Megan Pluister received an unexpected gift for her 23rd birthday -- the promise of Bears tickets.

The Bears game last Sunday was supposed to be a birthday celebration for Megan Pluister, but it didn't turn out that way. Pluister missed most of the game after being pulled from her seat without good reason by security. She's angry about that. And she's angrier still that the Bears aren't interested in making amends.

It's difficult to believe these stumbling, bumbling Bears are just three seasons removed from the Super Bowl. What happened to the promise of 2006?

Now hear this, sports fans: You are not irrelevant. Your voices can be heard. You do matter.

The Bears beat the Browns by 24 points, and everyone is complaining. Go figure. At this point in the season, don't we have a pretty good inkling of what the Bears are all about?

During the pregame festivities, Benny the Bull climbed a very tall ladder to bang a drum. And when the Bulls' starting lineup was announced, the players ran down to the court from the stands. The ladder stunt might have been more dangerous, but the sight of the gangly Joakim Noah navigating those steps was definitely more nerve-wracking. It's a good thing the home opener happens only once a season because the pregame hijinks are not for the faint of heart.

It looks like Mark McGwire played this one just right. He was criticized and ridiculed when he appeared before Congress in 2005 and refused to discuss his alleged steroid use. Then he went into hiding. And now, just like that, he's coming back to baseball. Amazing.

Those who have tuned in to Comcast SportsNet to watch the Blackhawks this season surely have noticed that Josh Mora no longer is hosting the pregame and postgame shows. In fact, he has been taken off the Hawks beat all together. The network also has informed Mora, whose contract is up in February, that it won't be re-signing him.