Going or staying

Took a trip to the United Center Monday night for Bulls-Pistons. Fun time, especially since Detroit ended up not making the trip and they sent the DePaul Blue Demons in their place. But watching it from the 300-level made me realize something that's been on my mind for a while: sports on TV and sports live are becoming two completely different experiences.

You're most likely thinking, 'Of course it's a different experience. Who are you, Mark McGwire, finally figuring out that it's no longer the mid-90s?' And yes, it has always been a different experience. But more so than ever, watching the game from your couch and watching the game from the stadium are polar opposites. I'm not sure which is better, and really, it doesn't matter. My question is, are these two unique experiences good for sports?

Growing up, I loved the rare opportunities of going to live sporting events. I attended my first Cubs game when I was four, my first Bears game at age seven and my first Bulls game was at eight. As I grew older, the trips to the stadium increased, peaking when I started working at Wrigley Field in July 2003. Being a part of the crowd allows a fan to really connect with his or her team, to really feel like they are making a difference with their support. Siting in a stadium seat allows one to feel the moment, to experience the buzz when a team is making a rally and the explosion of joy and delight when something really good happens on the field. Seeing a game up-close (or even in bad seats) provides a sense of authenticity, because you are watching the part of the game you want to watch, not the one that the TV cameras have decided to show.

Recent innovations have made the stadium experience better than ever (Everywhere except Wrigley). Larger scoreboards, spacious concourses and special giveaways make fans remember why it is so special to attend games live. Not to mention the rare chances to overhear athletes talking, seeing a zoomed in look at the facial expressions, and the chance to witness a 'I was there when so-and-s happened' game.

But it's not all good views and joyful applause at the stadium. There's the hassle of parking, the un-comforts of sitting in rows of chairs separated by only a few inches and constant distractions from the game itself. The personalized angle a fan sees is occasionally great, but many times it pales in comparison to the multiple views shown on TV. And of course at the game, fans must deal with any obstacle mother nature throws their way, from excessive heat to pounding rain to teeth-chattering cold.

At home, things have changed as well. High-def television allows fans to see clearer than ever before, and packages like Sunday Ticket and NBA Full Court allow fans to see more than ever before. Fantasy sports revolves around tracking players from multiple teams, so going to the game to see just your favorites no longer makes sense. And DVR allows fans to schedule games on their terms, fast forward commercials and take extra looks at an instant replay. Why pay lots of money to sit in the cold and watch your team lose when you can invite your buddies over, follow all the games and not have to wait in line for the bathroom?

Now more than ever, teams need fans to attend games live. Due to the economy's current state, teams are losing money left and right. Making sure fannies are in the seats is the #1 task the teams must deal with, or at least #1B after winning games. But more and more, it's becoming a difficult choice for fans to go or stay.

It's been a long time, I shouldn't of left you

Wow, it's been a while. Sorry about that.

So much stuff has happened in the past month, I feel obligated to discuss it. But where to start? Here are just some of the things that have taken place since I last posted here on the blog, in no chronological or importance order.

Bears beat Favre on Monday Night Football, Cubs trade Bradley to Seattle, Bulls try to fire coach but can't, Gators lose SEC Title, Bears keep Lovie but fire Turner, Colt McCoy almost cost Texas chances of playing for National Championship, Colts don't go for 16-0, Saints lose three straight, Gilbert Arenas packs heat, Ingram wins Heisman, Tiger story gets crazier, Dawson voted into Baseball HOF, Bulls begin to get healthy and play better, Urban Meyer retires, Urban Meyer reconsiders, Urban Meyer returns, NU plays thrilling Outback Bowl but comes up short, I got a full-time job with Sports Illustrated, Chris Johnson tops 2K yards, I graduated college, Chris Henry RIP, the decade ended, 'Bama tops Texas for National Title.

OK, so all but one of those items is true...you're on your own to determine which one. The point is, I missed a lot. But I can make it up to you. How? With some awesome NFL playoff picks.

