***2011 Chicago Bears Regular Season Thread*** (1 Viewer)

[yoman]

This is easily the most depressing thread on the internet. Yes, the Bears do some dumb things and don't spend money to compete like they should, but do any of you ever really think that whining about it on a message board is going to do any good at all? I've got some of you on ignore, as all you ever do is whine, and as a Bears fan that's just sad. It would really be nice if there was a small corner of the interwebs where Bears fans could talk about the team, without having to sift through 30 straight postings from some 40 year old guy somewhere who thinks he is an expert, and all he can do is whine about what the Bears are doing. Stop professing to be a fan, and go like the Patriots, or something. They're obviously geniuses in everything they do, so you shouldn't have to worry about dumb moves being made.

I agree there are a lot of "the sky is falling" types out there who are overreacting to every little nugget of information but some of their concerns make for worthwhile discussions about the football team. I don't mind debating the offensive line, Cutler, wide receivers, Angelo, Martz, etc.. However I don't like debating "coaches speak" that drives sports radio because a lot of time coaches are trying to build confidence in their players or might say something to try to prop up a players trade value. Who cares if WR coach Drake says that Hester is their best WR? I don't care either if Mike Tice says they have the best offensive line in the NFL because even most casual fans know better. While I do question if these coaches have been smoking something I don't think this will affect the team's play this season or even who gets the most playing time on the field.

 

[Clifford]

This is easily the most depressing thread on the internet. Yes, the Bears do some dumb things and don't spend money to compete like they should, but do any of you ever really think that whining about it on a message board is going to do any good at all? I've got some of you on ignore, as all you ever do is whine, and as a Bears fan that's just sad. It would really be nice if there was a small corner of the interwebs where Bears fans could talk about the team, without having to sift through 30 straight postings from some 40 year old guy somewhere who thinks he is an expert, and all he can do is whine about what the Bears are doing. Stop professing to be a fan, and go like the Patriots, or something. They're obviously geniuses in everything they do, so you shouldn't have to worry about dumb moves being made.

I'm probably one of the guys you have on ignore already, but as a fan of almost three decades, I have a right to vent my frustrations, and let's face it, there are few front offices more frustrating than the one at Halas Hall.The most frustrating thing is the sheer stubbornness and the refusal to see what everyone else in the world can plainly see. We went through with Rex, now we are going through it with Hester, and after this season we'll be hearing "Mike Martz is still our offensive coordinator."I support this team relentlessly, and have earned the right to vent my frustrations a bit. I don't have any delusions, it's just good to vent.

 

[SWC]

deveon hester is so fast his nickname should be thors lightning bolt from valhalla

 

[Sweetcan]

This is easily the most depressing thread on the internet. Yes, the Bears do some dumb things and don't spend money to compete like they should, but do any of you ever really think that whining about it on a message board is going to do any good at all? I've got some of you on ignore, as all you ever do is whine, and as a Bears fan that's just sad. It would really be nice if there was a small corner of the interwebs where Bears fans could talk about the team, without having to sift through 30 straight postings from some 40 year old guy somewhere who thinks he is an expert, and all he can do is whine about what the Bears are doing. Stop professing to be a fan, and go like the Patriots, or something. They're obviously geniuses in everything they do, so you shouldn't have to worry about dumb moves being made.

I'm probably one of the guys you have on ignore already, but as a fan of almost three decades, I have a right to vent my frustrations, and let's face it, there are few front offices more frustrating than the one at Halas Hall.The most frustrating thing is the sheer stubbornness and the refusal to see what everyone else in the world can plainly see. We went through with Rex, now we are going through it with Hester, and after this season we'll be hearing "Mike Martz is still our offensive coordinator."I support this team relentlessly, and have earned the right to vent my frustrations a bit. I don't have any delusions, it's just good to vent.

And to this:

This is easily the most depressing thread on the internet. Yes, the Bears do some dumb things and don't spend money to compete like they should, but do any of you ever really think that whining about it on a message board is going to do any good at all? I've got some of you on ignore, as all you ever do is whine, and as a Bears fan that's just sad. It would really be nice if there was a small corner of the interwebs where Bears fans could talk about the team, without having to sift through 30 straight postings from some 40 year old guy somewhere who thinks he is an expert, and all he can do is whine about what the Bears are doing. Stop professing to be a fan, and go like the Patriots, or something. They're obviously geniuses in everything they do, so you shouldn't have to worry about dumb moves being made.

I think you enjoy the whining......Just like you're whining to everyone on the thread with this post.

 

[flapgreen]

This is easily the most depressing thread on the internet. Yes, the Bears do some dumb things and don't spend money to compete like they should, but do any of you ever really think that whining about it on a message board is going to do any good at all? I've got some of you on ignore, as all you ever do is whine, and as a Bears fan that's just sad. It would really be nice if there was a small corner of the interwebs where Bears fans could talk about the team, without having to sift through 30 straight postings from some 40 year old guy somewhere who thinks he is an expert, and all he can do is whine about what the Bears are doing. Stop professing to be a fan, and go like the Patriots, or something. They're obviously geniuses in everything they do, so you shouldn't have to worry about dumb moves being made.

 

[Sweetness_34]

This is easily the most depressing thread on the internet. Yes, the Bears do some dumb things and don't spend money to compete like they should, but do any of you ever really think that whining about it on a message board is going to do any good at all? I've got some of you on ignore, as all you ever do is whine, and as a Bears fan that's just sad. It would really be nice if there was a small corner of the interwebs where Bears fans could talk about the team, without having to sift through 30 straight postings from some 40 year old guy somewhere who thinks he is an expert, and all he can do is whine about what the Bears are doing. Stop professing to be a fan, and go like the Patriots, or something. They're obviously geniuses in everything they do, so you shouldn't have to worry about dumb moves being made.

I'm probably one of the guys you have on ignore already, but as a fan of almost three decades, I have a right to vent my frustrations, and let's face it, there are few front offices more frustrating than the one at Halas Hall.The most frustrating thing is the sheer stubbornness and the refusal to see what everyone else in the world can plainly see. We went through with Rex, now we are going through it with Hester, and after this season we'll be hearing "Mike Martz is still our offensive coordinator."I support this team relentlessly, and have earned the right to vent my frustrations a bit. I don't have any delusions, it's just good to vent.

