Media Day

Media day full tilt today. Both teams at the big show speaking endlessly to the media. Quite a few observations stuck out today amid all of the dribble and drool. Apart from far too many ex-jocks interviewing far to many obscure players, the Bears are definitely in the shadows.

I haven't heard any talking head say that the Bears defense is great. We couldn't stop hearing it earlier in the year when it wasn't quite true. Perhaps the media has done a 360 now that the d doesn't get any respect.

So both coaches are Christians, buddies, family, mentor-student, and in love with each other and now they are going to try to beat the shit out of each other.

Urlacher can speak.


It's Peyton's game to lose, he has all of the pressure on him since his induction into the hall of fame.

No insight from any player during any interview today.

Hate to agree with the disrespect line, but the Bears are correct and it is entirely to their benifit. 7 pt dogs is an insult for a game of this magnitude. I really think that the Colts have to play a perfect game in order to win. Rex has nothing to fear from the Colts D.

Lets see what tomorrow holds for the Da Bears.

When can my dog get a bowl of Barbaro?

Why is this stupid horse getting so much air time? Does anyone really care? Why are we being told to care? This horse and its stupid leg could not be less interesting to me. Sometimes the sports media really gets it wrong. Just like the wall to wall coverage of T.O.'s supposed suicide. The next time I hear about Barbaro, I want it to be on a box of Puppy Chow.

Cogito Ergo Sum---------------------------------Superbowl T-Minus 7 Days 18 Hours

"Sports are one of the few things on planet Earth that just make sense. Men don’t want to accept confusion."

But you know what? I can’t be the only guy that feels like this. There’s no way. And since most women don’t seem to understand why men feel like we do about certain professional sports teams (if you press us, men will admit that sports are nothing more than entertainment that showcases competition—much like *gulp* American Idol), I figured I’d do my part for male/female relationships and let you all know why we love sports.

After reading this, I hope you will understand why you should leave us alone during the games, especially THE GAME NEXT SUNDAY.

The Bonding Experience

In total silence, I was watching 6 NFL games at once at a local sports bar in the Detroit metro area, in walks my sister-in-law and her husband, who just happens to be my very own twin brother, coddled and gentled. This woman, who shall remain nameless, decided to use this opportunity to blither and blather endlessly, which resulted in my noncommittal grunting of about two words for every fifty of hers. She concluded later that this was bad timing on her part, and she was right. You see, one of the reasons that men love sports is because they give us a chance to enjoy the privacy and wholesomeness of competition without argument, namely man v. man, with respect to the WNBA. We love our fathers, but never get a chance to truly express such love (If you come from a household where you do truly express such love, I’ll bet you know the finer points of interior decorating, weirdos!)

Instead of offering us hugs and kisses, our fathers teach us important stuff: how to fight, how to play sports, how to enjoy sports, and whether or not a girl is worth spending money on. We fall in love with our teams in a way that transcends enjoying mere entertainment. This is why I cried at Isaiah Thomas Day in Detroit and didn’t shed a tear for my late grandma. (God rest her soul.) This is why Field of Dreams always chokes me up and most chick flicks make me laugh out loud. We equate our favorite teams with love for our fellow men. Which is weird because, as men, for the most part, we basically just want to beat the shit out of one another and fuck each other’s women. That’s life.

Anyway, the main reason why we love sports is because sports provide us with an avenue by which we can connect with our fellow men. Understand this, and maybe you won’t find our love of the stuff to be so stupid and unnecessary-though I doubt it.

The Respect Factor

Say what you will about any professional sport, but the truth of the matter is, that shit is hard as fuck to do! People complain about teachers making shit and athletes getting paid so much, but you know what? That makes sense. You have a one in a million shot of becoming a professional athlete, and all you need to be a teacher is a college degree and a certificate from the state. That’s another reason we love the sports and don’t mind how much money athletes make: we respect what they can do. That shit ain’t easy.

