The Out Route

They let Ron Rivera, one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL, go because they wouldn't pay him. It took a swell of public persuasion to finally give Lovie Smith a raise. They franchised Lance Briggs against his will and traded team favorite Thomas Jones in favor of malcontent Cedric Benson. Now the Bears are attacking charity.

From the mothership comes this:

Bears long snapper Patrick Mannelly, fullback Jason McKie and former Bears linebacker Otis Wilson (pictured in the locker room after Super Bowl XX) were planning to play in a basketball game to raise money for the library for Jacobs High School in suburban Chicago. But the Bears demanded that it be called off, saying Mannelly and McKie were risking injury and that promoting a game using the name "Chicago Bears" violates the team's rights.

I understand wanting to prevent your players from injury, and the charity was run by a for-profit that was using the Bears' name. So they really do have all authority to cancel the game. But they've gotta be aware how this will reflect on the team. The Bears' actions have put 16 school fundraisers in question.

Perhaps a better way, instead of coming off like a blue-and-orange monster that hates kids, would have been to replace those fundraisers with something team-approved? Won't somebody please think of the children?