Paul Bixby , Bears Super Fan

Yes, Marcus, we are giddy. This is one of the most exciting Bears teams in recent memory. The 2001 NFC CENTRAL champs were very exciting to watch, but as Lisa said, only when the defense was on the field. I was at the game where Mike Brown ended the NFL's shortest overtime ever. That was a very exciting year, but mostly because the Offense couldn't get far enough in front, ever, to feel confident that the game wouldn't be taken away. The stone walll defense turned a certain 8-8 or 7-9 season into a 13-3 season. This year, the defense is BETTER and the offense is actually winning the games. In fact, I'll even admit to, sometimes, being a little bored in the 4th quarter this year because my confidence is so high. So yeah, we're giddy. There's nothing standing in our way, certainly nothing with the last name of Manning. And I have Peyton on one of my fantasy teams.

Shame on you, Kenneth! Don't you know your Bears history? When the Bears were formed, they were a company team for the A.E. Staley Company in Decatur, IL where they played as the Decatur Staleys for the 1919 season. The company hired Papa Bear George S. Halas and Edward "Dutch" Sternaman to coach the team. Papa Bear and Dutch moved the team to Chicago after purchasing the rights to the club from the Staley company, with the agreement that they would continue to play as the Staleys for one season (1921).

After the year was up, Papa Bear nearly changed their name to the Chicago Cubs in honor of Wrigley allowing them to play at Wrigley Field. Then he noticed the difference in size between the average baseball player and the average football player and decided that if baseball players are Cubs, football players must certainly be full-grown Bears. Dutch eventually sold his share of the team in 1932 after the franchise lost $18,000 on the season. On another note, Papa Bear chose the familiar Navy and Orange colors in honor of his alma mater, University of Illinois.

One more piece of trivia, the Chicago Bears and the Arizona Cardinals (formerly the Phoenix Cardinals, formerly the St. Louis Cardinals, formerly the Chicago Cardinals, formerly the Racine Cardinals, formerly the Racine Normals, named for Chicago's Racine Street on which the Morgan Athletic Club was, which was where the team was formed in 1898 and the field on which they played - Normal Field) are the only two Charter NFL teams still in existence. They were also, for a time, crosstown rivals and the Cardinals even played in Comiskey Park, mirroring some other Chicago crosstown rivals! The Cardinals dealt the Staleys their only loss (6-7) in the first season of NFL play. It's OK though, the Staleys came back the very next week and shut them out 10-zip.

This history lesson was brought to you by Wikipedia: Chicago Bears and Cardinals and by the Chicago Bears Media Guide.

I can't wait for the game tomorrow. Don Pierson has a neat article in yesterday's Tribune comparing Touchdownasaurus Rex* with the Bills' JP Losman. Among the things they have in common:

1. They are both making their 22nd NFL start tomorrow


2. They have both been coached by Dick Jauron.


3. They are both right-handed.


4. Their completion percentages are 64 (Losman) and 62.4 (Grossman).


5. They are both the most recent great hope for their teams.

Pierson's contention is that despite all of their similarities and the few cases where Losman is better than Rex on paper, Rex is the bigger difference-maker for his team. Pierson then goes on to say that Rex may be the biggest difference-maker in the league. I can get behind that completely. On a Bears team where so much is the same as last year, adding a healthy Rex has changed this team in attitude, ability and mentality.

I think I've gone on long enough. Tomorrow will be awesome!

GO BEARS!!!!

* I shamelessly stole this from the guys at the BearsCast from The Chicago Sportscast Network. They also claim to have coined the phrase "Sexy Rexy" on his draft day. They have a good podcast - I listen to them all the time, and despite a strange fixation on the Ravens, they know their stuff.