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USA Today
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Pope Leo XIV received an epic gift from vacationing Bears fans
There's no denying that Chicago Bears fans are diehards. But some fans took it to another level as they traveled to Vatican City to give Pope Leo XIV an epic gift. Granted, the fans were likely vacationing in Rome and just couldn't pass up the opportunity to drop by with a gift for the hometown pope, who grew up in the Chicagoland area. In true Bears fashion, the shirt read "Da Pope," a nod to "Da Bears" from the classic "Bill Swerski's Superfans" skit on "Saturday Night Live." A video (courtesy of Ann Bannapradist Munoz) also captured Pope Leo XIV holding up the shirt to support his hometown football team. This isn't the first Bears gift that the pope has received. Earlier this year, the pope received a custom Bears jersey that included his name (Pope Leo) and number (naturally, XIV) from Vice President JD Vance. Naturally, there's been plenty of jokes from Chicago fans having the pope on their side for their sports teams. So far, the Chicago Cubs (although the pope is technically a White Sox fan) have the best record in the National League while the Bears landed the top coaching candidate and appear primed for success with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. We'll see if the Bears can ink a Super Bowl championship with Pope Leo XIV on their side. But let's start with a winning record and postseason appearance.
Chicago Tribune
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Column: George Wendt's ‘Super Fans' character endures in a long tradition of on-screen Chicago sports nuts
George Wendt didn't just play a rabid Chicago sports fan on TV. He was one, albeit not nearly as deluded as his 'Saturday Night Live' character, Bob Swerski, of the 'Super Fans' sketches. Wendt, who died Tuesday at age 76, gained fame for the iconic role of Norm Peterson on the 1982-93 sitcom 'Cheers,' before his popular caricature of Swerski, a Chicago sports fan who enjoyed beer and sausages with his friends while lauding 'Da Coach' Mike Ditka and the Bears and Bulls franchises. But Wendt also was an old-school Chicago fan from Beverly who grew up watching the Bears, White Sox and Notre Dame football, the sports pyramid of almost every kid on the South Side or in the south suburbs. When I was the Sox beat writer back in 1996, I met Wendt at a game at what then was called new Comiskey Park and interviewed him for a story on the team's attendance woes. 'I wish I could come up with some cute little sound bite that could explain it, but it's sort of inexplicable,' he said. 'Has it ever been a hot ticket, really? … Maybe you could put it on the free TV versus cable TV thing a few years back (when the Sox moved to pay channel SportsVision in 1982), but now they're on WGN, so I don't know. 'It seems emigres to Chicago, the postgraduates who settled here in the suburbs, north or south, become Cubs fans. It seems like to be a Sox fan, you have to be born and raised on the South Side.' Wendt starred in a commercial for the Sox in which he huffed and puffed his way to first base, slid headfirst and was handed a beer. He also narrated a documentary on the old ballpark in 1991 called 'Eighty Years of Celebration — Old Comiskey Park.' The Sox honored Wendt with a tribute on the video board Tuesday night at Rate Field, and team executives acknowledge he was perhaps their third-most famous celebrity fan behind former President Barack Obama and the new leader, Pope Leo XIV, aka 'Da Pope.' Wendt never really spoke like his character on 'Da Bears' sketches, but his succinct delivery of an exaggerated Chicago accent, along with the funny scripts written by fellow 'Super Fan' Robert Smigel, who played Carl Wollarski, have endured for more than three decades. Many forget that the image of the meatball Chicago sports fan was panned by some cultural elitists at the time. Former Chicago Tribune critic Blair Kamin wrote in 1992 that 'the low-brow repartee is bugging Chicago's high-brow temples of culture, perhaps because they feel it indirectly associates them with the blue-collar argot of Mayor Richard Daley's Bridgeport.' 'People are going from Al Capone … to 'Da Bears' and 'Da Bulls,'' Susan Lock, deputy director of the Mayor's Office of Special Events, told Kamin. Lock complained that the success of the Michael Jordan-led Bulls was 'eclipsing all these other wonderful programs that are going on in the city.' Another spokesperson for an organization that promoted Chicago architecture and design complained that 'Da Bears and Da Bulls' skits showed 'Chicagoans to be really dumb. … Our point is that there really are a lot of smart people in Chicago.' Some people clearly lacked a sense of humor in the '90s. Few fan bases from other cities have been portrayed on screen as much as Chicago's, including cameos during director John Hughes' movies, such as Ferris Bueller taking in a few innings of a Cubs game with friends Cameron and Sloane in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' or Hughes adorning the bedroom of John Candy's 'Uncle Buck' with a framed Chicago Sun-Times front page