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

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.

The captain of the Chicago Blackhawks has always been loved and praised throughout his five year career, whether it be being nominated for Rookie of the Year back in 2008, Toews becoming (at the age of 20) the third youngest captain in the NHL, or winning a gold medal in the 2010 Olympics — an Olympics in which he also won the award for “Best Forward.”

Toews has never had a “bad year.” Instead he’s only become better as the years go on and on; and this season Toews has really stepped it up. He’s currently second in goals scored this season(18), has garnered 16 assists, and has a +/- rating of 12.

He’s most certainly been one of the major reasons why the Blackhawks sit second in the Western Conference, below only the Minnesota Wild, and he is the reason why the ‘Hawks continue to be one of the most talked about teams in the NHL.

The ‘Hawks have been pretty good so far. They have more depth than last season, though they’re not quite up to par with the Stanley Cup team. They have a great set of goaltenders with Ray Emery, who’s been getting all the starts recently, and Corey Crawford.

But defensive inconsistency still troubles the ‘Hawks. Despite having eight defensemen on the active roster (a considerably high number), the ‘Hawks have yet to find a balance that works without kinks.

The pairing of Nick Leddy and Niklas Hlajlmarsson hasn’t worked, which was proven more in Wednesday’s game against the Wild when the pair had a team-worst +/- rating of -2. Steve Montador has been nothing special, and Sami Lepisto has virtually been non-existent. The “veteran” additions to the defense don’t seem to be working out the way the ‘Hawks intended them too, and it’s been the only lasting stain that continues to last as this ‘Hawks season progresses.

The reason the ‘Hawks have been able to stay atop the Western Conference is because of the consistent production of the core players, especially Toews. Even when he doesn’t find himself on the scoresheet, he still has a major effect on the game via face-off wins, a much overlooked and underrated statistic in hockey.

Toews, though still young, has already become one of Chicago’s most talented and most important athletes. He is THE epitome of what every captain should do for his team.

Please, whatever you do, do not raise your child as a Chicago Cubs fan.

I was raised a Cubs fan since the day I could watch baseball. Some of my favorite memories are watching the Cubs with my dad in our living room.

I was still young at that point, and I didn’t totally understand how much the Cubs sucked and have sucked for 100+ years now.

Initially, being a Cubs fan brought me joy and a sense of pride; but as I got older, especially after the 2003 playoff debacle, I began to see the Cubs as they truly were and are: losers.

But as true fans do, I stuck with them.

Worst decision of my life.

Since 2003 the Cubs have made the playoffs twice (2007 and 2008), and during those stints they failed to win a single game, allowing themselves to be swept in the first round both years. These losses were worse because just 2-3 years prior the White Sox had won the World Series with virtually a no-name team and one of the craziest managers I’ve seen in my life.

Since then, every time the Cubs, or any other Chicago team, goes on a hot streak or fans become excited and think the team is going to start playing well, I don’t join in on the excitement.

I don’t get excited when Sports Illustrated or ESPN predicts that the Cubs or Bears will have a good season; I laugh because I can’t think of anything more stupid to write or believe.

I am not a cynical fan, just one that has become so accustomed to the losing nature of the Cubs that I’ve lost total faith in the franchise.

So parents, please don’t do this your kids.

But if you must, I recommend you sharing this Pearl Jam song to them to calm their inevitable sadness.

Bear fans were still hopeful Cutler would return for the playoffs if the Bears were able to make it, but Cutler himself didn’t sound too optimistic about that possibility.

“Obviously I would want to play next week if they let me, but I don’t think that’s going to be in the cards. It could be [that] I’m done for the season,” Cutler said. 

The Bears’ season isn’t over, not even close, but a loss to Oakland last week has put some doubt into fans’ heads. And now news that even if the Bears do make the playoffs, Cutler possibly wouldn’t be able to play, is a nail in the coffin for fans who hoped the Bears could possibly go deep into the playoffs.

I do like Caleb Hanie and consider him to not be that bad as quarterback when it comes to being a second string, but I highly doubt he has or will show the skill to lead this Chicago team into the playoffs.

The situation just sucks. There’s no other way to explain it. The Bears surprised me, especially the offense, this season. For once in a few years, I was excited and legitimately thought the Bears would be able to give the Packers a run for their money.

On the positive side, the Bears do not have a tough schedule ahead of them. They play Kansas City next week, followed by Denver, Seattle, Green Bay, and then they finish the season with Minnesota.

