He stalks his prey like a kodiak bear in the outer reaches of the Alaskan wild. Sideline to sideline he runs, closing faster than any other person to ever play the position. He is our middle linebacker. The way Dick Butkus was our middle linebacker. The way Walter Payton was our running back. The way Mike Ditka was our coach. A kid from Lovington, New Mexico has become the soul of Chicago, Illinois.
In 2006, he added to his ever-growing legacy. His break-up of a surefire touchdown pass to Itulu Mili turned the Seattle game on its head. His interception of Chad Pennington in the Jets endzone was the Bears defensive play of the year. His performance in the desert on a miraculous Monday night - wherein he added the strip to his 25 tackles - was a thing of greatness.
But perhaps the play that defined how the Bears fan feels about Brian Urlacher happened in Foxboro. As the Patriots were facing a third down, their Hall of Famer found himself face-to-face with our Hall of Famer and Mr. Brady left Mr. Urlacher pantless. If it happened to Peanut, I would have broken something. If it happened to Chris Harris, I would have hit my head on the bar. But it happened to 54 and in that moment Tom Brady reached into the chest of Bears fans and ripped out our hearts. It was one of the rare moments in sports where we fans must tip our caps, clap our hands and acknowledge you've beaten our best.
The 2006 Most Valuable Bear is the 2005 Most Valuable Bear. I made a mistake early in the season and called Tommie Harris the best player on the Chicago Bears. It's almost ironic. While the rest of the idiotic world of talking-head sports analysis has called him the most overrated player in the league, I've underrated him.
But every Sunday I wear his number on my back. And every Sunday I'm proud to do it. Whenever I hear the Chicago Bears doubted on Sunday because of the quarterback, because of the secondary...I smile. Because I know we're never out of any game when 54 is standing in the middle of the field. And I say this - there's not another player in the National Football League I'd rather have in the navy and orange.
#2 Berry Happy said . . .Excellent post, Jeff, and excellent choice. My middle son is 8 years old and is a huge Bears fan living in south Texas amidst the Cowboys faithful and his most beloved Christmas gift was a navy #54 jersey. There is no better player on the Bears, no better exemplification of all that it means to be a Bear, and the fact that he happens to occupy the most storied and celebrated of Bear positions is more than icing on the cake - it is perfection. Butkus, Singletary, Urlacher. What a historical triumvirate at one position. We who are watching can all consider ourselves lucky to be able to watch this future first ballot Hall of Famer week in and week out. I think it is safe to say that of those people who dare to call him overrated, none are offensive players who have to line up across from him. Great choice, and hopefully we get three more games this year to watch him in what has to be his best year ever. Amazingly, there is an ESPN.com article today on Defensive Player of the Year. Not one mention of #54. Wow.
Go #54!
January 4, 2007
#3 Big T said . . .here here!
January 4, 2007
#4 Hester 4 President said . . .Great post. I've got chills. Sometimes you get caught up with other things on this team and forget how lucky we are to have such a dominant player.
January 4, 2007
#5 jeff said . . .I just saw that Turner and Rivera both have interviews set up.
Do you guys think they will leave and what will this do to the Bears if they do?
January 4, 2007
#6 jdawg said . . .turner won't get a job. rivera might. if so, i hope they promote bob babich to d coordinator. the guy has paid his dues and he's been THE defensive coach of the sidelines while also coaching the linebackers (incentive for briggs?). i'm tired of re-treat coaches. stay in house.
January 4, 2007
#7 The Pack is Back said . . .One memory that stuck with me from last year's playoff loss was Rex giving 54 a pep talk on the bench when the chips were down. I hope we don't see a repeat.
Let's hope 54 takes it up a notch, or at least wills a notch or two on the other 21 players in two weeks.
January 5, 2007
#8 jdawg said . . .I guess its ok to compare a LB who can't tackle the QB to Butkus. After all, Butkus was no Nitschke.
January 5, 2007
#9 The Pack is Back said . . .I think one thing that gets overlooked with 54 is his coverage skills. I don't think there's another LB in the league that can cover the middle like him. That's critical in a cover 2 when teams are looking for the underneath pass.
January 5, 2007
#10 The Pack is Back said . . .Somebody keeps deleting my posts. If you would like to see some automated posting bots show up, that can be arranged.
January 5, 2007
#11 BRIANsong said . . .So basically the best bear isn't so great after all, so the consensus has changed to a LB who can't tackle the QB?
