Chicago Bears

Something about Chicago brings out the worst in our language. What else could explain the constant mispronunciations, misspellings and general abuse of the people, places and things associated with Chicago athletics? --Soldier Field. How many times have network commentators called it Soldiers Field? How many Chicagoans add the "s"? The plaque in front of the home of the Chicago Bears has no extra "s." --Ray Meyer. Again the "s" syndrome.

The draft will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday in New York. Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines team needs by division. Today, the North divisions: AFC North In a division that features quarterbacks Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger and Andy Dalton, having just one reliable corner is scary. That's the predicament of the Cleveland Browns, who have the sixth pick. The Browns will also take a long look at the quarterback class, even though they used their first pick on Brandon Weeden a year ago. They'll likely listen to offers to trade down, possibly with San Diego.

The Chicago Bears announced on Monday that they have fired Coach Lovie Smith. And the Buffalo Bills have fired Coach Chan Gailey. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bears have sent out consent forms to teams requesting permission to interview head-coaching candidates. The Bears were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday when Minnesota beat Green Bay. The Bills beat the Jets in their finale, 28-9, but finished last in the AFC East at 6-10. Buffalo has yet to announce whether it plans to keep General Manager Buddy Nix, whose acquisition of several high-priced defensive players did not achieve the team's desired results.

Jack Pardee, an All-Pro NFL linebacker whose career with the Los Angeles Rams was interrupted in the mid-1960s when he battled malignant melanoma before returning to the field and becoming a well-traveled coach, has died. He was 76. Pardee, who was found to have gallbladder cancer in November, died Monday in Denver, said David Bassity, a spokesman for the University of Houston, where Pardee coached in the 1980s. After 13 seasons with the Rams, Pardee finished his playing career with the Washington Redskins and then began his coaching odyssey.

Brian Urlacher will not return to the Chicago Bears for the 2013 season, the team announced in a news release Wednesday. The eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker and the Bears had been in talks but they were unable to agree on a deal.  “Brian has been an elite player in our league for over a decade,” General Manager Phil Emery said, via NFL.com . “He showed great leadership and helped develop a winning culture over his time with the Bears. We appreciate all he has given our team, on and off the field.

The newest Times NFL power rankings were released Tuesday, and while the top two teams remain the same, the former No. 3 team, the Chicago Bears, plummeted after they were routed by the San Francisco 49ers. The Bears tumbled all the way to ninth, the biggest fall of the week. Jason Campbell, the Bears backup quarterback who started in the place of Jay Cutler, threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall in the third quarter but was sacked five times and threw two interceptions in his first start since October 2011 for Oakland.

Matt Forte had a career year for the Chicago Bears last season, and he was rewarded for that effort Monday with a lucrative new contract. Forte and the Bears agreed to a four-year contract worth $32 million with more than $18 million guaranteed, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The two sides had until Monday to reach a deal before Forte would have had to play next season for $7.74 million as the team's franchise player. Of course, he also could have held out, which is one of the reasons why the new contract is such a big deal.

This city's long-suffering sports fans finally had a winner Sunday night, and they celebrated the Chicago Bears' Super Bowl victory as if it were New Year's Eve, the Fourth of July or maybe even the end of World War II. The Bears overwhelmed the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX in New Orleans as they had dominated the National Football League this season, posting the highest score and the most lopsided victory in the history of the game, 46-10. (Details in Sports.

The owners of the Chicago Bears will sell about 20% of the team to two Chicago businessmen but will not lose control of the club, its management announced today. No terms were disclosed for the sale, which must be approved by the National Football League. Andrew J. McKenna, president of Schwarz Paper Co. and a director of the Bears, and Patrick G. Ryan, president of Aon Corp., an insurance holding company, will acquire the stock. McKenna is also a director of Aon Corp.

Chicago Bears rookie defensive tackle Fred Washington was killed, along with a companion, in a car crash early this morning. Washington was driving northbound on Illinois 43 in this Chicago suburb, where the Bears have their training camp, when the car bounced off the right curb, crossed the road and struck a tree, Deputy Police Chief Gary Wieczorek said.

