Wrigley Field: 100 Years of Misery, Happy Birthday!!

@BrewMastrJoe

(This is an excerpt from an earlier blog that I have updated and re-edited for Wrigley Field's 100th Anniversary)

From 1906 to 1910 the White Stockings (who were now officially dubbed the Cubs) won 4 National League Pennants, had 4 World Series appearances in 5 seasons (1906-1910), and won back to back World Series titles ('06, '07). 

They were the first MLB team to win back to back World Series. 

West Side Grounds

In the early twentieth century, immigrants who lived on the West Side of Chicago had no clue what this sport called baseball was.  

Attendance at the West Side Grounds started to suffer.

The Cub's were now feeling the pinch once again. 

With most fans leaving the West Side Grounds to go to the new modern Comiskey Park, it was time to respond.  

Another modern ballpark was being built on the corner of Clark and Addision in 1914 for the new Federal League. With the White Sox on the South Side, the Cubs on the west side, there was a new league and team on the north-side, the Chicago Whales. 

The league folded in 1915 and the Whales were no more.

At the start of the 1916 season, the Cub's started calling Weegham Park (Wrigley Field) home.

Weegham Park

It wasn't long before the Cub's found themselves in the 1918 World Series against the Boston Red Sox. 

At the time, Wrigley Field could only hold a crowd of 14,000.  Comiskey Park held a capacity of 28,000 people and ownership felt that Wrigley Field lacked what the forner had, and wanted to increase revenue at the gates. 

Greed obviously played a role in that decision. 

 The Cub's "traveled" to the South Side to play at Comiskey Park and gave away their home field advantage, 

and the World Series in 6 games.

This is where everything would take a "loosing" turn for the Cubs.

Other than going 1-3 at Comiskey Park against the Red Sox, in 1918, the Cubs have a dismal 

2-11 World Series record at Wrigley Field dating back to the '29 World Series.  They are 8-24 in the World Series they have appeared in, and are winless at Wrigley Field in '29, '32, and the '38 World Series. 

1945 seemed to be the only World Series the Cub's showed up for.  They won two games on the road in Detroit, and won game 6 (in 12 Innings) at Wrigley to force a game seven, which they lost.

In 2003, the Cub's played the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.

It was the franchise's first post-season series win since 1908.   

The Florida Marlins came to Chicago for game one of the NLCS and were victorious.  The Cubs won the next three games in the series, but in game five Josh Beckett pitched a two hit, one walk gem that shut the Cubs out, bringing the series back to Wrigley Field for games six and seven.

D'oh! 

In game six, the Cub's were only five outs away from their first pennant in 58 years, but all that changed on a foul ball hit to left field.  Ushering the Cub's into the Steve Bartman era.  

What a load of crap.

Luis Castillo ends up walking, and two batters later Alex Gonzalez bobbles a double play that could have ended the inning. It was a defensive error that costs the Cub's game six.  Bartman did not help the sitchuation.

Like Bob Stanley of the Red Sox,  had he not given up that wild pitch in game 6 of the 1986 World Series, Buckner would not be an adjective.  

After taking a 3-1 series lead, even if we lost game six, the Cub's still could come back and win game seven!!  But everyone had the same cold bitter feeling I had.  

The "curse" loomed.  

I never believed a curse even existed. 

I attended Game 2 of the 2008 NLDS.  

What I witnessed next changed a lot for me.

Four consecutive fielding errors by Mark DeRosa, Derrek Lee, Ryan Theroit, and Aramis Ramirez led to a 5 run inning which sucked the life out of the Wrigley Field crowd.  

The good vibes were fading fast and the so was the crowd.  For the next five innings it was nothing but sloppy pitching and spotty hitting.  

I was stunned.  

Arriving home, I turned on Sportscenter to watch that evenings highlights.  Instead I was treated to a collage of the Cub's five post-seasons collapse of '84, '89, getting swept in '98, Bartman, and then the "four" errors.  

Something I personally got to witness. 

A 2-11 World Series record at Wrigley Field and an abysmal .333 winning percentage in the World Series is all the proof you need.  Need more proof?

