The Starting Lineup for Your Chicago Bears

Happy Opening Day, Bears fans. We still have months until kickoff -- assuming that the season starts on time -- so we may as well indulge in a sport that is plenty of fun, but could use some more tackling. Matt Forte is even throwing out the first pitch for the White Sox next week. How would you turn the Bears roster into a starting line-up?

1. Johnny Knox, CF: His speed and long arms would make Knox a natural fit both for centerfield and for the leadoff spot, where he could be a threat to steal.

2. Matt Forte, SS: He's fast. He's versatile. He has the reflexes to handle the quick handoff from Cutler. He would be a great short stop.

3. Devin Hester, LF: Like Knox, Hester's speed would serve him well in the outfield, running down and jumping up to grab the least catchable balls.

4. Julius Peppers, 3B: Peppers is tall, has a tendency to keep an eye on the ball, and has shown versatility as an athlete. He has the strength to make the frozen rope throws to first base, and the power to make an excellent cleanup hitter.

5. Brian Urlacher, C: Imagine that you're a baserunner, headed for home, and you have Brian Urlacher's big, thick body blocking the plate. Are you going to try the collision?

6. Israel Idonije, 1B: At 6-foot-6, he has the height to be a perfect first basemen, and he's the nice guy that all the baserunners would want to talk to.

7. Danieal Manning, RF: In the right field, you need someone who can cover a ton of ground in a short time. Manning is that guy.

8. Robbie Gould, 2B: Yeah, he's a kicker, but that doesn't mean he can't play second base. Duh.

9. Jay Cutler, P: The QB would be the obvious choice for pitcher. He has a funky throwing motion in football, and would likely have an odd one in baseball, too.

Looking at that lineup, let's hope that football gets back in the swing of things soon.