Free Agent wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh appeared on ESPN 1000′s Waddle and Silvy show on Thursday morning and chatted up his upcoming free agency on the morning show.  So the question that all Bears fans want answered:  Is he coming to Chicago?  Great question.  The answer, however, is not so simple.  Here is the Tribune headline for Vaughn McClure’s article:

Houshmandzadeh appears open to playing for Bears

and this headline from Brad Biggs’ Inside the Bears blog post:

Houshmandzadeh sounds off and it sounds like Bears aren’t a match

So which is it?  Both articles have an excerpt of the transcript from the interview. (more…)

Smith will handle play-calling duties this coming season with Bob Babich remaining the defensive coordinator while returning to his roots as the team’s linebackers coach. The staff was filled out Tuesday morning with the addition of Jon Hoke as secondary coach.

“I have been involved a little bit,” Smith said this afternoon on a teleconference. “My involvement will be a lot more now. For some reason offensive coaches, there are quite a few offensive coaches that [call plays]. There are not a lot of defensive guys. I think this is what will help us get back to where we need to be.”

There’s a lot that one could read into from this seemingly innocuous announcement:

1. Lovie has placed the bulls-eye squarely on his back.  If the defense is bad, there is no one else to blame but himself.  This is the coaching equivalent of going “All In” in Texas Hold ‘Em.

2. Babich is and has been in over his head.  Lovie saying “I think this is what will help us get back to where we need to be” is an indictment of BFF Bubba Babich and his lack of ability to handle in-game adjustments and run the defense when it counts.

3.  Lovie may have been put on notice by Angelo that it is put up or shut up time.  He figures if he’s going down, at least he’ll be at the wheel.

Whatever else you want to read from this, know this.  At the conclusion of the 2009 season, there will be only Lovie Smith to blame.   Hopefully Lovie’s not bluffing.