NFL MOURNS PASSING OF DICK BUTKUS… Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus, whose intense, hard-hitting style made him a legendary Bear in his native Chicago, died in his sleep overnight yesterday at his home in Malibu, California. He was 80. Butkus’ passing was observed in a moment of silence before the Bears’ game last night in Washington. Butkus played his entire nine-year career in Chicago during the 1960s and ’70s. He was selected to eight Pro Bowls.