I got into a bit of a tiff on Twitter the other day. I wouldn’t call it a scuffle. Certainly not a melee. It was what it was: a tiff. I’d had a few Narragansetts (which I drink because Robert Shaw drank them in Jaws) and a bit of New England’s finest sometimes frees me to say the silly things I’m thinking on that most social of social media. So I said it. I hate training camp and think it’s irrelevant.

First, let me explain. I do not begrudge any fan who finds pleasure in attending or following camp. We all love football and, more specifically, the Chicago Bears. From the end of each season we clamor for our boys to step back onto the football field and training camp is truly the first time they gather as a unit. And I especially don’t begrudge the families who enjoy these training camp sessions as an affordable opportunity to experience Bears football.

But I hate training camp. And there are many reasons.

• Everything now gets overblown. Because the media knows fans are clamoring for every piece of information available they utilize Twitter to report every single piece of information. So fans now hear about every PRACTICE drop, PRACTICE fumble, PRACTICE missed block and draw inane conclusions from it. (Fans were already calling Shea McClellin a bust yesterday. After his fourth practice. Second in pads.)
• This is an era where the NFL has gone completely top secret. Nobody shows anybody anything and everybody lies. To think an NFL franchise would display any plays/schemes of relevance in front of fans or media – all armed with devices capable of taking extensive video – seems naive. We are basing a majority of our opinions on work  most likely never to be seen in the light of game day.
• It all gets wiped clean on Week One. All of it. If J’Marcus Webb beats out Chris Williams for the left tackle gig this summer and allows three sacks to Robert Mathis in Week One, he’s going to lose his job. If Shea McClellin struggles all summer and plants Andrew Luck on a big third down in Week One, he’s going to find himself in the rotation. The reps and installations are important. The results are essentially wiped clean once the games start.
• Risk/Reward. You can’t win a Super Bowl in training camp. You can prepare your team well for the start of a season but even starting a season well, as we’ve seen in recent times, has no baring on your year-end success. What can you do in training camp? Watch it all go down in flames with a single turning of the wrong player’s knee

There’s more but I’ll stop there. It’s not that I don’t love the re-infusion of Bears football into my life. I do. It’s that I have a very low tolerance for the overreaction and over-analysis that accompanies what amounts to glorified practice sessions. Evan Rodriguez is a God. Shea McClellin stinks. Stephen Paea is going to be the next great defensive tackle. Blah blah blahbeddy blah.

Learn the systems. Entertain the crowds. Stay healthy. The rest I’ll leave to other folks.

Tomorrow I’ll begin, in earnest, the 2012 season on DaBearsBlog. And before the season actually begins I’ll be predicting something that is sure to crush my heart into a million tiny pieces.

Tonight I thank you. Reverend Dave conceived it. My friend Mike designed it. I sold it. The great Jared will be producing it. We have never had anywhere near this kind of success with a tee shirt. We sold a boat load and made a great deal of money to help this site continue to produce at a high level. (Or whatever level it is I operate at.)

So see ya tomorrow. And thanks.

We have received an almost intimidating number of shirt orders. The final opportunity you will have to order one, and receive it by the start of the regular season, is tomorrow 5:00 PM CT. Any order placed after 5:00 PM CT tomorrow will not be filled until September.

The shirts are pictured above. To see the koozie, CLICK HERE.

This is the final weekend for you to order the official DaBearsBlog tee-shirt and koozie for the 2012 campaign and receive it by the beginning of the regular season. The cutoff is definitively Tuesday, July 31st. We have received more orders than I could ever have imagined. It’s pretty terrific. (We will continue taking orders for the shirts but the second round will not be filled until early October.)

The shirts are pictured above. To see the koozie, CLICK HERE.

Note: We’ll be cutting off the first round of tee shirt and koozie sales on July 31st. Just so you all know we have received over $1,000 in orders (and then some) so’s going to take us a few week to process this round of orders. If you DO NOT order your tee shirt or koozie by the July 31st deadline YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE THEM BY THE BEGINNING OF THE REGULAR SEASON.We will be filling the second round of orders around the first of October. Click here to reach the original order post and get your orders in now.

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Expect greatness. Nothing less.

The fans remember 7-3 – a team surging up the inane Power Rankings that fill national sport media web pages on Wednesday each NFL week. They remember 7-3with an enigmatic offensive coordinator putting his quarterback and line in poor positions on almost every other down. They remember 7-3 without a bona fide #1 wide receiver lined up on the outside and with a fella called Hanie charged to keep the house warm for the winter. They remember 7-3. And On the Lakefront, they coulda been a contender.

