Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
First off, a big congratulations to the Indiana Hoosiers, national champions in the sport of college football.
It is undoubtedly one of, if not the most miraculous stories in the history of sport. A moment that can seismically shift the sports world going forward, giving hope to the hopeless and a blueprint on how to navigate this new world of college football. Hoosier fans, celebrate like it’s going out of style.
I was lucky enough to watch the game with my dad, and while he remained pessimistic for a majority of the game, he had no choice but to throw his hands up and smile when the game-sealing interception was thrown. He never thought he’d see the day, and I’d imagine most of you reading said the same.
It’s very rare that a college football season ends and I am happy with who comes out on top, but this year was an exception. Congrats again to the Hoosiers, I hope the Missouri Tigers are taking notes.
This column is not about Indiana football though, it is about another team that had its season ended in recent days, though certainly not in the same glamorous fashion.
This column is my way of saying goodbye to the 2025 Chicago Bears.
Yes, the Bears’ season came to a sad end in the divisional round last weekend at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. More specifically, it ended on the leg of Warsaw and Missouri graduate Harrison Mevis, making it 10 times more painful than it already would have been.
Saying goodbye is never fun, but sometimes, it’s much harder than others. This is one of those times. I came into this season with low expectations for this team. I hoped that under the tutelage of Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams would make the strides we needed to see him make and that would set the stage for the future. My best case scenario was a 9-8 record, and I had no thoughts of making the playoffs.
The season started with an 0-2 record and some bad football being played. I tried to stay optimistic, but being a lifelong Bears fan, that was easier said than done. I had no idea what was in store the rest of the way.
It wasn’t just the winning, but how the winning happened.
The last-second touchdown pass to Colston Loveland against the Bengals. The frantic comeback against the Giants. Getting revenge on the Commanders. Beating the Packers at Soldier Field in overtime with Caleb’s throw to DJ Moore. Beating them AGAIN a few weeks later with one of the greatest fourth-quarter comebacks I’ve ever seen.
Don’t even get me started on the victory speeches that followed in the locker room. I’m still chanting “Good Better Best” to myself on a daily basis. This was a team that was energizing an entire city on a weekly basis, and they knew it. Chicago was buzzing more and more with each win the team stacked up, to the point where I had people who never watch football texting me to ask my thoughts on the season.
It was an amazing ride. I saw everything I wanted to see and then some. Caleb Williams grew up before our very eyes, taking the first steps into becoming the franchise quarterback us fans have desperately searched for. Ben Johnson proved he is so much more than a guy that calls great offensive plays. He’s a leader of men and one heck of a football coach. Rookies like Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III made huge strides in their first years and will be a force to reckon with for a long time.
Us Bears fans finally got a team worth bragging about. Worth getting excited about. The first Bears team to truly make us believe in quite some time.
And then, it was over.
As I sat in my chair at Gators Wing Shack in Palatine, IL and watched Mevis break the hearts of millions of people, I was distraught. As crazy as it was, I had convinced myself the Bears’ magic could last all the way to a Super Bowl run. In my head, they could pull it off. They didn’t have to be the best team left in the playoffs, they just had to have a punchers’ chance when the fourth quarter started.
Unfortunately, that magic ran out. Caleb’s unbelievable pass in the final minute of the game was enough to force overtime, but the team couldn’t overcome a third interception in the extra period. Mevis hit the kick, I put my head in my hands and reality hit me like a ton of bricks.
But I’ve had a few days to process it now and I wouldn’t be writing this if I was still sad. I’d like to take a more positive approach. After all, there are 32 teams in the NFL and 31 of them end their season in a sad state of affairs.
I’m going to remember this team incredibly fondly, not just for their record and a playoff win, but for the journey they took us fans on. This was a team that didn’t just win games, they did so in the most electrifying, rising from the dead way possible. Now, while fans with heart conditions may not appreciate that as much, I certainly did.
There’s a lot going on in our world. Not a whole lot of it is good. Sports give us those rare opportunities to look away, even just for a moment, and put our hearts into something good. The Chicago Bears did that for 19 weeks this fall and winter. For 19 weeks they gave us plenty of ups and plenty of downs, but most importantly, they brought us all together. They gave us a common ally. Something to believe in and hope for. In this world, that’s something we could use a whole lot more of.
So, to the 2025 Chicago Bears, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. A lot of difficult decisions loom for this team but we will cross that road when we get there. Yes, things will look a little different next year and while no group will ever be the same as this one, I can’t wait to see where this journey goes next. I’ll always remember this part of it.
Let’s pick some games. Only two left, and luckily they both fit into my two categories.
FAVORITE FAVORITE
New England Patriots (-5.5) at Denver Broncos
If there is any team left in the playoffs that can get away with losing its starting quarterback at this point, it’s probably the Broncos. With no Bo Nix for this game, Denver will rely on Jarrett Stidham with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Lucky for Sean Peyton’s group, they are great at just about every position. However, the Patriots have MVP candidate Drake Maye under center, and I think the discrepancy between the two signal callers is enough to make a difference. Outside of some fumble issues in some slippery conditions, Maye had a very solid performance against a very-good Texans’ defense. I think he goes on the road and sends New England back to the Super Bowl.
The Pick: Patriots -5.5
BIG DAWG GOTTA EAT
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (-2.5)
A little surprised the Seahawks aren’t bigger favorites here based on the absolute shellacking they put on the Niners last week. This is certainly a different beast though, as while the Rams split the season series with Seattle, Los Angeles was the better team in both games. Home field advantage will be big for the Hawks here, but I trust Matthew Stafford and that offense to find a way to get it done. It’s not supposed to be nearly as cold as it was in Chicago last Sunday, and I really think that bothered them. Everyone except Mevis of course, as he’s more than used to kicking in poor conditions. I’ve been high on the Rams all season long. I still think they are going to win the Super Bowl, so I’ll ride with them here.
The Pick: Rams +2.5
That’s right, both No. 1 seeds are going down this weekend. You heard it here first. We have three football games left to enjoy. Savor them.
Cheers.
Last Week’s Record: 1-2
Season Record: 46-34
