I'm Done : One Man's Divorce From The NBA

A funny thing has happened to me. I officially dislike the NBA, and if I put my mind to it, basketball overall. To understand why I consider this development "funny" is to understand a couple of things about me -if you care to. Otherwise feel free to skip ahead, or stop reading altogether.

I've been playing basketball since I was 9 years old. I've watched countless hours of college and NBA basketball for as long as I can remember. I'm old enough to have been dazzled by the likes of Magic, Kareem, Bird, Olajuwon, Isiah, Erving, Drexler, Barkley, Ewing, and Moses. Later on, the play of Shaq, Iverson, Kidd, and to a lesser extent Penny and Karl Malone were enough to captivate a young "Luzinskis Beard".

None of those players however, reached the level of respect and admiration from me the way Michael Jordan did. Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were "appointment television" every time they played, and I considered myself not only a big fan of the Bulls, but of the NBA as well. I also thought my love for the league and the sport would never wane....yet here I am, ACTIVELY rooting for the NBA to cancel their season.

How the hell did this happen? For the life of me I can't come up with a clear definitive answer. I've gone about this process of self-reflection by asking the following questions that reflect some of the most common laments I hear :

1. Is it because Buzz Bissinger is correct when he wrote there are no good white players for white fans to watch/identify with? No because my favorite basketball player of all time (Jordan) is black, and I never cared what color a player was in determining my level of basketball enjoyment. Anybody who does has serious issues. If a guy was the best, he was the best regardless of what color he was. I have the same policy in other sports that I watch too. Furthermore, I still maintain Larry Bird is one of the most overrated basketball players who ever existed. So it's not a black-white issue for me...
2. Is it because the tattoos, headbands and "thug culture" that seems to permeate throughout the league are off-putting? Nope. The Tattoos and thug-culture certainly don't stop me from watching and enjoying the NFL on a regular basis. So that's not it.
3. Is it because the "quality of play" has dipped over the years, and the 18 foot jump shot is rarely seen? No because today's players have never been bigger, stronger, faster, and certainly not more vertical than are currently versus any other era. If you need proof of that, tune into any "Hardwood Classic" which took place before 1990 on NBA TV, and you'll see quality of play reminiscent of a pick-up game at any YMCA.
4. Is it because the Bulls haven't won the title since Jordan? Not really because not only did the Bulls finish with the best record in the league last season, but they also had the Coach Of The Year in Tom Thibodeau, and the MVP of the league in Derrick Rose. The Bulls are also in a position of contending for a title for at least the next four years. While that's hardly the same as winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the Bulls are as close to successful as it gets without winning....yet I still feel the way I that I do.
5. Is it because the NBA doesn't have anybody worthy of "Star Power"? No league with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, and LeBron James can be said to be absent of star power. Those four, and a few others I forgot to mention, are some of the most skilled players the NBA has ever seen. They've also managed to make a few bucks here and there with endorsements.....IN CHINA. The NBA has plenty of star power that spans not only the country, but the globe. So that's not it...

In case you were wondering, no, I don't care that the NBA has a lockout. The NFL had one this year too, yet it didn't sour me on the league. Not even close.

All of this puts me in a weird place. As someone who takes pride in always having an answer, explanation, rationale, or theory on why things are they way they are in sports, I'm obviously in a real pickle here.

I can't come up with anything as to why I am so indifferent to the NBA. I honestly can take it or leave it. I know I should be excited about wacthing Derrick Rose and the Bulls again, but it's just.not.there. If I never watch LeBron, Kobe, Derrick, Durant, Howard, or Dirk play another basketball game again I am perfectly fine with it, and I have no clue why.

More importantly though, I've stopped trying to figure out why, and I've fully accepted the fact that I don't want there to be NBA basketball anymore. Just go away, is how I feel. Begone, scram, adios, don't let it hit you in the ass, etc. I just don't care anymore, more importantly I don't need you anymore, would be my sentiment to the NBA.

