Biography
Since joining the Chicago Tribune in 1974, Fred Mitchell has covered the Cubs, Bulls and Bears beats. He now writes a weekly column and ...
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Webb battling to remain sober as well as for a job
May 3, 2013
The Bears have gone out of their way this offseason to find a reliable left tackle and to stabilize the entire offensive line.
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Van Horne knows Long's situation
April 27, 2013
Keith Van Horne has traveled the path Kyle Long must take as a lanky Bears offensive lineman drafted in the first round.
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Bears hope history doesn't repeat
April 19, 2013
The future does not necessarily portend prologue, but the history of first-year Bears coaches warrants concern.
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Green understands battles Cubs are waging
April 12, 2013
Dallas Green was the first Cubs executive to deal directly with the concerns of Wrigleyville residents and merchants.
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Bo still knows
April 5, 2013
Bo knows.
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Cooper Rollow 'a reporter at heart'
March 31, 2013
The letter arrived in July of 1974.
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Reggie Rose knows brother's plight
March 29, 2013
The same day Derrick Rose had surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left knee, his older brother Reggie Rose told me how a similar knee injury adversely affected his college basketball career.
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Memories of Bears' Hill will live on
March 22, 2013
Well before video games and other sensory-overload hand-held entertainment devices captivated our youth, kids of my generation collected and exchanged trading cards of our favorite football and baseball players.
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Local talent key to area colleges' success
March 16, 2013
Chicago is the college basketball capital of the Midwest, at least for this weekend.
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Former Bears lineman struggles in recovery from stroke
March 9, 2013
The silence in room 401 created peace and serenity.
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Webb vows to make amends
March 1, 2013
J'Marcus Webb may have more reliable personal protection around him than he has provided physical cover for Bears quarterback Jay Cutler over the past three seasons.
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On-air harmony not always a given for baseball broadcasters
February 22, 2013
Hawk Harrelson concedes the spotlight will be more intense this season during White Sox telecasts with partner Steve Stone.
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For now, Bears offensive coaches content to evaluate on film
February 15, 2013
Observers of the Bears' offensive-line struggles over the last few years probably have seen enough to demand immediate personnel changes — unless they have been somewhere north of the border.
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Beebe knows firsthand how often major college recruiters miss prospects
February 9, 2013
News conferences, pep rallies and family celebrations have been conducted for 17- and 18-year-olds who breathlessly declared their major college football choices on national signing day Wednesday.
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Brain issues in back of Fencik's mind
February 1, 2013
Gary Fencik plans to watch Sunday's Super Bowl on a big screen TV from the comfort of his own home.
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Levy thinks Trestman perfect for Bears
January 11, 2013
Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy looks at current Bears candidate Marc Trestman and sees a replay of his own career path.
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Coming clean would only help Sosa
January 4, 2013
Former Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa, whose Twitter handle is @therealmr609, likely will be denied election to the Hall of Fame this year because of the questions about just how real all of his 609 homers were.
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Sound familiar? Against top defense, NIU too predictable
January 2, 2013
Maybe I watched and analyzed too many predictable Bears offensive efforts this season, but Tuesday night's ineffective Northern Illinois drill in the Orange Bowl certainly merged those two entities into the same conversation.
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Tillman provides inspiration for NIU defense
December 28, 2012
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Northern Illinois' defense has been paying close attention to the Bears this season, doing everything in their power to create turnovers that might affect the outcome of a game.
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Too bad Bears-Cardinals local rivalry thing of past
December 21, 2012
For those who remember the bitter local rivalry that once existed between the Bears and Cardinals when both played in Chicago, Sunday's game in Glendale, Ariz., conjures up thoughts of what could have been a monumental civic clash.
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Tragedies connect parents
December 6, 2012
Michelle Ross of Oklahoma City never followed the playing career of Erik Kramer, who was the Bears' quarterback in the mid-1990s.
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Woolford rooting for Tillman to break INT record
November 23, 2012
Charles Tillman shares the Bears cornerback record for most career interceptions with Donnell Woolford, who snatched 32 from 1989-96.
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Bears defense must keep pressure on
November 16, 2012
What more can this Bears defense do to carry the ballclub?
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Bears defense dominates, despite rules changes
November 9, 2012
The Pillagers of the Midway are on a record pace, returning seven interceptions for touchdowns in their first eight games as they prepare for Sunday night's prime time adventure against Matt Schaub and the Texans.
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Are Bears a house divided again?
November 2, 2012
Hard to imagine Lovie Smith going toe to toe with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli at halftime of an important Bears game.
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Tice keeps mood light
October 26, 2012
The standard job description for an NFL offensive coordinator does not include: "Must possess self-deprecating humor, unfailing flexibility and honest self-assessment."
