The Bears offseason

[Sammy Sofa]

http://deadspin.com/why-your-team-sucks-2016-chicago-bears-1784867777

 

 

Jay Cutler has taken calls from approximately six thousand different offensive coordinators since the Bears traded for him, yet the front office continues to wonder why he can’t stay consistent.

 

We let every single halfway decent player walk or we trade them away the instant they don’t seem happy with the team’s [expletive]. I seriously just had to Google whether Alshon Jeffery was still on the team.

 

Nobody will ever shut the [expletive] up about 1985.

 

The only thing that brings me joy in football anymore is seeing the Packers lose.

 

Yaaaaaaay!

 

I still go to Deadspin out of habit, but this series is the only thing I look forward to on there.

[jersey cubs fan]

http://deadspin.com/why-your-team-sucks-2016-chicago-bears-1784867777

 

 

Jay Cutler has taken calls from approximately six thousand different offensive coordinators since the Bears traded for him, yet the front office continues to wonder why he can’t stay consistent.

 

We let every single halfway decent player walk or we trade them away the instant they don’t seem happy with the team’s [expletive]. I seriously just had to Google whether Alshon Jeffery was still on the team.

 

Nobody will ever shut the [expletive] up about 1985.

 

The only thing that brings me joy in football anymore is seeing the Packers lose.

 

Yaaaaaaay!

 

I still go to Deadspin out of habit, but this series is the only thing I look forward to on there.

the jambaroo is better

[Sammy Sofa]

It's pretty damn good; basically give me Magary or give me death.

 

[UMFan83]

It's been a [expletive] organization for a long time now. I don't know if I could ever actually bail, but let's just say the temptation shows up quite regularly these days.

 

I don't know. There is a lot fundamentally wrong with the organization, but in terms of on the field results, over the past 11 seasons we've made 3 playoff appearances with a Super bowl and another conference championship appearance, had 3 other seasons where we either tied for a playoff spot at 10-6 or needed to win in week 17 to get in and didn't, and another year where we started 7-3 and surging toward the playoffs when Cutler went down for the year.

 

that leaves only 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015 as completely lost years. And overall, I am a believer in Pace and think that we are on the right path (although this is a big year to know for sure).

 

All I'm saying is that yes there are a lot of stupid backwards things about this organization and yes its stupid to have to use "but they almost made the playoffs 4 other times" as an argument, but there have been several teams that would be a lot worse to follow over the last decade plus than the Bears.

[jersey cubs fan]

It's been a [expletive] organization for a long time now. I don't know if I could ever actually bail, but let's just say the temptation shows up quite regularly these days.

 

I don't know. There is a lot fundamentally wrong with the organization, but in terms of on the field results, over the past 11 seasons we've made 3 playoff appearances with a Super bowl and another conference championship appearance, had 3 other seasons where we either tied for a playoff spot at 10-6 or needed to win in week 17 to get in and didn't, and another year where we started 7-3 and surging toward the playoffs when Cutler went down for the year.

 

that leaves only 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015 as completely lost years. And overall, I am a believer in Pace and think that we are on the right path (although this is a big year to know for sure).

 

All I'm saying is that yes there are a lot of stupid backwards things about this organization and yes its stupid to have to use "but they almost made the playoffs 4 other times" as an argument, but there have been several teams that would be a lot worse to follow over the last decade plus than the Bears.

this is all garbage

 

they've been a mess

 

a handful of other teams have done worse but we were all relieved when their incompetence had a touch of professionalism last year.

 

it's a huge bummer

[UMFan83]

It's been a [expletive] organization for a long time now. I don't know if I could ever actually bail, but let's just say the temptation shows up quite regularly these days.

 

I don't know. There is a lot fundamentally wrong with the organization, but in terms of on the field results, over the past 11 seasons we've made 3 playoff appearances with a Super bowl and another conference championship appearance, had 3 other seasons where we either tied for a playoff spot at 10-6 or needed to win in week 17 to get in and didn't, and another year where we started 7-3 and surging toward the playoffs when Cutler went down for the year.

 

that leaves only 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015 as completely lost years. And overall, I am a believer in Pace and think that we are on the right path (although this is a big year to know for sure).

 

All I'm saying is that yes there are a lot of stupid backwards things about this organization and yes its stupid to have to use "but they almost made the playoffs 4 other times" as an argument, but there have been several teams that would be a lot worse to follow over the last decade plus than the Bears.

this is all garbage

 

they've been a mess

 

a handful of other teams have done worse but we were all relieved when their incompetence had a touch of professionalism last year.

