Q. Is cornerback R.W. McQuarters being used as a scapegoat for the sorry overall Bears defense?
A. McQuarters has had an inconsistent season, but the problems in the secondary stem from a lack of pressure from the Bears’ defensive line and linebackers. The Bears recorded two sacks of Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck last Sunday, including the first by first-round draft pick Michael Haynes, a defensive end. But the sorry fact is the Bears rank 31st in the NFL with six team sacks.
Q. Do the Bears deserve to be favored over Detroit on Sunday?
A. Each team is 1-5, but the Bears are at home. First-year Lions coach Steve Mariucci will be looking to record Detroit’s first road victory since Dec. 17, 2000. The Lions scored 42 points in their season-opening victory over Arizona. Since then, Detroit has scored just 59 points.
Q. A Cubs-Red Sox World Series would have been divine for baseball. Do you think Commissioner Bud Selig would have botched that somehow?
A. Who knows? But the baseball gods may make us wait another century before those two meet. By the way, the last time the Cubs and Red Sox met was 1918. The Cubs were managed by Fred Mitchell (no relation). Look it up.
Q. The Seattle Seahawks did not look all that impressive to me last Sunday against the Bears. Yet their record is 5-1. Do you think they will be able to win their division?
A. Seattle looks opportunistic, similar to the 2001 Bears. The Seahawks have a favorable schedule the rest of the season. None of the Seahawks’ next seven opponents has a winning record. The Baltimore Ravens are 3-3. The Seahawks travel to Cincinnati (2-4) Sunday, followed by a home game against Pittsburgh (2-4).
Q. Cito Gaston had a lot of success with the Toronto Blue Jays in the ’90s. Do you think he still has the enthusiasm and desire to manage the White Sox?
A. Gaston is a proven, talented manager who has been overlooked as a viable candidate for several years.
“Cito Gaston was one of the people I talked to as far as taking this Chicago Cubs job,” Dusty Baker said. “When I saw what happened to him . . . he won two world championships (with Toronto) and hasn’t had a managing job since. We still have a ways to go [in society]. There are not the numbers that we need. Part of the problem is that most [minorities] don’t have a network.”
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