Hurricanes move to 2 and 0

The Hamilton Hurricanes hosted the Windsor AKO Fratmen in their 2014 home opener Saturday night. The Hurricanes and Fratmen have quite the history and quite the rivalry that would lead to a penalty filled contest.

AKO was the first to put up points after Kicker Steven Schott kicked a 42-yard field goal in the first quarter. That would be the only successful field goal attempt for the Fratmen, as Schott would only pick up singles for the duration of the game. Hamilton’s Danny Cerino on the other hand was successful on both attempts.

Ending the first quarter tied at three, the game was still up for grabs. Hamilton’s Adam Christopher put the first touchdown of the game on the board and gave the Hurricanes the lead. Hamilton held the lead for the rest of the game, and managed to put in a second touchdown with under a minute to go in the game. The Hurricane’s second touchdown would come from Shawn Ward to make the final score 22-6.

This is just the first time that these two teams will meet in the regular season as Hamilton will head to Windsor in the middle of September. Coach Hayes says that this was AKO’s first game of the season and the Canes still have some things to work on early in the season, but he’s pleased to be 2-0 and proud of the guys for how they played Saturday afternoon.

Hamilton will look to keep their winning streak alive as they head to Twin  Cities this weekend to take on the Predators. 

Hurricanes Blow Through Braves

The Hamilton Hurricanes kicked off their season on a high note in Burlington. Hamilton may have had a slower start but after half time they were in full force and as much as Burlington put up a fight it was no match for the Canes.

Hamilton took the lead early after the Braves gave up a safety, but it wasn’t long before they made it onto the board themselves as well. In the second quarter Burlington took the lead, but it would be the only time the Braves would lead throughout the game as the ended the first half up 19-12.

Head Coach Jay Hayes said, “At halftime we just stressed the importance of knowing our assignments. We made a number of errors in the first half and we were only down 7.”

The second half the Hurricanes came out strong and ready to take back the lead. After forcing the Braves to punt, Jason Ledonne blocked the punt and recovered the ball for the Canes; which would the comeback. That was just the beginning, as the Hurricanes would find the end zone a couple more times, and almost managing to hold the Braves off completely in the third.

After a 70 yard run and a couple of flags the Braves found their way into the end zone to put up some points and end the third 33-26.

The final 15 would see just one more touchdown from the Canes, as they would take home the WIN with a 40-26 final score. Next weekend the Hamilton Hurricanes host Windsor AKO in their home opener. Coach Hayes says that in order to beat AKO next week they will need to limit both the penalties and mistakes. Kick off is scheduled for 4pm at Cardinal Newman high school in Stoney Creek.

NY Jets - QB Situation

Mark Sanchez headed into NY and helped turn the Jets around in both his rookie and sophomore seasons, but after becoming the king of turnovers soon became the bud of everyone’s jokes.

Last season there was a lot of confusion with who would end up being the starting QB for the Jets... could Sanchez keep his starting title or would the rookie Geno Smith come in and take the name. Geno started the season with the Jets due to a shoulder injury for Sanchez… and the Jets seemed to be turning things around once again. They managed to turn around their 6-10 season from the year before… but still couldn’t make their way into playoffs for the third straight year.

Not long after announcing the news of releasing the master of turnovers, they announced the signing of Michael Vick. Vick’s contract is a one-year deal, and he’ll have the chance to battle for the starting position with Geno Smith.

Vicks got quite the experience compared to Smith… and Smith couldn’t have learned overly much from his partner last season other than what not to do; but he still managed to make a name for himself. He could end up on the list of lengthy QB’s that went downhill after their rookie season… but on the other side of things the signing of Vick could give him that extra push.

Personally I’d love to see Smith make it through training camp and end up the starter. He may have had a couple of rough games last season but what can you expect when you’re under someone like Sanchez that peaked and then hit the wall hard before falling apart?

I’m still waiting for Rex Ryan to end up on the chopping block. It takes more than a couple players to miss the playoffs three years in a row. I mean take a look at the lions… they went 0-16, made SEVERAL changes and now they’re quite the competitors in the NFC North and are giving teams a run for their money. Sure it took them another two pretty rough seasons before making the playoffs… but after rebuilding they’re now a strong team and quite the competitors.