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Bears, Lions share rough history
October 19, 2012
The template for dirty play between the Bears and Lions was set more than a half-century ago. So anticipation of over-the-top aggression in Monday night's prime-time game is warranted.
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Defense gives fans reason to cheer
October 6, 2012
Most fans go to Bears summer training camp hoping to be entertained by spectacular offensive plays.
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Payton's brother takes stab at setting record straight
September 28, 2012
Many fans of the late Walter Payton were stunned by the depiction of the Bears Hall of Fame running back as a flawed human being in Jeff Pearlman's controversial book: "Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton."
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Time of possession battle crucial
September 22, 2012
I asked Jay Cutler and Mike Tice a question regarding offensive strategy last week before the Green Bay game, and their answers surprised me.
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Cutler should bear down himself rather than dress down teammates
September 16, 2012
When push comes to shove, Jay Cutler and J'Marcus Webb should settle their differences away from the prying eyes of a national television audience.
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What about long-term health of NFL players?
September 7, 2012
As NFL teams start another season, their goal is simple: Win the Super Bowl.
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Broadcasters eager to jump on Bears bandwagon
September 1, 2012
OK, Bears fans, you asked for it.
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Butkus knows what Urlacher's going through
August 24, 2012
Dick Butkus can feel Brian Urlacher's pain.
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Emotions ran high for Bears against Broncos
August 10, 2012
There is no feeling quite like the anticipation and then the rush of adrenaline football players experience under game conditions.
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McClellin needs to listen, focus
August 3, 2012
Shea McClellin is hearing voices.
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Cutler making strides as a personality
July 13, 2012
Perception became reality for Jay Cutler when he arrived in Chicago three years ago as the anointed savior of a Bears franchise bereft of a big-boy quarterback for ages.
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Ex-teammates eager to celebrate Santo's induction
July 6, 2012
Debates may rage regarding the Hall of Fame merits of former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo.
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Olsen glad to be back in Chicago for day
June 30, 2012
Greg Olsen left Chicago kicking and screaming last summer when former Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz apparently expedited his trade to the Panthers because the pass-catching tight end did not fit into his system.
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Thomas judges Clemens and Bonds as worthy of Hall
June 20, 2012
While many optimists proclaim that the Steroid Era is over in baseball, former White Sox slugger Frank Thomas remains wary.
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Soriano happy Clemens cleared in perjury trial
June 19, 2012
It might take several years — if ever — for many baseball fans to find Roger Clemens innocent in the court of public opinion.
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Improving home record could push Sox over top in AL Central
June 19, 2012
Not one team in the American League Central has a winning record at home this season.
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Did Chicago botch Super Bowl chances with McDome fiasco?
June 15, 2012
Most longtime Bears fans think their team should have won more than one Super Bowl by now.
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Covert offers suggestions to improve Bears' pass blocking
June 8, 2012
Jay Cutler caused a stir last month when he publicly questioned the development of the Bears' offensive line.
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Modern helmets contribute to illusion of safety
June 2, 2012
The weapon of choice in the NFL is the helmet.
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Carrier tries to understand deaths of Duerson and Seau
May 25, 2012
Mark Carrier has lost two former teammates to suicide — Dave Duerson and Junior Seau — over the last 15 months.
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Pierzynski and Dunn continue love affair with Wrigley
May 20, 2012
A.J. Pierzynski and Adam Dunn both love playing in Wrigley Field and the two White Sox hitters took turns going deep against the Cubs in Saturday night's 7-4 victory.
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Durham doesn't think much of error in '84 playoffs
May 4, 2012
Bill Buckner and Leon Durham gave the Cubs solid first basemen from 1977-87, when this reporter spent some time covering the team as the Tribune's beat writer.
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Webb has Cutler's back
April 20, 2012
Bears fans don't need to be reminded about the importance of keeping Jay Cutler healthy.
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Plank experienced violent nature of football firsthand
April 6, 2012
Former Bears safety Doug Plank called himself "a pat-down candidate" as he answered my phone call while going through an airport security line Friday in Philadelphia.
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NBA's best all-time? You be the judge
March 23, 2012
One of the great sports debates across America has been the question of who was the greatest basketball player of all time.
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Manning not following Warner's journey through free agency
March 9, 2012
The Bears are not in the market for a starting quarterback this year, so Peyton Manning need not apply.
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Kittle weighs in on Sox, Ventura, Guillen
March 2, 2012
Former White Sox slugger Ron Kittle, the 1983 American League Rookie of the Year, was a teammate of current Sox manager Robin Ventura as well as predecessor Ozzie Guillen.
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Rivers reflects on stress son is under
February 17, 2012
Glenn "Doc" Rivers was a big deal at Proviso East High School back in the day.