Could the ChicagoBears decide to bring back one or more familiar faces for the 2020 season?
Well, Chicago Bears fans, we made it to draft week! On Thursday night, the 2020 NFL Draft will kick off virtually with Round 1, although Ryan Pace won’t get to make a pick until Round 2 starting Friday night. With limited draft picks (seven total) and none in Rounds 1, 3, or 4, it is distinctly possible the team emerges from this weekend’s draft with needs left to fill.
In that scenario, could the team decide to bring back one or more familiar faces? They sure could. You may remember in what feels like eons ago when the Chicago Bears parted ways with veteran cornerback Prince Amukamara and speedy wide receiver, Taylor Gabriel.
After multiple waves of free agency, neither has signed with a new team. In fact, go to their respective Twitter pages and you’ll see Gabriel’s profile picture is still him in a Bears uniform and Prince’s background photo is still Bears related.
Back at the end of February, the Bears released both, and while they took a $3 million dead cap hit by doing so, they saved a total of $16.5 million, for a net savings of $13.5 million, which they used to fil other needs in free agency.
However, they did not address either the wide receiver or cornerback position in free agency. Perhaps they are comfortable with the current competition at cornerback, or with their depth at wide receiver. However, it is certainly fair to say that the cornerback position is a big question mark and they seem to be in need of a burner wide receiver.
Therefore, it seems more likely that the Bears will look to improve both of those spots in the draft. But what if they’re not able to and they come out with the same exact needs? Well, then, I guess we’ll see just how confident they really are with the current composition at those positions.
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But if they’re not 100 percent sold, and want to address through what’s left in free agency, then both of these players make a ton of sense. Both are obviously familiar with the team’s respective schemes, which would be critical during a truncated offseason in which they won’t have the luxury of getting an outsider “up to speed.”
Of course, as is always the case, it will all come down to money and how much each is looking for. However, the longer they stay on the market, the lower that price could go and the Bears could find themselves in a position to bring back to familiar faces on relatively cheap deals. Stay tuned.
The quarterback position was a hot topic at the ChicagoBears media session on Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday morning, the Chicago Bears held a phone conference with the media ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft, scheduled to begin on Thursday night. There were a number of topics discussed, including Trey Burton‘s release, Eddy Pineiro‘s new competition and plans for the Bears in the draft.
However, the hottest topic of the call was the quarterback position. Candidly, since Ryan Pace traded up for Mitchell Trubisky it has been all fans have talked about. So it was no surprise that it once again dominated the discussion.
There were two interesting tidbits that came out of the call, neither of which seems particularly promising for Trubisky.
First, Pace was still unwilling to commit to a decision on Trubisky’s fifth-year option. While they have until May 4th to make the decision, it doesn’t appear they will learn anything new in the next 13 days that would impact their decision. Perhaps they don’t want to tip their hand in the draft and signal to the league that they’re unlikely to draft a quarterback? Well, that might make sense if it wasn’t for the other revelation that doesn’t bode well for Trubisky.
But something feels different about the state of the position this time around. In 2016 he had Jay Cutler in the last year of his contract, and a roster needing nearly a complete overhaul, so the position was a critical need. Prior to last season, Pace was hoping Trubisky would make a big jump from year two to three in Nagy’s offense and wasn’t going to undermine his confidence with more competition.
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That’s all out the window now, as the addition of Nick Foles through free agency signals, the kid gloves are off. So this year when Pace says the team may draft a quarterback, it’s more believable — especially considering the seat upon which he sits is warming up — quickly.
Expect the quarterback position to continue to be a hot topic of discussion until the season starts, and if they select one in the draft, that’ll only intensify.
The 2020 Infiniti QX80 is the largest SUV in the automaker’s lineup and seats 7 or 8 depending on the middle seat configuration. (Photo by Jill Ciminillo)
So, another week recording the podcast from home. And another week without donuts. I bought a donut pan, though, and if it comes in time, we’ll see if I can rectify that for the next episode.
