Favre: The End of an Era

As a Bears fan, I always thought I would be ecstatic when Brett finally retired, but now that he has, ecstatic isn’t exactly how I would describe it. You see, for years and years Brett killed us. The Packers were 22-10 against the Bears during the Brett Favre era, so you can see why I kept waiting for him to leave. As a Bears fan, the Packers are your worst nemesis, and well, let’s just say that Brett Favre was my Darth Vader. In fact, before this year, the Bears had only defeated Favre 8 times in 30 chances. Many Sunday’s ended with a sour taste in my mouth thanks to good ole’ boy #4.

Then finally, it happens, he retires. My first thought is “YES!!” Then, after watching his press conference and thinking about it some, I realize that the NFL and all it’s fans just lost an icon. Some would argue he’s the best ever, maybe he is, maybe he isn’t, but he definitely played the game with a passion and excellence that you only see very rarely these days. He never missed a start, never missed a game, he’s the ironman of a sport that seems to specialize in injuries. He’s just a good ole’ boy from the south who just loves to throw the pigskin, and put his whole life into it.

For many years I watched Favre stick dagger after dagger into the Bears, but yet it’s still sad to see him go. Part of the reason is that I want the chance to beat him. Last year, we swept the series against the Packers….a season that was one of the best for Brett, and we beat him. That’s what you want, you want to beat the best when they are on top. I honestly thought Brett would be back next year, so I am a little shocked that he decided to retire, especially with his team showing many improvements.

But now the Packers move on to the Aaron Rodgers era. Will he be able to take the reigns, did he learn anything from Favre as he served as his understudy? Time will tell for Rodgers and the Packers, but for now, the Packers heart and soul will be hunting and fishing in Mississippi, not throwing TD’s in the NFL.

So, this is goodbye to a legend. When we play the Packers this year, it will be very different not to see #4 out there. The victories will be just as sweet, the losses will be just as bitter, but it will all be different. Just like when Sweetness retired, everything changes. Thanks for the memories Brett, you will be missed…..for the most part.

Richard Dent: Hall of Famer?

Richard Dent is a name that used to instill fear into opposing teams and especially quarterbacks. His career started at Tennessee State, and after graduation he was selected by the Bears in the 8th round of the draft, 203rd pick overall. He played with the Bears for 12 years, and he spent 3 years playing for the 49ers, Colts, and Eagles. He retired with 137.5 sacks, which put him third behind Reggie White and Bruce Smith. He currently sits tied at 7th, with John Randle.

He finished his career with 137.5 sacks, 8 Interceptions, with 1 returned for a TD, recovered 13 fumbles, with 1 returned for a TD, and a safety. Dent was named to the Pro-Bowl 4 times, and was an All-Pro 5 times. He was the Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XX against the New England Patriots. He was one of the main reasons that the Famous Bears 46 Defense was so dominant. For 10 years, he averaged over 11 sacks per year, and usually helped push the Bears to the top of the rankings in the sacks department.

This is the 4th year that Dent is one of the 17 finalists named to the Hall of Fame ballot. Will this be the year that he joins the other NFL-High 26 Bears in the Hall of Fame? A majority seem to believe that Darrell Green will get in as well as Cris Carter. Can Dent survive the cut down to the Final 6? Ray Guy, Ryan Zimmerman, and Paul Tagliabue could also make it to the Final 6, and let’s not forget about Art Monk and Andre Reed. Those are just a few of the top players that are on this years ballot, there are many more.

I honestly don’t like that the NFL has a minimum and maximum number of players they let in per year. That seems a little odd to me. If you deserve to get in, you should be in. But, that’s an argument for another day.

So, is Dent a Hall of Fame type player? Looking at his stats, his dominance for a 10 year period, his performance in the Super Bowl, I say yes.

Hopefully 2008 is a Hall of Fame year for Richard Dent.

