lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Worse than I thought
Chicago Bears 2023
The McCaskeys being the reason for the Bears lack of success is so overblown by fans. To keep bringing it up is basically farce at this point.
Oof. With an 0-16 lions season in there?
Please tell me how the family that owns the Bears franchise is not the reason for the lack of success!
They own 80.3% of the organization. The Board of Directors has 5/7 members with the last name McCaskey. George H. McCaskey is the Chairman, Brian J. McCaskey and Patrick McCaskey are Vice Presidents. Sure looks like the family's fingerprints are all over this organization.
I'm sure your right though...it's obviously overblown! I mean, how could anyone think it is their fault?
And then there were 4. Bears play the other 3 winless teams starting with the Broncos this week. Obviously the Carolina game is likely the least important since the Bears own that pick. Bears also play Arizona, who many thought would be the worst team in league and might not get more than the 1 win they have. I don’t have a whole lot of confidence in Poles and company, but having the number 1 pick again might be the only thing to cheer about this year.
I think some of the criticism is overblown.
They do spend money. The criticism otherwise is decades out of date and was more true of George Halas than anyone running the team now.
By all accounts, they do desperately want the team to win.
In a league full of owners that are basically James Bond villains, the Bears are owned by a little old lady and her adult kids. They should be an ownership group that’s easy to root for compared to others.
It’s just that they’ve constantly and repeatedly hired the wrong people to run their team and don’t seem to have any clue how to go about fixing it.
You are correct to point out that it’s intellectually lazy to try blame everything on... just ‘one thing’. Failure is a shared experience and a pie-chart portion of blame needs to be assessed to assign true responsibility.
But in any organization and business – it is always the Owner that carries most of that blame-burden. They have most of the power... and it is they who make all the big decisions.
There is a bigger problem for fans at play here. All NFL Owners make huge fortunes of money each and every season whether their franchise is successful or not. There is no incentive of ‘needing’ to win to make a lot of money. And so... certain franchises just rot on the vine season after season. And some are always more successful because the Owners of those teams have made winning a personal priority for their organization. But that is a choice and preference and not a necessity. And also, because some Owners might actually care more about fans than others.
The Bears just don’t have a legacy of success anymore. They used to... but that died out at the end of the 1940s. The franchise and Bears fans have now had generations of pretty much failure. That creates lots of negative thinking and low expectations.
Only new ownership and fresh thinking is going to rescue this franchise... just like the White Sox.
Rarely if ever does it happen that great success happens to any business when its Ownership pretty much... sucks.
I guess I don't understand how the criticism is overblown. Like you said they've constantly and repeatedly hired the wrong people to run their team!
Doesn't that blame fall 100% in their laps!
If they owned and mismanaged most other businesses the way they have the Bears, they would be out of business. The difference is they own a business that at this point is printing money (with the popularity of the NFL) no matter how horribly mismanaged it is!
Maybe they better hire someone to do their hiring
It can be done. It can't be bad luck and situatonal factors year after year after years after year.
Philadelphia Eagles' Doug Pederson 1 of 11 coaches who won Super Bowl within 2 seasons
Philadelphia Eagles' Doug Pederson 1 of 11 coaches who won Super Bowl within 2 seasons
Pederson and the Eagles made history -- but what does it say about their future?
www.pennlive.com
If the Bears manage to get to .500 I could giving the coach and QB one more season to see how draft choices and trades materialize.
Many Chicago fans do not seem this patient.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Yes, that is exactly why it is 100% their fault. I don't understand what is being argued here.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
They always hire someone as a consultant. Last time it was Polian.Maybe they better hire someone to do their hiring
It can be done. It can't be bad luck and situatonal factors year after year after years after year.
Philadelphia Eagles' Doug Pederson 1 of 11 coaches who won Super Bowl within 2 seasons
Philadelphia Eagles' Doug Pederson 1 of 11 coaches who won Super Bowl within 2 seasons
Pederson and the Eagles made history -- but what does it say about their future?
If the Bears manage to get to .500 I could giving the coach and QB one more season to see how draft choices and trades materialize.
Many Chicago fans do not seem this patient.
And I believe Ernie Accorsi was brought in for the Pace/Fox hiring.
What’s being argued? As I read the quote from champaignchris... he offers an opinion that because the Bears are a family-owned operation, Bear fans should offer support FOR that reason (because they are not like those un-family megabillionaires).
It’s really too issues being mixed together. There is the more fundamental issue of holding ANY ownership group (regardless of its composition) accountable for a team’s consistently poor record. And the second issue is whether Bear fans should have a different compassion-level because of it being a family operation.