This week we discuss the Infiniti QX80, which is the big daddy SUV in the Infiniti lineup. Its seats 7 or 8 depending on the middle row configuration, and in its top-tier trim, it costs more than $93k. Overall, Damon, Tom and I felt fairly lukewarm about this vehicle. You’ll have to listen to the podcast to see why.
Our news item this week covered Covid-19 speeders on U.S. highways. Many cities have been reporting speeds upwards of 80 mph. Anecdotally, we’ve each experienced this on the Kennedy and Edens in Chicago. In one instance, I was going 65 mph in the right lane, and got passed like I was standing still! I’d be curious to know if anyone else out there has experienced this — feel free to comment below to share.
The bulk of this episode contained an interview with Mike Levine, North American Product Communications Manager for Ford Motor Company, who discusses the wide variety of things Ford is doing to help in the battle against Covid-19. One of the coolest things (IMHO) pertains to how Ford is re-using airbags!
Now a small note/apology: Because we don’t have visual cues to see when someone wants to jump into the conversation, we step on each other a lot in this episode. We’re working on a solution, so fingers crossed we’ll do better next week!
While I will continue to post the podcast to my blog each week, you can subscribe to the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast on any podcast subscription service or visit the Buzzsprout link. New episodes are usually posted on Friday, and then the show itself airs on WCPT 820 AM on Sundays from 1 to 2 p.m.
Be sure to let us know if you have questions or if there are any topics you’d like us to cover on future podcasts.
How many of you have heard the murmurs about inflating automobile tires with nitrogen rather than air? After doing a little research, it appears more folks are electing to use this method of tire inflation than in the past.
It’s not a new phenomenon. Perhaps not as common to the average car owner, nitrogen tire inflation gas has been used for several years in the Formula One and NASCAR vehicles, heavy-duty off-road equipment and by NASA and other commercial and military aircraft. The Moon Buggy had nitrogen in its tires, as do the Tour de France cyclists.
One of the reasons nitrogen tire inflation hasn’t caught on, say the experts, is that in the past, nitrogen was very costly to obtain and gas had to be purchased in liquid form. Growth of the nitrogen tire inflation system has been slow in highway transportation too, because of the lack of availability.
The use of nitrogen tire inflation gas is more commonly used in car dealerships and among multi-unit maintenance service providers. More and more nitrogen filling facilities are now appearing and preparing for affordable on-site generators.https://depositphotos.com/26324211/stock-photo-car-workshop.html
A natural inert gas, nitrogen is not dangerous, and is environmentally safe and non-combustible. Nitrogen will not burn and has a life expectancy well beyond 20 years if well maintained according to the recommended maintenance schedule. Seventy-nine percent of the air we breathe is nitrogen.
As an environmentally friendly automotive solution, inflating car and truck tires with nitrogen has several benefits, including maintaining of proper tire inflation, maximizing the life of the tire, improves overall performance. Additionally, a tire filled with nitrogen will not heat up and expand.
The previous owner of my 2003 Corvette used nitrogen in the tires and I have not changed that since purchasing the vehicle in 2011. A little air is needed now and then, but nothing like using just air in the tire. Benefits of using Nitrogen include an improvement in the overall life of the tire, better fuel efficiency and improvement in the handling of a vehicle, all due to tire-pressure retention. An environmentally friendly automotive solution, inflating cars and truck tires with nitrogen has several benefits.
Regarding the environment, the use of nitrogen assures better retread-every retread produced means one less new tire produced. Less energy is used and the cost of benefits to users of retreaded tires is lower. In most commercial vehicle fleet businesses, replacing tires is the third larges item in the operating budget. Retreading tires also saves millions of gallons of oil every year, uses less rubber and reduces the loss of natural habitat.
Because nitrogen provides strong casings for more re-tread, retreaded tires contribute to conservation of valuable finite natural resources and help to reduce solid waste disposal problems.
