A litmus test for my heart

I was trying to figure out what to say to the guy, and the only thing I could think of was to imagine what I'd want him to say to me if it were the Cubs

so I kept quiet

a lot of what you're saying rings true in a lot of our hearts but i also think it has to do with the weight on our shoulders and the expectations that go along with it.

For example, because we view "the curse" as a constant weight on our shoulders that the franchise has to overcome and we fear that we may never see a championship like fathers, grandfathers, great grandfathers, etc... we feel more emotionally tied to the thought of getting a championship. i know i for one feel awful that my grandfather never got to see a Cubs championship and if I saw them win one it would be like witnessing it for him.

With the Bears, I love them just as much but there's not as much weight there. There's not a history associated with it or a curse that makes you believe deep down it may never happen.

Similarly along those lines, this years Bears team I think most of us didn't think were as good as Colts and HOPED they'd win. Whereas being up 3-1 on the Marlins I think we all assumed we would win, thus the expectations are different. Feelings are all relative and dependant on the associated expectations with them... for instance a playoff season to a Royals fan means more than a playoff season to a Yankees fan

I, for one, dont necessarily view it as loving the Cubs more than the Bears I just feel more emotional responsibility to it because of the weight it placed on the previous generations of my family

At least that's how i try to rationalize that I love all my teams equally....

It's a tough call for me between the two. They both are very important to me. After the game I was crushed. I went out for a walk to try to relax and it really didn't help.

In time I'll be ok, but for now it's still frustrating.

...how about your face as a litmus test for my fist?

(you are in smack talk league right? If not, then ignore this)

I try not to get worked up about sports losses. Even after the Cubs blew game 6 in 2003 (and I was at the game), I didn't have any trouble sleeping that night. I just told myself, "I don't know any of those players personally, so why should I grieve for them? It's their loss, not mine. Most of them don't even live in Chicago, so why should it reflect badly on the city if they fail? It's just a game. It's meaningless." And like Reggie Jackson once said, there are a billion people in China who don't care. I barely watched game 7 because I knew they'd lose. And they did.

Sure, I get worked up during the games, and that was definitely the case with the Bears on Sunday. I yelled at the TV a few times. But when it was over, I just put it out of my mind.

I just feel bad for my 7-year old son. He told me after the Bears game "I'll never wear my Bears hat again!" He cried himself to sleep. And then my wife and I found a book about the Bears that he'd taken out of his school library the week before. I hadn't realized how into it he was.