Matt Nagy’s New Catch Phrase Ended the Bears100 Celebration with Style and Other Bullets

Sometimes weekends get me into some bad habits. The worst? Skipping breakfast because you’re convinced you’re going to eat something bigger/better for lunch. Time to get back on the good foot … tomorrow, of course.

  • Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy has a knack for coming up with these preseason calls to action:
  • https://www.instagram.com/p/BygKniulARZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

  • Last year, it was “Be You.” This year, it’s “Chasing Great.” But what does that even mean?
  • “‘Chasing Great’ is being able to carry that jersey that represents so many amazing human beings and players who came through this great city and this great organization,” Nagy said during a Sunday panel at Bears100. “So for us, collectively we understand that, we take it on. we want the challenge.” That’s neat. I can dig it. And so long as the players, coaches, front office members, and everyone else in the organization follow that mantra, the 2019 season will be a great one for the Bears.
  • I had a solid conversation with a friend of mine over the weekend, and it started with this question: “Is Matt Nagy the most interesting personality the Bears have had as their head coach since Mike Ditka?” The answer is a no-questions-asked “yes” … right? When I was growing up, Ditka had an aura around him that was topped only by Michael Jordan. That says a lot, because the last few years of the Ditka era were my formative years as a football fan and they weren’t great. To be clear, Nagy doesn’t have those vibes just yet. He’ll need to put some hardware in a trophy case to get there. HOWEVER, there is no denying that Nagy has the personality traits and communication skills to be the head coach Bears fans want him to be. He already has that part down. If he can find consistent excellence in his play calls and continue to win, he’ll be the toast of the town before we know it.
  • I think the old guard likes Nagy, too:
  • Chasing Great Goals:
  • Something special is brewing in Chicago, and everyone knows it:
  • There were so many pictures to be taken this past weekend:
  • https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1137815002243616768

  • So many stories, too:
  • And to think, that’s just the beginning. Among the favorite stories I read this weekend include Chris Emma (670 The Score) catching up with Devin Hester, Mark Potash (Chicago Sun-Times) on Gale Sayers’ homecoming, JJ Stankevitz (NBC Sports Chicago) getting inside the Khalil Mack Trade, and Larry Mayer (Chicago Bears’ Official Website) on Dick Butkus’ enjoyment of playing his entire football career (high school, college, and pro) in his home state.
  • I haven’t been an autograph-seeker since I was a child, but I was once once, so understand the desire to get it. With that in mind, I was disappointed that I heard from so many you who were upset with the process, because you had every right to be upset. The process should have been explained clearly at some point before the convention. Instead, there was confusion and a sense of disorganization that left fans feeling equally befuddled. Here’s hoping the Bears do right by you fans sometime in the near future.
  • Also, I had heard that some people even fell ill while standing in line for autographs. I hope those fans are feeling better and are getting back to full-strength.
  • Should the Bears have a big-time fan convention next year, another thing they’ll need to tweak is the entry plan. I stood in a line for 40+ minutes to get in on Saturday, but talked to others who waited longer. That’s less than ideal, especially for fans who traveled from long distances to be here. Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but I hope the Bears take some of their fans’ constructive criticisms to heart and make for a better event next year.
  • It was disappointing to hear that Thomas Jones didn’t get an invite to the Bears100 Celebration, because he certainly deserved it. Jones averaged more than 1,100 rushing yards per season during his time with the Bears and was THE offensive force on the Bears’ 2006 NFC Championship team. How could he not be invited to a party celebrating the team’s centennial? Seems like oversight to me.
  • Overall, I left the fan-fest weekend feeling mostly satisfied. Opening Ceremonies were a blast. Meeting many of you Bears fans in person was great. I cannot express my gratitude for your readership and support enough. I’m looking forward to seeing you guys and gals at training camp, throughout the season, and (hopefully) deep into January and February.
  • Gotta forward this idea to the powers that be at Halas Hall:
  • Three other players I wish would have been at Bears100: Lance Briggs, Jay Cutler, and Kyle Orton. I’m sure there are others who I am missing, too.
  • As long as the season starts with a Week 1 win against Green Bay and ends with this scene in February, it will be a good year for Chicago football:
  • As the Tribune continues to roll out its list of 100 best players, I feel like Alshon Jeffery landed in a fair spot:
  • I jumped on Ryan Davis’ “Everyone is Stupid Except Me” podcast to discuss a whole bunch of stuff. You can get to know a little more about me by checking it out here.
  • written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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