thomas Jones and Chris Harris to injuries on defense to the inability of any of the quarterbacks to take charge to poor play by the offensive line to Ron Turner's failure to judge talent, make gameday adjustments, and find an identity for the offense.

THINGS TO DO FOR 2008:

#1
(www.glassgiant.com/wanted)
Revamp the offensive line. Say goodbye to Fred Miller, Ruben Brown, and Terrence Metcalf. Keep John Tait, Olin Kreutz, and John St. Clair, Roberto Garza. Acquire mobile and athletic lineman and create competition for RT, LG, and backup spots.

#2 Dump the contracts of Adam Archuleta ($5M), Ricky Manning, Jr. ($3.3M), Miller ($4.7M), Mushin Muhammad ($3.1M), Brian Griese ($2.5M), Ruben Brown ($2.2M), John Gilmore ($870K), and Metcalf ($1.486M). The total amount of these salaries is $22.3M and enough to resign Lance Briggs and get help on the O-line (Pittsburgh OG John Faneca, below), QB, and S.
(www.sportsecyclopedia.com)

#3 Resign Rex Grossman and Mike Brown to lower, incentive-laden contracts and let them compete for their positions.
(www.bearsqb.blogspot.com)

#4 Keep Devin Hester happy and rework his contract. Maybe, another car?
(www.thebiglead.com)

#5 Draft an OG, OT, or QB (Louisville's Brian Brohm, below, or Kentucky's Andre Woodson) in the first round. Currently, the Bears are at #12. Though, with a loss, they could move up to #8. And, a win, can drop them down to #17.
(www.foxsports.com)

#6 Make players accountable for their actions both on/off the field and have them represent the Bears organization more professionally than Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Tank Johnson did.
(www.foulballs.net)

#7 Get rid of players unwilling to make a sacrifice for the team and not complain or mope. A perfect example is Alex Brown ($2M) speaking on the SCORE (WSCR 670AM)radio station and complaining about getting only 25% of the reps prior to Mark Anderson ($403K) going down with an injury.

I doubt anyone would be unhappy in Chicago getting paid $2M for standing around doing nothing for 3/4 of their day.
BYE ALEX, DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU WHERE THE GOOD LORD SPLIT YOU!
(www.austinche.name)

PREDICTION TIME..........
(www.buycostumes.com)

The Game......Bears 24 Saints 10 (No McAllister, No Bush, No Stecker, No chance)

Ron Turner....stays

Offensive Assistant Coaches Tim Spencer & Darryl Drake...... will be let go.

Rex Grossman....signs with Miami

Lance Briggs....signs with Washington or Arizona

Bernard Berrian...resigns with the Bears

Muhsin Muhammad.......lands on the NFL Network

2008 Roster will have 15 new faces which will include ex-NIU RB Michael Turner (SD), OG John Faneca (PIT), OT Jordan Gross (CAR), and WR Andre Davis (HOU)

The 2008 NFL Draft....Bears will draft 12th and pick USC OT Sam Baker

Gail Freund, Bears Superfan
I seemed to have missed a week. It was good to see Nathan playing in Minnesota. It was certainly apparent how much he has been missed. What would the season been like if The Interceptor had played the past ten weeks? There was a lot of criticism (as usual) over the Bears loss to the Vikings, but I thought they looked pretty good.

The win against Green Bay was fantastic. Sure, the weather and punter Ryan were a big help, but Kyle and the Offense did a great job. Defense played like the old days. Brian has really turned his game around the past few weeks. The young kids are looking good. Jamar Williams may have just ended Lance's days as a Bear since he showed he could handle the job. For once the entire team was instrumental in the win instead of relying on Devin to carry them.

Congrats to the Bears four Pro Bowlers: Brendon, Devin, Lance and Tommie. Also, as Marcus has noted, thanks to all the players and other professional athletes who do so much for the communities. As everyone knows, bad news always makes the headlines quicker than good news.

One more win to go....let's send those Saints marchin' back to Nor'lens with a loss.

GO BEARS!

Walter Brzeski, Bears Superfan


I have hard time understanding why people have been coming to Ron Turner's defense this past week and I believe he must go. Hopefully, he'll go back into the college game and take a job out west. Thus, saving Lovie Smith from having to fire him and his assistants.