In fact, I think Bears fans HAVE been very compassionate over the years because of them being a family operation. Many Bears fans treat the team as being a part of their own families (and they may like the Bears MORE than some members of their own family!). Chicago has traditionally been a family and neighborhood-oriented place that really gets the notion of ‘family’.
But what has happened over the years is that Bear fans’ tolerance and patience that they may have extended the Bears because of family ownership is now simply used up and gone. When a team has performed so poorly for so long... fans just can’t muster much compassion for anyone any more. Being a fan of a team is an emotional (and financial) investment and after awhile you can’t take it until you begin to see something positive coming back.
The last thing that Bears and White Sox fans wanted to see right now is YET ANOTHER tear-down and rebuild. But that is exactly what’s needed all over again.
So once again, ‘Having Patience’ is going to a real challenge. And Bear fans have little-to-no patience left to give. Since the Bears haven't been consistently good since the 40s... that's about four generations right there gone by (with one year being the exception). So think about your great-grandfather and great-uncles. Maybe they saw the Bears back when they were really good... but very little after they did.
They did finally get rid of Ted Phillips. Warren has had zero chance to impact the on-field product, as they hired the GM a year before the CEO. They have done everything in this rebuild backwards, and it shows.
They drafted a QB, then narrowed a list of head coaches, then hired a GM, then hired a CEO. Basically, ensuring everyone has their own agenda and zero accountability or loyalty to anyone else.
The single most important position in all of sports is the NFL quarterback. Coaching matters and roster construction matters, but none of it will get you sustained success without an elite QB. I am sure Fields can improve and he hasn’t been given the best opportunity to excel. I am ready to move on however. Hopefully the 2024 class has a future hall of famer in it.Maybe they better hire someone to do their hiring
It can be done. It can't be bad luck and situatonal factors year after year after years after year.
Philadelphia Eagles' Doug Pederson 1 of 11 coaches who won Super Bowl within 2 seasons
Philadelphia Eagles' Doug Pederson 1 of 11 coaches who won Super Bowl within 2 seasons
Pederson and the Eagles made history -- but what does it say about their future?
If the Bears manage to get to .500 I could giving the coach and QB one more season to see how draft choices and trades materialize.
Many Chicago fans do not seem this patient.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
just about everyone I have heard says Caleb Williams is that guy. I do think that is who the Bears are zeroing in on and have been for a while now.
but the history of consensus "cant miss" qb's is checkered at best.
There have been as many busts taken in the top 3 picks of the draft as there are successes.
Would you prefer to be on the "hot seat" or on "thin ice?"
NFL coach hot seat rankings after Week 3: Bears' Matt Eberflus, Chargers' Brandon Staley on thin ice
The seats are getting hotter for some coaches around the league
www.cbssports.com
1. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears)
An 0-3 start doesn't help matters, but it's the lack of development of Justin Fields that's concerning. Fields has actually gotten worse as a passer, which isn't good for Eberflus or his coaching staff. Fields has the most QB starts with under 200 passing yards (20), under 150 passing yards (10), and under 100 passing yards (5) since entering the league, all while compiling a 58% completion rate, 526 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions this season (67.7 rating).Fields is 0-for-6 on throws of 25-plus air yards this season, while having fewer designed runs by 15% this year (49% last season to 34% this year). Fields also has a bad offensive line, being sacked 3.5 times per game (the most by any quarterback with 500-plus pass attempts since 1970). The Bears defense also has allowed 25-plus points in 13 straight games, tied for the longest streak in NFL history. Keep in mind Eberflus is a coach with a defensive background.
This feels like the beginning of the end for Eberflus in Chicago
No sure thing is exactly right. You just have to keep swinging. Whether it’s Williams or Maye or Sanders. Who knows. Great QBs have been drafted all over the place. Unless you have your guy you keep swinging.
Most of the employed QBs in the NFL every year are average-to-less-than-average in desired ability. There are just a handful of truly elite QBs in the League each year. And as you point out... there are many busts in first round. And some of the best QBs were taken in the lower rounds.
So what's the deal? Management and scouts and fans are trying to predict human behavior -- which is impossible. You can see a guy at a level below the NFL and see what skill set he has. And then you try to predict how he will react and perform in the pros once he gets there. And he can even have 'all the tools' and then still end up a bust.
What seems to separate the elite QBs from the posers are their ability to assess field situations lightning fast... make the right decision with regard to those situations... not make mistakes... and when passing to deliver the ball in the correct and tight receiver window (threading the needle). For example, Fields seems weak in all these areas... as almost every Bears QB in history has been. And when guys seem weak in these abilities they almost never develop them later on. They can't do it, or management can't waste time on them.
QBs before they get to the NFL have never played against an NFL defense so you don't know how fast and good his decisions are going to be under that kind of pressure. And some QBs are going to be mistake-prone because they panic more easily or just aren't that good making decisions while facing NFL defenses. Again, human behavior.
