Chicago Sports

Two young children wounded in their homes by shots fired from outside on the South Side

Two young children were wounded in their homes by shots fired from outside on the South Side Wednesday night.

A 3-year-old boy was sleeping when shots were fired in the 700 block of East 93rd Street just before 10 p.m., police said.

A family member found the boy with a gunshot wound in the left elbow. He was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in good condition.

Around the same time, an 8-year-old boy was grazed in the leg from shots fired in the 3600 block of South Rhodes Avenue, police said. He was not taken to a hospital,police said.

No arrests were reported in either shooting.

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Trevis Gipson with a ballsy prediction about the Bears Packers week 2 matchup

Trevis Gipson makes a confident prediction for the week 2 game against the Green Bay Packers.

Trevis Gipson is a key cog in the Bears’ pass rush in 2022 after racking up seven sacks in place of Khalil Mack.  While Gipson may not be starting, he is an extremely productive part of the Bears’ defensive end rotation.  Trevis Gipson racked up five QB pressures and followed it up this week with one big prediction about the Packers game.

“We gonna win. You’ve got my word. … Our coach told us this morning – we’re better than they are.”
#Bears DE Trevis Gipson on their Week 2 matchup against the Packers

Gipson’s confidence is inspiring if not altogether a little nerve-racking.  Aaron Rodgers rarely loses two straight games and the Packers will be at home, another place they rarely lose.  Rodgers doesn’t need any added motivation to get up for the Bears.

Trevis Gipson gave him a bit more motivation with that prediction.  Gipson’s confidence isn’t unwarranted though given the Packers’ injury situation.  The Packers could be without both starting offensive tackles for the second straight game, and as good as the Bears’ defensive ends were against the 49ers in a biblical rainstorm, they could be even better on a cool night in Green Bay.

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Trevis Gipson with a ballsy prediction about the Bears Packers week 2 matchup

Trevis Gipson makes a confident prediction for the week 2 game against the Green Bay Packers.

Trevis Gipson is a key cog in the Bears’ pass rush in 2022 after racking up seven sacks in place of Khalil Mack.  While Gipson may not be starting, he is an extremely productive part of the Bears’ defensive end rotation.  Trevis Gipson racked up five QB pressures and followed it up this week with one big prediction about the Packers game.

“We gonna win. You’ve got my word. … Our coach told us this morning – we’re better than they are.”
#Bears DE Trevis Gipson on their Week 2 matchup against the Packers

Gipson’s confidence is inspiring if not altogether a little nerve-racking.  Aaron Rodgers rarely loses two straight games and the Packers will be at home, another place they rarely lose.  Rodgers doesn’t need any added motivation to get up for the Bears.

Trevis Gipson gave him a bit more motivation with that prediction.  Gipson’s confidence isn’t unwarranted though given the Packers’ injury situation.  The Packers could be without both starting offensive tackles for the second straight game, and as good as the Bears’ defensive ends were against the 49ers in a biblical rainstorm, they could be even better on a cool night in Green Bay.

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Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE

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Cubs call up Jared Young, put Rafael Ortega on 60-day IL

DES MOINES – About a half an hour before first pitch on Wednesday, Iowa Cubs Marty Pevey had to shuffle his starting lineup. He’d received word that Jared Young was needed elsewhere.

Later that evening, the Cubs announced that they’d called up the outfielder/corner infielder from Triple-A and put Rafael Ortega (broken left ring finger) on the 60-day injured list before facing the Mets in New York in the final game of a three-game set.

Young is lined up to be the 16th Cub to make his MLB debut this season.

The I-Cubs have been moving Young around on defense this season. He’s primarily played first base in his professional career, but this season he’s played almost as many games at third base (40) as first (42). He’s also made 24 appearances in the outfield this year.

After Ortega broke his finger Tuesday while attempting a bunt, Young’s versatility was an advantage.

Schwinel likely out for season

Cubs first baseman Frank Schwindel told the Sun-Times he is “probably” out for the season. His nagging back injury flared up again, and the Iowa Cubs put him on the seven-day injured list last month, about a week and a half after the Cubs optioned him to Triple-A.

“It’s just been really frustrating,” he said. “Especially [because] last year was unbelievable, and obviously, you come back, try and do it all over again. But having a setback in spring and then just grinding the whole way, never really catching my stride, it was tough.

“Because I wouldn’t feel good more than a couple of days in a row before it would get me again. But it’s part of the game, and build from that, and come back even better.”

He’s ramping up toward hitting.

