One thing about the Chicago Bears media is that while they do cheer for the team, they’re expected to remain unbiased and professional when covering it. That is the requirement of their jobs. It is how you get the best possible reporting done. Still, fandom inevitably creeps in. One constantly famous example is reporters cheering in a press box during big games despite specific rules established to prevent it. Apparently, another such moment came during the Wednesday press conference involving Ben Johnson.
The new head coach was fresh off a practice where he caught everybody’s attention by laying into players for their sloppy execution. It was the first time in years that people had seen a Bears head coach display such intensity. He didn’t shrink when asked about it, stating that he tries to control his temper and will work on it. Johnson also gave an honest answer on the recent Caleb Williams ESPN story, stating that while he wasn’t here last season, all he’s seen the past four months is a young man eager to learn.
It was an impressive display of accountability and leadership. As Johnson left the podium, cameras caught this from a Bears media member.
The culprit eventually came forward: Marc Silverman of ESPN 1000
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Ben Johnson is making believers out of skeptics.
Remember that Silverman, while a passionate radio host for many years, hasn’t shrank from his skepticism of the Bears organization. He’s criticized their operation for years. Understandably so, since the team hasn’t won a playoff game in 15 years. A big reason for such sustained failure is bad coaching. Silverman has watched guys like Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy, and Matt Eberflus walk through those doors, make promises, and never deliver. Ben Johnson then comes in like a whirlwind, bringing passion, accountability, and self-confidence. He doesn’t dance around the subject. He’s here to win football games. Nothing less. People pick up on things like that. Silverman isn’t the only one who feels the winds shifting. If Johnson comes across that way in press conferences, imagine his impact in a locker room.