from the Cubs' loss in the 1984 National League Championship Series. The headline simply read: 'OUCH!' An episode of 'The Conners' featured actor John Goodman and the Conner family trying to explain their loyalty to the Bears to a smug Green Bay Packers fan. Local sports themes are an occasional topic in 'The Bear,' the most Chicago show of them all. In one episode Oliver Platt's Uncle Jimmy character explains to Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) the scapegoating of Steve Bartman during the Cubs' Game 6 loss to the Florida Marlins in the 2003 NLCS. Bartman was widely ridiculed, but Uncle Jimmy fingered the true culprit: former Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Another episode of 'The Bear' featured Richie, a White Sox fan, ripping Carmy's brother-in-law Pete (played by St. Charles' Chris Witaske) for 'probably' being a Cubs fan. The age-old narrative of Sox fans accusing Cubs fans of being poseurs who don't know baseball was explored when Richie challenged Pete to name the Cubs first baseman. 'Alfonso Rivas,' he correctly replies, to Richie's chagrin. Maybe no one outside of Chicago got the joke, but we did. The all-time Chicago sports fan character on TV was Bob Newhart's Dr. Bob Hartley in the 1972-78 sitcom 'The Bob Newhart Show.' Hartley and his buddy, Jerry the orthodontist, always were trekking to Bulls, Cubs or Loyola basketball games, or driving to Peoria to watch a closed-circuit telecast of a blacked-out Bears-Packers game. I once referred to Newhart in a 2021 column as 'the indisputable godfather of celebrity Chicago sports fans,' a title he did not take lightly. 'I will wear it proudly, until of course it is eclipsed by someone else,' he wrote in a letter. Wendt followed in Newhart's footsteps, popularizing the stereotypical loud, opinionated Chicago sports fan who always seemed assured of victory while ignoring the team's storied failures of the past. Wendt's Bob Swerski had nothing in common with Newhart's brainy psychologist, other than their passion for Chicago's teams. But you can picture them watching a game together, cocktails in hand, while voicing optimism that things eventually will get better, despite evidence to the contrary. It's a Chicago story that never grows old.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bears OTAs: Videos from Day 2 practice featuring Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze
The Chicago Bears kicked off organized team activities this week at Halas Hall, including a Wednesday session open to the media. Ben Johnson's second practice (the first open to the media) provided a glimpse at an intense style of coaching, where the first-time head coach wasn't afraid to halt the action to correct things or players. Johnson even screamed at tight end Cole Kmet for lining up incorrectly. For Johnson, he says the intensity is what we can expect to see from him in practice. As you can imagine, there were plenty of eyes on second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, as evidenced by the abundance of clips that emerged from the media in attendance. There were also glimpses of receivers Rome Odunze and DJ Moore, as well as the return of safety Jaquan Brisker. OH WE BACK ! Caleb Williams x Deandre Swift x Kyle Monangai — PAT THE DESIGNER (@PatTheDesigner) May 21, 2025 Bears just wrapped their 2nd OTA session of the week. We'll hear from Ben Johnson momentarily. — Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) May 21, 2025 Caleb Williams @itsthebigs — Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) May 21, 2025 Good to see Jaquan Brisker back on the practice field. — Matt Zahn (@mattzahnsports) May 21, 2025 Rome looking smooth on the hoop had a nice day. One big catch on a 1 on 1 over route vs Tyrique Stevenson. Missed a big throw from Caleb Down the middle of the field just off his finger tips.I see a big year coming for Rome. #DaBears #Bears #ChicagoBears — Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) May 21, 2025 Caleb Williams at work during OTAs at Halas Hall. — Sean Hammond (@sean_hammond) May 21, 2025 OTA's. #Bears — Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) May 21, 2025 D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze practicing route techniques today with Antwaan Randle El looking on. Both WRs made some nice plays. D.J. Beat J.J. A couple times including on possible TD. Both looked crisp and locked in. #DaBears #Bears #ChicagoBears — Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) May 21, 2025 My Meathead Moment of The First OTA practice…. Caleb handed the ball off to swift …. & KYLE MONANGAI ! Book it KYLE is at least RB2 — PAT THE DESIGNER (@PatTheDesigner) May 21, 2025 Guess who's bizzack…And also, the Press Coverage thing at Corner is very real. Watching Jaylon and DJ was fun is just helmets. I can't wait to see it in full pads during Training missing: Luther Burden III, Andrew Billings, and Kyler Gordon. #TheBIGS #ItsUS — Herb Howard (@HerbHoward411) May 21, 2025 BRISKER IS BACK IN ACTION ! 🔥🔥🔥💯 — PAT THE DESIGNER (@PatTheDesigner) May 21, 2025 The Bears will hold seven voluntary OTA practices from May 20-22 and May 27-30. There will also be a three-day OTA practice set for rookies on June 9-11. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears OTAs: Videos from Day 2 feature Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Cheers star George Wendt's hidden Ted Lasso link as fans spot eerie tribute
