The Olin Kreutz Situation

[abegibronlives]

Really? I would never have guessed. Which one should have been at the mic or address it elsewhere now that the HC and GM are gone and Ted is not involved with the football side? You know exactly what I meant. When you start arguing technicalities and call a slam, that was big enough to be on local network news and all over media, nothing worth a comment...

If Kreutz didn't want to help his buddy for $15, don't but don't make a stink years later. Bears obviously weren't looking to hire anyone, the line coach asked him and the Bear said OK and offered him the min for insurance etc. They weren't trying to insult him. They were giving him a way to do that if he really wanted to. My take on this is that he could have helped his bud for free if he really wanted to but the Bear needed him/themselves protected with the payroll. Probably just a misunderstanding where the Bear was accommodating the line coach and Kreutz didn't understand the situation and got fired up... as usual. Great player but his bias/loyalty/whatever is stronger than his reason.

Here's the quote: "I've learned over the years to take anything Olin says with a grain of salt." "You don't get the whole story" We clearly didn't and George stayed away from specifics that would extend this.

George has people he could have deferred the question to.

We both know that.

Why argue differently?

There was no upside to his answering the way he did. All he did was help Kreutz by answering.

 

[Mighty Joe Young]

And to add to it all, unless I'm misreading Olin's comments, he is now saying "If that man woulda said that to my face, we woulda had a problem" which to me sounds like a threat of violence.

Classy guy

That's just it. Olin is a petulant tool. Always has been. Only thing he's really mad at is the clap back. And now he's emboldened because he's got his radio peeps who will defend him to the death because they see him as the new Doug Buffone (instant radio ratings).

 

[iueyedoc]

I side with Olin. Sounds like the Bears were cheap and got called out on it. It's not the first time. They've shown a lack of heart, respect, and intellect quite often over the years.

1975 called and wants it's hot take back.


As for lack of heart or respect, that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

Zach Miller:
"That's a testament to the entire organization and the McCaskey family," Miller told reporters Tuesday. "I think you guys all know that the NFL is big business. [But] it's a little different here. You talk about business and football, and this thing is really a family. I don't think that that would happen throughout the league."




Charles Tillman:
“When my daughter had her whole deal with the [heart] transplant, Mrs. McCaskey — very professional, very old-school, very traditional Catholic — took the time, hand-wrote a letter to me and my wife,” Tillman said Monday during the NFL meetings at the Arizona Biltmore.

“She just came across as compassionate and sympathized with what we were going through at the time. She offered her condolences and essentially said if there’s anything you need, please let me know. I fell in love. I was just honored.”


Brian Urlacher's mother's death:

The Bears organization made sure one of its own wasn't alone during a time of need.

A large contingent of team executives, coaches and teammates flew to Lovington, N.M., to offer their support to linebacker Brian Urlacher at the funeral for his mother. Lavoyda Lenard, 51, died unexpectedly Monday at her Texas home, and a small, private service was held Saturday morning.

 

[LiverpoolBearsFAn]

They are old fashioned for good and bad. Old fashioned values of decency are to their credit in the stories above.

But it’s really not a good thing in terms of being successful in the industry they are in.

 

[abegibronlives]

They are old fashioned for good and bad. Old fashioned values of decency are to their credit in the stories above.

But it’s really not a good thing in terms of being successful in the industry they are in.

I think Kreutz likes attention.

George helped him out by making sure he gets it. Olin is eating it up.

 

[stelz]

Kreutz was a better than average center for several years. He was the leader in the locker room for better or worse. He lost a ton of strength his last few years here, got knocked off the ball into next week numerous times. He didn't make it to the end of his one year deal at New Orleans. He made millions and millions of dollars. He had a chance to coach for the Bears. He didn't take it, it was a standard offer that he chose to get all offended by.

OTOH, George is a weirdo, and handled the whole thing poorly, but he called Olin a hall of fame player, which is not even close to being accurate, but was a huge compliment. Poor fucking Olin.

 

[pseudonym]

Nobody should be getting paid $15/hour. Not on a team like that, not to flip fucking burgers at McDonalds. JFC. The Bears can be CHEAP. They can be COLD. Minimum wage, as a living wage, should be like $24/hour. $15 an hour is $31,200 a year. For a team that made 360 million dollars last year that is fucking cheap. $24 is about $50,000 a year. Which is decent. You don't treat an ex-player like that. Sorry, I think it's insulting. I don't think Olin is looking for attention, I think he's just saying this is the offer, take it as you will. I THINK it's cheap.

 

[pseudonym]

And I'm not saying the Bears haven't ever been generous or kind or supportive. They can. But they can also be cheap and cold. They can be both. They donated $25k to Dickerson's kid. That was nice. Should have been the TOP donor IMO, but that's just me.

 

[baredown]

A contrarian view - The Kreutz bit actually turned out to be a good move for the Bears organization. It was a classic misdirection-to-change-the-subject type of thing. George's press conference essentially boiled down to admitting the Bears organization is just going to continue doing things the way they've done them in the past with a few modest tweaks, but hoping to get it right this time. That should have been the storyline for the press conference. But the Kreutz thing sort of stole the headlines. An embarrassment to the organization? Hardly. More like a somewhat amusing anecdote that will be joked about for now and forgotten about in two weeks. Meanwhile, what should have been highlighted as the embarrassing substance of the press conference got quietly relegated to the back burner. Nicely played...

For the record, 'no', I don't think the Bears were smart enough to do that deliberately. They lucked into it. I'm just hoping they similarly luck into getting the right GM & HC this time...

 

[Pegger]

Has Olin offered up what job he'd be doing for $15/hr?

I mean they could be talking about concessions and Olin thinks he should be paid different because he's better at handing out Old Fashioned Donuts?

 

[meangreek]

I just listening to Olin the dude is fired up. I just cant see how anyone can defend the bears.
Just ask Dave McGinnis

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

Kreutz was a better than average center for several years. He was the leader in the locker room for better or worse. He lost a ton of strength his last few years here, got knocked off the ball into next week numerous times. He didn't make it to the end of his one year deal at New Orleans. He made millions and millions of dollars. He had a chance to coach for the Bears. He didn't take it, it was a standard offer that he chose to get all offended by.

OTOH, George is a weirdo, and handled the whole thing poorly, but he called Olin a hall of fame player, which is not even close to being accurate, but was a huge compliment. Poor fucking Olin.

He was voted to the all decade team by the HOF selection committee. 6 time pro bowl player.

Olin is a lot closer to the HOF than you give him credit for.

(I don't think he should be there for the record, but he's in that class of player just below it)

 

[ThatGuyRyan]

hilarious:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1480930541402836992

 

[Payton34Sayers40]

George is a problem for this franchise. HATES truth tellers and only wants people who join in the “back patting club”. That’s a problem when you run an NFL franchise.

As an extension of the fact that he only likes people around who blow smoke up his ass, he hates Olin with a passion because Olin is an unabashed truth teller. George’s defamation of that man’s character yesterday was an shameful.

I am glad Olin hit back and stood up for himself…. and did not take George’s bullshit!

 

[TL1961]

hilarious:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1480930541402836992

Joe is Trollin' with Olin. Love it.

(Even if I do think Olin's a meatball who is embellishing a story.)

 

[Toast88]

Who gives a shit about Olin Kreutz or George McCaskey?

One dude’s threatening to beat up a geriatric. The other is only known because he won the gene lottery.

What jokes they both are.

 

[stelz]

Baba, I always thought he was a good player, but at the same time overrated. Like a lot of guys, played a couple seasons way past his prime. I was not aware of the HOF all decade team for Olin…good for him. Agree that he’s a cut below as you said.

I like him a lot as an analyst, because he doesn’t beat around the bush…tells you exactly what he is thinking. There’s not a political bone in his body. Didn’t like the $15/hr story for the reasons already discussed, but that’s the only time I haven’t liked him as an analyst.

 

[abegibronlives]

Who gives a shit about Olin Kreutz or George McCaskey?

One dude’s threatening to beat up a geriatric. The other is only known because he won the gene lottery.

What jokes they both are.

Didn't Kreutz say something to the effect he wanted to punch Aaron Rodgers in the face?

But, of course, he didn't. The phrase "talk is cheap" comes to mind.

Windbag that craves attention.

 

[ThatGuyRyan]

He was one of my favorite players when he was in the league. I generally enjoy listening to him talk football.. I have noticed that this year he has changed a bit and talk almost too much, over Lance Briggs and Alex Brown / Kap.

He hit a teammate in the head with a dumbbell ffs, I find it hard to believe he didn't have words with George while he was a Bear. He doesn't like George , even before all of this blew up.

I feel like he's jockeying for a position on the team and got turned down and is now butt hurt. There probably is truth to the salary, or maybe there's not but he is taking this shit way too personally it's a bad look.

 

[roadwarrior_joe]

And I'm not saying the Bears haven't ever been generous or kind or supportive. They can. But they can also be cheap and cold. They can be both. They donated $25k to Dickerson's kid. That was nice. Should have been the TOP donor IMO, but that's just me.

Green Bay gave 25K as well, George still can't beat them, and then he use's the tragedy to scold people on how to act.