This is the latest post in Kurt’s continuing series to identify the NFL’s Ultimate Franchise Player of All-Time. For an explanation of his methodology for choosing each franchise’s ultimate franchise player, and then how you and he will choose the NFL’s Ultimate Franchise Player from that list, click here.

To see all the category page for this series, of which there will be one for every franchise, click here.

Previous selections: ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR

The first five installments of Ultimate Franchise Player have been compelling, with each franchise having its own unique history – but now things are about to get serious.

Out of the NFL Network’s list of the Top 100 players of all-time, eight of the top 60 are Chicago Bears.

My first five UFPs came from franchises that will only produce one, or at the very most two representatives in the eventual 64-player UFP field. The Bears and their 90+ year history will be a little different.

However, with only 32 at-large berths to be awarded, I am probably going to have to cap off each franchise with a maximum of four bids. That is going to lead to some agonizing decisions in the selection room, a couple of them involving Monsters of the Midway legends.

Unlike the previous UFP pieces, a lot of great players will be left on the cutting room floor for time and space purposes – although I will throw in a few unique players from Bears football history.

HONORABLE MENTION

George Halas (WR/DE 1920-29)

Much like his counterpart Curly Lambeau in Green Bay, George Halas was a player and also ran his own franchise in the early days of the NFL.

Halas returned a fumble 98 yards for a touchdown in 1923, and that record stood until Oakland’s Jack Tatum’s 104 yard return in 1972.

A member of the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 1920s, Halas coached the team during the period and was on board for three other separate tenures as Head Coach, finally stepping down for good in 1967 and remaining as owner until 1983. Halas also had a cup of coffee with the New York Yankees, going 2-22 as a hitter in 1919.

Red Grange (RB 1925, 1929-34)

In 1925 pro football had a meager following in comparison to its collegiate counterpart.

The Bears were lucky to draw 5,000 a game while the college game drew upwards to 50,000-60,000; in fact the NFL was marketing its game as ‘Post-Graduate Football’, as many frowned on college legends continuing to play the game for money. Halas wanted to change that by signing legendary Illinois back Red Grange, which he did just hours following his final collegiate game (and may had even had him inked before that game).

Halas wasted no time getting Grange into uniform, and he made his pro debut on Thanksgiving Day at a sold out Wrigley Field. After finishing their official league schedule, the Bears went on a barnstorming tour in which eight games were played in just 12 days (the final five in six days) and included a crowd of over 70,000 at New York’s Polo Grounds. The tour concluded with eight more games played between Christmas and January 31, with the Bears tour finally ending on the West Coast.

On the train ride back to Chicago however, the Galloping Ghost literally disappeared like one. Grange made approximately $100,000 (a nice amount of money even today) from the gate receipts in those two months, but wanted part-ownership as well. The result was Grange leaving the Bears to form his own league, along with a couple forays into the movie industry. Grange eventually returned to the Bears in 1929, not quite the player he was in college,  but still made key plays to help the Bears win NFL titles in 1932 and 1933.

Bronko Nagurski (RB 1930-37, 1943)

At 6’2”, 235 lbs, the Canadian-born Nagurski remains one of the great all-time physical specimens, and back in his era he was literally unstoppable.

One of Bronko’s most legendary stories was when something finally did stop him after plowing through two defenders past the goal line, it turned out to the be the left field brick wall at Wrigley Field. Teammate Red Grange once referred to Nagurski as a faster version of Larry Csonka on offense and equal to Dick Butkus as a linebacker.

Later in his career, Nagurski used his profitability in the pro wrestling business, a venture he remained involved in until 1960. Nagurski was a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Sid Luckman (QB 1939-50)

You all see the graphics Al Michaels pulls out for Bears-Packers games. The Packers have had two QBs over the past 20 years, while the Bears have lost count. Luckman is still the career passing yardage leader in Bears history, and nearly 8% of his career pass attempts resulted in touchdowns.

It was during this era that the Bears employed the T Formation and the man-in-motion for the first time. Luckman only threw the ball six times in the Bears famous 73-0 rout of the Washington Redskins in the 1940 NFL Title Game, but his four completions resulted for 102 yards.

He was in the service for two years and was stationed state-side and played for the Bears on game day. With Luckman introducing the deep ball into the pro game, the Bears won five league championships during his career.

Johnny Lujack (QB 1948-51)

A brief but memorable career for the Notre Dame Legend. The game had opened up much more as Lujack succeeded Luckman as the Bears quarterback (A young Bobby Layne was the third-stringer!!). In the 1949 season finale Luckman threw for 468 yards and six touchdowns, and the following season Luckman rushed for 11 scores, which tied a league record for QB’s.

A shoulder injury ended Lujack’s career, and he returned to Notre Dame as an assistant coach and eventually went into TV broadcasting.

George Connor (OT/LB 1948-55)

Originally an offensive lineman by trade, the 6’3” 240 lb Connor was used at linebacker out of necessity in 1949 in an attempt to stop the Philadelphia Eagles strong running attack. Connor wound up being used on both offense and defense after that, and he earned induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.

Bill George (MLB 1952-65)

This is where the Bears inside linebacking heritage began. George dropped back into coverage just before plays began, inadvertently inventing both the 4-3 defense and the middle linebacker position.

For his career, George intercepted 18 passes and recovered 19 fumbles. He passed away at age 52 following a 1982 car accident in Wisconsin.

Doug Atkins (DE 1955-66)

At 6’8”, 275 lbs, think of Julius Peppers, just a few generations earlier. And like Peppers, Atkins was originally a college basketball recruit before the University of Tennessee realized that he could make a much better impact on the gridiron.

Atkins was a first-round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns, but was traded after reportedly belching during a team meeting. Atkins went on to earn eight Pro Bowl selections during his time with the Bears.

Jim McMahon (QB 1982-88)

Of course it was another Jim who is by far the most famous QB of recent times, but McMahon is a legend in his own right despite never starting more than 13 games in a season due to injuries, most notably taken down on an infamous late hit by Green Bay’s Charles Martin. Still, the charisma won McMahon over with the team’s fan base.

