What the hell took so long, I have no idea. but Martz is currently in Halas Hall as we speak, being interviewed by Jay Cutler(allegedly). It's fitting on the day that Kurt Warner has announced his retirement, Mad Mike finally gets the call.

For those who are panicking reading this FanPost, other reports out of Halas Hall are that the Bears are very impressed with Kevin Rogers. How do I feel? Jump over the stupid stars and I'll tell you exactly how I feel.

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it's been a very depressing couple weeks, fellow Gridiron bloggers. To lighten the mood, let's take a trip back to the good old times. Let's have an Official WCG Photo-Caption Contest!!!

(Author's note: This is not an Official WCG Photo-Caption Contest. Please don't sue me, Adam)

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I don't know about anyone else, but for me, This marks the start of the 2009 NFL season.  so what better wAY TO KICK OFF THE 2009 (Whoops! didn't know I hit the Caps lock. what was I saying? oh yeah) season by sitting up at 1:30 A.m to type some stuff up? By the the way, If ya'll get confused with this post I got three words. Drunk. Last. Night. Well, let's get to it.

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So I was looking at a few comments and noticed a few wanting my segment to make a return.  So here It is.  New topics such as my interesting encounters at my job will be included.  I will also address the member I think is making noise around WCG, and those who've been too quiet lately.  And lastly, my Bear of the Week, a current or former Bears player who gets their time in the Limelight.

Anyways, let's get to it.

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with all the offseason talk of who will be catching passes from Bears QB Jay Cutler beginning week one in Green Bay, we have yet to hear any word from Cutler himself... until now. From a David Haugh article out of the Chicago Tribune, Jay Cutler spoke to reporters after OTA's today. He answered questions about his current wideouts on the roster and two receivers rumored to be on the radar in Halas Hall.

On current Bears WRs

"We have everything we need out there," Cutler said. "We're going to be more than fine out there. I'm 100 percent comfortable. I think we have more than enough to compete."

On Brandon Marshall

"He's a great player [and] I played with him for three years and put up some big numbers with him. Wherever he ends up, I'm sure he's going to be successful," Cutler said. "Whether or not it's here, it's up to the guys upstairs. As of right now, I'm 100 percent happy with what we have."

On the possibility of Burress joining the Bears

"If it happens, it happens," Cutler said of Burress. "I'm not going to speculate whether we're going to get him or not. The guys that we have right now I'm 100 percent confident in and comfortable with."

he also reiterated that he feels Devin Hester is a true number one receiver. this is my take on it. I don't think that Cutler is just giving the media the same old Lovieisms just to pacify the masses. I really do think that he likes what he has right now. And, his comments toward Marshall weren't really glowing with hope and enthusiasm.

What do you guy's and gals think?

It's the offseason, and there's nothing else to do...

I've been on this site for a few months now, and from time to time I have this habit of making mental pictures of what most of you might look like. with that said, I'm gonna drop a few that come to my mind more vividly. Sorry GG, HoneyBear, and windycity. I know what ya'll look like :( But play along anyway!

some of them might be off the wall, but worry not. It's all from the twisted skull of yours truly... If anyone else want's in on the fun, drop a few in the comments below, just a couple rules...

1. try not to be crude

2. don't post NSFW material

3. have fun

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Per source of PFT Former St.Louis Rams linebacker Pisa(not Pino) Tinoisamoa will be flying to Halas Hall to visit Coach Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears.

While only 6"0' tall, Pisa is a great tackler who has experience at both outside Linebacker positions and has led the Rams in total tackles four seasons. Pisa is familiar with Smith, who was his defensive coordinator while in St. Louis.

OK I see it like this; the Bills, or the Bears. which team do you think he's gonna end up signing with? A fourth place AFC East team with a locker room cancer in T.O. who have no relativity as far as playoffs are concerned, Or a team that has made the most noise so far in the offseason?

One things for sure. As soon as he signs(with the right team of course) I'l be shouting "PISA PISA!!!"

NFL Networks Scott Hanson has refuted reports by Yahoo Sports reporter Rick Schwartz that Brett Favre has decided to stay retired. Hanson has countered that Favre has not ruled out retirement and that he has actually had conversations with Vikings head coach Brad Childress. 