Eight consecutive post-season losses dating back to the 2003 NLCS. 

D'oh!

Wrigley Field sits on what used to be known as the Chicago Theological Lutheran Seminary grounds.  

There really hasn't been much to brag about in the last 106 years and it's not looking like it's going to get any better.  

Well, there always next....century?

2014 Chicago Cubs

@BrewMastrJoe

Who are these 2014 Chicago Cubs.  They can create runs, pitch, play defense, and have a guy or two in the bullpen that can throw.  

This pitching staff is pulling their weight, but it's not a staff that says "I GOTTA SEE THESE GUYS PITCH!!" The last pitching staff the Cubs had to that effect, would maybe be the 2008 group, but that could be debated.  

Oh Cubs.  How I wish it was two years from now.  

Seeing Javy Baez and his bat speed in spring training and the rest of the league reacting is a great feeling.  Watching Kris Bryant develop last fall, Albert Almora showing his maturity and speed, and how Mike Olt bounced back and crushed the ball in spring training had just reinvigorated the Hope from within.

(As I'm listening to the Cubs play the Cardinals right now, the former team is displaying horrendous defensive fundamentals and bad pitching against a talented team)

It's pointless, to me, to try and second guess Rick Renteria on anything.  I could start doing that, but I'll just save that for another post on another day.

As exciting as it is to watch the Cubs produce runs, I think it's fair to remember that upper-management is still building for the future, and if that means they have to flip guys for (most likely more pitching) prospects, it's probably for the best.

Maybe I should blame all this new found "Hope" on the Bears desire to embrace the LETS WIN NOW mode.

Chicago Sports: Trending downward?

by Joe Persinger
BrewMastrJoe on twitter



What is happening to Chicago sports teams this weekend??

Last Saturday all 3 1/2 major sports team managed to lose their respective games (Which baseball team gets the 1/2 credit is up to you, you all know where I stand there).  Chicago sports have not had a great trend since the turn of the decade.  Let's take a small look at what these 3 1/2 team's recent trend (dating back to the turn of the decade)




Yes, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup that same year, but has happened since?  They lost in 7 games to Vancouver in 2011 and lost in 6 games to Phoenix the following year.  They Hawks are having a great regular season, but as every hockey fan knows, the post-season is a different potato.  Anything can happen.  The Hawks have been the brightest spot on this blemished city sports landscape of recent.

Trending:  Stagnant




Then there's the Bulls.  Blessed with one of the better head coaches in the NBA, they are cash strapped.  They have $20 Million dollars sitting on the bench for the entire year because the point gaurd of the future is a mental head case.  Or like they say on streets of Rodgers Park "he's a bitch".   I have seen this team show flashes of brilliance. They were outplayed last night by a Nets team thats had their fair share of struggles.  Over the last two years they've reached the post-season, losing to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conf. Finals in 2011. Then in the first round to the 76ers after losing DRose after owning the best record in the NBA in 2012.  That would be the very definition of trending backwards.

Trending:  "Backwards"





The "South Side" has another trend that just wont seem to go away.  After owning first place in their division for most of the year, the second-second city team lost the lead down the stretch to the eventual AL Champs, the Detroit Tigers.  The White Sox haven't been to the post-season since 2008 and are starting to flirt with the ten year mark since their last World Series victory.

Trending:  Downward





The North-Siders have been trending downward since 1908.  When you set the bar for what dynasties are known for today in the Major Leagues, only to be on the other side of the spectrum 100 years later, you are the definition of trending downward.  Zooming in further, the Cubs don't seem to be trending anywhere.  The last two teams they've fielded lack pitching, pitching depth, defense, and timely hitting. This team doesn't seem any better and they already lead the league with errors and have had one in at lease every game.

Trending:  Trended so far down, they are even beneath the 2002 Oakland A's and that proverbial 50 feet of crap

Press Release: Joe Persinger will come out of retirement

by John D. Staff



About three years ago I wrote an article about Joe Persinger, a struggling musician who retired from the music business.  A little prematurely if you ask me, but I digress.  I was at the former site of his retirement announcement a month ago, and was curious where I could find the retired musician, and see what he is up to these days.

