Now that the season is over Brian Urlacher speaks out against the unfair criticism he took during the course of the season for the Chicago Bear’s Woes.

Any time he missed a tackle or got pushed to the ground by a 300-pound lineman, Brian Urlacher became an easy target for those figuring he had lost a step.

Now that the Bears’ season is over, the face of the team wanted to tackle his critics.

“I’m tired of criticism that is unwarranted,” he said. “People who say stuff about me, they don’t know our defense. They don’t know football.

“Yes, I wish I would have made a lot more big plays. Obviously, everyone could say that on our defense. I wish I was around the ball more, but I wasn’t. Just the way things worked out this season.”

The Bears rewarded Urlacher with a one-year contract extension before the season, an extension that included $6 million guaranteed and a base salary of $7.5 million in 2012. Based on the coaches’ review, Urlacher finished third on the team in tackles with 107, including 10 for losses. He also had two interceptions.

His tackles are far from the 171 for which the team credited him in 2005, when he was named the NFL’s defensive player of the year. In fact, the only other time in his career Urlacher had fewer than 148 tackles, according to coaches’ review, was in ’04, when he played in just nine games due to injury but still finished with 105 stops.

Some would say he disappeared in the season finale at Houston, particularly on rookie Steve Slaton’s 47-yard run.

“Yeah, that was my fault,” Urlacher said with sarcasm. “Every long touchdown we gave up this season, it was my fault. Every time a receiver caught a pass for a touchdown, it was my fault too. In Atlanta, when the guy caught that pass that allowed them to kick the field goal, that was my fault.”

Bears general manager Jerry Angelo didn’t seem to find much fault with Urlacher this season.

“The one person I do believe in, in terms of every day and who he is, is Brian Urlacher,” Angelo said. “I will never question his commitment, his passion, his love for football. He has too much character, too much pride to ever not be the best he can be.

“Is he the Brian Urlacher of old? I can’t say that. Could he still make a Pro Bowl? He still has enough to make a Pro Bowl. He’s still a very good football player. I have to go with what I see on tape.”

Urlacher went to six Pro Bowls his first six full years before missing out last season. He was named a third alternate this year.

“I have a lot of confidence in Brian,” Angelo said. “He has been a great player for the Chicago Bears. He has been a great leader for us. I respect him immensely. And you have to look at the total package when you evaluate a player.”

Bears coach Lovie Smith didn’t exactly gush in his assessment of Urlacher’s play.

“Brian, at times, played well this past year,” Smith said this week, “and other times, he needed to pick up a little bit.”

Urlacher, 30, said off-season neck surgery and an arthritic condition in his back had no effect on his performance.

“I sprained my thumb at some point. That was the worst it got for me,” he said. “I did my exercises for my back. (Strength and conditioning coordinator) Rusty Jones and (head athletic trainer) Tim Bream were great for me this season. And that’s how I was able to play.”

Asked if he could regain his Pro Bowl form, Urlacher responded, “I don’t think I’ve lost any of that.”

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Sports Highlights: Bears’ Brian Urlacher speaks out about his ‘unwarranted’ criticism

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR has settled a $225 million lawsuit filed by a former official who said she was subjected to racial discrimination and sexual harassment during her two-plus years working for the stock-car organization. The suit was settled during a Dec. 3 mediation held in New York between Mauricia Grant and NASCAR. Settlement terms were confidential. Neither side admitted liability or wrongdoing, according to NASCAR.

“We’re glad to have the case settled on mutually acceptable terms,” NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Thursday. “NASCAR remains dedicated to maintaining a professional work environment for all employees at all times, and we wish Ms. Grant well in her future endeavors.”

Grant’s attorney, Benedict P. Morelli of New York-based Morelli Ratner PC, did not immediately return a call from the AP for comment.

Grant, who is black, worked as a technical inspector responsible for certifying cars in NASCAR’s second-tier Nationwide Series from January 2005 until her October 2007 termination. In the lawsuit filed in June in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Grant alleged 23 specific incidents of alleged sexual harassment and 34 specific incidents of alleged racial and gender discrimination during her employment.

Among Grant’s claims, she said she was referred to as “Nappy Headed Mo” and “Queen Sheba,” by co-workers, was often told she worked on “colored people time,” and was frightened by one official who routinely made Ku Klux Klan references.

Grant also said she was subjected to sexual advances from male co-workers, two of whom allegedly exposed themselves to her, and graphic and lewd jokes.

NASCAR investigated her claims and ultimately fired Tim Knox and Bud Moore, the two officials accused in the lawsuit of exposing themselves. NASCAR has declined to discuss the reasons for their dismissal. A third official, David Duke, was fired in April for reasons NASCAR said were unrelated to the suit.

