Bad exhibition from Bad Rex

If you think preseason games are torturous for you to watch, imagine what it's like for Lovie Smith.

The Bears head coach probably would prefer to start the season this week, rather than endure two more exhibitions that can only serve to embarrass Rex Grossman, or injure one of his Super Bowl lynchpins.

And it's only a matter of time before the NFL begins adding regular-season games and subtracting these farcical contests.

If you're the Bears, it can't happen soon enough.

They were healthy, united, confident and hungry heading into Monday night's "rematch'' with the Colts, and they left with a raging quarterback controversy, 21 days before the regular-season opener.

It is hard to repeat even a conference title these days, but it shouldn't be for the Bears because they desperately want to get back, and they have the NFC rolling out the red carpet for them again.

This year, it won't even be about Grossman. True, he was atrocious again Monday night with 3 fumbles and an interception, and that display should never come as a surprise.

But we assume he will either play well or he won't play, and he can play well if the Bears' defense and special teams hand him spectacular field position and 3-touchdown leads again like they did last year.

Gary Huff would be an all-pro with that advantage.

If Grossman doesn't play well, we assume Smith won't be as stubborn as he was last year when he flushed a Super Bowl down the tubes.

Once that's resolved, 2007 is going to be more about the health of the defense, and, more specifically, about Tommie Harris and Mike Brown.

They're big-play guys and difference-makers, and if they can stay on the field through the third weekend in January, the Bears have a huge chance to play in the final game of the season again.

They're loaded on defense, so much so that the team probably can survive whatever QB play it gets, and maybe even potential problems at running back and on the offensive line.

But you saw the way teams began gashing the Bears without Harris and Brown, and a smart offense -- like Indy's -- went right at those gaping holes.

So Bears fans cross their fingers and hope nothing happens to either one, and as another exhibition event passes into the August night, you can't help but wonder why they even bother.

With four such contests slated, the first and fourth games are worthless, with starters playing limited minutes.

Why not just play two, give the starters serious minutes, and get the season started already? It'll be more money for the owners and TV networks, and potentially more for the players.

That said, it seems inevitable that the NFL will soon start removing these dangerous and ludicrous games from the schedule.

Rexology 101

Rex Grossman picked up right where he left off in the Super Bowl, fumbling, bumbling and throwing an interception.

This after the public-relations machine cranked out story after story about how Grossman spent the last six months practicing footwork, and -- even better -- how to properly take a snap.

What's shocking is that after four years at Florida and four more in Chicago, Grossman still is learning such things.

What's not at all shocking is how the Bears will defend Grossman and insist he's a future Hall of Famer.

Everyone will say it, from top to bottom, but does anyone -- including Grossman -- believe it?

Lefty's back

For those who don't recall, new White Sox reliever Mike Myers began high school at Hersey in Arlington Heights and graduated from Crystal Lake Central, lettering in three sports along the way.

Of course, that was about 20 years, 860 games, $10 million, and nine teams ago, but Myers has crafted quite a nice career for himself as a specialist.

Seam stress

So the Cubs are down 2 runs in the eighth Monday and the Cards send their closer out for a 2-inning save, but the Cubs make Jason Isringhausen throw only 16 pitches in two frames.

After Derrek Lee led with a 6-pitch walk, Aramis Ramirez -- here's a shock -- swung at the first pitch and flied out. After Daryle Ward swung at the first pitch and singled, Mark DeRosa swung at the first pitch and hit into a double play.

In the ninth, Matt Murton swung at the fourth pitch, Jason Kendall at the second and Jake Fox at the first.

Ball game.

Vic Harris-ing

Raise your hand if you had forgotten Felix Pie was even on the club when he came in to pinch run Monday.

Check the calendar

Is it just me, or did Tony La Russa manage Monday like it was Game 7 of the World Series?

Pitching in

So far, the MVP of the Cardinals isn't Al Pujols. It's pitching coach Dave Duncan, who has once again turned chicken slop into chicken skewers.

Incredulous in Chicago

How odd for the White Sox to spend the weekend in Seattle and return home to the constant rain, wind and storms of … Seattle?

And finally …

Greg Cote of the Miami Herald: "Detroit is No. 1 in The Sporting News' latest list of best American sports cities. The positives for those fans include the winning Pistons, Tigers, Red Wings and WNBA Shock. The one negative outweighing even the Lions? Having to live in Detroit.''