Baseball Dynasty League

We here at NLS host a variety of Fantasy Sports teams and Leagues. Football, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Golf, etc. We are currently looking for two people to join our NLS Dynasty I baseball league. We have two orphan teams that are looking for owners.

You will need to become a member of NLS (registration is FREE). You can then check out all we have to offer. We offer Pay leagues, and some Free leagues as well. If you are interested in this Dynasty Baseball League, follow this link once you get to NLS. Dynasty Baseball I This specific league is a pay league, so read all about it and ask any questions!

Hope to see you there!

What's the deal, Baseball?

What's the deal, Baseball?

You know, I love baseball, it was the first sport I ever watched in person, it was the first sport I ever played, and I just wonder where it is heading. We are still going through the whole “steroid scandal” and attendance is up, as well as profits. The sport itself is growing in popularity, even with the issues that it has.

Baseball is just entering it’s “Winter Meetings” phase. This is the part of the year where rumors are flying rampant, this person is getting traded, this Free Agent is getting signed, it really helps to pump up the fans for the upcoming year. We’ve already had some big signings, like Torii Hunter leaving the Twins and signing with the Angels for 90 Million. This is the soon to be 33 year old Hunter. Then there are rumors of Johan Santana being traded. Why would the Twins trade the best pitcher in baseball? Simple….they can’t afford him. Who can? The Yankees or Red Sox, and maybe the Angels. This is the thing that really bothers me about baseball. Santana is arguably one of the best pitchers of this generation, and he won’t be able to play for the team he came up with because they just don’t have the money. To me, it’s pretty sad that this is what baseball has come down to. If you are a good high priced player, your options are severely limited on who you can play for, unless you are willing to take less than “Market Value.”

Does this bother anyone else? Will we ever see the Pirates, Royals, Devil Rays, Reds, or any other small market teams make it to the World Series? Sure, I know Colorado made it this year, but that team is about to be gutted. Matsui is already gone for more money, and how long can they hold on to players like Holliday, Atkins, Tulowitzki, and others when they are available for Free Agency? Those players will all end up on higher market teams that can pay them more money.

The small market teams that make it far in the playoffs still have players like those listed above that haven’t been able to hit the free agency market. When they do, they are gone. I can’t blame them either. Would you take 50% less income just to be loyal? Not many would.

Baseball needs to come together on the framework of a salary cap. I know it can’t be instituted immediately, but let’s at least work on something here. We already have a penalty that teams have to pay if they go over a certain amount, and that’s a good start, but we need more. The NFL has a salary cap, and look at the competitive balance you get out of it. Every team has the same beginning point, some strike out in the draft, but that’s just life…at least they have the same funds to get something done.

The Yankees $199 million payroll in 2007 was higher than the bottom 5 teams…combined! Something needs to be done, and it needs to happen soon or else everyone will keep seeing their favorite players end up in a different market. It’s sickening to have to view your team as a “Minor League” for the big boys.

I have no doubt that baseball can make it out of the “Steroid Era”, but I have many reservations that it can survive the “Outspend them” Era.

They're bringing Rexy back!

Sexy Rexy is back!

It's halfway through, and worse than I expected.

So, at the halfway point of the season for the Bears we sit at a very disappointing 3-5 record. How did we get here? We went from the NFC Champs, to being last in our division? Our starting QB gets benched, our 1st round RB isn't doing much, our O-Line got about 10 years older in the off-season, Urlacher's back is giving him problems, and we've placed most of our defensive backfield on IR.....it seems that way at least.

So, 1st we bench Rex. Was that the right move? I certainly think it was, our offense was absolutely pathetic with him out there. In the 3 games he started, he threw 6 interceptions and 1 TD. He couldn't keep a drive alive and he just looked completely lost at times. This kid just baffles me. He has a rocket arm, he has confidence in himself, and he proved he was a good QB at the beginning of last year when he was lighting everyone up. Greise comes in, and in 5 games he has 9 TD's and 10 INT's. Still too many turnovers, but at least he is getting us into the endzone. We are really going to have to get some help at this position in the off-season. When you analyze your franchise and you can honestly say that Erik Kramer was one of the best QB's your team ever had, that's a pretty big red flag that you need some help at that position.

