A few more players showed up at Halas Hall than Chicago Bears management had planned to see.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — A few more players showed up at Halas Hall than Chicago Bears management had planned to see.
On a day when the annual Brian Piccolo awards were given out to veteran defensive tackle Anthony Adams and rookie offensive tackle J’Marcus Webb, a handful of veterans showed up Tuesday, hoping to take advantage of Monday’s court ruling lifting the NFL’s 45-day lockout by hitting the weight room.
They were kept out of the weight room and locker room, and were told more clarification on the ruling is needed before players can work out or practice.
"It was a brief conversation, they did some hellos and then they left," team CEO Ted Phillips said.
Kicker Robbie Gould, defensive end Israel Idonije and defensive tackle Matt Toeaina were among the handful of players who wanted to work out.
Gould did not describe the scene as confrontational, nor did the Bears.
"Walked into the facility for a workout and was told I couldn’t workout until clarification comes from judges ruling," Gould said via his Twitter account.
Gould told ESPN that Phillips and team contract negotiator Cliff Stein cited "fiscal liability" and a fear of players getting hurt as a reason for keeping the weight room closed for now.
Phillips called the players cooperative, but expected as much.
"I don’t think there are any hard feelings," he said. "It’s never been about the team vs. the players. We love the players. They’re what makes the game great. We’re hoping that as soon as both sides can get a collective bargaining agreement worked out then we’ll be able to get back to playing football, which is what both sides want."
For now, though, players must continue trying to stay in shape on their own.
"It drives me insane, that’s what it does," Webb said. "I’m trying to eat healthy and work out, do my job and right now I’m just stuck at home working out and watching cartoons all day. What’s up with that? Let me get back to what I do best."
Webb and Adams would have been allowed at the Bears’ facility had the lockout not been lifted. It had been arranged in advance because of the Piccolo awards, given out annually to a veteran and a rookie to commemorate the Bears running back who died of cancer in 1970.
A player without a contract, Adams said he wants to remain in Chicago with a new deal after the lockout ends, and it seems the Bears want him to return.
"He’s a free agent right now, so we’ll just let the process play out," coach Lovie Smith said. "I think Anthony knows how we feel about him. We wanted to sign Anthony before all of this happened. When you look and you see how much a player has played for us, I think it tells you how much we like him."
Several Bears players had talked about organizing team workouts on their own earlier in the lockout, but nothing more has come of that idea. Webb said the uncertainty of the court situation made planning anything difficult.
Smith called it difficult for coaches, as well.
"It’s different," he said. "Normally at this time I talk for a little while and we’re going out to the practice field."
Instead, the practice field behind Soldier Field is empty, new sod in place.
"I’m patient," Smith said. "But in time, they’ll tell us that we can start up and we’ll be ready when that day comes."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
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