There is nothing that gets Chicago fans riled up more than the Bears. When they’re winning, people are happier and to many, the sun shines brighter, it’s warmer, life is just better. When they aren’t, the skies are grey; people are grumpy. When the Bears won their first 7 of 8 games, fans thought the Bears were Super Bowl bound, or at least playoff bound (although a few realists among us like me weren’t as sold on this team).
The proverbial other shoe has dropped, and the Bears have lost 5 out of their last six games and there has been lots of finger pointing. Is Jay Cutler a franchise quarterback (no one is more popular in Chicago than the backup QB except this season as Jason Campbell has been horrid). Everybody is under scrutiny when the club is struggling, and the fans have been very vocal about needing a change in head coaches. Lovie Smith got the team to a Super Bowl, but lost, and for the second consecutive year, the team roared out of the gate only to have a terrible November and December. Last year, Cutler was injured and the Bears had no capable relief. This season, there have been injuries, but the offense, which has been terrible all season hasn’t gotten any better. Injuries have crippled the defense, and the special teams have not been all that special.
Despite being out for the rest of the regular season, middle linebacker Brian Urlacher stood up for his beleaguered coach, but like someone who plays a sport where there are lots of collusions to the head, didn’t use his brain before his mouth started running.
”Two of the people I don’t care about: fans or media,” Urlacher said in his weekly interview with Fox-32 sports anchor Lou Canellis on Sunday night. ”They can say what they want to about our head coach, about our players. It bothers me. They don’t know what they’re talking about. Lovie is the head coach of this football team and hopefully will be for a long time.”
”Our crowd was pretty good for the most part,” Urlacher said. ”They were loud for a minute there, the boos were really loud, which is always nice. The only team in our division that gets booed at home is us. It’s incredible to me.”
First Brian, many of the fans in the stands at Bear-Packer games are Packer-backers, so it shouldn’t surprise you that you hear boo-birds at home games (there are quite a few Bear fans who go to Lambeau Field as well).
However, the media and sports radio have been jumping all over Urlacher for the “don’t care about” comment. Of course, the media will react badly because that’s admitting that the press often stir up issues to sell copies or for ratings, but to the “Joe Six Pack” that makes up the majority of the Bear fan base, the worst thing you could be is disloyal. With all of the Urlacher jerseys that have been sold (his jersey has consistently been among the most popular since he entered the league), the middle linebacker should have made a pretty penny off the sales.
Moreover, what I never get about athletes and other public figures is that they somehow think that they are above being publically criticized. It is part of the price of fame, and why they earn the often huge sums that they earn. For example, a couple of years ago when I had my online “pissing match” with John, programmer from WXRT, he legitimately seemed surprised when people were complaining about the sameness of the playlist. He said in turns: “buy the station and I’ll do what you want,” and “change the station.”
Fans call for coaches’ heads – that’s part of the fun of being a fan. Of course, often the fan doesn’t know what he or she is talking about, but they pay for the seats, watch on television, buy jerseys, and that gives them the right to bitch and moan all they want.
It remains to be seen if the latest comments will cause lasting damage to Urlacher’s legacy in Chicago. Many retired athletes, especially Bears, are heroes forever, like Dick Butkus and Mike Ditka. Others still make public appearances and gain a few extra bucks. However, there are some who can be ostracized. If Urlacher has a publicist, I would get him to issue an apology fast.

When I think of rabid fans that are take support for their teams too far, I think of the City of Philadelphia. Whenever I write about the history of Philly fans, I always get push back from current and former Philadelphia residents that I paint too harsh a picture of the city.
I don’t think so – let’s review the evidence:
• Fans at an Eagle game in the 1970s booed Santa Claus;
• Mired in a slump, Phillie catcher Darren Daulton’s son was booed at a father and son game.
• At least two Philadelphia stadiums had (still have?) courtrooms in the stadium where unruly fans would be arrested and taken before a judge immediately.
“That was the past,” I always get from those who think I’m being too harsh. Well, there’s an example from last week that proves my point. Last Wednesday night, the Chicago Bulls played the Philadelphia 76ers and defeated the home team 96-89. Two local men happened to be Bulls fans and got into an argument with some 76er fans on the rapid transit. The “little bit of banter” between the two fans and two other people, occurred around 10:40 PM after the game was over between 16 and 19, at 46th and Market streets in West Philadelphia, police said.
One of the Bulls fans, a 36-year-old man, quarreled with the teens and was shot in the stomach as the teens exited the train at 46th Street. The other Bulls fan, a 30-year-old man, tried to calm things down and was shot in the thigh, he said. Both victims survived but no one was in custody as of last Thursday.
I know it’s a minor incident and fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but I think that Philadelphia has earned its reputation for being the toughest sports town in the country.