You can vent all you want, but your team has made it to the SB and the NFCC in the span of the last 5 years or so. I know you expect the Bears to win a SB every year but it is not as bad as you make it out to be. Enjoy the journey and stop whining about everything. There are always going to be clueless people who whine about "Bears do not spend enough in FA" when there is enough evidence to show they spend a lot of $$$ (see Peppers or Cutlers or any of the extensions that were warranted like Briggs; Urlacher; Kreutz etc) and there is enough evidence that FA is mostly fool's gold. The Bears gave the best offer to Willie Colon who was the best OL they targetted for this year. He CHOSE not to come to the Bears and instead decided to stay for less money. You cannot do much about that. Just because you did not get WIllie Colon does NOT mean you get desperate and overpay for a Gallery or the Falcons G. I fully expect the Bears to extend Forte some time soon. Retaining our top talent is a good way to spend FA $ too. Also, they will be in very good shape next year if they see something on the market that makes sense. Cutler made sense - they got him by out bidding the Redskins. Peppers made sense - they got him by outbidding everyone else. If Larry Fitz is available, and he makes sense, I am sure the Bears will go after him next year. Remember after Santonio Holmes, Santana Moss, VJax decided to re-sign with their own teams, it was not like there were many wise WR investments left in the market to make. Sidney Rice is a huge question mark to throw that much money at. Brad Smith was over-paid and we have enough WRs of those kind. Braylon Edwards stinks.

 

[flapgreen]

And JA finally arrives

 

[tenaka]

This is easily the most depressing thread on the internet. Yes, the Bears do some dumb things and don't spend money to compete like they should, but do any of you ever really think that whining about it on a message board is going to do any good at all? I've got some of you on ignore, as all you ever do is whine, and as a Bears fan that's just sad. It would really be nice if there was a small corner of the interwebs where Bears fans could talk about the team, without having to sift through 30 straight postings from some 40 year old guy somewhere who thinks he is an expert, and all he can do is whine about what the Bears are doing. Stop professing to be a fan, and go like the Patriots, or something. They're obviously geniuses in everything they do, so you shouldn't have to worry about dumb moves being made.

I just find there is a difference between being a fan and being a cheerleader. I have every right to believe that the office, team, coaching staff and players are doing things incorrectly. Believing so neither makes me dumb or any less of a fan.

 

[flapgreen]

This is easily the most depressing thread on the internet. Yes, the Bears do some dumb things and don't spend money to compete like they should, but do any of you ever really think that whining about it on a message board is going to do any good at all? I've got some of you on ignore, as all you ever do is whine, and as a Bears fan that's just sad. It would really be nice if there was a small corner of the interwebs where Bears fans could talk about the team, without having to sift through 30 straight postings from some 40 year old guy somewhere who thinks he is an expert, and all he can do is whine about what the Bears are doing. Stop professing to be a fan, and go like the Patriots, or something. They're obviously geniuses in everything they do, so you shouldn't have to worry about dumb moves being made.

I just find there is a difference between being a fan and being a cheerleader. I have every right to believe that the office, team, coaching staff and players are doing things incorrectly. Believing so neither makes me dumb or any less of a fan.

But you're not allowed to do that, 40 year old fat man!!!

 

[tenaka]

This is easily the most depressing thread on the internet. Yes, the Bears do some dumb things and don't spend money to compete like they should, but do any of you ever really think that whining about it on a message board is going to do any good at all? I've got some of you on ignore, as all you ever do is whine, and as a Bears fan that's just sad. It would really be nice if there was a small corner of the interwebs where Bears fans could talk about the team, without having to sift through 30 straight postings from some 40 year old guy somewhere who thinks he is an expert, and all he can do is whine about what the Bears are doing. Stop professing to be a fan, and go like the Patriots, or something. They're obviously geniuses in everything they do, so you shouldn't have to worry about dumb moves being made.

I just find there is a difference between being a fan and being a cheerleader. I have every right to believe that the office, team, coaching staff and players are doing things incorrectly. Believing so neither makes me dumb or any less of a fan.

But you're not allowed to do that, 40 year old fat man!!!

I'm not fat, I'm big boned!

 

[flapgreen]

Looks like Chris Spencer will be riding the pine for a cool 3 mil, more money well spent. Maybe next time we can go out and get a starter. Just a thought...

 

[flapgreen]

This is easily the most depressing thread on the internet. Yes, the Bears do some dumb things and don't spend money to compete like they should, but do any of you ever really think that whining about it on a message board is going to do any good at all? I've got some of you on ignore, as all you ever do is whine, and as a Bears fan that's just sad. It would really be nice if there was a small corner of the interwebs where Bears fans could talk about the team, without having to sift through 30 straight postings from some 40 year old guy somewhere who thinks he is an expert, and all he can do is whine about what the Bears are doing. Stop professing to be a fan, and go like the Patriots, or something. They're obviously geniuses in everything they do, so you shouldn't have to worry about dumb moves being made.

I just find there is a difference between being a fan and being a cheerleader. I have every right to believe that the office, team, coaching staff and players are doing things incorrectly. Believing so neither makes me dumb or any less of a fan.

But you're not allowed to do that, 40 year old fat man!!!

I'm not fat, I'm big boned!

Yeah yeah. That's what they all say. I bet you have a "pretty face" too.

 

[twistd]

Well, it appears that Football Guys evaluated the offensive line similarly to what many of us thought. They are ranked 32 out of 32. But there was nothing to be done because the Bears like their guys and signing any free agent offensive linemen would have been silly. Check out the offensive line rankings for the bad news.

 

[Clifford]

32 out of 32? We're worse than Oakland and Arizona? I find that hard to believe.

 

[Statcruncher]

Sweet, at 32 there is no way the Bears O-line can be worse next year, how many other NFL teams can guarantee that? Angelo is a mastermind.

 

[maxwelledison]

This is easily the most depressing thread on the internet. Yes, the Bears do some dumb things and don't spend money to compete like they should, but do any of you ever really think that whining about it on a message board is going to do any good at all? I've got some of you on ignore, as all you ever do is whine, and as a Bears fan that's just sad. It would really be nice if there was a small corner of the interwebs where Bears fans could talk about the team, without having to sift through 30 straight postings from some 40 year old guy somewhere who thinks he is an expert, and all he can do is whine about what the Bears are doing. Stop professing to be a fan, and go like the Patriots, or something. They're obviously geniuses in everything they do, so you shouldn't have to worry about dumb moves being made.

