It certainly has not been an easy time for Carlos Rodon the first half of the 2017 season. When he was diagnosed with left bicep bursitis in Spring Training, the reports were that the White Sox were just being extra cautious with him. Some outlets even said he could have pitched through it if he absolutely needed to. Then a week went by, then a few more, and then the weeks dragged into months. I’d be lying if I said I was not starting to sincerely worry about his long-term health, or thinking there was something else seriously wrong. Luckily, it seems his rehab process is finally complete. Although he got roughed up in his rehab starts in the minors, his stuff was reportedly as good as it usually is. The defense behind him, not so much. Now that Rodon is 100% pain free, he can join Jose Quintana and the rest of the pitching staff.
What It Means
With Rodon back in the rotation, the White Sox have added another bonafide lefty arm. And with James Shields back healthy, and Miguel Gonzalez not too far away, Holland becomes the fifth starter in a now surprisingly deep rotation. The White Sox starters had 25 quality starts in 71 games entering this past Friday, and just 5 in the past 28. Now that the rotation is all but fully healthy, we should see that percentage get much better, at least in the weeks heading up to the trade deadline.
Too Good To Tank For Beer?
With Rodon returning to the rotation, fans that are obsessed with the #tankforbeer trend will probably worry that the team is bad, but not nearly bad enough to obtain a top 3 draft pick in next year’s draft. Right now, that is indeed the case. The White Sox currently have a .438 win percentage. While that is bad, the Phillies, Giants, and Reds all have worse winning percentages. And the way they are playing this season, they are essentially locks to finish with worse records than the White Sox. Add in the fact that the Mets are said to be heavy sellers and the Athletics and Tigers are close to the same level of skill as the White Sox, and it is easy to see that getting a top 5 pick is going to be more difficult than some people may have thought. The good news for all you Beer fans (player and drink), is that he could very easily slip to 5, or even further within the next year. And if everything goes according to plan, Quintana, Frazier, Robertson, Melky, and others will be sold off in the upcoming weeks, further reducing the talent level of the big league club.
The Future Is Rodon’s
Having all of the pitching prospects that the White Sox do is a great luxury. Michael Kopech, Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito, Dane Dunning, and Alec Hansen are all going to be a joy to watch in the upcoming years. However, make no mistake: this is Rodon’s rotation. He will be the longest tenured pitcher on the White Sox after Quintana gets traded, and has the experience and pure stuff to become the leader of the staff. He will serve not only as (one of) the Ace’s, but also as a mentor to the young, up-and-coming arms.
Final Thoughts
Carlos Rodon making his return should delight fans near and far. When he is on, he can make hitters look foolish. His return could also make it easier for Rick Hahn to trade Quintana, Holland, or even Miguel Gonzalez. Rodon and Tim Anderson are said to be the only two untouchables at the deadline since their age and talent fit perfectly with the new plan. Many experts had Carlos as a breakout candidate of the year back in the Winter. If he can stay healthy and build off of last year, look for that prediction to become a reality.
While the Cubs were busy defeating the Miami Marlins yesterday, their WAGs (wives and girlfriends) were enjoying the day in sunny Miami. The boat outing included matching “Cubs Ladies” hats, some cocktails, and some pretty kick-ass flips courtesy of former gymnast, Gina Grimm.
A caption on one of the pictures reads, “Miami 2017!!! My friends are hotter than yours *fire emoji*”
For weeks NHL organizations have been evaluating players for the draft, but Jonathan Toews was caught giving the most honest take on a player. The mic wasn’t on “Captain Serious” but you can see in his stern face that he isn’t joking.
Shane Bowers was making his way to the stage as the 28th pick by Ottawa when they compared him to Toews. The coverage cut to Toews live at that draft and you can see him say, “That kid looks like an asshole.”
Jonathan Toews has cemented his legacy in the NHL and this is just funny. Fans rarely get candid responses from players, about players, and I find this refreshing in a way.
Toews will probably be in the front office of an NHL team one day and his honest reactions could be very beneficial.
Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings.
Nowadays most modern Chicago Bulls fans remember 1984 as the year of the Michael Jordan draft. That’s where the greatest era of basketball in history began. The year this franchise altered their fortunes and launched the coming of a dynasty in 1990s. Jordan became not just the greatest basketball player ever but one of the greatest athletes in the history of professional sports.
That part of history is well known. The highlights are there to prove it. What many fans don’t know, and may be stunned to hear is that the Bulls almost screwed it up. Shortly after the draft took place, then-GM Rod Thorn admitted he hadn’t planned to take Jordan if given his own personal choice.
