CHICAGO SPORTS

So now you know EXACTLY who they are. the BEARS are an average team but not very good and certainly not excellent. they'll continue to be competitive against other average teams, occasionally beat a very good team and normally handle the bottom feeders but 8-8 is the neighborhood where they are and will continue to be.

a swiss cheese defense and a quarterback who is consistenly ranked between 14 & 18 in the ratings will continue to keep them mediocre for years to come. JAY CUTLER is a good but not great quarterback (noticing a pattern here?) who is signed for the NEXT SEVEN YEARS. ouch.

i think defensive back CHARLES WOODSON of the packers said it best a few years ago: "all we have to do is be patient and eventually jay will throw it to one of us." and nothing cutler has done since that quote was made will change anyone's mind.

WHY HAVEN'T I READ THAT RONALD BELISARIO HAS BEEN WAIVED BY THE WHITE SOX? his contract expired on monday and in his final pay envelope should also be a bus ticket to anywhere but chicago.

HOW BAD IS BASEBALL IN CHICAGO? both teams finish 73-89 and both teams were 17 games behind the division winners. sheesh.

a quick review of both teams:

the sox improved 10 games this season with the additions of JOSE ABREU & ADAM EATON but they need to visit the pitching department at their local baseball store and stock up on arms.  they're going to be fine offensively for 2015 but you can't win without catching the ball and the sox were 12th defensively out of 15 teams.  way too many errors and when you give teams an extra out, you're asking for trouble.

they got rid of dead weight in ADAM DUNN, ALEJANDRO DE AZA & GORDON BECKHAM plus the retirement of PAUL KONERKO will open the door for a younger player with a future (no offense, paulie). 

now if they can move DAYAN VICIEDO for some pitching, that would be just fine with me. they led the american league in blown saves this year AND leads given up after the 7th inning. and no, they don't want EDWIN JACKSON.

speaking of jackson, THEO EPSTEIN'S first signing is 14-33 over his first two seasons with a 5.50 e.r.a. AND the cubs still have him for two more years at 11 million per year! nice.

everyone on the north side is holding their breath awaiting the arrival of the full contingent of the 'magnificent seven' from the minor leagues but tread lightly, cub fans.  three of them surfaced this season but only JORGE SOLER showed he has major league potential. JAVY BAEZ & ARISMENDY ALCANTARA tore up the league the first time around but then sank like the titanic once pitchers found out their numerous weaknesses and they hit .169 & .205 respectively. 

and now we wait for KRIS BRYANT, KYLE SCHWARBER, ADDISON RUSSELL & ALBERT AMORA to fill out the roster and carry the cubs to the promised land.  

just like COREY PATTERSON did. and MARK PRIOR. and hall of shamers like TODD HUNDLEY, MILTON BRADLEY, BOBBY HILL, HE SOP CHOI, CESAR IZTURIS, RICH HILL and the immortal FELIX PIE did over the past decade or so. what a group.

BRING ON THE HAWKS & THE BULLS!  later.........