NFL made the right call opening with Bears-Packer rivalry

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

It started as a dream. In 1892 two sports collided, soccer and rugby. On November 6, 1869, two prolific colleges, Rutgers and Princeton played what was advertised to be the first college football game. But it wasn’t until rugby player Walter Camp from Yale decided to change the rules to gradually turn the game of rugby into the game we now call American Football.

For the benefit of readers who will argue that their team should have been chosen to start the 100-year celebration, let’s put it in perspective. There is no question as to the birth of the game of football. In 1903 Pro Football was popularized in Ohio when the Massillon Tigers hired four Pittsburgh pros to play in the season-ending game against Akron. As teams started to implement rules of the game, like touchdowns and the forward pass, the game moved. In 1919, Earl (Curly) Lambeau and George Calhoun organized the Green Bay Packers. The Packers went 10-1 that season.

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Checking in on the NFC North quarterbacks

By Sonja Greenfield //@Mom23RN

It’s been a pretty eventful offseason for the NFC North teams. Free agency has brought some good players into the mix, as my fellow reporter Wanda Wiedman has mentioned. New coaches and coordinators have been hired, and the teams are looking to solidify themselves with a successful draft.

But one thing that stayed consistent in the division where all of the coaches names start with M, are the quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins, and Mitchell Trubisky have the honor of quarterbacking in the Black and Blue division.

Today I ask the question, What will 2019 look like for these quarterbacks?

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NFC North looking to fight for the top

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

The 2018 season was presumed to be a lock with the Green Bay Packers on top of the NFC North and the Chicago Bears in last place, according to most sports affiliates. But no one expected the opposite. Granted the Packers fell into third place in the division, finishing with a 6-9-1 record. However, no one expected the Bears to win the division with a 12-4 record led by a wicked defense and the Coach of the Year in Matt Nagy.

The Bears are fighting to keep that division title but their rivals are nipping at their heels, or so it seems on paper. Running backs, corners, safeties, defensive players and wide receivers are the focus of each team. Here is what the NFC North teams have done so far in free agency to fix some holes:

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Full Chicago meltdown after heartbreaking loss in Wild Card game

By Wanda Wiedman //@WandaW63

Eagles 16 – Bears 15

Heartbreaking does not describe the feeling of every Chicago Bears fan after the devastating loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field. A one point differential. One point. That has been the staple all season, getting close and squeaking out a win.

This was the wild card game against a team the Bears helped get in to the playoffs by beating the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17. But it was a game the Bears should have won and it should not have rested on the leg of a kicker who had been inconsistent all season.

I could sit here and go over the details of what happened that led to a last-second field goal. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky struggled in the first half. He did not give up the ball but his throws were not there. Workhorse running back Jordan Howard was shamefully unused as he had only 10 touches for 35 yards. RB Tarik Cohen was less, at zero rushes. ZERO!

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Fog won’t be an issue in Bears-Eagles matchup

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

It was 31 years ago that a strange eerie fog rolled into Soldier Field in a critical NFC divisional playoff game between the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a beautiful brisk day in Chicago and clear skies. But there was a cloud of uncertainty between the two teams.

Eagles head Coach Buddy Ryan was going head-to-head against his former team, a team he had built a fierce defense with that dominated in 1985, resulting in a Super Bowl title.

In 1988, the Eagles had the worst pass defense in the league. This year the Eagles rank 30th in passing defense, while the Bears rank seventh. Back then head coach Mike Ditka said that “if we don’t beat ourselves we can win this game”. I would say that same statement would apply today for the Bears going into the playoffs this Sunday. But for the 88’ Eagles, that was the case as they could not score a touchdown due to penalties, including some that negated two touchdowns in the first half.

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Bears not backing down in last regular season game

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

It’s been a long time since the Chicago Bears were NFC North division champs.

But this is an unfamiliar feeling as of late for the Bears and their fans, that is, playing a last season game with grit.

Sure, they could sit their starters and stay comfortably in the 3rd seed, but why do that when there are several factors at stake?

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A possible Bears Christmas list may include Super Bowl

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

Christmas is literally around the corner and the Chicago Bears already stuffed their stocking with an NFC North division title.

Intertwined with that title came a win against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field (which was long overdue), the trade of linebacker Khalil Mack from the Oakland Raiders and five players in the Pro Bowl, Khalil Mack, safety Eddie Jackson, defensive end Akiem Hicks, cornerback Kyle Fuller, and running back Tarik Cohen.

But I’m sure Santa Claus isn’t going to stop there, right? The Bears were really good this year!

General manager Ryan Pace did the right thing by getting the best candidate available for the head coaching job in Matt Nagy. Pace surrounded Nagy with coaches that would compliment his coaching style and what the franchise stood for – excellence. Continue reading “A possible Bears Christmas list may include Super Bowl” →

Packers fall to Bears, are eliminated from playoffs

Lucy Rendler-Kaplan
Green Bay Packers Reporter

By Lucy Rendler-Kaplan // @lucyrk78

Bears 24 -Packers 17

I know that usually an article would come out immediately following a game. However, I needed a couple of days.

I needed a few days to get over my disappointment. I needed a couple of days so that when I did start to write this article, I wasn’t doing so from a place of anger.

Mostly though, I have just been bummed out.

If this were my usual Green Bay Packers article, I’d go through Sunday’s game. I’d break it down a bit, with a little bit of my own analysis of what went wrong and what went right. Sadly, it really doesn’t matter. With two weeks left in the regular NFL season, the Packers have been eliminated from the playoffs.

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Chicago Bears over throw Rodgers reign

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

Chicago 24 – Green Bay 17

It was a sold-out crowd at Soldier Field as Bears fans flooded the stadium to cheer on their Chicago Bears. The Monsters of the Midway become the real Avengers as they overthrow quarterback Aaron Rodgers and company with a 24-17 win over the Green Bay Packers.

All week going into this game, analysts and radio hosts overplayed the fact that Rodgers “owned” the Bears since 2010. It was deafening and discouraging to Bears fans.

But the Bears came through and it started with the young quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky.

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Meet Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Finalist, Trey Burton

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

Since 1970, the Man of the Year award was given to players who went over and beyond in outstanding community service on and off the field, and still perform with extreme excellence on the field. It was renamed after the Chicago Bears greatest running back of all-time in 1999.

Alongside Payton, who won his award in 1977, is Dave Duerson (1987), Mike Singletary (1990), Jim Flanigan (2000), and Charles Tillman (2013). Former Bears Julius Peppers (Panthers) and Robbie Gould (49ers) are also finalists for their prospective causes.

This year, the Chicago Bears have chosen tight end Trey Burton as their nominee.

I want to address the work that Burton has been pouring his heart and soul into, and that is the International Justice Mission. This organization aims at eliminating slave trade.

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