We trade away Thomas Jones and give the job to Cedric Benson. The running game has been anemic this whole year, but to solely put the blame on Benson is not fair. Defenses have stacked against the run, and the O-Line isn't creating any holes. I see Benson getting hit in the backfield about every other time he gets handed the ball, and that just doesn't cut it. However, Benson does have to share the blame. He gets taken down way to easy at times, especially for a "power" RB. He also gets chastized for his nonchalant attitude. That doesn't really bother me if he's laid-back, as long as he brings it on Sunday. He's picked up his average over the last few games and better show something solid against a soft Oakland run D this weekend, or he could start losing more carries to the other Adrian Peterson.

Now to the defense. Not really "Monsters of the Midway" this year, are they? Urlacher was taking criticism for having a down year, so he revealed he has an arthritic back that causes him pain daily and may effect the longevity of his career. First things first, I care more about Urlacher the man, than Urlacher the player, but I really hope he can get something done and return to his old form. The defense really isn't the same without him wreaking havoc. We lost Mike Brown for the year, Vasher is still out with a groin injury, Tillman missed a few games, Payne is on IR, Archuleta missed a game, along with Briggs and Harris. The injury bug really bit into us on Defense, but I refuse to accept that as an excuse. Is it new DC, Bob Babich's fault? Why can't we tackle all of a sudden?

The above issues are exactly what the Bears went into the bye week facing. I hope they found out some answers, and I hope they have a new game plan. Part 2 of the season starts Sunday in Oakland, and if they want to make the playoffs, they better start it out with a win.

The Windy City Flier

He goes by many names and phrases:

• The Windy City Flier
• The Awesome
• Any Time
• Mr. Rediculous
• Second City Speedster

He already holds or shares 5 NFL Records, and he is only in his 2nd season:

• Longest play (108 yards)* - Against New York Giants on November 12, 2006
  Most touchdowns returns in a season (six) - 2006 season
  Most touchdowns kick and punt returns in a season (five) - 2006 season
  Most touchdown returns as a rookie (six) - 2006 season
  Most touchdown returns in one game (two)** - Against St. Louis on December 11, 2006

So what makes Devin Hester so special? He didn't have the best childhood, as his mother was severely injured in a car accident before he was a teenager, and his father died of cancer. Hester's stepfather and brother helped him get his life back on track when they got him invloved in football. He started exceling in both sports and acedemics. He got a scholarship to Miami and became friends with Deion "Primetime" Sanders. It was at Miami where Devin first got the nickname "Anytime" as sort a tribute to Sanders. He's a Christian, and is very involved in helping out the Youth and donating time and money.

He became the first person in NFL history to return the opening kick of a Super Bowl for a Touchdown. Hester is also the only person in history to be given a score of 100 on Speed in the Madden NFL video games. Jeff Joniak, a play-by-play guy for the Bears coined the phrase "Devin Hester, you are rediculous" and uses it quite often.

Teams have started kicking away from Devin on both Punts and Kickoffs, but the Bears are now also working him in at receiver, and he is already showing dividends with a long TD reception against the Vikings.

I was very young when Payton was in his prime, but I remember watching him play and I remember all the things my father told me about him. Payton will without a doubt always be the most iconic Chicago Bear, but I can truly appreciate how exciting it must have been to watch him play when I see Devin out there.

You never know what's going to happen when he gets the ball in his hands, but I am very happy that he's on my team, and not playing against me.

No matter what nickname you call him, it doesn't really matter to me, because I call him a Chicago Bear....and that's the most important name he can have in my opinion.

