From the South Side to Soldier Field

Stationed just six miles south of Soldier Field, the harbor is also the place where Bears flags fly high out on Lake Michigan. Listening intently to the conversations of Bears fans at the harbor, I learned what it means to be a passionate defender of the home team — especially against Packers fans.

But our family’s fandom didn’t begin or end with the harbor. My dad, sister and I spent the past December 2,000 miles away from Chicago, visiting another sister, Susan Bracey, in Los Angeles. Still, we all gathered around the TV to watch the Bears take on the Seahawks the Thursday after Christmas Day. We paused the cooking, video-gaming and trading of memories to form a new one: cheering and shouting at the game as if the players could hear us through the screen.

Max’s own love for the Bears took our family’s fandom to a whole new level. Despite having moved to L.A. permanently when he was 10 years old, he remained Bears faithful throughout his life and noted the influence that Black icons like Lovie Smith, Lance Briggs, and Charles Tillman had on him while growing up.

“My whole Christmas list would be Bears whatever those years: Bears watch, Bears jersey, Bears hat, I just wanted my allegiance to be known,” Max laughed. “You feel like you know them, when you watch them so much. You want to emulate the way that they approach the game. I think that to have those role models, and not just as good players but good people, it meant a lot.”