2011 Chicago Bears

Don Wassall

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Believe it or not, Chris Conte has fluid hips! That may be the ultimate compliment to pay to a White football player. Like Chris Prosinski in Jax, Conte has a good chance to be starting by his second or third season, despite Hatey Smith's sadistic treatment of White safeties, receivers and tailbacks during his reign.

<H1>Safety first</H1>
<H2>Mixed reviews on Conte, but Bears see strong upside</H2>


By Brad Biggs, Tribune reporter
6:02 p.m. CDT, May 7, 2011

Clancy Pendergast, in his third day on the job as the California defensive coordinator last offseason, was walking through the weight room when he saw a player he didn't recognize.

It was Chris Conte, the Bears' third-round pick, who was a role player entering his senior year.

"I said, 'Who is that guy?'" Pendergast recalled. "They told me he had played corner most of his career but hadn't played too much.

"He looked like a prototypical NFL safety to me."

Pendergast moved to the college ranks after 15 seasons in the NFL where he was a defensive coordinator and worked with Pro Bowl safeties Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle, Darren Woodson and Roy Williams. Conte made the position change and took to his coaching quickly. The transition went smoothly as he was named to the All-Pac 10 first team.

"There's not a guy in the room I coached harder than Chris," Pendergast said. "And that's because of the potential I saw in him."

There was a wide range of opinions about 6-foot-2, 197-pound Conte on draft weekend. One scouting director in another city said he was the top safety on his team's board. A veteran scout for another club mocked the selection, the seventh safety the Bears have drafted in seven years. The disparity is likely due to the fact Conte was one-year starter at safety and a relative unknown. A mixup that prevented him from playing in a college All-Star game kept him under the radar for West Coast scout Marty Barrett.

The Bears view Conte as a future starter and perhaps more importantly they consider him a free safety. It's the position where they have been trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. While Conte's arrival probably doesn't impact veteran Chris Harris immediately â€" he's signed through 2011 â€" it might affect his bid for a contract extension and it could spell the end of the line for Danieal Manning, who will be a free agent of some type when the lockout is resolved.

There is upside to Conte because he's still developing at the position. He's a strong open-field tackler and has fluid hips, good range and ball skills.

"I can come in and compete right away and I am only going to get better," he said. "At worst, I am going to play every special teams (phase). I am going to come in the first day and be able to contribute in some way and that's all I want to do."

Conte comes from a family accustomed to playing roles. His grandfather Richard Conte had a career spanning four decades in show business. He starred in "Godfather" as Don Barzini after being considered for the title role that went to Marlon Brando. He had a prominent role in "Call Northside 777," the 1948 film starring James Stewart that was the first Hollywood picture shot on location in Chicago. He was in the original "Ocean's Eleven" and was a close friend of Frank Sinatra.

"I guess I'm not cute enough for the business," Conte joked. "It never interested me. My dad (Mark) is a film editor and I'd go into his work to see him in a dark room on the computer all day. I was like, 'Why would you want to do this?' I want to be outside, being physical, competing."

His older brother Kevin briefly considered a writing career, and Mark never pushed his sons to follow his path.

"He has been on this single track since he was 5 years old," Mark Conte said. "I have to hand it to him."

Now, Conte needs to succeed where picks before him like Al Afalava, Craig Steltz, Kevin Payne and others have come up short. Ultimately, the Bears could look to pair him with Major Wright, who played both safety positions as a rookie third-round pick last season.

"Hopefully I will be here for a long time and we won't be drafting any more safeties," Conte said.

bmbiggs@tribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-0508-bears-chris-conte-chicago20110507,0,5241439.storyEdited by: Don Wassall
 

whiteathlete33

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I saw that article as well. Let's hope Smith gives Conte a fair chance at being the starter even if it is next season. I sure wish guys like Conte, Prosinski, Weddle, and Wendling could play corner in the league but it seems as if the NFL wants Jason Sehorn to be the last "real" white cornerback. Every one of these guys has 4.4 speed and more athleticism than the average black NFL corner.
 

celticdb15

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As soon as Hatie goes the better for guys like Conte and Steltz
 