I'm probably one of the guys you have on ignore already, but as a fan of almost three decades, I have a right to vent my frustrations, and let's face it, there are few front offices more frustrating than the one at Halas Hall.The most frustrating thing is the sheer stubbornness and the refusal to see what everyone else in the world can plainly see. We went through with Rex, now we are going through it with Hester, and after this season we'll be hearing "Mike Martz is still our offensive coordinator."I support this team relentlessly, and have earned the right to vent my frustrations a bit. I don't have any delusions, it's just good to vent.

You can vent all you want, but your team has made it to the SB and the NFCC in the span of the last 5 years or so. I know you expect the Bears to win a SB every year but it is not as bad as you make it out to be. Enjoy the journey and stop whining about everything. There are always going to be clueless people who whine about "Bears do not spend enough in FA" when there is enough evidence to show they spend a lot of $$$ (see Peppers or Cutlers or any of the extensions that were warranted like Briggs; Urlacher; Kreutz etc) and there is enough evidence that FA is mostly fool's gold. The Bears gave the best offer to Willie Colon who was the best OL they targetted for this year. He CHOSE not to come to the Bears and instead decided to stay for less money. You cannot do much about that. Just because you did not get WIllie Colon does NOT mean you get desperate and overpay for a Gallery or the Falcons G. I fully expect the Bears to extend Forte some time soon. Retaining our top talent is a good way to spend FA $ too. Also, they will be in very good shape next year if they see something on the market that makes sense. Cutler made sense - they got him by out bidding the Redskins. Peppers made sense - they got him by outbidding everyone else. If Larry Fitz is available, and he makes sense, I am sure the Bears will go after him next year. Remember after Santonio Holmes, Santana Moss, VJax decided to re-sign with their own teams, it was not like there were many wise WR investments left in the market to make. Sidney Rice is a huge question mark to throw that much money at. Brad Smith was over-paid and we have enough WRs of those kind. Braylon Edwards stinks.

This should be the flagship franchise of the NFL but instead it's a team that hasn't won a SB in 26 years. The reason is simple: the front office is and has been incompetent. Yes, occasionally they make a good move but the same can be said of any team in the league. If we put their decision-making during the post-Halas era under review (something that has been done in part on this forum) the number of absolutely brutal decisions would far outweigh the good ones. And the merely bad would account for a disturbingly high percentage.

 

[flapgreen]

This is easily the most depressing thread on the internet. Yes, the Bears do some dumb things and don't spend money to compete like they should, but do any of you ever really think that whining about it on a message board is going to do any good at all? I've got some of you on ignore, as all you ever do is whine, and as a Bears fan that's just sad. It would really be nice if there was a small corner of the interwebs where Bears fans could talk about the team, without having to sift through 30 straight postings from some 40 year old guy somewhere who thinks he is an expert, and all he can do is whine about what the Bears are doing. Stop professing to be a fan, and go like the Patriots, or something. They're obviously geniuses in everything they do, so you shouldn't have to worry about dumb moves being made.

You gotta be kidding me with this...

 

[yoman]

This should be the flagship franchise of the NFL but instead it's a team that hasn't won a SB in 26 years. The reason is simple: the front office is and has been incompetent. Yes, occasionally they make a good move but the same can be said of any team in the league. If we put their decision-making during the post-Halas era under review (something that has been done in part on this forum) the number of absolutely brutal decisions would far outweigh the good ones. And the merely bad would account for a disturbingly high percentage.

At least they are not as pathetic as the Cubs!The McCaskey ownership has made for conservative decision making and have allowed incompetent people to remain with the franchise because of their "loyalty" to certain people. Since that is not going to change anytime soon IMHO it is a complete waste of time to worry about becoming an elite franchise because it is not going to happen on their watch unless they get lucky if/when they decide to replace Phillips and Angelo or sell the franchise. Currently at least there is some optimism on my part that they will be exciting but I don't think that they are Super Bowl contenders even though they were 1 game away from getting there last year. The franchise has definitely improved since the Wanny years but I am not a huge fan of Angelo and think organizations like the Steelers, Pats, Packers and possibly the Eagles are the cream of the crop in the NFL and everyone else is a step behind - some closer to the top than others. If I ranked organizations I would probably have the Bears in the middle of the pack because there are definitely a lot worse organizations out there.

 

[geoff8695]

Gotta love these quotes regarding the Bears from the FBG annual article rating the NFL's O-lines:Chris Smith's Take:

This is the worst offensive line in the NFL. I not convinced the Bears couldn't do better by switching entire offensive lines with a few of the 'UFL' teams.

MOP's Take:

This is easily one of if not the worst offensive lines in the NFL and one of the worst I have seen in some time. It resembles an expansion team to be perfectly honest. Not many of these guys could start for another team in the NFL. Just being brutally honest folks.

I don't believe either of these guys are Bear fans, and they sound as depressing/hard on the Bears as anyone who has posted in here...

 

[DoubleG]

Gotta love these quotes regarding the Bears from the FBG annual article rating the NFL's O-lines:Chris Smith's Take:

This is the worst offensive line in the NFL. I not convinced the Bears couldn't do better by switching entire offensive lines with a few of the 'UFL' teams.

MOP's Take:

This is easily one of if not the worst offensive lines in the NFL and one of the worst I have seen in some time. It resembles an expansion team to be perfectly honest. Not many of these guys could start for another team in the NFL. Just being brutally honest folks.

I don't believe either of these guys are Bear fans, and they sound as depressing/hard on the Bears as anyone who has posted in here...

He's right...

 

[maxwelledison]

This should be the flagship franchise of the NFL but instead it's a team that hasn't won a SB in 26 years. The reason is simple: the front office is and has been incompetent. Yes, occasionally they make a good move but the same can be said of any team in the league. If we put their decision-making during the post-Halas era under review (something that has been done in part on this forum) the number of absolutely brutal decisions would far outweigh the good ones. And the merely bad would account for a disturbingly high percentage.

At least they are not as pathetic as the Cubs!The McCaskey ownership has made for conservative decision making and have allowed incompetent people to remain with the franchise because of their "loyalty" to certain people. Since that is not going to change anytime soon IMHO it is a complete waste of time to worry about becoming an elite franchise because it is not going to happen on their watch unless they get lucky if/when they decide to replace Phillips and Angelo or sell the franchise. Currently at least there is some optimism on my part that they will be exciting but I don't think that they are Super Bowl contenders even though they were 1 game away from getting there last year. The franchise has definitely improved since the Wanny years but I am not a huge fan of Angelo and think organizations like the Steelers, Pats, Packers and possibly the Eagles are the cream of the crop in the NFL and everyone else is a step behind - some closer to the top than others. If I ranked organizations I would probably have the Bears in the middle of the pack because there are definitely a lot worse organizations out there.

