Red Grange Days Until Chicago Bears Season Opener
Oct 26, 2013; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini football players touch the Harold E. “Red” Grange dedication statue before entering the field against the Michigan State Spartans at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports
We had so much fun doing our Countdown to Kickoff series last season that we decided to do it again. In case you’re new to the series, we’ll do a roster preview as we count down the days until the Chicago Bears September 7th season opener against the Buffalo Bills.
Getting closer…………..Football season is creeping upon us and it’s exciting. Me and my wife bought a house and it has been a joy. It is in a beautiful little town that sits on the Ohio river called Marietta. We have a bike trail near us and we can ride downtown along the river and our boy, Robbie, can feed the ducks and geese. It is about as good as it can get.
The previous owner’s kid was also a Bears fan. Robbie’s room came already bordered in navy and orange. When we first viewed it, a newspaper clipping was on the wall featuring the late, great Walter Payton. It was a sign from God. The real miracle here is that it’s not in Chicago, where that wouldn’t be unusual. The house is in Ohio in the area where my wife is from.
Will that same God shine upon the Bears this year the way it did in 1985?
77 more days until we get to find out. I now have the responsibility of writing about the most famous # 77 of the Chicago Bears, “Red” Grange.
The Galloping Ghost.
I can’t undersell it folks, he is a huge part of why football is what it is today. All kinds of people wanted to come out and see him play.
He and Halas promoted football on a tour and made new fans everywhere. The big contracts paid to rookies today…. Red kicked that off too, he signed one where he earned over $100,000 in 1925, when the typical pay was less than 100 dollars a game.
Here’s a good clip:
I have to admit, I didn’t know much about Harold “Red” Grange before taking on this assignment. My Chicago Bears “back” fan history started with Walter Payton. I later learned about Sayers. Fans of other teams, that exist and prosper due to the groundwork laid out by The Chicago Bears……….
you’re welcome.