Tag / Bears

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Landing A Big Fish

With the city of Chicago focused on the Bears playoff game against the Packers on Saturday night, the Cubs tried to steal the spotlight, signing third baseman Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million contract.  It’s the third-largest overall contract in Cubs history, behind only Jason Heyward’s $184 million deal signed prior to the 2016 season and Dansby Swanson’s $177 million deal signed prior to 2023, but the average annual value, including deferrals, is higher than both of those contracts.  The deal also reportedly includes a no trade clause.

This is the second straight offseason that the Cubs have targeted Bregman, who will turn 32 shortly after Opening Day.  He signed with the Red Sox last year, but opted out of his contract and re-entered free agency after slashing .273/.360/.462 with 18 home runs in just 114 games. Adding Bregman to the lineup pushes second-year player Matt Shaw into a utility role, which should leave him free to attend any future MAGA rallies should, say, Alex Jones choke on a Cheddarwurst.

This move follows the acquisition of starting pitcher Edward Cabrera earlier last week, signaling that the Cubs are preparing to go all-in for 2026 after falling in the NLDS last fall and with a number of key players hitting free agency following this season.

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RIP Mongo

Former Bears great and NFL Hall of Famer Steve McMichael died today aged 67.  He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in January of 2021 and was removed from his ventilator and moved to hospice care earlier today.

McMichael spent thirteen seasons as a defensive tackle with the Bears, earning All-Pro honors twice.  He’s currently second in franchise history with 92½ sacks and third with 814 tackles.  He made a franchise record 191 consecutive starts, starting in week 7 of 1981 and lasting through the end of the 1993 season and was a key part of the fabled “46” defense that led the Bears to the Super Bowl XX title.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame last year.

Following his football career, McMichael turned to professional wrestling, where we worked with both the then-WWF and WCW.  In August of 2001, he appeared at Wrigley Field as the guest conductor of the seventh inning stretch.  Prior to belting out Take Me Out to the Ballgame, McMichael had a few words for home plate umpire Angel Hernandez, who was involved in a questionable call the previous inning.  Hernandez stared down McMichael from the field and, eventually, McMichael left the booth, having been ejected from the stadium.

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The Call To The Hall

Three former Bears will be heading to Canton this summer as part of the NFL’s Hall of Fame class of 2024: Steve McMichael, Devin Hester, and Julius Peppers.  McMichael, the legendary defensive tackle who is battling ALS, makes it after nearly two decades of waiting.  Hester, the record-setting return man gets in on his third try. Peppers, a nine-time Pro Bowl defensive end, makes it on his first attempt.

McMichael, 66, spent thirteen seasons with the Bears, earning All-Pro honors twice.  He’s currently second in franchise history with 92½ sacks and third with 814 tackles.

Hester, 41, was drafted in the second round of the 2006 draft and quickly made an impact, returning a punt for a touchdown in his first game and recording six touchdowns over his first thirteen weeks.  In less than two seasons, he became the leading kick returner in Bears history.  In 2011, Hester became the NFL’s all-time leading punt returner after breaking Eric Metcalf’s record with a TD return against the Panthers.  He currently holds the NFL career record with 20 special-teams regular season touchdowns.

Peppers, 44, spent most of his 17-year career with the Panthers, but gathered 37½ sacks in his four seasons with the Bears, earning All-Pro honors in 2010.  He is currently fourth in NFL history with 159½ sacks.

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On The Move?

News broke last night that the White Sox are in “serious” discussions with developers and the city of Chicago about the possibility of building a new stadium on the South Loop parcel known as “the 78.”  The lot is located on the corner of Roosevelt Road and Clark Street, about three miles north of the team’s current home on 35th Street.  In a joint statement from Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson and White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said, “We met to discuss the historic partnership between the team and Chicago and the team’s ideas for remaining competitive in Chicago in perpetuity.”

The team’s current lease at Guaranteed Rate Field runs through 2029.  Last summer, news broke that Reinsdorf was considering selling the team and/or moving them to a new location, either elsewhere in Chicago, the suburbs, or Nashville, Tennessee, when that lease expires.  Will anything come of this?  Potentially.  A new stadium on the river would (or could) provide a spectacular backdrop with views of the downtown skyline and, with the Bears looking to move to Arlington Heights, I can imagine the city would not want to lose another team.  I still believe the most likely outcome is a new lease at Guaranteed Rate Field, but time will tell.