Jets at Bengals
Saw most of this game last Sunday and, um, wait, what happened? Cincinnati had nothing to play for, the Jets had everything to gain and the game was a snoozer. Don't expect a repeat. If both Indy and Cinci hadn't shut it down early to save themselves for the playoffs, the Jets would be on vacation right now. Instead they take a rookie QB into the Queen City to face a rested Bengals team who is not only playing for their pride and city, but also a fallen teammate. The Thomas Jones vs. Cedric Benson running back matchup intrigues me, but that's basically a draw. What's not even is the rest of the offenses. Even though the New York D is playing great right now, I like the Bengals, and I like 'em big. Bengals 27-7

Eagles at Cowboys
First off a promotional plug - follow this game with me during a live chat on NFL Blog Blitz on Sat. night at 7 central. What will you find if you tune in? One hell of a game. Each of the past four seasons, a team that played on Wild Card weekend has made it to the Super Bowl. My pick this year is whoever wins this game. The Eagles have an explosive offense, a solid secondary and extensive big game experience. Dallas has the ability to pound away with a solid run game as well as throwing to Miles Austin and Jason Witten. All year I've been picking against the Cowboys in big games, but I think they finally deserve a shot. Cowboys 31-28

Ravens at Patriots
Tough game to figure out, especially because this is the only game of the weekend that didn't take place last weekend. Baltimore is solid, but I can't say Joe Flacco is trustworthy on the road. Tom Brady is obviously trustworthy, but without much support on the Patriots offense. I like the Ravens for one reason: Ray Rice. The former Rutgers star can run through and past the average New England defense, at least enough to give Flacco room to throw. It almost seem sacrilegious to pick against Brady, Belichick and the Pats, especially in N.E., but that's exactly what I'm doing. Ravens 24-18

Packers at Cardinals
My most confident prediction of the weekend is this: Green Bay-Arizona will be the highest scoring game of the weekend. Just look at all the talent on that side of the ball for both teams. That being said, I'm not very confident on who to pick. Green Bay has been playing great lately (kills me to say that), including a blowout a week ago in Arizona. The Cardinals haven't been right since defeating the Vikings in early December. But I basically said the same thing a year ago, and then Arizona was within one or two plays from winning the Super Bowl. Can history repeat itself? I'm saying no. Packers 35-30

Regular season record: 167-89

All Q, No A

I haven't blogged for a while, due to school, work, looking for work once I'm done with school, etc. All this time without writing though has put a lot on my mind. So to honor that, here are 10 questions that have been rattling around my skull the last few weeks. Please comment if you have any answers, though I admit that there are a few rhetorical ones. (And not all 10 are sports related)

1. Do the Bears really have to play the final five games of the season? We already know what they are, a team not talented enough to beat good teams with their offense or their defense. Lets just fast forward to the playoffs so that I and the rest of Chicago don't have to continue to suffer.
2. Why does McDonalds stop selling breakfast at 10:30 a.m.? Maybe on weekdays it makes sense, but on Saturdays and Sundays, they should extend it until noon. I have McDonalds breakfast maybe twice a year, and it's because the food is insanely unhealthy and it's impossible for me to wake up, get organized and go to Mickey D's before 10:30 in the morning.
3. Is Carlos Dunlap really that stupid? Getting busted for a DUI at 3 a.m. the week before the biggest college football game of the year. Dunlap may have an insane amount of talent and a high IQ on the field, but he seems to lack some intelligence off it.
4. Can Tebow do it again? I'm biased, but that won't stop me from saying yes. The Gators D, even without Dunlap, will hold down 'Bama enough for Tebow and whichever skill players show up to put up enough points to give Florida their second consecutive SEC Championship. My pick: Florida 27, Alabama 20
5. Does the most famous athlete in the world really have to start off a voicemail to his mistress, one he has texted about 300 times, with the phrase, "Hi, this is Tiger..."? Do that and you deserve to be caught.
6. Is there a funnier show out there than 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'? If so, I'd love to see it. Larry David may go down as the smartest/funniest/most influential person in television during my lifetime.
   
