Bears

Silvy: Caleb Williams’ nails are not your concern Bears fans

Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams (13) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Washington Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

You’re worried about Caleb Williams’ painted nails?

Or the color of his phone case?

Not you. Can’t be. Not the Chicago sports fan.

That would be so hypocritical.

Story time...

There once was a player Chicago hated. He not only beat the Bulls over and over, but while he was winning, he would commit cheap shot fouls consistently. He once pushed Scottie Pippen from behind and Pippen landed head first into the stands.

Four years later, Jerry Krause traded Will Perdue for this player and all Chicago fell in love. Yes, Dennis Rodman wore dresses, with multiple piercings and tattoos, while also painting his hair and nails. He was BELOVED in this town.

And the funny part is, Caleb Williams hasn’t done a thing to anyone in Chicago in the past. But there are some who already want to hate on him. Rodman destroyed Bulls players with elbows and dashed fans hopes, yet we couldn’t wait to love him. I don’t get it.

Let’s dig deeper.

While Rodman was wearing dresses, he helped lead the Bulls to three championships. I covered those teams daily as a young radio reporter and loved every second.

But Rodman missed practices after being hungover, missed games to decompress in Las Vegas, head butted a referee and kicked a cameraman in the groin. He had his own set of rules from Phil Jackson.

And we loved.

Yet, you already want to dislike Williams for his nails? That doesn’t compute. So you say you’ve also “heard” Williams is a diva.

Another story...

A Bears quarterback arrived at Halas Hall in a limousine. He was wearing sunglasses and holding a beer. He just got drafted in the first round. Interesting first impression.

While on the Bears, he was fined by the NFL wearing illegal headbands, wrote a book after winning the Super Bowl calling his coach Sybil and saying his owner is ill equipped to run the team and divided the locker room with the way he treated Doug Flutie while he was hurt.

Yep, that was the “punky QB” Jim McMahon. And we all loved him.

I’ve always said that Cade McNown had a lot of the some personality qualities as Jim McMahon. McMahon was viewed as colorful. McNown was known as a jerk.

The difference? McMahon was good and won football games. McNown was bad and lost.

In 1998, after the Bears deemed Randy Moss too risky to draft from a personality standpoint with the fifth overall pick. They thought the safe selection would be the player who answered “yes sir” and “no sir” to all of their questions during team interviews. That was Curtis Enis. It was all a rehearsed act and not who he really was. The Bears were duped and Enis was a bust. Moss of course was one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play in the NFL.

You maybe think you know who Williams is based on his fingernails, phone case or crying in the stands after a loss to Washington. But you don’t know. And I’m not promising that Caleb is finally the one.

I hope he is the forever quarterback we’ve been waiting for. All I’m saying is his on-field play will determine how he’s perceived and judged. Give him that opportunity at the very least.

Scratch the other hot takes from your conversations. Quite frankly, it sounds like nails on a chalkboard.

The only thing we should care about Caleb Williams’ fingers is how well they spin the football. All the other stuff is spin zone.

• Marc Silverman shares his opinions on the Bears weekly for Shaw Local. Tune in and listen to the “Waddle & Silvy” show weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. on ESPN 1000.

Marc Silverman

Marc Silverman

Marc Silverman shares his opinions on the Bears weekly for Shaw Local. Tune in and listen to the Waddle & Silvy show weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. on ESPN 1000.