DrunkBomber

I also think they may use Wolfe for some kick returns. I hope so at least, if not, it was a little odd using that high of a draft pck on a guy who is a third back.

SECOND CHANCE | DT Dvoracek learned from mistakes and turned his life around BY NEIL HAYES nhayes@suntimes.com BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- This is a story about Dusty Dvoracek and Tank Johnson, but mostly it's about second chances. Johnson failed to take advantage of his and finds himself out of a job and out of the NFL. Dvoracek treated his second chance seriously and changed his life before his world came crashing down. » Click to enlarge image Bears Dusty Dvoracek during practice at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais on Monday. (Joseph P. Meier/STNG) Now the untested Dvoracek, who overcame alcohol and anger-management issues during his senior year at Oklahoma, has the opportunity to help prove that the Bears' interior defensive line can be even better without Johnson, who was released last month after his latest brush with the law. ''I'm not going to compare my situation to Tank's situation,'' Dvoracek said. ''We're two different people who were in different situations. I was given a second chance, and I came back and made the most of it. I learned from my mistakes, and I'll never put myself in that position again. Football and my well-being are too important for that.'' Everything happens for a reason. That's what Dvoracek believes. If not for those dark days three years ago, he reasons, he wouldn't have been drafted by the Bears and reunited with former Oklahoma teammate Tommie Harris. He never would've had the opportunity he has today to play a pivotal role for one of the league's top defenses. The Bears' acquisition of defensive tackle Darwin Walker on Sunday shored up the most worrisome position on the defense. Dvoracek, who missed all of his rookie season with a foot injury, Walker and veteran Anthony Adams will be part of a rotation that has a chance to turn a perceived weakness into a strength. ''We know what Tommie Harris can do,'' coach Lovie Smith said. ''The player who is playing opposite Tommie should get a lot of opportunities. Dusty has played with Tommie before. They know each other well. I like everything Dusty has done since he has come off the injured list. There's no reason to think he can't have a good season for us.'' Dvoracek was one of the best players on an undefeated and nationally ranked Oklahoma team in 2004 when he was involved in a fight outside a bar that resulted in his high school friend spending four days in intensive care. The brawl, sparked by booze and rage, brought two other alcohol-related incidents to light, both of which resulted in Dvoracek paying out-of-court settlements. The preseason All-American was stripped of his captaincy and suspended from the team. His decorated college career was over, or so it appeared, and his draft stock plummeted. He was criticized in the media and was too embarrassed to show his face in his hometown. Three years later, what seemed like a nightmare at the time has turned out to be a blessing. ''I'm glad it happened,'' he said. ''You get to a certain point in college and you're an All-American and you're playing for national championships and you think you're untouchable, invincible. I was pretty much to that point. I just needed to slow down and stop and evaluate how I was living my life. It's been the best thing for me in my career and my life.'' Dvoracek entered an alcohol rehabilitation program, but alcohol wasn't all he had to overcome. He always had battled to control his temper, and alcohol exacerbated the problem. He started working with Jim Riley, a former Oklahoma and Miami Dolphins defensive end who dedicated his life to helping people overcome addictions after winning his own battle with alcoholism. ''Dusty is one of those people who, when he drinks, he becomes extremely violent,'' Riley said. ''He's a pathological alcoholic. It's like a Jekyll-and-Hyde syndrome. There are a lot of guys like that, but when you're 6-3, 300 pounds, you can do a lot of damage.'' Dvoracek learned about chemical dependency. He met with Riley weekly. He maintained his sterling academic record (he had the highest score on the Wonderlic test at the 2006 NFL combine). He quit drinking and learned to manage his rage. ''He'd always talk about accountability, responsibility, having dignity and honor, making your words have meaning and being an honorable person,'' Dvoracek said of Riley. ''More than anything, he helped me be the person I wanted to be -- a respectful person who makes the right decisions. The things we talked about will be with me forever.'' There was little thought to Dvoracek returning to the team. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops figured the other half of his devastating defensive-tackle tandem -- Harris lined up next to Dvoracek -- would enter the draft, and that would be it. Dvoracek had other ideas. He fulfilled the stringent requirements that were necessary to rejoin the team, and three months later, Stoops and school officials were so impressed with the changes he had made that they petitioned the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility. Because the Americans with Disabilities Act defines alcoholism as a disease, the medical hardship was granted, allowing Dvoracek to play in 2005. He ended his career ranked fifth in Oklahoma history in tackles for losses. ''When Dusty got dismissed his senior year, he still was high on draft lists,'' said Morris Stone, one of Dvoracek's former coaches at Lake Dallas High School in Texas. ''He still would've been taken in the fourth, fifth or sixth round. But Dusty didn't want his legacy at OU to be that way. He wanted to leave on his terms. Dusty is more concerned about what other people think than most people.'' A few days before the 2006 draft -- when Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said he would stake his reputation on Dvoracek's character after selecting him in the third round -- Dvoracek went back to his high school. He had been asked to address the football team. He spent a lot of time thinking about what he wanted to say. ''My main message was even if something negative happens, you have a chance to turn it into a positive,'' Dvoracek said. ''That's what I've tried to do, and I think I've done a pretty good job of it so far.''

