The Bernstein Brief: Remember Emery's Last Words On Lovie?
By Dan Bernstein-
Editor's note: Always full of thoughts, Dan is sharing a few more quick hits with you every week in The Bernstein Brief. Consider it a morning thought that may evolve. As always, tune into the Boers and Bernstein Show at 1 p.m. to hear more.
(CBS) Forget all the noise around Tampa Bay coach Lovie Smith's return to Chicago for a moment and focus on what really matters.
Sunday's game between two bad NFL teams isn't some referendum on Smith, nor the now-legendary supernatural powers of Josh McCown -- the rag-armed journeyman somehow longingly remembered as both the anti-Jay Cutler and Cutler's calming confidante, whatever that whole thing is.
This is a time to remember the words of Bears general manager Phil Emery from two years ago, on why he fired Smith after the Bears went 10-6.
"Our No. 1 goal has to be to win championships," he said. "And to win championships we have to be in contention on a consistent basis, and to be in contention we have to make the playoffs on a consistent basis."
If any of that has changed, he needs to tell us. Otherwise we assume that mission statement is still in effect, and we'll hold him to it.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. Follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.