Bears fans would have liked nothing better than to see high stakes for Sunday’s matchup with Lovie Smith and Tampa Bay. Instead, both teams are out of the playoff hunt realistically if not mathematically.
Well, there are always bragging rights.
For their part, Smith and current Bears coach Marc Trestman are playing nice.
“I’m proud of everything we were able to do,” Smith said of his time in Chicago. “I loved my time there. I loved the organization that I worked for and the opportunity that they gave me.”
“I have tremendous respect for him as a person in all areas,” Trestman said. “That’s the only thing I can speak of at this point, and I truly mean that.”
All right then, if these two won’t throw down the gauntlet, RedEye will. Faceoff-style.
BEARS RECORD
Smith: 81-63
Trestman: 12-14
Winner: Smith, obvi. Though with this offense, there’s no reason Trestman should be below .500.
FAVORITE PHRASE
Smith: “Rex is our quarterback.”
Trestman: “That’s a fair question.”
Winner: Trestman. Anything is better than Smith’s response to seemingly everything.
PERSONALITY
Smith: He’s done NyQuil and Comcast commercials.
Trestman: He rarely seems to smile, and has done no ads that we know of.
Winner: Smith. Sure he doesn’t say a lot, but at least he’s putting himself out there.
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SIGNATURE LOOK
Smith: Stocking cap, khaki pants, polo shirt.
Trestman: Baseball cap, workout pants, long-sleeve shirt.
Winner: Smith, even if his style is more Jim Harbaugh than George Halas.
HARDWARE
Smith: 2005 NFL coach of the year, 2006 NFC championship.
Trestman: 2009 CFL coach of the year, 2009 and 2010 Grey Cup championships.
Winner: Smith. Sorry, Coach Trestman. Unless the Bears switch leagues, Canadian awards just don’t impress Chicagoans.
DURABILITY
Smith: During the ALS ice bucket challenge this summer, he looked like he was in a hurry to dry off after an assistant doused him.
Trestman: He poured the water himself and stood his ground.
Winner: Trestman. All that time in Canada must have strengthened his resistance to cold.
OVERALL WINNER
That would be Smith, 4-2. A coaching swap might not be the worst idea, though after this season of frustration Bears fans might prefer a cactus as head coach.