The Bears Haven't Been Kind This Offseason
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?
Comments
Cheap bastards, low-balling everybody and screwing over the kids!!
They've made some good decisions in past years that were really controversial and turned out good. But they seem to be taking it a bit too far.
Hopefully C. Benson will be ready to actually block someone when that blitz comes. Otherwise, Rex might have another injury year. Jones was a good soldier but Benson is the better RB.
I don't get the Briggs thing.
Riviera might be overrated, though he is a decent guy. It's Lovie's defense and the new guy is Lovie's buddy.
Posted by: barabajagal | March 10, 2007 8:58 AM
You talk about benefits for the kids and "for-profit" organizations... then throw a hissy fit? I think you better get some more facts before you rush down your slippery slope. and I'm not about to question the strategic trading of a team that made it to the play-offs 2 years in a row. You really don't think they want to do anything they can to win? ... or benefit the community for that matter? Keep an eye out, i'm sure they start up some kind of legitimate charity soon.
-A
Posted by: Adam | March 11, 2007 12:23 AM