[CBFF] A Gross(man) miscarriage of justice (Ladowski)

[Dwayne]

I did, but I am a Rex fan. So my judgement is tainted.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil DeNomme" <pdenomme at gmail.com>
To: <post at chicagobearsfanforum.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2006 7:32 AM
Subject: Re: [CBFF] A Gross(man) miscarriage of justice (Ladowski)


> Anyone else find the title to this article kind of repulsive?  Lol.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com
> [mailto:cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com] On Behalf Of Victor Waldron
> Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2006 5:05 AM
> To: post at chicagobearsfanforum.com
> Subject: [CBFF] A Gross(man) miscarriage of justice (Ladowski)
>
> A Gross(man) miscarriage of justice
>
> Tuesday, August 22, 2006
>
> Bears fans don't ask for much. When your team has had one measly Pro Bowl
> quarterback in the last 43 years - that's Jim McMahon for those of you who
> score at home - how can you?
>
> But is it too much to ask for a touchdown from the first offensive unit,
> even if it's only the preseason?
>
> OK, how about a chip-shot field goal then?
>
> In 10 possessions thus far, the Rex Grossman-inspired offense has produced
> zippo points. Of course, it went up against first units, as we've been
> reminded time and again. Excuse me, but who will they face in the
> regular-season opener in Green Bay three weeks from now, who's left of the
> Duluth Eskimos?
>
> It wasn't fair that the Packers had their best players on the field.
> And they tried really hard on top of it!
>
> Until then, riddle me this: What has Grossman done to be handed the most
> difficult and important job on the field while the far more battle-tested,
> less mistake-prone Brian Griese sits and waits?
>
> Based on what little we've seen of Grossman the last three seasons - eight
> games, seven starts - not a whole lot. Unless there's another Rex Grossman
> we're not aware of, can there be any doubt that he doesn't belong with Tom
> Brady and Jake Delhomme and Matt Hasselbeck and Ben Roethlisberger on the
> short list of Super Bowl-caliber quarterbacks yet?
>
> Heck, Grossman isn't in the same continent, let alone the same ZIP code.
>
> This isn't meant to throw Grossman under the train, mind you. He's a
> likeable guy, the kind you don't mind doing well. Maybe he will turn out
to
> be a legit starter one day. Maybe he even becomes Rex the Wonder QB at
some
> point down the road.
>
> Yet the fact remains that Grossman isn't there yet. Which is why a lot of
> 'skinheads around the country do a double-take when they hear how adamant
> head coach Lovie Smith is about the situation. Guys such as NFL Films
> executive producer Greg Cosell, who along with ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski
has
> broken down more film than Siskel and Ebert in their primes.
>
> "Ultimately, more NFL games are lost than won," Cosell said. "I know it's
a
> cliché, but there's a lot of truth to it. The Bears have a very good
defense
> - even dominant if the secondary comes around. They are committed to the
run
> whether Thomas Jones or Cedric Benson does it.
>
> "Given that, the offense needs a quarterback who's methodical and
effective,
> someone who can move the chains. Griese is the better fit of the two
because
> he is a very accurate short-to-intermediate passer who does not make many
> mistakes."
>
> Griese isn't exactly Dan Marino in his prime. His arm strength is limited.
> In eight seasons, he has yet to win a playoff game. Griese isn't the
> fire-and-brimstone type, either, which is the primary reason why Tampa Bay
> Buccaneers head man John Gruden cut the cord, according to insiders.
>
> Heck, the son of Bob Griese isn't even the best quarterback in his own
> family.
>
> Still, said NFL analyst Ron Meyer, a longtime head coach, "Lovie has made
> the right decision in his mind, so he should stand by his guy, but Brian
> would be my pick. He is a heckuva operator, no question about it. Rex
can't
> be faulted for his injury problems, but I'd be scared that he could go
down
> in the second, third or fourth game of the season."
>
> Then again, Grossman isn't exactly Joe Willie Namath, either.
>
> At this point, he's a cut above Peter Tom Willis, I'd say.
>
> "Grossman forces too many throws," Cosell said. "Some may not realize it,
> but he's very inexperienced at this level. He hasn't played very much. He
> doesn't have what I consider to be tremendous natural talent.
>
> "I can live with mistakes if a quarterback has the potential to be great
> player. But in terms of what Grossman has in the way of physical ability,
I
> don't see it that way."
>
> The one thing that Grossman does have over Griese is arm strength. Yet not
> even that and his gunslinger mentality are ideal for an offense that lacks
> deep threats and lives or dies on the ground.
>
> Does any Bears wide receiver scare you at the moment? In a good way, I
mean.
> You know, Steve Smith scary.
>
> Veteran Muhsin Muhammad is the best of an ordinary bunch, but true to his
> nickname, "Moose" is a possession receiver. Bernard Berrian and Mark
Bradley
> have the stuff to be home run threats, we're told, but they're too
> achy-breaky to be counted on in a 16-game season. Rashied Davis intrigues
a
> lot of people, but since when do Super Bowl teams rely on a second-year
guy
> who has yet to catch a ball in a real NFL game?
>
> No, if the Bears are as Super serious as they claim to be, then they'll
> allow Griese to compete for the job on Friday night. The third exhibition,
> uh, sorry new commish Roger Goodell, preseason game is the most accurate
> gauge of the bunch in that both teams play their regulars much of the way.
>
> If Griese has been effective because of inferior competition - three
> touchdowns against mostly reserves in two games - then we'll find out.
> But if he outplays Grossman again, then we'll know who the best man is for
> the job at the moment. Otherwise, what message does it send to the rest of
> the team?
>
> Yet Smith says it won't matter what happens on the field - Grossman is his
> guy. I say the decision reeks of political football, the kind that Bears
> fans have come to know all too well over the years.
>
> The head coach may drive the Grossman bandwagon, but it's general manager
> Jerry Angelo who fuels it. In 2003, while Smith was the St.
> Louis Rams defensive coordinator, Angelo and his staff drafted Grossman
with
> the 22nd overall pick. In the process, they passed up studs and potential
> studs such as running back Larry Johnson, quarterback Chris Simms and wide
> receiver Anquan Boldin to name a few.
>
> In other words, Angelo has a lot at stake here. If Grossman turns out to
be
> Pro Bowl stuff, then the GM comes off as a certified genius. But if the
> Grossman of the last two games is close to the one we'll see the next few
> weeks, then what will they say then?
>
> And another thing - the Packers even played 11 guys!
>
> _______________________________________________
> Check out the CBFF Blog:
> blog.chicagobearsfanforum.com
> CBFF Homepage:
> www.chicagobearsfanforum.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Check out the CBFF Blog:
> blog.chicagobearsfanforum.com
> CBFF Homepage:
> www.chicagobearsfanforum.com
>