A vacation sounds pretty good right about now, doesn’t it? Or it would in a world without COVID-19, large-scale lockdowns, and an overabundance of existential dread. Seoul-based Korean/Japanese duo Tengger can’t do anything about the pandemic, but their music can provide a bit of a mental escape, or at least uplift the spirit. Inspired by their own experiences traveling, the group create meditative, light-as-silk sound sculptures by interweaving drone, psychedelia, Krautrock, and new age music with occasional field recordings and wordless vocals. On their latest album, Nomad, Tengger embrace the natural universe; chirping birds and sung melodies from vocalist and harmonium player Itta lend a bright spirit to opening track “Achime,” before the birds seem to swoop down over a cliff to reveal softly crashing waves on the following track, “Bliss.” Though Tengger’s 2019 album, Spiritual, dealt more in pulsating textures and gritty noise, Nomad is serene. Krautrock rhythms still appear on tracks such as “Eurasia,” but the album’s overall sense of movement feels more like the airy flow of shapeshifting clouds than the mechanical throb of earthbound machines. Nomad wouldn’t sound out of place played in the background at a spa, but by the end of its long-form closer, “Flow,” you’ll be convinced that’s a good thing. v
Great news: Chicago is starting to get back to normal! Restaurants and bars have welcomed back patrons to their outdoor patios. And with Father’s Day on the horizon, folks will be itching to treat their dads to a nice dinner. So we’ve rounded up the latest and greatest spots with Father’s Day deals for both dine-in and takeout.
Does your old man have a big appetite? Then spoil him with a three-course meal featuring a PrimeBone-in Ribeye and Lobster, available June 19 through 22 for $100 per person. Or if you’d rather stay home, Flemings will prepare the same meal to-go for curbside pickup or delivery. To book a seat on their patio, call ahead and reserve or you can place an order online.
Dad has always been your number fan. So show him some love with a sizzling Ribeye served with a cold water Lobster Tail, along with a salad and side. Prices range from $59 to $75. This special is available for dine-in, takeout, or delivery from June 19 through June 21. Get your reservations in now!
Let the chefs at Capital Grille handle the cooking this year. Indulge in a three-course dinner with a Prime Roasted Rack of Ribeye, Iceberg Wedge Salad, Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, and Homemade Cheesecake. And all Dads get a special gift: a jar of signature steak sauce. Serves 4 for $245 or 2 for $135. Place your order by phone for curbside pickup starting June 19.
Does Dad love to grill? Get him to put down the tongs and take him to Weber Grill on his special day. The restaurant will be offering finger-lickin’ barbeque featuring Memphis Style Ribs, Wild Mushroom New York Strip, and Pork Porterhouse as well as the full menu all day long. There’s limited seating on the outdoor patio so reserve your spot today. Or if you’d rather have Father’s Day at home, you can order online for pickup or delivery.
If your Dad’s a bourbon or wine guy, check out these fun, at-home grilling experiences. A bourbon kit includes samples of Basil Hayden’s, Maker’s Mark, and Knob Creek as well as a virtual tasting with a National Whiskey Ambassador on June 21st. A wine kit includes two bottles of wine. Both come with a customizable menu of a starter salad, entree, and dessert. $189 for each experience. Get your tickets here.
Dad deserves to be treated like a king. So if you’re ready to fire up the grill, get him a Father’s Day Grill Kit. Choose from 4 options: The Mini Manion a.k.a. Daddy’s Little Helper featuring Maximo Ribs from Timeout for $80, Backyard Hero featuring a Pork Shoulder, BBQ sauce, buns, and prepared sides for $140, The Papi Chulo featuring a 48 oz. Creekstone dry-aged Tomahawk Ribeye and an “El Che” apron for $200, or The Ultimate Steak Box featuring a Bone-in Ribeye, NY Strip, Ribeye, Beef Short Rib, Hangar Steak, and Filet for $220. Order your kit on Tock.
For pops who prefer crustaceans, Joe’s is serving up their classic Shellfish Meal for Four. The hearty offering includes 1 lb. of Alaskan King Crab Legs, 8 pieces of Select Florida Stone Crab Claws, a Chopped Salad, Grilled Tomatoes, Mashed Potatoes, and Key Lime Pie for $199.95 (plus tax and gratuity). You can also add on select menu items, cocktails, or wine for an additional cost. Place your order online today.
Looking for something different for Dad? Celebrate Father’s Day at this popular Polish Restaurant in Wood Dale. U Gazdy will be dishing up their Sizzling Pork Shank Special all day long. Bonus: Dads and Grandpas will receive a special gift, while supplies last! Book your table today by calling (630) 694-5840.
Vegan and Vegetarian Dads need love too! Check out Handlebar for family-style meals of their plant-based favorites. Smoked Gouda Mac, Veggie Chili, and Fried Avocado Tacos each serve about 4-5 people with prices ranging from $9 to $35 per item. Order online for delivery or pickup.
If Dad loves meat, he’ll love Frontier for Father’s Day. Get your reservation in now for their #PapaBear patio party. Indulge in Baby Back Ribs, Boar Shoulder, Lamb Leg, or a Whole Pig by Chef Brian Jupiter, a 2019 and 2020 James Beard semi-finalist for Great Lakes. All Dads get a cigar and Uncle Nearest Cocktail to celebrate Father’s Day!
Chicago is in Phase 3 of reopening, which means that many “nonessential” businesses are once again opening their doors to customers. For some folks, this means finally getting a haircut, or getting their nails done — for some, it means finally getting that tattoo they’ve dreamed up during quarantine. If you’re itching for some new ink, check out these 10 Chicago tattoo shops that have recently reopened.
Photo Credit: Chicago Ink
Chicago Ink Tattoo & Body Piercing
3200 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
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Located in Avondale near Milwaukee and Belmont, Chicago Ink first opened in early 2009 and has made its triumphant return as part of the city’s Phase 3 of reopening.
Photo Credit: Tattoo Factory Facebook
Tattoo Factory
4441 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
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Since opening on June 4, this Uptown tattoo shop has continued to do brisk business in new ink. It originally opened in 1976 and has held the title of Chicago’s oldest running tattoo studio. Since by now you might hold the title for longest-worn work-from-home-outfit, it might be time to fresh things up and get some new ink.
Photo Credit: Great Lakes Facebook
Great Lakes Tattoo
1148 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
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Established in 2013 in the West Loop, Great Lakes is ready to accommodate a wide variety of design ideas you’ve been concocting while stuck at home for the past 37 years (has it really only been 3 months?) — the artists here are well-versed in a number of different styles.
Photo Credit: Tatu Tattoo
Tatu Tattoo
1754 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
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Trendy Wicker Park has recently seen the return of this North Avenue tattoo studio. Open since 1993, Tatu and its artists welcome walk-ins and all manner of design ideas from clients. Maybe just don’t get the name of your quarantine bae inked on your arm yet.
Photo Credit: Taylor Street Tattoo
Taylor Street Tattoo
1150 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607
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Taylor Street has been a part of Little Village since 2004 and known partly for its connection to famed Hawaii-based tattoo artist Norman Keith Collins (also known as Sailor Jerry), who mentored one of the Taylor Street’s original co-founders. The shop specializes in more traditional, “bright, bold” tattooing.
Photo Credit: Dream City
Dream City Tattoos
7172 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60707
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You can once again get the ink of your dreams at this shop located on Grand Avenue in the Montclare neighborhood. Dream City was founded in 2011 to cater to all sorts of ideas for both tattoo design and piercings.
Photo Credit: Jade Dragon
Jade Dragon Tattoo
5331 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60641
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This Cragin neighborhood tattoo spot has opened its doors once again to northwest-side clientele. It was founded in 1980 by tattoo artist Fat Joe and continues to operate on Belmont Avenue, selling itself as “Chicago’s Biggest, Best and Cleanest Tattoo Shop.” Even if your living space has gone to hell in a handbasket during quarantine, you can at least visit a clean tattoo shop that’s kept its standards up.
Photo Credit: Ageless Arts
Ageless Arts Tattoo
2407 S Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60623
Another Little Village shop, Ageless Arts was established in 2002 and offers options for both tattooing and body piercing. We’ve all been aged a few years by this pandemic, so maybe a visit to Ageless Arts will slow the cascade.
Photo Credit: Tat Cave Facebook
The Tat Cave
3629 N Harlem Ave, Chicago, IL 60634
This tattoo and body piercing studio in the northwest corner of Chicago first opened almost 10 years ago and is run by tattoo artist Kidd Joe. Swap out the cave of your own home for a cave where you can at least get some ink or a piercing.
Photo Credit: Speakeasy Custom Tattoo
Speakeasy Custom Tattoo
1935 1/2 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
Speakeasy is situated in a well-decorated, pleasantly-lit studio of the Flatiron Arts Building in Wicker Park, and recently opened its doors again to start work on custom creations for its clients. Stop by on North Avenue to get some ink depicting the new cocktail you invented during lockdown, or the spider you befriended (his name is Steven).
