Chicago Football Chili

First things first...those Seahawks uniforms. 

They're a little...Wham!  As in "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go".  It's like watching the XFL.  Methinks Seattle is trying just a bit too hard to drum up jersey sales.

But on to the game!

Opening kickoff return from Johnny Knox of 30+ yards.  We love Johnny Knox.  There will without question be a Johnny Knox Honor Chili in the very near future.  He's just so flashy fast!  Like Devin, but Johnny.  We're going to see some big things from Johnny On The Spot.

Gould misses.  This kind of thing doesn't happen much, but Robbie is automatic on the medium-lengthed ones.  Staff has to know that he needs 10 more yards, but if the team doesn't get it for you, what can you do?

End of First Quarter.  Not only have we failed to score toward the front of the game yet again, but somehow these Seahawks have put 10 points on us.  I'm not real happy about our inability to contain Lime Julius (Jones).  And all of this without Hasselbeck. 

Out of curiosity, do you think Matt Hasselbeck's detractors call him "Elizabeth", the way ex-Ram Jim Everett's called him "Chris"?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HNgqQVHI_8

So, it's 2nd quarter, we're down by 13, and this week, it is me, Chili Dan, saying that the tide has turned.  I'm feeling the shift.  It is inevitable that the Bears will win.  Unless they don't.  But I'm going on the record for "win".

Greg Olsen catches a pass for a touchdown in the most lumbersome way - Chili Dawn equates his grace with Baby Huey.  No matter, the points count.  We're only down one score at the half, and I'm feeling good about my proclamation.

At halftime, I enjoy one of next week's chilies and secretly live in fear that my prediction of a Bears comeback will fall flat.  You see, last week, Chili Dawn made the same call, but with much greater bravery, because at the time we were losing to the Super Bowl champs, and were generally not expected to win anyway.  It's nowhere near as bold and fresh to say we're going to come back against the injury-riddled Splint-Hawks.  So I fail on this one, and Dawn has no reason to ever listen to me again. 

The chili, though, is outstanding.

JOHNNY KNOX!!  Ya see, that's what I'm talking about!  Fast, fast, fast, and good at clipping a pylon.  A great trait for a receiver, by the way.  Bears up 14-13.  Still too early to celebrate, but I'm no longer biting my nails.

In addition to Julius Jones, I don't like Nate Burleson.  Partially because he makes me think of 1970's San Diego Padre Nate Robertson and equivalent-period Red Sox shortstop Rick Burleson.  And who has time for that?  The other reason is because he can't seem to drop a football.  You throw at this guy and he catches it.  That's fine next week.  This week, not so much.

Gould for three in the medium-range.  Of course it's good.

So, the 4th quarter brings about another lead change.  Not sure why it is that we seem to have to come from behind to get our victories.  I'm more of the dominate-early-and-maintain type, and this constant "having to prove yourself" stuff is just hard to take.  And at this point, I wonder why I even listen to myself.

Two minutes to go, and the Bears down 19-17.  A Green Bay fan sends a quick note saying that it looks like we're going to need another miracle field goal.  Chili Dawn responds by saying that we'll get more than that.  And then...

Devin...for...SEVEN!!

Woo-hoo!!  Bears win again.  And while I don't think I've proven anything by predicting the win back in the 2nd quarter (particularly after Dawn's prediction of touchdown in the final 2 minutes), but at least I didn't fall flat on the prediction. 

Well, in the end, the Bears are now 2-1 and looking at the "did-we-really-win" Lions next week.  Going to be tougher than you think, as our Bears will probably still be blinking back the glare from those Seahawk jerseys.  The next time we see the boys from Seattle, let's hope they're wearing their far-more-manly Aqua jerseys.  Ugh.

 CHILI DAN  

Posted by dawn2 at 03:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Notes from the Bears/Steelers matchup...

1st Quarter - Not so good.  This looks like a professional team (Pittsburgh) versus a scrappy college team.  It seems as if everything the Steelers do is by the book, executed well.  And everything the Bears do is a "what if we tried this...", or "wow, you got pretty lucky!"

2nd Quarter - Chili Dawn says that her 4th Phase Sense has kicked in, and that the tide is turning in favor of the Bears.  She predicts victory.  I'm predicting a nap in the 3rd quarter.  Greg Olsen, who I have at tight end in a fantasy league, continues to not live up to the hype, and we vow to not do a Greg Olsen honor chili this season.  "No chili for Sasquatch" I believe is how we put it.

Meanwhile, Bears backup tight end Kellen Davis (Des Clark has a broken rib, will be out another 5 or 6 weeks - we love Des) pulls one in through traffic.  We go into the half with a tie - and Chili Dawn is feeling smug in her prediction.

Halftime - Time for chili!  You'll have to wait until Tuesday, but the recipes next week are very, very good.

3rd Quarter - Very long quarter.  3 and out to start.  You don't win games this way.  Chili Dawn not worried, even when Anderson fouls away 15 yards, Mendenhall runs for 39, and Big Ben does a Payton leap into the endzone.  To both teams' credit, I'm not napping.

4th Quarter - The Steelers are pushing.  We could be down by 14.  But all of a sudden, Alex Brown is a force to be reckoned with.  And Jeff Reed does his best Scott Norwood impersonation (though in mirrored image), and all of a sudden I'm back to my pre-game "we can win this" positivity.  It's a schizophrenic life, this post-Urlacher season, at least for me.

Next thing you know, Johnny "on the Spot" Knox is leaping up to catch one in the bread-basket, and I'm preparing my "you were right" speech.  But only if Jeff Reed is lame enough to miss yet another...um, wow!  By the time the ball is being spotted by Brad Maynard for Robbie Gould's golden foot, I remember why it is never wise to doubt Chili Dawn. 

So the 2008 Super Bowl champs are summarily defeated by the soon-to-be 2009 Super Bowl Champs (well, it may take a few more months).  Season record 1-1.  And if I'm to believe Chili Dawn (and why shouldn't I) Seattle doesn't stand a chance next week!

 CHILI DAN

Posted by dawn2 at 05:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Game will be on soon, and we'll get our first look at post-Urlacher (this season, anyway) Bears football.  But first...

Seven years ago, March 2002, I'm working in Nashville on a project, and every Thursday night I fly home for the weekend.  So, I get to the airport and have about 40 minutes to board the plane when I see a guy with a great looking sub sandwich.  As a curious and hungry type, I asked the gentleman where to procure such a meal.  Turns out it was on the other side of the airport, but in Nashville, that's not a big deal.

So I lug my little wheelie rollaway luggage down to the shop where I wait in line and get myself one of these incredible sandwiches.  Which I do, and take it back to the terminal where I'm chatting and eating and having a good time, and not at all noticing that I no longer had my luggage.

You see, I left it at the sandwich place.  I was so psyched about my sub that I took the sandwich, left the wheelie.  I make a mad dash for the sub stop, and sure enough my bag was still there.  I even made it back to the terminal before takeoff.  But the staff at the terminal already knew the answer to the question "Has your luggage been out of your sight at any point in time since entering the airport."

Busted. 

Bye, bye plane.  Hello security.  But it WAS a good sandwich.

Did I mention we were having a dinner party that night?  No problem, I already ate.

Go Bears!

 CHILI DAN

Posted by dawn2 at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So in the first possession of the game, Jay Cutler looks a little uneasy.  So much so, that the announcers feel compelled to say that he might be a little skittish in his first game, playing against the Bears' biggest rival.  Well, I don't like my quarterbacks skittish.  For any reason.

Yeah, I know.  We're not supposed to let our expectations get in the way of the enjoyment of the game.  And I'm not looking to make this guy a Hall-of-Famer.  Some expect him to be our best quarterback since Sid Luckman - but an Erik Kramer equivalent would probably be okay most of the time.  So why am I STILL yelling "Bring in Hanie!"

It got so bad, that in the final 30 seconds of the first half when the Bears were looking to stop the clock, I just prayed that when Cutler took the snap and threw the ball to the ground that it wouldn't get intercepted.

Not a good start.

Some good stuff from the first half:  I got to bellow "ADEWALEAGUNLEEEAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY" twice, which always makes me happy.

And I always appreciate a good old-fashioned two points.  Way to work it Danieal Manning!

As for the second half, the Devin Hester touchdown was a highlight for sure.  Devin for seven.  Good to see it. 

And then there was the sack by rookie Al Afalava.  I love that name, by the way.  I want to make an "Honor Chili" for him.  "Afalava Falafel Chili", or maybe "Afalava Baklava and Fava Chili".  We'll have to give it some thought.

So Patrick Mannely, the long snapper, has a mind of his own.  This turns out to be not a good thing, as our team sprite Garrett Wolfe is taken by surprise by a snap and can't quite turn it into the big play it needs to become.  Lovie makes it worse with the challenge, and subsequent lost timeout.

The rest of the game is too sad to talk about.  We really gave this one away.  Four interceptions.  Three and outs.  Not a good game. 

And against the cheeseheads.  Ugh.

Guess we just have to man up and drop the Super Bowl champs on their collective butts next week.  They get 10 days to prepare for our Bears.  We only need 7.  It will be 1-1 after next week. 

 CHILI DAN

Posted by dawn2 at 08:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here it is, Chili Fans, the opening of the 2009 Bears season!  And while last year was deemed by some as a "pleasant surprise", here at Chicago Football Chili we expect our Bears to win all of the time!

So it is with great pleasure that we start the season by playing our noble (but ultimately doomed) foes from the nearly-Great White North.  There's nothing quite like the smell of smoked cheese curds, and we are but a week away from that sweet sensation.

Lots of excitement around Chili Camp about the 2009 quarterbacks.  Not that we weren't enthralled with Rex Grossman and Kyle "the next John Elway" Orton, but we really like the new face of the franchise.  Well, maybe not "like".  We find Jay Cutler not so pleasant as a personality just yet.  But hey, we just met him.  He flings a few 300-yarders and we'll update him to "quite engaging".  And the backup this year is Caleb Hanie, which, for those of you who kept up with the site last year will know, is something I'm happy about.  Yeah, the man-crush continues, though it is starting to be tempered with a little bit of skepticism now.

The young backup didn't have quite as stellar a pre-season as last year, which has us wondering if he's just a snake oil salesman like that other Mr. Haney we know (you might be too young to recognize the citizens of Hooterville, and if that's the case we suggest you just Wikipedia Mr. Haney for your tutorial).

But the real disappointment out of training camp this year came when I saw the Associated Press note that Brandon Rideau was cut from the squad for the fourth straight season.  Rideau is a joy to watch in camp, year after year.  And he's always great in the pre-season games as well.  So yeah, I was a bit bummed.

But then...OH MY GOD!  Can this be true?!!

Associated Press prints a correction...

FIRST SENTENCE:  "In a Sept. 5 story about the Chicago Bears' roster moves, The Associated Press erroneously reported that receiver Brandon Rideau failed to make the season-opening roster for the fourth straight year."

This is great!  Way to go Brandon!  WOO-HOO!!

But wait, there's more...

SECOND SENTENCE:  "This was the third straight year he did not make the roster."

Oh.

Well, then you guys just suck.  What kind of heartless, soulless jerks would ever yank the collective chain like that?  Harsh, people.  Just harsh.

But Rideau or no Rideau, our Bears are primed and ready for the real games to start, just like we are here at Chicago Football Chili.  We've got a great prime-time matchup over on the site this week.  Glad to have you back.

Let the games begin!

 CHILI DAN

Posted by dawn2 at 09:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)