WBEZ | Chicago Bears

NOM caught in lie about Chicago Bears' donation

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 05:00:00 -0500

On Wednesday, Dan Savage and Equality Matters gave Chicagoans a heart attack when they informed us that our beloved Bears (the sports team kind) may be collaborating with a hate group. Equality passed along an email from Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse of the National Organization for Marriage, who runs NOM’s Ruth Institute Gala. The “esteemed” doctor (probably a mail-in thing) specifically trumpeted coveted donations from the Bears organization, which included signed memorabilia from Brian Urlacher and Walter Payton.

Dr. Doom wrote:

“This year, we're planning on sending our graduates off with a bang! And we've got some help! Several donors have stepped up and donated terrific items for us to raffle as prizes in an effort to raise funds for ITAF '13...
“For now, you should know that we have two fabulous raffle items from the Chicago Bears Organization (and a huge THANK YOU to the Bears for supporting our message).”

It was news to the Bears organization, who had no idea what Roback Morse was talking about. When WBEZ contacted the Bears for comment, we received the same message that went out to the rest of the press:

“The two items featured in The Ruth Institute gala invitation were personal donations to (President) Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse. Neither was a club donation, nor do they represent the team's view on any social issues. Any remarks stating otherwise are false.”

The Chicago Tribune backed up the team’s assertion that the relationship was in Roback Morse's head:

"I sign a lot of stuff for charity and I don't always know where it goes," Urlacher told the Tribune. "If I would have known it was for this cause, I wouldn't have done it."
Payton's older brother Eddie Payton said he did not know of any memorabilia regarding his brother used to support an anti-gay marriage group.
"This is the first I've heard of it," said Payton, a former NFL kick returner. "Walter treated everybody equal. Only Walter could speak for himself, but it's a touchy subject. It should be a non-subject."

Before the explosion got too big, Roback Morse decided to walk away from it slowly and coolly, like in a Michael Bay movie, lest anyone realized what had happened. To minimize damage, the goodly doctor issued a complete retraction:

"The Ruth Institute is not working with the Chicago Bears organization or any of its players past or present to promote our upcoming auction. The memorabilia we are auctioning off was acquired by me personally, not through the team or players. We understand that the Chicago Bears organization takes no position on social issues, and we regret any confusion we may have caused on this point."

But what did happen here? If you translate this email from PR doublespeak into plain English, it comes out to:

“The Ruth Institute lies lies lies lies lies lies lies. Et cetera, et cetera. Clarification of previous lie. Deeply sorry, et cetera. Never do it again, et cetera. Didn’t mean to cause harm, et cetera. America, et cetera. Love football, et cetera. We’re still bigots, et cetera.”

The Latin roots can be a little misleading, but according to my scholars fluent in hate, that’s the gist.

Chicagoans have taken solace in knowing that the Bears were completely let off the hook here for any wrongdoing. But the reality of NOM is still sick and depressing. The National Organization for Marriage is a notorious hate group, as measured by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Flaming Bigotry Meter.” (Their hate goes up to 11.) Equality Matters surveyed the organization last year only to find that NOM conferences “peddled” anti-gay propaganda to attendees.

According to Equality, this is what everyone’s favorite Dirty Bigot Liars were telling people:

"Same-sex parents are more likely to molest their children than heterosexual parents
Children raised by gay parents are more likely to identify as gay
Homosexuality is a sin akin to polygamy or incest
Same-sex relationships are “dysfunctional” and “inherently unstable”

In addition, one of the speakers at ITAF, Robert Gagnon, once compared high schools’ Gay-Straight Alliance groups to “Nazi skinheads” and opines that LGBT people are “worthy of death.” Gagnon will be presenting at the conference again this year, because one good hate speech deserves another.

This might not be surprising to anyone familiar with NOM's radical, exclusionary politics, nor will it be a shock that opponents of marriage equality are willing to lie and spread false propaganda to curtail the nuptial rights of queer people. We’re seeing that in Illinois. Remember those robocalls about “homosexual money?” If it was a promise, I’m still waiting to receive mine. I’m hoping they show up with a big, gay million dollar bill like Ed McMahon.

However, despite what the organization’s name suggests, it’s not just about marriage. It’s about keeping queer people afraid. It’s about maintaining a system that works against queer families, lives and livelihoods and rolling back the hard-earned rights we’ve fought for. It’s about ensuring that it will never get better, ever — no matter how many people die to get there.

