Could Niners' lavish pregame festivities give Bears an edge?
Well, it seems like the consensus final score for Sunday night's game is somewhere in the vicinity of 49ers 38, Bears 13.
Not so sure about that.
Fighting the odds:
Yeah, the Bears have a lot going against them, including injuries to the O-line and at receiver.
And they're going up against a Niners team that looked ridiculously good last week and who this week celebrates the inaugural regular-season game at shiny new Levi's Stadium.
But ...:
There's something about a lavish pregame ceremony that can throw off a home team.
I always think back a couple years when the L.A. Kings celebrated their Stanley Cup win prior to their regular-season opener against the Blackhawks.
It was the longest, most dragged-out ceremony in recorded history and then .... the Hawks went out and spanked them.
Here's hoping:
The pregame ceremonies Sunday night, which are scheduled to include a wide array of celebrities and then fireworks, and then more celebrities, will throw the Niners off their pregame routine and out of sync while the Bears avoid it all and focus solely on football.
I know it's a stretch, and I realize my logic is highly questionable, nonetheless I'm going with Bears 24, Niners 21.
Alright, alright, alright:
Turns out I'm not the only guy who likes to drive around aimlessly and, using my lowest, sexiest voice, ramble to no one in particular about the virtues of my car.
Thank you Matthew McConaughey for not making me feel like a complete weirdo.
Gotta admit:
He is a pretty cool dude, though.
And as an aside, his movie "Mud" was completely overlooked.
Scapegoat City:
My prediction on how this whole independent investigation into the Ray Rice story will go:
Lots of bluster, stern faces and promises to "get to the bottom of things" as investigation begins.
A low-level employee will be highlighted as the culprit and fired.
Goodell will be "completely flabbergasted" that something like this could occur.
New procedures will immediately be implemented to ensure nothing like this will ever happen again.
Goodell remains commissioner and la, la, la, life goes on with talk quickly turning to key Week 5 matchup between the Colts and Texans.
A waaaay better story:
Is the one about Devon Still, his baby girl Leah and how cool the Bengals have been to both.
Simply heartwarming.
One ring-a-dingy:
Why is it every time I talk into an empty soup can on a string I get nothing but busy signals ... and strange looks?
Never forget:
Thirteen years after 9-11, my two most vivid memories in the wake of the attacks were just how jolting it was to actually hear a plane overhead after days of complete silence.
That and pulling up at a stop light next to a guy driving a tattered pickup with a huge American flag flying in the bed and giving him a thumbs-up and thinking to myself that this country has never been more united.
Hidden gem:
How good did Judd Sirott sound this week working alongside Ron Coomer in Toronto?
Answer: darn good.
Mark your calendar:
There will be quite the Bulls flavor Wednesday when the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame inducts the Class of 2014 at its annual dinner at Hawthorne Race Course.
Headliners include Kevin Ollie, Donovan McNabb and Earl Campbell, but there are also a notable number of Bulls connections going in - including Bill Wennington, Craig Hodges and Bill Cartwright.
While on the topic:
Of Earl Campbell, did you happen to catch that segment featuring him and Jadeveon Clowney on the CBS preview show prior to its inaugural Thursday night broadcast?
It was beautiful.