The Quantifiable Experience

Men are more logical (for the most part) than women. Because of this, we enjoy experiences that we can easily break down. One of the reasons more men read about sports than music is because sports give us easy answers. Why is Peyton Manning worse than Tom Brady? Just go to the post-season statistics and your questions are answered. With movies, books, popular culture and music, no experiences are truly quantifiable.

This is why Rebello’s writings often piss so many people off: when you write passionately about music or popular culture, you are basically offering an opinion of abstract experiences. (In other words, everyone has their opinions on culture and all opinions have merit.) When you write passionately about sports, you’re basically describing what everyone else already experienced. (In other words, everyone has to admit that they’d sooner bet on Brady than Manning in the AFC championship—statistics don’t lie.) Upsets happen on the road, don't they!

Because of this, we digest, ingest, and absorb sports like nothing else. To men, sports are one of the few things on planet Earth that just make sense. Men don’t want to accept confusion. We want things simple. We don’t want drama and we don’t need passion. We just want to figure stuff out, plain and simple, and then move on to the next problem. Sports allow us to do that.

So basically, ladies, I’m just asking you to understand this about the majority of men in your life: we love sports because we respect athletic ability, because sports remind us of the men in our lives, and because sports are something we can discuss logically (unlike whether or not “Incubus” is better than “The Killers”). We need this in our lives.

So, now that you understand how we feel, shut the hell up, get in the kitchen, and make us some sandwiches. And if there’s no deli meat, just use the leftover steak.

Bears 07 v. Ravens 02

As Chicago fans lets be frank and speak bluntly. When Rex sux no one sux like Rex. And with Rex the potential to become Wreck Grossman seems to arise with every play and geometrically so if the situation demands a pass. If the magic continues Trent Dilfer will really have true competition as the worst QB to have a Super Bowl ring; and Urlacher and the Bears-D will join Ray Lewis and Ravens as carrying mediocre offenses to the promised land.

The comparisons between the two teams abound, but I would say in the Bear's "moral" favor Urlacher's potential Super Bowl Bonus will only be fought over by the women from his multiple paternity suits (and their lawyers) while Ray's should have and probably went to the lawyers who pulled him a Johnnie Cochran on that double-homicide the year before. Raven's fans would argue Ray got Ice-Barred and Tank still has week to break curfew.

Still they still have do that and oh look there's Peyton Manning; I don't suppose he'll stretch those acting skills we see in commercials and give us his imitation of Rex(hell I'd even settle on him doing Eli), so it's a long way before Tank has to ask the judge permission to go the White House for the team photo. But hey it doesn't hurt to dream, and I'd rather be arguing with a Baltimore fan who sucked worse Dilfer or Grossman than lamenting with another Chicago fan about how Lovie Smith played Tammy Wynette when he should have bailed from his bad QB relationship.

Where are they now?

Not all of the famed 46 defense of the 80's are as prosperous as others. Here we have the Fridge

Fair Value?

By now everyone knows Lovie is the lowest paid coach in the league. My opinioin- that's his problem because he signed the contract. Ted Phillips chose to not renegotiate Lovies contract in the off-season last year. That's also his perogative, but what is now coming out of Phillips mouth may come back to haunt him.

Phillips stated this week that they offered Lovie "fair value". That may have been true of his rook contract of 1.6mil a year, but they are now reportedly offering mid 3mil. This clearly won't do it! Lovie has brougt this team to the promise land. Even if he doesn't deliver, I peg his value at 5-6mil a year. If the Bears don't pay it, someone else clearly will. Most obviously Dallas; with Parcells departure Jerry Jones would open his pocket book for the Lovie.

Lovie is from the Dallas area and once called the Dallas gig his "dream job". Lovie may not be the best tactician, but i will give him credit for him calm and consistant demeanor during an often trying season filled with distractions. It is to his benefit that he is the anti-Ditka, he avoids all comparisons. We certainly won't miss his lack of one-liners, but Beardom may not quite know what they have stumbled onto with Lovie. Lets just hope the Bears show the Love.

