Bears Don’t Feel QB Match Up Is Totally Lopsided
We’ve all seen the online polls, the opinion pieces and the talking heads on TV stating that Rex Grossman is one of the worst QB’s to ever play in the Super Bowl, and that he’ll be no match for the great Peyton Manning. A look at statistics and recent results would tend to prove those points, but the Bears vehemently disagree.
Lovie Smith is totally confident with Grossman, as are his teammates and Grossman himself. Is he as good as Peyton Manning? No one could say that with a straight face, given all of Manning’s career accomplishments. However, all Grossman has to do is play as well, or nearly as well, as Manning on Sunday in order for the Bears to have a chance. Smith expects nothing less from his embattled QB.
If you’d like to see how this turns out, you can do so in-person by logging onto StubHub.com and picking up your Super Bowl tickets.
Brown Adding to Hall of Fame Credentials
Sometimes in the NFL, everyone knows that a player will be headed to the Hall of Fame as soon as he’s eligible. For instance, did anyone ever doubt that Walter Payton would be enshrined? Most of the speculation centering on the current Bears’ roster involves MLB Brian Urlacher, as his career so far appears to be worthy of induction into Canton’s Hall of Greats.
However, there could be another player on the team who will have a strong case to present five years after he retires, and that’s often-overlooked G Rueben Brown. Last week, Brown was added to the NFC’s Pro Bowl roster as an injury replacement. This marks Brown’s 9th trip to Hawaii, and he’s been building his resume for quite some time as one of the best OL in the NFL.
Whether he makes it or not is not currently at the forefront of his, or any Bears fans’ minds. What is getting all the attention is the availability of Super Bowl tickets at StubHub.com, where you should go if you want to see Brown and his teammates play live.
Bears Keeping Players’ Families in Mind
Super Bowl week is filled with distractions, and any number of issues could come to the forefront at any given time. One of the main distractions often relates to tickets, travel and family members. However, the Bears are handling all of that at a management level, as they’ve taken steps to arrange for charter flights for players’ families to join the team on Thursday in Miami.
In a piece recently run in the Chicago Sun-Times, several players sang the praises of the team and its management, as family inclusion has been a sticky issue for other teams in the past. If you’d like to see whether or not this movement makes a difference on Sunday, you can still get Super Bowl tickets from StubHub.com.
KR Hester Stays Grounded
Devin Hester became a phenomenon this season. The rookie from Miami lit up the NFL with his scintillating kick returns, and before the season was out, he was as feared as any return specialist in the NFL. He single-handedly turned around several games, and was the difference in the outcome more than once, most prominently against Arizona.
Hester could easily be jumping out of his skin this week as he prepares for the Colts’ leaky coverage units, but in an interview run recently, he showed that he’s remaining humble and grounded, even though he could wind up being the difference in the game once again.
If you’d like to see Hester live, head over to StubHub.com and choose from available Super Bowl tickets.
Lovie’s Not Going Anywhere
Bears executive Ted Phillips recently had to defend an internal issue when it became a story that Lovie Smith was not only the lowest-paid head coach in the NFL, but that his contract was set to expire after the 2007 season, creating speculation that Smith could bolt for another job.
Phillips quashed that story as best he could by unequivocally stating that the Bears would get to work on Smith’s contract after the Super Bowl, and his salary was not viewed as an insult. Phillips explained that Smith signed a market-value deal when he was hired, and he assured anyone who’d listen that Smith would be getting a big raise soon.
If you’d like to see how Smith’s game plan plays out in the Super Bowl, head on over to StubHub.com and grab some Super Bowl tickets.
Papa Bear’s Legacy Continues
The Bears are all about tradition, and this tradition extends beyond the stands and the field into the management offices at Halas Hall. There are few teams with as much in the way of tradition and history as the Bears, and it all traces back to the founding father of the Bears and one of the founding fathers of the NFL - George “Papa Bear” Halas.
The Chicago Sun Times recently ran an extensive interview with Virginia McCaskey, the daughter of the late-great Halas, and in it she describes the similarities in style between Halas and the current regime. One thing is sure - Papa Bear will be looking down with pride on Sunday, and if you’d like to see the game for yourself, head to StubHub.com and peruse the available Super Bowl tickets.
Angelo’s QB Plans Come to Fruition
The Bears experienced a decent amount of success during the 2005 season with rookie QB Kyle Orton behind center after Rex Grossman missed most of the year with an injury. However, after the Bears were eliminated from the playoffs last season, GM Jerry Angelo put together a plan for the position that would hopefully keep the Bears covered during 2006. That plan appears to have worked out perfectly, and the “list” was as follows:
1. Sign a veteran back-up to bring stability to the position. That was done with Brian Griese.
2. Continue to develop Orton.
3. Make sure Grossman rehabbed diligently and gave himself the best chance to stay on the field.
All of those things happened, and the QB position is no longer one of need for the Bears. If you’d like to see these QB’s take part in the biggest game of the year, go to StubHub.com and choose from the available Super Bowl tickets.
Bears Mayor Gets Lousy Return on Playoff Wager
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, as is the custom with all city leaders when it comes to sports competition, had a friendly wager on the line with Seattle Mayor Greg Nickel. If the Bears won, Daley was to receive a “goody box” of Seattle favorites. If the Seahawks had won the recent playoff game, Mayor Nickel would’ve received a smorgasbord from the Taste of Chicago.
As it turns out, the package from Seattle did arrive. However, several bottles of an included six-pack of beer had been broken, ruining the remaining items in the package. Mayor Nickel has vowed to replace the package, and claimed that the “bitter taste” was nothing intentional.
If you’d like to see how the wager between the leaders of Chicago and Indianapolis turns out, StubHub.com has your choice of Super Bowl tickets.
Grossman Attempting to Remove Gator QB Stigma
As if QB Rex Grossman isn’t dealing with enough in the way of criticism and scrutiny this week, a recent piece in the Chicago Sun Times details how many of the ex-Florida Gator QB’s will be watching the Super Bowl closely and rooting for Grossman vociferously as he leads the Bears onto the field for Super Bowl XLI.
There is a stigma attached to Florida QB’s that isn’t positive. Many of the “great” Florida QB’s never succeeded in the NFL, and that list is long and distinguished, including Danny Wuerffel, Shane Matthews, Doug Johnson and Jesse Palmer, among others. Grossman appears to be taking that added “pressure” in stride, but if you’d like to see how he performs, head over to StubHub.com and grab some of the remaining Super Bowl tickets.
Preparation Matters
It’s one thing to be organized, and it’s another to look too far ahead. However, Bears Coach Lovie Smith was neither when he presented the team with a detailed, day-day schedule for the playoffs and the Super Bowl the day after their regular season finale against the Green Bay Packers. Many coaches in the past have done this, and it accomplishes several things.
First, it lets the team know that they have nothing to worry about except following the schedule. Secondly, it implicitly lays out the expectations for the team as they head into the postseason. Smith has shown to be a coach that knows how to push all the right buttons so far, and if you’d like to see how all of this planning pays off, head on over to StubHub.com and choose from the available Super Bowl tickets.