A Lifetime Chicago Bears Fan Speaks – Wow

Being a Chicago Bears fan is a test of endurance, faith, and insanity.

The insanity part is the key. Occasionally, a fan might ask themselves how much hair they have left to pull out.

Not much.

Oh, and I also root for the Cubs, where a Satanic goat placed a curse on us until we exorcized that scoundrel in 2016.

Back to the Bears. My dad took me to a Bears game at Soldier Field in 1963. I was five. I remember the wind howling as we tried to cover up in the nose-bleed section. I have no idea if the Bears won, but that was the year they won it all (pre-Super Bowl), so…

1963 Chicago Bears Season and NFL Championship Game Highlights

Everything changed in 1965 when Gale Sayers arrived in Chicago. Everything but lots of wins, that is. During his short career, the Bears weren’t very good. I wore his number (40) when I played flag football. Sayers was great. I was living in California and Oklahoma in the 60s, so I didn’t get to see him play much. When I did, it was electric. He could cut back against the grain at full speed, his kickoff return against the Vikings was incredible. Sayers tore his knee up in 1968. I was heartbroken.

ULTIMATE Gale Sayers Highlights HD!

In 1969, the Bears won one game. One I say. Sayers played his heart out.

A year later, we were living in the Bay Area. The Bears came to town to play the 49ers. We went to see Sayers, who, sadly, was only a shadow of himself. Knee and ankle injuries. He carried the ball a few times but did nothing.

It was a hard fall after that. Think mediocre. The only godsend was the drafting of Walter Payton in 1975.

The life of a passionate sports fan can be like a rollercoaster. The 1980s were like a dream. A Super Bowl victory.

Then back to up and down seasons. Mostly down. I decided years ago that the best way to be a fan was to have low expectations. Sounds harsh, but it’s true. The Bears’ best quarterback was Jay Cutler, born with talent, but also with an iffy attitude.

That brings us to the Bears of now.

Drafting Caleb Williams was polarizing. I was thrilled; many were not. I made the mistake of having some expectations in 2024, but the constant criticism of Williams and the so-called experts was ridiculous.

The guy was a rookie. Not everyone is Joe Burrow. What I saw that year was enough to impress me. Raw talent and great athleticism. He was fun to watch, even though the team drove me insane. Coaching, or lack thereof, was a problem.

Williams lost his offensive coordinator and coach during the season, but he still does something that most Bears quarterbacks can’t do.

Beat the Green Bay Packers.

The game was a foreshadowing of the 2025 season. Williams led his team down the field in the last few seconds. A field goal wins it.

Before this season, the Bears hired Ben Johnson. The move surprised me. It was very un-Bear-like. A creative hire? I kept my expectations low.

A slow start out of the gate. Williams struggled. Some were calling him a bust. Unbelievable. I defended him, but was aware of his inconsistency. But his talent was obvious.

The Bears started winning games they would have never won before.

Seven comeback victories in total. As a Bears fan, I’ve never witnessed anything like it. People will discuss Williams’s throw on 4th and 8 for years. It saved the season.

2025 has been quite an enjoyable ride.

Caleb Williams best plays from his 381-yard, 2-TD game vs. Packers | Wild Card Weekend