RIP All-Time great Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus leaves this world @ the age of 80. One of the greatest defensive players of my childhood, he was emblematic of the ferocity of the Chicago Bears defense of his era. Prior to being signed by the Bears, Butkus starred as a two-way player (linebacker and center) at Illinois, leading them to the 1963 Rose Bowl.
Rest in peace to a great one.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38577860/dick-butkus-hall-fame-linebacker-chicago-bears-dies
October 5th, 2023 at 7:01 PM ^
In a statement released through the Bears, Butkus' family said he "died peacefully in his sleep overnight" at his home in Malibu, California.
In his sleep at a house in Malibu? Pretty decent way to go. RIP, pal.
October 5th, 2023 at 8:18 PM ^
80 years is a long life - especially for a big man. Maybe the Cali sunshine added years to his life. I found the grey Chicago skies un-bear-able when I lived there.
RIP!
October 5th, 2023 at 7:05 PM ^
Mean as a snake and tough as a truck tire. They don’t make them like him anymore. RIP 51
October 5th, 2023 at 8:12 PM ^
A picture (or video) is worth a 1,000 words. He hit them hard.
October 5th, 2023 at 8:43 PM ^
lots of bears v. lions highlights in there, in tiger stadium no less. he was one of the all-time best. tough as a $2 steak.
EDIT: IIRC, he was on the field when the lions' chuck hughes died after a play. assumedly some type of heart arythmia, but totally unheard of at the time and shocking to watch live on TV. butkus was part of that, too:
“After the play, I turned around and I saw Chuck fall to the ground about 12 yards away and when he was laying there his eyes were wide open,” O’Bradovich, now 81, said from his home in Illinois. “The Lions were out of timeouts and I was thinking he was trying to get an injury timeout so I started yelling at him, ‘You no-good so-and-so, and I screamed at the referee that he was faking it. But then I saw Butkus bend over and start waving to the Detroit bench for medical help and I thought, ‘Oh (expletive), what can this be.’"
Lions center Ed Flanagan saw the linebacker waving his arms while standing near Hughes.
“When I first saw Butkus standing over him I first thought, ‘Oh God, don’t tell me Dick hit Chuck,’ but as we learned no one had hit him on that play,’” Flanagan said recently.
October 6th, 2023 at 7:27 AM ^
Was at that game, upper deck left field..Didn't know it was that serious at the time. I was a Lion fan, but loved watching Butkus.
October 5th, 2023 at 10:55 PM ^
"He was Moby Dick in a goldfish bowl"
NFL Film's John Facenda
October 5th, 2023 at 9:16 PM ^
I remember from one of the podcasts there was a story where Michigan's Jim Conley (who was known as a pretty tough dude too) got into a fight with Butkus during the coin toss before the 1964 Michigan Illinois game - which really makes me laugh. RIP to Dick Butkus - one of the all time greats and one tough dude.
(MLive excerpt confirming my memory)
"His passion, and his ability to bring it out in his teammates, was evident against Dick Butkus and Illinois. Before the game started, at the coin flip, they were both given offsetting penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct. When Coach Elliott asked what that was all about, Conley said, it was nothing, just a difference of opinion. Michigan won 21-6."
October 6th, 2023 at 1:59 AM ^
That is one of the funniest stories I've ever heard. Penalties before the kickoff!
October 5th, 2023 at 7:07 PM ^
RIP.
October 5th, 2023 at 7:11 PM ^
One of the great ones, to be sure. RIP
October 5th, 2023 at 7:12 PM ^
We all think the Lions are historically doomed, and a sinkhole of wasted talent. With justification. But consider this. The Bears were NFL champs in 1963... and then drafted Butkus and Sayers in 65...and nothing.
October 5th, 2023 at 10:40 PM ^
They had 3 of the top 6 picks in '65.
October 5th, 2023 at 10:46 PM ^
As bad as the Lions 60s quarterbacks were, the Bears were QB'd by even worse in the Sayers/Butkus era.
From 1965 thru 1974, here's the sad list: Rudy Bukich. Jack Concannon, Larry Rakestraw, Virgil Carter, Bobby Douglass (probably the worst of the bunch!), Kent Nix, Gary Huff.
And so, Loins fans, don't complain of the likes of Milt Plum, Karl Sweetan, or Bill Munson. The Bears say "hold my cheap Falstaff beer!"
October 5th, 2023 at 11:04 PM ^
My earliest Lion memories are the back and forth playing time between Greg Landry and Munson. I wasn't sentient for the Milt Plum era.
October 6th, 2023 at 1:56 AM ^
Yeah, if you wanted to start a Lions discussion Landry vs Munson was an excellent way to do it.
Even easier if you just stated out loud "I fucking hate Russ Thomas".
October 6th, 2023 at 9:32 AM ^
"...cheap Falstaff beer!"
Is there another kind of Falstaff???
October 6th, 2023 at 9:44 AM ^
Falstaff was my dad's favorite. Loved those old yellow milk crates. He'd always give me a sip when reading the newspaper in his chair by the window.
October 6th, 2023 at 11:46 AM ^
Falstaff was cheap, it was rot-gut, but those bottle caps were the best!
October 6th, 2023 at 12:32 PM ^
I rarely see my South Quad roommate from 1976-77, but when I do we tend to bring up that one Falstaff bottle cap we could not decipher. (Internet hasn't helped.)
