Chicago - A message from the station manager

Parsing Parkey Pique

By Steve Rhodes

Let’s parse our emotions. I’m not mad at Cody Parkey. He tried his best. I might be mad at Ryan Pace for investing so much confidence in Parkey, but I only get mad at players who seem to be major assrockets, like, say, Jay Cutler. Or players who are lazy, don’t care, spoiled.


In fact, I usually feel really bad for kickers who miss in situations like this. Can you imagine? On the other hand, they are paid millions of dollars to not only make kicks but absorb the psychological blow of missing kicks. That’s part of the deal.
I’m not happy with Matt Nagy’s playcalling, but I’m not mad at him. I only get mad at coaches who are major jackwagons like John Fox. The #Bears were outcoached on both sides of the ball Sunday, IMHO. It happens.
I’m not happy with fanboy media working so hard to make Mitch Trubisky out to be somebody he isn’t, at least not yet, and fanboy media working so hard to make Ryan Pace into the genius he isn’t, though he finally had a good year at his job.
And the rehabilitation of George McCaskey? Please. Sports media bray all day long about accountability, yet . . . it’s very odd who they hold to account and who they don’t (including themselves), and what a menace journesia is to the field.
It was a remarkably (and unexpectedly) fun season. The end came too soon, in heartbreaking fashion. For once, the fans can’t wait for next season to start, and you can bet that locker room feels that way times a thousand. Now they have an urgent mission for next season.
(Also, the ball was tipped. I still haven’t seen whether *that* was what made it go awry, but sometimes the other team makes a better play. Sports.)
Finally, don’t get me wrong: This sucks! What I’m really mad at is that the ride is over – and that it ended that way. I’m not even really a Bears “fan.” So I am mad, or angry, or frustrated, or disappointed, or all of those things, but not at Cody Parkey. I’m mad it’s over.
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Okay, this line of reasoning doesn’t make sense to me. Cody Parkey isn’t paid to make every kick, and opposing special teams players are paid to block kicks. This is like saying that Mitch Trubisky is paid to make passes. He missed a lot of passes this year, though!


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I would say “even” a professional athlete, not “much less” a professional athlete, as if they should get some special regard. But yes, the question is whether Parkey is good enough for a playoff team to employ. On the other hand, that question should be directed at Ryan Pace – Parkey was a problem all year.
Also, again, should we be “attacking” the Bear who allowed the Eagle to tip the kick?


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Sometimes the other guy makes a better play?


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Is part of Parkey’s job to get the kick high enough at liftoff to avoid a tip or block? Did an offensive lineman fail in his assignment? Should we somehow blame special teams coach Chris Tabor, whose case our very own Jim “Coach” Coffman has been on all season? Is this a story more of a hero (theirs) than a goat (ours)?
(Maybe all of those – except that Parkey made a habit of hitting uprights all season . . . )


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How media narratives work:


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Unlike our elected officeholders and other public figures . . .


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UPDATE:


Does this change the narrative?
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Comments welcome.

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Posted on January 7, 2019