Form what we(as in the whole planet) knows, Favre has not came out publicly to relay his future plans, which in essence, means he's more likely to play in 2009. 

And that's just the point. This IS NOT a matter of "mulling it over". If Favre wanted to stay retired, He would have came out and said so long before the rumors blew out of proportion. This is clearly a case of a man with an inflated sense of purpose trying to be the highlight of one of the most suspenseful offseasons in recent memory.

Word of advice: Until he says otherwise, Expect Brett Favre to suit up for the '09 season.

UPDATE: Favre has sent his shoulder X-Rays to the Vikings

From WSPA.com's Clemson sports page

PETE YANITY
NEWS CHANNEL 7 SPORTS
Published: April 21, 2009

Former Clemson and NFL defensive lineman William "The Refrigerator Perry" is listed in serious condition in an Aiken-area hospital after suffering from symptoms from a chronic illness.

A relative says the 46-year-old Perry is expected to recover.

Perry was a star on Clemson’s defensive line from 1981 to 1984 then gained fame with the Bears and played on both sides of the ball in his rookie season, a year in which they won their only Super Bowl.

Please keep the fridge in your thoughts and prayers. Anybody who is a Bears fan knows his place in Chicago sports lore.

The story first broke out of ESPN. NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol has announced that NBC Sunday Night Football color commentator John Madden has decided to call it quits.

Madden, who coached the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl victory, has had his fingerprints all over the NFL landscape for over forty years As a player, head coach, and successful commentator who most notably teamed up with Pat Summerall and Al Michaels.

He's also staked his claim to pop culture where he was a popular pitchman for products. He was the subject to comedian Frank Calliendo's popular sketches, and his name will forever be linked to the biggest video game franchise of all time in the Madden series. Madden will be replaced in the booth by Cris Collinsworth.

This also brings back a rumor that died a little while back: Is Al Davis trying to bring John Madden back to the Raiders?

His retirement also confirms that Brett Favre will not unretire.

via www.sportable.com

For years, the NFC north has been considered the dinosaur division of the NFL. When the NFC central division included the Buccaneers, the Black and Blue division was more like the Boring and Bland division. The NFL's founding franchises all reside in this division, and the perception is that they still handle business the way they've done since their birth, never coming out of the dark age.

The Packers went to consecutive superbowls in the late 90's, but slipped into mediocrity during the turn of the century, despite having a three time MVP in Brett Favre. The Packers became a good team, but not great. they were the best team in the worst division, and the result was an inflated winning record.

The Minnesotta Vikings had Great success in many forms. They had a great defense with Tony Dungy as defensive coordinator, but no offense. later on, they had a top notch runningback in Robert Smith and receivers to boot with Carter, Moss, and Ismail, a rejuvenated Randall Cunningham, and even a kicker, who was an MVP candidate in Morten Anderson. Still, they Slid into sucktitude. With all the offense in the world, the Mike Tice era defense couldn't stop an ant from scoring.

The Lions had Barry Sanders, but not even the second greatest runningback of all time, nor talented WRs Herman Moore and Brett Perriman could stop the Lions from losing. It got worse down the road when Matt Millen invested big money in first round busts such as Joey Harrington, Charles Rogers, Shaun Rogers and Mike Williams. it got even more worse when the lions tumbled their way to an 0-16 record.

The Bears were just plain bad. No stars and bad coaching was pretty much the tone of the 90's The front office was in shambles, most notably when they traded a first rounder for Rick Mirer. They started to come around after drafting guy's like Walt Harris, Brian Urlacher, And Mike Brown. But eventually, failure to develop draft picks like Cade McNown, Curtis Enis, David Terrell, Anthony Thomas, Michael Haynes, Rex Grossman, and Cedric Benson, and Mark Bradley caught up with them, despite a superbowl appearance in 2006.

In recent years, however, this division started picking up major steam. the past three seasons has produced three different division winners. the only other divisions that has done that are the NFC East and NFC South, two divisions that are widely regarded as the best divisions in the league. So why does that mean the north can be one of the best divisions in the NFL, much less getting better? Quite simply three reasons: the amount of talent that's been pumped into the teams over the past few seasons, changes in management or philosiphy, and changes to coaching. let's take a look at each team in this divison and apply those reasons.

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It's been a couple days since the Bears traded for Jay Cutler, and I still haven't came off my high just yet. I'm sure the rest of you are having trouble coming off that cloud as well. Words simply can't express the joy I felt the moment I heard the news. If i could best describe it, it was the same feeling I got when Obama won the election times ten.

I enjoyed sharing my emotions on the Gridion with the rest of the you when we found out. Believe me, If I would've been able to reach through the monitor to start hugging and lip-locking, I probably would have. For you guys sake, it's a good thing technology hasn't advanced that far .

But when I stopped to think about how we got here in the first place, I had what alcoholics refer to as a moment of clarity. We all know that this started with Bernard Pollard taking Tom Brady out for the entire season. But that hit is more significant than the Bears getting Cutler. It created a ripple effect that started in 2008, and at this moment, is still spreading out.

Here's my "theory". some may agree, some may not. I put numbers next to them, so just shout out the numbers to make it easier. Let's kick it off from the beginning...

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The Lions don't want it, the Broncos Didn't Want it, you'd be hard pressed to find any team that wants it. As if getting Jay cutler wasn't enough, all that media attentions has me jonesin for another fix.

And with that comes the question, should the Bears make a run for the first overall pick in the draft? If so, how do we pry it away from division rival Detroit? I doubt they have any ammo left to pull that one off. But word on the street is, the Lions are desperate to get rid of it, and if they could before draft day, they would.

Aaron Curry, Mike Crabtree, Jason Smith, Brian Orakpo the list goes on with who Chicago could draft. OK, OK, who am I kidding. We ALL know if we get the 1st pick, we'd want Crabtree or Maclin.

UPDATE: NECKBEARD IS NO MORE!!! Plus Devin Hester Jockey's for Torry Holt: Link

Dear members of MHR,

Do not feel distraught over the Jay cutler leaving to the Bears. For you have been awarded number 18 and Kyle Orton. The Broncos are the Bears AFC counterpart. think about it, same colors(we had ours since the 1920's what's your story :) we're completely retarded on one side of the ball, and nicked up on the other side, and we were eliminated from playoff contention in week 17.

but what makes us more similar is that both our QB's made something out of nothing. The Broncos had no running game, the Bears had no receivers(I must admit, I sure was hoping the bears would throw in Rasheid Davis just for the hell of it). The message I'm trying to convey is the Denver broncos has received a good QB in Kyle Orton. Heres why:

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Greetings to all my WCG friends. so many swirling questions this offseason about the bears are leaving me stupified. i really need to sort them out, so here goes my shot at it, Andy Rooney style. I might make this a weekly thing depending on if you guys like it.

A few weeks back, Jerry Angelo addressed the Chicago media to let everyone know the Bears won't be doing any frivolous spending in free agency. Really Jerry? Did you think anyone would be surprised? It's Like telling Santa Clause what day Christmas is. We don't need the Bears to tell us they're going to be cheap. That message was conveyed in 1921.

ESPN.com reported that Bills quarterback Trent Edwards pitched the idea for Terrell Owens to come to Buffalo. Reportedly, he left GM Russ Brandon a Text message that read, "what about T.O?" I find it hard to believe that all it took to convince Brandon to bring in "The Franchise Killer" Terrell Owens was a text message. That message was too straight to the point. Maybe Trent pressed the send button without finishing his text which would have read; "what about T.O.? LOL OMG J/K"

Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler is being criticized for acting like a petulant little child for wishing to be traded after rumors that new head coach Josh McDaniels tried to involve him in a trade to get new Chiefs QB Matt Cassel. If Jay is the petulant little baby, does that mean Josh is the mother that abandons her baby at a fire station?

The Broncos organization tried to mend fences by setting up a conference call between Cutler and McDaniels, which reportedly didn't go well. It was also reported that McDaniels would neither confirm nor deny that he tried to trade Cutler. Is he the head coach of a football team, or the head of the Secret Service? The fact is, McDaniels should have booked a flight to Tennessee for a face to face with Cutler as soon as this debacle started. Now he's trying to convince him he was the man under center all along? A bald man would have a better chance of convincing me to buy Rogaine. And I don't even suffer from hair loss.

Speaking of bald, Bears coach Lovie Smith has to coach up our new free safety, josh Bullocks, the NFL's answer to Mr. Magoo. Seriously, am I the only one who thinks Angelo brought in the worst player at that position in to seal Lovie's fate by week three?

Oh look! The New England Patriots sign another old guy. this time, it's Joey Galloway. Bob Kraft should make it easier on this team by just moving them to Pheonix or south Florida. No wonder Tom Brady is so cool under pressure. He's spent his whole career changing his teammates bedpans. It's good to see while winning three super bowls and going 16-0, Bill Belichick found a way to sneak in a bingo tournament every now and then.

Last but certainly not least, this has been the longest time I haven't heard any news on Mike Brown. I hope this is not the end of the road for him. had it not been for injuries that derailed his career, he would be without a doubt in my mind a first ballot hall of famer. Better than Reed, better than Troy, better than Bob, as good as Giordano.

The Cleveland Browns font office has certainly been active this past day. First was the decision to cut WR Joe Jurivicius. Now, they have reportedly released RT Kevin Shaffer in an effort to avoid paying him a roster bonus. The ManKok regime certainly has everyone scratching their heads as they continue to dismantle their offense. There has been rumors that the Browns would resign him, but as it stands right now, he is the best lineman on the market. the bears would be foolish not to make a run at him(how many times have you heard that one before?).

The Chicago Bears open veteran camp next week. If you're a Bears fan, this is a godsend for you. Two full months before the rest of the NFL teams conduct any mandatory workouts, head coach Lovie Smith is sending a message throughout the locker room; "get ready for super bowl XLIV".

At this moment, we're dealing with problems at offensive line, free safety, wide reciever, and probably Quarterback depending on who you talk to. That combined with the front office's unwillingness to go after a couple high profile free agents has left alot of Bears fans skeptical of the 2009 season.

But every yin has a yang, for every bad decision the bears have made, there are the good decisions. So without further ado (or adu) i want to throw out a few reminders on why if you're a bears fan, you should expect no less than a playoff run in 2009. I'll also be posting a counter piece as well.

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ESPN has just confirmed the Buffallo Bills Have signed WR Terrell Owens. The deal is estimated around a 1 year $6.5 million range. It looks like it didn't take as long as expected for T.O. to be off the market. He will join former Bears coach Dick Jauron. Tip your hat to the Bills, who were smart enough to sign him to a 1 year deal. This raises the Question, Could Lee Evans be traded? I remember hearing those rumors a while back.

via assets.chicagobears.com

Former Bears Runningback George McAfee has died at the age of 90. "One Play" McAfee is best known as an integral player during the bears dynasty of the 1940's. He led the league with 12 total TD's en route to defeating the New york giants for the nfl championship in 1941. McAfee was also known for his defensive prowess as he intercepted 25 passes in an 8 year span. He was selected to the pro football hall of fame in 1966 and his number 5 jersey has been retired.

Click here for his hall of fame bio.

Don't Know how many of you know about this game, developer Naturalmotion is currently developing a football game called backbreaker. the gist of this game is that it is intended to be the most realistic football game ever made. this game however, is not a football sim, but an arcade style baller. naturalmotions Euphoria engine will be used to make the game. those that have played SW: the force unleashed and GTA IV will be familiar with the physics.

Physics will be the biggest sell of the game. no tackle, no hit, no juke, no catch will ever be the same.

