Chicago’s struggling sports teams turning back clock

The Chicago Bears mercifully take their bye this week, whereas the Cubs and White Sox try to fill gaping holes on their rosters on the winter conferences in San Diego.

The Bulls stumble alongside on the quarter-pole of the NBA season, whereas the Blackhawks proceed their prescheduled tank job.

By all accounts it has been a really, very unhealthy yr for Chicago’s legacy franchises, drawing comparisons to the darkest days of the Nineteen Seventies.

“As an previous man nearing 80 this has acquired to be one of many worst years for Chicago groups in historical past,” Bob, a Bears fan, wrote in an e mail after Sunday’s loss to the Inexperienced Bay Packers. “Now in fact we’ve had a variety of unhealthy years …”

That goes with out saying. Followers of a sure age group have gone by loads of terrible years in Chicago with groups as unhealthy, or worse, than those we’ve watched flop in 2022.

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Possibly this yr simply appears worse as a result of all 5 groups have received no less than one championship for the reason that 1985 Bears ended a collective title drought that lasted 22 years. Or maybe the utter disappointment of the Sox, who have been touted as World Collection contenders, and the sub-.500 begin by the Bulls, our greatest remaining postseason hope, make it really feel like one other low level in Chicago sports activities historical past.

Both method, 2022 has felt so much like 1978, a yr nearly each fan who grew up in Chicago would simply as quickly overlook.

There have been new coaches within the Bulls’ Larry Costello and the Bears’ Neill Armstrong and a bona fide new slugger within the Cubs’ Dave Kingman. Stars corresponding to Walter Payton and Artis Gilmore made issues a bit extra palatable.

However like 2022, 4 groups missed out on the postseason altogether, whereas the one which made it — the 1977-78 Hawks — was instantly bounced.

Coincidentally, the 1978 sports activities yr additionally included discuss of the Bears being sad with their stadium deal and a rumor of doming Soldier Area. Tribune structure critic Paul Gapp wrote in December {that a} stadium research committee was “leaning in favor” of saving the enduring columns and “including extra seats and placing a roof on prime,” proving {that a} unhealthy thought in Chicago by no means actually dies.

It simply skips a era or two.

The Bears began the yr by watching coach Jack Pardee flee to Washington. It was a shock to the system, even for the comical Bears. Pardee had been named NFC Coach of the Yr in 1976 and led them to a 9-5 report in ‘77 for his or her first playoff look for the reason that 1963 championship.

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Pardee, unusually, pointed to the Bears’ shoddy amenities upon leaving city. The Bears held coaching camp at Lake Forest Faculty, however as soon as faculty began they have been compelled to decorate in a girls’s dorm, then take a bus to a metropolis park to observe.

“The Bears at that time had a reasonably good basis laid to be an honest workforce,” Pardee later stated. “However they didn’t have any observe facility or a spot to coach.”

The Bears teaching search, so to talk, turned the discuss of the city. Common supervisor Jim Finks informed reporters he acquired greater than 100 functions, however he wound up hiring an previous school buddy in Armstrong, the longtime Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator.

As a result of he shared a reputation with the primary man to stroll on the moon, Armstrong rapidly turned the butt of jokes. He was on nobody’s radar however the Bears’ after a earlier head teaching stint with Edmonton within the Canadian Soccer League, the place he compiled a 37-56-3 report over six seasons.

When launched to the Chicago media, Armstrong admitted he by no means had utilized for an NFL head teaching job.

“I suppose any assistant has aspirations,” he stated. “However I didn’t sit round and anticipate the cellphone to ring.”

The ‘78 Bears, led by Payton and quarterback Bob Avellini, began out 3-0, making Finks appear like a genius. However they misplaced their subsequent eight video games and completed 7-9. Like Justin Fields, Payton and working again Roland Harper have been principally your complete offense. They completed 1-2 on the workforce in each speeding and receiving, accounting for 3,227 of the 4,459 complete yards the Bears gained from scrimmage.

Baseball fueled some early optimism in Chicago. The Cubs had signed Kingman, who was tailored for Wrigley Area, whereas the Sox returned many of the gamers from the beloved “South Facet Hit Males” — though not the 2 finest, Richie Zisk and Oscar Gamble.

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Hope was rapidly vanquished on the South Facet. When the Sox misplaced 8-7 to the Baltimore Orioles on April 30 — their eleventh defeat in 13 video games — they fell to 6-12 and 8½ video games out of first place.

“Oh, nicely, tomorrow is one other month,” designated hitter Ron Blomberg stated after the loss.

“And certainly it’s,” wrote Dave Nightingale, the Sox beat author for the Tribune. “However the Sox have been saying the identical factor all through April. To losers, on daily basis looks like a month.”

The Sox wound up firing supervisor Bob Lemon midseason. Lemon went on to handle the New York Yankees, who received the World Collection. The Sox completed 71-90 and in fifth place within the American League West.

On the North Facet, the Cubs began out nicely and have been 11 video games over .500 and in first place on June 19. However they completed 79-83 and 11 video games out.

By the point fall rolled round, there was cautious optimism concerning the Hawks and Bulls. The Hawks had received the Smythe Division in 1977-78 however have been promptly swept by the Boston Bruins within the first spherical.

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The ‘78-79 season turned a protracted, sluggish march to mediocrity below coach Bob Pulford. Whereas the Hawks would go on to win their lowly division despite a 29-36-15 report, they once more have been swept within the convention quarterfinals, this time by the New York Islanders.

Like Armstrong with the Bears, Costello — who had received an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks — was instantly below the microscope in his first yr in Chicago. After being employed to show round a workforce that went 40-42 in 1977-78, he turned out to be a minor blip in Bulls historical past.

Administration had launched standard guard Norm Van Lier earlier than the season, and the Bulls have been 20-36 when Costello was fired late within the season and changed by Scotty Robertson. Costello blamed GM Rod Thorn for “panicking” to appease offended followers, whom he in contrast unfavorably with these in Milwaukee.

“The followers within the cities are like evening and day,” Costello stated. “It’s completely different than in Milwaukee. The followers in Chicago don’t offer you an opportunity. They’re so hungry for a winner that it makes it robust for gamers to calm down.”

Chicago followers stay hungry for a winner in 2022, however they’re not so positive the workforce house owners really feel the identical method. That makes 2023 a prove-it yr for all 5 groups.

However unhealthy instances don’t final ceaselessly. By the early Nineteen Eighties the fog started to raise for the Sox, Cubs and Bears, and the Michael Jordan period of the Bulls was quickly to comply with. The Hawks mini-dynasty within the 2010s was subsequent.

Nonetheless, the teachings discovered again in 1978 stay true in the present day.

When a brand new yr begins in Chicago, at all times proceed with warning.