Potential troubling news/competition

[Mudflap1]

Bears deny shopping for coach, GM (http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/129490-bears-deny-shopping-for-coach-gm)

From WSCR-AM 670: Someone in the Bears (http://www.fannation.com/tags/show_tag/3)' organization at a level above general manager Jerry Angelo has begun surveying options for changing the coach or general manager, or both, according to Hub Arkush, a football expert on WSCR-AM 670 and publisher of Pro Football Weekly. Arkush specifically named former Broncos (http://www.fannation.com/tags/show_tag/7) coach Mike Shanahan, who groomed Bears (http://www.fannation.com/tags/show_tag/3) quarterback Jay Cutler (http://www.fannation.com/tags/show_tag/2794) and helped him earn a Pro Bowl berth in Denver; former Steelers (http://www.fannation.com/tags/show_tag/23) coach Bill Cowher and former Buccaneers (http://www.fannation.com/tags/show_tag/27) and Raiders (http://www.fannation.com/tags/show_tag/13) coach Jon Gruden. All three have won Super Bowls. Asked about the report, a team source said, "There's absolutely no truth" to the report.
Chicago Tribune (http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2009/11/report-bears-surveying-options-for-coach-gm-changes.html)

www.cnnsi.com (http://www.cnnsi.com)

[Ground Chuck]

Angelo will still be GM there. They have no draft picks next year and the Bears are cheap. All huge negatives.

[Mudflap1]

The Bears being cheap is the best thing in the Bills' favor. Would Chicago fire Lovie Smith, Jerry Angelo, pay them severance, and pay Mike Shanahan $10 million per year? Good chance that they wouldn't.

[Ground Chuck]

I don't think Angelo is going anywhere.

Unless things totally unravel the rest of the year, I think Smith survives too. Ron Turner, OC, would get canned.

[BoyILuvLoznStupidly]

I think they survie in 2010. Bears would have to pay Lovie 11 mil to buy him out at the end of this season.

Chicago Bears not firing head coach Lovie Smith (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/rumors/post/Chicago-Bears-not-firing-head-coach-Lovie-Smith?urn=nfl,202068)

By Mark J. Miller (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/rumors?author=Mark+J.+Miller)

http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_rumors__40/ept_sports_rumors-648197295-1258033482_thumb.jpg?ymKVaMCDs_Elin33

(http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_rumors__40/ept_sports_rumors-648197295-1258033482.jpg?ymKVaMCDhRyA5EId)No matter how loudly Chicago Bears (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/chi/) fans scream for it, the team isn't planning to fire head coach Lovie Smith anytime this season. In fact, he'll likely be with the team till the end of next season (http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-12-pompei-bears-essentials-nov12,0,3309275.column), according to the Chicago Tribune. The Bears have Smith under contract till the end of 2011 and there is no expectation hat team ownership is going to get rid of Smith before then.
His team is 4-4 so fans could have it a lot worse. Smith has $11 million coming to him for the final two years of his contract after this year. Even if they canned him after 2010 and another team signed him, he would likely take that job with a low one-year salary, knowing that the Bears would have to pay the bulk of cash to him.
The other problem is that it isn't just Smith that the team is worried about. He's got 15 assistants on staff who each apparently average $350,000 annually in salary. The Bears would have to pay all of those salaries, too, if they can those assistants.
Then they'd have to pay for a search for a new head coach and 15 new assistants as well as whatever salary they end up giving the winners of those slots. So bottom line, it's too much dough to waste and Smith will be in place for at least till the end of next year.
Source: Chicago Tribune (http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-12-pompei-bears-essentials-nov12,0,3309275.column)http://l.yimg.com/a/i/nt/ic/ut/bsc/newwin12_1.gif (http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-12-pompei-bears-essentials-nov12,0,3309275.column)

[Mike in Syracuse]

It's kind of incredible when you think about it. We're talking about the Bear's firing Lovie Smith and most of the Bear's problems stem from the fact that their freaking "franchise" QB won't stop throwing the ball to the other team.

[ghz in pittsburgh]

I don't care. If a coach would rather coach some other teams, then let him.

I don't know how many guys here would marry a girl who'd rather wait and see if she has alternatives.

[BoyILuvLoznStupidly]

Maybe the Bears pull a Bills and sign TO to keep Lovie one more year.

[elltrain22]

Chicago is a team that scares me. I think its very possible that they fire Lovie Smith, and if they do, I think Shanahan will take that job, if offered. I know they have fewer draft picks, but if it were me, I'd rather take the Chicago job b/c I have the QB I drafted 5 yrs ago, a pretty solid defense, and is a good fit.

I hope soooo much Shanahan comes to Buffalo, but if Chicago fires Lovie, we might as well kiss our chances goodbye.

[Mudflap1]

The article posted above about the Bears not firing Lovie is two weeks old, and the article I posted is from today.