November 16, 2019: Hot Topics

Let’s take a minute to touch on the hot topics of the week: the Myles Garrett incident & the Colin Kaepernick workout. Fun stuff.

Let’s start with the swinging of a football helmet at someone not wearing a helmet. Anyone defending that action is flat out wrong. I don’t care about the Browns or Garrett, and I surely don’t care about the Steelers or their QB. I’m sure crap is done back and forth every week on the NFL field between players, sometimes worse depending on history and rivalry. The NFL is a violent sport, that there is really no way around. No matter how you try to protect players in normal game action, injuries will happen; people will cross the line. Football has changed today; some folks say it’s not for the better. Players back in the 70s, heck the 85 Bears, would be outlawed for their hits. We’ve seen fights on the football field, plenty of them. Some may even say violence sells; they’d be right, and that’s why the NFL is the most popular sport in the country. But when you take a piece of equipment and swing it at someone’s unprotected head, you cross the line. This isn’t the streets… if it was, something far worse would probably happen; swinging a helmet would be the least of your worries. No, this is a professional league, where there are rules that need to be followed, and lines that should never be crossed. I read something about a hockey fight years back. Sure, plenty of fights there, with players going toe to toe; people love it. But when someone swings a stick at someone’s head… the player got suspended for 18 months. Imagine if somebody tried to stab somebody with a skate. Sure, baseballs are thrown at people wearing headgear, but does anyone ever swing a bat at someone… or take off their spikes and try to hurt somebody? Myles got suspended for the rest of the season; he may be suspended more. I don’t agree with the whole “press charges” crowd, but I do agree with the serious suspension. Certainly don’t think he should be kicked out of the league by any stretch; he should be allowed back on the field at some point next year. But imagine if he killed that guy… that’s why you just don’t do it. It’s flat out wrong. Period.

Here comes Colin… lots of angles here, and let me say this: with all the BS between all parties and opinions surrounding this ex-QB, I’d love to see him play on a team and actually show what he could do. Frankly, I think he’s done. Three years outside of the game…. I don’t care if you’ve been working out every day, or practicing throwing the ball. You haven’t played NFL football in 3 years! Doesn’t the game pass you by at some point? This means of course he’s 3 years older as well… everybody is not Tom Brady; I wish he would retire already. That being said, as a Bears fan, I would welcome anybody who can help this team. There’s been times watching the Bears play this year where I felt like I could be a better QB… so certainly someone who has done it successfully in the past can do better, right? Hey, I remember cheering for Colin as he ran up and down the field against the Packers back in the day. I also remember his play go way down towards the end of his tenure… Should the Bears kick the tires? Certainly; it can’t hurt. Do I think this player can help the Bears? Unfortunately, I do think Daniel would be better than him right now for us. Does that mean Colin is not better than the other 31 backups in the league? Hard to say… like I said, I’d like to see him get the chance and that way we could all know the answer. But Trump say no, right?

OK, moving back to Chicago sports… a busy Saturday night lies ahead, with an even more important Sunday night. Ah, let the action begin!