I agree with this. Perpetual mediocrity is a tough pill to swallow, though.

 

[flapgreen]

Gotta love these quotes regarding the Bears from the FBG annual article rating the NFL's O-lines:Chris Smith's Take:

This is the worst offensive line in the NFL. I not convinced the Bears couldn't do better by switching entire offensive lines with a few of the 'UFL' teams.

MOP's Take:

This is easily one of if not the worst offensive lines in the NFL and one of the worst I have seen in some time. It resembles an expansion team to be perfectly honest. Not many of these guys could start for another team in the NFL. Just being brutally honest folks.

I don't believe either of these guys are Bear fans, and they sound as depressing/hard on the Bears as anyone who has posted in here...

If MOP believes it, then it can't be true. I'm back on the bandwagon. Go Bears!

 

[yoman]

This should be the flagship franchise of the NFL but instead it's a team that hasn't won a SB in 26 years. The reason is simple: the front office is and has been incompetent. Yes, occasionally they make a good move but the same can be said of any team in the league. If we put their decision-making during the post-Halas era under review (something that has been done in part on this forum) the number of absolutely brutal decisions would far outweigh the good ones. And the merely bad would account for a disturbingly high percentage.

At least they are not as pathetic as the Cubs!The McCaskey ownership has made for conservative decision making and have allowed incompetent people to remain with the franchise because of their "loyalty" to certain people. Since that is not going to change anytime soon IMHO it is a complete waste of time to worry about becoming an elite franchise because it is not going to happen on their watch unless they get lucky if/when they decide to replace Phillips and Angelo or sell the franchise. Currently at least there is some optimism on my part that they will be exciting but I don't think that they are Super Bowl contenders even though they were 1 game away from getting there last year. The franchise has definitely improved since the Wanny years but I am not a huge fan of Angelo and think organizations like the Steelers, Pats, Packers and possibly the Eagles are the cream of the crop in the NFL and everyone else is a step behind - some closer to the top than others. If I ranked organizations I would probably have the Bears in the middle of the pack because there are definitely a lot worse organizations out there.

I agree with this. Perpetual mediocrity is a tough pill to swallow, though.

It is!!!!!! That being said I usually try to be optimistic about their chances but tend to be more of a realist when it comes to evaluating their team and their offseason moves. I wish we had a better organization and hope that some day they might get the right pieces in place. I expect them to be a .500 team this year but I would love to be surprised with a good season like I was last year. Unfortunately I don't think their ceiling is the Super Bowl.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

Gotta love these quotes regarding the Bears from the FBG annual article rating the NFL's O-lines:Chris Smith's Take:

This is the worst offensive line in the NFL. I not convinced the Bears couldn't do better by switching entire offensive lines with a few of the 'UFL' teams.

MOP's Take:

This is easily one of if not the worst offensive lines in the NFL and one of the worst I have seen in some time. It resembles an expansion team to be perfectly honest. Not many of these guys could start for another team in the NFL. Just being brutally honest folks.

I don't believe either of these guys are Bear fans, and they sound as depressing/hard on the Bears as anyone who has posted in here...

They improved from last season.1) Experience, they got better through experience and know the system more2) Gabe Carimi will improve the OL3) Olin Kreutz was terrible last season, especially in short yardage(did anyone see 4 tries from the 1 yardline vs detroit ugh)4) Mike Tice is a great OL coach, he was offered the OC job with the Jags but the Bears offered more money for him to stay onSwitch with a UFL team. Who is Chris Smith to give an analysis anyway?

 

[Power Monster]

Gotta love these quotes regarding the Bears from the FBG annual article rating the NFL's O-lines:Chris Smith's Take:

This is the worst offensive line in the NFL. I not convinced the Bears couldn't do better by switching entire offensive lines with a few of the 'UFL' teams.

MOP's Take:

This is easily one of if not the worst offensive lines in the NFL and one of the worst I have seen in some time. It resembles an expansion team to be perfectly honest. Not many of these guys could start for another team in the NFL. Just being brutally honest folks.

I don't believe either of these guys are Bear fans, and they sound as depressing/hard on the Bears as anyone who has posted in here...

They improved from last season.1) Experience, they got better through experience and know the system more2) Gabe Carimi will improve the OL3) Olin Kreutz was terrible last season, especially in short yardage(did anyone see 4 tries from the 1 yardline vs detroit ugh)4) Mike Tice is a great OL coach, he was offered the OC job with the Jags but the Bears offered more money for him to stay onSwitch with a UFL team. Who is Chris Smith to give an analysis anyway?

If it all works out we will see a decent year of football. I think that the coaches feel that the edition of Spaeth and Gabe will be a boost as well as another year of experience. I just don't get the Tice working wonders. The OL was quite pathetic last year. Amazing how winning covers up blatent flaws.

 

[flapgreen]

Chris Spencer not even listed as a backup yet?

 

[DoubleG]

Chris Spencer not even listed as a backup yet?

Apparently they are paying him $3 million because they like the cut of his jib.

 

[twistd]

This should be the flagship franchise of the NFL but instead it's a team that hasn't won a SB in 26 years. The reason is simple: the front office is and has been incompetent. Yes, occasionally they make a good move but the same can be said of any team in the league. If we put their decision-making during the post-Halas era under review (something that has been done in part on this forum) the number of absolutely brutal decisions would far outweigh the good ones. And the merely bad would account for a disturbingly high percentage.

What I would have to say, although I have been as critical as anyone, they probably fall about middle of the road as far as decisions go. The Bears make more mistakes than the Steelers or the Patriots, or even the Packers for that matter, but they have to be making some good decisions or they wouldn't even have been this successful. They are 87-73 the last ten years. They have had a winning record five times. They have made the playoffs four times. They have gone 3-3 in the playoffs and lost a Super Bowl.

In the same period the Patriots are 121-39. They have been in the playoffs eight times. They are 11-4 in the playoffs. They have been in four Super Bowls and won three of them.

By contrast, the Lions are 39-121. They have exactly the opposite regular season record of the Patriots. The Lions have no playoff appearances, and no winning records.

The Bears are a little above average I would say. They do a lot of things that seem stupid when they do them, but they have to be succeeding more than they are failing or their record wouldn't be as good as it is.

 

[tenaka]

I guarantee the Oline is better than 32nd this season.

We're #31!

We're #31!