“But just running out of days,” he said.

Alzolay to join cubs this weekend

Right-hander Adbert Alzolay is set to rejoin the Cubs this weekend when they take on the Rockies at Wrigley Field, manager David Ross told reporters in New York on Wednesday.

Alzolay, who entered spring training with a right lat strain, has been on the injured list all season. But he told the Sun-Times that he’s used that time to gain strength and clean up his mechanics.

“I feel that I can throw the ball harder now without trying to really throw the ball harder,” he said. “So, it’s just those little things that, at the end of the day, make a big difference.”

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High school football: AP Week 4 Illinois high school football rankings

The latest rankings of Illinois high school football teams in each class, according to an Associated Press panel of sportswriters.

Class 8A

School W-L Pts Prv

1. Loyola (11) (3-0) 110 1

2. Lincoln-Way East (3-0) 98 2

3. Warren (3-0) 81 4

4. Glenbard West (3-0) 78 3

5. Naperville North (3-0) 57 5

6. O’Fallon (3-0) 48 6

7. Maine South (2-1) 35 7

8. Marist (2-1) 23 8

9. Edwardsville (3-0) 15 9

10. Lockport (3-0) 14 NR

Others receiving votes: York 13, Bolingbrook 10, Glenbard East 7, Palatine 7, Glenbrook South 4, Lyons 3, South Elgin 1, Neuqua Valley 1.

Class 7A

School W-L Pts Prv

1. Mount Carmel (11) (3-0) 110 1

2. Prospect (3-0) 94 2

3. Wheaton North (3-0) 90 7

4. Jacobs (3-0) 71 5

5. St. Rita (1-2) 43 4

6. Pekin (3-0) 38 9

7. Batavia (1-2) 34 3

8. Geneva (3-0) 31 NR

9. Hersey (3-0) 26 NR

10. Hononegah (3-0) 23 10

Others receiving votes: Yorkville 16, Brother Rice 14, Downers North 10, Glenbard North 4, Wheaton-Warrenville South 1.

Class 6A

School W-L Pts Prv

1. East St. Louis (10) (1-2) 106 1

2. Prairie Ridge (2) (3-0) 104 2

3. Simeon (3-0) 95 4

4. Lemont (3-0) 90 3

5. Crete-Monee (2-1) 63 6

6. Chatham Glenwood (3-0) 53 7

7. Notre Dame (2-1) 32 5

8. Kenwood (2-1) 29 8

9. Normal West (3-0) 25 NR

10. Cary-Grove (2-1) 23 9

Others receiving votes: Carmel 20, Wauconda 7, Crystal Lake South 5, Harlem 5, St. Ignatius 3.

Class 5A

School W-L Pts Prv

1. Morris (5) (3-0) 106 3

2. Kankakee (5) (2-1) 101 2

3. Mahomet-Seymour (1) (3-0) 91 4

4. Sycamore (3-0) 77 5

5. Nazareth (1) (1-2) 72 1

6. Peoria (3-0) 67 6

7. Morgan Park (3-0) 43 8

8. Glenbard South (3-0) 29 9

9. Mascoutah (3-0) 27 10

10. Highland (2-1) 13 NR

Others receiving votes: St. Patrick 10, St. Viator 8, Sterling 6, Marian Catholic 5, Rockford Boylan 3, Centralia 2.

Class 4A

School W-L Pts Prv

1. Joliet Catholic (6) (3-0) 114 2

(tie) Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield) (6) (3-0) 114 1

3. St. Francis (3-0) 94 3

4. Richmond-Burton (3-0) 81 4

5. Rochester (2-1) 65 5

6. Stillman Valley (3-0) 59 6

7. Genoa-Kingston (3-0) 50 7

8. Wheaton Academy (3-0) 39 8

9. Carterville (3-0) 25 9

10. Freeburg (3-0) 16 10

Others receiving votes: Macomb 2, St. Laurence 1.

Class 3A

School W-L Pts Prv

1. IC Catholic (10) (2-1) 118 1

2. Williamsville (1) (3-0) 102 2

3. Reed-Custer (1) (3-0) 94 3

4. Princeton (3-0) 84 4

5. Byron (2-1) 70 5

6. Mt. Carmel (3-0) 58 6

7. Fairbury Prairie Central (3-0) 47 7

8. Eureka (3-0) 38 8

9. Peotone (3-0) 15 T10

10. Tolono Unity (2-1) 13 T10

Others receiving votes: Montini 10, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 7, Seneca 2, Elmwood-Brimfield 1, Durand-Pecatonica 1.

