This isn’t conventional. Today, I am not asking you for your favorite Chicagoland bar, or who should be the starting LT. Today, I am asking you something more existential.
I have long been a patient fan of the Chicago Bears. I have understood the value of patience, having had that patience pay off in two separate instances of Chicago sports fandom during the 2010s.
I recall watching the assemblage of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp, and the eventual acquisition
of Marian Hossa, which led to three Stanley Cups.
I also remember the slow drip of prospects acquired by Theo Epstein – including Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and Kyle Schwarber – supplemented by savvy veteran additions in Jon Lester, Ben Zobrist, and Dexter Fowler, leading to a 2016 World Series.
Patience has paid off before.
But my patience is beginning to wear thin with the Chicago Bears.
While I still believe there is room for patience moving forward – as the union of Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams is only likely to improve – I am ready to ask for more.
On paper, this Chicago Bears team should be as talented as any other in decades. Some numbers to back up that claim:
- The Bears have Two 1st-Round Picks and Eight 2nd-Round picks on Defense.
- The Bears have Five 1st-Round Picks and Four 2nd-Round picks on Offense.
- The Bears have the 9th highest salary cap in the league.
- Traded for or signed former All-Pros and Pro Bowlers Joe Thuney and Grady Jarrett.
- The Bears have the most sought after Head Coaching candidate in the last several cycles.
- Ben Johnson’s offenses finished in the Top 5 of total offenses in his three seasons as OC.
- The Bears have a former #1 Overall Pick at Quarterback who was heralded as one of the best prospects since Andrew Luck (grouped with Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow)
- Won the Heisman in college for his 66.6% completion, 4537 passing yards, 42 TDs, 382 yards rushing, and 10 rushing TDs.
This team should be as talented as any other Bears team in the last decade, yet somehow, they looked exactly like every other Bears team in the last decade. Penalties, miscues, pressure on the quarterback, the quarterback doing too much, the defense getting gashed on the ground, excitement then letdown. It felt familiar.
So if not now, when? If not us, who?
It took both Joel Quenneville and Joe Maddon two seasons to win championships in their respective sports. But both made immediate impacts upon their arrival.
- The Chicago Cubs record jumped from 73-89 in 2014 under Ricky Renteria to 97-65 in 2015 under Joe Maddon. A 32% improvement in wins.
- The Chicago Blackhawks record jumped from 40-34-8 (88 points) in 2007-08 under Denis Savard to 46-24-12 (104 points) in 2008-09 under Joel Quenneville. An 18% improvement in points.
So while it would be absurd for us to expect the Bears to win a Super Bowl, or even win a playoff game this season, there must be improvement. Based on the above, it is not unreasonable to expect the Bears to win 25% more of the games on their schedule this year. That puts them somewhere around 8 or 9 wins.
I have been patient. So freaking patient. But gone are the days of draft pick positioning, latching on to unlikely heroes to turn the franchise around, and moral victories.
I want wins. And after another gutting loss on Monday night, they better start coming soon.
Now it’s your turn! Take a swing at trying to reconcile the existential nature of being a Bears fan! Sound off below!
