8
Feb
2011
The long, sad road of William “The Refrigerator” Perry (VIDEO)
Perry today, at his home in South Carolina (ESPN image via TheDailyMail)
This one will tug at your heart strings. ESPN’s Tom Friend recently re-connected with former Bears DT William Perry, and put together this feature on the man forever known to football fans simply as “The Fridge”. What Friend found was a broken man, 25 years removed from the glory days of the ’85 Super Bowl championship, and still battling his weight and ongoing addiction to alcohol.
Perry – who is now 48 years old and living with his wife in Aiken, SC – suffers from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a neurological disorder that can cause paralysis and is worsened by alcohol. Diagnosed in June 2008, the sickness hit Perry hard and he began wasting away … but he never quit drinking. And eventually, it took it’s toll on The Fridge:
On an April afternoon in 2009, his blood pressure dropped. Valerie began to panic, but, fortuitously, Daryl and Daryl’s wife, Tavy, happened to stop by that night after going to dinner.
“We said, ‘Let’s go see bro’ and see how he’s doing,”’ Daryl says. “When we got in the house, he was lying motionless. He wasn’t moving. He wasn’t blinking. I was tapping him on the shoulder, yelling at him, just trying to get a response. Nothing. So we called the paramedics.”
Consensus from the doctors is that Perry nearly died that day. Not only had he suffered a relapse of Guillain-Barre, he had pneumonia. He couldn’t hear out of his right ear and couldn’t see more than five feet in front of him.
Worse yet, the Fridge — famous the world over for his stomach — weighed exactly 190 pounds.
Yet, despite suffering through recovery in the hospital for 16 months, Perry continues to drink beer. He stubbornly ignores the orders of his doctors, won’t take his medication, and seemingly lives in constant denial of his failing physical condition. Back up to a weight of 400 pounds and barely able to carry himself around the house, Perry somehow still believes himself to be in good health, despite the mountain of evidence to suggest otherwise. And after watching this piece, there’s one sad truth you can’t help but come to accept: The Fridge seems destined for a tragic ending, and it’s made all the more tragic by his detachment from reality.
WATCH THE ESPN VIDEO FEATURE AFTER THE JUMP
31
Jan
2011
Bill Murray is a huge Bears fan, thinks Ray Nitschke is a pussy
This is just fantastic. From the guys over at BlackBook comes this tremendous first-person account of one Green Bay Packers fan’s experience at last weekend’s NFC Championship game.
Apparently, while braving the Soldier Field crowd to root on his beloved Packers, this gentleman had an encounter with none other than diehard Bears fan and comic legend Bill Murray, who was seated right behind him. And even though Green Bay won the game, ole’ Bill wasn’t going to let this interloper intrude on the Bears’ home turf without at least giving him a little bit of the business.
"This picture is of him laughing in my face" (Photo: BlackbookMag.com)
From the source himself:
My friend Matt Katrosar flew to Chicago last weekend to hang out with some of his Windy City pals and attend the Bears/Packers NFL playoff game. He was wearing a Green Bay jersey (in support of old-school Packers legend Ray Nitschke) amid a sea of Chicago blue. During the 2nd quarter, Matt celebrated a considerably good play on the part of Green Bay with the usual hootin’ and hollerin’ reserved for such moments. That’s when he was blatantly shoved from behind. Turning to catch a glimpse of his assailant, he discovered his pusher was none other than Bill Murray, a huge Chicago Bears fan, who was unapologetically enjoying the moment.
Matt’s friend managed to capture a photo of Murray in mid-celebration, laughing at the rival fans. Naturally, Matt wanted a picture with the legendary actor. Murray’s response to his request? “Nitschke is a pussy.” So much for “No one will ever believe you.”
LOVE IT. And Bill Murray wins again.
27
Jan
2011
America thinks Jay Cutler is the least likeable QB in the NFL
(Photo: KansasCity.com)
Here’s another one for the “winning forgives everything” file: ESPN’s SportsNation is running a poll to find out which current NFL quarterback is the least likeable: Ben Roethlisberger, Michael Vick or Jay Cutler. And in what really should come as no surprise at this point, America thinks that Cutler is the worst of the bunch. By a large margin.
So according to this unscientific sample, Cutler’s moping and perceived tap-out in the NFC Championship game is less forgivable than (alleged) rape and (convicted) electrocution of dogs. Gotcha.
(ESPN Image via FoulBalls.com)
The persecution of the Bears QB has reached a fever pitch this week, with FoxSports.com’s Jason Whitlock openly calling Cutler a quitter, and implying that he had mentally checked out long ago. Then there’s this video from TMZ, which is getting all sorts of attention today. Apparently Cutler doesn’t exhibit enough of a limp while walking around town for some people’s liking. And on Monday there was an uproar when he went to dinner with his family after the game, and had the gaul to use the stairs to walk up to the private dining area … when there was an elevator available (gasp)!
