The Curious Case Of CJ Watson

I was occasionally able to sneak glances of the Bulls game in Denver while out Friday night. Denver's lead gradually shrunk every time I looked and eventually evaporated as the Bulls took the lead late in the game. I witnessed CJ Watson, who was starting in place of the injured Derrick Rose, score on a number of drives to the basket, including a drive with 30 seconds remaining to give the Bulls a three point lead.
Then it dawned on me. "I bet Watson went off this game." The type of scoring explosion I've been expecting from him all season off the bench was bound to happen in the game I only saw bits and pieces of.
When I got home, the first thing I did was check the box score. Sure enough, Watson scored 33 points on 11-22 shooting. By far his best game, in what has otherwise been an awful start to his 2010-11 campaign.
With Rose out, Watson was the only viable option at point guard for the Bulls. In fact, they signed John Lucas III before the game to provide depth at the position, and we all know how that worked out. Consequently, Watson played 44 minutes.
If there was one thing that defined Watson's time in Golden State, it was his inconsistent playing time. He'd routinely play 40 plus minutes for a 5-game stretch, and then then drop below 20 minutes for the next few games. Therein lies the problem with Watson's game, or at least the way he's been used since entering the league.
I spent a little more time than I should have calculating some of Watson's split stats, but first, here were his numbers for last season: 10.3 ppg, 27.5 mpg, 46 percent shooting, and 8 FG attempts per game, all career highs.
Prior to the Denver game, Watson's numbers this year: 4.8 ppg, 13 mpg, 37 percent shooting, 5 FG attempts per game.
Looking through Watson's game log (and providing a few of my own calculations), there's a large disparity in his performance based on the amount of minutes he plays and shots he takes. I used 30 minutes and 10 shots a game as a way to measure Watson's effectiveness. I figured that 30 minutes per game could be fairly labelled "starters minutes," and 10 shots a game was a good indicator of an offensive player who is looking to score.
Watson shot an impressive 49 percent from the field when playing over 30 minutes, and just 41 percent when playing less than 30 minutes. That's an incredible dip in shooting percentage that could really only be explained one way: Watson wasn't shooting well, so he didn't play as much. Makes sense, but this wasn't the case. Looking at his numbers, Watson was just as likely to be left on the floor when shooting poorly as he was to be taken off while shooting effectively.
Watson also shot 49 percent from the field when taking ten or more shots. He shot 43 percent when taking less than 10 shots.
If 30 minutes and 10 shots are the magic numbers to Watson's success, then it's no wonder he's been so terrible this year. Prior to the Denver game he hadn't played more than 19 minutes, or taken more than 9 shots in any contest.
Watson can score. I know most Bulls fans don't believe it, or didn't until Friday. This is the same guy who dropped 40 on Sacramento last year. Remember, that Rose's career high is 39. Check out Watson's 40 point game in the video below. I love this video for 3 reasons:
1) The contrast between Watson's stoicism to start the video and his Golden State teammates after he hit his 40-point clinching layup. I get the feeling that Watson, along with Gonzaga, the French nation, and the Knicks fan base all are embarrassed by Ronny Turiaf after watching this.
2) Golden State's throwback "San Francisco" uniforms. I know I'm not the only one that paused and said, "Wait, this is an NBA game, right? Don't tell me this happened in the D-League." There's no D-League team in San Francisco, by the way. San Francisco has a population of about 815 thousand, the average D-League city houses about 284 thousand people.
3) The "Quiet Storm" instrumental playing in the background ("Quiet Storm is Watson's nickname). I think I could upload a video of myself mowing the lawn and make it look like I was undertaking a monumental task by syncing it to this beat.



If you watch the video, you can see that only six of Watson's sixteen baskets were jump shots. He earned most of his points by driving, finishing, and drawing fouls. He's mostly settled for jump shots this year, trying to play within the offense.
Either Watson needs to let loose and take control of the offense like he did during his spot start in Denver, or start working on his outside shot.
Until then, we're left to ponder which Watson we'll see. And what part of the roller coaster ride that has been his career we're on.

