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The Chicago Bears and veteran middle linebacker Brian Urlacher are going their separate ways. It will be a devastating blow to the team’s defense. Well, it will be if they don’t replace him and use only 10 players when the other team has the football.
Here is the team’s release from Wednesday (March 20):
You weren’t really expecting a photo of Brian Urlacher, were you?
The Chicago Bears announced today they were unable to reach accord on a contract with LB Brian Urlacher for the 2013 season. Urlacher is a free agent after playing the last 13 years with the Bears.
“We were unable to reach an agreement with Brian and both sides have decided to move forward,” Bears General Manager Phil Emery said. “Brian has been an elite player in our league for over a decade. He showed great leadership and helped develop a winning culture over his time with the Bears. We appreciate all he has given our team, on and off the field. Brian will always be welcome as a member of the Bears.”
“Over the last 13 years Brian Urlacher has been an outstanding player, teammate, leader and face of our franchise,” Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey said. “As Bears fans, we have been lucky to have such a humble superstar represent our city. He embodies the same characteristics displayed by the Bears all-time greats who played before him and he will eventually join many of them in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We thank Brian for all he has given our team and our city. He will always be a part of the Bears family. We wish him the very best.”
The eight-time Pro Bowler started 180-of-182 games played in 13 seasons (2000-12) with the Bears recording a franchise-record 1,779 tackles. The ninth overall selection in the 2000 NFL Draft recorded 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions, 16 opponent fumble recoveries and 11 forced fumbles for Chicago. Urlacher was honored as the 2005 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year, the 2000 NFL Rookie of the Year, was a four-time All-Pro (2001-02, 2005-06), a two-time Brian Piccolo Award winner (2000 and 2007) and was named the team’s Ed Block Courage Award winner in 2011.
Reports say the Bears offered Urlacher a one-year contract for $2 million (possibly even less guaranteed).
“It wasn’t even an offer; it was an ultimatum,” Urlacher told the Chicago Tribune. “I feel like I’m a decent player still. It was insulting, somewhat of a slap in the face.”
Or perhaps somewhat a slap of reality. And we all should be insulted like that.
There’s always room for a photo of wrestling’s Lisa Marie Varon.
A player of diminished skills is of diminished value. The Bears made an offer that Urlacher could have accepted. If he wanted to remain a Bear that badly, he could have. He didn’t. So anyone in mourning about the passing of Urlacher from the Bears’ roster might want to remember that.
There are few storybook endings in sports. Michael Jordan had one with the Bulls when he hit the game-winning, series-clinching shot in the 1998 NBA Finals to provide the franchise’s second three-peat. Except then Jordan returned after retiring and played for the Washington Wizards.
Brett Favre, an iconic quarterback with the Green Bay Packers, played elsewhere at the end of his career. Peyton Manning, an iconic quarterback with the Indianpolis Colts, plays now for he Denver Broncos. When the time comes for Tom Brady to retire, he may do so with the Patriots — provided that he is still playing at a level comparable to his standard of today. Hey, Joe Namath ended his career with the Los Angeles Rams after being a star with the New York Jets. Baseball’s Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays ended their careers with teams other than the ones for whom they starred. The list could do on and on for just about any sport.
Ray Lewis played his entire career with the Baltimore Ravens and ended it with a Super Bowl victory against San Francisco in the Super Bowl in February. That is the ending Urlacher — and his fans — envisioned. It is, however, not reality.
Accept it and move on.
That’s what Bears coach Marc Trestman and Emery will do. That’s what the team will do — no matter how much praise Urlacher’s former teammates may offer Urlacher.
If Urlacher wanted to end his career with the Bears, it could have happened. If the Bears had wanted to continue to employ Urlacher, it could have happened.
That it didn’t is not the end of the world. Merely the end of an era.
Jaslyn Ome, Playboy’s April Playmate. Credit: Stephen Wayda/Playboy
If it’s Thursday (and because yesterday was Wednesday, the odds are pretty good that it is), then it is time once again for the latest installment of “Sports & Torts” with co-hosts David Spada and Elliott Harris at noon Chicago time on talkzone.com.
The guests on the March 21 edition of the highly acclaimed show (well, it’s highly acclaimed in the Spada and Harris households — and reportedly elsewhere) are NBA legend Elgin Baylor and Playboy’s April Playmate Jaslym Ome — not necessarily in that order of appearance on the program and/or importance to some of the audience.
For those unable to tune in at noon or for those who would like to enjoy an encore performance, the show will be available later in the day via podcast at the talkzone.com site.
Here is where we go for some video (hey, even a little bowling with Terrell Owens, who is better known for being an NFL receiver):
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