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.