NASCAR chairman Brian France vigorously defended his family business after Grant filed suit, saying she never complained to her supervisors about any of the actions she claimed after her firing.

She denied France’s account, saying she followed the chain of command but stopped short of taking it to human resources when series director Joe Balash failed to address her concerns.

Grant said that two weeks after her complaint to Balash, she received a call from the human resources director reprimanding her for her behavior. She said she was fired shortly after.

In NASCAR’s response to the suit, the sanctioning body claimed Grant acknowledged an understanding of NASCAR’s “zero tolerance policy against discrimination and harassment in the workplace,” attended mandatory training seminars on the topics in 2006 and 2007 and acknowledged her obligation to immediately report any offensive acts in accordance with written policies.

Grant claimed she ultimately was fired for that complaint to Balash. But in NASCAR’s response, it claims Grant was reprimanded with a warning of termination for an altercation with a track security guard at Michigan International Speedway who had asked to see Grant’s credentials as she passed through a gate.

NASCAR officials have refused to disclose why Grant was fired. But the response claimed a pattern of tardiness for which she was routinely reprimanded.

Mike Wilford, one official named in the suit, previously told The Associated Press that Grant never once complained about how she was treated in time the two spent together away from the track. Wilford also said she was a willing participant in graphic and lewd jokes and has “twisted” events to benefit her suit.

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NASCAR settles $225 million suit with ex-official

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The sale, at the auction house Bonhams & Butterfields, brought $19,000 for the shotgun the actor used in the film The Getaway.

Steve McQueen was known for such movie hits as The Great Escape, an action-packed war film that featured McQueen making a dramatic escape from a German prison camp.

In Le Mans, he portrayed a driver in the celebrated French auto race. McQueen was an avid racer and did many of his own driving scenes, deferring to his stuntman only when directors insisted. McQueen did much of the motorcycle riding for The Great Escape. Stuntman Bud Ekins took over to do a dramatic jump over a barbed wire fence. Ekins also did much of the wild driving through the streets of San Francisco in Bullitt, after filmmakers worried that the star might be injured.

McQueen first gained fame on a weekly television series, playing a Western bounty hunter in the 1958 program Wanted: Dead or Alive.

He went to act in such classic films as the star-studded Western The Magnificent Seven, and the disaster epic The Towering Inferno.

McQueen’s ex-wife, Neile Adams, got the idea for the sale of Hollywood mementos after she watched a DVD of The Thomas Crown Affair, the 1968 crime thriller starring McQueen and Faye Dunaway. In a romantic scene, they were drinking from brandy glasses.

“Something clicked in my head, and I said I have those somewhere,” said Neile Adams. “And I ran downstairs to the basement and started rummaging around and there they were. Because Steve loved to walk off the set, if he liked something, he’d just walk off the set and he’d say, ‘Look what I brought you, honey.”

Those glasses brought $3,200 at auction.

The handgun that McQueen used to practice his cowboy quick draw sold for $6,000. Adams recalls it once gave her a good scare.

“And at that time, Westerns were very big,” she said. “He used to just practice with that gun. And he thought it was empty, and I just was walking in from the grocery store. Well, he didn’t realize that there was still a bullet in there. And I walked in and ‘bam,’ it went right through the grocery bag. And I dropped it and went on the floor. I said, ‘Are you trying to kill me?’”

McQueen always had his wild side. He had a troubled childhood and spent time in a California home for problem youngsters. That experience, and a later stint in the U.S. Marine Corps, instilled some discipline, and his good looks and natural talent would make him a movie icon.

Adams has told the story in the book My Husband, My Friend. She recalls that the two met in New York City when he was a struggling actor and she was a Broadway dancer. They were married for 15 years before they divorced. But Adams says they remained good friends. She recalls the actor as funny and charming, but moody.

“You could take a dictionary, and every adjective would apply to him,” she said. “He was charming. He was darling. He was adorable. He was a pain the neck. He was mean. He was everything.”

Steve McQueen’s good looks, cool manner and strong presence on the screen brought him international fame. He left a legacy of dozens of Hollywood movies and many mementos, some of which are now in the hands of movie fans. He died of cancer in 1980 at the age of 50.

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Steve McQueen’s ‘Bullitt’ and ‘Le Mans’ Memorabilia Auctioned

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o Kyle Busch – Kyle Busch dominated the season’s first 26 races, claiming eight victories, to go along with 15 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. He was the points leader heading into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Across all three national series, Kyle won a total of 21 races in 2008, including a NASCAR Nationwide Series record-tying 10 victories.

o Carl Edwards – Carl Edwards won a series-high nine races in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition, including three victories in the Chase. He finished runner-up in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series. Edwards also posted a NASCAR Sprint Cup series best 27 top-10 and 19 top-five finishes.

o Jimmie Johnson – Jimmie Johnson etched his name in the record books by claiming his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, joining Cale Yarborough as the only other driver to accomplish the feat. Johnson was particularly strong during the Chase, as he had three wins, six top fives, eight top 10s, and an average finish of 5.7 during the season’s final 10 races.

