Charles Tillman thinking of joining Lovie Smith in Tampa

Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman has admitted that a move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would appeal to him.

The Bears are poised to allow the 32-year-old to test the market, and Tillman has been mooted with a possible link up with his former head coach Lovie Smith at the Buccaneers.

"Obviously, it makes the deal probably a little sweeter just because it's a former head coach," Tillman told the Chicago Sun-Times. "You do know the system, you know the scheme.

"I think it helps it from a standpoint that it's a former coach, a guy that you liked, a guy that you'd been with for 10 years. It's cool. But it's free agency. I'm open to whoever."

Tillman had 41 tackles, three interceptions and three forced fumbles in the 2013 season.

Tillman has stated that he'd like to retire as a Bear, but it's a business and he also said that he has interest in all 32 teams.

“I’m just trying to make the best decision, and hopefully the Bears do, too,” he said. “If I get to free agency, so be it. If I don’t, so be it. It’s nothing personal. It’s a business. It’s a process.”

"(I hope) that a team picks me up and I still have a job. Any team," he said. "All 32."

Tillman made nearly $8 million last season and knows a big payday isn't coming at the age of 33. He can still help a team out but whether it's in a starting or complementary role remains to be seen.

Former NFL receiver Sam Hurd gets 15 years in prison

Former Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears receiver Sam Hurd was sentenced by a federal judge to 15 years in prison on a drug trafficking conviction.

Hurd admitted to buying and distributing marijuana but denied any trafficking of cocaine.

“I am very sorry. I am very remorseful for what I did,” Hurd said.

U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis could have sentenced Hurd to anywhere from 10 years to life in prison.

“It’s a tragedy,” Solis told Hurd before issuing the 15-year sentence. “You had everything going for you. You had no reason to get involved in this activity.”

Hurd was arrested in December 2011 outside a Morton's steakhouse near Chicago after accepting a kilogram of cocaine from an undercover officer. Inside the restaurant, prosecutors alleged, Hurd told the officer and an informant that he wanted to buy 5 to 10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana weekly to distribute. Outside, he got into his vehicle and within moments police surrounded him. Authorities arrested Hurd, capping a more than year-long investigation.

Hurd told the judge that his marijuana addiction led him to make decisions.

Lately it seems like the addiction card is being thrown around lately. Marijuana didn't make Hurd want to be a distributor, Hurd made Hurd want to be a distributor. He made good enough money doing something lots of us will never be able to do in our wildest dreams but he had to screw it up. While 15 years might be a long time, the part of him dealing with cocaine probably got him more years than he might've deserved.

Hopefully professional athletes will take a look at Hurd and leave the street activity out of sports.

Man uses Taser on his wife to settle Bears-Packers bet

Some people take sports bets and their fandom too far at times.

No one would take tasering a part of a bet. Obviously John and Nicole Grant don't fall into that demographic. Because that's exactly what they did.

With Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler out for Monday night's showdown with the Green Bay Packers, Nicole took a bet that the Packers would take care of business and beat the Bears.

Nicole said that John could use a Taser on her if the Packers lost. Well the Packers lost and John used the taser on his wife and ended up in the pokey because of it.  

The two were in the alley smoking a cigarette at one point when Grant used the Taser “two times on her buttocks,” according to a criminal complaint filed in Dodge County, Wis.

Grant’s wife then called police.

“Hell yeah it hurt,” she said, according to police.

“It takes not only the Packer and Bear rivalry to a new level, it takes the spousal rivalry (to a new level),” said Mayville Police Chief Christopher MacNeill. “There are couples where the wife is a fan of one team and the husband’s a fan of another team, but this raises the bar a little bit and goes to the extreme.”

In Dodge County Circuit Court on Tuesday, "Grant was charged with possession of an electric weapon, and could face a fine of $10,000 and up to six years in prison if convicted."

I don't think they'll go hardcore on him and make him do any time but he'll consider this a lesson learned.

