Back when I was an Andy Frain usher, former Indians/White Sox owner Bill Veeck used to sit in the first row of the center field bleachers at Wrigley Field. A Tribune writer interviewed Veeck which was one of the funniest interviews I’ve ever read. One Q&A I’ll never forget: the writer asked Veeck what he would do if he owned the Cubs? Veeck responded that he would build lots of driveways at Wrigley Field. The interviewer was confused; what do you mean by that? Veeck remarked – “so I can back up the truck.” That is the status of the 2020 Chicago Bears.
The Bears have gone from Super Bowl contenders in 2018 posting a 12-4 record before losing in their first playoff game. The 2019 version showed significant regression in quarterback Mitch Trubisky which caused the fans and media to reign scorn down on Trubisky, Head Coach Matt Nagy, and especially GM Ryan Pace, who traded a number of valuable picks to move up one place in the first round to take Trubisky over Deshaun Watson and all world QB Patrick Mahomes. Nagy was brought in to develop Trubisky since he was a coach to Mahomes and worked under Andy Reid’s system.
Instead, Trubisky regressed every year. Attempts to clean up the mess included bringing in Nick Foles, the inconsistent QB who got hot and won the Super Bowl and Game MVP award for the Eagles, but who signed in Jacksonville and couldn’t keep the starting job (just as he had lost the job with the Eagles a couple of years before the Super Bowl. As it turns out, Foles couldn’t keep the starting job in Chicago either, with an injured and horrible offensive line, no running game to speak of and it appears week in and week out that Nagy is overmatched and whose offense has been as effective as Bambi was against Godzilla. Finally, back came Trubisky last night against the hated Packers. This time, two interceptions and a fumble lost for a Green Bay touchdown were Trubisky’s downfall as the Packers won 41-25 In a game that wasn’t that close.
The fan base is howling to fire everybody – Nagy and Pace and President Ted Phillips, even though he has little say in the football operation. Besides being cheap, the Bears never fire coaches mid-season, and I usually agree with that philosophy, but in the second half, down 27-10 the defense, the strength of the team obviously no longer cared. Huge holes opened for Packer runners; Aaron Rodgers looked like the best QB of all time, carving the Bear defense like a Thanksgiving turkey. I have always said that coaches need to be fired when they’ve lost the team and Nagy has lost this team. No one is listening to him on either side of the ball. Nagy said today that the team had to show character.
Nagy has lost the team and 5 more games with him on the bench is not going to make any difference. The offense is the worst since the fill-in-the-blank bad old days of Rick Mirer or Bob Avellini. The defense is let down by the offense and doesn’t care. Since we can’t fire the McCaskey family as owners, drastic action is required. No time to waste giving Nagy or Pace hope. Fire them now and beat the rush.

The 2020 election is over, but the division in the country is as yawning a chasm as ever. As much as some people don’t want sports and politics to mix, sport has always been an important step in racial equality. What does that mean now? There was the Colin Kaepernick incident and failure of the NFL to reinstate him remains a stain on the league, but so far, no player has asked to be traded based on a racist owner.
In the NBA however, superstars James Hardin and Russell Westbrook have asked for trades to leave the Houston Rockets. Harden, the league’s top scorer reportedly turned down a $103 million, two year contract extension. Both players are under contract for the next two seasons at $133 million combined, The Rockets are owned by Titman Fertitta, owner of the Golden Nugget Casinos and Landry’s a Texas based restaurant and entertainment company. He is also a huge supporter of Donald Trump. How much that has to do with Harden and Westbrook’s demands is unclear (Harden feels his championship window has closed in Houston and he wants to be traded to the Nets where Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irvin will play in 2020-2021), but it has been mentioned in the media.
Why is the NBA more political than the NFL? The NBA got rid of one of its own when they bounced Donald Sterling from the club after racist comments and his past discrimination against people of color in housing came to light. Plus, the NBA is overwhelmingly African-American and nearly all of the superstars in the league are Black, young, and not afraid to speak out since someone will employ them because they’re superstars. NFL Ownership are almost uniformly just to the right of Attila. They have a monopoly, and while this league is also predominantly African-American, the superstars, the quarterbacks are almost all white (although that’s changing rapidly with Mahomes, Watson and Lamar Jackson). Having sent a message with the banishment of Kaepernick, the black players are less likely to make a fuss, although again, that may be changing. In baseball, African-Americans make up around 6.5% of players, but if you add Latins, that percentage is about 33%. There is even less leverage in baseball.