As more and more victories are achieved across the nation from the protests following the killing of George Floyd, momentum for the Black Lives Matter movement continues to grow. If you’re looking to join the cause, here are a few Chicago marches happening this summer you can participate in to enact change (thank you to Angelíca Grace for compiling these on Instagram!).
Photo Credit: Muros Facebook
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This march begins at Horner Park, heads to Roosevelt High School, and finds its terminus at the Police Station at Pulaski and Lawrence. Come one, come all, and don’t forget your mask.
Photo Credit: Portage and Jefferson Parks Unite for Black Lives Facebook Event Page
This march begins with a short rally at 45th Ward Alderman Jim Gardiner’s Office and then heads to the 16th Precinct CPD headquarters at 5151 N. Milwaukee. Masks are extremely encouraged, but for those taking extra precautions, a car caravan will follow marchers when the rally moves towards the 16th precinct headquarters. The organizers make clear that this is a peaceful protest. Anyone demonstrating “any signs of hate speech, inciting violence, harassment of attendees, or destruction” will be asked to leave the protest.
Photo Credit: End Northside Racism: Demand Tunney & Alderpeople Support CPAC Facebook Event Page
Beginning at Lakeview Lutheran Church, which is across from the District 19 Police Department, and running its course by 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney’s Office, this march’s main objective is to get 44th and 43rd Aldermans Tom Tunney and Michele Smith, respectively, to support the Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC), which currently is 7 Aldermen short. As with all protests on this list, the organizers make clear that this is a peaceful protest.
Photo Credit: Stop the Murder, Stop the Torture: Free Them All – CPAC Now! Facebook Event Page
“In 2014, Ronald ‘RonnieMan’ Johnson was shot and killed at 53rd and King Drive. He was 25 years old.”
Ronald’s mother, Dorothy Holmes, will speak at the site where her son was killed. This march demands the release for those arrested for protesting for justice for George Floyd and for those in prisons, jails, and detention centers, amid COVID-19 concerns. It also asks for support of CPAC by the remaining Alderpeople.
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Photo Credit: Drag March For Change Facebook Event Page
Starting in the Boystown community in Lakeview Chicago, the march begins at Belmont and Halsted and ends at Halsted and Grace where drag community leaders (such as RuPaul participants like Shea Couleé, The Vixen, and Dida Ritz) will “speak on the issues of today, the mission at hand, and ways to create and promote lasting impactful change for a better future for all.” Allies are welcome and aren’t required to be in drag, but masks are very much encouraged. With similar demands of justice and CPAC support like other the protests, this march also calls for the reclassification of violence against trans individuals as a hate crime, as it should be.
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Photo Credit: March For US 2020 – Million Man March, Chicago Facebook Event Page
This march falls on Juneteenth (June 19th), the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. In light of that, the organizers want to make clear that even now, “injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.”
Photo Credit: Chicago Peace And Equality Juneteenth Rally & Celebration 2020 Facebook Event Page
Also on Juneteenth, this rally is offering shirts and masks as a show of uniformity until supplies run out. This march calls for the creation of CPAC, redistribution of Chicago Police Department funding, education and job resources for the Black community, just for Black lives lost to police brutality, and the celebration of Black Independence from slavery.
Photo Credit: Shift Chicago March/Gathering Facebook Event Page
Organized by The Shifting, the objectives of this march is to voice community concerns, demand reconstruction in the justice system, spread education, contact legislators, propose legislation, and engage in community love and compassion.
Photo Event: Chicago Musician March For Equality & Change Event Page
This march comes with music, and participants are encouraged to bring acoustic and percussive instruments to amplify and harmonize with the collective sound of the march. It begins in Lincoln Park at Julia Porter Park at the intersection of Fullerton, Lincoln, and Halsted, and ends in Wicker Park at the intersection of North, Milwaukee, and Damen.
Major summer festivals and events were already canceled, altered, or postponed earlier this week, and the list keeps on growing every day. With larger gatherings unable to occur because of Illinois’s Phase 3 guidelines, the feeling that summer is dead on arrival is hard to shake. But keep your head high: there are plenty of joints to still enjoy and Chicago Electric Boating Company has thrown their hat into the ring for the Chicago summer rescue efforts.
