CHICAGO DUMBFOUNDED BY REX

It’s impossible to go anywhere in Chicago without seeing some form of Chicago Bears pride. Flags are hanging from car windows, signs of support are finding their way onto snow-covered front lawns and people have even resorted to using stuffed bear heads as winter hats.

Yet, the most shocking show of support has come in the form of a jersey with the No. 8 on the front, the initials “GSH” on each sleeve and the name GROSSMAN in capital letters across the back. This isn’t shocking because it’s specifically a Rex Grossman’s jersey; it is simply the fact that it’s the jersey of a Chicago Bears quarterback being worn proudly by Chicagoans.

The last time that happened must have been in 1988 when Jim McMahon took his No. 9 uniform and left to join the Chargers.
Since McMahon’s departure, the Bears’ futility at the position has been well documented. Henry Burris, Moses Moreno, Rick Mirer, Craig Krenzel, Chad Hutchinson, Cade McNown, Jonathan Quinn, Kyle Orton, Steve Stenstrom, Dave Krieg and Kordell Stewart have each taken snaps from center.

My personal favorite was Steve Walsh, even though the tandem of Shane Matthews and Jim Miller guided the Bears to a 13-3 record and playoff birth in 2001.

Since Brett Favre took the reigns in Green Bay, Bears fans have been eager for a quarterback to arrive and stabilize the franchise’s downfall.

Now, I won’t lie to you, I did not agree with Jerry Angelo’s selection of Grossman in the first round of the 2003 draft. I am still not a Grossman supporter, and I spent most of the season criticizing Lovie Smith for not handing the offense over to Brian Griese.

Though I still don’t like his style, Grossman has grown on me during the Bears’ playoff victories. While he threw too many interceptions during the regular season, he’s still a young QB adjusting to NFL defenses.

Due to injuries suffered during his first few seasons, Grossman never lost his gunslinger mentality he brought with him from “the swamp” in Gainesville. He never saw the field enough to realize the NFL is full of playmakers on the defensive side of the ball and if he just tosses the ball around bad things will happen. This aspect of his game will only get better with experience.

What compacted the problem for “Bad Rex” is the mentality of Bears fans and the Chicago media. With decades gone by since the Bears had a QB that could lead an aerial offense, what Grossman was doing through the first six games of the season was a brand new spectacle to a new generation of fans and media members. As it is with any passing game, the reward is great but the risk can be lethal and Grossman is no Favre—yet.

More touchdowns will occur like they did 23 times this season but so will more interceptions. That’s just a basic fact of the game. But Bears fans spent years seeing the Orton style playbook, which involves a lot of running with a few short-yardage passes that my mother could complete sprinkled in. Past QB’s didn’t throw so many balls to the other team because they barely threw…at all.

What really hit Chicago was the shock factor that came along with both “Good Rex” and “Bad Rex.” It was kind of like a child getting their first puppy, it’s so cute yet so destructive at the same time.

Chicago was in awe at the new offensive attack that Grossman could provide, yet unwilling to accept the element of failure that comes along with it. The QB many have yearned for has finally arrived, yet people are afraid to leave the comfort zone created by the numerous QB’s that never should have seen an NFL field in the first place.

Finally, it’s okay for stores to stock up with the jersey of a Bears QB.

Hesitating to extend Lovie could prove costly

No sooner did the Gatorade dry from Lovie Smith’s jacket following the NFC Championship celebration at Soldier Field, did the rumors start swirling about his future in the Windy City.

While Monday should have been a day of reflection and acknowledgement towards Smith and Tony Dungy for breaking the Super Bowl’s head coaching color barrier, Bill Parcells and his ego dominated the headlines.

Parcells realized the game had passed him by and that he wasn’t living up to his end of the bargain after winning a total of zero playoff games in four seasons. He’s lost his fire and his players had thoughts of going Latrell Sprewell—P.J. Carlesimo on him. But his decision could have waited at least one more day out of respect to his colleagues.

Now that the dominoes have fallen following his departure, the Chicago Bears are looking at a potentially serious problem. It’s no secret that Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones won’t hesitate to throw outrageous money at a big name coach that he feels can guide his franchise back to glory, and there is no bigger name right now than Lovie Smith.

On the field, Smith took the leftover liabilities he inherited from Dick Jauron’s staff and incorporated them into a winning brand of football. Granted, two of those players happened to be All-World center Olin Kreutz and linebacker Brian Urlacher. Beyond that, he has shown a knack for developing young talent such as Rex Grossman, Bernard Berrian, Tommie Harris and Nathan Vasher.

Off the field, Smith is extremely focused and detail-oriented. The day after the Bears were thumped by the Green Bay Packers in the last game of the regular season Smith handed each player a calendar with the day-by-day schedule leading up to Super Bowl XLI. He has the respect and love of his players and won’t tolerate a lack of focus on the biggest stage.

In 2006, he showed that he isn’t afraid to take risks or listen to scrutiny. He stuck by Grossman in the same manner whether he was playing like Brett Favre or Jonathan Quinn.

Smith hails from Big Sandy, Texas, not far from Dallas. He grew up a Cowboys fan and his mother had dreams of seeing her son coaching the Cowboys one day.

Now that Mae’s boy has taken his team to a Super Bowl as the lowest paid coach in the league, he’s due for a substantial raise. Consider that Parcells walked away from a contract where he was making roughly four times that of Smith.

Bears’ president Ted Phillips insists that he has met with Smith’s agent, Frank Bauer, and discussions are under way. However, there seems to be a mutual agreement to put off negotiations until after the big show in Miami. This could be a costly mistake for Phillips and the Bears organization.

Why wait for two weeks to come and go? Why subject the team and its coach to the same questions from the media and the national distraction day after day when they should be preparing for the biggest game of their lives without this sideshow?

Phillips and general manager Jerry Angelo should extend Smith’s contract on Sunday, January 28, one week before he attempts to join Mike Ditka in Chicago immortality. During the two-week hype fest leading up to the big game, players either get bored or get overanxious to finally take the field. When many feel they should be playing in one week’s time, the Bears should make the headlines and give the team something to rally around before they migrate south.

The real mistake would be waiting to see if Smith’s heart leads him back home. His departure would have a crippling affect on a franchise primed for sustained success.

Show Lovie the money and show him now.