Honesty's in short supply when the subject is Orton's health or confidence in Grossman, but Lovie comes through on Obama
November 6, 2008
BY GREG COUCH gcouch@suntimes.com
They propped up Kyle Orton, stuffed his ankle into one of those tight compression sleeves to keep swelling down, and had him walk in, without wincing or limping much, to the weekly news conference reserved for the Bears' starting quarterback. Orton said that he wasn't sure how long he would be out, but that he hoped to play Sunday against Tennessee.
A few minutes later, Rex Grossman stood at his locker and said that the fans never had supported him but that he loved them. Then he said it was like Sammy Sosa, and in Sosa's voice, joked, ''I love the fans.''
The day ended with coach Lovie Smith opening up about his emotional night watching Barack Obama win the election, then clamping back down into his usual nothing-talk, saying that Orton could be back soon. To him, ''soon'' might mean today, tomorrow, three weeks from now or the end of the year.
Why can't the Bears just be honest? No one at Halas Hall seemed able to tell the truth about the quarterbacks Wednesday.
Here's what I think is happening. Orton won't be able to play for a few weeks. Grossman, who is psyched out entirely by the reaction to him, will start and fail. And Smith can't face reality, can't bring himself to say it anymore:
Rex is our quarterback.
If Smith thinks he's duping Titans coach Jeff Fisher into preparing for two quarterbacks, then he must think Fisher is the dumbest man alive. Or maybe he's just trying to take pressure off Grossman, keeping him from thinking too much about what he's going to do.
You saw what happened when Grossman came in against Detroit. Fans booed, and then he scored a touchdown and emphatically spiked the ball. Some people interpreted that to mean, ''In your face, Bears fans, for booing me.''
Grossman said he was just happy that the team had scored.
Maybe he can't admit the truth to himself.
But there seems to be a misunderstanding about that booing. Some people think Bears fans were being cold to boo a guy coming off the bench. I don't think they were being cold at all. They weren't even thinking.
You boo Grossman for the same reason your foot kicks when the doctor taps you on the knee with that little hammer.
It's just a reflex now.
Now when he plays, it's such an ugly scene, on the field and into the stands. And it's in his head now.
''If I get a chance to play,'' he said, ''I'm going to have fun.''
Keep telling yourself that, Rex.
Do you think the fans will support you?
''They haven't before,'' he said. ''But I love the fans.''
Then he did the Sosa thing.
Grossman said he might be more relaxed, having had time away. He might be able to ''enjoy it a little more and not take it for granted.''
Rex's big chance
But then he said this might be his only chance to play. That means he knows he might have to do well now to get a contract somewhere next year.
What we've learned from Orton is that you need your quarterback to make only a few plays and not to keep recklessly giving the ball away. If Grossman learned one thing from the bench, let it be that.
Protect the football, Rex, and the Bears might be OK.
But after Grossman's touchdown Sunday, the guy sitting next to me said he has watched Grossman enough to know he'll throw an interception. Next pass was right to a defender, who couldn't hang on.
Oh, no. Do fans really have to go through this again? Are we sure Orton can't play?
Believe it or not
''I've been waking up with a smile on my face,'' Orton said. ''I certainly can't rule out this week.''
Not believable.
I do believe one thing. Orton said this is the toughest part of the season, and he doesn't want to stay off the field if playing is at all possible.
Orton's ankle, injured Sunday against Detroit, is not going to be ready, no matter what the Bears tried to pretend.
What is the injury, specifically?
''Just say it's an ankle sprain,'' Orton said.
Smith put it this way: ''Kyle Orton has an ankle sprain. Kyle Orton has an ankle sprain. That's what he has.''
So honest, he had to say it twice.
Well, Smith did open up Wednesday, maybe for the first time, about Obama.
It was the most likable Smith ever has been.
''It's hard to put into words,'' he said. ''When you grow up, you always hear you can be anything you want to be. But you need a visual sometimes. And now we have it. The most powerful man in the ... the most powerful man, period, is black. So young kids coming up today, now they really do know you can do anything.
''When you have a first like that, you don't know exactly how to act. To say a black man is the president of the United States ... talk about the land of opportunity. All of those things came to mind. My mother, old ladies, all the people that you see, all excited.''
Wow. The truth can be a beautiful thing.
