Top 15 Remixes of All-Time

In my iPod, I have a play list entitled “Remix”, containing all 205 remixes that I have in my iPod. I don’t know about you, but I always like to hear a remix. Maybe it’s my creative nature, I like to hear a different take on things, or perhaps it’s just the signal from the artist that this song was special, so we released two versions of it. Whatever it is, I’m always excited to hear one. And like all things that excite me, I tend to be pretty critical of each and every one. In that spirit, here is my list of the 15 best remixes of all time.

There are a few criteria that go into the rankings. First, what differed from the original? Something should be different; otherwise it wouldn’t be a remix. Often, it is the addition or subtraction (mainly addition) of a featured artist. If that is the only addition to the song, then that verse needs to be exceptional. Another piece of criteria was the significance of the song. The significance could be measured by commercial appeal, the effect it had on the music industry, etc. And lastly, the all important question – would you rather listen to the regular version or the remix? With that, let’s get to it. The 20 are in no particular order, and afterwards a list of honorable mentions.

The Notorious B.I.G. - One More Chance Remix - This is probably the greatest remix of all-time. The original is one of the lesser songs on Biggie's debut CD, Ready To Die, and the remix is a total reversal from the original. With lines like "I'm not only a client, I'm the playa president" it exhibits Biggie's true genius.

R Kelly - Ignition Remix - Fellas to the left...this song comes at the nadir of R. Kelly's remixes, and with this one he finally hit the one that never gets old. It's bouncy, it's fun, it's well written.

Lil’ Kim - Not Tonight Remix f/ Da Brat, Left Eye, Missy Elliot, & Angie Martinez - The ultimate females only song, from the movie soundtrack for Nothing To Lose, this song was a big hit fronting for an otherwise forgettable movie. The original appeared on Lil' Kim's debut CD, Hardcore.

Mary J Blije - Real Love Remix f/ The Notorious B.I.G. - This was the ultimate Puffy moment, using his specialty - the remix - to pimp his two best stars, Mary J and Biggie. Biggie simply added a verse on the end, but the extra drums in the beat really make it kick.

SWV - Anything Remix f/ Wu Tang Clan - Wu-Tang rarely guest appeared as a unit on anything besides their own albums. This song was a big hit without the remix, but the remix really topped it off nice. "Another chapter from the Wu-Tang book!" Often overlooked in the greatness of the Wu Tang dynasty is how they seamlessly transitioned between the ultra commercial like Mariah Carey, Jodeci, and SWV and the ultimate underground like Dreddy Kruger, Ras Kass, and R.A. the Rugged Man.

Mariah Carey - Fantasy Remix f/ Ol’ Dirty Bastard - Whether with an assist from Puffy, Jermaine Dupri, or DJ Clue, Mariah has continuously added extra income and bolstered her rep in the urban community using remixes with rappers. There are a lot of great Mariah remixes, but this one set the whole summer off back in the day. This one was the ultimate, one of the few Mariah remixes (along wit Honey) that got regular airplay on the radio, instead of just showing up on CD singles.

112 - Only You Remix f/ The Notorious B.I.G. and Ma$e - One of the first songs, along with You Can't Hold Me Down, where we saw Ma$e on a track. This was a big deal because with this strategy Puffy really helped establish the theory that you break a new artist in on other people's records to gauge interest. In addition, Only You was 112's breakout hit, and arguably the biggest hit of their career. A remix with 112, Biggie, and Ma$e is pure genius.

2Pac - California Love Remix f/ Dr. Dre - California, knows how to party! On a CD of big hits, this one was the biggest. The remix was so good they didn't even bother releasing the original. 2Pac's first big hit after he was released from prison was one of the all-time classics.

DMX - Ruff Ryders Anthem Remix f/ Eve, Drag-On, & The Lox - This one was a DJ Clue remix. The original Ruff Ryders Anthem was kind of mid-tempo, so it was hard to pinpoint when to bang it in the club. The remix was sped up, and they threw all the important Ruff Ryders on the track, saving X for last. Everyone rips the track hard, and it sort of is a bit depressing when you think of what could have been had they all stayed at the top of their games. The Lox are still banging out hits, but X is slippin', Eve is focusing on acting, and Drag-On basically disappeared.

Ice Cube – It Was a Good Day Radio Remix edit - File this one under the "different beat" type of remix. In contrast to the original, this one has a breezy, kind of Motown feel to it, giving the lyrics new air in which to breathe. Good times.

