RIP **** Butkus

[Poppa San]

The most hated but greatest rival of his era.

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[longtimefan]

Yeah that sucks

 

[melvin dangerr]

Grew up in Chicago and I did like watching him play those hits were classic and he wasn’t afraid to take on anyone. R.I.P, a real monster of the midway..

 

[milani]

The most hated but greatest rival of his era.

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Thank goodness for us the Bears did not have much at QB in his first 3 seasons.

 

[milani]

The most hated but greatest rival of his era.

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Not more than a few left from that era. So good to see Jerry Kramer still posting with his son.

 

[longtimefan]

His son is line coach for packers.

How ironic

 

[AmishMafia]

I met the man once. In Point Barrow, Alaska, of all places. Seemed a very nice fellow. I actually wasn't sure it was him at first, but the next day he was interviewed on the radio. I kicked myself after the fact. Thought I should have acted excited to see him and then ask him all sorts of questions about Ray Nitchke. This was probably in 1992.

 

[Poppa San]

His son is line coach for packers.

How ironic

Nephew?
our friggin language police won't let me post a link to the photo. His first name breaks the link.

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[PikeBadger]

Butkus has some unbelievable highlight film on YouTube. He was the persona and icon of the NFL in that era. The most violent player I've ever seen that had surprisingly good hands for a LB.

 

[Voyageur]

I could tell you the story about the day that Butkus, in his prime, lost an arm turning contest to a 60+ year old one armed man, but it sounds so far fetched that it's unbelievable. But rest assured, it did, and I was one of the instigators in making it happen.

 

[Canadian Cheddar]

RIP. And I only knew his from beer commercials of the seventies. A 60+ y.o. one armed man likely had well developed arm strength.

 

[milani]

RIP. And I only knew his from beer commercials of the seventies. A 60+ y.o. one armed man likely had well developed arm strength.

In his time he enhanced the Bear- Packer rivalry. He and Nitschke were the 2 best in the league for 2-3 years. It actually took Nitschke 3-4 seasons to actually solidify the MLB position front Tom Bettis. Butkus, on the other hand, started instantly replacing the veteran Bill George who was very good in his own right. DB made a major impact on the Bears defense instantly.

 

[Voyageur]

In his time he enhanced the Bear- Packer rivalry. He and Nitschke were the 2 best in the league for 2-3 years. It actually took Nitschke 3-4 seasons to actually solidify the MLB position front Tom Bettis. Butkus, on the other hand, started instantly replacing the veteran Bill George who was very good in his own right. DB made a major impact on the Bears defense instantly.

**** was typical Chicago. Gruff, opinionated, and sometimes not overly friendly. But, at the same time, he was a decent person. He enjoyed private time, and sitting in a boat, on a lake, drinking beer. It was "his time," and he was sensitive about it. That's why he liked going to Northern Wisconsin, and a small, quiet resort, off the beaten path, where the only people who knew about it were the ones who kept it filled every summer, without them ever advertising. I know this is true, because I knew the owners of the resort from the time I was a kid until they died, and their daughter took over, and continued the business as usual.

I liked him. Couldn't call him a friend. We traveled in different circles. But, I'd say he was a friendly acquaintance I had.

 

[Canadian Cheddar]

**** was typical Chicago. Gruff, opinionated, and sometimes not overly friendly. But, at the same time, he was a decent person. He enjoyed private time, and sitting in a boat, on a lake, drinking beer. It was "his time," and he was sensitive about it. That's why he liked going to Northern Wisconsin, and a small, quiet resort, off the beaten path, where the only people who knew about it were the ones who kept it filled every summer, without them ever advertising. I know this is true, because I knew the owners of the resort from the time I was a kid until they died, and their daughter took over, and continued the business as usual.

I liked him. Couldn't call him a friend. We traveled in different circles. But, I'd say he was a friendly acquaintance I had.

Cool story, especially the arm wrestling bit.

