Bear Down: When an Athlete's Private Life is No Longer Private

by Tyrone Briggs

Briggs and Urlacher are more than brothers in linebacking. Both are fighting public battles involving children fathered out of wedlock. Urlacher's custody saga with the world-famous Tyna Robertson has become a running embarrassment. This after Tank Johnson clouded last season with his guns-and-ammo circus. Maybe the Bears haven't plummeted to the crime-blotter level of the Cincinnati Bengals, but the problems were disturbing enough during their Super Bowl run. The dimension of losing football just makes Halas Hall more dysfunctional. - Jay Mariotti

It seems that Jay Mariotti allegedly traveled to Minneapolis to write gossip innuendo rather than actually cover a football game.

Today's column* was nothing short of a cheap shot attack against the Bears lineback corps consisting of Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. And quite pathetically, no it really has nothing to do with what transpired on the turf at the Metrodome but rather extremely personal off the field situations. A solid argument that such family related entanglements involving ugly court proceedings fall under the category "NONE OF OUR DAMN BUSINESS", let alone warrant repeated mentioning throughout this football season on the back pages of Chicago Sun-Times falsely categorized as "Sports".

Mocking and decrying Urlacher's custody battle is not about "reporting the news to the public". This is hardly a current hot topic nor are any further updates provided to those who sadly care. No, the intention is to use that private matter as a weapon to belittle Brian Urlacher through public humiliation. Is this the type of professional journalism ethics that were passed down to those Syracuse students several weeks ago?

Little wonder why Brian Urlacher has next to nothing to say to the local media this season. Nor is it difficult to understand why he elected to post press release content via Jay Glazer on a Fox sports blog versus be subjected to non-football related harassment over an extremely ugly custody battle.

And now Urlacher has company with Briggs joining Mariotti's branding of "social misfits" despite any collaborative evidence at this time. One can only wonder if Brian shared Glazer's cell phone number with Briggs.

As is always the case with Mariotti, the argumentative slant on the column wildly veers off sports related content and into the hyperbole-laced realm of deeply personal diatribes that attack the private lives of the so-called "covered" subjects. And why? Because apparently the Sun-Times believes this type of garbage sells more papers. Oddly, who is subscribing? And if the Sun-Times were in such terrific financial shape, why the massive job firings before Christmas?

By the way Jay, the Bears did indeed lose last night to the Vikings. Rejoice.

JuTMSY4Legend

293 days ago

Score 3

I disagree TB with the contention that it isn't any of our damn business...as public figures, the line is blurred...much like Paris Hilton (I did that for Urlacher...) or Pam Anderson...

With that said...its been suggested that 50% of US marriages have ended in divorce...and i can only imagine how many involve custody battles

But the worst part of mariotti's claim is that this is criminal in any way. Urlacher was trying to see his kid, not get rid of him. I have absolutely no problem with a father trying to be responsible like Urlacher...in fact, its a testament to guys like my dad, who gave up a lot just to keep a son...

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Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer

293 days ago

Score 3

The point is JuT is that Facktard repeats this tagline over and over. For the only purpose of public humiliation.

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JuTMSY4Legend

293 days ago

Score 2

Good point...not much different than the Enquirer...

of course the Sun-Times is supposed to be better...right?

I guess my point is, this isn't the facking Bengals...Urlacher is being a good person, not a bad one...

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SSreportersLegend

293 days ago

Score 3

Mariotti has nothing to write about since Grossman was not in the game to throw it deep for no reason.

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MegECass110AAA-er

293 days ago

Score 0

I agree with both of you guys. The line is definitely blurred for public figures, but how far the media takes it has an impact on how an athlete's personal life is perceived. Tom Brady is still a God in New England, both in the public and in the media, even though he had a baby out of wedlock over the summer; the media have, for the most part, chosen to focus on football. The fact that he'll probably be the league MVP certainly helps, but he's kept his personal life personal, and the media have respected that. Mariotti is crossing the line, in my opinion. He doesn't realize people like him are MAKING Urlacher's custody battle "an embarassment." He's the embarassment. I wanted to go see him speak at Syracuse, just to see what an actual clown he was, but I had class.

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