.I bring all this up to ask, where are the fans in all of this? Should they be apolitical, if that’s even possible? By saying that athletes should “shut up and dribble/tackle/pitch” that is a political statement. These people don’t want the real world in their sports even though there is a rich history of athletes doing exactly that: Robinson, Clemente, Jim Brown, Bill Russell, Ali. All of these men faced public pressure on account of their stances. Today’s athletes are much richer, and the country is much more tolerant than in years past. But if you agree with the athletes, what should you do?
Let’s take the Chicago Cubs. Owned by the Rickett’s family whose matriarch authored emails that were leaked to the press with all kinds of racist content. One son, Pete, is governor of the conservative Nebraska, and was photographed on election night two weeks ago posing for pictures maskless, including holding a baby, in clear contradiction of strong recommendations to wear masks with the latest, deadliest outbreak of Covid-19. Nebraska has realized 14,000 new cases, up 14%. The only non-conservative in the family is sister Laura who is gay. Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javy Beaz don’t have a lot of choice in who to play for, there are only so many jobs in the Major Leagues. However, many people who are relatively progressive, hold their collective noses and go into Wrigley Field.
Long before the Ricketts bought the team, I lost my love for the Cubs: unknowing fans who were still happy after a loss because they at least saw a Sammy Sosa home run; and then scalping their own tickets and not sharing the revenue with the other team as required by MLB rules. OF course, Sosa is long gone and the Tribune Company that owned the Cubs are too. I didn’t change my stance, especially after finding out about Joe Ricketts’ past and reputation. The other kids try to hide Papa away for PR purposes, but they all know that he is still the richest member of the family by far. Todd, the most public owner of the Cubs led Trump’s Midwest Fundraising Campaign. I am very proud to have not given the Ricketts much money in all these years; the family and I attended the Northwestern-Illinois football games several years ago, the only time I’ve been in Wrigley Field since the Sosa game in 1999. Yes, the Marquis Sports network is on my satellite TV package, but it’s part of the bigger package, not easily removed. I also avoid Papa John’s pizza, Home Depot, Chick-fil-A, and of course, that pillow guy’s product.
As politics becomes more divisive (I think it’s time to split into two countries) everyone, players, fans, coaches and even owners need to decide where they stand.

When Derek Jeter took a minority interest in the Florida Marlins, there was skepticism. Up to then, celebrity owners in team sports hadn’t won much of anything. Maybe it was the dual championships by the Magic Johnson owned Lakers and Dodgers in the same year that broke the log jam. Plus, the Marlins made the playoffs this year for the first time in 12 years. Of course, for a franchise that began as an expansion team in 1993. In 27 years, they won two World Series, better than the Cubs, White Sox and Red Sox ended streaks and the current streaks by the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers.
With all of that positivity, CEO Jeter made another bold move by hiring 52-year-old Kim Ng as General Manager, the first woman to hold the position in Major League Baseball. As it turns out, the story has a local angle, Ng began her baseball career in 1990 as an intern with the Chicago White Sox. After that, she has spent 30 years in baseball; spent two years working in the American League office before the New York Yankees hired her. She became the youngest ever assistant general manager at 29. She contributed to three World Series Championships with the Yankees, then left for the Los Angeles Dodgers where she was vice president and assistant general manager. She spent the last 10 years as senior vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball.
As pleased as I am for this triumphant step, one has to ask why a woman has to work for 30 years before getting this opportunity. Ms. Ng is 52, Theo Epstein who is leaving the Cubs is 46 and has been the GM or Head of Baseball Operations for over 20 years meaning that he got the job in his 20s. This woman has had to wait 30 years to get the opportunity while the good-looking white guy was given an opportunity with no experience. Yes, Epstein did a great job and probably will do a great job somewhere else before he’s done, but to have an Asian woman work decades to get a shot, it is a bit disingenuous to be completely happy about this hiring other than giving this woman a shot at last.

Everyone knew that Theo Epstein would end his career with the Chicago Cubs soon. His contract expires in 2021 and Epstein has been talking about looking for new challenges. Today, instead of waiting for next year, Epstein resigned. The word is that GM Jed Hoyer will be moving up to the President of Baseball Operations job.
It makes sense for the Cubs especially. Now Hoyer can openly search for a new General Manager and have him/her (more on that later) installed in time for the Winter Meetings. It is expected that some of the Cub core that won the team’s first World Series in 106 years won’t be here next year, and since Chicagoans have a habit of falling in love with their athletes, it could be a tough PR winter for the North Siders.
