Bears vs. Colts: Super Bowl XLI running thread

Look, if they went 1-15 I'd have no problem with anyone saying they suck donkey cock. I'd probably say it myself. But they're 15-3 and playing for the world championship and people still are saying they suck and they're lucky to be there. Also that they're going to get their throats ripped out Jack Bauer-style by a team with a one-dimensional offense and a mediocre defense.

I'm not sure what your team is, BYH, but how would you feel if you've waited 21 years for your favorite team to finally get back to the big game only to hear for three straight weeks that they're FRAUDS!, and will get their asses kicked by each playoff opponent?

I'm not guaranteeing a win. I'm not Joe Namath. But I do think they have a decent chance to beat the Colts, and won't need a fluke to do it.

 

My wife's a Bears fan. So I've been exposed to all your neurosis this week.

The Bears have been a bad team for a LOOOONG time. That's probably part of it...people aren't used to the Bears being good. It's not like they've been building to this for several years. They've had two straight winning seasons. Before that, their last good year was a fluke 13-3 (I'm sorry, 2001 was a complete fluke...Jim Miller? seriously? Jim Miller?).

There's a belief you need a stud QB to win a Super Bowl. The Bears don't have him, yet, though I think comparing Rex Grossman, in his first full year as a starter, to Trent Dilfer and David Woodley is unfair.

Anyway, to me, if you've waited this long to get a team into the Super Bowl, who cares what other people say? Your team is still one of the last two playing. You still get to wear cool swag even if they lose. You get to pay attention to the Super Bowl, as opposed to only the commercials. You've already won.

And trust me: My favorite team SUCKED far worse than the Bears ever did. So I know where you're coming from.

 

Jim Miller ... wow, it's been a long time since I saw that name. He actually opened the 1996 season -- the one after the Steelers lost to Dallas in Super Bowl XXX -- as the starting quarterback when O'Donnell (hi BYH!) left for the Jets. He then gave way to Crydell and Mike Tomczak. Good times.

 

I'll try to be unbiased. ... (OK, that's a lie. )

The fact is, the Bears are NOT that good. They're playing in a decidedly weaker conference and they were average, at best, against the AFC this year (2-2, w/ wins vs. Buffalo and at NYJ, losses vs. Miami and at NE).

Their quarterback is young, but at this stage of his career he's among the worst five quarterbacks in Super Bowl history. That might change later. But right now, he is.

Their defense is very good, but their star power is lacking compared to the legendary defenses of even just this era ('00 Ravens, '02 Bucs). Unfortunately, they won't be able to escape the shadow of the greatest defense ever assembled -- which just happened to be from the same franchise -- at least not until they win the Super Bowl like their '85 predecessors did.

That said, the Bears can absolutely win this game. But they'll have to, you know, actually win it first.

Right now, it's fair to say they suck donkey cock. They benefited from playing in arguably the weakest modern-era conference in NFL history. Their 15-3 record is easily overlooked because of said young (and outrageously inconsistent) quarterback.

If they win, all props to them. But they'll have to do it first.

 

Buck,

Anyone who says a 15-3 team that just won its conference championship game by 25 points sucks has obviously spent way too much time studying a lesser game like baseball.

 

I can think of (at least) five worse QBs. Craig Morton (twice), Vince Ferragamo, Ron Jaworski, Tony Eason, David Woodley, Jeff Hostetler, Kerry Collins, Neil O'Donnell and Trent Dilfer (and don't feed me that shit about him winning; Grossman had more TD passes during his first full year as a starter than Dilfer had in any season of his mediocre career).

Jesus, I wish the Bears had put Favre through the turf during that New Year's Eve game just to put you bastard Packer backers in your place once and for all.

 

And yet none of those guys had the worst quarterback performance ever in a Super Bowl.

 

2-for-12, 33 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs (2 TDs), 0.00 rating.

But, you know, it was New Year's Eve and there was nothing to play for. So, well, he just didn't prepare right. :

 

Packers: 8-8 and playing golf right now.

 

Hey, I saw my team win a Super Bowl in my lifetime (one that I was cognizant for, to boot). ...

You better hope Sexy Rexy knows how to moon a helicopter.

(And to think: I'm actually rooting for Chi here.)

 

Hester's going to run a kick or a punt back for a score. Jones is going to run all over the Indy defense. Grossman will hit at least one long pass for a score. Manning picks apart teams that blitz, but the Bears get plenty of pressure without doing that. Indy's cooked.

 

Trust me, Ellis, some people will never let it go, no matter what the Bears do in the Super Bowl (Hello Seahawks fans!).

Any team that won the NFC was going to have to win the Super Bowl to get the respect you seem to be looking for. It was the weaker conference all year. Most of that goes out the window if the Bears beat the Colts.

And really, Grossman can only be measured as a Super Bowl quarterback once he plays in it. And even winning guarantees nothing. If I remember correctly, Dilfer played pretty well when the Ravens blew out the Giants after not doing much in the playoffs. Not that anybody ever gives him much credit.

But just a week ago I heard some radio goofball say that Ben Roethlisberger's only contribution to the Steelers winning the Super Bowl was the tackle against the Colts. Never mind that how well he played in the previous three playoff games. He stunk in the Super Bowl and that is all anybody remembers.