It’s particularly pathetic that NOM is trying to bring the Chicago Bears into their anti-gay politics, especially at a time when the NFL is attempting to fight its own history of homophobia and queer exclusion. Last week, the NFL players’ union came out to support same-gay marriage, a huge step forward for an industry that’s been afraid to even acknowledge the existence of queer people. Slowly, the NFL is coming out of the closet, and NOM is trying to shove them right back in.

Other than their right-wing supporters, few take NOM seriously. Who cares about Roback Morse or what she thinks? No one even knew who she was until this week. Luckily, they won't know next week, either. Obscurity is a beautiful place.

However, a great number of people care what the Bears think. Locally and nationally, the Bears are a symbol of masculinity and part of how the culture teaches young boys to be men (which, apparently, means covering your body in orange and blue paint and yelling “Woop! Woop!” in the cold).

As a kid reading Sports Illustrated, I looked up to my sports heroes to teach me what brotherhood and leadership were. Teams throw around these concepts but so often don’t live up to them.

Chicagoans hoped that the Bears would come out on the right side of history and show queer and allied fans that everyone’s support matters. By speaking out against NOM's claim, the Bears have sent a great message about what teamwork means to them: that a team means all of us, Bears and Chicagoans alike. If they could show their support by one day having a gay player on the team, all the better.

In the meantime, the Bears have exposed NOM's hate for what it is: full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Nico Lang covers LGBTQ issues in Chicago. You can follow Nico on Tumblr and Twitter or find them on Facebook.

Dear Santa: Please help Chicago sports teams this Christmas

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 06:00:00 -0600

Children are not the only ones hoping Santa Claus can bring them all the items on their wish-list. Sports teams have compiled a list that they hope the jolly old man may put under their Christmas tree. OK, maybe they don't have a list, but here is what I think they want — it’s not sugar plums and candy canes.

The Bears, and specifically Head Coach Lovie Smith, have a long list of wishes. A playoff berth is top on the list in big bold letters. Smith’s future here as the Bears head coach may be tied into a postseason appearance. Winning the last two games and loses by other teams may get them in the playoffs (lots of work for Santa). General Manager Phil Emery must have plenty of wishes, too. High on his list are numerous offensive linemen, a wide receiver and a sure-handed tight end. Basically he's dealing with the personal that former GM Jerry Angelo left for him.

It's not hard to figure out what the Cubs would love to get: wins — lots and lots of wins. It is probably on top of every Cubs fan's list, too. Team President Theo Epstein and General Manager Jed Hoyer have been filling out the roster with some free agents: Scott Baker, Scott Feldman and Japanese closer Kyuji Fujikawa. Face it: The Cubs are going to be a struggle this year maybe the next, so wins may be on the team’s wish list for a few holiday seasons. Cubs owner Tom Ricketts may have something bigger on his mind: a plan for renovations for Wrigley Field. Is it time for Mayor Rahm Emmanuel to stop being a Grinch and start getting down to business at Clark and Addison?

On the South side, the White Sox wish is for fans over two million strong to move the turnstile this year. It would be nice since attendance has been on a decline for the past few years. Last season the Sox were in first place in the AL Central most of the year, but were one of the worst teams in baseball in fan attendance. With reduced ticket pricing and other fan-friendly deals ($10 parking on Sundays) maybe the numbers will improve; they also have to be competitive again on the field. Winning the American League Central would be a real present.

It is not hard to figure out what the Bulls want to see under their Christmas tree: a full-strength and fully recovered Derrick Rose. That may be a tall order for Santa to handle. No one knows for sure when that will happen. So, maybe a trip to the All-Star game for Joakim Noah would be a nice gift. Fans can help Jolly St. Nick by stuffing the All-Star ballot box — put votes in for Luol Deng, too. Another wish would be acquiring another major star player to complement Rose’s return. Now that’s a big wish.

The Blackhawks and their fans have one wish: a season.

Santa’s magic has to extend at least another week to make a special News Year’s Day for the Northern Illinois Huskies. They want to upset the Florida State Seminoles in the Orange Bowl in Miami. On that same day, Northwestern University head coach Pat Fitzgerald would love to snap the Wildcats bowl losing streak at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville Florida (NU is facing Mississippi State).

Keeping the win column filled with victories is the hope of the Illini basketball team; they got a nice present when they hired John Groce to coach the team.