Presenting Your 2007 Chicago Bulls

The hopes were high last year, especially after the big signing of Ben Wallace. Outsiders were picking the Bulls to go far in the playoffs, and deep down, I was too. However when I would take off my Red and White colored glasses, I could see a team that was missing a scoring presence on the inside. Would Tyrus Thomas step up? Could PJ Brown offer enough of a presence? Those were my thoughts going into last year. I knew they could get far in the East, but if they could somehow make it to the Finals, the West would probably destroy them. Well, turns out they couldn't get past Detroit. They went up 2-1 in the best of 7 series, but would wind up losing 3 in a row to a much more veterand Detroit team. Let's not forget just how young this Bulls team is. That brings us to the 2007-8 season. I have on my Red and White glasses again, and with that comes great optimism and hope. So, here is my look at the 2007 Chicago Bulls:

PG: Kirk Hinrich: He's generally overlooked when it comes to Point Guards in the NBA, but if you look closely, he's improving his game steadily every year and becoming more and more of a leader on the court. He's increased his FG% every year, with last year being his high at 44.8%. He still sometimes tends to try and do a little too much if Gordon and Deng are struggling, but he has definitely proved his worth hitting many clutch shots last season and in the playoffs. Kirk is 26, and one of the few players that actually stayed in college perfecting his game.

SG: Ben Gordon: Gordon has become the "go to" guy for the Bulls, Mr.4th Quarter. I can't count how many games Ben has just taken over, and when he is on, no one can stop him. Gordon has struggled at times, and almost seemed more comfortable coming off the bench than he was starting. He'll be starting this year and the Bulls need him to show the same fire and passion in quarters 1 through 3 that he does in quarter 4. Don't forget, Ben Gordon is only 24 years old.

SF: Luol Deng: Deng really blossomed into a big time player last year, and showed everyone what he is capable of. He's only 22 years old, and his best basketball is still ahead of him. He started all 82 games last year, the only Bull to do so, and led the team in shooting percentage just under 52%. He is a very strong defensive pplayer as well, yet rarely commits fouls...only averaging 2 per game. He's a great person on and off the court, winning the NBA's Sportmanship Award that is voted on by NBA players.

C: Ben Wallace: In all reality, who doesn't know what Ben Wallace's game is all about? He's a defensive guy that brings great energy and heart to the floor, he just doesn't have an offensive game. He's a great shot blocker and he provides some verteran leadership on the court. He's getting a little up there in age at 33, but can still provide the defensive presence the Bulls need from the man in the middle. He's on the shorter side for an NBA Center at only 6 foot 9 inches, but when is AFro is in full effect, it makes him look about 7 foot tall.

PF: Here is where things get a little interesting. In all honesty, this should be Tyrus Thomas' job to lose. His athleticism and natural skill is unmatched by anyone on this team, he just has yet to show the heart and effort to put it all together. The also picked up veteran Joe Smith this off-season who should get some good playing time if his knees hold up. Then it brings us to two rookies, Joakim Noah and Aaron Gray. I have to admit, I wasn't happy with the drafting of Noah. I thought, we already have Tyrus Thomas, we don't need Noah. But Noah offers something Tyrus doesn't, and that's heart and hustle. Noah is an all-out energy type of player. If he had the athleticism and natural skill that Tyrus has, he would be unstoppable. Unfortunately, he has a shot that is uglier than Wallace's. Now, that brings us to Gray, who has really stepped up in the pre-season and has earned himself some playing time with great defense and even some offensive prowess. This will most likely be a platoon situation until someone steps up. I'm really pulling for Tyrus to show some fire, that kid can be special if he can put it all together.

So, that brings me to my prediction for the 2007-8 season. Can the Bulls win the East? Absolutely, I fully believe they could have last year, and they've only gotten better this year. Can they hang with a West team in the Finals? If I leave my Red and White glasses on, I say yes, and being the fan I am, I have to believe that. Their main competition in the East will come from the Cavs, Pistons, and maybe the Celtics with the big three they have now. This Bulls team is very young and has steadily improved every year, going further in the playoffs. They have a very talented and very young roster that continues to grow together. Thier coach, Scott Skiles, is a no-nonsense fiery competitor that seems to get everything he can from his players. It's taken a long time to get back to the top after the Jordan Era, but I believe we are just about to get there again.

