REX WITH THE ONES
While Kyle Orton refuses to give up hope of playing Sunday against the unbeaten Titans, Rex Grossman is preparing as if he will start. Orton’s right ankle sprain is not serious, but may still keep him sidelined. He did not practice Wednesday. If Orton is sidelined Thursday, it would seem unlikely he would be available to play the Titans.
Grossman is approaching the game as if its’ the only one he might play this season.
“I’m focused on my job to tell you the truth,” Grossman said. “That aspect of my career is kind of on the back burner as far as Chicago is concerned. I’m trying to make the Bears the best team on Sunday. That’s all I’m worried about.”
In addition to Orton’s absence from practice, the Bears were without defensive tackle Tommie Harris, cornerback Charles Tillman, safety Mike Brown(calf), and receiver Marty Booker.
Receiver Brandon Lloyd and defensive back Danieal Manning did work, while linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer was limited.
LOVIE ON OBAMA
President-elect Barack Obama has an open invitation from Lovie Smith to visit Halas Hall or Soldier Field.
“There’s a lot of reasons of course why of course I like Barack Obama, president-elect Barack Obama,” Smith said. One of them is he is a big Chicago Bears fan. He let’s everyone know it. There’s a standing invitation for him to come out here or come down there anytime.”
Smith called this day “historic” and was clearly moved by Obama’s victory.
“It’s hard to really put it into words. You know when you grow up you always hear you can be anything you want to be, but you need a visual sometimes to see that, and now we have it. The most powerful man period…is black. So young kids coming up today now they really do know they you can be anything you want to be. You think about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr…his dream as he talked about it of someday seeing someone like Barack in this position.”
TITANS INJURIES
Unbeaten Tennessee has some injury concerns. Pro Bowl linebacker Keith Bulluck missed practice with cracked cartilage in his ribs. Bulluck has started 105 straight games for the Titans. Defensive Kyle Vanden Bosch has been bothered by a groin injury for three weeks and also missed practice. And return man Chris Carr also was sidelined. Carr is the leagues number two kickoff return specialist.
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