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Number of people subscribed to the Fire Lovie Smith newsletter last we checked: 900

Lovie Smith Retained as Head Coach

Yeah, we know. However, the name of this site is Fire Lovie Smith, and Smith essentially fired himself as defensive coordinator. So there's that.

There's something to be said for continuity, but Ted Phillips, Jerry Angelo, and Lovie Smith all came across a little strangely in the press conference yesterday.

Said Mike Mulligan: "The effort at honesty led to some bizarrely contradictory moments. There was an insistence that the status quo wasn't good enough even as the three people who define that term all remained safely employed."

Said Rick Morrissey: "The McCaskey family has handed power to people who don't know what they're doing. Worse, ownership doesn't seem to know what it would do without these same incompetent."

Said David Haugh: "This wasn't a housecleaning at Halas Hall. This was light dusting."

Now it's time to bring in some new coordinators. Go Bears!

Comments from Bears fans:



Been bleeding Bears and Cubs colors since birth. Even when Bears won 1 game that season during the Butkus era I was never embarassed! I am thoroughly disgusted and angry that the "cheap" Mc Caskeys have let this happen. Chicago teams have always tried to be successful "on the cheap". We fans have been stupid for supporting these franchises by buying season tickets, etc. I lived in Chicago 58 years and retired to where I am now. I have let DirecTV rape me for the last 5 years to watch "my" Bears. I will do my part to "boycott" the Bears by not subscribing to the NFL package next year unless there are some major changes between now and next year.
-Ron (Mountain Home, AR)

Bring back the Super Bowl Shuffle! Get Randy Moss. Quit playing the Tampa 2 defense. Pressure Pressure Pressure defense. Pass down field not sideways. Get mad when there is a bad call. Tackle!
-Tim (Erie, PA)

As a Bears season ticket holder for 30 years, I cannot BEAR (pun intended) to watch anymore games until they fire Lovie Smith. How many embarrassing losses do we have to put up with before they fire Lovie and his entire staff? Where is it written that we have to wait until the end of the season? For us Bear fans the season has been over for weeks. There are way too many Super Bowl WINNING coaches available to be putting up with Lovie's lack of emotion and coaching skill. Cowher is at the top of my Xmas list. Not to mention, Gruden, Shannahan, Mariucci or Holmgren.
-Joe (Darien, IL)

Is this the worst team in the NFL? Everytime I turn around a record is broken. They are making every QB look like Peyton Manning.
-Phillip (Tulsa, OK)

WHY AREN'T THE BEARS TALKING TO MIKE SHANAHAN???? Cutler played very well for him. Cutler knows his system. Shanahan is a winner.
-Nick (Grayslake, IL)

The Bears Organization and the whimps that run it don't want a real coach who calls the shots. They want a submissive puppet. Angelo is the real problem, however, as you can't win in the NFL with garage sale players. If there is a fire sale, Angelo will be the first in line!
-Scott Wahler (Twin Lakes, WI)

Long time Bears fan. When Lovie rolled into town with his gang, he vowed to beat the Packers. Leaving the Dave Wandstadt and Dick Jauron eras which lost to them repeatedly that was refreshing for a couple of years. Now we are back to losing to this crap team again, and nothing is being said by him about it.
-Dave (Lake Havasu City, AZ)

Game preparation = F, Game plan = F, Knowing individual talent = F, Coaching players along = F, and wasting two timeouts with one wrong challenge = Unforgivable incompetance or one big fat F. There are way too many great coaches out there right now to keep Lovie and company. Virginia, please fire them all immediately and hire a real coaching staff.
-Vince (Ft. Wayne, Indiana)

Just wanted to say. As a Bears fan for 26 years now and living in the UK its really hard not being able to go to any games during the season to give my vocal support. However im glad that I?m not wasting my money in doing so just now as I can only imagine it being bitterly disappointing watching them.
-Kyle (Hamilton, United Kingdom)

While watching Bears time I wonder sometimes if Ron Turner is not drunk with all of his stupid plays. My DOG could do a better job calling the plays than Ron Turner could. As a family member of a house who is pretty much all Packer fans expect me it is very embarrassing to become the laughing stock of the NFC North. I say we fire Lovie Smith and replace him with Mike Shannahan or Mike Holmgren.
-John (Downer's Grove, IL)

