Two first-place coaches under similar scrutiny

Sunday's game between the Bears and the Vikings in Soldier Field won't exactly be like Mike Ditka against Bud Grant.

Heck, judging from chatter up there and down here, it might be more like Dave Wannstedt against Mike Tice.

Consider this unkind "Featured comment" on the Minneapolis Star-Tribune Web site Tuesday morning.

"A team takes on the personality of its coach," a fan noted, "and you have a dull, unimaginative, and stubborn personality."

Makes you wonder why somebody in Minnesota would be that emotional about Lovie Smith.

Wait, it wasn't about the Bears' head coach, though it certainly could have been. It also could have been about Vikings head coach Brad Childress, and it was.

Folks, if you think you're disgusted with Smith, you have nothing on how fans in the Twin Cities feel about Childress.

And the Vikings won their most recent game by 2 points. Imagine if they lost it by 2, as the Bears did. Childress would be questioned on everything from the look on his face to the squib in his kick.

These two coaches are under so much scrutiny, most of it coming up negative, maybe they should have been put out of their misery by being dealt for each other before Tuesday's trade deadline.

But, no, they remain where they have been coaching and can commiserate here in Sunday's big game. The Bears and the Vikings are tied for first place with the Packers in the NFC Central, albeit with modest 3-3 records.

For the sake of full disclosure, it should be pointed out that I recommended Childress when the Bears last needed a head coach. Or maybe putting it better would be when they last had a coaching vacancy.

Not because Childress is an Aurora native or because I knew him when he coached at Illinois under Mike White. He was a viable candidate because he went to the NFL and was Andy Reid's offensive coordinator in Philadelphia.

Seemed like a pretty good resume to me, but for some reason Bears general manager Jerry Angelo did what he does - ignore my advice.

Instead, Angelo hired Smith for his leadership qualities demonstrated as the Rams' defensive coordinator.

Ironically, now Smith is criticized here for his team's disappointing defense and Childress is criticized in Minnesota for his team's frustrating offense.

After the Bears hired Smith in 2004, fans here tolerated him as he coached the Bears into the Super Bowl and were intolerant of him when he wasn't as successful.

Part of Smith's problem is his stoical demeanor, which doesn't quite inspire confidence in Bears fans who don't believe it inspires confidence in Bears players.

Thus the confusion over the characterization of a coach with "a dull, unimaginative, and stubborn personality."

Smith or Childress? Perhaps both. If the snooze fits, snore it. Or perhaps neither, who knows at this point?

In Minnesota on Sunday, fans chanted "Fire Childress" despite the score being close in a game his team would win.

"They are becoming more like Philadelphia fans, I supposed," Childress was quoted as saying. "A little more mean-spirited."

Bears fans haven't chanted "Fire Lovie" yet, but there's always Sunday in Soldier Field for Smith to join Childress' in that dubious distinction.

mimrem@dailyherald.com