Chicago Bears 4.8 5 4 4
Monday Night Football in Chicago Soldier Field is an impressive facility, especially since the renovation of 2003 that expanded the upper decks including the build of some incredible luxury boxes. Many Bears fans aren’t too happy with the way the ironic Greek columns that towered over the sidelines for decades, were dwarfed under what looks like an alien spacecraft, but I think its kinda interesting. It certainly improved the sightlines of the upper bowl as the original design was more of a gradual shallow bowl. I was in town for Monday Night Football and a matchup between the Chicago Bears and hated division rival Green Bay Packers as part of my continuing Quest for 31. It was an incredible matchup of two unbeaten teams with the division title on the line. We began the day early in the afternoon in the 31st Street lot located about a mile south of Soldier Field. The City of Chicago has really clamped down on a lot of the tailgating that fans are allowed to do around the stadium, but these resourceful Bears fans continue to find ways to celebrate their beloved pregame ritual in other areas. If you’re planning to attend a game in Chicago, you should be mindful of a couple of things. Situated right next to Lake Michigan, Soldier field is extremely cold at game time, especially during the winter. The trademark gusts of wind that earned Chicago the “Windy City” moniker bring with it a bitter cold that will chill to the bone. Be sure to dress warm with plenty of layers. The other thing is to be prepared to sing the Chicago Bears fight song “Bear Down” … the words will be displayed on the scoreboard, but they can also be found on the boxes of popcorn that you can buy inside the stadium. With a National television audience looking on, these Chicago Bears electrified the crowd and turned in an impressive performance taking a 20-17 victory and first place in the divisional race. It will be interesting to watch these guys down the stretch and see if they're for real. If you’re interested in more information on my trip to Soldier Field and the City of Chicago, check out my Quest for 31 Review at - http://www.nflfootballstadiums.com/Soldier-Field-Sept2010.htm. October 6, 2010
I bet it was a good game? So December of 2008, my Christmas gift to everyone was my treat to the Chicago Bears vs. the Houston Texans for Christmas weekend. I purchased 30 tickets (from ticketcity of course) and flew some family down from Chicago and took a dozen or so of my closest friends down to Houston with me. We had a great time the night before watching the UFC fight so obviously sleep wasn't a priority. We woke at 7am to start the tailgate rituals. Unfortunately, I had to make an unexpected trip to pick up my girlfriends friend and hour away. Needless to say, I was a bit unhappy. As we got back to the tailgate party, I realized it was an hour before kickoff. I decided that I needed to make up for the hours missed tailgating by having an entire handle of crown royal to myself while walking to the stadium. As I set the EMPTY handle down at the front door to Reliant Stadium, I was excited for kickoff. As I approached my seat level in my Walter Payton jersey, I encountered many Texan fans and their lack of enthusiasm towards my bears. As I turned to get in on the action, my legs gave out from under me, and my face was the first thing to hit the railing as I proceeded to tumble head over heels all the way down the entire section! As I awoke to a flash light and smelling salts from the EMS, I felt no pain. I could tell it was pretty bad by all the concerned stares from the crowd and my family constantly asking if I was ok. Fortunately my brother convinced the EMS and people from Reliant that I would be just fine and they barely allowed me to stay for the game. It turns out I suffered a concussion and busted my mouth and my forehead pretty bad. I wasn't able to open my eyes until some time in the 3rd quarter and even then the game was pretty blurry. But according to all the photos, it seems I still had a pretty good time. Another buddy of mine fell and we became the laughing stock of our section. Especially when we started to sing Boy George's "I'll tumble for ya!" Well since then, I still haven't spoken to some of my family because of the complete FOOL I made of myself. Although lesson learned, I would love the opportunity to redeem myself although money's kind of tight right now. I'm sure you'll get a laugh at my expense and here's a picture so you can get the full effect. I couldn't see who took it but I smiled anyway. I sure hope I win this gift card! August 10, 2010
MNF in Chicago Monday Night Football in Chicago!!! Great game, great atmosphere, Great Time!!! Nothing beats a Bears beating the Packers on Prime Time tv!!! October 6, 2010
Had a Fantastic Time Had a wonderful weekend with my whole family in Chicago and capped it off with the Bears comeback win in the 4th quarter against the Panthers. November 12, 2012