I won’t digest much of yesterday’s game in this article as this is more of something that goes in a different direction. I thought about writing this for quite some time now. Today, while at work, I don’t feel like working. So here I am.
These are our Chicago Bears. With the other teams, I saw the Bulls win in the 90’s. I’ve gone through the Blackhawks in the 90’s as well but while good, they never could get past the likes of the Red Wings and Stars. Then, in the last four years, they brought home two Cups. But I still have not seen the Bears win a Super Bowl. And that sucks.
For whatever reason, whether it’s because the Bears still haven’t won a Super Bowl yet or because they are only 16 games in a season, I take losses from the Bears much more than I do for my other sports teams. When the Bulls lose, I expect it but I also know that they have another game coming up in the next day or two. Likewise for the Blackhawks. For the Bears, it’s waiting an entire week and sometimes more for another one.
I know. Maybe I am more emotionally invested in this franchise than others. I would surely think there are some more into them. With me, I finally started getting time off work and I have my employees come in so I can stay home and watch the Bears. I have a TV at work, but the Bears are the only team I want to watch by myself and at home.
When the Bears win like they did against the 49ers, I am much more energetic and motivated to do other things around my house or at work. When I woke up that Monday, I didn’t have any problem getting out of bed and going to work. I was much more optimistic about things outside of a game.
Then, when the Bears lose like they did last week or yesterday, I would basically park my ass on the couch and just sit there watching TV and feeling lazy. I don’t have any desire to catch up on my DVR. If I tried to play a video game, I would lose interest a few minutes into it. When I go to work that following Monday, first, I would probably wake up late and just say “fuck it” on getting stuff done for the duration of the day.
Today is one of those days and unfortunately, it’s happening way too often. Some would ask “Well, what if the Bears win five in a row and lose the next one?” I am not saying losing one game is fine as we are fans and want them to win every game. But if the Bears were say, 4-0 going into yesterday and shit themselves, yes, we are still pissed off. But am I pissed off as much as I am now? Probably not. 4-1 is pretty damn good to start. I would take that over something less any day.
It’s the growing optimism before the season begins too. And I admit, I overreact with some games and my teams end up winning a game. But with the Bears, I have went into the last few seasons more optimistic than ever. We had good reason to also. But the old theory of “games aren’t won on paper” proves itself, once again. We’re all sick and tired of it. We asked for changes and were granted them with a new regime. Sadly, it’s the same old shit.
When will this shit ever change?
Fire Ryan Poles | Fire Matt Eberflus 
October 6, 2014 at 12:30 pm
I hear ya Fro. And I definitely feel your pain man. This is so fucking pathetic. This isn’t rocket science, for fuck’s sake!!!!!!!!! Yesterday, again, the Bears stood around with their thumbs up their asses while the Panthers took the ball into the end zone. Laurence Holmes was right last night. This team is undisciplined and poorly coached. The Bears have no heart, no desire, and I’m really beginning to wonder just how much they really care about winning.
But you know what chaps my ass more than anything? Idiot Bear fans calling into the Score after a game like yesterdays debacle, or the previous week when they got their asses handed to them by Green Bay, and bitching and whining about shit that had nothing to do with the Bears losing, or even worse, bitching about letting Josh “McGowan” go to Tampa Bay. Some of these so called “fans” are so goddamned stupid I’m surprised they figured out how to operate a telephone. Cutler deserves his share of criticism, that’s for sure, but these losses were a team effort. Where the hell is the criticism of the defense, or special teams, or the coaching staff? Although today I have heard some people wanting to hold Trestman accountable. About goddamned time. But aside from that, most fans are complete, total fucking morons.
I said this yesterday, and I’ll say it again. I think Trestman is in over head. I don’t want another Ditka, but there has to be someone out there between batshit crazy (Ditka, Jim Harbaugh), and someone who is in a fucking coma (Lovie Smith, Dick Jauron, Marc Trestman).
October 6, 2014 at 2:14 pm
I hear what you’re saying about how you feel. I think it’s good that you have this forum and share how you feel. I’m certain that there are many people that are having the same feelings. I’ve consciously tried to be unemotional online when discussing the Bears, but I have mentioned to those around me how I feel after losses. Especially like the loss last week. And, how these losses can act as a trigger to me to engage in behavior that is not in my long term interests.
Something that you mentioned is a problem for me too. It is that we, as fans of the Bears, are consistently engaged to have heightened expectations for the Bears, and have that much higher a height to fall from when expectations clash with reality. Especially week to week.
The attention focused on the Bears going into this season seemed especially thick. Perhaps it just seems that way to me because it was so recent. It certainly does not help that our franchise quarterback, Jay (The Bobble-Head) Cutler, is married to Kristen Cavallari.
When I read you write things like you “have seen the Bulls, White Sox, and Blackhawks” win championships in your lifetime, it almost sounds like you are just asking to see the Bears win a championship in your lifetime. And that does not seem like it is too much to ask.
I think that one of the reasons we identify so much with the Bears is because of a lot of how we like to feel about ourselves. We identify more with a football team. At Soldier Field. We want to be dutiful. We want to be denizens of the city of big shoulders, the Monsters of the Midway.
I have got to try to consciously remind myself not to listen to hype about the Bears from the media. The media approach is no doubt market by market, and we have to realize our especial vulnerability, given our psychological profile. God knows I have got to try to be more focused on the perniciousness of marketing’s strategy of engaging all to succeed, even though only one team succeeds in the end.
What seemed to help me a bit yesterday was that as soon as the TV started going on about the legacy of the Bears, a red flag arose and a voice inside my head screamed “Thirty years ago!”
In any event, it’s good to commiserate, especially after feeling having been led down the primrose path again.
October 6, 2014 at 10:29 pm
it will change if patrick ryan owns the team.
October 6, 2014 at 11:55 pm
You are making progress, SunriseZone.
October 11, 2014 at 10:49 am
When the ownership changes.