scott72
Footballguy
Green Bay Packers fans might well come to remember the game their team played on New Year's Eve against the Chicago Bears as the night a tearful Brett Favre bid farewell to his teammates and football.
But Bears fans might come to view it in quite another way.
They might see it as the game their starting quarterback, Rex Grossman, decided to mail one in during a 26-7 loss.
Grossman said last week that his 2-for-12 passing performance against the Packers, which included three interceptions, resulted from not preparing fully. He said his attention was not what it should have been.
"It felt like I was going to play about a half," Grossman said on Jan. 2. "It's the last game, New Year's Eve, and there were so many factors that brought my focus away from what is actually important."
In a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, CBS-TV's top two game analysts, Phil Simms and Dan Dierdorf, were surprised by Grossman's comments.
"It's pretty stunning that he actually came out and admitted he did not prepare the way he should have, that the game didn't mean anything and that basically he was on cruise control," Dierdorf said. "It was awesomely stupid to do it. It was even more awesomely stupid to say it."
Dierdorf said Grossman's comments had not served his cause well.
"Not many guys in recent memory have invited that scrutiny quite the way Rex Grossman has," Dierdorf said.
Simms was not as familiar with all of what Grossman said, but he heard enough to know how damaging to him it was.
"I didn't read it, but somebody told me a quote he said about the last regular-season game," Simms said. "Oh, my gosh.
"That is something that in this day and age will never leave regardless. It is there forever. It's unfortunate that he did it to himself."
Simms said the player on a football team who could least afford to say he didn't prepare well was the quarterback.
"You are the face of the franchise," Simms said. "You are supposed to be the hardest worker, no matter what. That's a big thing. I'm curious to see how it all plays out because of that.
"When it is all said and done, if the Bears don't win it, they are going to look to make somebody a scapegoat. He is going to be the leading candidate there. But you know what he has, even though it hasn't kind of gone well for him at times late in the year? He has a chance to change all that. Everybody will forget if he plays well this weekend and continues to play well or is part of the Bears going on to win it, if they do. That's the thing about the playoffs. You can erase spotty performance during the year."
For Dierdorf, the leash that is on Grossman, if there is one, should be shorter because of his comments about lack of preparation for the Packers game.
"The reality is this," Dierdorf said. "Only Lovie Smith knows for sure how short that leash is. But if I was coach of the Bears, it wouldn't even be a leash. I would have my hand right on his collar."
But Bears fans might come to view it in quite another way.
They might see it as the game their starting quarterback, Rex Grossman, decided to mail one in during a 26-7 loss.
Grossman said last week that his 2-for-12 passing performance against the Packers, which included three interceptions, resulted from not preparing fully. He said his attention was not what it should have been.
"It felt like I was going to play about a half," Grossman said on Jan. 2. "It's the last game, New Year's Eve, and there were so many factors that brought my focus away from what is actually important."
In a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, CBS-TV's top two game analysts, Phil Simms and Dan Dierdorf, were surprised by Grossman's comments.
"It's pretty stunning that he actually came out and admitted he did not prepare the way he should have, that the game didn't mean anything and that basically he was on cruise control," Dierdorf said. "It was awesomely stupid to do it. It was even more awesomely stupid to say it."
Dierdorf said Grossman's comments had not served his cause well.
"Not many guys in recent memory have invited that scrutiny quite the way Rex Grossman has," Dierdorf said.
Simms was not as familiar with all of what Grossman said, but he heard enough to know how damaging to him it was.
"I didn't read it, but somebody told me a quote he said about the last regular-season game," Simms said. "Oh, my gosh.
"That is something that in this day and age will never leave regardless. It is there forever. It's unfortunate that he did it to himself."
Simms said the player on a football team who could least afford to say he didn't prepare well was the quarterback.
"You are the face of the franchise," Simms said. "You are supposed to be the hardest worker, no matter what. That's a big thing. I'm curious to see how it all plays out because of that.
"When it is all said and done, if the Bears don't win it, they are going to look to make somebody a scapegoat. He is going to be the leading candidate there. But you know what he has, even though it hasn't kind of gone well for him at times late in the year? He has a chance to change all that. Everybody will forget if he plays well this weekend and continues to play well or is part of the Bears going on to win it, if they do. That's the thing about the playoffs. You can erase spotty performance during the year."
For Dierdorf, the leash that is on Grossman, if there is one, should be shorter because of his comments about lack of preparation for the Packers game.
"The reality is this," Dierdorf said. "Only Lovie Smith knows for sure how short that leash is. But if I was coach of the Bears, it wouldn't even be a leash. I would have my hand right on his collar."
So the future aint looking too bright for me. :whoosh:
