One of the first things I wrote in this blog, is why I liked football so much, why its my favorite sport and why a fan should be careful being one. A fan of sports should be cautious of not falling to a pit of negativity, it should not make you ill or make others feel bad. There are ups and mostly downs but you wait and hope for the ups, you rejoice the ups when they come for that is the point of it. If you cant take the downs, its time to let go, its not worth it.
After the Bears lost to the Vikings in week 1, I really was ready to give up on this team and football entirely, excessive I know, but honestly I felt that one badly. In that moment at the end of the game, I was so tired and frustrated of re-living the same result over and over on so many games, I really felt no change, same result, no fun, so why keep it up?
I couldn't do it, I got stubborn. The next week I was there in front of the TV just waiting for the same thing to happen again and it did, a blowout against the Lions. It was against a tough team, it was expected, but it was a bad loss, a crushing one. I expected growing pains but this was sad, I was probably a masochist at this point, who watches something expecting pain? Expecting disappointment. A fan watches expecting their team to turn the corner, even if they lose, see something that makes them believe. I saw nothing at this point. The game I enjoyed watching, my hobby, my favorite activity, gave me nothing. I couldn't write, I had nothing to say.
I still couldn't give it up. I wasn't taking my own advise but because I still wasn't ready to believe it was over, I didn't think of it at the time, but now I really think that if the Bears would have gone 0-4 it would very probably have been my braking point. But fortunately I didn't get the chance to find out. The Bears beat the Cowboys the following week and convincingly. The narrative of getting beat by your ex-coach didn't happen, it didn't mean much at the time but it meant enough to keep watching, it wasn't going to take much to keep me going.
Next week, against a bad Raiders team who took the Bears to the last minutes, it was the Vikings game all over again, it was every other close game against a beatable team all over again. But it didn't happen, luck went the Bears way. What? Really? Wow, cool! I got to live the other side of the coin not long ago, so this is how it feels to win that way, eh? Pure luck, I'll take it, not gonna get much of those right? right?
Next week against the Commander, was where things happened that make you believe in ghosts, aliens and destiny, you know, things that you cant explain or have proof of. This game, man. A year ago, the Bears lost to this team on a las minute hail Mary pass that got deflected by a defender, popped up in the air and fell gently into the arms of a receiver in the end zone. This is a type of event that makes people break things. Because it just shouldn't happen. That fumble shouldn't have happened, the Bears shouldn't have won that game, but they did just like the Commanders shouldn't have won that game a year ago. And just like that game the Commanders won, probably made them believe they were invincible, destined to go far. This one probably made the Bears believers.
I, on the other hand, was starting to heal. I didn't start thinking how many games they were going to win, I was just happy that they were winning. And for every game they won after this, I was happy to see improvement, started to see thing clicking offensively at least, the defense had their moments. Everything was good again.
Then they beat the Steelers, I wasn't that surprised by then that they did. But then, they beat the Eagles, that I did not expect. Winning that game meant contention, meant the Bears where definitely a good team.
Then, they lost to the Packers, it helped that it was a close game, a game that came to the final second. But it was a loss against Green Bay, a good Packers team, it stung never the less, because it still felt that it was the same story again. The Bears cant beat the Packers. I expected it, as I expected the Bears to take the one at home as well. It was what I hoped. I started hoping again.
Second game against the Packers at Chicago, the Bears where getting their asses handed to them. Same old story. Not again. Not again, please. It didn't happen, the unlikely happened, everything that shouldn't have happened, happened. 3rd and 20 reset by a facemask penalty, FG to make it a 7 point game, onside kick recovery, fourth and goal TD, first sack of the game to force OT, 4th down stop, end zone bomb and catch, touchdown, game, Bears win, they beat the Packers. They have beaten them before yes but not enough to call it even, not even close, not for a true rivalry. This needed to happen for the Bears fan base, this rivalry is part of the game, its more fun when it exists.
Playoffs, something that was possible if everything went right, it didn't look at the beginning that it would go right but eventually it did. The Bears would play in January again. And against the Packers. Huh.
Getting to see the Bears beat the Packers the way they did in week 16 was incredible. Getting to see it twice? Really, what are the odds?
This team should have beaten the Rams. This team shouldn't have reached the playoffs. Both can be easily debatable, its just a matter of events, of belief, of taking the opportunities and making the best of them.
I don't believe they would have beaten Seattle, but we will never know. It doesn't matter, once they got to the playoffs and beat the Packers, yeah, that was my super bowl, I had seen enough, I was happy, I am happy that the team I root for is good and can get better. That I have hope they can get better.
I didn't plan to write all of this, this one just came out this way.
So I finish this by thanking the Chicago Bears football team for this season, for making me feel joy again watching this team play. Really, I am thanking people for doing their job, for doing it for their well being, that they may not even consider doing it for who is watching but for profit. As unhealthy that it may be being a fan, go this road of ups and downs when its a choice and not a need. Even then.
As a fan, as stupid as it may sound, thank you.