Mariah Carey - Honey So So Def Remix f/ Da Brat & Jermaine Dupri - Honey was so good that it got two remixes. The more commercial remix featured Ma$e and The Lox and had its own video. This one was a little more under the radar, and sort of jacked the "All About the Benjamins" beat. Of all of Mariah's underrated "B side" remixes, this one is easily the best.

NaS - Street Dreams f/ R Kelly - Call it the pimped out remix, the joining of two legends. Perhaps this is where the "R" got the inspiration to pump out all his remixes?

Puff Daddy - It’s All About the Benjamins Rock Remix f/ The Notorious B.I.G., Lil’ Kim, The Lox, Fuzz Bubble - One of the last projects Biggie did before he passed, this one was during the rock-rap craze. Fuzz Bubble was the first rock act Puffy signed to Bad Boy, and this remix was the first project he put them on. They didn't disappoint in their first go round, the beat definitely kicked.

Juvenile - HA Jay-Z Remix f/ Jay-Z - It seemed like there 30 remixes to this song, but the Jay-Z version signaled the legitimacy of southern rap. If Juvenile was good enough for Jay-Z to lay down a verse with, then he must have been pretty good right? Well, in retrospect, no he wasn't. But this remix helped kicked off a slew of southern rappers, which depending on your viewpoint, was good or bad for hip hop.

LL Cool J - I Shot Ya f/ Foxy Brown, Keith Murray, Fat Joe, & Prodigy - Just a great group of emcees going to war on a great battle track. As a bonus, this was one of the last times Keith Murray and Foxy actually shined on a track.

Honorable Mention:

• De La Soul - Stakes is High Remix f/ Mos Def - Mighty Mos' first song.
• Gangstarr - You Know My Steez Remix f/ Lady of Rage & Kurupt - What a combination of artists!
• Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says Remix f/ Lady Luck, Redman, Method Man, Shabaam Sahdeeq, and Busta Rhymes - Big-time posse track for big-time club banger.
  
• Talib Kweli - Get By Remix f/ Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes - Another great combo of A-listers.
  
• A Tribe Called Quest f/ Faith Evans - Stressed Out (Baby Phife Version) - Can't have a best of list without the Tribe. With so many masterpieces, they didn't have a lot of remixes, so this one is the tops.
  

Biggie Duets Album Review

My sister got me The Notorius B.I.G. – Duets, The Final Chapter for Christmas, which was nice of her. Of course, it would have been nicer if she has not opened it and downloaded it onto her iPod before she gave it to me, but that’s neither here nor there I suppose. I was mildly excited about it. I wasn’t planning on buying the album, but I got excited when I received it. Opening the album, it’s easy to get excited, despite the ad inserts. The artwork is cool, especially the pictures of him walking around in shorts and a polo shirt. The picture of Biggie and Puffy all dressed up is cool as well. Too many thank yous, but what can you do. Let’s get it into it, taking a look at each track individually, with a grade for each one just for extra. I was looking for a couple things – well done songs/concepts, real duets, Biggie lyrics I haven’t heard before, etc.

1. B.I.G. live in Jamaica INTRO
Cool intro, I had never heard it, so bonus points for that. I always like getting live stuff, especially from someone who has died, as I don’t have the opportunity to see them live anymore. Grade: A

2. it has been said f/ Diddy, Eminem, and Obie Trice
Good transition from the intro, but this isn’t Eminem at his best – lyrically or musically. When listening to it on headphones the beat is a bit much. Obie Trice is good, but Puffy is full of shit saying that he made Biggie what he was. I also have a tough time believing that he has played a significant role in T-yanna’s upbringing, but I suppose it’s possible. However, this song DOESN’T HAVE BIGGIE ON IT. How can it be a Biggie song if he’s not on it? I mean, if he’s not on it, why do I care? Grade: Automatic F

3. spit your game f/ Twista and Bone Thugs N Harmony
A good beat here by Swizz Beats. It’s interesting how they cut off Biggie’s verse before he says “bone and BIG” even though Bone is on this song. I always like Twista and Bone Thugs, but Bone is sub par here and there are other people I’d like to see rap on a Biggie track than these guys. Grade: C+

4. whatchu want – The Commission – Jay-Z and Notorius B.I.G.
Love the beat here, very original, and it fits Biggie well. I’ve never heard these Biggie verses, very nice stuff. It’s interesting that they list it as The Commission – I’ve never seen that before, and The Commission was supposed to have way more people in it…This is the first real duet, and a good verse by Jay-Z. Grade: A+

