Dan Pompei
@danpompei
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Teller of stories. https://t.co/iaXE11ytrb
Joined October 2009
"He doesn’t accept excuses or impossibilities. For him, there’s always a better way." -- Lions coach Dan Campbell on @teddyb_h2o. My story on a season -- and a life -- like no other.
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When Chuck Pagano was undergoing chemotherapy, he said his vision was to dance at his daughters' weddings and to hoist a Lombardi Trophy. He was able to achieve one of his goals.
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How can ESPN not show Urlacher HoF ceremony? Completely missed the mark there.
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Our dear friend John “Moon” Mullin passed peacefully this afternoon. He was surrounded by loved ones. He made it a better world, and his spirit will with us.
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Cancer has become a beast for John “Moon” Mullin. Physically, he's struggling, but emotionally & spiritually, he's killing it. He may not know it, but he's writing the book -- his best work -- on enduring the trial of a lifetime with dignity & grace. Remember him in your prayers.
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Steve McMichael continues to fight the good fight, inspiring anyone in his circle, including me. He is beyond worthy as a senior semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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BREAKING: Bears president/CEO Ted Phillips retiring at the end of the 2022 season. My exclusive story for @theathletic here.
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Are my eyes working right? The only tight end in the NFL with more touchdowns than Cole Kmet at the moment is Travis Kielce.
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Ravens keep killing it. NFL execs told me Travis Jones could be a first round pick.
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Gale Sayers' light never was intended to burn long. It was intended to burn brightest, and it did. Rest In Peace to a legendary football player, philanthropist, and believer.
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Bears overcame long odds to trade up for Justin Fields. Needed 49ers to take Trey Lance instead of Mac Jones, and needed Falcons, Panthers, Broncos, and Eagles to pass on QBs. Best part of the deal? They got to keep 2nd and 3rd rounders this year.
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Source: George McCaskey addressed the Bears players and coaches today and told them there was no truth to the report that Matt Nagy will be fired after the game Thursday.
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The Bears gave up a lot to the Raiders for Khalil Mack in 2018. His presence never lifted them to where they wanted to go. And now they give him to the Chargers for a meager return. Another typical chapter in Bears history.
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Yesterday, Steve McMichael was a dominator and a legend. Tomorrow? No promises. What matters for the Bears great is today. My story for @theathletic.
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What can the Bears expect from Ben Johnson? Some things that stand out from my time around him and the Lions: He's low on ego but big on analytics. He thinks creatively and will emphasize the run game and protections. Johnson will have a vision for what he wants to do with Caleb.
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The draft gods shine on the Bears. Kyler Gordon didn't allow a touchdown in 18 college starts. He should be a year one starter. If he were a first round pick no one would have blinked.
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Excited to announce I’m working with Eagles coach Doug Pederson on his memoir—Fearless, out Aug. 28.
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So if the Bears decide to make an in-season change at offensive coordinator, here are some coaches with coordinating experience who are not currently with teams: Luke Getsy, Mark Helfrich, Adam Gase, Mike Tice, Mike Martz, Ron Turner, Terry Shea, John Shoop, Gary Crowton and Matt.
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More on Ben Johnson: He is likely to empower Caleb offensively. He gave Goff authority with protection adjustments that not all QBs have, and eliminated plays that Goff didn't love. Also, Bears will be going for it on fourth down -- Johnson was pushing for that before he had.
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If Andy Dalton starts ahead of Justin Fields after not having had a full practice in more than two weeks, it says a lot about what Bears coaches think about Fields right now.
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If the Bears can trade for Nick Foles and sign free agent Corey Clement, they can design a play in which Clement takes the snap, pitches to Trey Burton, and Burton throws a touchdown pass to Foles. No one will see it coming! Wait a minute. .
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More runs than passes? QB moving out of the pocket? Who's calling plays for the Bears?.
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It's very difficult to get better allowing players like Roquan Smith to leave. The Bears are making a major gamble on Ryan Poles' ability to draft and lure free agents.
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In our darkest hours, candles were lit all around us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
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So sad about @DickersonESPN, universally respected, admired and liked. He leaves us all better for having known him. May the road rise up to meet you, my friend.
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Kyle Fuller and Akiem Hicks, who apparently will be former Bears soon, were 2 of their 4 best defensive players. It will be almost impossible to replace them with players of similar abilities. So it's difficult to envision any scenario in which the Bears defense does not regress.
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If it's Justin Fields the rest of the way, Matt Nagy needs to adjust the game plan, let him do his thing and not coach fearfully.
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Congratulations hall of famer Brian Urlacher. Nobody did what you did any better.
