Did the University of Michigan football team stink up Camp Randall Stadium today worse than the Chicago Bears stunk up Candlestick Park Thursday night?

Are the Bears (4-5) comparatively more hapless, a bigger disappointment, a poorer emotional investment than the Wolverines (5-6)?

Hard to say. Both clubs are losing games to mediocre teams, both frequently detonate when they get in the red zone and neither is likely to play in the post-season despite high hopes coming in to the season. As a long-time and now suffering fan of both teams I can make the following cases for each position.

The Bears’ fan it worse because:

• The Bears’ offense is hapless
• Jay Cutler, the quarterback brought in to bring the team to the next level has been a huge disappointment and, really, doesn’t seem to care all that much.
• Michigan at least beat a hated rival (Notre Dame) while the Bears lost to the Packers
• Michigan is still, arguably, rebuilding under a second-year coach and a freshman quarterback running a new system,  while the Bears’ coach is in his 6th season and isn’t getting much from his veterans.

The Wolverines’ fan has it worse because

• Michigan’s defense is hapless
• Michigan’s most-hated rival, Ohio State, is doing very well this season, while the Bears’ most-hated rival, the Packers, is also limping along (4-4)
• Unlike the Bears, Michigan can’t point to a spate of key injuries when they say “wait `til next year!”
• Michigan fans are far less used to losing. Next week’s inevitable and now seemingly ritual thrashing by Ohio State (The Wolverines haven’t won that once-classic showdown  since 2003) will give Michigan its first back-to-back losing seasons since 1962-63.