Minnesota Vikings v. Chicago Bears
Sunday, January 8, 2023
CLIFF A.
Resides: Darien, IL
Section: 433
STH Since: 1981. I used to go to games using my friend’s tickets dating back to Wrigley Field in 1963. After a few years he had them transferred to me.
Favorite Bears Memory: I was at Wrigley Field for the game when Gale Sayers scored six touchdowns against San Francisco in 1965. Also, I attended a party at Bob Konovsky’s home along with Brian Piccolo, Abe Gibron, Marty Amsler and Bill Bishop. My favorite memory would have to be the 1985 Super Bowl Championship Season! They were loaded with exceptional talent and were very charismatic. Who could ever forget the Super Bowl Shuffle! That season’s success was the result of a total team effort by the players and coaches. It electrified the entire city. Everyone was a Bears fan in ‘85!
Favorite Bears Players:
- Current: Justin Fields, Cole Kmet and David Montgomery
- Alumni: Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers and Walter Payton
Favorite Bears Fun Fact: I was lucky enough to have coffee and talk one-on-one with Coach Ditka before he was to speak at an assembly at our high school. Coach was really a good guy and happily engaged any faculty and staff who approached him. Coach shared the story of a teacher that approached him and said that his son played football at a junior college and wondered if Coach Ditka could go to his practice and see if he had a shot at playing pro football. Coach Ditka was very friendly and said that they have scouts that handle the scouting duties. Coach Ditka smiled at me and said, “Every parent has a dream”.
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APEX RAILWAY PRODUCTS, INC.
Resides: Oakbrook Terrace, IL
Section: 437
STH Since: 1977. The tickets are part of our family business.
Favorite Bears Memory: Devin Hester's kick-off return in the Super Bowl in Miami. We had aisle seats and were surrounded by Colts fans. By the time we were done celebrating, we were 10 rows away from our seats.
Favorite Bears Players:
- Current: Justin Fields and David Montgomery
- Alumni: Brian Urlacher, Mike Brown, Devin Hester, Peanut Tillman, Khalil Mack, and Matt Forte.
Favorite Bears Fun Fact: I am a part owner of The Halas Hauler, a tailgate vehicle that has been a south lot staple for over 15-years. Our group was featured on the cover of the Bears Pro Shop magazine in 2008.
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DAN K.
Resides: Skokie, IL
Section: 321
STH Since: 1981. A co-worker transferred his season tickets to me.
Favorite Bears Memory: When it started snowing during the Rams game in the NFC championship game in 1986. We knew we were going to the Super Bowl!
Favorite Bears Players:
- Current: Justin Fields, David Montgomery, Jack Sanborn and Cole Kmet
- Alumni: Sayers, Butkus, Payton, Hampton, McMichael, Hester, Moorehead, Ditka, Covert, Suhey, Plank, Fencik, and many more.
Favorite Bears Fun Fact: Sitting in the north end zone during the Fog Bowl trying to figure out where the ball was.
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DAVE K.
Resides: Chicago, IL
Section: 124
STH Since: 1980. My brother used to purchase tickets for me from the downtown Chicago offices for every game, and in 1980 they contacted me to offer season tickets. I jumped at the chance!
Favorite Bears Memory: Going to the Super Bowl in 2006. I had won the Super Bowl ticket lottery, so my friend and I flew down to Miami for the game. After Hester ran back the opening kickoff, I thought we were going to be Super Bowl Champions. It took a while to dry out from the game, but it was a fun experience. I also witnessed Walter Payton break the rushing record.
Favorite Bears Players:
- Current: Cole Kmet
- Alumni: Walter Payton and Dick Butkus
Favorite Bears Fun Fact: We tailgate every game and are in line by 7:00 am to get in the parking lot by 8:00 am. We tailgate with roughly 10 people who are friends and people we have become friends with at the games, and we cooked everything from hot dogs, steaks, lobster and even roasting a pig. We’ve got the routine down from carrying on this tradition for 40 years.
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MATT L. JR.
Resides: Homer Glen, IL
Section: 349
STH Since: 1981. I had my name put on the season ticket waiting list in 1980, so I waited for a year. I received a framed letter from the Chicago Bears Organization last year congratulating me on being a 40-year Chicago Bears Season Ticket Holder.
Favorite Bears Memory: There are so many great memories. I would have to say the 1985 playoffs against the NY Giants & LA Rams were the most memorable because the Bears shut them both out and were heading to the Super Bowl!
Favorite Bears Players:
- Current: Justin Fields and Jaquan Brisker
- Alumni: Walter Payton and Charles “Peanut” Tillman
Favorite Bears Fun Fact: The 1985 Bears team had such great confidence in themselves, and the coaching staff brought that out in each individual player. They were not selfish and played for each other. Their confidence flowed to every fan, whether sitting in the stadium or watching on television. You could feel the energy.
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BOB M.