It's hard for me to justify being a diehard Bears fan living in Indiana while everyone around me is jumping on the Colts bandwagon. I hate the Colts and will always hate the Colts, but it's embarassing watching my favorite franchise be so horrible. There is no sense of urgency as it seems like the entire franchise gave up after the loss to Atlanta. As a fan I cannot follow a coach who never shows any fire or spirit. I love Chicago, I go there as much as I can. It is a city of fire and spirit. How in the world this humdrum coach was chosen as a leader for this franchise and this city is amazing. The best thing to do now is to clean house, coaching staff all the way up to Angelo. I want to be proud to be a Bears fan living in Indiana again.
-Eric (NW Indiana)

Lovie looks like a deer in the headlights. This team has won in the past DESPITE Lovie's coaching. His coaching has gone from bad to plain incompetent. If he had any dignity, he would resign. Angelo is a terrible GM but its hard to evaluate his performance when the Coach doesnt even know which players to march on the field....
-Stu (Palo Alto, CA)

They are who we thought they are.
-Alex (Roscoe, IL)

What else needs to happen in order for management to realize that we will not win with Lovie? We need a ferocious coach with this defense, one that is not afraid to get in the face of our franchise QB after he throws blatant pick after pick. BILL COWHER PLEASE COME TO CHICAGO!!!!! Lets challenge a play after we call a timeout? These are occurances that should not come from a seasoned HEAD COACH! Love Smith is a lame duck coach as well as Ron Turner! Babich should not have the word Coach or Coordinator after his name. He is no better than waterboy for a high school team.
-David (Burr Ridge, IL)

Please. PLEASE!!! Put Lovie Smith, Jerry Angelo and Ron Turner on the bus and tell it not to stop until it's in another time zone. Maybe then we can work towards, once again, being the Monsters of the Midway.
-Casey (Washington, IL)

As a devout Bears fan, I have tried to watch most of their games whenever I could. Being deployed three times to Iraq, I would stay up late at night just to see them play. I have bears logos on my car, jerseys, and all kinds of other bears merchandise. This season has been such a dissapointment that I dont watch past the 1st Quarter. The motivation, the manner in which they execute, its just painful to see how my team cannot compete. I watch other teams thate are supposed to be mediocre, and they outplay us in many ways! Now my fellow Soldiers laugh and tease me for being a Bears fan!!! Who can blame them? I can't even argue with them. What possible statistic can I even use to justify that we are even a legitimate team? With an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan in a couple months, I have to say watching my team play will not be on my priority list. Lovie, you did a good job when you took us to the Super Bowl, but you have regressed since then. It is time to go.. As for the Offensive Coordinator, Mr. Turner, when I can anticipate the play-calls by myself, it is time for you to go as well. I look at what Kyle Orton is doing in Denver and wonder why he couldnt perform like that in Chicago... Or why Benson is doing so well in Cinci... Our coaching staff is to blame. Bottom line is that my team sucks and I have promised myself to not buy any more merchandise, tickets, or anything Bears until management realizes that the fans have had enough!
-Raul (Fort Riley, KS)

There has been a complete lack of accountability throughout the Bears' organization since the Super Bowl year, and it began with Lovie getting his fat extension and being handed control of the entire coaching staff. Assistant coaches with proven track records (Ron Rivera) were run out of town and replaced with Lovie's inexperienced buddies (Babich). Solid football players were traded for next to nothing (Thomas Jones, Chris Harris) to make room for hand-picked starters who didn't have to earn their jobs (Cedric Benson, Adam Archuleta). All of this is made worse by Jerry Angelo's schizophrenic draft strategy which has left this team without any real solid young talent to go forward with. None of them have been held accountable for the monumental freefall of this franchise in just 3 short years. It's time for Jerry, Lovie, even maybe Ted Phillips to be shown out, if nothing else to show them there isn't a blank check of credibility upon which they can rely in the face of their failures. It's time for SOMEONE to be held accountable for this mess. Lovie Smith and his band of BFF's would be a good place to start.
-Matt (Decatur, IL)

