Will the “Monsters of the Midway” please step forward

By The Columbia Chronicle

James Boozer

Editor-in-Chief

You would think that after last season, the Bears would have learned from their mistakes and started this season on a high note. But they haven’t been able to shake their losing ways.

Gone are the days when the Bears were known as “The Monsters of the Midway.” These days, many people refer to them as the team that can never get the job done. Every game the Bears have played so far, they could have won. But for some unknown reason, they haven’t . While they can throw out every excuse in the book as to why they lose, they never seem to realize that something is wrong.

How can a team that has so much potential lose week after week after week? One of the hardest losses for many fans to understand is the one against Tampa Bay. Here were two teams with an 0-2 record trying to win their first game of the season.

On one side, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were trying to regain their momentum after losing their first two games to the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers. On the other side, the Chicago Bears found themselves in a “must win” situation after handing their first two games to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Both teams had their backs up against the wall. The Bears set out to shut down Pittsburgh both defensively and offensively. In the first half, that is exactly what they did. So the question is, how can a team with everything in their favor lose?

“This is as tough a loss as there is to take,” said Erik Kramer, the Bears’ bewildered leader, after the loss to Tampa Bay. Every time the Bears lose, they seem to take the loss in stride and never make any attempt to learn from their mistakes. If they did, they would be a much better team than they are now.

But no, they continue to dig themselves into a hole that becomes deeper and deeper with every loss.

If only they had a coach who could lead them to the victorious season that both they and the fans have been longing for, if only they could develop the ability to work together as a team, then perhaps they could restore the sense of pride that comes with being a Chicago Bear by winning football games.

Can the Bears accomplish the things I’ve just described? Yes they can. But will they accomplish them before it’s too late? Sadly enough, the answer is no.

Let’s face it – they will always find a way to lose, but they won’t find the self-determination and ability to win any time soon. The only way that will ever happen is if they learn from their mistakes and go out and play like they should.

I’m sure they will win games this season, but not enough to satisfy themselves or their fans. With less than five weeks to go until the bye, the Bears are at the point where every game they play is a must-win. Whether or not they will find their way to victory in the ensuing weeks is still up in the air. But for now, all signs point to an old and tired cliche: Maybe next year.