Nevermind the fact that any doctor will tell you a patient can walk normally with a Grade II MCL tear. Don’t let that get in the way of a good media execution. Disgruntled Bears fans are just looking for a fall guy to blame the loss on, when the fact remains that Chicago was losing that game with or without Cutler.
Meanwhile, Roethlisberger and Vick can violate any number of legal and moral codes, win a few football games, and all is forgiven. I’d say our priorities as a nation seem to be perfectly in line, wouldn’t you?
[H/T FoulBalls]
24
Jan
2011
Charles Woodson and the Packers are coming to see President Obama (VIDEO)
BJ Raji does the getdown after scoring on an interception return in the NFC Championship (Photo: JSOnline.com)
Lost in all the back and forth over whether Jay Cutler is or is not a wuss seems to be the fact that the Green Bay Packers soundly defeated their third consecutive road playoff opponent, and are headed to Dallas for Super Bowl XLV. As the number six seed in the NFC, the Packers have gone into hostile territory and beaten the Eagles, Falcons and Bears in consecutive weeks, and done so in impressive fashion. Quite simply, Mike McCarthy’s team is playing the best football in the league right now … and with or without Cutler, the Packers were going to win that game.
While Aaron Rodgers may get all the (well-deserved) love from the media, perhaps the biggest factor in the Packers’ success has been the play of their defense. Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers’ group allowed only 15 points per game in the regular season, and have been able to recover from some key injuries along with way. Led by shutdown corner Charles Woodson, agile big man BJ Raji and All-Pro LB Clay Matthews, Green Bay has effectively contained some of the game’s most dangerous offenses this post-season. So if you’re a believer that defense wins championships (and I am), take note that the Packers D is dominating games and peaking at the right time.
After the victory, Woodson addressed his teammates and took the opportunity to address President Obama, who had said he would attend the Super Bowl if his hometown Chicago Bears won on Sunday. To which Woodson replied that the Packers will instead come to see Obama … when they visit the White House as Super Bowl champions:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
23
Jan
2011
Jay Cutler Journal Excerpts: NFC Championship Week
Cutler secretly journals in his helmet during practice (Photo: Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune)
Monday January 17
Playing Packers on Sunday. Papers are calling this a big deal. I am the only one in the locker room that reads the paper. Tribune is a rag. The Packers uniforms look stupid. I might have pancakes for dinner.
Tuesday January 18
Eating a Chipotle burrito. Reading nutritional content. Wildly caloric. Not surprising how fat the women are in this town. Does not explain overall stupidity, however. Spent some time last night watching tape of Packers. One of their linemen looks like a G.L.O.W. wrestler. Possibly shaved armpits. The world is going down the crapper one shaved manpit at a time.
Wednesday January 19
Urlacher gave a speech at the end of practice. Wasn’t listening. Distracted by strange cracks in locker room ceiling. Poor paint job. Shoddy union work. Players seemed fired up when he was done. Slipped out the back door when no one was looking. Sat in car in the parking lot. Listened to an old mix tape from old Vandy girlfriend. Counting Crows. The players stream out into the lot. A lot of the guys on the team drive really stupid cars.
Thursday January 20
Parents forwarded me a column from espn.com about me by some hack Rick Reilly. Parents still have AOL account. Print out and read article while in the hot tub. I remember Elway, very equine-shaped head. Very successful owner of car dealerships. I did not realize he was a football player. Just another thing Shanahan could not explain succinctly. Martz comes by drinking tea. He nods at me. Have ignored him since week 6 and life has been better for it.
Friday January 21
Spend evening with girlfriend. When she falls asleep head downstairs to watch TV. NFL Films is showing old Packers/Bears games. Make turkey sandwich and drink a glass of sodium-packed Spicy V-8. Watch grainy film and read poorly written scouting reports until I get tired and then go to bed. Even scouting reports on the Packers are boring.
Saturday January 22
I can tell that some of the guys are getting nervous about game on Sunday. Have to tell one of the receivers what the route is on simple audible during walk through. Gather the offense around me before heading into locker room. I tell them tomorrow is just another game. I tell them the Packers are idiots with shaved armpits and have a bush-league coach that couldn’t solve a crossword puzzle in a Highlights magazine much less come up with a plan to stop our offense. I look them in the eye for the first time all season, every single one of them, I promise them that we will win the game. When we break I notice the turf, as usual, looks like it has been taken care of by a drunken cadre of moronic, blind groundskeepers.
Sunday January 23
Wake up early. Write check to children’s hospital. Read paper. Girlfriend makes me toast. Poorly. Drive car the long way to stadium. Bears flags fly from apartment windows and from car antennas. Whole city seems to be wearing our jerseys. I even see an attractive woman amongst the general flab. She is pushing her young son in a stroller. He is holding a stuffed bear and smiling. I smile too. It will be a pleasure to beat the Packers today. What a stupid team.
