Can you see it? There on the horizon BEAGLEDAVE?

The BBQ Pit
41

Up Mine? UP MINE?? That was quite a witty retort. Gee, I feel ashamed of myself.:rolleyes: Now if we can get back to dealing with reality . . . I NEVER said you cannot be happy with your team. What I said was I am tired of comparisons like the ones on ESPN last sunday morning between the 85 Bears Defense and the 2001 Bears Defense. I just want people to be realistic about the Bears. For crying out loud, Bears players are hinting about going to the Super Bowl. They may think it, and they should aspire to it, but to come out and say it 6 games in to the season is way, WAY too premature.

I was also taking a situation in my personal life (my friend lauding the achievements of James Allen) as an EXAMPLE of some of the many (and as I have way too many friends and relatives that are Bears fans I do mean many) instances I have experienced of people that overestimate the talent level on the Bears. What do I think would be accurate to say about the 2001 Bears? They are young, playing well, and have gotten some lucky breaks. They have a good coaching staff (with an outstanding linebackers coach) and were able to unload a bad front office guy on a division rival. (Hatley, no thank you for that one.)

But if I hear another freaking person claim that the talent level on the Bears is superior to that of the Packers, or in any way analogous to that of the 85 Bears, I think I am going to scream. Now, does that mean that they cannot win on Sunday? Of course they can win. The more talented team does not always win in the NFL. Does it mean that they are legitimate underdogs despite the records of the teams? YES!

You should have said: “Hell, MAYBE.”

Well, I don’t know about those two games but the one I watched was the Bears v. the Browns (and the end of the Bears v. 49ers game) and the impression I got was they are a pretty mediocre offensive team with a good run defense and a below average pass defense. Remember, if you go by the Ravens game the Packers look incredible but if you go by the Vikings game the Packers look inept. I put more stock in trends than I do in certain games.

  1. It means very little but it isn’t completely insignificant.
  2. Actually, they were awful for about 30 years.
  3. I don’t know that it had to end (please see the history of the Cardinals franchise for a reference) but I was pretty happy when it did.
  4. The Bears bad stretch has PROBABLY ended. Again, what I am trying to counter is inflated opinions.

The Bears haven’t accomplished a damn thing yet this season. Win the NFC Central (or even be leading it going in to the last few weeks), the NFC Championship or a Super Bowl and you can say: “Phew, it’s over.” Until then, 6-1 could easily be 9-7. And while that would be a huge improvement over past years, it would not mean all that much. Keep in mind, these Bears are a couple of lucky bounces from 4-3.

On a personal note, I agree with the sentiments of The Big Cheese. It just wasn’t much fun when the oldest rivalry in football was one team killing the other for years. It is more fun when they are both decent.

42

Overall, I think that’s a pretty fair analysis, and after reading the above, Thras… I just got one thing to say…

You ain’t such a bad guy.

[sub]For a Packers fan.[/sub]

:slight_smile:

(And for the record, yes, I’m a Bears fan. Yes, they’re pretty damn talented this year. Equal to or superior to the '85 Bears? No way. We may not make it to the Big Show this year, but I’m just happy to see them playing well and being competitive. And Sunday’s gonna be one hell of a game.)

43

I believe that “up yours” is a perfectly valid retort to use in the pit. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is pretty mild and restrained. Furthermore, how can you claim to know how talented or untalented the Bears are? You say that you have only seen the Browns game and the very end of the 49ers game. That is but a small portion of our season, and for you to claim, based on the small amount that you’ve seen, that you are better able to determine how talented our team is than those who have seen every second of their games this year is unbelieveably pompous and arrogant on your part. Yes you guys have been the better team in recent years. SO THE FUCK WHAT?!? That was then this is now. We weren’t very good last year, but what the hell does that have to do with this year?

I guess that we’ll just have to see what’s what on Sunday won’t we?

GO BEARS!!!

44

Thanks, Zanshin.

Now, on to Airbeck.

Do you think this Bears team just sprouted out of Soldier Field from nowhere? While I haven’t seen the Bears play every game this year, I have been an avid college and pro football watcher for 30 years and I remember some of these guys from earlier seasons, from when they played for other teams, and from college.

Need an example? How about RW McQuarters? Is he playing better than he has in the past? Yes. But that isn’t saying much because he was mostly a bonehead when he played for 49ers. Then take guys I have watched through previous seasons (e.g., Fred Baxter and Walt Harris) and have never believed to be more than journeymen or solid backup players. So, YES, I can have an opinion on how talented the team is. (In previous years I have made comments to friends of mine that the Bears would be a much improved team in that year only to have them underperform their talent level. Well, so far this year they seem to me to be playing better than their talent level would suggest.) That opinion may need to be revised as the season goes on, but as of right now I don’t see any need to make drastic changes.