Colonel_Reb

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The writer is wrong about Craig Steltz "coming up short." He never has had a real chance, just jerked around like a toy by the coaching staff. I'd like to see him starting somewhere and believe he could if given a real opportunity, but I also hope Chris Conte does end up as the starting Free Safety for the Bears. They desperately need more White starters.
 

celticdb15

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Whatever happened to Dan Banzuin from Central Michigan?? Last I heard he was with Da Bears. Edited by: celticdb15
 

whiteathlete33

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He had two injuries on the same knee and was then waived by the Bears. He was on the Texans practice squad in 2008. Looks like his football career is over.
smiley6.gif
 

Colonel_Reb

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Had almost forgotten about Dan Bazuin, celtic. Thanks for jogging my memory. What a sad ending to his football story.
 

celticdb15

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Damn.. Tough string of luck for Banzuin. When he was first coming out I thought that guy had a lot of potential!
 

Colonel_Reb

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Yeah, me too. I remember him tearing it up in college and getting drafted early (for a White defender).
 

whiteathlete33

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I was checking depth charts on Rotoworld and I found this guy, Andy Fanutz. He's a white receiver that the Bears signed from the CFL. Here is an article in which a DWF degrades him as much as humanely possible.

<h1>Bears Sign CFL Receiver Andy Fantuz</h1>


AUTHOR: Boomer | IN: Bears | COMMENTS: 8 Comments |








<div id="ec-10651">

<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; width: 188px; margin-left: 10px;">
<div style="width: 88px; margin-right: 15px;">

</div>


</div>




The Bears made what seems like a minor move on the surface but
has gotten a lot of buzz on the interwebs â€" they signed wide receiver
Andy Fantuz from the Canadian Football League. Here's a blurb from the
Trib's writeup on the deal:

<blockquote>

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Fantuz caught 87 passes for 1,380
yards and six touchdowns this past season for the Saskatchewan
Roughriders and was the first Canadian-born player to lead the league
in receiving since 1995.
</blockquote>


According to the Trib,
he turned down similar offers from the Steelers, Patriots and
almost-Canadian Buffalo Bills to sign with the Bears. Something about
the depth chart and ability to make the roster. There's just on thing
about the five year pro who seems to offer everything you might want in
a wide receiver. Check it out after the jump. </span>

<div id="attachment_10661" style="width: 352px;">

Meet Mike Hass 2011, Andy Fantuz</div>
He's white. And slow. From what I'm
hearing, he ran about a 4.79 40 yard dash. That's slightly better than
Brandon Manumaleuna-type speed.



Here's a little highlight clip of the Saskatchewan Roughriders' leading receiver:



Fantuz is sort of a folk hero in Canada, thus the cereal bearing his
likeness. He seems to be pretty fan friendly too. You can follow him on Twitter and welcome him to Chicago.



Somehow I can see him fitting in great with Cutty and Olsen. Just a hunch.
<h1>BEAR DOWN!!!</span></h1>
His 40 time is supposedly a 4.52, an excellent time for such a big receiver. Leave it to the DWF's to mock a white guy.


</div>

Edited by: whiteathlete33
 

snow

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Fantuz was great in the CFL, what a bad choice with signing with the Bears. I doubt Smith gives him a a real chance. Maybe he wanted to know what it felt like to play with a real quarterback rather than having to jump/adjust/slow down for every pass.
 

Colonel_Reb

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Those kinds of drivelers are the ones that make me the most upset. "Tongue in cheek", and name the last standout white wide receiver besides Welker. What a tool that fool is.
 

backrow

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how the f**k does he get away with writing this drivel:

"Somehow I can see him fitting in great with Cutty and Olsen. Just a hunch"?? what a racist piece of sh*t
 

Leonardfan

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Any news on Steltz? Do you think they will keep him around? I am happy Conte was drafted in the third. He could honestly play CB in the NFL, he is tailor made as a Cover 2 CB. Good Speed, Physical and a great tackler.
 

whiteathlete33

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I'll say that Fanutz ends up on the practice squad. When was the last time a white receiver played for the Bears? Ricky Proehl?
 

