The Chicago Bears: Good, Bad, Ugly, and Hopeful

“Here we stand or here we fall
History won't care at all
Make the bed light the light
Lady Mercy won't be home tonight yeah

You don't waste no time at all
Don't hear the bell but you answer the call
It comes to you as to us all
We're just waiting
For the hammer to fall

For we who grew up tall and proud
In the shadow of the mushroom cloud
Convinced our voices can't be heard
We just wanna scream it louder and louder louder

What the hell we fighting for?
Just surrender and it won't hurt at all
You just got time to say your prayers
While your waiting for the hammer to hammer to fall”

--Freddie Mercury of Queen from "Hammer To Fall" from the LP The Works, 1985.



Here is my problem with the Bears: I cannot turn away.

I mean it is easy to give up as a fan this season.

Archuleta is horrid; simply horrid.

Manning (take your pick on the one with the girl’s name or the one who plays like a girl) both are horrid.

The Quarterbacks have more ups and downs than Jenna Jamison.

Cedric Benson is a mouthy pain in the tuckus.

Maynard is kicking pretty poorly, as age is starting to catch up.

The tackling this season is among the worst ever.

Tommie Harris is injury-proned, as Mike Brown, Dusty Dvorczek, Nathan Vasher, and Ron Turner’s brain.

Still I watch; and still, like the five-year-old staring out the window on Christmas Eve, I believe.

So before Hardrock, Cocoa and Joe team up with Suzy Snowflake; here’s a thought. What if????

Last week’s Bear Game could be the Last Hurrah on a dying season, or something that spurns them on to bigger and better things on a “could be salvaged” ideal.

On the plus side, Adrian Peterson knows the job is his, and his legs never stop.

John St. Claire played the best game I have ever seen him play last week as he will take over for Fred (Who me? Holding? Offsides? Me?) Miller. By the way, met Mr. St. Claire’s brother-in-law and sister at the Super Bowl—nice people.

Devin Hester is the greatest thing since Payton—OK, maybe a slight exaggeration, but the kid is a phenomenon.

Israel Idonije is a force on special teams and on the defense.

Urlacher, Briggs, and Hillenmeyer can still play.

If Rex is not over-coached (by Ron “Just Quit, Damnit” Turner), he can play well.

Berrian had the catch of the year.

Moose needs to become serious if he wants to prove he is worth the money, but the man can still play.

Olsen and Clark are great passing options.

Ogunleye has had three of his best games as a Bear the last month.

Charles Tillman continues to impress and amaze.

So here is what "Coach Eric Sweetwood" would do.

Put Bradley and Davis in as receivers once in a while—at least give them the same options to play that the coaching staff seems intent on supplying to Hester. Davis saved a few games last year--especially in the playoffs.

Let Grossman PLAY. The coaches have truly confused this young man.

Fire Turner today and maybe, just maybe, the Bears will stop throwing two yard passes on third and fifteen.

Bring up some young Defensive linemen and allow Anderson to blitz for the sacks.

Find someone out there, anyone, to replace Adam Archuleta. Bring in Dave Duerson; he would do as well.

Tell Tommie Harris to go on IR or get your ass out there and play.

Oh and play Lovie Elvis Presley’s big hit “It’s Now or Never…” and tell him to motivate the players to play like it.

Whew. Thanks for reading the Vent. Enjoy the You-Tube Video!

The "Spirit" of Sweetwood

“Just like watching the detectives

Don't get cute

It's just like watching the detectives

I get so angry when the teardrops start

But he can't be wounded

'cause he's got no heart

Watching the detectives

It's just like watching the detectives

Watching the detectives

Watching the detectives”
--Elvis Costello, “Watching The Detectives” from My Aim Is True, 1977.

I recently picked up my latest copy of Will Eisner’s The Spirit Archives. Sadly, this volume (23 of 24) is the close of the Eisner years, as he handed the controls to Jules Pfeiffer (later author of the Great Comic Book Heroes—the coolest book my sister ever gave me for my 12th birthday and thanks Karen) and in the final Volume due out in three month—The Spirit was done by Wally Wood—which improved it, but not much as the Spirit ends up in space.

I have always loved the character—whether it be from my introduction in the Great Comic Book Heroes or from the Warren Magazines.

DC bought the rights and published the stories in color as they were republished from the original scripts by Kitchen Sink Press.

Perhaps some background is in order—The Spirit was different than any other “comic book hero” as the stories were originally included in a Sunday Newspaper supplement that would produce a “comic book” in addition to the Comic pages. Very few papers ran it; but bigger cities usually had a paper that would run it—a signature Front Full Panel page and then seven pages of a story. The strip started out in a more serious form of detective stories and then switched when creator Will Eisner served in WWII. He originally smuggled scripts and art across enemy lines to mail from various spots in Europe. After deciding this might be a bit risky for want of sustaining life; he allowed other writers/artists to fill in the work in his absence.

After he returned home, his stories took a more comical, film noir, and “human” approach in covering city life mixing the greatest strengths of America with some Pathos. Eisner’s greatest contribution was creating a film-like scripting approach that included character traits in the art; panoramic views in the art, and a sense of morality and parables in the writing.