Bernie Lincicome of the Chicago Tribune wrote about it and even back then he and others were stunned to hear the man admit that. Yet Thorn explained in so many details why he didn’t think Michael was the piece that could turn the franchise around. Proof once again that sometimes dumb luck is a greater factor in team success than good evaluation.
Michael Jordan was good but he wasn’t tall enough
“We wish he were seven feet, but he isn’t,” said Bulls general manager Rod Thorn.
Sigh.
“There just wasn’t a center available,” said Thorn. “What can you do?”
Counting your blessings doesn’t seem inappropriate.
“He’s only 6-5,” said Thorn, who must use a different yardstick than Dean Smith, the Carolina coach. Down where the tobacco grows, Jordan has always been 6-6, not that one inch ever stopped Jordan from crashing the boards, hitting from the outside or playing substantially above sea level. By the time he gets to Chicago, or when negotiations for his wages get sticky, Jordan may be the size of a jockey. The Bulls aren’t even sure where to play Jordan. “Big guard, small forward,” said coach Kevin Loughery. Decisions, decisions.
“When you win only 55 games in two years,” said Thorn, “you don’t get well all at once. Look, when Isiah Thomas went to Detroit, he improved them but it took two years to make the playoffs. We’ve taken a step in the right direction. Jordan isn’t going to turn this franchise around. I wouldn’t ask him to. I wouldn’t put that kind of pressure on him.”
“He’s a very good offensive player,” said Thorn. “But not an overpowering offensive player.”
Back then the general consensus was that teams needed a dominant center to truly build an NBA champion. It was true of Bill Russell and Robert Parrish in Boston. It was true of Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Los Angeles. Up to that point teams just didn’t win titles with athletic guards. Jordan was the man who changed all that.
Nobody could measure the heart
Thorn was proven dead wrong almost right away. Jordan was not a very good scorer. He was the best scoring guard of all-time. It didn’t take long for people to realize that it wasn’t Jordan’s athleticism that made him great. It was that gigantic heart and maniacal competitiveness. He took control of the franchise right away and put it on his back. They won 11 more games than the year before in his rookie season and made the playoffs.
From there people know what happened next. Chicago began to put better pieces around him and by 1989 they were playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. After some bitter wars with the Detroit Pistons, they finally broke through to win the first of six championships in eights seasons in 1991. Jordan would claim five MVP awards, six Finals MVP awards, 10 scoring titles, 14 All-Star game appearances and even a Defensive Player of the Year.
To quote former NBA commissioner Daniel Stern, ” You are, simply, the standard by which basketball excellence is measured.” Truer words were never spoken.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 09: Head coach John Fox of the Chicago Bears seen during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 9, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
The John Fox head coach aura that followed him from Denver has tarnished quite a bit the past two years. That can happen when a guy goes 6-10 and then 3-13. The NFL is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league. Coaches who go long periods without winning can see their stars plummet in a hurry. A failure to finish with a record of at least 8-8 this year would mark the first time in 15 years Fox has gone through three-straight losing seasons.
At that point the questions will start about whether he has it anymore. He’s 62-years old after all and has a history of health issues. Maybe the game just passed him by. As it can with many head coaches. However, some still believe Fox deserves the benefit of the doubt. Eliot Harrison of NFL.com is among them. In his recent rankings of all 32 head coaches, Fox came in a respectable 12th in spite of his struggles.
“While the last couple of years have not been kind to Fox, it would be awfully difficult to rate him lower at this point. Fox has coached two vastly different football teams in the Super Bowl — the quarterback-centric 2013 Broncos and the run-first, play-defense 2003 Panthers. Neither squad won it all, but Fox went to the playoffs seven times while running those teams. Reaching the promised land with the Bears is a taller task, but Fox has a few assets in running back Jordan Howard and a budding defense. We’ll see.”
John Fox head coach tenure tied to roster progress
A head coach is tied to his win-loss record. That’s just a fact, especially in the NFL. Some aren’t even given more than two years before getting canned. The generally accepted length is three. Fox is going into his third. His contract enters its final year in 2018. So the odds are he’ll get fired or extended at the end of this season.
What must he do to save his job? Well winning would be ideal of course. A .500 record should assured that, though 7-9 might do it. More than anything the team brass want to see continued progress from the young roster they’ve put together. Not just better, more efficient play but also a better run of relatively good health.
