Bears tickets went on sale yesterday and the other author continued what has now become a 28-year tradition. He didn't buy any.
Though he's been to Soldier Field on multiple occasions, the other author has never been there to watch his hometown football team.
When he tells people this, it elicits one of two reactions: Shocked horror from those who have and a 'ho-hum, me neither' from those who haven't.
In 2008 it wasn't for lack of trying. The other author logged on to Ticketmaster -- who, by the way, he's never considered to be a very kind master -- to purchase tickets promptly at the time they went on sale. Not sure if it was a lack of foresight or if it's just impossible to get the point driven through the other author's skull, but Bears tickets are really really ridiculously expensive -- $245 apiece were the cheapest.
The other author could, truth be told, only can afford one ticket. Unfortunately, he hates going to events where rabid fans lurk by himself.
Here's the thing the other author is having a tough time reconciling about the Bears. His love of the team is based largely on the experience he had as a five-year-old wide-eyed scamp cheering the '85 club to a 46-10 Super Bowl victory over the Patriots on January 26, 1986. The other author had the helmet, the No. 34 jersey, the punky QB shades and even an autograph from backup QB Steve Fuller. Hell, the other author still has the Super Bowl Shuffle memorized and may or may not occasionally get asked to perform it drunkenly at family gatherings. Indeed, the mid-80s were an exciting time to be alive. It was assumed in the mind of the other author that the Bears were perennial winners -- the Yankees or Celtics of the NFL.
But in reality, this is poised to be another in a long and exhausting line of rebuilding years for the Chicago Bears. Sure, there was that mildly exciting jab at the championship a couple years ago where Peyton Manning reminded the world that he's Peyton Manning and we all are not. But in the end, there's nothing to indicate that this will be anything more than another wildly yawn-inducing season.
Then again, my 29th birthday's in October. Don't I owe it to myself to try something new, break out of my shell a bit and watch a Bears game live at Soldier Field the way any true fan would?
But $245? That's a lot of scratch for a yawn and a memory that will never come close to being five years old and believing the Bears would never let you down.
2 comments:
I too tried desperately to get tickets, but the second I searched there were NONE AVAILABLE. Literally, I searched the second the clock struck noon and wasn't able to find a seat. I will now have to resort to finding something on stub hub where I will have to pay $150 for nose-bleed seats (like I did last year). Fortunately, nose-bleed seating at Soldier Field isn't half as bad as it sounds. The stadium is contructed well to the point where you feel like you are hovering over the field looking straight down on top of it. It's not a bad view by any means.
It's just too bad the Bears got lucky for one entire season to the superbowl, otherwise tickets would maybe be more around $80. They've been bad almost every year around 2006, it's funny how one fluke season can influence years of future ticket prices.
I think you did a good thing. That is way too much money for a not very good team (although Rex has a special place in my heart; it's a Florida thing).
Now if it were the Steelers I would really understand spending that kind of money ;-)
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