Because that era included a Super Bowl appearance, a new stadium deal, and huge financial returns. The teams had super stars which drove millions of $ in merchandising.

it's fools gold and real fans know better, but in their eyes, they saw a healthy bottom line.

The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.

The new stadium deal had nothing to do with Angelo, nor did the team's increasing profit margin--especially given the NFL's revenue-sharing policy.

Ballard seems like a good cat.



Supposedly he's an ace in scouting DB talent.

If he gets hired it questions the point of hiring a consultant though.

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.

Consultants main job is often predicated on making upper management feel better about any decisions that they make.

The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.

Have GM's and coaches been turning up their noses st the opportunity to interview here?

Saints guy & Ron wolf's kid.

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.

I don't know much about Ballard, but I do know that the family likes to hire who they know usually.

Two things I like about Ballard;

He left the organization and saw things done differently somewhere else. I wish it was for more than a year though.

He is on the radar of the other teams looking to hire GMs.

Yes...I agree he was thought highly enough by the chiefs to warrant a look.
Was there any other team besides the Jets that had interest?

I'm trying to be objective with Ballard but I just see more red flags than i do positives. He simply spent too much time associated with a group that struggled drafting.
They were saying yesterday he was responsible for drafting Cedric Benson....yuk.

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.

The Chicago Bears’ search for a general manager is intensifying this week with a flurry of interviews scheduled at Halas Hall. On Wednesday, Chris Ballard, the director of player personnel for the Kansas City Chiefs, will make his return to Lake Forest for an interview and is currently widely thought of as a frontrunner if not the Bears’ top choice to land the job.

Greg Gabriel understands why.

Gabriel, who was the Bears’ director of college scouting for nine seasons, worked closely with Ballard during their time together in Chicago. Ballard was with the Bears as an area scout for 11 seasons and then spent 2012 as director of pro scouting.

On WSCR-AM 670 Tuesday morning, Gabriel offered his endorsement of Ballard, praising the Chiefs exec as a confident and enthusiastic leader with an eye for talent and the people skills to sell his vision.

As a scout, Gabriel said, Ballard was not only detailed in his work, he was passionate in promoting players he felt strongly about in the scouting process.

Gabriel, who was the Bears’ director of college scouting for nine seasons, worked closely with Ballard during their time together in Chicago. Ballard was with the Bears as an area scout for 11 seasons and then spent 2012 as director of pro scouting.

“When it was his turn to talk about a player, he did a better job of anybody I’ve ever been around – and this goes back 30 years – in trying to sell his player,” Gabriel said. “… If he truly believed in the player, he had a knack for selling him.”

Gabriel gave Ballard at least partial credit for the Bears’ drafting several prospects who went on to become difference-making starters: Charles Tillman (second round, 2003), Nathan Vasher (fourth round, 2004), Chris Harris (sixth round, 2005), Matt Forte (second round, 2008) and Johnny Knox (fifth round, 2009).

With Tillman, a 6-foot-2 cornerback out of Louisiana-Lafayette, Ballard sold Tillman’s playmaking ability and told the Bears to believe in that.

“He literally jumped on the table for Charles Tillman,” Ballard said. “… There aren’t a lot of 6-2 corners in the league. And generally, their movement skills aren’t quite as quick or nifty as a 5-10 guy or a 5-11 guy because of their length. But Chris really saw that with some technique coaching, Charles could be an outstanding player. And he was 100 percent right.”

Ballard’s history as a coach at Texas A&M-Kingsville from 1994-2000 has its value as well.

“He understands coaches,” Gabriel said. “He understands how coaches think. And now, having been in the scouting business for 14-15 years, he understands how the scouting process works and how scouts think. And really, to be a good leader and a good general manager, you have to understand both sides of the story and you’ve got to be able to put it together and you’ve got to be able to please people.”

Ballard’s hopes to return to the Bears should crystallize one way or another this week.

The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.

The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.

Yeah, I don't trust Gabriel's opinion very much. I think it's odd that he emphasized Ballard's "salesmanship," though. Does a GM need to sell others on his personnel preferences?

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.

Someone sold that Cutler contract to the owners.

I think in a internet driven world a GM needs to have the courage of his convictions and stick to them when constantly questioned. They need to be tone deaf to the outside world but willing to listen to those they hire and trust.

The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.

So you're saying that the owners have the final say on personnel matters?

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.

So you're saying that the owners have the final say on personnel matters?

You hire someone for that huge a sum in any family biz and yes they will want to sign off.

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.

Higher ups in the corporate world sign off on compensation that high. If they want to keep their jobs.

The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.

Maybe Ballard was the guy who was against getting Cutler. That would pretty much guarantee him the job.

Are you stoned or pissed off, or both, when you create these postings?

We're not talking about the corporate world; we're talking about the Bears. They are owned by a family that knows nothing about football. A
Cutler was already personnel. You originally implied that the owners have the final say on personnel decisions. Is this your position or not?

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.

[
Maybe, but I still think a prerequisite for the GM job is keeping Cutler, despite what they say.

I wouldn't doubt it, but they have to know signing him was a huge mistake to begin with.

The real question is are they in "win now" mode or rebuild mode.

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.

I stated the opposite. Repeatedly.

I you going to develop an understanding of how the real world actually works, or will you just be the poster child for:

" Those that can do, those that that can't, teach"

The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.

I wouldn't doubt it, but they have to know signing him was a huge mistake to begin with.

The real question is are they in "win now" mode or rebuild mode.

The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.

I have no idea what you are saying. Apparently, neither do you.

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.

I have said repeatedly in this section, that unlike other Family owned franchises in town, the Bears leave people alone on a daily basis and let them do their job.

When any corporation spends that type of money, the upper management is involved. Whether it's publicly traded, or privately owned. Especially in a sport where the salary cap is such a big factor.

The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.

You guys are being too nitpicky. I have no love for the McCaskey's but aside from a couple sports franchises if you sign someone to a 100+ million contract it is getting run by the owner first. George isn't approving signing Mundy or not.

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.