Contest Part II

And then there's the Bears...Lovie Smith is in a similar situation as Vinny Del Negro, but there are way more complications involved. This Blog is one of many outlets who have called for Lovie to be fired. Last Monday Night's victory against the Vikings seems to have breathed some life into Smith's job status for next year. That hasn't stopped Lovie from being asked about his job status more than he cares to talk about it. His status appears to be up in the air going into this weeks finale against the Detroit Lions. Appearances can be deceiving though, especially when it comes to the Bears.

So here's the situation in The Beard's view. This is the third straight year the Bears haven't made the playoffs since Lovie told everyone "trust me" after the Super Bowl. He has fired assistants that didn't need to be fired, and he promoted assistants that didn't deserve to be promoted. He has lobbied for Jerry Angelo to sign players such as Adam Archuleta, when everybody knew he couldn't play football anymore. He has continuously been on the losing end of challenges, and (worst of all) sticks with a defensive scheme that isn't interested in stopping the run or the pass.

This, along with various other issues, injuries, personnel decisions and incidents, has led to numerous blowouts, lackluster/uninspired play and overall embarrassment this season. It's also led Jerry Angelo to go out of his way to pull a GarPax and tell everyone that Lovie is under review, after the Ravens game. Whether or not Jerry Angelo is flexing power he may not even have since he might be under the gun too, is irrelevant. What is relevant is Lovie's contract is signed for two more years.

That being the case, the question then becomes, if Lovie goes, who will be brought in? All signs point to Bill Cowher heading to Tampa, and Mike Shanahan heading to Washington. Does Jerry Angelo wait for other guys like John Fox to get fired, quit, or suddenly become available? If any of these coaches are available, how much will it cost to bring them in? Whatever it would cost, there is a lurking, and all signs pointing to unavoidable, Lockout in 2011. The Lockout would also lead to the salary cap being lifted in 2010. So not only would the Bears be paying Lovie to not coach for two seasons, but whoever the Bears bring would also eventually be paid not to coach as well, for however long a potential Lockout would last. While the Bears have relatively shed their reputation for being cheap recently, it still doesn't seem to make a lot of financial sense to fire Lovie now.

If they decide to go with the more economical route and retain Lovie, what happens with his assistants, particularly with the Offensive Coordinator position? Ron Turner seems to be about as popular as rug-burn these days among both fans and players. Cutler had the chance to say he wants Turner back next year, and he took a pass on that. Personally speaking, that's a big deal when the QB doesn't vouch for the Offensive Coordinator. Huge. Can you imagine John Elway, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, or Tom Brady not commenting on whether they want their Offensive Coordinator back? That coach would be fired that same evening.

Also, what about the Defensive Coordinator position? Who would be available, and what type of scheme would they run? The Green Bay Packers broke away from their commitment to the 4-3, unearthed the corpse of Dom Capers, and placed him in charge of their defense this season. The results of his 3-4 scheme have been a #2 total ranked defense in the NFL, two Pro Bowlers in Charles Woodson and Nick Collins, and a developing rookie in Clay Matthews who has 10 sacks this season. Maybe bringing in an innovator with a completely different and forward thinking defensive philosophy would be enough to make the Bears a playoff team? Nobody knows for certain, but it would certainly help.

One thing that is certain, Lovie Smith will not be in charge of hiring either of the coordinators, Jerry Angelo will be. Whomever Jerry hires, will definitely be put in a position to become Lovie Smith's replacement if things do not turn around the way the Bears and Jerry Angelo anticipate. Either way, this is a one FINE mess the Bears are in, and it will be far from boring to watch them try to dig their way out of it.