Continued Speedy Recovery, Fridge!

Shame on me for not commenting on this sooner... really glad to hear that William Perry is recovering from his ongoing bout with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disease that affects the peripheral nervous system. He was originally listed in serious condition when first admitted a couple of weeks ago but now has been upgraded to fair condition. I think any Bear fan 30 or older can't help but smile when thinking of the 'Fridge', his gap-toothed smile, and his contributions to that magical 1985 season. I still have my original 'Fridge Fever' glass mug... I'll be sure to drink out of it the day he is discharged from the hospital. Get well soon, Fridge. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Thoughts On The '09 Draft

Hey all -

After taking a little time to digest the weekend's proceedings, I have some thoughts on how the Bears performed in the 2009 NFL Draft.

First, I can't imagine there are many Bear fans out there who were too upset about not having a first-day pick. Funny how the acquisition of an established quarterback can do that. What obviously proved most interesting is what transpired on Sunday. Apparently the Bears had targeted Ohio State wide receiver Brian Robiskie with their first pick, the 49th overall. When the Cleveland Browns selected Robiskie at #36, the Bears then sought to trade the pick down. This tells me the Bears weren't as high on Georgia wideout Mohamed Massaquoi as many thought. The Browns ended up taking him, too - at pick #50. The Bears did end up trading down and picked San Jose State defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert. Mel Kiper Jr. and others were surprised Gilbert was available where the Bears selected him (#68). This appeared to be a trend, as the Bears' subsequent picks were thought of to be 'value' picks. General consensus is that the pick most likely to make an immediate impact on Sundays will be Oklahoma wideout Juaquin Iglesias. Having watched a number of Big 12 games, I am inclined to believe this. Iglesias has good hands and runs routes well. He also has size - one aspect the Bears' receiving corps is lacking. Playing against top-flight college competition also helps. Other picks included Vanderbilt CB D.J. Moore (watch out, Vash), Abilene Christian wide receiver Johnny Knox (who ran the third-fastest time among wideouts at the Combine), Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman, Texas defensive end Henry Melton, Oregon State safety Al Afalava, San Diego State tight end Lance Louis, and Pittsburgh wideout Derek Kinder.

Two interesting things about these picks: despite the Bears' reputation for purging those of questionable character, two picks - Melton and Afalava - had past scrapes with the law. The Bears are apparently satisfied that these issues were anomalies... let's hope so. The other thing I find interesting is the choice of Louis at pick #246 when options like Texas' Quan Cosby and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell were available. The position of tight end was relatively low on the Bears' list of needs - it makes one wonder if Desmond Clark's days as a Bear are numbered. This will be very interesting to watch when the Bears open training camp in Bourbonnais on July 31.

Overall, I would grade this draft a solid 'B'. It appears the Bears got a lot of value in one days' work. While several of the picks may not contribute immediately, it looks as though the talent is abundant enough to work into the system for the next few years. I'd love to read your thoughts. BEAR DOWN!!!

Thanks, John

John Madden has announced his retirement from broadcasting today... I for one will miss him. He always spoke well of the Bears and understood that the league prospers when the Bears do well. He may not have been the analyst he was 15-20 years ago but still brought up points that a lot of color commentators would either miss or ignore. He did a good job of bringing football down to a common denominator and probably brought many fans to the league. Well done, John - enjoy your retirement. You've earned it.

First Thoughts On The '09 Schedule

Hello all -

Well, the 2009 NFL schedule has been released and it bodes well for our beloved Monsters. Not only do the Bears have the league's easiest schedule (thanks, '08 Lions), the division games all seem fairly spaced out - at least, a little better than in some previous years. At any rate, if you haven't yet seen the schedule, here it is (all times CST):

Sept 13 @Green Bay 7:20pm SNF
Sept 20 Pittsburgh 3:15pm
Sept 27 @Seattle 12 noon
Oct 4 Detroit 12 noon
Oct 11 Bye Week
Oct 18 @Atlanta 7:20pm SNF
Oct 25 @Cincinnati 12 noon
Nov 1 Cleveland 12 noon
Nov 8 Arizona 12 noon
Nov 12 @San Francisco 7:20pm NFLN Thurs.
Nov 22 Philadelphia 7:20pm* SNF
Nov 29 @Minnesota 12 noon*
Dec 6 St. Louis 12 noon*
Dec 13 Green Bay 12 noon*
Dec 20 @Baltimore 12 noon*
Dec 28 Minnesota 7:30pm MNF
Jan 3 @Detroit 12 noon*

* - subject to 'flex' scheduling

I LOVE the Steelers coming to town for the home opener! This is a great early test of how the Bears stack up against an elite team. I do subscribe to John Madden's theory that one can't really tell how a team shapes up until after Week 4. This being the case, I think it's crucial to get off to a good start and rack up wins early. I'm sure Brian Urlacher is complaining about the number of prime-time games but that is the price of being a marquee team with renewed buzz throughout the league. I'll go out on a limb and say the Bears will finish 12-4 with losses to Atlanta in Week 6, Arizona in Week 9, Minnesota in Week 12, and Baltimore in Week 15. The schedule release has whetted my appetite for football even further! Can't wait to be standing in that Soldier Field parking lot on September 20, drink in hand and anticipating a GREAT season of Bears football!

A Denver View on Cutlergate

Hey all -

Just ran across this article from Woody Paige in the Denver Post... take THAT, people who think the Broncos somehow swindled the Bears in The Trade... here's the link:

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_12100951?source=rss


I'm not usually in agreement with Woody Paige on... well, anything. However, I think he nails it here.

Thoughts?

Welcome!

Greetings, Bear fans! This blog was created for all fans of the Chicago Bears (and especially those who reside in central Texas). I am a Bears season ticket holder who lives in Austin - the heart of Cowboys country. Outside of the interwebs, I know it can be tough to get all the information the die-hard Bear fan craves - that's why I'm here. I spend time every day poring through the latest information to stay as up-to-date as possible on all Bears news. I will then present it here along with my thoughts. I will seek your input constantly... I look for this blog to be a source of lively debate and camaraderie.

You may be asking - if he lives in Austin, how is he still a season ticket holder? Well, my wife and I both grew up Bears fans in the Chicago area and moved here a year ago. I had been on the season ticket waiting list since 1997 and first got the call to buy tickets for the 2001 playoff game against the Eagles (Ahmad Merritt, anyone?). I bought those and was then offered a chance to buy the 10-game package for the 2002 season to be played in Champaign. I was promised a priority spot on the waiting list for the new Soldier Field if I bought this package. I dutifully did so, spent 4 hours on the road round-trip 9 out of 10 games, and was offered up to 4 seats in the climate-controlled Cadillac (now United) Club at the new Soldier Field. I bit the bullet, shelled out the dough for 2 PSLs and never looked back. Now living in Texas, we are unable to attend every game (made it to 4 plus the game in Houston last year); our friends and family in Chicago reap the benefits.

Which brings us to the upcoming 2009 season... didn't it get a HELL of a lot more interesting as of April 2? I was largely ambivalent about our chances until Jerry Angelo pulled off the shocker of all shockers and traded for Jay Cutler. With him in the fold, our focus now turns to free-agency (GREAT signing of Orlando Pace, BTW) and the draft. There has been much speculation over which position the Bears should target in the draft... in my mind, they need to take the best wide receiver available. The wideout options in free-agency are intriguing as well... do they make a push for Torry Holt? Marvin Harrison? *shudder* Plaxico Burress? I'd love to hear your thoughts on these issues as well as anything else Bears-related. Central Texas, let me know you're out there! Bear Down!!!