DePaul, Loyola, Northwestern and UIC (men’s and women’s teams) are all hoping they get wins on the hard court floor to fill their stockings (and maybe some front-line recruits).

It would be great if Santa gave Northwestern’s women’s lacrosse team another NCAA Championship and let the Chicago Sky finally compete in the WNBA playoffs.

Of course, there will be coal put in at least a couple of stockings…the NHL's and Lance Armstrong's.

Whatever you celebrate, may I wish each and every one of you a Happy holiday season! Hope those going through tough times will find comfort and may your hopes and dreams come true. I still believe!

Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CRayeStout and Facebook Cheryl Raye-Stout #AtTheGame.

Eighty years ago today: 'Inside' Football

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 05:00:00 -0600

Super Bowl Sunday has become an unofficial American holiday. But let’s go back 80 years to pro football’s early days. Things were a lot different then, when the National Football League staged its first championship playoff.

In 1932 pro football was still a poor cousin to the college sport. The NFL was barely surviving with eight teams. When the regular season ended, two teams had tied for first place: the Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans.

(That's Portsmouth, Ohio. In 1932 this metropolis on the Ohio River had a population of about 35,000. And you thought Green Bay was small!)

The NFL had never had a first-place tie. A special playoff game was hastily arranged. The two teams were scheduled to meet at the Bears’ Wrigley Field home on December 18th, a Sunday afternoon.

As game day approached, Chicago turned cold. The Sunday temperature forecast was for a high of 15 degrees. Since pro games only drew a few thousand people in the best weather, league officials were afraid nobody would show up for their championship.

Their solution was to play indoors. The game was moved to the Chicago Stadium and rescheduled for 8:15 in the evening. Though the stadium’s floor could be covered with dirt, one problem remained – there wasn’t enough room for a standard football field.

That meant the rules had to be adjusted. Since the field was only 60 yards long (instead of 100), every time a team crossed midfield, the ball was spotted back 20 yards. The grandstand walls were flush against the sidelines, so each play had to start away from them, near the center of the field. The end zones were only a few feet deep, so the goal posts were moved up to the goal line.

The game was played with little difficulty. A near-capacity crowd of 11,193 came out–or rather, came in. The Bears won, 9-0.

The 1932 playoff turned out to be a milestone. The NFL discovered that some of the temporary rules made for a more action-packed game, so those rules became permanent. The league itself was divided into two conferences. Now each season would climax with the excitement of a championship game.

As for the Portsmouth Spartans, they played one more season in the NFL. In 1934 the team moved to Detroit and became the Lions.

Life without Brian Urlacher

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 05:00:00 -0600

This is one of the hardest decisions for an athlete to make: When do you walk away? It's hard for players and fans alike to reconcile the end of an athletic career.

It's early yet, but the latest news on Brian Urlacher's hamstring injury makes it seem like time is winding down for the Bears' star linebacker. There is a possibility that the future Hall-of-Famer may be back — if the Bears make the playoffs. Of course, the path to the post-season is getting more difficult as the rest of this Bears team is riddled with injuries, too. The Bears were 7-3 last year before they lost Jay Cutler and Matt Forte — then the wheels fell off. Could the loss of this All-Pro linebacker impact the final weeks of the season? He has a huge role on the team calling the defensive plays and he still leads the team in tackles. But his ability to dominate from side to side has diminished. He isn't the player he was, and hasn't been since he injured his knee last year in the season finale at Minnesota. That is the difficulty of measuring this potential loss.

Does Urlacher walk away now, or leave it in the hands of management? Can the Bears have Urlacher anchor his role for another year or two? Or will the team draft or sign a player that can transition into that spot? Again, there is no solid indication that Urlacher is finished, but the sand in the hourglass is running out.

When this season ends, another major issue will play out for Urlacher: free agency. It's a tough situation for General Manager Phil Emery. The Bears have to take a serious look for Brian’s replacement sooner rather than later, but Emery has to finesse replacing such a high-profile player. Urlacher has to realize the team needs the middle linebacker spot filled with a healthy, able-bodied player. The face of the Bears may test the market if he can't reach an agreement here; but after 13 years, most fans would find it unbearable to see Urlacher wearing a different jersey.

You never want to see a player of Urlacher’s caliber leave the game on someone else's terms — it should be a mutual decision made by Urlacher and the Bears. Otherwise it could get ugly, like it did for baseball Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk and the White Sox in 1993. His skills had diminished, but he had just set a milestone of games played by a catcher. The team had a huge ceremony honoring Fisk, then released him during a road trip to Cleveland. It was one of the saddest, most unfortunate ways a player’s career could have ended.

