I can’t get over the Kendrick Lamar concert that streamed last night on Amazon Prime. It was one of the greatest spectacles in the history of hip-hop — and perhaps music history. To give it some perspective, Kendrick’s show is headlining ESPN, Forbes, and the Associated Press (plus, others). And it blows my mind.
There are 80 days until the Chicago Bears kick off the 2024 regular season against the Tennessee Titans. This feels like a good time to remember some dudes who wore No. 80 for the Bears. It is a fine group, which includes Earl Bennett (2009-13), Bernard Berrian (2004-07), and MyCole Pruitt (2016). I bet those guys would all be great NFL Immaculate Grid answers. You can get a full list of dudes who wore No. 80 while in Chicago over at Pro Football Reference.
My favorite No. 80 is Curtis Conway, who wore it for the Bears from 1993-1999. Conway, a Bears first-round pick in 1993, played for Mike Ditka, Dave Wannstedt, and Dick Jauron. There aren’t too many players these days who are making it through three Bears coaches. Patrick Scales (Eberflus, Nagy, Fox) comes to mind among active players. But I digress. Conway tops my list of Bears 80s because he put up consecutive 1,000+ yard receiving years in 1995-96, which was pretty unheard of for this franchise’s receivers during my childhood. The kids today are about to be spoiled with the trio of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze.
Who do I need to talk to in order to get these Bears hats back into circulation?
I’m sure we’ll eventually dive deeper into some Matt Eberflus stuff. But in the meantime, I enjoyed reading this Jason Lieser (Sun-Times) piece about how the Bears head coach has a real opportunity to put his own stamp on how the Bears look moving forward. Eberflus has coached through an uneven stretch of this franchise’s history. I don’t imagine it is easy to coach through a tear-down and live to tell about what it was like to come out on the other end. But how Eberflus handles things this year figures to tell us if he is here for the long haul.
If you’re looking for a way to fill time today, this Immaculate Grid challenge features the Bears:
Former Bears quarterback Justin Fields is leaning into Steelers culture:
“Me being in two different places now, I realize you don’t get this culture everywhere,” Fields said via the Steelers website (h/t SteelersDepot). “I think Chicago, they’re kind of changing the narrative now, but this has been the culture here for so many years. You can see it, just the way that we attack each and every day. Coach [Mike Tomlin], he stays on us about it, so I think just having that, reiterating that each and every day, that keeps guys on their toes. Guys are ready to compete each and every day.”
That’s a subtle jab, sure. But that’s nothing that Bears fans haven’t said about their own team. And that Fields mentions that this franchise is turning the culture speaks volumes. But it is also notable how the former Bears QB frames it in a way that reminds us how far behind the times this franchise has been. It’s never too late to change for the better.
This graphic has absolutely blown my mind:
Everyone has been seeing an uptick on payday in NFL circles. But no one has seen it as much as quarterbacks. I hope the Bears have a quarterback who is worthy enough of receiving a contract that reflects the growth at the position.
The Green Bay Packers kicking conundrum is among the reasons they didn’t beat the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs last year. In an attempt to not repeat history, Green Bay brought in a pair of kickers to give incumbent Anders Carlson some competition. But the summertime kick battle is down to two after the team waived Georgia’s Jack Podlesny, leaving Carlson and former Minnesota Vikings kicker Greg Joseph dueling for the gig. (Pro Football Talk)
I’m chuckling to myself thinking about how the Bears have the most stable kicking situation in the NFC North. The Packers, Lions, and Vikings are all having kicking competitions this summer. Meanwhile, the Bears are rostering Cairo Santos — who has made 91.8% of his field goals the last two seasons. Plus, he has improved on his long-distance kicking (which had been his biggest weakness). Santos has made 84.6 percent of his field goals from 50+ yards out over the last two years. To put it in perspective, Robbie Gould’s career success rate from 50+ yards was 70.5 percent.
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
Back in April, the Chicago Bears used their third-round pick on Hinsdale product Kiran Amegadjie. Last night, the Chicago Bulls used their first-round pick on HInsdale product Matas Buzelis — whose highlights you can watch here. We have 73 days until...