So in the next NFL draft there will be the guys most sought-after that everyone hopes can become elite. But history shows that's nothing to bet the house on.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
quite a few Chicago sports scribes are either beating the drum for a change in leadership at Halas Hall on the field and sidelines.
While Im no fan of most of these guys, they tend to be correct on this kind of stuff.
I simply cant envision this team winning more than 3 games. if so, Fields and Eberflus are let go in January
While Im no fan of most of these guys, they tend to be correct on this kind of stuff.
I simply cant envision this team winning more than 3 games. if so, Fields and Eberflus are let go in January
MDchicago
- Lake Norman NC
The Halas being cheap reference reminded me of the time he hired himself as head coach to save some money during the Depression, just after the prior coach had led the team to victory in the NFL Championship game, with a team headlined by former Illini star Red Grange.
Bears/Illini Trivia Question: What former Illini head basketball coach (coach of three college basketball national championship teams, including one in an undefeated season at Illinois) was the NFL championship-winning Bears head coach that Halas replaced?
Hints: He has one of the highest D1 winning percentages ever for a D1 college basketball coach (79.2%; only seven coaches with at least 10 seasons experience have a better D1 winning % in college basketball history).
He had four undefeated D1 college basketball seasons as a head coach, a feat matched only by John Wooden.
He coached George Halas and named him captain of the Illini basketball team (prior to Halas departure for WWI).
As Bears coach, he is credited with innovating innovating and bringing to prominence the T formation and man-in-motion offense.
He still is the Bears all-time coaching leader in terms of winning percentage.
I would be surprised (though not completely shocked) if Poles was let go. He really hasn’t had an opportunity to choose his own QB (unless you count trading #1/keeping Fields) or HC (wasn’t Eberflus hired already?). But his roster construction and unwillingness to put forth a big portion of the FA money he had on getting OL and DL help rather than shopping for “values” has been a complete failure
I could see Eberflus becoming the sacrificial lamb. No matter that it was Poles who put together the terrible roster he had to work with. Doesn’t look good for a D coach to have such a bad D. Again, never mind that Poles didn’t get him the DL help he needs in his defense. I never really understood that hire anyway.
I do think we won’t see Fields next year. He might have better luck in the future somewhere else, but no way Poles can roll with him unless a complete turn around (and not just a couple good games) this season. Better off drafting QB and resetting the QB rookie contract clock.
Last edited:
I agree. I think everyone was on the same page that last year was a tank, so his only real failure so far has been 3 games thjs year.
That said, I think it’s inexcusable the way he’s burned Fields as an asset. NFL is a QBs league, period. If you have a potential franchise QB, I think you have to go all in on developing him regardless of whether he’s “your guy.” And Fields has never been given an NFL caliber offensive line to work behind and has never had NFL caliber receivers before this year. If you don’t think Fields is the guy fine, trade him while he still has value and try and build up your OLine and other areas while you find someone else. But not investing in Fields’ success and just sort of hoping he develops despite the hand you’ve dealt him is a losing strategy and inexcusable to me.
And to sort of loop everything together, one of the Chicago radio teams had the former director of player personnel under Pace on to talk about the process in selecting fields and Trubisky. And specifically how they had no plans to play him in year one and thought that the browns game certainly did damage, if not permanent damage to Fields as his first game experience was getting sacked 9 times or whatever it was.
And during this week’s press conference Bielema said something similar when asked about not playing the freshmen earlier, basically he was always mindful of not playing freshmen before they were ready because it could permanently damage their development.
Obviously Cleveland happened before Poles was here but the organization has done everything they could to damage Fields development. If I’m Caleb Willams and the bears have the number one pick I’m going back to school.
Eberflus is 3-17 as head coach. There aren’t coaches with that kind of 2 year winning percentage that come back for year 3 in the NFL. He’s gone unless the Bears play far, far better. I think at minimum they have to go 6-8 the rest of the way to be retained, which seems unlikely.
Poles is a harder case, but personally I think that if the Bears have any question at all about his long term future with the team, they can’t let him handle a draft with 2 likely top 4 picks.
The new President has the chance to line up GM, coach and first round qb for the first time in franchise history.
Poles is a harder case, but personally I think that if the Bears have any question at all about his long term future with the team, they can’t let him handle a draft with 2 likely top 4 picks.
The new President has the chance to line up GM, coach and first round qb for the first time in franchise history.
Your last sentence is why I wouldn’t be shocked to see Poles gone. I have doubts whether they’ll get rid of him, but I’d have no problem with them pulling the plug on the whole thing. Imagine that, the Bears actually moving forward with everyone in lockstep. Would seem too good to be true.