It took a few months to put things together, but we decided on a date to meet and discuss the last three years, and how his life has changed since.  At this point it was late spring, and when I had hung up the phone we had set a date for September 3, 2012.

We met at a bar in a large hotel in Reno, Nevada late in the afternoon.  As I waited, I noticed there was a peculiar crowd in town.  It almost looked as if Reno has been taken over by the 1960's San Fransisco "Hippie Movement".  I watched as one gentlemen walked passed me wearing nothing but a Speedo, another wearing a tutu and a large pinked feathered boa.  I'm pretty sure at one point, there was a group of 20 people dressed up as bees talking about heading to pool for the "after-party".

Quite the scene.

As I turned around to ask the bartender for Pepsi, a man grabbed me on my left shoulder and greeted me with a hug.  As we pulled away, it was the lone rocker himself, Joe Persinger.  Mutton chops lined the sides of his face and his long hair curled at the ends.  Easily, 10 pounds heavier from his
axe-wielding days.

He still bares no wedding ring.  His hair is as long is it has ever been, and his counter-culture experiment seemed to have blown up in his face.  There is something that he seemed to be weighing on his mind.

As the small talked commenced, he beamed about all his time off and what it has allowed him to do.

"I spent a lot of time in the southwest and became an even bigger sports fan.  I started a small blog about various sports subjects.  It mostly focused on Chicago sports, but it was a nice change of pace.  It was just another form of artistic expression, I guess."

I was curious and tempted to shift the conversation toward the environment around us.  The music blasting from the pool area was now bleeding into the bar every time the pool door opened.  The oddly dressed persons are now wondering from the bar to the pool.  Some even acknowledging the former musician.  Once the urge passed, I decided to begin the interview.

The next few paragraphs of this article was going to spotlight the conversation that took place, but I just couldn't help notice what was going on around us.

The pool and pool area had now filled with so many people, they were spilling into the bar.  Hotel security and it's staff were rushing to clear the pool area to allow more flexibility amongst the crowd.  It was like a sea of freaks dressed from (almost) nothing, to weird looking vests, feather, flowers, and various other underground fashion that I have never been exposed to.

I asked the former lead singer "What the hell is going on here?"

"Burning Man just ended.  This is the 'After-Burn' party..."

He explained to me what this art (really!?! Art!?!) festival was, to which I could not comprehend.

I began to wonder if this is what he has been up to these last few years.  Embracing an underground society that shuns commodification and any type of capitalistic venture (accept possibly it's own, but I'm still trying to figure that out).  He was an artist under the umbrella of a conglomerate that stood for everything this sub-society exists against.  I was now really curious.

"I really tried to embrace this whole Burning Man culture.  It seemed....genuine at first and I really wanted to see it for myself.  My first year was 2011 and I had a blast.  Everyone seemed into it that year, and the culture really seemed to be accepted by all."

"How was this year?"

"Not...the...same.  I'll never go back."

I was not expecting that.  There was a small pause that took place between us while I composed myself to try to redirect where I was taking this interview now.  It was clear he didn't want me to pry any further.

Every so often while we were speaking, I would catch Joe gazing out toward the pool looking at the large stage built at the rear end of the pool plaza and smile.

"Have you been keeping tabs on the music industry? Talked to any of your old 'work buddies'?"

"Not really.  I've been so detached that I couldn't even tell you what is what and who is who.  TV just seems saturated in singing competition shows, which only translate to saturating the music market, if you ask me, absolute crap.  When I started to notice 'Country' was the new 'Pop Music', 
I........"

He was cut off by a pack of hippies.  All half naked, wearing fur in unorthodox places, all their bodies painted, and they all smelled like Twinkies and alcohol.  They begged him to follow them out to the pool.

The pack of girls led him through the sea of people and he disappeared around the corridor.  The next time I saw him, he emerged from the large stage by the pool and the crowd was going nuts.  There was some kind of dialogue taking place so I pushed my way to the pool area and started taking notes.

A jam started to take place.

It was like watching a man ride a bike for the first time since he received his driver's licence.  The first thing I noticed, Persinger still has all that passion flowing through his veins.  He began to add vocals to the jam, singing a melody that was harmonized with the lead guitar.  When the lead guitar took over, he backed off and seemed to jam by himself taking in every moment.

Then the jam ended.

The crowd wanted more.  The look in his eye suggested he wanted to appease them, but he was just soaking it in.  Basking in the spotlight and the cheers of the crowd one last time like an athlete who was walking off the field of play one last time.

He walked to the mic, and to my surprise addressed the crowd.  This is where things just took a wild and unexpected turn.

"WHAT A CROWD!! (cheering).....(more cheering)....You guys are great.  I've spent some time away from the mainstream spotlight over the last few years.  I got to look at my environment from another perspective and get a general direction of where things should go from here.  Inspiration is a wacky thing.  With it, you have all this energy that needs to be channeled.  And based on a person's form of expression, is how this inspiration will be delegated to whatever source that person has to create from that inspiration.  That is where Art is born.  And I'm not talking about that guy over there in the front row that needs to put his pants on (crowd laughs.  No word if 'Art' ever put his pants on).  But inspiration, like most things, expires in time and in some cases, never feels like it's going to come back.  But I will call it like it is.  I just gave up.  I quit.  I was frustrated with the direction some people were taking and didn't feel the need to feed the capitalistic beast that was destroying our economy.  As time has passed, things change.  People change.  Circumstances change.  My two trips to Black Rock City these past (two) summers have left me in awe.  They were a great two weeks spent, and they brought me a gift that I lost years ago.  Inspiration.  It sparked the fire that keeps the coals that burning and the passion flowing.  And then I received a phone call....."

This is where my reporter's sixth instinct started buzzing.  A phone call?  He never mentioned a phone while I was vetting him twenty minutes ago.  I made my way closer through the crowd trying not to disturb to many people.  He continued.

"It was Marc Quatraro. We discussed our different paths over the years and listened to some of our old work.  We started by listening to the 'Funked Up Soul' library and then moved onto our first project which was an equal collaborative effort.  The 'what if's' started flowing, and that evolved into 'what could be' and that brings me here.  To everyone out there, I thank you for being a part of this moment in my life, and I look forward to serving you as a musician, but mostly, as an artist who bares his heart on his chest.  Thank you!"

He walked off the stage.  I ran back to the table we were at before all this madness started, but he was not there, nor was he coming back.  I tried numerous times to follow up what we started, but I basically got the "you got what you need routine".  Can't complain about that I guess.

So there you go.

What was suppose to be a follow up piece ends up turning into Joe Persinger's comeback piece.  How does he plan on doing this?? When will we see him playing again publicly?

I did receive a direct message (private messages on twitter) from the rock-star that explained we will most likely see something from this modern-retro duo by the first of the year.

In the meantime, he is actively on twitter (@BrewMastrJoe) tweeting about sports still.  His timeline mentions that there will be some sort of format change in the next four weeks or so.

It must all begin at some point in October.      

Lovie on the Hot Seat? I dont think so...

by Joe Persinger
@BrewMastrJoe


I've noticed over the last few months Love Smith isn't in possession of a high approval rating amongst all NFL fans.  As I dug further into this, I found there was a small minority (maybe more) of Bears fans who also have allowed Lovie to fall out of their graces.

But why?

One of the biggest knocks on Lovie is that he has gone through his fare share of personnel staff.  He even had to fire himself once as defensive coordinator before bringing in Rob Marinelli.  Outside of this what could be the problem?

When the Bears brought in Lovie in 2004 it only took him 3 seasons to get the team to win the NFC Championship and a trip to the Super Bowl.  They lost to the Colts that year and entered the 2007 with a lot of optimism.

There was one problem.

A lackluster offense and the drafting skills of GM Jerry Angelo finally caught up with the team.  Ron Riviera departed and they were left with 1rst round busts and a mediocre defense.

