madlithuanian

I wish I could irnore it. I'm drawn like moth to flame! And I flame him at every opporunity I get!

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2010/05/da...s_thinking.html Honestly, the more I hear about this guy, the more I like him. He should be HC instead of the seat warmer we currently have...

Smith.... Stubborn... Must do same thing over and over again... Grrr.... Winng BAD!!!! Repeating same mistakes, GOOD!

Love this tread guys! Kudos!

Trent needs to see "Brain"...to many injuries to his...

Does he want to be a HC? It'd be nice for the D to have that too...

He had some to begin with? The only thing he's involved in that had any fantasy value was his ex-girlfriend...

Happy happy joy joy!

Honestly, I've seen more than enough of him at safety. And at nickel. And he belongs in nickel and dime. He is not an NFL calibur starting saftey.

I'm not sure we're in any kind of disagreement. I was being a bit over the top.... I do generally hold an Animal House-ish attitude. "They can't make fun of our pledges. Only we can make fun of our pledges." Where you live I think dictates that. And vice versa with me here in LA. It's so a land of fans from all over the country. So everyone pretty much follows their own team, and yet oddly gravitates towards people that know what they're talking about. Because finding similar fans is not an easy task. My Niners, Pats,etc friends know a lot about the Bears, not just from me, but also becasue they tend to follow every team, play fantasy, etc... Please note, I have no Packers friends. I do have a Minny one. But I didn't talk to him last year. And I won't until Britney Favre retires for good.

Bingo...

If you put it like that.... Then, this is great!

Smith and JA. Yep. I am an honest person. If someone asks, I tell them. And I personally feel they are the core reason this team is under-acheving. Not the players. I support the players pretty much accross the board, barring the unusual...like when Harris cheap shotted the AZ linemen. Let me also state that when I discuss football, it's usually done at work or with friends. And the folks I discuss with are smart, knowledgible football fans. They tell me honestly how they feel about their teams, and I do the same. Giving them a knee-jerk Superfans answer can be funny at times, but once the discussion gets serious, I try to be objective. I discuss football as objective as possible. Can you honestly say, when you're talking football with a buddy who happens not to be a Bears fan, that you say that Smith is the best coach since Lombardi? It's one thing to be funny and pull the Bill Swerski card or if around no one you know or respect per se...but it's another when you are talking to epople who know the game. However when the game is on, I am screaming my fool head off and insulting everything I can with the opposition. I can turn the switch on/off. I will also vehemently defend players. When a person bad-mouths a player unjustly, I will defend. But that only happens when I'm in a public place where I know no one. And it is rare I am in such a place. I either watch games at home with friends and family, or I go to the Bears game. I never watch in a bar. Probably because I know it could result in a fight because there are too many fools in bars that know not what they speak of. I try to put myself in places where I am happy, not where I can get irritated. We all know why Url was ticked. It's how you react to those things, that show character. And if Url had been conducting himself better than grunts and silence historically, I think he would have been given a little more of a pass... The truth can hurt. Shows us Brian, don't tell us. Prop your team w/o bashing a former player for something he can no longer do something about.

Bottom line...news is thin. The Bears have sucked for the past 3 years and are easy pickens right now. Truthfully, what difference does it make? The fact is, those guys weren't asked that when they played. Url is being asked that now. He is the product of his generation, and that includes an endless stream of hype and media coverage. He needs to simply deal with it better I think. Maybe it just one's perception. I don't view Sayers comments as harsh, just trughful. And I see Url's as defensive and petty. But, maybe that's just me. I think the crux is that Sayers, Ditka, Butkus all make the harsher comments because they want to see the team do better. Url just sounds like he's taking a cheap shot at Sayers for never winning a championship. And Sayers will never have that opportunity. Whereas, Url could take some of the comments made by those guys, and still have a chance to win and get better. I do think, that big picture-wise, Url is always better doing his talking on the field. Even a quip like..."Well, Mr. Sayers is entitled to his opinion. My job is to go out, give it my all, and help my team prove him wrong." would have been just fine.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2010/05/mi...port_day_1.html Minicamp report: Day 1 By Neil Hayeson May 21, 2010 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) Brian Urlacher made a leaping interception of a Jay Cutler pass. Julius Peppers lined up at right and left end and pressured quarterbacks several times, even knocking the ball out of Cutler's hand once. Rookie safety Major Wright, a noted big hitter in college, had to be reminded that the Bears first minicamp practice was a non-contact affair. "It felt good," Peppers said. "It has been a while since we had the helmets on so getting back to football activities is a good thing." It was only a May minicamp, but the workout seemed quicker and more up-tempo than training-camp and regular-season practices in the past. "I definitely say there's a sense of urgency," coach Lovie Smith said. "We want to improve. Having five practices we want to get as much done when we have an opportunity to do it. We're anxious to get to the regular season and have a chance to play Detroit." Tommie Harris sat out the morning workout and Pisa Tinoisamoa will not practice this afternoon as Smith tries to keep the veteran defensive tackle and linebacker healthy. Center Olin Kreutz, who is still recovering from surgery to remove a bone spur near his Achilles tendon, also did not practice. Defensive tackle Marcus Harrison was sick but could return today or Sunday. Tight end Brandon Manumaleuna recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and watched from the sideline. It was the first time the media had seen offensive players running new offensive coordinator Mike Martz's system. "The guys are picking it up," Smith said. "They're excited about what we'll be as an offensive team. You have to score points. We need to score, and score often." There were no big surprises in terms of the depth chart. Chris Harris and Danieal Manning lined up as the first-team safeties. Matt Forte ran with the first-team offense while Chester Taylor took snaps with the second team. Tinoisamoa was mostly on the field with entrenched starters Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. Nick Roach, who was forced into the starting lineup when Tinoisamoa was injured last season, will likely get a long look with the first team this afternoon as Tinoisamoa watches. Tim Jennings was the first-team cornerback while Charles Tillman worked with the second team, a likely result of Tillman not attending all the "voluntary" workouts. "Charles Tillman is one of our guys," Smith said. "Every year I've been here that's been the case and that won't change." Don't read too much into who is doing what in minicamp, however. Things can and often do change radically once the pads go on. With Kreutz out, for example, Josh Beekman played center and several players, including Johan Asiata and rookie free-agent Vince Vance, logged time at left guard. "There's no second or first team right now," Smith said. "There's a starting rotation you have based on who has been here the most right now. When some of the players haven't been here the entire time you don't know what kind of condition they're in and you have to get them out here and see." This entry will be updated after the second practice.

