Matt Forte Considering Skipping Preseason Games

Instead of a training camp holdout, Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte is considering a preseason game holdout if he doesn't get a contract extension done by the preseason opener next Sunday against Buffalo. Forte will practice, but he'll just skip the exhibition games.

Forte is also thinking of his health when he stated that he would sit out preseason games. The turf at Soldier Field has been in lousy condition recently and he wouldn't want to risk injury in a menaingless game without having the extension done. Doesn't sound greedy to me, just smart.

"I've considered not playing in the preseason games," Forte told the Tribune. "But just to make that a fact, and say 'I'm not going to,' I haven't gotten there yet."

"Any time the field is not good enough to practice on that is a concern," Forte said. "There is always a concern with injuries. You can get injured going out to practice.


"I have to talk to coach (Lovie Smith) and talk to Jerry and my agent (Adisa Bakari). We'd have to have a big meeting to really talk about (sitting out preseason games until a contract is complete)."

General Manager Jerry Angelo says there's no timetable to get a deal done, but does say he's "motivated" to get one done.

It would be wise to have Forte happy, since he's one of their biggest weapons on offense. Not saying that he wouldn't give his all, but you want to have a happy Forte instead of an angry one.

Former NFL Player, R.W. McQuarters Shot

Former NFL player and vetran of many teams, R.W. McQuarters was shot in Tulsa, Oklahoma early Saturday morning.

McQuarters was visiting a friend and as he was leaving saw a man in a ski mask. McQuarters got into his car and heard several gunshots. He realized he was hit and drove himself to Hillcrest Medical Center. McQuarters had been shot in the back. The reports say the injuries are not life threatning.

McQuarters played for the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and New York Giants.

Here's to a quick, speedy recovery for McQuarters.

Quote Of The Week: Kristin Cavallari

After hearing that the Chicago Bears drafted offensive tackle Gabe Carimi in the first round of the NFL Draft, Jay Cutler's fiancee' Kristin Cavallari couldn't mask her excitement.

Cavallari tweeted "Yay we got an offensive lineman!!! Go Bears".

I guess she didn't get the memo about the Detroit Lions drafting Nick Fairley, pairing him up with Ndamukong Suh for at least the next five years. I wouldn't be too excited about that. Maybe Carimi can help keep Cutler upright instead of being accused of prematurely exiting games.

Robbie Gould Shoots On Greedy Owners And Broke Players

Kickers aren't the highest paid players in the NFL. They get ridiculed a lot and pretty much speak when spoken to. The last kicker that spoke out was called an idiot (Mike Vanderjagt) by his star quarterback (Peyton Manning).

Chicago Bears kicker and player rep Robbie Gould had some interesting things to say when he was at the Chicago Cubs game. Before he went to sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during Wednesday's Cubs-Padres game, Gould let a few writers from the Chicago Tribune know how he felt about the NFL lockout and players not saving their money.   

"Look fans don't buy tickets to see Virginia or Brian McCaskey. They pay to watch Brian Urlacher, Drew Brees and all the great players. This lockout is all because of the owners' greed. I'm sorry if that sounds cold, but it is the truth."

"I have been saving my money for this lockout for three years," he said. "We have known it was probably coming and we were advised to save our money. I know a lot of guys who prepared for this and are fine. The guys who didn't plan for it, that is their fault."



No matter what line of work your in you gotta put some money away. With the lavish lifestyles some of these players have it's gonna be tough once the well runs dry.

Quote of the week: Norman Chad

Columnist Norman Chad on when the Chicago Bears brought in Caleb Hanie, who nearly saved their season.

"I immediately Googled 'Caleb Hanie', and it said, 'Who'? I'm not even certain a Hanie was on the Bears roster when the game began."    

No one is ever familiar with the third string quarterback. 

Cutler Blasted Via Twitter

Jay Cutler hasn't won anyone over in the court of public opinion. While his teammates said all the right things about Cutler's toughness after the NFC Championship game, there were others that questioned him. Cutler left the game with a knee injury and it was debateable whether he was actually hurt or milking it.

Here's all the tweets from others who have played the game or are still playing.

  RT @markschlereth: As a guy how had 20 knee surgeries you'd have to drag me out on a stretcher to Leave a championship game! #justsaying






RT @RealSkipBayless: I can't wait to talk about Jay Cutler tomorrow at 10 a.m. Eastern, ESPN2. Clay Matthews just said they made him quit.





RT @ddockett: If I'm on chicago team jay cutler has to wait till me and the team shower get dressed and leave 


Knee-gate in Chicago



lAnthony Armstrong


MrArmstrong13


Its hard to know, but it def looked like it. RT @LSUFAN869: @LanceMoore16 Cutler gave up wouldn't you say?


