Franchise Notes

In Chicago, Brad Biggs wrote the Bears are “putting down roots in Spain.” The Bears “just completed a trip there” with former player Roberto Garza “as the perfect ambassador for the organization as a bilingual speaker.” Garza “conducted two Mini Monsters youth clinics for five consecutive days, visiting Madrid and Barcelona.” On their Spain trip, the Bears “went into the community, laying the groundwork for what could be a potential return.” Last summer, the Bears “ran a similar program of youth clinics in the United Kingdom.” But with the International Home Marketing Areas program, the franchise could “lean into more opportunities in Spain” ( CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/10 ).

COOLING DOWN? In Ft. Lauderdale, Dave Hyde wrote there is “a predictable movement that resurfaced this past week” and it is the “‘Pat Riley Has Lost His Fastball’ movement.” Riley, the Heat president, has “stuck around so long” it is “the second or third time it’s happened to him.” He has “grown older, some fans have grown jaded” and, suddenly, it is “not good enough to make the Eastern Conference Finals twice in the past three years because other teams made headlines this past week at the trade deadline.” The movement against Riley comes as they “didn’t make headlines” and they “didn’t improve their roster” around Thursday's trade deadline (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 2/11). 

DATA CRUNCH: In L.A., Kyle Goon wrote the Lakers’ “pivot to youth might be less about this season -- with the team’s playoff hopes fading -- and more about the future.” Lakers VP/Basketball Operations & GM Rob Pelinka said the team’s 26 remaining games were “‘data points’ the franchise can use to make decisions this summer.” The Lakers also “have the flexibility to move on from just about all of these young pieces this summer if they wish” (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 2/11).