While i would never say I defend ZZ on Bears Ass Licking statements, I usually somewhat see what he is trying to say as he tries to break down blank statements.

Today when Mully said "These guys are managing and coaching for their jobs", ZZ claimed that this year is NOT Unlike any other year in the planning and effort.

ZZ is really drinking the mcCool aid f he belives this crap he is spewing.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Well, Martz really has nothing to lose. He's probably having the time of this life. He probably thought he'd be sitting in an NFL Network studio all year. But, ZZ is a Bears ass licker of the highest order.

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Johnny, keep in mind Zach Zaidman's part of the WBBM Newsradio 780/Bears' Radio Network team, in addition to his duties at 670 The SCORE. When you're part of the team's broadcast crew, Zach's got to be very careful in his role. You can't bite the hand that feeds you, especially when the Bears pay part of Zach's salary.

But you dont need tolikc it every chance you get either@!

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I really don't give a shit who pays him. A beat reporter is first and foremost, a REPORTER. Joe Cowley, Paul Sullivan, Moon Mullin, etc. are not beholden to the teams they cover for ANYTHING. Maybe it's a bad decision by the Score to have as its Bears beat reporter the same guy who is part of the broadcast team. All I know is I am sick and tired of his constant attempts to make the Bears sound better than they are. That whole Greg Olsen argument with B&B was totally fucking embarrasing from his standpoint. He needs to step up and decide whether he wants to be a Bears broadcaster or beat reporter, plain and simple.

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Johnny, when I heard that on an afternoon when ZZ was on update duty with Terry & Dan, he kept going on & on & on about Greg Olsen and I couldn't take anymore. This was right around the time the Bears tried to trade Olsen but couldn't get the kind of value in return right after the Steve Dahl/Roger Ebert-looking Mike Martz took over as Offensive Coordinator.

ZZ is bottom of the barrel bad. You can just hear the gears grind in his head as he pauses to allow himself time to cook up some propoganda to spew about how no one is bad and everyone has some super hidden talent that no-one in the NFL or the world has seen yet. The Olsen stuff was just totally beyond the pale, he didn't even try to hide the propoganda even as B&B were totally being assholes (and continue to be) to him about it.

Here is how the Training Camp reports will be this year...

-"Danny, I gotta tell yah, this new Safety, Darren HardtoPronounceWierdName, is really turning some heads here at camp. He has made some outstanding plays on the ball during practices. He is really a guy to keep your eye on."

Of course you could replace that Safety's name with anyone on the roster and it would what ZZ would say. I realize the situation that he's in concerning who writes his checks and the latitude that he has to make factual responses and non-bullshit talk is limited.....but come the fuck on.

Seriously, how can ZZ look himself in the mirror each morning and not curl up in a ball a cry at the total farce that his career has become?

Can you name another beat reporter who is also on the team's payroll? If so, I'd be very surprised. That's a BAD, BAD combination. I'm surprised Mitch allows that.

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Well, Levine?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

I mean literally on the payroll. Levine acts like he is but he really isn't. I mean it would be like Santo or DJ being their team's beat reporter.

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Steve Stone....Score baseball expert.

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Levine writes for (Le)Vineline, the Chicago Cubs official magazine.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

He IS on the Cubs payroll dude. Vineline.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

OK, well that explains alot. Don't listen to him that much.

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While I agree that ZZ is horrific, B&B shouldn't be held up as paragons of sound football judgment. Prior to last season, they frequently rhapsodized about all the new "wrinkles" Ron Turner would bring to the offense now that he had a legitimate quarterback with whom he could work. They were also giddy about Greg Olsen's capacity to stretch defenses. And their interviews with Jerry Angelo are generally giant stroke fests. B&B say a lot of dumb crap when it comes to the Bears, but they just aren't held accountable for their misguided opinions in the way that ZZ is.

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I would agree that B&B are no football experts, but they are right about Martz. I have read stuff about Martz that is pretty much spot on with their assessment. Such as the TE being mainly a blocker, and a WR corps that can read a play and react accordingly. So while I agree that they are not "paragons of sound football judgment" they were on the right side of that ridiculous argument with ZZ.

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I will not be surprised if Mike Martz replaces Lovie as head coach of the Bears.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

The issue isn't the intelligence of the commentary, it's the perceived subjectivity of the statements. It's a lot harder to give credence to ZZ's points, when he's thought of as a shill for the Bears. The same thing goes for Levine.

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President of Blake Shetlon fan club

I really don't think you can put Stoney in the same category as ZZ or Levine. Yes, he is the Score and CSN baseball expert but while he throws the occasional jab at the Cubs I find his commentary to be very insightful. He's been talking negatively about Zambrano for years and while Cubs fans claim sour grapes the guy was spot on, wasn't he? He talks about the backloaded contracts..again, spot on. And he is certainly not a White Sox ass licker. He calls it like he sees it IMO and I love to listen to the guy.

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1. They're not reporters. They're people who go to nfl-mandated media events, and pick up stories from plants & players, both of whom have axes to grind and points to sell (including theirselfs) Damned games are catered. Compare and contrast to people covering SEC's investigation of Goldman Sachs. Aside from press conferences, investigative reporting took place. Those are reporters. To me, sports reporters = society reporters.
2. There are fluff reporters and fluff reporters. Zach actually does work for the Bears network on WBBM. Simplistically, I'll say "he works for the Bears," just like I'll say he also works as a beat reporter on WSCR. Except I know at one time he was a Shadow (Traffic) guy: he and Kerner traded assignments, with Kerner becoming one of WBBM's sport update guys.
3. No matter how you feel about Zack's fluffery, Mully and Hanley are in the same boat. If Mully starts swinging, he gets to deal with irate players/insiders he reports on in the newspaper. Same for Hanley on the Bulls. They're all compromised.
4. Murph and his "never been in the lockerroom" riff was the least compromised of them, but don't believe it: we're talking a station whose existence is facilitated by the goodwill of the teams (same arrangement as you have with the newspapers being their free PR agencies.) Imagine how far "F-A-I-L" would go if someone were really irritated by that.

Beebo's read: the Bears are good enough to fill the stadium and fetch good contracts for TV, radio. All else is window dressing. And, LOL, get the state to pay for their stadiums!

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Middle Aged Crazy, like Uncle Terry

I am not going to re ignite the Stone commentary on the board but the fact remains he is paid by the White Sox and he is the Score baseball "expert". I will let you decide if that is a conflict of interest.

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I'm not saying it's NOT a conflict of interest. I'm just saying I believe he keeps himself relatively impartial based on his comments.

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He's getting his ass kicked on Mac's show right now.
This is paraphrased but close.
ZZ: "If Cutler gets hurt then your show today is filled with callers saying that the backups didn't get enough snaps"
Mac: "Only the idiot ones"

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

This is great radio right now! Buffone sounds like he wants to strangle Zaidman.

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pretty good stuff..

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@audioidkid

Did Buffone just say--in reference to Zach--that "I've never heard such a bunch of crap in my life like I heard just now?"

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Seriously Zaidman gets the crap kicked out of him on every show he's in on. B&B zing him left and right, he's constantly called out by hosts for being a cheerleader and chief excusemaker of the Bears. Isn't he EVER going to feel embarassment and say something less... excusey?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

I hope bigfan is listening

I think Zach is holding his own for the most part.

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-"God is great. Beer is good. And People are crazy!"

on

ZZ had nuggets before going, and Mac tried to shut him down before he put out his nugs.
Then Mac told him to make it quick. Also grin worthy.
Then, after the commercial break:

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014