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Baby and the Bathwater - An FOF Dynasty
Baby and the Bathwater Dynasty
June 2004 Chicago, IL As the parade wound down Michigan Avenue towards Soldier Field, Kirby Jansen, the reclusive heir to the Wrigley fortune, stood at the windows of his penthouse condo, Bloody Mary in hand, staring at the former Chicago Bears on the floats sixteen stories below. At 30 years old, Jansen vividly remembered the 1985 Bears team that garnered international acclaim with its flamboyant characters, superb defense and cutesy rap anthem. The parade honoring that team signaled the commencement of a year-long celebration of the 20th anniversary of that team and the pinnacle of the modern Bear franchise. Being a Wrigley, Jansen’s family focused its fortune and attention on the Cubs, but he secretly considered football a better sport, more entertaining and, in the case of the Bears, about as poorly run.. His mother and grandfather, he knew, would not approve of Kirby’s fantasizing and in-depth following of the Bears, but he nonetheless purchased seasons tickets every year with some high school friends. The parade did not serve the purpose its organizers had intended for Jansen – he burned with anger at the bumbling personnel choices and poor records since the Bears were upset in the 1986 playoffs. “Doug Flutie. What a mistake,” he muttered. “What’s that honey?” his wife, Meriel, asked from the nearby leather sofa. “Huh. Oh, just thinking.” “Another drink? I’m having one,” she said softly, realizing Kirby was deep in thought. She got no answer. He scowled unwittingly at the McCaskey family as they crept down the street in a stretch convertible, smiling and waving. He knew George Halas would not be pleased at the train wreck this team had become, and convinced himself that even family ties were not so strong that they could withstand the ruination the Bears had seen. He set his mind to restoring the luster and lovability of his cherished football team. Meriel refilled her drink, made one for him (a little stiffer than the first) and stood behind him. She gently slid the drink-holding arm around his midsection and waited for him to take it. He did and replaced it in her hand with his empty glass. She gently leaned against him and whispered “it’s just football.” Her soft breath and sweet smelling hair snapped Kirby’s trance and he slowly turned around to face her. He was frequently surprised at how beautiful she was when his mind was elsewhere and this was one of those times. A former fashion model, she had the conventional beauty that any man would notice, but her deep blue eyes and cocoa-colored skin were simply stunning. He marveled at her perfect body and smiled. Kirby kissed her on the forehead, stepped back and sipped his drink. “Are you trying to get me drunk?” he asked after tasting the stronger version. “Might be,” Meriel said coyly, batting her oft-photographed eyelashes at her husband. He smiled and told her he had to run up to his office but promised to be home early. “I have to call a few people and juggle next week’s schedule around,” he said. “I’ll be home early, but something just came up.” “I see,” Meriel said, looking at his nylon running shorts. Kirby kissed her again and promised again to be home early. He ran up to their mezzanine bedroom and showered quickly, the whole time thinking entirely about the Chicago Bears. |
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July 2004 A mid-level conference room at Wrigley headquarters, Chicago The zircote wood table was covered in reams of paper, notebooks, laptop computers and three full place settings – china, silver, crystal and linen napkins with embroidered crests of the Wrigley family. Kirby Jansen spoke to the other two people calmly and confidently as he circled the room, making sure the blinds on the exterior windows were down all the way. At 30, he knew these two were his elders, more respected, more accomplished and more busy. He spoke assuredly about his passion and his mission without ever mentioning money or his obvious lack of experience. He was baiting the man and woman for the questions he most wanted to answer. As two waiters in tails pushed silver serving platters into the room, Kirby paused. “Dinner tonight is espresso crusted steaks with delicata squash, potato and celery root puree and a side of fingerling potatos. Made by the company chef. Tavin and Jake will get you whatever you’d like to drink. Carly? Jacques? Cocktails?” Carly Fiorina shook her head while savoring the steak and Jacques Nasser politely asked for an ’84 vintage Cabernet. Both were impressed with the food, but more impressed with the polished presentation Kirby was making. Before he had swallowed his first bite of the warm beef, Tavin returned with the cork of an ’84 Clos du Bois Briarcrest Cabernet. Jacques smelled the red tip and handed it back to the waiter with his wine glass. While they ate, Kirby continued. “There is a virus that has infected everyone from the top down in that place. I don’t believe in curses, but it’s almost like they have been assigned the role of failure and can’t break loose. The Cubs at least challenge once a decade. While Minnesota and Green Bay continue to dominate, the Bears take tiny steps forward and giant leaps back. And the result is a diminished return on the team’s equity and declining civil support. They almost had to play in “They will if we make it worth their while. Everything is for sale, Jacques. If GM had come to you at Ford and told you that they were willing to pay $100 billion for the entire brand, what would you and the board have said?” Kirby was animated and driving, but still very much in control. “Kirby, Ford Motor never had more than a $42 billion market capitalization. The board would have been very, how you say, iffy.” The former CEO had put his fork down and gestured with both hands while he talked. “The offer would have been ridiculed.” Fiorina spoke us as well. “But, if properly vetted, the offer would have been accepted. Kirby, are you saying you’re prepared to offer the McCaskey family twice the value of the franchise? That may get their attention, but it won’t guarantee a sale. It’s their family’s entire fortune. They have nothing else and can do nothing else.” “They can’t be allowed to continue!” Kirby shouted. “They’ve destroyed the most storied sports franchise in “New stadium too I hope,” Carly muttered while attacking the food again. “No way,” Kirby retorted. “It stays. I like it. Reminds me of Star Trek.” Jacques delicately wiped his mouth with the linen napkin and asked, “what is it you want from us, Kirby? We are not football people and not restructuring people either.” Carly looked up, interested. “Money?” she asked. “Nope,” Jansen snapped proudly. “Muscle.” |
July 2004
21 Club, New York City “I have no idea, but it can’t be a coincidence. It’s happened four times in three separate places.” Mike Lupica sat across from his New York Times compatriot, trying very hard to keep his voice under control. “Mike, you’re paranoid,” said Tracie Rozhon next to him. Richard Lezin Jones smirked at the Business writer and calmly told her, “Don’t be so sure, Trace. The NFL is too small to be coincidental. There’s probably something to it.” Lupica continued, “Four corporate titans show up in three different places in three days and start talking ‘revolution’ in “So you think Lou Gerstner fancies himself a football man?” asked Rozhon. “He’s a smart guy, but he’s got no experience with anything close. And what are his ties to Fiorina, “I got no idea, but there is one. And I’m going to find out. You guys can come with me or not, but I’m finding out.” Lupica was more and more convinced, the less Rozhon accepted him. “I’ll come along with you, Mike, but I’m not making an ass out of myself over this. We either get an answer or we don’t, but I’m not ruining a good thing by stirring up something where I don’t belong,” said Jones. “It’s the NFL. I lose them, I’m on the street.” “Fine,” said Lupica, signaling for the bill. “Let’s go.” |
NFL League office, New York City
Commissioner Tagliabue: Damn, I was hoping you’d know something I didn’t. I’ve received sixteen different calls this week, all from powerful people outside football, and all pointing out the cesspool Chicago football has become. And they all used the same word, “Revolution.” I don’t know what to make of it. Lupica: Who called you? Tagliabue: I’d rather not say, but enough people that I can assure you this is no coincidence. Someone wants the McCaskeys out of Chicago. Jones: All business leaders? Tagliabue: No. Entertainers, politicians, philanthropists, artists. A wide range. Lupica: Can I write that? Tagliabue: Nope. I deny it all if you do. I can’t have this out there at the start of the season. That’s George Halas’s daughter, Mike. You can’t just come out as the Commissioner and say “Gee, I think it’s time for a change in Chicago and Mel Gibson agrees.” Jones and Lupica: Gibson? Tagliabue: Forget it boys. I’m silent on this. Find another source. But find one. I want to know who’s behind this. |
August 1, 2004
