Ex-Bears receiver David Terrell arrested for domestic battery

Former Chicago Bears receiver David Terrell was arrested Friday and charged with domestic battery after he threatened to throw his ex-girlfriend off a balcony during an argument at his apartment in Chicago.

Terrell, 33, is charged with misdemeanor domestic battery. He looked to the floor and shook his head in Cook County bond court as a prosecutor summarized the allegations against him. 

Terrell was arrested Friday afternoon at his apartment building in the 1700 block of South Michigan Avenue, where his unit appears to be on the 33rd floor, according to court records. The alleged incident occurred about 2:30 a.m. Friday.

The ex-girlfriend told police that she had just ended a seven-month relationship with Terrell, sparking an argument that escalated when Terrell allegedly grabbed her, causing bruises on her upper arms, chest and neck, according to court records.

The woman, 25, told police Terrell swore at her and said, “I’ll throw you off the balcony and say you jumped,” according to court records.

Well, I see Terrell has read the Suge Knight handbook on conflict resolution. Terrell’s lawyer says they will fight the charges and prove his innocence.

Terrell’s attorney, Shady Yassin, declined to speak in detail about the case after the hearing but said, “We intend to prove he’s innocent of these allegations.”

Good luck with that.

Marion Barber calls it a career

The writing must’ve been on the wall for Chicago Bears running back Marion Barber after the Bears signed Michael Bush to be the backup to Matt Forte.

After a few subpar seasons Barber has decided to retire. There was no reason given and at age 28 it’s pretty mysterious since he probably could’ve still been a productive short yardage/goal line back. But with his hard running style maybe his body took more of a pounding than any other back at that age.

He finished last season with 422 yards on 114 carries with six touchdowns.

“I want to thank everyone who gave me the opportunity to play, and I’m very thankful to have had the chance to suit up for two of the NFL’s most storied organizations,” Barber told Chicagobears.com.


“I want to thank everyone who helped me become a better player,” Barber said. “I owe a lot to a lot of coaches, and am also very grateful to the owners and organizations I played for. Last but not least, I want to thank the fans for the support and inspiration they gave me.”


For some reason I don’t think this is the end for Barber. Injuries do happen and teams will be looking for a proven running back at some point. I’m sure his phone will be on during the season.

Brandon Meriweather Trying To Reinvent Himself

After two more fines from the NFL and a benching, Chicago Bears safety Brandon Meriweather is trying to reinvent himself. Instead of the big hittting, head leading tackles he’s used to making, he might be willing to change to keep a job.

Meriweather told the Chicago Tribune that he vows to reform the way he plays. That remains to be seen, but after being nailed for fines and being benched, the message might be actually sinking in.

“Apparently I need to fix something if (the NFL) is concerned about my hits,” Meriweather told the Tribune. “I have to change it, or else I’m going to keep getting fined. Eventually if you get enough fines, you’re going to end up getting kicked out the league. For me to continue to do something I love, I just have to change the way I play.”

If the Bears’ coaches have been telling you that, a buzzer should’ve went off in your head. I’m sure the Patriots coaches told you the same thing.

“Everybody told me that,” he said. “It’s not necessarily what they said, but how they said it. People have told me before that I had to change my ways. I’ve been trying. It’s just something you can’t do overnight.”

No it won’t happen overnight, but you’ve had plenty of time to change. Maybe you should’ve seen what Pittsburgh’s James Harrison has been going through and taken a cue.

Meriweather, in his fifth season, was fined $20,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Panthers receiver Steve Smith in Week 4. He appealed the fine because he thought it was a legal hit. Then Meriweather was fined $25,000 last week for a late hit on Lions receiver Nate Burleson.

On the Burleson hit he said “he didn’t hear the whistle”.

Last year while a starter for the Patriots, Meriweather was fined $50,000 for a pair of hits on Ravens tight end Todd Heap in the same game. The fine later was reduced to $40,000.

Meriweather’s career is in jeopardy but not because of the way he hits. His bigger problem is that he can’t cover very well and in the new rules NFL all defensive backs have to be able to stay with receivers, even the safeties. Meriweather’s problem is that he’s a man who was born too late. He’s an old-time, big-hitting safety in a new world where safeties have to be as nimble as corners. And that he won’t be able to change. The Patriots finally realized that and the Bears are in the process of learning that as well. If Meriweather could cover, he wouldn’t have been benched, penalties be damned. Meriweather’s being benched because receivers are blowing by him way too often.

  

Ex- Bear Waddle Lashes Out At Meriweather For Dirty Play

I remember when Tom Waddle played in the NFL. He was like the annoying kid you couldn’t catch in a game of tag, only because it seems like he caught everything thrown his way and took some big hits for it. Yet he still held on to the ball. The guy was like a human pinata.

During an interview on ESPN 1000 on the Waddle & Silvy show which he co-hosts, Waddle took the time to lash out at Chicago Bears safety Brandon Meriweather for being a dirty player.

“I don’t approve of the way he plays the game,” Waddle said. “And you can call me a sissy all you want. OK? I was on the receiving end of a lot of head-to-head hits. And maybe it’s the reason I act the way I do. But in football there are going to be moments when a guy is trying to make a tackle and his helmet hits yours. It’s going to happen, and in today’s game you’re going to get flagged for it. And that’s the way it is.

“Intent, to me, means a lot. If you make helmet-to-helmet contact and you’re just trying to play good, solid NFL football and you get flagged I’ll give you a pass. You have to be aware of it, maybe you need to work on your tackling technique, get the head to the side and wrap your arms, but I can give you a pass. When I interpret the way you go about your job that you have the intent to hurt somebody, I’ve got no time for you. I’ve got no place for you. The game’s got no place for you.”

“He’s going to hurt himself, and he’s going to hurt someone else because of the intent,” said Waddle, who played for the Bears from 1989-94. “And maybe that intent is not in his heart. I don’t know Brandon. I haven’t had a discussion with him. But it sure looks by the way he plays the game that the intent isn’t to put a big hit on someone and legally knock them out, it’s to hurt someone.”

“I didn’t watch Brandon Meriweather on a week-to-week basis in New England,” said Waddle, who also is an analyst for the NFL Network. “I thought the signing of Brandon Meriweather was a good idea. You were weak at safety, had some issues, you had some injuries. [Bears general manager Jerry Angelo] gave him over $3 million to come in.



“I did not realize how undisciplined a player Brandon Meriweather was. He comes with two Pro Bowls. And he came with a lot of interceptions. But … red flag goes up when a guy like Bill Belichick decides to let you go.”

“I’m giving [Meriweather] a shorter leash because I don’t approve of the way he plays the game,” Waddle said. “The game is vicious enough. If you’re a player whose intent is to hurt another member of your football fraternity … the Brian Urlacher hit on Tony Scheffler yesterday was clean. It was a clean hit, he led with his shoulder. I’ve got no problem with Brian Urlacher. I thought that hit was legit. Brian Urlacher — if his intent was to hurt or maim — he would have dropped his head and led with his head.



“What Brandon does is he leads with his helmet all the time. There’s no place in the game, brother, at this particular time for that. It’s vicious enough. And when your intent, in my humble opinion, is to hurt or maim, I’ve got no time for you, and I don’t think the game’s got any place for you.”

I guess Meriweather gives him flashbacks of Andre Waters trying to take out someone’s knees.

Seriously, Waddle took his share of hits so I would think he’d be somewhat of an authority on what is a clean shot and a dirty play. He definitely said a mouthful and shouldn’t have flamed Meriweather this bad, but if the shoe fits, you know the rest. Maybe that was something Bill Belichick knew already and quickly jettisoned Meriweather much to everyone’s surprise.

If you ask Patriots fans they would tell you that they’re glad he’s gone and would agree with Waddle’s assessment of Meriweather. They would also say that he’s a detriment to his own teammates when going for the big hit.

Chicago’s DJ Moore Has A Plan To Slow Down Calvin Johnson

The Chicago Bears have opted not to go the Rob Ryan route and will admit that Calvin Johnson is a damn good receiver.  Earlier this week Bears corneback Charles Tillman called Johnson the best receiver in the NFL.

That doesn’t mean that the Bears defense will concede anything to Johnson. They figure Johnson will get his catches, but he will pay the price. Nickelback DJ Moore has a plan to slow down Megatron. Just hit him.

As far as the key to defending a huge, talented wideout like Johnson, “Make sure you hit him,” nickel back D.J. Moore told CSNChicago.com. “Hit him.”

“I don’t think people should be thinking somebody is too good, have somebody come in and you give them too much credit, over-think about what you’re doing,” Moore said. “I think we’ll be fine.”

“When you’re big and fast like that, you’re going to catch balls,” Moore said. “Jump balls, he’s probably going to win those. But timing routes, you can still break on the ball like you would any other ball.”

It’s easier said than done since the Dallas Cowboys’ Terrence Newman tried to take Johnson’s head off on his two touchdown catches. Johnson better be prepared to pay the price when the ball comes his way.     

Brandon Meriweather Finds A New Home

That was fast. Shortly after being cut by the New England Patriots, two time Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather has signed with the Chicago Bears.  The terms of the one year contract are undisclosed.

Meriweather was the biggest name on the cut list this weekend. This could wind up being a good signing by the Bears especially if Meriweather can play up to his Pro Bowl status of the last two years. He is known as a freelancer so it’s unknown what impact he would have on an already solid defense.   

One Angry Bear

After not seeing the field against the Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears running back Chester Taylor’s days appear to be numbered.