Bears think Israel Idonije gave their line calls to Lions

Some Chicago Bears players told a Chicago ESPN reporter on Sunday that they thought former Bears defensive end Israel Idonije, who now plays for the Lions, had tipped the Lions off to their stunts because every time they ran a power stunt, Reggie Bush saw it and made the most of it.

“I really think that’s ridiculous, I think it takes away from the players on the field.’’ Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. “We rushed for a lot of yards because we blocked them and Reggie Bush broke tackles. To say Reggie Bush is 8 yards behind the quarterback and he can hear what a line call is I think that’s ridiculous.’’

Bush ran for 139 yards including a 37-yard touchdown scamper.

“I’d also like to point out they signed Landon Cohen last week,’’ Schwartz said. “Landon had been here a long time and we haven’t changed our scheme since Landon was here I didn’t see that being a big difference in the game. Stuff like that comes up, it’s just the nature of the NFL.’’

"I like to concentrate on the players on the field and what happens on the field and stuff like that."

"I like to say that our guys did a good job of being in position and blocking and ran the ball well," Schwartz said. "We ran the ball for a lot of yards and it wasn't for any reason other than we blocked well and had a good scheme. Our running backs did a good job when we gave it to 'em."

Even if Idonije did tip the Lions off about the Bears' schemes it's up to the coaching staff to mix things up so whatever knowledge a former player might have is nullified. If they didn’t change the calls, knowing Idonije was on that line for 10 years, it’s just bad coaching.

Ex-Michigan receiver David Terrell facing a drug related felony charge

Former Michigan wide receiver David Terrell is facing a drug related felony charge in Chicago.

 ESPN.com reports Terrell was arrested Friday after police received a call of people smoking marijuana in a building. Authorities say Terrell and two others were observed with cannabis and “materials to package and distribute narcotics” in plain view.

Terrell is also facing a misdemeanor count of battery on a police officer after resisting arrest.

After being caught with marijuana and "cannabis scales" on Friday, Terrell resisted arrest. The report explains how he "struck the hand of an officer" during the incident, and another officer reportedly had to be taken to the hospital after Terrell's attempt to resist arrest.

Terrell was a first round draft pick (number 8 overall) by the Bears in the 2001 NFL draft. He played four seasons with the Bears and one with the Broncos. He finished his NFL career with 128 receptions and nine touchdowns.

It's a shame that he wasn't able to match the production he had at Michigan.

Brandon Marshall wants Titus Young to get some help

Former Detroit Lions receiver Titus Young isn't gathering much sympathy in the court of public opinion after three arrests in the past week.

It has been a historic downfall for Young a former second round pick and was thought to be a major contributor for the Lions for years to come. Now it's all about trying to get his life back together.

Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall sympathizes with that Young is going through and says that he hopes Young gets treatment.

“He needs to get the right treatment plan,” Marshall said. “I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder a few years and got the right help, the right treatment, and now I’m advocating for it. Mental health in itself is just so stigmatized, it’s a taboo topic in our homes, in our communities, and we need more people to talk about it and not make Titus Young or people like myself or others who can’t fight for themselves a national punchline.”

“Guys like Titus Young, it doesn’t necessarily mean he has to be diagnosed, but if we’re not treating these cases properly, it just gets worse,” Marshall said. “I hear people say his career is over. Well, first of all, it’s really not about his career right now. It’s about his life. And second of all, if he gets that in order, we’ll be looking at a success story, and this is a guy who will be in a locker room and guys will be coming to him for advice.”

Marshall said that he tried to reach out to Young but wasn't able to reach him. Marshall had some off field issues himself and was willing to get treatment. I don't know if Young may be willing do the same but I hope so because in a strange way I'm starting to feel sorry for the guy.

Terrell Owens eyeing the Chicago Bears for a possible comeback

The last time we saw Terrell Owens he was trying to latch on with the Seattle Seahawks. He didn't make it but Owens has had lots of time to keep himself in shape with the hope of catching the eye of another NFL team.

A report by David Kaplan from CSNChicago.com says Owens has an eye on the Chicago Bears for a possible comeback. Owens is hoping that his past with Bears coach Marc Trestman will help him get a job in Chicago. Owens has been working out with former NFL linebacker and Illinois State Senator Napoleon Harris.

