* Tribune…
[Gov. Pat Quinn’s] governing style is often puzzling: He declares deadlines for lawmakers to act, setting himself up for failure when the date comes and goes and nothing happens. He publicly switches positions multiple times on major issues, leaving his allies wondering if they can trust him. And he seems to lack the political skills of past Illinois governors who were able to get stakeholders in a room, find common ground and seal the deal.
“He’s not constitutionally cut out, I don’t think, to be a manager,” said Charles N. Wheeler III, who teaches how to cover state government at the University of Illinois at Springfield. “He is more a rabble-rouser, a populist, a bomb thrower out there stirring the pot. But when it comes to actually figuring out how to get things done, that is not his strong suit.”
* Meanwhile, Montreal Alouettes play-by-play radio announcer Charles-Andre Marchand talked to the Sun-Times about new Bears head coach Marc Trestman…
“He’s a guy who is a leader. He’s charismatic. The players really buy into his system. They really love it. Definitely for a quarterback, he’s a great mastermind. […]
“Every detail for him counts. He’s got a sense of detail that is really something. […]
“I’ve covered pro sports for 33 years. I’ve never seen practices so well organized, so drilled. Not a minute was wasted. I’ve seen practices in football, hockey and soccer, you name it. I’ve never seen that. It was like they were practicing their practices before we could see their practice. To the most extreme detail, he will be very thorough. […]
“He really figured out the subtleties of Canadian football, where you can have movement before the snap. As a play-by-play guy, he was really making my life miserable because one minute I look at S.J. Green on the right side, and whoops he was hooking to the left, while [Jamel] Richardson was doing the opposite. You know those guys in New York City, who play with the nuts and shells, where you try to figure out where is the nut under the shell. That was basically the offense that Trestman was putting on the field.”
* Related…
* Quinn: Pension reform before gambling expansion
* Quinn stands by ‘Squeezy’ despite pension inaction
LIVE session coverage...
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 11:26 am:
Trestman is the perfect coach to lead the Bears back to the Grey Cup.
I truly hope I’m wrong his prospects for success, but I am very underwhelmed by this choice.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 11:35 am:
If the Trib is around for their coveted endorsements in 2014, maybe they’ll go for Brady again.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 11:37 am:
Trestmans are defeated in elections. All my life I’ve heard pleas of better organizers, managers, non poll watchers, and non politicians leading our over centralized, corrupted governments. When candidates like that run-they lose.
Governments have intruded into our lives to such an extent voters feel a need to see a candidate displaying emotions, displaying an Oprahesque quality, not a candidate who can add, organize, make hard decisions, or lead. They want Nannies, not Eisenhowers. They want Quinn’s, not Trestmans.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 11:37 am:
A lot of great quarterbacks have had good things to say about Trestman. Here’s hoping he can coax Cutler to the next level.
Cutler finished the season the 20th ranked QB, the Bears finished with the No. 28 offense. That’s not cutting it for an alleged franchise QB you spent two No. 1 picks to acquire.
Yes, he took 38 sacks, but the the No. 1-ranked QB, Aaron Rogers, took 51. Other higher-ranked QBs took more sacks than Jay, too.
Jay’s going into the final year of his contract. Trestman was hired to save his career. Time for Jay to grow up, step up or be the Jeff George of his era — a huge, underachieving bust.
- walkinfool - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 11:40 am:
We already know how to move things around so much we lose track, in Springfield.
Maybe he knows some great offensive lineman flying over the radar up there.
- Crime Fighter - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 11:44 am:
=”voters feel a need to see a candidate displaying emotions, displaying an Oprahesque quality, not a candidate who can add, organize, make hard decisions, or lead. They want Nannies, not Eisenhowers. They want Quinn’s, not Trestmans.=”
Further if you ask public workers, Quinn has been more of a Lance Armstrong than Oprah.
VM makes sense: People rejected process-oriented Hynes for showman Quinn.
- Stones - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 11:44 am:
I didn’t know much about Trestman prior to him being selected as the Bears new Head Coach. As excited about the prospect of the my team finally having a modern offense, I wish the Bears went for more of a “butt kicker” type of coach instead of a players style of coach. I think that was Lovie’s ultimate downfall.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 12:00 pm:
–I truly hope I’m wrong his prospects for success, but I am very underwhelmed by this choice. –
Yeah, I know what you mean, but the Bears have never gone after a name NFL coach. Just not the way they do business.
I think it’s an all-Jay all-the-time choice, based on Trestman’s work with Bernie Kosar, Steve Young and Rich Gannon.
Put it this way — if Jay doesn’t pay off in a hurry, the Bears are in full rebuild, anwyay, and who the coach is might not matter for a while.
Still, I hear some say Trestman has Eisenhower qualities, lol.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 12:02 pm:
Yesterday, the Public Radio program “MarketPlace” broadcast this interview of Gov. Brown on its morning program.
It’s interesting to see how an effective Governor works and how an articulate Governor can explain things.
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/economy/governor-jerry-brown-balancing-californias-budget
Imagine that, effective and articulate. He actually got a tax increase put on the ballot AND convinced the voters to pass it. We can only dream…
- Fire Anita Alvarez - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 12:15 pm:
I’m looking forward to seeing a modern offense under Trestman. Under Lovie, the Bears’ best NFL rank in offense was 15th in the Super Bowl year with Rex Grossman at quarterback.
Key will be who he hires as defensive coordinator now that Rod Marinelli is leaving
- Boone Logan Square - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 12:45 pm:
Rod Marinelli is gone. Trestman should hire Squeezy as the Bears’ new defensive coordinator.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 12:57 pm:
Hey, Pot –
Thanks for the clip. Brown has always given good interviews, but Quinn doesn’t do so bad, either. He was on Chi Tonight within the past week or so.
Maybe IL constituencies will become more aggressive with the use of the ballot initiative process in the same way mentioned by Brown as well as recently experienced in CO, WA,& OR.
- Irish - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 12:59 pm:
As a Vikings fan the Bears problems have always been a boon. (Not that Minn. has done anything better with their coaching choices.) But the best thing Trestman did was get rid of Tice. How anybody felt that he could coach is beyond me.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 1:35 pm:
Why does Gov. Quinn single out the gambling industry for prohibition on political campaign contributions? Why is it all right for the construction industry, utilities, Nuke builders, etc, to contribute, but not the casino people?
- OneMan - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 2:16 pm:
Also featured in one of my favorite DK songs…
I am Governor Jerry Brown,
I always smile and never frown….
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 2:28 pm:
==Maybe IL constituencies will become more aggressive with the use of the ballot initiative process in the same way mentioned by Brown as well as recently experienced in CO, WA,& OR.==
Constitutionally, we do not have the same options as many other states.
- Amalia - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 3:44 pm:
Nuts and shells for Governor. wait, we already….oh never mind.
- Norseman - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 4:58 pm:
Let’s have a trade. Illinois gets Trestman for Governor and the Bears get Quinn as head coach, Sheila as offensive coordinator and Squeezy as defensive coordinator.
- Just The Way It Is One - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 6:44 pm:
Let’s not get too carried away (i.e.about ‘m becoming Governor)…all joking aside, let’s just 1ST see if he is a good NFL–and NOT Cfl–Head Coach, something he’s not EVer been “South of the Border,” to use his words. Let’s start with 16 Regular Season Games in 2013, and then we can all better assess his performance. Until then, the Jury is out…
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 8:06 pm:
Squeezy for tight end?