The Fall Ritual Begins...

“When I feel that chill, smell that fresh cut grass…

I'm back in my helmet, cleats and shoulder pads…

Standing in the huddle listening to the call,

Fans going crazy for the boys of fall.

They didn't let just anybody in that club.

Took every ounce of heart and sweat and blood,

To get to wear those game day jerseys down the hall.

Kings of the school man, we're the boys of fall.”
--Kenny Chesney

Today is among the greatest days of the fall. It is the TRUE season opener for me, as The Chicago Bears play the Detroit Lions.

We will now see if the Bears changes are fruitful, but what kind of fruit will it bear? Will it be the juice off of the vines or sour grapes as they lose or barely beat the lowly Lions?

I felt the same type of feeling yesterday as Jen and I ventured to the first game of our season ticket holding season of Illini games. The Illini clearly dominated the Southern Illinois Salukis. This is almost the exact game we saw last year, when the Illini clearly dominated the Illinois State University Redbirds. Now put downs on my Alma Mater aside (this was the school that last season dominated The Bradley Braves in basketball—just seeing if my brother reads this), Illinois versus any other team in the state is an example of Men (Illini) vs. Boys (all other teams). The Illini had struggles rushing the ball against the SIU defense and the defensive line, to my memory, did not have a sack.

The Illini won 35 to 3 and one would think that is enough, but it really was not. I will give the passing game with a rookie quarterback some credit, but at times the game seemed less about Illinois being good and more about the difference between the Big Ten and all other conferences. The true test for the Fighting Illini will be against teams like Wisconsin (who dominated San Jose State yesterday), Ohio State, and the Michigans. Until then, Illini folks should not really brag—and I doubt they will.

Bear fans will have to wait a few weeks as well. The Lions are a perennial doorstop in the NFC Central. The Bears may be becoming one as well, but until the Bears beat someone, and by beat, I mean dominate, the Bears will not have bragging rights, or much of any other rights.

I have not, since being an active Bears fan, seen the team so utterly refuse to address such a glaring need as the offensive line. Last season they were pushed around, the running game clearly suffered, and they were dominated by the lack of an offensive line. In the offseason, they did nothing to address their weakest links (notice the plural) on the team. They brought a blocking tight-end in to bolster the line, unfortunately, he was damaged goods when the Bears brought him in and he is still injured. Sigh.

Finally giving up on the dream that Adrian Peterson (the Chicago Adrian Peterson not the Minnesota Adrian Peterson) was nothing more than a flash in the pan for a season or two, the Bears brought in an actual running back in Chester Taylor. Smart move, sure, but behind a line that could not block for a quality player like matt Forte, what good will it do?

Another concern for me at this point is that the Bears have some bizarre loyalties, which came out this Preseason. The Bears cut 6’ 8” quarterback Dan Lefevour and kept Todd Collins (brought in two weeks before the regular season begins). Apparently the strange notion of developing a quarterback makes no sense to them. I think we all know that Lovie has an urgency to win and win now, at all costs. If that is the case, why cut Special teams Standout Tim Shaw to keep Garrett Wolfe? Wolfe is an emotional player and draft choice, having played at Northern Illinois and setting records (see the above “Men Vs. Boys” quote) in a lower class of competition. He goes down on the first hit when he is a running back, so his contributions can only be on special teams, but it makes no sense to me to let Shaw go, considering last season Shaw earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors a few times.

The wide receivers are now an asset to the team, according to new offensive coordinator Mike Martz. If true, why keep Rashid Davis? The man cannot catch a cold in a kindergarten class, let alone a football during a game. Hester has shown me nothing in the improvement area. Watch his plays this season. It seems obvious to me the only play he can run is what we used to call a “button-hook” when we played at Washington School in my grammar school years on the East Side of Ottawa, Illinois. Hester, like us, would go out, stop and turn quickly after six or so yards, and then catch it. Like us, if he does catch it, the Defense is on him immediately. Unlike us, as kids, Hester cannot catch the ball. I say it is about time we called the “Hester Experiment” a dismal failure and move on. Let him run back punts and kickoffs like he was drafted to do, and quit trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. I was selected and hired by PTHS to teach Language Arts and Social Sciences. That said, I am effective and excel in my own ways at it. Asking me to teach PE or Math or Science is a huge mistake. The Bears are asking Hester to do something he simply cannot do.

How the Bears have ignored the safety position is almost as bizarre to me as the Offensive line problem. Chris Harris, a guy we let go three years ago with no return at the time, has been brought in and shows why he was let go in the first place. Uhg! Major Wright, rookie draft selection, shows promise, and I will give the Bears some credit, but Craig Steltz and Al Afalava were clearly NOT the draft picks they were projected to be. Danielle Manning has also proved that he is not deserving of the high draft pick honor.

Lastly, the Bears Defensive line has tons of questions about it to be answered. We let Alex Brown and Andewyale Oguleya go, and brought in Julius Peppers, a guy who has a reputation of “dogging it.” Speaking of dogs, when will the real Tommie Harris show up? I am sick of hearing and reading how he has so much potential. OK, time to deliver on that potential. I still have that image last season of him fighting the Viking player on the ground and getting tossed burned in my memory. So is Harris a player or a thug? My money is on thug at this point, simply because he has not “played” in years.

I will watch today’s game with hope anticipation, as I watched the Fighting Illini of Illinois yesterday. My comments at the outcome if the Bears win will be tempered with the level of competition they play against.