Hey, What's Going on Here?

How long has it been since the Bears won in Dallas? The last time it happened, Walter Payton was the leading rusher and Doug Flutie started at QB. How does a team break a streak like that, especially when they're a seven-point underdog? Making solid in-game adjustments helps - having the QB use a short drop and quick release to counteract a vicious pass rush, and deciding it's OK to throw the ball near the goal line, for example. So does forcing three turnovers while not turning the ball over once. It all added up to a 27-20 win and a 2-0 start for the first time since the 2006 NFC champions did it.

When Calvin Johnson apparently grabbed the football in the end zone late in the game last week, it looked like a loss to the Lions, and with games at Dallas, home against Green Bay, and at the Giants looming, an 0-4 start seemed likely. Now, the Green Bay game next Monday will be for the early lead in the NFC North, and the worst the Bears could be after their tough-looking season-opening stretch is 2-2. And while the Packers look very good right now, the Giants didn't look so hot tonight. After that, the schedule softens up a bit (at Carolina, Seattle, Washington, at Buffalo). I don't want to get too far ahead here, but a 6-2 start is not out of the question. Granted, the second-half schedule looks imposing, but it's at least possible that I won't have to wait until college basketball season starts to have a little sports excitement.

Mr. Bright Side

Today I'm choosing to look at the bright side of things.

Let's start with the Cubs (3rd highest MLB payroll), who beat the Mets (5th highest MLB payroll) in the battle of "teams who are getting the least bang for their buck". Thanks to winning seven of Mike Quade's first ten games as manager, the Cubs now have 58 wins. With 27 games left, they only need to go 5-22 to avoid losing 100 games, and 9-18 to exceed the win total of the putrid 2006 Cubs (which was looking doubtful not too long ago). Hey, why stop there? If the Cubs can go 15-12 the rest of the way, they wouldn't even lose 90 games! Go for it, Cubbies!

On to the Bears. Instead of panicking about a winless preseason, consider this - in 2008, the Detroit Lions went 4-0 in the preseason, then proceeded to go 0-16 in the regular season. Therefore, it's only logical to expect that a team that goes 0-4 in the preseason will go 16-0 in the regular season! It's official - you can book your tickets to Arlington Texas for Super Bowl XLV!

And to top it all off, college football starts tomorrow too! All this good fortune at once!

Hey, How Did an Optimistic Post Get in Here?

Reading this article about incoming Illini freshman Jereme Richmond, I can honestly say that I am one frustrated fan. Frustrated that I have to slog through the rest of a worthless baseball season and a big chunk of mediocre Bears football and sub-mediocre Illini football seasons before I might get to see a team that I root for have a special season.

I guess I've waited almost four years for him to finally suit up in Orange and Blue, so what's another 3 1/2 months? Still, waiting for the season to start is tough, especially when his coach says something like this:

"He brings a lot to the table," [Coach Bruce] Weber said. "We have a veteran squad with four very solid seniors and some good sophomores. Maybe he can be the versatile guy, the missing link that makes the difference for us really making a strong run this upcoming season."

OK, that's enough optimism for now. I promise I'll get back to more pessimism soon.