HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – \u201cI thought I was going to freeze to death, but I was still having a blast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even after flirting with frostbite, nothing\u2019s able to bring down the spirits of Eun Ahn.<\/p>\n
The UH West Oahu professor of business is still riding high after watching his Chicago Bears battle the Los Angeles Rams for the NFC Divisional Round title at Soldier Field.<\/p>\n
His life-long fandom was on full display with a sign, reading, \u201cI LEFT WAIKIKI 2C A BEARS PLAYOFF VICTORY.\u201d<\/p>\n
Celebrity podcaster singles out fan<\/p>\n
Walking into the game on Jan. 18 with only long sleeves and an aloha shirt, Ahn caught the eye of celebrity podcaster Dan \u2018Big Cat\u2019 Katz<\/a> from Barstool Sports.<\/p>\n \u201cI was like, \u2018Dude, it\u2019s gonna be cold.\u2019 He said, \u2018Oh yeah, I\u2019m ready.\u2019 He was not ready…he was vibrating because he was so cold,\u201d said Katz.<\/p>\n Hyped up for Ahn\u2019s die-hard fandom, Katz took a picture and posted it on X<\/a>. The image depicting Ahn\u2019s stoic, frigid face immediately went viral, now with more than 1 million views.<\/p>\n Ahn stays for entire game<\/p>\n He explained his attire wasn\u2019t due to a lack of preparation.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted my aloha shirt to fit, because I\u2019m not going to fit over a parka or a ski jacket, I was underdressed. But to me, if I was going to rep Hawaii, I needed that aloha shirt,\u201d said Ahn.<\/p>\n After a full half of waving his poster, trying to get on the Jumbotron, Ahn says the \u2018Bear Weather\u2019 got to him, and he caved to buying an extra sweatshirt from the gift shop.<\/p>\n But even with the added layer, Ahn\u2019s teeth continued chattering as the wind chill dropped temperatures to negative four degrees.<\/p>\n Ahn powered through and stayed for the entire game. He credits his lifelong love for the Bears as his fuel, which began when he was a child growing up in the Windy City.<\/p>\n \u201cI played everything I could possibly play… sunrise to sundown hanging out because I was a child of an immigrant family and my parents were gone 8 a.m. till 10 p.m,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Martial arts shaped sports passion<\/p>\n While Ahn used to play football, he says it was Taekwondo where he excelled the most, earning a sixth-degree black belt.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t just Ahn with some serious martial arts skills.<\/p>\n His brother Philip<\/a> was also an expert who was eventually cast as the live-action model for the Shang Tsung character in Mortal Kombat II<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cMy brother and I both probably could have had a shot towards the Olympics in \u201988,\u201d said Ahn. \u201cBut we were both studying so much because we were both in college.\u201d<\/p>\n From Chicago to Hawaii<\/p>\n After graduating from Wheaton College in Illinois, Ahn met his wife while attending church. After years of conversation, she finally convinced him to move closer to her family on Oahu, away from the harsh winters.<\/p>\n \u201cI personally thought we were never going to move,\u201d he said. \u201cI liked Hawaii, but I mean, my roots are in Chicago. My wife just couldn\u2019t take the cold anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n Nearly two decades and four children later, Ahn\u2019s wife is still helping him support the Bears from more than 4,000 miles away.<\/p>\n \u201cShe knew who she married, as far as how much I love sports. I think she more than tolerates it,\u201d said Ahn. \u201cShe supports it, actually, because I don\u2019t have that many wants.\u201d<\/p>\n No regrets<\/p>\n Even though the Bears lost to the Rams in overtime, Ahn says the chilly game left him feeling warm and fuzzy.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t regret anything. I had a blast,\u201d said Ahn. \u201cI had great memories. I didn\u2019t accomplish my task of getting on the mega screen, but somehow I still got some sort of coverage that I hope makes people happy.\u201d <\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n