7. LeBron, DWade, Chris Bosh and I all want to know, is it the summer of 2010 yet?
8. Instead of making another album full of crazy sex songs, would it be possible for R. Kelly to just focus on making more chapters for 'Trapped in the Closet'? That would put a smile on my face for weeks.
9. How much more time until the Bears can fire Lovie, Jerry, Ron, Babich, the entire defensive line, most of the offensive line and anybody else associated with this horrible season? Like the President said, it's time for change.
10. Am I picking the Buffalo (already lost), Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Denver, New England, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Carolina, Houston, San Diego, New York Giants, Seattle, Minnesota and Baltimore to win this weekend? This one I actually have a response to: Yes. (Season to date record: 119-58)
    

Three's Company

Thoughts on my three teams as we approach Turkey Day.

Bears: Despite what the newspapers or bloggers or radio talk show idiots or anybody says, it's still waaaaay too early to grade the Jay Cutler-Kyle Orton trade that took place in April. First off, this trade was about long-term success, not the first 10 games of 2009. Just like you don't evaluate a movie based on its opening scene, you can't judge a trade by such a small sample, especially a trade that was made for the long haul. Second, people need to realize what Cutler and Orton are each working with. Not only do the Broncos have better skill position players than the Bears, but their offensive line is far superior. And while a quarterback is supposed to be like a point guard and make everybody around him better, it is impossible when the QB can't even stand up for longer than a second. Just ask Aaron Rodgers. Yes the trade looks bad now, and it seems that Cutler will never throw a TD pass in the red zone. But be patient; things always turn out well for Bears quarterbacks. (Slamming head into wall)

Bulls: If the Bulls get Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh, it made sense. But I'll say it again for the 100th or so time: Letting Ben Gordon leave hurts the team more than people realize. Not only was he a clutch shooter who wanted the ball at the end of games, but he was a player who teams had to watch and defend the entire 48 minutes. This season Derrick Rose has had less room to drive the lane, Brad Miller can't create plays from the high post and John Salmons can't shoot his fallaway from 18-feet (oh wait, yes he can). Gordon provided an element that the team sorely lacks this year, a reason the Bulls are 28th out 30 in both 3-pointers made a game and 3-point percentage.

Cubs: It's that time of year again. It's getting cold (boo), eggnog is back in stores (yay) and the Cubs are figuring out who they need to sign (groan). With new owner Tom Rickets still feeling things out, it's unlikely the team will make a big-time free agent signing in the mold of Soriano or Fukudome. Instead, I expect a lot of small moves and maybe a trade or two. Dealing Milton Bradley is step one, but here's what I want to see: A real center fielder, a second baseman, a few relief pitchers who can go in the seventh and eighth innings and some speed. One rumor has them looking at Detroit Tigers (and Chicago native) center fielder Curtis Granderson, which would be amazing. But these are the Cubs were talking about, so I fully expect there to be several holes in the lineup and pitching staff when spring training begins in February.

NFL Winners for Week 11: Carolina (already lost), Dallas, Detroit, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, New Orleans, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Arizona, San Diego, Cincinnati, New England, Philadelphia, Tennessee

Gotta be the shoes

I promise, there will be a real post coming later this week, but had to share a trio of videos with you. Watch the first two and then you'll understand the relevance of the third.









Ron Artest is now in the same prestigious group as Austin Powers' nemesis Random Task and an Iraqi journalist. What an idiot.

Gut check game

I had planned on posting a mid-season evaluation of the Bears today, along with my selection of tonight's highly-important game against the 49ers. But annoying distractions like school and work seem to have gotten in the way, so instead, you'll have to settle for this mini-preview today and hopefully something more in-depth tomorrow.

When the NFL schedule was initially released back in April, this game caught a lot of people's attention. Not only because it was a mid-week game, which tends to be noteworthy, but also because of the opponent. San Francisco is coached by Samurai Mike Singletary (he stops 'em cold, part of the defense, big and bold), a Hall-of-Fame player and a legend in Chicago. He's trying to build the Niners the same way as Lovie Smith is trying build the Bears - to be a tough, hard-nosed team. Considering San Fran has lost four straight games and the Bears have been embarrassed two of the past three weeks, it seems to be working great.