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It's the end of an era today as the great Mark Bowen steps down as team physician of the Bears after treating everyone from Steve McMichael to Caleb Williams in a 33 year run. If everyone on the team performed like Bowen, the Bears would have several more Lombardis in their.
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Can someone explain why David Montgomery has only three carries?.
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Damien Williams gives the Bears two things: a change of pace from David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen, and a back who can carry the load for a spell if Montgomery cannot. Quality pickup.
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We learned about Jeff's passing less than a day ago and already nearly $200,000 has been raised. Faith in humanity restored.
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No one would have blinked if Jaylon Johnson had been picked in the 20s of the first round. Excellent value for the Bears.
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If you are going to fire a head coach, you don't tell him about it four days before you do it and have him coach another game.
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More than an hour into the Bears' season ending presser, still waiting to learn something. anything.
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For those wanting to know more about the young man who unites us in prayer this morning, read this from @TyDunne.
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Darren Waller went from more than 100 failed drug tests to more than 1,000 receiving yards. He has become "the greatest story in the NFL this year."
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Few people in the history of the game have hired better coaches than Bill Polian -- Marv Levy, Dom Capers, Tony Dungy, Jim Caldwell. And he's still plugged into the game. He knows everyone.
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Moving up for Justin Fields (and giving up next year's No. 1) was a worthwhile risk for the Bears. Some scouts believe he is the most physically gifted of all the quarterbacks in the draft. Now they just have to give him the right coaching, offensive system, and teammates.
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Just a few months earlier, Kyle Long was killing it. So why did he quit at 30 after just seven NFL seasons? A lot can be explained in 16 surgery scars.
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Matt Eberflus is an unknown as a head coach, but what should give Bears fans comfort is this: he has been invested in by several people who have shown consistently shrewd judgement.
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Roquan should be a great fit as a Raven. He'll kill it in Baltimore.
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He eats 2 to 3 pints of gelato nightly. He has a thing for air filters. He is in search of the perfect recipe for flour tortillas. He often sleeps with a teacup Yorkie nestled in his armpit. My story on the Dan Campbell you don't know.
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Matt LaFleur has become more than a coach for the Packers. He has been the force that keeps the team a team. My story for @TheAthleticNFL.
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RIP to Les Grobstein, maybe the most committed sports journalist I have known. Fond memories of his press conference at the New Orleans Hilton during the week of Super Bowl XX to set the record straight on Jim McMahon accusations.
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Here’s the Bears’ plan: cast a wide net and do a first round of videoconference interviews. The few who stand out will be asked to meet in person.
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So by trading Anthony Miller to the Texans, the Bears might have assured @AaronRodgers12's return to the Pack.
Hearing Rodgers coming back to GB hinging on trading for former teammate Randall Cobb . If Cobb is in Green Bay it looks like Rodgers will be too.
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Cordarrelle Patterson: smart signing by the Falcons. History says he'll make a difference in 3 or 4 games. As for the Bears, hard to figure letting him go. They spent more on the combo of Angelo Blackson & Jeremiah Attaochu than it would've cost to keep Patterson for 1 year.
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The NFL needs more Vic Fangios.
Broncos coach Vic Fangio had an incredible answer when asked about the team's 19 training camp practices that will be open to fans this year, the most in the league.
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Coincidentally, the Bears agreed to hire Ben Johnson on the 43rd anniversary of the day they hired Mike Ditka. Will the result be the same?.
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My story on how #Patriots Malcolm Butler "crossed an ocean" to become a shutdown CB. via bleacherreport.
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My farewell to the greatest defensive player I ever saw. It is appropriate that Dick Butkus leaves us all hurting.
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Bears are not playing their starters. I don't like it a bit. Football players need to PLAY FOOTBALL to get better at playing football. You can be smart about trying to minimize injuries, but not scared. It sends the wrong message to players, and to the fans who bought tickets.
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Every pass to Demetrius Harris is a pass that could go to Cole Kmet.
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Vaughn McClure had a great gift of being able to connect with people. That's why so many of us are hurting today. When you were friends with Vaughn though, you were friends forever.
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Anyone who spent a day with John Madden never will forget it.
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There was no way @sinjen66 could return to the field in less than six months after tearing his ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus, and fracturing his tibial head. Unless something unprecedented happened. My story on an incredible comeback.
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Brian Piccolo’s demise was too painful, his life too short. Now, 50 years later, we understand why. My story on Brian’s song, and everything that happened since.
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Allen Robinson is a rare free agent because he's young (24), already accomplished (Pro Bowler), and he has the potential to be better than he's been, assuming he can overcome the ACL issue. Outstanding acquisition by Ryan Pace and the Bears.
