but apparently not 'close' to making themselves better
Regularly providing the public the feelgood moment of calling me an idiot . . .
Left tackle Orlando Pace has been released by the Rams. He's a seventime Pro Bowler. Naturally, the Bears have no interest in him. At least, that what it says in our football blog.
Get a load of the reasons why: The Bears value John St. Clair and the Bears want to get younger. Yes. Well. Hmmm. Pace is 33; St. Clair is 32. Nothing says youth like that age difference, huh? Pace, again, is a Pro Bowler; St. Clair is, well, um, not.
Oh yeah, I also forgot another reason: money. It's always money with the Bears. No, wait, not always money; not when it comes to Ted Phillips and Jerry Angelo giving themselves big raises and big extensions. Maybe that's where all the money to sign wide receivers went. Maybe Kyle Orton should aubible to the team president's suite. Do a checkwithme once we get to the line for the raw shrimp. Houshmandzadeh or any other veterans who are better than what's here, it's an insult Ben Roethlisberger Limited Jersey to the fans to have the head coach tell us the Bears are "close'' and then watch the team do "close'' to nothing in free agency.
The head coach never said "close'' to what. We presume he means championship, but it might be just that the Bears are a closeknit group that promotes its own BFFs because the head coach fears the shadow of all former players who represent threats to his potentially dead fiefdom.
Anyway, you tell the fans you're "close,'' you better act like it. The Bears don't. Or can't. The Bears don't seem to know the truth or tell the truth anymore than they know what wideouts and safeties look like.
The Bears start with a quarterback who has as many questions as answers. Only the most important position on the field. And he's all dressed up with no place to throw.
I mean, Devin Hester, Rashied Davis, Earl Bennett is it too much to ask of a supposed NFL team to design a play for a wideout that's more productive than pass interference?
And then John Tait leaves one of the most important positions on the offensive line and St. Clair gets talked about like he's Anthony Munoz and Chris Williams is still a rookie, and not a healthy one at that, and a guy like Orlando Pace has no spot here?
Whether Bears coach Lovie Smith knew it or meant it, when you tell fans that you're "close,'' you're making it urgent. Like, right now. This year. Go.
Look, the Bears aren't the New England Patriots, not in any Ben Roethlisberger Elite Jersey way. This is not a franchise that ought to act as if it's building for the future. The Bears' future involves a lot of pain. Their present is what this is all about.
Their present starts with a defense on the wrong side of great. It might not be as bad as it looked last year, but it will never be 2005, no matter how many times Smith clicks his ruby red slippers together and says, "There's no place like Rod Marinelli's position room.''
The main guys on the main unit of the Bears are getting older. They are not getting better, especially not at tackling with a coach who doesn't believe in practicing such a barbaric thing. But it might be good enough if other areas get better quick.
In my country, we call this a window. It opened in 2005 for the Bears. It is screaming down shut entering 2009. Think guillotine. That means will all be over soon. Heads will roll. There will be blood. So, do something.
If the Bears are going to sell this "close'' stuff, then they'd better buy something that makes them significantly better.
We been getting the same load of manur from Angelo and Lovie for quite a while now.
We all know that the only thing the current Bears defensive roster is "close" to is retirement and the offence is "close" to being no more than average.
Instead of building on the success of the 2005 team by adding talent, they treated that off season like a holiday and just back.
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. An American flag draped around his shoulders, Braydon Salzman couldn't contain his glee when he found California teammate Nick Pratto to give him a postgame hug.
The boys from Huntington Beach are headed home with a Little League World Series championship.
Pratto singled in the winning run with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of sixth inning, and Salzman pitched a completegame threehitter in a 21 victory Sunday over Hamamatsu City, Japan, and the tournament title.
"USA! USA," yelled fans before Pratto's single.
"I was just thinking. 'Oh God, Oh God,' Before I was getting in the box," the 12yearold Pratto said. "But once I got into the box, I calmed myself by telling myself to just look for a good pitch."
Pratto's clutch hit returned the World Series title to the United States with the type of victory even the big leaguers dream about. team has now won six out of the last seven World Series, with Japan's win last year the exception.
Pratto tossed his helmet into the air after rounding Ryan Clark Black Jersey first before his teammates mobbed him in the infield. The teams exchanged handshakes at the plate before California's giddy players posed at the mound with their new championship banner.
"My team is physically smaller than most of the teams. We didn't think we would get to this stage," Japan manager Akihiro Suzuki, who fought back tears after the game, said through interpreter Kotaro Omori. "All of the players did such a wonderful job to get to this stage."
With runners on first and second, an error by Japan shortstop Gaishi Iguchi on what could have been an inningending double play loaded the bases for California. After a force play at the plate, Pratto smacked a solid liner to center off reliever Kazuto Takakura that brought pinchrunner Eric Anderson home with the winning run.
Pratto did his father, manager Jeff Pratto, proud. Nick Pratto said it was great to have his father as his coach, "but he kind of gets on my nerves sometimes."
It was a fitting end to a tense game marked by excellent pitching and timely defense.
Japan starter Shoto Totsuka struck out five over 4 13 innings, giving up a homer to right to California slugger Hagen Danner.
First pitch was delayed more than three hours after the outer bands of Hurricane Irene brought more rain than expected to the Williamsport area.
"The result was bad, but they really tried their best," Suzuki said. "Today's weather was difficult for us to get used too. If the weather was like this in Japan, we wouldn't have played."
The clouds finally started parting midway through the game, and sunshine draped the complex by the time the California players left the stadium to cheers by friends and family.
Neither team could convert on several chances to break open the pitcher's duel earlier in the game.
With runners on first and second in the top of the sixth, third baseman Dylan Palmer blocked the bag Ryan Clark Limited Jersey from sliding Japan runner Ken Igeta on a bunt play to help get California get out the inning.
California put runners on first and second with two outs in the fifth, but Takakura got a flyout to end the inning.
Playing right field in the second, Takakura also made a running catch on fly down the line to save an extrabase hit with a runner on second.
It was Japan running all over the place in the third, flashing trademark hustle to scratch out the game's first run after Seiya Fujita's solid single to left. Pinchrunner Kaito Suzuki moved to second on a bunt and raced toward third with no one covering. The throw bounced into foul territory, allowing Suzuki to score easily.
In a gracious postgame gesture, Japan's players and coaches lined up and exchanged highfives with the California kids after Huntington Beach did the traditional victory lap around the stadium warning track.
"It's just a dream come true," Danner said. "I never thought we would be in that spot, let alone winning it."
This is what being an American is all about, the Team is comprised of many different cultures, and that is what got things done, working together hand in hand, white, brown, yellow, black, doesnt matter, if we set goals and get out mind straight then great things will happen to this country, This is the future of American and it doesn't involve one culture or ethnic background, it involves many colors, of www.officialsteelersfootball.com the rainbow, made me smile and proud to live In OC a few mins from HB, LOVE IT!!! GO USA!!!
It is often a combination of several factors. Great coaching is essential. Sometimes it is a convergence of talent. Sometimes it is the strength of the program. When you see an area like Huntington Beach appear multiple times, you know it is the strength of the programs in an area. When an area gets known for having good teams in a particular sport, it is common for parents to start their kids out early in that sport, often from the time they start to walk. That kind of preparation makes for a much better pool of players. At the same time, an area being known for a sport can lead parents to seek out that area if they have talented children.
Week Maurkice Pouncey Black Jersey 14 saw a shakeup at the top of the rankings for the first time since the Phillies won a game Eagles were considered to have a shot at the playoffs. The Falcons and Texans both were dislodged from the top two spots, and a familiar northeastern franchise is now the NFL top team. New England (103); Last week: 3
Week 14 result: Won vs. Houston, 4214
It never fun to rank the Patriots No. 1, but they earned it with their beatdown of the Texans. Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes, two to Aaron Hernandez and another to Brandon Lloyd, who also scored a touchdown off a Danny Woodhead fumble. New England has won seven games in a row and scored more than 40 points in four of their last six.
Next up: vs. San Francisco2. Denver (103); Last week: 4
Week 14 result: Won at Oakland, 2613
The Broncos won their eighth straight as Peyton Manning threw for 310 yards and a touchdown Maurkice Pouncey Elite Jersey and Knowshon Moreno ran for 119 yards and another score. Denver is tied with New England for the second seed in the AFC but the Patriots own the tiebreaker.
Next up: vs. Baltimore
3. Houston (112); Last week: 1
Week 14 result: Lost at New England, 4214
In what was dubbed the biggest regular season game in franchise history, the Texans trailed 210 at the half and never got closer than that. Matt Schaub numbers were respectable but with his first playoff start coming up next month, the pressure is beginning to mount. He not getting much help from the defense though. The Texans have been outscored 8438 in their two losses to the Patriots and Packers and allowed more than 30 points in three of their last four games.
Next up: vs. Indianapolis4. Atlanta (112); Last week: 2
Week 14 result: Lost at Carolina, 3020
The Falcons have known they were going to make the playoffs for some time now, and hopefully that the reason for their lackluster effort against the Panthers. Atlanta defense allowed the game first 23 points and 475 yards from Carolina offense. Even with the loss, Atlanta has a 1.5 game lead for the top seed in the NFC.
Next up: vs. New York Giants5. Green Bay (94); Last week: 5
Week 14 result: Won vs. Detroit, 2720
In the snow on the notsofrozen tundra of modernday Lambeau Field, the Packers fell behind 140 to the Lions. The comeback started with a Mike Daniels fumble return for a touchdown, one of the more athletic plays you see from a defensive lineman. Green Bay went on to score two rushing touchdowns in the second half and held the Lions to just two field goals.
Next up: at Chicago6. New York Giants (85); Last week: 6
Week 14 result: Won vs. New Orleans, 5227
David Wilson, the Giants firstround pick in this year draft, had the breakout game of his rookie year, returning a kick for a touchdown and rushing for 100 yards and two more scores, one on a 52yard sweep. Wilson had 327 allpurpose yards. Eli Manning also threw for four touchdown passes, each to a different receiver.
Next up: at Atlanta7. San Francisco (931); Last week: 7
Week 14 result: Won vs. Miami, 2713
Colin Kaepernick had an ordinary but efficient game www.officialsteelersfootball.com until he ran for a 50yard touchdown (which he owes all to his ink). Frank Gore and Anthony Dixon also ran for touchdowns, while the 49ers defense limited Miami to 227 total yards.
Next up: at New England8. Seattle (85); Last week: 12
Week 14 result: Won vs. Arizona, 580
Marshawn Lynch needed just 11 carries to run for 128 yards and three touchdowns as the Seahawks improved to 60 at home. Seattle scored the game first 58 points with the help of four secondquarter touchdowns and built a 380 halftime lead. Pete Carroll used the occasion to get highlypaid backup Matt Flynn some game tape for the Seahawks to use to trade him this www.officialsteelersfootball.com/53_maurkice_pouncey_jersey_authentic_black_limited_cheap.html offseason.
Next up: at Buffalo9. Indianapolis (94); Last week: 11
Week 14 result: Won vs. Tennessee, 2723
It wasn Andrew Luck finest performance as a pro, but the Colts won with a fourthquarter comeback for the sixth time this season. Luck was just 16/34 for 196 yards and two interceptions, with his lone touchdown pass coming in the first quarter. Adam Vinatieri hit two field goals in the fourth quarter, one from 53 yards to tie the game and the other from 40 yards to provide the winning margin.
Sat Sep 21, 2013 1:52 pm
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