Bears Buzz: Can Bears Fly By Falcons?

Bears Buzz is the new segment which provides insight, analysis and below-the-belt shots at Chicago's opponents throughout the year. After a bye week, the Chicago Bears march into Atlanta to take on the Falcons.

Diamond In The Rough? SIU Sure Hopes So

Maybe Diamond Taylor should have gone to the Southern Illinois University in the first place.

The 6-foot-4 guard was once pursued by Big Ten schools such as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Purdue.  Southeastern Conference schools such as Kentucky and Vanderbilt, along with Wake Forest of the Atlantic Coast Conference.  Missouri Valley Conference foe Bradley also had an interest in Taylor, who eventually chose Wisconsin over the rest.

The talented guard from Bolingbrook is on his way to the Carbondale campus via the University of Wisconsin after being suspended, then booted from the Badgers' basketball program after he and teammate Jeremy Glover were charged with burglary and underage drinking.

In an interview with ESPNChicago.com, his former AAU coach Mike Mullins (yes, father of future Saluki Hall of Famer Bryan Mullins) said going to SIU would be a good fit for Taylor.

"It'll be a great opportunity for him to get back into basketball and on the road to doing positive things with his life. He made a foolish mistake, and he has paid the penalty for it. There's no excusing it. He's accepting the consequences."

It's not necessarily the story some Saluki fans want to hear after the Ryan Hare arrest, but if there is anyone Saluki fans should trust, it has to be Mike Mullins, right?  Mullins has sent some pretty talented players down I-57, including his son, and junior forward Carlton Fay.  The Mullins family and Lowery family are close, so I do not feel as if the senior Mullins would send a bad apple down to Carbondale.

Taylor was not only one of the best recruits in the state of Illinois when he graduated, but he was also among the best in the nation.  His talent and body style alone should make Saluki fans giddy about this get.  He will likely have four years of eligibility after redshirting last season with the Badgers.  He'll be a third-year "freshman" -- like many SIU undergrads.  But it really is hard to focus on the on-court stuff when the off-the-court issues loom large.

When Taylor finally takes the court, he will be surrounded by what should be a team on the brink of something special.

Kevin Dillard, Ryan Hare, Anthony Booker and Nick Evans will be juniors.  Kendal Brown-Surles, Gene Teague and Jordan Myers will be sophomores, with the possibility of Myers being a redshirted freshman.  Carlton Fay, Jack Crowder and John Freeman will be seniors, while Justin Bocot will be in his third year with the Salukis and classified as a senior, but is currently on the path to gaining a fourth year of eligibility.

Anyone afraid of Taylor's cloudy past should try to remember the name Roland Roberts.  He was a transfer from a power conference school with a questionable past.  Roberts was able to shake off his baggage and lead SIU to two NCAA Tournaments including a very successful Sweet Sixteen season in 2002.

Sometimes a change of scenery can benefit a player off -- and on --  the court. SIU head coach Chris Lowery is no stranger to dealing with baggage-filled ballers.  Balancing the addition of Taylor with the suspension of Hare could be Lowery's biggest challenge.

But those are the things one must deal with when they make $750,000 per year.

Is Terrell Owens The Missing Piece In Chicago?

 Photo via

The good news is that there is a player on the open market that can help the Chicago Bears.  He has averaged more than 1,100 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns per season over the last three years.  And in the biggest game of his career, he caught nine balls and racked up 122 receiving yards.

The bad news is that his name is Terrell Owens.

Where Should TBDS Go?

It's been a long time since The Big Dead Sidebar has taken a trip to the ballpark.  OK, not that long.  Still, it would be nice to get back on the open road and take in a ball game.  Especially if it is within driving distance and is to a place TBDS' staff has yet been to.

Trips to see NBA and NHL games are forthcoming in the future, but right now, a trip to a NFL destination is on the front-burner.  Being in southern Illinois, the options are limited for NFL games.  But after a lunch break full of research, I've targeted the following games in the following cities.

ST. LOUIS

• Colts @ Rams (Oct. 25, noon)
• Saints @ Rams (Nov. 15, noon)
• Cardinals @ Rams (Nov. 22, 3:05 p.m.) 
  

INDIANAPOLIS

• Texans @ Colts (Nov. 8, 1 p.m. ET)
• Patriots @ Colts (Nov. 15, 8:20 p.m. ET)

TENNESSEE (Nashville, Tenn.)

