Thursday, April 2, 2026
✶ Untold Chicago Stories ✶ Amazon Music
Home Blog Page 2879

This New NFL Rule Change Is Going To Make Bears Fans Furious

By
Erik Lambert
-
zach miller

One of the most laughable debates that continue to be a thing is the NFL rule changes regarding what is or is not a catch. It seems like every year the league finds a new way to overcomplicate the matter, and when something happens on the field that doesn’t fall under their ridiculous guidelines, it makes matters even worse. Chicago Bears fans had to witness it first hand when the head of officiating Al Riveron drew all sorts of hate for his incredible overturning of the Zach Miller touchdown catch against New Orleans.

Everybody remembers by now. Miller hauled in a Mitch Trubisky bomb with one hand and appeared to possess it all the way to the ground. Meanwhile, his left knee was in the process of bending like a pretzel, forcing gag reflexes to go off nation-wide. Everybody in the building thought it was a touchdown. Then the review came back it had been overturned.

When Riveron tried to explain with a video replay, his explanation came off as brief and more than a little weak. Yet that’s not the best part. After the fact when it no longer matters, the NFL decided to make changes to the rule again. Riveron, of all people, has since admitted that the new changes would’ve made the Miller play a touchdown.

NFL rule change is little comfort to Zach Miller

This definitely goes under the title of “Too Little, Too Late. Rather than simply admit the new rule would’ve given Miller what everybody on the planet except the league office knew he had, they could’ve just changed the record book. The Saints would still be winners of the game but Miller would’ve at least have what is likely the last play of his career be a circus touchdown catch.

This admission simply empty noise at the end of the day. A reactionary response to a rule that was and remains broken. The NFL may think the problem is solved but soon enough some other player will have a catch robbed from him by the rule and thus more changes will come. It might’ve been better to just stay silent on the subject.

Opposing GM Admits Mitch Trubisky Breakout Likely Coming

By
Erik Lambert
-
chicago bears

Experts are still reluctant to buy into Mitch Trubisky just yet. They’re leaning on what they saw in 2017 as an indication he’s still not there. That’s understandable. Throwing seven touchdowns and seven interceptions are classic rookie numbers. However, Chicago Bears experts have continued to argue that he had zero favorable circumstances to help him.

People lauded Deshaun Watson for his epic early run prior to his knee injury during which he threw 19 touchdown passes. That was excellent production, but he also had lots of help. He had a superstar receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, another former first round pick in Will Fuller, and of course, Bill O’Brien running the offense, one of the top minds in the business.

Trubisky had Dowell Loggains running the offense with Kendall Wright and Dontrelle Inman as his two primary receivers. So yeah, why wasn’t he better? That was sarcasm. People begged to look at him within the context of the assets he had. In truth, he played well. Now the Bears have completely overhauled the structure surrounding him, and others around the league are impressed.

GM believes new system and weapons signal big 2018 for Mitch Trubisky

Brad Biggs was discussing the contract situations of the NFC North quarterbacks and how it’s absolutely crucial for the Bears to take advantage of Trubisky’s window of being on a cheap rookie deal while they can. That is why they were so aggressive in overhauling both the coaching staff and wide receiving corp in the past few months. The work they’ve done has even other teams thinking Trubisky is poised for a big year.

‘They’re sparing no expense in giving Trubisky every chance to succeed, and the evolution of the offense under Nagy will be an intriguing story, one other teams already are watching.

“I think he just might be really good,” an NFC general manager said Saturday night from the owners meeting. “I like what they’ve done around him too.”’

It started with the arrival of Matt Nagy as head coach. He did excellent work in Kansas City as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, helping Alex Smith reach four Pro Bowls. He’s also a former quarterback who played at Delaware and spent years in the Arena League. He got his NFL education from one of the best in the business in longtime head coach Andy Reid. The qualifications are exceptional.