 

[maxwelledison]

This should be the flagship franchise of the NFL but instead it's a team that hasn't won a SB in 26 years. The reason is simple: the front office is and has been incompetent. Yes, occasionally they make a good move but the same can be said of any team in the league. If we put their decision-making during the post-Halas era under review (something that has been done in part on this forum) the number of absolutely brutal decisions would far outweigh the good ones. And the merely bad would account for a disturbingly high percentage.

What I would have to say, although I have been as critical as anyone, they probably fall about middle of the road as far as decisions go. The Bears make more mistakes than the Steelers or the Patriots, or even the Packers for that matter, but they have to be making some good decisions or they wouldn't even have been this successful. They are 87-73 the last ten years. They have had a winning record five times. They have made the playoffs four times. They have gone 3-3 in the playoffs and lost a Super Bowl.

In the same period the Patriots are 121-39. They have been in the playoffs eight times. They are 11-4 in the playoffs. They have been in four Super Bowls and won three of them.

By contrast, the Lions are 39-121. They have exactly the opposite regular season record of the Patriots. The Lions have no playoff appearances, and no winning records.

The Bears are a little above average I would say. They do a lot of things that seem stupid when they do them, but they have to be succeeding more than they are failing or their record wouldn't be as good as it is.

Again, I agree. Still, I think the point the naysayers make is that a middling performance is not acceptable for this particular franchise. This team should take aggressive affirmative steps to be a Steelers or Pats, but they don't. Of course there is more to it than perpetuating the legacy and there are certainly financial considerations but I think this is a real sore spot for many older (30+) fans.

 

[flapgreen]

Chris Spencer not even listed as a backup yet?

Apparently they are paying him $3 million because they like the cut of his jib.

 

[twistd]

This should be the flagship franchise of the NFL but instead it's a team that hasn't won a SB in 26 years. The reason is simple: the front office is and has been incompetent. Yes, occasionally they make a good move but the same can be said of any team in the league. If we put their decision-making during the post-Halas era under review (something that has been done in part on this forum) the number of absolutely brutal decisions would far outweigh the good ones. And the merely bad would account for a disturbingly high percentage.

What I would have to say, although I have been as critical as anyone, they probably fall about middle of the road as far as decisions go. The Bears make more mistakes than the Steelers or the Patriots, or even the Packers for that matter, but they have to be making some good decisions or they wouldn't even have been this successful. They are 87-73 the last ten years. They have had a winning record five times. They have made the playoffs four times. They have gone 3-3 in the playoffs and lost a Super Bowl.

In the same period the Patriots are 121-39. They have been in the playoffs eight times. They are 11-4 in the playoffs. They have been in four Super Bowls and won three of them.

By contrast, the Lions are 39-121. They have exactly the opposite regular season record of the Patriots. The Lions have no playoff appearances, and no winning records.

The Bears are a little above average I would say. They do a lot of things that seem stupid when they do them, but they have to be succeeding more than they are failing or their record wouldn't be as good as it is.

Again, I agree. Still, I think the point the naysayers make is that a middling performance is not acceptable for this particular franchise. This team should take aggressive affirmative steps to be a Steelers or Pats, but they don't. Of course there is more to it than perpetuating the legacy and there are certainly financial considerations but I think this is a real sore spot for many older (30+) fans.

The Cowboys are 83-77 in the same period. Like the Bears they have been to the playoffs four times, but they are 1-4 in the playoffs. The Giants are 86-74 during that period. They have been to the playoffs five times. They are 3-4 in the playoffs, but they won a Super Bowl.

These are both good franchises, but the Bears actually have a better regular season record than either team, and a better playoff record than the Cowboys. The point is that the Patriots and the Steelers are exceptional organizations. The Bears are a little better than average. But everyone in the league aspires to be the Steelers and the Patriots. They may not be as good as the Steelers and the Patirots, but they could be the Lions or the Jaguars.

 

[Widbil83]

I went out to Bourbonnais last night for practice, actually a little over half a practice because the lights turned off due to a power outage in the area. The Defense looked great, as always. Especially Briggs. Didn't get a real good look at the O-line. Williams dropped a couple easy catches without the Defense even on the field. Some people around me were pretty down on him already. I can't imagine things ending well if this continues into the season. Knox looked a lot better than he did. He's still in Martz's 2nd team doghouse though for some reason behind Hester.

 

[flapgreen]

I went out to Bourbonnais last night for practice, actually a little over half a practice because the lights turned off due to a power outage in the area. The Defense looked great, as always. Especially Briggs. Didn't get a real good look at the O-line. Williams dropped a couple easy catches without the Defense even on the field. Some people around me were pretty down on him already. I can't imagine things ending well if this continues into the season. Knox looked a lot better than he did. He's still in Martz's 2nd team doghouse though for some reason behind Hester.

I lost all faith in Martz after last year. Refusing to change the offense any until strongly encouraged by Lovie, putting Todd Collins at #2 regardless of his putrid play, running end around in the middle of a great drive in NFC championship, refusing to adapt the offense to his players etc. Now he is benching Knox, his leading receiver by far last year, and putting Hester and Roy ahead of him. Hester is the better receiver? Really? He contributed minimally on offense but he's the better receiver??? Somebody put a bullet in him so we can move on.

 

[yoman]

I went out to Bourbonnais last night for practice, actually a little over half a practice because the lights turned off due to a power outage in the area. The Defense looked great, as always. Especially Briggs. Didn't get a real good look at the O-line. Williams dropped a couple easy catches without the Defense even on the field. Some people around me were pretty down on him already. I can't imagine things ending well if this continues into the season. Knox looked a lot better than he did. He's still in Martz's 2nd team doghouse though for some reason behind Hester.

I lost all faith in Martz after last year. Refusing to change the offense any until strongly encouraged by Lovie, putting Todd Collins at #2 regardless of his putrid play, running end around in the middle of a great drive in NFC championship, refusing to adapt the offense to his players etc. Now he is benching Knox, his leading receiver by far last year, and putting Hester and Roy ahead of him. Hester is the better receiver? Really? He contributed minimally on offense but he's the better receiver??? Somebody put a bullet in him so we can move on.

I have been unhappy with many of his decisions including this one. Williams has not done anything to earn a starting job and the reports from training camp (besides wildbil's account) have been that he has been average at best. I was hoping this was all done as a motivational tool to get Knox to work harder but I am worried that Williams is Martz's guy like that bum TE we had last year and as you pointed out that other bum Todd Collins so Knox will remain the #3 wr. I doubt Hester would be a starting WR on any of the other 31 teams in the NFL.

