donkeypuncher

Monday, September 19, 2005

Despite having fifty fantasy teams and placed bets on half a dozen week one games, things felt a little off. I wasn't too excited about the football season. No one could get me energized. Not the Boo-yah sports network. Not the local sports radio shows.

Until yesterday.

And it's not just because the Bears blew out the Lions at home.

I skipped the home preseason games, and as a result didn't feel the season change from "Cubs are out of the playoff chase" to "Bears might win 8 games." It was on the walk from the train stop to Soldier Field that I figured out what was causing my football indifference.

I hadn't been exposed to any Superfans nine months!

Some of you might remember the old Saturday Night Live "Bill Swerski's Superfan" skits. George Wendt and Chris Farley were usually among a group of rib and sausage eating, jersey wearing, beer chugging, heart attack having slobs who worshipped "Da Bearsssss" and Mike Ditka. With their Chicago accents (yes, I have one and am proud of it), they debated the outcome of Bears games, Ditka versus a hurricane, and mini-Bears and mini-Ditka versus the Giants.

Well, these people really do exist in Chicago. And they make me chuckle inside (sometimes outside). And like a football sized pill of Viagra, their mere presence brought back my pigskin hard-on.

So with you, my dear reader, I share week one of "Superfan Cam."