I have been a bears fan my whole life... never have I had such high expectations leading into a season and been let down like I have been this year. The bears need a coaching staff that actually looks like they have some idea of what is going on out on the field. Between Lovie and Ron Turner I'm starting to think at least 70 percent of the plays called are being drawn out of a hat. This needs to stop!! At this point I could care a less who they bring in. I'm pretty sure my grandmother could do a better job. Thanks for your time.
-Eddie (Winthrop Harbor, IL)

It's time for Lovie Smith and all of his staff to pack their bags. Make room for Angelo and Phillips to join them and even throw in the McCaskey Family. I watch this Bears team and shake my head of course I'm a Ditka/McMahon fan. Why does it seem that players who come to Chicago SUCK and when they leave here they become SUPER STARS. Getting rid of Ron Rivera was a big mistake!!! Lovie wanted to show everyone he can call the plays, NO Lovie you can't. This coaching staff has no game plan and then they bring in a LOSER Head Coach from Detroit to help, please the fans would do a better job of calling the plays. It's time for us fans to stop supporting LOSERS. I have a job and I have to do my job well everyday or I won't have a job. The Bears have to perform once a week for 16 weeks and they can't do it. Someone on that team needs to do what Mike Brown did a few years ago, stand up in the locker room and say it loud WE SUCK, WE SUCK, WE SUCK. If I had a business and made a product like the Bears I would be out of business. We need to bring in a Shanahan (He is a Chicago Guy went to East Leyden H.S.) or a Cowher or Grudento give up hope once again. I now feel better from venting.
-Joe (Hoffman Estates, IL)

FIRE LOVIE SMITH!!!!!!!! RON TURNER!!!!!!!! BOB BABICH!!!!!!!! thanks for your time.
-Tim (Las Vegas, NV)

Me and my dad have been a bears fan all our lives. We use to set our watch by the bear game. Lovie needs to go, Turner needs to go, Jerry needs to go and most importantly Virginia needs to sell the team. Football starts and ends in the trenches and look at our O-line and D-line, there old and weak. We need to revamp our team by DRAFTING players like other tope teams. I still believe in Jay and I still believe in Forte. I'm praying for Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden next year. As always, GO BEARS!
-Nick (Columbus, IN)

I am a die hard Bear Fan, and it really hurts to see the Chicago Bears the laughing stock of the N.F.L.
-Denny (Cary, IL)

Now is the time to fire this nucklehead wannabe coach. He shows no emotion at all. Does he even care if we win? The tampa2 system is not what Chicago Bears football is all about. Our defensive line is one of the smallest groups in the NFL. They look like migets compared to most offensive lineman. Talent evaluation has been the worst we've seen in Chicago.
-Luigi (Joliet, IL)

I've been a fan for almost 35 years and this is about as pathetic as I've seen the organization run.

We all agree how disgraceful this franchise has become (again). However, just complaining isn't going to yield the results we want. As fans, we need to take action. STOP going to games. STOP buying merchandise. We're Chicago fans, the best fans in the world, and we support our team through thick and thin. But if we keep purchasing tickets and merchandise that show our support for this coaching staff and GM, nothing is going to change.
-Mike (South Bend, IN)

I pledge $50 to send this Sleepwalker and his Cover 2 back to High School Football where he belongs!!! My apologies to the High School Team that gets this uninspirational Coach.
-Jim (Reno, NV)

I almost threw up today watching this game. I have followed the bears my whole life, and all over the world with the Navy. I dont have much money, but i would definately help the fund to fire lovie like steve from bloomington suggested. Where were the pass blockers, why is there always a hole in the d-line. It seems like the defense is playing a wait and react type game. what has happened. it has never been lovie with any contribution to that teams win column. The superbowl year was the d-coordinator and B-Urlacher. I say pay Urlacher a couple extra bills and make him the coordinator/player. He is a brilliant linebacker/play-caller. also bring in shanahan... four superbowls dont lie, and past experience with john elway and jay cutler!! This is the guy who wins superbowls. Other than that, i can only recommend one thing... BRING BACK DITKA!
-John (San Diego, CA)

Lovie Smith needs to be fired on the spot!
-Doug (Phoenix, AZ)

Get these softies out of town and bring in a new regime!!
-Brian (Des Plaines, IL)

Fire Lovie Smith, Jerry Angelo and Ron Turner. Tonight. NOW. Make them find their own transportation back to Chicago tonight.
-Steve (Bloomington)

WE NEED BIG TIME CHANGES NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Brian (Glendale Heights, IL)

I cannot begin to explain how frustrating watching this team has become. There is no fire on the sidelines from the players OR THE COACH when they are in a must win situation week after week. That's on Lovie. Give Cutler a little bit of time to throw and he'll be fine. Give Forte some holes to run through. That is all on the o-line. There is a reason that the Rams got rid of Orlando Pace.....because he stinks. Garza and Kruetz are past their prime and Chris Williams may be one of the Bears worst draft picks in years. The defensive schemes are aweful. The d-backs will continue to get nickle and dimed for 8-10 yard slants unless they get more physical. This team needs a major overhaul starting with their coaching staff. It is so frustrating to watch a team with this much talent play so poorly.
-Matt (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)

Hey Lovie....when your saftey just got beat for a 48yd touchdown pass to give up a lead in a game you desperately have to win, show a little emotion. This team has taken on your flat even keeled persona, in case you didn't know football is a game of emotion. I am not asking for a clipboard over a helmet but at least let him know that it is not acceptable.
-Ed (Syracuse, NY)

I have never seen such a poor excuse of a NFL coach in my life won't even throw a red flag for a obvious bad call. Get rid of Ron Turner also.Illinois couldn't win with him how are the Bears? We had a definate continding team and the coach sits there with his arms crossed!
-Terry (Ransom, IL)

Bears fans this is what is going to happen. Lovie's expensive contract and the injury to Urlacher will convince the McCaskey's to keep Lovie on for his final year. Our best hope is to get a young smart offensive coordinator in here that can hopefully successfully take over for Lovie the following season or at least stay on staff with the next head coach so Cutler does not have to have 4 different offenses in his past 4 consecutive seasons (08 Denver, 09 Turner, 10 New OC, 11 New Coach). We have to put some fake good faith in Tommie Harris and try to raise his trade value for this offseason so we can trade him while he only has 1 year left on his contract. To dump him now would be insane! Stop being so negative everyone, lets keep Bearing Down and hope these kids get some experience and chemistry this season.
-Mike (Portage, IN)

There is no doubt Lovie needs to go. He has taken our great D and made it softer then cream cheese. Why do the DB's always line up 10 yards off the line of scrimage? What's wrong the DB linning up right across from the receiver and bumping him at the line? Instead we have to watch the receivers run 5 yeards turn around and catch a pass without a DB within 15 yards. And what the heck is up with the tackling? If I see Peanut go for the ball before assuring the tackle first one more time I will punch a hole in my TV. Our line can not get any pressure what so ever! So we have to blitz to get pressure so the middle of the field is wide open cause our DB's are always 20 yards away. No wonder we give up so many 3rd and longs. If I can figure this out why can't Lovie? I am not even excited about watching the games any more. Which is a shame because I am trying to get my 2 year old son into the Bears and it's hard to when he see's me not really excited. Ron Turner and Jerry Angelo also need to go.
-Eric (Hammond, IN)

In a recent column, Dan Pompei estimated that it could cost the Bears upward of 20 million dollars for Jerry Angelo to fire and replace Lovie Smith.

I'll pony up $20 right now, Jerry. And I bet there are at least 999,999 more Bears fans that would do the same to get Lovie and his staff sent back to clown college.
-Steve (Bloomington, IL)

The benefit of this season is that it proves I was right, it wasn't Grossmans fault. Cutler who is definately a better overall QB than Grossman isn't doing any better on this team than Rex did. You could build a team of all ex-bears players and have gruden, shanahan, or cowher coach them and they would be a super bowl contender. This team isn't ready to play when the whistle blows, they are undisciplined and always out of position, which means, terrible coaching.Lovie and Turner both need to go, but I would settle for just Turner for now.
-Kevin (Bloomingdale, IL)

