Lance, Lance, Lance

Briggs is insane if he thinks he is going to get more money from anyone else in this league. Now dont get me wrong, he is a great athlete but the only reason why is because brian urlacher is there to help him. Because everyone knows how great brian is and so they dont run at him so they go to lance so therefore it helps lance because he gets the opportunity to get an easy tackle. Now if he gets traded he wont get that much help and will actually probably get worse as linebacker anywhere else. And he tells the media i dont like the organization because there disrespectful and greedy, wow that kinda describes him, hes asking for a redicolous amount of money (Greedy) and says he wont play for the bears no matter what (Disrespectful). He is so stupid its mindboggling. He turned down a great 5.5m/per year contract and now hes complaning that he wants a long term deal. I say just trade him for a higher draft pic and maybe we can get OT Joe thomas, or a better linebacker or some safteys. Overall Lance briggs is stupid, and we should trade him ASAP

The Briggs story is just heating up...mark my words - this will make the Lovie Smith banter seem tame by comparison! Briggs has now brought up Urlacher's name and he "he wants to be the man". The Rosenhaus poison is now taking effect...any bets on the tone or innuendo of his next salvo?

It's funny that Briggs is making the Bears out to be the bad guy when it was the players' union who came up with this rule on "franchising". I would recommend that Briggs call up Gene Upshaw and cry to him. The funniest thing about his latest rant is that he said he would take out a loan rather than play 1 year at $7M+...I believe doing that would make him the dumbest person on the face of the earth, especially after turning down a long term deal last year. He's acting like he's the first player to get the franchise tag. Other players like Freeney and Asante Samuel shut their mouths and went on to longer term deals.

Whaaance! Get out of town.

*shakes head*

And of course, Angelo should trade Briggs.

And of course, Angelo couldn't make an intelligent personnel move to save his life.

Larry Mayer says the Bears would love to move up in the draft...to pick A SAFETY.

My predictions for next season just keep going down, down, down.

The only thing that's surprising about this story is that Lance was surprised at the negative press. The ONLY leverage that he has is to force the Bears to trade him. That's the ONLY way he can get 'true' market value.

I don't think any of this is really as personal as it seems. It certainly isn't unexpected.

First and foremost I think anyone who is taking the time to complain about Lance Briggs should find a new hobby. Lets not forget how important Lance is to the Chicago Bears organization and how stupid they are for not trying to work with one of their best defensive players. I think its pathetic how people who don't know the behind the scene details want to open their big mouths and comment about how Lance Briggs should handle HIS situation. Let's not forget folks many of you get your information from what stance sports writers and the media decide to say about Lance which is a shame...last time I checked most of these pathetic postings aren't coming from anyone who works inside the Bears organization or who know Lance personally. Most people who want to criticize what he is doing need to stop making themselves look stupid and realize it's not whining or complaining about money. It's about looking out for yourself and getting treated fairly. Obviously the average simple minded person is going to see 7+ million dollars in one year and think instant millionaire...all I have to say to that is, how sad. Because if you were really thinking with a brain you'd be thinking loooooong term. Hmmm what a thought let's use our brains and think about what can happen after that one year, not to mention avoiding injury, which we all know in the NFL is quite hard to do. Shut it.

The Bears should call his bluff and let him sit out. Although when the time comes he will not sit out.

This is not a matter of who's right or who's wrong. It's not a matter of the Bears being cheap or Briggs being greedy. This is a matter of being fair. People lets look at the evidence. First, the Bears offer Briggs a 7yr $33 million contract, which he refuses. Second, the Bears warns Briggs if he doesn't agree to a long term deal they will franchise him. Third, the Bears do what any other team would do, they follow up on their warning and they franchise him, equivocally agreeing to pay $7.2 million for a 1yr deal. Fourth, Briggs whines to the media about being unfairly treated by the Bears organization. How are they unfair when they made offers, they told the consequences, and they follow through? Any business owner has to protect its assets and investments. Why would any business let a good asset go for no compensation? They would not, it doesn't make good business sense. Now, with all of this said, Briggs is a rare talent, how great that talent will be determined if he goes to a mediocre defensive unit and turns it into a respectable top 10 unit. With the Bears, he has been surrounded by great talent and only time will tell if he is as great as he thinks he is. At the time of the $33 million offer, it was a fair offer, that I'm sure had some negiotable terms, thats why its called contract negotiations. Unfortunately, Briggs wanted a deal equal to or greater than Urlacher, that doesn't make good business sense in terms for the Bears organization. Look at teams historically that overpaid athletes and had their payroll so high, they couldn't aquire new or better talent. The big picture is bigger than Briggs, Lance deserves to be compensated, but he has to be more reasonable. The Bears have to look out for not only 1 player, but the entire TEAM. Players come and go, organizations have to try to put out the best product year in and year out. Its a tough balance, but in the end, the organization pay the players, the fans pay the organization. To rip fans and the city by publically displaying greed isn't a good method of negotiation. It alienates the players and cause uproars as most have read just here in these postings. Making millions in any profession is a great thing, but in football and all professional sports there has to be boss, and the Bears are the bosses. The tail doesn't wag the dog, the dog wags it and here the dog is just showing who the boss is. Briggs is going to be compensated or he won't get paid at all. Except reality and move the #### on!!!!!!!!

Jerale...I would put your post at the top of the pathetic posts...it's called a BLOG, a place people can offer their OPINIONS. Sooo....let me take this opportunity to tell YOU to shut it and take your Briggs as@*-kissing views somewhere else.

Hey Jerale, I got my info from Lance's big mouth (twice), not the media. Shut it!

Hey Kyhle, this is a board for people to post their opinions on the Briggs contract situation... so let them. It's obvious that Briggs wants to be The Man (and be paid like one), and he'll never be that guy in Chicago with Urlacher around. I have no problem being critical of a guy who complains about a system that works for both the players and the owners, and whose public rant is blowing up in his face. Angelo is wisely not budging, and Briggs can just deal with it. I understand that he wants long term security and a huge signing bonus. Who wouldn't? But what is he really asking for? A $16 million signing bonus? Well last I checked, a Franchise Tag salary is guaranteed... and if he's tagged this year for $7.5 million, and then (possibly) next year for $8.75 million... omg... that's over $16 million guaranteed right there. And he'd STILL be a free man in year #3, as the Bears wouldn't dare give him a Top 5 average salary of ALL players in the NFL... giving him a completely new deal with a brand new team with a brand new signing bonus! Genius! If anyone needs to keep quiet... it's Briggs, not us. So for you to belittle others for posting their opinions... why don't you take some of your own advice and "shut it".

Dear Lance - Take a year off and injure yourself doing something intelligent, like white water rafting. Then you can get that assistant's job at the University of Arizona making 50K a year. You won't have much of a problem with the cursed "Franchise Player Tag" in the NCAA, on those recruiting trips to Mesa, living out of Red Roof Inn.

The average Bear fan is CLUE-LESS as usual. I'm not surprised one bit by these comments. Briggs is missing an opportunity for long term money because once again the Bears are treating their players unfairly. This team will be lucky to be 8-8 next season.

Football deals are not guaranteed beyond the year, so what difference does it make if he signs long-term? In any event, he signed an NFL player's contract and the team's ability to place a franchise tag is part of that deal. He's welcome to play football for another league, but it's hard to feel sorrow for ramnifications of a deal he willingly agreed to 4 years ago.

I think to go along with "Good Rex, Bad Rex", we need 2 names for Lance...how about "Smart Lance, Dumb Lance". The Smart Lance is the guy we watched this year, who played and didn't say much. The Dumb Lance is the impoverished guy we keep hearing from over the past few weeks.

Hey lance, I've got two names for you Wilbur Marshal and Worick Holdman. Both thought THEY were the man and found out otherwise. Urlacher makes anyone they put out there look better, even Hillenmeyer. Trade his butt to Oakland for a high draft pick. Let him suffer there.

I want Lance Briggs to return to the Bears. He's one of the best line backers in the league.
So lets look at the facts. The Bears offered a long term contract of 5.5 million per year. Briggs turned it down. The Bears now offer 7.2 million with a frachise tag. It proves that the Bears offer of 5.5 million was "low ball". They know he is worth more. A 2nd franchise tag in 2008 would cost 8+ million. The Bears also know that Briggs could recieve a large signing bonus if he were a free agent.

