Good news. Tickets are still available for the 17th-year Bears Super Bowl Reunion in 2002, but they’re going fast.
Even better, if you act now, there are still a few Fridge jerseys to be had at this weekend’s Bears convention, where, if you rush down to the Chicago Hilton and Towers, you can see Steve McMichael live.
Of course you might not recognize him anymore. And if you do, he’s just as likely to give you a pile driver as shake your hand. But so what? He’s an ’85 Bear, for crying out loud.
“That’s who I’m mainly here to see,” said Ron Wertz, 33, who drove in from Kalamazoo, Mich., for the convention. “I’m more interested in Richard Dent and Steve McMichael than the younger guys. I guess I’m still living in the past.”
Well, yeah. But the fact Wertz was wearing a No. 51 Butkus jersey older than he was gave him away before his confession. Before Cade McNown breezed by with his girlfriend on his arm, leaving windblown autograph-seekers in his wake.
“The older players are grateful for the fans’ support,” Wertz said. “The younger guys are making millions more and have bigger egos, especially McNown. He did the same thing last year–10 to 15 people were waiting for his autograph and he walked right by saying, `Nah, I’m not signing now.’
“If these guys’ egos are that big now, how big would they be if they do win a Super Bowl?”
Chances are we’ll never know. And as long as William Perry still can pull a Coogi sweater over his head and rest a beret on top of it, it won’t matter.
“To get a man like William Perry, it was just always impossible,” said Jay Villarreal, 34, of Chicago, who had Perry sign two jerseys Friday. “It’s the first time I’ve ever seen this man make an appearance and I’m flattered. I never thought I’d see him. It’s just a huge thrill.”
Emery Moorehead, who still lives in the Chicago area, says hardly a day goes by that he isn’t recognized on sight.
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Bears fans constantly thank Jay Hilgenberg for ’85, but he has a hard time sharing in their joy.
“When I look at my whole career in Chicago, I’m upset that we didn’t win more Super Bowls,” Hilgenberg said. “I don’t look at the one and think, great. I look at all the years and the opportunities we gave away and it’s just ridiculous.”
Time obviously has dulled those frustrations for Bears fans. Besides, why dwell on first-round losses to the Redskins and those later thumpings by the 49ers and Giants when you can tee off on Dave Wannstedt, McNown and Dick Jauron?
To say time has been kind to the ’85 Bears would be an understatement along the lines of: The XFL is the biggest joke in the history of organized sports.
“I’m just happy they didn’t have sports radio when we played,” Hilgenberg said, assuming the post-Super Bowlers would be left in tatters.
He acknowledges, as does Moorehead, that the residual Bearlust has been good for business, if nothing else.
“I’m working on a [golf community] development in Kenosha and through that business, people definitely recognize my name and, yes, it’s very nice to be associated with that,” Hilgenberg said, not wanting to appear the killjoy.
“It does open doors, no question,” Moorehead said. “People want to affiliate with a successful team like the ’85 Bears.”
Even 16 years later.
Even when your heroes are middle-age men who have moved on with their lives and generally need to be dragged or paid to attend reunions and conventions.
Even when it seems sort of pathetic to be pining for the old coach and old spirit of a team for which the current players have no more affinity than the Soldier Field turf.
“I remember the first couple years I was on the Bears,” Hilgenberg said, “all I ever heard about was the ’63 Bears and I got sick of that. I’m sure it’s frustrating for them now. I’d hope they’d feel like they don’t like it.”
Not that it much matters how they feel.
“The ’85 team will always be remembered because it’s the first Super Bowl team Chicago ever had,” Moorehead said. “Even the Bulls’ incredible success in the ’90s doesn’t compare to one Super Bowl victory.
“Chicago is a football town and we have generations and generations of fans. A lot of fans who were very young became football fans through that Bears team. Most women never even watched football until they watched that team.
“It’s always going to be something special.”
You need only count the McNown jerseys this weekend to know that for sure.