Will Bears' brass let Pace do his thing?
Let's forget the fact that Ryan Pace, the new general manager for the Chicago Bears, was picked by owner George McCaskey and president and CEO Ted Phillips.
And let's forget that consultant Ernie Accorsi loved him or that other teams coveted him.
I just plain like the kid. Yeah, I said kid. Usually when you talk about Bears management, you think old. I'm all for a younger and fresher approach.
I can't put too much stock behind the thought that many teams were interested him, however. I remember a young guy in big demand, Dave Wannstedt, who was the "it" guy for head coach in 1993. How did that work out for us?
But I feel differently about Pace. I just have a gut feeling that he can succeed here.
If the Bears brass lets him do his thing, Pace will be a very good hire. The search for a head coach and how he handles the Jay Cutler situation will test him early. Stay tuned.
Brady might be best ever:
While I loved watching the NFL playoffs last weekend, my favorite game was the Baltimore Ravens versus the New England Patriots.
Both teams showed up to play in the 35-31 victory for the Pats at home. Tom Brady was his usual efficient self and Bill Belichick coached a magnificent game.
Joe Flacco (28-45 for 292 yards) played well enough to pick up some admirers in the loss, but Brady and the Pats were down 14 points twice and rallied both times. It's just classic Brady.
With a victory against the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday, New England and Brady will compete in their sixth Super Bowl under Belichick. A win would give them four rings and, in my eyes, cement Brady as the greatest quarterback ever.
I know I've always said Joe Montana was the best ever, but I actually think it's tougher to do now because the teams seldom stay the same. Montana could pretty much count on the same lineup every year.
If the Seattle Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson can get past Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to make consecutive Super Bowl appearances, I think a second Super Bowl championship makes Wilson a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. Wilson is not talked about much, but he delivers.
NFL still king:
The college football playoffs and the national championship game seemed to dominate sports talk more than the NFL did last weekend.
While the league had an average year on and off the field, it still command a $4.5 million price tag for a single Super Bowl commercial. Even with numerous issues to address in the off season, the NFL is alive and well.
Program notes:
Follow me on Twitter@ north2north, and listen to Fox Sports Daybreak with Andy Furman and myself from 5-8 a.m. Monday through Friday on Fox Sports radio, and check me out on iHeart radio or Foxsportsradio.com.
• North's column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.