Lovie In

By Mike Maguire | Mar 01, 9:05 AM

Over the years, the Chicago Bears franchise has cultivated a frugal reputation that rivals the tight fisted George Costanza’s eagerness to pick up a check.  After Tuesday’s bold set of moves, it seems that the Bears are finally ready to spend some money to compete.    

The Bears and Lovie Smith announced the terms of a four year contract extension worth $22 million dollars on Wednesday; a move that vaulted Smith from the league’s lowest paid head coach into the top 10 and will keep him on the sideline through the 2011 season.  For putting the pieces in place, GM Jerry Angelo was also given a contract extension that will keep him in Chicago through 2013. 

The pair of moves at the top of the Bears organization shows that this team is ready to reward success.  The team has patted the backs of their architects, fattened their bank accounts and created stability for an organization that has known nothing but inconsistency since Mike Ditka’s firing in 1992 (not that I can call Mike Ditka consistent with a straight face).  This move not only says the Bears want to win now, it says that they want to sustain a level of excellence.

Why spend on the architects if you are not going to anti up for quality building materials? The Bears don’t expected Smith to make any tackles or for Angelo to take over as the long-snapper, so you have to figure that the organization will be willing to spend on the players as well.  Whether that means making Lance Briggs a Bear for life or finding the right players on the free agent market, it looks like the Bears have finally taken the kid-gloves off. 

The financial reign of George Costanza-Halas is truly over.

Tagged: Bears