Welcome to my Beastly Dream!

"Hey Chicago! Welcome to my football team!" declared Jinks Reagle at his first press conference as the new owner of Chicago's football tradition.

Not content to buy out the major investors, Reagle has purchased the entire Chicago portfolio, including the 20% stake previously kept in trust by City Hall. It really is his team - for this first time since the beginning of the franchise, the citizens of this fair city are completely at the mercy of a single investor, and the man is not shy about revealing his grandiose plans.

"From tomorrow this city can look forward to sporting glory!" crowed Reagle, "from tomorrow we will eat the opposition, rather than be eaten. From tomorrow Chicago's team will be true sporting BEASTS!". With those words, over half a century of football tradition was swept under the carpet and out the door. Jinks Reagle has, as his first decision, changed Chicago's proud Bruins into Beasts.

It is very clear that Reagle owns Chicago's football team and does not intend to leave any doubt that he will be a "hands-on" owner. There are hand-prints all over the team already, and the ink has yet to dry on the ownership papers. Along with the new name, and new logo (to be revealed later this week, we are told), come a raft of rookies, new coaches, and major changes to the team's starting line.

The good news is that despite detailed rumors to the contrary, QB Jarrett Bray is returning for the season, along with star running back Lyndon Jeffereys, and WR Braden Babb. Indeed, much of the receiving staff is the same, although it is rumored that McDowell will be running the third wideout routes this year, rather than the second ones he has been running for the past few. Darius Boyer is touted as his replacement, after an impressive performance early in the season's training camp.

While the names are remaining the same up front for the receiving staff, it is known that at least three, and perhaps four, of the less used WRs are looking for another team, their places to be filled by a few new TEs (as if the team needs more than three), and some depth in the offensive line.

While the news for the offense is not too drastic, the same can not be said for any aspect of Chicago's defense, where the Beast (as Reagle is already known by the players), has been hard at work.

Chicago's first round draft pick went to pick up a promising young CB from Boston State, Earl Evers. Evers will be making the switch to Safety, and starting in the position traditionally held by 12-year veteran Cash Paligaro. There is no talk of dropping Paligaro, who will be moving to the other side of the field, although one can not help but wonder whether he will be back next year in these conditions.

A cheery Paligaro had this to say about the move: "The years do start to catch up with you after a while, but nothing is going to catch up with Earl! The kid must have been born with wings on his feet!" Cash refused to comment further on his plans for next season. "I'll see how a championship ring makes me feel at the end of the year!"

Other changes are afoot in the Chicago secondary, with a number of new faces, and a new DB coach, Leroy Nash, ready to "make things happen". "I have actually trimmed the size of the defensive backs squad," said Nash, when approached during training camp, "but I think it should operate like a well-oiled machine this year. You won't see teams passing all over this Chicago team." The initial reports are that the injection of funds Reagle has made have already worked miracles in this part of the team, at least.

Perhaps most transformed are Chicago's linebackers. "There is a new fire here," offers a pumped Felix Buckley, and you can understand why, with his second-seat position threatened by not one, but three newcomers at training camp. Fierce competition all through the training camp has made the selectors' task tough, and there is still no clear decision who will be in the starting team for the season.

It is clear is that the ten-yard wasteland is a thing of the past, though. "You have to work hard just to keep up," enthused the eight-year linebacker from Penn. State, Ralph Fiddler, who was comfortably in control of the top LB spot until this camp, "and when you have to play hard to keep your place the whole team benefits. This squad is playing the best football we have played in years, and that includes the new guys."

Rookie LB Gary Stalcup has been making waves all through the Chicago organization with his athletic "all-field" play. Coaches and observers are saying that players like Stalcup are the start of a whole new style of linebacker in professional sport.

"You haven't seen a player doing the sorts of things that Gary is doing now," raves Don Tonkin, long time head coach for Indiana State, now in charge of the linebackers for Reagle's Chicago machine, "I have no idea what he will be doing next week, much less next year! This kid scares me, and he is going to put the fear of god into offensive coordinators all across the country, I can tell you."

While the linebackers are jockeying for a place in the team, the Defensive line is being rebuilt a player at a time. Most of the faces are the same, but they will be appearing in different places this year, we are told.

After almost a decade at DE, Marcel Pearce is moving across to tackle for what he says might be his last year of professional football. "This game takes a toll," Pearce told reporters, "a real toll."

The coaches assure us that the defensive line will earn its money this year, and will continue to do so into the future. "We are developing new players now who will allow us to make up for the loss of anyone on the defensive line - we have a depth you cannot believe," promised defensive coordinator Bob Taylor.

All of the news sounds encouraging. All of the coaches are eager to sing the praises of the this "new" team. But there are still dark under-currents if you look for them. There are mutterings that all is not well behind this hastily constructed Reagle facade. Only time will tell whether it is all just gloss.

"No one has seen the raw force that this Chicago team is going to be running on this year. There has never been a Chicago team like this before. But there is one now, and we are just going to get better. These players are real BEASTS!" So Jinks Reagle ended his press-conference last night. I think there are a lot of fans out there who slept a troubled sleep with those words echoing in their ears, I know I did. Pinch me, I want to wake up!

- Casey Kluskens