I’m not saying I’m better than Deion Sanders or Bo Jackson, who were both tremendous two-sport athletes. But after winning a fantasy football championship just three months after winning a fantasy baseball title, I think I can be in that conversation of two-sport studs.
•  This is where the fun begins. Teams with interim head coaches (lookin’ at you Raiders and Jaguars) OR have told the current coach that Splitsville is coming at the end of the road this year can begin interviewing assistants from other teams begins TODAY. Dan Wiederer (Tribune) lines up the need-to-know stuff about this new NFL rule the football community is obsessing over as a second Black Monday of sorts.
•  It’s an interesting quirk, to be sure. But unless the Bears have discretely told Matt Nagy he is on the outs after the final two games of this season play out, Chicago’s football team won’t be partaking in the fun. On the one hand, this feels like a missed opportunity to get a leg up on the rest of the teams. But on the other hand, the Bears don’t have anyone in place to run point on these interviews. And we shouldn’t lose sight of that minor detail. So … maybe it makes more sense to sit out this round than one might otherwise think.
•  Would you leave it in the hands of lame-duck GM Ryan Pace? I wouldn’t. Put the ball in President Ted Phillips’ court? No thanks. In theory, Chairman George McCaskey should be someone who — absent of a general manager or team president who should be running these things — takes the reins here. Because, at the end of the day, McCaskey signs off on the hire by virtue of being the highest-ranking member of the organization. At minimum, the least McCaskey should be able to do is interview candidates to the point where he can give a list to a GM-to-be-named-later and say: Hey, these are the people I talked to independent of your findings. This is your call to make, not mine. But here is some background work I’ve done. Nothing wrong with being a little proactive, after all.
•  Also … if George McCaskey can’t successfully interview candidates one of the most important positions in his organization, then what are we even doing here? That would be telling, and awfully damning, if that was the case.
•  When it comes to on the field matters, I can’t stop thinking about Nick Foles’ performance against the Seahawks. Mostly because I can’t look at it and not think about how it made the Andy Dalton signing look superfluous. Not that the Bears could’ve been using the $10 million that Dalton was given in better areas. Foles’ 68.6% completion rate against Seattle was higher than all but one of the games Dalton started (and finished). The no interceptions thrown is a reminder that Dalton threw six in his four starts (although four came in one game). Could Foles have done what Dalton did? If so, why throw cash at Dalton? I understand the Bears not wanting to roll into camp last year with just Foles in the mix. But that didn’t mean they had to splash on Dalton.
•  For what it’s worth, the thought also crosses the mind of Adam Hoge (NBC Sports Chicago) and Chris Emma (670 The Score). As is often the case, it all comes back to waves of failure when addressing the QB situation.
•  This was so visually satisfying:
Our guys were runnin' angry yesterday. 😡
cc: @KyleBrandt pic.twitter.com/kmXAg8tFAx
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 27, 2021
•  What if I told you the *ACTUAL* winner from Sunday’s Bears-Seahawks game was the Jets? Chicago’s win put the Seattle at 5-10, and no one was rooting harder for that than fans of New York’s AFC squad. That Bears win put the Jets (who own the Seahawks pick) in a position to have the sixth overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, the Giants (who own the Bears pick) saw that choice go down to eighth. That’s a real shame.
•  I suppose that makes Sunday’s Bears-Giants game a win-win for New York. A Giants win makes the Bears pick better. But a loss to the Bears makes their own selection (currently 5th overall) get to a better place. Don’t ask me what happens if a tie rolls through, my brain isn’t ready for that just yet.
•  As a reminder, Giants owner John Mara is a key reason why the taunting point of emphasis rules are a thing we’ve been discussing far too much this year. Frankly, I hope the Bears win so convincingly that Mara has to cry to the NFL’s Competition Committee again. So we’re rooting for a Bears win on Sunday, right?
•  Love seeing the Bears give back to the community:
After losing friends at a young age to gun violence, @BoJack4 created the Remain to Reach Foundation to #InspireChange and provide kids with a different outlook on life. pic.twitter.com/AigECwOcRF
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 28, 2021
From his work with veterans to supporting underprivileged youth, @TheJimmyGraham believes compassion is key to #InspireChange in the community. pic.twitter.com/QdnQmwrvoi
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 27, 2021
•  In addition to his on-field excellence, I miss the vibes Cordarrelle Patterson brought to the Bears weekly:
Never change, Cordarrelle 🥺
(repost via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/j11kaKKCFZ
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 27, 2021
•  WELP:
NHL Postpones Wednesday Night’s Blackhawks vs. Jets Game in Winnipeghttps://t.co/jYIjBLpNdI
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) December 27, 2021
•  Remember baseball? This game was an absolute treat:
Randomly remembered Anthony Rizzo's ridiculous 14-pitch home run against the Cardinals when Wrigley Field was fully re-opened this year. That was probably as wild as Wrigley got all year. https://t.co/Bqa8bQLYig
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) December 28, 2021
•  These guys get buckets:
Zach LaVine: 30pts, 9ast
DeMar DeRozan: 35pts, 10ast
Nikola Vucevic: 24pts, 17rebCombined: 56.6 FG%, 5 TOVs
No more sleeping on these Bulls. They're contenders. pic.twitter.com/GdJBDQ97OH
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) December 28, 2021
