Comments on: Chicago Bears Fact Checking

By: electric crane

electric crane — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 23:40:20 +0000

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By: Roy Taylor

Roy Taylor — Tue, 03 May 2011 16:31:54 +0000

RDS-You’re right-I whiffed on Seattle ’82 in this post. I did get it right on the website http://www.bearshistory.com/seasons/1982chicagobears.aspx. In 1982 it looks like they played one of the strange old fifth-place schedules, so they only played the Rams and Patriots from the AFC. There is no questioning a statement like “the Redskins gave up a safety” however. I remember the situation as you wrote it, because I was watching the game in 1984.

By: rds

rds — Mon, 02 May 2011 20:32:11 +0000

Fact-checking the fact-checker:

The Bears did play Seattle in 1982 (and 1984). Lost the 82 game 20-14.

The Bears did indeed give up a safety in the 84 playoff game to gain field position, but it almost backfired. The subsequent poor free kick by Finzer was returned by the Redskins to the Bears 45, giving them better field position. Washington drove to the 25 before they missed a field goal.

By: Roy Taylor

Roy Taylor — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:21:26 +0000

JDM-Right on, totally agreed. The joke is on me with the Telander book because it’s 6 years old and I hadn’t read it yet. I think I bought it for my Dad back then and just needed something to read recently. I agree, it seemed to completely pander to the lowest common denominator of fans. And Telander is so highly regarded it shocks me that he wouldn’t A) KNOW THESE FACTS HIMSELF or B) at least hire someone qualified to check the facts. I’m proud of the fact that I was hired to fact-check a Bears book that came out in 2009, a good book, but I made 100 corrections, literally, that would have been extremely embarrassing if they got to print. If I were the author they certainly would have been. But hey-I will tell you I was pleasantly surprised by Steve Delsohn’s book “Da Bears” that came out last Fall. I had zero expectations for it, nothing against the author but the 85 Bears story has been told ad nauseam, right? I really enjoyed that book-there were some backstories from players I had never read before. I’d highly recommend you check it out. My opinion is helped a little by the fact that he actually cited my website in his acknowledgments, which was very cool for one of the “real” media to do. That is really rare, I have found.

By: jdm

jdm — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:15:53 +0000

Believe me, while I don’t know Bears history as good as you, I find it very amusing I know more than the so called “experts”. And, I was only 8 in 1985. With the advent of the internet, there is really no excuse of making that many errors. All you have to go http://www.pro-football-reference.com/ or any other such site. Problem solved. Personally, I didn’t care for the book. It was nothing but another ass licking of Ditka and the 85 team. I’ve seen enough of those.

By: Roy Taylor

Roy Taylor — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 04:10:11 +0000

Ahh, thanks JDM, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one that shudders when I notice ridiculous errors. When a nationally recognized sportswriter can’t catch them or hire someone that can, that’s what really drives me nuts.

By: jdm

jdm — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:38:32 +0000

Hey Roy! My sister gave me that book for Christmas. I finally read it earlier this month when I got summoned to jury duty. I think I found an error on the first page of the book…