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The Chicago Bears introduced their new general manager to the world — or at least to the media — Monday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill. The event created a certain sense of dejay vu. Or at least deja who? Because if you closed your eyes and listened or if you merely read the words spoken, you would swear the new GM is someone other than Phil Emery.
You would swear it was recently departed (but with much money owed coming his way as a lovely parting gift) Jerry Angelo — only with slightly better speaking skills.
Sarah Hinton is hoping for additional exposure as the Hooters Dream Girl 2012.
* “Our goal is to win championships,” Emery said. He had notes that he read from. Not sure if they were excerpts from the general manager’s playbook of introductory remarks or what. But they sure sounded familiar. And long. Not sure whether he felt compelled to be so long-winded for Windy City media or what.
Emery went through a 15-hour interview process with Bears president Ted Phillips? Not sure how either one could stay awake listening to Emery.
Phillips on whether the status quo should be expected under Emery: “I would say absolutely not. He’s going to set high standards.” Uh, as opposed to what Angelo set? The Bears didn’t have high standards previously? Huh???
“I’m very pumped up about this opportunity to lead this franchise,” said Emery, the Kansas City Chiefs’ director of college scouting the last three years. “This is the premier franchise in the NFL with the premier fan base, and a great sports city: the city of Chicago. I have been here before [1998-2000 as an area scout]. That was a great experience. It was my first experience in scouting. What I walked away with is knowing that the passion the people of Chicago, the fans of the Bears, the people in this building have a true passion for winning and working toward championships. I’m proud to be right back in the thick of it, in the quest for championships, and to be a person in leadership to help the group move forward in a cohesive team toward championships.”
* “I have a very good feel for where we’re at as a team, and that will help us greatly as we move forward in this planning process, evaluating pro free agents, and how they fit against the draft.”
* What we want to do is look at our team and add players, add playmakers. If we keep doing that, and primarily through the college draft, and fill in where we see strengths in pro free agency, we’ll close the [NFC North] gap. That’s what our focus is: Find the right players for us, and that gap will get closed.”
* “I will say this: What is gonna be targeted are good football players, producers, dynamic playmakers that can help this football team grow; help the players here, surround them with more weapons, more people that can make plays, to help this football team in its march towards championships.”
WSCR reporter Zach Zaidman tweeted during Emery’s press conference: “Under Phil Emery, Bears will dramatically change the system they use to grade players at both the NFL and college level.” Well, some of us were hoping the Bears might comedically change the system. And that change Emery talks of? Switching from letter grades to a numerical system or vice versa?
Speaking of general managers, White Sox GM Ken Williams had an interesting weekend at SoxFest where he met the media and the fans.
Here is the Monday “Maximum Exposure” featuring April Rose with some video of Hooters Dream Girl 2012 hopeful Sarah Hinton.
For those desiring more of Sarah Hinton (and who doesn’t?), here is her Hooters Dream Girl 2012 video in its entirety. Hopefully the Pulitzer Prize committee (or its cyberspace equivalent) will see the merit of including such material as part of this site’s submission for an award for public (always have to double-check the spelling on that word) service:
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