We are approximately one week out from the Chicago Bears first game of the 2020 season when they travel to Detroit to take on the Lions next Sunday. However, if you are a football junky and needed a fix before then, you were likely watching last night’s college football game between the University of Alabama-Birmingham Blazers and Central Arkansas Bears.
Interestingly enough, another group watching the game — in person — were a number of NFL scouts. This included a contingent from the Chicago Bears who were in attendance for the affair according to The Draft Network’s Jordan Reid.
So who were the scouts there to see? Well, it is tough to say with certainty as only the scouts in attendance know who they went to evaluate. Often times, other players who weren’t even the intended targets will catch their eye. However, with some reasonable degree of certainty, we can say they were there to evaluate the two players who at the moment are the most realistic NFL Draft prospects for 2020.
Chicago Bears scouting skill position players?
Those players are both from UAB.
The first, interestingly, is a running back. After David Montgomery went down with an injury, many Bears fans bemoaned the team’s lack of depth at the position. Those groans grew louder when the team failed to sign Leonard Fournette. Perhaps, though, the team is looking to next year’s draft to add depth behind Montgomery — especially if they are unable to re-sign Tarik Cohen.
If they do, Spencer Brown from UAB could be an option. Brown, who is on the preseason Doak Walker Award watchlist stands approximately 6-feet tall and weighs 220 pounds. He is a very solidly built back who became UAB’s all-time leading rusher in just his junior season.
As a sophomore in 2017, he rushed for 1,227 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. Last year he had only 566 yards and five touchdowns having missed four games due to an ankle injury. However, he is someone that the Bears may in fact have their eyes on and they were likely impressed with his 127 yards and one touchdown performance last night.
The second candidate, also at a skill position, is wide receiver Austin Watkins, Jr. Interestingly, the Bears seem pretty full at the wide receiver position, but the uncertain futures of Ted Ginn, Allen Robinson, and Javon Wims could turn it into a position of need very quickly. Watkins also had a nice performance last night hauling in 7 passes for 72 yards. The big-bodied wide receiver stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 203 pounds and could be an option to replace any of the aforementioned receivers next year.
The ChicagoBears have named Mitchell Trubisky as their starting QB for week one.
The Chicago Bears have had a quarterback controversy ever since they made a trade to acquire Nick Foles from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mitchell Trubisky was one of the worst quarterbacks in the National Football League in 2019 and now they have commited to him being the starter in week one of the 2020 season despite that fact. Foles is going to be the backup until they deem it time to bring him in. It feels like this is the wrong decision.
Adam Schefter dropped the news on Bears fans via Twitter and it seems weird. They traded a pick to get Foles and are paying him a lot of money so it is odd that they aren’t going to let him start in week one. It is a curious thing to do because of the fact that this team’s roster is ready to win now. The biggest glaring issue is the quarterback and going back to Trubisky feels wrong.
There might, however, be some reasons why they made this decision. Trubisky has played very well in his career against the Detroit Lions. There is a good chance that he goes out there and balls out in week one against a team he constantly plays well against. Hopefully that is the case this year because the Bears need to start off hot to have a chance at making it to the playoffs.
It also might be a case of using Foles as a relief guy. He has come in late in seasons before and saved his team. He won a Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP doing that so maybe the Bears are hoping that he has another miracle in him. As a fanbase, we should be rooting for whoever it is that starts any particular game. The staff sees Mitch as the best option for the team to start the season so as a fan we have to roll with it.
The good news is, it will either work and we are all happy or it won’t work and there will be changes made. If this season is reminicent of the 2019 season then there will be turnover all over the place including the quarterback position. This is big news and hopefully something that we are all wrong about.
It’s Labor Day weekend. The end of meteorological summer. It usually signals the end of the summer concert season. The problem is this year it never started. Like almost everything else, concerts were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. If you wanted to hear music, you needed to break out your old discs, check out You Tube or go to wherever you find your tunes in 2020.
With almost all musicians on hiatus, artists tried to find a way to bring their music to their fans. You’d see a lot of bands streaming their old concerts. Yesterday, I received an email from Live Nation telling me what artists will be streaming music this weekend. The Dave Mathews Band has been doing this all summer. They’ve called it the DMB Drive-In series. Each show takes donations that benefit different charities. It’s a great idea that has raised more than $500,000. They’ll do three more shows this weekend before taking a break.
Seeing this reminded me of a day from almost two decades ago….
The year is 2002. The time is around 3 pm. I’m sitting at my desk in an office high over Michigan Avenue, in downtown Chicago. One of my co-workers is heading towards the door, with his jacket over his shoulder. It looks like he’s leaving work early. He has a big smile on his face and waves goodbye to me. I’m wondering what’s going on, so I wave him over. It leads to this conversation:
H: What’s up, man. What’s going on? A: I’m leaving early. Got to get ready to go to see Dave Mathews. H: Ahhh. That’s why you’re grinning? A: I’ve been wanting to see them forever. In fact, I saved up so I can go to all their shows this week. You know they do different songs each night. It’s going to great. H: Okay, have fun. A: Really, it’s going to be great. I’m leaving early for the next three days. H: (laughing) Okay..Okay…have a great time.
