Bears guard Kyle Long says he was wrong to criticize fans' booing
Chicago Bears guard Kyle Long admitted Monday that he shouldn’t have criticized fans for booing during Sunday’s home game.
Fans booed the Bears as they left the field at halftime, trailing 14-0 to the Miami Dolphins. Following the loss, Long said the fans' actions were “unacceptable.”
He later backtracked on his statement Monday, saying it was “wrong for me to point fingers at fans.”
“I just think [reporters] had asked everybody in the locker room how they felt about [fans booing], and a lot of the guys didn’t take the bait,” Long said during Chicago’s WXRT Morning Show. “Obviously emotions are running high after a game. Obviously if we were giving them something to cheer about there would be a lot more cheers coming off the field at halftime. Hopefully the score would be a little bit closer as well."
Long, who was drafted by the Bears with the 20th overall pick in 2013, was not the only player affected by the loss. Immediately after the game, tensions ran high in the Bears’ locker room, with reports of players yelling and calling each other yet.
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Wide receiver Brandon Marshall repeatedly told the media that the team’s 3-4 record was “unacceptable.” Several reports alleged that Marshall specifically called out quarterback Jay Cutler and kicker Robbie Gould.
Bears' head coach Marc Trestman and other players have since downplayed the reports, attributing the tension to frustration among the players.
The Bears are now 0-3 at home, with a 3-4 record overall. The team is two games behind the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions in the NFC North.
- Danielle Zhu