The air pressure required in a nitrogen tire inflation system is an inlet pressure of 145 psi, the amount at which the system is set to operate. A pressure as low as 110 psi can be used but adjustments will need to be made to system components to properly operate at this level.(When considering using nitrogen vs. air, check all psi levels and what works for your particular automobile).
A nitrogen tire inflation system is easy to install, according to experts. What is needed is calibrating the nitrogen analyzer monthly, changing the coalescing filter elements every 6-18 months. The required equipment is available in one complete package. Nothing else is needed except a hose to inflate the tires. The system is anchored to the floor and the air is connected to the inlet. A hose is then connected to inflate the tire. The average person isn’t expected to have such a system in their own garage (unless they race). But dealerships and some service stations would be so equipped.
Manufacturers advise that tires containing both air and nitrogen be purged and re-inflated with the proper amount of nitrogen. For instance, if a nitrogen-inflated steer tire has been repaired and refilled with air, it is recommended that nitrogen be let out of the other steer tire and refilled with air. A tire can be filled with air if nitrogen is not available. However, the effects of nitrogen will be lost, yet the tire will be fine until it can be purged and refilled with nitrogen.
Checking tire pressure is still important, however, with the use of nitrogen inflation gas; tires still need to be checked when cold. Maintaining your vehicles’ tires will not only maximize tire life and fuel economy, but also assure that the car handles well. Over the life of the tire, pressurized air inside a tire travels and permeates its way into and through the tire. Because air contains moisture, the oxygen and moisture in the air reacts with the rubber compounds which then cause a breakdown and loss of the tire’s strength and durability.
A tire that is underinflated is more likely to prematurely fail because when the tire rolls, it flexes more than it was designed to do. The flexing leads to bending of the tire’s rubber and steel which generates heat. A tire’s worst enemy, heat, accelerates tire wear. Air is not an inert gas therefore, it is affected by the change in temperature, which affects the rate of air loss.
When a tire inflated with air gets heated it expands, and more air is lost in hot weather. For every 10-degrees Fahrenheit change in temperature there is a one psi (pound per square inch) change in the tire’s pressure. Nitrogen on the other hand, an inert gas, is not readily changed by chemical reactions. Furthermore, nitrogen does not fluctuate as much, provides constant pressure and reacts less to accelerated diffusion caused by changing temperatures.
When most of the oxygen in tires is eliminated, tire components can’t rust or age as fast. Nitrogen-filled tires age more slowly, chemically. The nitrogen tire inflation system utilizes a semi-permeable membrane to separate nitrogen from the current shop air system.
Building esteem for women (and men) through passion for the sports car. Brought to you by a certifiable car nut by night and weekends, who happens to be a veteran psychotherapist by day.
When it comes to finding an occupant for his seven-bedroom estate in north suburban Mettawa, retired ChicagoBears linebacker Brian Urlacher is taking a new tactic — and it’s aimed at urban dwellers fearful of the coronavirus.
Urlacher now is offering the 6,829-square-foot mansion, situated on 9.4 acres, as a rental for $9,000 per month. The estate, located 36 miles from the Loop, remains for sale at just under $1.8 million — well below the $3 million he sought when he first listed the property in March 2017.
The historic Argus Brewery Building. Source: Argus Brewery.
Argus Brewery, in Chicago’s far south Roseland neighborhood, has announced they are closing after 10 years in operation.
A story today in Patch.com carried the announcement. The father and son team of Bob and Patrick Jensen opened Argus in 2009, in an old Schlitz Brewery distribution stable at 11314 S. Front St. Argus had relied mostly on draft sales, which dried up once Illinois bars had to shut down to fight the COVID-19 virus. A surge in bottled beer orders has allowed them to remain in operation until its current stock is sold.
