Would You Go Head Coach or GM First? And Other Bears Bullets

Happy Tuesday! Throw on your headphones, and give this a listen:

https://twitter.com/grabadrink_pod/status/1483455258588323859

Kick back, relax, and grab a drink. I hope this podcast is as fun for you as it was for me.

• After realizing the Bears had put in interview requests for 15 GM candidates, this song came to my head and has been stuck ever since. And it led me to run a poll for about 15 (there goes that number again) hours asking fans which hire they care more about. And the results were legitimately surprising:

• It doesn’t get much closer than a poll of 2,137 people coming down to a 50.6%-49.4% split. I can’t say I saw it coming. Although, perhaps I should have. This is football’s version of the chicken-and-the-egg debate. Is it more important that the Bears have a boots-on-the-turf coach on the field? Or is it more important to have a general manager putting the right pieces in place? Does the GM make the coach? Or is it the coach making the GM? And every time I think I have the right answer, the other side of the discussion makes valid points.

• On the one hand, it should definitely be the general manager. Management hires the GM, who hires the coach. From there, the coach answers to the GM. And the GM answers to management. It is a traditional power structure that makes the most sense. When it comes specifically to the Bears, the general manager is the top football voice. And because Chairman George McCaskey is “just a fan” who happens to be the organization’s highest-ranking front-facing member, it feels more important to get the general manager call right because there is no one else in a position of higher power to lean on. Nail that hire, or risk repeating the last seven years of the Ryan Pace era.

• But on the other hand, a good coach can overcome organizational incompetence above them on the pecking order. From a football perspective, we’ve seen good coaches settle the ship through rough waters. Take for example Ron Rivera, who has been a calming influence in what has otherwise been a dysfunctional Washington football franchise. Check out the 49ers between the Jim Harbaugh and Kyle Shanahan eras. The post-Harbaugh Niners were an immediate mess. So much so, it ultimately cost Trent Baalke his gig because of the post-Harbaugh flop. Then again, is the bounce-back more of a sign of Shanahan’s success or is it a John Lynch thing? Just when you thought a lane was clear, you find yourself driving in mud. Go figure.

• In the end, I’m not sure there is a right answer. The GM has their hand in so much, but it can’t work if the coach doesn’t put those pieces in the right place to succeed. But the coach can’t win if the GM isn’t doing right in the team-building process.

• One thing the Bears should be looking to avoid is an imbalance in power structure. For instance, Chicago sports fans have seen how it plays out when a good coach (Tom Thibodeau) doesn’t get the support from management (John Paxson/Gar Forman). GarPax might’ve won the battle when it was able to jettison Thibodeau for Fred Hoiberg, but lost the war when everything fell apart in the years that followed. In a similar vein, avoid a Blackhawks-like model where the front office end gets too big and too full of itself. The Stan Bowman era collapsed on itself and the organization is starting to deal with the wide-ranging ramifications. When it is all said and done, eliminate any situation in which the drama between two sides with differing self-interests can drag things down.

• In a best-case scenario, the front office and coach would feed off each other. In a text message thread with Eli (BN Bulls) and Mario (BN Blackhawks), we discussed power structures that were working and ones that weren’t. It was the type of collaborative discussion that would make George McCaskey and Ted Phillips envious. Eli offered up the Bulls are a model organization worth following, especially with their infrastructure being is the strongest it’s been IN YEARS. Team President ArtÅ«ras KarniÅ¡ovas, GM Marc Eversley, and Head Coach Billy Donovan pull from the same end of the rope despite having different responsibilities in the power structure. It’s a three-man weave, but with scouting, evaluation, and coaching.

• And on the other end of the spectrum, the most recent Blackhawks model is one that can’t be copied. In addition to the other issues we would come to learn about this year, we can’t forget how a Bowman-Joel Quenneville power struggle ultimately led to Coach Q’s ouster. When one side gets to a point of power where it feels it can do no wrong, it often sets up for a precipitous fall. And from the hockey side of things, we’re seeing the result being the need for all sorts of new leadership and an overdue rebuild.

• Maybe Justin Fields is onto something here in noting that the best is still yet to come:

https://twitter.com/justnfields/status/1483128763156160514

• Ahhhh, yeah! That’s the kind of optimism I was needing this morning.

• Because of how the sentence is put together, this tweet felt like something that was out-of-touch from an out-of-towner:

• But also … this is a conversation we need to have about Leslie Frazier:

• To be clear, none of this is a diss on Frazier. However, as someone who is in constant communication with Bears fans daily, there is absolutely no anticipation from this fan base in terms of a Leslie Frazier interview. In fact, no candidate has gotten more public push back than Frazier. If anything, that is a reminder of how being a Super Bowl XX champion doesn’t rally the fanbase like it once did. And if the Bears brass’ excitement is driven by a connection to a Super Bowl champion from 36 years ago, when it should be driven by what that candidate can do moving forward (despite their prior ties), then they’re doing it wrong.

