I spend a lot of time razzing the Bears, because I was told to do the thing that makes you happy. This next bit, though, I promise, is only half-razz. Half of it’s an earnest question.
How long does Matt Eberflus get?
The Bears’ first-year head coach is off to a strong start, with a 1-1 record against a pair of NFC contenders. This should be encouraging, but it’s not. Bears fans, or at least the ones I’ve heard from, didn’t walk out of the loss to the Packers thinking this team is about to be competitive. Instead, a creeping fear is sneaking in that the quarterback Eberflus’s staff allowed to attempt only eleven passes on Sunday night is not going to magically be the answer for a completely dysfunctional franchise. Habit is taking over. Doom weighs heavy on the mind.
There are two explanations for the Bears’ reticence to let Fields try to make plays. The first is that they’re trying to protect him from failure, keeping the pressure low and letting him develop. The second is that they don’t trust the guy. The second explanation is concerning, but even the first provokes our question anew: For a team this broken, how long is the leash before they renew the vicious cycle?
Really, this seems to boil down to whether the Bears end up treating Eberflus and Fields as a package deal or if Eberflus eventually gets to try things with a second QB. Might Fields turn out good? Sure. Might happen. It’s the Bears, though. The question isn’t how well it goes. The question is when they return to square one.
So, as the season goes on, that’s what we’ll be watching. Do the Bears turn Fields loose? How does it go if they do? If they don’t, what does that say about their signal caller? Because ultimately, if you need to protect a second-year QB to the extent you won’t throw the ball even a dozen times while playing catchup against your biggest rival, it probably means you don’t think he’s the long-term guy. Maybe because of him. Maybe because of the developmental environment you gave him. The result’s the same, either way: Soon, there’ll be another great hope under center. The question is whether Eberflus is there on the sideline with him.
Allen Lazard Did the Ayahuasca Celebration
The best part of this, as a friend pointed out, is that Lazard presumably did his research. Might have even asked Aaron Rodgers how it goes.
Joe Kelly: Filthy, Has a Family
Joe Kelly was dominant on both Friday and Saturday, and now he’s on the family medical leave list. Guy strikes out six batters in three innings across four days and Rob Manfred goes for his family?
Hopefully, of course, everything’s ok with the Kelly household. It’s a scary announcement to hear.
Burnley Breaks Bristol
Burnley won on Saturday morning, 2-1 against Bristol on a late Jay Rodriguez goal. This leaves our lads in fourth place after ten matches, third among the big five and three points off the two-per-match pace you’d like to see to be on track for playoff-less promotion. In other words, the vibes are pretty good heading into this international break. Big three games right after it—home against Stoke, away against just-fired-their-manager Cardiff and rugby-destroyed-their-field Coventry—but for the time being, we’ll be watching the international games and trying to remember who the hell we have who plays internationally anymore. Roberts? What’s Wales up to?
Buescher Breaks Bristol
Alright, too many winners this year. It was fun for a while but now that the playoff drivers can’t win playoff races I feel like we’re losing something. The NextGen car is too competitive. Hard to know if those who win are good or just lucky. Someone get F1 in here to make the good drivers win more.
That all said, Chris Buescher is great and this was a long time coming, which is what we say about every driver on a small or medium team when they get their first win, or their first win in a long time. Good for him.
Fargo’s Belly Button
Fargo has an “umbilical hernia.” Has always had it. It’s a little belly button. It got a bit more pronounced late last week, though, and while it’s receded again, we’re taking her to the vet on Thursday to have it looked at. Chance the girl has surgery again, which would mean some cone time, which could very well mean hell on earth in this apartment. More to come.
In the meantime, some tree in the neighborhood (type of tree, not one individual tree) is sprinkling sap, and that’s getting her paws covered with sticky which then gets them covered with everything else as well. She’s having a blast, always, but I do think she’s a little uncomfortable. We spent some time combing her paws yesterday. Not her favorite activity.
My Disappointment in Arkansas
News out of Fayetteville: Evidently after the Hogs narrowly escaped Missouri State on Saturday, a fan bit another fan’s nose in the parking garage. This isn’t the problem. The problem? The alleged biter was the COO of Beyond Meat. No, I don’t care about the carnivorous hypocrisy. I’m upset that Arkansas hadn’t kicked this guy out of the fanbase already. Nothing against Beyond Meat personally, but that does not jive with the Arkansas brand, and everyone involved should know better.
My Disappointment in Oregon
News out of Eugene: A segment of Oregon Ducks fans spent part of their victory over BYU chanting, “Fuck the Mormons,” just as a segment of USC fans spent part of last year’s loss to BYU chanting the same thing. This is a wild thing to chant. You cannot chant this. This is wrong on a ton of levels. Thank God the Pac-12 schools don’t play Brandeis.
Some have defended the chant by saying the LDS Church isn’t welcoming to LGBT people, which is not an adequate defense of the chant, and reads—given mainstream American culture’s customary treatment of Mormons—like someone fishing for an excuse. Even if it were the true motive, “You are intolerant so we’re going to be intolerant” is a pretty low moral bar for oneself, and not being welcoming is a lot different than chanting, “Fuck (this group of people).” The debate surrounding collisions between LGBT rights and religious freedom is tougher than most people will acknowledge (I don’t know about you, but I want them both), but if you’re chanting, “Fuck (broad, historically marginalized group of people),” you’re a bad guy in the story.
Thankfully, UMass is here to set an example, announcing yesterday that its Week 6 game against Liberty—an Evangelical school with a fundamentalist approach to homosexuality—will be Pride Day in the stadium. This is a better way to handle the conflict, though it will admittedly land more emphatically if UMass finds a way to not lose that game by 37 points, which is the current expectation.
The Rookie Tournament Didn’t Matter
Turns out that NHL rookie tournament was meaningless. Don’t need to check how the Sens did.
In other Sens news, they released their training camp roster, and there are 59 guys on it, which are way too many to fit on the ice during a game, even spread out across a few lines. Will be exciting to see how they navigate this hurdle they’ve created for themselves.
Oh, also, Claude Giroux’s an alternate captain. Him and Chabot. No surprises. Still waiting for Gritty to defect. That says “defect,” Gritty. Not, “defecate.” You can get off the pot any time you like.
Showtime Ramsey Has Returned
I think this speaks for itself:
**
Viewing schedule:
6:40 PM EDT: Cubs @ Marlins, MLB TV
aren’t You only get so many Pat Hughes evenings a year.