Dear Lovie,
It is not easy to do this, but seriously Lovie, time to go bud. It was hard at times, but I bought into your optimism and future goal oriented approach. I had faith the team would get better, as you said they would. I believed you when you said we had a real good football team. I've truly appreciated your attempted leadership, I have. I think a leader needs to have poise, like you do, and integrity, like you do. All that being said, there needs to come a time when all these things you have said come to fruition, if they don't, you end up, well looking like you do..............hollow, fake, idiotic, lacking.
-Nate (Fort Collins, CO)

Well all we can hope for is someone in the Bears organization comes to their sense and fires the entire coaching staff along with the GM. Get someone who knows how to win, Cowher, Shanahan, go get Ron Rivera back here. I feel so hopeless. So much more to rant, so little time and space. GO BEARS!!!
-Dave (Indianapolis, IN)

It all started when Lovie's GIGANTIC ego led him to fire Ron Rivera because he was getting too much attention. Then he brought in his old buddy to coach defense. That worked well didn't it? Lovie is supposed to be the defensive guru. Well they have not played decent defense since Rivera left and we now know that Lovie knows nothing about defense, offense, special teams or football in general. Stop the bleeding and just fire him now!
-Bill (Chesapeake, VA)

I would love to see the Bears actually play football instead of doing whatever it is they have been doing the past 5 games. Seems to me Lovie Smith's ability to control the team is gone, so it's time to say goodbye to Lovie. We have NO offensive line, something drastic has to be done about that. The defense looks so-so, but is worn down every week due to the offensive struggles and lack of rest since the defense is on the field so often every game. I moved to the land of the Cowboys the year the Bears dominated the NFL, winning the Superbowl the following January, the good old days! Why can't OUR Bears have consecutive great seasons like so many other teams do? Dallas, Pittsburgh, Denver, New England, Indy, San Fran? The last Bear appearance in the Superbowl was like the month of March, starting off like a lion and going down like a lamb being sacrificed at the altar. Ever since, our Bears seem to have no idea how to improve, and worse yet, are now getting into trouble for no reason, like all the other loser teams out there. I don't know what it's going to take, but it's evident Turner and Smith are not the answer, and until we get a coach who can take command of this team, we won't have a TEAM, just a loose organization calling themselves a team.
-Matt (Dallas, TX)

After paying obscene amounts of money to acquire Jay Cutler, you would think that our coaching staff would do everything they can to protect him. Instead, every week is like a game of Russian roulette, with Jay getting battered and bloodied on the field. What's worse, during the last game against the Arizona Cardinals, Lovie Smith kept our starting line-up in the game during the last two minutes of play, when we were down by 20 points! If that's not reckless endangerment of our franchise, I don't know what is!
-Amy (Wheaton, IL) ("The Bears Chick" from www.Chicksinthehuddle.com)

Hire either Bill Cower or Tony Dungy now and demote Lovie to D Coordinator. That way if he quits the money is not lost.
-Dave (Jay, NY)

lovie smith needs to go. he has made OUR bears a disgrace. his COVER WHO defense has made OUR bears the laughing stock of the nfl. we got our QB. but we lost our D. we need BILL COWER, to make OUR bears respectable again. JOHN GRUDEN, or MIKE SHANNAHAN, would also do the job. im not going to watch this team until we fire smith and send him back to TEXAS where he belongs. OUR bears are better than this, fire smith now so maybe we can salvage this season. im proud to be a member of FIRE LOVIE SMITH. DO IT NOW im a bears fan for 54 years, and ive had enough.
-Jim (Naperville, IL)

A once proud Bears organization is now the laughingstock of the NFL. Papa Bear is surely rolling over in his grave!!
-Jeff (West Chicago, IL)

This has got to stop. What was once a proud franchise, there is no way these coaches and players can hold their heads high. The coaching, the playcalling, the product on the field is embarassing. I did not like the hire when they made it ( I wanted Russ Grimm ) and I never gave LS credit for getting to the Super Bowl, it was the D and Rivera who got them to the SB. Da Bears are and always will be one of the most decorated franchises in professional sports, but if we keep this guy much longer, we will slowly fade away. The blame goes beyond the coaches and players, the McCaskeys need to sell the team in my mind.
-Joe (Medina, OH)

