Pro Bowl voting is next week.
”Not the bowl you want to go to,” Mike Ditka said. ”You`re underpaid in that one.”
If you make it, however, it means contract leverage. Prestige, too.
Bears who deserve the trip: Neal Anderson, Jim Covert, Shaun Gayle, Richard Dent, Mark Carrier, Mike Singletary. Probably Mark Bortz and Jay Hilgenberg. They won`t all make it, of course, which is why a Tribune All-Pro team is of more value.
Here it is:
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Wide receivers-Jerry Rice, 49ers; Andre Reed, Bills.
Tight end-Keith Jackson, Eagles.
Tackles-Jim Covert, BEARS; Jim Lachey, Redskins.
Guards-Bruce Matthews, Oilers; Mark Bortz, BEARS.
Center-Jay Hilgenberg, BEARS.
Quarterback-Jim Kelly, Bills.
Running backs-Neal Anderson, BEARS; Barry Sanders, Lions.
Defensive ends-Bruce Smith, Bills; Richard Dent, BEARS.
Defensive tackles-Ray Childress, Oilers; Pierce Holt, 49ers.
Linebackers-Charles Haley, 49ers; Pepper Johnson, Giants; Mike Singletary, BEARS; Derrick Thomas, Chiefs.
Cornerbacks-Don Griffin, 49ers; Tim McKyer, Dolphins.
Safeties-Shaun Gayle, BEARS; Mark Carrier, BEARS.
Kicker-Nick Lowery, Chiefs.
Punter-Greg Montgomery, Oilers.
Kick returner-David Meggett, Giants.
Coach-George Seifert, 49ers.
The team is biased toward players from winning clubs. The one exception is Barry Sanders, who narrowly edged the Bills` Thurman Thomas in voting 1-0. It also has two left tackles and would have a third left tackle, Kansas City`s John Alt, if three were allowed.
The injured Kelly beat out Randall Cunningham, Joe Montana and Warren Moon because he overcame flak to rank No. 1 in passer rating.
There are too many Bears, so in the interest of fairness, here are a couple honorable mentions: Redskins linebacker Wilber Marshall and Raiders wide receiver Willie Gault.
– If the Packers beat the Eagles Sunday in Philadelphia, make Lindy Infante coach of the year.
The Packers have allowed a league-high 53 sacks. Their quarterback, Don Majkowski, is out for the season. The Eagles feast on quarterbacks. The Packers gained 13 yards rushing last week.
– Odds this week of winning the Super Bowl, according to Las Vegas Sports Consultants:
49ers 1-1, Bills 3-1, Giants 7-2, Dolphins 7-1, Raiders 8-1, Chiefs 10-1, Bears 15-1.
Why so many AFC teams ahead of the Bears? Because NFC teams have to play the 49ers, which shortens AFC odds.
– If the screwups during last Monday night-Tuesday morning`s Raiders-Lions game don`t kill instant replay, nothing will.
After an eight-minute delay, ABC announcer Al Michaels said: ”The last play was run yesterday. It`s 12:01.”
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”It`s a shame I`m prohibted from saying how awful the officiating was,” Lions owner William Clay Ford said.
– In August of 1989, former linebacker George Webster was in an auto that was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler. The accident paralyzed his vocal chords. In October, Webster was hospitalized and told he had throat cancer.
”It was like a joke, like (the doctor) was kidding,” said Webster, 45.
”But I knew in my mind it wasn`t farfetched because I had this condition such a long time.”
– Denver disc jockey Rich Goins has been perched on a billboard since Nov. 14, vowing to stay there until the Broncos win.
He has use of a camper parked below for a bathroom. Atop the billboard, he has a cable TV, space heater, telephone and gun but says he`s getting only three hours` sleep a night. Federal safety rules require him to wear a mountain-climbing harness at all times.
– Singletary became the only Bear named to the 25th anniversary Super Bowl team announced last week. Although he trailed Pittsburgh`s Jack Lambert at middle linebacker in voting by fans, the selection committee named two middle linebackers and a total of 12 defensive players.
Neither Lambert nor Singletary ever played in a 3-4 defense and neither would have been quite so effective nor excited about sharing the middle, either.