Kyle Orton is the man

People scoffed, even laughed at me when I said the Chicago Bears should give Kyle Orton a chance at quarterback. And of course the Florida fans at work are still scoffing, giving me the "when Orton leads you guys to a Super Bowl, then he'll be as good as Rex Grossman" crap.

Well, Orton may yet have the last laugh. Orton has the Bears on top of the NFC North. They are only 4-3, but could easily be 7-0 -- and you can blame the vaunted defense for the three losses.

Orton's come a long way. From a guy who managed the offense while starting 15 games in 2005 -- for an injured Grossman, no less -- leading them to the playoffs. He didn't play much in 2006 or '07, biding his time until he got his opportunity. And boy is he taking advantage. He has a passer rating of 91.4 and has thrown 10 touchdown passes with only four interceptions.

The boy also loves to party, as this picture of Orton at an Iowa City bar (borrowed from Deadspin a couple of years ago illustrates. But that just adds to the charm.

So take that Gator fans. See you in the playoffs.