RODGERS INJURED

The Chicago Bears managed to bring home a win Monday night in Green Bay. This was their first time beating the packers in quite some time, but the best part ... it was a contest of back up quarterbacks.
Aaron Rodgers was out in the first quarter with what was first said to be a shoulder injury... after several tests were completed it was announced as a fractured clavicle and he will be week to week.

McCarthy says that he has all the faith in the world in back up Seneca Wallace, but do fans think that same? After last nights performance it might be a little difficult to feel that way. In 2010 when Rodgers left the field with a concussion, Matt Flynn had an outstanding game and broke several of his own personal bests with a total of 6 touchdowns through out the game. That year the packers went on to win the Superbowl.

Speaking of Matt Flynn.. the Bills have just recently released him. Could this be fate for the packers? Rodgers gets hurt, pick up Flynn again, have another run at a superbowl? ... Too bad for Cheesehead Nation this isn't a perfect world and the packers will more than likely have to do the best that they can under Seneca Wallace.
With Mike McCarthy and the help of injured Aaron Rodgers i'm sure Wallace will be able to hold the packers offence just as well as Flynn did back in 2010. (Besides ... Rodgers helped coach him too)

CJFL - AKO BEATS HAMILTON FOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Two years ago the Hamilton Hurricanes stormed into Windsor to beat the AKO Fratmen on home turf for the championship... but the tables turned Friday night. Earlier this season the Hurricanes stomped the Fratmen in a 36-3 loss just south of the border in Windsor. Maybe it was the damp weather, or maybe it was the full moon... but the number one ranked  Hurricanes couldn't even put up a single touchdown through out this flag filled contest.

AKO kicked a field goal in the first to take the lead by 3 .. which would be the only three points scored within the first quarter. With a one yard sneak by Austin Lumley of AKO, the Fratmen ended the first half with a 10-0 lead.

It wasn't until the third quarter that Hurricanes kicked would put one through the posts from 31 yards out to get Hamilton up on the board. Although Hamilton was able to hold AKO from scoring another touchdown in the third, they weren't able to hold them off from all scoring as they would kick a field goal to give them the 10 point edge once again.

Although the Canes had several chances for a come back they were unable to capitalize as the AKO defence was on top of their game. Hurricanes Kyle Sewell would throw two interceptions within the final 15 minutes, putting his offence on hold.
AKO was able to get one more field goal in to bring their score to 16, well the Hurricanes would have two more bringing the score to a final of 16-9 in favour of Windsor.

Post handshakes the Hurricanes were quick to leave the field , while the Fratmen celebrated their win and received the trophy on Hamilton's turf. Windsor's AKO Fratmen will now host the Vancouver Islanders next weekend in the Nationals Semi-Final Jostens Cup game.

BRANDON MARSHALL NOT ALLOWED TO WEAR GREEN CLEATS

As many people know the NFL along with several other sports deck themselves out in Pink throughout the month of October to raise money and awareness for Breast Cancer. Breast Cancer Awareness has sky rocketed over the past few years, and there is no reason at all that it shouldn't continue this. I think that having professional teams , college teams, and even high schools teams wear pink is a huge step to helping raise awareness.

However what I don't agree on at all is the fact that Brandon Marshall was told he couldn't wear green cleats for Mental Health Awareness. Mental Health is something that gets pushed to the side all of the time because symptoms aren't seen and people don't talk about it. If more people to support Mental Health Awareness and build the overall knowledge on the topic than more people would speak up.

I personally lost a lot of respect for the NFL with this decision. Not only because I've personally struggled with mental illness but because I know that I may have gotten help for my self, but there are SEVERAL others out there that are fighting it alone. There are many people out there that think they are alone and that people don't care. The NFL is a huge organization and I think that they should be taking a stand for more than just one or two causes.

Yes there are reasons they are strict with their uniform. Yes they have a uniform for a reason. But don't you think that the NFL should acknowledge the fact that there are millions of people world wide that are suffering from mental illness? Should the organization not realize that their players have a higher chance of mental illness than things such as breast cancer?

And my final thought/fact to leave you with:
Cancer patients have an 80 percent chance of living. 1 in 5 people with an Eating Disorder (a mental illness) will die.

Break the Stigma.

QUICK NOTES - CHIEFS VS EAGLES

* Last season the Chiefs won a total of 2 games … and after Thursday nights match up against the eagles move to a 3-0 record.

