Stop It, Already

The Tribune just can’t help itself.  This infatuation with the Bears is a sign of bad journalism; a spot-on reflection of a fan base unable to move on; or both.  Take your pick.

Sunday, David Haugh did a nice page-one column on how, “Seldom do the Bears say what they really mean,” in large part because the notion of transparency is both foreign and offensive to them.  Haugh doubts that GM Ryan Pace is being totally honest about his commitment to quarterback Mitch Trubisky, and so do I and probably most of Beardom.  But filling up the back page was a puff piece on Virginia McCaskey.  The Bears’ matriarch is celebrating her 97^th birthday.

Then, yesterday they did a “if only” story for the just-completed season, as in if only this field goal had been made, that penalty avoided and any of a number of errant passes caught.  Guys, if this team had won two more games and made the playoffs, all they would’ve accomplished is embarrassing themselves over the weekend.  The Bears are an organization in search of leadership, which in Halas Hall gets confused with a flow chart.

Which brings us back to Virginia McCaskey.  The family literally hides behind her image as Grandma Bear and sole surviving cub of Papa Bear.  If she’s in charge, it’s time for her to take the blame the way any incompetent owner would.  Only the Chicago media is still too afraid to attack someone approaching their centennial.

But they have no choice, if in fact she’s in control.  And if she’s just providing a smokescreen to cover the incompetence of her offspring, then it’s time for the media to stop paying attention to Virginia McCaskey and focus on the McCaskey—George, I think—actually in control.  Your choice, guys.