Why in the hell would a well decorated elite quarterback want to come to Chicago? The never ending list of bad quarterbacks after bad quarterbacks has rolled out like toilet paper fashion since the 1940’s, when Sid Luckman was behind center for the Chicago Bears. I will give honorable mention to Jim McMahon who helped the Bears win their only Superbowl. I also loved Erik Kramer and Jim Miller. All three guys did well, but there has not been a franchise quarterback behind center for a decade behind center. Then a Superbowl winning quarterback named Russell Wilson has the Bears on a short list of teams he’d like to be traded to. Former Bear, Muhsin Muhammad, once said Chicago is where wide receivers come to die. I wonder why he would say something like that? I wonder why Russell Wilson would come to the Bears to get extra steps in being chased all over the field from that shaky offensive line? The Saints, Cowboys, and Raiders are also on Russell Wilson’s short list of places he/d like to be traded to. All four destinations have an Offensive mind as their head coach. What would it take to make a deal like this happen?

The Chicago Bears could have drafted Russell Wilson in 2012. Another swing and another whiff by the Bears brass over the years. Instead, Seattle scooped up Russell Wilson in the third round with the number 75 pick. In 9 seasons in the NFL, Wilson has not missed one game. In 9 seasons, Wilson has been selected to nine Pro-bowls and has led the Seahawks to two Superbowls, winning one of them. If Seattle would have ran Mashawn Lynch on the goal line in that Superbowl loss instead of passing it, they would have won that one. They could have ran it twice. Wilson has a 98-45-1 record in regular season stats during his nine years in the NFL. Wilson’s stats are very impressive as well, as he passed for 33,936 yards with 267 touch down passes with a 65% completion percentage. Wilson has been to 16 playoff games where he has a 9-7 record as he tossed 25 touch down passes in 16 post season games. How many decades would it take the Bears to play in 16 post-season games? With Wilson, which I love about him, you’re never out of games with him behind center. Wilson has 24 comebacks with 31 game-winning drives.

All the teams that Wilson wants to play for, have answers at their starting quarterback position except the Bears. If a trade would occur, Seattle could get a quarterback that is a good option from all the teams except the Bears unless Nick Foles does it for you. Raiders have Derek Carr. The Cowboys have Dak Prescott, if both the Cowboys and Presott representatives can agree on some kind of deal. The New Orleans Saints have Drew Brees, however he may retire. Taysom Hill has the running skills like Russell Wilson, but Hill and Wilson don’t equal each other out in total talent. Jameis Winston is a free agent, so Seahawks could sign him without a trade. One idea would have Seattle and Houston swap starting quarterbacks. Both quarterbacks have problems with the front office on their team. Wilson goes to the Texans and Deshaun Watson heads to Seattle, which could satisfy both parties of disgruntled quarterbacks. However, Wilson has a no-trade clause. The Texans are not on his list. If I was a quarterback, I would pick the Saints first because Sean Payton is the mastermind of offense, out of all four choices. Jon Gruden and Vegas would be the second choice. Chucky Jon Gruden knows offense and has a Superbowl under his belt. The Cowboys’ Jerry Jones would bother me. The Bears have no clue and even as a last resort, if they were the last team on Earth I would still have doubts.

Seattle and Russell Wilson have a rocky relationship. Wilson has not demanded a trade. I can see Wilson, Seattle ownership, and the snake Pete Carol, iron out their differences. I know head coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace are on thin ice with their jobs. The Bears owner should step in and tell his stooges to do whatever it takes to land Russell Wilson. At the age of 33, Wilson could play another 7 years easily. Look at Tom Brady playing in his 40’s at a high level. Even if Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace are not around to see Wilson lead the Bears to the Superbowl. This deal bringing in Wilson would be much different than the year they traded for the Jag Bag Jay Cutler. Cutler still has a cult following from the Bears faithful. Which some Bears fans thought process meant that they are not the sharpest tools in the shed. Wilson’s leading skills are off the chart. I’d compare him to Yankee great Derek Jeter. Both Jeter and Wilson at their sports, get the job done even if it does not look pretty at times. Russell Wilson does all the little things right. Plus, Wilson has a solid arm with escapability from a closing pocket, that can make plays on the run. I would hope the Bears would fix their offensive line and surround him with playmakers if they got Wilson. Bears should throw every asset they have that includes the kitchen sink to get a Russell Wilson who would be a franchise changer. Even if Matt Nagy has to be Pete Carol’s butler, make it happen. After you land Wilson, then find another offensive mind coach and another GM to replace the stooges. With Russell Wilson on board, you can get smarter people to help you. I know its only a pipe dream as I wake up tomorrow and see Nick Foles is still our quarterback. Oh, the humanity!!!

The Pittsburgh Steelers should move on without their big clock that seems like a landmark behind center. Big Ben Roethlisberger has had that landmark status the last 17 seasons in Pittsburgh as a fixture behind center that is unable to move or bring in the wrecking ball. The Steelers are in much need of a wrecking ball behind center, like many teams in the NFL. Bringing back Big Ben does not make sense financially as he will cost 41 million dollars of the upcoming salary cap this season. The owner of the Steelers, Art Rooney, does not like changes as head coaches who have Pope-like status when it comes to their jobs. Rooney already said Roethlisberger will return as starting quarterback for the Steelers next season. The Steelers will restructure Big Ben’s contract. Will the Steelers have enough to keep JuJu Smith-Schuster, one of the Steelers big play makers? What about left over money in the cap to keep that defense intact? What about adding some depth to that defense that lost pieces and eventually imploded? The biggest glaring question to me is the eye test. Can Big Ben Roethlisberger throw the ball downfield? The deep ball of Big Ben has disappeared. How long will it take opposing defenses to catch on to the Steeler’s lack of running game and the short passes?

