Bears Futility - Long and Lasting

Washington

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A very interesting read and sad too.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-bears-george-mccaskey-team-failure-20171206-story.html



Prince Amukamara was sounding it out as best he could. The veteran cornerback was still processing the Bears’ 15-14 loss to the 49ers on Sunday and working to articulate the frustration. But then came a direct question.

Was a loss like this embarrassing for the Bears?

“Are you saying because of the 49ers’ record?” Amukamara asked.

Yes, he was told. After all, the 49ers had won only one other game all season, downing the reeling Giants in Week 10.

So was a defeat like this embarrassing?

“Not embarrassing,” Amukamara said. “We’re just disappointed. Because I think there are games in the NFL where you look and say, ‘OK, we should win this game. We’re pretty confident.’ And to be blunt, this was one of those games.”

Look, there’s nothing wrong with confidence, which the Bears had plenty of heading into the 49ers game. And there’s nothing wrong with a team feeling like it should beat an inferior opponent. But by now, the Bears need to realize they aren’t superior to anyone in the NFL, that their self-assurance is often hollow.

A team that has lost nearly three-quarters of its games over a four-season span can’t accidentally stumble into lapses of overconfidence. A team five years removed from its last winning season shouldn’t traipse anywhere near a misguided belief that it’s on the cusp of bigger things.

Chew on these nuggets of ineptitude.

This season alone 19 NFL teams have enjoyed a winning streak of at least three games. The Bears’ last three-game surge? Well, that came in the first month of the Marc Trestman era — way, way back in September 2013. The only NFL teams that have gone longer without a three-game winning streak? There are none. (Even the Browns have won three in a row more recently, doing so in the middle of 2014.)

The Bears also have been in last place in their division since Dec. 22, 2015. The only team stuck in their division basement for longer, without even a one-week peek outside: the Browns.

The Bears have made only one playoff appearance in the last 10 seasons. The other teams without multiple trips to the postseason party in that span: the Browns, Buccaneers, Rams, Bills, Titans, Raiders and Jaguars.

The Bears have only 25 victories in the five seasons since Lovie Smith was fired. The teams with fewer over that stretch: the Jags (23) and Browns (15).


You are the company you keep.

As the city of Chicago knows by now, Sunday marked just the seventh time in three seasons under coach John Fox that the Bears were favored to win. It also marked the seventh time in such games under Fox that they lost. That is a disturbing trend that speaks to some calamitous glitch within the system.

Is it lack of focus? Poor preparation? Unusual overconfidence? Maybe a combination of everything?

Who knows? But the inquest at Halas Hall to further examine this franchise’s prolonged failure must intensify.

Sunday’s loss wasn’t just an unfortunate stumble. This was Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner off the cliff, plummeting to the ground then taking an anvil to the skull before accepting a package of lit dynamite.

Cue the violins.

These aren’t just your 2017 Bears. This is yet another low point for a franchise that has been sputtering for much of the past quarter-century. Since 1992, in fact, the Bears have had more 10-loss seasons (nine) than playoff appearances (five). And that 10-loss season total soon wil tick up to 10, perhaps as soon as Sunday in Cincinnati.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Bears have not been at .500 at any point since Week 7 of 2014. The only team with a longer skid of futility in that department? Again, there is none.

It all speaks to an organizational failure to establish proper standards in the pursuit of success. Under the weight of such damning evidence, team Chairman George McCaskey should feel obligated to fully examine and then explain the perpetual malfunction.

Yet somehow there’s still no guarantee things won’t get worse before they get better.

Three weeks from now, Fox’s team will host those still-winless Browns on Christmas Eve at Soldier Field. The Bears likely will be favored and expecting to win. In other words, buckle up. The embarrassment could continue.

Either way, significant changes will soon be necessary. Ultimately, if there is a true commitment to turning things around, McCaskey should go through every corner of the building and insist that improvements be made. That will require new leaders in some areas and different philosophies in others.

The Bears’ brain trust can no longer hide from the mirrors at Halas Hall. They need to take a long look and be brutally honest with what they see. Just a forewarning, none of it is pretty.
 

Mdbearz

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A very interesting read and sad too.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-bears-george-mccaskey-team-failure-20171206-story.html



Prince Amukamara was sounding it out as best he could. The veteran cornerback was still processing the Bears’ 15-14 loss to the 49ers on Sunday and working to articulate the frustration. But then came a direct question.

Was a loss like this embarrassing for the Bears?

“Are you saying because of the 49ers’ record?” Amukamara asked.

Yes, he was told. After all, the 49ers had won only one other game all season, downing the reeling Giants in Week 10.

So was a defeat like this embarrassing?

“Not embarrassing,” Amukamara said. “We’re just disappointed. Because I think there are games in the NFL where you look and say, ‘OK, we should win this game. We’re pretty confident.’ And to be blunt, this was one of those games.”

Look, there’s nothing wrong with confidence, which the Bears had plenty of heading into the 49ers game. And there’s nothing wrong with a team feeling like it should beat an inferior opponent. But by now, the Bears need to realize they aren’t superior to anyone in the NFL, that their self-assurance is often hollow.

