Chicago Bears Thoughts

At 5-4, the Bears find themselves leading the North by tiebreaker over the Vikings. They let a couple of games get away from them - most notably Atlanta - but, I like where the team is right now.

Forte looks great. Orton has been great. Frankly, the offense has looked good most of the year. Rex played well in relief of Orton two weeks ago. Against Tennessee he was adequate, but missed on a couple of easy throws. I love Rex and think he can play in the NFL, but the Bears fans just won't give him a chance. It is sad how much they have turned on the guy. He will probably get the start in Green Bay and I hope he just plays ball the way he can play when he is loose and confident.

On D, the Bears are playing well, but not great. They don't have any kind of pass rush and they are getting picked apart week after week as a result. I am still no fan of Babich and have to say that they just don't look well prepared. They also cannot seem to make adjustments mid-game. This past week they made Kerry Collins look like an All-Pro.

Special Teams have also been mostly a disappointment. Brad Maynard cannot seem to punt longer than 40 yards, Robbie Gould had a kick blocked this last week, and Devin Hester has looked ordinary to above average. I think the extra time at receiver is taking some of his explosiveness and speed away. I'd like to see them cut down some of his receiving reps and focus on returns. When Brandon Lloyd returns from injury this may be possible.

Still, the team is in the driver's seat right now. That is where they want to be after 9 weeks.

1 Week Later Thoughts

The election is history and we are in the holding pattern before President-Elect Obama becomes our 44th President. Here are a few thoughts now that a week has passed.

1. Obama has taken a serious, sober position about the economic realities of the country. I like that he has not injected himself into the mess and is holding true to his statement that there is only one President at a time.

2. I like the choice of Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff. The guy is partisan, but he has Republican friends. He is tough, smart, and a great organizer/manager - just the qualities you want in a Chief of Staff. I think the Republicans who criticized the choice made a huge mistake in an effort to again win some political points. Emanuel is not going to legislate and he is not the decision-maker. He has to run the operations of the White House. So what if he is partisan?

3. Obama's statement about LIEberman yesterday was impressive. Certainly at a minimum it was politically astute to try to mend fences and appear above the fray. However, I think it was more than that. It showed in a very clear way that Obama is a better man than LIEberman. LIEberman should be ashamed of the B.S. he pulled on Obama. It is one thing to support a friend like McCain. It is another to say the things he said about Obama, while at the same time showering praise on Palin.

4. The Republican Party - this is probably the most interesting political issue. There is a real split between the white evangelical social conservatives and the traditionally rich and powerful fiscal conservatives. How they bridge the divide and establish a renewed Party of ideas will be fascinating to watch. The wealthy fiscal conservatives hate Palin - but the social conservatives love her. She is too polarizing a figure to emerge as the national leader. However, another governor may come forward and bridge the gap. Who that is will be something to see.

Obama's Victory/Acceptance Speech from Chicago

A New Dawn for America

It is a truly remarkable day in the U.S. and around the world. Barack Obama was elected in a landslide victory. The very fact that he was elected President and the leader of the free world demonstrates the greatness of America. He is not an elite or part of American aristocracy. He is a common man who struggled through a challenging childhood to rise up. His campaign was supported by everyday Americans - not lobby money - and he is truly one of us. His story and how he ascended to power is a uniquely American story.

Change is coming to America. For the first time in many years, we have a President who wants to really bring the country together and unite us. Bush's eight years in office have been dominated by Rovian politics which divided the nation and used wedge issues to win elections. Obama will be a President for all Americans. We also have a President who will ask Americans to sacrifice and to work to make this great nation even greater. We all love this country, but for the past eight years Americans have basically been told to sit back and let the President do whatever the Hell he wanted. This will change.

IT'S OVER!!!

Ohio was just called for Obama. There is no state tha McCain is going to turn Red that will make up for that loss.

New Mexico has also flipped. Iowa, Nevada, and Colorado will all flip to Blue states from 2004. It is also looking great right now in Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida.

This is going to be a huge Obama victory. It is just a matter of time.

ELECTION DAY IS HERE!!!

Finally! After all of the campaigning, commercials, speeches, and debates it is just hours from being over.

There has been a bit of tightening in some state polls, but the national polls show that Obama will win by a wide margin in the national popular vote. There is no question in my mind that Obama will be elected. The only question is by how much. I think the two key numbers are 320 and 52 percent. If Obama breaks 52 percent in the national popular vote and breaks 320 electoral college votes I would consider that a landslide.

My final predictions are that Obama will get about 360 electoral college votes to McCain's 178. I believe Obama wil hit 52 percent to McCain's 45 percent in the popular vote.

The Dems will gain 8 Senate seats and at least 25 House seats. It will be a clear mandate for change. Let's see what happens.

Faux News In-fighting

Some of the Faux News folks are calling out others on Faux that are distorting Obama's record. Dare I say it, Faux is trying to become legitimate?

Sarah Palin Prank Call with 'Nicolas Sarkozy' - Hilarious!

Palin is an idiot. I love the part at the end where "Sarkozy" says he liked the documentary "Nailin' Palin", and she says thanks. Nailin' Palin is a porno that stars a woman who looks somewhat like Palin.

Bears Survive

After crushing the Lions a couple of weeks ago, you would think playing the Lions at home after a bye would be an easy time. It wasn't. Kyle Orton went down with a high ankle sprain at the end of the first half and the Bears losing 23-13. The second half, the Bears D decided to show up and held the Lions scoreless. Rex was back and made enough plays to go along with a great second half by Matt Forte to win.

It was nice to see Rex shake off the rust and get a TD pass and the winning TD run. He threw an interception that was tipped at the line and picked off by a lineman. It was a questionable catch, but it happens.

Looks like Rex will be in for a month and the Bears have some big games coming up. They get Tennessee at home next week - that should be a great game. Then they go on the road to Green Bay, St. Louis, and Minnesota. Probably their toughest 4 game stretch of the season. Tough break for Kyle - but Rex is the Man for now.

Tough Loss for Cavs

The Cavs lost a game they should have put away. The offense was solid and the D was great for about 55 minutes. They should have beat Miami. Two missed field goals and a late 95-yard drive by Miami tied the game. Miami scored a TD in overtime and the first offensive play for the Cavs ended with an 11 yard gain by Cedric Peerman that ended with a fumble. Tough loss.

At 5-4 the Cavs still are in good shape for a shot at the ACC Crown. They have to win out against Wake, Clemson, and VT - no easy task. I doubt Miami will win out against VT, Georgia Tech, and NC State. The Coastal division is still up in the air. Win and they are probably in. One more loss probably ends it.