Urlacher tackles fans, media in defense of Smith

Brian Urlacher remains a fierce supporter of coach Lovie Smith.
Tribune report
8:54 am, December 17, 2012
Brian Urlacher is sidelined by injury, but the Chicago Bears linebacker was quick to rally to the defense of coach Lovie Smith after Sunday's 21-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers.


Appearing Sunday night with sports anchor Lou Canellis on WFLD-Ch. 32, Urlacher bristled when told that fans and the media were being critical of Smith.


"Two of the people I don't care about: fans or media," Urlacher said. "They can say what they want to about our head coach, about our players. ... It does bother me. They don't know what they're talking about, obviously.


"I know there are a lot of experts in the media, a bunch of smart guys out there who know exactly what they're talking about all the time. They don't know what they're talking about. Lovie is the head coach of this football team and hopefully will be for a long time."


Urlacher said Smith retains the respect of his players for the way he keeps his cool during trying times.


"He's not going to call a player out in front of the people, he'll do it privately, which is the way it should be handled," Urlacher said. "He's not one of those coaches who's going to go out there and yell and scream at you. That's just not his style and we appreciate that. We know when it's time to play, we just haven't played well. It's not his fault we haven't played well. He can't get out there and do it for us, we have to do it ourselves."


Urlacher also took a sarcastic swipe at Bears fans at Soldier Field who booed during the loss to Green Bay.


"Our crowd was pretty good today for the most part. They were loud for a minute there, the boos were really loud, which is always nice," Urlacher said. "The only team in our division that gets booed at home is us. It's incredible to me.


"Believe it, don't believe it, we don't care. We're going to go out there and play as hard as we can. The guys that are healthy will play and we'll do the best we can."

I have always had great admiration for Brian, and I am certainly not an advocate for booing fans. I actually get pissed off when I hear the crowd at Soldier booing occasionally, and I would not do it myself, but Brian, a good amount of those fans in the stand are wearing your jersey and you have the nerve to say you don't care about them, about what they think and they know nothing? Well, let me share something Brian, there ARE things that we do not know and we have no way of knowing. We don't know what happens behind closed doors at Halas Hall, but we do Know garbage football when we see it. Despite what you think, the game of football is not Rocket Science. I'm certain the game at the Pro Level is much more complex than the High School or College level, but the basics are pretty much the same at every level. There ARE some meatball fans out there, but for the most part, we know what we're being fed. And let me just add that those fans that are booing because of repeated frustration were likely Bear fans before you and or Lovie were here and we will be Bear Fans long after you are gone. We cheer for the team and it's legacy, not necessarily the individuals that participate. I was cheering for this team before you were even born, so in terms of loyalty, we collectively trump you every day, all day. As much mediocrity as we've seen, after spending more and more of our salaries for ticket, merchandise, etc, to pay your exorbitant salary, we have the right to our disgruntlement. As far as I'm concerned, you can leave with Lovie now as I'm starting to believe your attitude is a growing cancer in the Bears Locker room.

People have the nerve to give Cutler shit about his leadership for ripping into a sub-par O-Lineman that allows him to be physically pummeled, but you get a pass for ripping fans for booing and hurting Lovies feelings? Perhaps the wrong person's leadership is being questioned.

I think Urlacher is way off base here. Yes Lovie may be likeable, but he is not offensive minded enough to be a head coach in the NFL. AS far as Urlacher taking his swipes at the fans, he needs to realize who is actually paying his salary. The money the players make it is only right that the fans demand results. Urlacher likes the fact that Lovie is not the type to yell and get upset on the sidelines, I think that is what we need in a coach; I want to see emotion insted of an I don't give a shit attitude. Brian you are at the end of a great career, but disagree that the player shouldn't care what we the fans think. Hopefully all the players don't feel as you do.

Yeah, not cool...there are ways to defend you coach without attacking the Fans, even fans that boo...

I wear a Urlacher jersey on game day...but the way I feel right now, both Urlacher and Lovie can share a taxi out of town...

As bad as the fans feel about how this season has gone, the players feel it even more. They put their lives into football. From the time they are young children until now, their world has evolved around trying to be the best football players. Their expectations were just as high as us fans expectations, going into this season. I vividly remember the 1st day of training camp this summer, and Brian and Lance Briggs looked like little kids at Christmas. They came onto the practice field and chest-bumped each other, and there was a look of pure joy on their faces. It was powerful just to see those two so charged-up about the new seaason.