If problems persist on those front, then any credibility Fox had left will be shot. Reaching two Super Bowls can only carry a man so far. He’s running out of time.
Safety isn’t the most important position on the Chicago Bears roster. That of course is quarterback with edge rusher and offensive tackle close behind. Nonetheless poor safety play is a big reason for several breakdown by the team in tight games. It’s a persistent problem that has dogged them for close to a decade despite repeated attempts to fix it. Still, it’s hard to feel good about a Quintin Demps and Adrian Amos combination. So what about Quintin Demps and Eddie Jackson?
This is a variation fans are wondering about. Jackson, a safety from Alabama, was drafted in the fourth round by the Bears. The only defensive players selected out of five total picks. Not just that but GM Ryan Pace actually traded up to get him. It’s obvious they liked a lot of what they saw. Enough to possibly start as a rookie?
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune thinks so. He was asked this question during his weekly mailbag and provided a rather blunt answer.
Eddie Jackson is the man for Amos to fear
“The Bears have brought Jackson along slowly but he told the Tribune at the end of minicamp that he was full go and we’ll see what he looks like when training camp opens. He suffered a broken leg last fall at Alabama and the Bears wanted to be smart in bringing him along slowly. I think Jackson definitely has a shot to unseat Adrian Amos as a starter and play next to Quintin Demps, who will no doubt open the season as a starter.”
Jackson was outstanding for the Crimson Tide in 2015. His first year playing the position of safety after switching from cornerback, he was a walking interception machine. He delivered six picks that year including a big one in the national championship game. It’s possible he might’ve ended up being a top 50 pick this year had he not gotten hurt. That’s how well he was playing.
So in essence the Bears may have gotten a player with first round ability at a fourth round price. Sure the injury issue is a concern, but many players come out of college with that same worry. It’s a physical game and guys get hurt. What drew Jackson to the team wasn’t his athleticism anyway. Of course that was part of it, but the real benefits are already showing up in practice.
Coaches love Jackson’s ability to think the game out
Alabama head coach Nick Saban wasn’t shy about saying Jackson was one of his favorite players he ever coached. That’s saying something. One of the best things about him? His mind. Jackson is noted for his intelligence and instinct. Just a natural at being able to dissect the game and make adjustments on the fly. Not one but two Bears coaches referred to that trait during minicamp practices when speaking to AL.com.
“He’s one of those guys you can just talk ball with and he gets it,” Bears safeties coach Roy Anderson said. “Or you can show film, and he’s actually able to hold a good conversation.”
“He’s wired right,” Chicago coach John Fox said of Jackson. “He understands the game, in the classroom setting, questions and answers, he gets it. He’ll get plenty of time in Bourbonnais.”
Players can have all the athleticism and speed in the world and never do anything in the NFL. Time and again it’s proven that the smartest end up doing the best. The guys who work hard on and off the field to craft their game. Who will do anything to find an edge for themselves and their team over an opponent. Jackson is one of those types. Can anybody say for sure how different the national championship would’ve been for Alabama a few months ago had he not been hurt?
If nothing else it’s proof that the Bears are favoring players who embrace the mental side of the game. That is often one of the biggest steps toward success.
Often the best way to understand a person is by where they come from. People born on the west coast almost invariably grow up with different principles and personalities than people from the deep south. Same goes for people from the east coach and Pacific northwest. Chicago Bears fans are dying to know more about their new quarterback Mitch Trubisky. For months experts have dug deeply into his personal background. Granted some fascinating details came to light, but nobody bothered to look at his home town.
Trubisky was born and raised in Mentor, Ohio. It’s a suburban community about 25 miles northeast of Cleveland. It has a population of roughly 46,000 people and is known best for its abundant rosebushes. CNN recently ranked it as the 37th best place in the United States to live. All in all it’s a classic piece of Americana.
What people may not know is it has another reputation that isn’t explored much. One that may excite Bears fans if they’re the superstitious type. Mentor actually has a history of producing people who go from humble beginnings to big success in the world. Some might call them overachievers. This town has done its fair share.
James A. Garfield
Easily the most famous person to come from there is James Garfield. For those who didn’t pay attention in history class he was the 20th President of the United States. A classic rags-to-riches story. Raised by a single mother on a farm, he left home at age 16. After working various jobs he got a formal education and entered politics.
“If the power to do hard work is not a skill, it’s the best possible substitute for it.”
