Chris Harris, Earl Bennett and Lovie Smith Among NFC North’s Best
ESPN’s NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert has been selecting some of the NFC North’s bests, like Best Mascot (Rangor of the Vikings), Best Nickname (B.J. Raji’s The Freezer) and Best Rivalry (Bears-Packers – duh!). The Bears distinguished themselves in a handful of categories.
Best Tweeter – Chris Harris
"The NFC North is packed with social media mavens. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, for instance, entertains the masses with “Jack Handey” quotes whenever he’s sitting in an airport. But Harris is probably the most prolific in our division, using Twitter to post serious thoughts on important NFL issues at one moment and then updating his diaper-changing failures in another. Just as important, Harris interacts with Chicago Bears fans on a near daily basis. Those of us who follow Harris feel like we know him."
This is a no-brainer. Anyone who has watched To Catch a Predator has to do it while Harris is live tweeting it with the #ClubTCAP hashtag. It’s golden.
Best Hands – Earl Bennett
"The NFC North has no shortage of elite receivers who have collected Pro Bowl honors, from Greg Jennings to Calvin Johnson to Sidney Rice. None of them displayed the kind of reliability Bennett achieved last season for the Chicago Bears. He dropped only one of the 70 passes thrown his way, according to ESPN Stats & Information, and caught 46. Jennings dropped five of the 122 passes thrown his way. Johnson also had five (on 134 targets). Rice was limited to five games."
Anyone who wouldn’t trade Bennett for the other guys listed in Seifert’s comments, please raise your hands. I didn’t think so. When I read the headline, I couldn’t help think of this clip from Seinfeld, when George became a hand model. (Sorry, can’t embed the Seinfeld clip. Send you complaints to YouTube and/or Jerry Seinfeld).
Best Game Face – Lovie Smith
"Chicago Bears fans have grown frustrated over the years with Smith’s placid sideline demeanor. They wonder why Smith isn’t more emotional and if he could possibly be as disconnected from the game action as he appears to be. I actually think it’s a positive attribute. Smith always projects calm amid the chaos of an NFL sideline. If the head coach is flipping out during the game day roller coaster, what can he expect from players?"
Best poker face? Absolutely. Best impression of a statue? You got it. But best game face? Come on!?!? What’s next, best press conference? And while we’re at it, what is a game face anyway? Let’s see what legendary coaching legend Bobby Knight says about game faces: