The question is not why Bears general manager Jerry Angelo didn’t give coach Dick Jauron a vote of confidence. The question is why he would.
I mean, 5-1 is nice and all–actually, it’s unbelievable–but wouldn’t you hesitate a bit if you were dealing with a guy who came into this season having lost 19 of his last 27 games?
Darn right.
Certainly Angelo wants to see how the young players develop. That has been one of his themes, and undeniably Anthony Thomas, David Terrell and others have shown well.
But perhaps Angelo is trying to figure out why the starting quarterback and middle linebacker needed injuries to the players ahead of them to get to those positions, and perhaps he is trying to figure out where R.W. McQuarters was last year and perhaps he is trying to figure out where the head coach was in all of this broken decision-making.
Another thing. With Bears players seeming to rally around Jauron, maybe Angelo wonders how good these guys would play if the coach’s job weren’t on the line.
Here’s the hidden statistic that’s a tribute to the Bears’ defense and special teams in their overtime victory over San Francisco: The Bears’ average starting position was their 38-yard line, while San Francisco’s was its 19. Right there we’re talking about 228 extra yards for the Bears.
Shane Matthews, your table is ready.
Brokers were getting $75 for end-zone seats and $95 to $200 between the goal lines for Sunday’s game against Cleveland. Prices for next Sunday’s Green Bay game are $125 for the end zones and up to $400 everywhere else.
Arizona manager Bob Brenly didn’t screw up by letting Curt Schilling start Game 4 on three days’ rest. He screwed up by not letting him finish. Look, if you’re going to treat Game 4 like it was Game 7, then don’t start worrying suddenly about saving the guy for the real Game 7.
Byung-Hyun Kim, your plane is boarding.
The Phoenix Suns put Game 3 of the World Series on the big screen in America West Arena during the Suns’ home opener Tuesday. Phoenix coach Scott Skiles called it “a joke.” But hey, who would know a joke better than a coach who just acquired Jake Voskuhl?
One rumor had the Blackhawks and Devils talking trade. Naturally, the names of Hawks captain Tony Amonte and New Jersey center Bobby Holik are brought up because both will be free agents next July.
“I’m not talking to anybody about a deal,” Hawks GM Mike Smith said last week. “There are some areas of our team we can improve, but I won’t tell you what they are. You’ll write it and our players will all think I’m talking about them.”
One area of need might be a right-handed center, such as, say, Holik. Alex Zhamnov, Igor Korolev, Michael Nylander and Pascal Rheaume all shoot left, which is why coach Brian Sutter has right winger Steve Sullivan taking the right-handed faceoffs.
“I don’t get that specific,” Smith said. “I look for players who are good players.”
Same as last season, the Bulls close as often as 7-Eleven.
Voice-mailer Joe Flood said two days before the NBA opened, a suburban sporting goods chain was already discounting Bulls merchandise.
Michael Jordan makes that painful, failed debut, and I’m thinking he remains perfect for the Bulls.
You watch, this new bulked-up Jordan will go back to the slimmer body we’re used to seeing. Whether that will matter is a whole different story.
Get a load of Notre Dame coach Bob Davie leading up to the Tennesse game Saturday: “Having a positive out of this game would be a huge dynamic for this team.” Here’s the rule: Nobody who wears headsets is allowed to sound like he wears a pocket protector.
Wonder how many Notre Dame fans look at the long term for the program and consider each week a must-lose game.
What’s the best way to develop a modest little team to struggle through the AFC East? Give Jim Mora championship-level talent.
Former Padre John Kruk, on retired star Tony Gwynn: “Where I was raised, if you wanted to be successful, you found somebody successful and followed their lead. I followed Tony Gwynn from the start. I followed him to McDonald’s. I followed him to Burger King.”
