Is Bears doing HBO's 'Hard Knocks' a good thing? Here's how you voted

In this week’s “Polling Place,” we also asked about Caitlin Clark being left off the U.S. Olympic team and White Sox catcher Martin Maldonado’s massive struggles at the plate.

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Bears coach Matt Eberflus talks with general manager Ryan Poles during training camp at Halas Hall on July 26, 2023.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus talks with general manager Ryan Poles during training camp at Halas Hall on July 26, 2023.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

OK, so Bears coach Matt Eberflus probably can’t bring the house down in a speech quite like former Jets coach Rex Ryan. But perhaps someone on this year’s team — big Darnell Wright? Gervon Dexter? — can show up to training camp clad in nothing but a pair of denim overalls with shorts on the bottom, a la former Texans behemoth Vince Wilfork.

Come on, it would be docuseries gold and you know it.

In this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on the social platform X, we asked where you come down on the Bears doing HBO’s “Hard Knocks” for the first time.

“I’m excited to watch,” @MeersmanChris commented.

“With our sorry baseball teams, this is huge entertainment,” @RonaldVoigt4 wrote.

Next, we asked about Caitlin Clark being left off the U.S. Olympic team roster.

“Who are you going to leave off, a legend like Diana Taurasi?” @JeffreyCanalia asked.

Last, we wondered what it would take for the White Sox to bench catcher Martin Maldonado, who hits almost as well as you dance the Flamenco.

“They’re aspiring to reach the Mendoza line [.200],” @camaswaguy offered, “as if that were a good thing.”

On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: Where do you come down on the Bears doing this year’s “Hard Knocks” series?

Upshot: You can’t get that Wilfork visual out of your head, can you?

Poll No. 2: Where do you come down on Caitlin Clark being left off the U.S. women’s Olympic team roster?

Upshot: By the way, about Taurasi in particular — would it really have been so terrible to leave her at home rather than have her play in a sixth Olympics? She has sweatsocks older than Clark, who would’ve been more fun to watch.

Poll No. 3: How low does White Sox catcher Martin Maldonado’s batting average (.078) have to go before he gets benched?

Upshot: We’re starting to get the impression that it doesn’t even matter.

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