2009 Chicago Bears offseason

[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.

 

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.

 

I don't call this year success.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

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.

 

I'd rather have Cowher too. I'm just disagreeing on how big the difference is between the two.

 

He's still pretty young, though. Way younger than I thought he was. Only a year older than Smith.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

 

I don't call this year success.

 

Again for future reference, what is a successful season?

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Angelo on the Score now

 

http://player.play.it/player/player.html?v=4.1.25&&id=391&onestat=wscr-am

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The point remains that Smith has proven over five seasons that he can be a winning NFL coach.

 

We can fire him and hope to grab one of the very small handful of elite coaches but very likely end up with a worse coach, or we can stick with what we have.

 

If you want Smith fired, you have to at least admit it's a very high-risk, high-reward scenario, not a guarantee of anything better coming along.

[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.

 

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

 

The Bengals and Browns put together haven't lost as many games as the Lions in the last 5 years.

 

And the Packers and Vikings are each only 1 game over .500 during that span.

 

The NFC North isn't exactly a juggernaut.

[Banedon]

 

I don't call this year success.

 

Again for future reference, what is a successful season?

 

There are varying degrees, but I can't call non-playoff seasons a success. For some teams it's improvement, but not success.

[Banedon]

The point remains that Smith has proven over five seasons that he can be a winning NFL coach.

 

We can fire him and hope to grab one of the very small handful of elite coaches but very likely end up with a worse coach, or we can stick with what we have.

 

If you want Smith fired, you have to at least admit it's a very high-risk, high-reward scenario, not a guarantee of anything better coming along.

 

I don't know about very high-risk....there's risk, but there is in any personnel change.

 

I only want Smith fired if the coaching staff is the same in 2009.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Angelo: "I'd love to have Marinelli on our staff"

[Banedon]

Angelo: "I'd love to have Marinelli on our staff"

 

Might wanna wait till Babich is gone to start sending the love Marinelli's way there Jerry.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Angelo: "I'd love to have Marinelli on our staff"

 

Marinelli's background is heavily based in coaching defensive lines in the Tampa-2. I'm intrigued.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Pretty boring interview so far..Angelo isn't doing anything crazy like insulting the entire Arab culture.

[Banedon]

Pretty boring interview so far..Angelo isn't doing anything crazy like insulting the entire Arab culture.

 

Is that a reference to something?

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Pretty boring interview so far..Angelo isn't doing anything crazy like insulting the entire Arab culture.

 

Is that a reference to something?

During the attempted hiring of Nick Saban a few years ago, Angelo ranted in a press conference something like "I've heard so much crap lately I should wear a tourbon"

[Soul]

 

I don't call this year success.

 

Again for future reference, what is a successful season?

 

It's difficult to put definite parameters on it, true.

 

But generally when I think of a team that had a "good" regular season, I'm starting my thought process at 11-5. I might range up or down a little from there depending on the division they play in, and their overall schedule. I try to stay above 10-6 because that's 2 games away from .500, and in the NFL that's really just a couple fortunate bounces of the ball. And also -- there continue to be cases of 10-6 ballclubs missing the post-season, so it's really not a guarantee. The Pats missing the playoffs at 11-5 is an anomaly.

 

I don't consider most teams that didn't make the playoffs to be successful, because 1) it's not that hard to turn things around quickly in the NFL as witnessed in more than one case this year, and 2) no team should go into a season with a goal of less than a playoff berth, regardless of their previous season. But again, I'll give out a exception or two such as the Pats, who would have made it any other year and lost their best player for the whole season.

Edited December 30, 2008 by Soul

[UMFan83]

 

I don't call this year success.

 

Again for future reference, what is a successful season?

 

There are varying degrees, but I can't call non-playoff seasons a success. For some teams it's improvement, but not success.

 

 

Was the Pats 11-5 non-playoff season a success or is that an extremely unique scenario?

[brinoch]

 

I don't call this year success.

 

Again for future reference, what is a successful season?

 

There are varying degrees, but I can't call non-playoff seasons a success. For some teams it's improvement, but not success.

 

 

Was the Pats 11-5 non-playoff season a success or is that an extremely unique scenario?

 

It's a success in my book.

[jersey cubs fan]

The Pats missing the playoffs at 11-5 is an anomaly.

 

And a perfectly deserving anomaly. That 11-5 record was propped up by playing the western divisions, plus their own far from great divisional foes. It wasn't a heroic 11-5 record by any stretch.

[jersey cubs fan]

 

I don't call this year success.

 

Again for future reference, what is a successful season?

 

There are varying degrees, but I can't call non-playoff seasons a success. For some teams it's improvement, but not success.

 

 

Was the Pats 11-5 non-playoff season a success or is that an extremely unique scenario?

 

It's a success in my book.

 

Winning 11 games when your pro bowl QB is lost in week 1 is pretty successful.

[Soul]

So are we hiring Marinelli and handing Babich his plane ticket or what? I'm starved for some news here.

 

That trib article has another interesting comment from Angelo:

 

On a different subject, Angelo said he wouldn't hesitate to cut a player the team just signed to a long-term deal. Angelo mentioned he wasn’t pleased with the efforts of a few players but wouldn’t mention them by name.

 

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/huddleup/2008/12/angelo-would-lo.html

[sneakypower]

Marinelli would make for a good coordinator, where he doesn't have input on roster decisions or the authority to spread his stupid methodology to the whole team

[rchap24]

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.

 

I'd rather have Cowher too. I'm just disagreeing on how big the difference is between the two.

 

He's still pretty young, though. Way younger than I thought he was. Only a year older than Smith.

 

They've already said that Cowher won't go anywhere unless they have a franchise QB...sorry, but I dont think Orton can be part of that group yet

[wekse]

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.

 

I'd rather have Cowher too. I'm just disagreeing on how big the difference is between the two.

 

He's still pretty young, though. Way younger than I thought he was. Only a year older than Smith.

 

They've already said that Cowher won't go anywhere unless they have a franchise QB...sorry, but I dont think Orton can be part of that group yet

 

really, you don't think orton is a franchise qb yet? what gives you that impression?

[rchap24]

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.

 

I'd rather have Cowher too. I'm just disagreeing on how big the difference is between the two.

 

He's still pretty young, though. Way younger than I thought he was. Only a year older than Smith.

 

They've already said that Cowher won't go anywhere unless they have a franchise QB...sorry, but I dont think Orton can be part of that group yet

 

really, you don't think orton is a franchise qb yet? what gives you that impression?

 

I was saying it sarcastically as you follow me from thread to thread trying to demean my posts...

[Guest]

Marinelli would make for a good coordinator, where he doesn't have input on roster decisions or the authority to spread his stupid methodology to the whole team

 

Agreed, he'd be a solid replacement for Babich (I like what he did in Tampa).