If you’re wondering what the ‘Rozelle’ headband was about, the commish was fining him during the ’85 season for wearing Adidas apparel. The league was thinking about licensing and marketing even then…

Jim Harbaugh (QB 1987-93)

I have already revealed Sid Luckman as the Bears all-time leading passer, but you will no doubt win bar bets asking who may be #2 on the Bears all-time list. Harbaugh spent seven of his 14 NFL seasons in Chicago. Harbaugh (and Luckman) are both still keeping the seat warm until Jay Cutler blows by them on the career charts.

Brian Urlacher (ILB 2000-present)

Of course Urlacher is just the latest of the iconic Bears linebackers who will follow his predecessors into Canton someday, currently ranked #109 on Pro Football Referances EloRater. Urlacher has endured a couple of major injuries in recent years and the end may be near, but Urlacher has already earned his lore at Halas Hall.

Lance Briggs (OLB 2003-present)

Has earned Pro Bowl bids in each of his last seven seasons. His tenure with the team has been controversial at times, and he could be dealt this off-season, but you can’t argue with the track record.

Richard Dent (DE 1983-93, 1995)

One of pro football’s all-time great pass rushers, Dent recorded 137.5 sacks and 37 forced fumbles in all during his playing career.

In the epic 1985 season Dent recorded 17 sacks in the regular season, and added six more sacks and five forced fumbles in the playoffs. Dent forcing a fumble on Rams quarterback Dieter Brock (which was picked up and returned for a TD by Wilber Marshall) which put the final dagger on the NFC Championship remains an image frozen in time.

Devin Hester (ST/WR 2006-present)

It seems like he’s been in Chicago forever, but it’s only been six years. Bob Costas already made a nomination for Hester’s Hall of Fame candidacy after he scored his 12^th return touchdown during the 2011 season.

If he ends up scoring somewhere around 20 kicks for scores for his career (which he is on pace for), the Windy City Flyer may indeed wind up in Canton.

Brian Piccolo (FB 1965-69) COURAGE SELECTION

Growing up I saw the movie Brian’s Song on television many, many times.

Piccolo had finally earned a place in the team’s starting lineup during the 1969 season when he took himself out of the game due to breathing difficulties. Piccolo was soon diagnosed with an aggressive form of testicular cancer which by that point had already spread into other parts of his body.

After undergoing surgeries to remove his lung and pectoral muscle, Piccolo passed away in June of 1970.

THE FINAL FIVE

Mike Singletary (ILB 1981-92)

Simply one of the most intense players ever to play the game, Samurai Mike earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Bears ’85 Championship season and recovered three fumbles during that season’s playoffs. He recorded nearly 900 solo tackles in 172 career starts and was an eight-time All-Pro selection.

Dick Butkus (MLB 1965-73)

You could watch vintage NFL Films footage of Butkus committing mayhem on the football field for hours, as he remains one of the most intimidating presences in league history.

ESPN named Butkus #70 among the best athletes ever in 1999, and was named to the NFL’s All-time team in 2000.

Like Red Grange generations before, Butkus first became legendary at the University of Illinois and placed sixth and third in Heisman Trophy balloting. Today, college football’s best linebacker is the recipient of the Butkus Award.

Gale Sayers (RB 1965-71)

As was the case with Butkus, it was a shame that injuries cut short Sayers career. Had he played a full career he may have been the best back ever, period.

In his rookie season, Sayers accounted for over 2,200 all-purpose yards and 22 scores. His six TD game versus the San Francisco 49ers still goes down as one of the most memorable individual days in NFL history.

Sayers was averaging over six yards per carry when he suffered his first serious knee injury during the 1968 season. He had a modestly successful 1969 season (4.4 yards per carry/1,032 rushing yards) although the team finished 1-13. He suffered another devastating injury (to his left knee this time) in 1970 which effectively ended his career.

Mike Ditka (TE 1961-66)

The Ultimate Franchise Player list is confined to players only, but if you were to include coaching Ditka obviously ranks even higher in Chicago Bears annals.

Ditka caught 58 passes as a rookie in 1961, redefining the tight end position, a job description that involved blocking much more than receiving up to that point. In all, Ditka caught 228 passes and 30 touchdowns in his first four years with the team and played in the NFL 12 years overall.

Walter Payton (RB 1975-87)

A fascinating book excerpt this past fall in Sports Illustrated revealed Payton’s difficulties to adjusting to life post-football, including putting copious amounts of sugar in his coffee, turning to alcohol (which he rarely did as a player), and recreational use of nitrous oxide (try some at your next dental procedure). How much this may had played a part in Payton’s eventual illness and death in 1999 is unknown, but the piece was revealing as a classic case of the struggles of an athlete once the cheering stopped.

Payton’s passing at age 45 was especially stunning as he seemed indestructible for 13 years on the field. Anyone remember Jim Brown contemplating a comeback at age 47 because Franco Harris was going to hang long enough to break his all-time rushing mark? Well, Sweetness wound up making that a moot point.

Payton still ranks second on the All-Time list with 16,726 rushing yards, and he also finished with over 21,000 combined yards and 125 touchdowns. Excluding the three games during the strike-marred 1987 season when replacement players were utilized, Payton only missed one game during his entire career!!!

And, of course, Payton was the star of one of the most memorable teams in NFL history, which shuffled its way all the way to a Super Bowl title.

AND THE WINNER IS…

The NFL Network Top 100 series included the following Bears: Payton #5, Butkus #10, Nagurski #19, Sayers #22, Luckman #33, Grange #48, Singletary #58, and Ditka #59. Payton, Butkus, and Sayers should be automatics for the 64-player field, while the RPI’s of Nagurski and Luckman will provide interesting test cases for old-time players.

After racking up a then single-game record of 275 yards versus the Minnesota Vikings in 1977, NFL Today did one of their then sappy ‘musical tributes’, playing Walter Payton highlights to Carly Simon’s Nobody Does It Better. Unfortunately, of all the items available on YouTube I was unable to find that clip. But I’ll leave you with the next best I can find (but you’ll have to click to watch, as it can’t be embedded).

