Did you see the tweet from 670 The Score’s Bernstein & Goff Show yesterday evening before the Bulls took the court for their first preseason game of the rebuild?
If you did, we likely shared a similar reaction. Something like this, perhaps?
In case you didn’t see it, here it is:
Chicago #Bulls sources tell the show that the team and GM Gar Forman are continuing discussions on a contract extension.
— Bernstein & Goff (@Bernstein_Goff) October 3, 2017
That’s right. The Chicago Bulls and general manager Gar Forman are currently negotiating terms on a contract extension. I’ll give you a minute to run to the nearest toilet or trash receptacle to deal with your violently turning stomach.
…Everyone back? Great.
While this news is sure to disappoint Bulls fans – Gar is unquestionably the most hated front office figure in Chicago sports these days – it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Some fans thought spending money on a billboard in downtown Chicago calling for the firings of Forman and VP John Paxson was a wise investment. If you were among those to donate to that GoFundMe, I’m sorry but you wasted your money. Bulls ownership cares exactly 0% about the fans’ opinion of the front office.
Other fans thought the hiring of Doug Collins as a senior advisor to Paxson was a sign that Forman’s days were numbered. But really, Collins is just here to reaffirm the decisions made by GarPax.
The sour truth is that Gar still has the trust and loyalty of the Reinsdorfs in his pocket. Neither owner Jerry or President Michael have shown the slightest hint that Gar’s job is in jeopardy. Forman, Michael and their wives are very close friends. Jerry is a hands-off owner who’s more concerned with his White Sox farm system right now. When Paxson is repeatedly asked about Gar’s job security, he has the same answer: Gar’s not going anywhere. Believe him.
It’s understandably hard for Bulls fans to fathom how somebody can perform so poorly at their job and not be fired. The midseason trade with the Thunder that yielded nothing but a useless and injured Cam Payne? Speaking of that Thunder trade, Gar’s costly obsession with Doug McDermott crashed and burned. Not trading Pau Gasol at the deadline when keeping him for the back half of a lost season made absolutely no sense? The countless underwhelming draft picks since Gar struck gold with Jimmy Butler in 2011? Speaking of Jimmy, the package the Bulls got in return wasn’t terrible, but it sure seems like it could have been better.
The man’s track record in recent years is a mess. We’re talking baby-eats-spaghetti-for-the-first-time MESS.
And yet, here we are. Learning that he’s negotiating a contract extension to remain in the Bulls front office for these critical first years of a full-scale rebuild.
The young Bulls looked promising – all things considered – in their winning preseason debut against New Orleans on Tuesday night. This core of new players might not be totally hopeless. It’s not impossible to find optimism on the roster.
But that roster will need more changes and developments, including a (hopefully) high lottery pick next summer. The man making those decisions is the most hated man in Chicago right now. If you’ve been holding your breath for the day Gar’s given the boot, you should probably take a breath. Take several.
Billboards be damned, Gar will be here as these Bulls rebuild.
