madlithuanian

No harm, no foul.

Too bad... He started off so well. I'd like to keep him at as a nickel back. But he'd have to re-structure his deal. On the other hand, nor do I see us unloading him without seriously addressing the issue.

Sorry you can't see the humor in it... I'm not sure you get the point... I love the team, so it pains me to see this going on. Unfortunately, you are stuck with me. I root for no other team than the Bears or whoever is playing Green Bay. Cannot a fan express frustration? Granted, I never saw the Bears go through the 1969 season as I was only a toddler. But, I've experienced bad years since then for sure. While not as bad as that, granted, still bad. There's honestly no need to go calling me a 13 year old girl. You sound like you're old enough to express your opinions thoughtfully without resorting to name calling. I too take them seriously. I guess I just display my dislike for the direction they are going differently than yourself. Maybe you are content as is? That's certainly your call... You may also feel free to dislike anyone that complains about the team. My suggestion, if you don't like to hear complaints, go read the the content on the official team website. You will get the company line and hear pretty much nothing but positive. Usually, the most ardent fans, tend to have more complaints about what is going on, especially when the seasons aren't gong really well as we've experienced for the last 2 years. I knew I'd get some flack for this...there are definitely some folks, like yourself, that don't like to read any negativity. I thought it would provide some entertainment for many of our posters. I'm sorry you were not one of them. I think I'd make a horrible coach and probably a well below average GM, but I sure would love the opporunity to be the owner! I guarantee I'd restore the roar! It'll never happen, but, hey, a man can dream... Good luck with your fantasy teams! And good day to you, sir! BEAR DOWN!

Ha! My buddy e-mailed it back to me the other day, saying how it still is eerily far too fitting!

I hear ya!

Can you quote where I said 100% certainty? I respect what your'e trying to get at. That just hiring a former player does not guarantee success. You're right. Bottom line, there are no guarantees. So if it's some degree of a crap shoot, some of us are just trying to say to look to some former players having succes elsewhere, rather than bringing in buddies and chums like Babich. The guy form Texas, who I can't recall his name, Hoke?...why is he any more qualified than Plank? Becuase he coached unsuccessfully for the Texans? Maybe he has some success elsewhere that I'm unaware of. Maybe this is the ideal fit and he'll become the next Parcells... We won't know until it plays out. And yes, the 46 is not the end all be all. It has been figured out. Like the cover 2. However, certain teams implement it on occassion with great success. Having a few positional coaches that know that scheme, that know the basics of tackling, that know hard work and smarts on the field pay off with success are good to have around I think. I've seen who Smith has hired. And he's basically fired them all but his friend Babich. I simply do not trust that he knows how to put together a staff. I, and others, have noticed a serious effort by management to distance themselves from the success of 1985. Some ask "why"? I know why. Because it's embarassing that our only real success has been from 24 years ago.

I could not agree more! I think Mike Brown has "it" to be a coach at some level in this league.

And you too can believe what you want. If this staff shows that it's great, I'll gladly change my perception. Thank you for the entertainment. Although there are far superior funnymen on this board that don't have to stoop to belittling our only team to bring a SB to the city and its fans... Don't worry. I won't forget.

I'll play along... I'll answer your questions seriously and treat your comments with respect. Granted, Rivera has had more experience...but we're not talking about Doug becoming a D Coord or a HC. We're talking about becoming a positional coach. Green Bay just hired Kevin Greene to coach their OLB's w/o any previous coaching experience. These guys need to start somewhere. And while the AFL is not the NFL, I think Plank knows that. But there are certin things you learn having success as a coach in any arena that translates from one sport to another. So, he has more experience that Kevin Greene at this point. Actually, if we did hire all those guys for our staff, I think this D would be better. And I am serious.

Thank you for the support! That's basically what I was trying to get accross!

Compared to what we had? Please... Plank came from Ryan's system, and it was named from him. He has had coaching experience in the AFL, and will probably thrive under Rex Ryan in New York. Yeah, call me crazy. I love my old Bears legends. And I htink many have coaching skills besides former on the field skills... Are you so convinced that every single one of our former players now in the coaching ranks are so horrifically awful that they wouldn't be an upgrade to what we casted off these last few weeks? I guess SD didn't improve on D w/ Rivera there. Neither did SF win any games once Singletary was give the HC nod. Looks like Frazier's Minny D was just putrid... C'mon. If I didn't see some success from our former players in the coaching ranks, I'd say you may have a point. But reality proves otherwise. I'd rather give a former Bear a chance than a Smith crony like Babich... Marinelli at least has proven himself in TB... I can't say that about many other of our superb positional hires...

Darn fat fingers! Glad I could entertain once more!

Thanks! Happy to ass some laughs!