• I love a good reunion episode:

• What would be worse: The nightmares the night before facing Aaron Donald or the ones coming the night after playing him?

• All righty, so OBJ isn’t cooked:

https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/1483253545621090307

https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/1483276701261991942

• Considering Odell Beckham Jr.’s strengths and Justin Fields’ natural talent, that fit seems natural. And now that we know that the drama in Cleveland was just Browns-y occurrence, maybe it’s something we can consider down the line as we try to build out a roster. But we’re so far from having that conversation.

• After the Rams’ thrashing of the Cardinals, we’re getting four Conference Championship Sunday type of matchups in the divisional round:

• Mess with this city’s architecture at your own risk:

 

• Marc-André Fleury has been pucks’ awesome lately:

• This was juicy:

 

• Travis Wood is a 2016 icon for so many weird reasons:

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written by

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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With Super Bowl LIX in our rear-view mirror, it is time for us to fully immerse ourselves in the Chicago Bears' offseason plans. Sure, the Bears (and their fans) have been in offseason mode since early January late November after...

The NFL Hiring Cycle is Complete: The Saints Are Making It Official With Kellen Moore

Kellen Moore is extending his stay in New Orleans. Two days after the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX at the Superdome in New Orleans, the team's offensive coordinator is flying away to become the Saints' new head coach: Eagles...

Super Bowl Leftovers, Early Power Rankings, How to Build a Winner, and Other Bears Bullets

It's Day 37 of the Chicago Bears offseason. I can't believe the Justin Fields vs. Caleb Williams discourse is still happening online. It is absolutely unnecessary, friends. The Bears have bigger and brighter things ahead. And if the cards fall...

Caleb Williams Already Has an Offseason Improvement Plan in Place

If you watched Super Bowl LIX and wondered what it would take for Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears to reach the mountaintop, know you are not alone. The day after the Super Bowl always puts me in a reflective...

2025 Chicago Bears Offseason Preview: Cap Space, Team Needs, Draft Picks, More

The NFL’s “legal tampering” period opens one month from today. And with it, the beginning of the league's transactional period. But before we get to that point, let's assess where the Chicago Bears are heading into the new league year....

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Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander NBA DFS Contests and More on BN Fantasy Tonight

It's game day, hoops heads! The NBA is back in action with a thrilling slate of matchups, and that means one thing for fantasy fanatics: it's time to dominate those NBA DFS contests! Whether you're a seasoned pro or just...

Opelka vs. Nakashima Prediction at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com – Thursday, February 13

In the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com Round of 16 on Thursday, we have a matchup featuring No. 43-ranked Brandon Nakashima versus No. 121 Reilly Opelka.Opelka is favored (-135) in this matchup, compared to the underdog Nakashima, who is +105.Delray...

Around the NFL: Kelce’s Future, Jets Ultimatum to Rodgers, Slowik’s New Gig, More

Travis Kelce will take some time before deciding his future, and the City of Brotherly Love will celebrate their Super Bowl LIX victory on Friday—that and more in today's NFL Notes. Travis Kelce will take some time to decide his...

Craig Counsell Still Sees “Good Opportunities” to Add to the Cubs’ Roster

It's not anything too terribly different from what he said earlier in the week, or what the front office said for that matter, but I thought it worth sharing Craig Counsell's latest comments on the state of the Cubs' offseason...

Obsessive Alex Bregman Watch: Staring Contest on Offers, Ownership Involvement, Hinch, Arenado, More

The latest from the Alex Bregman rumor mill ... Just as we are obsessing about the possibility of an Alex Bregman signing, a whole lot of other constituencies are doing the same. The Cubs clubhouse, for one, but also Bruce...

NHL All-Quarter Century Fan Voting Now Open! (Blackhawks Fans – Do the Thing)

On Wednesday, the NHL opened the ballots for the league's All-Quarter Century Team for fans to participate. You can vote for ten (10) players from across the NHL. Fans can vote online or on the artist formerly known as Twitter,...

At Least the Chicago Bulls Aren’t the Only Team Down Bad

Things might not get much worse than the Bulls' 40-point home loss to a team that's two games over .500 – I'll start by saying that. But, if I were a 76ers fan right now, I might be every bit...

Rockets vs. Suns Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Wednesday, February 12, 2025

The Phoenix Suns (26-27) are 6.5-point underdogs as they attempt to break a three-game road losing streak when they square off against the Houston Rockets (33-20) on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at Toyota Center. The contest airs at 8:30 PM...

Clippers vs. Grizzlies Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Wednesday, February 12, 2025

The Memphis Grizzlies (36-17) are underdogs (by 4 points) to extend a three-game road winning streak when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers (29-23) on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 10:30 PM ET. The over/under is set at 237.5 in...

Sounds Like Cubs Know Which Two Dodgers Pitchers They’ll Face in Tokyo

In case you forgot, the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will open up the 2025 MLB regular season well before the rest of the league. While most teams gear up for a March 27 Opening Day, the Cubs and...

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