I wrote about this phenomenon for those interested in reading my Grad School paper from 2001. I sent the paper to Eisner (for whom the Eisner Award—the Oscar of Comic Books—is named). He wrote a typed response back and congratulated me on “my well-deserved A.” He died a few years later, and I am so happy to have the letter.

That said, why do I love the character?

The answer is simple: I can identify so well.

The Spirit is a sucker for women. He fights hard. He has a pure sense of justice and what is just. He has a warped sense of humor. He has a sense of responsibility to give back to mankind. He can be relatively stupid when dealing with his common sense—meaning he makes more than a few mistakes. Sometimes the situations he puts himself in (notice the phrasing) causes him to become beat-up (figuratively and emotionally) and he always comes back for more. I will admit he is in much better shape than I am, but just a minor difference.

And I am so sad that the books are coming to a close. DC, as of the Spring, will have reprinted every single strip of the character’s 12 plus years span. They have created a new series, but in honesty, The Spirit was a character of his time and was based on Eisner’s experiences. No one can recreate the mood, the quality, the tone, the look, and the moment of time captured by Will Eisner’s original series. I really do not like the new series, but out of respect for the company, I buy it just the same.

So here’s to my late correspondence friend and a friend of every comic book fan—Will Eisner. You may be gone, but rest assured that DC has given your work a wonderful representation that will be preserved forever for all generations.

Cold Nights, Strong Beer

“Long nights, impossible odds;

Keeping my back to the wall.

If it takes all that to be just what I am;

I'm gonna be a blue collar man”
--Styx, Blue Collar Man from the LP Pieces of Eight, 1979.

Hi Kids.

In case you had not noticed, Fall is here and now is the time to enjoy some great winter and fall beers. Lately I have quaffed some Sprecher Pub Ale, Sprecher Bavarian Black, Tucher Dunkle Weiss, Sam Adam’s October-Fest, and some BBK Dark.

Just a reminder to my friends and foes that November 30th is the 12 Beers of Christmas at Fat Jacks. Join me, as I will be hosting the event in which all proceeds go to the Humane Society.

Oh, and please visit the local Humane Society at http://www.hscipets.org/sitemenu.htm and sponsor a pet, like I did with Patrice.

Ahh…the caramelized malts and rich textures of the fall and winter brews are something to behold.

So Are You an Elvis Person or a Beatles Person?

“Think of what you're saying,

You can get it wrong and still you think that it's alright,

Think of what I'm saying,

We can work it out and get it straight, or say good-night.

We can work it out.

We can work it out.”
--Lennon/McCartney “We Can Work It Out,” 1965.


In the film “Pulp Fiction,” Uma Thurman’s character utters that there are two kinds of people: Elvis people or Beatle people. You can be an Elvis fan who likes the Beatles and a Beatles fan who likes Elvis; but when it comes to a real choice; you can only choose one.

I am a Beatles person.

I doubt it is a generational/age thing. My older brother Mark (only four years here, folks) is an Elvis fan. Kim is an Elvis fan and she is two years younger than me. My Mom is an Elvis person; my Dad probably hates both. My sister is a Beatle person.

The reality is that both changed the direction of their generation. Whereas Elvis is often given credit for creating rock music; it was the Beatles who defined and shaped it.

I think it is less about accomplishments and more about attitudes.

Elvis placated to the masses in my opinion. He made money, but he played nice with his rebellious attitude. The Beatles started out very much the same; however, with the “We are more popular than Jesus” and defending their use of recreational drugs; they seemed to actively define rebellion. They were not acting; they were experiencing.

Elvis lost his crown as the King of Rock by fulfilling his obligations to the United States Armed Forces. The Beatles chose to walk away from their fame as it was causing a world that was crashing in upon them.

Elvis created fantastic singles; the Beatles did the same and then experimented with the concept of total albums. I am giving this difference between the two as an act of change of modern technology.

The Beatles commanded a generation to reexamine itself; Elvis never recognized his power to do the same.

The Beatles stood defiant; Elvis ended up standing alone.

As a Beatles fan, I must that the “sappiness” of McCartney bugs me; the lack of talent of Ringo also annoys me. When McCartney is not trying to play glib, he is almost as brilliant as Lennon. Harrison was always my “rock” in the band, as his guitars and his seldom acknowledged intellect and wit added so much more to the band.

I think most Elvis fans would argue his “Hollywood” sell-out has to be a bit of a downer. Still, one cannot deny that his rhythm and blues period was amazing; and he certainly was able to play to different audiences by feeling equally comfortable with Gospel, Country, Rock, R and B, and Pop. I will leave the “soundtrack” period to people with more familiarity than me; as I cannot stand it.

To me the Beatles gave me a direction. Elvis was about fun; the Beatles were about a purpose. I would safely argue the Beatles have more to do with originality than does Elvis; but that would be rough—as I doubt Elvis had as much to do with the songwriting chores as Lennon/McCartney/Harrison did.

Whereas the Beatles may have recorded Drive My Car, I am the Walrus, and Baby in Black; they never did anything as wretched as In the Ghetto, Frankie and Johnny, and Blue Christmas.