I’m flying to Chicago tomorrow morning so the site will be all yours until Monday.  Once again, I wanna invite everybody to join me for a drink at Rossi’s on North State Sunday.  I’ll be there from about three o’clock on and wearing a traditional Irish cap.

Haugh: Kreutz Should Go   
David makes a compelling and I think correct argument for the Bears unloading Olin Kreutz at the end of the season.  Kreutz has declined exponentially over the past three seasons and his three million dollar price tag is simply too expensive.  If Josh Beekman is the future at the position, the future may begin in 2010.  There was one very interesting tidbit in the piece:

During the Bears’ Dec. 13 loss to the Packers, for example, Kreutz was
yelling demonstratively at his quarterback on the way off the field
after one series. According to a sideline witness, Cutler responded in
a way teammates typically do not with Kreutz.

“Why don’t you worry about blocking?” Cutler was overheard shouting back.

Makes me like Cutler even more.

Mike Heimerdinger?
What a strange and interesting column by Neil Hayes in the Sun-Times, attempting to peddle Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger as the next head coach of the Chicago Bears.  Heimerdinger is a Dekalb native, which might interest the McCaskey family, but I’m just not sure that it will settle the nerves of fans who fear a tremendous amount of organizational instability.  This hire needs to be a man who instills ferocity in his players and projects tremendous control.  With Shanny looking Washington-bound, that guy might just be Bill Cowher.

The New Wanny
Bob LeGere makes the comparison I’ve been making for weeks: Lovie Smith is Dave Wannstedt.  This quote is the most definitive:

“As I look at our eight losses, three of them were legitimate losses,”
Smith said. “The other five we were right in there, had opportunities.
So to say that we’re that far away (from being a playoff team), I
wouldn’t necessarily say that.”