Good morning, Bears fans.
After what you saw against Green Bay, raise your hand if you wish the Bears had an owner like Daniel Snyder.
– Because the Bears long ago blew this season, let’s find out how they could blow next year’s top draft pick, which is anywhere from fourth overall to sixth this week. So, who should they take?
“I can’t tell you,” said Joel Buchsbaum, Pro Football Weekly contributing editor and draft expert, “because I don’t know which juniors will come out.”
Well, I just figured he would say running back because no matter how solid and workmanlike James Allen is, he doesn’t show breakaway speed and, if the Bears insist on doing the Cade McNown thing, then the one weapon that helps a young quarterback most is a running game, so the Bears need a running back, right?
“They also need a tight end, a third cornerback and a speed pass-rusher,” Buchsbaum said.
Oh. Well. When you put it that way.
And the same personnel guy who brought you McNown, Curtis Enis and Dez White will be the one choosing guys for those positions. Oh, goody.
– From e-mailer Brian Kibble-Smith: “How about in the Houston expansion draft, the Bears leave Mark Hatley unprotected?”
– The Choice from e-mailer Evan Clark (and remember, death is not an option): “Spend $50 million like the Bears or $60 million like the Cubs?”
– Quick, someone tell Gary Crowton not to worry about taking the BYU job because he would be leaving the Bears’ offense in a shambles. I mean, this is the way he found it.
– The Bears have scored one offensive touchdown in the last 18 quarters, and Crowton had nothing to do with it; Shane Matthews orchestrated it during a no-huddle drive against the Jets.
– I messed up Monday when I wrote that Cal’s Andre Carter is the son of Rubin Carter, the former boxer called “Hurricane.” In fact, he’s the son of the Rubin “Hurricane” Carter who is a former Bronco and current Redskins assistant coach.
– Every team in an entire division–the Pacific–has more points than the breakaway republic known as the Blackhawks.
– The NHL rumor mill says Phoenix will consider offers for power forward Keith Tkachuk and goalie Nikolai Khabibulin when Wayne Gretzky takes over. The rumor mill also says the Mighty Ducks could listen to offers for brilliant winger Teemu Selanne. The rumor mill also says Ottawa eventually will move pouty center Alexei Yashin.
So, which is the biggest question: 1) Would Hawks GM Mike Smith be interested in those big-money acquisitions? 2) Would Bill Wirtz let him be? 3) Does the organ-I-zation have enough to offer if they ever get past 1) and 2)?
– Model Carol Alt used to be married to former Rangers star Ron Greschner. Now she’s with Yashin. In an interview in the latest Playboy magazine, Alt says she likes hockey players because “they aren’t brought up in a system where they’re stars or where they are adored and admired and given scholarships . . . you end up with people who are thankful and appreciative of what they get. Hockey is in a strange position now. They have players who are thankful for working, for sure.”
Has Alt ever met Boris Mironov?
– From San Francisco Chronicle columnist Tom FitzGerald: “When does Bush vs. Gore go to strength of schedule?”
– The end: Bucks guard Ray Allen, after leading his team to a comeback victory over the Heat: “I think Miami gave up. They thought the game was over. Florida has been bad for the whole country, but it has been good to us.”