For s's and gigles...I emailed this on 12/7/07 to some fellow Bears fans/friends... I hope all the pictures come through... ************************************** Please BEAR with me as I need to vent... THIS TEAM IS PATHETIC! THE OWNERSHIP IS PATHETIC! THE MANAGEMENT IS PATHETIC! THE COACHING STAFF IS PATHETIC! THE PLAYERS ARE PATHETIC! There is no heart, no soul. Only the cashing of paychecks and the crushing of fans' hopes. Until further notice, I will not attend a game the Bears play, in Chicago or elsewhere until I see a coaching change. Let's see, we have Life-Support-Lovie as head coach... ...who can't make halftime adjustments, judge player talent, make correct calls, or get his team motivated. Sounds a lot like... Jauron-a-matron! ...and great D coordinator, ..but, shoddy head coach, Wanny! I mean, the guy couldn't even grow a moustache right! Then, we get the hand-picked Lovie choice of Ron Turner for offensive coordinator.... Who knows less than a 10 year old with Madden '06 experience. And oddly sounds a lot like... The immortal Shoop-n-poop! Then, Life-Support-Lovie fires the only decent coach on his staff that actually made the defense last year any good... ...'85 Bear, Chico Rivera! ...and in his place, we get Lovie's good buddy... Dave Ba-Bitch! Deer in headlights anyone? Uh, there are other schemes than the cover 2 nimrod. It's NOT WORKING! So, thanks to this top flight coaching staff, we have some great starters out there giving it 12% of their all... We start with our #1 guy! Sexy Wrexy! Dude can't put 2 good games together if his life depended on it. Although, he can put about 3 games together where he throws numerous picks and fumbles the ball like a 3 year old school girl. Kind of reminds me of... Handicapped placard carrying, Cade McClown! another banner draft pick by the Bears' (lack of) brain trust... At least... ...Crystal Chandelier gave us a fighting chance when he was going against Shoop's play calling and not sitting in the hospital. (Was that like 2 games?) So, you'd think the Bears would have a running game? But NO!!!!!!!!!! We get Cedric Bustson. His monstrous yards-per-carry seems to remind me of... ...the ever-so productive, Curtis Enis! Good goin' Bears! You're batting a 1000! And just in case you weren't sure of the perfection... Rashaan Salaam makes sure the perfect trifecta of ineptness is complete! So, what to do? Please oh please oh please, come home! We promise we'll treat you better than Wrex or the Philly fans! And while we're at it, could we get a GOOD Turner back into town please? So, please Bears... GET YOUR FREAKIN' ACT TOGETHER! RESTORE THE ROAR! FIND A PAIR! http://www.threesources.com/archives/ditka-08.jpg We fans are waiting... BEAR DOWN!

Definitley not! I know where you stand on that! I was just hi-liting that point basically! The grass is always greenr basically... ...and I agree. If we can't develop guys, why draft a WR. As much as it pains me, at least if we go D...there's a better shot at success with the pick. But, on the otherhand, we could draft O, and then watch a new regime change that could indeed groom that pick.

Good point... There needs to be some sign of legit assessment of our benched WR's. I mean, Bennet wasn't a low pick. He was fairly high, and should have seen the field a few more times. Especially in games that were blowouts... I just keep coming back to the point that our staff cannot seem to develop players. Or maybe even assess their skills. The running game and TE's appear fine, but anything involving the deeper passing game just looks like an unsolved mystery to our staff. If we were better at this, I'd be more comfortable saying the we, as fans, tend to like the guy on the bench! But, there are real questions to whether this staff can regognize talent on the bench...

It's all relative, but it is a problem. Temas that win Super Bowls tend to be excellent either passing, running or on D. And the other 2 elements usually are good to very good. Never lousy. Last year, Giants had an excellent D, very good RB, very good passing game. I don't think our passing game is anything by average. We need to get good. That, I believe, requires a good legit WR threat. If we continue to relay on short passes to the RB and TE, we are not good. We are treading water. We still need to stretch the field. Otherwise, teams will stack the box. Wheter it's done 4 times a game or 10, we can debate. But we must go deep to keep D's honest. I think that requires some legit WR's. Not the crop we have now. One legit guy will make a difference. Whether it's a Holt, a TJ,etc... But we need a veteran that can move chains. let Hester run long, and throw underneath to the legit guy.

If so, I've gained alot more respect for Al!

