Bears Ownership Got What They Asked For with John Fox

I blame Mike Ditka for this. Okay, maybe it's better to start from the beginning. Think about this question for a second. When was the last time the Chicago Bears ownership employed a head coach who displayed any sort of passion and fire since Da Coach bowed out in 1993? Think hard now. Nobody. It's become clear that the McCaskey family soured on the idea of outspoken coaches thanks to Ditka. That's how you get a string of coaches like Dave Wannstedt, Dick Jauron, Lovie Smith, Marc Trestman and John Fox. Sure they're all different personalities in their own way, but they also have one thing in common:  they are yes men. They're not combative. They do things by the book, just like a family-owned corporation would want it. Problem is conservative coaches don't win much in this NFL. That was proven yet again as Mike McCarthy coached circles around Fox for the fifth time in six games, winning 23-16 without Aaron Rodgers. If that's not the height of embarrassment for this organization, nothing is.

Did Ryan Pace want Fox? Who knows but Bears ownership lets it continue

The persistent rumor over the past year is GM Ryan Pace basically was pressured to hire Fox by consultant Ernie Accorsi and the Bears brass. The idea being a young, rookie GM could use a veteran coach as a counterweight. If it's true that was the worst reason in the world to make that call. Did anybody stop to think that Denver had just fired the man despite going 12-4 the previous season? Or that they won the Super Bowl immediately after removing him? Of course not because once again the Bears proved they're a step or two behind everything in this league. Fox was the safe choice. They wanted the safe choice. Here's another newsflash. Safe choices aren't always the right choices.

In truth Fox should've been gone after last season. No coach who goes 3-13 should deserve to keep his job. It was far too easy to use the injury problems as an excuse. Green Bay just showed that good coaching can still win games despite a myriad of health issues. Fox is the proven master at playing not to lose. He's a poor man's Dan Reeves, Marv Levy and Bud Grant. His teams play hard but they also play dumb and sloppy.

Discipline and urgency remain absent from this team

This organization has grown enamored with players coaches. Men who expect the players to hold themselves to a higher standard and discipline. That can work for a time with veteran teams, but not with young ones like this. Part of the reason Belichick and McCarthy have success is because they understand how to discipline their players and how to motivate them into a sense of urgency. The Bears haven't shown much of either this season or most of the past four seasons. Fox will likely get fired at the end of this year. Being swept in two-straight seasons by Green Bay can do that. Even so can anybody trust this organization to find the right guy? Yeah the Cubs and Blackhawks ended up finding theirs. Thing is that only happened after a change in ownership. As the McCaskey's have said, this team will have to be pried from their cold, dead fingers.