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Gale Sayers, in all his humanity, will be there at the Bears100 Celebration. My story on the Bears legend and his struggle with dementia.
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The Bears look like they need to add a dynamic playmaker, but the Raiders can't help them this time. Wait. .
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The play caller behind Tom Brady’s resurgent season is likely to become a head coach candidate quickly. Here’s why.
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Not interviewing Jim Harbaugh for the Bears' head coaching job ranks higher on the mind-boggling scale than offering @olin_kreutz $15 an hour.
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The inability to make Roquan happy sends a bad message to the locker room and the public. Trading him would send a worse message.
More frustrations: .— The backloaded offer, which wouldn’t make him the highest paid in actual salary, included proposed de-escalators that not a single player out of the 94 non-QB, $15M+ contracts has. He was offended. — The deal would hurt the LB market as a whole.
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He doesn't do this because of what he could be in one of his tomorrows. He does this because of who he is today. The Taysom Hill Story.
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3. Kevin White easily is the most impressive rookie wide receiver I’ve ever seen walk through the doors at Halas Hall.
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The great Steve McMichael continues to inspire. With @CoachRiv2, @RiverboatRonHC, Misty McMichael and Jim Morrissey.
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He threw blocks with every fiber of his muscle. He fought giants with every bit of his heart. He studied and trained with every second of his day.
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Three scouts said Khalil Herbert, picked by Bears in the sixth, could have been chosen as high as the fourth. He is seen as a change of pace RB with quickness, vision, and instincts who can contribute as a special teams player.
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Okay so maybe I'm biased. But Doug Pederson turned in one of the greatest coaching jobs in modern football history. Firing him three years later might be more of a statement about the organization than about the coach.
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Ha Ha Clinton Dix: solid signing for the Bears, and a potential upgrade at the position. He's not as physical as Amos, but is more gifted in terms of coverage and instinct. He has more big play potential. Concern: he's probably best suited to do the same things Eddie Jackson does.
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This spring: Chicago Bears Centennial Scrapbook, a project the great Don Pierson & I have been working on for a couple of years. You might think you know it all about the Bears, but we have plenty of new material, some of it coming from hours of interviews with Virginia McCaskey.
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If I were running the Bears, I would call in Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy after the Bears are eliminated from the playoffs and ask one question: what are you going to do so the Bears can beat the Packers in 2021?
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Can someone explain why Jim Harbaugh was not a candidate for the Bears job?
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The reason Teven Jenkins was available on the 39th pick of the draft is he had numerous back injuries in college. Before the draft, scouts told me drafting him entailed the risk of him experiencing more back problems.
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Packers QB @AaronRodgers12 on @BUrlacher54 and @LanceBriggs: "One of them is in the Hall of Fame, and the other obviously needs to be as well.”
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Browns win the offseason! (cut and paste for use every year).
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For those asking, I think the Cordarrelle Patterson move is excellent for the Bears. He's 1 of the best KOR men in the league and KOR was a weakness last yr. He makes their special teams better than Josh Bellamy did. And he will be another effective, versatile weapon in Nagy's O.
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JD was a giver, like George Bailey. As was the case with George, it's all coming back to him and his son. As of this morning the fundraiser is closing in on $730,000. The "cheap" @ChicagoBears have donated $25,000. It is a wonderful life.
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He is on his 5th team. He is working with his eighth offensive coordinator. He is 30 years old. He never was a significant offensive factor until now. Something was missing in his NFL career. It’s not missing anymore. My story on Cordarrelle Patterson.
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Mind boggling. Embarrassing. Tone deaf. Insulting to every fan of the team.
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From the depths of addiction to the heights of achievement, Darren Waller is almost too incredible to be believed. My story.
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Jeannie Morris had a size 5 1/2 foot. You could have fit thousands of her feet into the footprint she left on the world. My farewell to the First Lady of Chicago sports journalism.
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You become more of a leader by not trying to hide vulnerabilities. I'd follow Dak Prescott anywhere.
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The Bears are going where no team has gone: They just opened what is believed to be the only chapel in an NFL facility. Virginia McCaskey told me why.
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The sad, sad story of Lawrence Phillips, told beautifully by @larsanderson71. http://t.co/hZkXrBq7tN.
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Wanted to let you know of a change for me: from now on my content will be available exclusively at @TheAthleticNFL. I’ll be writing longform NFL features, as well as columns and stories about the Bears. Here is my introduction.
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Former Bears chairman Michael McCaskey has passed at 76 after a long bout with luekemia. He leaves behind a complicated legacy but was a good man. Rest In Peace.
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