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Beware of that ‘O’ in Grossman

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Times Staff Writer

If nervous Chicago Bears fans cover their eyes whenever Rex Grossman has a passing down today, a website has been created to allow safe tracking of the streaky quarterback during the Super Bowl.

The Rex-O-Meter will provide real-time updates of Grossman’s performance using a gas-gauge graphic with a needle that can travel from zero, “Bad Rex,” to 100, “Sexy Rexy.”

According to the creators of rexometer.com, “We’ll follow Rex using the QB scale, which is similar to passer rating but also factors in sacks, rushing yards and fumbles lost.”

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In the Bears’ three losses this season, Grossman logged Rex-O-Meter scores of 16, 10, “poor,” and zero, “really bad.” Hopeful news for Chicago fans: The Bears are 13-0 in games Grossman grades out at 39 or better. They even managed to win a game when Grossman logged a Rex-O-Meter score of zero.

Of course, the opponents in that one were not the Indianapolis Colts.

They were the Arizona Cardinals.

Trivia time

The team with fewer turnovers has won 28 of 32 Super Bowls; and in the eight other Super Bowls turnovers were equal. Which four teams have won the Super Bowl even though they had more turnovers?

Jinx-O-Meter

Boldly foreseeing a Rex-O-Meter rating of 39 or better, the city of Chicago has quietly made plans for a Super Bowl victory celebration resembling the Bears’ first in 1986.

As was the case with the champion Bears 21 years ago, plans call for a ticker-tape parade down LaSalle Street and a rally at Daley Center Plaza on Tuesday, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

According to the newspaper, “At the Bears’ request, City Hall has been trying to keep celebration details under wraps for fear of providing bulletin board material for the Colts.” Too late.

Week 5 power rankings

This was the week Joe Namath commemorated Super Bowl III by guaranteeing a Colts victory ...

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1. Super Bowl XLI: It has already been decided. Bears needed all the help they could get. All they got was the cover of Sports Illustrated.

2. Colts: Hot proposition bet: Who catches more footballs today, Marvin Harrison or the Colts’ secondary?

3. Adam Vinatieri: This is why he signed with Indianapolis. To kick a lot of extra points in the Super Bowl.

4. Miami: A city worthy of a Super Bowl. Patriots still walk the streets wearing T-shirts that read, “We Won Super Bowl XXXIX, and All We Got Was Lousy Jacksonsville.”

5. Prince: Funny how the passage of time can make a one-time “obscene” act safe enough for Super Bowl mass consumption. Next year’s halftime headliners: the Sex Pistols.

6. Bears: They have a 15-3 starting pitcher who is ripped daily in the national media. Cubs can’t believe it.

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7. Trent Dilfer: Grossman looks at his photo and says, “It can be done, it can be done ... “

8. Super Bowl commercials: Apparently there are a couple without Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

9. CBS: Both CBS and NBC televised the first Super Bowl in 1967. If only we had that choice today.

10. Barbaro: His untimely demise gives added incentive to Colts.

Trivia answer

The Baltimore Colts in 1971, Pittsburgh Steelers in 1980, New York Giants in 1987, and the Steelers again in 2006.

And finally

Should the Colts defeat the Bears today, they’ll become the second franchise to win the Super Bowl representing two cities, Baltimore and Indianapolis.

The first? The Raiders, who won Super Bowls for both the cities of Oakland and Los Angeles.

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Yes, children, it’s true. Once upon a time ...

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mike.penner@latimes.com

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