All of those games, except maybe for the Green Bay game, are winnable for the Bears. It also helps that the two other teams fighting for a wild card spot- Lions and the Giants -aren’t playing that well, both losing in their last week’s game.

A berth in the playoffs is not that far off and is actually quite possible. Still, I don’t have that same excitement I did two weeks ago when the Bears were flying high with a five game win streak and seemed to be on top of the world.

Now, the tides have completely turned and Green Bay and New Orleans look like the two sole teams that have the best chances to take the NFC title.

I couldn’t have said it any better, Cutler.

At first I didn’t worry too much. Cutler seemed like he wasn’t in pain, he didn’t mention it bothering him during the post game interview, and it didn’t seem to affect his game play. Besides, Matthew Stafford is playing with a messed up throwing hand, so I assumed Cutler would have no problem dealing with the injury himself.

Not 10 minutes later do I see news coming out that his injury will likely need surgery, forcing Cutler to sit out for at least the regular season with hopes of returning in the playoffs if the Bears do make it in.

And just like that my heart sank, and I remember why sports suck sometimes.

I remembered how terrible it was to see all the White Sox fans celebrating after their team won the World Series in 2005. For years they had made fun of Cubs fans for, well, you know what; but us Cubs fans at least knew that Chicago was our city. Watching the Sox win the World Series was just a reminder of how much the Cubs suck and how long they’ve sucked for, something I had repressed into the back of my mind for many years (as all Cubs fans must do).

Sure, I was happy to see Chicago bring a World Series championship home, but I wanted it to be my team. It’s the same for football.

I am happy to see the elated fans from whatever city won the Super Bowl that season, but watching the Bears lose to the Colts in 2006 and being too young to see them win in 1985, I thought this team – though I had my doubts – had a chance to win the Super Bowl this season.

Now I am forced to face the facts.

The Cubs still suck, the Blackhawks have gotten killed on the ice their past two games, the Bulls aren’t even going to play this year, and now the Bears’ season, which had so much promise, is in jeopardy.

Out of all the chances Cutler had to become injured, (trust me, there were a lot) why does he has to do it now? The Bears have so much momentum and a pretty easy schedule which they could have won out if they continued this level of play.

Now all that has changed.

Caleb Hanie is now probably going to be the starting quarterback. I have nothing against Hanie, but I am not sure how well the Bears are going to adjust the offense. They can no longer throw 30 to 40 times a game. The Packers won’t stop winning, and the Lions, though they’ve looked really bad and unlike a playoff team at some times, are still a 7-3 team and now pose a bigger threat to the Bears with Cutler gone.

Bears’ fans are going to realize just how much the team needs Cutler. Let’s just hope it’s not too painful.

The many times he throws the football into the a defender’s hands with such ease and grace…the way he shows Aaron Rodgers how a real quarterback plays football…and don’t forget the way he makes getting sacked look a lot cooler than David Carr did.

Those are all examples of how Cutler emulates other pros in his field, but there is one thing Cutler has a complete monopoly over: on-field expressions and body language. No one has a better arsenal of expressions than my man Jay!

This post is a tribute to all those expressions and positive body language that only Jay could display so nicely, clearly, and inspirationally.

1. The “I am sorry I threw the interception” look.

—–

2. The “Phillip Rivers stole my candy” look. 

—–

3. The “I can’t believe Tim Tebow might have a
better career win/loss record than me” look. 

—–

4. The “Come on ref. You know I didn’t
mean to fumble the ball,” look.

—–

5. The “What the hell is my girlfriend doing with that guy,” look. 

—–

6. The “I can’t believe they’re paying me
millions to play like this,” look. 

—–

7. The “Wait! I have no fu**ing idea what I am doing,” look.

—–

8. The “Mike Shanahan didn’t think my joke was very funny,” look. 

—–

9. The “I hope to God this team has an offensive line,” look.

—–

10. The “Look mom! I am flying,” look. 

—–

11. Let’s see what happens this weekend…

But in this week’s installment of “Jay Cutler Dominates” I am going to ditch the humor and sarcasm and try to get a legitimate point across.

I am a huge Bears fan. I watch them every week, and I’ve watched them every week for as long as I can remember. This whole “Jay Cutler Dominates” should not be seen as me crusading against Cutler, but instead as light humor.

I do in fact love that Jay Cutler is the quarterback for my Bears, and though there are legitimate criticisms you could say against Cutler, he undoubtedly gets bashed more than he should.