MSF’s Ultimate Franchise Player for the Chicago Bears is…

WALTER PAYTON

**********

In the article they tried to pull the ever-so-cliche stunt of trying to look at the positives. It’s the oldest trick in the fanbook. Did your team not win the Super Bowl or not make the playoffs? That’s ok because “There’s always next year” or “Hey, Aaron Rodgers had a great season, so I call the season a success,” or, my personal favorite, “We have a lot of young talent coming in, so I see this team competing for years to come.”

All those statements are signs of repressed acceptance that your favorite team sucks.

Before I continue with my critique of Chris and Amanda’s article, I first want to bring out the fact that Amanda probably isn’t even a Packers fan. She herself admits it in the article.

She calls the Packers as being “overrated” and  “weak.” Some fan she is.

She goes on to say “They [Packers] bounced back from their loss to Kansas City dominating Chicago Bears on Christmas…”  Ok, first off, dominating? Really? Did Jay Cutler even play in that game? The definition of dominating is Jay Cutler. Look it up. So how can the Packers be “dominating” if they don’t have Cutler? Therefore the sentence is illogical and just blatantly wrong.

Chris adds that “There shouldn’t be excuses made for the Packers losing to the Giants.” Well, at least he admits the Packers suck. It seems like he isn’t much of a fan either.

I also don’t like the fact Packer fans go round exclaiming they’re better than other fans because they own stock in their team. According to Wikipedia, the Packers are “are the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States.” You know what that sounds like? Socialism. Everyone knows being a Socialist is to be un-American, therefore being a Packers fan means you hate America.

Do we really want this un-American team to win? I don’t, and I know you don’t either.

But the main problem with their article is that it forgets who is at the helm of the Chicago Bears’ offense.

Jay Cutler's smile has been known to take woman's virginity.

That’s right, folks. Be prepared for the resurgence of Jay Cutler, arguably the best QB since the NFL started counting interceptions as a stat.

The thought that the Packers are going to resurge next season and steal the NFC North and cheat their way to the Super Bowl again is just as ludicrous as thinking Tim Tebow will complete more than 50% of his passes in his career.

Cutler is not going to allow the Packers to win next season. Mark my words. It’s time for the Cutler era.

Cutler’s whole NFL career is pure dominance, whether it be the baby-face looks on the sideline, the shining moments when Cutler throws it to the other team, or the carefully placed hand-offs to the running back…Cutler has and does it all.

A lot of you are probably thinking “Boy, I wonder if Cutler is still relevant as a QB in the NFL when players like T.J. Yates, Tim Tebow, Cam Newton, and Andy Dalton are demonstrating to us their potential to be star QBs?” Well, that’s a pretty stupid question to ask, and it obviously shows your ignorance and lack of intelligence because there is no better QB than Jay Cutler.

Let me show you why.

Cutler’s Natural Ability to Throw to Both Teams

I don’t what to hear how good Aaron Rodgers is or how skillful and talented Drew Brees is. (I heard he broke some stupid record. I’ll believe it when I see it.) Rodgers and Brees are very selfish with the ball; and I don’t about you, but my mom didn’t raise me to be a selfish person, and it seems like Cutler’s mom didn’t either.

This is what’s called sharing, and it’s the right thing to do.

I could watch that all day.

Cutler’s Dominance of the English Language

A writer (yes, Jay Cutler is a writer) uses repetition to hammer home a meaning or feeling the writer wants the reader or listener to understand. It’s true that Cutler uses the phrase “you know” 57 times in the video below, but in that crazy amount of usage, there has to be a meaning. I just haven’t figured it out yet.

Jay’s ways are above my intelligence and most definitely above any Packers fans’.

Jay Cutler=Hall of Fame QB and literary genius.

Cutler’s Dominance of the Offseason Workouts

I also hear a lot about how Cutler doesn’t put forth much, if any, effort into his game. That’s a complete lie. According to Wikipedia, Jay Cutler is also a bodybuilder and has won Mr. Olympia four times. I have no idea what the hell that means, but it sounds pretty awesome, and hard to accomplish when you have to juggle football on top of lifting weights in competitions.

All Rodgers does outside of football is star in stupid, unfunny, and intelligence-insulting commercials.

Getting huge > Being unfunny

If you haven’t been listening to their weekly breakdown of all things Packers, Bears, Lions, and Vikings, you really should start.

Why not tonight?

Show details:

• Date: Wednesday, January 4th
• Time: 6:00 CT (7:00 ET)
• Call-in number: (858) 365-5571 (also use this number to listen to the show anywhere right from your phone)

Listen live right here at MSF starting at 6:00 CT:

As for tonight’s topics, here is what the NFC North Report crew plans to discuss.

Tentative Show schedule:

• Welcome: Final thoughts on season for Drew and Tyler

• Packers Talk – Matt Flynn success and the Packers “system”

• Bears Talk – Staff changes and looking to the 2012 season

• Vikings Talk – Jared Allen ties Minnesota’s sack record

• Lions Talk – Playoff ready

• Playoff previews

• Plus random shenanigans throughout

In case you didn’t know about it or had to miss it, and are now distraught about what you may have missed last week, we’ve got you covered. Listen to the Week 17 edition of The NFC North Report right here:

I was not.

To me, this season was completely thrown away by the Bears front office, and it exposed the problems that GM Jerry Angelo continues to ignore. Angelo has something very special in Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, yet he continues to waste their talent by not supplying other offensive weapons around them.

Who does Cutler have to throw to? I am not content with the Bears’ number one receiver being Earl Bennett, or Devin Hester, or Roy Williams, and neither should Angelo; yet there hasn’t been any shred of news about the Bears seriously pursuing a proven receiver. 

A good enough, but not dominant defense plus two great players on offense is not going to lead to a Super Bowl.

Say what you want to about Cutler, but the kid goes out game after game and fights for a win and gets killed on the field doing it. This season he made the offense look as good as I’ve ever seen them, leading the team to a five game win streak, a 7-3 record, and a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.