Loyola -V- Butler

Lotsa basketball in the city last nite. Dallas in town to play the Bulls. Michael Jordans son playing for Loyola H.S. on the Southside @ St. Rita. And for me, a stop in my old neighbourhood, Rogers Park: and they say one can't go home again! Last nite I visited my old school Loyola University to watch the mens basketball team play nationally # 14 ranked and 17-2 Butler. When I was a student, the team played miles away in Rosemont or wherever, so rarely if ever did we go to games. Little school spirit for sports. However, they built a gym on campus, and last nites game was filled with boisterous fans. Loyola's a great school; but I didn't expect chanting, clapping, stomping fans. I have a feeling that most games are not packed like last nites, but it was nice to experience.

Loyola had a nice year last year, winning 19 games and hoping to get into the NCAA's or the NIT. Didn't happen, but it sparked high hopes for this year. Nyet. Loyola went into the game a disappointing 13-7. A win against the #14 team in the nation was looking very important @ this juncture of the season.

Butler was the better team for most of the game, but Loyola had the ball as time ran out in a tied game. The first half was characterized by Loyola trying not to let Butler get too far ahead. Both teams played well. Nice movement and passing characterized most of the game. Butlers point guard, A.J. Graves, is their star, @ least in this game. He ended the nite with 26 points, including the last ten in OT.

Loyola had their run through the first 15m of the second half, and when they finally tied it up, it was great to hear the roar. The last five minutes was the decider. Loyola kept going to their stud, Blake Schilb, and in the end it was just too much. Loyola had the ball with 13 seconds left, but Schilb missed his shot. OT went to Butler, and they deserved it – but just.

Obviously, my hopes were with Loyola, and it was hard to see them lose. But, now 13-8, they still have a good shot to make a tournament. It would have been nice to win this game, but there’s still hope. What I took most from the game was the spirit in the crowd. It was great to see the student body involved. Hopefully they’ll be able to travel to the opening round of the NCAA’s to see the Ramblers.

Extra! Extra! Americans Love Football!

Gallup did a poll of what sports Americans like to watch on television. Football was the most popular by far. While the fact that football is the most popular sport by a huge margin is not that much of a surprise, I was surprised by some of the other findings. For all the hype of Nascar, it showed up only 1 percentage higher than golf. Also interesting was that basketball was second highest, not baseball. Read the whole Gallup poll.

Americans Down Under

Today marks the advance of Serena Williams and Andy Roddick into the Australian Open semifinals. Both players have made remarkable recoveries and comebacks from physical and mental funks. While I don't see them advancing any further at this Grand Slam, the tennis should be invigorating to watch.

Serena Williams has her hands in many cookie jars these days-movies, music, fashion, travel, celebrity, her Amazonian sister, her crazy father. How she comes off a six-month layoff to make it this far into the tournament is a testament to her grit and determination not to mention her skill and athleticism.

Andy Roddick has a new coach, namely Jimmy Connors, who is teaching him to stay mentally sharp and physically fit. He is 24 now and seems to have grown out of his unshaven post-Mandy Moore depression. Can you blame him? Anyway, he did beat Federer a few weeks ago in an exhibition. If he can continue to focus and glean winning tips from Old Man Connors, he has a great chance.

American tennis has never looked bleaker for both the men and the women. This Wednesday, you can watch our two brightest American stars on ESPN2.

Jonesing for a SuperBowl

I believe! Yes, I believe in this Chicago Bears team. They dismantled the Saints yesterday looking hungrier than ever as breakfast ball stated. I'll admit that I am a late convert. I never would have guessed that Rex Grossman would be a SuperBowl quarterback.

I believe in Lovie Smith. In his third year this boring as vanilla coach had a plan after all. His uninspiring comments during his press conferences were right after all.