Ben Roethlisberger was drafted in 2004 11th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Big Ben was a monster of a specimen at 6’5″ and 240 pounds, bigger than half of the defensive players and the size of some of the offensive linemen. Big Ben’s book jacket says it all. Big Ben has won 2 out of 3 Superbowls that he has guided his team to. Everyone remembers the catch of Santonio Holmes to end the Cardinals dreams that season. Big Ben came in firing on all cylinders day one as he was the Offensive rookie of the year as opposing players hung on him trying to bring him down only to see Roethlisberger zip the ball into an open receiver. Big Ben as starting quarterback never had a losing season with him under center the entire season. That includes 11 playoff appearances, 8 division titles amounting up to 13 winning seasons. Big Ben has won 169 games adding up both post and regular season together. His winning percentage of 67% is better than many hall of fame quarterbacks. This list features John Elway, Dan Marino, Steve Young, and Troy Aikman with a few others. Roethlisberger stands at 7th all-time in passing yards and 8th in touchdown passes.

The Steelers did well last year because Big Ben Roethlisberger was knocked out early in the season of 2019 and Pittsburgh failed to make the playoffs. The Steelers had an easier schedule not making the post season in 2019. Last year, Big Ben Roethlisberger had the Steelers at 11-0. They were the last unbeaten team and at the time, the number 1 seed in the AFC. The Steelers destroyed the Browns early on who could not beat a winning team until late in the season. The Steelers beat the Ravens twice at the time when Baltimore was not hot yet and still in a deep funk from the last post season. The Steelers exploited the Titans bad defense and held on to the lead barely in that one. Those 4 wins, 2 versus Ravens, Browns and Titans were teams with a winning record. The other 7 wins came from bad teams the Steelers were playing teams from the dreaded NFC East. Then after 11-0, the Steelers lost 4 out of 5 games to end the season and they looked like a completely different team. If you count the playoffs, the Steelers lost the last 5 out of six games and that was a major tailspin.

Teams figured out Ben Roethlisberger could not throw a deep ball. Teams figured out he could not throw the ball down the field and relied on short passing only. Defenses like Washington and Buffalo made Big Ben age another ten seasons. Roethlisberger looked bad against a bad defense in the Steelers/Bengals rematch during which the Bumbles prevailed. Take away the running game and Steelers had problems. Then the defense which played so well started breaking down. Every game meant another piece of the Steel Curtain was done for the season. It became the Shower Curtain defense. Big Ben used to stand in the pocket with five guys draped on him and still got rid of the ball. At the end of the season, it was London Bridge’s falling down as the Big Ben clock came tumbling down as time caught up to the future hall of fame quarterback who will be a for sure first ballot in Canton.

I can see why the Steelers want to give Big Ben Roethlisberger one more go at this. The Steelers are loyal, maybe too loyal. Because this loyalty might hurt the overall team. Even if Big Ben gave me a restructured deal where he’s slashing all the prices and everything must go, the team will not win the Superbowl with him behind center. It’s that simple. The Steelers need JuJu Smith- Schuster together with the young rookie star from Notre Dame, Chase Claypool. James Washington and even though Diaontae Johnson had the case of the dropped balls these guys are a excellent receiving core. If you traded for Deshaun Watson with this same core and same defense, I think you can say Steelers’ odds have just jumped. Ryan Fitzpatrick I think would be a better option than holding on to an aging quarterback that needs a new arm. Only way Big Ben would come back is to be my bridge quarterback to groom some young guy picked up in the draft. This team can win now.

By getting rid of Big Ben Roethlisberger and cutting ties completely, the team could make moves to improve a roster that has a lot of good pieces in place. Get a better runner back than a James Connor. Steelers somehow find these play makers all the time. They may find another back, deep in the upcoming draft. If the Steelers signed Ryan Fitzpatrick or traded for Jimmy Garoppolo, or even gave Sam Darnold a shot and pried him away from the Jets. Darnold, Dwayne Haskins and Mason Rudolph make a pretty good quarterback room. Matt Ryan would be expensive, but a better choice than Big Ben if he was available by the Falcons. The question with Ryan is can you retain your own free agents and what will that cost you. Obviously, Deshaun Watson or a Russell Wilson would be better than Big Ben, but you may lose guys in the process with a huge contract to pay these guys and top picks. A cheaper option like Jimmy Garoppolo or Sam Darnold could let you sign a JJ Watt and have a Watt family reunion on the roster. Find a cheaper option but a better quarterback than Big Ben, draft a quarterback, and keep the wheels on this Pittsburgh bus moving forward. Then flattening out versus a bad Bengals franchise who could be on the up rise. The faster the team moves on from Roethlisberger, the quicker they can compete. Lamar Jackson Ravens, Baker Mayfield Browns, and Joe Burrow of the Bengals in your division have cemented their signal caller for years to come while you’re riding a bull that has been castrated and needs to be sent up to your Aunt’s farm to find some serenity.

