North: Chicago Bears fans starting to believe
The Bears could be 5-5 after Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos (7-2), and despite an 0-3 start Chicago fans are starting to believe this team can be better.
What's more important, however, is the players are starting to believe, which makes a huge difference on the field.
It's great to see a more upbeat mood coming from the fans as Bears jackets and sweatshirts, which were buried in the back of closets, are now surfacing on the streets of Chicago.
If you think the Bears can't beat Denver and the great Brock Osweiler, the backup QB for Peyton Manning, then you're in denial.
John Fox and his staff have done one of the greatest coaching jobs I've seen. Yeah, I know the Bears are just 4-5, but how many of us had them only two games out after nine games?
With the Minnesota Vikings (7-2) leading the NFC North and with three games left against division teams, the Bears have a glimmer of hope. Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay's record of 6-3 is deceiving because they are not a very good football team right now.
Jay Cutler can break every Bears' record under the sun, but the one he needs to worry about is his 1-12 record against the Packers.
That's the game he needs to win, but let's get a victory against the Broncos this weekend and worry about a Green Bay turkey next week.
50 years for the Bulls:
I have to give it to Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg. He stomped his feet after a couple of lackluster performances and the players took notice, which is a good sign.
In the meantime, former coach Tom Thibodeau will still be getting paid by the organization, but he will have plenty of job opportunities in places such as New Orleans and Philadelphia.
With the Bulls just starting to celebrate their 50th anniversary (1966-2016), I can remember being in the seventh grade heading to the International Amphitheater to watch Guy Rogers, Bob Boozer, Jerry Sloan and McCoy McLemore play. Richard Klein was the first owner and took a chance making the Bulls the 10th franchise in the league. Basketball had failed before and the Bulls made the playoffs in their first season, but had an early exit going 0-3 against the St. Louis Hawks with John "Red" Kerr winning coach of the year.
If you talk to older Bulls fans, the 1972 team of Chet Walker, Bob Boerwinkle, Bob Love, "Stormin' Norman" Van Lier and Sloan was as big as Michael Jordan's Bulls teams. They captured the persona of Chicago and even though they never won a title, they helped establish the franchise in this town.
I call that a huge victory for the city. Thanks guys.
Program notes:
Follow me on Twitter@ north2north, and listen to Fox Sports Daybreak with Andy Furman and myself from 5-8 a.m. Monday through Friday on Fox Sports radio, and check me out on iHeart radio or Foxsportsradio.com. Listen to my postgame Bears show on The Drive 97.1-FM every Sunday.
• 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.