Lovie, Angelo Get Their Due

Let me be the first to say that I have great admiration for what the Chicago Bears organization did by rewarding Lovie Smith with a new 4-year $22 million contract. Had it been me who was writing the checks, I might have let him walk after someone in his camp leaked to the press that negotiations were going nowhere and that the team had "lost touch with the modern NFL." Nonetheless, the Bears ultimately did the right thing by retaining Smith's services.

Even more exciting, in my opinion, is the five-year extension that Angelo received. The job he has done since coming over from Tampa Bay has been outstanding. He is by far the most effective GM come draft day, finding gems as late as the 5th round (Mark Anderson). His eye for talent is unmatched and, as a Bears fan, I eagerly anticipate this year's draft to see what he has up his sleeve. The Bears have no glaring weakness, so it should be interesting to see the direction Angelo decides to go.

Let's be honest, the Bears were weeks away form utter and complete disarray. Their coaching staff appeared to be in shambles and having an angry Smith at the helm next season would have made for a disfunctional year. Now stability has been restored. They have a new and better, in my opinion, defensive coordinator in Babich and they retained their reknowned special teams coach Dave Toub. Angelo can now focus on the scouting combine and bringing in free agents to add depth. The Bears are taking a hard look at Cincinnati's OG Eric Steinbach because they realize their offesensive line, while one of the best in the league, is aging. I think that the team could use a hard hitting safety like Seattle's Ken Hamlin or Philadelphia's Greg Lewis in addition to a good, young TE (University of Miami's Greg Olsen?) that the team could groom to pair with Clark and eventually take over full-time starting duties.

Suddenly, if Angelo makes the right moves this offseason, which I have complete confidence that he will, another Super Bowl appearance doesn't seem so far off.

By the way, as promised, I'm unveiling the "Missed Call Counter" in today's post. After watching the Bulls game against the Warriors last night, I counted exactly 20 plays which involved, for both teams, either a bad call or none at all when there should have been. Twenty plays the refs botched! Do you even realize how that affects the rhythm of the game? That's 10 mistakes per half, 5 per quarter. Simply unacceptable. I'll be observing the officials again on Friday night against the Hornets and I will make a note of the numbers for that night's post. The Bulls won the game 113-83. Skiles called the team out after losing to the lowly Magic at home. Whatever he said behind closed doors must have worked.


Headlines...

• Paul Sullivan writes that aside from Kerry Wood's altercation with a hot tub, it's been a quiet spring for the Cubs--so far. If I could wish for one thing this year, it would be an absolutely uneventful and entirely boring Cubs spring training. No injuries, no contract negotiations, no distractions. Is that too much to ask for?


• Scott Skiles says that Tyrus Thomas is growing before our very eyes. He's decided to take a patient approach with his impressionable rookie. I think Skiles is handling the situation perfectly. The more I see Thomas play, the more I can understand why they are so high on him. The same goes for Sefalosha whose confidence and shooting touch get better with each game.


• The United States is in the running to host the 2018 World Cup. Why? So the host nation can embarrass themselves in front of their own fans? It's bad enough for youth American soccer players to have seen their squad lose to Ghana on TV in the last tournament. Now they have to see it in person? Yeah, that'll help boost the sport of soccer in the US.


• Looking to go in a new direction with their linebacking corps, the Steelers released Jerry Porter. What I wouldn't give to see him line up next to Urlacher and Briggs. Imagine what an opposing QB would be thinking as he stared down that trio.


• The Lions traded disgruntled CB Dre' Bly to Denver in exchange for RB Tatum Bell, George Foster, and 5th round pick. And this is why the Lions are the Lions. Let me get this straight; they give up one of the premier corners in the NFL for a RB whose stats (over 1,000 yards rushing) were inflated by the blocking scheme that the Broncos use. Take a look at every running back, other than Portis, who has left Denver to play elsewhere: Mike Anderson (200 yards in Baltimore), Reuben Droughns (700 yards for Cleveland), to name a few. In other words, anyone could run through the holes that Denver offensive linemen create. And the Lions just gave up their franchise CB for that? I love it. With every stupid move that an opposing NFC North team makes, the easier it gets for the Bears.


• Now, all the Bears need is for the Packers to get Randy Moss. Wow. First of all, wasn't this the guy who mooned Packers fans in a wild-card playoff game a few years back? Now these same fans want him on their team? You're trying to rebuild, you have one of the youngest teams in the league, and you're seriously thinking about bringing in this kind of influence? You're going to allow impressionable players like 2nd year WR Greg Jennings to get an up-close view of Moss playing when he feels like it and throwing up his arms when Brett Favre (and Aaron Rodgers in the near future) fails to get him the ball? Be my guest, bring in Moss, but wouldn't the Titan's Drew Bennett, who had to scratch and claw his way to stardom, be a better role model? Just a thought. But again, that's why these other GMs in the NFC North couldn't hold a candle to Angelo.


• The Texas Rangers gave SS Michael Young a 5-year $80 million extension. Yet another example of how the Cubs blew it last offseason with Zambrano. At this point, $80 million would be a bargain for the Cubs.


• Mark Prior, barring injury between tonight and Monday (you never know), will pitch in his first spring training game in 2 years. But, of course, there was an injury scare when Prior threw batting practice. Catcher Jake Fox hit one back up the middle, but Prior luckily was able to protect himself by knocking it down with his glove. So far so good... but stay tuned.


• John Hollinger lists the top 25 NBA free agents. How exciting would it be to see Rashard Lewis in a Bulls uniform?


• The Knick's Jamal Crawford had season-ending ankle surgery. The draft pick that the Bulls get from New York just got significantly higher.