Many people have jumped on Carson Wentz for not taking very well to being demoted during the season. Then to still be grim as he saw the writing on the walls with the play of Jalen Hurts. Look what happened this season when the Packers drafted a quarterback in the first round. This did not make Aaron Rodgers happy as he played Punisher-like and had revenge on his mind to show up the Packers front office. Wentz could have done the same thing as the Eagles, when they drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round. It’s training your replacement at work. The needs the Eagles had before the season, you’d think the team would have drafted a play maker or someone to protect the quarterback in the second round. In Green Bay, Rodgers at-least had the protection on the O-Line. In Philadelphia, Wentz is not mobile and could only do so much with a line pretty much was a band aid soaking up blood and barely sticking on for support. Jalen Hurts can escape the pocket and make plays while on the move was his recipe for success. Knowing all the facts in a team in total disarray, the Eagles traded Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts. Eagles get a a 3rd round pick this year. Plus the Eagles get a second rounder in 2022 which could be a first rounder depends on what Carson Wentz does on the field this upcoming season. Was this enough the Eagles got back for a guy they picked number 2 overall in 2016?

What happened to the Bears? The Carson Wentz sweepstakes seem to be between two teams, the Bears and the Colts. The Bears were trying hard to get Matthew Stafford from the Lions. The Bears may be rumored to be after every quarterback available this off season. I’m sure the Bears kicked the tires on Carson Wentz rumor had the Bears had a better deal on the table for the Eagles which might be heard said. The link the Bears had with Carson Wentz was quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo who was a former coach in Philadelphia and familiar with the Eagle quarterback as he coached him and is on Matt Nagy’s staff. Carson Wentz came out and said he did not want to play for the Bears. Why would he is the question. The Bears are a team in disarray just like the Philadelphia Eagles. The coaching staff and the GM are on thin ice like Philadelphia staff coming into this season. Plus the Bears Offensive line is nothing to write home to mom about. Plus the lack of play makers. Not sure if Bears were serious about Wentz or what he said killed the deal between Chicago and Philadelphia. Many fans in Chicago are happy not to have Wentz. Chicago fans probably would want Deshaun Watson and may settle for another episode of Nick Foles. Ir I have a suspicion Sam Darnold from the Jets, which would be the Bears’ way of bringing in another Mitch Trubisky type.

I like this move by the Indianapolis Colts coming away with Carson Wentz. The Colts did not over pay for Wentz which you know the Eagles at first wanted all of King Tut’s riches for their guy. The Colts were a playoff team last year and lost in Buffalo in the first round. The Colts needed a quarterback because Phillip Rivers retired. Wentz will have a great offensive line protecting him in Indianapolis. Maybe the best of his entire career. Plus the Colts have a strong running game that features a few running backs which we know a running game can take pressure off the quarterback. Plus the Colts had one of the best defenses in the league which will help if Wentz makes a mistake during a game it will not haunt him every time. Then the reunion with head Frank Reich will make this thing work. When Frank Reich was coaching in Philadelphia, Carson Wentz was a pretty good quarterback. Two seasons with Frank Reich guiding Wentz was 18-11 as a starter. The Superbowl year for the Eagles it was Carson Wentz led the Eagles to a 11-2 record before he was injured. Wentz had a 61.5% completion percentage and threw for 7,078 yards with 49 Touchdown passes compared to only 21 Interceptions. Carson Wentz had to deal with the crazy fans in Philadelphia that burned his jersey for a bad season. Philadelphia is a big market. Chicago would have been a big market especially after what Mitch Trubisky went through. Indianapolis is a small market that Carson Wentz should thrive in because he was drafted out of a small college, North Dakota University home of the Bison. Look at Josh Allen out of Wyoming University, a small town school and how he is loved and is playing well in Buffalo. In all sports, sometimes it’s the system and location for that person’s personality to get the best out of them.

Last year Carson Wentz played in 12 games and was 3-8-1 as the starter. Wentz had a career low completion percentage at 57.4% as he threw for 2,620 yards while throwing 16 touchdown passes and had 15 interceptions. Lifetime the 28 year old quarterback has a record of 35-32-1 with a 62.7% completion percentage in 5 seasons. Wentz has thrown for 16,811 yards with 113 touchdown passes and 50 interceptions.Wentz has 9 comebacks with 10 game winning drives. Nick Foles came in and had a lucky horseshoe up his rear in 2017 to lead the Eagles to their first Superbowl win of all-time. If Wentz did not go 11-2 that year I could not see Nick Foles from the start of any season guiding a team to the playoffs and beyond. Wentz has a quality arm. He has had some injuries. I have to go back to the Colts’ strong running game and Offensive line is the combo to keep Wentz up right and let him do his thing back there. Wentz was drafted number two overall for a reason. Wentz has shown some flashes of a very good quarterback in his 5 seasons in the NFL. I give the Colts a grade of an A in this one. I give the Eagles right now a grade of B- that could go higher if they get that pick in 2022 to go from a second to a first rounder. The Bears I give a F, because they are the fools in this one. Not from not getting Carson Wentz. As fans in the league and experts see, the Chicago Bears are a hot mess. Now you have a starting quarterback in the league commenting on their situation. The Bears have that drunken vision and blurry eye sight, that they think is hot and the best only to wake up with a doosey in the morning wondering what the hell happened.

