Fans of arena football can rejoice: the sport is returning next spring after a one-year absence. The Chicago Rush will also return and will play all their games at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL.
The team will operate under new ownership, Chicago Gridiron, LLC, a group of Chicago-based investors. Mike Hohensee will also return as the head coach, and Ken Valdiserri, who previously worked in the front office for the Chicago Bears and the Chicago White Sox, will act as team president.
The league begins play in April 2010, but no schedule has been announced yet. For details and ticket information, visit the team’s new Web site, www.arenarush.com.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Bears-Hawks Ads Blacked Out by NFL
The National Football League has pulled the plug on an innovative ad campaign (which I wrote about in early October) that was being developed featuring members of the Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bears, according to Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune. The ads were shot in October and were in production when word came down from the league that the ads are a No-Go.
Apparently, the NFL prohibits the use of team marks and logos to promote other sports. That’s too bad. I was really looking forward to seeing the ads featuring Jay Cutler and Jonathon Toews trading passing tips.
The cancelled campaign hurts the Bears more than it does the Hawks, who are the best game in town at the moment. After a subpar performance on the field this season, the Bears could use a little bit of the Hawks’ magic.
Apparently, the NFL prohibits the use of team marks and logos to promote other sports. That’s too bad. I was really looking forward to seeing the ads featuring Jay Cutler and Jonathon Toews trading passing tips.
The cancelled campaign hurts the Bears more than it does the Hawks, who are the best game in town at the moment. After a subpar performance on the field this season, the Bears could use a little bit of the Hawks’ magic.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Urlacher Speaks Out, But No One Wants to Hear the Truth
Bears’ linebacker Brian Urlacher has been getting a great deal of flak since speaking out about QB Jay Cutler and the team’s poor play this season. Everyone’s getting upset that Urlacher, who has been out since the season opener with an injury, is picking on Cutler. But anyone who reads his comments more closely will realize that Urlacher wasn’t taking pot shots at Cutler; he was criticizing the Bears organization, coaches and staff.
Urlacher was right about several things. Kyle Orton is not a flashy player, but he still has the ability to win games. He is also correct that the team’s cutlure has changed with the addition of Cutler. In the past, you could always count on the Bears’ running game and defense to win games. That’s how they won Super Bowl XX in 1986. But not anymore. With Cutler at the helm, the running game has all but disappeared, and the Bears' offense is predicated on throwing the ball three-fourths of the time.
The problem is the Bears didn’t bother to provide Cutler with the tools to succeed with this team: good coaching, an effective game plan, a dependable offensive line and receivers. They simply inserted him into the huddle and told him to run the team. When the game plan is predicated on passing three-fourths of the time without the talent to throw to and an offensive line to protect him, you can expect mistakes, especially as opposing defenses know what to expect. And then we all wonder why Cutler has thrown a league-leading 19 interceptions so far this season.
I don’t think this is Cutler’s fault entirely, although certainly he has to take some responsibility. The problem is the system does not work. It hasn’t worked for a long time, not with Orton, not with Rex Grossman, not with Jim Miller, Erik Kramer, Jim Harbaugh or any other quarterback the Bears have put out on the field over the last few decades. And I think the Bears’ organization knows this on some level, but may not know how to fix it.
To contend next season, the Bears will need to clean house, beginning with head coach Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator Ron Turner. Both have had their opportunities to turn this team around, but the fact is, their coaching system does not work. Changing their quarterback coach Pep Hamilton (yes, the Bears do have a QB coach, contrary to some reports) wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
Sadly, with so many changes the Bears need to make and with the quality of talent in the division with the Packers and Vikings, it’s going to take a while before the Bears contend for another division title.
Urlacher was right about several things. Kyle Orton is not a flashy player, but he still has the ability to win games. He is also correct that the team’s cutlure has changed with the addition of Cutler. In the past, you could always count on the Bears’ running game and defense to win games. That’s how they won Super Bowl XX in 1986. But not anymore. With Cutler at the helm, the running game has all but disappeared, and the Bears' offense is predicated on throwing the ball three-fourths of the time.
The problem is the Bears didn’t bother to provide Cutler with the tools to succeed with this team: good coaching, an effective game plan, a dependable offensive line and receivers. They simply inserted him into the huddle and told him to run the team. When the game plan is predicated on passing three-fourths of the time without the talent to throw to and an offensive line to protect him, you can expect mistakes, especially as opposing defenses know what to expect. And then we all wonder why Cutler has thrown a league-leading 19 interceptions so far this season.
I don’t think this is Cutler’s fault entirely, although certainly he has to take some responsibility. The problem is the system does not work. It hasn’t worked for a long time, not with Orton, not with Rex Grossman, not with Jim Miller, Erik Kramer, Jim Harbaugh or any other quarterback the Bears have put out on the field over the last few decades. And I think the Bears’ organization knows this on some level, but may not know how to fix it.
To contend next season, the Bears will need to clean house, beginning with head coach Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator Ron Turner. Both have had their opportunities to turn this team around, but the fact is, their coaching system does not work. Changing their quarterback coach Pep Hamilton (yes, the Bears do have a QB coach, contrary to some reports) wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
Sadly, with so many changes the Bears need to make and with the quality of talent in the division with the Packers and Vikings, it’s going to take a while before the Bears contend for another division title.
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