You can’t bring in a BMW but then give it four flat tires, yet that’s exactly what Angelo and company did, and it showed once Cutler and Forte went down.  The lack of planning and complete lack of trying to build players behind the starters showed in the last five games and would usually get a head coach or GM fired, but I doubt Lovie or Angelo are going anywhere.

Fans now have to sit back and hope the Bears front office begins to address the very clear needs of the team. It’s time to stop ignoring them.

It’s a special Thursday night edition of the podcast, previewing an interesting pre-playoff matchup between the Lions and Packers, in addition to taking a look at the Bears-Vikings game this weekend. Both games within the division should equal some quality entertainment and debate on the podcast.

Show details:

• Date: Thursday, December 29th
• Time: 6:00 CT (7:00 ET)
• Call-in number: (858) 365-5571 (also use this number to listen to the show anywhere right from your phone)

Listen to this week’s episode of the NFC North Report using the player below:

Here’s the rundown for this week’s edition of the NFC North Report

Tentative Show schedule:

• Intro
• Recap Week 16 games
  Vikings win
  Detroit dominates
  Santa is a Packers fan
  Tyler’s take on Josh McCown
• Pro Bowl Snubs/Why does the Pro Bowl Exist?
  Lions and Vikings with 1, Bears with 5 and Packers with 7
  Jordy Nelson
  Joe Webb
• Preview Games (Division matchups!)
  Bears vs Vikings (Could the Vikes win?)
  Detroit vs Packers (Do Packers play to win or rest starters?)

• Plus random shenanigans throughout

In particular, it seemed like a lot of people in Bears garb grabbed those sacred front row/end zone seats, which go for major $$$ on the major ticket sites, because of the likelihood of a Green Bay player landing there on a Lambeau Leap. You might notice Packers players after scores taking their time before finding what they know will be a friendly landing spot in Row 1.

Which led to the scene Sunday night after the first of two James Jones TD receptions. Jones kneels in the end zone before doing the obligatory leap, and notice NBC immediately cutting away from the shot. I WONDER WHY??

Stay Classy Chicago, and don’t let those soon to be doubled toll-fares kick you on the way out…

PHOTO CREDIT: Henry Stern, who had this up on YFrog in warp speed after it happened.

BONUS PHOTO!!!

I did a double-take seeing this picture… LAWSON, THAT U AT THE GAME???

That is ABSOLUTELY RUTHLESS!!!

Why not tonight?

Show details:

• Date: Wednesday, December 21st
• Time: 6:00 CT (7:00 ET)
• Call-in number: (858) 365-5571 (also use this number to listen to the show anywhere right from your phone)

Listen live right here at MSF starting at 6:00 CT:

(Note: if for some reason 6:00 rolls around and this player isn’t working, click here to listen at BlogTalkRadio.com and please leave a comment below so we can work out any kinks. Thanks.)

As for tonight’s topics, here is what the NFC North Report crew plans to discuss, apparently at varying levels of sobriety if my Twitter stream is any indication.

Tentative Show schedule:

• Intro: Drew/Tyler have their fun talking about Packers loss

• Packers Talk – Fluke or falling: can we fix the issues?; Jennings, O-line injuries

• Bears Talk – Loss to Seahawks; Knox injury; Christmas game

• Vikings Talk – Drew wonders aloud “The Vikings played?”; Rodgers is Christian Ponder

• Lions Talk – Oakland game recap; Playoff bound?

• Preview and Predictions of all Week 16 games

• Plus random shenanigans throughout

In case you didn’t know about it or had to miss it, and are now distraught about what you may have missed last week, we’ve got you covered. Listen to the Week 15 edition of The NFC North Report right here:

Click play on the player below to listen:

]]> http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2011/12/nfc-north-report-week-16-edition/feed/ 1 http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2011/12/jay-cutler-dominates-are-you-suffering-from-jay-cutler-deficiency-disorder-i-am/ http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2011/12/jay-cutler-dominates-are-you-suffering-from-jay-cutler-deficiency-disorder-i-am/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:28:22 +0000 Tyler Juranovich http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=43223 These past four weeks have been absolutely terrible if you’re an avid Jay Cutler fan like myself.

Not only has the “great one” been sidelined with a very serious and dangerous thumb injury that could have cost Cutler his life (or at least his ability to give his fiancee Kristen Cavallari thumbs up or thumbs down on potential outfits), but the Bears, while still remaining the greatest team in the NFL, have dropped four straight and will most likely miss the playoffs.

This had me feeling really blue for the past few weeks, and after the Bears’ loss to the Seahwawks last Sunday, I went to the doctors’ office to see what was wrong. The doctor said it was quite clear what I had: Jay Cutler Deficiency Disorder.

The doctor said “The lack of Jay Cutler’s presence on the field has put you into a what is called a ‘Cutty come back’ depression. I’ve seen a lot of cases like yours in the past few weeks. People come here and think the world is over. Most recover, but some never forgive Cutler for putting them through this.”

• Constantly asking why Cutler had to get hurt.
• Continued feelings of hopelessness.
• Blaming Caleb Hanie for everything that goes wrong.
• Random outbursts of curse words directed at the TV.
• Threatening to never watch “those idiots” again.

I said “Thanks doc, but is there anything you could give me to make me feel better in the meantime?”

He then proceeded to hand me a videotape and told me to watch it whenever I started feeling really blue again. I drove home and immediately put in the tape. It was this seasons’ collection of every Jay Cutler pass, from the  touchdown passes to Dane Sanzenbacher, to the domination of the Green Packers (those losers finally lost a game!), to the telling of Mike Martz to “F**k off.”

It was great. I had finally gotten my fix of Cutler that I had been void of for so long. Then I realized: as long as Jay Cutler dominates, there’s a reason to wake up every morning.

The details of the story are what make it unbelievable, especially considering the amount of time that cable TV has dedicated to the “art” of drug dealing in the last 10 years. Sam Hurd obviously never watched The Wire. If he had, he would have found very simple ways to avoid getting into trouble.

Sam Hurd of the Chicago Bears

Sam Hurd Mistake #1

Hurd told an undercover agent Wednesday night that he was looking to buy ”5 to 10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana per week for distribution in the Chicago area.”

Simple mistake here.

