Tailgate: Bears Set Us Free; Sox Sign Pierre

So what are you going to do with your day off? Take the kids to the museum? Burn through some of those television shows sitting in your DVR? Visit Mom and get that out of the way?

Don't go looking at your work calendar. There's no super secret holiday you forgot about. Rather, we're talking about the free time you'll have on Sundays now that the Bears are dead in the playoff water. Seriously, there's no real reason to watch the remaining three games of the season, other than satisfy any masochistic tendencies you might have (and if you have those, there are other ways to deal with them). Yeah, you could tune in to see if Jay Cutler can rack up any more interceptions to boost his league lead in that category (and as the Wall Street Journal points out, it actually puts him in some very good company). Or you could see if the Bears finally realize they have nothing to lose and start putting in some of those younger players you've been yelling about, like receiver Devin Aromashodu.

But other than those mildly interesting scenarios, setting aside a three hour block of your day on Sunday to watch a foregone conclusion is counter-productive. So how will you spend your Sundays for the rest of the season? Your fellow Bears fans can use your ideas.

Meanwhile...

• Since they missed out on other free agents like Hideki Matsui, the White Sox have signed Juan Pierre. Yes, that Juan Pierre. Meanwhile, utility man Jayson Nix is hoping he's still in the picture.
• The Cubs, on the other hand, will go into 2010 looking very much like they did in 2009 (including bringing back Ron Santo). Yeah, Cubs fans, we know...
• Back to the Bears: With little reason to watch, a local sportswriter looks for alternatives, including the Chicago Slaughter (undefeated) and the Chicago Bliss of the Lingerie Football League. Hmmm...which one will win out? But next year, he can add the Rush to that backup plan.
• So how does beleagured Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro stack up against the other post-Phil Jackson coaches? Will that change after tonight's game against the Lakers?
• Stan Mikta is ready for his close up, Mr. DeMille.
• The Red Stars' roster can lay claim to the high school girls soccer player of the decade.
• Aubrey Volious is one of the winningest college coaches in Illinois and chances are you've never heard of him.
• WNBA star Candace Parker brings it back home at a basketball clinic in Naperville.