Ben Johnson Reportedly Delivered A Hell Of A First Speech To Bears

They say first impressions are everything in business. Sports are no different. Ben Johnson knew he had to set the tone when he stepped in front of his team for the first time this week. The new Chicago Bears head coach stepped into a locker room filled with players disillusioned with shallow platitudes and assurances. If he was going to get their attention, he'd have to be honest and direct. There could be no mistaking his intentions. Multiple accounts from team veterans suggest he delivered on that front.

What was the overarching message in Johnson's speech? There is no more rebuilding. The Bears aim to win and win now. However, his words came with an additional edge. Winning alone isn't enough. He wants to send a message. Tremaine Edmunds mentioned it during his press conference on Tuesday.

“What he was able to do, and just the mentality and what the offense wanted to do to opponents, it was (to) put up a lot of points. You can feel that. We don’t just want to win, but we want to win by a lot. We want to dominate.”

Jaylon Johnson mentioned the same thing. It isn't enough to just squeak by with three—or seven-point margins. To truly become a contender, you must start exerting your will on every opponent you face—no mercy.

“Would you rather win by seven points or 70 points? It’s not just about barely winning or barely getting by but dominating.”

Ben Johnson is only interested in a winning mentality.

No more of this just trying to stay competitive with good teams. Screw that nonsense. He wants to obliterate them. That is the entire point of sports. Crush your competition and win championships. It is why the Bears brought him here. His first goal is snapping the players out of this constant malaise of feeling like things will somehow always go wrong. That is what he had to deal with in Detroit during his first years there. Dan Campbell sought to change that mindset when he arrived. Now, Ben Johnson aims to do the same in Chicago. There is no telling how the season will go. Either way, it sounds like the Bears head coach intends to never die easy in any of the games they play.