Where's Bobby Douglass When You Need Him?

Bears' quarterbacks stink. It's a law of physics, like inertia or something. Jack Concannon, Bobby Douglass, Gary Huff, Bob Avellini, Vince Evans; it's not exactly the stuff of legend. Even the guys who have guided the Bears to a championship -- Bill Wade and Jim McMahon -- aren't exactly Joe Montana. Heck, Jim Harbaugh looks like a God among these men. Since Sid Luckman left the building in 1950, Bears' quarterbacks have stunk. I appreciate that the greatest quarterback in Bears' history is a member of the tribe, and, of course, we'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation, with your T formation. But it's time for Luckman to have some competition for the top of the totem pole. And who better to be that guy, than a man who clearly should be a member of the tribe with a name like that. That's why, no matter how bad he's looked this pre-season, no matter how many times he shatters his pelvis falling into a man-hole on his way to the huddle, I want Rex Grossman to take the field against Green Bay in two weeks and light them up. Eventually, the Bears may need to turn to Brian Griese to captain the ship -- whether because Grossman blows out his coccyx, or because the team gets repeatedly sued when his overthrows injure children in the stands -- but Grossman, not Griese, is the guy who might actually have a future. We've been down the road before with one-year caretakers who have success. Guys like Erik Kramer and Jim Miller had good seasons, but weren't a long term answer. Grossman could be. I know Grossman has stunk up the joint this pre-season, and Griese is the most popular guy in town right now, but I still say Grossman should be the starter in Week 1.

There is one pre-season game left -- this Thursday against Cleveland -- but the Drunken QB, Kyle Orton, figures to take most of the snaps in that game. We've learned all we're going to learn from the pre-season about this year's Bears team. The defense has looked mediocre, but we know from last year what this unit is capable of. The running game has looked anemic, but all three runners -- Cedric Benson, Thomas Jones, and Adrian Peterson -- practiced at full speed for the first time yesterday, and Lovie Smith promises the team will run the ball with success in the regular season. The pre-season, Smith insists, was for learning more about the team's passing game. What we've learned is that Brian Griese gives the team a great fall back plan -- a guy who can step in and have success. But I for one want to see Grossman soar, or crash and burn, in the regular season, before the Bears put that fall back plan into effect.