Check out this video:
In it, CBS San Francisco's Dennis O'Donnell, host of its "49ers Preview" show, interviews 49ers head coach and former Bear Mike Singletary. For Chicago sports fans, just invoking the name "Samurai Mike" brings back memories of that incredible '85 team, which dominated the regular season and won one of the most lopsided Super Bowl games in NFL history.
As you'll see, Singletary hasn't lost any of his intensity. The Niners head coach shuts down any discussion of a Yahoo! Sports article that reported on an alleged communication problem among him, offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye and quarterback coach Mike Johnson.
When asked about his team's upcoming game against the New Orleans Saints, Singletary channels a bit of his former head coach Mike Ditka and declares:
We will not try to stop Drew Brees. We will stop Drew Brees. Next question.
And when the conversation turns to the offense, he says:
We will not try to move the ball against the New Orleans defense. We will move the ball and we will score.
So what do you think, Bears fans? Many have described Singletary as appearing "crazy" and "too intense." Is he either? Both? Would you prefer a coach who brings this much bravado and emotion to the table? Or is it too much too soon in the season?
And, to get even more specific, would you want Mike Singletary to return to the Bears when his four-year deal is up at the end of the 2012 season? Imagine three former players heading up three of our city's big sports teams: Mike Singletary with the Bears, Ryne Sandberg with the Cubs, and Carlton Fisk with the White Sox. It sounds like something written into a sports novel, but it could happen. (OK, the Carlton Fisk thing is pretty unlikely -- even though his name has already come up once.)
Having endured a multitude of Lovie Smith press conferences, we here at the Deep Dish feel Singletary comes off a lot less crazy than many pundits and commenters out there are saying. After all, in Chicago, we have a head coach who is the polar opposite of Singletary: passive, flat, robotic. And, quite frankly, we're sick of it. A head coach who speaks like a coach -- forcefully and motivationally -- is impressive, even inspiring. This is the kind of talk we want to hear.
But maybe the grass is greener. Perhaps our mainstream media -- and even many of us fans -- would tear such a vocal leader apart before he ever had a chance to flourish here. Maybe Lovie knows what he's doing. Sure would be interesting to find out, though.