Of course some team has to win this game. I'm taking the 49ers for two reasons. One, because they have Frank Gore and the Bears run defense has been dreadful since the bye week. Two, because they are at home and didn't have to fly across the country on a short week. That's the only thing that separates these two teams. Switch the home field and I take the Bears. Sit 'The Inconvenient Truth' and I take the Bears.

So I'll say 27-20 49ers in a game that won't be as ugly as last Sunday was...I promise. The Bears have to show some heart one of these weeks, and I think this is it.

November 4 will define Bears

Sunday starts a tough four-game stretch for the Bears: home versus defending NFC Champ Arizona, at San Francisco on a Thursday night, home versus the other team in last January’s NFC Championship game, Philadelphia, on a Sunday night, and then a trip up to the Metrodome to face the first place Vikings. Four games, four challenges, but five possible outcomes for the Bears.

If the team runs the table (highly unlikely), they will certainly make the playoffs and may even win the NFC North. A 5-0 November, including last Sunday’s win versus Cleveland, would quiet all the Jay Cutler trade doubters…at least until the first loss in December. And there’s no doubt that the entire coaching staff would return next season, bar an epic collapse during the season’s final weeks.

Going 3-1 during the stretch would be an accomplishment as well. Considering the two thought-to-be tough stretches of the schedule at the start of the year were the first three games (at Green Bay, vs. Pittsburgh, at Seattle, which the Bears went 2-1) and this month, it would look good for Cutler and coach Lovie Smith’s resume that they navigated through each of them successfully. Assuming the Bears handle their business in December/January (vs. St. Louis, vs. Green Bay, at Baltimore, vs. Minnesota on Monday night and at Detroit, the team would play in the post-season.

I’d argue the most probable scenario is a 2-2 record, which would leave the Bears exactly where they stand right now - in the middle of the pack in the NFC. Considering of their three losses, two have come on nationally-telivised night games, losses to the 49ers and Eagles seem likely. That would mean though that the Bears beat Minnesota on November 29, which would make more than a couple of people smile for a variety of reasons. Like with the previous route, a 2-2 record would mean the December stretch is given extra importance.

A 1-3 record and the season’s likely over. It seems highly unlikely that the Bears could enter December at 5-6 and make the playoffs. Unless the one win is against the Vikings, combined with more Minnesota losses and an impressive end of season run, it will mark three consecutive playoff-less seasons following the Super Bowl appearance in 2007. So far, the common theme in all the losses for the Bears this season has been turnovers. If that continues, major questions will arise about why the Cutler trade was made in the first place.

Finally, there is 0-4. Lovie Smith, Ron Turner and the rest of the coaching staff is toast. So is much of the defense, which is getting up there in age. GM Jerry Angelo could be updating his resume as well if anybody in the McCaskey family is even paying attention at this point. Major criticism will land at the feet of Cutler, Matt Forte and all the other under-performers in 2009, especially since the Bears don’t have a draft pick in the first two rounds in next April’s draft.

So how’s it going to go? Not to seem predictable, but I’m guessing based on how the season has gone, 2-2 seems most likely. With the exception of the Cincinnati game, the Bears seem to play their opponents well. Against good teams - Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Atlanta - they play well and the game goes down to the wire. Against bad teams - Detroit, Cleveland - they don’t play particularly well, but still are able to get the job done. Arizona, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Minnesota are all good or really good teams, ones that will require the Bears to play as well as they have all season. I still say the December/January schedule sets up well, with home games against division rivals as well as contents with the pathetic Rams and Lions. Going 2-2 in November may not be preferable, but it doesn’t kill the Bears season.

Now of course are my Week 9 picks, with winners in bold.


Washington at Atlanta

Arizona at Chicago

Baltimore at Cincinnati

Houston at Indianapolis

Miami at New England

Green Bay at Tampa Bay

Kansas City at Jacksonville

Carolina at New Orleans

Detroit at Seattle

San Diego at New York Giants

Tennessee at San Francisco

Dallas at Philadelphia

Pittsburgh at Denver

Last week: 6-7
Season to date: 76-40

Are you ready for some overeactions?

