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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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Chicago Bears Training Camp Is Here, and There's Already Plenty to Talk About

  Training camp is officially underway, and after waiting months for football to return, it finally feels like Bears season again. In this episode of The Shawn Mackey Show , I wrapped up my breakdown of the Chicago Bears' 2026 draft class, talked about everything happening at training camp, and even celebrated another strong week for the Chicago Cubs. Before diving into football, I couldn't ignore what the Cubs have been doing. They put together an impressive road trip by winning series against both the Pirates and Cardinals before returning home to take down the Yankees. I even made the trip to St. Louis, where I caught the extra-inning win and visited one of the city's incredible science museums. It turned into a great family experience filled with STEM exhibits, interactive displays, and plenty of baseball memories. Then it was time to finish evaluating the Bears' rookie class. I broke down cornerback Malik Muhammad , whose speed, length, and versatility could all...
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Why I'm More Excited About the Chicago Bears Than I Have Been in Years

  There are moments as a sports fan when you can feel something changing, and that's exactly where I'm at with the Chicago Bears. On this episode of The Shawn Mackey Show , I kicked things off with a quick Cubs update before diving headfirst into what has me genuinely excited—the Bears are finally beginning to look like a team with a long-term plan. Training camp is almost here, and for me, football season has officially started. I spent this episode breaking down several of the Bears' draft selections and explaining why I think Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson may finally be building something special. At first, some of these draft picks left me scratching my head, but the more I studied them, the more everything started fitting together. One player I'm especially excited about is Dillon Thieneman. His football instincts remind me why I fell in love with the game in the first place. I even shared a few stories from my own playing days and how instincts—not necessarily sp...
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Will MLB Owners and Players Find Common Ground? Plus... Is It Time for Me to Focus on Football?

  There are some topics that keep me up at night as a sports fan, and right now nothing is bigger than the possibility of a Major League Baseball lockout after this season. The more I've researched what both the owners and the players are asking for, the more convinced I am that this battle is far from over. In my last episode, I broke down what the owners want. This time, I wanted to look at things from the players' perspective because understanding both sides is the only way to see where this could eventually end up. The players are pushing for higher minimum salaries, earlier access to free agency, increased luxury tax thresholds, and penalties for ownership groups that refuse to invest in their teams. From where I sit, I actually understand many of their arguments. Professional athletes have a limited window to maximize their careers, and I don't blame them for wanting to earn as much as they possibly can while they have the opportunity. At the same time, I can't he...
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