Columnist takes cheap shots at Bears

I would like to take this opportunity to comment on Mike Imrem's sports column of Sept. 9. I find his comment that Bears safety Chris Conte is not telling the truth when he explained that the reason he missed the infamous tackle was that he was attempting to strip the ball to be unethical, insensitive and downright offensive.

I believe it to be plausible that since the runner was already in field goal range, Chris took a calculated risk and aimed high to possibly strip the ball. But not Mr. Imrem - he not only dismisses the possibility, he also charges that the Bears defense does not play with heart.

In my mind, this exposes Mr. Imrem to be a columnist who takes cheap shots and does not have a complete understanding of the game. I say this because even a regular nonexpert fan like me understands that the main problem - not the only one - with the Bears run defense stems from a lack of experience at two of the three linebacker positions. Chris Conte had more tackles and interceptions than all three linebackers combined. That is a problem that I am confident Mr. Trestman and Mr. Tucker understand and will address it. But Mr. Imrem finds it easier to take cheap shots instead of fully examining the problem and give possible suggestions to improve.

My suggestions to you with regards to Mr. Imrem are: 1) refer him to your HR department for a course on ethics and proper conduct when writing his column; and 2) ask the Bears organization for assistance in re-educating Mr. Imrem on the primary responsibilities of each defensive player. I am sure that the Bears organization would do their part in educating columnists that report on their games.

Salvatore Buttadauro

Des Plaines