Now throw in a former Pro Bowl receiver in Allen Robinson, a speed threat in Taylor Gabriel, a versatile tight end in Trey Burton and the return of Cameron Meredith? This offense is looking like night and day from last year. All the Bears have to do is keep Trubisky on his feet and it seems like it’s a foregone conclusion he’ll make a huge jump in Year 2.

Matt Nagy Prevented The Bears’ Worst Nightmare From Coming True

By
Erik Lambert
-
matt nagy
Credit: USA Today

For years the Green Bay Packers have always been the more attractive destination for players to go. The reasoning is obvious enough. They’ve had so much success over the past three decades and employ arguably the best quarterback in the NFL. The Chicago Bears have constantly lagged behind, doing everything they can to keep up. Why would 2018 prove to be any different? Well, Matt Nagy provided the proof.

Many considered former Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson one of the two or three best free agents available on the market. Players of his talent caliber just don’t become available too often. Being able to score the 24-year old and pair him with Mitch Trubisky would’ve been a dream come true. However, the competition was going to be fierce.

Several suitors courted Robinson from the moment the negotiating window opened. There was no telling which direction things might turn. GM Ryan Pace had a reputation for losing out on big free agents before. This was a race he could not afford to flub. People don’t realize how close it came to the absolute nightmare scenario happening before his new head coach saved the day.

Matt Nagy stopped the Packers from luring Allen Robinson to Green Bay

Robinson spoke with Mike Kaye of First Coast News on his free agent journey. He explained how the negotiating process went. There were some heavy offers elsewhere but the two teams that became his finalists were the Bears……and the Packers. Indeed Green Bay made a late push to lure him north and seemed to almost succeed. So how did Chicago prevent such a calamity?

“He garnered early interest from the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns, two teams with enormous amounts of cap space. The Green Bay Packers also entered a bidding war for Robinson’s services.

In the end, it came down to the Packers and the Bears. Robinson chose the Windy City.

“With all things being equal, Chicago was a place I had my eyes on from a football standpoint,” Robinson said during a phone conversation with First Coast News.

“It’s a spot with a lot of benefits as far as it being close to home. The close-to-home thing was a very minimal factor but it was still a factor.”

Along with the geographical benefits of playing near his hometown of Detroit, Michigan, Robinson’s interest in Chicago was heightened by the hiring of new head coach Matt Nagy.”

The Nagy effect

Multiple reports over the past few weeks have indicated Nagy is a huge part of the Bears negotiating tactics. Sources informed me that he was a giant focal point to why the team was able to retain defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who in turn was a big reason cornerback Kyle Fuller preferred to stay in Chicago. If one is keeping track that makes three consecutive times the Packers have tried to swipe a coveted Bears target and each time those targets chose to stay in Chicago.

Nagy is at the center of that, perhaps signaling that Pace made a wise decision making him the new head coach. No doubt Robinson is eager to see what he can do in that aggressive offensive system he’s putting together. Bears fans can just be thankful they don’t have to watch the receiver catch touchdowns from Aaron Rodgers at Soldier Field every year.

REPORT: Former White Sox Player, Longtime Jackass Albert Belle, Arrested During Spring Training Game

By
Aldo Soto
-

I saw a guy getting plastered during Saturday’s spring training game at Sloan Park, but it turns out that former Chicago White Sox player Albert Belle beat that particular individual out for drunkest person in Arizona over the weekend.

According to a report, Belle was arrested during a spring training game in Scottsdale and is facing multiple counts, including two of indecent exposure.

Matt Rodewald reported the details.

Rodewald clarified in a later tweet that he meant a BAC of .15 or more on the count of the extreme DUI.

As Chris Rongey pointed out, we need some serious answers about the two counts of indecent exposure.

Belle, 51, retired after the 2000 season, ending his 12-year MLB career that included some controversy and overall hate for him by the media, fans and fellow players. As much of a jerk as he was, hopefully he gets the help he needs. Back in 1990, Belle received treatment for alcohol abuse.

