SIDELINE
Observations, Opinion & Occasional Silliness by Richard L Gale
GROSSMAN: THE FINAL ACT? September 24, 2007
Watching The Cowboys-Bears game was a real
treat. Okay, as a football spectacle, it won't be remembered as a
classic other than by perhaps Dallas fans. But as human theater, it
was fascinating.
Here then was Grossman, two steps from
being benched, throwing three interceptions in front of the gathered
masses of the Soldier Field faithful. And up against him, making a
mockery of the fabled Chicago defense, and looking for all the world
like the second coming of the (for Bears fans) detestable Brett
Favre, was Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
Romo was by no means perfect – he
threw one interception, and he was sacked three times – but
could there have been any greater contrast between Dallas' QB of the
future, oozing outrangeous self-belief and throwing for 329 yards,
and Chicago's QB of questionable future, nervously connecting on less
than 50% of his passes en route to 195 difficult, excruciatingly
disconnected yards.
This, every Bears fan was thinking, is the
sort of quarterback we should have. And they weren't looking at
Grossman.
I've heard boos, and I've heard calls for
the back-up quarterback often enough, but I have never heard an
entire stadium as one rise up and call with such coordination for a
change of quarterback. 'Griese! Griese! Griese!' - this was like
something from a gladiatorial arena.
Last week I predicted that once the Bears
reached a losing record, Grossman would be pulled. Well, we're there.
It's time. I think Grossman knows it too. He smiles and tries to go
about his business as the starting quarterback, but for all that
Lovie Smith says that Grossman is his guy, and the players says he's
their guy, I think the moment when Grossman thought he was their guy
has passed.
He knows it's coming. It's time to put him
- and about 80,000 paying customers –out of their misery.
McNabb, the Epilogue September 24, 2007
Following on from McNabb is still the franchise in Philadelphia – let
nobody forget it. After last week, just how satisfying was McNabb's
381-yard, 4 TD performance in a 56-21 romp over Detroit? So much for
controversy. (If only we didn't have to see those uniforms on the
highlight reel, although no less hideous than the yellow throwbacks
worn by the Redskins this past week).
You know, there's a part of me that really
wants to see McNabb win the big one. It's called my wife. First
sighting of an Eagles hat this season, and not a boo to be heard. The
hat, I now recall, was bought in Philadelphia the same month Limbaugh
resigned from ESPN.
Observations, Opinion & Occasional Silliness by Richard L Gale