I will put up with people criticizing his leadership abilities, the fact that he throws off his back foot too much, and that he throws too many interceptions, because those are all valid points, but what I won’t tolerate is people criticizing his toughness, his desire to win, and his ability to make something out of nothing.

Cutler has been sacked a total of 108 times, and hit too many other times to count, in his two and half years as a Bear…yet he has only missed one start.

I’ve been waiting for that one time when Cutler doesn’t get up from the grass after a hit or sack, but it has never happened. He always gets back up. I’ve never seen such toughness and resilience from a quarterback, so it really pisses me off to see polls, like the new one on Sportsnation, where 40% of people say his toughness is still questionable.

Anyone who questions Cutler’s toughness is a complete idiot or is completely ignorant of the situation.

Bears fans should be the last ones to dislike Cutler.  He has clearly made this team a lot better. His ability to move out of the pocket and throw on the run, making what could be a sack into a positive gain, is something no Bears quarterback that I’ve been alive to see has been able to do. He has a cannon for an arm and an uncanny ability to thread the needle on passes. We saw that last Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles, we’ve seen it in the past, and we’ll see it in the future as well.

These people who, day-after-day, continue to say that Cutler doesn’t have the abilities to win or make it in the NFL are clearly not watching his games. Who else would, week after week, play behind an O-line that can be downright atrocious and still be this successful? Cutler doesn’t have the wide receivers or the blocking that Rodgers, Bress, or Brady have, but he still manages to get the job done come game time.

The fact of the matter is that Cutler is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL talent-wise and he was one game away from leading the Bears to the Super Bowl last year. No, he hasn’t won a Super Bowl yet, but that’s not going to stop him from going into every week with a “win and nothing else” attitude, and it’s definitely not going to stop me from defending him.

Jay Cutler really does dominate.

He battled bile-duct cancer and died at the age of 45. Payton, often referred to as “Sweetness”, played all of his 13 NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears, missing only one game.

During that span, Payton was voted to the Pro Bowl nine times, won the MVP two times, the Super Bowl once and is a Hall of Famer.

He is simply one of the best players to ever take the field. He is rated as the #5 player of all-time by NFL.com.

Author and Sports Illustrated columnist Jeff Pearlman decided to take matters into his own hands and write a book about the great Walter Payton, titled Sweetness: The Enigmatic of Walter Payton.

Pearlman portrays the story of Payton’s life in great detail. He spent years compiling many different sources to make this book a success.

The book, Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton, has spent three weeks on the New York Times’ Best Sellers list.

I had a chance to catch up with Jeff this past week during the Bears bye and he gave me the inside scoop on everything you need to know about Walter Payton and the making of the book itself.

Here’s the interview with sports writer Jeff Pearlman, which originally appeared on Bearsbacker.com:

Q: What inspired you to write this book about Bears running back Walter Payton? When did you decide you we’re going to write it?
A: Decided about three years ago. Inspiration was Payton himself. Fascinating man, iconic, beloved—yet mysterious. We know him, yet know almost nothing about him. It’s funny. When Walter died he was eulogized for 45 great years. He was 46. When Walter was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, he talked about placing fourth in the 1975 Heisman voting. He placed 14th. He had the most famous nickname in football, yet nobody knew where it came from. Just a riveting, unique, enigmatic man.

Q: How long did it take for you to write the book? How many sources did you interview?
A: Overall it took 2 1/2 years and 678 interviews.

Q: Who was your favorite source and least favorite source? Why?
A: Favorite: Bob Hill, his Jackson State coach. Fascinating man, amazing memory, great stories and willing to share them. We met at his apartment in Mississippi, and all I’d heard were these stories about the fierce, sadistic Bob Hill; the one who tortured his players. Man, he was a joy. A teddybear. Just wonderful. Least favorite: Mmm … not sure. If people gave me time, I was appreciative.

Q: Which source was the hardest to convince to be part of the book?
A: No one comes to mind. Sorry to be lame. They either agree or don’t. I certainly don’t make threats or twist arms.

Q: How many interviews have you done since writing the book? Is it too many too count? Which one was your favorite?
A: Man, hundreds. I’d say my favorite was Morning Joe on MSNBC. So fun … rapped the Super Bowl Shuffle with one of the hosts toward the end. Joyful. Plus, gave my parents a highlight. Also, I loved the Payton documentary on the NFL Network. We sat down to watch it, and my voice was the first thing played. Corny this may be, but that was a thrill.

