RINGOFHONOR
Bling is the thing for Bears legend’sHOFtribute
‘‘ I guess a lot of the younger inductees had started petitioning the Hall to come up with amore stylish, blingy, three- table version of it!’’ Dan Hampton
It was hot, and I was playing badly again. And now Dick Butkus was 3- up as we headed to the back nine.
As Dick prepared to hit his tee shot on No. 10, I noticed he was wearing a large gold ring on his right hand. Now I knew that he was the greatest defensive player in NFL history, but I also knew he had not won a championship with the Bears and that it had been rough sledding at Illinois, as well, so I had to ask: “Hey, what ring is that?’’
Dick snorted, “It’s the Hall of Fame ring!”
‘‘ Wow,” I said to myself. I was floored!
Really, they have a Hall of Fame ring? Awesome.
“How much was that?’’ I asked incredulously.
Dick said: “They gave it to me, you idiot.”
Well, a few years went by, then I became the 26th Bear to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. And I have proudly worn that ring over the years.
But now, guess what? On Halloween night, Butkus, Gale Sayers, Richard Dent and I were presented with a newer, more elaborate version of the ring at the Vikings- Bears game at Soldier Field.
I guess a lot of the younger inductees had started petitioning the Hall to come up with a more stylish, blingy, three- table version of it! ( You notice it three tables away.)
Yes, the new one is really something, but the original is still special to me in a lot of ways, and much like with the old pictures of George Halas and Red Grange and others, it seems folks always want to move on. And I’m a little sad that it now will become almost obsolete.
Well, I was able to come back and tie the great Butkus that day mainly because he was still fuming all the way around the back nine about my nagging question. Ha! And, oh, yeah, I don’t think I’m going to be asking him the price of this one, either.