• Cardinals @ Titans (Nov. 29, 1 p.m. ET)
• Dolphins @ Titans (Dec. 20, 1 p.m. ET) 
  

CINCINNATI

• Bears @ Bengals (Oct. 25, 3:15 p.m. ET)
  

KANSAS CITY

• Chargers @ Chiefs (Oct. 25, noon) 
  

I know you're asking why I chose these games?  Most of which are within a decent driving distance.  Also there are some interesting storylines to follow.

The Rams suck, but they will play host to some high-powered offenses as the Colts, Saints and Cardinals come to the Dome in St. Louis.  The Gateway to the West is the closest city to travel to, and is the city I am most familiar with among the prospective NFL towns.  If the Rams were good, the games might be worth more.

Indianapolis is a four-hour drive that seems to be manageable.  The Colts' most intriguing games include what could be a shootout with the Texans and a barn-burner against arch-rival New England Patriots.

Nashville is one of two cities on this list I have never been to, but comes with high praise from friends that have been to the city.  The Titans host the high-powered Cardinals.  And I've always wanted to see what the Wildcat would look like live.  The drive to Cashville is about three hours.

The least-likely destination is Cincinnati.  The drive is one that is nearly five-and-a-half hours, which is similar to the one I would make to sweet home Chicago.  But I've never been to Cincy before and would be very intrigued by the idea of eating Cincinnati's world-famous chili, tweeting with @OGOchocinco and hanging out with Cedric Benson and a crew of attractive single white females on a boat.  That trip would surely end with several intakes of road beef.

KC is the longest of the long shots, but again, comes highly recommended.  Especially, its tailgating.

Several games were eliminated because of schedule and holiday conflicts.  (Not to be confused with Holliday conflicts.)  College suggestions will also be accepted.

Your vote will be taken into consideration.

So, where should we go?

Where should TBDS go next?

• Colts @ Rams (Oct. 25)
• Bears @ Bengals (Oct. 25)
• Chargers @ Chiefs (Oct. 25)
• Saints @ Rams (Nov. 15)
• Cardinals @ Rams (Nov. 22)
• Texans @ Colts (Nov. 8)
• Patriots @ Colts (Nov. 15)
• Cardinals @ Titans (Nov. 29)
• Dolphins @ Titans (Dec. 20)

Created on Oct 13, 2009

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poll by twiigs.com

Fraudtober: Where Amazingly Bad Happens (With Poll Question)

[Ed. Note: If the NBA is where amazing happens, then Fraudtober is where amazingly bad baseball happens.  It seems that every October brings a goat -- and being a Cubs fan -- I know October failure when I see it.  So after every round of playoffs, there will be a poll after the jump to see who will be named each round's OctoberFraud.  In the end, we'll take all the winners and pit them against one another.]

Matt Holliday was not the only star to fall in October.  Check out the rest of the OctoberFrauds after the jump.

Cedric Benson, Kyle Orton Enjoying Post-Chicago Renaissance

 

Cedric Benson spent a lot of time on his back in Chicago. Now he's (statistically) the best running back in the NFL in 2009.

Cedric Benson is leading the NFL in rushing with 487 yards on 111 carries.  Kyle Orton has completed 63 percent of his passes, thrown for 7 touchdowns and his only interception went to Randy Moss.

So, how are the Bears only 3-1.  Oh, that's right.  Neither plays for Chicago anymore.

Despite said 3-1 mark to open the season, GM Jerry Angelo and head coach Lovie Smith are taking some heat for letting these two walk the plank.  Those coming from that angle have misplaced their anger.

Does Announcer Eddie Olczyk Ever Stop Working?!

Chicago Blackhawks fans have loved many things the last few seasons. You have the "Chelsea Dagger" song after a goal, Jim Cornelison singing the anthem, and a very exciting team on the ice.

The fun does not just happen at the United Center, but it is also felt in the living room. Pat Foley is "the man" at play-by-play, but alongside him, there has been another great addition recently.

Eddie Olczyk loves hockey, has passion in his voice, and explains the game with such clarity that even a rookie to the hockey viewing process can understand. Plus, the great thing about him is that he is everywhere. Blackhawks fans hear him throughout the season on Comcast Sports Net and WGN, he is also the lead analyst on the NHL on NBC, and he does many games for Versus.

