Final Thoughts on 2012 Chicago Bears: All Out of Love for Lovie

I have been a supporter of Lovie Smith more often than not during his tenure as head coach of the Chicago Bears. It is an times thankless job, with many fans of the most popular sports team in Illinois calling for your job following any loss. There were the repeated cries that Lovie never showed emotion on the sideline, as though that meant something. Still, it seemed to me that he essentially got whatever players he was given to perform way beyond their abilities. I would be remiss not to recall how ecstatic I was when he led the team to a Super Bowl six years ago, albeit one the team ended up losing in.

However, I also cannot deny how in the years since, I have routinely noted Lovie's condescending attitude toward the media. Perhaps he might be more comfortable with the press in, say, Jacksonville. Beyond how he dealt with reporters, there was simply the fact that Lovie could not close the deal. Last year, it was his offensive coordinator and the general manager who lost their jobs instead, but this season's fall from sitting atop the division with a 7-1 record to a third place 10-6 finish that saw the team missing the playoffs was the last straw.

For as long I have been alive, the Chicago Bears have been built around being a defensive team. The trade for Jay Cutler was supposed to finally inject some much-needed hope on the offensive side of the ball, but Lovie struggled to run a system that manufactured the points the league now requires. And so one year into his new gig, Phil Emery appointed a fellow named Marc Trestman as the 14th head coach of the beloved Bears.

And Chicagoans were quick to note: this dude's got a couple of hot daughters.
 
After weeks of debating whether the Bears would lure away Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy ("He took Tebow to the playoffs!") or Indianapolis O.C. Bruce Arians (my preference), Emery instead went in another direction and grabbed a guy whose previous coaching experience was five years with ... the Montreal Alouettes?

Yes, the Canadian Football League. The logic behind the Trestman selection is that this is the man who can work with the franchise quarterback that has rarely had the chance to flourish under Lovie Smith. When Trestman was the offensive coordinator in Oakland, Rich Gannon won league MVP and the Raiders went to the Super Bowl. Steve Young, who was part of the top-rated offense for the 49ers in 1995 when Trestman was O.C. in San Fran, said the new coach will be great for Cutler. And then there's Bernie Kosar, Jake Plummer, and oh, the 64-34 record as coach of the Alouettes that includes back-to-back Grey Cups.

So yeah, there's plenty to be optimistic about if you're a Bears fan who wanted somebody who really wants to win. Trestman certainly seems to fit that mold. The only question now is how successful he will be at making the transition back to the NFL. Emery has states that he "wants to win now" and the Bears have the talent to compete. The acquisition of Brandon Marshall gave the team its greatest receiver of all time to go with its greatest quarterback of all time.

Make no mistake, there are more changes in the near future. The Devin Hester we knew and loved will likely end up being overpaid somewhere else. The Brian Urlacher that has anchored the linebacker core for so many seasons is also likely to end up wearing a different uniform. But there will be new faces coming in too.

Times are a-changing in Chicago. Emery could end up looking like a genius if things go his way, but the whole thing that's been teetering recklessly these past few years could just as easily collapse and leave us ushering in a few more new faces at the podium to sweep up the mess and begin a total rebuild.

NOTE: Photos taken from here, here and here