Bebo Valdes Pianist and bandleader who fled Cuba Bebo Valdes, 94, a renowned Cuban pianist who recorded with Nat King Cole, was bandleader of Havana's Tropicana nightclub during its glittering heyday and was considered the last luminary from the golden age of Cuban music, died Friday of pneumonia in Sweden. His death was confirmed by the agent for his son Chucho Valdes, a well-known pianist in his own right. Valdes, who enjoyed a remarkable late-career resurgence after he was coaxed out of retirement in the 1990s, was a classically trained musician with a strong interest in American jazz.

Brian Urlacher will not return to the Chicago Bears for the 2013 season, the team announced in a news release Wednesday. The eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker and the Bears had been in talks but they were unable to agree on a deal.  “Brian has been an elite player in our league for over a decade,” General Manager Phil Emery said, via NFL.com . “He showed great leadership and helped develop a winning culture over his time with the Bears. We appreciate all he has given our team, on and off the field.

The Chicago Bears announced on Monday that they have fired Coach Lovie Smith. And the Buffalo Bills have fired Coach Chan Gailey. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bears have sent out consent forms to teams requesting permission to interview head-coaching candidates. The Bears were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday when Minnesota beat Green Bay. The Bills beat the Jets in their finale, 28-9, but finished last in the AFC East at 6-10. Buffalo has yet to announce whether it plans to keep General Manager Buddy Nix, whose acquisition of several high-priced defensive players did not achieve the team's desired results.

This week's Friday edition of our NFL Google+ hangout -- "NFL Slam with Mark and Sam," starring Times NFL columnist Sam Farmer and Mark Thompson of "Mark and Brian" radio fame -- covered a wide range of topics, including the big slate of NFL games on tap for Sunday. One of the big games is Green Bay vs. Chicago, with the Packers traveling to Chicago to take on the slumping Bears. Since their 7-1 start, the Chicago Bears have lost four of five games. They're still only a game behind Green Bay (9-4)

Adrian Peterson is back and looking to be better than ever -- and everybody. The Minnesota Vikings running back has 1,600 yards rushing with three games left to play a season after tearing the ACL and MCL in his left knee. But his goal isn't 2,000 yards; he wants 2,106. After tearing apart the Chicago Bears' depleted defense for 154 yards and two touchdowns, including a 51-yard scamper on the game's first play from scrimmage, Peterson told Peter King of Sports Illustrated that he's eying the single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set by Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson as a member of the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.

The newest Times NFL power rankings were released Tuesday, and while the top two teams remain the same, the former No. 3 team, the Chicago Bears, plummeted after they were routed by the San Francisco 49ers. The Bears tumbled all the way to ninth, the biggest fall of the week. Jason Campbell, the Bears backup quarterback who started in the place of Jay Cutler, threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall in the third quarter but was sacked five times and threw two interceptions in his first start since October 2011 for Oakland.

George McAfee, who was an explosive threat playing both offense and defense for the Chicago Bears in the 1940s, died Wednesday in Durham, N.C. He was 90. Duke University, where McAfee was an All-American in 1939, announced his death. The cause was not given. Nicknamed "One Play" for his ability to change the course of a game, McAfee was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.

George Connor, 78, the first winner of the Outland Trophy, given to the nation's top college lineman, and a star for the Chicago Bears, died Monday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after a long illness. Born in Chicago, Connor was an All-American at Holy Cross before World War II interrupted his college career. After serving in the Navy during the war, Connor played for Notre Dame University and made All American twice. He won the first Outland Trophy in 1946.

Charles Tillman, the dynamic cornerback of the resurgent Chicago Bears, might miss Sunday's game against AFC powerhouse Houston to be at his wife Jackie's side as she delivers the couple's fourth child. Tillman told WSCR-AM on Wednesday that the baby was expected to arrive by Monday and might require him to be at the hospital instead of the game. “The wife is due any day, so hopefully this baby can stay in until after the game on Sunday,” Tillman said. “I hope she stays in -- I'm having another girl.

If it's Tuesday, it must be time for another edition of The Times' NFL power rankings, which features only one new team in the top 10 but a lot of shuffling among the top 10. The Atlanta Falcons, who were idle, remain at No. 1 as the NFL's only undefeated team. As Lance Pugmire writes, "Had bye week before forcing the 1972 Miami Dolphins to gather and see if unbeaten streak can survive trip to Eagles. " There is a new No. 2 however, as the Chicago Bears moved up one spot after their 13-7 victory over Detroit on Monday night.