Are You Ready for Some Football

[Ming]

Continued from:
http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...hreadid=159972

Let it continue

[Ned]

I wonder what the expert's storyline is going to be now when comparing the Chicago Bears and the San Diego Chargers. San Diego's boast to being the best team is that they are the only team without any weaknesses. Chicago, in contrast, was supposed to be the team that everything but a quarterback. But in Sunday's games, Rex Grossman performed well. In fact, he lead all at a quarterbacks for the day. In contrast San Diego's quarterback, Rivers, stank up the field. So what are we to think today?

Well the current wag, is far as I can tell, is that San Diego still has no weaknesses because the know-it-alls ignore the poor performance of Mr. Rivers, but instead point out that the the Bears now have a "new" problem. Their "new" problem is a weakening defense to losses of Brown, Tank Johnson and Tommie Harris.

But even to the extent that this may be true, San Diego is no better than the Bears if both Rivers and Rex play like they did yesterday. I think the two teams, right now, are fairly even.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Isn't that completely ignoring the fact that Rivers has a 91.5 QB rating compared to a 77.5 for Grossman? And Grossman isn't that great at running with the ball to make up for that any.

I'd say that Rivers had a bad game, but every QB at some point has one (Tom Brady had an absolutely horrid game a few weeks ago against the Dolphins, but no one is saying that QB is a weakness for the Pats). He has been pretty consistent as a good QB this year.

[Ming]

The experts continue to ignore Chicago, and instead, go with the "flavor of the week" team. First it was, they haven't played anybody... and then when they beat some good teams, it seems those teams really weren't all that good... and then the QB sucked (which he did), and now the defense is in serious trouble, blah, blah, blah... and through all that, the Bears now have home field advantage through the play offs. May the "experts" continue to write the Bears off

[Imran Siddiqui]

I just think Bears fans have an inferiority complex. The reason why everyone is talking about AFC teams for the SB is because the AFC is the premier conference. There is a good chance that the NFC may have an 8-8 team make the playoffs (two teams with 7-7 records are tied for that final spot), while in the AFC a 10-6 team may be left out. The AFC has 4 non-division leading teams with 8 wins (one may have 9 wins if Cincy wins tonight), while the NFC has 1.

Of course people are talking about AFC teams. That's where most of the good teams are!

[Ming]

I have no problem with people talking AFC teams either, because I agree, there are far MORE good teams in the AFC right now.

I'm laughing at all the talk about the NFC.
Each week, the experts hustle out a new number one team, usually to be followed by that team getting killed, and a new number one team served up.

The Bears are 12 - 2 now, as good a record as the best in the AFC... no other team in the NFC is even close, but let the experts yet again try to find some other team to anoint as the best in the NFC. I look forward to which team they serve up in the NFC this week who they think is better than the Bears. But who knows, maybe this week they will finally give up and just claim the Bears are the best in the sorry NFC

[Imran Siddiqui]

Which experts hustled out a new #1 team in the NFC?! Like I said, there is this very wierd inferiority complex among Bears fans. Most people outside the Chicago area realize that when people are getting excited by what Dallas or New Orleans are doing, they are not annointing them as the #1 team in the NFC, but the Bears fans take it as some personal affront or something.

As people say about players who dance in the endzone, "Act like you've been there before", and not like you are an Arizona Cardinal fan who finds themselves winning their division or something.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Which experts hustled out a new #1 team in the NFC?! Like I said, there is this very wierd inferiority complex among Bears fans. Most people outside the Chicago area realize that when people are getting excited by what Dallas or New Orleans are doing, they are not annointing them as the #1 team in the NFC, but the Bears fans take it as some personal affront or something.

The experts at the Eastern Seaboard Propaganda Network... who for the last two weeks had first Dallas ahead of the Bears, and then when they got beat by New Orleans, put New Orleans above the Bears... those experts You should check out their power rankings... pretty funny stuff.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I didn't realize that everyone at ESPN was involved in setting the power rankings.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I didn't realize that everyone at ESPN was involved in setting the power rankings.

But I've also heard it repeatedly by many of the "football experts" when discussing the best teams in the league. They continue to say the Bears aren't as good as their record, and that other teams are better than their records, and better than the Bears.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Uh huh... and which football experts are these you are speaking of. It is kind of amusing when other people outside of Chicago don't see this bias, but every Chicago fan somehow does .