Class 2A

School W-L Pts Prv

1. Wilmington (10) (3-0) 118 1

2. Decatur St. Teresa (2) (3-0) 110 2

3. Maroa-Forsyth (3-0) 95 4

4. Bismarck-Henning (3-0) 81 5

5. North-Mac (3-0) 70 8

6. Knoxville (3-0) 59 7

7. Rockridge (2-1) 37 9

8. Downs Tri-Valley (2-1) 26 3

9. Pana (2-1) 14 10

10. Johnston City (3-0) 13 NR

Others receiving votes: Vandalia 11, Nashville 9, Carmi White County 7, Mercer County 5, El Paso-Gridley 4, Flora 1.

Class 1A

School W-L Pts Prv

1. Lena-Winslow (12) (3-0) 128 1

2. Athens (1) (3-0) 108 2

3. Colfax Ridgeview (4-0) 97 4

4. Fulton (3-0) 84 6

5. Camp Point Central (3-0) 76 5

6. Hope Academy (3-0) 53 9

7. Tuscola (3-0) 29 7

8. Forreston (2-1) 26 8

8. Gilman Iroquois West (3-0) 26 10

10. Moweaqua Central A&M (2-1) 21 3

Others receiving votes: Jacksonville Routt 15, St. Bede 15, Greenfield-Northwestern 15, Ottawa Marquette 8, Annawan-Wethersfield 7, Brown County 6, Shelbyville 1.

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Packers QB Aaron Rodgers would’ve been happy to see Bears trade LB Roquan Smith

Aaron Rodgers has dominated the Bears throughout his career, so much so that last fall he screamed, “I own you” to fans at Soldier Field and no one could tell him he was wrong.

He is 23-5 against them in his run as the Packers’ starter and looking for his seventh consecutive win when the Bears visit Lambeau Field on Sunday. As he swept them last season, he threw six touchdown passes with no interceptions and even rushed for a touchdown. It looked easy.

But there are still elements of the Bears that Rodgers respects — most prominently, versatile star linebacker Roquan Smith.

“Wouldn’t have minded if he’d gotten traded,” Rodgers cracked Wednesday, referring to Smith’s contract squabble.

Rodgers is a four-time MVP in his 18th season and doesn’t fear much. But Smith concerned him from the jump.

In the 2018 opener, relatively fresh off Smith ending his rookie holdout, he played just eight snaps but had three tackles and sacked backup DeShone Kizer while Rodgers missed time with a knee injury. Rodgers said the Packers “were all pretty happy” that Smith didn’t play much because they knew what a problem he presented.

And since then, he has only ascended.

“He’s a difference maker,” Rodgers said, listing off Smith’s abilities to cover receivers, smash running backs and blitz. “He can do it all. He’s one of the top guys at his position, for sure.

“I like the way he goes about his business. He’s kind of low-key classy… Every now and then you hear a little trash talk, which he’s good at. A lot of respect for Roquan.”

If Smith is still looking for an agent, maybe Rodgers wants the job.

Virtually everything other than Smith has changed for the Bears since their failed upset bid against Rodgers in the 2018 opener.

There’s a new general-manager-coach-quarterback trio trying to knock him and the Packers off the NFC North mountaintop as Ryan Poles, Matt Eberflus and Justin Fields have replaced Ryan Pace, Matt Nagy and Mitch Trubisky. Big stars like Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks are long gone. The only remaining players who were on the field for at least 40% of the snaps in that opener are left guard Cody Whitehair and safety Eddie Jackson.

And, once again, the Bears are restarting with a belief that they’ll “take the North and never give it back,” as Poles said in his opening press conference.

And, once again, Rodgers is skeptical.

“All the other teams in the NFC North, it seems like every single year their fan base and their teams feel like, ‘This is our year to win the North,'” he said last week. “Hasn’t really been the case during my time, for the most part.”

Rodgers made that comment a few days before posting a 67.6 passer rating in the Packers’ 23-7 loss to the Vikings.

Nonetheless, the Packers have taken notice of Fields’ potential and Eberflus’ impressive history as Colts defensive coordinator.

While LaFleur said it was difficult to discern much from the Bears’ opener because of the pouring rain, but through the muck, he saw evidence of Eberflus’ influence.

“One thing that shows through is their identity in terms of their style of play, how hard they play, how physical they are,” LaFleur said. “It’s very sound football, and they’ve got all the necessary ingredients in order to have a great defense.”

