[CBFF] Bears arrived at Super Bowl a year ago tomorrow

[Tom]

 Sent to you by Tom via Google Reader: Bears arrived at Super Bowl a
year ago tomorrow via Inside the Bears by Brad Biggs on 1/27/08
PHOENIX--It was a year ago tomorrow that the Bears landed in Miami for
Super Bowl XLI.

My how things change in the course of a year,

The Bears stumbled to a 7-9 finish, made more palatable by meaningless
season-ending victories over Green Bay and New Orleans. The club is in
the process of preparing for the draft and free agency, and
organizational meetings that will shape the 2008 season will begin
shortly after the Super Bowl. The month off from the end of the season
ought to take some of the emotion out of the critical decisions that
need to be made.


They say they are close to returning to the stage of the scene here
where the Giants and unbeaten New England Patriots will battle next
Sunday in Super Bowl XLII. After watching New York win road playoff
games at Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay to represent the NFC in Super
Bowl XLII, maybe the Bears are right. The two teams met at Soldier
Field in November, a game the Bears led 16-7 with seven minutes to
play. That's when Eli Manning took over, directing touchdown drives of
75 and 77 yards for a come-from-behind victory. The Giants have not
lost a game away from the dump they call home in East Rutherford, N.J.,
since the season opener at Dallas. Ten road dates equaled 10 road
victories.

So, Inside the Bears will take on a Super Bowl flavor this week. We'll
take a look at the Big Game--that's what they call it in Las Vegas where
the NFL says use of the name Super Bowl is a no-no--and we'll check in
with any Bears developments as they occur. We'll look for some sights,
sounds and anecdotes that don't get play elsewhere and report them.

There are former Bears in the mix here. Giants cornerback R.W.
McQuarters is a familiar face. New York's offensive line coach Pat
Flaherty coached tight ends on Dick Jauron's staff. He's the
brother-in-law of current Bears' O-line coach Harry Hiestand. On New
England's side, linebacker Rosevelt Colvin ought to be around. He's out
with a broken bone in his right foot.

Fullback Jim Finn, a Mr. Irrelevant draft choice by the Bears in 1999,
is on the Giants' injured reserve list. Patriots running backs coach
Ivan Fears coached the Bears wide receivers from 1993-98. Both teams
have a cornerback on their practice squad that spent time with the
Bears--Tim Mixon for New England and Andrew Shanle for the Giants.

We'll look for some familiar faces and see what those in the know have
to say about how close the Bears are to being in realistic contention
for a Super Bowl berth.

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