Being a sports fan in Chicago means growing accustomed to losing. This big city has just one Super Bowl title to its name and one World Series championship in 88 years. (And, thank the stars, one Michael Jordan and a handful of NBA titles.) A lot more lean years than fat years.
But maybe there’s a little serendipity in what happened here on Sunday. By day, the White Sox folded up and the Cubs cleaned house after finishing with the worst record in the National League. But by night, the Bears had a coming-out party. If you watched the nationally televised game against the Seattle Seahawks and listened to veteran announcer John Madden gush about the Bears, you couldn’t help but think that Chicago just may have something rare and special coming along.
After a baseball season in which expectations bottomed out, the Bear’s 37-6 win over the defending National Football Conference champions no less, couldn’t have come at a better time. Like the arrival of a package you’d sort of–but not quite–given up on.
The win made the Bears 4-0 for the first time since 1991. It gave them the best record in the NFC. There is already talk of the Super Bowl, and with that a flood of fond memories of the 1985 Bears team, the one that went all the way.
Chicago fans are endowed with a healthy dose of perspective when it comes to their sports teams. It’s OK if you’re still a little loath to get excited, a little nervous about being disappointed. Holding back is a coping mechanism, and Lord knows Chicago sports fans learn how to cope.
But did we mention the Bears are 4-0!