Q: How much did you know about Walter Payton’s life prior to writing the book?
A: Very little. A hero when I was a kid; always loved his style and approach. Met him once, in 1999, when he was dying. Haunting experience—thin, jaundiced eyes, tired. Like seeing Superman without the cape. I also read his autobiography, Never Die Easy. A good book, but limited and one-sided. Which is fair, considering it was his take.

Q: Walter’s son Jarrett recently defended you on the darkness of the book, but former Bears coach Mike Ditka didn’t. Do you expect both kinds of criticism after writing a book like this?
A: Well, I wouldn’t say Jarrett defended me so much as he was classy and decent and didn’t slam for the sake of slamming. I have much respect for him. And, to be honest, for Ditka, who acted emotionally when he thrashed me (“I’d spit on him.”) then took a step back and sort of apologized. No hard feelings. Comes with the territory. If you write an honest portrayal, not everyone will be happy. It is what it is.

Q: Have you talked to Mike Ditka since he made the harsh comments towards you?
A: Nope.

Q: Did you expect all of this criticism? Did you expect to be talked about so much, after the book was published?
A: No. I mean, I thought the book would get attention … hoped it would. Because I worked insanely hard on it, and love the finished product. But I’ve been disappointed by the initial, knee-jerk reaction to the SI excerpt, which was a mere fraction of a fraction of a 460-page text. But I also understand it. People are loyal to Walter Payton; they love him and feel the need to protect him. I understand. But if people read the book, they’ll see. This is a life story, not a slash job.

Q: What is your favorite part about writing books? What was your favorite part about writing this book?
Favorite part: Easily, the digging and the research. Learning details, finding people to interview, uncovering nuggets of information. And I don’t mean gossip. I mean the name of a dog; the type of soda someone was drinking. Little tiny things that bring an image to life. Least favorite: Also easy—the publicity. When I was younger, ego mattered more. The attention. The praise. Now, it’s about crafting a book and seeing it come together into a finished product. That’s euphoria.

Q: How many books have you written so far? What do you plan on doing after this book?
A: Five books. A long nap and play with my kids.

Q: Are any of your friends Bears fans? What exactly do they think of the book?
A: Sure. I’m not just saying this, but they love the book, because they understand me and they’re smart enough to know people are complex and nuanced and unique; that our flaws don’t damn us, they help explain us. That the way people handle tough times and rugged situations says more than a great game against the Steelers. When people say, “How dare you write this about Walter Payton?” I cringe. It’s as if, once someone dies, we are not permitted to examine and understand his/her life. That flies in the face of biography.

Q: When did you know a career of being a sports writer was a possibility?
A: When I was in junior high I told my mom that, one day, I’d write for Sports Illustrated. She said I needed to be realistic. “Lawyer … how about lawyer?” But, for some reason, I knew. I just did. And I pursued that dream with dogged, stubborn determination. Internships, unpaid opportunities, a summer from hell in Urbana, Illinois (two broken ankles!). If you have a dream, but you don’t work for it, it’ll remain a dream.

Q: Where did you start out? Did you ever expect to be where you are now?
A: Well, my first job was a food and fashion writer for The (Nashville) Tennessean. I knew nothing about cooking or dressing. There was an opening, they liked my writing, I jumped in. First salary: $26,000—and I thought I was loaded. But the goal was always SI, SI, SI. Never, ever thought about books until my friend Jon Wertheim, SI’s killer tennis writer, wrote “Venus Envy.” I thought, “Hey, I can do that, too.” And here I am—able to pick up my kids from school, infrequent wearer of shoes, happy.

Q: How should Walter Payton be remembered? Do you think your book will change people’s perception about him?
A: Iconic. Strong-willed. Determined. Stubborn. Mostly, human. He had tough times, like we all do. But he fought and fought through them. I like to think of him at the end of his life, when he was dying but refused to tell people how dire it was. He convinced people he was holding a pager, one buzz away from a new liver. Was never true—he had cancer, and the liver would never come. Yet the man continued to do public service announcements about organ donations, because he understood the different he could make. To hell with Jim Brown or tearing up the Vikings for 275—that’s courage. I don’t think it’ll change perceptions, so much as educate and, hopefully, enlighten.

Q: What is your favorite part of the book? Could you give us an excerpt?
A: Jackson State—him dancing on Soul Train.
It’s tiny, but you get the idea …

Midway through the academic year, King announced that 24 Karat Black Gold was affiliating itself with the first-ever Soul Train National Championship Dance-Off . Throughout the country, each state would host its own competition, with the winning couples flying to Los Angeles to appear on Soul Train and vie for the title of America’s Best Dancers. At the time, Payton and Jones were teamed on Black Gold with fairly mediocre partners.