Red Light restaurant, Chicago Kirby and Meriel Jansen sit at a small table, facing the dining room at Red Light. They whisper quietly in between long, comfortable periods of silence. Meriel stirs her Mee Gha Ti and keeps an eye on Kirby’s forehead. She knew when it was furrowed as deeply as it was now, it was not time to interrupt. “They all go,” muttered Kirby. “Everyone. They’re all polluted with the mindset of that place.” “Sweetheart, let it go. You don’t even know what they’re going to say.” Kirby licked a little black vinegar demiglase off his fork and nodded. "Clinton will see them tomorrow. That should be it. There’s no way he comes down on them and they back down. And once Oprah takes it public, they won’t have a choice.” Meriel sat quietly for a minute breathing deeply. She loved the aroma of the open kitchen just below their table. “Did you ever think about simply approaching them?” “Singletary and Payton both tried to buy in over the years. Ditka put a group together after he left New Orleans. Michael Jordan had a consortium of buyers a while back. They won’t sell. Period.” “Buy why all the stronarming?” Meriel asked. “Why not just take the big offer to them?” “I want them to feel the walls crumbling around them,” Kirby answered. “I’m sure Urlacher’s demands got their attention, but the steady, ubiquitous pressure will make them think it’s over. And it is.” |
August 6, 2004
Chicago Bears headquarters, Lake Forest, IL Mike McCaskey, Ted Phillips and Jerry Angelo sat around their conference room table and nervously tapped Mont Blanc pens or spun in their chairs. All three had an inkling of what was coming, but none were looking forward to it. Especially McCaskey. “I’ve lost count of all the people,” said McCaskey. “I bet it’s a hundred.” “Relax, Mike,” said Phillips. “You own the place. If you want to continue owning it, it doesn’t matter what Jamie Dimon or Alan Greenspan says.” “Yea,” said McCaskey. “Who the hell are they to tell me I’m no good? I can do this.” But he knew he didn’t sound convincing. “Well, for one,” said Angelo, “Dimon is the CEO of our largest sponsor.” “Shut up, Jer,” said Phillips. “We’re not getting muscled out …” The door burst open and Phillips’ secretary wriggled her way in the door with two other men who each carried two leather-bound portfolios. “I’m sorry sirs,” said the plump woman, looking very aggravated. “I’ve never been treated so poorly, but these men say they have an appointment.” “Forget it, Gayle,” said Phillips. “Shut the door.” “What can we do for y…” started McCaskey. “We won’t be long, gentlemen,” said Colin Powell. “We have a brief message for you and will leave you each with a summary of that message.” Powell leaned across the table and handed Angelo and Phillips one of the portfolios. They each took one, but did not open them for fear of the contents. Angelo noted that his book had his name imprinted in the supple leather cover of his book and glanced at Phillips’. It had his name, too. “These contain a simple proposal from a friend of ours,” said Bill Clinton. “Now in my condition, I don’t have the heart – forgive the pun, heh heh – to go through every page, but the Page One sums up our message pretty well: we’re ready for a new era in Bears football.” While he spoke he walked around the table to McCaskey and put a hand gently on his shoulder and set a portfolio down in front of him. Only Angelo had the courage to open the book and see the single sheet on top. It contained a very short list of numbers and dates. “What the f…” he said before his breath caught in his throat. “We’re leavin’ now,” said Clinton warmly. “But if you’re still on the fence after we leave, check out the back section. It’s a doozy. Heh, heh.” Clinton and Powell filed out the door and gently closed it behind them. Angelo turned to the back, paused, and closed his book. “You guys should look. And hope the book they left with isn’t copied.” |
August 7, 2004
Chicago Bears headquarters, Lake Forest, IL A gaggle of beat reporters and electronic media types gathered in the press room at Halas Hall. They had received the vague summons, but word about the sudden pressure on the front office had spread wide and far. Nobody knew exactly what who was going to speak, but all expected a firm response from the stubborn and proud organization. A polished pair of young professionals stepped to the podium and the woman cleared her throat. “Hello, everyone. If you could all quiet down please. Quiet. Thank you. My name is Katina Jefferson with Haversham, Brown and Reid. My firm is representing the McCaskey family as of yesterday in some complicated negotiations regarding the team. With me is Lucas Patone of PR firm Elliott, Good, Yancy Partners. He will speak briefly and there will be no questions at this time. The league office will have more information tomorrow regarding the future.” Patone stepped to the microphone and paused for the cameras to snap off some pictures and focus on him. He straightened his Hermes tie and adjusted the microphone to the appropriate level. Without looking at notes he began. “As of late last night, the McCaskey family has completed lengthy negotiations with a small contingent of local investors on the sale of the Chicago Bears.” The room immediately broke into a frenzy and the hum of constant camera clicking and whispering broke Patone’s concentration for a split second. “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to provide a few details for your stories … Excuse me… Folks, just a few things and we’ll be done here.” The din was still quite loud, but he continued. “Team Chairman Michael McCaskey has been suffering from a debilitating, but treatable form of lymphoma and has been negotiating the sale of the team for approximately eight months. The family has secured an agreement including a purchase price of one point four one two billion dollars.” The room broke out into a louder frenzy and people ran out of the room, screaming into cell phones. Pantone continued, barely suppressing a smile. People were shouting at him while he said, “Folks, just a few more things. The league office has received the approval of the Ownership Committee via emergency conference call this morning to make the sale. This was done because the Mr. McCaskey’s health is in a precarious position and he wished to speak to the confidence and excitement he felt in the new owner – owners. The Committee was so inspired by his speech that they immediately called for a vote and approved the sale. Commissioner Tagliabue sends the following statement: ‘After many years of admirable and dignified ownership of one of the league’s premiere franchises, the Halas/McCaskey family have reached a point where they can step aside and let another generation of leaders operate this team. The substantial premium over current value that they received for the team is indicative of the toil and sacrifice this family has made, and I commend them for decades of leadership in the NFL. Godspeed and you will be missed.’ Beyond that, we have no further comment at this time. More information is forthcoming.” The room completely burst apart as reporters clamored for the attention of the retreating pair at the dais. Others ran for the hallway to call in the tremendous story. Lost in all the shuffle were Ted Phillips and Jerry Angelo who were walking out of the press room for the last time as Bear employees. |
As he left the building, Jerry Angelo suddenly was hit by a bus. And kicked 26 times in the crotch. And then hit by another bus.
Now that's a happy ending. :) |
Perfect. I should probably just stop there.
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Aw, keep going. I'm interested to see what's next.
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Later that day
Chicago Bears headquarters Jerry Glanville wore a black silk shirt with pearl buttons, black slacks and gray cowboy boots that were resting about eight inches above his head on a stack of banker’s boxes. He was reclining in a high-backed leather chair in the boardroom and listening to an unknown person on the Cisco IP conference phone. Art Shell, Jim Mora Sr., Barry Switzer, Alex Wood, Paul Hackett and six college coaches sat or stood around the room in less colorful costumes. The unidentified voice stalled for time. “I’m sure he’ll be in any moment. It’s very important that he be there.” “We I ain’t even sure why we’re here,” complained Glanville. Mora smiled at him and said, “You can’t keep calm for anything.” “And your radio show sucks a…,” Glanville started when the door burst open. “Okay folks. Sorry I’m late but things were chaotic up in my office. Agents, players, reporters… it’s all quite crazy. Let’s begin.” The young man had on a modest gray suit, light blue shirt and a yellow tie that hung very loose around his neck. His closely-cropped hair was disheveled and there were bags under his eyes. The other men in the room looked around at each to see if anyone recognized the new guy in the room. There were a few nods in the negative but mostly just blank stares. The voice on the phone said “Hey, Michael. Glad you could make it. The guys and I were just talking about air travel. Did you know Air France is mostly owned by the French government? That’s why they get all the gates in Paris. Mora just told me that.” “Good to know. Have you covered anything relevant to the Bears?” asked Michael. “Nope. Thought I’d let you do it. I’ll jump in if I catch something.” “Okay then,” Michael started. “I’ll give you the abbreviated version so we can get to the testing.” More nervous glances among the coaches. “Basically, we’ve cleaned house around here and you are all being considered for coaching positions.” “Ah, Michael is it,” said Paul Hackett, “I don’t want to coach here. How did you pick this group of men? I don’t even want to coach in the NFL.” “Great. See ya’ then,” Michael responded. “Get out.” Hackett looked for support from his brethren but they were quiet. He slowely stood and headed for the door. He paused at the threshold and started to speak but thought better of it. Michael made a shooing motion with his hand and Hackett slammed the door behind him. |
Good job, keep it up.