Owens is reportedly in great shape despite not playing since 2011.

"I played my first early years in San Francisco with [Bears head coach Marc Trestman] and shortly after that, he left to do some things," he said. "I haven't talked to Marc in a long while. I know he's gone on and done some things, now he's back in the NFL. So, I never really thought about it until myself and Napoleon were talking about it earlier, but I would definitely welcome it if they would give it some serious consideration. To think about [Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall] on the other side and me on one side, that's really dangerous. I'm keeping myself in shape just for any opportunity that may come about."

Being in shape has never been a problem for Owens. In the past it's been his mouth and attitude. Nowdays it's his hands that are betraying him.

"The guy was a great player and he is in tremendous physical shape," Harris said. "We worked out this morning and after we ran five miles, he did sprints and lifted and he looks great. The Bears would be smart to give him an opportunity. He is motivated and ready to play."

Even though Owens played in Trestman's system when both were with the San Francisco 49ers, there's no guarantee that Owens will get a call from the Bears coach.

Owens is doing his best to sell himself to the Bears but with Alshon Jeffery looking like he might be ready to come into his own I doubt the Bears will give Owens a chance to prove he has something left to give.

Mike Ditka thinks encouraging crowd noise is stupid

When the NFL made some in stadium rule changes this week, former Chicago Bears boss, Mike Ditka, was not a fan of the changes. The rule that gets under his skin the most is the rule that allow scoreboards to encourage crowd noise.

Ditka called it stupid and thinks it has no place in the game.

"It's stupid," Ditka told the Chicago Sun-Times. "The NFL... who are they appealing to? It would be like the owners working at their desk and all of a sudden, they encourage people to come in their office and make a lot of noise. It doesn't make sense."

Stadiums will also be able to encourage crowd noise through the use of audio until there's 20 seconds left on the play clock. In the past, the audio encouragement had to stop at the 30-second mark.

"The key to football is you want to be able to see it executed properly," Ditka said. "You want to hear the snap count. You want to see these guys use their talents where they're not tainted. Sometimes when you have crowd noise, you're not seeing the player at his best."

Well Mike, the NFL is trying to make the environment more fan friendly, especially the casual fan. But I do agree with what Ditka is saying. If you're a hardcore football fan you don't need to know when to make noise. The league needs to cater to the true fan and not the one that has the most money therefore they have the seats and don't really know what's going on out on the field.

To Roger Goodell, if you really wanted to enhance the fan experience, you'd tell teams to lower ticket prices,concessions and parking fees. Then you would see the true fans at the games and wouldn't need a video operator to tell you when to get loud.

Bears' Devin Hester might seek trade

Devin  Hester sounded like a broken man when head coach Lovie Smith was fired by the Chicago Bears. After another frustrating end to the season and no playoffs, Hester's frustration boiled over and he threatened  to retire. After about a month he reconsidered.  

Now Hester says he might need a change of scenery. With a year left on his contract Hester spoke about his future and determined that he might be better served playing elsewhere.

"I'm going to try to get two or three more years in,'' Hester told the Chicago Tribune on Saturday. "I think I have that much left in me.

"At the same time, I think I do need a fresh start.'' 

Hester sounds like he wants to stay, but after seeing his role diminish on offense he doesn't know if he sees himself in the Bears' immediate plans. That has much to do with his frustration. Throw in Lovie Smith's firing and you have a player that says he might need to be traded.


"It's a possibility,'' he said. "I'm loyal to my team. But the fans and my teammates have to understand where I'm coming from.

"I don't want to walk away from this game with another season going the way it ended this year. … It might have to take a fresh start somewhere else.''

Hester is a playmaker, but he's more of a one trick pony than a guy to include in an offensive game plan. I don't see anyone making a trade for him, but remember the Oakland Raiders were roped into taking Carson Palmer off the Bengals' hands, so anything is possible.

Tim Brown not confident about Bears' Trestman hire

Long time coordinator/quarterbacks coach and former Montreal Alouettes (CFL) head coach, Marc Trestman was hired to lead the Chicago Bears. For the Bears this hire was made to utilize the weapons they have on offense and was an indictment on former coach Lovie Smith, who was fired for the fact the offense wasn't consistent.

