1985 Bears Coverage: Bears notes

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.

—

Bears notes

Brian Hewitt

Originally published Aug. 30, 1985

General manager Jerry Vainisi spoke with Howard Slusher, the agent for holdout safety Todd Bell yesterday, but no negotiating occurred. “I basically just wanted to know where he was,” said Vainisi. Slusher was in Miami negotiating with the Dolphins on the contracts of, among others, linebacker Bob Brudzinski. When, Vainisi was asked, is Slusher coming to Chicago? “He isn’t,” Vainisi replied. . . .

Despite the holdouts, slow recoveries, new injuries and a disappointing pre-season record of 0-3, coach Mike Ditka still insists the Super Bowl is a realistic goal. “I really think it is,” he said. “I don’t think anything is unrealistic if you believe you can do it. I think if you’re determined enough and willing to pay the price, you can get it done. I know those are all cliches and those are all idealistic words. But it doesn’t ever change. We’ve got good people. We play a brand of football that threatens people at times. We’re not gonna intimidate everybody, but we’re gonna intimidate some people with the way we play.”

The Bears will not replace waived guard Rob Fada on the roster. That means they must only cut four players Monday to get down to the regular season limit of 45. . . .

Injuries to wide receivers and defensive backs are making life miserable for the remaining healthy

bodies at those positions. “I conditioned them very little yesterday,” said Ditka. “And there was no conditioning today and there won’t be any tomorrow.” . . .

Ditka on rookie running back Tom Sanders: “He missed two critical weeks.” Ditka on rookie wide receiver James Maness: “I still haven’t seen that real quickness I’m looking for – that real burst.” Both Sanders and Maness have been slowed by hamstring injuries this summer. . . .

Earlier in training camp Ditka criticized the Bears’ attitude. “I don’t see anything’s wrong with that attitude,” he says now.