Mike Singletary’s last home football game was one of those occasions sports fans want to explain to people who aren’t sports fans. To fully appreciate the impact and import of the game, one didn’t need to know Singletary personally–although, according to all testimony, it couldn’t have hurt–but one did need to have seen him play and perform over a number of years. One had to have a feel for the type of player he is, and for all those so-called “intangibles” he brings to a team. In this case, the word in its strictest definition is not quite accurate. “Intangible” means “incapable of being apprehended by the mind or senses” or “incapable of being defined,” according to my Webster’s. As it was clearly obvious to everyone watching in the stands or via television what made Singletary such an exceptional player–in each and every game he ever played in–“intangible” was needlessly vague.
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The Bears, it should be remembered, had lost six games in a row and looked increasingly awful along the way. The margin of defeat in the last five losses was, in order, 3, 3, 14, 13, and 17. The last two games had seen Peter Tom Willis replace Jim Harbaugh at quarterback, but he threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in two weeks and was no more composed than Harbaugh–though he is not as mobile as Harbaugh and therefore was less capable of dealing with the pressure yielded by the Bears’ porous offensive line. Harbaugh was pegged to return to the starting role for the Bears’ last home game of the season, against the playoff-bound Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the best teams in the American Football Conference. Harbaugh said he would be inspired for the game and he expected the Bears to be excited, as it would be the last home game for Singletary, who announced early in the season that this would be his last campaign.
The Steelers won the toss and elected to receive, but the kickoff return was fumbled right into the arms of Chicago kicker Chris Gardocki. The Bears could do nothing with this excellent opening opportunity, even though they went for it on fourth down–and failed. (I thought of the new Springsteen line about being unable to tell one’s courage from one’s desperation.) Yet when the Steelers finally did get the football, it became clear right away that something was up. The Bears defense was inspired, with players flying all over the field. A couple of uneventful series later, Lemuel Stinson blocked a Pittsburgh punt, and the Bears converted it into a field goal to go ahead 3-0.
Because as lovely and subtly thrilling as Singletary’s last home game was, it raised serious questions for the Bears’ future. That a team supposedly so inferior could stifle one of the best teams in the league from the relatively weak AFC, admittedly on an off afternoon, and admittedly without their best quarterback (Bubby Brister, the once-promising Don Majkowski of the AFC, was pressed into service and looked awful)–nevertheless indicates that the Bears could have been better than they turned out. We all knew the Bears suffered from bad luck this season–six interceptions returned for touchdowns, how does one explain that?–but they could have been one of the mediocre teams fighting for a playoff spot this weekend instead of being where they are, slipping into last place in a weak National Football Conference Central Division.
Singletary would probably be surprised at how strongly fans shared that sentiment. It is our job to preserve it in whatever way we can, preserve one man’s example against the combined cynicism and bluster that have come to dominate pro sports.
