As a long-suffering Bears fan, the way this year ended was tough to take. To this point I’ve kindly asked friends and family not to bring it up. It’s been a couple of weeks though, and I’m starting to come around.

Albeit slowly.

Though it’s still a bitter pill, I can see a faint glimmer of hope on the horizon. I can see the promise for next year, and I have a good feeling that our embattled qb will keep getting better.

It’s been a great year.

For the first time in a long time my team was solid, occasionally dominant, and always in the spotlight. Best of all, I made my first trips to Solider Field - first in October to see the Bears hammer the Bills, then a return trip for a great playoff game against Seattle.

What a shame this season had to end with a loss. And what a treat it’ll be to go through it all again next year!

A few weeks ago I decried the lack of perspective shown by those calling for Rex Grossman to be replaced. So you think after a few more rough outings I’m ready to eat some serious humble pie?

Not on your life.

These are impatient times, folks, but when it comes to football, I’ll trade broadband for dial-up any day of the week.

That’s not to say you wait on Rex forever. If his struggles continue for another couple of games, well, forget patience. Then it’ll be time to get the Griese gun limbered up for a run at the Super Bowl.

Until then though, I say stay the course. Rex has turned in some woeful performances as of late, but I still think he has enough raw goods to warrant the wait.

He has the support of his teammates. His coach is firmly in his corner too. If and when Rex does pull out of it, that loyalty could be a big chemistry builder.

I’ll never get people who want to send Rex Grossman to the curb after a couple of bad starts. Do these people know what they have here? In 7 games this year, he’s been very good, sometimes even brilliant. He’s been terrible in two.

I’d say that’s pretty good for a guy who’s yet to play a whole season’s worth of games. How many teams in the NFL (outside of San Diego) have a young QB who’s played so few games, but looked great in so many of them?

It says here that as Rex’s career rolls on, those bad games will become more and more infrequent until, in the end, Bears fans are left with nothing less than perennial Pro Bowler. Five years from now I’d love to remind the naysayers of how they wanted to bench him in favour of some guy named Griese.