October 5th, 2023 at 7:15 PM ^
RIP I first learned who he was when I was watching a Saturday morning TV show called Hang Time and my Dad said "That's Dick Butkus" and I laughed because I thought he made the name up to be funny.
October 5th, 2023 at 7:19 PM ^
Saw him play at MSU back in the day.
October 5th, 2023 at 7:22 PM ^
Will be missed.
A small bit of trivia: he went to the same high school as Juwan Howard
October 5th, 2023 at 7:23 PM ^
He was great in My Two Dads.
October 5th, 2023 at 7:23 PM ^
Absolute legend. Was at the opening game and though a bit frail he came out cussing like a sailor and spiting the Packers.
If the team doesn’t come out and play with absolute reckless abandonment tonight then the franchise is truly dead.
October 5th, 2023 at 8:11 PM ^
Spoiler alert: we are the worst franchise in sports. It would be very Bear-like, however, to win a meaningless game tonight and ruin our draft status. Sell the team to owners with money, move them to the suburbs and build a proper (and domed) stadium. Finally, stop talking about the 85 Bears so much. It’s silly we still talk about them so much.
October 5th, 2023 at 8:18 PM ^
You've got some competition from the Lions and Maple Leafs in the race for worst.
October 6th, 2023 at 9:47 AM ^
Wait, what? You think the Maple Leafs, with the second most Stanley Cups, are in a race for the worst overall franchise?
October 5th, 2023 at 8:45 PM ^
bears up 10-0 early on. looking good, even with an ohio QB.
October 5th, 2023 at 9:17 PM ^
Georgia QB... who wanted playing time and unfortunately bailed tOSU out from what could have been the Year of Tate Martell.
October 5th, 2023 at 9:29 PM ^
If you're a Chicago cop, you have to live in the city of Chicago. No burbs. The same should hold true for the Bears. You want to call yourself the Chicago Bears? You have to play in Chicago.
October 5th, 2023 at 9:35 PM ^
Come on, it’s not like they put ketchup on their hotdogs. Let them move to a nice stadium!
October 5th, 2023 at 9:58 PM ^
That would be like the Cubs moving out of Wrigley.
October 5th, 2023 at 11:22 PM ^
Naw, Wrigleyville vs the Stadium/Museum Campus owned by the park district not the same. 20 year north side resident here.
October 6th, 2023 at 8:14 AM ^
The Arlington Heights Bears. Has a certain ring to it.
October 6th, 2023 at 7:52 AM ^
Money has been invested around Wrigley - it’s a far different experience than it was 20+ years ago. The city of Chicago / Park District have done nothing material to Soldier Field.
October 6th, 2023 at 10:25 AM ^
Don't disagree that more could be done to the area around Soldier Field. But the McCaskey's aren't exactly the Ricketts, and I wonder how much energy they've put into making that area a more fan-friendly venue.
October 6th, 2023 at 6:25 AM ^
Ha, the Giants and Jets play in Jersey. The Lions played in Pontiac. The Pistons played in Auburn Hills. It’s not that uncommon.
October 6th, 2023 at 11:06 AM ^
Where I'm from we have two "New York" teams playing in New Jersey....so there's that
October 6th, 2023 at 6:03 PM ^
The Bears are synonymous with Chicago, the city of Big Shoulders. It's part of their identity and vice versa. I think some traditions are important to maintain.
October 5th, 2023 at 7:50 PM ^
A tough player and Chicago Bear legend but I'll remember Dick Butkus for his many Miller Lite commercials back in the day (often with Bubba Smith). Funny. RIP Dick.
October 5th, 2023 at 8:16 PM ^
If you want to know what professional football was all about in the 60's and 70's, YouTube Dick Butkus. Absolute beast who roamed sideline to sideline.
RIP Mr Butkus 🙏
October 5th, 2023 at 9:18 PM ^
Before my time, but I remember all the old NFL feature videos showing him play.
Looks like he was pretty good in coverage as well.
RIP!
October 5th, 2023 at 11:30 PM ^
Ya know...some of those are actually legal hits today!
October 6th, 2023 at 1:55 AM ^
Yes, he was in fact good in coverage. He was good at pretty much everything.
October 5th, 2023 at 8:21 PM ^
RIP. Definitely wish I got to see him play live. A little before my time.
October 5th, 2023 at 9:09 PM ^
He was a little before my time as a player. I remember him from the Miller Lite commercials amongst other TV appearances.
There's a bout a dozen of em on Youtube. This one has some legends in it:
(75) Miller Lite, 1982 09 16, First Lite Beer Bowling Tournament - YouTube
October 6th, 2023 at 8:53 AM ^
So much 80s packed into 60 seconds. Beautiful.
October 5th, 2023 at 10:05 PM ^
"I want to just let 'em know that they've been hit, and when they get up, they don't have to look to see who it was that hit 'em," Butkus once told NFL Films. "It shouldn't be any puzzle. When they come to, they got to say, 'It must've been Butkus that got me.'"
RIP.
October 6th, 2023 at 11:36 AM ^
And here we are, anonymous wannabees, celebrating the brutality of a total asshole. And giving little impotent likes to buttress the half hard-ons.
American male behavior at its absolute unselfconscious cringiest.