That’s where expectations begin. 7-3. Except new GM Phil Emery has ensured losing the starting QB will not mean a broken bungee cord for the 2012 campaign as Jason Campbell’s strong arm now backs up Jay Cutler’s. Brandon Marshall (trade) and Alshon Jeffery (draft)  have instantly become the most exciting/promising Bears receiver tandem since the underrated ’95 duo of Jeff Graham and Curtis Conway. A rash of potential impact rookies and collection of depth-providing veterans have also made their way to Halas Hall thanks to Emery and company’s understanding of what makes a championship NFL roster.

There is only one true question mark on that roster: left tackle. And nobody, not even the most negative of Nelly’s, is naive enough to think sub-average play at that position from either J’Maligned Webb or Priss Williams (that’s a low blow) will sabotage a very talented roster. (Just look at the number of elite left tackles to hoist Lombardi trophies over the last decade and you’ll realize how easy the position has become to compensate for with scheme.)

Are there specifics attached to this season’s expectations? Yes. There have to be. If the Bears fail to make the postseason – even in a deep NFC field that may require eleven wins – Lovie Smith must be walked to the front door of Halas Hall before kickoff of the wild card round. Don’t even bother with the cliched cardboard box bit. Just throw all his things in a  bag and slap a Big Sandy, Texas label on it.

If the Bears do make the postseason, they must play well there. No double-digit road loss in Philadelphia or the Meadowlands. No last minute fumble in San Francisco or special teams blunder in Atlanta. Lovie Smith and company have shown fans they are capable of winning playoff games with a talented roster. They have also shown us they’re capable of failing in the brightest of lights. The postseason in 2012 is a must. But a solid showing in that postseason might be of even greater importance, as the pessimistic fan will argue a change in short-term football leadership will ultimately yield greater long-term rewards.

For me, it all starts at home. The NFC North. And whilst the rest of the football world will surely pen the Green Bay Packers as champions of the division before I have my first cold beer on Labor Day weekend, I believe the talent gap between the two sides is nowhere near as wide as some perceive. My expectation, my personal expectation for the Bears is not making the playoffs. My personal expectation is for the Bears to win the NFC North and host a postseason game at Soldier Field – preferably after taking the WC round off. I then expect them to win that game and play, at the least, in the NFC title game.

Why? Because I believe they are a top two team in the NFC. It is the Bears and the Packers. The Saints have no coach. The Giants are not a regular season juggernaut. The Eagles are a chatty group of underachievers. The Niners will be asking the genie for a fourth wish. Bears. Packers. Emery has done his job. Now it’s time for Lovie and the players to do theirs.

I am not big on the whole ranking and listing thing that permeates every orifice of the internet these days. Everybody has a five this or five that or three guys that need to do this in order for that to happen. It’s all crap and nobody cares. (I may put that phrase on the next tee shirt we make.)

Here are five questions I have as training camp approaches.

#1 Who is going to be the starting left tackle?

Either J’Marcus Webb or Chris Williams is going be the starting LT, with the other sliding into the flex tackle role. For the sake of the organization I truly hope Williams wins the job triumphantly. Not only because I think he’s the more talented player but because I think Webb’s time spent at both ends over the last two years will be an asset as the season progresses.

#2 Will Alshon Jeffery earn his starting spot in camp?

Simple enough. With rookie receivers there is always something of a crap shoot. Will Jeffery show up? Will he play his heart out? Will he provide that complement to Brandon Marshall the Bears will desperately need?

#3 Is Shea McClellin the answer opposite Julius Peppers?

If he sacks the quarterback, he is. But we won’t know if he can sack the quarterback until he meets Andrew Luck in September. So basically this question has nothing to do with training camp.

#4 How will the other rookies factor into the base offenses/defenses?

Evan Rodriguez as a full-time fullback/h-back? Brandon Hardin cracking the starting lineup at safety? With this roster the rookies will be the most interesting collection of players to watch throughout the next six weeks.

#5 Can they stay healthy thru the summer?

Ultimately this is all I care about. Everything we hear and read about Bourbonnais is usually deceitful lies emanating from the highest offices of Halas Hall. All I care about/dread on a daily basis is seeing the phrase, “Urlacher helped off the field” or “Cutler carted off”.