"We are a running football team," Lovie would say as dispassionately as a paint salesman. This point was emphatically proved with Thomas Jones, and to a much, much lesser degree Boo Hoo Benson rambling for 196 yards. Jones ran for 123 of those yards for an astounding 6.5 yards per carry. Benson was mostly ineffective and I still think he is a cancer that should be cut. But that can wait till next year.

I believe in this Bears team. During the game, which I watched with some other DCS staffers, I found myself uncontrollably singing the Bear Down Chicago Bears song. No one at DCS has been more critical of this team than me, but I was dead wrong. I now realize that Lovie is not boring, but confident in his team and decisions. Rivera is a great defensive coach and Turner has figured out how to minimize Grossman's mistakes and make the two-back system work.

As I have stated earlier, nothing would make me happier than for the Bears to prove me, and their many other critics wrong. They have. And if on cue, the nationally media has again fallen in love with the story of Peyton Manning get the monkey off his back. The current line in Vegas is the Colts are a 7 point favourite. Tony Kornheiser said they should be a 10 point favourite. This is just the kind of talk that will inspire Urlacher and his teammates. Lovie does have a plan, and he is going to deliver in two weeks.

Bear Down Chicago! The Bears are going to be Super Bowl Champs!

Total Dominance.

Time to face facts and admit it, da Bears were completely dominant in their last stop to the Superbowl. Let's say that again, the Bears are on their way to the Superbowl. Every aspect of the Bears game that has been criticized lately by the pundits, including DCS staff, was on today. The running game led by Jones, absolutely brutalized the hapless Saints defense. The Bears defense looked like they hadn't eaten in days. Urlacher and crew looked hungry and played mean down to the last minute. Lovie has to be given credit for limiting Grossman to only safe plays and going with a superior running game instead. Despite the stats and the presumed dominance of the AFC, this Bears team has a will to win and to prove themselves that can't be measured in numbers. The Saints on the other hand looked like the victims of another hurricane who lost their underwear. Brees was totally ineffective, as were the Duece and Bush combo that I thought would be such a factor. The sportswriters and bloggers who have doubted this team the entire season now must eat their own shit. Any way you slice it, it's essentially over, the Bears will win the Superbowl.

The Big O

Greg Oden of Ohio State seem to be making the most of his mandatory freshman year in college. This guy clearly makes everyone else look like a child on the court. My first impression is that either this guy is not very impressive or he is simply not trying very hard.

With his wrist surgery in June, more than likely he is just coasting. His numbers are not very impressive and he seems very disengaged offensively. The hype likens him to Bill Russel, but Russ looked like he was hustling all of the time. With his quick transition to the NBA next year, Oden had better develop some moves to the basket or he will be eaten alive.

Blocking shots and grabbing boards is effortless at his size in college. Oden has unlimited potential, but looking like a 40 year old Kareem just doesn't cut it for an 18 year old. The NCAA tourney is made for Oden to shine. Lets see if we are treated to a rare glimpse of a future NBA stud crushing college competition.

DCS Staff Picks for Championship Games

Staff picks for this weekends games:

AFC - Pats vs. Colts

[Black Captain]
[bonnix] Pats 27 Colts 24
[breakfast ball] Colts 21 Pats 17
[Da Book End] Colts 34 Pats 17
[jackson] Pats 27 Colts 24

NFC - Bears vs. Saints

[Black Captain]
[bonnix] Saints 31 Bears 16
[breakfast ball] Bears 17 Saints 14
[Da Book End] Saints 24 Bears 23
[jackson] Bears 27 Saints 20

Bush Gives Saints Edge in RB Comparison

Running games will be a key factor in the NFC Championship game on Sunday. The Saints have a deadly combo with Deuce and Bush. Reggie Bush has obviously proven to be a versatile back. More importantly, while the rookie standout may not have as many rushing yards as say Indy's Addai, Bush's 565 yards are complimented by the ability to catch and run effectively. Reggie racked up 742 yards receiving with 8 total touchdowns. Even more importantly, Bush is selfless when it comes to his individual stats in favor of team success. That success has come on the heals of Deuce McAllister's punishing 1,000 yard season.

