The Bears may not have many appearances on national television this season, but they made the most of Sunday’s special time on “international TV.” And in the course of their 37-31 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers, they might even have gained a few new fans.
The Bears-49ers game was selected to be beamed overseas to American troops. Some of those soldiers were those involved in ground and air action in Afghanistan against the government, accused of supporting the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“It was a perfect day, the perfect ending,” left tackle Blake Brockermeyer said. “We couldn’t have written a better story. I guarantee you, our troops were going crazy on that one. We definitely picked up some Bears fans over there.”
Knowing they had a special audience added to the moment for several Bears.
“We were told before the game that we had soldiers overseas who particularly would be watching this game,” defensive end Bryan Robinson said, visibly emotional. “We didn’t want to let them down. What better place to play than in Soldier Field, with the soldiers watching and on a mission?
“They’re doing their jobs over there and I’ve got a lot of respect for them. It made us feel good that we were the game that was televised.”