Maybe, Turner could join his brother, Norv in SD and kill their running game like he did here. Bears offense ranks #25 overall (#32 rushing "LAST in the NFL", #14 passing) and SD #20 (#7 rushing and #22 passing)

And, if UCLA names Ron Turner their next head coach, the UCLA will stand for U-Could-Lose-Again

Another possibility could be Turner going to Dallas as the offensive coordinator if Bill Parcells fires Cam Cameron in Miami and names Jason Garrett head coach. The Turner brothers have a good relationship with Dallas owner Jerry Jones. Plus, Turner could be re-united with Wade 'Deer in the Headlights' Wilson.

If Turner stays on with the Bears and no offensive assistants are fired or take jobs elsewhere, I highly suggest bringing in a top tier offensive consultant. Possibilities could be Joe Bugel, Russ Grimm, Howard Mudd, Alex Gibbs, or recently fired Michigan Offensive Coordinator Mike DeBord.

Alex Gibbs would be a steal for the Bears. Here's a link to article explaining his philosophy (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-53877912.html)

Hey, another good fit would be former Bear Tom Thayer.> (www.beckett.com/item/51804032)
He seems to know what he's talking about, but, can he judge talent and be an NFL coach? VERY INTERESTING!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(www.packerssuck.com)

BTW: Why does everyone think Brett Favre is so great? Do women want to have his babies and do the rest of the hill-billies have a man-crush' on him?

Favre has won ONE Super Bowl as the starting QB in his 16 year career. The same number as Jim McMahon, Trent Dilfer, Jeff Hostetler, Mark Rypien, Kurt Warner, and Brad Johnson.
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EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT...........................

(www.fotosearch.com)


Here's a letter I had published about my thoughts on Ron Turner in Saturday's (12/22) Chicago Tribune Sports 'OTHER VIEWS: THE READERS HAVE THEIR SAY':
> (www.redkid.net/generator/alpha)


Turner must go

CHICAGO -- The sign of a good offensive football team is when any quarterback can step in and the offense doesn't miss a beat. But each Bears quarterback was progressively worse this year.

And the blame for this year's dismal offensive scheme falls on Ron Turner and his inability to make adjustments in his game plans, utilize his players' abilities to fit his system or vice versa, make necessary personnel changes and create depth.

It's time for the Bears to fire Turner and the rest of the offensive assistants. Turner was supposed to be an upgrade over the two previous offensive coordinators, John Shoop and Terry Shea. If Turner was an upgrade, how bad do those two coordinators look now?

And if Turner stays, I would suggest drawing up plays to give the ball to the offensive line, as they seem to know how to avoid defenders.

Walter Brzeski

(http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/printedition/cs-views22dec22,1,134935,print.story?coll=cs-sports-print)

*************************************************************************************
JOKE OF THE WEEK:

The Smart Packer Fan

The boy came running home from school one day.
"Mommy, Mommy, " he yelled, "we were counting today,
and all the other kids could only count to four but I
counted to 10. See? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!"

"Very good," said his mother.

"Is it because I'm a Packer fan, Mommy?"

"Yes, it's because you're a Packer fan."

The next day the boy came running home from school.
"Mommy, Mommy," he yelled, "we were saying the
alphabet today, and all the other kids could only say
it to D, but I said it to G. See? A, b, c, d, e, f,
g!"

"Very good," said his mother.

"Is it because I'm a Packer fan, Mommy?"

"Yes, it's because you're a Packer fan."

The next day the boy came running home from school.
"Mommy, Mommy," she yelled, "we were in gym class
today, and when we showered, none of the other boys
had this, but I did!" And he dropped his pants to
expose his pubic hair.

"Very good," said his embarrassed mother.

"Is it because I'm a Packer fan, mommy?"

"No sweetheart, it's because you're 25."

PREDICTION: Full Moon on Sunday with all the Packers fans in town, YUCK!! I wish I could find Ralphy's Red Rider rifle and shoot my eyes out. Only one saving grace is the game will not have Favre's #1 fan in John Madden calling the game and salivating on everything Favre does. (www.packerssuck.com)

****An anagram of Brett Favre is 'BEER, TV, FART". The only things Packers fans know about. And, that's just the women. (www.packerssuck.com)

PACKERS 28 BEARS 10

Marcus Riley, NBC5 Street Team (video)

So I glanced at the front page of the Sun Times Monday morning to see a cover story about Lance Briggs' baby's mama talking about how he's not living up to his responsibilities as a father. Something about an "open pants policy toward parenting." Ouch.