January 5, 2007
#12 The Pack is Back said . . .He is great in coverage. When they keep him stationary in the middle, there's no one better. And Pack is Back - are you 17 and on Christmas break? Why are you wasting time on here posting comments that aren't even interesting? Your comments would elicit a great debate if they weren't coming from a person who clearly waits for his mother's Victoria's Secret catalogue to arrive so he can escape to his secret bathrroom rendezvous. I'm all for your comments being deleting until you engage the conversation and save your hateful commentary for other outlets.
January 5, 2007
#13 The Pack is Back said . . .It appears you are stooping to personal attacks that are asking me to stop discussing football. Certainly you see that your own words are self-descriptive and that I have kept all discussions about the teams, players games, etc. while you have gone off on, I'll paraphrase you here, childish personal attacks.
January 5, 2007
#14 BRIANsong said . . .My question, "So basically the best bear isn't so great after all, so the consensus has changed to a LB who can't tackle the QB?"
is sincere. One can honestly read the article and get the understanding that the best player is thought to be a LB who can't tackle the QB. If you don't want to discuss that, then why is the article there? Or maybe YOU shouldn't be here because you want to resort to personal attacks instead of a discussion.January 5, 2007
#15 Megan said . . .You and I both know you believe Urlacher is a great player so your question is meant to instigate, not open debate.
January 5, 2007
#16 jeff said . . .I like #54 for Da Bear of Da Year. Good choice. He is so sweet to watch, I just love how he reads plays.
I don't know what happened in that Pats game, but Brady should thank his lucky stars because it won't happen again.Good choice HERE HERE!!
January 5, 2007
#17 said . . .bears fans doing battle with packers fan. wouldn't want the site any other way. pack is back, i assure you no one is deleting your comments. there's only two of us.
January 5, 2007
#18 The Pack is Back said . . ."You and I both know you believe Urlacher is a great player so your question is meant to instigate, not open debate."
I'll answer that with this:
You and I both KNOW (not believe) that Urlacher was such a great player 2-3 years ago that no QB in the league would even ATTEMPT to run near him.
I remember Reggie's final year too. He made some good plays and was still considered good, but he was NOT the best on the team, although I agree that Urlacher is probably the best bear. He just doesn't scare the QBs any more.
January 5, 2007
#19 BRIANsong said . . .Sorry, I didn't put my name on that last one.
January 5, 2007
#20 Megan said . . .Are you basing this on the fact that the best player in football beat him once? And 2-3 years ago? Does that include Defensive Player of the Year LAST year?
January 5, 2007
#21 thegreenmenace said . . .I don't mind a little battling, I do mind badgering, name calling and just plain not getting over yourself because the Bears lost to the Packers in a game that statistically didn't really matter and he won't get over it. Packers came to play, Bears didn't. It's really that simple, get over it.
Honestly, how can PIB say that Urlacher is not a valuable player? Offensive players purposely avoid him because they know he will nail them; even then, he finds a way. Gimme a break, Farve's NEVER had a bad game?? "Young and inexperienced" (refering to the pack)... what about all of the injuries the D has had and how Urlacher has managed to keep it together all season? You can't tell me that he didn't carry that Arizona game all on his own, stripping balls/making plays and getting the job done. If that wasn't true grit, I don't know what is. He plays hurt he doesn't complain and he is the entire teams biggest fan, he supports BOTH sides of the ball. I can't think of a single player that I would want more in that positition for MY team. How can you say he doesn't scare QB's? That is such crap and you know it. Even Brady admitted how freakin' lucky he was.
Go the F*ck away, I don't want to read any more of your crap!January 5, 2007
#22 Marvin E. Frisbie said . . .I have been reading this blog for a few months now, never really cared much for what people had to say about football other than friends, but I really enjoy the tone and ideas of da'blog.
So The Pack is Back, you love the Packers, thats great, I love the Bears (win or lose, I am from Chicago), which this year has been a rollercoaster. I actually feel like I understand Packers fans (most of the time), and Browns fans and Raiders fans more than others (because those teams have a history and identity, but what I don't get is going onto another teams sites and routinely commenting, especially comments that don't have real substance, I mean throw some stats, make some real comments that I couldn't get out on a poster at a game, "Bears suck" is too easy and pretty lame.
