Returning to Relevance

For the first time in this blog's history, the Chicago Bears are heading to the NFL playoffs!

With yesterday's thrilling 24-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers (of all teams), Matt Nagy's "Monsters of the Midway" officially punched their postseason tickets by clinching the NFC North Division.  Notably, this is the first time Da Bears have achieved a division title or playoff spot since 2010.  Granted, that's not all THAT long ago, but it sure feels like forever... especially with how embarrassingly bad the marquee franchise has been since that bright spot, under the listless leadership of Marc Trestman and John Fox.

I don't mean to put the buggy before the horse, but 1985 is getting smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror - maybe, just maybe, this team can go all the way and win their first Super Bowl of my lifetime?  The defense is unforgiving, the offense is adequate, and the team seems to be firing on all cylinders as the regular season nears the finish line.  I'm just saying, this lifelong Chicagoan has now seen the Bulls, Blackhawks, White Sox, and the Cubs win championships in my time... c'mon Bears, you're slacking!

Anyway, there's still a lot of football left to be played before that becomes a real possibility.  Let's live in the moment - to celebrate their divisional crown, how about I show off the two most recent cards to enter my Bears All-Time Roster Collection?

That was a rhetorical question, by the way.  Sorry, not sorry - I'm super excited!

Trey Burton took home a coveted championship ring last season as a key member of the Philadelphia Eagles offense, even throwing a touchdown pass as part of an outstanding trick play during the contest.  The tight end parlayed that performance into a big four year, $32 million contract with Chicago during the off-season; so far, knock on wood, he's earned that paycheck.  All in all, Trey is having himself a career year, matching his career high in TD's (5) with two games yet to play.  Additionally, he's far surpassed his career marks in receptions (40) and receiving yards (470) during his first year as a member of the Bears.

The way things are looking, maybe I'll get to upgrade this 2018 Donruss "The Champ is Here" single with a Bears equivalent in a few months.  Fingers crossed!

Burton has been a popular target for Mitch Trubisky so far in 2018.  Photo credit to Steve Lundy - Chicago Daily Herald

I should also note, that my wife and all of my in-laws are rabid Philadelphia Eagles fans, so our family was a largely happy one this past February... ecstatic even.  While that might sound odd for mid-westerners, they have strong roots on the east coast.  Meanwhile, my entire family and I have been planted in the Chicagoland area for generations and, thus, we are all faithful to "Da Bears."  You might remember that a former Bears hero, Alshon Jeffery, loomed large in the birds SB win over the Patriots, catching 3 passes for 73 yards and scoring the first touchdown of the game.  How appropriate would it be that, just one year later, that the Bears take the crown on the back of a strong performance from a former Eagle?

I'm just saying, that'd be some damn good symmetry.  Plus, it'd make for a helluva two-year run for my family!

Anyway, while Trey Burton appears to be an integral piece of the Bears' 2018 resurgence and in the future to come, this next guy is, unfortunately, an easily forgotten part of the team's past.

The Nigerian-born Amobi Okoye was (and still is) one smart cookie - after all, he spurned Harvard (in favor of Louisville), was in college by the age of 16, and completed his psychology degree in just three and a half years.  Not a one dimensional student, Amobi's smarts were matched by his brawn, eventually, leading to his being drafted by the Houston Texans tenth overall in the 2007 draft.  At just 19 years old, he remains the youngest player to ever be taken in the first round.

Entering the league as the youngest man to take to the turf since 1967, Okoye instantly became a force on the Houston defensive line and had a productive four year tenure with the club.  However, the magic wore off as the years passed and he eventually lost his starting spot.  After taking his talents to the Windy City for the 2011 campaign, Okoye started only one contest for the Bears, though he did post five sacks in blue and orange over the next two seasons.

After 2012, Okoye's NFL career came to a premature close due to some serious medical issues, which necessitated his being placed in a medical induced coma for a while.  He attempted a comeback with the Cowboys and in Canada, but never made it all the way onto an active roster.

Amobi bringing the hurt to Dallas'  Tony Romo in 2012.  Photo credit to Vernon Bryant - Sports Day

Okoye was not a bad player - that's not why he won't be remembered by Bears fans.  It's just that he was a non-starting, defensive tackle who played on some hugely disappointing teams AND had his career cut short.  With that in mind, it's not all that surprising that Okoye does not have an official Bears card listed in the Beckett price guides.  As such, this 2007 Topps Draft Picks and Prospects base single will have to do.

At that, we've covered both of the most recent additions to my Bears All-Time Roster Collection, though there could be more to come.  With the way the Bears are playing, how absolutely dismal the Blackhawks and Bulls have been, and how dull the Cubs' supposedly budget-stunted off-season has been, I may be shifting my main focus to this binder in the near future... we shall see.

In the meantime, I'm still basking in the glow of the Bears return to relevance.  Although, Trey Burton and company still have two more games left to play in the 2018 regular season; so, hopefully everybody makes it through the schedule in one piece.  Then, of course, they have the playoffs to wade through before the "big game" becomes a legitimate thought.  Nevertheless, I'm going to milk this moment for all of the enjoyment that I can before reality sets in.  It's all we Chicago sports fans have to hold onto this winter.

NFC North Division Champs!!