Relatively new, in that they were established in 2012, Chicago Electric Boating Company is a small, locally owned and operated company founded by Ron Silvia and the Late Greg Krueger. Like many locally owned businesses, Chicago Electric Boating Company has been hit hard by the onset of COVID-19 and the stay-at-home orders, but with Illinois’s move into Phase 3, Chicago Electric Boating Company is excited to welcome back Chicagoans looking for a safe, simple, and affordable way to get out of their homes and truly enjoy summer.
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Despite the financial hardships of COVID-19’s constraints on companies like Chicago Electric Boating Company, the company has dedicated a portion of the proceeds from bookings made within the first two weeks of their opening to benefit Chicago-based nonprofit, Hope For The Day.
Photo Credit: Hope For The Day
Founded in 2011 by Jonathan Boucher, after his boss and mentor committed suicide, Hope For The Day (HFTD) is a nonprofit dedicated to raising mental health awareness, acting proactively in suicide prevention, and having open communication to erase the stigma around having these kinds of conversations. One hundred percent of HFTD’s proceeds go towards suicide prevention and mental health education programming; they are best known for their slogan “It’s OK not to be OK.”
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Photo Credit: Chicago Electric Boating Company
Chicago Electric Boating Company understands the significance of being able to once again experience the outdoors and breathe fresh air and hopes that their services can aid in relieving some of the tensions and pressures of having been cooped up at home for so long.
Along with a conscious effort towards mental health, Chicago Electric Boating Company is conscious of the environment as well. Every boat in their fleet is 100-percent electric, meaning they’re easy to drive and are certified as zero-emissions watercraft. So instead of having to worry about if you’re hurting the planet, you can think about what’s the best drink to pair with your river excursion because, that’s right, every boat is BYOB. Alcohol consumption is restricted for those operating the boat, so if everyone wants to drink, be sure to add-on a captain to commandeer your vessel!
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Photo Credit: Chicago Electric Boating Company
The company is committed to providing their guests a safe experience amid the coronavirus pandemic, and have implemented stringent cleaning and sanitation guidelines for employees and guests. Guests are required to wear masks and occupancy is limited to six people; four adults and two children, which means a trip on the river is a perfect way to entertain the whole family. Just be sure to use the bathroom at the dock because there are no bathrooms on the boat (and don’t you dare think about doing what we think you’re thinking about doing in the river)!
Boats are equipped with a user-friendly sound system so you can bump your favorite summer tunes as you comfortably coast along the Chicago River. For a full list of dock locations, boating information, and booking reservations, visit their website.
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At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.
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Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!
Featured Image Credit: Chicago Electric Boating Company
Father’s Day is right around the corner (June 21, in case you didn’t know!). If you are tired of giving your dad or father-figure yet another tie for every holiday, use this list as an inspiration for Chicago-themed Father’s Day gifts.
Even though the NFL season might be in jeopardy, fans will continue to support the Chicago Bears no matter what. This personalized decanter set is the perfect way for your dad to show off his support for his hometown team.
With the new series, “The Last Dance,” Michael Jordan is back in mainstream media again. Remind your father of the good-ole-days with this MJ-themed t-shirt.
This scrapbook gives an inside view into the coaches, owners, and players as they discuss momentum games and changes in the game. This limited edition memorabilia is officially licensed and shows you what influenced the Chicago Bears to be the team they are today.
Shop local and buy your dad some coffee beans from Dark Matter Coffee. You can also sign him up from a coffee subscription, for the gift that keeps on giving.
Refill your father’s liquor cabinet with a bottle (or two) of whiskey from Koval Distillery. If your dad isn’t a whiskey fan, they also sell gin and liqueurs like coffee or ginger liqueur.
Reckless Records is one of the most iconic record stores in Chicago. The Wicker Park store is filled with old and new treasures alike, ensuring you’ll find something that your father-figure will love.
The wall hanging is decorated with roughly 20 Chicago Bears authentic cards that have been placed behind the Bear’s logo. The cards vary, but ten to range from the 80’s to the present day. You can even request specific players if your dad has a favorite!
These coasters are for serious Blackhawks fans only and are filled with the greatest Blackhawks plays ever, including the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals Game 6 goal in overtime.
Add a little flavor to your dad’s life with fresh spices from this Lincoln Square boutique shop. You can choose between dips and dressings, bbq and grilling spices, world flavors, and chiles.
The Book Cellar has tons of options available for you to peruse. If you can’t decide what book to get your dad, you can sign him up for their subscription program, and the Book Cellar staff will do the hard work for you and send your dad a book a month.