Another great move by JA. Now. the only starter not returning is Tank and we have Walsker, Harris is back, Dvoracek is back and we signed Adams. We are much bertter in the DT position this year.

Marshawn Lynch Patrick Wllis Champ Bailey Tom Brady 11-5 Bears Broncos Bears

The player also has the right to hold out if he chooses. m not saying the Bears have done anything wrong, because they havent. Im just saying I understand why he isnt happy about the situation. I know its in the CBA and its apart of the game but I know I would be pissed if it was me in his situation. God forbid he gets injured this year, sure he has his 7.2 million which is a ton of money but think about how much money he would be losing. If I was putting my body on the line in such a dangerous sport I would want the same thing he would. I would want the opportunity to do whats best for me and my family which is to secure your finances long term. Now, if he sits out Ill be whistling a different tune because I think he should honor the CBA. But like I said before, I dont think he ever had full intentions on sitting out at all and that he was only using it as a ploy to either get traded or get a long term contract.

Ya, Im pretty sure Berrian is a FA after this year. I think it may be a good idea to lock him up now because despite having a break out year he still wont command number 1 receiver kind of money, whereas, if he has a season better than last year he may get too expensive.

The part with Hester catching punts was great

I have honestly thought Briggs was gonna play this year and still think so. I, however, dont like the idea of letting him walk this offseason. If thats what it takes for him to play and let us make another run and a Super Bowl its worth it but Im hoping this year will give someone else an opportunity to step up so we have a better idea of who we are gonna use to replace him. Im still a little confused about why so many people hate Briggs so much because of this. Im not justifying sitting out the first 10 games if thats what he does, but I think anybody in his situation has the right to be frustrated. he played out his rookie contract and was waiting for his opportunity to sign his deal that would set him up for life. Obviously 7.2 million is a ton of money but if he could land a deal similar to Adalius Thomas he would have close to three times that just in guarantees.

Im glad to see the Bears did this. Im assuming the deal is backloaded and I believe I saw somewhere that Peanut is getting somewhere in the ball park of 18 guaranteed. We have three good corners locked up, RMJ being the other. I think the remaining three, Harris, Berrian and Grossman wont be dealt with till after this year. They all have health concerns so I think what we do with them is based on how they fair this year. Also, we still have Harris inked for 2 more years so we can afford to address other issues first, even though he will command a lot of money and the Lions set the bench mark for DTs on a guy who I legitimately never heard of.

Last year the only game I got to go to was the game against Miinesota and it was so ridiculously cold that I dont think Ill ever want to go to a game in the later part of the season again.

Well if you ever cant make it to a game and need someone to take them off your hands Id be happy to oblige

