FanHouse Jim McMahon

If you decided to visit the Chicago Tribune home page Thursday morning, you found the main story online is a countdown to when the Bears will "finally" cut Rex Grossman from the team. No, not just the sports page; the main page. It's more of a story than your latest Blagojevich news, two Illinois soldiers being killed in Afghanistan, and a discussion of President Obama's health-care plan. Grossman was apparently more newsworthy.

Attached to the "Countdown to Rex-ile" -- where it discusses fans "rehearsing" their "toasts" -- you'll find a story by David Haugh where he discusses how unfair Grossman's treatment has been in Chicago. Gee, I wonder where these fans are getting it?

There was a controversy in the NFL this season when Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs suggested that his team had a bounty out on Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, and then backed off those comments. But anyone who thinks bounties aren't a part of life in the NFL should talk to Jim McMahon.

Best known for winning a Super Bowl with the 1985 Bears, McMahon was once injured by a player on the Packers, Charles Martin, who openly talked about having a bounty on McMahon and other players on the Bears. And at an ESPN-sponsored event today to promote tonight's Bears-Packers game, McMahon said bounties are an everyday part of pro football.

Asked if he knew about bounties in the NFL, McMahon said, "Every week." He added, "I played for seven different teams. There are bounties out every week on everybody."

That's certainly not the image NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell likes to project of his league. So the question becomes: Has the NFL changed significantly since McMahon retired? Or do teams just do a good job of keeping their bounties quiet?