It actually reminds me of Yankee fans claiming the media has a massive bias against them and wants them to lose at every oppertunity, when the opposite is true.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Uh huh... and which football experts are these you are speaking of. It is kind of amusing when other people outside of Chicago don't see this bias, but every Chicago fan somehow does .

The experts at ESPN... Jaws, and others who do the weekly NFL shows. And anybody outside of Chicago is welcome to view the power rankings as written and posted by ESPN...

It's kind of amusing how some people like to ignore what's being said and printed

[Imran Siddiqui]

The amusing thing about the ESPN rankings is that Chicago has been in the Top 5 since Week 4, and were ranked number 1 for 5 straight weeks (and only fell after they lost to Miami, and dropped to 5 after they lost to New England). Recently they've been around the number 4 range, but mostly because Grossman got too inconsistent to raise them too high from the number 5 they fell too after their 2nd loss.

I fail to see how the ESPN poll has been dissing the Bears. After looking at the poll which is the cause of so much anger, I have to say that Bears' fans inferiority complex is even more pathetic than I initially thought.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Jaws is a Quarterback! Of course he's going to elevate teams that have good QBs over teams that don't. He believes that is what wins championships because that's the position he played! However, it is obvious that on the weekly ESPN shows Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, and da Coach are very up on the Bears. And if you really though Michael Irvin would put anyone ahead of his Cowboys (for obvious reasons), you are nuts.

[Ming]

Yeah... da Coach is to be expected... and while I've heard Tom Jackson sing the praises, I've heard Berman singing the Cowboys, and then the Saints.

And what you fail to mention in the power rankings is that for the last two weeks, they've had NFC teams with far inferior records ranked ahead of the Bears. If that's not dissing the Bears, I don't know what is

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yeah, they had the great story (Romo's Cowboys, Brees' Post-Katrina Saints) ranked one spot above the Bears with their inconsistent QB (who had a 1.3 QB rating the week that the 'Boys were ranked ahead of the Bears)... wow, what a dis. And wow... Berman thought the Cowboys with Romo or the Post-Katrina Saints with Brees were great stories.. what a dis to the Bears! Come on.

Please. Just admit you are overreacting to any percieved slight, even with a power ranking that had you in the #1 spot more than any other team this year.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Please. Just admit you are overreacting to any percieved slight, even with a power ranking that had you in the #1 spot more than any other team this year.

No overreacting at all... just laughing my ass off as the "experts" keep listing some team with an inferior record (by far) ahead of the Bears. While I don't mind some AFC teams being listed ahead (because they are better), it's a joke to see them adding a NFC team above them. Every team has some bad losses... and frankly, the Bears have less of them. Heck, even the Best Team in Football Chargers have two losses as well

[Ming]

It is kind of funny... they first put the Ravens ahead of the Bears in week 13... and then the Ravens lost in Week 14. Then they made the Cowboys ahead, and they lost the next week. And then they put the Saints ahead of the Bears for week 15, only for the Saints to lose. It's kind of like the Maddin curse.

[Donegeal]

Originally posted by Ming
It is kind of funny... they first put the Ravens ahead of the Bears in week 13... and then the Ravens lost in Week 14. Then they made the Cowboys ahead, and they lost the next week. And then they put the Saints ahead of the Bears for week 15, only for the Saints to lose. It's kind of like the Maddin curse.

Sounds like the NCAA ranking system and who was #3 all season. Someone kept getting slid up there and the debate was about wether Michigan was really #2 then whoever was put at #3 would loose, but the debate kept up until Michigan got screwed.

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Ming


No overreacting at all... just laughing my ass off as the "experts" keep listing some team with an inferior record (by far) ahead of the Bears. While I don't mind some AFC teams being listed ahead (because they are better), it's a joke to see them adding a NFC team above them. Every team has some bad losses... and frankly, the Bears have less of them. Heck, even the Best Team in Football Chargers have two losses as well

Put the Bears in the AFC West and they'd be 8-6. You've beaten up on the Lions, Packers, Vikings, Bills, and Niners. You barely skated by over the Cardinals and the Buccaneers. Unless the Bears employed some magic anti-field goal death ray, they had absolutely nothing to do with Neil Rackers missing the game winning field goal in Arizona.

