Riding With the King.

On April 1st, 2009, I clicked a "Send Payment" prompt on my computer and shot another $1000-plus into the shitter. At least, that's how I felt at the time. The Bears would take my money and bury it in the ground along with my Super Bowl dreams for the next decade.

A day later, I was celebrating my wise and thoughtful waste of money. The Bears landed a potential franchise quarterback and gave up alot of frustration and heartache to get him. This is a glorious new day for the Bear Nation. There is no downside to this deal at all. First and foremost, it has excited me in a wholly immature and pointless way. For that, I love Jerry Angelo. An adult man should get such joy from his children or accomplishing something truly significant, like funding a scholarship for a truly needy person. Not me. I am on cloud nine over a 25 year-old man with a cannon for an arm, a stupid sneer-smirk provided by his "Frank Burns" lipless mouth and a losing record as a starter. I am a pathetic human being.

Self-flaggelation aside, let me tell you how to enjoy this ride. Jay Cutler is first-round QB with three seasons of NFL experience under his belt. He has started for two of those years. His third and most important year of development, he was selected to the Pro Bowl. HOW COULD THIS BE CONSIDERED ANYTHING BUT AWESOME? Who cares if it doesn't work out in the end? I can't wait to see what happens. Any football man would call this a very good situation. If they don't, they are lying, jealous or both. As a Bear fan, I never thought I would see the day.

As for what they gave up, good riddance. Of course, I will miss overpaying for another medicore/awful first-round college rookie. I get two years sabbatical. I really like Kyle Orton, I do. But he would just represent the frustration of watching another impotent offensive season. It was never Orton's fault, but the QB position has been the bane of every Bear fans existence. No longer settling for above-average, we are taking a shot at the title. It is a gamble for sure, but gambling is fun. Once and a while. For a Bear fan, it had been "never."

This doesn't solve the pile of problems that this team has. I am not calling this guy our savior. It is something new, shiny and smells good. No time to be cynical. Like the pyramids, I just get to see something I have never seen before. Cross it off the list.