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Mike Ditka: The Legend, the Coach, the Bear — My Tribute to a Chicago Icon

  Welcome back to The Shawn Mackey Show ! This bonus episode covers a little bit of everything happening in Chicago sports. With the Chicago Bears preparing to face the Green Bay Packers, Tyson Bagent getting the start, and the White Sox wrapping up an impressive season, I wanted to take some time to recognize a true Chicago football legend: Mike Ditka. I also have a few things to say about the Cubs, Craig Counsell, and the growing reliance on advanced baseball statistics. If you know me, you already know I have some strong opinions on those subjects! Remembering Mike Ditka and His Chicago Bears Legacy When I think about the Chicago Bears, Mike Ditka is one of the first names that comes to mind. He was more than a head coach. He was a symbol of toughness, determination, and the blue-collar attitude that has always been part of Chicago's identity. Ditka was born on October 18, 1939, in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Aliquippa. He came from a working-class background and deve...
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Bears Beat the Jets, But My Eyes Are Already on Green Bay

  The Bears beat the Jets, and while it wasn't the kind of game that had me jumping out of my chair, there was plenty to like about what I saw. This is Season 3, Episode 20 of The Shawn Mackey Show , and once again, the Bears have found a way to win with a different quarterback. That's three victories this season with three different quarterbacks, and I think that says something about the direction of this football team. Tyson Bagent got the start against the Jets, and I thought he did a pretty good job. He finished 25-of-34 for 268 yards and had one interception. Was it perfect? Absolutely not. But he ran the offense, took what the defense gave him and continued moving the football. And that's what I want from a quarterback. Everybody loves talking about arm strength, but I don't necessarily need a quarterback who can throw the football 60 yards downfield. I need somebody who can run the offense, make the right decisions and keep the chains moving. Bagent did enough to...
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Case Keenum Shocks the Bears World: Is There a Quarterback Controversy in Chicago?

  Three weeks into the season, I honestly don't know what to say about the Chicago Bears. For three straight weeks, this team has given me something completely different to talk about. Week one featured an offense that put up 59 points. Week two was a completely different story, with Caleb Williams getting injured and the Bears struggling against Minnesota. Then came Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles. And somehow, the Bears walked away with a 27–7 victory. I'm still speechless. The biggest story coming out of the game has to be Case Keenum. The Bears' third-string quarterback stepped into a situation that nobody expected him to be in and played an outstanding game. Keenum finished 24-of-34 for 247 yards, threw two touchdown passes, and even ran for a touchdown, becoming the oldest quarterback in Bears history to run for a score. That's the kind of performance that changes the conversation. Before the game, I was questioning why Tyson Bagent wasn'...
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The Bears’ 9–3 Loss Was a Debacle of Epic Proportions

  If you love offensive fireworks, beautiful passing and high-scoring NFL games, this was definitely not the game for you. In Season 3, Episode 18 of The Shawn Mackey Show , I break down what I can only describe as a debacle of epic proportions — the Chicago Bears’ ugly 9–3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field. The weather was miserable. The rain was coming down. The field conditions were awful. But both teams had to deal with the same conditions, so I don't want to use the weather as an excuse. What bothered me most was that the Bears actually led Minnesota in many of the statistical categories. Chicago had 17 first downs to Minnesota’s 11 and moved the ball better in several areas. But none of that mattered because the Bears repeatedly found ways to hurt themselves. The biggest problem was penalties. Chicago committed eight penalties for 58 yards, with seven of those penalties coming in the first half. Drive after drive, the Bears seemed to be putting themselves behind ...
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The Bears Scored 59 Points — So Why Am I Still Worried?

  I’m still trying to process what I watched. The Chicago Bears put up 59 points against the Carolina Panthers , and for a good portion of the game, I was honestly speechless. This game started with some of the same frustrations we’ve seen before — penalties, missed opportunities and questionable defensive plays — but eventually the Bears’ offense completely took over. Carolina scored first, going up 7–0, but something in the back of my mind told me not to panic. I thought maybe that would be the only touchdown Carolina scored all afternoon. I was obviously wrong about that part, but I wasn't wrong about the Bears being able to win this game. The Bears answered with a touchdown, and before long they had built a 21–7 lead. One of the plays that really stood out to me was Rome Odunze making a tremendous catch over the defender and staying in bounds to set up the Bears. Caleb Williams also continued to show that he can hurt defenses with his legs, scoring a couple of rushing touchdown...
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The AP Top 25 Is Crazy, Craig Counsell Still Has Me Questioning the Cubs

  After a little hiatus, I’m back with Season 3, Episode 16 of The Shawn Mackey Show — and I’m coming back with a new studio, a slightly less chaotic background, the old whiteboard, and plenty of opinions. The studio may look a little different, but the show is still me. That’s what I want people to understand about this podcast. I’m not trying to be somebody else. I’m bringing the same sports opinions, stories, rants and nonsense that got this whole thing started. I grew up in Chicago, and sports have always been a huge part of my life. I grew up listening to Chicago sports radio and guys like Mike North, and I always loved the idea that somebody could take their personality, their opinions and their life experiences and turn them into a show. That’s part of why I started this podcast in the first place. It originally had the name Chronicles of a Dumbass , because I wanted to tell stories about the dumb things I did growing up. Eventually, my family got tired of hearing me compla...
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Why I'm Still Not Sold on Craig Counsell as the Cubs' Manager

  I know I'm probably going to take some heat for this one, but I've got to say it: I'm still not sold on Craig Counsell as the manager of the Chicago Cubs. I've never been a big fan of Counsell, and the more I look at his time with the Cubs, the more questions I have. I'm not saying he's a terrible manager. I'm not saying the Cubs can't win a World Series with him. What I'm saying is that I'm not ready to automatically put Craig Counsell in the conversation with the greatest managers in baseball. My biggest issue is that I feel like sometimes we put too much faith in the numbers and not enough in what we're actually seeing on the field. When Counsell took over the Cubs, his first season looked remarkably similar to David Ross' final season. Both teams finished 83-79 and second in the NL Central . The statistical similarities between those teams are hard for me to ignore. If Craig Counsell is supposed to be this great manager, then why di...
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