And the guy really did leave early for the next three days. When he returned the next morning, he’d walk in with a shit-eating grin on his face. By the way, I’m not knocking this. It’s great when anything you do can make you that happy. It makes your life so much better. I just didn’t get what it was about the Dave Mathews Band that did it!
At the time of that chat, DMB had been around for close to ten years. They had released five studio albums and had a reputation as a great live band. I was somewhat familiar with their music. I’d hear their songs on the radio and I wouldn’t immediately go searching for another station. The music was fine, but I didn’t think it was anything special. It didn’t make me want to search deep into their catalog of tunes. It certainly didn’t get into my soul. I did wonder what it was that made my co-worker full of such joy.
It’s close to twenty years later. The company we worked for is long gone. I have no idea where my former co-worker is. But, the Dave Mathews Band is still going strong…in fact, stronger than ever.
However, they still maintain that same space in my life. I know they’re around. I have no real issues with them, other than the incident where they dumped a ton of shit on people cruising the Chicago River ( and even with that, we’ve all heard worse stories about rock bands).
Then came this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voting thing. For a couple of months, fans are allowed to vote on their favorites of the nominees for induction to the Hall. The final totals play a small part in who is actually chosen to be inducted. The Dave Mathews Band gathered more than one million votes. It was by the most of any candidate. They topped the second choice, Pat Benatar, by more than one hundred thousand votes. I know a lot of this is because the band has a huge presence of social media. They do a great job of reaching out to their fans. Still, the total of votes and the margin is astounding. Also astounding is that even with this, they weren’t elected to the Rock Hall. This is the first time that the leading fan vote-getter wasn’t elected. It’s led to a lot of protests from their fans.
So when you add all this together, it made wonder….what is the deal with these guys? What is it about DMB that I’m missing?
I decided to take a closer listen. I checked out their discography, found all nine of their studio albums, picked out a couple of songs from each one, some studio versions, others from different concerts. I went to You Tube to hear them. After a couple of hours, I still don’t get it!
The musicians in the band are technically good. Dave’s voice isn’t anything special, is it? The lyrics aren’t exactly Bob Dylan-like, are they? It wasn’t the worst way to spend a few hours, but I didn’t hear anything that moved me. Nothing that reached into my heart or soul.
I wasn’t done yet. I had to dig a little deeper. It was time to search for a Dave Mathews Band groupie cult member. Maybe Facebook has one? I asked, “What is it about DMB you like or dislike?” Here are some of the responses:
“Not exactly a hater, but don’t exactly love them either. And I really don’t understand the cult-like following they have.”
“I like a good amount of their songs, but don’t understand the cult following either.” “They are so much better live than on record. When they jam it’s great.” “Love, love his older music. I think it’s amazing. Saw him a long time ago, he was great in concert!!” “I have been to 5 DMB shows, the last of which was ~15 years ago. I would love to see them still!! The fact that they incorporate horns, strings, etc. really made them fantastic live.”
Hmmmm….so a variety of opinions. Kind of like most other bands and artists. After all this, I still don’t understand the obsessions with DMB…and I guessing I never will. Ehhh….oh well.
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
Southern Illinois QB Kare Lyles (3) helped the Salukis to a 7-5 record last season. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
Since he started playing football as a youth, Kare’ Lyles said he has never been part of a losing season.
His accuracy and leadership helped Southern Illinois to the doorstep of the FCS playoffs last season, a 7-5 record and a spot in the national Top 25.
With SIU not playing this fall, Lyles missed out on a chance to play at Camp Randall Stadium near his family’s home in Madison, Wis.
In our latest installment of Moving the Chains, Lyles talks about his dream of being a sports talk superstar, admiring Petyon Manning and Dennis Rodman as a young athlete, why Indiana State’s uniforms fit his style and his love for burritos from a certain national restaurant chain.
What’s your dream job after college?
I’ve always wanted to be on TV. I’ve always wanted to be what (sports talk personalities) Colin Cowherd and Skip Bayless are. I can’t honestly think of a better job than getting paid $10 million a year and just talking about sports and debating with your other co-hosts. Having watched and listened to them, that’s my dream job after football.
What are your favorite sports teams?
When I was really young, I was a big fan of the Colts, and that was all because of Peyton Manning. I always looked up to him. Now, I don’t have a lot of favorite sports teams, but I look at different stars around sports and follow them. My favorite quarterbacks to watch are obviously Peyton, and I’ve started to warm up to Tom Brady. Russell Wilson and Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers all have something unique about them, and they’re the best of the best. The best quarterback story I’ve ever heard was Warren Moon. I was never able to watch a game of his, but I’ve watched every single documentary and highlights. He was fun to watch, and he was one of a kind.
