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.