Kevin Mawae: Brian Urlacher Was A Better Middle Linebacker Than Ray Lewis

[Treehorn]

Lewis was better, only meatballs would say otherwise. Brian is my favorite Bear is so I'm not a hater.

Urlacher had a good supporting cast too. But this is about individual statistics and unless you ignore the Stat comparison in the OP, Ray Lewis was better...by a significant margin too.

I'm going to say Urlacher was better because of his coverage ability and his ability to drop 25 yards in the middle so fast it made the Lovie Tampa 2 with the Bears special. As far as stats, really the only numbers that are significantly skewed are tackles. Urlacher played 4 less years and missed many more games due to injury. In my mind Urlacher was better.

 

[Warden of the Northeast]

I'm going to say Urlacher was better because of his coverage ability and his ability to drop 25 yards in the middle so fast it made the Lovie Tampa 2 with the Bears special. As far as stats, really the only numbers that are significantly skewed are tackles. Urlacher played 4 less years and missed many more games due to injury. In my mind Urlacher was better.

Lewis was fine in coverage, he had 9 more ints.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

I'm going to say Urlacher was better because of his coverage ability and his ability to drop 25 yards in the middle so fast it made the Lovie Tampa 2 with the Bears special. As far as stats, really the only numbers that are significantly skewed are tackles. Urlacher played 4 less years and missed many more games due to injury. In my mind Urlacher was better.

Urlacher played safety in college. It was fun to watch him drop into coverage, amazing athlete.

 

[Noonthirtyjoe]

If I was a coach picking who would help my team more = BU.

 

[Warden of the Northeast]

If I was a coach picking who would help my team more = BU.

Meatball alert. If Lewis was a Bear you'd say Lewis. I don't know why people can't be objective and sincere, even if it goes against their favorite team.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

Meatball alert. If Lewis was a Bear you'd say Lewis. I don't know why people can't be objective and sincere, even if it goes against their favorite team.

Your opinion doesn't make it so.

 

[Warden of the Northeast]

Your opinion doesn't make it so.

Stats make it so. Would you like to cast your vote (though I think I know who you'd choose based of your uber meatball status) or would you like to just continue to troll?

 

[Sammich]

I think Urlacher's hair keeps him out

This x100. I find it a struggle to see him as the same guy ever since he got the hair transplant.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

Stats make it so. Would you like to cast your vote (though I think I know who you'd choose based of your uber meatball status) or would you like to just continue to troll?

Stats don't always tell the whole story so fuck off Bozo.

 

[Warden of the Northeast]

Stats don't always tell the whole story so fuck off Bozo.

Well when you don't have hardware then stats is all you have. Shouldn't you be tumbling down a snowy slope? Fucking hack.

 

[iueyedoc]

Great player. HOF'er. But better player than Ray Lewis? Less than 1% of non Bears fans would make such an argument.

Hell on two occasions during his career he was considered by many to be the most overrated in the NFL ... by his peers.

In a 2006 Sports Illustrated poll which asked NFL players who was the most overrated player, Urlacher came in second behind Terrell Owens.

Even as recent as last week(2011), NFL players called Urlacher overrated. Urlacher received two votes from 11 current players who were interviewed by Sporting News.

and

The most overrated defensive player? The Bears' Brian Urlacher, whose tackle total dropped to 93 last year, down from 123 in 2007 and 141 in 2006. Worse yet, the former NFL defensive player of the year didn't record a single sack. The Bears paid him $4.2 million dollars for his efforts.

"It's unfair to judge defensive players in terms of raw numbers--as fans, we don't know what scheme they are playing and what roles they have been placed in," says Ma. "That being said, Urlacher's numbers from last year were among the worst of his career ... He has clearly become overrated."

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

Well when you don't have hardware then stats is all you have. Shouldn't you be tumbling down a snowy slope? Fucking hack.

They both will be HOF and they both had strengths and weaknesses, to claim one is better is complete crap especially from you. Don't you have a dress to try on?

 

[Warden of the Northeast]

Great player. HOF'er. But better player than Ray Lewis? Less than 1% of non Bears fans would make such an argument.

Hell on two occasions during his career he was considered by many to be the most overrated in the NFL ... by his peers.

In a 2006 Sports Illustrated poll which asked NFL players who was the most overrated player, Urlacher came in second behind Terrell Owens.

Even as recent as last week(2011), NFL players called Urlacher overrated. Urlacher received two votes from 11 current players who were interviewed by Sporting News.

and

The most overrated defensive player? The Bears' Brian Urlacher, whose tackle total dropped to 93 last year, down from 123 in 2007 and 141 in 2006. Worse yet, the former NFL defensive player of the year didn't record a single sack. The Bears paid him $4.2 million dollars for his efforts.

"It's unfair to judge defensive players in terms of raw numbers--as fans, we don't know what scheme they are playing and what roles they have been placed in," says Ma. "That being said, Urlacher's numbers from last year were among the worst of his career ... He has clearly become overrated."

 

[Warden of the Northeast]

They both will be HOF and they both had strengths and weaknesses, to claim one is better is complete crap especially from you. Don't you have a dress to try on?

How's your training for the snowboard Special Olympics Team coming along? I'd like to sponsor you.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

Great player. HOF'er. But better player than Ray Lewis? Less than 1% of non Bears fans would make such an argument.

Hell on two occasions during his career he was considered by many to be the most overrated in the NFL ... by his peers.

In a 2006 Sports Illustrated poll which asked NFL players who was the most overrated player, Urlacher came in second behind Terrell Owens.

Even as recent as last week(2011), NFL players called Urlacher overrated. Urlacher received two votes from 11 current players who were interviewed by Sporting News.

and

The most overrated defensive player? The Bears' Brian Urlacher, whose tackle total dropped to 93 last year, down from 123 in 2007 and 141 in 2006. Worse yet, the former NFL defensive player of the year didn't record a single sack. The Bears paid him $4.2 million dollars for his efforts.

"It's unfair to judge defensive players in terms of raw numbers--as fans, we don't know what scheme they are playing and what roles they have been placed in," says Ma. "That being said, Urlacher's numbers from last year were among the worst of his career ... He has clearly become overrated."

Players play with injuries all the time without disclosing those injuries to the media. Other intangibles come into play as well. His #s going down his final years says right there his career was ending.

 

[Warden of the Northeast]

 

[Sammich]

Not to add fuel to the fire, but as much as I love Urlacher, looking at it from an unbiased stand point - I have looked at about 20 different lists and rankings of the best MLBs of all time, and Ray Lewis turns up at number 1 on almost EVERY list, and Urlacher barely cracks the top 10 on any of them.

I love Urlacher, and he is one of my all time favorites, but there is no way he is the best ever. Ray Lewis, Butkus, Lambert, Nischke, Seau, would all be ranked better.

 

[iueyedoc]

Players play with injuries all the time without disclosing those injuries to the media. Other intangibles come into play as well. His #s going down his final years says right there his career was ending.

Part of being considered great is being available to play at a high level. No one considers Bo Jackson the greatest RB in NFL history, but he very well may have been the best NFL player at any position in the history of the game if not for...

Sadly the If not for HOF doesn't exist. Just like If not for best evers or better thans.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

I havn't made any claims BU is better than RL. I do know they were both great players. They'll both be in the HOF. The this guy is better than that guy or that championship team was better arguments are subjective.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

How's your training for the snowboard Special Olympics Team coming along? I'd like to sponsor you.

Haha that's funny, I just ride with friends for fun though. Save your money for dresses.