Angelo plans to extend Lovies contract

[HeavyD]

So JA seems intent on giving Lovie a contract extension. We got our 11-5 despite their meddling. I am 100% against this move, he still has a year on his contract so when we end up at 8-8 next year we can not resign him and be fine about it. He gets this extension and our next 5 years will be spent in obscurity.


Bears plan to sign Smith to extension

 

[Jysen]

Yeah... Over exceeding expectations. 11-5 after a 7-9 Season. 2nd Seed and made it to the Championship round. 3 Division Titles in 6 years..

 

[Jntg4]

Good. Right Move.

 

[Rush]

Agreed. The players want to play for him. As long as our assistants stay, I am happy. They are more important.

 

[Scoot26]

I'd give Lovie a two year extension. In reality I wouldnt give him one and wait to see how he does next year...but I'd be okay with a two year extension. I'm not in favor of a 5 year extension.

 

[HeavyD]

Were did those division titles get us? This guy can't coach in the playoffs.

Todd Collins and Tommie Harris still being on this team are reasons enough to wait and see another year. Both players should have been released mid-season and both stayed on the roster. I am aware Tommie made an impact against the Seahawks but the events before that don't warant him getting any playing time.

Todd Collins being inserted into the most important game of the year with the line of 0 TDs and 5ints while he faced bad teams is just insane.

Awesome for Hanie, he made himself some money for another team with how he played.

 

[X]

Were did those division titles get us? This guy can't coach in the playoffs.

Todd Collins and Tommie Harris still being on this team are reasons enough to wait and see another year. Both players should have been released mid-season and both stayed on the roster. I am aware Tommie made an impact against the Seahawks but the events before that don't warant him getting any playing time.

Todd Collins being inserted into the most important game of the year with the line of 0 TDs and 5ints while he faced bad teams is just insane.

Awesome for Hanie, he made himself some money for another team with how he played.

yeah, I forgot Lovie gave those players the contracts.

 

[zack54attack]

Lovie deserves one.

 

[WearShades]

This is the right move for the Bears, but for those who disagree I'd like to hear what their alternative is. All the hot coordinators have been hired, and none of the available big names coaches are going to come here (nor would the Bears pay for one). Lovie, for all his warts, has been able to get a lot more out of the roster than anyone could have reasonably expected at the start of the year. The team hasn't turned on him at any point while he's been in Chicago. When you fire a coach you're basically conceding the following year, maybe next two years, and if you fire Lovie now you're going to look like the Chargers did after firing Marty Schottenheimer.

 

[Captain Iago]

Keep him, but I wouldn't extend him.

 

[ClydeLee]

This is the right move for the Bears, but for those who disagree I'd like to hear what their alternative is. All the hot coordinators have been hired, and none of the available big names coaches are going to come here (nor would the Bears pay for one). Lovie, for all his warts, has been able to get a lot more out of the roster than anyone could have reasonably expected at the start of the year. The team hasn't turned on him at any point while he's been in Chicago. When you fire a coach you're basically conceding the following year, maybe next two years, and if you fire Lovie now you're going to look like the Chargers did after firing Marty Schottenheimer.

The alternative is simple, don't extend his contract. Lovie has 1 year left and if he has a bad year next season your not entitled to keep him. Also if its so bad next year you do fire him the team will be reluctant to give big money to the new head coach coming in.

 

[Jysen]

Were did those division titles get us? This guy can't coach in the playoffs.

Yep, He sucks. We'll never perform like the 49ers and the Panthers, or the Lions. No way being one of the top 4 teams out of 32 is acceptable. That means we can go after Biillicheat as he'll be canned after failing the last few years too.

 

[Captain Iago]

The alternative is simple, don't extend his contract. Lovie has 1 year left and if he has a bad year next season your not entitled to keep him. Also if its so bad next year you do fire him the team will be reluctant to give big money to the new head coach coming in.

One downside to that alternative (even though I'm a proponent of this point of view) is that Lovie becomes a lame duck and the inmates run the asylum. Not that I believe this will happen; I honestly don't think it will with this corps, but it's a (again, albeit small) possibility to be considered.

Also, with a lockout looming, I'd stand pat, which, I admit, also may be entirely wrong. With the uncertainty of when the next season may start, the organization may not only have to quickly slap together a roster, but also a staff (as his contract will expire and Lovie may/will be free to be hired elsewhere).

 

[HeavyD]

To Xfactor: Just because the players have the contracts doesn't mean they have to be out on the field playing when they have constantly shown they are garbage players.

to Jysen: What does being a final 4 team get you in the NFL? Nothing, dude can't win the big one and we wont get it done until this man is no longer leading our team.

 

[ClydeLee]

To Xfactor: Just because the players have the contracts doesn't mean they have to be out on the field playing when they have constantly shown they are garbage players.

to Jysen: What does being a final 4 team get you in the NFL? Nothing, dude can't win the big one and we wont get it done until this man is no longer leading our team.

That's what everyone said about Dungy and Bill Cowher... They won super bowls after 9/13 years coaching respectively. That after constantly failing to "win the big one!" In fact Lovie has done more than Dungy at this point and more than Marty Schotenheimer has done in the playoffs.

Rory: I missed when the Bears "used the lockout" as an excuse to not fire Lovie Smith. I do recall them mentioning the lockout looming in their big press conference but never was it implied that Lovie would be fired if not for this contract. While that is what many Chicago Fans and Media members who WANTED Lovie fired claimed. The Bears never made it their assumption Lovie would be fired at any point.

 

[TopekaRoy]

Bears plan to sign Smith to extension

In seven seasons as coach, Smith has compiled a 66-52 record, including 3-3 in the playoffs. Since he was hired in 2004, he has led the Bears to three division championships, the most by any NFC North team during that span. His 66 wins are third most in franchise history, trailing only Hall of Famers George Halas and Mike Ditka.

Smith reached the 50-win plateau in 88 games, faster than NFL coaching legends Bill Parcells (89), Bill Walsh (91), Chuck Noll (94), Bill Belichick (111) and Tom Landry (119).

Yeah, there are some things about Lovie that I don't like. But I would say he deserves a contract extension.

 

[jbrown60180]

Very rarely do you see coaches in a lame duck year. Extending him for 3 years is the right thing to do, but that doesn't mean he can't be fired in that time span if the team takes a big step back.

Lovie's game management needs to improve but the players love playing for him and would never quit on him. After seeing players all over the league quit on coaches through out the years getting them fired, I do think that it is an important aspect of being a coach. Lovie's players love him.

 

[Captain Iago]

Rory: I missed when the Bears "used the lockout" as an excuse to not fire Lovie Smith. I do recall them mentioning the lockout looming in their big press conference but never was it implied that Lovie would be fired if not for this contract. While that is what many Chicago Fans and Media members who WANTED Lovie fired claimed. The Bears never made it their assumption Lovie would be fired at any point.

ClydeLee: True. I think it may have been a factor though...that the Bears didn't want to carry two coaching contracts during a year when football wasn't being played. Similarly, now that the Bears have given Lovie an extension, I doubt they will fire him while he's still under contract.

Some highers, although anonymously and not directly quoted, did use the lockout as somewhat of a factor not to fire Lovie:

two highly placed individuals within the organization have separately indicated that there will not be a change at the top of the on-field org chart, due in some measure to the looming prospect of a strike/lockout. The same assurances were not there with respect to changes on the staffs for offense and defense.

Rory is right on this one - could you really picture the Bears front office paying 2 head coaches not to coach?