Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips was on the phone earlier this week calling local auto rental outlets in search of a larger bandwagon. The wheels of the old one broke off after the most recent 3,500 fans piled on during the bye week.
“I don’t even know where to find a bandwagon. I called both U-Haul and Penske with no luck. I should’ve seen this coming after the win over Seattle,” Phillips said. “Obviously we’re not accustomed to accommodating so many fans. For now, all I could do was reserve a trailer.”
It wasn’t long ago when you couldn’t walk down Michigan Ave and see a single Chicagoan wearing a piece of Bears apparel. All it took was last year’s NFC North title and a 6-0 start to the 2006 campaign for the Bears to quickly become the NFL’s flavor of the month.
The influx of fans has come from a combination of the hot start and the God-awful play of the Green Bay Packers.
“Before the season started I told a Bears fan friend of mine that I was going to root for Green Bay just so I can laugh at him when the Bears lose,” fair-weather fan Lee Ann Coppin said. “I may not know much about football, but I’m not stupid. Go Bears!”