He also saw something in Fields’ performance despite completing just 8 of 17 passes for 121 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

“He looks more decisive out there, and I think that’s a natural progression,” LaFleur said. “But most importantly, especially for young quarterbacks, it’s just staying resilient, and he definitely did that.”

Potential, resilience, effort — will that be enough for the Bears to topple the team that has towered over them for three decades? It typically hasn’t been. But it seems like they’ve gotten the Packers’ attention.

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Can Matt Eberflus change Bears’ fortunes vs. Aaron Rodgers?

Bears linebacker Nick Morrow has faced Aaron Rodgers only once his NFL career, but he got the full Rodgers experience when his Raiders lost to the Packers 42-24 at Lambeau Field in 2019: A little bravado, a lot of touchdown passes and a perfect 158.3 passer rating.

“He said on the sideline, ‘I’m gonna score five, and he did it,” Morrow said. “That was a tough game for us. Aaron got one on me — Aaron Jones ran a seven route of the backfield and [Rodgers] threw a great ball back shoulder. It was hard to defend.”

Rodgers was statistically at his best that day — completing 25-of-31 passes for 429 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions for the only perfect passer rating of his career.

“He’s a great quarterback,” Morrow said. “He knew what we were in. He called all our blitzes, and for whatever reason we tried to play man against him and blitz him.

“I think we underestimated him. Davante Adams was down [with turf toe]. We were keying on Jimmy [Graham] and the running backs and I think we underestimated Aaron because he came out and threw it around the yard and got us.”

The Bears of course have been feeling that pain for years — Rodgers is 22-5 with a 109.2 passer rating in 27 carer regular-season starts against the Bears in his career. Linebacker Roquan Smith is 1-6 against Rodgers. Safety Eddie Jackson is 1-9 against him. The only time he beat him, he intercepted Rodgers in the end zone to clinch a 24-17 victory in 2018 at Soldier Field — but sprained his ankle on the return and missed the Bears’ playoff loss to the Eagles.

Defensive end Robert Quinn is 0-4 against Rodgers with the Bears, but 0-9 against Rodgers in his career. This is an age-old story for him. Asked which is worse — playing Rodgers or being asked about playing Rodgers, he emphatically and quickly said, “Both!”

Quinn has 6.5 sacks in those nine games against Rodgers. He sacked Rodgers twice in the first half for losses of 11 and nine yards as the Bears took a 24-10 lead at Lambeau Field. The Bears lost 45-30.

That’s kind of how it goes for the Bears against Rodgers. Leonard Floyd sacked Rodgers twice in 2016 at Lambeau — including a strip-sack he recovered for a touchdown to give the Bears a 10-6 lead — and the Bears lost 26-10. It’s been a frustrating experience for any Bear.

“His hard count. Him and all the guys being on the same page when he somehow causes the d-line or whoever to jump offsides — everyone on the same page,” Quinn said. “He has all the tricks of the trade to the game.”

The Bears are taking another shot at changing their fortune against Rodgers with a new defense under coach Matt Eberflus and Alan Williams that includes several new players. Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad is 1-0 against Rodgers — winning 34-31 in overtime at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2020.

With the kind of luck the Bears have had against Rodgers, that Colts victory might be a smidgen of hope. Though Rodgers finished with typical numbers — 27-of-38 for 311 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a 110.07 passer rating — the Packers were held to three points in the second half against Eberflus’ defense.

Making adjustments is a key for any defense and it could be a strength under Eberflus. Last week the Bears held the 49ers to three points in the second half in a 19-10 upset in the season opener.

But that was against Trey Lance. This is Aaron Rodgers. It’ll be a true test — to some Bears fans, the ultimate test — of just how much of a difference Eberflus is making.

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For Jackson Frazier, any potential future with Cubs went out the window when DFA’d

DES MOINES, Iowa – Outfielder Jackson Frazier describes the Cubs’ decision to designate him for assignment the last time they were in New York as “cold.”

In less than a year, Frazier – who professionally went by his first name, Clint, until a few months ago – went from signing with the Cubs for the promise of a fresh start, to telling the Sun-Times on Wednesday that he doesn’t see a future with the Cubs after this season, and that was clear to him as soon as the Cubs DFA’d him.

He accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A Iowa after being DFA’d in mid-June because rejecting it would have meant forfeiting the remaining guaranteed money on his contract.

“Things happen, and I’m not really holding on to too much of what I’ve gone through already,” he said. “But, definitely, it was pretty clear whenever it happened what I was gonna do.”

