2009 Chicago Bears offseason

[Banedon]

Dick Labaue.

 

Fine.

 

Cohwer 1992-2004

 

115-76 8 postseason appearances, 4 times in the AFC Champ game, 1 Super Bowl appearance.

 

Whatever way you slice it, he's more than a cheerleader.

[Banedon]

Cohwer is just another chearleader.

 

In 15 seasons under Cowher, the Steelers made 10 postseason appearances, won eight division titles, played in six AFC Championship games and two Super Bowls, winning one NFL title.

 

Cowher ended his Steelers career with an overall record of 161-99-1 (.619) including a 149-90-1 (.623) mark in the regular season.

 

That's a good cheerleader.

 

Lovie has matched that pace the last four seasons, and Cowher had a three-year stretch where he averaged 7-9 at one point.

 

I don't think we need to be in such a hurry to change.

 

Lovie has a .563 winning percentage, while Cowher's is .623.

 

He had a 3 year down time, but that followed 6 consecutive Lebeau-less playoff appearances, and then 4 playoff appearances out of the next 5 seasons after that down time. The guy is a good coach.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

I have a couple of Steeler fans at work who follow the team contanstly and they share the same opinion of Cohwer. I just think some team is going to bank on him being a savior and will be very dissapointed.

[Banedon]

I have a couple of Steeler fans at work who follow the team contanstly and they share the same opinion of Cohwer. I just think some team is going to bank on him being a savior and will be very dissapointed.

 

That's like a Braves fan that doesn't like Bobby Cox...they don't have any perspective.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Have the Steeler's missed a beat since Cowher left?

[jersey cubs fan]

Cohwer is just another chearleader.

 

In 15 seasons under Cowher, the Steelers made 10 postseason appearances, won eight division titles, played in six AFC Championship games and two Super Bowls, winning one NFL title.

 

Cowher ended his Steelers career with an overall record of 161-99-1 (.619) including a 149-90-1 (.623) mark in the regular season.

 

That's a good cheerleader.

 

Lovie has matched that pace the last four seasons, and Cowher had a three-year stretch where he averaged 7-9 at one point.

 

I don't think we need to be in such a hurry to change.

 

Shirley, you must be joking.

 

First of all, Lovie has been here 5 years, not 4. Second of all, Cowher made the postseason in 2 of every 3 season, Lovie has just 2 of 5, and if you arbitrarily just talk about his past 4 years, it's still a worse pace. Cowher won 8 of 15 division crowns, Lovie has 2 in 5, or again, if you arbitrarily choose only his past 4 years, it's 2 of 4, a lesser pace. 6 AFC Championship games in 15 years is a much better pace than 1 in 5, and again, if you arbitrarily lower it to 4 years, it's still a better pace. Lovie has won 56% of his games, if you arbitrarily lower it to 4 years, it's on pace with Cowher's, but again, there's no justification for doing that.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Sure, it's a bit arbitrary to throw out Smith's first season. But I'm not trying to prove he's better than Cowher, just that he's not as bad as people want to make him out to be.

 

The simple fact remains that even the great Cowher had a longer stretch of mediocrity than some people want to fire Smith for.

[jersey cubs fan]

I have a couple of Steeler fans at work who follow the team contanstly and they share the same opinion of Cohwer. I just think some team is going to bank on him being a savior and will be very dissapointed.

 

I'm close friends with a Steelers fan and his complaint is that Cowher didn't have the players focused enough for the playoff games they lost. It's nonsense. This is the type of thing The Sports Guy would always say about Peyton and Eli until they each beat his team in the playoffs.

[jersey cubs fan]

Sure, it's a bit arbitrary to throw out Smith's first season.

 

No, it's completely arbitrary and nonsensical.

[Banedon]

Have the Steeler's missed a beat since Cowher left?

 

So what's the explanation? Don't say Lebeau...cuz he's only been there since '04.

[Banedon]

Sure, it's a bit arbitrary to throw out Smith's first season. But I'm not trying to prove he's better than Cowher, just that he's not as bad as people want to make him out to be.

 

The simple fact remains that even the great Cowher had a longer stretch of mediocrity than some people want to fire Smith for.