If power rankings were supposed to be about wins and losses, they could just copy the standings and be done with it. The Bears' generally crappy play in games they should win easily has led a lot of people to believe they are not as good as their record. Deal with it.

[Ned]

The Bears, the NFC's dominant team with a 12-2 record, clinched home field in the playoffs Sunday. The top-tier NFC teams include New Orleans, Dallas and Seattle, but Chicago is the most complete NFC team. Here are five reasons the Bears will win the NFC title:


Defense: The Bears' D has led the way with dominating performances. Led by linebacker Brian Urlacher, this aggressive unit has taken the ball from opponents a league-leading 40 times (22 interceptions and 18 fumble recoveries). Even after losing Tommie Harris and Mike Brown to injury, this stingy group is fast and deep.


Special teams: Chicago's special teams are very special because the Bears emphasize the kicking and return games. Opponents must strategically game plan for Chicago's special teams. Devin Hester has been outstanding returning punts, kickoffs and even a missed field goal for touchdowns. Kicker Robbie Gould was perfect for most of the season, and punter Brad Maynard averages 44 yards. An excellent coverage unit keeps the net punting at nearly 38 yards. Thanks to its special teams, Chicago usually wins the field position battle.


Home field: The freezing wind blowing off Lake Michigan and rowdy Bears fans will give Chicago a big home-field advantage through the playoffs. Seattle was blown out at Soldier Field this season, and players from warm-weather teams New Orleans and Dallas must overcome the distraction of weather when playing the Bears.


Balance on offense: The biggest concern for Lovie Smith was his quarterback. Smith's confidence in Rex Grossman has been rewarded as the signal-caller has rallied from a serious slump. With a solid, veteran offensive line, three quality running backs, good receiving tight ends and an excellent and explosive corps of wide receivers, Chicago has all the weapons. As long as Grossman does not turn the ball over, Chicago will succeed.


Championship mentality: Credit general manager Jerry Angelo for putting together a talented roster and Lovie Smith for creating an atmosphere energized with high expectations. Chicago believes that every player has a role to contribute. When one area slips, another unit finds a way to help the team win. The Bears have found a way to overcome mistakes. When serious injuries have sidelined excellent players, reserves have stepped up and performed well. This is a team with a championship character.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/column...ean&id=2700758

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Ming


The experts at the Eastern Seaboard Propaganda Network... who for the last two weeks had first Dallas ahead of the Bears, and then when they got beat by New Orleans, put New Orleans above the Bears... those experts You should check out their power rankings... pretty funny stuff.

Damn that East Coast Media bias. They clearly favor teams on the East Coast, which explains why the Bears are being slighted in favor of East Coast teams such as the ones you mentioned.

Ming, you're a homer and a hack. I almost regret eschewing silly games for you.

[Ned]

The preseason favorites were Carolina and the Steelers. The Bears were ranked very low at ESPN. The Chargers were ranked pretty high, IIRC, higher than the Bears.

Well here it is in December and Carolina is one of the worst teams in football. The Steelers, though, have turned their season around. With a few breaks, they could still make the playoffs. Who'd of thunk it?

Another team on an improbable rise are the Titans. I didn't give them a chance against the Jags. Well, they won. And they too could reach the playoffs.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Jaguar

Damn that East Coast Media bias. They clearly favor teams on the East Coast, which explains why the Bears are being slighted in favor of East Coast teams such as the ones you mentioned.

Hmmm... last time I checked, the Cowboys were in the NFC East

[Imran Siddiqui]

[q=Ned]As long as Grossman does not turn the ball over, Chicago will succeed.[/q]

That's the key. Unfortunately we're never sure when Bad Grossman will rear his ugly head once again.

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
[q=Ned]As long as Grossman does not turn the ball over, Chicago will succeed.[/q]

That's the key. Unfortunately we're never sure when Bad Grossman will rear his ugly head once again.

Chicago's not likely to face Arizona in the playoffs, so they better keep Bad Rex under wraps.

[Ned]

Imran, I agree about Grossman. He is scary to a Chicago fan.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Ned
Imran, I agree about Grossman. He is scary to a Chicago fan.

Then I think you answered your own question about Chicago being talked about. No one is sure about Grossman yet.

[SlowwHand]

I am. He's too leaky a vessel to put much faith in.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Da Coach on Chad Johnson:

"This guy's crazy, but you gotta love him"