When comparing the backs, 6-1, 232 pound McAllister is substantially larger that his counterpart, the 5-11, 220 Cedric Benson. Benson rambled for only 647 yards and has complained about not getting enough carries. Meanwhile, Thomas Jones managed to gain 1,210 yards and played in every game. According to Terrel Davis, Jones is underrated and underestimated and could have run for 1,700 yards this year if Benson hadn't been lurking. Benson, however, played in the overtime win vs. Seattle last week, indicating increasing confidence in his abilities.

The advantage must go to the Saints though because of the Bush factor. First, he has turned it on in the last part of the season. Second, the Heisman Trophy winner has obvious talent that is beginning to show. He has beefed up slightly since his days at USC (listed at 6-0, 180 for USC and reduced to 5-11, but weighing in at 203 for the Saints), but his strength is still in his agility and speed.

Either way you slice it the ground game and defensive lines will be a key component to a trip to the Superbowl.

High Times!

A few bullet points for Mike Vick with his latest interplay with the TSA.

1.) If you are the recipient of a 100mil+ contract have someone else carry your weed.

2.) If that water bottle was supposed to secretly hide your weed, you are a complete dumbass. Camo Bob would have known better.

3.)If that was a home made bong with resin, try putting a couple of j's in your crotch.

4.)You are done in Atlanta.

5.)You are not a good NFL quarterback, exciting yes, effective no.

Bristol Boys Blitz Bears

All eight of the esteemed football analysts at ESPN, including Ron Jeremy, I mean Jaworski, have predicted a Saints victory over The Beloved. Only the ESPN Computer AccuScore has predicted a Bears victory. Keep in mind that only Merril Hoge, whom I hate, was over .500 picking games last week. Over at SI, 5 of the 7 'experts' picked the Saints. Maybe Urlacher was right when he said no one gives the Bears any respect. Stay tuned for DCS staff picks today and tomorrow.

Saints Not Saviours for Big Easy

I don't know about you, but I am frankly sick and tired of hearing how the success of the New Orleans Saints is just what the Katrina ravaged community needs. These statements are blatantly false and frankly are a societal dodge of accepting responsibility for the hard work that needs to be done to revitalize a great American city.

All a Saints victory will do is fill the registers of sports bars and pubs in the French Quarter. It will make the reservation list at Emeril's even longer. Not even a Super Bowl victory will replace homes, bring back residents or clear the debris that still dots the place. What New Orleans needs is for the insurance companies to stop refusing claims because hurricane insurance does not cover flood damage. It needs a concerted federal, state and local effort to provide loans for homeowners, renters and small businesses. New Orleans needs all of us to be accountable for each other. What would happen if Chicago went up in flames again? What about if San Francisco was ravaged by another earthquake? Surely as America is providing loans and money to rebuild Baghdad, we can find it is in our national interest to rebuild New Orleans.

"We're living a dream, but we're more than just a feel-good story," New Orleans Pro Bowl defensive end Will Smith said after the Saints beat the Eagles. "We're a legit team now, fighting our way to the Super Bowl."

The Saints are a great football story. A new coach, and surprise draft pick, a new quarterback. These are all great football stories. Not urban renewal stories.

The mere fact that the SuperDome was a high priority for reconstruction dollars says a lot about our society. No number of Saints victories will fix the over $26 Billion in damage done to New Orleans. It's time to stop pretending like it will.

Ali-Made in America

Happy 65th birthday champ! We won't fawn over you endlessly like the boys in Bristol, just give you a proper toast. Only in America can the most vilified and unpatriotic become the most loved American hero!

Before, during, and slightly after his prime, Ali was the greatest boxer of all time. His combination of size, speed and strength couldn't come close to being touched. Was he the greatest fighter? No; he was a boxer-the master of the sweet science.

