Lovie Smith is a Good NFL Head Coach

The Bears are who we thought they were! ~ Dennis Green

The Bears defeated the Miami Dolphins 16-0 to improve to 7-3 this season. Which brings up the question of Lovie Smith's coaching ability. Lovie is not liked very much in Chicago. I tend to get exasperated at some of his coaching habits which seem to be mistakes to me. His challenge technique is poor and his record in them supports that conclusion. Additionally, he's lost several games (including one playoff game and nearly another) by his seeming inability to adjust his defensive schemes. But!!!

But, the Bears are in first place this year after 10 games and his record overall is very good. And during his tenure the Bears made their second Super Bowl appearance and, although they lost, it was to the favored Indianapolis Colts. Lovie has never lost a clubhouse or had his players turn on him.

Brian Urlacher, who predates Lovie Smith and is the best Bears player of the last 10 years and a borderline Hall of Famer, when asked about the negative coverage of Lovie by Marshall Faulk after the win said, "I don't understand it, man. I love Coach Smith. I think the problem is the media doesn't like him. He doesn't tell them what they want to hear. He doesn't sell players out on the field to the media."

Urlacher may be correct about the Media's dislike for Lovie, several 670 The Score radio personalities do not hide their desire for Lovie to be fired. And many sports fans in Chicago call up The Score and complain, 'Lovie isn't fired up on the sideline', that Lovie doesn't have 'The Fire and The Passion' to coach. While a rabid sideline demeanor is not a quality of a good coach, playoff appearances and victories are a good barometer. Following the Super Bowl Loss the Bears have failed to make the playoffs in last 3 seasons. So, during this last offseason the Bears picked up Julius Peppers, the best defensive end the team has had since Richard Dent, and Chester Taylor to guard against the possibility that Matt Forte is an average running back. The Bears are not blessed with unbelievable talent.

And that brings up the best argument for Lovie's status as good NFL coach. During his tenure Jerry Angelo has been a failure in talent evaluation and drafting. And has routinely left the Bears with deficiencies at key positions.

Jerry Angelo has a terrible record at drafting in the first round. Angelo has neglected to draft an offensive lineman in the early rounds since his failure with Marc Columbo and has not taken an offensive player of significance outside the aforementioned Matt Forte. The Bears best offensive player QB Jay Cutler was acquired via an expensive trade.

What Angelo has succeed in is drafting pro-bowl caliber defensive players, with Lance Briggs being a longshot Hall of Famer, and the gamble on Devin Hester.

Devin Hester is the best punt/kick returner to ever step onto a pro football field. His presence alone has been worth 3-4 wins a year since 2006.

And here is the problem, Lovie Smith has been saddled with a preponderance of average to below average players (by NFL standards) and has succeeded in squeezing the most out of those players and Jerry Angelo is very good at seeing raw, unrefined talent but fails at the task of selecting bona fide #1s. And Hester's play has covered up the egregious errors by Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo.

Which leaves the Bears were they have been for the past 3 seasons. Around the middle of the league. But, this season's not over and as the wins pile up, it's becoming harder and harder to justify the hatred of Lovie Smith who is a good NFL Coach.

Poles in the Air

Na Zdrowie!

I've seen many and know about a few other Polish wedding traditions, but I've never heard of the one in which the groom is thrown into the air to land on his head.

The groom's sister-in-law told Niles police that friends were throwing the man up in the air as part of a "traditional dance" when they failed to catch him, causing him to fall to the ground. The incident reportedly occurred during an Oct. 9 reception at White Eagle Banquets, 6839 N. Milwaukee.

While I can't speak to the authenticity of the fling him around till he's injured I can attest to the quality of the food at The White Eagle in Niles. So, if you chance to be driving on Milwaukee Ave stop and sample the classic Polish Cuisine.

Republican Fire and Passion

"You're the same guy who wrote about me when I did have the fire. How it was the wrong thing to do. So Who You Crappin'?" ~ Mike Ditka to Terry Boers

Dan Bernstein of 670 The Score often decries the Meatballs Bears fans who call in and denounce Lovie Smith for his calm demeanor on the sidelines...

The Meatball Bears Fans demand Smith be more demonstrative and show what Bernstein has sardonically dubbed The Fire and The Passion whilst coaching Da Bears.

Because some Bears fans conflate unhinged emotional temper tantrums with good leadership.

Well, isn't it appropriate the Fetid Punk Ass Bitch Republicans wring their hands and demand Obama show more emotion when talking about the War on Terra and the Radicalized Islamists! Here's Ron Christie, VP Dick Handler, on the Chris Matthews show lamenting that President Obama is acting like Doctor Spock and not running around shooting guys in the face... (From the always excellent Crooks and Liars Video Page.)

Punk Ass Bitch Republicans are Meatballs, dumb twits who mistake emotion for reason. And who, in not using their higher brain functions, equate fearmongering and lying with good leadership.