LanceMoore16

I'm no fan of twitter, so I think they could've went public with this. I don't think the Cutler bashing is over by any means.

Quickie Playoff Predictions

Last week, I went 3-1, despite whiffing on the scores. This week is the final four of football and here are my predictions for the AFC and NFC title games.


Green Bay at Chicago- Based on both games this season, this will be a tightly contested game. Green Bay, specifically Aaron Rodgers has been hot for the last month. Chicago has been steady for most of the season. They split both games they played and both were close. I look for Green Bay to pull out a close win in hostile territory. Green Bay 23-17


New York at Pittsburgh- The Jets surprised a lot of people last week, including myself, by going into New England and laying the smack down on the Patriots. In the last two years the Jets have played and won all their playoff games on the road. This should be another tight game, just like I said about the Steelers last week, they have home field so therefore they should win. Steelers 21-17

Spawn Of The Super Bowl Shuffle

Ever since the Chicago Bears 'shuffled' thier way to a Super Bowl with a song and video along the way, every team that has tasted a bit of success has had a song either dedicated to them or made one themselves, college or pro. Every team hasn't lived up to the hype or promise of bringing home a championship.

There have been teams that have made or adopted songs in homage to their team. There was the Super Bowl Shuffle. There was a forgettable Florida State video that you know Deion Sanders was behind. All that did was piss off the Miami Hurricanes. The New england townies decided to make a song. A cheesy response to the Bears' song before Super Bowl 20. We know what happened in that game. Remember when the Jacksonville Jaguars made a song on their way to the Super Bowl. Former Green Bay Packers receiver Robert Brooks mad "Jump In The Stands", a song about his signature touchdown celebration. They were derailed by the Tennessee Titans. For some reason this seems to go on mostly in football than any other sport.




With the NFL playoffs going in to championship weekend there are more "anthems" out fo their teams. Rapper Wiz Khalifa's song "Black and Yellow" happened to be adopted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. That one happened to spawn copycat versions of the song.      





Even the Oakland Raiders got in on the act during their Super Bowl run, only to get destroyed by Tampa Bay.



Here's one dedicated to the New York Jets.



Here's a message. Win something and then you and the fans can make all the songs and videos you guys want. I can't stand teams or their fans that want to make a song that's dedicated to the their team before they actually win something. 

Quick Playoff Predictions

The Divisional round of the playoffs has some good matchups this weekend. Here's my personal predictions on this weekend's action.

Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh- I have to take the Steelers in this one solely because of home field. Pittsburgh always seems to pull one big play out of their backside than the Ravens can. Steelers 17-13.

Green Bay vs. Atlanta- I'm having flashbacks to a playoff game from 1980 that also involved the Falcons. When they played Dallas at home and lost a 30-27 thriller in which they led most of the game. I see the same thing happening today with the Falcons losing a heartbreaker to the Packers. Packers 31-27.

New York vs. New England- The Jets need to ramp up their offensive game if their going to beat New England. The Jets do a lot of tough talking but right now their hurting and the Patriots seem primed to take advantage. For some odd reason I feel a blowout coming on. The Jets defense can only take them so far.
Patriots 30-13.

Seattle vs. Chicago- The Seahawks have somewhat become America's darling in the past few weeks. This could be a blowout or a tough defensive battle. However I do see the Bears coming out on top since they are at home and there is sure to be bad weather. Bears 20-10.

Mass Fish Deaths Do Not Bode Well For Chicago Bears

Thousands of small dead herrings are floating up on the lakefronts in Chicago.  The latest case of unexplained mass-animal deaths are puzzling environmentalists but, even more importantly, it should worry the Chicago Bears who face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.  If I were a betting man, I would check out the following facts.

Over the past few months, and mostly the past few weeks, the bizarre events of mass-animal deaths have plagued the country and world---just in time for the time for college bowl games and the NFL playoffs.  And the results are monumentally odds-breaking.

Never mind what the scientists and religious zealots preach, ask your local bookie what he thinks of all the "prophecies."  Since December 30, there have been four major mass-deaths and they seem to have affected the outcome of important games involving the regional team.

Go back to December 30 and 31 when 100,000 fish were found dead in an Arkansas river and then over 5,000 red-winged blackbirds fell from the sky.  Four days later the Arkansas Razorbacks (-3 1/2) almost upset Ohio State in one of the greatest comebacks in Sugar Bowl history but lost after their QB threw a pass right into the arms of a Buckeye defensive end and lose, 31-26.  A double whammy.

