I’m excited. It’s the morning of the Super Bowl, and I can’t wait. It’s the final game of the year, which is also sad, but yeah, should be a great game. Hopefully the Chiefs and the Eagles (and Papa Vegas) will provide us an entertaining end to this season. We’ve been talking about our Super Bowl spread at home. I have all my squares printed out. I have my bets in on the game and some props (more to come). We’re going to do a little fun game between me, my wife, and my son. My son said something this morning that warmed my heart; he’ll be wearing his Walter Payton jersey today. I will be too. This morning would feel a whole lot different if it was OUR team taking the field later today.
I remember that day pretty well 37 years ago. I was 9 years old, but those memories stick. Sure, I don’t remember every detail of that Super Bowl XX Sunday; I remember enough. I remember my godparents coming over; actually, my mother and aunt hit the stores earlier in the day, as we sat at home, preparing for the big game. I’m sure we were playing football, either in the house, or in the backyard. I remember when the game started. When Payton fumbled and the Patriots took the lead on a FG, we all looked at each other: no way… no fricking way. We were right. Any pre-game nerves we had, any nerves that spiked being down 3-0 earlier, were quickly erased. Yeah, the Bears would score 44 unanswered points, before allowing a total garbage time TD, the only TD the Bears allowed all postseason, before fittingly capping our season off with a safety. 46-10 is etched in our hearts and brains. Playing the Super Bowl Shuffle album over, and over, and over after the game, while running around the house, jumping on the couch, jumping on the bed with my brother and sister… yeah, little did I know this would be the only one I would see for the next 37 years…
I did get to see another Super Bowl. Yes, the Bears would face off against the Colts 21 years later; I remember that one well also. I was living in LA at the time; I watched the playoff games in my apartment, with the door open to allow the 70 degree weather inside while watching the palm trees sway. It sounds great, it WAS great, but once the Bears punched their ticket by beating the Saints, there was no fricking way I wasn’t going to be back in Chicago for this game. I booked my ticket. I remember landing and just feeling the excitement everywhere I went. We stopped at Jewel, a grocery store, and people were hyped up… Bears gear everywhere. We stopped for a few drinks at a bar; guy walked in with a Bears helmet on. We gathered the whole crew together to watch in my old apartment, and man, let me tell you… when Hester returned that opening kick, our full beers were getting spilled all over the place, as we were jumping up and down, yelling, bumping into each other… At that very moment, we just knew this was OUR game. Well, I’ve been wrong before; I’ve been wrong plenty since too. It was all downhill after that. Losing a Super Bowl has to be one of the worst feelings in the world. Drunk and devastated… I curled up in bed after the game, and went right to sleep. There would be no after-party for this Super Bowl…
I’ve been on both sides of it; I’m ready to be on one of the sides again. I think we’re due. But this year, we’ll have to settle on watching two other teams. We’ll still celebrate this holiday; I’m still excited for it. I’ll tell you what; I know it will be a lot less stressful than watching the Bears play. I know that my emotions after the game won’t be over the top, or in the dumps, well, depending on how much I bet on the game and the outcome… haha. But nothing compares to watching YOUR team in the big game. I hope we get to see it again soon; I can’t wait for my son, and every Bears fan under the age of 37, to see the Bears WIN the Super Bowl. Until then… enjoy the Super Bowl everybody. Good luck on all your bets, unless they’re on the opposite side of mine. Enjoy!!!
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