According to the famous adage, girls are made out of “sugar and spice and everything nice.”  A few lines later it is learned that boys are made out of “snips and snails and puppy dog tails.”  And while I am not one to doubt conventional wisdom, I might add that my favorite football player (Rex Grossman) is probably made out of a cross between the two.  Maybe “talented and brash but with bones made of glass.”

Grossman came into the league four years ago, has played in nine NFL games, and suffered three season ending injuries.  And if you are to believe the near unanimous consensus of the media minions, the Bears would be wise to bench Grossman in favor of established backup Brian Griese.  Here is why they are wrong.

Great NFL quarterbacks come in many shapes and forms.  There is the big and sturdy pocket passer type, like Dan Marino or Carson Palmer.  There is the mobile playmaker, like John Elway or Steve Young.  There is the hard throwing gambler, like Terry Bradshaw or Brett Favre.  And then there is the relaxed genius, say Joe Montana or Tom Brady.  As you can imagine, the absence of one proven prototype complicates the already difficult process of selecting and grooming a franchise player at the position.

But there are four traits that every great quarterback has had, regardless of background, personal style, complimentary players, or system.  These traits are: a strong arm, passing accuracy, confidence, and field vision.  Yet somehow every year, prospects that rate favorably in these key areas are overlooked for guys who steal the spotlight for other reasons.  Mike Vick for example, moved so much like an elite halfback that few noticed that he could not pass like a pro quarterback.     

Now some personnel types have this all figured out (Bill Walsh, Ron Wolf, Mike Holmgren) and you never find their teams without a quarterback who ranks somewhere in between competent and dynamic.  But sadly there is another end to the spectrum, those being the Dave Wannstedt’s and Dick Jauron’s of the world.  Both will tell you with a straight face (and crossed eyes) that quarterback play is not important, and accordingly not an emphasis in their offensive schemes of choice. 

The next season Grossman picked up where he left off, leading the Bears to an exciting victory (Week 2 at Green Bay).  Those of us who understood what big time NFL football was all about had seen enough: the Bears future with Grossman was as bright as the x-ray machine that was shining down on him after week three when he shredded his knee on a touchdown dive at the Metrodome.

Grossman’s 2005 season seemed over before it started, after he broke his ankle in the preseason.  Though the injury looked painful, it was nowhere near as gruesome as the 14- game Kyle Orton era that followed.  Thankfully Grossman returned in time to lead the Bears over Green Bay, as well as play decently in the disappointing playoff loss to the Panthers.

Somewhere along the way, Bears fans have landed in a number of camps in regards to Grossman.  The main group sees him as a brittle letdown and is all but anointing journeyman Brian Griese as the quarterback of the future.  Another group looks at the nine and a half games the Bears won last season with Kyle Orton, and somehow feels that he should remain the starter.  Another faction thinks that the Bears should bring back Jim Harbaugh and re-hire Mike Ditka (sadly, I’m only half kidding).  And I think anyone who advocates these options has a gross misunderstanding of what the Chicago Bears most need from the position.

Lets look at the numbers.  In 2005 the Bears offense scored ten or more points 60% of the halves in which Grossman took the snaps.  In the 29 halves that someone other than Grossman was under center, the offense scored ten points or more points less than 30% of the time. 

Griese is an excellent backup, but just as injury prone – and inconsistent – as Grossman, despite having twice as many seasons to prove himself otherwise.  Orton posted a decent record as a starter in 2005, but displayed the poise, maturity, and beard of a college freshman in the process. 

As for Grossman, I don’t know what to tell you if you can’t see it.  He has one of the strongest arms in the league, great accuracy, the confidence of a Daley on Election Day, and great field vision.  He might not be a household name (yet) and I’ll grant that he is not surrounded by a lot of offensive talent.  But he is the best quarterback the Bears have had in my lifetime, and he gives this current team its best chance to win.  I’ll grant you that he is as injury prone as Jim McMahon, but he is also every bit as competitive and charismatic.  If the Bears stick with him and his body sticks together, Grossman will be playing in a few Pro Bowls before too long. 

Go ahead, call me crazy.  I’ll close with another children’s sayings: sticks and stones might break my bones but names will never hurt me.  But be careful.  They might break Rex’s bones.  And the Bears really need him.