Players grin and bear it as camp begins

BOURBONNAIS - The Bears are once again one big, happy family.

Thursday afternoon, as players reported to Olivet Nazarene University for the start of training camp, Lovie Bear, Brian Bear and Jay Bear all insisted that middle linebacker Brian Urlacher never used a derogatory, wimp-like profanity to refer to new quarterback Jay Cutler.

According to Vikings wide receiver and former Bear Bobby Wade, Urlacher used the word to describe Cutler. That and a rumored physical confrontation between Urlacher and Cutler led to a feeding frenzy on sports talk radio Wednesday, which spread to the Internet and then into print.

"Nothing happened," Urlacher said late Thursday afternoon. "I saw Bobby at a place somewhere, and I was talking to him, but I never said what was quoted as me saying. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that. I've already talked to him. We've cleared it up. There's never been an issue with Jay and I. We have no problems."

Urlacher said he was amazed at how quickly the story spread, and that he and Cutler have already joked about the situation.

"It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point," said Urlacher, "but it did, and then here we are."

Urlacher was asked why he thought Wade would say something that wasn't accurate.

"I don't know," the six-time Pro Bowler said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now. I have no idea."

Cutler talked to the media a couple hours before Urlacher and also downplayed the situation.

"Brian's the first one I heard it from," Cutler said. "I just got done working out, and he called me, and we laughed about it. It came from Minnesota, so I didn't put any stock into it; I know Brian didn't. I think he was just sorry that it even came out like that. Of course he didn't (say it). It's the first thing he said. He said, 'You know I didn't call you that,' and I was like, 'I have no idea what you're talking about.' He explained the situation and what had been reported, and we both laughed about it.

"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I got here, and I expect to continue that way."

As far as the rumored in-your-face confrontation, Cutler laughed that one off, too.

"I would never go face to face with Brian Urlacher," he said. "I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times, and we've always got along. There's nothing between us, so let's put that to rest. There never has been anything between us. When I talked to him (Wednesday), we both laughed about it, so we're ready to go."

Even before Cutler and Urlacher arrived in camp, Bears coach Lovie Smith was asked how he would address the situation.

"First off," said Smith, "that's saying that there's something between them, which there is not. There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except that Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year - no more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true, No. 1, and you go from there. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."

Smith did say it's incumbent upon Cutler to fit into the locker room dynamic, and he has, according to the Bears' coach.

"I think any player coming in new has to fit in, you know, find their role on the team," Smith said. "Jay's coming in in a little bit different situation because he's a quarterback, and everything revolves around the quarterback. But when you're new, you come in and you're trying to get the respect of your teammates the right way, and that's what Jay has done. Jay has earned his respect with all you could up to this point by what he's done on the field. Every opportunity he's had to become a better player for our team he's done since he's been here. He's gotten a chance to know the players. They've seen him in a lot of different situations. Now it's time for his teammates to see him in this next phase."

Urlacher said he's looking forward to it.

"Jay's the leader of our team, he's our quarterback, he's our Pro Bowl quarterback," the leader of the defense said. "He gives us the best chance to win the Super Bowl, and I'm happy to have him."

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