Reactions to story from Sun-Time

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  Covering the Bears' coverage: Print

  http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports_whatsgo...
  57 days ago in What's goin' on? | Chicago Tribune | Blog · Authority: 27

  Permalink | Comments (0) Saturday, October 4, 2008, 3:25 PM We pick 'em: Bears-Lions Amanda Kaschube at 2:04 p.m. Once again we are pressed for time, as both Chicago baseball teams advanced to the postseason for the first time since 1906. Now whether
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  Sox See a Ray of Hope

  http://gapersblock.com/tailgate/2008/10/sox-see-a-ray-of-hop...
  57 days ago in Gapers Block : Tailgate : Chicago Sports · Authority: 9

  In a weekend of extreme highs (the Bears, doing what they were supposed to do and crushing the Detroit Lions) and extreme lows (Say, did you hear what happened to the Cubs?), the accomplishments of the White Sox fall somewhere in the middle. Yes, they managed to stay alive in their best-of-five ALDS series against the Tampa Bay Rays and need to pull another three-game winning streak out of their... hat to keep progressing in the playoffs. But they also remain one game away from forcing Juan Uribe to let his beard go back to his natural color. Game Four kicks off today at 4:07 p.m. at The Cell with Tampa's Andy Sonnanstine (13-9, 4.38 ERA) going against the White Sox' Gavin Floyd (17-8, 3.84), who is pitching the latest "game of his life". His first was the 8-2 victory over Detroit in the make-up game that sent the Sox into the tiebreaker against the Minnesota Twins. Not bad for a guy who was considered a question mark coming into the season. Win today and the Sox head back to Tampa Bay for the series finale on Wednesday. Lose, and well, Cubs fans won't be the only ones moaning into their beers.
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  Gridiron Game Notes: Going Local

  http://imaginarygridiron.com/2008/10/gridiron-game-notes-goi...
  57 days ago in Imaginary Gridiron · Authority: 3

