Harry Chappas

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 13, 2015 -> 03:35 PM) Plus if you are a GM, making your first coaching hire, unless Fox says something that would completely annoy you, it would be hard to go against the recommendation of your consultant (Ernie) and one of your closest professional contacts in Sean Payton. Let alone his general track record. The hire of Fox essentially guarantees that he'll have a chance to hire a 2nd coach. Obviously you want it to be the right coach but I think he is not only the right coach for the Bears but also the right choice for Pace in his career. No one is going to hammer him if he misses on Bowles when he went for Fox (I mean people will...but not to the extent that happened when we whiffed on the defending coach of the year for a CFL coach). It was that reckless decision that really was indicative of who Emery was (as he made a few other reckless decisions, imo) as a GM and why he wouldn't be successful. The name of the game is clearing smarts and a little bit of luck but you also need to take calculated risks, not just any risk will do. Fox is 60, it is not a long term solution but he is a guy that can hopefully put Humpty back together again. The OC is big here.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 13, 2015 -> 03:15 PM) Eh....how the hell am I supposed to know what the first post is in a catch all thread. I have no earthly idea what is in the catch all threads nor do I read many posts in catch all threads (hence my general disdain for them). Now that I get made fun for making stupid posts because of them...all members posting in the catch all thread (after this post) will be banned. No exceptions!* * Unless of course I like you...in which case it is okay...so in code, neither Kyle or Wite can ever post in a catch-all thread again. Everyone else is fair game. And Shipps...well he is banned just because. While your point is valid and I agree with you 100%, in this case, the thread is only one page long.

Thing about Fox is he has successfully built two winning coaching staffs. let to be said about that. Perry Fewell could be the DC

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 13, 2015 -> 02:57 PM) Already had arguably our top pass rushing DE who was suspended transfer to ISU. ISU's quarterback this year left Indiana. He could play for a guy like Pellini and build up his stock. A dominating FCS season and he could be a 1st round pick

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 13, 2015 -> 12:06 PM) Definitely agree with Tomlin and Harbaugh Harbaugh yes Tomlin is close although I kind of want to see what happens with LaBeau being gone. Tomlin landed in a nice position there. The guy that came to me was McCarthy.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 13, 2015 -> 12:01 PM) John Fox just wouldn't excite me. I know he has a track record but was kind of hoping that with hiring a young GM, maybe we'd find the next great young coach. Probably wishful thinking. Serious question, who was the last great young coach.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 13, 2015 -> 11:59 AM) Or Leftwich. Either way, he should declare. Look at McGary. He should transfer to an FCS school.

Fox and Del Rio would work for me. The Broncos have three all-pro defensive backs. They know how to develop talent.

5 years $100M

They will announce an extension to kick off Soxfest and it was agreed to before the trade. Pure speculation.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 12, 2015 -> 03:36 PM) right, stumbling forward while juggling the ball isn't a "football move" In the end the play call was risky and not worth it at that time but the media fabricated story of this has not brought that up.

Sporting News trying to get some free publicity and it is working.

QUOTE (buhbuhburrrrlz @ Jan 9, 2015 -> 11:02 AM) Ryan will oversee all football operations and will report to Ted Phillips Jerry Angelo had all of the power and built a roster that went to the super bowl then somehow Lovie Smith was allowed to have a say in personnel decisions and there went the slow train to non-super bowl team. I am thinking this was not Jerry Angelo's idea. If the GM is reporting to Ted, Ted has a role. He is not scouting and hands on but he has a role. If not, the GM would not report to him. There is something there and I do not like it. A direct line between George and the GM is what needs to happen.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jan 9, 2015 -> 09:55 AM) This isn't really true though. Ted Phillips doesn't make football decisions. I believe that is what I said. The GM still reports to him though.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 9, 2015 -> 06:59 AM) He turned down jets, but all did. A reporter from New Orleans felt that he had been sought out and offered more jobs over the past couple of years but he always wanted more control than was offered. Ted Phillips is the President of Football Operations while not making moves or evaluating talent he has a role and the GM reports to him so he is a layer of management that has some over-site along with the Board over the GM

