Bear Down

As I wrote yesterday, I left home early so that I could drive to Las Vegas for CES in time to get checked into my hotel to watch the Chicago Bears playoff game.  I could have spared myself that, given what an absolutely dismal end to the game it was. 

(I won't go into a long analysis, so don't worry.  I'll just say that they lost because a last-second very-makeable field goal attempt doinked off the goal post.  There's more I could say, but won't -- other than the team only had itself to blame because two years ago their excellent field goal kicker, Robbie Gould, was due for a contract raise, and they didn't want to pay it, so they let him go.  This year, he set a team record for the San Francisco 49ers for most consecutive field goals. And the guy the Bears signed in his placed tied for the most missed field goals in the NFL year.)

But I digress.  The point here is to honor a terrific season.  So, here is a fun version of the Chicago Bears fight song, with thanks again to Eric Boardman who sent me the link.  By the way, the Bears fight song is actually a really fun one, I think, one of the better in sports.  And it has a little-known, notable history.  The song is written by Al Hoffman who's in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and wrote -- among his many credits -- "Mairzy Doats," "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" (and other songs from Cinderella, including "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Make"), and Perry Como's big hit, "Hot Diggity," as well as "Fit as a Fiddle," which was used in Singin' in the Rain.

I've posed another version of the song -- when Sir Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony and Chorus performed an enthralling rendition as a surprise encore to a classical concert to honor the team getting into the 1985 Super Bowl, which they won.  (You can hear that recording live, with the stunned and thrilled symphony audience clapping and cheering along at this link.)  This version below is a montage that cuts between Chicagoans singing different passages.  Most are residents, but a few local personalities are mixed in, a Chicago Bull and even a national celebrity who they caught on the street.  I was going to keep it a surprise, but since that's the graphic image on the video, the surprise is gone.  Making George Wendt's appearance all the more appropriate than just him being from Chicago is that he's part of the famous, "Da Bears/Ditka" sketch on Saturday Night Live.

So Bear down.  And best of luck next year.  
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