Thursday ThinkTank: Hey, How's It Goin'? Tool. Massive, Tool. Nice to Meet You

Yahoo Sports is reporting that, drum roll, please...



Cedric Benson claims that the Chicago Bears tried ice his career after his release from the organization. This is completely shocking. Link to the story after the jump.

(Yahoo Sports story here)
Read more

Wednesday Whatnot: Two Prominent HoG Figures Still at Large in Cities of Wind, Angels

Yes. There are two of them. And yes, we are international bloggers of mystery. It's true. We've even posted from overseas before. We're gonna make you work for the goodies, though. Check beneath the fake grass of the jump your Easter basket for the scoop.

Oh, good. Glad you decided to join us. The first is none other than Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who, as you can see,



is fitting in just fine in his new town.

The second? Well, authorities are prohibiting us from putting his likeness up on the 'Tubes, but he's certainly no stranger to these parts. Sure. The cops call him "suspect A." We know him better as Humberto.

So, you're headed to the the viney-walled Wrigley for some Cubby Ball? Got a trip to the Friendly Confines in your planner? Take note. Use the buddy system. Watch your back. These men are out there, and they will, in fact, hurt you.
Read more

Friday Fiction Fix (Saturday Edition): "The Elephant"

I keep imagining a scenario in which I get this job thing crammed into some form of Monday-Thursday, and take three days off each week, but so far it hasn't happened, thus the four-month hiatus from my personal HoG favorite. So I'm effin' up the rotation, and delivering one on a Saturday. This has been quite the week with regard to Chiefs-Broncos football, and obviously I'm referring to the epic trade of Screamin' Jay to the Chicago Bears. Before we get into today's piece, however, I'd just like to say that for anyone who whined about the Chiefs only giving up a second-rounder for Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel, this is your invitation to shut the hell up. I'm not saying it's a sketchy deal, but for Chicago to give up their starting quarterback, a middle-of-the-draft pick, and two firsts for Schlubby McKidShow is pretty astonishing. I anticipate that the perceived values will pan out for both clubs, but consider my feathers ruffled that the stupid Broncos follow the Chiefs' 2008 draft of 10 picks with 10 of their own. I was really getting used to Denver having only five or six picks and screwing up on three of them. But bygones and whatnot, right?

Aravind Adiga was born in India of October 1974. He studied English literature at Columbia College in New York, and at Magdalen College, Oxford. He won the Booker Prize for his debut novel The White Tiger last year, and today we'll look at a short story of his that was published in the January 26 issue of The New Yorker. As you may have guessed, it's called "The Elephant."

Our story is about a young boy, a coolie, if you will, who pulls a cart. His name is Chenayya.



Coming out of college, "He had been told to take the quick route."



"Once he was over the hump of the hill,



he let the cycle glide."

But he could not maintain such an easy course for long, as things along his path began to change. And these changes concerned him. When these changes began to gravely concern him, "Chenayya closed an eye and examined them one by one."







When he was most certain that he did not like what he saw unfolding before him, "he left the house, grumbling and sulking."

He thought to himself as he retreated “...in the end those who believe always win. That is the way the world works...I can’t go on this way forever,” Chenayya said.

As time wore on, his thoughts grew more intense: "You can’t go on. This was when the sense of resistance to his fate waxed greatest within him, and, as he pushed, the restlessness and anger that had been inside him all day became articulate at last: You will not break me, motherfuckers! You will never break me!"

When the situation grew more difficult still, he recruited the help of others



and said to them, "Take this load from me! It’s more fitted to your size, you motherfucker!”

Chenayya's frustration continued to grow with each day.

“What is wrong with this world,” he asked...“when an elephant gets to lounge down the road,



doing no work, and a human being has to pull a cart with so much weight on it?”

"All at once... he stopped...with the simple and clear thought: I can’t go on like this."

"Why don’t you do something...anything, to improve yourself?"

"The next day...he thought, What a fool I have been, never even to have tried to get work here."



"The doorkeeper slapped him.