The way these negotiations are going, there's a glimmer that I might get my wish, although I unfortunately have a feeling the two sides will work something out.

Either way I think an anecdote involving former Utah Jazz coach Frank Layden sums up my feelings the best. He asked a player what his main problem was, ignorance or apathy. He responded, "Coach I don't know, and I don't care".

Well said...

Ugly But Effective

A win is a win, right? The Chicago Bears 24-18 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday helped the Bears chances of reaching the postseason, as they are now featuring a 4-3 record. The game itself wasn't really memorable, but the results may prove to be quite memorable when the regular season concludes.

The novelty of the contest was predominant, as the game was yet another display of NFL Marketing gone awry with the game being played in London before a largely indifferent and uninformed British crowd. Irony was not absent however, as the British got to hear a performance of The Star Spangled Banner - a poem/song written about the Defence of Fort McHenry FROM the British, during the war of 1812. Irony was also on display as Roger Goodell hinted at the possibility of an NFL Franchise in London someday, while the #2 television market in his own country is teamless. In the end none of that matters because what the Bears needed to do to keep their postseason hopes alive was accomplished. Here's my tale of the tape :

Offense : I guess we don't have to wait for after the Bye Week to realize that Martz has been neutered again. For the second week in a row, the Bears offense featured Double Tight End, and Max Protect formations, with Matt Forte heavily featured on the ground. Forte had another great game, amassing 145 yards carrying the ball and scoring the games first touchdown early in the first quarter.

Forte was also one of six different receivers quarterback Jay Cutler completed passes to on the day, on his way to 226 yards passing. Even though Cutler found the end zone once to wide receiver Roy Williams, Cutler did not have one of his best days. Along with two interceptions (one of which clearly wasn't his fault), Cutler seemed out of sync in general as he threw some passes that were the result of a combination of bad decisions and bad footwork. Still, Cutler was good enough when he needed to be overall in leading the team to victory.

While I won't say they're out of my doghouse yet, the Offensive Line has made noteworthy improvements in the past couple of games. Yes Matt Forte makes a lot of would-be tacklers miss, but overall the O-Line is getting out of their stances much quicker, and they're better at the Power O, Pulling Guard running plays which provide the biggest holes for Forte. The O-line has also gotten better at giving Cutler time, which in turn has allowed for more Roy Williams sightings to take place. Roy is the closest thing the Bears have to a legit NFL receiver, so getting him more interested in football can only be a positive for the Bears.

Defense : Even though they went to sleep a little in the fourth quarter, overall this unit played well. A major sign that they're returning to their once dominant, stingy ways are the four interceptions they had on the day, including a fourth quarter, game clinching pick by cornerback DJ Moore. As any Bear fans who actually watch the games know, this defense is predicated on generating turnovers, which is an aspect that has been largely missing this season. Hopefully this is a sign that all the corrections Lovie Smith has been mentioning are finally happening.

The Front Seven was noticeably improved as they were stout against the run, and the front four generated plenty of hurries of Bucs QB Josh Freeman - at least for three quarters. While only registering 1 sack on the day, the Front Four took advantage of a depleted Bucs Offensive Line while in the process knocking out Bucs running back Earnest Graham early in the game.

The guy that really has caught my eye is Chris Conte. Ever since he's started in place of Chris Harris in the Free Safety spot, Conte has made an impact. I'd actually be very optimistic about him if Al Afalava, Craig Steltz, Danieal Manning, and Kevin Payne didn't happen already. Still, it's tough to ignore that Conte has facilitated the Bears defense no longer giving up passing plays of 25 yards or more.

Special Teams : Safe to say this unit disappointed. Robbie Gould missed a makeable 41 yard field goal in the third quarter that would have made the ending a little less nerve-wracking. Devin Hester couldn't get off the launching pad in the return game as well.

For a team that goes out of it's way to mention how vital their return game is to their success, they cannot be happy with the results today.

