Tuesday News Blog

Bears to begin GM interviews Tuesday with Titans' Lake Dawson

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-bears-gm-interviews-to-begin-spt-0106-20150105-story.html

The Bears' search for a general manager will intensify Tuesday as they begin interviewing candidates at Halas Hall..

Lake Dawson, the Titans' vice president of player personnel, is set to meet with the Bears on Tuesday, according to a league source. Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard is scheduled to interview Wednesday, two sources said.

The Bears are also believed to have an interview scheduled Wednesday with Saints director of player personnel Ryan Pace.

Chairman George McCaskey and team President Ted Phillips prefer to hire a general manager before a coach, so the search becomes more urgent as it moves into its second week.

The Bears are scheduled to interview Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles on Saturday for their coaching vacancy, a league source said. That could indicate an expectation or desire to have their general manager in place by the end of the week.

"Chairman George McCaskey and team President Ted Phillips prefer to hire a general manager before a coach" Well, that pretty much seals it and ends all hope. 1. McCaskey and Phillips shouldn't be hiring anyone except for a President of Football Operations recommended to them by...

At the very least, Bowles is one of the NFL's most sought-after coaching candidates, and there's pressure to interview him before another team hires him. He's scheduled to interview with the Jets on Wednesday, the Falcons on Thursday and the 49ers on Friday, according to various national reports.

If a team hires Bowles before he can interview with the Bears on Saturday, they would consider other minority coaching candidates.

John Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance that promotes diversity in NFL hiring, said he would recommend two to the Bears: Mike Singletary, the former 49ers coach and Bears Hall of Fame linebacker, and Packers assistant head coach/linebackers Winston Moss.

The general manager interviews, though, are the most immediate business. Dawson oversees the Titans' college and pro scouting departments. The former Notre Dame receiver just finished his third season in that role.

Ballard won't have any trouble locating Halas Hall. He was the Bears' southwest area scout from 2001-11 and their director of pro scouting in 2012.

Pace oversees the Saints' college and pro scouting operations under general manager Mickey Loomis. Before being promoted to his current role in 2013, he spent six seasons as the Saints' director of pro scouting. He was a defensive end at Eastern Illinois from 1995-99.


Copyright © 2015, -Cago34- Tribune

Marc Trestman spotted with Josh McCown on Florida beach

http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-marc-trestman-josh-mccown-beach-20150105-htmlstory.html

Former Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman has kept a low profile since being fired Dec. 29, but speculation that he could be a candidate for the offensive coordinator opening with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up some steam over the weekend.

Trestman was spotted last week on a Clearwater, Fla., beach with Buccaneers quarterback Josh McCown, who recently endorsed his former coach, calling him "an outstanding coach and an outstanding person and he has a great sense of offensive football, especially quarterback play."

Does anybody know anything about Winston Moss? I saw he was the assistant head coach/linebackers coach in GB while looking through some teams staffs. What kind of duties/power does he have as an assistant HC?

Marc Trestman spotted vacationing alongside former Bears QB Josh McCown

I live like 5 minutes from there, wish I knew, I would have gone there and screamed, ''NERD!!!''

http://www.csnchicago.com/bears/marc-trestman-spotted-vacationing-alongside-former-bears-qb-josh-mccown

The 2014 NFL Campaign was not kind to the Chicago Bears. After succumbing to a woeful 5-11 record that left the Bears in last place in the NFC North, the team's front office cleaned house in the weeks since the end of the season. The firing of general manager Phil Emery and head coach Marc Trestman sent alarm signals across the league, yet Trestman doesn't seem to be bothered.

He opted to travel south where he was recently spotted on Clearwater Beach with none other than former Bears backup quarterback Josh McCown.

Although his future in coaching remains to be seen, the seemingly coincidental coming together of the two might suggest McCown trying to entice his former coach to be in the running for the next Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator position.

If the two are in fact striking up a deal Lovie Smith may be in luck and could be tempted to make the near hour-long commute from Tampa Bay to Clearwater Beach to fill the void in the Bucs' coaching staff.