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Thanks. Frickin' Omerta makes writing go slow. ;)
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Michael continued with rapt attention of the others, “Basically the Bears have a new owner, backed by some heavies as silent partners. This owner is convinced that things are not well within the team and has ordered the entire organization cleaned out. He has seen how complacent and non-competitive people become once they’ve been here a while and has determined that people are ruined by this franchise. His terms are summed up as follows:
1. No one, in any position, will be retained after this season. Marketing, players, janitors, nobody. The front office has been vacated, the roster is being vacated as much as pre-season allows and the coaching staff will be vacated at year end. 2. Anybody who has worked in the organization in the past at any moment is ineligible for hire here now and forever. 3. Once anyone, including players and coaches, leave the team for any reason, they are not welcome back. Ever. 4. Each person (player, coach or otherwise) will be given one contract, never to be extended. After that, they will move on. That includes those among you who are successful tonight. I think that’s about it.” There was a short silence before Art Shell got the courage to speak up. He said, “There’s a lot wrong with all that, but how long do you anticipate the league allowing you operate this team in that fashion? That’s suicide.” The voice on the phone answered, “The league is not my concern at this point. They are of no concern to me. And the answer to your precise question is that I will be around until I recoup my investment. That is to say when the actual value of the franchise is the future value of $1.412 billion. I owe a great deal of the purchase price to my investors and will pay them first. Once I begin profiting from the team, I will move on to other things.” By this point, no one in the room doubted the sincerity or dedication of the man on the other end of that phone. And despite serious curiosity, no one asked the identity of the phone voice. The rules were made plain and the experienced coaches wanted no part of a roster that would suffer massive turnover every year. The college coaches found their existing college jobs much more secure and saw little reward for entering the NFL in this environment. In short, they wanted out. Shell broke the silence. “How will the interviews go?” “Michael?” said the phone. “We have installed a program called Front Office Football 2004 on all the computers in the office. You will each take the same random roster from that simulation and coach your way through several years of professional football. The man who wins a championship in the fastest year will be the coach. Period. There are plenty of empty offices around here so, if you’re ready, we can proceed.” There was palpable hesitation among the coaches. Among the shuffling of chairs and people exiting, two coaches quietly told Michael they were not interested and found the situation too bizarre. They were curtly excused. The rest wandered around the nearest office to at least peek at FOF. |
August 8, 2004
Chicago Bears Headquarters “His name is Bandy,” said Michael. Kirby rubbed his temples and leaned back in a leather executive chair. As he stared at the ceiling he slowly said “But he scored the best. That’s why we used your Front Desk program." “It’s Front Office and we can’t hire a guy named Bandy to coach a pro football team,” snapped Michael. “He sounds like a clown’s assistant. Bart Bandy. It’ll never work. You can’t fire a legend with a name like Zandofsky and replace him with a pansy-ass name like Bandy.” The two had been arguing back and forth about a new head coach into the morning hours of the eighth. Bart Bandy, the head coach of Division III Swarthmore, had taken a virtual football team to a league championship in one season. The next closest coach was three seasons and that was from the defensive coordinator under Bandy. No coach with NFL or Division I experience came anywhere close. The pair had agreed to offer the defensive coordinator’s position to Blaine Cheek, a recently retired safety from Kirby abruptly sat up and put his hands on the mahogany conference table and leaned on them. “It’s Bandy. Make it happen.” And he strode out the door. Bart Bandy Head Coach Mot. Avg. Disc. Good Off. Avg. Def. Exc. Inj. Exc. Harvey Williamson Offensive Coordinator QB VG RB Good Rec Avg. OL Good K/P Good YT Avg. Blaine Cheek Defensive Coordinator K/P Avg DL Fair LB VG Sec Good YT Fair |
January 2005
Victor's Grill, Ritz Carlton Hotel New Orleans, LA Kirby sat with his offically appointed President and GM (Michael) and his wife, three other league owners sat nearby having no idea who they were. Michael had yet to be seen publicly and had only given phone interviews. The entire organization was generally kept behind closed doors as Kirby wanted complete anonymity. "But seriously, Kirb" said Michael, "how can we get rid of the guy with the number one jersey sales in the league the last three years?" "Forget jersey sales, MIchael! This is the number two market int he country and the number one has two teams. We should have four of the top 10 jerseys not just one! And Brian Urlacher can bring us more than one decent player. He only played in eight games for crying out loud. He may bring us.." "That's why we can't move him, Kirby. He was hurt so much that his value is nothing," snapped Michael. "I doubt we can get anything for the guy. Anything good." "I don't care. I want to be in a Super Bowl some day, not just in town to watch it. Get rid of them all." ----- Later that day, in a suite upstairs, Michael talks with a representative of the Bengals. Urlacher indeed does not draw much interest from the other teams, but the Bengals are the only team willing to take fragile and aging guard Rueben Brown. As such, the initial dismantling of the Chicago Bears begins with the following trade: Chicago sends ILB B. Urlacher TE Des. Clark G R. Brown QB C. Krenzel to the Bengals for 2005 1st Round (10) 2005 3rd Round (10) |
As the media hype around the Super Bowl began to focus less and less on the teams in the the game and more on the Bears, Kirby and his small clan of struggling executives became more and more reclusive. A few of the new scouting team met in the Business Center at the Best Western in Metarie while Kirby and his wife toured some antebellum homes outside the city. Michael made the mistake of traversing the lobby at the Ritz.