Why not put this all on the table & work out something that is really fair market value? How about 7.2 million per year for 5 years and a signing bonus? The Bears already know that he is worth 7.2 million. They know he could get a large signing bonus. Is this not Fair market value?

God Bless Our Troops! Come home safely

I think Lance should leave the talking to Rosenhaus. However offensive, he is at least coherent. I just heard Briggs' latest interview and I think he contradicted himself at least 3 times. Classic football dope...

Rick - If Briggs is really worth that much money, there'd have been trade offers by now. Then again, I wouldn't put it past Angelo to lie about not having received any offers to cover his behind. Nonetheless, $5.5 million a year is a lot of money, but apparently not enough. Briggs wants to be paid like a #1 linebacker; he obviously knows he's not going to be a #1 linebacker as long as Brian Urlacher is around, so he wants a trade. At least he's not feeding us the diplomatic line about "loving the team and the city" and all that cal.

I'll give Briggs credit for the gamble, but it's neither bright, nor especially convincing. If he sits out the year, the Bears don't have to pay him, and he doesn't sign with another team. If I were Angelo, I'd call his bluff; if he sits, keep the money. Then I'd Franchise him next year; he'd either have to play out the year to keep fresh in people's minds or save the Bears money by sitting out two years in a row.

The Bears will ultimately look like Jerks again on this one.

Pay the guy or let him sit out and then what?

Bears get nothing....By the way, how does it look that the Chicago Bears wen't to the Super Bowl and are taking the Head Coach and one of the star players to the wall!

When Leanard Davis is getting a 16 million dollar signing bonus by the Cowboys and guys like Colombo comming of back problems is getting paid well for not near the production value of Lance Briggs.

I think you all are Cowboys fans...We would have taken Lovie or Lance or whomever else is a star outside of your sole keeper Brian
....Hell,Give us Mike Brown!

Anyone else not worth paying?

Hey Matt Z...Wilber Marshall "WON" another Super Bowl with The Washington Redskins after the Bears let him go and YES, HE WAS The MAN!!

First, the Bears offer Briggs a 7yr $33 million contract, which he refuses. Second, the Bears warns Briggs if he doesn't agree to a long term deal they will franchise him. Third, the Bears do what any other team would do, they follow up on their warning and they franchise him, equivocally agreeing to pay $7.2 million for a 1yr deal.

I think that sums it all up right there. Cry to the players union, not the media Lance.

all of these comments just sounds like typical bears fans.They love their bears when their up,and hate them when their down.Or when the players actually have an opinion on something,and the fans don't agree with it.I learned very quickly how bears fans are, and don't get me wrong because i know there are some true bears fans out there.But a majority from what i saw this year is that there are a bunch of bandwagon fans in chicago.And the way bears fans treat opposing teams, and their fans is disgraceful to the sport.I understand razzing,and such.Thats all part of it,but bears fans treat other teams fans really horribly.I can't wait to hear how other teams fans treat bears fans when they have to step into their home field next season.I know new orleans fans has alot of hate for bears fans now,and they can't wait to greet bears fans at the door of the superdome when it goes back to new orleans one day.Like one man said on the radio "southern hospitality for bears fans has now run out".Anyway, if briggs wants out let him go, instead of being typical crybabies about it.

If he does not play I hope we put the Franchise tag on him the next year as well just to teach a lesson to these overpaid/underworked babies. Let him stay home and let the debt grow.

Also, this is a good omen if you think back to Al Harris and Todd Bell.

I understand everyone's beef with Lance taking all of this personal and calling out (but not really) the golden man Brian Urlacher, but really I'd be pissed if I was him too. You offer me the money, but I decide to hold out cos I know I'm worth more, then I give you a career year, and you don't want to give me the long term deal again. Why are you sitting around waiting, how long does he have to prove hisself, if they are not feeling his talent, then why franchise him so it's not beneficial for other teams who I'm sure would take him to do so? I mean 7.2 million is a lot of money and I could only dream of doing one years worth of work for that, but when you're playing a sport like football, and at any given moment your career could be over, I would need some guarantees. With all of this being said, either way the situation goes we'll al get over it, but I understand where Lance is coming from.

It is always interesting to see how others are so adept, at running the lives of others. Lance Briggs has to weigh and consider the choices of his own life. We do no less for our own lives. But of course, this is about the large sums of money relative to the sports market he operates in- money we wish we made. Anybody that knows a little history, to paraphrase a retired Bear, knows that the Bears, traditionally, has 'thrown nickles around like manhole covers'. That's why the words like 'Bears' and 'dynasty', to this point, are antithetical. Furthermore, to give one little more perspective on this matter, the taxpayers of Nashville, TN, if I'm not mistaken, subsidized a stadium for the Tenn. Titans. But when the legislature attempted to raise property taxes for education, the fair citizens of that state, nearly had a riot at the capitol steps. Hmmmm.. Just remember, that football is more important!

I would love for someone in the media to ask Briggs what he specifically wants. Briggs doesn't want a fair deal, he wants the best deal possible for him. if Briggs sits it would reduce his marketability to zero. I think better comparisons for Briggs situation are Todd Bell(RIP)and Al Harris. sitting out a year ruined their careers. his only option is to come back and pull a "T.O". you really have to wonder what is going on behind the scenes with Rosenhaus. if he really is such a super agent, why would he push this strategy unless he already had a team that would pay Briggs the money he is looking for. the best they could possibly hope for is to create enough discomfort for the Bears organization to force them to take a less than desirable trade. I say let him sit and then "tag him" again next year.

I don't understand how this got so ugly so fast. Wait, when did Lance hire Rosenhaus as his agent? It wouldn't surprise me if it was recently. Rosenhaus is a venomous snake who infects an organization by over-shining his clients. He convinces his clients they're the best thing since sliced bread, and that their immediate personal interests are more important than the team's well-being. There's not a lot of room for selfishness in the ultimate team sport. Owners should begin to refuse dealing with Rosenhaus across the board. Rosenhaus is villifying Briggs, and it won't benefit his client in the long run.

Rosenhaus is Tommie Harris' agent too, great.

There is an 800lb gorilla in the room here folks.

The racial issue.

Brian Urlacher is and always has been a "great white hope" who has been propped up by Lance Briggs - Briggs contributions to the defense are ignored, Urlacher gets all the credit. Urlacher is a Tommy Morrison, a Gerry Cooney. A damn good athlete and one that can certainly beat 95% or so of the elite but expert analysis has shown him never even to have been the top linebacker in the NFL much less the top defensive player. He has been consistently ranked the no 2 or 3 linebacker in the NFL (typically behind Ray Lewis) by serious entities like accuscore.com. He has never led the league in tackles.

The defensive player of the year award that Urlacher won is a non-serious, non rigorous popularity contest that was designed to feed the white fan base's desire for a "tough" white hero. That desire is huge and has been stoked here to the n'th degree - much to the detriment of Lance Briggs.

Don't get me wrong Urlacher is very good but he is also probably the most overrated athlete in pro sports today. He is exactly what white middle America wants to see and he is served up 24/7 by the media. Billboards, TV commercials, Radio, Internet. Urlacher is everywhere. And the endorsement revenue is huge.

And where is Briggs? Despite the fact that he is almost as good as Urlacher on the field, his media profile has been practically 0. The local media must give Urlacher 100 times as much face times as Briggs. Until now anyway - and the coverage Briggs is getting at this point is NEGATIVE! First the local media ignored Briggs and now they trash him. What a shafting Chicago has given this guy!

I know what you are white guys thinking here: "just get over it", "no whining" yada yada. Well those are White sentiments. Sentiments of a group USED to having privilege/advantage, used to getting "legacy admissions" to good colleges and so forth. Used to getting all the credit/endorsment when others are just as good.

Maybe you don't know this but Briggs comes from a group that is used to being shafted. Not a group that is fond of statements like "just get over it" - which I saw posted above somewhere.

It's ironic that the Franchise tag - originally designed to help players is being obviously used here to the detriment, not the benefit of Briggs. Like a lot of things in life it's not being used for it's original/intended purpose.

Given the shafting of Lance Briggs by the whole city of Chicago so they could put their white hero Urlacher on a unrealistic stratospheric pedestal I think you have this whole thing coming.

If I was Briggs I'd never play another down in Chicago.

