One of the core principles of Matt Eberflus’ H.I.T.S credo is players being smart. While that primarily means on the field, it also extends to off the field as well. Nothing can derail the success of a football team faster than players making poor decisions in their private time. The Chicago Bears have been burned by this in the past, as have most other NFL teams. Now there is a new epidemic sweeping the league—that of sports gambling. The league has established several new rules in the digital age for players and coaches. Any violation can lead to harsh punishments.
Teams are already finding that out. Five players, including prominent Detroit Lions receiver Jameson Williams, were suspended for several games this upcoming season. Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers is under investigation, and there are whispers more names could surface in the coming weeks. This would explain why Eberflus has been working hard to educate his players on the more subtle details of the no-gambling policy, according to Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune.
Eberflus said the Bears went over league rules about gambling the day after the first incident and will have an NFL group come in to talk about it again next week during minicamp.
“It’s hard to navigate because it’s hard to control other people’s actions,” Eberflus said. “But all you can do is educate and tell them the appropriate actions they can do with certain things.”
Matt Eberflus never skips the details.
One must say that for the Bears’ head coach. He doesn’t cut corners. Everything small thing can have a massive impact if you let it get out of control. The Lions may find that out the hard way. While his educational approach may not be enough to prevent one or two players from making a mistake, nobody can say he didn’t do enough. The guy recognized a threat to his team and immediately took steps to protect it. That is what the best head coaches in the business do.
Say one thing. The Bears will be prepared this season. Matt Eberflus is arming them with all the necessary knowledge to be successful on and off the field. It’s up to them to listen and take those lessons to heart. If they still manage to screw up after being warned multiple times, that is on them. Then again, maturity has been a key focus of the team’s evaluation process. So it’s safe to assume there won’t be too many incidents.
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