The most realistic crowd of any sports game period. every member of the crowd is an actual model which will display emotions depending on the games situation (example a key third down situation, the home teams defense will get up and go nuts. or if the home team is getting creamed, the crowd will boo uncontrollably)

This game is of course not NFL liscensed, but the initial rumor is this game is being made only so the developer can sell it's engine to EA Sports Tiburon Studios. I plan on going to that studio sometime this month on my day off to get an interview with a developer. until then enjoy these tidbits of info

For an exlusive in depth Video featuing lighting, cameras and Crowds, click here

For a look at Jukes and Tackling click here

For IGN's exclisive hands-on, click here

information obtained from NFL.com's Adam Schefter

Kurt Warners Agent is currently in talk with the San Francisco 49ers. this is a blessing, if the niners do sign him, we can make a play for Shaun Hill.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh is currently in Seattle to meet with the seahawks. could also be a good thing. signing him means they might pass on Crabtree meaning the WR class could shift towards the Bears favor.

Derrick Ward is Scheduled to visit the Bengals today, you all pretty much know where i stand on Benson coming Back.

The Cowboys are currently Shopping Roy Williams. SS anyone?

The initial plan for our new free agent acquisition, Frank Omiyale, is to compete for a starting guard spot or right tackle should John St. Clair not sign the Bears offer. Angelo is not happy with the job Roberto Garza has done. I thought the general consensus was that Garza was the best player on the Bears offensive line. well, we have 17 days to find out.

UPDATE: Big up to luckie815. Housh is on his way to Minnesota. Here's hoping he decides to turn his plane around.

UPDATE: BREAKING NEWS- ESPN radio has just reported the Kansas City Chiefs have Acquired New England Patriot QB Matt Cassel.The chiefs have reportedly given up a second round pick. Stick with Windy city Gridiron for further developing news.

Apparently, the Denver Broncos were not shopping around cay Cutler. this could be the buildup to some animosity between Cutler and the Broncos organization.

The state of illinois has been voted number 1 for ESPN's Mt. Rushmore of sports. The enshrinees(if that's a word) MJ, Mr. Cub, Sweetness, and Da Coach. I'm very delighted over this but COME ON!! no Halas? He's the father of the NFL. Easily the better choice over Ditka. Oh well, anyway, the time has come fellow Brethren to REJOICE and bask in the glory of sports superiority!!! I shall celebrate with a bottle of MD 20/20 YA DIG?!?!?! Salut fellow Bears, Bulls, Sox, Blackhawks, And Fire fans. oh yeah, also the fans of that suburban baseball team.

Just when we thought the red carpet for Donovan McNabb was rolled up in Chicago. here comes another reason to roll it back out. Once again, the rumors and speculations are running wild about the possibility of McNabb being traded. This time, he's throwing out ultimatums for offensive playmakers. could this be the orgasmic straw that breaks the camels back? stay tuned...

A report coming out of Indianapolis says that the St. Louis Rams cannot come to contract terms with OT Orlando pace. Pace has often been regarded as one of the best linemen in College and NFL history, but he's also 33 and was on injured reserve the end of 2006 and almost all of 2007. nevertheless, pace would be a great addition to the bears roster by providing a short term solution to tackle, while avoiding to pay a huge sum for the service of mediocre John St. Clair, while taking the ease off of loading on linemen in the draft.

via www.fotosearch.com

This idea (like many of my ideas) sound off the wall ridiculous. But seeing that we need to replenish our o-line quick i thought i'd put it out there anyway. What if the Bears were to have worldwide scouts, who could scourge the earth in places like Uganda, Nigeria, Germany, and Russia. I know there are big, bruising guys that know nothing about football, but with adequate training and a cheap price tag, they could turn out to be top tier linemen. Think Christian Okoye.

So whuddya think about this?

It seemed like my piece on Cedric Benson drew the ire of many on the Gridiron. You know you're treading on dangerous ground when you're being compared to Jay Mariotti. I'm very honored to have touched so many nerves with so few paragraphs. So before I prepare for an onslaught of angry bloggers with pitchforks and torches, I thought we could stay on the subject of runningbacks.

Let's get it on. 

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Big ups to Luckie815 for this one.

The biggest shocker for the Bears this offseason is the news that Bears RT John Tait plans to retire. The article can be read here. With Tait gone, the Bears must almost certainly sign John St. Clair and draft a lineman. It will also free up some cap room heading into free agency.

UPDATE: It is being reported that Tait is expected, not considering retirement.  If he did, it would give the Bears an additional 5 million of cap space.