Friday, September 21, 2007 Sayson: A Sunday with the Bears in the NFL By Homer Sayson Second Overtime
CHICAGO - Over the last eight years, writing a column has taken me to countless places where thick crowds congregate and worship in the altar of sports.
I regularly cover the Chicago Bulls at the United Center, and I’ve been to seven straight NBA Finals, where thousands of fans flood venues like a sea of humanity.
I’ve also been to many boxing championships. And last May 5, at the Oscar dela Hoya-Floyd Mayweather fight in Las Vegas, I saw the MGM Grand Garden Arena burst with a blood-thirsty crowd of over 12,000.
Last Sunday, I went to Soldier Field to watch the Chicago Bears host the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League (NFL). It was an experience like no other.
Soldier Field is the biggest, the fattest, and the coolest sports arena I’ve ever seen.
Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, at 1410 South Museum Campus Drive, it is an astonishing edifice inspired by Greco-Roman architecture. Its doric columns glow over the stands and it has spectacular views of Chicago’s skyscrapers.
Opened in 1924, Soldier Field got a $365 million facelift in 2002. Built to accommodate as many as 260,000, the arena now seats a capacity of 61,500, the second smallest in the NFL.
I got there at 2:30 p.m., just 45 minutes shy of the 3:15 kick-off. Bears games usually start at 12:15 p.m., but after their Super Bowl run last season, the Bears will be on national TV a lot this year, thus the late start.
Hordes of people from all walks of life, from the city and its far-flung suburbs, had already massed when I arrived. After picking up my NFL credentials at Window 10 on will-call booth, I entered through Gate 14.
I caught a quick elevator ride to Level A, where my sportswriting brethren were nestled. I was assigned at Row 2, Seat 44. I had a marvelous view of the perfectly-manicured grass below.
Despite the lackluster performance of quarterback Rex Grossman, who threw two turnovers and was painfully erratic in the second half, the Bears did beat the Chiefs, 20-10.
Behind the might of its vaunted defense, the best in the NFL, Chicago raced to a 17-0 lead. With superstar middle linebacker Brian Urlacher at the helm, the Bears allowed the Chiefs just 13 first downs and a mere 70 rushing yards.
The game’s highlight came at the 9:15 mark of the second quarter when special teams star Devin Hester returned a punt for 73 yards. It was a sight to behold, Hester swaying side to side, eluding tackles before tip-toeing the sidelines and sprinting his way to a waiting end zone.
Touchdown!
Bedlam ensued, and under the fading summer light, as a cool breeze whipped from the nearby lake, the SRO home crowd of 62,095 went bonkers.
They rose on their feet, clapped their hands wildly, high-fived strangers, and cheered on top of their lungs.
And when Robbie Gould kicked the point after, pushing the Bears further up at 14-0, more joyous chaos followed. It was a beautiful moment in the vastly popular NFL, which last year, drew an average of 66,000 fans a game, generating billions of dollars in TV revenue.
And it certainly was a wonderful moment for the Bears and their fans, who paid anywhere between $40 to $2,500 that Sunday.
Another highlight came at halftime, when I went to the media dining.
Gosh, there was enough food out there to feed Somalia.
It wasn’t exactly Wolfgang Puck, but it tasted good. And it was, ahem, free.
I had a Waldorf salad, friend chicken strips, a plate of fresh fruits, and a can of apple juice. I should have skipped dessert, but the brownie, sweet and chocolaty, was irresistible as Eva Longoria.
Oh yes, despite bloating like a beached whale after all that food, I did manage to go back to my seat and continue covering the second half.
It was a thrill to watch the Bears. I can’t wait to do it again.
THANKS, DARLENE. A million thanks to Ms. Darlene Capiro of the NFL Headquarters in New York. Through her office, she gave Sun.Star Cebu the NFL game-day credentials. She also approved two of our requests last season.
