Reverse Psycho

Dave Haugh, the Tribune's Bears beat writer, nails the sad history of Cedric Benson in this article. Enough said.

Now for something completely different. Urlacher pissed off BearLand, bitched about his contract in the press and purposely blew off Organized Team Activities. Bad move. However, he appeared for mandatory mini-camp and then told the GM that he wants to retire a "Bear." It appears that this renegotiation will get done. Moments later, Benson goes off the reservation and gets himself cut. Yesterday, Urlacher shows up for OTAs. To a man, every teammate says what a great feeling it is to have their leader and best player back on the field and in the locker room.

Did he plan this? I don't give him credit for being that smart, but I admit, when I read about his appearance at Halas Hall, I felt all warm and gooey for old #54. What a turnaround. Add Benson's boner, it gives the fans a good perspective on the difference between an All-Pro professional and a first-round bust. Got to have Brian Urlacher on the squad. If I had the purse strings, I would be loosening them for Urlacher. He could thank Cedric for the raise.

As the dog days of summer approach, the thoughts of this middle-aged man turn to...bratwurst. The quest for the best brat has concluded. Of course, the Johnsonville will always be a quality choice. You can't go wrong there. Plus, accessibility is key. When you can go to Jewel and cover your sausage run, it saves time. If you got the time, I got the new King. Just drive to Elburn, Illinois and buy the fresh brats at the Elburn meat market. Or get off at the last and furthest stop on a Chicago commuter train. It is near Sugar Grove. In other words, it's far. But so worth it. It is a true German brat. It has a great casing for grilling and is full of flavor with no obvious fat. I know that it has fat, but it doesn't explode from the run off of fat. I can't explain it; just come to the tailgates next season. They are very good.

Illinois High School football schedules are out today. That is always a landmark date for me. There will be some football watching this season. And it ain't gonna be on many Sundays. Friday nights and Saturdays, preferably. NFL tickets available.