NEVER go directly to the source, especially if that source is an undercover agent.

The source in The Wire was The Greek. No one knew his real name. He was very inaccessible. Meetings weren’t made directly. Send someone else.

Rookie mistake.

Hurd could have even gone the Breaking Bad route and called himself Mr. Heisenberg. Just don’t let anyone know that it’s you.

Sam Hurd Mistake #2

The money Hurd was willing to spend was on top of what he was already purchasing elsewhere. Hurd told the informant that he currently distributed “four kilograms of cocaine per week in the Chicago area, but that the supplier could not supply him with enough quantity.”

Why is he disclosing this information?

He’s like a bad villain from a James Bond movie who tells everyone his secret plan. Come on dude, keep that information to yourself. Did he think that they guy wasn’t going to give him drugs if he didn’t know every exact detail?

And again, why is Hurd doing the talking in the first place. Where’s Wallace when you need him?

Another question: why is Hurd buying from this guy?

If I’m going to be buying mass quantities of drugs from someone, I’m going to need someone to vouch for him. I’m going to need to see receipts. I want proof. What kind of undercover agent is going to be able to provide that information? I’m not taking anyone’s word when it comes to $2 million worth of drugs per month.

Unless he was talking to Bubbs the whole time. In that case, don’t put on the red hat. That’s how they get you.

Sam Hurd Mistake #3

Hurd first came on the police’s radar in July. After receiving a tip, police found a man with a bag filled with $88,000 in a canvas bag. The man said the money and car belonged to Hurd. It was Hurd’s car, and the receiver still attempted to get the money back.

Rental cars.

Don’t ever use a car that’s in your name. That’s called “leaving a trail.” Where is his slimy lawyer like Mr. Levy or Bob Odenkirk to take care of this?

Seriously, where the f*** is Wallace?!

Sam Hurd Mistake #4

Hurd was looking for Mexican cell phones, because he believed authorities didn’t have the ability to track them.

Burners. Come on man. Burners!

Cross the 5, swap fives and zeros. This is easy. Little kids even knew how to do it.

Burners can’t be tapped nor traced. Toss them when you are done. Send a dude in a rental car a few counties away every few weeks to get new ones.

Mexican cell phones? Really? By far the most convincing evidence that Sam Hurd never watched The Wire.

Stringer Bell from The Wire

Sam Hurd Mistake #5

This wasn’t a small operation. Hurd only dealt with “high level” deals; a co-conspirator handled more day-to-day stuff. Hurd allegedly had business as far away as California and had a fleet of vehicles.

So Hurd was like the Stringer Bell of the operation. Still, this begs the question of why he was directly handling questions about amounts and money.

All Hurd really needed to do was continue playing football, answer calls on his burner, and own a funeral shop as a front for all the drug money.

Final Thought

If there is a lesson to be learned here, it’s not necessarily that dealing drugs is bad and will get you in trouble. Of course, that is true, and never would I advocate such a thing. I’m just saying that if you are going to do it, be smart and learn from the professionals like Stringer Bell, Avon Barksdale, and Walter White.

Just watch out when Omar’s coming.

This isn’t the “caught with a a gram or two of marijuana” drug arrest. This is a HUGE drug arrest (details here), one that not only includes marijuana but cocaine and LARGE amounts of both. Like $575,000 worth of cocaine. It’s become clear that playing in the NFL was secondary to Hurd, and it it will likely cost him and the league big time.

As a Bears fan this is just disgusting to me. It feels like a kick in the groin while my back is turned and I am on the ground. We’ve got enough to feel bad about already with the way the season is going. This only makes things worse. It adds a bad stench to the franchise – we are now responsible for signing and employing a drug dealer!

I never did understand why these athletes, who make A LOT more than normal Americans even if they receive the minimum wage in the NFL, decide to throw their life and talent away by trading in their cleats to make a pretty penny illegally. Greed and selfishness only gets you so far before the middle-plate holding you up is shot down.

Is hundred of thousands of dollars really worth what I am guessing is going to be a good amount of time in jail?

With news breaking that police have a list of names “in the double digits” of other NFL players Hurd was selling to, I assume more players are going to go down with Hurd and turn this into a big PR problem for the NFL. Whatever way you look at it, this is not going to end well for either party.

As for the Bears, the team is going to have to put this behind them in whatever way they can. The best way would be to go out against Seattle this Sunday and prove that this team still has some fire left inside and win a must-win game.

For example, here is a compilation of 16mm home movies of Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals games from 1929, 10 years before NBC broadcast the first televised NFL game. If the NFL did have a TV deal in 1929, the sparse crowds at Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field in these clips suggest that the games would have been blacked out in the Chicago market.

We all know that the Chicago Cubs haven’t won the World Series since 1908, but the Cubbies won several National League pennants between 1908 and 1945, the last time they played in the Fall Classic. This video includes footage from two 1929 World Series games between the Cubs and the Philadelphia Athletics. (The segment begins with a 1930 Flag Day ceremony at Wrigley Field.)

Here are 19 seconds from an 8mm film of a 1930s high school basketball game at Newton High School in Massachusetts.

And here are highlights from the first game played at Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse, in 1955.

This YouTube artifact is a newsreel segment about the 1939 Belgian Grand Prix that focuses on British driver Dick Seaman. (Yes, that’s his real name.)

Speaking of newsreels, here is a 1935 newsreel produced by TIME Magazine re-enacting Leadbelly’s release from Angola Prison in Louisiana (featuring Leadbelly as himself).

I’m always amazed by how many antique movies live on YouTube. You can watch Georges Méliès’s classic 1902 sci-fi film Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon) in its entirety.

You can also watch all 12:42 of Edison Studios’ 1910 Frankenstein movie.

Finally, here is audio of what is believed to be the oldest recorded sound. It’s Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville’s April 9, 1860 recording of “Au Clair de la Lune.” Scott captured the song on a device he invented called the phonautograph.

In my league of 14 teams, I finished right in the middle of the pack in terms of points…but because I had the third most points scored on me, I missed the playoffs…by a lot.

I finished second to last.

Lame.