Next Thanksgiving, Big Ten Fans Will Be More Thankful

For those of us who have recovered from yesterday's Thanksgiving day feast, Friday's college football slate feels a lot like the dessert. Three games, (2) Aurburn- (11) Alabama, (21)Arizona- (1)Oregon, and (4)Boise State- (19) Nevada have all the makings of a drama-filled weekend prior to Conference Championship Week. National Championship implications, rivalries, and potential upsets are as essential as turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes were yesterday.
That's great for the SEC (Conference Championship next week) and Pac 10 (who doesn't have a 3-team tie atop the conference), but Big Ten fans are once again, both literally and figuratively, left out in the cold. The lack of a Championship Game is nothing new in the Big Ten, but seems particularly important at the moment.
Consider tomorrow's marquee Big Ten games: Michigan - (8) Ohio State, (10) Michigan State - Penn State, Northwestern - (7) Wisconsin. Wisconsin lost to Michigan State and beat Ohio State, and Ohio State beat Michigan State. All three teams are currently 10-1, 6-1 within the division. Since neither team defeated the other two, the BCS ranking will be used to determine the Big Ten Champion (assuming each teams wins tomorrow).
The BCS, the vindictive system that it is, has screwed all of our teams over at one point. That's why we don't like it. Yet, Big Ten fans will likely be at its mercy this weekend.
As a Wisconsin fan, not only do I have to root for my own team, but either an Ohio State victory, or Michigan State defeat. If Ohio State loses, Wisconsin loses, even if they win. Make sense? Of course it doesn't, it's the BCS all over again. Michigan State owns the tie-breaker with Wisconsin, some if it comes down to a draw between them, Michigan State goes to the Rose Bowl.
Realistically, Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Michigan State should win tomorrow. If they do, Wisconsin will win the Big Ten. So what am I complaining about? The lack of competition. Allowing computers to decide which team is best. Not giving the two best teams in conference a chance to battle it out. I don't like doing things in a round-about way. If a championship is to be crowned, the champion should be decided by a game between the first and second best team.
Here's what I'm thankful for this holiday season: there will be a Big Ten Championship game -- next year. With the inclusion of Nebraska into the Big Ten and subsequent realignment into two six-team divisions, a Big Ten football champion will be crowned the right way next year.
Some people don't like like it. They want rivalries preserved. They want Big Ten schools to be more centrally located on the map.
Minnesota and Wisconsin have been playing each other for 120 years, and their recent rivalry with Iowa has developed into one of the more competitive ones in the Big Ten.
Paul Bunyan's Axe and the Heartland Trophy are filled with tradition but they're not the most important prize. That distinction belongs to the National Championship trophy. As a Wisconsin fan, I'm more concerned with having a fair shot at the National Championship than defeating Minnesota 41-23 in the sixth game of the season.
Today, I give thanks for the BCS system that happens to favor my team right now. Next year, the eleven other Big Ten teams can be thankful too.

