For the Chicago Blackhawks, it’s time to close the doors on your superstars, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. “This is the end, beautiful friend, this is the the end, my only friend the end,” are lyrics from Jim Morrison’s song “The End” that should be played at the United Center to open up next season. The writing is all over the wall as the Blackhawks have gone into another rebuild by trading some of their younger talented players away to land first round draft picks. Blackhawks let some of their key free agents walk off into the sunset as Kyle Davidson sliced and diced their roster to make more room in the salary cap. Kane and Toews have one year left on their long contracts they earned helping the city win three Stanley Cups. Kane and Toews both had contracts that came with a no-trade clause so they get the final say in where they will be playing next season. What would be better for both superstars? It would be hard to see either one wearing another team’s sweater rather than the Blackhawks logo we are accustomed to seeing. Do the Blackhawks give them a circus tour & go town to town like the traveling Ringling Brothers? Maybe waving good bye while they do a high wire act on the ice? Should the Blackhawks find them a new home where they find a team and help them win a Stanley Cup? What is best for the current roster?

It’s a shame the Blackhawks could not find the right personnel to put alongside Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to pursue Lord Stanley’s cup once more. Blackhawks gave many of the core members from the dynasty long-term contracts with no trade clauses that handcuffed the team from making moves to keep the well-oiled machine on the ice longer. I loved Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith, but their long-term contracts took up space without the production for the money they were paid. I understand about keeping the core together. Rewarding guys that helped the team hoist the cup three times. The years of the contract, not the money, bother me as Seabrook missed more games with injuries for the last several years before finally retiring from the game for good. Then when the Blackhawks had money, they made some stupid moves like when General Manager Stan Bowman signed Seth Jones, a high priced defenseman, who did nothing last season, his only season so far in a Blackhawks uniform. Blackhawks even went out to get Seth’s brother in a smaller move that has not panned out. The Jones brothers could go down with the current ship because no other team will be calling on those guys.

The Blackhawks came into the 2022 draft night without a first round pick. Kyle Davidson took over the General Manager duties when Stan Bowman was axed for his part of the Kyle Beach cover up. Davidson’s interim tag was removed and he has been a very busy man. Davidson hired a new head coach, Luke Richardson, as he checked that box. Then on draft night, Davidson unloaded up and coming superstar Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators. Then Davidson traded away a young defenseman in 23 year old Kirby Dach to Montreal in part of a three-team deal. Kyle Davidson elected not to re-sign Dylan Strome or Dominik Kubalik. Strome lands in Washington while Kubalik lands in Detroit. All four guys are in their 20’s so you would think you would rebuild around them and discard the older veterans. So is this rebuild or retool? When it comes to Chicago sports, in general it’s not cut and dry. Many retools have been putting perfume on a pig.

Would the Blackhawks have been better off dealing Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews a long time ago? Trade them away at their highest value. Even if they traded one of their superstars away and were not in salary cap hell all these years, like the front office dug the franchise into one gigantic hole. The Blackhawks could have been on the verge of a second dynasty with all the talent they gave up. Let’s start this off-season, Alex DeBrincat is only 24 years old and scored 41 goals with 37 assists for 78 points. Dylan Strome, only 25 years old, has 22 goals last season with 26 assists for 48 points. Kirby Dach is only 21 years old coming off injury the season before last but had 9 goals & 17 assists for 26 points. He’s a guy with all the tools for a defenseman. Blackhawks traded away Brandon Hagel at the trade deadline. Hagel is only 23 years old and had 25 goals 19 assists for 44 points. Let’s back up and take the time machine back a few years to some of the guys we could still have today. Artemi Panarin, 30 years old, last year with the Rangers had 22 goals and 74 assists for 96 points. Ryan Hartman for the Wild has 34 goals and 31 assists for 65 points at the age of 27. Teuvo Teravainen is another 27 year old who had 22 goals 43 assists for 65 points playing for the Hurricanes. Then the Saademeiser. Brandon Sadd in St. Louis at 29 years old had 24 goals & 25 assists for 49 points. May be impossible to have all these guys playing for your team at the same time for many reasons. That is lots of talent that walked into the Blackhawks locker room and walked out of the city to be playing meaningful games with other teams in the post-season.