I don't know how Bears fans view the hire and I really don't care one way or the other, former Oakland Raiders great, Tim Brown publicly questioned the hiring of Trestman Wednesday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000.

Trestman was an assistant with the Raiders during the 2002 season, which culminated in a Super Bowl appearance for Oakland. It also marked the end of Brown as the number one receiver, something that seems to bug him to this day.

Brown goes on to say that he never viewed Trestman as head coaching material.

"I don't want to say it was a joke, but I just never saw Trestman as being a head coach," Brown said Wednesday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000.


"The year he took over as offensive coordinator is also the year my reign with the Raiders ended because he made Jerry the No. 1 receiver instead of myself," Brown said. "The year before I made the Pro Bowl and caught [91 passes for 1,165 yards] ... and the year afterwards, the year he takes over I think I came like 50 yards from catching 1,000 yards in 10 or 11 straight seasons.

"Hey, look, I'm not a selfish player, but come on, if I put the work in, make this happen for me. We had some interesting words about that part of it."

"He's a really smart guy, knows football like the back of his hand. That's not the issue," Brown said. "But there's a lot more to coaching than just X's and O's. You have to be able to deal with players and that's the reason [former Raiders coach] Bill Callahan hasn't succeeded as a head coach because he's a smart guy, knows football like the back of his hand, but when it comes to leading me, it's a totally different intangible you have to have. It's going to be very interesting to see how [Trestman] and Jay Cutler get along, that's for sure."

Ok, let me get this straight. Your not a selfish player, but basically complained about being bumped to number two next to the greatest receiver of our time, Jerry Rice. And you talk about being 50 yards short of 1,000 for 10 or 11 years. Sounds like there was a bonus on the line that he knew he was going to miss due to Rice's arrival. I liked Brown as a player, but it sounds like sour grapes to me.

I won't go and say Trestman is the next Lombardi, but he must know something to keep getting coordinator and head coaching gigs. Let's see how this shakes out before saying the guy is in over his head.



 

Ex-Bears receiver David Terrell arrested for domestic battery

Former Chicago Bears receiver David Terrell was arrested Friday and charged with domestic battery after he threatened to throw his ex-girlfriend off a balcony during an argument at his apartment in Chicago.

Terrell, 33, is charged with misdemeanor domestic battery. He looked to the floor and shook his head in Cook County bond court as a prosecutor summarized the allegations against him. 

Terrell was arrested Friday afternoon at his apartment building in the 1700 block of South Michigan Avenue, where his unit appears to be on the 33rd floor, according to court records. The alleged incident occurred about 2:30 a.m. Friday.

The ex-girlfriend told police that she had just ended a seven-month relationship with Terrell, sparking an argument that escalated when Terrell allegedly grabbed her, causing bruises on her upper arms, chest and neck, according to court records.

The woman, 25, told police Terrell swore at her and said, "I'll throw you off the balcony and say you jumped," according to court records.

Well, I see Terrell has read the Suge Knight handbook on conflict resolution. Terrell's lawyer says they will fight the charges and prove his innocence.

Terrell's attorney, Shady Yassin, declined to speak in detail about the case after the hearing but said, "We intend to prove he's innocent of these allegations."

Good luck with that.

Marion Barber calls it a career

The writing must've been on the wall for Chicago Bears running back Marion Barber after the Bears signed Michael Bush to be the backup to Matt Forte.

After a few subpar seasons Barber has decided to retire. There was no reason given and at age 28 it's pretty mysterious since he probably could've still been a productive short yardage/goal line back. But with his hard running style maybe his body took more of a pounding than any other back at that age.

He finished last season with 422 yards on 114 carries with six touchdowns.

"I want to thank everyone who gave me the opportunity to play, and I’m very thankful to have had the chance to suit up for two of the NFL’s most storied organizations,” Barber told Chicagobears.com.


