The Bears Ruined My Week

Remember this Chicago? A defining moment of the 80's

Alright, I guess I am finally coming to terms with the Seahawks-Bears game last week in which the Chicago Bears defeated the Seahawks 27-24 in overtime. This was an excrutiatingly painful loss. The game was early last Sunday on the west coast with a 10:00am kickoff. I had vowed to eat a hot dog for every point that the Seahawks scored in the playoffs (along with a few other stipulations for eating).

Well, it was Sunday morning, the morning after Saturday night so I woke up a little late and I missed the first few minutes of the game. I had to scramble to throw some hot dogs on the skillet as the Bears scored a thouchdown on their opening drive and the Seahawks were driving. The first quarter ended with the Seahawks down 7-0 but with the ball inside the 10 and ready to score. Now since, the Seahawks didn't score in the first quarter, the rules of my hot dog challenge were that I would have to eat 4 HDB's before the start of the next quarter. But, I guess I was too in to the game and I forgot so when the Seahawks scored on the first play of the second quarter, I was already behind 11 HDB's and I had already violated the rules.

I quickly ate 5 HDB's but you know I just wasn't in to it. Maybe it was that there was still a hangover from the previous week's high after eating 22 hot dogs at the game and I couldn't get that same feeling sitting on my couch, but my spirit just wasn't in it and so I decided I was going to just eat casually and enjoy the game. Fuck, what a mistake.

I don't want to go over the whole casualty of the game but it ended up being extremely tight and down to the wire with the Seahawks having multiple opportunities to pull off another stunning victory in a tough environment of Soldier Field. But, as you know if you watched the game, the Bears pulled it off in overtime making that one more play that the Seahawks were desperately lacking to get in to field goal range and give their kicker a chance. That was it. The season was over and I couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible after not carrying out my vow to eat hot dogs to give the Seahawks support. I let them down again, but like last year I guess the feeling is mutual.

To make matters even worse, Pat Bertoletti was very timely with his text message after the game politley rubbing in the fact that his Bears had crushed the Seahawks and my spirit. Not only that, but he also claims to have eaten 54 Hot Dogs during the game - 2 hdb's for every point the bears scored. You fucker, could you make it any worse? Okay Pat, I give you that, you and the Bears kicked our arses (nothing new actually) and blah, blah, blah, the Bears are going to the Superbowl now. But I do appreciate the added motivation to get better as a fan and an eater and I don't take it personal.

Oh and the perverbial "there is always next year." I hate that saying, there is now and only now, when you have a shot you have got to take it and on that note...I can't wait for the new year of eating.