Dec. 23, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA: Chicago Bears coaching staff (from left) special teams coach Dave Toub , defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli , head coach Lovie Smith , offensive coordinator Mike Tice and running backs coach Tim Spencer on the sidelines against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

If you thought there might be some sentimental ties or deference to the past Chicago Bears coaching regime, guess again.  Maybe Phil Emery and Marc Trestman should have called in Donald Trump to use his signature line from his reality show The Apprentice because “YOU’RE FIRED!” must have been echoing through Halas Hall this evening.  Most of Lovie Smith’s old staff was sacked, most notably offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Mike Tice, quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates and all of the offensive staff.

It’s probably easier to list who stuck around.  Only defensive backs coach (and presumed candidate for defensive coordinator) Jon Hoke, safeties coach Gill Byrd and defensive line coach Mike Phair have been retained.    Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli is said to have decided against stick around, though it’s believed Trestman wanted to keep him around. (more…)

The Three Bearmigos (Photo work courtesy of Deez)

With a nod to the classic movie starring Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short, premiering Sunday at Soldier Field, the Three Bearmigos, starring Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall and Jeremy Bates.  They excited crowds in Denver and three years after splitting up, they’re reunited to thrill Bears nation with the novel concept – the forward pass.

Expectations are sky high for the new look Bears offense, with Jay Cutler getting a legitimate wide receiver, his old buddy from Denver Brandon Marshall.  They’ve been trying to reunite for years, but when the Free Agency opened in 2012 new Bears GM Phil Emery surprised Bears fans everywhere by acquiring Marshall from the Miami Dolphins for a pair of third round picks.  So far, it’s looking like that was a steal of a deal.  Marshall has had some off-field issues, but with Cutler, Bates, Lovie Smith and a veteran locker room, it looks like Marshall has found a stable environment where he can thrive.

To complete the trifecta, former quarterbacks and wide receivers coach from Denver Jeremy Batest comes to Chicago to reprise his role as Cutler’s QB coach.  Since new Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice isn’t especially strong in the passing game, Bates is sort of a “passing game coordinator” for the Bears as well.

What do you think?  Is The Three Bearmigos going to boom or bust?  Is it a “movie” you’d go to see?

The supposed front-runner to assume the reigns of the Bears defense appears to be headed elsewhere.  Early reports indicate the Perry Fewell will accept the New York Giants‘ offer to become their defensive coordinator.  So it’s back to the drawing board for the Bears.

They might as well prop up a cardboard cutout of Buddy Ryan at this point.  This coordinator search appears to be about as well coordinated as our team was last season.  They’ve already missed out on their top two candidates for OC and now they’re scrambling for a backup plan on defense.

Here’s a fearless prediction – no matter who takes pity on the Bears and accepts the coordinator positions, Jerry, Moe and Curly will step to the podium and assure Bears fans that “this is the guy we wanted all along” and “what a great fit this will be.”

Bull-fucking-shit.

I guess it’s fitting that second choice Lovie will be saddled with second and third (or turd) choices at best to help him try to save his worthless job.

Take the Seattle Seahawks as an example of how big boy teams do it.  They pre-interview their top target candidate before they even fire their one-and-done head coach and before you know it, Pete Carroll (and top OC candidate Jeremy Bates) are off to Pike’s Place to catch some fish.  That’s how real teams go about their business, with a plan.

Somewhere, Ron Turner is laughing and all I can say is…

BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!

Gilbride could potentially join the team as the offensive coordinator, whereas Zorn could serve as either the quarterbacks’ coach, the offensive coordinator, or both.

CSN was the first to report that Lovie wasn’t going anywhere, so maybe they’re not completely full of it.

Wouldn’t it be fitting that the guy who got his defensive playcalling responsibilities stripped from him (Lovie) hires a guy who had his offensive playcalling duties taken away (Zorn) last season?  At least they’ve got something in common, right?

This from Chicago Breaking Sports (via ESPN.com):

A source said Bates was tempted to be reunited with Bears quarterback Jay Cutler but the long-term security with Carroll was a major factor in his decision to join the Seahawks rather than the Bears. Bates was Cutler’s offensive coordinator with the Broncos in 2008.

So begins the snowball effect of keeping Lovie’s puppet regime in place.  What did I say before?  That the best candidates would pass on this gig because they didn’t want to take a job under a lame duck coach.  This from my FIRE LOVIE SMITH blog:

If you keep Lovie as head coach, what kind of offensive coordinator can you bring in to a situation with a potential lame-duck coach?  A vulture like Mike Martz looking for an angle to get his foot in the door to get a head coaching job?  No thanks.

Was Bates the right choice for the Bears?  Not sure.  Would it have been nice to at least have him come through Halas Hall and chat about offensive philosophy and how he plans to get the most out of your most prized possession, Jay Cutler.  Absolutely.

Now we won’t know because  qualified guys will pass on the opportunity because they want a little job security.  Can you blame them?  It’s a tough job market out there, after all.

BEAR DOWN!!!

It reminds me that the Bears are a Mom and Pop shop compared to “big boy” NFL organizations.  Organizations like the Seahawks, Redskins and Cowboys are like Walmart, Target and other big box stores.  Sooner or later, they run the Mom and Pop shops out of business.  I could bemoan the state of the Bears all day, but I’ve got a bigger fish to fry.

It’s clear that the Seahawks had a plan when they dismissed Mora.  How else could you explain the immediate deal that is being rumored with soon-to-be-former USC coach Pete Carroll?  Yup, word out of Seattle is the Carroll is headed to Seattle and much to Bears fans dismay, it’s very likely that he’ll be taking OC Jeremy Bates with him.

The Seahawks just have to navigate a couple of formalities and they should be formally announcing the deal on Monday.  The formalities?  The Rooney Rule.  (more…)

Bates was the offensive play-caller (weird, I know, but it’s southern Cal) under Pete Carroll at USC last season and before that, he was the OC and QB coach in Denver under Mike Shanahan.  See the connection to our golden boy?

When I first heard about him, I was all for the hire.  A young, high energy guy who is buddy-buddy with Cutler?  What could possibly go wrong?

After listening to this interview, I heard some things that raised a red flag or two.  Have a listen and let’s discuss after the jump:

[podcast]http://fansidedblogs.net/podcasts/bears/bates.mp3[/podcast]

(more…)