 

Following 6 straight playoff appearances...come on...you understand how that's different right?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Sure, it's a bit arbitrary to throw out Smith's first season.

 

No, it's completely arbitrary and nonsensical.

 

There's some sense to it. It takes time to implement a new system and draft the players you want for that system.

 

Even with the first season, Smith's got a .563 winning percentage with three playoff victories. To throw out a coach like that after a winning season is asinine.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Sure, it's a bit arbitrary to throw out Smith's first season. But I'm not trying to prove he's better than Cowher, just that he's not as bad as people want to make him out to be.

 

The simple fact remains that even the great Cowher had a longer stretch of mediocrity than some people want to fire Smith for.

 

Following 6 straight playoff appearances...come on...you understand how that's different right?

 

Of course I do. But I was asked yesterday "how much mediocrity must we endure before we stop living in the past?"

 

The fans calling for Smith's head would very likely, imo, be calling for Cowher's after the first two non-playoff seasons.

[jersey cubs fan]

Sure, it's a bit arbitrary to throw out Smith's first season. But I'm not trying to prove he's better than Cowher, just that he's not as bad as people want to make him out to be.

 

The simple fact remains that even the great Cowher had a longer stretch of mediocrity than some people want to fire Smith for.

 

He was there a heck of a lot longer and accomplished more. He deserved time.

 

I don't just want to fire Smith. I said repeatedly that I'd be fine with Lovie if he had the balls to replace his coaching staff. There is a coaching problem on this team. They are all college coaches. There is not enough NFL experience with this group. The most experienced NFL coach is a guy whose only experience is coaching mediocre offenses for the Chicago Bears.

 

Lovie gets his players motivated, but he is a poor Sunday coach. If he wants to take the Paterno approach, and let his coaches do the coaching, great. But Lovie can't make good decisions on Sunday and his coaches are not up to snuff. Get an offensive guru in here who can, and preferably has, develop QB's. Get something other than Yes men and BFFs to run a defense with some outside perspective. Sticking with what they have now is almost assuring mediocrity continues followed closely by decline.

[Banedon]

Sure, it's a bit arbitrary to throw out Smith's first season. But I'm not trying to prove he's better than Cowher, just that he's not as bad as people want to make him out to be.

 

The simple fact remains that even the great Cowher had a longer stretch of mediocrity than some people want to fire Smith for.

 

Following 6 straight playoff appearances...come on...you understand how that's different right?

 

Of course I do. But I was asked yesterday "how much mediocrity must we endure before we stop living in the past?"

 

The fans calling for Smith's head would very likely, imo, be calling for Cowher's after the first two non-playoff seasons.

 

If he followed the same pattern as his Steelers tenure, he wouldn't have had his second non-playoff season until his 8th year as head coach...so we'd have a while to go before we worried about it.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Sure, it's a bit arbitrary to throw out Smith's first season. But I'm not trying to prove he's better than Cowher, just that he's not as bad as people want to make him out to be.

 

The simple fact remains that even the great Cowher had a longer stretch of mediocrity than some people want to fire Smith for.

 

Following 6 straight playoff appearances...come on...you understand how that's different right?

 

Of course I do. But I was asked yesterday "how much mediocrity must we endure before we stop living in the past?"

 

The fans calling for Smith's head would very likely, imo, be calling for Cowher's after the first two non-playoff seasons.

 

If he followed the same pattern as his Steelers tenure, he wouldn't have had his second non-playoff season until his 8th year as head coach...so we'd have a while to go before we worried about it.

 

But we wouldn't win a Super Bowl in that time, which (according to previous Smith-bashing in this thread) is all that matters. We wouldn't have a 13-win season either.

[jersey cubs fan]

Sure, it's a bit arbitrary to throw out Smith's first season.

 

No, it's completely arbitrary and nonsensical.

 

There's some sense to it. It takes time to implement a new system and draft the players you want for that system.

 

Even with the first season, Smith's got a .563 winning percentage with three playoff victories. To throw out a coach like that after a winning season is asinine.

 

You don't know the definition of asinine.

 

Nor can you count. Where was the third playoff victory?

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Have the Steeler's missed a beat since Cowher left?

