The Cubs are off tonight, which means I get to catch up on things I told my friends I’d watch but haven’t yet. One thing I won’t check out tonight is the latest episode of Ahsoka — because I’ve already seen it. Twice. Dave Filoni is a is like Cairo Santos kicking field goals this year — he simply doesn’t miss.
Orange you glad I’m leading Bullets with this anecdote about the Chicago Bears uniform choice for this week:
The Bears are going with their orange uniforms for week two against the Buccaneers 🍊 pic.twitter.com/oHg7uP17TS
On the one hand, we’ve already reached the point of the season where we’d rather lead Bullets with a Fashion Corner segment than X’s and O’s. But on the other hand, isn’t this what the NFL wants? One of the sticking points of the NFL expanding its uniform and helmet code was to expand discussions. And I, for one, am ready to have some hard conversations about the Bears dress code. Firstly, the orange helmets are ambitious. As are the orange tops. However, they should not go together. Pair the orange helmets with the navy tops. Drop an orange uniform top with a blue helmet.
Seriously! Patrick Finley (Sun-Times) is onto something here, my friends:
The NFL won’t let the #Bears pair their orange helmet with a navy jersey (alternate hats must be paired with alternate shirts), but wouldn’t it look better? pic.twitter.com/vJ72lkB5Pw— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) September 13, 2023
I was in high school and college during the peak era of jersey fashion (from 2003-09), so I am the ideal candidate to tell the league and Nike what to do with its uniform code. What a shame that the NFL can pay Roger Goodell north of $30 million per year, but it can’t drop a few shekels my way for some good fashion advice.
From the intersection of fashion-forward and football data comes this: Who wants to see Justin Fields’ numbers from last year wearing the orange tops? Of course, you do! So it is — 31/50 (62%), 341 yards (6.8 Y/A), 3 TD (6.0 TD%), 1 INT (2.0 INT%), 93.8 passer rating. Fields also had 20 carries for 148 rushing yards and a touchdown. Hey, not bad! Fields was also sacked 9 times and took 17 quarterback hits. It makes me feel achy just relaying those numbers.
The worst thing about the Bears wearing orange jersey tops this week is that it robs us of an NFC Central throwback jersey battle. Those of us who are old enough remember a time when the Bears and Buccaneers were in the same division. Chicago and Tampa Bay were both in the NFC Central from 1977 until 2001. Back in the day, the Bucs used to rock these dope-looking creamsicle jerseys before switching to their darker, more modern look. The Bears traveling to Tampa should’ve opened the door for TB to wear the throwback orange-and-white look. Another missed marketing opportunity for the NFL.
Pivoting from uniform talk to talking about the guys in uniform. Uh … what’s Chase Claypool’s deal? Josh Schrock (NBCS Chicago) tweets that Claypool didn’t speak to the media on Wednesday. Part of me is unsurprised because what could he have to say after his coach publicly stated he was open to the possibility of making Claypool a healthy scratch? There is a part of me that is completely unbothered because I don’t think there is anything Claypool could’ve said in a media session that would’ve made me feel better. Sometimes, it’s better to not hear from someone who you felt wronged you than it is to hear hollow words.
Perhaps the last sentence in the previous Bullet is harsh. Even if it is, we’re at a point where the only thing Claypool — or any of the other 52 Bears on the active roster — can do to win back fan support is playing well. The Bears spent a lot of the offseason talking. And I was here for it. Heck, I’d be there for it again if you asked me if I wanted a re-do. I believe in speaking excellence into existence. Manifestation works (but only if your actions follow your words).
How about a Tarik Cohen quote as a palate cleanser? The former Bears do-it-all back/receiver/ball-carrier/return ace signed on with the Carolina Panthers practice squad. And it sounds like he feels great.
“That’s the only reason that I came back,” Cohen said, via The Athletic. “I told everybody who wanted me to come back before that if I wasn’t myself — if I was a fraction of myself — I wouldn’t come back at all. And now I feel like I’m back and maybe even better.
With two years off, two years rest, I feel like a car that’s been in the garage, a brand new Ferrari that hasn’t been drove in a long time.”
Before we fully turn the page to Tampa Bay, Robert Schmitz (DBB) dissecting the good, bad, and ugly of the Bears’ Week 1 offense gave us some clarity about how things can get better moving forward. Sometimes, learning how you failed is a good way to set up future success. At a minimum, it should teach the Bears not to make the same mistakes again. And if they do? Well, they’ll have bigger fish to fry come Tuesday. That Week 3 matchup against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs is looming.
The Chicago Cubs can’t lose today. They don’t play. But that just means they can’t lose. Anyway, Brett is scoreboard-watching and has all the important stuff you need to know. (BN Cubs)
Giannis Antetokounmpo gave an inch when discussing his future in Milwaukee, so we might as well take a mile. (BN Bulls)
Our friends at BN Blackhawks are asking all the hard questions:
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
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NEWSLETTER
