NEWSLETTER
MLB’s lockout is keeping baseball players off the field and bringing out the tired “billionaires vs. millionaires” trope.
However, let’s not lose sight of others who are negatively impacted by a baseball work-stoppage:
https://twitter.com/grabadrink_pod/status/1501331888878891012
Remembering how many folks had their lives flipped because of a lack of baseball really hit me during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Game-day workers. Neighborhood business people. Your favorite bartenders. Guys hawking t-shirts, hats, gloves, and other gear on street corners. The wide-ranging touch put in perspective how important baseball is to communities. For their sake, I hope MLB starts doing the right thing.
•  Ryan Poles in January: We’re gonna take back the North and never give it back!
Ryan Poles: “We’re going to take the North and never give it back.” pic.twitter.com/lS6iZK9vk9
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) January 31, 2022
Aaron Rodgers in March: Hold my beer-soaked, cheese-dipped bratwurst:
https://twitter.com/AaronRodgers12/status/1501282463632568322
•  Rodgers is back. So is his top running-mate Davante Adams. The short-term bad news for the Bears is that there is that Green Bay remains a powerhouse. To that end, I say bring it on. I prefer the story arc of an underdog pulling their way to the top. Rodgers staying with the Packers allows me to dream the biggest dream of envisioning Justin Fields’ first win against Rodgers. That is gonna be one for the ages when he ultimately has to pass that torch. I mean … it’s gotta happen sooner or later, right?
•  The Rodgers return doesn’t shift the Bears timeline much. And I think that is important to highlight in this discussion. That Rodgers is back has no bearing on what the Bears should be doing in terms of team-building. More specifically, building out an offense around Fields. Chicago’s football team should’ve been prioritizing that no matter if Rodgers was in Green Bay, Denver, DeKalb, or wherever. The objective remains the same. Go get ’em, Poles.
•  I still hate the fickle wench that is the salary cap. When the Bears are up against it, nothing good can come out when you make it to the other end. But it is conveniently a myth for a rival. I’m just so tired of the Packers. Watching them circumvent the cap while keeping Rodgers *AND* Adams feels like the early stages of a Scooby Doo episode where the villain narrowly escapes. Sure, Scooby and the gang always get the bad guy in the end. And while that gives me hope, I’m not sure what is the football equivalent of tripping up cartoon evil-doers.
•  Not to be out-done on the transaction wire, the Bears were busy announcing they were tendering contracts to Exclusive Rights Free Agents Sam Mustipher (C), Lachavious Simmons (OL), and Jesper Horsted (TE). These types of free agents could negotiate with only the Bears. And while a new front office didn’t have to re-sign them, I’m glad they did. In any case, that trio is back for another year. Well, at least they’re back for another shot at making the roster this coming season.
•  It is absolutely wild to think about the dominos falling this way in the wake of that failed Bears-Seahawks Russell Wilson deal:
Schneider ultimately decided to stay in Seattle out of loyalty to his staff & because he received assurances from ownership (a loose term there currently) that he would be able to deal Russ and rebuild the club.
That rebuild will very likely include a new coach next year.
(2/2)
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) March 8, 2022
•  Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog cracks open a world of possibilities with that tweet. All because Pete Carroll nixed a Seattle-Chicago deal last offseason. A guy who might not even be coaching in 2023 shifting the landscape of multiple franchises with a simple “no” in veto. And not just because of the obvious Wilson factor. How would we be discussing the Bears right now if John Schneider had officially been a GM candidate? Or if he had become the team’s general manager and not Ryan Poles. How would we be framing this offseason ahead of us? Would Schneider have tried to trade for Wilson in Chicago?
•  Been there, bro:
Commanders Offered Seahawks Multiple First-Rounders, Picks In Three Drafts For Russell Wilson https://t.co/gOHARZ5lxs pic.twitter.com/pheRzvuZQs
— Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors) March 8, 2022
•  While Russ is on our mind, let’s highlight the importance of this comma:
They don’t waste time putting up billboards in Denver…. pic.twitter.com/U9NNBzHlme
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2022
•  Grammar matters! A well-placed comma can mean everything.
•  Because the Seahawks weren’t done parting ways with stars, they reportedly let linebacker Bobby Wagner know his time with the team is over. And, yeah, I had this thought, too:
Bobby Wagner and Roquan Smith would be a hell of a duo in Chicago
Not Urlacher-Briggs level but in that conversation
— Lorin Cox (@CoxSports1) March 9, 2022
•  I can’t justify spending money on defense right now. Because on top of the Bears’ already numerous needs on offense, we’ve seen the Bears spend bonkers cash on defense in trying to build a contender. And we’ve seen how it ends every time in the modern era. It crashes down when the quarterback play isn’t what it needs to be when it matters most. This isn’t to say I would never try building that way again in the future. But now seems like a good time to try a path you haven’t gone down before. Live a little, for crying out loud!
•  See any Bears fits?
Some of the players that weren't tagged and will hit FA:#Chiefs Tyrann Mathieu#CardinalsChandler Jones#Patriots JC Jackson#Bucs Carlton Davis#Saints Terron Armstead#Rams Von Miller#Bears Allen Robinson#Bucs Ryan Jensen#Titans Harold Landry#Panthers Haason Reddick
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 8, 2022
•  Titans pass-rusher Harold Landry has since signed a massive extension, per NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. Nevertheless, there are some NAMES in that group above.
•  There are 51 days until the Bears are scheduled to be on the clock:
NFL Draft is now 50 days away.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2022
•  You had me at Southern Illinois prospects, Kevin!
Poles, assistant GM Ian Cunningham and several Bears scouts were in Evanston today for Northwestern’s Pro Day. A few local prospects from Southern Illinois worked out as well. https://t.co/ObcRSVNetS
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) March 8, 2022
•  Is it too soon to throw Pat Fitzgerald’s name as a future Bears head coach candidate based on this picture alone? I say yes, but I bet that won’t stop some folks.
•  Speaking of always being in the mix for the Bears head-coaching gig:
Jim Harbaugh says door is closed on him returning to the NFL.
by @larrylage
https://t.co/O3ExcBdGpB— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) March 8, 2022
•  Heads up for a great opportunity for those wordsmiths among you:
https://twitter.com/mikedyce/status/1501578580475748352
•  Caesars is now live this morning in Illinois, so make sure you check out our Caesars Sportsbook Illinois promo code.
•  Patrick Kane was on one last night:
Patrick Kane on his career night: "I was texting Schmaltzy the other night after he had 7 [points], 'I wish I had a night like that.' Didn't quite catch him tonight, but 6 is pretty nice."https://t.co/m9RP6HQfbX
— Patrick K. Flowers (@PatrickKFlowers) March 9, 2022
•  Down the stretch they come:
Scoreboard Watching: The Fight for Seeding Ramps Up with Only 17 Games Lefthttps://t.co/ZQCMatgaQj
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) March 9, 2022