I'm excited for this year, I can't wait for opening night.

Where did it all go wrong?

The Bears were coming off one of their best seasons in history. Everyone was returning, the offense was supposed to be improved and the defense was supposed to be just as nasty as it had been when it led them to a Superbowl. So what happened?

First of all, let me preface this by saying that this is the most disappointed I have been by a Bears team in a long time. I had huge expectations for them this year, first time I've really had expectations like this. So, let me breakdown on what I think happened.

1. Rex Grossman didn't grow into the QB that we all had hoped for. After his Nuclear start to 2006, everyone thought we finally found our QB. Then, he started turning in stinker after stinker....with a few decent games sprinkled in. It was okay that he wasn't that great because we had a scoring defense and Devin Hester to help cover up how Rex was playing. Instead of an open competition for QB this year, Rex was given the reigns, and stunk it up again. He was finally benched after the 3rd game of the year for Brian Greise.
2. Thomas Jones was traded to make room for Cedric Benson. Personally, I think Benson will start picking it up, but so far this move hasn't panned out. Not that TJ is doing anything special in NY. The O-Line has been horrible, many times Benson is being hit right as he gets the ball. With that said, there are also many runs that end to soon because he couldn't break a tackle. He is being questioned big time, and I think he'll start responding soon.
3. The Defense. To me, this is the biggest disappointment. Everyone had questions or reservations about the offense, but this D was supposed to be the best in the NFL. Well, they aren't even top 15 or 20 right now. We have so many problems it makes my stomach turn, but here are the biggest ones:

• Adam Archuleta. I wasn't too fond of signing him, and he has proved me right. He can't cover, he misses tackles, bounces off of people and finally got benched for a 7th round draft pick
• Danieal Manning. He's been moved around from FS, to SS, to CB, and honestly I just think the kid is confused. He's a gifted athlete, but never really had the chance to play and learn one position. Right now, he is lost.
• Mike Brown. Yet another season ending injury. This guy is the heart and soul of this defense, not Urlacher. When he is out, it kills us. He's a leader out there, and our secondary always looks lost when he is on the sideline.
• Nathan Vasher. Out with a groin injury for the past three weeks, and maybe a couple more. We don't have good depth here, and it's showing.
• Tackling. I know the coaches emphasize trying to strip the ball, but I lost count at how many of our players missed tackles. Tackling is essential, even above creating turnovers.

Can this year be fixed? I fully believe we can still make the playoffs, but the NFC Central is the Packers to lose. If we can fix our defense, start tackling, and get some players back we could still end the season with a 9-7 record and earn a wild-card birth into the playoffs. Greise and Benson are good enough as long as the defense starts showing up. Allowing 35 4th quarter points in one game is shameful, same as allowing a rookie RB to run for almost 200 yards and 3 TD's on you. This isn't the Bears defense that I know and love, and I sure hope the players recognize that as well. Show some heart boys, it's not too late to turn it around.

More Flag Football.....

Well, my son has played about 4 games of Flag Football now. He loves playing QB and RB, and he's learning how to use his stiff arm:He eventually got his flag pulled by another kid, but he had a good run. Later he missed the handoff to the Rb, so he took off running and got ahead of everyone for a TD!!
He's having a really fun time learning how to play the game and have fun with his teammates. They had their first loss of the year last week, so he's also learning how to deal with losing a game. He's starting to understand that as long as you play your hardest and have fun, that's what the game is all about.

His sister was very excited to learn about the TD!:

Waiver Wire for your Fantasy League

As some of you already know, I write up a Waiver Wire list and post it on NLS every Tuesday morning. Last week I recommended Culpepper, Andre Davis, Buckhalter, Bowe and others. If you picked up any of those, you probably won your league. So come on over and check us out at NLS. We have many other posts and comments to help YOU win YOUR Fantasy League.

