A bogus rep

One of the primary reasons we started this site was to point out how much of sports commentary is based on outdated and often flat-wrong information.

This weekend was a perfect case-in-point. When you think of what defines the Chicago Bears, what do you think? What do analysts usually talk about? Above all else, the Bears are usually associated with great defense.

When the Bears acquired Jay Cutler before this season, I heard a lot of pundits talking about how the Bears always have a top defense. Now they have a top QB as well, so the league should be on notice.

One problem. The Bears haven't had a good defense in years.

Through eight games this year, the Bears are 15th in the league in yardage allowed, 22nd in points allowed. Last year they were 21st in yardage allowed and 16th in points allowed, and in '07 they were an impressive 28th in yardage allowed and 16th in points allowed.

Earlier this year, Merrill Hoge stated on ESPN that the Bears losing Brian Urlacher to injury this year was like the Pats losing Tom Brady last year. Urlacher played the last two seasons, and the defense was barely average. He's not playing this year, and the defense is.....barely average.

For Hoge's comment to hold water, wouldn't the Bears have to have been an elite defense before Urlacher got hurt? If the defense was mediocre with Urlacher, how could losing him be the equivalent of losing Brady?

Someone give these 'experts' a calendar and a stat sheet and let them know what year it is.