Imrem: A battle Bulls coach can't win
In all industries, productive employees like Tom Thibodeau have to move on sometimes after being embroiled in differences of opinion or personality conflicts with their bosses.
Most recently and most famously, 49ers management couldn't coexist with head coach Jim Harbaugh and he's now Michigan's coach.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jimmy Johnson won two Super Bowls before they couldn't stand each other any longer.
Mark Jackson began turning around the Golden State Warriors last season, irritated too many people and is a TV analyst this season.
So, yes, it happens … but maybe the question is why it happens so often with Jerry Reinsdorf's teams.
After the Bulls had to fire successful head coach Doug Collins because of off-court issues, Phil Jackson replaced him and won six NBA titles.
After White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Kenny Williams won a World Series, they had to be separated and the club hasn't been the same since.
The Sox suffered after losing - for whatever reason - Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa, Hall of Fame TV announcer Harry Caray and future Hall of Fame radio announcer John Rooney.
Jim Durham, the best basketball announcer this town has seen and heard, left the Bulls after contentious contract negotiations failed.
Some of the acrimony can be attributed to that Reinsdorf loyalty thing.
Be loyal to the chairman and he'll be loyal to you. Be disloyal at your own risk. Make him choose and the person perceived to be most loyal will survive.
The employee closer to Reinsdorf at the top generally wins out. The one who doesn't make excessive salary demands generally does, too.
Reinsdorf is a little like late Bears owner George Halas was in that respect. He'll be remarkably generous but pretty much on his terms and his timetable.
Some around here relate the Bulls' current situation to Phil Jackson and general manager Jerry Krause sniping at each other on the way to winning those six championships.
Except that Thibodeau hasn't won anything yet and neither have GM Gar Forman and executive vice president John Paxson.
So in a way Reinsdorf and son Michael, the Bulls' president and COO, have to project which side is more likely to lead the Bulls to their next NBA title. Or, actually, the Reinsdorfs will have to decide whether Thibodeau or GarPax is more likely to remain loyal and manageable.
That isn't going to be Thibodeau. His style - socially and professionally - will make him temporary wherever he is coaching.
Thibodeau by nature is difficult to get along with on any given day, much less for four or five years. He can't win this battle of wills with management unless winning means wiggling free and landing with another NBA team.
Don't be surprised if that team is the Lakers, who would replace head coach Byron Scott in a heartbeat if Thibodeau became available.
Jerry Reinsdorf won't want the hassle of replacing Thibodeau but might have to do so to avoid the hassle of another season of insanity and disharmony.
The best outcome for the Bulls would be to wrangle considerable compensation from a team, say the Lakers, in exchange for turning their coach loose.
The worst outcome would be for Tom Thibodeau to win three championships elsewhere like Tony La Russa did while the Bulls don't win any.
mimrem@dailyherald.com