The throng of idle TV cameras and hacks didn't notice him for a while, but everyone in the lobby noticed him when the newly hired head coach of the Bears stormed from his seat near the front desk and accosted Michael mid-stride. "You traded Urlacher!? What the f...? How in the...? " he stammered. Michael, voice nearly inaudible, hoping futiley that the reporters wouldn't notice, began "Hey coach, we made our plan very clear at the..." "Screw your plan!" screamed the shaking and red coach. "I wasn't even given a head's up. Read about the stupid trade in the paper! This is bull, Michael!" Michael grabbed the larger man by the elbow and dragged him away from the staring crowd while the cameras began filming. Under his breath he muttered "This is not the place and entirely unacceptable." Bandy yanked his arm out of Michael's grib, turned to face him and as calmly as he'd ever been, said "I want no part of this mess. I'm taking the staff with me. My agent has the papers waiting for you in Chicago." |
February 13, 2005
NoMI restaurant, Park Hyatt Chicago If finding a coach at the end of the season with no public controversy was hard, trying to hire one right before the draft with every sports page in the country lambasting the front office publicly was downright impossible. Guys with NFL experience either had accepted other positions or had heard enough not to return calls. Guys in college were knee deep in spring ball preparation. NFL Europe had some decent coaching material and enough even that were interested, but they were only weeks away from their season and the league flatly denied any pursuit of European staff (they were done doing favors for anyone in Chicago). A couple out-of-work position coaches were willing to come on as coordinators if the head coach was acceptable. So Michael sat, overlooking Michigan avenue and the lake, speaking with Antonio Abrams, the head coach of the number three football team in the country - Bishop Amat High School. Abrams was a little overwhelmed at the attention and had spoken very little on the tour of Halas Hall, the Bulls game or the dinner party at Governor's upstate townhouse. Abrams spoke only enough during the trip to answer the questions asked him and there were few of those. Interviews at that point consisted mainly of one question: "Will you take the job?" Abrams said "yes." Abrams - 49 yrs old Motivation Avg Discipline Good Offense Avg Defense Good Injury Good Deion Davis - 58 yrs old Offensive Coord. QB Good RB Very Good Rec Good OL Good Y.T. VG K/P Very Good Ricky Schultz - 59 yrs old Defensive Coord. DL Good LB Avg Sec Exc K/P Good |
February 21, 2005
Naples, FL Kirby and his wife were sitting on the veranda of a friend's beach-front estate, reading and slowly eating a breakfast of Syrian bread with Feta cheese, fresh grapefruit and papaya juice. The couple had fled to Florida to avoid a firestorm over the recent personnel moves. Word of Kirby's ownership had leaked to the press after so many corporate heavyweights that had backed his takeover, backed away quickly when the media firestorm hit. Meriel stretched her bare legs out in front of her and gently dropped her feet in Kirby's lap. "Why do we live in Chicago again? It's nine below there today." She closed her eyes and folded her hands on top of her cut-off sweatpant shorts. "I don't get the Aaron Rogers hype," Kirby muttered. "Kiper and Sporting News love the guy, but none of our scouts think he develops into much." Kirby tossed the binder of quarterback reports on the patio and picked up another one. "Want to dip your feet in the water?" Meriel asked quietly, rolling her neck and taking in the warm sun. "And Marion Barber looks a ton better than Carnell Williams." Meriel dug her heels a little deeper into Kirby's lap. "I don't think we're communicating, dear." Kirby squirmed a little to avoid the strategic pressure. "We'll need a good running back." Meriel gave up and took her coffee cup down to the water's edge. Kirby picked up his cell phone and called the Lake Forest offices. Michael gave him the final damage report on the last of the unloading. No players from the 2004 roster remained under contract and only five new players were acquired. "Just fax it to me," Kirby quipped. "I'm reading college scouting reports and haven't even started on the veteran reports. Just wondered if you got Thomas Jones moved." "Nah," Michael answered. "Couldn't find a taker anywhere. Just cut him. We did pick up the number one overall.." Kirby interrupted, "Did you pick up some corners? Free agency looks kind of weak." "Just one. Quentin Jammer. San Diego. But Oakland sent us the first overall..." "Get some more," Kirby said and hung up. Minutes later, the fax machine in the office inside beeped loudly and the following report rolled out: Granted release: P Maynard CB Azumah WR Terrell C Mannelly TE Lyman LB Hillenmeyer LB Jenkins Trades: QB Grossman, LB Briggs, LB Odom, 2007 7th Round to Oakland for the #1 overall pick. C Kreutz to St. Louis for S Archuletta. S Brown to Seattle for 2nd Round (18) G Tucker to Clevland for 4th Round (19) S Green to Denver for 3rd Round (14) DT Harris and WR Gage to Baltimore for G Mulitalo DT Boone to New England for 4th Round (21) FB Johnson, WR Wade, T Mitchel to Detroit for LB Lehman T Tait, CB Vasher to Jacksonville for WR Williams. QB Hutinson, DE Haynes, 2006 7th Round to Dallas for 3rd Round (16) S Johnson, WR Berrian, CB Tillman to Arizona for 2nd Round (12) DT Scott to San Diego for CB Jammer. Greetz, Michael |
Week 1 Free Agency
Kirby demonstrated his conviction in cleaning house and Michael had no desire to do this type of 'empty cupboard' roster re-creation every winter, so he set out to sign as many players as he could to the longest deals possible. With that in mind, the following offers were made to open free agency: QB Drew Brees - 4 yrs - only offer WR Brandon Stokley - 1 yr - only offer WR Alex Bannister - 1 yr - offer accepted WR Reche Caldwell - 1 yr - only offer C Dominic Raiola - 3 yrs - only offer T Matt Light - 6 yrs - only offer |
Weeks 2-4 Free Agency
Week 2 QB Drew Brees - 4 yrs - only offer WR Brandon Stokley - 1 yr - offer accepted WR Reche Caldwell - 1 yr - only offer C Dominic Raiola - 3 yrs - only offer T Matt Light - 6 yrs - only offer DT Cory Simon - 5 yrs - 1 other offer (Det) ILB Ed Hartwell - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Minn) OLB Keith Bullock - 5 yrs - 2 other offers (Buff, GB) Week 3 QB Drew Brees - 4 yrs - only offer WR Reche Caldwell - 1 yr - only offer C Dominic Raiola - 3 yrs - offer accepted T Matt Light - 6 yrs - offer accepted DT Cory Simon - 5 yrs - 1 other offer (Det) ILB Ed Hartwell - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Minn) OLB Keith Bullock - 5 yrs - 2 other offers (Buff, GB) G Casey Rabach - 3 yrs - 3 other offers (Bal, Det, Sea) S Sammy Knight - 5 yrs - 1 other offer (Det) Week 4 QB Drew Brees - 4 yrs - only offer WR Reche Caldwell - 1 yr - only offer DT Cory Simon - 5 yrs - 1 other offer (Det) ILB Ed Hartwell - 3 yrs - 3 other offer (Minn, Bal, Den) OLB Keith Bullock - 5 yrs - 2 other offers (Buff, GB) G Casey Rabach - 3 yrs - signs with Baltimore S Sammy Knight - 5 yrs - 1 other offer (Det) FB Cory Schlesigner - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (StL) |
Weeks 5-8 Free Agency