5. get your grind on f/ Big Pun, Fat Joe, and Freeway
This beat sucks, it doesn’t fit Biggie’s verses here at all. Freeway is a worthless and illogical choice, and Fat Joe has been better. This should have just been Big Pun and Biggie, the other two water down the track. Grade: C- (and only cause of Pun, otherwise this is a D)

6. living the life f/ Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Faith Evans, Cheri Dennis, and Bobby Valentino
I love his lyrics here, I always forget they were on Born Again. I love having faith evans here, and while I hate in Ludacris general, he turns in a good verse (for him). Snoop does well here too, but in the end it seems like too much for one song. The other two seem pointless, hardly notice them. Grade: B-

7. the greatest rapper INTERLUDE
This is Biggie’s son CJ. I love it, great touch. Grade: A+

8. 1970 Somethin’ f/ The Game and Faith Evans
This is one of my favorite tracks – The Game is a good choice here. He’s an up and comer with legitimate chops, he’s not just some clown. Faith again on the track, I love that. This one also has a duet feel to it. Grade: A-

9. Nasty Girl f/ Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge and Avery Storm
This one has one demerit – why Jagged Edge? This should be 112 here. Nelly is good here, Diddy fits on songs like this, and he copied a lot of the old lyrics which meant you didn’t have to suffer through too much of his crap rapping. The beat and concept was very well done by Jazze Pha. And I always thought that Nasty Boy was underrated, girls liked the lyrics, but didn’t like the other stuff in the song. The wife gave this one her stamp of approval. Grade: B+ (would be A- with 112)

10. living in pain f/ 2Pac, Mary J. Blige, and Nas
Biggie and 2Pac’s lyrics are actually an unreleased Biggie and 2Pac song called House of Pain. There’s a new beat (decent), a verse from Nas (good) and a hook by Mary J Blije (very good). Would have expected a little better from Just Blaze, but the beat doesn’t take away from the song. Grade: B

11. I’m with whateva f/ Lil’ Wayne, Juelz Santana, and Jim Jones
This is the kind of song that drags the album down. Lil’ Wayne is okay, he’s better than some of the other Cash Money clowns, and Juelz Santana is one level under ok - not quite completely worthless, but certainly below average. Unfortunately, Jim Jones is useless. I don’t understand the rationale behind picking Santana and Jones over Cam’ron, or someone different altogether. Also, Biggie does not appear on this track. The beat by Stevie J is tight, with the Halloween beat mixed in, but no Biggie means – Grade: Automatic F

12. beef f/ Mobb Deep
Awesome. Biggie and the Mobb, this is the true essence of a Duets album. The original beat was tight, but you can’t screw with a Havoc beat, he does it justice. Lyrically, they keep the cadence right. Proper. Grade: A- (would be an A if it was an unreleased Biggie/Mobb song, there has to be at least one, no?)

13. my dad INTERLUDE
Again, nice touch with his kids here, this one his daughter T-yanna. Grade: A+

14. hustler’s story f/ Scarface, Akon, and Big Gee of Boyz N Da Hood
Ok, here’s the deal. If you need to list your group next to your name, like “Big Gee of Boyz N Da Hood”, then you’re not big enough to be on the Biggie Duets album. Take this verse out and you’ve got a winner. So why is he on the track? Well, coincidentally, he’s signed to a new Diddy venture called Bad Boy South. Never heard of the producer, but the beat is good. ‘Face is always on his game, and Akon is an up and comer, his voice is kind of contagious. He could have a Nate Dogg-like run of success if he plays his cards right and knows his role. Grade: B-

15. breakin’ old habits f/ T.I. and Slim Thug
Really? T.I. and Slim Thug? This track is completely unnecessary. I guess T.I. has a good rep, and from what I’ve heard, Slim Thug is pretty decent. But again, who are these guys compared to Biggie? They’re doormen, bellhops. It’s insulting. And I like Biggie’s verse here, it’s tremendous, one of the hidden gems from No Way Out. That saves it from being an F. Grade: D-

16. ultimate rush f/ Missy Elliot
I love Missy. She does a good job here, as does Scott Storch - the song is well done. But isn’t this Lil’ Kim’s song? The chorus is taken from Lil’ Kim’s album - she should be on the track. Why do I, the user, have to suffer because Puffy and Kim had a falling out? Bull. This is one big example of Puffy exerting too much control over the project. Biggie’s verse though is hard to place, I think I’ve heard part of it, but I don’t know on what. Bonus points for that. Grade: A- (upgrade for originality, beat, being an actual duet with someone worthy, but downgrade for it not being Lil’ Kim)

