Urlacher is Becoming a Douche

I am a diehard Chicago Bears fan and have been for as long as I can remember. I have stood by them during their worst years and celebrated mightily when they have been at the top of their game. I had a lot of respect for middle linebacker Brian Urlacher. Recently the news reports coming out of Chicago have made me think less of the mighty linebacker.

There is no doubt that Urlacher is probably the best middle linebacker playing the game right now. He has missed the Pro Bowl only two times in his career. He typically leads the team in tackles every year and is a menacing force to be reckoned with. That is until last season. Last season was probably his worst season thus far yet he still lead the team with tackles, had a few sacks and some interceptions. Not bad for a guy with chronic arthritis in his back. Due to this he was not elected to play in the Pro Bowl despite his performance and what fans thought.

At one time Urlacher was the highest paid player on the Bears roster as it should have been. He is the core of the defense, a strong leader and a formidable player. He was signed to a nine year deal worth $56.5 million. He has four years left on that contract and he is now demanding a raise. Demanding a raise after a lackluster performance and him discussing his nagging back problem is ballsy to say the least. During the offseason he had surgery on his neck to help out with his back issues. According to him and the doctors he is fine and is expected to be 100% this season. That is fine and dandy but should the Bears take that as the word of god and give him a raise? I don’t think so. I say let him play and see how he performs, if he returns to his former self then give him the raise he feels he deserves.

With all of that being said, I do agree with his assessment of the issue. He feels he is not being paid fairly compared to other linebackers at his level. I agree that a top notch linebacker should be paid what he is worth. I also see his complaint since some new players on the team are now making more than him. So I see his side of the story but still. $56.5 million is nothing to sneeze at and I seriously doubt he is hurting for money. When I hear about players complaining about their salaries it makes me sick. In my lifetime I will never make $56 million and I make pretty decent scratch. So now he is avoiding the mini-camps and practices until he gets what he wants.

I’m sure the Bears are taking this seriously and offered him a deal he didn’t like which boggles my mind. I’m not sure what kind of raise he is after but the Bears offer of $18 million sounded good to me but I am a simple man. I really hope they get this resolved. The Bears need him playing if they want to remain the strong defensive team they have always been.

For now my respect for Brian Urlacher is diminished. He is being a whiny baby. Good luck to you Brian, I hope you get what you want.