Despite the obvious salacious nature of the story, I was taken aback because I covered a story exactly a week before involving Briggs and 50 deserving kids who were treated to a shopping spree at Target. I knew I'd be posting the story this week for NudeHippo.tv, and the irony would be -- well, I guess you can just insert your own joke here.

---

Slideshow: Lance Briggs Helps Host Shopping Spree

---

So anyway, the kids were selected for the shopping spree based on their grades, good citizenship, school attendance or merits received from Corps assistance and/or attendance. Ruben Brown is also a part of this project, but wasn't present that night. His participation is an even better story, because Brown grew up poor and benefited from Salvation Army as a kid.

No matter what you think of pro athletes and their behavior in their private lives -- and whether it's even any of our business anyway -- they do have the ability to bring attention to causes that may otherwise be neglected. Let's face it, if the shopping spree had taken place but no Chicago Bears players were supposed to be there, would as many media members have showed up? Probably not. So as you're busy spending way too much money on presents and gorging yourself with food this season, take a second to think about those who don't have the luxury of taking those things for granted. Happy Holidays!

Dan Wise, Bears Superfan
Who would have thought we would be rooting for a better draft pick at this point in the year. Will Orton have more passing yards than A.P. will have rushing? Or did the defense watch the 49er tape and learn how to tackle this week? It should be fun to see some young players come out and get some playing time. This is the time for these players to win jobs for next year. I hope people don't expect Orton to look better than Griese or Grossman. He has the same offense out there with him that the other two QBs. So as long as he keeps away from turnovers of his doing we should be OK for him as a backup (or starter) next year. The Bears cannot come back with the same personnel on offense next year and it is not clear who needs to be changed out since nobody is being singled out.

Gail Freund, Bears Superfan
It's difficult to come up with anything new to say about what will happen with the Bears tomorrow night in Minnesota. Finally, Kyle gets to play. Not saying that this means the season is saved and the Bears will make the playoffs like Tommie thinks. I realize it's bad to give up. You need to keep that hope alive. It's sad when all sports radio is talking about is baseball and steroids. Generally I'm an optimist but right now the only thing I feel is that Minnesota is going to surprise everyone and win. But not tomorrow. We will get our revenge. In fact, I actually think we will beat Minn., Green Bay and the Saints.

I'm also expecting Devin to be used as a back-up quarterback soon.

So, all you true Bear fans...hang in there. Even though it is Monday Night Football, and the game is in Minnesota....the Bears will win!!!

GO BEARS!

Walter Brzeski, Bears Superfan


(www.jjchandler.com/tombstone/download.php)

Well, it's time to get the fork ready to put it into the 2007 season and officially say it's done. The Bears are going need to need a lot of changes in personnel, coaching, and philosophy for the 2008 season. And, if the Bears think injuries were the only reason for this year's flop, they are 'WRONGO, BOZO'. (www.larryharmonpictures.com)

The defense has been beaten to a pulp for most of the season. But, most of their problems have been the result of being on the field too long because of the offense's inability to control the clock and have more than one sustained drive per game. (www.warningsigngenerator.com/download.php)

Public Enemy #1 for the Bears is Ron 'Dr. Evil' Turner and his poor play calling, inability to fit an offense to his players or vice-versa, and lack of halftime adjustments. (www.austinpowers.com)


In fact, the only place I would like to like to see Ron Turner's offense next year is here: (www.streetsigngenerator.com)


But, blaming the whole season on Ron Turner would be unfair. So, I created a 'TOP 10' list of where the blame should fall for this year's dismal season and nobody will hold me back this time.

