Super Bowl 51 tommorrow

SuperBowl.com

I rarely talk football on this blog, it doesn't help that for roughly the past decade the Bears have been lousy, aside from one Super Bowl appearance back in 2007. During that period I posted a Bears championship history and then a history of the Super Bowl itself.

This year the Atlanta Falcons take on the New England Patriots tomorrow. The Falcons are making only their second appearance in a Super Bowl and of course we already know the success of the Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl.

Since I generally don't follow the NFL I'm a long way from making any predictions. On that other hand let's see how hungry the Falcons are to bringing the first Vince Lombardi Trophy to A-Town! We already know how many New England has brought up to Boston.

Football

It's been years since I actually followed the football season. Football is without a doubt one of America's most popular sports fans follow not only the NFL but also the colleges as well. Perhaps on a smaller level we may have fans of high school football as well.

Unfortunately for me, I do not consider myself a football fan. Primarily my allegiance is with the Chicago Bears but often they seem to have the tendency to disappoint and over the years that's what they have done. It's hard for me to follow the football season when the Bears aren't playing at the best level possible.

I really don't remember the season where they one the Super Bowl and there are fans who continue to talk about that team as if they won more than one Super Bowl. The last season they made it to the Super Bowl was 2007 and at that it was a surprise as I really didn't follow the Bears' season that year. It was great to know that we got that close.

Another thing about football is that I've decided that it's way too hard to follow. I need to figure out what a pocket is in football is that a defensive or offensive term. The only context I'm familiar with it is in terms of the offense especially with the quarterback. Where did that come from has that term always been in the glossary?

In any case, I've often found America's original popular sport Baseball an easier sport to follow. The rules aren't that difficult or complication and over the years (especially without watching on TV) I've found that you can call how the play would end. In fact, when I went to that Sox game this summer I called a lot of the plays during the course of the game and didn't need the play-by-play.

This season is the first season I really follow what's been going on. If the Bears aren't on, I'll just follow another game. Alas I still don't follow all the transactions like I used to and that as always will prove to be very interesting no matter the sport.

So far the Bears looked good although they're 2 & 2 perhaps when they face the Carolina Panther we'll see more of what they're capable of.

Tribune: A well-lit tribute to Chris Gillott

[VIDEO] This was a very cool tribute. An electrician at a downtown skyscraper was honored after his untimely death. He had the idea of paying tribute to Walter Payton - a Bears great who was part of the 1985 Super Bowl champs bears team - who had passed away at 45 in 1999.

While you can always watch the video above as it tells the story. Here's a brief Tribune write-up:

Fourteen years ago, a Chicagoan named Walter Payton died too young. Touched, an electrician decided to use the windows of a downtown building as an overnight memorial, lighting up Blue Cross-Blue Shield Tower with the “34“ the beloved Bears running back wore on his jersey.

Just last week, that electrician, a Chicagoan named Chris Gillott, died too young. Touched, the workers he supervised decided to light up the side of that building — his building — with a tribute to the colleague and friend who started a tradition.

“They wanted to do this, they wanted to donate their time to do this, just because they cared so much about him and his family,” said Mike Rallo, a foreman electrician at the tower.

And after more than an hour of employees trudging through offices, pulling blinds and spot-checking their handiwork in the evening chill, anyone driving north into Chicago on Lake Shore Drive could see “THANKS CHRIS” spelled out on the Tuesday night skyline.

“He was one of the most modest people in the world,” said Brittney Gillott, the electrician’s daughter, who was on hand to look at the message Tuesday. “It’s extremely humbling, and it would’ve been very humbling to him.”

Since that first display honoring Payton in 1999, the south-facing windows of the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Tower have been used to celebrate the national soccer team, pay tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and raise breast cancer awareness. Including the impromptu tribute to Gillott, 39 messages were scheduled for 2013.

The building at 300 E. Randolph St. sits just north of Millennium Park, and the nearby open space gives motorists and downtown pedestrians a clear view of whatever is spelled out in its lights. 

Unknown Chicago: Super Bears

While the Chicago Bears lost their bid to go to the Super Bowl this year, we can always reminisce about their only Super Bowl victory 25 years ago today. The NFC Title game got good in the 2nd half, but ultimately the Bears came up short against teir arch-rival Green Bay Packers. Read more about what happened on this day over at Unknown Chicago!

In honor of the Chicago Bears....

In their drive to make it to the Super Bowl this year here is a video that shows us the history of their homestand, Soldier Field. I also hear it's mistakenly referred to by some locals as Soldier's Field. Courtesy of NBC Chicago via Curbed.

The Bears will take on their arch-rival Green Bay Packers for the NFC Title on Sunday, January 23 at 3:30 PM at Soldier Field. Also it's the first time in 69 years that the Bears and Packers will meet in a playoff. I'm so watching!

You can watch a video about that here! :P

Chicagoist: Bears Gaining Respect: Pats Game Moved to 3:15 Start

The NFL is moving up the Patriots vs. Bears game to a later start time at 3:15 PM on Dec. 12th. Chicagoist further speculates that if the Bears face Green Bay for the NFC North title that game on January 2nd, that game may be pushed up as well.

It's safe to say this blog rarely becomes an NFL blog during the football season. Just can't get into football, but it's mostly because the Bears can't help but disappoint. They're doing surprisingly well this year and most of the time I'm working when I could be watching a Bears game.

I do look forward to watching the Bears in the playoffs in the near future, but not sure they'll be in the Super Bowl like they were almost four years ago.

Also, the Bears are doing something right when you see a thread for them over at Capitol Fax. And Rich Miller is more of a baseball fan.

Will coach Smith get a contract extension???

I was reading this article in Chicagoist this morning about Lovie Smith. Some guy around campus stopped me to talk some football. I am much better at looking at the business side of sports than I am about all the technicalities. I was asking myself if Lovie Smith's contract was up.

Anyone listening to this guy, I had no idea that Smith wasn't paid very well especially for the success he brought to the Bears in the last two seasons. I guess when the Bears offered him a contract they may not have anticipated this. Then again Smith was never an NFL head coach. For guiding the Bears to the Super Bowl though he probably should be offered a bonus as well as a contract extension with more money.

BTW, while you're at it read this article about the electric rates. The one thing the Illinois House is going to meet as a Committee of the Whole on Tuesday.

Bears lose Super Bowl XLI

Yeah there was about 30 seconds left in the game and I just stopped watching. It wasn't going to happen. In the last quarter of the game the Bears couldn't help but get their passes intercepted. The only reason this wasn't a very good game to me was that the Bears were losing, but it was an interesting game. Congrats to the Colts though.

And hopefully the Bears can try it again next year. It was great to see them in Miami for the Super Bowl. It was great to see them in a Super Bowl period.

Final Score 29-17 Colts.

Super Bowl Shuffle on YouTube???

Every time I look up for some reason the Super Bowl Shuffle video featuring the 1985 Chicago Bears, the Super Bowl champions is taken down. Last night there was this message...

This video has been removed at the request of copyright owner Julia Meyer because its content was used without permission

How incredibly anal!!! Is this individual making Bears fans pay for the privilege of watching this video especially now that the Bears are actually in the Super Bowl again after just over two decades. I would really like it if this individual start a YouTube account and post this video herself. Especially if this isn't about the money.

C'mon I'm sure she can make Chicago Bears fans very happy. I mean there are at least three links to the actual Super Bowl Shuffle and each of them has this message. What is wrong?