Chicago Bears All-Decade Team: 2000s
A lot happened in the first decade of the new millennium — for the Bears, for myself and for the world as a whole. This isn’t exactly the forum for recent history lessons, however, so I’ll leave the details of the worldly happenings from 2000-2009 out of the conversation. On the other hand, I think my personal journey has some relevance here as it relates to my Bears fandom.
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During this decade I literally and figuratively made my transition into true adulthood, not just in age but in responsibilities. Being a father (x2) will do that, fellas.
More specific to our conversation, however, is that watching the Bears and my other favorite sports teams was no longer just a hobby — it was a necessary outlet. Enjoying the bar scene or whatever else it was that all my twenty-something friends were doing wasn’t really an option for me anymore, so instead my downtime was spent immersed in any Bears (or Bulls, depending on the time of year) news I could get my hands on.
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I was at a point where I appreciated all of the nuances that much more. The pre-game and post-game analysis, the press clippings during the week, the players’ media soundbites — all of it. It also didn’t hurt that the regional sports package of my satellite TV provider included a Chicago-specific channel on which I could catch exclusive Bears content that the national networks just didn’t offer. This was a welcome reprieve from my bunker here in Kalamazoo, MI where I’m surrounded by Detroit-types and the programming they crave.
The 2000s are when it all came together for me as an adult, a father and a fan. The players I’ve chosen for this all-decade team are Bears that I watched and studied closer than any who came before them, making this exercise feel a bit more authentic on my behalf. These are the Bear players who I know best.
Hopefully you, like I did, have a bit of fun looking back on some of these selections. With that, I give you the Chicago Bears All-Decade team of the 2000s.
Next: All-2000s Quarterback