3 seasons (2007, 2008, 2009) were disappointing that brought despair on Bear's fans.  None of those teams that Lovie coached dropped under 7 wins (accept in 2004, when they went
5-11), and just missed the playoffs in 2008.  Had they won against the Falcons and the Texans in 2008, they most likely would have made the post-season.

When Jerry Angelo flexed his GM muscles and acquired Jay Cutler from the fire sale in Denver, the storied franchise in Chicago's trend was on the up and up.

They went 11-5 in 2010 and lost the NFC Championship to their rival the Green Bay Packers.  Again, Lovie and the Bears were trending up until finding out earlier this year that our GM had allowed the game to pass him by.

I don't understand why, but a lot of what was Angelo's fault has fallen on Lovie's shoulders.  He didn't do anything wrong.

When they first brought in Lovie, I was really skeptical due to his lack of emotion.  He is stone faced, and no matter what is going on, good or bad, he has the same expression.

Then I grew up as an NFL fan.

The "over-emotional head-coach" is over-rated.  Ditka has made his living off that personality and some Chicago fans love it.  They must think it's part of the game.

It's just not Lovie Smith's personality.

Lovie enters his first season with new GM Phil Emery.  Emery will keep Lovie for this season, but the Bear's head coach is fair game next off-season.

Emery is a smart guy.  He knows Lovie is a successful NFL head coach and had led this team with class through the good years and bad.

Lovie, like Jay Cutler, has been surrounded by talent.  Given the staff that he has wanted, Lovie has to continue to coach this team to victory, showing he has the continuity to be the Bears head coach.

Chicago Bears 2012 Offense "Over"/"Under"

by Joe Persinger
@BrewMastrJoe on twitter


There is such a bitter-sweet feeling for me every time the month of July starts to come to a close.  It signifies the beginning's end of another summer.  Generally around this time baseball fans are engaged in MLB Hot Stove talk and it's usually about this time of the year if you know your team is going anywhere.  But as the excitement of baseball is talked about, the dreading of summer's end draws to a near, I'm reminded why this is my favorite time of the year.

Football.

Yes, football.

The NFL players begin to report to training camp for the perspective teams and begin a (what used to be) grueling two weeks preparing for the grind of a regular season.  With the Bear's heading into camp with high expectations (especially offensively) I decided to set some Over/Under's for Bear's newly formed "high-powered" offense.

The letters in parenthesis represent if the player will achieve the over (O) or under (U).

Matt Forte

After a tumultuous off-season with a franchise tag and bitter contract disputes, Matt Forte is returning as the Bear's starting RB for another 4 years.
The NFC North defensive secondaries ranked in the bottom half of the league.  With a loaded WR corps and Forte coming out of the backfield, the Bear's star RB can be dangerous pass threat if not game planned for properly.

Will his lack of attendance from OTA's affect his on-field production?  Based on these Over/Under's being set, it doesn't seem so.

Rush Yards:  1,100 (O)

Rush TDs:  6  (U)

Rec Yards:  500 (U)

The Bear's offensive line struggled in pass protection, but thrived in run protection.  Forte ran for 997 yards last year, and over 1,000 yards the year before.  Given the additions to the offense, it's more likely Forte will be on the "Over" side of 1,100 yards.  Now with Mike Tice calling plays, and the Bear's having a dangerous pass attack, look for another stellar year for the Bear's starting RB.  I don't expect to see a lot of Forte in goal line situations, I think that role will go the back-up Michael Bush.

Michael Bush

Drafted 4rth overall by the Oakland Raiders in 2007, Michael Bush signed with the Bear's this off-season.  Brought in as an insurance policy for the "Matt Forte" fiasco, his career 21 rushing TDs will provide the Bears with a legitimate red zone rushing threat, and will improve the depth at the running back position.

Rush Yards:  450 (O)

Rush TDs:  7  (O)


Bush likes to think of himself as more of a multi-purpose/all down running back rather than a 3rd down battering ram.  The Bear's are paying the former Oakland Raider a guaranteed of $7 million, so he is likely to see some significant playing time.  I love Bush in this role and believe he will break the 450 yards mark.  If the Bear's can get 500+ yards out of Bush, and another 1,000+ out of Forte, this offense will have a whole other dimension that will require teams to prepare for the run and the pass.

