Second City, Stupid Decision

Job security is a myth. Job security is nonexistent. Everyday, coaches are fired. Employees are discharged. Staffs are jumbled. Workforces are remade. Unless one dies or voluntarily retires, job security is imaginary.

On Christmas Eve, the Chicago Bulls fired Coach Scott Skiles. According to General Manager John Paxson, expectations inspired the firing. “I don't have a long-term solution as of today,” Paxson said. “I'm disappointed in the way we're playing, the way we're competing, the energy or lack thereof that we're playing with on the floor. I know expectations coming into the year were really, really high and we're not even close to those. I honestly believe we're a better team than we've played this year.”

Skiles understood his termination. “Hardly a day goes by that I don't demand accountability and stress results,” he said. “Today was my day to be held accountable. The fact that it's Christmas Eve is neither here nor there. The timing doesn't bother me. I'm not destitute.”

During his tenure, Skiles scraped a 172-184 record (10-12 postseason). Upon his firing, the Bulls stood 9-16. “I felt like something was going to happen,” said forward Luol Deng. “I didn't know whether it was players or coaches. But you could definitely feel there was something. It just didn't seem like we were on the same page.”

The Bulls’ decision is ridiculous. Following Michael Jordan’s exodus, Chicago carded six consecutive losing campaigns. They amassed a 119-341 record. Skiles transformed the Bulls. He made them respectable. He did not merit execution. He deserved respect. Predictably, the Bulls were stupid.