Fast forward to January 3 when 2 million dead fish were found floating in the Chesapeake Bay.  The next night Virginia Tech (-3 1/2) is routed by Stanford.  It's not even close.

On January 4 about 500 more blackbirds are found dead in Louisiana.  I don't have to remind you about  how the defending world champions, the New Orleans Saints fared against double-digit under dogs, the Seattle Seahawks.  The 41-36 win by the Seahawks (7-9) was one of the biggest upsets in NFL playoff history.

Now those same Seahawks come into Chicago as 10-point underdogs on Sunday and the ominous dead gizzard shad have appeared lifeless on the Windy City's beaches and shores.  Just wait for the point spread to shrink.

Over the past few months, the "Aflockalypse" has occurred in other areas and look at the results.

2,000 dead bats show up cold as Dixie beer in Texas.  How 'bout them 'Boys?

Thousands of ducks mysteriously die in Minnesota and you can look back at the Vikings' tumultuous season.  Oh, and you thought it was Brett Favre's fault.

The Carolina coastline was covered with millions of jellyfish and starfish which inexplicably ended up dead before the football season even started.  The Panthers never had a chance.

There was even the horrible sight of thousands of turtle doves falling from the skies over Italy right after the holidays.  Italian zoo officials blamed the birds deaths on "massive indigestion" after overeating.  Here in America, we call it the "Rex Ryan Syndrome."  Other experts believe it was mass suicide after the seasonal birds couldn't find work after the 12 Days of Christmas.

Scientists have blamed the mass-deaths on everything from the North Pole's magnetic field to that old apocalyptic panic button--global warming. In New York, Mets fans blame it on the Yankees.

Even so, if the Chicago area doesn't want any more mass-deaths ( i.e. fans jumping out windows) on their hands, don't bet on the home team.

Maybe some Almighty above is trying to tell us something with these unusual occurrences.  Something all mankind should heed:  Take the Seahawks and ten points.

Sayers: Hester Is Hall Of Fame Material

A Hall Of Fame kick/punt returner. Apparently Gale Sayers thinks so. He believes that Hester has Hall of Fame credentials.

  “Devin Hester deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, no question about it. He has a chance to get there. And more than likely, he probably will," Sayers told Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune.


"I think I was probably the first (Hall of Fame) running back to return punts and kickoffs and run from the line of scrimmage," Sayers said. "I had a good career rushing with the football, too, and scoring touchdowns (22 as a rookie). (Hester) is only doing kick returns (although he is also a wide receiver) and he is having a hell of a career. No doubt, he will probably go into the Hall of Fame."

As great as Sayers is, I gotta disagree. The only way Devin Hester gets into the Hall of Fame is if he demolishes return records. He does play receiver but hasn't carved out a significant role for him on the offensive side of the ball. I think if they keep doing that he'll go the way of Dante Hall, the last star returner that got more snaps on offense and fizzled out. Hester is exceptional at what he does, but he's not Hall of Fame worthy. Even with a great lke Gale Sayers endorsing him. Eventually he (Hester) will lose a step so he'll have to make plenty of big returns to break records. Also teams will jsut start kicking out of bounds.

Eagles Loss and Layover Make N.Y. Giants Road To Playoffs Harder

The New York Giants made made it back to New Jersey yesterday after being an extended stay in Appleton Wisconsin, due to the blizzard which dumped two feet of snow on the New York City area.  After losing a crucial game to the Green Bay Packers 45-17 on Sunday, the team finally landed at Newark International Airport a full day and half later than scheduled, then later watched the Minnesota Vikings stun the Philadelphia Eagles 24-14. Ironically, the Eagles loss could have put the final nail in the Giants playoff chances.

The Chicago Bears have now locked up a No. 2 seed in the NFC, meaning they will get a first round bye. The Bears play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.  If the Packers win, the Giants are out of the playoffs for the second straight year.  The Bears are still vying for a No. 1 seed.

The challenges facing the Giants in their quest for a wild card playoff spot are mostly out of their hands now.  The Bears can move up to the No. 1 seed if they win and the current top seed, the Atlanta Falcons, lose to the 2-13 Carolina Panthers.

The Bears play Sunday at 4:15 p.m., so when the team takes the field they should know the outcome of the Falcons-Panthers 1 p.m. game and if the No. 1 seed is still up for grabs.  If the Falcons clinch the No. 1 and home field advantage throughout, do the Bears still go all out or do they pull a Colts and rest the starters?

Right after the Vikings victory, Giants running back Brandon Jacobs tweeted," Let's just hope Chicago play their starters.  But it's always good to see Philly lose.  DAMN."

