I'm sure most of you by now have heard of the shocking admission by Bears quarterback Rex Billy Joe Grossman. Grossman admitted that he didn't prepare for the season finale against the Packers. He went on to say something about being distracted by New Years' Eve. Wow.
Bears fans should know we had a similar situation here in Buffalo in 1997. Any Bills fan worth his weight in chicken wings knows the story: Then starter Todd Collins (who, by the way, is still in the league today with the Redskins. How is this possible?) was injured in New England. Hobert came in relief and promptly stunk out the joint. His excuse? Like Grossman, he didn't prepare. Hobert offered up this following the loss: "I only looked at the passing plays (during the week) one or two times. I'm probably going to get in trouble for this, but I just didn't study hard enough."
Was Hobert benched? No. Was he suspended? No. HE WAS CUT. The message was clear: You are a professional, and if you don't do your job, you will lose your job. Cutting Hobert was the right decision by then-GM John Butler and head coach Marv Levy. The Bills fell to 6-10 in '97, but the message was sent to the younger players. The Bills went back to the playoffs in 1998 and 1999.
Will Grossman be cut? No. But if you were a Bears fan, wouldn't you be demanding the team start Brian Griese?


















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
1-06-2007 @ 12:22PM
mike said...
yeah well, rex failed to account that people from all over the country are bears fans, and the only tickets i could get this season from alabama was the meaningless finale vs. green bay,which i suspect my sister may or may not have done unsavory things to attain, which was later moved to new year's eve. it was going to be a good time watching the bears kick the pack's ass and have even more incentive to be drunk doing it. i fly up there, talk some smack to the minority packers fans, and watch my team get beat up b/c rex didn't feel like doing his schoolwork that week. i'm not going back while he's there; the bears will have to come to atlanta or nashville for me to bother showing up to a game again. and if they mess that one up, who knows? maybe i'll convert to college football like everyone else down here.
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 12:31PM
Gene Battaglia said...
Mike,
I feel your pain. But think of it this way: In the end, if you want your Bears to make the Super Bowl, this is a good thing. How can Lovie Smith possibly start Grossman in the playoffs?
Gene Battaglia
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 1:33PM
John said...
I hear Oakland is looking for a quarterback.
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 1:29PM
mike said...
I believe Rex has alot of potential, but the world is full of people that never live up to their potential
for one reason or another. All Bear fans can only hope
for,is, he unplugs his head from his arse in the next week, so that Chicago doesnt waste a 13-3 season.
Sidebar question: Why in the hell do playoff owners let coaches persue new jobs before the complete end of
a teams season? Arent there enough distractions just being in the playoffs? Geeeez!
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 1:38PM
Gene Klamczynski said...
Yep, that was a pretty pathetic performance by Rexxie. He's been up and down all year. ESPN stats showed he was the worst QB the last 13 weeks, but, the Bears still went 10 and 3 during that stretch. And anyone can be happy with a 10-3 record. He's got one more week to do his homework- and any make up work too! If they go 3 and out on their first possession, let's hope Lovie sits the kid down and puts Griese in there quick. After all, a few weeks back, Griese brought them back on drives to kick field goals to sneak past lowly Detroit! All us Bear fans can do, is crack open a cold one and sit on the edge of our seats everytime Rex takes a snap! Happy New Year everyone, let the games begin!
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 1:41PM
Jeff said...
Being a Buffalo native.......I believe the 1st half of our season that J.P. Losman failed to crack the playbook. I STILL believe we need a seasoned quarterback!
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 1:43PM
mike said...
I think Rex has alot of potential, but the world is full of people that have not lived up to that potential, for one reason or another. All we Bear fans can do is hope Rex unplugs
his head from his arse in the next week, so that this 13-3 season isnt a waste.
Sidebar question: Why do playoff owners let coaches persue other jobs before their seasons are completely
over? Arent there enough distractions just being in the playoffs? Geeeez!
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 1:47PM
Bobbi Walker said...
If Rex Grossman wants to continue in the NFL, he had better start acting like a professional and be prepared for ALL games. He doesn't deserve to start in the playoffs and should be benched until he gets his act together. Good QBs are plentiful in the NFL and the GREAT ones are always prepared.