 

it's a huge bummer

 

I agree its not a great organization but my point was that its not one that's tempting me to bail on them. If I was a Browns fan or a Bills fan or a Dolphins fan or even a 49ers fan (yes they can make the same 'on field success' argument that I made about the Bears but I would argue that their FO and ownership make the Bears general incompetent ownership look like the Patriots in comparison), I could understand it.

[jersey cubs fan]

I agree its not a great organization but my point was that its not one that's tempting me to bail on them. If I was a Browns fan or a Bills fan or a Dolphins fan or even a 49ers fan (yes they can make the same 'on field success' argument that I made about the Bears but I would argue that their FO and ownership make the Bears general incompetent ownership look like the Patriots in comparison), I could understand it.

 

I'm not sure how dolphins or 49ers are more depressing than the bears

[Sammy Sofa]

On Sunday, December 21st, 2014, my alarm went off around 8 a.m. I groaned. Then I got up, made some coffee, probably had something to eat. Showered. At this point it’s probably around 9 and my wife is stirring. I make some comment about needing to get dressed and then said something to try and guilt her into coming along. She wasn’t having it so I grimly started to get dressed. And that’s when she said:

 

“You know, you don’t have to go either.”

 

And it was like a 350-lb. lineman was lifted from my shoulder. I didn’t have to go either.

 

So that day I didn’t put on 5 layers of clothes and I didn’t trek a mile to the train in Chicago winter and I didn’t sweat profusely on a 45 minute train ride and I didn’t walk another mile or so with fellow meatheads to Soldier Field and I didn’t climb 3,000 stairs to my seats. I didn’t endure 3+ hours of wind and cold just to have to make a similarly awful return trip home.

 

And I didn’t see the Bears- led by Jimmy horsefeathering Clausen- lose to the Lions in person.

 

None of this seems like a revelation but I assure you: eating approximately $200 in tickets instead of enduring that horsefeathers changed me. I don’t have to go.

 

Excellent.

[David]

When the sunk cost fallacy hits home.

[Sammy Sofa]

 

I don't know. There is a lot fundamentally wrong with the organization, but in terms of on the field results, over the past 11 seasons we've made 3 playoff appearances with a Super bowl and another conference championship appearance, had 3 other seasons where we either tied for a playoff spot at 10-6 or needed to win in week 17 to get in and didn't, and another year where we started 7-3 and surging toward the playoffs when Cutler went down for the year.

 

that leaves only 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015 as completely lost years. And overall, I am a believer in Pace and think that we are on the right path (although this is a big year to know for sure).

 

All I'm saying is that yes there are a lot of stupid backwards things about this organization and yes its stupid to have to use "but they almost made the playoffs 4 other times" as an argument, but there have been several teams that would be a lot worse to follow over the last decade plus than the Bears.

this is all garbage

 

they've been a mess

 

a handful of other teams have done worse but we were all relieved when their incompetence had a touch of professionalism last year.

 

it's a huge bummer

 

I agree its not a great organization but my point was that its not one that's tempting me to bail on them. If I was a Browns fan or a Bills fan or a Dolphins fan or even a 49ers fan (yes they can make the same 'on field success' argument that I made about the Bears but I would argue that their FO and ownership make the Bears general incompetent ownership look like the Patriots in comparison), I could understand it.

 

I lost count of the myriad of ways we can breakdown how this franchise has been garbage for at least 20 years now. Going to the playoffs once since the Super Bowl loss? Consecutive winning seasons a whopping ONCE in the last twenty? Blargh. It's too bad that even the Cubs finally winning the WS won't cast this collection of walking debacles down as the bums they are. The White Sox should be more popular than the Bears.

[Splendid Splinter]

Terry:

 

The fan base is projecting Leonard Floyd, our top draft pick, as some ungodly mix of Aldon Smith (but not the drinking part, said in a quiet, serious tone) and Von Miller. This despite the fact that Leonard Floyd weighs 210 pounds soaking wet and in minicamps probably first lined up with the WRs, because those are the guys on the roster he looks most similar to. But I’m sure Vic Fangio’s gonna coach up a guy that only got four sacks his last year of college.

 

For the entirety of my life as a football life, our biggest rival has been quarterbacked by a Hall of Famer, first Favre and now Rodgers. It’s like I’m in the Harry Potter universe, but instead of casting bad-ass Crucio spells I’m one of the muggles who doesn’t even know magic exists.

 

Over the roughly twenty years of Bears fandom I can remember, we have had more offensive coordinators (eleven) than I’ve had sexual partners.

[David]

 

I don't know. There is a lot fundamentally wrong with the organization, but in terms of on the field results, over the past 11 seasons we've made 3 playoff appearances with a Super bowl and another conference championship appearance, had 3 other seasons where we either tied for a playoff spot at 10-6 or needed to win in week 17 to get in and didn't, and another year where we started 7-3 and surging toward the playoffs when Cutler went down for the year.