Hey I don't know why you are all so upset with me. The bears are greedy and heading nowhere. Thats why I have decided to sit the year out and go join the minnesota Vikings..... Now you guys will see how weak Urlacher is when I'm gone.

Lance Briggs wasn't the first NFL player to open his mouth and embarrass himself and he won't be the last. If this wasn't newsworthy it wouldn't be in the news and there wouldn't be 20 blog responses denouncing him on the first day. I feel for Briggs because he's no different than any other player who wants to be paid better. We here in this blue collar town want to make all we can as long as we can. How many of us play the lottery? For the ones who do it's your best opportunity to get those riches. For Briggs and his agent a long term deal is in his best interest. I think the problem with the respondents is that a few people aren't aware of how the franchise tag does limit you a great deal. Rick hit it on the head about them being more than willing to pay him 7.2 compared to the 5.5 so they know he's worth more. Good and honest assessment Rick,where have you been all our lives to contribute a levelheaded response. Everyone else calling the man every negative name in the book up to a point and if you were in his shoes you'd do the same thing. That's our problem:we never try on another man's shoes before we respond. We're grown men with all the answers for ourselves because that's who we're looking out for. Ourselves. You guys see pampered players asking for more money and I see just another guy chasing the American dream. How many of us want to dream like Briggs? The owners will pony up the money and when the player is done playing he'll slink off into obscurity. End up broke from everyone bleeding him dry and ripping him off because he's a dumb jock who doesn't know any better. All the while we're exchanging the name to protect the innocents and repeating the process in a different age. Why does this man illicit such disdain because he wants to bleed them in the process of them bleeding him? As long as a man isn't out there hurting anyone but his image I can care less what he does. My last company got 18 years out of me. My loyalty and coming to work sick and staying late when no one else would didn't factor into their eventual decision to save money and fire me for telling a guy that if he called me a bitch again we could settle it on none company time or on company property.

Lance signed the contract when the Bears "respectfully" drafted him in the third-round. Just as I come to work on-time and give my 100% as I agreed when I was hired. I expect Lance to do the same. And at the end of the year when I'm up for my review, I show them how I helped the company and they show me their appreciation by giving me a raise/bonus. If I'm unhappy about the $$, then I quit. I won't go to the media, I won't "sit-out" I'll just give my two -week notice and move on. Lance signed a four year deal that said something somewhere about franchise tag. My 5-digit salary comes with one caveat. If I quit my job I can't work for another competing company for one year. Its' all the same. The only thing guaranteed in this world is a contract and a contract in the NFL is not guaranteed. Should of thought of that when you decided to play this game and subsequently do business in it. Shut up and play or leave those that are happy to be here play.

If Lance would have taken his 5.5 million last year and next year if I can add that's about 11 million. If he sits out, he nets 700,000 + 0 = 700,000. Now talk about stupid. How long till he recoups 11 million dollars? At this rate not until the end of 2008. Good luck with that one.

Later Lance. We don't need the drama.

Tom Vaitys- Lance's agent needs to cork him quick.

A franchise tag is part of what the player's union agreed to. It's specific purpose is to keep a team from losing a player that want to keep, but for whom they cannot afford to pay a multiyear premium deal. So, instead, the guy gets one year at the average of the top 5 guys in his position--not too bad, since Lance Briggs is arguably NOT one of the 5 best linebackers in the NFL (not a pass rushing linebacker, for one). My understanding is that if he starts the season at 7.2 million, and then gets hurt, he is guaranteed the 7.2, and he will end up with an injury settlement from the NFL, too, if that happens. The guy could live the rest of his life in an upper class home and never have to work a day in his life, if he so chose, just with the 7.2.

For the Bears, they cannot afford to overpay Briggs and still sign Tillman, Tommie Harris, and others. Their 33 million offer for 7 years is under Brigg's value (he should get about 5 mil over 7 years). But as a meber of the Union, he shgould honor his empoyment cotnract and play with the tag. Worst case scenario, they hit him with it (the tag) for 2 years and he makes about 15 million in 2 years of football. Then they CANNOT tag him again--its pay him or make him a free agent.

The only thing that screws up his career and marketability is by crying like he did on the radio and threatening to sit out. Unless he wants to play the rest of his career for the Radiers or some other team that doesn't understand that crybabies dont win championships, he better suck it up and suit up, tear it up on the field, and he is going to get paid.

Yeah, the Bears are cheapskates, but in this situation, Briggs is wrong, because he is hurting himself more than anyone else.

On the radio yesterday, the interviewer asked Briggs why he doesn't just suit up, collect the 7.2 million, and look forward to a future payday. His response was "unless you have lived my life and overcome the things I have ovecome, you cannot understand why I am being disrespected here"

Look, dummy, I dont care WHAT your childhood or young life was like. I PROMISE YOU no one from your tough upbringing has a chance to make 7.2 million for playing a game. And 7.2 million bucks is 7.2 million bucks. Period.

And, Lance, remember, the franchise tag means they are FORCED to pay you as an elite linebacker. Make them pay, keep up the high level of play, and either way, you're a winner!

So many of these guys are on the threshold of great wealth, but they listen to the WRONG people, and get the WRONG advice. 20 years from now, they guy is gonna be sorry.

O.K.. Lovie Smith didn't complain about his miniscule contract, and people still flamed him on this blog. So I am curious, just
what response do you people want to hear from a player/coach that won't result in a "get out of town" thread??????
We don't know what goes on behind closed doors. We don't know who promised what to who when where and why. We do know that we all are somewhat insulted when a player doesn't want to represent
Chicago for the same reasons we do.......pride,passion and loyalty. So go ahead and feel insulted. However,if you ever find your self judging someone from comments 'interpeted' through the media( that means you did not personally speak to Briggs.), then you your self are insulting those three core values us Chicagoans have (pride passion and loyalty).

any pro athlete should get whatever he/she can because thier careers are often less than 10 years in length. however alienating fans with ignorant statements like " I'll sit out next season rather than playing under a franchise tag at 7+ million" is not the way to do it. if Lance was smart (and no one has accused him of that yet) he would have said ... ok I'll play one year for 7+ and give you an all pro year but at the end of that year either give me an equitable contract or trade me. a stance like that would have had all the Chicago fans behind him and put the onus back on the Bears.

I really get upset when an everyday Joe is held down by The Man. I don't, however, give a rat's a** for Lance.

Does Drew Rosenhaus love this or what? Whatever side you are on, he's got us all talking about Lance and his stupid contract. He's even pitted us against one another, fellow Bears fans. I take offense to being called clueless, and furthermore, I'm not average. But I've been a Bears fan all my life and unfortunately I can see the writing on the wall for next year. Lance will hold out until that magical day in October, when he will show up for work or risk losing his 7.2 million reasons to live, er um...I mean dollars. Doesn't really matter anyway because by then no one will be talking about Lance Briggs. The Bears wlll undoubtedly be in the midst of a quarterback controversy that will overshadow any linebacker's holdout any time.

Julie B.

Thanks for your comments. Sane, rational, firm, with an insight into the future of this mess that hasn't been touched on by the rabid posters on both sides of the issue.

I agree -- This Briggs situation is basically a tempest in a teapot. The bigger question is what in hades is the organization going to do about our wildly erratic quarterback?

GrnBay

I agree...the world and the Bears are racist. They only offered him $33M last year for a long term deal, and now they denigrate (you may need to look that word up) him further by placing the franchise tag on him which a black man (Gene Upshaw) negotiated for the players.

Get Jessie on the phone now!

Hey Grnbay-race card, race card! Wah, wah, wah!!! I'm sure the Bears are only doing this to 'poor' Lancy so they can get another good ole boy on the field. You're an idiot.

To the moderator, please let me respond to Grnbay's incoherent rant without deleting my post. Although I will keep it clean so there should be no reason to delete it. To Grnbay, the first ignorant statement you made is when you say Urlacher has been "propped" up by Briggs. It is ignorant because Urlacher has been in the league three years longer than Briggs and was already a great player long before Briggs even came into the league. The second ignorant statement you make is saying Urlacher is the most overrated athlete in pro sports. Michael Vick has earned that distinction, and since YOU brought up the issue of race I will even take it a step further and say that Rush Limbaugh was correct three years ago when he said that the media and the NFL marketing machine want to see a black QB do well so they overrate or promote black QB's as stars when they are either average or below average. As for your tirade against white people saying that we are used to and expect advantages and privileges, I am offended by that racist statement and am somewhat surprised that an insulting remark like that was able to make it on this normally civil board. But to respond to that statement, remember, me and my people don't get the advantages of affirmative action handed to us. Maybe thirty years ago your statement about "privilege" would have been valid, but today that is an outdated and delusional opinion. And I would suggest you stop trying to live off of the suffering of your ancestors, who were given the shaft, and try to work hard and make it on your own because in this day and age, the affirmative action age, it is really not that difficult for you to do that. Because constantly crying and complaining about your lot in life just falls on deaf ears. It just prompts people to say "get over it"! There, I said it, and I will keep on saying it when I hear unnecessary self pity, wheather some are fond of it or not.