I am the biggest fool here, Chenayya thought, back in his alley...It was late at night, and he was the only one who could not sleep. I am the biggest fool. I am the biggest baboon here."

"He came back with a bottle of liquor...He drank the bottle dry, then went over to the liquor shop and bought another bottle.





When he woke the next morning, he realized he had spent his money on liquor.

All of it."

And so continued this cycle, for what seemed like an eternity, until one day it stopped.

“Your number has come up, Chenayya.”



And so it seemed that the endless pouting, cursing, and drinking paid off, and the message was conveyed that every Cutlerfucker has his day.

Check the above New Yorker link to see how Adiga's story finishes. If you like it, purchase The White Tiger here.
Read more

Monday Miscellany: 6-09-08

I have absolutely no idea what's happening in this picture. Actually, I do, but I have no idea what else has been happening in the world of sports. Good thing other people do. After the jump, an ultra-strenuous effort to dig through the wide world of blogs and copy and paste links to stories other people had the energy to write. Thanks, alcohol, for making me sluggisher than I already was.


Dominik Hasek retired.

Men's tennis is boring. Why? Because it lacks hot girls that play tennis and win tournaments.

My computer's not working so well; it's been doing odd things like displaying this sort of story, which is clearly a malfunction of some sort.

Speaking of things not working so well...



Yeah. New Patriots on the Block just isn't working for me. At all.

(courtesy of Smarter Sports Blog)

My new favorite blog is something I'll be checking out each morning, over cereal, perhaps Lucky Charms. The Cubs? Best record in the bigs? How did I miss that? Oh. That's right. National League Central.

The shrewd oddities of Free Darko. Linking to that in a sentence fragment. Just seemed to work.

Taglines are...well, the possible definitions are endless there. I dig the one at We Suck at Sports, though.

We suck at sports, but still have an opinion. We suck at writing, but that's never stopped us either.

We Are the Postmen deliver some "surprising" news. I hear the Lower Colorado River Authority is hiring.
Read more

My Sports Life is a Rock Song: "Sunday, Bloody Sunday"

This is "My Sports Life is a Rock Song," a weekly series in which the House of Georges attempts to mix professional sports opinion with music. We've thus far tended to stay in the rock genre, but not intentionally; our last installment of this series attempted to meld Ice Cube and the Kansas City Royals, and we've gone punk on one occasion, too. This go-'round goes out on the unusually placed end-of-the-weekend slot, and the feature track is perhaps the influence. The content of the post, however, is miscellaneous in nature. After the jump, we'll have a look at some professional football, a bit of basketball NBA-style, and of course, some Kansas City Royals baseball.

Recently, we teamed up with the Yard Barker Network, and there're an impressive number of sports bloggers out there that either write for the site, belong to the network, or simply frequent it for news and updates. For a sample of some writing that goes on "in the Yard," here's a bit from SpankDaddy that discusses why Kobe Bryant will never be like Mike -- a sentiment with which I agree -- or a number of others for that matter. Speaking of Kobe and the Lakers, Bleacher Report is another network member, and BR's Senior Writer Jeff Little examines tonight's second-of-the-series contest between L.A. and Boston. I'm not linking to Mr. Little's post so that I may rip on him; his was the first preview I came across, and I'm too lazy to look for another. I couldn't disagree with commenter Max any stronger than I do. The piece is not "great," and in this instance, I don't think they author is "quite good at writing." What I do think is that the preview is full of useless generalities, and (at least one) inaccuracy.

Paragraph -- though I wouldn't really call them that -- eight includes the line, "The Celtics played tremendous defense," and I think we all know (Editor's Note: Shut up, Lone Reader.) that no one plays defense in the NBA. Actually, I've heard several recent claims that the league-wide level of overall D has improved significantly in recent years, but it's more fun to still gripe about it. Anyway, the piece is very generic, poorly punctuated, and lacking a prediction. I've picked the Celts to win the series, but I think the Lakers rebound (Note: No pun intended.), and come away with the victory this evening, 103-98. In Little's defense, he is a Raiders fan, and a guy who, in his profile, claims that his sports "takes are always on point." So he's got that working against for him.

