[CBFF] Bears’ QB controversy a rite of fall (Inrem)

[Victor Waldron]

Bears’ QB controversy a rite of fall

Mike Imrem
Posted Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Of course there’s a quarterback controversy in Bourbonnais.

There almost always is. There should be. These are the Bears we’re 
talking about, not the Cowboys or Broncos or Colts.

Those teams have had quarterbacks the past half-century, from Roger 
Staubach to John Elway to Peyton Manning.

The Bears? They had about a 15-minute window of QB calm with Jim McMahon 
and about 50 years of turbulence with everyone else.

The current debate raging over Rex Grossman or Brian Griese reminds me 
of one of my favorite career enlightenments. In fact, if I appear to be 
a little loopier than normal today it’s because I have been celebrating 
the anniversary.

Thirty years ago this month, I asked Bob Avellini whether he was 
surprised to be declared the Bears’ starting quarterback during the 
off-season.

Avellini was entering his second NFL season. As a rookie he played eight 
games, completed 53 percent of his passes, and threw 11 interceptions to 
6 touchdowns.

Call me silly, but it seemed appropriate to ask whether Avellini was 
surprised to be named the starter, because most others were.

“That’s a stupid (bleeping) question,” he snapped.

Experiencing an epiphany, I realized right then that an athlete often 
doesn’t know any more about a subject than I do, even when he’s the subject.

Avellini clearly had no feel for Bears quarterback tradition. All he 
knew was he was an NFL quarterback. At least he thought he was, though 
many who witnessed his career might quibble with that.

Anyway, the lesson learned that day was athletes view life through their 
self-interested narrow-mindedness while the rest of us require a wider lens.

Ask a pitcher whether he had good stuff, a golfer how he’s striking the 
ball, or a quarterback whether he should start … well, you might as well 
ask George Bush how that Middle East thing is going.

“We’re hitting it well,” the president might say, “but we’re just not 
scoring well.”

The pitcher usually thinks opponents hit good pitches, the golfer 
usually thinks he suffered a couple of bad bounces, and the quarterback 
usually thinks he’s headed toward the Pro Bowl.

To Grossman’s credit, he has been patient with outsiders’ insistence 
that he is too short, too slow, too inexperienced, too unproven and too 
much of an injury waiting to happen to be leading a Super Bowl contender.

Meanwhile, to Griese’s credit, he is playing the role of obedient 
backup, providing all the proper answers to all the proper questions.

But make no mistake about it. This isn’t exactly a Montana-Young derby, 
but each believes he should be the starting quarterback.

All I can say is bless them both, because I’m always more comfortable 
when the Bears have a quarterback controversy.

Grossman and Griese are conducting themselves as if this isn’t one. So 
are head coach Lovie Smith and his coaching staff.

None of them matter. Bears fans and local media do, and we’ll make sure 
there is a controversy. It’s our birthright to do so.

Like, I can’t wait to hear the response after asking, “Hey, Rex, were 
you surprised to be declared the starter during the off-season?”

Personally I think Grossman will be injured again sooner than later, 
Griese will throw more interceptions than touchdowns, and Avellini will 
start looking better and better.

You see, it’s also a Chicago birthright to look at the Bears’ 
quarterback situation as futile.