  We cannot understate the impact of getting team-specific news from local newspapers. While reading blogs like this one certainly can paint a big picture of what’s happening around the National Football League, questions about players and teams can best be answered by local beat writers. These are true journalists who cover a team all week, have locker room access and get a much better feel for all of the developing storylines - big and small. There are two difficult things for a fantasy owner in their plight to find this kind of information. First, locating hometown news sites online can be time-consuming and difficult. Second, once you find the news you need, what do you do with it? How do you put it into the perspective of YOUR fantasy team? Well, we can take the work out of finding a story for you, and we can write a pretty accurate fantasy spin based on the news at hand. What we can’t do is know exactly what’s going on with your roster and what your next move should be. That’s on you. We’re going to get you as close as we can, though, with 10 headlines and links. Healthier Seahawks mauled by Giants The Seattle Post-Intelligencer says injuries were no excuse for the 44-6 beatdown the Seahawks got from the host New York Giants. Wide receiver Deion Branch left in the fourth quarter with a right heel injury in what was his 2008 debut, while quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (knee) and cornerback Kelly Jennings (concussion) each suffered injuries. Fantasy Spin: This was the week many fantasy owners were waiting for: Hasselbeck’s receiving corps gets healthy, and he re-gains top form in time to put up big numbers for the second half of the year. Week 5’s drubbing proves that there is no quick fix for either Hasselbeck or the wounded Seahawks. It’s going to take some time to turn things around. Bobby Engram (cracked shoulder) also made his ‘08 debut and fared much better than Branch. The 13th-year wideout caught eight passes for 61 yards, accounting for more than half of Hasselbeck’s mere 105 passing yards. Tight end John Carlson was hurt most by the returns of Engram and Branch - he was targeted zero times. Matt Ryan composed beyond his years The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jeff Schultz says that Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was unusually calm in his fifth career start. Ryan completed 16-of-26 passes for 194 yards a pair of first-half scores to Justin Peelle and Roddy White in Atlanta’s surprising 27-24 road win over Green Bay. Fantasy Spin: A rookie quarterback’s play is typically so uneven that he is only usable in fantasy under the most dire of circumstances. Ryan has been inconsistent, too, but has performed well enough for owners of Carson Palmer, Matt Schaub or Marc Bulger to give him a look. More importantly, the outlook is extremely bright for 2009, when he figures to shoulder more of the scoring load for Atlanta. Bills’ Edwards knocked out in 41-17 loss to Cardinals Just three plays into Sunday’s loss to Arizona, Bills quarterback Trent Edwards was knocked out by Arizona’s Adrian Wilson and departed early with a concussion. Backup J.P. Losman entered the game and threw for 220 yards and a touchdown, but couldn’t keep pace with the Cardinals’ high-flying offense, according to The Buffalo News. Fantasy Spin: Edwards (and fantasy owners) get a little relief in the form of a Week 6 bye, but that’s no consolation prize for those who gave Edwards a starting nod against Arizona. Expect him back in the lineup as the Bills try to get back on track in a home game versus San Diego. Perhaps more disappointing was the play of Buffalo’s defense, which had been a pleasant surprise as a waiver wire pickup in fantasy. Even though Arizona’s Kurt Warner can be a turnover goldmine, he and the team’s passing attack should have been avoided at all costs. Bears’ Orton has second straight career day A week after setting a new career-best with three touchdown passes, Bears quarterback Kyle Orton registered his first career 300-yard passing day in a 34-7 win over Detroit. Chicago Sun-Times writer Mike Mulligan credits rookie running back Matt Forte for opening things up for Orton, who gashed the Lions on first down passing plays. Fantasy Spin: OK, Orton is officially more explosive than we ever gave him credit for. “Game manager” was closer to expectation than “fantasy force,” but he’s proviing to be a little bit of both in his second go-around as Chicago’s starter. In his last three games, Orton has averaged 267 passing yards per game and thrown seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Detroit was a soft matchup, for sure, but things don’t get any harder. In his next three games, Orton faces the Falcons, Vikings and Lions, currently ranked 23rd, 16th and 28th in the NFL, respectively, in passing defense. Eddie Royal leaves with ankle injury The Denver Broncos were on the winning end of a 16-13 slugfest against Tampa Bay, but the victory cost them wide receiver Eddie Royal (ankle) and tight end Tony Scheffler (groin), the Denver Post reported. Post writer Mike Klis was not optimistic about either player returning anytime soon. Fantasy Spin: Ankle and groin injuries nag, so neither Royal nor Scheffler have particularly bright outlooks. And with their presumed absences, quarterback Jay Cutler is missing two key playmakers in the passing game. While Cutler should have no problem continuing his career season, the losses could key a change in the team’s offensive philosophy. The Post’s Jim Armstrong details the team’s hard-to-figure running game, noting that Denver hasn’t had a 100-yard rusher in any of the last eight games. Sage Rosenfels flops in fourth quarter Backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels was a last-minute fill-in for Matt Schaub (virus) and had the Texans in position for their first win of 2008. But, one sorry three minutes, 12 seconds stretch later, according to the Houston Chronicle, and Rosenfels was a scapegoat in the Colts’ stunning fourth-quarter comeback. Fantasy Spin: Richard Justice was harsh on the Texans in his column above, but he did make one thing perfectly clear: on any given Sunday, against any given team, under any circumstances, the Texans can find a way to lose. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing in fantasy, but it can’t possibly be good. In brighter news, wide receiver Andre Johnson got back on track (9 catches, 131 yards, TD) after two disappointing efforts. Rookie running back Steve Slaton also had a big day, though the return of Ahman Green, who carried 12 times for 47 yards, may affect his future production. Portis’ big day exception to the rule vs. Eagles The Eagles’ defense was a tremendous letdown in a must-win game versus Washington on Sunday, a contest the Philadelphia lost 23-17. Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News details the Eagles’ inability to stop the run, allowing 203 yards, including 145 to Clinton Portis. Philadelphia entered Week 5 allowing just 2.6 yards per carry, tops in the NFL. Fantasy Spin: To me, this is more of a testament to Portis’ abilities than it is a knock against the Eagles. Washington has plenty of weapons the Eagles tried to hold in check, and Portis was the one who broke free for a big day. With his second straight 100-yard day, Portis moved into second on the NFL rushing list with 514 yards. As the ‘Skins ground game got going, the passing game was underwhelming, particularly quarterback Jason Campbell and wide receiver Santana Moss. Campbell, who had four touchdown passes in his last two games, failed to throw for a TD. Moss, who entered Week 5 as the NFL’s second-leading receiver, didn’t have a catch. Gonzalez sets TE receiving record Overshadowed by Kansas City’s ineptitude in a 34-0 loss to the Panthers was the fact that tight end Tony Gonzalez established a new career receiving record for a tight end with a six-yard catch in the first quarter. According to the Kansas City Star’s Chiefs blog, the event would have gotten far more fanfare had it taken place at Arrowhead Stadium. Fantasy Spin: Fantasy owners didn’t need a new record to tell them that Gonzalez remains one of the best, most reliable tight ends in the game. Through poor play and a quarterback carousel, Gonzalez just keeps on getting his numbers. He ranks third among tight ends with 21 catches, two of which have gone for scores. Garcia back in saddle after Griese injures elbow According to the Tampa Tribune, Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden indicated that, even if healthy, Brian Griese may not be his starting quarterback come Week 6. Griese exited the Denver game early with an elbow injury, while Jeff Garcia entered and played well in the team’s comeback bid. Fantasy Spin: It’s six of one, half dozen of the other when it comes to the Griese vs. Garcia quarterback controversy. Garcia is more efficient with the football, but doesn’t roll up the same kinds of passing numbers as Griese. Griese is more explosive, but is prone to interceptions and turnovers. This is a situation to watch, but shouldn’t have a big impact on starting lineups in standard fantasy leagues. T.O. more tranquil after tight Sunday win At this point in the year, more eyes seem to be on Terrell Owens’ postgame press conferences than on his play. He salvaged a two-catch effort by catching and running for a 57-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, then kept things brief in his postgame media session, according to the Dallas Morning News. Fantasy Spin: Take T.O. with a grain of salt in his postgame interviews. But, realize that this is a man who does go through emotional ups and downs, a rollercoaster ride that affects his psyche, confidence and performance. A big day and a big win, and he’ll get back on track - that big effort is coming soon, too, so there’s no need to panic.
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  Bears and Cubs

  http://www.chicagobearsweblog.com/blog/?p=395
  57 days ago in Chicago Bears Blog - Chicago Bears Daily Blog Chicago Bears Blogger Chicago Bears Blogs Chicago Bears Fan Blog · Authority: 8

  I’m exhausted today.  Just a quick funny story. My 23-month old daughter has been conditioned to say “Go Cubs” whenever she sees a Cubs or Bears logo by this point, since we’re fresh off cheering for the Cubs for 8 months.  I had been gone over the weekend and when I came home with my Bears jersey on, she continually pointed to it saying “Go Cubs”. Bears honey….Bears….Bears….DON’T SAY CUBS ANY MORE! Seriously, I don’t even want to think about the Cubs.  Now, period, whenever, I’m disgusted. Ironically, Kyle Orton talks about the Bears and the Cubs in this article from the Chicago Sun-Times. Go Bears!  It was a drubbing of a pathetic, terrible team in the Lions.  I mean bad.  I haven’t seen a team as bad as this Lions team in, like, ever.  But good teams are supposed to win like that over bad teams, and I was glad to see the Bears do it. First place, baby!

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