Welcome to hockey hell 101. What will the final tour look like for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane? Looks to be a full rebuild acquiring 3 first round picks while unloading players that could have been the core around a rebuild. Kyle Davidson acquired a goalie from the Maple Leafs in Petr Mrazek, an 11 year veteran who played in 20 games last season and has a 3.8 million dollar salary cap hit. It’s a trade that helps Leafs dump salary, so they could address other things on their roster. Then the Blackhawks sign a questionable player in Max Domi, a guy that would sucker punch his own grandmother if she was on the ice with him. Domi has pissed off his coaches and fans since he came into the league. Then the Blackhawks added Andreas Athanasiou, a former Red Wing and LA King. I know younger guys may not be ready so you have to bring in some veterans to hold down the fort until they are ready. This is not the way Toews and Kane should go out. I don’t think either one has enough hockey left in them to skate with a young team that is finally able to compete and make some noise around the league. Kane and Toews can probably bring the team back some pieces as well and let’s knock everything down and build it up from the foundation instead of half-arsed. The Blackhawks titanic has been sinking for years. Get the captains out and let the Jones scrubs sink with the ship.

If the Chicago Bears were to adopt a song from the rock band Aerosmith, what would it be? Dream on? Which makes sense the way the Bears franchise is run. It’s the same old Bears song and dance as I added the Bears to the title of the Aerosmith song I’m choosing. We can spin the wheel of meats and land on liver every time with all of the Midway Monsters problems. Today I’m talking about lack of weapons of mass destruction that Justin Fields has in his arsenal. Bears continue to find their receiver solution from a game of bologna darts seen on the Howard Stern show. Bears have been collecting castaways from around the league to fill in their receiver position. Latest trade has Bears sending a round 7 pick. At least it is not a number 1 to the New England Patriots for N’Keal Harry.

N’Keal Harry is 24 years old & was drafted by the New England Patriots back in 2019, 25th overall in the first round out of Arizona State University. Harry had promising back to back years of 1,000 receiving yards for the Sun Devils. Bears would be getting a nice big target for quarterback Justin Fields as Harry stands at 6’4″ at 225 lbs. Bears usually are known for picking rotten fruit or picking up the dented can at the market. Harry’s rookie season injuries haunted the young wide-out limiting him to 7 games where he caught 12 balls. In 2020, Soft Cam Newton relied on Harry as his second or third target on the field. Harry’s numbers went up with 33 catches, 309 receiving yards, and a pair touch downs. Bears know how to pick receivers as Harry wanted to be traded out of New England before the 2021 season. Bringing back memories of Cedric Benson’s hold out for the Bears. More injuries for Harry in the 2021 season and being in Head Coach Bill Belichick’s dog house limited his playing time to 12 games which resulted in only 12 catches for 184 yards.

The Bears cleaned house last season as they hired a new General Manager and Head Coach. The Bears have gone from wide receivers that take their emotions out on the field and let the opposing team get inside their head to earn stupid penalties. We all remember the likes of Javon Wims and Anthony Miller in two separate games versus the Saints, punching corner back C.J Gardner-Johnson and being ejected from the game. The Bears new regime has been collecting castaway receivers from other teams that have been in some trouble right after signing a deal in Chicago.

Bryon Pringle “Mr. Potato Chip” is a former Chiefs return specialist and wide receiver caught with a suspended drivers license doing donuts in a parking lot with his kid inside the car. Pringle signed a one year deal with the Bears and has been charged with reckless driving. Pringle had 42 catches last season from his quarterback Patrick Mahomes for 568 yards with 5 touchdowns. Career-wise, Pringle has 67 grabs for 898 yards with seven touchdowns. Pringle is only 28 years old & has potential but is questionable off the field. Then the Bears are taking a chance on David Moore who has been in the league for six seasons and on a few different teams. Moore is 27 years old, started with Seattle, then moved on to Denver, and then latched on to Green Bay. Moore, another brainiac, was caught sleeping in a Taco Bell drive thru after signing a deal to play for the Bears. That was a costly nap as police found drugs with the regular hand gun that stays close to the stash which will ring Moore up for drug and weapon charges. In Moore’s NFL career so far, he has caught 78 balls for 1,163 yards with 13 touchdowns. Bears new Offensive Coordinator has ties with Moore from Green Bay and another wide out, Equanimeous St. Brown, who also signed with with the team. St. Brown so far is the only good citizen out of the new arrivals coming to Chicago. St. Brown is 25 years old & another big target for Justin Fields as he stands 6’5″ and had only 9 grabs for 98 yards last season. In three seasons, St. Brown has caught 37 balls for 543 yards with one touchdown.