His boxing career was eclipsed only by his life outside the ring. Modern history teaches us he stood firmly by his principles and that he was brought upon this earth to preach peace. The reality of the times showed us a gifted young athlete easily manipulated by the Black Muslims and an acutely afflicted man with Parkinson's.

Timing is often the most important factor in life's success and failure. Very few had better timing than Ali. Banned from boxing at his absolute peak, Ali's misfortune became the primer for what would make him the most famous man in the world. Ponder that for a second, being the most famous person in the world. Ali has leveraged his fame for good works throughout the world. Though he can no longer speak articuately, his words have never carried more weight.

Ali is a young 65 and the entire story has yet to be written-a noble peace prize perhaps. Whatever the future may bring, we at DCS thank the champ for keeping us entertained like no other these last 45 years. Cheers!

Sammy's Back!

With the news of Mark McGwire's recent Hall of Fame rejection fresh in our minds, recent reports have Sammy Sosa, yes that Sammy Sosa, being offered a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers.

"Sammy came across as hungry and humble, just looking for an opportunity," Daniels said. "We're not placing any expectations on the situation. It's a second chance for him."

This seems like a desperate move, but as we know, the Rangers and Sosa have a history together. This is low risk, but why the fuck would you try to fix your mistake from 1989 now? Especially now that he is 38 and probably unable to hit over .175?

And in other baseball news...

Zambrano, who was paid only $6.5 million in 2006, is asking for a reasonable $15.5 million in 2007. The Cubs are offering $11.025 million. That's quite a gap. DCS was on top of this topic back in December. It's going to impossible for Hendry to convince Zambrano that he should be paid less than Ted Lilly. Frankly, I'm embarrassed that Hendry offered this amount to Big Z. He should just bite the bullet and get him signed to a long term contract before opening day now. You know you are going to pay him, just do it now and move on to other things.

The White Sox and Joe Crede, bad back and all, have agreed to $5 Million to avoid arbitration. That seems like a reasonable price, one that even Mr. Far could get behind.

Finally, next year is going to be last year of Yankee Stadium, the new $1 billion dollar ballpark will go up in 2009, so MLB is giving the seventies citadel one last hurrah by hosting the All-Star game there in 2008. They aren't going to blow up the stadium like Shea, but the Yankees won't play there anymore.

Less than a month before pitchers and catchers report...

Groundbreaker Rivera Fails to get Offers

Jackson's MLK day post and recent chatter about an African American coach winning the Super Bowl got me thinking: can Ron Rivera's Puerto Rican background have anything to do with his lack of top job offers?

Ron Rivera seems like he would be an excellent candidate for a head coaching job at any pro team. Rivera was actually the first Puerto Rican to play in the NFL. An all-american linebacker, he played in Super Bowl 20 and later became linebacker coach for the Eagles, who went to the NFC Championship game 3 times. He came back to Chicago as the first Puerto Rican defensive coordinator in NFL history. In '05 his Bears defense ranked 2nd in the league and this season, #5 in the NFL and 1st in the NFC. Obviously, the results speak for themselves. In spite of a late-season defensive fade, the Bears are going to the championship game.

Despite this impressive resume, Rivera has no head coaching offers. He is reportedly in the final 3 for the job at Pittsburgh after Cohwer quit, but the front runner is reported to be the Steeler's current offensive line coach. He reportedly was also in the running for the Atlanta and Arizona jobs, but those have been filled with people who were not Rivera. Finally, the Miami job was in the mix, but the Sun Times reports that they are hiring this week, ruling out Rivera.

For his part Rivera is playing it cool, saying all the right things, like concentrating on the Saints this weekend. Deep down, he must be waiting for the cell phone to ring and checking for missed calls. Is the NFL ready for a qualified hispanic to head an organization? DCS will keep waiting, along with Rivera...