You all are way too unrealistic. The Bears are pretenders. This year and the last 6 years. Well, they've been bad more often than not in the last 6 years but for 2 they did a pretty good job of faking it also.
Using your logic...Mike Ditka is solely responsible for the demise of the 80's Chicago Bears team.
what is he responsible for?
3 losing seasons and 3 winning seasons (2008 was a 9-7 team..winning season..non-playoffs)...This will be his 4th winning season and in all likelihood another playoff appearance and a 3rd division title...which is two more than the Packers have had since Lovie Smith became the head coach.
Its not his fault Jerry Angelo wasted the entire 2007 draft...Angelo has a complete inability to draft offensive linemen, and since 2007, has an complete inability to draft defensive lineman.
Ok I will repeat...I am not a fan of Lovie Smith. If I ran the Bears I would have demanded at the beginning of the season this team goes to the NFC Championship or bust....However, its best to be realistic in this situation. The Bears were expected to be god awful this year. Instead they are 9-4...Overachieving, whatever, who cares.. They are what their record says they are. 9-4, in 1st place. Could change in the Final three weeks but we'll see. But A) You dont fire a coach when you have a winning season. Thats fixing something that is not broken (Much like was done after losing the Super Bowl). To fire him, we would bring in someone who would completely rework the team and alot of change would have to be made and while you cry mediocrity now...just wait until the coaching change and all kinds of new personnel need to brought in...mind you with a management that has no idea how to get personnel for the most part. Cause lets also be serious...Angelo and Ted Phillips aren't going anywhere.
And there's the issue of there might not be a season next year...This is the Bears..they dont piss away money like Dan Snyder.