Jim O'Donnell: Amid the softballs, Ryan Poles faced nary a query about the lost impact of Roquan Smith
IF BEARS MANAGEMENT EVER HAS TO fill out a loan application to complete the purchase of the Arlington Park land, there's one asset that should be high up on any list.
That would be the team's tread-worn, fanboy media.
The marshmallow crew was on full display Tuesday at Halas Hall.
That's where 37-year-old general manager/overwhelmed Xboxer Ryan Poles was attempting to light-foot away a historically non-achieving 3-14 season.
Questions to Poles were about as challenging as any Vlad Putin might get on "Meet the Press-niks" over Russian state TV.
While he stopped short of coming out for cleaner air and a solid educational system, Poles made it perfectly clear that he values "value."
Maybe he can get an endorsement deal with Walmart after his Bears win Super Bowl 60.
MOST INTRIGUING STATISTIC OF THE DAY might have been Time of Microphone Possession.
On a two-man platform, Poles held the mike for close to 26 of the 28 minutes.
Mannequin Matt Eberflus - who remains head coach - got two questions and spotlight remnants.
He whittled away much of his idle time appearing to jot down notes. Or maybe "Floos" was filling out postcards to send back to old pals at Tony Packo's in his native Toledo.
NO QUESTIONS WERE IN PLAY about the man who would later prompt the biggest NFL story of the day.
That was a shame, since it had its roots in a critical Poles' decision during his brief time at Halas Hall.
That headline became the mammoth five-year, $100M contract that the Baltimore Ravens laid on Roquan Smith. He's now the highest-paid off-ball LB in the history of the league.
Eleven weeks ago, Smith was still a Bear. The team was in transition. Smith - in the fifth and final year of his rookie deal - was boldly acting as his own agent.
But the team was also 3-5 with a hopeful 33-14 win at New England on its late October ledger.
AFTER SMITH WAS TRADED EAST, the Bears went 0-9. They no longer had an All-Pro to lead by fury and example. Baltimore advanced from the 22nd-ranked defense in the NFL to the second best during Smith's ten weeks in Ravens wear.
Poles did not find sufficient value in Smith, one of the great defenders in the game and a 25-year-old who was clearly anchoring a huge chunk of any positivism still in the bare air of Lake Forest.
Smith proved that he - working without a net - knew his NFL value better than Poles did. That's not a good sign for the future of the Bears.
But regarding the midseason departure of Smith and its massively diminishing impact on the Bears, not a peep from the fawning fanboys.
SUNDAY NIGHT, ROQUAN AND FELLOW INNER HARBOR-ITES will try to take down mighty Joe Burrow and the favored Bengals in an AFC Wild Card game (NBC, Universo and Peacock, 7:15 p.m.).
Maybe Poles and "Floos" and George McCaskey and even lame-duck Ted Phillips can host a watch party.
For snicks, snacks and low-level insight, they can even invite the most favored parrots among their compliant Halas Hall media.
They'll just need a lottery to cull that fanboy list down.
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AWAY FROM THE FOOTBALL FRENZY, the Arlington Heights Memorial Library will host a "Wider Lens" screening of the acclaimed documentary "The Loyola Project" - all about the 1963 NCAA men's basketball champion Ramblers - Saturday, Jan. 21, at 1 p.m.
Event producer Neal Parker reports that Chuck Wood, the sixth man on Loyola's fabled titlists, will be on hand after the 88-minute doc to discuss the landmark season. The Insouciant, ahem, will emcee.
The event is open to all, including people who don't live in Arlington Heights. Registration is urged, either through the program calendar at ahml.info or by calling the library at (847) 392-0100.
More seasoned Chicago basketball sharpies will recall that an electric Red Rush called Loyola games that season over the late WCFL, 1000-AM.
STREET-BEATIN':
Kirby Smart and Georgia drew all of 17.2M viewers for their 65-7 obliteration of TCU in the CFP championship game Monday night. That's a record low. (But not as low as bookmakers who got buried with money on the Bulldogs.) ...
There've been more staff cutbacks at NBC Sports Chicago. Kevin Cross's beleaguered garrison has never fully overcome the chop of Jeff Nuich, one of the most effective publicists in the market. ...
Budget trims are also keeping some games of Tony Stubblefield and his unpredictable DePaul men's basketball team off WSCR 670-AM. When not on "The Score," Zach Zaidman and Dave Corzine can be heard via depaulbluedemons.com. ...
The resignation of Stephanie McMahon has done nothing to diminish informed speculation that the Saudis will purchase the WWE. They already have Greg Norman set to go as an oily villain. ...
And Allie Fairfield, on the Bears "winning" the first pick in the 2023 NFL draft: "Does this mean they get a second shot at Terry Bradshaw?"
• Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears Sunday and Thursday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.