In football news, The Big Lead points out that "Jeremy Shockey is douchey." I couldn't agree more. They also share with us the news of a certain Chicago Bears running back who was, in numerous allegations, wrongfully arrested last month for boating while under the influence/intoxicated. The latest: he was arrested on Friday for driving in similar conditions, and running a red light. His lawyer, in a statement I can't wrap my head around, insists that Benson was not intoxicated. The tailback refused to take a breathalyzer or participate in a blood screening. Hmm...Kinda leaves Bears Nation singing, "I can't believe the news today. I can't close my eyes and make it go away..."

TBL writes:

This kind of throws a dagger in the heart of the “cops singled me out” story. BWI + DWI = no football in Chicago, one would presume. The Bears have yet to release a statement, but I’m confident that when that happens, it will involve a release of Benson.

And for the love of the Creator, Cedric, call a cab or hire a driver. You have the funds.

Again, couldn't agree more. I'm sure these guys won't, though. We've agreed to disagree regarding some of the details related to Mr. Benson's last-month arrest.

In Chiefs news, a deal with first-round pick Glenn Dorsey doesn't appear to be just around the corner. And Greg Wesley's in minicamp, though he doesn't know what his role with the club is. I feel like this is the third year in a row we've heard this story.

On the baseball diamond, I'm a few games away from throwing my hands up regarding the Royals and this season. Doesn't mean I won't follow and root, but I won't be able to confidently steer the vessel known as "Operation Play .500 Ball" without fear of sinking. Since snapping their 12-game losing streak, they've gone 2-5. They took two from the Cleveland Indians, got swept by the division-leading Chicago White Sox, then kicked off a series in New York where they win a pitchers' dual (2-1), allow a Yankees come-from-behind win in a hitters' exchange (12-11), and squandered another lead today, losing 6-3. They make no sense, and I have no idea what the solution is. I theorize that it has something to do with getting some gelling between the younger guys and the veterans, and figuring out who your (more or less) everyday lineup is going to include.

In Chicago, they, for the most part, kept games close with good pitching, and decent-at-best hitting, but they gave up about 87 homeruns in that three-game stretch. Yeah. I know. That means the pitching wasn't good. But it wasn't bad. Then they travel to the Bronx to face a struggling Yankees club, get decent starts out of their guys to split the first two, only to let game three slide away with a blast from Jason "Gold Bond" Giambi. Fuck. That guy's had one of the shittiest starts to a season in his career. One more game against the 'Stripes before hosting the Rangers for three, then two solid weeks of Inter-League play featuring Arizona, the Cardinals (twice), the Giants, and the Rockies. Come July, this team will have a hot stretch of summer baseball, where it's time to resemble the temperature, or reassemble the club.

In other extremely unfunny Royals news, the club only waited three too many years to do this. Jesus. Ever since his AL Rookie of the Year season, Royals fans have been watching the fielding blunders and eptiomally awful strikeouts of Berroa, leaving us singing, "How long -- How long must we sing this song?"
Read more

Sleeping With The Enemy: Broncos @ Bears

Your Denver Broncos travel to not-really-all-that-historic Soldier Field (it's a brand-new ballpark with some old columns out front) today for an interconference showdown. After making the Super Bowl last year the Bears are underachieving at 4-6, similar to the Broncos' 5-5 struggles. Our Chicago representative is The Catfish, who you may remember as the hopelessly optimistic Cubs fan from this summer.

And after the jump, I'll throw in a few picks to boot.

Old No. 7: So Sexy Rexy is back in charge. I didn't watch a whole lot of the game last week, but what I did see made him look lousy. What's up?

Catfish: Rex didn't throw an interception, he did fumble once, but threw for over 250 yards and I thought looked pretty good. It was nice to see some zip on a pass after watching Griese try to throw to a wideout on the sideline. Painful! Look, Grossman is capable of starting for 20 NFL teams. The Chicago media and talk radio scene have made him the black sheep of a flock not worthy of a shepherd's time. I would love to see Grossman finish strong and get a two year extension.