17. mi casa f/ R. Kelly and Charlie Wilson
DJ Green Lantern! Love that guy. Although I guess there were three other producers on the track, so how much credit does he get? I don’t understand why there are two hook singers on this track. Was R Kelly too busy to record the rest of the song? It’s overkill. Biggie and R Kelly on Life After Death was a classic, there is no need to mess with that formula. Plus, Charlie Wilson wasn’t that good. I mean, if you’re putting someone else on here, make it Nate Dogg or a real singer like Babyface or something. Grade: C+

18. little homie INTERLUDE
Good stuff from Lil’ Caese. But again, you have to wonder how he didn’t get on an actual track. How is he less qualified than a Slim Thug or a Jim Jones? Grade: A-

19. hold ya head f/ Bob Marley
Awesome stuff, this song was produced by Boston’s own Clinton Sparks. Bob Marley is an awesome touch, and the beat is tight. But this is essentially a remix of Suicidal Thoughts, which is one of the underlying problems with this album. Grade: A-

20. just a memory f/ The Clipse
Clipse is a good choice here. You’re Nobody Till Somebody Kills You was underrated, so that was a good choice here if another song had to be recycled. Like the chorus too – it’s produced by Scram Jones, but has kind of a DJ Premier feel to it. Well done overall. Grade: A

21. wake up f/ Korn
This is a throwaway track. Yes, we know Biggie sounds well over a rock beat, we learned on the All About the Benjamins Rock Remix. This was always a good track by Biggie though, glad this was included. Unfortunately, Korn is a little too dark here for my tastes, and the overall tone of the song is kind of lost as a result. Lastly, I’d rather just have another rap song here. I mean, this is the last original release for Biggie, did they need to pander to alternative kids with a rock jam? I don’t think this song is necessary. Grade: D+

22. love is everlasting OUTRO
A fitting capper to the album to put his mom Voletta. I don’t know if that is an original poem she wrote, or something she lifted from somewhere, but I don’t think that matters one bit. It was a nice poem, and a nice touch to end his “last album” with his mom. Grade: A+

This album has its highlights. Songs like Whachu Want, 1970’ Somethin’, Nasty Girl, Beef, and Just A Memory. Living in Pain, Ultimate Rush and Hold Ya Head are notable as well. But there is too much garbage here. Throwaway artists like Korn, Charlie Wilson, Slim Thug, Freeway, etc. should never be involved in a project like this. Some of this is overkill, some of it is wanting to pander to every person, like teenagers who probably don’t know Biggie at all and will be looking at the guest artists to determine if they purchase the CD. This CD is likely to be a cash cow no matter who is on it, so why waste time with chumps? To pander to the kiddies that’s why. Not only are there other rappers that would have been dream songs who were left out - guys like Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Q-Tip, Wu-Tang, Beastie Boys, DMX, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Cormega, Guru, just to name a few. Then there are all the old players from the old Bad Boy camp that are conspicuously absent – Ma$e, The Lox, Lil’ Kim, Junior MAFIA, 112, Craig Mack, Black Rob, etc. How are artists like this passed over for artists like Korn or Freeway? That’s unfathomable. It’s not just the rappers either. Where’s DJ Premier? Dr. Dre? DJ Clue? Funkmaster Flex? Yes, Swizz Beatz, Eminem, Jazze Pha, Just Blaze, Havoc, Stevie J, Clinton Sparks, and Scott Storch produced songs for the album. That’s all good. Some of the guys I’ve never heard of, like Danja and Reefa did well, but I could care less about producers like Sean C, Coptic, or Chink Santana. I’d rather have one of those other guys, or an Alchemist, Ali Shaheed, Q-Tip, or a D-Dot track. The only thing I can think of as a reason here is saving money, not wanting to pay for premium beats.

Then there is the fact that a lot of these songs are essentially remixes of old Biggie songs. Hold Ya Head is an awesome track, but it really should be called Suicidal Thoughts Remix. Same with Mi Casa, Get Your Grind On, 1970 Somethin’, Nasty Girl, and Beef. At least with Nasty Girl and Beef the names are at least similar, and any big Biggie fan would realize that 1970 Somethin’ was an old lyric right away. But looking at some of my underground Biggie stuff I know there are verses they could have used but chose to use old songs instead. Perhaps this was the producers and guest artist’s decision, but I have a hard time believing that. Diddy exerts so much control over things that the blame has to rest with him.

