O’Donnell: If Troy Aikman’s candor makes the Bears better, who loses?
THE HONESTY AND INSIGHT OF TROY AIKMAN during the Bears' 25-24 win at Washington Monday night spawned a hollow tempest.
When the ABC/ESPN analyst said that Caleb Williams and Co. got “lucky” on a short out pattern that D'Andre Swift slipped into a 55-yard catch-and-run for a fourth-quarter TD, he was correct.
When he suggested Williams could be tightening his delivery of some passes, ditto.
Any umbrage from the developing upticks of Halas Hall was so much fragile outrage.
AIKMAN IS THE MOST FORTHRIGHT MAN in any NFL TV booth. With a career that ranged from a 1-15 rookie campaign with the Cowboys to three Super Bowl rings, he has the credentials.
He's also the only major NFL voice who will call bad football what it is and continually chide officials for what are suspiciously “league calls.”
(Those — in the parlance of the game's most invested fans — are penalties that appear to contribute toward close halftime scores and dramatic finishes.)
TRUTHS ABOUT the Chicago victory:
· Any time Ben Johnson & the Bears rush for close to 150 yards and are +3 in takeaways, they should win;
· The Commanders beat the Commanders; and,
· Only 22 games into his pro career, under a third head coach, Williams remains a work in progress.
AIKMAN, MEANWHILE, IS a welcome breath of fresh NFL air — and a wealthy one, with a net worth approaching a reported $125 million.
He has walkaway resources any time he wants.
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SATURDAY NIGHT'S NOTRE DAME-USC GAME marked the 20th anniversary of the classic 2005 shootout between Brady Quinn's No. 9 Irish (+14½) and Matt Leinart's visiting No. 1 Trojans.
USC won 34-31 on a last-second shamrock shaker when Leinart helped shove Reggie Bush over the north goal line for the winning TD.
THE MANEUVER PROMPTED a Sun-Times beat writer, ahem, to coin the phrase “Bush Push,” which lives on in amended form primarily thanks to Jalen Hurts and the Eagles.
When “Bush Push” was initially framed in a postgame question to rookie ND coach Charlie Weis, “The Charmin' One” replied: “'Bush Push' … yeah, that's what it was. 'Bush Push' … yeah, I like that.”
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THE CHICAGOLAND SPORTS HALL OF FAME added 12 new honorees this week, swelling its rank to close to 600.
At that rate, every prep who lettered in varsity football or basketball at a Chicago Catholic League school between 1947-75 will probably be in the CSHOF by the year 2077.
Topping the Rosemont billboard were Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ryan Dempsey and Peanut Tillman.
Dan Hampton accepted on behalf of the ailing Mike Hartenstine, once the oldest Bear on the Super Bowl XX champs.
Most magnetic visual was shared by track star Alexandria Anderson and the table of Dave Bolland, who scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Blackhawks in 2013.
BRAD SPENCER — the brilliant football chief at North Central College — was presented with the Ray Meyer Coaching Excellence Award.
The Meyer Award historically goes to the coach of the previous spring's NCAA Division I basketball titlists.
Spencer (Naperville Central, Class of '00) and his 44-1 career record entering the 2025 season prompted the Hall's committee to furrow fresh high ground.
STREET-BEATIN':
The Bears-Saints game (noon, Fox) will be a homecoming for Scott Tolzien. The Fremd High alum ('07) is in his first year as quarterbacks coach for NO. If he could get some quality seasons as an OC on his resume, Tolzien would be on the short list for any number of head coaching jobs, including at Wisconsin, his alma mater. (Also where Luke Fickell is currently circling the Badgers' dunk tank.) …
“The Sherman and Tingle Show” on Chicago's top-rated WDRV-FM (97.1) is pushing its periodic sports content. The a.m. driver is entering its 10th year with Brian Sherman and Steve Tingle. It relies on a pacifying playlist heavy with Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Pearl Jam, et. al., to loop middle-aged men and older into “Risky Business” dance mode. …
Seasoned sports ad man Jeff Fritz is touting the fifth “Tailgate for Tails,” set for next Sunday at Nellie's Gastropub in downtown Palatine (11 a.m.-3 p.m.). Beneficiary is Second City Canine Rescue, which has found homes for more than 6,700 dogs (sccrescue.org). The Bears-Ravens will fill when the paws refresh. …
While the Cubs' postseason offered Our Town some distraction for two weeks, deeper wraparound at flagship WSCR-AM (670) limped to the last groundout. “Exhibit Zzz” came before Game 5 vs. Milwaukee when Chuck Swirsky wheezed home with matching drones Bruce Levine and Matt Spiegel. (Zach Zaidman stepped in to provide a pregame save.) …
Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears each week on Sunday and Wednesday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.