Old No. 7: Why is this team not nearly as dominant as it has been the last couple years?

Catfish: Simple, what team in the last 10 years following a Super Bowl loss has been competitive? NONE! Look at 2 years removed from the Super Bowl how many teams make the playoffs and compete for a Super Bowl and my Bears look a lot better. Finally, injuries to key players on defense: Mike Brown, Nathan Vasher, Tommie Harris, Peanut Tillman, Dusty Dvorckek, etc. Injuries rule in the NFL!

Old No. 7: Is Cedric Benson just a giant vagina, or is there still hope for him yet? Do you wish you could have that draft pick back, or at least have held on to Thomas Jones?

Catfish: Not a giant Vagina, but a swampy one. He has not participated in the Bears’ off season strength programs and it shows. He is chubby and slow and shows little ability to shake a defender’s tackle. For a big, physical runner, that’s not a good sign. I love Thomas Jones, and had Thanksgiving with his family!

Old No. 7: Your dad is a big Packers fan, and we've all gotten together to watch the Super Bowl the last couple years. Are you dreading a situation where Green Bay makes the big game this season? Is that when the automatic weapons come out?

Catfish: I used profanity towards my dad last year for the first time, when he visited my home the Super Bowl. You were there! If Green Bay makes the game, I have decided to respect my father by leaving the country! Perhaps IRAQ!

Old No. 7: OK, I need a quick prediction. What will the final score be, and what about the Broncos worries you for this game? What do the Bears have to do to win?

Catfish: BEARS 23 BRONCOS 16 Its all about turnovers. Grossman plays mistake free, while Cutler cracks under a real big city like Chicago. Look, the Bears aren't good this year, but if the Lions were in your division they would be in first. Hester takes one punt from your juiced up punter to the house. I have two games of interest left this season, Broncos and Packers at home, Win those and I will call this season a wash. I really do love the Bears with all my heart. And always will. Go BEARS! Good luck!

The Picks

I'm trying a new technique this weekend, looking for favorites that have no business being favorites and taking the dogs--no matter how awful they are.

Broncos +1 @ Chicago
Raiders +3 1/2 @KC
Panthers +3 1/2 v. New Orleans
Ravens +9 @ San Diego
Read more

Sleeping With The Enemy: Week Two, Chiefs @ Bears

Welcome back for another installment of "Sleeping With the Enemy," where us HoG staffers chit-chat with a fan of our teams' opponents. This week, Old No. 7 wrestles with a lover of things silver and black as Team Al Davis marches into InVesCo for the Broncos home opener. The Chiefs, on the other hand, wait one more week to host a contest at Arrowhead; today they storm Soldier Field in hopes of notching a road win against the defending-NFC-champion Chicago Bears. Your Bears' expert is none other than Mr. Kimm, a native Iowan and lifelong lover of all things Cub and Bear. Last week's SWTEs, Chiefs @ Texans, can be found here.

Bankmeister: Week two for the Chiefs involves a trip to a stadium with new digs, a place you might've heard of before. It's called Soldier Field, and from what I understand, they've, over the years, had a few good athletes play football for that team they call the Bears. Matter of fact, they came awful close to getting their paws on the Lombardi last year. Let's talk about the job that Lovie Smith has done in his short stint in the Windy City. Who has been Lovie's biggest teacher as a coach? Biggest inspiration? What did you make of all the fuss over his contract/paycheck last year? Was the Bears ownership being stingy or was that just another case of media overhype.

