Bears Blitz

Published by Max Kienzler on July 26, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

It is almost upon us…

The long summer months are almost over. The time where all we have to watch is:

• Baseball
• The NBA Draft
• Baseball
• The NBA Summer league
• Baseball
• Good Soccer (Confederations Cup)
• Baseball
• The WNBA
• Baseball
• Bad Soccer (MLS)

But no longer, because on July 31, in that beautiful, delightful Friday afternoon, the Chicago Bears training camp begins at Bourbonnais on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University.

After dealing with Manny and the steroids and the poor fate that Blake Griffin faces, the exciting, albeit brief, run by the Americans in the Confederations Cup and the WNB… er, I mean MLS…uh, GOLF…oh hell, nevermind.

Finally, football is here. For diehards, this is where we dig in for the long haul. In the sweltering heat of summer, this is where rookies become men (both in football and fandom terms). This is where battles are lost and won. This is when the season can be decided.

This isn’t just what fans live for, but NFL writers as well. There are so many storylines, with practice everyday, they can scrutinize and question every call and every decision made. They can work up a story about a player sitting out. They can over cover a minor injury. They can drive us sports fan nuts.

Add to that the extremely-high expectations of their fan bases, especially the Bears’ fan base this year, which makes every camp battle that much more important and that much more covered.

Will Dusty Dvoracek or Anthony Adams be the last defensive tackle on the roster? Which receiver will line up across from Hester on opening week? Will Tommie Harris return to Pro Bowl form?

Will the Bears cornerbacks stay healthy? Who’s going to start at the free safety position? Will Rod Marinelli make that big of a difference on the defensive line? Will Lovie return the whole D to it’s previous form?

I mean shoot, has Caleb Hanie improved enough to be a reliable back up? Will any of the undrafted free agent rookies make the team? Who’s a shoe-in for the practice squad? Will Brandon Rideau finally make the 53-man roster? How many people will buy a Will Ta’ufo’ou jersey just because that name is awesome?

I don’t know, but am excited to find out.

And not all of these questions can be answered in camp, but most will, because starting Friday, everyone has a chance to make the team. Every fan is excited to see who is going to break out and who is going to flop. Every team is undefeated. Every football fanatic can dream of comeback wins, rookies making impacts, and underrated veterans busting out of their shell.

This week is where people can convince themselves that their dreams are not just that.

This week will be the longest week of the summer, but once it is over, the madness begins…and I love it.