I just don't get it, do you think anyone here really cares what you think? Would you care if we said the Packers are better off rebuilding and getting a QB in there that would set up the Packers for a better than 500 record, that Favre's time is up, I hope not, just like we don't care if when you talk smack. I mean either post some intelligent comments or get a life!January 5, 2007
#23 The Pack is Back said . . .Play Rex another game, and our Superbowl will be a "Next Year" Chant. Give Greese the reps, and play him the rest of the year. We will have a chance at Superbowl Rings.
Marvin Frisbie; Fris.
January 5, 2007
#24 Coxy said . . .I never called names. bears' fans did that. I never said the bears suck. I only gave evidence to that fact. You are the ones that made the conclusion that they suck. If you want stats; QB rating of 1.3 against one division rival. QB rating of 0.0 against another. Both times the #1 offense was on the field. Both times they were shut out.
January 5, 2007
#25 The Pack is Back said . . .Marvin, why would you go to Griese right now? He sucked almost as much as Grossman the other night. If he mixes in a tipped pass at the line for a pick (meaningless pass to a wide open Bradley doesn't make that a good performance), they are pretty much even. Plus, he hasn't had the snaps to warrant a start. The players would be outraged if that happened at this point. If they were going to switch to him, it should have happened at the start of the Vikings game. They didn't, Rex played well for the next couple games, therefore you stick with him.
January 5, 2007
#26 Pissed off said . . .Reported on Dec 28 By John Mullin, Tribune On beating
the Packers and why it wasn't meaningless:"There's nothing that's going to make us feel good,"
quarterback Rex Grossman said, "if we don't do that."
...
In the mind of linebacker Brian Urlacher, "that's the
one thing left for our team to do. That's all we talk
about, all we've been thinking about."
...
"We're taking this game like it's one-and-done, and we're
getting mentally prepared that way," safety Todd Johnson said.
...
Sitting in front of his locker in Detroit, cornerback
Nathan Vasher was blunt: "Our playoffs start against
Green Bay."
...
January 5, 2007
#27 Pissed off said . . .Hey Marvin, Rex is our QB! Your entitled to your opinion but no one agrees with you, no one on this site anyway. Griese does not give us a better chance to win, thats obvious or else he'd be starting already or starting somewhere else. No one thinks Griese is the answer, NO ONE! I realize that the backup QB is always the most popular player in town but lets hear some real banter, not just "Rex sucks put Griese in". Give me some real reasons or past proof that would support your notion. Your just a fair weather fan anyway, thats obvious. Your idea is the kind of thing you hear from a luke warm Bears fan you pass on the street to make quick conversation about something you know nothing about.
January 5, 2007
#28 Midway Monster said . . .Nice to see Hester win NFC player of the month, thats a great accomplishment for a rookie, hope he gets back to form for the playoffs. Also why are Rivera and Turner interviewing for jobs now, dont they have practices to run and other things to focus on. We're in the midst of a playoff run for God sakes.
January 5, 2007
#29 Midway Monster said . . .While I wanted Hester, I bow to the choice from the DA' Bears Blog Selection and Review Committee.
Urlacker is a great and consistent player. I trust he is doing nothing but eating raw mean and pacing for the upcoming playoff game.
--Midway--
January 5, 2007
#30 Megan said . . .Sorry typo... 'meat' not 'mean'
-- Midway --
January 5, 2007
#31 Pat said . . .Between the Rons, I don't think that there is really any more that they can do. Take that statement anyway you want. Besides, the best way to make themselves marketable is to win in the play-offs.
January 5, 2007
#32 OldCleat said . . .First off, back to the original post- couldn't be happier with 54 as the choice. If you've ever seen him play live, it's insane. He deserves a ring, and I hope they can keep it together for three games and get him one.
As far as Grossman, I'm with him to a certain extent. I say send him out next week with full knowledge that he will be replaced if Evil Rex shows up. Give Griese significant reps, and this might light the necessary fire under Rex's ass. He seems to respond to this, and if he doesn't, we have a backup plan. Going with Griese right off the bat would demoralize this team. They love the Rex, and he's the guy we go with. Just keep him on a short leash, because other than Minnesota, we haven't seen him bounce back very well.
January 5, 2007
Can it be true that Mike Ditka is a candidate to be the next coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers?
January 8, 2007
Here at DaBearsBlog, you are free to kill us or the Bears as you so wish. You are not free, however, to be an asshole. So if you spew racism or ill-meaning foul language (cursing about football is just fine) or anything of that ilk, your comments ain't gonna last long, jerk.