There are only 16 regular season games on each team’s NFL schedule. Only 16. That means unlike baseball, where there are 10-times that many, or basketball, with about five-times as many games, there is no waiting in the NFL. No adjustment period for new acquisitions to get comfortable, no time for a rookie to learn the playbook, no time to complain about injuries. With only 16 games, every Sunday is important.

And that actually is the best thing about the NFL. The limited number of games means that each week, there are matchups with playoff implications. As a fan, you can’t miss anything, because there’s only four months of actual (regular season) football compared to the seven months of football hype. Each game feels like a movie on limited release in theaters - there’s only a little bit of time to see it, so make sure not to skip it.

Having only 16 games is also the worst thing about the NFL. Because each game is an event, fans, coaches and the media take every little thing that happens and magnify it to Terrence Cody size. Overreactions are as normal in professional football as Brad Childress time management mistakes. It’s the reason team’s are either written in as Super Bowl contenders or written off as horrible failures so early in the season, and too often, these harsh predictions are confused with actual fact.

Take the Bears for example. Last week they laid an egg with an embarrassing loss at Cincinnati. Maybe the worst game of the entire Lovie Smith era. No excuse for that. But based on what people have written or said in Chicago this week, you’d think that the Bengals game officially ended the Bears season. One person I spoke with on the train said the Bears were set to lose four of their next five games. Another said the team would eventually get eclipsed by the Lions in the NFC North standings.

Did I miss something? Do games in southern Ohio now count for 16 games instead of one? Do the Bears still have 10 games to go - six of which are at home? Is the team still 3-3 with wins over the defending Super Bowl champs and on the road in Seattle? Yes, the Bears played like a middle school team last Sunday. Jay Cutler and Matt Forte couldn’t get anything going on offense, and the defense made Cedric Benson look like the player the Bears drafted with the fourth pick in the 2004 draft. It was 31-0 before halftime and everybody associated with the team should be embarrassed.

But it’s impossible to say that this game ends the Bears season. There’s just too much time left to play. Remember the 2006 Indianapolis Colts, the team that ended up beating the Bears in Super Bowl XLI? In a week 14 game at Jacksonville, Indy was absolutely shredded, losing 44-17. The Jaguars ran for 375 yards on 42 caries, an average of about nine yards per rush. Three Jacksonville players ran for more than 70 yards and the Colts allowed four rushing TDs. It was clearly a bad loss for Indianapolis, and afterward, analysts and fans alike all said there was no way the Colts could win the title because their run defense was too poor.

Then safety Bob Sanders returned to the lineup after an injury, and in four playoff games that season, the Colts never allowed more than 100 yards on the ground. Run defense - and Rex Grossman - were the reasons the Colts dominated the Bears in the Super Bowl. In week 14 Indianapolis was left for dead, and by week 19, they were the champions of the world.

Now I’m not saying the Bears are going to win the Super Bowl. Maybe the faults they showed in the Bengals game will persist all year long and the team goes from a very promising 3-1 start to a dreadful 6-10 finish. Perhaps Lovie loses his job (Ron Turner has to go as well). But before that happens, the team has 10 more games to play. Yes, there’s only ten left. Then we have to wait all the way until next September for more football. So lets try and enjoy it.


Here are my Week 8 picks, with winners in bold.

Houston at Buffalo

Cleveland at Chicago

Seattle at Dallas

St. Louis at Detroit

San Francisco at Indianapolis

Miami at New York Jets

New York Giants at Philadelphia

Denver at Baltimore

Jacksonville at Tennessee

Oakland at San Diego

Minnesota at Green Bay

Carolina at Arizona

Atlanta at New Orleans

Last Week: 7-6
Season to Date: 70-33

A very Tweet NBA Preview

Twitter is the new craze these days, with millions of people describing their every thought, feeling, joke, outrage and up-to-the-second detail of their life, 140 characters at a time. While I’m not a user, mainly because I don’t really have the energy to update my life on a consistent basis, I do enjoy reading the accounts of a few people. It’s interesting to see how much - or how little - information one can share in that amount of space.

With that in mind, I wanted to see how well I could do communicating via Tweet. So here is my 2009-10 NBA Preview, with each team preview, awards pick and reasoning coming in the form of a 140-charachter rant.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1) Cleveland: Shaq clogs the lane too much for my liking, but LBJ will be a monster in his contract year, even better than 08-09s 28/8/7.

