Us and pretty much everyone we’ve ever met has been calling for Ron Turner’s head for years. Then as soon as Babich started sucking there was also a call to get rid of him up in the cheap seats, and Lovie’s stock has been on the decline since 2006. As far as Angelo, he has been class clown forever (although it is NICE to see the Bears open the checkbook!).
The media, however, has just given them a free ride all along until the very end when Turner’s fate became clear (as the sacrificial lamb for Lovie). That’s some crappy journalism.
A recent Chicago Tribune article is titled “Bears Fulfill most of their Free Agent Wish List in 1 Day“:
Angelo and Smith are empowered and confident moving into 2010 after 3 seasons of missing the playoffs. Why not? Smith has the defensive coordinator he sought in 2004 with Rod Marinelli and an offensive coordinator capable of putting 30 points on the scoreboard every week.
The reason that this quote makes steam come out of my ears is that Lovie and Angelo should have done this YEARS ago. Everyone said Babich stunk, so why didn’t they do anything? And wasn’t Ron Turner an offensive coordinator capable of putting 30 points on the board in Lovie and the press’ mind for years? Why didn’t they scream about this years ago and save us all this trouble?!??
Now the news media are on the band wagon that Turner sucked all those years – but they joined the bandwagon in the last 2 minutes of the game, instead of half way through the first quarter when we noted that he SUCKED. It is unclear to me what these journalists think their job is – Dan figures that they just say good things about the coach to get inside access, and Dan is usually right, but what the hell is that worth, anyways. Remember the STUUUPID articles about how Turner was going to “save” Cutler with his awesome advice? I do. I fail to remember articles back years ago that consistently skewered Lovie, Turner and Babich like they deserved. And that contributed mightily to the three lost years with no playoffs and certainly contributed to the 2006 Super Bowl loss when the offense just fell apart there towards the back half of the season.
Like the French Resistance, everyone was a collaborator until the day the Allies arrived, and then everyone all the sudden told stories of their bravery under occupation. NOT TRUE!
