Monday, August 24, 2009

James Caan, Da Bears, and Susie

In 1971, James Caan made the movie "Brian's Song," about Brian Piccolo, the Chicago Bears football player who died young of cancer, several real life Chicago Bears player appeared in the film, playing themselves. (Who better to play Dick Butkus than Dick Butkus?) They'd been teammates of Piccolo's, who had died the year before.
He managed to get along with Da Bears pretty well, although they did play one prank on him. They took Caan out partying one evening and one of the Bears said, "Hey, let's go get Susie!"
By acclamation, everybody thought it would be a *great* idea to go get Susie. So they pulled up in front of a large house, and told Caan to go get Susie. James walked up to the door, and knocked. Shortly thereafter, the most gigantic man James Caan had ever seen in his entire life answered the door and demanded "Whaddaya want?"
Said Caan: "I'm here to pick up Susie!"
The giant replied, "Get outta heah!"
"But I'm with the Bears," Caan said.
"GET OUTTA HEAH!" roared the giant.
At that point, James Caan beat a hasty retreat back to the car where his 'teammates' asked him, "So where's Susie?"
"I don't know said Caan. "Some big mean guy told me to get lost. Who was that guy, anyway?"
"Oh, *him*? That was Susie's husband."

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