Thread: No More 54 per ESPN..

Originally Posted by Chi66

...but to say he's a jerk for a million is something I don't think you have the right to say. Thanks for serving our country but because you put your life on the line for "x" pay doesn't mean that you have more of a right to say he (or any other player) can't squabble over whatever cash over someone else in another job.

Really, you're suggesting he doesn't have the right to say he's a jerk? And he's not saying he has MORE of a right because he made "X", but he has the same right as anyone else does. He's simply arguing the valid point that there are far more dangerous occupations that make far less, so to make the argument that Urlacher is somehow "entitled" to more because he risks his body is a moronic and vapid argument. These guys do not make more money than God because they risk their bodies; they make that money because the athletic ability they have is more rare than anybody else. Well, Urlacher doesn't have that athletic ability anymore, hence his worth is less than he's willing to accept. For Urlacher to say that $2 million dollars for one years work is not a slap in the face, and for him to suggest such is to show the swelled ego that he has.

I'm fine with this. I loved the guys game for us, but his game has left him and his attitude is not condusive to the "team first" character that Trestman is wanting to build.

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

We couldn't replace Brian when he could still play at a high level. But he is not playing at a high level now. We will never, IMHO, replace the Brian who was playing at a perennial Pro Bowl level. But the Brian Urlacher of 2013 is not that player. We can, and should, do better.

The world won't come to an end here.

Said OLD BU. Why end it without a replacement, Bring to camp and go from there? for a PR point, camp footage would show an old player not making the grade, and cover the Bears in the PR. OR.... BU's healed and performing well...

Someone gave an analogy earlier.... tgrow your shoes out before getting new ones? Get rid of your car and walk to the dealer?

I just wanted to see with my onw eyes, in camp, if he could play still. Anyone here able to tell me FOR SURE BU was done?

As far as the whole "Ultimatum" thing goes...that works both ways as well.

If the Bears said "take this 2M or nothing," then yes it IS an ultimatum. And perhaps that is what the Bears think he is worth. Which begs the question...what exactly is wrong with that? If they feel he is only worth 2M and they offer 2M, then that is perfectly reasonable. It only becomes unreasonable when the player feels like he is worth more (which players inevitably do), so unreasonable is less about money and more about perspective.

On the flip side, if Lach and his agent said "we want 11.5M/2y and nothing less," then guess what? That TOO is an ultimatum. And yet here we have Lach, after the fact saying he "would have" taken 3-3.5M, unfortunately all that does is bring up MORE QUESTIONS:

1.Did they even TRY to bring this up to Emery and the Bears, or did they stand firm on their original asking price?
2.If they brought it up, what was Emery's response?
3.Was it a failure to negotiate just on the Bears side, or was it mutual?
4.Is that 3M price simply for the benefit of other interested teams?

This is why we shouldnt be rushing to judgement on either Lach or Emery over this, since there is too many unanswered questions, and unfortunately we are only getting biased answers from Urlacher at this point, which should be taken with a grain of salt, seeing as how he is now unemployed for the time being.

I remember watching Walter play his last year. It was kind of like watching Brian this year. Walter knew when his time was up and he left with dignity and grace. Brian should have seen this coming and for all the talk of the Bears playing this poorly, He could have played it better himself.

Originally Posted by Chi66

I'm not saying that they should have over-payed for an aging/injured MLB but to say he's a jerk for a million is something I don't think you have the right to say. Thanks for serving our country but because you put your life on the line for "x" pay doesn't mean that you have more of a right to say he (or any other player) can't squabble over whatever cash over someone else in another job. Once you're in the NFL and have all that money around you and see other players getting whatever cash and have an agent who's telling you you're worth a certain amount.. well then maybe I'll consider your opinion valid (in this, very specific, circumstance). Until someone is in their shoes, they don't have a real idea of what's going on. I have parents, relatives, and friends who serve(d) the country. Their opinion is just as invalid.

An opinion is an opinion, there's no such thing as an invalid one... everyone is entitled to believe what they want to believe. Otherwise, I could just as easily call your opinion invalid.

My point was that many people put their body/life on the line for far less compensation, so doing so doesn't automatically entitle someone to more money than anyone else who does so. Lach is entitled to make millions because many people are willing to pay their money to see him play football... it really has nothing to do with Lach the person (a little bit, but no one would care about him if he couldn't play football at an elite level), it has to do with Lach the athlete... he is no longer the same player he once was and that is why the Bears offered him less than he felt he deserved. He got offered decent money for his ability, based on his play the prior couple of seasons.

I called him a jerk, because he is acting like one. He's being selfish and/or greedy, he has made roughly the same amount of money in his career that Ray Lewis made in his first 13 seasons, but unlike Lewis... Lach isn't still playing at anywhere near his athletic prime, like Lewis was after his 13th season... shit, Lewis was playing better in his 17th season than Lach was playing in his 13th season. The organization spoiled Lach, they paid him the same as the best MLB in the game (i.e. over-paid him) and now Lach feels slighted by the Bears for finally paying him in accordance to his production. If Lach isn't obligated to give back money to the Bears when he played below his pay, why should the Bears feel obligated to offer Lach more than he has recently produced? 2 million was in the fair range for Lach, maybe a bit low, but not absurd like Lach wanting 5.5 million.

Originally Posted by yttocs

He isn't the highest payed player or LB over his career. 5.4 million a year for a LB that went to the PB , every other year, in his career. Please find me a LB

Ray Lewis in his first 13 seasons, made roughly the same amount as Lach... what do I win?