Harris was never any good. He got his contract and now he’s gone.

AZ crowned the Bears azs.

Tommy Harris could try his hand at celebrity boxing.

Shaq should join TNA wrestling since he cant play in the NBA anymore.

Elizabeth Lambert would be a great TNA knockout.

Tommy Harris should become a pro-wrestling superstar.

Laurence this is a great post. It has been frustrating as a fan to see Harris regress like he has since the the contract extension. Your point that he is not the same player, because of the injuries, is a valid point that “we the fans” should not overlook at all. It is disappointing he is not trying to get the most out of his diminished physical skills. If he was practicing and rehabbing as much as his body would allow him, we as fans have no right to complain because he is fulfiling what he is contracted to do. Instead he is not fulfilling his contract, and it is sad to see. You are right, hopefully he gets it and comes to terms that injuries derailed his career but that doesn’t mean you keep playing half hearted. If that is how he wants to play retire, and find something else that brings him happiness because its not fair to him, the team, and the fans.

Gene,

Harris not good? Is this your first year watching the Bears? He was maybe the best defensive linemen in the league for a few years. YouTube some of his highlights, he was a monster. Obviously he’s chronic knee problems have caused him to lose his explosion which I’m sure has factored into some of his behavioral issues.

what’s “God-fearing” got to do with it?

Laurence,

Great post. I’ve lately been worried not only about Tommie’s performance on the field (and he’s given me plenty to worry about) but where he’s headed as a person. It seems his mental state is deteriorating beyond repair, and it’s very sad to watch.

Sorry Northside Dan, remember when his signature move was jumping the snapcount?
I called it when they signed him, he was always overrated. And ever since he signed the contract, I have preferred anyone else. He’s too small and doesn’t try hard enough. Remember when he used to hide behind religion? He was always more show than dough.

As usual, Lawrence was duped by Tommie Harris when he first came into the league. An astute (and impartial) analysis of Harris would’ve shown him as alway overrated and immature. Goodbye Tommie, you hold one of the Top 5 Worst Contracts in Chicago history.

Sorry Northside Dan, I tried to reply, but they deleted it. Take Care.

Tommie Harris represents everything that is wrong with the NFL. I am a big NFL and there are a lot of things that it does right. However, TH is an overrated spoiled child who shows no heart, has no concept of team and is merely going through the motions to pick up his paycheck that he has failed to earn. He is a disgrace to Bear’s players who have played through pain, injury and the love of the game. Tommie can do all Bears fans a favor and go play for the Vikings or Packers, or anywhere else but here.

Alfred, the reason that I mentioned “God-Fearing” is because his off the field issues (which I’m not going to mention) and his action yesterday are not things that jibe with his Christian declarations. The reason that he wears #91 is because of Psalm: 91…which he has tattooed on his arms. It’s a not so subtle show of hypocrisy.

Gene shows his lack of knowledge of the game and Harris’ career with his first statement. During the 3 year stretch when he was healthy, Tommie was one of the best Defensive Tackles in the NFL.

I think Harris had intended all along to get kicked out of the game. I wouldn’t put it past him. What did he think would happen if he started punching a guy on the ground? Did he think no one would see it? Does he know so little about the rules that he didn’t know he’d get kicked out of the game? He doesn’t really want to play football – plenty of evidence for that – or just on his own selfish terms. This was Harris trying to one-up Lovie for not dressing him a couple of games ago.

Lawrence, the truth is that the media crowned Tommie Harris as Warren Sapp well-before he had any success of that magnitude. I don’t know how you could identify him as one of the top DTs since he only had one good year (the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006) where he perfected jumping the snap-count and made the pro-bowl but lost the second half of the 2006 to injury. The next year (2007) Harris was injured (but was voted to the Pro Bowl anyway) and hasn’t been good since. Harris never consistently got to the QB, as his sack totals are far less than other DTs of his day. He also lacked the size to plug the hole (a’la the Williams or Keith Traylor / Ted Washington). He was a mediocre player who got a huge contract. But I guess you are the expert.

Harris’s contract was always more of a “you show promise” contract then a “you are a great player” contract. Anything short of this is revisionist history.

Tommie Harris rank on his own team:

2005 12th in tackles, 5th in sacks
2006 13th in tackles, 4th in sacks
2007 12th in tackles, 2nd in sacks

I don’ t remember Harris being a game-changer, because he never was.

Apparently, Gene doesn’t know how to look deeper into stats.

In 2007, he wasn’t just 2nd in sacks on his team. He had the 2nd most sacks in the NFL at his position. That’s part of the reason he went to his third straight Pro Bowl.

In 06, he was 5th at his position in sacks and was 2nd on the team with 7 QB hits (meaning that he was putting pressure on the QB).

In 2005, he was a Pro-Bowl player & 2nd team All-Pro and had 7 TFL along with 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.

Just because he’s been bad lately, doesn’t mean he was always bad. Wise up Gene, cause you look really dumb. Tommie was a very good player.

Name calling? Sorry Lawrence, I won’t stoop to your level.

I didn’t say he was bad, I said he was mediocre.

Tommie Harris never had double-digit sacks and really wasn’t a hole plugger (Williams’ / Ted Washington mold). He was a young man (or as you would say God-fearing) who jumped the snap count and showed flashes but never the consistency neccessary to be called “very good”.

When history looks back on defensive players of the era and Bears fans look at defensive tackles over the years, Tommie will not be mentioned.

Funny enough, Harris’s 2008 stats were not very far off of his career averages. That’s because he was a mediocre player who procured a huge contract but career never materialized.

dictionary defination of apathy

1. absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement

2. lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting.