Then the wheels came off & the season tanked. Brian is hurt, and may never play again. These players have emotions too.

I figure we need to be understanding of all this. Brian DOES care about the fans. And it's no crime to like & respect your coach.

I don't care if anyone here or anywhere else agree with me or not. But Urlacher was 1000% right. As a former NFL player I know what it like to put everything you got on the field every week, just to have some dumbass, drunken fan boo you because you came up second best on that day. Does anyone on here think that any of the Bears players after this lose, went back to the locker room thinking oh well just another lose, hell no most of them are totally pissed and not at some other player, but what they could have done to win the game.

I know for a fact that not one of our top posters on this board would ever boo the Bears, even if we lost 100-0 to the Packers. We might be pissed off, but to boo our players no way. So to all the fair weather fans that think it cool to boo Bear players as they leave the field, I have onething to say. Go fuck yourselves

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Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

As bad as the fans feel about how this season has gone, the players feel it even more. They put their lives into football. From the time they are young children until now, their world has evolved around trying to be the best football players. Their expectations were just as high as us fans expectations, going into this season. I vividly remember the 1st day of training camp this summer, and Brian and Lance Briggs looked like little kids at Christmas. They came onto the practice field and chest-bumped each other, and there was a look of pure joy on their faces. It was powerful just to see those two so charged-up about the new seaason.

Then the wheels came off & the season tanked. Brian is hurt, and may never play again.

I figure we need to be understanding of all this. Brian DOES care about the fans. And it's no crime to like & respect your coach.

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We will have to agree to disagree...they care about the praise, the admiration, the approval, the recognition, the applause...that ONLY comes from the Fans...it's in receive that, that the only "care" about the fans or what they think...once that is gone, you see how much they truly care...and why would they...the Fans are really just a bunch of strangers to them...

Lovie on other hand...Brian does actually know him...which is why he actually cares about him...

It's just PR and romanticized nonsense that these players "care" about us fans...

The man is paid seriously large sums of money to play football, be a professional, and like it not he is the current face of the Chicago Bears. If the face of my company got frustrated because my customers did not like a product we had made and my guy turns around and publicly said that he didn't care about my customers, I would not be a happy man. And that employee would not enjoy the rest of his day because he would get a faceful of me. Fix what the customers don't like, make it right, make it a better product than your competitors have and your customers will appreciate it and continue to be customers knowing that they are appreciated.

You have to know where your bread is buttered, and you are paid to be a professional. We all get frustrated, but attacking the livlihood of your organization only is going to makes things worse.

Not a good move.

Edit: Needed to add that in no way am I condoning the booing of players. They are out there banging heads trying their best. It is a classless move. However, in saying what he said, Brian just got down to the same classless level. He needs to keep his head about him.

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Originally Posted by JJ-30

I don't care if anyone here or anywhere else agree with me or not. But Urlacher was 1000% right. As a former NFL player I know what it like to put everything you got on the field every week, just to have some dumbass, drunken fan boo you because you came up second best on that day. Does anyone on here think that any of the Bears players after this lose, went back to the locker room thinking oh well just another lose, hell no most of them are totally pissed and not at some other player, but what they could have done to win the game.

I know for a fact that not one of our top posters on this board would ever boo the Bears, even if we lost 100-0 to the Packers. We might be pissed off, but to boo our players no way. So to all the fair weather fans that think it cool to boo Bear players as they leave the field, I have onething to say. Go fuck yourselves

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Fans boo because they feel it's their only way to express their displeasure. I don't agree with it. It's classless. Even though the team played poorly, and was poorly coached, there are still a lot of players out there giving their all....Briggs, Marshall, Wooton, Bowman, Costanzo, Roach, to name a few. Those guys were playing their hearts out, some in fill in roles, and Bowman only on STs.

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Originally Posted by Rakk

Fans boo because they feel it's their only way to express their displeasure. I don't agree with it. It's classless. Even though the team played poorly, and was poorly coached, there are still a lot of players out there giving their all....Briggs, Marshall, Wooton, Bowman, Costanzo, Roach, to name a few. Those guys were playing their hearts out, some in fill in roles, and Bowman only on STs.

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Exactly.

When you think of all the great games and seasons Brian Urlacher has given to the Chicago Bears fans, I think he's allowed to be emotional right now. If he has his coaches back, then I respect that - even if Lovie should be fired, I still respect Brian having his back.

Fans need to grow up. Turning on Brian Urlacher now is classless. Booing your own players is classless too.