Bear Down

Tonight is the first pre-season Chicago Bears game. They are playing the San Francisco 49'ers. The only reason that I care who they are playing is because the game doesn't start until 9:00 our time. Which is just slightly ridiculous. But anyway, as much as I am aware that preseason games mean JACK, and that the official starters will be on the field for no more than their allotted 15 minutes of playing time (that's just under an hour in real time, novices), I cannot wait. I LOVE FOOTBALL! And I especially love the Bears. There is something incredibly comforting to me about the idea of football, one that makes it tolerable to watch the beautiful days of indian summer give way to the brisk, and then cold, days of fall and winter. I know that every Sunday, I will put aside three or so hours of my time to lose myself in a pasttime that is at the same time exhilarating and frustrating (depending on how your team is doing in each play). I put on my Tom Waddle #87 jersey (he played wide receiver for the Bears from 1989--1994, and he was an awesome, humble, impressive player and I also had a serious crush on him...), snuggle up on my couch, and yell at the TV screen. I jump off the couch for a touchdown and call my dad right away after a win, and we celebrate together. Joined by phone lines and an intense love for the Bears, it's a great familial bond. Fortunately for me, I also have a boyfriend that is a huge Bears fan, and knows other huge Bears fans. So I spent a lot of my Sundays last season watching the games with them, holding the TV steady as they tromped around the living room singing "Bear Down Chicago Bears" at the top of their lungs after every touchdown. I still can't believe that I'm dating a guy who is a Christian, an actor, and a huge Bears fan, it seems to good to be true. And I often remind him how lucky he is to be dating a GIRL who is a Christian, an actor, and a huge Bears fan, he is aware of just how unusual that is, and how lucky that makes him. :)

It doesn't matter how good or bad the Bears are, I will always be their fan. I will always bleed blue and orange. But I'm hoping that this year will finally be their year. It's been 21 years since their last superbowl win, I was 7 years old at the time. I'll never forget doing the "Superbowl Shuffle" in my basement family room with my sister, or the poster that my dad had on the wall of his workshop of the entire 1985 team. I've been living in the glory of those days far too long. It's time for this team to step up and make new memories for a new generation of fans, and for those of us in the older ones who wouldn't mind losing our voices or our minds watching our team win the Superbowl. Bear Down, Chicago Bears. Time to play.