(670 The Score) If the Bears fail to win a Super Bowl under the leadership of their new brain trust that was unveiled Monday, it won't be for a lack of effort.
That's for sure under head coach Matt Eberflus, who made it clear that trying really hard is what matters above and beyond all else, even at the highest professional level. This came through as he tried to articulate his foundational principle called "H.I.T.S," an acronym that stands for some shifting combination of hustle, intensity (which is different from hustle, apparently), taking the ball away and taking care of the ball and "being smart" and/or "situations." So it might be "H.I.T.T.S.S.," but there's time to figure that out before we calculate printing costs.
Sounds like we've got a live one here, folks, a greatest hits collection of squishy self-help cliches, motivational poster slogans from the back pages of an in-flight marketing catalog and garden variety coachy-coach mumbo jumbo that we can only hope makes enough sense to anybody of material significance.
It can work, if that happens. Football can be a silly game that way.
Eberflus gave us more, of course, including another bullet-point rundown that included modeling behaviors for players, inspiring them to reach maximum intensity, challenging them to aim as high as possible and encouraging them, which we can only presume to be boiled down to the concept of "M.I.C.E."
There was also a wandering metaphorical digression about home construction, several mentions of shoes, the phrases "soulmates and cellmates," "showing players the 'why,'" "hopes into habits" and an earnest description of how he "coaches from my heart."
Those of us equipped with proper alarm systems heard the yelp of the Tim Beckman sirens and the wailing Jim Boylen klaxons, but we swallow hard and hope the best for the hand-picked top choice of chairman George McCaskey, team president Ted Phillips, consultant Bill Polian and new general manager Ryan Poles.
Poles confirmed reporting by 670 The Score last week that Eberflus' name was on his own short list independently of reaching the level of finalist in the Bears' process, and he emphasized that he knew Eberflus was his guy immediately upon that second interview, for specific reasons he didn't disclose. That the two men share an agent in Trace Armstrong wasn't something they wanted to discuss, however, instead exchanging nervous glances and issuing terse responses when asked about that connection.
If Poles' introduction was mostly solid and straightforward, a typical commitment to high standards and building through the draft that was highlighted by his colorfully stated aim to "take the North and never give it back," the certainty of his coaching hire wasn't exactly underscored by the impression Eberflus made. But there's a long way to go, many more hires to be finalized and much of a roster to construct.
Eberflus confirmed the expectation that coordinator Luke Getsy will have a large degree of autonomy running the offense, and he may have surprised some with the news that his defensive coordinator would also be tasked with calling plays on that side of the ball.
Perhaps that's for the better, then, as wrapped up as he is in the idea of constantly wanting to motivate even experienced and mature NFL players to do everything as hard as possible, all the time. If he thinks that's what truly and ultimately separates good teams from bad ones, he'll have ample opportunity to sell his vital message to the Bears during games as well as before and after them.
It's just an odd place to find oneself on the day a new head coach is unveiled, this easily satisfied with his headset not being quite as connected.
Dan Bernstein is the co-host of the Bernstein & Rahimi Show on middays from 9 a.m. until noon on 670 The Score. You can follow him on Twitter @Dan_Bernstein.