Do you have a favorite sports jersey in your closet?
Kare’ Lyles
I have a Dennis Rodman Bulls jersey. It’s No. 91. Rodman may be my favorite basketball player ever. My dad grew up in Indianapolis, and basketball is big in Indiana. I played baseball, football and basketball growing up. Right before my first basketball practice ever, my dad said, ‘I can’t tell you how to play like MJ, Kobe or Lebron. But I can show you one guy who I’d be so proud if you played like.’ He showed me Rodman’s highlights, diving for loose balls and everything. I ran with it. I did not care about scoring. My highest scoring game in middle school basketball was 12 points. My highest rebounding game was 33. I always led the team in steals, blocks and rebounds. That’s all I cared about. I loved doing that.
If you could bring one restaurant from your hometown to Carbondale, what would it be?
There’s a place called Mickie’s Dairy Bar. It’s a hole in the wall, and it’s right next to Camp Randall Stadium. It’s cheap and they have very big portions. They have malts, shakes, huge pancakes that are amazing. Their corned beef hash is considered the best in Wisconsin. They serve these ridiculous portions of breakfast foods for like $6.
Other than Saluki Stadium, what’s your favorite place on campus?
My and my girlfriend always walk behind the student center, where there’s an area called Thompson Woods. We always walk that each night before the sun sets. We start by the stadium, go behind the student center and then get into the heart of campus. I love that area. When you’re not focused on being late to class (laughs) … you get to focus on the sunset and everything. It’s a beautiful campus.
Other than SIU, who has the best uniforms in the Missouri Valley Football Conference?
Southern Illinois quarterback Kare’ Lyles makes the 7-hour drives from Wisconsin to Carbondale frequently. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
I’m a blue guy, so I’d say Indiana State. It kind of reminds me of the blue that the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Chargers wear. Any team in the country that has blue tops and white pants, I think that’s one of the best looks.
Who is the most inspiring people in your life?
I’ve got to say my mom, Annmarie. She’s an unbelievable person. Mothers are superheroes. She’s the smartest person I know. She got her PhD in nursing. She’s never gotten less than a B-plus in school. There was a time where my dad wanted to move back to Wisconsin when we were living in Arizona. She was a professor at Arizona State. Now she’s the nursing program chair at Herzing University in Wisconsin. There was a time where she had to work both jobs. I wasn’t really aware of this, but she worked both jobs for a year and a half. She’s always caring about other people. I love her because she’s my mom, but she’s definitely the most inspiring person in my life.
You make the 7-hour drive frequently from Madison to Carbondale. Do you have any favorite stops along the way?
I go two different ways – either to St. Louis and up north or to Marion and up. They’re both straight shots. It’s not the best sightseeing. But right near Illinois State, outside of Normal, there’s a Chipotle. I’m a diehard Chipotle fan. I always stop there if I have the time.
Blog co-authors Barry Bottino and Dan Verdun bring years of experience covering collegiate athletics. Barry has covered college athletes for more than two decades in his “On Campus” column, which is published weekly by Shaw Media. Dan has written four books about the state’s football programs–“NIU Huskies Football” (released in 2013), “EIU Panthers Football (2014), “ISU Redbirds” (2016) and “SIU Salukis Football” (2017).
This is the biggest series of the season so far for the Cubs. Five-games with the second-place Cardinals at Wrigley this weekend. A winning series will put Chicago in excellent position to take the NL League Central.
With a doubleheader and pitching injuries piling up Adbert Alzolay will get a start and Colin Rea will open a bullpen game. The Cardinals are top heavy and that has led to an up and down season. Brad Miller and Kolten Wong did real damage last time these teams met.
I could say more, but I’m just eager to get to it. Let’s go!!!
Watch/Listen
Friday: 7:15 PM CT on Marquee/670AM
Saturday: 4:15 PM CT on MLB Network/Marquee/670AM (Doubleheader)
Source: Former Cubs reliever Pedro Strop is signing back with the Cubs. Was recently released by Cincinnati. Both Chicago teams had interest in him but he’s going back to the N. Side. He’ll report to the alternate site in South Bend.
Music festivals as we’ve known them may be in jeopardy due to a virus, but festival culture keeps on giving: this summer’s bounty includes Deafbrick, the new album by brain-rattling São Paulo psych-punk trio Deafkids and maniacal London-based electro-noise-rock duo Petbrick, aka musician and producer Wayne Adams and Sepultura and Cavalera Conspiracy drummer Iggor Cavalera. The record grew out of the bands’ friendship, which led to a collaborative performance at the 2019 Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands.…Read More
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