Argus started by providing house branded beers to local taverns in the Chicago area. Among its more notable brews has been Paschke Pilsner, a Polish style lager named for Chicago artist Ed Paschke. In 2016, they hired brewmaster Ted Furman, who had founded pioneering brewery Golden Prairie Fermentations in 1990. Furman re-launched Golden Prairie in 2018, after his flagship Doppel Alt won a Gold medal at the Great American Beer Fest. Argus also took a Bronze medal at the 2016 World Beer Cup for their Argus Lager. In 2017 they released Tuskegee Airmen Pursuit, an homage to Jack Lyle, a regular taproom customer who was also one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American WWII military pilots.
Argus’ building has been visible from the Metra Electric line, with its distinctive terra cotta horses heads. The stable were designated a Chicago Historic Landmark in 2011, along with a neighboring “tied house” that once formed “Schlitz Row,” a block of Schlitz taverns and housing for Schlitz workers that just happened to be across the street from the dry Pullman area.
Argus also paid tribute to the Pullman neighborhood by releasing Pullman Monumental Lager in 2015, upon the occasion of Pullman being declared a National Monument. The occasion brought a visit from President Barack Obama, who heard about the one-day beer release. Argus got a call from the Secret Service, requesting four cases to be put on Air Force One.
Bob Jensen told Patch he hopes to sell the brewery building and its equipment as a turnkey for new owners.
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Meet The Blogger
Mark McDermott
Writer, trivia maven, fan of many things. I thought to learn all there is to know about beer as a way to stay interested in learning. It is my pleasure to bring Chicago’s craft beer scene to you.
As we go into week six of the lockdown, thanks to coronavirus, I’m so pleased to hear that scientists may be considering DOGS to prove once again why they are man’s best friend.
DOGS unite people, no matter their political bent at the greatest revolution of all time…the Local Dog Park. Nobody talks politics at one of the few respites still left in the U.S. where people mingle and predominately talk about how special their canine is in their life, or how smart their dog is, or how sweet that little bundle of fluff can be. And DOGS figuratively if not literally have a secret pact that all of them observe even if they don’t like the neighbor’s Fido, Trixie or Pixie. They unconditionally love their masters and madames no matter whether their human parent is Red, Blue, Green or attached to an “ism,” be it socialism, communism or capitalism.
Besides their likeability factor, a DOG possesses a quality that we can’t even imagine. When we walk into a room and exclaim, “Hmmm…that stew smells so good.” We have what I’ll label as a collective scent reaction. In the case of a DOG, the reaction if we could decipher bark speak would go something like this, “Wow….those carrots, that onion, that rutabaga, that tomato paste and the ripe red tomatoes simmering with the celery and that tenderloin sizzled in olive oil with a sprinkle of flour to thicken what I’m sure will be one fine stew.” Note the distinction?
So it was a joy to learn that DOGS might be able to actually detect via their incredible sniffers whether an individual has COVID-19 – even someone who is asymptomatic. Like any kind of human need to discern a specific smell such as a narcotic or Ms. Mary Jane, the DOGS would need to be trained to detect COVID, but that was hardly a pimple in the road to progress since smart sniffing dogs could easily pick up the nuance of a SMELL that celebrated coronavirus. DOGS could be the salvation of the human race in their ability to screen those with it and those without it – quickly, efficiently and pain-free.
Long live man’s best friend – they’re better than GOOD – they’re GO DO GOOD DO GOODERS that we love!
William Natale is an Emmy-award-winning TV producer/director and author of “1968 – A Story As Relevant Today As It Was Then,” (a tale that takes place in Chicago based in part on a true story). Natale served as the director and associate producer for “Water Pressures,” featuring HBO ENTOURAGE star Adrian Grenier, shot on location in India and various cities in the U.S. “Water Pressures,” was broadcast on over 224 PBS stations. Natale was the Chairman of the Broadcast Promotional Marketing Executives (BPME now known as Promax). Natale served as the Marketing & Promotion Director for NBC5 Chicago and the VP/Director of Corporate Communications for WTTW. He also has experience in the education field as the Executive Director for both the downtown and Lombard campuses of the IL Media Schools (vocational colleges that teach broadcast media arts). He also served as the Executive Producer for the Internet Streaming Corporation and WATCH312.com – working with talented individuals such as Candace Jordan (aka Candid Candace). Natale is a native Chicagoan and proud father of three adult children, two daughters and a son.
