Predicting The Fifty-Three

As we wind through the dark doldrums of the off-season, we find a small beacon of light. That light is the one thing that unites us. The last bastions of hope for a 3-13 Chicago Bears’ team lays in the off-season. An off-season chock full of new hope, new players, new expectations. Yes, football is almost here and it is one of my favorite things.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings...

I am pretty positive that Julie Andrews wrote that song about the optimism of sports fans as the dawn of a new season approaches. There is no more wonderful time of the year than when football is upon us. For us fans, it is a time when our Fall(en) heroes awake from their slumber. Pessimism and dour feelings are pushed aside for those of optimism, what-if’s and for some of us, drinking orange-colored, sugary beverages.

But for the players, there is something else entirely, a sense of angst. For some, the off-season is just a way to get in shape for the upcoming campaign. They are assured a spot on the roster, maybe even a starting position. But for others, this may be their last shot, heck, it might be their only shot.

This is the part of the season that arrives on Thursday. This is the time to separate the sheep from the goats. For thirty-seven unfortunate souls, their time with the team will come to an end. Some will remain on the practice squad, others will be picked up by other teams, but for some, this is simply the end of the journey.

The good folks here at Windy City Gridiron are going to take this opportunity to predict who those lucky fifty-three men will be. But this is not just a simple prediction, no! This is going to be for all of the fanfare, all of the glory and all of the tacos!

Based on a simple point system (1 point per correct player prediction), we will determine the winner. To make it a little more interesting, the winner will, in addition to eating all the tacos, be allowed to choose a topic of an article for the writer with the least amount correct. In the event of a tie, we will go to who has the most correctly chosen members of the practice squad.

Check back soon to see the picks!