...and so is Imren. http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=267069 Old No. 46 just another sad reminder By Mike Imrem Everything bothers me about the Bears these days. They're like the brother-in-law you love because you're stuck with him, but everything about him drives you crazy. My latest discomfort with the Bears came in the form of something that around the NFL was just another team hiring another assistant coach. Around my breakfast table it was a bowl of yuck: Doug Plank is joining the New York Jets' coaching staff. Plank played safety under former Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, father of new Jets head coach Rex Ryan. The legacy of the Bears' famed and feared "46" defense is alive. Buddy Ryan developed it and named it for Plank's uniform number. Rex Ryan's defense technically isn't the 46 but does reflect some of its elements - most of all a nasty attitude. The Plank news reminds me a little of covering a White Sox game in what then was the Texas Rangers' new ballpark. The place incorporated features of many old baseball parks and had more of the old Comiskey Park than the new Comiskey Park had. Now the Jets' defense will feature more Bears tradition than the current Bears defense features. Sorry, but it always struck me as unfortunate that the Cover-2 defense employed by Bears head coach Lovie Smith is more Tampa than Chicago. Graduates of the 46 are coaching all over the NFL - head coaches Ryan, Jeff Fisher and Mike Singletary among them, along with assistants like Plank and Ron Rivera. Yet Smith digs the Bears deeper down the Cover-2 hole by hiring fellow Tampa alum Rod Marinelli as an assistant. Listen, none of this means the Cover-2 can't be as effective as the 46. The Bears reached Super Bowl XLI playing it, and the Colts beat them there playing it. Meanwhile, the Bears won Super Bowl XX with the 46 but also had losing seasons with it. Plank played on some of those losing teams and was gone by the time the Bears won the Super Bowl. Anyway, my objections concern style more than substance. It's about what feels right and what feels wrong. When the Cover-2 succeeds, I tolerate it rather than celebrate it. When it fails, I condemn it rather than defend it. What felt right was Buddy's boys trying to destroy opposing offenses, even when the personnel wasn't good enough to win many games. Plank symbolized the 46's approach by being one of the hardest-hitting safeties ever. A Bears defense should be all about attacking offenses, pressuring quarterbacks, terrorizing ballcarriers? Win or lose - yes, quite often lose - the Bears were monsters. That doesn't seem to be the current defense's identity. The Cover-2 or Tampa-2 or whatever is characterized as something that Bears history dismisses with disdain - bend but don't break. Smith does preach forcing turnovers, but Bears football should force fumbles behind the line of scrimmage rather than 20 yards downfield. Please, give me the 46 with a touch of Cover-2 instead of the Cover-2 with a touch of 46. Seriously, the Jets' style will look more like the Bears' should look than the Bears do look, just as the Ravens' did while Rex Ryan was their defensive coordinator. So around here Doug Plank won't be just another assistant coach with the Jets. He will be a bothersome reminder of how the Bears should play defense.

What's the solution though?

Swell... Here we go again...

Classic!

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=5548 NORTHBROOK, Ill. – Thanks in part to two Bears players, U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan will enjoy a special meal while watching the Super Bowl a week from Sunday. Punter Brad Maynard and running back Adrian Peterson helped load 2,000 Lou Malnati’s pizzas onto trucks Friday at Lou Malnati’s corporate office in Northbrook. The pizzas will be shipped by DHL to troops in the Middle East through the Pizzas 4 Patriots organization. Brad Maynard and Adrian Peterson pose with soldier Jeff Palenske and retired Air Force Sgt. Mark Evans Friday afternoon at Lou Malnati's in Northbrook. “When I got the call, I didn’t hesitate,” Maynard said. “For everything they’re doing over there for us, it pales in comparison. This is the least I could do for them.” Pizzas 4 Patriots was created by retired Air Force Sgt. Mark Evans, who acted on his teenage son’s idea to send thousands of pizzas to U.S. soldiers. The organization first delivered pizzas to the troops six months ago in time for Fourth of July celebrations. Pizza 4 Patriots buys the pizzas at below cost from Lou Malnati’s, and they're packed in temperature-controlled containers. The shipping is donated by DHL, which flies directly to several U.S. bases in Iraq. “As a retired member of the military, I appreciate the support of the local community, Lou Malnati’s and DHL helping bring reminders of home to our U.S. troops stationed thousands of miles away,” Evans said. “The reactions we have received by families, friends of the military and the troops themselves about this initiative have been heartwarming.” On the Pizzas 4 Patriots web site, a soldier stationed in Baghdad wrote, “I was here over the 4th of July when you sent us pizza! It was incredible! It was so great to get a taste of home! Thank you so very much! I will never forget it! Another soldier who hails from Chicago wrote, “I just want to say you made my year … I couldn’t believe it that anybody would even care to do something like that … I shed tears of joy. You made this Chicago boy’s day, and I don’t think it can be topped, until I go home.” Pizzas 4 Patriots is a non-profit organization with the mission of making a positive difference in the lives of service men and women. Their goal is to provide our Armed Forces with gifts from home through financial donations and product and service donations from organizations. Pizzas 4 Patriots strives to make the soldiers feel they are remembered and appreciated by the country and residents who enjoy the freedoms they help provide.

Guilty as charged! I follow. I think both are not living up to their billing basically. However, I'm a bit willing to let Harris slide a tad due to known injury issues. However, if we see more of the same, those injury issues then really become too much part of the landscape. I've been disappointed with Ogun from pretty much the get go. He's not a fialure...just not everything he was billed to be.