Report: Bucs interview Marc Trestman for OC position

http://www.csnchicago.com/bears/report-bucs-interview-marc-trestman-oc-position

It appears as if Marc Trestman and Josh McCown were more than looking to relax under the umbrellas on Florida beaches this offseason.

After images showed the two together in Clearwater Beach, reports surfaced regarding the vacant offensive coordinator position in Tampa Bay and that the Buccaneers were in line to interview a number of applicants. It doesn't seem to be a surprise anymore that McCown could have been trying to lure Trestman to join Lovie Smith's staff.

Trestman took over the Bears from Smith in 2013, but after two unimpressive seasons in Chicago, it looks like the two could join forces if everything goes according to plan.

Saints expected to take Bears GM candidate off the market

http://www.csnchicago.com/bears/saints-expected-take-bears-gm-candidate-market

Word out of New Orleans intensified Monday that the Saints are planning to elevate director of player personnel Ryan Pace to a general manager position, removing one candidate from Bears consideration after the Bears and others had requested permission to interview him.

Concurrently, incumbent GM/executive vice president Mickey Loomis reportedly has been targeted for a greater workload with the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, the team also owned by Saints owner Tom Benson and for which Loomis already oversees basketball operations.

The Saints have called a Tuesday press conference, a source told CSNChicago.com, with the change in responsibilities expected to be announced. The impending moves have been the subject of speculation around the NFL as the Saints look to make changes after a season rivaling the Bears’ for underachieving disappointment.

The New York Jets also had requested permission to interview Pace, although the Saints had not granted access to the former Eastern Illinois defensive end.

Without John Elway, would Mike Shanahan really be a fit for Bears?

http://www.csnchicago.com/bears/without-john-elway-would-mike-shanahan-really-be-fit-bears

Mike Shanahan is understandably the prominent name in coaching play currently, whether by his hand or the Bears or the San Francisco 49ers or the Buffalo Bills, if for no other reason than he’s the only one with a Super Bowl ring.

He’s got the connection and the endorsement of Jay Cutler. (But there are positives, too.)

However, unless Shanahan would be coming to Chicago with a John Elway in the latter’s prime, the upside is a bit vague. Shanahan has been basically a .500 coach (123-121) without Elway. More to the Bears and Cutler point, Shanahan had a losing record with Cutler starting (17-20).

Within that latter point is the more concerning glitch: The Denver Broncos were 8-5 in 2008, Cutler’s Pro Bowl season and proceeded to lose the last three games and miss the playoffs. The Denver defense has been the popular foil but Cutler, under Shanahan, failed to post a passer rating higher than 74.9 in any of those three games, when winning any one of them would have given the Broncos the NFC West title. The last time Shanahan won a playoff game was 2005, the year before Shanahan traded up to draft Cutler.

-Cago34- said:

Concurrently, incumbent GM/executive vice president Mickey Loomis reportedly has been targeted for a greater workload with the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, the team also owned by Saints owner Tom Benson and for which Loomis already oversees basketball operations.

Click to expand...

Okay, no one gets to complain about the Bears' front office ever again.

Postseason suggests a few nuggets for Bears past and future

http://www.csnchicago.com/bears/postseason-suggests-few-nuggets-bears-past-and-future



The searches for Bears GM and head coach will wend their way into a second week after interviews with early candidates from the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. In the meantime, however, the NFL was getting on with its playoffs, and watching them through something of a Bears filter was interesting:

One of the lesser-known but highly respected lights on the general manager level is former Bears personnel man and current Minnesota Vikings assistant GM George Paton. Mike Florio over at “Pro Football Talk” reported on a might-have-been involving Paton and Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn in which Quinn, an early interview with the Bears, was interested in being part of a package with Paton.

Paton isn’t interested in leaving Minnesota right now – he feels very, very good about what he and GM Rick Spielman are building with the Vikings – which is unfortunate for the Bears and New York Jets, teams that fired their general managers and are rebuilding from the top down.

