OT: what on earth are the bears doing?

[IWannaGoHIGHER]

We already have 9 D-linemen with a lot of money invested into it as well. I don't see signing another DL. I'd like another OL or CB but those won't happen. I also would like them to sign another OLB that's the only one that sounds realistic at this point.

Unfortunately I agree with that assessment.

It's not really unfortunate; who's out there that would provide a substantial upgrade over our starters? No one really.

That rotation doesn't include Marcus Harrison who would be the 10th D linemen if he's kept around. Considering he keeps coming to camp and sucking ass though, he's probably going to be on the chopping block. That 9-man rotation is pretty decent though, ICLO.

DE: Peppers and Idonije to start, though Idonije's starting spot could be easily taken by either Gholston or Wootton if they step up and earn it. The other guys provide (hopefully) some good depth. Melton would be the #5 guy here.
DT: Adams and either Okoye or Paea to start (probably, depending on who wins the job). You've got Adams and Toeaina as your more run stuffers, Okoye and Paea as your pass rushers. Melton again is your #5 guy here as a pass rusher on long 3rd downs.

If either Gholston or Okoye (or both) step up and realize some of their draft potential, this could be a really deep, really good unit.

I'm pretty sure he was talking getting some O Linemen or maybe a CB not the D-Line.

[Midway Bully]

Rumor going around that the Bears are in talks with Anthony Hargrove. Dude is extremely talented, and he'll surely give our d-line another boost, but damn why hasn't JA paid this much attention to the o-line? That being said, if we land this guy, our front 4 will very formidable.

Cliff Levingston took a look and didn't find anything about that other than his wikipedia page saying he plays for the Bears. Weird. Anyway, he doesn't seem to have been all that productive. 28 years old, 7 years of experience, 87 games played, 16.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 205 tackles.

Hargrove is actually a feel good story, he started abusing drugs while still with the Rams, and even when he was with Buffalo. He got suspended in 08 or 09, got treatment, came back and beasted for the Saints. He wasn't all that effective last year due to an injury he was battling through. I've seen him play several times, and believe me, he is very very talented. Anyways, the rumor was going around last night, even saw an article on the Examiner saying a deal had been brokered, but that was false. The Bears were talking to him though. Harrison would've been cut if they got Hargrove.

I don't think the Bears are done with their OL needs. Martz was talking today about how they could use a couple more veteran OL to shore up the line a little bit more. Seems like JA was using his no linemen statement as more of a smokescreen than anything. Leonard Davis is still there, and I would like it if we picked him up. Another interesting name that has been turning up is Carl Nicks. Dude made the pro bowl last year, and he is huge. Saints want a 1st round pick for him though, so I don't think JA will go for him.

[CjayC]

The sooner that wack family the McCaskey's lose the team the better.

i doubt they have much to do with player personnel decisions these days

Even then they haven't made sound decisions. The Bears have the smallest stadium in the NFL in the 2nd largest market(Maybe even the largest NFL market if we consider that the Giants and Jets share an entire city). Ruskell is said to be making decisions with the players now IIRC. Jerry Angelo is pretty much just a figurehead now.

[Chewie]

The sooner that wack family the McCaskey's lose the team the better.

i doubt they have much to do with player personnel decisions these days

Even then they haven't made sound decisions. The Bears have the smallest stadium in the NFL in the 2nd largest market(Maybe even the largest NFL market if we consider that the Giants and Jets share an entire city). Ruskell is said to be making decisions with the players now IIRC. Jerry Angelo is pretty much just a figurehead now.

Not to mention we have one of the worst playing surfaces. I've read zilch on a decision on that front in the offseason despite even more than usual grumblings last year.

[kyrv]

Not to mention we have one of the worst playing surfaces. I've read zilch on a decision on that front in the offseason despite even more than usual grumblings last year.

I credit the players for being honest about this. And they weren't whining or blaming the surface (both teams play on it after all) but I thought the players, especially Urlacher, did a good job of letting people know what they already know - the surface is an abomination and not up to college quality let alone NFL. It's an embarrassment imo.

[emperorjones]

The field is not a decision for the Bears. It's a decision that rests with the park district & my understanding is that they do not want it changed. It's less than $500k to change it, but if they do, they will lose the ability to host soccer games.

[Chewie]

The field is not a decision for the Bears. It's a decision that rests with the park district & my understanding is that they do not want it changed. It's less than $500k to change it, but if they do, they will lose the ability to host soccer games.

Well this is timely :
http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/6828400/chicago-bears-president-george-mccaskey-said-keep-soldier-field-natural-grass-surface-safety-issue

McCaskey says it's all about safety. Urlacher says thanks but Field Turf is better and Green Bay somehow finds a way to make their grass surface nice. Of course, our park district is scheduling high school games and concerts that beat our surface to death causing them to re-sod mid-season. It's not fun watching guys slip around - who wants that to decide a game ?

[kyrv]

The field is not a decision for the Bears. It's a decision that rests with the park district & my understanding is that they do not want it changed. It's less than $500k to change it, but if they do, they will lose the ability to host soccer games.

Well this is timely :
http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/6828400/chicago-bears-president-george-mccaskey-said-keep-soldier-field-natural-grass-surface-safety-issue

McCaskey says it's all about safety. Urlacher says thanks but Field Turf is better and Green Bay somehow finds a way to make their grass surface nice. Of course, our park district is scheduling high school games and concerts that beat our surface to death causing them to re-sod mid-season. It's not fun watching guys slip around - who wants that to decide a game ?

It's really embarrassing to me, especially when they are national games. Ugh. Chicago deserves better.

[Chewie]

Here we go again, kryv.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/site/newspaper/sports/ct-spt-0806-rosen-bears-chicago--20110806,0,5420889.story

The Bears had scheduled an evening practice at Soldier Field on Friday, but canceled it because the field was determined to be unsafe, and that's not even talking about the offensive line.

A Park District wonk said the grounds crew miscalculated in the previous 24 hours and didn't water the grass enough. The seams of the sod opened up. So did the embarrassment.

The practice was supposed to be the centerpiece of the team's "Family Night.'' Fans were allowed to enter Soldier Field to enjoy everything except, you know, the reason they showed up.

But hey, at least there was a teachable family moment that came out of it: Don't grow up to be those guys, kids.

The Bears packed up and bused back to their training camp at Olivet Nazarene University, prompting safety Chris Harris to tweet: "Can someone explain to me how a NAIA college practice field is better than Soldier Field #confused''

Good question. But it's good to see that Carl Spackler found work.

[Chewie]

More...

Bold implies the grass is the Bears' call, not the park district's.

Safety Chris Harris, the first player to tweet about practice being canceled, expressed sympathy for the fans.

"I feel very bad for the fans who fought that lollapalooza traffic to come out,'' Harris told the Tribune. "All we have to do is win the Super Bowl and we will be even.''

Harris was asked if it was time for a new artificial surface at Soldier Field.

"Yeah, it might be,'' he said. "But I like grass over turf.''

The same question was posed to LeFevour (Soldier Field GM).

"There's always that debate,'' he said. "What's the best. Is it the infield surface or is it the grass. Right now, the Bears have determined they want to continue to play on grass in the northern climate of Chicago. And if that's the surface they want to play on, we're going to continue to commit ourselves to giving them the best playing surface.''

Bears kicker Robbie Gould tweeted his own outrage to the news.

"Field conditions this bad this early in the season is inexcusable," Gould tweeted. "This is becoming a reoccurring problem and needs addressed."

[kyrv]

I don't like artificial turf but for this situation, seems like something they really have to think about doesn't it?

I mean this wasn't a real game or anything but still just so embarrassing for a professional team.

[Chewie]

Apparently the park district would rip up the sod in a heartbeat and replace it with Field Turf if the Bears requested it as it's cheaper in the long haul to maintain.

Bears are saying grass is safer and gives us a home field advantage which is as much of a myth as "Bears Weather".

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

Bears are saying grass is safer and gives us a home field advantage which is as much of a myth as bears weather.

I'm with you on this.

[kyrv]

Bears are saying grass is safer and gives us a home field advantage which is as much of a myth as bears weather.

I'm with you on this.

Bless you both. "Bear weather" - one of the great Chicago sports myths.

I really think they need to consider the field turf, from what (very) little I know this isn't as bad as the concrete artificial turf from years ago. If the field turf is expected to hold up and not be incredibly cr*ppy and unacceptable for probably any college program. Well maybe my local junior college would bid on it. ;p

[Chewie]

Info from wiki :

FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA.[1] In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry[2] with a design intended to replicate real grass.[3] The new system quickly began taking market share from AstroTurf, and is now the leader in the industry.[4]

The surface is composed of monofilament polyethylene blend fibers tufted into a polypropylene backing. The infill is composed of a bottom layer of silica sand, a middle layer which is a mixture of sand and cryogenic rubber and a top layer of only rubber. The fibers are meant to replicate blades of grass, while the infill acts as a cushion. This cushion improves safety when compared to earlier artificial surfaces and allows players to plant and pivot as if they were playing on a grass field.[5] Proponents of the surface also cite its low-cost maintenance and durability.

With regard to injuries sustained, a five-year study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that injury rates were similar on natural grass and synthetic turf. There were, however, notable differences in the types of injuries. Athletes playing on synthetic turf sustained more skin injuries and muscle strains while those who played on natural grass were more susceptible to concussions and ligament tears.[9]

In 2010, another peer-reviewed study was published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, this time on NCAA Division 1-A football, concluding that in many cases games played FieldTurf-branded products led to less injuries than those played on natural grass.

Seattle's coach, Mike Holmgren, said of the FieldTurf surface "it's about as much like grass as you can have a synthetic surface be" and that the "players love it".[11] As the trend continued in the league, FieldTurf received reviews from players who cited that the field provided cushioning for falls, eased pressure on the knees, and did not cause turf burns.[12] Stadium operators also noted the benefits of the improved durability and easier maintenance over natural grass fields.[13] Eleven NFL teams currently play their home games on FieldTurf while 15 teams have FieldTurf in their practice facilities.

[ipoopinmypants]

Only complaint I have for the turf is that the little rubber things get in your shoes like crazy.

"...And if that's the surface they want to play on, we're going to continue to commit ourselves to giving them the softest and most unstable playing surface.''

[Midway Bully]

Good luck getting the park district to get something done about the turf.

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

In his first public comments since Friday night’s Family Night was canceled by the Bears, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said he expects the Chicago Park District to come up with a solution to make Soldier Field’s playing surface more reliable.

“I told them to look at it,” Emanuel said Tuesday. “I want the players and the teams that come, and the fans that want to go to Soldier Field to find a method or a facility that is reliable. That’s what I expect them to do, and I expect the people at the Park District to make the tough choices and the choices that are responsible. I’m not looking for, right now, on the blame. I’m looking for a solution. Different people and different parties have different ideas on this, and I expect them to come up with a solution so it’s a reliable thing.”

Bears Chairman George McCaskey said Monday that the team would take a more active role in the maintenance of Soldier Field’s turf, but it’s clear the mayor expects the Park District to fix the problems, not the Bears

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/08/09/ ... -reliable/

[kyrv]

Thanks Biggie and Chewie!

The Mayor notices the field is bad, but not the NFL.

I think I'm on board, field turf sounds like a simple good alternative or am I missing a big drawback? (not counting the home field advantage myth ;p).