Week 5 QB Drew Brees - 4 yrs - signs with SF WR Reche Caldwell - 1 yr - only offer DT Cory Simon - 5 yrs - offer accepted ILB Ed Hartwell - 3 yrs - 3 other offer (Minn, Bal, Den) OLB Keith Bulluck - 5 yrs - 2 other offers (Buff, GB) S Sammy Knight - 5 yrs - 1 other offer (Det) FB Cory Schlesigner - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (StL) G Kynan Forney - 4 yrs - 8 other offers (Atl, Bal, Car, GB, Ind, NJ, SF, Cle) LB Rocky Boiman - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Atl) G Chris Naoele - 3 yrs - only offer T Artis Hicks - 3 yrs - only offer CB Jason Craft - 3 yrs - only offer QB Chris Simms - 3 yrs - only offer Week 6 WR Reche Caldwell - 1 yr - only offer ILB Ed Hartwell - 3 yrs - 7 other offer (Minn, Bal, Den, Car, NY, Phil, SD) OLB Keith Bulluck - 5 yrs - 3 other offers (Buff, GB, Car) S Sammy Knight - 5 yrs - 1 other offer (Det) FB Cory Schlesigner - 3 yrs - signs with StL G Kynan Forney - 4 yrs - 8 other offers (Atl, Bal, Car, GB, Ind, NJ, SF, Cle) LB Rocky Boiman - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Atl) G Chris Naoele - 3 yrs - only offer T Artis Hicks - 3 yrs - offer accepted CB Jason Craft - 3 yrs - only offer QB Chris Simms - 3 yrs - only offer FB Obafemi Ayenbadego - 1 yr - only offer DE Bryan Thomas - 3 yrs - only offer DT Wendell Bryant - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Oak) Week 7 WR Reche Caldwell - 1 yr - only offer ILB Ed Hartwell - 3 yrs - sign with Bal OLB Keith Bulluck - 5 yrs - 3 other offers (Buff, GB, Car) S Sammy Knight - 5 yrs - signs with Det G Kynan Forney - 4 yrs - 8 other offers (Atl, Bal, Car, GB, Ind, NJ, SF, Cle) LB Rocky Boiman - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Atl) G Chris Naoele - 3 yrs - only offer CB Jason Craft - 3 yrs - only offer QB Chris Simms - 3 yrs - only offer FB Obafemi Ayenbadego - 1 yr - only offer DE Bryan Thomas - 3 yrs - offer accepted DT Wendell Bryant - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Oak) S John Lynch - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Cle) Week 8 WR Reche Caldwell - 1 yr - offer accepted OLB Keith Bulluck - 5 yrs - signs with GB G Kynan Forney - 4 yrs - signs with Atl LB Rocky Boiman - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Atl) G Chris Naoele - 3 yrs - offer accepted CB Jason Craft - 3 yrs - offer accepted QB Chris Simms - 3 yrs - only offer FB Obafemi Ayenbadego - 1 yr - only offer DE Bryan Thomas - 3 yrs - offer accepted DT Wendell Bryant - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Oak) S John Lynch - 3 yrs - signs with Cle ILB Robert Thomas - 3 yrs - only offer CB Phillip Buchanon - 3 yrs - only offer |
Weeks 9-12 Free Agency
Week 9 LB Rocky Boiman - 3 yrs - offer accepted QB Chris Simms - 3 yrs - offer accepted FB Obafemi Ayenbadego - 1 yr - offer accepted DT Wendell Bryant - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Oak) ILB Robert Thomas - 3 yrs - only offer CB Phillip Buchanon - 3 yrs - offer accepted DT Ryan Sims - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Phil) S Idrees Bashir - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Minn) Week 10 DT Wendell Bryant - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Oak) ILB Robert Thomas - 3 yrs - offer accepted DT Ryan Sims - 3 yrs - offer accepted S Idrees Bashir - 3 yrs - offer accepted RB Domanick Davis - 3 yrs - only offer TE Daniel Graham - 3 yrs - only offer T Greg Jerman - 3 yrs - only offer WILB Bradie James - 3 yrs - only offer Week 11 DT Wendell Bryant - 3 yrs - offer accepted RB Domanick Davis - 3 yrs - offer accepted TE Daniel Graham - 3 yrs - only offer T Greg Jerman - 3 yrs - only offer WILB Bradie James - 3 yrs - offer accepted C Brock Gutierrez - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (Wash) FL Kelley Washington - 3 yrs - only offer Week 12 TE Daniel Graham - 3 yrs - only offer T Greg Jerman - 3 yrs - offer accepted C Brock Gutierrez - 3 yrs - offer accpeted FL Kelley Washington - 3 yrs - only offer QB Gus Frerotte - 3 yrs - only offer |
Weeks 13- Free Agency
Week 13 TE Daniel Graham - 3 yrs - only offer FL Kelley Washington - 3 yrs - only offer QB Gus Frerotte - 3 yrs - offer accepted Week 14 TE Daniel Graham - 3 yrs - only offer FL Kelley Washington - 3 yrs - offer accepted CB Willie Williams - 3 yrs - 1 other offer (NJ) Week 15 TE Daniel Graham - 3 yrs - only offer CB Willie Williams - 3 yrs - offer accepted Week 16 TE Daniel Graham - 3 yrs - offer accepted Weeks 17-20 Idle |
April 14, 2005
Wrigley Building Being stalked and hounded constantly, Kirby could no longer approach the Bears' facility in Lake Forest. So he had gathered is new(est) coaching staff, scouts and other advisors in the Wrigley Building to review draft strategy. Kirby ran the meeting much the same way his uncle and grandfather had run the Wrigley Company - with a strict agenda, rules of order, pre-prepared reports and little tolerance for wandering conversation or off-topic comments. "We'll start with a quick review of the roster after the trades and free agency," Kirby began. "I'm quite pleased with the number of bargains we were able to take advantage of and I'm very interested in all of your opinions on draft strategy from here. We have 32 players under contract and 15 draft picks. Keep that in mind. Go ahead Michael." Michael stood and instructed the assembled people as to which report he would be highlighting. "I'd like to get a quick idea on each position and draft strategy from everyone. No names or specifics, just let me know how we look at this point and where we should look to help in the draft." From an unseen control room, the flat-panel TV's around the room flashed on and the quarterbacks were listed. Chris Simms - 3 yr/$1.48 mil Gus Frerotte - 3 yr/$6.77 mil - Probable starter Draft: A quarterback of the future somewhere in the top three rounds. RB Domanick Davis - 3 yr/$2.34 mil - 1,000 yards last year. "Idolized." Draft: A possible use for the #1 overall pick. FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo - 1 yr/$590,000 - Purely a stop-gap. Draft: A mid-round pick should land a starter-quality FB. TE Ben Troupe - 2 yrs left - Pro-Bowl potential Daniel Graham - 3 yr/$2.22 mil Draft: A late-round choice if anything. More likely late free agency. WR Reggie Williams - 4 yrs left - SE starter Alex Bannister - 3 yr/$3.15 mil - FL starter Brandon Stokley - 1 yr/$660,000 Reche Caldwell - 1 yr/$570,000 Kelley Washington - 3 yr/$2.02 mil Draft: A solid corp already. A late-round choice if anything. C Dominic Raiola - 3 yr/$3.83 mil - Starter Brock Gutierrez - 2 yr/$1.46 mil Draft: None. G Edward Mulitalo - 5 yrs left - All-Pro last year. Certain LG starter. Chris Naeole - 3 yr/$4.16 mil - Adequate RG. Draft: A challenger to Naeole for the right side. Injury insurance. T Matt Light - 5 yr/$48.00 mil - All-Pro last year. LT cornerstone Artis Hicks - 3 yr/$2.30 mil - LT Greg Jerman - 3 yr/$1.63 mil - RT Draft: A RT starter if one drops to late 1st/early 2nd. Solid backup otherwise. P/K None Draft: One of each in round 4/5/6 area. DE Bryan Thomas - 3 yr/$2.85 mil - Almost pure pass rusher. Injury prone. Draft: At least two who can be developed. One will need to start now. The the option for the #1 overall. DT Cory Simon - 5 yr/$33.15 mil - "Idolized." As good as there is. Ryan Sims - 3 yr/$2.17 mil - A real bargain. Starter-quality. Wendell Bryant - 3 yr/$2.39 mil - Could challenge Sims. Draft: Only for extreme value. A fourth, late, for backup. ILB Robert Thomas - 3 yr/$2.03 mil - Another bargain. 100 tackle threat. Draft: At least one from round 2-4 OLB Teddy Lehman - 3 yrs left - Physical in the rush and coverage. Rocky Boiman - 3 yr/$2.21 mil - Started last yr. Hopefully a backup now. Bradie James - 3 yr/$1.50 mil - Big bargain. Started last yr. Clear backup. Draft: A real starter would be nice. CB Quentin Jammer - 2 yrs left - Very good LCB starter. Kick returner as well. Jason Craft - 3 yr/$2.21 mil - RCB backup only. Phillip Buchanon - 3 yr/$1.90 mil - LCB backup. Likely nickel. Willie Wiliams - 3 yr/$2.82 mil - 13 year vet. Also plays left side. Draft: A right-side player. S Adam Archuleta - 4 yrs left - As good at SS as anyone. Idrees Bashir - 3 yr/$2.01 mil - Great defender. Bargain FS starter. Draft: One backup who need not be of starter quality. The remainder of the meeting was spent reviewing a few significant mock drafts and with the coaches laying out a scheme for both sides of the ball. Deion Davis emphasized his desire to play a physical, run-oriented offense and the subsequent need for more quality and depth and running back. Ricky Schultz surveyed his defense and saw a need for more quality in the front seven. "I like where we're sitting right now," said Abrams, his most vocal statement to date. "We can field an offense right now that's as good or better than the '04 team and we've yet to draft a player. The defense needs some attention, but the secondary looks good to me. With picks 1, 5 and 10 in the first round, this is going to be excited." Kirby adjourned the meeting and directed Jeff Skilling, team Secretary, to have the minutes routed for approval that evening with the draft pick summary and the date for the draft recap meeting. Round 1 (3 picks): 1, 5 and 10 Round 2 (3 picks): 5, 12, and 28 Round 3 (4 picks): 5, 10, 14 and 16 Round 4 (2 picks): 5 and 21 Round 5 (1 pick): 5 Round 6 (1 pick): 5 Round 7 (1 pick): 5 |
Draft Day 2005
