Why History Matters

by Al Yellon on Dec 26, 2005 9:24 AM CST in Chicago Cubs News

Think back to early September of 2005.

No, not about baseball, but about the football team that was named after our beloved Cubs. Yes, that's right -- the Bears took their name in the early 1920's (after starting life in downstate Decatur as the Staleys, after a long-defunct car dealership) to capitalize on the popularity of the Cubs.

Was there any one of you who thought that on the day after Christmas, the Bears would be one victory away from playing in the NFC Championship game? Or that they'd have a bye week in the playoffs, much less be in the playoffs at all, and then play a home playoff game?

I suppose some would seek out and criticize "Pollyannas" among Bears fans who were saying such things on September 10, the day before they started their season ignominiously with a 9-7 loss to Washington. Or maybe there were those who were even still thinking "playoffs" on October 10, after the Bears stunk out the joint against Cleveland, one of the worst teams in the league, and became 1-3.

Jeff is a Bears season ticket holder as well as a Cub season ticket holder, and as we were all discussing their prospects at the tail end of the Cub season, he and I and the rest of our bleacher group agreed that the Bears would be lucky to go 4-12 this season. The Chicago Tribune's so-called "experts" were a little more kind -- but even most of them didn't have the Bears as much better than a 7-9 club, and every one of them said they'd lose to the Packers on Christmas Day.

Well, reality sometimes has a way of biting those who think they know it all in the butt.

The Bears have had a special and magical season, and though they didn't seem this talented early on, they do indeed have a chance to make the Super Bowl.

The point of all of this is to say -- on December 26, ninety-eight days before the Cubs take the field to play a game that matters, we simply do not know how they are going to perform. Is it likely that, given the Cubs' current roster, they are a postseason contender? No, it's not. But the team has not taken the field. There could be more changes before spring training, or even Opening Day. And I remind the naysayers that before each of the four playoff seasons in my lifetime, that not a single one of those clubs was expected to do a thing (and in fact, three of those four seasons -- 1984, 1998 and 2003 -- were preceded by 90+ loss campaigns).

That's why they play the games.

Finally, and this is going to give you an indelible image that you will NOT be able to erase from your mind, and you'rewelcomeverymuch -- during our morning show today, while we were running Bears highlights, one of my colleagues, on seeing Muhsin Muhammad's TD catch in the first quarter, dubbed him Muhsin Squirrel.

"Muhsin Squirrel"

Told ya.

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agreed

you never know.

as i side note, i am taking a buddy to the cubs convention. fortune has graced me twice, because my dad's nieghbor has bears season tickets, and said we could come with him for any playoff games the bears have at home.
the problem is those are both now happening the same weekend, so i am stuck with the problem of having too much great stuff to do. its like having two hot dates for the same night.
anyways, my question is whether anyone knows or knows how to find out which day (sat or sun) the bears game will be after the bye week, i would appreciate it. if its sunday, i could probably do both. if its saturday, i would feel bad about bailing on my buddy to go to the game (i'm taking him for his 30th b-day).
advice, insight?

by tomas21 on Dec 26, 2005 10:09 AM CST reply actions

according to foxsports.com...

the bears will host a saturday game, time to be determined, on january 14. (sorry, no link skills here).

by dc60123 @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Dec 26, 2005 10:25 AM CST up reply actions

Here....

... is the link you're looking for.

The other game that day will be at Denver -- so the Bears will likely get the "early" game, meaning a noon Chicago time start.

Unless -- the networks decide to go with one game in the late-afternoon (CT) start, and the other in prime-time, which they've done before. In that case the Bears could wind up being the night game.

Expect an announcement sometime later this week.

by Al Yellon on Dec 26, 2005 10:47 AM CST up reply actions

I'm not a big football fan...

but I watch the games anyway. I even bought an Urlacher jersey, so I guess I'm a little bit of a fan now. I'm happy for all the Bears fans.

Cubbie Blue always sPaRkLes in my eyes. Time to sPaRkLe Jimmy!

by sparkles721 on Dec 26, 2005 10:39 AM CST reply actions

heh

my dad and I went nuts when we watched Favre sacked those 2 times at the end.

Good times.

2006 -- AC036097 -- Eamus Catuli!

by priorpwnz on Dec 26, 2005 11:52 AM CST reply actions

stretching a bit

The Bears were favored by a lot of our Chicago experts to win the division after Moss was traded and until Grossman was hurt. Comparing a crappy all around team to a Bears team missing a single piece is a bit of a stretch. I've said this about a 1000 times now here, but people criticize the cubs for the moves they make because they want to go into a season with a chance, I am sick of waiting for miracle seasons. Build a winner now.

by mike bornemann @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Dec 26, 2005 11:55 AM CST reply actions

agreed

one other difference is the coach/management. One is willing to make gutsy moves, the other is not.

One cuts the #2 QB after the #1 is probably lost for the season and starts a rookie. They dropped the #1 FS and started a rookie sixth round draft pick. One always shows they will play the guys with the most ability, the ones who work the hardest in practice and develops their talent.

The other team continues to make excuses for mistakes/poor performance and routinely fails at player development.

by csb059 on Dec 26, 2005 1:17 PM CST up reply actions

Sorry Al

But as much as this seems like a lie, I infact did pick the Bears to go to the Superbowl this year......kind of.......