Some bad revisionist history has been swirling in the wake of the Bears’ 5-11 disaster, which now has led to conclusions that the roster is so bereft of talent that just about any draft choice at just about any position has to be an upgrade for a talent-lite team.

Sorry. Too easy. For one thing, you’ll generally always be safe ripping talent, because only one team will win the Super Bowl and every other team by definition falls short because of one shortcoming or another.

Remember back last offseason and through the 2-1 start, when one very real theme was “no excuses” for Jay Cutler because of the talent in place? One significant offensive problem was fired the day after the season, and a team with a record-setting running back, Pro Bowl guard and franchise-record-setting tight end is not a bare cupboard.

And isn’t there just a little bit of curiosity around what a Bears defense also will be like with a makeover from the top?

A couple years ago a colleague skewered me for preferring Joe Flacco over Jay Cutler. You know who you are: If Flacco’s and Cutler’s careers have emphatically underscored one thing, it is that there is more than perceived talent to being successful, and nowhere more so than behind an NFL center.

The Bears’ have had truly bad luck with injuries. Not the ones involving their current roster; ones that cost them players and draft choices trying to fill for those losses (see: Columbo, Marc).

The starting right guard for the Indianapolis Colts in their divisional-round game at Denver will be Lance Louis. Yep, that Lance Louis, the one who suffered what appeared to be a career-ending (or certainly career-altering) torn ACL on a post-interception hit by Jared Allen in week 12 of the 2012 season. The hit cost Allen a $20,000 fine and effectively cost Louis and the Bears, who didn’t re-sign Louis despite a promising start for a seventh-round draft choice.

Louis wasn’t able to stick with the Miami Dolphins in 2013 but signed a reserve/future contract with Indianapolis last January and is now cashing playoff checks for protecting Andrew Luck.

Jerry Angelo on Chris Ballard: Bears 'couldn't get a better candidate'

http://chicago.suntimes.com/bears-football/7/71/264288/jerry-angelo-chris-ballard-bears-couldnt-get-better-candidate

Chris Ballard was a typical hard-working area scout for the Bears — an enthusiastic evaluator who did his homework and learned from his mistakes. But he also showed potential for bigger and better things.

“Chris knows how to evaluate talent. And Chris knows how to build a team,” said former Bears general manager Jerry Angelo, Ballard’s boss with the Bears from 2001-11. “He did his homework. He had a strong opinion based on research and hard work. He worked well with people. And he gets it. He understands the dynamic on what to look for in players and how to build a team.”

Ballard, the Kansas City Chiefs’ director of player personnel the past two seasons, is scheduled to interview with the Bears on Wednesday. Angelo called him the best man for the job.

“I just feel strongly about him. I feel he’s ready. I think they couldn’t get a better candidate,” Angelo said. “If there’s anybody that’s put in the time and learned well — and I saw it first-hand — I think he’s as good as any. He’s an excellent candidate.”

2. There’s no telling if Ballard would be a good NFL general manager. The Bears went to the Super Bowl during his 12-year run in the personnel department, but they also missed the playoffs eight times. The Bears drafted Matt Forte, Tommie Harris, Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs, but they also drafted Michael Haynes, Dan Buzuin, Chris Williams and Gabe Carimi.

The Chiefs improved from 2-14 before Ballard was hired as director of player personnel to 11-5 in 2013 and 9-7 in 2014. But he’s third-in-command with the Chiefs, behind coach Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey.

And most of all, nobody can tell just how lucky he’ll be. Being at the right place at the right time is a huge factor. Bill Polian was hired by the Bills the year after they drafted Jim Kelly. He went to the Colts they year they drafted Peyton Manning — a key decision over Ryan Leaf, but still a fortuitous opportunity.