Via the NY Daily News.

He was booked into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office jail, whose jurisidiction covers the San Francisco Giants’ training hub in Scottsdale.

After eight years with the Cleveland Indians to begin his career, Belle signed a five-year, $55 million deal with the White Sox. At the time, that made him the highest paid player in MLB. However, after only two seasons in Chicago, Belle got out of his contract and signed with the Baltimore Orioles.

One of Belle’s controversies during his career happened against the White Sox at the old Comiskey Park, where he was caught using a corked bat in 1994. He served a seven-game suspension that was originally for 10 games. If you’re too young, or have never heard of the story, here’s how wild it was, including an investigation by the FBI, after the Indians stole the corked bat and tried to replace it with a normal one.

The Indians, knowing the bat was indeed corked, dispatched relief pitcher Jason Grimsley to retrieve the bat. Grimsley took a bat belonging to Indians player Paul Sorrento and accessed the area above the false ceiling in the clubhouse and crawled across with a flashlight in his mouth until he reached the umpires’ room. He switched Belle’s bat with Sorrento’s and returned to the clubhouse.[2] During the sixth inning, the umpires’ custodian noticed clumps of ceiling tile on the floor of the umpire’s room, plus twisted metal brackets in the ceiling. After the game, Phillips noticed the bats were different when he saw that the replacement bat was not as shiny and also was stamped with Sorrento’s signature. The Chicago police were called and the White Sox threatened charges against the burglar. An investigation that Saturday was carried out by a former FBI agent flown in by MLB.[3]The equipment room was dusted for fingerprints and the path the burglar took was discovered.

Jason Grimsley, eventually came clean and admitted to everything in 1999, saying he had to use Paul Sorrento’s bat because all of Belle’s were corked. Omar Vizquel also said all of Belle’s bats were corked in his 2002 book.

Another infamous moment from Belle’s career was in 1996, when he broke Fernando Vina’s nose.

Albert Belle, one of the all-time bad guys from baseball.

Blackhawks Ink Top Prospect Dylan Sikura

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
-

The Blackhawks signed one of their top prospects in Dylan Sikura today. There was some speculation that the Hobey Baker finalist may take a look around the league for other offers a la Kevin hayes. That was not the case as Sikura inked a two-year deal today to run through 2018-2019.

He will join the team immediately and wear number 95 for the Blackhawks. In case you forgot what their jerseys look like, you can see a mock up of his new jersey below.

Sikura was originally drafted in the sixth round (178th) of the 2014 NHL draft. In this his final college season with Northeastern University, he netted a career high 22 goals and 32 assists for the third highest point total in the NCAA.

He improved throughout each of his NCAA seasons and last summer Sikura impressed the Blackhawks brass and fans at rookie camp. He had a much better showing than soon to be teammate Alex Debrincat and we all know how good he’s been with Blackhawks this season.

There are high expectations for Sikura and he may be a key piece to the revitalization of the Blackhawks next season.

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings. 

Could The Bears Be Looking At Yet Another Georgia Pass-Rusher?

By
Kyle Yates
-

Arguably, at this point, the Bears biggest need is pass-rusher. Ryan Pace did a great job addressing the need for Wide Receiver in Free Agency by grabbing guys like Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel. The mission was clear, give Mitchell Trubisky weapons going into Year 2.

Before Free Agency even began though, Pace wanted to rid the roster of players that were on the wrong side of 30 and had injury-riddled careers. This meant saying goodbye to players like Pernell McPhee and Willie Young. Two extremely talented pass-rushers when they’re on the field…but, struggled to avoid the injury bug during the tenure in Chicago.

This created a gaping hole in the Outside Linebacker position across from Leonard Floyd. Signing Aaron Lynch to a one year deal is not the solution. He’s a solid signing, having flashed extreme upside with Vic Fangio before, but he doesn’t solve the issue of needing pass-rushers. As Philadelphia showed, you can never have too many players who can get after the Quarterback.