 

[flapgreen]

Knox 60yds short of 1000yds and double the amount of Hester last year but he's not ready to be the starter, Martz. Cool story, bro.

 

[twistd]

CHICAGO BEARS Grade D

Key gains: WR Roy Williams (Dall.), RB Marion Barber (Dall.), C Chris Spencer (Sea.), TE Matt Spaeth (Pitt.). KDey losses: TE Greg Olsen (trade), SS Danieal Manning (Hou.), C Olin Kreutz (N.O.).

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz didn’t have much use for a receiving tight end like Olsen, but you wonder if the Bears will eventually regret dealing him away; Olsen could be a productive player for a lot longer than Martz will survive in Chicago. ... Williams had his best season with Martz calling the plays in Detroit, so there’s hope he’ll resurrect his career after flopping in Dallas. ... Barber looks like a better complement to Matt Forte than Chester Taylor proved to be.

This is the offseason grade for the Bears in the Fantasy Football Index. I bolded the statement about Olsen and Martz. I said exactly the same thing in this thread and was told it was ridiculous.

 

[destro]

CHICAGO BEARS Grade D

Key gains: WR Roy Williams (Dall.), RB Marion Barber (Dall.), C Chris Spencer (Sea.), TE Matt Spaeth (Pitt.). KDey losses: TE Greg Olsen (trade), SS Danieal Manning (Hou.), C Olin Kreutz (N.O.).

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz didn’t have much use for a receiving tight end like Olsen, but you wonder if the Bears will eventually regret dealing him away; Olsen could be a productive player for a lot longer than Martz will survive in Chicago. ... Williams had his best season with Martz calling the plays in Detroit, so there’s hope he’ll resurrect his career after flopping in Dallas. ... Barber looks like a better complement to Matt Forte than Chester Taylor proved to be.

This is the offseason grade for the Bears in the Fantasy Football Index. I bolded the statement about Olsen and Martz. I said exactly the same thing in this thread and was told it was ridiculous.

So, you're appealing to the authority of Fantasy Football Index? I think the general reaction to that trade was ridiculous, yes, and I think the Bears got good value for a very average player. The fact that some random website's quick offseason analysis disagrees with that is not compelling evidence and will not change anyone's mind. What's next, using the Rotoworld blurbs to support your argument?If you're desperate to pat yourself on the back for being right, at least wait until, I don't know, Week 8? It still would be too early, but, this... ?

 

[Power Monster]

CHICAGO BEARS Grade D

Key gains: WR Roy Williams (Dall.), RB Marion Barber (Dall.), C Chris Spencer (Sea.), TE Matt Spaeth (Pitt.). KDey losses: TE Greg Olsen (trade), SS Danieal Manning (Hou.), C Olin Kreutz (N.O.).

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz didn’t have much use for a receiving tight end like Olsen, but you wonder if the Bears will eventually regret dealing him away; Olsen could be a productive player for a lot longer than Martz will survive in Chicago. ... Williams had his best season with Martz calling the plays in Detroit, so there’s hope he’ll resurrect his career after flopping in Dallas. ... Barber looks like a better complement to Matt Forte than Chester Taylor proved to be.

This is the offseason grade for the Bears in the Fantasy Football Index. I bolded the statement about Olsen and Martz. I said exactly the same thing in this thread and was told it was ridiculous.

So, you're appealing to the authority of Fantasy Football Index? I think the general reaction to that trade was ridiculous, yes, and I think the Bears got good value for a very average player. The fact that some random website's quick offseason analysis disagrees with that is not compelling evidence and will not change anyone's mind. What's next, using the Rotoworld blurbs to support your argument?If you're desperate to pat yourself on the back for being right, at least wait until, I don't know, Week 8? It still would be too early, but, this... ?

I thought this guy was done going on and on about an average TE? Again- I think that most people felt that the Bears just wasted another number 1 pick as was mentioned MANY MANY times before....

 

[twistd]

CHICAGO BEARS Grade D

Key gains: WR Roy Williams (Dall.), RB Marion Barber (Dall.), C Chris Spencer (Sea.), TE Matt Spaeth (Pitt.). KDey losses: TE Greg Olsen (trade), SS Danieal Manning (Hou.), C Olin Kreutz (N.O.).

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz didn’t have much use for a receiving tight end like Olsen, but you wonder if the Bears will eventually regret dealing him away; Olsen could be a productive player for a lot longer than Martz will survive in Chicago. ... Williams had his best season with Martz calling the plays in Detroit, so there’s hope he’ll resurrect his career after flopping in Dallas. ... Barber looks like a better complement to Matt Forte than Chester Taylor proved to be.

This is the offseason grade for the Bears in the Fantasy Football Index. I bolded the statement about Olsen and Martz. I said exactly the same thing in this thread and was told it was ridiculous.

So, you're appealing to the authority of Fantasy Football Index? I think the general reaction to that trade was ridiculous, yes, and I think the Bears got good value for a very average player. The fact that some random website's quick offseason analysis disagrees with that is not compelling evidence and will not change anyone's mind. What's next, using the Rotoworld blurbs to support your argument?If you're desperate to pat yourself on the back for being right, at least wait until, I don't know, Week 8? It still would be too early, but, this... ?

I've always felt the FFI is one of my favorite preseason guides. They have a lot of good info. I would not consider it some random website. I think Olsen is much better than an average player. I think this is another example of the Bears doing a very poor job of evaluating talent. But you are right the result of this won't be evident for awhile. We also have to see what the Bears do with the third round pick, and see what Kellen Davis does now that he has more opportunity. In addition to seeing how Olsen does this year in Carolina. But I think that Olsen has the chance to be a top ten TE this year. We shall see.

 

[maxwelledison]

This should be the flagship franchise of the NFL but instead it's a team that hasn't won a SB in 26 years. The reason is simple: the front office is and has been incompetent. Yes, occasionally they make a good move but the same can be said of any team in the league. If we put their decision-making during the post-Halas era under review (something that has been done in part on this forum) the number of absolutely brutal decisions would far outweigh the good ones. And the merely bad would account for a disturbingly high percentage.

What I would have to say, although I have been as critical as anyone, they probably fall about middle of the road as far as decisions go. The Bears make more mistakes than the Steelers or the Patriots, or even the Packers for that matter, but they have to be making some good decisions or they wouldn't even have been this successful. They are 87-73 the last ten years. They have had a winning record five times. They have made the playoffs four times. They have gone 3-3 in the playoffs and lost a Super Bowl.

In the same period the Patriots are 121-39. They have been in the playoffs eight times. They are 11-4 in the playoffs. They have been in four Super Bowls and won three of them.

