Chicago Bears president Ted Phillips has become public enemy number one for many fans these days. The general feeling is he was never qualified to hold the position of power he now has. For one the man has absolutely no background in football. His primary vocation was accounting-based jobs. He’s a money man. So what gives him any sort of expertise on what it takes to build a successful football team?
Seem the Bears ownership don’t care too much about that little technicality. Phillips has ruled over the team power structure with an iron fist since 1999. Everything that happens of importance has to go through him. Some have tried to say this is a minor issue. Each GM that has been hired by him has had true authority over football operations.
Except that apparently is not the case. There were always rampant rumors that Phillips wasn’t afraid to flex his muscles behind the scenes. It turns out there have been a number of occasions where that was the case. John Mullin of CSN Chicago just revealed a big one that happened 17 years ago.
Bears president Ted Phillips robbed team of getting LaDainian Tomlinson
The 2001 draft proved to be largely a disappointment for the Bears. After such a successful job the year before getting Brian Urlacher and Mike Brown, another top 10 pick looked like a chance to really build some momentum. Instead the draft produced mixed results and no long-term quality players. The thing is it was almost completely different were it not for Phillips.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
“Sources said that during the 2001 draft, for two different reasons, Phillips vetoed trades sought by then-personnel chief Mark Hatley to land, first, LaDanian Tomlinson, and then later, Deuce McAllister. The Bears instead ended up with David Terrell and Anthony Thomas.”
Tomlinson is one of the best running backs in NFL history and a Pro Football Hall of Famer. The Bears held the #8 pick that year. Tomlinson ended up going #5 to the San Diego Chargers. It wouldn’t have taken a giant package to make the move up to get him. Most likely a second round pick. Given what Tomlinson was to become, that would’ve been a steal.
Try to imagine how different that great Bears team in 2006 might’ve looked with Tomlinson in the backfield. They also certainly wouldn’t have drafted Cedric Benson the year before, meaning they could’ve gone elsewhere such as Aaron Rodgers or DeMarcus Ware. That is basically what Phillips robbed the team of by calling off the trade.
So yeah, if you didn’t hate him already how about now?