“You have to be fortunate,” former Packers general manager Ron Wolf said when asked about the key to his and Ted Thompson’s success. “You’re talking about two exceptional coaches in [Mike] Holmgren and [Mike] McCarthy; two exceptional quarterbacks in [Brett] Favre and [Aaron] Rodgers. You’d like to say it’s skill and ability. But there’s a little bit of luck involved, and good fortune.”

3. Former Bears special teams coach Dave Toub, who has been with the Chiefs the past two seasons, would be a very legitimate candidate for head coach — in Chicago or somewhere else.

Special teams coaches such as Toub are actually better qualified for head-coaching positions than many coordinators, because they work with offensive and defensive players, they have the toughest teaching job in the business and most of all, their job is about managing people — the toughest part of coaching. Most players on special teams units would rather be doing something else and it’s Toub’s job to get the most out of them — something he did in Chicago extremely well.

Unfortunately, nobody hires special teams coaches. Even John Harbaugh, a special teams coach for nine years with the Eagles, was moved to defensive backs coach in 2007 by Andy Reid to enhance his candidacy for a head-coaching job. And it worked. Toub doesn’t have that advantage.

4. The playoffs are often seen as an impediment to a team searching for a head coach — Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn might not be available until after the Super Bowl. But good teams find a way around it. None of the 10 active NFL head coaches with five or more career playoff victories was hired for their current job off a playoff team — Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, John Harbaugh, Mike Tomlin, Mike McCarthy, Tom Coughlin, Andy Reid, Sean Payton, Jeff Fisher and John Fox.

5. Ron Rivera. Rod Marinelli. Pep Hamilton — it was a pretty good wild-card weekend for former Bears coaches.

Rivera, fired as defensive coordinatory by Lovie Smith after the 2006 Super Bowl season, has the Panthers in the divisional round after a victory over Bruce Arians’ Cardinals. The Panthers have won five consecutive games after a 1-8-1 stretch. The Panthers are 16-5 in December and January in Rivera’s four seasons. The Bears are 5-13 in that span.

Marinelli, who left the Bears — reportedly in a huff — after Lovie Smith was fired in 2012, reached the divisional round with the Cowboys, who held the Lions to three points in the second half in a 24-20 victory over the Lions on Sunday.

Under Marinelli, the Cowboys improved from 26th in points allowed to 15th — despite losing Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Ware. The Bears dropped from 30th to 31st in the same span, despite the addition of defensive end Jared Allen.

Hamilton, who was fired as quarterbacks coach by Smith after the 2009 season, is riding high as the offensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts, who reached the divisional round with a victory over the Bengals on Sunday.

6. The NFL gives sub-.500 playoff teams a home game they don’t deserve. With Carolina’s victory over the Cardinals, teams that are .500 or worse are 4-0 in the wild-card round since 2008 — all of them division champions winning at home. It would seem like an easy tweak to the playoff format to force division champions to finish above .500 to host a playoff game. But the NFL will never go for it — it makes too much sense.

7. Would Bears fans rather their beloved be the Cincinnati Bengals, who have made the playoffs four consecutive seasons and five of the last six but have yet to win a wild-card game?

After completing his 12th season as the Bengals’ head coach, Marvin Lewis is No. 2 on the NFL seniority list behind the Patriots’ Bill Belichick. How unusual is Lewis’ stability? Of the top eight coaches in NFL seniority, seven have a combined playoff record of 58-30, with 10 Super Bowls — they’ve each won at least one. Lewis is 0-6 in the playoffs. He’s the only current NFL coach who has not won a Super Bowl with more than four years at his current job.

8. Though the Lions got the worst end of the officiating in their 24-20 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday, it’s hard to feel too bad for a team that responded to a bad break with a 10-yard punt.

8a. That said, the most egregious non-call of the game was Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant avoiding an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for running onto the field without his helmet to protest the pass interference call on teammate Anthony Hitchens. “That was worse than the pass interference call,” former Colts Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy said on “The Dan Patrick show.” You can debate the pass interference call. But the helmet rule is plain.”