The problem for many players though is that they don't know when to leave. Michael Jordan left the Bulls not once, not twice, but three times. Thankfully, MJ was still in his prime, and came back after the first retirement and won three more championships. Watching him struggle with the Washington Wizards though was difficult to view.

When Urlacher does hang up his chin strap and his #54 jersey, I hope he finishes his career with the Bears — and that it's a mutual decision made without malice. It will be sad no matter how it happens; he is one of the best players of any sport to play in Chicago and it's hard to imagine the Bears without Urlacher. But it will happen sooner rather than later.

'Afternoon Shift' #194: Aldermanic duties

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:15:00 -0600

Ronn Pitts: Breaking color barriers, building community

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:30:00 -0600

American Revolution II: The Battle for Chicago starts with footage familiar to many Chicagoans: the armed confrontations between police and protestors at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. But the film then moves to far less familiar — and in many ways more remarkable — ground.

In a pivotal scene, the Young Patriots, a group of poor, white, southern activists fighting forced evictions and gentrification on Chicago’s North Side, meet a tall, charismatic, community activist: Black Panther Bobby Lee. At first the atmosphere is uncomfortable and silent. Then, Lee starts to work the room, grabbing people by the shoulder, tapping them on the knee. Through a series of exhortations, mainly "Right on!" and “Let’s move!” Lee wins people over. One by one they begin to testify about their experiences with what Lee calls the “concept of poverty."

This moment of racial solidarity was captured on film thanks to a Chicago collective known as The Film Group, which spotted the deeper story of community behind the barricades. American Revolution II screens this Sunday as part of the monthly film series The Black Cinema Is. . . Attend the event and you'll have the chance to meet one of the film's creators: Bronzeville native Ronn Pitts.

Pitts, 75, has lived a life with Zelig-like qualities: He has found himself in the midst of history-making events time and again.

He was the first black professor hired in Columbia College's film department and still teaches there. He also broke color barriers as a filmmaker. Pitts and fellow filmmaker Joe Stratton — a man Pitts called “my best friend of all friends” — were hired by George Halas in the 1960s to shoot film for the Chicago Bears.

“We were the first blacks to shoot for any professional football team ever,” Pitts said. He also recounted adventures like filming during the 1965 march to Selma, Ala., and being “kidnapped” by Muhammad Ali to document the boxer as he prepared for his big fight against George Forman in 1974.

Pitts got into film by working as a shipping clerk at a camera rental company, a job his mother got him (before that he was a bookie placing bets on horses). But shooting films was a major struggle. “There were no blacks shooting [news] cameras until 1973," he said. "There were no women, no blacks — nothing but white males."

In the early '70s, Pitts, Kartemquin’s Jerry Blumenthal and others eventually set up shop with the Community Film Workshop at Columbia College. They sent students out to cover news, including fires or speeches by the mayor. “That was a great experience, because then I recognized what prejudice truly was,” Pitts said. “Those old men, they would cut their cords,” and challenged him for training minorities.

Pitts eventually left Chicago, settling in San Francisco for 17 years. While there, he captured the death of gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk on film. He was in the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem the night Malcolm X was assassinated (Pitts said his footage was seized by police). And, he was behind the camera the day Chicago Bears wide receiver Chuck Hughes died of a heart attack on the field. Pitts said those moments were the “shocking things” about filmmaking. “You can’t take it back," he said. "And you sleep with that at night, knowing that you captured death in your lens."

Despite his heavy experiences, Pitts has retained a light and joyful spirit. He took up tap dancing two years ago, just for fun. He is patient with his students, but he's not afraid to mix it up with those who try to harass him. Like any good son, he credits his mother, Elizabeth Pitts, for his attitude. His mother welcomed anyone without a home into their house and Pitts recently bought a house near his, which he hopes will one day be a space for ex-convicts. That combination of tender and tough is also something he attributes to his mother, who Pitts said was fiercely protective, once brandishing a butcher knife against whites who picked on her children.

“She was a fighter," he said. "And I’m a chip off her block."

American Revolution II screens Sunday Nov. 18 at 4 p.m. as part of The Black Cinema Is. . . monthly film series at the Rebuild Foundation in Chicago. Ron Pitts will speak at the event, but space is extremely limited. Find out how to RSVP here.