I'm a lifelong Bears fan living out here in Northern California. I took my two sons all the way out to Chicago to see the Bears beat the Steelers. Any chance of me making the much shorter- 40 miles - trip to San Francisco to see the Bears died the last month.
- Atlanta. Coaching adjustments made by opposition, none from Bears.
- Cincinnati. Bears completely unprepared to play, which his simply unforgivable as a coaching staff.
- Cleveland. The most unimpressive double-digit win I've ever seen. My fear was Jay Cutler would be killed.
- Arizona. The last straw. Again, completely unprepared to play. A score every first-half possession for the opposition. When does that happen? When does it happen TWICE IN THREE WEEKS?
How many times do we have to sit and watch a listless, confused team, unable to tackle, and playing a Cover 2 defense every coach in the league has figured out? How long?
-Jack (Napa, CA)

How many times this season have we seen a 3rd down and 5, and had our cornerbacks in a soft zone 7 or 8 yards back from the line of scrimmage, only to see a quick slant? Did any of our coaching staff watch the Arizona game film from last week? I did, and the way to beat Arizona is to pressure Kurt Warner! I am also tired of the excuses "we just need to execute better". We need different players! Hillenmeyer as middle linebacker is a joke, and now we have no draft picks to better the team. I am embarassed.
-Conley (Denver, CO)

Its time to start talking with our wallets. I'm not buying another piece of Bears merchandise until Smith is gone. No jerseys, no tshirts, no hats, no keychains, no ANYTHING until that comatose, blind loser is out of Halas Hall. I invite everyone to join me. Since money is so important to these owners maybe enough of us can make them start listening to the fans again.
 -Brian, Daytona Fl.

I've been saying the Bears should fire Lovie Smith since the Super Bowl season when he called that timeout against Seattle with a couple of seconds left in regulation. I do a sports radio show every Sunday and I have been ripping him for years now.
-Darrell (Chicago, IL)

I'm confident that Lovie can pull two more embarrassing losses off at home this season (Eagles, Vikings). Will that be enough to get him and his whole ridiculous coaching staff out of Halas Hall and back into the clown car?

We can only hope.
Steve (Bloomington, IL)

After so many years, a coaches voice just seems to be "noise". It is very out of the ordinary for coaches like Cowher to stay at a place for a long-term. Even Gruden's voice was being ignored in Tampa Bay. I think the players have gotten to that point with Lovie. He may have been a good defensive mind at one point, but his plan is out dated and the team seems unmotivated. Time for a new voice to maybe shake the players up.
Matt (Ft. Wayne, IN)

I've been a bears fan for 20 years, and have never seen teams' do whatever they wanted to a bears defense. Dick Jauron was no good at stopping the pass, but how about stopping the run with Traylor and Washington. He had a brain somewhat about what to do. Lovie's defense is weak, poorly coached, and un-inspired. It's amazing to see what happens to players when they are in peak physical condition with poor talent(see the 49er's or a.k.a. Hamstring hill). If the George Halas(papa bear) was to watch this, I hope Virginia or I aren't close to him. The intensity is not matched to anyone in this league. I am embarrassed to live in Chicago, and by far more embarrass to be a cubs fan. What does someone in my situation as a fan do, the best of both worlds. I hope management can see what is happening, and please do what's right. It's tough to say it's his fault or his. As you can see talent goes as far as who's taking it. The (head coach, a.k.a. defensive co-ordinator) calls some of the worst plays I have witnessed. What they do on offense is another question. Before we talk about that, lets get our new coach, and let him hire who's right.
-Robert (Homewood, IL)

Another afternoon of terrible football, this team needs some fire and some heart, thank god they have Cutler to provide some. Lovie just stands on the sidelines, half the time I'm not sure he's even awake. This team just isn't prepared to play football each week and thats on the coaches. I'm not sure how much longer I can watch this play. They have talent that is just being wasted away.
-Kevin (Bloomingdale, IL)

Lovie and Ronnie need to be fired ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!