9. Ex-Bears Player of the Week: Cowboys fullback Tyler Clutts played just four snaps against the Lions, but made them count. Clutts had the key block that sprang DeMarco Murray for a fourth-and-goal one-yard touchdown run that cut the Cowboys’ deficit to 20-14.

10. The big winners in the NFC wild-card games were the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks, who play the 7-8-1 Panthers instead of the 11-5 Lions. Meanwhile, the Packers get the Cowboys, who were 8-0 on the road this season. The Packers were 8-0 at home, but they have lost three of their last four home playoff games.

Bowles, Quinn are Vegas favorites to be next Bears coach

http://chicago.suntimes.com/bears-football/7/71/262462/bowles-quinn-vegas-favorites-next-bears-coach

Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is a 3-to-1 favorite to become the Chicago Bears’ next head coach, according to bookmakers at MyTopSportsbooks.com.

Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is next at 4-to-1, and former Bills coach Doug Marrone is 8-to-1.

The Bears fired Marc Trestman a week ago, and there are even odds for where the former coach will end up:

-NFL offensive coordinator: 4-to-1
-NFL QB coach: 4-to-1
-Unemployed: 8-to-1
-Television: 15-to-1
-NFL head coach: 22-to-1

Bears to interview Cardinals coach Todd Bowles on Saturday

http://chicago.suntimes.com/bears-football/7/71/264024/bears-interview-cardinals-coordinator-todd-bowles-saturday

The Bears have set a deadline for their general manager hire: by Saturday, when, sources confirmed, the team will interview Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles for their vacant head coaching position.

The team wants to conduct the meeting with a GM in place, and the next 48 hours will prove critical in accomplishing that goal.

Titans vice president of player personnel Lake Dawson will interview with the Bears on Tuesday, with Chiefs director of pro personnel Chris Ballard scheduled for the following day, league sources said.

Ballard, who spent 12 years with the Bears before leaving for Kansas City in 2013, is considered by many to be the favorite for the job.

He turned down a chance to interview for the vacant Jets GM position, reports said Monday.

Dawson, a former Notre Dame star and NFL wide receiver, is respected in league circles, having worked with the Titans since 2007. His interview also satisfies the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which requires that teams interview minority candidates for every head coach and general manager opening.

The Bears are intrigued by the Bowles’ defensive background after watching their unit allow the most points in franchise history in 2013 and the second-most last season.

Bowles, who spent three games at the Dolphins’ interim head coach in 2011, has been the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator the past two seasons.

Only four teams allowed fewer than the Cardinals’ 18.7 points per game, a surprising season that ended with Saturday’s playoff loss to the Panthers.

The Bears will have company for Bowles’ services, though — they’re one of at least four teams with plans to interview the 51-year-old.

Chairman George McCaskey, president Ted Phillips and consultant Ernie Accorsi interviewed two coaching candidates — Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase and Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn — late last week.

League rules mandated their interviews came before Sunday. If the Bears want a second round with them, they’ll have to wait until the coaches’ teams lose in the playoffs or during the bye week before the Super Bowl, whichever comes first.

Email: pfinley@suntimes.com

Twitter: @patrickfinley

Panthers Coach Ron Rivera, Family Not Injured in House Fire

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/injuries-fire-home-carolina-panthers-coach-28001173

Panthers coach Ron Rivera has more to worry about this week than his team's upcoming NFC playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks after an overnight fire at his home left his family displaced on Monday.

The Rivera family's 7,000-square-foot, two-story Charlotte home sustained "significant" damage from an early morning blaze that spewed heavy smoke and fire from the attic two days after Carolina's 27-16 playoff victory over Arizona.

No one was injured in the two-alarm blaze, which took about an hour to extinguish.

The Charlotte Fire Investigative Task Force determined the cause of the "accidental fire" to be a fireplace inside the home and estimated the damages at approximately $500,000.

"The big thing is we're all right," Rivera said. "This opportunity to work and continue to work is very reassuring. It could have been worse. It's kind of like (the movie) 'It's A Wonderful Life,' You see things through a different set of eyes now."