Epstein has been quiet about his future plans with speculation that he wants to be a owner. Other say that the 46-year-old photogenic Epstein could have a future in politics.
No matter what happens, he headed the Red Sox when they broke their 80+ World Series draught, and ended the “lovable Losers” era at Wrigley Field. For that at least, he probably won’t have to buy himself a drink at any bar in Boston or Chicago.

Just as I was beginning to be alright with the White Sox hiring Tony LaRussa to be the team’s next manager, the PR wheels are coming off the decision. I was thinking – he’s a Hall of Fame manager, the young players on the team could learn from him, and he speaks Spanish so he should communicate with all of the Latino players. Never mind that he’s 76-years old, has been out of the dugout for nine years, was a staunch supporter of steroid cheat Mark McGwire, and has criticized athletes for participating in peaceful on field protests.
I should have added a previous drunken driving offense. Of course, it happened in 2007, so if it’s just the one time, everyone deserves a chance at redemption. The problem here is that LaRussa was arrested for DUI last February, then made the type of comments that makes my flesh crawl. It is the “Don’t you know who I am?” reaction to the police officer (never mind the fact that no one was injured after the traffic stop). It wasn’t good when Michael Irvin said it when caught with prostitutes and drugs in a Texas hotel room, and it doesn’t count now.
This is bad enough, White Sox fans were already dubious of the hire, which was obviously the work of Owner Jerry Reinsdorf who never got over Ken Harrelson firing LaRussa the first time he managed the White Sox. He’s too old – people said; he’s out of touch with today’s baseball in the use of advanced statistics. What made this story hit the front of the sports section is the fact that the team knew about the DUI arrest and hired him anyway. Reinsdorf is the owner and managing partner of the team, so he can do what he wants, but if he just ignored LaRussa’s drinking and driving history, it is extremely obnoxious. Drinking and driving has been taboo for decades now; again, if he did it once, that’s bad, but if no one was injured or killed, and there was not even any damage, OK – go forth and sin no more. It is obvious that Tony LaRussa has a problem in decision-making. If you’re overserved, catch a cab, set up a designated driver, what ever you need to do.
The team has refused to comment until the legal case is over, but top free agent pitchers have already ruled out the White Sox because of the uncertainty of having this very old possible alcoholic at the helm. Trevor Bauer, who just won the NL Cy Young Award and is one of the biggest name free agents available questioned the decision for the reasons I’ve listed above. Marcus Stroman another free agent who would have fit nicely in the Sox’ staff said that there was no way he would pitch for the Sox with LaRussa. It’s one thing to hurt the team in PR meaning butts in seats, which hits Reinsdorf right in the heart, but now, this blunder is hurting the team on the field. Most pundits say that the White Sox are a starting pitcher, DH and right fielder away from being serious World Series contenders. I’m fairly certain that Reinsdorf wants to win one more World Series before he dies, and on the face of it, bringing a three time World Series winner, seven time participant makes sense, but as in most sports, the game has changed, especially in communicating with and motivating young players. The attention around this incident will be a distraction to a young team who will miss Ricky Renteria, to many, the only MLB manager they’ve played for.
It’s not too late. AJ Hinch was hired by the Tigers and Joey Cora is going right back to Boston where he was when he and Hinch were suspended for cheating with the Astros in 2016 and 2017. Hiring either of them, despite their World Series pedigree, would have been an even greater distraction. I still think Sandy Alomar, Jr. would be a good fit. There are lots of other candidates available too, younger, closer to today’s analytics, closer in age to the players.
However, Jerry Reinsdorf is stubborn. Anyone who would allow a six-time NBA championship team with the GOAT Michael Jordan to be broken up to appease GM Jerry Krause, certainly won’t be swayed by LaRussa being convicted in the court of public opinion.
Chicago fans are tired of dealing with this very old, out of touch millionaire and White Sox fans will vote with their money and stay home.

Now that we are three games into the pandemic delayed 2020 Big Ten football season, there are stories coming to the fore. Some are not surprising – Ohio State remains the top of the conference and a National Championship contender. That however may be the only thing that all pundits would have said back in the summer that actually is true. Around the Conference:
• Wisconsin was expected to be the class of the Big Ten West, but lax rules in the whole state have taken their toll on the football team, which has cancelled two games already. They may be cleared to play this Saturday, but what happens if Wisconsin is forced to lose another game? They would be ineligible for not playing at least 6 of 8 games.