Overall, this is an average album. There are some great tracks here, but there is a lot of filler. There are some great guests, but a lot of crappy ones. There are some great producers, but a few unknown ones (at least to me). Lastly, there is too much recycled Biggie material. You’re telling me there aren’t more unreleased Biggie lyrics in the vault they couldn’t have used for this project? I refuse to believe that. This album has been rumored for a long time. I expect nothing but perfection because perfect is what it would have been had Biggie been alive for it. Every song should be at LEAST a B+, but that's not the case. In the end, Diddy watered it down too much to keep production costs low and add guests not worthy of the album to pander to a younger or different market than true hip-hop fans. I suppose I should expect that after Born Again, but I had hoped for better. In the end though, it’s Biggie, and I’ll take him anyway I can get him.

New Title

I figured that since I don't really talk about baseball on the blog anymore, that I would change the title. Love to hear feedback on it. It has a double meaning, let me know if you get both meanings...

One more update: my darling wife passed the hardest 1/4 of the CPA exam. As long as she passes the other three by 5-31-07, she'll be a certified CPA. Yee haw!

Coming Soon: Album Review of Biggie Duets

Updates and Predictions

Fantasy football season went swimmingly, and I was victorious, ripping off a 44 point victory in the Finals on the strength of superior performances by Shaun Alexander, Matt Hasselbeck, and the Bears D in Week 16. The only disappointment of the season, Kevin Jones, was tempered by picking up Cadillac Williams in Round 10, and I got excellent value there.

In fantasy baseball, I've been adding to my stockpile of pitching in my Scoresheet league, picking up Mark Buehrle, Ervin Santana, and Jeremy Sowers. I also traded for Bengie Molina.

I had a great Christmas and New Year's, getting to see everyone in both mine and my wife's family over the holidays. I also got to take in the Pats at Jets games in the Meadowlands, where I was able to get to watch the players warm up on the field. Good times all around.

I never got around to making any NBA predictions this season, but things don't look good for the Celtics thus far. Doc Rivers really needs to play Big Al more. If he continuously gets into foul trouble, then it would seem to me that he needs to learn how to play WITH fouls so he can learn to be more graceful. Yanking him every time he picks up a couple quick fouls isn't going to help his development.

Got a lot of books and DVD's for Christmas, it could be a long time before I'm back in this space, I have a lot of media to enjoy. Speaking of media(s), King Kong was excellent. I especially enjoyed the T-Rex fights and the Brontosaurus stampede. Overall, a very nice film. Jack Black rulz. Saw 40-Year Old Virgin also. As with Anchorman, I'm upset with myself for not having seen that in the theater. Great flick. "You know how I know you're gay? Cause you listen to Coldplay."

And finally, it's NFL Playoffs time. A lot has changed in the past month. Three AFC teams with nine of more wins will miss the playoffs, that's how jacked the conference is. Anyone who thinks the Super Bowl champ will come from the NFC is dreaming. The runs by Miami, Washington, and NE have been fun to watch. San Diego's drop off has been disappointing. Without further ado, on to the picks:

AFC:
Jacksonville at New England - NE 33 -Jacksonville 14

Overall statistics matter little in this game, as New England has begun to dominate with their best players back in the lineup. After starting a mere 3-3, the Pats went 7-3 down the stretch, with the last loss tempered by the fact that they played the 2nd team most of the game. A lot will be made of the fact that the Jags finished 8-1, but their only loss was to the only good team they played: Indy. The other wins? Houston twice, Tennessee twice, Baltimore, Arizona, Cleveland, and San Francisco. Not exactly setting the world on fire with that schedule.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati - Cincy 39 -Pittsburgh 36

The third meeting of the season, and this one should be more like the game earlier this month. Cincy's offense is good enough to carry them far in these playoffs, and it will carry the day against the Steelers, as Big Ben is still not right.

New England at Indianapolis - NE 42-Indy 31

In the first game, the line was 4 points. This was a game that featured a hobbling Corey Dillon, no Kevin Faulk, no Richard Seymour, and a secondary that was still gelling. The two keys here are Faulk and Seymour. Confronted with zone coverage from Indy most of the night, Brady spread the ball around a lot, and a lot of his 22 completions were dump offs. Having Kevin Faulk would have led to a lot more YAC on said dumpoffs, which would have helped open up the zone downfield and get the Pats better looks. Having Seymour would have turned a lot of those 8-9 yard Edge runs into 2-4 Edge runs. There will be other angles to digest and hash out, but I think those are the biggest.