New York Two hours before the draft five men gathered in a Midtown conference center borrowed from J.P. Morgan. Kirby and Michael sat in high-back, black leather chairs at either end of a gigantic table. At either end were giant video screens with a closed-circuit feed of the vacant dais at the Javits center. Each regional scout was visible in a split-screen montior in front of each of the five men, none of the scout paying particular attention to anything going on in New York. One monitor on each side wall of the room showed ESPN without sound and two more large screens showed a chart of the Bears' draft board, even now being tweaked after random converastions with other officials or draft prospects. In the room, head coach, Antonio Abrams, chatted quietly on the phone of and on, touching base with two different young men. Michael had been contacted by nearly all of the other teams in the league about acquiring the first overall pick and had made it clear that the pick would not be traded easily. He had not spoken to anyone on the phone all morning despite seeing reports all over ESPN and the web that said he was actively shopping the #1 pick. The two other men, the two coordinators, chatted quietly while leaning on a large table in the back of the room that held food, candy and drinks both hard and soft. As Abrams hung up, he turned to the room and said "That was Pollack. I like that kid a ton and we surely need a lineman. I'm tempted to go there first" Kirby, on the phone with the scout from the deep South, put his hand over the mouthpiece and said "I thought we'd agreed on our #1. He's so clearly the best guy in this draft, he won't be around at #5." Abrams nodded then shrugged. Kirby was talking about the guy on whom their scouts had created the largest dossier, the third fastest 40 time, fifth fastest agility drill and highest current and future rated player available. He so clearly stood out among his position pool that everyone noticed him. You had to compare him to entirely different positions to get anyone near him in speed and strength. "Our holes are defensive though. I'm just offering Pollack as a suggestion," said Abrams. "Don't want to rock the boat." The two coordinators looked at each other and Schultz spoke. "I know we need players on defense, but I just told Deion that a good run offense can be the best thing for a defense. I think we should take Benson." |
Pick 1, Round 1
RB Cedric Benson (68/80): 4.34 sec 40.......6.95 sec Agility.....27 rep bench....5 volatility.....35 Solecismic After taking Cedric Benson, the top tackle, Jammal Brown, went to Detroit, Pollack went to Pittsburgh and Mike Williams went to San Fransisco. Braylon Edwards was the top player left on the Bears' board, but receiver was not a need - at least not at #5. The top DE after Pollack was Erasmus James and was starter material. Most of the other top-flight players were offensive. So, with the upcoming tenth pick as insurance, Michael dealt the fifth pick to Kansas City for their first-rounder (#26), a second-round pick in '06 and an end prospect named Jared Allen who managed 2.5 sacks in only four starts. |
As pick #9 came up, the conference room at J.P. Morgan was quietly nervous as James was still on the board and San Diego came on the clock. It was widely believed that the Chargers were looking for help at tackle and corner, but Kirby had checked with a few friends who were close to the organization and heard that they were looking to bolster their D-line.
On a whim, Coach Abrams called James' Wisconsin linemate, Antaj Hawthorne, another first-round prospect. The phone rang a while before Hawthorne cut in amid hooting and screaming. "What's.... what's going on, Ant?" Abrams screamed into the phone. "Speak up, man!" Hawthorne shouted back. "Hey, it's Coach Abrams. I was just wondering..." "Sorry, dude. Can't talk. I'm gonna be a Charger!" Hawthorne screamed and the line went dead. Abrams smiled a little and looked at the TV in time to see Mel Kiper predict Erasmus James to the Chargers. "I hate that guy." Pick 10, Round 1 DE Erasmus James (36/65): 4.77 sec 40.......7.24 sec agility.....30 rep bench....5 volatility.....31 Solecismic |
At about pick #20, it became clear to the gentlemen watching things unfold that at least two of their top six prospects were going to be available at their next pick (#26). Receiver Troy Williamson was still available and the scouts had tagged him as a surefire starter. Three of the top four quarterbacks Deion Davis liked were still on the board - Andrew Walter of Arizona State, Alex Smith of Utah and David Greene of Georgia. The defensive coaches all had their collective eyes on CB Carlos Rogers of Auburn and OLB Derrick Johnson which had dropped as well.
By the time, their pick came up, Williamson had gone at #23 to Baltimore and Tennessee had taken Johnson at #25. Once that pick was read, the Bears' war room fell silent and the five looked from each other to their reports and back to the TV. After seven minutes of pure silence, Kirby looked up and said "We're taking Rogers. Call the desk." No one else spoke. Pick 26, Round 1 CB Carlos Rogers (32/67): 4.46 sec 40.......7.04 sec agility.....14 rep bench....5 volatility.....32 Solecismic |
Pick 5, Round 2
ILB Odell Thurman (19/59): 4.77 sec 40.......7.41 sec agility.....26 rep bench....5 volatility.....36 Solecismic Pick 12, Round 2 DE Walter Curry (23/56): 4.88 sec 40.......7.50 sec agility.....30 rep bench....5 volatility.....29 Solecismic Pick 28, Round 2 QB Alex Smith (20/67): 5.14 sec 40........7.33 sec agility.....19 rep bench....5 volatility.....48 Solecismic |
Quote:
Good thing you didn't take him with the 26th pick of the first round. |
I'm surprised Smith fell that low in the draft.
Is Timmy Chang in that draft pool? |
Will this be a real-time dynasty? As in, we have to wait until some time next summer to see the 2006 draft? COOL!
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In order here:
stkelly, Smith is not nearly the player in this pool as he appears to be IRL, but still is a bit surprising to have fallen. These single-player drafts are always screwy with QB's. But if I had to guess, at this point, I'd say he's a steal. Izulde, as above, Smith appears to have dropped a lot, but not as much as the real Smith would lead you to believe. Timmy Chang is in the pool. He has an adjusted rating of 2.8 (4/26 current & future) so isn't nearly the factor here that he will be in the NFL. David Greene and Matt Jones are both left and have 5.5 adjusted ratings (16/57, 11/56 respectively) for comparison. Quik, I'd say if work and other things go like they did over the first few months of this year, '06 sounds about right for the next draft. ;) |
Pick 5, Round 3
SS James Butler (25/65): 4.53 sec 40........7.24 sec agility.....19 rep bench....5 volatility.....41 Solecismic Pick 10, Round 3 RB TA McLendon (37/57): 4.64 sec 40........7.23 sec agility.....17 rep bench.....5 volatility.....25 Solecismic Pick 14, Round 3 TE Pat Estes (32/59): 4.91 sec 40........7.69 sec agility.....24 rep bench.....5 volatility.....31 Solecismic Pick 16, Round 3 P Dustin Colquitt (67/84): Who cares? |
Pick 5, Round 4
DE Chris Canty (18/45): 4.87 sec 40.......7.52 sec agility.....28 rep bench....5 volatility.....26 Solecismic Pick 21, Round 4 G Mark LeVoir (13/40): 5.07 sec 40.......7.86 sec agility.....23 rep bench....5 volatility.....36 Solecismic |
Pick 5, Round 5
K Rhys Lloyd (41/64): Pick 5, Round 6 S Peter Sands (23/54): 4.52 sec 40.......7.25 sec agility.....15 rep bench....5 volatility.....33 Solecismic Pick 5, Round 7 QB Aaron Rogers (21/49): 5.11 sec 40........7.20 sec agility.....24 rep bench.....5 volatility.....39 Solecisimic |
May 2, 2005
Halas Hall Lake Forest, IL Renee Chesney sat at her desk outside Michael's office, trying hard not to listen to the raucus behind the closed door. In 30 minutes, she'd heard breaking glass, walls being hit, wood breaking, screaming and objects being tossed around the room. At several points, she'd called the security office near the lobby, but had, in each case, been told that they were too afraid to interrupt the 'meeting' between Kirby and Michael. "You had BETTER talk to them!" Kirby screamed at Michael. "I've never seen such complete bullshit in all my days! I thought you had negotiating experience! This is fricking ridiculous!" "Kirb, I think we've got a serious case for collusion here," MIchael responded as calmly as he could. "Screw collusion! You get these guys in camp or I'm going to sue you, you stupid bastard! Two out of fifteen. Unbelievable. A room of monkeys could have done better." Michael looked for something to sit on, but his chair was hanging out of the back wall of his office and his desk was flipped on it's front side. "I'll do what I can, but I think they're screwing with us, Kirb. There's no other explanation." "We have two of fifteen rookies signed and you think I give a rip what the explanation is? Just sign these guys or I'm going to clean house one more time. I swear, if this goes beyond.... thirteen guys hold out and I'm supposed to care who... Dammit!" Kirby kicked the remnants of a glass vase and it smashed against the overturned desked, shattering into hundreds of pieces. "Fix it. Don't do anything until this is fixed." |