Click on the NLS Banner to the right!

Game # 2 - Flag Football

Well, my son had his second game on Thursday night. Either we had refs that didn't know the rules in the first game, or something....but we had new rules for this second game. Now we have four 8-minute quarters, and after a touchdown the team can get 1 point for running the ball in, or 2 points if they pass it in. I brought my camera, however my batteries lasted long enough to turn it on, then they decided to quit on me....serious bummer. On to the game:

We were on defense first, and on the first play their RB ran right up the middle untouched for a first down....I guess we were cuaght off guard. lol They go for the extra point, and we tackle them about the 1 yard line, but the official scorer gives them the extra point anyway! 7-0

We get the ball back and march down the field for a TD. # 5 got the TD this time, taking the handoff from my son. We get the extra point by going right up the middle. 7-7

We stop them on defense and take over at the 40 yard line. My son is at the RB position, he gets the handoff and runs around the end for a 40 yard touchdown. We miss the extra point on a double reverse....that was fun to watch, I'm not even sure our own team knew what we were doing. 7-13

The other team marches down and ties it on a 3 yard run. they get the extra point and go up 14-13.

It's the 4th quarter now and there is only about 2 minutes left, so a long drive with a TD should win it for us. So, my son hands off the to the RB who promptly runs it all the way for a TD....so much for burning the clock! we miss the extra point again, and the game is now 14-19 with about 1:30 left.

they take over and they are driving down the field, the get to about the 10 yard line and call a timeout with .08 seconds remaining....time for one play. This is nerve-racking Flag football at it's finest! The hand off and try to run around the end, and is forced out of bounds by one of our players....and time expired!

It's the first victory for our team! So far, the record is 1-0-1. With lots of smiles and happy kids.

A fun night out

Well, some things have got me down over the past few months, and luckily I have God, a great family and great kids that help me keep straight and help keep me happy.

About a month ago or so, a friend (John) emailed me that I hadn't talked to in a long time. We've gotten together a few times to watch TV, play some Playstation.....which I can totally kick his butt at, and we both have boys around the same age, so they play together. It's been a great time.

Last Friday we decided we wanted to go out and play some pool. So, we headed over to The Fox and the Hound and another friend (Jason) joined us. We soon found out that neither of us are pool sharks, but the food was good, and so was the company. We played for hours, just chatting about recent events and such. The highlight of the night? John backing up to sit in his chair and completely missing it and falling on the floor. I was laughing too hard to help him up, so someone at the table next to us asked him if he was okay. He lauged it off though and kept playing.

It was a great time, I hadn't laughed that hard in a very long time. We'll have to venture out for PN2 (pool night 2) sometime soon.

We are also in a Fantasy Football league together, and come week 5 I am going to steam roll his team....I'll write a nice recap about that one!

Tuesday Night Lights

Tuesday Night Lights



Tuesday was my son's first Football game. He has had several practices and scrimmages, but tonight was the real deal. He's in 1st grade, and this is his first year of Football. It's Flag football, although he desperately wanted to play tackle football....which he can't do until the 3rd grade.

He plays Quarterback and Running back on the offensive side of the ball, and Safety on the defense, and he wears # 3. In this first picture, he is getting the play from his Coach and then heading to the line of scrimmage.

The first play was a pass, a beautiful spiral that went about 10 yards, unfortunately the receiver only went about 5 yards....incomplete. The second play, he was the running back, and he took the handoff as you can see in the second picture:

He took the handoff and ran off the left tackle for a 45 yard touchdown run! He was excited, but rest assured their was no "sharpie" celebration, no "Hall of Fame Jacket" celebration, not even a Riverdance with his teammates. He just handed the ball to his coach, and headed back to his teammates, looking determined to help his team win. It was his first touchdown in a real game, I'm not sure how long he'll remember that first play, but I know that I'm going to remember it for a long time.

After a short time out and substitution, we started play back again. We kicked off (an 8 yard kick) and the other team had the ball for the first time.








