My relationship with Charles "Peanut" Tillman has been a tumultuous one from the beginning. And the Golden Girls do it right. Whenever they want to spend a thirty minute episode reflecting on a theme - they sit at the kitchen table with some cake and show us clips. I'm at my table. I've got my cake. Here are the clips.
FROM SEPTEMBER 26, 2006THE RISE AND FALL OF CHARLES "PEANUT" TILLMAN
"I remember when rock was young. Me and Suzie had so much fun." -Bernie Taupin
He became a Chicago Bear in the Soldier Field endzone on December 14th 2004. Daunte Culpepper threw what he'd thrown a million times - a ball in the direction of Randy Moss. And there was the kid from Louisiana-Lafayette, who'd had the terrific rookie season just a year earlier, wrestling the ball away and sealing a Bears victory. This play not only made him immortal in my eyes, it seemed to have symbolically ended the Culpepper/Moss dream and ushered in a new era in the NFC North.
Then comes Detroit in 2005. A bad Jeff Garcia throw in overtime, a Peanut TD, Defensive Player of the Week. So...what the fuck happened?
No, seriously, what happened? Because since then, he's just sucked. He's become the football equivalent of an only child. The parents hear the crash in the living room, they know who did it. Flag for unnecessary roughness? Flag for pass interference? Guess who? He falls down (literally) on big plays and collapses (mentally) on just about every other. Yes he had five interceptions a year ago but that is more a testament to opposing offenses refusing to throw in anyone else's direction. It's a near-meaningless stat, like a lot of football stats. Kyle Orton had 10 wins last year, remember? Stats aren't for football.
I write this today because Sunday night, in Primetime, the Chicago Bears need the Peanut from December 14th 2004. They need him because in the absence of a sustained running game, the Hawks are going to bring three and four receiver sets. Nut is going to be face-to-face with Deion Branch...with Nate Burleson. This is the sort of game that defines a season, especially with four winnable games following (home Buffalo, at Cardinals, home Niners, home Dolphins). A win Sunday night and the Bears could be staring down the barrel of 8-0.
But I'm putting the game on Charles Tillman. Yes, that's what I'm doing. One game, Nut. One game and I'll buy your jersey. One game and I'll write you sonnets.
One game, Nut, one game. Because I'm telling you right now...Mike Holmgren watches film. He's seen you run around like a moron out there. Right now he's eating his third large sandwich for lunch and saying, "This Tillman guy sucks." Right now, I agree.
You get one game. Don't suck anymore.
FROM NOVEMBER 13, 2006
33 WAYS TO SAY I LOVE YOU
Last night was not about Rex Grossman, playing the biggest game of his life on the biggest night of his life. Last night was not about Mark Bradley, playing Justin Gage FINALLY onto the practice squad. Last night was not about Mushin Muhammad, earning 12 of his 13 million. Last night was not about Alex Brown, dominating the second half and overwhelming the 137 year-old Bob Whitfield.
Last night was about Charles "Peanut" Tillman. Last night he became my new favorite Chicago Bear.
Why, you might ask. Why oh why would you say such things about a man you've killed so many times, using adjectives like "fucking stupid" and "goddamn fucking stupid"? Because Plaxico Burress dared the Bears to use man coverage. Because I sat in the stadium last night and watched the Bears do just that with one man. One man. And he wore #33. Because 60 minutes, 48 yards and an interception later...Charles Tillman made me proud. The way Mr. Clark feels proud of Sams when he turns things around in Lean on Me. Charles Tillman played the kind of defensive football game that has written the legacy of the Chicago Bears.
And next week and going forward...I'm in his corner. He's my guy. Don't fuck with him.
Ladies and gentlemen, Chicago Bear until the year 2013...Charles Tillman
#2 Jane said . . .Nice post,it was fun to read those old posts.
All we need to do now before the end of camp is sign Berrian.
July 25, 2007
I have a boy that we nicknamed P-Nut because of his body shape also. Not because he is little but he is cut muscular like a peanut shell. Thought that was cute.
December 3, 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.