CHICAGO (AP) -Teams that make it to the Super Bowl usually have it easy in the offseason. They're obviously doing a lot of things right, so there's no need to overhaul the roster. Scratch that theory with the Chicago Bears. Scratch Thomas Jones, Tank Johnson, and maybe Lance Briggs, too. While you're at it, scratch defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. A year after returning 22 starters, the Bears head to training camp next week looking more like a team on the mend than the reigning NFC champions. There have been major personnel changes and some off-the-field embarrassments since the Bears left the Super Bowl in February, and with Briggs' status yet to be resolved, there's the potential for ugliness that could linger long into the season. "Change is inevitable given our system, so it's not that we're not used to it. And I'm talking about players and coaches alike,'' general manager Jerry Angelo said. "We felt we did what we needed to do. Even though there are going to be some unknowns, it doesn't mean we don't feel good about what our future is going to be.'' After a decade of putting the fun in dysfunctional, the Bears have been a model of stability the last few years. And, no surprise, that's coincided with the team's emergence as one of the NFL's elite. Their 15 wins last year gave them back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1995. It also put them in the playoffs for a second straight year, a first since 1988. And when they beat New Orleans for the NFC title, the Bears were in the Super Bowl for the first time since Walter Payton, The Fridge and the Punky QB were playing. Though Chicago was beaten by the Indianapolis Colts, it wasn't a stretch to imagine the Bears being contenders for the next several years. Angelo had built a strong core and added depth through savvy drafting, and had a knack for shoring up key positions with veteran pickups. "I'm proud of our program and where we are right now,'' coach Lovie Smith said. "We didn't achieve our ultimate goal, but I like where we are right now, like the direction we're going.'' The changes started before the Bears even finished unpacking from Miami. Rivera had been so highly thought of for his work with the defense that he was considered a shoo-in for a head coaching job somewhere in the league. Indeed, he interviewed with eight teams in two years. Instead of a promotion, he found himself out of a job less than three weeks after the Super Bowl. Though Rivera took pains to say there were no conflicts between him and Smith, it was a curious decision. Chicago's defense had been among the league's best for two straight years, and often carried the offensively challenged team. The Bears did struggle to contain the Colts, but they were also missing a few key players, including tackle Tommie Harris and safety Mike Brown. At the same time, Smith was trying to figure out his own future. He was the lowest-paid coach in the NFL last year and even though the Bears made it clear they wanted to keep him, negotiations on an extension got tense. At one point, Smith's agent even said the coach would likely be gone after his contract ended following the upcoming season. Shortly after, Smith agreed to a deal that will keep him in Chicago through 2011 and pay him a reported $23.45 million. Angelo also got an extension, through 2013. "We won 15 games, played in the Super Bowl,'' Smith said. "When you've had success like that, you have to deal with some problems.'' And more were coming. Jones and Cedric Benson always had an uneasy coexistence, with neither meant to be a backup. Jones came to Chicago as a free agent in 2004 to be the Bears' primary running back. A year later, the Bears used the No. 4 pick in the draft to take Benson. Though the two pushed each other - Jones joined Payton as the only Bears to rush for 1,300 yards when he gained 1,335 in 2005 - it was clear one had to go. And no way the Bears were going to dangle a former top-five draft pick as trade bait. So on March 6, the Bears shipped Jones to the Jets for a second-round draft pick in what looked like a real bargain for New York. "We felt very good about Thomas Jones. He was a very good player for us, a very good leader, I have nothing but good things to say about him,'' Angelo said. "(But) it's (Benson's) time. We made that bed when we drafted Cedric, and now we have to sleep in it. And we felt very good about that.'' The biggest shake-ups, though, have been to the defense, the very core of the team. The Bears supported Johnson during his legal troubles, believing they could help him turn around his life. When the talented tackle spent two months in jail this spring after violating his probation on a gun charge, Smith, Angelo and several of his teammates were among his visitors. When NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him for the first half of the season, the Bears again stood by him. But when he was stopped at 3:30 a.m. June 22 on suspicion of drunken driving, that was too much. Three days later, he was cut. "We did what we had to do. It's unfortunate it ended up the way it did,'' Angelo said. "When we took Tank in, we knew there were issues and we would have to be willing to bend and be patient. We did that. It's unfortunate he crossed the line that we felt was beyond what we all had an understanding of what direction he was to go in. "We lost a good football player, and we wish him well.'' Even before losing Johnson, the Bears were thin at defensive tackle. Ian Scott and Alfonso Boone left as free agents, and Harris missed the last month and the playoffs with a hamstring injury so severe it required surgery. If he's limited at all this year, the Bears could have trouble stopping the run - just as they did against the Colts. Then there's Briggs. The star linebacker wants a long-term deal, and he threatened to sit out the first 10 games of 2007 after the Bears slapped him with the franchise tag. There was no deal before last Monday's deadline, meaning the only contract he can sign until next year is the $7.2 million franchise offer. "I'm assuming - and I can't speak for Lance - that Lance is going to be with us,'' Angelo said. "If he chooses to pursue another course, then we feel comfortable about the players on our roster. We have what we feel are a couple of good young players that we feel real good about. "They're unknowns, but Lance was an unknown at some point, too.'' The bigger concern is chemistry. Briggs is well-liked among his teammates, and an ugly holdout could be a distraction in the locker room. It wasn't lost on anyone that Urlacher, the undisputed face of the franchise, wore Briggs' No. 55 when the players swapped numbers on their last day of workouts in June. "I hope Lance is there,'' Smith said. "If he's not, I mean, we've got a season to get ready for.'' Despite the turmoil, there have been some positives. The Bears believe their top draft pick, tight end Greg Olsen, could be a game-changer, and he was already showing promise in the offseason workouts. He's also already signed. Harris and Brown are healing nicely, and the Bears are hoping a change of scenario will rejuvenate safety Adam Archuleta. And in the move that could have the biggest impact, the Bears switched uber-return man Devin Hester to offense. Hester set an NFL record last year with six returns for TDs, and his opening 92-yard return for a score was one of Chicago's few bright spots at the Super Bowl. Now he'll have his hands on the ball even more, energizing a sometimes lethargic offense. He's been working out at both running back and receiver. "Last year we had 22 starters coming back, so you had to feel pretty good,'' Angelo said. "We don't have 22 starters back, but we have 22 good players. The concern again comes back to our health and staying hungry. "... That's not something you take for granted. Every team, every year takes on its own personality,'' he added. "So far, what we've seen has been very, very positive.''

