The City of Chicago v. Jerry Angelo

Jay Cutler, Julius Peppers, Devin Hester, and Super Bowl XLI.

     These are the key pieces of evidence for the defense. They'll thrill you with the hall of fame moments of Devin Hester's career, they'll want you to marvel at the amazing talent of Julius Peppers, they'll remind you of names like Chris Chandler, Henry Burris, Kordell Stewart, Cade McNown, Rex Grossmen, Craig Krenzel, and Chad Hutchinson when Jay Cutler is put on display. The great Super Bowl run of 2006 that was thwarted by the injuries of Mike Brown and Tommie Harris, yes they'll use that too. The defense will ask you, the Court of Public Opinion, to weigh all this evidence and come back with a verdict of not guilty. NOT this prosecutor, Not this Bear fan, Not this life long Chicagoan. I'll press you to hang this administrator, his incompetent choices, and strike a blow right through the heart of mediocrity and find this General Manager guilty on all counts of ineptitude:

1.      Count One- Criminally Negligent Drafting.
2.      Count Two- Felony Reaching on Draftees
3.      Count Three- Felony Fraud; Evaluating
4.      Count Four- Felony Fraud; Expectations

I will prove, beyond reasonable doubt, beyond any doubt that any verdict other than guilty would be blasphemous.
     There can be no sustained success without developing talent from within. PIT, NE, GB, BAL, NO, NYG; each perennial winners and all have developed talent through the draft. Name any premier free agent any of these teams have signed? Jerry Angelo's reckless draft strategies have handicapped the Bears for almost a decade. Dan Bazuin-2nd Round Pick (passed on Charles Johnson), Tank Johnson 2nd Round Pick (passed on Darnell Dockett), Garrett Wolfe-3rd round Pick (passed on Michael Bush). Reaching on the aforementioned players have left the Bears with empty rosters spots and zero depth. Good teams are suppose to be able to get by bottom feeders (OAK, KC, DEN, and SEA) if their starting QB goes down for a couple weeks. That's why it's important to draft the best player available. When you reach on a player like a Dan Bazuin or a Michael Okwo or a Bobby Gray, you're gambling away a possible starter. Packers draft Greg Jennings in 2006, James Jones in 2007 then draft Jordy Nelson in 2008, why? Because they were the best players available. The Giants draft a Osi Umenyiora in 2003 then pick up Justin Tuck in 2005; BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE. New England will trade a Richard Seymour and be able to reload without having to rebuild, why? Because sustained success can only happen with successful drafts. Jerry Angelo has criminally disregarded sound draft principals, leaving the Bears with faint hopes of competing for division titles rather than Super Bowl Championships.
     The Cutler trade, the second highlight of Jerry Angelo's tenure as GM, was a bold move. The price was steep but we all accepted it. The ensuing year proved one thing, Cutler needed weapons. The answer? Devin Hester. The greatest returner in the history of the NFL is a 4th or 5th WR on another team but Angelo wasted 3 years of Cutler's career on this singular belief. Securing a real QB was a must but not taking full advantage of Cutler's skills proves the arrogance of Jerry Angelo killed most of our franchise quarterback's youth. This alone should be grounds for a guilty verdict. What other team would force feed this move? What other team would waste Jay Cutler and Devin Hester's prime years with one action? It's more than pitiful ladies and gentlemen, its criminal.
     The Bears front office has provided false hopes for us all. We were suppose to believe after last years NFC title game the Bears were ready for the Packers. We were suppose to believe after the Super Bowl run in 2006 the Bears would be a top tier team. While expectations for greatness were laid at our feet, Jerry Angelo knowingly risked the fate of the Chicago Bears to appease his arrogant draft choices, personnel decisions and have denied Chicago long-term success. Find this man guilty on all counts and send him back to the depths of NFL hell where he came from, Tampa Bay.

The Return...

     After being battered by labor issues, lockouts, greedy owners, and greedy players; it's finally over. The NFL, NBA, and MLB (yeah those bastards don't get a pass considering most owners have teams in multiple leagues) all did their best to ruin our sports universe. However, as the holidays approach, so to does peace. Come Christmas Day, everything comes around full circle.
     Chicago belongs to the Bears; it's gospel and no other franchise (Blackhawks, Bulls, Sox, and especially the Cubs) comes close. With that stipulation, Chicago celebrates all its legends regardless of league, like no other city. Almost every team can trace it's roots back to the beginning of its respective sport. The one expansion franchise of the group managed to produce a dynasty featuring the world's greatest athlete/basketball player anyone has ever known. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen,Walter Payton, Frank Thomas, Ryan Sandberg, Mike Ditka, Mike Singletary, Mark Buhrele, Ernie Banks, Ronny Woo-Woo. All are household names, all are champions (except those cubbies), and all invoke memories of greatness. On Christmas day, Chicagoans everywhere can continue to admire one more.
     Derrick Martell Rose-MVP. Like a strike of lightning, Rose turned the NBA on its head in his 3rd year. There's a natural progession for a young star. He's suppose to take a couple of years, learn the NBA game, find his place, and grow. That's what should happen...unless he's a superstar. We knew he was good after his rookie year and we knew he could be great after his sophmore campaign. Now we know Rose is a once in a generation type of player. The athleticism, the skills, the need to be great, #1 posseses all the traits of a champion. In most cases, that's all a city should get. But not with Derrick Rose. Chicago's admiration drives deeper then basketball, deeper then sports.  We're able to see ourselves in Derrick Rose because he's cut from the same cloth.
     Unlike any other recent superstar this city has encountered, Rose is Chicago. Derrick Rose understands the fastest way to get to the submarine at the Museum of Science and Industry. He knows what color line will get him home the quickest. How the salt grinds under our shoes in winter, driving down LSD, running down a CTA bus, Jim's on Maxwell St, North Ave Beach, The Garfield Park Conservatory, block parties, the Bud Biliken Parade, The Field Museum, street fests; Chicago is Derrick Rose. We're going to celebrate his accomplishments because the city loves a winner. But it's Chicago soul that we see reflected in Rose that will carry his legend.

On the precipice of dominating the sports landscape.

     There are moments in the sports world where a city seems to become the focal point of all that exists. The Patriots, Red Sox, and Celtics clamped everyone's attention around the city of Boston. Pittsburg had us buzzing with the Steelers and Penguins. But in Chicago, acrimony seems second-hand. The Hawks needed to wait 40 years for Lord Stanley's Cup, the Bears are still chomping on the bit after Super Bowl XX, the Sox needed 88 years for another title, the Bulls living fat on Jordan's Dynasty, and the Cubs continuing to be fantastic losers. But wake up and smell D. Rose Chicago sports fans, there's something in the air...
     The Blackhawks took the NHL by storm last year. Die hards and bandwagon jumpers celebrated the run alike because this city loves championships. After slumbering through most of the regular season, the Hawks are winning at a torrid place and exploding up the playoff standings after hovering around 11th place. New players are figuring out their roles, Jonathon Towes has willed his team to win at all cost and Corey Crawford has secured the goalie position.
     Derrick Rose for his part is an MVP candidate and is leading the Bulls through the 2010-2011 NBA Odyssey. In an off-season that produced a shift in NBA superstars and expectations, the Bulls remained steady, hired a competent coach, fortified their roster, and are simply winning. Once considered a middle of the pack team, the Bulls have commanded everyone's attention and are competing with Boston to become the No.1 seed in the East.
     Faced with the decision to cut payroll, "The Chariman" Jerry Riensdorf bucked KW's rebuild plan and moved forward with the "ALL-IN" campaign. Bold moves, (Peavy, Rios, Dunn) bringing in young major league talent (Beckham, Sale, Morel) and excellent personal decisions (Ramirez, Quentin, Santos, Floyd, Jackson) have the Sox in a place to contend for a World Series the next three years. 
      I use to rip on the Bears brass for being to passive; but looking back at the last two off-seasons (Cutler and Peppers) proves they care about winning. Competing with Green Bay will give way to a vision. Actually, the best thing for the Bears might've been Green Bay winning the Super Bowl. Presently constituted, they are missing pieces. They now have the incentive to address their weaknesses in the draft instead of "reaching" on potential. Solidify the O-Line, signing a No.1 WR, and finding a player or players to create defensive pressure up the middle will put the Bears in a place to compete with the Packers.
     The Cubs are the cubs, and will continue their losing ways. It's who they are and what they do. Sorry Cub fans, you can only hope to become the Tampa Bay Rays in 3 years or so.
     As for the rest of the Chicago, something is bubbling. Hawks win last year, and are in a place to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, the Bulls are storming through the final leg of the regular season, leading the NBA in defense & shutting down the top teams. The Sox have added a bonifide left-handed  power hitter who'll become a superstar his numbers say he is. If Peavy can stay healthy, Sox fans can expect a playoff push for another World Series title for Ozzie and Co. The Bears ignored prognosticators, and made it all the way to the NFC Championship game in 2010. Be assured the front office is aware of the team's needs and have the stones to make those moves. They just need to be the right moves. Chicago is on the precipice of dominating the sports landscape and becoming the most talked about city in Sports. Yeah, I can dig that.

