Friday, Dec. 3, 2010
2:26 PM
By John Mullin
CSNChicago.com
The Bears will be without Pisa Tinoisamoa for a third straight game after the veteran strong-side linebacker was unable to practice fully on Friday. In his place, former Northwestern star Nick Roach will start.
Coach Lovie Smith had indicated Tinoisamoa be back but he didnt come around as much as wed hoped, Smith said. Tinoisamoa missed most of last season with two knee injuries and the Bears hope to have him for the finishing stretch of 2010.
The falloff from starter to backup is virtually nil between Tinoisamoa and Roach. Indeed, including the last two games of 09, the Bears have won Roachs last four starts at Sam backer, including a shutout in Miami and wins over Michael Vick and Brett Favre (09) when the latter was deep into his statement season.
Roach has been active for every game except Dallas this year so it hasnt been a difficult year for me, he said. Ive been healthy except for a minor knee injury in training camp so I count that as a plus, being able to play in every game.
The Detroit Lions, however, are likely to be without defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, who missed his fourth day of practice with a neck injury. The Lions already lost kicker Jason Hanson for the season with a knee injury and are without their 1-2 quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Shaun Hill.
NFL
Sad note, but somehow not
The passing of Cubs legend Ron Santo at age 70 from bladder cancer is one of those things that gives rise to thoughts and recollections, snapshots really, and in Ronnies case, theyre all good.
Forget what Ronnie was or wasnt as a broadcaster at the end of his career. Ron just enjoyed (unless it was Bad Cubs) the game and being at the game and if you couldnt just appreciate the emotion, that was always, to me, your loss. He got it. A good groan now and then? Hey, weve all heard worse over the airwaves.
I remember back in his playing days when his Park Ridge pizza place gave free pizzas if you were in the shop when he hit a homer. Sometimes the folks there didnt stop giving free stuff if the Cubs won, and Ronnie never minded.
Later he opened a place in downtown Park Ridge. Nice food, nice setting, nice people. Like most restaurants, it eventually went away. But Ronnie was there a lot of the time and always had time for folks, coming over to a table where my parents might be sitting and visiting.
Ronnie never big-timed people, and thats really the best measure of someone. Its always amused me when its said of an individual, Oh, really, hes nice once you get to know him. Heck, arent we pretty much all nice to people we know (except the jerks)? Ron Santo was nice to nobodies, to people who werent Hall of Fame voters, to just folks.
Too soon gone, Ronnie. Too soon. Thanks for the pleasant times. And the pizza. It was great.
John "Moon" Mullin is CSNChicago.com's Bears Insider, and appears regularly on Bears Postgame Live and Chicago Tribune Live. Follow Moon on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Bears information.
