It's Been A Long Time

20 years plus three days ago, I kneeled in my basement and painted a bedsheet:

23 YEARS OF MISERY ARE ENDING!

SUPERBOWL XX HERE WE COME!

GO BEARS!

The date was January 11, 1986. The Bears were hosting the Los Angeles Rams the next day in the NFC Championship game. Two of my friends and I were going to Soldier Field to scalp some tickets.

I was a freshman in college then. The concept of 1963 seemed as remote as 1776.

Let's just say that 1986 doesn't look like 1776 in the rear view mirror.

Tomorrow, the Bears play the biggest game they've played since that date. Yeah, January 26, 1986 was the Super Bowl, but it was anti-climactic. That NFC Title game was the real game. With the snow flakes, and Wilbur Marshall laying out Barry Redden, and Marshall picking up Dieter Brock's fumble, that was the game that still makes the real Bear fan well up.

This 2006 team only is missing the one thing 1985 had: Inevitability.

I dunno if this team will win tomorrow. I know I will be extremely disappointed if they lose. In 2001, the team was a fraud. We knew they were ripe to not just lose, but be blown out. They lived up to expectations.

This 2006 edition is expected to win.

Go win it, guys.

P.S. I still have the banner and we didn't get in the stadium. We ended up watching the game from a pizza joint.