Q. Any chance the Bears will pursue Dennis Green to replace Dick Jauron?
A. One widely held opinion is that Green would demand too much power over personnel decisions to suit the Bears.
But who is to say he hasn’t earned it? He owns the ninth-best winning record in NFL history and the highest winning percentage in the Minnesota Vikings’ 42-year history. The Vikings’ 15-1 1998 season under Green was the second-best in NFL history. Only three coaches in NFL history have won 15 regular-season games.
Green has been living in San Diego the past five years with his wife and two young children and could receive job offers closer to home.
Q. Do you think Jerry Angelo will handle all of the draft decisions next April, or will the new coach have some input since the Bears have missed the playoffs four out of the last five seasons?
A. I think there should be one person in each organization held accountable for draft picks after consultation with scouts and other player-personnel officials.
“One person has to be accountable. I don’t think there is any other way to do that,” said Hall of Fame coach and executive Bill Walsh, who took over a San Francisco 49ers team in 1979 that went 2-14 the previous season and transformed it into a Super Bowl champion in just three years.
“There is always somebody in charge with the final answer,” Walsh said. “Hopefully, it is not a situation where you have some kind of general manager who doesn’t have much football knowledge and just lets people argue their point and then decides. That tends to happen in the NFL.”
Q. Do you think any former Cubs have a decent shot to make the Hall of Fame this time?
A. Ryne Sandberg, who collected 49.2 percent toward the 75 percent necessary for election last year, figures to have a shot. I voted this year for former Cubs Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith, Andre Dawson and Sandberg.
Q. Which NBA rookie is having the bigger impact on his team so far: Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James?
A. Each of them is averaging nearly 20 points and six rebounds a game. James is doing a better job in the assist department, but Anthony’s Denver Nuggets have a winning record while James’ Cleveland Cavaliers are struggling in the Eastern Conference Central Division. However, the season is young, and former Marquette star Dwyane Wade is starting to light it up for the Miami Heat, averaging 16.5 points a game despite nursing a sore wrist. Wade scored a career-high 32 points recently to help the Heat defeat Atlanta.
Q. The Cubs Convention Jan. 16-18 is sold out. Is there any way you can help me get a ticket?
A. You have a better chance to attend the 58th Pitch & Hit Club Awards dinner on Jan. 18 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.
Cubs pitcher Mark Prior, manager Dusty Baker and general manager Jim Hendry all will be recognized for their roles in leading the Cubs to a division title and their first postseason series victory in 95 years. White Sox broadcaster John Rooney will serve as emcee and Ron Santo (health permitting) and White Sox senior adviser Roland Hemond are scheduled to appear. Call Chip Sobek at 708-331-2940 or the Pitch & Hit Offices at 847-781-8039 or e-mail your ticket requests to pitchandhitclub@comcast.net.
———-
Have a question or an idea for Fred Mitchell?
AskFred@tribune.com