Frazier plans to play in the Dominican Winter League this offseason, looking to boost his value in free agency.

“I’m gonna go down there with the hope of ending the season on a better note,” he said, “trying to give myself a better opportunity to have a shot next year at whatever it is that’s going to be offered to me and go from there. Because certainly, it’s been ugly down here since the second half started.

“I’d like to prove to people that this is not the player that I’ve become; it’s just something that I’ve been going through.”

Since a 12-game hitting streak in July, Frazier has been batting .100 in Triple-A. The Cubs identified swing adjustments for Frazier earlier in the year, but his work has yet to produce consistent results at the plate. He said he’s even reached out to outside hitting coaches who he’s worked with before for additional input.

Frazier has always had a bit of a hitch in his swing, his barrel tipping forward before he throws his hands to the ball. But the hitch has grown more dramatic.

“I don’t know how it happened,” he said. “Something that was so natural to me finally isn’t natural. And I don’t know how to get out of it.”

The issue compounded an rollercoaster of a season for Frazier. After a strong start to spring training, he started slumping. Between outfield platoons and a month-long IL stint for an appendectomy, he only got 45 major-league plate appearances before the Cubs DFA’d him.

The place and time had added to the sting. Frazier had started his major-league career in New York, but the relationship turned sour, and the Yankees released him after the 2021 season.

He’d signed with the Cubs just before the lockout. The one-year, $1.5 million deal set up the potential for Frazier to be a long-term piece for the rebuilding club. Frazier was arbitration-eligible for two more years after 2022. He was also reuniting with Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins, who was part of Cleveland’s player development department when they drafted Frazier in 2013.

“The biggest thing for me was, why did they sign me?” he said. “I had other chances to potentially go other places.”

On June 10 he found himself back in New York, in the Yankee Stadium visitors’ clubhouse with Cubs manager David Ross and on the phone with Hawkins, learning that he’d been DFA’d. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer hadn’t yet arrived in New York for the series. Hawkins knew Frazier better anyways.

“We had an off day the day before, and to DFA me in the locker room, and then do it over the phone as well, it was not the easiest,” Frazier said.

It’s standard for clubs to wait until the last minute to officially make roster moves, especially ones that can be career-altering, in case of changing circumstances. In this case, it meant that reporters were waiting in the hallway outside of the clubhouse hoping to catch Frazier on his way out. They were asked to give him space to process the news.

Frazier still had a minor-league option remaining, but DFAing him opened a 40-man roster spot to reinstate reliever Chris Martin from the restricted list.

“We haven’t been able to give him real opportunities to watch him succeed right now,” manager David Ross said of Frazier at the time. “Some tough decisions.”

The club didn’t think of the move as a “goodbye,” but in effect, it was everything but.

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Aaron Rodgers wanted this outcome for Chicago Bears LB holdout situation

Aaron Rodgers doesn’t want to face a second-team All-Pro linebacker

Aaron Rodgers had made easy work of the Chicago Bears in recent history. The Green Bay Packers quarterback has led the team to six straight wins against the Bears. The back-to-back MVP is also 22-5 all-time against the Bears. But that doesn’t mean Rodgers isn’t concerned about the Bears defense he’ll be facing in Week 2.

The Packers had a poor showing in their Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Rodgers and the offense were out of sync. The Packers’ offense finished the game with only seven points on the board. The wide receiver play for the Packers was dreadful. Their offensive line sustained injuries on a unit that was missing two starting tackles. The lack of talent on the Packers’ offense seems to be unsettling Rodgers recently.

Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Rodgers hinted to the media Wednesday that he wanted a different outcome in the Roquan Smith holdout during training camp.

Aaron Rodgers said today that he wouldn’t have minded if the Bears traded Roquan Smith during training camp.

Rodgers would probably rest a little easier this week if a trade had happened.

Smith’s style of play impresses opponents

Since Smith was drafted onto the team, Aaron Rodgers has thrown 19 touchdowns against the Bears defense. But it appears that Rodgers deeply appreciates Smith’s reputation as an elite linebacker in the league. Smith recently made comments praising the Packers’ future Hall of Fame quarterback. Per Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune, Smith said Rodgers is one the best football players of all time.