2) Orlando: Losing Hedu hurts, but Vince and Brandon Bass added to D12, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson make ‘09s East champs one powerful squad.

3) Boston: The return of KG, the addition of Rasheed and the emergence of Rondo make Boston an interesting team. But will all the pieces of the puzzle fit?

4) Atlanta: Young and exciting team is in a make or break year with Joe Johnson about to be a free agent. Adding Jamal Crawford really helps them.

5) Chicago: Losing BG will be costly at the end of games, but expect the jump to come from healthy Deng and improved DRose, JoNoah, Salmons.

6) Toronto: For selfish reasons, hope the Raps suck and Bosh wants to head to the Chi. But I like Hedu and love DeRozen, meaning the playoffs.

7) Washington: Love Gilbert, love Caron, love Jamison, but who knows if they can stay healthy or what affect Flip Saunders will have.

8) Detroit: By the end of year, I promise Piston fans will love BG’s shooting and hate his lack of defense/ball handling. Breakout player: Will Bynum.

9) Charlotte: Larry Brown teams always do well in year 2. Expecting big things out of one of my favorite recent college players, DJ Augustin.

10) Philadelphia: Still don’t get why they gave Elton Brand $82M if they want to run. Big question @ PG after letting Andre Miller go.

11) Miami: Dear DWade, please come to the Bulls. Please come to the Bulls. Please come to the Bulls. Please come to the Bulls.

12) Indiana: No clue what Bird is doing. Either knock the pieces down and get a top-5 pick or make a move for an elite player.

13) New York: I understand what they’re doing by clearing all their cap space, but they are really screwed if LeBron doesn’t show up in 2010.

14) New Jersey: DHarris, Courtney Lee and Lopez are all solid, and T-Will was a smart pick, but this team is going to lose a lot of games.

15) Milwaukee: Feel bad for Michael Redd. Not only does he have to spend his winters in Wisc. but this team he’s on is garbage.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1) LA Lakers: I’m guessing by 1-1-2010, Phil will regret signing Artest. He’s selfish, an ego-maniac and doesn’t fit the triangle. Still, they have Kobe.

2) San Antonio: The best off-season in the NBA, which is saying something. Jefferson, McDyess and Blair all should be major help to the Big 3.

3) Denver: After a small taste of success in 09, big year for ‘Mello in 2010. Big as in top 3 MVP voting. Having Billups all season helps.

4) Dallas: Dirk + JKidd + The Matrix + Drew Gooden’s beard = Team I like.

5) Utah: If there’s one rule in the NBA, it’s don’t get on Michael Jordan’s bad side. Rule 2? Never under-estimate Jerry Sloan.

6) New Orleans: Picked NO to win it all last year. Not making that mistake again. Still, CP3 is too good to let them fall far.

7) Portland: Bunch of nice pieces, but maybe too many guys who think they need the rock to be successful. Big question once again is Oden.

8) Phoenix: If Amare stays healthy, if Nash can find his groove again and if they get a breakout year from somebody, the Suns can be dangerous again.

9) Oklahoma City: Really talented roster, but still a year away. Everybody’s got a crush on Durant - justifiably- but I love Russell Westbrook as much.

10) Golden State: It’s a shame the Steph Curry had to be drafted into this insane asylum. He’s still going to be fun to watch.

11) Houston: Yao-Out. TMac-Out. Artest-Gone. So it’s going to be tough. But this is a tough team who will be better than expected.

12) LA Clippers: They’d be higher if Blake Griffin was healthy. But he isn’t, and they’re the Clippers, so it’s back to the basement.

13) Memphis: I feel horrible for Rudy Gay. He’s the best player on the team, but with Mayo, Randolph and AI, he’ll never see the ball.

14) Minnesota: Would be more entertaining if Rubio had come over, but there’s some nice pieces on this team. Still need a scorer.

15) Sacramento: Tyreeke Evans is going to be a star. Can’t say many other nice things about this roster.


East Finals) Cavs over Magic: The addition of Shaq helps guard Howard, and LeBron will be more motivated than ever.

