NFL can’t fight this charge
Cody Parkey didn’t need a police escort to clear out traffic and speed his trip from Lake Forest’s Halas Hall to Soldier Field.
Given the way Parkey has kicked and his obvious need for in-stadium practice, the Bears simply could have decked out a van so everyone knew he was in it. Fans gladly would have gotten out of his way. Anything to help.
Even with last week’s escort, Parkey missed a late 38-yard field-goal attempt against the Rams that would have given the Bears more breathing room in their 15-6 victory. So if anything, he could use more practice, not less, and anything that makes that happen is welcome in Bears Land.
The takeaway from this episode, however, has little to do with Parkey and his wayward kicks.
It is that state police need to charge teams more to run red lights, clear traffic and provide security. A lot more.
Following up on Brad Biggs’ Tribune report about the hired guns used to expedite Parkey’s drive, the paper reached out to state police. It learned that NFL teams requesting a police escort prepay $110 an hour for each officer needed and $40 per vehicle for fuel and maintenance, but the actual rate isn’t determined until the assignment is over.
So what are we talking about? A few grand, tops, including tolls if not city parking?
Shouldn’t this sort of service run at least five figures? (Seven figures if, like the Bears, you count the dimes and pennies.)
Parkey clearly has some real needs here, but so does the state of Illinois.
The Bears have a sizable investment in Parkey, to whom they awarded a four-year deal worth $15 million with $9 million guaranteed, and a huge stake in his success.
Seems like police have all the bargaining power on this. Apart from sticking Parkey in a car and letting him sweat out a Kennedy commute — which he and the team apparently find unsatisfactory — there aren’t a lot of options.
After the Bears clamped down on helicopter coverage by WGN-9 and ABC-7 of a Parkey practice at Soldier Field following his four-goalpost recital earlier this year, it was proposed the team trade practice coverage for chopper rides to and from the workout. But that seems to have been rejected out of hand.
The late, great actor Orson Welles liked to tell of hiring an ambulance to beat Manhattan traffic when he was doing live shows at various sites the same night.
Is that sort of thing still legal for a healthy person? Can Parkey’s problems be considered a medical condition?
Alas, it probably is too cold and choppy for a speedboat, at least this late in the season, and there’s too little time to partner with Metra on an express train.
The good news is the attention paid to this episode might drum up more business for the state police.
Surely Bulls P.E. instructor Jim Boylen could use a coterie of officers to get past his players and their “leadership committee,” though there’s reason to think he might be able to outrun them if he gets a jump.
State police could be brought in to search for hope in the Blackhawks’ Jeremy Colliton Era, off to a 3-12-2 start through Tuesday. That could prove a tough assignment, however.
If nothing else, this incident could give everyone a different impression of the state police.
The next time on the road when you hear the familiar siren, you still may feel a tinge of concern and dread upon seeing the flashing lights in your rearview mirror. But it won’t be because you fear you’ve been caught speeding.
It will be because you know Cody Parkey needs more practice.
McManis is clearly the first choice to replace Callahan, who is out for the season with a broken foot, as the nickel back. McManis has experience and savvy playing in the slot. It’s a position that requires a lot of a defensive back, and experience is often paramount. That’s why it’s unusual to see a rookie cornerback excelling as a slot defender. There are a ton of moving parts and it takes time to grow into that role. Callahan is much better now than he was two years ago as a secondyear pro. I don’t know that Toliver has the lateral quickness the Bears want in that position. I wouldn’t rule out a slightly expanded role for Toliver, and perhaps he could begin to figure in the dime package, which defensive coordinator Vic Fangio uses from time to time. McManis had been filling that role. We could see the Bears rely a little less on their sub package and keep bigger defenders on the field. Of course, against the Packers, who like to spread out the field, you can expect to see a lot of nickel personnel.