Jim O'Donnell: A rare window for George McCaskey and his Bears to stun its paying public
THE BEARS MOVED INTO an astonishing new world of potential business credibility when management announced the execution of a Purchase and Sale Agreement for Arlington Park in September.
Typically, in the ensuing three months, the organization has taken two steps backward with its dismal 2021 NFL season.
If George McCaskey and associates are indeed embracing bold and fresh imaging and operational tactics, here's a very simple way to further that public perception and acknowledge the PayPal support of their long dismayed fan base:
When invoices go out for season-ticket renewals in February, announce that all are including a 10% discount on 2022 prices.
Sure "The Old Man" - "Papa Bear" George Halas - might spin in his subterranean manhole covers.
But for McCaskey, Ted Phillips and whatever other power hands may or may not now be guiding the franchise, the gesture would be a masterstroke.
IN TANDEM WITH enlightened hirings of a new general manager and head coach, the message to Bears fans would be made perfectly clear:
It is a new era of both accountability and expanded vision at Halas Hall.
Cast against the backdrop of $3 billion or so for a new stadium in Arlington Heights or on no-cost land in Chicago, the charge-off to goodwill would be positively incremental.
And its residual waves would wash over Bears fans like a 60-degree December sun at Soldier Field.
SO WHAT'S IT GOING to be in the short term for McCaskey and his confusing crew?
Recharged, emboldened and excelsior?
Or a mere continuum of the post-Lovie Smith, moribund Bears blues?
STREET-BEATIN':
Maybe Matt Nagy can go blame it on the moon. His McWaywards are 6-6 in day games (4-4 on Fox; 2-2 on CBS) and 0-4 at night (0-2 on both NBC and ESPN / ABC). ...
If Justin Fields sets foot on the field Sunday at Minnesota (-3 ½), Virginia McCaskey should send all Bears supervisors responsible for such flirtin' with disaster to their rooms. (With no access to texting, video games or Ouija boards.) ...
The ousting of Ken Rosenthal as a reporter for the MLB Network was far too petty. His mild criticism of puppet "commissioner" Rob Manfred was dead-on and only heightened the credibility of the diamond monopoly's meek cable channel. The hustling Rosenthal - he of the Pee-wee Herman couture - retains jobs with Fox Sports and The Athletic. ...
The Bulls broadcast row continues to be impacted by the Omicron surge. Adam Amin missed most of the first half of the New Year's Eve win at Indianapolis after being recalled for safeguard testing. ...
Yet another texturizing note on John Madden: The apartment he maintained at Manhattan's swank The Dakota was previously owned by Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner. (And included the shared West 72nd St. arched entranceway where John Lennon was assassinated.) ...
Kudos to sharp-eyed reader Riley Simpson: She noted that the Steelers run of four Super Bowl championships was sandwiched evenly around Lombardi Trophy walk-offs by Madden's Raiders (SB XI) and Tom Landry's Cowboys (SB XII). ...
ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard sounded like fossilized, disconnected shills while criticizing college bowl opt-outs prior to the Rose Bowl. (As Al McGuire probably said, "For 'battle carriers,' all home economics begin in the icebox.") ...
Both CFP playoff games - Alabama over Cinder-fallin' Cincy and Georgia's walkover vs. Michigan - were down close to 2 million viewers from last season's semis. And did anyone else notice that Jim Harbaugh's capping 2021 wins came against a freshman Ohio State QB in the snow at Ann Arbor and a Kirk Ferentz Iowa team that typically arced out in October? ...
And one suggested new nickname for beleaguered Dan Snyder and his WFT: The Washington Constitutionals. It has multiple interpretations, including at least one that's healthy. And, the recurring headline "WaCons win again!" is both educational and irresistible.
• Jim O'Donnell's Sports & Media column appears Thursday and Sunday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com.