Opportunity rarely knocks twice in sports. Ask any 2003 Cub. Better yet, ask any 2006 White Sox who wasn’t fortunate enough to be around for ’05. And yet here are the Bears again: NFC North champs, first-round bye, home-field advantage, 9-point favorites vs. the Seahawks on Sunday. The return trip has been long–364 days since Carolina. And like a comet, these Bears know this moment might not come back around again in their sporting lives. “The window is so short. For a lot of guys, this will be their last chance,” Brendon Ayanbadejo tells Melissa Isaacson on Page 7.
– That’s some pressure. But common threads can be found among playoff winners in all sports: paying attention to detail, channeling emotions, creating a sense of a mission. “One of the things that helped us tremendously was that the [division] lead we had was reduced to one game, and we had to fight for our lives to get into the playoffs [before winning the World Series],” White Sox general manager Ken Williams tells Brian Hamilton on Page 6.
– Watching the Indians nearly catch the Sox reinforced the kind of communal doubt the city is accustomed to–and feels again. “Hearing the things I’ve heard, I wouldn’t think the Chicago Bears were 13-3,” defensive end Alex Brown tells David Haugh on Sec. 1, Page 1.
– All of that skepticism can change Sunday. The Bears know this page of the story and say they’re ready for a new ending, the next phase. That’s where you come in–the Fourth Phase, as coach Lovie Smith likes to call fans. You have to be prepared. How? Know the Bears’ fight song. Been a while? The lyrics are above.
`Bear down, Chicago Bears,
make every play clear
the way to victory.
`Bear down, Chicago Bears,
put up a fight with a might
so fearlessly.
`We’ll never forget the way
you thrilled the nation,
with your T-formation.
`Bear down, Chicago Bears,
and let them know why
you’re wearing the crown.
`You’re the pride and joy
of Illinois, Chicago Bears,
bear down.’
Skilling’s forecast
Cloudy. Winds 15-20 m.p.h.
Drizzle andflurries; steadier snow later in day. High 34.
On the Internet
Follow Rahula Strohl’s in-game chat on ChicagoSports.com. And for a menu with multiple online Bears offerings, go to chicagotribune.com/bears