Ryan Poles, the new GM of the Bears, is like the Lion, Moon Racer, in the Christmas Special, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Instead of toys for the Island of Misfit Toys he is collecting receivers that no one wants and bringing them to a place where receivers go to die. Chicago!! Bears will back up their signings because it’s who you know. Luke Getsy is tied to Equanimeous St. Brown and David Moore who was the offensive coordinator in Green Bay before coming to the Bears this season. Bryon Pringle has ties to Poles who also hailed from the Kansas City organization. Even with the addition of N’Keal Harry, Darnell Mooney is the best receiver on the Bears roster. Mooney is not a number one guy though. Mooney is number two or a slot guy that can go over the middle and get those tough first downs on 3rd down. Bears are playing the numbers as they hope one or perhaps two of these guys can stick. Is this the best method to build up a young quarterback’s confidence? Justin Fields in his second year could have major problems and take a step backwards, lose confidence, and become another first round bust. First year with Mitch Trubisky the Bears may have had their worst receiving group ever. Jay Cutler did not have weapons when they first traded for the gunslinger from Denver. I still do not trust the Bears offensive line to be able to keep Fields standing the entire season. I don’t want a guy like Harry who will collect more injuries on the field than catches. Harry wanting out of New England tells me the Patriots camp was too hard for him. Many players say Bill Belichick is a bastard, his program is tough, and you have to have discipline to get through a typical season. If Harry came without wanting out AND had a shirt that said “I survived Belichick’s football camp and all I got was this stinking tee shirt,” then bravo he may be a piece the team could use. Bears head coach Matt Eberhaus is a defensive minded coach. We could see the Bears defense return as one of the better units in the league. A new staff inheriting Justin Fields with a bunch of nobodies to throw to, we may be looking for yet another guy behind center in 2023. The Bears season just turned “harrier” as we speak.

What do the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns have in common? It’s not a good thing that both cities have in common. It’s the problem behind center, the quarterback position which has haunted both franchises that make their home base on different lakes in the Midwest. Some thought Cleveland had their problem solved with Baker Mayfield being the face of their franchise the last few years. Mayfield indeed helped the Browns snap a long frustrating playoff drought. Injuries to Mayfield derailed the Browns last year, a team that had high hopes of making it deep into post-season play after making the playoffs the season prior. The writing was on the wall when the Browns gave away the house to land Deshaun Watson in a trade to Houston. Watson is an elite quarterback in the NFL, but a guy coming in with major baggage off the field with multiple sexual assault cases hanging over his head. Mayfield finally gets his wish as he has been dealt to the Carolina Panthers for only a fifth round draft pick that could turn into a 4th if Baker plays most of the upcoming season. Mayfield, a former first round pick by the Browns in 2018 from the University of Oklahoma, will be etched to that list of failed quarterbacks Cleveland has had since Bernie Kosar left town. Is Mayfield a failure? Could this deal haunt the Browns like all those bad football teams from recent years?

The Carolina Panthers have had lots of issues behind center over the last several years. The Panthers are not quite on the Bears’ and Browns’ list of Santa Clause’s naughty listings in his book of judgement. Panthers have had problems behind center since Cam Newton went soft. It took the Panthers a few years to figure that out. Panthers even brought back Newton last year when they saw the Sam Darnold experiment blow up in their face like a kid blowing out the candles leaving spittle all over the cake. Last year, P.J Walker was the best quarterback the Panthers had, and an XFL prodigy. The year before, the Panthers invested heavily into veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who they traded away after only one season. It’s surprising the Panthers had not resurrected the ghost of Jake Delhomme. Baker Mayfield, compared to the hot garbage Carolina has had the last few years behind center, is an instant upgrade.

