The Bears are up – not down – although it’s time to “Bear Down.” No one does it better than linebacker Khalil Mack, the “Black and Blue Man” version of a Mack Truck. He has 12.5 quarterback sacks this season, six forced fumbles, and one interception for a touchdown. #52 led the “Monsters of the Midway” defense to an 11-5 record and the NFC North Title. This effort even caused me to buy a new hooded sweatshirt, after many years of frustration. Although the transaction at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport last Sunday morning may have resulted in my credit card being compromised?

I would probably have more confidence in my Bears against the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles tomorrow if the offense was equally effective. The Eagles were fortunate to earn a Wild Card berth after a bit to much off-season bragging. Da’ Bears, on the other hand, haven’t won it since 1985, when I was half as old as I am right now. That was a special year with a sole loss to the Miami Dolphins, who in the process were able to secure their still-standing “Perfect Season” accomplishment of 1972.

I would like to be comfortable with Bear’s quarterback #10 Mitchell Trubisky. I already have a place in my heart for his uniform number thanks to my baseball idol Sherm Lollar of the White Sox. A few weeks ago I also bought a “Sherm Freakin’ Lollar” t-shirt to muster a few yuks out of my fellow baseball card collectors. They know me as the only guy in the world that collects his cards and memorabilia despite the fact that he’s not even a Hall of Famer. My justification is that the cost of collecting is not as high as the super stars, and he was my true connection between baseball and childhood. This was simply the result of the televised 1959 World Series. The White Sox lost to the Dodgers, but Sherm won a fan for life.

Walter Payton of the Bears has a place on my office wall. “Sweetness” was part of that ’85 Bears Championship. When the team finally returned to the elusive Superbowl of 2007, my allegiance was fractured between the Bears and Colts, dating back to another childhood hero Johnny Unitas. I was a Baltimore Colts fan long before I was a Bears Fan, and when they moved to my then hometown of Indianapolis I was a big supporter. I attended training camps, sold advertising in their games, did promotions & commercials with the team, had personal relationships with coaches & players, and was frequently on the sidelines or a suite. Ironically, I had transferred to Decatur, Illinois, home of the original Bears franchise, when they clashed in Superbowl XLI. I could not pick a favorite.

I’m following the Colts game as I write this; fascinated with Andrew Luck’s return and T.Y. Hilton’s resilience. Plus, they have a Mack of their own. The remarkable Colts are also the first team in history to make the NFL Playoffs after a 1-5 start. I just hope that both the Bears and Colts don’t reach the Super Bowl again, even though I don’t want either team to lose. The Bears game tomorrow is on at the same time as the I.U. vs. Michigan basketball game. I will have to split my time watching. Or, I might get stuck going to the King Tut exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. The sad thing is that the Bears are finally televised in Portland after weeks of being forced to follow only bits and pieces of their drives on the Red Zone telecasts. It was frustrating that they were having such a great season, and I could never watch them. They may have to last another week just so I can concentrate solely on watching a Bears game this year, as opposed to dividing my afternoon between I.U., King Tut, and The Bears.

I.U. basketball is also having a good season with a deceptive 11-2 record, 3-0 in the BIG. The concern is that their victories have been against the bottom three teams in the conference by narrow margins, along with a thorough thumping against Duke. Tomorrow they will face an undefeated Michigan team that is both leading the BIG Ten and nationally ranked. Indiana doesn’t seem to have the muscle (a.k.a. thugs) to handle the interior. Their next six conference games are on the road against top opponents, so we’ll be fortunate to win even two of those games. By the end of January, I could have a sour impression of this year’s version of the Hoosiers. I’m also worried that I may end up watching much more of the Bears game, if the I.U. team gets off to another bad start. Unfortunately, I could end up turning off the TV all together if either team doesn’t “Bear Down.”

Colts Win! A good Luck and Mack attack prevails!