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It Was All A Dream About Tennessee

Because they just can’t help themselves, the White Sox once again made off the field news this week when an article in Crain’s Chicago Business broke that Jerry Reinsdorf is considering selling the team and/or moving them to a new location when the lease at Guaranteed Rate Field expires in 2029.  Alternative locations mentioned in the article were elsewhere in Chicago, the suburbs, or Nashville, Tennessee.

Now, first things first.  Reinsforf, who turns 88 next February, is unlikely to sell the team in his lifetime.  Reinsdorf made his bones as a tax attorney who was known for having detailed knowledge of the tax code and the loopholes within.  It has long been speculated that the team will not sell until after his death to shield his heirs from the capital gains tax that would be owed once the team is sold.  Reinsforf and company purchased the White Sox for $19 million back in 1981.  Conservatively, the team is worth upwards of $1 billion dollars today and would likely sell for over $2 billion.  If Reinsdorf sells, he owes taxes on the difference between the selling price and his initial $19 million investment.  If his heirs sell, they will owe tax on the difference between the value when they inherited the team and the selling price.  That’s quite a difference.

As for moving, I would be shocked if the team ended up moving out of state.  Firstly, there are still six years left on the team’s lease for the current ballpark.  A ballpark that, frankly, is in a better condition today than it was the day it opened.  The most likely outcome is that Reindorf and company is just rattling the cage in the hopes of getting concessions on a new lease agreement.  In the unlikely event the team were to move, the most obvious location would be the current Soldier Field, which the Bears are looking to abandon as they head to Arlington Heights.  Tearing down the existing structure would be costly and building something new would be costly (and what about the Fire and summertime concerts?), but could use buyout money from the Bears to cover some of that cost.  Suburban locations could also be on the table.  The teams fanbase is concentrated in the south and southwest suburbs, though last time they threatened to move they were looking to the northwest.  There is too much money to be made in Nashville as an expansion franchise for me to seriously consider that MLB would allow an existing team to relocate there.

All that said, this report will likely turn out to be much ado about nothing.  Which is exactly what you want when you’re fighting for a top draft pick in a season you were expecting to be competing for the World Series.

 

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Travelling The 50 States – Illinois

Over my 47 years, I’ve done my fair share of travelling across these United States.  I thought it would be an interesting experiment go look back at those trips to each of the 31 states I have visited (62% isn’t bad, is it?) and see if, and when, I may be returning.  Working in alphabetical order, we continue today with the 21st state to be added to the Union: Illinois.

State: Illinois
Joined the Union: 1818
Visits: 16,000+

How do you track how often you’ve been in the state you’ve lived in your entire life, save for your time away at college?  My first “visit” came nearly 48 years ago on the day I was born at Mercy Hospital on the south side of Chicago.

I’ve managed to do 18 of the Bicentennial Bucket List: 200 Things To Do In Illinois, published by the Chicago Tribune in 2018 to celebrate the best the state has to offer in history, food, architecture, culture, sports, nature, drink, and oddities.  Among the places I visited were Water Tower, Morton Arboretum, Route 66, United Center, Skydeck at Willis Tower, the former Arlington International Racecourse, Rialto Square Theatre, Lake Michigan, The Second City, Chicago Sports Museum, and the Superman statue in downstate Metropolis.

I’ve seen baseball games at Wrigley Field, Comiskey Park, and Guaranteed Rate Field.  I’ve seen football games at Soldier Field, Memorial Stadium, Ryan Field, and Wrigley Field.  I’ve seen basketball games at the United Center, Welsh-Ryan Arena, State Farm Center, and Allstate Arena.  I’ve seen hockey games at the United Center.  I’ve seen both the White Sox and the Cubs win the World Series.  I’ve seen the Bears win a Super Bowl.  I’ve seen the Bulls win 6 NBA Championships.  I’ve even seen the Blackhawks win a Stanley Cup or two.

I’ve seen concerts at Wrigley Field, City Winery, Ravinia, the Riviera Theatre, Abbey Pub, Metro, the Chicago Theatre, United Center, Charter One Pavilion, Allstate Arena, The Vic Theatre, House of Blues, World Music Theatre, Soldier Field, and Mabel’s,

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By The Numbers – 23 Bonus!

In 1929, uniform numbers appeared on the back of baseball jerseys for the first time, thanks to the Indians and the Yankees. By 1937, numbers finally appeared across all uniforms, both home and away, across both major leagues. Since that time, 81 distinct numbers have been worn by members of the White Sox, while the Cubs boast 76.