By contrast, the Lions are 39-121. They have exactly the opposite regular season record of the Patriots. The Lions have no playoff appearances, and no winning records.

The Bears are a little above average I would say. They do a lot of things that seem stupid when they do them, but they have to be succeeding more than they are failing or their record wouldn't be as good as it is.

Again, I agree. Still, I think the point the naysayers make is that a middling performance is not acceptable for this particular franchise. This team should take aggressive affirmative steps to be a Steelers or Pats, but they don't. Of course there is more to it than perpetuating the legacy and there are certainly financial considerations but I think this is a real sore spot for many older (30+) fans.

The Cowboys are 83-77 in the same period. Like the Bears they have been to the playoffs four times, but they are 1-4 in the playoffs.

The Giants are 86-74 during that period. They have been to the playoffs five times. They are 3-4 in the playoffs, but they won a Super Bowl.

These are both good franchises, but the Bears actually have a better regular season record than either team, and a better playoff record than the Cowboys. The point is that the Patriots and the Steelers are exceptional organizations. The Bears are a little better than average. But everyone in the league aspires to be the Steelers and the Patriots. They may not be as good as the Steelers and the Patirots, but they could be the Lions or the Jaguars.

I understand your point but IMO the only thing that matters is championships. The Bears haven't won one in 26 years so that's pretty much where my inquiry ends.

 

[flapgreen]

This should be the flagship franchise of the NFL but instead it's a team that hasn't won a SB in 26 years. The reason is simple: the front office is and has been incompetent. Yes, occasionally they make a good move but the same can be said of any team in the league. If we put their decision-making during the post-Halas era under review (something that has been done in part on this forum) the number of absolutely brutal decisions would far outweigh the good ones. And the merely bad would account for a disturbingly high percentage.

What I would have to say, although I have been as critical as anyone, they probably fall about middle of the road as far as decisions go. The Bears make more mistakes than the Steelers or the Patriots, or even the Packers for that matter, but they have to be making some good decisions or they wouldn't even have been this successful. They are 87-73 the last ten years. They have had a winning record five times. They have made the playoffs four times. They have gone 3-3 in the playoffs and lost a Super Bowl.

In the same period the Patriots are 121-39. They have been in the playoffs eight times. They are 11-4 in the playoffs. They have been in four Super Bowls and won three of them.

By contrast, the Lions are 39-121. They have exactly the opposite regular season record of the Patriots. The Lions have no playoff appearances, and no winning records.

The Bears are a little above average I would say. They do a lot of things that seem stupid when they do them, but they have to be succeeding more than they are failing or their record wouldn't be as good as it is.

Again, I agree. Still, I think the point the naysayers make is that a middling performance is not acceptable for this particular franchise. This team should take aggressive affirmative steps to be a Steelers or Pats, but they don't. Of course there is more to it than perpetuating the legacy and there are certainly financial considerations but I think this is a real sore spot for many older (30+) fans.

The Cowboys are 83-77 in the same period. Like the Bears they have been to the playoffs four times, but they are 1-4 in the playoffs.

The Giants are 86-74 during that period. They have been to the playoffs five times. They are 3-4 in the playoffs, but they won a Super Bowl.

These are both good franchises, but the Bears actually have a better regular season record than either team, and a better playoff record than the Cowboys. The point is that the Patriots and the Steelers are exceptional organizations. The Bears are a little better than average. But everyone in the league aspires to be the Steelers and the Patriots. They may not be as good as the Steelers and the Patirots, but they could be the Lions or the Jaguars.

I understand your point but IMO the only thing that matters is championships. The Bears haven't won one in 26 years so that's pretty much where my inquiry ends.

I mostly agree with this, but it's still nice that the team has been moderately successful. The Cowboys haven't really been successful at all for the last decade but they're "America's Team", and I think people usually think they are better than what they actually are

 

[shnikies]

Knox 60yds short of 1000yds and double the amount of Hester last year but he's not ready to be the starter, Martz. Cool story, bro.

I think Knox caused more interceptions than he had touchdowns. I want to like Knox but he's so damn soft and doesn't know how to come back to the football. He might improve but I'm far from surprised to see him not listed as a starter.

 

[flapgreen]

Knox 60yds short of 1000yds and double the amount of Hester last year but he's not ready to be the starter, Martz. Cool story, bro.

I think Knox caused more interceptions than he had touchdowns. I want to like Knox but he's so damn soft and doesn't know how to come back to the football. He might improve but I'm far from surprised to see him not listed as a starter.

I agree for the most part, but you wouldn't be surprised to see Hester not listed as a starter too? As soon as Hester's role was decreased last year, he started going off in the return game again and changed the entire team. It was great. Now, they're going back to the same old "Hester has greatly improved and is ready to take the next step" crap again. It just never ends.On a side note, Martz's comments about Knox has apparently created a big #### storm, saying Knox was handed the job last year and he wasn't ready to be a starter this year. Surely, Lovie wasn't involved in hiring Martz last year? Lovie would never come out and openly say that about a player. Talk about cutting him down in front of the media. Now, that nonsense has gotten too much press and has taken away from the rest of the team. The goof and his last place offense needs to shut the hell up.

 

[flapgreen]

More lies from Angelo: Pretty sure Olsen has absolutely no reason to lie about any of this.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-0812-pompei-greg-olsen-bears-p20110812,0,7001687.story

Olsen denies he wanted trade

Bears former tight end disputes GM's version of events leading to departure

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Greg Olsen is happy to be a Panther, but he claims it was not his idea to become a former Bear.

Bears general manager Jerry Angelo recently said the tight end "came at me hard last year" for a trade.

Olsen's recollection is different.

"I'm the last one to go to the media and make big spectacles, but sometimes when things aren't right, it's hard to keep your mouth shut," Olsen said in the lunch hall at Wofford College during a break from practice at the Panthers' training camp. "(Angelo) put the perception out that I forced my way out of there, which wasn't true at all.

"He called me into his office before the draft last year to talk about things that were going on, what they were thinking. He straight up told me, 'I understand this offense is not a good fit for you.' I said, 'I understand that Jerry, I agree.' He said, 'But we are not going to trade you, we are keeping you.'

"I never asked for a trade. If he had said, 'We are going to try to get rid of you,' I would have said, 'That's fine.' I did not go in his office and ask for a trade. I think a little bit of that is him trying to make it look like I tried to force my way out because they took so much heat about it. It's just not true."

Angelo on Thursday maintained his version.

