Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened. Never has a cliche been felt so unanimously by 61,500 people than as Los Angeles ’ overtime field goal soared through the uprights at Soldier Field, sealing postseason defeat for Chicago. Bears fans everywhere were left stunned and gutted.
In this case, recent history was working against them as an all too familiar script seemed to be playing out before their eyes. In a season full of magic, it looked like the Bears had one more rabbit to pull out of their hat as they tied their NFC divisional round playoff game via an all-time dramatic Cole Kmet touchdown with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter to force overtime. However, this screenplay had a different ending in store as a Williams interception followed by the Rams’ walk-off field goal ended what has been an unbelievable and unpredictable year for Chicago.
But as Bears fans retreated home in the cold, caught their breath and licked their wounds after the painful defeat, many also were left reflecting on the totality of this season and its context in the broader story of both the Bears’ history and Chicago sports overall.
Though the season ended in heartbreak, you can’t help but size up what the team accomplished this year, and more importantly, how it accomplished it, against what fans have witnessed since the turn of the century.
Not only was there success, but success with repeatability. Not only was there winning, but winning with style. Not only was there hope, but hope with belief. Though there have been some positive seasons for the Bears in years past, they were not as assured, and they certainly were not as entertaining, often grinding out wins “the Bears way” with a suffocating defense and a consistent running game.
This year was different, with a boy genius first-year head coach at the helm and a talented but raw young QB under center, we got to witness victories cemented with explosive aerial attacks, trick plays, and weapons across every skill position. Mix in some blocked field goals, fourth-quarter comebacks, and overtime victories, and you have a season that, at the very least, was downright fun!
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At the risk of getting romantic about sport, this season reminded Bears fans why they love the game. Ultimately, football, like any other sport, is just a part of the entertainment industry, a harmless pastime at its worst but a catalyst for community, unity, and inspiration at its best.
Riding the roller coaster of this Bear’s season has been entertainment in its purest form, both the heart-pulsing highs and the stomach-turning lows. And what made it all special was sharing it with a city that has been so holistically behind their team.
And in a time when bad news saturates our feeds and divisiveness seems to be at an all-time high, sports remain one of the world’s great unifiers, bringing together cities and people for the best reasons, even if just for a short while.
So as the players pack up their lockers and the winter temps go back from “Bears weather” to just “the freezing cold,” we fans tip our caps to the boys in blue and orange for an incredible season. Because while they were sometimes frustrating, sometimes awe-inspiring, and oftentimes stress-inducing, one thing this team certainly was not was boring. They did the impossible, making tuning in on Sundays enjoyable again, and for a fan base as long-suffering as Chicago’s, sometimes that can be the most important first step.