'Maybe the Giants starters should just play' would be a common lament from New York fans

A couple of other factors could affect the Giants destiny---the one night Wisconsin layover and the second straight hangover from another disappointing loss.  Head coach Tom Coughlin claims his staff would be about a half a day behind schedule from the delay.

The Giants players heads could be a different story.  The last two "playoff clinching games" included blowing a 31-10 lead to the Eagles in the fourth quarter combined with the 45-17 blowout to the Packers.  They could be worse than a New Year's Day headbanger that all the Players Only meetings and Guaranteed Victories won't cure.

Bears head coach  Lovie Smith said he plans on playing his starters but,  it remains to be seen if he uses them the whole game.  Seeing a win by the Falcons before gametime could take away a lot of the Bears' motivation.

Leave it to their old nemesis the Eagles to kick more dirt in the Giants' face.  New York has lost six in a row to Philadelphia including two this season already.  If, and that is a gargantuan if, the Giants do slip into the playoffs, the road will most certainly run down the Turnpike through the unfriendly confines of Lincoln Financial Field and a third meeting with the Birds.  Not a pleasant road trip.

A lot more than the Giants playoff hopes are riding on this game.  If the Giants lose this Sunday at Fed Ex Field to the dreadful 6-9 Washington Redskins, the cries for Coughlin's head could get to Metrodome levels.  Offensive coordinator, Kevin Gilbride could also see his scalp on a stick.  Another December failure could lead to wholesale changes on the Giants.  Can you say Bill Cowher.

It was only a couple of weeks ago the Giants were 9-4, leading the Eagles 31-10 with eight minutes to go.  The NFC East title and fate were in their grasp.  It seems a lot longer than that now.

Rex Ryan Gives 'Foot' Ball Press Conference New Meaning

The New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan went to great lengths to avoid discussing the foot-fetish videos circulating on the Internet showing his look-alike wife, Michelle, being interviewed by a sound-alike Ryan at yesterdays mid-week press conference.  If true, they could the latest in a long line of embarrassing episodes for the team this season.

The suspiciously low-keyed Ryan didn't deny they videos were of him and his wife, but stressed that the toe jamborees were a "private matter" six times during yesterday's press conference.  It's seemed like the first time the head coach, uncharacteristically, didn't put his foot in his mouth and he quickly preceded to discuss more important issues like the upcoming game against the Chicago Bears than the sexily-titled short clips "Awesome Soles" and "Hot Mature Sexy Feet.  Only the 'toes knows.'

Ryan then got callous and seriously put his foot down.  He got down about playing with the piggie-skin.  Ryan, son of former coach Buddy Ryan, comes from a good pedi-gree bared his sole in discussing upcoming game's playoff implications.

The big toe of the Jets mentioned that a playoff berth is afoot if they put their best foot down.  The single digit win last week against Pittsburgh showed fans that the Jets don't get cold feet when they play on the road and if they toe the line they can de-feet the Bears.

Ryan went on to say the team is now gellin' after stubbing it's toes with a couple of losses before last week and he reported some new player injuries.

The sole of the team, quarterback Mark Sanchez's shoulder injury is heeling.  The nimble-footed QB played in a limited practice on Wednesday and looked fine.  He shouldn't have happy feet on Sunday when the Bears excellent defensive end Julius Peppers goes toe-to-toe with the Jets offensive line.  He also said his team won't look flat-footed by the blistering speed of fleet-footed Devin Hester.

Ryan was more interested in his athlete's foot than the videos.  In a bit of awkward timing, Ryan said he was tickled that Santonio Holmes' turf toe is getting better.  The well-heeled Jets owner Woody Johnson, arch-supported his coach.  He will likely send over a get-well basket of Johnson & Johnson pedi-care products and foot the bill.

By duh-feeting duh Bears in Chicago, the home of sole music, the Jets avoid the agony of de-feet and could end up having a playoff meeting with their arch-enemy the New England Patriots and Tom Brady--husband of model Giselle Bunion.

Mark Sanchez Has Tear In Throwing Arm

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez today confirmed a report that his right shoulder has torn cartilage.  According to the New York Daily News, doctors said an MRI on Sanchez's throwing arm showed a partial tear, but it wasn't deemed game threatening.

On Wednesday night, Sanchez said his shoulder was fine and he ran a few plays during 'limited' practice earlier in the day.  He said he did some running and threw a few passes without any discomfort and it looks like the light practice was precautionary.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan confirmed his quarterback's shoulder was "sore," but he would be ready for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears.  The coach downplayed the seriousness of his star player's injury, "If he [Sanchez] had to play, he would be able to play today."  "I'm 99 percent sure he'll be ready to play on Sunday," said Ryan.

