1985 Bears Coverage: Perry brothers - appliance alliance

Every day of the 2015 Chicago Bears season, Chicago Sun-Times Sports will revisit its coverage 30 years ago during the 1985 Bears’ run to a Super Bowl title.

Perry brothers – appliance alliance

Elliott Harris

Originally published Nov. 21, 1985

Somebody get this guy a nickname.

And make it snappy.

“Washing Machine” or “Freezer.” Maybe “Icecrusher” or “Compact Refrigerator.”

What we’re talking about is an appliance alliance:

William “Refrigerator” Perry and his brother, Michael “No Nickname Yet” Dean, side-by-side – 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide.

Michael is the 6-2, 265-pound brother of William, the Bears’ 302-pound defensive tackle/fullback/legend-in-the-making.

The younger Perry plays at Clemson and would like to play professionally. “It wouldn’t really matter if we were on different

teams since we both play defense,” Michael said, “but then he has been running the ball.”

Has William’s success rubbed off on Michael?

“I’m getting about the same amount of press, just a few more questions about William,” the 20-year-old red-shirt sophomore said.

A defensive tackle last season, Michael has been injured much of the season and moved to end.

“In a way, I like defensive tackle better because you have more freedom, but blocking and tackling assignments as a defensive end are less punishing.”

Wait till they team him with William in the backfield.

NO TO NIEKRO: The statue of limitations apparently ran out on 46-year-old Phil Niekro.

Although Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner has commissioned a statue to celebrate the pitcher’s 20-year career with the Braves and wanted him to return, general manager Bobby Cox said the club will not bid for the free agent.

Atlanta released Niekro after the 1983 season. He won 32 games during the next two seasons with the New York Yankees.

“I know Phil means a lot to this city, and I’d love to have him on the team,” Cox said. “I think he can still pitch. It was a difficult decision, but we had to look at the present state of our team and which way we want to go. We decided we had to pitch the kids.”

RHYME AND REASON: There is no rhyme nor reason to much of what happens during the football season.

Michigan-Ohio State does not produce poetry that is first-rate.

As for the result of a senatorial bet, for that we must wait.

Saturday’s Wolverine-Buckeye game in Ann Arbor fits Sen. Donald Riegle of Michigan and Sen. John Glenn of Ohio to a T. Or at least to a T-shirt.

They agreed the loser will wear a T-shirt from the winning school Wednesday.

If that isn’t enough, here is a poetic offering from a staffer in Riegle’s office:

“Will Riegle have to walk out of his way,

And ruefully don the scarlet-and-gray?

Or will Glenn have to face Riegle’s Michigan crew,

As he woefully wears the maize-and-blue?”

Of the Buckeyes’ trip to Wolverine land, Riegle’s office said:

“When they come north Saturday to our summit,

We’re going to make their season plummet.”

Where’s Buster Ryhmes when you need him?

LIP SERVICE: Wait till next year, Cub fans.

Morganna Roberts is.

`Baseball’s Kissing Bandit’ has Cub second baseman Ryne Sandberg on her “hit list” for 1986. Also on her list are Dale Murphy of Atlanta, Don (MVP – most valuable pucker?) Mattingly of the New York Yankees and Reggie Jackson of California.

“I hear Mattingly’s wife is furious, so I might give him two kisses,” she said. “She’s got to realize that what will be, will be.”

Sounds mighty cheeky – and with good reason. “I kiss them all on the cheek, because I hate chewing tobacco,” she said. “And when the police or rent-a-cops are chasing you, you don’t have time to find out if a guy is chewing bubble gum or tobacco.”

LIVING FOR FOOTBALL: Jimmy DeMauro is a special-teams player.

A special special-teams player.

Also a reserve running back who will compete for Riverside in Saturday’s western Pennsylvania Class AA football championship game against Swissvale.

So?

The 17-year-old Ellwood City senior has had 30 cancerous lymph nodes cut from his body. He faces an operation after the season to determine whether the cancer is in remission or has spread to a kidney.

“Me, I’d want to have the operation right now,” said his mother, Mary Ellen DeMauro. “But Jimmy just won’t have the operation until the football season is over. He lives for football.”

“I have never met a person more inspired than Jimmy,” coach Karl Florie said. “His courage has rubbed off on everybody.”

THE LIST: Baseball players Morganna Roberts has kissed – Pete Rose, Clete Boyer, Mike Schmidt, John Candelaria, Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, Lance Parrish, George Brett, Steve Garvey, Len Barker, Otto Velez, Nolan Ryan, Dickie Thon and Fred Lynn.

THE QUOTE: Mary Ellen DeMauro, on her son, Jimmy – “When he was in the hospital, he saw people who were dying, with no legs, no arms. He feels lucky. What he has isn’t so bad. He has two legs, two arms and can walk and see and talk. There’s always somebody else who is worse.”