Hey! You (yes, you!) can join us for a free Bleacher Nation Bears watch party at 2 p.m. on Nov. 3 at Jefferson Tap & Grille. It’s a big game for the Bears. And it is one that I’m looking forward to taking in with you on Sunday.
- Here is a palate cleanser from the Chicago Bears on social media, who ask which player would be the most scared at a haunted house:
Only one way to put these answers to the test 👻 pic.twitter.com/vUsNk7EwmI
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 31, 2024
- Happy Halloween, Bears fans! I hope this team dresses up as a 10-game winning streak so we can forget that the Commanders game ever happened in the first place.
- We finally got some accountability from Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus on Wednesday. “The game didn’t finish the way we wanted it to, and it starts with me,” Eberflus told reporters (h/t Kevin Fishbain).
- Sure, it took three days and a bunch of players speaking out on in-house issues. But it finally happened. Next time, I hope it doesn’t take Eberflus three sleeps and several chirping captains to do the right thing. So much of this week could have been avoided if Eberflus had fallen on the sword on Sunday (although, I can imagine how difficult that is to do if you’re still running hot after a loss like that) or on Monday (after reviewing the tape and cooler heads can prevail). But don’t get it twisted. Real accountability would’ve been dropping a mea culpa on Sunday night or Monday.
- Bonus: We also got an explanation for Chicago’s football team opting to do a walk-through on Wednesday. Coach Flus cited offensive line injuries (h/t Zack Pearson) and banged-up bodies on the roster as reasons the team chose to opt out of practicing in full. I get it. And you would, too, if you saw the laundry list of unavailable names on Patrick Flowers’ injury report post.
- I’m sorry I couldn’t help myself:
- There is a part of me that feels bad because Tyrique Stevenson is a good cornerback. Yes, there is still much for him to learn and there is still so much growth for him to accomplish as a player. And I hope he reaches new heights in the games ahead. But for now, he is being mostly remembered for meme status. For what it’s worth, NBA standout JR Smith held that capacity of being a good ballplayer whose meme moments left lasting memories.
- Coach Flus didn’t spill any details on Stevenson’s playing status for Sunday. But the Tribune’s Dan Wiederer (via Twitter) makes it seem like Tyrique won’t be starting on Sunday. Stay tuned.
- Virginia Halas McCaskey did not make the list of contributor finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025, reports Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. This is the second consecutive year in which Mrs. McCaskey has come up short in HOF voting.
- ICYMI: Olin Kreutz is among the ex-Bears who advanced in the recent round of Pro Football Hall of Fame voting. Good luck, Olin!
- ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky shares his list of the five most overrated Halloween candies:
.@danorlovsky7 names his top 5 most overrated Halloween candies 🍬 pic.twitter.com/coI7hbyyTk
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 31, 2024
- If someone from ESPN is reading this, I’d love to do a foodie post with Dan because I have so many questions and would love to see if he is open to Puerto Rican cuisine and soul food. My DMs are open.
- Macaulay Culkin’s Halloween costume is rad:
- If Macaulay Culkin is going as Joe Burrow for Halloween, what is his brother Kieran going as — or do we even want to know?
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- A spooky set of Halloween Bullets from our friends at BN Blackhawks.
- Over at BN Bulls, Chicago Sky star Angel Reese received a warm welcome at last night’s Bulls-Magic game. The Bulls won, by the way.
- A comedy of errors tripped up the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, which ultimately helped usher in a championship-clinching victory for the Dodgers. A real one. Not a Mickey Mouse one, either. Congrats to the Dodgers and their fans I guess. More importantly, the offseason is HERE. Time for the Cubs to get busy: