The Bear’s Den: January 29, 2020

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

Ken’s Note: If you’ve never heard the album version of Black Betty, give it a listen... the radio version cuts out the fantastic guitar & bass work in the middle...

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

BEARRRSSSS & SUPER BOWL STUFFSSSS

Why Akiem Hicks Should Pressure Bears for Big Raise - SI.com - Akiem Hicks should make a phone call to his agent and ask for a raise, perhaps even hold out for more cash.

A New “Shew”: Is Anthony Gordon on Bears’ Radar? - SI.com - The Anthony Gordon hype machine is on full tilt after his Senior Bowl performance, which can’t be good for the Bears if they had hoped to take him later in the draft.

Hoge and Jahns: A Loaded Episode From Radio Row in Miami - WGN Radio - As the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs prepare for Super Bowl 54 this Sunday, Adam Hoge spent some time on Radio Row in Miami talking to a handful of attendees with Chicago ties.

Riley Ridley gained greater appreciation for football - ChicagoBears.com - Not making his NFL debut until Week 13 of his rookie season gave Bears receiver Riley Ridley a chance to look at the big picture. Said Ridley: “I see the game differently. I respect it and I love it more.”

Five QBs in the First 15 Picks? One NFL Exec Thinks It’ll Happen - Bleacher Nation - The buzz surrounding this year’s quarterbacks is growing at a rate I wasn’t expecting. In a recent Senior Bowl round-up, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller spoke

Patrick Mahomes Has Plenty of Love for Matt Nagy (Which Gives Me Some Hope) - Bleacher Nation - There was a moment in January where I was prepared to dive into a post titled “Meet Matt Kafka, an Option to be the Chicago Bears’ Next Offensive Coordinator.”

David Montgomery Put the Bears’ 2019 Rookie Draft Class on His Back - Bleacher Nation - Waiting for the Chicago Bears to go on the clock in the 2019 NFL Draft is a slog I don’t ever want to experience again. Between the draft-pick capital traded

5@5: Would Berry Be An Upgrade Over Clinton-Dix? - 670 The Score - The Mully & Haugh crew debates a five-pack of questions every weekday.

Chicago Bears punter Pat O’Donnell: 8-8 Bears season not ‘up to our expectations’ - Chicago Sun-Times - Pat O’Donnell grew up in South Florida and still lives here. He can’t imagine what playing in the Super Bowl in his hometown would be like — but was quick to point out next year offers a somewhat similar opportunity.

Chicago-Bears’ Eddy Pineiro expects team to sign kicker for offseason competition - Chicago Sun-Times - Pineiro says he’s ready earn his spot again, and if there’s competition, "then we’ll go to war," he said with a laugh.

Halas Intrigue Super Bowl podcast: Bears’ Eddy Pineiro, Pat O’Donnell and iguanas! - Chicago Sun-Times - Lizards and kickers and Bears. Oh my!

Super Bowl: Patrick Mahomes says Northwestern alum Mike Kafka ‘expects me to be great every single day’ - Chicago Sun-Times - The man behind the NFL’s most important player is a former Wildcats quarterback. And a St. Rita High School alum.

Super Bowl podcast: Halas Intrigue is in Miami! - Chicago Sun-Times - From Robbie Gould to Patrick Mahomes, Bears fans must wonder what might have been.

Look away, Bears fans: It’s the Patrick Mahomes Super Bowl - Chicago Sun-Times - The Chiefs quarterback was one of almost 200 players, coaches and staffers to participate in the Super Bowl media circus Monday. But most in the art-deco-inspired baseball stadium would have shown up just to see him.

Bears' Recent Moves Prove the Organization Doesn’t Care About Its Fans - Chicago Audible Blog - Raising ticket prices after a failed season and moving training camp indicates one thing about the franchise: the Chicago Bears don’t care about their fans.

I learned a lot at the Super Bowl's Opening Night, and none of it was about football - NBC Sports Chicago - The most outrageous quotes of the night came from the same people looking for them.

Robbie Gould has nothing but fond feelings for Chicago: "Once a Bear, always a Bear." - NBC Sports Chicago - The Niners kicker had nothing but good things to say about Chicago.

For the Payton family, Kobe Bryant’s death hits especially close to home - NBC Sports Chicago - Jarrett Payton talked with NBC Sports Chicago about the death of two sports icons.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Deion Sanders: They’re letting too many players into the Hall of Fame – ProFootballTalk - Deion Sanders is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he thinks that club is adding too many members. Sanders said on the Dan Patrick Show that he believes there are too many players being allowed into the Hall of Fame, even if they weren’t truly great players, and it’s watering down the honor.

Drew Brees’ retirement talk isn’t idle chatter – ProFootballTalk - Saints quarterback Drew Brees will return to the team for a 15th season or retire. Whatever he ultimately does, this isn’t an effort to generate attention or spark discussion.

Kyle Shanahan explains decision to pass on Mahomes - NFL.com - Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch had a chance to draft Patrick Mahomes in 2017 and decided against it. The 49ers coach explained why San Francisco didn’t bite on the future MVP.

Super Bowl LIV: Checking flashy narratives around Chiefs, 49ers - NFL.com - Is Patrick Mahomes going to have his hands full against Nick Bosa and the 49ers’ pass rush? Keegan Abdoo and Mike Band take a Next Gen Stats microscope to five flashy Super Bowl LIV narratives.

Why the San Francisco 49ers didn’t think Patrick Mahomes made sense at the No. 2 pick in 2017, either - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears didn’t think Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was worth the second pick of the 2017 draft. Neither did the 49ers — who traded the pick to the Bears, who drafted Mitch Trubisky.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

2020 Senior Bowl recap: Players the Detroit Lions may have fallen in love with - Pride Of Detroit - Jeff Risdon helps us break down the 2020 Senior Bowl results.

Detroit Lions Film Breakdown: Should the Lions bring back Rashaan Melvin? - Pride Of Detroit - The corner struggled after signing a one year deal with the Lions.

Important offseason dates for the Vikings - Daily Norseman - For the rest of the league, too, I suppose

2020 NFL Draft: January mock draft roundup finds only receivers for the Packers - Acme Packing Company - Behind Davante Adams, the WR position in Green Bay lacks real depth. A first-round pick could change that.

High school coach reveals Packers’ questionnaire about NFL Draft prospects - Acme Packing Company - The Packers are sending letters to high school football coaches asking about sports and school, and fans can now see what items the team is looking for.

How far should the Detroit Lions be willing to move down in the draft? - Pride Of Detroit - If you’re all aboard the ‘Trade Down Train,’ just how far are you willing to ride it down the tracks?

IN CASE YOU YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Infante's draft profile: LSU TE Thaddeus Moss a name to watch for Bears - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears will likely draft a tight end this year, and the son of a Hall of Famer could be worth a look.

Wiltfong: Ten Thoughts on the NFL - Windy City Gridiron - This week we get a little help from you guys for our Thoughts...

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

Windy City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bear With Me from Robert Schmitz, Bears Over Beers featuring Jeff Berckes & EJ Snyder, and T Formation Conversation from Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.; Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert; and Robert Zeglinski’s The Blitz Network

THE RULES

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

Windy City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bear With Me from Robert Schmitz, Bears Over Beers featuring Jeff Berckes & EJ Snyder, Bears Banter hosted by Bill Zimmerman, and T Formation Conversation from Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.; Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert; and Robert Zeglinski’s The Blitz Network

Click on our names to follow us on Twitter: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Schmitz; Robert Zeglinski; Bill Zimmerman; Like us on Facebook.