I'd like to go ahead and call B.S. on Brian Urlacher right now. And while I'm at it, I call B.S. on Lance Briggs too. Just in case you missed Urlacher's comments, here's they are courtesy of NFL.com;
"Our crowd was pretty good today for the most part," Urlacher said sarcastically. "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."
Really? Because it shouldn't be incredible, because a 1-5 slide pretty much sucks.
And then Lance Briggs chimed in, having his teammates back. Also from NFL.com;
"I've been here a long time, too and I've [heard] a lot of boos. For a lot of the wrong reasons. Nobody, on any team I've seen, gets booed more at home than here in Chicago."
Really? Lance Briggs? Isn't he the same guy that has threatened to leave Chicago on a couple occasions? The same guy that fully understands that professional football is a business, is all of a sudden taking things personal?
While I'm calling B.S., I've got one more for Lovie Smith for not knowing about what Urlacher said. Does he really expect us to believe that he's unaware of what the face of the franchise for the last decade had to say?
Professional athletes understand what they are getting into when they choose this path. The adoring fans, the sometimes over-exuberant groupies, money, cars, the lifestyle, the overbearing media, the paparazzi, comped meals, chilling in the VIP section of all the hottest clubs, and the endorsements. When victorious they are treated like heroes, and when they lose they may be jeered.
Boo. Fricking. Hoo.
Bears fans are frustrated. And yes, we all know that no one is more frustrated than the players, but don't make a such a ludicrous statement that other teams don't boo their players. You mean to tell me that New York and Philadelphia fans aren't booing the home team? Everybody gets booed. Some fans put a bag on their head to show their disdain. Get over it.
When I go to a sporting event, I save my vile and venom for the opposing team. I can honestly say I've never booed for my favorite team or player. But I'll never begrudge a fellow fan from doing so. He paid for his ticket, he has a right to voice his displeasure, as long as he remains respectful to those around him. Don't be the guy 'Mother F'ing' this and 'Son of a B'ing' that. But boo if you want to boo.
I recall a few games this year where the "Let's Go Bears!" chants were audible on the road. On the road! Bears fans are about as passionate as they come and for good reason. Our own Dane Noble said it best a couple years ago, right here on Windy City Gridiron;
Right or wrong, Chicago Bears fans are a passionate bunch, and that passion was born from excellence.
Much of the stuff Dane said then, rings true now.
Brian Urlacher has never been the most media savvy player, and this isn't the first time he's stuck his foot in his mouth, but why take it personal? I don't think he truly believes what he said. Many of us are upset when the players or coaches show no emotion, so why take a guy to task for getting pissed off?
Will we only accept "fire" from our team if it's positive "fire"?
As fans, especially Chicago fans, I think we tend to get a little to up in the good times, and a little to down in the bad times. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's in our Bears DNA. But if we look at this current team, they have been snake-bit with a bunch of injuries and bad luck as Comcast's John "Moon" Mullin points out.
It really sucks, and it hurts on some level, that we saw a 7-1 team starting to get some national recognition, and legitimate Super Bowl buzz, tank it so hard.
It's even harder when talking about football. With only one game a week, fans hold onto the outcome longer than in other sports. The Chicago Bulls can lay an egg one game, then come back and knock off the Boston Celtics. The Bears lose on Sunday, and it's still stinging on Wednesday.
Maybe us fans should chill out a bit, and maybe the Chicago players should step back before spouting off, but we're talking about Chicago here... We tell it like it is, whether good or bad, and we sure do love us some passion and fire.