A safety and subperb athlete in college, it was unknown at the time where the Bears would put Urlacher on a team known for its defense.  Linebacker was the obvious choice considering his measureables, but was he going to be the next Mike Mamula…a combine freak whose draft stock soared as the draft approached.  Little did I know at the time, I was enjoying cold beers on a Saturday afternoon watching Bears history be written as the next great MLB of the Bears was just drafted.  Thankfully, the Bears knew what they were doing and, now, 13 years later, we are saying farewell to a legend.

To say I am a Bears fan is like saying the earth is round.  To say I guzzle the blue and orange Kool Aid no matter the temperature is like saying water is wet.  These things just are.  As a die hard Chicago fan, I have seen some of the greats play in their prime…Jordan, Payton and Urlacher.  Urlacher is different to me since I have been able to enjoy and really appreciate his entire career in a Bears uniform during my most “educated” and passionate fandom years.  To describe his impact on my fandom is like me explaining the most complicated physics formula.  Urlacher simply embodied Chicago.  Tough, blue collar, honest and about team above self…things I hope to teach my kids in their lives.

While his mark on Bears football will be difficult, if not impossible, to measure, it was time…time to turn the page.  The Bears have hired its first offensive minded coach since it hired a certain Mike Ditka many moons ago.  The league has changed and while defense still wins championships, the Bears needed to change its collective mindset.  Scoring points is just as important, if not moreso than having a 6’4, 260lbs linebacker that could run like the wind and hit like a Mack truck.

When I got a text from Boomer this morning with the news of Urlacher’s departure, my immediate reaction was, “way to rip the bandaid off all at once, Mr. Emery.”  After some reflection, I realize, that the NFL is a tough business and in the words of Coach Ditka, “this too, shall pass.”  Gone, but not forgotten; the end of an era; however you sum it up, the Bears will look different next year for sure.  I am trusting the process and the powers that be, that the Bears, in the long run, will be better off.  This is because I wear my colors proudly; I live and breathe for the blue and orange and I believe the Bears are sincerely on the right track as it relates to getting back to the seat of supremacy on which they deserve to sit.

Once the season kicks off in September, I know I will, again, be a little drunk, a little mad and a LOT sad to not see #54 line up for the Beloved.  After that, I will be a fan and looking for the Bears to be successful and know that the best years are ahead and I can’t wait to watch it happen!!!

CAN I GET AN AMEN?!?!?!?!?!

The DeCon has spoken, so let it be written, so let it be done…

Dec 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; New Orleans Saints tackle Jermon Bushrod (74) on the line of scrimmage before a play against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. The Saints beat the Cowboys 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

After already securing Martellus Bennett, the Bears have now agreed to terms with former Saints LT, Jermon Bushrod.  Bushrod has been a Pro Bowler at LT the past 2 seasons and has familiarity with Bears new Offensive Coordinator, Aaron Kromer.

While this move all but ends the speculation about Jake Long becoming a Bear, I think this was a solid addition and proof that the Bears are making a concerted effort not only to add talent to positons that were lacking but also to add players who have familiarity with the new coaching regime.

A former 4th round draft pick, Bushrod, 28, has really come into his own under the hand of Kromer.  He has been a stalwart on the Saints offensive line for the past four seasons and has started 16 games in each of the last three.  He has 62 starts in 66 games played in his six year career, all with the Saints.  And for those of you who didn’t know, the Saints like to pass a little bit, so Bushrod was very capable at protecting Drew Brees’ blindside.

This move will signal the end of J’Webb Nation at LT, forcing his move to RT to likely compete with Gabe Carimi.  Competition is never a bad thing and the Bears O-line just got better with this move.  I can almost hear Jay Cutler singing in the streets of the Chi!!!

What do you think, Bears fans?  Good move?  Hit me up in the comments…

CAN I GET AN AMEN?!?!?!?!?!

The DeCon has spoken, so let it be written, so let it be done…

Known as a cerebral, offensive coach, Trestman seems to be in a good position to maximize the skills of Bears QB Jay Cutler.  Hell, this guy made Scott Mitchell look really good.  I think Trestman is a great hire and is the first offensive minded coach the Bears have hired since Mike Ditka.  Yes, Ditka was considered offensive minded, not just offensive.

We will delve more into Trestman’s fit for the Beloved as the days unfold…The Cover Stew may even way in…

What do you all think?  Good hire, bad hire, meh???  Hit us up in the comments!!!

CAN I GET AN AMEN?!?!?!?!?!

The DeCon has spoken, so let it be written, so let it be done…

Is this Lovie and Jerry's last stand?

No huge surprises on the list, but let’s see why he thinks the Bears are in trouble:

REASON TO WORRY: Honest question: When’s the last time a true make-or-break year went the right way for a team? I suppose you could say Dallas and Wade Phillips fit the bill last season, although almost every year feels like it’s Super Bowl-or-bust for the Cowboys. But that’s what embattled head coach Lovie Smith, general manager Jerry Angelo and the Bears are up against in 2010: Win enough to shoo the wolves away from their doors, or close out their Windy City tenures with a fourth consecutive non-playoff season. Working under that kind of pressure rarely brings the best out of anyone, or results in smiles and backslaps all around.

As if that’s not enough of an omen, the Bears went out and dominated early in free agency this year, signing the likes of Julius Peppers and Chester Taylor. There’s not really a long track record of pace-setting free-agent success leading to on-field success in the same year — a lesson teams like Washington, Oakland and Denver have learned the hard way.

I’ve been outspoken as anyone to call out the Bears in my belief that they’re in for a rough ride in 2010, but Banks post makes ZERO sense.  He says the Bears won’t succeed because the collective backs of the braintrust are against the wall.  And then he punctuates that by adding that key additions Julius Peppers and Chester Taylor  won’t help because of past history of other teams not having success with big offseason spending sprees???  Talk about flimsy arguments.  I think he reasons not to panic seem to make a little more sense:

(more…)

January 26, 1986 is a day that had a profound impact on the lives of many Bears fans and this one in particular.  It is the day the Bears won Super Bowl XX by a then-historic 46-10 margin.  This won’t be the case in two years when the Bears commemorate the 25th anniversary of Super Bowl XX, but on this 23rd anniversary of the lone Chicago Super Bowl title, there was nothing.  Did they all forget? 

Old Doc Brown is at it again to help us relive the the glory that was January 26, 1986.  The top shows back in January of 1986 were the “Cosby Show”,” Family Ties” and “Murder She Wrote”.  Yes, “Murder She Freakin’ Wrote” was a top show.  What were we thinking???    “That’s What Friends are For” by Psychic Friend Dione Warwick and “Say You Say Me” by Lionel Richie topped the charts, but not too far down the list was the ‘Super Bowl Shuffle” by the Chicago Bears Shufflin’ Crew.  Iron Eagle, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 and Rocky IV were big at the Box Office.  Two short days later, sadness cast over the country as the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy reminded the nation that football, for all that it is, is still just a game.

I was able to find the Sports Illustrated writeup of Super Bowl XX in the SI Vault here.   The article gushes with superlatives of the ’85 Bears and the ferocious defense that devoured the Patriots.  I will always contend that if not for the early Payton fumble on a crossed up play call by quarterback Jim McMahon, the Bears would have shut out the Patriots and been the first and only team to shut out their opponents throughout the playoffs.  As dominant as any defense could be, I don’t know that any team could ever match the 10 points the Bears gave up in the run through that postseason.

A couple of interesting takeaways from the article:

At the time, the Bears set records for margin of victory (36) and points (46).

The Patriots field goal at the 1:19 mark was the fastest score in Super Bowl history until  Devin Hester shattered that record with his 14 second kickoff return at the start of Super Bowl XLI.

The article was prophetic in saying:

The events of the next few weeks and months will determine if this is the beginning of a mighty defensive dynasty (only one of the 11 Bear defenders who started Sunday’s game is older than 28) or a culmination.