There have been a lot of questions surrounding Sanchez's poor performances during losses in the past few weeks.  His throws were off target and he was taking a beating until the Jets big win in Pittsburgh against the Steelers this past Sunday.  During that game Sanchez showed some of the flair he did earlier in the season.

The Jets (10-4) travel to Chicago this week to battle the Bears. Chicago's strength is their defense, so Sanchez better be on his toes.  Their four-man rush is led by a pair of sacking defensive bookends Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije.

The Bears (10-4) have already clinched the NFC North by beating a lot of inferior opponents. The Jets are still fighting for a playoff spot and the Bears could be vulnerable.  They have the 30th ranked offense and their quarterback Jay Cutler is just as capable of throwing 4 interceptions as 4 touchdown passes.

"I feel our team plays best with our back to the wall, " said Sanchez, "We just want to get to the playoffs."

The Jets need one win to make the playoffs.  If Sanchez's shoulder is okay, the Jets road to the playoffs should be much easier.

New York Giants Will Have Dogs Ready For Vick On Sunday

Michael Vick better watch out what he wishes for because sometimes you get more than you want.  The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, who is enjoying an MVP caliber season after doing time for federal charges of dogfighting said, in a surprising request, he would like to have "another dog" as a pet.  The New York Giants defense may grant Vick his Christmas wish early this Sunday.

In an unbelievable year, after serving 19 months at the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, the troubled QB has taken over the Eagles starting job and is the front runner for Comeback Player of the Year.  All the talk of redemption means nothing to the Giants as they battle the Eagles in another "Turnpike Tussle" for a playoff spot.

The Giants will get a second chance at stopping the scrambling Vick.  The two teams meet Sunday at the New Meadowlands Stadium tied for first place in the NFC East and, pardon the poor cliche, and expect the Giants to come out like a pack of mad dogs.  The Giants can clinch a playoff spot by beating the Eagles and the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all lose.

During their first meeting on Nov. 21, the Giants pressured the Philadelphia QB with a variety of blitzes and held the free-wheeling QB to a total of 34 yards and he didn't account for any of the touchdowns in a 27-17 Giant loss to the Eagles.

Philly head coach admired Big Blue's defensive scheme.  He said they "had a great game plan."

That wasn't good enough for the Giants.  It just showed they could contain the speedy QB and keep him in the pocket.  They plan to prove they aren't scared of the dangerous Vick and charge him with increased safety blitzes.  The Giants D has 31 sacks this season and has already put six quarterbacks on the sidelines. Vick has been slowed down by a cracked sternum in recent weeks.

Giant safety, Deon Grant said, " A defense never plays scared."

Vick is not your typical offensive weapon.  He has thrown for 2,513 yards and rushed for an additional 483 yards.  "I'm just trying to be a leader," the re-invented quarterback said.

The Philadelphia offensive line's game plan is to offer added protection for their much-maligned QB.  On a wall in the Eagles locker room are six photos with the inscription "illegal helmet hits against defenseless players."  Below the images is the word "PROHIBITED" in red ink.

It is to remind the team about the number of questionable "hits" Vick's body has absorbed after he leaves the pocket and scampers for the sidelines.  Eagle players believe, even with all of the NFL's tough talk about illegal hits, there is a double-standard for Vick.  They are frustrated by the lack of calls from the referees and, among his teammates, believe it all leads to Vick's well-publicized past.

The Giants are going into the game with a shortened rest week, due to last Sunday's postponement and relocation of their winning game against the Vikings.  Expect them to hit the field with more than just bark.

Vick has made appearances on behalf of the Humane Society since being released from the pen, but is prohibited form owning a dog due to the conditions of his release from prison.  Vick claims he owned a beagle-mix while growing up in Virginia and said, " I could take care of an animal in my household."

On Sunday, he will be staring into a pack of eleven crazed animals in their household.

Vikings' Shiancoe Thinks The Lions Get Shafted By Refs

It's not normal for a professional athlete to have any sympathy for a rival team. The exception is Minnesota Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. He thinks the Detroit Lions are getting shafted by the referees. Shiancoe tweeted the following regarding some dubious calls in the Bears/Lions game.

Lions get the short end of the stick alot.. i wonder whats really going on. Happens to much


Just seeing that unnecessary roughness call on #90 on Jay Cutler in the Bears/Lions game.. This isnt flag football ..man


Many Lions fans feel the same way.