Resides: Evergreen Park, IL
Section: 117 & 132
STH Since: 1981. I was on the waiting list in 1980 and when they bowled in the corners of Soldier Field with seats in 1981, I was offered season tickets.
Favorite Bears Memory: I was not lucky enough to get 1986 Super Bowl tickets in the lottery, but the 1986 Playoffs against the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams were great! The Giants game was very cold and windy, and the Giants punter whiffed at the ball on a punt when a wind gust hit it. Also, when it started snowing during the Rams game and all the fans started to cheer and then the Bears interception. I did get tickets to the 2006 Super Bowl against the Indianapolis Colts in Miami and even though it rained the whole game, Devin Hester returning the initial kickoff for a touchdown was great.
Favorite Bears Players:
- Current: Justin Fields and David Montgomery
- Alumni: Walter Payton, Matt Suhey and Mike Singletary
Favorite Bears Fun Fact: We purchased the album with the Bears Super Bowl Shuffle. Our children loved to play it and dance to it.
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BRIAN R.
Resides: Elmhurst, IL
Section: 342
STH Since: 1981. My friend and I decided to put our names on the waiting list while we were still students at Loyola University. We figured that after many years we'd be in our jobs and be able to afford the tickets by the time we moved up the list. The corners were added to the old stadium, and we were informed that we could get four tickets in 1981. My problem was I was just about to start dental school and didn't have much money. So, I paid for one, my girlfriend, who is now my wife, paid for one, and two friends each paid for the other two. That was the start of my season ticket holder experience.
Favorite Bears Memory: Years ago, when my kids were small, I brought them and some of their friends to a game. We happened to be playing the Vikings and who sits next to us, but a group of Viking fans in full Viking regalia, horns, braids, purple and gold.... you get the picture. My kids had the best time trash talking back and forth with them. We won and it was a great day.
Favorite Bears Players:
- Current: Justin Fields. He'll do whatever it takes to keep the chains moving. A lot of quarterbacks would not do that.
- Alumni: The entire '85 Bears team. You have a bunch of very diverse characters, and they were all on the same page; they were a team. They were THE TEAM.
Favorite Bears Fun Fact: My son Jim, who is now 35, was carried into the game that Walter Payton broke the rushing record. He may not remember it, but I sure do.
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SCHAEFGES BROTHERS, INC.
Resides: Wheeling, IL
Section: 103
STH Since: 1980. My grandpa (Eugene Schaefges) got Season Tickets back when the Bears still played at Wrigley Field! His construction company (Schaefges Brothers Inc.) did construction work on Soldier Field in 1981! The renovation/removal of the temp scaffolding stands in the north end zone. The temp stands were there to separate the main field from what used to be a smaller field (track and field events) to the north. Given some of his grandkids have children of their own and they've gone to games, you could say we've had these tickets for four generations!
Favorite Bears Memory: The 2006 Super Bowl run - we had our entire family (my grandpa's five kids, their spouses, and 16 first cousins) tailgate every home game during the playoffs and stayed in the South Lot all game, streaming the game on a TV (in 2006 no less!). For the NFC Championship, we even hired a chef to cook for the tailgate!
Favorite Bears Players:
- Current: Justin Fields
- Alumni: Charles 'Peanut' Tillman
Favorite Bears Fun Fact: When our grandpa got our season tickets, he purchased four, which works conveniently given he had five children and there are ten home games every year! That way, each of the five children's family gets to go to two games every year, and we decide based on an annual draft that we do in June/July. That draft is when it feels like we are finally kicking off another season of Bears football! We are such big Bears fans that we would trade all 3 Stanley Cups (2010, 2013, 2015) won by the Blackhawks and the Cubs World Series (2016) to experience one Super Bowl Win. BEAR DOWN
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TOM T.
Resides: Chicago Ridge, IL
Section: 252
STH Since: 1981. They were my dad’s season tickets, and he passed them onto me when I was around 28 years old. I even remember going to games with my Dad at Wrigley Field before he became a Season Ticket Holder.
Favorite Bears Memory: The Fog Bowl. It was so different, and the way the game was played. It was something I’ve never seen before with those kind of conditions.
Favorite Bears Players:
- Current: Justin Fields and Jack Sanborn
- Alumni: Brian Piccolo, Rick Casares and Steve McMichael
Favorite Bears Fun Fact: Taking my son to his first game 20 years ago. He was 16 years old at the time and has been coming to games with me ever since.
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VULCAN MATERIALS COMPANY
Resides: Naperville, IL
Section: 154
STH Since: 1976. The tickets have been in the company for 46 years.
Favorite Bears Memory: Our favorite memories are when the Bears beat the Green Bay Packers, and when Devin Hester ran back the opening kickoff in the 2006 Super Bowl in Miami.
Favorite Bears Players:
- Current: Justin Fields and David Montgomery
- Alumni: Walter Payton, Brian Urlacher, and Mike Singletary
Favorite Bears Fun Fact: My parents having a Super Bowl Party in 1986 when I was younger and watching the Bears defense take over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!