ChicagoBears (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Going into the 2020 season, most Chicago Bears starters are locked in. But, could a handful of them lose their jobs at some point?
I think we saw a very clear strategy from Chicago Bears general manager this offseason. At a couple of key positions, Pace made it known that he was going to add both veterans as well as rookies, hoping to see a mesh of talent bring structure to a position of weakness.
Take cornerback, for example. The Bears signed CFL standout Tre Roberson and veteran Artie Burns. Meanwhile, they drafted Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vildor back in April. Pace is serious about not only solidifying the second starting cornerback, but also building depth there.
Another great illustration of this philosophy is at outside linebacker. Pace paid up for outside linebacker Robert Quinn, who should make this front seven even scarier. But, he also traded up to draft Trevis Gipson out of Tulane.
It was an intriguing strategy, but at all of those positions, the Bears had a need — so, Pace went with a little bit of the old and new.
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Many of these spots could see some changes in terms of starters. There are certainly some players who will start the season atop the depth chart, but will that last?
The easy one might be the handsome fella you see pictured above, but that’s too easy. Of course Mitchell Trubisky will ultimately be replaced by Nick Foles — did I just strike a nerve with some of you?
I digress. Let’s look at a few players who could see themselves drop down the depth chart as the 2020 season rages on.
Walter Payton, ChicagoBears. (Photo by Mike Powell/Allsport/Getty Images)
Last Sunday, NBC showed the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl win against the New England Patriots.
As a lifelong Chicago Bears fan, I’ve always wanted to see them win a title. Thing is, while I was alive in 1985, I am too young to have remembered the game. I was not yet five and a half years old when the ball was kicked off.
So I was intrigued to see that NBC was showing more or less the whole broadcast (it appears the broadcast was trimmed a bit for time) of the game, with an interview of Mike Singletary and Dan Hampton mixed in.
Watching the game now, 34 years and change later (they may be the ’85 Bears, but the championship game was, of course, played in 1986), I learned that some of what we thought about that team and that game wasn’t entirely true, and some was spot on.
For example, we all know Walter Payton didn’t score in the game, but I think history has forgotten a big part of why he didn’t – the Patriots’ defensive game plan. The Pats keyed on him from the start and didn’t let up even as the Bears countered by using Matt Suhey to carry the ball while also utilizing the passing game to move downfield. Payton also fumbled on the opening drive, and that may have changed the Bears’ plans.
Yes, the Bears chose to run William “the Refrigerator” Perry on a short-yardage play with goal to go instead of Payton. That’s a tough decision to defend in hindsight. But over a quarter of the game remained, and with the Bears rolling, it appeared Payton would get another chance.
And he did. But with Jim McMahon out and Steve Fuller in and the game in hand, the offense wasn’t quite as smooth. Still, Payton did drop a pass that could’ve led to a score, if not a big gain, on one drive. And even with the Bears running the ball to chew clock, the Pats still swarmed Payton and backup Calvin Thomas. Other players also had dropped passes on plays that could’ve potentially set up a Payton score.
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Perhaps if McMahon stays in the game instead of leaving due to injury, the offense gets more red-zone chances, and Walter gets his score.
The other aspect of the game that history seems to forget is that it was close early. After Payton’s fumble, New England had a short field and two passing misfires cost them a chance at the end zone. At least of the passes appeared to be a fairly easy catch. So the Pats settled for a field goal. Even after the Bears mounted a strong drive on their next possession, they, too, had to settle for three instead of six.
The teams swapped punts, and then the Bears’ vaunted defense came to life, forcing a fumble. But they fell short of the end zone again after Perry was brought in to try a pass and got sacked. After the D forced another fumble, Suhey finally found the end zone.
From there, the rout was on.
Still, for one quarter, the Pats’ hung in there with the Bears. The Bears’ defensive prowess was evident from the start, but it took nearly a full quarter for the team to really get going.
Watching the game did reinforce one thing we knew – that D was awesome. I wish the broadcast had as many camera angles as today’s games do, in order to see some of the action away from the ball. Even without that, it was clear the Pats’ line couldn’t stop the pass rush, especially as the game wore on, and as Steve Grogan replaced Tony Eason as New England’s QB. Then there were the forced fumbles and a later pick-six. All told, New England lost four fumbles and was picked off twice.
When it comes to forgotten tidbits, there’s more. For all the talk about the dominant D, the offense was also unstoppable. Payton may have been held in check, but Suhey had several key rushes, and Willie Gault had 43- and 60-yard receptions.
