Everybody Pour A Little Out Today For Bears Superfan Paul Zywicki, Whose Consecutive Game Attendance Record Ends Today At 395 Straight
ABC7 - There are millions of loyal Chicago Bears fans, but Paul Zywicki stands out among them all.
It doesn't matter if the game is at home or on the road, preseason or postseason, he plans to be there -- that is until the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zywicki is a season ticket holder who has attended a total of 731 games -- 395 straight at home.
"There's a couple other people that go to all the games like I do," Zywicki said. "They don't go to preseason games on the road. I don't know what wrong with them."
Zywicki said those he sees at games are kind of like family. You may not hang out with them all the time, but you always see the same people when you go.
"Being there I feel like I am part of the team. I feel like I have some control over the game," he said. "I know I don't, but I feel like I do when I'm at the game."
"I know it's happening," he said. "Right now it doesn't feel like it's really hitting me. I don't have the car packed - going out and filling the car with tailgating stuff. Tomorrow morning at about 4:30, 5:00 when I'm ready to leave and there's nowhere to go, that's when it's really going to hit me."
"I'm supposed to go meet up with some friends in Joliet in a parking lot where we can tailgate, social distance and just watch the game," he said. "I was going to go bang on the door at Soldier Field from 12-3 but I figured, I'll give those guys a break. They know me pretty well, so I don't have to get in."
The last time Zywicki missed a home game was 39 years ago in 1981.
If you read this and don't feel for Paul Zywicki here your heart is stone.
Paul is just like all of us.
"Being there I feel like I am part of the team. I feel like I have some control over the game," he said. "I know I don't, but I feel like I do when I'm at the game."
Guy lives for Chicago Bear Sunday's. Not just home games either. Guy's a road warrior.
700 games is no joke.
395 straight at Soldier is definitely no joke.
You have about 2-3 nice games to start the season weather-wise and then it's just painful temps and winds for the remaining 5-6. Every year. For 39 years.
People always say "Chicago is a Bears town" but I don't think people around the country understand just how much.
Sure every fanbase has a couple guys like Paul Zywicki. Maybe not 700 total games and 395 straight home games, but Super Fans.
The difference is the Bears have tens of thousands of these guys.
I know Buffalo has the Bills Mafia and Cleveland has the Dawg Pound. And all three franchises have continued to put their fans through hell. But in Buffalo and Cleveland it's all about the tailgate. Those two tailgates are far and away the best on the planet. Nothing is close. Especially the Bears. No offense to anybody, the Waldron lot is fine and great but its still a parking garage. If you're not lucky enough to have a parking pass you're stuck pregaming in a lot on the other side of the tracks (literally) and then walking ten miles over to the stadium.
Other teams don't have guys like Paul Zywicki who travel for pre-season road games.
"There's a couple other people that go to all the games like I do," Zywicki said. "They don't go to preseason games on the road. I don't know what wrong with them."
What a quote.
The other difference is other cities have nothing else. The Bills are all Buffao has (sorry Sabres fans). Of course it's a Bills town. Chicago has 4 other professional teams.
This city was a free for all when the Cubs won a few years ago. And even when the White Sox won in 05 it was a blast to be here.
But if and when the Bears win it will be on an entire other level. A Bears Super Bowl victory will make those two celebrations look like practice by comparison.
There's also something to be said for sitting next to this guy at every game.
Which is what Phil does.
Covid continues to just take wonderful things from us.
Pour a little out for Paul and his streak today. It's really sad the Bears didn't let Paul in by himself to watch this game and preserve his streak. But I guess that's why they're the Bears. Would have been awesome to cut to Paul in a late first qtr feature explaining his streak and showing him solo.
Fuse. Getty Images.