To borrow a phrase from poet T.S. Eliot, football is the cruelest team sport. And Steve McMichael warned us: “Every play out on that football field is like being in a car crash.”
Yet there are moments of athletic artistry when the quarterback throws a perfect spiral to a sprinting receiver for a touchdown. That’s what we saw in the fourth quarter of the NFC divisional playoff game when Bears quarterback Caleb Williams connected with tight end Cole Kmet to send the game into overtime.
Michael Jordan had his signature fadeaway jump shot. Williams has perfected a fadeaway pass that had the jaded TV color commentator Cris Collinsworth gush: “In all my days, I have never seen anything like that.”
We lost the game but saw a legend in the making. Something to keep Bears fans warm this cruel winter.
— Jerry Levy, Deerfield
Ecstasy and agony
To my fellow Chicago Bears fans: Let’s hold our heads up high. It was a great season. What exciting games!
Yes, we’ve gone from ecstasy to agony, but let’s not fall into a deep depression. Take a page from Cubs fans and “Wait ’til next year!”
— Sheryl Tarkoff, Chicago
Lasting memories
It’s easy now to think of Bears quarterback Caleb Williams as a mere mortal and not the god of mythological comebacks after Sunday’s defeat on the frozen tundra of Soldier Field. It was, after all, both the best of times and the worst, considering that heart-stopping finale in regulation was soon followed by the agony of defeat in overtime. So much was expected of the Bears’ self-assured QB, and he surely did not disappoint.
Congrats are in order for a season that proved to be more miraculous than disappointing, and we have Williams to thank for so many lasting memories as well as so many future hopes.
— Bob Ory, Elgin
Field goal in OT?
I’m just a lukewarm football fan, but I feel for the Bears after their loss to the Los Angeles Rams following that sensational last-minute comeback. I think the rules should require a touchdown to win in overtime play. A field goal seems like a cheap trick.
— Dan McGuire, Bensenville
Bears did us proud
We are all are a bit sad that our Chicago Bears finally ran out of miracles, but boy, did they give us four months of nail-biting thrills, infused with the promise that our Bears are the real deal. All it took was the installation of a great new head coach in Ben Johnson who groomed a talented quarterback in Caleb Williams to get the ball sailing. The Bears coaching staff made some smart draft picks, and the front office cobbled together some trades that paid off.
Kudos to our Chicago Bears! They did us proud.
— Michael Oakes, Chicago
Enough is enough
Am I the only person wanting the Chicago Bears to remain in Chicago? It is anathema to think of the Bears anywhere but Chicago. The Bears are Chicago!
I understand that another stadium, somewhere else, will mean more seats, more tickets, more revenue and a dome to keep out inclement weather. But at what point do we ask Bears owners and all of corporate America: How much more money do you need, and at what cost are you willing to go to get it?
It is time we speak up — enough is enough. We want our Bears in Chicago.
— Anne Janet “AJ” Crane, Riverwoods
One true candidate
Let’s get serious about the Bears stadium negotiations.
The Bears signaled their intent for a new stadium site by purchasing property in Arlington Heights. It is an ideal location for access to nearly all of the metropolitan area, with access to multiple highways and to rapid transit. The property is very large and offers huge future development opportunities in addition to a site for the stadium.
All of the other sites that have been announced as “of interest” have little merit beyond their value as negotiating chips in the Bears’ efforts to shake down local and state government. Each successive location they have suggested has less credibility, and Northwest Indiana has almost none, which is far from much of the metro area and a miserable drive for those who live in suburbs to the west, northwest and north. As it exists, there is no “there” there, so huge and speculative investments in hotels, restaurants and other services would be required.
If the Bears did move there, it is likely another NFL franchise in a small market would be happy to come to the third largest market in the country and take up residence at Soldier Field.
Arlington Heights is the only real candidate for the new facility.
— William McGrath, Evanston
The Bears won’t stay
Northwest Indiana has presented some wonderful options to the Bears. So the politicians who passionately felt that in no way, shape or form should public coffers be used to help the Bears — who actually are prepared to pay the full cost of a new stadium — are now in hummina-hummina mode.
Consider Gov. JB Pritzker’s response, “I believe it’s best for the Bears to stay in the state of Illinois.” Tacitly, he’s saying he never wanted to help them in any way and still doesn’t and certainly won’t encourage the legislature to do so. And the mayor of Arlington Heights is saying that the state must not allow the Bears to leave. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is silent at this point on the matter.
My guess is the Bears will be gone, along with Halas Hall and all the training facilities.
When the team is offered a generous welcoming offer that appreciates how much it can add to Indiana, why relentlessly fight a more or less begrudging welcoming battle in Illinois?
— Neil Gaffney, Chicago
There’s plenty of irony
It’s ironic that the Bears want a stadium where “Bears weather” will mean short sleeves instead of wind chill.
It’s ironic that one of the sponsors of the Indiana Senate bill that would create a northwest Indiana stadium authority also sponsored legislation for “right-sizing,” as in reducing, state Medicaid rolls.
It’s ironic Bears Chairman George McCaskey, whose mother, Virginia, mixed philanthropy with humility, would consider an Indiana stadium built with money that could have gone to health care for the needy instead.
It’s ironic Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren, who has encouraged minority youths to seek out leadership roles, should set an example of pitting community against community and state against state.
It’s ironic Chicago legislators are expected to play ball and vote for legislation that would facilitate the Bears building a stadium in Arlington Heights, with the bonds outstanding on the Soldier Field renovation not the team’s problem.
Ironic, indeed.
— Douglas Bukowski, Berwyn
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