Dear DBB,
How else could I start
My term on this great website
But with a Haiku?
I’m still in shock that this is happening. For those that don’t know, my name is Robert Schmitz and my journey to writing this blog post began with me chattering so ceaselessly about Chicago’s professional football team in 2018 that my wife pushed me to start a podcast “so that you can find someone else to talk to about this”. That podcast became Bear With Me, and after recording 3 episodes and posting them to Windy City Gridiron’s Fanposts section, Lester Wiltfong Jr. brought me aboard and I joined a team of three podcasts that, within a month, became just one (mine).
I didn’t know anything about football at the time, but I thought I did! And as I covered the Bears for my first season in 2019, I slowly found out that my preseason Super Bowl predictions were nothing but a sham. Mitch wasn’t “the guy” and, as it turned out, neither was Matt Nagy. It was a heartbreaking season, like so many other bad Bears’ seasons we’ve endured since 2006, but worse was that I really thought I knew football well enough to have seen the bad news coming — I didn’t. And because of that, I had spent the entire offseason hyping up Bears fans just like my younger self about the dawning of a dominant Bears age that never came. Just like my younger self, those fans felt the door to a dynasty slam shut in their face. That’s a visceral feeling.
I took being that wrong personally. I still do (or, at least I try to). And now, through detailed study of everything from All-22 footage to the innerworkings of advanced NFL metrics, my aim is to scratch and claw every day in search of new Bears understandings, new Bears insights, and new ways to fall in love with the game we’re all so passionate about.
I don’t expect everything I write to be perfect, but I guarantee you I’m going to try my best to unearth new truths and new viewpoints about this great team while consistently showing you the work that led me to those answers. I’ll use videos, audio (podcasts), twitter posts, anything I can to help build the best blog posts possible for your discussion — that’s where you come in, because you and I are a team as we build this site together.
Every post will create discussion, and that discussion will create community. That community fosters intense camaraderie, something Bears fans can never get enough of — after all, we all remember who we commiserated with after the Double Doink. I want that camaraderie for every Bears fan that doesn’t yet realize that no matter who they are or where they are, there’s always a group of wonderful people they can discuss their team with only a few clicks away.
I don’t expect you to agree with me all the time, but frankly our discussions would be boring if you did. Let’s build something awesome together.
As far as site content goes, I’ll be trying out a few new methods of delivering analysis between now and the start of training camp that I’d love your feedback on — I threw together two quick breakdowns, one on Cody Whitehair & Sam Mustipher. (Yes, the title is a bit of a layup, but the Whitehair & Center positional analysis is strong.)
And another on Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, and their role in the Bears’ 2023 offense…
But I’d love to hear from you what’s working and what isn’t. Also, I’ve got some neat stuff coming that I’m wrapping production on now, so I’m excited to share that soon.
In time, I’ll hone my voice and we’ll find what works and what doesn’t together. I’m excited to be your Editor, and I can’t wait to get to know everyone here.
Let’s keep building one of the best Bears communities on the internet.
Sincerely,
Robert Schmitz
