Thread: How did you become a Bears fan?

I was born into this tradition of being a Bears fan. My gramps bought season tix soon as he got back from serving in the AAF in WW2. Was a season ticket holder for over fifty years. Lots of great memories for him and my dad watching games at Wrigley.

I didn't start getting into sports until I started going to school, and my friends were always talking about it. I remember watching Celtic/Laker/76r/Det games(bulls weren't worth watching back then) all winter, Chicago Cubs games all summer, but more then anything I rember watching Dallas Cowboy and Chicago Bears football on Sundays.

The '85 season was what sold me on who I would root for though, I still remember sitting in the back of the school bus and everyone taking turns doing the super bowl shuffle. The Colts hadn't established themselves in Indy yet and most people were still Chicago fans in South Bend(didn't change until Manning showed up and they started winning it's probably 60-40 now). But I remember falling in love w/how Walter ran and how the D played, Singletary's eyes, the cockiness of McMahon and the nastiness of Ditka and Ryan. How could you not love that team.

It's probably why my expectations for this team are higher then a lot of peoples, my 1st real experience was them being a winning franchise w/a ton of potential. I didn't know anything about the gawd awful 60-70's. To me those mid 80's teams were what you expected the Bears to be, not what came in the 90's and the early 2000's. At least in the 90's you had the Bulls to sedate you, the Bears could be put on the back burner..and at that time I was still a cubs fan so I had that stupid "there's always next year mentality" as if championships were just expected for the Bears.

I have always had a curiosity of Chicago Bears football throughout my life, Mattrl42. The first time I really took notice of them was back in the 8th Grade (1995-1996) when I watch an old NFL Films production on ESPN Classic about Super Bowl XX. I was amazed at how they just ran a 330 lb DT in William "The Refrigerator" Perry into the end zone for a monster touchdown splash.

But what really got me hooked on the Bears was when Dad told me that he grew up knowing the great Doug Atkins, who was a DE in the league from 1953-1969. He played 12 seasons for the Bears (1955-1966), and led the defense in 1963 to dominate the league and win the NFL Championship. He is now in the Hall of Fame.

The first year I watched the Bears was in 2005, and I became totally enamored with them in 2006. Since then, I've been let down so many times by the sheer buffoonery of Jerry Angelo. I want this franchise so badly to achieve greatness, and it was nearly back to doing so this season until our lack of depth showed up when Cutler went down with a broken thumb. I doubt we will win another game this season, and that is just sad. Luckily, it's being said that Jerry Angelo is leaning towards retirement. If that happens, that will be great. Let's just hope that Tim Ruskell isn't his replacement, although I have a sneaking suspicion that he will be.

Fall of '86....just getting to the age where going against what Dad said felt cooler then go with what he said (yeah, I was a prick back then).

He was (and is) a die-hard Bengals fan, living just an hour north of Cinci will do that. Da Bears played a game in Cincinnati, and STOMPED the Bengals! Like he still does, my Dad took the loss pretty bad....and the lil brat the I was, just LOVED watching Sweetness run havoc on 'em. Haven't looked back since (even through the 80's)...

Now-a-days my buddy (him a Lions fan from the Sander days) started a tradition back in '99 to go to our games every year. We've missed a couple of years since...splitting locations every other year or so (although he admits, that tailgating at Soldier Field is WAY better).

93, just started watching football, and some of our best family friends got me into em. All my friends back in IL are bears fans, some went from the colts to the bears. My fav player all tilme is chad pennington, who i fully expect to replace hanie next year.

Originally Posted by Henry Burris

93, just started watching football, and some of our best family friends got me into em. All my friends back in IL are bears fans, some went from the colts to the bears. My fav player all tilme is chad pennington, who i fully expect to replace hanie next year.

And do what? Break his arm?

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

I didn't start getting into sports until I started going to school, and my friends were always talking about it. I remember watching Celtic/Laker/76r/Det games(bulls weren't worth watching back then) all winter, Chicago Cubs games all summer, but more then anything I rember watching Dallas Cowboy and Chicago Bears football on Sundays. The '85 season was what sold me on who I would root for though, I still remember sitting in the back of the school bus and everyone taking turns doing the super bowl shuffle. The Colts hadn't established themselves in Indy yet and most people were still Chicago fans in South Bend(didn't change until Manning showed up and they started winning it's probably 60-40 now). But I remember falling in love w/how Walter ran and how the D played, Singletary's eyes, the cockiness of McMahon and the nastiness of Ditka and Ryan. How could you not love that team. It's probably why my expectations for this team are higher then a lot of peoples, my 1st real experience was them being a winning franchise w/a ton of potential. I didn't know anything about the gawd awful 60-70's. To me those mid 80's teams were what you expected the Bears to be, not what came in the 90's and the early 2000's. At least in the 90's you had the Bulls to sedate you, the Bears could be put on the back burner..and at that time I was still a cubs fan so I had that stupid "there's always next year mentality" as if championships were just expected for the Bears.

I think were about the same age and from the same area.... I could have written that myself.