Nov. 15--What started as an odd exchange on social media, now has Bears receiver Brandon Marshall seriously longing for a bout in the boxing ring. Somebody call Don King.
This one should be easy to promote -- a five-time Pro Bowl receiver versus @AnthonyGKalla, a random fan from Detroit who has Marshall's attention and an invitation to fight.
The lead-up to all this?
Kalla, a Lions fan, took exception last season when Marshall referred to the Lions as being like an annoying little brother. So, in the wake of the Bears' current three-game losing skid, Kalla took a few shots at Marshall on Instagram, made a disparaging comment about the receiver's mother and soon had Marshall challenging him to step into the boxing ring.
On Twitter, Marshall said he would give Kalla "5k to get in a ring with me" and "another 10k" if Kalla won the bout.
In the back-and-forth, Kalla mentioned $25,000.
And if the Bears receiver prevailed? Tweeted Marshall, "If I win you have to serve 100 hours at an orphanage," adding later, "Deal or no deal bro? This is your chance to back up your talk and make 25k."
All of this seems like an odd use of time and energy during a week in which the Bears are preparing to play the Vikings and desperately looking to snap their losing streak. But after Friday's practice, Marshall stood by his challenge to Kalla.
"It don't matter about no timing. I'm a grown man," Marshall said. "There's no timing. Because we're 3-6 you expect me to change who I am? This is who I am. I'm not changing who I am. This is who I am. I'm not trying to impress you. This is who I am. I love to have fun. I'm a thought-provoker and that's what it is."
In that same session with reporters, Marshall said he wasn't sure why the media was so interested in talking about his Twitter spat with Kalla but also asserted he was hoping to "blow this thing even bigger" using it to "launch a campaign of anti-bullying."
"We're going to have an event," Marshall proclaimed. "... We're going to get maybe Showtime. Maybe NBC can come out, produce it and try to raise a lot of money for anti-bullying."
Of course, Marshall said he crossed paths Friday with Bears general manager Phil Emery, who had a three-word kibosh for his receiver's grand plans: "Read your contract." Bears coach Marc Trestman was made aware of Marshall's Twitter episode after Friday's practice and was planning on speaking with his receiver.
"The No. 1 thing is that it will be addressed," Trestman said. "No. 2 is, and I've said this many times, we're in a new world of social media. We talk to our guys a lot about it. We don't police everything that they do. But we ask them to take a deep breath before they press that send button."
Asked whether this specific incident was detrimental to the receiver or the team, Trestman paused.
"I think it's all how you look at it. I really do," he responded. "I think we're focused on beating Minnesota. And I think all of us are doing that. And I don't want to make anything out of this more than what it was. It was a response in social media. It wasn't (affecting) anybody's preparation or anybody's work ethic out on the football field."
Kalla, meanwhile, told the Tribune he was shocked when Marshall engaged him; that he regretted making comments about the receiver's mother; and that it was Marshall who initiated the fight talks.
As for going through with a bout, Kalla said his inflated $25,000 asking price stands.
"If I get beat up, I think it'd be worth $25,000," he said. "I don't think it's going to get that far. But I'll take a couple hits for 25 grand. A black eye and a broken nose wouldn't take me 25 grand to get fixed."
Tribune columnist David Haugh contributed.
dwiederer@tribpub.com
Twitter @danwiederer
