The Fallout From Cody Parkey’s Miss Continues and Other Bullets

Between the Bears success on the field and their lack of picks in the first two-rounds, I wasn’t as dialed in to college football as I had been in previous years. So when I turned into college football’s championship game long enough to regret not putting any future wagers on Clemson when I had a chance, I had no interest to see it through. Congrats to the new champs, who proved anything is possible, including beating a 7.5-point spread in impressive fashion.

This Bears tribute video hit me right in the feels:

2018 Chicago #Bears Season Tribute – #DaBears will be back. pic.twitter.com/C6zwLG8GuJ

— David Chasanov (@AllThatChazz1) January 8, 2019

Who decided it was OK to cut onions near my computer on a Tuesday?

The more I see video of Parkey’s kick being tipped, the more painful the loss becomes. Because now that we know it was tipped, it makes sense why Parkey told Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune he felt he hit a good ball. It’s possible that he did. But physics being what it they are, even the slightest touch could change flight path or direction. Ugh. I hate science.

We’ll never know how the kick would have turned out had it not been altered, but that it was altered matters enough to keep me up at night thinking about that (and the many other) “what-ifs?” that happened in that game.

At least players, celebrities, and fans came to Parkey’s defense:

Most of you have no idea how hard this is to do. Cody Parkey way to face the media like a true professional. I’m a fan! https://t.co/xbJ5kW6pXF

— DWade (@DwyaneWade) January 7, 2019

https://twitter.com/ReggieWayne_17/status/1082080795412570117

I am not a football gal but holy shit I HATE WHEN SHIT LIKE THIS HAPPENS THIS POOR DUDE I FEEL SO BAD FOR HIM

— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 7, 2019

Bobby Massie, verified good teammate. #DaBears pic.twitter.com/EuIneDdecX

— Cub Style (@OldStyleChiTown) January 7, 2019

NBC Sports Chicago’s JJ Stankevitz and Yahoo! Sports’ Dan Wetzel had great pieces on players backing up Parkey after the game. It’s stuff like that which made this Bears team much more likable than ones before it. The John Fox teams played as one, but felt like two different functioning bodies. As for the Marc Trestman years, we all know how that ended with in-fighting. The 2018 Bears felt like a 53-man roster pulling from the same side of the rope. And it was a glorious ride until the final doink-doink-thud that ended the season.

Seeing Bobby Massie as the first guy consoling Parkey after the missed kick is only fitting. Few Bears have been put through the ringer like Massie during his time in Chicago. Massie was a popular target of criticism despite being a pillar of consistency and durability. He had his best year in 2018 and will become a free agent, so the Bears have a decision to make regarding his future. But we’re still a bit raw after Sunday’s loss, so we won’t dive deeply into his future at this moment.

My good friend Steve shot some pre-game footage from his seats while watching Parkey warm up and had some unique observations:

A few things… 1. Cody Parkey is hard not to like / feel for 2. I watched him warm up at that end of the stadium, he missed 2 kicks right, and postgame said he played the wind 3. Funny video of him warming up. #Bears #Parkey #doink pic.twitter.com/2r9K61ecf4

— Steve Berczynski (@berczynski) January 8, 2019

How can you not love a man-on-the-scene perspective? Thanks, pal.

We don’t necessarily need all of the angles from Cody Parkey’s missed field goal from Sunday’s loss, but the Chicago Tribune’s photo staff did such a good job, this was simply too good not to share:

PHOTOS: All the angles of Cody Parkey's double-doink miss: https://t.co/esmevqjfFq pic.twitter.com/70RzfkE8fS

— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) January 7, 2019

The Bears are out of their playoffs, but their legacy rolls on:

Belichick said the Patriots coaches went over the strange no catch/fumble play from the Eagles-Bears game today with the Patriots players pic.twitter.com/M7slfhAE90

— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) January 7, 2019

Ex-Lions coach Jim Schwartz getting the best of the Bears really grinds my gears:

Eagles blitzed just three times in 44 pass plays (plus one spike) Sunday v. Bears. Two of them came on Trubisky's final two pass attempts, when Jim Schwartz rushed seven.

— Paul Domowitch (@pdomo) January 8, 2019

I’m going to miss marveling at Khalil Mack go to work on a weekly basis:

Long Arm: Hand placement, strength, leverage & foot drive! @VonMiller @52Mack_ @Curious_Geeorge @ninetwoboomin #PassRush pic.twitter.com/27rExQyXd3

— DLineVids (@DLineVids) January 8, 2019

Don’t be (checks notes) “Turd Ferguson” while on Charles Robinson’s watch:

The stuff coming out of the #Bears fan base is wild. Trubisky being drafted in front of Mahomes and Watson is rough, but if you think he didn't get better in year two, you've lost your grasp on reality. That assessment reeks of #Rams fans who labeled Goff a bust after one year. https://t.co/Aon7mO0OZY

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) January 8, 2019

Surely, Jon Gruden will paint the Raiders as the *BIG* winners of Wild-Card Weekend:

With Bears’ playoff loss to Eagles, Raiders own the No. 24 selection in 2019 draft. Raiders also have No. 4 overall pick and the Cowboys’ yet-to-be-slotted choice later in first round.

— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) January 7, 2019

The real winner of last weekend’s NFL action might have been Andy Reid, as well as the assistant coaches under him who could rise up the coaching ranks and get head-coaching gigs elsewhere in the future:

"When you can put on a show like that and have that competition and strategy, all the things that went into that game and have it at that level I think is phenomenal.” – Andy Reid on the #Bears and #Eagles game with two head coaches that he groomed in Pederson and Nagy.

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 8, 2019

Throwback:

Legendary @NFL co-founder and @Bears owner/founder/coach George Halas also played @MLB. He appeared in 12 games for @Yankees in 1919, getting 2 hits in 22 ABs. His @sabr bio https://t.co/h5gkal0FsA #BearsvsEagles #bearseagles #BearsGameFace pic.twitter.com/FwOBuBgx16

— SABR BioProject (@SABRbioproject) January 6, 2019

There was an opportunity to cash out for some wise investors who could r:

Odds to be the Packers next head coach (@betonline_ag):

McDaniels -150
LaFleur +350
Campbell +750
Caldwell +750
Gase +1200
Flores +1400
Munchak+1400
Jim Harbaugh +5000
Favre +10000

— OddsShark (@OddsShark) January 4, 2019

The only highlight you needed to see from the Clemson-Alabama game:

The Death Row pitch for Clemson football (h/t @edsbs) pic.twitter.com/wszts0lPOC

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) January 8, 2019

A Bullet with college football and NFL Draft ties that could, in a roundabout way, impact the Bears:

They say that dreams come true
and when they do, that there's a beautiful thing… Scarlet & Gray Forever #BuckeyeNation #ThankYou pic.twitter.com/ngHQfLq8C7

— Dwayne Haskins, Jr (@dh_simba7) January 7, 2019

Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. has declared for the NFL Draft. The Ohio State star will forgo his final two seasons of college eligibility to enter the draft and play with the pros. With Haskins reportedly receiving a first-round grade and Oregon’s Justin Herbert returning to play his senior season at Oregon, it’s Haskins who could very well be the first QB taken in the 2019 draft. And if he goes high enough, Haskins could bump a position player (who otherwise wouldn’t be there) down to the Lions (8th pick) and Packers (12th).