Spurs vs. Werder Bremen - Champions League Game 5

In the first leg against Werder, Spurs jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead. Towards the end of the first half, they surrendered a goal, then another goal in the opening minutes of the second half, and had to settle for a tie. There would be no such letdown in the second leg.
Spurs came out firing early and were rewarded with a 6th minute goal from Younes Kaboul. The unmarked Kaboul scored easily after a perfect cross from Aaron Lennon. Lennon and Bale both had fantastic games.
A goal lead has been nothing to get excited about this year. Spurs came into the game not having kept a clean sheet in 17 games. They had only shut out their opponent in three games this season, two of those coming in the Champions League. Tottenham has only kept one clean sheet in the Premier League, the very first game, a 0-0 draw against Manchester City.
Thirty seconds into stoppage time, Luka Modric did well to control a Crouch header and stick it into the back of the net to give Spurs a two goal lead. The second goal clinched the game for Spurs as Werder was clearly overmatched and was unlikely to muster more than a goal.
It was important to keep a clean sheet, especially from a psychological standpoint. Tottenham players need to feel confident that they can win scoring only one goal. Too often this season, they've had the game well in hand and conceded a cheap goal, forcing a draw.  They need games like this to prove, mainly to themselves, that they're capable of shutting a team out.
Spurs scored their third goal in the 81st minute, when Lennon collected Bale's rebound and fed Peter Crouch. Bale continued his fantastic play that has made him one of the tournament's most exciting players. In this game, he hit the post twice, once on the aforementioned cross, and earlier on a free kick. He also missed a penalty kick that Werder goalie Tim Wiese guessed right on.
Bale's game has become so beautifully predictable. He receives the ball, kicks the ball past the defender to start his run, and delivers a perfect cross almost every time. Defenses know what he's going to do, they just can't stop him. He's the soccer equivalent of Mariano Rivera. Rivera throws his cutter about 80 percent of the time, and occasionally mixes in a straight fastball. Hitters know what's coming, they just can't hit it.
With the win, Tottenham secured a place in the knockout stages. They currently sit atop Group A, tied with Inter at 10 points, but ahead in goal differential. For a team that many didn't expect to advance, Spurs have looked awfully impressive through out their Champions League campaign. Their last game in group play will be against Twente on the road. They have a chance to top a group that includes the defending European champions, Inter Milan.

Forecasting The NFC Playoffs

It's about that time again. With 62.5 percent of the NFL season complete, things are starting to fall into place. Minnesota and Dallas will both miss the playoffs and have fired their head coaches, Mike Vick not only is the Eagles' starting quarterback, but is putting together an MVP season, and Detroit is still Detroit, but at least they're not Carolina. Just like we drew it up from the beginning.
There's seven teams that deserve six playoff spots. Only five of those teams will actually make the playoffs. Damn you, NFC West. Here's the NFC playoff picture, as it currently stands.

LOCKS:

Atlanta Falcons (8-2), Projected Finish (13-3, NFC South Champs, #1 Seed)

Green Bay Packers (7-3), Projected Finish (11-5, NFC North Champs, #2 Seed)

New Orleans Saints (7-3), Projected Finish (10-6, NFC Wild Card, #5 Seed)

Whoever wins the NFC West, #4 Seed

Atlanta, Green Bay, and New Orleans are the only three teams I'm prepared to call locks for the playoffs. And of course, someone has to win the NFC West. Will that team be above .500? Probably not. Will a more deserving team, with a better record miss the playoffs because of the way the playoff system is designed? Yes. Does the playoff system need to be changed? Absolutely.
Atlanta is the cream of the NFC crop right now. Not only do they have the best record, but the easiest remaining schedule of the eight potential playoff teams. Next week's home game against Green Bay will be a great measuring stick for both teams, and Atlanta's Week 16 match up with New Orleans will be a golden opportunity for the Saints to cement their playoff spot. The tendency to embrace what is new has everyone falling in love with the Vick-McCoy-Jackson-Celek tandem, but I'm not so sure the more experienced Ryan-Turner-White-Gonzalez tandem isn't more primed for a playoff push.
The Packers could very easily have 8, 9, or even 10 wins at this point. They've lost all three of their games by a field goal, two of those losses coming in overtime. He won't win it, but for my money, Aaron Rodgers is the MVP of the league right now. His top target, tight end Jermichael Finley, and running back Ryan Grant were lost for the year, the offensive line has been shuffled around, and after hiccups against Washington and Miami, it appears the Packers have hit their stride. They'll be tested late in the year, next week at Atlanta, at New England in Week 15, and home games to close out the year against the Giants and Bears. The Packers have found their comfort zone and are settling in at just the right time.
There won't be a Super Bowl let down from the 2010 New Orleans Saints. They still have Drew Brees, meaning they won't have trouble scoring points. Their defense will be key to making the playoffs. New Orleans is currently 2nd in the NFL, allowing only 186 passing yards a game. They're giving up just over 100 yards on the ground per game. Drew Brees and the passing game will always be the focus, but the Saints will go as far as their defense takes them.

THE NFC EAST:

Philadelphia Eagles (7-3), Projected Finish (11-5, NFC East Champs, #3 Seed)

New York Giants (6-4), Projected Finish (9-7, 2nd in NFC East, Miss Playoffs)

I'm officially on the Eagles' bandwagon. Their offense is terrifying. They can beat you in so many ways, some of which we probably haven't even seen yet. Vick's health will be the key. He needs to do a better job of avoiding hits, or he'll be back on the sidelines, watching Kevin Kolb destroy the empire he was building. Next week at Chicago will be their biggest test of the season. Chicago can stop the run, but can they stop the run when Vick is the runner? Save for their rematch against the Giants, the Eagles will have plenty of defenses they can easily exploit in their remaining games.
The Giants are the biggest wild card in the NFC picture. Just three weeks ago they were the team to beat in all of the NFC, now they aren't even the favorite to win their division. The good news for Giants fans is that they have the ability, more so than any other team, of controlling their playoff fate. They've already beaten (dismantled might be a better word) the Bears, a major player in the Wild Card race. They have a home game against Philadelphia, and both games against the Redskins to gain leverage within their division. They also have a game left with Green Bay, which barring a Packer collapse, could also be Wild Card competition.

WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE?:

Chicago Bears (7-3), Projected Finish (10-6, NFC Wild Card, #6 Seed)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3), Projected Finish (9-7, 3rd in NFC South, Miss Playoffs)

The black sheep of the NFC Playoff picture are clearly the Bears and Bucs. Both teams were expected to be closer to 3-7 at this point in the season, not the other way around. Neither team has looked pretty winning games, but they are winning. The Bears have the better defense, which is why I think they'll be able to stay in the playoff hunt. The key for the Bears is to avoid turnovers. They've had success in the past because they won the turnover battle. Cutler will have to take care of the ball better, especially against the Philadelphia's, Green Bay's, and New York's of the world if they're going to challenge for the last playoff spot.
Not only does Tampa Bay squeak out wins, but they also play in the same division as the Falcons and Saints, ensuring that they will always be overlooked. They have tough match ups remaining against both teams, at New Orleans and the Saints at home. They also have to go to Baltimore this upcoming weekend. All three of those games will be tough. Tampa Bay's Week 14-16 string of Washington on the road, Detroit, and Seattle will be huge. The Bucs have done a great job of stopping the pass this year, and those three teams rank 22nd, 31st, and 30th in rushing, respectively. It's not out of the question that Tampa Bay could finish 10-6 and grab a playoff spot, although I'm still not sold on quarterback Josh Freeman. I think he's still another year away.

SOMEONE'S GOTTA GRAB IT (NFC WEST):

Seattle Seahawks (5-5), Projected Finish (7-9, NFC West Champs, #4 Seed)

St. Louis Rams (4-6), Projected Finish (6-10, 2nd in NFC West, Miss Playoffs)

Yes, I think Seattle will be under .500 to finish the year. They will have a higher seed than two 10 win teams. I don't know what to say about these two teams other than it's wrong that they need to be in the playoff discussion. Here's what I'm hoping happens. The Rams win two of their next five, and the Seahawks win one of their next five. They meet each other in Week 17 of the season, both 6-9. The winner advances to the playoffs. They go scoreless in regulation and a first overtime before Roger Goodell says "Fuck It," let's toss up a coin, neither of you are beating the Saints anyway.  Seattle wins the coin toss and proceeds to lose by 35 at home to New Orleans.

A Win Is A Win...And The Bears Have Seven Of Them

The Chicago Bears are the worst 7-3 football team in the history of the NFL. Last week, they were the worst 6-3 football team in the history of the NFL. If they beat the Eagles next week they will be the worst 8-3 football team in the history of the NFL. If this is all starting to sound a little silly, it should.
ESPN.com writer Gene Wojciechowski (I triple checked that, it's spelled correctly) was kind enough to offer me an alley-oop. I was planning on addressing all of the excuses that have been made as to why the Bears have been successful this season, and Wojciechowski provided a nice, quick reason/excuse for each Chicago victory this year (minus the Packers, for whatever reason). I believe that his views match up almost perfectly with what I've heard about the Bears all season, so I decided to use his article as a reference point.

On the Lions win: "[The Bears] beat the Detroit Lions in the season opener, but needed a Matthew Stafford injury and a bizarre, last-second nullified touchdown to do it."

When healthy, Stafford is a much better quarterback than back up Shaun Hill, no one is disputing that. However, let's not pretend that Hill hasn't stepped in and played well. In his six starts this season, Hill has thrown for 1544 yards, 10 TDs to 7 INTs, and completed 62 percent of his passes. Not bad numbers at all, especially for a back up quarterback. The Lions were 1-5 in those games, not because of Hill, but because they gave up an average of 28 points per game in those five losses and couldn't run the ball. Hill played the entire second half of the Bears game and the Bears defense held him to his worst half of football this season.
Johnson's nullified touchdown is a tough call. There is a portions of the NFL rulebook that could have interpreted that as a catch, and another part, the part the referee's used, interpreted it as a drop. I'm convinced that Johnson could have came down with the ball in both hands, he chose to swing it to his right hand and payed for it. It's really no different than a receiver making a spectacular catch and coming down with his toe out of bounds.

On the Cowboys win: "[The Bears] beat the spectacularly underachieving Dallas Cowboys on the road for their second win."

I hate this argument. This was the second game of the NFL season. The Cowboys were 0-1, had they underachieved then, after one game? To suggest that the underachieving 1-8 Cowboys are the same team that took the field in the second game of the season is ludicrous. The football season does not remain static, some teams get better as the season goes on, and some get worse.
In Week 2 of the NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys were a Super Bowl favorite playing their first home game of the season. Dallas' D-Line came close to killing Cutler the entire first half, Romo threw for almost 400 yards, and Miles Austin caught 10 passes for 142 yards. The Bears won because they were plus three in the turnover battle, not because the Cowboys were an underachieving team one week into the season, they actually played very good that game.

On the Panthers win: "On the week [the Bears] lost Cutler to a concussion, the schedule gods gave them the Carolina Panthers -- and a win. Carolina is 1-8 this season."

I don't care what the opposing team's record is, if your quarterback (Todd Collins, the worst quarterback to start a NFL game this season) goes 6-16 for 32 yards and 4 INTs, you have no business winning that game. The Bears did because they created three turnovers of their own and held the dynamic Williams-Stewart combo to a combined 81 yards rushing.
The Bears also made a commitment to the run against the Panthers' pitiful rushing defense. Matt Forte scored two touchdowns and ran for 166 yards. When teams like the Patriots exploit other team's weaknesses, they're called smart. When the Bears do, they're lucky to be playing a weak team. It's all part of the double standard.

On the Bills win: "[The Bears'] fifth win came against the then-winless Buffalo Bills. And they didn't even have to play the Bills in Buffalo. Instead, they faced them in Toronto."

Sure, let's just ignore that after their Week 6 bye, the Bills weren't playing great football. They took the Ravens and Chiefs (both 4-2 when the Bills faced them) to overtime in back to back weeks. Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 605 yards and 5 touchdowns in both games. The Bills lost to the Bears and then went on to beat the Lions on the road. They're playing much much much better in the last four weeks than they were in the previous five.   
I'm not sure what Wojciechowski was getting at about playing in Toronto. He is aware that Buffalo and Toronto practically border each other, right? If he's suggesting that this was a home game that didn't have the feel of a home game it's because the Bears fans travel well, not because Bills fans couldn't make it to the game.

On the Vikings win: "[The Bears] got win number six against a Minnesota Vikings team that can't stand its coach and is without its best wide receiver."

Am I missing something? Haven't the Vikings hated Chilly for years? Weren't they going to win despite him? And not going to lay down like the Dallas Cowboys? Hasn't Sidney Rice been injured all season? These excuses could have been but weren't used when the Saints, Jets, Packers, and Patriots defeated the Vikings. Double standard, anyone?
Adrian Peterson and Brett Favre have made careers out of beating up on the Bears defense. In this game, they held Peterson to 51 yards, and Favre to 170 passing yards and 3 interceptions the week after his career high 446 yard passing effort against Arizona. If that's not impressive, especially for a team that has struggled historically against both players, I don't know what is.

On the Dolphins win: "And then [the Bears] threw a shutout against the Dolphins, who converted just one third down, had the ball nearly 16 fewer minutes than the Bears and saw Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams rush for a combined 11 yards."

I'm confused, these all seem like compliments to me. So the Dolphins a) couldn't convert on third down, b) lost the time of possession battle, c) had a reshuffled offensive line and couldn't run the ball, and d) started a back up quarterback. And that's why it was OK for Miami to lose? By my calculations, the Bears could have circled A, B, C, D, or E (All of the Above) for every game this season, yet they're 7-3, and being criticized for winning games that the Dolphins are getting a pass for.

The Bears are a flawed team, just like any other in the NFC. I believe they will make the playoffs, and after that, who knows what will happen. The last six games, especially next week at home against Philadelphia, and the three division games on the road will be hugely instrumental in shaping their playoff chances. Luck doesn't last for ten games and it sure doesn't last for sixteen. If the Bears make the playoffs it won't be because they were lucky, but because they deserved it.
For the record, Wojciechowski's summarized argument was, "I don't think the Bears are very good, but they've been so lucky this year, that I wouldn't be surprised if they made it to the Super Bowl." That seems to be everyone's view of the Bears in a nutshell. They're no good but they keep on winning, so I'm not going to be the one to wrongfully pick against them.
Just remember that there's more than one way to win a football game. The 2010 Bears are anything but conventional, but they're getting it done.

Even When Bosh Wins, He Loses

Wednesday night's game was supposed to be Chris Bosh's coming out party. Everything was set up perfectly. Bosh has been criticized all season for his pedestrian-like 14 points and 6 rebounds a game. He found himself matched up with the likes of Channing Frye, Hakim Warrick, and Earl Clark - three soft defenders, and a Heat team that was willing to defer to him, fully aware that Bosh needed a big game, and this was a match up he could exploit.
Bosh delivered with a 35 point performance. While most of his points were jumpers and drives to the basket, he still put together his first dominant offensive performance of the year. The six rebounds thing? I think it's just time to accept Bosh isn't a double-double guy anymore, at least not on this team. Wade and LeBron take away a lot of rebounds and Bosh doesn't look too interested in grabbing them.
While the nationally televised audience's attention should have been focused on Bosh's game, and it was to an extent, Bosh's post-game comments stole the show and took on a life of their own.
In the interview Bosh said, "[Heat coach Erik Spoelstra] knows he has to meet us halfway. He wants to work, we wanna chill, but we're going to have to work to get everything down, to get our timing down, and to get our chemistry down."



All I heard was, "He wants to work, we wanna chill..." Apparently I wasn't alone, Jeff Van Gundy and Stuart Scott both made a big deal about the comment later on in the broadcast.
I'm not one of those people that think athletes should be in the gym 20 hours day. They're human beings, they deserve down time just like anyone else. The fans just don't want to hear about the down time, especially when contrasted so bluntly with hard work. Athletes get paid a lot, and when a player making the max level 14.5 million dollars this year expresses his willingness to chill, it won't go over too well.
Bosh deserves the benefit of the doubt here. I'm sure his thoughts on team chemistry and how he was fitting in to the offense came out wrong. With that being said, his comments were harmful for two reasons:
1) They weren't taken out of context, that was the full quote. Context is an athlete's "Get Out of Jail Free Card." Whenever they say something misguided, they blame the journalist: it was taken out of context. LeBron James used that very same excuse recently when he said his, "I'm playing too many minutes, 44 minutes is too much," quote was taken out of context. Bosh doesn't have that luxury. The interview was on national TV, it wasn't taken out of context. It might have come out wrong, but he still said what he said.
2) When he said we want to chill, he put words, and not so flattering words, into his teammate's mouths. They should be able to speak for themselves. Now one man's perceived laziness has the potential to become the aura surrounding the team's culture.
The Heat asked for these Presidential levels of scrutiny. I think they underestimated how bad it would get, but now have to deal with it, Bosh especially. He's like the youngest of the three brothers. What is anyone going to say to LeBron or Wade? They take over games. They've led previous teams to playoff success. We pick on the little brother because it's easy. He can't fight back so he has to call on his older brothers to come and beat us up. That's when we'll run and hide.
A halftime and a post-game interview was probably a dream come true for Bosh. He's made no secret about the fact he wants to be seen. He spent the entire offseason looking for attention. His performance, or lack thereof, on the court will get enough attention. He needs to be more careful about what he says because right now, he's only adding fuel to the fire. Apparently small market Toronto didn't prepare him for this.

