Show Lovie The Money
By Benjy Lipsman in News on Feb 26, 2007 2:10PM
Usually, we tend not to take the side of those in sports demanding more, more, more money. And in many ways, it's hard to feel too sorry for a guy who already has a contract that'll pay him more than 20 times Chicagoist's salary. But in the case of Lovie Smith, we just do not understand why he hasn't gotten a new deal yet and why the Bears ownership doesn't just agree to pay what he's asking for.
In 2006, Lovie Smith did what no coach had done since Ditka coached the Bears -- he took the team to the Super Bowl. With a 13-3 regular season in '06 and an 11-5 record in 2005, Lovie Smith won more games than any head coach in the NFL other than the Colts' Tony Dungy. yet he was the lowest paid head coach in the NFL. Dead last. Yes... even less than guys leading their teams to 2-14 seasons.
Heading into the final year of his contract, now is the appropriate time to extend his contract and reward Lovie for turning around the Bears. Pretty much anyone can agree he deserves an extension. And most would also agree that his performance should place him among the better paid coaches, right?
And yet last week Lovie Smith's agent went public, stating that negotiations between his client and the Bears were "not close" and that Lovie would be a free agent coach following the 2007 season. "It would take an unforeseen breakthrough for this to get done. And we are being more than reasonable in this market," said Frank Bauer.
Supposedly, that reasonable demand was about $5 million a year. Considering that might not even place him among the top ten highest paid coaches--and some unproven new hires moving up from the college ranks are getting deals in the $5 mil range--we tend to agree. Bears management opened their negotiations south of $3 million. Yeah, that's "not close."
Lovie tried to diffuse the situation a bit on Friday, when he addressed the media during the NFL scouting combine, stating that he wants to coach the Bears for the rest of his career and that he's confident a deal will get done.
Trib's David Haugh thinks Lovie should be the one to cave in.
If Smith wants to remain the head coach of the Bears for as long as he says he does, if this really is a destination for him, he can make it happen. If he wants to stay here badly enough, he can let his heart guide him more than his wallet.
So just because the median salary in his hometown is 25 grand, he's supposed to be the one to cave in and accept a well below market contract? What about the multimillionaire McCaskey clan, known for their miserly ways?
Aren't the McCaskeys raking in money hand over fist from the gleaming new stadium the city and state built for them -- with the tax dollars of Bears fans? By virtue of the league's salary cap, the can't spend an unlimited amount on players, which has helped them avoid the bad wrap somewhat in recent years. But the coaches' salaries are not part of the cap. And the Bears are certainly one of the more profitable NFL teams -- they ranked 5th in operating income for the 2005 season. Having gone to the Super Bowl this year can only boost their income and should positively impact their profits next season, too.
But Lovie's supposed to be the one to give in? Why doesn't Haugh ask the McCaskeys to pay up, or else to sell the team because they are more committed to their personal wealth than the city and the team? Lovie deserves his $5 million a year, if that's the going rate for successful head coaches. He's not asking for the largest contract, or the longest contract. He just wants a fair deal. Is he really asking for too much?
Image via Yahoo! News