Sometimes, fantasy football goes that way. I will spare you my three heart-breaking losses of the year because, quite frankly, we all have them…and nobody else cares.

Jerod’s thoughts:

Nobody cares Jon except for certain other people in that same league who finished in first place with an 11-2 record despite only scoring the 6th-most points but having by far the least points scored against.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS!]

Let’s get to this week.

Once again, “Start Em” guys are QBs/TEs outside of the Top 12 and RBs/WRs outside of the Top 25. “Sit Em Guys” include QBs/TEs that are in the Top 12 and RBs/WRs that are in the Top 25. Why? Because if you have a guy in the top 20…you should be thinking about starting him anyway. I’m not going to sit here and tell you “enlightening” information like, “LeSean McCoy is going to score points this week!”

Fantasy Football Week 15 Start em, Sit em QBs

Start Em QB: Tim Tebow (at NE)

He’s tied for 18th among QBs…AND HE’S ONLY PLAYED EIGHT GAMES!

If you don’t believe in Tebow yet (and by that, I mean in terms of fantasy football), you probably never will.

Tebow will be playing against the New England Patriots and their league-worst defense. It should also be mentioned that for the first time all year, John Fox was complimentary of Tebow’s passing this past week. He admitted that Tebow is improving a lot, and they will be able to start trusting him more and more in the passing game. This is great news for Tebow-owners.

Will The Broncos win this week? I’m not sure, but that doesn’t matter for your fantasy team.

Tebow will go crazy like he did two weeks ago against Minnesota. New England’s pass defense is ranked dead last in the league. Start Tebow with confidence.

Tim Tebow fantasy football Week 15 projection: 260 passing yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT; 80 rushing yards, 1 TD

Other Start Em QBs for Week 15:

• Tony Romo – Tampa Bay is ranked 27th in the league against the pass, and Romo finally has four legitimate receiving weapons now that Miles Austin is back. Add this to the fact that they just lost DeMarco Murray, and I expect Romo to be the #1 QB of Week 15.
• Matt Stafford – Playing against Oakland (Carson Palmer…you can LOL right now). They are awful.
• Andy Dalton – Love his matchup against St. Louis. Cincinnati needs a win right now, and Dalton and AJ Green should make beautiful music in the dome on Sunday.

Sit Em QB: Mark Sanchez (at Philadelphia)

Mark Sanchez is, unbelievably, the 10th ranked QB in all of fantasy right now. Don’t be fooled though.

Sanchez has padded his stats against poor pass defenses. He put up at least 17 points against Dallas, Oakland, Miami, New England, and Buffalo. None of those teams are ranked in the top 14 in the league against the pass. Against Baltimore, Jacksonville, Denver, and Washington, he failed to break THIRTEEN.

The Eagles aren’t a great pass defense, but they are ranked 12th in the league. The way you beat the Eagles is on the ground.
Once you factor Shonn Greene’s resurgence into the picture, Sanchez is a must-sit in week 15.

Mark Sanchez fantasy football Week 15 projection: 180 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Other Sit Em QBs for Week 15:

• Alex Smith – I really hope you weren’t planning on starting him. He’s been terrible lately, AND he’s playing the Steelers. Good luck with that, Mr. Smith.
• Matt Ryan – He’s the most hit or miss QB in fantasy. He could very well have a big game, especially if Julio Jones stops dropping the ball, but I think he’s a miss this week. Jacksonville has the 4th best defense in the league against the pass, and both teams are playing off of a short week on Thursday night. Stay away from Matty-Ice this week.

Jerod’s thoughts:

Jon, you picking Tebow as your start ‘em QB this week is the most predictable choice of 2011. It’s also correct.

Picking Sanchez as the sit ‘em QB though? Boy, I don’t know. I certainly do not agree that he a “must sit”. Do you really trust Philly and its defense that much? Even if Shonn Greene does the heavy lifting, the Jets still like to pass in the red zone.  I don’t love Sanchez, and he’s certainly not a “must start” by any means, but he does have 7 TDs over the last three games. I don’t care who they are against, that’s good. Let’s put it this way: you could do worse.

Fantasy Football Week 15 Start em, Sit em RBs

Start Em RB: Ryan Grant (at Kansas City)

After losing Greg Jennings last week, I have the feeling that Green Bay will start playing a little bit more conservatively late in games. Fortunately for them, Ryan Grant appears to be peaking at the right time.

It always takes a while to fully recover from injury, and Grant appeared to be at top form last week.

Look for Green Bay to start shortening games in the second half as the season ends. They will definitely start this week against Kansas City and their atrocious run defense.

Ryan Grant fantasy football Week 15 projection: 150 total yards, 1 TD

Other Start Em RBs for Week 15:

• Shonn Greene AND LaDainian Tomlinson – Don’t be freaked out that they might steal each other’s points…BOTH players should be good for more then 10 this week against Philadelphia.
• Chris Johnson – Against Indianapolis in a game that really doesn’t matter? (Tennessee is basically out of the playoffs at this point) Come on…I think we all know that this is the type of game that Chris Johnson will EXPLODE in.

Sit Em RB: Rashard Mendenhall (v San Francisco)

I will let Jerod confirm this one by explaining to you once again how impossible it is to run on San Francisco.

Rashard Mendenhall Projections: 60 total yards

Other Sit Em RBs for Week 15:

• Ryan Mathews – Tough matchup against Baltimore. San Diego will have to air it out to beat the Ravens.
• DeAngelo Williams – Houston is great against the run as well. I actually like Jonathan Stewart a little bit this week – he’s the Panthers’ threat to catch the ball out of the backfield – but stay away from DeAngelo Williams in Week 15.

Jerod’s thoughts:

Wow, I pretty much agree with everything here. I’m not as high on Grant as you are, but I certainly think he’s worthy of playing for the exact reasons you explained.

As for Mendenhall, San Francisco still has not allowed 1,000 total rushing yards this year – they give up just 70.5 rushing yards per game – and have not allowed a single rushing touchdown. Sure, that second stat is a bit fluky (everyone else has allowed at least five) but you can’t even be in a position to have it unless your run D is awesome. I would sit Mendy too. If he scores, oh well. Can you really be upset with yourself?

