Latest News
The Chicago Bears have seven victories and five Pro Bowl Players. The Green Bay Packers have 14 victories and seven Pro Bowl players. Meaning the Bears are better than the Packers in at least one category: Pro Bowl player per victory. If the mathematical department at elliottharris.com has this all figured out (and there really is no guarantee of that) the Bears have a .714 percentage to the Packers’ .500. So take that, Green Bay!
Cheerleaders can provide diversion for a struggling team. Credit: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
And the numbers don’t lie. Of course, the numbers don’t tell the truth either. All they are are numbers. Meaning they are open to interpretation — if you are so inclined.
And the Bears are the only team with a losing record that has as many as five players picked for the trip to Hawaii. So take that, every other NFL team!
What all this means is very little. If that much. The Bears have some proven players in linebackers Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher, a veteran cornerback making his first appearance in Charles Tillman, a special-teams player (not named Devin Hester) making his first appearance in Corey Graham and an injured running back in Matt Forte.
And what good did it do them this season? Good enough to be mediocre. Of course, there’s no telling how well they might have done if all the players — especially quarterback Jay Cutler — had stayed healthy. Of course, that is what unsuccessful teams sell: hope. Not necessarily rational thought, but who wants that anyway?
There always is the illusion (or is it delusion?) that somehow everything would have been different — or at the very least better — if not for an injury here, a dropped pass there, etc. A healthy Jay Cutler would have been better than Caleb Hanie. That much is safe to say. Which isn’t saying much. A healthy offensive tackle in rookie Gabe Carimi would have made a big difference. Perhaps. Instead Carimi ended among the rookie leaders in in-season surgeries. Not exactly a compelling category upon which to build a hall of fame career.
The Bears did place Forte and Cutler on injured reserve Tuesday. Meaning they won’t be playing Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings in the season finale. Meaning Bears coach Lovie Smith will have to find something else to create interest for the media. Also meaning Forte won’t be playing in Honolulu on Jan. 29 in what has to be the least entertaining of pro sports all-star games (sorry if anyone who actually attends and/or watches the contest is offended; nothing personal).
Players who are in the Super Bowl will be replaced in the Pro Bowl. Meaning you just might see more Bears than Packers in the Pro Bowl.
Having a cheerleading squad is no guarantee of a playoff berth. How sad.
Perhaps the most compelling component of Pro Bowl roster changes will be to see which player comes up with the best excuse not to show up. But that’s for folks who follow those things to let you know about. Chances are this is the last of any Pro Bowl coverage for this season — with the possible exception of the game’s cheerleaders. And there will be no Bears cheerleaders because there have been none since 1985, the only season when the Bears actually won a Super Bowl.
OK, cue the video: