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Brian Urlacher Almost Ruined His Hall of Fame Announcement

By
Erik Lambert
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brian urlacher

Chicago Bears nation rejoiced when the Brian Urlacher Hall of Fame news came down. The eight-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker became the 28th member of the franchise enshrined in Canton. He’s also the eighth player in team history to get in on the first ballot. To most there was never a doubt this would happen. Sure there were lingering fears he might not share the spotlight with fellow linebacker Ray Lewis, but if the voters stuck to common sense then it would happen.

So it did. However, it almost passed him by. At least for a brief instant. Once the voting process is complete, it’s the honor of Hall of Fame president David Baker to go to each hotel room of the candidates who were elected to give them the good news. It’s a wonderful tradition. Cameras caught him making the rounds. There was jubilation such as Packers guard Jerry Kramer, a longtime also-ran in the process, finally getting in. There were tears as with the always passionate Lewis.

With Urlacher? There was almost nothing at all due to his own hilarious oversight.

In truth the Brian Urlacher announcement was perfect

Urlacher himself said that the Hall of Fame would be nice, but it wouldn’t change his feelings about his career. How he looked in the eyes of his teammates, coaches and fans were what mattered more. While others might lose sleep over their chances, Urlacher was so laid back he forgot to make his room available for entry.

No doubt his was the best moment of the announcements, if for no other reason than it will be hard to forget. With his enshrinement, the focus will now shift to whether the Bears are chosen as participants for the annual Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. A game they haven’t participated in since 2005.

Brian Urlacher Becomes 28th Chicago Bear to Reach Hall of Fame

By
Erik Lambert
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brian urlacher

The Chicago Bears have more representatives in the Pro Football Hall of Fame than any franchise in the NFL. Richard Dent was their most recent addition a few years back, the key pass rusher of the famed 1985 team. Hopes were high coming into 2018 that another iconic defender who receive his call. That being middle linebacker Brian Urlacher.

He certainly left behind quite the legacy with eight Pro Bowl appearances, a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, a Defensive Player of the Year award and standing as a man who revolutionized his position. Nobody had ever seen a player with his size and athleticism before. Throw in one of the sharpest defensive minds on the field and it made for a dominant force that made Bears football so much fun to watch.

Well, today the rest of the football world was reaffirmed of that greatness. The voters at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio saw fit to make Urlacher the 28th Chicago Bears player in history to be enshrined.

Brian Urlacher gets well-deserved validation for his brilliance

There was genuine concern from many Bears fans over this selection process. While nobody fear he would get in at some point, the feeling was he might be kept off the first ballot. Not because he wasn’t worthy but because the selection committee might not want to put two players from the same position in at the same time.

Urlacher retired in 2013. Unfortunately, he had the hard luck to walk away the same year fellow middle linebacker Ray Lewis did as well. If one were to go by the numbers alone, Lewis was an undoubted lock to get in on his first try. He’s a 13-time Pro Bowler, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time Super Bowl champion.

He’s superior to Urlacher in every important stat category. It shouldn’t diminish the fact Urlacher was superior to nearly all the other candidates, but this is what makes the voting process flawed. Thankfully the voters had some common sense and didn’t let position dictate the fact that both men defined defensive football in the NFL for over a decade.

Some have even said that pound-for-pound, Urlacher was actually the superior player. He just didn’t have the benefits Lewis did of playing on better teams. Either way, Bears fans can rest easy. Their former hero is where he belongs now.

Could the Bulls Gain Another First Round Pick Before The Deadline?

By
Patrick Mooney
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Apparently, the Bulls aren’t satisfied standing pat after Thursday’s Nikola Mirotic trade. The Bulls have a couple of vets on the roster that could be appealing to other teams, especially center Robin Lopez.

Finding a first-round pick for Lopez will be more difficult than it was for Mirotic, but if a team is desperate enough to unload a bad contract, the Bulls just might be able to pull it off.

Lopez is having a nice year, averaging a career-high 12.5 ppg on 52.8% shooting while providing a steady presence in the paint defensively. He’s also a 10-year vet who, by all accounts, is liked by everybody that has crossed paths with him. Besides mascots.

RoLo is not without his faults as a player. He doesn’t rebound nearly as well as you would like for a 7-footer (just 4.8 rpg in 28 minutes) and in today’s game, it’s more important than ever to have big men with the ability to switch and guard multiple positions, something Lopez simply doesn’t do well.

The team most closely linked to Lopez is the Boston Celtics, but given the way Boston’s GM Danny Ainge cherishes his draft picks it would be surprising to see a deal get done.

The Knicks are rumored to be willing to unload their first-round pick if it meant they could attach Joakim Noah’s albatross of a contract in the deal as well. While acquiring a likely lottery pick for Lopez would be fantastic, taking on Noah’s contract could be disastrous. He’d likely be nothing more than a $40 million distraction over the next two seasons, given his past with Fred Hoiberg and his current talent/health issues. It’s in everybody’s best interest to let “Joakim Noah, Chicago Bull” remain a thing of the past.

In short, Getting a first-round pick for Lopez will be tough, and honestly unlikely. The Bulls could pull the trigger on a deal for a second-rounder or a young, unheralded player they like. If not, hanging onto Lopez past the deadline isn’t the end of the world.

Lopez, unlike Mirotic, has a purpose on this roster as a mentor to the younger players, and with a year remaining on his contract, the Bulls can always re-engage in trade talks when the offseason starts in June.

Akiem Hicks Has Subtle But Brilliant Nickname For Bears Offensive Line

By
Erik Lambert
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akiem hicks

The winning still hasn’t quite found the Chicago Bears yet, but optimism is high that it will come soon. In the meantime, there is one ray of sunshine that has become prevalent. The roster is overloaded with characters again. It seems like every position group has its designated comedian these days, guys who are absolute gold in front of a camera or on social media. Perhaps nobody has proven a more entertaining follow than stud defensive end Akiem Hicks.

One of his most prized moments actually didn’t even involve him having a conversation. All he had to do was make a confirmation. It started when a question was thrown out on Twitter about how and where Mitch Trubisky got the nickname “Pretty Boy Assassin.” Kyle Long chimed in stating he has no idea where it came from and was most likely an invention of the media.

It was at this point another person came in with a far better question. One trying to confirm a rumor about what Akiem Hicks calls the offensive line.

Akiem Hicks does indeed call the O-line “Chicken Dinner”

Even if this was just a fabrication the layered brilliance behind the nickname is something to behold. That’s because it needs a non-offensive lineman to work. By itself, the nickname “Chicken Dinner” wouldn’t mean much. It’s only by adding Mitch Trubisky to the mix, who’s well-documented nickname is “Biscuit” that it becomes a masterwork. The best part though was when Hicks himself turned rumor into reality.

Undoubtedly the nickname was meant half in jest but at the same time, there is just something so wonderful about it. It’s funny, interesting, unique and has a great backstory. Those are hallmarks of the best nicknames. Nobody ever said they had to be cool. Here’s hoping that becomes a popular thing as Trubisky continues his ascent.

Lawsuit Alleges Cardinals Pitcher Carlos Martinez Was Part Of Group Who Badly Beat Up A Man Outside Strip Club

By
Aldo Soto
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The St. Louis Cardinals could have some serious issues if the following allegations are proven to be true against their ace Carlos Martinez. The starting pitcher has been named in a lawsuit that claims he was part of a group that beat a man back in 2014, outside of a strip club in East St. Louis.

According to the Belleville News-Democrat, Andrew D. D’Angelo filed the lawsuit that alleges he was drinking at a bar on July 4, 2014, when he had a verbal fight with a group of men that included Martinez. Then, things quickly escalated outside of a strip club. The suit states D’Angelo got jumped by that same group of men, while he specifically names Martinez as the one who punched him in the face.

Via the Belleville News-Democrat:

The suit filed by plaintiff Andrew D. D’Angelo alleges that he was drinking at a bar in St. Louis on July 4, 2014, when he had a verbal confrontation with a group of men, including St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez and late Cardinals player Oscar Taveras.

The lawsuit states that D’Angelo left the bar after the fight and went to Diamond Cabaret, a strip club near East St. Louis. It was known as Penthouse Club at the time.

Martinez and his group eventually showed up at the same strip club, the suit alleges, unbeknownst to D’Angelo. D’Angelo alleges he walked out the club and over to a food stand in the parking lot when the group followed him outside. At that point, according to the suit, they “jumped” D’Angelo, knocking him to the ground and beating him.

The lawsuit alleges Martinez specifically punched D’Angelo in the head and face.

According to the report, D’Angelo suffered a broken back and the incident resulted in nearly $100,000 in medical bills. D’Angelo’s lawyer, John Eccher, wrote the following about Martinez in an email to the Belleville News-Democrat.

Eccher said it’s unfortunate that Martinez, “a role model to our children both in St. Louis and worldwide, made the decision to participate in this planned attack rather than taking any step to prevent it.”

The lawsuit also accuses the strip club for negligence and liability.

According to the suit, the club failed to provide proper security near the food stand despite prior acts of violence that had occurred there. The club did not call the police until “well after” the attack had ended, the suit alleges.

Martinez isn’t the only Cardinals player involved in the lawsuit, as Oscar Taveras was part of the group of men who allegedly attacked D’Angelo as well. Taveras died on Oct. 26, 2014, in car accident in the Dominican Republic.

Pretty messy situation here for Martinez and the Cardinals.

Mitch Trubisky Planning To Train With Pro Bowler This Off-Season

By
Erik Lambert
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One of the smartest things about Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky? He knows how beneficial it is to ask advice of others. This was apparent from the moment he got to the NFL. Prior to being drafted, he got a chance to meet with two greats in Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger. He eagerly picked their brains about what he’d have to do in order to find success as a pro. Those lessons he has since applied and the steady improvement is evident.

Of course, Trubisky has a long way to go. His rookie season wasn’t terrible, but there is plenty of room to get better. He finished completing 59.4% of his passes for 2,193 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. It didn’t help that he had second-rate wide receivers and an offensive coaching staff stuck in the 1960s. Nonetheless, expectations are high for him in 2018.

It would seem he’s well aware of this. Trubisky is already hard at work preparing for next season and reportedly has plans to repeat what he did prior to the draft. He’ll seek help from somebody who has done it on the big stage.

Mitch Trubisky plans to room and train with Jared Goff in off-season

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff emerged onto the scene in a big way this past year. He led his team to their first playoff berth in over a decade and made the Pro Bowl in the process, living up to his standing as a former #1 overall pick. So he made an appearance on Barstool Radio to talk about his plans going forward. One of them involved living with Trubsiky during the off-season in order to train.

This is actually a clever move by Trubisky. If anybody understands his situation, it would be Goff. Both were the first quarterbacks taken in their respective drafts. Both had to endure old, outdated head coaches in their rookie seasons. Goff overcame that with help from Sean McVay to reach new heights. Those hard-won lessons could prove invaluable to Trubisky who is trying to do the same thing.

One thing is for sure. If Matt Nagy is anything like McVay, it could be a fun year for Bears fans watching Trubisky work. A lot will depend on what GM Ryan Pace can do upgrading the arsenal of weapons at wide receiver, which was considered subpar in 2017. Then again that’s another lesson the Rams can team them, having gone through the same thing a year earlier.

John Paxson Made A Rare In-Season Media Appearance This Morning

By
Patrick Mooney
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Bulls VP of Basketball Operations John Paxson, along with general manager Gar Forman, are infamously quiet during the season. Getting an interview out of them between October and May can be as painful as pulling teeth.

However, 670 The Score’s Morning Drive crew ‘Mully and Hanley’ were able to get John Paxson on the line this morning. Normally, during the rare in-season interviews Paxon does give, the interview content is pretty standard and fluffed. But with yesterday’s Nikola Mirotic news, Paxson opened up a little bit more than usual.

So there are some interesting and honest thoughts there regarding part of the motivation to trade Niko as well as how they plan on using Lavine down the stretch, with an update on the concussed Kris Dunn sprinkled in. What caught my eye most, however, were his comments about ‘tanking’ and future spending.

This comment was interesting because there were a lot of fans that became, upset isn’t the right word, but uncomfortable with how well the Bulls played in December and most of January. The team went 15-8 after starting the season 3-20, climbing all the way up to the 9th worst record in the league at one point, just five games out of the playoffs.

On one hand, it was excellent to see Dunn break out and Lauri Markkanen showcase talent that we weren’t sure he had. Mirotic came back and established good trade value, and eventually Zach Lavine showed up with no signs of lost athleticism after last February’s ACL tear. All of that is good.

On the other hand, the Bulls were winning enough games to pull them away from the top of the lottery board, lessening their chances of adding another top young player to join the young corps of Dunn-Markkanen-Lavine.

Both options considered, Paxson makes a good point. You don’t want to trot out a roster, headlined by at least three players you plan on building around, with the attitude of “these games don’t matter, the worse you play the better it is for the organization.” It’s ‘coach speak’, it’s cliche, but building a culture and a winning attitude has merit, and the 15-8 stretch the Bulls went on earlier this season should help them more than it hurt them. With Dunn out, Lavine playing his way back into game shape, Miroitc gone, and Robin Lopez’s potential exit, the Bulls should lose plenty of games down the stretch and have a real shot at a top 5 pick, if not top 3. This season has been about as win-win as it can get, given the preseason expectations.

Paxson’s comments about spending were equally interesting.

“We’re going to be patient with (spending). We’re not going to start throwing money at players just for the sake of doing that. We look at this as a several-year plan.”

Again, I tend to agree with Paxson here. His comment can come off as an excuse for not wanting to dip in the organization’s checkbook, just dead air excusing the team for losing, but when taking a look at what their plan *should* be, and then looking at this year’s free agent class, the only free agent the Bulls should be spending on is Lavine.

When you look at where the Bulls are as an organization, the only top 5 free agent that would even consider joining them at this point in time would be DeMarcus Cousins. Is spending $150 million on a center that just tore his achilles tendon really the best use of money for this team as it currently stands? Does adding a middling free agent like Tyreke Evans or Clint Capela for $15 million a year speed up the rebuild, without hurting the Bulls flexibility in the future? For the time being, it would be smart for the Bulls to keep that piggy bank intact.

Anyway, Paxson talked, people listened, and we might have even learned something.

Noted Insider and John Fox Buddy Confirms Major Rumor About Bears

By
Erik Lambert
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john fox

John Fox is no longer head coach of the Chicago Bears. A lot of people feel relieved at that, including some of the players on the team. Jordan Howard freely admitted his love for Fox but that it was time for a change. Winning eight games in two years can have that effect. It’s hard to tell though where things started to truly turn against him. When did it become clear that the Bears were drifting away from his control?

After 2015 it looked like Fox was in firm command. Despite a 6-10 finished he had the team brimming with optimism after an upset win over the Packers on Thanksgiving. A strong off-season in 2016 could put them back into the playoff picture. Instead, they crashed to earth at 3-13, the worst record ever for a Bears team in a 16-game regular season.

Some thought that the failure would cause Fox to get fired. In the end, he wasn’t, but it became clear things weren’t the same. The old coach has lost some of his luster, not to mention sway behind the scenes. That became evident with what happened in the NFL draft last year.

John Fox friend Jay Glazer confirms Bears hid Trubisky pick from him

NFL insider Jay Glazer has a close relationship with several people around the NFL. He personally trains with many of them, able to speak their language on a personal level. One man, he’s been known to get along with for years is Fox. Typically any inside information regarding the head coach has come from Glazer. Such was the case again when one of the most explosive rumors of the 2017 NFL draft was finally confirmed.

Chris Mortensen of ESPN blew the lid off this shortly after the Bears selected Trubisky #2 overall, stating Fox didn’t even know about the pick until shortly before it happened. Months later word came out that GM Ryan Pace kept him out of the loop intentionally because he was afraid Fox, who’s known for being chummy and open with people, might blab the information by mistake.

Some people though believed it was the first major sign that Pace was starting his preparations for a change at head coach and wanted a quarterback in place for when that happened. After all, Fox had never drafted a QB in the first round his entire career dating back to 2002. This was a sharp departure from that. It’s far more likely that Pace went freelance than him convincing the veteran coach it was in his best interests to do so.

Fox and pretty much everybody knew he was out if he had another losing season. A rookie quarterback wasn’t going to save him. It was a bit underhanded, sure, but at the end of the day Pace’s first responsibility was to the Bears organization, not Fox’s job security.

Chicago Bears Trade Exploration Adds Some New Names

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears trade

A couple weeks back I reported that a Chicago Bears trade search was up and running after the hiring of head coach Matt Nagy was complete. It became apparent right away that GM Ryan Pace and his staff were hard at work seeking possible options to upgrade the wide receiving corps. Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, and A.J. Green were the names being talked about. Thus far nothing has moved on that front, though it’s still early.

It seems Pace isn’t going to keep his search narrow any longer. A source reached out to me stating that the lines of communication out of Halas Hall has picked up steam in the past 24 hours, much of it rich with potential trade discussions.

“The Bears are having heavy trade discussions today.”

Of course, that’s somewhat vague so I asked if there were any names involved or if this was just a feeling out by the Bears brass to see what names might be available. I received a short list of players back, all of them sticking to the original theme from a few weeks back.

“Martavis Bryant, Chris Conley, John Ross, and Laquan Treadwell.”

In case you weren’t entirely clear, all four of those names are wide receivers. All have encountered somewhat tense situations on their current teams, hence the interest in a potential deal. The Bears can’t afford to be picky at this stage. Anyone of them might be able to help.

Chicago Bears trade search will most likely remain passive

One should never discount Pace in regards to making deals. He’s already proven he’s more than willing to be aggressive if he feels it’s for the betterment of the roster. Still, the odds on him landing a young, quality receiver for cheap is unlikely. Still, the list above certainly has some attractive possibilities.

Bryant has been a quality deep threat option with 6’4″ size for the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014. He does come with considerable personality baggage, including a year-long suspension in 2016. Treadwell is a former first round pick of the Minnesota Vikings. He was a star at Ole Miss but for whatever reason hasn’t found a niche in their offense since being drafted.

Ross might be the most curious case. He set the draft world on fire last year when he broke the NFL combine record with a blistering 4.22 in the 40-yard dash. He is the epitome of a big play threat but for some reason, the Bengals refused to get him heavily involved in the offense. Some of this may have had to do with his being in the coaches’ doghouse over on-field effort. It’s all a bit fuzzy. What isn’t fuzzy is that speed.

Last but not least is Conley. He has a personal connection to Nagy from Kansas City. Not only is he 6’3″ but also possesses speed too. His 2017 season ended prematurely with an injury. The fact that the Chiefs still posted a top five offense and made the playoffs without him might have them convinced he’s not needed.

One can’t say any of these scenarios would solve the Bears receiving problem. That said it would certainly improve it.

Jordan Howard Casually Trashes Loggains Offense on TV

By
Erik Lambert
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jordan howard

Jordan Howard is not a man known for stirring the pot. Controversy isn’t his thing. Teammates will be the first to tell people that. He’s just a rock solid person who does whatever is asked of him for the good of the team. At the same time, he’s still a human being and a relentless competitor. One doesn’t get to the NFL without those traits. So it’s natural for a competitor to get frustrated.

At first glance, it’s hard to know why he’d be that way. Howard was the focal point of the Bears offense in 2017. He ran the ball more times and scored more touchdowns than he did as a rookie. He also went to his second Pro Bowl. One would think he’d be pretty happy. Except no. Howard has said repeatedly since last year personal stats mean nothing to him. He wants to win and a 5-11 record is not what he had in mind.

A big reason for why things went that way was the poor performance of the offense. Not just their inability to throw the ball due to a lack of talent at wide receiver. Fans were irate with the utterly predictable and two-dimensional nature of its operation. It seems even Howard himself couldn’t stay silent on it anymore.

Jordan Howard calls out former coaches for “basic” offense

Howard took time to make an appearance on the popular NFL Network program called “Good Morning Football.” There he got a chance to talk about his thoughts on the hiring of new head coach Matt Nagy. Though not the emotional type, Howard did seem excited about what the 39-year old could do to help the offense improve. At the same time, he also couldn’t hide a tinge of resentment towards the previous staff for how poorly things were handled this past season.

One can understand the frustration. In 2016, Howard faced a tackle box of eight or more defenders 27.78% of the time. This past year, with the lack of creativity evident almost every week, that number skyrocketed to 43.12%. It’s not much fun having to constantly slam your head against the proverbial wall, taking the abuse and knowing the coaches could be doing more to ease your burden.

Thankfully he’s in store for a treat. Kareem Hunt, the NFL leading rusher this season, played under Nagy in Kansas City. He faced an eight-man or more box just 23.53% of his carries. That was thanks to the formations and play designing Nagy and the Chiefs staff were able to cook up to keep defenders from crowding the line of scrimmage. If the same can be done for Howard moving forward, the result could be huge for Chicago.

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