“So Walter came up to me one day and said, ‘How about entering the Soul Train contest together?’ ” Jones said. “‘I really think we can win this thing if we team up.’ ”

For the next three weeks the two met in a second- floor room of Jackson State’s student union building and danced until their toes blistered.

“We had forty-fives and LPs, and we practiced for endless hours,” Jones said. “We expected to win.”

The first round of the competition was held at the College Park Auditorium on Lynch Street. Hundreds of couples took to the floor as the judges cruised the room, tapping out those who didn’t make the cut. Along with forty-nine other couples, Walter and Mary survived the first week, then lasted again as the total was reduced to twenty- five, and then again to a mere ten. The championship round was held on a Sunday, ten couples dancing for the right to appear on one of black America’s most popular television programs.

“I’d never left Mississippi in my life,” said Jones. “I’d never even been on an airplane. So the possibility was breathtaking.”

The ten couples were pared down to five, then three. Walter gazed at Mary. Mary gazed at Walter. They locked eyes, knowing to ignore the judges and just move. Finally, the music stopped. The couple looked around, and nobody was left.

“I was overcome with joy, and so was Walter,” said Jones. “To be chosen to represent the entire state of Mississippi! What an honor!”

By the time Walter and Mary flew to Los Angeles, it was the summer of 1973. The local radio station, WOKJ, presented both students with plane tickets and five hundred dollars in spending money. (“Five hundred dollars!” laughs Jones. “I couldn’t believe it.”) They stayed at the Hyatt in Los Angeles, and were given tours of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Upon arriving at Soul Train’s studio, they met Don Cornelius, the famed deep-voiced host and producer. The show was taped the night after they arrived. Couples from across the nation danced away, until fifty were whittled down to thirty, and thirty were whittled down to fifteen, and fifteen were whittled down to two. The victors would be gifted two brand-new olive green Dodge Chargers—“and we really wanted those cars,” Jones said.

Walter wore jeans with wide legs, a cutoff shirt that revealed his muscular stomach, and Gene Simmons–esque platform heels. Atop his head was an apple cap, a style staple for black men in the early 1970s. He and Mary danced as well as they ever had. So, unfortunately, did the couple from Louisiana.

“Mississippi and Louisiana were the last two standing,” said Jones. “They were just a little bit better than we were.”

Walter and Mary left empty-handed.

“But the story of dancing with Walter,” said Mary, “has lasted me a lifetime.”

Q: What does an average day for you consist of?
A: Wake up at 7, make my kids breakfast and their lunches for school, drop them off at school, take a run/go to the gym, hunker down in Starbucks or Panera until, oh, 2:30, pick up my kids from school, play/help with homework, greet the wife when she comes home, dinner, give the kids a bath, read to them, bed, spend time with the wife, she goes to bed, midnight run, stay up and work until, oh, 2ish. Glamorous.

Q: What advice would you give to someone trying to do a job like yours?
A: Details, details, details. The best way to tell a good writer vs. a bad writer isn’t, literally, the ability to come up with great phrases. It’s details. Reporting. Making the extra call, even when you’ve already interviewed 600 people. It’s taking that second trip to Mississippi, just to make sure you got everything. When I graduated from the University of Delaware, I was this cocky jackass who thought he was God’s gift to the pen. Then I arrived in Tennessee and realized I had no clue. None. It took a demotion to the police beat to understand the importance of hard reporting. The sooner a writer gets this, the better.

Q: How would you like to be remembered? Do you think this book will alter people’s views about you?
A: Honestly, I don’t worry about being remembered at all. One day I’ll be dead, and other people will write books and articles and whatever. Circle of life and all that jazz. As long as my kids were raised well, and my wife was happy and loved, I’ll be very content.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job? Would you trade it for another one?
A: Honestly, and this isn’t a sexy answer, I love that I’m the one dad who’s able to be a class parent and attend school trips. I know all my kids’ friends; know the pediatrician and the teachers, etc, etc. It’s the greatest joy I’ve ever known—not just being a father, but being an actively involved father. That’s the greatest gift of this career—I’m here.

Don’t forget to follow Jeff Pearlman on Twitter or check out his website, JeffPearlman.com.

**********

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. He is also the Chicago Bears writer for NFLTouchdown.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker for up to the minute news about the Bears.