May 4, 2005
Halas Hall Word of the rookie signing debacle spread like wildfire, not only throughout the organization but the league. The rest of the teams got a good chuckle out of the whole scene in Chicago: new owner, trading local legends, two coaching staffs including a high school coach, interns doing important jobs, reportedly low ticket sales and now having no draft pick from a round higher than six signed. The office was in full-out panic mode and the few experienced front office people frantically searched for new jobs. Michael quickly figured out that if the rookies weren't going to be in camp, the roster was horribly empty. He set out to quickly sign as many veteran free agents as he could contact and managed to sign six guys to fill holes: FB Jon Ritchie G Rick DeMulling T Ryan Tucker DE Chris Hoke NT Jason Fisk SLB Ben Leber |
July 3, 2005
Olivette-Nazarene University After two arduous months of plane rides, agent meetings, conference calls and, worst of all, legal briefings, the Bears entered training camp with all but four of their drafted rookies signed. In the end, Michael had to cave on his most important contract requirement, length. He had attempted to pay up for longer terms since he knew Kirby would not allow anyone to be re-signed, but had settled for getting the players in camp for, in every case, one year shorter than he had hoped. The four hold-outs at the outset of camp were QB Alex Smith, RG Mark LeVoir, DE Walter Curry and SILB Odell Thurman. The most unsettling of the four was Thurman, an essential addition to the defensive front seven. For the rookies that were under contract during camp the reports varied widely. All eyes were obviously on Cedric Benson and the coaches, at the outset, were thrilled. His hands looked be his weakness, both in the running and passing games. Coordinator Davis had hoped for some better route running too, but all in all, Benson looked to be a star in the making. T.A. McLendon proved to be a reach at the third round and lost the third running back spot behind Benson and Domanick Davis to fill-in free agent Lee Suggs. Although he looked very raw, Alex Smith, a late arriver, looked to hold a great deal of potential, especially in the deep passing game. He was not at all preprared to challenge for a starting spot and didn't fit the run-oriented offense set for use, but he seemed well-worth a second round pick. The bargain of the draft was clearly Aaron Rodgers who outplayed Smith from the outset and picked up one more formation than Smith. Rogers beat out Chris Simms for the last active roster spot at QB and set Simms to a fit of whining and pouting. Erasmus James disappointed a bit, but still had a clear hold on the left end starting position. His diagnosis of running plays was, in a word, awful. But the coaches were happy to have his raw skills in the pass rush. Third-rounder James Butler looked to be a great backup to Adam Archuletta, but corner Carlos Rogers barely won the starting spot despite being a first-round choice. Odell Thurman was hampered a great deal by his hold-out and cemented Ricky Schultz's plans to run a 4-3 with Robert Thomas at middle linebacker. Drafted mainly for his blocking skills and 6' 7" frame, tight end Pat Estes looked adeqaute and earned himself a spot on the active roster. Fourth-round guard Mark LeVoir was the bust of the Bears' draft and, were it not for the shortage on the line, would have been cut immediately. Walter Curry and Chris Canty looked to be 'projects' with potential, but little skill on day one. Peter Sands, although decent, lost the dime back spot and was made inactive heading into the preseason schedule. Lastly, the two special teamers proved solid enough not to seek competition. Especially Colquitt whose booming leg impressed all. |
September 11, 2005
Gillette Stadium Foxborough, MA Kirby and Michael sat, alone for the moment, in Bob Kraft's luxury box, watching the Bears wander the field below. Still six hours from kickoff of their preseason game, they were in the box waiting for a phone call from Lake Forest. The phone call was coming from ticketing department with the final sales figures for the season, and barometer of the financial mess Kirby found himself in. Of the 63,000 seats available for sale, the Marketing folks had guessed that the butchered roster and front office chaos would take sales down to 45,000. Privately, Kirby admitted he found that very optimisitc, but spoke publicly about the great fan support in Chicago and how that support was going to be rewarded once his vision was fulfilled. He fidgeted with a toothpick and thumbed through one of the dozens of game programs left around the suite. Catering staff scuttled in and out of the suite making preparations for the game. It was customary for Mr. Kraft to spend the time before kickoff in the locker room and on the field so he'd offered the suite to Kirby to handle whatever business was neccessary. After sitting for an eternity of silence, the phones in the box rang and both Michael and Kirby lunged for the handset nearest them. The breathless answers startled the caller a bit, but he composed himself enough to say "Uhh...hi. This is Al Davis. I'm looking for Kirby Jansen." After sharing a confused look, Kirby said "This is he. What can I do for you Mr. Davis?" "Well," he responded, "I'm wanted to introduce myself since we've yet to meet, and say that I'm very interested in a player of yours. I was hoping we could come to some agreement on how I might acquire that individual." Kirby checked his watch and wished he'd told the office to call his cell phone. "Which player is that, Mr. Davis?" Davis made no attempt to indicate that "Al" would be an acceptable form of address. "You may have realized that my tight end situation is, shall we say, poor. I signed two ends in the off season and neither have impressed me much. Your Rex Grossman is quite concerned. I'm prepared to offer you Jake Grove and a third-round pick for Ben Troupe." Michael rolled his eyes and made a 'hurry up' motion, pointing at his watch and rolling his hands, 'false start style.' "I'm sorry, Mr. Davis. That deal is unacceptable. I've really got to go, but call us if there's anything..." Kriby clicked the handset off before he really finished the sentence. "Damn, you didn't have to hang up on him, Kirb," said Michael, wincing a bit. "He's not used to that kind of treatment, from what I gather." Kirby shrugged and checked his watch again, flipping the toothpick around in his teeth. "What the hell are those sales guys doing?" As if on cue, the phone rang again. "It's Davis again," offered Michael. "You answer then," said Kirby. "I'm not here." Kirby winked. "Hello," Michael said into the phone. After a second of listening looked at Kirby and shook his head. Kirby picked up the phone just in time to hear "...53,300 paid in full." |
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Sorry about that post. I won't be posting box scores for every exhibition game. Just messing around with getting stats from FOF to here.
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The Bears finished the preseason with a lackluster 1-3 record and compounded the dullness by getting beaten in the running attack in each game. Cedric Benson ran for a total of 103 yards (2.58 yd/carry) and one touchdown which concerned everyone. There was a bit of a buzz around Alex Smith who had performed quite well behind Gus Frerotte, but the staff knew he did not yet have a command of the offense. Sporting publications gave Chicago a Power Rating of 52, third lowest in the NFC. All in all, things pointed to a pretty poor showing in the 2005 season.