 

that leaves only 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015 as completely lost years. And overall, I am a believer in Pace and think that we are on the right path (although this is a big year to know for sure).

 

All I'm saying is that yes there are a lot of stupid backwards things about this organization and yes its stupid to have to use "but they almost made the playoffs 4 other times" as an argument, but there have been several teams that would be a lot worse to follow over the last decade plus than the Bears.

this is all garbage

 

they've been a mess

 

a handful of other teams have done worse but we were all relieved when their incompetence had a touch of professionalism last year.

 

it's a huge bummer

 

I agree its not a great organization but my point was that its not one that's tempting me to bail on them. If I was a Browns fan or a Bills fan or a Dolphins fan or even a 49ers fan (yes they can make the same 'on field success' argument that I made about the Bears but I would argue that their FO and ownership make the Bears general incompetent ownership look like the Patriots in comparison), I could understand it.

 

I have to agree with you here. I only personally experienced about half of the 90s, but if there was a bail out period, that was it (which is pretty funny since that's when I jumped in as a fan). The 2000s/10s have been a mixed bag of some success and legit respectability under Lovie and some embarrassment since, particularly with Trestman, but not near enough for me to consider bailing.

 

For my 3 teams, I'm not sure what the worst period was between the 90's Cubs, 90's Bears, and early 2000 Bulls eras. Probably the Bulls, but at least that followed insane dominance.

[David]

Terry:

 

The fan base is projecting Leonard Floyd, our top draft pick, as some ungodly mix of Aldon Smith (but not the drinking part, said in a quiet, serious tone) and Von Miller. This despite the fact that Leonard Floyd weighs 210 pounds soaking wet and in minicamps probably first lined up with the WRs, because those are the guys on the roster he looks most similar to. But I’m sure Vic Fangio’s gonna coach up a guy that only got four sacks his last year of college.

 

For the entirety of my life as a football life, our biggest rival has been quarterbacked by a Hall of Famer, first Favre and now Rodgers. It’s like I’m in the Harry Potter universe, but instead of casting bad-ass Crucio spells I’m one of the muggles who doesn’t even know magic exists.

 

Over the roughly twenty years of Bears fandom I can remember, we have had more offensive coordinators (eleven) than I’ve had sexual partners.

 

what a loser. i bet he hasn't fucked any porn stars.

[jersey cubs fan]

Trestman's Bears were the low point of post 80s Bears.

[David]

I lost count of the myriad of ways we can breakdown how this franchise has been garbage for at least 20 years now. Going to the playoffs once since the Super Bowl loss? Consecutive winning seasons a whopping ONCE in the last twenty? Blargh. It's too bad that even the Cubs finally winning the WS won't cast this collection of walking debacles down as the bums they are. The White Sox should be more popular than the Bears.

 

fluke world series run or not, nah

 

and looking at it in such a binary way ("going to the playoffs once") really helps your position, but is pretty disingenuous.

 

the 2011 and 12 bears were very good, maybe great, teams that got royally fucked by bad luck.

[David]

Trestman's Bears were the low point of post 80s Bears.

 

totally disagree... 96-2000 bears. lasted longer and were worse.

 

as far as embarrassment and bumbling around (which i'm guessing is where you have trestman winning), there was plenty between the clearly worst mccaskey, not having a GM, curtis enis, cade, etc.

[Sammy Sofa]

I lost count of the myriad of ways we can breakdown how this franchise has been garbage for at least 20 years now. Going to the playoffs once since the Super Bowl loss? Consecutive winning seasons a whopping ONCE in the last twenty? Blargh. It's too bad that even the Cubs finally winning the WS won't cast this collection of walking debacles down as the bums they are. The White Sox should be more popular than the Bears.

 

fluke world series run or not, nah

 

and looking at it in such a binary way ("going to the playoffs once") really helps your position, but is pretty disingenuous.

 

the 2011 and 12 bears were very good, maybe great, teams that got royally [expletive] by bad luck.

 

I was once like you.

 

The acceptance will come.

 

And the White Sox thing was a slam on how terribly the teams are run, not some kind of scientific argument as to which team is actually better, you loon.

[jersey cubs fan]

Trestman's Bears were the low point of post 80s Bears.

 

totally disagree... 96-2000 bears. lasted longer and were worse.

 

as far as embarrassment and bumbling around (which i'm guessing is where you have trestman winning), there was plenty between the clearly worst mccaskey, not having a GM, curtis enis, cade, etc.

they were a pathetic joke of a team. The wanny years were just no talent.

[jersey cubs fan]

Seeing that first depth chart released reminds me how was this team is.

[WrigleyField 22]

Trestman's Bears were the low point of post 80s Bears.