Cutler is no stranger to doing whatever he wants. Some bash him for it, but do you want to know why an All-State high school shortstop, basketball player, and football star, who’s destined for the Hall of Fame, can do whatever he wants?

One reason: He’s Jay Cutler and he dominates.

You may be thinking “Hey Tyler, you just gave me two reasons while saying it’s one.” And I would respond with “Jay Cutler is dominance, so it really is only one reason.”

Anyway, Cutler’s accomplishment of being a badass went to an all-time high two Sundays ago in the game against the Minnesota Vikings. Cutler, who was posting insane numbers for a QB going against a stingy and unbeatable Vikings team, uttered six words that will go down in “Badass History.”

That’s correct. A quarterback who has a career 38-37 win/loss record just told a Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator to f**k off. I’ve never been more proud of a QB in my entire life. This Bears team is clearly Cutler’s bitch, as are Aaron Rodgers and Phillip Rivers.

The best part of the whole thing is Cutler downplaying the whole event in the press conference after the game. When asked “Do you regret it,” by a journalist, Cutler shrugged his shoulders and answered “Um..no.”

I applaud you Jay Cutler for sticking it to the man and fighting the everyday problems of the average American citizen!!

FOUR MORE YEARS!

I, upon hearing the news, had no real strong opinions. I read both sides of the argument, but I still found myself without a real opinion on the subject. I don’t really care what Epstein did with Boston. I don’t care to hear about his success stories. I don’t even care to hear about his failures in Boston.

All I care about is seeing my Cubs team start winning and becoming a serious threat in the MLB.

I don’t care how it’s done as long as I see some actual progress. I am not expecting a turnaround immediately, but what I do want is a sign of stability and improvement the next few years. I think the majority of Cub fans would agree with me.

For a few years the Cubs did have a strong lineup on paper. But there’s always something prohibiting the Cubs from ever really making that extra step into being a consistent team that can win each season.

I’ll be honest and tell you that I rarely watched a full Cubs’ game last season. There wasn’t much to watch anyway. A team that goes 71-91 this season, hasn’t won a single playoff game in the last two visits to the playoffs, and hasn’t won a World Series since 1908 doesn’t deserve to have 30,000 fans in the stadium or their games shown on TV.

Harsh? Maybe. But there’s really no hiding the embarrassment that you feel once someone asks you who your favorite baseball team, and you answer “the Cubs.” I could stop calling myself a Cubs fan, but I’ve been raised as one since childbirth and no matter if I like it or not, the team will always have a special spot in my heart.

The release of Hendry and signing of Epstein has rekindled interest in this Cubs team.

It could just be false hope, but I do really want to like Epstein. I am hopeful (as all Cub fans are) that a change of face will be good. I know the Cubs have more problems than just the GM position, but I knew the Cubs were never going to win the World Series with Hendry at the reins.

I am not asking for a World Series. All I am asking for is a reason to be proud for being a Cubs fan.

Both would try to bring their team to a Super Bowl and both would fail miserably, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a winner.  Besides, rivalries where both teams win absolutely nothing are the best kind of rivalries.

So who’s the better QB? Is it the 3-time Pro Bowler or the man who’s highest claim to fame was being parodied on a South Park episode?

Let’ find out.

Jay vs Phil: Hand-offs

Remember when you were a kid playing football in your backyard, dreaming of being a NFL quarterback, and your dad told you in order to be a good quarterback you had to have a good hand-off? Neither do I, but it did happen. I promise you.

Here’s exactly what not to do. Demonstrated by Philip Rivers.

Actually handing the ball off to your running back is essential and is considered the golden rule to any hand-off play. (Write that one down, kids.) Phil here, obviously forget the golden rule. Not good. Not good at all.

Now watch a Hall of Famer at work.

Studies have shown that handing the ball off to your running back on a run play increases the chances of actually gaining yards by an astounding 80%.

Score: Cutler 1 – Rivers 0

Jay vs Phil: Most Humiliating Sack

There’s no MVP award for being sacked in the most embarrassing way possible, but there should be. When it comes to being sacked and eating turf, no one does it better than Cutler. Sometimes, his own O-line likes to help Cutler in his mission to live up to the nickname Jay “The Turf Eater” Cutler.

Cutler has seen the grass at Solider Field so much that the team has hired him as the grass caretaker.

Phil Rivers cannot even come close to having a sack that spectacular. He’s just not as a dominant as Jay.