If the Bears don’t address the Edge position in the first round of the draft, there’s a possibility that a steal might be waiting for them in Round 2. And he should look eerily familiar to Bears fans…

Lorenzo Carter is an Outside Linebacker coming out of Georgia. He stands 6’6”, weighs 250 pounds, 34” arms and a 82-inch wingspan. He ran a 4.50 40-yard dash (2nd among edge rushers), had a 36” vertical jump (3rd among edge rushers) and had a 130-inch broad jump (1st among edge rushers). Insane numbers for someone of his size.

Why does this all sound familiar?

Leonard Floyd came out of Georgia, was 6’6” coming out, weighed 244 pounds and had a 33 1/8” arm length. He ran a 4.60 40-yard dash, had a 39.5” vertical and had a 127” broad jump. Whoa.

Much like Leonard Floyd at Georgia, Carter was asked to do a variety of different things on the field. He played on the edge, had his hand in the dirt, dropped back into coverage and did whatever was asked of him.

With pass-rushers in the draft, most people want to see the sack numbers to show that they can produce like that in the NFL. However, Carter never went over 5 sacks in a season in his four years at Georgia. This doesn’t mean that he can’t bring down the QB though, he just wasn’t asked to do it often. This could be a blessing in disguise for the Bears as he might fall to where the Bears pick early in the second round.

If you remember correctly, Floyd never went over 6.5 sacks in his college career and he’s gone on to show that he can produce in the NFL when he’s healthy. There might not be a better fit for Lorenzo Carter than with the Chicago Bears and Vic Fangio. Mostly because Fangio’s already shown how he can utilize Floyd in his defense.

If the Bears decide to address the Offensive Line, Cornerback or Inside Linebacker in Round 1, there could be a gem waiting to be discovered in the second round. Do you think Ryan Pace will pull the trigger? A defense that has Floyd and Carter on either side of it could be extremely dangerous.

Wait, do you hear that?

It sounds like Kirk Cousins wishing he signed with the Jets instead…

The Bears Remaining Needs And Solutions After First Free Agency Wave

By
Kyle Yates
-

The Chicago Bears have made some splash signings through NFL Free Agency such as Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Trey Burton, while managing to lock down a few of their own players. Ryan Pace, Matt Nagy and Vic Fangio have done a great job identifying their needs and attacking them so far.

However, the Bears only have 62 players on their roster right now and need to go up to 90 by the end of July. So, there’s still a lot of room to add players to the roster. Plus, the Bears are still sitting at a healthy $28.5M left in cap room.

In this second wave of Free Agency, who could the Bears still add? What needs do the Bears still have before going into the NFL Draft? (Listed below in no particular order).

Running Back

Even with the amazing duo of Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen, affectionately dubbed the “Hebrew & The Hammer” (see video below), the Bears still need depth behind them. Benny Cunningham proved to be a valuable depth piece last year, but he’s currently still a free agent. This remains a need moving forward and one that can be filled with a cheap one-year deal or a late draft pick.

Solutions: Charles Sims (FA), Alfred Blue (FA), Branden Oliver (FA), Royce Freeman (Draft), John Kelly (Draft)

Wide Receiver

Based on recent years, the feeling in Halas Hall has to be that they can’t have too many quality wide receivers. Even with the signings of Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel, they can still stand to add some bodies to the Wide Receiver room. Cameron Meredith isn’t a guarantee to be back on the team as he’s an RFA, Kevin White isn’t a guarantee to play at all with his injury history, and Josh Bellamy is a Special Teams player who doesn’t appear to be happy in his role. They don’t have to spend an early round pick on the position anymore, but they could still look to address this position in the draft.

Solutions: Kendall Wright (FA), Keke Coutee (Draft), Dante Pettis (Draft), Michael Gallup (Draft), Cedrick Wilson (Draft)

Offensive Tackle

While Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie played well enough to have their spots secured for next season, there’s a need for depth behind them. Bradley Sowell is back with the team, but one depth signing or later draft pick would serve the Bears well.

Solutions: Austin Howard (FA), Greg Robinson (FA), Jamarco Jones (Draft), Brian O’Neill (Draft), Alex Cappa (Draft)

Center

Cody Whitehair will play his best if he’s able to focus on one position and not be asked to shift posisitions multiple times in a season. While he played well at Center, his best spot on the line is at Guard. Be looking for the Bears to target this position early on in the draft with the release of Josh Sitton and Hroniss Grasu being no more than an average starter.

Solutions: James Daniels (Draft), Billy Price (Draft), Frank Ragnow (Draft), Mason Cole (Draft)

Defensive Line

Opposite Akiem Hicks, Jonathan Bullard is projected to be the current starter. While he played well last year, the Bears could certainly stand to upgrade this position either through Free Agency or the Draft. But, let’s be honest, free agency is looking a little bare at this point. Also with the players in the draft, it’s hard to project where they would fit best (scheme-wise), but the Bears would be wise to look at these players.

Note: Jonathan Hankins is expected to meet with the Bears next week.

Solutions: Jonathan Hankins (FA), Da’Ron Payne (Draft), Taven Bryan (Draft), BJ Hill (Draft), Justin Jones (Draft), Poona Ford (Draft)

Edge Rusher

This doesn’t need much of an explanation. The Bears need pass-rushers.

Solutions: Lamarr Houston (FA), Courtney Upshaw (FA), Harold Landry (Draft), Bradley Chubb (Draft), Lorenzo Carter (Draft), Jeff Holland (Draft), Hercules Mata’afa (Draft)

Cornerback

Depending on whether or not someone swoops in and signs Bryce Callahan to an offer sheet, this position could become an immediate need in the draft. As it stands right now, the Bears are able to address this with another quality signing or address it on Day 3 of the Draft.

Solutions: Jeremy Lane (FA), Isaiah Oliver (Draft), Mike Hughes (Draft), D.J. Reed (Draft), Levi Wallace (Draft), Anthony Averett (Draft)

Safety

Eddie Jackson and Adrian Amos look like they’re here to finally provide the Bears with decent Safety help for the first time in years. (It still won’t be enough to get the scowl off my face whenever I hear the name “Chris Conte” though). But there’s a lack of depth behind them. Deon Bush is alright, but they could stand an upgrade behind this dynamic duo.

Solutions: Kenny Vaccaro (FA), Eric Reid (FA), Tre Boston (FA), Jessie Bates (Draft), Jordan Whitehead (Draft), Jeremy Reaves (Draft), Marcus Allen (Draft)

The best part about reading this article is that there are only one or two glaring holes for the Bears to fill. Ryan Pace has done a great job of filling out this roster so he can go into the draft and select the best player on the board.

Time to sit back and see what the Chicago Bears have up their sleeves.

Matt Nagy Won Bears Job Thanks to Two Key Statements in Interview

By
Erik Lambert
-
matt nagy and ryan pace

Anybody who hasn’t watched the show “West Wing” is not living life properly. During the early seasons, there was an episode where the President had to decide what to do with a large group of Chinese Christian runaways, fleeing religious persecution. Some people wondered if these refugees were really Christians or just trying to find a clever way of gaining entry to the U.S. So the President decided to meet with one of them and wait to hear a particular buzz word that only people who’ve truly read the Bible would know. It was in this same style at Matt Nagy won the Chicago Bears job.

From the outset, GM Ryan Pace liked Nagy. He’d done a ton of research on the Chiefs offensive coordinator, getting opinions from as many as 25 to 30 different people. However, he was not going to jump the gun as many think he did with John Fox three years ago. Nagy would get his turn to make a case just like the others they had lined up.

However, it seems team president Ted Phillips had his own “West Wing” moment, hoping to hear one of the Bears candidates utter a particular phrase. Adam Jahn of the Chicago Sun-Times found out it was a simple one, but something that carried enough weight to get the job if uttered at the right time.

