The Wait Is Over My Friends.................

As Tom Petty puts it "The Wait Is The Hardest Part", and those words couldn't have held any more true than they have this year.  From the day the NFL announced that the Bears and Packers would be playing each other on Sunday Night to open the season to that glorious afternoon on April the 2nd when the Bears shocked us all and made the move we have all been waiting for, for many of decades, to be perfectly honest.  The word wait truly is the word of day.  Well today my friends the wait is finally over.

But the weight of this game is truly overwhelming.  This rematch of the oldest rivaly in football today really has to be one of most anticipated Bears Packers matchups of all time.  And to think it was only 8 1/2 months ago when the Bears and Packers met up on Monday Night Football with our season on the line and our team on the ropes.  I for one will never forget that game,  my girlfriend surprised me with 2 tickets to that game for my 23rd birthday and we still have the frostbite to prove it.  I remember the Packers really making life hard on me that 1st half, knowing we had to win the rest of our games for the season to make the playoffs, they really werent cooperating with us like I wanted them to.  But something changed as the second half was under way.  Low and behold Rashied Davis, a popular player around these parts, just happened to be at the right place at the right time forcing a muffed punt by taking his blocker and pushing him right into the ball.  And in a matter seconds the momentum shifted right back our way, eventually leading to a blocked field goal by Alex Brown to save our season.  It was by far the greatest game I have ever witnessed.

And now here we are, talk about coming full circle, the Bears brought in their franchise quarterback and retooled some other impact positions, the 6-10 Packers of last year brought in defensive coordinator Dom Capers and switched to the ever popular 3-4 defense and also had a draft that you know they feel good about, not to mention the pundits have crowned them the preseason champs (but as Dennis Green would say "Go ahead and crown their ass"),  and thats not even to mention that the hated Brett Favre has returned to the NFC North and is in purple of all things!  When I say this season is one we will never forget, it truly has some validity.

So I want to wish everyone a happy opening season Sunday, I know all of you are as jacked up as I am to get this game and this season underway.  But take a step back and remember why sports are soo great too today.  We are having a huge cookout at my house and I expect to see a mob of people showing up.  We got this huge projector that we are putting in the backyard, a drive in movie theater of sorts, and Im setting up the bonfire and the tiki torches and the bags as soon as soon as the sun rises.  I hope to put all the pictures and maybe a video or two of the riot scene on the website tomorrow to share with all of you.  So like I said have a great Opening Season Sunday, the day is finally here.  The wait is FINALLY over.

Prediction- Bears 34 - Packers 26

In a high scoring affair, the one thing in my mind that will put us over the top is our special teams, somehow someway this unit will find a way to make their presence known today.  Whether it be a blocked punt/ field goal, a forced fumble on a Packers return, or of course the return of the greatest return man to ever play the game taking one back to the house and sticking a knife in the hearts of the cheeseheads.  Thats how this game is decided. BOOK IT!

I would love to know what everyone else has planned for this spectacular day as well.

BEAR DOWN!!!