"Greg and I had numerous conversations prior to the 2010 season about his status with the Bears, both over the phone and in person," Angelo said. "I spoke with his agent as well. In everybody's best interests, we made a decision that benefited both parties. I stand by what I said."

Olsen said he went to Halas Hall to talk with Angelo and coach Lovie Smith after offensive coordinator Mike Martz was hired to see what his role would be. After that, Olsen tried to make the best of the situation.

"I played 90 percent of the snaps, did everything they asked," Olsen said. "If they threw me the ball, I caught it. If they asked me to pass block, I did it, run block at fullback. After the season they told me how good a job I did and how much of a team guy I was. They said they understood it wasn't easy and they were going to reward me as things progressed. They didn't."

Olsen was entering the final year of his contract and wanted an extension, but he said if he wanted to force a trade he wouldn't have shown up at camp. Olsen reported two days before to take his physical.

The former first-round draft pick doesn't dispute the notion he wasn't thrilled with his role in Martz's offense.

"There's no question I wasn't happy catching only 40 passes after the previous two years," he said. "It was pretty clear when Mike was hired it was going to be a different role. But I embraced that and was the bigger man. I tried to do the best I could and think I played well."

In fact, Olsen understands the philosophy of Martz's offense.

"It's a great offense, and he's a very good offensive mind," he said. "It's just not an offense that prioritizes the tight end in the passing game. That's just a fact. With what he does with receivers and running backs, those guys should die to play for him. He does a great job, he knows football. But it's not a place where a tight end is ever going to go to a Pro Bowl."

Olsen's departure was felt in the Bears locker room. In Bourbonnais, Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher acknowledged it bothered him and he didn't see it coming.

"They'll use him," Urlacher said. "They'll spread him out. They'll move him around. I understand about guys fitting systems. I'm no offensive guy, but we have a system and I guess we use tight ends in a certain way. And I guess he didn't fit that role."

The leaders on this team weren't happy about Kruetz getting released, and they apparently aren't happy about this move either. Mix all of this in with JA's comment how his job isn't to be well liked and Martz's open criticism of Knox, you are setting up a precedence that will only lead to division of the team. :finger:

 

[cr8f]

This should be the flagship franchise of the NFL but instead it's a team that hasn't won a SB in 26 years. The reason is simple: the front office is and has been incompetent. Yes, occasionally they make a good move but the same can be said of any team in the league. If we put their decision-making during the post-Halas era under review (something that has been done in part on this forum) the number of absolutely brutal decisions would far outweigh the good ones. And the merely bad would account for a disturbingly high percentage.

What I would have to say, although I have been as critical as anyone, they probably fall about middle of the road as far as decisions go. The Bears make more mistakes than the Steelers or the Patriots, or even the Packers for that matter, but they have to be making some good decisions or they wouldn't even have been this successful. They are 87-73 the last ten years. They have had a winning record five times. They have made the playoffs four times. They have gone 3-3 in the playoffs and lost a Super Bowl.

In the same period the Patriots are 121-39. They have been in the playoffs eight times. They are 11-4 in the playoffs. They have been in four Super Bowls and won three of them.

By contrast, the Lions are 39-121. They have exactly the opposite regular season record of the Patriots. The Lions have no playoff appearances, and no winning records.

The Bears are a little above average I would say. They do a lot of things that seem stupid when they do them, but they have to be succeeding more than they are failing or their record wouldn't be as good as it is.

At least you won one Superbowl. The Lions and Vikings can't say that.

 

[RobertBobson]

IF the bears don't compete realistically for a superbowl this year, my hope is they go 3-13, Lovie and angelo get fired, and Rob Ryan comes to claim the head coaching job that should have been his father's.

 

[flapgreen]

I don't want anyone from the Ryan family close to this team. How should the team have been Buddy's?

 

[Power Monster]

This should be the flagship franchise of the NFL but instead it's a team that hasn't won a SB in 26 years. The reason is simple: the front office is and has been incompetent. Yes, occasionally they make a good move but the same can be said of any team in the league. If we put their decision-making during the post-Halas era under review (something that has been done in part on this forum) the number of absolutely brutal decisions would far outweigh the good ones. And the merely bad would account for a disturbingly high percentage.

What I would have to say, although I have been as critical as anyone, they probably fall about middle of the road as far as decisions go. The Bears make more mistakes than the Steelers or the Patriots, or even the Packers for that matter, but they have to be making some good decisions or they wouldn't even have been this successful. They are 87-73 the last ten years. They have had a winning record five times. They have made the playoffs four times. They have gone 3-3 in the playoffs and lost a Super Bowl.

In the same period the Patriots are 121-39. They have been in the playoffs eight times. They are 11-4 in the playoffs. They have been in four Super Bowls and won three of them.

By contrast, the Lions are 39-121. They have exactly the opposite regular season record of the Patriots. The Lions have no playoff appearances, and no winning records.

The Bears are a little above average I would say. They do a lot of things that seem stupid when they do them, but they have to be succeeding more than they are failing or their record wouldn't be as good as it is.

Again, I agree. Still, I think the point the naysayers make is that a middling performance is not acceptable for this particular franchise. This team should take aggressive affirmative steps to be a Steelers or Pats, but they don't. Of course there is more to it than perpetuating the legacy and there are certainly financial considerations but I think this is a real sore spot for many older (30+) fans.

The Cowboys are 83-77 in the same period. Like the Bears they have been to the playoffs four times, but they are 1-4 in the playoffs.

The Giants are 86-74 during that period. They have been to the playoffs five times. They are 3-4 in the playoffs, but they won a Super Bowl.

These are both good franchises, but the Bears actually have a better regular season record than either team, and a better playoff record than the Cowboys. The point is that the Patriots and the Steelers are exceptional organizations. The Bears are a little better than average. But everyone in the league aspires to be the Steelers and the Patriots. They may not be as good as the Steelers and the Patirots, but they could be the Lions or the Jaguars.

I understand your point but IMO the only thing that matters is championships. The Bears haven't won one in 26 years so that's pretty much where my inquiry ends.

I concur with this statement- show me the hardware. All those wins are nice but this is one of the charter professional football teams and it is time to put up some SB wins. Sick of watching the Pats and Steelers run the table and I was CERTAINLY sick of watching the 49'ers blow it open in the late 80's and early 90's. This is what happens when you have a GM that can draft serious talent on both sides of the ball.

 

[Power Monster]

At least you won one Superbowl. The Lions and Vikings can't say that.

Don't forget the KC Chiefs...