The Cave, the Treasure, and the 14,471 Day Drought....
Fourteen thousand, four hundred seventy-one days.
That is how long it has been since the Chicago Bears won Super Bowl XX. Back when Walter Payton still carried the rock, Ditka still chewed gum like it owed him money, and McMahon’s headband was cooler than all the quarterbacks we have had since.
Today’s chalkboard says, “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” Well, around here, that cave is called Soldier Field. Every September, Chicago walks right up to that dark entrance like a pack of suckers with season tickets and old memories. We squint past the shadows, hoping this year, maybe this year, we find the damn treasure.
Only ghosts live in that toilet seat stadium. Duerson, Payton, McMichael and The Super Bowl Shuffle. The monsters have left, and the cave swallowed the roar. What is left is a city leaning on hope the way a drunk leans on the bar at closing time. Praying that the next round is the one that finally changes everything.
Fourteen thousand, four hundred seventy-one days since the last title. One more September, one more chance to chase the treasure.
If you’re scared to walk into the cave again, you’re not alone....
...but here in Chicagoland, we keep walking in because that is what this city does, we show up.
Because we are the Bears shuffling crew and we don’t stop fighting for our Monsters of the Midway, even if it kills us.