21
Jan
2011
Bears vs Packers – an NFL rivalry like no other
George Halas and Vince Lombardi helped build the NFL we know today (Photo: ChicagoSportsMemories.com)
On Sunday, the Chicago Bears will host their division rival Green Bay Packers for the NFC Championship game. In the storied history of both franchises, it will mark just the second time the teams have met in the playoffs (the first and only time was back in 1941). As such, fans of both clubs are treating this weekend’s game as though it’s bigger than the Super Bowl itself, and some are calling it the biggest sporting event the city of Chicago has ever hosted.
The significance of this match-up should come as no surprise. Only 200 miles separate the cities of Green Bay and Chicago, and the contention between the two teams dates all the way back to when they first played in 1921. That makes it the longest running rivalry in American pro football, and over the years, the clubs have faced off a total of 181 times while battling for the NFC Central/North crown. The teams’ traditionally hard-nosed styles have helped to earn the division the nickname “the Black & Blue Division, and provided some classic football moments along the way. And if that wasn’t enough to illustrate the historical significance of this game, the conference winner receives the George Halas Trophy, named for the founder and longtime coach of the Bears’ founder, and will go on to compete for the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named for the legendary Packers’ coach. So yeah, I’d say this is a big one.
In looking back on the history of these two teams, I came across this anecdote from Lombardi that helps underscore just how deep this rivalry runs. From ChicagoSportsMemories.com:
“There’s only one man I embrace when we meet,” said the legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi, “and only one I call ‘Coach’—George Halas.”
One Sunday, according to Green Bay star Paul Hornung, the Packers were dressing for a game against the Bears when insistent knocking was heard at the locker-room door. Hornung opened the door, and found none other than Halas standing there.
“I need to see Lombardi,” Halas said to the startled Hornung.
Lombardi came to the door. “Hello, Coach,” he said. “What can I do for you?”
“Vince,” said Halas, “I just came by to tell you that we are gonna kick your ass!” With that, he turned and walked away.
If that doesn’t get you fired up, I don’t know what will. According to ticket brokers, Sunday’s game is by far the hottest ticket in the city’s sports history.
For you football history buffs, the Bears just posted six minutes of video from the only other playoff contest between Chicago and Green Bay in 1941, complete with silent movie-style title screens to help you follow the action. The Bears won that game, 33-14.
20
Jan
2011
Injuries in the NFL: How many games did each team’s starters miss this season?
(Photo: Reuters)
Anybody who spends any significant amount of time watching the NFL (or playing fantasy football for that matter) quickly comes to realize how big of an impact injuries can have on a team’s season. So much so that over the years, I’ve fallen firmly in the camp that injuries – and more importantly how back-ups perform in the inevitable case of injury to big-time players on both sides of the ball – are the single most important factor for a team’s success. Everything else can seemingly go out the window if the cornerstone of your offense goes down and nobody steps up to replace him. Add in the loss of leadership on the field, and there can be a domino effect that takes an irreparable toll on the entire team.
(Image: FootballOutsiders.com)
Well, the guys over at Football Outsiders put together an interesting statistical breakdown which might blow my theory right to hell. Or not. This table breaks down the total number of games lost by each team, and as you’ll see, this year’s playoff teams are all over the map. The most startling difference can be found in the NFC Championship opponents. The Packers came in second league-wide with 83 total games missed, while the Bears are tied for dead last with just 11. Meanwhile, the Steelers are middle-of-the-pack with 49, and the Jets got off relatively easy with 38 starter games missed.
In all, 4 of the 5 most injured teams, along with the three least injured teams made the playoffs this season. The remaining five playoff teams (Pats, Steelers, Ravens, Jets, Saints) are somewhere in the middle, and the Colts clearly got the worst of the injury bug this year. So what do we learn from this? Mainly it proves that a team can overcome injuries and still make a run at the post-season. It’s just a matter of having capable back-ups. At the same time, we can also see that some teams who weren’t necessarily expected to be contenders this season (Chiefs, Bears, etc.) benefited from staying healthy.
It should be noted that this breakdown isn’t statistically perfect. It only takes into account 22 starters on each team per game (11 offense, 11 defense), and most teams use more players than that regularly on each side of the ball. Also, it doesn’t take into account injuries to multiple starters at the same position (see the New Orleans Saints RBs). But perhaps most importantly, the table doesn’t assign any value to the importance of the player injured or the total number of games missed by that player. Losing someone like Sidney Rice, Ryan Grant or Ed Reed for much of the season is a far more significant injury than losing a 2-down linebacker for a few games here or there.
So, while this table may be interesting to look at, it doesn’t really give us the full picture. It would probably take a much deeper analysis than I’m capable of (hint hint, Football Outsiders math wizards) to show which teams really faced the most overall adversity due to injury.
16
Jan
2011
VIDEO: Bears fans borrow Blackhawks’ tradition, cheer through national anthem
The singing of the Star Spangled Banner at a sporting event is generally only noteworthy if the singer forgets the lyrics, or is otherwise particularly crappy. But recently, there has been a string of genuinely heartwarming anthem videos hitting the web. Earlier this week, this video went viral of an AHL hockey crowd helping an 8-year-old girl finish the song after her mic cut out. And even the most cynical among you will smile a little upon watching it.
Today, the Chicago Bears wanted to get a raucous playoff atmosphere going at prior to kickoff of their NFC Divisional Playoff against the Seattle Seahawks. As such, they brought in Jim Cornelison, who normally handles the anthem duties for the Chicago Blackhawks, to do the honors at Soldier Field. And the result was one of the more goosebump-inducing pre-game moments since Whitney Houston 20 years ago (pre-Bobby Brown) at Super Bowl XXV:
For the uninitiated, it’s been a Blackhawks playoff tradition to cheer through the national anthem for over 25 years, with Cornelison doing the singing for the last 15 of those. And after helping to lift the Bears to an impressive 35-24 victory today, you can probably expect it to become a Chicago football tradition as well.
30
Nov
2010
NFL Week 13 Power Rankings (featuring the “Berserker Number”)
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Does anyone want to play the Bills right now? (Source: BuffaloNews.com)
Note: For the teams from 32-17, I’ve tagged them with my BERSERKER NUMBER (B#). Ranging from 1 to 100, it rates a team’s ability to cause havoc for teams attempting a playoff run. Young, developing squads just beginning to show power (but stuck with losing records) are helped, in my rankings, by a high B#.
For the teams from 16-1, I’ve added my DESTINY SCORE (DS). Again, 1 to 100. Here, I’m attempting to weed out teams resembling, for instance, the 1988 Chicago Bears. Teams with towering regular season records that (we all know) will not get to — back to — the Super Bowl. Teams, well, missing something special.
My (totally subjective, imperfect) Week 13 Power Rankings:
32 Carolina Panthers (1-10) (B#4)
31 Arizona Cardinals (3-8) (B#8)
30 Cincinnati Bengals (2-9) (B#14)
29 San Francisco 49ers (4-7) (B#22)
28 Denver Broncos (3-8) (B#33)
27 Detroit Lions (2-9) (B#28)
26 Buffalo Bills (2-9) (B#68)
25 Dallas Cowboys (3-8) (B#41)
24 Minnesota Vikings (4-7) (B#42)
23 Oakland Raiders (5-6) (B#52)
22 Washington Redskins (5-6) (B#43)
21 Seattle Seahawks (5-6) (B#54)
20 Cleveland Browns (4-7) (B#73)
24
Oct
2010
DeAngelo Hall ties NFL record with 4 INTs; Cutler still throwing picks
DeAngelo Hall deflated the Bears with this amazing one-handing pick, which he returned 92 yards for the score (Photo via ChrisMottram)
Jay Cutler is having a heck of a season. After starting the year 3-0, the perpetually dopey Bears QB got his bell rung by the Giants in week 4 and sat out one game before returning. Cutler may have rushed himself back into action, because he took six sacks in a loss to Carolina last week, and apparently the concussion is lingering … or at least, Cutler would be wise to use that as an excuse after his performance today.
It looked as though Cuter thought DeAngelo Hall was a member of the Bears this afternoon, throwing 4 interceptions – all of them to Hall – in an ugly 17-14 loss to the Redskins. Hall became just the 19th person in NFL history, and the first since 2001, to intercept four passes in one game. He put Washington ahead for good with an incredible 92-yard pick six near the end of the 3rd quarter. The Redskins racked up 6 total turnovers and four sacks, and there were a total of 9 turnovers (and nearly many more) in a game that was brutal to watch at times.
But Cutler, in displaying his unique brand of stubbornness and stupidity, said he never considered not throwing Hall’s way:
“No,” he said. “Not at all. I’ve played against him before. There’s no reason to shy away from him. I mean that’s hard for me to say throwing four picks to the guy, but I still think if we had to play him tomorrow, I’d go after him every time.”
Really Jay? Every time? Really? Isn’t rule number one for a quarterback pretty much not to throw the ball when your receiver is covered like a blanket? Or is your strategy to just chuck it up there – regardless of the situation – and trust that your rocket arm is going to bail you out every time? It’s that kind of arrogance that will keep Cutler from ever becoming a great QB in this league … and probably keep the Bears from making the playoffs.
WATCH ALL FOUR OF DEANGELO HALL’S INTERCEPTIONS AFTER THE JUMP
