They first came as strangers decked out in Bears gear commiserated about last season and expressed hope for this season as the CTA bus pulled up to Solider Field on Sunday morning. But they continued bonding as they filed to the tailgates on the South Side of the stadium, and they became so much more. They were Bears fans.
By 9 a.m., the festivities on Waldron Deck were in full swing ahead of a noon kick-off against the Tennesse Titans. The crisp fall air wafted the smell of meat wafted in every direction.
“Today is an Italian beef day,” declared Jaye Beasley. The 55-year-old South Side resident has been a season ticket holder for 17 years and always matches his tailgate food to the weather. He easily had enough sandwiches to feed a small army and was eager to dish them out to other fans who shared his confidence that the Bears would make the playoffs this season.
There was already a sea of people proudly donning 18s on their chests: the number of the Bears’ rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams.
After a promising preseason showing, fans are eager to see if this first-round draft pick can bring the Bears long-awaited success alongside new offensive weapons D’Andre Swift and Gerald Everett.
Michael Dibartolomeo, 50, opted for an orange mohawk and blue and orange face paint instead of a Williams jersey. He’s been traveling from Rio Vista, Texas for nearly every home game for the last 21 years.
“I’m excited because I think we have a future,” he said. “We haven’t had a future for a long time.”
DiBartolomeo has stuck with the team through the rough years. “It feels like family,” he said.
He recalled many chance encounters he’s had with management and players’ families throughout the years and fondly recalls bringing his son Dixon to his first Bears game at nine months old. The two of them have gone to every opening game together since.
“It’s just been such a tradition in my life. It’s much more than football. The family that we built, these people watched me grow up,” said Dixon, now 21-year-old, pointing to a man sporting a blue mohawk that complemented his father’s. They met him during Dixon’s first game.
