Is this Year the Year?

Well, we’re talking the Bears and I’m fairly certain the Chicago sports fan (pick any sport, they virtually all apply) mantra is “this is going to be the year.”  This is pretty much always followed by “next year is going to be the year.”  So is this year the year for the Bears?  Probably not, but I’m liking what I’m seeing so far.

Last week in the match-up against the Giants, Cutler looked good (even if his teammates don’t like him).  The return of Forte didn’t hurt either.  In the 17-3 win over the G-Men it was clear that things may be coming together for the Chicago team.  Now I’m a supporter (first love = da bears) of the Giants, but Chicago proved last week that they have the ability to make things happen offensively.  The Bears are always solid defensively, but it was refreshing to see the offense making plays too.

Both teams are still struggling to find their passing game given a young/lack of WR roster, but it was clear that Chicago was able to get around that obstacle last week.  Cutler and Hester still need to learn to connect, but hey, a 17-3 win against another team with some serious potential?  I’ll take it!

And that brings us to this weekend.  Broncos and Bears will meet in Denver with Orton going up against Cutler following the trade that took place this past spring.  It’s going to be a good one.  It’s looking good for my Bears, especially now that Denver announced today that they have suspended WR Brandon Marshall for the rest of the preseason.

Either way, definitely a game worth watching.  A game that I can’t watch all of because I will be flying back to New York.  Why can’t United get live games on their planes?  You’ve already forced me to check my carry-on which I packed unusually sparsely for the exact reason so that I could bring it onto the plane; throw a girl a bone. (I’m clearly still salty about this)

My prediction: Bears over the Broncos with a good amount of points on the board from both teams.  This may not be the year where the Bears go all the way (or they could surprise me), but it is going to be a year for some solid football coming out of Chicago.

For those of you who don’t appreciate the bears in the same way that I do, here is a gift from me to you.

Shooting Oneself in the Foot… or Leg

Oh Plexico, Plexico, things aren’t looking too good for you right now.  On Thursday, former Giant wide receiver Plexico Burress plead guilty to his firearm charge and accepted a plea bargain which will land him in jail for two years.  The event has sparked conversation (even more so than normal) because of the long jail term.  The man did already shoot himself in his own leg.  Talk about adding insult to injury.

People are all over the place with how they feel about the length of the sentencing.  Clearly the courts decided to stand their ground and make the point that celebrities do not get special treatment.  Fine, I get that, but two years?!?  It seems a bit egregious.  In a somewhat coherent late night debate with my cab driver last evening we discussed what we thought would be fair sentencing.  He argued the for a few weeks as Plexico, being a member of the 2008 Super Bowl champion Giants, brought a lot of good into the city.  I said a few months to establish the seriousness of gun charges (Jail, is jail. It sucks no matter how you slice it; whether you’re there for a few month or years.  The man has already hired himself a prison coach for christ sakes.) without being harsh for harshness sake.  He’s not going to be playing this season anyways so why not just have him serve his term during the football season and let him out in time for training camp?

Now that we know his fate, whether fair or not, it will be interesting to watch if and how Plex bounces back from this.  The NFL has already given the go-ahead to return once his sentence is completed.   Michael Vick is attempting to orchestrate a successful return right now.  Other pro-athletes have also attempted to come-back post slammer with varying degrees of success.  Mike Tyson may be the patriarch of this. (If you have a few minutes, read this timeline of his antics and fights. It’s absolutely hilarious)

Only time will tell whether or not Plex can make a triumphant return to the league after two years in prison.  In all seriousness, prison is no joke and obviously has a sobering effect on a man.  Hopefully he will bounce back and return to a full career in the NFL.  Or at least learn not to carry his gun in the waistband of his sweat pants…at LQ… Or perhaps at least shave those chin pubes.