Where Do We Go From Here : A much needed Bye Week is next on the schedule. Hopefully that should give the Bears/Martz more time to develop a makeshift playbook based on the Double Tight End formations they've decided on. While the Bye Weeks suck for us as a fan base, they are to be taken advantage of . Last season's Bye Week ended up being the catalyst for a season turnaround resulting in an NFC Championship Appearance.

Will that happen again? Maybe Better this time? Maybe Worse? We'll find out. First on the menu after the Bye Week will be a pivotal game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Every game is essentially a playoff game for the Bears from here on out anyway. So there's no need to worry about the Bears not realizing the gravity of this one .

Interesting...

Well that was different wasn't it? Dare I say, that's more like it? To say that the Chicago Bears emerged victorious against the Minnesota Vikings tonight, would be an understatement. A more befitting description would say that the Bears routed the Vikings tonight, as the Bears took control of this game from the opening possession, and never looked back.

Tonight's victory over the Vikings was such a dramatic contrast versus the previous three weeks of Bears Football. The Bears looked especially sound in all three phases, as some familiar faces found themselves in new positions, and some new faces finally found themselves dressed and on the field. Let's commence lighting the victory cigar...

Offense : When he screws up, I need to call him out. When he does well, I must give him praise. Mike Martz has earned praise after tonight's game. Granted, the re-tooled offensive line helped a tremendous amount, but the key was Martz finally acquiescing to more 3 and 5 step drops for Cutler tonight to go along with the Double Tight End formations. Cutler did take some shots deep, specifically in the opening possession where he hit Devin Hester on a 48 yard TD strike on the Bears first possession.

Matt Forte continued to play very well both on the ground and catching the ball, on his way to 123 yards from scrimmage on the night. There were a couple of Roy Williams sightings as well, as Cutler found 8 different receivers for completions.

None of it's possible without the offensive line. Lance Louis played very adequately at right tackle, but considering he was replacing Frank "OMIGODISUCK" Omiyale, he looked like Damien Woody! Chris Williams received (just) praise from Chris Collinsworth. Chris Spencer played well at right guard, while J'Marcus Webb benefited from plenty of chip's from the backs and tight ends to help contain Jared "Meth-Face" Allen.

While this newest line arrangement played better than I expected, it remains to be seen if they can continue this success, particularly when Gabe Carimi returns and when they face teams that run a 3-4 based defensive scheme. The good news is that they at least played like they knew what the snap count was...

Defense : It's hard to assess or conclude how good this unit played tonight, considering Donovan McNabb looked like Daunte Culpepper post 2005. Julius Peppers played awesome considering he hadn't practiced and is practically playing on one leg at this point.

The surprise of the night was rookie Stephen Paea however. After not even dressing for the first 5 games, Paea busted out with a safety in the first quarter, to go along with 2 tackles and 1 sack on the night. If you want to feel good about Paea's performance go ahead, but keep in mind the Bears coaching staff concluded that he couldn't play before the season began, and Paea's success is a direct reflection of their inability to assess who can play, and who can't.

As far as the new starting safety tandem of Major Wright and Chris Conte go, again it's hard to say. Wright played better than I thought, particularly when lined up in the box, while Conte did his best to not look like Craig Steltz, in which case he was successful. Still, if this defense is going to do anything I believe Chris Harris will eventually need to be the starting Strong Safety.

Special Teams : I guess that Devin Hester guy is still pretty good. With a 98 yard kickoff return in the third quarter, Hester showed that the NFL remains an Ego over Common Sense league. You would think that after 5 years of unparralled success teams would stop kicking to him. Especially in light of the new kickoff rules which diminish Hester's chances of success. Nevertheless, the Vikings kicked to him, and Hester took advantage of the futile attempt to arm-tackle him.