Chicago was on Versus last night, so there was no Pat Foley. Yet, you do get Olczyk and that adds to the love of the Hawks. The big comeback from being down 5-0 was enhanced by your own analyst, just as the experience was during the Winter Classic and the postseason last year.

The idea of hearing your own announcer on a national telecast is pretty cool. The Boston Red Sox had it this postseason with Don Orsillo on TBS, although that Boston run ended pretty quickly.

It is also nice that Olczyk never gives away that he is the Hawks' analyst. This is hard to do on a national telecast, considering he works for the Blackhawks throughout the season. Orsillo or a FOX baseball announcer runs into this problem occasionally. Yet Olczyk is on the national telecasts all the time, and the Hawks will be on national TV a good amount this season.

This is just another reason to love the Blackhawks. Foley and Olczyk, Mike Emrick and Olczyk...it doesn't matter. The Hawks' analyst is good on every telecast, and there are certainly a lot to choose from.

Who Needs Goaltending?! Okay, Just Kidding

Wow! It is hard to describe what just happened at the United Center. A crowd of 20,074 will tell you the same thing after the 6-5 overtime win over the Calgary Flames. We are five games into the season and two into the home portion of the season. In those two games, the Chicago Blackhawks have set a franchise record for longest shootout and now a franchise record for biggest comeback.

The Blackhawks had six different players score, something that they do every night (not the 6 goals, but the wide range of scorers...although 6 could be a regular thing). They were down 5-0 to Calgary faster than pitchers Jonathan Papelbon, Ryan Franklin, Joe Nathan and Houston Street could blow a save.

John Madden gets a goal near the end of the first period, but they are still four goals behind. The naive, weird fan could say that this gives them momentum and the fact that they are outshooting the Flames, 16-10, gives them hope. Well, maybe it isn't so weird. Mikka Kiprusoff is supposed to be a very good goalie, and he is. Yet Chicago made him look horrible, just as they did at times during a first-round playoff win last season.

The Hawks offense tends to do that to goalies, and you still have free-agent Marian Hossa rehabbing and maybe coming back in November. Now speaking of bad goalies, though, Cristobal Huet had a rough night. Some were not his fault, but he was definitely in bad position at times. Plus, giving up three goals in less than a minute is never a good thing.

I am not sold on Antti Niemi in net either, but he did a pretty solid job in helping the Hawks come back. Still, this goaltending is a bit of an issue. Yet, the offense certainly is not. I wouldn't make a habit of getting down 5-0, but this team can certainly score in bunches. It is safe to say that Chicago has one of the best offenses in the NHL...just ask the Calgary Flames.

More Dumb Questions From Cubs Fans? Don't We Have Anything Better To Do?

Last time I did this, I had a lot of fun reading Cubs.com beat reporter Carrie Muskat's inbox where she answers people's dumb questions about the Cubs with remarkably dumb answers.

So here are some better answers to your stupid questions that you left in Carrie's box.

Home Sweet Home for the Hawks

Another year of wild crowds and wild hockey games began this evening at the United Center. Chicago will probably lead the NHL in attendance once again this season, and the home season started with 20,655 fans inside the UC on Saturday.

As for the game, well, there may not have been a better way to begin the home schedule. Was it the best game the Hawks will play this year? Well, I hope not. Are there issues that need to be worked out? Yes.

Yet, in the end, Andrew Ladd's goal in the NINTH round of a shootout gave the home team a 4-3 win over Colorado. It was the longest shootout in franchise history, and this back and forth contest gave the big crowd plenty to cheer about and kept them on the edge of their seats.

Cristobal Huet may not be the best goaltender, but he stepped up in the shootout. There is still some concern, though, in how Huet will perform throughout the season. Any goaltending would be nice considering how many goals the offense should score this year. And how about their defensemen? Duncan Keith, Brian Campbell, Brent Seabrook and company have scored or assisted on 11 of the 12 goals the Hawks have scored in regulation this year.

There is speed, timing, and a lot of flash in the Hawks offensive attack. The Avalanche saw that tonight and so did 20,000-plus at the United Center. The season's opening month is filled with home games as Chicago plays on the road just two times in the rest of October. The other seven games will have more wild Hawks fans cheering on a very exciting team.