FOX, FANGIO DENY REPORT OF FRICTION
Deny friction, denounce report as piece of fiction
Bears coach John Fox isn’t going to win a credibility war with the media, but defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is a different story.
While Fox is the typical paranoid NFL coach who resorts to all sorts of coachspeak maneuvers to avoid telling us what’s really going on, Fangio is the most no- B. S. guy at Halas Hall. He doesn’t give away game plans, but he also acknowledges reality in a professional way that respects the media’s right to ask and Bears fans’ need to know.
So it’s no surprise that while Fox and Fangio denied a Chicago Tribune report that Fangio could be out after this season because of philosophical differences between the two, Fangio’s more aggressive denial and charge of “irresponsible reporting” by Tribune reporter Mike Mulligan resonated the most.
“It gives you guys a bad name,” Fangio told reporters in his weekly news conference. “He’s one of your colleagues, and irresponsible reporting doesn’t shine well for all of you, and that’s too bad because . . . I enjoy talking to you guys.”
For the record, Fangio said he wants to return next season and expects to return. Fox said he wants Fangio back — “I want our whole staff back” — and indicated that the only way Fangio wouldn’t be back is if he got a head- coaching job.
As for the crux of the report — that there’s friction between Fox and Fangio — Fangio said his relationship with Fox is “fine, nothing changed either way” and said only a smidgen of disagreement existed between them.
“We pretty much do what I see fit to do 98 percent of the time,” Fangio said.
In the NFL, that 2 percent is low when it comes to one coach disagreeing with another.
“I’m always going to leave you a little bit there,” Fangio joked when asked about the 2 percent. “That’s just the way it is.”
Fangio said he was unaware of the report until Fox talked to him about it Wednesday.
“He told me about it because he was all nervous about it,” Fangio said. “So I said, ‘ Don’t worry about it.’ ’’
Why was Fox worried about it?
“Because it wasn’t true,’’ Fangio said, ‘‘ and he thought I might take it the wrong way.”
Fox struggled to address the Fangio issue precisely, but he’s like that on almost any subject.
“I read that [ report], and as it relates to our staff, I think our staff is tremendous,” Fox said. “I think right now, if you flash back two years ago, this defense was [ 30th] in the league [ in yards allowed]; right now, it’s seventh.
“Even offensively . . . a year ago we were [ 21st in yards]. This offense is 16th. So, with going on our fourth quarterback, I couldn’t be more proud of our staff. I’ll just leave it at . . . I am very, very pleased with our staff.” Asked about his working relationship with Fangio, Fox put it in relative terms.
“When you spend as much time [ together] as we do as coaches, I think we get along great,” Fox said.
As Halas Hall episodes go, this is barely a tremor. Two years ago this week, offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer tearfully apologized to his players for criticizing Jay Cutler in an interview with a national reporter. Five years ago this month, wide receiver Sam Hurd was arrested for attempting to buy enough cocaine and marijuana to become a drug kingpin.
This one seems like much ado about nothing. It seems incredulous that Fox would think his team is better served without Fangio.
‘‘ It gives you guys a bad name. He’s one of your colleagues, and irresponsible reporting doesn’t shine well for all of you, and that’s too bad because . . . I enjoy talking to you guys.’’ Vic Fangio, Bears defensive coordinator, on Chicago Tribune reporter Mike Mulligan