Grin and Bear It

For once I am at a loss for words. There is no single word I can use to describe how I feel right now. Sad, depressed, disappointed, devastated, none of them tell the whole story. You don’t really understand how much a team means to you until you don’t have them anymore. I truly have an unhealthy passion for my Chicago Bears. I live and die with them every fall/winter. I haven’t said three words since Rex Grossman’s incomplete pass on 4th down sealed our fate.

When the White Sox won the World Series a few months ago, the emotion I felt was completely foreign. When the Bears lost today, I knew the feeling. I’ve had it before, but not often. The great thing, and the cruelest thing about the NFL are the "short" seasons. In baseball you have a 6 month 162 game regular season, followed by a postseason that could be as long as 19 games. The NBA and NHL have 82 game seasons. So when your favorite team loses, you have that "We’ll get em tomorrow" type of feeling. In the NFL during the regular season you have to sit with that sour taste for at least a week. In the playoffs you’re stuck with it for 7 months.

Forgive me if this column seems directionless, or lacks a definitive purpose. It’s just, well, that’s kind of how my mind is right now. I just had to watch my favorite team get outplayed when it mattered most. It happens too damn much for my liking. I can barely remember the last time I got to see the Bears win a playoff game. I can tell you it was at Minnesota, and we won 35-18, but I couldn’t give you any real info on the game. It was over 10 years ago. I was 14 years old.

This just in: Steve Smith has just burned Charles Tillman for ANOTHER touchdown, back to our column

The most sickening aspect of this game, is the one facet of our team there was no questions about failed. Ask anybody before this game, and they’d tell you that the Bears defense was the only thing you can count on. Then the game started and two plays later there was Steve Smith walking into the end zone. 7-0 Panthers. All the built up emotion and excitement just got sucked out of my lungs. The Panthers gained over 400 yards of offense on the Bears defense before the game was over. The same Bears defense that usually gave up 400 yards over 3 game spans during the season.

Then there was our offense, which predictably started out slow. Rex Grossman was going to be nervous and needed to settle in for the offense to run. He did eventually too. The game really turned into nothing more but a shootout. For once the Bears offense got the job done, and then some. The defense let them down. The same defense that carried them all year, finally crumbled under all the weight.

You can’t be mad at them for it. No wait, ya you can, cuz I am. Without them we never would have been to the playoffs to begin with. There was a lot of talk about how great a defense this was this year, and in truth they were. Unfortunately the only way to be remembered that way is to win in the postseason. They couldn’t do that.

This just in: Steve Smith has just sacked Bears QB Rex Grossman, and tied him to a tree. He is now having sex with Grossman’s wife, and forcing him to watch. Now he is making Rex Grossman a sandwich, what kind, I cannot tell. He’s laying the sandwich down next to Grossman. What’s this?! Steve Smith is now urinating on the sandwich he just made for Grossman. Charles Tillman is running onto the field to tackle Smith, but he’s tripped on his own feet. Smith has now taken off for the endzone. Touchdown Panthers. Back to our column.

Can you sense the slight bit of anger I’m feeling right now? There are a lot of things about today’s game that I didn’t like. Mostly the 29-21 final score. Then there was the fact that Steve Smith was somehow left in single coverage on Tillman all game. After he’s burned him a few times you’d think the thought of matching up Nathan Vasher on him might occur at some point. Vasher had a quiet game, 1 tackle I believe. Why? Cuz the Panthers never threw the ball near him except once. A screen to Smith, for one yard. How about a reason why we seemingly threw the ball on first down every time? Why didn’t we challenge the last Panther TD? It looked as if Mangum was bobbling the ball, and it DEFINETELY touched the ground when he came down with it.

Losing for fans is just as bad as it is for players. It’s just in different perspectives. Either way it’s painful. Of course none of this is going to make me love the Bears less. In fact there are quite a few things I see about our team that has me very excited about our future. They are:

• All of our starters are signed for next year except RG Terence Metcalf, but we have Roberto Garza signed, and he’s played better than Metcalf anyway.
  
• Another year under our defense’s belt in Lovie’s system. Plus the average age of the defense is 26. Find a cornerback in the draft (PLEASE) or free agency to shore up the secondary and we could be dominant.
  
• Rex Grossman gives us an offense. He started off shaky, but at the end of the first half, and in the second half he marched us up and down the field. He answered every Panther TD. His defense just let him down today.
  
• Our Division is in shambles. Every other team will have a new Head Coach next season, implementing a new scheme. So barring a huge rash of major injuries we have to be the favorites to win our division again.
  
• Bernard Berrian. Berrian had a very good game against the Panthers, and has had a couple of good games ever since Grossman returned. Give Muhsin Muhammad a complete season with Rex, and he should have a lot better numbers. Justin Gage keeps coming along, and rookie Mark Bradley was playing very well before getting hurt during the season. Our offense has a lot of potential weapons heading into next year, not the least of which is,
  
• Thomas Jones. I cannot express how huge he was for us this year. The fact we spent our 1st round pick on Cedric Benson really seemed to light a fire under him. He stayed healthy for just about the entire season, and even if he isn’t our depth at running back is key. Adrain Peterson could start for a number of teams in this league, it’s just nobody knows who he is. Then there’s Cedric Benson who we just don’t know enough about yet, though he showed some of his potential before the knee injury.
  

What we need to address this offseason is getting a Tight End and another Corner through the draft of free agency. Rex needs the kind of TE to depend on when he’s under pressure. He can’t keep flinging the ball around the field to his WR’s when he’s in trouble. Ask Brett Favre how that turns out.


So yes, Im extremely disappointed in today’s game, but the future isn’t depressing. Though to be honest the future won’t be of any consolation until opening kickoff next season. Hey it’s only 7 months away, but luckily Spring Training starts in 35 days.

Random Thoughts

• If you asked me this morning what was more likely, the Steelers beating the Colts in Indy, or the Bears defense giving up 434 yards, I take Pitt.
• There is only one person in the country right now who correctly predicted the NFL's "Final Four" this season. (Denver, Pittsburgh, Carolina, Seattle) The thing is he knows nothing about football, and is in fact a woman who picked them cuz "They have pretty uniforms."
• Former White Sox, Current Cub Bobby Howry called the White Sox starting rotation over rated. He also said the Cubs was better. Funny cuz last I checked the White Sox rotation will all be wearing rings on their hands next spring while the only things Cubs pitchers will have on their arms are slings.
• I hate the Pistons (Bulls/Pistons) but I love the way they play basketball.
• I wonder if Peyton Manning is going to blame his Offensive line for Eli's crappy performance too?
• NCAA Final Four of Duke, UConn, Texas, and Michigan State. Write it down.
• Steve Smith just stole my TV on his way to another touchdown
• At what point to defensive coordinators say to themselves about Steve Smith "We better double him."?
• Guess I can cancel my plans for going to Detroit in February