Matt Nagy picked perfect moment to tell Bears what they wanted to hear

 

“Throughout the interview process, Phillips kept telling Pace and McCaskey that he wanted to hear one answer.

“God, it’d be nice if when we’re talking to these guys, if one of them or all of them say — and they say it with conviction — I really want to be the coach of the Bears, and here’s why,” Phillips said.

Two candidates did. Nagy said it as his interview drew to a close.

“He said, ‘I really, really want to be the head coach of the Chicago Bears,’ ” McCaskey recalled…”

Talk about ideal timing by Nagy.

It’s a good sign that he’s a man who understands how to read people. Except it turns out he wasn’t done. As if to make sure he crossed the finish line with a flourish, he added another exciting statement to the discussion.

“…It also included an explanation of how he would handle players after a loss.

“We’re not going to just say, ‘Hey, you guys, we fought really hard. It was a tough game. We’ll go get them next week,’ ” Phillips recalled Nagy saying. “ ‘We’re going to have a real discussion about what happened.’

“He’s the only guy that did that. It was really refreshing to hear that from a head-coach candidate.”

That is likely what the Bears brass heard plenty of with guys like Fox and Trestman the previous five years. One can imagine it can get frustrating hearing such men simply try to make the players feel better rather than actively discussing why the loss happened and to make sure it doesn’t happen that way again. Nagy understands that vital part of the job.

Another sign the Bears may have finally gotten the right guy.

Chicago Tribune Sends A Message To White Sox And Blackhawks Fans

By
Matt Enuco
-
The Chicago Tribune is on shaky ground with their evaporating White Sox and Blackhawks coverage.

By now, you may have seen that The Chicago Tribune has cut White Sox and Blackhawks coverage. In an article posted by Awful Announcing the Trib appears to be cutting payroll and its White Sox coverage. Earlier this week Chris Kuc and Paul Skrbina were called back from White Sox and Blackhawks coverage, respectively. They were later dismissed from the Trib.

Kuc clued the world in on Mar. 15 while Skrbina waited a tad longer to announce his dismissal from the paper.

Jon Heyman chimed in on the matter offering his support of balanced coverage of all professional teams in major cities.

Media reporter Robert Feder reported that Tronc, the Trib’s parent company would not confirm the scale of cutbacks.

“Marisa Kollias, vice president of communications and public relations for parent company tronc, would not confirm the number of layoffs.”

Feder was also able to pry the following nebulous statement from Tronc:

“The Chicago Tribune is fully committed to covering the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Blackhawks. We value and understand the importance of covering sports both for fans and our readers.”

A source with knowledge of the situation shared that Fabian Aradaya, a freelancer for The Athletic MLB and MLB.com will cover the rest of White Sox camp for the Trib while Colleen Kane who covered the South Siders last season before being reassigned to Bears coverage, will travel to Kansas City for the first series of the season. Though, after the Royals series, it’s unclear who and how the Trib plans to cover the White Sox’s season.

The White Sox have long played second fiddle to the Cubs and a thick animus between fan bases is only inflamed by the media’s imbalanced coverage. The Bulls, Blackhawks and Bears don’t have competing fan bases in the city leaving baseball with this dubious distinction. Both clubs have been staples of the city for over a century and as Heyman notes, it’s important for the media to stave off bias and give equal attention to all teams in a season.

With the uncertain future of the Trib’s coverage of the White Sox, there is an opportunity. Traditional media companies are still reeling from the constant evolution of technology and how to remain solvent as advertising revenue shifts in unpredictable ways and from platform to platform. Rest assured, Sports Mockery is here to fill the gap in coverage.

