Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Week 8 Bears Recap: What I'm Thankful For (A Little Early)

Bears 41, San Francisco 10. Yeah, I know. Big whoop. This is who we are now, right? Not so fast.

I was in Zihuatanejo, Mexico for a wedding last weekend and had to find a bar to catch the game. The first bar had satellite TV, lobster tacos and every NFL game possible. Except Bears-49ers. Not a good start to an already hungover Sunday.

So we had to scramble down the beach, politely say no locals offering parachute rides in boats that saw action in Normandy, jump in a cab and get to the world famous Bandito's in downtown Z-wat (yeah, if you've been there you call it Z-wat).

We made it by the start of the second quarter and everything worked out. We caught the game, had some delicious stuffed peppers and the bill was about three bucks.

The lesson: take nothing for granted. Especially when trying to watch your NFL team in a third world country (am I still allowed to call Mexico third world? My apologies to our neighbors to the south if they've harnessed the power of drive-thru Starbucks and a child obesity epidemic without my knowledge).

Anyway, let's not take the Bears for granted:

We have Brian Urlacher, a player so good he is voted the second most overrated player in the NFL by his colleagues out of pure jealousy. Keep it up, guys. Bitter is a great way to go through life. I should know.

Coach Lovie Smith never loses his cool. This is a quality I am jealous of.

A two-headed running back monster we haven't even come close to harnessing yet. As the season wears on and Cedric Benson gets more and more carries, opposing defenses will be begging for Thomas Jones' juke moves over Big Ced's battering ram running-style.

A legitimate possession and speed receiver combo. Muhsin Muhammad, hands. Bernard Berrian, burner with hands.

Serious home-field advantage. Soldier Field in December, let alone January? I know it didn't work out all that well last year, but that Bears team had never been there before.

(An interesting side note: the Tribune does an interview each week with a different Bears player and asks all of them the same list of questions. Favorite music, high school mascot, etc. When asked what the most disappointing loss they've ever experienced is, every player has said the Carolina game. It's good it still hurts.)

So many exciting players on both sides of the ball it's become nearly impossible to pick out a jersey. Seriously, who do you go with? #91 Harris? #55 Briggs maybe? #80 Berrian and what about #99 Tank Johnson? That's the coolest name ever. Just go to the Bears website and try to buy a jersey. It will take all night, I swear.

A back-up quarterback not named Throat Hair Orton. Brian Griese can play if the unthinkable happens. Knocking on wood...

Our center knows kung fu. Olen Kreutz could beat up anyone in the world. No foolin'.

It's our turn (maybe?). New England doesn't deserve another title. Indianapolis plays in a dome so screw them. New Yorkers are smug bastards. Philly is cursed. Seattle is injured and Denver already won two championships with Mr. Ed at QB.

Okay, so the last one is more wishful thinking than something we shouldn't take for granted. But, IF the Bears DO make it to the final game in Miami, I have a lead on a ticket. I'm not saying, I'm just saying...