They always seem to find a way to dissapoint fans each and every week.Both the team and mgt.are terrible.
-Brian (Glendale Heights, IL)

Well, another disasterous defensive performance against the Cardinals today for our "vaulted" Bears coached by the "defensive guru" Lovie Smith. This guy has been a terrible joke of a coach for many years and its nice to finally see the rest of the Bears fanbased start to recognize this fact. Let's take a look at his coaching over the course of the last couple years:

- During the Grossman era, he refused to allow the media and fans even to question "Rex is our quarterback" which ultimately cost them the Super Bowl that year

- Lovie's ego drove the decision to fire Ron Rivera. Rivera had the defense playing hard, fast, and aggressive every week. Since Rivera left, Lovie has squandered the young talent and his defense plays over-confident and lazy. Look at performance against the Bengals, Cardinals,etc.

- His team gets injured EVERY SEASON in week 1 and 2 and the team is soft. He doesn't believe the team needs to practice hard in the pre-season and it shows during the start of the regular season. His guys get hurt...

- His team has the worst fundamentals in the NFL. Do these guys know how to tackle?

- Penalties just seem to add up every week and they love to kill scoring drives

I think we may underestimate the McCaskeys and their cheapness. Nobody likes to be embarassed, and this team has been an embarassment to the city this year....
 -Stu (Chicago, IL)

Yes, Lovie Smith needs to be fired, but lets all "get real" here. The Bears, if for no other reason, will not pay someone to leave the team. Lovie still has a few years left on his contract and McCaskey is too cheap to even consider that as an option. The other problem is, as evidenced by the Bears' sick love affair with Dick Jauron in the past, the Bears won't fire a coach until things are so bad it is painfully obvious everyone must go. The right thing to do is to let this season play out and if the Bears miss the playoffs- fire him. This coaching staff is not going to use Cutler properly, Lovie adamently uses the cover-2 defense even though it is outdated and ineffective, and the offense is just not creative in any way. Can you imagine a Cowher, Shanahan, or Gruden here? Well....it won't happen. Even if Lovie does get fired, Angelo picks his guy and it has to be someone he can work with. That won't be anyone we want in here anyway and it would be an admission that Angelo made a mistake- not something he will do easily. The real problem here is that the longer this staff is in place, the longer we waste Cutler's talent and the longer the Defensive players stay here in a failed defensive scheme.
-Rey (Orlando, FL)

So I just read this article in the tribune (http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-04-mitchell-nov04,0,1974150.column). Desmond Clark mentioned that players relate to Lovie's laid back approach. Duh!!!The drubbing we received in Cincinnati is ample proof. The coaching staff and hence the team is so laid back they are one step away from sipping cocktails on a beach in Aruba. I live near Boston and all football season long the professionalism of the Patriots team just sickens me when I compare them with the Bears. No wonder the Pats are such a good team. As much as I hate Belichick I have to admit that as a head coach he does a fantastic job in preparing his team, both on and off the field. You think Bill would be making comments like 'Tommie Harris is back' or 'Tommie was extremely disruptive' indirectly insulting our own intelligence? The Bears cannot improve unless they man up and realize that they are not as good as they think they are. I understand that you cannot play in the NFL without hard work and I commend the Bears players, but Smith's mollycoddling is going to to ensure that we miss the playoffs for the 3rd straight time. It would suck but in the long run if it helps Lovie and especially Ron Turner get out of Chicago I dont mind.
-AJ (Waltham, MA)

Lovie wanted to prove that it was his defense after the Super Bowl run, so what'd he do? Fired Ron Rivera. How has that worked out Lovie? How has our defense been since 2006? He has taken a great players and team and ruined many good years we could have had just to boost his ego and prove that it was not Rivera's defense, that it was Lovie's defense and that he was a defensive guru. 45-10 against the Bungles. Nice adjustments D Coordinator. Keep up the good work. Lets hope the McCaskeys are not too cheap pay Lovie to go away, go sign a hall of fame head coach and turn it around. I think we know that isn't going to happen. The McCaskeys are only worth a couple billion, they don't have enough money to pay Lovie off and sign a real coach. Yeah Right!
-Matt (Dakota Dunes, SD)

I?ve been a bears fan all my life and believe me it's very disappointing to see good players and my favorite team coached by sooo BAD coaching staff. In Mexico it's kind of expensive to watch the complete season, never mind, I did pay a lot to see the entire deception, I've saw enough just to be sure how mediocre they are.
-Percival (Mexico City, Mexico)

Lovie Smith does not exemplify the tradition of Chicago Bear football. Both Smith and his Tampa 2 are soft and everyone know it. What was once lauded by some as Smith's "even-keeledness" has now been exposed as lack of passion, lack of intensity, and strategic incompetence.