Roman responds: If you think the playing field is level for blacks and whites in this country, you're way off.

I was going to post something about both the Bears and LB but you know what I realized screw this! Millionaries versus Billionaries! Bears Franchise him two straight years! LB take the Franchise for two consective years and take out injury insurance pay at high premium so you can get the best possible settlement if anything happens. Year 3 get paid somewhere please do not do the dummy and leave 7.2 on the board.

psst. Just between you and me LB if you decide to sit out hey i am only an inch short and 15 pounds lighter I can pretend to be LB for year! :) just make check out to me!

Lance, Lance you disappoint me my brother. What is so bad in your life that you can't accept going from a $720,000 salary to making $7.2 million and you're complaining about being disrepected??? Is somebody talking to this guy? Who did you get advice from before going public with this?

I give you no sympathy and I like you. You're a great baller but how do you justify turning down 10 times your present salary to sit out and take out loans next year until you get what you want?

You just became the face of what's wrong with professional sports because you're number# 55 to the rest of us. We don't get those kind of raises from people who disrespect us.

On opening day we're not looking at where Lance is, we are looking at who is lining up at outside linebacker and that could be anybody. Fact is, you would be getting paid millions and you're turning it down. So what if you got hurt next year. You'd feel better if you were getting paid. Wouldn't you???

How is Briggs alienating fans with statements that he will sit out the year instead of playing for whatever the team is tossing his way? If fans want to take offense at that that is their own choice. Never once did he ridicule the fans with any accusations towards them. His beef is with the organization. Why do so many people take the slant that Briggs is wrong for demanding better pay? If you or your kid had talent like Briggs you would very much like to be compensated as much as you can. Yeah,his agent got him full of himself but that's no different than his family perching him up there as well. Look at how these agents and owners use you up until they can't use you anymore and then you're cast aside like Britney's underwear. I wonder how many destitute Bears from the past actually agree with him? Ditka was complaining this past week about the NFL and the player's union not helping out those who played in the past and are now broke and broken. He gives back to them because he feels fortunate to still be marketable. If it wasn't for the Chicago fans backing Ditka all these years I wonder where he might be. I just wonder why you guys hate this Briggs guy so much?

Romo - if you're gonna post crap like the above blog on how this is racist (again) you should then post ANY blog, no holds barred...

Roman responds: Yeah, I'm not sure. I'll allow for various viewpoints, but I'm cutting it off when it gets too confrontational.

"I'll play one year for 7+ and give you an all pro year but at the end of that year either give me an equitable contract or trade me."

Isn't this exactly what he did when he accepted the horribe $700,000 deal? How many years should he continue to take whatever is given? When should he break through and start demanding market value pay?

There go another person not understanding contracts: if he had signed last year he wouldn't have gotten anything but the signing bonus. The contract would have been extended and started this year. He still would have made 700K plus the signing bonus. He cannot get a signing bonus now. There is no 7 mill plus bonus. That's the dispute right there. If he had gotten hurt last year the only thing guaranteed was the bonus. They didn't rip up anything. I think a lot of people just are unaware of what contracts are really about. Length or what goes on the books and what have you. They see 7 million this year and 7/33 last year and say, "wow". In the NFL there are a lot of empty contracts.So there are a lot of emty promises. Who can blame the players for asking for so much. The game takes such a toll on their bodies. But why mention that when most of you can care less about them in the first place. As long as they provide you with entertainment why care about them in the long run?

Rush Limbaugh was not a sports commentator he was/is a social commentator. His views are to the left so anything he says will reflect that. No admitted black man on this blog ever bring up Farrakhan or Jessie or Sharpton or any black social commentator because they really have nothing to do with sports day in and out. We will only respond when someone else does that. If Roman is deleting responses most likely that are of a racist nature and I can't blame him for that. There is a difference between racial and racist. He used to delete quite a few of my blogs because, really, they were nothing more than arguments that I was having with someone that in hind sight wasn't necessary on my part or their part.Just differences of opinions. Thank you Roman for doing that. If anyone wrote a slanted response about black people that was just hateful then I can see the reason for deletion. If someone accused me of backing a black man just because he's a black man, they would be wrong. I grew up in a colorblind household that didn't prepare me for a lot of the things I've learned first hand. Things that haven't made me weary- just aware. If someone makes a statement like Grnbay did ,why respond if he's just some cuckoo out there making statements? If someone generalized that blacks were this and that, that's their opinion. And as long as it's not hateful you are entitled to your opinion. It's just that some people are good with their "veiled" opinions. What Grnbay said wasn't hateful. There are a lot of people who feel similar to him in regard to the media here in Chicago boosting Brian up. People who are all colors. Only in Chicago is he so loved. Between him and someone like Peyton Manning, America loves their QBs with self-deprecating humor. And unlike Grnbay, I haven't seen too many commercials with Urlacher in them. America still doesn't care too much for athletes going through personal issues like child support and impregnating gold diggers. I haven't seen a new commercial with him since that period. At least not a national commercial. I'm more with "stuck in wisconsin" because people do want kick people out of town for doing something that is natural in business. Getting that paper.

Quick hits--by the way, most regulars on this blog probably know this, but I want to remind everyone that I am a Black male.

1) No, Rush Limbaugh is a typical right-winger--racist to the nth degree, ignorant as people get, and so desperate to stay in the public eye that he loses his grip on things that might expose him for the hypocritical pill-popping entitled b@stard he is.

2) Saying the media wants a Black quarterback to succeed is something only a truly privileged white person could say. McNabb and Vick have had more distinguished careers than Trent Green, Marc Bulger, Eli Manning, Kerry Collins, Chris Chandler, or Jeff Garcia, yet they somehow have to fight the stigma of being called "overrated" because some owner expects them to be superkneegrow and win a Super Bowl by themselves. A quarterback is just like any other player on a team in that he needs the right system--and, if anything, Black quarterbacks are often forced into a system that acknowledges their physical rather than mental capabilities. Anyone who thinks Mike Vick can't be a pocket passer obviously doesn't remember Dan Reeves. Anyone who dares insinuate Donovan McNabb isn't pound-for-pound the best quarterback in this league not named Peyton Manning is flat-out wrong--and look what happened when McNabb was only given ONE solid wide receiver. (Cue the "but he lost the Super Bowl" gallery--blah blah blah). The problem isn't the media wanting a Black quarterback to succeed; the problem is racist plankton considering Black quarterbacks failures if they are anything other than perfect.

3) With that said, I'm fairly sure race is only tangentially a factor with Lance Briggs, sorry. The business line is that Briggs isn't as valuable as Brian Urlacher--that Urlacher established himself as a solid, genuinely great player before Briggs' arrival is influencing Angelo's admittedly feeble decision-making process. To be fair, if you could only have one or the other on your team (Briggs or Urlacher), 9 out of 10 coaches are going to pick Urlacher. The only reason why people think Urlacher is overrated is because he's in a system that doesn't result in a lot of highlight-reel plays. Urlacher and Briggs both are the kind of linebacker every team needs--they don't run around and beat their chests or pad their stats, they just make plays when they need to. I give Urlacher the edge because he's just so damn fast, and as smart as defenders get. But it's not like Lance is getting shafted like Lovie is--getting franchised is part of what players have to deal with in this league (and he WOULD be getting paid market share for someone in his position).

I think that's it.

Dear Mr. Briggs,

I hope you keep your word. Please do not play one more down for the Chicago Bears. Pass up the 7 million. Get one year older in a league where you are considered a senior citizen when you near 30. Pass up the chance to play in one of the best cities in the world. Have you spent any time in Green Bay or Detroit? How about Buffalo or Cleveland? You've blown your chance to cash in on endorsements in this town. Plus, you'd better rest that left foot injury that kept you out of the Pro Bowl anyway. Punkass!

