The Chicago Bears are spiraling out of control this season. I'm not sure how the rest of the season will play out, but it does not seem very promising. Maybe the change at the offensive coordinator position will help, but I'm not confident in Thomas Brown moving the needle that much now that Shane Waldron has been fired. What I do know is that this team is lacking in leadership, focus and work ethic. Three traits that Matt Forte displayed consistently during his 10-year career. Well, Forte is back in Chicago and ready to compete.
Matt Forte will not be hitting the gridiron though. He is here to hit the pickleball courts! That's right, Forte is partnering up with Smirnoff SMASH Vodka Soda by participating in their upcoming SMASH tournament on November 20th. The event is open to anyone who registers. If you want a shot at playing against Matt Forte, register now as spots are very limited.
I was lucky enough to talk with Matt Forte about the upcoming event. During the interview, we talked about more than pickleball. We discussed the Chicago Bears stadium situation, the firing of Shane Waldron, and even the Sports Spectrum podcast he is now co-hosting. He spoke to the fact that he is still a very competitive person and he's excited to be partnering with Smirnoff and getting back into some competition in the city of Chicago. He talked about how he has to keep his competitive drive going because of his two boys.
"I'm a guy who still works out. I still remain athletic. I did not just fall off a cliff because of retirement. I got two boys and they play sports and I want to dominate them as much as possible."Matt Forte
This wasn't the first time that Matt Forte has played pickleball. In fact, he's a former champion!
"I grew up, actually, I played pickleball in 7th and 8th grade...it was a sport I had not even heard of, and when I realized it was not like tennis, but you used a whiffle ball and this paddle. It was actually really intriguing. A teammate of mine in Little League that went to school with me, we actually ended up winning the 7th and 8th-grade tournament in those years. "Matt Forte
Forte went on to talk about how he is a fan of both Tennis and Ping Pong -- loosely related sports to pickleball. He has also played pickleball sparingly since retiring. With that experience plus his athleticism and competitiveness, he feels good about next week's tournament. Again, if you are interested, definitely go check it out.
Per the Smirnoff events team: Smirnoff is inviting pickleball enthusiasts and newcomers (21+) alike to enjoy complimentary bites from food trucks, DJ entertainment, a bar stocked with the four bold and unexpected flavors of Smirnoff SMASH Vodka Soda, and some SMASH-ing merch at SPF Chicago. I told Forte I was interested in trying the Orange Pineapple flavor but he highly recommended the Watermelon Lime flavor. If you are going to try any of their SMASH flavors, please drink responsibly.
Now onto the Chicago Bears part of the conversation...