O’Donnell: What in the event that they threw a Bears sport and no one got here? – Every day Herald

THERE IS A NASTY LITTLE STIGMA that whizzes round individuals who deign to buy season tickets from the Chicago Bears.
Not all associates, neighbors {and professional} associates suppose, “Wow, eight or 9 occasions every season, they get to go to video games at Soldier Subject.”
As an alternative, an enveloping perspective is: “Why would any rational human being put up with the associated fee, time and diverse forms of discomfort that go along with basically being mandatory backdrop props for a traditionally disappointing sports activities present enterprise firm?”
Particularly when all video games are on some sort of house TV — close to all of the essential equipment, together with DVR distant, microwave and personal indoor plumbing.
BUT WORDS AND PHRASES SUCH AS pliable, paw-struck and “pastime challenged” are so impolitic.
There was a recurring thought for the reason that Bears departed Wrigley Subject after Jim Dooley’s 1969 backside feeders completed 1-13.
And definitely since visiting Giants punter Sean Landeta fanned on a punt in his personal finish zone whereas the lakefront wind chill hovered round minus-3 levels. That flub got here in a 21-0 divisional-round rout by the Tremendous Bowl XX-bound Bears of Mike Ditka in January 1986.
Frostbite fallen who attended that landmark freeze-out have been pitied, not envied.
AND THE BIG THOUGHT IS:
What if the Bears placed on a house sport and no one got here?
What if a dog-ola outfit just like the 2024 castaways drew an attendance of 0?
Simply as soon as.
It might take an astoundingly righteous fervor in a metro drawing space of eight million-plus for that to occur.
And doubtless some bearded man with workers in hand to guide and to half an Orange Sea.
BUT A MEDFLY CAN DREAM, particularly after George McCaskey and smug armada introduced their completely gratuitous 10 p.c common hike in costs for 2025 Thursday.
The present Bears are a company upstreaming on the soccer ops aspect and completely bereft of shovel-turning, impressed management.
They’ve as a lot proper to boost season-ticket costs for the upcoming NFL season as Delta Air Traces does to cost carry-off baggage charges on the Toronto airport.
However whoops, there it’s.
SEASON-TICKET BUYERS of constantly underperforming NFL groups won’t ever perceive:
The league wants them way more than followers want dangerous, in-person NFL soccer.
Empty seats look so unseemly on community TV. In an ideal world, the day will come when an outfit just like the Bears have to contract with a ready-temp company like Sorta Followers to fill their pathetic playpen.
However for now, the pliable, paw-struck and hobby challenged can pay on.
And people close by will maintain all snickers on the nasty little stigma.
STREET-BEATIN’:
Whereas segments of sports activities media proceed to throw phrase confetti on the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, this is a actuality test: A tricked-up midseason gimmick produced a properly theatrical end. The endeavor additional devalued all legacied main All-Star video games. Connor McDavid and fellow slammers additionally seemed like Penn and Teller towards the boring buffoonery that Adam Silver and the NBA tried to pawn off as an All-Star weekend. …
The arrival of Justin Turner — age 40 — at Cubs spring coaching camp is kind of a inform about the place Jed Hoyer is seeking to strengthen the 2025 Wigglies. There should be one thing about directing a MLB staff in Chicago meaning by no means having to overstep funds. …
The current transfer of Chuck Goudie from WLS-Channel 7 to WMAQ-Channel 5 Information will solely enliven the native sports activities again channels if his investigative instincts land there. There are recurring indications that the bulldogged Goudie has circled the bona fides of 1 intriguing mover for additional assessment. (Goudie can also be a previous contributor to the Every day Herald.) …
For individuals who recall the 2002 Breeders Cup Basic at Arlington Park, Volponi, 27, died this week. The P.G. Johnson runner upset a stellar area with a win value of $89 on that grey October afternoon. Extra essential, his lengthy shot victory helped to show the “Repair Six” virtually efficiently pulled off by three former Drexel College I.T. sharpies. (Billy, Harry and Danny Teinowitz have been actually all around the colt days upfront; father Phil Teinowitz owned Cryptoclearance, Volponi’s sire.) …
And Scott Thomson, on ESPN’s determination to ditch all Main League Baseball sport programming after the upcoming marketing campaign: “Who’s going to note?”
Jim O’Donnell’s Sports activities and Media column seems every week on Sunday and Wednesday. Attain him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications could also be thought of for publication.

source