If you've ever read this blog before, you know that I'm a Chicago Bears fan. To a degree that's really probably not healthy to be honest. This is been a very tough month of August. And while I'm looking forward to the season starting, and I know the preseason games don't really mean anything, I'm still fighting this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that I've had since the Wannstedt years.
But I don't want to talk about the current edition of the Bears. I want to talk about the so-called "longtime fans." So-called because it's a qualifier they feel the need to use. You hear them on the radio all the time.
"Hey this is Rich, I'm a longtime Bear fan."
"I'm a longtime fan, since 1985."
Or the worst:
"I'm not a Bear fan. I'm a longtime Packer fan."
Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to engage in any sort of meaningful sports conversation with anyone who feels it necessary to offer the "longtime" qualifier to their fan credentials. The simple reason being they're usually full of crap.
"Longtime" fan to me means "since birth" or at least "since I started watching football."
The longtime Packer fans are the ones who really bother me. Because very seldom have I ever come across one who's been a fan since before the 90s and Brett Favre. I got into a conversation with one recently and decided to take him at his word. We were talking about players past and present and I mentioned Eddie Lee Ivory.
The guy responded with a blank stare. I grew suspicious.
David Whitehurst? Nothing.
Randy Wright? Nope.
Mossy Cade? Charles Martin? Terdell Middleton? Not a clue?
Bart Starr? Well, of course, let's not be ridiculous.
I've had similar exchanges with "longtime" Bear fans.
Terry Schmidt? Huh?
Wally Chambers? What?
Golden Richards? Bob Thomas? James Scott? Noah Jackson? Revie Sorey? C'mon!!
Donnell Woolford? Jeff Graham? Trace Armstrong? Joe Cain? Barry Minter? Raymont Harris? Seriously!!
Cade McNown?
"Oooh yeah, he sucked."
Finally.
I have no problem if you don't have the psychosis I do that requires you to retain all of this information. But please don't pretend to be the biggest fan in the world when your knowledge doesn't go back to Jim Harbaugh at quarterback.
And age has nothing to do with it. If you ask me who Bill George or Doug Atkins or Willie Galimore are, I can tell you. If you ask who George McAfee or Bulldog Turner or Rick Casares is I can tell you. As can any other who lives and dies every Sunday wearing blue and orange.
And for you "longtime" Packer fans. Either just move to Green Bay or at the very least, get on the Interwebs and look up Chester Marcol.