The current and former New Orleans Saint players who were implicated and suspended for the Saints’ bounty program had every reason to believe that having current Commissioner Roger Goodell’s suspensions adjudicated by former commissioner Paul Tagliabue would be tainted by conflict of interest, but it looks now like Tagliabue tried to have it both ways.
He affirmed the Goodell’s findings that three of the players’ (Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, defensive end Will Smith, and free-agent defensive end Anthony Hargrove) conduct was detrimental to the league and that they did participate in a performance pool that rewarded hard tackles and trying to cause injury to opposing players. Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita was the only player cleared of conduct detrimental to the league by Tagliabue. However, Tagliabue vacated all discipline issued to players who were punished, in effect blaming the organization.
“Unlike Saints’ broad organizational misconduct, player appeals involve sharply focused issues of alleged individual player misconduct in several different aspects,” Tagliabue said, according to multiple reports. “My affirmation of Commissioner Goodell’s findings could certainly justify the issuance of fines. However, this entire case has been contaminated by the coaches and others in the Saints’ organization.”
None of the players sat out any games because of suspensions. They have been allowed to play while appeals were pending, though Fujita is on injured reserve and Hargrove is not with a team.
Shortly before the regular season, the initial suspensions were thrown out by an appeals panel created by the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Goodell then reissued them, with some changes, and now those have been dismissed.
Ok, so it was Coach Sean Payton and Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams’ fault. The GM and front office officials penalized were guilty, but the players can only be fined. Of course, with the season nearly over, the players having not missed one game or paycheck, and the Saints all but out of the playoffs, the ruling is like closing the barn door after the horses have already left. Still, it’s a wasted season on the Bayou
However, the ruling makes the whole incident seem like a tempest in a teacup, but it is much more serious than that. I don’t know if this will prevent bounties from being used in the future and with huge human being propelling themselves at each other at dizzying rates of speed and career and life-threatening injury lucking around every play, this a very serious problem.

A few months ago, I think I wrote that Bobby Petrino would be back in the coaching ranks, and now he is. Petrino is now the head coach of Western Kentucky. In case you’ve forgotten, Petrino was fired by Arkansas last April for a “pattern of misleading” behavior following a motorcycle accident. The coach was injured while riding a motorcycle, and initially, he said that he was alone on the motorcycle, but it turned out that he had former Razorback volleyball player Jessica Dorrell as a passenger. As it turned out, Petrino had an affair with Ms. Dorrell, who he later hired as a football assistant had gave $20,000 in gifts. Lying about the accident and the affair and hiring was the scandal du jour back in the spring.
Petrino had a 34-17 record at Arkansas before he was dismissed and he made Arkansas into a rising power in the SEC before he was fired. If Western Kentucky is successful, however, Petrino probably won’t last out his contract. Petrino is replacing Willie Taggart, who himself left WKU last week to become South Florida’s coach. Western Kentucky gave Petrino a four-year deal with a base annual salary of $850,000. If he terminates the deal at any time, he must re-pay the university $1.2 million in six monthly payments starting the month after he leaves. This is still a pittance considering he would get around $3 million per year if one of the big SEC schools came calling. So, WKU is willing to be pimped for a couple of years in the hope that it will win more games and make more bowl appearances. (WKU plays in the Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl on Christmas night against Central Michigan for a $750,000 payday – almost enough to pay Petrino for one year.)
What is the most hypocritical about this whole thing is that Petrino was fired for lying about his accident, affair and hiring his mistress, Petrino expects people to believe him now. “I’m going to be able to sit down with mom and dad and the student-athlete and make them understand how this experience has made me a better coach, a better person and will make me understand their son better,” Petrino said during a packed news conference at Houchens-Smith Stadium (quoted on SI.com). “I’m looking forward to the opportunity I’ll be able to give student athletes when they make a mistake.”
When a young man and his family are meeting with Bobby Petrino, how will they know he’s not lying?

My neighbor Asher, whose father’s company graciously set up this rant festival of mine, and I regularly argue over the merits of Joe Flacco as quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens. Asher thinks he is a great quarterback for appearing in four straight playoffs, but I say that he can’t measure up to the Mannings, or Tom Brady, or Aaron Rodgers and be considered an elite QB in the NFL.
With the offense sputtering, the Ravens fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, in favor of Jim Caldwell. But Flacco is definitely on the hot seat now. For Flacco, there can be no more excuses. He can’t complain about the lack of quality receivers or his poor offensive line. He can no longer blame his poor performances on his strained relationship with Cameron.
For Joe Flacco, the time is now or else.
(And, since Mike Tice as offensive coordinator has generally been a bust for the Bears, Cameron would definitely be a step up.)