His star really rose when the Civil War broke out in 1861. After serving admirably he used that distinction to become an Ohio Congressman in 1863. From there he climbed the ladder to become president in 1881. He was 50-years old. Sadly his reign only lasted a few months before he was shot by an angry office-seeker. Garfield later died of his wounds. Nonetheless, what he’d achieved was no less remarkable given where he’d started.
Katie Spotz
Some may recognize the name for making the news a few times but Spotz was a perfect encapsulation of how people from Mentor just seem to find personal success through sheer hard work. She first reached fame when she became the first person ever to swim the entire length of the Allegheny River. A distance of 325 miles. Little did anybody know she was just warming up.
Just two years later she became the youngest person ever (and the first American) to row the entire length of the Atlanta Ocean from Senegal, Africa to French Guiana, South America. By the time she’d finished, the distance covered stood at 2,817 miles.
Joe Jurevicius
Now for an NFL example for Bears fans wondering where this is going. The Mentor boost has happened to football players as well. In this case a former wide receiver by the name of Joe Jurevicius. Same story setup. He was a relatively unexciting talent from Penn State who made just 94 catches in three college seasons. He never really got a fair shake when he first reached the pros, playing part-time role with the New York Giants.
It wasn’t until 2002 where he showed the world what he could do. After a quiet regular season, he exploded in the playoffs for 197 yards and a touchdown across three games. This included a huge catch in the NFC championship that helped get his Tampa Bay Buccaneers in position to take the lead. A moment that many hail as the turning point of the teams’ fortunes.
The Buccaneers won the game 27-10 and went on to crush Oakland in the Super Bowl. If that weren’t enough, Jurevicius wasn’t done. Three years later he had his best season with the Seattle Seahawks. A year that saw him score 10 touchdowns. He might’ve been the MVP of the Super Bowl that year had they won given his five catches for 93 yards.
Trubisky is next
Now here he is. Trubisky is an unlikely success story in his own right already. He only started one season at quarterback in college and that was at North Carolina. A school known more for its basketball heritage than football prowess. Yet his endless dedication and laser focus enabled him to become the second overall pick in the draft.
People continue to doubt him. They feel he’s destined for failure. He didn’t get enough college experience. He was drafted by the Bears, a team notorious for its quarterback woes. He’s heard it all by this point and the young man doesn’t seem to care. The hard work continues regardless. To him the only way he fails is if he stops giving it everything he’s got.
That may sound corny and cliche and naive to many people. For a native of Mento, Ohio? It’s based in a rich history of proven reality.
While most people were working at a job they hate yesterday, I was lucky enough to get an inside look at the Chicago Cubs clubhouse. Mind you, this isn’t exactly a place where you can meet your buddies for a beer and check out where the team gets ready for games so the fact I was able to find my way in to the heart of Wrigley Field was a pretty bad ass experience.
I started my day around 2:00 with the “generic” tour of Wrigley Field. This is the tour that any fan can pay to do and if you’re a history buff, I strongly encourage you to do just that. Right off the bat, I was bombarded with endless knowledge about Cubs history and fun facts as we walked around the park and enjoyed the beautiful Friday afternoon (it would have been better if they were selling beer but that’s neither here nor there.)
Our first stop was down the left field line where we got a chance to listen to the history of Wrigley Field and how the team got their Cubs nickname. After about a 15-minute history lesson, we moved to the bleachers and learned about the famous Wrigley scoreboard as well as the meaning of some of the flags that are on top of the field itself. I love the scoreboard and all but the fact that it was about 85 degrees with zero cloud cover meant we had to listen to more facts while we were getting destroyed by the sun.
After we finished contracting melanoma in the bleachers, we made our way up to the press box where we got to see Gary Pressy’s organ and media row. There were four rows of assigned seating for media members and I sat down in the first seat that I saw was open in the third row. How random is it that the seat I sat in belonged to a good friend of mine who covers the Cubs, Eugene McIntosh of the Chicago Defender. While we were in the press box, a wedding party made their way on to center field to take some awesome wedding photos which effectively captured all of our attention while our tour guide was trying to tell us just how old the press box is.
On our way out of the press box, we stopped by the visitor’s clubhouse which to be honest, was pretty shitty. I’ve seen high school locker rooms that had better amenities. It had about 20 locker stalls, one bathroom with eight showers, one cooler, and a managers office that had a metal desk and a dial up telephone.
Just a little out of date to say the least.
The Clubhouse
That would have been a pretty cool day if it ended there but the fun hadn’t even started yet. I won’t fully explain how the next part happened because I want to make sure I don’t get anyone in trouble but let’s just say some conversations were had and before I knew it, I was on my way to the Cubs clubhouse.
