Lovie Needs to Get Rex off the Sofa
Let's say you have a rambunctious four year-old. And, let's say that you have repeated conversations with said four year old about jumping on your expensive leather sofa. And, let's say, the kid totally ignores you and continues to jump on the sofa.
You don't need to be Dr. Phil to figure out that unless there is something preventing your child from repeating the behavior, he's going to continue to jump on the sofa. You need to put the kid in time out. You need to spank him. You need to force the child to understand that there are consequences for their actions.
In the case of Rex Grossman, I totally get where Lovie Smith is coming from. He wants to support his player. He thinks Grossman gives him the best chance of winning. He likes Grossman's confidence and swagger. And to the public, Lovie is saying: "My child isn't the menace that you think he is. He is a sweet and wonderful child who wants to do good. He just gets confused sometimes."
What needs to happen internally is that Lovie and Ron Turner need to sit Rex down and tell him "You throw one more stupid pick and we will sit you down." Period. And while some people would perceive that as coddling Grossman, there has to be a punishment in there somewhere. If Grossman knows that he can play as poorly as he has and get away with it, he will not improve. And, Lovie, while you mean well, the kid has to improve.
Bill Parcells had a respected veteran on his squad named Drew Bledsoe. When Bledsoe didn't perform, Tony Romo was given the opportunity. The Cowboys are now the trendy choice to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Mike Shanahan ran out of patience with Jake Plummer, so he gave Jay Cutler a shot Sunday night against Seattle. Cutler almost pulled it off against one of the better teams in the league.
The point is, Lovie has to consider that sometimes sitting someone down is more effective then letting them struggle. If Lovie and Ron Turner are so concerned that benching him will get in Grossman's head, then they need to find a less sensitive soul to be their starting quarterback. And, it's not like Grossman hasn't ever been benched before. It was a regular occurrence (for the same reasons) when he played for Darth Visor at Florida.
This is not a plea to play the back up, it is a plea to get Rex Grossman's head on straight prior to the playoffs. If the object of the exercise truly is to win a championship, it is time for Lovie Smith and Ron Turner to quietly and privately make it clear to Rex Grossman that poor play will no longer be tolerated. Otherwise, Rex will continue to jump on the sofa.
You don't need to be Dr. Phil to figure out that unless there is something preventing your child from repeating the behavior, he's going to continue to jump on the sofa. You need to put the kid in time out. You need to spank him. You need to force the child to understand that there are consequences for their actions.
In the case of Rex Grossman, I totally get where Lovie Smith is coming from. He wants to support his player. He thinks Grossman gives him the best chance of winning. He likes Grossman's confidence and swagger. And to the public, Lovie is saying: "My child isn't the menace that you think he is. He is a sweet and wonderful child who wants to do good. He just gets confused sometimes."
What needs to happen internally is that Lovie and Ron Turner need to sit Rex down and tell him "You throw one more stupid pick and we will sit you down." Period. And while some people would perceive that as coddling Grossman, there has to be a punishment in there somewhere. If Grossman knows that he can play as poorly as he has and get away with it, he will not improve. And, Lovie, while you mean well, the kid has to improve.
Bill Parcells had a respected veteran on his squad named Drew Bledsoe. When Bledsoe didn't perform, Tony Romo was given the opportunity. The Cowboys are now the trendy choice to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Mike Shanahan ran out of patience with Jake Plummer, so he gave Jay Cutler a shot Sunday night against Seattle. Cutler almost pulled it off against one of the better teams in the league.
The point is, Lovie has to consider that sometimes sitting someone down is more effective then letting them struggle. If Lovie and Ron Turner are so concerned that benching him will get in Grossman's head, then they need to find a less sensitive soul to be their starting quarterback. And, it's not like Grossman hasn't ever been benched before. It was a regular occurrence (for the same reasons) when he played for Darth Visor at Florida.
This is not a plea to play the back up, it is a plea to get Rex Grossman's head on straight prior to the playoffs. If the object of the exercise truly is to win a championship, it is time for Lovie Smith and Ron Turner to quietly and privately make it clear to Rex Grossman that poor play will no longer be tolerated. Otherwise, Rex will continue to jump on the sofa.
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