What Will 2009 Be For The Bears?

Adam Karnik — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:38:08 -0500

It was a tough pill to swallow when the Bears lost in Houston to miss out on the playoffs, especially when Oakland upset Tampa Bay and Philadelphia absolutely destroyed Dallas, meaning that they would have made the playoffs and had another rematch at the Roller Dome.

However, it was not all bad in 2008 as the Bears went 9-7 and were in the fight for the playoffs all season long. They averaged 23.4 points a game, up nearly a field goal per game from 2007 and found a RB for the next 10 years in Matt Forte.

Devin Hester took major strides as a receiver, showing that he can be a regular contributor on offense and not just a trick play guy. Unfortunately, it was not all good, either.

The defense unfortunately had a habit of giving up 80-plus yard drives and gave up more than 21 points a game for the second year in a row and Kyle Orton never was able to return to form after injuring his ankle midway through the season.

The Bears receivers also had a terrible habit of disappearing from games or dropping crucial, catchable balls. So what moves should be made in the offseason to get the Monsters of the Midway back to form?

There will be coaching changes for next year. The Bears released their secondary and linebackers coaches and the defensive line coach is headed for LSU to do the same thing.

But Babich, so far at least, is going to be retained as the Defensive Coordinator. Maybe Rod Marinelli will get the D-line working well enough to make Babich's Blitzing Cover-Two look good. The D-line was one of the most disappointing aspects of the 2008 Bears. They just disappeared too many times.

However, new talent shouldn't be needed. Tommie Harris can still excel at DT, Alex Brown is one of the most under appreciated DE's in the league and Adewale Ogunleye has shown that he can be an NFL sack master, not to mention Mark Anderson. If he can figure out how to play the run, he can be more of a regular contributor and get back to his rookie form.

As far as needs are concerned, the first has to be a true #1 WR, somebody for Orton or whomever winds up with the job to turn to as a regular go to guy. The WR staff currently is full of #2's on down, but no #1's. This position would be an excellent one to take care of in the first round of the draft.

Other needs include a true Free Safety and a Right Tackle. Some might throw QB into that mix and it certainly wouldn't be a bad idea to grab one in either free agency or the draft, but Orton showed enough early in the season to be a short to mid term solution while either Hannie or another QB is groomed.

If the Bears play their cards right, they can get back on top of the NFL.

Tough Night to be a Cubs Fan

Adam Karnik — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:31:29 -0400

Before I begin, I need to give you readers some background on myself. Football is my sport. I love it with a passion that is unlike any other love I have in my life, and the Chicago Bears are my team and I love them with a passion unlike any other love in my life.

But I am also a sports fan and I have a knowledge and respect of baseball as our country's pastime and I enjoy watching a baseball game as a casual fan. However, that has changed slightly over the past few years.

Going to college in Chicago, its very hard to not get caught up in baseball, especially the Cubs. The entire city seems to follow every pitch and every out and the mood of the city can change from day to day depending on how the Cubs did the night before.

I have met many Cubs fans from various walks of life and I can think of only one word to describe them: passionate. They truly and deeply love and care about their Cubbies.

No matter how the season is going, good or bad, Wrigley Field is always full of fans who follow every pitch, every out and care about the outcome of every game, even if it is totally irrelevant. They truly are some of the best fans in the world. Now I just want to say a few words to those fans.

I know that tonight was a brutal night for you. To have entered the playoffs less than a week ago only to find yourselves kicked out the door is a brutal emotional slide. And the knowledge that, once again, you'll have to endure some other team playing at the end of the season hoisting that trophy is now a harsh reality.

I know the smallest sampling of your pain, as my beloved Bears haven't won in over 20 years and that February night two years ago was one of the most agonizing nights in my life, but I can only imagine the anguish you must be going through.

But hang in there, be strong. Eventually that pain you are feeling will pass. It may take days, or even weeks, but it will pass. And when it does, it will bring with it a new energy and excitement as you get ready for a new season, a new chance to taste that championship feast (and if things get better with age, imagine how good a feast that's taken over 100 years to prepare will taste).

And this new season will bring with it new ownership which can bring a new and exciting edge to your Cubs. So hang in there, be strong. Because all losing streaks must eventually end, even one that has lasted 100 years.

Bleacher Report - Articles by Adam Karnik

What Will 2009 Be For The Bears?

Tough Night to be a Cubs Fan