WILL LOVIE GET THE AXE FOR FAILURE ?

I’ve heard a couple of comments/rumors that said if the Bears faltered again this year, let’s say 6-10 or worse, that Lovie Smith may be put on the chopping block? Can you see the Bears doing this if the Bears fall into another disappointing year?

Also- who would you put the blame on more: Turner? Angelo? Other?

I can’t see the Bears doing worse than they did last year. With a healthy Defense we should pick up an additional win or two by itself. So this is a major "what if" scenario in my eyes.

I would have to say NO... IF they go 6-10 that tells me we have some injuries yet again and with Lovie getting the big contract last year, and the superbowl apearance that bought him at least 3 years (last year counting as one)

Tuner I believe has gotten a bad rap... when he has had the same qb all season, a healthy run game and Oline he had a top scoring O and a superbowl trip as well. Turner is a good OC...I know that's hard for some of you to hear, but I think last year was a product of a bad OLine and sluggish Cedric Benson. As fans we don't know if he had the perfect call on when Fred Miller jumped offsides or was called for holding. or if Benson hadn't missed a blitz pick-up could have been a big play. (and we all know that kind of stuff happened WAY to much last year) And little things that I think wil happen this year, that makes a OC look much better- like a RB taking a swing pass for 15 yards on 2nd down, or a second effort run that gains 7 instead of 3... that kind of stuff just didn't happen last year.

Angelo- After having some time to digest this draft, I think we all are much more please then on draft day...and for the fact that ALL but one pick is already signed is GREAT news.

I don't see how this team can be worse then last year... addition by subtraction alone we improved...Griese, Moose, Benson, Archeletta ALL gone and a healthy Mike Brown, Dusty, Ulacher, and resigned happy Lance Briggs, and Alex Brown back starting and Mark Anderson as pass rush specialist - makes the D all that much better. On O, there is still a question on the OL but Tait moved to the right side and a hungery rookie running back...all good things. I see 10-6. And can't wait to get this thing started! Go Bears!!

The question that has to be asked is can Ted Phillips survive the eating of either Smith's or Angelo's extensions with the Halas/McCaskey family?  In '07, Smith was extended through 2011 and Angelo 2013.

I don't know what Angelo or the average GM makes, but it is probably less than head coaches.  While player salaries are not guaranteed, coaches and administrative salaries are.

Let's just take the $15M that would be remaining on Lovie Smith's contract.  That is not the kind of mistake that the 22 or so members of the Halas/McCaskey clan likes to hear.  Even with another year out of the playoffs, Smith is probably good until the after the 2010 season when the price of firing him is only the $5M remaining. 

This goes back to the 70's, so bear with me for a minute.  When Phillip K, Wrigley died, his estate was poorly planned and his son, William, had to sell the Cubs to TribCo so the estate could pay the inheritance taxes.  Papa Bear, seeing this, went to his lawyers and was told how to defeat the inheritance tax if he were to die.  Keep in mind, the Bears were the family business.  Unlike all the other NFL owners who got were born wealthy or earned a fortune in business, Papa Bear founded the Bears and helped grow the NFL.  But, his family possessed no other wealth.  When he died, his heirs would have been in the same position as the Wrigleys.   So, the estate planners told him to put all his Bears stock into trust and name his 20 grandchildren, his son Mugsy, and his daughter Virginia as beneficiaries.  So, when he died, there really was no inheritance as the stock was owned by the trust for legal puposes.  No inheritance, not tax.  But, the offshoot of this while the Bears do have a board of directors and some stock (about 10%) is not owned by Halas heirs, Virginia and her idiot son Michael, who is board chair, face the pressure from these various family members to deliver some real profit over and above keeping the franchise valuable.  Otherwise, you will have them pressuring to turn stock into real money.  This probably will never happen while Virginia McCaskey is alive.  Michael, as the eldest Grandchild, may feel the same way.  Just remember that Ted Phillips, Virginia's handpicked replacement for her idiot son, is reponsible for two things:  Keeping the franchise value up and keeping the non-player costs controlled.  Eating dead salary from fired coaches and front office types is not how you do that.   

Angelo may be ready to fire Lovie if that type of season  were to happen. But, when he runs that past Phillips, he is politely told that he and Lovie have another season or two to turn it around.  In other words, Jerry, if this does not get turned around, Lovie Smith is the last coach you will hire for the Bears as both of you will walk that plank together as soon as the number is small enough for me to fire you both without losing my job. 

Phillips is probably safe as long as Virginia McCaskey is among the living.  This is why everyone raised their eyebrows whe Phillips gave Angelo until   2013 on his extension and Angelo gave Lovie til 2011 on his.  The lengths of rhses extension went beyond awarding them for the SB appearance.  It pretty much married this team to that tandem for rest of the decade, regardless of the record.