Where Do We Go From Here? : A Foggy Day In London Town is the Bears next destination as they will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Forgive me for refusing to get caught up in the novelty of playing a game in London. I think it is completely silly that the NFL does this in the name of "marketing" or "prospecting" for the possibility of an NFL franchise being located in Great Britain someday. The NFL can't even get a friggin team in Los Angeles for goodness sake, yet they continue to beat the dead horse that is London.

Be that as it may, the Bears are at .500 again, after winning a game that was vital to their already slim chances of making the postseason. The Bears are still looking down the barrel of the Lions and Packers, but there's still plenty of football left.

Here's hoping they've finally found an offensive line combo, and a play-calling template that works, because if they have, they (gulp) still have a chance at the playoffs.

Finger On The Button Now?

How does the worst start to a season since 2007 sound? Reason I ask is because that's what we've officially got on our hands, fellow Bears fans. The real irony is that while most Detroit Lions fans are destroying their livers at the moment, a cerebral Lions fan has to be asking him/herself, "Are we that good, or are the Bears that bad?" I think I can help them answer that question...

Overall, despite my low expectations going into this game, I still can't help but feel even worse about this Bears team. The Bears might need to start pushing some figurative Panic Buttons after this game, to try and salvage this ever-growing catastrophe of a season. Something similar to how they had to rein Mike Martz in a year ago, only this time these Panic Button moves might need to be on a grander scale. More on that in a minute, but first lets get to the TPS Report on tonight's game:

Offense : I'm really struggling to come up with a worse Offensive Line in Bears history than this group? This unit is flirting heavily with the 2004 bunch that gave up 66 sacks. All night long, Jay Cutler was running for his life, and that was when they got the play off! The Bears committed 6 False Starts in the First Half, an NFL Season High according to Stats, Inc. That's OK though because they made up for it by not picking up blitzes while letting Detroit's Front 7 set up shop in the Bears backfield.

Say whatever you want about Jay Cutler, but he played his ass off tonight, as he constantly had to throw on the run, took a ton of hits, and did his best to make Chicken Salad out of our Chicken Shit Offense called by our Chicken Shit Offensive Coordinator. More on "The Mad Genius" Mike Martz in a moment, but most importantly Cutler maybe had time to plant his back-foot....what....9 times? Maybe 10? Not.Enough.

Again, I know everyone loves Matt Forte and thinks the Bears should give him a gagillion dollars. Even though I like Matt Forte, I'm  not one of those people who feels the Bears should commit long term money to him, but he had a terrific game once again.

I also can't wait for Roy Williams to come off the injured list and be active! Oh wait, he was active wasn't he? Didn't somebody say Williams would have 80 catches this year in this dynamic offense? Wonder who that "genius" was???

Defense : Somebody said "We'll get that corrected" when addressing all the big plays of 30 or more yards his defense had given up. Don't know about you guys, but I didn't see a whole lot of things "corrected". Especially when Calvin Johnson burned the Bears deep for a 73 yard touchdown pass, and the great Jahvid Best ran right up the middle for an 88 yard TD run, on his way to 163 yards rushing on the day. Not too cool, Lovie...

Julius Peppers injured his knee, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he might have been hurt in the games prior to tonight's, as Peppers has been invisible all year. It's also not a coincidence that the Bears defensive line has been invisible on Passing Situations ever since the opener against Atlanta as well.

Oh before I forget, the Brandon Merriweather Experiment needs to end. He's a free-lancing headhunter, which is completely the opposite of what the Bears defensive scheme requires from it's Free Safety. Chris Harris' return to the lineup did very little to help the pass defense, as Matthew Stafford found plenty of his receivers in the open holes that the Tampa 2 allows, on his way to 219 yards and 2 TD's.

Special Teams : Robbie was Robbie, and Adam Podlesh did a wonderful job kicking the Bears into good field position. Devin Hester couldn't get off the launching pad on both the kick and punt return opportunities he got tonight.

Where Do We Go From Here : I'm not going to sing the same song every week, where I lament that Jerry Angelo has done an abysmal job in giving Jay Cutler the weapons he needs to succeed, both on the Offensive Line and the receiving corps. I'm not going to howl about the predictability and antiquity of Lovie Smith's Tampa 2, or Mike Martz's version of Air Coryell. I'm not going to continue to whine about how Jay Cutler is being wasted by continuing to take beating, after beating, after beating in every game he plays.

I believe we're beyond that point now, because of a very frightening reality that the Bears face. The reality being, that this Bears team as presently constructed, is supposed to go to the Super Bowl THIS season. Not in 2013-2020, but NOW, simply because there is ZERO talent in the pipeline. These past three drafts that have occurred on Jerry Angelo's watch have produced next to nothing, at best! Please don't make me have to mention Jarron Gilbert, Al Avalava, Marcus Freeman, Major Wright, and Steven Paea. With the absence of good draft picks, combined with the fact that outside of Cutler and Forte, the best players on this team are on the wrong side of 30 years old.

That being the reality of this season, the question must be asked if firing Mike Martz this week would be something worth considering? It's more than obvious that Martz is unwilling to make the changes he made a year ago. Would launching him and appointing Mike Tice as Offensive Coordinator be a step in the right direction?

I guess it would depend on what Tice wanted to do if he were to be OC. Personally I wouldn't care if it's Tice or Dave Toub or Shane Day or some random dude I've never heard of. All I want is a coordinator that knows the strengths and weaknesses of his personnel, and will make the necessary adjustments to give his team the best chance to win! That's not too much to ask is it?

According to Mike Martz....it is.

WHAT?!

I think the title sums up around 90% of people's reaction to the news today that the Chicago White Sox have named Robin Ventura their 39th manager in franchise history. "WHAT!?" The rest of the 10% of people are the baseball retards that said "Ain't that there that sum-bitch that done got his ass beat by Nolan Ryan?"

This is utterly confusing, surprising, and most importantly creates more questions than it does answers. The reaction is pretty universal no matter what side people take : "Robin Ventura was a very good to great player, but he has no experience managing or coaching at any level of baseball. Why would he be the right fit?"

In terms of how good of a player Robin was, there's no real debate in my opinion. Robin was as solid as it gets as a player. While he wasn't Mike Schmidt at the dish, he could still hit with any of the contemporary third baseman of his day, and his defense was constantly superb. Even the Saber-Nerds recognize and appreciate Ventura's career as he qualifies for their Hall Of Fame Standards with an above 60 career WAR (61.5).

What should also be pointed out with regard to Ventura the player, is that many of his teammates had him pegged to eventually become a manager in the big leagues. Ventura has always been a student of the game according to many of his peers, and I don't doubt his ability to understand and master baseball strategy as a manager.

The big issue for me however, is that managing in MLB is not simply implementing strategy, but it's also dealing with 25 different ego's and personalities in that locker room, not to mention dealing with a combative and sometimes blood-thirsty media and fan base. Can Ventura handle those types of pressure and expectations, in addition to making big time managerial moves during games? We'll have to wait and see on that one.

Has something like this been successfully done before? The good news is yes it has. Larry Dierker was the color commentator for the Houston Astros from 1979-1996, when he suddenly found himself managing the Astros in 1997, with zero coaching experience prior. In 1998, Dierker was named National League Manager Of The Year. So there is some precedent for something so random as this being successful.

Ultimately though, Ventura - like every manager in the big leagues - will only be as good as his roster allows him to be. If the Big 3 Disasters of Rios, Dunn, and Beckham have seasons like they did in 2011, it will make life very difficult for Robin as a manager. On the other hand, if just one of those Big 3 rebound to a normal season, life will be easier for Robin.

Either way though, the White Sox certainly got people's attention today. They still managed to shock people outside of their fan base, while sticking to their trademark pattern of hiring a first-year manager.

Will it work like it did the last time with Ozzie Guillen? Hope springs eternal...

Yeah But You Still Suck...

I honestly didn't think it was possible for a Bears win to make me feel bad, but here we are. Today's game against the Carolina Panthers and their #1 draft pick rookie sensation Cam Newton was to serve as a measuring stick for how good the Bears are. Unfortunately for us, the results were not good for the Bears long term prognosis.

Regardless of the score, this Chicago Bears victory is hardly what I would term "resounding". As a matter of fact, the Bears were pretty fortunate to escape with the "W" when you consider that the Panthers - who are in a rebuilding mode mind you - absolutely decimated the Bears vaunted defense both through the air and on the ground. Were it not for a few lucky breaks from the officials (see Jeremy Shockey's non-pushoff "push off"), and some fortuitous turnovers amid some stupid-ass flips/back flips, this game could have easily dropped the Bears to 1-3. Let's get to the particulars:

Offense : After weeks of hearing how the Bears need to run the ball more, Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz went Full Retard and called a grand total of 31 rushes, including 9 straight to open the game, paving the way for Matt Forte to rush for 205 yards on the day. Forte's 205 yards tied him for #2 in franchise history for yards in a game.

Martz called plays in a manner that seemingly was meant as a direct middle finger to all the arm-chair play callers that have been pissing and moaning for three weeks about "balance". The problem is, it completely backfired as now the meatballs get to say "See I told you so". Never mind that while the offensive line is getting a lot of credit, people who actually watched the game know that Forte made a lot of those plays happen all by himself. There were plenty of times where lineman missed their block (completely whiffing in many cases), and only the sheer athleticism of Forte made something out of nothing.

In the end it meant 17 pass attempts for Jay Cutler amounting to 102 yards. Jay might as well have been neutered right on the 50 yard line once the final gun sounded. Congratulations Bear fans/Jerry Angelo. Through your constant idiotic consternation and lack of obtaining good offensive lineman, you have turned a 4,000 yard Pro Bowl passing quarterback into Mike Tomczak. I hope you're proud of yourselves because all you've done is show that you haven't accepted the fact that the only way to win championships in the NFL is to throw the football. Want proof? See Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, do I need to go on?

Defense : The beast known as "Lovie Marinelli" shouldn't be sleeping well tonight. In case you were wondering, the Bears defense gave up 543 total yards today. The Bears haven't given up that many yards in a game since 1982! Think about how many AWFUL Bears defenses have taken field since then. I'm talking about the Wannie and Jauron years specifically, where many a team went through the Bears defense like they were a high school team, yet NONE of them touched what the Panthers did today.

It wasn't exactly a one dimensional approach the Panthers took either. Despite Steve Smith doing his best "2005 version of Steve Smith" imitation en route to 8 catches for 181 yards, the Panthers also got 169 yards on the ground as well. In case you were wondering, the Bears didn't feel the need to sack Cam Newton either, as anytime the Bears generated any pass rush, Newton stepped up in the pocket and drilled a (WIDE) open receiver.

This unit should be embarrassed. There is no excuse for this type of performance.

Special Teams : Bail Outs are fun, and the Special Teams unit gave the rest of the team a BIG one today. Devin Hester broke off a 69 yard punt return for a TD, while Julius Peppers blocked a field goal in the third quarter. Punter Adam Podlesh gave the Bears good field position, and Robbie Gould was his usual efficient self. Make no mistake about it, Special Teams gets the Game Ball for this one.

Where Do We Go From Here : To Detroit, where I fully expect the Lions to practically castrate the Bears. Aside from the fact that I believe the Lions are for real this year, I just don't expect the Bears to come up with a realistic game plan offensively to attack the weak spots (read : secondary) of the Detroit Defense. Concurrently, I don't expect the Bears defense to be able to stop the Lions offense - specifically Calvin Johnson - with a non-existent pass rush and a depleted safety corps.

In a world where the most dynamic, innovative, and talent-laden teams throw the ball to win, the Bears are running it 63% of the time...