* Eagles had a total of 7 turnovers through the night … before Thursday nights game they had a total of 2 so far this season.
* Three of the turnovers were due to Michael Vick including a pick 6 to Eric Barry.
*Vick was sacked six times
*The Chiefs and Eagles have now met up 8 times in the past (4-2 overall in favour of eagles)
*Philadelphia has never scored less than 21 points at home against the Chiefs,  until last night when they were held to 16.
*The Chiefs have started a season 3-0 seven times before this year … 6 of the 7 they made in into playoffs.

NFL - Jets QB Drama continues into the Regular Season.

Through out the pre season the New York Jets were on the radar for who their starting quarterback would be .. Rookie Geno Smith or Mark Sanchez. Nearing the end of the pre season Sanchez suffered an injury to his right shoulder (throwing arm) and would start rehab before deciding whether or not to have surgery. A surgery would result in him out for the duration of the 2013 season.
Geno Smith would start the season, with a 18-17 win over Tampa Bay. In his debut game, he threw one touchdown, two turnovers including one interception and a fumble. Smith had a total of 256 passing yards and 47 rushing.

Thursday night the Jets would lose to the Patriots by three, which would start Sanchez on why he shouldn't be out for the season, and earned the QB1 spot. Within the fourth quarter thursday night Smith had three turnovers on his last three drives throwing three interceptions. Bringing his total for the season to 4. Although Sanchez believes that he earned the spot as starting QB and will not be out for the season.. Rex Ryan doesn't seem to agree.
Head Coach, Rex Ryan says that if they believed that he would return to the Jets he would be put on the IR. However; he has not named who would be QB1 due to when the injury occurred.

If Geno Smith can turn the Jets around and give them a positive record, there is no reason that they would need to put Sanchez back in the starting position. If Sanchez wants the Qb1 spot back.. he needs to earn it. It's great to have the confidence needed to run the team, but after last season and the lack of faith the team had leaving last season will not help him. In order to be successful as a QB, you need to not only be confident in your abilities but your team needs to be confident as well.

University of Florida Removes Hernandez's Brick from Gator Walk

Some could say that this was too far, that he didn't deserve that. Some would agree that it was the right thing to do.
The University of Florida has removed Aaron Hernandez's brick from the Gator Walk. They have been removing pictures and articles about him from around the school since the end of June. Earlier today they removed the largest and most noticeable recognition of the athlete.
The Gator walk is a path to the entrance of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium that shows players that have been named All Americans. He played for the Gators from 2007 until 2009, when he was awarded the Mackey Award. He then went on to be drafted in 2010 by the New England Patriots.
On June 26th 2013 he was charged for first degree murder, and the University of Florida decided that they did not want that associated with their school.
He was released from several other organizations that did not want to be associated with him due to these charges and the media that surrounded him. Was removing his brick too much?

He made a choice and there are consequences for that choice. It was a decision made with poor judgement. A University would not want that associated with their athletics program or their school as a whole. When something as large as this case happens, it doesn't matter who you are or what positive things you have done in the past. Your name brings up the negative thoughts. A University as well as any other organization wants to keep a positive image and instil positive values. So No, I do not think that this crossed any sort of line. If i was the Dean, I would choose to do the same thing.

Patriots Dennard Breaks Probation

New England Cornerback Alfonzo Dennard has been arrested and cited for driving under the influence. Dennard was pulled over roughly around 2am (C.T) when his red Honda was straddling lane lines. Police issued a sobriety test before transporting him to a substance abuse treatment centre. Although he did not provide an adequate breath sample for the test he was not jailed. Released with a court date set for August 12th.
This is his second run in with the law after he was found guilty of a felony assault on an officer just last year. He was given 24 months probation and a sentence of 30 days that judge permitted he would serve starting on March 1st of 2014.
After breaking his probation by driving under the influence will the judge's call to start his sentence march of next year change? Whether or not when he serves his sentence he will stay pay for it through the league and the Patriots management. The Patriots management is currently looking into the case before taking any action. This is not the first case that they have had to deal with, after Aaron Hernandez's charge for first degree murder.

Matt Stafford Signs new Deal with Detroit.

The Detroit Lions have extended Quarterback Matt Stafford's contract to 2017. Stafford has been playing for the Lions since 2009 when he was drafted first overall. Stafford helped lead the Lions to the playoffs in 2011; which was the first time the Lions have seen the playoffs in nearly a decade.

The Lions have been without a franchise quarterback for several years, and although Stafford has a long way to go, after showing many flaws in the 2012 season. In 2012 he threw 17 interceptions, 20 touchdowns and was sacked a total of 29 times. Although he had a rough season last year, after his 2011 season taking the Lions to playoffs, it shows how much potential he has.

In 2011 he tied the record for consecutive games with at least 1 touchdown pass as well as tying Drew Brees' record for consecutive games with 350+ passing yards. The contract extension will give Stafford  41.5 million guaranteed with the 53 million dollar contract. The extension will pay him on average 18 million for each season... roughly the same average as the Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo.

Stafford tweeted earlier today that he was happy to extend his contract and stay in Detroit for another five years.

Stafford received a signing bonus of 27.5 million according to profootballtalk.com.

Football Withdrawals

Do you ever start to have withdrawals from football? I know I do.. but i always thought it was something made up.
Loyola University did research on the feeling that fans get when the season is done and there is no football for months ... and they compared it to when someone is trying to quit smoking.

"t’s similar to what a smoker feels when deprived of a cigarette — except there’s no quick fix like a cigarette for the football fan."


I just found this article really interesting because i know people that get that way and I get that way sometimes as well. You get so used to watching something and it becomes part of your routine and then it's suddenly gone. It's why the first game is so exciting... the first game is always the start of another season and it's finally back.
Does that mean it's an addiction because you go through withdrawals ? Some would say yes ... some would say no. But even if it is .. i'd have to say thats one okay addiction ! (could be worse)

So if you're girlfriend or boyfriend or your friends start talking about how upset they are the seasons done.. just toss on some videos. Better yet NFL Network solves this problem, they've got everything you need to stop the withdrawals. I've always got NFL network on to get my football fix during the off season.


What do you do to get your football fix in the off season?

CFL - WEEK ONE !

The CFL kicked off it's regular season this week,with some great match ups including the defending champions taking on their rivals. Opening week not only saw the defending champions take on their rivals but also some other close knit games ... and one tough start to a season.

The Argonauts and the Ti-Cats met up in the Toronto Friday night. After Hamilton went 2-0 with their pre-season match ups,  some fans were looking at a win for the season opener, but the Argo's had other plans for them. Toronto Argonauts, the defending champions of the grey cup put the first points on the board with a Touchdown from Jason Barnes. Hamilton then coming back to pull ahead and end the first quarter 21-8. The Tiger cats kept their lead up until late in the fourth when the Argo's pulled ahead to take the game 39-34. For a season opener with two rivals it was a thriller and nail biter. Their next match up this season will not take place until October fourth, once again in Hamilton before heading to Guelph to play the Ti-Cats at their temporary home on the 14th.

The Alouettes headed to Winnipeg to take on the Blue Bombers in week one CFL action. Another pretty close knit match nearing the end of the game. Montreal put up 14 points before the Blue Bombers' Justin Palardy put in a 35 yarder. They would end the half 23-13 in favour of the Alouettes. Winnipeg dominated the third quarter putting in three touchdowns and a field goal to take the lead over Montreal heading into the final quarter. Although the Blue Bombers managed to take control of the third, they were unable to maintain their control, and didn't put up any points in the final quarter. Buck Pierce throwing an interception with under 20 seconds left, to end the game with a 38-33 loss for the Blue Bombers. Pierce had 3 interceptions through out the night, one leading to a touchdown, one to a field goal, and the last to end the game.

The BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders had quite the contest. The Stampeders came out strong and dominated the first half, allowing just six points in the first half. The touchdown from the Lions didn't come until almost midway through the second when Travis Lulay threw a 53 yard pass to Emmanuel Arceneaux. The first half ended with Calgary up by 25. Not to fret because the Lions would start their comeback early in the second half. The Lions held Calgary to just 7 points in the third and 6 in the fourth. The Lions found their roar in the second half but it wasn't enough to stop the stampeders from taking home the 44-32 Win.

The Edmonton Eskimos were shut down by the Rough riders being held to just one point in the first half. The Eskimo's defence managed to hold back the roughriders to just two touchdowns in the first quarter, not putting up any points themselves. Their lone point would come later into the second, just before Saskatchewn's Renauld Williams would get a pick 6 for 19 yards. The Eskimo's didn't see much more in the second half with just 5 points in the third and 12 in the fourth. Saskatchewan would take the win 39-18. With a tough home opener loss to the Roughriders, Edmonton will have to make it up next week when they take on the Tiger-Cats in their temporary home at the University of Guelph.

Next weeks match ups: 

Winnipeg at Montreal 

Lions vs Argonauts

Calgary at Saskatchewan

Tiger-cats vs Eskimos

keep posted for predictions for week two.

Aaron Rodgers writes letter to 17 year old self.

ESPN had several athletes write themselves a letter to their younger selves. Aaron Rodgers decided to write his to his 17 year old self.

What an incredible idea. Not only does this bring the fans closer to who they player is as a person now, but who they were growing up and where they've come from. It shows the fans a different perspective and portrays these athletes as individuals and people that have been through several similar circumstances.
This not only shows you that Aaron Rodgers wasn't always the player that he is now and the confident person that he is now as a team leader, but that there was a time when he thought about throwing in the towel like several people do. It shows that hard work pays off and that you can get thrown off of the plan that you have for yourself, but things can still work.
I think the best part, is the end. Not that it's a journey and to enjoy yourself but the lottery numbers he tossed in there. It shows that he has a sense of humour, and much like anyone else (or at least myself) that is very important information to have! 

So take a second and read the letter. Maybe even write one for yourself.
I've done it before, and I've also written a letter to my future self in hopes that one day I can open it and see how many things I wanted to achieve have actually come true. 

Ottawa and the CFL

Ottawa founded the RoughRiders in 1876, and they went on to win nine grey cups five of which were between the 1960's and 1970's. In 1996 the Ottawa RoughRiders folded. Just five years later in 2002 Ottawa returned to the CFL with a new team, the renegades. The Renegades lasted until 2006 when they were suspended indefinitely. Now just over 6 years later, Ottawa is back in the CFL for the 2014 season with the RedBlacks.
Will the Ottawa RedBlacks last and become a well known organization and long term member of the CFL or will it fold in just a few short years once again?
The Redblacks are offering past season ticket holders their former seats as well as pre registration for new fans.

The CFL may not seem to be as big as the NFL for some people, but with the addition of a new team it's a step in the right direction to create an even larger fan base. It adds a positive attitude to the community and surrounding area with the excitement of a professional team. Not only will this be good for the Ottawa community but also for Canadian athletes. Opening up more opportunities for the CIS players to get noticed and to continue their football careers. I look forward to the 2014 season to see what the Redblacks have to offer, what Ottawa has to offer the CFL, and what Canadian talent is out there that has yet to have a chance to be seen.

Controversy - Packers / Seahawks

The replacement referees in the NFL have been calling several things that either don’t exist or are over board with calls. It seems that they lack knowledge of the rules and the game in general and should stick to high school and college ball. It wasn’t until Monday Night when the Seahawks hosted the packers that their calls actually cost a game.
With just seconds left in the 4th quarter, Wilson threw a hail mary into the endzone on the 4th down. Jennings, Tate, and several others jumped for the ball.
Jennings came down with the ball but at the same time Tate grabbed a hold of it as well. The play was reviewed as every scoring play is, and it was called a touchdown. This caused several eruptions throughout the packers and the NFL fan base.


Although the rule book does state:
”Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 5 states:Simultaneous Catch. If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passers. It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control. If the ball is muffed after simultaneous touching by two such players, all the players of the passing team become eligible to catch the loose ball.”

There was pass interference on the play as well. If pass interference had been called the play would have stopped, ending the game. The touchdown would have been void and the packers would have come out with a win.
So really, did the seahawks win because of skill or because of a bad call.. were the green bay packers robbed of a win?

The NFL is backing the referees on the call as a touchdown because of the simultaneous catch rule, but will the fans continue to watch football sundays , mondays, and thursdays with these replacement referees due to the integrity of the game diminishing?

Charles Woodson Back To Raiders

In 1988 the Oakland Raiders selected Charles Woodson in the first round of the NFL Draft, now in 2013 after becoming a free agent he is back in the black and silver. Woodson was released from the packers in February where he then became a free agent when he said he wanted to play for a contender.
The Raiders may not be seen as a contender like other teams that he has met with earlier in his free agency but he says that he is excited to be back with the team.


37 year old Charles Woodson although will stay in the hearts and minds of Packers alongside Greg Jennings who is now with the Minnisota Vikings.. has gone back to the fans that welcomed him into the Leauge several years ago.

Around the League

Alright so let’s start off with “Black Monday” … the number of people fired this year around the leauge was just outrageous. Somehow Rex Ryan got by without being fired, but instead the GM, Mike Tannenbaum was. (personally i think they fired the wrong guy. seriously rex needs to go if the jets want to turn their team around)
Seven coaches were canned including:

1. Lovie Smith from the Chicago Bears.
Every year there is one that is a surprise, and this is probably the most surprising one to go due to fact he had coached the bears to a 10-6 season. Last year he coached the bears to a good season as well. Although the bears haven’t made playoffs in the past two years it has not been because of the coaching. Smith would have been in a re-signing year.
(I think that it would stir up something if lovie went and coached the eagles.. who have also canned their coach, and is worth some good money , so it won’t be long before he gets picked up.)

2. Andy Reid - Philadelphia Eagles
3. Ken Whisenhunt - Arizona Cardinals.
I’m not surprised, i mean after Kurt Warner the team went downhill. They started off this year going 0-4 and then continued into a downward spiral.

4. Norv Turner - San Diego
5. Chan Gailey - Buffalo Bills
6. Pat Shurmer - Cleaveland
7. Romeo Crennel - Kansas City.

* The Detroit Lions are still un sure of whether Shwartz will continue to have a job after this season. One of the reasons that he may not be fired is due to the fact the contact was just recently renewed and in order to cut the contract short it would be costly. *

Several others were fired from coaching staffs around the league as well as General Managers, if you’re interested in who else they are updating nfl.com constantly with who is currently being interviewed for positions and other firings. .. There are several college coaches that are being looked at to move up to the NFL coaching level, such as the Penn State coach although he has only been there for one year.

Is Sanchez in Hot Water?

During wednesdays practice Mark Sanchez through three interceptions throughout the two sessions. The Jets have yet to decide on who their starting quarterback will be this season. Sanchez was benched last season, and after wednesdays practice proving why.. he may be looking at the bench as an addition to his uniform if he doesn’t smarten up on the field. Geno smith threw one interception with 14 snaps compared to Snachez’s three with 15 snaps. Rex Ryan called his performance a disappointment.

Rex Ryan isn’t the only one frustrated over Mark Sanchez, he’s also losing respect on the field from some of his team mates. The team agrees that although they like him as a person when it comes to game time.. it’s time to give someone else a chance.

My Thoughts:
The jets are tied to Sanchez for the amount of money they’re paying him. They don’t want to be paying him that much to be sitting on the bench. But they need to figure out a way to stops the turnovers. Two key receivers were out on Wednesday with injury, but that doesn’t take away the fact that he’s the king of turnovers. Respect from your team mates both on and off the field helps win games. You’re not going to win respect or get the work put out on the field that coaches and GM’s look for if there is doubt in your team leader. Smith could bring several possibilities to the Jets.. but working under Sanchez and the amount of ties that are there could hold smith back. Best case scenario for the Jets … they split it between Smith and Sanchez. Not only will they get the bang for the buck .. as much bang as you’re gonna get from Sanchez, but you’re going to mold smith into the quarterback you want for the future.

Brian Urlacher Retires

Brian Urlacher has spent the past 13 years wearing the colors of the Chicago Bears, and after today he will hang up the jersey and put away his cleats.
After he suffered a knee injury in 2012 his foot speed was decreased drastically, and not being able to come to terms with the new contract put forth by the bears, and struggling in the free agency retirement became his path.
Although his career has ended, he is still known as one of the greats. Urlacher was an 8 time Pro Bowl selection. In his rookie year he racked up 8 sacks to give him Rookie of the Year in 2000. In 2008 he won the AP Defensive Player of the year, and made 4 All Pro teams.

Also retiring this year is Ray Lewis, who was a defining player and one of the greats in the AFC. It will be a different season for both the Ravens and the Bears without these two defining players on their defense.

My Thoughts:
Urlacher was a phenomenal player, and i’m sure that he could have played at least one more season… but it wouldn’t have been for the bears. To spend 13 years under one team, they become like a family. It’s better to retire with no regrets under the team that has formed you in to the player that you are and the fan base that has stood behind you for years, rather than go to a different team for just one year and then retire. I’m not a bears fan, but Urlacher was the leader of their defense. Briggs was learning from him every game and every practice, so i’m sure we will still see some urlachers traits on the field this season, and seasons to come.