So Michael took a long-term view to the roster cuts prior to the season start. The last four cuts were the most difficult. At quarterback, the decision was made to cut Chris Simms and bank on Rodgers and Smith to be the backup. This nearly guaranteed one or the other of playing time during the season and allowed for the two to develop together. Michael reduced the number of tackles by cutting the only one with a one-year deal, Brandon Murphy, despite his six starts in Kansas City the year before. A similar tactic was taken in cutting CB Curtis Copeland, a late free-agency signee, taking the roster down to five corners as well as SLB Brock Haley, the last guy into camp in the summer. The team survived the exhibition schedule without any injuries so in the final preseason meeting, the staff took the last cuts and made set the opening day starting lineup as follows: QB Gus Frerotte RB Cedric Benson FB Jon Ritchie TE Ben Troupe FL Kelley Washington SE Reggie Williams C Dominic Raiola LG Edwin Mulitalo RG Chris Naeole LT Matt Light RT Ryan Tucker ****************************** LDE Erasmus James RDE Bryan Thomas LDT Cory Simon (Probable) RDT Jason Fisk MLB Robert Thomas (Probable) SLB Teddy Lehman WLB Rocky Boiman LCB Quentin Jammer RCB Carlos Rogers SS Adam Archuleta FS Idrees Bashir |
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January 1, 2006
Visitors' Locker Room HHH Metrodome Forty-six half-clad football players hopped around the room, covering others with water or Gatorade or hugs. Kirby had strictly forbade the purchase of celebratory beverages and they simple made due with what was available. The traning staff had given up trying to corrale the equipment long before as most of it was being thrown about or twisted up and whipped at unsuspecting teammates. Willie Williams and Gus Frerotte, the aged veterans of the club, led the younger players in storied songs that they had learned in their early days in the league. Most of the young players spent their energy angling themselves into the view of the three roaming TV cameras. Hiding in one shower stall to avoid the airborn beverages, Sharon Sayles, KAAL TV's sporter reporter, interviewed Michael. "Doesn't making the playoffs at 8-8 make this a little less sweet?" she asked. "Not in the least, Sharon," Michael answered. "We're thrilled to have won three in a row to end the season and make it in. I think this surpasses any expectations for this team. I'm ecstatic." "But having to hire a school coach and squeaking into the playoffs on a tie-breaker doesn't make it easy for detractors to poke at you?" After a long enough stare, Michael responded "Our coach prepared this team perfectly for this game and the eight others we won this season. Our detractors would 'poke' at us regardless, I believe Ms. Sayles." "Do the accusations of your bumbling around at the start of the season give you any perspective on this win?" she asked without skipping a beat. "I have no idea what you're talking about." "Don't the myriad errors you made early on change the way you view the playoffs?" Again following a long stare, "No. I view the playoffs as a great achievement for a team that had very low expectations." Sayles continued, determined, "So you're saying making the playoffs is enough? You're not expecting to win again right?" "I did not say that at all, but I'm quite pleased with what this team has accomplished." "Will your almost certain early exit from the playoffs upset you personally?" she asked. "Did losing your mayoral election in the primaries upset you?" Michael answered as he pushed his way past Sayles and the cameraman. |
January 8, 2006
Fox NFL Postgame Show Transcript Image of the Chicago skyline with NFL and Fox Sports graphics. James Brown (voice over skyline video): The city of broad shoulders is, today anyway, the city of big celebrations. The Chicago Bears have defeated the heavily favored Dallas Cowboys and stepped one round closer to the most improbable Super Bowl bid of all time. Skyline image fades to a tight shot of Brown on the NFL set. Brown: No one even expected Chicago to... Terry Bradshaw (off camera): There's still a football team in Chicago? Bwaaahahaha! Camera changes to wide shot of Bradshaw, Howie Long and Jerry Rice. Howie Long: Shut. Up. You are an idiot. Brown: Heh. Yes, Terry. There is still football in Chicago and today it was very good football. Camera changes to tight shot of Brown. Brown: The Bears won 24-14 in the Wild Card game and we are joined now by game MVP... Bradshaw (off camera): Lemme guess. Jim McMahon! Bwaaaaaaaahahaha! Camera changes to tight shot of Bradshaw. Long's hand enters the picture and smacks the back of Bradshaw's head. His earpiece falls out and dangles over his shoulder. Bradshaw: Hey! I can't hear. Long leans into the picture and yells into Bradshaw's ear. Long: You. Are. Stupid! Stop talking. Brown: Okay, guys. As I was saying... Camera changes to tight shot of Brown and then splits to live shot of a football player in jersey and pads, wearing a Fox Sports headset. Brown: we are joined by today's MVP and Chicago safety, Adam Archuletta. Adam, thanks for joining us. What's the mood like on the field and in the locker room? Archuletta: Oh it's nuts, J.B. Most of the guys are signin' and dancin'. A few of them are filming things on home video cameras. Camera on Brown changes to tight shot of Long. Long: Adam, it's Howie Long. You guys were up against the number one rusher in the league in Julius Jones. You held him under 80 yards rushing and one catch for seven yards. Was that a focus going into the game? Archuletta: It was, Howie. We knew that their offense centers on him and that they were limited in the passing game. Bradshaw (off camera): Adam! Hey, did having Chad Hutchinson playing for them help factor into your personal success today since he was a Bear last year? Camera on Long changes to wide shot of the set. Archuletta: Uh, not really since I wasn't on the team last year. Actually, none of us were. It was kind of a big deal in the off-season. Brown, Rice and Long chuckle. Bradshaw looks confused. Rice: Arch, it's Jerry Rice. Great game today. The touchdown you scored on the interception put you guys up 17-0 and was the second touchdown in less than two minutes for you guys. Was that the back-breaker even though it was early in the second quarter? Archuletta: I don't think so, Jerry. They came back with the next two scores, the rushing touchdowns, and I wasn't comfortable even after we got the last score with seven minutes to go. Camera on the set changes to tight shot of Brown. Brown: Adam, thanks for your time. We'll let you get back to the celebration there in Chicago. Good luck in the next round. Bradshaw (off camera): Yeah, give Brian Urlacher my best. Sound of a head being smacked. |
Super Bowl Sunday 2006
Ford Field Detroit, MI "Well, Mr Jansen, 20 years ago Chicago was in the Super Bowl. Not quite the anniversary present you'd hoped for, eh?" "Aw, it's not that painful," said Kirby, feigning an excrutiating heart attack. "The two teams in this game deserve it. I'm looking forward to two great quarterbacks facing each other." Paul Tagliabue swept his hand out, offering Kirby a seat near the front of his suite. Bill Ford and President Bush were already seated in the front row. "I figured you'd survive, Kirby. Hell of a playoff run though." "We do what we can," said Kirby, more to Bush and Ford than Tagliabue. "Peyton and McNabb makes for better media hype anyway. How many are you expecting?" Tagliabue looked to an assistant near the buffet line, shrugged and answered in a mumbled mess of words no one could understand. No one really cared about the answer as the TV coverage was coming back from a beer commercial. After Kirby sat down, Tagliabue wandered back to the door to greet his next arriving guest. ******************************************************************************* Final Score: 28-23 Philadelphia over Indianapolis. Game MVP: Peyton Manning SEASON AWARDS Player of the Year: Donovan McNabb Offensive P.O.Y.: Donovan McNabb Defensive P.O.Y.: Takeo Spikes, Buffalo Offensive Rookie of the Year: Cedric Benson, Chicago Defensive Rookie of the Year: Channing Crowder, Tennessee CHICAGO ALL-PRO'S 1st team Guard: Edwin Mulitalo 2nd team Safety: Adam Archuletta Significant stat lines: Cedric Benson
Adam Archuletta
Erasmus James
Team: #8 rushing offense (yds/game) #28 rushing defense (yds/game) #28 passing offense (yds/game) #10 passing defense (yds/game) #10 scoring offense (pts/game) #4 scoring defense (pts/game) #16 turnovers (0 net turnovers) FYI: Team cohesion, after dumping every player on the roster and changing every coach, is 'Good.' |
As the season closes, here are the players whose contracts expired thereby prohibiting their return to Chicago ever again:
FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo (16 games, 0 carries, 0 yards) SE Brandon Stokley (16 games, 6 catches, 102 yards, 0 TD's) SE Reche Caldwell (16 games, 29 catches, 488 yards, 4 TD's....17 KR's) C Wally Junker (0 games - playoff free agent for injured C Raiola) RG Thomas Jarvis (2 games, 2 starts, 0 KRB, 1 KRO, 1 SA) MLB Adrian Allen (0 games) No big losses there, but that's by design. The pain is coming. CB Willie Williams retires as well. |
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