Brian Piccolo’s story is well known and has been documented at BearsHistory.com for a decade.  Adding him to the Chicago Bears Ring of Honor was a no-brainer.

Today’s addition is linebacker Doug Buffone, who played 14 seasons for the Bears.

We’re not sure, but perhaps Buffone holds the record for playing for more different Head Coaches with the Bears than any other player in their 90-year history.  In his 14-year career (a Bears record for seasons of service he holds along with Bill George), Buffone played for George Halas, Jim Dooley, Abe Gibron, Jack Pardee and Neill Armstrong.  Buffone arrived in 1966 and before long had replaced Joe Fortunato, the longtime legend that preceeded him.  Buffone would provide determined and reliable service for the Bears, but was not rewarded as he played on only two playoff teams in that long career.  The humble Buffone told me as I interviewed him for <a class=”small” href=”http://www.bearshistory.com/sidelines/chicagobearsbook.aspx”>Chicago Bears History</a> “the hell with me, I feel bad for Sayers and Butkus, legends that never made the playoffs.”  A suitable end to Buffone’s career came in the last game he played at Soldier Field in 1979.  The Bears needed to demolish the St. Louis Cardinals and have help to make the playoffs, and Buffone contributed by taking a fake punt for a first down.  Buffone retired and launched a series of successful business ventures in the Chicago area, and still covers the Bears on the radio.

Ed O’Bradovich is a member of the BearsHistory.com Chicago Bears Ring of Honor.

O’Bradovich was one of those rare athletes that grew up in, went to college in, and enjoyed a long career in the same state.  “OB” as he was known throughout his career grew up in Hillside, IL, attended the University of Illinois, and played his entire career for the Bears.  Perhaps the singular memory of O’Bradovich was when he intercepted a short pass in the 1963 NFL Championship game and rumbled down the field on a key play to help the Bears to victory.  Following his retirement, O’Bradovich has closely followed the Bears, giving both Dan Hampton and Mike Ditka’s induction speech to the NFL Hall of Fame.

Halfback/flanker Johnny Morris is the latest addition to the BearsHistory.com Chicago Bears Ring of Honor.

Morris began his career as a halfback but was moved to wide receiver (flanker in the parlance of the day), and became the Chicago Bears’ all-time leading receiver.  Morris’ move to flanker happened in 1961 and his statistics steadily increased.  He led the NFL during his best season, 1964, with 93 catches for 1200 yards and 10 touchdowns.  In the great offensive year of 1965 the numbers began to decline until the end of his career in 1967.  In all, Morris caught 356 passes for 5,059 yards and 31 touchdowns, enough to still top the Chicago Bears’ receiving charts 42 years following his retirement.  Those of us that grew up in the Chicago area during the Mike Ditka era will always remember Morris being Mike Ditka’s right hand man on Bears coverage, serving as sports anchor for WBBM television for years.

Mike Kemmeter of www.football.com reports that Jay Cutler is “100% comfortable” with the receivers he has, while head coach Lovie Smith has no question in his mind that Devin Hester is a number 1 receiver.

I know, what are they both going to say?  But I know that the receiving corps can’t get any worse than it was last year with Rashied Davis as a starter.  I’ll be very disappointed if Davis makes the team over a Brandon Rideau or Johnny Knox.

I’ve said it before-it seems that you couldn’t find a much better person than Davis.  But I saw enough critical drops from him in 2008 to know that I really don’t want to find him in a Bears uniform anymore.

In case you had any doubt, it’s trickling out that our friend Brett Favre will indeed, most definitely be back in the NFL in 2009 playing for the Minnesota Vikings.  Profootballtalk.com is reporting the deal is in place.

As revolting as it sounds, would anyone else grudglingly be OK with the chosen one winning his Super Bowl with the Vikings just to get him to finally go the hell away? Of course I’d hate to see that, but I’d do about anything to make him go away for good at this point.

The prospects of Favre finally breaking down and limping off into the sunset in 2009 are more realistic, I think.

We shall see.

Today’s addition to the BearsHistory.com Chicago Bears Ring of Honor is running back Rick Casares.