Lance could be making a huge mistake if he sits. Yes, his value would probably be diminished from sitting, but everyone else would then get a chance to see if it was Briggs that was so great, or if Briggs was great because he was playing with Urlacher. If Jamar Williams comes in and puts up numbers anywhere close to what Briggs put up this year or last year, then many would believe that it is the advantage of playing with Urlacher that inflated Lance. And after that, no one will pay him what the Bears offered LAST YEAR.

Daryl - there's this QB named Tom Brady I hear is pretty good...won a few games.

I loved McNabb when he was healthy, but he hasn't been on the field much the last 2 years. If I had to pick a QB to start for me THIS year, I would pick the following 3 before McNabb:

Manning (duh)
Brady (duh, again)
Carson Palmer (this is tougher since he's only 1 year from major surgey)

Before you dismiss Garcia and Trent Green so quickly, they have higher career ratings than McNabb. Finally, as it relates to Vick, there are about 10-15 more QBs I would take over him including the 3 rookies from last year (Young, Leinart, Cutler) - their upsides are much higher than Vick's at this point. There have been games where Vick has looked like he wanted to tap out (like the Bears game in 2005). He's a great running QB but can you see him playing QB if he ran like Rex?
Just my opinion...

darryl m

i would like to thank you for your last post on all 3 counts

1) pointing out that Rush Limbaugh is as for right as a person can get not left and as a white male I am embarressed that he is even allowed to continue on the air.

2) pointing out that 7.2 million for one year is market value

3) race is, if at all way down the list of factors

now as far as an earlier post bringing up Ditka's comments of how the NFL should be helping destitute former players: correct me if I'm wrong but aren't most if not all of those people college educated? didn't they make some kind of plans for when they could no longer play? or did they just "party on" and blow the money they made while playing? isn't it an individuals responsibilty to plan his/her retirement? seems to me if a former NFL player is destitute it's comparable to someone winning the lottery and being broke 5 years later.

If the NFL is such a bad deal why are they there? Most players received a free college education to play ball so they should be able to walk into a high paying job somewhere. Tough crap if they don't have $25 million guaranteed. One season at half a million is more than enough to provide financial security for a lifetime if managed intelligently.

The NFL bargained with the NFLPA for a provision in the players agreement allowing for the 'franchise tag'. One would have to assume that the NFL players who voted to ratify this agreement knew the ramifications of not only the 'franchise tag' but of all the other provisions of the agreement.

Was the NFLPA negligent in their negotiations, allowing the franchise tag proviso without completely understanding the consequences associated with it? Or where the players and their agents the ones to blame for not fully appreciating the implications tied to the 'tag'. Accusing the Bears of being shortsighted, cheap and mean spirited, in their dealings with Lance Briggs, misses the point of the organization exercising their rights under the collective bargaining agreement.

The owners agreed to pay the 'tagged' player the average of the five highest paid position players, in the same position the 'tagged' player competes. In the case of Lance Briggs that amounts to a salary increase of 1000% to over $7 million for next season. One could hardly accuse the owners of being 'cheap'in agreeing to compensation levels of that magnitude, especially as it applies to Lance Briggs.

The Bears are a lot of things, many of which are earned and reflect negatively on the organization. In this instance providing Lance Briggs with a new contract for $7 million when he earned $700,000, being cheap is not one of them.

Yes, the career of a professional athlete is short, especially for a football player. The career of any working individual is open to hazards and unforeseen circumstances that could cut their chosen careers short as well. The argument that pro athletes need to make as much as they can when they can is valid only if they feel it is their right to live as kings when their careers are cut short or after they retire. Investments, insurance and prudent living can assure Lance Briggs a very comfortable life even if he only plays one more year at $7 million.

It's time for professional athletes and professional sports owners to comeback to reality, which one could argue is where the Bear organization is today.

Steve Sarich

Roman, I agree that the playing field is not level for blacks and whites. Whites have it much tougher. Whites have to score higher than blacks on college entrance exams such as the SAT to get into college. Whites have to score higher than blacks on police department or fire fighter exams. And those are just a few FACTS that I came up with off the top of my head. And remember, those are FACTS, not my opinion. And as the late great Ronald Reagan used to say "facts are stubborn things". Now about Briggs, I and I assume most people on here don't hate him for threatening to sit out. We are just saying be a man and back up that talk and actually do it. I couldn't care less if he sits out the season. I just want him to be a man and show that his word means something. Like I said in an earlier post, the Bears should call his bluff and tell him to sit out if he wants to. Although I can guarantee you he won't sit out.

Roman responds: Why do you think affirmative action was conceived? Because blacks weren't getting hired. And now if a black is hired, some people think it was only because of affirmative action and not that the person actually was qualified. I heard some of that crap when we hired Vaughn McClure, who's done a great job covering Notre Dame for us. The bottom line is this, the next time you're picked up by police for being in the "wrong" - aka affluent - neighborhood, or the next time a security guard follows you around a store because of the way you look, let me know. Then I'll say you have it tougher. And for God's sake, how tough did Norv freaking Turner or Wade Phillips have it? They're proven losers and both got head coaching jobs. Then there's 31-year-old Lane Kiffin. Yeah, it's a level playing field all the way around.

I almost forgot, to the guy who said McNabb is the second best QB in the league. That is just a ridiculous statement. Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, Drew Brees just to name a quick few are clearly better. Because remember, two years ago in the superbowl McNabb was the one who got stage fright in the 4th qtr. and started hyperventilating and couldn't call the plays in the huddle. While Tom Brady and the ice water in his veins were leading his team to another championship. BTW, the Pats will win their 4th title next year, you can book it.

Roman responds: I think you have to give the nod to Brady at this point, but where is Peyton Manning on that list? The guy is a Hall of Famer.

Daryl - I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, thinking you may have forgotten who plays QB in the AFC...but you can't be serious if you would take McNabb over Tom Brady!
Given McNabb's injuries over the last few years, there are several QBs I would take over him today. Three years ago, he was right behind Brady and Manning...now, I would probably put him 5th or 6th. Vick...he's somewhere in the Rex Grossmann range, which is the lower 1/4 of the QBs.

Oh--and Lance Briggs, who for the past four years has been making TWENTY-FIVE TIMES as much as my salary will be this year, has to take out a loan if he sits out this year?

What has he been spending his money on?

I have been listening to different theories on this, and Briggs will probably sign. He doesn't have any choice. The Bears hold the cards in their hand.

The one thing that has gotten lost in all this is the Bears can go and put the Franchise tag on him again next year. So he is stuck. He wants the guaranteed money up front, but his moronic thinking, or his greedy agent, isn't taking into consideration that the one year deal is a guaranteed $7 mill. And next year it would be about $8 mill. And what do you think his guaranteed money in a long term deal would be? $15 mill to $20 mill? Do the math. If he smartens up he should just take the money the next two years and stop listening to Rosenhaus, who only cares about himself and could care less about his client, or the Bears.

Ditka has been speaking about older NFL players being destitute. Of course he's not talking about the blingers from the 1990s because salaries didn't exactly hit millions until then. No one from the 85 Bears ever cashed in on a million dollar a year salary WITH the BEARS. Not Walter. Hampton. Dent. Mongo. Singletary. But,there are a lot of guys from Ditka's era who are BROKE!! Do you honestly think that he's helping out any of the guys from the 90s? No,he wants to help the guys who were working part time jobs in the off season before the NFL became a billion dollar industry. He's talking about the guys who you guys love to hold up as examples of players playing with all the heart and sacrificing their bodies and leaving it all on the field guys. Those players that stayed with one team their whole career because free agency was a dream. The ones who could say something about nickels and manhole covers and it was appropriate. The ones that made about as much or a little more than the average person's salary. Those guys. Who care about those guys? Players nowadays they see how the public treat these older players and they see how once the team is through with them it's:see ya. Once the spot light is shining on the latest players,no one cares about begone players. To not even know that they were grossly underpaid for most of their careers shows that the average fan is not aware of what the players in the past sacrificed for their "adoring" fans. You may chuckle at the thought of a player's name you haven't heard in a long time,but guess what:he didn't cease to exist just because he hasn't crossed your mind. If you've ever asked whatever happened to such and such,you'd be surprised how the ravages of his playing days leave him a shell of the person you remember. But lucky you,you still have those memories. But he was the one left with whatever life he had to live.

Daryl - consider this an invite to our fantasy football league next year. In addition to you having McNabb ranked ahead of guys like Brees and Brady, I can only assume you have Thomas Jones ahead of LT and Larry Johnson.

Roman, I didn't include Manning as being better than McNabb because the original poster, Daryl I think, admitted that in his post. But yes, Manning is CLEARLY better than McNabb. As for affrimative action, it was probably needed 20 or 30 years ago but all it is now is a racist quota system. As for your example about a black guy being picked up by police for being in the wrong neighborhood, how often does that happen? I hear that complaint a lot but I have no doubt it is grossly exaggerated as part of the race card playing game. You see, I mention FACTS on here when I mention the SAT tests etc. I don't take something that I heard some guy say on TV as a fact. Now, if you want to reverse that situation and put a white guy in a neighborhood that he doesn't fit into? Hell, that guy would be lucky if he got picked up by the police because if others in the neighborhood pick him up he is going to be in a world of hurt. As a native southsider I know this to be true because I know some people who have suffered that fate. Now I know you did not grow up on the southside so it is understandable if you cannot relate to that. I am not criticizing you I am just speaking about the real world we live in.

Roman responds: I grew up in East Chicago, Ind., which is basically the Southeast side of Chicago. It's next to Gary. It's a real resort town. And one man's facts are another's misguided perceptions. But we digress. Let's talk football. Deal?

You don't have to rank Jones ahead of LT or LJ,you can always rank him ahead of Ced Benson. Who wants to wager that Jones will have a better year than Benson? I'll start with a wager that he doesn't even get past training camp without getting hurt. After that he won't get past week 9 before he's missing games. The guy should've been motivated to unseat Jones but he NEVER won the position outright. Another first round pick given a starting position without challeging for it.

Not so sure about that William. From what I hear, Jones will share time with 1 other RB, and possibly 2. Angelo is betting the ranch he's right in his original pick of Benson (which was the 1 year to trade down and get a LB !!). I will partially agree with Angelo in that I have a beter feel for Benson coming into this year, than I did with Jones 3 years ago who was viewed as a complete re-tread. If I had some sense that Benson actually wants to play, he should get more yards. Unfortunately, despite his teary draft day, Benson is turning out more like Rickey Williams every day (to this point without the hooch).
I have no clue what the Bears are doing in general. They've been MIA in free agency.

I stand by everything I say. That I'm correct only makes it sweeter (ha-ha).

I'd put Brady and Brees both at the top 5 in the league (Steve McNair rounding it out), but McNabb still trumps 'em both, sorry. McNabb's and Brady's stats overall are pretty comparable (McNabb's played maybe ten more games, Brady's rating is a little higher, McNabb has a few more touchdowns). Brady's got his rings, thanks to Adam Vinateri, his defense, and arguably the best system in the league. Brees's numbers are comparable, too, but he's just as injury-prone as McNabb has been for the past two years. Football's a team effort; Brady's on the best team, to be sure, but I give the individual edge to McNabb. Call it personal preference (I'm a Syracuse fan). I do love Drew Brees, but McNabb's on a completely different level. Sorry. And Carson Palmer? Puh-leeze. Great player, tough as nails--but he still has more questions than answers, as far as I'm concerned.

On race: Roman hits it right on the head. Having scored higher on most standardized tests than 90% of my peers, I nonetheless had to endure all kinds of "Affirmative Action" jabs in college. To say nothing of my having been pulled over at least forty times in five years whilst in high school and college (in case anyone wonders, I'm a teetotaler with one-count it-one speeding ticket in eleven years of driving). Bringing up personal experience is trite--but the fact that people compliment me by saying I "speak so well" when I use words like "trite" opens up a whole new can of worms.

The unease white males on the whole feel toward acknowledging the marginalized is hardly surprising, but does that make it just? Women (in the past, mostly middle-class white women) are the primary beneficiaries of affirmative action policies--yet Blacks and spanish-speaking Mexican, Central, or South American immigrants are often targeted as proof of some odd thing called "reverse-racism." To be fair, racism in any form is just racism--but white people, especially white males, for the most part have no business crying foul at institutionalized bias. Not getting 100% exactly what you want out of life because the system prevents you from doing it is a part of life for a lot of qualified minorities; why should white people be exempt from injustice, especially considering at the end of the day, their odds of success are still better simply because they're white? Sure, it's not all white people that make the system corrupt and unfair--but it's not all Black/Hispanic/Latino/etc. people that exploit Affirmative Action, either.

For that matter, what's the greater flaw--a white person having to settle for a different job or law school because of affirmative action quota, or a black kid having low test scores because their high school doesn't have textbooks? I'm a staunch advocate of high standards; at the risk of sounding somewhat arrogant, I'd meet my fair share of them. However, I'm also aware that I would do so primarily because I was lucky enough to be well-educated, and it doesn't take a statistician (or a census-taker) to figure out the bulk of my education took place around a whole bunch of white people.

Race in this country is STILL an annoying (at best) issue; white people think that, since a few Black people have a few shiny toys, all Black people have reached a state of equality. I have to admit, after watching BET and MTV or hearing four-year veterans of the NFL saying they'll have to take out a loan to live for a year without working (and how many Black people can qualify for a loan that would accommodate for $700,000 worth of lost salary?), I can't blame the white fright resurgence entirely on white ignorance. But then again, who controls the media that lets those images through?

Bottom line is--I hate to break it to you, people, but white privilege is alive and well. One need look no further than the presidency (past and present) to understand that. If you deny the necessity of programs like Affirmative Action, you're basically saying the existing socioeconomic system is fair and just, which in turn suggests that the people who fail in the system are simply inferior.

Which is pretty damn racist, if you ask me.

/rant

Roman responds: Darryl, what are you talking about? Brees has missed one game the past three seasons. Injury-prone? No. McNabb has missed 13. Brees is much better, as is Brady and Manning. And marginalizing a QB's impact on a Super Bowl trophy - or three - is ridiculous.

way 2 go bears....ur spendthriftness in the front office is starting to result into another post2001 season...bearsfans...we'll never win with jerry angelo in the front office...lets save us the agony of watching another blown season with another playoff exit...who knows if we're even gonna make the playoffs...lance is prob one of the best olb's in the nfl...bears r 2 cheap to pay him...rosenhaus's poison is workin once again...u kno whos players he has?? tjones...out...lance...bout to be out...tommie harris and ogunlye...there goes the def...

Roman responds: Darryl, what are you talking about? Brees has missed one game the past three seasons. Injury-prone? No. McNabb has missed 13.

Fair enough. I was immediately drawn to Das Shoulder Injury and got ahead of myself.

Brees is much better, as is Brady and Manning.

RACIST! (Just kidding). Roman, you know I love you (and acknowledge I'm prone to hyperbole), but calling Brees "much better" than Donovan McNabb is absolute fiction. I'll give up on being the shining beacon of truth about Tom Bradydaddy ), and we all agree Manning's #1.

And marginalizing a QB's impact on a Super Bowl trophy - or three - is ridiculous.

And marginalizing a QB's impact on an entire team's performance isn't? McNabb happened to not play the best game of his career in a Super Bowl - two words: Jim Kelly. Do four straight trips to the NFC title game mean nothing?

I'm guessing I'm losing this debate, ha-ha.

Alright, Roman, you win...this time.

Roman responds: Donovan may be as talented as Brees, and maybe even Brady, but the injuries have held him back. And the Eagles have been one of the most talented teams since Donovan has been there.

first off i would like to apologize for being a white middle class american male. i realize how by working so hard and taking over 100 grand worth of loans for college in order work towards a successful career in southern california might offend some of you

now, the real reason for this blog ... the bears have always and will always be cheap. briggs is dancing with the rosenhaus devil so no matter what he gets offered he probably wont be satisfied. i understand that lance wants his chance to try to indentify himself as a premier LB in the league and get out of brian's shadow. but dont be surprised that if he doesnt have brian taking the majority of the blockers on, he may not get as many tackles and be such a force to reckon with. lance is a great LB and will be missed, i am just not so convinced that he can be what everyoen expects him to be on his own. i am tired of hearing pro athletes say that they fear injury and have to make more money in case theyre pro careers were to end. the poor babies may have to go find a regular blue or white collar job in order to make some money and they may also have to learn how to save. its a crazy concept i know. its your job. if a construction worker gets hurt on the job he doesnt get the chance to fall back on the previous 7 million he made a yr. lance i have no sympathy for you. If you dont want to play for chicago then get out, but honor your contract and be a man.

oh ya, and i final blank you to Grnbay, i have not had anythign handed to me, thats a generalization your making that all white people just happen to live such perfect lives with everythign handed to them. my parents grew up dirt poor and worked hard while going to night school to get to where they are today and to help my "privelaged" self get to where i am at. dont blame me for any misfortunes you have recieved throughout life to make you sound so bitter and ignorant and dare i say it, racist. i never said i represent all white people and i find what you wrote offensive and ignorant.

Roman responds: Ok, guys, that's the last word on race for a while. I think I've allowed plenty of posts from both sides.

Which part,the being hurt during preseason or after 9 games. Even if Jones is sharing time with other backs he's bound to get more reps than Benson because Benson will most likely not be motivated to come back from minor injury without Jones looking over his shoulder. I hate to compare Ricky and Ced,but that may be a good assessment about them being flighty and not motivated. As much as I'm not against Rex because of his inexperience I'm not fond of Benson because he run off at the mouth and obviously couldn't understand that he needed to do his homework to be an all-around back in this league. Jones started ahead of him,despite not being a great RB, because Jones did enough little things better than Benson to help our offense. Jones did not run over guys but he knew how to avoid them enough to get yardage. I'm not sold on just running over guys. Walter didn't do it and his replacement Anderson didn't do it. There's a reason that they're 1-2 in career yardage with the BEARS. When people think of players who avoid tackles I always think about Franco Harris who took a lot of heat for running out of bounds when he could have gotten a few more yards. Look at his longevity. We love the guys smashing his opponents in the mouth but behind the scenes they took a terrible toll on their bodies. Now,Darryl M.,what?? McNabb needs to cut down on the chunky soap. He's carrying way too much weight on his frame and it's doing him a disservice. He WAS a top 3 QB but he seems to be suffering from having to prove too much because he has his detractors. He always seem to not have any great receivers, just like Vick and they BOTH are stymied because of that. I know people like to look at what Garcia did with the Eagles and say he was better but it's like when Griese plays and look sharper because he's throwing to receivers that he's usually throwing to in practice and eventually defenses get around to solving him once they learn his nuances. McNabb needs to get in shape and get over that negativity that he's trying to rise above. (I know "get over it" sounds priviledged but in his case it fit) Vick needs to have receivers who hold onto the ball and try to have patience with his gameplan. I love when these QBs have a "rebirth",it usually mean that they finally are being utilized to their strengths. Once they sign these QBs to astronomical contracts there isn't enough money to go around and provide to him with effective players. Not all of them has the luxury that Manning has of having a gazillion commercial endorsements to off set his contract. Sure he can renegotiate his contract. What is it called when a rich guy doesn't have to be too rich to be happy?

After re-reading a lot of these comments and open letters to Lance ,I wonder why no one written one to his agent. If you see it for what it is: Lance is a misdirected and misinformed player who got his words and actions from someone who only has his best interest because of his percentage. Money. The root of all evil. Lance didn't say anything against the fans until it was brought to his attention that his approval rating was .5 percent. And after that all hell broke loose. But the fact of the matter is Briggs is a mama's boy who didn't have a male voice during his upbringing and now the only voice he has is a cut throat agent who only care about getting down in everyone's pocket until they are fishing for coins and pocket lint. It's not the players who put these things in their heads it's the sharks who wade in the kiddy pools and vast oceans. All of us are being bit. The outrage need to be directed to them. Drew never threw a ball or swung a bat and he's no different than a lot of columnist who did neither and sway your opinions everyday. It's the slimy little no ones who got picked last or not at all who are the root of the sportfans problems. They have you ponying up the dough to the players,to get their cut. The owners want their cut so they raise tickets to the point where you're next to Briggs in the "Pay Day Loan" place trying to stay ahead. Everyone is bleeding the fans and it's up to you guys to decide where the buck stops. But the funny thing is none of this matters: the draft will come and players will stand there and say they are so happy to be there and that was the team they've loved since they were kids and his family will cry and his agent will become his best friend in the whole world and he'll get the owner to pay this unproven commodity more than the veterans on the team and the salary cap will be brought up and guys who still can play and who have a contract will be released and he'll go to another team and be revitalized and motivated and you're stuck with his old jersey and the season will progress then your team will lose it's last game more veterans with contracts will be released and the whole process is repeated over and over again like ground hog day. Might as well read more and spend more time with your family and forget all about this game called football. NNNAAWWWW!!! What in the world was I thinking?

Romo - let this be a lesson for future postings...you see what happens when you allow someone (Daryl) to interject race in a topic where it isn't warranted? Not only do you get odd opinions on black QBs (McNair a top 5 QB and McNabb better than Brady...that's qualifies as football stupid) but also re-hashing racial views within a sports blog. Or is this the place where I tell everyone about growing up in Pullman as one of the last white families there. No, I think you would know how that story ended up.

Roman responds: Here's the thing, I think racism at its root is ignorance. So you would hope that discussion and enlightenment could help. But I think we're all too developed in our beliefs to change. So let's talk sports.

Romo - since this has become a discussion about QBs (which is interesting, and funny considering someone thinks McNair is better today than Carson Palmer), I would love to see if you can pick up the phone and have an anonymous NFL guy rate the best QBs out there today.
McNair...I mean he's from the Bretty Favre era. Nice QB but you'd have to be an idiot to think he's one of the top 5 QBs out there.
Anything to get off the race discussions...

Roman responds: Why does every discussion turn toward race. I mean, to an extent, I think it's been very enlightening and important. I think it's always good to share viewpoints. Then again, you should see some of the vicious crap I don't post. Some people don't think that still exists. They have no idea. Anyway, back to sports. And McNair does not belong in the top five.

getting back to pro athlete salaries and destitute former players...it's true the salaries of the 80's were not what they are today but they were still more than the average earnings of that of a steel mill or auto worker....and as I pointed out in my earlier post most if not all those players received college educations via scholarships.... were some of those educations a farce? probably so and in those cases I am inclined to feel sorry for those individuals but for those who did actualy get that education, what did they do with it after their career was over? what kind of planning did they do for when they were finished playing pro sports? did they invest anything in thier future or just think they would be given things the rest of their lives as they had been to that point because they could play ball? did they believe that after being a pro athlete that working a 9 to 5 job was beneath them? did they even consider that one day they would need to work a regular job? I do feel sorry for those players from the past that are destitute but whose fault is it that they are?
now back to the original topic of this blog....Lance Briggs...he is gauranteed 7.2 mil for one year..granted after paying his agent and taxes he will probably see only 3.6 mil but invested wisely that one years salary could provide a lifetime of comfortable living and a second year of a "franchise tag" would be gauranteed 8+ mil....someone earlier said he should be a man and follow through with his threat to sit out ..... that would not be showing he is a man... honoring the provisions of the contract that the players voted on and ratified by playing under the "franchise tag" would be being a man.....grow up Lance and fulfill your part of the contract you signed, if you don't your market value will plummet to reflect the size of your inflated ego.

McNair...I mean he's from the Bretty Favre era. Nice QB but you'd have to be an idiot to think he's one of the top 5 QBs out there

Brett Favre is still a top-15 quarterback. And I hate the guy. He's the prototype Tom Brady was built upon--his only problem is sticking witht he packers. McNair's one good hit away from a nursing home, and he's still a better QB than Carson Palmer.

(You're just going to have to accept that.)

And McNair does not belong in the top five.

Who does, then? Palmer? Romo? Green? Bulger? Harrington?

Roman responds: Manning, Brady, Brees, Palmer, Young

Let me say this to dispel a certain opinion :just about every home improvement guy in black neighborhoods are white.

Roman responds: William, you're one of my favorite bloggers, but I said the race topic is over for right now. So I'm not going to post the rest of this, even thought it's a well-thought out and LONG comment. Sorry.

Romo..you have "Vince" Young as #5? Hmmm...I think I need to see 1 more year but I do think he is close. I would probably have McNabb in the top 5 till Young gets there, but your top 4 are right-on. By chance did the guy who likes McNair see him at the end of the year? At one point they were considering putting Boller back in as starter. So what happens...they keep him and he totally &&^(*&(ed the bed against the Colts in the playoffs. At this point in his career, he's middle of the pack at best.