The Mystery Surrounding The Chicago Bears Cheerleaders

There's a few things synonymous with Chicago Bears football. Great defense, cold winter afternoons, tailgating, and beer, lots of beer. Take a trip to Soldier Field and you'll find crowds upon crowds of already rowdy fans, some who have been there for an upwards of five hours, waiting for the gates to open.
Inside the stadium you'll find the usual. Overpriced hot dogs, beer, a kind of jumbo JumboTron, more beer, and a few shirtless guys oblivious to the fact it's negative ten degrees outside.
Something is missing. It's not that big of a deal. In fact, if you're focused solely on the football, as you should be, you won't even notice that anything is out of the ordinary. Just imagine, it's the middle of the second quarter and the Bears have just completed their fourth straight three and out. It would be nice to have something to look at, particularly scantily clad women, right? At least until the defense gets back on the field.
That's where the cheerleading squad comes in. Well, at least for 26 of the NFL teams. The Bears are one of only six football teams that don't have a cheerleading squad. The others: the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers (although the Packers do have cheerleaders from local colleges cheer at some games), New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Possible links between those teams? Passionate, blue collar fan bases that support their teams through thick and thin. I get the feeling that any of these six teams could play in a run down high school field in the middle of nowhere and still draw large crowds that could care less about the extracurricular activities surrounding the game.
These are also some very cold cities. And with the exception of the Lions, who moved into indoor Ford Field in 2002, they all play outside. Cold weather and cheerleaders don't mix.
The Bears actually did have cheerleaders, called "The Honey Bears," from 1976-1985. After the 1985 Super Bowl year, their contract was not renewed.
Being the forward thinker he was, then owner George Halas decided in 1976 that he wanted professional cheerleaders, or as he called them, "dancing girls." You gotta love the 70s, dancing girls has a whole different connotation nowadays.
Halas put General Manager Greg Finks in charge of assembling a squad. Through church connections, Finks found and hired Honey Bears' choreographer Cathy Core, whose only cheerleading experience at the time consisted of teaching Junior High girls.
Core eventually narrowed her first squad down to 20 girls after receiving hundreds of applications. This was not a full time career as many cheerleading jobs are now. Each cheerleader received 15 dollars a game, which was said to pay for gas, parking, and uniform cleaning.
Halas passed away in 1983 and the idea of the Honey Bears died with him. Despite their immense popularity amongst Bears fans, the Honey Bears were not renewed after the 1985 season.
While no official explanation was ever given, it's believed that the new Bears management wanted to distance themselves from anything that took away from the franchise's strong and intimidating image. This may sound ridiculous, put perhaps this strategy has some validity. Take the Cowboys organization for instance, who take a great amount of pride in their cheerleaders. The Cowboys are one of the softest teams in the NFL, mentally and physically.
While the Super Bowl Shuffle isn't exactly dripping with masculinity, the product on the field sure did.




For now, the Honey Bears will have to be content dwelling somewhere in our collective Bears memory. Nuzzled alongside #33 Calvin Thomas' saxophone solo.
For the full story on the Honey Bears, pick up Roy Taylor's book entitled Chicago Bears History. Thanks also to Football Babble.