ROSEMONT David Montgomery Jersey , Ill. (AP) — Gale Sayers drew one more thunderous ovation from the Chicago crowd.Six Hall of Famers and 230 past and present players and coaches were on hand as the Bears kicked off their 100th anniversary celebration weekend on Friday. When Sayers was wheeled onto the stage, the roar from the crowd could have drowned out the jets at nearby O’Hare International Airport.Sayers has been weakened by dementia, which was diagnosed five years ago. But the 76-year-old Sayers still made the 130-mile trip from his home in Wakarusa, Indiana.Sayers showed up wearing his gold Hall of Fame jacket and a blue and white cap with the number 40. He wiped his left eye as his old teammate Dick Butkus, Dan Hampton and Richard Dent stood clapping onstage.Moments later, Mike Singletary came out. And with Mike Ditka also there, the Bears had six Hall of Famers onstage at once.When it was time for the group to leave a few minutes later, Sayers hunched over as Singletary wheeled him away. It was hard to tell if he was weeping. But there might have been a few tears shed in the room.“That’s a tough thing Dion Sims Jersey ,” Butkus said. “I call and check on him quite frequently, and it’s a sad deal. You’ve just got to be thankful with what you’ve got. I’ve got my problems with neuropathy and my balance. But I’ve got no pain. At least I still know who I am. I’m happy about that.”Sayers’ situation makes this weekend, in some ways, a bittersweet celebration.The “Kansas Comet” was a two-time All-American for the Jayhawks and dazzled with the Bears in a career that lasted just seven seasons because of knee injuries. He was a five-time All-Pro who remains the youngest player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, enshrined at 34 in 1977.He was Rookie of the Year in 1965 after being drafted one spot behind Butkus with the No. 4 overall pick. He scored six touchdowns in a win over San Francisco at muddy Wrigley Field that season and made four Pro Bowls before hanging it up in 1971.“He looked like he was gliding,” Ditka said. “I mean, the field was muddy. Everybody was slipping and sliding, except him. It was the most unbelievable exhibition I’ve seen in the history of the game. There probably was nothing like that. Just a great Tarik Cohen Color Rush Jersey , great guy. Great guy. Gale was humble, never said a whole lot. But he was a super football player.”Ditka was glad to be part of the festivities. The Hall of Fame tight end and iconic coach of the 1985 Super Bowl champion Bears had a heart attack on a golf course in November.He said he has cut back on smoking cigars, often opting to chew an unlit one instead.“Life is a gift from God. And what we do with it, he’s going to give back to you,” Ditka said. “I’m hoping he’ll give me a few more years around, and I’ll try to do the best I can with it.”Gary Fencik, the two-time Pro Bowl safety who played on the Super Bowl championship team, said the event is special. He’s from Chicago and holds Bears season tickets.“You don’t really think about that you’re part of the history of any organization https://www.thebearsfanshop.com/Jim-Mcmahon-Jersey ,” he said. “It’s not that I haven’t read about the Bears’ history or the NFL. But this gets you a little more focused on that — and that you are a part of a very important fabric to the city and the NFL.”Jim McMahon, the “Punky QB” on the ’85 team, called Chicago “a special place.”“I’ve always loved this town, lived here for 28 years — almost half my life,” he said. “All my kids were born and raised here. It’s a special place. And this was a special team that I was involved with.” Welcome to SB Nation FanPulse — a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the offseason, we send 32 polls to plugged in fans from each team. Bears fans, sign up HERE to join FanPulse.The latest Chicago Bears FanPulse was voted on before the Monday Night win in Washington, so the results could be a little off. I’m not sure if it would have made that big a difference Walter Payton Color Rush Jersey , but a 31-15 win usually does a little more for fan confidence than eking out a 16-14 win in Denver which is the last game our fanbase had in their minds when the survey was sent out on Monday morning. Anyway, here’s how our FanPulse looked this week. We were up a wee bit from 57% to 59%, but I have a feeling that a win this Sunday will bring about a drastic Big Dipper like surge in our confidence. And a win on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings would likely see their FanPulse plummet after a 20% increase after beating Oakland in week 3. They’re currently at 65%, but I’m predicting a drop after week 4. By now we all know the record that Minny QB Kirk Cousins has when playing teams with a winning record (5-26), and we know about his propensity to turn the ball over (in 81 career games he has thrown 67 interceptions and fumbled 50 times), so what could go wrong when he faces the most ferocious defense in the NFL on Sunday?I’d imagine that Khalil Mack would like to stop by to say hi. Matt Cashore-USA TODAY SportsAnd that Eddie Jackson would be waiting for a gift or two from Mr. You Like That. Matt Cashore-USA TODAY SportsDetroit Lions’ fans are also riding high with their teams 2-0-1 start with a 75% confidence level, but they host the 3-0 Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. A loss and the most reactionary fanbase in the FanPulse will likely shoot way down. But for now at least, they get to enjoy sole possession of first place in the NFC North because...And finally Gale Sayers Jersey , that brings us to the Green Bay Packers who lost to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night football because of an Aaron Rodgers red zone pick. What are your thoughts on the FanPulse results this week?Bears’ fans, if you aren’t a part of WCG’s FanPulse, join now!