Even though the Bears made a few more playoff appearances, as sad as it is to say, I guess it was the culmination.  Don’t worry Bears, I didn’t forget about you!  Happy Devin Hester-eth anniversary of Super Bowl XX.  When Super Bowl Championships are as rare as honest politicians in this town, they should be celebrated and remembered!

BEAR DOWN!!!

Congratulations to the Arizona Cardinals for winning the NFC Championship, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 32-25.   It’s a little ironic that they hoist the George Halas Trophy, which bears the name of the man who is considered largely responsible for chasing them out of Chicago after the 1959 season.   I pulled this excerpt from an interesting article in the Sports Illustrated Vault that talks about some of the behind the scenes action at the owner’s meeting prior to the 1960 season.  Give it a read.

But aside from this, Halas had an even more compelling personal reason for enlarging the league. Chicago is the only two-team city in the NFL. Halas is forced to share this rich market with the Chicago Cardinals,
owned by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wolfner. He has offered the Wolfners as much as $500,000 to move their franchise elsewhere, but Violet Wolfner is a stubborn woman who considers that the Cardinals have as much right in Chicago as the Bears. Besides this-or because of it-she has a strong dislike for Halas. And it is Mrs. Wolfner who runs the Cardinals; she inherited the team from her first husband, Charles Bidwill.

Aside from competition at the gate, which is negligible, Halas would like to get the Cardinals out of Chicago so that he can cut a bigger share of the television cake. All of the other clubs in the NFL televise their road games back to their home cities, realizing a nice profit from the deal. Halas cannot do this because when the Bears are on the road the Cardinals are at home, and league rules forbid televising a game into a league city where the home team is playing.

The Cardinals could easily have accepted Halas’ offer, since they have had frequent opportunities to leave Chicago. Their very weakness at the gate has made them the first target for any rich young man seeking to own a pro football team. This marketability has inflated the value of the Cardinals, and it is one of the reasons why the Wolfners have been against expanding the league. When the National Football League finally did admit the two new teams, this meant to the Cardinals that 1) they had fewer locations available to move to and 2) they had fewer prospective franchise buyers. The bull market for the Cardinal franchise was over.

As I was listening to the radio this morning, some old-timers called in voicing their support for the old-time Chicago club that used to play out of Comiskey Park from the 1920′s until they moved to St. Louis prior to the 1960 season.  I guess it’s as good a reason as any to pull for the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.

BEAR DOWN CARDS!!!

Honors

Congrats to Lance Briggs, the Bears’ lone Pro Bowl selection.  This makes the fourth straight trip to Hawaii for Lance, who has taken over as the leader of the Defense.  Tommie Harris makes it as a first alternate, while Olin Kreutz, Greg Olsen and Brad Maynard get the nod as second alternates.  In the “things that make you go ‘huh?’” selections, Brian Urlacher (pictured above being blocked by Maurice Jones-Drew) and Devin Hester join as third alternates.  Really?  Devin Hester can’t crack the starting lineup as kick returner on his own team.  I guess it shows how slowly news travels around the NFL.  Click here for the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl Rosters.

Speaking of kick returners, Danieal Manning earns NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after his 83-yard opening kick return against the Saints.  It was the first opening kickoff return since Devin Hester’s opening kickoff return in Super Bowl XLI.  Ahh, remember when?  Manning leads the NFL in kick returns this season with a 29.5 yard average. Nice work Danieal!

Power Rankings Around the Web

Bears are ranked smack dab in the middle of the Power Rankings on both ESPN , CBS Sportsline and Sports Illustrated. FoxSports is a little more generous, with a ranking of 13, ahead of the streaking Eagles and the playoff-bound Cardinals. 

What Vegas Thinks

The Bears have been installed as a 4.5 point favorite on Monday night against the rival Packers, who slapped the Beloved around at Lambeau earlier this year.  It’s payback time!  The total for the regular season home finale is 42.  With temperatures expected in the single digits with below-zero wind chills, those points might be tough to come by.  Not that I advocate going to the window.  But if I did, I would go under.