NEWS: Fans were off target, too It's their right, but booin

[G08]

November 4, 2008

BY CAROL SLEZAK Sun-Times Columnist


Bears quarterback Rex Grossman has been through a lot since coming to Chicago. He's overcome serious injuries. He's been jeered, and he's been benched. He's endured sniping by his own teammates. He's been psychoanalyzed by a bunch of armchair shrinks, from fans to writers to TV and radio talkers. He's carried the baggage of first-round-pick expectations, and it only has become heavier over the years.

I'm pretty sure Grossman heard your boos loud and clear Sunday. And after diving into the end zone with the go-ahead touchdown, he let you know how he felt about them. That little extra something he put on the ball when he spiked it? Take that, all you boo-birds. That's how it looked. And if that was the case, I can't blame Grossman. If he was able to let off a little steam by spiking the ball, good for him. Like I said, he's been through a lot over the years. And Sunday's boos didn't make any sense.

Why did they boo?
Don't get me wrong. I believe sports fans have a fundamental right to boo, for any reason they choose. I've strained my vocal chords at many stadiums over the years, trying to make my dissatisfaction heard from the cheap seats. But that doesn't mean it's always smart to boo. And that doesn't mean it's always effective, or even fair. On Sunday at Soldier Field, the boos started as soon as Grossman entered the game. What was the point? He didn't cause Kyle Orton's ankle sprain. And he hadn't even thrown a bad pass yet.

I'm guessing a lot of folks are still angry about Grossman's Super Bowl performance, which came nearly two years ago. The booing sounded like pent-up frustration pouring down on him. I suppose it's also possible fans wanted to send a message to general manager Jerry Angelo and the coaching staff. But what would that message be? Grossman is now the backup quarterback. He's playing on a one-year contract and is no longer in the organization's long-term plans. On Sunday, he played out of necessity.

The Bears were trailing when Grossman entered the game. They needed to score. Booing him under those circumstances was counterproductive. Would fans have preferred watching rookie Caleb Hanie under center? Were they hoping to see Marty Booker dust off his arm? Were they aching for the days of Kordell Stewart?

Not the people's choice
So much for the backup quarterback being the most popular guy in town. Even before Orton started playing like the franchise quarterback the Bears have been seeking for decades, few fans were clamoring for Grossman to get another shot as the starter. But Orton's ankle might keep him out of Sunday's game. And if that happens, wouldn't it make sense to support Grossman? As poorly as the defense has played this season, the Bears are going to need every bit of offense they can generate to stand a chance against the Tennessee Titans. Why make things more difficult by picking on the backup quarterback?

I realize it's much easier to boo a quarterback than, say, the entire defensive line. And it's easier to boo Grossman than, say, defensive end Tommie Harris or middle linebacker Brian Urlacher or any other disappointing high-priced member of the defense. The defensive guys can hide while the quarterback stands alone. But try as I might, I can't think of a good reason to boo Grossman now, under these circumstances.

What did they expect?
Did he throw the ball great on Sunday? Obviously not. But he did find Rashied Davis in the end zone for a touchdown. Was his 49.9 passer rating anything to brag about? Absolutely not. On the good Rex-bad Rex scale, Grossman was not-so-good Rex. But the Bears were losing when he entered the game, and they pulled out the win. You can't ask for more from a backup quarterback.

Despite being happy about the win, Grossman sounded a bit edgy when he spoke after the game.

''It was tough,'' he said. ''I didn't have any reps in practice. ... It's not easy to just sit there for an hour, an hour-and-a-half, not thinking you're going to play at all, and then, boom, be brought into the mix.''

Those words will not soften his detractors, who do not want to hear any excuses. But at least Grossman knew better than to complain about the way the fans treated him on Sunday. And in truth, many of them treated him pretty badly.

I hope they got it all out of their system. It's time they direct their frustration elsewhere.

[jasyk34]

I had posted in a topic earlier about this. I agree with the article that it is counter productive to boo Grossman. He managed to come in and help win the game for the Bears without throwing a ball in a game for quite a while. His stats werent pretty, along with some of his attempts but he scored 2 TD's to win the game. However, on the subject of booing the defense, I think they actually deserve it to a certain extent as they have been crap for the majority of the season.

[Ormazd]

Like it or not, Rex is the best option for the next month. Might as well try to support him.

[wab]

As soon as the booing started my wife looked at me and said "Some fans are real douchebags huh?"

[DaDitka]

I hope they got it all out of their system. It's time they direct their frustration elsewhere.

Hoe about everyone just meets in the middle and Rex gives them a reason to cheer and they comply.