Native Floridian Casares was selected by the Bears in the second round of the 1954 draft from the University of Florida.  He led the Bears in rushing from 1955 to 1960, and the NFL in 1956 with 1,126 yards.  Teaming with phenom Willie Galimore in the backfield, the duo combined to pace the Bears rushing attack for their 1963 NFL Championship.  Casares retired as the Bears’ all-time leading rusher in 1964.  His totals have only been surpassed by Walter Payton and Neal Anderson in the team’s annals.

In 2008, the Chicago Bears announced that fans would no longer be allowed to remain in the parking lots while the game was in progress, eliminating a longstanding tradition of non-ticketed fans being able to participate on gameday to a small degree.

Today, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that the cost to park in the McCormick Place lots will increase from $17 to $25.  The article states that “The 31st Street lot is favored by diehard tailgaters because it is cheaper and has far fewer restrictions than lots closer to the stadium that are controlled by the Bears and Park District.”  And they’re right on about that-my group moved there in 2005 and never went back to the Adler Planetarium lot, as the rate to park there these days is $50 and up.

While it’s unfortunate, it’s just the way it goes.  There would be no use in me pontificating about how the little guy is getting squeezed out of being able to enjoy professional sporting events, because we all already know that’s the reality of it.

One thing I will not say here is that $25 is still fairly reasonable, because if I do perhaps in 2010 we’ll show up to find the price raised to $50.

Joe Fortunato is a member of the BearsHistory.com Chicago Bears Ring of Honor.

Fortunato was named to the Pro Bowl five times and NFL All Pro three times.  He played outside linebacker for the Bears from 1955-1966 until he was supplanted in the lineup by Doug Buffone.  Fortunato was a member of one of the greatest linebacking groups in NFL history when he teamed with Larry Morris and Bill George, who played together in the 1963 NFL Championship season.  Fortunato was named as one of the 300 best NFL players of all time.  He also served as an assistant coach on Jim Dooley’s staff in 1967 and 1968.

Wide receiver Harlon Hill is the next member of the BearsHistory.com Chicago Bears Ring of Honor.

Hill was the first of many prospects George Halas would snag that were virtually unknown to the rest of the NFL.  He played football at tiny Florence State Teacher’s College and was drafted by the Bears in the 15th round of the 1954 draft and didn’t waste any time becoming a dominant force in the NFL.  In his rookie season, Hill caught 45 passes for 1124 yards and 12 touchdowns.  Those are numbers Bears receivers have rarely achieved during 16-game seasons through much of their history.  He had a sophomore slump in which he only caught 42 balls for 789 yards but still led the league in touchdown receptions with 9.  Then the following season, 1956, he returned to form, catching 47 passes for 1128 yards and 11 scores as the Bears lost the NFL championship to the New York Giants.  Earlier that season, Hill made perhaps the best catch in the history of football when he laid out for an Ed Brown bomb along the goal line.  Hill would admit that after 1956 he let his success go to his head and drinking deterioriated his level of play, and his production diminished through the end of his Bears career in 1961.  Hill became sober, moved back to Alabama and enjoyed a long career in secondary education.  He still ranks second on the Bears’ all-time receiving list with 226 catches for 4,616 yards and 40 touchdowns.

The next member of the BearsHistory.com Chicago Bears Ring of Honor is defensive end Ed Sprinkle.

Sprinkle became a Chicago Bear during World War II, having gone to the same little school (Hardin-Simmons in Texas) as legendary C/LB Bulldog Turner.  The smallish Sprinkle originally tried out as an offensive guard, but when George Halas returned from the war he thought Sprinkle to small and moved him to defensive end.  With the move, a legend was born.  Sprinkle became known as “The Claw” for his propensity to discard blockers, ballcarriers and quarterbacks with a savage arm rip.  Sprinkle earned the reputation as being dirty, mean and nasty, but as he explained to me for my 2004 book Chicago Bears History, “just because I was a good, tough player doesn’t mean I was dirty.”  Sprinkle would play for the Bears from 1944-1955, earning one championship in 1946 and several near misses after that.