Robbie Gould At Peace With Bears Decision.................
Sept 6, 2016 22:36:29 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2016 22:36:29 GMT -6
Robbie Gould on release from Bears: 'I'm not bitter'
Former Bears kicker Robbie Gould
More than a decade before Robbie Gould became the leading scorer in Bears history, he was cut by the Patriots. Less than a month after that, he was cut by the Ravens. So the emotions he has processed since the Bears released him Sunday night aren't entirely foreign.
The difference this time around was the relationships he built and memories he made during 11 accomplished seasons with the same franchise.
"I'm not bitter," Gould said in a phone conversation Tuesday. "I'm not mad. I'm not upset at the organization. At some point it was going to have to come to an end. You just don't know the ending. You just can't ever write the ending at the time.
"For me, honestly, the memories that I've carried, the conversations that I've had in the last 48 hours, have delivered some peace to the situation and understanding it's a really cool legacy to leave behind."
Gould said he believed he had a good preseason and was caught off guard by the Bears' decision to replace him with journeyman Connor Barth more than 24 hours after the team set its first 53-man roster.
But he expressed no qualms about the procedure through which the organization executed its decision. The nighttime call, the press release at 10:55 p.m. with no comment from the team — Gould insisted he was unfazed.
He said he appreciated meeting face-to-face with coach John Fox and general manager Ryan Pace, who told him the decision was performance-based.
"There's no good time to get cut," he said. "There isn't a way they can handle it that's going to be bad or good. It's just part of the business. They handled it great. They called me in. They talked to me personally. They were fantastic. I have no ill will. I have no bad feelings."
Gould spent a good portion of Tuesday speaking with Chicago media outlets about his release.
That followed a virtual phone-a-thon with members of the Bears organization. From equipment managers to owner Virginia McCaskey, he has tried to express his gratitude.
"It's been such an awesome ride," he said, "and it has been really great to call people throughout the organization and tell them how much I appreciate them and reminisce and go through what was one unbelievably, incredibly memorable run."
Gould touched on several other topics in his conversation with the Tribune.
On Barth, his replacement: "He's a great kicker, and he's going to do well here. I'm excited for him. Why am I going to be bitter that somebody replaces me? I did it to somebody when I started, and I'm probably going to do it again here down the road."
On his future: "I'm going to keep playing. I'm not sure yet where. I'm fielding calls and going through that process now. I'm going to look for the best opportunity to win a Super Bowl. We're sorting through all the options and things that are going to happen. When I can figure out with my family and make that decision collectively will sort itself out here in the near future."
On being part of Chicago: "I'll always be a Bear. Once a Bear, always a Bear. They'll always have a heart in Chicago, a fan of the Bears. I'll watch them very closely. My wife and I made the decision a long time ago that this is home after football. We're settled here. It's not as if we're leaving and never coming back. I love the city. I love the fans, through thick and thin support. And … to being able to play in the same uniform and the same locker and the same tunnel — man, how cool is it? How many people get to really do that?"
rcampbell@chicagotribune.com
Former Bears kicker Robbie Gould
More than a decade before Robbie Gould became the leading scorer in Bears history, he was cut by the Patriots. Less than a month after that, he was cut by the Ravens. So the emotions he has processed since the Bears released him Sunday night aren't entirely foreign.
The difference this time around was the relationships he built and memories he made during 11 accomplished seasons with the same franchise.
"I'm not bitter," Gould said in a phone conversation Tuesday. "I'm not mad. I'm not upset at the organization. At some point it was going to have to come to an end. You just don't know the ending. You just can't ever write the ending at the time.
"For me, honestly, the memories that I've carried, the conversations that I've had in the last 48 hours, have delivered some peace to the situation and understanding it's a really cool legacy to leave behind."
Gould said he believed he had a good preseason and was caught off guard by the Bears' decision to replace him with journeyman Connor Barth more than 24 hours after the team set its first 53-man roster.
But he expressed no qualms about the procedure through which the organization executed its decision. The nighttime call, the press release at 10:55 p.m. with no comment from the team — Gould insisted he was unfazed.
He said he appreciated meeting face-to-face with coach John Fox and general manager Ryan Pace, who told him the decision was performance-based.
"There's no good time to get cut," he said. "There isn't a way they can handle it that's going to be bad or good. It's just part of the business. They handled it great. They called me in. They talked to me personally. They were fantastic. I have no ill will. I have no bad feelings."
Gould spent a good portion of Tuesday speaking with Chicago media outlets about his release.
That followed a virtual phone-a-thon with members of the Bears organization. From equipment managers to owner Virginia McCaskey, he has tried to express his gratitude.
"It's been such an awesome ride," he said, "and it has been really great to call people throughout the organization and tell them how much I appreciate them and reminisce and go through what was one unbelievably, incredibly memorable run."
Gould touched on several other topics in his conversation with the Tribune.
On Barth, his replacement: "He's a great kicker, and he's going to do well here. I'm excited for him. Why am I going to be bitter that somebody replaces me? I did it to somebody when I started, and I'm probably going to do it again here down the road."
On his future: "I'm going to keep playing. I'm not sure yet where. I'm fielding calls and going through that process now. I'm going to look for the best opportunity to win a Super Bowl. We're sorting through all the options and things that are going to happen. When I can figure out with my family and make that decision collectively will sort itself out here in the near future."
On being part of Chicago: "I'll always be a Bear. Once a Bear, always a Bear. They'll always have a heart in Chicago, a fan of the Bears. I'll watch them very closely. My wife and I made the decision a long time ago that this is home after football. We're settled here. It's not as if we're leaving and never coming back. I love the city. I love the fans, through thick and thin support. And … to being able to play in the same uniform and the same locker and the same tunnel — man, how cool is it? How many people get to really do that?"
rcampbell@chicagotribune.com
