Lovie Smith safe through 2012

**little bear** · 07-28-2012, 07:37 AM

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/story...vie-smith-2012

Owner: Bears GM free to fire coach in 2013

Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey said Friday that when Phil Emery was promoted to general manager, he was told Lovie Smith would be the coach for 2012, but Emery would have the freedom to make a change after that.
Smith's contract runs through 2013, and he's entering a season when expectations are high after the Bears made several offseason acquisitions, including that of Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall.
"Lovie has said there's pressure every year to win. That's just a fact of life in the NFL," McCaskey told "The Carmen, Jurko & Harry Show" on ESPN 1000. "We told Phil when he came in that Lovie had to be the coach in 2012. He accepted that condition. We also told him that he would have the freedom to make a change if he thought it was necessary after 2012.
"The hope is that we win the Super Bowl and there won't be a change."
McCaskey wasn't implying that the threshold for Smith to keep his job is winning the Super Bowl, but while Smith led the Bears to Super Bowl XLI after the 2006 season, his teams have missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons.
Emery said he was fine with having to keep Smith as coach and that he admires Smith as a coach and as a person.
However, he also has expectations.

"As far as my expectations, it's the same as I put on myself," he told reporters on Wednesday. "I said this when I first came in, we expect to be experts at our given jobs. And our goal is excellence and coming together to win championships, and that's my expectations -- to make steady progress towards those goals.
"I consider this a team that has goals. And we want to make progress towards those goals daily and weekly, every Sunday, towards those goals. And I want to know where that direction is. It won't be Week 1, Week 2. It'll be at the end of the season. I want to know what the direction of our team is daily and weekly toward attaining our goals, and that's how I'll determine it. Are we achieving excellence? Are we moving towards our goals or not?"
Smith said he's not worried about his contract.
"Nobody's really thinking about contracts," he said Wednesday. "You think about contracts in the offseason, you negotiate things there.
"Right now, I think as a football team, we're just ready to see everyone out on the football field doing their job, and that's the message."

Playoffs (Super Bowl?) or bust. We all knew that, now it's official.

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 07-28-2012, 01:21 PM

Interesting. It's July and the expectation from George is:

"The hope is that we win the Super Bowl and there won't be a change."

While our hopes are legitimately sky high in July, a lot of "bad things" can happen between now and that Super Bowl. Injuries can take a July "Super Bowl contender" and make it a "3rd in the NFC-N Division" pretty quick.

It sounds like George is making it crystal clear to Lovie that he needs to produce this year. That article goes on to say it doesn't necessarily have to be a Super Bowl year, but it sounds like a deep playoff run is the bar he has to get over to keep his job. That's definitely not a "given" as injuries can make or break our season.

**Riczaj01** · 07-28-2012, 03:44 PM

The team has spent a ton of money in the last few years to give Lovie everything he needs, and has brought in the staff he wanted...it's time for Lovie to step up and win. Barring multiple devistating injuries there is no reason this team cannot make a deep playoff run, or at least what Houston did last year w/it's injury but hitting hard.

**BigBadPapaBear** · 07-28-2012, 06:54 PM

Good put the pressure on this team. I like Lovie and the Bears have paid him well, but we need some dividends. Granted last season was no fault of his own but this teams need to make a very DEEP playoff run. If the Bears somehow lose to the Packers in the playoffs I can assure you that he's gone. I'm actually excited about all the pressure on this team. Its time to find out of we have guys with the right stuff.

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 07-28-2012, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by BigBadPapaBear

Good put the pressure on this team. I like Lovie and the Bears have paid him well, but we need some dividends. Granted last season was no fault of his own but this teams need to make a very DEEP playoff run. If the Bears somehow lose to the Packers in the playoffs I can assure you that he's gone. I'm actually excited about all the pressure on this team. Its time to find out of we have guys with the right stuff.

I agree. And the pressure is not only on Lovie, but also the players this year. Lotta competition to make this team this year.

**The Benjamin** · 07-28-2012, 08:29 PM

The players love Lovie. They will ensure he keeps his job and returns to the playoffs

**soulman** · 07-29-2012, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

Interesting. It's July and the expectation from George is:
[FONT=verdana]

While our hopes are legitimately sky high in July, a lot of "bad things" can happen between now and that Super Bowl. Injuries can take a July "Super Bowl contender" and make it a "3rd in the NFC-N Division" pretty quick.

It sounds like George is making it crystal clear to Lovie that he needs to produce this year. That article goes on to say it doesn't necessarily have to be a Super Bowl year, but it sounds like a deep playoff run is the bar he has to get over to keep his job. That's definitely not a "given" as injuries can make or break our season.

I think that's a pretty accurate assessment brother. Of course "produce" can mean a lot of different things. It's pretty subjective in many instances but when you attach to it that comment about winning the SB it does quantify it a little more but I don't think that's the sole criteria.

A rash of injuries to key players excepted I think a SB appearance is expected at the very least. The whole offseason was about getting the Bears on par with the Packers personnel wise which is why Phil Emery got hired to begin with and why he's made so many moves to fill holes and upgrade others at such a rapid fire pace. He's done more to close the talent gap in less than 6 months than Angelo did in two years.

Let's face it. The Packers are who we need to knock off in order to have a shot at a title. I'm really beginning to like George McCaskey. I think he has a lot of "the old man" in him. He may not be as boisterous but he's a hell of a lot more like him than either his father or Mikey. He's got a win now attitude and he's willing to do the things and spend the money to do it.

Maybe Ginny wants to see one more Bears World Championship before she meets her maker and we all know that when she gets there GSH is gonna have a lot of questions for her. The first of which is likely to be, "why after I asked you not to, did you put Michael

in charge". "That idiot was as useless as that stupid SOB you married"! I'm sure there will be others too but if Ginny brings a Lombardi Trophy with he when she goes all will be forgiven.

I really do have a pretty wild imagination don't I? Must be the drugs.

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 07-29-2012, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by soulman

Maybe Ginny wants to see one more Bears World Championship before she meets her maker

Seriously, I do think she wants this to happen. She is a die-hard Bears fan, and has been all of her life. She idolized her dad. I've seen pictures of her going to games with her dad when she was young. I see pictures of her now (old as she is and frail as a bird) at the games. I saw one pic, taken by a Bears fan at an away game, where she's sitting in the bleachers and the snow's coming down. Most gals her age are in the nursing home, but she's cheering on her beloved Bears in the snow. Man gotta love THAT one.

Hard core fan. I have always respected her to the max.

I think she dearly wants to see a Super Bowl win before she dies.

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