About a month ago I wrote a blog about my genuine desire to pledge allegiance to a new football team. It was written after a particularly brutal loss to the Redskins but the frustration I was expressing in the piece had been a long time coming. Obviously, others shared my feelings at the time because the blog was picked up by the Trib and published on the first page of their online edition. So, I thought I would update anyone who had an emotional investment in that editorial on how my search for a new team was going. As of yesterday, I have one.
The team has a complete package. Their defense is stellar; they may give up more yardage than I would like but play with heart and conviction. They force turnovers and keep big plays against them to a minimum. The quarterback, despite being protected by an offensive line that could use a little work, has a laser throwing arm and enough intelligence to run away from trouble or throw the ball away. The rest of their offense, while not that impressive on paper, gets the job done. The coaching staff has settled on a nice mixture of passing and running the ball and the young players are doing their jobs better than anyone predicted they would when the season started.
This team has made watching football fun again. I've been checking them out for the last few weeks when they were beating teams with a losing record, just waiting to see if they really had what it takes to win me over for the long haul. After yesterday, I've decided they're for real. The game they played against a division leading team convinced me that they have enough talent and desire to make me proud on a regular basis to be their fan. It's great to feel that way again about a football team.
So I'll be there next week rooting them on. If they stumble, I'll try to remember how hard they've tried; how much progress they've made and I'll remain a loyal fan until the day I die. Oh, I haven't mentioned their name? What else could it be? The Chicago Bears.
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