"I want to thank everyone who helped me become a better player,” Barber said. “I owe a lot to a lot of coaches, and am also very grateful to the owners and organizations I played for. Last but not least, I want to thank the fans for the support and inspiration they gave me.”


For some reason I don't think this is the end for Barber. Injuries do happen and teams will be looking for a proven running back at some point. I'm sure his phone will be on during the season.

Brandon Meriweather Trying To Reinvent Himself

After two more fines from the NFL and a benching, Chicago Bears safety Brandon Meriweather is trying to reinvent himself. Instead of the big hittting, head leading tackles he's used to making, he might be willing to change to keep a job.

Meriweather told the Chicago Tribune that he vows to reform the way he plays. That remains to be seen, but after being nailed for fines and being benched, the message might be actually sinking in.

"Apparently I need to fix something if (the NFL) is concerned about my hits," Meriweather told the Tribune. "I have to change it, or else I'm going to keep getting fined. Eventually if you get enough fines, you're going to end up getting kicked out the league. For me to continue to do something I love, I just have to change the way I play."

If the Bears' coaches have been telling you that, a buzzer should've went off in your head. I'm sure the Patriots coaches told you the same thing.

"Everybody told me that," he said. "It's not necessarily what they said, but how they said it. People have told me before that I had to change my ways. I've been trying. It's just something you can't do overnight."

No it won't happen overnight, but you've had plenty of time to change. Maybe you should've seen what Pittsburgh's James Harrison has been going through and taken a cue.

Meriweather, in his fifth season, was fined $20,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Panthers receiver Steve Smith in Week 4. He appealed the fine because he thought it was a legal hit. Then Meriweather was fined $25,000 last week for a late hit on Lions receiver Nate Burleson.

On the Burleson hit he said "he didn't hear the whistle".

Last year while a starter for the Patriots, Meriweather was fined $50,000 for a pair of hits on Ravens tight end Todd Heap in the same game. The fine later was reduced to $40,000.

Meriweather's career is in jeopardy but not because of the way he hits. His bigger problem is that he can't cover very well and in the new rules NFL all defensive backs have to be able to stay with receivers, even the safeties. Meriweather's problem is that he's a man who was born too late. He's an old-time, big-hitting safety in a new world where safeties have to be as nimble as corners. And that he won't be able to change. The Patriots finally realized that and the Bears are in the process of learning that as well. If Meriweather could cover, he wouldn't have been benched, penalties be damned. Meriweather's being benched because receivers are blowing by him way too often.























  

Ex- Bear Waddle Lashes Out At Meriweather For Dirty Play

I remember when Tom Waddle played in the NFL. He was like the annoying kid you couldn't catch in a game of tag, only because it seems like he caught everything thrown his way and took some big hits for it. Yet he still held on to the ball. The guy was like a human pinata.

During an interview on ESPN 1000 on the Waddle & Silvy show which he co-hosts, Waddle took the time to lash out at Chicago Bears safety Brandon Meriweather for being a dirty player.

"I don't approve of the way he plays the game," Waddle said. "And you can call me a sissy all you want. OK? I was on the receiving end of a lot of head-to-head hits. And maybe it's the reason I act the way I do. But in football there are going to be moments when a guy is trying to make a tackle and his helmet hits yours. It's going to happen, and in today's game you're going to get flagged for it. And that's the way it is.

"Intent, to me, means a lot. If you make helmet-to-helmet contact and you're just trying to play good, solid NFL football and you get flagged I'll give you a pass. You have to be aware of it, maybe you need to work on your tackling technique, get the head to the side and wrap your arms, but I can give you a pass. When I interpret the way you go about your job that you have the intent to hurt somebody, I've got no time for you. I've got no place for you. The game's got no place for you."

"He's going to hurt himself, and he's going to hurt someone else because of the intent," said Waddle, who played for the Bears from 1989-94. "And maybe that intent is not in his heart. I don't know Brandon. I haven't had a discussion with him. But it sure looks by the way he plays the game that the intent isn't to put a big hit on someone and legally knock them out, it's to hurt someone."