Reply
1-09-2007 @ 3:50PM
Brian said...
No one will care about that finale and Grossman not studying for it. No one will care because Grossman will get hot and the team will win the Super Bowl. No team in football can beat the Bears if Grossman is hot. The only time the Bears lost this year was when he stunk up the place and in 1 of those games it still didnt matter because the team is that good. Everyone is quick to forget that Grossman matched the league high for 100+ QB ratings at 7 this year
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 1:47PM
Russell Stauffer said...
Rex Grossman's biggest enemy is himself. He was given two years to get up to speed, but one week he looks like Brett Favre, and the next week, he looks like a third stringer from Oakland. Rex hasn't realized that you have to take the media heat or get burned. He needs to take a page from Brett Favre's book, namely to play the game on the field, and forget the hype from the media. The minute you start playing for the critics, and not for the team, you're doomed!
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 1:54PM
yogi said...
Rex is a disgrace.
I hope they cut him - to very small, screaming pieces. I hope they slice and dice him till he feels the pain he caused us bear fans. After that we'll put him back together, and I doubt he will ever again be neglectful of his duties to himself, his team, and especially Bears fans.
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 2:00PM
Mack said...
Kyle Orton (6'4") deserves a chance. He is taller than Grossman (6'1") and Griese (6'3") and has a better arm.
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 2:11PM
chris said...
Rex is undoubtedly the most inconsistent quarterback since Bobby Douglas. If you have to hold his hand and beg him to learn and prepare every week, let's just get rid of him. And....if Lovey Smith condones this sort of crap, let's get a new coach, too. Anyone can take credit for a team that good. No one with a brain would tolerate performance such as Grossman has displayed this season. The team has won despite him. and they flat out got lucky in winning some of their games this year. The Bears deserve better, and that includes a coach matching the caliber of it's players.
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 2:37PM
BigMick said...
I DEMAND the Bears start Kyle Orton who turned this whole thing around last year.
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 2:48PM
GLEN said...
The Bears stink they play in the weakest division in the NFL,their defense is good only because they had the weakest schedule in football this year and as far as Rex grossman if I were playing a team as sorry as
th low-life packers I wouldnt need any preparation.
I predict the bears will be one and done and you bear
fans can go back and hibernate for the winter...
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 2:48PM
Bob said...
This is the reason college football is more exciting that pro. The college players play hard every game and they don't get paid.
I have been a life long Bear fan. That game got me to bed before the 2nd half. Not the only embarrassment of the season for Rex. The Bears had their best record in years and had some of the most lackluster performances to date. This year was as up and down as I have ever seen it.
I have big doubts about the Bears making or winning the Super Bowl!
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 2:58PM
elmer said...
The Bears will lose at home again and be done.
THE END.
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 3:27PM
Georgi said...
Grossman is (supposed to be) a professional. He gets PAID to play a game,as well as he is able to. He has not kept up his end of the contract bargain and deserves to be cut NOW! I am a life long Bears fan from Chicago, displaced to Arkansas and have continued to root for them. I was a 15 year season ticket holder and I still say cut the little boy who will not face up to the fact that what he does is a JOB. In a JOB pros do their best ALWAYS. I am an RN, would Grossman want me to care for him one day when I didn't feel like concentrating nor knowing my job that day. I DON'T THINK SO, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TRY. IF I were not a professional.
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 7:13PM
chad said...
If Grossman puts up a stinker in the playoffs, Lovie needs to be fired. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make the SuperBowl in a weak NFC, and we are trusting a QB who had a 0.00 rating, against GREEN BAY...We spent money for Griese as a "contingency plan", and we wasted him. With him, the Bears would have cruised to the SuperBowl. They may not have won, but a consisent offense is all we need with our solid defense and special teams.
Reply
1-06-2007 @ 7:55PM
Darrett Boone said...
I've been a bears fan since they made it to the Super bowl. I admit, Rex isn't doing so hot at times. But look at the other quarterbacks and coaches, since Ditka got fired. I'm glad Lovie Smith is in Chicago and I feel he's turned this team around. We'll see if Rex is ready to "Man Up" meaning play like he did in the beginning or not. Any how, EAT'EM UP BEARS!
Reply