Baker Mayfield has had only one winning season behind center for the Cleveland Browns in his first 4 years in the NFL. In 2020, Mayfield was 11-5 as the starter and led the Browns to the post-season, helping Cleveland win their first playoff game in a thousand years. Mayfield in post-season action is 1-1 with 4 touchdown passes to only one interception. It was the interception that haunted Mayfield last season as he threw 13 of them to 17 touchdown passes. Mayfield went 6-8 as a starter but showed grit playing with multiple injuries. Playing through pain & that football mentality ultimately would doom Mayfield out of the Dawg pound in Cleveland. Mayfield has played in 60 NFL games with a record of 29-30 as he completed 61.6% of his passes for 92 touchdown strikes and 56 interceptions. Before Mayfield took a step on the field, Tyrod Taylor was the Browns starting quarterback as the Panthers’ Superman had Kryptonite chills.

Carolina Panthers Wide Receiver Robbie Anderson has said that he did not want to play with Baker Mayfield several weeks ago. Is Mayfield a cancer in the locker room? Mayfield can bring an intense emotional “rah rah” type of voice to the locker room. Odell Beckham Jr. seems to be the only guy that lashed out at Baker Mayfield in Cleveland. Beckham Jr. not getting the ball is a problem for all quarterbacks in the league. Mayfield can be that guy who disrespected Ohio State’s logo during his college days playing for the Sooners. Can teams get sick of that type of leadership Mayfield has? In the NFL it sure can, but Mayfield’s injuries doomed him last year in Cleveland more than the team not backing him up on the field. Panthers have a young head coach in Matt Rhule and a young team that could work with Baker Mayfield’s leadership styles.

Baker Mayfield definitely needs a running game to help his passing game. If Christian McCaffrey can stay healthy and on the field for the Panthers, Mayfield will have one of the best backs in the game behind him. If Robbie Johnson buys in to Mayfield and team goals with D.J Moore, Mayfield has some nice targets to throw to. In the NFC South, we know Tom Brady and the Buccaneers are the top dog. We know the Atlanta Falcons without Matt Ryan, who was traded to Indianapolis is at the bottom of the barrel of the NFC South. New Orleans with Sean Payton stepping away from the game as head coach for the Saints. Do you trust Jameis Winston at quarterback without Payton whispering in his ear? Baker Mayfield in his final year of his rookie contract has lots to prove this upcoming season. Mayfield wants another contract. Mayfield wants to show he is healthy. Plus, Mayfield will be playing with a chip on his shoulder after his former team went after the rapist quarterback from Houston to replace him on the field, who was the face of the franchise. Will Mayfield’s commercials continue for Progressive Insurance with Baker and wife living in Panthers Stadium? Right now for one season, the Panthers could have a nice answer behind center for a change. I can see Mayfield sneaking the Panthers into post-season as a wild card. Beyond next season, maybe the Panthers could find a better option and not overpay for Mayfield’s services. With the Browns’ luck, Deshaun Watson will be suspended most of the season. Not sure I can say Mayfield leads a team to the Superbowl before Watson. Bernie Kosar never got the Browns to the Superbowl. Some things do not change like the Bears and Browns finding their answer behind center. The list will continue to roll out as trees will die from the waste of paper both these teams have had at the quarterback position over the few decades.

The USFL started with a bang at their opening night game several weeks ago with the Birmingham Stallions and the New Jersey Generals battling it out to the end in a well-fought game. The USFL save their best game for the end in the inaugural title game that featured the Philadelphia Stars and the Birmingham Stallions in an epic game with several lead changes late in the game. The dominoes fell for the USFL as they concluded the regular season after a simple ten-week season. Other Spring leagues had failed to complete their regular season as the American Alliance Football League ran out of cash flow. The pandemic wiped out the XFL in 2020 where they only made it to the mid-point of their season. The USFL created their own bubble with all their regular season action being played in Birmingham, Alabama. The top 4 teams standing at the end would move on to play the post-season games in Canton, Ohio on Tom Benson Field. The first round action of the USFL playoffs was not too shabby. The Stars knocked off the Generals in a close one. Then the Stallions shook off the New Orleans Breakers in the 4th quarter to move on. Last Sunday’s championship featured the top offense of the Philadelphia Stars against one of the best defenses in the league, which the Birmingham, Stallions have.

It was the USFL night when the stands were packed with fans. Great weather on Independence weekend. The Stallions would end up prevailing in a 33-30 shoot out in a game where both teams lost their starting quarterbacks. J’Mar Smith was 10-18, 131 passing yards with one touchdown pass for the Stallions as he had Birmingham up 20-9 at the half. Smith would leave the game in the second possession of the second half for the Stallions due to dealing with cramps and an injury to his midsection. Case Cookus, the best quarterback in the USFL, was having a great game, but took some big hits. He just kept getting up and leading the Stars down the field. In one hit, Cookus was asked about his teeth after and he said, “I got my wedding coming up in a couple of days… didn’t want my fiancee to kill me.”

Case Cookus in the 4th quarter hit his wide receiver Devin Gray for a touchdown strike to give the Stars the lead. Cookus also completed a two point conversion to his other wide receiver, Jordan Suell, who had a big night with a couple of scores as well. Cookus would end his night going 17-29 with 222 passing yards with three touchdown passes. Cookus night ended after being sacked by a Stallion defensive lineman, Dondrea Tillman. On the play, Cookus’ ankle bent the wrong way as he was carted off the field. The Stars suddenly did align up for this Philadelphia team.

THE REPLACEMENTS

The replacements did not fare well for each team. Both replacements were able to put points on the board but made mistakes. Stallions back-up Alex McGough, who was Birmingham’s starting quarterback week one, went 7-10 for 77 yards with 1 touchdown pass and interception. McGough did better than the Stars replacement K.J Costello who went 5-9 45 yards with a pick six late in the game to Stallions linebacker Scooby Wright who took it in for the score.

Costello would then lead a drive quickly down the field for the Stars and throw a touchdown strike to give the Stars life once again. Costello would then throw his second interception of the game and the Stallions would escape with the first reboot USFL championship.

RUNNING BACKS

BO KNOWS

Former University of Alabama running back Bo Scarborough looked like Bo Jackson from the game at Tecmo Bowl as he had a big night on the ground for the Stallions.

Scarborough, a likely candidate to be picked up by an NFL team, had 13 carries for 135 yards including a 70 yard scamper and a touchdown.

Former Notre Dame running back, Dexter Williams, played well in his first action of the year. Williams just signed with the Philadelphia Stars on June 29th as he had 8 carries for 29 yards with 4 catches for 73 yards. Just like riding a bike.

MVP HONORS

Victor Bolden Jr. gets the MVP award of the first USFL Championship. Boden Jr. had six grabs for 64 yards with a key receiving touchdown to help the Stallions win this one. . Bolden Jr. played a big role on special teams in the return game setting up the Stallions with good field position.

CONCLUSION

The Stallions and the Generals were by far the two best teams in the USFL during regular season. The Stars’ second half of regular season took off when the team had no choice other than to go with their second string quarterback, Case Cookus. Cookus turned out to be the best quarterback in the entire league. Stars went on to beat the Generals and almost took down the Stallions in the championship. Stallions showed they were the best regular season team in the USFL during their first season. Some would say the Stallions had the home field advantage as their games had the crowd in the bubble of Birmingham. Stallions showed they could win on the road and had the following of fans that showed up in Canton to watch them in the post-season then win it all. The Stallions had a solid team on both sides of the ball for which you have to give head coach Skip Holtz, son of legendary Lou Holtz, some credit in his first season coaching professional football which he seemed to really enjoy.

During the 1980’s, the first USFL Championship featured the Philadelphia Stars and the Michigan Panthers. Panthers won that one in a close one. The reboot of the USFL has the Stars losing the first championship, but this time to the Stallions. So yes, history has kind of repeated itself. After the first season in the 1980’s of the USFL, fans were excited for a second season. The USFL reborn has already said they are in for a second season as TV ratings were satisfactory. The one thing the reboot of the USFL has going for them that the 1980’s had to deal with, was listening to former owner of the Generals, Donald Trump, sway the league in the wrong direction. I know the USFL is not the NFL. The games were good throughout the regular season and the playoffs. The competition was not watered down. The inaugural USFL championship, I have to put on my list as one of the better title games in winner takes it all. Like to see a smaller city like Birmingham win a title. I will be looking forward to the second season of the USFL in 2023.