Bearsapalooza at Soldier Field

Despite some intense heat, the specter of Lollapalooza a mile to the north and the Bud Billiken parade to the south, a whopping 27,793 Bears fans showed up for Family Day on Saturday at Soldier Field.

Lovie Smith promised the fans a regular practice when he appeared on the giant video screens at noon. That usually means 2.5 hours of action, but he cut things short due to the heat and practice ended officially at 1:48 p.m. when safety Corey Graham picked off backup QB Caleb Hanie on the first play of his two-minute drill.

For those who couldn’t make it, here are some sights and sounds from Soldier Field, where there were no official cases of sunstroke reported -- though you have to wonder about the handful of fans who asked chicagobears.com's reporter/editor Larry Mayer for his autograph after practice.

1) During 11-on-11 work, I could’ve sworn I saw fullback Jason McKie cut Brian Urlacher on a Kevin Jones sweep to the right. To be fair, I was primarily watching Jones on the play, but McKie and Urlacher were on the ground in positions that looked consistent with a low block. Another scribe said he heard an "Oh, bleep" on the play. I asked “Lack” whether there had been some foul play and he replied with a stern, “We don’t cut in practice.” So maybe it wasn’t a cut. Still no reason for Urlacher to have been on the ground. Not even worth taking the chance.

2) I’m sorry to report I missed one of Jay Cutler’s snaps during 11-on-11 drills. Presuming he didn’t throw an incompletion on that play, Cutler was perfect with the exception of Brandon Rideau’s drop on a medium-deep ball. In order, Cutler clicked with Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, Hester, Rideau, Devon Aromashodu (a sweet grab where he had to leap and reach behind him for a laser), Aromashodu, Bennett, Greg Olsen, Jason McKie and Rideau.

Cutler also opened the two-minute drill with a rifle to Hester for approximately a 40-yard gain. And when I say Cutler threw it on a line, it was on a line. He didn’t put any air under the ball whatsoever.

3) The team trotted out that huge Bears inflatable dealie (the one they use during the regular season) in order to introduce the players and coaches individually. The Linebackers chose to run out together, as did the tight ends and the running backs/fullbacks.

Urlacher received the biggest ovation…until Cutler’s turn as the last one introduced. You couldn’t even hear the announcer say his name over the din. Then they decided to play Bryan Adams’ “Cuts Like a Knife.” Uh, that’s not really necessary to do again, is it?

Nobody was booed -- except for defensive coordinator Bob Babich and offensive coordinator Ron Turner.

4) Lots of fans wearing Jay Cutler jerseys, but Brian Urlacher’s No. 54 still rules and it’s not even close. I felt for the approximately 2-year-old girl who had to wear a navy Rex Grossman No. 8 jersey.

5) Cornerback Zack Bowman dressed, but didn’t do anything except a few things on the sideline. DT Tommie Harris did individual work, but stayed out of the rough stuff. Rookie WR Johnny Knox had ice on his left knee and he didn’t look like he wanted to bend his leg. Maybe it was just a convenience thing. Prior to hitting the sideline, Knox looked pretty quick while returning kicks.

6) For the third day in a row, the Bears did some work with NFL officials on the field. During punt-return drills, when the officials weren’t really needed, Bowman and fellow injuree Peanut Tillman spent time on the sideline talking with NFL side judge Michael Banks (who worked the 2009 Super Bowl) and looked like they were trying to lobby for some relaxed rules for the defense.

7) During the 1-on-1 blocking, the offense and defense took turns winning battles and there was no clear standout. Rookie DT Jarron Gilbert looked good on one snap when he whipped left guard Frank Omiyale. But on the next snap, Omiyale got his arms extended and stopped Gilbert dead in his tracks.

DE Alex Brown jumped the snap twice in a row while going up against Orlando Pace. When Brown finally came off the ball properly, he tried an inside spin move to get to the imaginary quarterback. Pace, who has seen a twist or three during his Hall of Fame career, was right there waiting for Brown. It was so clearly a Pace victory, both guys broke into big grins over what happened.

8) The Bears get their first day off on Sunday. The coaches get to enjoy the rest of Saturday, but they head back to Bourbonnais early Sunday to get back to work. First exhibition is next Saturday at Buffalo.

LW