Once again, this is not something that you can just walk into. The place was protected like Fort Knox by at least five to ten different security personnel.
I’ve been to Wrigley Field more times then I can count but this was the only time that I had absolutely no clue where I was at in the stadium. I started in the main concourse and made my way towards Waveland Ave. and then took a left into a stairwell that looked pretty plain. I started walking down some stairs and saw the following signs.
So at this point I’m essentially shitting my pants because once you go through the doorway you see on the left side of the picture above, I’m thinking the clubhouse will be on the other side.
Wrong.
First you have to walk down two long hallways that are lined on each side with pictures and Cubs paraphernalia that were impossible to take off the walls and put under your shirt (or so I heard.)
Notice how they had to change “When it happens” to “Where it happens.” You know, because of that whole ‘2016 World Series Champion’ thing.
To be quite honest with you, it took me a solid 30-minutes just to walk the two long hallways because I was so blown away at how awesome it looked. I didn’t take any pictures of the photos on the walls but pretty much any famous photo from last year’s postseason was hanging in 48 x 72 picture frames.
After I finally got through admiring all the photos and ensuring that they were safely secured on the walls, I was finally at the entrance of the clubhouse.
In case you’re unaware, the Cubs have only been in this new 30,000 sq. foot facility since last season. Their old clubhouse was a small little box that was not conducive for a winning baseball team so when Tom Ricketts took the team over, he argued if you want a winning ball club, you need winning facilities.
Here’s their old clubhouse.
I’m only showing you the old clubhouse to make you fully appreciate what you’re about to see in their new place.
I had seen pictures of the clubhouse before but it wasn’t until I actually got to see it in person that I really appreciated how impressive it is. The circular design of the room was done intentionally to drive home the message of equality and team. One of the main architects of the room, Theo Epstein, explains,
“There’s no one player who has a loftier position or loftier stature than any other player,” Epstein said. “They’re all equals. They’re all teammates.”
As soon as I entered, I took a hard right and started to look at each of the players lockers. Each player had their home white jersey hanging up, which of course I made sure were securely fasted to their lockers in case anyone thought about walking out with one.
If you notice at the end of the video, there was a locker that didn’t have a jersey hanging up. I looked at the nameplate and saw “Kyle Schwarber” and possibly became a bit depressed due to the fact he’s no longer on the big league roster. I did find it interesting however that Schwarber kept an Ohio State football helmet in his locker to pay homage to both his home state (and football) roots.
As I made my way around the clubhouse, I became fascinated with the random stuff that each player kept in their locker. Jake Arrieta had some weird looking white rabbit statue, CJ Edwards had a copy of David Ross’ book, Willson Contreras had a huge box of Skittles, Addison Russell had a few Ninja Turtles, and World Series MVP Ben Zobrist had — well, everything.
He was the only player on the team that had that amount of gear in his locker. I’m guessing that’s due to his recent stint on the DH and he’s been spending a lot more time in the clubhouse as he’s rehabbing each day.
Lastly, I couldn’t leave the heart of Wrigley Field without seeing the lockers of the two guys who are the heart of the Cubs, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. Luckily, the Cubs decided the two should have lockers right next to each other so it wasn’t too hard for me to track down.
Sorry that my ugly mug is in the way but these two guys can do no wrong in my eyes so I had to get a picture in there somehow. Bryant had a nice collection of bobbleheads as well as some random Cubs collectibles (sno-glob, Commissioners trophy, and a can of Red Bull since he’s a spokesman for the company.)
Rizzo’s locker was pretty cool as well. He keeps a Miami Dolphins football helmet above his locker to pay homage to his favorite football team.
Calm down Bears fans, he’s from Florida.
The other two items in his locker that stood out to me was a Bryzzo coffee cup and a small picture of Rizzo and David Ross from what appears to be Spring Training confirming the relationship between the two is actually a real thing.
As I was walking out, I quickly stopped by the middle of the clubhouse to the lounging area where there were circular leather couches and a few recliners. The coolest part about the middle of the circle was what you’d see if you looked up at the ceiling.
That was pretty much my facial expression during my entire 30-minutes in the Cubs clubhouse due to my brain being on Cubs overload the entire time. After I left the locker room, I made a right turn and saw the replica of last year’s brick wall memorial before I walked out of the stadium.
It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m glad I got a chance to see the inner workings of the Chicago Cubs. Now, I’m trying to figure a way out to get into the dugout during a game — oh trust me, it’s possible.