Other running backs who simply have to be in your starting lineups because of their matchups:

• Felix Jones – yes, Felix Jones. Dallas is playing Tampa Bay, a team that has essentially quit on the season and can’t stop anyone.
• Cedric Benson – the Rams can’t stop anyone from running either.
• Roy Helu – He’s on fire, has Shanahan’s trust, and gets to face a Giants’ D that rushes the passer but barely passes the rushers.
• Arian Foster and Ben Tate – Carolina’s run D is that bad.
• Beanie Wells – Cleveland can defend the pass, at least statistically, in large part because they can’t defend the run.

Fantasy Football Week 15 Start em, Sit em WRs

Start Em WR: Demaryius Thomas (v NE)

New England, as I covered before, is just atrocious against the pass. World-renowned Patriots fan Bill Simmons even thinks that Julian Edelman is their BEST defensive back.

Thomas has quickly become Tebow’s favorite target in the end zone ever since he returned from injury. Look for Thomas to have a BIG day again in Week 15.

Demaryius Thomas fantasy football Week 15 projection: 8 catches for 140 yards and 2 TDs

Bonus Start Em WR: James Jones (at KC)

Usually, I only give you one guy that I’m super strong on, but I felt that this was too important to skip over.

The Greg Jennings injury will not hurt the Packers too badly; they will just spread around the points a little more. Look for James Jones (and Jordy Nelson) to have a huge day in Jennings’ absence.

James Jones fantasy football Week 15 projection: 6 catches for 120 yards and 1 TD

Other Start Em WRs for Week 15:

• AJ Green – Big day for the Cincinnati passing game on the turf in St. Louis. I expect AJ to catch AT LEAST two bombs in this game.
• EVERY wide receiver for the Saints and Vikings playing in Minnesota this week – Both teams are terrible against the pass…both teams have tons of speed…both teams are playing inside. Yay, free points.

Sit Em WR: Roddy White (v JAX)

I hate his matchup, and I hate his QB this week. The only receiver I like for the Falcons this week against Jacksonville is Tony Gonzalez. I would stay away from Roddy AND Julio Jones actually, but Roddy is the guy that’s ranked in the top fifteen, so that is why he is my sit ‘em wide receiver for Week 15.

Roddy White fantasy football Week 15 projection: 4 catches, 50 yards, 0 TD

Other Sit Em WRs for Week 15:

• Michael Crabtree – Won’t do much against the Steelers this week.
• DeSean Jackson – Revis Island.

Jerod’s thoughts:

I was going to say that’s scary how much we are agreeing this week, but then I got down to Roddy White and realized that we do disagree on something. I’m not a huge fan of White’s upside this week, but I do like his consistency. Look at those last three games (all with TDs). That’s tough to sit in the playoffs.

Let me say this about Demaryius Thomas though: be careful. He is still a rookie with questionable hands. And if he hadn’t caught that late TD from Tebow, all people would be talking about regarding him is all the drops early in the game. Can he handle the pressure of a game this big? I like him. He has explosive potential because of his talent and the matchup. Just be careful.

Other guys I particularly like this week include:

• Mike Williams of Tampa – Dallas’ secondary is pretty poor.
• Nate Washington and Damian Williams against Indianapolis.
• Antonio Brown‘s underrated consistency against San Francisco.
• Laurent Robinson – I know that Dallas has all of its weapons back, but they did last week too and he exploded again. He’s not flash in the pan. Romo loves him.

Fantasy Football Week 15 Start em, Sit em TEs

Start Em Tight End: Jermichael Finley (at KC)

The irony here is that if you have Jermichael Finley, you probably didn’t advance in your fantasy playoffs after his goose egg from last week. However, I think he will get much more involved in the passing attack now that Greg Jennings is out, and he should have his typical explosive day that he gets once a month.

Jermichael Finley fantasy football Week 15 projection: 95 yards, 2 TDs

(Yes, everybody, I’m well aware that I predicted at least three receiving TDs for the Packers after I said they would run the ball more. I don’t care. I expect all of the throwing to be done in the first half, and then Grant to dominate in the second.)

Sit Em Tight End: Vernon Davis (at PIT)

As you well know, I’m pretty high on the Steelers’ pass defense. This game will be ugly one way or the other, and nobody on the 49ers (outside of their running backs) will have a big game offensively.

Jerod’s thoughts:

What, no “other guys” to start and sit? Come on Jon! This is Week 15!

By the way, I agree on both Finley and Davis. You’d have to have balls of steel to start Finley this week, but those who made it this far probably do.

A couple of other names to consider:

• I know that Aaron Hernandez no longer gets the red zone looks in New England, but there is still value in a tight end who catches 4-5 balls per week and gets 50-70 yards. Plus, he’s due for a TD one of these days right?
• Jake Ballard continues to be a solid under-the-radar selection. He should be as well this weekend against Washington.

Guys not to consider:

• Dallas Clark caught one ball last week in his return to lineup. Don’t be seduced by the name.
• Marcedes Lewis has some yardage potential, but I just don’t see many scoring chances for anyone other than MJD against the Falcons.

Fantasy Football Week 15 Start em, Sit em Defenses

Start Em Defense: Chicago (v SEA)

They are playing with their backs against the wall, and pretty much have to hold their opponents scoreless. Fortunately for them, they are playing against Seattle. Look for the Bears to contain the Beast and dominate the Seahawks.

Also, whenever their backs are up against the wall, Devin Hester seems to do something crazy, which helps the Bears D/ST unit. 
Da Bears will play well this week.

Chicago Bears D/ST fantasy football Week 15 projection: 10 or fewer points, 2+ turnovers, 2+ sacks, 1 TD

Sit Em Defense: Denver (v NE)

I love Denver’s offense this week, in part because I think the New England offense will have their way with the Broncos.

You can’t stop Rob Gronkowski…even with OLBs as good as Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil.

I will be cheering for Denver to pull it off again this week, but once again it looks like Tim Tebow will have to carry the load.