Matt Forte is the unquestioned starter and Taylor was the backup…last year. The Bears went out and signed Marion Barber to give them some more quality depth at the position. What Taylor didn’t count on was Khalil Bell coming out of nowhere to steal his preseason carries.

Of course Taylor isn’t too excited about it.

“My running backs coach (Tim Spencer) told me after I came out for pregame that I wasn’t playing,” Taylor said. “He didn’t give me no reason or no excuse or nothing. It can’t be from the competition because it’s hard to get three carries in a preseason game and the other players are getting 13, 14 carries. That’s not comparing anything. It’s not from production and play.”

“Yeah, I’m disappointed,” he said. “I’m practicing all week thinking I’m going to play. Just for them to come out of the blue and say that, yeah, I’m disappointed.”

Some might say that Taylor has talked his way out of town. I think it has more to do with production and his contract. Keep in mind that Taylor signed a four-year, $12.5 million deal last year and produced 112 carries for 267 yards. A mere 2.4 yards per carry. That kind of production will keep you on the sidelines and make the team look for cheaper options.

If the Bears cut Taylor, I believe he could still land on his feet somewhere. Possibly their division rival Detroit Lions, who are still sorting out their options for another backup to Jahvid Best.

Jones-Drew Won’t Apologize To Jay Cutler

When Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler missed the second half of the NFC championship game due to a fringe knee injury, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew led the brigade of NFL players ripping on Cutler and calling him soft, a jake, anything that you can say that can insult a player.

Today Jones-Drew says he’s not backing down from anything he said about Cutler. Jones-Drew took to Twitter when he learned that Cutler was sitting out the second half with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. I’ll say this about Jones-Drew, at least he hasn’t went back and said his account was hacked or he reflected upon it after x amount of time and felt he should make amends about the situation. In an interview with the NFL Network, Jones-Drew said he has no regrets.

“I don’t regret anything I do,” Jones-Drew said. “You think about everything you put out there. I’m not going to be one of those guys to say, ‘I shouldn’t have done it.’ Because I did it. I knew what I was doing when I tweeted it. I just didn’t know that many people were following me at the time.”

Asked if he had apologized to Cutler, Jones-Drew said he hasn’t seen Cutler but sees no reason that he would need to reach out.



“I haven’t gotten a chance to, but I wouldn’t apologize because I didn’t do anything wrong, I don’t think,” Jones-Drew said. “I didn’t commit a crime. I didn’t kill anyone or rape anyone or anything like that. I mean, I stated my opinion, and it seems like you get more backlash for that than committing a real crime in some sense. I feel like I didn’t do anything wrong, I just said what everybody else was thinking.”

Jones-Drew didn’t do anything wrong. If he hadn’t said it maybe someone else would’ve. I’m just glad he didn’t go back on what he said and claimed it was a mistake made by someone else. Clubber Lang would be proud for being a real man in this case. The only thing I might would be disappointed with is when he said that he didn’t know that many people were following him.

You’re a celebrity/entertainer/athlete, you have more followers than the average person.  

 

  

Matt Forte Considering Skipping Preseason Games

Instead of a training camp holdout, Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte is considering a preseason game holdout if he doesn’t get a contract extension done by the preseason opener next Sunday against Buffalo. Forte will practice, but he’ll just skip the exhibition games.

Forte is also thinking of his health when he stated that he would sit out preseason games. The turf at Soldier Field has been in lousy condition recently and he wouldn’t want to risk injury in a menaingless game without having the extension done. Doesn’t sound greedy to me, just smart.

“I’ve considered not playing in the preseason games,” Forte told the Tribune. “But just to make that a fact, and say ‘I’m not going to,’ I haven’t gotten there yet.”

“Any time the field is not good enough to practice on that is a concern,” Forte said. “There is always a concern with injuries. You can get injured going out to practice.

“I have to talk to coach (Lovie Smith) and talk to Jerry and my agent (Adisa Bakari). We’d have to have a big meeting to really talk about (sitting out preseason games until a contract is complete).”

General Manager Jerry Angelo says there’s no timetable to get a deal done, but does say he’s “motivated” to get one done.

It would be wise to have Forte happy, since he’s one of their biggest weapons on offense. Not saying that he wouldn’t give his all, but you want to have a happy Forte instead of an angry one.

Former NFL Player, R.W. McQuarters Shot

Former NFL player and vetran of many teams, R.W. McQuarters was shot in Tulsa, Oklahoma early Saturday morning.

McQuarters was visiting a friend and as he was leaving saw a man in a ski mask. McQuarters got into his car and heard several gunshots. He realized he was hit and drove himself to Hillcrest Medical Center. McQuarters had been shot in the back. The reports say the injuries are not life threatning.

McQuarters played for the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and New York Giants.

Here’s to a quick, speedy recovery for McQuarters.