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Phillips: Bears Need To Catch Up In Division

(CBS) Just hours after Jerry Angelo was fired and Mike Martz announced his resignation, Bears president Ted Phillips reiterated what the goal of every move within the organization centers around.

"We need to keep up the pace with our divisional rivals," Phillips said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. "I'm not sure we're there yet, but our goal has always been to win championship. That's going to continue to be our goal at every level of the organization. We like our foundation."

Moving forward, Phillips will lead the Bears' search for a new GM. The structure within the organization will remain the same, but the new GM will have one rule.

"One restriction that will be placed on any candidate," Phillips said, "will be Lovie Smith is our head coach for 2012."

Listen: Bears press conference with Ted Phillips and George McCaskey

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Bears chairman George McCaskey said the decision to let Angelo go was made by solely by Phillips.

"Our family has complete faith in Ted as our president and CEO," McCaskey said. "We are behind his decisions. We supported his decision in this case. We are confident Ted will find the right person as general manager. ... Our goal has been, and always will be, to win world championship. Every decision at every level of the organization is with that goal in mind. Bears fans deserve a championship team, and we are doing everything we can to achieve that goal."

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