Top Rookie of the Year

o Regan Smith – Regan Smith was named the Raybestos Rookie of the Year for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In 34 starts, Smith became the first rookie in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history to not record any DNFs over the course of the season. He turned in a pair of 14th-place finishes at Martinsville (first) and Bristol (second). Smith completed 98% of the scheduled laps in 2008.

• Top Team Owner of the Year

o Rick Hendrick – Rick Hendrick won his eighth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner championship, second only to Petty Enterprises (nine). Jimmie Johnson claimed his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, becoming only the second driver in series history to accomplish that feat. Three of Hendrick’s drivers finished in the top 12 in driver points in 2008: Jimmie Johnson (1st); Jeff Gordon (7th); and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (12th).

• Top Breakthrough Performer of the Year

o David Ragan – In just his second season of competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, David Ragan finished 13th in the point standings, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the Chase. Ragan posted six top-five and 14 top-10 finishes, including a pair of career-best third-place showings at Michigan in August and Talladega in October. Ragan completed a series-best 99.4% of the scheduled laps during the season.

• Comeback Driver of the Year

o Greg Biffle – Greg Biffle re-established himself as a championship contender, following a two-year absence from the Chase. Seeded ninth heading into the Chase, Biffle got off to a blazing start by winning the first two Chase races – at New Hampshire and Dover. He finished third in the final point standings.

Top Five Races of the Year (in chronological order)

• Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 17) – At the 50th running of the Daytona 500, Ryan Newman got a last lap shove from teammate Kurt Busch to win his and car owner Roger Penske’s first ever Daytona 500. Newman’s margin of victory was .092 seconds in a highly competitive race that featured 42 lead changes.

• Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond International Raceway (May 3) – Clint Bowyer took advantage of Kyle Busch spinning out leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. with two laps remaining to claim his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career victory. Denny Hamlin led a race-record 381 laps, but a flat tire on Lap 383 ended his chances for victory. Bowyer edged Kyle Busch in a green-white-checkered finish.

• LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway (June 15) – Dale Earnhardt Jr. snapped a 76-race winless streak and held off Kasey Kahne to win on Father’s Day. In a suspense-filled race that featured a green-white-checkered finish, Earnhardt Jr. conserved fuel down the stretch and coasted across the finish line when a caution flag came out on the final lap.

• Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (Aug. 23) – Carl Edwards executed a textbook bump-and-run to pass Kyle Busch on Lap 470 to win at Bristol and secure a spot in the Chase. Edwards led the final 31 laps of the race to post his sixth win of the season. Unhappy with the way Edwards had passed him for the lead, Busch bumped the No. 99 car after the checkered flag. Edwards wasted no time in bumping the No. 18 car back and a rivalry was born.

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A Look Back At The Top Performances Of 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

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Chrysler, Ford and General Motors — three of the four manufacturers that participate in NASCAR — are pleading with Congress for a bailout to prevent their companies from going bankrupt, the story said.

We reached out to NASCAR for further comment:

“The domestic automakers participating in NASCAR are an important part of our heritage and fans’ rooting interests,” said Andrew Giangola, Director of Business Communications for NASCAR. “Our fans are drawn to close, side-by-side racing, which manufacturers and their teams create. As important as the automakers are to NASCAR, this issue is bigger than our sport. Millions of jobs and main street businesses are affected. We’re optimistic that Congress will help the automakers get through this challenging time.”

NASCAR is hoping that the exposure the auto manufacturers get through racing, will help.

“NASCAR is doing our part to help by helping the manufacturers get strong exposure in the sport and stepping up how we promote their cars, including new fuel-efficient vehicles,” added Giangola. NASCAR is working hard to continue to provide value to our vehicle manufacturer partners to help them justify their investment in NASCAR.”

At the NASCAR awards luncheon on Dec. 4, many of the drivers acknowledged these troubles and urged people in attendance to support the domestic auto industry.

Accoring to the AP story, France wrote a letter to Congress that stated, in part: “I’m writing you as a concerned American who wants what is best for our general country. Of course, the domestic automobile manufacturers play a very important part of the heritage of NASCAR, but more importantly, it is vital for all of America.”

The story also stated that: France’s letter warned that if the auto industry fails, 3 million people would lose their jobs in the first year, and another 2.5 million over the following two years. He said personal income in the U.S. would drop by $150 billion in the first year and domestic automobile production — even by foreign manufacturers — would likely drop to zero.

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NASCAR supports auto industry bailout

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