The Chicago Bears have been so bad this season that change seems inevitable.
Here's how bad it's gotten. They've lost Mike Ditka.
The legendary Bears coach admitted that he gave up on the Bears early during their Monday night loss to the New Orleans Saints, a clear sign that even the most ingrained of Chicagoans are losing interest in the team.
"I watched until it was 14-0, then I turned the game off," he said in his weekly column for the Chicago Sun-Times. "I didn't watch any more. So, I don't know what happened. I don't know how bad it got or didn't get. I didn't pay any attention to it.
"But from what I saw, the guys on defense didn't know where to line up. They didn't know how to cover. They didn't know how to do anything.
"It's a shame. There is no excuse for that. You can say it's coaching, and maybe that has something to do with it. But I think it's the people they have. They just aren't very good."
Banner season
Frustrated fans have again taken to the air against the New York Jets.
Another banner-toting plane calling for the ouster of embattled New York General Manager John Idzik circled the field for several minutes during practice Wednesday.
The banner, which appeared during the early portion of practice, read: "PENALTY FLAG DAY 12/21 FIREJOHNIDZIK.COM" in 5-foot capital red letters.
The message was a reminder that the fan site has been issuing about 10,000 yellow towels -- deemed "penalty flags" -- at New York and New Jersey area bars, urging owner Woody Johnson to "clean house" by firing Idzik, team president Neil Glat and senior personnel executive Terry Bradway.
Fans are expected to bring the towels to the Jets' home finale Sunday against New England at MetLife Stadium.
None of the men mentioned on the towels appeared to be at practice while reporters watched the plane.
On Nov. 5, a plane with a banner paid for by a fan that read "FIRE JOHN IDZIK" circled Jets practice for 20 minutes. The team playfully responded the next day when Coach Rex Ryan sent up a toy helicopter at the beginning of practice at the indoor facility with a small banner that read: "Go Jets."
Send in the clowns
A group of Washington Redskins fans are attempting to organize a mass demonstration of fans wearing clown costumes for Saturday's home game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
"The way we see it, the circus came to town and we're just trying to make the stands appropriately festive for that atmosphere," said Teddy Kott, 34, who was raised in Chevy Chase, Md. "Look, people put paper bags on their heads. That seems infinitely less comfortable than just putting on a clown wig and a clown nose. You can't even see what you're protesting if you've got a paper bag on your head.
"This is fun, and it's family friendly."
The Redskins are 3-11 this season and have lost 19 of their past 22 games.
Sports quiz
Mike Ditka's final victory as a head coach came against this team on Dec. 24, 1999.
Answer
The Dallas Cowboys
Sports on 12/18/2014