Bears shut down fundraisers

This past week the Chicago Bears sent cease-and-desist letters to the organizer of as many as 16 spring fundraisers for Chicago-area schools.

The fundraising events were to involve Chicago Bears football players in charity basketball games playing against local school teachers and faculty.

The football team told the company that arranged the games--Bears on Court, owned by Tony Gagliardo--that it was using the team's name without permission and using players in violation of their contracts.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Gagliardo said, "I've been doing this for 30 years, and everybody loved us, what we did for the community. They own the team, and I understand where they don't want the players injured."

Jacobs High School in Algonquin hoped to use money from a game next week to buy books for a new media center and library. Tickets totaling $5,000 had been sold.

...as if their loss in the Super Bowl wasn't painful enough for the city... now they go and cut off these fundraisers for the schools?