West Finals) Spurs over Lakers: I just like this matchup for SA. Duncan, McD, Blair and Bonner take care of LAs bigs, and Parker, Manu, Jeff and Mason do enough outside.

NBA Finals) Cavs over Spurs in 6: LeBron finally wins his ring, stays in Cleveland, mass drowning avoided in Lake Erie.

MVP) LeBron James: Kobe and ‘Mello will provide little competition for the King.

ROY) Jonny Flynn: Blake Griffin is hurt, Rubio’s in Spain and Curry's in hell, so it’s up to Flynn and Tyreeke Evans. I like the ex-Orange.

1st Team All-NBA) Wade, Kobe, ‘Mello, LBJ23 and Howard

2nd Team All-NBA) CP3, Pierce, Bosh, Dirk and Duncan

Close ones define Bears

Bears-Bengals this Sunday. Also known as the Benson Bowl. Should be known as the Heart Attack Bowl.

The Bears have played five games, which have been decided by 6, 3, 6, 24 and 7 points. Take away the Lions game, and the Bears average result has been less than a six points.

The Bengals have played six games, which have been decided by 5, 7, 3, 3, 3 and 11 points. Take away last week’s game versus the Texans, and the Bengals are averaging final scores that are just over four points.

So you know that this Sunday’s game is going to come down to the end. It’s going to be up to either Jay Cutler and the offense or Lance Briggs and the defense to come up with the big play if the Bears are going to win. Last week’s meltdown in Atlanta was devastating for a number of reasons, but the main one was the Bears horrible execution in the fourth quarter. That can’t happen again if the Bears are going to win in Cincinnati.

As stressful as these games are, Bears fans should be used to it. In 2008, the Bears had 10 games decided by a touchdown or less. Their point differential that season was +25, which was 14 points fewer than the Packers, who won three fewer games than the Bears did. This year, through the first five games, they're on that same pace, at +20, while Green Bay again is at +39.

Close games are usually decided by three keys: coaching, turnovers and penalties. Though I've criticized him in the past, I think Lovie Smith is doing a good job this year at managing the defense. Considering there is nobody on the 53-man roster that I would valid NFL safety and the linebacking corps is more beat up that the Bluesmobile at the end of Jake and Elwood's adventure, it's difficult for me to hate on Smith's performance as the team's new defensive coordinator. My hope is that new defensive end Gaines Adams provides the consistent pass rush the team has lacked the last few weeks.

At -1 differential, it would seem that turnovers have been a minor deal, not a HUGE one. Wrong. While eight takeaways compared to nine giveaways isn't horrible, it has been the location of these turnovers. Too often the fumbles or picks have come in the red zone, such as last week's multiple fumbles by Matt Forte inside the five and Cutler's pick when the Bears were inside field goal range. Both losses, to Green Bay week 1 and Atlanta last Sunday, can be directly tied to giving the ball away when it mattered most.

And then the penalties. Against Green Bay, it was the risk of having 12 men on the field that forced a botched punt, leading to Packer points. Against Atlanta, the Bears did give Atlanta a first down because of 12 men on the field, and also moved a 4th-and-1 back to a 4th-and-6 on the final drive thanks to Orlando Pace's false start. Overall, the team only has 31 penalties for 266 yards, which both rank in the bottom third of the league. But like the turnovers, its been when and where they take place, not how many of them there are.

So expect another nail biter in Southern Ohio this Sunday. The Bengals don't blow people out, instead opting for physical games that are decided in the final minutes. The Bears don't blow people out, instead opting for games that are decided by turnovers and penalties. Which will prevail? See who I like in my Week 7 picks, winners in bold.

Green Bay at Cleveland

San Diego at Kansas City

Indianapolis at St. Louis

Minnesota at Pittsburgh

New England at Tampa Bay (in London)

San Francisco at Houston

New York Jets at Oakland

Buffalo at Carolina

Chicago at Cincinnati

Atlanta at Dallas

New Orleans at Miami

Arizona at New York Giants

Philadelphia at Washington

Last Week: 8-6
Season to Date: 63-27