Mr. Kimm: Week two will be a good test for the defending NFC Champs, but more so for the overmatched Chiefs. Tradition and history of the not-so-friendly-confines of Soldier Field will be an intimidating reality for the Chiefs and their followers. Here true defense will be on display, something Lovie Smith teams have always been known for. I think everyone knows that Tony Dungy has been one of, if not, the, most influential coaches/friends to Lovie and his career thus far. His style of play mimics that of his mentor and friend, as well as his calm demeanor on and off the field. Fortunately for Bears fans, Lovie is here to stay. I think Lovie knew it as well, before any contract discussions, that this was going to be his home and what an opportunity he had within his grasp. Media hype gets in the way of the truth most of the time, and Lovie's attitude during the whole process showed that he wasn't worried in the least about his future with the Bears. Bears ownership was also smart enough to realize they couldn't afford to lose Lovie either.

B: Agreed. All around. The Dungenator has been a mentor to the Lovemeister, for sure. As has he for Herm. I personally was largely disturbed by the way things went down during last year's playoffs in terms of the Smith/Edwards/Dungy dinner the night before the Chiefs/Colts playoff (playoff?) debacle. seemed as if there was a little too much brotherly love, if you know what i mean, going on with that whole scenario. And by "brotherly love," I mean playbook sharing.

Nevertheless, interesting that you say overmatched. Granted, you're right; I'm sure the Bears have been largely favored since the lines opened up, but there are many aspects to discuss about each of our teams. Clearly, your team has had a knockout defense for some time. Will they return in the same form? Better perhaps? A step behind last year? One thing is certain: the Chiefs D will be better. They've continued to improve season-by-season since Gunther returned, and I'm confident that this year they will be hittin' some folks in some grills, if you hear what I'm screamin'. I'm not boastin' any Urlacher-type-led D squads, but suffice it to say they'll be better.

Beyond that, we need to spend some quality time breakin' down the QB situation. There are other aspects to cover, but this is one we must get out first. As you've mentioned in previous conversations, "they" say "everything hinges on Sexy Rexy. I take the way you said that to be an outright disagreement. Am I wrong? Once and for all, let's please have a die-hard Bears fan's take on number 9. Then we'll get to the rest.

Mr. K: Hey, we both agree the Chiefs D is much better, but c'mon, lets face it, it's not hard to improve over no defense from two years prior. As I see it, the trouble is that the Chiefs offense has not made any improvements. If anything, the conservative play calling has stiffled a once-potent offense. The Chiefs receiving core is still questionable and now they're relying on a 34-year-old quarterback with literally three years of game experience. Enough about your troubles, let's talk about a solid Bears defense that is looking to be even better this year with solid acquisitions like Adam Archuleta at SS and Darwin Walker at DT. Couple that with a healthy Tommie Harris (DT) and Mike Brown (SS), and of course probably the best linebacking crew in the biz, Damon Huard and Co. are facing a full-blown, scream-like-a-little-girl nightmare come Saturday night, Septmeber 15th. While we're at it, lets talk Sexy Rexy. By the way, he's number 8, not 9. He was also 13-3 as a starting QB in the NFL last year in case everyone forgot. I admit he had some fleeting moments, but the guy posseses heart and character way beyond his years and experience, and thank God for Lovie Smith recognizing this fact. Fact: Rex is only going to continue to get better. He now has an experienced and talented receiving crew, highlighted by the insurgence of Bernard Berrian, a true Pro Bowler. Two rookie draftees that will both make immediate impacts are Greg Olsen TE and Garrett Wolfe RB. Both are talented rookies, Olsen with great hands and WR speed, and Garrett also with great hands, great speed and elusive moves that made him the leading rusher in college football last year. Long story short, Sunday September 16th, Bears home opener, will turn out to be a very long afternoon for the Chiefs.

B: Alright. I got the message. Long day for the Chiefs in Chicago. I guess I'd hoped you might've had some drunken/debaucherous tales on Rexy, but I guess we have the boys at Kissing Suzy Kolber to do that for us year round. More importantly, you're confident in your gunslinger. Good. That's good. Let's not allow those Bears-colored glasses to tint your vision too dark, though. Let's be honest: the Bears were 13-3 last year. I know. The tendency is to always assign that record to your quarterback(s); I certainly did it with Huard and Green last year. But c'mon. No way the Monsters of the Midway log that record without that defensive squad. I mean, there were games in which Grossman appeared to be single-handedly trying to lose the match. And the D would always save his rear.