Before every NFL season starts me and all of my buddies pick two teams, one NFC and one AFC. Originally I had picked the Bears and the Steelers. I had always thought that the Bears were solid defensively and that the quarter back situation had made them look like a worse team than they actually were.

So this offseason I took a long shot by picking the Bears to be my NFC team. I kept telling my buddies, " Bears baby! Urlacher is going to be unstoppable." Then Grossman got hurt AGAIN in the preseason and in a terrible panic I switched my NFC team to be the Jaguars. We're allowed to switch our picks as long as a regular season game hasn't been played.

Now I'm stuck with two teams who could POTENTIALLY not even make the playoffs, it's terribly saddening. Now when I talk about the Bears all my friends heckle me about, "That's not the team you picked man".

I want my picks to be in the SuperBowl but if the Bears make it I'll be just as pleased.

Also on a side note: I live in New Mexico and I used to get to see Urlacher play for the Lobos and I can tell you the man is a GIANT. And what was so speacial about him when he played for the Lobos was how fast and versatille he was (and still is)...back then he didn't just play one position.

by amaru on Dec 26, 2005 1:28 PM CST reply actions

Yes

"Was there any one of you who thought that on the day after Christmas, the Bears would be one victory away from playing in the NFC Championship game? Or that they'd have a bye week in the playoffs, much less be in the playoffs at all, and then play a home playoff game?"

While I wasn't set on the bye, there is a load of e-mail correspondence between me and your ex-neighbor dating back to July who both agreed that this Bear team was the likely division champ.

WSCR's Boers and Burnsy were also preaching NFC-N Champ Bears from training camp.

Lotsa people predicted this, although maybe not the extent.

See, when a football team has a proven good defense, a solid running game, two of the three other teams in the division clearly suck, and the third lost their best player in trade, it's pretty easy to predict success.

When a baseball team has only 2 position players who are any good and only has 1 starting pitcher who can be counted on, and the holes have only been there for over 2 years, being optomistic that the GM and and will address these holes is like wishing for a pony.

Then again, none of us were giving Jerry Angelo props for winning anything before it had been won.

by Ivychat on Dec 26, 2005 1:52 PM CST reply actions

Who's giving Hendry props?

... except for signing Juan Pierre, Bob Howry and Scott Eyre, all of which were good signings that filled club needs.

The Jones signing was bad. And I even said so. But is the club done? I don't believe so, and my point is that any team can go into the season with holes that appear to be there, only to discover that players suddenly gel, or have career years, or whatever, and learn to win together. Or maybe the team makes a late-spring training deal (as the Cubs did in 1984) that makes all the difference.

The converse is true too. There have been plenty of prohibitive favorites that have fallen flat on their butts. The 1985 and 2004 Cubs are good examples of this; the first due to injuries, the second due to... well, many factors which we all are well familiar with.

Point being, as Joaquin Andujar once said:

My favorite word in English is, "Youneverknow."

by Al Yellon on Dec 26, 2005 5:18 PM CST up reply actions

Oh and...

the Staley's name did NOT come from a dealership.

Methinks you confuse A.E. Staley of Decatur with the Humpmobile dealership in Canton, OH where the NFL was founded.

Anyone know the original franchise fee?

Rumor has it that Halas / Col. Staley never paid it.

by Ivychat on Dec 26, 2005 2:00 PM CST reply actions

Mea culpa....

... on the car dealership. You're right, I had them mixed up.

And yes, I heard the story about the Staleys/Halas never paying it.

I'd guess if that were adjusted for inflation/value of the franchise, the Bears would owe the NFL several hundred million dollars today.

by Al Yellon on Dec 26, 2005 5:11 PM CST up reply actions

Supposedly $100 bucks.....

....meant as symbolic only. At least that's the internet myth.

BTW - did anyone ever go to the 80 year Bears retrospective at the Field Museum about 8 years ago?

I'm wondering if they sold a book or the likes that might have been in the museum shop for the exhibit.

Besides the obvious - Go Irish.

by PopeFlick on Dec 27, 2005 8:28 AM CST up reply actions

Soybeans & Corn Starch

brought us the original Decatur Staleys. I'm sure you'll be facinated by these links:

http://www.thesoydailyclub.com/SFC/crushersAESMC01.asp

http://www.usacitiesonline.com/ilcountydecatur.htm

Be sure to click on "miscellany."

However, things have changed in the year 2005:

http://www.chicagobears.com/fancenter/staley.jsp

Hopefully, nobody here has actually BEEN to Decatur. I have, and if you have, please -- don't tell others. If you actually LIVE there, I'm sorry.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Dec 26, 2005 10:47 PM CST reply actions

Does Decatur still have that funny smell...

from the Staley plant? I haven't been there in years. If you've been through town when they're processing soybeans, you know what I'm talking about. (Of course, I'm one to talk--I live in the Garlic Capital of the World--in season, it really can stink for miles.)

It would be nice if there were official confirmation on the Bears playoff date soon. Some of us true believers have to buy our plane tickets to come for the playoff game(s). :-)

by bison on Dec 27, 2005 1:11 AM CST reply actions