FootballDad

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Yep, it's a good thing they got rid of that cretinous white boy, Jake Sharp, before camp last year, it's much better to have gangsta thugs like Wolfe on the roster!
 

snow

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I have been reading the Onion for the past hour, when i clicked on it, I forgot that this was a real news article from this quote. Pretty sad.

"According to a later report by Neil Hayes ofthe Sun Times,
Wolfe smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. He
threatened to sue the officers and at one point said, "Let's compare
bank accounts."Â￾
 

whiteathlete33

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snow said:
I have been reading the Onion for the past hour, when i clicked on it, I forgot that this was a real news article from this quote. Pretty sad.

"According to a later report by Neil Hayes ofthe Sun Times, Wolfe smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. He threatened to sue the officers and at one point said, "Let's compare bank accounts."Â￾

I guess since he didn't call them white devils everything is fine.Than again, even if he did everything would be fine.
 

Don Wassall

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Weenie World can always be counted on for Caste-speak. It's the first Ricky Proehl reference I've read in a while, Ricky having been almost universally replaced by Wes Welker these days. 6' 4" and impressive athletic ability but Fantuz still has to be stereotyped as a "third down, possession receiver type":

<DIV =re>


According to ESPN Chicago, offseason reserve/future signing Andy Fantuz drew "considerable praise" from his new Bears teammates at player-organized workouts last week. A former Saskatchewan Roughrider in the CFL, Fantuz reportedly exhibited "impressive athletic ability" and "good hands" in the Jay Cutler-led workouts. Fantuz was incredibly productive in Canada, and has very good size at 6-foot-4, 221. In a perfect -- though probably not realistic -- world, Fantuz would be Mike Martz's new Ricky Proehl as a possession, third-down type.
 

Thrashen

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Don Wassall said:
Weenie World can always be counted on for Caste-speak.  It's the first Ricky Proehl reference I've read in a while, Ricky having been almost universally replaced by Wes Welker these days.  6' 4" and impressive athletic ability but Fantuz still has to be stereotyped as a "third down, possession receiver type":
<div>
&lt;DIV =re&gt;


According to ESPN Chicago, offseason reserve/future signing Andy Fantuz drew "considerable praise" from his new Bears teammates at player-organized workouts last week. A former Saskatchewan Roughrider in the CFL, Fantuz reportedly exhibited "impressive athletic ability" and "good hands" in the Jay Cutler-led workouts. Fantuz was incredibly productive in Canada, and has very good size at 6-foot-4, 221. In a perfect -- though probably not realistic -- world, Fantuz would be Mike Martz's new Ricky Proehl as a possession, third-down type. </div></div>



Recent Bear's caste-offs Mike Hass and David Ball were both record-setting NCAA receivers with eye-popping in-air body control, perfect hands, amazing quickness, respectable speed, remarkable vertical (and lateral) leaping ability, character, heart, intangibles, and perfect routing running technique...they were both unceremoniously jerked around, put on the practice squad, signed, waived, re-signed and eventually cut for good.

In studying the Caste System and all of its repugnant manifestations, it's always been interesting to see which white receivers are "chosen"Â￾ while obvious superstars-in-the-making such as Hass and Ball are essentially ignored. How are considerably less-talented and less-productive (comparatively speaking) white receivers such as Lance Long, Max Komar, etc, making NFL rosters (even for a single season) when superior player are left to rot as free agents? The official excuse is that some white receivers have "special teams versatility."Â￾

Assuming there is a 2011-2012 NFL season, I believe Fantuz will be cut like all the others. I hope I'm wrong, because if he's given half a chance, he'll likely become a star amongst that dreadful receiving corps. Edited by: Thrashen
 

ToughJ.Riggins

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I agree Thrashen, the Bears are the most aggressive "white washing" organization in the league and my most hated team in pro sports. If Hass couldn't get a chance in Chicago- I predict the "Canadian freak show" Fantuz will quickly be disposed of and laughed at by the pea-brained, inebriated Bears DWFs and their racist black Panther on the sideline Hatie Smith.
 

Don Wassall

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