The Chicago Bears (the local pro football team impersonating a college bowl contender) fired head coach Dick Jauron this afternoon. I listened to GM Jerry Angelo's press conference in the car at lunchtime. He delivered the unsurprising news that every Bears fan has been awaiting for weeks. Keeping Jauron around means keeping offensive (mis)coordinator John Shoop around and I'd rather see the bears hire a high school freshman B team waterboy than retain Mr. Shoop any longer. Perhaps Shoop can find employment in the vacancy left by that waterboy; he is sadly outmatched at the professional level.

I like Jauron, but, as I said, he clearly has to go. 4 losing seasons out of 5 and a blind loyalty to incompetent subordinates like John Shoop are more than enough evidence to kick the quiet and likeable Jauron out of town. He is being kicked and that's the ugly side of sports and the media.

Publicity is part of the business. I wouldn't be able to handle 9 pages of newspaper writing detailing my low performance, failings, and impending termination. How does anyone? If I'm not doing my job, my manager will have a private talk with me or I might not get the raise or project I was hoping for. I'd be sick to my stomach if 3 media outlets were rooting for my firing and a million people agreed. Winning solves everything, but nobody wins all the time. Professional coaches must either not give a shit what anybody thinks of them or they're sick puppies who thrive off the winning high and can't live without it. I'm neither, thankfully.

Good luck to Dick Jauron. He's a class guy who will succeed down the road with another team. John Shoop? Glenbrook North needs someone to supervise the powderpuff game next year and make sure it doesn't get out of hand. Check it out.