Here’s some additional pictures I was able to capture.
All day there were rumors that the Blackhawks would be making a trade to move up in the draft but they did the opposite. They moved down to #29 in a trade with the Dallas Stars and selected Henri Jokiharju and received a third round pick in this year’s draft.
Jokiharju is an 18 year old Finnish defenseman who stands at 6’0″ and 170 lbs. He played last season in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks and had 48 points in 71 games. It is said that he can make plays under pressure and move the puck just like Coach Quenneville wants.
In interviews this week he said, “I would love it if the Blackhawks would pick me.” Jokiharju said the Blackhawks have been his favorite team since they won the Stanley Cup in 2010. The coincidental part of all of this is that he already looks good in a Blackhawks crest. The Portland Winterhawks wear almost an exact copy of the Blackhawks sweater. When he makes it up to the big club, hopefully his play fits just as well.
Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings.
On the surface Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace looks reasonably secure. He’s revamped the entire roster from top to bottom. The quarterback position got two new pieces that could pan out big if given time to develop. There are a number of players on the roster who are intriguing from Jordan Howard to Leonard Floyd, Cody Whitehair, Akiem Hicks and Cameron Meredith. All of them were craft Pace acquisitions.
There’s just one problem though. His moves aren’t producing results. Despite the consistent flashes from some of those young guys, the direction of the Bears has gone downhill the past two years. They were 6-10 in 2015 and plummeted to 3-13 last year. The first time a Bears team has finished with that bad of a record in the 16-game era.
Not exactly the claim to fame a GM wants. Admittedly this was always a possibility given how old and depleted the roster was when he took over. Still, everybody knows this ownership by now. They aren’t known for being patience when the losing is ongoing. If the Bears struggle again, can we really trust they won’t at least consider axing him?
No, and here’s why.
Ryan Pace can’t hide from his mistakes
People forget that Pace was the youngest general manager in the NFL when the Bears hired him. That means two things. He likely brought in new ideas, which isn’t a bad thing, but also has loads of inexperience. The man was a scout for most of his tenure in New Orleans. He only spent two seasons as a personnel director before getting the call from Chicago.
By comparison Ted Thompson of the Packers was one for seven years before he got his first shot at building a roster in Seattle as their VP of Football Operations. John Schneider of the Seattle Seahawks was a personnel director for 12 years before he got his shot. It’s hard to hide from the reality that they went into their successful runs a little more seasoned than Pace did.
That shows up in some of his questionable moves the past couple years. The sizable contracts for Antrel Rolle and Eddie Royal? Releasing Matt Slauson when he still had value on a reasonable contract. Trading Martellus Bennett. Sure Brandon Marshall was the right move but Bennett was a bit more debatable. All of those decisions cost the Bears either a lot of money for little return or hurt the team is a bad area.
Qualified replacements are now available
Then there’s the reality that 2018 could feature some highly qualified GM candidates on the open market. A rarity in any offseason. This due in large part to some unusual circumstances. Scot McCloughan was fired by the Washington Redskins on the eve of the NFL draft. A move that continues to puzzle experts even months later. There were rumors of his drinking problems coming back but that was discredited by several sources. McCloughan has a glowing history when it comes to player evaluation. Here’s a few of his notable hits.
Alex Smith
Frank Gore
Patrick Willis
Joe Staley
Dashon Goldson
Michael Crabtree
Brandon Scherff
Then there’s John Dorsey. By all accounts he’d been having a solid run as GM for the Kansas City Chiefs. Travis Kelce, Marcus Peters and Tyreek Hill were his main highlights. Up until last week it was felt he was safe. Then out of nowhere the Chiefs decided to cut him loose. Rumors persist that it was a power move by head coach Andy Reid.
There are only so many excuses
Either way those are two highly qualified and experienced former GMs free to pursue for any team with an opening. If the Bears aren’t satisfied with Pace, they’d likely want to go with a proven commodity as a replacement. They would fit that bill.
Of course this isn’t a trashing of Pace. All things considered he’s made a lot of promising moves that could pay off huge pretty soon. At the same time the NFL is a bottom line business. His job security is tied to win column. In two years his team has nine victories total. That is not a number befitting a franchise of this prestige and history.
Maybe he has done a good job, but if the team doesn’t show any progress in 2017 he hasn’t done good enough. Keep in mind the Packers went 4-12 their first year under Thompson. By his third year they were in the NFC championship game. Three seasons is considered the point where roster build must start showing something.