Jay Cutler

This will be the year all the eyes are on Jay Cutler.  For the first time in his short Chicago Bear's career, he has been surrounded with loads of talent at wide receiver and running back.

His reunion with QB coach Jeremy Bates and number one wide receiver Brandon Marshall will also aide in Jay's perseverance.  The right playbook and all this new talent surrounding Cutler, will he flourish in this new offense?

Pass Yards:  4,200 (O)

Pass TDs:  30  (O)

INT:  13  (U)

Pro Bowl:  No



Through training camp the question has been:  what kind offense is this?  On an interview with Waddle and Silvy (ESPN 1000) he stated that the playbook is a mix of run plays from last year, a mix of pass plays from the Denver days with Marshall and Bates, and also has some west coast elements to it.  One of the biggest changes being made is audibles.  This is where were going to see the Cutler and Marshall chemistry flourish.  With plenty of weapons, Cutler will easily be on the "Over" side of pass yards, and I believe the system will assist in that outcome as well.  I'm taking the "Under" on touchdown passes.  Tom Brady has only thrown 30+ touchdowns 3 times in his career and he did it with a great offensive line and wide receiver corps.   
Since the Bear's have so many targets on offense most secondaries are going to be spread thin.  Since they won't have the luxury of stacking up on Earl Bennet or Devin Hester, mistakes that lead to interceptions will be fewer than they have been in the last few seasons.  The NFC is a hard conference to be a pro-bowl QB and it says a lot, beating out Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, and company.  If the Bear's had an offensive line, I could confidently say that Jay Cutler has a chance to be a pro-bowl QB.  I wouldn't mind being wrong on this one.

Brandon Marshall

Traded to the Bears this off-season for two 3rd round draft picks and reunited with his former teammate Jay Cutler, Marshall looks to another change of scenery in hopes of greener pastures.  For the first time in my life, the Bears will have a legitimate pro-bowl wide receiver, and a QB who is on the verge of breaking through the glass ceiling (due to a lackluster offense) that has plagued him the last three seasons.

No matter who has been throwing Marshall "the pill" he has been putting up pro-bowl numbers.  With something to prove and nothing to lose, will the Cutler-Marshall dynamic duo lead to past success'?

Rec:  95 (O)

Rec Yards:  1,250 (O)

TDs:  9 (U)

Marshall is the first true number one wide receiver this franchise has had in it's entire existence.  His presence alone will creates match-up problems for almost all NFL secondaries, and allow the Bear's offense to attack defenses in multi-faceted ways.  Considering the liberties Tice is giving Cutler, BMarsh will most likely surpass 100 receptions as he did in Denver with Jay and company.  In his two seasons with Cutler, BMarsh caught 1,325 yards in 2007 and 1,265 in 2008.  And that's when they looked like they were "just running around" on the field.  BMarsh will also be a legitimate red-zone threat the Bear's have never had (not to mention having another one in Alshon Jeffery on the other side), but since he will draw most of the coverage to his side, I don't see him catching too many touchdowns.  He has only caught 10 touchdowns once in his career, and that was in 2009 when "Neckbeard" (Kyle Orton) was slinging "the pill" (no not that pill) in Denver.   

Earl Bennet

Drafted by the Bear's in 2008, Bennet has proven to be a solid slot receiver and a favorite target for former Vanderbilt teammate Jay Cutler.  That might change slightly this year as Brandon Marshall has been thrown in the mix, but only for the better.  Now with Marshall lined up on the outside, this will force safeties to play Marshall more leaving Earl in more one-on-one match ups.

Rec:  53 (U) 

Rec Yards:  700 (U)

TDs:  4 (O)

Earl has only had 50 receptions once in his career and that was back in 2009 when the Bear's receiving corps depth was so shallow, Devin Hester was considered the number one receiver.  I don't expect him to match that capacity, but he will receive his fair share of the football.  Cutler will have plenty of options this season and with Earl in the slot, it's not an out of the question assessment that 700 yards could be attained.  But with the additions made in the off season, and depending on the use of "the Hester package", I think Earl's value will be found more in the end-zone and over the middle routes.  If there is one player I hope I'm wrong about, it's definitely Earl.  

