Not necessarily ideal conditions, but if Bears fans are anything, they are devoted.
How would fans describe the home opener? While nearly nonstop rain may have contributed to a Bears offense that was slow to start, it did nothing to stop the pregame tailgate. "We're Bears. We get wet," one said. "We can't get our grills hot, so we're audibling here and we're doing them here in the pan."
"This just shows our dedication. We're out here in terrible weather waiting to see a terrible team play. That shows we're the most dedicated fans in in the NFL," said one young 14-year-old fan. But something other than precipitation was in the air on this home opener for fans like Ron Colnar who says he's been pregaming in the Soldier Field parking lot for more than 25 years: Talk of a potential move to Arlington Heights. "Yeah, but it's going to be closer to us so we're looking forward to it."
Just about everyone shared the same sentiment. Soldier Field feels like home but the potential for the Bears to have a glistening new home, they're okay with that, too.And while it may have taken the Bears some time to get rolling, the fans took no time at all.