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Dolphins, Bears eerily similar football operations
Written by Brett Solesky   
Wednesday, 13 January 2010 22:54

Lately there's been a lot of anger, a lot of vitriol language directed at the Chicago Bears' organization.  Rightfully so the Bears just missed the playoffs for the third year in a row after making it the Super Bowl in 2006.   Unacceptable given the history and tradition and the talent on this roster, they should be in the playoffs nearly every year instead of fighting to make it in.

However after Lovie Smith was kept on as the Chicago Bears' head coach and the Bears fired Ron Turner and decided they would officially add a defensive coordinator, it became time to quit whining about Smith not being fired and find out what could be done to  move this team forward.  

Officially it's about who the Chicago Bears hire next for the most important positions on the staff after the head coach.   Offensive coordinator is likely the most important hire the Bears will make, not for the sake of the win loss record but for the sake of Jay Cutler.  Cutler's development is imperative to the future success of this franchise and the Bears need to find someone who is capable of maximizing Cutler's talents.

Now with all that said there has been a lot of anger and frustration barely 10 days into the search for these new coaches by both fans and media alike.  The Bears are taking a beating in the media and in Chicago for a few different scenarios.

The first scenario, Lovie Smith interviewing a former assistant of his that's steeped in the knowledge and loyalty of of the one gap defensive scheme the Bears run

in addition to the Cover-2 shell they run.  Perry Fewell is the first and could be the last interview the Bears line up for the coordinator spot.  Fewell has worked with Lovie before and runs the same scheme and is versed in the same scheme that Lovie is versed in.

For that Lov

ie

Smith has been mercilessly ripped on and basically called incompetent.  I've even read so far that the Bears' situation is now as bad as going to coach the Raiders in Oakland, which couldn't be further from the truth.

The second aspect that Lovie is taking a beating for is targeting up and comers for his offensive coordinator position, guys that are QB coaches that perhaps haven't be

en OCs in the league before.  Jeremy Bates, and Ken Zampese fall into that category, only Zampese has earned an interview after Bates decided to remain with Pete Carroll in Seattle.

Zampese comes highly recommended from Mike Martz and other coaches throughout the league, although Lovie would trust Martz's judgment based on their time together in St. Louis.  However the chorus of groans go up in Chicago regarding Zampese because as some fans have put it "why would a guy with no play-calling experience in his career and only the reputation of a good quarterbacks coach be the guy the Bears should hire.

This is all fair judgment and assessments to make, mind you I recognize this however there seems to be a complete double standard of anger directed at Angelo and Smith.  They are considered incompetent for these type of interviews and decisions, yet all around the NFL this type of coaching interviewing and hiring is happening.

Take for example in Miami right now with the following scenario:

Keith Butler who has been with the Steelers for a number of years but has never been a DC in the NFL is being interviewed by the Dolphins for their open vacancy on their defensive staff....aka the defensive coordinator. A football guy (Bill Parcells) has hired a trusted confidant to be the coach of the Dolphins (because they have ties together from a previous team) and now that coach is interviewing an up and coming position coach to possibly be the next DC for the Dolphins.

What is the relevance to the Chicago Bears? Simple what the Bears are doing now is pretty standard practice throughout the NFL, all the way down the line.

Parcells hired someone Sparano to coach the Dolphins because Sporano was Parcell's O-Line coach in Dallas. Since it's Bill Parcells and he's

considered such a genius football man I figured I'd share the scenario that they have going on in Miami which is nearly identical to the situation we have here in Chicago.....buddies hiring buddies, the good old boy coaches network, working in full effect and the Dolphins potentially hiring a guy who has no DC experience.

This playing out in Miami is really no different than what is going on in Chicago with Zampese on offense.  Zampese has earned his stripes over the years in the league, most notably for tutoring Carson Palmer throughout his entire career.

Same for Keith Butler a long time LBs coach for the Steelers he is now a candidate for the DC position in Miami.

The only difference is Bears fans, and the media won't lob any insults or venom towards the Dolphins because everyone trusts the ju

dgment of Bill Parcells.  Even though Parcells' success all came in New York with the Giants, and has only been back to the Super Bowl one time since in a losing cause with the Patriots, everyone trusts his football judgment.

No red flags, no criticism that the Dolphins are desperate to find a replacement, no talk of the Dolphins scraping the bottom of the barrel, to make their hire.

However the Bears don't share the same support or trust in judgment.  Yes perhaps it is fair to make a harsh judgment against the Bears for the way they have gone about their business and their lack of success.

But there should be a measured approach to the level of criticism they face, and double standards should be recognized and pointed out when they exist.

For the Bears there will be more opportunities to level negative words and judgment for the mistakes they make or moves they don't make.  For now let's see what happens and then pass judgment on who the Bears actually DO hire.

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