Economics of Luol Deng

     Derrick Rose has brought Chicago a magnificent oasis in the dead of winter. His basketball prowess has led to MVP talk and the Bulls challenging Boston and Miami for the No. 1 seed in the East. Rose has become a superstar and the insuing ripple effects have traveled far and wide...just ask Luol Deng. 
     The Bulls traded a 2nd Rd pick and $3 million for the rights to Luol Deng, given the production that should be considered a coup within itself. After 3 seasons of increased production, the Bulls saw it fit to extend Deng to a 6 year $71 million deal. And then the fun began.
   In a span of 3 years, Deng (and the Bulls) suffered both injuries and a coaching carousel that included Scott Skiles, Jimmy Boylan, Pete Myers before settling on Vinny Del Negro. Having to deal with inconsistent coaches is one obstacle; having to deal with Vinny Del Negro as a coach is bad for basketball and bad for America. Deng's '08-'09 numbers dipped to 14pts/game after only playing 48 games and he was dubbed a bust. 
     Deng's contract, like all NBA contracts, escaltes over time. Deng's '08-'09 campaign was no doubt a disappointment but he was only making $9 million. Given the injuries he had to deal with, that money was on point. His numbers bounced back last season to 17.6/7.3 (pts/reb) while making $10 million. At no point was he paid like stud. Crtics ripped Deng for not living up to his deal, for being soft, and not becoming a top 10 player in the league. Do you know what those guys get paid? Dirk Nowitzki comes in at No 10 on that list at just about $17 million. Even with all the Luol Deng All-Star talk now, he doesn't even crack the top 30!
     Comapre Deng to other Small Forwards in the league     
he's outplaying Rashard Lewis, Andre Igoudala, Andrei Kirilenko (all who are making millions more than Deng). While Rudy Gay and Paul Pierce are playing better, 20pts/6reb & 19pts/5reb respectively compared to Deng's 17.6pts/6.2reb both are making significantly more money as well. The only Small Forward who's a better value right now is Danny Granger. Considering that he and Deng make the same money, that's more of an anomaly. One big number I've left out is age. The only Small Forward on this list younger than Deng (25) is Gay (24). When Deng's contract hits 2014 and he's making $14.3 million, is it completely out of the realm of possibility that Deng cannot average 20pts and 7 or 8 boards a game. Wouldn't that certainly be worth every penny the Bulls are paying him. 
     The economics of Luol Deng dictate the Bulls are getting value for thier money. He's a 3rd option on offense, playing solid team and individual defense. Thibs and Rose are bringing out the best in Deng and the Bulls can take that to the bank.         

My 3 Point Offseason Plan for the Bears...IN DEPTH

We're going to have to deal with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers for the foreseeable future and need a prolonged strategy to combat those bastards. Here's my 3 point plan that would keep the Bears not only in contention for the NFC North, but to compete for Super Bowls:

1) DRAFT O-LINE...Ideally they should use the first 3 picks to bolster the O-line with talent and depth. There aren't any studs and a lot of boards have the first OT being taken at pick #20 which bodes well for the Bears since their first pick comes at #30. I'm hoping Gabe Carimi OT-Wisconsin drops the way Brian Bulaga dropped to the Packers last year. Carimi, who was a 4-year starter and Outland Trophy winner at Wisconsin, is a monster at 6'7 330lbs. Great drive blocker who can step in and play RIGHT NOW. Solidifying the Left Tackle position would drop Omiyale back to being a swing tackle off the bench, and strengthen the line overall. After drafting an OT, addressing OG and C would be the priority. Mike Pouncey, Rodney Hudson, and Orlando Franklin are all viable options in the 2nd Rd. Centers include Kistofer O'Dowd and Jake Kirkpatrick. If the Bears address CB or LB in the 3rd Rd, late round Centers Chase Beeler and Jason Klece could fit the bill. Bringing in young talent and depth is always the best way to go on the O-Line.

2) SIGN A NO. 1 WR...People have been slamming the Bears WR corps all season long. Their young, fast, quick, and will all be going into their 3rd or 4th years next year; I fully expect them all to step up. That being said, none of them are a true No.1 wideout. Vincent Jackson, Santonio Holmes, Sidney Rice, Braylan Edwards will all be UFA's (pending a new CBA) Signing one of these free agents sets up the Bears WR's 1-4. How would you feel about this lineup next year:
WR1-Sidney Rice
WR2-Johnny Knox
WR3-Earl Bennent
WR4-Devin Hester/TBA
Hester can focus COMPLETELY on Special Teams and the Bears can do more things with him, playing #23 at all WR's spots and as a 3rd Down back

3) Make a move for Albert Haynesworth...He's a malcontent and a bad character guy but I can't think of a better fit, scheme wise, for Fat Albert. The Bears run a 4-3, depend on the D-Line for the pass rush, Lovie Smith is a players coach and most importantly, they never quit on him. Aligning Haynesworth next to Peppers would put the fear of god into all divisional foes and contenders. It's a high-risk move, no doubt, but the rewards could, and I emphasize the word COULD, lead to many championships. That kind of pocket collapse and outside pressure are what the Bears hoped for with Tommie Harris; Albert Haynesworth double-downs that bet.

Adding youth and talent to the Offensive Line, signing a true No.1 Wideout, and landing Albert Haynesworth sets the Bears up to not only stack wins, but to stack championships.

Chicago Bears Declaration of Victory

     When in the course of Chicago's events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the baseball fandom which have separated them from one another, and assume among the powers of the Earth, the complete and utter destruction of the Green Bay Packers to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel the Chicago Bears to Victory.
     We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Bears fans are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator George Papa Bear Halas, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Victories, Celebrations, and Super Bowl Parades. That to secure these rights, The Chicago Bears were instituted amongst the NFL deriving their just powers from the consent of Bears fans everywhere. That whenever any team from Wisconsin becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the Chicago Bears to abolish, destroy, devour them; to institute football superiority.