Cincinnati at Denver - Cincy 28 -Denver 24

The key to beating Denver is getting an early lead and forcing them to pass from the pocket. Jake Plummer is not a good pocket passer. He is most effective when rolling out and utilizing play-action. Cincy is a horrible matchup for Denver because they can score points in a hurry. Expect this to happen. Denver will keep it close by forcing some turnovers after they fall behind, but will ultimately lose.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP - New England at Cincinnati - New England 24 - Cincinnati 9

Cincy will meet their doom here, as NE will be able to put the clamps on Rudi Johnson, forcing Cincy to be one dimensional and taking advantage of the predictability. The Pats will focus on clock-killin' Corey Dillon, who will get the ultimate revenge by sticking it to his former city and helping carry New England back to its 3rd straight Super Bowl.

NFC:
Washington at Tampa Bay -Washington 27, Tampa Bay 14

Washington is the hottest team in football right now. Tampa Bay will be trusting two green horns, Chris Simms and Cadillac Williams, to help them emerge victorious. Not buying. Tampa will fail to generate a lot of offense against the 'Skins hot D, and Washington will get the impressive road win.

Carolina at New York Giants - Carolina 21 - NY 20

This is the hardest game to pick out of the Wild Card matchups. I could see this one going either way. I am going to defer to Carolina because I had them as preseason favorites. Though they have not dominated like many thought possible, they have enough to get it done against the Giants. Barely. Expect a great performance by Tiki Barber to keep this thing close, and a good effort by Eli Manning. In the end, this game will be won on defense, and Carolina has the edge in that department.

Washington at Seattle - Washington 35 - Seattle 31

This is another tough call, but in the end, I can't stomach myself to believe a quarterback from Boston College has what it takes to lead his team to victory. Riding a guy during fantasy football season is one thing, backing him in the playoffs is quite another. Hasselbeck will make a key mistake at the wrong time, just like last year. Also, Washington will not be too banged up for this game, as they will have the chance to rest their regulars at the end of the Tampa Bay game.

Carolina at Chicago - Chicago 14 - Carolina 9

Just like in their last matchup, the Panthers will not reach the end zone, but they will claw out two more field goals. The Bears will do just enough on offense to win this game against what is a very good Carolina defense.

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP - Washington at Chicago - Chicago 21 - Washington 16

The two best defenses in the NFL square off in this game, and the game will be won on defense, as each team will bring home a touchdown on defense - the Bears with an interception return for TD, the 'Skins on a sack, QB fumble, and a rumble to the promise land. However, the Bears will win the battle of field position, giving their offense the shorter field, which in the end will lead to more points for the new Monsters of the Midway.

SUPER BOWL XL - Chicago vs. New England - New England 30 - Chicago 10

That's right, the Super Bowl XX rematch. Oh the media is going to have a field day with this one. And while there won't be any Refrigerator Perry, there will be Ever-Able Mike Vrabel, catching a touchdown. You'll see all the tricks come out of Belichick's bag in this one - reverses, flea flickers, no down lineman, 3 safeties, etc., etc. The Bears do not usually get so drastic with their play calling, and their tendencies on offense will be easy to exploit.

In the Bears losses (not counting the Week 17 loss) they lost because the other team had a lot of options. Cincy, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh all had good performances on offense against the Bears, and the Pats offensive attack is as multi-dimensional, if not more. The Bears have been best at stopping the pass, but with a healthy Corey Dillon, Kevin Faulk, and Patrick Pass the Pats will mix up their running game, bringing different looks and churning out the yards.

Offensively, the Bears biggest strength is their running game. This is also the Pats biggest strength on defense. In short, the Bears aren't doing anything offensively against New England. Thomas Jones will be stuffed, and Grossman will be forced into obvious passing downs all day. In fact, the Bears will only be able to muster a field goal offensively, their lone touchdown coming on the defense's one big break of the day.

This will be the game that cements the Patriots as the greatest team of all-time, Tom Brady as the greatest QB of all-time, and Bill Belichick the greatest coach of all-time. You're probably thinking, "typical Paul, always picking the home team". Perhaps there is a bit of that in the mix. However, as good as the Bears defense is, the Patriots simply have too many weapons to throw at them.