I wish there were a way to know how kickers, overall (both Bears and opponents), fare at Soldier Field vs. the rest of the stadiums out there--or, at least, vs. the other outdoor stadiums. It seems to me like it must be harder to kick at Soldier Field--but I don't know if that's just an incorrect perception of mine or not.
You are correct. It is harder to kick at Soldier Field than at stadiums that are not near a body of water. Chicago is the Windy City and the Bears play very near the lakefront. It has been like this longer than I have been watching football since the 60's.
Parkey had a terrible day hitting the posts 4 times. That is almost unheard of. I am sure some of the issue is kicking in a Windy City near the lakefront. Some of it was just poor technique. Did everyone do their job perfectly on those 4 kicks; long snapper, holder, line blocking, etc? Pace brought in Parkey because he was the best available at any price. Most of the time, Pace has made great choices, but no GM is perfect. Parkey is a major upgrade over Connor Barth.
Sure, I'd love to have the security of Kevin Butler or Robbie Gould. I think Parkey deserves another chance. I bet that he never hits a goal post 2 times in a game the rest of his career, let alone 4 times. It was a freak day. I trust Ryan Pace and supported him when many others were doubters. Pace knows how to evaluate personnel. He has cut his teeth on doing it.
Parkey will have great kicking days. Lets not give up on him because of a freak day. He is still a major upgrade over who we had. If he keeps missing, well then let him go.