The Bears told a ‘White’ lie and the media didn’t like it

What’s the detriment to the Bears to revealing the exact nature of the White’s injury? I don’t know. You guys figure that out, Fox said dismissively. I just know that, by league [rules], we’re required to give you a body part — unless it’s a quarterback or kicker, then we don’t even have to tell you which side. I’ve been doing it for 14 years now, that’s the way we do it. That is consistent with the inexplicable paranoia that Fox and many NFL coaches — led by the great and wonderful Bill Belichick — mindlessly adhere to. It’s that fear that drives Fox to prohibit taping of any substantive part of his team’s training camp practice — the fear that something might be revealed that can be used against him. It’s lunacy, of course. If anything that happens on a practice field in August can be used to beat you in the regular season — that’s on you, pal. And if it’s that critical, do you think opposing teams can’t get the information from a practice that’s open to the public? Do these guys ever think this through? If they ever did, they might find that there’s a better way.

The Bears had been obfuscating the truth on White’s injury all training camp, not very well I might add, culminating in White’s first bald-faced lies to the media Friday. He was obviously doing what he thought was right. It’s Pace’s and head coach John Fox’s job to break this kind of story. Credit them for not just leaking it to a national reporter. Gold stars for you guys. I think, me personally, we tell you the body part and that’s all we have to tell you, Fox told reporters in Bourbonnais. We’re not doctors and stick to that. OK. But still, why lie? I don’t know, Fox said. You guys figure that out. I just know that, by league, we’re required to give you a body part, unless it’s a quarterback or kicker, then we don’t even have to tell you which side. I’ve been doing it for 14 years now, that’s the way we do it. What a charmer.

A team in transition, bound to struggle, needs to earn the public’s trust, not destroy it before the season opener. A first-time general manager like Pace working in the NFL’s second-largest market needs to make a strong impression, not rookie mistakes. First, Pace signed accused domestic-abuser Ray McDonald in the spring before having to cut him two months later after an arrest. Now, two weeks after calling White’s injury minor, the Bears face a major hurdle getting anybody to have faith in anything they say. Perhaps the Patriots can get away with such subterfuge due to their sustained success. A Bears team staring at 6-10 under a new regime cannot.

Had Fox and Pace told us the day we arrived in Bourbonnais that White had a mild stress fracture and the recommended course of action was rest, and if that failed, surgery, there would be no controversy, no frustration, no mistrust and far less disappointment today. Also, White would not have been forced to lie to reporters just 24 hours earlier, telling them he was fine and ready to go. My limited exposure to the young man tells me that kind of deceit does not come to him naturally and didn’t come to him easily. There have been rumblings spilling out of training camp since we arrived of a concerned media unhappy with its lack of access. … I do not believe the media and fans are entitled to or need to know everything going on with the team. I do believe we are entitled at a minimum to the truth. It should be very interesting to see what happens next.