Back to the Eagles. If Carson Wentz plays 75% of the plays this season in Indianapolis, that second round pick in 2022 could turn into a first round pick. Another scenario is if the Colts make the playoffs and Wentz plays 70% of the snaps, then the Eagles would get the Colts first rounder in 2022. Philadelphia is handcuffed by the cap and the team from the Superbowl has seen way better days. The Eagles need to blow it all up and give the keys to Jalen Hurts, building a team around his talents. The Eagles have a new voice as head coach. Even if Wentz does really well in Indianapolis, the Eagles had to move on from him and that is what they are doing. This is the only way.

I’m not sure the Chicago Blackhawks will be able to surround Patrick Kane with enough talent for another Stanley Cup run. So far the Blackhawks have a 8-5-4 record after 13 games which is good for 20 points in the standings. This is without the Captain Jonathan Toews who is still out and has not played one game this season for the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks came in with major questions at goalie. It started ugly, but the goalie situation has improved. On the ice, the Blackhawks have a younger cast skating. The front office is still in denial that they are in a rebuild.

Not sure the Blackhawks can stay in the playoff hunt the rest of the year since it’s still relatively early in the season. Even if the Blackhawks get in the playoffs, how far can they go? I always thought the Blackhawks could surround Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews with enough talent like the Penguins have done over and over with Sidney Crosby. It’s great seeing the Blackhawks playing well as a team. I thought going in it would be more like watching some youngsters reach the next level and Patrick Kane reach a new milestone. If the Blackhawks do falter, we could tune in still to see Patrick Kane reach new levels on the Blackhawks’ all-time lists and the league’s all-time lists.

This is Patrick Kane’s 14th year in the league. Besides the three Stanley Cups Kane has helped the team get, Kane could eventually be the best Blackhawk of all-time. Last season Patrick Kane reached the 600 plateau in assists. Plus, Kane reached 1,000 points last season. Kane needs 4 more goals to reach the 400 plateau as he comes in with 396. If Kane scores 11 more goals, he would move past Steve Larmer for third all-time in Blackhawks history.

After Steve Larmer, Patrick Kane will have some ice to cross with Stan Mikita with 541 Blackhawks goals for second. If Patrick Kane stays in Chicago his entire career, could he eventually pass the legend Bobby Hull for number one in the franchise in goals? Hull has 604. Kane all-time coming in stands a number 100 in goals all-time in the NHL. Kane should reach the 402 mark with six more tallies this season as he could pass three guys with his 403rd goal. Shane Doan, Paul Kariya, and John Ogrodrick have 402 goals. If Patrick Kane notches 14 more goals, he would tie Ray Bourgue at 91 all-time with 410 goals.

Staying healthy in any game is half the battle, especially during a pandemic. Patrick Kane needs 10 more games to skate to reach 1,000 lifetime. If Kane laces up the skates 19 times this season, he would pass up the great Bob Murray for 6th all-time in games played for the Blackhawks. Murray has played 1,008 games wearing the Indian sweater.

Patrick Kane has 648 assists lifetime. Kane needs two more dishes and he would have 650 which would tie Brett Hull for number 66 all-time in the NHL.

Patrick Kane has tallied up 1,044 points in his career which is number 74 all-time. Two more points would tie Henri Richard with 1,046. Eight points and Kane would tie Denis Potvin who stands with 1,052 points.

MADE IN AMERICA

Patrick Kane was born in Buffalo, New York. Kane’s 396 goals right now are good for number ten all-time in America born players in goals scored in the NHL. If Kane tallies 11 more goals this season, he will be in the single digits, pass up John LeClair, and take over the number nine spot. Brett Hull has 741 goals so Kane has some work to do if he wants the number one slot. Former Blackhawk Jeremy Roenick is number 4 on that list with 513. Roenick played 8 seasons with the Blackhawks and 12 seasons with a few other teams.

One last stat Patrick Kane can reach this season is over-time goals. Kane has nine of those. One more, and Patrick Kane has reached double digits. Captain Jonathan Toews has 15 over-time goals. Kane getting six? Can Kaner surpass the Captain and get six to get the equalizer with his long time teammate?

Eddie LeBec is no longer in the league, so it is official goalie hunting season for Patrick Kane especially in OT.

For the Chicago Bears, their priority number one is the search for a quarterback. In Star Trek, the search for Spock was concluded in under two hours at the movie theater. The Bears have not found a franchise quarterback since the 1940’s when Sid Luckman was behind center. Many have that nauseous feeling in the pits of their stomach thinking about how badly the Bears brass will screw this up once again. Could the Bears do well with Nick Foles? If you gave Nick Foles some offensive line help and add a another play maker to the mix, the offense may become average/middle of the pack. With an average offense you need a really good defense. I can see the Bears fixing the defense faster than the offense. How do you get that defense back to how it was in 2018? A crazy idea is adding JJ Watt to the mix.

JJ Watt recently parted ways with the Houston Texans, and as they say, it was mutual. Watt has been the face of the franchise in Houston since he arrived in 2011 when he drafted number 11 overall. Since his arrival Watt has been a 3 time defensive player of the year making 5 Pro-bowls. Watt has 101 career sacks and a million batted down balls from one of the most productive Defensive ends in the game over the last ten seasons. Nicknamed JJ Swat for knocking down balls like the great Dikembe Mutumbo blocking shots in the NBA.

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The nickname JJ Swat could be a reference for him going through doors which would be the offensive linemen. And then chasing down the suspect, which would be the quarterback. Last season, the 31 year old Watt finished with 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and an interception for a score.

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Bears wasted money on Robert Quinn last year as he was MIA the entire season. Quinn was on the field as you could see him, but he was not there as opposing offenses made him the invisible man. Quinn would have to go. Trade him to an Irish pub for a pint of Guinness. Even though I highly doubt Robert Quinn is even Irish, but he has to go whatever way possible. Then the Bears should sign JJ Watt. Imagine JJ Watt on one side with Khalil Mack on the other side. SCARY!!! Then in the middle of that defensive line you have the push from Akiem Hicks. Plus the Bears would get another piece back on that defensive line, Eddie Goldman, who opted out for the season due to the virus. Then you have Roquan Smith, a young stud, at the linebacker position. The secondary features Jaylon Johnson, Eddie Jackson and Kyle Fuller. The best thing so far this off-season to happen to the Bears is defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano walking away. The Bears promoted Sean Desai and if he has at least one brain cell working, he would know the Bears did not have that pressure on the quarterback the last two seasons like they did in 2018. If you’re an opposing offensive line, who the hell do you double team with JJ Watt? Pressure would collapse the pocket from all directions with a talented secondary blanketing the receivers.

Instead of wasting your draft capital on someone else’s junk at quarterback. Instead of overpaying for a quarterback which has set us back already with Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles. By the way, it is important to note we haven’t gotten back what we have paid for these two guys. The Bears are in “win now” mode. Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace are at the end of their rope with two years left on their contracts. I don’t see them fixing the quarterback position unless they mortgage the defense and continue throwing away draft capital. If these two dumb-dumbs want to win now, they need that defense to rise up again like in 2018. My list of demands. The Bears should dump Robert Quinn and then sign JJ Watt. Then they fix the offensive line. Use the number one pick on the best tackle. David Montgomery is a nice back. Darnell Mooney is a nice receiver. Kole Kmet makes a nice tight end. The Bears should draft a quarterback at some point in the next draft. They can draft another playmaker. Add some decent receivers in the free agent market. I like A Mack Truck and a JJ Swat charging right at Aaron Rodgers. So much that it gives me goosebumps. JJ Watt us a Wisconsin native so he can deal in Chicago’s cold weather. Watt would add another leader and voice on the field. A great defense and a healthy Nick Foles in the playoffs with good protection is the recipe that makes the most sense to me.

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The San Jose Sharks legend, Patrick Marleau, is sneaking up on a legendary stat of a legend in the NHL world. At 41 years young, Patrick Marleau this week just passed up Jaromir Jagr for third all-time in games played with now 1,735. Marleau needs 21 games to tie another hockey legend, Mark Messier for second all-time in games played in the NHL. Both Jagr and Messier are two of the greatest players in NHL history. In a young hockey season, only about ten games in, could Marleau be number one in games played by the end of this season all-time in the NHL? If Patrick Marleau stays healthy, he could skate in 33 more games and break the original MR. Hockey, Gordie Howe’s, record of 1,767 games. Would this stat cement Patrick Marleau’s legacy in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Patrick Marleau was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada. Marleau was drafted number two overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1997 NHL draft. Since then he has played 23 seasons in the NHL with 3 teams. Marleau will always be a Shark wearing the teal colors in everyone’s mind. Marleau played two seasons in Toronto and then returned to San Jose. The Sharks traded Marleau to the Pittsburgh Penguins to give him a shot at winning a Stanley Cup. Penguins were dispatched quickly and Marleau has returned home for his third stint with the Sharks, with whom he spent 19 seasons. Marleau could be compared to some of the best Iron men greats in hockey and other sports like Cal Ripken Jr. in baseball and Brett Farve in football. Marleau has played in all 82 regular season games nine times which has been the set amount for decades until the pandemic or the strike seasons before the virus.

Besides just skating on the ice and showing up to play. Marleau has racked up 562 goals in his career which is good for 25th all-time ever in the NHL. Marleau has earned over thousand points also in his career with a grand total of 1,190. Let’s not forget dishing out 628 assists. Marleau is the Sharks all-time goal scorer with 518 tallies. Plus Marleau leads the Sharks all-time in points with 1,102. Marleau is second all-time with assists as he only trails his former, and pretty much life time, teammate Joe Thornton. Marleau also has 195 post season games under his belt. Marleau has tallied 127 points in the post season which is nothing to sneeze at. Marleau has found the net 72 times while dishing out 55 assists and coming up big in the post season for San Jose. In his third stint with the San Jose Sharks this season, Marleau has skated mostly with the 4th line and has two assists so far this season. Marleau can still help this team on the ice but he is also a guy that help groom some of the younger guys at the same time.

Marleau for sure should be a first ballot Hall of Famer when his career is done. Being number 1 in games played in a full contact sport is a huge accomplishment. Plus, tallying up over 500 goals and 600 assists with over one thousand points are very good numbers. Marleau also holds the record for the most regular season games along with post-season games without a Stanley Cup championship. Marleau only made it to the Stanley Cup finals once, in 2016, when the San Jose Sharks were beat by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marleau can be compared to Karl Malone of the NBA, another great in his sport without winning the entire thing. Marleau has worn the C on his jersey many of the years he skated as the team’s Captain, as he was born a leader. Throw in two gold metals skating with Canada in the Winter Olympics, Marleau helping his country prevail in some epic show downs. Marleau was a part of some awesome Sharks teams which came close but no cigar. At the end of a great career, whenever that is, Marleau will be standing tall and be in the same conversation as Hockey great Gordie Howe. That will be Howe is skates out for a Shark legend in my book.

Marty Schottenheimer, as a regular season head coach in the NFL, had his teams dominate. Maybe one of the best regular season coaches of all-time. Schottenheimer is in the top ten in regular seasons with wins as a head coach. Number 8 all-time with very highly respectable names in front of him. In post season it was the tales of two cities. Schottenheimer was haunted by some of the most epic playoff games in the history of the NFL coming out on the wrong side every time. People still talk about those games today. His football philosophy was simple: “One play at a time.” His teams ran smash mouth football, what they called Marty Ball. The recipe for Marty Ball was simple: a strong running game and a tough as nails defense. In 2014, Marty Schottenheimer had a new battle to deal with instead of the gridiron. Schottenheimer was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Marty lost his battle recently and passed away at the age of 77.

Marty Schottenheimer was born in a small town in Pennsylvania, and as you might guess, he played the linebacker position. Schottenheimer was good enough to play college ball going against other tough as nails Pennsylvania warriors that ended up in the steel mill or the coal mine. Schottenheimer would attend the University of Pittsburgh. His play in college professional teams took notice as he was drafted twice in the NFL and the AFL. Schottenheimer would play six seasons in the AFL with the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots. In 1966 he played for the Bills in the AFL Championship versus the Chiefs and came out on the losers side of that contest. The Chiefs was Marty’s future at the time that he did not know until decades later. The Chiefs would go on the next season and play the Packers in the very first Superbowl when both leagues merged. After Marty Schottenheimer hung up the spikes, he took up coaching the game he’d loved since he came out of the womb. First job he got was in the World Football League in 1974. Schottenheimer was on his first rung of the ladder as an assistant with a team called the Portland Storm.

Eventually Marty Schottenheimer climbed the ladder in coaching and landed his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1984. Schottenheimer’s first coaching job had Cleveland rocking to two AFC championship games with a regular season record of 44-27 from 1984-1988. When you lose big championship games that are coined “THE DRIVE” and “THE FUMBLE,” either you or the town is jinxed. Both losses occurring from horse teeth of John Elway and his Denver Broncos. In 1986, during “THE DRIVE” John Elway and the Broncos went 98 yards down the field on 15 plays to tie the game with 37 seconds left. Then the Browns fell in Overtime. The following year the Browns are driving down the field on the Broncos. With 1:12 left, the Browns were down 38-31 on the 3 yard line to tie the game. They call it the FUMBLE. Running back Earnest Byner coughed up the football as the Broncos would prevail again.

Marty Schottenheimer’s teams won 10 or more games 11 times as a head coach. In 1989, Marty Schottenheimer was head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs where he had a record 101-58-1 from 1989-1998. Schottenheimer clinched home field advantage twice with the first round bye to fizzle out in the second round in the very first game as a number 1 seed. In 1993, Schottenheimer had Joe Montana at the end of his career and he had the Chiefs on the door step to the Superbowl in the AFC Championship versus the Bills in Buffalo. But the Bills will prevail knocking the Chiefs out and pretty much ending Montana’s career in the process. Marty Schottenheimer left the game after the 1998 season and would resurface in 2001 with Washington. Marty Ball lasted one season in DC. Schottenheimer had the Redskins in the lone season at 8-8 which was not good enough for the owner.

Marty Schottenheimer then worked his magic in San Diego and with a young Drew Brees, the team broke an 8 year playoff drought. Once again the Chargers and another Marty team fell in the divisional round to the New York Jets in overtime. In 2006, the Chargers were the number one seed with Phillip Rivers in the driver’s seat this time. With a 14-2 record the Chargers earned a bye. Then what Tom Brady did to so many teams came into San Diego with his Patriots and beat the Chargers in a another close game on Marty’s record a 24-21 loss. Marty Schottenheimer on one play went for it on 4th down and 11 on the 30 yard line which resulted in a strip sack by Mike Vrabel off Rivers. Patriots recovered it. Then late in that game with six minutes left, Chargers leading 21-13 Marlon McCree intercepts Tom Brady. If McCree would have just went down to the ground, the Chargers would have probably moved on. The Patriots forced a fumble and like that, Patriots step on the throat of the Chargers and put them away. Schottenheimer’s playoff record would be disastrous at 5-13 all-time. Schottenheimer would end his coaching career at the end of that 2006 season. From 2002-2006 Schottenheimer went 47-33 with the Chargers. Marty ball would never be tested in the Superbowl. The closest Marty Schottenheimer came to being part of a championship team was that AFL Championship he was on as a player for the Bills in 1966.

You could say Marty Schottenheimer played for a Buffalo team and coached the Browns and the Chargers – all teams with no Superbowl wins. You could say about the Redskins job that Dan Snyder was a bad owner as you can say the same thing about the Chargers ownership. Throw them under the bus, roll over them again, and then back over them again. Schottenheimer had some great quarterbacks like Joe Montana, Drew Brees, Bernie Kosar and Phillip Rivers. Remember the Nigerian Nightmare?

The running backs like Christian Okoye and Marcus Allen, whose mission as Chief was to be the Raiders worst nightmare. By the way Marty, Schottenheimer hated the Raiders. Marty Ball in San Diego featured Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson. Marty ball defense had the late Derrick Thomas during his Chiefs days.

