To completely understate our feelings thus far, it’s been a maddening offseason. Not even a full day after the season ended, Lovie Smith and Ron Turner proclaimed Kyle Orton the starting QB next year. Turner championed what we knew all season: We need to bring a WR weapon. Jerry Angelo proceeded to call a news conference and tell reporters that “it all revolves around the quarterback.” Lovie then said Orton was still the starting QB. Jerry responded by going on Mully and Hanley’s AM show and repeating his claim of getting a better QB, and the OL and WR’s are “mix-and-match.” Can't wait for the trading period to start....we get to see what Jerry "I brought in Dan Buenning" Angelo can whip up this offseason.
As others have stated, this is the guy who had none other than Chad Hutchinson at QB. To call out Kyle after a year where we got decent performance out of our quarterback is asinine, and furthermore, Angelo’s logic is absurd.
- Have solid lines of communication with your employees. Rule #1 of a successful leader.
- Devin Hester as a #1 WR isn’t a problem? Marty Booker’s still on the payroll, Brandon Lloyd was a Band-Aid, Rashied Davis can’t catch a cold. We should sue the consulting firm that selected Jerry as our GM to get those years and money back.
- OL is mix and match, eh Jer? That’s sure as hell what you did at the beginning of the season with our line.
Everyone knows that I intensely dislike Jerry Angelo, but that’s not the point of this post. Follow me after the jump.
I really struggled deciding if I should post this.
Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith are not fit to be in charge of our Chicago Bears. I’ve always been wary of Angelo, but I’m just joining the anti-Lovie crowd. I finally figured out how to get rid of both of them:
Commit organizational suicide next year.
Before you all jump on my back, let me explain.
1) Jerry and Lovie disagree on what path to take during the offseason; Jerry wants a QB, Lovie a WR. From their constant back-and-forth disagreements in the press, it’s clear that their outlooks for the organization are different. Disagreements happen, but don’t use the media as your soap box.
2) As we can see from Ruben Brown’s statements, Lovie’s “cool, calm, and delusional” persona is bleeding into the team’s head. We overachieved this year. If we address defense with the first pick in the draft, they have clearly lost it. Yes, our defense wasn’t good, but our offense was worse. We need OL help and we need a #1 receiver. If we go get defense in order to shore it up, we’re just fulfilling Lovie’s vision of the “traditional Bears”: Great D and ST, good running, and horrible everywhere else.
3) Anyone remember the Chris Williams injury fiasco last summer? Crisis management is a huge priority in public relations.
The textbook case of excellent crisis management is Johnson & Johnson after they discovered that their Tylenol capsules were tainted. They immediately called a press conference to warn consumers, pulled all of their capsules off store shelves, and provided numerous avenues for concerned consumers to contact the organization and get their questions answered. The company took a financial hit that quarter due to their total recall, but they were lauded in the press as one of the top ethical companies.
The Bears, on the other hand, took a different avenue. Jerry hastily called a press conference, but not to appease consumers. He brought the head of the Bears medical department with him (which rarely, if ever, happens). He was short and curt to reporters, often speaking with a raised and condescending voice.
While these examples are obviously different, it shows the lack of leadership Jerry possesses. Two things Jerry should have known: 1) The press has the power to put you on a pedestal or drag your reputation through the dirt; 2) If you’re truthful early on, you’ll lose short-term, but you’ll win the war.
4) At this point, I don’t want just Lovie gone; this has to be a package pink-slip. Lovie and Jerry could be gone if we perform poorly next year (which we will if we retain most of our current roster). If they are both shown the door, we’ll have the opportunity to get football-intelligent minds in Halas Hall. I’m not doubting that Lovie and Jerry truly are smart, but their ineptitude is wearing thin with me.
Let me make this clear: I don’t want to perform badly next year for a higher draft pick. If Jerry and Lovie are making that selection, a high draft pick does not help us in any way. I would prefer that Ted Phillips would have the stones to fire Jerry and Lovie right now, but he doesn't. If one poor year equals their firing, that's a successful season in my mind.
As a fan of the team, I obviously want to see them do well next year. At the same time, an objective look at this team shows the need for management to leave Halas Hall. If Lovie and the team truly believe they’re close to anything resembling a playoff team, they’re delusional at best. I want to see a great Bears team take the field, not a haphazardly thrown-together mess.
5) WCG brought up a key point about Boldin, which I equate to any elite FA. Why don't the Bears go out and get any high-quality FA? Because of Jerry and Lovie! They're in charge and they have decided thus far to not go out and get big-time FA's. If we get rid of the cancer, the body (obviously) has a better chance of recovering. No one wants to be on the Bears because of our schemes, among other things. We're not viewed as an ideal destination.
It’s an interesting thought: If the Bears tank it next year, there’s a decent probability both could be shown the door. IF we get proper personnel in place (read: anyone from the Patriots), we would obviously gain in the long run.
Should we commit organizational suicide for a year in order to procure long-term success? What’s your take?