Chicago.com
The wait is finally over.
Football season is officially here.
Yes, it is only the preseason but is so refreshing to see football on TV again. It’s been a long summer of atrocious play by the Cubs and while the Sox are doing well thus far (sort of fading away in the last week or so), baseball just hasn’t swept the city this year. The White Sox fans will surely disagree with that statement but the fact is that this is more of a Cubs town than a Sox town, hence the reason for my argument. With the Bulls having struck out LeBron, D-Wade and Chris Bosh, even that didn’t turn out the way all of us hoped it would. Some free agents signed here but not the biggest of names like most predicted and hoped for.
This is where football enters this discussion.
Chicago is and always will be football town first and foremost. Bulls, Cubs and Blackhawks fans who would like to argue with that, please make your best case. I’m willing to listen to any compelling cases but I doubt anyone will bring anything substantial to the table. This city and its people love the Bears and everyone is excited for the new season following the disappointment that was last year.
On Saturday the Bears had their first preseason game and I have to admit it was a bit of a let-down after so much hype in the training camp. For a couple of weeks now we heard about the “new” Mike Martz playbook and his great relationship with Jay Cutler. For weeks we heard about the new and improved O-line under the new O-line coach Mike Tice. For weeks we heard that the addition of Julius Peppers and the return from Brian Urlacher will bring back the defense to more than just respectability. We even heard that Cutler might play more than just one drive, perhaps even a first half.
So, what happened on Saturday night?
It is the first preseason game and not much should be made of the 25-10 loss to the Chargers but there were some things to like and some that will concern Bears fans.
Jay Cutler only played 8 plays and threw the ball twice. Yes, he connected on both throws to Johnny Knox which was good to see but he also got sacked.
The running backs did not impress as much as they should have. Matt Forte and Chester Taylor couldn’t get anything going on the ground while 3rd running back Khalil Bell did have some nice runs even if it didn’t account for much yardage.
The offensive line allowed six sacks and gained only 48 yards rushing – not impressive numbers by the unit that’s under the biggest scrutiny coming into the season. The fans were told that this unit will be improved under Tice’s tutoring but after the first game it doesn’t seem to be much improvement, yet. The sack on Cutler was not the O-line’s fault as Bears running back Matt Forte completely whiffed on a blitz, something he will have to correct before the season starts.
The tight ends were really not heard from this game, except for Desmond Clark missing a block.
The receivers were one of the bright spots, Devin Hester attracted a lot of attention, Knox caught those two passes from Cutler and Devin Aromashodu caught the lone touchdown pass along with over 70 yards receiving.
The defensive line didn’t cause as much havoc as everyone would have hoped for, although star acquisition Julius Peppers didn’t really play much and even when he was in the game he was neutralized by the Chargers quick pass offense.
The linebackers proved that they are 5-6 deep and it was a nice sight to see Brian Urlacher delivering hits again. After missing almost the entire last year with wrist surgery, the addition of Urlacher this year should provide a big boost. The only major negative was the foot injury to backup linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer, something that hopefully doesn’t keep him out for a long time.
The safeties had a decent game, in particular rookie Major Wright, who recorder 7 tackles and showed he will contend for the starting role. Wright had to leave the game with a finger injury but the latest reports from Hallas Hall indicate that he shouldn’t be sidelined for more than a week.
A staple of Bears teams in the past has been the special teams and that was not the case on Saturday night. While Robbie Gould was his usual reliable self, the punting game including veteran Brad Maynard had a game to forget. Not only did Maynard had a punt blocked but he also had a punt of 28 yards. The coverage on punts and kickoffs was awful and special team coach Dave Taub will have plenty of things to work on all week long before the Bears entertain the Raiders this coming Saturday.
Overall the game was not a joy to watch due to injuries sustained by the Bears players and the mistakes that could have been avoided. It is, however, the first preseason game and the only way this team can go is up. Let’s hope we get to see more of Cutler and the first team offense this Saturday and the issues on defense and special teams are corrected in five days time. I’m not hitting the panic button yet but no one could have been impressed with that display on Saturday. Time to step in the right direction is this Saturday against the Raiders. Improvement is needed in all the areas.
The greatest sporting event in the world has concluded its play and with it millions of viewers around the world can finally return to normal everyday schedule. The tournament, first ever hosted in Africa was great and aside from some refereeing errors and the constant noise of the vuvuzelas most people will view it as a success.
For the final on Sunday, I decided to go to Soldier Field and watch the game with a couple thousand fans at Soldier Field. The event was called 2010 Chicago World Cup Festival and it featured live soccer matches on the field, live music and entertainment, as well as a live viewing of the final game between Netherlands and Spain.
The event did not draw a crowd that the organizers were hoping for (I’m assuming) but the atmosphere at the stadium was great nevertheless. Lots of Spain and Holland supporters came on to cheer their country in this historic game. (Neither team had won the World Cup before)
The first noticeable thing I came across as I was arriving at Soldier Field (walking from Grant Park) was the shortage of signs pointing people in the right direction. The entire north side of the stadium was barricaded off and after walking downstairs and upstairs numerous times, myself and a large group of others decided to circle around the stadium and try our luck from the south entrance. That turned out to be the right way to go, but the lack of any signs whatsoever and the 90 degree heat made the walk a very uncomfortable one.
Once at the gate there were several tents outside providing the fans with free Coke Zero or Powerade refreshments. This certainly seemed to raise the spirits of those who just spent half an hour trying to figure out a way in. Once in and inside the concourse of the stadium there was a real, party like atmosphere. Live entertainment, music and numerous tents made the event seem like a Sport Expo. There were tents sponsoring different charities, offering newest equipment, to the official South African tent with all kinds of different memorabilia, including an option to buy a signature “vuvuzela.” After purchasing mine, I decided to see what exactly is happening on the field.
The field was split up in three different areas, which created three smaller size soccer fields enabling the tournament to be completed quicker. There were many different age groups on display ranging from the young adults, teens, girls teams to even young guys in grade school. The quality of play was great and it certainly provided entertainment for those waiting for the final to start.
The final between Spain and Holland was a disappointment from a quality of game perspective but not in terms of drama. Andres Iniesta’s goal in the 116th minute gave Spain its first ever World Cup title, much to the delight of the Spanish fans at Soldier Field.
Couple things I didn’t like about the event was the admission price ($20 a little to expensive for my taste) and even the food inside the stadium was the same price like it is during Chicago Bears games. Buying a $6 beer or a $5 hot dog is expensive even when at a Bears game, let alone at an event such as this one was. In my opinion the food was overpriced and it probably stopped some people from ordering. Another problem was the lack of signs on the north side of the stadium leaving people to wonder which way they needed to go. A couple of signs on either side would have solved this problem and saved a bunch of people less walking on a hot summer day.
Overall, the festival was an interesting experience to attend as a fan and a member of the press. I got to see a World Cup Final alongside a couple thousand other fans at Soldier Field. Sure there were some things that could have been better but I have yet to go to a festival that didn’t miss a thing here or there. I will definitely be looking forward to a similar event in July of 2014 when the World Cup takes place in Brazil. Hopefully USA will make a deeper run in that tournament.
To view pictures from the event click here: