The ChicagoBears’ biggest rival made a big splash in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft when they traded up to select a quarterback.
The Chicago Bears have a huge rivalry with the Green Bay Packers. They have pretty much owned the rivalry over the years as they have been one of the elite teams across football while the Bears have been pretty bad. Well, they made a very interesting move in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. They traded from pick 30 up to pick 26 to select Jordan Love from Utah State.
It is a wild move because they were a game away from the Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers just a few months ago. It definitely doesn’t look like he is done any time soon, yet Green Bay drafted a quarterback. Is Love going to be the successor of Rodgers? That’s what they’re hoping. Rodgers is the same age that Brett Favre was when they drafted him — interestingly enough.
There is no way that Rodgers is happy with this selection. Now, his successor is right behind him waiting in the wings. Love had a good career at Utah State. In 2019 as a junior, he had 3,402 passing yards on 293 completions. He completed 61.9 percent of his passes with 20 touchdowns to 17 interceptions.
This is a move that is definitely not something that anyone saw coming. As mentioned before, you don’t really expect a team who was one win away from a berth in the Super Bowl to draft their elite quarterback’s future replacement. For the 15th straight year, Rodgers doesn’t get a first-round running back or wide receiver.
Green Bay could have had wide receivers like Tee Higgins or Denzel Mims, or even gone a different route and selected linebacker Patrick Queen. Instead, they go after what could be their future in Love.
This could end up being something that is good for the Bears. The Packers falling apart would be a positive and that is definitely on the table with this pick. Rodgers is sure to not like the pick and that could cause some issues. Chances are, Love isn’t going to go on to be as good as Rodgers, so the Bears might be able to take advantage. We will see how this ends up for Green Bay.
With a potentially shortened offseason, the ChicagoBears could be well-positioned to handle it.
Everywhere you look, you are reminded of and feel the impacts of COVID-19, and the Chicago Bears are no different. Each individual player is doing their best to adjust to a “new normal” of being stuck inside, and some are certainly doing better than others. In this regard, they are no different than every other citizen going through the same.
But a secondary consideration is how these individual players will collectively emerge from the pandemic. In other words, when football does resume, how will the Bears be positioned to transition to live-action?
That will almost entirely depend on what the players are doing on their own to prepare and stay in shape. For example, the New Orleans Saints’ head coach, Sean Payton, informed his players that even if the rules change, the team will not be having a team-led offseason program. In other words, the players are on their own to prepare.
The longer the shelter at home orders stay in place, you’d have to think it will favor veteran, disciplined teams. In that scenario, it could certainly benefit a team like the Bears who have a ton of strong, veteran leadership within the locker room.
Head coach Matt Nagy once said he doesn’t want “me” guys but “we” guys, meaning he wants players who put the team first. Well, they certainly have that in guys like Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Eddie Jackson, Danny Trevathan, Nick Foles, Mitch Trubsiky, Allen Robinson, and countless others who will no doubt make sure their teammates are motivated and working their tails off this offseason.
This team seems to genuinely care for one another, and when you have that type of chemistry on a team, you tend to look out for each other and police yourselves so to speak. Doing so will enable to Bears to emerge from this crisis in a better position than most other teams who may not be as disciplined. For example, could you imagine a Marc Trestman or John Fox led team putting in the work on their own? Yeah, me neither.
DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 29: Kenny Golladay #19 of the Detroit Lions makes a catch in the first quarter of the game in front of Kevin King #20 of the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on December 29, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
Mitchell Trubisky, ChicagoBears. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears have some division rivals that want to be good football teams in 2020. They are all making selections in the first round of the NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears play in a very tough division of teams that don’t like each other very much. It has been known as the “Black and Blue” division in the past for a reason. Every team in this division is going into the 2020 season with hopes of winning it and having a chance to make a run in the playoffs. Each of them has a long way to go but anything can happen.
The Green Bay Packers won the Division in 2019 with a 13-3 record. They made the playoffs and made it all the way to the NFC Championship before being defeated by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. The Minnesota Vikings made it as a Wild Card team with their 10-6 record and defeated the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card round. They were defeated by the 49ers as well in the Division round. Two teams from the division made the playoffs and won a game.
The Chicago Bears were the first team not in the playoffs. They were the favorite to win the division going into the year but the offense wasn’t very good. It didn’t match the elite defense that they have so it was a tough year. Mitchell Trubisky wasn’t very good at all so it is on him and Nick Foles to make sure that at least one of them plays well in 2020 or it will be more of the same.
The Detroit Lions were the only bad team in the division with a 3-12-1 record. They have a lot of issues that need to be sorted out and one of those is their quarterback. Matthew Stafford is a great player but has dealt with some injuries.
The 2020 NFL Draft is a huge step for all of them to be good in 2020. They all made selections in the first round to try and get better. Each of them is improved after night one which is something to be wary of if you’re the Bears. This is how each team did in round one:
Imagine: it’s 5 pm on a Friday and all you’re craving is a hoppy IPA from your local watering hole. During any other time in history, you would’ve grabbed an Uber and met up with friends. But since that’s not possible right now, some Chicago bars and venues are offering social-distancing-approved activities: virtual happy hours! Here are a few of our favorites.
Photo Credit: WineStyles Norwood Park Facebook
Sip Back And Relax With WineStyles
When: Friday, April 24 at 5 pm
Advertisement
Are you more of a grapes kind of person? Then join WineStyles for a virtual happy hour on Facebook Live! You can even win prizes by posting a creative photo of yourself enjoying a glass of wine, craft beer, or cocktail. Register on Eventbrite to raise a glass (virtually) with all of your WineStyles friends!
Photo Credit: Lawrence Peters Facebook
Jam Out With Hideout
When: Friday, April 24th at 5 pm
Advertisement
Chicago’s beloved live music spot might be closed but they’re still jamming. Tune in to their livestream on Twitch in to hear from Hideout veteran employee and award-winning country singer, Lawrence Peters. Join Peters for some deep cuts from his albums, and even some Hideout peeps may even pop in to answer Q’s about the bar. Don’t forget to pour yourself a stiff drink and leave a generous tip.
Play Trivia with Refuge Chicago
When: Daily through April 30th at 8 pm
Advertisement
Refuge Live claims to be the only music venue in Chicago where you can catch the best singers, poets, musicians, comedians, actors, and DJs in one location. They have events weekly and right now they’re hosting virtual trivia. It’s free to play, you’ll just have to BYOB. Sign up here and enter the code REFUGE5. Cheers to that!
Photo Credit: Revolution Brewing Facebook
Tailgate With Revolution Brewing
When: Saturday, April 25 at 3 pm
Advertisement
Missing sports? Tailgate the Chicago Red Stars opener with Revolution and the Chicago Local 134 — the official supporters club of the Chicago Red Stars! Sign up now and tune in for beer talk with Revolution, Q&A with new Red Star Kealia Ohai Watt and team owner Arnim Whisler, and a contest where you could win Red Star gear, a Local 134 scarf, or Revolution beer.
Photo Credit: Experimental Sound Studio Facebook
Support Local Artists With The Quarantine Concerts
When: Thursday and Friday, April 23 and 24 at 5 pm
Advertisement
Tune into Twitch for the White Claw NFL Pre-Draft Show with ESPN’s Waddle & Silvy! Stay up-to-date on the latest NFL coverage leading up to the big draft. Stock up on a few White Claws and get comfortable in front of your screen, because there ain’t no laws when you’re drinking the claws.
Governor Pritzker just extended Chicago’s stay-at-home order until May 30th and some of us are feeling a little stir-crazy. Here are 30 things to do to help you get through this next stretch of quarantine.
These Chicago beauty shops have everything you need to maintain hair, skin, and body care.
Stay in touch with friends
We know you’re already using Zoom, Houseparty, and FaceTime with friends, but are you taking it to the next level? Here are a few ways to have the best virtual party ever:
Garfield and Sophie are wonderful, friendly and fun, three-year-old sibling cats looking for a loving guardian together.
Garfield is a ten-pound orange tabby; Sophie is an eight-pound pastel tortoiseshell.
These cats love each other, they adore people and enjoy playing. They were relinquished by a family who could no longer afford to care for all the pets they had.
Garfield and Sophie share everything, food; toys, they are best buddies. They also are very gentle and let you trim their nails and easily pick them up.
They are extremely healthy, neutered/spayed, vaccinated for rabies and distemper, micro-chipped, and treated with frontline as a flea preventative.
They use a top entry litter box perfectly and are gentle with their claws. And, they tolerate my extremely cat-friendly dog. Garfield actually likes dogs …Sophie tolerates them.
Their adoption fee of $275 as a pair benefits the Friends of Petraits Rescue.
If you’re interested in meeting and possibly adopting these wonderful felines, please contact [email protected] for an adoption application.
They are currently being fostered in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood.
130 N. Garland Court, Unit 2503, Chicago: $1,099,500 | Listed April 13, 2020
This 1,758-square-foot Loop condo has three bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms and views of Lake Michigan and Millennium Park. The recently renovated smart home includes a terrace, east-facing windows, blackout shades and a gas fireplace. A stone bathroom with a double vanity, shower and soaking tub can be found in the master bedroom. Building amenities include door staff, indoor pool, dog run, sun decks and Pedway access.
Agent: Mario Greco of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, 773-687-4696
Never before has party or politics been a factor in my choices for professional services.
Doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc only needed to be competent and have good Yelp reviews.
COVID-19 changed that. Our response to it may determine if our economy recovers, languishes in recession or craters into depression.
COVID-19 is medical nomenclature for a novel (new) COronaVIrus Disease that emerged in 2019. It is not, as lying liar Rush Limbaugh and Trump’s soulless lapdog, Kellyanne Conjob falsely asserted, the 19th version of coronavirus.
In 2020, alternative facts costs lives. And money.
I called my adviser (let’s call him Chris) last week to see what he had in mind, given our current situation.
The conversation focused on America’s response to the pandemic, stay at home orders, the economy and our expectations for the months and years ahead.
Chris began by saying that he doesn’t love Trump and he doesn’t hate him, he’s somewhere in between. In other words, he voted for Trump in 2016 and he’s going to vote for him again in November.
To me, unrepentant Trumpsters are somewhere between pedophiles and smokers.
Chris said it was time to reopen America, especially now because the numbers are coming down really fast.
That was last Thursday, April 16, the day that America recorded 2,400 deaths, the biggest one day total at the time since this thing began.
It was the day that several states saw big spikes in their numbers; Arkansas (60%), Oklahoma(53%), Nebraska(74%), Iowa(82%) and South Dakota(205%).
Chris, if you’re reading this, I have to ask you: What numbers, besides my account balance are coming down?
Today we have over 840,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 47,000 related deaths.
Based on Chris’s whataboutismsand false equivalencies, I have a pretty good idea about where he gets his “news.”
Chris’s TV viewing is his own business, but not when it comes to my business. Facts, not propaganda are imperative and the person I turn to for financial guidance should know the difference.
On Fox, Mr. Phil (I just can’t call him Dr.) compared the coronavirus to car accidents, which is beyond idiotic. You can’t catch a car accident.
He also made a claim of 360,000 annual swimming pool deaths. The actual number of drownings is about 4000, of which only about 400 occur in swimming pools.
Fox’s Laura Ingraham compared coronavirus to HIV, which is (A) Treatable (B) Only transmissible through sexual contact and (C) Can be prevented with a condom.
Chris topped the scale of false equivalencies by comparing coronavirus to abortion deaths.
He meant the fetuses, not mothers, but that is a whole other discussion. He cited his religious beliefs as the basis for his anti-abortion stance.
My belief is that anyone who wants to impose their beliefs on the rest of us should move to Afghanistan and live under their beliefs.
And why is it you never meet any pro-lifers opposed to the death penalty?
It doesn’t matter what Nancy Pelosi or anyone else said or did.
The President of the United States has access to the best experts and advisers on the planet and, as he’s said many times, he’s responsible for protecting our nation. Only he can fix it.
His words (should) carry unparalleled weight. It would be helpful if he listened to the experts and told the truth.
This thing is not going away, either on the health front or on the economic front.
Turning off the lights was easy. Getting them back on is going to be a struggle.
Our economy runs on consumer spending and it’s going to be a while before American consumers have confidence enough to stock up on anything other than toilet paper.
Many of us are going to have a lot of catching up to do.
Today Trump is denying the probability of a second wave of COVID-19 something he might have heard from Hannity.
The second wave of the Spanish Flu (1918-1919) was more deadly and killed many more people than the first wave. Failing to prepare for a second wave because of an upcoming election is not just negligent, it is criminal.
On TV’s Dragnet (1951-1959), Sgt. Joe Friday was famous for saying, Just the facts, ma’am.
Chris, if you’re reading this, please take Sgt. Friday’s advice.
Subscribe to the Chicago Board of Tirade * You will never get SPAM
* Your email address will never be sold or given away
* You will only receive emails on days I post.
* You can unsubscribe at any time
* You can contact me anytime at: [email protected] * Just type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button.
Bob “RJ” Abrams is a political junkie, all-around malcontent and supporter of America’s warriors. After a career path that took him from merchandising at rock concerts to managing rock bands to a 27-year stint in the pits of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, he’s seen our nation from up and down.
As Regional Coordinator of the Warriors’ Watch Riders (a motorcycle support group for the military and their families) Bob plays an active role in our nation’s support of America’s warriors and their families.
Send comments and/or suggestions to [email protected]
I’m Jerry Partacz, happily married to my wife Julie for over 40 years. I have four children and eleven grandchildren. I’m enjoying retirement after 38 years of teaching. I now have an opportunity to share my thoughts on many things. I’m an incurable optimist. I also love to solve crossword puzzles and to write light verse. I love to read, to garden, to play the piano, to collect stamps and coins, and to watch “Curb Your Enthusiasm”.
About a week ago ATTOM Data Solutions issued their Q1 2020 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for the nation and updated their RealtyTrac data. Although foreclosure activity was up 42% from the previous quarter it did manage to come in 3% below Q1 of 2019.
Keep in mind that for all intents and purposes March was basically pre-Coronavirus since the impact of shutting down the economy had not been realized quite yet.
Q1 2020 foreclosure activity jumped back up from last quarter but it was still below year ago levels.
It’s always quite amazing to see just how high this activity once was when we were in the throes of an economic crisis. Are we headed back there? All bets are off. In the short run, no because homeowners are receiving (is that the right word?) forbearance. In fact, we might actually see a temporary decline in foreclosure activity because of this. However, if economic activity remains depressed for too long this will in fact turn into a new foreclosure wave.
In their report ATTOM Data Solutions gave honorable mention to Illinois for having the third highest foreclosure rate in the first quarter and Chicago had the 6th highest foreclosure rate among metro areas with population above 1 MM people.
ATTOM Data Solutions also reported on the average time required to complete a foreclosure. Based on the graph below I’d say that we just hit the lowest completion time in a bit more than 3 years. But it’s still 673 days?!?!?!
The time required to complete a foreclosure has dropped to its lowest level in more than 3 years
For Chicago foreclosure activity came in at the lower end of the recent range. In particular, bank repossessions hit a record low. But that’s not necessarily a good thing because that’s part of the completion process and you don’t want foreclosures piling up.
Chicago foreclosure activity has declined dramatically since the housing crisis.
Chicago Shadow Inventory
The backlog of foreclosures is perhaps the most significant indicator of how serious the foreclosure problem is in Chicago. And we did make some nice progress working through that backlog in March. After plateauing for most of 2019 it finally started another descent. March declined by 331 units and we are now comfortably below 5000 units.
Chicago’s shadow inventory of homes in foreclosure is less than 1/8 of what it once was.
#Foreclosures #ChicagoForeclosures
Gary Lucido is the President of Lucid Realty, the Chicago area’s full service real estate brokerage that offers home buyer rebates and discount commissions. If you want to keep up to date on the Chicago real estate market or get an insider’s view of the seamy underbelly of the real estate industry you can Subscribe to Getting Real by Email using the form below. Please be sure to verify your email address when you receive the verification notice.
After 20 years in the corporate world and running an Internet company, Gary started Lucid Realty with his partner, Sari. The company provides full service, while discounting commissions for sellers and giving buyers rebates.
2 comments