Normal life might be put on hold for now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stock your kitchen with all the food and ingredients you need! Check out these 15 Chicago grocery stores delivering now:
This is a fully-stocked grocery store offering pickup and delivery, as well as discounts to senior citizens, nurses, and doctors (you might feel like you’ve aged 65 years in the last month, but these discounts are for the real seniors),
Now that so many of us are cooking more at home than ever before, this might be the best time to add freshly-ground spice blends to your cooking arsenal.
If you like to indulge in the finer things, Second City Prime has you covered— get deliveries of high-quality meat and seafood, with free shipping for the entire Midwest.
You may have to restrict any picnicking to your living room (or, at best, your backyard), but at least the food can be great with delivery from Picnic Wine & Provisions.
This South Side urban farm is delivering freshly-harvested greens and working with other local farms and vendors to bring more healthy food items to more people in Chicago.
Sports fans across the planet remain stuck at home with plenty of free time in their schedules ever since the coronavirus shutdown the sports world last month. While this time has certainly been difficult and boring, us Chicagoans can’t help but miss our favorite teams this time of year. Normally, we’d have both the Cubs and White Sox playing with the start of the MLB season, as well as some ChicagoBlackhawkshockey. But things have changed. Luckily, we took the time to find some of the best throwback games and highlights from Chicago sports history to help with your sports needs!
It might be one of the oldest games on this list, but for those of us who weren’t around to see it live, this is a must-watch. This highlight in Chicago sports history takes us all the way back to the 1985 SuperBowl, where our Bears faced the New England Patriots. Nowadays, a box score of 46-10 would make you think the Patriots ran away with this game. But that wasn’t the case here. In this dominating performance, this Bears team featuring players like Walter Payton, Richard Dent, Jim McMahon, Dan Hampton, and William “The Refrigerator” Perry beat the Patriots in SuperBowl XX.
Next up on this list is game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals. This game capped off the first 3-peat for the Chicago Bulls in the decade and Jordan received his 3rd Finals MVP in the series. While he would go on to retire the following season, there’s something to be said about never needing a game 7 in the Finals. Out of all the championship games he played, this is one of the most exciting ones that comes down to the final seconds against the Portland Trailblazers.
Keeping with the basketball trend, the Chicago Sky are up next on our list of Chicago sports highlights. In this overtime victory, the Chicago Sky take down the Atlanta Dream with a final score of 100-96. One of the biggest highlights from this game comes from former Sky, Elena Delle Donne who put up a whopping 45 points against the Dream. Talk about a baller!
Chicago Cubs: 2016 World Series Game 7
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It wasn’t hard deciding on the best throwback game for the Chicago Cubs. While this is one of the more recent games on this list, it’s definitely one that every Chicago sports fan could rewatch. In Game 7 of the World Series, the Chicago Cubs would take the Cleveland Indians to extra innings as they finally ended their century-long championship drought. Even Sox fans couldn’t root against Cubs in this one. That last out by Kris Bryant still gives us chills.
Chicago is the city of championships, and it’d be foolish not to include the White Sox championship here. The White Sox don’t get a lot of respect from baseball fanatics, especially from Cubs fans. But they were the first team in the city to win the pennant this century. And it only took them four games. That being said, South Side fans are in for a treat with this White Sox throwback!
While Chicago loves its baseball, our professional softball team, the Chicago Bandits, have been tearing up the league in recent years with three championships in the past decade. It was difficult to find the full game replays from their championships, but that didn’t stop us. In this highlight game, the Bandits shutout the USSSA 2-0, a team they frequently face in the NPF Championship.
