Not so bad after all

Hounded quarterback repels opponents, critism to bring da city of Chicago on his side. It showered him after the biggest win of his life.

Blue and orange confetti rained from the snow-speckled Chicago sky when he got a several-seconds-long hug from his coach, the man who never surrendered faith in him.

As ballistic fans chanted “Super Bowl! Super Bowl!” follwing the Chicago Bears 39-14 throttling of New Orleans in the NFC title game, Bears quarterback Rex Grossman was then congratulated by Saints quarterback Drew Brees — the leauge MVP runner-up; the man he just out-dueled.

Reporters swarmed him as flashbulb after flashbulb went off in his face. But for once, he wasn’t subject to questions about needs for improvement or feelings about backup QB Brian Griese taking his job. For once, he bathed in nothing but praise.

Maligned and scrutinized all season, Grossman, engulfed in a wave of frenzied joy at Soldier Field, soaked up the love and respect that comes with being a championship quarterback.

Grossman isn’t on covers of GQ. He doesn’t star in MasterCard commercials. His mom doesn’t help him advertise Chunky Soup.

Grossman does, however, have something this season that 30 other quarterbacks don’t: a chance to play in Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4 in Miami for a world championship.

Offensively, the Bears aren’t difficult to solve. They are going to run, run, run until you stop it. Grossman, therefore, isn’t asked to do much. He is, however, asked to not lose games by making mistakes; and, this postseason, he hasn’t.

Since an atrocious effort in the regular season finale, Grossman has been quietly potent.

He steered the game-winning drive in overtime in the divisional round against Seattle. He maneuvered the Bears 85 yards in five plays against the Saints for a decisive score.

In two postseason games, Grossman has thrown one interception, which wasn’t his fault, and hasn’t fumbled. He has made very few questionable decisions. And by doing so, he helped get the NFL’s cornerstone franchise to its first Super Bowl in 21 years.

Chicago coach Lovie Smith said Grossman never did anything this to lose the job, but rumors still raced through the streets and airwaves of Chi-town.

For the better part of this season, Grossman faced questions concerning his unpredictable play as the commander of the Bears offense, considered by most the weakness of the team. Grossman started the year strong, but fell into a slump down the stretch, prompting fans and pundits to suggest a switch.

Griese, brought in during the offseason as insurance, was the logical successor. Kyle Orton directed the Bears last season to a division title and playoff appearance, planting the seed for another argument.

But even after Grossman’s 2-for-12, 33-yard day in a loss to rival Green Bay that capped the regular season, Smith stuck with his ace, a move that frustrated many and baffled more.

Could the ex-Florida Gator emulate his alma mater by taking the Bears to paradise?

Three weeks later, with the George S. Halas trophy — named after the Bears’ founder — home in the Windy City, the doubt has vanished. One win from the ultimate prize, Grossman suddenly doesn’t seem like a bad choice.

Should he deliver a 10th world championship to Chicago, the new-found love will continue to pour and more hugs will be coming his way.