Roman, you can't put Young in the top 5. He looked good but he's has to prove that he's not a one-hit wonder.

Roman responds: Who's No. 5 then? Depsite the nickname some of you have given me, I don't like Romo.

BRIGGS IS A MORON, I COULD BE A PRO BOWL LINEBACKER PLAYING NEXT TO URLACHER AND IM 5'5" 300LBS

Roman responds: Quit blogging and go exercise. Then come back and blog later.

"McNair better than Carson Palmer"...Daryl, there isn't a GM on this planet that would take McNair at this point over Carson Palmer.

(perdoname; mi espanol es terrible.)

para jesus y todos de mis criticos: mi nombre tiene dos "r's." por favor.

para roman: siempre se enseno lo mas respeto, pero Brees, Palmer, y Young? Ay caramba! De los tres jugadores, pienso que Brees es lo mejor; los otros, no estoy aseguro.

Ya basta de Palmer! El tiene dos anos buenos y cuantos victorias del "playoffs"? (no recuerdo la palabra.) McNabb y McNair no merecen respeto?

(Ahora no?)

:-P

Roman responds: I understand most of it, enough to know - I think - you're not swearing. Growing up where I did, I know most of the Spanish swear words. Anyway, I don't think there's a clear No. 5. I like Young. If I were starting a team, I'd go with Young as No. 5. McNair and McNabb are over the hill or damaged goods. Capiche?

Lance, Lance, Lance - I think he needs to realize the reality which is that he is not the best linebacker out there. He was made a star due to Brian and the other fellow memebers on his team. This is Brian's Team, no it's and BUT's. You can imagine that it is your team in your own world, but here in CHICAGO, Brian is the leader and will stay as the leader. Do all of us a favor and LEAVE. Trust me, you will probably beg the BEARS to take you back in a year. I say just get rid of him, he whins more than my 2 yeard old son. Also don't tell everyone in Chicago what is favor and what isn't, I think you need to relaize the fairness first, the only thing you have on your mind is $$$. You alone didn't bring the bears tothe Superbowl, they will find a better person in your spot. If you were so good, why don't you look at your stats at the Superbowl game and then talk.

Roman responds: I understand most of it, enough to know - I think - you're not swearing.?

I wasn't swearing. Or, at least, I wasn't trying to.

I don't think there's a clear No. 5. I like Young. If I were starting a team, I'd go with Young as No. 5.

This is a statement I can get behind. I really, really think VY has a long way to go, though, regardless of what we saw last year. I'm much more optimistic, however, than I was when I put him on my "most overrated" list. If I were starting a team...eh, I'd take Young if he were there, but I'd still consider him a developing player.

McNair and McNabb are over the hill or damaged goods. Capiche?

Comprendo, if only the knowledge that your opinion isn't going to change. Well, at least as far as McNair is concerned. You mean to tell me McNabb is "damaged goods" and Brees and Palmer aren't simply because they got hurt at the end of a season rather than in the middle? Bear in mind Palmer's injury had been classified by some as "career-threatening."

Good Evening,

What am I missing here? The Bears make Lance Briggs a franchise player, so he gets what amounts to another option year, with a tenfold increase in salary to make it worth his while. Now he says he won't play for the Bears again. Duh!

Roman responds: There's no signing bonus with a franchise tag, and the only part of a player's contract that's guaranteed is a signing bonus.

That has NOTHING to do with Lance Briggs crying over the prospect of making 7.2 million dollars playing a game--probably better than his market value, but certainly fair.

So this is not about being paid fair market value--it is about demanding that the Bears give him a long term, high-value contract.

The Bears have to assess their players, assess their needs, and fit it all under the salary cap. They have demonstrated that they are tough negotiators, and sometimes, are penny-wise and pound foolish. But its their money to spend.

Where does Lance Briggs rate in the same polls of linebackers where Urlacher rates 2 or 3? If it is not above 5th, then Lance would be getting OVERpaid at 7.2 mil this year.

Roman responds: I edited some of the stuff out because we're done with the racial angle. We've discussed it thoroughly, and it's time to move on. Thanks.

I think Briggs is stupid. I understand wanting a long term deal, but blame the players union on the terms they agreed to. E. James was franchised a number of years in a row, he complained, but he played. If anything, the Bears should keep the tag on Briggs and tell him to play or sit out the whole year. The Bears have drafted LB's in the past few drafts just for such an occasion and can dradt another top LB with the 1st round pick. Also, if Brigss keeps it up I say franchise tag him for the 2008 season too and see if he plays. If not, then he would have not played for two years and would be older. What would his market value be then? It is within the rules to do it. Management/organization should prove a point that they don't bend to anyone's demands.

Screw Lance he is an idiot and a crybaby!

Really I think we're getting way ahead of ourselves. We talk about how people played with the tag but Briggs has done nothing but take a hardline stance in regard to pressuring the BEARS to do something with his contract. He hasn't missed any time because we haven't even had the NFL draft which is still more than a month away. I understand he struck a nerve but we should wait until he miss something that is worth attending. Just about all of these guys are on vacation. There is still a lot of off season to go. I wonder if we are going to add instead of subtracting anytime soon. Forget Briggs ,are we going to rely on the draft and guys on injured reserve from 2006 to field our team. It looks like we're sitting on our hands and going back on our record of surprising people with a limited amount of acquisitions. We've added absolutlely no one and lost 7 guys total. Good that Briggs have us up in arms or we would be wondering what was going on.

I agree with Chuck.

Roman, I agree with Carl that when a poster(Daryl) is allowed to bring race into the SPORTS discussion, it only encourages people like me to respond and defend ourselves. My suggestion is if someone wants to talk race they should go to Mary Mitchell's blog. Now, back to the QB talk. McNair used to be pretty good when he was healthy but is below average now, so putting him in the top 5 is lunacy. Also Roman, you cannot put Vince Young in the top 5 after 8 good games(although if you look at his QB rating last year it was near the bottom of the league). My top 5 in Order are Brady, Manning, Brees, Palmer, Grossman(only kidding), and Hasselback, Bulger & Roethlisberger battling it out for 5th. With me giving Bulger the nod over Hasselback & Big Ben for #5.

Roman responds: I just don't get excited over those three. Romo was in the Pro Bowl, and at least one person thought Rex should have been there. After the top four, there's a big dropoff. And I don't mind discussing race here, but I think we exhausted the subject.

Gah--even after the weekend, I still can't buy Carson Palmer in your top 5. Roman, man--why do you torture me so? McNabb not even in your top 5? Not ahead of Vince Young? *shakes fist at sky* Saying the Eagles have been one of the most talented teams during McNabb's tenure isn't something I necessarily buy--decent secondary, but no consistency on the D-line or linebacker (injuries) And there's no way anyone can tell me Todd Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell were quality receivers--McNabb made them better. There's a limit to how many positions Bryan Westbrook, and McNabb can play.

But fine, Palmer has some skill. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that McNabb can stay healthy long enough to win a Super Bowl so...that I may endure more comments about how overrated he is. (It never ends.)

I agree there is a big dropoff after the top 4. I know Romo made the pro bowl, but sometimes the pro bowl voting is a popularity contest. I would take Bulger, Hasselback or Big Ben over Romo because to me Romo is still unproven.

As much as I hate to do it :I'd put decrepit Favre ahead of Romo and Big Ben. Now, people want to say that Rex was the worst QB in the Super bowl, but Big Ben had him beat on looking bad. Does anyone remember what his stats were for the SB compared to Rex? It just so happened that The Steelers won and had a great running game to make us forget just how bad Ben was during the SB. Now if you want to go with potential I'd take Lienart as well as Young,but I have a problem putting a guy going into his 2nd year in the top five unless he had a season that led to a winning record. I don't care about QB ratings because a young guy will throw a few INTs that will bring any rating's points down to earth. Ben just looks so ordinary. Orton would rate better than him if he was playing. I don't even think the motorcycle accident is the reason he's looking so....BLAH!!

Top 5 (in order): Manning, Brees, Palmer, Bulger, Brady.

Next 5 (not in order): Rivers, Garcia, McNabb, Romo, Huard.

Rising: Young, Leinart, Smith, Grossman.