Here's my 'TOP 10' List: (www.thesimpsons.com)


10. Rusty Jones, Bears strength and conditioning coach - allowing the team to be 'fat cats' and not having the team properly conditoned for most of the season. (www.cats-central.com)

9. Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs - allowing off the field distractions
to interfere with their game preparation and conditioning

8. Coach Darryl Drake and the WRs - dropping passes, not getting any cushion on their routes, and playing at half speed

7. Cedric Benson - playing with 'no fire', poor pass catching and blocking, and
allowing others to dictate his play. (www.wireimage.com)

6. Offensive Line -reporting out of shape, poor communication, and play
(especially a highly overated Olin Kreutz...Is it time to move Kreutz to guard and bring in a bigger, stronger veteran center that can handle the oversized DTS? If Grossman is railed for his fundamentals, why is Kreutz given a pass? Kreutz doesn't snap and step at the same time and this neutralizes the advantage of the snap count, which allows DTS to rocket off the ball and drive Kreutz into the backfield and disrupt all inside runs) (www.nfl.com)
5. Rex Grossman - poor execution, fundamentals, and field vision. (www.foulballs.net)

4. Bob Babich - inability to step up to the next level and provide answers to other team's offensive packages and play; making him look like a 'laughingstock' (www.ravenstd.com)

3. Jerry Angelo - trading Chris Harris and Thomas Jones> (www.themusclekitchen.com)


2. Lovie Smith - a team is only an extension of its head coach and it's obvious he doesn't demand discipline, structure, and smart play; allowing the team to be stooges. (www.threestooges.com)


1. Ron 'I Know Nothing, I See Nothing' Turner - See reasons above (www.imdb.com)

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE MINNESOTA GAME.....

If stats mean anything, the Vikings are #1 defending the run and the Bears ranked #31 in rushing offense (82 yds/game), only KC is worst.....So, expect the Bears to rush the ball in the neighborhood of 15-20 times

The Bears are #14 in pass offense and the Vikings rank last in the NFL against the pass.....expect Kyle 'Air' Orton to throw the ball 40-48 times with a lot of 4-receiver sets in one-back formations and a lot of passes thrown to Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark

On defense, the Bears rank #25 against the run and the Vikings are #1 in rushing offense....expect the Vikings to run the ball 35-40 times with Adrian Peterson running wild again.........look for the Vikings to have a big advantage in the time of possession.....the Vikings rank 31st in passing offense and Bears #26 defending the pass; not a big enough advantage for either team to exploit


PREDICTION: Vikings 34 Bears 27

Dan Wise, Bears Superfan
Wow the Redskin game was a big let down. I keep wanting to see the team we got to enjoy last year. But sad to say this is the best we are going to see. The two veteran units I expect more out of are the linebackers and the offensive line. Both are playing uninspired football. Listening to Thayer on the radio just picking up the things these guys are not doing or not doing correctly. I have to wonder what happened. Do the linebackers and safeties hate the freakin' cover two so much they are going through the motions? And is the o-line sick of not having a stud running back who can break a tackle or a QB who can do, well, anything that they have given up? I see a team that has no clue what is wrong and it can't fix it. It is time for the coaches to grab these guys by the collar and demand they play hard and keep their heads in the game. There is no reason this team should be beaten by all of these junky teams. Hey Bears, get some personality and give the fans what they deserve.

Gail Freund, Bears Superfan
Now that was a great game last night. I only saw the last 40 minutes but it was exciting. It looked like the Ravens would beat the Patriots for sure, but nothing shakes up Tom Brady. IF ONLY the Ravens didn't call that last time out. That must be all anyone is talking about in Baltimore today because they would have had that win. All the last minute penalties reminded me of the Bears...but in spite of losing 35 or 40 yards on the kickoff they still managed to get the ball to the two yard line before running out of time. I listen to the Tom Joyner show in the mornings. They were hilarious describing the game. Jay said there was no way the Ravens could win because they play too much. Ray and the Ravens do so much dancing, chest thumping and waving of their arms that they are exhausted by the fourth quarter. It was the kind of exciting game you really enjoy watching.

As for the Bears/Giants game...the Bears started out strong. Brian intercepted the ball and offense took over. Hurry-up offense, at that. The team looked good. Adrian did a wonderful job moving down the field. Everyone was looking at the top of their game...Rex, Desmond, the offensive line. It was frustrating seeing Rex take so long to throw the ball, but at least he had the coverage.

Games need to end at half-time. It was a whole different ball game, or a different team that came back out on the field. Reminisent of the old days with the defense getting four turnovers but offense dropping the ball (literally?) Lovie is wrong when he says turnovers lose games. Eli can vouch for that.

Only two more days until the Bears meet up with the Redskins.

GO BEARS!