Hoge: Barber Rules Weekend Of Stupidity
By Adam Hoge-
Random thoughts from a busy sports weekend full of stupidity...
(CBS) Sunday night was one of those nights where I just had to shut it down.
No sports. No Twitter. No connection to the outside world.
I planned on watching the Blackhawks game after the Bears game. Instead I watched something called, "Crazy Stupid Love", which ironically fits perfectly with Chicago's adoration of the Bears. (Sidenote: Steve Carell in a love story makes as much sense as Tim Tebow as an NFL quarterback. And, somehow, both work.)
The last time I was that irritated by a Bears game was in 2008 when they scored a go-ahead touchdown against the Falcons with 11 seconds left and still somehow managed to lose the game in regulation on a field goal as time expired.
After spending weeks claiming there was no way the Bears could get Tebowed because of the speed in their Cover 2, I sat there and watched the Bears get Tebowed despite the speed in their Cover 2.
For three and a half quarters, the Bears showed the NFL the perfect blueprint for beating Tim Tebow -- which really shouldn't be that hard -- and then somehow lost it all.
Bears too conservative?
After blowing the game in epic fashion, the Bears' coaching staff has taken a lot of criticism for getting too conservative in the fourth quarter.
Offensively, I don't want to hear about it. The same people who are saying Caleb Hanie can't play quarterback are the same people wondering why the Bears ran the ball nine straight times in the fourth quarter.
Have you thought about the fact that it worked? The game was over. The Bears won.
And then Marion Barber ran out of bounds.
It was one of the dumbest mistakes we have seen in years and something the coaching staff obviously did not foresee (did anyone remind him to stay in bounds?).
I'll listen to arguments that the secondary should not have been as passive as they were late -- technically it wasn't a "prevent", but it also wasn't the same Cover 2 they were using the whole game.
But please stop complaining about the running plays in the fourth quarter. You have watched Hanie the last three games, right?
Cincy brawl
What happened between Cincinnati and Xavier Saturday in Cincinnati was extremely unfortunate, but it's also believable.
Brawls are ugly, but they happen.
What's not believable is how the Xavier coaching staff and sports information staff could allow Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons to get in front of a microphone and say the things they said after it happened.
I've never been in a brawl, but I'm guessing it's probably not a good idea to get in one on national television and then announce to the world that, "We have a whole bunch of gangsters in the locker room."
Those comments came from Holloway, who wasn't done.
"I don't regret anything that happened."
Again, considering a college kid said those things, I can believe it happened. But I can't believe Xavier head coach Chris Mack let his kids say anything besides, "I'm sorry."
The lack of control is amazing. Mack didn't even know Holloway said those things until later that night when he was at dinner.
Unbelievable.
IU Miracle
Along with Marion Barber running out of bounds and Mack letting Holloway open his mouth, I'm filing Kentucky's defense at the end of Saturday's loss to Indiana under the "unbelievable" category.
Up two points with five seconds left and two fouls to give, John Calipari's team didn't foul Verdell Jones when he got the ball.
HOW DO YOU NOT FOUL?
Calipari seemed as dumbfounded as I was when Christian Watford buried a three at the buzzer to give the Hoosiers a much-needed 73-72 win.
"I have no idea what went through our mind," the Kentucky head coach said.
That makes two of us, Cal.
Say It Ain't So, Ryan
Another unbelievable story in an unbelievable weekend: My jaw nearly hit the floor when I saw the news about Ryan Braun testing positive for a PED.
On the list of guys I would never expect to be a cheater, Braun is right up there. He's been outspoken about PEDs in the past and the league has used him as a clean example.
Oops.
I'll reserve judgement until the appeal process is completed, but if true, one of the most likable players in baseball will have his reputation forever tarnished.
Heisman for Griffin
I've spent a lot of time the last two weeks comparing Montee Ball to Trent Richardson and not enough time talking about Robert Griffin III, who rightly won the Heisman Trophy Saturday night.
In terms of being the most valuable to his team, Griffin deserved the Heisman more than anyone else. Baylor probably wouldn't have even made a bowl game without him.
Goodbye Buehrle
I had a lot of people ask me over the weekend why I haven't written anything about Buehrle leaving the White Sox.
It's because I don't have much to say about it.
Honestly, it would have been a bigger story if he came back. Buehrle is one of the best pitchers in White Sox history and will some day have his number retired (who wears 56 anyway?), but this is a business and it made almost no sense for the Sox to bring him back.
He has value to many teams, especially in the National League, but for a cash-strapped team that is rebuilding like the White Sox, it doesn't make sense to pay that much money for a pitcher that has never had dominating stuff.
Adam is the Sports Content Producer for CBSChicago.com and specializes in coverage of the Bears, White Sox and college sports. He was born and raised in Lincoln Park and attended St. Ignatius College Prep before going off to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he earned a Journalism degree. Follow him on Twitter @AdamHogeCBS and read more of his columns here.
