Imrem: Nothing wrong with an NFL 'skirmish' now and then

Football players are easily annoyed and angered in the heat of competition.

At some point in my life, however, someone decided that fighting and football don't belong in the same sentence.

Isn't that like saying scotch and soda don't mix?

These are big, strong men playing a rough, tough game, which explains why they would lose control of themselves at times.

Thursday night's Bears-Patriots exhibition game probably won't feature even one healthy brawl.

Maybe biting and scratching under the pile, but no punches.

The two teams pushed and shoved a little during scrimmages the past three days but are expected to play nice during their real pretend game.

What a shame.

At least one all-out, bench-clearing, punch-throwing, kickboxing, anger-mismanaging, dragon-breathing, bloody brawl would be entertaining.

Oops, did I just write that?

Please don't turn me into the etiquette police.

Fighting in sports has become bad form: Check your tempers at the door, fellas.

I believe I have told you in the past that some of my earliest and fondest memories of football are the fights.

The Bears would end seasons against the rival Cardinals and Lions and wind up wrestling on the icy, snowy December turf.

And it was a blast.

(Please, before you parents hate me for advocating fighting to the youth of America, just tell the kiddies to hold off until they get to the NFL.)

Even before scrimmaging and sparring against the Patriots, a few fights (delicately called skirmishes in the 21st century) broke out in Bears camp. The debates that followed packed more punch.

Like, are these altercations good or bad for a team? Should players be reprimanded for fighting or commended for feistiness? Is Bears coach John Fox upset by all this or loving that the team's culture is hardening?

Offensive lineman Ted Larsen was in the middle of a few of the, uh, skirmishes. Many believe he must maintain his composure; I believe he's a guy I want on my team because it's beneficial if an opponent looks across the line of scrimmage and sees wild eyes staring back.

The Bears historically haven't been cuddly. The only reason the Super Bowl XX champions didn't fight more was that few teams dared to mess with then.

Their nicknames were Danimal, Mongo and Samurai in the tradition of previous Bears who answered to Bulldog, Bronko and The Claw.

So now fighting is wrong?

Once the season starts, the battling Bears will have to channel their combative selves in the right direction.

Mike Ditka demanded that his Super Bowl champs play on the edge of edginess - intimidating and striking fear - but at the same time to be smart.

In other words, it's OK to start something as long as the other guys are caught, penalized and maybe even ejected from the game.

I know, I know, football is different now, more sophisticated, more mellow, mostly more wimpy.

All sports have become kinder and gentler.

Baseball baserunners can't break up double plays. Basketball power forwards are jump shooters. Hockey goons are an endangered species.

And football players can't block this part of the body or tackle that part of the body.

At least let them fight.

There's no other reason to watch Thursday night's exhibition, is there?

mimrem@dailyherald.com