Misery on the lakefront turns to joy for the Bears

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 08:50:00 -0500

It seemed the Bears were in hibernation for almost three quarters of the game Sunday night, the way they were playing against a much lesser Carolina team. Even the Soldier Field crowd was quiet and uneasy until Bears cornerback Tim Jennings snatched a pass from Carolina Quarterback Cam Newton and ran it back for a score to finally give the Bears a lead in the fourth quarter. That lead didn’t last; the Panthers didn't lie down as their kicker Justin Medlock hit his fifth field goal of the game. Then it was a moment of redemption for Bears kicker Robbie Gould: He had missed a 33-yard field goal, but with seconds left, he nailed a 41-yarder to give the Bears a 23-22 win.

The numbers game

If you look at the stats (the Bears players may not want to) this game was clearly a win-by-the-numbers for the Panthers: Newton threw for more than 300 yards. The time of possession was so lopsided, with the Panthers offense on the field over 36 minutes. The one area the Bears had a clear advantage on was field position; Carolina head coach Ron Rivera, for some reason, squibbed his kick offs. You could say to keep out of Devin Hester's hands but it was a dangerous idea that the Bears did not take advantage of most of the game.

The turning point

Bears Quarterback Jay Cutler had negative receiving yards until late in the third quarter, when Earl Bennett caught back-to-back receptions. The crowd finally got interested, only to have that drive end in a missed field goal. In the fourth quarter, a shanked punt by Carolina finally allowed the Bears to put together a drive that ended with a Cutler to Tight-end Kellen Davis 12-yard touchdown (yes — the Bears do have tight ends). On the Panthers very next possession — and the first play of the drive — the Bears finally got the play of the day. Tim Jennings grabbed his second interception of the afternoon and ran into the endzone, giving the Bears a 20-19 lead, they missed the two-point conversion.

The key players

After the game several Bears players were singing the praises of Jennings' interception, especially from the offense. “Anytime the defense scores it’s big, we fed off it,” said Bears receiver Earl Bennett. The Bears defense has now scored a team record six times on turnovers. Jennings was given a game ball by Coach Lovie Smith. Besides the two interceptions, the Bears cornerback was in a battle all game with the Panthers best receiver, Steve Smith.

The Bears offensive line was, well, offensive again. They gave up six sacks in the first half and were not in sync until the fourth quarter, especially when they drove downfield the last 2:27 of the game, allowing Robbie Gould the redeeming game-winner. The Bears kicker was happy, but mostly relieved. “The guys did an awesome job fighting the whole way to give us an opportunity to win,” said Gould. “It would have been a bummer if [we] missed the second one.”

Getting away with a "W"

The real bummer for the Bears would have been to lose this game — especially since the Panthers are now 1-6. Bears fans were not happy during the game; in fact, at times they booed and Jay Cutler even called it a “boo-worthy” game. It was a win, though. Ugly, but still a win. This week the Bears better figure out how to play with a better sense of urgency early, rather than late. They go on the road to Tennessee and come-backs are harder away from home.

Bears defense dominates in win over Detroit

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 02:13:00 -0500

You could debate that Monday night's Bears 13-7 win over Detroit wasn't pretty, but you can't debate the toughness of the team's QB Jay Cutler.

The Bears quarterback turned the team's first possession into a 7 yard touchdown reception to Brandon Marshall. With just over five minutes left in the first half, Detroit's 307-pound Ndamukong Suh man-handled Jay Cutler into the turf. Cutler laid there for a moment and had to come out of the game for one play. Before the half, the Bears quarterback did leave to have his ribs examined and take X-rays, he returned to play in the second half. During the post-game press conference, both Cutler and Lovie Smith had no issue with Suh over the manner of his play. “That’s football, no one is trying to hurt anyone out there,” said Smith. Cutler expects his ribs will become sorer in the ensuing days. He will get additional treatment during the week.

The Bears defense had big moments, as they have had all season. Forcing two Lions’ fumbles and an interception in the "red zone" were keys to the Bears domination of their divisional opponent.

One of the biggest defensive plays of the game occurred late in the third quarter on the Bears one yard line; Henry Melton forced a crucial Detroit turnover. The Bears defensive tackle knocked the ball from the Lion's running back Joique Bell's hands and into Brian Urlacher’s hands thwarting Detroit’s scoring opportunity.