Then Marty Ball had Junior Seau during his Chargers days. Both Seau and Thomas passed away too young. Both players were guys you build your defense around. At the time when Marty Schottenheimer was hired by the Chiefs, it was kind of the same story as when Andy Reid arrived from the Philadelphia Eagles. Schottenheimer and Reid had problems in those championships. Reid did get the Eagles to the Superbowl to end up losing. Plus it took him awhile but Reid cemented one Superbowl with the Chiefs in multiple playoff appearances. Andy Reid just lost last weekend once again to Tom Brady. Reid is now 1-2 in the big game as a head coach. A few key plays and Schottenheimer could have gotten a team to the Superbowl. I respected Marty Ball because you knew they were getting off the bus running. No one uses that old school recipe anymore. Football has changed with the way the game is played nowadays. The passing attack and lack of the running game are the way most offenses roll. The defenses are handcuffed with one hand behind their backs. The running game is starting to come back. It would be good to see teams start going back to the tomato soup and grilled cheese combo called Marty Ball and win games like that. Schottenheimer right now has drafted Derrick Thomas and Junior Seau for his defense as he looks for a bad ass running back to get his Marty Ball to prevail in the heavens. Marty Schottenheimer’s son Brian is still coaching in the NFL today. Football runs in the Schottenheimer family as Kurt Marty’s brother was coaching at the same time as his brother. Not too shabby for a coaching tree. That’s a family coaching tree that is still growing and the rooting is all Marty Ball.

Every week, like Clockwork Orange, the words “Rex Grossman is our quarterback” echo through Halas Hall and onto the radio waves to Bears fans across Chicagoland. It was 2006 and, like always, the Bears were having quarterback problems as nothing has changed there since. Those words Lovie Smith uttered every week , “Rex Grossman is our quarterback.” With Grossman you never knew what you would get. Good Rex and three touchdown passes or Bad Rex with three interceptions. Sure the Bears went to the Superbowl. It was a loss by Peyton Manning and the Colts. Lovie Smith as a head coach his defense was awesome. The quarterback position was a episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Lovie’s play calling as a head coach leaves scratches on your head from ripping your hair out on just simple X’S and O’s during the game. Lovie Smith you loved, but also loved to hate him. Smith is back in the NFL as he was hired by the Houston Texans as defensive coordinator. The Texans had a very bad defense unit so Smith’s first job back will be difficult one. Somehow, Lovie will have to flip the script in Houston so they don’t have a bigger problem.

The pandemic year was not very kind to many. The Big Ten originally cancelled their football season and rescheduled it for Spring of 2021. Here’s where Lovie Smith comes in as the head coach of the University of Illinois. Then the Big Ten changes their mind and they actually have a fall season. As a coach prepping a team for a season here’s what happens. There’s a sudden stoppage and then suddenly you’re a go once again. The Fighting Illini put up another clunker for a season which resulted in Lovie Smith getting the ax. Santa Slayed by the Illini.

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Looks like a nice Christmas family film. Not sure Santa Lovie Smith would go on a deadly rampage for the Holidays. Perhaps Lovie would do in a Rex Grossman. If Spring football went as scheduled, maybe Lovie is still working the college scene. Lovie Smith was hired by the University of Illinois in 2016, a university in desperate need of someone turning this terrible football program around. Smith had a six year deal with the University of Illinois. People I know were originally excited with this move of Lovie coming to town. I know some people in Champaign, Illinois who purchased season tickets. My thought was Lovie Smith might get some good recruits because he was a NFL football coach. High school athletes seeing Lovie Smith as their ticket to the NFL. It did not work out that way after almost five seasons and 17-39 record Lovie was fired. Smith had one good season where the team made the Red Box Bowl which would probably be compared to the Beta or the VHS bowls of the past if they had such a thing. Before that Red Box Bowl game, Illinois upset Wisconsin that year which was Lovie Smith’s biggest win during his tenure. What haunted Smith was not getting the top of the line recruits. Smith’s teams did play hard which was never in doubt in his entire coaching career. Its his scheme that he stubborns on and will run it if they do not even have the personnel for it. Plus just the head coaching duties like clock management, when to go for it on 4th down or kick the field goal. Lovie Smith has always done badly matching wits versus the head coach across from him.

In the Superbowl in 2006 Devin Hester ran that opening kick off to put the Bears up first versus the Colts So many Bears fans were ecstatic for a brief moment. Many believing the team had a chance to win the Superbowl then quarterback Rex Grossman and the offense fumbling it away. Lovie Smith was coach of the year in 2005 for the Bears. Smith lead the Bears to three playoff appearances and since they fired him the Bears have not found anybody better than him which is sad. Smith had an 81-63 record for the Bears as head coach. It came down to personal decisions with Smith. Rex Grossman should have been replaced by Kyle Orton. The Bears should have ridden out Josh McCown over Jay Cutler one year who was red hot late in the year. Lovie decided to bring back Jay Cutler who came off an injury late in that season resulting Bears missed the playoffs. Bears should have made the post season a few more times under Smith. Great starts bad endings did it to the Bears all the time during the Lovie years. Plus the Tampa two defense ran out and it’s welcome for Lovie who did not have the personnel to perfect that like he did. Once again matching wits versus other head coaches costs the Bears many wins. Smith was fired by the Bears. Then he came back as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where in two season he was unsuccessful with an 8-24 record and was once again fired.

The new head coach of the Texans David Culley an offensive mind from Baltimore sees what I see. Lovie Smith can be very good at being the defensive Coordinator. It was Lovie Smith’s work in St. Louis and Tampa Bay as a coordinator which got him his first head coaching gig. In 2001 Lovie Smith was hired by the Rams who were in St. Louis at the time. Lovie took that unit from the bottom of the scrap pile to the top in one season. Taking out head coach duties and anything that has to deal with the offense Lovie Smith will thrive in Houston. Houston has Deshaun Watson so the quarterback position is set unless the Texans trade him. Which it would be the Luck of Lovie to suddenly see Watson traded as dark clouds follow him at the quarterback position. Then what is funny is Josh McCown was interviewed for the head coaching job in Houston. David Culley got the nod. Josh McCown may be the quarterback’s coach for the Texans and reunite with his former head coach Lovie Smith and they can talk about those great Cutler moments in Chicago they had. If the game of football did not have the quarterback position, Lovie would love that and be happy to get off the bus running.

How many times do the Chicago Bears have to go down this road in search for a quarterback? Reports had the Bears in discussions with the Detroit Lions for a trade for Matthew Stafford. Stafford was dealt to the LA Rams for Jared Goff and draft picks. Some reports had the Bears and the Broncos had better offers than the Rams. Maybe the Lions wanted a quarterback in the deal. Jared Goff is better than anything the Bears have to offer. Goff is probably a better choice than a Drew Lock for the Broncos as well. Why would the Lions even think about trading Matthew Stafford to the Bears? A division rival to see their X quarterback twice a year for multiple years. Then I’m still pulling my hair out as General Manager Ryan Pace and Head Coach Matt Nagy are still Charles in Charge and are once again part of this quarterback search. History shows that it’s not on their side.

Here we ago again with the Bears throwing draft capital away once again like it’s monopoly money. GM Ryan Pace should go straight to jail once again, as an educated guess the team offered their number one draft pick for this season for Matthew Stafford. Probably offered future number one draft picks as well to pry Stafford from the Lions. The Bears finally have a number one pick as the Khalil Mack Trade finally concludes. Then we all remember the wasted draft pick just to move up one spot to get Mitch Trubisky in the 2017 draft as the 49ers fleeced Ryan Pace. Plus, then use the number one pick on Trubisky on a hunch. They passed up the guaranteed quarterback, Deshaun Watson. Why didn’t they have a hunch on Patrick Mahomes? Would Matthew Stafford have been worth giving away two number one picks like the Rams did? The Bears need more on their roster then a Matthew Stafford. This team needs draft picks. The Bears need to start hitting home runs on their top picks instead of the busts like Leonard Floyd, Adam Shaheen and Kevin White. High picks that did not work for the Bears but worked for other teams.

With head coach Matt Nagy having two years left on his contract. GM Ryan Pace has a year left on his contract but some reports state the Bears quietly extended their GM another year so he is even with the head coach. Now that the Bears are bringing these two clowns back, they are going to try once again and go for it with the roster they have in place. The Bears will make some moves. The idea that this team could win now even with some moves is hard to believe because they need so much. They have a lot of money invested in that defense. They have a lot of money invested in a back quarterback, Nick Foles. They still have not given their only play maker they have, Allen Robinson, an extension. Robinson may want out. The offensive line needs a major overhaul. How does a 32 year old quarterback help a team like this? Stafford is a pretty good quarterback but not the top tier type who could make everyone around him better like Aaron Rodgers who can have the beer guy lined up on the outside a threat.

If the Bears want to get an established quarterback, it should be the guy they should have had. Deshaun Watson wants out of Houston and for some odd reason, he has the Bears as one of the teams on his wish list. Watson is only 25 years old and would be a better road to take than that aging quarterback like Stafford. Watson is a guy they could build around even if it cost them some of those superstars on their defense. Trading for Watson would be the quickest way for the Bears to get back to the Superbowl. Bears have some nice young pieces in place like tight end Cole Kmet, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, and running back David Montgomery. On defense, Jaylon Johnson and Roquan Smith. I would trade Khalil Mack to get picks and clear salary cap space.

The Bears could also use Nick Foles as the bridge type quarterback. Then find a quarterback in the draft. Bears should draft a quarterback somewhere in the draft no matter what. Foles would need to restructure his contract so maybe you could add some more pieces like offensive lineman to keep him standing. I don’t see this happening because the Bears brass are drinking the Kool Aid. The spiked Kool Aid because they will get rid of Nick Foles and replace him with another veteran and put him in the same situation. Matt Ryan, Andy Dalton will not work. If this team wants to give it the one last effort to win, now they need to keep all their draft picks. They need to draft well. They should gut some of their roster to clear some salary space. Then find cheaper replacements in free agency on smaller deals in years and salary. I would give Robinson a long term deal and then trade him. Guys like Akiem Hicks, Eddie Jackson and Kyle Fuller may land you some nice draft capital and free up space.

Would Ryan Pace swallow his pride and come up with a trade package to Houston and land Deshaun Watson? I don’t like these clowns back running the show with Pace and Nagy because they are just trying to save their own jobs and get another contract in two years. They are thinking short term instead of long term for the Chicago Bears. Making the playoffs this season probably cost the Bears a chance at a nice young quarterback in the first round. This off season already making a run for Matthew Stafford tells me this team will mortgage the future off once again. They will find a temporary band aid to patch up the hole for the time being. These moves will not get this team past the first round of the playoffs and beyond. The hole of the ship is too big and we need another boat. In two years we will be talking about the same problems we have now. The defense will be ready for the old folks home. While the clown car will be awaiting another new driver.