Packers lack skill players to beat the Bears
The Chicago Bears are underdogs as they prepare to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at home. Initially the Bears were favored by -1½ in the game, but now that Rodgers has told Packers fans to relax, emotions are changing course, and the betting line has changed with it.
Whenever Rodgers speaks, it often is a signal he's ready to start winning, but this time I just don't see it. The Bears went to San Francisco and New York and won both games, and I believe they will win this one, too.
As I look at the Packers, I don't see the skill position players or the team from five or six years ago. The Bears defense has played well, and Mel Tucker is getting praise as defensive coordinator. If the defense was getting torched, we would be criticizing Tucker, but things seem to be falling into place for this team.
With Green Bay, Detroit and Chicago, the NFC North may be the best division in football, and I believe it will be a three-team battle all the way to the end.
Let's hope the Bears end up on top.
Off-the-field issues:
In the meantime, the NFL still has issues with Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy, among others. The off-the-field activity has largely been the focus, but finally the games are starting to take center stage as the league enters Week 4.
The players have been under siege on so many levels, and in some cases it has been well deserved.
While owners and some networks have had NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's back through this nightmare, there is plenty of other fallout.
The San Francisco 49ers suspended announcer Ted Robinson for two games because of recent comments he made during an interview about Janay Rice. On KNBR-AM radio, Robinson called her decision to marry Rice "pathetic."
Now ESPN columnist Bill Simmons has been suspended for his podcast profanity laced diatribe on Roger Goodell because he questioned his honesty. He said "I just think not enough is being made out of the fact that they knew about the [Ray Rice] tape, and they knew what was on it. Goodell, if he didn't know what was on that tape, he's a liar. I'm just saying it. He is lying. I think that dude is lying, if you put him on a lie-detector test that guy would fail."
Where Simmons made his mistake was almost seeming to challenge ESPN to do something about his comments.
Well they did. Journalism and sports radio, including podcasts, are different animals. Unfortunately, the sports landscape has changed and speaking out is becoming a dangerous road to travel.
People sometimes assume I have been suspended, but I never have. Toeing the company line, however, is the new mentality in the sports media world.
While I believe there is some truth in what Simmons said, he will have to pay the price for his honesty.
Program notes:
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• North's column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.