[CBFF] They finally extended Lovie!!!

[Tom Shannon]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com [mailto:cbff-
> bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com] On Behalf Of westmalle at comcast.net
> Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 8:44 PM
> To: post at chicagobearsfanforum.com
> Subject: Re: [CBFF] They finally extended Lovie!!!
> 
> Comcast Sportsnet's half-time show of the Bulls game just reported that
> Lovie's deal is 4 years, $22.4 million.
> 
> Looks like the Bears blinked first.

Tough call, there.

I'm not sure I understood it right.  At one point I thought I read that
Smith stays at the same salary and honors the old contract next year.  At
another I thought I read that the Bears kept him gave him a smallish raise
which put him in the top half of the league but not the top ten next year.
Either way they save money next year.  The 4 years after that, coaches
salaries will have escalated more and, even though the value of the deal
puts him in the top 10 today, by then it very well might not.  As Philips
continually pointed out, when Smith signed his original deal it was fair
market value.

I guess what I'm saying here is, at minimum, it was a fair deal.  But if I
had to choose one side that "won", I'm inclined to think that the Bears are
getting a top ten coach for what will turn out to be less money than that.

Tom S.