45

Thrasybulus

Ok, I may have gotten a tad overzealous before. You seem like one of the more reasonable Packer fans that I’ve spoken to this week. It’s just that I have been in on some pretty heated discussions this past week between Packers fans and Bears fans and I’ve grown tired of hearing my team constantly trashed and belittled about being lucky and playing way over our heads, and that we won’t keep it up, and we’ll always suck etc…

So, when you said that Bears fans that think that the team is immensely talented should “catch a fucking clue”, I got a little defensive. I do think that we are pretty talented, however, I don’t think that I’d use the word ‘immensely’. So I think that you can understand my exception to that particular comment. That being said, I do think that some people may be getting a little bit carried away over the Bears, but I’m just saying that if they want to it is their right. I mean, for crying out loud, we’ve sucked for a while now and you can’t blame us for getting jazzed about being 6-1.

Anyway, Hopefully we’ll have a great game on Sunday and neither team will suffer any serious injuries or anything.

Good Luck an Sunday (but, not too much good luck ;))

GO BEARS!!!

46

Airbeck-

Ok, now I am not sure what to think. There seems to be consensus developing in the Pit, and among Packer and Bear fans no less. (Is this one of the Biblical signs of the Apocalypse?) The “catch a fucking clue” comment was a combination of my reaction to some overzealous Bears fans I know and an, albeit poor, attempt at hyperbole. (I gotta work on being meaner and more abrasive for dramatic effect.) Oh well, I too think it will be a good game and I hope it isn’t marred by any injuries. And I believe there is one thing we can all agree on . . . Randy Moss is a lazy crybaby.:smiley:

47

He and Cris Carter are both Cry-Babies. Randy Moss is also a pussy. Did you ever notice the way he avoids contact. Against the Bears, he caught a ball and ran out of bouds like 15 yards before contact to avoid a hit. He cost his team like 10 yards at least due to his cowardice and hesitance to turn the ball up field. It was one of the wimpiest plays I’ve seen.

The way that Randy and Cris spent the entire game agianst the Bears bitching and whining and screaming at the QB and the head coach was one of the most pathetic displays I’ve ever seen on a football field. I was embarresed for them watching that game.

48

I just wanted to add that if a Bears fan and a Packers fan can come to a peaceful agreement, in the BBQ pit no less, then there just might be hope for us all. Or maybe it means that the world is ending and we should all panic.

49

And let’s not forget Detroit! Will they ever win??? :slight_smile:

And those dreamsicle uni’s of the 80’s and 90’s Bucaneers were the worst ever! hah! :slight_smile:

Can’t wait for noon, sunday!

50

In less than 24 hours somebody will be eating crow or will have developed a very short memory.

Any body know what the Vagas spread on this thing is?

51

Packers by 3.

52

GB by 2 1/2 O/U 37

53

:slight_smile:

54

Bad news, Bears…

:smiley:

Sam

55

That’s it? I go out and rake, come in and all I see is 2 messages?? Well, we’ll see about that!

Good game, I think the Bears are going to finish 2nd in the division. I just can’t see TB or Minn. overtaking them, they ain’t that bad. Good D. And coming from a life-long bear hater, that’s saying a lot.

What the hell was Darryl Johnston doing in the booth. Did he say more than 5 sentences, or did I miss something? Aikmann isn’t too bad. And I can only guess as to how much Jarbabyj missed John Madden this week, maybe next time. :wink:

56

So, the Bears definitely have improved. The defense was stronger than I expected, but the offense did not do anything to dissuade me from the opinion that it is still pretty mediocre.

Go Pack! #1 in the NFC Norris. (Thanks to the tie break.)

57

I hate to intrude (tee hee, tee hee), but I’ve got this fairly fresh, albeit dead, crow here. It’s plucked, dressed and all ready to go in the oven. Sort of stringy, though. Where do I send this thing? Or do jarbaby and begledave want to come out here for the grand ceremonial eating of the bird.

58

Zanshin:

I am eagerly awaiting the 1,000 word essay on why the Packers are a great team. Here’s some hints:

Publically Owned.
Small Town.
Great History.
Storied Francise.
Frozen Tundra.
Knowledgable, tried and true, fun-loving fans who can laugh at themselves.
Season tickets sellouts.

Just to get you started. Heeheehee.

jarbabyj

Heehehehehehhheee.

59

Ya know, Hamlet, gloating is never pretty. :slight_smile:

(You’ll have the essay later this week. Poop. Damn you, Bears…)

60

It was a fun game to watch. baby beagle was pleased.

See ya in Lambeau.