The Chicago Fire FC haven’t found much success in recent years, but things weren’t always that way. Back in 1998, the Chicago Fire were founded and joined Major League Soccer. During their first year, the team went on to win the MLS Cup against DC United and shocked the league. Hopefully, the team will regain that winning spirit in the next couple of years.
Chicago Blackhawks: 2013 Stanley Cup Game 6
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Chicago hockey fans will never forget when the Blackhawks tore up the league in the early 2010s. One of our favorite highlights from the Chicago Blackhawks comes from game 6 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals. Up 3-2 in the series, the Blackhawks were looking at a game 7 back home as they were down 2-1 late in the 3rd period. But, as we all know, they never needed it. The Blackhawks would score twice in a period of 17 seconds to come back and hoist their second trophy of the decade.
Chicago has a notoriously sinister history, but there are a few crooked characters that stick out like sore thumbs. These are some of the most famous murders to happen in Chicago.
H.H. Holmes
H.H. Holmes was born in New Hampshire in 1861, moving to Chicago, abandoning his wife and child at 24 in 1885. When he moved he decided to change his name to Holmes, mimicking Sherlock Holmes. Holmes purchased an empty lot and built, what people call today, “The Murder Castle.” This Murder Castle had shops on the ground floor and apartments above them. The castle featured soundproof rooms, disorienting mazes, and secret passageways. The basement was said to be filled with acids and a crematory where H.H Holmes finished off his victims. He delusionally claimed to have murdered 27 people, but only 9 were confirmed and many he claimed to be dead were, in fact, still alive.
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Richard Speck
In Richard’s early life, his father passed away, so his mother remarried and moved them to Austin, Texas. With an abusive stepfather playing his only father figure, this caused Speck to act out. He was landed in jail for theft and fraud in 1963, which led to him being released on parole. But he ended up right back in, this time serving 16 months for aggravated assault. After his second release, he fled to Chicago to seek shelter with his sister Martha. On July 13th, Richard Speck found himself on the patio of a communal home for eight nursing students on the south side of Chicago. Speck forced his way in at gunpoint and gathered all the nurses to empty their purses. All eight women were brutally beaten and murdered through the night into July 14th. Police were hot on his trail for 12 days, but they eventually caught him and he found guilty of all murders. Having served 19 years in prison thereafter, he died in December 1991, of a heart attack.
John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy had a normal upbringing in the outer suburbs of Chicago. In 1964, John married and moved to Iowa where he managed his father-in-laws Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. He was charged with the sexual assault of one of his employees and sentenced 10 years. Gacy moved back to Chicago, where he remarried and started a contracting company. He committed his first murder in 1972, his victims were all male and either young adults or teenagers. After his murders, he would often dress up as a clown for sick children and birthday parties. He was under suspicion in 1978 when a boy disappeared and was last seen with Gacy. Police, knowing his past, searched his Norwood Park home to find 29 corpses along with 4 more he dumped in a nearby river. He spent 14 years on death row and in May 1994, he was put to death by lethal injection. His last meal was a bucket of KFC chicken.
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William Heirens
William Heirens grew up in Lincolnwood, a suburb of Chicago. On June 5th, 1945, he was convicted of his first murder. Josephine Ross was found repeatedly stabbed in her Chicago apartment. His killings spanned across a long period of time between December 1945 and January 1946, killing two other women. He is famously known as the lipstick killer because his crime scenes were left with messages scrawled on the walls in lipstick. He was Chicago’s longest-serving prisoner until his death in 2012.
The Grimes Sisters
The Grimes Sisters murder case is a chilling unsolved double murder of Barbara and Patricia Grimes ages 15 and 12. Their disappearance launched one of the biggest missing persons cases in the history of Chicago. The two girls went to see a local movie and never returned home that night. In local Willow Springs, the two girls’ bodies were found days later after a brutal snowfall had melted, on the side of a highway behind a guard rail. To this day, the case is still unsolved.
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