Some of the key plays were made by players whose names never become part of Bears’ lore. We all know about Payton and McMahon and Richard Dent and Gault and Tom Thayer, but quick – who had that pick-six? If you said Reggie Phillips, you’d be correct. And the safety that capped off the scoring? Came on a sack by Henry Waechter. Neither of those two guys has been a fixture of the ’85 Bears media circuit that continues to this day.
The Bears also benefited from some questionable calls. There should’ve been a 10-second runoff at the end of the first half, but since there wasn’t, they got another field goal in before the break. Gault was ruled in bounds on a key catch when replays showed he wasn’t.
If you’re a Bears fan, I hope you watched or at least set your DVR. The trip down memory lane was worth it, and if you’re under the age of 45 or so, surprisingly educational.
Which Chicago Bears quarterback has the advantage this preseason?
The Chicago Bears will open up training camp — whenever that is — with an open quarterback competition. How thorough a competition it ends up depends almost entirely on the impacts of COVID-19 over the coming months.
However, based on a recent rumor, it appears the team may not be able to get as much of a look at Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles this preseason as they might like.
With uncertainty looming around how much “in-person” time teams will have with their players this offseason, these two preseason games will be incredibly significant.
It will ultimately be up to Nagy to get creative in how he divides up the snaps of these two games to ensure they have as equal an opportunity as possible, but assuming he does, who has the advantage? We make the case for both.
The case for Trubisky
The primary area in which Trubisky struggles is reading defenses and coverages. Unfortunately for him, reading a playbook and attending Zoom calls won’t help much, if at all, in that regard.
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But where Mitch holds the advantage is with the chemistry he’s developed with his wide receivers. The fact that he’s in Chicago and has been able to work with his receivers, including Allen Robinson multiple times per week, is a big advantage over Foles.
Furthermore, defenses in preseason games, by nature are extremely bland and basic. With even less time to prepare leading up to the games, it’s reasonable to think they might be even simpler this year. Without his ability to process being severely tested, Trubisky can shine by exploiting those basic coverages with good chemistry.
The case for Foles
Where Trubisky fails, Foles shines. He is well adept at recognizing coverages before the snap and then processing what he sees post-snap. Foles is a veteran with a plethora of experience in this offense and knows how to go through his progressions.
No matter how short the preseason is, Foles will display this ability to quickly process what he sees and get the ball where it needs to go on a particular play.
The other thing Foles has going for him is he has prior experience with Nagy. Nagy knows he can read a defense. He knows he can quickly develop chemistry with receivers, having done so mainly as a backup in his career. Therefore, Nagy will likely be looking for mere confirmation Foles is still that guy and that he has picked up the offense’s terminology. That shouldn’t take long to do, and so if Nagy is merely looking to confirm what he already believes, the amount of preseason games won’t matter.
A lot has transpired since the last time he spoke. The team acquired veteran Nick Foles through a trade and declined to pick up Trubisky’s fifth-year option. Although the team has publicly said all the right things and claims to still believe in Mitch, actions clearly speak louder than words. And the Bears actions have told a different story.
So all eyes turned to Mitch on Friday afternoon, anxiously waiting to hear how he is handling all that has happened over the last few months.
Well, Mitch came out of the gate firing. He was immediately asked how he felt about the team’s decision to trade for Foles, to which Mitch replied:
“It was kind of interesting to me. That’s the business we’re in. I think I was pissed off in a good way. I’ve been motivated ever since.” He continued, saying “I still feel like this is my team.”
Mitch wasn’t surprised that the team didn’t pick up his fifth-year option. Trubisky acknowledged that he didn’t merit having his option picked up based on the way he has played. This kind of comment is not surprising from Trubisky, who has always been accountable for his play.
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One interesting tidbit that will likely run the risk of being overanalyzed were his comments about what went wrong with the offense last year. Trubisky pointed to health and a lack of details on offense.
However, the actual reason the offense faltered might better be found in another quote from Trubisky regarding his ability to read defenses. When asked about Nagy’s challenge to him to be better in this area, Trubisky said he’s been “watching every single snap from the last two seasons . . . and seeing what coverage it actually was versus what I was seeing on the field.”
Listen, it’s pretty alarming that after three years in the NFL, he’s still incapable of recognizing defenses. However, he still apparently has the confidence in his own abilities. He said all the right things, but if he’s incapable of improving this most basic quarterback function, all the confidence in the world won’t help him.
