[CBFF] No grounds for his defense (Morrissey)

[Steve Behrens]

It actually disgusts me, this trashing of the Bears with every little bump
in the road the Bears come across, though I know that I should expect this
type of media reaction by  now.  The blowing of every mole hill into some
insurmountable mountain range.  All the chicken little reporters running
around screaming that the sky is falling, the sky is falling, but not
because they're worried, but because it helps to get everyone worked up,
because it helps sell papers, and because there's a rival paper or two that
just might be more negative, and they'll be damned if they're going to allow
that to happen without a fight!

What I'd like to know is... where are the 'My Bad's" after all of the end of
the world theories have been plowed under?  Has anyone *ONCE* seen one
reporter or columnist write anything to the effect of " uhmmm ... ok, I
guess I was truly an idiot and was completely wrong about all that BS I
wrote about Rex, no if's, ands or but's about it, unless your talking about
the 'butt' on my shoulders".  Nope, they all just merrily head to the next
perceived team melt-down, seeing what players that can work up and get
agitated enough to have him melt-down in front of the cameras, because then,
oh boy, wouldn't that be fun to write bout.

I hope the team as a whole is taking names of all these media back stabbers
and tell them to suck eggs when they want they're exclusive Superbowl
interview.  Tell 'em to go read about it in the paper.....

-Behr


On 12/18/06, Victor Waldron <victor19 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> No grounds for his defense
> Right choice for Bears is to release Johnson
> Rick Morrissey
> In the wake of the news
>
> December 18, 2006
>
> In the space of six days ending Sunday against Tampa Bay, the
> once-vaunted, now-daunted Bears defense gave up 58 points.
>
> It's an ominous development for a team whose defense is supposed to be
> the accelerant for a trip to the Super Bowl. And it's an ominous
> development for those of us who believe the Bears need to release
> defensive tackle Tank Johnson, a man who could find trouble even if it
> were wearing an invisibility cloak.
>
> Will they decide a spine isn't all that important?
>
> It was only two weeks ago that the biggest question was whether the
> Bears could win in the playoffs with Rex Grossman's shaky hand on the
> tiller. Now in a stunning switch, it's whether the Bears can win in
> the playoffs the way they have been playing on defense.
>
> The answer is no, no matter how the Bears try to pretty up the ugly truth.
>
> "We're 12-2," cornerback Charles Tillman said defiantly. "Let's talk
> about that. Let's talk about today. Let's talk about how we won the
> game."
>
> OK, let's. The Bears managed to beat Tampa Bay 34-31 in overtime
> Sunday, but lurking in the euphoria surrounding Robbie Gould's
> game-winning field goal was the fact that the Buccaneers have been so
> bad this season they had six games in which they didn't score an
> offensive touchdown. Until the third quarter Sunday, they had gone 43
> straight possessions without a touchdown.
>
> As Tillman pointed out, the Bears on Sunday clinched home-field
> advantage throughout the playoffs. But as long as they continue giving
> up long pass plays, all it means is that there will be lots of local
> eyewitnesses when a New Orleans or a Dallas comes to Soldier Field and
> hands out a beating. The Bucs got back into the game with touchdown
> passes of 64 and 44 yards in the fourth quarter.
>
> And so concern sets in, and this is when the temptation will be
> strongest for Bears officials and fans. Do you worry about winning
> football games, or do you concentrate on doing the right thing?
>
> The Bears won in sudden death Sunday, and you don't need to be an
> English major to see the irony in it. Johnson's bodyguard was shot to
> death at a River North bar early Saturday morning with Johnson in
> attendance. It came on the heels of a police raid Thursday on
> Johnson's home and his arrest on gun charges.
>
> In other words, the man who was put on notice by the Bears after his
> third arrest in 18 months chose to be in a bar known for its hard
> edges and rough characters. The worst happened. A man's life was taken
> after a fight inside the bar.
>
> And now the Bears brass ponders what doesn't need to be pondered at
> all. Johnson, who was inactive for Sunday's game, should be released
> for disregarding the team's orders to stay out of trouble.
>
> But with the way the defense is playing, there surely will be calls
> for leniency for Johnson. The concern is that the Bears will hear
> those calls, will hear what they want to hear.
>
> "Is he still a part of our football team?" coach Lovie Smith said
> after Sunday's game. "Yes, he is."
>
> This is what happens when Pro Bowl defensive players Mike Brown and
> Tommie Harris are out for the season with injuries and another starter
> is out with legal troubles. If you're a coach or a general manager,
> you might be tempted to mistake necessity for mercy.
>
> Don't do it.
>
> It's not as if the Bears' team picture should be done by a courtroom
> sketch artist. Most players stay away from trouble. But that shouldn't
> be the criteria for whether to keep Johnson around. The criteria
> should be whether the organization sees itself as being above this
> sort of thing.
>
> It shouldn't be that the Bears gave up 31 points Sunday and 27 points
> against the Rams last week.
>
> For what it's worth, Bears defenders seem unfazed. And it's worth
> noting that Johnson was on the field when St. Louis scored its points.
>
> "We're getting to the point in the season where all that matters is if
> you win," defensive end Alex Brown said. "Once we make the playoffs,
> who cares how many points we give up as long as we win?"
>
> You wouldn't be daft for assuming the Bears' playoff opponents will be
> better than 3-11 Tampa Bay.
>
> The Bears need to start playing better defense, but they need to get
> rid of Johnson. Maybe those two elements aren't mutually exclusive.
> Life is full of tough decisions. This isn't one of them.
>
> rmorrissey at tribune.com
>
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