Why the Bears Stink

It's been a long time since the Bears have left the last game of a season as victors.

It's going to get longer.

Why?

Here are a few reasons, from management to fan favorites the Bears need to be run more like a business and less like a fantasy club run by high school kids.

Although a fantasy club put together by high school kids may have a better chance this year

Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith

Jerry Angelo has done some interesting things in Chicago.

He's brought in some of those veteran pieces that can help you make a Super Bowl run.

He's done it a lot. Muhsin Muhammad, Rueben Brown, John Tait, Fred Miller, Des Clark, John St. Clair, Thomas Jones.

All those guys made the Super bowl possible. But all were necessary because of Jerry's Blown picks at the same positions.

Muhsin Muhammad was necessary because first round pick David Terrell flopped.

Rueben Brown because Bryan Anderson and Terrance Metcalfe were never starter ready.

John Tait came in because Marc Colombo was a Left Tackle.

Des Clark came in because the only TE drafted in Chicago under Angelo was Bryan Fletcher.

St. Claire came in because the first round pick they spent on Chris Williams turned out to be a first round pick on a Chris Williams with a bad back.

Lovie Smith. Lovie should have been in the coach of the year running last year for the job he did with the talent he had.

But Lovie's had a hand in this. Remember Adam Archuleta? Remember the defense back when Ron Rivera was in Charge?

And why in the world are the Bears still running that Tampa Two with the itty bitty Defensive ends?

Brian Urlacher

No Brian, Doesn't suck. It isn't his fault the Bears stink.

He's just the last Bear First round pick to really excel.

He came on before Bear GM Jerry Angelo got his job.

Bear Fans will Argue the Merits of Tommie Harris but Tommie has never broken 40 tackles or 10 sacks.

He gets paid like he's excelled but HE'S NEVER BROKEN 40 TACKLES OR 8 SACKS. He's not a big run stuffer and guys like Darnell Dockett, Jovan Haye, and overpaid Tommy Kelly have been similar statistically. None of them were a first round pick.

It's been eight drafts since Urlacher. That's a long time between first round hits.

Dan Bazuin

Dan Bazuin had a great college career in the Mid America Conference, kind of the Bears back yard.

It didn't matter that the Bears were deeper at defensive end than any other position on the roster with Adewale Ogunleye, Mark Anderson, Alex Brown, and Israel Idonije.

It didn't matter that the Linebacking corps wasn't very deep.

It didn't matter that the O-line was bad or that there was no number one receiver.

What mattered was Bazuin was a perfect fit for the cover two.

Some times all those things matter.

Bazuin left without ever seeing the field in a regular season game.

Tony Pashos and David Diehl (Among Others)

In another case of shortsightedness combined with farsightedness, Jerry Angelo missed on Illini OT Tony Pashos.

Pashos was another fifth rounder. I don't hold him against the Bears as much as Turner because the Bears fifth rounder was WR Justin Gage and not Claude Harriot or Craig Krenzel.

Pashos, from Lockport, IL, though is an indication of a problem on the O-line. A problem that was compounded by not taking a flyer on fellow Illini Dave Diehl in the same year and same round. Diehl is from Brother Rice High School in Chicago.

Again both players were right in the Bears Back Yard. A left tackle of the future in Doug Free was at NIU. Depth is never a bad thing even if these guys left as free agent the Bears would have at least gotten compensatory picks.

Michael Turner

Michael Turner has never been a Chicago Bear. He should have been.

Turner went to High School at North Chicago. He went to college at NIU.
He led the nation in rushing at NIU. He had two great seasons.

He had prototype size at 5'11" and 237. He caught the ball. He ran a 4.49

He lasted fifth rounds. In round five that year the Bears drafted Claude Harriot and Craig Krenzel. Lots of teams missed on Turner. Only one of them had him playing in their back yard.

A year later the Bears acknowledge a need at RB by spending the fourth pick overall on Cedric Benson, a back who was smaller, slower and had more carries as a collegian.

Devin Hester

Reason one: Devin Hester. Hester may be the greatest Punt Returner in NFL history but you don't pay Punt Returners $5.5 million.

Bear Fans begged for management to re-sign the Bears most important player. He now makes twice what four time 1,000 yd receiver Anquan Boldin makes.

Bear Fans are no wondering why the Bears can't sign a number one receiver.
The fact is the Bears already signed the one the fans wanted.