While people have been talking about new football Hall of Famer Steve McMichael’s toughness and his playing streak for the Bears, nobody has pointed out the irony with today’s Bears.

Ordinarily, I don’t question players effort, but it seems that more guys look for reasons not to play. In some cases, it appears to be a training camp thing, but there’s no sense of pride in doing a good job or being there for one’s teammates. Forget the fact that they are being paid ridiculous sums of money (not in real people’s terms, but relative to past players).

When one considers McMichaels’, consecutive games played streak 190+ for the Bears, it’s mindboggling to consider what derails MLB players these days. The press makes some of these players out to be martyrs for playing through injuries.

It’s also funny, and probably only coincidental that the White Sox are in the middle of a 21-game losing streak. Everyone has gone out of their way to not accuse any of the players for not quitting. If you’ve watched more than five minutes of the Sox this year, you can’t help but notice some poor efforts. Not every loss has been a result of lack of talent.

While management is loath to criticize players for effort in public, fans are not as forgiving. And as Shakira might have said, “The eyes don’t lie.” We all can pretend for only so long before reality sets in.

More on this subject to follow.