Marshall: Fight offer part of anti-bullying push

Brandon Marshall has 42 receptions for 496 yards and 6 TDs this season. (Getty Images)

Earlier this week, a Lions fan took to Twitter to heckle Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall -- and his mother. In response, Marshall offered the fan $5,000 to "get in the ring with me," and eventually upped the amount to $25,000.

This, along with the Bears' 3-6 record -- including losing back-to-back games by a combined 106-37 -- has led to the inevitable discussion about locker room distractions (perceived or otherwise). On Friday, Marshall criticized the media for blowing everything out of proportion; in reality, he wasn't looking for a fight.

“I want to blow this thing even bigger,” Marshall said, via CSNChicago.com's John Mullin. “I want to launch a campaign of anti-bullying. But look at ... not a campaign like we're going to start an organization. We're going to have an event. And we're going to have a nice ring. And have it at my ring. And get some gloves. And we're going to get maybe Showtime.”

Marshall's remarks came after general manager Phil Emery explained that the wideout's contract doesn't allow him to fight fans of the Lions or any other team.

The Bears, currently 0-3 at home, host the Vikings Sunday. Embattled coach Marc Trestman was asked if Marshall anti-bullying crusade would distract from the team's desperate need for a win.

“I think it's all how you look at it, I really do,” Trestman said. “We're focused on beating Minnesota, and I think all of us are into doing that. I don't want to make this anything more than what it was – it was a response on social media. It wasn't anybody's preparation or anybody's work ethic out on the football field.

“The policy here is simple. We cannot monitor everything our players do, and for the most part, our players do a terrific job on social media because I get feedback from people responsible for looking at it. There have been times, it's happened infrequently, and if it does, we address it with our players and move forward. But none of us are perfect in this area.”

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