"I didn't watch Brandon Meriweather on a week-to-week basis in New England," said Waddle, who also is an analyst for the NFL Network. "I thought the signing of Brandon Meriweather was a good idea. You were weak at safety, had some issues, you had some injuries. [Bears general manager Jerry Angelo] gave him over $3 million to come in.



"I did not realize how undisciplined a player Brandon Meriweather was. He comes with two Pro Bowls. And he came with a lot of interceptions. But ... red flag goes up when a guy like Bill Belichick decides to let you go."

"I'm giving [Meriweather] a shorter leash because I don't approve of the way he plays the game," Waddle said. "The game is vicious enough. If you're a player whose intent is to hurt another member of your football fraternity ... the Brian Urlacher hit on Tony Scheffler yesterday was clean. It was a clean hit, he led with his shoulder. I've got no problem with Brian Urlacher. I thought that hit was legit. Brian Urlacher -- if his intent was to hurt or maim -- he would have dropped his head and led with his head.



"What Brandon does is he leads with his helmet all the time. There's no place in the game, brother, at this particular time for that. It's vicious enough. And when your intent, in my humble opinion, is to hurt or maim, I've got no time for you, and I don't think the game's got any place for you."

I guess Meriweather gives him flashbacks of Andre Waters trying to take out someone's knees.

Seriously, Waddle took his share of hits so I would think he'd be somewhat of an authority on what is a clean shot and a dirty play. He definitely said a mouthful and shouldn't have flamed Meriweather this bad, but if the shoe fits, you know the rest. Maybe that was something Bill Belichick knew already and quickly jettisoned Meriweather much to everyone's surprise.

If you ask Patriots fans they would tell you that they're glad he's gone and would agree with Waddle's assessment of Meriweather. They would also say that he's a detriment to his own teammates when going for the big hit.

Chicago's DJ Moore Has A Plan To Slow Down Calvin Johnson

The Chicago Bears have opted not to go the Rob Ryan route and will admit that Calvin Johnson is a damn good receiver.  Earlier this week Bears corneback Charles Tillman called Johnson the best receiver in the NFL.

That doesn't mean that the Bears defense will concede anything to Johnson. They figure Johnson will get his catches, but he will pay the price. Nickelback DJ Moore has a plan to slow down Megatron. Just hit him.

As far as the key to defending a huge, talented wideout like Johnson, “Make sure you hit him,” nickel back D.J. Moore told CSNChicago.com. “Hit him.”

“I don’t think people should be thinking somebody is too good, have somebody come in and you give them too much credit, over-think about what you’re doing,” Moore said. “I think we’ll be fine.”

“When you’re big and fast like that, you’re going to catch balls,” Moore said. “Jump balls, he’s probably going to win those. But timing routes, you can still break on the ball like you would any other ball.”


It's easier said than done since the Dallas Cowboys' Terrence Newman tried to take Johnson's head off on his two touchdown catches. Johnson better be prepared to pay the price when the ball comes his way.     

Brandon Meriweather Finds A New Home

That was fast. Shortly after being cut by the New England Patriots, two time Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather has signed with the Chicago Bears.  The terms of the one year contract are undisclosed.

Meriweather was the biggest name on the cut list this weekend. This could wind up being a good signing by the Bears especially if Meriweather can play up to his Pro Bowl status of the last two years. He is known as a freelancer so it's unknown what impact he would have on an already solid defense.   

One Angry Bear

After not seeing the field against the Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears running back Chester Taylor's days appear to be numbered.

Matt Forte is the unquestioned starter and Taylor was the backup...last year. The Bears went out and signed Marion Barber to give them some more quality depth at the position. What Taylor didn't count on was Khalil Bell coming out of nowhere to steal his preseason carries.

Of course Taylor isn't too excited about it.

"My running backs coach (Tim Spencer) told me after I came out for pregame that I wasn't playing," Taylor said. "He didn't give me no reason or no excuse or nothing. It can't be from the competition because it's hard to get three carries in a preseason game and the other players are getting 13, 14 carries. That's not comparing anything. It's not from production and play."