A team that has lost nearly three-quarters of its games over a four-season span can’t accidentally stumble into lapses of overconfidence. A team five years removed from its last winning season shouldn’t traipse anywhere near a misguided belief that it’s on the cusp of bigger things.

Chew on these nuggets of ineptitude.

This season alone 19 NFL teams have enjoyed a winning streak of at least three games. The Bears’ last three-game surge? Well, that came in the first month of the Marc Trestman era — way, way back in September 2013. The only NFL teams that have gone longer without a three-game winning streak? There are none. (Even the Browns have won three in a row more recently, doing so in the middle of 2014.)

The Bears also have been in last place in their division since Dec. 22, 2015. The only team stuck in their division basement for longer, without even a one-week peek outside: the Browns.

The Bears have made only one playoff appearance in the last 10 seasons. The other teams without multiple trips to the postseason party in that span: the Browns, Buccaneers, Rams, Bills, Titans, Raiders and Jaguars.

The Bears have only 25 victories in the five seasons since Lovie Smith was fired. The teams with fewer over that stretch: the Jags (23) and Browns (15).


You are the company you keep.

As the city of Chicago knows by now, Sunday marked just the seventh time in three seasons under coach John Fox that the Bears were favored to win. It also marked the seventh time in such games under Fox that they lost. That is a disturbing trend that speaks to some calamitous glitch within the system.

Is it lack of focus? Poor preparation? Unusual overconfidence? Maybe a combination of everything?

Who knows? But the inquest at Halas Hall to further examine this franchise’s prolonged failure must intensify.

Sunday’s loss wasn’t just an unfortunate stumble. This was Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner off the cliff, plummeting to the ground then taking an anvil to the skull before accepting a package of lit dynamite.

Cue the violins.

These aren’t just your 2017 Bears. This is yet another low point for a franchise that has been sputtering for much of the past quarter-century. Since 1992, in fact, the Bears have had more 10-loss seasons (nine) than playoff appearances (five). And that 10-loss season total soon wil tick up to 10, perhaps as soon as Sunday in Cincinnati.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Bears have not been at .500 at any point since Week 7 of 2014. The only team with a longer skid of futility in that department? Again, there is none.

It all speaks to an organizational failure to establish proper standards in the pursuit of success. Under the weight of such damning evidence, team Chairman George McCaskey should feel obligated to fully examine and then explain the perpetual malfunction.

Yet somehow there’s still no guarantee things won’t get worse before they get better.

Three weeks from now, Fox’s team will host those still-winless Browns on Christmas Eve at Soldier Field. The Bears likely will be favored and expecting to win. In other words, buckle up. The embarrassment could continue.

Either way, significant changes will soon be necessary. Ultimately, if there is a true commitment to turning things around, McCaskey should go through every corner of the building and insist that improvements be made. That will require new leaders in some areas and different philosophies in others.

The Bears’ brain trust can no longer hide from the mirrors at Halas Hall. They need to take a long look and be brutally honest with what they see. Just a forewarning, none of it is pretty.

I feel like I have been a victim of Stockholmes syndrome, all these years I have hope every season. Even before the Eagles game, I had hope. Maybe I need to find a hobby, because I'm tired of this shit show.
 

cobra302

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More often than not, this team has been bad, going all the way back to the late '60's. There were some good years in the 80's and a 2nd Super Bowl appearance in mid 2000's, but pretty much a shitty team before & after that Super Bowl loss season. The constant over that time? The ownership, nepotism in the front office, etc. I never start a season with much optimism any more. It would be foolhardy to do so. Am getting where I'm not sure if I even want to watch the games, even though I pay for Sunday Ticket each year so I can see the Bears' games. There are better things I can do with my life on Sunday afternoons.
 

legendxofxlink

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My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Nashville Predators
  1. ETSU Buccaneers
  2. Tennessee Volunteers
Bears are losing fans left and right. The NFL in it's entirety is losing fans. If it wasn't for Fantasy Football, the NFL would surely be reeling. Most of my friends have lost complete interest, would rather talk about how shitty UT is than speak of NFL. And, honestly, to be a shitty team during the start of the NFL's collapse definitely makes you lose interest.
 

Washington

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People say that at least we're not the Browns. Given some of those sad stats, we've been worse than the Browns. It's sad that we really have just accepted that this is how it is. We definitely deserve to be spoken in the same context as the Browns.
 

WindyCity

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The sheer epicness of John Fox's failure here has been beyond words.
 

roadwarrior_joe

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I've been saying for years what the common denominator is with this dysfunctional team. Most people have brushed it off and continue their clamoring for new GMs/coaches, players, etc. It will not happen with GMs and coaches with this organization. Why?.....owners will not allow someone outside the family to run it like what it should be, an NFL team competing for championships, that means giving say and control to someone that might jeopardize their mom and pop mentality of running a business. A business they lucked into, have no clue how to run, and reap rewards from a fan base that I question their mentality.

I have said in other threads, this team has not hit bottom yet, that will happen in a few years, then they will dwell there for who knows how long, seems like others are now starting to understand this to.