Sunday, we continued our look at those players, picking our favorite, if not the best, player to wear each uniform number for both Chicago teams with #23.  Today, we take a special bonus look at player who famously wore #23 for other Chicago teams, making it possibly the most successful jersey number in town.

Michael Jordan was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft.  He would go on to become the greatest player in the history of the NBA, leading the Bulls to six titles, nabbing six Finals MVP awards, five MVP awards, three All Star Game MVPs, one Defensive Player of the Year award, and the 1985 Rookie of the Year award.  He was a 14-time All Star, 10-time first team All NBA, 9-time first team All-Defensive, 10-time scoring champion, 3-time steals leader, and 2-time Slam Dunk Contest champion.  A member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary teams, his #23 has been retired by both the Bulls and the Miami Heat, for whom he never played.

Selected by the Bears him in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft, Devin Hester quickly became one of, if not the, greatest return specialists in NFL history.  In his first 13 weeks as a professional, Hester recorded six return touchdowns, including three punt returns, two kickoff returns, and a then-record tying 108-yard touchdown from a missed field goal against the New York Giants.  As the Bears advanced to the Super Bowl, Hester became the first and only person to return the opening kick of the Super Bowl back for a touchdown.  2007 added an additional 6 touchdowns, followed by 2 quieter seasons.  In 2010, he added an additional 3 punt returns for touchdowns, followed by 2 punt returns and 1 kickoff return in 2011.  He added an additional punt return in 2013, his final season with the Bears.  This past September, in his first year of eligibility, Hester was nominated for the induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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200 Things To Do In Illinois – Lake Michigan

Illinois celebrated its bicentennial as a state in December of 2018.  To celebrate, the Chicago Tribune published the Bicentennial Bucket List: 200 Things To Do In Illinois, celebrating the best the state has to offer in history, food, architecture, culture, sports, nature, drink, and oddities.  With the state still shut down due to the corona virus outbreak, I figured this was the second-best time to look through this collection and cover the ones I’ve done/eaten/seen.

We continue things this week with one of the entries from the Nature category: Lake Michigan, from Chicago, IL.

You didn’t think we’d forget about this freshwater ocean at Chicago’s front door, did you?  Don’t just look at it.  Get in it.  And on it.  Departing from Navy Pier, Shoreline Sightseeing’s Classic Lake Tour is a 40-minute nautical jaunt along 6 miles of the Third Coast.  From the water, you get a better appreciation for the city’s skyline, a human-made mountain range.

It’s hard to document my experiences visiting Chicago’s lakefront.  I’ve taken the occasional lunch cruise as part of work outings.  I’ve spent a little time on the beach, most notably for a mid-80s television competition between the Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks.  The picture above is from the museum campus, over by the Adler Planetarium.

If anything, I wish I could spend more time down by the lake.  Living far out in suburbia doesn’t make it easy, though.

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Big Changes In Lake Forest

The Jay Cutler era officially came to an end today as the Bears announced that Cutler had asked for and was given his release after 8 disappointing seasons.  Cutler appeared in only 5 games last season, due to shoulder and thumb injuries, and speculation was high that his time with the team was numbered.

Expected to be the team’s first “franchise” quarterback, Cutler instead managed just one playoff appearance in those 8 seasons.  To be fair, he was not always set up for success.  He went through 6 offensive coordinators in those 8 seasons, leaving very little room for consistency.

Also gone is one of Cutler’s favorite targets, Alshon Jeffery, who signed a one year deal with the Eagles.

To replace Cutler, the Bears are expected to sign former Buccaneer backup Mike Glennon to a 3 year deal.  Glennon has thrown 11 total passes over the course of the last 2 seasons.

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RIP Buddy

BuddyRyanBearsFormer Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, who developed the ’46’ defense that helped the team win their only Super Bowl title, died yesterday at the age of 85.  Ryan was hired by the Bears in 1978 and was kept on board when Mike Ditka became head coach in 1982 after defensive players wrote to owner George Halas showing support.  The relationship between Ryan and Ditka eventually broke down, culminating in a halftime skirmish during the team’s only loss of the 1985 season against the Dolphins.

The night before the Super Bowl, Ryan informed his defense that he would be leaving to coach the Eagles, leading to him being carried off the field after the Super Bowl victory along with Ditka.  After leaving for the Eagles, Ryan had little interaction with Chicago or the Bears.  He appeared in a 30 for 30 special on the Super Bowl winning team last year, visibly weakened after a long battle with cancer.