 

So what's the explanation? Don't say Lebeau...cuz he's only been there since '04.

 

My opinions is that the organization does a great job of scouting and player development. To Cohwer's credit he surronded himself with great minds and kept a good locker room, etc. much like Lovie. He can be a very good coach given the situation, but I think people are viewing him as a Parcell's type which I don't see. The reports of him getting 10/Mill per year offers are absurd.

Edited December 30, 2008 by GoCubsGo!!

[jersey cubs fan]

Sure, it's a bit arbitrary to throw out Smith's first season. But I'm not trying to prove he's better than Cowher, just that he's not as bad as people want to make him out to be.

 

The simple fact remains that even the great Cowher had a longer stretch of mediocrity than some people want to fire Smith for.

 

Following 6 straight playoff appearances...come on...you understand how that's different right?

 

Of course I do. But I was asked yesterday "how much mediocrity must we endure before we stop living in the past?"

 

The fans calling for Smith's head would very likely, imo, be calling for Cowher's after the first two non-playoff seasons.

 

You are ignoring the very different scenarios of sustained success followed by a set-back and what Lovie's team did, which was very short-lived success.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

 

You don't know the definition of asinine.

 

Of course I do, and I used it properly. "Extremely or utterly foolish."

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asinine

Nor can you count. Where was the third playoff victory?

 

Guilty on that one.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Sure, it's a bit arbitrary to throw out Smith's first season. But I'm not trying to prove he's better than Cowher, just that he's not as bad as people want to make him out to be.

 

The simple fact remains that even the great Cowher had a longer stretch of mediocrity than some people want to fire Smith for.

 

Following 6 straight playoff appearances...come on...you understand how that's different right?

 

Of course I do. But I was asked yesterday "how much mediocrity must we endure before we stop living in the past?"

 

The fans calling for Smith's head would very likely, imo, be calling for Cowher's after the first two non-playoff seasons.

 

You are ignoring the very different scenarios of sustained success followed by a set-back and what Lovie's team did, which was very short-lived success.

 

I don't call three winning seasons in four years "very short-lived," but that's semantics.

[Banedon]

Sure, it's a bit arbitrary to throw out Smith's first season. But I'm not trying to prove he's better than Cowher, just that he's not as bad as people want to make him out to be.

 

The simple fact remains that even the great Cowher had a longer stretch of mediocrity than some people want to fire Smith for.

 

Following 6 straight playoff appearances...come on...you understand how that's different right?

 

Of course I do. But I was asked yesterday "how much mediocrity must we endure before we stop living in the past?"

 

The fans calling for Smith's head would very likely, imo, be calling for Cowher's after the first two non-playoff seasons.

 

If he followed the same pattern as his Steelers tenure, he wouldn't have had his second non-playoff season until his 8th year as head coach...so we'd have a while to go before we worried about it.

 

But we wouldn't win a Super Bowl in that time, which (according to previous Smith-bashing in this thread) is all that matters. We wouldn't have a 13-win season either.

 

I'm not gonna sit here and defend someone else's non-quoted arguments from somewhere else in this thread.

 

I don't know how someone can look at what Lovie Smith has done, and what Bill Cowher has done, and not see that Bill Cowher has had a better career, and is more likely, a better football coach. I don't think Lovie is awful. But I don't think he's anything special. Since Wanny, we've had 2 low key, low emotion, low energy coaches in here. It's worked sometimes, and not others. Cowher is a proven coach, who is high energy, and defense oriented. I like that.

[jersey cubs fan]

 

You don't know the definition of asinine.

 

Of course I do, and I used it properly. "Extremely or utterly foolish."

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asinine

Nor can you count. Where was the third playoff victory?

 

Guilty on that one.

 

It's only foolish if you are fool enough to believe the incorrect facts and assumptions you keep spouting out.

[rocket]

Have the Steeler's missed a beat since Cowher left?

 

So what's the explanation? Don't say Lebeau...cuz he's only been there since '04.

 

they have a good roster, and they get to feast on the bengals and browns.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't call three winning seasons in four years "very short-lived," but that's semantics.

 

No, it's not semantics. It's absurdity on your part. He's been here 5 years and had 2 successful seasons. This was not a successful season.