I'm usually the calm voice of reason imploring fans to relax and quit being so ridiculous.  After yesterday's Bengals debacle, I'm having enough trouble holding my own temper let alone that of everyone else.  It's time the Bears said goodbye to Lovie Smith.

In college, alums clamor for someone who is from the school to coach it. And what the Bears need is, for lack of a better phrase is a "Bear Man."  Someone who understands what it is to be a Chicago Bear.  Someone who lived through the Ditka era.  Someone who can restore pride in the franchise and the fans.

There are several former Bears who will be available in the off season.  Heading that list could be current Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, a former Bear defensive back who learned at the elbow of Buddy Ryan.  Gone would be the Tampa 2, replaced by the 46 which most Bear fans pine for.

If Fisher is still gainfully employed at season's end, there are other former Bears to consider.  Les Frazier, who was injured in the Bears Super Bowl romp over New England, has carved out a successful career as a defensive coordinator and is currently in Minnesota.  Ron Rivera, a former Bears linebacker who Lovie Smith let go as the Bears defensive coordinator learned from two great ones: Ryan and the late Philly d-corr Jim Johnson.  Bear fans would love to see Chico back patrolling the Bears sidelines. Even Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh would be an improvement over the lame, milquetoast ways Bear fans are suffering through now.

In any case, the Bears have become the image of their head coach, a passionless, robotic football team.  Lovie has two huge weaknesses in my opinion: His inability to make any kind of adjustments during the game at at halftime and his inability to hire decent assistants.  Ron Turner stunk while Dave Wannstedt was the head coach and he stinks now.  Bob Babich? Please.  He should have been shown the door, not just reassigned. 

Yesterday's ass kicking showed a team that was totally overwhelmed on both sides of the ball, especially on the offensive and defensive lines.  You could have Joe Montana as your quarterback and Walter Payton as your running back with Jerry Rice as your top receiver and it doesn't matter if no one can block.

How bad was it for the Bears yesterday?  After seven straight scoring possessions by the Bengals, the Bears finally got a chance to trot out the punt return team late in the fourth quarter and they get flagged for roughing the kicker.

In fairness to Lovie Smith, he's dancing with the players supplied to him, which means his chief enabler, Jerry Angelo needs to be kicked to the curb too.

Of course the McCaskey family will stick with Jerry and Lovie until their contracts run out, not wanting to have to pay them for doing nothing.  So, we're stuck with both of them for the foreseeable future.  But if Ted Phillips can grow a spine and demand to his employers that it is time for a change, it would be comforting to see someone who gets what it is to be a Bear running the show. 

Dave Wannstedt tried to change the culture of the team to a more Cowboy like team and was (and still is) despised for it.  I don't exactly know what Dick Juron did.  Lovie has tried to take a page out of the Tampa success book and paste it on the franchise.  Save for one shining moment in 1996, all have failed.

Whoever and whenever the Bears hire a new head coach, it would be of great comfort to Bears fans if, in moments of darkness, they ask themselves one simple question: "What would Ditka do?"