TEE SHIRTS CONTINUE TO SELL…
So we are cutting off the first round of sales on July 31st. We’ll then process all orders the first week of August and get the product out to everyone. (I would imagine around the 15th) If you want a tee shirt or koozie guaranteed to you by the start of the regular season you need to get your order in by July 31.

The shirts are pictured above. To see the koozie, CLICK HERE.

I started a conversation on the Twitter a day or so back and it became a rather intriguing sports debate. Now I send it to you, my loyal readers, and I expect you will not be horribly swayed by your penchant for loving a certain ballclub that plays its football between a highway and a large lake.

Rank the QB-RB-WR trio, #1s only, of Chicago, Detroit & Green Bay. It is a fascinating debate once broken down. The Packers have a substantial advantage at QB but Stafford v Cutler is a legitimate debate with Cutler coming out slightly ahead. The Lions have the biggest advantage in sports at WR but Jennings and Marshall is a legitimate debate and – I believe – Marshall comes out slightly ahead.

That leaves running back and Matt Forte has a significant advantage over James Starks and whomever the Lions tread out there.

Here is how I do the rankings:

Aaron Rodgers – 95
Jay Cutler – 88
Matthew Stafford – 82

Calvin Johnson – 100
Brandon Marshall – 90
Greg Jennings – 89

Matt Forte – 92
James Starks – 82
Lions Backs – 70

Total Points:
270 Chicago
266 Green Bay
252 Detroit

TEE SHIRTS CONTINUE TO SELL…
So we are cutting off the first round of sales on July 31st. We’ll then process all orders the first week of August and get the product out to everyone. (I would imagine around the 15th) If you want a tee shirt or koozie guaranteed to you by the start of the regular season you need to get your order in by July 31.

The shirts are pictured above. To see the koozie, CLICK HERE.

FORTE SIGNS FOUR-YEAR, $32 MILLION CONTRACT
Really? Is that all?

After a year of grandstanding and a borderline public relations war in the city of Chicago, Matt Forte agreed to stay with the Bears for a rather pedantic 4-years, 32 million. He got nowhere near DeAngelo Williams money. He didn’t even get Arian Foster’s guaranteed 20.75. Maybe deadlines spur deals like this finally being signed but on first sight this seems a contract that could easily have been signed six months ago. Either way the Bears will now enter training camp relatively drama free.

TEE SHIRTS ARE SELLING LIKE WARM CAKES
So we have never had demand like this for either the tee shirts or the koozies. We knew these would be popular this is somewhat ridiculous. We are sticking with the plan, however, and cutting off the first round of sales on July 31st. We’ll then process all orders the first week of August and get the product out to everyone.

On a personal note, thanks. We put a lot of time and artistic energy into making this the best possible shirt we could and I’m glad to see those efforts validated by your orders. If you want a tee shirt or koozie guaranteed to you by the start of the regular season you need to get your order in by July 31.

The shirts are pictured above. To see the koozie, CLICK HERE.

The initial orders have been terrific for the new tee shirt and koozie. In order to make sure everyone gets their deliveries by the start of the regular season, we are setting the cut off date for the first collection of orders at July 31st. We’ll then process the orders and have everything sent out within a few weeks.

The shirts are pictured above. To see the koozie, CLICK HERE.

I am off to New Orleans until Tuesday morning. I leave you all to discuss the developments or non-developments of the Forte situation. I am retired from that topic.

UPDATE 7/10/12: Demand has been terrific for the tees thus far. We are going to cut off sales for the first round and file orders on July 31st. This way every shirt/koozie will arrive at your front door with time to spare before the start of the season. Get your orders in!

The official Bears blog tee shirt for 2012 is now available. We did not raise the price, keeping it at the symbolic $19.85. As with last year, you can get two shirts for the even-more symbolic price of $34. (The image of the tee shirt is listed above. The type for the back of the shirt is quite small and tasteful.)

We are also putting the official DaBearsBlog koozie up for sale but we are short currently. To see the excellent koozie, CLICK HERE. On the tee-shirt option there is Koozie Only for $10 (all prices include shipping). We can not accept orders for more than 1 currently.

The shirt was conceived by Reverend Dave, designed by the great Mike Lapinski and will be made by my boy Jared.

Just go ahead and write in the comment box what color (we have both the orange and navy base) and what size (S, M, L, XL) you’d like. If you’re ordering multiple shirts just write: Orange – XL, Navy – S…etc.

We’re going to send out the orders in large shipments. The first shipment will go out over the first ten days of August. We’ll then do another shipment after the season starts. If you want a shirt for opening day, place your order now!