jersey cubs fan

I thought it was one guy in particular.

I'm assuming both are back until something happens.

I'm not sure love is the appropriate word. But I also think it's a mistake to dismiss a coach's positional coaching ability based on his team's results as a head coach.

I say buy low on TO and hope to get 2 seasons out of him. He wouldn't have a Witten/Williams type to compete with for catches. He'd have much less leverage to act like an ass, since he's no longer coming off the big super bowl run, he's finished with back to back disappointing seasons, and he wouldn't have an insane owner defending his every word. Unless Burress is healthy and available.

Agreed, he'd be a solid replacement for Babich (I like what he did in Tampa). Marinelli I think could fit in with a lot of the teams in the running for D-Coordinators and would love him in Chicago He's probably better off going to a d-line coach. He'd avoid the media a lot more, and any media group is going to take the chance to talk about 0-16 as much as they can if Marinelli becomes a coordinator there.

Seriously though, they aren't doing this, are they? That would be horrible.

Well the simple explanation is things change. When they were involved with Peavy talks, weeks ago, they were operating with an estimated budget. Now, however, they are being told they can't spend anymore until the ownership is settled. Lots of people and companies (and government agencies) changed their minds about spending habits in November and December.

Colts fans must stick their heads in the sand a lot.

A lot of that information was reported for the first time in that article. The first indication fans had that anything was wrong was in July when it was reported that Manning had gone under the knife. Not that he was going to..it wasn't reported until the day of. The story was bursa sac removal and a 4-6 week timetable. That was the last update Colts fans received over the next month. The second surgery was kept completely secret. So were the setbacks. In fact, a common thing on radio that month was speculation about where Manning was and what he was doing..there was even a mock hunt to figure out what secret location he was in. Once the season started, there was absolutely nothing said by the team about his knee. There was no indication (other than his play) that he was anything but 100%. So yes, it was known that Manning had surgery and might not be ready for the start of the season. But it's absolutely amazing in this day and age that the Colts were able to keep all the rest under wraps until now. It was a huge mystery that's finally solved, and it certainly gives me doubts about how much of the story fans ever get. There's a Colts chat on Monday nights with one of the local writers and that article really had the fans buzzing. Of course, I don't like Manning's choice in this. He should have gone to one of the local guys with the story. Also, the timing is...curious. It should be the final push needed to wrap up his 3rd MVP award, and even if he didn't intend for that to be an effect it still was poor timing to have the whole story released this week. You really didn't see the stories about the setback and second procedure? This stuff was reported before, but Peyton and the Colts either stayed quiet or denied it. The only exclusive part of this story was Peyton talking and giving some details. It was already reported. And that bolded statement is just bizarre to me. There was no indication he was anything but 100%? Are you kidding? Everybody knew he wasn't 100% and most everybody talked about it in every story about the Colts.

Ike 'Beats' Tina to Death

Not sure what the perceived distraction is supposed to be. Improving your team doesn't seem like much of a distraction. Lineup order is almost irrelevant to run-scoring. Sure, there's an optimal way to do it, but the difference between that and a normal non-optimal way is tiny. So in order to get that tiny gain, you have to hear questions every day about whether Soriano's happy or not, etc. Not worth it. If a player says he's more comfortable in a spot, unless it's completely out of line, it's usually better just to do it. I wouldn't assume you'd have to hear questions about his happiness every day. But I also don't see how that's a distraction if you decide to do it in the offseason. You're going to be peppered with inane questions all spring anyway.

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.

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.

Peter King is the worst writer that I enjoy reading. I have no earthly idea why I like reading his stuff because it's wrong so very often.... I don't read much KSK...I'll have to check that out. He gives it the fjm treatment. This week's was kind of weak, because I think he missed some opportunities. But the last 5-6 were really funny.

I'm not going to blast any fan base that has trouble selling playoff tickets in this economic environment. Regular season tickets were sold prior to the fall collapse. Anybody read Peter King's absurd self fellating MMQB story about Peyton Manning's knee? He bills it as a story that's never been told and is absolutely astonished, apparantly, to learn that Peyton Manning had bad knee issues this offseason, and then a setback during training camp. He wonders how they were able to keep this so quiet. I remember reading about this many times in the offseason, hoping it would help the Bears in their week 1 matchup, which it clearly did. It's amazing how out of touch these old school journalists can be. They constantly complain about the downfall of tradition media and the end of the line for their peers, then write this self-congratulatory nonsense about how wonderfully he does his job. If there's anybody else out there that reads Peter King just to get pissed at Peter King, take a look at kissingsuzykolber every Monday morning for Drew Magary's King write-up. I'm bummed it took me half the season to find this.

Not sure what the perceived distraction is supposed to be. Improving your team doesn't seem like much of a distraction.

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.

Of course I do, and I used it properly. "Extremely or utterly foolish." http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asinine Guilty on that one. It's only foolish if you are fool enough to believe the incorrect facts and assumptions you keep spouting out.

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.

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?

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.

No, it's completely arbitrary and nonsensical.

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.

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.

Soriano was on pace to drive in more than 100 RBI in 2008 (75 RBI in 109 games). That's great production for a top of the order hitter. Not all of Soriano's hits are HR's. He's typically right around 40 doubles a year also, which allows the other guys to drive him in. Derrek Lee had too many GIDP's, but that's because Theriot is too one dimensional. Theriot would be the ideal #8 hitter in the Cubs line up. He can draw the walk or stroke a base hit, steal 2nd or get to second on the sacrifice by the pitcher and be in scoring position for Soriano. I think Soriano's stolen base rate would actually improve from that lower spot in the order. Soriano was also on pace to score 100 runs, something he's done several times in his career. Keeping him healthy is what the Cubs need from Soriano more than anything. A switch to another spot in the order isn't necessary at all. Necessary? No. Preferable? Clearly.