Today’s column from CBS Chicago …
(CBS) We don’t know which teams the Chicago Bears will beat this season, but we do know that throughout it they’ll be running plays to the beat of a different drummer.
Namely, Marc Trestman.
On Sunday, Chicago Tribune columnist David Haugh wrote a piece about the first man not named Lovie Smith to lead the Bears since 2003. In his column, Haugh delved into Trestman’s memoir and attempted to shed some light on the unorthodox import from the CFL who remains mostly an unknown for most Bears fans and journalists as we head into the 2013 season.
“Since Trestman took over in January, he has made an impression by being considerate, deliberate and transparent but not rash; attentive but never explosive,” Haugh wrote. “General manager Phil Emery warned me after I characterized Trestman as professorial not to underestimate his coach’s competitiveness. What fun it will be on Sundays finding out exactly what Emery meant.”
While the true fun won’t begin until the Bears’ season opener on Sept. 8 against the Bengals at Soldier Field, it’s already been plenty intriguing observing how Trestman has operated during training camp.
On July 29 in an article entitled “Chicago Bears training camp: Marc Trestman keeps it weird,” SB Nation writer Ricky O’Donnell wrote, “Sunday marked the first time the Bears put on pads in the training camp debut of the team’s new coach, but physicality was far from an emphasis.
“Forget blood, sweat and tears; the only thing that covered the Bourbonnais practice fields were exercise balls. The curse-’em-out approach has been replaced by widespread positive reinforcement. The guy who’s supposed to inspire these men to go to war for the betterment of Chicago’s civic pride thinks and speaks more like a college professor.”
And for the past month all of that has had me thinking about how Trestman, in some ways, reminds me of another offbeat coach who enjoyed a bit of success in the Windy City.
Namely, Phil Jackson.
Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …