I realize White CB posted this at the end of another thread which is cool, but I think Brian needs his own. He is the most popular white player (non-quarterback) in the NFL. He personifies the word - ATHLETE ! He took some cheap shots from Caste System writers who wanted to knock him down a few pegs. I'm surprised he got so many votes to tell you the truth. He's had some great games against Michael Vick and I wonder if his performance against Atlanta in Chicago made an impression on voters? Urlacher had some big plays and huge hits. Vick played like a school girl.We're starting to see that the big red Superman cape Vick was wearing , looks a lot better on Brian.
Urlacher Defensive Player of Year
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Colonel Callan
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As incredible as Urlacher has been, the media still forces Ray Lewis down
our throats. The endorsements featuring that murderous thug are
infuriating.
How do you think the media and sponsors would treat Urlacher if he were
"involved" in the murder of two people?
our throats. The endorsements featuring that murderous thug are
infuriating.
How do you think the media and sponsors would treat Urlacher if he were
"involved" in the murder of two people?
White Shogun
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2005
- Messages
- 6,285
Maybe I've missed out on the media announcement of Urlacher's win of Defensive MVP, but I didn't hear about it until Dan Patrick asked Shaun Alexander who won it, on his show this afternoon.. Alexander had no clue - and Dan Patrick said that he just gave the Bears locker room fodder. Urlacher who? It was pretty funny stuff actually, but just goes to show you how little respect white athletes get. Alexander named off about 5 other defensive players, all black, and had to be given the answer by Dan Patrick.
Edited by: White Shogun
Edited by: White Shogun
Here is the break down of the top vote getters. I thought Freeney had a shot because of the incredible hype from Madden on Monday nights but nobody came close to Urlacher.
[url]http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FBN_DEFENSIVE_PLA YER_FBN02?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=SPORTS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT &CTIME=2006-01-06-17-18-17 [/url]
Urlacher's 34 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL gave him a runaway victory.
Second to Urlacher was Colts DE Dwight Freeney with four votes. Also receiving votes were Steelers safety Troy Polamalu (3), Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson (2), Giants end Osi Umenyiora (2), Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey (1) and Jaguars tackle Marcus Stroud (1).
"He's the best linebacker in the league," said Briggs, who plays next to Urlacher and had a breakout season himself. "He's making it happen all day, every day."
"He runs all over the field," Briggs said. "He chases down guys like Michael Vick. He creates havoc."
[url]http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FBN_DEFENSIVE_PLA YER_FBN02?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=SPORTS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT &CTIME=2006-01-06-17-18-17 [/url]
Urlacher's 34 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL gave him a runaway victory.
Second to Urlacher was Colts DE Dwight Freeney with four votes. Also receiving votes were Steelers safety Troy Polamalu (3), Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson (2), Giants end Osi Umenyiora (2), Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey (1) and Jaguars tackle Marcus Stroud (1).
"He's the best linebacker in the league," said Briggs, who plays next to Urlacher and had a breakout season himself. "He's making it happen all day, every day."
"He runs all over the field," Briggs said. "He chases down guys like Michael Vick. He creates havoc."
Bear-Arms
Mentor
Bryce Paup did it in 1995.
Colonel Callan
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Ray Lewis will continue to be rammed down our throats. Yeah, I'm repeating
myself, but I betcha Lewis will get more attention and hype/endorsements if
for nothing else than to try and get attention off Urlacher. It blows. I admit
I'm surprised Urlacher did get the trophy. In a fair world, he'd be a shoe-in,
but we've all seen some blatant bias get many a black player MVP awards
etc. So it was surprising. Then again, Urlacher not winning would have
generated some heat for a short time. Heat they apparently don't want to
put up with right now. Are they just tossing whitey a bone?
myself, but I betcha Lewis will get more attention and hype/endorsements if
for nothing else than to try and get attention off Urlacher. It blows. I admit
I'm surprised Urlacher did get the trophy. In a fair world, he'd be a shoe-in,
but we've all seen some blatant bias get many a black player MVP awards
etc. So it was surprising. Then again, Urlacher not winning would have
generated some heat for a short time. Heat they apparently don't want to
put up with right now. Are they just tossing whitey a bone?
At least Urlacher has a couple of commercials going on right now. The one involves him at Disney World painting kid's faces promoting ESPN coming there in March. The other would be for Nike in which they show his hometown in New Mexico. So Brian does get some attention which is better than none. As for Ray Lewis have any of you heard the term "There's no such thing as bad publicity, any publicity is good publicity". It's true and you only have to look at Ray Lewis to know how true it is.
Bear-Arms
Mentor
I'm not sure if he gets a lot of national attention, but he does get a lot of attention there in Chicago. The Paris Hilton thing really helped a lot.
Another player on the Bears Hunter Hillenmeyer was Chicago Magazine's most eligible bachelors a few years ago. How is that for attention?
Another player on the Bears Hunter Hillenmeyer was Chicago Magazine's most eligible bachelors a few years ago. How is that for attention?
The Bears defense would be average without Urlacher. The Colts without Manning just above average. Take Tom Brady away and New England wouldn't make the playoffs. Take away Micheal Vick and give the Falcons Carson Palmer and Atlanta becomes a much better team!
Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
Here's an article about Brian that I found on ESPN's website.
By Greg Garber
ESPN.com
Buddy Ryan, that old, fiery curmudgeon, sat in his vast barn in Shelbyville, Ky., some weeks ago and talked about his favorite subject: the Chicago Bears' famed 46 defense of the 1980s.
"Coaches didn't like it because it made them look bad," Ryan explained. "We hit a lot of quarterbacks, and that was one of the things coaches were a little tender about."
The 46 defense brought the Bears their only Super Bowl, XX, vaulted Ryan into a five-year tenure as head coach job with the Philadelphia Eagles and, essentially, built this barn and the sprawling horse farm that surrounds it.
Ryan was asked how the 2005 version of the Bears defense compared to the fearsome 1985 group. Suffice to say, he wasn't overly complimentary. There was one thing, however, that he particularly liked about these modern Bears.
"Oh, I like that middle linebacker that you got," Ryan said, brightening. "He's a hell of a player. He's big, he's fast and he's tough. I think he'd qualify to play for me."
And then Buddy Ryan laughed out loud.
Yes, Brian Urlacher could have played for Ryan. He is the Bears' middle linebacker, and very much a modern-day peer of Ryan's so-called Mike linebacker, Mike Singletary, who is already in the Hall of Fame. Urlacher's numbers, believe it or not, suggest he is more than halfway toward being enshrined in Canton.
Consider: Singletary was named to 10 (consecutive) Pro Bowls in 12 seasons with the Bears. Urlacher will be attending his fifth in six seasons. Singletary recorded 1,488 tackles, while Urlacher's count is already at 956 (both totals are according to statistics kept by the Bears). Singletary won the league's Defensive Player of the Year twice, in 1985 and 1988. Urlacher just received his first such award, taking 34 of 50 votes to finish far ahead of the Colts' Dwight Freeney and the Steelers' Troy Polamalu.
These are giddy times in Chicago. The Bears are back in the playoffs and their defense, not surprisingly, has carried them there. While the Bears' offense is considered a liability in Sunday's divisional playoff game with the Carolina Panthers, no one is concerned the defense won't show up. Urlacher is the best player on the league's best defense.
Through 10 games, the 2005 Bears were running slightly ahead of the 1985 team in terms of points and yards allowed. For now, though, the 1985 legacy is secure. These Bears softened a little down the stretch when it became clear they were going to win the NFC North. They allowed 51 points in games at Green Bay and Minnesota to finish the regular season with 202 points allowed -- four more than the 1985 Bears. The old Bears finished well ahead of the current Bears in yards allowed (258.4 vs. 281.8), turnovers forced (54 vs. 34) and sacks (64 vs. 41).
Still, the Bears managed to lead the league in fewest points allowed and placed second to Tampa Bay in fewest yards. Their defensive coordinator is Ron Rivera, who played linebacker alongside Singletary under Ryan. Although Urlacher is a good four inches taller and 25 pounds heavier than Singletary -- and faster, too -- Rivera sees similarities.
"Their passion, their passion for perfection," Rivera said. "I don't think Brian gets enough credit for his work ethic. Here's a young man, when he watches film, he studies the film. He reminds me an awful lot of Mike in that respect, because Mike really was a great student of the game."
Head coach Lovie Smith feels the same way.
"You talk about leadership, some of the things that Mike Singletary had," Smith said. "Brian knows where everyone one is supposed to be, he is definitely another coach on the field, and you need that."
Said Urlacher: "It's a huge compliment, but, he's in the Hall of Fame. He did win a Super Bowl, [and] we haven't done that yet. He's so far out of my league right now. He was probably the best linebacker of his era."
Urlacher occupies the same position on the same team, but the two schemes are radically different. Let Singletary, now an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, explain the difference between his attacking 46 defense and today's more benign Cover 2.
"The 46, wherever the team's weakness is, that's where you can go," Singletary said. "It's sort of like going to the doctor, and they prescribe exactly what it takes to knock it out -- that's what the 46 is like.
" It's a huge compliment, but, he's in the Hall of Fame. He did win a Super Bowl, [and] we haven't done that yet. He's so far out of my league right now. He was probably the best linebacker of his era. "
 Brian Urlacher, Bears LB on being compared to Mike Singletary
"The Cover 2, is basically a blanket type of defense. We are not going to shut down one thing, it will be a slow death. It's like we are not going to kill you all at once. You just bleed, and after awhile you just realize it's not happening."
Given his role in this more passive scheme, it is remarkable that Urlacher, killing them softly, managed to record 171 tackles this season.
"Personally, I don't like Cover 2," he said, laughing. "I have to run down the middle every time, I am basically out of the play unless they throw it down the middle of the field, and even if they run it, I am behind.
"But it's our base coverage, pretty much everyone in the NFL runs it now, but it works for us. We are pretty good at it, but it's not fun for me."
Back when the NFL was born in the 1920s, linebackers as we know them today didn't exist. In 1954, Bears middle guard Bill George dropped off the line and became the first middle linebacker. He played for 14 seasons, until 1965, the same year the Bears drafted Dick Butkus No. 3 overall from Illinois. He played 13 seasons, all the way to Canton, and his savage play remains the signature of the position. Eight years after Butkus retired, the Bears drafted Singletary in the second round from Baylor. Eight years after he retired, the Bears made New Mexico's Urlacher the ninth overall choice, in 2000.
"There is a tremendous amount of tradition there," Singletary said. "For me it was an opportunity to step into some very large shoes and take that challenge on, and take it to the next level, hopefully. I never looked at it as pressure, and I don't think Brian looks at it as pressure, either.
"When I played, I remember asking the trainer, Fred Cato. 'Fred, where do I fit into this deal?' Fred said, `Hey, when you are done, you'll know, when your career is over, I'll let you know.
"And that's just kind of the way it will be for Brian."
By Greg Garber
ESPN.com
Buddy Ryan, that old, fiery curmudgeon, sat in his vast barn in Shelbyville, Ky., some weeks ago and talked about his favorite subject: the Chicago Bears' famed 46 defense of the 1980s.
"Coaches didn't like it because it made them look bad," Ryan explained. "We hit a lot of quarterbacks, and that was one of the things coaches were a little tender about."
The 46 defense brought the Bears their only Super Bowl, XX, vaulted Ryan into a five-year tenure as head coach job with the Philadelphia Eagles and, essentially, built this barn and the sprawling horse farm that surrounds it.
Ryan was asked how the 2005 version of the Bears defense compared to the fearsome 1985 group. Suffice to say, he wasn't overly complimentary. There was one thing, however, that he particularly liked about these modern Bears.
"Oh, I like that middle linebacker that you got," Ryan said, brightening. "He's a hell of a player. He's big, he's fast and he's tough. I think he'd qualify to play for me."
And then Buddy Ryan laughed out loud.
Yes, Brian Urlacher could have played for Ryan. He is the Bears' middle linebacker, and very much a modern-day peer of Ryan's so-called Mike linebacker, Mike Singletary, who is already in the Hall of Fame. Urlacher's numbers, believe it or not, suggest he is more than halfway toward being enshrined in Canton.
Consider: Singletary was named to 10 (consecutive) Pro Bowls in 12 seasons with the Bears. Urlacher will be attending his fifth in six seasons. Singletary recorded 1,488 tackles, while Urlacher's count is already at 956 (both totals are according to statistics kept by the Bears). Singletary won the league's Defensive Player of the Year twice, in 1985 and 1988. Urlacher just received his first such award, taking 34 of 50 votes to finish far ahead of the Colts' Dwight Freeney and the Steelers' Troy Polamalu.