Rivera and his wife, Stephanie, along with his two brothers and their wives were in the house sleeping at the time of the fire. All made it out safely along with two family pets.

Rivera suspected the fire might have started in a gas fireplace, located on the opposite side of the master bedroom wall where he and Stephanie were sleeping. He said they both awoke when they smelled smoke. He repeatedly stressed at his news conference the importance of having a home security system or smoke alarms, saying it probably helped save his family's life.

Rivera said the master bedroom, family room and living room are "pretty close to being destroyed" and the insurance company estimates it will take six to eight months before they'll be able to return to the home.

He said they will stay in a friend's private house while waiting for the house to be rebuilt.

Charlotte Fire Department Capt. Rob Brisley said at a news conference Monday that "we were able to keep the damage to a minimum, meaning a lot of their household items are safe."

Rivera now has to shift gears to focus preparation on the biggest game of his head coaching career Saturday night against the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks on the other side of the country.

Rivera didn't arrive at the stadium until Monday afternoon ? several hours later than he planned ? after dealing with the aftermath of the fire.

Rivera doesn't believe the fire will be a distraction to his preparation this week.

He said his coaching staff has already prepared for Seattle and "I'm the only one that has to catch up."

This is the second significant off-the-field issue to hit the Panthers in less than a month.

Quarterback Cam Newton was injured in a two-vehicle accident Dec. 9 and was hospitalized overnight with two fractures in his lower back. Newton missed one game, but was able to return the following week.

Earlier this offseason, Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy was convicted on two counts of domestic violence and hasn't played since the first week of the season while he's remained on the commissioner's exempt list.

Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen called it a bizarre season.

"Every year has its own story. Ever year has its own series of events that are hard to predict," Olsen said.

"But a car accident involving your starting quarterback and your head coach's house catching fire ? those are things I don't think anyone anticipates being a part of your story. For whatever reason this has been our year for out of the ordinary events."

Said Rivera: "It has been different. You can't make this stuff up."

Veteran safety Roman Harper said he doesn't believe the fire will be a distraction for Rivera, who is 32-31-1 in the regular season and 1-1 in the postseason since taking over in Carolina in 2011.

"Coach Rivera will be fine," Harper said. "I know he won't let it get in the way of what we're trying to accomplish as a team."

After reports of the fire emerged, Rivera texted members of his coaching staff and told them his family was fine and had them pass along a message to players that "it's business as usual."

Brisley called the damage to the house significant.

"Anytime you are faced with a fire and your family is displaced it is significant for the homeowner and it is significant for the family," Brisley said. "We are just grateful that there are no injuries."

Fire officials reported seeing heavy smoke and fire coming from the house when they arrived. Television video showed blackened windows in the attic of the home.

The Panthers did not practice Monday, but players did come into the stadium for some team meetings and a few stopped by to speak with reporters.

"We have to remain focused on the on-the-field stuff," linebacker Thomas Davis said. "We have a great opportunity ahead of us right now. With coach Rivera's situation we are thankful no one got hurt. But a house is a materialistic thing that can be replaced. When you lose a life or someone gets hurt it's hard to replace that."

Good trolling Cagbro


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Josh McDaniels: Interviews with Falcons, 49ers went “fine,” haven’t gone any farther :-v

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/05/josh-mcdaniels-interviews-with-falcons-49ers-went-fine-havent-gone-any-farther/related/

Posted by Josh Alper on January 5, 2015, 3:38 PM EST

The Patriots are back in action this week, which means that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels won’t be interviewing for any head coaching jobs around the league.

He was allowed to take those interviews last week and had a couple of them before moving on to preparations for the Ravens. McDaniels spoke to the Falcons and the 49ers about their openings and said Monday that he thought both interviews went well before making it clear that this week’s game was a bigger focus than a potential new job.

“They were fine. It’s part of the process and privileged any time anybody wants to speak with you about anything like that. But at this point, I’ve moved on and hopefully help us put together a great plan for our guys heading into this week,” McDaniels said, via the Boston Herald. “Honestly, it’s just an initial meeting with them. It hasn’t gone any farther in either direction. So, I’m back to focusing on the next task at hand for us, which is the Ravens. I’m sure they’ll need to do what they need to do on their end. I’m sure those things will take care of themselves in the future.”

McDaniels can’t interview with teams again until the Patriots are finished playing, but the door seems to be open to more talks should either team want to continue the process with McDaniels. We should have a better idea of their intentions in the near future.

Marty McFly said:

Good trolling Cagbro


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Tahnks, McMonkbro

Marshall opening new training facility

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Marshall-opening-new-training-facility/ce9d0fe7-c7a3-4aa2-8749-39fa0715902b

Bears receiver Brandon Marshall will officially open his new training facility, Fit Speed, in Northbrook with a grand-opening this Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

The new 10,000-square foot facility training space located at 1885 Holste Road will include a 5,000-square foot weight room and 4,000 square feet of synthetic turf featuring seven batting cages along with the highest end performance training equipment in the industry.

The facility will host various training and athlete performance programs and classes for ages seven-and-up and will also be a Midwest location for performance training for professional athletes from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB.

Marshall's latest business venture is an expansion of FitSpeed Athletic Performance, which he and trainer Matt Gates began in South Florida almost three years ago.

Marshall customarily trains there in the offseason with many of his Bears teammates, but he will be spending this offseason in Chicago partly because his wife just gave birth to twins last month.

“It’s organic,” Marshall said of his FitSpeed brand. “This is what I do. A lot of times people come
in and think that I'm gonna be sitting in the office, but I'm working out. I'm just part of the drill.”

For further information on the various programs FitSpeed offers, go to: www.fit-speed.com; or call 224-326-0530.

Marshall will sign autographs and pose for photos from 2-3 p.m. on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Mike Shanahan interviewed with Oakland Raiders

Ugh, Meh, sorry not sorry.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000454526/article/mike-shanahan-interviewed-with-oakland-raiders

Could all be forgiven between Mike Shanahan and the Raiders?

According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport on Monday, Shanahan spoke with the Raiders following his interview with the San Francisco 49ers, per a source informed of his schedule. He also met with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

The Oakland interview is by far the most intriguing considering the fact that it was Shanahan's first NFL head-coaching gig, which ended in a total disaster.

Locked in a power struggle with then-owner Al Davis, the two went back and forth firing assistants that the other had brought aboard. Shanahan's career eventually rebounded as an offensive coordinator in San Francisco and then in Denver, where he won a pair of Super Bowls.

And now, 25 years later, Shanahan was apparently not frustrated enough to blow off an interview with the Silver and Black. Time truly heals all wounds.

The veteran coach is going to be a fascinating wild card in this coaching search that includes plenty of big-name assistants. Depending on the offensive staff he's able to put together, he may end up being the most logical choice for a few teams, including Buffalo.

Some of those articles are pretty weird.

-Cago34- said:

Bowles, Quinn are Vegas favorites to be next Bears coach

http://chicago.suntimes.com/bears-football/7/71/262462/bowles-quinn-vegas-favorites-next-bears-coach

Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is a 3-to-1 favorite to become the Chicago Bears’ next head coach, according to bookmakers at MyTopSportsbooks.com.

Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is next at 4-to-1, and former Bills coach Doug Marrone is 8-to-1.

The Bears fired Marc Trestman a week ago, and there are even odds for where the former coach will end up:

-NFL offensive coordinator: 4-to-1
-NFL QB coach: 4-to-1
-Unemployed: 8-to-1
-Television: 15-to-1
-NFL head coach: 22-to-1

Click to expand...

To bad Toub and even Bevell are far more likely to get the job if Ballard is indeed the next GM, which is very much looking like the case. Whoever is fixing these odds mustnt have done their homework.