Diehard Chicago Bears fans are gearing up for the game of a lifetime as the team takes on the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Playoffs.
Cheese-grater hats have become quite popular.
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“I have a lot of heartbreak built up from the Bears this year feels like they’re breaking all the chains curing all the curses. It’s unbelievable,” Bears fan Symon Pallasigue said.
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Starting Thursday, large Bears-themed ice sculptures were installed at several locations near the Loop creating photo-worthy moments for fans who eagerly posed for a pic.
“We’re excited,” Bears fan Kylie Melbourn said. We’re so excited. This is an awesome way to start the workday.”
Soldier Field has already been lit up each night this week in Bears colors while this morning, the USG building was awash in blue and orange.
Fans were thrilled by a visit by team mascot – Staley who on Friday along with The Monster Squad and the Bears Drumline will treat fans with a mini city tour bringing a game day vibe to several downtown locations. There will be giveaways at each stop.
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“All fans coming to the game on Saturday will get this rally towel so we really wanna see that waving it and getting into the game and it’ll be an electric atmosphere and we also have merchandise,” Chicago Bears VP of fan development and brand marketing Sarah Smith said.
The fun won’t stop there. The Wiener’s Circle is cooking up another challenge for a hot dog giveaway while Thursday night at the Wintrust Sports Complex in Bedford Park, there is a coach Ben Johnson look-alike contest with the top prize of a $1,000 Visa gift card.
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All sorts of Bears merchandise is flying off the shelves at sporting goods stores in anticipation of the playoff game on Saturday. But, there is perhaps nothing more popular than the cheese-grater hat.
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The hats are the brainchild of a small company in Houston. They are working frantically to get the hats out to customers as quickly as possible. Talk about timing. Demand is at an all-time high before the Wildcard playoff game between the Packers and Bears.
“It’s been amazing,” said Manuel Rojas with Foam Party Hats Inc. “A Cinderella story. In the playoffs. Beating the Packers out of the gate.”
The company has actually switched sides in the historic football rivalry. At one time, they produced cheese-head hats, but the Packers sent them a cease and desist letter. So, they came up with a product Packer haters could love. The company has a trademark pending.
“Hysterical. It’s a great way to fight back against the cheese wedges,” Bears fan Mark Buczko said.
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They’ve sold about 7,000 of them so far, with a waiting list of another 10,000 for mail orders. The only local retailer is Clark Street Sports, which is expecting a shipment Friday.
“You always see the big cheese heads in the stands,” said Wesley Nunez with Clark Street Sports. “Now we’ve to the counter to that. We’re gonna shred them up.”
Clark Street Sports sells lots of Bears products. Caleb Williams’ number 18 jerseys are a hot seller, and they are expecting “Iceman” t-shirts with Williams’ number to do well, but the cheese-grater hat is aimed at the Bears’ number one rival.
“I love them,” Nunez said. “It just speaks to how much the city is sick of Green Bay.”
While the hats are not likely to be popular north of the cheddar curtain, the only place for fans who want to get one in time for Saturday’s game is at Clark Street Sports on Lawrence.