Denver Broncos D/ST fantasy football Week 15 projection: 24 or more points, 1 turnover, 2 sacks

Jerod’s thoughts:

Okay, now I forgive you for not doing the “other” tight ends. You stepped up with some D/ST analysis! And I like both picks.

Also consider that Seattle gave up two return TDs to Ted Ginn back in Week 1. While their special teams may now be better, Hester is Hester. He offers lots of upside for Bears owners.

And as for the Broncos, you’re exactly right. Miller and Dumervil are rushing OLBs, not coverage guys. Gronk will dominate, and Welker should find plenty of success too.

Other D/STs to consider:

• Seattle’s D is criminally underrated. Facing Caleb Hanie, they too should be able to get the scoring to a minimum.
• Cincinnati playing at St. Louis is a no-brainer. So is Tennessee at Indy.

D/STs to stay away from:

• Baltimore is excellent, but they are facing a San Diego offense that is starting to click. If I had Seattle or Cincy, I’d play them over the Ravens, who face a desperate Chargers team that literally almost never loses in December.

**********

There you go. 2,500 words of fantasy analysis for Week 15, which should have you all ready to make every lineup decision facing you for Week 15.

Wait…what’s that? You still have questions? Well of course be our guest and pop on down to the comment section below. We’ll take good care of you, as well as be here on Sunday morning for our weekly live chat to make sure you are ready to win your playoff matchup.

Good luck in Week 15 everyone!

Through three quarters against the Bears, Tebow was 3-16 for 45 yards. Not exactly acceptable stats for an NFL quarterback. This did not matter though, as the score was only 7-0 in favor of Chicago heading into the fourth quarter.

The Bears started the fourth with a field goal that pushed the score to 10-0. Now let’s fast forward a little to when the game actually got interesting.

Tim Tebow always seems to wait until the end of games to amaze, and he did it once again. The Broncos got the ball with 4:34 left in the fourth on their own 37  yard line. In just over two minutes, Tebow threw 7 passes, all complete, for a 67-yard touchdown drive. Who said this guy can’t throw the ball?

Image credit: Garrett Ellwood/Getty Images  via Bleacher Report

Every time he leads these touchdown drives, Merril Hoge dies a little inside.

The Broncos went for an onside kick, but the Bears recovered. The casual observer would think that the game was over, as the Broncos were out of timeouts, and all the Bears had to do was simply run out the clock. This seemed logical, but running out the clock is not as easy as it seems. On second down with two minutes on the clock, Marion Barber ran OUT OF BOUNDS to stop the clock! He must have really wanted to see Tim Tebow make a comeback.

The Bears could have killed 40 more seconds, but Marion Barber would not stand for such an injustice. They ended up punting the ball back to the Broncos with 53 seconds left, with the drive starting from their own 20-yard line.

Merril Hoge was certainly happy that the Broncos were seemingly on their way to a loss, but Tebow had some magic left in him.

In four plays, with one being a spike, the Broncos gained 39 yards, and were in range for a 59-yard field goal. Three straight plays gained a total of zero yards, and the Broncos had to attempt a 59-yard field goal. Matt Prater, likely feeling the presence of Tim Tebow, nailed the field goal through the thin Denver air. On to overtime the game went.

The Bears won the toss, and in five plays, they moved the ball to the Denver 38 yard line. The sixth play is where it fell apart. Marion Barber ran the ball up the middle, and after gaining five yards he had the ball stripped. Barber fumbled the ball in field goal range! He is definitely a Tebow fan.

The Broncos got the ball and it was a foregone conclusion that Tebow would lead the offense down the field. In eight plays, Tebow moved the ball to the 33 yard line of the Bears, and set up a game-winning field goal for Matt Prater.

I know that it is unfair to only credit Tebow for the win, but he is a major reason not only for this win, but for the recent success of the Broncos. Since Tebow has taken over as starter, the Broncos are 7-1, and are leading the AFC West. Three of those wins have come in overtime, and only one was by more than a touchdown.

The defense has also stepped up for Denver, but Tebow is, and is going to be, the main story in all of their games. The organization is starting to believe in him more and more after each win, and he is now expected to be the sure starter for the 2012 season.

Next week will a true test for Tebow and the Broncos. They will take on the Patriots at home in Denver, in a very important game for several reasons. A win for the Broncos, against Tom Brady, could prove Tebow to be a legitimate quarterback in the NFL, as much as people who nitpick his skills would hate to admit. It would also keep the Broncos in the lead in the AFC West over the Raiders, who have a tough game against Detroit next week.

The Broncos-Patriots game will be the game of the week on CBS at 4:15, but the magic should begin around 7 pm.

I posted about this several weeks back when Jay Cutler first got hurt, mainly as an excuse to use the picture at the bottom of this post. But now, apparently, there is at least one-way interest in a potential Brett Favre comeback.

And by that I mean that Brett Favre, apparently, would “listen” if the Bears came groveling on their knees for him to rescue them from Caleb Hanie. Of course, Bears coach Lovie Smith has already said that the team is not looking to the outside and will stick Hanie.

But who cares!? It’s Brett Favre! Rumors! Let’s all have some fun out here!

FAVRE FAVRE FAVRE FAVRE FAVRE FAVRE FAVRE FAVRE FAVRE FAVRE FAVRE FAVRE FAVRE FAVRE FAVRE.

Anyway, I give this a 0.01% chance of happening, or a number of reasons.

First, Favre looked awful in his final season. Why should we think he’d be any better now not having played and a year older?

Second, when Favre went to the Jets and then the Vikings, he was essentially running the same offense he ran in Green Bay. So the transition was easy. Chicago, however, runs the Mike Martz Clusterfluck Offense, which Favre has no familiarity with, meaning he would basically just be dropping back and chucking it, with little regard for what the coach wants…

On second thought, hell, maybe it will happen.

Image source: Kevin Kaduk’s Facebook

Nah.

Regardless, Favre has people talking about him again, so that’s good, and hopefully will prevent him from sending any more ill-advised text messages to get attention.

Also, let the Bears know that I would listen if they need some help with their QB woes. I played quarterback my freshman year of high school. Even threw a touchdown pass. So long as it doesn’t interfere with our Sunday morning live chats, I’m available.