Score: Cutler 2 – Rivers 0

Jay Cutler’s dominant stats after five weeks:

• Passer Rating: 82.7
• Yards: 1,209
  
• TDs: 6
  
• INTs: 0 (at some point, the NFL’s official statkeeper will get this right…)
  

Throughout 2011, I posted  monthly updates on these “predictions,” so as to capriciously praise or condemn myself. Today, on the 1st of October with the playoffs upon us, I offer the final “results.”

Underrated

Miguel Cabrera

The definition of a superstar. He totally lived up to my remarks, and more importantly, still didn’t get enough national love  in 2011.

The 28 year-old won the batting title with a robust .344 average, finished 2nd in walks, OPS and Top 10 in every other relevant offensive category.  As a bonus, in this era of Ryan Howard, Drew Stubbs, Curtis Granderson and Adam Dunn, only 89 strikeouts in 161 games.

That’s what makes a great ballplayer: consistently good all around. And still, few notice him amongst the Jose Bautistas, Paul Konerkos, Adrian Gonzalezes, Mark Teixeiras, Robinson Canos and Jacoby Ellsburys of the AL world who garner our attention. Already off to a hot start in the playoffs, Cabrera’s a legit MVP contender again. In fact, he’d get my vote.

{Grade on my prediction: A+ }

Paul Konerko

.300, 30+ HRs, 100 + RBIs. Period. Need more be said? (And that included a rough September where he struggled alongside the whole team’s concurrent collapse.)

Pauly continues to be under-appreciated, and though I dislike the ChiSox, I will keep praising Paul  — because there are people who actually think Ryan Howard is a better player, despite Konerko being better in nearly every category, and by a long shot in some.

Howard will never get 2000 hits, and 400 HRs is questionable. Konerko, just three years older than the Philly first baseman, has the former, and will achieve the latter in April 2012. And unlike Howard and most others, the White Sox first baseman somehow gets better with age.  He was in the AL Top 10 in nearly all major offensive categories.

{Grade: A}

Adam Dunn:

I often compare the media love for Ryan Howard to Adam Dunn, as I feel they’re similar players (same age, same style, etc), but if I’m to call out Ryan, Adam needs the same treatment.

You can’t spin this anymore now than you could at any juncture this season: he was a disaster! 

Adam hit .159 in 122 games this season, with just 11 homers and 42 RBIs. He would have probably led the league in strikeouts (177) but was benched most of the final six weeks. Dunn was a startling 6 for 94 versus left-handed pitching in 2011. Yes, that’s a .064 clip! {Grade: F}

Ryan Zimmerman and Shin Soo-Choo missed too much time for evaluation in 2011. Zimmerman hit near.300, and Choo, in half a season marred by various ailments, managed eight homers and 36 RBIs overall, with a .340 batting average in limited time post All Star break.

Overrated:

Ryan Howard:

The “centerpiece” of my article was the Phillies’ big first baseman, who’s been at the top of my list (and emails, texts and tweets) of overhyped ballplayers for years. I saw absolutely nothing in 2011 to change my mind; in fact, no matter what ESPN or the media says or ignores, I’m more confident in my views than ever.

There was a devastating critique of Howard’s absurd $25 million/year salary and declining stats in Yahoo Sports back in July, hitting every angle statistically and factually. While some commenters applauded, most ignored the content and chose to call the writer names and use profanity. It was classic to read his backers getting so flummoxed.

Then, in mid-August, Baseball Reference exposed his supporters’ one reasonable claim: RBIs. They showed that given Ryan’s unmatched opportunities with men on base, about 20 other guys (including JJ Hardy and Michael Morse) would’ve had as many or more RBIs than Howard (who had 95 then, and only knocked in 21 during the season’s final six weeks). He truly lives a blessed life, having nearly 20 at bats per season with the bases loaded.

Though his RBI and home run numbers remained relatively high, vital categories (and overall power categories like slugging, OPS and OBP) continue to fall precipitously, while Howard’s strikeouts remained 2nd in the National League (a hideous 172 in 152 games).

Ryan hit just THREE homers off a lefty in 170 at bats this season, and no clutch hits that anyone can recall.

Howard’s 2011 OPS — the most relevant category for a power guy — was an abysmal 19th in the NL. Despite his power numbers, he was also still a distant 19th in Slugging, while his On Base Percentage didn’t even crack the top 30 on the Senior Circuit. Very telling.

