Bear Down: A Writer’s Passion

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Every Bears fan remembers that moment. The Bears were mounting an incredible comeback against the Denver Broncos as Devin Hester returned a punt, his second touchdown return of the day, all the way back and Jeff Joniak was yelling about how ridiculous Devin was. Chills ran down your spine as you heard the words, whether watching the game or listening to the radio.

That same passion is the one that brought tears to your eyes when you heard that Brian Urlacher would not be returning to the Bears after thirteen Hall of Fame years as you sat there feeling a little empty inside. It is the part inside of us that makes Sunday’s great with the win and makes the week bad with a loss. It is that same passion that kept us hanging on, even after five win seasons and even putting faith in Cade McNown. That passion brings 61,500 screaming fans to Soldier Field and thousands more to their T.V., just like I do here in Des Moines, to come together and be a part of the Bear Nation.

So as a writer, is writing about the Bears really work? This weekend, after watching the Bears endure an up and down emotional victory over the Vikings I thought about all the emotions we have gone through just this past year as fans. Our head coach, Lovie Smith, received mixed reviews from fans throughout his career but the majority of fans were unhappy with his dismissal after a winning season.

To top that off, the face of our franchise, announced that he would not be returning because the front office couldn’t work a deal out with him. How were we supposed to keep the same faith we had, especially after a bold, contradicting choice in a coach from the Canadian Football League spread across the news? No doubt you heard all the same jokes from friends that I did regarding our team, our new coach, our defense, and just about everything else; but our passion was still there.

As you saw the belief this team had in their selves on Sunday, did you smile? When you watched Jay Cutler actually smile in the press conference while talking about the game, did you smile with him? Did you think about laughing out loud when listening to Martellus Bennett talk about “Cutty”, and crack jokes, calling himself Muhammad Ali? When we all thought things were turned upside down and had fears of what a brand new offensive line with only one returning member would do, let alone how the rookies would perform, the team continued to grow. Now, on the edge of our seat just as we are during every Devin Hester kick return, we realize this team is something special.

Are you asking yourself what Muhammad Ali has to do with all this? If you missed the press conference, don’t fear, as you’ll certainly read about not only that quote, but the quirky side of Martellus Bennett in a player profile on him next week. Through my writing each week I hope to show you a new side of a member on the Bears that you may not see on the field. Through my passion for the Bears, I hope to entertain you, inform you, but more so I hope to give you more of a personal attachment with your Chicago Bears players.

I look forward to talking with Bear Nation and bringing a new perspective of your favorite players, while we all share our passion for the Chicago Bears. For me this isn’t work, this is fun; and being able to share it all with you, makes it that much better. Watch for an article on Martellus Bennett mid-week next week and until then Bear Nation, Bear down!