We are 74 days from Week 1 kicking off and the trash talk between the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears is underway. Jeffery Simmons, the ultra-talented Titans defensive tackle, delivers the first salvo: https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1805997115425858042 Ooh! A painted nails quip. I'm...
Here is some good news as we wind down the month of June: The Chicago Bears salary cap situation looks healthy. OK, that might not be the Bears news you're looking for on the final Wednesday of June. However, I'm...
It was a wonderful feeling to go to a place that I hadn't been in 2+ years, have the pizza, and learn that it was still good. A random Tuesday highlight. Our countdown to Chicago Bears kickoff continues. There are...
A player like Connor Williams still sitting in free agency this late in the game nudges us toward having the conversation about his potential fit with the Chicago Bears. In case you missed it, the free agent offensive lineman is...
The Chicago Bears offensive line looks like it has the potential to be a strength as we head into the 2024 NFL season. And if that turns out to be the case, I imagine Darnell Wright will be at the...
With on-field news and football nuggets slowing down (as it always does) during that stretch between the end of OTAs and start of training camp, I expected we'd get a sprinkling of Chicago Bears stadium projects updates to hold us...
The Chicago Cubs look to be running into a similar problem to what the Chicago Bears were dealing with at the end of the Ryan Pace era. A team that was built with hopes of winning isn't doing it. And...
We are adding Michael Penix Jr. to the list of first-round picks from the 2024 NFL Draft who have signed their rookie contract. It's officially official, via the Atlanta Falcons: https://twitter.com/AtlantaFalcons/status/1805330900206633370 ESPN's Adam Schefter has it as a four-year contract...
Even when plans for a new Bears stadium project were focused on building in downtown Chicago along the lakefront, there was a part of me that knew not to eliminate the possibility of the team still ending up in the...
The Minnesota Lynx versus the Dallas Wings is a game to catch on a Thursday WNBA schedule that has four exciting contests.Below you'll discover WNBA best bets for the games on today's slate.WNBA picks todayMinnesota Lynx at Dallas WingsThe Lynx...
The Detroit Tigers (37-43) visit the Los Angeles Angels (33-46) on Thursday to kick off a four-game series at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The matchup starts at 9:38 PM ET.The Tigers will give the nod to Jack Flaherty (5-4, 2.92...
The Washington Mystics (4-13) will attempt to build on a three-game home winning streak when hosting the Connecticut Sun (13-3) on Thursday, June 27, 2024 at St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena, airing at 7:00 PM ET.Our computer predictions...
The neon lights of Nashville shine bright as NASCAR's Cup Series revs up for the high-octane Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. With three exciting races already under Nashville's belt, the Ally 400 odds promise another close battle for checkered flag...
France plays Belgium on Monday, July 1 at 12:00 PM ET in the UEFA European Championship Round of 16.Want to watch the game between France and Belgium? You can do so on Fox Sports 1. In this UEFA European Championship...
A pair of division rivals take the field Thursday when the second-place St. Louis Cardinals (41-38) host the fourth-place Cincinnati Reds (37-43). Bookmakers favor the Cardinals (-140) for the contest, which starts at 7:45 PM ET on BSMW.Miles Mikolas will...
An AL Central matchup Thursday features the first-place Cleveland Guardians (51-27) visiting the third-place Kansas City Royals (44-38). The Guardians (-114) are listed as favorites for the game, which gets underway at 8:10 PM ET from Kauffman Stadium.Ben Lively gets...
The NHL Draft is tomorrow night! Teams like the Detroit Red Wings are hoping to add future stars to build towards winning a Stanley Cup. Let's check out who the Red Wings could select with the number 15 overall pick...
The Chicago Cubs have made a move to bolster their bullpen, but it's only about as exciting as a June 27 free agent signing can get - which is to say, not especially exciting. The Cubs are signing old friend...
Led by Aaron Judge (two-game homer streak), the New York Yankees (52-30) are favorites versus the Toronto Blue Jays (36-43) Thursday at 7:07 PM ET. Oddsmakers have named the Yankees as -138 favorites for the game, which airs on SNET.New...