NEWSLETTER
My much-needed semi-vacation is over. Taking a few days to clear my head, get some extra rest, and do some low-key chill stuff was a necessary move. And while I know everyone can’t do that these days, I’m more understanding now that I should make sure to take some time throughout the week to be mindful every day.
• Today is the first day of padded practice for the Bears! I can hear the pads clashing from here. But that’s only because I have a good imagination and have stored memories of past camps in my brain for moments like this.
• Let the hype begin:
• The Bears are debuting 1920 Football Drive at 8 p.m. CT tonight. And the trailer embedded above is certainly one way of ringing in the new football year. The show can be found on the team’s YouTube page and figures to give a behind-the-scenes look at the Bears as they gear up for an unprecedented football season. Inside the meeting room with Matt Nagy? Some words from GM Ryan Pace? I’m in for what might be the closest thing we get to a Bears-centric version of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” program. Without a traditional training camp, I’ll gladly take whatever football content is provided this summer.
• If the idea of #1920FootballDr doesn’t get you all the way hyped, I’m sure this will:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CD9Th0BDqtn/
• I don’t want to get *TOO* hyped about one throw from Mitchell Trubisky or one catch by Jimmy Graham. But I can’t help it if that gave me the vibes. We’ve seen too many Trubisky overthrows in that situation to not enjoy that toss in isolation. And we haven’t seen enough tight ends run routes down the field and make an open catch like that either. So I’m going to enjoy this for what it was — a quarterback with refined mechanics who is fighting for a starting job hooking up with a tight end aiming to prove doubters wrong. At minimum, it makes for a storyline worth watching.
• Look, I know it’s just 14 seconds of football stuff. But it’s 14 seconds more than what we’ve had previously. And I’ll take what I can get. While other teams have produced in-house highlight packages and/or allowed media to tweet images and share videos, the Bears have been slacking. Maybe they believe there is a strategic disadvantage in sharing content. But I can’t imagine treating football footage like it’s top-secret stuff in a year when fan access has all but evaporated is good for the team-fan relationship. Obviously, winning on the field makes everything better. But I can’t sit here and say everything is hunky dory when it isn’t.
• Over at NBC Sports Chicago, JJ Stankevitz presents 11 things he’ll be watching as practice begins. As a reminder, this is the first of a maximum of 14 padded practice that can take place over the next 21 days. Practices will begin with a 90-minute time limit, but can be extended by 15 minutes with each practice. In other words, Chicago’s padded practices could be 90, 105, 120, 135, and 150 minutes. What a unique subset of rules. Good luck picking a quarterback winner from this situation.
• Washington’s football team is making history:
Washington Football Team appointed Jason Wright as team president in a historic hire. Wright will be responsible for leading the organization’s business divisions, including operations, finance, sales, and marketing. Wright now becomes the first black president of an NFL team. pic.twitter.com/Qoti1iBKAk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 17, 2020
From @GMFB: The Washington Football Team has a new team president: Jason Wright, the first black president in the NFL, will run their business side. pic.twitter.com/ubAm08IQNj
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 17, 2020
• Today, I learned that ex-Bears offensive lineman Marc Colombo is now the Giants’ OL Coach. Colombo’s time in Chicago was disappointing, but he had six mostly productive years with the Cowboys as a primary starter. And has since started a coaching career. It’s good to see that not every failed first-round pick flames out and fades into oblivion.
• I book-marked this and plan on taking some time to check it out later:
My interview with Calvin Johnson:
-How his dad talked him out of retirement after the 2014 season
-What it would mean to be a first ballot Hall of Famer
-The advice he gave Lions WRs this spring
-The catch, 10 years laterThe full podcast: https://t.co/XBs3ghwwfM via @freep
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) August 16, 2020
• This is bold:
Ohio State QB Justin Fields (@justnfields) has created a campaign to have the Big Ten football season immediately reinstated, which is already approaching 5,000 signatures. The petition is here: https://t.co/rUkSpX5j6X
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 16, 2020
• An early sample of camp tweets:
https://twitter.com/AdamHoge/status/1295359279977857025?s=20
Training camp 2020.#LeanIntoIt pic.twitter.com/dA1Xm7k4wx
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) August 17, 2020
Six months after our last in-person Bears event at the NFL combine, we are back at Bears practice. pic.twitter.com/Dtv5pushZ0
— Colleen Kane (@ChiTribKane) August 17, 2020
• Alright. I’m ready for a weird year. Bring it on.