The owners will not move, you can book that, you can tell in their ways that they would never venture into an unknown proposition where it would put them under the gun to try and reestablish a fan base like this one, and possibly have to shell out $$$ for a potentially new stadium. They love their situation in Chicago, fans that keep buying into their shit product, playing in a city park with only rent money to pay, and reaping the $$$ from tickets and concessions. So as long as that holds out why move.

BUT....don't let no one kid you, they would sell if they started to see more money going out of their pockets than going in, and the value of the team starts going from the billion mark into that million range. Stop buying the season tickets, let them play in an empty stadium so they pay rent but there is no money coming in to offset it, stop buying Bears stuff, stop watching the games on TV so TV ratings go down in one of the largest markets in the NFL, this will eventually effect TV revenue, and the other 31 owners will not be happy with that which will put pressure on them, if you have to, listen to the game on the radio, that way you can do something more important instead of wasting time watching a team you know is going to lose.

This isn't billboard clamoring, this is a normal consumer action, you sell shit, we don't like shit, so take your shit somewhere else, or sell your business to someone that has a chance to take your shit and make something more than what it is, and then maybe I'll start buying again.

But sadly, people will just keep taking up the ass and then complain that it hurts.
 

westcoast bear fanatic

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People say that at least we're not the Browns. Given some of those sad stats, we've been worse than the Browns. It's sad that we really have just accepted that this is how it is. We definitely deserve to be spoken in the same context as the Browns.

Not only this but if the Bears don't turn their fortunes around and quickly the Browns might surpass us. They are starting to amass some good, young talent.
 

zabavka

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McCaskeys and Ted Phillips are to blame and always have been.

You can't hump a doorknob your way through running a professional football team and these fucking Special person assholes will continue to do so until we're all dust
 

bearmick

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Unless people think Ginny, George and Ted are actively vetoing GM decisions, they have nothing to do with the failure.
 

zabavka

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Unless people think Ginny, George and Ted are actively vetoing GM decisions, they have nothing to do with the failure.

Yeah the one common denominator that has existed through the past 10 years couldn't be the problem, no,or course not

What a fucking dumb thing to say dude
 

bearmick

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Yeah the one common denominator that has existed through the past 10 years couldn't be the problem, no,or course not

What a fucking dumb thing to say dude

The fact that they've been present doesn't mean they're the cause. Again, unless they're actively vetoing front office decisions in running the football operations, they aren't the issue.

Do you think they do that? If so, tell us how they managed to keep this under the carpet and stop prior employees talking to the press about it.

If you don't think they do that, then explain what you think they're doing to cause the failure.

You made the claim, so substantiate it.
 

didshereallysaythat

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If the Rams and Jaguars can turn it around this year, there is hope for us yet. Those teams were doormats forever it seems.
 

zabavka

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The fact that they've been present doesn't mean they're the cause. Again, unless they're actively vetoing front office decisions in running the football operations, they aren't the issue.

Do you think they do that? If so, tell us how they managed to keep this under the carpet and stop prior employees talking to the press about it.

If you don't think they do that, then explain what you think they're doing to cause the failure.

You made the claim, so substantiate it.

Uh how bout the fact that Sweaty Teddy makes a point to tell the media Pace or any GM reports to him?

He a fucking meddler and always has been.

Also ownership decides who is hired fired etc so don't tell me they have no influence.
 
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The fact that they've been present doesn't mean they're the cause. Again, unless they're actively vetoing front office decisions in running the football operations, they aren't the issue.

Do you think they do that? If so, tell us how they managed to keep this under the carpet and stop prior employees talking to the press about it.

If you don't think they do that, then explain what you think they're doing to cause the failure.

You made the claim, so substantiate it.

Well this argument about the owners and Sweaty being cheap and meddlesome goes back for years. During the 80s McCaskey(Michael) publicly stated the Bears could not afford to pay players prevailing wages. The stadium deal that Sweaty negotiated was/is mediocre.

With the salary cap the there is a floor and a ceiling, the McCaskey's are stuck with that.

The salary cap does not include salaries of Head Coaches,assistant coaches,scouting departments,etc. This is where the organization has been lacking over the years.

When Fox was brought in they did get some well qualified assistants. Dowell Loggains is clearly over his head, and I would wager his salary reflects that. I still wonder why they don't have an outside LB coach, Fangio is doing that on top of his DC role(money saved again).

There is a lack of urgency with this organization and that starts at the top. 5 playoff appearances in the last 25 years is more than dismal. The Owners and the Team President should be held accountable for that. It is ridiculous to say otherwise.

Weirdness abounds, the Glennon signing(18 mil) and then drafting Trubiskey(giving up valuable picks). This all seems disjointed without a real plan.

I actually think right now the Bears are the team in the NFL with the worst upside. Be prepared for a decade of bad!
 

theOHIOSTATE!

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The fact that Ted Phillips is still drawing a huge paycheck from these buffoons is all I need to know about our clownish ownership.


SELL THE FKN TEAM.

They won't right now, so I try not to dwell on it.

**goes back to scouting USC in his football free time**
 

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