We have recently been granted a measure of press access to the White Sox and we plan to provide a unique blend of coverage that speaks to our readership and the White Sox fan base. It’s an exciting time around the organization and our goal is to provide special coverage that adds to the growing conversation on the south side of Chicago. While we don’t have the budget to compete with large media companies like the Sun-Times, Daily Herald or The Athletic — and we won’t be in the clubhouse after every game — we plan to use our access to bring White Sox fans distinctive stories with a singular voice.

Sports Mockery is growing, and we hope to retain your loyalty to our brand of journalism and fill the void the Trib is leaving open.

Chicago Bears Brass Almost Died En Route to Josh McDaniels Interview

By
Erik Lambert
-
chicago bears brass

Most NFL coaching interviews during an off-season are balanced around the schedules of the men involved. Typically the meetings go smoothly with the representatives of interested teams either visiting the candidate or them having the candidate flown to visit them. In the case of the Chicago Bears brass consisting of GM Ryan Pace, team president Ted Phillips and Chairman George McCaskey it was the former.

The plan was straightforward and simple. The trio wanted to streamline the interview process by going on a barnstorming tour together. This would enable them to locate the coach and get him hired as quickly as possible. Why do this? It would allow the team to then begin preparations for hiring a staff, opening up opportunities to land top notch assistants.

It’s a good plan if somewhat demanding on the energy and nerves of the men trying to execute it. On top of that, it requires a degree of cooperation from Mother Nature. That’s something they didn’t get early on. Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times reported a harrowing account of how the three men almost men their untimely ends while trying to stick to that plan.

Chicago Bears brass nearly got into plane crash during McDaniels visit

The incident came when it was time to conduct an interview with New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He was busy preparing for the teams’ matchup with the Tennessee Titans but had a window in his schedule for a meeting. Pace, ever the stickler for staying on schedule, decided to head out to Foxborough with McCaskey and Phillips in tow.

The problem? Most of the northeast was being slapped by a nasty storm, and the plane would have to fly directly through it. The details of what happened are incredible.

“The co-pilot of the Bears’ chartered jet braced himself, one hand on the throttle, the other on the ceiling. The Bomb Cyclone — the winter storm that blanketed the Northeast in January — shook the plane with an equivalent force.

“Coming up in scouting, I’ve flown a ton,” general manager Ryan Pace said. “But that was the most turbulent weather I’ve ever been in.”

Pace sat nearest the cockpit. McCaskey and Phillips, whose seat faced the rear of the plane, were behind him.

As the eight-seat jet descended, Phillips said it became the most frightening flight of his life. Pace said the plane was “thrashed.”

“At one point, I looked back, and Ted’s glasses flew off his head,” Pace said.

Said McCaskey: “What’s that Audie Murphy movie? ‘To Hell and Back’? ”

It was scary as hell.”

The internal monologues the three men had told the whole story.

“I was thinking to myself, ‘OK, if this thing goes down, it’s probably better that it’s on the descent because there is less fuel,’ ” Pace said.

“Ted was thinking, ‘Well, I can see the tree line, so this might be survivable.’

“George was thinking, ‘Oh, man, I should have laid out the full succession plan before we got on the flight.’ ”

They made it and were soon off to Foxborough, where Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was interviewed past midnight.

“As the plane is coming to a halt, Ted yells at me, ‘Ryan, this better be worth it!’ ” Pace said, laughing. “It was just insane.”

Turns out it was worth it, just not in the way they expected. The meeting with McDaniels went well but Pace soon came off with the impression that the young coach wasn’t fully committed to leaving New England. A few grew that even if he accepted the Bears job, there was a strong chance he might back out. Sure enough not too long after that McDaniels accepted the head coaching job in Indianapolis and later changed his mind, returning to the Patriots.

The Bears led New England and proceeded to their next interview, which was in Missouri with Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. No bad weather omens harassed them there. The rest is history.

1...2,8782,8792,880...3,194Page 2,879 of 3,194

Subscribe to our Newsletter

✶ An Unfiltered Voice For Chicago Sports Fans ✶

Chicago Sports News

About Us

© Sports Mockery, Inc. 2026