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Lovie Smith extension in the works
Lovie Smith extension in the works
Monday, January 24, 2011
By Michael C. Wright
ESPNChicago.com
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith wants a contract extension,
but he articulated those desires with hints rather than declarations.
“ Angelo We very much want to extend Lovie, and the job that he's done and the staff.
Our focus, our intent is to extend Lovie.
” -- Jerry Angelo
General manager Jerry Angelo, meanwhile, said an extension for Smith is in the works.
"We very much want to extend Lovie, and the job that he's done and the staff.
Our focus, our intent is to extend Lovie," Angelo said Monday.
"We wanted to wait until the season is over.
That will be part of the business at hand in the next several weeks."
Smith played things coy when the subject of an extension was broached.
Asked whether he'd like to receive a contract extension in the offseason, Smith said,
"I love being the head football coach of the Chicago Bears every day.
I've been here and hope to be there for many years to come."
Pressed further on the subject, Smith sidestepped the question of whether it would be difficult for him to take the team into the 2011 season without an extension.
"I think I answered your question right before," Smith said.
"I love being the head coach here every day I've been here.
I look forward to many years to come."
One year remains on Smith's four-year, $22 million extension signed in 2007,
after the team reached Super Bowl XLI.
The coach's contract situation remains one of several topics the organization will consider addressing in the coming weeks after Sunday's disappointing loss to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game.
Compounding matters could be uncertainty about whether there will even be a 2011 football season.
The league's current Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire March 4,
and the threat of a potential lockout remains with the NFL's owners and players struggling to make substantial progress towards reaching a new agreement.
Those negotiations could slow down discussions between Smith and ownership about a possible extension.
"We'll be fine. We'll get into that," Angelo said. "We have a number of things on the agenda.
When there's something to announce, we'll announce it."
Michael C. Wright covers the Bears for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN 1000.
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nf...ory?id=6054665
So who would like to see this happen, and who would not?
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I'd hate to see him extended early. Let him coach out his contract and re-up then. He's already a top paid coach.
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High Fives / Like - 1 BEAR DOWN!, 0 Dislikes
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hope it's just a one year extension..that way he's in line with Angelo's contract
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I don't see any way that they could avoid extending him. He's too well liked by the players and they want to play for him. For once thought I'd like to hear Angelo talk about upgrading gameday head coaching skills as well as player development. As a gameday field coach he leaves a lot to be desired.
I'd like to know whether it was him of Martz that decided on that idiotic end around call to Bennett on third and three. It lost yardage and made it even more difficult on Hanie to get a td. There's no way you call that play at that point in the game. It's a high risk medium reward play from where they ran it and since they don'tr use it much it was poorly blocked and executed. Just another example of bad decison making yesterday.
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Lovie does not deserve a contract extension.
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High Fives / Like - 2 BEAR DOWN!, 0 Dislikes
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Junior Member
noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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Blame it on the simple fact that most teams do not like coaches working on the final year of his contract. I expect a three-five year extension. Not saying I agree with it, just what I expect.
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Originally Posted by
soulman 
I don't see any way that they could avoid extending him. He's too well liked by the players and they want to play for him. For once thought I'd like to hear Angelo talk about upgrading gameday head coaching skills as well as player development. As a gameday field coach he leaves a lot to be desired.
I'd like to know whether it was him of Martz that decided on that idiotic end around call to Bennett on third and three. It lost yardage and made it even more difficult on Hanie to get a td. There's no way you call that play at that point in the game. It's a high risk medium reward play from where they ran it and since they don'tr use it much it was poorly blocked and executed. Just another example of bad decison making yesterday.
Would have to be Martz. Lovie is not an offensive minded coach.
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Originally Posted by
The Benjamin Blame it on the simple fact that most teams do not like coaches working on the final year of his contract. I expect a three-five year extension. Not saying I agree with it, just what I expect.
Finish the contract or wait until the middle of next season to see what the bears do. If we are below .500 then dump him.
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You still have a lame duck coach though, which is what most teams try to avoid.
Again, I am not saying extend him, just saying why he will be getting one.
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