So, next up was their first Defensive series. Let me remind you, he wanted to play tackle, not flag football. On the first play it was a handoff to the running back and he came around to the opposite side that my son was playing, so he followed him, the RB then turned around and got around the corner for a 20 yard gain until he was finally caught by one of my son's teammates.



The next play, he chased the kid out of bounds, and the kid "fell"...he promises he didn't touch him. lol



Then, on the next play the opposing team ran in for a Touchdown to tie the game at 6-6. They took over on the 35 yard line (it's an 80 yard field) and on the first play my son handed off to the RB and he took it to the house, which put us up 12-6 (no extra points in flag football). The other team tied the game on their next possession....as you can see, both teams struggle a little bit on defense.



The next possession my son hands off to the RB, and he runs about 15 yards. This kid is pretty good at cutting back and running right where the defense isn't. On the next play, my son faked the handoff and ran around the right side for a 25 yard TD. That put us up 18-12, with about 5 minutes left. The other team scored on their first play, to tie the game at 18-18. On our next series, we drove the ball all the way down to the 10 yard line with about 2 minutes remaining. We failed to get into the endzone this time, as one of our RB's was stopped at about the 5 yard line. The other team took over and was driving down the field. With about 5 seconds left, they snapped the ball and ran a reverse....totally faked out all of our kids, except one. He's #5, and I can't remember his name right now, but either he wasn't fooled by the reverse, or just didn't want to run to the other side of the field...lol. Either way, he was standing right there, waiting for the RB as he came his way. He grabbed his flag, which ended the game in a tie.



So, after a hard fought game, we ended up with a tie. The good thing is, no one went home with the feeling of losing their first ever football game. The whole team played great, and they really started to play better as the game went on. The offensive line started blocking, the defenders started playing their positions with a little more attention.

It was a great night for some football. Like I said earlier, I'm not sure how long he'll remember his first game, but Dad's never going to forget that first night under the lights.

McNabb's future is in Chicago?

Could McNabb be the next QB in Chi-Town?

We all heard the rumors last year, and there was a lot of validity as to the reasons why. Rex was struggling, Philly was growing tired of McNabb, and McNabb is a Chicago guy.

So, here we sit 2 weeks into the NFL season, and the rumors are already starting again. Grossman is "holding back" the Bears. McNabb is hearing boo after boo from his home crowd.

Now, a trade during the season has a 99.99% chance of not happening. In fact, a trade at all probably has a 90% chance of not happening. But here is what I do know:

• Chicago's window for the SB is open. Their weakest link is no doubt the QB position.
• McNabb is not happy in Philly, no matter what he says.
• Philly is not happy with McNabb, especially the fans.
• McNabb is a Chicago guy, and has already spoken highly of the Bears.
• Rex is in the last year of his contract, and doing nothing to warrant an extension.
• It makes perfect sense for both teams

McNabb is 31 years old, and the Eagles already drafted his replacement in Kolb. The Bears have Greise and Orton behind Grossman, nothing that really inspires confidence.

With every 2 interception game Rex has, the calls will continue to get louder. I've always supported Rex, but I'm grwing very impatient with him. He just doesn't make good decisions under pressure, and he could have easily cost us the game against KC if not for Devin Hester. How long can Chicago leave him in there? How long can the defense and ST keep carrying Rex?

I do know this; McNabb would be a HUGE updgrade, and all the Bears need is a QB that can intimidate teams, not one that gets intimidated.

I hate to admit it, but I think the Rex experiment is winding down. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Greise get the nod very soon. I still have hopes for Grossman, he has all the tools, and hopefully he can still put it together, but it may not be in Chicago.

I'm not sure what the Bears would have to give up, probably a 1st rounder and something else, but I think it would be well worth it. Jerry Angelo is a great GM, and I have the confidence in him to get something done.

Will McNabb ever have an Orange "C" on his helmet...your guess is as good as mine, but I know it would look good.