With so many unanswered questions about the Bears and the start of another season right around the corner I am not the most optimistic Bears fan at the moment.
The Super Bowl is starting to feel like a long time ago for me and it looks like this season can take another step backwards. If this season does go sour do you believe that Angelo will stick with Lovie for 2009 or will he make a move before he himself gets the ax?
Jerry Angelo, Lovie Smith, Ted Phillips, Virginia McCaskey I know that these are some very stubborn people we are talking about here but something has to give sooner or later. Yes they signed Lovie to a contract extension but will Angelo let that put his own position in hot water?
In my opinion, Dick Jauron's unwavering loyalty to John Shoop cost him his job with the Bears. Will Angelo risk the same fate with Lovie or will he show him the door first?
Is it too soon to ask if this is a make or brake year for Lovie Smith and or Jerry Angelo?
Philtration:
You haven't been reading this blog very closely.
Angelo, Lovie and Turner are on the clock and after Thursday's game, it's three minutes to midnight.
You don't invest the gazillions the Bears have in the past two years to look like this.
That said, I believe the D will right itself -- not because of Babich or Lovie but because they have some players who won't let "2007" happen twice.
I'm one of the few, but I see a 10-6/11-5 record.
Anything less and I would clean house, but that's me and my last name isn't McCaskey.
I'm actually amazed that someone would state that Lovie would be the reason for Angelo getting fired. Ron Turner and Lovie both is only working with whoever Angelo picks up for them. Let's be realistic, do you honestly think that a head coach is remotely familiar with ALL the inter workings of scouting and things of that nature? A head coach coaches whoever is put in place. If Turner doesn't have a line to work with that is not on Turner or Lovie but the man who is supposed to make it happen. Turner nor Lovie refused to sign any world class WRs or QBs. Nor do they sign any of the people that we have on this team. Whoever they want they get for a song. Lloyd and Archuleta are their biggest allies signed. Bears never went broke signing either of them. Are they yes men. Probably. Most certainly. But no matter what they have to deal with it's on Angelo. Why are so many superstars on defense? Maybe it's because Lovie knows how to utilize guys for what is his main forte. If he's not a offensive-minded that's okay because Ditka wasn't a defensive coach and he did alright with utilizing his best weapon he had on offense and he got out of the way of the guys who knew defense better. Being a head coach and an offensive coordinator are the hardest jobs in the NFL to get. Why ruin your chances by being a big mouth and telling the world that you hate what's going down. You deal with it. Even Ditka didn't down McCaskey until he wasn't here anymore. His best line about nickels and manhole covers came after he left as a player. Just so happens that we don't have much to deal with on offense. If your best weapon is Hester on offense then that tells you where we are going and how we got there. Blame Turner for that or Lovie? Do you honestly think that yelling at Hester would've made him hold onto those dropped passes? Why waste your breath.
Lets not be naive about Lovie Smith's role in the never-ending QB mess. He plays the guys who he wants and if he is not doing that then he is nothing more than a puppet at best.
Everyone knows that the head coach will get the ax long before a G.M. admits that he has botched his picks and other dealings. The difference is that the Bears are loaded with guys who are arrogant and stubborn and they will not deviate from their plans no matter how much the facts show that it is just not working.
You are right in saying that Lovie is not an offensive minded coach and that Ditka was not a defensive guy. The difference is that the Bears had Buddy Ryan running the D while the current Bears continue to run their offense like it is a way to set up field position and nothing more.
The Bears look at the QB position as a necessary evil and I cannot think of one other team in the NFL who views an offense that way.
That falls at the feet of Angelo for not having a clue about getting players on the offensive side of the ball and Lovie for not being able to make a decision on who is going to play and for going with a sorry choice for his offensive coordinator.
Also saying that the reason Bears has so many "Super Stars" on defense is because Lovie knows how to utilize defensive players is a stretch.
The cover-2 does not utilize the personal that they have and he will not change this no matter how many times they get burned. How have things looked on defense since the last quarter of the 2006 season?
They are not scaring anyone at all.
Lovie wanted his pal Babich to run the D and they have become a mess under him.
Lovie played Benson when he was stinking it up week after week.
Lovie would not budge from his stupid “Rex is our QB” mantra.
Lovie refuses to make adjustments during a game or at halftime while other coaches do it and beat the Bears because of it.
By the way… Lovie campaigned for Archuleta big time even when he showed that he was washed up in Washington.
Jerry and the Yes Men.....Shi..iest Band Ever
and when asked why Bill Parcell's hired him, Tony Sporano said, "probably mostly because I'm not a yes man."
I became a little bit of a Dolphin fan that day
Philtration:
I agree with you 1000 percent about Lovie's inability to make half-time adjustments. Don't know if it's his ego or the coaches he surrounds himself with and their inability to creatively address what the other team is doing, but they do not ever make adjustments.
I can't remember which game it was last year when Olsen kept coming to the sidelines telling the coaches he was open -- they never threw to him. Now in the pre-season, how many catches does Olsen have?? 1? 2? He's a game changer, but we will never know it until he's traded to another team or plays out his string with the Bears and signs elsewhere.
It's almost as if Lovie and his crew come into the season with pre-conceived notions about how the season will go and which players are "impact" players. If it doesn't go their way, they are ill prepared to make adjustments. Think Archuleta. Think Mark Anderson as a starter. Think Mark Bradley. Think Rex.
In every situation, the team got better when the Bears FINALLY sat the above players.
Seedy,
You are Right. Angelo approaches the draft in the same way.
He has a list of guys they want and if a better player falls in the draft he will just pass over them. He will take his guy no matter what because that was his first, and I guess his only plan.
It is like they cannot think on their feet at all.