Roquan Smith talks Aaron Rodgers: “The guys is obviously one of the greatest to ever play. As a competitor myself, I love going against people like that. I’m sure he’ll be a little pissed off after this last game. But hey, you wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Aaron Rodgers and Smith appear to have respect for each other’s game. So far, Rodgers has had the better of the two in games. This Packers team had some cosmic holes in their roster and strategic approach exposed in their Week 1 loss to the Vikings. Hopefully, Smith’s experience and presence can help the defense shut down this Packers offense. It might be the Bears’ best crack to beat the Packers in years.

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Chicago Bears win: Blind optimists 1, experts 0

My optimism over the Bears opener against San Francisco was less about a loyal fan’s Pollyannaish view of the Chicago Bears and more attributable to me being a natural contrarian. Everyone was talking about how bad the Bears would be. Not just that a mediocre team would continue to struggle, but that they would be one of the worst teams in the NFL, predicted to finish near the very bottom of the league by most experts. I didn’t understand this. There was already clear evidence that the new leadership team was more professional, more disciplined and has improved the culture.

The biggest criticism was that the new regime didn’t surround Justin Fields with more offensive talent. Well, the Bears had many holes to fill and Ryan Poles went about filling them in a disciplined manner. The clear priority was building the offensive line and though they did not address it in the early rounds, Poles signed multiple players, aggressively drafted lineman in the mid and later rounds and continued to work the waiver wires. He picked up former first round pick Alex Leatherwood after being cut by the Las Vegas Raiders.

While some see these ongoing additions as a sign the Bears were unsatisfied with their current starting five, I see it more as an indication of Poles’ priorities. He made it clear that the offensive line was a priority—he is a former offensive lineman—and you may recall that his biggest professional disappointment was probably the Kansas City Chiefs losing Super Bowl LV as a heavy favorite to the wildcard Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While folks like to attribute the Bucs win to the greatness of Tom Brady, the real star was the Tampa Bay defense that exploited injuries to the Chiefs offensive line. The Chiefs lack of depth on their offensive line arguably was the biggest factor in the loss. Poles remembers this.

Bears Win Proof of Poles’ Approach

I would compare Poles approach to taking an adult attitude to building a team. Sure, it would be sexier to go after expensive free agent receivers and big names, but building a line is akin to making sure you eat your vegetables before gouging out on candy.

I made the point in my previous post that playing smart error free football would lead to victories in games that would have produced losses under the previous regime. This was especially true Sunday. While some analysts will point out just how bad the Bears offense was in the first half, they seem to miss the point. Yes, the Bears offense is a work in progress. But the San Francisco 49ers have one of the best defenses in the league. The fact that the Bears were patient, didn’t make the big mistake that would have put the game out of reach early is a testament to this discipline. Their strong defensive play and the lack of major mistakes kept it a one score game.

What is also annoying in lieu of the victory is those experts who got it wrong, dismissing those who got it right. I listened to a pregame radio show where everyone picked the 49ers. The same group on the same radio station pointed out how the Bears defied the national experts but failed to mention that he picked the 49ers by 10 a few hours earlier. His partner, David Haugh, wrote after the game “…a Week 1 outcome only those with blind optimism saw coming.” He and his colleagues got it wrong and instead of acknowledging that they got it wrong, he dismissed everyone who got it right. Those who picked the Bears to win where suffering from blind optimism.

I got it right and made money. Not only taking the Bears and the points but betting the Bears on the money line and collecting 2.5-1 odds in the process. As a side note, I have written about markets for multiple decades and many experts have set up futures markets on sports and politics to prove that when people put money on the line, their predictions tended to be more accurate.  While I will not be taking a vacation with my winnings, it is the third straight week I collected better than even money odds with a Bears moneyline bet.

This brings up a depressingly true view of predictions. If you are wrong with the crowd, you rarely face any consequences; whereas when you are wrong alone you may get fired.  This tendency has proven true in much more serious environments. I learned this as a financial journalist. As many large institutions invested with Bernie Madoff even while Harry Markopolos called out Madoff’s fund as either illegally front running the market or being a giant ponzi scheme. Few of those institutional advisors who invested with Madoff lost their jobs. This was depressing as Markopolos laid out the facts pretty clearly. Even the Securities and Exchange Commission was complicit.

It is bad form to get it wrong and then dismiss those who got it right. Bears beat a team many view as a Super Bowl winner while the Green Bay Packers lost convincingly to a team, the Vikings, that are viewed as a possible wild card team but not a serious Super Bowl contender. Yet the Packers were installed as 9.5-point favorites.  A Bears moneyline bet is paying roughly 3.5-1!

I won’t be talked off of it by someone who has been wrong and does not have the humility to acknowledge they were wrong.

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