Does anyone think for even a moment that Papa Bear Halas, Iron Mike Ditka, or even Buddy Ryan, would put up with #91's b.s., or the lackluster performances of late? As a Bears fan for over 40 years, last Sunday against the Bengals was the first time that I've EVER turned off a Bears game at halftime!

Ron Turner is a bum and should be ridden out of town on a rail...All he has ever shown is the willingness to destroy talented young football players careers; i.e., Grossman, Benson, Orton, and Berrian, to name but a few. Case in point, aren't Cutler and Forte beginning to look like Grossman and Benson did for the Bears!?! Simple NFL math is as follows: Good Players + Bad Coaches = Losing Team
-Richard (Chicago, IL)

What good is it to possess the strongest arm in the NFL if you don't even attempt to use it? Even if you don't connect, throwing the ball 65 yards downfield and unleashing the speed of Hester and Knox sends a real message to every defensive player; "This next one might be going over my head". Best way to loosen up the run game and everything underneath too... and getting a lead and pouring it on is the best defense ever.
-Jack (Deming, NM)

I actually hope the Bears lose on Sunday because maybe we will get our wish then and this site will become obsolete. Never wanted Lovie here in the first place and if everyone remembers he wasn't even the first or second choice of Jerry Angelo's.(Nick Saban and Russ Grimm). I know there is alot of money left on the deal, they never should have signed him to that by the way, but it's time for a change. If Angelo wants to keep his job as well as put a winner on the field it's time to pack Loventhal's bags and send him on his way. I think Jay Cutler would like to see his old coach Mike Shannahan to become a head coach again. What better place then here in ChiTown.
-John (Evergreen Park, IL)

Please fire this guy. No emotion, stands on the sideline like he has no idea what is going on and he is supposed to be the D Coordinator. C'Mon Lovie, you need to head back to St Louis where you had the greatest show on turf. Here's an additional ticket to bring Turner with you.

All I want for Christmas is Bill Cowher or Mike Shanahan - not my two front teeth

See ya Lovie.
-Mike (Grayslake, IL)

Absolutely a dreadful performance against the Bungals. Who Dey? Bengals fans always ask this question and there really is an easy response. "The Bears are who we thoughts they were." They are a aging, poor tackling defense that is playing in a horrible system and is being led by a horrible coach. We need to bring in an entire new scheme to Chicago. I believe that Bill Cowher would be perfect and would bring that fire/passion in a coach that Bears fans have longed for since Ditka. Bringing in an offensive mind that can reign in Cutler such as Shanahan or even Holmgren (who knows the division and had success reigning in Favre) makes sense as well. The Bears need a change. Lovie has gone through new position coaches year after year and it just hasn't worked. Jon Hoke has somehow made are secondary worse. Marinelli's impact is suddenly not so effective and Lovie's taking over the playcalling on defense has made Bob Babich re-emerge as a defensive guru calling plays. I am not 28 years old and as a lifelong Bears fan, I have never been as embarrassed as I was watching the humiliating game yesterday. They were outplayed, outcoached and looked completely not ready to play that game. Are drafts have been terrible in recent years as well. We are starting a 7th round draft pick at safety for christ sakes. This is a joke. Lovie is not the only one who needs to go.....Jerry Angelo and Ron Turner need to be shown the door as well.
-Jamie (Utica, NY)

I am tired of our coach looking like he did a bag of heroin on the side lines...if we are getting our butts kicked on the field I want to see fire and brimstone from the coach. If you pick up and pat an opposing player on the head you should be benched. I am embarrassed ! The demeanor of this team is terrible...no one fears us any more. We are left with the 100 dollar Jersey and the foam bear claw looking like asses. Bye Bye Lovie both of your lines are terrible o-line is far worse. Stop holding T. Harris's hand and cut him.
-Vito (St. Charles, IL)

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