Radio talk seems to indicate pace turned down a few gigs and bear job is total control and ideal place for him. Seems like a great move.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Jan 8, 2015 -> 04:13 PM) I never said Ballard was good at the end of the day Phillips and McCaskey are still in the same spot. Nothing has changed my mind on that. It is same old Bears If they gave a s*** Ted Phillips would not be team President. If they want to go about changing things Phillips will go the way of Crane Kenny. I am hoping after the GM and coach are in place that is what happens. George - GM- Coach.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 8, 2015 -> 03:56 PM) Bernstein has said it was more that Ballard spent too much time on organization and not enough on roster where Pace knocked it out and spent his time on roster. My problem is, no GM in the world can do it on their own. We need as many bright football people in the building as possible. Just hearing some of this stuff makes me cringe because in theory, Ballard has seen how it is done in halas and how it is done elsewhere and essentially knows what is broke in Chicago and could legitimately offer ways of fixing it. Not knocking Pace, just disappointing if it was the fact that Ballard was more negative and more pointed about what needed to change internally (in addition to roster...but maybe not as focused on roster). Part of me says the roster is largely a work in process anyway which starts with the draft, so how much time should you really spend on it other than maybe giving your opinion of systems that you like, your general view of the players, etc, and clearly an opinion of what went wrong on the field last year. I dont' want someone coming in and making an imaginary roster or something. That is a bunch of fluff anyway. I just picture Pace going...see I trade Cutler for Rodgers and than do this and that and bam...superbowl contender. Not really but kind of like that and McCaskey and Phillips going, oh we can get Rodgers...oh yeah that would be great. The roster sucks that is why the GM and the head coach are gone what in depth conversation is there to have. The organization is broken and has been since Sid Luckman retired, someone fixing the organization as whole is what is needed. This pick seems decent. Hope mama is happy. Gabriel may have helped prepare Ballard for the interview as they have a long history and I suppose would have spoken to Ballard soon after the interview.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 8, 2015 -> 01:48 PM) That's an important point. Acorsi isn't running the Bears. He'll be done with them shortly. The new GM owes it to himself to get a complete and accurate understanding of his role, responsibilities and power within the organization. Ultimately, that's still George & Ted's call, and it's the working relationship they all have to live with for years to come. I wouldn't want a GM who didn't interview with George and Ted or at least Ted. George, Ted and Ernie should interview and hire the GM Ernie and the new GM should hire the coach while George is in the room, Ted has no business being part of the coaching search

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 8, 2015 -> 12:24 PM) And if Accorsi isn't asking these candidates questions, exactly what is his purpose? Just to get names? These names were all pretty well known since Emery and Trestman were still Bears employees. George and Ted interviewing someone for football position is like Derrick Rose interviewing potential rocket scientists. IT MAKES NO SENSE. Have Accorsi interview these guys, give his recommondation, and then bring Ted and George in to see if they are comfortable with the dollars and personality. They shouldn't be asking football questions. They have proven they aren't qualified to do that. The George and Ted hiring process seems to be similar to a GM drafting players based on a consensus best available player on the board via draft experts.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 8, 2015 -> 11:48 AM) Sonix...your insights are super valuable and very consistent with what I saw and my thoughts. I really think if it weren't for those off the field issues, Winston would be getting talked about as being a once in a generation type QB prospect. That is how good I think his football skills are. And I agree with you that FSU didn't have a lot of talent around him and the dude still carried his team to a playoff game (and led his team back in the National Championship game last year). He has done it all. It would be absurd to not pick him at 7 if he were available (unless he totally bombs interviews, etc). I don't think he is even very much like Manziel, from the off the field perspective, either. Manziel and Winston can not be compared on or off the field. Manziel is a clown looking for attention and he does not have much football talent. Winston is a football talent that needs some professional guidance. The biggest mistake of Winston's life was choosing FSU which seems to have not helped him to mature and placed him in an environment that does not prepare players for life outside of the FSU football womb. I just can not seem to like Winston so I want to think he will be bad. Pretty certain he will not get past the Bucs and then Trestman can grow the man.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 8, 2015 -> 11:17 AM) But if you are being interviewed by the President and CEO, it really doesnt matter. You are jaded, but i dont fault you for it because the Bears have made a lot of mistakes. Hopefully they get things right this time. In a functioning company whether successful or not the CEO and President should have earned the title because they know the business. George and Ted do not know the business they have proven that.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 8, 2015 -> 10:35 AM) That literally makes zero sense. They met him, they are forming an opinion of him, in addition to the GM, the consultant and whoever else was introduced to him. It doesnt mean their opinions weigh the most or are the end all be all, just that they will have them. When you interview at a company you meet all sorts of people up and down the chain, even if only one person's opinion REALLY counts as the final say it is good for everyone to have a feel for the candidate. Yes you interview with all sorts of people and the opinions are weighed and eventually the buck stops with the person in need of the person to be hired, who has the most knowledge of the role the person will fill. If when the GM is hired all of these interviews take place again you are correct and the process is as you are pointing out. What would think if you went into a company and they interviewed you and at the end they said. Thank you for your time but this process meant nothing as the hiring manager is not yet employed. Ted and George are interviewing a person for a job that they are not qualified to hire them for. Recruiters can send people to you to hire all of the time and the person that hires them should have knowledge of the position they will file. I guess I am just jaded in thinking that Ted and George should not be the sole interviewing parties. This whole process seems like they went into it blindly and had no ideas of what the process would be. Same as the last GM and coaching hire. All of this work to find the right candidate because they had no clue who they wanted and then had no ability to find the right candidates anyway.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 8, 2015 -> 10:25 AM) Why is that an issue? He clearly already gave them his name and his opinion on him, now its their turn for an independent evaluation. an independent evaluation by two people that are not qualified to give an independent evaluation does not make for a positive result. Also if the GM is going to hire the coach why are the ticket manager and accountant interviewing him?

QUOTE (shipps @ Jan 7, 2015 -> 05:08 PM) They would be concerned with rape allegations. as well as an alarming number of interceptions.