 

totally disagree... 96-2000 bears. lasted longer and were worse.

 

as far as embarrassment and bumbling around (which i'm guessing is where you have trestman winning), there was plenty between the clearly worst mccaskey, not having a GM, curtis enis, cade, etc.

they were a pathetic joke of a team. The wanny years were just no talent.

Its a tough call. As much Trestman just ended up being a huge embarrassment, there were way more entertaining players to watch, at least on offense, than anything those late 90's teams had.

[Banedon]

The worst part of Trestman is that we passed on Bruce Arians to get him.

 

According to CSN Chicago's John Mullin, Emery tasked Marinelli with interviewing head coaching candidates after Emery fired Lovie Smith at the end of the 2012 season. Marinelli reportedly narrowed down three choices in this order: 1) current Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians, who Mullin said was the "runaway" first choice 2) Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and 3) Trestman, who was a distant third.

 

Emery chose Trestman, and that did not sit well with Marinelli. Arians went on to lead the Cardinals to 10-6 and 11-5 records, narrowly missing the playoffs in 2013 before leading Arizona back to the postseason this year. The Bears went 8-8 then 5-11 under Trestman.

 

When he learned of the decision, Marinelli abruptly angrily resigned and left Halas Hall for Dallas and a de facto demotion to defensive line coach.

 

The problems did not end with Marinelli's exit. The exact level of Emery's involvement below the head-coaching job is unclear. With Marinelli gone, however, Emery was involved in hiring Mel Tucker as defensive coordinator and Joe DeCamillis.

 

http://www.sbnation.com/2014/12/30/7467853/bears-coaching-search-phil-emery-rod-marinelli-bruce-arians

[David]

just remembered a couple more bad things about the 90s bears

 

"all the pieces are in place"

 

and trading a horsefeathering 1st round pick for rick horsefeathering mirer

[CaliforniaRaisin]

It's been a [expletive] organization for a long time now. I don't know if I could ever actually bail, but let's just say the temptation shows up quite regularly these days.

 

I don't know. There is a lot fundamentally wrong with the organization, but in terms of on the field results, over the past 11 seasons we've made 3 playoff appearances with a Super bowl and another conference championship appearance, had 3 other seasons where we either tied for a playoff spot at 10-6 or needed to win in week 17 to get in and didn't, and another year where we started 7-3 and surging toward the playoffs when Cutler went down for the year.

 

that leaves only 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015 as completely lost years. And overall, I am a believer in Pace and think that we are on the right path (although this is a big year to know for sure).

 

All I'm saying is that yes there are a lot of stupid backwards things about this organization and yes its stupid to have to use "but they almost made the playoffs 4 other times" as an argument, but there have been several teams that would be a lot worse to follow over the last decade plus than the Bears.

I absolutely love how down you can get about every other team your root for but are upbeat about a mediocre (at best) Bears team the past decade.

[UMFan83]

It's been a [expletive] organization for a long time now. I don't know if I could ever actually bail, but let's just say the temptation shows up quite regularly these days.

 

I don't know. There is a lot fundamentally wrong with the organization, but in terms of on the field results, over the past 11 seasons we've made 3 playoff appearances with a Super bowl and another conference championship appearance, had 3 other seasons where we either tied for a playoff spot at 10-6 or needed to win in week 17 to get in and didn't, and another year where we started 7-3 and surging toward the playoffs when Cutler went down for the year.

 

that leaves only 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015 as completely lost years. And overall, I am a believer in Pace and think that we are on the right path (although this is a big year to know for sure).

 

All I'm saying is that yes there are a lot of stupid backwards things about this organization and yes its stupid to have to use "but they almost made the playoffs 4 other times" as an argument, but there have been several teams that would be a lot worse to follow over the last decade plus than the Bears.

I absolutely love how down you can get about every other team your root for but are upbeat about a mediocre (at best) Bears team the past decade.

 

I'm up or down about all my teams depending on when you ask me although I'm sure 90% negative UMfan from like 8 years ago still resonates with you (and not the....55% negative UMfan now :) ). And you are putting words in my mouth Raisin, I am not "upbeat" about the Bears, I said that the last decade of Bears football has not been terrible enough to be tempted to root for another team. There's no doubt the org has been shitty and the results on the field have not been acceptable, but its not like being a Browns fan where the season is over pretty much every year by early October. I have had reasons to watch Bears football in December in 7 of the last 11 seasons. I like Pace so far and think he is steering the ship in the right direction. So still shitty dysfunctional org, mildly compelling past, optimistic future, not a really a team I or anyone else should feel compelled to bail on.

[David]

SERIOUSLY CAN YOU GUYS BELIEVE WE GAVE UP A horsefeathering FIRST FOR RICK MIRER??!