These are giddy times in Chicago. The Bears are back in the playoffs and their defense, not surprisingly, has carried them there. While the Bears' offense is considered a liability in Sunday's divisional playoff game with the Carolina Panthers, no one is concerned the defense won't show up. Urlacher is the best player on the league's best defense.
Through 10 games, the 2005 Bears were running slightly ahead of the 1985 team in terms of points and yards allowed. For now, though, the 1985 legacy is secure. These Bears softened a little down the stretch when it became clear they were going to win the NFC North. They allowed 51 points in games at Green Bay and Minnesota to finish the regular season with 202 points allowed -- four more than the 1985 Bears. The old Bears finished well ahead of the current Bears in yards allowed (258.4 vs. 281.8), turnovers forced (54 vs. 34) and sacks (64 vs. 41).
Still, the Bears managed to lead the league in fewest points allowed and placed second to Tampa Bay in fewest yards. Their defensive coordinator is Ron Rivera, who played linebacker alongside Singletary under Ryan. Although Urlacher is a good four inches taller and 25 pounds heavier than Singletary -- and faster, too -- Rivera sees similarities.
"Their passion, their passion for perfection," Rivera said. "I don't think Brian gets enough credit for his work ethic. Here's a young man, when he watches film, he studies the film. He reminds me an awful lot of Mike in that respect, because Mike really was a great student of the game."
Head coach Lovie Smith feels the same way.
"You talk about leadership, some of the things that Mike Singletary had," Smith said. "Brian knows where everyone one is supposed to be, he is definitely another coach on the field, and you need that."
Said Urlacher: "It's a huge compliment, but, he's in the Hall of Fame. He did win a Super Bowl, [and] we haven't done that yet. He's so far out of my league right now. He was probably the best linebacker of his era."
Urlacher occupies the same position on the same team, but the two schemes are radically different. Let Singletary, now an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, explain the difference between his attacking 46 defense and today's more benign Cover 2.
"The 46, wherever the team's weakness is, that's where you can go," Singletary said. "It's sort of like going to the doctor, and they prescribe exactly what it takes to knock it out -- that's what the 46 is like.
" It's a huge compliment, but, he's in the Hall of Fame. He did win a Super Bowl, [and] we haven't done that yet. He's so far out of my league right now. He was probably the best linebacker of his era. "
 Brian Urlacher, Bears LB on being compared to Mike Singletary
"The Cover 2, is basically a blanket type of defense. We are not going to shut down one thing, it will be a slow death. It's like we are not going to kill you all at once. You just bleed, and after awhile you just realize it's not happening."
Given his role in this more passive scheme, it is remarkable that Urlacher, killing them softly, managed to record 171 tackles this season.
"Personally, I don't like Cover 2," he said, laughing. "I have to run down the middle every time, I am basically out of the play unless they throw it down the middle of the field, and even if they run it, I am behind.
"But it's our base coverage, pretty much everyone in the NFL runs it now, but it works for us. We are pretty good at it, but it's not fun for me."
Back when the NFL was born in the 1920s, linebackers as we know them today didn't exist. In 1954, Bears middle guard Bill George dropped off the line and became the first middle linebacker. He played for 14 seasons, until 1965, the same year the Bears drafted Dick Butkus No. 3 overall from Illinois. He played 13 seasons, all the way to Canton, and his savage play remains the signature of the position. Eight years after Butkus retired, the Bears drafted Singletary in the second round from Baylor. Eight years after he retired, the Bears made New Mexico's Urlacher the ninth overall choice, in 2000.
"There is a tremendous amount of tradition there," Singletary said. "For me it was an opportunity to step into some very large shoes and take that challenge on, and take it to the next level, hopefully. I never looked at it as pressure, and I don't think Brian looks at it as pressure, either.
"When I played, I remember asking the trainer, Fred Cato. 'Fred, where do I fit into this deal?' Fred said, `Hey, when you are done, you'll know, when your career is over, I'll let you know.
"And that's just kind of the way it will be for Brian."
ocaamikedm11
Mentor
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2006
- Messages
- 540
Once Hillenmeyer got hurt, I knew it would be downhill for sure.. but as stated Urlach and Hillenmeyer both played pretty well, and I also didn't think Todd Johnson played too bad while he was in...