Well I had a great experience. I waited in line on the site until 12. Tried to buy 2 tickets for the Dallas sunday night game. Actually got some on the 40 yard line upper deck for 82 each, then when I went to pay for them it didnt go through in the 2 minutes so I lost them. Then they were all sold out. I checked stub hub and comparable tickets are going for over 400 each. sigh...

Good luck to anybody trying to get some.

Im not sure. I thought the they traded Ogun because a receiver was more of a need for them at the time. It was a few years ago, but I dont remember hearing much about Ogun before the trade happened with Booker.

I think they can franchise him as many times as they want, but if he comes back after 10 weeks, then if they franchise him again they have to pay him the average of the top five salaries in the whole NFL and not just his position. Also, I believe when Branch was traded he wasnt franchised, he was just holding out. Im not 100% sure on that though.

Im not sure how it works either. But if he does choose to sit out, which I DONT think he will, I think we should franchise him again next year, and keep doing it until we get a trade that we feel is fair.

Congrats Devin. Was it just me or did he seem very uncomfortable up there?

Well, even on the replica jerseys they sell on the official site are number 82, so Im gonna assume its what hes gonna wear. Its just weird that on the roster Gabe Reid is wearing it.

So, Im messing around on the Bears official site and noticed that Gabe Reid is #82. Now this normally wouldnt concern me...but I bought an authentic Olsen jersey that was number 82. The main reason I got it was because it was the same number I wore in high school. SO my question is, if Reid doesnt make the team, which I doubt he will be because they have Clark, Olsen and Gilmore, will they let Olsen take the number??

I dont like the 79. I know he was a freak of nature, but Vernon Davis was an 86 when he was a rookie.

This girl sounds like a real piece of shit

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- A judge has ordered Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher and the mother of his toddler to take a three-hour parenting class. Urlacher and his ex-girlfriend, Tyna Robertson, are in a legal battle over Urlacher's parental visits with his 2-year-old son, Kennedy. The boy lives in Joliet with Robertson but visits the NFL star at his Lake Forest home, 62 miles away. Urlacher has accused Robertson of violating a court order to drive their son to a tollway rest stop roughly halfway between their homes so he can pick the boy up for visits. The linebacker's attorneys say he has missed at least four overnight visits with his child. Robertson's attorney, Heather Nosko, said Urlacher just wants to have his son driven to him when it's convenient. She said her client never purposely missed visits. Will County Circuit Judge Dinah Archambeault on Wednesday ordered both parents to take the parenting class before they return to court Sept. 10, saying the class should help the pair learn how to deal with each other. They do not have to take the class at the same time. "I'm glad she ordered parenting classes because Brian needs it," Robertson said. "Based on his actions, he's not a good role model, and I pray that he changes." Neither Urlacher nor his attorney, Anita Ventrelli, commented on the hearing. In 2003, Robertson filed a $33 million civil sexual assault lawsuit against former "Riverdance" star Michael Flatley, but it was later dismissed. Flatley countered with a still-pending lawsuit claiming extortion, fraud and defamation.

I got my authentic Olsen Jersey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!