Actor George Wendt, who starred in the beloved Cheers TV series, has passed away at the age of 76, and he has a famous Ted Lasso nephew he's sadly leaving behind George Wendt, the legendary actor who has sadly passed away at the age of 76, is related to a major Ted Lasso star. The actor, who was best known for his role as Norm Peterson in the iconic sitcom Cheers, died peacefully in his sleep at his home, his family confirmed. A representative told the Hollywood Reporter: "George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him. He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time." During his notable career, the American star delighted viewers on Saturday Night Live, portraying Bob Swerski, one of the fervent superfans often seen crowding around Coach Mike Ditka's diner, passionately rooting for "Da Bears." He also boasted an impressive back catalogue of film appearances, gracing screens in Dreamscape (1984), House (1985), Fletch (1985), Gung Ho (1986), Plain Clothes (1987), Never Say Die (1988), Guilty by Suspicion (1991), Forever Young (1992) and the pop culture hit Spice World (1997). But away from work, George spent time with his doting family, including his wife Bernadette Birkett and their three children: Hilary, Joe, and Daniel. He also leaves behind his nephew, Jason Sudeikis, who plays the lead role in the hugely popular TV series Ted Lasso. While appearing on an episode of the Still Here Hollywood podcast, George gushed over his pride for his famous nephew. The Cheers star shared: "Proud especially, you know, not only of the success, but he's solid. Have you read profiles and stuff? I mean he is such a mesh, so smart, so thoughtful. I mean, it all comes out in the show. Right?" Marked by heartbreaking coincidence, the news of George's death comes precisely 32 years after the last episode of Cheers graced our television screens. With a run of 275 episodes under his belt, the actor garnered six Primetime Emmy Award nods for his beloved role as the beer-chugging regular, Norm. On X, formerly Twitter, tributes poured in from fans mourning their favourite TV bar patron, with one writing: "George Wendt, beloved for his role as Norm on Cheers, has died at 77. With a beer in hand and a heart of gold, he made millions feel like regulars. A true legend of TV comfort and comedy." Another wrote: "Rest in peace to George Wendt, responsible for Norm Peterson, one of the most iconic sitcom characters of my lifetime. Cheers big guy. Rest easy." A third also shared a touching tribute: "RIP George Wendt. You were a big part of my childhood and the impact you had on society was positive and substantial. We are sad to see you go, but know you will be in a better place. Thanks for the laughs."
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Ben Johnson-led Chicago Bears' 2025 Schedule is out
The Chicago Bears released their 2025 NFL Schedule via X on May 15. The X post featured the Chicago Bears' newest head coach, Ben Johnson, and star quarterback Caleb Williams. Other Chicago Bears players were also there, all decked up like Ben Johnson! The elite team had the Chicago River on one side and Chicago's skyscrapers on the other. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Bears highlighted the games that they'd have at their home ground. X users reacted to it. One fan wrote, 'Dam. Da Bears are amped up ! #DaBears', another said, 'This is the hardest schedule in the history of the franchise', and a third fan commented, 'Calling it now 14-3 and @ChicagoBears are Super Bowl Champs!!!' According to Jeffri Chadiha, Columnist, one of the three biggest takeaways for the Chicago Bears is 'Ben Johnson's reunion comes early: It won't take long for the new Bears head coach to meet up with his former team. The ex-Lions offensive coordinator will see Detroit in Week 2 in what should be a fun matchup. The Bears have been loading up this offseason to give Johnson the offense he needs, and the Lions will be breaking in a new defensive coordinator.' With a bye week in Week 5, the Chicago Bears' 2025 Schedule looks promising Week Against Date and Day Time Where to watch 1 Minnesota Vikings Mon 09/08 7:15 PM CDT ABC/ESPN 2 @ Detroit Lions Sun 09/14 12:00 PM CDT FOX 3 Dallas Cowboys Sun 09/21 3:25 PM CDT FOX 4 @ Las Vegas Raiders Sun 09/28 3:25 PM CDT CBS 5 BYE WEEK BYE WEEK BYE WEEK BYE WEEK 6 @ Washington Commanders Mon 10/13 7:15 PM CDT ABC/ESPN 7 New Orleans Saints Sun 10/19 12:00 PM CDT FOX 8 @ Baltimore Ravens Sun 10/26 12:00 PM CDT CBS 9 @ Cincinnati Bengals Sun 11/02 12:00 PM CST CBS 10 New York Giants Sun 11/09 12:00 PM CST FOX 11 @ Minnesota Vikings Sun 11/16 12:00 PM CST FOX 12 Pittsburgh Steelers Sun 11/23 12:00 PM CST CBS 13 @ Philadelphia Eagles Fri 11/28 2:00 PM CST Amazon Prime Video 14 @ Green Bay Packers Sun 12/07 12:00 PM CST FOX 15 Cleveland Browns Sun 12/14 12:00 PM CST FOX 16 Green Bay Packers TBD TBD FOX 17 @ San Francisco 49ers Sun 12/28 7:20 PM CST NBC 18 Detroit Lions TBD TBD TBD Also Read:
