As a brief pre-column editorial, I thought for YEARS now that I have been told that lockerrooms are populated purely by professionals ... professionals who are there to do their job ... that this sort of thing did not happen because, again, these are professionals.

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Anyway, on to Señor Columnist's article.


Editor’s note: Always full of thoughts, Dan will start sharing a few more quick hits with you every week in The Bernstein Brief. Consider it a morning thought that may evolve. As always, tune into the Boers and Bernstein Show at 1 p.m. to hear more.

(CBS) Lance Briggs is mentally checking out as a Bear, and he isn’t afraid to admit it.

The seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker spoke with reporters Wednesday, discussing the likely end of his tenure in Chicago and describing how hard it was to concentrate in meetings while recovering from his latest injury.

“I don’t know what to do with myself sometimes,” he said. “Sometimes I sit in the meetings while coaches are talking and sometimes the words just phase out and I’m just staring at the screen. The only thing I can tell is the time. I can see the time and it’s like, ‘Damn, I still got 55 minutes left.'”

It would be nice for a veteran leader to participate, even if he’s not playing. It would be a professional example for younger players and just might make the defense better prepared if Briggs is engaged, interested or available to help.
He’s not, however, and he’s fine with everyone knowing it.

Briggs’ brutal honesty shows he has no fear of repercussions from his coaches, and so little respect for them that he can tell the world he doesn’t care what they say.

I used to be a huge Briggs guy, but he is becoming very unlikable in the last couple seasons. What a turd.

He was very unlikable and showed just what kind of guy he was years ago with the Lambo accident and DUI avoidance.

He was very unlikable and showed just what kind of guy he was years ago with the Lambo accident and DUI avoidance.

cut his ass yesterday.

cut his ass yesterday.

I don't know, but it sounds more like an indictment of the coaching staff than anything else. That he drifts off in meetings(while he isn't playing) where sophomoric mistakes are routinely being discussed again and again to no avail doesn't elicit a deep response from me either. I'm fairly certain that he's taken a role in helping the younger players at other times, which allows him to be honest about his involvement in meetings.

Anyone that's ever been around older players has certainly heard the stories about how during injury times they don't feel apart of the team, nor do they feel they have the right to critique/make suggestions to the guys actually playing. IIRC, Joe Greene had a similar sense of detachment when he was hurt & nearing the end of his career. If a longtime leader like Mean Joe felt similarly, what's the great surprise when a cog in the machine (like Briggs) who's never been a leadership type admits it?

My guess is that a jackass like Bernstein is once again blowing something out of proportion just to create more of his usual "controversy". What will be funny will be Leary's response. He's been like a puppy around Briggs and has to be in distress given his reverence for Bernstein.

It would be nice for a veteran leader to participate, even if he’s not playing. It would be a professional example for younger players and just might make the defense better prepared if Briggs is engaged, interested or available to help.

He’s not, however, and he’s fine with everyone knowing it.

As a brief pre-column editorial, I thought for YEARS now that I have been told that lockerrooms are populated purely by professionals ... professionals who are there to do their job ... that this sort of thing did not happen because, again, these are professionals.

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Anyway, on to Señor Columnist's article.


Editor’s note: Always full of thoughts, Dan will start sharing a few more quick hits with you every week in The Bernstein Brief. Consider it a morning thought that may evolve. As always, tune into the Boers and Bernstein Show at 1 p.m. to hear more.

(CBS) Lance Briggs is mentally checking out as a Bear, and he isn’t afraid to admit it.

The seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker spoke with reporters Wednesday, discussing the likely end of his tenure in Chicago and describing how hard it was to concentrate in meetings while recovering from his latest injury.

“I don’t know what to do with myself sometimes,” he said. “Sometimes I sit in the meetings while coaches are talking and sometimes the words just phase out and I’m just staring at the screen. The only thing I can tell is the time. I can see the time and it’s like, ‘Damn, I still got 55 minutes left.'”

It would be nice for a veteran leader to participate, even if he’s not playing. It would be a professional example for younger players and just might make the defense better prepared if Briggs is engaged, interested or available to help.
He’s not, however, and he’s fine with everyone knowing it.

Briggs’ brutal honesty shows he has no fear of repercussions from his coaches, and so little respect for them that he can tell the world he doesn’t care what they say.

might as well make this the show thread.

I used to be a huge Briggs guy, but he is becoming very unlikable in the last couple seasons. What a turd.

Here's the thing though .... you can feel that all you want to .... you don't talk about it to the media in general .... talk to a shrink or a hooker or something, but not the media .... ellipsis for the win .... his feelings aren't necessarily invalid, his actions in regards to those feelings is entirely invalid.

Says the veteran radio host that proudly proclaims they never have meetings and never prepare on a station where, coincidentally, production and preparation have become so rare that a guy that does some gets noticed.

Then I would tune out, like I have.

He has aways been easy to dislike. Bad teammate, bad leader and bad guy.

Says the veteran radio host that proudly proclaims they never have meetings and never prepare on a station where, coincidentally, production and preparation have become so rare that a guy that does some gets noticed.

I'm increasingly amused by the "don't talk about it to the media" stuff. Everyone rational adult fan knows this stuff. How many ESPN/CBS/Fox/NBC channels are now dedicated to having ex-jocks talk about this very thing ad nauseum, but an active player can't tell the truth to the fanatics? Every retired player/analyst on the Score has been admitting it for 22 years now, but that an injured player admits it has Bernstein's panties in a bunch?

Like I said in August, Briggs is much slower & injury prone. He's been bad in stretches. He knows it, we know he knows it, he's just committing the public sin(?) of admitting it.

Then I would tune out, like I have.

Then you've succeeded.

My guess is that a jackass like Bernstein is once again blowing something out of proportion just to create more of his usual "controversy".

Aside from the events this season & the Lambo crash, exactly why has he always been easy for you to dislike?

Until Urlacher left he wasn't a leader. I don't think he's ever openly embraced the role since it was thrust upon him.

More importantly, exactly who called him a bad teammate and why?

I really don't get this venom based upon his play on the field and the general lack of impression he seems to have left off it.

might as well make this the show thread.