"Yeah, I'm disappointed,'' he said. "I'm practicing all week thinking I'm going to play. Just for them to come out of the blue and say that, yeah, I'm disappointed."

Some might say that Taylor has talked his way out of town. I think it has more to do with production and his contract. Keep in mind that Taylor signed a four-year, $12.5 million deal last year and produced 112 carries for 267 yards. A mere 2.4 yards per carry. That kind of production will keep you on the sidelines and make the team look for cheaper options.

If the Bears cut Taylor, I believe he could still land on his feet somewhere. Possibly their division rival Detroit Lions, who are still sorting out their options for another backup to Jahvid Best.

Jones-Drew Won't Apologize To Jay Cutler

When Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler missed the second half of the NFC championship game due to a fringe knee injury, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew led the brigade of NFL players ripping on Cutler and calling him soft, a jake, anything that you can say that can insult a player.

Today Jones-Drew says he's not backing down from anything he said about Cutler. Jones-Drew took to Twitter when he learned that Cutler was sitting out the second half with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. I'll say this about Jones-Drew, at least he hasn't went back and said his account was hacked or he reflected upon it after x amount of time and felt he should make amends about the situation. In an interview with the NFL Network, Jones-Drew said he has no regrets.

“I don’t regret anything I do,” Jones-Drew said. “You think about everything you put out there. I’m not going to be one of those guys to say, ‘I shouldn’t have done it.’ Because I did it. I knew what I was doing when I tweeted it. I just didn’t know that many people were following me at the time.”


Asked if he had apologized to Cutler, Jones-Drew said he hasn’t seen Cutler but sees no reason that he would need to reach out.



“I haven’t gotten a chance to, but I wouldn’t apologize because I didn’t do anything wrong, I don’t think,” Jones-Drew said. “I didn’t commit a crime. I didn’t kill anyone or rape anyone or anything like that. I mean, I stated my opinion, and it seems like you get more backlash for that than committing a real crime in some sense. I feel like I didn’t do anything wrong, I just said what everybody else was thinking.”

Jones-Drew didn't do anything wrong. If he hadn't said it maybe someone else would've. I'm just glad he didn't go back on what he said and claimed it was a mistake made by someone else. Clubber Lang would be proud for being a real man in this case. The only thing I might would be disappointed with is when he said that he didn't know that many people were following him.

You're a celebrity/entertainer/athlete, you have more followers than the average person.  


 

  

Matt Forte Considering Skipping Preseason Games

Instead of a training camp holdout, Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte is considering a preseason game holdout if he doesn't get a contract extension done by the preseason opener next Sunday against Buffalo. Forte will practice, but he'll just skip the exhibition games.

Forte is also thinking of his health when he stated that he would sit out preseason games. The turf at Soldier Field has been in lousy condition recently and he wouldn't want to risk injury in a menaingless game without having the extension done. Doesn't sound greedy to me, just smart.

"I've considered not playing in the preseason games," Forte told the Tribune. "But just to make that a fact, and say 'I'm not going to,' I haven't gotten there yet."

"Any time the field is not good enough to practice on that is a concern," Forte said. "There is always a concern with injuries. You can get injured going out to practice.


"I have to talk to coach (Lovie Smith) and talk to Jerry and my agent (Adisa Bakari). We'd have to have a big meeting to really talk about (sitting out preseason games until a contract is complete)."

General Manager Jerry Angelo says there's no timetable to get a deal done, but does say he's "motivated" to get one done.

It would be wise to have Forte happy, since he's one of their biggest weapons on offense. Not saying that he wouldn't give his all, but you want to have a happy Forte instead of an angry one.

Former NFL Player, R.W. McQuarters Shot

Former NFL player and vetran of many teams, R.W. McQuarters was shot in Tulsa, Oklahoma early Saturday morning.

McQuarters was visiting a friend and as he was leaving saw a man in a ski mask. McQuarters got into his car and heard several gunshots. He realized he was hit and drove himself to Hillcrest Medical Center. McQuarters had been shot in the back. The reports say the injuries are not life threatning.

McQuarters played for the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and New York Giants.

Here's to a quick, speedy recovery for McQuarters.