My day has had some weird, dรฉjรย vu vibes at the outset. And I’m not sure how I feel about it just yet. Is this the good kind or the unsettling kind? I guess I’ll let the day play out to see where it goes.
- The Chicago Bears announced they closed on the Arlington Park property on Wednesday, which gave me a neat hump-day boost. There are all sorts of angles I found worth reading since the news hit our timelines. Stuff from Sun-Times, 670 The Score, NBC Sports Chicago, WGN, and The Athletic grabbed my attention. And I’d encourage you to clear out some time in your schedule to dig a little deeper. We’re so early in this process, so don’t think about needing to plow through everything. What feels inevitable will eventually come.
- This thread from the Chicago Tribune provides a nice guide for us as we try to get a grasp of the bigger picture:
- The Trib has a wide range of angles it takes in covering this news. Are there issues that remain? You betcha. What’ll happen to Soldier Field if (when) the Bears leave? There are various possibilities worth exploring down the line. Could this impact Chicago’s upcoming mayoral election? Oh, baby! It wouldn’t be Chicago politics if it wasn’t part of the conversations. And there is the matter of how people in Arlington Heights feel about the move. This is such a complex move, but it should present us with a bunch of compelling stories. And I’m here for it. I hope you are, too.
- Obligatory reminder that my preference remains that the Bears play in Chicago. I am a man of nuance who can believe that the Bears need to upgrade their stadium game while also acknowledging that my ideal scenario would be that it is in Chicago’s city limits. We all have our preferences, right? I’m a fan of teams that have accessibility to public transportation and a centralized location. This isn’t to say I won’t go to Arlington Heights to watch the Bears, but I wish there was a more realistic option than sprucing up Soldier Field as a last-ditch option because Mayor Lori Lightfoot didn’t take it seriously when the Bears’ flirtation with leaving for the suburbs hit another level. Nevertheless, I digress.
- Check it out! Another profound tweet by Bears safety Jaquan Brisker:
- Justin Fields is different. And I, too, don’t know why folks keep playing around with the idea of trading him or talk about him as a running back. In June 2021, Pro Football Focus released a data study that revealed Fields was the most accurate quarterback in the PFF College era. Better than Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and a list of others. Because that’s what happens when you’re the best at something. You’re at the top of the list, and the rest of the names fall behind you. It’s good to be king.
- In an ideal world, the playing around is left to the interwebs while the Bears front office prepares to outfit Fields’ offense with a new-look offensive line and fresh faces at wide receiver. It worked for Lawrence in Jacksonville last offseason. And while I know better than to expect lightning to strike twice, there *IS* a blueprint to follow. Hopefully, the Bears can take a hint, pick it up, and run with it.
- Oh, sure, now Matt Nagy acknowledges when jet motion is compromising an opposing defense:
- Let me get this out of the way while I can. Kudos to Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Eric Bieniemy, and Matt Nagy for what they did to make this play get off and be successful. Sometimes, it takes a village to get the ball rolling in the right direction. Of course, it helps when the village has stability at the top (Reid) and an excellent field general (Mahomes) making things happen.
- But seriously, how many times have we seen a rookie lining up in the wrong place lead to awful, terrible things for the Bears? Mahomes being able to adjust on the fly and make a touchdown out of that is impressive as heck. That guy is just built differently โ and I can appreciate that from afar. As a football fan, I hope you can, too.
- Let it be known that my adoration has a shelf life. Especially when the Chiefs are on the Bears’ schedule. Where they play (Germany? Arrowhead?) is irrelevant. Because when the two teams line up, I’m going to be rooting for any number of Bears defenders to sack Mahomes into next week. Game recognize game, sure. But all bets are off when you play to win the game.
- The Bears’ Black History Month Roundtable discussions have been fun. I’m here for any and all conversation that finds itself at the intersection of football, fashion, shoes, and culture:
- Tons of toys and games and fun activities for kids are todayโs Deal of the Day at Amazon. #ad
- An updated look at the hockey tank watch from our friends at BN Blackhawks:
- Depending on how you want to look at it, the Bulls doing nothing at the trade deadline is backfiring OR it is fueling the United Center’s other tenant’s tank. At least it is inspiring meme greatness:
- But, hey, maybe Russell Westbrook will come through and save the day?