 

[Canadian Cheddar]

In his time he enhanced the Bear- Packer rivalry. He and Nitschke were the 2 best in the league for 2-3 years. It actually took Nitschke 3-4 seasons to actually solidify the MLB position front Tom Bettis. Butkus, on the other hand, started instantly replacing the veteran Bill George who was very good in his own right. DB made a major impact on the Bears defense instantly.

I just missed thar era, plus I lived over a thousand miles away in eastern Canada. The first great NFL defender that I could truly appreciate was Alan Page. For some reason we got a lot of Vikings games back then. Fran Tarkenton was fun to watch especially in the cold outdoor games at Metropolitan Stadium. For some reason we rarely saw the Packers until the 80's.

 

[milani]

**** was typical Chicago. Gruff, opinionated, and sometimes not overly friendly. But, at the same time, he was a decent person. He enjoyed private time, and sitting in a boat, on a lake, drinking beer. It was "his time," and he was sensitive about it. That's why he liked going to Northern Wisconsin, and a small, quiet resort, off the beaten path, where the only people who knew about it were the ones who kept it filled every summer, without them ever advertising. I know this is true, because I knew the owners of the resort from the time I was a kid until they died, and their daughter took over, and continued the business as usual.

I liked him. Couldn't call him a friend. We traveled in different circles. But, I'd say he was a friendly acquaintance I had.

Halas wanted a Butkus for his team. He wanted what he called a fighting Chicago Bear because that was his vision of the Monsters of the Midway. The Bears had name players in their first 50 years but other than Sid Luckman, QB was not their tilt. Mike Ditka was another that fit the Halas mode , although he would not pay him enough.

 

[Canadian Cheddar]

Back then the owners were pretty tight on salaries in all pro sports. Way back, Wisconsin born Bud Grant took $10,000 Cdn. when our dollar was worth more than the US dollar to play in Winnipeg of the CFL. The Eagles only offered him $7000.

 

[Voyageur]

Back then the owners were pretty tight on salaries in all pro sports. Way back, Wisconsin born Bud Grant took $10,000 Cdn. when our dollar was worth more than the US dollar to play in Winnipeg of the CFL. The Eagles only offered him $7000.

I met Grant a couple of times at the Link Brothers store in Minong, WI, back in the day. He had a cabin not too far from there, and fishing was his game. He loved talking fishing. Not-so-much football, from what I heard. He was a quiet person, mild mannered, but a football genius. He's one of the few coaches I believed in other than Lombardi, until Holmgren came along. Since then, only Belichek and Andy Reid I'm afraid. Nobody else stands out at this point.

 

[lambeaulambo]

I met Grant a couple of times at the Link Brothers store in Minong, WI, back in the day. He had a cabin not too far from there, and fishing was his game. He loved talking fishing. Not-so-much football, from what I heard. He was a quiet person, mild mannered, but a football genius. He's one of the few coaches I believed in other than Lombardi, until Holmgren came along. Since then, only Belichek and Andy Reid I'm afraid. Nobody else stands out at this point.

Mike Tomlin doesn't stand out? He is in my top 5 for sure

 

[Voyageur]

Mike Tomlin doesn't stand out? He is in my top 5 for sure

Pretty close to being among them, but not quite.

 

[AmishMafia]

Mike Tomlin doesn't stand out? He is in my top 5 for sure

1 SB win in 17 years as a Head Coach? If he was the Packers coach you would have wanted him run him out of town years ago.

 

[milani]

Mike Tomlin doesn't stand out? He is in my top 5 for sure

Tomlin has been able to keep Pittsburgh competitive even when it appears their roster is depleted for a long time. Wish we had some of that DNA on our team. The Steelers never appeared to put winning on the shoulders of one player.

 

[Zad Fnark]

I met Grant a couple of times at the Link Brothers store in Minong, WI, back in the day.

Which one? I think the Link family owns the whole town. lol

Yeah, I lived in Superior 9 years... Survived the Haloween blizzard of '91

 

[Voyageur]

Which one? I think the Link family owns the whole town. lol

Yeah, I lived in Superior 9 years... Survived the Haloween blizzard of '91

Minong. They've pretty much owned it since the 50s. Their super store, with boats, and all kinds of fishing gear was where I'd run into him.