Trading In My Shades For Goggles
Salutations to all Bears fans! This is Steve Ulaszek checking in and introducing myself to the readers of BearGogglesOn. I’m somewhat new to writing, but looking forward to gaining experience in hopes of starting a career in the sports world.
Want to know some facts about me? I swear they’re worth reading. I’m originally from Chicago, but my family relocated to Lexington, Kentucky shortly after I was born. Baseball was my first love and it was a dream of mine to play professionally, but injuries ended my career in high school. Sports are a huge part of my life and my new goal is to enjoy a career in the sports media world. I hope you guys enjoy my first step on this journey.
My favorite Bears memory has to be the 2006 NFC Championship Game against the Saints. I remember all the talk of “destiny” and “fate” for that Saints team. The Bears were being overlooked and disrespected because New Orleans was the feel-good story after the disaster that Hurricane Katrina was. The defensive performance led by Urlacher was outstanding and hearing the fans at Soldier Field singing “Bear Down, Chicago Bears” in the snow still gives me chills to this day. Seeing Urlacher hold the George Halas Trophy high to rounds of cheers was the icing on the cake.
There have been so many legends to wear the orange and blue, so it is quite difficult to pick out a favorite player, but I don’t think anyone has captured the essence of “Bear football” more than Walter Payton. I never got to see him play live, but just by watching the highlights and old film you can see the passion he played with and the emotion he brought out in the fans. He was a gridiron legend and a man that will forever be engraved in the history of the Monsters of the Midway and their fans.
The first Chicago Bears jersey that I ever received was Rashaan Salaam’s # 31. You can laugh, but I couldn’t have been prouder to wear the # 31 jersey all around Lexington as a seven-year old. Little did I know at the time how much of a disappointment his time would be in the Windy City.
Many fans are huge collectors of Chicago Bears memorabilia. I don’t claim to have a large collection, but I have a few favorites that I will always cherish. First is a mini Chicago Bears helmet given to me by my uncle the first time I visited Chicago as a child. He introduced me to football and is the reason behind my love for this team. Second is a Walter Payton bobblehead that was a limited edition product. Every time I see these two collectibles, I’m reminded of how deeply ingrained my love is for the Bears in my heart.
That’s a wrap for my introduction. Hopefully I didn’t bore you too much. If you’re still reading this, thanks for your time. If you fell asleep, you’re welcome for the nap! I look forward to sharing my thoughts and opinions with all you fellow Bears diehards out there. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail any time, theuman85@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @Uman85.
Bear Down!