Knee surgery knocks Manumaleuna out of minicamp Posted by Michael David Smith on May 21, 2010 12:12 PM ET Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen says that after some initial apprehension, he feels confident about his role in new coordinator Mike Marz's offense. That's especially good news for the Bears because the tight end who already knows his role in Martz's offense, Brandon Manumaleuna, is sidelined at the moment. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that Manumaleuna, who previously played for Martz in St. Louis and was signed by the Bears on the first day of free agency, is sidelined during this weekend's minicamp after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. Manumaleuna is expected to be at full speed at the start of training camp in August, but it's not yet known whether he'll be able to participate in any voluntary activities before then. With Manumaleuna out, Olsen and Desmond Clark are getting plenty of reps at tight end, and Biggs reports that Olsen was also lined up in the backfield at times in Friday morning's practice.

Mike Ditka, Dan Hampton pile on Brian Urlacher Posted by Michael David Smith on May 21, 2010 12:52 PM ET Pretty soon, every living Chicago Bears Hall of Famer will have given Brian Urlacher a public scolding. First Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers got into a war of words with Urlacher, then Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus took Sayers' side. Now Hall of Fame defensive tackle Dan Hampton and Hall of Fame tight end (and former head coach) Mike Ditka are dressing Urlacher down as well. Hampton told ESPN Chicago that Urlacher needs thicker skin. "You can't have thin skin if you can't win," Hampton said. "That's just the way it is. Buddy Ryan used to say, 'We're not in the business of playing football, we're in the business of winning games.' Ultimately, [the Bears] haven't been successful in three years. However you want to cut it, those are the facts. Gale Sayers just had the audacity to point it out." Ditka added that Urlacher should respect Sayers' on-field accomplishments. "If he doesn't get hurt when he does, I'm telling you, nobody would ever break his records," Ditka said of Sayers. "I was there. He made me look good on blocks. I didn't know where I was half the time. The guy was unbelievable. I saw him. Brian never saw this, but that's OK." Ditka added that Urlacher should spend more time worrying about the teams that finished ahead of the Bears in the NFC North and less time worrying about Sayers. "The Bears are in the North division. Right now, they have two concerns: Green Bay and Minnesota," Ditka said. "That should be their only two concerns. Unless they can control their division they're not going to win. And right now there are two teams that are playing better than they are, and that's Green Bay and Minnesota. That's not good." Maybe the Detroit Lions can use those words as bulletin-board material. And maybe Urlacher can too.

Agreed! I love him at nickel! And as a back-up safety...ther'es no harm, he just should not be a starter. I'm still of the mindset Hester needs to return all kicks... But, Manning spelling him sounds good to me!

Seriously, if Smith wins it all, not only will I be shocked, but I'll be extremely happy! It's not impossible for someone to change their ways and bring about positive change. It's just not very likely. But, I'd be beyond ecstatic is we won another Super Bowl! If Smith fails to do so, or more importantly, makes no significant push into the playoffs, I welcome a new coaching, and hopefully, management staff. The new staff would have pretty much the same time as any other team would give them. Basically 5 years. 3 to show significant improvement, then 2 to seal the deal. If after 3, there isn't significant improvement, it may be time to start anew. It would depend on the circumstances. Belichick went from horrid, to pretty outstanding. Not just a bit better. It took only 2 years once he got the second chance in NE. His frist in NE was bad, then the next, he won a SB... I honestly could care less about a winning record. I care about championships. If you get the championship, the record will happen as part of it. But just having a good record, doesn't mean you have a coach that knows post-season success. I also care about being tough. And our team under Smith is not tough. I can swallow the bitter pill of losees if I know our team is at least giving their all and making the other team pay in pain. So our next coach I think should instill that. That could be Cowher, that could be Russ Grimm, that could be Ron Rivera, or a number of others that just aren't coming to mind.

I really think that if the D is a misrable failure yeat again, regardless of the O, that could spell doom for Smith. At least one would hope.

bear trap, I think we're pretty much on the same page. He and Angelo have pretty much earned a swift kick in the a$$ and should have been bounced after last season. But, they are here to give it one last hurrah. Let's hope the light goes off for both. I too want Cowher... Moreso, I want a coach that can adapt to what it placed before him. I want a Parcells-like coach. He's always made the most out of the least.

Why? There is not loyalty clause that gives old players monetary compensation for saying flowery things about their former teams. Some are officially on the payroll, but most aren't. Some were treated well by the team, others not so much. They have a right to state anything they want. They may face reprecussions for certain things, but it's thier perogative to do so regardless. I think you can still be loyal and still criticize. Pretty much, the vast majority here on this board do just that. We criticize because we want what we love to be better.

Amen! (However in fairness, he wasn't on the field when that happened...) But, I more than get your point!

Also, he just didn't spurt out his comments while singing a song or making a speech. He was asked the question by a reporter, and he answered honestly.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=6787