Charles Tillman was like a glove on the Lions’ biggest weapon Calvin Johnson; he was held to just three catches for 31 yards and NO touchdowns. Coach Smith said that Tillman “had tough duty” covering one of the best receivers in the league. This season, it seems as though, Tillman has meet every challenge that he has faced across the line of scrimmage.

On the other hand, Bears receiver Brandon Marshall had 6 catches for 81 yards and the lone TD. The Bears amassed over 170 rushing yards, 96 by Matt Forte and Jay Cutler used his feet to gain 34 yards.

Talk about seizing a great opportunity, Zack Bowman was unemployed and was brought back to the team last week. He forced Detroit's punt returner Stefan Logan to muff a punt and the Bears turned the miscue into a 21 yard Robbie Gould field goal.

The talk in the locker room by most of the Bear players was about their QB and the team’s opportunistic play on defense. Players on both sides of the ball were heaping praise on Jay Cutler and how tough he is and how this team expected him to be available despite the rib injury after the Suh sack.

And the defense spoke with strong determination that the teachings of their head coach- to attack the ball, as well as they do, is reaping huge rewards in turnovers. “We are just punching the ball,” says Henry Melton, “We work so hard in practice and we believe it will happen in the game.” The only disappointment the players had on defense was the last minute 12 yard touchdown by Detroit’s Matthew Stafford to Ryan Broyles.

This win gives the Bears a three game advantage over the Lions in the division since Detroit is now 2-4 overall this season.

It is a short work week; the Bears will begin preparations for the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday. They will meet next Sunday at Soldier Field.

Right now, the Bears are on top of the NFC North and one of the best teams in the NFL…of course, some may debate they are among the elite. There is no doubt in my mind.

Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CRayeStout and on Facebook, Cheryl Raye-Stout #atthegame

Bears vs. Lions on Monday Night Football make a great clash

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 05:00:00 -0500

You get the feeling that tonight's Lions/Bears meeting at Soldier Field could be a throwback to the good ol' days of the "Black and Blue" division games played decades ago. All week long the phrase "playing through the whistle-and beyond" was how Detroit was being characterized around the Bears in Lake Forest.

While the Bears (4-1) were enjoying a bye-week, the Lions (2-3) came back in the 4th quarter to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 26-23; they won despite racking up 16 penalties (playing through the whistle and beyond). That was a huge win for the Lions; much has been expected from them this year. They were a big story last season making the playoffs after being the NFL doormat for a long time. Of course, the Bears would love to beat them to maintain a good distance with their lead in the NFC North’s division. The only blemish on the Bears season was the loss to Green Bay — a loss to the Lions wouldn’t be devastating, but could complicate playoff scenarios. The Bears will not play any divisional opponents until they meet Minnesota in late November.

There are some interesting storylines to watch Monday night:

Two very different head coaches Some say the team of wacky, energetic Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz is undisciplined; others say his players feed off him. Conversely, Lovie Smith has a calm and steadfast demeanor on the Bears sideline. His players respond well to his approach. One stat worth bringing up for Smith: He has a 8-2 record on Monday Night Football (no home losses).
Both have young, aggressive quarterbacks, Matthew Stafford for Detroit and Jay Cutler for the Bears, who are complemented by huge wide receivers, Detroit's Calvin Johnson and Chicago's Brandon Marshall, who they each love to target. The Lions drafted their duo, while the Bears traded for their tandem. Marshall admitted he enjoys basking in the Monday Night Football spotlight. “I love some of the attention; when you have that spotlight on you have to show up and perform,” said Marshall.
The Bears offensive line hopes to control the line of scrimmage against the likes of Ndamukong Suh and the rest of the Lions defensive line. The Bears want to get their ground game going with Matt Forte and Michael Bush.
The real fun will be the Bears third-rated defense against the second best offense in the league. This is where the Bears hope they can keep Johnson from making the big plays against their secondary. Charles Tillman has already returned two interceptions for touchdowns this year. Tillman against Johnson will be one of the best matchups of the game. The Lions rushing game is below average.
The wild card in this game may be Devin Hester. He may have a bigger role in the offense since Alshon Jeffrey is out with his hand injury. Offensive coordinator Mike Tice lamented after practice that he wants to get him more involved. Where Hester may make an impact is on special teams — a weakness for the Lions.
Some players are expected to return to action: wide receiver Earl Bennett and tight end/half back Evan Rodriquez.
Last year Bears cornerback D J Moore and Lions QB Matthew Stafford got into a scrum after the Lion QB’s interception. Moore was ejected from that game, he says there are no grudges. . . but we’ll see.
You should keep track how often the MNF broadcast focuses on Jay Cutler and his "issues."