3. the 2009 CHICAGO BEARS

man those people over at websters are quick

here’s the sad thing, if harris was purely a knucklehead who punched some player, we could yell, get rid of him and get maybe our second round pick back. but harris isn’t that, he;’s an overpaid knucklehead clearly on the decline. trading him would be counter productive. what ya going to get for him, a 4, maybe a six? Angelo needs to change his we reward our own philosophy a bit. He sat until the 5th week of the season to use the 20 mil he had sitting around doing nothing(the cutler extension). How many different reciever options could have been. Ya knwo what i wish was a tradeable commodity, cap space. I will trade you my 14 mil in cap space for larry fitzgerald or something like that. Use cap space like a draft pick. do an NBA style sign and trade and get something worthwhile here. This offseason(and yes, it’s worth starting talking about it now) is going to be very interesting. we need to find a way to dump bad talent, get draft picks, sign good talent and build around our QB. Finding a new GM and coach might be on the list as well. Ted Phillips, get your vacation in soon because this could be a very busy off season for ya.

I agree with JimM, Tommie Harris knew he’d get kicked out of the game if he threw that punch. He did not want to play and doesn’t want to play as JIMM mentioned. What should have happened is they should left his sorry butt in the game and let him get pounded all day like his teammates did. There is no excuse for what he did and apologies are meaningless. Tommie, You meant to do what you did, it wasn’t the heat of the game because the game was a mere four plays old. So be a man once in your life and at least stand behind the fool that you showed us to be. You did it, you meant to do it and you don’t want to play football. Guess what? Yyou don’t get to pass go and you won’t pick up any money. You are 180 degrees opposite a man named Peyton. I’d prefer you just left the city loser.

i see…
i thought i was going to have to bust out the religious affiliation statistics of inmates

do you think his early zeal had anything to do with the coaching staff promoting those sorts of things?

a couple hours after the game i searched Facebook for a group calling for Tommie to be cut…
and sure enough, i found one!
LOL

i’m done with him
but i sure did appreciate his ability before the knee and hamstring…
as i often heard you say:
he was a BEAST

if he could have sustained that level for a few years, i would be tempted to put him on my all-time Chicago team

but…

Tommie Harris is playing both ends against the middle. He is like most Americans he wants it both ways. Tommie wants to do nothing and get paid a lot for it and most Americans want a lot of services and stuff and they don’t want to pay for it.

Lawrence, I know what Tommie and the Bears need. Some one with the “fire” and the “passion” Someone who will not take any guff, some one who is strong minded and god fearing. What the Bears need is the Tyler Perry character “Madea” Could you imagine what she would have done to Tommie Harris after he got kicked out of that game. She would beat him all the way to the locker room. She would put a foot to Lovie’s behind too. She would grab Jay Cutler by the ear and shake him like a rag doll for his penalty too. We need Madea. “Madea does football!!!!”

all the tommie harris talk does is devert attention from the real problems- the real story is terrible drafting by angelo/phillips.the bears are bad because of no talent not just because of tommie harris.

Wake up Larry and take a good look at those 4 plays re Tommie Harris. On two of those plays Lutui gave him a kidney punch and then kneed him in the nutts, both deliberate and not called by the refs by the way, and here you are saying it’s ok Tommie boy, you should just shake it off and forget about it ( turn the other cheek and it will be ok ). Image is all that matters!!! I agree that it wasn’t the right action but when you call attention about it to the refs and they do nothing???? I guess it would have been better if he sneaked and hidden some punches in retalliation???

Harris….talent, no motivation
Benson….talent , no movtivation
Anderson…talent, no motivation
Etc. Etc. Etc.
Does anyone see a pattern here ? Yes they are all responsible for themselves but coaching is part of it too. They all reflect Lovies dead pan lack of leadership. When the head coach is an emotionless mope
his team will reflect that personality.
But we still have 8 games left ….right Lovie !
I’m Lovied out….he’s the worst since the Wannie days. And we all get to watch Denver and Tampa get better as result of the Bears impending low finish. It’s going to take years to fix the Lovie & Jerry mess.
Then Virginia will get us another “nice guy” and it will start again.
A Bear fan for 50 years+++

Hey Lawrence do you have a link to Doug Buffone taking the Bears and their defense, especially Tommie Harris, then Lovey to the wood shed?

Dan, Laurence doesn’t like people miss spelling his name.

Glad you agree with me, John. Sometimes the truth is so terrible we don’t want to believe it. Whatever he did, I believe it was a reflection of the attitude Harris brought into the game – his actions appear premeditated on the surface I’ll bet we’ll read Tommie Harris’ book some day or hear an interview after he retires saying how during this period “he hated football, didn’t want to play, was immature, blah, blah blah.” It will all make sense then.

JimM: Tommie Harris’ book: “The Seven Steps to $40 mm”.

Right next to Lovie’s book: “X’s and O’s from a Football Technician”

Both published by David Hernandez.

Show me where these big fat contracts are helping any of Chicago’s pro franchise? Who cares if a guy plays out his contract and walks! Chances are his best year will be the last year of his contract. Would the Bears be a better team if Harris left after his contract expired? What if the Bears didn’t increase Urlacher’s deal? Would he not play? Why did the Bear’s give Lovie an extension as opposed to letting him complete his contract and then evaluating him. Were teams lining up for the brilliant Lovie? Spending money does not not make a pro franchise successful. It only makes a game more expensive for the fans. Keep contracts short term and let players leave if they want to, if they leave so what, your team will be better off not to commit to a guy who never really wanted to be here.