If what you're saying about Jauron is true, shouldn't Babich and Turner be shown the door first? Isn't it as much their job as anyone's to make adjustments? Is Lovie such an optimist that he has no idea he has blinders on, or are his hands tied and he's really not the Leader we thought him to be?
The truth of the matter is there are question marks from the Top down. Unfortunately, the season is upon us and we gotta go with the boys.
That is the ones with the numbers on their backs!
Being the First African American Coach in History to lose a Superbowl has to get you more than a 3 year window to get back doesnt it?
Shouldnt we really blame the Mesa/Chandler&Texas cops? For overzealously persecuting our players and forcing managment to cut them?
You know who would be a good coach for the Bears? Charlie Weiss!
PS..
I thought Anthony Navarro won the Guest Blog Spot?
WTFrig?
Charlie Weiss? Did his team go .500 last year? Doesn't he have some of the best players coming there and they've done nothing? What? He didn't learn how to cheat from Bill?
Sparano let Parcells trade away his best player on D and that doesn't say yes man? Wasn't it Parcells who had the problem with Taylor and Sparano was just fine with him? Yeah, fit that man for a throw back Fish jersey quick.
I can't see any coach out there who is getting what he wants. Did McCarthy want to trade away Favre? I wouldn't see why. Maybe Phillips in Dallas but do you really think he went out of his way to get Jones and Tank because they are model citizens or is it because Jerry fancies himself a GM and make a lot of moves for his coach. Everyone knows he meddles but how many guys tried to get the Head coach position for Dallas? You think they wanted it so they can be the MAN or for the right to say that they are head coach? Why apply if they already named an offensive coordinator who is obviously waiting in the wings after you fail? Be realistic. There are a lot of yes man in the NFL as coach. Did Chucky get rid of Simms yet? Why hold onto a guy that you don't want? Maybe because your GM still wants him. Get real guys. Being a head coach is a dream come true and some guys-maybe 3/4 or the coaches out there would do would Lovie does and sleep well about the situation. Even Ditka bit his lip about ownership during the time he was here. Maybe he yelled at the players because he couldn't yell at his bosses. And losing the Super bowl and getting a 5 year contract afterwards gets you about 4 years or maybe even the whole five.
WRD's worst nightmare...
Being chased through Bush's oval office by a crazed Urlacher and a hungry Charlie Weiss.
bculz...
Charlie Weiss? Lovie should get a pass for being black?
I hope that you are kidding.
Much like Juron, Lovie strikes me as being an emotionless, empty suit, who can talk for hours on end without saying a single thing.
He's a cross between a robot and a zombie.
*my apologies to robots and zombies everywhere*
YES....I was joking Philatron...wait, whats your name again?....No seriously...fire him immediately and bring in Charlie W.
Bculz is just trying to stir up controversy to get you some ratings Phillyboy!!! You should be thankful.
Do you just pull names out of a hat? Are you BWD? Blogging while drunk? I see you are still on that I-hate-Urlacher crap. Weren't you paying attention over the off season when a whole bunch of guys were putting Urlacher down? You have such a narrow mind. You'd think that impending parenthood would wise you up. Charlie Weiss?? I'm still laughing at that assessment. Race and stupidity is all you ever want to talk about. My worst fears are of you being around impressionable children.
I guess that I am lucky for bcutz's comments.
I just don't get to deal with enough losers in the world so I can always get my fix here.
Thanks bcultz and don't let the rising cost of petroleum products stop you from having a big holiday weekend.
William, that was also meant to be a joke, but your right, you did come to urlachers defense. Now if he could just come back to the Bears. I will wise up when Jr. is born. I promise. We just got the crib, its starting to feel more and more real.
Philtration....what were you saying?
Gas prices down 10%
CNNMoney.com - 4 hours ago
Gas was selling at $3.667 a gallon on average, down from $3.672 a day earlier, according to motorist group AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. ...
On Empty and (Almost) Out of Time MSNBC
Philtration...its funny...I gotta question for you....
who's the bigger loser...
someone who Blogs all day...or someone who reads that persons blogs all day, and then calls them a loser for blogging all day?
I would not know.
I do not blog all day or read them all day.
Maybe you can help me with that one.
I would be glad to help you, thats what I do.
The answer you seek is...
The passive reader/Hater is the biggest loser.
A critic wouldnt exist without an actor, but an actor would exist without a critic.
Thus your Lesson for the day!
B
No.... I would say that the fanatic who cannot separate sports from every day life is by far the bigger loser.
Those who have nothing else going on so they latch onto one single obsession. The ones who actually believe that what they say is important because their comment was posted on a web site. Sometimes they will just ramble on or say something stupid just as long as it gets posted. Know what I mean?
It is really not that big of a deal… except to some.
The truth is there are 15 year-olds who have their own comments and opinions read by far more people on Myspace and they do not act like they are some kind of celebrity because of it.
An actor would exist without a critic.... but he would whine nonstop because no one was paying attention to him.
24?
phil..this is an excersize in the absurd, because even if it were just you and I emailing each other, it wouldnt matter any less to me.
I dont have any illusions...to be truthful in my mind there are like 25 of us who even read or post on this blog with any regularity..so...wow...im so cool. I have 25-30 readers.
Please buddy...
at least I dont act like I know someone,when i dont!!!!
B
I have no idea as to what you are talking about nor do I care.
It seems that you like to talk a lot of crap for some reason and then get all defensive because you believe that every one's comments are directed towards you or are about you.
You are taking this and yourself way too seriously.
Get a grip.
I was just having fun with the whole guest blogger competition (that exists only between me, you and Julie). Take a chill pill!
I love you.
There I said it! OMG!
I feel so free yet so dirty.
HUG IT OUT B!0T*H!