Good piece in the Tribune by David Haugh. Basically, it mentions the impact that the Urlacher contract stalemate can have on the team. Here are a couple of snipets from the article:
"People who doubt Brian Urlacher's influence in the locker room are ignoring the teammates wo are following his lead by seeking new contracts. They also overllok the wedge being driven between players and management by Urlacher's impasse evident at a recent workout when a Bears veteran loudly pleaded with coach Lovie Smith for the team just to pay the linebacker, according to a teammate."
"Tommie Harris. Devin Hester. Robbie Gould. Who's the next Bear to mimic Urlacher's off-season activity? How many years does equipment manager Tony Medlin have left on his deal?"
"...Hester, with two years left on his four-year rookie contract, has missed portions of the voluntary workouts and made it known through NFL Network confidant Deion Sanders he is unhappy with his compensation."
I don't think I need to write any more. The point is that there Urlacher's teammates are clearly paying attention to his contract situation and depending on what the Bears do could impact what happens to some of these other players (i.e., Harris, Gould, Hester). The fallout could be interesting.
What's also of interest is how quickly the Bears fans have turned on Urlacher. If you look at the Tribune's what the fans are saying, the majority are not siding with Urlacher. Interesting how one of the most popular players in Bears history has suddenly turned the fans against him. Will be interesting how this thing shakes down.
3 comments:
I say F him if he holds out and causes a big stink.
The guy signed one of the most lucrative long-term deals in the history of the NFL. He was well compensated, but now other guys have caught up and surpassed him.
I have no problem with the Bears playing hardball.
But let me say this - I fully expect Brian Urlacher to play out his contract and be a leader on and off the field for the Bears. If he chooses not to, that is his choice, but he isn't entitled to any more than his contract is currently paying him.
Well said. I couldn't agree more. As a leader and one of the all time great Bears, he should have a little more sense and loyalty. The Bears did right by him and he was fine before but now he is crying.
The sad part is that he has turned many fans against him.
The tough part is that his Bear teammates are paying close attention and the Bears organization has to pay attention on how they deal with this situation because it will have an impact on other players.
Modern sports at its worst. But this is the off-season and things like this happen.
I expect this to get resolved before the season starts (hopefully the Bears will hold the line) and just put it behind them.
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