Devin Hester

After making the switch to the Bear's number one wide receiver in 2009, Hester began to see a steady decline in his kick/punt return duties.  As a byproduct to the new additions to the wide receiver corps, Hester will see a lesser role, but will star in what Mike Tice has dubbed "The Hester Package".

What exactly this is, no one knows.  Whatever it is, it will most likely take advantage of the depth the Bears have a WR leaving Hester in more one-on-one situations, and forcing a defense to "pick it's poison".

Rec:  35 (O)

Rec Yards:  650 (O)

TDs:  4 (U)

Hester has indirectly made it known he wasn't a Mike Martz fan, as Martz didn't really find unique ways to use such a unique talent.  Mike Tice has made it known through training camp there will be a "Hester Package" available for the offense to use that will feature the speedy former Miami Hurricane player.  So it's safe to say, he will have the football thrown his way more this season versus what he has seen in the past.  Most of Hester's production has come from the Bears stretching the field vertically, and using his speed coming out of the backfield or on check down plays.  Since most secondaries are going to be focused on the two big guys on the outside, Earl in the slot, and keeping an eye on Forte in the backfield, Hester has the potential to make big plays.  It isn't really public knowledge, but most teams do not fear Hester as wide receiver.  But in the right package, with the right personnel, Hester can be that pivotal player that opens up the defense enough to stretch them vertically or catch them off-guard and create something out of nothing.

Joe's Sports Corner NFL Pre-Season Top 10

by Joe Persinger
@BrewMastrJoe on twitter











1.  New England

Yes, they lost Super Bowl earlier this year and the defense wasn't at its best performance.  But when a HOF head coach and QB are entering their 13th season as a tandem:  advantage New England.
The bean town juggernaut improved it's struggling defense through the draft, drafting a defense end and linebacker in the first round.  They bolstered their deep receiving corps with the addition of Brandon Lloyd, and hope Dan Woodhead and company can produce the a healthier run game.  The offense ranked 2cd in the passing attack, and if "Yo Soy Fiesta" boy and Brady match what they did last year, look out NFL.

The Patriots regular-season schedule also seems to favor them as well.  They won't face an elite QB until week 5 (Manning) and really won't see another QB challenge them until week 14 (Schaub).

2.  New York Giants

I'll be honest here.  The Giants are 1 of 2 teams in this top 10 that I've found to be over-rated.  They finished the season with a 9-7 record, good enough to get to the playoffs, and started playing ball at the right time.  But will that translate into next season?  Doubtful.  Second year rookie star corner back Prince Amukamara upgrades the defense, but the team did not address the defense in the draft, instead opting to add depth to an aging offensive line.  The Giants 5th ranked passing attack will carry this team, but I don't expect this team to match last year's success.

Instead, we will most likely watch them implode against their own division.  I picked this team to be a .500 team last year, and I'm basically sticking to that prediction for this year.  They will fade out of the Top 5 by the end of week 2.

3.  Green Bay

15-1 in the regular season doesn't mean much if you can't get past the 2cd round.  The Packer's spent most of the regular season in shoot-outs with their opponents masking their deficiencies on defense.  The team had mediocre success when it came to stopping the run, but the secondary couldn't stop the pass ranking 32cd and giving up an average of 300 yards a game.  The Packer's are built for the regular season, but not the playoffs.  The lack of run game has surprisingly not hampered this offense's potential, but this is a copy-cat league and the Giants did leave a blue print.  But with Aaron Rodgers under center with his various weapons (which posted the 5th ranked passing offense) this team is still poised to take the NFC by the balls.....again.

4.  Ravens

The Raven's aging defense put up impressive numbers last year leading the league in rushing yards against and fourth in passing yards against also.  The team addressed some defensive depth needs via free agency and the draft.  The defense has aged another year, but it doesn't look to be slowing down soon.  The aging offensive line was addressed in the off-season, but if this team is going to rely on Joe Flacco's arm (which is mediocre at best) it's going to be a long season.  Most of its success came through the ground game via Ray Rice.  The stats say it all.  When the Ravens pass 50+ times, they have yet to win.  When rice has 25+ carries, they have a higher percentage at winning the game.  Good thing they signed Ray Rice to a 4-year deal.