Unless you’re looking for a player on the back-end of his career; less durable than in the past; is quite replaceable; who doesn’t get on base enough; whiffs a lot; is slow; suspect with the glove, but will get you 30 HRs with 100 RBIs and a .250 average, he’s not your man.

And despite a homer in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday — that his desperate fans and obsequious media treated with more excitement than George Washington crossing the Delaware — look for the decline to continue in 2012 and beyond — as his salary rises to nearly the top of baseball. What a bad joke.

(I won’t get into past postseason futility since I covered it last fall and, starting late in last night’s game, you’re seeing it again. In the 2011 playoffs, Howard’s had a cumulative 13 men on base in his first six at bats. Considering that, his six RBIs is understandable.)

{Grade on my prediction that Howard is overrated: A}

Carlos Pena:

The Cubs first baseman hit 28 bombs, but that’s around his career average. He still finished at his customary .225 and a putrid .133 off lefties; yet this overpaid 33-year old is a lifetime .239 hitter, so what do we expect? Losing player, losing teams. He doesn’t strikeout quite as much as Howard or Dunn (still had 161 in 153 games though), but that proves little. He’s still vastly overrated, and his signing didn’t help the Cubs one iota.

{Grade: A}

BJ Upton:

Upton rightly doesn’t get the love he once received, but still, when you think of the Rays, after Longoria, BJ’s name comes up. Why?  You like .240 hitters who strikeout WAY too much (5th in AL, 161 in 153 games), with mediocre power and bad attitudes? He had a nice September, and Tampa will need him in October, but until his average improves…

{Grade: A-}

Jeff Francoeur:

Jeff’s finished at .285/20/87, which is mighty impressive. He was part of the best defensive outfield in baseball this year — in terms of throwing out baserunners (second best in MLB history).

He’s not an old player (27), so KC expected him to produce, which is why they extended him through 2013 . Coupled with Gordon, Cabrera, Hosmer and the rest of the young studs, he’ll be part of a playoff team in KC soon.

{Grade: C-}

Mark Reynolds:

His average was .221, which is apparently impressive for a guy coming off a .198 season. “Only” 196 whiffs in 155 games for a guy who punched out over 200 times each of the past three seasons. Reynolds did have 37 homers and 86 RBIs; however, the Orioles were one of baseball’s biggest disappointments in 2011, so I’m really not sure what he brought to Baltimore.

{Grade: B+}

So I’m looking at very decent grades for 2011…

Agree/disagree? Bring facts, not conjecture nor ad hominem attacks. Thanks.

1. Decorate your desktop wallpaper with the Blackhawks

Every season the people working on the Blackhawks website create new wallpapers for you to set as your desktop background. There are player-only ones, one of the ice girls, the players standing for the anthem, a Stanley Cup ring wallpaper, various different logos, and a newly added Joel Quenneville wallpaper.

Once the season begins I like to change my wallpaper every month to the ‘schedule wallpaper’ that has a different featured player along with the all the games that the ‘Hawks will be playing that month. All of the wallpapers look very sharp and are sure to make you want to leave your computer on so people can see how much you love your ‘Hawks.

2. A Chicago Blackhawk Fathead

Now that you have your computer all decked out with a Blackhawk desktop wallpaper, you can now move onto your living room, garage, or wherever you watch the ‘Hawks. I know the Fatheads are kinda on the expensive side ($90) for the Blackhawks logo, but they are definitely worth it.

I know that because I own one. They’re very easy to put up, and they’re very high quality.  There’s nothing better than having the best-looking logo in sports on your wall for everyone to see and compliment you on.

3. Buy A ‘Toothless’ Duncan Keith Shirt

Duncan Keith cemented himself into the Badass Hall of Fame when he lost seven teeth during Game 4 of the 2010 Western Conference Finals against the San Jose Sharks, left the game only to come right back out minutes later to help finish off the four-game sweep, leading his team to the Stanley Cup playoffs, which the ‘Hawks would eventually win.

It quickly became Chicago lore and won Keith many respect from fellow teammates and Blackhawk fans.

4. Re-watch some of Pat Foley’s best on-air calls

Chicago Blackhawks fans are not only blessed to have a great logo and team but also great announcers to go along with all of it. One of those announcers is the great Pat Foley. He was brought back to the Chicago Blackhawks TV booth after a short stint with the Chicago Wolves.

I am really glad that Foley is back in the booth. It makes watching the ‘Hawks on TV a whole lot better. As irrelevant to the game as announcers are, it’s really hard to tolerate bad commentators.

I am looking at you Bob Brenly and Len Kasper.