85 Bears Every Where Except Soldier Field

I'm starting to notice something very disturbing going on along the lake front. It looks a lot like what used to go on with the old regime with the Blackhawks where former players and coaches weren't brought back around.

There are currently several former players from the '85 Super Bowl team coaching all over the NFL but none here in Chicago. Some of them are even in ownership in other leagues.

Steve McMichael and Jim McMahon are currently part of the ownership of the Chicago Slaughter which is an indoor football team playing in Hoffman Estates. Former coach Mike Ditka was part of the old Chicago Rush ownership and also part of the new arena league team by the same name. I'm not expecting the McCaskey's  to sell off some ownership to any of the three but doesn't it look bad that they are even associated with the team since all three call Chicago home.

The only son for the late great Walter Payton, Jarrett, just signed on to play with the Chicago Slaughter. Jarrett has bounced around between the NFL, , NFL Europe, CFL and now indoor football since he graduated from Miami in 2005. During the last 5 years he was never even brought in by the Bears for a tryout during that time. Don't get me wrong, I am in no way saying Jarrett is anything close to his father but the Bears bringing him in or even drafting him in the 7th round is a move most franchises do for children of their former great players.

What about the ones coaching? Excluding Jeff Fischer who was on the IR in '85 and then followed Buddy Ryan to the Eagles and became a defensive backs coach the next season. But besides him there are three players coaching in the NFL and one in college plus McMichael is currently the head coach of the Slaughter. Mike Singletary is currently the head coach of the 49er's and numerous times stated how he would like to coach the Bears but was never brought in even after he proved his coaching ability with the Ravens and 49er's under Mike Nolan. Another former linebacker, Ron Riveria, was brought in and actually got to coach the defense for a couple seasons before Lovie decided to let me go to give his bubby Bob Babich the job. Ron went out and joined the Chargers as a linebacker coach but has been the defensive coordinator the past two seasons. Cornerback Leslie Frazier has been the defensive coordinator for the rival Vikings the past two seasons and along with Riveria were named in several coaching searches this past season.The Bears could have had Frazier early on as he started his coaching in '88 as the first coach of Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL. He built that program and was head coach for 9 seasons till he moved on to the University of Illinois as a defensive back coach. Frazier then moved on to the NFL after two seasons and worked his way up. The final coach out of the group is linebacker Brian Cabrial who has coached at Colorado since 2004, serving as an assist coach and even became the interim coach in 2004 after former Northwestern coach Gary Barnett was suspended.

There were several times that any or all of these former Bears could have been brought back into the fold. Some as coaches, or at various front office jobs but the Bears have passed on all of them. The Bears are very good at honoring all their past greatness because let's be honest that is all we have. The Bears have only made it to the Super Bowl once since '85 and have only made it to the playoffs a handful of times since coach Mike Ditka was let go. Every time they have even tried to bring someone back in from the past they have screwed it up. Remember the Dave McGinnis hiring?

Are the Bears ignoring what is happening on the westside with the Blackhawks bringing everyone back. They have buried the hachet with everyone and have been honoring them all and even trying to get them all back into the organization. The Cubs have always had a close relationship with all of their former players like Ryan Sandburg currently coaching the triple A club and Greg Maddux being assistant to the GM.  The Bullsare also good having former players like Bill Wennington, Bill Cartwright, Randy Brown, John Paxson, BJ Armstrong and Pete Myers all holding spots with the team. Just seems like the Bears are missing out on so many oppurtunities by not involving their former players involved with the team.