5.  Steelers

Has anyone ever noticed Tim Tebow's arm beat the Steeler's number one ranked passing defense?  OK, yes, he did it without the starting safety, but he still had 10 other guys to beat.  The Steeler's offense has received an overhaul bringing in Todd Haley as the new offensive cordinator.  The offense will suffer a huge blow if they can't retain vertical threat Mike Wallace (holdout), as he is in a bitter contract dispute after being franchise tagged this past off-sesaon.  It's going to be another great battle for the AFC North division crown this year, but the success of both offense/defense on this team is going to come down to health.  Troy Polamalu and Ben Roethisberger are a few that come to mind.  

6.  49ers

Meet the second over-rated NFL team on this list.  Playing in one of the worst divisions in football, half of the 49ers wins came from the lackluster NFC West.  Rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh did lead this team to an astounding 13-3 record with a horrendous QB and the 8th best rushing offense.  What really kept this team afloat was the defense.  Easily one of the best rushing defenses in the league last year, San Francisco would punish their opponents for rushing the ball, and turn them into a one dimensional passing offense.  It remains to be seen if the Golden Gate team can recapture last year's magic.  They've got a pretty tough schedule ahead of them (outside of their division) and Alex Smith isn't known for his consistency (Urban Meyer QB's never translate well to the NFL) and the 49ers showed that by trying to recruit Peyton Manning.  Funny how most 49er fan's seem to have forgotten that.

                                                       7.  Bears

Newly hired general manager Phil Emery made some bold moves this past off season and has made it clear that he wants this team to win now.  Bringing in Brandon Marshall through trade, drafting a solid defensive end, a second wide-out threat, and figured out a way to pay Matt Forte.  He has set them up with a revamped wide receiver corps, depth at the running back position, added depth to the defensive line and secondary.  The older and solid defense needs a consistent pass rush on opposing QB's, and most importantly, it needs to create turnovers.  The defense struggled against the pass (according to statistics), but that's a little misleading because the scheme they run allows short passes underneath the linebackers allowing opposing teams to rack up pass yards, but not points.  The Bear's enter this season with a lot of optimism and added talent.  Now they just need to execute and stay healthy.














8.  Texans

Ground and Pound.  The Texans posted some pretty impressive defensive numbers last year while they rushed their way into the playoffs.  Injuries to the team derailed their playoff success as they lost to the Ravens with Matt Schaub on the sidelines and T.J Yates taking snaps under center.  The Schaub-Johnson-Foster tandem only played 3 1/2 quarters together, in total, last season.  As the 2012 season approaches the healthy trio looks to dominate the AFC South again and lead the Texans to another division title.

9.  Saints

The Saints organization is in disarray.  Plagued with a drama filled off season that led to a year long suspension for head coach Sean Payton and middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, the defense now finds itself in transition after Greg Williams left the team for the Rams(then was banned from the NFL).  Saddled with the 3rd worst passing defense, the Saints former all-star defense struggled against pure passing NFL QB's.  The off-field issues and departures is why the Saints find themselves on this side of power rankings.  When you have Drew Brees as a QB and 2 strong NFL drafts over the last two years, expect to see this team make its way back to the top 5 by the end of week 1 of the regular season.















                                                          10. Falcons

The Falcons climaxed in the 2011 divisional playoffs when they went one and out being eliminated by the Green Bay Packers.  Since then, despite the talent they've added, the Falcons seemed to have plateaued.   The offense is explosive and has weapons with a solid running game, but the defense struggles against the pass, and has never been consistent.  The Falcons play in a competitive division, facing the Drew Brees and the Saints twice, with a visit from Josh Freeman, and Rookie of the Year Cam Newtown.    

I imagine Mike Smith will be smelling the hot-seat if they fail to make the playoffs this year.