Bear Down: Mariotti Relishes Grossman's Latest Injury
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- It officially can be declared now that The Rex Era was a monumental error in Chicago sports history, as some of us have known for some time. This means Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith need to move on to Plan Q -- or is it R or S? -- as the Bears enter a tense transition period following their one-and-done Super Bowl loss and rapid demise as a pro football operation. - Jay Mariotti
Is there anyone more ecstatic over Rex Grossman's knee injury than the back page pundit?
It must be a real joy to be employed by a trash tabloid (also known as the Chicago Sun-Times) which permits a certain alleged columnist to scribble incestuous rants without any conscience or accountability to previous thoughts expressed.
How was Rex Grossman "an error"? Because the Bears drafted him? Sorry Jay, but even you once discredited that notion :
- In what might be the ultimate validation of his talent eye, Angelo also can say Rex Grossman was the right quarterback to take in the 2003 draft. Holding the No. 4 pick, he could have tabbed the more heralded Byron Leftwich but elected for a heavily debated 2- for-1 trade-down -- drafting Michael Haynes with the 14th pick and Grossman with the 22nd pick. For years, we've pointed out Troy Polamalu was taken after Haynes and Larry Johnson after Grossman, but Angelo asked that we withhold judgment until Rex was healthy. While Grossman still must prove he can play well on the road, he's now established as an NFL keeper who has shown signs of brilliance and dartboard accuracy. As for Leftwich, he has been benched in Jacksonville, making the flop of Haynes seem moot.
Flip-flop. Hey Jay, have you completed your opus condemning Halas Hall's decision to part ways with Tank Johnson yet?
Some within the media appeared rather celebratory while witnessing Grossman writhe in pain on the field. Hell, Gumbel and Collingsworth were practically tripping over each other with hyperventilating proclamations that the quarterback's career in Chicago was all but over while meekly toting a condescending "hope the guy gets better" mentality. Lost in translation was how hard Grossman worked to get back on the football field after his previous two serious injuries which have done nothing but hamper his development into a bona fide quality starting quarterback. In his first full season, he helped his team reach the Super Bowl only to collapse on a global stage against Peyton Manning's Colts. Ever since, Grossman has been the recipient of every possible form of mockery within the NFL community except in the Bears locker room. Curiously, that has been rather ignored by the media, especially Mariotti.
Unquestionably, this season has been a major disappointment. However to demand that Rex Grossman shoulder more blame than any other Chicago Bear is inexcusable and flat out unfair. Despite losing his starting position earlier this season, Grossman remained dignified. When asked to rescue the Bears season, he did what could be done with a deteriorating offensive line, ineffective running game and wide receivers that drop balls with alarming frequency. And how many interceptions were thrown during these last three and a half games? Answer - One.
Folks, Rex Grossman is hardly the principal problem to this team. Would any other starting quarterback really do that much better with this offense devised by Ron Turner?
The fallout from last night's bewildering defeat to the injury riddled Washington Redskins will be plentiful. Now with the 2007 Bears season all but kaput and Grossman once again back on the shelf with another serious injury and an uncertain future to his NFL career, Jerry Angelo has a difficult task at hand rebuilding this team.
In the meantime, Mariotti will undoubtedly campaign in typical circle jerk mode for Angelo to bring aboard Donovan McNabb.
It is going to be a long off-season indeed.
And more importantly, get well Rex. Hope to see you back in a NFL uniform next season.