Let’s get this right out – ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit is an idiot. I had stopped watching the College Football GameDay program a long time ago, even before the Indignant Daughters came along, mostly because, unlike the NFL Pregame, the announcers couldn’t hide their outright rooting for their alma maters: Herbstreit going on and on about Ohio State; Desmond Howard is all about Michigan. The only constant has been former coach Lee Corso, whose over-the-top antics stopped being amusing during the Clinton administration.
But Herbstreit is by far the most opinionated, and from his latest comment, not a very astute journalist. Northern Illinois is going to a BCS bowl game: playing traditional power Florida State in the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium in Miami on New Year’s Day. Herbstreit called the Huskies’ BCS berth ‘‘a joke’’ on ESPN, claiming teams such as Oklahoma, LSU and Texas A&M were more BCS-worthy than the Huskies, despite the fact that NIU won 12 straight games to clinch their second consecutive MAC championship.
Northern Illinois is the first MAC school to make a BCS bowl and they deserve a shot at “the big boys,” and if they get stomped on New Year’s Day, Herbstreit can feel vindicated, but to segregate and ghettoize a program and an entire conference is wrong. For decades college football fans said that the rankings should be determined on the field, not by some coaches’ or writers’ popularity contest or by a computer. NIU had a great season and deserves a big time bowl slot.
Besides, it is a made-for-TV storyline: David vs. Goliath; can a team from a smaller conference compete on a big stage? LSU (10-2) is in the Chick-Fil-A bowl against Clemson and make $2.9 million; Oklahoma and Texas A&M are both 10-2 and play each other at another BCS bowl – the Cotton Bowl, so it’s not like these teams aren’t going to a BCS bowl and they are still getting $3.6 million to play in Dallas. But the Orange Bowl pays out $17 million per team.
Still, isn’t it nice to see someone other than the “usual suspects” on New Year’s Day? Maybe Herbstreit can watch the games with Ohio State coach Urban Meyer since the Buckeyes are ineligible for the post season this year?

By now, if you follow sports, you have heard about the tragedy of Jovan Belcher, the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker who murdered his girlfriend and killed himself. (It should also be noted that Eric Eucker, one of the team’s groundskeepers at the Cleveland Browns practice facility was found handed in the stadium on Saturday, but since he wasn’t a player, this fact may have gotten by you.)
If you haven’t, Belcher, 25 had a fight with his girlfriend, , Kasandra Perkins, 22, shot her and left their townhouse. Then, Belcher drove the five miles to the team’s practice facility and parked out front. He got out of his car, and, while holding a gun to his head, spoke briefly with Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel and General Manager Scott Pioli, who had come outside to meet him. He thanked them for the opportunity to play in the NFL. When police arrived on the scene, Belcher turned, walked about 30 feet west behind a vehicle and shot himself in the head.
The couple had a 3-month-old daughter who was in the house at the time of the shooting but was in another room. It was Belcher’s mother, who had recently moved into the home from New York, who reportedly called police.
The Chiefs played the game yesterday and defeated Carolina 27-21 but what can be in the minds of Crennel and Pioli? It has to be a scene that the two men will never forget, and perhaps make them think much more about players off the field, especially when they cut one of these men (not that this was a factor with Belcher). Of course, I feel most for the 3-month-old daughter, who will never know her mother and father. I hope that monies raised in the Kansas City are go to her care, education and upbringing.
My only issue here is the “Monday Morning Quarterbacking” that always occurs after a tragedy. Last night on the NFL Sunday Night broadcast, Bob Costas took an unusually public stand by calling for increased gun control laws. As a good liberal, I am all for gun control laws. In fact, I believe that hand guns and high caliber weapons should be outlawed; in other words, if you can’t shoot a deer with it, you don’t need to have it.
But Costas’ commentary still only barely skims the surface. There is the factor of youth – two kids really, getting together – were they together for the right reasons? Could that have had something to do with the fight? (This is not to cast blame on Ms. Perkins, but one has to wonder.) Then there is the fact that football players thrive on testosterone and aggression, and it can be very hard to turn that off. When you are hitting people for a living in practice and in games all week, it is hard to stop. Which of course leads us to the usual 800 pound gorilla, performance enhancing drugs, which are known to cause even more aggression (“’roid” rage). Then there’s CTE, the brain injury which has had an impact on the early death and suicides of many NFL players (although at 25 years of age, one would think that Belcher might be too young to have developed CTE).
And there is mental illness; how much depression has Belcher gone through? There is an NFL helpline for the players, but in the uber-macho world of professional football, is it taboo or unmanly to be seen as “weak,” or needing help. Only then do we get to the topic of guns.
As usual, we are left wanting answers that we will never get. We may find out what the young people were fighting about; we may learn a bit about the young man’s physical condition, but we cannot understand what he was thinking. Maybe after killing his girlfriend, Belcher knew remorse and didn’t want to spend significant time in jail. Perhaps he couldn’t stand seeing his daughter grow up knowing “daddy the murderer.”
Perhaps some of all of these factors played a part. We will never know. I do know that jumping to knee jerk reactions won’t help.