This is the first time the Bears have hosted the Lions on Monday Night Football. All previous meetings were in Detroit. Spotlight, chippy play, two teams that hate each other. . . get the popcorn! This will be quite the show.

Jay Cutler's likability problem

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 05:00:00 -0500

It seems strange that Bears General Manager Phil Emery has to proclaim that he likes quarterback Jay Cutler. Of course, he was only answering a question posed by the media, and that is the sound bite most media outlets ran with, even though there was more discussed at the time. Emery went on to list his reasons: “He’s passionate and he’s got great drive and energy. He’s moving towards excellence, he does care and love his teammates and he is a big part of what we are doing in a positive way.” When you step back and think about it, Cutler really only has to answer to his team’s management and usually they’ll make the final judgment on him. However, it seems that his persona is in dispute all the time by the public and the media.

Much of this scrutiny has been brought on by Cutler himself: He is not seen as likeable by many people. His demeanor, body language and actions are analyzed like a defendant in a courtroom — and Cutler hasn't committed a crime. The reaction to him is really incredible for a player that has won nine of his last ten games. This season he became fodder for unpleasant discussions for two "offenses” — knocking the shoulder of offensive lineman J'Marcus Webb in one game, followed by walking away from his Offensive Coordinator Mike Tice in another game. The network cameras are trained on him for everything he does on and off the field during the game. Other quarterbacks have had similar problems, but Jay Cutler is the poster boy for a negative campaign.

Cutler is not alone in the annals of Chicago players low on the likeability factor. And like his predecessors, he too can be cured. Consider the following:

White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski has been named the "most hated player" in baseball for the past several years. He wears it like a badge of honor. Former Sox manager Ozzie Guillen would talk about how much people, including some teammates, disliked the catcher. He irritates the umps, the opposing players and the fans — but not his own. Who could forget the punch he took from Cubs catcher Michael Barrett on May 20, 2006 during a Cubs-Sox game? Sox fans love him because he is theirs and he was one of the major reason why the White Sox won the World Series in 2005 (Anaheim-L.A. fans will always remember the famous dropped third strike).

Bulls fans hated Dennis "The Worm" Rodman when he was with the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons. He knocked Scottie Pippen around like a rag doll when the Bulls and Pistons met during the season, particularly in the playoffs in the '80s-'90s. When Michael Jordan returned to the Bulls from his first retirement, General Manager Jerry Krause engineered a deal to bring Rodman to the Chicago Bulls. Krause had to confer with Pippen and Jordan to make sure they could handle dealing with the power forward. Dennis went from a hated Piston to a beloved (yet controversial) member of three championship Bulls teams. He crashed into cameramen and tangled with opposing players, wore make-up and colored his hair and was as outrageous as any player to ever wear an NBA jersey.

Another Bears quarterback that had a reputation of being difficult and disliked by many was Jim McMahon. The "punky" QB had ongoing feuds with teammates, coaches and the NFL. The media hated him, too: Some writers were overheard saying they would never vote McMahon the MVP of Super Bowl XX. I was there and heard it first-hand during half-time of that game. When Green Bay's Charles Martin picked up McMahon and slammed him to the turf there were snickers by many in the press box.

The common thread with these players (besides not being liked) is they all were part of championships in Chicago. Personally, I never had an issue dealing directly with A.J., Rodman or McMahon. I was the only woman covering the Bears when McMahon played and you may not believe this but he was always a gentleman to me. Rodman was a hoot, and he was easy to talk to after he found out I had a sister who was a tattoo artist — I never thought that would be an asset. Pierzynski is an interesting, smart ball player and he makes himself available and is very honest.

Two other disliked Chicago players come to mind (but trust me there are more): Former White Sox Albert Belle and the Cubs' Milton Bradley. You can underline the word difficult in both cases . . . actually they were jerks. Belle would snarl and was very defensive; Bradley acted in a similar manner. They never won so their character flaws were not masked by a championship.

Where Jay Cutler falls in this mix will be up to him; he has limited access to the media, not counting his paid weekly radio show. There are no personal one-on-one exchanges with him, so most of us in the media see and hear only what the fans do. One thing is for certain: If Cutler leads the Bears to a Super Bowl win he will be the toast of the town, like him or not.

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