And the award for biggest idiot of 2009 is...

Keith Ballard, when he hit Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vocoun. That might not seem like such a big deal, because everyone gets hit in hockey. The main difference between this hit and others, is that Ballard plays for the Panthers too, and it was with his own stick! Check out the video.

On Monday night, the Panthers played against the Atlanta Thrashers on what I am sure was thought to have been a normal game. In a tie game Atlanta’s Ilya Kovalchuk scored a go-ahead breakaway goal against Vocoun with Ballard trailing not too far behind Kovalchuk. In pure frustration after the goal was scored, Ballard whacked the goal post with his stick, a practice that is not exactly disciplined by the NHL, or any individual teams for that matter. In doing so, Ballard managed to clip the side of the head of his own goaltender, knocking him to the ground in obvious pain. Vocoun then left the game minutes later on a stretcher.

This play is up on the same scale as when Gus Ferotte of the Washington Redskins celebrated a touchdown by slamming his own head into the wall and injuring himself. That bonehead play essentially ended his career that had some promise.

I have wondered for a long time how incidents like these have not happened more often. When I see a football player score a touchdown, then follow it by doing a back flip, I cannot believe that their head coaches do not tell them it is a bad idea. Or when a hockey player scores a goal and celebrates by jumping into the corner board a la Alexander Ovechkin. I would think that there are less risky ways to celebrate. Maybe I'm just old skool.

The only thing that we can hope for now is that Tomas Voucoun is healthy and that he has a quick return to the ice. And that Ballard finds a better way to let out his frustration.

Urlacher's comments just adds to the disarray of the Bears clubhouse

Brian Urlacher said to Yahoo! Sports reporter Michael Silver that "But I hate the way our identity has changed. We used to establish the run and wear teams down and try not to make mistakes, and we'd rely on our defense to keep us in the game and make big plays to put us in position to win. Kyle Orton might not be the flashiest quarterback, but the guy is a winner, and that formula worked for us. I hate to say it, but that's the truth."

Ulracher is correct, the Bears used to be able to run and wear teams down. He is also correct in saying that the defense used to keep them in the game. Unfortunately, neither of those are the case now, and it has nothing to do with Jay Cutler being our quarterback. Matt Forte does not seem to be the same player he was last year, whether it is him not running hard enough through the holes, or whether the offensive line is not creating them. Both statements have their legitimate arguments. And, I do not think I have to say anything about the defense.

Later on in the interview Urlacher also commented on Forte saying, "You know why that doesn't work? We don't make anyone [expletive] miss,'' As you know from the previous paragraph, I think he may have a point, but calling out individual players on your own team to the media shows some unprofessional ism. Calling out your team is one thing, calling out individual players makes it sound like you are putting sole blame on them.

Instead of calling out the offense, maybe Brian, you should look at your side of the ball. The Bears' D has given up 45 points to Cincinnati, 41 points to Arizona, and recently 36 points to Minnesota where Brett Farve threw for 392 yards.

Anyway we look at it though, the Bears' are in for a rough rest of the year, and maybe a few more after. Well, at least we have the Blackhawks.