That's not to say he's not a talent. That's not to say he won't be great this year. I'm just leery of giving him too much credit for last year's successes. You are right about the head coach's approach; it's a good thing Lovie maintained a level head and didn't listen to the rest of the football world in regards to his QB. You certainly don't want Brian Griese in there. That guy's terrible. And Kyle Orton? That guy's number 9, right? (Editor's Note: Orton wears #18)

Yeah. Wolfe's college numbers are impressive. It'll be interesting to see just how accurate you are with your "immediate impact" prognostication. Since we're on the subject of toting the rock, though, let's talk about the Bears' off-season personnel decisions. The last time we talked football and there were no beers involved...wait. That never happened. Nevermind. In our last football conversation over minimal amounts of beers, you proclaimed that Cedric Benson may wind up being a bust, the Bears should stick with Thomas Jones, etc. Eight months later, Benson appears to have the starting job locked up over both your boy Wolfe and Adrian Peterson. Meanwhile, Thomas Jones, on some depth charts, sits behind the rookie Marshawn Lynch over in Buffalo. What's your take on all that business?

Mr. K: I still think Thomas Jones is a better all around running back, but I guess shared time was not for him. You know running backs these days, they all think they're the best, invincible and they don't need nor want to share time with anyone. Even though it could potentially double their career time in the NFL. With that being said, Jones wanted out, so let him go. He definitely wasn't that great as to be considered unreplaceable. Heck, who is? Benson may flourish with the majority of the carries this season, but if not, the Bears will run 2-3 backs at everyone every game, and look to fill a void again next offseason. Luckily the O-Line is good enough to make numerous running backs look good, regardless of their talents. The Bears are and always have been a smashmouth football team, who definitely prefer to run the ball. Who is in the backfield is somewhat of a non-issue, because whoever it is consistently, is going to get a workout, and with the help of a strong offensive line, I'm sure will do just fine.

B: Alright. We've established that you're confident in the Bears' D, passing game and running game. How about special teams? Will Devin Hester be the same threat this year that he was in '06? And the foot of Robbie Gould? Is he as dependable as any other kicker in the league? If you're confident in those aspects, and I'll assume that you are, that leaves your Windy City football club with quite an all-around team. How long can they keep it together? Will they be subject to the rise and fall that most franchises experience in the modern-day NFL, or can they become the next "D" word, the decade's late version of the Patriots?

Finally, what do the Chiefs need to do to get to a respectable level of competitiveness, one that the Bears and Colts have obviously achieved?

Mr. K: Special teams will hopefully resume right where they left off. Devin Hester is still a threat everytime he touches the ball, and hopefully that will be extended to the offense as well. I think Robbie Gould will continue to be a very steady and accurate kicker, even in the rough weather of Chicago. Dynasty teams are hard to predict. Free agency has changed the game forever. I hope the Bears can maintain the solid core of players they have, but no one knows for sure what will happen. Injuries also play a big part of team changes and managerial moves, as well as off-field antics anymore. Your Chiefs on the other hand need to search for a leader on the field both offensively and defensively. They need some key players to step up, assume the role and help motivate the rest of the squad. Offensively they need to show a balanced attack, and demand more from their receivers in general. Huard can play in this league, but he is going to need time and support from his O-line. LJ can't do it all; the passing game has got to be able to keep teams honest. The defense has got to continue to become more aggressive and not so predictable, but I think Gunther is on the right path.

B: Nice take. I'd say you're on target in everything you said. Free agency has changed everything, but some teams, with shrewd off-season evaluation/acquisition techniques, have managed to keep their teams at a competitive level regardless of cap/free-agency issues. The Chiefs, in my estimation, are one of them. The difference with them, though, is that they've been on the bubble for an eternity. They get one aspect of the game fine-tuned while all but ignoring the other; then when they finally address the weak area(s), it's too late in that the strengths have diminished. Gunther is on the right path. This defense will play at a top-10 level, perhaps even this year. Next season for certain. And Huard does have the goods to be a full-time starter, but he does need a few extra seconds of pocket protection. As bad as week one in Houston was, I thought the receiving corps showed signs of stepping it up. They had some drops, but I think those were all mental errors. And you're right. They do need a leader. That's one area in which Trent Green is, at least for now, irreplaceable.

Offensively, they've got leadership capability in Tony Gonzalez, Larry Johnson and Eddie Kennison. The first option is a guy that's been with the franchise longer than anyone else, but can a tight end be your leader? I don't think so, and I don't think Tony would embrace the role. LJ? I doubt his ability on a number of levels. Kennison is old and that leaves Damon Huard, who is also aging and, so it seems, a mild-mannered presence. Brian Waters acts, at times, as if he's the leader of the offense, but it is a conundrum all around. Defensively, I think Donnie Edwards is the guy, but this is his first year back in red and gold. Can you ask him to step up and be a leader? I don't know. Your best point, in my opinion, is that of the passing game. Their biggest weakness right now does not come in the form of ability, but predictability. They need, more than anything, to keep defenses honest, thus the prevention of the young guys getting lit up/coughing up the ball every time they run an eight-yard route. Huard had the ability to connect with Kennison on the long ball at times last year. Eighty-seven, however, tweaked his hammy on the first offensive play of the game last week and is out for who knows how long. That, as you know, shifts the entire receiving corps up a notch, but they can't let it affect their confidence in the passing game. They've got to mix it up. And by "they," I mean Herm Edwards and Mike Solari.

This game is a major one for both clubs. Frankly, I'm shocked that the Chiefs lost by as much as they did to an up-and-coming Texans squad and I really thought the Bears would, to a degree, manhandle Philip Rivers and the Bolts. Clearly, Chicago has an amazing run defense; holding LaDainian Tomlinson to one yard per carry is beyond stellar. I'm surprised, however, that your boy, number nine, er...I mean, eight,



didn't have a bigger game through the air. The Chargers have quite a defensive squad as well, but I anticipated that Lovie's crew would find a weakness in them and expose it. It kills me that LT can be the premiere back that he is and continue to get away with throwing touchdowns. Just once -- I don't care who it is -- I want someone to pick him off and take it to the house. That would rule. What doesn't rule, however, is a Lovie Smith team, and a Herm Edwards team, coughing up the ball four times -- four times! -- on the road. That, my friend, is no way to win a football game.

Mr. K: I love your optimism for the Chiefs, although misled as it is, that's what being a true fan is all about. Let's stop with all the traditional rhetoric and get to the guts of the Chiefs problems: Carl Peterson. C'mon, this guys been blowing smoke up every KC fan’s, player’s and media member’s keister since his hire. The big joke has always been his five-year plan to get to the Super Bowl, which has now turned into a 20-year endeavor. When are the good people of KC going to recognize it's time for new leadership? A leader who isn't afraid of complete failure, who is willing to completely re-build in hopes of the ultimate prize, not mere mediocrity, with the possible outcome of maybe making the playoffs. Since when is this acceptable in Kansas City? Would this be acceptable in the eyes of the late, great Chiefs leader, Lamar Hunt? Living in KC for over 12 years made me realize that Kansas City sports are filled with lasting traditions and true fans of their teams, and although I don't share the common love for this team, I do know that this city deserves better. I hope the KC fans realize this sooner rather than later and agree to demand a change. That all being said, I wish you and your Chiefs luck this season. It's a long road ahead, and unfortunately for the Chiefs, the next stop, Chicago, certainly won't get any easier.

B: The Carl debate is one for another day, my good friend. For now, I'm eager, yet nervous, to see how this Chiefs team handles a Super Bowl-caliber squad.

Mr. Kimm: My prediction for this match: 17-7, Da' Bears.

Bankmeister: The Chiefs will finally find the end zone, and having eliminated their kicking woes, will notch two field goals as well. Close, but no cigar: Chiefs 16, Da' Bears 17.


Read more