• Illinois has not won a game yet, and they looked particularly horrendous against Minnesota, a good team last year who hadn’t won yet this year until facing the Illini. The Illini have been outcoached, outhustled and undisciplined.
• Indiana is for real. Many thought they would be buried by the first three games that included Penn State and Michigan, but they have defeated both and an improved Rutgers team. If things remain as they are, a November 21st Indiana-Ohio State game could be interesting.
• Rutgers and Maryland have football teams. Rutgers is 1-2 and they are much improved. Maryland, who played Northwestern tough for a half then disintegrated, have who two straight beating Minnesota in OT, then stunning Penn State.
• At the bottom of the Big Ten East are 1-2 Michigan and 0-3 Penn State. Michigan has not just lost, but looked horrible doing it. Having never beaten Ohio State in his coaching tenure and gone 3-3 against Michigan State has the vultures circling Coach Jim Harbaugh. Brought back to his alma mater to compete for Big Ten titles and National Championships, Harbaugh’s teams have been marginally good to mediocre. Plus, Harbaugh is one of the highest paid coaches in the Big Ten and NCAA without results to show for it.
• Speaking of vultures (or lack thereof), Iowa has gone 1-2 losing to Purdue and Northwestern before getting it together against Michigan State. For my money, Coach Kirk Ferentz has fielded the most mediocre teams in the conference his entire career, making one wonder how he keeps his job. Add to that the allegations of racial bias and bullying that led to the firing of long time strength coach and Ferentz associate Chris Doyle. The university conducted an investigation that cleared Ferentz and his son, offensive coordinator Brian, but I just don’t see Kirk Ferentz to be a very introspective, listening coach.
• Finally, with a real offensive coordinator, Northwestern actually looks like a complete football team for the first time in years. The defense, always a strength, has been stellar, not having given up any point in the second half of the three games thus far. Meanwhile, with graduate transfer from Indiana Peyton Ramsey leading the team and a playbook that is much harder to discern from Mike Bajakian, Northwestern has already won as many games in this truncated season as they did all of last season.
Still, the shadow of Covid-19 looms. Wisconsin has been hit hard by the pandemic with the other teams seeing players lose time also. I was against even playing this season until next spring, but so far, it has worked out alright. Let’s hope it stays that way.

If you want to hear complaining, just call up a Chicago Bear fan. The Bears offense again didn’t show up yesterday against the Tennessee Titans, squandering a stout defensive performance that kept the NFL’s leading rusher Derrick Henry to 68 yards on 21 carries, and QB Ryan Tannehill to 158 passing yards. Overall, the ear defense held the titans to 228 total yards or 4.1 yards per play, far below the average of 385 yards per game and 6 yards per play.
Ordinarily, a great defense and weak offense are what Bear fans are used to, but the 2020 Chicago Bears have made the fans sick. The offense is mediocre in the first half of the game, absolutely horrendous in the third quarter, then streaky QB Nick Foles comes to life in the 4th quarter and wither come from behind to win, or fall just short. Yes, injuries have depleted the offensive line, making it difficult to run the ball, giving Foles little time to throw.
Meanwhile, the fans are restless. Now that the Mitch Trubisky Era is all but over (although you still hear some fans calling for Trubisky to start again showing once again that the most popular athlete in Chicago is the Bears’ backup quarterback, whoever it happens to be), GM Ryan Pace who bet his job on Trubisky is on a hot seat, at least in the press and among the fans. Coach Matt Nagy, Coach of the Year two seasons again is running an offense that looks like it is being drawn up in the dirt in a sandlot in the city.
Foles is once again showing that he is the most inconsistent Super Bowl MVP in history. Should the Bears have signed Cam Newton instead? Philip Rivers? They weren’t going to spend the money to bring Teddy Bridgewater or Tom Brady to town, and neither of them have set the NFL on fire themselves.
The question is – do the Bears blow-up the disaster and start over? Fire Pace and Nagy, release Foles and let Trubisky become a free agent? This may be the worst split personality of a team with a great defense and horrible offense since Jack Concannon was taking snaps while Butkus and Buffone were terrorizing offenses.
I don’t have the answer, but something’s gotta give. Owner Virginia McCaskey and her son, CEO George may not be as patient as they’ve been in the past. That’s all Bear fans have in terms of hope.