It's no accident Bears pick now to raise QB question

There's an ancient axiom in politics that says when you're under fire, change the story.

And you have to hand it to Bears GM Jerry Angelo for following the playbook to perfection.

His team has gone two years without a postseason appearance and wouldn't own a single playoff victory in his eight years had the Bears not gotten exceedingly lucky against Seattle two years ago.

So knowing the heat would be coming quickly after the season ended, he came right out and proclaimed a new focus on a crucial position, and doubt about Kyle Orton.

How ironic is that? Let us count the ways.

This is a regime that completely ignored the position for years, and then forced down our throats a guy who obviously couldn't play.

But after giving Rex Grossman chance after chance, and defending him every step of the way, Angelo's now suggesting an impatience with Orton, who actually brought more stability - and ball protection - to the position than the Bears have had in a long time.

Was he an all-pro QB in 2008? Of course not.

But there was talk of it during the first half when he played better than most expected, even though he hadn't seen the field for a couple of years.

Almost always slow to correctly evaluate their own talent, the Bears buried Orton.

Now, after finally giving him a chance, they're suggesting he didn't show enough.

Again, Orton wasn't Joe Namath, but before he got hurt he played well enough to win, and then some. He showed flashes of being very good, but after hurting his ankle and playing on a bad wheel, he had a rough second half.

If this were Grossman, the cheerleaders would be out in numbers, and Angelo and Smith would be talking possible Hall of Fame nod.

Orton has a ways to travel, no doubt, but it's odd that Angelo picked now to debate a position he hardly knew existed for the better part of a decade.

Unless, of course, his main goal was to change the story and have us forget that Smith dumped Ron Rivera in a Caesar-like power play, especially with the job Rivera has done since taking over as San Diego's defensive coordinator.

Did you see that game Saturday night?

The Chargers actually pressured the quarterback, and Peyton Manning had no answer for hands in his face and shoes on his back.

What a notion, this pressuring the QB.

And while talking about Orton, maybe we're supposed to forget that the team didn't have an NFL-quality wide receiver in 2008, but alas, we're told receivers don't matter.

We should forget that the offensive line is old in spots and bad in others, and the defensive line was atrocious with few exceptions.

While debating Orton, we can forget the Bears couldn't cover anyone, and that they signed extensions for players like Brian Urlacher, Tommie Harris and Devin Hester, all of whom looked like they got their money and went into witness protection.

Look, I'm for upgrading any position when possible, including QB, and when possible having competition at every position, including QB.

But is that realistic, and is it the main priority when the Bears can't get to the quarterback and often can't protect their own?

Hey, maybe Angelo's right and the QB spot should be the main focus of discussion, but not at the complete expense of wondering how the Bears could be so bad at so many other positions.

Including defensive coordinator, head coach and GM.

Seam stress

Milton Bradley brings some much-needed, left-handed volatility to the Cubs' lineup and clubhouse.

Now, it's up to the manager to ensure that Bradley's productive both on the field and off, and that he doesn't become a danger to himself or others.

There's no secret about the positives and potential negatives, so there shouldn't be any shock if issues come up during the hot summer months, when the days are long and the tempers are short.

But the Cubs are paying a manager a lot of money to make sure players do their jobs and in the process don't break each others' necks - or pitching hands.

Not that I had anyone specific in mind.

The good guys

The Wolves will don commemorative "Winter Camouflage'' jerseys to be raffled and auctioned while hosting Armed Forces Night during games Wednesday and Saturday at the Allstate Arena.

They'll raise money for several veterans' charities, collect iTunes gift cards, phone cards, DVDs, video games, and other gift certificates to send to troops overseas. Fans who donate an item will have a chance to win Wolves prizes.

If that weren't enough, the Wolves asked Bloomingdale's Nick Smaga, currently serving a second term with the Army Reserves but home on leave from Afghanistan, to drop the first puck Saturday.

For more info, visit chicagowolves.com.

Best headline

Sportspickle.com: "BCS commissioners propose two-team playoff.''

Dead solid perfect

Comedian Alex Kaseberg: "John Daly said his six-month suspension from the PGA Tour is his personal low point. And this is coming from a guy who was once arrested for passing out in front of a Hooters.''

And finally -

Maybe we should have guessed something was wrong in Illinois when the Bears played the Colts in the Super Bowl two years ago. During the friendly wager among politicians, Indiana governor Mitch Daniels bet an array of chocolates, pretzels and soup, while Rod Blagojevich offered deep-dish pizza, cheesecake, and the Illinois Tollway Authority.

brozner@dailyherald.com