The Windy City is the third most populated city in the United States, and with large cities generally comes good sports teams. Many Chicago sports teams have had success in the 2000s, but some more than others. In 2005 the White Sox won the World Series, the Bears advanced to the Super Bowl in 2006, and the Blackhawks won the Stanley cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015. More recently, the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, and the Bulls had deep playoff runs from 2010-2014. All of these major teams have had recent success or at least championships in the 2000s. All except the Chicago Bears.

The Chicago Bears are 35-57 since 2013, without a single winning season since 2012. However, under new Head Coach Matt Nagy, they are in the midst of a memorable season. At the writing of this article, they have a record of 9-4 and, according to FiveThirtyEight.com, greater than a 99 percent chance of making the NFL Playoffs. The Bears need just one more win to clinch a spot in the Playoffs.

The Bears defense is leading the NFL with 25 interceptions, and five of those returned for a touchdown. That is 10 interceptions more than any other team in the NFL, establishing themselves as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, according to NFL.com columnist Michael Silver.

“It was tough the past few years, but one upside was my family members didn’t want to go to the games because there was no point,” sophomore Alex Schapiro, a longtime season ticketholer and self-described “avid bears fan” said. “They were out of playoff contention early, so I would get to go to the games.”

From 2013-2017, the Bears had a much less impressive record, but fans still attended games whether they won or lost. “The games weren’t that fun because the Bears would lose almost every time,” Schapiro said. “But now that the Bears are as good as they are, I can cash in the credit that I’ve gotten over the years for going when they were bad.”

This year, attendance hasn’t risen much from last year, although the Bears are a much better team. Following an important home win on December 9 against the Los Angeles Rams— a top three team in the league—Nagy thanked the fans immediately in his post-game interview. “We gave the game ball to the city and the fans,” Nagy said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

In 2017, Soldier Field’s average home game attendance for the Bears was 61,142 fans and the team’s record was five wins and 11 losses. This year the 9-4 Bears’ home game attendance average is 61,113.  “Chicago sports fans are persistent,” Schapiro said. “They stuck with the Cubs when they were bad and the Bulls still had the highest attendance in the NBA [in 2017-2018] even though they’re bad.”

Siobhan Allen, former Middle School Dean of Student Life at Parker, works in guest services and gameday operations for club and suite levels at Soldier Field. Splitting time between two jobs can be difficult. In Allen’s case, she manages her school job at Beacon Academy during the week and the Bears job on the weekend. “It can be full and challenging at times, but unlike other sports there’s only 10 home games including the preseason,” Allen said. “While it’s still a big commitment it’s not a large, year-round commitment. Now with the Bears being good, it’s a little more exciting.”

At Parker, people are getting excited about a Chicago team other than the Cubs. In 2016, the Cubs had their historic run winning their first World Series in 108 years, and Parker people were thrilled. Students were talking about the Cubs at each corner of the school. “People were talking about the Cubs more because they were a winning Chicago team,” Allen said. “But now it’s the Bears turn. I think it’s the longest championship drought for a current Chicago team and this city really has a culture of sports and expectation.”

Two years ago, Allen was working with Theatre and Technical Coordinator/Auditorium Manager Tom Moster at Wrigley Field. Allen approached Moster and told him of an opening the Bears had for event staff, so he listened to her and tried out the job.

Moster’s title is Premiere Gameday and Staff Member, and he takes care of a suite that holds up to 200 people. “The bulk of my job is making sure people are happy when they’re there,” Moster said. “Lately it’s been busy, but it’s been exciting having the Bears moved to primetime [night games] the past couple games.”

Both Allen and Moster are working for the Bears in one of their best seasons since the 1985 Super Bowl Champions team, but Moster thinks of the Bears as more than just a football team. “The Bears, as I’ve come to learn, are a really good organization,” Moster said. “They take care of us and provide us with some swag at the end of the season, so they’re very nice to the staff.”

This year, the Bears success has not only attracted Moster and Allen’s attention, but that of the students. “Last year no one talked about them as much as they do now,” Schapiro said. “It’s the talk of the town now and all of my friends go to the big games because it’s so much fun to watch the Bears dominate. Compared to last year, the Bears’ success has affected the Parker community.”