Khalil Mack is getting the one thing in Chicago that he didn’t feel he was getting in Oakland, and that’s love. And it sounds like the feeling is mutual:
Bears OLB Khalil Mack admits it's a different animal playing in Chicago in terms of the fan base and his celebrity. An "aggressive" fan base "in a good way". Says he feels and appreciates the "importance" of the Bears to the area.
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) October 10, 2018
Chicago has a way of gravitating toward star players and Bears fans have long been known to profusely share their love and adoration for defensive stars. And Mack is very much in both columns. Mack has five sacks, four forced fumbles, a pick-six, an NFC Defensive Player of the Month award, and most importantly, has the Bears defense playing at a high level during a 3-1 start to the season. What’s not to love!?
This isn’t to say Oakland doesn’t have passionate fans who don’t love passionately. Have you seen the Black Hole of fans who root on the Raiders on Sundays? That place looks nuts. But the Chicago style way of fandom – much like its pizzas and hot dogs – is truly unique.
And it’s great that Mack is embracing his newfound celebrity status and what it means to be a member of the Bears. Mack’s love for the love he is receiving is refreshing. Here’s to a beautiful friendship, one that will play out over the next six years and hopefully include the hoisting of a Super Bowl trophy.